December 16, 2017

Flerm Gets Headhunted by the Revengers

After killing the Green Manalishi and retrieving the orb he stole from Crulicar, the Motley Too head back to Gelfini. Sir Gyles is invited to a multi-day gambling tournament at the Ravinca Tavern. The rest go to meet Vashti at the castle. There, they find Vain sitting on Flerm's throne. According to Vashti's information, the golem arrived in Gelfini soon after the Motley Too went into the past.

While they were gone, Rowan Dee and Nyngard sent letters of complaint. Rowan Dee is angry that the soldiers they sent into the Disputed Territory to arrest Aoki were attacked. Nyngard is upset that thieves and smugglers are hiding in the Disputed Territory to avoid arrest and prosecution. Vashti is instructed to "diplomatically" inform Rowan Dee that their soldiers were seen as an invading force and in the future Rowan Dee should go through the proper channels for extraditing criminals. Nyngard will be told their complaint would be "looked into".

Vashti also hands over a few packages and letters that arrived for the Motley Crew and Too. Among those items are a letter addressed to Flerm, a bag of mushrooms, and a leaking sack from Malouf's brother Malain that likely contains the remains of some creature the barbarian killed.

Kurtis takes possession of the mushrooms with no argument from his companions. Flerm's letter is read by the group.

Greetings to the Great Dark Elf, Flerm.

Forgive the presumption, but we surmise that your participation in the Motley Crew is stifling you.

We suspect that you chafe at the bit of their sanctimonious morality.

We know that you are destined for greater things. You should be the leader of the Disputed Territory, not the lapdog muscle who does the group's dirty work while they bask in the glory.

We represent a group of associates who all have reason to hate the Motley Crew. We invite you to join us. In return for helping defeat them, the Disputed Territory will of course be yours. We can supply you with minions to enforce your will in the territory. And we will be able to aid you in many other ways. Our plans are much bigger than the defeat of the Motley Crew, and there is an esteemed place for a conqueror like you.

If you are willing, leave a message for us in the former Mudglup cave south of Gelfini. We are being cautious at this time, but we will check for the message in due course.

If you are unsure, please say nothing. Perhaps our actions will convince you. By simply doing nothing when the time comes, we will consider you an ally, if not a compadre. No need to alert your "companions"; just sit back and see what happens!

But we sincerely think that it would be in your best interest to join us...

A. Friend

After discussing it (and dubbing this new enemy the "Revenge Squad"), the Motley Too send Flerm's apprentice Thrain to the Mudglup cave and leave a message indicating Flerm would be interested in working with them. Thrain returns after a couple of days and reports that there was a hermit in the cave. The hermit asked Thrain if it was "time". Not liking Thrain's response, the hermit attacked the dwarf. Thrain killed the hermit and found a vial on the body. The liquid seems to be the same stuff Crulicar used to turn those townspeople into zombies back in Altur Rang. They hand the vial over to Brecaryn's apprentice Zargyble for further study.

Before retiring for the night, Adarra uses the Mirror of Thought to contact the druid Leeto on the Isle of Dread. Leento takes Crulicar's orb to guard and study. Meanwhile, he charges the group with finding more information about the orb. The vine-like tentacles are capable of taking over the entire ecosystem and that would be catastrophic.

Never a Day Off

A few days after the party's return, the warning bell begins to toll. At the gate stands Marduke Kurious, the hermit mage who helped retrieve Sir Gyles' memories and sent the group back in time after the Motley Crew.

Marduke Kurious: Hello! You've returned. Where are the Motley Crew?

The mage warns them that the Barons of the Abyss are at war with each other over a stolen wand (a wand that was lost when the Motley Crew disappeared!) and that war threatens to spill into this world. Also, Lolth, the spider god, is searching for the Motley Crew for betraying her. Marduke Kurious offers to help hide the Crew. The Motley Too are reluctant to give Marduke Kurious any information, especially since knowledge that the Motley Crew were melted into Vain and are gone forever would likely destabilize the Disputed Territory. Seeing their reluctance, the mage tells them they can find him at his original camp if they choose to trust his offer of help.

Marduke Kurious: I can help you, if you trust me.

Not long after Marduke Kurious leaves, the bell begins to peal a warning once again. This time Gelfini truly is under attack. A pirate ship approaches the docks. The captain of the ship shouts for the surrender of Havoc Company. Adarra recognizes that name - the Motley Crew encountered this group of mercenaries on a few occasions and it wasn't always on friendly terms.

