No 1 Hobbits Detective Agency: Recipe for Danger

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Summary

GM Mike
Session: Summer 821
Night Sun
Location Brastor, Perry, Perigueux
Level Yes

Party:

• Sabastian -Mil Sci & Scribe
• Ishamael

Employer:
Olo, head of the No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency

Mission:

• Find Sapphire - missing senior agent
• Find out who killed two detectives near Charity

Summary

• Briefed about the missing and killed detectives
  
• Investigate forest and fight wolves
  
• Head to Perry (northern Rank)
• Find escapee hobbits in Perigueux
• Plague detected in Brastor
• Drop rescues back at guild for heading
• Head to see Megan, near Hobbit village
• Sneak into the caves at the base of the complex. Recover captured hobbits
• Break into Chateau, fight and capture the Lady
• Meet up with reinforcements and attack the mercenaries in the Chateau

Details

Take Two adventurers

One morning, later in Meadow, Sabastian and Ishamael are both interrupted at their respective homes with urgent request from Junior detectives to meet Olo, the head of the No#1 Hobbit Detective Agency, at their headquarters in Brastor Township. Upon their arrival they aren't even offered cream buns, which tells them both the situation is grave. Olo leads them down to the situation room and explains that Sapphire, his 2iC, is missing and may be dead, and two local detectives were murdered last night by wolves. Olo is frantic with worry as Sapphire is like a daughter to him.

Add a pinch of intrigue

He introduces us to Charles, a mid-rank detective who explains he was flying up north, near Rank, a number of weeks ago to visit family when a sudden storm forced him to land. He landed near a village, made for human sized people, but only inhabited by hobbits. A young couple sheltered him from the storm and offered him food, but they were usually quiet and nervous for his entire stay. As soon as the storm lessened, they insisted that he leave. He also noticed the howl of wolves around the village.

Charles returned from his family visit ten days go and and wrote up a report about the curious village. Olo decided to investigate, as there was no record of a hobbit village in that area, and send Sapphire and a juniors detective Drogot Tinyfoot, up to investigate a week ago. They failed to report back yesterday, as planned, and they Drogot later than the checking time and he reported Sapphire is missing and he is being hunted. To make matters worse two detectives were murdered north of Charity last night, the bodies had been feasted on little remained of their bodies. Wolves were heard night in the forest.

Olo needs so assistance, as they don't have the depth of magical talent available and sent missives to several adventures. We are to find out who killed the two detectives and rescue Sapphire. The coffers are open, they need quick results.

Mix with investigation

A team of detectives is being assembled in Charity and we fly there to liaise with them. Between local staff, and detectives from other towns, there are a dozen hobbits available. Sabastian takes charge, as this is a red capsicum level emergency and, following many minutes of magical buffing and handing our magical traps, the squad heads out.

The local detective, Jolly Longhole, leads us to where the bodies were found, on the edge of the forest near Andonville. There are wolf tracks around the site, some appear to be two exceptionally large ones. Strangely enough there appears to be some attempt to hide the tracks. It appears the detectives were killed on the road and bodies dragged to the forest. The detectives should have been on patrol in Charity and not outside the wall. Ishmael tries to talk to the dead but the spirits aren't replying. After a brief discussion we decide to fly a few miles west to see Helen, she lives close to the woods. Helen hasn't seen anything unusual, but her mountain lions generally keep her safe. We are in a rush so only stay for only one bun.

Fold in some danger

Werewolves attack

We decide to visit the other local inhabitant, Molly, who lives in the woods nearby. Sabastian, having recently leant military tactics, sneaks ahead of the group to look out for ambushes. He spots an enormous wolf, the size of a pony at the same time it spots him. The squad rush up to assist as the wolf howls, and wolves appear from various directions, there are almost thirty wolves in all. It appears they were staking out Mollys cave.

Extreme measures are taken and lightning bolts and blackfire are fired in all directions before close combat commences. Another large wolf leaps out and rips out Rotrude s throat. The wolves reel from the magical attacks and many flee, but start vicious wounding the squad, however a flash of light turns the tide and its looking like the now blind wolves will be beaten off – the largest blind wolves cast mass fear and web before they both retreat. Sabastian flys after the large one and peppers it with magic, killing it – whence it spontaneously bursts aflame. Ishmael fly after the other large wolve and lands on it, then drops it withs some well placed blows knocking it unconscious before takes it prisoner.

