‘Please don’t tell my Mom’
Session 13
While Vaaz takes a moment to regain himself, his tiring body now scattered with arrows, his face still partly crystalized by frost while his hair still slowly singes away. Barnabus casts true strike on Vaaz to gain insight into his defenses and finds he has elite physical endurance and toughness. He stops along side Valeria, as the group begin to position themselves offensively.
Tauriel moves to join them not before casting bark skin upon herself to help her defences. Her skin slowly dries and begins to harden, forming a layer of bark. A few small green shoots spout near her shoulders.
"Vaaz throws Reya a glace, casting Stun. Her body locks up"
Valeria casts dancing lights, and four orbs of dull yellow light begin erratically dancing around Vaazs head, and his is momentarily distracted. Annoyed, Vaaz throws Reya a glace, casting Stun. Her body locks up and she cannot move. He then runs past her and throws an attack at Barnie; a few paces behind her.
Barnie sees Vaaz running toward him and casts cutting word before he reaches him. The words ‘Your God, HA I took a shit on his monument’ assaulting Vaaz. Vaaz is angry and confused but continues his attack, stabbing him with his dagger. Not detected in the commotion Valeria darts out from hiding behind Reya and slashes Vaaz on the hip as he steps back.
"Your God, HA I took a shit on his monument"
Elmire runs up to the room and seeing him bleeding down the side of his leg & shoots an arrow directly at Valerias handywork. The arrow drops to the floor before it reaches him, as Vaz blocks the shot. She then tucks and rolls into the room next to her to reassess. There she sees three large statues in the corner of the room, standing about 8 feet tall, these fierce statues stare at her, each representing the three Gods, Bane, Merkel & Bahl.
Mortlock regains some health (thanks to Elmire’s kindness) & begins to back away to run. Barnie sees Mortlock and casts suggestion upon him, convincing Mortlock to stay put and wait until Vaaz is disarmed and to then tackle him to the ground, holding him for interrogation. Mortlock turns on the spot & repositions himself in a runners start and clenches his fists ready. The group turn their attention back to Vaaz, Tauriel holds back in the rear, Valeria pulls out the dark dagger waiting; curious to tests its unnatural power. Vaaz, taking more damage miss casts a spell, frustrated he draws both daggers to attack Barnie. Throwing the first at Barnies head, it slashes across his face, cutting through his beard. Elmire knocks another arrow and shoots again. As soon as the attack hits she whistles for Lorcan; who runs into the room momentarily. Elmire squats down scratching under his chin, she takes his off his collar.
On the other side of the hall, loud pounding foot steps increase as Mortlock charges into the room and knocks Vaaz him off his feet with a shoulder tackle. Reya finally freeing herself from the stun attack, charges into the room delivers a big boot to Vaaz; as he stumbles back from the tackle. Barnie grips his spear, his hand bloody from wiping his face and casts TRIP on his weapon. Barnie dashes and lodges the spear into Vaaz’s thigh and he finally falls to the ground. With her Drow senses, Valeria watches everything from the corner of her eye as Tauriel sneaks out natural sight.
Tauriel continues to step back; confident the group can handle the chaos, she leaves the ongoing battle to explore the surrounding rooms as a group of chests catches her attention. She kneels in front of an unlocked chests and finds hundreds of silver pieces and a handful of dark crystals. Without hesitation she begins to stuffing the coins into her pockets and packs. A slight eyebrow raise and smirk finds its way to Valeria’s face. Valeria flips the dagger in her hand and strikes Vaaz on the side of the head, knocking him out. With a side nod, the four dancing lights change to red and all group together, casting shadows around the room and forming an ominous spotlight above Vaaz.
