Five Tower Keep Session 17: 12/06/2018 Getting to Know The Ranger, Sonayo Joins The Team, and Arrival to Lowport

The Coast Road

We pick up this week's session getting to know Lazlo the Ferration ranger as our characters perform an autopsy on the worm to find undigested magic items. The early twenty’s human ranger is well equipped, impressive by Stoutwood’s estimation including a masterwork fannypack. From the worm Alaric finds an amulet of natural armor +2, Drake: +2 lucern hammer, Mesha: +1 greyflame greatsword, Stoutwood: Shirt of immolation, Melderon: Amulet of protection from petrification; finally Lazlo ends up finding a +1 flaming long sword.

During this, Lazlo laments to us his wolf was cursed by a group hags and ogres (giants?) who attacked his Bravo Company, out of Lowport, on an elephant hunt. Upon further knowledge nature checks Stoutwood discovers the wolf seems to be under a continual fear effect. Mesha works some magic to give the wolf a second chance at a failed saving throw before the ranger resigns to put the animal down. The magic is ineffective against what is now confirmed a curse; however before the animal is lost, Maderon uses mythic power and is able to remove the curse.

This has a positive effect on the wolf and creates a lighthearted moment for all. It was Lazlo’s suggestion to travel together which we eagerly agree to. Lazlo asks several questions, but avoids answering details about himself. Talk moves on to draconic creatures that have been encountered by us and Ferration’s along the river. Mesha confirms the ranger is an evil man. 

"Horrible death to you jerks!"

The travel for the rest of the day is uneventful. We come up on another Pavillion; to this Lazlo has a superstitious reaction and distances himself from any and all agents of the dragon-king. At the end of the day, our characters camp along the road and not in a rope-trick. All throughout the night our characters suffer nightmares of giants and hags in vile ritualistic spell-casting charms. It’s a message of death and promise of a horrible end. In the morning we keep the dreams to ourselves and do not share details with the ranger.

The next day (Day 39) moves at a swift pace and our discourse goes back to the half-dragon influence in the area. There is an old dwarf named Afrum Marblebelt who represents Kazzurog as an Emmisary to Kazzurog in Lowport. There are many embassies in Lowport including one for a race of wizardly minotaurs.

When pressed Lazlo says he was personally looking for whip tail lizards for an alchelmist who will pay for them. We travel throughout the day and eventually get to an intersection where a large militaristic castle guarded by huge half-dragon ogres. Also here is where the Kings road meets with the Coast road and where the Corner Road Stop is located; from here it is only 3 days to Lowport. The Corner Road Stop is like a rest area/swap-meet area of Ferrations and Cat-Folk.  

As we settle in our characters learn that its trade season and word of piracy and banditry along the road is in the air. Eventually we learn that Bravo company will hire just about anyone; and also Stoudwood meets the Cat-Folk female Sonayo- a hireling. Stoutwood learns Sonayo has friends in Lowport, as most Catfolk know each other in town; this is when Stoutwood gives her a mithril chain shirt.

Draco attempts steer talk to dragonic monsters from the swamp; but folk here mostly know of half-dragons in the slums of Lowport and don’t have any other reference to half-dragon monsters.

Meanwhile our characters meander one at a time into the a well-hidden rope trick free from Lazlo’s attention.

The next day we find ourselves traveling with groups of others also on the road heading to Lowport; here along the way we find small communities to finish our day of travel. Day 44 we arrive to Lowport around 1 in the afternoon.