Session 7

September 3, 2019

Saltmarsh 7: The Force Awakens

The party agrees to investigate a mine collapse for Manistrad Copperlocks. Malcolm visits the Temple of Procan, and Vel sneaks out at night to meet with her brother Vitaelius. The party joins the caravan to the Shafted Caverns.

Synopsis
As the party tries to enter the Wicker Goat, a doorman tries to stop them, eyeing Velaeria, and says that he doesn't trust the "magical types". Malcolm defends her, using Thaumaturgy to make his eyes glow. The doorman relents when he sees that Malcolm and Dora are former soldiers. Emmett buys a round of ale for the party, and looks around for Mannistrad Copperlocks. Seeing her across the bar, he downs his drink and sits across from her. Vel eavesdrops from another table, as Mannistrad tells Emmett of a collapse in a mine where 10 dwarves are trapped. A caravan is leaving tomorrow to the mine, if they choose to accept. Emmett poses the quest to the party.

Meanwhile, Malcolm stews over the doorman's reaction to him and Dora being military folk. Looking over the man, he concludes that the man is an enlisted soldier. The doorman continues to watch Vel.

The party asks Mannistrad more questions about the cave in. They learn that this is the first time this has happened. Dwarves were in the mine for 12 hours, memory loss affected both miners and early rescue teams, and the dwarves use magical explosives to aid in their mining. The party agrees to help.

They encounter Fraternus mid-show in the street again, highlighted with Joffrey turning into a giant flamingo. Dora delays her tutoring with Fraternus because they need to leave town for a few days. Fraternus has to leave down after the festival, and gives the party a Scroll of Sending in case they need to get in touch with him. They walk over to the dock where the False Foil is stationed, but Xandri is not in. They find him sleeping at the home of Aida, and leave a message with her that they will be leaving town in the morning.

Emmett departs to go drinking at the Snapping Line. Malcolm, Vel, and Dora head to the Temple of Procan. The acolytes are hard at work preparing for the Atrowa Festival, making bread, keeping chickens, and generally mulling about. Malcolm approaches an elderly woman, and asks for someone who can answer some of his questions about Procan. She fetches Welgar Brinehand. Another volunteer, Dolores, instructs the party on how to make bread for the festival. Dora is pretty good at it, Malcolm is not great, and Vel goes too hard, and leaves to tend to the chickens. Malcolm recognizes Welgar as the man with the peg leg from his dream. He also identifies the man in grey robes as Procan, and the man in red as Heronius, a god of war. Welgar believes that Lathander is in position to join their pantheon. Malcolm inquires about Xandri's water healing, though Welgar does not know the origins of them, but does know that Xandri once did a favour for Procan, and received them in turn.

Dora's bread has been kneaded and Dolores puts it in the oven, containing a whole soft boiled egg inside. Whoever receives that loaf of bread at the festival wins Atrowa's favour for the next year. Meanwhile, Vel has made friends with one of the chickens, naming it Sir Clucks A Lot.

As this takes place, Emmett sets out to find weed and spots Xendros on the docks. They chat, and Emmett purchases a pouch of black stems from her. He flirts, but she rejects him, claiming she doesn't do dwarves.

On the way back, Vel asks if she is a god because she can create water. Malcolm says no, because he can do the same and nobody worships him. Dora asks if gods can worship other gods. Malcolm wants to die. Vel stays at the Snapping Line that night, under the guise of not wanting to miss the caravan leaving at dawn, but mostly so she can meet her brother Vitaelius at midnight. Vel lets it be known that she thinks the dwarves in the mine are already dead, and this is not a rescue mission, but a recovery mission. Malcolm encourages her to remain optimistic.

As they enter the Snapping Line, a hammered Emmett greets them. Malcolm crashes with Vel that night, and Dora rooms with Emmett, who has passed out, face down in bed. Dora pulls the blanket over him, and begins writing a letter, though gives up after 20 minutes.

That night, Vel sneaks out of her room, and meets her brother in the back alleyway. As soon as she sees him, she punches him. She chastises him for leaving her on the mission, and attempts to punch him again, but he catches it. Vitaelius offers her a job, one night, 200 GP per barrel, no questions. Vel isn't sure. Vitaelius leaves, and Vel sneaks back into her room, though Malcolm catches her.

Emmett sobers up by morning. Malcolm and Vel are still awkward from their interaction the previous night, and Vel heads out. After his prayers, Malcolm disrobes and examines his scar from being hit by lightning. Its cool to the touch, and is healing up thanks to Xandri's water magic. On the walk to the caravan, Vel proposes her job offer to the group. Reactions aren't positive: Dora and Emmett require more information, Malcolm promises to stitch her up afterwards. The party picks up that Vel is personally invested in this job, and she admits that her brother is involved, and she wants to protect him.

The party joins a caravan to the mines where Mannistrad checks in and wishes them luck. The party sits with Stani and Starek Augurite, two dwarves with dark red burns and iron bracers with a blue gem. The Augurite's home was ravaged by a dragon who wanted the blue gems. They have not heard of the mine collapse.

Featured Characters
Emmett

Velaeria

Malcolm

Theadora

NPCs
Xandri

Mannistrad

The Great Fraternus

Aida

Dolores

Welgar Brinehand

Xendros

Vitaelius

Starek Augurite

Stani Augurite

Quotations
"See you when we returnus!" -Dora, to Fraternus

"Fraternus? He donates to the fucking church, dude!" -Vitaelius, to Vel

"Maybe I'll see you in my dreams." -Malcolm, to Welgar Brinehand

Chat Names: Continue...(x19)

Trivia

 * Session Length: 2:30:19
 * This session covers 2 days in universe, the party has now known each other for 12 days
 * Continue Count:  5
 * This session is named after Force Awakens, the 7th film in the Star Wars franchise
 * Gods named in this episode;
 * Celestian, knowledge domain
 * Obadhi, nature domain
 * Procan, tempest domain
 * Atrowa, trickery domain
 * Heronious, war domain
 * Lathander, life domain