Session Date: 12/02/2024
Last Time…
We had successfully infiltrated Zeth Seegmiller’s big party, but a group of undead sent by Kincaid unfortunately had the same idea. Seegmiller immediately teleported to run away from the confrontation. We defeated the undead and saved most of the people, and Torchy also happened to be there to write a story about it.
The following day, we receive a copy of The Jewel Herald that has our story pushed back to the fourth page (Torchy has a note mentioning politics and making it known how unhappy she is about it), and The Metropolitan Observer - Seegmiller’s note - has no mention of the happenings of the party at all.
Of note, Bosch provided some very colorful descriptions of what happened (undead splattering like a rotten tomato) to Torchy for her embellishment. Of note, the gruesome death of a bystander is not mentioned even in Torchy’s story.
Bosch had also given Faylen a book that details the trick to finding the wandering vaults that we are looking for so that we can retrieve Seegmiller’s piece of the Seal of Infinity.
A Day Or Two Later…
Beitris is around as we discuss what’s going on and what Seegmiller did with The Agent and her mind. They all agree this is some Bad Magic. Beitris pokes Faylen for not giving a long winded explanation, and he admits that there’s only so many times he can watch the party’s eyes glaze over.
Faylen looks over the book that Bosch gave him and he recognizes that there are wards on this book and that eventually Seegmiller will notice that this is gone, but it’s hard to say what he does or doesn’t know at this juncture given he left. Faylen does manage to learn where the entrance(s) of the Vault for the next few days, and that there are multiple entrances. He also notices that someone forgot to carry a zero somewhere - silly mistake - and Faylen knows that the entrance is in a building next to an alley. We would have to enter the building to enter the vault.
There’s a certain timeframe on this given that Seegmiller will eventually be aware of the missing items, and the party collectively agrees that it’s better to go now rather than wait later (even though Faylen could calculate the location next week). Faylen marks the coordinate on the map and Beitris recognizes it immediately: Heavyheart and Son, the smithy that Beitris gets her equipment from. She doesn’t promise that she can get us in, but she can certainly make introductions for us.
Heavyheart and Son
The storefront has a beautiful bronze-cast sign that says Heavyheart and Son — the “and Son” has been crossed out. Faylen asks if it was like that the last time Beitris was here, and she says no, it wasn’t.
Bosch speaks up and comments on making the sign He Heart and we pull him back on track.
There is yelling inside of the building. Before we go in, we notice the narrow alleyway next to the building and assume this would be the alley with the vault entrance if someone hadn’t made a mistake. Kilresh is in the alleyway and he addresses us. Kilresh explains that the boss is inside trying to negotiate Breakwater Company’s acquisition of the foundry. They’re trying to acquire many dwarven businesses.
Bosch barges in saying he needs repair of a priceless family heirloom and offers it to Kristov, saying that the owner of the shop must look at it. Kristov explains that he’s not the owner yet and the owner actually speaks up and looks it over and manages to pick out that it is incredibly high craftsmanship other than the fact that someone took a chisel to it. Bosch can tell that Mard Heavyheart is definitely the owner of the shop.
As we look around, there’s clearly far more room than people in this place - about half of what working staff should be here is here. We see the spot that should be the entry area for the Vault and notice a store room that they could probably use to privately access the Vault, but the door is absolutely closed.
Kristov eventually gets annoyed and leaves, and Heavyheart offers to fix the expensive figurine for Bosch. He starts to talk over the details and then recognizes Beitris and then Faylen. Beitris greets him and segues with “my brother has something to ask!” Faylen explains that an awkward mistake has happened, and that there is an entrance to the Wandering Vault is within the shop. He hastily explains he imagines it was meant to be in the alley, but wound up inside instead. Heavyheart says that explains a few things, and then thinks about it.
He agrees that he wishes to help us, but he’d like for us to reach out to his son and talk to him and basically apologize. He explains that he and his son aren’t on speaking terms at this point and he just wants the relationship to be fixed.
With further questions, Heavyheart explains that his son left to join a band and he doesn’t quite understand why his son would leave a booming business that will never dry out for something as unstable as a band. He wants his son to know that when this band thing blows up then he has a place he can come back to. Strangun Heavyheart is the name of the son.
Faylen asks where they should start looking. Heavyheart explains that there’s a bar that lets new talent play, and he’ll likely have a show there.
The Metal Star Bar
The Metal Star Bar is the bar that Heavyheart named. The band playing isn’t super great, but it’s not entirely awful. There’s a light level of magic going through here to make the music sound like modern rock music.
We grab a table and see that there is one (1) dwarf on the stage. The barkeep stops them from playing and suggests they find elsewhere to play. They reluctantly stop and break from playing.
We approach and ask if the dwarf is Strangun, and he confirms that he is. Mary opens with the fact that his father wants to apologize, and Strangun asks if we heard the words “I’m sorry” or “I apologize”. Mary evades and explains that his father admits that he did wrong and doesn’t understand, and that he genuinely wants to try to understand. Bosch comments that perhaps Strangun should show his father his drumming, and Faylen eventually chimes in to mention that perhaps his father simply has realized that he just wants Strangun in his life.
It’s clear that Strangun is struggling with this, and the gnoll eventually elbows Strangun and says that the band is behind him through this all. He explains that Strangun is kinda harshing the vibe with the way he’s laying on the sofa being depressed about his dad.
Back to Heavyheart and Son
Strangun finishes his beer and then they all head to Heavyheart and Son and notice that the father did a rapid repair on the sign so that it is restored back to Heavyheart and Son. Father and son have a tense conversation, but there is no yelling or anything like that. Strangun isn’t ready to go back home, but the path to a resolution has been opened.
Heavyheart lets us into the store room and says we are welcome to come in to access the Vault at any point that we need. Bosch does a huge performance at his fixed figurine, and Heavyheart says it’s no issue, then closes the door and lets us do what we need.
As Faylen approaches the portal and uses the notebook to open the portal itself. The portal widens to reveal a long staircase going down into the pocket dimension that holds this vault. There’s railing on the stairs as we go down, as there’s no walls. Beitris does wind up coming with us, to help Bosch with his bombs.
Bosch asks Faylen how big this intermediate is, and he says he’s not sure. He comments that it’s theoretically infinite, and Bosch clarifies that means it goes on forever (Faylen agrees). Bosch drops the figurine into the darkness, and Bean stirs to nudge something in Bosch’s pocket and there’s a ticket for lost and found so he can pick up the figurine.
The party continues to descend toward the Wandering Vault compound.