7.2: Got that wench a murder. Wenches love murder.

Dramatis Personae

Beltin (Aasimar Dirge Bard/Cleric 9).

Bradley Weatherby (Human Dervish Dancer 9/Knife Master Rogue 7/Duelist 2).

Tarl (Aasimar Inquisitor/Paladin 9).

Phox (Kitsune Rogue/He-kept-character-sheet-so-hell-if-I-know 9).

Got that wench a murder. Wenches love murder, Session 7.2 - 6/14/14

Day 10. The party, still looking like demons and drenched in their victims' blood, sleep like babies and wake up refreshed and ready to go. They climb the fence out of the cemetery (encountering nothing in the freshly tilled earth beyond the fence) and begin the long walk back to the road. Perhaps because of their demonic guise, nothing intelligent decides to do battle, but some scavenging ghoul wolves seek a meal and are quickly destroyed. Just before the party reaches the road the illusion on them drops and they head south; by that night they make it back to the Camp.

More people than usual seem to be up tonight and Lucky seems to be doing good business; perhaps in the "temporary" absence of the "commander" Caepio, the men under his command feel free to do as they wish and the people left in charge know better than to interfere. Seeing the hour, the party decides not to disturb the Usurer and will see him in the morning. In the mean time, there's drinking and business to conduct. To the Sip of Blood!

The place is rowdier than usual and people are packed around the roulette table and several high stakes poker games seem to be going on; they can tell as knives are stabbed into the table for quick access and at least one man has his pistol laying on his lap just in case. Drunks are everywhere. The party finds some open spots at the bar and Lucky offers them some of the new house specialty; pure grain alcohol diluted with something vaguely fruity.

BW takes one and asks where the wench who was his special friend from the other night is, and then he sees her. She is sitting on the lap of a well dressed young man that looks like BW in his younger days. BW asks to roll sense motive: Yep, she's propositioning him. That was clear already, he says out of character. He wants to know if it looks like he could take the guy. Why yes, yes it does. He slips away from the bar and the conversation there and heads quietly back to the room he knows the girls' share. And then he waits.

Another of the servers approaches Phox and sits down next to him and asks if there is anything he needs. Anything. Anything at all. The meaning is clear and Phox pulls her close and slips 15 gold into her hand. Yes, there is a job he has for her, but of a slightly different nature than the one she is implying. And he begins to whisper into her ear.

Meanwhile Beltin and Tarl (well mostly Beltin) are having a conversation with Lucky and say they have a business proposition. They ask if he heard about the Benders and says yep, he saw the bodies on the gallows before they disappeared and Griswald knows better than to cut down the gallows bodies. Huh, that's weird thinks Beltin, but puts it out of his mind as it is unimportant. Well then, he says, you know the inn is out of business then and we have been tasked with keeping it going. How would you like to expand?

So the offer is made. Lucky will run both the tavern and the inn on their behalf for the low, low price of 70% of the profits. He is doing all the hard work after all, he reminds them. 60-40 in Lucky's favor and you have a deal, Beltin responds. Lucky is on board but gets them to agree that any security issues are their concern. Done. They shake and they drink to their new partnership!

About this time the young woman BW took a fancy to starts to head into the back with the well-dressed young man she had been engaged in conversation with.

As they talk, Phox tells the girl he wants her to start a bar fight. He doesn't say why and seemingly he has no reason other than for the lulz. She of course agrees and Phox slips out of the inn. The girl goes to watch one of the high stakes poker games where it seems two men had been having a disagreement earlier but had resolved to settle their differences in-game as opposed to out. She watches for several minutes.

"How do you have pocket aces with three on the board?" she stage whispers to the man she has been standing behind and flirting with, the man with the pistol in his lap.

It happens quick. The man across from him yells that he knew it and grabs his bowie knife out of the table and goes to lunge. The man he accused gutshots him, and the girl is nowhere to be seen. The man with the knife rolls on the floor in agony as the bar quiets to watch and the man with the pistol slowly stands up and walks around the table. He looks down at the man he just shot and then puts another round into his face, and the gunshot victim stops moving.

Day: 10. Time in Camp: 59 hours. Self-defense kills: 3. Murders: 12. Maimings: 2. "Lawful executions:" 8. Sworn enemies of: at least 4.

He quietly collects his winnings and walks over to the bar to get a drink for the road. People start talking and laughing again, but as the man begins to down his drink, Tarl tells him that he must repent for his crime.

In the backroom, BW hears a giggling girl pulling someone towards him and casts Invisibility. They move into the room and things begin to go as you would imagine. That is when BW steps up and cuts the man's throat.

Day: 10. Time in Camp: 59 hours. Self-defense kills: 3. Murders: 13. Maimings: 2. "Lawful executions:" 8. Sworn enemies of: at least 4.

The girl looks up at him shocked and then back to the man she had been with and then back to BW. It is beginning to occur to her that two men just "dueled" to the death for her honor (at least that's how she sees it) when BW speaks. Charm Monster. She fails.

She stares up at BW's face and says, "Oh my god you are so hot right now." Coitus ensues.

