Way of the Monsters (WotW Variant)

Game Master Diamondust

You quickly rush across the gatehouse and push open the large double doors showing the way out.The doors lay open and the way unblocked for the moment. Blackerly's hesitation had left an opening for your escape, down the narrow and rocky path towards the bridge leading from Branderscar Island to the freedom of the mainland. Luckily the path zigzagged down the incline going behind rocky outcroppings, making attack from archers on the roof rather difficult. View of Branderscar from shore.

A few arrows chase you but are inaccurate and you are in no danger. You notice a few other monsters that had not been in the main fight with you join you in the escape. Not all of the 22 original inmates have survived to escape however.

Once you get to the bridge you see another guard house at the other end. The gate has already been lifted and the bloody corpses of four guards lay on the ground. Leaning against the gate is a drow whom you recognise as being a prisoner. He hadn't formed a group with any of the others and had found his own way out. You can see he is quite wet from a swim in the sea. "More made it out than I thought. So they are all dead then?" He turns away and walks past the open gate without waiting for the answer. No one else seems very talkative and a few start for the moor to get as far away from here and any search parties as possible.

Before he can give chase, Blackerly will need to gather his men and prepare to follow. With the bodies you left everywhere, he will have only those half dozen left with him until reinforcements arrive. Disappearing into the Moor is your best chance to hide and evade the coming patrols. You also remember the woman who broke your bonds and started this whole thing. Her message was to follow the Old Moor road if you wished to join her Master and take revenge on Talingarde.

Travelling through the Moor is slow and difficult even while sticking to the road and it takes the entire afternoon into the evening to find the Manor house with a lantern burning in the second story window. Safety at last. The feeling and effects of the collars they used on you are gone and you feel mostly yourself again. The path to the house leads you into the courtyard and waiting for you is none other than the woman who has broken your chains in the prison. A number of servants in livery stand almost lifelessly beside her. "My my, you took long enough," she says pitilessly. "We were beginning to wonder if you’d ever make it. The master commands all of you to appear before him but before that, you must be made presentable. Slaves!" She claps her hands. A dozen young attractive men and women all wearing very traditional servant’s livery appear quickly, their heads bowed. "These people are our guests," she commands imperiously. "See them to their
rooms. I want them cleaned, dressed and refreshed. Quickly." There is something in that last word that sounds like a threat. Certainly the slaves take it that way, hustling to perform their duties. "Rooms have been prepared, fitting for each of you." She disappears in a column of smoke again, clearly some sort of innate magical transportation. There seems to be exactly 1 servant that is ready and attends to each of you, showing you to a room outfitted to suit each of you. Clearly some effort has been expended to accommodate you.

Lets check in, roleplay with each other if you like. The servants will show you to the room where you will meet the Cardinal once we are all here and ready to go again.

Grunt

The Hound awakens hours later, shaking free the weapons still festering in the wounds that had left him unconscious and bleeding on he floor of the prison. Surrounded by corpses and forgotten, he painstakingly limps his way up the road, following the last instructions he'd been given by the woman who freed them.

I am genuinely curious what accommodations these slaves come up with to make an injured dog "presentable". =)

Augh follows the slave, rather confused at the woman's powers and his current location. His eyes dart around and his hands twitch near his sword as he is lead to his room.

Bed, table, pot and not much else.

Oh yes, that cat was there. Looking smug on the bed and from the looks of it, had eaten the food in the bowl that was left for him.

Blasted Starvling Cat..

Reginald dips his head.

I cannot express the gratitude I feel for your assistance in escaping that dreary and rather bleak abode. And, if you are offering clothes, I believe I'll have a bright red suit If possible my good sir. he adds to the slave before he takes a handkerchief and tries to wipe some of the muck off his feet.

Such a deplorable journey I must confess, the marsh is filthy and seems to cling to you in places hitherto unknown. Now, If I could however request a cup of hot chamomile honey tea and a sugar cube to settle my nerves, I would be utmost appreciative.

