Play Report for Red Death 1

Thank you to Hruk for writing the majority of this play report! 

Faeno – Roguish Rogue

Hruk – Barbarian and Moral Voice

Skeexe – Cleric of Law

Brad – Auditor and Motivational Speaker 

Faeno, Hruk, and Skeexe have been exploring the Dungeon of the Mad Mage and are now ready to exit to Waterdeep. On their return, they find the bucket and rope which traditionally allows them to exit the dungeon unmanned. They climb up into an abandoned bar – the Yawning Portal. The heroes briefly search the empty bar finding a small creepy painting, oil on panel, as well as wine mixed with charcoal. They are drawn outside by the sound of carpentry and screaming. 

Across the street, a group in plague doctor masks are boarding up a building with screams and moans emanating from within. The party engages the men and learn that there has been an outbreak of a mysterious sickness: the "Red Death." The whole neighborhood in Waterdeep has been quarantined off by a mix of hastily assembled fortifications and conjured mage towers. 

Once the quarantineers are gone, Hruk frees the ill from the sick-house who pour out into the street, moaning and vomiting bile.  After quickly ducking back into the Yawning Portal, a note from a learned sage indicating that crushed pearls will help ward off infection is found.

Amongst the rescued infected, a particularly coherent one named Werner Brobe who is able to help identify ground zero for the infection as the keep Count Von Scoon. He gives the party a little gold and says he'll wait for in the Yawning Portal and hope we save the day.

A voice cries out from down the street! 

It is: "BRAD SON OF TOD SON OF CHAD!," a bard sent by a Voscouss Eeben, the Duke Regent, to try to put a stop to this horrible disease. Brad explains his purpose and the heroes agree to help find a way to cure the disease. Upon inspection, Brad realizes his papers only allow him INTO the infected area, not back out.

The heroes start by following Werner's tip on the location of a local oyster market and acquire some more powdered pearls to keep on their persons (the powder will turn black once it has been used up).

On their way to Eshrigel's, our heroes stop briefly to save a woman from a burning tower (looters knocked over a brazier or something). The woman has a note, addressed to Skeexe, from Eshrigel, an eccentric and enigmatic local noblewoman, wife of said Count, and semi-secret medusa, suggesting she knows what is up and giving an address. They also chop down a wooden walkway to contain the fire.

At Eshrigel's manor, there is Hookah and Exposition! It is not a sickness but a curse: brought on by the evil Count's new, rare, evil bird with rubies for eyes. The bird will willingly enter a cage to consume eyeballs that have been removed from the sockets while weeping - see: very evil. Also, the count's whole jam is totally evil. Eshrigel can break the curse if we bring her the live bird. Plus she will give the party magical rewards. Brad pees his pants slightly – intimidated by the medusa - but plays it off.

The party requests the medusa’s fine chiffon dress and Brad plasy the part of a reconciled wife to con their way into Count's keep.  The party makes its way past the servants with intimidation, the nobles with flattery before a cleric insists on accompanying the lady. This cleric is quickly slain once out of earshot and is revealed to be two goblins standing on top of each other.  The top goblin was killed via vicious mockery and produces those sweet sweet crying eyeballs. 

Racing against a timer, the party fights their way to the menagerie. The eyeballs are used to lure the bird into a cage, the Count taken hostage, his guards held off, a siren's charms broken, a crocodile ridden, a window repelled out of, and the bird carried off. 

Back at Eshrigel's manor, she makes good on previous claims and promises: using the bird to break the curse afflicting the city and rewarding the heroes.