User blog:MMetzner/Session 1: The Jagged Pelt

Session 1: The Jagged Pelt
Day 1 - 16th September 420 Day 2 - 17th September 420
 * The Adventurers responded to the Summons of the Sekken Steiner, arriving at Hogstone and introducing themselves to each other.
 * Ranulph the Old and Thirdson Mutt introduced themselves, with Thirdson giving the Adventurers a brief tour of the city of Hogstone, and giving them directions to a few of the townsfolk who wished to speak to them.
 * The Adventurers visited the Sleeping Stag, where the met Helena and Harrald . Harrald told the Adventurers that his farm was being harrassed by a pack of wolves. The Adventurers agreed to help him.
 * The Adventurers tracked and defeated the pack of wolves, taking a wolfs head and some pelts of varying quality.
 * On returning to the Sleeping Stag, Harrald rewarded the Adventurers with a sack of turnips.
 * The Adventurers rested for the night at the Sleeping Stag. During the night Gauner crept downstairs to steal cheese for his mouse, Nibs. Maiya had a dream involving whirling black smoke, a man with 8 legs, and a golden mouse turning into a dragon.
 * The next morning, after a good rest, the Adventurers discussed, at length, the best way to dispose of Karkuro's poor quality, now bug-infested wolf pelt. They took the pelt outside, where Kyanna attempted to burn it using the illusion of a flame. When this did not work, they came back inside for breakfast.
 * Britta, the innkeep working this morning at the Sleeping Stag, discovered the stolen cheese, and saw through the attempts by Gauner to lie about it. Gauner came clean about his mouse, Nibs, and paid for the stolen cheese.
 * The Adventurers headed to the Hall of Beasts, where Symond the one-eyed Huntsman was extremely excited to meet them. He gave the Adventurers a contract worth 120 gold pieces to hunt down a Blink Dog on the island of Strand.
 * Next the Adventurers travelled back inside the city walls to meet Jussi, the blacksmith and carpenter. Jussi was showing his frustration with the poor tools and equipment with which he is trying to forge weapons to arm the people of Hogstone. He asked the Adventurers to retrieve some of his father Herman's tools from an old workshop he had on the windy outcrop island of Pavuk . A quest the Adventurers accepted.
 * Wondering which quest to tackle first, the Adventurers decided to travel to the docks.
 * The Adventurers met Steffon Sea-Tamer, Inga and her wolf Oula  around the docks in Hogstone. She was immediately drawn to Ronan, who she recognised as being experienced in seafaring.
 * When Steffon offered the adventurers a small skiff that he had built, Inga offered to sail it herself, but would not sail it until it has been named. The adventurers considered this for a while, before naming the skiff the 'Jagged Pelt ', for the poor quality skins they had recently taken from a pack of wolves in the Hogstone Pines
 * After taking a vote, the Adventurers decided to ask Inga to sail the Jagged Pelt to the island of Pavuk. During the voyage Inga  and Ronan  discussed the specifications of the Jagged Pelt, the locations of large rocks that lined the northern coasts of Hogstone and the southern coasts of Pavuk  and Strand, as well as swapping some stories.
 * Approaching the island of Pavuk, Ronan spotted what looked like freshly cut timber outside the entrance to a small cave. The Adventurers made their way towards it.
 * The Adventurers explored Herman's Hideaway, finding a letter from Herman in the entryway that revealed that Herman had survived the Sack of Hogstone, assuming that his son Jussi had died, and drifted out to Pavuk.
 * Finding a a small shaft covered by a wooden flap, the Adventurers decided to follow it, sending the boy Gauner down to scout first, lighting their way with a mix of magic and lanterns. The group were attacked by spiders, which they dealt with swiftly.
 * In the next room they came across a second letter, which showed the dimming faculties of Herman as he suffered from the effects of the poison spiders, as well as a door, which they managed to open by deciphering a code based on a key written in seven different languages.
 * Entering through the door, they came across a larger cavernous room, where they could see the body of a man at the far end. Three more spiders attacked, which the Adventures dealt with swiftly.
 * Karkuro investigated the body, confirming it to be that of Herman, and finding a letter that rose questions about soldiers in Hogstone armor but looking like members of the Mutt clan.
 * The Adventurers came across Hermans bedroom and workshop, before encountering the Spider Queen. Farrus Fulgrim led a heroic attack on her, imbuing his longbow with Rite of the Storm before skilfully firing an arrow into her head. Ronan was bitten by the Queen, which poisoned and paralysed her.
 * Gauner pulled his shortbow, and fired a shot true into the Queens head, killing her instantly.
 * After killing the Queen, the Adventurers turned their attention to the pressure plates. After a few misguided attempts to solve the puzzle, Maiya determined that the plates needed to be in weight order, lightest to heaviest, opening the locked chest.
 * The Adventurers helped themselves to the gold and stones within the chest, as well as picking up Hermans tools to return to Jussi.
 * Exiting the hideaway with the bodies of the spider queen and Herman, they squeezed onto the The Jagged Pelt and voyaged back to Hogstone . On the return journey, Maiya had another intense vision, the contents of which she didn't choose to share with the Adventurers. Around this time, Ronan  began to regain control of her body.
 * When the Adventurers docked back at Hogstone, they began looking for a cart or wheelbarrow with which to transport Hermans body back to Jussi.
 * While they were discussing plans, the Adventurers saw Harrald and Steffon Sea-Tamer running in a panic towards the castle, shouting to the Adventurers 'Come quick, come quick". The Adventurers followed.
 * On entering the castle, Harrald discovered Ranulph's  body at the top of the twin staircases above the Stone Throne. He was found laying face down, with a dagger in his back.