Arrowlein - Part 1

After capturing two rather dim-witted bandits, the adventurers pressed on toward the City of Arrowlein.  Kriv escorted the prisoners back to Astra for further interrogation by Kregis.  It is hoped that they may prove more useful than they initially appeared.

The remaining three members - Erik, Aislinn, and Hyacinth - encountered a rather greedy city guard, but they passed by him without incident.  Even in a corrupt city, the name of the Guardians can hold great influence.

Our travelers consulted with the local chapter of the Guardians - a Tiefling named Shen, and a local nicknamed Bull.  They determined from these two oddfellows that they would need to petition the Tribunal of Arrowlein in order to obtain the right hand of King Thorn.  It was also revealed that at least one Tribunal member (by the name of Talrand Red-Heath) was a staunch supporter of the Guardians.  The other Tribunal members, however, might not be so favorable - in particular, Minister Balen.

A meeting was arranged at the Cliffside Inn.  During the interim, Erik asked to pay his respects at the local shrine of Pelor.  Aislinn accompanied him inside, but Hyacinth - as a follower of Asmodeus - chose to wait outside.  The pixie managed to cause some chaos by slicing the ear of a Halfling who propositioned her quite lewdly.  The Halfling tried to report Hyacinth to the guard, only to have said guard distracted by Erik with (true) reports of a disingenuous priest.

Chaos in the marketplace abated, the adventurers continued to their meeting with Talrand.  He did indeed prove to be a useful ally, giving helpful information on the rest of the Tribunal.  Upon his advice, a meeting was arranged with the Tribunal for the next morning.

After leaving the meeting, the characters were ambushed by a gang of Halflings, led by the one previously cut by Hyacinth.  The pint-sized marauders, however, were easily knocked out.  Just as the party was about to loot the unconscious Halflings, the city guard intervened (wishing to loot the Halfings themselves).

The next morning, the three heroes (and Shen) were presented to the Tribunal.  The atmosphere was rather hostile, but the Tribunal was willing to listen.  It was agreed that Kregis should address the Tribunal personally the next day, courtesy of a ritual performed by another friendly Tribunal member.

Left with a day that had nothing scheduled, Shen was asked to inquire with the local underworld about the red-skinned Dragonborn who had been hiring mercenaries.  Aislinn began providing meals to the local street urchins, as well as promising more in return for information. Unfortunately, she also managed to attract the attention of a rather inebriated group of Dwarves.  The Dwarves attempted to abduct her, but they were dissuaded by Erik.

After finding a quieter location to rest, the adventurers were awakened in the night by Shen.  He was returning with word that the Consortium - a local crime syndicate disguised as "a philosopher's organization" - had been solicited by the red-skinned Dragonborn just a few hours prior.

As the session closed, the party was preparing to visit the Consortium in the morning before the second meeting with the Tribunal.