Elmire folds Lorcans' collar in her hands, the collar that holds his secret at bay. Lorcan begins to move, growing, bones cracking to elongate, changing his shape, his fur growing longer, fangs elongating, as he turns into a were-weasel. He begins to snarl and drool as he stalks Vaaz, his fierce face half lit by the red orbs. Suddenly Mortlock throws his entire body on top of Vaaz, putting a solid end to the battle. Barnie continues to stares at Lorcan in horror, deeply petrified by all creatures of the Were kind.
Uninterested in all the commotion, Tauriel continues collecting coins. Counting and separating them into piles for her fellow adventurers.
Morlock picks himself up, as the suggestion magic begins to wear off, confused he begins to step away to leave. He is met by Valeria blocking the doorway. Valeria begins to talk with the towering, disfigured man and finds out that he was the Cultist leader before Vaaz, under the order of his mother. He begins to disclose that there was trouble in the cultists leadership and that his forced role was never something he wanted to do. Valeria senses that Morlock has a certain innocence, and his low intelligence makes him easily manipulated. Mortlock fears displeasing his mother and ‘not telling her what has happened ‘at the heart of the deal he makes with Valeria. Sealed with a pinky promise, his huge pinky finger meeting with Valeria’s deadly little hand, the deal is made.
Barnie tries to convince Mortlock to kill the other cultists on his way out of the tunnels. Mortlock not seeming bothered by this request, is more concerned about his missing club. Elmire feeling uncomfortable being near the huge man, reminded of a horrific interaction with a giant, quickly reminds him where his club is in a hope to get him to leave quicker. On his way out, he stumbles upon Tauriel, sitting amongst towers of silver coins. She manages to convince him that she is an accountant before he loudly ‘sneaks’ out through the tunnels.
Valeria joins Tauriel, and seeing the remaining locked chests, fishes out her lock picking kit. Tauriel tells her how many coins she found and pushes a pile of 400 pieces to Valeria. Valeria easily picks the lock, opening the chest reveling a mammoth mound of copper pieces (4500 pieces) and two lone potion bottles laying on top. Tauriel recognizes the red potion as ‘potion of fire breathing’ giving the drinker the ability to produce a 20ft flame. Looking at the two bottles, she suggests to Valeria that they pocket the bottles secretly and Valeria inclines. Valeria begins lock picking the remaining chests, finding a trove of colored crystals and wicked bronze crown. She slides the crown into her pack. While trying to open a challenging chest, Valeria notices that the lock looks like it may be a fit to the Key they stole from Flennis. After looting all the chests, Tauriel gathers all the remaining treasure into one chest and begins to drag it out towards the exit. The sounds of a dragging chest are drowned out by the loud echoes of Mortlock raising hell in the tunnels.
"the sounds of a dragging chest are drowned out by the loud echoes of Mortlock raising hell"
Elmire, along with Lorcan go to investigate a room lined with storage containers and baskets of food. She finds alchemist fire, and various pairs of handcuffs. Elmire returns to Vaaz and begins to bind his ankles and wrists with spider silk. Reyas’ frustration builds as her patience wears out, ready to unleash vengeance on Vaaz. Barnie tells Reya to watch him but to wait until they try to interrogate him for information. Barnie explores another room, only to find a privy. Not disappointed, he decides to relieve himself. While he sits, he pulls out a small, self made wood-carved figurine and enjoys playing with it to pass the time.
