AD&D Session 90 - Shadows on the Road
26th of Duscar, 835 PD
After a night to reconsider the matter, the party finally resolved the crisis surrounding Bane’s Mace. Backed by the others, Bibi’s earlier suggestion prevailed, and Enikas was effectively overruled. He reluctantly surrendered the Betrayer weapon to the visiting Cobalt Soul associate, who promised to deliver it into the custody of High Curator Yudala Fon in Rexxentrum, where it could be retrieved again if absolutely necessary. With the immediate danger of the mace removed and their business in Blooming Grove concluded, the group turned its attention southward and set out a few hours later for Shadycreek Run.
That night, while the party camped on the road, Bibi and Koro noticed movement at the edge of the camp. Their watchers proved not to be ordinary beasts but strange metal constructs shaped like werewolves, or at least closely resembling them. The creatures did not attack or attempt to enter the camp, instead lingering just beyond the perimeter before eventually withdrawing. With Whisper volunteering to remain alert and raise the alarm if the constructs returned in force, the party tried to get what rest they could.
27th of Duscar, 835 PD
The night passed without incident. By morning, Whisper confirmed that the strange constructs had ultimately departed, and the company resumed its journey south. After only a few more hours of travel, they reached Shadycreek Run.
Approaching the settlement cautiously, the party found it as lively as its reputation suggested, though the town’s atmosphere made clear that power rested not with any lawful authority but with the competing local factions. The names of the Iron Shepherds, the Mardoons, the Uttolots, and the Greytraders all quickly surfaced as dominant forces within the city. A first circuit through town revealed only a single real inn for travellers, overshadowed by the great central tower that loomed over the rest of Shadycreek. After confirming with locals that it was indeed the only place offering rooms, the party made their way there and secured lodgings for the night.