Session 65 - On to the Coast Road

The adventurers take the Canyon River down to the Coast Road and follow it south, stopping at inns along the way.

This write-up is based on Kay’s notes from our September 3, 2025 session. Since our group is scattered around the country, we use Discord for our voice communication and Roll20 for our virtual tabletop. Thanks to Kay for the write-up and screen shots.

Continued from: Grubs, Rats and a Black Skeleton

Location: Castle Calaelen, Eastreach Provence

Date: Saturday, June 21, 3517 

6 AM
It was cloudy when the sun came up at the castle. Elron asked about the necklace we got from the black skeleton, do we sell it? Artie wanted to sell it in a larger town for a better price, but we figured the town here had the best prices. Sinis and Parahelia checked it out; it was not magic or clerical, just decoration, something that a rich merchant would wear.

We went over all the loot. Elron is keeping the Mantle of Hope; we kept the scroll case with spells and maps. Blaze kept the elven chainmail, since as a sorcerer, it was just about the only armor she could wear.  We kept the two red priest’s robes as disguises. The brass key goes with us back to the dungeon. We left the 3 flasks of holy water and the hand axe at the castle. We burned the doll and kept the garnet that had been sewn into its hem.

10 AM
We arrived in Zelcor’s Ferry to sell and buy. Blaze and Breena exchanged money for gemstones. Blaze bought one healer’s kit with 10 uses for herself, and bought another to distribute among the rest of the party to take in their backpacks. Elron and Parahelia already have some, so she put part in the castle for later, along with the 3 flasks of holy water. We bought more rations.

Elron went to the jeweler, outfitter, and blacksmith and got the following:

Necklace – 500 gp,
candles and pouch – 1 sp,
bag nails 5 cp,
silver ring 5 sp,
dagger 5sp,
rusty longsword 1.5 gp.

He was about to trade 1,000 cp to Bristleback in exchange for 10 gp.

Elron tallied up the gold and we each got 130 gp. Elron put the overage into the group’s general funds to pay for things like the employees’ salaries, maintenance of the castle, giant raven bribe, etc. 

10:30 AM
We were at the tavern for lunch and listening for rumors. Breena managed to start a small fight. Very small.  

Blaze got a rumor: 

"It is said the frog worshipers seek some undiscovered evil, deep within the earth"

On further questioning:

“The Cloister of the Frog-God has stood on a desolate ridge overlooking vast swampland since time immemorial. Dedicated to the great and terrible demon lord Tsathogga, the original sanctuary was erected in a distant and forgotten past, long before the survivors of Tsar built their fell abode in Rappan Athuk.”

Apparently, the frog cultists don’t get along with the followers of Orcus, who they see as interlopers. 

We consulted the map of Rappan Athuk and located the Cloister in the Dragonmarsh lowlands northwest of the bridge along the Coast Road.

Blaze consulted Zhanna’s bounty list and there was a bounty for frog clerics (alive). Elron asked the staff for broken glass, but the inn had none. We took advantage of the free room and food (offered by Bristleback after we saved the town), and stayed overnight in town. Blaze asked about Capt. Felrara; it’s known her group patrols the Old Coast Road; she seldom comes all the way to Zelcor’s Ferry. Most travelers go by boat down-river to the sea coast; few take the river shore roads, which are little more than trails.

If a boat is going down river, it docks below the inn near the bridge; the ferry usually arrives in the mornings, it’s not here right now. There’s no boat available, so we would take the ferry across the river here and take the River Road; it takes three days by road to the bridge. 

June 22
Went back to the castle early the next morning to drop off our belongings (gems, extra healing kits) and grab whatever we would need for Rappan Athuk, and headed out from the castle back to town. 

9 AM
Luckily a boat stopped at Zelcor’s Ferry today and took us down river to the Coast Road. The Lucky Oak came down-river from the west, piloted by Capt. Tetris Corvo, with four sailors and a guard with two guard dogs. There were three shady characters offloading, who said they were going to the Mouth of Doom.

Capt. Corvo wanted to charge us 5gp/person/day but Blaze haggled him down to 3 gp if we acted as guards and stand watch. It was 3gp X 6 = 180 gp total. The boat pulled out of dock at noon and arrived at noon the next day at the bridge. There were no encounters that night.

Travelling downriver, the north side is swampy for a long way and then drops into a canyon.

June 23
Noon
We could see the bridge spanning across the canyon from two miles out. It had to be huge.

As we approached, we saw a cave in the south canyon wall. One of the crew said that no one dared go into it, it was probably full of trolls.

The crew said that the bridge is 250 ft. above the water, and spans 100 ft. across the river.

