Session 2 - The Elusive Dwarf

General Summary

After laying low in Taran following a tavern brawl, the party regrouped to gather Gok’s belongings and make a swift exit from town. A constabulary note pinned to Gok’s shop confirmed they weren’t in legal trouble, but they were encouraged to cover damages—something Pen promptly dismissed. Hootalin returned with her cart, cleared for travel, and the group chose to take a ferry to save time on their journey to Aurorhaven. During the crossing, the ferry began taking on water from a mysterious breach. Gok patched it with Mending, while Pen shifted the cart to keep the vessel balanced. A passenger fell overboard and was “rescued” in exchange for silver—then kicked back into the water by Ruffstrom when he hesitated to pay. Eventually, he coughed up a gold coin before being dunked once more for good measure. The party then extorted a refund from the ferry captain and left with a bit more coin than they started. As they departed, Gok spotted a figure hiding in the reeds. Hootalin investigated but found nothing. They reached Aurorhaven by midday and split up to gather information about Mara’s possible imprisonment. Pen visited an old safehouse and, after getting past a reluctant doorman, learned that Quentin—his former protégé—now controlled the place. He secured a potion and some intel: mercenary presence near the Bravian Assembly was unusually high. Larnala opted for some tactical drinking, eavesdropping on mercenaries in a local tavern. He confirmed that captains from multiple companies were arriving and that a break-in at the Assembly had occurred. One prisoner, likely Mara, was still being interrogated. Meanwhile, Gok and Hootalin scouted the city’s prison. Gok pretended to be a goblin rights activist and was humored with a brief, unsettling tour. Hootalin flew overhead, invisible, and lifted a key from a guard after spotting rooftop access points. Ruffstrom spent his time shopping, talking his way into a discount on a used rapier and getting a free dagger tossed in, promising to promote the store—something he immediately forgot. The group reunited at the Assembly, where Grunk and Rennik confirmed their suspicions: Mara was inside. Hootalin’s aerial recon revealed no clear sign of her, but the building’s archive and meeting rooms suggested a complex interior. As they observed, the silver dragonborn Elira Medecnan arrived—an unwelcome surprise. Later, on the way to a meeting, Larnala was approached by a mysterious drow who implied she knew of his faked death and past affiliations. She hinted at future contact and vanished before he could press further. The group met Zander, a friendly Red Sash guard of the Assembly building and former client of Gok’s. Over drinks, they convinced him to hand over a key for the waterfront gate. Zander also suggested they infiltrate the Assembly's archive to erase any incriminating Red Sash records, potentially safeguarding the company’s reputation. With access secured and the stakes higher than ever, the group turned their focus to the task ahead: infiltrate the Assembly, retrieve Mara, and protect their futures from the fallout she might cause.