Ernest (Kurgash) announces, "Now that we're adding lots of cohorts to the group, I just want to say that if I see any cohorts slowing down combat I'm cutting them in half!" Chris (Varth Lokkur) offers, "I don't see how that's appropriate. Besides, we've just been plotting how to kill Grenville so Cutter Gerald can become a real live boy." Bruce (Grenville d'Tharashk) protests, "Hey! It's not my fault he's so much more useful than Grenville!" Matt (Munaak) asks the others, "Could you people just shut up for a second? I'm trying to buy leafy armor for my new druid cohort!" Peco (Solmar) exclaims, "Leafy armor! Oooh! Oooh! I'll just enchant up some Round-Up to deal with that!" Chuck (Graf) cautions him, "I don't think that's what he was hoping for."
Chris interrupts this stream of thought to ask, "Are Abyssal and Infernal the same language?" Paul very knowledgeably replies, "No. They're similar, but Abyssal doesn't have any punctuation." Chris understands instantly, "Aha! So if you're speaking Abyssal, you sound German!"
Patrick (Elyandre) shows up a touch later. He looks around and is very confused. "Why is everyone speaking something that sounds like German?"
There is a new law intended to stimulate the growth of the local economy. The government is offering credits on initial setup for new businesses out in the Breland wilderness, including overland, airborne and shipping concerns. The government will refund 25% to 50% of the initial investment, depending upon the type of business.
The newspaper also notes that shipping concerns have always been rather chancy because it is terribly hard to compete against House Lyrandar. Many other concerns have been driven out of business because they couldn't meet House Lyrandar's prices.
The characters reflect upon how they could take advantage of this offer. The best of several proposals is to set up a way-house along the border with Droaam. The characters discuss various side businesses they could set up.
After the characters return from their efforts against the demonic leader of the Swords of Liberty they find that someone has leaked their story to the newspapers. They find themselves instant celebrities, particularly among the aristocracy who are always eager to see anti-Royalist factions cut to ribbons. In thanks, the characters find themselves invited to appear before the King of Breland in the capital city of Wroat.
Grenville d'Tharashk is terribly pleased by this development, even when his immediate superior in House Tharashk informs him that he'd better not do anything to embarrass the family, in a tone of voice that implies that he doesn't think it's possible that Grenville not act embarrassing. Grenville does manage to get Cutter Gerald inducted as a common member of House Tharashk.
Solmar takes up a collection from the rest of the group to manufacture a wand of Cure Serious Wounds. Grenville grumbles something about being short of cash, having just spent a lot of money on his wardrobe. Fortunately, Cutter Gerald has some extra money. Varth Lokkur notices Grenville's new clothing and decides to do likewise. He decides that he's going to go for the powerful, eeeevil warlock look. His new outfit is heavy on red, silver and black. Elyandre goes for the low-impact plan: he pays a guy on the street polish his armor for five gold. Varth asks him, "Why don't you go see a tailor? There's a whole street-ful of them just outside our bar. I think Grenville is completely responsible for supporting them." Graf thinks about having his souvenir giant rhino horn mounted on his codpiece until Munaak talks him out of it.
Varth asks the others, "Shouldn't we bring the King a gift?"
Everyone agrees, but nobody has the money to buy a gift. Kurgash mentions, "We've got a taxidermied zombie dragonne we could give him?"
Grenville responds, "Hey! Why don't we give him the stuffed zombie dragonne!"
Kurgash tells the bard, "That's a good idea." He addresses the others, "See? That's why I work for him!"
Varth rolls his eyes and makes the arrangements to get the zombie wrapped up for shipment.
The characters take the train up to Wroat. The Crown picks up the cost of the tickets, which really impresses everyone. Kurgash comments, "They really know how player characters think!"
The characters are somewhat disappointed to see that Wroat is actually quite a bit smaller than Sharn, and much less cosmopolitan. However, there is quite a bit of old money here.
The process of getting in to see the King starts out with having the characters divest themselves of magical objects. They are cautioned that the King's magebred ghost tigers don't like it when people bring magic items in front of the King. The King also has a warforged bodyguard named Three.
The King says, "I greet you warmly. I have heard of your exploits against the Swords of Liberty. I had wanted to meet these great heroes and grant you title in thanks."
Kurgash prods Grenville to say something. Grenville responds, "Thank you, O great king! We are mere worms before your gaze!"