We came to a dock where stairs were cut into the canyon wall leading up toward the bridge.

At the top of the stairs was the Dunsby Inn and Brewery.

When we came through the door, we were greeted by the innkeeper, “Welcome, travelers, you look like you come from the river.”

He was human, tall, blonde, and sober. We learned later that sober was unusual for him.

The main level had the tavern, kitchen, and central fireplace for cooking larger meat. There were ten guest rooms upstairs. The inn charges 4 gp, 1sp per day for 2 meals and lodging.

 

The Coast Road goes south from the inn through this lightly wooded area.

Elron asked the innkeeper if he has broken glass and he directed Elron to his midden heap where Elron found 6 pieces of glass suitable as payment for our giant raven.

Blaze, while looking for rumors, discovered the house wine comes from John Chapel Inn, 13 miles to the south. We discovered that there is a caravan route with inns going south to Amrin Ferry, a big town. There is a lot of bandit activity to the south. Other customers told us rumors that there’s a ruined village just short of John Chapel Inn where some bandits have holed up. 

Another rumor: "Outlaws sometimes hazard the dangers of the wilderness, seeking refuge from the law. It is said that some have even banded together, to start their own community."

Blaze asked about the mausoleum; it’s 20 miles south of here, two days walk. There’s a haunted graveyard; adventurers go in and don’t come out. The gargoyles are nasty, also there are giant rats and were rats, lots of them. There’s more than one building; five miles from the Coast Road, five and ten miles away from Coast Road.

On the map, it shows 20 miles south of here is a bridge near the center of the map; it’s washed out at Wild Edge River; we must use a ford to cross. On the map there is a spire that represents the mausoleum.

The innkeeper knows Capt. Felrara and the County Patrol; they come through occasionally. Two miles south of the mausoleum there’s a trail going east to the Captain’s HQ, it’s an old farmhouse that the County Patrol has fortified.

Blaze asked the innkeeper about dragon caves. He heard a red dragon lives offshore, on one of the islands. There are no fishing fleets; some merchant ships go along the coast between Eastgate and Eastwych. 

Sinis asked about rumors of dragon hunts. West of here, nobles come out and hunt in the Forest of Hope; there are green dragons there; we’re on the edge of it.

Blaze consulted Zhanna’s bounty list again, and asked if there were any sea hag covens around; he didn’t know, but wouldn’t be surprised. The road is dangerous enough without going into the wilderness. 

Froghemoth? It’s a giant frog with tentacles in the Dragonmarsh lowlands, north and west along the shore of the river, past the frog cult monastery, 20 miles away.

Vrock? It’s a demon vulture thing, 12 ft tall, it can fly and is pretty much invulnerable. 

Breena summons Rocky.

June 24
6 AM
Morning and brekkies at the inn. 

7 AM
We headed out on the Coast Road going south, no encounters. We passed the ruined village 13 miles down.

Continued to the John Chapel Inn, which had a stockade, a house, and vineyard. The innkeeper is Abel Radu-can-u. The food is spicy bear sausage and fresh bread and the house wine is excellent. Other staff are: Theodoric Goldworthy, halfling, male, very cultured cook; a pair of twins (Johnson & Johnson), the bartender who is pregnant, Prinhilde Adler; and two others. They charge 2g 1sp/each/night. 

When the group arrives, there is a Halfling Monk named Alaric Burrows dancing on a table. 70% of the customers are adventurers. Other customers:

·         Holddor, human fighter, from Rheman, Thunder Rider Clan;

·         Thelgus Hammerbane, barbarian dwarf fighter;

·         Alston, gnome barbarian;

·         Frank Notley, half-elf ranger;

·         Nenylene Aedaerith, elf druid, female;

·         Haylie Fawcett, human female;

·         Wiba Outerbridge, human female;

·         Yesenia Ashton, human female. 

All having a good time. 

7 PM
We settled in for the night. The road to the mausoleum is 7 miles south from here. A well-worn trail on the left is the first trail going east; we’re told to take that. Next inn to the south, 4 miles from Rappan Athuk, was overrun by goblins and burned to the ground, the Hornville Inn is no more; and the bridge is out; we would have to use the ford if we went that way, But going to Rappan Athuk, we don’t go there. 

Blaze gave Elron her sling; at the rate he’s been breaking them, he’ll need it. Sinis has created a transmutation stone, it resists fire.

We can establish a reliable safe haven here at the John Chapel Inn, with its stockade, vineyard, and regular caravan visits for supplies. 

So we’re travelling to Rappan Athuk, it’s 7 miles down the Coast Road and then 5 miles down the first trail to the east.


Continued in Session 66 - Mausoleum