The captured wolf was wearing amour that contained many pockets, with potion and powders, as well as a backpack of sorts. Some quick magical examination revealed he was a shapechanger, so we turn it into a mouse with skinchange. Sancho was sent back to Charity to arrange for a wagon to assist the wounded and prisoner returning to Charity.

Let it cool

Back in the safety of the Charity detective agency the shape changer is divinated them imprisoned. Why unconscious a charm is cast on him and his new best friend, Sabastian, chats to him when he regains consciousness. He reveals much information but does not talk about "The Lady", his boss, we try to force him and he breaks the charm. We discuss the next options and hunt for another enchanter, we are lucky enough to find Villa passing through Seagate and he begrudgingly agrees to comes up to Brastor to assist. After many castings of charm he forces the Shapechanger to talk – we learn more but he still wont discuss "The Lady", there must be a binding in place. With little other information to reveal, Olo puts him on trial.

Stir in more adventure

Having gotten as much information we can, we get up before sunrise the next morning the, have an exceptionally early double breakfast, and begin an exceptionally long day of flying. We are heading to Perry, a small town north of Perigueux by the river, which is about 15 miles from the village Sapphire was investigating. Olo will send a message to Drogot telling him to meet us there. We arrive a few miles outside Perry in an overcast evening. Exhausted from a day of flying we head to town and find ourselves a table at the "Lonely Dog" and devour some rabbit stew and bread, explaining to the locals were travelling tinkers.

Drogot arrives just as we are finishing dinner and joins our table and we make small talk before arranging a private room so we can "play cards" with our new friend. Finally obtaining some privacy we debrief and Drogot explains he and Sapphire arrived last week, they decided to split up to gather information and Sapphrie failed to check in with him two days ago. He could not locate her with magic so raised the alarm with Olo. Drogot explains what he has discovered about the area, he is aware of the hobbits that escaped the village and has heard they have headed south, but are being hunted by rangers from the Castle. Howling has been heard near the town last night.

Turn up the heat

We suspect the hobbits are heading for Perigueux and the wolf shape changers will be hot on their trail, so we head out before sunrise (again) and fly to Perigueux, arriving there an hour later. We wander through the gates opens with the other travellers and start visiting mills and quickly find Pepin Underhill. Explaining who we are he agreed to come with us, we explain to the miller owner his aunt is very sick and he requires a week off to see her. Pepin leads us to Theod and we head back to their inn, in the poor part of town, to pick up their possessions. Pepin spots one of the ranger shape changers, who sees him, so we make haste, heading our of the back of the Inn while invisible and making our way out of town via one of the poorly guarded walls in the poor section of town.

Heading a mile out of town we hide in a copse of trees and explain at length the danger Pepin and Theod are in. They are very concerned; they want to help us but only if we promise to get them out of danger. The explain there are no old hobbits in town, when someone gets to their mid 20s they disappears. As theyre getting near the disappearing ago they, burning down the mill as a distraction. They saved food for their trip, but have little money. They fled three weeks ago, this is their first time out of town. There is no one skilled enough to make a new mill, they'll need to get external help to rebuild it. Also, there is one ancient hobbit, Old Megan, lives in the forest on a small hill near the waterfall. She has magic that stops the shape changes from seeing her or her house.

Beat with unpleasantness

We decide the escapees need completely away, as the shape changers are determined and have been chasing them for three weeks. Using a combination of flying and rune portals Sabastian transports the group a few hundred miles south to the outskirts of Alkazar. Soon after we arrive a wind whistle reaches Sabastian and Ishamael, Olo is calling them urgently back to Brastor, the plague is spreading. Sabastian and Ishamael are feeling a little under the weather! Another few hours later the group are back at the Guild, and healers confirm, and heal, Sabastian and Ishamael of measles and typhoid , they explain it was particularly difficult to heal . Leaving the escapees with the guild healers the party head to Brastor and Olo explains everyone that fought the shape changers are infected, and its spreading. Brastor authorities have put out a call for healers.

