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Your friend, Naerth. The killer, Sephek.

Exploring Bremen

#LakeMonster Having hauled the carcass of Maer Dualdon's awakened plesiosaur back to the Bremen docks, the party carved out a plesiosaur hide and 12 rations of meat. Tali was given the head of the beast to study and offered to introduce the party to a friend of hers who studies local fauna.
#NatureSpirits Tali introduced the party to Dannika Graysteel, another half-elf scholar who has been staying in Bremen for months searching for hints of Chwinga activity. Dannika's nose is more in her books than her legs are in the field, though. She gives the party a lantern of tracking that supposedly glows greenish-blue in the presence of the nature spirits.
#WhaleHunters #DarkDuchess The party banters with a group of thuggish seamen at the Black-Bearded Brother, the lot of whom are already soused before midday. They're conspiring to head north to the Sea of Moving Ice to capitalize on the whaling colonies' incompetence over hunting a particularly large whale. They also talked about the wreckage of the Dark Duchess, a Luskan merchant vessel.
#TheSignal Amidst talking about the Spine of the World, a ping rang out in Tetro's head. "Find us!" it said.
#BlackSwords Wrapping up their lodging at the local inn, Buried Treasures, they took note of the distraught and nervous innkeeper, Cora Mulphoon. Cora beseeches the adventurers to bring news of her missing son, Huarwar Mulphoon. Huarwar went missing during a blizzard while searching for the town's doddering elderly speaker, Dorbulgruf. Huarwar returned days later, but was cold and distant. Cora found what looked like a shard of black ice in his room. Huarwar snatched it back and threatened her to never touch it again. The next day two tieflings with black amulets came to town and offered Huarwar sanctuary at their castle. He left with them two months ago.

A Return to Targos

#ColdHeartedKiller The party headed to Targos to investigate the string of murders that they were initially hired for by retired bounty hunter Hlin Trollbane. At the Luskan Arms, the depressed innkeeper Owenn Tarsenal discussed the lottery with them and, after remembering that this party were the ones who delivered the stolen armory goods, that Speaker Naerth may be worth speaking with.
#ColdHeartedKiller At the local tavern, Targos's Three Flags Sailing, the warm tavernkeeper Ethen Ma Tarbroul noted that the lotteries conducted by Naerth and Skath must be for the greater good of fending off winter's wrath. They tie up the lottery winners outside the walls for the cold to spirit away during the night. The last lottery winner ran away, though, and was found hewn nearly in half in the snowfields. This most recent winner also ran, but was caught by mercenaries working for Torg's merchant company.
#ColdHeartedKiller The party met Naerth Maxildannar in his lodging on the second floor of the Luskan Arms. Captain Skath stood guard and was about to turn the party away, but Naerth, who was feeding his pet flying snakes, heard Crank outside and let them in. Naerth was so pleased to see "his boy" Crank, though, perhaps, the feeling wasn't mutual. Naerth extolled the virtues of the current lottery, the strength and importance of Targos, and the dire straits that he believes Ten Towns is in with the current winter. He so warmly offered his services to the party. He and Skath were off to meet Torg over the lottery escapee, and the party decided to accompany them.
#TheMeadMustFlow Naerth noted such immense grief over the loss of Good Mead's speaker. He said he was diligently working on providing a new speaker for the town.
#ColdHeartedKiller Following Naerth to Torg's Targos warehouse, the adventurers saw the teenage girl fugitive. While Torg was negotiating with Naerth, a mercenary in his hire, Sephek Kaltro, demanded that the girl meet her immediate end for her crimes. This escalated quickly, culminating in Sephek's execution of the girl and Naerth's digust with Torg's enterprise. Torg, in a rage and panic, told his crew to clean up this mess.
#ColdHeartedKiller In Torg's Targos warehouse, the adventurers were able to discern that Sephek was a recent hire of Torg's. He was a former sailor from Luskan who served on the Dark Duchess. Sephek seemed to be a Midwinter Child from his lack of warm attire. He had ice blue eyes. Tetro and Hazel offered Torg assistance in removing and burying the nameless body and left the scene.
#battle #ColdHeartedKiller Torg's warehouse thinned out later in the evening. When asked about his time on the ship, Sephek attested that those days were in his past life. When asked about the girl, Sephek praised the winter goddess, and spoke of his valiance in honoring her quarry. Battle ensued, and Sephek's true nature was exposed, as he dueled with sword and dagger of ice. He tested the strengths of Crank, Oona, Azgul, and Fern, but was hopelessly outmatched when Hazel and Tetro arrived as reinforcements. Moments before his total demise, Sephek called for Auril to witness him. Sephek slit his throat and his curdling scream began to intertwine into of a woman. In the cold Targos night, Azgul picked up Sephek's now inert longsword, noting its etched runes: Isolation, Cruelty, Endurance, and Preservation.

XP

50 ~ Bremen EXPLORED
50 ~ Targos EXPLORED
350 ~ #ColdHeartedKiller COMPLETE

Loot

Lantern of Tracking ~ Common Wondrous Item
Plesiosaur hide ~ Forageable Item.
12 Rations from plesiosaur~ Common Item.
20gp each ~ Sephek's money pouch.
Longsword ~ Common Weapon, Sephek's rune etched longsword.

❮ 11 · Chronicles · 13 ❯

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