Back at the bar, the gunman looks Tarl in the eye and tells him to fuck off. Tarl stands firm. The man spits in his face. Tarl goes for his blade and the man for his gun. Tarl severs some tendons in the man's shooting arm, so, cursing, the man deftly draws left handed and jams the gun into Tarl's side and fires. Though wounded, Tarl doesn't relent and slashes the man across the chest and he drops to a knee. Realizing this is going poorly, he tries to flee from Tarl's wrath but one attack of opportunity later and he is unconscious and his arm will never be right again.

Tarl manacles him and then loops the manacles on a hook on the wall in front of the bar, so that all will see that evil will be punished in the Camp. Looks like he is on the path to taking over where Caepio left off, but according to him out of character, Caepio was weak and corrupt, things he will not be. Order will be restored. The Usurer will doubtless be pleased by this development, but then again he may not care as long as Tarl knows his place. Time and Tarl's future actions will tell.

Day: 10. Time in Camp: 59 hours. Self-defense kills: 3. Murders: 13. Maimings: 3. "Lawful executions:" 8. Sworn enemies of: at least 5.

BW finishes up with the woman he had just murdered for ("I don't really care about her, just did it because she's mine.") and loots the man he had just killed, the one who looked like a younger him, and as his clothes are ruined and worthless, just takes his money, short sword, and coat pistol. And then he finds his credentials.

It seems the dead man was like a younger BW in more ways than just appearance; he is a fellow troubleshooter for the trade consortium, though one run by a different contact. More interestingly he finds a letter on the man dealing with the "Rupert Smitty" contract; it seems he was here to poach BW's contract ("So me killing him was completely justified even if I didn't know til after"), though who knows if he even knew about BW. More importantly, BW realizes, he has been duped.

The contract the young man holds describes the job quite differently than how he heard it, about how Rupert Smitty was a man in middle management who stole from consortium accounts and then ran. Oh no, according to this new paper, Rupert Smitty is a fake identity for the organization's top and most feared problem solver, a man shrouded in mystery who has been rumored to have taken part in countless shady and often bloody dealings, Feron Amathy. The real contract is to terminate him. And it is worth considerably more than BW's handler offered him.

BW ignores the girl next to him and thinks this over. Oh yes, he has some choice words for some people at the consortium. And they will be renegotiating his contract. But why give the real thing to a young upstart and not him? Something's not right.

He gets out of bed and gets dressed and is almost startled to remember there is a corpse that needs to be taken care of. He looks over at the girl and says she can handle it, right, and she eagerly nods, still magically (and not) infatuated with him.

Casualties: 3. Beltin and two of his archers. Flame Striked into oblivion by "the old man." Beltin got better.

7.1: Officially mass murderers

Dramatis Personae

Beltin (Aasimar Dirge Bard/Cleric 9).

Bradley Weatherby (Human Dervish Dancer 9/Knife Master Rogue 7/Duelist 2).

Tarl (Aasimar Inquisitor/Paladin 9).

Phox (Kitsune Rogue/He-kept-character-sheet-so-hell-if-I-know 9). Back story is currently ill-defined; didn't get a chance to talk to the player too deeply about it, but will care enough to hear it and perhaps incorporate elements from it should he survive two sessions. Phox walks in human guise and pursues a group of Tengu murderers who destroyed his home. He knows they hide in the Desolation and he seeks them. And they know. And he knows they know. And so on, into infinity.

Officially mass murderers, Session 7.1 - 6/14/14

Day 9, noonish. After meeting with the Usurer the party quickly prepares to head into the Desolation to fulfill their secret crusader extermination contract. On the way out of town with the menagerie in tow and the semi-crowds doing their best to get out of their way, they boast loudly about their intentions to go north and take care of the Margoyles that survived their first purge.

As they walk, Phox approaches them, concealing his true nature by walking in human form, and makes them an offer. He wishes to explore the Desolation for his own purposes and there is safety in numbers; going together is mutually beneficial for protection. As he is a replacement PC, this vague, shady-as-fuck story goes unquestioned, but on one condition: BW makes him tell the party, especially Tarl, that he has no intention of betraying, murdering, or stealing from them. He does so, truthfully. Phox has joined the party!

They head north along the road and soon only the incessant howling wind is their company... besides each other, but who counts that? After they are sure they aren't being followed, they step off the road and begin to cut across the Desolation, seeking the peaceful graveyard and the crusaders who are supposed to be camping there. They walk and walk and walk, and hey what's that? A DC 20 Survival check?

Nope, was just a bone storm. They hunker down and prepare a magical hut to wait it out, and Phox decides to lay down for a nap. As the storm begins to rage the party hears a soul-wrenching, but not too soul-wrenching as they all made the Will save, scream of utter despair on the wind. And then they hear it again.

Two screamers dive through the dome and look for company in the form of BW and Beltin; both fail to squeeze inside their new friends, and BW viciously slashes one... who shrugs off half, being incorporeal and all. Still, it had enough of BW and tries its hand at soul-raping Phox, but also with no success. Beltin does his undead thing and dominates the one on him and sends it back out and up. It sounds disappointed.

Tarl finishes the one on Phox and the danger has passed. About 10 minutes later the storm subsides and they continue onward, with the enslaved screamer following behind.

As they continue walking through the scenic Ashen Wastes, they finally decide to fill in Phox on their mission, and he accepts what they are doing without question in the way only a new, freshly introduced PC can. Apparently assassination contracts are just another day in the currently undefined everyday life of Phox.

