31 July 2004
Between sessions: Tang Zhen & Gelfor decoded the messages to determine that the people being killed were similar to the seven dwarfs.
We went to the town court to meet up with Seward again. The court was quite a spectacle. (punishment for stealing bread was to be buttered and placed out in the sun). After court we talked with Seward in the back of the court. He didn't have a lot of useful information on who in his town might qualify as one of the dwarfs. He did state that the shamans at the docks had a bunch of potions.
We went to see the shamans. They weren't very helpful. They don't sell potions. There are no stores in town that sell potions. Ickthar is a person who travels up and down the coast selling potions. We are about 1 month away from his passing back through town (usually passes through every 3 months. To try to find a well-learned person, they suggested we goto the Library.
In the Library, the only "well-learned" people were a couple old ladies who just read a lot of novels. No one we would truly think of as "Doc-like". We decided to then go get a room in the inn.
During the night DeLyra tried jumping out of her 2nd floor window in order to fly. She failed. The shop keeper across the street tried telling her what to do to learn to fly. Jasper suggested that N-Guuk tow DeLyra like a kite or swing her around on a rope like a centrifuge.
After more time, N-Guuk decided to ignore all these suggestions RE: DeLyra and headed to the tavern.
Tang Zhen's bat decided to watch the square at night in hope of seeing "the crime".
Jasper suggested: Doc could be a dock worker and Sleepy could be someone who has a sleep schedule different from the rest of the city. The prosecutor in the town seems to be either loved or hated, there is no one in between.
With two days left to the murder, we hear a story of someone who had gone into the woods and come out alive (barely). He seem delusional. A fog had rolled in, and then there was a sound that was knocking (or woodpeckers from hell), and then his skin was burning and he ran away. Two people he went with did not return. The burns look like chemical burns.
Tang Zhen suggested that we should determine where within the forest the person was attacked. Victims name is Sobris. He couldn't talk about it since he was SO scared.
Everyone EXCEPT N-Guuk went into the forest. N-Guuk decided to stay in town and watch the central square.
The group followed the running out tracks and found an ending to the tracks (area where they were most likely attacked). DeLyra looked at trees and noticed that one of the trees had acid burns on it. DeLyra tried "detect magic" and it hurt her eyes. The ENTIRE FOREST appeared to be magical (trees).
While the others are in the forest. N-Guuk ran into the prosecutor. The prosecutor decided that for the next show, he would prosecute the forest.
DeLyra cast "detect evil". Like detect magic, it was everywhere (all trees). A fog rolled in. They
all ran. Once they got out of the fog, they stopped and looked back and noticed that the fog was
dissipating. All characters in the forest stood and "listened". Tang Zhen, his bat, and Tam looked
up and saw two BIG spiders coming down at them.
Tang Zhen cast "sleep" on the spiders. They did NOT goto sleep. The first one attacked Pheldran and missed. Tam tried to "piñatta" the 2nd one. He hit it for 5 points of damage. DeLyra attempted "burning hands" for 16 pts of damage. Dunbarton determined (by outsmarting Mr. Smarty-pants DM) that AC14 misses but AC15 hits. Tang Zhen attempted "stunning kick" on 1st spider. He missed VERY badly. The air is very stunned. 1st spider attacked Tang Zhen and did 7pts damage (poison). Second spider attacked Tam, it bit (poison) (he failed saving throw). DeLyra attemped another burning hands. Jasper did lots of secret things. Dunbarton ran to attack the other spider and was attacked by the 1st spider in an attack of opportunity (8 pts of damage). Pheldran did 9pts of damage to 1st spider. Tang did a "flurry of blows". There was a gust of wind from the flying feet (that hit nothing). First spider missed Tang Zhen. Second spider missed DeLyra. Tam whacked at 2nd spider for 3 pts of damage. DeLyra cast magic missile for 12 pts to the 2nd spider. Jester attempted a sneak attack on 1st spider. Dunbarton attacked 2nd spider and did 7pts of damage and it died. Pheldran missed with his attack. Tang attempted a second flurry of blows and hit twice. He did 9pts of damage. First spider attacked Tang (again). Tang failed his poison save for 8pts of damage. Tam held off on his action. DeLyra cast magic missile again for 11 pts of damage. Jasper attacked and hit for 8 pts of damage. Pheldran attacked and hit for 7 pts of damage. Tang Zhen attempted another "flurry of blows" and missed. Dunbarton looked in the trees for more spiders. Spider attacked Jasper and missed. Tam also looked in the trees for other attacks. DeLyra cast magic missile for 14 pts of damage. The spider died.
Tang passed his secondary poison save. Tam passed his secondary poison save. Tang passed his secondary save. Dunbarton passed his secondary poison save. They all lost points of constitution (Tang=2, Tam=2, Dunbarton=5).
They attempted to leave the forest. They ran quickly.
N-Guuk bought a large beer and sat in front of the fire, stared at his axe and cried after hearing about the missed battle.
The shamans mercilessly mocked the poisoned members of the party as they were being healed.
Dunbarton joined N-Guuk in crying but for him it was because he was in the battle. For the next couple days, the poisoned members of the party rested in order to regain their constitution.
*skip ahead 2 days*
It's night time. We are all camped out around the city. The bat started going wacky. In the center of town, a dead body just appeared out of nowhere (with a little bit of a toss) at ground level. It was the jester from the court (happy/dopey). We all followed the bat. The thing that left the body behind was smaller than human. It went into an alley and then appeared to enter a building BETWEEN the planks (or through a knot hole). Jasper picked the lock of the main door of the building which the thing entered.
Dunbarton went back to the alley that the invisible thing came from. Tam went to find someone to show him the Jester's house. Dunbarton followed the tracks left behind as the body was dragged from the house.
The building we entered was a clothing shop. DeLyra did detect magic and found nothing. The bat lost whatever it was.
There was another encrypted message and it is on a folded out 4 jester hats. The body was still warm but below normal body temperature. He was beaten to a pulp. We find someone who could take us to "the jester's" home. We went to his home.
The note said: "The most important things about comedy is timing"
Tang ran back outside of the building, threw up "detect magic" in hopes he ran into it. Chen Lung (the bat) circled around looking for the invisible thing no luck. Tam looked around for someone who knew the jester well.
The potions stolen from the jester were potions of levitation.