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Dario Segnistri: A local actor who has also gained a bit of a reputation as a trouble maker for his outspoken views. Dario is friends with, and was part of the same acting troupe as, Lucius. He while he is a caring, outspoken person, he carries a few secrets with him as well.
Nils Steelrock: A dwarven veteran that, after decades of service to Cheliax, has never advanced. After resigning his military rank due to disgust over the prejudice he has shouldered over the years, Nils has become increasingly frustrated with the hidden corruption and crime in Westcrown. Nils also earned the affectation "Sergent Ironass" from his friends.
Sky Fall Fist: Sky (his given name) was the son of Dwarven circus performers, tumblers and jugglers, and those performers were not Dwarves given to adhering to Dwarf norms or traditions. Sky was driven to learn much more discipline than his parents provided, but did not know much of his Dwarven roots. Taking the name Sky Fall Fist, Sky began to learn the teachings of Irori, and while he is currently a cleric of that deity, he hopes to eventually learn the way of perfection through the path of the monk. Sky is constantly trying to live down his parent's notoriety as circus performers and is hoping that he will find a path that will allow for no other evaluation of his abilities than to judge him on his own.
Darien: Darien's parents were minor nobles that were disgraced by what they believed to be true of their son. Eventually, Darien took to worshiping the "frivolous" goddess Desna, but after seeing how Desna's faith was stifled (if not fully outlawed) in Westcrown, Darien took to quietly looking for other faithful while working as a scribe for various playwrights. Darien knows, passingly, Dario and Lucius, from the theatre. Darien is fond of "meditating" with various mind altering substances.
Lucius: Lucius is a half-elf dedicated to Calistria as a divine bard, and is in love with the drama of the theater. His betrothed, a tiefling who also loved the theater, was lost to him in an incident involving the Dottari, the Order of the Rack, the burning of his latest (and rather scandalous) play, and a great deal of fire. Vengeful fires burn in the heart of the bard, waiting to be vented at the Dottari, the Hellknights, and anyone that gets in his way. Despite this burning passion, Lucius has had little experience outside of the theater.
Illorath: Illorath is an elven wizard that has come in contact with various Pathfinder agents that have kindled in him a desire to track down various secrets in Westcrown. The elf is certain that he should be beyond the petty concerns of the city, but there are many secrets that need to be revealed in the City of Twilight, and Illorath hopes that the more he can reveal to his Pathfinder contacts, the more they will reveal to him.
13 Arodus, 4709 AR
A woman named Janiven travels across Westcrown to contact several citizens of that city, or in one case, a visitor to the city.
Janiven approaches Nils and tells him that she can put him in contact with a group that might be able to help rectify the prejudice that kept him from advancing in his old career. The terse dwarf agrees to meet with the woman at four bells past midday at Vizio's Tavern.
The next adventurer approached is Sky Fall Fist, who is currently busy practicing his unarmed martial training routines. Janiven promises to put him in contact with an organization that can help him do great things and push himself to his limits, to prove himself. The cleric of Irori agrees.
Janiven makes her way to the current haunts of the actors Dario Segnistri and Lucius, and tells them that she has heard of the misfortune that has befallen their acting troupe, and tells them that she can help them find a way to avenge their acting troupe if they come to their meeting.
Janiven then visits Darien, hard at work trying to remember what manuscripts he was suppose to be copying. Janiven tells Darien that she knows he is a priest of Desna, and that she worships the goddess herself. At first, Darien is concerned that this is some kind of trap, but as Janiven discusses Desna's faith with the priest, he falls at ease and agrees to meet with the group that Janiven has described.
Finally, Janiven talks to Illorath, an elf that is quite paranoid about drawing attention to himself. After putting Illorath at ease, the elf agrees to at least show up at the meeting.
Illorath asks around about the location, to make sure that an elf in that part of town doesn't arouse suspicions, and Lucius thinks upon what he knows of the establishment, remembering that the place was a working class tavern that was owned by a family that has just recently moved away from Westcrown.
The Meeting
Arriving at Vizio's Tavern, the group begins to discuss who they are and why they are at the location with one another. While Janiven is busy looking out the window and at a waterclock on the tavern's mantle, a bit of tension breaks out, as Nils is shocked and amazed at Sky's lack of Dwarven culture, and is so offended by Lucius that he promises to kick the bard's posterior, to whit the bard responds that he has been trained in multiple forms of dramatic fencing, and flourishes his rapier in a manner that fails to impress the Dwarf.
Dario calms Lucius, and Darien tells everyone they should find their calm centers. Janiven opens up the liquor stocks for the group, and Darien stuffs several bottles of wine in his robes.
Janiven gives a rousing speech to the group, but Nils remains skeptical, and wants to know why he should throw his lot in with a band of law breaking rebels. Janiven mentions the chance to break up organized criminal activity, and Nils tells Janiven that he will listen some more to what she has to say.
Lucius asks Janiven if she would be interested in learning more about Calistria's faith, and just as she begins to shut the bard down, a young man, Morosino, bursts in, yelling that Arael has been captured and that the Order of the Rack is on its way to the tavern.
Lucius recalls that Arael is a local, well respected cleric of Iomedae, known for his careful speeches about social justice and responsibility and known also for being quite scrupulous about not overtly defying the laws of Cheliax.
Janiven tells the adventurers to follow her into the sewers. She will light a sunrod and draw off any Hellknights, and Morosino will help guide them to the sewer grate that leads to her organization's safe house.
Into the Sewers
Reluctantly, the adventurers follow Janiven and Morosino into the sewers. Following Janiven's advice, Nils and Sky act as book ends to the group as they navigate the sewers, so that the adventures do not need to use a light source. After the travel a bit away from the entrance to the sewers, and they witness Janiven's light travel the other direction, and hear the first Hellknights follow the light, Illorath casts a spell to give them a light.
The group finds a section of the sewers with strange mushrooms and patches of mold. Nils identifies the mushrooms as shriekers and the mold as brown mold. The group carefully avoids shining light or making noise around the shriekers, and Sky channels negative energy from Irori to destroy the patch of mold on the wall, allowing the group to pass.
Eventually the group runs into a swarm of ooze bugs, which Lucius recognizes as local sewer denizens. The bugs injure Nils and Morosino, and Darien heals them as the swarm continues to move over them. Sky blasts the swarm with negative energy, injuring Nils and Morosino further, but killing the swarm, and Darien releases a burst of positive energy to heal the injured child and Dwarf.
Nils is careful during the trip to move Morosino out of harm's way whenever he can, and eventually the group runs across a patrol of bickering Hellknight Armigers. Acting quickly, Illorath casts a spell to put out the Hellknights light source, and Lucius casts a spell to conjure grease under the Hellknights, dumping them into the sewer water, and then the group leaves.
An Unexpected Friend
In another part of the sewer, the group finds a massive creature of tentacles and eye stalks. While the group tenses for battle, Nils and Darien begin to ply the creature with food, and soon everyone throws rations at the Otyugh to keep it happy.
Darien, as the rest of the group retreats, gives the Otyugh his wine bottles, and vows that he will come back to feed the Otyugh even better snacks eventually, and begins to sketch out the location of the Otyugh's chamber.
The Legend of Whitechin
A group of goblins jump out of the sewer water at the adventurers and attack them, although only Illorath is injured, with a dogslicer cutting into his ankle.
The goblins proclaim that they must make the sewers safe for rats again, proclaim death to torbles, and then realize that they are out numbered and run off down the corridor.
Lucius uses his whip to trip one of the goblins, and Illorath pins the rest of the goblins with his arrows as they flee.
Eventually, the group comes across a group of goblins slurping down the soft parts of torbles with straws, having a competition to see who and drain their torble first. Nils urges everyone to action, but Sky refuses, as he has never encountered goblins before and isn't sure they can't be negotiated with. Nils is disgusted with the other Dwarf's lack of familiarity with goblins, and attacks them with his earthbreaker.
Lucius breaks his whip trying to trip another goblin, and Nils and Illorath finish off the rest of the goblins without taking any further wounds. Before the goblins die, Darien asks if the goblin's leader, Whitechin, is a wererat, and the goblins stammer and bluff poorly.
Out of the Sewers
The group nears the exit that Morosino indicates, but around the exit is a group of animated skeletons, apparently guarding the exit. While the rest of the group debates what to do about the skeletons, Darien simply walks until he is near them, presents his holy symbol of Desna, and destroys the skeletons by himself during the debate.
The darkened streets above are not quite safe, however, and between the adventures and the safe house is a strange, ropey shadow creature that Nils and Sky charge. The creature is difficult to see, as shadows shift about it constantly, but Nils manages to strike it hard as the rest of the adventurers distract the beast.
At the door, a nervous man named Ermolos argues with Morosino that the knock has changed, but Janiven shows up and shoes everyone inside the structure, and abandoned chapel of Aroden.
Introductions and Plans
Nils wants to know why he shouldn't just march to the Hellknights and turn the whole rebel band over to them, when the group's scribe, Sclavo, mentions that they have the names of all of their recruits, and turning people in can work both ways.
Janiven tries to smooth things over, and discusses her theories about the shadow beasts and what she believes are their ties to the ruling class of Westcrown. She then tells the group that they are planning a rescue of Arael as soon as they get the chance.
Sclavo is sure that the whole situation between the Hellknights and the Dottari can be used to the group's advantage, and Arael may be relatively safe, if they do this "right."
Janiven mentions that it would be nice if they could pull off the rescue without killing anyone.
Illorath huddles in the corner, wondering how he got into this mess, and then tries to find a corner of the chapel that he can call his own for a while.
Darien suggests that everyone find something to help them relax, and the gnome Yakopulio says that she agrees, but that she would like the priest so much more if he wasn't so stupid as to follow a pointless goddess like Desna.
14 Arodus, 4709 AR
The group argues about the name of the organization, and various factions argue about the nature of the group and its long term goals. Nils is unimpressed, and tells the group that they don't need one name, they need two . . . the adventurers are Team A, and everyone else is Team B.
Yakapoulio says that the group should be the Westcrown A%*&!&~*s, because that's all she sees around her.
A New Start
After a night of rest, Janiven gives the newfound agents of the organization a bag of gold to go out and purchase equipment that they think they might need, then asks them to meet back with her by midday so that they can plan the early morning ambush to rescue Arael tomorrow.
The group travels to a temple of Abadar to purchase some potion, and Sky Fall Fist carefully avoids explaining that he is a cleric of Irori, although Darien does admit to being a priest of Desna. Given than the group is only purchasing healing items, the clerics are not too concerned.
Nils heads to an armory and picks up some saps and blunted arrows and bolts "for training," taking Illorath with him as evidence of the trainee he has to "toughen up."
Illorath trades a scroll that he has made for other scrolls, as well as picking up some alchemical items on his way back to the chapel of Aroden that serves the group as a hideout.
Before he returns to the chapel, Darien finds his contacts and picks up his supply of flayleaf.
Brainstorming
Janiven spells out the group's assets, including the horses that the group has borrowed, and shows the adventurers a map of the areas that would be best for the ambush.
Nils believes that ambushing the wagon near the bride on the path would be the best bet, and no one disagrees with him. Eventually the group decides to set up a trough of oil and light it on fire to cause the wagon to come to a stop.
Janiven discusses her plan for the rest of the group to masquerade as bandits and harass the Hellknight outriders to draw off the riders, and then melt into the forest, but Nils points out that he might have an idea to make sure that the outriders stop away from the wagon.
Nils asks Yakapoulio if she can arrange for some of her "girls" to be available. His plan is to purchase a wagon, and to have the "damsels in distress" draw the attention of the outriders with a "broken" wagon, thus giving the group a fall back plan in case the girls don't distract the outriders.
Yakapoulio thinks she can arrange this, and the group goes out to buy a wagon for the plan.
Sky Fall Fist is upset with the plan at first, believing that it might be underhanded to undermine the integrity of Hellknights with prostitutes, but Nils counters that the Hellknights are going to be disgraced by being ambushed as well, so its not worse than that.
The two dwarves get into a fight about proper dwarven attitude, and Sky Fall Fist accuses Nils of reinforcing negative dwarven stereotypes.
The argument dies down, and most of the group agrees to the plan as laid out by Nils.
15 Arodus, 4709 AR
Early the next morning, the group sets up the ambush. Hoping that the wagon of Yakapoulio's girls does its job, the rest of the group sets up their hiding spots, and Janiven, before leaving, helps disguise the group.
The group dons their matching hoods and red arm bands, except for Illorath, who uses his own hood to conceal his face.
