Session V - Bargewright Inn

Our company of heroes is brought down from the tower with the help of their newfound Aaracokra allies to investigate the mutilated body of Thurl Merosska. They loot a finely ornated ring which they identify as a ring of featherfall. 

Sitting on the ground, Halvarth starts chanting in a gloomy use of necromantic magic that allows him to ask The Feathergale lord commander further questions. The latter answers cryptically and does not seem very inclined to help the heroes. He does however admit that others are already aware of his downfall and his organization is seeking death and destruction in the Dessarin valley. 

The group then decides to make the trek back up the tower to spend the rest of the day and recover their forces overnight. Looking through the spyglass at the top of the spire, they spot two silhouettes disappearing through a hole in the ravine. They also can see a few fire lights further downstream along the river. Sending Owl the Owl as a scout, Elthas manages to get a glimpse of a group of Gnolls before his animal companion is taken out by an arrow.

The next morning, our adventuring party head out to investigate the gully facing the tower in the ravine. There, they find a stone slab engraved with dwarven markings, which is clearly some kind of entrance. Despite some efforts, the door won't bulge. Nevertheless, Klaes manages to identify a word in the markings that could be interpreted as either "blood" or "lineage". With his keen eyesight, Elthas manages to understand some foliage has been carefully placed around the area as to alert anyone that people have came by. 

The group finally leaves, heading back towards Red Larch in order to get the horses and make its way towards Womford to investigate the dwarven book that had been taken from the hands of Endrith Vallivoe. On the way back to town, the party comes face to face with a group of mercenaries, one of which wearing mask and armor very similar to Larrakh's accoutrement. Tico makes short work of the attackers by throwing a fireball at the group before Trash lunges forward at the escaping cultist and tackle him down. The latter ends up admitting he's nothing but an hired sword by the Black Earth cult who has instructed him to kill anyone he could find in this area in exchange for gold. Out of the goodness of his heart, Halvarth gives the kid a handful of coins, enough for him to buy medicine for his sick family and send him on his way.

After a long day riding eastwards, our heroes finally arrive at the shores of the Dessarin river that can only be crossed by barges controlled by the Bargewright Inn managment. They party head towards the Inn in order to spend the night and buy a passage towards Womford village the next day. They are surprised to find an area that's completely warded by wooden defensive walls inside which they find a full camp of shady looking characters, sharpening blades and looking at them sideways.

One such character is standing in a doorframe, dressed in a full plate armor with an eye patch, her long red air resting on her shoulder, seemingly gauging the characters as they find their way inside the inn, watching their backs.

Once inside, the barkeep crudely asks the purpose of their visit. He quickly interrupts Halvarth who had started replying, identifying the company members as "the city folks who stirred troubles in Red Larch". Without much more ceremony, the party is led upstairs in Nalaskur Thaelond's office who runs this place. 

After brief pleasantries, Nalaskur makes it clear he controls the barges traversing the Dessarin river and our heroes must assassinate one Chalaska Muruin, in order to get any kind of service in that regard. Everyone in the party being quite uneased by the proposal, Nalaskur points out Chalaska is harbouring a dwarven prisoner and that tips the scale in favour of going forward with the assassination. More specifically, he admits some strange markings have started appearing in and around the village's harbour, the dwarven prisoner was caught stealing from the keelboats and Chalaska having a hand in her arrest tells him she's plotting something that he's being kept unaware of.

Elthas along with Owl the Owl scouts the barracks in which Chalaska and her crew are bunkering and confirms the presence of a dwarven captive. He also witnesses a humanoid figure that seems to be plagued with weird barnacle-like protuberances on his skin. Elthas also estimates at roughly twenty, the number of enemies they would be facing, should they decide to kick the door opened and go in weapons blazing.