Kurgash stops prodding Grenville. But Grenville's words don't prevent the King from knighting them all. Grenville bows deeply and addresses the king, "O great King! We have brought you a trinket in thanks! It is surely barely worth your notice, but we beg you to accept it as a sign of our gratitude!" He signals, and a dozen goblins from Munaak's tribe bring in the taxidermied dragonne. Grenville promises to tell the tale of its death at dinner. The King informs the characters that they must be his guests.
Dinner is extensive. Even Kurgash is able to find enough to eat, and the King demonstrates that he also has a truly heroic appetite. Varth Lokkur makes a point of telling the King about the groups' plans to establish an inn. The King is interested in their progress, in particular because his advisor Grayson Grimwold has been quite adamant on the idea. This struck the King as strange, as Grimwold had been very opposed to the policy before, but changed his stance recently. The King wants in particular to develop trade routes with nations that Breland does not already have close ties with. For example, there is the nation of Droaam. But such things must be handled carefully, as we do not wish to further antagonize our neighbors. It was recently necessary to send even more soldiers out to the borders. Better relations would permit them to be drawn back to the heartland.
Solmar asks the King if he's like better logistical arrangements to support the armies at the border. The King indicates that he thinks the situation is well in hand, but suggests that Solmar should talk to his advisor Minton Celburs on the subject.
The King still to this day suspects the hags of Droaam of his wife's death. If some day he were to get some evidence... This prompts Kurgash to have Grenville tell the story about how the characters destroyed a Droaamite flying ship and the hags who commanded the thing.
Kurgash asks, "Is there anything you'd like us to do around the Court?"
"Well, there are the disappearances. Over the last years there have been at least four nobles who have vanished under mysterious circumstances. But in spite of our best efforts, no evidence has been found. Some of them have been found dead. However, there is no evidence to suggest that any of these disappearances are connected."
Grenville offers, "I would be more than happy to apply my meager skills to this mystery."
Kurgash points out, "We are good at finding secret conspiracies who need a good chopping."
The King asks the characters, "If you do find anything about this, be careful. Whoever is responsible is very good at hiding their tracks. You might want to talk to my brother Kor Ir'Wynarn. He is the Commander of the Citadel, but he is often not here: he splits his time between Broken Blade Castle and Sharn."
The characters spend the night as honored guests in Broken Blade Castle.
The next day, Solmar attempts to talk to Minton Celburs only to find out that he is missing. He normally stays in his estate in the countryside, but did not come inside the city walls today. He had a staff meeting scheduled, but didn't show up for it.
Grenville stops off at Celburs office and talks his factotum into letting him have a small trinket (a used quill) belonging to Celburs. He keeps Locate Creature going during the walk out to the estate. Only an hour on, Grenville is surprised to sense that Celburs is off to the side of the road. The characters head in that direction, ready for anything. Varth Lokkur decides to bring up Devil's Own Luck.
Kurgash warns the others, "Five meter spread, no sound."
Graf concurs, "By your command."
Grenville reports that the direction he senses is changing, so Celburs must be close by, but he sees nothing. He's standing in a small copse. Varth and Solmar take to the air to get a better view of the situation, but see nothing. The characters mark off the area and search. They find his body hidden under brush. He is quite dead. He looks like he's been clawed to death by some vicious animal; his neck is torn quite away. The characters' best guess is that he has been dead for several hours.
Solmar reports that the body has been stripped of valuables. Varth cries out, "Noooo!"
Munaak examines the body to try to determine what kind of animal attacked him. He concludes that a real animal would have left more signs: someone may have worked to make it appear that this was an animal attack.
The characters leave Cutter Gerald to watch the body and go on to the estate. They find that he left late last night, through his own window. It looks like he just put on a robe and left, without taking any other items. All of his jewelry, including his signet ring, is still in his room.
The characters come up with a clever plan. First, take the body back to the King in Grenville's Bag of Holding and let him know what the situation is. Then, have Grenville use his Necklace of Adaptation to take Celburs' shape and arrange to be seen in public a couple of times.
The King agrees that the plan has merit, but elects to have Celburs raised from the dead immediately. He sends to the temple for a priest with Raise Dead, using a cover story.
Grenville goes to the temple with a spare set of Celburs' clothing, then uses the Necklace of Adaptation to make himself look like Celburs. He heads to the Palace, spends some time there, then heads back out the Minister's estate. Munaak, Solmar and Elyandre shadow him. The rest of the characters head out to the estate to wait for Grenville's arrival later in the day.