The Fight Begins
Darien hears the wagon coming, and lights the fire on the far side of the bridge. The wagon comes to a halt, and the Hellknight Signifer on the top of the wagon roars in rage at the obstruction.
Nils charges the back of the wagon, Sky Fall Fist attacks from the side of the bridge, and Illorath begin casting spells at the Signifer on the top of the wagon.
Darien, remembering something about using Obscuring Mist, casts the spell over the entire wagon, clouding all of the Armigers, the Signifer, and Sky Fall Fist, as well as providing cover for the people on the wagon. Illorath and Nils are a bit confused over what has happened.
The Signifer resists multiple attempts by Illorath to cause him to shrink in size. Illorath throws a thunderstone at the wagon, and deafens the Signifer.
One of the Armigers fires the great crossbow on the top of the wagon at Sky Fall Fist several times, but misses the dwarf. Illorath throws a flask of alchemist's fire at the crossbow to destroy it, and sets Illorath climbs down from his perch to begin taking shots with his bow.
Sky Fall Fist, now on top of the coach, misses one of the Armigers, and severely injures his hand slamming it into the armored structure of the wagon.
Nils batters away at the back of the wagon until he breaks it open, but cannot free Arael yet. The Signifer and several of the Armigers climb down to take on the dwarf, and the Signifer, loosing his footing, falls, but channels the power of Asmodeus to injure the foolish "bandits."
Nils fells the Signifer with his sap, and then strikes one of the Armigers with such a massive blow that he carries over to the next Armiger and soundly bashes him as well, then Illorath enlarges the dwarf. The dwarf is injured by the Armigers, and retreats to heal himself before moving back into the fight.
The Armiger manning the crossbow is on fire, and dives off the wagon, burnt badly. Not wanting him to die, Darien heals him with a healing burst, but the Armiger is still on fire, and cries out to Darien, thinking the priest is torturing him by keeping him alive to burn longer. Still, the healing burst gives him time to put out the fires himself, and he begin to strip off his armor to swim down river away from the fight.
Sky Fall Fist it struck by both Armigers he is facing, and is knocked from the wagon, bleeding, into the water. He sinks to the bottom of the river, and Darien dives in after him, letting loose a healing burst to wake the drowning dwarf up.
Illorath nearly kills one of the Armigers with his bow, and Illorath and Nils finish off the Armigers. Sky Fall Fist, now away, barely manages to drag himself to the shore, and Darien, now out of the water, tends to the injured Armiger that Illorath shot.
Aftermath
The "bandits" proceed to strip the Armigers and the Signifer naked, throwing their armor in the water, setting the horses free, and pushing the wagon away. The group frees Arael, and the half-elf thanks them as then work their way back to Westcrown, carefully and quitely moving past the wagon full of Yakapoulio's "girls" that appears to have effectively distracted the other Hellknights.
15 Arodus, 4709 AR (continued)
The adventurers make their way home, but Illorath realizes that his jaw will not function, and that his ankle wound from the goblins is festering. Nils is also feeling a bit feverish.
Illorath hands Arael a note telling him that it is his responsibility to fix this, as the elven wizard begins to panic due to his inability to speak. Arael tells the group to take a note that he has written to the temple of Iomedae and ask for Chaplain DuSanni, and not to volunteer any information.
Chaplain DuSanni cure both Illorath and Nils, and the adventurers scatter and meet back up at the abandoned chapel of Aroden. In the meeting place, Arael apologizes, but asks one more favor of the group. He wishes them to escort Gorvio back to his uncle's stables to take the horses back.
Upon arriving at the stables, an actor, whom Dario and Lucien recognize as the acclaimed performer Thesing Umbero Ulvaud, is berating Gorvio's uncle. The group does not wish to draw attention to themselves, but Dario quickly springs into action. As the rest of the group slowly sneaks across the street with the horses, Dario calls out to Thesing and berates him as an overrated hack.
Thesing and Dario assault one another with an escalating torrent of insults, until Thesing realizes that the horses are back and he has no idea when this has happened. Upon turning around, even Dario is gone.
Once again back at the chapel or Aroden, Arael apologizes for the way the group was conscripted, and thanks them for their help. He makes Sclavo apologize for his veiled threat, and Arael asks the adventurers to stay with the group, but says that he understands if they are not willing to do so.
Nils, while not thrilled with defying authority in this manner, is the first to agree, and he swears an oath to protect and support his fellow adventurers from this point on. The rest follow suit in agreeing to work with Arael. Arael then proclaims that the group will be known as the Children of Westcrown.
Arael tells the adventures to come back tomorrow, when he has had time to rest, and thanks them once again.
16 Arodus to 29 Arodus, 4709 AR
Arael sends Morosino to gather the adventurers, and they arrive at the abandoned chapel. Arael greets the Children of Westcrown, and says that he wishes to celebrate the Festival of Armasse. He introduces them to another recruit, a rogue named Aben, that he thinks will be a boon to the Children of Westcrown.
Arael tells the adventurers that he understands that the group is concerned about the talents of the other Children of Westcrown, and in the spirit of Armasse, he wants to know if the adventurers can take some of the other Children under their wing and begin training them.
Nils and Illorath are a bit put out by the suggestion, but then Nils agrees that it would make sense to have a better trained "Team B" to support the group in a pinch.
Nils begins to train Ermolos, and tears into the training as the hardened drill instructor that he was in the Cheliaxian military. The first phase of Nils' training of Ermolos is to make sure that Ermolos is so intimidated that he is too scared not to follow any instructions that Nils gives him.
Illorath agrees to begin training Tarvi. When he lists how much the training will cost her, Tarvi at first thinks that the elf is trying to trick her out of her parents money, but Illorath explains that he is going to have her practice properly writing magical formulae with expensive inks, and then puts her in a room until she can properly transcribe several magical phrases on scrolls.
Although Vitti is enamored of nature in general and is seeking communion with the plants, the animals, and the elements, he still spends time with Darien discussing philosophy and the nature of divine magic.
Dario and Aben take Yakopoulio to a play house that Dario is working at, and as part of a comedy act, the two rogues blindfold the gnome and send her across the stage several times while opening various trap doors and dropping several sand bags. Upon realizing that she is being ridiculed, Yakopoulio nearly walks out, but Dario explains how the trip across the stage relates to her training, and she grudgingly continues.
Sky Fall Fist begins training with Mathalen, who assumes that, as a follower of Irori, he must have some kind of training as a warrior monk. She is a bit put off when Sky Fall Fist explains that he does not yet consider himself worth to utilize the skills of a warrior monk, and explains his holistic "Winding Path" theory to learning the skills of a monk. Mathalen is intrigued, but still a bit skeptical as she begins to follow the strange dwarf in his training rituals.
In addition to working with the other members of the Children of Westcrown, the adventurers continue to train themselves, Nils works in training animals for a few extra silvers, and Dario works at the playhouse that he used to help train Yakopoulio. Darien also purchases various fine cuts of meat, and Nils grabs some rotten ones, and the two set out to find their old Otyugh friend, feeding it and plying it with meat and wine, telling it that they wish to visit it often to show their friendship. It appears to be happy with their offering.
30 Arodus, 4709 AR
Arael and Janiven thank the adventurers for their work with the Children of Westcrown. Arael tells them that he wants them to lie low a bit longer, but Janiven disagrees, saying that the group needs to do something else to keep up their momentum.
Dario can sense that Arael is holding something back, and asks him about it, and Arael explains that he is planning to move against a truly egregious band of bandits and thieves known as the Bastards of Erebus, but that now is not quite the time.
Illorath and Darien recognize the name as relating to one of the layers of Hell, and Arael confirms that the group is composed of tiefling outcasts.
Janiven thinks that, in the mean time, the group should take on some of the other matters that the Dottari have failed to solve, including claiming one of the Shadowbeast bounties paid out by the mysterious entity Bluehood, or brining the "Goblin King" Whitechin to justice.
While he agrees that its wise for Arael to have as much information as possible to take on the Bastards of Erebus, Nils agrees with Janiven that the group should keep their momentum going. The rest of the adventurers agree as well.
The group asks around about the various sightings of Whitechin and learns about a deadly attack the goblin led on a slave caravan recently, which killed both slavers and slaves in the street.
They also gather rumors about leaving the corpse of a shadowbeast on the garbage stoop of the tavern across from the old Leroung estate in order to collected the bounty.
1 Rova, 4709 AR
The adventures rest during the day, then find a nice, dark street to approach that evening, hoping to find a shadowbeast to kill. Most of the adventurers wait in the shadows, with Illorath perching on several building tops along the way.
Darien walks very obviously down the shadowy streets as bait.
After three hours of walking the streets, eventually, unnoticed by anyone, a mass of shadows moves next to Darien, and out of the shadows burst a huge, black, dog like figure that tears into the priest.
The adventurers spring into action, but before they can close on the beast, it has Darien down on the ground, near death. Eventually he is fed a healing potion, and as the adventurers have a hard time striking the shadow wreathed canine, Darian produces light like the light of the sun, and all can clearly see the shadowy dog creature clearly.
Surrounded, the creature beys, and nearly everyone except for Dario, Lucien, and Darien, flees. The shadowy creature tear into Dario, nearly killing him, but within a few moments, the adventurers compose themselves, and Nils and Sky Fall Fist taunt the shadowy dog creature to them. The shadow beast tries to bite Nils, but injures it jaw momentarily and only glowers menacingly.
Lucien carries Nils' axe to him, and the dwarves confront the shadowbeast. Sky Fall Fist reluctantly uses his axe, and manages to cleave the creatures head from its shoulders. Nils is impressed and thinks that he might make a dwarf out of Sky Fall Fist yet, but the strange dwarf is dismayed that he was so effective using such an inelegant manner of fighting.
Darien uses his ability to channel positive energy from Desna to heal his friends, and Nils is certain they can take on Whitechin before daybreak. He even reasons that it will be easier looking for the open sewer grate at night so that none of the Dottari get involved.
Dropping off the corpse of the shadowy hound, the group heads to the site of Whitechin's most recent raid, and slowly works around the grates looking for a loose one. Eventually they find one, and they wander around the sewers for a bit until they find what appears to be a goblin lair.
In the lair, they find a fairly large stash of silver and gemstones, and are convinced that they have found the lair of the infamous Goblin King.
Dario and Aben take Yakopoulio to a play house that Dario is working at, and as part of a comedy act, the two rogues blindfold the gnome and send her across the stage several times while opening various trap doors and dropping several sand bags. Upon realizing that she is being ridiculed, Yakopoulio nearly walks out, but Dario explains...
Don't forget, we invited EVERYONE to see the training in process. I have to say, it is the best play I've ever written.
If you make sense motive DC 10:
beware of free gifts
Really? I thought it was just free swag. Call me crazy, I'm sure that everyone does anyways. I wonder what Sarge thinks of this... Besides, we've faced down a horrible shadow beast this fine eve, what's the worst that could happen.
Here's to a successful venture this fine eve!
Illorath agrees to begin training Tarvi. When he lists how much the training will cost her, Tarvi at first thinks that the elf is trying to trick her out of her parents money...
It is for the best that she actually learns the fundamentals of magic, all of them, before she attempt to move into the actual casting of spells themselves. She'll cringe at the cost now, but be grateful when she isn't mutilating herself over a slightly misprinted scroll of Prestidigitation; Human impatience will never cease to amaze... and my family calls me "Forlorn."
Illorath agrees to begin training Tarvi. When he lists how much the training will cost her, Tarvi at first thinks that the elf is trying to trick her out of her parents money...It is for the best that she actually learns the fundamentals of magic, all of them, before she attempt to move into the actual casting of spells themselves. She'll cringe at the cost now, but be grateful when she isn't mutilating herself over a slightly misprinted scroll of Prestidigitation; Human impatience will never cease to amaze... and my family calls me "Forlorn."
"Fundamentals are good. You are, however, quite pragmatic with her. I've seen the looks she gives you." **wink wink, nudge nudge** "At least you have someone 'normal' to deal with. I have the vindictive harlot-queen biting my ankles, and doubting anything I have to teach her!"
2 Rova, 4709 AR
After finding the hidden lair of Whitechin, the adventures spend some time wondering what to do with the treasure they have found and if they should go looking for the Goblin King, when they are ambushed by the goblin and his bodyguards.
Ilorath and Darien are ready to react to the goblins, but the rest of the party is not. The goblins open their assault with arrows, and Whitechin turns into a vicious creature that appears to be a cross between a dire rat and a goblin.
The mounted goblin guards on their goblin dogs close on the rest of the party, but after a few moments, the adventures drop the goblin raiders, and are only left with Whitechin to face. Unfortunately, Dario falls to the goblins, and to save him, Darien unleashes the healing force of his goddess, and it revives one of the goblins.