Igoroskandrallanotly had been in worse environments than the muck of the moors, and they were glad to be free of the prison. They were curious about their strange benefactor who had freed them from their confines - obviously this benefactor would want something in return. The likely outcome of refusal to aid this benefactor would be death, of course - someone this powerful wasn't likely to allow any creature to wander away knowing of the assistance they'd provided - but hopefully it would not be too onerous a task.

Seeing the woman who broke their chains, he nods. Clearly the master's right-hand woman. A coveted place, I think.

Looking at his compatriots, he said, "Once we have all dined, washed..." here with a specific look at Aaaggghhh, "...and dressed, if anyone wishes, we can discuss our much improved circumstances." He then motions for his slave to lead him to his room.

Dahlia trudges comfortably through the moors singing soft tunes about swamp-folk sprouting arrows from their eyes. Once they arrive at their way-station, she swiftly retreats to her room and sets her servant to bathing her. After a time she re-emerges draped in fine linen robes over her armor, the scales on her snakes polished and gleaming like pearl and ivory. "Must we leave here? The accommodations are so much nicer than our last facilities."

Aghh sneers at Igor. Make yourself a new nose if you can't stand my smell. Water is for drinking where I come from so anyone who whines about some dirt is weak. Agghh does wipe the worst of the dirt and blood off of himself and gets a simple tunic and pants to visit their savior.

Dahlia smiles primly. "Why is it that the most fearsome of champions are so often frightened to the core by a splash of water, a rub of soap, and a sprinkling of scented oils? But it's as if you had asked them to jump in a pool of acid."

She looks Aggghh up and down. "Then again, the acid might prove a more useful cleaning agent."

Mei walks into the house after the swamp used to dingy caves filled with putrid water in the underdark and anything was an improvement to the prison. She spun web to support herself across the room and set a nice web hammocky like area cone in the corner of the room. Having herself bathed and cleaned was good but getting her long silver hair brushed out was magnificent and she enjoyed the luxury taking far longger on that then anything else making the slave brush her hair a hundred times and then some.

Igor shakes their head at Aggghhh. "I care nothing for your smell - I don't even have a nose, normally. I thought you would merely wish to present yourself as an imposing warrior for our mysterious benefactor, as opposed to a slovenly savage."

Aghhh sneers at Dahlia. And your oils and soap makes you as bright as day if you need to use stealth. How fine will your silks be after having to crawl through the forest and endure blades and clubs in battle?

One of Dahlia's snakes shifts demurely to cover her amused smile. "My dear those are entirely different circumstances. You mistake your own fear of cleanliness for a fear of the opposite in myself, but that's simply not so. I grew up in a swamp like this. It's given me quite the appreciation for the chance to escape the muck when I can. And when the servants do the bathing for you.....mmm. You should try it dear, you might find you enjoy it."

Reginald merely stands behind the three arguing in his velvet suit and cape while leaning on his new cane and sipping a cup of tea and watching the proceedings.

The Hound comes limping through the door in the middle of this conversation. Because it's more amusing that way.

He huffs, small flecks of blood flying from him.

"It does not matter either way." he rumbles "Any good hunter could smell either of you coming or going for miles."

The doppelganger turns to face the Hound as he comes through the door. "Fortunately, most humans aren't blessed with as powerful a sense of smell as you."

Igor takes several of the components he took from the Warden's office and mixes them together before pouring it into a bowl and putting it before Fiain. "Drink this. It has restorative properties that should so something about those rather painful-looking wounds."

RP'ing a CLW extract, pay me no mind.

Thank you kind sir.

Healz: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

The Hound straightens as the worst of the bleeding stops.

He inclines his head in respect to his pack member, but then snorts.

"You call it fortunate? The bliss of ignorance. Better to be blind than nose blind. Your eyes may deceive but a hunter's nose will never lead them astray."

Dahlia cocks an eyebrow over an empty eye socket. "I'm going to remember this moment the first time your nose fails you, and I'm going to hold it over your head. Playfully of course. Like a stick."

