🪴 Quartz 4.0

Session 3

May 09, 202611 min read

“Paying the Land Tax”

Took place 4-25-26, in-game Ches 22nd into 24th 1487

Our newly formed group has been gifted their own stronghold and plot of land to set up base. However, it’s been abandoned for a while and might need some cleaning up…

The party, sans Ascánthir Crithatri and Vaelithra Igristisk, meets at the Red Herring Inn & Tavern on the evening of the 22nd. The proprietor, a Tiefling named Callie O’Toole, takes a drink order from the group and gets food orders started. Throughout the Party’s time at the restaurant, Ysgraviir Ysraldsson falls victim to the charms, both metaphorical and literal, of Callie O’Toole, inspiring him to be generous in spending coin.

Grandsire Na’thaniél is with the Party, and wishes to help everyone to form closer bonds. Kicked off by a quick beatdown at the hands of Ysgraviir Ysraldsson in a game of dice, the party takes part in a game resembling Go Fish, which Ysgraviir Ysraldsson also wins at. The games shift to being more social, as the Party then begins rolling dice to determine an individual to be asked any question, and an individual to ask any question. Among the bits of information disclosed:

  • Forge Unbroken let it be known that he’s in Cormyr to find the Right Hand.
  • Ysgraviir Ysraldsson revealed that he’s tracking a necromancer, and elaborates that he has theological issues with necromancers in general.
  • Ember Blackthorn-Fenwick and Rook Fenwick established that they met in the midst of a job they were given. This job was later revealed to be a heist: stealing a book from a temple. They both decided they didn’t care for the person that hired them, and set off together.
  • Ysgraviir Ysraldsson also told of his conquest against the Shadow People, and informed the party that he was fond of his father, who is deceased.
  • Forge Unbroken clued everyone in that he was once enslaved, and the name Unbroken was given to him by the one who knighted him.
  • Ven Kallix was questioned on his wedding band, leading into his revealing that he traveled to Cormyr both to honor the memory of his late wife, and to escape his depressed isolation. He was also questioned on his place of birth, as Grandsire Na’thaniél suspected he may originate from the Infernal Planes. Ven Kallix opted to plead the 5th, insisting he’s from Candlekeep, but his poker face wasn’t very convincing.
  • Grandsire Na’thaniél dropped the bomb that he’s over 1000 years old. He also had an abusive father, and was taught to be a combat perfectionist when he was around 400. That was also when he decided he likes the color red.

After the games concluded, a Halfling named Ted Herren played a lively song to get the whole place going. The individual members of the Party, better acquainted and sufficiently filled with food and drink, began to disperse a bit throughout the restaurant.

  • Ven Kallix acquires a bottle of strong drink and debates internally what his night will look like. Grandsire Na’thaniél intercedes and reveals he shares Ven’s sorrow, also having a passed spouse.

Following these encounters, the individual members of the party head to bed.

Notably, Ysgraviir Ysraldsson opted to get very little sleep at the behest of Callie O’Toole, who, through dealing 47 points of damage to him in what was described as “the best night of his life”, established herself to be a succubus, though the party doesn’t know that.

In other news, Ven Kallix opts to write a letter to his late wife, burning it in tribute, rather than falling victim to his alcoholic vice.

Enter Chess 23rd

Ven Kallix, Ysgraviir Ysraldsson, Forge Unbroken, Rook Fenwick, and Ember Blackthorn-Fenwick meet back up in the restaurant. Grandsire Na’thaniél expresses brief worry at not having received a Sending from Ascánthir Crithatri. Being told that Vaelithra Igristisk was evidently in her room, the party opts to check in on her. Impatient for results, Rook Fenwick picks the lock to her room to find it empty, save for a letter placed on the bed, indicating that Vaelithra Igristisk had set out to find The Gold Dragonborn from her dream.

The Party sets off for their new real estate, taking an easy journey northwest of Suzail.

Upon arriving at what would later be revealed to be named Gladehaven Keep, the Party takes in the scenery: a considerably sized castle with a few decades of wear-and-tear, plenty of farmland, and 3 little shacks (Sam’s Village), one being less well-kept than the others. Spotting a man working the field, Ven Kallix makes contact with Sam, who quickly acknowledges the Party as his new Lords, and quickly makes mention of his family: his (mute) wife Annie, who is with child; a son, Samson; a daughter, Nellie; and mentions Brian, an aspiring bard (who the Party briefly witnessed playing in the Stagg Skull inn in Hilp in Session 0 and 1) who left to go adventuring. Brief mention is also made of the Sick woman with mute children (not yet named) residing in the other shack, though no names were given. After these brief introductions, the Party is urged to share dinner with the family.

