Upon uncovering this treasure trove, Bazyl cried
The unworthy  who must witnrssand suffer the end
Shall see the uncrowned prince of Noisome Vale ascend.

Returning to Plunging Stream Manor

They travelled for a day through the Plain of the Blind and approached the Floating Forest. Cham took the first watch. When she awakened Ezzerkash and Bazyl, they had had bad a dream.

Golden furred jacket sat on planks next to harpy eagle. A woman In fine cloak clasped by a broach of polished crystal. Ezzerkash, Cham and Oobleck noticed feathers, There was a trilling growl, and then all felt something slam them in the back. All but Ezzerkash fell to the ground dead. There was the smell old, moldy own and rotten meat.

And then they woke up in burning pain in the backs, as if they had been hit by a large creature. And they were no longer camped in the same place. They were on a rise above the town of Far Rough, and it was about 12 hours later. Zewthra had dreamt them closer to their destination.

A man in a dark cloak and scaled leather. Tied to a braid on the side of his face was a single green feather. It was the symbol of a Catchpoll of Far Rough(a cop). His name was Gavel Taverson. He became the Catchpoll after his father died, and was in a relationship with the magistrate of the area.

He greeted the team. He said that his dreams guided him to the team and that he needed their help. Two people were killed in the village: a noble woman and a merchant woman. Solange the Runemarked, a Grave Talon, was suspected as the victims had the indicative claw-like wounds. Since the Grave Talon was his totem animal, Gavel was reluctant to put himself in a position where he might have to kill one. He was asked to recuse himself.

Bazyl introduced the team and. Gavel was deferential. Brynjar could tell that Gavel was out of his league investigating a murder a desperate for help.

It appeared that Solange was guilty, but Gavel did not know why she would attack the merchant. Nobles were explainable as they hunted Grave Talons. The noblewoman was attacked out in a hunting field. The merchant was attacked in front of her store.

In Far Rough

As they entered town, a blood spattered child with gazelle-like features ran toward them from between two lumber yard warehouses.  Zewthra, Brynjar and Gavel approached the child. The others went in the direction she had come from. They found the body of a man dressed in hunting clothes, Lord Haldor. Oobleck examined the body and discovered that he had claw and bite marks consistent with a Grave Talon. The child said that he had fallen from the roof. 

Ezzerkash climbed to the roof and looked for clues. Oobleck followed. They found a dripping trail of blood that led to a single, bloody, three-toed, inhuman footprint at the same level as a nearby sky island. Oobleck hypothesized that something carried the body to the roof from the sky island and dropped it off, before jumping back to the sky island, a distance of about 30 feet.

Bazyl noted that the body was dressed similarly to the nobles in the forest. Cham suspected that the deaths were assassinations.  

Ezzerkash took an end of a rope and jumped over to the sky island. Oobleck tied off the other end, and then the others climbed over to it. They searched for a trail and followed one until it disappeared. Oobleck noted the presence of a Pass Without Trace spell and a Scent Bane spell, concealing the trail.

Scanning the ground below, they saw a band of goblins being led through a swamp in the distance.  They climbed down the great tree that stretched to the ground below the sky island. Easer kasha glided down.  There Oobleck found another trail.

Eventually they found a pool of blood and the body of the dead noble women, Cain’s daughter. It had similar bite and claw marks to the other victim. There were Grave Talon tracks around the site. Oobleck determined that they were from the same creature that had carried the body.

At the Nursery

The Gassar Tree Nursery, which was in the base of another sky island tree, they recognized was the scene from their dream.  There was even a figurine of the jackal. The body had been moved. Oobleck noted that the Grave Talon tracks at this scene were different from the others.

The undertaker took them to the body of Nodaughter . The body was in worse condition than the other corpses. Among her possessions was a will leaving the nursery to her daughter and instructing her to sell it to Jerrick and to seek her fortune. There was also a journal. Brynjar reviewed it and noted nothing unusual. The shredded cloak was present, but not the crystal broach.

Interviewing Nodaughter’s Daughter

The girl was found in the marketplace riding an ostrich. At their request, she stabled the bird and went with the team to answer questions. The daughter said her adopted mother had been watching the falling star with the Ophidian. A Grave Talon with scarlet markings leapt out of the shadows above her and attacked her.

Bazyl asked if she had seen the Grave Talon’s rune. She drew it, and it was the same as the one that the team had fought with when they rescued the noble woman in the forest.  Cham determined that the girl was fey of the kind she had likely been replaced with when she was taken by them.

The daughter said that she intended to sell the nursery per her mother’s wishes. She was waiting for Jerrick to reply to her letter. 

The Party

  • Ezzerkash the Distracted – Cloud Dragon Wyrmling
  • Cham – Aasimar Taskshaper
  • Oobleck – Halfling Ooze Druid with Ochre Jelly companion, Slimy.
  • Bazyl – Human Oracle
  • Brynjar – Human Magus