Past Meet Present - A Prisoner Exchange

After leaving off with the somewhat shocking events of last week I was ready to see what turn things would take next.  I knew that last night's game would likely be little to no combat and all roleplay opportunity as the party dealt with the events of the previous week and in trying to get Temeris back, and indeed there turned out to be no combat at all.  Here is how things played out last night...
Looking around Atvan and Daisy found themselves amidst a mass of bodies laying about.  Little seemed to be moving though Howler moved over to stand above his dwarven friend and owner Karath.  As Atvan moved to Karath who appeared most hurt he yelled out "Get Cripsin!" and Daisy rushed up the stairs to do so.  As he kneeled over the fallen dwarf, badly injured and still bleeding, Shadow began to stir and crawled over as well having been only stunned and not fallen in the battle.

"Check on their king!" He told the recovering Shadow as he bandaged Karath.  As he got the bleeding stopped Shadow found that the chitine leader was near death but still barely breathing.  He bandaged his wounds as best he could and when they were done and sure that they would not bleed any further began to check over the remainder of the chitine.  However as they walked through them they found that if they hadn't died immediately they had all suffered injury too grave to survive.

"What has happened here!" exclaimed Crispin upon seeing the site before him.

Shadow and Atvan stated that things had turned bad and they should retreat above ground to regroup and recover in case others were coming.  Daisy took Karath while Crispin took the leader of the chitine up in his arms and they returned to the surface.

"We need to rest and try to recover, and perhaps attempt healing upon Karath and the chitine after we do so," Shadow stated.  He explained that while attempting to negotiate things had gone bad and quickly escalated out of hand as the chitine surrounded them and the king struggled against his bonds.

Agreeing with them, Atvan and Shadow laid down in the early evening darkness while Crispin and Daisy sat atop the stairs watching.  As they sat Crispin asked what Daisy knew of the situation, and Daisy explained that when she got to the bottom of the stairs the Karameikan Fist was fighting the chitine guards and she joined in to help her friends.  She could offer nothing about what happened leading up to that.

Meanwhile down below Temeris and Vald continued filling in the gaps in his map when suddenly the door was again thrown open for the second time in a very short amount of time.  Temeris could see other chitine gathering outside as one stepped in and animatedly began talking with Vald.  Vald relayed that the chitine had seen his friends run past heading for the stairs with their leader thrown over one's shoulder and they were preparing to go after him.  They wished to know all that Temeris could tell of his friends though before running off.

Using Vald to translate Temeris told as little as he could while stating that he would take them to the others and a peaceful resolution could be had still.  They agreed that they would take he and Vald to find them, however when asked if Ulewee could come to speak about the events she negotiated with the party the request was denied and he was told that Vald knew of the events and could speak on their behalf.  As such, they led him out of the cell into their party numbering between 20 and 25 chitine and headed off for the surface.

As that group reached the base of the stairs and spread out to check the nearby rooms Crispin and Daisy above could hear the footsteps of the large group below.  Crispin headed down the stairs, intent on trying to negotiate while Daisy woke everyone up.

As Crispin stepped forward he could see the large group before him as well as Temeris.  He approached slowly raising his hands and announced "I come to talk" attempting to use the bits and pieces of the Undercommon language that they picked up.  The chitine stopped and gathered and brought Vald forward who stated that he was impressed he had picked up parts of their tongue but would translate common for him.

The chitine naturally wanted to know where their leader was and wanted him back.  Crispin explained that things had gotten bad and while the leader was alive he was injured but they wished to exchange him for Temeris and see a peaceful resolution, however he also stressed that they believed he was still very influenced by the artifact they had been hired to take him to.  The chitine agreed to release Temeris if they would release their king, however they wanted to see that he was ok first.  Crispin agreed to lead some of them up to see before continuing negotiations.

At that time as he turned to go back up the stairs Shadow appeared, having come down the stairs after being awoke by Daisy.  Shadow asked what was going on and after talking with Crispin for a while they started up the stairs.  When they got there they quickly told the others what was happening and soon a group of about 8 to 10 chitine appeared at the top of the steps.  They spread out wary of the party and their surroundings.

Their leader then saw the king tied and on the ground unconscious and went to him immediately, demanding to know what had happened and also calling back to the others to bring the rest of the chitine up.  He looked over the chitine bound before him and realized that he was severely wounded but still alive and stepped back.

As the rest of the chitine flowed forward and Crispin tried to explain that they had been hired to seek out the leader and remove him from an evil influence, and that they believed that influence still held, and that as they sought to return him to who they thought was the queen but found her not where they had initially met.  They then instead turned to try to speak with the pursuing chitine and things got bad where many were hurt and killed.  He then tried to begin negotiating with the chitine, an exchange of the king for Temeris and an agreement that the "queen" would be treated well and he also wished to show them the artifact so that they understood the gravity of the situation.

It took some convincing given the wariness of the chitine especially with their leader having been injured and bound as he was, however eventually it was agreed that if the king could be healed then they would swap him for Temeris and allow the party to leave.  It was also agreed that Crispin would be allowed to show them the artifact and that Temeris would go with them as well.  The chitine stated that the king would have to be healed and this completed prior to sun up as they would not stay above ground past then, and if he were not then they would take the king and keep Temeris as well until the king was again well.

Having an agreement in place Crispin, Temeris, and half of the chitine above ground set out to seek out the artifact.  The other half sat around watching the party looking over their king.  The party, being tired and needing rest knew they needed to lay down and sleep for a while in order to try to heal.  Daisy agreed to sit up and watch as they slept with the chitine wandering about.  They would sit in an uneasy silence for the next several hours.