Mei arrives from the cleansing right after the stick comment her fangs showing a bit in a chuckle and smile wearing the afore mentioned silk which is very revealing for her too still carrying the two kukris now cleaned and shined. it's not about looks or smell, it's about who is left standing when it's done. Who is prey, who is Hunter? Who won and who lives are the only thing.

The monsters disperse, each led to a different room by a lone servant, brought fitting food and drink such that left you feeling revitalised and renewed (any fatigue is gone, and 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9 hp are healed). There you can be bathed and fresh clothes of a quality fit for nobles await you (unless you don't wear clothes). It is several hours before you are summoned once again by Tiadora, allowing you to rest, socialise and wonder what comes next. Of the 16 that made it out of Branderscar, only 13 went to the manor, 3 having decided to go their own way before getting to the manor.

At last Tiadora leads you to a beautifully appointed office richly decorated with dark wood and sumptuous brocade tapestry. Sitting in a leather high-backed chair is a devilishly handsome fellow who smiles as you enter. "I believe you to be the first to ever escape from Branderscar Prison. Well done! Of course, you had help from the outside," he says with a wicked smile. "But enough with the pleasantries. You must be curious why I’ve helped you. Rest assured this is no random act of altruism. I have brought you here for a reason. My name is Cardinal Adrastus Thorn. I am the last high priest of Asmodeus left on the island of Talingarde. Once the Prince of Nessus was rightly revered alongside the other great powers. Now, the king of Talingarde has become a puppet to Mitran fanatics who wish to destroy any religion that does not bow to their insipid sun god."

"For their blasphemy, I will see the same people who imprisoned and condemned you suffer. I understand what you went through for I have faced it myself." With that, he pulls down the sleeve of his robe and reveals a runic ‘F’ brand. "I am going to urn Talingarde to the ground and from the ashes I will build a new nation that knows its rightful master. I cannot do this alone. I seek servants worthy of our Infernal Father’s majesty. Have I found them in you?"

He rises and his eyes flash with hellfire and divine purpose. "Join me! Serve me well in this holy endeavor and I will raise you up in the eyes of gods and men. I will make you princes of the new Talingarde. Today, swear fealty to me and to Asmodeus. Put aside forgiveness and I shall give you vengeance. Put aside mercy and be made powerful. Put aside peace and become my harbingers of war. What say you? Will you swear your allegiance or will you burn with the rest of the blind fools?"

Igoroskandrallanotly coolly observes the human's fiery and impassioned speech, a blank look on his face. So, our mysterious benefactor worships the god Asmodeus. Not the worst choice, but I must question his sanity a little bit. He seems very emotional, and bent on revenge. I don't think I want to be under his thumb - but then, refusal means death. Patience and submission are the keys of the moment, I think.

The doppelganger inclines their head to Cardinal Thorn, then says, "Your assistance in this matter was most appreciated. Death at the hands of the Mitrans was not what I would consider a particularly pleasant end. I see no issues with aiding you in this endeavor on the part of myself, but I must ask, what role will we play in this crusade? I must admit, the possibility of being used as expendable shock troops is no more appealing than the fate that awaited me yesterday."

Igoroskandrallanotly patiently awaits the Cardinal's response, face once again blank.

The Hound cocks his head.

"I have no interest in your human gods. But reminding the mortals of this land that they should live in fear or not at all? Yes, we can be agreed on that."

Getting revenge on the ones who slew his clanmates was very appealing to Auiger and he leaned forwards to speak..

Suddenly a flash of pain ripped across his cheek and he turned his head of look at the scrawny cat sitting at his side, licking his blood off it's paw.

Letting his rage cool, Augier sat back in the shadows, waiting to see what this Cardinal wants and is offering

Dahlia considers, nods in agreement at Igor's question. "You promise power. Elaborate, please."

Some of the other monsters in the room shout out, "Burn them!"[/b] after Thorn's speech. His passionate words working on most.

