Session Date: 06/08/2024
The man barreling at us is carrying a large axe and looks like a lumberjack. He explains that this is claim and we quickly explain that we are not here to mess with his claim or to cut down the trees here. Trouble explains the trees belong to mother nature, and the man laughs saying that there’s not much nature here in Nosos. He tells us to go ahead and clear out after he decides that we aren’t actually a threat to his lumber money, and he points toward a civilization on the horizon after Ria asks.
We head toward the city and on the outside are smaller mansions. The mansions appear to have actual greenery there - we’d have to go out of our way to see if they’re real. The mansions are very opulent in the sense that everyone who built them don’t have taste - think of those super gaudy McMansions - and they have green grass in their yards.
Arkuda asks if we were sent here for a reason, or if it’s random. Serina replies and says that whoever is running The Last Chance Inn put us all together and dumping us here for some slight reason - there’s an intelligence behind it. Strahd definitely cannot find us here, and Serina recalls that Nosos is one of the Islands of Terror. It’s very far away from BaroviaTovag and where Serina found Atheya. That might be part of the reason of it. She knows for certain we cannot fix this place, though we might be able to find who this is Hell for. All domains definitely have a Lord that reign over it - whoever is here does not like nature for some reason. There’s no law enforcement here.
To leave will we need to find a way to summon the mists - this might happen if we defeat the Lord here - or if Strahd or Kas comes back. We could also try to find a boat to leave here.
The citizens here are just tortured with the domain - they were once civilizations that were lost to the mists. People are just here and they suffer through it.
Trouble talks about maybe this is a resort if they have a boat, and we all say this likely wasn’t a resort. Trouble continues on and Arseid eventually (lies and) says that she can build a boat, and she’s even done it within 5 hours before! Arseid is reasonably certain she could build a raft, certainly.
We continue in and within the city are the poor: people living in hovels, barely surviving. People aren’t selling food from stands, but we do see a tavern that does not seem to have a name on the outside. We go inside the tavern and it is quite grim inside - there is a barmaid inside. This is the Lost Oak Inn and she introduces herself as Karya the barmaid. She stumbles through it and apologizes to us for stumbling.
Ria asks her if there is a port or harbor. The barmaid says there isn’t a general one, but Mr. Skelarus has a small spot for a full ship at his mansion. Serina asks for directions, and the barmaid says it’s the biggest mansion and gives some very loose directions. Trouble asks if it’ll stand out, and she says that there are some mansions outside for the rich people but, yes, his is the largest. Trouble asks how to get rich here, and the barmaid replies that if she knew she wouldn’t be tending the bar here. Trouble asks about killing the rich, and she shooshes Trouble and says that the walls have ears.
Trouble explains that they are a traveling artist and that they do all kinds of art, and the best part of being a traveling artist is you can just start whenever you want.
We sit down so that Trouble can have some stew, and the beer is fine, I guess. Serina recognizes the brand on the keg and that it’s an imported beer, and the barmaid explains that Mr. Sceleris imports it. She then explains that the mists ebb and flow and so it can be very difficult to travel to the other islands, especially because to do so you have to join Mr. Sceleris’ ship crew to leave.
Trouble offers to bring the barmaid with us and she declines as she is the only one working in her family and she must provide for them. Trouble offers to kill a rich man and bring the money back for her, and she is clearly bothered by this. Serina speaks up and says to ignore Trouble and what she’s saying, and Arkuda explains to Trouble that we shouldn’t commit a murder here, especially as we don’t know who’s here. Malus Sceleris is the man’s name.
Atheya knows word parts!
- Malus - malice; apple tree
- Sceleris - crooked, villainous
Serina asks the barmaid why there’s no customers and she says that since The Incident traffic has really slowed down. Trouble asks if there was a bard here, since, you know, The Incident. Arkuda asks what The Incident was. She explains that Mr. Sceleris was here for a business meeting and there was a traveler from another Domain - she thinks - who had a plant creature with him. When Mr. Sceleris saw the plant creature, he started shouting and took out a strange crooked knife, stabbing the plant creature until it was dead. The traveler was a wizard and there was a fight. According to Mr. Sceleris, at the end they decided to bury the axe as it were, and the traveler just never showed up again. Nobody wants to come here after that because of the bad vibes.
As we are on the way out, Arseid goes out and slips the barmaid 3g secretly.
Arkuda leans over and fusses over Trouble before we leave the inn, using lay on hands to heal them after getting stabbed by the root.
