The Merchant’s Menagerie

Summary of Events (4/5/2026):
12/1/4722

Ahhhh, THE FUATH HAD FLED!

Those pathetic water-gremlins scattered like frightened minnows, leaving the party face-to-face with ALDRIC LENZ—traveling peddler of questionable tonics!

The merchant packed his wagon with irritated efficiency, grumbling about “fey politics” and broken merchandise! But Shakoom pressed him with questions!

“What is your MOST POWERFUL potion?”

The showman’s posture returned! He offered anti-fungal salves for FIVE HUNDRED GOLD! Healing tonics for FOUR HUNDRED!

But then—most sinister—he leaned close and whispered of a DREAD AMPULE! Pure black glass! Found in an abandoned village!

“Not evil, friend—it’s the INTENT that matters!”

While Shakoom distracted, Jotaro PILFERED from the wagon’s depths! He found clay jars sealed with LEAD! When he lifted one, it felt WRONG—heavier than it should be, the contents shifting like LIVING SAND!

Shakoom identified it: BLACK SAND! NECROMANTIC ESSENCE! The very substance that created the LEBENDTOD the fought on the river last night!

Nadja sensed Aldric’s DECEPTION! And knew the merchant was LYING! Hugh grabbed Aldric! Demanded truth! The peddler confessed:

“I distribute transformative compounds! The first version had PROBLEMS, but these new ones are BETTER!”

Then Aldric crushed a black dog figurine in his fist! FIDO appeared—a HELL HOUND WREATHED IN FLAMES!

Fido’s jaws ripped into Shining Fist! Kren’s holy light BURNED the beast! Hugh’s warhammer CRUSHED its skull! The hell hound spewed BURNING BILE across the party!

But Puurcard—MAGNIFICENT PUURCARD—leaped upon the weakened beast and TORE OUT ITS THROAT! The hell hound dissolved into caustic black smoke!

Aldric threw more figurines!

“I’ll drop the BUNNY!”

And he did! A DEMONIC RABBIT appeared—TINY BUT TERRIBLE! Red glowing eyes! FANGS LIKE DAGGERS!

Hugh struck valiantly as the bunny LEAPED FOR HIS THROAT! It bit deep and causing Hugh’s blood to flow! Shakoom cast AGONIZING DESPAIR—but the bunny from the abyss could not feel despair and so continued its rampage! Forcing the orc sorcerer to flee toward the wreck of the River Maid! While yelling…

“WE MUST FLEE!”

And we left our heros with the DEMON BUNNY still hopping, still biting, and Aldric barricaded in his ENCHANTED WAGON throwing various tonics and alchemical concoctions at them!

Can the heroYes survive the merchant’s menagerie? What other horrors lurk in his cart?

Tagged: Changing Isles