Session #39: Close Encounters of the Weirding Kind

As the Dual-Cities returned to normal life, certain barbarian denizens were restless to return to their own abnormal life of adventure. Dehuhada amongst them sought out his sometime-companion Arngeir at the Herm & Stone, where Arngeir had paid his dues to join as a public member of that great tavern.

"We should seek out the Zoq-Fot-Pik," Dehuhada began, and then proceeded to explain to Arngeir what he was talking about, and how that strange culture of kobolds in the depths of the Weirding Caverns were willing to parley and trade interesting artefacts to those who brought the right goods ...

And yet, Arngeir was currently engaged in a business proposition with one Han, captain of the Min al Uburun, as Arngeir had heard that the captain was in possession of some kind of charm against the "iniquitous nshe", in which the fighting-scholar was quite interested. Fortunately, the meeting went well, not least because of Arngeir's hospitable purchase of wine, and he was even able to secure Dehuhada first refusal for a triad of "magical" arrows that Han had meant to sell.

Mmm, garum

Following this mercantile-meet-up, the pair went through the taverns to roust up their companions, and were able to "activate" a couple others. In the Fischmarkt by the Kantor Kabljauhof they purchased not a small amount of odiferous garum fish-sauce, and thence were prepared. Wishing to avoid the toll recently levied by the Barcidae on the coastland under their Migdol, they instead set out from the harbor in Arngeir's panga, intending to reach the Weirding Caverns by a circuitous northern route.

• Dehuhada (fighting-man 2)
• Arngeir (fighting-man 2)
• "Meathead" (fighting-man 1)
• Persephone (fighting-woman 4)
  accompanied by Finbar (renyu)

The company returned by the same means, the panga's prow scraping up on the beachfront used by the poorer fishermen whose only livelihood are such smaller boats. It was said that they smelled somewhat of the fish-sauce garum, and yet also earthy and loam-y, and yet whatever they might have come by during their expedition was secreted away on their persons.

It was later revealed that they had come by a few gemstones, gained through trade with the Zoq-Fot-Pik "at great cost", as well as a couple of other baubles. Unaccompanied as they were by any hirelings, the group was able to keep a fairly tight lid on what had occurred during the adventure, but Finbar did proudly tell several patrons at the Kantor Kabljauhof of his success in scouting--both in spotting out the "rock-chewing lizards" that had blocked their path in the Worm Tunnels, as well as having heard the approach of the aqaa-worm that had nearly swallowed the party from behind--indeed would have, if not for Finbar's keen hearing!

The Lucre

• 600 gold from 6 gems (1@250, 3@100, 2@50)
• a large crystalline globe--a weirdstone
• a short metal rod, heavy in the hand and coiled with wire as one might wrap a hilts
• a promise of interest in a certain item in Pserephone's possession

The Learning

• 600 xp from treasure
• 488 xp from "rock-chewing lizards" x3 (150 + hp ea.)
• 654 xp from aqaa worm (600 + hp)

The Cut

• 150 gold per player-character
• 435 xp per player-character
• the weirdstone
• the metal rod

A note concerning the weirdstone and lucre, the stone could be sold to the Herm & Stone by Arngeir, which would increase player cuts of gold; could be sold to a third party (perhaps the Survivors of the Tel would be interested?); or retained by one amongst this party for future use ...

As always, any written report, art, etc. provided from a character perspective will earn that player-character 100 xp per level and be posted to the blog