Session 72 - Back at Zelcors Ferry

The adventurers return to Zelcor’s Ferry, sell their loot and return to Rappan Athuk via The Mouth of Doom. 
 
This write-up is based on Kay’s notes from our December 10, 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: Rat Tunnels 
Location: The John Chapel Inn, on the Coast Road, Eastmarch Provence  
Date: Monday, June 28, 3517  

 

7 AM 

It was morning at John Chapel Inn. It’s a 3-4 day walk back to Zelcor’s Ferry or a 2-day boat ride from the Dunsby pier. No further rumors; it’s pretty quiet. We heard there’s a bandit base at the old ruined fort about 100 miles south of here. Elron checked his loot and found 4 of the gargoyle eyes were missing. We checked all the other loot and it’s all still there. There were 15 people at the inn including staff. 

 

4 PM 

We made our way to Dunsby, arriving around 4pm, with no encounters on the road. There were four merchants with two wagons waiting for the boat going upstream. The boat is expected any day now; it’s on an irregular schedule.  
 
Dunsby has a brewery, stable, smithy. It’s a few houses, a chicken coop, and pig sty inside a stone wall.  It’s about a ½-mile from the bridge and dock. 
 
Inn rates are 1gp/night; fare is roasted fish and dry carrots; food is 1sp or 10 coppers. Martin Villemsun is the innkeeper.  
 
There are three boats that run through here; we’ll probably get the Lucky Oak, the same one that we took downstream awhile back. We paid 1gp + 1sp/night, and took watches; the night passed without incident. We took an inventory before bed and another inventory at morning, nothing else was missing. 

 

June 29 

9 AM  
The boat arrived, and was the Lucky Oak as expected. We headed down to the dock behind the two wagons. There were four guards, Snowdon, Hermansen, Deordig, and Garrick, and two merchants with the wagons. The wagons were stowed in the middle of the boat with the horses. 

First day on the boat, we each paid 2 gp to go to Zelcor’s Ferry. The Lucky Oak was captained by Petrus Kolvio. He has a crew of 4 sailors, a guard and 2 guard dogs, mastiffs named Mautus and Gajax.  
 
That night the boat anchored. Elron took another inventory as it was getting dark; all items were there, and we put up our own guard. Elron took the first watch. The party was sleeping on the forward deck. 

June 30 

5 AM 

Just before sunrise. Breena and Blaze were taking watch this shift. We heard a splash and thump, the dogs started barking and we saw a giant frog coming over the starboard bow. 

 

Breena and Blaze screamed for the others to wake up. 
 
Breena yelled, “Elron, there’s a giant frog next to you!”  
 
Elron saw the frog and grabbed his longsword. The giant frog was looking at Rocky, probably thinking he looked tasty. Elron hit the frog with his sword, his second swing missed, but the third hit, killing it.



Elron butchered the frog.  

6 AM 
The Sun came up and we had giant frog legs for breakfast.

We were just south of a swamp which stretched as far as we can see. Someone asked about the froghemoth and captain Kolvio said he wouldn’t mess with the froghemoth, a nasty creature. He heard one bandit group lived near the swamp. There are green dragons every so often, and rumors of one medium-sized red one that breathes chlorine gas, which is odd; red dragons usually breath fire.

We talked with the guards Takoda, Snowdon, and Hermansen who work for the merchants. Everyone congratulated us on saving the boat.  Then it was up anchor as soon as breakfast was finished. 

5 PM 

Containers were offloaded on Zelcor’s Ferry dock; it was a 2-day trip. We went to the Bristleback Inn. Elron’s morning inventory discovered we’re missing another eye; we’re down to 11 eyes. Elron went to the alchemist’s to sell the horns and eyes. He checked them out; his wife is the one with the bounty list. Horns go for 250gp, eyes go for 500 gp. He sent Elron to Kalgor’s jewelers for the eyes.  
 
Kalgor agreed to take the tiger’s eyes; he told us they’re enchanted. Sinis cast identify and found they disappeared because they respawned. Breena removed the curse. Kalgor verified the curse was gone and bought the eyes at 500 gp each or he will trade for gems. There were 11 left, at 500 gp x 11 = 5500 gp; plus the 3000 gp for the horns = 8500 gp. 

 

We all get 1400gp each. Blaze bought 5 rubies at 250gp each.  

6 PM 
We finished trading.

Blaze and Breena stayed at the inn overnight. Blaze bought another healing kit (pack of 10). Elron took the gargoyle pieces to the raven, and found it’s not interested, but it will take the broken glass pieces from the winery for a month of guarding. 
 

July 1, 3517 

10 AM 

At the castle. Blaze put her rubies in her treasure chest in the library, and updated her maps and journal notes on the dungeon. Elron gave the raven the glass. Elron inspected the castle, making progress on rebuilding it. They needed a stone mason for some of the work; we’d have to bring one in from another town. Elron wanted them to rebuild the drawbridge. The total repair is less than 10% complete. 
 
The weather is very warm and cloudy, with high humidity.
 

The castle crew was paid through the end of July and the raven paid to Aug 15^th. We took a day or two to relax and worked in the library updating maps and journal. The cleric Cato has been copying the medical books. It’s been a week at 2gp/day, she’s ¼ of the way through one of the books.  

  

July 3 

Sunrise breakfast 

 
10 AM 
Going to the Mouth of Doom 

 

1 PM  
At the Mouth of Doom, after climbing up the rocky trail in the heat, it was nice to step into the cool underground. 
 
It took us 40 minutes, walking the familiar route down stairs and down empty halls to reach the Gut. 
 
5-1/2 hours later, we were 11 miles away, at the Last One Inn. 

 

7:30 PM  

We camped for the night in the stables south of the Inn, and we took turns setting watches; no encounters. We took a Long Rest and Elron cast goodberries for everyone. 

 

July 4 

4 AM 

We moved on to the Weird Plantation, walking 15 miles; it took us 7 hours to get there. 

 

11:30 AM 

We got to the plantation, no encounters, no movement. The floor looked weedy, untended. Breena and Blaze took some vegetation; each found 4 rations worth of food at twice the weight of dry rations; we put it in our cart.  

 

Going on to the Gates of Gloom, 2 hours past the plantation we encountered someone else going to the Weird Plantation to pick up food: two ogres. Blaze said, “hi” and waved at them. Ogre two speaks common. 

Elron said, “hello, we come in peace and mean you no harm.” The ogres were noncommittal. 

Elron, “we don’t want to fight you. We’ll let you pass.” They were unreceptive.

Ogre 2 approached cautiously. Blaze talked to the ogres. One ogre asked if we have food. Sinis cast acid splash, but missed. Ogre 1 said something in giant and charged toward Sinis. Breena cast magic missile at Ogre 1. Elron (Ogre said, “never trust a magic user”) sling at Ogre 1 and hit with two stones in quick succession. Breena cast magic missile at him and he died.

Ogre 2 ran away and we didn’t follow.  

Elron looted the body of Ogre 1 and found a great club, 35 gp, a string of wooden beads and a blob of iron with a happy face on one side. Breena checked the iron for magnetism, no, just a drawn-on happy face. We took the wooden beads, 35 gp, and iron blob. We each got 5 gp.

We continued on to the Gates of Gloom.

 

5:30 PM 
As we arrived at the Gates of Gloom. There was no sign of where the ogre went, but we could hear human voices echoing off the walls.

 

Continued in Session 73 - Ghouls