"You will sow discord and aid in the fall of the Talinguarde you know and will help me reshape it. While at first I was merely using you to embarrass the king and put a halt to his celebration (not expecting any of you to survive), you have proven you are more than mere beasts. You all have different skills that I have use of. You will not be my expendable soldiers. You will be commanders and captains and princes and generals. Those who do well will be rewarded well."

"Do you accept?"

Igoroskandrallanotly nods, then says, "Very well, then. I am willing to work with you to bring about the fall of Talingarde and to raise up a new kingdom in its place. I look forward to this."

And to the wealth and rewards I will earn in your service, the doppelganger thinks. They suspect they'll never be able to reclaim their stash in Ghastenhall, so building up a new one was the only course of action.

A thin smile spreads across Dahlia's face, and she also nods. "Who do we destroy first?"

"Yes." the Hound huffs.

This mortal is too in love with his dramatics. We had already agreed.

Reginald taps his cane lightly on the floor as he thinks.
Finally, he speaks.

Well good man, while I've never truly wished for the lands to be scourged and incinerated, I had ever only wanted some general acceptance, it does appear that it is unequivocally clear that at the minimum this country requires a shake up. If, you truly will allow us to partake in the reconstruction of this land's laws and rules post destruction. Well, I can hardly decline such a generous offer can I?

He takes out a small wooden pipe as he finishes speaking and sets it smoking.

All I ask in addition to what has been stated, is the capital required to further my studies in arcane matters and creations. I request this not wholly as a selfish matter though. As any advances or creations that I acquire are surely to aid yours, and now assumingly our, end goal of total annihilation and reconstruction of this poor construed and confused locale.

The cat swats Augier on the head and he grunts. I accept.

Mei considers and keeps silent about following any other god but her own but will say I will accept your deal knowing that to do otherwise would be most foolish

"Excellent. Let us make it official. Signing in blood is traditional." He motions to the woman who broke your prison chains and she reaches into the folds of her extravagant dress and produces a wicked looking silver ritual knife. The Cardinal takes out a number of leather scrolls, enough for all thirteen of you in the now crowded room. "The Pact of Thorns will ensure we all work together towards the same goal, avoiding needless bickering and power struggles." On the scrolls is written the wording of the Pact.

One at a time the monsters come forward, cutting their hand with the ritual knife, dipping the quill in their own blood and signing the Pact. Once all have signed, Thorn smiles and collects the Pacts to store them safely, but using a spell to create an identical copy for those who wish to keep theirs at hand.

"Well done. Your first command: prepare yourselves. Stay within the manor. You are still hunted by the Talirean soldiery. In three days we begin your training."

Dahlia isn't thrilled about the Asmodean aspect of the pact but doesn't see a viable alternative. Her blood runs hot on to the page from her recent bath and she signs with a smile, taking up the Cardinal's offer of a copy of the pact.

"Prepare for what exactly, a fight? A journey? What are your plans for us, Cardinal Second?"

Igoroskandrallanotly narrows their eyes, but nevertheless takes the dagger and signs the Pact before taking their copy. It makes sense the Cardinal's pact would include loyalty to Asmodeus, and if I must choose a deity to align myself with, he certainly isn't the worst choice.

The doppelganger tilts their head quizzically at the mention of training. "What training will be required? Do you think the Talirean soldiery will stop hunting us?"

Mei uses the dagger and signs with one of her spindle legs as it has a fine point more like a pen and she knows she will hold her own council on her goddess as well as assisting Asmodeus in his return as surely one will help and serve the other and vice versa.

Agghh frowns. I cannot read or write. He does cut his finger and smudges blood on the page. The dark fluid seems to flow and twist before cooling to form.

À̹̰̥̜͈ͫͭͨ̏ü̻giĕ̈́͗̚r̥͍̬͈͗̐ͣ̓

Augier grunts as the cat licks his finger, somehow slithering in to sniff the letters and looks disdainfully at anything that would take it's slave away

Cause we're the slaves of cats yaknow

Reginald peers over the paper before shrugging.

quite a tight contract.. but, I detect weaknesses already.

