The Lady in Purple Leads the Party to Oosith - Ch.3 (+1 lvl, Kraken's Gamble) - Session 17
[https://www.reddit.com/r/stormkingsthunder/comments/l973o2/from\_the\_blue\_dragon\_to\_the\_hands\_of\_yartar\_ch3\_1/](https://www.reddit.com/r/stormkingsthunder/comments/l973o2/from_the_blue_dragon_to_the_hands_of_yartar_ch3_1/) \- Previously our heroes slayed a Young Blue Dragon who sought to silence them for anything they learned in the Cloud Giant's crashed tower. They reached Yartar and learned from the Thieves' Guild: Hands of Yartar that the fate of the young disowned-noble Harthal (and his Maul of Giant-Slaying) is tied with a mysterious woman in a purple dress who frequents a gambling cruise called the 'Grand Dame.'.
The cast of DnD Comrades.
* Ransom - Tiefling Cleric of Thor. * Paxton Hightower - Human Wizard. * Otto Norona - Gnome Rogue/Fighter. * Creedun Grungerock - Dwarven Bard. * Sir Oswald Pinkerton - Human Paladin/Warlock.
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(((The following content is based off a DM's Guild supplement called 'The Kraken's Gamble,' not found in the Storm King's Thunder module))).
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The Adventurers wonder amongst themselves if it would be too risky to socialize aboard a guarded vessel filled with affluent clientele just to interrogate one woman who probably isn't interested in answering their questions. Instead they plan to stake out the docks and surrounding neighborhoods and see if they can see the Lady in Purple before she goes to the boat.
But first: a shopping montage!
* Paxton buys some 'Beastiary' tomes and manuals on 'Exotic Animals of Chult' from a store called "The Book-Wyrm" owned by a rotund Half-Orc with thin wire-frame glasses. * Otto buys a 'Beginners Guide to Jotun' with intro lessons on learning the Giant-Tongue and a complete review of their most commonly used Runes. * Otto, Creedun, and Sir Oswald refresh their supply of x-bow bolts and javelins. * Sir Oswald also wants to see a Tobacconist and finds one called 'Tabaxi's Tabacci.' There he buys 1 gold's worth of the most fragrant smokes he can find. Gray-Cloud - the Shoppe's owner directs him to a brand called 'Troglodite's Curse.' Otto buys some of the high-end strain called 'Mithril Stem.'
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Back to the task at hand, the group spreads out near the harbor district.
Otto sees a crew readying The Grand Dame for the evening's festivities; receiving crates of supplies and foods to be brought aboard, fixing paper lanterns strung up along the edge.
Paxton sees an attractive young woman who matches the general description of the "Lady in Purple" heading towards the docks. Although she isn't wearing it, she carries an elegant purple dress on a hanger - along with some other belongings. Paxton messages Creedun to move to intercept.
Creedun gets ahead of her and turns back so they cross paths. As he does he pretends to trip and drop his dulcimer and some other odds and ends right at her feet. She jumps back a step after coming to a halt but then shifts her own belongings around to be able to help him pick up his. As she hands them back to the Dwarf their eyes meet as in the Rom-Com genre of Bardic Theatre and Creedun casts \*\*Suggestion.\*\*
Creedun: "I don't mean to be forward, but I'd love to get a drink with you. Come with me and answer my questions honestly?"
Mystery Woman: (blinks a few times as she stares back) "Okay. That sounds lovely."
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They go to a nearby tavern called 'Dock Evans' and order some drinks. Creedun begins with small talk and learns that her name is Atalia, that she has been on many dates and that dating Dwarves isn't at all unfamiliar to her. In fact, her involvement with the Grand Dame is working as an Escort and meets many of her clients there. She asks a couple questions of her own about how and why Creedun came to Yartar.
Paxton sits nearby feeding lines of questioning to Creedun via the Messaging spell. Creedun asks about Harthal Zymorven. Initially Atalia claims not to remember many specifics about her customer, but then breaks her act.
Creedun hears her voice *inside his mind*, (((It's not safe to talk here. Can we meet later to discuss this somewhere more private?))) Creedun isn't able to reply telepathically in turn so he just raises his eyebrows up and down to signal that he understands.
