Colonial Caerdia: Lark's Landing is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't familiar with this ongoing story, you can follow this link to Once Upon a Tabletop on YouTube to hear the start of it or read the brief summary I wrote when I switched from video to blog.
You can find the previous episode here.
15th-21st of Waxing Fall, 0AL
Though we left the 3rd Watch in cramped quarters, battling kobolds, as we resume our tale, they are met with a surprise as the remaining three kobolds surrender. Our heroes make their way into the command cave, and the seeming leader of the remaining kobolds demands to know what they are doing here and what they want. T'Zaric explains that they've come for a fly idol, which the kobold begrudgingly gives up, saying they'll just have to steal it again.
Fiaeorri doesn't take kindly to this, as this is an idol used to represent her goddess. At sword-point, the kobold is convinced to promise not to go after the fly idol again. Their prize in hand, the 3rd Watch make their way back to the bar where they regroup with Hammer, Dugg, and Stor's mother. As a number of them begin discussing what to do next, Extang takes the time to tally up the money they found - however, upon attempting to get some of the smaller coins converted into larger ones with Bardroy the bartender construct, he discovers that Bardroy doesn't keep that much money on hand, as it is sent to a vault.
Upon hearing this, Fiaeorri and T'Zaric instantly find their eyes drawn to a metal slot behind the bar. Fiaeorri Tries to access the money inside with a magically summoned hand, but comes back with nothing - so she distracts Bardroy while T'Zaric casts a spell, turning himself into mist and squeezing through the opening. He follows a metal tube down until it opens up into a large, muddy chamber with a pool of murky, muddy water at the bottom. He looks on in dismay and disappointment as he turns his attention up to the jagged, broken, and rusty tube of metal. He returns to the bar, where he gets a strong drink - watching dismally as Bardroy feeds his coin into the slot.
Ready to move on, the 3rd Watch make their way out of the bar and the ancient sewer system, back up to the lizardfolk village, where they return the fly idol to the shaman. The shaman thanks them and sends them off - with a warning to not enter the swamps without permission, but a promise that the guards on patrol will know that people of their description are permitted an audience.
The same two lizardfolk who led them in show them the way out of the swamp. However, as they are nearing the edge, the path is blocked by a pair of eight-legged, blue lizard-like creatures with red spikes on their backs. The lizardfolk take up fighting stances and warn the 3rd Watch not to look in the eyes of these creatures, as they will be turned to stone. Then the murky swamp water beside the path begins to bubble, and the lizardfolk look at each other in fear.
"It's Rog!" they shout, and run back up the path into the swamp.
Recognizing that the lizardfolk had been willing to fight the creatures on the path, but were terrified of the bubbling water, Stor clicks the heels of his boots of waterwalking together and runs out onto the water on the opposite side of the path, casting a spell that outlines the two lizard-creatures that T'Zaric has identified as Basilisks with faerie fire that will make them easier to hit - especially for people who are trying not to look at them.
T'Zaric follows close behind, diving into the water while pulling up the hood to the cloak he found which allows him to breath and easily swim underwater. He isn't a moment too soon, as from the bubbling water emerges the huge body and five snake-like heads of a hydra, snapping at the remaining members of the 3rd Watch.
Extang grants extra speed to Fiaeorri and Hammer while he retreats up the path. Fiareorri rushes up to meet the basilisks, keeping her eyes averted, while the others all focus their attentions on the hydra. Logan and Hammer take on the hydra head-on, while T'Zaric pops his head out of the water to cast spells and Stor and Extang attack from afar. The battle seems hopeless, as the more they injure the hydra, the more heads it grows, gaining more power until at last Extang takes it down with beams of fire flying from his fingertips.
Fiaeorri, however, is in rough shape. She stumbles away from the basilisks, barely alive - but her efforts were not in vain. She had kept the basilisks from her companions while the hydra was dealt with, at which point they are able to step in and finish the creatures off.
