Dunmari Frontier - Session 94

The Monster Hunters: in which the party makes connections and contacts in Zvervinka

Featuring: Seeker, Delwath, Kenzo, Wellby, Riswynn
In Taelgar: Mar 22, 1749 DR to Apr 15, 1749 DR
On Earth: Sunday Mar 10, 2024
Zvervinka

The Dunmar Fellowship enters Zvervinka posing as monster hunters, befriends key figures, and navigates political tensions.

Session Info

Summary

The Dunmar Fellowship, planning to enter Zvervinka without drawing attention, decide to pose as monster hunters with Vargaldi guides.
Arriving at Zvervinka’s gates, they convince the guards of their cover and learn of Roman and Lena Sorokina, important local contacts.
Once in the city, they meet Roman at The Silver Wolf and agree to craft a silver wolf sign for him, with the promise of connections and aid in return.
They explore Zvervinka’s divide between the lower city and upper city, and create the silver wolf sign, pleasing Roman.
The party meets Lena Sorokina at the Watcher’s Spire, who agrees to connect them with the Rodnya Voknaz.

Timeline

Mar 22, 1749 DR: The party settles into the Vargaldi camp to learn Urskan and gather information over the next couple of weeks; the one year anniversary of when Kenzo, Delwath, Seeker, and Wellby met in Karawa
Mar 23, 1749 DR - Mar 25, 1749 DR: Downtime in the Vargaldi camp
Mar 26, 1749 DR: The Festival of Rebirth is celebrated in Dunmar, and quietly marked by the Dunmar Fellowship in the far north
Mar 27, 1749 DR- Apr 07, 1749 DR: Downtime in the Vargaldi camp, learning passable Urskan and gathering information and rumors.
Apr 08, 1749 DR: Depart the Vargaldi camp, heading east along the Ket in Vindristjarna
Apr 09, 1749 DR- Apr 10, 1749 DR: Continue traveling east
Apr 11, 1749 DR: Bid farewell to Vindristjarna, leaving Faldrak in command, and use the rainbow bridge to teleport to within 30 miles of the city of Zvervinka. Trek east throughout the day.
Apr 12, 1749 DR: Trek through snow and mud east, following the Ket, camping a few miles from the city at dusk.
Apr 13, 1749 DR: Enter Zvervinka, after speaking with the guard, Fyodar. Meet Roman, the proprietor of The Silver Wolf; agreed to craft him a silver wolf for his sign. Wander the streets and get the lay of the land; have an elaborate dinner at Roman’s expense.
Apr 14, 1749 DR: Craft silver wolf; Roman is pleased and agrees to arrange meeting with Lena Sorokina the next day.
Apr 15, 1749 DR, morning: Leave goods with Roman to sell at market; speak with Lena, who arranges contact with the Rodnya Voknaz.

Narrative

We begin at a campsite by the River Ket, where Riswynn, Kenzo, Delwath, Seeker, and Wellby are gathered around the warmth of a flickering campfire, reminiscing about the past few weeks in the Vargaldi camp and journeying along the Ket. The topic of discussion soon shifted towards the looming challenge: entering the trade city of Zvervinka without drawing undue attention. The discussion took a strategic turn as they considered Zvervinka’s strict stance on magic. Ursk’s unique societal structure, dominated by the magical guilds known as Rodnya and enforced by the vigilant Watchers, demanded careful navigation. The night ended with the party deciding to adopt the guise of monster hunters, leveraging the exotic parts of an ice worm and a dragon they had collected. Kenzo and Wellby would act as local Vargaldi guides to lend credibility to their cover.

The next morning, the party approached Zvervinka’s gates, disguises in place. Here, they encountered the city guards, wary of newcomers and questioning the unusual composition of their group, demanding to know their purpose in Ursk. Wellby, with a masterful display of the local dialect, introduced them as monster hunters bearing valuable dragon parts for trade.

The guards’ skepticism waned as the party unveiled their haul. Fyodar, one of the guards, taken with Wellby’s guide persona and encouraged with the gift of a dragon tooth, shared some local information. He mentioned two people worth knowing: Roman, the well-connected proprietor of a fancy merchant tavern, the Silver Wolf; and Lena Sorokina, a Watchers known for her contacts among the Rodnya who might be able to secure a monster hunting contract.

As the party navigated the bureaucratic formalities, including a 15% tax paid in kind with another dragon tooth, they were awarded visas embedded with magical wax—symbols of their temporary right to the city’s hospitality but also a reminder of the vigilant eye of Zvervinka’s authorities.

Entering the city, the party made their way to The Silver Wolf. The establishment welcomed them with the rich aroma of spiced tea and an atmosphere brimming with the promise of rest. They decided to wait for Roman, hoping for lodgings and information. Around lunchtime, Roman arrived, regarding the party with a mix of hospitality, curiosity, and greed. He proposed that if the dwarven monster hunters (Seeker and Riswynn) could craft a silver wolf to grace his sign, he could facilitate many connections in the city. The rest of the afternoon, the party explored the city, noting the architectural and social divides between the lower city, along the marshy fens of the Ket, and the upper city on the hilly slopes above the river, dominated by the Watcher’s Spire. The day ended with an elaborate dinner at The Silver Wolf, featuring a variety of local delicacies, including unusual preserved meats and spices.

