Session 12: Crime or Punishment

With the battle over and the portal closed, the party dealt with the aftermath. Cian MacMillan was angry that the party did not scare away the forces from The Feywild, as they were hired to do, but instead let Brae head through the now closed portal. Cian said that he would just come back and that he would go after Brae another night, since he knew that the portal opened naturally during the full moon.   They party tried to talk him out of it, but he angrily threw down the gem the size of a big grape to pay the party. Ultimately, however, his temper seemed to subside a bit and he asked for trophies from the slain goblins. Having no luck with cutting off trophies himself, Bolvaic showed Cian how to cut off a goblin’s ear, which he happily took as a trophy from the battle.   Levi walked Cian home, where Cian seemed to somewhat move past Brae’s departure and asked Levi about monsters and the things that he fought. Levi left him at the edge of his family farm and watched that he went back into the family’s house.   Bolvaic woke the unconscious fey goblin prisoner and began to interrogate him for information about the dragon, though the goblin, who said he was called Marcus, never seemed to give much in the way of specific details, though he offered to take Bolvaic to the dragon in exchange for his life and his return to the Feywild through the portal when it opened on the full moon in two nights. Illevaere found the goblin’s claims suspicious and believed he was lying, however, a bargain was still struck--Marcus would provide a map of the dragon’s location and in return, he would be sent back to the Feywild alive.   Levi returned and the party made camp at the faerie ring, wanting to make certain that Cian did not come back, and to send Marcus through upon its reopening. The party went through the items from the fallen Eladrin and found an Elk Horn that summoned a Fey-elk mount, the Thorned Bow, which causes arrows to pierce with extra damage, and the Thorned Sword, whose thorns in the hilt dig into the wielder’s hand, but caused additional damage to its foes. Tiarjead took the bow and Illevaere took the Elk Horn. Levi attuned to the Thorn Sword, but only to see if it would be too dangerous for Tertius to wield. It was.   During the watch of the first night, Marcus called Levi and Rieta to him and he offered Levi a potion of love and Rieta the ability to control her magic, though both refuted his offer. Ultimately, Levi gave Marcus his word that he would see that Marcus went through the portal alive and he would in exchange provide the map.   In the morning, when Levi and Rieta explained Marcus’ bargains, he was told of Marcus’ deceptions, though some of the party became very curious as to what Levi would have wanted a potion of love for, with Illevaere and Tertius both considering the female presenting Rieta and Tiarjead--though neither are human.   As the evening grew closer, Levi discovered that he was unable to say “word” as it was given to Marcus as part of their bargain. The portal opened when the light of the full moon struck the faerie ring and it opened. Marcus drew a non-detailed map of the “world” and marked an ‘X’ and labeled it “here”, giving Bolvaic no information except that the dragon is in the world--something that he had already said to the fey goblin. Despite this, he was still sent through the portal and Levi found his ability to say “word” returned. The party realized that they could not permanently destroy the portal, as it lay in a place where the Feywild and their world were too close. But they could temporarily disable it by destroying the faerie ring, knowing that the Fey-touched place would soon regrow them.   The party planned to set back to Eastbridge to sell some of their collected rewards, though they discovered that the “jewel as big as a grape. A big grape” displayed illusion magic on it and they deduced that they, in reality, only had a rock as big as a grape. A big grape.   The party stopped at the League on their way to Eastbridge and saw horses in barding and the colors of Duke Greyhall. Hesitantly, the party entered the League hall and found the captain of the Duke’s guard, Captain Holdenbrook and three soldiers with him. He proclaimed that he was there on official business representing the Duke himself. Tertius recognized the Duke’s captain as “Gary” and told the party that he was a good guy.   Gary explained that there had been recent power shifts within Eastbridge and its criminal element, which had brought new opportunities. The guard is aware of a safe house that the criminal element uses that is on the edge of Duke Lycaster’s territory. Because of this, Duke Greyhall cannot simply exterminate the safehouse himself, as it is on another Duke’s land and it was believed that Cinead MacPharlain had been blackmailing Duke Lycaster in order to keep Lycaster’s soldiers away from the safehouse, making it a lingering thorn in Greyhall’s side. However, with MacPharlain’s recent disposal, Lycaster will likely be able to take down the safehouse, but Greyhall wants the criminals there to face justice in his territory. So, the Duke has offered the party 500 gold up front to go to the safehouse and return the criminals to Eastbridge. There are five criminals that he is most interested in, believed to be in the safehouse and he offers another 200 gold for each of them returned alive.   Gary explained who the five fugitives were.