Still, its only a matter of time before the goblins and the goblin dogs are dispatched, and finally so is Whitechin, but not before the wererat can bite into Sky Fall Fist.
Sky is upset that diplomacy failed, and Nils, who agreed to back up Sky on whatever course of action he took regarding negotiating with the goblins, looks at Sky Fall Fist and asks him if he is ready to accept his more traditional dwarven wisdom.
Back on the Streets
Dario hangs Whitechin's head on the city gates, and the group begins to travel back to the chapel hideout, when Ilorath is accosted by the mage that he sold his scrolls to, accompanied by members of the Dottari.
The wizard had a mishap using the scroll, and found out that it was cursed. He threatens Ilorath by telling the Dottari that they should be able to sell the elf into slavery for what he has done, and the Dottari mention that it is indeed possible to do so, but leaves the threat hang in the air.
Ilorath refuses to bargain, although he continues to talk to the bewildered and cursed wizard, though Nils and Dario pick up on the fact that the Dottari are looking for a bribe and that the wizard might settle for an appropriate sum of gold.
Even with this information, Ilorath does not wish to pay the sum, although he eventually does so, but only after he attempts to flee but is unable to sneak away from the Dottari without being noticed.
Upon returning to the chapel, Sky Fall Fist calls on his "apprentice" Mathalen to him, and he gives her a silver weapon and tells her to kill him if anything strange happens while he sleeps. The young woman is confused and wonders if this is some kind of test or part of her training.
3 Rova, 4709 AR
Nils takes Sky Fall Fist to Chaplain DuSanni to find out if he is cursed by the lycanthrope's bite, but the Chaplain believes that the prospective monk is free from any taint.
The group also heads to the back alley to receive their reward from Bluehood, and the mysterious figure does greet them and throws them a bag of coins, telling them that they have done a service to the city.
Ilortath, not one to let a slight go unavenged, hires Dario to recover his gold from the wizard, and Dario sub-contracts to Aben for some extra help. The two find the wizard leaving a temple of Abadar. Dario is heavily disguised, and Aben is subtly walking down the street.
Unfortunately, the quick "bump and grab" doesn't work as well as the pair would like, and the wizard is alerted. He begins casting spells, so the pair sap the Wizard even as he calls out for help.
Dario is disguised, and he cuts around the corner and strips off his extra clothes, while Aben quickly takes to the alleyways before the Dottari return, and they proudly return a handful of coins to Ilorath, as the wizard has apparently spent most of the sum on the removal of his curse.
Into the Dead Sector
Arael and Janiven have completed their scouting and information gathering information, and they present what they have learned about the Bastards of Erebus to the group. After looking over the maps that Janiven has presented and listening to Arael's information, the group decides to assault the tiefling gang at night.
The group uses their unlocked sewer grate that they found hunting Whitechin, and tries to find an underground entrance into the Dead Sector in order to find the Bastards of Erebus' hideout.
Nils finds a way through the rubble, and the group then waits for Ilorath to help them orient themselves under the sky once again (with the help of his borrowed wayfinder.
Unexpected Sales Call
As the group finds out where the location of the hideout is, the group also manages to find a small creature, swathed rags, with only its nose showing. The creature asks the group if they are looking for the Dusk Market.
Dario and Nils are careful to speak with the small being, and express interest in the Dusk Market, which, according to the creature is a market in the Dead Sector that moves nightly and sells anything to everyone and with no questions asked.
While this piques the adventurers' interest, they ask the creature about the Bastards of Erebus, and the creature has a few words about the vile band and their habits.
Into the Hideout
The group, away of the lookout in the bell tower of the abandoned chapel, sneaks around to the back of the chapel. Dario breaks into the window quietly, and Ilorath calms a guard dog, but two more arrive as the elf keeps the first one busy.
Before the other dogs can alert their masters, Lucius begins to perform for the dogs, and his voice holds the dogs attention, but the bard motions for his companions to quickly move through the window and down the stairs that they have found before he looses the dog's attention.
Wow. I never knew that the Bastards of Erebus were so arrogant... let alone angry at the world, sheesh! In cahoots with all those shambling corpses, I'm sure. At least I'm standing up now, thanks Darien!
Wow. I never knew that the Bastards of Erebus were so arrogant... let alone angry at the world, sheesh! In cahoots with all those shambling corpses, I'm sure. At least I'm standing up now, thanks Darien!
I can't help but wonder exactly what they'll say when we end up limping out their front door with that abomination's head on a spear. Surely they'll be more inclined to hold a civil discussion with us now, wouldn't you say?
I can't help but wonder exactly what they'll say when we end up limping out their front door with that abomination's head on a spear. Surely they'll be more inclined to hold a civil discussion with us now, wouldn't you say?
That may just work, Ilorath. I'll have to discuss whether it should be my spear or Aben's then. We don't have much time for that, you know. I'm hoping that none of us are limping too badly... they may take it as a sign of weakness and attack, although I'm definitely going to need some salves for my face... that hurt.
3 Rova through 4 Rova, 4709 AR
As Lucius continues to pantomime for the dogs, the rest of the party rushes down the stairs, although a few of them ask amongst themselves if they are really going to head straight down into the darkened basement of the chapel, though Lucius motions as if to convey that they had better do something quickly while he still has the dogs distracted.
After everyone works their way down the stairs, Lucius slowly backs away from the dogs, and quits his emphatic gestures and facial contortions.
The Twilit Doors
The adventurers come up to large wooden double doors that are gouged in several places. Lucius and Darien recognize the symbols gouged off of the door as symbols of Erastil.
Lucius sets off a sunrod, and Aben and Dario investigate the door, checking for traps and seeing if the door is locked, and also listening at the door to find if they can gain any clues as to what might be in the next room.
Not hearing anything, the rogues open the doors, and the group enters what appears, in the light, to be a crypt.
Pseudo Undead
Entering the crypt, a figure in tattered bandages confronts the group and demands their surrender to to tell them why they would defile the crypt.
Darien recognizes that the creature may not actually be what it appears to be, and conjectures that it might actually be a tiefling with a bone devil in its ancestry. He begins to warn the rest of the group, but the creature, named Ostengo, begins to chant and fires off arcane bolts of magic that strike Nils and injure the dwarf.
As the rest of the group moves towards the spellcasting tiefling, several more tieflings, these with apparently more traditional bloodlines, step out of the catacombs to protect the spellcaster.
Ostengo throws a sack at Nils, and the dwarf is rooted to his spot by the sticky strands of a tanglefoot bag. The tieflings cause the room to fill with magical darkness, but Darien floods the room with a golden light nearly equal to the sunrise, eliminating the magical darkness.
The tieflings engage the party as Ostengo continues to hammer Nils with his magical bolts. Eventually the rest of the tieflings are cut down, and the party closes in on Ostengo, and send him to his true death.
Plug the Hole
Aben and Dario listen at the next door and open it, neither one of them hearing anything noteworthy at the door. They move to the other door in the room, and can hear what appears to be several sniffing dogs or similar creatures in that room. They go back to the first door, which gives up no sound.
The rogues open the door, and corpses, hateful in appearance and with a burning hunger in their eyes, spill out of the crypts in the next section of the catacombs. Dario is clawed, and feels badly weakened as the life force is drained from him, the hate filled animated corpse feeding off of his very essence.
Sky Fall Fist runs forward to plug the gap, and the corpses have a difficult time clawing past his armored form, though Sky Fall Fist himself has a difficult time striking the undead himself.
Darien pours healing energy into Dario, and the rogue is back on his feet, though he can still feel the loss of energy that the creature effected upon him. Over Sky Fall Fist's head, he lobs a club that crushes the skull of the first undead creature.
Dario and Aben move to the next door, making sure that nothing comes through the door. Sky Fall Fist continues to keep hacking away at the corpses, slowly whittling away at the abomination. Over Sky Fall Fist's shoulder Nils heaves his axe, landing it solidly in the creatures shoulder, after which Sky Fall Fist finishes the creature off.
Finally, the last corpse moves up to the doorway, with Sky Fall Fist hacking away, and Nils finally slinging his shield over Sky Fall Fist's head, and the dwarf's shield smashes the corpses face in on itself, ending the creature's threat.
Plug the Hole II
Ready to explore further, the group goes through the next door. Nils and Ilorath are the first ones through the door, and Ilorath, owing to his natural talent with divinations, acts before the pack of canines that runs down the hallway.
Ilorath decides that the best way to handle this is to let Nils block the hallway, and casts a spell to enlarge the dwarven warrior to take up the whole passageway.
Lucius notices that the dogs appear to be infernal versions of standard canines, and warns the rest of the group, especially those that might be more virtuous than others. Darien is a bit concerned at this point.
The dogs tear into Nils, and fairly quickly drop the dwarf where he stands. Darien infuses the dwarf with healing energy and revives him, as the rest of the group begins to chip away at the hellish dogs. Nils swings at them from the ground and takes out several of them, and Sky Fall Fist moves up and begins to hammer away at the dogs.
Aben carefully attacks over Sky Fall Fist's shoulder with his longspear, and Lucius manages to entangle one with his whip and knock it over, and the rest of the group finishes off the dogs.
Just Around the Corner
As the group continues to move through the caverns, they notices the gouged, dug out nature of the rest of the caves, and they avoid a few side caverns that lead away from the main hallway.
Still lighting the way with a sunrod, in front of them more enemies are alerted. Dario, leading the way, sees a creature, a huge, shovel clawed, heavily muscled tiefling that must have dug out the tunnels the adventurers just saw.
The tiefling tears into Dario as the rest of the group rounds the corner. Aben strikes at another tiefling that shows iteself, and the huge tiefling, who introduces himself as Dravano, asks how the group likes his tunnels.
Nils taunts Dravano, telling him that he digs like an orc. Dravano is enraged with this taunt, and dives under the surface, digging a tunnel past the hallway filled with adventurers.
One of the other tieflings shrouds the area in darkness, and all of the adventurers except for the dwarves stagger around in the night black caverns.
The dwarves wait for Dravano after the taunt, but instead of coming out of the ground near the dwarves, Dravano burrows up behind Darien and tears into the priest of Desna, badly wounding the poor fellow.
The dwarves close in on Dravano as he attempts to fend the bearded axe fighters off. He steps away from them after taking a pounding, drinks a potion to revive himself, and moves back into attack the dwarves further.
Slowly the rest of the adventures find the tieflings in the dark and dispatch them, then feel around trying to get closer to Dravano. Before the darkness fails, the adventures close on Dravano and finish the huge, shovel clawed tiefling off.
I believe it bears noting that Dravano did take down both myself and Darien. We are in for some... difficulties... with this, my friends. We shall see what is behind this door soon. Hopefully something less... threatening than Dravano.
Ilorath or Darien, do you have any way of making light stick to a rock? I'm certain that tossing a light source into the next room may prove useful.
4 Rova (Late Night) through 5 Rova, 3709 AR
Darien begins to pull on his counterfeit Hellknight Armiger armor, but then remembers that several of his companions are still injured, and begins to heal the rest of his companions.
Before Darien can complete pulling on the stylized leather armor, the group hears voices of what sounds like another patrol coming around the corner, and the patrol sees the light of Dario's sunrod.
Unintentional Brotherly Revenge . . . Subverted
In the hallway, a voice calls out as the speaker recognizes Dravano's corpse in the hallway. As one tiefling thug rounds the corner, Lucien shoots him with a crossbow bolt.
Another "mummy" rounds the corner, a being that appears to have the same bone devil bloodline as Ostengo. He proclaims that he and Ostengo would make short work of the adventurers, but Lucien pointedly mentions that Ostengo won't be challenging anyone anymore.
One of the tieflings throws a coin with a darkness spell on it into the room, and the light from Dario's sunrod is taken out. Lucien recognizes the spell and describes how it works to the group, and Nils promptly picks up the coin and shoves it into his mouth, blocking out the darkness.
Ostengo's brother fires off a volley of magic missiles into Darien, and Sky Fall Fist dives into the hole that Drovano created earlier. Sky Fall Fist comes out of the hole behind Ostengo's brother, and with a single mighty swing, cleaves off the sorcerer's head.
The rest of the group easily surrounds and dispatches the tiefling thugs that accompanied the false mummy.
The Last Room
Aben and Dario listen at the door of the next room, and they hear a clacking, shambling noise in the room beyond. The two rogues check for traps on the door and then help one another to pick the lock, opening the door.
