SESSION 18C: THE SMOKE OF THE FOUNDRY
March 22nd, 2008
The 7th Day of Kadal in the 790th Year of the Seyrunian Dynasty
ON SHILUKAR’S TRAIL
They headed back to the alley. This time all of them headed down the alley. A few moments later, the mysterious informant had again slid his away into the alley. (Elestra leaned over to Ranthir, “That’s a neat trick. I wonder if I could learn it?”)
“I wasn’t expecting to see you again this soon,” he said. And then, catching sight of Tor: “And who is this?”
“Master Torland of Barund.”
“A pleasure to meet you. My name’s Shim. Now, what can I do for you all?”
“We need to find a thief named Shilukar.”
“And there’s a catch,” Tee said. “We need to find him by morning.”
Shim seemed to ponder it for a moment. “That’s a tall order. If it can be done, I’ll need a payment of 7,000 marks. And even if I fail, I’ll need 500 for my efforts.”
It was expensive, but they were out of options. They agreed and paid him the 500.
The carriage ride back to the Ghostly Minstrel – including a stop at the Hammersong Vaults to withdraw the cash they would need if Shim was successful – was subdued. They were excited by the prospect that they might soon have another opportunity to capture Shilukar and recover the idol from him, and they all took the time to congratulate Ranthir again on his quick-thinking, but they knew that they had a long wait ahead of them.
When they reached the Minstrel they quickly retired: Their long and busy day had exhausted them, and Ranthir in particular would need time to rest and prepare his arcane rites for the challenges of the day to come.
Unfortunately, they were not destined for a full night of rest and recuperation: Shortly after midnight, Elestra woke to find Shim sliding between the panes of her window.
“I don’t know what you’re doing in Agnarr’s room, but Shilukar is planning to attack the Foundry in the Guildsman’s District in less than 30 minutes. If you want him before dawn, this will be your only chance.”
Elestra quickly roused the rest of them. Tee saw to paying Shim and then they were off as quick as a carriage could carry them – their muscles still stiff and their bodies exhausted from their exertions.
THE FOUNDRY
(09/08/790)
The Foundry was one of the largest buildings in all of Ptolus. Located in the heart of the Guildsman District, on Smith Street, it was said to be one of the finest facilities for the molding of metal in the world. In recent years it had come under the control of the Shuul.
“The Shuul?” Ranthir asked.
“A highly specialized guild,” Tee said. “Their skill with mechanical guildcraft is said to be unrivalled, and they are dedicated to using it to better their entire lives. There are rumors that they have a close alliance with House Shever.”
“Why would Shilukar be attacking them?” Elestra wondered.
“Perhaps they have the cure,” Ranthir said. “Or something he needs to complete the cure. He’s meeting with Lord Zavere tomorrow morning. It would explain why he’s going after them tonight.”
They had their carriage drive past the Foundry on Smith Street and then turn right on Vadarast Street. The structure itself was dark and only the thinnest wisps of smoke trickled out of its mammoth chimneys. It seemed that the Foundry was silent for the night.
Moving through the tight and twisted alleys between Vadarast Street and Hammer Street, they found a vantage point from which they could observe the Foundry.
“How much time do we have before Shilukar gets here?” Elestra asked.
“Less than ten minutes if Shim was right,” Tor said.
“It was probably more of an estimate,” Ranthir pointed out. “He could already be in there.”
“I don’t think so,” Tee whispered. “Look!”
Several figures were walking a patrol around the Foundry. Each wore a long black trenchcoat and all of them had various mechanical contraptions: Goggles or masks or wristbands or large chronometers. They carried what appeared to be dragon rifles – but each of them had been modified with various mechanical extrusions.
“Who are they?” Agnarr said. “Shilukar’s men?”
“No,” Tee said. “They’re Shuul.”
“I see two patrols of two each,” Elestra said.
“Yes,” Tee said. “It looks like they’re keeping the building directly between them. And there are two more who are keeping an eye on a rear entrance on the east side of the building.”
They looked at each other. “So what are we going to do?”
