Session 62 - Snakes Everywhere
The party settles into The Warren for the night, but not everyone stays put. Arm wrestling, bardic secrets, and a midnight hunt through Drar’s darker corners lead to blood — and worse.
Arrival at the Ambercup
- The party made their way to the Ambercup inn in The Warren.
- Inside: a half-elf woman and a man arguing near the bar, a bard playing a glass lute, five tables with three occupied.
- A dragonborn man complained loudly about the drinks: “Marla, we need to get stronger drinks — we can’t serve this slop.”
- Korin approached to eavesdrop but was noticed; the dragonborn apologised and asked what he would like.
- Korin ordered wine and asked about lodging, then returned to the party with the drinks.
- The party noticed the bard’s glass lute — Dristuul had never seen one but had heard of them.
- Jaruul asked Korin to speak to the bard, then went over himself, tipped 1 gold, and requested “the hottest song in town.”
- The bard played Hot and Cold.
An Early Night for Some
- Dristuul said he was not feeling well and asked Nyxara for help.
- Dristuul and Nyxara left the common room to rest.
- The rest of the party remained at the table; the only other patrons left were those staying at the inn.
The Notice Board
- Korin walked around the inn and examined the notice board:
- Stolen rare components from a shop in the Scalded Market — 100g bounty. Subject last seen walking into the Ashen Fall Quarter.
- Missing child in the Red Vale district — no bounty.
Arm Wrestling for Coin
- Jaruul went to another table and asked if anyone wanted to arm wrestle for coin.
- An orc responded: if Jaruul was the one wrestling, he was in. Jaruul pointed to his champion, Kailas.
- The orcs got excited and accepted. Kailas asked what he would get in return — Jaruul promised him meat.
- Jaruul ordered all the meat for Kailas. The innkeeper asked, “All?” Korin objected, but the innkeeper agreed to keep a tab.
- The orc brothers asked for the stakes. Kailas pulled out his “prison wallet” with 50 gold.
- The orcs screamed at each other and got ready. Kailas raged — and the orc, Wog, raged too.
- A wild magic surge erupted: “All creatures gain disadvantage to slashing damage” within 30 feet.
- Kailas felt like he was losing. Marla was enjoying the spectacle.
- Jaruul asked the bard to play a good song and began dancing behind Kailas. Korin offered encouraging words. Jaruul used some magic to help.
- Kailas felt energetic and powerful.
- Another wild magic surge: a Level 7 spell effect triggered. Kailas’s blue tattoos converged on his chest and a ray of power shot straight at the orc. The orc smiled.
- Jaruul helped Kailas again. Kailas used all his power and won.
- Wog was respectful in defeat and handed over his 50 gold.
- Wog said goodbye to Marla and Dorrin, the bar keeper.
- The bar keeper brought more meat and told them the price. Kailas couldn’t calculate and just gave him 10 gold. The bar keeper said he didn’t need to pay yet.
Viral the Bard
- Viral, the bard, was invited to the party’s table.
- Viral admired Kailas’s muscles.
- Viral explained that in Drar, people try to kill each other so everyone is suspicious of others.
- He said that “the people with information will find you.”
- Korin asked if Viral knew Aldrick Voss. Viral suggested using the notice board to help look.
- Viral offered to help write a letter/notice about Aldrick Voss and happily put it on the board.
- Jaruul asked about Viral’s instrument. Viral explained that the glass lute is very famous.
- Viral said goodbye and gave them a heads up:
“There are snakes everywhere.”
Evening Prayers and Secret Departures
- Jaruul decided to go to sleep.
- Korin said he would think about the curse before sleeping.
- Kailas told him to share the solution if he found one.
- Nyxara followed Dristuul, healed him, and gave him aid.
- Dristuul cracked a window, saw the back alley of the inn — no one was watching.
- Nyxara went to her room and prayed for Dristuul to be safe. She felt love and joy for the others she had met, and felt confident Dristuul would be alright.
Into the Coiled Fang
- Dristuul went through Drar very stealthily and with purpose.
- He reached the Coiled Fang — it was full.
- He sat at a table. The owner, Vex, greeted him. Dristuul said hi and hugged him.
- Dristuul ordered his usual. Vex called for a girl, Issa (a new recruit, Dristuul noted), to bring a drink similar to moonshine and roasted pork.
- Issa brought the order. Dristuul reminisced about his memories and his old party/company.
- Vex returned and chatted. He told Dristuul that his friend had been there not long ago — about 20 minutes.
- Dristuul enquired about Robin. Vex said Robin had been waiting for somebody, met them, and left together.
- Dristuul asked about the Red Vale part of town. Vex didn’t want his wife to know about it.
- Dristuul decided to head out and find Robin.
The Hunt for Robin
- It was quiet on the road. Dristuul walked through the shadows sneakily.
- He saw two kids playing football with a round object. The ball stopped close to him; a kid asked for it back.
- Dristuul brought the ball to the kids and asked for information about two guys, using the ball as a hostage to get the kid to talk.
- The kids told him the two had gone to an old house.
- Dristuul walked forward and saw an abandoned tavern.
- He tried to listen — heard a faint scream from inside.
- He looked through an opening in the door; no light came from within. The building had no second floor.
- He tried to open the door — it wouldn’t budge. He lockpicked it instead.
- He slowly opened it sneakily, then turned into a rat and explored the abandoned tavern.
- He heard a single noise inside.
- He went back toward the door and was hit by acid, forcing him back into his true form.
- He opened the door and smoke poisoned him.
- The floor ahead was full of blood.
- Dristuul saw a barrel pointed at him and a man with blood on him.
- The man attacked.