Leave to rest

We make our way to Charity and Olo explains a number of healers have response to his call for help, including master healers Sooty and Phaeton, and things are in hand so he would prefer that we continue trying to find Sapphire so we fly north. The other concerning news is that the imprisoned Shape-changer has disappeared, and there was a strong small of sulphur and brimstone in his cell. We portal back up to Perigaux and stealthily confirm the Miller and people in the Inn, the two spots that we spent most time, are free of disease. As the sun is setting, we make our way back to the Inn in Perry, where were at in the morning, settle in and eat while checking everyone aura for disease.

Blend with concern

Lightning Lake

The next morning we fly around lightning lake and land on the beach near the manor house, strangely there is no wharf. Following directions we may our way to the base of the waterfall and into the forest, and locate a small simple house about 60ft away from a barrow. We both get strange feelings in the area, it's a high mana zone. We wait for half an hour before Megan appears, she wasn't sure who we were and hid. We allay her concerns and sit down for some tea, she explains she has lived here for most of about 20 years and provides some useful information for us, including a rumour of a stranger being capture a few weeks ago. We think Sapphire may have been skin changed

Measure up a plan

We spend the day resting up and preparing for the heist. Sabastian crafts covers to place over the entry and exist holes that the dark spheres will make, Ishamael captures some rats to swap with the skin changed people, we scout out the area with crystals of vision and make some astrological readings.

As night falls, we sneak to toward the chateau with darks sphere in tow. Having snuck through the forests we head to the beach and avoid a patrolling wolf. While wading through the water along the cliffs edge we find an illusion covering an entrance, its surrounded by runes.

The wrong ingredients

Making an alternative entrance into the cavern with the Dark sphere we find a tunnel leading further into the cliff, however it is but its surrounded by bound earth. Slipping into the cavern we climb across a pile or rocks, that is turns out of be a rock elemental which viciously attacks us. Its fires its fists are us and retracts them on chains, while casting webs and slow spells at us.

It's a vicious fight, and its exceptionally resistant to the dark sphere, resisting it more than a dozen times. The Dark sphere finally calves off its leg, and we destroy the golem. Panting and bleeding, we sigh in relief. As were about to drink healing potions things get very tense as we hear clapping and a voice from the tunnel entrance congratulating us.

The figure reveals himself as a Tome Imp named Egor, a prisoner, he is willing to assist us if we help free him and assist him recovering an item. Egor explain alarm has been raised and Cicero, the head guard will be on the way, however its a fair distance from the chateau so we have some time. The good news is all the prisoners are held on this level.

Everything boils over

Egor leads us through the tunnels at the base of the cliff. We eventually find ourselves sneaking past a large pool containing a basilisk to a stone alter where Sapphire is lying unconscious. Sapphire has tubes and wires protruding out of her body leading to crystals and bottles and she is wearing the second half of the 'resurrection' band, we managed to free her and flee deeper into the complex.
We find other unconscious hobbit bodies in the complex, collecting them while leaving darkness and walls of star light in a wake to slow down the guards. We find a lab, looting that and leaving a special grenade behind on a timer to cause more chaos.

Having collected all the hobbit bodies in the complex, having skin changed some of them, we flee. Our luck runs out as we run into Cicero, in giant snake form, as we approach the door to the entry cavern. A few blackfires later he is catatonic, we surround him with starlight and flee. Escaping into the entry cavern, we cast wings and fly to freedom. Egor tell us to meet on the chateau balcony, and heads there. We land in the wood, hiding the hobbit bodies and head back to the chateau to meet Egor.

Its a bloody mess

We land on a chateau balcony and slip into a door that Egor has opened. Egor is just inside and explains he is looking for a book that binds him to the Lady, she normally has this in her possessions. Casting locate his arrow points in the general direction of her safe room as level below. Egor leads us through various secret doors and tunnels, only known to the Lady, and we eventually find ourselves outside a locked room.

The stone door is impervious to all our attempts to open it so we decide for the old fashion technique – we place an overside methane grenade in front of the door, pile furniture behind this, and blow the door partially off. The gap isn't large, so we let off lightning bolts through the space to bounce around the small stone room, before we kick the door open.
The Lady attempts to phase through the floor and we leap into close to stop her, she is a master with her highly poisoned daggers and we drink almost all our healing potions in the ensuing fight, with Ishmael on deaths door at one point. Eventually we drop her with sleep dust and flee with the body, Egor stays to opens the safe in the room and loot.

