As we left our heroes last week they had just finished antagonizing the wizard Merlin and were on their way back to Neverwinter in the hopes that someone they hadn't annoyed the shit out of might just have better luck removing their tracking curse alchemy thingy.
The journey back was uneventful, but as they entered the gates Tanic decided to bid the group ado. Apparently his frustration at being left near death as the healer shot arrows had understandably become volcanic in intensity, and he figured if he remained in the party much longer he'd end up killing a certain party member.
Farewells made, he headed off into the town. Being late in the day the abbreviated group of heroes decided to bed down for the night before tackling the city's cleric in the mourning. Again Vex chose to abode herself elsewhere. I'm starting to see why . . .
In the morning, with no sign of Vex, the group headed to Neverwinter's largest temple for something other than prayer. Some people are like that. Ask not what you can do for (Insert Deity Here) but what they can do for you.
Mirrodin's voucher earned them an audience with the high priestess who managed to pull a large amount of their story out with very little effort. She then noted they seemed to lack a healer and informed them that she knew a good one that needed to get back on the horse.
Having no other option, the group agreed and she left. Ironically it took more effort to convince the cleric in question to go with them than it had to convince the group to take him. Due to his rash behaviors his last adventuring group had been killed, leaving him the sole survivor, a set of circumstances that haunted him still three years later. But the priestess was firm that he needed to get back out there, should have gotten back out there some time ago.
Eventually he agreed (though whether to my persuasiveness or the fact that Dave wanted to play I can't be sure) and the two of them returned to the waiting group. Good thing too; leave a gnome waiting for long and see what happens. They tend to find ways to amuse themselves.
The priestess did try to remove their trackers with limited success (adding Zornesk and Calith to those of the group now off of the grid) before leaving them to get acquainted. The group, certain in the trustworthiness of a recommendation of a recommendation, quickly filled Velic in on the situation. As you can probably guess, their loose lips were destined for infamy.
The group headed back out into the streets to find Vex and head back to Mirrodin's tower. They'd barely made it a hundred meters when Quagrim suddenly realized that their piece of Arumdina had been lifted from him. Is it any wonder Mirrodin held onto his ?
Panicked, Quagrim scanned the crowd, noting a nervous looking kid glancing back at him. As their eyes met the kid bolted down the street. With a yell to the others Quagrim tore off after him. Begin the chase scene!
The group raced down the crowded streets, unable to gain on the street urchin, due mostly to their continually failed attempts to negotiate the obstacles of the city the kid seemed to glide right over. In desperation Zubat sent his eidolon Scrambles ahead. Scrambles, having just recently acquired wings, flew easily over the crowd, gaining on the fugitive quickly. Too quickly for my taste. Dammit; I had a whole chase scene planned out and it had only just begun!
As the winged snake descended back into the crowd to grapple the fleeing pickpocket I ground my teeth and asked for a fly check. 15 would have been sufficient. But Eureka! Clint rolled a one for a total of seven and the damned air serpent plowed headlong into a little old lady on her way to market, knocking her unconscious.
Feeling rather haughty I continued the chase. Velic, in an apparent attempt at emulation, stopped to cast fly upon himself. Two rounds later he was in the same position as the eidolon had been. But instead of attempting to injure another member of the elderly community of Neverwinter he simply hung there and cast hold person.
Now it was my turn to roll a 1 and poor Stevie Urun found himself locked in place. Unfortunately a quick detect magic made it clear that the adolescent did not have the gem. Not wanting to create more of a scene than necessary, Velic decided to take the kid back to the temple for questioning.
Meanwhile Calith, Quagrim, and Zubat headed back to the little old lady their pursuit had trampled. As they arrived on the scene they found a circle of people clearly trying to keep clear of the air serpent that was hovering next to the poor woman, uncertain of what to do.
And that's when the gnome got it into his head that if they were connected with that snake they'd probably end up in prison. But what to do? What to do . . . Aha!
As he passed through the group he approached the snake yelling "Begone Demon Snake!" with a bluff check that was enough to convince the good bystanders that he was the Queen of England. Zubat, recognizing a cue when he heard it, immediately dismissed the eidolon, a free action I deemed requiring no subterfuge. Calith then healed the woman and helped her to her feet. . . while the crowd cheered.
Let me say that again; the crowd cheered for the very people who'd caused the entire incident. They threw Quagrim (who I remind you did absolutely nothing) onto their shoulders and paraded him around like a visiting hero until Velic reached them with his charge. The group then retired to the temple and Velic sent a runner to Vex, who'd apparently been busy all morning delivering babies.