The party spends a lot of time not deciding what to do, then some time is spent Scrutineering. The party learns 2 things:
- There are multiple rumors and confirmations that Dran Enterprises has a major operation in Luskan
- There is a tavern that is frequented by Dran Enterprise members somewhere in the city, and the best way to find out about that would be contacting an information broker inside Luskan.
Gorkoh begins work on a cloak of protection. Anger management classes happens, and Boom B-0x plays some music.
The party takes the road north to Luskan.
Day one of travel: Nothing happens
Day two of travel: Nothing happens
Day three of travel: Nothing happens. And then night falls. A giant stone falls, and 8 shadowy long-nosed creatures appear and go like “heeey.” Some people know what smoke mephits are! Whether we know what they are or not, they attack. One is killed in short order. At the end of the turn, another rock hits the ground, striking near Boom B-0x. A fire giant exclaims that he is having great fun, so the party decides to leave. The party boards the cart, and the fire giant throws a rock at the party and hits some mephits. The party flees!
Day four of travel: Nothing happens
Day seven: Something happens! There are 9 riders blocking the road. Then 8 more join them. The notorious bandit Thadeus identifies himself.
Day eight: Nothing happens
Day nine: Nothing happens
Day ten: Fun stuff happens. The party sees a familiar sight from the boat travelling days. A merchant appears! Everyone decides to buy in.
- A great club of victory. When you land a killing blow, regain 2d6 hit points
- A quarterstaff of the repeater. When you take the attack action, you can take a additional action at diadvantage (which cannot be negated).
- A cloak of the newt. It increases your constitution by 1.
- An amulet of the wasp. It is an attuned item, +2 to maintain concentration on a spell, duration of negative conditions is reduced by 10% of the time.
- Splint mail of the lion tamer. Once per day, you may grant yourself advantage on a CON saving through.
- An amulet of the ringmaster. Once per day, you may pass a CHA saving throw you otherwise would have failed.
- Boom B-0x pays for Johnny to pull out… a deck of some sort? Wait, no. He pulls out a trident. A trident with a seashell. a Trident of Fish Command.
The party arrives at Luskan, the City of Sails. A large ship, similar to the Frost Giant Longship the party saw earlier, head into port. Several stones impact, and in the blink of an eye, about 40 fireballs pass by, hitting the shi- out of the ship.
There is a tall spire in the middle of the city, which looks like a dead tree with five branches as towers that resembles a desiccated hand - the Host Tower of Arcane, the tower which contains the Arcane Brotherhood. Guess where the fireballs came from?
Frost giants usually never attack urban centers, so this is a sign that things are not going well.
The party arrives at the south gate, with battered and weathered shops and customers. At first glance, it appears to be a den of pirates and raiders. Ahead of the party, a wagon has broken down in front of the tavern. An elderly woman calls out for help, and two guards throw a brightly dressed bard out into the street. The party helps the old woman. Claire and Boom B-0x help her out, and she mentions she knows the town. Claire asks about the Bran Enterprises tavern, and she says it is a tavern frequented by fisherman. She sells her good to the ship of Kurth.
Nala helps the Bard Norrell. He says that Luskin is not really a place that has patrons of the arts. He believes his father is one of the pirates working for these ships, and he is looking for his father. He says that Dran Enterprise employees tend to be in the northern part of the city. He doesn't know much more, but he knows someone who trades in information. “Just go to the curio shop just north of the tower, Dal'las Span.”
Boom B-0x challenges Norrell to a bard off, which Norrell wins.
The party goes north of the tower, and Dall'as Span. A swole half orc is outside standing guard. Nala attempts to arm wrestle him, and is told to wait outside. Inside is Bluto, the prisoner that the party helped escape. Asked if we need to use Thieves Cant, he says no, then the phrase “Dran Enterprises” is uttered and he freaks out. “Don't mention dat name here.” He tells the party to buy a ship in the bottle, and he goes and grabs a bottle, smashes it, and inside the ship is a note. “Members of Dran Enterprises tend to frequent the Fish Bone Tavern on the north side of Luskan.” Bluto says “100 gold please.” Boom B-0x buys an actual ship in a bottle, and the party will head to the Fish Bone tavern NEXT TIME!