Once the adventurers have reached the nearest Bloodclaw settlement they are brought before the local chieftain, who gives them a chance to become honorary members of the tribe by undertaking a proving quest. After tracking down some bog troll raiders and dispatching those monsters along with a few other beasts in a cavern nearby, the PCs earn the trust of the demon hunters and are given a trollbone mace, made privy to all the Bloodclaw have to offer—food, shelter, and most important of all, information. The P.R.A.N.K.S.T.ER.S.[BTW GMs: in case you missed it, those cypher notes have been decoded! —MM] have been seen in the area, heading into a maze-like part of the Muddy Mangroves. The Bloodclaw that befriended the PCs (a woman barbarian human named Varssadd) agrees to help them through the labyrinth, promising that her knowledge of the fiendish Mud King’s bogs of bane will prove vital to their success.
It’s been an exciting build-up and we’re steadily moving toward a crescendo, so make sure to join us throughout August as we take the party through the Vast Swamp of Aventyr in Bogs of Bane!
Explore some of what Shlyappa has to offer throughout the rest of Stealing Stones, and make sure to tune in tomorrow to see the first signs of the P.R.A.N.K.S.T.E.R.S. in this far flung place!
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As the PCs crossed the Mohkba River in the end of Strange Salve some thugs waylaid them on the water. On their persons the party finds a damning note related to the P.R.A.N.K.S.T.ER.S. and shortly after reaching the docks of the Klavek Kingdom’s capital, an address appears on the parchment. Following it to an abandoned theater on 531 Ripkorski Way, the adventurers become pawns in *the game of a powerful, strange old mage, made to do battle against an *opsjena! After proving their worth, he introduces himself as Jesker the Great, a member of an obscure arcane order (the Sideribus Volunt). The nefarious criminal cabal targeting the PCs are his adversaries, and the mage needs the party to act when and where he cannot.
To cement his noble intentions and as a show of good will, the old wizard gives the adventurers several magical curatives, including the incredibly potent sideribus sanabit salve. Jesker knows of a P.R.A.N.K.S.T.E.R.S. shipment coming into Mohkba and *the PCs manage to ambush the criminals—or so it seems! Blood thralls*, horrible mangled creatures mutated by unknown means, burst from casks in the wagon and attack as more of the ne’er-do-wells appear to flank the adventurers! [Tomorrow in Mendacious Materials the party gets another crack at the real resource being carted around by their enemies, though astute readers may have figured that out already! -MM]
The adventurers finally reach the Refuge of the North, Enixam, a town of lepers and outcasts pushed out of the Klavek Kingdom’s capital across the Mohkba River. With the serafin salve given to them by Antonio Casta to deliver to the leader of the settlement, the party finally reaches Baroness Grandaj’s Estate, bringing the concoction directly to the ostracized noble. Though things go badly within her home, the PCs are free to explore Enixam afterwards though for the pristine of form, there are plenty of dangers to had—both from irate citizenry and the occasional curse.
The would-be assassins were all wearing inflatable gauntlets so even if the ship is scuttled, the adventurers have a reliable means to finish crossing the river but once there, more danger is afoot. Troublemakers within the party find that their ilk is not tolerated very well in the capital—noble estates are protected by disfiguring statue traps and the waterside homes of the wealthy are liberally equipped with water globe traps.
Much more is revealed in this weekend’s sidequest as we bring Strange Salve to a close, so make sure to stay tuned and follow the AaWBlog 2015 Adventure Path as we journey into June with Mendacious Materials!