¶ Session 029 - Portals, Paw-Feet, and Precipices 🚪
¶ 🏠 A Meeting at Crescent Manor
Following a lead on the whereabouts of their abducted goblin compatriot, Snax, the SOLS - Otto, Clutch, and Nitro arrived at the residence of their client, Marge. After a brief moment of confusion at the door due to Otto's disguise, the group was ushered into the surprisingly run-down mansion. Otto explained their theory: the portal that snatched Snax was likely connected to the mysterious disappearance of Marge's husband, Thomas. To pursue this lead, they needed to get to Ustalav and requested Marge's assistance in securing swift passage.
Marge presented them with two options. The first was safe passage aboard a zeppelin, a journey of one to two days. The second, far more immediate but infinitely more dangerous, involved seeking a teleportation circle believed to be hidden somewhere within the blighted Precipice Quarter. She added a stark warning, revealing that Thomas was last seen investigating something within that very quarter. When asked about her home's dilapidated state, Marge explained that the inherited Crescent Manor appeared to be haunted, with strange "noises and lights" that prevented anyone, including herself, from venturing upstairs. Weighing their options, the party chose danger and speed, resolving to enter the Precipice Quarter to find the portal.
¶ 🐾 An Unfortunate Affliction
En route to the Precipice Quarter, the party's journey was interrupted by a commotion in the street where they witnessed a man screaming in agony as his feet began twisting into wolf-like paws. Clutch's keen eye identified the transformation as an unusual curse rather than typical lycanthropy. He successfully performed a cleansing ritual, reversing the affliction for the man, who introduced himself as Tobias. A grateful Tobias recounted that the condition had manifested shortly after a recent romantic encounter.
¶ ⚙️ An Offer Craig Couldn't Refuse
The party escorted both their acquaintance, Craig, and the newly-cured Tobias to the Clockwork Cathedral. There, they coerced a reluctant Craig into seeing that Tobias received help from his colleagues at the institution. Before they parted ways, Clutch returned Craig’s glasses with a bit of an apology. As a final gesture, Clutch gave Craig two gold pieces: one for Craig himself as an apology, and the other to help Tobias with any expenses. Craig, in turn, decided to give both gold pieces to Tobias. The group left Craig with the understanding that he would work on replicating a clockwork device for them in their absence.
¶ 🧟 Into the Precipice
The investigators finally reached the heavily guarded wall of the Precipice Quarter. Their conversation with a guard at the gate confirmed their suspicions: logs showed Thomas had entered the quarter weeks ago, but there was no record of him ever leaving. While the guard was dismissive and unhelpful regarding the location of any portals, he did mention that if they were looking for information, they might find it in a place called the Drownyard.
Frustrated by the guard's bureaucracy, Nitro delivered a successful and colorful threat to bypass the required security protocols. As they walked through the gate, they noticed the guard making a note of their descriptions in his logbook. In a final act of defiance, Nitro deftly snatched the book from the guard's hands. With the stolen logbook secured and hostile guards at their back, the party stepped into the gloomy, dangerous district, their sights set on the Drownyard.
