Session Fourteen Recap 10DEC2016

I'm throwing this statement out at the beginning of this post. I have no good idea how to comprehensively recap the adventure from this session. The party of six characters was split into five different groups at one point in the evening, pursuing a strange creature fleeing a burning house, searching for survivors, taming an animated oven, preventing the conflagration from spreading to adjacent domiciles, bargaining with captured fairies, and in general taking care of every conceivable problem piecemeal instead of in one concerted albeit plodding effort like I had planned.

Nonetheless, I still want a record of events for players to examine at their leisure, so bear with me if this story seems jumbled in portions.

Last week, a sarcophagus spilled onto the street released a mummy and two mummified cats. The majority of the party dealt with the undead menace. Early on, Ali cast fly on Kaden. Three undead combatants in the street would probably pose little challenge to the party so the half-orc left the fight and flew into the house, breaking through a window on the third floor*. (*In case this distinction comes up later, I'm using American numbering convention for buildings, so the first story would be ground level, the second story would be one floor up from that, and so on.)

He startled a bookish, exasperated clerk shuffling through a large desk of papers, almost oblivious to the impending inferno. When questioned by Kaden, the red-faced man indicated that he was in no danger and quite capable of saving himself. Satisfied with this answer and concerned that others inside this structure might not be similarly able to save themselves, Kaden flew into the main hallway running the length of the building.

At least it looked like it should run the length of the building, but maybe a few yards away a metal wall cut into the walls, blocking the hallway completely in that direction, an unremarkable steel door facing Kaden from that wall. Knocking on that door, the would-be rescuer was rebuffed by the individuals on the other side. Having failed to find anyone in need of saving, he flew to the spiral staircase leading up from the far end of the hallway.

In the attic, the rustic ranger encountered a dragonborn flying about the room, occasionally shooting a blast of fire from his hand. On closer examination, Kaden could tell the dragonborn stood on a flat metal plate, maybe a shield, which carried the firebug through the air. The flames originated from a metal device held in one hand. Kaden quickly knocked the dragonborn off the panel and forced the dropping of the source of the flames. After securing the inert dragonborn with rope, Kaden scooped up the pyromaniac and the two metal objects.

The rest of the party, having defeated the undead creatures on the street, prepared to enter the main door of the house. Suddenly a winged humanoid flew out the window Kaden had used to enter the burning building. Ali cast fly on herself and took off after it. Her airborne quarry never looked back but flew at a steady pace similar to the sorceress' speed. Traveling north across the city, the winged person alighted on a second story balcony of Rozazco's mansion.

Ali landed cautiously and without discovery was able to eavesdrop on a conversation between Rozazco and another gentleman presumed to be her target. Under questioning, the unknown man indicated that all evidence was in the process of being destroyed as planned. Stealthily returning to the air, Ali sped south to rejoin her comrades.

They had entered the front door like respectable visitors only to meet a large mechanical automaton guarding the main vestibule. It seemed incredibly upset at any magic items near the front door, repeating the confusing phrase, "No magic items leave the house." The sentry calmed down once all party members were standing away from the front door.

The first resident encountered was found wandering aimlessly with no obvious concern for his safety. The party directed him to the front door where he could make his own way to safety.

At that point the party split up due to different movement speeds. Hope soon discovered a group of huddled survivors. The five residents assured her they were fine and would safely escape the blaze. When approached a little later by Willow and Nimblethorn, the nonplussed lot repeated a similar promise to not allow any harm to befall them.

Willow and Nimblethorn continued to the next room and discovered a strange humanoid-shaped creation formed of bones. It bellowed in rage and directed a stream of bone shards at them. The two halflings backed away from the room. The gruesome creature did not follow, so they decided to resolved this opponent later.

Hope ended up in the kitchen, face to face with an animated stove. The metal menace was wildly running about, occasionally adding to the existing conflagration with its own blasts of fire from the oven. With luck and persistence (and probably relying a bit on her natural defenses) the paladin calmed down the erratic contraption. It stopped spouting new flames and making the fire worse.

The party quickly discovered evidence of a smuggling operation specialized in magical items. Rooms full of armour and weapons were found. Other chambers held wooden crates and packing material. Nimblethorn and Willow came across a library of scrolls and magical tomes where the burning books literally flew off the shelves and around the room, trying to quench the flames but in actuality spreading them. Willow cast create water inside the room, filling it completely and smothering the blaze in this room. This tactic would prove successful a few more times during the evening.

In a room on the second floor, the some of the party members inside the house briefly reunited to deal with a miniature prison holding many different fey creatures inside cages fashioned from cold iron. After promising Willow to not hurt anyone in the house, the trapped faeries were freed and they promptly flew away, scampered away or vanished into puffs of glittering dust to never been seen again.

Or did they?

Between Willow flooding a few more rooms and Nimblethorn casting thunderwave to strategically snuff out flames, the fire soon appeared under control. Outside the Knights of the Coronade were keeping citizens back a safe distance and starting their own fire-suppression efforts. Ali and Kaden flew one each to the neighboring domiciles to ascertain any potential ignition of those homes.

With the immediate danger passed, Ali related the story of her pursuit, while Kaden described the confrontation in the attic and displayed the strange metal objects used by the captured dragonborn. Checking another loose end, the five residents huddled on the first floor not exited the house onto the street. Searching inside, the party found three of their bodies and copious amount of bone fragments, indicating a massive combat had ensued.

One item of interest recovered during the rescue was a note hastily hidden in one of the dorms. The letter reads as follows:

Favoured sibling,

It was with great anticipation that I set down your last missive. The expectation of fair weather and a bountiful harvest pleased me greatly. I can say without contradiction that many customers await eagerly the arrival of your wares.

Sadly, I must concur with you opinion regarding your animals. They have been dutiful and hard-working throughout this endeavour but they have passed the zenith of their utility. It would not be an unkindness to relieve yourself of the burden of caring for those beasts at this time, provided the harvest is safely on its way to market. Their braying could both distract you or worse arouse the notice of your most proximate neighbours.

Regards,

Mos⟆step

The letter, translated from elven, bears signs of drow authorship.

The party knows that someone tried to eliminate this house and its contents to hide a terrible secret; now they only have to learn whose secret was dangerous enough to risk burning down a city.

~ Tidwin

12/30/16