Episode 8 - Back in Easthaven

Our heroes have arrived safely back in Easthaven in the early hours of the morning, Tor with her Goliath powerful build carrying the heavy cauldron of plenty like a child's bucket, witnessed by a few late night Watchmen made their way back to their lodging at the White Lady. Here they settled in for a much needed long rest. 

Come late morning everyone had risen to the smell of a hearty stew wafting through the Inn as Tor tested out this incredible magical item. Breakfast from the cauldron made a decent change to the daily intake of knucklehead trout.

Leaving Tor to guard the cauldron the remaining three set out late morning to the town hall to inform Captain Arlaggath of their investigation into the missing fishers and to make good on their agreement in respect to the dead wizard Dzaan's belongings. Met at the reception by one of the town clerks our three adventurers were ushered through to Speaker Waylan's office where they were joined shortly by Captain Arlaggath. 

Upon the retelling of their tale Speaker Waylan made our heroes a remarkable offer of 10 flawless Gems worth 500gp each for the Cauldron of Plenty to keep it in Easthaven to use to feed the people of the town. Accepting this generous offer Speaker Waylan informed the party that he would require 48 hours to arrange the payment but that they were free to remain in Easthaven at the town hall with the Cauldron as the safest place to which our heroes again readily agreed. Speaker Waylan told his assistant Prudence Tarkwold to start to make the necessary arrangements to which she scurried off immediately.

Captain Arlaggath handed over the scroll case and grey bag for payment in regards to the missing fishers along with a pouch of 100gp that had been delivered via messenger from Hiln for the business concerning Saphek Kaltro. 

With money in their pocket and nothing but time the three decided to spend a few hours exploring the town, traversing through the market along the docks and lakeside to the town's other tavern, The Wet Trout. Here they made the acquaintance of the Ferry Master, a Teifling named Scython. A few ales and Dwarven brandies later and Scython was filling the party in with all the latest rumours and gossip from The Ten Towns.

1) An aggressive White Moose has been attacking hunters and loggers near Lonelywood.

2) The Termalaine Gem Mine is closed following the discovery of a gang of Kobolds in the Mine.

3) Speaker Trovus in Caer Konig has complained about "unseen" thieves and vandals plaguing the town of late.

This last rumour certainly got our party thinking about their recent involvement with the Duergar hiding out on the stranded ferry along with the information imparted during the seance. Discussion ensued about the next course of action and a plan started to formulate as to what the next steps would be once business in Easthaven had been concluded.

Armed with this new information the three of Aldrick, Shayde and Grom returned to the White Lady to collect Tor and the Cauldron of Plenty and their gear and move into the town hall for the next couple of nights. Aldrick would use this time to make use of the town library to brush up on his ten towns history as well as to study the book of poetry that was part of the Red Wizard's belongings. 

The party made themselves comfortable in the lower level that was used as the town gaol. Once the towns business had been concluded for the day Speaker Waylan, Captain Arlaggath and the other staff left for the evening and our party were handed a set of keys. Doors locked and the building secure the party settled in for a restful night. Grom and Tor playing cards and dice in near silence apart from the odd grunt of approval or admiration. Aldrick with his books, reading obsessively by the light of a lantern until falling asleep in his chair.

Meanwhile the ever alert Shayde would make rounds of the building to check on the many empty rooms and corridors, remaining ever vigilant. During one of these sweeps of the ground floor Shayde was able to perceive a low murmuring like crying coming from the gallery containing the Glassy Black Ship Figurehead. Known to be made of Chardalyn, cold to the touch and instilling an uneasy feeling but with a sense of familiarity, Shayde made her way through to the room, calling out softly to see if anyone was there. No response but the same crying like sounds. 

Shayde having made her way around to be standing in front of  the statuesque carving came face to face with that of ghostly female form, seemingly tied to the figurehead and dripping wet. Still seemingly oblivious to Shayde's presence when at last upon trying to speak with the apparition suddenly the face morphed into a horrifying distortion of it's former self and initiative was rolled!

Lashing out to strike with her weapons Shayde's strikes seemed not to cause as much damage as they might usually. The Ghostly figure in return via it's now Horrifying Visage caused Shayde to become frightened and she used her actions and cunning actions to disengage and flee downstairs to hopefully wake Grom and Tor from their sleep and aid her against this ethereal intruder 

Managing to get to their room well ahead of the spectral assailant Shayde was able to rouse Grom and Tor in time that they were able to grab their gear and join the fight. Thinks we're looking up. Shayde managed to shrug off the fear that she had been experiencing but just as she did Tor succumbed to it. With no where to flee Tor had to stand her ground but all her attacks were rolled at disadvantage. Meanwhile Shayde in her fury lashed out time and again aided by Grom as the battled this malevolent spirit. Then things took another turn as the Spirit vanished from site.

Grom had been possessed and was now heading out of the building. With no assistance from the still sleeping Aldrick up in the library it was down to Shayde and Tor to save Grom from an icy watery grave!

Grom was rescued and the Ghost was banished back to the lake and 3 of our heroes were able to rest up and heal. The next day when Speaker Waylan arrived he has informed of what had occured and so he ordered the immediate destruction of the Chardalyn Figurehead by a few of the towns militia under the watch of Captain Arlaggath. 

The next day passed without incident until night fell and Aldrick sending some frustration from his companions stayed out of the library and rested with the others in the rooms below setting Lookout to perch on the roof above the main door and keep watch and alert them of any unusual happenings in the vicinity of the hall. 

And so it was that in the early hours of the morning Aldrick and his companions were awoken by Lookout when the snowy owl familiar recognized the figure of Prudence Tharkwold approaching the town hall with a bunch of nefarious looking individuals and an axebeak with which they proceeded to pull off one of the town hall doors.

By the time the assailants had gained entry and were in the building Tor and Grom had made their way upstairs to intercept them. Meanwhile Shayde and Aldrick took up positions to defend should any of them make it downstairs. Now in a strategicly advantageous position Tor was able to use her magic to cast spike growth, surrounding the intruders as they made their way through the door way from the adjacent room with a number of bandits succumbing instantly to a horribly painful death.

With the lower level enemies taken out Grom fired a volley from his crossbow as others managed to survive making their way through the dangerous barrier Infront of them. Tor invoked her Combat wild shape to transform into a bear and go head to head with the axebeak and Prudence while Grom picked off flying snakes with well aimed crossbow bolts. 

Hearing the sounds of combat (and dieing) from above and with no attackers yet to have made it downstairs Shayde and Aldrick headed up to join the fight. As the last of the last of the assailants were being defeated the party noticed something else strange occurring! Some of the broken shards of Chardalyn from the half destroyed figurehead were mysteriously moving and appeared to be floating away along with the sounds of heavy boot steps. 

Shayde gave chase of the invisible thief but was unable to catch it as it leftvthd town hall and disappeared into the cold, dark Easthaven night.

An investigation of the dead resulted in the discovery that Prudence Tarkwold was intact a Zhenterrim spy. Further news that would be brought to the attention of the town speaker and Captain Arlaggath at daybreak. And so our heroes piled up the bodies of the dead and proceeded to repair the broken from door before resuming their night hopeful that they would indeed get the rest they needed. 

To be continued............