The next day, the party took on the challenge of crafting the silver wolf sign for Roman. Working in a private forge arranged by Roman, Kenzo used his woodcarving skills to construct a wax mold, and then Seeker and Riswynn used their talents to cast the silver, polish, and finish it. By the end of the day, the party had constructed a beautiful silver wolf sign. Roman, pleased with the gift, promised to arrange a meeting with Lena for the next afternoon, and also offered to arrange for the party’s goods to be sold at market, for coin or exchanged for magic.

The next morning, the party met with Lena at the Watcher’s Spire, after having left behind all detectable magic in a magically sealed chest at the entrance to the tower. Lena greeted the party as tea was set out for them, using magic to allow everyone to understand her words. Initially, Lena was puzzled by the party’s story, questioning why such outsiders would seek Ursk, in particular. Delwath’s partial and incomplete, but quite plausible, admission that they were seeking information about a dimensional disturbance thought to have happened in this area convinced Lena to bargain.

Lena offered the party that she would be willing to connect them to one of Rodnya, who might be interested in their offer to exchange their monster hunting talents for information: Rodnya Voknaz, specialists in evocation magic, based to the west; Rodnya Morozmir, specialists in protective magic, to the southeast; and Rodnya Zoryana, specialists in divination magic, to the southwest.

After some brief deliberation, the party decided to ask Lena to reach out to Rodnya Voknaz on their behalf, despite her warning that they were currently weak, and desperate, making an alliance with them a high risk, high reward choice. The session ends the party leaves to return to The Silver Wolf, with a promise from Lena that she would contact them when she had travel passes in hand for their journey west, to the headquarters of the Rodnya Voknaz.

Transcript

Campfire Relfections and Planning

The party sits around a campfire in a cold, muddy camp by the River Ket, reflecting on their journey from the Vargald camp and discussing their next steps to enter the trade city of Zvervinka.
Riswynn, Kenzo, Delwath, Seeker, and Wellby discuss their preparations for entering Zvervinka, emphasizing the need to disguise their usual appearances and equipment to blend in and avoid drawing attention.
The group strategizes on how to interact with the city’s strict regulations on magic use, discussing the societal structure of Ursk, including the unique role of the magical guilds known as Rodnya and the enforcement of magical laws by the Watchers.
The party plans to present themselves as monster hunters (Riswynn, Seeker, and Delwath), accompanied by local guides (Kenzo and and Wellby) to enter Zvervinka, considering using their monster parts (from an ice worm and a dragon) as trade goods.
They discuss the political and magical landscape of Ursk, focusing on the importance of the krev rite and the distinction between those who are bound by it and outsiders.
The group contemplates the implications of Ursk’s societal norms on magic and non-humans, theorizing about the motivations behind the city’s high concentration of powerful wizards and the control over magical practices.
As part of their cover, they consider how to use their knowledge of the Rodnya and the stories surrounding the magical protections of Ursk to navigate the city and gather information on the fragment of jade they seek, and the Rodnya Voknaz.
The team reflects on their crew left behind on the ship, emphasizing their trust and instructions to ensure the ship’s safety in their absence.
In preparation for entering the city, they consider casting buff spells for protection, weighing the benefits against the risk of drawing unwanted attention from the city’s magical authorities.

Entering Zvervinka

The party, disguised and adopting their cover story as monster hunters, approaches Zvervinka early in the morning with little traffic around.
They encounter two guards at the gatehouse. One guard, initially surprised by the presence of an Elf and two Dwarves, asks about their business in Ursk.
Wellby, speaking in the local accent, explains they’re monster hunters with dragon parts to sell.
The guards, impressed by the party’s claim, invite them to show their goods for assessment.
As the party unloads their items, the guards are visibly astonished by the quantity and quality of the monster parts.
Wellby negotiates the terms of their entry into the city, agreeing to pay the 15% tax in kind, and giving the guard one dragoon tooth.
A conversation about the potential to find more dragons and secure business as contract monster hunters is initiated between Wellby and the guards.
The guards mention Lena Sorokina, a watcher with connections, as someone who might help the party find commissioned work, and Roman, a wealthy tavern keeper who can help get good prices for goods at market and has many connections in the city.
The party discusses how to approach Lena, considering writing a letter or getting an invitation to meet her.
The guards advise waiting until Wednesday for the market to get the best prices for their goods and provide tips for notable buyers.
The party receives visas marked with a magical wax that grants them 10-day permission to stay in Zvervinka.
The guards caution the party to always carry their visas to avoid trouble with the city’s authorities.

