RECAP: BDC, 12-6-24

The party teleported back to the caravanserai, and were immediately cursed by the loss of the priest Shepard, who had disappeared from the Bag of Holding. Despite the danger, Jarlebank tried to puzzle out where Shepard had gone, and after conducting some magical tests, eliminating the impossible, the improbable became clearer: this was a Bag of Devouring. Jarlebank felt this was the only answer that adequately explained Shepard’s disappearance.

Despite this, no enemies had made their appearance, so the party decided to carry on with the search for Sonja. Jarlabank had scryed for the dwarf after he’d vanished in the fight with the djinn:

Sonja seemed to be caught is some dark room, and repeatedly attempted to smash against a (wall? door?) It was too dark to tell for sure, but had all the trappings of some sort of cell.

At which point, two humanoid creatures in robes entered the scene, and attacked Sonja, who tried desperately to face away from them (medusae would do that, considering recent history). The scene shifted, and Sonja was face up on the ground, blood flowing from a recent cut across the burn scars on his face. Long fingers reached down and pried his closed eyelids open, while Sonja tried desperately to keep them shut. But it was in vain, and once the fingers had done their work, Sonja slowly but inexorably turned to stone.

They party suspected that Sonja had somehow met up with the medusae that they’d encountered previously, and the only ones they’d seen but not dispatched were in the seraglio, guarded by another djinn. So that is where they headed: into room with the stairs, and through the door underneath.

But before they could enter the seraglio, the party is attacked from behind by an immense djinn, one they’d never seen before. It struck at Simon and hit hard, and Jarlebank (relying on the affinity of the Rod versus creatures of the air) cautioned the djinn to back off. The djinn, unfazed by the mage’s threates, struck at him as well, but Jarlebank’s sorcerous protections kept him from being injured.

Seeing that the wizard’s words had minimal effect, Simon bent to the attack, aided by Peaches’ bow. But from above Peaches, on the stairs, someone else’s arrow leaped to snicker of her armor.

“Medusa! Medusa on the stairs!” yelled Peaches.

In the room, a second medusa hove in toward Simon, who ducked his head away to avoid it’s gaze. A single snake managed to sink it’s fangs into Simon’s shoulder, albeit to minimal effect. The djinn took the opportunity to hit Simon again, but the reverse swing missed Jarlebank. The wizard, in response, foolishly raised his eyes to the medusa as he sent a bolt of polymorphing energy at the creature. The bolt hit and the medusa changed into a small but colorful fish, landing on the stone floor with a *plop* making wheezing sounds. But when Simon looked back, Jarlebank was again made of stone.

But the battle was now enjoined in earnest, with Thrax (who had his senses heightened so he could fight blind) savagely attacking the medusa on the stairs, while Simon devoted his energies against the djinn. Soon both enemies lay still on the ground.

A search of the seraglio turned up nothing of value, since most of the chests had already been rummaged through. Simon had spotted, not long after the party arrived., a suspicious cloud moving away, north at high speed, and Peaches suggested that might have been the “hunt” that wiped out the portable loot.

Simon, Caladar and Peaches moved Jarlebank out of the way to a comparatively safe corner and went upstairs to continue the search for Sonja. On the landing, they quickly saw that most of the trade goods had been taken away and the rest thoroughly picked over. Nor did they find Sonja’s statue, although they did find a normal bag with a potion and a ring, along with a discarded but magical rapier. Other rooms, including one that exhibited opulence, had all been searched and properly looted.

Calador did what analysis he could on the magical items:

• Ring of telekinesis
• Potion of Diminution
• Rapier remained unknown

Finding nothing else of note, and still not having located Sonja, the party began a methodical search of the entire caravanserai, in hope of finding Sonja and anything that might turn his and Jarlebank’s stone back to flesh – sadly, now captured efreeti with crow servants materialized to bargain with. The staterooms to the east turned out to be cells – shockingly, two contained occupants, poorly treated humans suffering from exposure, ill-treatment and dehydration. In the next cell were a disheveled Shepard and, finally, the statue of Sonja. The rest of the cells were empty, long disused.

The larger house near the dining area turning out to be a baroque kitchen, and contained nothing of interest. The prisoners were pleased to be released, and had a common tale of capture, moderate abuse, and subsequent neglect. Given food and water from the kitchen, they brightened mightily and sought clothing and weapons for the return to their respective homes.

