# [[034_20220111 Boared in Berleben]] ## Session Summary > [!abstract] [[034_20220111 Boared in Berleben]] > We head out of the Smugglers' Cove and onto the swamp. On our way towards what we thought was Berleben, we encountered two man-trap plants that released clouds of yellow-gold pollen in the air. Xenia was compelled to approach one of them, but set it ablaze before it could do any harm to him. > We were beset by a giant boar that gored Xenia, but we prevailed in that battle despite some injuries. It seemed to have regenerative capabilities, so we made extra sure it was dead. > We finally got to Berleben, where a couple of Crownsguard took us to Julienne Droogba, priest of Pelor and druid of the Mossmire Temple. She was introduced as the Edelmeister (?), who made the decisions when Starosta Vesperwind Carlisle wasn't around (and he often wasn't). She said that there was a loud crack from the Silberquel Ridge a few weeks ago, and since then, the swamp seemed to be drained from the north. Unfortunately, the kuo-toa thought the Berleben residents were doing it, so they began raiding Berleben. We gave her some tips on how to deal with the kuo-toa, and she seemed to want to approach them carefully to see if they could strike up an alliance (or so she told us). > Julienne believed that we were no threat, so we were freed to go to the Drowned Nest, where we met Uma, who fixed us a meal and gave orders to draw baths for all of us. I cast Dispel Magic on the letter from the slaver, but it didn't work. ^summary ## Recap of last session ![[033_20220104 He who hates freshwater and black-and-white stripes#^summary]] --- ## Log Whelsen, 9th of Cuersaar Aid on Xenia, tiefling, and me. Vigilant Blessing on Wally. Reya says that the delivery has to be made in Zadash. Contraband, explosives, for the wrong people (although they were really friendly). We head out onto the [[Lebenda Swamp]]. ![[labenda swamp.png]] The Labenda Swamp surrounds [[The Ounterloch]]. We got out here really quickly because of the plug hole. [[Berleben]] to Zadash is 3 days. This is difficult terrain. Vegetation is dense, there are no paths, and there's a lot of moss and vines hanging down. It might actually be sunny above the canopy, but it's not here! Cloud of yellow-gold pollen in the air. Wally and I have to make a WIS save. We see plants that have pointy leaves and are swaying in the wind. The tiefling knows they're [[Man-trap Plants]]. They send out this pollen that is very compelling. Xenia starts to go towards it and Wally grapples him. In the end, Xenia still just attacks it so that we can get through and he can stop going towards it. We come across a [[Troll Boar]]. ![[giant boar.png]] ```encounter name: Encounter players: - Scura - Milla - Reya - Wally - Xenia creatures: - Thing ``` - Round 1 - Tiefling: Rime's Binding Ice. It needs to use an action to break the ice if it wants to move. - Reya: Shortbow attack, doesn't hit. - Wally: - Me - Toll the Dead: 5 - Xenia: Toll the Dead: 18 - Boar: necrotic damage is healed, starts to charge - Round 2 - Tiefling: Mind Spike, 5 points - Reya: Shortbow, 10 - Wally: Longsword, AC <= 20. 8 - Me: Toll the Dead: 8 - Xenia: Fire Bolt misses (12). - Boar: - heals up - Charges Xenia - Round 3 - The tiefling: Ice Knife, 11 - Reya: Dash and Booming Blade Sneak Attack, miss - Wally: Divine Sense, but it's not celestial, fiend, or undead. - Scura: Bless - Xenia: Moves back, gets hit 13 damage. Casts False Life. 16 temp HP - Boar: Heals up, charges Xenia again and deals another 2d8 of slashing damage: 15, makes him prone. - Round 4 - Tiefling: 18 cold damage - Reya: Attack with bless hits! 26 damage!! - Wally: Hits it with advantage because it's prone. Auto-crit because it's unconscious! Hits again! - Scura - Cure Wounds - Move to cover tiefling - Round 5 - Milla: Xenia and Wally start a fire with the boar's body. I re-cast Vigilant Blessing on Wally. We get to [[Berleben]]. I see houses on stilts through the trees. Some kind of settlement. We see a better-kept pier with catwalks to the swamp. There are many small boats. That part of the swamp is deeper. There are two crownsguard looking out into the swamp. Early 30s, human. The other is a half-orc, bigger built. Visible tusks and braided hair. Wally approaches them and tells them about the boar. They called it a "troll boar". They said the Starosta's not there. Welcome to Berleben! [[Starosta Vesperwind Carlisle]] is out of town "on official business". They want us to go see