Tyranny of Dragons - Mini Session 2

Last week, we held another warmup session with a smaller group. This was set on the day after the last mini session. The goal was to introduce Ilda, the dwarven monk, and get her involved before the real game starts.

"Dockworker!" Adolphus shouted upon rising. It was mid-morning and the party had just enjoyed drinking late into the night with their new compatriot, Lou. Coincidentally, Adolphus's outburst woke Lou up through the wall of the Dusty Hoof Inn, which was less insulated than he would have preferred.

Prescient as usual, Adolphus, Lou, and Duckie went down to the docks that day to secure passage on a vessel along the Chionthar to the Uldoon Trail. Gwen, Thamior, and Moki took to the market to gather supplies (they weren't here for this mini session).

Upon getting down to the docks in Scornubel, the party saw three options: Two war galleys seemingly manned by a crew of humans in white plate armor, a currently empty barge with a single rotund human male seeming to be its crew, and a large, lavish yacht anchored at the end of the pier with the look of a proper passenger vessel.

Approaching the war galleys first, they came across a female dwarf, who was squinting something fierce. The party was introduced to Ilda and she to them, and they found out they were all trying to get passage to Greenest. They decided to pool their efforts. Ilda and Duckie split off to the yacht while Adolphus and Lou worked on the war galleys.

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Before approaching the yacht, Duckie changed into her courtier's clothing, hoping to fit into the crowd on deck, who were enjoying an outdoor brunch on deck. Two guards in leather armor stopped her and Ilda at the bottom of the gang plank, but were quickly overcome by the noble grace of Duckie and went to fetch their captain. Introducing himself as Captain Melitt, he inquired about their destination and baggage. Duckie was quick to say it was just the two of them, plus five trunks of "luggage". The captain said that he and his crew could deliver them to the Uldoon Trail in four days, they would depart the next morning, and that an all inclusive price of 300 gold was more than fair.

A bit perturbed by that assessment, Ilda noticed a glint in the captain's eye and suspected that he wasn't quite as lawful as he seemed. Asking if they might work out some sort of arrangement, the captain took them in close and said that if they stole the harbormaster's ledger, he might be able to take them without charge. Not satisfied with that option, the pair went to speak to the apparent owner of the barge.

Not bothering to get this poor wretch's name, the two women managed to secure passage for them and for their five pieces of "luggage" for just twenty silver pieces each. The barge would leave the next morning and would get them to the Uldoon Trail in eight days. Satisfied with that bargain, the pair split back to join up with the boys.

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"We got us a sweet ride," Lou said to the two women upon joining company again.

"Really?" responded Duckie, a bit sarcastically.

"You guys see those war galleys? We got seven spots," Lou continued. "Eight," he added, remembering Merle, "with our names on 'em for 20 gold per person. Plus we get to row! And even potentially scrub the deck! I love boats. It will be whimsical!"

Turns out the galleys were manned by Companions, one of the groups of paladins protecting Elturgard. They were ready and happy to take the full seven individuals to the Uldoon trail for 20 gold a piece with the additional requirement that they help maintain the ship while they were aboard. It would only take three days to get them to the Uldoon trail from when they departed, however the Companions didn't know when they were going to be leaving. Lou being former military and eliciting trust from Carter, a particular paladin he was talking to, Lou learned that the Companions were waiting for the threat of theft of the Harbormaster to die down. Putting two and two together, the party told the Companions of Captain Melitt's offer to them and were recruited to set an ambush in the Harbormaster's house.

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With Lou and Ilda waiting on the first floor with the ledger, Duckie and Adolphus waited on the third floor roof entrance for the thieves. If the thieves were going to come, it would be tonight as the captain said they were departing the next day. Sure enough, scaling the chimney with a grappling hook, two masked bandits found their way to the roof. Duckie and Adolphus ran downstairs, past the sleeping harbormaster to join the others. The party heard soft footsteps down the stairs to the second floor that padded their way over to where the harbormaster's bed was. Acting quickly, Duckie ran up the stairs and, upon seeing the bandits preparing to smother the harbormaster, shot her bow at one of the bandits, sending her arrow through his liver and out the other side, nearly felling him.

The bandit with the arrow through him, restrained the harbormaster and began to choke him, while the other ran over to Duckie and attempted to run her through. Fortunately her leather armor showed up in full force and deflected the blade. Duckie, acting again and buckled him over with a rapier thrust to the thigh and knocked him out with a blow to his head with her dagger pommel and rushed over to the side of the bed. Meanwhile, Lou and Adolphus sprinted up the stairs, Lou casting mage armor and Adolphus casting command on the final bandit, forcing him to grovel. Unable to resist, the last conscious bandit fell to the ground and groveled before "the emperor", the effort costing him his last ounce of consciousness.

An interrogation ensued, but the party wasn't satisfied with any information the bandits were offering. They decided to simply turn them over to the Companions and make sure Captain Melitt couldn't escape. However, when the Companions showed up at the yacht, there was no sign of the captain and the skiff was gone. Unable to do anything more, the Companions agreed to take the party to the Uldoon trail and waive the charge. They'd still need to help sail and do their part, but they'd get to where they were going.