Crispin, Temeris, and their guard traveled down the stairs, down the hall, and then past the city into the lower section.  Crispin led them around to the various doors and showed them how to open the main chamber, then led them in towards the mound of dirt against the wall.

"Let me have a spear," he asked, and then began brushing dirt away from the artifact.  As dirt began to uncover a portion of the skull it began to have its own glow though very faint.  The chitine were obviously startled and shocked by it.  Crispin asked that they bring their mystics to check it out and their reply that they had no mystics obviously concerned him.  However they urged him to return to the surface as it had taken some time to get here and they agreed that they would examine it as best they can and not uncover it before doing so.  Crispin, not seeing many options other than to give in and accept, began heading back to the surface once again.

Up top Daisy sat several tense hours before Atvan began to stir once again just an hour or two before sunrise.  He and Shadow were soon up and rested, and the tensions among the chitine noticeably rose a touch once again.  They sat patiently watching however as the group got up and about and soon Shadow come over to the chitine leader and kneeled before him. 

He laid her hands upon him and a healing surge closed up many of the chitine's wounds and his eyes popped open.  He sat up looking about and saw himself among the party and among a number of chitine as well.  As he started to scoot back he commanded his followers to untie him.  While two stepped forward Atvan intervened.  While at first angered by this the leader sat as Atvan explained that they had made an agreement and some chitine and some of the party had gone below, and that they were to release him once Temeris and Crispin were back as well.  After giving assurances that he would just wait if untied Atvan reluctantly did so.  The chitine did sit there however as he said he would, though he looked with hatred in his eyes towards the group and especially towards Karath and Shadow.

They sat for many tense moments but soon the sounds of footsteps from below could be heard again and the chitine along with Temeris and Crispin were again above ground.  With the group rejoined the chitine leader stood and asked "so does this complete the agreement and am I free to go?".  With that Crispin continued to stress to them that the artifact was indeed still a danger and they didn't wish to see ill befall them, however the leader was very harsh after being just revived from near death at the hands of the party and had little patience for further talk with the sun coming up.  He was told by another chitine that they had told Crispin the artifact would be examined and he turned to the party and stated "there, that solves that as we have stated we would examine it before it would ever be un-buried again."  He then asked for his sword back and Crispin asked to be allowed to return in three months time to check on things.

The chitine seemed offended and stated that they were being allowed to leave at this time, however if they came back they would be killed on site for the blood that they had shed.  Atvan and Crispin then began to argue over the situation and what they should do, especially given that they felt they were leaving the chitine in a dangerous situation and that they could be worse off than before.  Understanding what was being said and being very impatient the chitine leader spoke up, saying "if you return my sword I will allow you two days in three month's time to come back and see what state my people are in.  Does that satisfy your needs?"

Atvan and Crispin, along with the rest of the party, felt that given the events and where they stood now that little else could be asked for and that they were leaving after a less than ideal solution, however they had little bargaining ground left either.  With that they agreed and Atvan returned his sword to the chitine and they turned to return underground.  Vald and Temeris said their goodbyes and soon the Karameikan Fist was left above ground by themselves, left to digest the events of the past week.

They would do so, talking amongst each other over the next couple of days as they headed towards Shadowdale after they decided that they should now continue on to the "treasure map" location before the Zhentarim could make it there.  Karath, during the early times, brought up an interesting thought.  As they walked he spoke up.  "As I lay on the ground a thought came to me.  What if this leader was doing what was right, and that his general was actually looking to us to get rid of him.  We trusted her on her word but we really don't know what her intentions were anymore than we knew of his, nor do we now know if either had ill wills or whom that would have been."

Upon reaching the small farming community of Shadowdale the party split to take care of individual needs, some going to find supplies, some to find a drink at the inn.  Temeris and Atvan took what they had all collected and found themselves a general store, Weregund the Trader, ran by a man named Weregund to sell their goods and stock up on items as well.  They then returned to the Old Skull Inn, a place that seemed fairly busy and a large establishment to seek out rumors of wizards in town that may be able to help with identifications.  While there one of the many people, many looking to be adventurers, spoke up that he was a wizard and introduced himself as Carzol.

Temeris spoke with him and asked if he would be able to identify items for him, and the wizard replied that he could indeed if they party could pay for them.  After some haggling the wizard agreed to identify three items and the cost would be 3 random potions and the three gems in the party's possession relaying that "after all, 100 gold piece pearls aren't cheap".  After the agreement the wizard and Temeris and Atvan settled into a corner of the inn and the wizard proceeded.

After a few hours the wizard was able to tell them that the dust they had would actually make a person disappear for a short time and that the dagger was imbued with a minor enchantment that would make it more precise.  He then spoke of the harp that they had found.

"It comes from the wood of a hangman's tree, and there is still remnants of the spirits of those hung from it still inside.  I feel that if taken near a body you can locate the dead if close enough ... so perhaps someone buried would be the use ... and you can also speak to them and ask 3 questions of them once per phase of the moon, however I don't believe that the magic is permanent, much like with wand charges.  Also I feel that there is some sort of summoning magic involved with it as well but a dangerous summoning magic, not something controllable."

With that he then offered to return the party payment to them and add 200 gold to purchase the harp.  When they turned that down he increased it to 400 gold, but told them they would only have the night to decide as in the morning he and his adventurers would be leaving for Myth Drannor.



And that is where we left off.  After getting Temeris back and leaving the chitine behind their initial foray into the world of adventuring is complete for the time being for at least.  The party is likely to stay in Shadowdale at least for the evening, perhaps longer, but will need to find lodging and make their choices about where they will go and what they will do next.  The "treasure map" is their destnation. for now, but will that change?