Now sat down, Sam urges some discussion to learn about his new Lords, and establishes his willingness to continue to work the land for the Party.

At one point, Ven Kallix inquires about the family’s literacy, thinking to offer some of his books that describe the feats of the Party so far. Knowledge of the written word is quickly confirmed to be a skill they have little interest in; however, Forge Unbroken expresses his desire to be taught, and Ven Kallix happily agrees.

Sam lets the Party know that a rambunctious reptilian creature is locked in a nearby closet, having been left by the tenant of the not-so-well-kept shack. This creature, later revealed to be a Kobold named Slyther, was established as being a troublemaker that sought to eat shiny things, prompting its imprisonment. Ember Blackthorn-Fenwick was quick to take a shine to it, offering coins to earn its trust. Ultimately, it had to be returned to the closet so that the Party to seek a good night’s sleep in the very well kept stable on the grounds.

At one point, a person with a bow and some successfully hunted game walks in. This is revealed by Sam to be his mute brother in law, Jerrod.

Prior to bedtime, Ven Kallix opts to talk to the farm animals. The farm’s donkey has been successfully protective, having killed no fewer than 8 wolves, and the farm’s draft horse loves hard work, as it earns good food.

Enter Ches 24th

In the middle of the night, Ascánthir Crithatri teleports into the stable, accompanied by Mistress Ossani Eveningspire, a Goblin, and a red-headed druid of sorts. The Goblin, revealed to be Skorgl, is the father of Slyther, and quickly retreats back to his shack. The druid, Tinuvian, is responsive to Ven Kallix’s intrigued reaction to hearing his name, assuring Ven that they will talk later.

Ven Kallix gives Ascánthir Crithatri a quick rundown on what he’s missed. The Party goes back to sleep.

Upon waking, Ascánthir Crithatri seeks the information shared in the Party’s dice rolling game. Heartbreakingly, Ascánthir Crithatri isn’t asked a lot about his time away, but it is established that he was interrogated (but didn’t snitch), an ancestor of his buffed his sword with a new rune, and he’s 222 years old. Things get a little heated when Ysgraviir Ysraldsson casually entertains the notion of plucking Brannon’s feathers, which provokes Ascánthir Crithatri to threaten his life. Jokes are established to be jokes, and Ysgraviir Ysraldsson pokes fun at the amount of times Ven Kallix has been asked about his dead wife. This prompts Ven to fetch the bottle he got at the Red Herring, and leave the stable drinking it. He encounters Forge Unbroken working the fields to help Sam out. At some point, Ember Blackthorn-Fenwick reveals that her mom drank a Potion of a Fallen Star in the midst of childbirth, and Ysgraviir Ysraldsson informs the party that he has a sick light emitting ring he took from a hermit he killed. Eventually the Party gathers and learns that the squatters in Gladehaven Keep may be harmless, as Sam describes them as “nice” and even mentions they haven’t been looking very good lately. The blame for this should probably be placed on the Castle’s basement entrance to THE UNDERDARK. The Underdark, a vast underground network right underneath Faerun, is home to all sorts of monsters that may be giving the squatters trouble. Acknowledging that a Castle and land doesn’t run itself, the Party decides it may be a better idea to just recruit the squatters, opting for diplomacy.

Meeting the squatting bandits, led by a certain Bandit Captain, at the entrance of Gladehaven Keep, the Party quickly convinces the folks to take care of the place, in exchange for 95% of their earnings from their fencing schemes. Aided by Rook Fenwick sneaking up and holding them at swordpoint, the Bandit Captain accepts the offer. The squatters are also discovered to be allegiant to The Blue Blade, a Robin Hood-esque fellow. The squatters advise the Party on the dangers of the basement, informing them of a large, nude, club-wielding giant. One of the bandits is asked to join the Party to give directions, and they set off.

The Party descends into what seems to be a cave system of sorts. They find mushrooms, which their guide insists are good for eating. They take directions from their bandit ally, to middling results, having to find secret twists and turns to navigate. They encounter 2 creatures known as Ropers, defeating them handily.

END OF SESSION 3

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