2025-11-27 Fables of the Reconstruction

The five of us – Pern, Ovak, Ghesh, Fisk, and Brightstar – finally reached Elturel some 8 days after we left Baldur's Gate. While the city is still in rough shape, Ovak noticed that the city looks in substantially better shape than he recalls, although the High Hall still lies in ruins. We found that inside, the homes contain only rubble appropriate to Ovak's memory.

We were ambushed in the street by a motely assortment of giant arachnids – a scorpion and two spiders – apparently in league with a bugbear. The bugbear had in its possession a coffer of gold pieces, a silvered dagger, a javelin of lightning, and a dread helm.

As we advanced towards the road leading to the ruins of the High Hall, a curious and creepy humanoid confronted us. It seemed interested in Pern the most at first, following him around the street and scrutinizing him with its single, giant, unblinking eye. It then perused the rest of us, muttering in some language none of us know. We eventually received some coherent words. It made a cryptic reference to "Gardeners" when asked why it was hanging around Elturel. We implied a connection between the Gardeners and the rebuilt city, and it responded with, "Duty? Impulse? Whim?" We surmised it was only responding when we asked a question it was interested in answering.

As we walked away, the curious creature continued to follow us at a discrete distance.