I have never given much thought of the gods, but truly, if this Asmodeous is indeed the lord of ambition, then I doubt he is a bad one to follow. He gets a small dab of blood on a quill, before snapping his fingers and letting the quill sign his name for him in the most elegant of common cursive.

"The King will surely cause the searches to last for months, but do not worry about the soldiers. Their searching will be fruitless as long as you stay within the manor. In preparation for you training, Tiadora will see you equipped with whatever you need." He looks at the woman who nods but says nothing. "I must leave for several days. The manor and grounds are yours. Order the servants as you please. Only Tiadora's word is greater than yours. While I am gone she is my hand."

After the Cardinal has gone, Tiadora speaks. "Our Master will test you and turn you from puppies," she glances at Fiain, "into wolves, but even puppies have claws and teeth. If you have a preferred weapon or some other equipment, make your request known to me. You must stay here but I am able to teleport far from the moor crawling with soldiers and acquire what you need. Do not request magical equipment, the Cardinal does not trust you with such yet."

hmmm... Reginald taps his pipe against his chin, thinking.

I suppose, a crossbow, preferably of the repeating variety. As well as a staff, preferably one usable as a cane as well. And maybe a pole-arm of sorts.

He takes a puff on his pipe.

AH! and some materials I can use to prepare some scrolls. If you could our gracious benefactor.

either a heavy, or heavy repeating crossbow, a quaterstaff, and a horsechopper variant weapon. IDK how much he plans to give, so if there is any left after that, some time and "money" to craft some scrolls.

Unless you have some special proficiency, you probably want to pass on Repeating Crossbows; they're Exotic weapons. Figuring out how to pull the trigger multiple times is complicated.

"I require armor. Light but protective, and specially made for my form. Potions of healing are valuable as well, unless these are too magical for the Cardinal to spare?" The Hound says, cocking his head and lolling his tongue slightly.

I just need a chain shirt. One made of Darkwood would be cool for flavor, but not necessary (it doesn't give any benefit, it's just more expensive). Some potions of Cure Light Wounds are all I otherwise want/need. Can't wield any ranged weapons, and most melee ones are useless to me as things currently stand.

"I require a composite bow that can utilize my incredible might, to be a more useful and dangerous agent of His Magnificence. And a facemask...my lack of eyes can put people off. A basic makeup and disguise kit...a hammer and chisel that I might practice my stonecutting. And surely our benefactor would like to keep me alive for as long as possible. A fitted breastplate of mithril would do nicely."

Composite longbow with a 1 strength rating, a mask purely for flavor, a couple toolkits, and wishful thinking.

If we will be traveling overland in the future then I will need supplies like rations, backpack and other goods. A sturdy bow and breastplate for combat.
Longbow of say +3 strength, barbarian's kit, breastplate.

"Any magical talents you have, you are of course welcome to pursue them. You will need to stay here for several months to complete your training, the Cardinal will surely allow such pursuits. For now we shall see how you will ready yourselves in three days. Do not worry about food or rations. You will not be leaving the Manor for some time and there is more than enough here."

When Mithral and other special materials are asked for she chuckles, "You'll have to prove yourselves with plain iron first my dears."

About magical healing, "You won't need that. Restorative options will be taken care of."

Reginald: heavy crossbow, bolts, enough special inks and vellum to scribe half a dozen scroll, a 'horsechopper'?

Fiain: Specially fitted chain shirt armour for a hound.

Dahlia: Composite Longbow +1 str rating, disguise kit, hammer and chisel, mask.

Aggghhh: Composite Longbow +3 str rating and breastplate.

Mei? Igor?

Reginald spends the next three days, more or less, following a similar pattern of smoking, eating, and sleeping. With the occasional dalliance of scrawling scrolls and going over the wardens spell book and copy any spells therein into his own. A magical quill jotting down his thoughts for him.

scribing 2 scrolls of infernal healing, 1 scroll of touch of the sea, 1 scroll of comprehend languages, 1 scroll of magic weapon, and saving the last scroll for now.

