Travel to Quillshire Lake Day 2 – Even with last night’s excitement my companions were up before dawn praying and doing various other religiousy things – I decided to get some breakfast going and while I was doing so I instinctually reached into my Bag for some poison. Old habits. Good thing I didn’t have any or that could have been quite a sticky situation! We said some goodbyes to the people of Red Peace, Arastra handing out blessing like candy, and we were off.
After a few hours we spotted a fellow pulling a hand-cart heading our way. As he came into view I saw that he was a muscular gentleman a bit past his prime who despite being a common laborer had an erudite look about him – even if his clothing was coarse and patched to the Nine Heavens. His cart was piled high with bric-a-brac and various junk – he made a beeline (what’s that mean anyway, I’ve never seen a bee fly straight) for us an introduced himself Levinio. He presented himself as a merchant but he was clearly a rag and bone man.
He seemed a friendly and jolly sort but I could see tension behind his eyes. He offered to sell us some healing potions and his pitch was one of desperation – not the desperation of a salesman but something else. Arastra thanked him kindly for the offer but explained that since three of us were healers the potions would be better suited to someone else. He countered by saying we should get them to give to others, lowered the price, practically did everything but beg us to take them. He was about to blurt out that we could just have them when I decided to put him out of his misery.
“Levinio, I’m pretty good at reading people, and you’re clearly operating under some kind of distress here. Why don’t you tell us what’s going on and we’ll see if we can help you?”
He hemmed and hawed and paced and generally did everything short of having a heart attack on the spot before eventually collapsing into his cart and pushing his face against it as if he could merge with the wood and disappear. He started sobbing.
“She made me . . . . . she made me . . . . .”
I put my arm around him tenderly “There now, there’s no need to fear, we’re all friends here, no one is going to hurt you.”
The quaking in his body seemed to indicate there clearly was something to fear, slowly he turned his face to me – his voice barely more than a whisper “Don’t drink those potions . . . . don’t drink them . . . . . you can’t let her know I told you . . . . can’t . . .”
I did my best to calm the poor fellow but he was disconsolate until Arastra spoke some magic words and granted him a soothing touch – the light of Adarial finally helping him to find some peace. He was still reluctant to say much but said that a woman gave him the potions and told him to try and pass them off to us – a woman whose eyes he felt in his very soul. He begged us to take the potions but not to use them – he was terrified of coming back with them because she would know that he had failed.
Arastra and her two guards shared a look said “Serensa” and then nodded. Apparently this character is some kind of devotee of Korrok who’s been after the gem for a while and is probably mixed up in the whole business from the outset.
“If he’s afraid to go back with the potions that means he’s going back to her – so we just tag along and take care of this Serensa right now. No reason to have her trailing after us making mischief.”
Oona and Jeyne seemed keen to getting after Serensa, I got the impression they had tangled with her before, but Arastra was more measured. She was clearly torn but in the end she felt that it was too dangerous to bring the gemstone to Serensa – our first priority had to be destroying it. Which is the smart play but it galled me somewhat. I toyed with a few other ideas but in the end I decided not to push it.
Levinio was beside himself at the thought of going back to Serensa even after we took the potions. I suggested that he simple not go back to her but he was convinced that she knew where he was and could find him – I’ve never seen someone to terrified and dejected. He was also sure that she would know that he had failed and kill him – which I said was all the more reason not to go back. He was paralyzed with indecision – he saw horrible danger no matter what he did. Arastra summoned more divine power and set him to a restful sleep.
I suggested that we keep him with us but Arastra was worried the path forward was more dangerous so we reluctantly let him behind.
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Funds: 7,580 gold
XP: 46,203
Inventory: Ring of Many Garments, Bag of Tricks (rust), Cap of Disguise, Secure Pocket, Resplendent Diplomat’s Palette, Secure Paypack, Skeleton Key, Brooch of Shielding, Pouch of Magic Stones, Masterful Grey Gloves, Black Marketers’ Bag, Biting Bracelet (Endless Ammunition), Boots of Escape, Bracers of the Glib Entertainer, Ring of Animal Friendship, +1 Falchion, +1 Greatclub, +2 Commanding Light Crossbow, Headband of Alluring Charisma +2, mysterious Korrok gemstone, 4 potions of unknown wickedness
Signet ring, noble’s outfit, candlerod (9), masterwork dagger, succubi carving, Domiel family ring, walking stick, masterwork playing cards, spinel and peridot holy symbol of Kralten, diamonds (14), silver crown
Potion of Invisibility (3), Potion of Spider Climb, Potion of Eagle’s Splendor
Silver ring, gold bracelet, gold and pearl pendant, gold ring, platinum necklace, mithril hair clasps (3)
Revenge List: Duke Eaglevane, Piltis Swine, Rince
Electrum, watchman Gridley, White-Muzzle the worg, Percy Ringle
the butler , Alice Kinsey , “Patch”, Heroes of the Lost Sword, Claire
Conrad, Erist priest of Strider, Riselda owner of the Sage Mirror,
Eedraxis, Skin-Taker tribe,
Kartak, Królewna & Bonifacja Trading Company, Hurmont Family, Androni Titus,
Greasy dreadlocks woman, Lodestone Security, Kellgale Nickoslander, Beltian
Kruin the Splithog Pauper, The King of Spiders, Auraluna Domiel, mother Hurk,
Mazzmus Parmalee, Helgan van
Tankerstrum, Lightdancer, Bonder Greysmith, Pegwhistle Proudfoot, Lumbfoot
Sheepskin
Rumors : Exiled noblewoman (Reoccurring), vigilante “Litheria”(Reoccurring), murderous Halfling (Reoccurring)
Graltontown Buildings – Mill
The Errant Endeavors of Ela the Expert 