The pirate ship fires acid-spitting squids like cannonballs, releases a cage of axe-mouthed lizardmen, and attacks the civilians. Three members of Havoc Company sheepishly exit from a nearby tavern and join in the fight to repel the attack.

Kurtis helps boost morale with a song.

Kurtis: How's everyone feelin'?
Does anyone need healin'?
We've got to get killin'

Soon the tide turns against the pirates.

Pirate Captain: Shiver me timbers! Retreat!

But it's too late. Angered by the attack on the civilians, Adarra transforms into a crocodile, swims out to the ship, and summons a wall of fire that engulfs the ship and all of the pirates.

Oh Yeah! Weren't We Supposed to Find a Sword?

After healing the injured, the group questions Havoc Company. Captain Dokari, the leader of Havoc Company, apologizes for the attack. The pirate Captain Barnacle Barbara claims to be a descendant of the famous pirate Cervantes. She was after Havoc Company because they stole an artifact from her. The mercenary is reluctant to say more, but Kurtis is able to charm the information from her.

Havoc Company was hired to find the pieces of Cervantes' Sword. They already have five pieces. Havoc Company suspect the Motley Crew has one piece and hope to negotiate with them for that piece (surprise, they actually have three!). After they heal and rest, their next destination is the Underdark in search of the last piece of the sword. The group sets up the members of Havoc Company at an inn where they can be watched.

Message in a Mushroom

Later that night, in his bedroom, Kurtis relaxes on his bed and pulls out the bag of mushrooms from earlier. Instead of the psychedelic trip he's expecting, Kurtis' brain explodes with a message from the Myconids, the giant mushroom people from the Underdark. Frantic, Kurtis bursts into the rooms of all the Motley Too, ranting that "they" need help and that everyone needs to eat a mushroom. Unsurprisingly, most of the party are skeptical but are eventually persuaded to eat the mushrooms and realize Kurtis was not just raving. They also now realize that earlier mushrooms from the Myconids that they had been saving in the hopes the mushrooms would bestow some fantastic power were actually just more mushroom letters.

Anxious the go to the aid of the Myconids, the Motley Too abandon their initial plan to accompany Havoc Company to the Underdark. They leave Gelfini the next morning in the direction of the kobold cave where they know an entrance to the Underdark exists. The trip will also allow them to investigate why no word has been heard from the kobolds lately and once they solve that, recruit the kobolds into keeping a lookout for Nyngard's thieves and smugglers.

Yes, We Have Lots of Enemies

Upon leaving the city, they are joined by three travelers on their way to a new city called Utopia. Quig the barbarian is eloquent but rarely speaks. Aresha the illusionist seems friendly. Popol the Halfling, on the other hand, quite obviously has a bias against humans and a distrust of government.

Popol: Once they find out what we're doing in Utopia, there'll be a government crack down. But we'll be ready for that.

Jandove takes point, scouting ahead. Just as she senses something amiss, she hears

Voice: *krshh* Targets sighted. *crackle* Disengage camouflage.

Three Atlanteans appear. Delphine recognizes their leader as Yakima, the one who kidnapped her previously. She charges for him.

Yakima: The Warlord Thul drained the Motley Crew but nothing has changed! You have been the bane of my existence!

Delphine: The feeling is mutual!

Quig, Aresha, and Popol are no match for the Atlanteans. Quig sustains near-fatal injuries while trying to help the party. After several minutes of battle, the Motley Too defeats two of the Atlanteans while Yakima escapes. While Adarra heals Quig, The Harper of the North questions the one surviving Atlantean soldier.

The Harper: I am The Harper of the North. What are you doing here?

Atlantean Soldier: This was a suicide mission to kill the Motley Crew. They are the worst tyrants in history. They destroyed the world! Because of them, we've had to live under the sea in order to survive! They are responsible for the destruction of Atlantis.

Delphine: Why was I kidnapped?

Atlantean Soldier: The recklessness of Delphine is legendary. You are a high priority target.

Everyone except Delphine: (nods)

Delphine: WHAT!??

Shaken by the encounter, Popol, Quig, and Aresha decide it's safer to travel without the Motley Too and set off for Utopia on their own. The rest of the party continues on to the kobold cave.

Back to the bullet points