SKT Session 8 (1/3/23): Respite

Bidding the Cult of the Dragon adieu, the party began to walk into Phandalin. The town consisted of forty or fifty simple log buildings, some built on old fieldstone foundations. Old ruins—crumbling stone walls covered in ivy and briars—surrounded the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a much larger town in centuries past. Some newer buildings were set on the sides of the road, which widened into a muddy main street of sorts. Oddly enough, some ruins appeared newer than others. Many people looked up as the party approached, but all returned to their business as they went by.

Galanodel asked around for his friend, Trym, but no town-goers seemed to recognize the name. Speaking to a barkeeper, he described how his friend looked: halfling woman, dark hair, dark eyes, a minor green tint to her skin. The barkeeper recognized who he was asking for immediately, but she noted that he was describing Phandalin's sheriff, Haara. She could be found in the Townmaster's Hall.

"Adonis!"

The sheriff shouted and drew a knife as Galanodel entered, recognizing him immediately. She had aged, as had he. Her dark hair now sported a jarring white streak, her eyes tired and wary, her face worn. Galanodel, who she referred to as Adonis, talked her down, saying he wasn't with them anymore.

"I thought they would send you after me someday."

Trym, going by Haara now, thought Adonis had been sent by the Zhentarim to tie up a loose end. Luckily, she and Adonis were in very similar boats. The two agreed to catch up while the rest of the party settled in and found a place to stay in Phandalin.

After their last big mission together, Haara decided to leave the Zhentarim once and for all. She abandoned her assassin trio, consisting of her, Adonis, and a human assassin named Syl Vallar, leaving without a trace.

Haara, relieved to see Adonis again in a friendly context, explained to the party that there were a few things she needed done. A giant had been attacking the town with sentient rocks and she was afraid it may attack again. She also had two brothers go investigate an abandoned mine a couple of weeks ago to see if it could be reopened and operational once more, but they still had not returned. The party opted to take the second job, but would start it the following day, since they wanted a day to themselves to relax. Everyone decided to book rooms at the local inn, where they also shared meals and drinks.

Later that night, the party made their way to the town's tavern, The Sleeping Giant. There, with Haara, the party began sharing drinks and talking, but this was cut short by a drunken older dwarf stumbling into the party's table, knocking over their drinks. After calming the group down, the dwarf challenged the party to a drinking contest against him and his group.

The contest came down to the wire, with equal wins and losses in either group. Adonis was going up against the older dwarf that knocked into the table earlier. The dwarf was holding his own, and Adonis could feel himself getting sick. Stopping halfway through chugging his next drink, Adonis began to spew a green, caustic liquid that sizzled the wooden floors. Even more surprising, however, was the bright pink light glowing in Adonis' chest. This light quickly flashed and faded, but in the same moment, a wave of necrotic energy erupted from a point, seemingly centered on Adonis.

Many of the tavern's patrons were injured, some completely knocked unconscious. Lucien began healing those that needed it, while Dhrys quickly walked Adonis out of the bar.

"You poisoned his drink!"

Kimberly, now visibly drunk, accused the older dwarf of cheating. Denying it, he demanded he got his money.

Haara and Dhrys worked together to get a drunken Adonis to the inn so he could rest off whatever had come over him. Along the way, Dhrys asked Haara what she knew of Adonis' creation. All she really knew was that Adonis was likely built somewhere in Waterdeep.

Still not satisfied with what he had gleamed that night, Dhrys broke into the local supplies store, stole an alchemist's kit, and began investigating one of Adonis' medicine vials. He found that it consisted of three main ingredients: oede milk, ground blarot root, and ground chasground. While the last ingredient was very faint, Dhrys was able to recognize it because he had smelled its fragrance before. This was a mushroom that was commonly cultivated in the Underdark. He was surprised since this very mushroom was addictive. What surprised him more, however, was that chasground was best known for being a strong anti-poison.