Session 4 As the Crow Flies
Arti waves a farewell to the party as they are escorted to the workshop for repairs, leaving Firien, Bantonio, Blythe, Gomruss and Guy with Adelaide. She welcomes the party, offering them a meal and accommodation for the night in recompense for returning Arti. Impressed by the way the party handled the psychotic pteranodons, Adelaide suggests they might take on the bounty to exterminate the remaining pteranodon at Westpoint Lighthouse.
Firien surrenders to Adelaide the guard’s badge stolen by Blythe, claiming they simply found it on the way to Crowswood Place. Adelaide agrees to return it despite sensing some deception from the sleepy half-elf. Still exhausted from her pursuit of Bantonio, Blythe is escorted to her room by the elderly sphinx tabaxi housekeeper, Subira. While Firien discusses with Adelaide expediting their Church duties so they might serve on joint expeditions, the others introduce themselves to the senior Crows.
Doom, the Commission’s brawny androgynous tiefling beastmaster recognises Gomruss, claiming the last time he worked for the Commission, he crashed two earthmotes into one another. Meanwhile, Guy approaches Droleg the Wit, a handsome hobgoblin paladin, as he decants a bottle of “the good wine” taken from the globe. The pair gleefully share a dry red with Oscar Barillos, a diminutive bob-haired human with a chocolate complexion and big brown eyes. Guy spots a gemlock pistol on the belt of the masked crow, Corvus, who appears to be planning the attack on Westpoint Lighthouse. Though tempted to steal the weapon, Guy deduces the security of Crowswood Place would be impossible to thwart.
Bantonio’s curiosity is peaked by the dark figure in the corner. Lathraia, a lean yuan-ti suited entirely in black, appears to be correlating his research with the items on the jobs board. Upon closer inspection, Lathraia’s notebook appears to have dark and mysterious runes inscribed within. Bantonio shares this with Gomruss, who is now slightly tipsy after drinking the vinegar wine discarded by Droleg. Aghast, Gomruss declares the runes belong to the school of necromancy, specifically the practice of blood magic. Lathraia confronts Gomruss for his intrusion and Firien and Bantonio must apologise on his behalf.
“You will erase what you saw from your mind, dragonborn… or I will do it for you.”
Lathraia to Gomruss
Firien and Bantonio offer to help Subira in the kitchen. To her surprise, both are very capable cooks! However, when Guy appears to play the role of back-seat chef, Firien tosses a bag of flour at the half-elf. Guy steps out of the way and the flour explodes over the carpet in the hall. After receiving a scolding from Subira, Firien sweeps the floor. Bantonio then wakes Blythe from her short rest so that she can attend dinner with the party.
“Look what you’ve done to the carpet!”
“You handed me the flour!”
“I didn’t realise you were a terrible shot!”
Subira to Firien
Fascinated by the meal put in front of her, it becomes clear that Blythe doesn’t know what a chicken is. Showing concern, Bantonio discovers that Blythe led an isolated childhood under the tutelage of strict parents. Doom then notes Bantonio’s Diamante accent. Embarrassed, Bantonio evades the tiefling’s questions and instead learns that Doom joined the Commission three years ago when they crossed paths hunting a giant boar.
Hadley discusses with the table her progress repairing Arti. Since Glimback’s disappearance, she has been able to create magical lanterns based on Glimback’s designs for Arti’s heart. Though smaller in scale, one could conceivably replace Arti’s heart. However, Hadley is hesitant to remove the complex magical fibres currently powering Arti, in case she is unable to replace them. When Bantonio further questions Hadley about the Crows’ plans to enter the Miasma, Lathraia appears vexed.
Bantonio, Blythe, Gomruss and Guy retire to their rooms while Firien opts to return to their room at the Oratory for the night, at the same time delivering the paperwork required to serve with the Commission. Overnight, something stirs Gomruss from his slumber. His reflection in the mirror opposite his bed seems peculiar. He approaches the mirror, stark naked. His reflection flexes its muscles and pinches its chin just as he does. To his astonishment, his reflection pulls out a coin from behind its horn! Gobsmacked, Gomruss watches his reflection place something beneath his pillow. He lifts his pillow to reveal an extraordinary coin.
Gomruss wakes his friends to share the news. Bantonio realises the coin does not bear the head of the Exarch, rather the goddess of luck, Tymora, and suggests the coin might be lucky. To test the theory, Gomruss flips the coin ten times and calls it right every time. When Blythe inspects the mirror, her reflection appears normal. Overexcited, Bantonio commands Gomruss to punch him. Eager to discover the function of his new magical item, Gomruss obliges. Guy sees the coin begin to glow in Gomruss’ fist and draws his pistol in defence of Bantonio! Bantonio freezes at the sight and takes a critical punch to the cheekbone before Blythe lowers Guy’s pistol.
“I was going to shoot you!”
“But you didn’t!”
“Which is lucky!”
Guy to Gomruss
996, Roscidas 15th
The following morning, Firien returns to Crowswood Place to find a frenzied Gomruss telling all the Crows about his new coin. While Doom talks Firien through the mission to Westpoint Lighthouse, Gomruss steals a moment with Bantonio to apologise for the bruise on his cheek. Sensing the events of last night may have unearthed bad memories, Gomruss bestows unto Bantonio his favoured words of wisdom. With full stomachs, the party exit Crowswood Place with Oscar in tow, ready to take on the psychotic pteranodons once more.
“Despair is easy, hope is hard. And brother, I like to stay hard.”
Gomruss to Bantonio
The party gains 1 potion of healing and 1 potion of cure psychosis each.