Dramatis Personae
Beltin (Aasimar Dirge Bard/Cleric 10).
Bradley Weatherby (Human Dervish Dancer 10/Knife Master Rogue 7/Duelist 3).
"Jake" (Human Wizard/Rogue 10).
Phox's replacement, otherwise known as the PC that will probably be dead before the end of session 10 (Human? Sorcerer (Sage)/Wizard 9).
Culling the missing, Session 10 - 08/9/14
Day 13
After killing the brood mother, BW dominates Future Victim and makes him take out the glowing stone they saw embedded in the shield of Mordin's statue. BW and Jake then rob FV. Future BW Victim then lives up to his name and dies.
Party interrupted by noises above. Spiders who heard the mother's psychic call have come to do battle and get cut murdered easily due to having to descend down to meet the party. Silence falls but the party knows spiders await above, attempting to starve them out.
A group of Skeriber's Rangers, led by Georgia, come to the party's rescue and tell them that Skeriber requests a meeting at the cemetery. She explains that the spiders in the region heard their mother's call and will be converging on them. Time to go.
To better elude detection against the spider surge heading back to the nest, the party splits: BW, Beltin, Jake, and Georgia go one route, Veldi and Phox replacement go the other way with another ranger, and another ranger sets out to lead a false trail. The first and last party make it to the cemetery unscathed, but of the middle party only the ranger makes it. The others fell to the rampaging spiders and in their inability to attend a D&D game enough. Their loot is lost. FOREVER.
At the cemetery, Skeriber explains some stuff. He is surprised at their success, and he wanted the spiders dead too but was held back because of "politics" and the danger of the situation but wants to know why they really went there. Skeriber explains how they talked to Marcus, forcefully, because he offered them the job of getting eggs first but Skeriber refused and said that he wouldn't stand for it.
As such, Marcus is not going to be seen again, but he revealed that he was using BW as a disposable puppet to get back into the trade consortium's good graces himself. He failed. The party willing gives over the eggs, which Skeriber torches with satisfaction.
Species doomed to extinction by party: 1.
Skeriber lays the cards on the table: The party is strong and he could use them, but he is wary. He explains his people captured and tortured a margoyle after they saw a mass exodus of them leaving their ancestral home in the Chaos Rift. They learned about the distinctive PC party and how they made a deal to sell people to them, but the Margoyles didn't trust them, hence the move. The party explains they had no intention of following through and abandoned the deal. Skeriber is satisfied and says that the rangers will see the Desolation restored to nature and if the party is not anathema to that goal they can help each other. Skeriber's Rangers and the party make an alliance and become friends!
Hands are withdrawn from weapons and things relax. Skeriber mentions that he knows a fight took place in the cemetery, as well as who died, and asks if they did it. The party says yes and start to explain, but Skeriber doesn't really care because the victims were mostly assholes; he was simply curious. He means it and walks off.
Party asks about the politics Skeriber mentioned to Georgia and she alludes to druids working to restore the Desolation back to wilderness, but they were squeamish at the thought of genocide against the spiders for reasons that were their own, and as such would not support Skeriber's group against them at this time. The spiders were also a useful bulwark against another threat from the forests to the east, but not anymore. The party inquires more about this and is told that they may have reason to discuss is later when the time is right. Future quest = hook foreshadowed.
From idle talk with the rangers, BW learns that Marcus will be "off to see the druids" and that no one will see him again. The rangers laugh. BW realizes with a start that this is what the rangers meant to do with him when they first found him in the wastes. He decides not to ask if his hunch is correct.
Most of the rangers, including Georgia, make to depart soon after their meeting because they have "business in the East," but leave two rangers behind with the party to escort them back, but tell them that they should remain in the cemetery for now and wait for the initial mass surge of spiders to flow past them back to the nest where they will likely remain for some time; even the spiders avoid the cemetery, especially as they have no reason to believe their mom's murderers are there.
Party spends the day at the cemetery. Bored. BW baits the elder earth elemental for fun and becomes fast friends with the remaining rangers, Joe and Jim. The party experiments with the relic they found, with Jake realizing it glows and confers power to him (i.e. the spell Bless) when faced with "evil" such as undead... and BW. It seems it senses the evil and wants to help destroy it. BW tries touching the gem and fills a sense of outrage flow from it and scald him. He drops the gem, but too late!
