# Session S22 ← `=this.prev` | **`=this.campaign`** | `=this.next` → > [!overview] > | **Session** | `=this.session` | > | --- | --- | > | **Session date** | `=this.date-session` | > | **Campaign date** | `=this.campaign-date` | > | **PCs** | `=this.pc` | > | **Active NPCs** | `=this.npc_active` | > | **Discussed NPCs** | `=this.npc_discussed` | > | **Active locations** | `=this.location-active` | > | **Discussed locations** | `=this.location-discussed` | > [!summary]- > To write. > %% > tldr:: To write. > %% ## Notes ### The next morning - The next morning, we get going… - Astrid rides her horse, Langdedrosa rides his horse, Gomash will drive the caravan - Astrid offers [[Langdedrosa Cyanwrath]] his armor back - He doesn't seem enthusiastic about getting his armor back because he was mind controlled - No encounters that day. - Lenore messages %%[[Vartan Silverbow]]: "Hi, are you still in [[Berdusk]]? We're about a half day away. Should we meet you? If so, where."%% - They respond… %%"I'm still in Berdusk, some have left at Elturel. I'll meet you at the entrance."%% - His dreams have apparently stopped. ### The *next* next morning… - The next day, they continue. - It's overcast, and looks like it's going to rain today. - A rider on a horse in a brown cloak at the start of the day. They're about a mile ahead, going towards Berdusk. We didn't notice them go by. - Lenore doesn't think anything of this, since there are other riders on the road. - About 20 miles outside of Berdusk, we notice a caravan behind us in the distance a couple miles back. - The traveller ahead of us has kept perfect pace, despite being able to go faster. - Huxley basically pins a message to Fantoccio and sends a note to the driver without telling anyone. - Note basically says hello, and that the familiar is nice. Wants to know if the person wants to join us. - Astrid strikes up a conversation about witches with Gomash. - The witches mostly brought harm back home, so Gomash would try to "push them out" - Astrid tells him she doesn't hunt witches, but is part of an organization to "hunt" the [[Cult of the Dragon]] - Gomash suspects Astrid isn't agile with armor on, so wants to duel her at some point - The rider begins to slow down, but doesn't turn around - Huxley looks at the rider's response - "Okay?" in cursive, multi-coloured writing - While they approach, Lenore ritually casts [[Detect Magic]] - No magic items sensed on [[Gomash]] - Astrid casts [[Divine Sense]] (celestial, fiend, or undead) - Doesn't sense anything… - The stranger: - Shoulder-length brown hair - White-ish skin, brown lips - Hood and orname cloak - Lenore detects that the cloak is magical, and it's illusion magic - The hood is hiding her face - Her clothes look noble… - The figure comes closer… we keep the cart moving and match their pace - Huxley asks them their name. [[Treya Oakhallow]] - "Oakhallow" sounds familiar to Huxley. He once knew a girl with the name Oakhallow. - Asks if she used to live in [[Waterdeep]]. Yes… born and raised. - Huxley wants to know where abouts… which is really forward… - She semi-recognizes him, that he was from the orphanage. "You're that Faust kid…" - We find out that Huxley's first name is Faust. - He was adopted by the "old lady" - Huxley introduces the party. - Lenore asks what brings them to these parts… - Treya pauses. They were off-the-road, most east of here. - Gomash is suspicious of her pause. - Astrid can tell she's witholding information. - Lenore recognizes that she's not a very good liar. - Says she was in the woods… - Treya pulls up her hood - Treya tells Huxley there's a poster that looks just like him… with a high amount of gold reward on it. - Wanted for… terrorism, destroyed buildings, sacrifices, murder, assault… - 1000 gp reward - They're looking for someone in a red cloak/coat, with white hair and red eyes - Treya does know [[60 Games/62 Campaigns/2022-09 Hoard of the Dragon Queen/05 NPCs/Freya|Freya]] - Astrid talks to her about it… - But it's pretty obvious that Treya is not being honest about who she is… - Astrid says she'd love to take Freya out to dinner etc… get to know her, etc. - Treya sends a message to Freya… she says she's up near Baldur's Gate - Treya is headed north of Berdusk… maybe Baldur's Gate - Treya joins them in the cart; Astrid helps her onto the cart (to sense if there's anything illusionary… but everything feels normal) - Huxley catches up with Treya, and just generally asks her questions - Lenore asks if we could make a stop in Berdusk, maybe buy supplies - We make it to the outskirts of Berdusk - A semi-bustling little trading hub on the road - The "Jewel of the Vale", next to the Chionthar River - Caravans going both ways… - No guards at the gate since it's a smaller place - Larger than [[Greenest]] (100+ people), [[Berdusk]] is 20,000+ (hub for trade on the road and river) - We see a man waiting at the front of Berdusk, no hood up - Lenore gets off the cart, and gives Vartan a hug - Lenore reintroduces him to the group - Vartan offers them a place to stay for a bit, as Astrid wants to talk with him… - Lenore whispers to him that they should talk privately later - He leads us to a tavern, the [[Bellblade Throne]] - He offers to pay for us to stay, and for the stablehands to care for the horses - It's a nicer area… travelling merchants or nobles - Interior is very fine, darker woods, large fireplace - There are uniformed guards out on the rain… Inside, guards look more like the mercenary type - The door has a door chime - The chairs are metal, the air is much warmer, filled with flowery incense - Antique blades on the wall, with bells where there would be pummels - A half-elf man mans the bar… [[Ghamul]] - Tattoos on neck, blue eyes, silver hair… Fur; looks dressed for colder climates. - We take a corner table by the fireplace, and he offers to get food and drink. - Astrid says she supposes Lenore knew he'd be here. She says she had a guess. - The tavern is empty. The other patrons left when