A dash of fleeing

We retrace our steps as we are fleeing the Villa and unfortunately run into what we later learn is a Tallowman, a pallid hobbit that has been resurrected using alchemy and wax. It animates weapons to attack us with, but we manage to escape via secret door before we're hurt – wedging it closed behind them. The party make it back to the balcony without any other trouble and Egor appears soon after, they fly to the bodies hidden in the forest.

Two 'rockets' fly from the chateau and start searching the area, Ergo explains they're Tallowman they can fly around as rockets although it does expect their 'lives'. We also hear howling as the shape changes join the search. We managed to bring Sapphire around, she is groggy and tired but understand the need to flee, her extra hands allow us to fly away carrying all unconscious hobbit.
One of the searching Tallowmen spots us and pursues, its slightly faster then us and slowly catching up so we land and prepare to fight. Its lands and fires highly poisonous darts at us, but we manage to bring it down with fire (very effective) and other attacks. We take to the skies again and sent a message to Olo to met us at Alcazar with reinforcement.

Out of the pan

Many hours of exhausted flight later we arrive at Alcazar and meet Olo and a team of senior detectives. The unconscious hobbits are taken to an inn and are left with a healer to watch over them. We work through the items looted by Egor and find the shrived potions that contains his and Sapphires stolen magic, it will take some time for their knowledge to be assimilated.

We discuss what to do with the Lady. Egor explains she delusional, power hunger and has a massive ego – this, and the atrocities she has committed against the inhabitants of the village, lead us to a quick judgement. Is we send he to the authorities her rank and power many lead to her escaping punishing so Ishmael, is an agent of Death, assists her to pass over.

There are still a number of hobbits held captive, so we decide to head back, Egor explains there are probably only a Snake, Tiger, three wolves and Iron golems left.

Serving a plate of revenge

We portal the team up to Perigueux, the party are accompanied by Olo, Sapphire, Vigor and six other detectives. We fly to the Chateau and land near on the beach with the intention of entering though the cave entrance. Spotting some ambushers on the cliff (we guess they have recruited mercenaries) Ishamael, Vigor and Sabastian fly up and quickly chase them off with blackfires and vicious stabbings. The have a rune mage with them and are using smites on their weapons.

Flying down to the cave entrance we spot a rune wall covering it, Ishamael flys in while Sabastian leads the team through the tunnelled secret entrance tunnelled out with the blacksphere. Ishmael is not alone and attacked by a number of snakes, the basilisk and the snake shape changer. The Shapechange throws a dagger storm, covering the area Ishamael is standing in dozens of slashing daggers – fortunately it also catches the basilisk and kills it. Ishmael manages to stay alive until the team pop out of the tunnel, but are met with multiple mass fears. A blood fight follows and the Shapechanger flees for its life out of the cave into the sea.

The party make their way up the stairs and into the manor house, and engage the guards there. The fight makes it way outside as the guards retreat, and ends in a truce when they are surrounded by walls of darkness. They explain they're mercenaries and, now that the witch is dead, out of a job. They agree to work for us for a month in exchange to the end of hostilities, and we agree. The party spend the next month helping the village rebuild, searching the manor and starting opening diplomatic conversations to become rulers.

People and Places

People

Wolf Shapechanger

Information

• From a very isolated castle near Rank, works for "The Lady" as a woodsman/ranger.
  
• Send here to discover who send the hobbit investigators, what they wanted, and dissuade they from coming again (with extreme prejudice if required). They have no fixed time to report back, it could be weeks or months.
  
• Ran south with the Dire wolf mercenary and recruited wolves on the way. They have only been in Brastor for a few days and they tempted the detectives out of the Charity with the smell of a recently cooked pie.
  
• He knows Sapphire was captured but he doesn't know if she is still alive, is she is alive she will be held in the castle.
  
• Under a Geas and love potion (by "The Lady"??)
  
