"Tell us about both these threats t' th' city? Who is Whitechin?What have th' Bastards of Erebus done?"
'Whitechin is as much an urban legend as a threat. He and a small tribe of goblins are active and virulent in the sewers below the city. They sometimes cause small troubles here and there, but for the most part the guards control their menace. Defeating him would have the benefit of making the sewers more easily navigable, and associating his defeat with the Children.'
'The Bastards of Erebus are a more robust threat. They are active throughout the abandoned northern section and Parego Dospera. They prey on the already downtrodden and have no problem murdering those who get between them and even a small sum of loot. They have a hideout in Rego Cader, the abandoned region. One of the Children's acquaintances, a shoemaker from Rego Crua, the inhabited, impoversihed south half of Parego Dospera owns a shop there. We will stage a noble paying him afine sum of money to make him shoes. When the Bastards show up we will try to capture them or track them back to their hideout. They almost certainly will fall for the bait, they have followed a similar pattern before. They do attack at night however, so that is added danger. I don't know if they know how to avoid shadowbeasts or whether it is something more.'
_HRF.jpg)
"Then it is decided; we shall go after the Bastards of Erebus. If we happen to encounter Whitechin and his gang along the way, we shall deal with them on the side, but these thieves shall prey on the weak no longer"
While a plan is being decided, I pull aside Ignatio to have a word in his ear: "I meant no disrespect Ignatio. I merely wanted to consider all the options before we came to a decision. The safety of the people is my top priority. Although we may have... decidedly different motives, our goals remain the same. And we will definitely need to stick together, as the city of Westcrown needs heroes! Friends?" I extend my hand, waiting for him to shake it.
"Besides bein'th' kind of folk that pray on the weak an' downtrodden, exactly those we've pledged t' fight, p'raps we can learn from these tielfing a way of dealing with or avoidin' the shadowbeasts... 'twould almost be reason enough on its own. How big does this gang be?"
'We're not entirely sure, but most of these gangs are rarely bigger than twenty or so members. If you can ambush a few and attack them piecemeal I have utmost faith in your abilities.'
At this point Janiven pipes up.
'I have some experience in the ruins, I'll go with you and provide some extra firepower too. I'm a good shot with a bow.'
|
Frowning softly, I stare at the young woman before me long and hard before clasing her hand tightly and shaking. "Tensions run high at the best and most comfortable of times and these days are neither!" I nod softly and smile.
"May I suggest that, before we head to the ruins, we make a point of collecting our reward from Bluehood? We murdered the beasty... May as well get paid for it!"
"Surely stoppin' th' thieves is a more pressin' concern nor getti' paid, Ignatio? How soon will we be ready t' ambush? If there's time till then, I s'pose we may as well track down Bluehood."
"Okay, so tomorrow we'll get our reward from Bluehood and stock up on any gear we'll need. In the meantime, you arrange the staging of the noble's commission. Then, that night, we shall wait in ambush, in costume."
|
|
"We can leave the remains on the Inn back step tonight Wat and collect it in the morning. We can not move on the Bastards quite yet and it makes sense for us to tie up this lose end!" I smile and pat the man on the shoulder. "The world will still need saving tomorrow, you needn't worry about that. So, let us grab the remains of our beast and go claim a reward, yes?" I smile, looking between my town team mates. "Means we become a little more famous and can help the poor a little better!"
,
, and
.
The day passes quickly and evening finds the heroes on the ground floor of the cobblers shop. A 20'x20' area, filled with small tables and a counters covered in trade tools and half repaired shows.
The bastards have been tipped off and should attack near midnight, Janiven told you when she arrived to join you in your vigil, now the four of you and Chompskey wait and plan to capture a Bastard of Erebus.
P:
S:
Ref:
P:
S:
nl
As Euphemi sees the bandits coming she readies herself to cast grease, which she does just as the first bandit tries to force the door. The bnadit nearest to Euphemi slips and falls in the magical slickness, while the bandit trying to force the door pushes it open seeking to escape, he runs straight into Wats' tripwire and the Andoren easily knocks him flat. Ignatio fires out the door at the still standing bandit in the grease, but is unable to make the difficult shot and hits the door jamb instead with a thunk. Finally Janiven strikes the downed bandit with a sap.
INIT:
18 Janiven (going to keep subduing the knocked Bastard)
12 Ignatio
9 Euphemi
4 Bandits
3 Wat & Chompsky
R1
Janiven lashes out against the man on the ground once more with her sap, trying to subdue him quickly before his friends recover.
Her second blow knocks the tiefling, who has spines all across his face and shoulders unconcious.