Vartan got up to get drinks. - Astrid starts in on questions - What's your goal with the cult? Infiltrating? - V: Information gathering. During the research, V & L met. Doesn't like what they're doing… the dangerous things. - Are you with any organization? People don't usually just wake up and research the cult. - Lenore says she's an independent researcher. - He knows a couple of different groups, connections with other people. He sticks his nose where it doesn't belong… - Why did Odonth just let you go? He didn't really seem to hunt you… - One reason, to see who Vartan would go to. - Another reason is mindgames… thinking of something further ahead… - Astrid suspects Odonth has a plan - Lenore mentions that Langdedrosa is Odonth's half-brother - You remember you had something with you… something you took… Why did you take it? What is it for? - Not sure what it is. - Just knew it had been discussed. - Anything he could get a hold of, would be good when escaping - Lenore says they sent an assassin looking for it - The good news is that they have it - The bad news is… they're sending people after it - Vartan says to be wary to stay in places you aren't familiar with, or areas that you don't have good friends… - He gets a cocky grin on his face… "I'm just that good." - Odonth didn't know about the theft when he let him go… - Our food arrives… boar meat, vegetables, gravy… - How did you manage to leave the Keep? - Lenore says he's really good at hiding… - She was worried they had caught him again. - While you were a "guest", did you get any information? - They're heading north. - They're collecting things. - There are tensions between different groups. - Odonth and the black dragonborn… tension. They aren't as tight knit as they seem. - There were three white-haired women at the camp - One with the book - One with hat and mask - A curly-haired one - The one with the book was staring at him at one point - It was only a couple of seconds - Didn't say anything to him - The one with the hat dropped something? - Outside of the tent - The curly-haired one was behind Odonth… - Lenore asks what he's doing now… - He's recuperating right now, mentally and physically - More travellers right now - Quite a few heading towards [[Elturel]] - There were a couple of [[Red Wizards of Thay]] - Dark magic, necromancers - Usually not welcome around these parts - Attempted to hide themselves, but not good at it - There are different people around… - Someone who looked like [[Faust Huxley]] - White-haired, long coat, male - A couple hours ago… - Vartan recommends the [[Dawn of Any Day]] for supplies - Run by a follower of the morninglord - Popular deities in Berdusk - Helm - Millill - Oghma - More for the older generation - Morninglord (a minority) - No cult activity here in Berdusk - Astrid: "Have you noticed anyone who might not directly fit the cult… like…" - Lenore: "Like your Order? Oh, whoops, is that supposed to be secret?" - Astrid's order wears particular armor - Vartan: No one wearing armor that didn't wear anything that was similar to Odonth… Also the later assassins… - The curly haired one wore an assassin uniform like Snow's - Astrid wonders if he had heard the name [[Cole Silversteel]]. (Tall and good looking.) - Vartan suggests shopping, and asks if Lenore can hang back so they can catch up - Astrid looks a little suspicious, but Vartan calls her out on it. He and Lenore have known each other for time before this, after all. And Lenore has been very worried about him. - Gomash asks Vartan if he's heard of people who can turn into animals or half-animals - Druids? Look more towards natural terrain… get in touch with the [[Emerald Conclave]]? (He doesn't have any contacts there; their interests lay in different directions) - Then he joins them on their shopping trip - Shopping trip! - Treya buys Huxley new clothes (brown, noble) at [[Frisky Foray]] - Treya talking to Huxley - Was supposed to meet people nearby, but things went south - Going to reconnect in [[Baldur's Gate]] - Sent by grand witches back in [[Waterdeep]]… but didn't get the components… - Huxley asks what Freya is up to, since he didn't bump into her outside of [[Greenest]]… doesn't know, and didn't ask her - Huxley sends [[60 Games/62 Campaigns/2022-09 Hoard of the Dragon Queen/05 NPCs/Freya|Freya]] a message via [[Sending]] %% - Vartan and Lenore talk - [[Ghamul]] is one of his contacts, and they're safe here - Are you okay? - Worn thin. Leaning on friends and allies. - Hayla saw Vartan the night Kassandra was rescued - Hayla must have known it was him… - Almost didn't escape Hayla - Recounts tale of the camp, and Hayla's tent - Hands him the book - Book feels warm to her, not to him - They know more about her than she does… - Have they been following her for years? - Or have they been researching her since learning about her? - Asks about Triel - No contacts there specifically - Contacts in Elturel? - He'll send a list - What didn't you tell them that you should tell me? …Harpers? - I'm standing on an area connected to it… - [[Ghamul]] is a [[Harpers]] member - Vartan is more of a rogue element of the Harpers, not exactly a card-carrying member - Works with different groups… unofficially - [[Lord's Alliance]] - [[Zhentarim]] - Avoid them unless you have to - Worst tales about mercenaries… it's worse than that - Hasn't worked with [[Emerald Conclave]] - Doesn't like the woods, more of a city-person. - Why did you help me? - You needed help. You were helpless. - How did you know to find me? - I just came across you… Had been researching the cult for other things, but came across her at one point. - No one in the caravan was left alive after he rescued her. - The circlet. How did she know my face? - Had the headband for years. Has used it on occassion himself. - Doesn't know how she'd know. This one surprises him. - Still having the dreams - Divination wizards are rare… but maybe should be who she talks with. - He has no divination wizards in his network. %%