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