Tl;dr: A group of adventurers trying to find leads on information in Gracklstugh, the Jubjub Fortress City found one who wanted a private night meeting in the middle of nowhere, but she had been followed and our adventurers had to fight their and here lives. She wanted someone to explore some nearby ruins for missing animals and in return would provide contacts with some investigators.
Future Adventure Notes:
•There has been a recent change in who controls the government of Grachklstugh. New, stricter policies are being enacted.
•Gill’s Odd Jobs, is a detective agency in Grachklstugh, operated by Oristrick Brightcoat, Sirmarlun Giantbringer and Jennifer. Located south of the Soothing Anvil. Having helped Jennifer, they might be open to helping us get more restricted information.
•Passports are required to enter Grachklstugh proper. Truth is best.
•Check animals for hostility before attacking when you have been sent to rescue animals.
•Underneath the ruins of an alchemy lab on the mesa west of Gracklstugh, are captive fire elementals held by binding spell. Also an Al-Aeshama, an evil genie and a xorn, held by probably a different spell or mechanism.
Session Title : Delving in Gracklstugh
Session DM: Geokhan
Session Date: 16 Apr 2022 @ 23:00 UTC / 27 Apr 2022 @ 23:00 UTC
Session Risk: 6+
Characters:
•Barry (Cleric 5/Fighter 5/Wizard 1) with Swarm of Skeleton and Hawk the Familiar (played by Tootired78)
•Gau (Druid 15) (played by Konopa)
•Griters (Wizard 12) (played by Wade)
•Katla (Fighter 15) (played by Arden)
•Twee (Ranger 10/Cleric 1/Fighter 2) (played by RCB)
Barry and group gather at Jubjub Crossing. Pleasant Day. Barry hear festival music as Barry get closer. At fortification, many distinguish grey cloak dwarf, also some priest and some wizard, scan people when go through. Barry and group welcomed to crossing, hear that carnival today, many people travel to participate in wonderment.
Greycloaked guard talk about how new guard have everything in control, and how new guard formed by new order on council, say “change has come to Jubjub.” Guard talk about how King manage transition well, with peaceful change of council. Barry and group told that passport required to pass through gate.
Barry declare Barry name, origin, affiliation, general description and weapon Barry carry. Barry cause clerk problem, need write very small to fit all Barry weapon. Barry and group told this passport generic version. Must pay for passport capable of entering Grachklstugh, which have higher security as change implemented.
Inside Jubjub Crossing, Barry and group see many dwarf. Most commoner, hunter, scavenger, or traveler. Quite festive atmosphere, many pretty coloured pennants. Barry see many children around, chase small animal.
Barry hear minstrel sing. See juggler juggle. See sword swallower swallow. Watch knife thrower throw. Barry see decent aim but not precise. See many illusion and pyrotechnic. Many small shop around.
Barry told that group examine guard. Two type of guard, normal guard and Greycloak guard. Greycloak have greenstone in chain belt and chain amulet, illusion and abjuration magic radiate from helmet and amulet. Barry hear normal guard think Greycloak high and mighty, while Greycloak look down upon normal guard.
During this, Barry find out later, old woman bump into Abjurer Griter, then notice pouch on ground, suggest it belong to Abjurer Griter. Abjurer Griter pick up discretely, find note say to “meet in the Valley of Granzith under the moon.” Group look for information on valley.
Group only find when Jubjub first came to area, one clan leader affected by skin curse, but water in lake of Valley of Granzith cure problem, now Jubjub tradition to go to lake for holiday ritual cleanse. Barry and group mill about festival to wile away hour until night time.
Barry and group leave Jubjub Crossing when night near. See more vegetation and more hill. Path less traveled, but see regular use. Barry and group see group of dwarf head back to town, say they fish all day at lake. Barry and group find small cemetery, group think pauper grave, but Barry skeleton not able to enter, so Barry think graveyard consecrate properly. Crow land on pole, caw out “follow follow” then fly west.
Barry and group follow, arrive at clearing. Crow caw “wait, wait, wait”. Barry and group wait. Dwarf woman approach, hold torch, cautious. Woman would have word with adventurer of afk, something treacherous afoot. When woman close, boom sound radiate in distance, deep laughter come, “your efforts will end here!”
