Disposable:Thornkeep/1 Frog Dinner and A Handjob

Next: Thornkeep/2 Wherein They Actually Go Into The Dungeon →

Starring: Azaven (Tim H.), Grog (Andrew), Seeker of Knowledge (Tim W.), and Randi (Jess)
Guest Starring: Pair of goblin rapists; Iliara Starcloak (of the Goldenfire Order); Toomdar (one-eyed bartender of the Thirsty Ogre)
Challenge: Two King's Guard tracking the group down; Gray Ooze
Location: The Thirsty Ogre Inn; Greenforest Inn; Callanro House; Goldenfire Tower; Thornkeep dungeon
Date Played: 21 Apr 2013

Arrival in Thornkeep

Grog: We're lucky that those idiot thieves mistook our prison wagon for trader's caravan. We easily gave the constables the slip as they dealt with the bumbling fools. I thought about ditching out the other escapees, but they might prove valuable if I need to distract anyone they might send to track us...

Seeker: Some highwaymen attempted to rob our prison wagon. Useless, though beneficial for our ends. After escaping, we failed to betray each other, meaning that we may have formed an unspoken pact of allegiance. The others appear to be useful, if unsavory. They would do excellent in the service of the Master.

Exploring the Town

Grog: We arrive in town. And what a town! This is my kind of place... A place I can disappear into. A place I can find "work" & maybe a new crew. We stop at the first watering hole we see called the "The Thirsty Ogre Inn". They have food at a good price so I have my meal there with the others. We decide to find out a little more about the town so we listen to what the locals have to say. I overhear two talking about activities happening in an unoccupied house.

If there are people squatting there, nobody'll probably miss them...

Seeker: Thornkeep is the most shady excuse for a town I have ever seen. It will be good to lay low here and see if I can find any agents of the Master. We stay at an unpleasant inn filled with lesser beings called the “Thirsty Ogre”, where the ranger who’s mind and body are in disagreement built up a tab. I wanted blood in order to perform the sacraments (And because I could murder a good black pudding), but the bartender was unhelpful.

Azaven and Seeker seek out the town green

Seeker: I and the wizard (who I feel a commonality with because he too has communed with denizens of the outside) decided to explore the town in search of others who seek knowledge. We found a mage from the local wizardry guild, but she foolishly mocked the source of my power. I left and came upon some disgusting goblins attempting to scam me into buying them a love potion. I agreed to their request in exchange for their fealty. I bought them the potion, but they became rebellious. They thieved it from me and left before I could draw forth the totality of my energies and destroy them.

Grog and Randi investigate the Callanro House

Grog: Randi has decided to join me in checking out this Callanro house. A letter on the front & back door say it's owned by the Greenforest Inn. I sneak in a window & see signs of a struggle, but otherwise the place seems to be empty. We hear the door open & some lady say she's from housekeeping walk in so I jump under the bed. Randi seems to have the same idea.

We would have been fine there except some cobwebs fell by Randi's face, & he yelled & bolted like a bat out o' hell. I take it as my cue to leave as well & pull up my cloak to hopefully keep the housekeeper from being able to give a good description of me as I run out.

In the market, we run into some of the constables that were taking us in. I pull Randi with me into an ally, & we do our best to blend into the locals.

Found by the King's Guard

Grog: We catch up to Azeven the Mithril Mage... (What a pompous name!) after we get a message from a messanger boy. Apparently, he's too good to stay at The Thirsty Ogre Inn & is now staying at the Greenforest Inn. Whatever. We go to talk to him at this new inn.

We get there & just begin talking about going into the dungeon to pay off Randi's keg tab when the constables show up. I jump out of a window to escape them & run into the busy market area. I didn't get far enough as I get tackled from behind & put in chains.

They tie me up in a room at the Greenforest Inn. Apparently, there is no jail here. When I'm just getting comfortable a little goblin comes into the room & starts hacking at the pillar they've tied me to. It, of course, comes down & I'm barely able to get my gear & out of the room before the room collapses on itself.

I go to meet the others at The Thirsty Ogre...

Seeker: We meet at the Greenforest inn with Azeven, a finer establishment more fitting for the tastes of someone of knowledge. While I go in back for my ritual cleansing, the Kings Guards attempted to arrest the others. All but Grog escaped. We regrouped at the Thirsty Ogre and found the sniveling goblins attempting to drug a woman with the potion. Randi and I attempt to restrain the pair, but the lovestruck woman managed to claw away one of them. I tried to purge her of the enchantment, but it had already taken hold of her. We used the enchantment to force the other goblin to do our bidding and free Grog.

Perhaps A Dungeon We Will Seek

Grog: We decide to head out to the Dungeon that night. The constables won't look for us there, & it'll get the task done. In the first room of this place, we find a pool of mysterious black almost-water. I go around to open one of the doors while the guy who calls himself the "Seeker of Knowledge" goes around to the other doors. I hear a yelp & see him being attacked by a tentacle. The group gathers up & kills it, but it exhausts us to do so. We decide it may be a job for the morning, but the Mithril Mage suddenly jumps into the pool & comes up with cuts... & a pearl. A beautiful, possibly-valuable pearl...

Seeker: In order to pay off her tab, the Bartender wishes Randi to scout out some ancient dungeon. I sense that powerful relics and lost knowledge might be found in such a place, so I join willingly. After Grog was freed, we set out immediately. We enter into a room holding an oily pool. As I walked past it a tentacle came forth, and before I could summon the power of the Master to smite its pitiful form, I was incapacitated. Without me, my companions were still (barely) able to dispatch the creature. Badly injured, I used my energies to bring them back to health, and we decided to spend the night in the room before heading deeper into the dungeon.