• Captured in Brastor. Killed two detectives
  

Divination

• Currently; mind cloak (med ranks), dark blessing (med ranks) – poor mans greater, adds to MR and attack. Geas
  
• Previously; Walking unseen, Witchsight (mod ranked), Blindness, Convers w Animal, Restorative
  

Direwolf

Information

• A mercenary that The Lady sometimes employs, he has worked with the Shapechanger previous. A associate rather than an friend.
  
• Killed and exploded into flame, as Direwolves are known to do.
  
• A spellcaster, probably a celestial.
  
• Killed in Brastor. Killed two detectives
  

Items

• 4x standard wicker amulets
  
• 1x gut buster
  
• Money – 271 in sp/cp. Mostly from up north, some from Seagate.
  

Lady Delila d'Bastille

• She has associations with both Rank and county or Ormond. Rules the local area.
• Is a witch; talks to animals, blesses, plagues, skin changes
• Can compel/bind her followers (Geas?), the shapechangers cant be compelled to talk about her.
• Doesn't like sunlight and always wears an enormous hat or carries an umbrella when she is in the sun. Only seen outside a few times a year at festivals.
• Has lived in the chateau for at least 50 years, she ages but ever 10 years she regains her youth.
• Has a reputation of bring very clever, and can make marvellous things; mirrors, toys, furniture, weapons etc. The manor is full of wonders that the villagers have never seen before.
• Uses ravens and crows as spies.
• The lady has the occasionally dealing with the fey.
• Pacted to Baroque - fey lord that comes though magical mound occasionally.
• vain - loves to be complimented

Shapechanger - Ranger

• Encounter in Perigueux, hunting for the village escapees
• Human looking with an immaculate beard and moustache,
• carry's a large bow and dress in outdoor/woodland clothing.
• Is known to always clean and well presented

Shapechanger - Cicero

• head guard, vicious in combat.
• can transform into a giant snake

Egor

• Tomb Imp
• enslaved to the Lady as she holds the book that binds him

Old Meg (Megan)

• an 'old' hobbit (40s?) that lives in the woods near the chateau and its village
• She and her house are magically protected and cant be seen by the were creatures
• lived in the area for most of her life, not travelled much
• Her simple hut is near an enchanted barrow that has concealment magic and keeps evil people away. The area is a high mana zone and gateway. The Fae visit a few times a year.

Village escapees

Burnt down village mill to cover escape

• Pepin Underhill - miller
• Theod Silentfoot - blacksmith

Village contacts

Two contacts in the village that can be trusted

• Rhoda Dewfoot
• Esmee Cotton

Detectives

• Sapphire - Missing. Went to investigate hobbit village. Probably skin changed and imprisoned
• Drogot Tinyfoot - escorted Sapphire to investigate hobbit village
• Rotrude - part of squad that fought wolves
• Sancho - part of squad that fought wolves

Places

Fortified chateau

Fortified chateau

• On SE side of the lightning lake
• In the hills north of Rank, on the edge of Lightning Lake, run by "The Lady".
• Built on the ruins of an old fort, about 100ft x 115ft, surrounded by a 9ft wall
• Due to its isolation no-one visits unless they are deliberately going there.
• They have a village of hobbit surfs to do their bidding, there are no hobbits above 30, they all go missing at that age.
• The hobbits never leave the village, escapees are ruthlessly hunted down
• There is a large lake "Lake Lightning" to the east of the castle, there is another village on the other side of this.
  
• There are about a dozen or so people in the castle, some but not all of them are shape changers.
  
• Town is four day walking from Perry
• Very little trade comes in or our of town, not sure of how they get by.
• All visitors are either taken to the Castle or escorted out of town.
• Hobbits are often taken up to work on the gardens, very rarely do the enter the house.
• Has about a dozen inhabitants made up of guards and staff. Occasionally the guards traverse the lake on canoes.

Village (of chateau)

• On SE side of the lightning lake
• a few hundred people live in the village, the houses are human sized but all the inhabitants are hobbits. Mostly farmers.
• All the inhabitants are young, no experts in any areas (due to disappearances)
• As the villages reach maturity they are collected by the rangers and taken to the castle, "officially" they're released to the town on the other side of the lake but no one ever returns.
• There are a few people in the town that know of Megan. However not all the hobbits in the village are trustworthy, some will turn you in for a reward from the Lady
• Children are had young but raised by the village as the parents disappear.

