The 4

Trouble at the Bath House

Session 10

The 4 decide to speak to Flame Zodge about their eventful night at the Poisoned Posiedon, intending to keep Reya protected and out of their discussion. On the way out, Elmire fixes Jenks bow in a cute crafting performance, absolutely making the childs’ day.

"Scalm the shop keeper needs to be reimbursed in full"

The 4 (plus Reya) go to meet Zodge, they enter his office while he is being yelled at by his supervisor (Liara Portyr) Zodge deflates after the intense interaction & is clearly stressed about his position expectation and wants to prove himself. Findings from conversation with Zodge:

-Night Blades are a Rank of the dead Three.
-One of the cities 4 Duke's owns the Frolicking Nymph
-The Frolicking Nymph is a bath house
-Scalm the shop keeper (needs to be reimbursed in full)

Zodge was very upset about us abusing our Deputee power to cheat Scaam from our purchases and threating his family. Zodges’ office remains heavy with conflicts of interest and differences of opinions. An ultimatum was presented.

"Valeria, remaining in alignment with her name gives back her badge and Deputee status"

Valeria, remaining in alignment with her name gives back her badge and Deputee status & her contract was destroyed. Elmire, unable to promise to be held to the expectations of The Flaming Fists, also gives up her badge & contract destroyed. Tauriel realizes that when these contracts where made she was a cat (Wild Shape) so she remains mostly quiet, apart from throwing comical shade at Zodge a few times. Barnabus theatrically talked his way out of interrogation, now the only Deputee in the group. But promised to pay Scaam back in full. Or more specifically ‘promised to pay him a visit’.

The elves & Reya go to Frolicking Nymph while Barnabus goes to meet a contact from his past (from his time with The Knee Breakers) to get information that might lead The 4 to the person distributing forged papers. He enters the Night Market, to find Tilley’s Caravan. He is met by her guard, who intends to remain nameless. After mentioning ‘The Knee Breakers’ he gains respect and the henchman shares his information about the weasel of a man (Amrik Vanthampur at the Low Lantern) who forges. Barnabus gathers his information and now owes this contact a favour.

The ladies go to the Frolicking Nymph bath house to investigate with suspicions that it is linked by drains to the sewer. All the elves and Reya opt to take a bath, Elmire fashions a cloth bathing suit, Tauriel also makes a cute bikini. Valeria and Reya choose full coverage bathing suits. The ladies sink into relaxation. Valeria, although looking like she is made of plywood, enjoys this lavender infused bath A LOT.

The symbol of the Hell Riders

The symbol of the Hell Riders

Reya tells the group about her upbringing in Elturel and her noble and righteous life. She speaks of her Oath to her family of long serving Hellriders, to Elturel and its people. Elmire sends Lorcan to investigate and finds a secret door in one of the massage suites. Elmire herself joins the investigation and locates a passage that smells like it leads to the sewer, all while Lorcan successfully causes a chaotic distraction in the bath house. With women screaming, water splashing, towels flying and patrons of the bath house frightened of the ‘rat’ on the loose, the group gather their belonging, redress & make their way to the mysterious massage room.

The matron of the bath house stumbles upon the group, and reluctantly tells the group that she is paid to keep quiet about this passage by the Family Vanthampurs'- dukes of the city. She promises to remain loyal & discreet while we explore. Barnabus, seeing a stampede of ladies running out of the bath house knows he’s in the right place at just the right time. Eventually rejoining the group in the massage room. The 4 (plus Reya) descend down the passage with Tauriel lighting the way with her bright drift globe.

Elmire begins to feel suffocated by claustrophobia & sensing this Lorcan calms her by biting her out of approaching panic attacks. Barnabus; being a creature of the stone, senses through his ancestral knowledge that the passage was built with different stone as the tunnels briefly explored under the Poisoned Poseidon and that it appears to be much much older. Tauriel magically mends Elmire’s burnt hair, with hope to provide comfort.

An unlocked stone door leads to a center chamber with access to three doors, each with carved symbols. Symbols of The Dead Three.

Right- symbol of Bane, represented by a black hand print.
Left- symbol of Merkle, represented by a skull in a pyramid.
South- symbol of Bahl, represented by a skull with circling blood drops. (this door has muffled sounds and movement sensed under the door.)

The symbols of the dead three

The symbols of the dead three

"Valeria hears infernal & asks Tauriel to translate"

Barnabus wedges two doors shut with a perfectly placed dagger and spear head. The group choose to explore the door of Bane. Barnabus casts mage hand on the handle of the Bane door, to open it while remaining at a safe distance. Valeria hears infernal & asks Tauriel to translate her attempts of relaying some phrases. ‘Cut him’ was translated and The 4 determine that someone may be getting tortured. Tauriel takes lead and runs down the passage, and comes face to face with a fist of Bane. Interrupting a sacrificial ritual to Bane.

BATTLE

Reya takes action, her presence itself demanding, draws her impressive long sword. ‘Attack now’ is yelled in infernal and the other Bane cultist attacks, on command. Tauriel casts Moonbeam, and a silvery beam of light surrounds the cultist; now engulfed in the searing pain of ghostly flames. EPIC! Barnabus plays an eery tune to summon his swarm of flesh-eating rats, unleashing damage on the enemy. Valeria shoots an arrow perfectly past Reya while crouching behind Tauriel and delivers damage to the nearest enemy. The first Fist of Bane falls to his knees as the ghostly flames of Moonbeam engulf him

Elmire and Reya take shots with their swords to finish the leading cultist. Tauriel releases the deadly Moonbeam and remains at a distance observing. Barnabus sensing an opportunity for information and uses the hilt of his axe to knock out the enemy. Once The 4 catch their breaths after the battle, they attempt to interrogate their new hostage, which eventually proves to be useless.

Valeria removes the mutilated body of the sacrificed refugee from the altar and heaves the hostage in their place. The ritual space is stained with horrific layers of blood. After a last attempt to get information from the cultist, Elmire grabs the sacrificial knife from the altar and carves a smiley face into his body. The enemy; through evil hisses and laughter shares his dedication to Bane and encourages the group to kill him. Barnabus snaps his neck back on the edge of the altar and kills him.

Blood spilt on the altar of Bane. While blood freshly drips from the altar, an opportunity for looting and investigation is taken. Tauriel removes the cultists’ Fist of Bane necklace, giving it to Barnabus to cash in with Zodge. While Elmire efficiently searches the body of the refugee for clues, Reya jumping to the wrong conclusion about Elmire looting and distrust was cast.

To be continued..