After a few rounds of combat, Goj and Getty defeat Ponderosa without too much trouble. You check the house out and discover nothing of significance. Lydia Fulst is bleeding and unconscious,
As Ignatia was heading back to the Feedmill with Targen, you encounter a dead deer that is all gooey and green as the other animals you have seen. Targen is very concerned and mentions that he’s never seen anything like that before.
Back at the Tavern, everyone is shocked to see the state of Lydia Fulst, especially her cousin Delma Fulst. Amora mentions that Trin’s brother fought a sick boar the other day. They ask you guys to go get Cooky as soon as possible. Cooky returns and uses his healing cooking powers and brings Lydia into a stable state. Cooky offers the salve to Goj as well. The party gets info on how to get to Trin’s house.
Trin didn’t know that Bort was dead, and she is astonished to learn that Bort has been killed. Trin confirms that Amora made the Bort’s desert and Phinnick served it to him as Trin. She is adamant that there is no reason that anyone would want to hurt Bort, especially Phinnick or Amora.
Amora is an upstanding and proud person, runs the Kitchen and manages the Tavern when Delma can’t. Phinnick is really a sweet sweet goblin, but he is shy and always bullied by people in town, especially Hallod.
Phinnick lives in different places to avoid encountering people, but sometimes he stays in the lofts above the stable. Hallod lives on the north side of town in a place called “Dead Willow”
Trin doesn’t know anything about the Reagents.
What about the witch?
Trin tells the party that Father Bolgrist had accused Sylwith of causing the plague, but she was actually trying to help cure the town, but she was not that good at it, ended up getting the plague herself and dying from it. Nobody knows what happened to Vilree.
You guys meet Marney and you see the Boar that he killed.
Goj + Ayla go to look for Phinnick in the Stables
3 Loft areas - you go up to check the 3rd loft
Perception check - Goj 26 - Ayla 14
You find a bedroll and signs that someone has been staying here
Also Goj finds a vial that smells distinctly floral in the way that Borts porridge desert had smelled last night.
After finding a poison vial in the stable in Phinnick’s things, you Getty thinks that the Goblin is guilty.
Party Split
Ignatia and Goj = They are going to sit and wait for Phinnick to show up again in the stables.
Getty and Ayla = Go to Hallod’s place to give him the shakedown.
Getty and Ayla approach the house and they look in the windows, they see chaos and disorder.
Getty busts in the front door, rolling a Dex save and narrowly avoiding a crossbow bolt being shot out from a trap.
Ayla enters in through the window. Ayla notices a trapdoor in the room she enters.
They enter down the trapdoor, and they enter a narrow passage. A solid door and dirt walls. They feel a draft coming through. They discuss getting the rest of the party, and decide to check out the room before heading back to get the party.
The next room is a bunch of boxes and barrels, and they can see the frame of the house above them. This basement area seems newer construction than the rest of the house.
Investigation check = success
Alchemical Agents = Arcana Check = 1 fail! You don’t know what they are
Weapons = 1 bad rapier, bow and arrow, darts
Ignatia and Goj search Cooky’s wagon = Investigation = Success!
They find that his wagon is primarily set up to make elaborate fancy meals. Also seems to be some healing agents. Several healing potions. No evidence of poison making equipment.
Ignatia - Arcana+History check on the vial of poison = it is a common poison used for murder specifically, used in food because it smells so nice.
Ulf + Olf up in the loft. Olf is reading and Ulf is whittling a stick. Ulf confirms that Phinnick stays up there sometimes and he say him earlier today.
Ignatia (to ulf): where else does he stay?
Ulf: hmmm well he stays a bunch of places, one of places he stays aside from the stables here is the ruins on Etran’s Hill.
Ignatia: have you seen anyone else?
Ulf: Well Edra’s been in and out of here all day taking care of our horses, Cooky was here earlier but he left. And I’m not sure where Tamli is.
The Party reunites and the information is shared. Getty speculates that he found an alchemical lab.
Sun Goes down!!! Everyone heads back to DJ Hallod’s place.
Perception check = good
The boxes that Getty previously disturbed have been replaced.
Getty: Hallod! We are here lawfully! Present yourself!
(no response)
They take the gear
A torch is lit, Getty Mage Hands the door to the next room.
When the door is open you hear like a “clink” sound in the next room, A little bit of snarling and rustling.
A battle ensues with three TERRIBLE AWFUL dogs - Sassafras, Molasses, and Big Killa
The Party is very successful in the fight. Killing S & M and scaring BK into the corner.
Looking around in the room, it seems like someone lives in here all the time. Looking at the clothes in the corner, you can tell that the only person who could possibly be living here is DJ hallod.
Party heads around the corner, into an actual natural cave. A well worn path, and a cool breeze coming in.
Eventually you come around the corner into the mouth of the cave. Scattered boxes and barrels. You can see the river flowing behind a tree.
Hallod, rough looking fella, very tall. Holding a crossbow with a flaming arrow and a kukri.
Hallod: “I wondered when Bort’s lackey’s would arrive! Come Get me! Let’s do this!”
(fighting)
Ignatia: “You did it? You killed Bort”
(no response from the DJ)
(fighting)
Hallod explodes a barrel and damages several people.
Goj sends a crossbow bolt into his torso, knocking him into an unconscious state.
Ignatia rolls medicine, stops the bleeding and stabilizes him.
The party investigates the room. The room is filled with a lot of the same types of stuff that it is in the other room.
Ayla finds a note on his person:
Hallod,
The final shipment of corpse blood is due in just over a week and it’s the last thing I need from that greedy bastard Bort. I’ve enclosed a parting gift for him that should ensure he never tells anyone of our dealings. Be sure he gets it, my darling!
Drop off the reagents as soon as they arrive. My work is almost done. You will find your usual reward in the stump.
-V
To be continued….