Permanently affected by Bane until he returns it to its resting place in Mordin's shield. Back in the spider den. The one filled with perhaps hundreds of spiders. He learns this out of game and asks if that is the only way. The DM is a benevolent master and lets the curse be broken by a Break Enchantment too, as cast via Beltin, but BW learned his lesson and will never touch the gem again. Jake keeps it because "fuck yeah!"
Day 14
Party leaves early and even with the rangers guiding make slow progress due to having to take evasive actions to avoid encounters at times. Make it back to the Camp that night.
A tent city of sorts now exists next to the Camp and there appears to be lots of light and drunken celebrating from it; the party approaches and learns that a sizable detachment of crusaders as well as merchants and miscellaneous adventurers who were traveling with them have arrived earlier that day. It may be the first of many.
Beltin learns this and heads home. Jake and BW see the sign for a new establishment coming soon and look in. Though its only a temporary affair in a large tent they see a very nice bar setup with people drinking, gambling, and soliciting sex for money via newly arrived call girls. The sign out front reads it is the future home of the Dancing Bar, "a Hospitality Guild establishment," as the sign adds below the name in fancy gilded letters. BW knows this is a rival group the consortium and every bit as vicious though they only deal in the hospitality industry. Being out of work now officially, BW considers this new twist.
Jake talks to some people who think they are badass adventurers, but really low level noobs. He challenges one to a duel in the crowded, partying street. The man accepts and tries to punch Jake. Jake kills him with one low level spell. Some silence descends around the scene and the mans friends look ready to try to attack when Tarl, Jake's old character and now the sheriff, approaches and stops them. He asks what happened.
Upon learning they were engaged in an honorable duel, Sheriff Tarl tells Jake that though they were dueling, his use of excessive force was dishonorable. As it is a first offense, he is told it will be a 25 bit fine. Jake pays it and the men watching the scene get their first taste of how life is in the Camp, especially about how easily it can be purchased and/or paid off.
"Dishonorable" duels to the death: 1.
Jake addresses the crowd and tells them he is a mighty mage and those seeking to master the power of the arcane should seek his school out. He refers them to Johann, who has setup at Clantock's old hide out.
The party heads off to bed.
Day 15
A man arrives at Beltin's house, delivering a letter. It's from Father Death: He says he heard of Beltin's exploits and of his real estate scheme. The Usurer had approached one of his acolytes, a young man with artistic talent to help construct an official jail for the Camp, and as such he was interested in Beltin's aid. Father Death also mentioned other things they may wish to discuss in person and respectfully asked him to come to the church of Nerull at his earliest convenience. Beltin senses motives and realizes that this "Father Death" seems quite eager to meet him.
BW goes to the rangers to see Marcus as he was told before by Jim and Joe that the man was still in the Camp and would be transported to meet his fate in few days time. Jim and Joe are the only rangers in town at the moment and let BW in. They lead him to a small cellar, and there is Marcus shackled to the wall, his legs obviously broken as well as a few fingers. Torture victim is a look that does not suit him.
BW wakes him and Marcus pleads for help and BW smiles and says he and the rangers have an accord. Marcus is not pleased, but BW explains all that Skeriber told him about Marcus using him. He asks if there are more trade consortium agents in town. Marcus admits to his treachery, saying it was nothing personal, but that he would have saved BW if he could: Good tools are hard to come by. But no, he knows of no others in town, but who can say? BW should watch his back, says Marcus in a show of bravado, because a knife belongs there.
BW just smiles and shakes his head, as you can only gloat so much, but Marcus desperately stops him and begs for death.
BW asks what he has to trade for it and Marcus spills his last secret: The consortium man BW killed in the bar for going after his girl? That man was supposed to be a professional, trained by Feron Amathy himself. He couldn't have been that stupid. Marcus thinks the man was just a pawn sent by the agent in question and that he is still out there. And then he shows his throat and tells BW to do it quick.
Instead, BW pats him on the head and tells him to enjoy his trip to the druids. And he leaves.
Ice cold.
End of session. All inactive players murdered off screen by BW and spiders, except for Johann who gets to be an awesome NPC now.