The Hound recovers from his injuries, and with his newfound freedom of movement form the cage and collar, works on bolstering the weakness of his body. The burns have left his sinews stiff and painful to flex too quickly, so he moves to improve his ability to brace against impacts and predict attacks.

He welcomes any of the others who care to train with him; the Pack is allowed to see its members at their weakest as well as strongest.

Just a bit of fluff for "now he can add half his Str mod to AC and Reflex saves".

Augier is bored stiff. Besides keeping his skills sharp by training in the yard, he is not allowed to roam or hunt and the kitchen is stuffed with slave cooks so he cannot enjoy his hobby.

Hell is eternal boredom

Dahlia spends her time practicing telekinesis and target practice with her bow. If Fiain wants practice dodging attacks, those can go hand in hand, and would also give her a chance to practice giving people temporary hp. Interspersed with the practice she takes long, hot baths to keep her warm and she starts glancing through her collection of bawdy literature.

Igoroskandrallanotly considers, then says, "I require several alchemical reagents and the instruments with which to mix them. I will provide you with a full written list. I would also trade this armor for one of higher quality, and I require a kit for making disguises, to better enable my infiltration abilities. A crossbow with sufficient bolts would be beneficial, as well as well as some lockpicks. I'd also like some raw materials and access to a laboratory with which to create some alchemical weapons. Your assistance with this is most appreciated."

I need an alchemical crafting kit for making infusions and mutagens, trade my current chain shirt for a masterwork chain shirt, a light crossbow with 20 bolts, a disguise kit, and masterwork thieves' tools. I'd also like access to an alchemist's lab so I can craft some basic alchemical weapons, if that's possible. That or the

During the downtime, Igoroskandrallanotly refines the alchemical skills they'd learned during their time as Versarius's...minion...and focuses on imbuing their alchemical concoctions with some magical essence. Though most could not be used by others, they were able to use their restoratives on others, and the others seemed capable of caring for themselves. The doppelganger particularly pleased with the discovery they'd made which allowed them to fortify their organs, and restored some of their shapeshifting abilities - enough that they could move vital organs from where they were expected to be to another part of the body, anyway. It didn't help with disguises, unfortunately, but it might let them live a little longer. The mutational formulae they discovered were advantageous, as well, although the side effects were less than ideal. The doppelganger would have to find a way to mitigate those.

When not working with their alchemical formulae, they trained with Fiain, as both were quite used to fighting with claws. The hound was a skilled combatant. When boredom drove Aaaggghhhh to the yard, he proved to be a fearsome warrior as well.

The doppelganger would also spend time conversing with Reginald about magical theories. They'd learned a few things from their time in Versarius's captivity, and Reginald's training and education made the ogre a most agreeable and sophisticated conversationalist.

Good to actually find someone here with skill. Argghh says to Fian. Stupid slaves just stand and gawk.

Igor can use the Alchemy room in the manor furnished with a proper Alchemy Lab where you can put together your own Alchemy Crafting Kit. You are given a disguise kit, masterwork thieves' tools and a masterwork chain shirt.

The other monster make their requests and join some of you in training. The three days goes by quickly despite the lack of much to do. One of the monsters kills one of the slaves. This incurs Tiadora's wrath and he is flayed within an inch of his life. If it were not for the master's will, she would have killed him... slowly.

Finally Thorn returns, though you do not notice until slaves are sent to summon all of you. "The master summons you to the basement altar. Follow me. Be prepared."

How are you prepared as you come upon the hellish sight?

The Altar

Cardinal Thorn stands in the middle of the room with Tiadora and something that is definitely not human with a crown of ridge-like horns and clothed in lengths of... parchment? Scattered around the floor are black candles and drawn on the stone floor is a large pentagram. Many of the slaves stand naked (except for a black veil) on the edge of the room not moving with their backs against the wall.