A company of adventurers assembled last week at the tavern of Cothon-Under-Star to organize themselves for an expedition into the Great Spire of the Klackons on the northern slopes of the Tel al Safina. Long planned by Sesel, the Voice of the Survivors, the plan was further abetted by the aid of the noble Beni al Rashid (House al Rashid), whose representative Zayda arrived with a coat of mail and with a sword girded at her hip, ready to join as an adventurer.
Sesel gathered the company in a private hall in the back of the tavern to go over his and his companions' intelligence and to have a kind of "war council" to discuss their plans in more detail--the particulars, of course, are known only to those who were present. But plenty was already known publicly, so that rumor swirled through the common-room as fast as wine could flow--it was known that they wished to venture into the so-called Sixth House in the Spire, which was reputed to be "haunted" by some kind of evil; and moreover, master-alchemist Aljadd and his apprentices and servants were being held by another clan or house inside the spire--perhaps the company would seek to rescue him as well?
Ultimately, the company emerged with the set of purpose in their faces, and with a jaunty "farewell!" to the taverners and their patrons, the party set out northeast through the Gate of Fishermen to seek the Spire:
- Sesel (fighting-man 5)
- Avin (magic-user 4)
accompanied by Vlana the Bard (magic-user 2) - Ravna (magic-user 4)
- Durham (fighting-man 5)
accompanied by Pako (renyu) - Bartholomew (magic-user 4)
accompanied by Gan ad Din (fighting-man-in-training) - Heijo (magic-user 3)
- Zayda al Rashid (fighting-woman 2)
This sizable company returned to the city with even more companions--Aljadd and his entourage, delivered from political-hostagery amongst the Attine Klackons! And too, they were borne down by the four oxhide ingots they carried, composed of a strange greenish alloy, as well as whatever Avin carried in her darkly ornate, silken bag.
But almost as soon as they swept into the tavern, flushed with success, Aljadd ushered his deliverers once more into a private wine-hall. Sharp-eared patrons were able to glean certain details as the party passed through: Aljadd had been forbidden from continuing his research into the "haunting" of the Sixth House; the Klackons of the other Houses had burned a number of books and artefacts to prevent the spread of the evil; but the company had been allowed to keep a number of things (ingots included) as "spoils of war".
As whatever further discussions began to wrap up, and the company broke apart to evaluate their gains and divvy up shares, a few more details came out. Cords of knotted silk were touted as tokens from the so-called Fifth-House, to enable the party to return--as Vlana explains to some fellow patrons over dark wine, the group had negotiated a deal with that House to enter and cleanse the haunted one. Bartholomew had helped to provide an "in" with his rapport with a translator-attendant of that court; meanwhile, Durham helped ensure the success of the negotiations with an heroic boast of his and his companions prowess and abilities. A number of "undead" Klackons were indeed dispatched, but much of the expedition actually consisted in exploring and getting the lay of the manor, so to speak, to enable better success next time--because, of course, there remains much more to do to cleanse the Sixth House!
The Lucre
- a handful of silver tiaras, antennae clips, and lapis lazuli carapace gems (900 gp altogether)
- several bottles of various perfumes and musks, particularly of Tel Bani al Ramaad (180 gp)
- 235 gp from 8 gems (1@10, 3@25, 4@50)
- 2000 gp from an assortment of physically valuable human books (i.e. illuminated or goldleaf pages, gilt leather covers, etc.); their topics vary between philosophy, epic, and natural history
- a codex from the Barcidae dealing with advanced metallurgical techniques
- a number of Klackon strand-books of unknown value
- 1300 gp from"raw" silk strands for new books x13 (100 per length)
- 4 oxhide ingots of a strange (but familiar) greenish metal alloy
- 4615 xp from treasure (not including the Klackon books or ingots)
- 1507 xp from "newborns" x9 (150 + hp ea.)
- 138 xp from brainsuckers x5 (25 + hp ea.)
- 200 xp to each character for exploring deeper under the Sixth House
- 576 gp, 8 sp, 5 cp per player-character and Zayda (the latter as share to the Beni al Rashid, who will also be interested in further developments re: the Klackon "books")
288 gp, 4 sp, 4 cp each to Vlana and Gan ad Din - 1243 xp per player-character
622 xp to Vlana and Zayda - the metallurgical codex
- the four ingots
- Torkol, as an interpreter of the Klackon tongue, can spend downtime researching them; this has the advantage of complete privacy for the party as to the exact nature of the books, and then only those that are deemed saleable can be revealed, while the others remain to the party for their own designs, but it will require some time on Torkol's part;
- Someone in the party can use the "downtime activity" of finding the right buyer to essentially find someone like Torkol who can help interpret the books, for a fee; the advantage to this is that Torkol will be freed from having to spend his own downtime to interpret them--but of course, it will mean trusting the person found, as well as risking complication;
- Or, the party could turn the books over to the Klackon patrons at Cothon-Under-Star; with Torkol's guidance, the nature and value of the books can be quickly established (without requiring downtime from Torkol), but, of course, such knowledge would then be public knowledge
- Perhaps someone in the party has a better idea? Propose it to the company!
Durham would like the Barcidae codex and 1 of the ingots.
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