Many creature erupt around Barry and group and dwarf woman. Barry and group fight for live and try protect dwarf woman who creature try kill. Druid Gau take woman to rope trick Goblin Twee make. When woman disappear into rope trick booming voice say “contract is fulfilled” and creature disappear.
Dwarf woman thank Barry and group say name Jennifer. Dwarf Jennifer found “their” lair while investigating many missing animal in area, some a group of koshi that had been stolen. Say “smuggler and such, evil dwell upon mesa“. Saw someone drag something into tunnel system under ruin. They saw Dwarf Jennifer, and unleash many creature to hunt her down.
Dwarf Jennifer talk about how she afraid to go to authority in town, think some of evil people connect to Jubjub nobility. Think some guard corrupt. Dwarf Jennifer say she detective, work at agency Gill’s Odd Jobs, her partner are Oristrick Brightcoat and Sirmarlun Giantbringer, office being south of the Soothing Anvil in Gracklstugh.
Dwarf Jennifer talk about ruin of alchemy lab about tunnel. Unnamed alchemist experiment in the mesa, but die fifty year ago. Bandit take over tunnel. Dwarf Jennifer suggest Barry and group help find animal, then Gill’s Odd Jobs help Barry and group find information in Gracklstugh.
Barry and group agree to help. Rest of night safe. In morning, Barry and group head for mesa, see ruin of lab. Many square of abjuration alarm detected, Barry and group evade them. Have two choice to enter, from west or south. Barry not sure why, but Group pick south entrance despite more alarm magic.
Tunnel dark, Tempus give Barry light. Druid Gau step on thunderstone, boom noise go through tunnel. Shout of people inside. Psychic Katla rush forward, see drow pull lever, hear chain release to floor. Barry and group struggle through narrow corridor into room with many shrieking bat and froghemoth. Psychic Katla kill froghemoth.
Shrieking bat noise make magic hard to use. Need magic to follow drow, who escape into tiny hut. Druid Gau manage to quiet bat. Barry not see, but Goblin Twee say was drow and githyanki. By time Barry get there drow and githyanki escape to teleport circle. Abjurer Griter say need password or known gesture to use.
Barry and group look around various passage. One room have sign of five, maybe six individual living there. Scrawl on wall “Sharpen thy axe and ready thy shield.” Emblem found on ground. Also small diary of disgruntled individual, say thing like “why did elders send me to watch this bunch here with their smelly animal. If i have to o to south side again i’ll…. ” or ” at least I don’t have lever duty.”
One room have black and white tile. Lever on north side, with note say “pull to open cage room”. Pillar in room have sign of alchemical explosion. In kitchen like room, writ in blood “save yourselves.”
One room have mural on wall, dwarf working on forge. Abjurer Griter detect magic on wall, dispel magic, mural has passage behind it, lead to rubble, and many shaped pile of earth. Shape like golem. Group think someone try to make golem workshop.
Last passage not used recently. Those living here avoid. Barry and group go down, see fiery chamber. Barry try to send Hawk to scout but it now survive. Group send Druid Gau as Fire Elemental Gau. Fire Elemental Gau go in, meet Steve, some other kind of fire elemental, with many friend.
Fire Elemental Gau and Steve chat awhile. Barry learn later Steve and friend trapped in room, have been for almost 50 year. Will be for 50 more year unless released. Steve not know how to free, think some source of magic not in that room hold spell.
Barry and group go north from hallway outside fiery room, see swirling light in room. Within light, a xorn and a creature Abjurer Griter call Al-Aeshama. Barry think evil genie. Those two creature not move, not react. Barry and group not want to enter light, and not sure what cause it, choose to leave alone for now.
Barry and group explored up stair that lead into lab, which just barren ruin now, much graffiti on wall. Barry and group return to Jennifer at Jubjub Crossing who mention late that bat and froghemoth have reward too. Druid Gau and Psychic Katla return to ruin to get all bat, bring back. Barry and group get reward and safely end adventure.