While Grenville is pretending to be Celburs out in the palace, an aristocrat comes running up to him in a huff. "You know that position that I've been up for on the advisory council! They gave it to that bitch Aveska Dormeer! She's incompetent! And after all the politicking I did I should have had it sewn up!"
Grenville shames the man for his outburst, then abruptly ends the conversation on the grounds that he has matters of grave import to address. His primary goal is to keep the conversation short enough to ensure that the aristocrat doesn't realize that Grenville has no idea who he is talking to.
Grenville also hears some people arguing in the garden. He nudges Elyandre to go over and listen to them. A courtier is talking to a woman. The man's bodyguard stands nearby. She yells, "You know nothing about trade! It was I who rebuilt our family's fortunes, so none can say I have no head for money! And you say that you are suited to advise the King on matters of finance! I scoff! Hah!"
"My dear girl! I advise you not to get in my way."
The man's bodyguard looks straight at Elyandre and growls. Elyandre backs off. The girl storms off angrily.
Solmar reports that the Minister was unable to be raised. The priests do not know why. There are several possible reasons. For example, if the subject does not wish to be Raised or was killed with death magic or by certain undead, the spell will simply fail. The priest casts Speak with Dead and allows Solmar three questions.
Midday through the day, Grenville gets into Celburs's carriage. Elyandre, Munaak and Solmar sneak into the carriage with him. All of them head back to the estate.
Suddenly the carriage comes to an abrupt stop. The driver starts screaming. Then the screaming stops. Grenville pulls out his Invisibility wand and zaps himself.
Munaak looks out of the carriage to see four werewolves standing in the road. Grenville swiftly sends out a Helping Hand to summon Kurgash while Munaak launches a Fireball into the center of the pack.
One werewolf charges Munaak, attacking with a greatsword. Munaak staggers back, nearly stricken in a single strike. Another rushes to the side of the carriage and tears the door clean off. The remaining two charge Elyandre with their great axes, killing him in a single strike. Grenville screams as Elyandre's severed head rolls past. Then he casts Expeditious Retreat and runs down the road towards the estate.
Solmar very calmly casts Fly and takes to the skies. Munaak backs off and casts Dimension Door into Solmar's arms.
The werewolves examine the situation. Three of them bring out their composite longbows. The fourth growls, "I have STR 30. Wrauugh!" He rips up a small tree and flings it at Solmar. Solmar responds with a Fireball. Now some of the werewolves seem slightly damaged. The coach is in flames.
Grenville flings a Glitterdust at the werewolves from far down the road. Sadly, none of them seem blinded. They prove it by filling Solmar full of arrows. Solmar groans and bleeds.
Grenville flings another Glitterdust and continues moving away from the werewolves. This time, one werewolf actually seems blinded. But now, the werewolves start paying attention to Grenville. Two of them close to within 20 feet of him. The big one and the blinded one lag behind. Grenville screams like a girl.
Solmar flies full-out after the werewolves, Munaak clinging to his back.
A few rounds later, Grenville is greeted with the welcome sight of Varth, flying above the road in his majestic red-and-black cloak. Grenville informs Varth of the situation in as few words as possible. Varth casts Displacement on himself and sets to blast down the next werewolf he sees. Kurgash runs up a second later and sends a silvered arrow down-range, staggering a werewolf. Varth's Maximized Eldritch Blast burns the creature into bones and char. Grenville and Munaak send a volley of Fireball spells at the werewolves. Munaak manages to roast two of them, leaving only the big one on its feet. And then Graf comes in with the Rapier of Puncturing. The big werewolf visibly shrivels and dies under the impact of losing 6 CON.
Kurgash flings himself onto Grenville, yelling, "Are you alright! Rraugh!"
The characters search the bodies for valuable items.
Solmar and Munaak are both badly wounded. Varth heals them with his wand. Grenville informs the others of the grim fate of their comrade. "The last time a group like this came at me they were shifter ranger-rogues and they weren't too hard to deal with. But these guys were really serious."
Kurgash notes that only Grenville is uninjured. He congratulates Solmar and Munaak, "Good job keeping Grenville safe!" He even gives a friendly pat to Elyandre's corpse.
