C2E06 – Welcome to Whitestone

Welcome to episode 6, Welcome to Whitestone. This episode takes place on the 4th and 5th of Quen’pillar in the year 634 post divergence. It begins in a bandit hideout at the base of the Alabaster Sierras and concludes in the city of Whitestone in northeast Tal’Dorei.

The featured image of this post is a print by the incredibly talented artist, Kent Davis, Kent has created a number of amazing works based on the world of Exandria. You can buy prints of his work online at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/2-kent-davis

Finishing the Job

In episode 5, Night, Tibalt, and Allix managed to enter the bandit hideout undetected and take out the three sentries guarding the entrance. As Tibalt pushed farther in, the alarm was raised and the bandits charged out to meet them. With surprise lost, Rialta, Rowan, Zaptuse and the Paleguard Teà charge in from the woods and start making their way to their comrades inside.

On the second level, across the small wooden bridge, Tibalt quickly finds himself alone and surrounded by angry bandits. Determined to help their friend, Night and Allix manage to scramble up the short stone wall and pull themselves up. Meanwhile, Zap, Rowan, and Rialta make their way across the entrance chamber and over the small wooden bridge.

The fight is going poorly for Tibalt. Two bandits hack away at his spider form and eventually cause him to revert to his normal, tiefling body. Night and Allix manage to get into the fight and take some of the heat off, but the bandits have reinforcements too. A wizard, acolyte, and bandit leader come out of side passages and focus their attention on Tibalt. They nearly drop him before the rest of the team arrives. Rowan and Rialta pump some much-needed healing into him while Night and Allix take out the wizard and acolyte.

Prisoner Swap

Sensing he’s not getting out of here alive, the bandit leader surrenders and the party quickly tie him up. Once secure, they start ransacking the place looking for treasure. They find some coin and other trinkets, while Rialta finds an odd book in a language nobody knows.

After thoroughly ransacking the hideout, the party remembers their prisoner tied up outside. They rush out to retrieve him, but find his ropes cut and the dwarven Paleguard unconscious on the ground. They tracked him to the Mooren River Run, but as it was getting dark they went back to the hideout to spend the night.

With their new prisoner in tow, the party heads back to the Alabaster Trail and turns north for Whitestone. The rain doesn’t let up and after two days of miserable travel, they finally reach the gates of the city.

Welcome to Whitestone

As the group approaches the gatehouse on the southern side of the city, they notice the wall is not yet complete. Large holes are in the process of being closed up and they can see signs of construction everywhere they look. Whitestone is clearly a growing city.

The guards at the gate are expecting their arrival and two of them escort them through the city. Along the way, they provide some information about the city and some of the landmarks. He leads them through Dawnfather Square and past the Sun Tree. Eventually, they find their way up to the Castle overlooking the city. Like the wall, it is still under construction and whole sections are draped with tarps and scaffolding.

Dinner with the de Rolos

Inside the party is greeted by Lord Simon and Lady Cassandra as well as the first lord and lady, Lord Julius Lorelei von Solnor de Rolo and Lady Mihaela Costache de Rolo. They escort the party into a side chamber where they see the chest they retrieved from the Empress of the Waves. It is still locked and Lord Simon tells them he insisted they wait for the party. At that, the first Lord produces an old key and opens the chest.

The chest is full of coin and the Lord and Lady of Whitestone agree to honor their son’s deal and give 10% of the contents to the party. It is a lot of coin and considerably more than some of them have ever seen before. After their reward has been dispensed, the entire party moves to the dining room for an excellent dinner and conversation. The conversation spills over into a sitting room before the party is escorted back to the Black Oak Inn in Dawnfather Square.