Session #7: Leader of the Pack

At Kantor Kabljauhof, Persephone and Durham were overheard to say that they had unfinished business in the sea caves known as the Throat of Ocean. Intent on returning thence, they set out to some of the lesser taverns to gather a posse and venture once more into the dark labyrinth of the caverns.

Persephone specifically set out to secure the services of Warda the Rose, while Durham made the rounds through the taverns until finally convincing "likely lad" Kalil al-Kitabi to accompany him. A third adventurer also offered her services, a fellow newcomer to the Mother of Cities who hid her face behind a porcelain theater-mask that allowed her to project her voice. June her name, she indicated that she was a neophyte magic-user.

Thus assembled, the party set out through the Gate of the Fishermen, to make their way past the Migdol of the Dyers and Fish Fermenters and up the stair against the cliff face to the headland above.

• Durham (fighter 1)
  accompanied by Kalil al-Kitabi (likely lad)
  
• Persephone (fighter 1)
  accompanied by Warda the Rose (likely lass)
• June (magic-user 1)

The party returned, increased by two unlikely new members, and bearing the great legs of some giant crustacean creature to be cooked up in the guesthouse of the Kantor. The two unusual new members are man-like creatures with long pointed snouts, sharp, upcurved ears, and dark brown and black fur:

Able to speak in rudimentary fashion, they call themselves "Renyu", and they look to Persephone and Durham as leaders of their "new pack."

Other than the great crustacean legs, the party had little material loot to show for their efforts; only Durham carried anything like treasure, in the form of what seems almost like the hilts of a sword without any blade, but rather a ball where the guard would be, with a square black face set into it. Discovering just what this thing might be will require some investigation.

Without enough loot to allow carousing, Warda and Kalil both take their small cut and return to their own taverns, though both express interest in learning more in the arts of fighting from Persephone and Durham. Elsewhere, while drinking red beer at the Herm & Stone in her quest to win the hard heart of Stark the Wandsman, Warda briefly talks about the discovery by the party of a strange set of green alloyed doors set into the cave walls, but her cheeks flush red as she mentions its weird influence, and she quickly moves on to talk about the party's defeat of a strangely hypnotic water creature that appeared at first to be in the guise of a beautiful maiden.

Lastly, before tucking into their feast of gilekite legs, the party is heard to inquire whether Captain-General Zaytar would pay for information relevant to his upcoming campaign against the Luwian Pirates ... ?

Treasure

• a strange bladeless hilt with a black screen; a downtime activity spent in non-magical research is necessary to discover anything more about just what this item is
• information relayed to Captain-General Zaytar, and earning the party 100 gold; he promises greater reward, "If you return to the caves, and bring to me material proof of what you claim."

New Companions

• Pako and Finbar the Renyu; if properly trained, they would be servants leal unto death, be able to fight with weapons rather than just their claws, and be able to alert their masters to secret doors, etc., detected by their keen senses; this training must be done by an animal trainer over the course of three months

Experience Earned

• 110 from Gilekite x 1 (100 + hp)
• 56 from Water Maiden x 1 (50 + hp)
• 100 from gp reward
• 100 xp to each character for discovering another upper level area within the Sea Caves

The Cut

• 16 gp, 6 sp, 6 cp to each character (25 to Warda and Kalil)
• 187 xp per character
• the strange hilt

Play reports or other items representing what transpired during the session will provide 100 xp per level to the player-character providing them, and will be posted to the blog for others to see.