Session 13: A New Hope

By Daniel Jolivet - https://www.flickr.com/photos/sybarite48/7973333500/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65399174

Ches 28 dawned gray, with a light rain reflecting the mood of our heroes. Little did they know a new group was coming in to replenish their numbers. Marty and Rasool, the survivors of the Marpenoth Massacre, were unavailable. They were still mourning their friends in their own way, so the green members explored town, looking for Renaer and enjoying the sights. Their first stop was the Yawning Portal, where Durnan suggested they check out the wandering statues. Shortly after leaving the Yawning Portal, the party was attacked by a group of thugs, but Shan talked the thugs out of it. They went to look at the Honorable Knight and then turned north. As they walked north, they were passed by a well-appointed carriage. From the carriage, a lord in a mask peered at them from inside.

After passing the Swordmaiden, they decide to see if Renaer is at Trollskull Manor. There, a surly dwarf tells them that he isn't there, but he might be at the House of Inspired Hands. Seeing the looks on the party's faces, he adds that it's a temple of Gond. On the way to the temple, there is a congested intersection and a city watchwoman directing traffic. Me and Xarca almost walk in the way of a carriage drawn by two okapi, but Parsain is able to keep him from being run over. Parsain cleans them off. Me thinks Parsain is flirting with them, and Xarca is somehow immediately filthy again.


The party arrives at the House of Inspired Hands, and wander the grand hall looking at the exhibitions mounted on marble pedestals. Several stand out:

A 4-foot-tall working model of a clock tower rings at the top of every hour. It is made of wood, iron, bronze, and glass, with brass bells and delicate hands formed from solid gold.
A wooden flying machine has wings that flap when it becomes airborne.
A miniature model of a mechanical dragon turtle has a brass plate affixed to its pedestal that reads, “Big Belchy. Sank in Deepwater Harbor on the Day of Wonders in 1363 DR.”
A functional “waking helmet” equipped with small, articulated metal arms and hands that gently slap the wearer if he or she falls asleep.
A miniature model of a red submarine shaped like a manta ray has a brass plate affixed to its pedestal that reads, “The Scarlet Marpenoth. Lantanese submersible. Launched in 1489 DR.”

The model of the Scarlet Marpenoth looks accurate. Xarca teleports into the flying constraption, but he climbs out sadly when he is admonished by the priests. They try to lecture him, but he gets distracted as they are lecturing and wanders off. Renaer is still nowhere to be seen, so they decide to head back to Trollskull Manor.

On the way back to the manor, they see a carriage careening down the street. It hits some sort of bump and crashes, sending brass instruments scattering across the pavement. A little green woman jumped off the carriage at the last minute, and as she flees the scene of the accident, Xarca puts her to sleep. The goblin is transporting instruments for Xanathar. She tells the party that there are going to be gladitorial games in a few days, and Xanathar wants to make sure they are held with the appropriate amount of pomp and circumstance. The party offers to take the instruments down to the Xanathar guild and she accepts with relief, saying that she hasn't been able to spend time with her husband and children in some time. The party picks up the instruments and imitates a brass band poorly as they head into the sewers.

Wandering through the sewers, they are jumped by a pair of desperate wererats. Xarka casts moonlight, damaging one, while Parsain shoots an arrow through the gut of another one. Parsain's owl superbly swoops through the moonlight, distracting the first wererat, and Parsain shoots him in the fact as Mr. Me finished the second off with his shillelagh. They continue towards into a cellar complex, where Parsain oils a rusty door to enable the group to sneak in. They tell the goblins they find there that they are here to deliver the instruments. The goblins take delivery, and sound excited about the games. Apparently everyone is going to be there, paying very close attention to the games and nothing else. They pay the party 200gp for their trouble, and the party heads slightly further into the sewers, where they find the old hideout where Floon had been tortured almost a month ago. Groot-me and Shan are able to use their sense of direction to figure out where on the surface corresponds with this subterranean locale, and they head back to Trollskull Manor, hopefully to meet with Rasool and Marty and compare notes.