Paxton notices the cadence of their conversation gets strange and Messages Creedun again, "What's going on over there." Creedun tells him to hold off and that he "can't handle this many voices in his head." (hahaha).
Alluding to his friends Creedun asks Atalia if she'd like to meet his family she replies, "Yes, that would be nice" but also says in his mind, (((Yes, bring your whispering friend along as well.))) She says she must be going for now but telepathically tells him to follow her after she leaves the Grand Dame, sometime before sunrise the next day - and to (((follow at a distance; use discretion.)))
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Creedun reconvenes with the group and tells them everything. Paxton sends his familiar to keep an eye on Atalia, both in case meeting with them has endangered her and in case she tries anything suspicious. The group turns in for the evening at an Inn called the 'Wink and Kiss.'
Creedun is crushing quite a bit that night, "Paxton, do you think I should get 'Atalia' tattooed on my arm or is it too soon?" Paxton advises against it and Creedun responds, "I'll ask Otto. He'll tell me what I want to hear." But the Gnome does no such thing :)
Paxton's familiar reports back that Atalia dropped her stuff off at the Grand Dame, went home, then came back to board the riverboat at dusk. Nothing out of what was expected. And with that the party goes to bed early so they can wake up well before sunrise.
Creedun wakes up even a little before everyone else to make sure he looks his best for when he sees Atalia again - beeswax for his beard and the whole works!
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They position themselves around the Harbor before sunrise and let Paxton's owl be their eyes. Copernicus the Familiar follows Atalia off the Grand Dame and in the low light of an approaching dawn they do their best to follow the owl. She turns down a narrow, dark alley and waits there. When they arrive, Copernicus informs Paxton that she'd cast a couple spells on herself as she walked. They all duck into the alley and begin to talk in low voices.
Atalia confesses that she's played a direct role in abducting young Harthal Zymorven but that she didn't feel entirely in control as she did so.
She tells them about a powerful and manipulative sorcerer named Oosith who has driven a psychic wedge into her mind, probably awakening her telepathy but also making her something of a puppet. She knows little about him other than his power over the mind. The group is familiar with the name, as it was included in a note they found in the Sewer Hag's lair back in Waterdeep.
They ask her about the Kraken Society and show her a symbol they've seen associated with it. She says she doesn't recognize the name but has definitely seen that symbol in the Sewer. She elaborates that the sewer is where she brings the unwitting people. There is an intermediary force of "fish-people" that take them from her to a hatch that leads downward. She's never been down there but has gathered that's where Oosith's "office" is.
After being prompted she says Zymorven definitely had a fancy-looking hammer-like weapon that he brought with him, along with other belongings they raided together from his apartment.
Paxton warns her that he's going to cast a spell on himself: Detect Magic and he sees two overlapping Abjuration auras on her. She admits that she felt the need to take precautions since she was planning to meet a group of armed adventurers in a dark alley all alone.
The group agrees to take on Oosith and she thanks them profusely but adds that they should avoid mentioning her at all - on the off chance they fail - in case he comes after her in retaliation. She leads them as far as she dares into the sewer and parts ways saying, "I'll wait outside as long as I can. If it feels unsafe I'll go into hiding."
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They head deep into the sewer, cross a few bridges over the foul water and discover most of the surfaces to be coated in a slimy substance. They pass a couple rusty grates which look to serve the purpose of releasing excess water during flooding.
They continue onward and come to some collapsed walls, revealing empty nooks of rubble set back a ways behind the sewer. Strewn about are rotted satchels and refuse laying scattered about near watery sink holes. Ahead is the hatch downward that Atalia described to them.
Before checking out the hatch Otto pokes into the rubble and investigates one of the satchels to find a few coins. Ransom joins him and just around one corner near a larger sinkhole is a faintly glowing blade - what appears to be a magical longsword. As Ransom reaches for it, it seems to vanish and the nearby water explodes as a large scaly tentacled creature leaps forth to ambush the Cleric of Thor!
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Continued - [https://www.reddit.com/r/stormkingsthunder/comments/mjqa73/oosith\_the\_very\_human\_sorcerer\_the\_krakens\_gamble/](https://www.reddit.com/r/stormkingsthunder/comments/mjqa73/oosith_the_very_human_sorcerer_the_krakens_gamble/)