'Thats one down! You guys get the others!'
"Sic em, Chompsky!"
I'll Misfortune Hex the only Bastard still standing in the area of the Grease, and move ten feet to the right.
ROUND 1
Ignatio moves out the door, balancing gracefully as he moves across the grease to shout encouragement to his allies.
Meanwhile Euphemi places a vile hex on the standing tiefling.
Then the stunned bandits kick into action. The fallen one attempts to stand up, and move off the grease. vs. 10, he draws a blade as he does so, turning his horned head and glowing red eyes towards Ignatio. The other man tries to move off the grease aswell vs. 3. He slips though, and cannot get off the grease, though he doesn't fall to the ground. The Last teifling looks for Euphemi , but can't spot her so he takes out a crossbow and shoots Ignatio. vs. 15, but he misses.
Wat steps into the door and throws a tanglefoot bag, but even with Ignatios encouragement, he dos not hit the dextrous teifling. Chompsky races out past the off balance thiefs, dodgind attacks and staying upright. He bites and trips the bandit with the crossbow.
Janiven grabs the unconcious bandit and moves his body back into the cobblers store.
Chompsky darts forward to sink his teeth in the fallen bandit's leg, and keep him from getting up, as Wat smashes the flat of his axe at the one beside the door.
I take a five foot step left, draw and throw a bag of caltrops into square G6, so that tiefling can't run away quite as effectively.
I take a five foot step to my right, drawing my Rapier as I do, jet black ruins beginning to ebb and flow down my arm and along the blade before I lash out at the Bastard before me.
Round 2
Ignatio steps forward and cleanly stabs the bandit facing him with his rapier.
Meanwhile Euphemi cuts off the bandit's retreat with a bag of caltrops.
The bandit facing Chompsky tries to stand , but the dog bites him int he face and he falls unconcious from the vicious mauling.
His friend makes it out of the grease and attacks the dog from behind, but misses the dextrous hound.
The final remaining bandit attacks Ignatio desperately. His strike hits true and he stabs Ignatio in the vitals.
Wat and Chompsky both try to attack one of the bandits, but fail to land blows.
In desperation, I fling myself at the remaining thief in an effort to push him over Chomspky, who is crouching behind him ready to trip him up.
:
:
|
|
I scream loud and in defiance as I lunge forward again, a halo of arcane marks flowing down the tip of my blade as I lunge forward, twisting the blade, aiming to sink it deep into the gut of the attacking Tiefling.
Watching as my blade bites home, I grin in triumph and take a step back and away from my opponent.
Seeing the tiefling step around my caltrops, I try to use my magic to daze him, in an attempt to stop him from fleeing.
Ignatio slays his opponent with a graceful riposte. Meanwhile Euphemi stuns the remaining bandit with magic, though Wat and Chompsky fail to take advantage of his lapse in concentration. Janiven arrives at the door and shoots at the man, but misses, exclaiming a loud curse. Bloody goat t&%*! Take that bastard down, don't let him escape!'
I draw my crossbow, level it at the Bastard whom Ignatio just stepped away from, and shoot him.
In frustration, I rush forward to clothesline the thief as the shaggy Andoren deerhound attempts to bite at his legs.
The thief turns and flees up the street but as he turns Ignatio stabs him and Wat tackles him to the ground, he lets out a cry as the bony spurs from his elbows strike the ground and Wat notices feathers sticking out of his armor at the back.
I cast an eye around the battlefield, and try to Daze the one who looks the least damaged, moving to do so if necessary.
He crawls away from Wat and stands to his feet, drawing his shortsword warily, bleeding heavily from Ignatio's strike.
'You'll pay for this!' he announces in a harsh voice. 'Nobody f%+#s with the Bastards of Erebus!' Despite his bravado he is alone and his companions subdues only moments after they sought to enter the cobblers store. He is clearly desperate.
I reload my crossbow, whispering softly to myself as I lock him in my sights - "Nobody f!%~s with the people of my city."
Ignatio raises bow as and fires at the bandit, grazing his leg but not disabling him, then Wat begins to move forward intent on tackling the man to the ground. However before he can do so Euphemi reveals herself on the rooftops and, angered at the bandits threat shoots at him, the shot is true and takes him directly in the heart, the tiefling tumbles to the street in a heap and breathes no more.
"We ought t' heal them as are dyin', we aren't murderers, and a dead tongue is no use t' us."
"I think we ought t' revive all of them as we can, interrogate them separately t' see if their stories match up, but the boot in as it be required, and see where we stand then"