The group yells to Barnie to rejoin them. Barnie curses under his breathe, as he cant find any paper. After a slight sound of tearing, Barnie emerges, now with one sleeve missing. With the group together, Elmire shackles Vaaz’s hands, for extra security and kicks Vaaz awake, while summoning Lorcan to hold steady at his toes. Vaaz tries to struggle and Elmire makes a small whistle, as Lorcan crunches off his big toe. Vaaz screams and tries to make eye contact with Elmire to stun her. Valeria asks barnie to use his remaining sleeve to cover his eyes. Valeria twirls out the black dagger and holds it too firmly on his throat, drawing blood. Vaaz only laughs, and the group realize he isn’t going to give them any information. Reya’s grunts and Valeria releases the blade from his neck, not before slowly dragging it along his throat. Reya steps in and drives her long sword into his chest, finishing with the blunt sound of metal clashing with the stone floor beneath him. Valeria crouching under Reya begins to pat down the body and finds 2 letters, one specifically grabs the groups attention (especially Reya) containing information about an assassination attempt that will happen at the night market tonight. Tauriel suggests the group take the treasure with them, combining all the remaining loot into one chest. Reya refuses to hear it and begins to storm out, wearing her honorable virtues like armor, to try and stop this attempt. Valeria, thirsty for bloodshed, being unable to kill Vaaz with the dark blade follows her. Elmire, feeling a cocktail of compassion and guilt joins them, whistling to Lorcan to follow. Barnie; dreaming about his spendings picks up the chest with Tauriel as they all make their way out of the tunnels.
letter found on Vaaz
Vaaz,
Duke Portyr will be delivering a speech at the Night Market in support of the refugee's from Elturel. Give the iron barb
I have enclosed in this packet to your best assassin.
I know that you will serve me well in this.
Duke Thalamra Vanthampur
letter found on Vaaz
Vaaz,
Duke Portyr will be delivering a speech at the Night Market in support of the refugee's from Elturel. Give the iron barb
I have enclosed in this packet to your best assassin.
I know that you will serve me well in this.
Duke Thalamra Vanthampur
A race against time
The group burst back into the Bathhouse from the secret door, dripping sewage water in a line as one by one ‘the four’ sprint past the shocked Matron. Valeria tosses the Matron a bag of silver pieces as they rush out, calling back thanks, for the best lavender bath she has ever had. Bursting out into the streets Elmire takes the lead, relived she is finally outside. The fists of Bane line up at the nearby gates, stopping and checking everyone passing through. Being the only Depute remaining, Barnie flashes the guard his badge and convinces guard that his companions have goods to urgently deliver. Elmire leads the group into the upper city, detouring down a narrow alley hoping for a short cut. Faced with a tall wooden-walled dead end and no time to turn back, Elmire quickly throws a grapple hook onto the wall and begins to climb up to the roof. The group manage to all reach the roof, Barnie and Tauriel skillfully managing to heave the chest with them. Valeria notices small black symbols (Thieves’ Cant) etched on a second story wall and follows it, leading the group roof hopping back to the street. Tauriel spots the front of a nearby pub and notices a small dog sitting outside, shadowed by a group of adventurers tending to their horses. When the adventurers begin to pay unwanted attention to the group, they decide to quickly press on. Elmire takes the chest with Barnie and leads the group to another bar filled corner, this one spilling out with a horde of people. The patrons all outside, brawling.
The Wide night market
The Wide night market
Elmire sends Lorcan to part the crowd and to find a way out. Valeria; still disappointed she didn’t get to kill Vaaz, throws a lethal punch at a random patron and disappears through the crowd before hearing the man fall to the floor unconscious. The group reaches the outskirts of the night market, faintly hearing the announcement being made by the Duke. Elmire; with her ranger insight pin points where the sound is coming from and senses the Duke standing on a raised platform. Suddenly she hears a bow string snap and the sound of a speeding bolt crossing the market. She sees the red bolt crackling with lighting as it strikes the Duke in the shoulder. The Duke just stands there, stunned, until he completely explodes.
The night market then turns to pandemonium. Towns people begin to scream and scatter in fear, violently shoving each other to escape the horror, their moving bodies now a haze for what stalks behind them. For where the Duke was moments ago, now stands a terrifying creature. A humanoid Demon, with hellish dark violet skin, snarls and gnashes his teeth. Its long beard swaying unnaturally, almost alive. Elmire’s eyes widen as her gaze is locked on the Demon. The others; on the edge of a fast-moving ocean of horror-stricken commoners, don’t see the madness unfolding as sprays of blood begins to stain the night market floor.
To be continued..