Hannibal's Journal - Kythorn 23??

I've neglected my journal, but I've finally found the time and the LIGHT to reflect on what's happened the last several weeks.

In the weeks following our big raid on the Waterdeep slave ring we were kept busy putting our affairs in order and preparing for our journey to Skullport.

Etchzeeth instructed us on the finer points of the Underdark and what to expect in Skullport. We were trained on the hazards of the Underdark and given a crash course on the habits and traditions of the various subterranean races that we would come in contact with. Etchzeeth proved an excellent teacher, but he still seemed very secretive about himself and some key features of his "plan".

We were to pose as slaves and be sold to one of the most notorious slavers in Skullport. It was hoped that we'd be used in the gladiatorial arena, but there was no guarantee that we wouldn't spend the rest of our lives locked in a kitchen scrubbing pots! Although we would be inside the slaver's compound, we would be unarmed and likely restrained, beaten, and undernourished. I'm not sure what the dark elf expected of us in such a condition.

We started out using Etchzeeth's plan. He and Riddick would be drow slavers, Brolgar would be the hired muscle, and the rest of us would get a free ride to Skullport in a slavers pen.

Nothing Etchzeeth taught could prepare us for the Underdark. The air was heavy and damp and it was pitch black, so dark and still that the air seemed to close in on you. Time seemed to crawl sitting in the hay in the dark. We couldn't talk so we sat listening to the sound of hooves echoing off the cavern walls. The rhythmic sounds of the hooves would sometimes be accompanied by dripping sounds, the skittering of some small creature, and most disturbing, the occasional roar of some far off aberration. We travelled like this for what seemed an eternity, meeting no one, and only pausing occasionally to rest the horses or eat a cold meal silently in the dark.

A change in the pitch of the echoing hooves signaled that we had entered a large cavern. The cart stopped abruptly, we heard orders being shouted somewhere in front of us and the cavern erupted in light.

After our eyes adjusted to the Light cantrip cast by Jax, we saw that we had stumbled upon a sacrificial ritual being performed by a priest of Cyric! We were set upon by the priest and his followers and it looked uncertain that we would make it to Skullport at all. In a violent battle that went back and forth, we finally managed to drive off the priest and slay his followers. The priest looked vaguely familiar and the rest of the party agreed that they had seen him before. The light was poor and his face was so twisted with murderous intent that his identity remained just out of our reach.

Concerned by our run-in with the Church of Cyric, Etchzeeth decided to take us on an alternate path to a "pass camp" used by his people to meet, trade, and camp. We came upon a deep chasm equipped with a magical device that would create a bridge across. Jax and Leif managed to figure out the workings of the magical device and we crossed the bridge. On the other side we found an abandoned camp. There were no signs of the living, but we did find a chest filled with a magical powder. At Jax's direction I applied the powder to my Arditi blade and it seemed to be imbued with additional power!

We finally made the pass camp and stopped to rest. There were multiple groups’ setup in the cavern and we could finally light some torches so we could see! Leif and Diovanni met a familiar Dwarven merchant named Curkel who sold rare herbs to Rose.

We were sitting down to eat when a huge chitinous beast suddenly ran through the middle of the camp pursued by two Gelatinous Cubes! This creature had brought some blood sucking stirges in its wake. Tents and poles flew everywhere as most of the campers evacuated the cavern. Only a group of dwarves stayed to protect their cargo. We blew our slave cover by retrieving our weapons and battling the strange creatures. The cubes managed to grab Brolgar, Diovanni, and Brother Krux. They were pulled through the cubes' membranes and were slowly being digested. Jax used his Flaming Sphere spell to great effect, Brolgar proved painful to digest, and after an intense battle we were victorious.

After some debate, we decided to continue our slaver ruse until we got into Skullport. After resting for the "night" we travelled into the city a short time after waking. I couldn't make out much of the dark city, only bits and pieces lit by the infrequent torch...but from what I could tell it was an impressive structure. A city literally cut out of the rock of the cavern. The main thoroughfares where crowded and after struggling to get through a market square we travelled a side road through a Drow neighborhood. Apparently, we made tempting target as we were jumped by a gang identifying themselves as the "Stillborn". Much to their dismay, the cage full of slaves turned out to be a cage full of adventurers looking to stretch cramped muscles with a good fight.

We checked into an inn and set to planning our next move. We decided against the original slave plan and decided to try to hire ourselves out as mercenaries to get close to the slave guilds. Etchzeeth had a formidable network of contacts in the city and quickly found an opportunity at a large slaver house, Kingstinn… notorious for surface raids.