“I’m heading in there,” Tee said. “Shilukar could already be in there. And even if he’s not, maybe I can figure out what the cure is and get it before he shows up.”
“How are you going to get past the patrols?” Tor asked.
“There’s a blind spot on the west side of the building between the two patrols,” Tee said.
“Picking the lock will take time.”
“I don’t need to pick the lock. I’ll climb the wall and head in through the windows.”
With a plan in hand, they split into two groups: Tor and Dominic headed to a position on the corner of Hammer Street from which they could look down the length of the western edge of the building while Ranthir, Agnarr, and Elestra stayed in the alley which overlooked the eastern side of the building.
As planned, Tee took advantage of the blind spot, scurried up Smith Street, and quickly scaled the western wall – easily reaching the roof before the second patrol rounded the corner below.
INTO THE FOUNDRY
Tee spent the next couple of minutes quietly clambering across the roof of the building, peering into various windows until she had a fairly good understanding of the building’s floorplan.
The lower level of the building was dominated by the two massive foundries: Huge forges and anvils worn through decades of use stood immutable, while various molds for molten metal stood here and there – some of them massive almost beyond comprehension; others tiny, intricate, and delicate.
Tee’s attention was particularly drawn to the second level of the building: The stairs in the entry hall led up to a structure that extended through the wall and followed the ceiling of the second foundry. This structure had numerous leaded and thickly begrimed windows that looked out over the foundry floor: If Shilukar was seeking something valuable, Tee was convinced it was probably there.
The foundries themselves had open windows running down their entire lengths – clearly designed to vent the hot air and fumes of the working day. Conveniently these were at a level where Tee, on the roof, could literally walk right through them.
She did so, climbing down the rough hewn walls to the floor of the second foundry. From there she made her way to the entry wall, gently easing open the wide double doors and then shutting them again behind her.
Easing her way up the stairs, Tee heard voices coming from above her.
“Did you hear about Korben?”
“Meddling fool. The sooner we’re done with this shipment, the happier I’ll be.”
“Their coin is good enough. And useful. I understand that we’ll be using it—“
“Wait. Did you hear that?”
“Stay here while I check it out.”
Tee silently cursed. A loose loop of her chain had caught against the metal of the stairs. Hearing the footsteps approaching from above, she quickly slid back down the stairs.
Tee looped around the stairs, disappearing into the shadows beneath them. One of the guards from above – dressed like his comrades outside – descended and peered into the corners of the entryway. Then he began to circle around the stairs. Tee, ever alert, countered his movement – circling the stairs and keeping them between them.
They finished a full loop of the stairs and the Shuul guard shrugged. “I don’t see anything. Must’ve just been night noises.” He began to climb the stairs and Tee, sighing silently, slipped back towards the foundry.
SHILUKAR’S DISTRACTION
As Tee was avoiding the Shuul guard in the entryway, Tor spotted two heavily muscled thugs running up to the chimney on the west side of the building – taking advantage of the same blind spot in the patrol that Tee had. She pointed them out to Dominic, but neither of them could think of anything they could do about it.
A few moments later, the thugs turned and ran away from the chimney again – disappearing down the same alley from which they had appeared. Uncertain of what was happening, Tor and Dominic held their position.
A minute later, just as Tee was re-entering the foundry, the chimney exploded in a huge gout of flame.
All the Shuul guards – both patrols and the guards watching the rear entrance – whirled and began running towards the explosion.
Agnarr’s reaction was immediate: Drawing his greatsword he ran straight across the street and began hacking away at the front door.
“What is he doing?” Tor muttered, peering around the corner from Hammer Street.
Tee, taken completely by surprise, shrank back into the corner of the other foundry, trying to find some place to hide. She could hear the guards from upstairs shouting to each other and then clattering down the stairs and she was certain she was about to be discovered… but then Agnarr started hammering away at the front door, and those guards came to a sudden stop, convinced that the true assault was coming from the front of the building.
