After three more days of uneventful travel, the Party enters the Port of Cassomir. Impressed by its size, they drive deep into the city to heal and begin securing passage to Absolom. While moving through the streets on horseback, they are set upon by a group of urchins, a few of whom begin dipping hands into saddlebags and anything else in reach in an attempt to steal whatever they can get their hands on.Lythar manages to grab one by the arm, and Valdish knocks another prone. Commanding Tyl to guard the prone urchin, Lythar releases the one he grabbed after Kyle charms him. The group makes both urchins turn over their ill-gotten gains, leaving the items they carry on them. Sam, the older of the two, needs a little convincing, with a threatening Tyl and Tazjh giving the promise of great harm if he moves before he is told to. Lythar finds an odd, ornate dagger on Sam, but leaves it on the boy as he has no interest in taking back what is not theirs.
Kyle is incensed by the idea of the children being held in thrall to Miles, and immediately wants to find a way to end Miles’ reign of terror over them. The group promises Sam that if anything happens to Matt, they’ll make sure that Miles hears that it was Sam and not Matt that told the Party about Miles and then frees Sam.
Deciding to split up to take care of their business faster, Thistle and Tazjh head towards the docks to secure passage to Absolom, Lythar, Gron, and Tyl proceed to City Hall to speak with the the Authorities regarding his health condition, and Kyle remains to speak further with Matt and then search for lodgings.
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Thistle
Proceeding to the docks, Thistle soon finds himself in a frustrating verbal duel with the dockmaster, who has trouble getting anything straight regarding Thistle’s companions. Convinced that he is now attempting to book passage for Thistle, a dragon, a werewolf, a full sized wild wolf, and two elves, not to mention a passel of horses, Thistle finds himself frustrated by the Dockmaster’s denseness and insistence on making their passage more difficult than need be.
After a 100gp bribe, and much yelling and gesticulating, Thistle finally secures a writ of passage for the Party, including their retinue of oddities, aboard Wave Dancer, Captained by Donnaree Chance. The Dockmaster cautions Thistle that the ship may not be bound directly for Absolom, and that he’ll have to work out their routing with the Captain. Thoroughly disgusted with the difficulty of the man, Thistle heads towards the fountain to meet with the rest of the party.
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Kyle
Kyle continues his discussions with Matt, finding out as much as possible about his plight.
Matt reveals that the group works for a man named Miles Sinister, who beats the children if they do not bring enough ill-gotten loot back to The Skull and Scuppers, a tavern he frequents in the Port District. Matt reveals Miles’ hideout location underneath a dock, and gives Kyle a description of Miles’ Blue Captain’s Coat, the cutlass, and bracer of daggers that he carries.
Matt then tells Kyle that he needs to retrieve his sister, and leaves after finding out where to meet Kyle.
Deciding to take care of the most important immediate task, Kyle begins to gather information on good places in the town to get a drink and lodgings. He finds out about an Elven eating establishment named Corals, and also gathers information about various other Inns and Taverns in the city.
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Lythar
After a goodly distance, Lythar, Tyl and Gron arrive at the City’s Administration building. Leaving Gron and Tyl outside with Mos Shol, his horse, the Elf strides up to an official sitting at a desk, Lythar quietly announces that he is present on urgent business from Kyonin. The official attempts to stonewall him by demanding he make an appointment, however, Lythar finally says he is on the business of the Verdant Queen and presents the red crystal flower from her crown. Harumphing in displeasure, the official bids Lythar to wait and after summoning a lesser bureaucrat to fill his post, hurries into the recesses of the building.
A short while later, Lythar is escorted to a room occupied by a fairly powerful looking half-elf, who bears the symbol of the Pathfinders. Lythar is accused of lying, and possible robbing his “cargo” from other adventurers. Lythar repeatedly refuses to show the Book of Justice and the Book of Light to the half-elf, and in fact refuses even to reveal that they are books and that he has them with him. After a fierce debate, including displaying the seals of the two letters that he carries and the crystal flower, the Official allows that Lythar may visit the Temple of Desna, there to speak with the Head Priest. Should the Priest feel that Lythar’s business is legitimate and his story is true, he may heal Lythar’s affliction.
Quickly proceeding to the Temple of Desna, Lythar again has a brief debate with the Head Priest, who is very troubled by the decreasing amount of light each day. The Priest reveals that he has dreamed of the same dog-headed creature that Lythar killed a week earlier, as well as groups of Gnolls gathered in a ruined city of pale stone surrounded by desert sands. He agrees to heal Lythar, so long as the Elf promises to proceed to Katapesh after Absolom to investigate what is going on down there. Lythar refuses to promise on behalf of the Party, but promises that at the least, he himself will attempt to discover what is going on in Katapesh. Mollified, the Priest heals Lythar’s affliction, restoring him to full health.
On their way back to the Fountain, where the Party is to meet, Lythar steps into a likely looking arms and armor shop called The Anvil of War, and contracts the proprietor to provide Tyl with a custom set of leather armor. Setting a date to pick it up, Lythar, Gron and Tyl meet Kyle, Thistle and Tazjh at the large fountain in the middle of town.
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Reunited, the Party retires to the Inn. Lythar works in the stableyard with Tyl while the rest of the Party eat and attend to their business for the night. Kyle is distressed to realize that Matt never came back, but decides to spend the night “praising” Cayden in the Inn’s Common Room.
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