Beltin pulls out the scroll given to him by the Usurer and realizes it is Extended Seeming and informs the party of that... and that it will have some other benefits to help them. The second part was a lie to get Tarl on board and he takes the bait. The party and undead horde are replaced by what appears to be a small demonic army; given how morally bankrupt the party is, it really doesn't make much of a difference overall.

Nothing else in the wastes harasses them as they continue on and by dusk they see the perimeter fence and some structures beyond. They have arrived at their destination. They approach, casting some buffs like Invisibility on BW and Beltin. They see some sort of movement further in... and as they get near they realize how easy it is to spot a column of demons in the middle of a desert. The crusaders spotted them and set up in advance.

Surprise round! They stand up as one and suddenly a Wall of Stone forms a dome over the archers, seemingly cast by the sneering, disinterested old man that they had seen with the paladin. Beltin barely escapes, and then immediately after they see the teenage looking cleric stand up and shout words of encouragement and arrows rain down on the party!

More specifically they focus fire on the two lesser looking demons that are actually Tarl and Phox... Intelligence/Sense Motive check? Yeah, the magical disguise does not appear to be doing its job. The young paladin stands up eagerly and begins to move forward, calling everyone to charge; they do not seem inclined to listen to him.

BW and Beltin made the perception check and realized this was about to happen as it happened; BW parkours over the small fence and tries to move up behind the cleric, but realizes some force stops him. Strangely this spot happens to correspond to within 10 feet of the old man. Huh, that's strange. Beltin gives his commands to the undead and Gurg gets ready to try to smash a whole in the Wall of Stone.

Hes does, but barely, and archers move out and are commanded to fire on the cleric and the old man!... the skeletons don't comprehend it as they see nothing there. Ffffff, thinks Beltin as he realizes that the first level spell Hide from Undead is his only weakness, but at least they can see the crusader archers! Tarl moves up to engage the paladin and battle is joined! Caepio smites the "demon" Tarl!... it fizzles. Yay, he's going to be so effectual here. The chimera and hydra begin to rush forward into the fray.

The old man looks right at the invisible BW with his knife nearly at the young cleric's throat, quickly does some Hold Person work, calls out to the girl to Purge Invisibility, and then lazily flicks his holy symbol in the direction of the chimera and hydra. Flame Striked! The girl hastens to obey and realizes how close BW really was to her.

She steps away and speaks further words of comfort to the archers, one of whom is close enough to 5-ft step up to BW, but in an act of almost incomprehensible generosity and mercy from the DM, decides he doesn't want to coup de grace with a arrow to the eye, but with his mace. And he lacks quick draw. So he pulls it and settles for smacking him in the kneecap, thinking he will just finish it next turn.

Meanwhile, archers shred the two massive and just Flame Striked undead and they barely survive. Gurg and the archers get to eat a Flame Strike from the old man too, obliterating two of Beltin's skeletal archers in holy fire.

Tarl and Caepio continue to duel and it is clear it is not going Caepio's way, especially when Gurg comes to help. BW makes his next save against Hold Person and then moves back to make Caepio's situation worse. As his last act he goes for one more smite... and he smites true. Gurg takes it and goes down like a punk, and then soon after Caepio follows. The mace wielding, would be assassin of BW, charges the hydra and smacks him down to broken bones. The chimera follows suit and falls from concentrated arrow fire.

The fight isn't look good. The undead horde is decimated and the crusaders stand strong. Fortunately, the archers have taken damage and as the party advances they begin to drop and the girl cleric is gravely wounded. The old man calls forth ghouls from nothing and they move in to bolster their ranks, much to the girl's obvious horror. BW then runs up on her, and she tries to blind him but fails!

He then cuts her so deep she wishes he didn't even cut her so deep. With their beacon of hope down, the the old man orders the few remaining crusaders forward, except for one who tries to drag the girl back further in. BW is having none of that and uses his attack of opportunity to stab her in the face to make sure she stays down.

The old man, who had been injured by arrows but appears to be steadily regaining life at a steady pace (Contingency + Greater Infernal Healing), casts a Wind Wall as the man drags back the body of the cleric. And now that he is free from the harassing influence of arrows from Phox and the two remaining skeletal archers, he looks like he is going to make shit real.

Sensing this, Beltin casts a dome of unholy ice over him and the crusader who had pulled the girl's corpse behind their new perimeter. Reflex saves? Yep, both fail. He then orders his screamer to dive through and attack... as it can only see the crusader, he tries to possess him and succeeds. The slow suicide commences inside, but out of party sight, the old man is supremely indifferent to the suffering of his soldier.

So I'm trapped in a sphere of ice, thinks the old man. If only I had some sort of fire... suddenly a column of fire destroys the side of sphere facing away from the party. Yep, looks like he's free... but he waits. Beltin moves up closer and prepares to try to Hold Person him if he sees him come out.

Meanwhile Tarl leaves the clean up of crusaders and laughably ineffective ghouls to BW and Phox and Air Walks over the Wind Wall and lands at the newly created opening of the dome, but as he tries to push in his way is blocked by an intangible bubble of force, almost like Anti-life Shell somehow. The old man considers this young up start for a second and, almost quizzically, flicks his holy symbol out; Hold Person? Spell fails.

With that he seems to resign himself to the tried and true and Flame Strikes the shit out of Tarl. It hurts. A lot. Tarl responds with a Dispel Magic and finally moves on up on the old man; Beltin is able to get close and poke! Finger of Death and he fails! Beltin excitedly rolls for a whopping... mediocre damage. Wah, wah, wahhhhh.

