Session #19 - Po's Barrel of Bribes
In our last session, the party takes a moment to breathe after successfully repelling a monstrous onslaught from outside Cretia’s broken wall. But billowing smoke emerges from one of the Canid’s homes and Daddy’s Little Firefighters jump into action. Maria and Veera calmly pick up burning coals with their bare hands while Kiwi uses a priceless family heirloom to smother the flames. The crisis is put to an end with Sally leaping through the window and vomiting water and little bits of crab all over this family’s home.
Not long after this conflict is resolved does Cretia’s leader finally make an appearance. Governor Kross, a broad lizardfolk who is as imposing as he is stressed, arrives in front of the party with a platoon of sleepy guards who have come to assess the crisis. After hearing of what you’d encountered, Governor Kross determines that the safest course of action is to move all of Cretia’s residents inside of Fortressa’s protective, stone walls.
It’s here that you learn of the Estergan Agricouncil and its role in making Cretia so dependent on its fruit exports. Kross also expresses woe over individuals who protest Cretia’s reliance on the Moats and their capacity to amplify the amount of fruit that this jungle city can produce.
After helping guide the Logjammers patrons to safety, Po leads some of you to go down into Fortressa’s prison to do some fact-checking on what you had all learned from Governor Kross. With a barrel of candied beetles in tow, Po begins prying our old friend Persnifitus (and his jailmate, Chester) for answers about the Moats. He confirms that yes, the Moats are an invasive species hailing from the Feywilds – and by eating and excreting seeds they empower plants with an unnatural vitality that doubles their yield. These Fey origins also provide the Moats with an alluring pelt that poachers like Mr. Kline simply cannot resist.
With a successful interrogation behind you, Willow & Vine take a moment to point out that Kaladin’s legs have taken on a noticeably black tinge. Our young druid insists that he feels no pain – and he truly doesn’t – and so there is no need for concern. Dubious of these claims, Willow slaps Kaladin with a longstrider spell as Vine demands he proves his little hams are indeed in working order.
And this leads us to our final scene. It is evening – the sun is setting. Yuka, somehow left behind in the wake of the day’s events, is approached by his winded compatriot just as he is finishing up a silkworm afghan to replace the one that had perished earlier. It is as our two druids collide, that a third figure enters the picture. Serpica, somehow not amongst those who had been evacuated, approaches young Kaladin after taking stock of his afflicted legs.
Yuka is immediately on guard and wastes no time in summoning a saber tooth tiger between the groups. The old potion seller is taken aback, but insists, with teary eyes, that he let her look at the boy. With hesitation, you both allow her to examine as she puts herself between Kaladin and has her back to Yuka. In the air, she silently writes a message of fear, warning, and defiance.
Thinking quickly, Yuka is able to momentarily dispel this unknown watcher’s gaze and gives Serpica a chance to further explain. As she beckons for you to find her notes, she warns that it is her amethyst ring that she is being watched from – and before she can finish Yuka has already brought down his staff in an attempt to remove her hand. He manages to break her wrist, but ichor begins seeping from the ring accompanied by a disembodied voice that replies with a “no”