Tarok, Second-Week, Ninth-day, the Now-Year
The PCs bring their story to the gates of the Grand Mask's enclave at the Court-of-Crows, and are met by a pair of suspicious guards who question them, one of whom is named Yor. Both seem willing to allow Cynjak into the compound, but not until they fetch Taias 'Bloodbath' is the group allowed entrance, once their weapons are removed. Nobro manages to slip some daggers in, but is noticed by an eerily perceptive Grand Mask once they are brought before him. The elder hears them out, and offers to do what he can with regards to Broodok, the lover of the late witch Skrii'la; but he fears that the warrior's proximity to the First Wife of Duthar might prove problematic. Un-Krug presses the Grand Mask about Nimmi 'Fingers' and his men, and the elder only responds that they have proven a necessary economic 'evil', their exploits helping bolster trade with other communities among the Ten-Tribes.
Most of the group leaves for Pilaf's Tavern, where they pick up some rumors. Cynjak does the same at the bazaar, meeting the brothers Kestrel and Kerin of the Spent Men. Yor is ordered by Taias to follow the party and see what the suspicious Nobro is up to. Yukkbutt scours the village in pursuit of the Grand Mask's pet Lemur, which was sent off during their meeting. He accidentally encounters some of Kaarl's spoor, which the druid relieved himself of, also during that meeting. He has no luck finding the 'monkey'. Eventually, they all doze off in or abouts Pilaf's Tavern, with the exception of Kaarl, who falls asleep in lemur form (hoping to trick Yukkbutt) and then plummets to a nearby bush once his druid ability reverts his shape.
Tarok, Second-Week, Tenth-day, the Now-Year
In the morning, the party is awoken to a stir about time, as a young and local Cassanova seems to have been gruesomely murdered overnight. Cynjak gets accent to the crime scene, and notes that the unfortunate was razed by what look to be talons or claws, or weapons that resemble them.
No one seems to know much except that the victim was known for his womanizing. The search for tracks is carried out by several of the PCs, to no avail, since there is simply too much foot traffic in that area. Giving up on the murder for now, the group packs its supplies and decides to follow up on both the rogue Dragonborn cult they've heard about, and some climbing equipment that was found nearby that area which might signify an ogre scouting, or the prelude to an invasion of the Plateau. Yor manages to convince the PCs of his worth, and so accompanies them, much to Nobro's chagrin.
Their journey across the Whipwater Plain is quite peaceful, but soon after reaching the river fork where they originally explored Dogrush Mire, they set up camp for the night.
Tarok, Third-Week, Tenth-day, the Now-Year
The next morning, while heading west across the rest of the plains, they run into a trapper named Ranalo, who they share a flame with and a bite to eat. They press on along the Whipwater towards Place-of-Scales, and encounter a pair of irate dinosaurs munchkin on herbs. The huge reptiles seem eager to provoke, but the party gives them a wide berth, and eventually arrives at Place-of-Scales, where SlakeThirst is recognized and they are ushered on to the Bone-Market by a young local cryer. Several PCs head there to search for information, when they come across Shaul Luthrang, the wise woman of the dragonborn here. Yukkbutt takes an...interest in the old creature, which is later consummated while the party visits other locals, namely the merchant Tuvim Jaava, the chieftain Wralasar (whom Kaarl takes a liking to at the offer of an exotic local beverage) and the huntress Mosh, who has had a relationship with Pergeron, the dragonborn heretic the PCs are tracking. SlakeThirst has a more personal stake in the game, but Mosh reluctantly tells the warlock where her sometimes mate is hiding out, in return for a promise of his return to her. Alive.
PCs: Cynjak, Kaarl, Nobro, Slagmoor, Slakethirst, Un'Krug, Yor, Yukkbutt
XP rewarded: 550 each
Inspiration rewarded: --
Renown: --
NPCs
Kerrin & Kestrel
(half-elf males):
Raven-haired, identical twins with delicate and handsome features, they are
short on words but seem to have a deep understanding and sense of teamwork with
one another. However, it is said that Kestrel is quite chatty when drunk, a
rare sight since these two are among the more active Spent Men in the Whipwater
Plain. Kerrin favors small bone blades, and Kestrel the short bow and sling.
Both wear some of the most ornate leather armor in the Court, fashioned for
them by Seethas of Flaxwall.
Mosh the
Markswyrn (dragonborn female): Half of her face was caved in by an ogre
chief’s club, but her good eye shines with vibrant oranges, yellows and wisdom.
Mosh is lithe for a dragonborn, with dark green scales and a birthmark which
has split her tail down the middle. She wears a jaguar hide for additional
protection, and a hat made from a stuffed river rodent. A bone longbow of
incredible craftsmanship is slung over her shoulder, along with a quiver of
quail-feathered arrows.
Ranalo (human? male): Raggedy human with mismatched eyes,
gaps between his teeth and amazingly cut sideburns, he's a trapper and furrier
out on the Whipwater Plain who encounters the PCs en route to Place-of-Scales.
Asks them to sit by their campfire, Kaarl produces flame for the next
best thing.
Shaul Luthrang
(dragonborn female): An obese female, Shaul wears a dress of links of rope
and bones that sways with her every heave when she speaks. She is forced to
walk upon a staff which is more or less an entire uprooted sapling, the
branches and leaves left upon some of its limbs, with a bone-carved owl
figurine affixed to the top. Her gullet is enormous, her intonation deep and
masculine, and the bone tiara on top of her head features what appears to be a
disgusting third, yellow eye, which will occasionally flutter open and
scrutinize whoever she is talking to. Rumor has it that the eye once belonged
to a hag of the Great Arbordark.
Skeeks (dragonborn male): A young, spry dragonborn with a
grating voice, several years from the egg. He serves as a 'village cryer',
attracting attention to the Bone-Market for travelers who might or might not
have come to trade there. Exhibits the same hunger for man-flesh that most of
his kind does, tenuously keeping it in balance since his kind 'don't do that
kind of thing anymore'.
Tyvim Jaava (human male): An oily, smiling old man with as many
wrinkles as he has white hairs left on his scalp, Tyvim nonetheless exudes some
charm and was once quite handsome. He wears a white tiger’s pelt lined with
bear-fur trim, and leather boots and belt which are the pinnacle of Ten-Tribes
craftsmanship. He is wiry and strong for his age and frame, and wields two
curved long-knives that seem to be fashioned of emerald and ruby. Unusually, he
speaks with only a strained whisper.
Wralasar the Painted (dragonborn
male): An immense
male of considerable build, his shoulders are the size of an ogre’s. His
shimmering, almost emerald scales are splashed with all manner of white painted
sigils, and he displays them boldly, wearing only a loincloth of crimson dyed
cloth and a jeweled belt. He carries no weaponry, but has an unusual bone
device strapped to his jaw which rattles when he speaks, and helps to amplify
both his voice and poisoned breath when he is forced to defend himself.
Yor (human male): A younger member of the Spent Men at
the Court-of-Crows, Taias assigns him to join the PCs through suspicions of
Nobro the halfling. Carries a spear, wears dinosaur scale mail and possesses a
devious streak of his own to expose his mark.
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