We are under house arrest for killing Hondal, while Captain Darren searches for evidence. We decide it is definitely time to get going. Towards the end of the day, we are told we are free.
The painting today is Vorest, as she was for Captain Darren's party.
We go to the address we found yesterday. There are cultists here, which we take out quickly, though Vorest gets pretty badly hurt. We search upstairs and find a letter addressed to us. We bring it to Captain Darren's to open it up. Maybe it'll have evidence - it's for sure from Hondal.
Vandederp opens it and it says:
Then the letter explodes.
Captain Darren is annoyed. We are annoyed. Barnaby runs in and announces that his troops are being attacked by zombies, where they are burying Crymson Starr.
Vorest summons war horses so we can keep up to Barnaby. We get to the grave yard and see 14 zombies overtaking the guards that stayed. We beat the zombies and the guards say that some zombies took Crymson's corpse off with them.
We follow the zombies and catch up to them, as well as some cultists. We beat them and then burnt Crymson and the zombies. After this we start tracking the cultist that ran off during the fight. We follow the trail back to the city, where we lose it.
We go to Captain Darren, where everything has gone crazy. Apparently Lord Thadeus was attacked by zombies at the temple of Ilmater, where he was saved by Hondal.
While talking about how weird the zombies behaved, we walked to the temple. We wonder around and then walk through the market and find Gwyneth. She mentions that she has gotten on with "Master Kensingley," and that he has shown her the "way" and insists on bringing us to meet him.
She brings us to a nice house. She acts like this is her house. She runs off to another room and shuts the door behind her. She comes back and beckons us on. The room is big, and there are balconies and doors.
And we see Gwyneth casting a spell and Hondal shouting down.
Well. Damn.
We manage to beat them, but Hondal has escaped. Again. Vondal is going mad trying to find secret passages. Vorest says that he could have possibly gone in the stone floor with a spell.
We wait, and Hondal eventually comes out of the ground. We beat him up, and Vondal mentions that Vorest should try Moonbeam on him. She does, her last spell, and he bubbles and burns to a crisp. We worriedly told Captain Darren. He searched Hondal's house and found dead people and an altar to Loviatar, and, eventually, thanked us.
We go ad check out Hondal's soup kitchen (instead of his orphanage). We see that a dozen or so beggars, all varieties of people. There appears to be a halfling in charge. Vandederp speaks up and Miriah, the halfling, suggests going to the back to be put to work. Vandederp also introduces us. I stay out front and help serve - the others go to the back. They tell me after that they are put to work by Guy, and that he says Hondal spends quite a lot of money on food to help them. Miriah and I serve all the people. I ask about Hondal, and she says that he is really good at getting donations. I ask if she knows anything about the orphanage and she mentions it is just "over there." He seems to care about the poor. He has even gotten some of the meaner lords to donate. After everyone leaves, I realize that Miriah looks worried. She mentions there are normally more people and that she was hoping to see Gwyneth, a girl who was having troubles at home. I offer to ask after her - a human with raven hair, white skin, and a birth mark on her temple. She likes to hang out around the market.
We decide to head to the market. We don't find her, but we do find someone wearing a Loviatar symbol. Vondal tracked him to a house. He comes back to us, and tells us about the house. We go back to get armour and such, and then return to the house. Vondal listens at the door and then opens it up. We follow him in. We are attacked by some cultists. One of them has another address on them.
We update Captain Darren on our adventures, and head back to the inn.
We go to the salon to get fancied up. It is very weird. Vandederp gets polished up. Vondal gets braids done. Vorest gets her hair done to look wild, like her hair is branches. I get my horns buffed and a simple elegant updo.
A carriage comes for us and we head to the nice part of town. The houses are HUGE. Captain Darren meets us outside. He brings us inside and he is announced. Captain Darren whispers to the page, and then we are announced, as the heroes of Kelethoen.