Lightning Lake

• Six miles long and narrow, Steep on two sides.
• The fortified chateau is on the SE side and a village on the NW side.
• Storm come in unnaturally fast.

Village

• On NW side of the lightning lake
• Human inhabitants
• Walled, but no wall on the lakeside.
• Some wharfing, very minor. No large boats
• fortified keep

In the last month;

• A hobbit arrived during a storm and left before they could take/capture him. The villages were punished
  
• The mill (Pepin Underhill) burnt down and the miller may have died in the fire. Suspicions he escaped with the blacksmith
  
• The blacksmith escaped (Theod Silentfoot)
  

People try to escape the village, but they fail most of the time. If escapees didn't died escapees would head south to Sanctuary though the forest and down the river.

Things

Loot

From the shape changers

• 9 wicker amulets
  
• Potions – gut busters x2, Walking unseen, hemlock (alchemical poison)
  
• Dust x3 – 1x Sleep Dust Rank 10, 2x 2 Damnum Minatum Dust - Deafness, Cowardness (-3 WP & +5 Fright/Awe rolls) and Wasting Disease (Wasting disease causes -1 Strength and -1 Endurance per day until stopped by Cure Disease. The Strength and Endurance lost will be recovered at 1 point per day, or by being treated by Repair Muscles.
  
• Arm Band – upon death brings the wearer back to full heath. Connected to another band, the wear dies when the main is triggered.
  

Astrology

Specific questions

• What is the GTN of the Lady – human
• Who is the Lady pacted to – "Baroque" [A fairly that comes through the enchanted barrow]
• How old is the Lady – 4 times a mortals lot [some hundreds of years]
• What is Sapphire current form – naked as the day she was born

General reading
Beneath the earth from whence born
Like a piece of jewellery she's worn
A Sapphire ring struggles to maintain her secrets
While above Madness she struts
Placed on a shelf until consumed
Is she also doomed?

General reading
There was a young lady of Niger
Who smiled as she rode on a tiger;
They returned from the ride
With the lady inside,
And the smile on the face of the tiger.

The snake in the lake
Are the tales true or fake
Where ancient ones slumber
Flashes of lightning and thunder
Bacon or awaken

Calendar

Summer 821wk: Meadow
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday		Reapsday		Sunday
	Beltane Full Moon		1		2		3		4		5		6
	7		8		9		10		11		12		13
	14		15		16		17	Charles returns from Rank and writes up report	18	Olo assigns Sapphire and Drogot to investigate village	19		20
	21		22		23		24		25		26		27
	28	Full Moon Sapphire fails to report in. Detectives killed near charity	29	Sabasastian and Ishamael assigned. Capture Shapechanger	30	Fly to Perry, meet Drogot	1	Locate Pepin and Theod in Perigueux. Plague in Brastor detected. Head back to Seagate/Brastor	2	Back to Rank, meet Megan. Night attack of chateau.	3	Capture lady. Meet reinforcements. Attack chateau	4
Summer 821wk: Heat
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday		Reapsday		Sunday
	5	Begin restoring area	6	Begin restoring area	7	Begin restoring area	8	Begin restoring area	9	Begin restoring area	10	Begin restoring area	11	Begin restoring area
	12	Begin restoring area	13	Begin restoring area	14	Midsummer Eve (Faerie Day)	15	Begin restoring area Solstice	16	Begin restoring area	17	Begin restoring area	18	Begin restoring area
	19	Begin restoring area	20	Begin restoring area	21	Begin restoring area	22	Begin restoring area	23	Begin restoring area	24	Begin restoring area	25	Begin restoring area
	26	Begin restoring area Full Moon	27	Begin restoring area	28	Begin restoring area	29	Begin restoring area	30	Begin restoring area	1	Begin restoring area	2	Begin restoring area
Summer 821wk: Breeze
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday		Reapsday		Sunday
	3	Begin restoring area Day of Death	4	Begin restoring area	5		6		7		8		9
	10		11		12		13		14		15		16
	17		18		19		20		21		22		23
	24		25		26		27		28		29		30