Trouble takes the root that had stabbed them from the stew and tucks it away after determining that the root itself is very resilient. They go up to Atheya with the root and asks her to look at the root and see if there’s anything magical about it. Atheya spends the time to identify it and she can sense primal magic deep in this root - there is something dark in this primal magic, and the root is clinging to life. Atheya understands something about this place: all of the rich people have their own trees and things that are imported, but this place despite being polluted, it generates life. She understands that this is part of the curse of this place - not the pollution, but the plants.
As we walk, Arkuda asks if we are all on a specific quest. Serina explains that she is traveling to get rid of evil in the domains. Trouble peppers her with questions and it comes out that Serina and Atheya have been traveling together for a little while and she ultimately joined the quest to help Serina.
Trouble asks Arseid if she will model nude for gold, and Arseid says sure why not. Arukda reminds Trouble that she can’t actually proposition everyone. At some point Trouble mentions carving the root, and Arkuda says he doesn’t think that will work. Trouble resolves to do it and starts carving away, with the carvings disappearing each blink. Trouble hears a rumbling in their head and the next time Arkuda looks at them and sees blood coming out of their ear. Arkuda and Arseid throw the root to get rid of it because it’s clearly hurting Trouble, with Arkuda eventually picking them up and carrying them so they can’t grab it again. As they walk they shove their hands in their pockets and the root is in their pocket again.
We make it Sceleris’ mansion and there is no greenery at all, but he has something like a stone garden outside. It is nice. There is an iron gate with a bell outside of the gate. Trouble walks into the gate and Arkuda has to deal with the chaos gremlin, and Serina rings the bell outside of the gate.
The inside of the gate is almost like a small community: there are tons of people, though they pay us no mind. We can see the dock behind the house. A man that is apparently a butler comes out of the house and slowly approaches the gate. He asks what we need, and Serina asks to see the master of the house. The butler asks if we have an appointment - no - and turns to try to dismiss us. Atheya speaks up and asks if there were any opening to crew his ship, and the butler says that there is a waiting list and we could be considered in two year’s time if we apply now.
Atheya speaks up again and says that she means no disrespect, but they had walked through the city and all of them are far more hardy and well-fed than anyone that may be waiting on the list. The butler looks over the group and says that this is true, and he thinks about it. He lets us into the house and in the small waiting area. The butler tells us not to touch anyone or talk to anyone.
As we wait we see guards that have short swords and whips. As we look around we see that the people working around the estate and they are more well-fed than those in the city, but it is very clear they are afraid. They can definitely be fired and they do not want that, as this is probably the best paying job they can afford.
Arkuda prays for guidance as we wait: his god does not want him to free the enslaved and oppressed if it would get him killed, and what Mr. Sceleris is doing here is actually legal. The people here likely have contracts to work and once they expire they can renew them, get a promotion, or be let go.
We wait for the master of the house to return in this stone room. Atheya recognizes that this is something like Kas would do: a particularly uncomfortable room to make people wait and stew to flex over them, though Kas did it for emissaries or politicians.
After a while, two guards come in with a gentleman that’s recklessly handsome in his 20s or so. He has very fine clothing and Atheya is struck that he wouldn’t look out of place in Kas’ court, with a smile that’s more of a smirk. The guards are here more to be props, but if there was combat they would attack with a ruthless efficiency.
Atheya gives the same pitch to Malus and he is definitely distracted by something, hearing something that Serina, Atheya, and Arseid don’t hear.
Malus decides he will let us go along, but he recognizes that we are going to leave the moment we can. He will take us but we need to convince a pirate to stop stealing form him using whatever means necessary. We agree to do our best, and Atheya sucks up to him saying that it is a very gracious offer and they will do their best. Reginald, the butler, comes up to us with contracts.
Arkuda looks it over and sees that there is a geas on the contract that will compel us to do what is in the contract, and if we refuse to do it we will be compelled to do something to express disgrace. It’s clear that this is a curse effect and we could likely overcome the geas through sheer force of will. We al sign except for Arkuda, who tries to make a counter offer, but that doesn’t go anywhere so he signs as it is.
We end up in the stables to sleep and Arseid uses all the hay she would use for herself to make a very comfy bed for Atheya. We go to sleep.
During the night, Arseid yells in her sleep and wakes the party up. Atheya goes to her and shakes her awake, asking her if she’s okay. Arseid explains that she has just had a very bad past few weeks, and Atheya says that she understands. Atheya mentions that she hopes that the nightmares get better as they travel together and she feels safer, and Arseid says that the further she gets from her issues the better it’ll be. It’s clear on Atheya’s face that she understands, but she says she hopes so. Atheya says the should likely go to sleep because who knows what they’ll face tomorrow, and Arseid says yes, of course, and Arseid hopes that the hay is comfy. Atheya says it is, and thanks her again, and then they go back to sleep.