We met with our future “boss”, an orc named Knuckle. He had us take some aptitude tests. Satisfied with the results he told us to show up tomorrow and be ready for anything he asks.

Skullport; not exactly the city of wonders...

1489
Year of the Warrior Princess

Kythorn 23

The group wounded and weary finally make it to a "pass camp", or a place where travelers meet, trade, and camp. This cavern is a natural place for just that and has been used in this fashion for many years. They meet a dwarven merchant, Curkel, that several of the group recognizes as a person that has done business with Rose (Leaf's mother) in the past. Leaf remembers his mother purchasing rare roots and toxic extracts from him. At last it is time for rest, but not yet! Tearing through the camp is a large aberration, being chased by two gelatinous cubes! As the huge creature moves faster than it seems possible, several bird like things are dislodged from his chitin plates, blood sucking stirges! Tent strings, and poles are scattered everywhere. Most of the campers flee, except for the dwarves that form a defensive ring around their possessions. A battle ensues with the cubes, stirges, and a flaming sphere, but the party emerges victorious.

The next morning Ecthzeeth leads the group into Skullport! Not knowing what to expect (except the worse), they are at times disgusted and amazed. The city is obviously poor in the extreme, but how it must have been created, is amazing. Cut out of living rock, sometimes the weight of it all seems crushing, other times there are spaces as wide as any in Waterdeep. Heading to the market and out of the slave cages, the party is ambushed by a Drow gang claiming to the part of a organization called the "Stillborn". They put up some stiff resistance but cannot out last our rested and ready to go group.

An inn is found to handle the needs of the party, and a long discussion is had on how to proceed. Ecthzeeth puts forward the suggestion to do something on the up-and-up to cover the party members wounds and bruises when they do their real work at night against the slave lords. He offers a couple of suggestions; one, be sold to a slaver as a group of gladiators or work as an independent combat team. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Finally they decided to hire themselves out as mercenaries. Ecthzeeth finds some work at fairly large slaver house, Kingstinn, notorious for surface raids. Their "boss" there is an orc called Knuckle. He has them take some aptitude tests, the last one a riddle that nets them some gold! They are told to show up the next day and to be ready for anything he asks them to do.

Exp awarded: 1285

Hi ho hi ho, into the Underdark we go!

1489

Year of the Warrior Princess
Kythorn 21

The party is given a few weeks to work with Etchzeeth and get their affairs in order to journey with him down into the near-dark and to Skullport a legendary city that borders on the Underdark, several miles directly below Waterdeep. During this training the group becomes more relaxed about going to Skullport to take the fight to the slavers. Etchzeeth is an excellent teacher and has made this trip many times. He seems very secretive about his personal history, much the same a Riddick, maybe it is a common trait among the Drow.

Leaf finds some time between lessons (and even skipping out of a couple a bit early), to do some research at the main library in Waterdeep. He scourers the local papers at and around the time of death of his father. The research is slow going, but near the last day of prepping for the groups sojourn, he finds a front page article with Ellanzo and an unknown partner of his, neither his dad nor Jax's, someone new... Ellanzo is standing with one foot on top of a severed head, a bloody trophy of his great bust - a nefarious demonic cult that was wreaking havoc for Waterdeep at that time. Any further details about his partner, or the cult would have to be left to do later as time was running short.

The group adventures for several days without issue. There are paths taken by Etchzeeth that look to be almost untouched by those that walk on two legs, he is very good at his job it seems. They come close to an area that Etchzeeth feels is very secure, "only his people use it" Etchzeeth says several times, but before they can get there, they stumble across the beginnings of an evil ritual being performed by the Church of Cyric! The leader, maybe a high priest, seems to be very familiar to some of the party members, they seem to remember him from top side in Waterdeep, but where? After a long battle, maybe the longest they have ever fought, the leader bolts leaving his Lieutenants to die for him, and without some of his living sacrifices. Brother Krux seems to have gleamed some valuable experience this fight and is promising some new moves for next time.

Later that day they arrive at a destroyed bridge that works on magic to secure its' path to the other side. With some trial and error they cross the bridge and find a magical chest. Inside is some powder, which applied to a magic item of level 1, 2 or 3, will transform it into an identical item 5 levels higher. There is enough of this powder to go around to everyone for one item. The effects are instantaneous, so use it whenever!


Exp awarded: 1130