Session 23 - To Turtleback Ferry

Fireday Lamashan 18 around 6PM

A dwarf dressed in deep green with a patch that had a fist clutching three arrows approached Phain. He introduced himself as Khazen Dren, a ranger belonging to the Order of the Black Arrows, a group of rangers located at Fort Rannick and charged with protecting the area around it and Turtleback Ferry. He just arrived in Magnimar to request more people to be assigned to Fort Rannick as the activity of the Kreeg ogres have increased. When he heard Phain talking about evil coming to Fort Rannick, it caught his attention.

After exchanging some information they parted ways.

Starday Lamashan 19 around 9am

The day started out with some shopping at the Golemworks. They sold off their extra magic item and spent their money on some upgrades. When they returned to their townhouse they had a message from the Mayor requesting their presence. They headed out to see the mayor and were surprised to see Khazen there. The mayor wasn't convinced that it was as dire as the rangers were saying and decided he would send their group as his assessors to determine the situation there. Phain wanted a parade and the mayor suggested the parade's grandeur would be determined on how much he would have to spend on sending troops to Fort Rannick.

Khazen was also with another ranger from Fort Rannick called Vale. They were all taking the boat back on Wealday. Phain decided to take a trip to Sandpoint and visit his wife before leaving. He hired some guards for his estate as well as some more help.

Wealday Lamashan 23 around 6AM

The boat leaving for Turtleback Ferry left Magnimar starting a week long trip. Phain spent most of his trip studying the Black Tome found at the Runelord of Sloth's seal.

Toilday Lamashan 29 around 6PM

After a week of travel the group finally arrived at Turtleback Ferry. The weather was turning colder and the rains were constant. Turtleback Ferry had earned its name from three ferries made of the shells of giant snapping turtles that had been slain by the town’s founder, a powerful fighter named Autek Lavendy, a hundred years ago. Since it was late they decided to stay at an inn before heading to Fort Rannick.

Phain was looking a little pale after leaving the boat, though he said he felt fine, just too much time under the deck. The party kept hearing stories about the Paradise, a gambling barge that sank a few days before. People would come from all over to gamble there. Everyone on board was presumed dead, including the owner, a woman named Lucrecia. The party had heard that name from Xanesha's letter. Preacher also noticed that the serving woman had the Sihedron rune tattooed on her shoulder. She said if you paid extra you could get a VIP pass at the Paradise. When asked how many people on board had that tattoo, she said all of them would as it was a special party for VIPs that night.

Wealday Lamashan 30 around 9AM

The group woke up and was having breakfast whent hey heard a commotion outside. The lake had started to overflow from all the rain and was rushing into the town. Khazen saved a little girl from being swept away by the current and was attacked by a river snake. Soon after a larger creature of legend swept into town. The party fought against it, but it was too powerful. It soon got bored and swam away. The water was receding a little. The mayor suggested to go to Skull's Crossing, a Thassilonian monument that regulated the level of water in the area. For water reason it wasn't working but it was infested with monsters. Khazen said he would check it out on the way to Fort Rannick.

The group headed out on some trails that Khazen and Vale knew. They approached Skull's Crossing and saw a section had broken away spilling water into Claybottom lake. The group climbed up the Stairway of Skulls, giant steps leading up to a cave.
Inside the cave was an Ettin that the party managed to dispatch, despite being separated by a 15 foot ledge.

That cave lead out to the top of Skull's Crossing, where the water level was at the top of the dam. Looking out they saw a group of ogres taking pick axes to the dam trying to break it. They were only chipping away at it, but seemed to be making some progress. The group attacked, Khazen sending off a fireball at the ogres chipping away at the wall, while Phain and the others attacked the leader. Vale fell in the water while moving up to attack and the ogre leader sensed an easy target and attacked him causing him to fall unconscious. The rest of the group took him out before he could do any more damage.

Preacher healed Vale and Khazen noticed they were Kreeg ogres, one of the more powerful ogre clans in the area, and the reason he had travelled to Magnimar.