The old man is still up, but as Beltin touched him a black energy ripples from the old man's armor into him. Will save. Failed? Beltin used to have 10 constitution. Key word is used to. That Bestow Curse decided he could do with 6 less. It's pain almost behind reckoning for Beltin; he has never been so fundamentally hurt before.

And it is about to get worse; seeing how he is trapped, the old man decided all or nothing. And Flame Strike! Tarl barely survives, but Beltin is burned to death in holy flames. Finally! Too bad Tarl didn't go down though, especially for the old man. One full attack later and the old man joins Beltin on the ground. The archers and ghouls get finished up without fanfare, and the possessed man finally finishes his protracted suicide.

Assassination mission complete!

Day: 9. Time in Camp: 58 hours. Self-defense kills: 3. Murders: 11. Maimings: 2. "Lawful executions:" 8. Sworn enemies of: at least 4.

The party briefly debates it but decides to use the scroll of resurrection they found in the spitting gargoyle horde on Beltin; he's a pretty cool guy. In another almost staggering display of generosity, the DM allowed it without rolling to see if they still had that scroll; its owner being incinerated in holy fire might have reasonably done some damage to paper after all.

So the party strips the bodies of valuables, but make note to have some of the phat loot defaced before being used, like the girl's highly distinctive mithril armor and shield, as they are just too recognizable and they were never there after all (the paladin's great sword gets slung on Tarl's back with no consideration though).

They also find a scroll on the old man with several spells, including a partially cast Word of Recall; looks like someone could use it to be teleported back to his "sanctum." They consider using it (well mostly Phox argues for it) out of greed, but realize they have no idea where it goes, so it is an absolutely terrible idea.

As they gather their loot and BW steals the girl's Scarab of Protection (score!), he notices she is wearing another necklace besides her holy symbol. He recognizes it as the crest of a prominent Bard's Gate family that is tied heavily to his trade consortium.

>_< = BW's face when realizes he murdered one of his employer's daughters. You know, that might explain why she had all this shiny new gear. At this point he confides in the party and they briefly consider bringing her corpse back and claiming they found it (for a reward of course from her family), paying to raise her and being seen as heroes by her and her family, or maybe asking the Dweller at the Crossroads for a favor... they don't really consider the last one.

In the end, they decide the best thing to do is burn the body beyond recognition and leave it in the Desolation, just like they had originally planned. Glad that's settled! While they were discussing this, Phox was busy putting enemy heads on the fence spikes. He is told to stop doing that and they burn those too. Out of sight, out of mind.

They head further into the cemetery and find tents setup around a fountain of a peaceful looking angelic figure, right about in the middle of the whole place. But they notice that they don't feel tranquil. Not at all. It's like something in the area has set its will against them, like some spirit here dislikes demons (or people disguised as them) carrying out massacres and then defiling the bodies. Who would have thought? BW drinks from the fountain and finds it safe, and then they tear through the tents for more valuables.

Besides random gold and bits, Beltin finds a letter from one of the archers to his young daughter, telling her how daddy will be home soon, but that he's fighting to make the world safer for her and he loves her with all his heart. Beltin quietly burns this letter, lest Tarl see it. BW finds a crayon picture in another tent showing a small child being hugged by a man and a woman, with the man in armor and holding a gleaming sword in the air; the caption reads, "Love You Daddy!!!" He decides to keep this as a souvenir of a successful contract. Sick bastard.

TO BE CONTINUED...

6.2: The perils of entrepreneurship

Dramatis Personae

Beltin (Aasimar Dirge Bard/Cleric 9).

Bradley Weatherby (Human Dervish Dancer 9/Knife Master Rogue 7/Duelist 2).

Obnoxiously Long Name, aka Mac (Ranger/Inquisitor 9).

Tarl (Aasimar Inquisitor/Paladin 9).

Glira Cross (Human Gunslinger/Magus 7?). Old character sheet, played by a new player.

The perils of entrepreneurship, Session 6.2 - 6/7/14

Night, day 8. BW, Glira, and Mac have a plan, complete with spy thriller-esque fashion gestures to call down support sniper fire and an inside man. Glira positions herself on a rooftop near the Bender Bros Inn and knows to open fire if BW adjusts his scarf and Mac follows BW invisibly. BW tries to open the door to the inn. It's locked. He knocks.

The Bender opens it, smiling, and invites him in, and at this point Glira may have realized she won't be doing much from her perch but stays put. He says they have shut down for the night to conduct their business, so they will not be disturbed. Please enter. BW tries to get a word in, but the Bender insists he enters first, and so he does, Mac on his heels.

The door is shut behind them. And the lock snaps shut. There is definitely an ominous feeling in the air, and BW senses it.

In the entry hall he tells the Bender that perhaps upon reflection they had a misunderstanding earlier; by no means does he, BW, want to intrude on their business. Quite the opposite, he just wants to help, for a one time profit. From there maybe they could do more business, perhaps with the trade consortium.

He rolls well (the Innocence spell helps with that) and the Bender believes him. He smiles, almost sadly, almost as though he regrets what is about to happen but the decision has already been made, but still he thanks BW for his candor and professionalism. He leads BW back to the office where a concealed trapdoor is open and reveals a set of crudely made stairs heading down.