A pack of three animated skeletal wolves dive towards the adventurers, and a glowing morning star created out of red force energy appears and dives towards Darien, slamming into the priest of Desna.
As the first one through the door, Nils is downed by the skeletal wolves, but Darien moves forward to heal the dwarf. Slowly the adventurers work into the room, and Darien and Lucius recognize the spell, and alert the group to try and find a spellcaster of some kind.
It is a hard slog through the room. The wolves down Sky Fall Fist, Nils, Dario, and Lucien, and Darien pushes himself past his limits to force positive energy into the combatants several times, and when some of his companions are still down, Sky Fall Fist uses his divine powers granted by Irori to save Lucien from death.
Two of the wolves are destroyed by the adventurers, and Lucien uses one of his spells to slowly search the room for magical auras, and eventually pinpoints an illusory spell in effect. Assuming its the spellcaster, he lashes out with his whip and trips the unseen figure.
The spellcaster becomes visible as a blast of negative energy flows through the room knocking out some of the adventurers again, even as the last skeletal wolf challenges the dwarven heroes. Darien again exerts himself to channel more positive energy, and revives the adventurers yet again.
The priest, Palaveen, proclaims the might of Asmodeus, and tells the adventurers that he will make sure that the tieflings of Westcrown have a better place in the world.
Lucien briefly feels sympathetic towards Palaveen's long term goal, and is about to discuss the matter with the priest of Asmodeus, but then the priest fires off another blast of negative energy through the party.
Lucien proclaims that Calistria will defecate on Palaveen's corpse and swears vengence upon the priest of Asmodeus. The Asmodean priest creates a duplicate of himself in time to have that illusory duplicate be run through by Aben's spear.
Lucien, Dario, and Aben close on the priest and finish him off, and the dwarves finish off the last of the wolf skeletons.
Gathering Information
In Palaveen's notes, the group finds that Palaveen has some sort of allies from which he was purchasing animated corpses and gaining direction on what targets to strike, and how much of a fee to surrender from the jobs.
They also find notes on what to feed dogs to mutate them into hell spawned creatures.
On Palaveen's corpse, the group finds a key, and they use the key to open a chest that they find in the room. The ledgers in the room detail where about half of the treasure rightfully belong, which is a bit distressing to Lucien, Aben, and Dario, especially.
Nils notices a crumpled up note under Palaveen's table. The note indicates that Palaveen's mysterious allies were the Council of Thieves, and organization that is believed by many to by only a myth.
The group hammers the room's doors shut and posts guards, and they rest for a few hours, before attempting to leave the hideout.
Strangers in the . . . Day?
The group finds one of the nearest exits to one of the outlying buildings of the hideout, and upon coming up from the trap door, the group hears noises. While the group can easily make it out the front door, Dario investigates the noises from upstairs.
Dario finds two guards of the Bastards of Erebus engaged in a compromising act in the upstairs bedroom, and sneaks up on them. Still bloodthirsty from the battles beneath the chapel, he swings on the lovers, and misses.
The room goes dark, and Dario knows he's been made. Lucius throws out a massive bluff about the fidelity of the tiefling's lover and runs out the front door, while Dario dives out the second story window, injuring himself a bit while he stands back up and keeps moving.
I Am The Law
The group runs into a patrol of Rundottari, and seeing Darien in Armiger armor, the group is immediately on edge. They demand to know what is going on.
Lucius says that they have been let in by the Rundottari at the Obrigan Gate, which the Rundottari captain does not believe. He says that only exiles come in through the gate.
Lucius points out that some exiles might still be useful after they have been exiled, and that some secrets are above a Rundottari's pay scale. The nebulous answer is dire enough that the Rundottari captain lets them go.
Out of sight, Darien quickly strips off the Armiger armor.
Closer to the escape grate that leads to the group's sewer escape route, another Rundottari patrol approaches the group. They "fine" the group for being in a restricted area, but Dario and Lucius explain that they just got lost and thought to look around a bit.
The Rundottari captain tells them that if they are interested in the Dusk Market, they only need to seek out a friendly Rundottari and offer to pay their fine up front, and then get the proper location and pass word.
Home Again, Home Again
The group informs Arael of what happened. Accidentally Lucius mentions that they have a record of where some of the treasure of the Bastards was stolen from, and Dario, Lucius, and Aben all mention that no one will miss the wealth.
Nils, Sky Fall Fist, and Darien all advocate giving the treasure back, although Nils is interested to see if there might be a finder's fee. Lucius jumps on a suggestion of Darien that the "sneaky types" drop off the treasures secretly, but Arael is a bit concerned about the avarice he sees in the eyes of some of his allies, and decides to turn the treasure over to Chaplain DuSanni to help distribute back to its rightful owners.
Ahhh. It's nice to have a successful venture. The Bastards of Erebus are no more, and we get to relax just a bit more, my friends.
As a side note, I've got a play I'm going to be in next week. I'm sure I can get tickets for everyone. Something about the horrors of lightning, but that's about all I can say for now.
Lucius, you may want to try out, some of those sleight of hand tricks you know could come in quite handy.
my wand of cure light has only 14 charges. this took alot of our resourses, but will need to train, which will heip us some. maybe should hunt down some more shadow beasts.
After what we've been through with those, I'm sure that is a wonderful idea... Although, I'm sure another beast wouldn't be the worst thing that we could possibly see.
By the way, Darien, once I've got all the treasure figured, I'll be happy to toss a good amount of gold to save ourselves from being without healing (namely me... thanks a million for all that in the Bastards' hideout).
i think we need to compare letters. it seems that we are more known than i like. i think there looking for me
I find it odd that you all have letters. I didn't get a letter. Very odd, if you ask me.
I will say that the Dusk Market was perfectly nice to sit in for awhile, and I'm looking forward to our next expedition. I wonder what they'll have us doing soon.
6 Rova through 26 Rova, 3709 AR
The adventurers spend the night in well-deserved rest. Upon waking the next day, they confer with Arael and make plans to head to the Dusk Market when that mysterious place opens.
Arael has sent Morosino around to where the adventurers have been staying in order to pick up any messages or packages that they may have waiting for them. Everyone except for Dario seems to have letters or notes waiting for them, which Morosino happily hands out. He comments that he is almost certain that he wasn't followed this time, and Nils sarcastically responds that he is very reassured.
Heading to the broken section of the wall outside of the city, the group re-enters the walled off ruined section of the city, and soon encounters a patrol of Rundottari, but the enforcers quickly discern that the party is looking for the Dusk Market, and they collect a "fine" and point the group in the right direction.
The Dusk Market
Just outside of the apparent location of the moving market, in the shadows of some of the ruined buildings, the adventurers are hailed by the clothes swathed creature they met the night that they first surveyed the Bastards of Erebus' headquarters.
The creature introduces himself as Spugget, and gives them a brief overview of the Market, explaining what businesses sit where and what services are available, and extols the virtues of the "Boss," a lanky, taller version of Spugget named Malraugus.
Aben asks around about his note, a cryptic reference to an organization trying to crack down on "freelancers," but he is quickly told to not ask questions about organizations that don't exist but are still dangerous.
Various members of the group visit Kuraud, a hobgoblin weapon and armor dealer, as well as Tegomalan, a strange alien magic merchant. Dario also visits a strange, dispassionate Duergar named Balgorn the Quiet, selling items "to enhance mental prowess."
Darien visits the "exotic compounds" dealer, the gnome Tanglesmell. Tanglesmell has Darien's flayleaf in stock, and the excitable, erratic gnome even offers Darian a back room in which to enjoy his purchase.
Darien and Aben visit "Doctor" Aerelien, a Forlorn elf and worshiper of Zon-Kuthon that mends wounds and sells potions and divine healing agents. Both men have to discuss recent wounds and afflictions in depth to the strange elf, which he listens to with great intent, before selling them some wands to close their wounds.
Eventually Lucius and Aben end up at the series of tents known as the Carnal Knowledge, and Aben becomes a bit confused about the nature of the establishment, at first thinking it might be a livestock market or perhaps a eatery of some sort.
Lucien speaks with the proprietress, Madame Liiresta, a beautiful but cold and distant tiefling. Lucien attempts in vain to convince Madame Liiresta to engage in a "Calistrian ritual." She shuts him down, but directs him to a large book filled with a menu of available services. Lucien chooses one and pays his fees, and then enters one of the sectioned off parts of the tents.
Inside, Lucien casts a spell to help him discern magic's presence and kind, but he can only discern that the tent is magical and suppresses sounds from escaping.
Aben asks about chickens, and Madame Liiresta is a bit, concerned, but directs Aben to the book. Aben, a bit surprised at what the menu actually entails, picks a page and pays his fee.
Nils and Dario visit Morg "the Drunk," and purchase some alcohol from the "spirits importer." Morg seems a bit obtuse about where his goods come from or what a proper price for his goods, but Nils finds a barrel of dwarven ale and purchases it, and he and Dario roll the barrel out of the shop after Dario has some private words with the merchant.
After leaving the Carnal Knowledge, Aben attempts to purchase a gift for his new "friend," and tells Lucius that he's in love and has found his future wife. Lucius tries to dissuade his friend from his course of action, but after purchasing some flowers and trinkets at the market and returning to Madame Liiresta, she tells Aben that her workers require no gifts and turns them away.
The Trip Home
After the Dusk Market is broken down for the night, Dario finds some scraps of meat, and Dario and Darien trek through the sewers to check up on their Otyugh friend. Before finding him, the two run into a ghoul stalking the corridors, but Dario dispatches the undead creature before it can strike.
The otyugh finds them soon after, as it was tracking the foreign predator in the sewers, and it accepts the scraps of meat and some alcohol from the two adventurers.
The rest of the group heads out of the breach in the wall, and then back through the north gate, paying the gate tax to re-enter the city. Moving quickly through the unlit portions of the city, the rest of the adventurers do not run into a shadow beast for the hours that it takes them to find the abandoned chapel.
Revelries and Revelations
Upon returning home, Nils tells the group that any dwarves are free to drink from his newfound barrel of ale, then quickly tells Sky Fall Fist that he doesn't count. The monk is withdrawn from the group anyway, seeking to spend time training his prospective student.
Dario breaks into his disguise kit and puts on a beard, at which time Nils declares "good enough." Eventually the entire group, except for Sky Fall Fist, begins to drink. In the ensuing night of revelry, Darien becomes a bit blubbery, saying something about his parents and a cure, and the various notes that the group received become mixed up.
Nils received a not from the Chelaxian military about an upcoming parade for the 13th Legion, which rubs a bit of salt in the dwarf's wounds about his former military service. Darien's family has invited him home because they have found someone to "cure" him of his "taint." Lucien received a note from someone that he must have known upset over the time he has spent with his student, and Aben received a note warning him of an "organization" that is going to begin consolidating or eliminating "freelancers."
No one sees Sky Fall Fist's note, since he declined drinking, and Dario is adamant that he hasn't gotten any messages.
Dario wishes to go back to the theater where he works, and convinces Nils to come with him. They again manage to avoid any shadow beasts, although in the morning, there is a misunderstanding between Nils and an actress, and before Nils can get into trouble, Dario strikes the dwarf to get his attention and interrupt him before he can act or speak.
Training Day
The next day, the group begins to work on training their students once again. Sky Fall Fist practices simple martial technique with his student, and Darien and his student discuss religion, nature, and butterflies in a public park.
Nils decides to make his trainee do push ups until Nils throws up, which perplexes Ermalos, at which point, Dario and Aben point Yakapoulio towards Ermalos to sneak up on him and hit him in the spleen to make him throw up, thus teaching her about vital spots and stealth.
Lucius takes Amaya to a tavern to teach her how to use her beauty and femininity to influence others. The naturally shy woman is not sure about this at first, but Lucius gives her various instructions, and while a series of misunderstandings leads a man to beat an innocent halfling senseless, she does succeed in manipulating the situation.
Gainful Employment
Nils spends his free time training animals for various customers, since he learned this skill in the Chelaxian military. Lucius and Dario work at the theater that Dario has been investing in, Darien takes up his work copying scripts, and Sky Fall Fist very quietly, unknown to anyone else, begins to perform in the same manner that his parents did. He hides this fact, as he does not want to be associated with them, nor does he want his companions to find out.
Drifting Away
Sometime during the weeks of training and side jobs, Ilorath disappears from the former chapel of Aroden, leaving no word for anyone, and not to be seen again. While the group realizes that they are trying to maintain separate lives apart from the Children of Westcrown, the elf does not return to the chapel when the rest of the adventurers regroup, and they begin to be concerned that the elf is no longer a part of the group.
