Session 3 - The resurrection of Cats

Session Date: October 8, 2019

Recorded Stream: Part A | Part B

Session starts in the aftermath of the party's fight with the ooze in the Dripping Caves. They inspect the immediate area and the remains of the ooze for loot, but find nothing.

They then recuperate in the cave there and head back into the main chamber to find Hark and free the villagers.

-- short rest --

The Party heads back to the main cavern to find Hark, and finds him splashing in a mud-pit with one of the Ogres.

They report to Hark and urge him to release the townsfolk. He points to the cave, and Raloric reminds him that he promised some additional treasure. He hands Drork a ring with wings and a feather inlaid in it (that was on his toe) and a scroll (that was in the Ogre's loincloth), Stats in cat form identifies the items as a Ring of Feather-falling, and a Scroll of Gaseous form.

Going up to the cave with the villagers, a dwarf them who is slightly better dressed addresses the party and says "what are you all doing here"? When Hammerfeet tells him about the deal with the goblin and that they're to be freed, they are surprised and relieved.

Luscious identifies herself, she's the half-elf half-goblin amongst them, says she was the former proprietor of this cave.

The other fellow introduces himself as Morak Urgray, and that he was the proprietor of the inn in Nightstone, he has kind of taken charge of the imprisoned villagers, and helps the party lead the rest of the villagers out of the caves.

The party and the villagers head back to Nightstone, and while traveling they learn from Morak that many of the townsfolk have passed from the attack on Nightstone earlier and also from being eaten by the goblins. Many of the guards from the keep are with them as well. Luscious, when asked about the potions, says her business was ruined, and shares that one of the pools the Ogres was bathing in was formerly a pool of healing waters and was the source of the potions, but is now thoroughly spoiled by repeated Ogre dumping. She says she'll head back to Waterdeep.

Drork tells Luscious and Morak about the Zhentarim who have taken over the town, Luscious seems ok with it, but Morak is hesitant but willing to come to some sort of agreement with them.

Morak asks if anyone's from the North of the sword coast, and says that his good friend and neighbor Semile Southwell was killed in the giant attack, and her brother Markham Southwell is the sheriff of Bryn Shander near Icewind Dale. He asks the party to head to Bryn Shander and seeking him out to relay this sad news. Drork agrees that they can do that after their business in Waterdeep.

Hammerfeet recognizes the name of Bryn Shander, where one of his superiors in the Order of the Gauntlet - Sir Baric Nylef. Sir Baric went to Bryn Shander to look into some stuff.

Approaching Nightstone, the Zhentarim are on watch. Stats the Tressym flies around and explores the area a bit - Nightstone is tucked right against the Ardeep Forest, which is a large forest. North of town there's a river, and a mountain range to the south.

Xolkin and Sydiri are welcoming the villagers back to the town, and they seem to be getting along. Xolkin says now that the villagers are back, they can get to the business of "Making Nightstone Great Again". Sydiri mentions that with the Nandars having gone missing, maybe it's good that the Zhentarim are here. [this may have been a point where Hammerfeet could have spoken about his superior Julius Nandar] Raloric asks if Xolkin and his crew have a spare sword available and Xolkin gives him his Scimitar. Drork asks if Xolkin has heard from Kella, but he hasn't heard back. The villagers start greeting each other and returning to their homes.

Stats and Drork have a conversation about how to revive Stats' original body and discuss options - seeking reincarnation from the wood elves, waiting for some response from Kella, or heading to Waterdeep and using Hammerfeet's connections to seek help from the temples. They decide that the temples seem to be the best option.

Meanwhile, Luscious approaches Raloric and gives him a healing potion of some sort, he asks if she'd like to talk to Darby as he might be able to help her get back on her feet. Darby asks her about the healing potion situation, and she reiterates that a few too many ogre dumps put the healing potion trade out of commission. She thanks Darby for sending the party to help, and implores him to reward them well. Reminded of this, he awards the party 100gp (each) and asks the party their plans. The party agrees to escort Darby and Luscious back to Waterdeep.

Travel goes well, and their journey is uninterrupted. Raloric notices some ruins or stonework a bit into the Ardeep Forest, Darby mentions that the wood elves there are rumored to be guarding some ancient elven ruins and artifacts. Intrigued, the party elects to remember this area and come back to visit.

The party goes ahead and camps for the night as they did on the way to Nightstone in the first place. Darby regales the party with tales of his adventures. Mentioned a trip to Chult and cracks some jokes. When asked if he knows where to get a diamond of appropriate quality he says the guild of jewelers and gemcutters would be able to sell us a diamond.

Approaching Waterdeep, the party notices some giant statues that tower over the various neighborhoods frozen in various states,  one is a crouching warrior with a sword, one a half-buried to his waist holding a globe, another a woman with a sword. Many others can be seen in and around the city.

Entering through the south gate, there is a large farming community, and then the town proper is surrounded by walls. There is some traffic. (DM mentions apples and we totally missed it!)

Darby takes them to the Dock Ward to his old friend François in the "Marche Noir" so the party can try to purchase a diamond on the cheap. In the absence of stats to be the face of the party, Hammerfeet decides to try.

