All the Time in the World

This adventure takes place in the North-Eastern part of the empire including, Archimima, Prosperitas, and a few other locations. A few months after Yogsonon escaped after the mimic incident and the hunter Jacoby has gone missing on a hunt.   A normal morning for Trenric as he wakes up, spends time with Yara, and goes over the last few months of profits. The pair shop around town early in the morning exploring the many traveling shops that come through, with the population boom the town has a new breath of life in it. Whilst shopping and talking to the townsfolk you begin to notice that it's been a few days and Jacoby has not returned from his hunt. Asking around at the leather shop you gather the general area where he likes to hunt. The Duke and a few others will recollect that there was a town up to the North-East called Prosperitas. The Duke tells you that is where his wife is from and would like you to find something from her parent's house, a keepsake of sorts. The people tend to think that Prosperitas was abandoned during the raids, as they had no proper defenses and many people had come from that way with all of their belongings. You find out a little more information about the surrounding area including a little inn, an old fort, and an ancient tower. Rond already in tow, Ulysses and Grian were easy enough to convince/pay to join on this excursion. Yara opted to stay behind as she still had duties to attend.   Trenric wakes up early before the sun rises in an effort to beat Ulysses, yet as Trenric walks outside Ulysses teases him about being up before him. The rest of the party are easily gathered and they set off on the weathered path towards the North-East. The party quite easily makes their way up the path quite weathered but not entirely gone and notices a path that viers off to the left. Undoubtedly this path leads to the old fort, the party decides to investigate the fort before proceeding to the Inn the know is just a bit further. Arriving at dusk in a clearing where the trees disperse just enough to see the old fort. The party decides to camp out hidden in the treeline wanting to wait for morning before making a move on the fort. A Nightwatch is established with the four members, the 1st shift is all quiet. The 2nd and 3rd start to hear grunting and huffing like something really big is breathing seemingly watching the party. Grian wakes everyone up as what sounds like 2 sets of heavy breath keep getting closer and Grenric casts light out into the darkness to see what is there. As soon as the lights illuminate the area 2 bugbears run at the party ready to attack. Grian takes the lead in attacking one of the bugbears as the other 3 tries and deals with the other one. Ulysses takes a few bad hits but Trenric and Rond kill the Bugbear and help Grian finish off his bugbear. On the Bugbears corpse, Trenric finds a crowbar. Dawn approaches and the party decides to slowly investigate the fort from which they are certain the bugbears derived.   Once at the door, Trinric has a plan to scout ahead as a black widow spider so he wild shapes and enters the fort. Grian tends to Ulysses's injuries and Rond stands by. Trenric on his own now crawling along the walls and ceiling investigates all of the rooms. Trenric counts around 13 Hobgoblins and 1 Ogre inside the fort. In the Ogres lair, there are tons of treasure and gold nuggets also scattered around the fort. Satisfied that Jacoby was for sure not here Trenric begins thinking of how to deal with this band of Hobgoblins and their Ogre leader. Trenric decides to go around and bite every single one and let the poison deal with them in a few day's time and return.   Meeting the party outside Trenric lays out what went on in there and with Ulysses feeling better they get on their way to the inn. Leaving close to noon the party arrives at a rickety old building. The wood is old and starting to rot, but there hangs a sign "The Foggy Bottom Inn". As the party enters and gets a good look around the innkeeper standing behind the counter says in a very ruffled voice "Help you?". Trenric and the man named Dave converse about the area and the potential whereabouts of Jacoby. Dave is very gruff and brief telling all he knows "Which isn't much" often muttering to himself in the third person. The rest of the party makes themselves "comfortable" in the disheveled sitting area, splintered wood, tattered curtains, and broken glass are strewn about the inn. Dave comments on how he knows Jacoby and that he likes to check up on him here up at the inn from time to time, bringing meats. Dave also mentions Jacoby was just here not too long ago. Trenric buys out both rooms for the night, Dave comments that the gold piece given is "a lot" and bites it before stowing it. The party then goes downstairs to their rooms passing all sorts of old semi rotten food while rats scurry across the floor. The party splits between the rooms and falls asleep for the night.   