27 Rova through 4 Lamashan, 3709 AR
Arael calls together the senior agents of the Children of Westcrown for a meeting with a mysterious benefactor. The visitor is Ailyn Ghontasavos, an agent of the Pathfinder Society.
When Nils wants to know how an outsider knew how to find the Children of Westcrown, Ailyn mentions that she had an agent working with them on her behalf, the elf Ilorath. When Lucius asks where Ilorath is, Ailyn says that he has headed off to Absalom as payment for helping her contact a suitable organization within Westcrown.
Lucius is still very skeptical of working with an outsider, but Ailyn, after a bit of flirting and discerning how to work with a follower of Calistria, promises Lucius that she can make it worth his time.
Aben, taken with the striking Pathfinder, declares that he is no longer in love with his "lady" from the Dusk Market and swears his undying love to Ailyn, but the Pathfinder is not quite as taken with the more awkward half-elf chimney sweep turned alchemist.
Ailyn explains that she wishes to find some way to explore the lost Pathfinder lodge Delvehaven, and she hopes to get access to the keys to the lost lodge from the Lord Mayor's mansion. In order to gain access to the Lord Mayor's mansion, she hopes to have the agents of the Children of Westcrown perform in a famous Murderplay that the Lord Mayor is having performed, so that they might be invited to his home for one of his famous revels.
She mentions that the key and information about Delvehaven can be found in a object that was once in the possession of the House of Thrune but is now being held by the Lord Mayor, the Chelish Crux.
Lucius is not thrilled with the plan due to its lack of direct action against the authorities of Westcrown, but is mollified by Ailyn's more intimate promises. Nils dislikes such an overt illegal actions such as stealing something from the Lord Mayor's home, and Dario does not like the dangerous side trip of performing a Murderplay for only tenuous rewards.
Arael agrees with Nils that he dislikes the overt unlawful actions, but Ailyn points out that Delvehaven might be the key to finding out where the shadow curse on the city originates from. This convinces Dario, but Nils is still concerned, though he remembers the oath that he swore to support his allies, and agrees to go along with the plan.
The group pools what they know about the situation. Dario and Lucius have heard of the play, and know how deadly the production is. Dario also knows the reputation of the Lord Mayor as a lover of performance art as well as being a bit unstable. Dario points out to Nils that the Lord Mayor is the man who appointed his nephew as the head of the Dottari, pointing out to Nils that striking at a man that has made law enforcement more corrupt is striking a blow for restored law and order.
Janiven is for the plan, and Arael is grudgingly agreed to work with Ailyn, and the Children's senior agents are also on board for the plan.
Sky Fall Fist quietly leaves the chapel, and is not seen afterwards.
The Audition
The adventures head to the Limehouse Theatre, where the try outs for the play, the Six Trials of Larazod, are being held. Lucius dresses himself up in is full finery as "Lucy," and actually makes for an attractive female. Dario and Lucius have heard of Robahl Nonon, and know that the director is a known "ladies' man."
Robahl informs "Lucy" that he already has his female leads cast, but he would be happy to spent time finding a part for her, but Lucius decides to drop the ruse, throwing Robahl for a loop.
Dario expresses an interest in playing Larazod, and Lucius decides that he wishes to try out for Dentris. Both actors are convincing in their auditions. Nils tries out for the part of Monris Blacksward, but the dwarf has a difficult time playing the bagpipes. Robahl decides that the dwarf might be better suited as Tybain. Aben tries out for Drovalid, and Darien is pegged for Farus the Traveled.
The brunt of the try out for Tybain consists of Nils saying his lines while being pelted with objects from the audience, and the dwarf stoically delivers his lines in deadpan while being pounded with rocks. Aben begins to read for his part of Drovalid, and is very proud of himself as he begins to read, but in the middle of his reading, a "monster," a stuffed creature on a bucked swung from the rafters, dives at him to test his reflexes and his performance under pressure.
The parts firmly established, Robahl introduces the actors to the other actors in the company. Robahl also talks a bit with Nils about his military service and about the "invitation" to the 13th Legion festivities.
Much to the dismay of the adventurers, the group finds out that Thesing Umbero Ulvauno has already been cast as Haanderthan. He immediately tears into Dario and Lucien, making fun of their previous performances and referencing the "incident" that led to the Dottari and the Hellknights burning down Lucien's old theater. The two actors return the jibes, casting aspersions at the actors talent, but Nils then interjects himself into the conversation.
Thesing turns on Nils and tells the dwarf that his is, "on the list" now for getting involved in the argument. Nils counters that he has only one list, which consists of where he has buried the bodies of those that have crossed him. Thesing turns white and avoids the dwarf from this point on.
Also introduced to the new members of the acting troupe is the Visbaronetess Delour Aulamaxa. Lucis makes a joke about the woman's title that seems to go completely over her head, but the half-elf, seeing the diva as a potentially useful source of information, begins to cultivate her favor. Delour tells Lucius that she is quite sure that the young starlet in the production must have given her "favors" to Robahl in order to get her part.
Dario is introduced to Calseinica Nymmis, the young actress portraying the character of Ilsandra. Dario is very charming to the young lady, and she discusses how excited she is to be a part of the play, as well as relating her history of working with Delour on another production. She is completely convinced that the older diva has nothing but her best interests at heart, and is a bit confused when Dario tries to find out if she has, indeed, given her "favors" to Robahl.
Nils befriends that stage hand Millech "the Hump," and Millech explains his skills will illusion magic and his responsibilities controlling the special effects of the play.
Aben, struck with Calseinica, attempts to ingratiate himself with the young actress, but his awkward streak around women continues, and he tents to make the actress a little nervous.
That evening, after the initial auditions, Dario, Nils, and Lucius go to Yakopoulio and arrange for some "company" for Millech in order to keep the stage hand happy for the duration of the production. Lucius also decides to try and get Amaya on the crew as a musician, and Dario decides to arrange for flowers and gifts to be delivered to both Calseinica and Delour to attempt to reconcile the two actresses.
A Lot of Hard Work
Amaya is indeed hired onto the crew, and she and Robahl become closer than Lucius had originally intended. Delour is upset at another attractive female being on the staff, but Lucius manages to calm her down.
After rehearsals, costume fittings, and memorizing scripts, the group begins to pull together their performance. Lucius strikes up a "romance" with Delour and begins escorting her to important places after the practices each day. While doing this, contrary to Dario's plans, Lucius continues to keep the rivalry between Delour and Calseinica alive.
Eventually, word of the performance and its actors leaks out, and in the streets after a practice session, the group is surrounded by a crowd that demands a performance. Deciding this might be a good thing, Dario and the rest launch into their performances. While the rest of the group does a solid job, Dario is a bit off, and the crowd seems to be less enthused after the performance.
The group reaches the night of the dress rehearsal at the Limehouse Theater, which Dario and Lucius both know as a place that heckles those that make mistakes mercilessly.
A bit daunted by this performance out in the street, Dario is shaky as he starts the night, but Calseinica is very happy with him as a leading man, and this bolsters his acting ability.
Early on, Dario makes a few missteps in his performance, resulting in a pelting with rotting vegetation. Working through this mistake, Dario flubs another line, and an effigy of Larazod is hoisted out of the crowd to make fun of Dario's performance.
Despite this rough start, Dario, anchored by Calseinica's confidence in him, hits his stride. The rest of the companions all do a solid job of supporting Dario, and the finish to the dress rehearsal is an impressive, well-received success.
Thesing storms out of the performance fuming that afternoon.
Bah! Thesing is a hack. I can out-act that fop any day of the week. Given everything else, I'm sure our Calistrian friend Lucius can as well (he's better at acting than ME!).
Here's to our success
Thesing isn't worth our time--We're going to knock the audience's socks off in spite of his poor performance. I suppose his role is comic relief, anyhow. Also, sorry to be working against you in terms of the ladies' feud, Dario, but you know, it's a matter of faith for me to destroy people's faith in each other.
Cheers!
And I must add, it's really a shame that I didn't end up getting a role in the production... Next time, eh?
Lucius, we are the odd pair, aren't we? We are, however, both running on the one thing we have in spades... faith. You have faith that they will fall to their discord, and I have faith that they will turn to their more... humane natures. Lucky for us we get along!
And Luci, I think that the audience of our next non-life-threatening production should have you as the star. Let me talk to the owners, especially if they find out how... alluring you were to Robahl.
5 Lamashan, 3709 AR
Excitement fills the air as the adventurers awaken and prepare themselves for the performance of their lifetimes . . . until Nils realizes that the constant practicing over the last week, as well as his "training" of Ermalos, has robbed him of his voice.
Before the group can discuss the problem with Robahl, Arael sends Morosino to gather the Children of Westcrown for a meeting.
New Blood
Arael introduced the adventurers to a fellow worshiper of Iomedae, a paladin named Amontauge, or Monty, who comes from a small fishing village that was treated very harshly by the Order of the Rack.
Arael takes the rest of the Children aside and explains to them that Monty is a good soul, and a valuable companion, but is a bit lacking in worldly understanding and common sense. He asks the group to keep an eye out for the paladin and do what they can to direct him where his devotion will do the most good.
Understudy!
When the Children of Westcrown arrive at the Limehouse early to brainstorm with Robahl about the problem with Nils' voice, Robahl nearly panics at the last minute complication.
After a few moments of discussion, Monty recognizes the play that the rest of the adventurers are discussing. As a child, he found a copy of the script, and read it cover to cover. It traumatized him and he had nightmares about the events in the play for years.
As a result, Monty had the play memorized.
Calling Millech in to help with some last minute changes to wardrobe, Monty is cast as Tybain, and Nils becomes a non-speaking Monris Blaksward (with Amaya providing the musical accompaniment).
The Show is the Thing
Upon arriving at the Nightshade Theater, Robahl is a bit upset when he is introduced to the man that will be Vestus Savaska, a powerful cleric of Asmodeus. As Robahl explains this to the adventurers, Savaska begins drawing a summoning circle and summons some form of infernal creature, a humanoid with barbed protrusions growing out of its skin, to cast illusions for him.
Millech tells all of the adventurers to be very careful upon seeing some of the "effects" to be used in the play.
The Curtain Goes Up
The group does fairly well with their performances to start, except for Aben's somewhat quirky performance as Drovalid. Despite this initial performance, the audience goes wild for Aben as he quite savagely beats Dario into unconsciousness.
Backstage, Darien uses his magical trinkets to heal the adventurers so that they can press on, and when he appears on stage, he plays the part of the Chelaxian image of a Varisian, "picking the pockets" of his fellow actors and holding up items in order to examine their value . . . and practicing in case he needs to hold up his symbol of Desna inconspicuously.
When the Flukes of Asmodeus are brought out, Millech warns the group that the illusions on the creatures hide rot grubs. While all of the adventurers survive, the special knives they use to cut out the rot grubs before they kill the adventurers don't work fast enough to keep everyone from being heavily wounded.
When the huge glass serpent is brought onto the stage to "devour" the adventurers, everyone steels themselves, and they dive into the serpent, which is filled with acid.
Nils bravely bolsters the rest of the adventurers, boosting everyone else out, and Calceinica is pushed out of the serpent quickly. While they are burned and injured, no one is killed by the serpent, thanks largely to Nils' stoic stance boosting his allies.
The adventurers eat magically created eggs that cause them to "throw up" children birthed from their own sins, and backstage they hear Savaska conjuring something.
Melted deformed souls from Hell arrive on stage, and the adventurers fight against them. Again, the group intentionally protects Calceinica from the monsters, and while the entire group fights with all of their heart, Lucius mainly provides advice and inspiration, and Darien is very busy keeping his allies on their feet.
Monty, especially, is a furious champion on stage. Wielding a silver warhammer, Monty crushes several of the diabolic creatures with great relish.
The Curtain Falls
Two huge skeletal trolls lumber out on stage, cloaked in an illusion that makes them appear to be devils under Haanderthan's control. Millech points out the illusion again, and Lucius looks over the creatures for potential weaknesses.
As the adventurers fight the creatures, it occurs to Lucius that these are not just animated skeletons, but that they are charged with necromantic energy in such a way that they will explode upon their destruction.
Darien is trying to keep everyone healed, and the skeletons are badly damaged, but Calceinica is wounded badly, and Dario is hurt. Darien knows that he can destroy the dangerous creatures with Desna's power, but he knows that they will also likely kill Calceinica.
Lucius begins to act as if he is casting a spell, to cover for Darien's channeling, and Dario runs across the stage, in range of the skeleton's destructive fury, to push Calceinica back stage to safety. He signals for his companions to continue their plans, and he heroically pushes the young actress to safety.
