Raleigh D&D 5E - Session #5 - Breaking Trust with a Renegade Wizard

This session's miscreants:

Vyn the (red) dark elven dragon sorcerer

Rolin the (yellow) wood elven rogue

Drael the (blue) goliath barbarian 

and his unnamed, always hungry (red) saber-tooth tiger companion

Last time the party retrieved a wand for the wizard Tereval the Terrible (fomerly Tereval the Purple) from a haunted plantation home on the edge of the Ulmic swamp. Not without first being cursed to have their skins be primary colors by enchanted fruit. Deciding that they wanted no part in Tereval's coming insurrection against Lord Thern, but mostly desiring to keep the wand for themselves they traveled west to the imperial mountain fortress city of Perrol-on-the-Mount. This was on the suggestion of Rolin the wood elven thief after he picked up a mysterious holy symbol and had a distinct vision of the city. On their journey they opted to camp until they reached Perrol so that they could get as much a head start as possible before Tereval realized they bailed on him. Hopefully he will just assume they failed like so many before them...

Once arriving in the city, Rolin spent the night in disguise talking to drunk merchants in order to learn about the city's history and movers and shakers. Once he finally slept he had a vision a four armed shadowed androgynous figure who spoke to him before a rough stone alter on a barren mountain top. "I am Mephala, the anticipation, the unknown whisperer, teacher of secret arts, and lord of the eight shadows of murder. I have long sought a new mortal disciple in your world. Seek my artifact, the golden apple, held by a servant of my rival in the hidden palace. I will pull the strings to make your way. Return and revive my cult." This was followed by a vision of a magnificent desert city lost in the great Tangari badlands further west. Rolin awakened a multi-classed rogue and death cleric.

Meanwhile, Vyn, Drael and his saber-tooth tiger companion wandered conspicuously throughout town. Between the red elf in a tight black hooded cloak with rad interior lining patterns, the 7' tall blue goliath barbarian and his red saber-tooth tiger pet they attracted a lot of attention. They finally came to a magic shop, and inquired about getting their colored curses removed and possibly acquiring some magic items. The shop keep said he usually doesn't have anything magical on hand but said he would keep an eye out. He said he could create a potion from the remains of the cursed fruit they had but that his last shipment from the capital had been robbed on the road through the Tangari badlands by Tangari tribesmen. If they could recover that shipment he would be more than willing to reward them, otherwise they would have to wait for another shipment of materials, and that could take months...He also pointed them to Lupus Loricatus, the local imperial representative, who is a collector of ancient manuscripts, curiosities, and other rarities to perhaps bring their treasure to for sale or appraisal. Before leaving, Vyn purchased a more comfortably sized plain black hooded cloak.

Following this advice the reunited party visited the manor of said Lupus Loricatus. They also asked for trade in magic items. This he was unwilling to do, for the moment, but happily payed them cash for their treasure. He said he may have opportunities to further their relationship if they would recover a text called the Yaga's Book of the Dead from a ziggurat within a lost city in the badlands. Lupus suggested that perhaps the Tangari tribesmen might know something of it.

Feeling impatient and being wary of attracting more attention they determined to leave that afternoon. Vyn and Rolin purchased some riding horses, though Drael decided to forego the expense claiming : "I am already as fast as a horse." With traveling goods packed on their new horses, they set off the west side of Perrol into the Tangari badlands to search of forgotten cities and brigand tribesmen.