The dead werewolves, now converted back to human form, look like woodsy mercenary types. They don't look familiar at all, nor are they carrying anything with an insignia on it. The characters stuff the bodies into the Bag of Holding for transport and head back to Wroat.
The characters hit up the local Church of the Silver Flame to get Elyandre brought back to life, and to interrogate one of the dead werewolves (four questions).
Varth asks, "Does the King give us permission to go out to this place and leave no stone standing?"
Grenville replies, "Allow it? He encourages it!"
Varth can hardly believe his ears. He is beside himself with joy.
The characters decide to Identify the leader's goods (four items between Solmar and Grenville), then attack the manor in the early morning. They pick out the Greatsword +2, the Amulet of Health +2 and the Bracers of Armor +2. Munaak gets the bracers. The resurrected Elyandre gets the Amulet of Health +2. Varth and Elyandre each pick up one Ring of Protection +2 (though only Varth actually gets a ring that has been formally Identified).
Varth finds an all-night alchemist willing to sell potions of silversheen for 250 gold each. It costs a point of damage, but it provides a way to get through a werewolf's Damage Reduction.
The characters decide to hatch a clever plan: Grenville, Varth, Kurgash and Elyandre will all use their various disguise magic to take the appearance of the werewolves. Graf, Munaak and Solmar will all follow them Invisibly. And then hilarity will ensue.
A thick woods surround the estate. When the characters enter it, it is as if they enter a different world. Trees are thick and foreboding. A chill mist clings to the ground like a jealous lover. Kurgash looks around, "Nice place they got here. Lots of space."
The mist itself coalesces into two wolflike forms that growl at the characters. Varth whispers, "They're mist mastiffs! They are extraplanar creatures that can naturally exist in a misty form!" The characters are on the verge of trying to bluff past them when two more appear in the midst of the party. One of them trips Grenville, sending him to the ground. Two more start baying, panicking both Kurgash and Elyandre.
Varth decides that things are not good. His attempt to fly away is prevented by the mastiff's trip attempt, so he just inflicts a point-blank Maximized Chained Eldritch Blast on it. He howls, "Take thirty-one points of damage, you fucking extraplanar mist creature!" The mastiff yips in surprise.
Kurgash and Elyandre scatter into the woods, in different directions.
Graf steps up to the mastiff that is threatening Grenville and slashes it. The creature drips misty blood. Munaak steps into the game with two Scorching Rays. Bronag shares a Barkskin with his bear, then sends the creature off to swat the mastiff savaging Varth. Solmar finishes the creature with a Shocking Grasp that leaves the remains of the mastiff looking like it had been left in the microwave too long. The bear moves on to the next mist mastiff, clawing huge chunks of flesh out if its sides. Munaak follows up with a quick Scorching Ray, then Solmar fries it with Shocking Grasp.
Varth crawls away from the second mastiff and sends a blast at it, to no avail.
Grenville flings Glitterdust at the two mastiffs attacking Graf, blinding one of them. Graf steps in and kills the creature that didn't get blinded. The one that did get blinded doesn't last long. Even Grenville manages to hit it.
The characters continue through the forest. The druid Bronag is the first to realize that some of the trees are moving towards the characters. He casts Call Lightning. Solmar casts Web at one of the approaching treants. Varth reminds Solmar, "These things are unnaturally strong, so they're not likely to even notice your web."
Munaak points out, "On the plus side, they're trees, so fire spells will work really well on them!" He demonstrates by critically wounding a treant with a Scorching Ray.
Kurgash rages, grows to size large, and storms at a tree. He's singing the tree-chopping song. Graf comments, "I never thought I'd see the day when Kurgash all-out attacked a tree." The tree howls in pain. Then it and a friend smash into him, sending him spinning.
The treant Solmar Webbed effortlessly steps out of the sticky strands and bats at Solmar. Solmar protests, "No fair! I'm flying thirty feet in the air! Oh, wait! These things are that tall!"
Elyandre cuts a wounded treant down. Grenville roasts another one with his wand of Scorching Ray. And Munaak risks Bronag's life to cast a Fireball across two treants, destroying one and leaving another with only two hit points, few enough that Bronag's bear can topple it with an offhanded swat.
A quick check for valuable items proves that they're trees. They don't have any cash.
Ahead, the woods thin to reveal a clearing, but the characters won't learn what is in it until next session.
The session ends with the characters gazing into a clearing in the forest around the D'Veranen estate. Experience awards will be given next session, at the close of the adventure.