He motions for BW to go first and then he follows immediately, closing the trapdoor in Mac's face. As he cannot open it without revealing himself, Mac waits and considers tossing the room for loot, but remembers that BW is here for a business deal and would be pissed if he ruined it by burglarizing the joint. A few minutes later Mac hears the sound of a lock on the trapdoor. He waits.

Downstairs BW sees a fairly large dug out cellar with some crates and few furnishings besides a table with a alchemy lab setup. The only other way out of the room appears to be a curtained off tunnel at the end of the cellar opposite the staircase. Standing by the lab setup is the other Bender. He greets him and after the pleasantries they begin to cook, with the Bender at the table, obviously the chef of the family, watching and learning.

One montage and an hour later...

The Benders and BW stand back and admire their work, several doses of the poison BW has promised. He again explains the properties of the toxin and how it can be used to force people into making poor decisions. The Bender who greeted him at the door wears a sad smile and wonders aloud if BW had been sampling his own product. And then his brother moves to stab their guest in the spine.

BW is ready. Always ready, as only someone with Improved Uncanny Dodge can be. He moves out of the way, draws his blade, and begins to dance. He tells them that they obviously have a misunderstanding, but they can cease hostilities and talk it out. The Benders only shake their heads and approach. Feint, stab.

"Ah, my kidneys!" cries BW as the other Bender pulls his shirt over his head, blinding him. BW goes to cry out again but hears the sound of a spell being cast directly behind him and then a hand brushes his back. He recognizes the spell and quickly draws in a deep breath. It is Aboleth's Lung.

He feels the gills at his throat, but knows he is in the middle of a desert. He is doomed unless the cavalry arrives.

Meanwhile, Mac, the cavalry, hears the cries of kidney-stabbing induced distress and ponders whether or not he will actually go to BW's aid. After a moment of indecision he runs out to the main entryway of the inn and waves Glira down. She parkours her way down the building and runs into the inn. Mac closes and locks the door behind her. He relocked the door. Such a small act, but one with great consequences. Next round they enter the office and Glira blasts the lock off the trapdoor.

Downstairs the Benders had been playing with BW, but now they look at each other and suddenly appear to split into a gnome legion... which then disappears. Mac begins to run down the staircase and suddenly lightning strikes up the stairs, metaphorically "effing him in the a." He continues downward and as he does several gnomes suddenly swing a blade out at stomach level and he impales himself.

Glira follows down the stairs and begins to unload on the gnomes. Pop, pop, pop, watchin' Mirror Images drop. The real Bender in question gets winged but stands his ground. Gnomes reappear around BW and repeatedly try to sucker punch him in the stomach but to no avail. He and his attackers carry on their dance and more illusions go down and after the second time his shirt gets pulled over his head, BW cuts it off and fights shirtless like a badass. He tries to follow the invisible, but casting assailant by the sound of his voice, but has limited success.

Suddenly out of nowhere Black Tentacles rip out of the ground and the Benders are nowhere to be seen. Glira and Mac struggle but are trapped. BW struggles to not drown in air. Mac nearly is crushed. Glira eventually gets out and at the edge of the tentacles several gnomes suddenly appear and shank her. She blasts a few more illusions away, but then a crushing Telekinetic force impedes and the begins to squeeze the life out of her. And she gets eviscerated and hangs limp in the invisible clutches of the spell. Mac goes down in the tentacles. BW's time is dwindling. Hope is lost. The cavalry has fallen.

Wind back a few rounds. Remember that gun shot to blast the lock? A successful 50/50 percent roll gave Beltin and Tarl, on their way back from the Usurer with Beltin's skeletal archer bodyguards in tow, a perception check. A hard perception check. A high roll later and the duo pinpoint the noise as seeming to come from the Benders Inn and investigate.

They arrive to find the door locked and are impeded for an extra round before Tarl breaks it down. They enter, Beltin Invisible, and follow the sounds of battle to the cellar steps and at this point they get to witness Glira getting her throat cut by a multitude of Benders, who all then look at the new guests and vanish in thin air. Alas, if only they could have arrived slightly sooner. Beltin dispels the tentacles and Tarl charges down, followed by the still invisible Beltin who moves to Mac's unconscious, but still alive side. As he get there, several gnomes appear and stab Mac in the face.

Coup de grace and then gone again are the gnomes. Beltin counters with a Breath of Life and remains hidden. Annoyed to his his kill stirring, but just thinking Mac was tougher than he looked, the gnomes appear again and put it right, this time beyond Beltin's ability to fix. Tarl duels the gnome legion before him and the skeletal archers pop some caps in some Mirror Images and are repaid by being engulfed in Black Tentacles, which Beltin dispels.

BW, now forgotten and left for dead, finds a bucket and begins emptying all his water skins into it and eventually plunges his head in. Fun fact: Sun Bro had specified before he died but after he stole BW's gear that he was pissing in one of BW's many water skins. BW now realizes this. It may taste like deluded piss, thinks BW, but it's better than death.

More illusions and more invisibility delay the inevitable, but it is clear it is a losing battle for the Benders. Ninja Ki points are almost spent and useful spells from the Greater Invisible wizard brother are dwindling. Finally one Bender is slain and the other visible one runs to try to finish off his brother's murderer, Tarl. He soon joins him in death.