The following morning the party wastes no time in leaving the inn and heading towards Prosperitas. It takes around half the day to get to the canyon-like entrance to the town. Fog rolls down out of the area where the town is and envelops the party and they hear very large steps coming towards them. Two trolls come out of the fog kind of talking to themselves. Trenric also casts a spell to be able to understand and communicate better with the trolls. The trolls let it slip that that there are more people (referring to the party and alluding they aren't the first) to abduct to take to the wizard. They also let slip that they are with the band of goblinoids at the fort and were told to wait here and make sure if anyone showed up to take them to the tower where the wizard is. Trenric convinces them that the band of goblinoids has been dealt with and that it would be smart of them to just run off and be by themselves. The two trolls not very bright agree to suggest that there are plenty of caves in the mountains they can take and disclose the direction they took Jacoby and the tower. The trolls leave in the direction of the town.   Once the party gets up to the town they see an old rotting windmill and further on in the actual town a few buildings still stand along with the church. They decide to search the windmill first since it's right here and cautiously enter. Upon entering the room the smell of rotten food and grain overtakes the party, boxes are piled up with said food and grain along the sides and there is a man hunched over the center platform. Investigating the man he is alive but pale and covered in cobwebs, it appears he has been there for a long time. The party tries to cast dispel magic on him and even the fog but nothing works. The party then decides to check out the rest of the town. Investigating one of the still-standing buildings each one either rotting or half-collapsed filled with old food and tattered cloth. In one house they find a man hunched over as to put something on a table and a woman working in the kitchen, both frozen in the middle of their tasks. Trenric notices despite the cobwebs caked over the woman she looks remarkably like the statue of Trish that was until recently in the town of Archimima. Concluding this must be Trish's parents, Trenric goes upstairs and finds an old room alluded to belong to Tish long ago. A necklace is found and taken to give the Duke once the party gets back, but he may have more than just a necklace if everyone can be saved. Among the other buildings a total of 13 other people frozen in time. Another couple in a home, workers at the warehouse, people at the church, and a lone woman at the inn barely missed by a collapsed beam. The party gathers everyone that they can find and moves them to the church and blocks the door for safe keeping, Rond does most of the heavy lifting. The party is convinced the tower is the source of these troubles and around mid-afternoon begin to make their way towards the tower.   It doesn't take the party long to make it, as the trolls told them where it was and they found a shortcut through the hills north of town just past one of the mines. The party approaches the imposing tall tower and tries to observe any weaknesses. Trenric even Wild Shapes into a bug and flies around the entire tower, with no windows, and the walls are too closely linked. Deciding the only way in is either through the walls or the front door they opt for the door and enter a room with a winding staircase, a trapdoor, a desk, and 3 bookshelves behind it. On the desk There are 2 notes rolled up, one says " The gold I've let you take has been sufficient enough, you will not be get anything else from me. I paid you Lumps to make sure nobody comes near the town and capture any would-be looters for my research. ill have no more of this "You didn't pay us gobble, we took the shiny pieces ourselves" nonsense. The other says "We want more from you wizard, we took our lot from the town and we held up our bargain. It's time for another payment, and we know's you's got plenty of fancy things in that tower." There is also an Orb, gold nugget, and Potions. Walking up the stairs they notice 3 levers on the wall, a couple of small tables with gold nuggets on them, 2 plate armor statues, and 1 large stone platform in the center of the room with a design the party has definitely has seen before. The party goes back downstairs and uses the crowbar to pry open the locked trapdoor revealing a dirt floor in which they find Jacoby chained to the wall.   Quickly the party frees him from his chains, he is badly hurt and exhausted he tells them that he was captured by two trolls and that Yogsonon is behind this. Jacoby doesn't know why but Yogsonon has been keeping him here. Grian uses all of his lay-on-hands ability to heal Jacoby as much as possible, but he is still quite hurt. The part gets back up into the main tower and the 2nd floor to try and figure out these levers. The 3 levers are all facing downwards Trenric decides by trial and error they will figure this out and flips the one on the left first and then the middle. As soon as the middle lever is flipped the 2 plate armor statues animate and attack the party. Rond's quick action saved Jacoby from a fatal blow and destroys one of the animated armors immediately. Grain then casts dispel magic on the other and it falls to lifeless armor. Trenric finishes solving the levers and with the middle one being the only one pointing down the intricate circle in the middle of the room begins to glow. The party all steps on the platform and instantaneously teleport to the top of the tower and last room.   