The Edelmeister? Some buildings are sunk into the swamp. Mostly human residents, though also some gnomes and halflings. This is not a wealthy settlement. They are wearing green and brown clothing that make it look like they're from the swamp themselves. We walk past an inn, the stables, to the newer part of the city. "[[The Stilts]]" is where the posh people live. We are taken to a building that is not grand-- it's some sort of temple. It's [[The Mossmire Temple]]. There is a female figure with gray and brown long hair, green and brown clothes that are quite ragged. She is a half-elf. "Why do you disturb my meditation?" The guards introduce us. She looks a bit sad when they tell her we killed a troll boar. [[Julienne Droogba]], the priest of the temple. She speaks Elvish. Two or three weeks ago, there was a loud crack (like thunder but without raincloads) from [[Silberquel Ridge]]. Since then, the swamp has been draining. And [[The Kuo-Toa of Lebenda Swamp]] have been making raids on Berleben. They sent a female paladin to the Kuo-toa but they haven't heard of her. [[Barria]] was her name. She had long dark hair, paladin's armor and cloak with the symbol of Pelor. She was human. She didn't have a claw. [[The draining of Lebenda Swamp]] The swamp is draining in the direction north of the swamp. She is a druid of the temple. We tell her the entrance to go back to the kuo-toa. She seems to want to approach them carefully. She promises that she isn't of a military persuasion. She said there are unique plants in the swamp, useful for healers and mages. They're not man traps though! Man traps are deadly, she says (duh). She said we normally need masks to get through. She seems genuinely very druidy and at one with nature. She cares about the people in Berleben. Inns - [[The Puddles]]: [[Keystone Pub]] - unusual construction - oldest pub in Lebenda - near the docks: [[The Drowned Nest]] Much of the decision-making is left to Julienne when the Starosta is away. He is often travelling to other neighborhoods. There is a servant that also is elvish. She looks like she's wearing scrappy clothes, but on closer look it's actually well-done crocheting to make her look like she's from the swamp. She tells the guards that we are ok to go. Berleben is divided into three districts: - [[The Puddles]] - further into the swamp - [[The Midway Docks]] - where temple is - [[The Stilts]] - where the houses are (posh area) We go to the Drowned Nest. It's a single-storey building. It's a simple building. Small bar, some rooms in the back. Female human comes out. Middle-aged with a creased face. Dark brown apron. Irish accent. - Labenda throat-grog: strong drink - wine from Trostenwald - more expensive because they have to take things through the swamp. 3 sp per night per room. We can settle up when we go. Her name is Uma. [[Ralph Needlayer]] was a halfling that got killed, but his family found him and he got buried. He's not the halfling we found. She doesn't know anybody from [[Vermeillon]]. She said most of them went to [[Hupperdook]]. We have lunch and take our baths. Wally asks Xenia about the Morning Star. [[The Star of the Morning]] I cast Dispel Magic on the letter from [[Ionos Jagentoth]] but it just doesn't work. Rooms are comfortable, not basic. Little desk by the window. %% Downtime plans: - Research - Recent hubs of activity from Torog followers, including the cult we've had run-ins with who are trying to bring about eternal darkness. (also talk to Archivist Zeenoth and Archivist Sunlash) - Anything about the Evening Moon and the Morning Star. What would need to be done to combine them and stop eternal darkness? - Look for mention of Lei, Tifa, or Nia Duvezin. Where are they and how can I contact them? - What faction uses the serpentine motif? (serpent-like work with human face). Is this Torog? - Ways to worship Sehanine - Learn enough about Pelor to convince people I am a cleric of Pelor if needed. - Sendings - to Piro - to Lukas to let him know we put flowers on his wife's grave. Maybe ask whover has the necklace if we can just send him the necklace too. - to Cleff Tinkertop to let him know his orrery is with us, but we may need it to stop something big. - Shopping list - 25 gp worth of Augury sticks - Diamonds - Jeweled horn worth 100 gp - Alchemical/poison experiments - Try to use the poison that Reya found in the cultists' dorm in the temple (if she'll give it to me) to create something she can dip her arrows with. - Make more acid. %%