Darien blasts the skeletons with positive energy, Lucius pantomimes a spell, and the creatures are destroyed . . . and they explode with necromantic energies trapped within them. The bone fragments penetrate Dario, and the actor appears to fall over, finished by his many vicious injuries.
The Show Must Go On
Seeing Dario lying lifeless covering Calceinica's body, Lucius quickly calls for Millech to come up with a Larazod illusion for the final act, and the rest of the actors but their all into the final act's performance. The play is an amazing hit, and a staggering amount of gold and jewelry is thrown to the stage.
Everyone looks around, thrilled that they survived, energized by the crowd, and afraid to walk over to Dario's still form.
5 Lamashan through 7 Lamashan, 3709 AR
The group approaches Dario's still form, and Aben can't detect any life in his body. Lucius confronts Robahl, blaming him for Dario's death, but Robahl tells Lucius that everyone knew the risks. Lucius then demands to still be able to control Dario's share of the treasure.
As the half-orc enforcers hired by Robahl begin to distribute the gold from the play, Monty kneels by Dario to pay his last respects, and Dario opens his eyes and sits up. Monty is taken aback, and Dario says very little to anyone, only nods and moves around very carefully.
Surprised by Dario's survival, the group heads to a nearby tavern to spend the night. The tavern's manager asks the group if the party will be renting a room, but Lucius convinces him that everything is on Robahl's tab tonight.
Aben begins to scare off some of his admirers, but Lucius smooths over his mis steps and garners the rogue alchemist some company for the evening. Lucius spends the night with the Visbaronetess, and everyone settles in for the night.
Ascension Day
Monty wakes up, excited to celebrate Ascension Day, the day that commemorates Iomedae's ascension to godhood. Lucius growls at Monty, realizing that at least part of the celebration of Ascension Day, the forgiveness of others, is not something he is interested in as a follower of Callistria.
Nils growls at Monty as he attempts to wake up the dwarf, and the dwarf cites that he hasn't officially sworn an oath to support the paladin yet.
As Monty is trying to rouse everyone, Morosino arrives at the tavern with a message from Arael to come back to the chapel. Morosino also mentions that since Janiven has been teaching him to be more stealthy, perhaps everyone should show up at different times.
On the way home, Monty, thrilled at celebrating Ascension Day, doesn't even realize what is going on in various chapels on the way home. Everyone else notices that the priests of Asmodeus are proclaiming this the day that Iomedae swore fealty to Asmodeus as a divine patron of Cheliax.
Upon arriving at the chapel, Lucius tries to upset Monty by explaining what has been happening at the Asmodean chapels across the city, but Monty has a hard time comprehending anything past "celebrating Ascension Day."
Shopping Trip
The group heads to the Dusk Market in order to purchase some items that they may need. Lucius disguises Monty as a Hellknight, then asks him not to say anything while dressed that way.
Lucius makes Nils into a hunchback, disguises the rest of the group in black robes, and disguises himself as "Luci."
At the gate into the Dead Sector, Lucius explains to the Rundottari at the gate that they have business in the Dead Sector in the Dusk Market. Since its official Hellknight business, they should be able to go there directly.
The Rundottari is cowed by the Hellknight's presence, and they give them the location of the Dusk Market for the day. They arrive at the market with no problems.
In the Dusk Market, Lucius sends Monty to the Carnal Knowledge. Monty is confused at first, but then eventually figures out what is going on and forgives the Madam Liiresta at the Carnal Knowledge for tempting him, since its Ascension Day.
For some reason, Nils is drawn to visiting Doctor Aerelien and discussing the injuries that were inflicted during the play that the group was in. Aben enters the Carnal Knowledge, and the group visits Kuraud and Tegomalan to buy magic items.
Nils and Monty end up at Morg "the Drunk's" shop, and Monty says that they should have a drink in honor of Iomedae, and Nils tells Monty that if he pays for the tip for Morg, they can have a drink to his goddess this evening, and the pair buy a new barrel of ale.
Lucius and Aben visit Tanglesmell and pick up some toxic substances, and Lucius stops by the Alchemist's shop to purchase some expensive perfume for the Visbaronetess as a gift.
More Plans
Upon returning to the chapel, Arael explains that Janiven has heard that the 13th Legion is going to arrive tomorrow, and the parade will be in the morning, with the Lord Mayor's Cornucopia occurring after the parade.
Janiven and Ailyn drill the adventurers on what they should be doing. Lucius attempts to once again get on Ailyn's good side as he has been in the past, but Ailyn points out just how much woman he has now with the Visbaronetess.
Janiven tells Monty that not talking is not the same as lying, and that he should wait for the rest of the group to do what it needs to do before he actually talks.
Ailyn points out that they may not want Aben to speak to any females by himself.
Lucius is interested in knowing if the cause might be served by the assassination of anyone that might be at the party, and Janiven clarifies that the group really shouldn't be killing anyone that would draw attention to the group. Nils worries about Lucius' bloodthirsty streak in such a delicate mission.
Parade Formation
The next morning, the group follows the procession of the 13th Legion through the city, and at the end of the march, Vestus Savaska speaks to the crowd and announces that there must, sadly, be a public execution of someone for sedition, and the criminal is Chaplain DuSanni.
The group is shocked, but even Monty realizes that there is no way to fight the entire 13th Legion to save DuSanni. When Nils sees the half-orc executioner that is going to carry out the sentence, he flags down an officer and asks if, as a former member of the 13th, if he can perform the execution.
Nils whispers to DuSanni that he is sorry and that he will make this as honorable as painless as possible. DuSanni thanks him. Nils asks if he could take off one of Dusanni's hands, just in case they can do something for him.
Nils quickly cuts off DuSanni's head, and both Nils and Aben snag a finger from the fallen cleric.
The group returns to the chapel and breaks the new to Arael, who is devastated. He takes the fingers and puts them in the main shrine until such time as he can figure out what to do with them.
Janiven briefs the group one last time, and as they get into costume, they hire a carriage to take them to the Lord Mayor's home. Morosino arrives with a message for Lucius, which Lucius reads, jots down a note, and gives to Morosino to deliver. Janiven is worried about where Morosino is suppose to be going, but the Nils and Lucius assure her everything is fine, and Nils gives him a gold piece in case he wants to break anything.
I'll get the rest of this session posted soon, but there was a lot of important information this time around, and I wanted to make sure I got everything in. The rest of Cornucopia! will be covered soon.
7 Lamashan, 3709 AR (Cornucopia Continued)
Crosael Simiin Rasdovain, the Lord Mayor's right hand woman, announces each of the adventurers as then walk into Aberian's Folly. Nils and Darien are reserved as they walk in (though Nils still strikes an impressive pose), though they are in costume. Aben attempts to make a good impression, and Lucien tries for a flare of the dramatic, though his supporting role limits his impressive entrance. Dario walks in last, wordlessly.
Lucien gives the Visbaronetess Delour Aulamaxa her perfume, and she is happy to receive the gift, although she warns Lucien that when the dinner is over she may have . . . attention . . . from her fans and wants to warn him so that he doesn't get jealous. Lucien explains that he understands, and the diva tells him how to ply some of the nobility for information.
Robahl welcomes his actors, and warns them that if they want to remain sensate through the entire festivities, they should be careful, as even the foods are laced with intoxicating substances.
First Round of Gossip
Nils and Lucius work out who is going to babysit whom during the first course of the dinner, and who they might ply for information. Nils takes Monty with him and they move to speak with General Vourne, the military commander of the Chelaxian fleet in this region. Lucius watches over Aben, and attempts to speak with Eirtein Oberigo. Darien keeps an eye on Dario, and Calceinica hangs on Dario as well.
Nils begins to speak with Vourne about his military service, and Vourne asks Nils if he is the man that performed the execution this morning. After discussing merit promotions and military procedures, Vourne warms up to the dwarven cavalier, but Monty asks Vourne how he feels about revolutions. Nils reminds Monty that he isn't suppose to talk, then amends the paladin's comments to ask how Vourne would put down a revolution.
Vourne reveals that the mannor has a pit fiend bound to the home as a gift from the House Thrune, but assures Nils that the creature could never possible break its bonds.
Lucius and Aben speak with Eirtein Oberigo, and Lucius spins a few wild tales about the nobility that he has made up. Eirtein passes on to the Calistrian bard that the Asmodean Knot, an extra dimensional space, is located somewhere in the manor, and that if someone could find a way into that hidden space, he might be willing to part with some gold over the knowledge. He also warns them off of the Nessian Spiral, the horrid dungeons in the basement of the manor house.
Switch Your Partners
General Vourne leaves, and Nils notices that everyone is visibly relieved when the General leaves Cornucopia, and Nils realizes that this likely has something to do with Vourne reporting directly to the House Thrune.
Lucius pairs with Monty this time, and Nils takes Aben. Lucius speaks with Chamady Drovenge, while Nils speaks with Sascar Tilernos.
Eager to see the woman in her cups, Aben quickly offers Sascar a drink, and Nils attempts to keep him from scaring the woman off. After she is further intoxicated, Nils manages to find out that the woman swears that Aberian Arvanxi has a deformed son locked in the attic, and she backs this theory up by pointing out that Aberian once immediately ended a Cornucopia when a guest attempted to go into the attic. What other reason would he have for getting so upset with someone for going into his attic?
Lucius, armed with the Visbaronetess' gossip that Chamady might have an improper relationship with her brother, tries to ply her for information. Monty points out that her outfit is a bit revealing, and that she may want to dress more conservatively if she doesn't want to attract unwanted attention.
Chamady ignores him, and it soon becomes apparent to Lucius that Chamady is plying him for as much information as he is trying to gain from her. She only reveals that the family has interests in Taldor as well as Cheliax, and begins to ask him if he thinks the adventurers that freed the "revolutionary" from the Hellknights are the same adventurers that killed off the Bastards of Erebus.
The two part ways, wary of one another, and Chamady leaves, after nightfall and risking shadow beasts.
Administrative Assistants
The whole group, after a few more courses of Cornucopia, decides to speak with Crosael. Lucius begins to recite some impromptu poetry, and Crosael, somewhat addled at this point in the evening, mentions that she loves Nevezandius, a Chelaxian poet.
Crosael confides in the group that she hired someone that may not have been the best person to put in the employ of the Mayor, and that she stole something, a valuable gift from the house of Thrune, and that the thief has not be captured yet. She then excuses herself from the Cornucopia because she has a pressing matter to attend to, though she appears to be a bit addled for an important meeting.
The Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor speaks with the group during the final course of the evening, as people begin to find dark corners of the estate. The Lord Mayor discusses the play with the adventurers, and their acting careers, as well as the wine he is serving. He shows them his key to his wine cellar, and explains that the magic that runs his house has been a bit unreliable lately, perhaps beset by gremlins or foul spirits, but likely nothing to worry about.
As this happens, the adventurers, aware of General Vourne's comments, look to the illusory sky above them and see a tiny illusory pit fiend making obscene gestures at the Lord Mayor briefly, then flying off to hide behind an illusory celestial body.
Before the group wanders off, Aben thanks the Mayor, slaps him on the shoulder, and while Lucius is speaking with Aberian about acting and performances, Aben lifts the key to the wine room from the Lord Mayor.
Well, this has been an interesting turn of events. My face got rearranged, Robahl told me I looked better than I did in the play, and this blasted makeup won't come off. Poor Lucius got stuck talking to the Visbaronetess' "eager fans" and I got a hang on. This just doesn't make any sense, really. All I did was keep her from getting killed, that's not terribly heroic. Now look at me, I've lost my nice blue turtleneck, my moustache, and I've traded it to look like... like... Larazod!
Something tells me that there's a lot more going on in our fair city than anyone's letting on to.
So far, our investigation into the Lord Mayor's house, thanks to Chester, has lead us to the dungeons, and we went UP! There were horrible shadows, and our wills and strengths are being sapped at every step of the way. We found where they were coming from, some sort of magical mirror, which I smashed quite soundly, and it appears that this is going to prevent more of these monstrosities from getting to us. What's worse than this, Chester picked a fight with a Devil during our exploration!
The good news is I have a new toy to poke people with, but the bad news is that I'm going to have to store it in a vat of holy water. I wonder if Darien can fill a long pipe full of holy water to store this thing in...
Just waiting for the customary night before nudge to get it posted . . . ;)
8 Lamashan, 3709 AR
As the revels of Cornucopia transform into something more primal, the adventurers begin to discuss how they will begin to search the house. Before they can disperse, Calcienica finds Dario and wonders what he is up to.