¶ The Eastgate Ledger
¶ Log Maintained by Sergeant of the Watch Ilera Vance
| Date | Name | Home of Record | Physical Description | Reason for Entry | Exit Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Pharast, 4721 AR | Aleya Fenswick | Kaer Maga | Female human, ~5’4", short curly auburn hair, scar under right eye, wearing a reinforced traveling robe and carrying a blackened staff engraved with arcane glyphs. | Requested access to research ruin wards around the Tower of the Broken Shield. | 17:20 |
| 22 Pharast, 4721 AR | Brother Glaive | Tempering Hall, Absalom | Male half-elf, 6’2", bald, bearded, in modest clerical vestments marked with Sarenrae’s holy symbol. | Escorting mourners to the Boneglutton Pit for a dusk vigil. | 21:00 |
| 22 Pharast, 4721 AR | Tovan Brask | Diobel | Male dwarf, 4’8", red-brown beard in dual braids, burn scars on left hand, wearing smith’s apron over scale mail. | Seeking rare ferrous rubble in the Ropecliffs. | 15:33 |
| 22 Pharast, 4721 AR | Eliri Wen | Magnimar | Female halfling, 3’0", platinum bob cut, yellow tunic, armed with a slingstaff and large leather satchel. | Delivering maps to the Vigil's Hope scouting party. | 14:49 |
| 22 Pharast, 4721 AR | Arlon Vex | Absalom (Ivy District) | Male human, 5’10", olive-toned skin, elaborate tattoos in Chelaxian script, wearing black robes and scented with myrrh. | Claimed to be seeking spiritual clarity amid the Spiral Shrine ruins. | 19:02 |
| 22 Pharast, 4721 AR | Sabra "Quickblade" Halvon | Absalom (The Coins) | Female elf, 5’6", stark white hair, yellowed goggles, loose grey leathers, rucksack of traps/tools. | Commissioned to clear vermin from collapsed cellar at Stinger's Scar. | 20:45 |
| 22 Pharast, 4721 AR | Inspector Naldrun Tarix | Starwatch Keep | Male hobgoblin, 5’11", iron-toned skin, formal cloak with bronze sash, carries three ledgers. | Audit of patrol effectiveness along Farther Stone. | 16:10 |
| 22 Pharast, 4721 AR | Thomas Aswold | Petal District | Male human, ~30, 5’11", black hair neatly parted, heavy woolen overcoat despite heat, worn satchel, eyes described as “distant.” | Stated interest in architectural comparisons between The Tower of the Candelabra and Osirian ruins. | 18:14 |
| 22 Pharast, 4721 AR | Old Mareen | Precipice Quarter (Barterfall) | Female human, 80s, hunched, eyes milky with cataracts, wheeled in a chair by unseen magical servant. | Returning home. | — |
| Date | Name | Home of Record | Physical Description | Reason for Entry | Exit Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Pharast, 4721 AR | "Scrimshaw" Delvus | The Puddles | Male halfling, 2’11", fish-scale tattoos on arms, smells strongly of brine, missing left ear. | Seeking salvageable debris near Boneglutton Pit. | 12:31 |
| 23 Pharast, 4721 AR | Jiraya Ko | Minkai | Female human, 5’5", long jet-black braid, dark green silk robe with fox embroidery, carries an old woodcut map. | Following family pilgrimage route to the Wracked Rock. | 18:03 |
| 23 Pharast, 4721 AR | Inspector Naldrun Tarix | Starwatch Keep | Same as previous | Continued inspection of East Gate reports and access log discrepancies. | 14:40 |
| 23 Pharast, 4721 AR | Loke Vanter | Almas | Male human, 6’0", tight blond curls, chipped monocle, tan explorer’s kit with spyglass. | Requested permission to measure magnetic anomalies near the Titan's Fountain. | 20:20 |
| 23 Pharast, 4721 AR | Brother Ulgard | Absalom (Ascendant Court) | Male dwarf, 4’6", sun-bleached beard, weather-worn holy symbol of Aroden, mismatched boots. | Claimed ancestral visions urged him to revisit the Spiral Shrine. | 19:55 |
| 23 Pharast, 4721 AR | Thomas Aswold | Petal District | Same as previous | Did not provide details; permitted due to prior access. Observed speaking briefly to hooded figure near the Darkgate entrance. | 20:07 |
| 23 Pharast, 4721 AR | Mara Nivene | Egorian | Female tiefling, 5’9", dusky lavender skin, long coat stitched with infernal motifs, quiet demeanor. | Survey of collapsed sections under Drownyard. | 22:30 |
| 23 Pharast, 4721 AR | "Dancer" Vess | Unknown | Agender elf, 5’7", porcelain mask, moves silently, carrying only a lute and a leather scroll tube. | Gave no verbal reason, offered a silver crescent and a sealed document. Permit approved by shift officer. | 23:47 |
| Date | Name | Home of Record | Physical Description | Reason for Entry | Exit Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Pharast, 4721 AR | Crat Malkin | Korvosa | Male gnome, 3’4", wild mane of hair dyed crimson, reinforced backpack with arcane components. | Investigating leyline shifts around The Sprial Shrine. | 17:01 |