As this was happening Beltin has edged himself to be in front of the curtain leading to the tunnel and thinks he will know if anyone goes by. He is seemingly mistaken as the curtain pushes inward of its own accord behind him as the last brother dies. And then there is silence. Beltin lifts the spell on BW and they get the story out of him about what had happened; he is now at least partially responsible for the deaths of four party members. New record! As BW is being treated, perception checks are rolled. Failed? Excellent.

Beltin orders the skeletons down the hallway only to find a short tunnel that leads to a dead end. At intervals are ladders going up to trapdoors, which the party realizes lead to the rooms above. Beltin Wall of Stones the ceiling, closing them off, and they head back out and search for loot... and find surprisingly little. The Benders had magic weapons and some small trinkets and they found a couple hundred bits, but was that all there was?

Roll an intelligence check. Success. There had been some sort of lock box (inter-dimensional space, says out of game knowledge) on a crate in the corner before and there isn't now. The perception check earlier was to notice the last remaining , but still invisible, enemy taking it and slipping the Gem of Truesight out of one of the dead Bender's pocket.

Out of game, invisible assailant, the unknown third Bender Brother that no one knew existed, had Mage Handed the curtain, hid against the wall, looted the place while they were distracted, and then left up the stairs and escaped.

The party debates about what to do with the building and eventually decide to just leave it. As Beltin closed the ceiling at least if anyone takes if over they won't be able to run the same murderous scam, reasons the party. They take the four bodies with them and leave the door to the inn broken and ajar. Tarl makes a sign and puts it out front: "OUT OF BUSINESS."

Time in Camp: 46 hours. Self-defense kills: 3. Murders: 2. Maimings: 2. "Lawful executions:" 8. Sworn enemies of: at least 5. BW related party deaths: 4.

Tarl hangs the brothers on the gallows next to those recently hung by the over-zealous and soon-to-be-assassinated crusader leader, complete with a sign detailing their crimes. BW heads off to his room and his hooker while the other two then carry the bodies of their poor fallen friends to Griswald at his burial-mound-turned-home.

They knock on the shoddy door and he answers almost immediately, up and dressed despite the hour. Beltin looks at him a second time and recognizes him as a ghoul. Tarl lays down the corpses and says they deserve a proper burial. But of course, but of course, says Griswald, and both realize he is lying. Beltin steps up and tell him to tell the truth or he'll make him a slave. He's an undead master man, don't fuck with him.

Grisward is frightened and says that surely they could not begrudge him his evening meal when he provides a valuable (and free) community service! Tarl and Beltin relax as they were expecting something worse. Still, says Tarl, he will actually bury these two and they will check the grave to see it is done and undisturbed. And it better be. Or else. Griswald is intimidated and accepts the terms.

Before they had left the Bender Brothers Inn, BW had ordered his skeletons to take some furnishings, including a couple mattresses. It all really pulls his stone shack together. Tarl spends the night on the guest bed and they wake early the next morning to a knocking on the door. It is a local courier with a note. A note from the Usurer. They take it. He holds his hand out for a tip. They give him some food. His hand is still out for his tip. They refuse. He tells them to go fuck themselves and leaves.

The note is brief: "Noon."

So at noon the two go to his abode and find him not working, but waiting in his house. He is obviously agitated. He asks if they remember the conversation about there being people you can't hit without permission. Beltin hazards a guess that the Benders were such people.

Correct, says the Usurer. They explain the circumstances to him and tell of the scheme, but he does not take it as an adequate excuse. He tells them the town economy is a fragile ecosystem and important people dropping dead left and right is bad for business, especially if they are in charge of such an important institution as the town's only currently functioning inn.

As he can't be bothered, they are to handle the inn. He doesn't care how, they can feel free to quietly murder and rob guests too if they like, but it will run and it is their responsibility. Also, scowling, he adds they should have been focused on the job he had given them instead of butchering dishonest inn-keepers. Beltin says they would be on it, but you know, you called us.

The Usurer scowls. He tells them to get on with it then and get the fuck out of his face as he slams the door on them.

Casualties: 2. Glira Cross and Obnoxiously Long Name, aka Mac. Both slain by the Benders and for listening to BW.

6.1: Making friends for once

Dramatis Personae

Beltin (Aasimar Dirge Bard/Cleric 9).

Bradley Weatherby (Human Dervish Dancer 9/Knife Master Rogue 7/Duelist 2).

Obnoxiously Long Name, aka Mac (Ranger/Inquisitor 9).

Tarl (Aasimar Inquisitor/Paladin 9).

Glira Cross (Human Gunslinger/Magus 7?). Old character sheet, played by a new player.

Making friends for once, Session 6.1 - 6/7/14

Day 8, afternoon. Half of the Furious 14 lie cut down like dogs in the street, and the party stands over them as a fairly rowdy crowd begins to gather and talk among themselves about what has just happened, and drinks seem to flow out of the Sip of Blood as some of the crowd get comfortable, expecting something to happen.

The party wonders briefly what is going on, but is none too concerned, though Beltin is considering having a word with Lucky about his lack of warning concerning the 14 being outside as he "thought they were friends." But before he can, a group pushes their way through the crowd approaching the party.