We are greeted by a lanky fellow who seems happy, and surprised, to see Captain Darren. His name is Thadeus Stormshield. His eyes catch my attention, they are lilac coloured. Captain seems quite at ease with him. We go around and meet many other people - Lady Gwendoline and her son Renwick Starsong, Pikesworn, Jebeto Often, who is a gnome, Barion Elfdonus, who is a high elf, Judge Donald Olearson, Lady Millicent Greytower, Magus Aleria, another high elf, Abbot Warren Traderson, who worships Waukeen. There are many, many more - and I don't remember them. I am not one to remember so many people in such a short amount of time!
We eat and chit chat with those who will. Captain Darren leaves and asks us to behave - I believe we are doing well! Thadeus comes back with Hondal - who acts like he does not know us. He mentions that he's opened a soup kitchen and we, innocently, of course!, ask if we could help. It is located on Summerslee Way. After a while Hondal re-approaches without witness, and points out that we haven't done anything to hurt his operations in Kelethoen, and saunters away again.
Captain Darren comes back and asks how our evening is going and is surprised to hear that Hondal is *the* Hondal. He asks that we have evidence before we make a move, as he is favoured by many in the upper classes of Kelethoen.
The night gets later, and eventually we head back to the inn.
We head to Southden. We see three warehouses, and check them out.
We go looking for the Pale Unicorn. The first warehouse we see by the Pale Unicorn, has cultists. We break in the back door and attack Hondal & Agothea. It's a rough battle, but we destroy them.
As we are looking through the back rooms, one of us is watching the two people who had been chained to the wall. They are clambouring over Hondal and it's quite disturbing.
Vandederp comes back in the room and asks where Hondal went. WHAT?!?! When did he get away? HOW did he get away? Oh, we are going to really get him now.
We get the guards, and show them the murdered people closet. (Yes, there was a murdered people closet). They are not very disgusted by this and it makes me wonder what they see, that this isn't bad.
We return to the house.
A nice peaceful day, we arrived back at Kelethoen. We go to the Jumping Giant, and who is there, but Hondal. The townsfolk do not seem to trust him. There is a woman sitting with him, and is introduced as Agothea, High Priestess of Loviatar. They are disappointed that we don't want to join them. The barkeep has also kicked us out as it seemed we were in cahoots with the foul Hondal. Hondal, it appears, has returned to his wicked ways. We choose to sleep in alleys for the night. I do not believe this will bode well.
We are still here, and we are going to go further down in this foul place. We found more skeletons and zombies - perchance my skills are improving, as I killed more skeletons than before, and once I hit what seemed faster than normal. I guess all this practice is improving! While we were down there, we found the fellow who wrote the letter somewhat explaining this insanity - Hondal. He explained that he was extremely hungry, and Vondal gave him a set of rations. It didn't seem to ease his hunger, so we loudly suggested that it would be handy if the bear could turn "human" and create some goodberries. It is so odd how quickly something so bizarre becomes commonplace - as with Vandederp's firebreath. Did I mention this previously? It appears his draconic nature leaves him some benefits.
Hondal tries one of the berries, doubt clear on his face. As he chews, his face changes to euphoric and he comments on how amazed he is to not feel hunger, a beast that has been in his belly for DECADES. I can not even imagine. He says when the undead came, he tried to plea for his life and protection to Loviatar, and she laughed and granted him a sort of immortality, for he cannot die, though he has tried - by his own hand, and by fleeing the zombies and skeletons. In thanks, he told us of a secret passage (though not the traps that lay within) and ran off into the distance - far from this place. I hope he chooses a good life after the trick his god played on him, I would not like to find him again, and have him my enemy.
His secret passage led to a treasure room, where magic slippers let you walk on walls and ceilings. The group decided that I would make best use of them, so I shall need to meditate to learn their ways. We also found a mace that Vondal was quite excited to use against the skeletons. Oh, and a significant amount of coin - it will be good to replenish our food and supplies.
We took a bit of a break to rest and heal up a bit. We also finished the goodberries.
After our break, we continued down the passage and found an absolutely destroyed laboratory. I am curious as to what they were doing, but this makes no sense to my mind.
We are done the basement and on heading to the floor above, we are told that there is only one place left - the place that went up.
So we go there, and find the formal entrance to this place. There are columns dedicated to Loviatar, and they would be beautiful if I admired this god. We go to the exit and head back to the village. We will probably find somewhere to rest for the night.