• Wren Carwyn, a human farmer who went mad and slaughtered his family and his neighbors a month ago. He was quickly sentenced to hanging, but was broken out of jail before justice could be enacted.
• Jennapak Thraxis, a dragonborn smuggler. She was found smuggling weapons to a local agitator, suspected of attempting to create and provoke a riot.
• Wood Chop, a Kenku witness to a crime They overheard a plot to abduct Andreas Farrel’s daughter when she next visits Eastbridge, most likely to ransom her back.
• Dyfed Brodrick, a human wanted for the abduction and murder of Cruinn Taithligh, a local girl from Eastbridge.
• Jorrunde Reidun, a Northlander sailor, wanted for piracy in Caer Cenwynn. She was on her way to be turned over to Queen Finnea, but the caravan transporting her was hijacked and she was freed from custody. She is wanted for the murder of the Queen’s naval officers and the plunder of their ship’s cargo.

  The party asked for a day to think it over and Gary and his soldiers agreed and headed back to Eastbridge to await the party’s answer. Immediately after their departure, Illevaere protested the idea of being the Duke’s lackeys and being forced to do his bidding. A voice noted that they were glad to hear that they were on the same page and Malthus Normal appeared from apparently being invisible and having listened in on the conversation.   He thanks Rieta for her help in getting rid of MacPharlain and states that it has given him the opportunity to rise up and fill the vacuum left in his wake. Malthus tells the party that MacPharlain had made a bargain never to touch another hag and apparently the hug being “from Mother Mayeye” was enough to void his contract. He tells the party that he is looking to hire them as well. He believes that Duke Lycaster will take down the safehouse as soon as he realizes that MacPharlain is no longer a threat. So, he offers to hire the party to head to the safehouse and escort those inside out and through the tunnels that run under the mountains to Caer Craftenor in the Kingdom of Louth, where an agent will recover the cargo from them. He tells the party that he is willing to pay them 501 gold upfront and 201 gold for the safe delivery of each member. He tells the party that “Gary” had some of the information right, but ultimately there was more to the stories he gave.    Malthus explained his perception of those in the safehouse.

• Wren Carwyn was infected by lycanthropy and slaughtered his family and neighbors in a rage. While not a criminal otherwise, Malthus looks to teach him to learn about his nature, as it could be quite helpful.
• Smiling Jenny did, indeed, smuggle weapons to a local peasant who was looking to push back against the increased taxes of Baron Ivor Elley, who has become a tyrant in his hold over his barony.
• Wood Chop is actually a member of their organization. He helps sneak Andreas Farrel’s daughter out to see her secret lover in Eastbridge. In exchange she reveals shipments of her family’s wares.
• Dyfed Brodrick did abduct the girl, Cruinn. But he did not murder her, but instead gave her to the hags. This was, apparently, part of Cinaed’s bargain, but Dyfed has his own ties that could be useful.
• Jorrunde Reidun is a pirate. Holdenbrook pretty much got her story right. There is a rather high bounty on her head, so they are considering if the reward would be more useful, or a pirate captain.

  The party told Malthus that they would have to consider his offer as well and they would give their answer to him tomorrow in Eastbridge. With that, Malthus left, leaving the party conflicted on who to help. Levi trusts Gary and doesn’t want to go against his father. Levi doesn’t want to turn in the lycanthrope, but supports Tertius’ decision. Rieta admits her bias in wanting to help Malthus, as he and she have a bit of history. Illevaere does not like the idea of working as an extension of the Duke, but does not like the idea of freeing the man who abducted the girl and gave her to the hags. Undecided as a group, the party decided to sleep on it and they would make their decision in the morning.