"Halt, you are violating the law!" cries the young man in gleaming armor with the symbol Muir who seems to be in charge while simultaneously seeming hardly old enough to be in charge of anything. He is flanked by what appears to be a teenage girl dressed in the garb of a cleric, looking both determined and obviously nervous, and an older male cleric looking at the party disdainfully.

Behind them stand at least 6 hardened looking crusaders. "You will pay for your misdeeds, criminal scum! You are coming with us!" continues the young paladin.

The party is bemused by this turn of events and begins to wonder who the hell these people think they are, and BW asks the party if they should just kill them too. The young man puffs up, indignant, and asks if they dare to threaten he, Lucius Desticus Caepio, Commander of the 2nd Regiment of the New Army of Light, and tells them that justice will be served and the Camp will be brought under the rule of law.

Beltin interrupts and points out that they were carrying out "lawful" executions of known murderers and traitors against Bard's Gate, but Caepio sneers at him and tells him that is an unlikely story for a necromancer and defiler of the natural order and asks what proof he has. Beltin explains how the writ of execution is at the Bard's Gate embassy and all they would have to do is go get it.

A ruse more like, says Caepio as he prepares to give the order to take the party into custody, and then Samar pushes through the crowd and addresses him. He confirms the party's story and presents the writ to Caepio's obvious displeasure. He reads it, crumbles it up, throws it at Samar's feet, and orders his posse back. Before he leaves he glares at Beltin and the meaning is fairly clear: Something along the lines of "You'll step out of line and I'll be there," or "I'll see you on a cross, degenerate." Perhaps both.

Time in Camp: 36 hours, 40 minutes. Self-defense kills: 1. Murders: 2. Maimings: 2. "Lawful executions:" 8. Sworn enemies of: at least 4.

The crowd watching was obviously expecting more bloodshed, but as they were denied that pleasure, they mostly disperse besides those who were inclined to be drunk anyways: They stay sitting around and get to work on lawfully executing their sobriety with the aid of the helpful serving wenches of the Sip of Blood, who are more than willing to walk their asses outside if it means it they get paid more.

The party begins to talk about what to do with the corpses as no one else seems inclined to give a shit about the people rotting in the street, but then up pulls a cart and a strange looking man in a ragged suit and top hat steps down. He introduces himself as Griswald the undertaker and says he is here to get the bodies. The party asks why he does this and he tells them he performs this valuable community service out of the goodness of his heart... right.

Beltin notices his movements are oddly jerky at times and is reminiscent of undead he has seen and animated, but doesn't mention it. Griswald is infallibly polite and even gets Tarl to help him load the bodies into the cart before thanking him and driving away.

With that taken care of, back to the bar to think of our next move, says the party. Beltin approaches Lucky and asks why he didn't mention the 14 outside and Lucky points out he can hardly be expected to be blamed for them not looking out the front door and fiddling with corpses for 10 minutes at the crime scene after carrying out a massacre in his bar. That said, have a drink on the house so we can put any hurt feelings aside, says Lucky as he pouts Beltin a shot from the Decanter of Endless Grain Alcohol. Oh Lucky, they can't stay mad at you.

Beltin asks about the boy commander who accosted them and Lucky seems mostly unconcerned. Caepio is some young upstart who got his position because his higher ups met their doom in the Desolation, mostly at the failed Crusader camp, and the "regiment" he claims to be in charge of is more a couple dozen men, most of which wish their commander would meet the same fate as his superiors.

Caepio thinks he will take over the camp, says Lucky, and has been enforcing the "rule of law" for about a week now and has even carried out some executions on the gallows. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, says Lucky, so if history has taught him anything, it is that the young obnoxious paladin's time on this plane of existence is nearly done.

Beltin tells this to the party as they sit around and are joined by Glira again. Mac and Glira seem inclined to keep drinking at the moment, but Tarl, Beltin, and BW has plans. Tarl and Beltin decide they should check in with the power in town, the Usurer and see if he has anything for people of their skill sets, and BW has some up with a business proposition for the Benders. One that, unfortunately, the Benders took as one they "couldn't refuse."

BW went to the Bender Bros inn and met one of them sweeping up in front. Ah, BW, says the gnome, here for another night? No, says BW, I know about your side business and have an idea for you. The Bender's smile slips and he invites him into the office. BW lays out his plan: Instead of people constantly disappearing, as that is suspicious and will be even more so if the Camp keeps growing as people will notice, they should take a page from the trade consortium and perhaps diversify their business, and for a fee he can help.

"Have you ever heard of 'adventurer's insurance?" asks BW.

He explains the scam; adventurers pay an arm and a leg for a "magically binding" contract that will ensure they get medical aid when required, including from death. Obviously this never comes and seems like an obvious ploy. Except for one detail. He knows of an easy to manufacture poison that can be used to drive the victim temporarily insane and easy to trick; they can use it to get said adventurers to sign deals and include clauses about what happens to their loot if they are mentally incapable.

He insists that such scams will work and the Benders will be able to greatly expand their profits while exposing themselves to less risk. The Bender listens raptly and seems to consider it. Finally he smiles and asks how soon BW can show them how to synthesize said toxin.

BW rolls his sense motive and notices that the Bender does not actually seem happy. Oh, not at all. BW says he can have it for tonight and the Bender tells him to come back at sun down; they can go through the alchemical process and discuss it more then.