Once the prisoners had departed and the job of ensuring the caravanserai contained no further enemies completed, the party got down to the business of deciding which statues, in addition to Jarlebank and Sonja and the odd looking humanoid Jarlebank had determined held the next piece of the Rod, should be brought out with them. Ultimately they selected two humans and  a half-elf, and they were put into the ag of Holding, cushioned by some rugs and tapestries that hadn’t been already ben taken.

[Loot included three rugs, a couple tapestries, selected for quality and resale value in order to pay for stone to flesh – Peaches estimated their value at 50gp each rug, not much but better than nothing]

No one felt compelled to walk out into the valley and risk further assault, so Shepard and Calador Teleported the unpetrified party to a location just outside the city of Sternhaven. Familiar enough for Teleporting, it also seemed the best possible location for finding and hiring a mage of sufficient power to turn Sonja and Jarlebank back to flesh. The group entered the city with Thrax disguised as a horse. It wasn’t long before they had commissioned a local wizard to scribe three scrolls (one each for Sonja, Jarlebank and the enigmatic pointy-faced statue), while they considered what to do with the other three statues.

Calador changed Jarlebank first, and Jarlebank brought back Sonja, but they party waited to bring back the other statue at a location other than here in Sternhaven. Not knowing what sort of creature it might or, even more concerning, what it’s attitude toward it’s saviors might be with regard to the Rod piece. Ultimately the party decided to Teleport back to White Moon Cove, the better to control the environment and avoid scrutiny.

Before going back to the Cove, however, Calador and Jarlebank make their way to the harbor and turn themselves in to the Sternhaven Wizard’s Guild offices. The last time they were here, Aurora Verstrate had made it know to them that, once they’d reached a certain level of power, they owed fealty to the guild and were expected to join. Now was the time, and a convenient opportunity, for Calador and Jarlebank to make good on that obligation. The pair presented themselves a small, unobtrusive house that was known to be one of the offices for the guild, nice, but not overwhelmingly so. After about 20 mins, a guildmage who introduced himself as “Sacrament” said his the keep of the books. The pair followed Sacrament into a back room, which was empty save for a obviously well-cared for staff, made of petrified wood. Sacrament advised Calador and Jarlebank to tough the staff, and in a trice all three were teleported to the second pinnacle at Sternhaven Harbor, a tower made of glassteel and containing a long bar, a gourmet restaurant, a meditation room. But even this was just an annex of sorts, and another Teleportation brough them to the guild itself. It was a giant compound, at an unknown location, and after paying the guild fees, they were told of the privileges of membership:

• Access to all the labs and libraries, with costs discounted by 10-20%
• Access to all spellbooks
• The ability to ask questions of no less than five archmages
• Teach classes at the Academy of the Arcane at least once every five years

Calador and Jarlebank were also told they’d be invited to join the 3rd Midnight Club, which would take place soon. In the meantime, they had access to the opulent travelers’ accommodations, the keenly stocked labs and endless libraries. Guards both terrestrial and magickal silently prowled the corridors. The guildsmages took an especially interest in Calador, whose particular expertise as a Summoner was rare here.

At White Moon Cove, the reunion with families and friends was pleasant, but the creature in the bag beckoned silently, and dominated Jarlebank’s thoughts. They took their statue out to the woods and, with both a surfeit of caution and a hint of absurdity, they tied the statue soundly to a tree.

Jarlebank read the Sternian’s scroll and the statue reverted to fleshly form. All were cautious at the creature’s pale eyes turned to look at them, with feline languor and a bit of a smirk.

“He’s evil,” Shepard said. “… and chaotic.” Both Jarlebank’s and Simon’s eyes narrowed, but the creature (for while it certainly wasn’t human, it wasn’t of this Prime, either). assayed a bargain: it had not one but TWO segments of the Rod in it’s posession, and was willing to part with them for 1000gp and our assurance that it was free to go.

Simon had heard enough, and he struck at the still-bound creature. It screamed more at the affront than the wound, but Jarlebank finished the creature with a barrage of magic missiles. Simon stepped forward and extracted the pieces of the Rod from the creatures bloody hands.

[15 gp in strange coins, nice leather armor, no magic]