Session 32: My Dinner With Hueck

The party entered the guildhall with an exasperated Reggie and six kobolds running him ragged. As they enter, Guc is proselytizing to two other kobolds and two of the kobolds are running around, getting into everything in the league hall. The last Kobold is lying unconscious on a table where he was bandaged up by Reggie. The kobold, Donk, had leapt from the top of the stairs and knocked himself out, though the other kobolds left him for dead, but Reggie bandaged his wounds. Levi and Garpher begin to cook up the boar that was brought back, going through the pantry to find things to cook with it, which brought two kobolds out to also rummage through the pantry.   Bronwyn corralled the two kobolds and began to teach them cards, sharking them and quickly winning their meager collection of coins. While Reggie was against the kobolds staying, the party wanted to honor their pledge to teach them. The distinction between teaching them skills they wanted to learn and "civilizing" them was brought up and the party favored the former rather than the colonizing latter.   Guc had formed more of his theology, now believing that Ydarion's Mother's Mother's Mother's Mother's mother was born from an egg laid by the sky. The egg became the world. Ydarion's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's first egg broke and the yolk formed the sun, while the white formed the clouds and the water. It was determined that Ydarion's lineage only went back five generations because that was all of the fingers that Guc had.   During dinner, the unconscious kobold, Donk, began to stir. The other kobolds were surprised to see that their ally didn't die, since kobolds die so easily they do not seem to bother with their wounded. One of the kobolds relayed a story about how someone threw a rock at one of their guards up in a tower and it hit him and he fell out of the tower and died--these kobolds, at least, do not expect to live long and realize how frail they are. During this time, Rivariin noted that he "wanted one" of the kobolds, pointing out that he liked Donk and wanted to train him to be his Squire.   As the Halfling Wolf Pack grew tired, they were offered rooms upstairs, while the nocturnal kobolds remained up and active for a while longer. The party continued with discussions of what to do next. Rieta was still missing, last known to be with Not-Levi and they apparently saw the Duke before they left, so the party accepted that they would entertain Duke Hueck's invitation the following evening. The party also entertained Reggie's suggestion of purchasing alcohol and turning the guildhall into a functioning tavern since a number of people seem to be stopping by. Bronwyn also suggested that they put up a bulletin board for people to post their wanted jobs for, so the party could go through them and choose who to help. Illevaere moved their shrine to Caena to a location closer to the guildhall at the edge of the wooded land.   In the morning the party readied themselves to enter town and then dinner, getting dressed up in their "fanciest" clothes. For Bolvaic, this included his bedazzled loincloth and having rodent bones tied into his chest hair. For Levi it meant going into town to get a haircut (after Reggie proved unable to brush it) and for Tertius to show him good clothes to wear. Illevaere changed out the bones in their hair and everyone else had some for of fancy-ish clothing already.   When getting ready to leave for Eastbridge, Rivariin called for a fiendish riding lizard as his mount and as they were getting ready to head out, Donk blearily headed out after Rivariin, having overheard him saying he wanted him to be his squire and took on the role. Rivariin discovered that Donk did not know much in the way of the Ancients and vowed to get him the necessary books to teach him. After discovering that he could not read, he vowed to teach him to read first. It was decided that Tertius' book, "The Squire and His Knight" was not an appropriate book to teach Donk to read with.   As the party approached Eastbridge, they noticed a banner celebrating the Dragon Slayers Routers and one of the guard stood to salute them, while the other ran to rouse the crowd, calling out, "Make way for the heroes of Eastbridge!" This gained a lot of attention for the party, though not all of them desired it. Bolvaic, however, enjoyed it very much.   Levi and Tertius went to get a haircut and new clothes, while Rivariin took Donk to Seabert the Wizard in search of books, and the others went to the Eastbridge Trade Guild to speak to Malthus.   Malthus saw Rieta after her return and he said she did not say much about her disappearance other than she owed the hags "a minute of her time". She retuned from the bog with Levi and Rieta, Levi, and Kaal were summoned before the Duke and sent out to Caer Cenwyn on behalf of Duke Greyhall. They informed Malthus that the Levi that was with them was not the real one and to let Rieta know that the group wanted to see her when she returned.   Rivariin, meanwhile, took Donk to see the Wizard Seabert in his tower, though finding that a domestic home was added to the base of the tower and he is met by Seabert's overwhelmed wife and their many wild children. She leads the two of them to the tower where they ascend to Seabert's study, which he tries to portray with dramatic flair. Rivariin asked to borrow a few books on the Ancients to teach Donk with, which Seabert was happy to lend. Their conversation was interrupted by his wife saying that she was headed out and that he had to watch Eldin, their eldest son. Eldin came up to the tower and Seabert immediately polymorphed him into a cat instead of dealing with the boy and when Rivariin said that he needed to teach Donk to read, he took him down to the kids' room and took out a couple of easy primer books to read. Seabert sent him on his way, but made Rivariin to promise not to tell his wife that he polymorphed their son.   The party eventually all gathered at the Happy Cow Tavern, a tavern that caters to the more mild farming type. Word of their presence spread and there were a number of folk who came in to see them and speak with them, listening to Bolvaic's stories of glory and battle and drinking things he shouldn't drink. Tertius, however, seemed reluctant to have eyes on him after the boasting that he suspected was from his father, and he went by the alias of "Ian Cognito". Eventually, Captain Holdenbrook found the group and took them in to see the Duke for dinner.   Duke Hueck was very happy and friendly with Tertius, proud of his battle with a dragon, and he admitted that he helped to get the townsfolk enthused about his son's prowess. He thanked the party for what they did for Tertius, but they were quick to point out that they were not done yet and Tertius seemed reluctant to rejoin his father. During dinner, Hueck pointed out the severed green dragon head, a trophy of a battle of his, and pointed out the empty mounting space ready for Tertius' dragon's head. He listened to the stories of the battle of the guildhall's siege, though was a little disappointed that Tertius, the only mounted member, pursued the fleeing kobold instead of the mortally wounded dragon, though Tertius did point out that he was a very annoying kobold.   The party discovered that the other group of adventurers returned and claimed success, though the bodies were all horribly charred and burned beyond recognition--this in contrast to the party knowing that they had taken the wanted fugitives to safety. They also discovered that Rieta, Kaal, and Not-Levi were sent by Duke Greyhall out to deliver a message on his behalf to Queen Finnea in Caer Cenwynn. He had hoped to send his son as one of the representatives, but understands since he was busy gaining the ire of a dragon instead.   Hueck also gave Tertius an invitation to his cousin's wedding. Hueck was not invited since the cousin was on Tertius' mother's side. Tertius opened the invitation and read it and had a bit of alarm and passed it to Illevaere to read. The invitation read:
  "You are hereby cordially invited to the wedding of Lysandrea Isillionthe and Maximillian D’arlington. We would be delighted if you join us to celebrate our Special Day as we exchange wedding vows and receive Thiulla’s blessings.

The ceremony will be held according to Daione tradition and take place at Silver Lodge near Argentis Falls on 15 Bitterrain 287 DR. The celebrations will begin at 3 o’clock in the afternoon and will extend into an exquisite banquet and ballroom dancing beneath the full moon hosted by the D’arlington family."

However, in the margin is a note which was hastily scribbled that read: “I know we haven’t spoken in years, but please come to this wedding. I need your help! –Lys.”

Illevaere recognized the crest on the envelope's seal as familiar. It belongs to the Isillionthe family who are members of a high elf royal family line. However, the three stars in the middle of the seal are filled, which indicates that the sender is no longer part of the royal succession.