Elestra, who had hung back with Ranthir and kept a watch down the eastern side of the building, spotted the rear door being swung open… by absolutely nobody at all. “Shilukar! Come on!” She tugged on Ranthir’s sleeve and ran across the street. She shouted Agnarr’s name to get his attention. The barbarian turned, shrugged, and followed her.
CHAOS IN THE FOUNDRY
The explosion had actually torn a huge hole into the side of the chimney, opening it to the night air. The six Shuul guards outside had now converged on it and one of them quickly took charge: “You two circle around to the front door, make sure it’s secure. You two stay here. You come with me.”
Two of the Shuul guards now leapt through the chimney and across the hot bed of coals – apparently convinced that the breach had been used to infiltrate the building. This forced Tee to constantly shift her position to remain out of sight of both the guards in the front hall and these newcomers.
Tor and Dominic, meanwhile, ran across the street and began making their way down the front of the Foundry. The two guards running from the point of the explosion rounded the corner and lowered their rifles at them: “Stop! Who are you?!”
Tor whirled and, without hesitation, shouted, “We have reason to believe that the mage-thief Shilukar is attacking the Foundry. You have to let us in!”
The two Shuul glanced at each other with a look of slight panic. Looking over their shoulder they shouted back to the guards who had stayed by the hole in the chimney, “It’s Shilukar!” Then they turned back and leveled their rifles, “But you aren’t going anywhere.”
Tor and Dominic raised their hands above their heads, just as the Shuul agents in the entryway unbarred the front door and rushed out into the street.
The guards at the chimney shouted through to their comrades inside: “It’s Shilukar!” Tee heard this, realized that none of the guards who remained were watching the rear entrance, and cursed under her breath. Shilukar’s plan was obvious.
Elestra and Ranthir, meanwhile, reached the rear entrance. It led to a long warehouse stacked haphazardly with various crates. Just as Agnarr caught up with them, they saw a door at the far end of the warehouse swing open – seemingly of its own accord. Agnarr ran right past them and into the warehouse.
The two Shuul agents in the foundry also saw the door open. “I think I saw somebody moving in there!” They advanced.
Ranthir, meanwhile, shoved Elestra into the warehouse and slammed the doors shut behind them. Elestra, seeing the Shuul agents advancing into the room, ducked behind some of the crates… noticing, as she did, that they were labeled “Edarth’s Loans”.
Agnarr, seeing the Shuul agents himself, charged towards them. But the agents lowered their strange dragon rifles and bathed the western end of the warehouse in gouts of flame. Agnarr screamed in pain, but screwed his eyes shut and carried through. The Shuul, seeing him unswerved, stumbled back – desperately working the mechanisms on their rifles. But before they could get ready for a second shot, Agnarr’s greatsword found them both – chopping one of them in half and laming the other.
Tee, deciding that things had gotten far too chaotic for her tastes, climbed back up the wall of the foundry – pausing just inside the ventilation windows and waiting to see what happened.
Elestra drew her crossbow, stood up, and planted a bolt through the surviving Shuul’s forehead. Agnarr stepped back.
Ranthir waved his hand and the door at the far end of the warehouse swung shut. Then he began using various magicks in an effort to detect Shilukar’s presence, but to little avail. Had whatever the mage-thief wanted been in this warehouse? Had he retrieved it and then escaped through the warehouse doors before Ranthir had shut them? Or flown through the ventilation windows above them? Ranthir didn’t know, but he feared they might have already lost Shilukar again.
Ranthir did discover, however, that the crates here in the warehouse were radiating a magical aura – but a magical aura strangely tinged with some other influence unlike anything he had seen before.
Meanwhile, in front of the building, the sounds of battle and chaos coming from within were clear. Tor continued trying to sweet talk the Shuul into letting them go into the building and help, but the Shuul weren’t having any of it.
Elestra turned to the nearest crate and quickly pried off the lid… to find it packed full of the modified dragon rifles. But unlike the antique that Tee wielded, the rifles looked fresh and new, as if they had just been constructed.