Upon appearing in the top room the party sees a large contraption in the center of the room and they see Yogsonon standing on the other side of the room. The contraption is a magical observatory that can see through the ceiling to gaze up to the heavens. Yogsonon is surprised to see everyone in his tower and notices Rond about to lash out but Trenric quickly casts charm person and a look of pure bliss rolls across Yogsonons face and Trenric stops Rond. While under the spell Yogsonon answers every question asked willingly. He "paid" the goblinoids in letting them loot the town, but in return must keep anyone away and capture people for Yogsonons experiments. He planned on using Jacoby in his experiments to figure out what was ailing the town, at this point Jacoby lunges at Yogsonon but is stopped by Grian. Yogsonon explains that there is a talisman that has two parts and that these artifacts have something to do with the frozen citizens. He doesn't know what or how but he is certain that this is the cause. He discloses that he has one part of the talisman and is unsure where the other one is but thinks it must be with the goblinoids in their fort. The party had no more questions for Yogsonon and the spell wearing off in 20 minutes the group decide Yogsonon's fate. Due to his past crimes with the mimic and current one's kidnapping Jacoby, Jacoby and Rond want him dead, Ulysses is indifferent, and Grian isn't very thrilled about killing but he understands how powerful Yogsonon is its the only way. Trenric has Yogsonon turn around as any harm will make the spell wear off, the party lines up with 2, javelins, 2 bows, and a crossbow. All at once, they let loose their ranged attacks and enough pierce Yogsonon at once to where he is killed rather instantaneously. On his body, Trenric finds the talisman among other things.   The party now with a huge weight off their shoulders as justice has been served for many people whose lives had been lost including Rond's lil brother. There are still people trapped down in the town and the party takes a short rest and leaves out quickly towards the fort in the morning while the moon is still shining. They travel most of the day and as quickly as they can pass the Foggy Bottom inn. The party arrives at the fort around mid-afternoon and by now it's been about 3 days since they were last here. They enter the fort cautiously however aware that the entire band has been poisoned. They pass through the fort stepping over the corpses of the poisoned hobgoblins and find a lone hobgoblin sitting in the dining area, seemingly in shock as he does not react to the party staring off in vague space. a board is placed over the pit trap in the hallway to allow ease of access and the party enters the treasure room where the ogre was last left. The ogre is still alive but very sickly unable to even stand. To the surprise of everyone, the ogre begins to speak explaining that the wizard must have cursed them. He continues to explain that the wizard had allowed them to take from the town as the party already knows the situation they sit in silence. The ogre requests the party enact some sort of revenge for him and help him. With Yogsonon already dealt with and the party responsible for the ogre's ailment as well as his dead comrades, the party is torn. As they discuss what they should do and how it would be unwise to let the truth slip, Jacoby without hesitation walks up and slices the ogres throat with his short sword. Ulysses says "right" and pulls his weapon walks into the dining room and deals with the traumatized hobgoblin. Trenric finds the 2nd half of the talisman on the ogre and the party takes a good inventory of everything of value in the old fort.   Trenric quickly devises a plan. Rond is requested to take all of the gold nuggets and treasure found that she can carry, and the party fills their packs with what they can carry. Tenrick asks Rond to take the majority of the loot to her house and drop it off for dividing later. Ulysses will follow her along with Jacoby and get horses, a carriage, and rent out all the rooms in the tavern and inn. Afterward, Rond and Ulysses will meet Grian and Trenric back at Prosperitas, Jacoby will be left to rest and heal some more. Trenric and Grian race back to Prosperitas through the night and arrive by morning. Grian and Trenric open up the church where everyone was placed and the pieces of the amulet are reconnected. Color and life rush back into all of the citizens and Trenric and Grian quickly explain everything that has happened. With the town being in shambles it's not hard to convince everyone that it's best for them to move, either to Archimima or elsewhere. The citizens gather up what belongings they have left and not long after Rond and Ulysses arrive with the horses and carriage. Before everyone leaves Trenric lays the no connected amulet on an old grave and leaves. The town is evacuated and everyone is brought back to Archimima. They do stop at the Foggy Bottom Inn and ask Dave if he would like to come with them. Dave responds very gruffly and stubbornly that he is going to stay here. The rooms at the Roaring Mug Tavern and the Rune Hearth Inn are full for a while while the town works on expanding adding homes for the new residents. Some of the younger miners offered to become guards and stay at the barracks. Some of the loot is used in charity in building the new editions the rest is divided up amongst the party.