Time Started: Elmset, c2393/Lavanda-11, 19’58

Starting Location: Feodris | Dosleron Region | Grasmere Island Province | Grasmere Keep | Waterfront District | Smooth Angels Dance Troupe Hideout

As Kroth encouraged the group to join her in the Smooth Angels’ hideout, Riv excused himself and passed Quincy and Urne as they followed the others through the secret entrance to the hideout below. Kroth gave a brief tour and asked that everyone gather in the dining hall. She explained some of the details of the Smooth Angels Dance Troupe, hinting that the group had been quite influential during their heyday but stopping short of discussing what had become of them. She promised to serve as the group’s Conductor, providing guidance, jobs, and opportunities until the group was established in the city well enough to find their own path.

She encouraged everyone to get some rest and explore the new digs, made a toast to the new crew, and indicated she was leaving a briefing for a new job for them to peruse when they were ready.

Game Event: Long Rest

The next day, Brom, Bold, Beeroy, Quincy, and Urne examined the briefing and found it was a request from a young man named Amenko Reid, whose starfather, Oren, is the groundskeeper at a cemetery on the outskirts of town. Amenko was used to hearing regularly from Oren, but hadn’t heard from him in several weeks. When worry finally got the better of him, Amenko went to the cemetery but left—terrified—shortly afterward without discovering Oren’s whereabouts. His pleas to the Town Patrol and Pillarguard went unheeded and was offering a 25gp bounty for information about his starfather.

Thinking it would be a relatively simple way to put some cash in The Stewed Prune’s coffers, the group waited until sunrise and then made their way to Gods’ Walk where Brom made a stop in the Pillarsworn chapel to collect some holy water and some ceremonial items from his religion. The group then travelled the short distance to the cemetery as the sun rose above the horizon. Strangely, however, as they approached a cold fog rolled in and the light seemed to recede, lending the cemetery a spooky, nighttime-like atmosphere.

New Location: Feodris | Dosleron Region | Grasmere Island Province | Grasmere Keep | Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery

Once inside the cemetery, they picked their way through the gravestones and headed to the back of the lot where the groundskeeper’s cottage was. There they found a cozy, almost lavish bungalow but no Oren. The initial impression was soon spoiled by several incongruities: one room looked ill-used and fallen into disrepair; the house looked recently used but was unoccupied; there were indications that Oren had become paranoid recently, stashing weapons close at hand and writing letters demanding the authorities address the strange phenomena and help Oren rebuild his flagging business. They found a carefully hidden key in the wine cellar and then the clearest indication of foul play: a dead, partially flayed body was found tucked in a small alley behind the house.

Unnerved but more determined than ever to figure out what was going on, the group followed Brom to the other corner of the grounds where they stumbled on a pair of strange, fluttery creatures who attacked with very little provocation. The thin, membranous creatures put up a bit of a fight but the group worked together: Bold pried one off of Quincy with his hammer and then whipped it down the hillside while the other latched onto Goat, upsetting Urne. Urne pinned the creature to Goat with a crossbow bolt, and Goat responded by slamming it into the hillside.

However, in doing so they caused enough commotion to draw the attention of a curious being who emerged from a mausoleum and demanded to know what was going on. The creature looked vaguely dwarven but had a skeletal face and red eyes. He screamed at the group to leave, but they pushed back and asked about the groundskeeper. This seemed to upset him and he prepared for combat. He cast a spell on Beeroy which seemed to overwhelm Beeroy’s mind and sent him staggering back, deathly pale and close to death. While Quincy and Bold concentrated on the undead mage, Brom tried to rescue Beeroy and found himself struggling against a disturbance in his healing magic. He was still able to help Beeroy, but not as much as he expected. Urne gave him an extra boost and then sent Goat after the mage. With Goat and Bold bearing down on him, Quincy hit him with magic missile and the mage surrendered.

“Please! I don’t want to fight you! I have important work to do. Keep anything you want from this place, but just let me return to my work!”

The party resisted and Bold chimed in, “Tell us where the groundskeeper is!”

The mage seemed to deflate with a sort of anticipated resignation. He sighed. “All right,” he said, “if you stop attacking, I’ll explain everything.”

Time Ended: Fireset, c2393/Lavanda-12, 12’50