The 3rd Watch regroup and spend over an hour harvesting bits of the creatures. Stor insists on taking the hydra's head - which is bigger than him - in keeping with Kordak's tradition. It is dark by the time they are finished, but they continue on until they get out of the swamplands before making camp.
In the morning, they continue on their way home. They arrive late in the evening on the 20th of Waxing Fall. There, before going into town, Dugg departs with the corpse of Laverne, heading off into the jungle. T'Zaric also leaves them, explaining that he's still wanted for murder and probably shouldn't be seen - he tells them to find him at his house, then casts a spell turning himself into mist.
The rest head into town, after assuring the guards that Hammer is friendly and welcome here. Fiaeorri leaves to check on her shrine, and when he hears about Feryon, Hammer - who is horrified by the crude construction of the settlement - makes a beeline for the swaying bamboo tower, assuming that if there is a wizard here, he must be in charge. Stor takes his mother home to his father for a tearful family reunion, and Extang returns to the 3rd Watch's home.
T'Zaric actually doesn't go to his home, making instead for Feryon's tower, thinking to blackmail the wizard into allowing him to hide there. Feryon, however, is having none of it - pointing out that he could easily summon the guards and, when T'Zaric disguises himself with magic, dispelling it. As it seems like there is about to be a magical duel, there's a knock on the door. Feryon sends T'Zaric on his way, saying he might want to be gone before the guards arrive, and opens the door to meet Hammer.
Feryon is fascinated by Hammer, and pokes and prods at him until Hammer informs him that he is sentient. Hammer is surprised that Feryon isn't in charge, to which Feryon says it's too much work to run the place, so he's had no reason to interfere with the people who have been doing an adequate job so far. Hammer eventually agrees to let Feryon study him, and Feryon allows him to sleep outside his tower - an offer Hammer gladly accepts, offering to guard the place as well.
In the morning, Stor gathers the members of the 3rd Watch - minus Hammer, who is busy with Feryon - and proposes to them that they start an adventurer's guild. Thus far, they have been solely responsible for scouting the land and eliminating dangers - and if anything happens to them while they are away, as it nearly has on many occasions, no one would ever know. The idea is accepted, and...
A knock comes at their door. They open it do find a distraught bronze dragonborn who begs them to help her find her husband, who has been missing for over a tenday. The guards haven't been able to help and pointed her in the direction of the 3rd Watch. Upon questioning further, they discover her husband is a blue dragonborn and an apprentice mason. He was last seen on the same day that T'Zaric murdered Balasar.
Fiaeorri, who just happened to kill a random blue dragonborn on that exact day, does a remarkable job of hiding under a blanket and seeming like she was never there. Stor and T'Zaric immediately start making connections. Remembering there being a body Stor had taken from the fire-and-lightning-struck boat, the disguised T'Zaric heads out to the ocean for an underwater search.
Stor, remembering the same body, has the woman sit down (on the hidden Fiaeorri) and explains to her that he believes her husband is dead. This is obviously upsetting to her, as she has a child who will hatch soon, and she has no idea how they'll be able to survive on her own. Stor gives her 100 gold coins and ushers her out, assuring her that they'll let her know if they find his body or any more information.
Then Stor rounds on Fiaeorri - or attempts to, but it takes a surprisingly long time to find her, given the small, barren room. Once she's uncovered, he demands to know where the body is - as he knew the body had Balasar's possessions, which Fiaeorri had returned to the group. Fiaeorri lies through her teeth, convincing the others that she has no idea where the body is, claiming it must still be out in the ocean somewhere.
Stor heads out to fruitlessly search along the shoreline for a sign of the body, while Fiaeorri goes out - claiming to want to recruit others to her faith. Where she actually goes is to the grieving dragonborn's house, knocking on the door. When it is opens, she tells the woman that she's heard about her loss, and is very sorry - then goes on to invite her to hear the word of her goddess Pagslas, explaining that every that every death happens for a reason. This does not go over well - resulting in a resounding slap and a door slammed in her face.
And that's where this game session comes to an end. Check back in a week to find out what happens next in Episode 40.
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