As Dario discussing the situation with Calcienica, the rest of the adventurers are approached by a charming, yet very orcish, half-orc that introduces himself as Chesterfield Agincourt Smythe, and he begins to drop Ailyn's name.
Eventually, the rest of the adventurers realize that Chesterfield was an adventurer that Ailyn contacted before going to the Children of Westcrown, and they cautiously accept his aid.
Calcienica is a bit concerned about being at the Cornucopia's aftermath by herself, and she wants to join in one of Dario's adventures, but Dario is too worried about her safety to allow her to come along. Lucius stays behind to keep an eye on her, and begins to drawn the ire of the Visbaronetess.
Toys in the Attic
Aben is rather interested in plundering the Lord Mayor's house, and Nils is concerned about this. Nils is already not thrilled about skirting the law, but at least they should be mindful of performing their mission, not lining their pockets through larceny. Monty agrees with Nils.
Chesterfield asks what the objective is, and the group lets him know that they are fairly certain what they are looking for is in the attic. Darien is worried about being caught and about the potential traps and dangers, and takes some of his special "medicine," offering it to Monty, who is tempted, but decides against it while he is "on duty."
Finding a servant, Chesterfield casts a charm spell on the servant and ask for the way to the attic. The servant, worried about his master's ire, resists, but Chesterfield's personality is more than a match for the servant.
Nils doesn't think its a good idea to head straight to the attic without looking for some clues of what might be lurking there, but he defers to Chesterfield's plan, and everyone heads to the attic.
Through the Looking Glass
After searching the attic for a few minutes, the group finds a hidden door that leads to a magical mirror that itself leads to the Asmodean Knot.
Entering the Knot, the group finds a corpse, and Chesterfield begins to rummage through his magical pack, finding a written curse within that he accidentally triggers. Chesterfield understands how the curse works, and is tempted to pass it on to one of his new colleges, but thinks better of it, although he does not detail the curse to his allies. He is desperate to find someone to pass the curse off to when he gets the chance.
In a hallway, the group runs into extra planar canines known as howlers, and Chesterfield manages to fascinate them with his voice, until the group attempts to sneak by. One by one, the howlers break free, but the adventurers manage to deal with them one at a time and more easily than if they had dealt with the whole pack. Despite this, several of the adventurers seem to be cursed with a degenerating sanity due to the howls of the creatures.
The adventurers also find a strange book about undead that they take with them.
The Winding Stair
The group finds a tower within the Knot that seems to spiral upwards almost forever. They find some rickety bridges that they begin to walk on, but are attacked by shadow creatures that come out of the walls to harm them.
A few of the adventurers have magically enhanced weapons, and these do some damage to the incorporeal creatures, but in the end Darien and Monty channel the positive energy of their gods and destroy the shadows.
Monty is badly drained of strength, as are a few others of the adventurers, and the potions that Janiven gave the party go far in helping to alleviate the damage done to the strength of the group.
Dario and Aben find a secret door, open it, and find another mirror that seems to act as a portal for the shadows to enter the Knot from the Plane of Shadows, and the group destroys the mirror.
Parlay
Walking down the rickety bridge, there is a ten foot jump to reach another section of the demiplane, and Dario sees a strange figure in a cell at the far end of the hallway. The creature talks with Dario telepathically, asking for freedom.
Dario is not convinced, but does jump across the gap. Chesterfield jumps across after Dario, interested in finding out what is going on. Upon seeing the creature, a scaled form with a beard made of fleshy tendrils and wiry growths, Chesterfield asks about the "demon."
Chesterfield continues to taunt the "demon," and the creature produces a huge red crystal glaive, thrusting it between the bars at Chesterfield. Everyone steps back, but Chesterfield continues his taunts, sure that the door will remain firm. Suddenly the door pops open, and the "demon," actually a devil that has been imprisoned in the Asmodean Knot by one of Westcrown's mayors, attacks. He mauls Dario and slashes at Chesterfield, causing a bleeding wound on the bard.
Dario rolls past the devil in the hallway to come up behind him, and Monty jumps across to protect Chesterfield, but the devil slashes at Chesterfield again. Monty and Darien use their powers to heal the half-orc bard, and Monty and Dario hammer on the devil.
Nils, upset that he can't reach the fight, runs to the far end of the bridge and jumps across at that point, charging down the hallway from the opposite end towards the fight.
The group finishes off the devil, and Dario picks up the glaive, and feels that there is some kind of intelligence within the weapon. The weapon probes the actor's psyche, and does not harm him despite the weapon being harmful to those that are not evil. Dario then directs his will towards the weapon, and it bends to his will for the moment.
8 Lamashan, 4709 AR (Continued)
The adventurers spend some time looking through the cells in the hallway, finding most of them full of expired prisoners, except for one unlocked and empty cell, as well as the cell that the devil occupied.
At the far end of the hallway, the adventurers listen at the door, and hear burbling, sloshing noises within. They check the door, open the lock, and enter the room.
Foul Waters
Inside the room is a flowing fountain of foul water, as well as several beings that look like thin, corpse like creatures with long tongues, as well as one particularly foul smelling specimen that is also bloated from immersion in the foul liquids.
The creature demands to know who intrudes on Jabe and his siblings, and the adventurers quickly make the connection and show the book to Jabe, who takes the book and begins to read it, fascinated, but not before he motions his "siblings" to attack.
Charging into the room, Nils is paralyzed by the touch of the creatures as he attacks. Darien runs for the corner and begins to release Desna's holy energies into the creatures.
Aben throws a bomb into the room amidst the creatures still near the pool of evil water, damaging many of them. Dario launches into the room and destroys the ghoul menacing Nils, and the rest of the group makes it into the room.
After a vicious battle, Nils manages to shake off his paralysis, and the once living creatures are all destroyed, including Jabe once he snapped out of his examination of the mysterious book.
Dario jokingly mentions that Nils owes him one, but the gruff dwarf points out that his job is to let everyone hit him as hard as possible before they can reach his friends, so he doesn't owe anyone anything.
Aben is very keen on making sure that the party doesn't miss anything valuable, and asks if the group can search the foul water, eventually finding several items, including a wand of levitation.
Slip Sliding Away
The group finds a hallway of supernaturally slick glass like shadowy stone, and the group realizes that is very easy to slide out of control in the hallway. The group ties off all of their ropes, and Nils leads way, sliding the whole way down.
Eventually everyone makes their way through the hallway without incident, and when faced with two different directions, the group chooses one of the passageways and enters it, glad to be done with the sliding, shadowy floors.
Infinitely Bad Choices
In the next full room the group comes to, they find the supernaturally preserved corpse of an outsider, one connected to a massive construction of chains that stretch from the ceiling to a pit that seems to terminate in some kind of distortion far below.
The after a few moments, the group notices that some of the chains are damaged and loose, and they begin to flail about, slamming into everyone in the group.
The looking at the strange construct, Chesterfield wonders if it might not be some kind of magical conduit that connects the demi-plane of the Knot to the house and its "power source." Deciding that it would be bad to interact with it, everyone runs through quickly, with Dario at the rear to make sure everyone gets through.
Holding his mysterious crystal glaive, Dario gets a flash of someone casting spells on the chains and causing magic to flow through the mansion "below" and into the demi-plane.
The chains lash out and cause some bruises, but everyone runs through before the construct can cause serious harm to anyone.
The group ends up in a room with a door on one side, one across a deeply plunging gap, with spiraling stairs. The stairs seem to spiral up infinitely, and doors seem to connect in strange ways, not what normal physical sciences would indicate.
Before anyone can examine the phenomenon too much, Dario is stabbed and feels a burning poison that, thankfully, has little effect on him. A horned, shadowy figure, a tiefling of some kind, falls back and casts darkness, then curses when she realizes that only Monty and Aben are effected by the spell she has just cast.
The tiefling makes the mistake of mentioning that she had hoped that the curse had finished them off already, and Chesterfield asks Nils to hold her. The dwarf tackles the tiefling, and Chesterfield shoves the scroll containing the Runecurse into her belt.
The tiefling reflexively grabs the parchment and screams, as a terrifying creature, a bone like, large creature with a scorpion's tail appears in a puff of brimstone.
The creature asks if anyone is willing to defend the tiefling, and when no one moves to help her, the devil makes short work of her and then disappears.
Dario gets an idea, and rappels down the stairs without walking down them, and notices that the doors lead to an actual new section of the Knot, rather than opening to the same chamber again, and everyone climbs down to move to the next area.
This Feels Like We're Getting Close
The adventurers enter a hallway and Dario decides to scout ahead quietly. Unfortunately, Dario doesn't accomplish this as well as he would like to have, and a horrific, maimed, mummified corpse shambles towards him. Dario is so terrified that he is frozen in place.
As the corpse shambles towards Dario, Nils walks down the hallway to see what is taking so long, and is similarly terrified by the creature, as is Aben when he heads after Nils.
Darien runs down the hallway, and is not frozen in place, and begins to scream about the danger. The mummified corpse slams into Nils, knocking the dwarf out of the hallway and against the wall, knocking him over.
Chesterfield, not wishing to see what has been mauling his newfound friends, blindly casts a spell to grease the end of the hallway, knocking the undead creature over. He then uses the wand of levitation to stand Nils up on his feet.
Afraid of the creature seeing his friends, Chesterfield also throws a spell creating shining, magical dust down the hallway. Aben, who was invisible, is now covered in glowing glitter, and most of the group is blind.
The creature continues to pound on Nils, and Darien desperately keeps healing the dwarf. Chesterfield levitates Dario up to the wall and Dario drops down behind the undead creature, and as the glitterdust clears, the badly injured Nils and Dario attack the creature until it falls apart.
Injured and terrified by the undead creature, the party catches its breath, and the group notices that Nils does not look at all well.
Drowned Jabe had a stink about him I still can't get out of my nose, which is just as well, as we've encountered some horribly stinking creatures since. Still, I'm glad Chesterfield was willing to Parlay with the thing, it saved us fighting him AND his "posse" at the same time.
Whomever designed this "knot" deserves a reward for twisting the very laws of nature to his/her whims. The "slip-sliding" room was horrible, and we barely kept our feet there, I'm glad Nils had some rope. That blue female hanging from the chains... although she's likely a Devil, as Darien pointed out, she still deserved better than that. If she weren't the reason this place existed, then I'd wager that I'd have cut her down to allow her to return to her plane.
Although I don't quite understand why, but the female trying to kill me was at least slightly alluring. Perhaps it's that edge of danger that I walk nowadays.. perhaps I really am a Tiefling now, I don't know. What I do know is that Chesterfield summoned a Devil with but a scrap of paper, shoving it into her bustier. All the better to have the devils working for us, I say, but I was unaware that Chesterfield had such power. He proved it even more further down the hallway below.
Chesterfield really shone with the strange, wrapped creature. Darien helped Nils survive, freed him, or so I'm told, I was fixated in fear from the blasted thing. Even worse, Chesterfield tormented EVERYONE with glitter fairies of some sort, blinding me, and the wrapped creature as well. The next thing I know I was "standing" in midair, pulling myself down the hallway, only to be lowered behind the creature, cornered, to fight my way out. I took the crystaline glaive and stabbed the creature as hard as I could... and between myself and Nils' attacks, we succeeded in taking it down.
I have a feeling something worse awaits us down the hall, and I've got a feeling our prize is waiting for us there as well.
|
[Out of Character]
I know Jared hasn't posted the lasted journal entry yet, but I wanted to put this down before I forgot to.
Having never played a non-combat bard before, this has been a trip so far. During the BBEG combat last night, I think Chesterfield ably assisted the party, while making only one actual attack. He gave the party an effective +7 to hit the BBEG (+4 prone, +3 music), while giving the BBEG an effective -6 to hit (-4 prone, -2 intimidate!!!).
I've always looked on the bard as the 5th wheel of the party, but I'm starting to see where they are more the indirect-indirect damage.
I'm really looking forward to trying out my newly-researched spell some time.
[//Out of Character]
I will say this, Chester...field... You do come in handy. Too bad we can't relay the true story of what happened in there. We'd be dead by dawn, if that far along, my friend. You did good, and I'm glad you were along.
We have much work ahead of us, that thing was an abomination, even my the twisted standards of our devil-worshipping overlords. By the way, I've got to spend some time at the Dusk Market soon, you interested in going with me & Darien through the underpath, we'll even stop by and say "hi" to Bob if you'd like, as Darien and I have to visit him anyways.
So, we've successfully run afoul of the Lord Mayor's residence. Somehow, the sights we saw do not make me sleep easier at night. We spent the eve in the hidden dimension within his residence, however that may be possible. Unfortunately, I don't know, nor do I care, why he kept such a space.