Meeting at the Silver Wolf

The party arrives in Zvervinka, noticing the town’s adaptations for outsiders with pictorial signs and a variety of inns and taverns.
Delwath proposes taking out a significant amount of gold and elven coins from their bag to use while in the city, planning to keep 3,000 to 5,000 gold on hand.
The group decides to visit Roman’s inn, The Silver Wolf, seeking accommodations and potentially useful connections.
As they walk through Zvervinka, they observe the city’s architecture, the variety of furs worn by the locals, and the mix of Urksan and Vargaldi people.
Arriving at the Silver Wolf inn, they are greeted by warmth and the smell of spiced tea. They decide to wait for Roman, who usually arrives around lunchtime.
Delwath interacts with the locals, polishing his elvish sword to draw attention and reinforce their cover story.
Roman, the owner of the Silver Wolf, welcomes the party and offers to help sell their goods. He also suggests making a silver wolf sculpture for his inn as a way to open doors for the party in the town.
The dwarves discuss the feasibility of creating the sculpture without revealing their smithing secrets, eventually agreeing to the task if they can use a forge without observation.
Roman agrees to the party’s conditions, promising to arrange for a private forge and stating that many doors would be opened for them once the wolf sculpture is completed.
The party agrees to start work on the sculpture the following day, with Roman offering dinner on the house and assistance in setting up meetings they might need.

Exploring and Crafting in Zvervinka

In the afternoon, the party wanders through Zvervinka, drawing attention, and rumors begin to spread about them being monster hunters.
The party notices the city’s class stratification and the physical stratification of the city, from the marshy fens to the wealthier upper slopes.
Seeker inquires about the presence of dragons or libraries, leading to a discovery that while there is an archives in the Watcher’s Spire, Zvervinka is not an intellectually focused city.
The party is occasionally stopped by Watchers to show their papers. They also note some residents showing tattoos instead of papers.
During a dinner at the Silver Wolf, Roman gives a speech thanking the party and instructing guests not to bother them. Delwath responds with thanks in broken Urskan.
The feast is unique, consisting largely of preserved meats and seafood, as well as unusual spices.
Delwath indicates willingness to be introduced to Roman’s important guests.
The next day, Seeker, Riswynn, and Kenzo work on crafting a silver wolf sculpture for Roman using provided materials and their skills.
After some attempts, Seeker and Kenzo successfully create a wax mold for the sculpture. Riswynn oversees melting and casting the silver.
Roman is overjoyed with the finished silver wolf sculpture and offers any favor in return. The party expresses interest in meeting with Lena to learn more about possible commissoned monster hunts.
Discussion about trading monster parts at the market ensues, with Roman offering to assist for a fee. The party contemplates trading for magical items or gold.
The party debates the merits of acquiring new magical items, considering the limitations of attunement slots and the potential benefits of certain items.

Meeting with the Watcher

Roman, the owner of the Silver Wolf inn, secured the party’s goods in a chest and arranged a meeting for them with Lena, the Watcher, at the Watcher’s Spire.
The party debated the risks and benefits of bringing their magical items and decided to leave behind any wands or scrolls, considering the city’s strict magic regulations.
Upon arriving at the Watcher’s Spire, they were instructed to leave all magic items in a special chest provided by a spellcaster at the entrance for protection.
The party encountered Lena, who cast a spell that allowed everyone to understand each other and began questioning the party’s intentions and abilities.
The party, through various members speaking, tried to navigate the conversation without revealing too much, emphasizing their roles as monster hunters and guides.
Lena expressed curiosity about the party’s true motives, sensing inconsistencies in their story, but was reassured when Delwath admitted to seeking information about dimensions disturbances.
The party offered to perform services for the Watchers in exchange for information and assistance, specifically concerning dimensional disturbances they were investigating.
Lena suggested she could connect the party with one of three factions of the Rodnya, powerful wizards of Ursk, each specializing in different aspects of magic.
The party expressed interest in potentially aligning with the Rodnya Voknaz, described as desperate but potentially rewarding allies, for their quest.
Lena agreed to seek approval for their travel pass and promised to reach out to them at the Silver Wolf inn once arrangements were made.

Short Summary

Campfire Relfections and Planning
In preparation for entering the trade city Zvervinka, the party discusses disguises, strategies to navigate the city’s strict magic regulations, and their cover story as monster hunters. They also reflect on their crew’s capabilities and the importance of keeping the ship safe during their absence.

Entering Zvervinka
Upon entering Zvervinka, the party successfully convinces the gate guards of their cover as monster hunters with valuable goods to sell. They receive advice on navigating the city’s market and are warned to keep their visas with them at all times to avoid legal issues.

Meeting at the Silver Wolf
The party, after discussing their financial strategy for Zvervinka, secures accommodations at the Silver Wolf inn and engages with its owner, Roman. They agree to create a silver wolf sculpture for the inn, with Roman promising valuable connections in return, setting a tone for their stay in the city.

Exploring and Crafting in Zvervinka
During their exploration of Zvervinka, the party attracts attention, learns about the city’s social structure, and successfully crafts a silver wolf sculpture for Roman at the Silver Wolf inn, which leads to Roman offering them a favor. They consider trading options at the market, focusing on acquiring magical items or gold in exchange for their monster parts.

Meeting with the Watcher
The party met with Lena, the Watcher, and discussed their intentions in Usk. They debated their cover story and ultimately offered their services to the Watchers in exchange for information and assistance, expressing interest in aligning with the Voknaz faction of the Rodnya. Lena agreed to seek approval for their travel pass.