From the alchemical components from Bol, BW had everything he needed to make the poison but not a place. Back to the Sip of Blood! BW, with the aid of a wench, inquires about renting some work space at the tavern. And he places a pouch with several hundred gold on the counter. Lucky makes a show of stretching and puts his arm on the pouch before sliding it down behind the bar.

"Well, there's my room..." begins Lucky and BW says he will take it. Lucky says let me finish and says no way in hell, but you can use the girls' room for the day. The translator sweetly asks if he needs any company. BW says it would be lovely. The sweet tone drops and suddenly business-like the women tells him 10 bits. BW tips it to her just to see her lovely smile again and tells her he'll call her in later.

He rolls a sense motive to see if she really likes him and realizes yes, yes she does. Who wouldn't love a rich potential sugar daddy?

As BW gets to work "cooking meth" (because the alchemical process looks just like Breaking Bad) in the cramped bedroom of the four wenches, Tarl and Beltin approach the Usurer. They notice more guards standing outside the money changing portion and the man who lost a hand does not appear to be working there anymore, and they hear conversation from within the actual smithy.

As they approach several orcs in familiar looking armor step out, though the 14's on their armor have been hastily scratched out. They stare down the two men in front of them and the Usurer calls out that the orcs work for him now and are no longer Tarl and Beltin's concern. They step aside and the orcs move warily away and head toward the money changing out building.

Come in, says the Usurer and they do. He stops working on the armor he his hammering and asks what they want. Oh, a job? What a coincidence... Come back at sun set, my house, and we can talk.

They return to the bar and tell the party how they may have a job and will know later that night. BW does not share his news with them as he expects Tarl will not be pleased, but has already gotten Glira and Mac to agree to come with him as backup, though they will of course be hidden. Something about how that Bender looked at him didn't seem right... For the rest of the day BW makes meth and plots with Glira and Mac secretly, but Beltin and Tarl split up and go for a walk around camp.

Tarl, being a paragon of good, begins offering free healing and disease curing for the citizens of the Camp and some adventuring types and makes some friends. Grabbing a guy and taking away his clap just endears you to people. The good aligned adventuring types like him especially, but besides that Tarl can't quite remember what their names, races, classes, genders, ages, personalities, or physical characteristics are like, but he is sure that if a new PC needs to introduced he will possibly suddenly remember meeting them here.

Beltin decides he needs a place to call his own. He walks towards the out skirts of town and stone shapes himself a one story house. A man walking by, obviously an adventurer, stops awestruck as this is apparently the greatest thing he has ever seen. 10 bits for one of them, says the man. Make it 15 says Beltin and they come to an agreement and Beltin now has a neighbor and potential replacement PC, though his specifics are awfully hard to remember at the moment. Beltin also realizes this could be a brilliant money making scheme, as it's not like the Camp has building regulations. He may have just started his side-career as a real estate tycoon.

That night Tarl and Beltin return to the smithy and walk around back toward the Usurer's actual dwelling and they enter. The room is sparse and dusty but there are three chairs and they sit. They came at a good time said the Usurer and he was actually considering approaching them, though not perhaps in this configuration, he adds looking at the paladin.

He and the Camp have a problem he says and the party met it earlier. The obnoxious young "commander." The Usurer confirms what lucky said about how Caepio got his appointment and mentions how at first he was beneath notice, but now... well, says the Usurer, let me explain. In the Camp and in life in general, there are guys you can hit and guys you cannot, at least not without permission. Caepio has hit a couple of such people that you can't and he certainly didn't ask for permission.

He is a problem. He has to go.

At this point the Usurer looks at Tarl and asks what he thinks about this. Tarl responds that if the man is destabilizing the established order then he is inviting anarchy and must be stopped. The Usurer actually smiles and says he is glad Tarl sees it that way.

In the Ashen Wastes there is an area of calm and peace, explains the Usurer, an uncorrupted graveyard with a fountain dedicated to an angel who was slain in the battle of Tsar. Soon Caepio, the two priests who act as his "advisers" and some men loyal to him, his "elite" plan on taking an expedition to that spot in the wastes.

They think it will protect them and will perhaps be an area for a forward camp, says the Usurer. They are mistaken, he says, and the party will see to it. He can disguise their true nature, make the crusaders believe they are being attacked by beasts from the Desolation, so should any escape they won't know who attacked them, and then the party will kill them.

At this, Tarl says no. He will not hide his nature or why he is there. The Usurer scowls and agrees. In return, he can will help them off load their loot; he can convince the merchants in town to give them better rates, though they will still need to trade their treasure for credit with said merchants. He also reveals he has some ability with the crafting of magical items and can help them, but this is a very exclusive service he offers to very few and they should feel honored. The terms are agreed to and Tarl and Beltin get up to go.

They shake the Usurer's hand and for a second Tarl sees the face before him appear dessicated, almost mummified, and then the image is gone. Must have been a trick of the light.

Wait, says the Usurer to Beltin. One more word just between us. Tarl leaves. The Usurer gives him a scroll and tells him it will disguise them and he expects the paladin to be magically concealed, regardless of what he wants. Also, he reminds Beltin, such a precaution should not be relied upon. He expects them to leave no survivors. Beltin remembers how one of the clerics appears to be little more than a girl, but agrees.

Business is business. The Usurer smiles at him and tells him that if they fuck this up they shouldn't bother coming back and then he dismisses him.

TO BE CONTINUED...