Chapter 3 - Session 9 - Get up and get down with the Sickness

A quiet dew covered morning welcomes us. The first calm peaceful morning since we arrived in Len's Hollow. Dugan and Amani share a nice moment as we prepare to leave the town off for our next destination, Berana. Dugan did gift her a small parting memento from her childhood. A carving of Her, Dugan and Murderlegs. Amani gave him a tight hug before finishing their packing. We decide to procure a wagon and a couple horses to ease the burden on our feet and give our legs some much needed rest. Odra and Amani fronted the bill for them and affectionately named the horses Scooby and Left Horse. With that and some final provisions bought we were on the road.

One morning on our travel we woke to a heavy fog rolling across the valley. In the mist was the silhouette some large creature just outside our field of clarity. Whatever it was it was huge and menacing. Amani asked me to help us sneak past it. We got through but the stress took a tax on the group and we were all exhausted from the ordeal.

Later on the journey Odra noticed a strange sigil carved into a stump on the side of the road. Bruin and Her wanted to investigate it but Amani mentioned she recognized it as more Syndicate BS. Some kind of dead drop location. I took a look to make sure it wasn't booby trapped first but it was all a waste of time. There was nothing there.

A few days passed and Bruin spotted a crashed Syndicate drone on off the side of the road. We got down and I was able to extract a silver orb from the wreckage. That could come in handy later.

We came to a damaged bridge. Z'ed was able to jump across to the other side and let down the bridge to allow the wagon to cross.

Then not even a few days later Klackers started hearing spirits and needed Bruin to help calm them down. Chanting a prayer it released the spirits from that place.

A lot of strange stuff kept happening along the trip. I spotted a mechanical bird flying dropping leaflets overhead advertising for the Aeternal Health of the Guildmasters. Bruin was able to knock it out of the sky and we could scrap the gears for some nice coin later on.

As we made it further north the dirt made way to cobblestone and a smaug filled horizon. We started passing more people coming from Berana and none traveling towards the city like us. The people we passed looked to have seen better days scared faces and children coughing up smoke and soot. A mother warned us that they aren't letting people in and they were checking for something called "The Taint". Some ailment is spreading through the people in the area and it doesn't look natural. Klackers took a look at a few of the afflicted and it didn't appear to be a disease but rather some rejection of magical energy by the body. Not contagious but definitely fatal to those who have it. Odra tried to gather some information about when it started and any kind of history as to help figure out what's going on here and what's going on at the city. She found out that they are using some scanning device to detect this "Taint" people are afflicted with. She did also hear that there is a sewer entrance that could be used to enter the city more stealthily. Unfortunately she couldn't find any info as to why its happening though. We made our way closer to the city and got a better look at these "scanners". Every so often one of the rods will let out a sound and the individual isn't arrested and thrown into jail but rather imprisoned in a black box marked with a sigil. No idea where they are to be taken to from there. We noticed that they started inspecting those entering more carefully. We can tell they are looking for us. For helping those sick outside?! Seriously?!
Klackers and I decide to take our chances going through the main entrance. We make it through easy enough without setting off any of the rods as neither of us are magic attune. Unfortunately we got stopped by the Captain of the guard and asked for our paperwork which of course we had none. Klackers' quick thinking convinced her we had misplaced out paperwork and she let us continue with a stern warning. He and I decided to post up at one of the local bars assuming Bruin and the rest would find us there when they made it into town safely.

Below the gates the rest of the group find there way into the sewer system. Entering the bowels of the industrial beast that is the city. Sewage, crud and the cities toxic sins flowing around their ankles. This ended up being its own challenge as the city didn't have guards per se but did have some robots and sentries around the sewers. They successfully maneuvered past without notice and came out in a run down grimy part of the sewer. Workers pulling carts cleaning. Idk what those poor saps did to get a job down there but that is a terrible life. The group exited the sewer in the slag area of the city. Odra had been slipped a note by one of the workers she passed in the sewers and it mentions a place in town called the Rusted Anchor. She thinks Idris will be waiting for her there.

Klackers and I were casually enjoying some drinks waiting for the rest of the group. I had to try this Ale drink they kept talking about. The liquid was less beer and ale like and more akin to motor oil and smelled like oxidized copper. Not cold but rather hot and acidic tasting of iron and metal with a piney sweet aftertaste. The room began to numb around me and my cares drifted away. As the room faded I think I remember seeing our friends walk in but I was pretty gone by then . . .