François is a tall gangly fellow with pale skin. With some good negotiation thanks to Eagle's Splendor from Stats, dropping Darby's name, and a bit of a DM misunderstanding in our favor, Hammerfeet manages to trade a random gold ring we found on a goblin for the diamond, as well as a silvered long sword for Raloric. On the way out Stats steals a pin with the crest of the Harpers on it.

The party then has Darby take them to to a temple of Torm in the Sea Ward to the North, passing through the Trades Ward, alongside the City of the Dead. The party sees a few of those huge statues, including one that is a man that's also part bird. Turning off the High Road onto Delzorin Street, the party arrives at a temple of Torm. Drork stays with the Cart, and Hammerfeet, Raloric and Stats head in. Hammerfeet talks to the high priest, identifies himself as an acolyte of Torm and requests the priest's assistance in casting the Raise Dead ritual. Producing the diamond and Stats's body, the priest verifies he can perform the ritual.

Raloric and Hammerfeet carry in the body, place it on the alter and the high priest begins the ritual with the help of Raloric and Hammerfeet. The ritual goes forward, the diamond is consumed, and ultimately Stats' consciousness is restored to his body, but comes back kind of part-cat, with a bit of a yellowish tinge and bands of black, with some hair or fur as well, and tail. Stats awakens with a start, coughs up a hairball, and begins to familiarize himself with his new body.

-- party levels to level 4 --

The party welcomes stats back to life and Drork has a bit of a talk with(at) him about being a little more careful in the future. On their way back to visit AAA to talk to Archibald, the party notices a floating tower up in the sky. It looks like a wizard's tower perched upon a cloud and the tower has a big wizard's hat on it. Having just come from a city recently destroyed by a cloud city throwing boulders, they're initially wary of if, and the city's griffon cavalry appears to be approaching it, so the party decides to carry on to AAA and consult with Archibald.

Archibald comes out of the AAA and says "no time for hellos"  he says the city has asked him to contact the party because the Giant inside the floating tower wants to speak to us. Open lord Laeral Silverhand asked for us to speak to the cloud giant, but Archie is not sure how we should get up there. While discussing this, a stairway made of clouds descends and stretches down to the party, so that solves that. Hammerfeet starts sweating and says that he's afraid of heights.

Stats turns into a tressym and flies up on his own, Raloric and Drork say thanks to Archie head up the stairs, reminding Archie that he may be able to ask for a reward for us (and himself) from Laeral.

Stats takes a moment to thank the other Tressym for being a good host for a while and asks his name. He says his name is Donald. Stats talks to him a bit and says he'll do his best to keep Donnie safe. Party eventually makes its way up the cloud stairs and approach the tower, walking right in the front entrance curtain.

Inside they see a large room with huge furniture fit for a giant. Two giant statues flank a large table and the room is surrounded by drifting globes of light, and large holes in the ceiling leading up to the floors above (about 100 feet up).

Drork yells "hello" in giant and hears a response asking "Fi Fo Fo Fum who comes to the tower?" Lacking a party name, they say they're the "yet unnamed adventurers from AAA"

A weird giant levitates from the floor above about 20 feet tall, grey-skinned, windswept white hair, whispy white beard, and a billowy purple robe adorned with gold stars. He welcomes the group, introduces himself as Zephyros, and asks a bunch of oddball questions.
 * to Stats - "if you were a hot dog, would you cover yourself with mustard and eat yourself?""
 * to Raloric - "if you were made of beef, what would you do to yourself?"
 * to Hammerfeet - "if you were a boot, would you walk yourself?"
 * to Drork - "if all of the sudden you have hair, and then your friend starts growing fur, what would you do?"

He apologizes and says he gets the "Crazies" after talking to the extra-planar entities, and that they told him to come here and find the party, that they could help restore the Ordning

Zephyros describes the previous hierarchy of giants -- from storm giants led by King Hekaton then cloud giants, frost giants, fire giants, hill giants and others, and describes that all the sudden the Allfather Annnam shatterd the Ordning, and they don't know what to do anymore, with rogue giant lords trying to position to the top of the hierarchy.

Asked about the stone taken from Nightstone, he talks a bit about the history of Ostoria and the war between giants and dragons, and says that his kind like to find remnants of this age.

He says he's been told to give a ride to the party up north, to Bryn Shander and not get in the way otherwise. The party doesn't really have a choice in the matter and the tower is already in progress anyway. The chat a bit with Zephyros and lets the party know it'll take about 26 days to get to Bryn Shander, and ultimately levitates back up to his room. A griffon comes and delivers some food, and stats pauses to talk to him. He introduces himself as Pecker, and Stats asks if they could help fly the party to their destination faster than the tower takes. Pecker says they could fly 72 miles per day.

Hammerfeet reminds the party of his connection with the sheriff Markham Southwell in Bryn Shander, who is looking to find a criminal by the name of The Weevil.

for next session:
 * make sure Raloric tracked the healing potion that Luscious gave him
 * see if the griffons will take us,
 * rest enough to remove Stats' weakness
 * figure out some short-term-downtime stuff that can be done while traveling if not

Previous Session: Session 2 - The one where Stats dies

Next Session: Session 4 - Donald crashes the tower