| 24 Pharast, 4721 AR | Irellis Fen | Absalom (Petal District) | Female elf, 5’9", verdant green cloak of living ivy, calm voice, aromatic presence. | Replanting efforts along Arboretum Arcanis. | 16:00 |
| 24 Pharast, 4721 AR | Captain Ilber Roash | Absalom Harbor Watch | Male human, 6’1", weathered face, rusted sabre, naval surcoat. | Interrogating a suspect near Barterfall. | 19:30 |
| 24 Pharast, 4721 AR | Thomas Aswold | Petal District | Same as previous; appeared more disheveled, spoke little, shirt cuffs stained with ink and dried soil. | Requsted writ of passage to subflooring of Tower of the Candleabra; Held brief conversation with unknown figure near Barterfell. | — |
| 24 Pharast, 4721 AR | Agent Varnis Kreel | Eoxian Consulate (Unofficial) | Male elf, skin grey-blue, emotionless demeanor, exposed mechanical limbs. | Stated mission to collect geospatial samples beneath Grislyfair. | 22:00 |
| 24 Pharast, 4721 AR | Greltha & Sons Salvage Crew | Absalom | Mixed ancestry team, noted for blue sashes and creaky cart. | Routine reclamation pull near Mortecant. | 15:00 |
| 24 Pharast, 4721 AR | Widow Nalmira | Precipice Quarter (Wracked Rock) | Elderly female human, black veil, whispered prayers, carried ash urn. | Mourning ritual at the Ropecliffs. | 21:10 |
| 24 Pharast, 4721 AR | "Reader" Benro | Katapesh | Male human, 5’8", sand-caked robes, intricate ink scroll sleeves, cataract-blind eyes. | Searching for prophetic inscriptions tied to the Arodenic Lodestar. | 18:20 |
| Date | Name | Home of Record | Physical Description | Reason for Entry | Exit Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Alhene Ralbrin | Absalom (Wise Quarter) | Female human, 5'2", pale complexion, silver-stitched maroon robes, severe bun, notebook with multilingual symbols. | Archival review at Spiral Shrine; searching for temple blueprints. | 18:45 |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Garvick "Grizzle" Norn | Diobel | Male dwarf, 4'10", greying mohawk, stained leather coat, mechanical crossbow slung at back. | Entering with permit to retrieve stolen tools from the Ropecliffs. | 17:10 |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Yssra Vont | Nisroch | Female human, 5'8", raven-black veil, pale hands etched with inked prayers, smelled faintly of cloves. | "Pilgrimage of silent chains" at the Stinger's Scar. | 20:05 |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | The Clockmaker’s Children (3) | Unknown | Trio: (1) Male gnome, 3'6", gear-eye implant, copper-thread coat; (2) Female elf, 5'7", gloved, porcelain skin, speech stutter; (3) Silent android, glowing eye. | Sought access to Barterfall Promenade for "cycle calibration." | 19:30 |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Ozan Wrette | Ustalav (Caliphas) | Male human, 6'1", hunched posture, yellow scarf, mildewed book chained to belt. | Claims rights to sealed vaults near Tower of the Horn | 22:00 |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | “Archivist Bim” | Absalom (Puddles) | Male halfling, 3'1", clean-shaven, spectacles cracked, large scroll bag labeled “Weathered.” | Documentation on Pre-Gap murals within Wracked Rock. | 14:12 |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Palthra Dreel | Kaer Maga | Female orc, 6'3", heavy bone jewelry, face-paint resembling stormclouds, thick oxblood cloak. | Petitioning spirits at the Boneglutton Pit during full moon cycle. | 20:50 |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Jassir Tenlo | Katapesh | Male human, 5'6", sun-darkened, carrying multi-compartment satchel of folded canvas, high-pitched voice. | Seeking shelter survey for installation of open-air trader’s post near Forsaken Docks. | 17:40 |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Illani Spireblush | Cheliax (Senara) | Female tiefling, 5'10", horn-rings, bronze-red skin, spoke softly, armored in blood-darkened chain. | Requested proximity to Rat-Taker's Palace, reason unstated. Exit stamp refused—subject claimed exit would be “later… much later.” | — |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Unknown | Unkown | Female orc, 6'5", wearing black trenchcoat and black open crown hat | Sought "nearest teleportation portal" | |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Unknown | Unkown | Male Tengu, 6'0", black feathers, leather tunic, white muscle shirt, and handwraps with three red tick marks | Sought "nearest teleportation portal" | |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR | Unkown | Unkown | Male Human, 5'10", studded leather armor, trailed by tabby cat | Sought "nearest teleportation portal" |