I've seen the power of devils firsthand. They... have their uses... or so the nobles say. What makes me worry about that particular space was the chain room. The room itself should have been alive and vibrant, and, if Darien's suspicions were correct, there was a dead Kyton, a form of Chain Devil, suspended from the chains. What worries me is that most outsiders, to my limited knowledge, disappear when they "die." Subsumed to their plane or whatever they call it.
What worries me is that we saw the connection to whatever keeps the devils in check, this chain room, I would suppose, and it was losing its grasp on 'reality,' such as it were. I cannot help but feel this bodes terribly for Westcrown. Yet another one of the Nobles' excesses, and dangers as well.
The whole evening, as terribly as it went, was nothing in comparison to the horrors that awaited us within. After we had secured our 'prize' for the evening, my fellows, despite Darien and myself's please, decided to check the rest of the space for other... valuables. This type of looting is horrid, and I made my displeasure with this well known before we continuted through the strange doorways from the Otyugh/Bearded devil thing (even Bob would be repulsed by such a creature, I'm sure).
Shortly thereafter, Imps that tempted my fellows, all save Darien, with a "reward" of some sort. I cannot fathom why anyone would willingly trust a devil, let alone lead them into a room of stirges. Darien and I took good care of our little... "friend" while they were away, if only to eliminate the temptation. Darien swears the thing was a woman, all I saw was a little devil needing cleansed from the world.
While Nils and everyone foolish enough to take the fiend at its word, and they even convinced Monty of this. Innocent farmhand that he is, he has got to learn the ways of the city better. The gem of the evening was Chesterfield, however. Between keeping the large otyugh-devil creature at bay, as well as the wrapped toeless tiefling, and then keeping what appeared to be a water elemental... made of... things I would find in the sewers, at bay while we obtained the last key for the magical doorways we found. The stairs were next, and up we went, and out we went as well.
We met Lucius with Calcienica in the appropriate room, waited for dawn, and left through the front door, our prizes intact. I will have to look over our theatrical find, to see if we can find an interested party (and look it over much, much more beforehand). The original copy of the Sixfold Trials of Larazod may just be somethign we can use to prove to the people that the nobles' acts are unjust, and do nothing more than harm them. If we bring the people together, then no force in the city can stop us.
I was able to heal some of my afflictions from the play, as well as awaken my new nature a little more. This new appearance, this... awful feeling... The nightmares... the feeling it's all over before it's even begun... It has to stop.
This last play, the "Emerald Lord of Alabaster," was refreshing, with no true lead part until I stepped in (oddly I had expected Lucius to try out for this one, it's right up his alley, a wonderful Calistrian romp). It kept the nightmares at bay for just a while, and I will have to find another method soon.
As for our next caper, let's hope that Janiven and Arael are happy with this arrangement. It cost us much to do this... and it may have cost me my very soul. Perhaps I am, as they say, Damned.
8 Lamashan(Morning), 4709 AR
After a vicious beating from the mummified corpse in the Asmodean Knot, the adventurers take a deep breath, accomplish what healing that they can, and carefully head down the hallway (though Chesterfield and Monty are noticeably less concerned than the rest).
Finding a hallway off to the side of the main hall, the group enters, and find a room with three doorways, each with a different symbol above it, (a pentagram, a glaive, and a book).
Chesterfield holds of the book that fascinated Drowned Jabe, and the doorway begins to swirl and shift. Chesterfield, thinking only of the entryway, creates an entryway to the room he has just entered, thus creating a loop.
The group realizes that the doorways may materialize based on what the holder of each pictured item visualizes, and they conjecture that Dario's glaive may be able to open another doorway, and they decide not to test that theory quite yet.
The Outcast King
Entering the last room in the hallway, the group see a mass of the melted, damned souls that they had encountered during the murderplay, and the mindless beasts charge towards them.
But more fearsome is the huge creature at the back of the room, a beast that looks like a cross between the bearded devil that the adventurers bested earlier in the Knot, and their friend "Bob" the otyugh in the sewers.
Seeing that the melted, damned souls might be a problem for the group, Chesterfield casts a spell that dazzles and blinds half of the creatures, but the other half continue to advance.
Aben stays back and fires his crossbow at the creature, having been told by Darien that his fire based bombs will be less than effective against the hellspawned monsters.
Dario drinks a potion and turns invisible, waiting for a time to strike, and Monty and Nils attack the twisted beast that appears to be in charge of the melted mass of hellbound souls. Monty's hammer makes short work of several of them, and Nils cuts one down and reaches the mutated outsider.
The twisted arms of the beast slash with magical swords, opening up a bleeding wound on Monty, and slashing viciously at Nils. Darien moves up to the pair and channels Desna's healing into them. Just after he does this, one of the tentacles of the otyugh/devil snags Darien and begins to constrict him.
Nils and Monty are taking many slashing wounds from the beast, and Darien is being crushed, but Nils and Monty keep hammering on the creature. They wound it badly, but can't quite drop it, and his blows appear as if they might fell one or both of the warriors.
Chesterfield casts a spell on the creature, and amazingly, it slips on the grease created by the bard, and it falls down, releasing Darien, and flailing around as it has a harder time hitting Nils and Monty.
At this point, Dario invisibly sneaks up to the creature and plunges his silver dagger deep into the creature, sending it into its death throes.
Mission Accomplished?
The group finds the polyhedral construct known as the Chelix Crux, as well as various treasures, they realize that they could just leave the Knot, but Chesterfield is curious, and he convinces the rest to explore the Knot a bit more. They use the magical doorway to move to the hallway they skipped, and they enter a strange hallway with signs describing various fears.
Imp Therapy
The group runs into a strange Imp that tells them that it can deal with all of them if they have their conditions treated. Everyone except for Darien and Dario decides to listen to the Imp and see what it has to offer. They go to one of the indicated rooms.
In the room, a mass of stirges descends on the group, and they begin to have their blood drained by the vicious creatures. Dario and Darien turn on the imp, that they are sure has betrayed them, and dispatch her in short order.
Before anyone is too badly hurt, the stirges are killed by the adventurers, and the group takes a deep breath, and Chesterfield urges them on to yet another unexplored room.
An Elemental?
The group enters a room of liquid waste, with a pentagram hanging over a particularly large mound in the room. Nils enters the room, and what would appear to be a huge "water" elemental, made of liquid waste, rises up.
The elemental and the the lead warriors of the group square off, but Darien quickly casts a spell that calms everyone's emotions, and the group takes the pentagram and wanders around back to the hallway of doors, content that they have tempted fate quite enough.
Exit
The group discusses where they should show up, and they decide that, if they guess at what time it is is correct, they should appear outside of the guest room where they left Lucius and Calcienica.
The group collects their friends, and Dario tells Calcienica not to ask too many questions just yet, despite her curiosity. The group leaves, just like any other revelers leaving in the early morning, and they managed to wander home with their newfound prizes.
[Out of Character]
I know Jared hasn't posted the lasted journal entry yet, but I wanted to put this down before I forgot to.Having never played a non-combat bard before, this has been a trip so far. During the BBEG combat last night, I think Chesterfield ably assisted the party, while making only one actual attack. He gave the party an effective +7 to hit the BBEG (+4 prone, +3 music), while giving the BBEG an effective -6 to hit (-4 prone, -2 intimidate!!!).
I've always looked on the bard as the 5th wheel of the party, but I'm starting to see where they are more the indirect-indirect damage.
I'm really looking forward to trying out my newly-researched spell some time.
[//Out of Character]
[Out of Character] Nice job everyone. I guess Lucius must have been off fighting his own 'battles'. Also, Chesterfield, I've always considered the bard to be the first, second, third, and fourth wheels of the party. If you've got a few other party members around, all the better. And when all else fails, I've found the success rate of Grease is directly proportional to the dramatic threat of the enemy it's used on :) [/Out of Character]
Lamashan 9 to Kuthona 11, 4709 AR
The adventurers prepare to travel across Westcrown. They hire a cab to take Calcienica home, and they decide to try to find a means to sell some of their gathered goods and find some help for Nils. The group also has decided that they will find some scrolls of for reincarnating the dead, both for the group and for Chaplain DuSanni.
Cutting through the sewers, the group decides that they will visit "Bob" the Otyugh, but before they can see their strange friend, they are beset by outer planar creatures, beings that look like leather covered skulls with bat wings for ears.
The creatures surprise the adventurers. They are eventually victorious, but not before Dario is stunned by their wailing and is "kissed" by one of the creatures, causing him to immediately feel his life draining from him, with patches of hair falling out of his scalp.
Eventually the group finds "Bob," feed him some scraps, and Darien tries to convert the simple creature to Desna before it wanders off, not quite understanding or caring what Darien has to say about gods. He is introduced to the rest of the party, or as he calls them, "not food."
Another Deal With The Devil
Dario tells the rest of the group to forge on, and tells them that he will catch up. He then steels himself and heads up top side from the sewers, using cantrips to clean himself. He heads for one of the more upscale temples of Asmodeus, and presents himself as the lead of the Six Trials of Larazod.
The priests, less than enthusiastic about treating a Tiefling, are a bit more happy about treating an actor, and he barters with the priests to have his curse removed. He explains that the malady is connected with the play and the Cornucopia, and the priests believe him.
All Together Again
The group gathers back together again, and uses their back door to slip into the Rego Cader, and they wait in the ruins until they get closer to the Dusk Market's opening. They find a patrol, pay their "fine," and head to the market.
The group introduces their newer members to some of the vendors in the market, and sell of their prizes, as well as picking up some new ones. They secure two scrolls of reincarnation from Doctor Aerelien after recounting the play, and Aben decides to stay at the Carnal Knowledge instead of leaving with the adventurers.
A Night in the Ruins
The group tells Chesterfield about the abandoned hideout of the Bastards of Erebus, and he convinces the group that they should make it their home away from home and stay there this evening.
Upon arriving at the abandoned structure, Chesterfield realizes that it is a former chapel of Erastil, and he is moved to see if he can properly recreate an Erastil sermon in the once hallowed place. After giving a rousing sermon about guarding against the evils of society run rampant an staying true to one's roots, most of the party is impressed, and Monty is on his feet, cheering, knowing that Iomedae would be alright with his admiration.
Later that evening, as most of the group is slumbering, there is a call at the door. A frantic woman is calling, saying that she is beset by shadow beasts and needs to be let into the building. Chesterfield looks out the keyhole, and gets a vague picture of the woman, and despite the objections of the others, opens the door.
The woman slams Chesterfield viciously and bares her fangs, berating Chesterfield for letting her into the hideout that the adventurers have claimed as their own. Nils tells the others to run, and Darien begins to do so, telling the others that he is sure she is a vampire.
Monty wakes up, and decides he cannot leave while there is a vampire to be slain. As the woman attempts to enter the building, however, she realizes that not only has the group claimed it as their own, but that Erastil has looked favorably on Chesterfield's sermon, and the vampire is repulsed from the holy ground.
The group, much more wary of shadow creatures and things that lurk in the night, get little rest the remainder of the night, and head out as soon as the sun comes up.
Home Again
Monty begins to head straight to the hideout, but Nils attempts to explain how they need to split up and not all arrive together, or travel in a straight line. Monty doesn't quite understand, but trusts Nils.
Back at the chapel of Aroden the group finds that Arael is upset and has locked himself in his chambers, upset over the death of his friend DuSanni. The group convinces him that they can attempt a reincarnation, but Arael only wants DuSanni to return if he can do so without worrying about being executed again.
Chesterfield begins to incant the spell on one of the scrolls, and because the chapel is a chapel of Aroden, and because Arael and DuSanni are priests of Iomedae, he calls out to that goddess, and finishes his attempted casting.
DuSanni is brought back to life, the scroll having worked as it should. Chaplain DuSanni is now a halfling, but he is is pleased to see that the group was not arrested as he was.
Chesterfield is interested in how much luck he has had lately regarding calling on the gods, and decides he needs to contemplate this a bit more.
Training, Working
The group trains, plies their professions, and waits to what is going to come next. On Even-Tongued Day, both Dario and Chesterfield give special performances, with Dario dressing up as a Taldan noble and acting as a fool for the day.
Ailyn and the Chelish Crux
Ailyn and the group work on opening the Crux. Eventually the party figures out the runes and the puzzle (Chesterfield is, after all, dangerously curious) and the Crux opens.
Within the Crux is a journal, various trinkets, some items that the party spellcasters identify as Grave Candles, as well as a severed head that begins to curse at the group in Infernal. Arael takes the head and locks it in a chest, and Ailyn says that she needs time to think about what all of this means.