One of the Shuul who had been in the front hall, satisfied that Tor and Dominic were pacified, turned and headed back through the hall and into the materials storehouse. Two more turned and headed into the second foundry, directly below Tee’s feet. In the sudden silence pervading the Foundry, Tee could hear their footsteps echoing ominously below her…
I’ve been curious about this for ages— you’ve mentioned that you’re still running the Ptolus campaign, right? Are these play reports recent or are you working through sessions from 12 years ago, writing them up and doing the associated instructive articles?
The campaign journals were written up 12 years ago. The Running the Campaign articles are contemporary.
At first I found it really hard to follow these logs, but now I went back and read them in order and now I really got sucked into what’s happening. I really want to know how all the things they’re currently in the middle of turn out, thank you for going on posting them.
Thanks, Jack. What do you think made it difficult for you to follow them at first? Just disorientation from picking things up in the middle? Or something else?
Thank you.
I’m really not sure. I’ve loved almost all of your other articles immediately (and ripped off a lot of techniques), I’m not sure why these were different.
I often find that I can’t read in-character play reports even though I really enjoy reading out-of-character play reports. From what I can tell, most people have similar problems, comparable to the “your dnd setting is a great setting for a novel but your plot usually isn’t a great plot for a novel”. Usually the emotional beats are in different places to where you expect, the things that are really cool at the table are almost impossible to convey as interesting in character, and it always ends up feeling like a stream of “and then this and then this and then this”.
You did all the things that usually fix that, putting the narrative in order, removing extraneous stuff, etc, and all the other comments on the write-ups I’ve seen have been very positive, so it seems that works for most people. But for some reason, I found it only slightly easier, I’ve kept wondering what’s different about my experience and I can’t tell. I enjoyed the higher-level plots (I got lost when I missed some key bits, so I got muddled about which plots were ongoing, but I’m interested). I often have difficulty “placing” an NPC, remembering what they’re *like* and who they represent (even though you usually manage to get a description and a picture which helps a lot). And I loved the contents of the session when I could see through to what the players were doing behind the character actions, but usually found it hard to get engaged with when I couldn’t. *shrug*
Thanks for the feedback, Jack. I appreciate it.
I see an actionable item there, which is to more frequently include NPC images even when the image has been used in previous entries. I’ll try to keep that in mind.
Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan of “other people’s campaign journals,” so I completely understand where you’re coming from. People sometimes ask why I don’t just do a dump of all the journals I’ve written up. Partially it’s because format conversion to the website (at least doing it properly) is, in fact, time-consuming in its own right. But it’s also because I think the Running the Campaign supplements are actually where the real meat is.
But I’m glad others, including yourself now, have been able to get hooked on the narrative itself.
Thank you. Pictures seem useful. Or, if it’s possible without taking too much extra processing time, perhaps a mini summary, of NPC and situation? I think you often try to include that in the text, but making sure it’s there when a log refers back to a previous log might be useful, or possibly having a mini cast list summarising the main NPCs and notable events of past sessions you can link to. Nothing that would take too much time, but it’s what springs to mind.
Although as you say, I was mostly following the main arc ok with some hiccups, having difficulty reading campaign logs at all was more of a thing. But obviously plenty of people DO enjoy reading campaign logs, so I’m the wrong person to talk about it 🙂 And I mean, I’ve loved lots of write-ups of my own sessions and others, but usually ones that are very much written from player PoV not character PoV.
It’s like, once I read the Running the Campaign post about in-jokes, I started to appreciate the reference to Tee shooting someone through an eye, because I could imagine the players being amused/pleased/surprised when it happened. But I couldn’t have got that from the log alone. But you can’t do more about that than just continuing to write Running the Campaign posts, so I guess, keep doing that? 🙂
But now I’m definitely eager to know what’s going on now and how much progress the party makes in uncovering what happened in the gap!
I find the journals an easy read and they contextualize and exemplify the accompanying articles perfectly. I would not get nearly as much out of either as I do with both. Thank you for taking the time to do these! I want to use this example to improve my own notes. I tend to muddy the waters between game prep and worldbuilding a bit more than I should and this format would go a long way toward fixing that.