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10 Tarsakh 1471, (Day 15)

Dawn

The Triboar Trail

• The Party awakes to find Orthanc Hellbringer lying on the ground, next to the cart, fast asleep
  • Vala Silverton and "Rig" attempt to awaken him but pulling on his legs
    • Both fail miserably and fall on their asses
    • Vala Silverton thinks she is pulling on one of Orthanc Hellbringer ’s boots, but when she removes the “boot” she realizes it is days’ worth of dried road mud, and she is disgusted
• While Vala Silverton and "Rig" try to awaken Orthanc Hellbringer , Persi mysteriously awakens - surprising Slûûp
  • Persi awakens to Slûûp calling him “the silent master” and quickly takes advantage of the situation
    • Persi succeeds on a Persuasion check, convincing Slûûp that he is the “head master”
      • Slûûp now believes that Persi is in charge of The Party and that Slûûp is in service to Persi
    • Persi unsuccessfully tries to change Slûûp’s name - Slûûp showing a surprising amount of resistance to Persi’s persuasion
• With Persi awake and 700 lb Orthanc Hellbringer  asleep, The Party attempts to figure out how to get Orthanc Hellbringer  into the cart so they can travel
  • Persi and Slûûp fail at an attempt to directly lift the sleeping Orthanc Hellbringer 
  • "Rig" succeeds in a History check to explain to The Party how a simple level works, in hopes that using the simple machine will help get Orthanc Hellbringer  into the cart
    • The Party successfully uses "Rig"’s plan to get Orthanc Hellbringer  into the cart, with a final bit of assistance from Meilu
• While The Party prepares to continue their travel, they see a mysterious figure off in the distance
  • The Party notices that the figure is moving toward them, with its hands raised above its head
  • At 300 ft, "Rig" draws a bead on the stanger with her bow, while Vala Silverton puts her hands above her head, mimicking the figure
  • The stranger begins waggling his fingers, casting a minor cantrip that shoots sparks from his raised hands
    • "Rig" is angered by a display of magic, and prepares to fire her bow at the figure
    • Vala Silverton interrupts "Rig"’s attack to attempt to decipher the odd behavior from the stranger
      • After using inspiration, Vala Silverton succeeds on a History check to identify the sparks as signaling in Silent Common - a language used by the deaf to communicate
  • Persi cheekily casts Elementalism cantrip, causing dirt and leaves to swirl around "Rig", attempting to make her believe that the stranger is casting the spell on her
• The stranger continues to slowly advance on The Party
  • "Rig" believes the effects from the elementalism cantrip are being caused by the stranger
  • Vala Silverton notices Persi in spellcasting and notifies "Rig" that Persi is fucking with her
• The stranger is a Tiefling, but unlike any Tiefling The Party has ever encountered or even heard of 
  • His skin is solid, shiny black, almost like obsidian
• The stranger continues to slowly advance, like a big fucking weirdo
  • "Rig" is ready to kill him where he stands, dropping her bow and pulling out her stilettos when he gets within 30 ft
  • Vala Silverton mentions that "Rig" is showing a remarkable amount of restraint in not killing the stranger where he stands
  • Slûûp breaks the tension, asking who the stranger is
  • Persi introduces himself
• The Party has an odd, stilted conversation with the stranger
  • The stranger is very cagey about who he is, why he is there, where he is going, or what he is doing
    • It’s difficult to say if he’s utterly lost and incompetent or if he’s hiding something
  • Persi offers the stranger to sit in on their meal but then loudly announces to Slûûp, who is preparing the food, to give the stranger the worst rations they have
  • The stranger eventually introduces himself as “Morthos” and tells The Party that he came from further into the Lost Hills, that he noticed The Party beginning to enter them, and that he might be able to help guide them to wherever they’re going
    • When asked what he would ask for in return he says that he’s “in need of comrades”
• The Party decides to perform a test of trustworthiness on Morthos by seeing howMeilureacts to him
  • The Party states that ifMeilulets Morthos pet her, then he can travel with them
  • Vala Silverton covertly tells Morthos thatMeiluloves carrots and that if he can getMeiluto approve of him, "Rig" will be a little less suspicious
    • Morthos begins heading toward Meilu  intent on finding a carrot in one of her saddlebags
    • At first, he seems to be completely unaware of how to even approachMeiluthen gathers himself, finds a carrot in her bag, and offers it to her
      • Meilu stares intently into Morthos’s eyes, then quickly and forcefully pulls the carrot from his hand and eats it
      • The Party assumes that this meansMeiluapproves of Morthos
  • While The Party packs up camp, Morthos stands idle, reading a book
• The Party hits the trail again, putting Morthos in the lead, with "Rig"v near behind him pointing her stilettos at his back
  • When asked if he has seen any undead in the regions, Morthos responds cryptically that “there is a whole lot of nothing here” and that The Party should follow him and he’ll “Prove his usefulness”
• As The Party moves further into the Lost Hills, the terrain changes to a rocky, dry scrubland with very little vegetation and large boulderous and craggy hills
  • Morthos fails a Guide check and begins losing his way in the confusing hills that all look the same
    • He puts his hands up and peers into the sky, gesticulating as if he is trying to gather information from the cosmos
  • Meanwhile, Persi begins fucking with "Rig" again by casting elementalism to stir up wind and dust into her eyes, seemingly trying to convince her that Morthos is using magic against her
    • Luckily for Morthos, "Rig" is too engrossed in watching his every move to notice the minor magical display
  • Vala Silverton sends Miss Tra into the sky to get a better vantage of their area to help Morthos will navigation
    • She looks through Miss Tra’s eyes, but the land is confusing and cloaked in magic, making it impossible for her to determine any useful information
  • While Morthos attempts to right the direction of The Party, Vala Silverton consults her “Adventuring Guide for Philosophers” and successfully forages for a small amount of food and water
  • After a couple hours of gesticulating and contemplation, Morthos finds the trail again, but The Party will not be able to travel as far as they expected in the day
  • Toward the end of the travel day, "Rig" succeeds on a Scout check and notices a group far in the distance that seems to be following the path of The Party
  • The Party finds a place to make camp for the night and notices that the group in the distance has advanced on them and are not changing course
  • Rig sets up a decoy light with her bullseye lantern to lure whoever is following away from their real campsite
  • Vala casts the Alarm spell as a ritual at the mouth of the cave where The Party set camp
• Rig pulls out one of her 8 Unusual Coins and inspects it
  • It is very old and seems to have been a flattened piece of gold rather than an official coin that was produced by a mint
  • One face of the coin depicts Tymora and the other Beshaba
  • Rig rubs the coin and entreats the Lady of Luck to bring good fortune to the Party while they rest overnight
• In the middle of the night, while the rest of The Party takes a Long Rest, Persi sees a group of 4 goblins and 6 wolves sneak toward the entrance to the cave where their campsite is
  • Persi stalks behind the group, preparing to attack when they are vulnerable
  • The goblins release the wolves at the entrance to the cave, setting off Vala's Alarm spell
• A brief battle ensues, and The Party handily defeats the goblins and wolves
  • The Party finishes their Long Rest

Next Session → Session 009: Proffer from a Necromancer