Dramatis Personae
Beltin (Aasimar Dirge Bard/Cleric 10).
Bradley Weatherby (Human Dervish Dancer 10/Knife Master Rogue 7/Duelist 3).
"Jake" aka Alex, the actual character name but I refuse to go back and edit the old entries (Human Wizard/Rogue 10).
Hospitality prevails, Session 14.2 - 9/19/14
Day 21
As they are much too high level to walk anywhere (screw walking), the party teleports away from the site of their latest glory and back to the Camp. Upon arrival they notice something a bit odd though: Why are so many people walking around in surgical masks?
Beltin stops someone and gets some of the latest rumors. Turns out a couple of days ago some sort of plague started rapidly spreading through the Camp, but it is all over now. Apparently due to the quick response from the clerics of the crusade, the disease was seemingly defeated with minimal casualties. People are still cautious though, and the masks were given out for free from the Hospitality Guild, who though was happy to fulfill it's "civic duty," was quick to remind everyone that the clerics were the real heroes.
This does not sound right to the party, but they listen. Beltin asks about the victims of the plague. So it seems a lot of people were violently sick, but only about 10 or so actually died. Most were nobodies or the poor among the Camp, but sadly Lucky Fjork and one of his waitresses were also claimed by the deadly disease. Sad times, man. Fortunately, the Hospitality Guild is already taking over the Sip of Blood and the Bender Brothers Inn, so it seems life will go on somehow.
Oh, thinks the party. Now we're getting somewhere. Based on what the party can mostly guess what happened, but out of game the full extent of it was shared.
With the simultaneous, but uncoordinated, poisonings at both the Dancing Bear and the Sip, the Hospitality Guild's PR people in the Camp saw an opportunity to both cover up the murders at the Sip and raise their own standing with the locals. They paid clerics to go around announcing a plague and go around healing "sick" people, i.e. some others on the take, and then started handing out cheap, quickly-made surgical masks. They were able to get most of the common folk (though some of the smarter ones were of course a bit suspicious) to buy into their false plague and subsequent quick cure narrative.
It's quite the story. It makes the Crusade look good. It makes the Hospitality Guild look good. It covers up that pretty much everyone who was actually sick got that sickness from drinking at the Dancing Bear. It even covers up the terrorism-related assassination of Lucky Fjork. And it worked while staying well within budget. It was a very successful campaign.
Side note: Percentiles were rolled for BW's assassination scheme and luck was on his side. Lucky didn't dodge death this time and took over 20 con damage, and then more dice were rolled to determine the number of innocent victims and their affiliation (nobody, waitress, adventurer, crusader); that could have been bad, but again, the dice loved him. Minimum side casualties; 2 people, a no body and a waitress, people no one will deep to deeply to investigate for. But wait, you may be asking, didn't more people than 3 die? Well yes. And the plague story required more dead bodies to sell itself; let's just say some otherwise healthy people with no important friends were recruited by the Hospitality Guild to do an unexpected service for them.
The party makes most of the connections and about guesses the truth, but the man they stopped is still talking about rumors and he has one more juicy tidbit. There's going to be a hanging tonight and it promises to be quite the social event. Who is being hanged and why, asks the party, and they learn two lowlifes are going to the gallows for "counterfeiting," which in this case means using gold in the camp instead of bits. Oh, thinks the party, all of whom regularly do just that. It seems they weren't the only ones and that a message needed to be sent by the Usurer reminding people of the only law that really matters in the Camp; the Usurer gets his cut. Always.
The party leaves the man and splits up to go about their business.
Beltin
First order of business, Beltin goes to the Church of Nerull and meets with Father Death, who is clearly anxious to hear a blow by blow. He listens with rapt attention to Beltin's tale, and then sighs deeply. He says he did not expect this to happen and that clearly he has underestimated Beltin; he is mightier than he had imagined. Beltin accepts the compliment, and Father Death continues to say that this escalated faster than he had anticipated.
He then asks about the phylactery they had destroyed and the necromantic symbols Beltin had seen. He asks if Beltin can recall any or if he saw anything strange with the magic. A low intelligence check says no. A pity, says Father Death, but Beltin cannot be blamed for issues that were not explained to him. At this point he continues to not explain as he thinks things over, but Beltin is a smart one. Perhaps someone was looking for a way to lichdom and didn't expect his intel gathering team to actually destroy his enemy and the clue needed to make it happen.
Father Death gets over his disappointment quickly and asks to examine the scepter Beltin recovered. His eyes light up as he examines it and he explains that there are perhaps a dozen scepters like this remaining in the world, and each is a "holy relic," but for which god is always up for debate. Traditionally, the scepters were fought over between the disciples of Orcus and Nerull, and now another is back in Nerull's grasp. Father Death is pleased and tells Beltin he is a worthy bearer.
Now, to your "reward," says Father Death. He pulls out a map that leads to a cave in the mountains to the west, the base camp of a certain group of assassins. Of course, that is not actually their base, nor are they currently in the mountains. They are right here in Camp waiting to seek their revenge on BW, as they had discussed previously, says Father Death.
Brief rewind: Remember when Beltin met the assassins after his "communion?" They had a nice discussion. Clantock's assassins had three people they could take vengeance on, but now the list dwindles. They can't kill Tarl as he is the sheriff now and walks in the Usurer's favor. For now at least, but someday he won't and his time will come. The second target would of course be Beltin, but he is now their brother so they will have peace. That leaves only one person to pay for the sins of three: Bradley Weatherby.
Beltin tries to diplomacy them into letting BW live as Beltin can use him, but they don't go for it wholly but are sympathetic. They counter offer by suggesting they just horrifically disable and disfigure him and then Beltin can have him back. Beltin says that would make him useless and says they can cut out one of his eyes and one hand, but leave him intact after that.
Roll diplomacy... rolled a 3? Awesome. No, say the assassins. How about if they torture him to death, but don't consume his soul, so Beltin can have him back if he so desires. Beltin thinks it over and says if that's the best they can do then they might as well just do it all the way. They can have BW. The assassins are pleased that he has been so reasonable, but also agree that Beltin can keep him until after the mission to hunt the undead army; if Nerull takes him there then so be it. If not, they will be waiting.
Back to present day, Beltin takes the map. It should hold BW over and make him think things are going according to plan. Beltin makes to leave, but Father Death stops him for one last thing. In a couple weeks there will be another communion to Nerull and he is of course invited. Beltin diplomatically asks if it will increase his power. Father Death smiles and says that is for Nerull to decide.
From there, Beltin decides to head over to the Sip to try to claim some items, namely the Decanter of Endless Grain Alcohol he sold to Lucky as well as his lucky stone if possible. He approaches the Sip to see it closed and under hurried renovation by about a dozen workers. He walks inside and sees the bar pulled up and an upstairs being put in, but ignores that and walks to the foreman. He tells him he was a part owner of this business and that he came to collect some belongings. The foreman looks at him disdainfully and tells him that this building was sold to the Hospitality Guild "as is" by the Usurer after Lucky died, so anything inside it belongs to them now.
Beltin thanks the man for his time, walks out, casts Greater Invisibility, and walks right back in. He looks around for the items, but finds nothing. He leaves again for real, but now casts Locate Object and gets a ping on the decanter. He is led to the Dancing Bear. He walks in and sees BW buying drinks and spreading word of their latest exploits (making it sound like he did all the work of course and Beltin and Jake were sidekicks). Behind the bar is the man who approached him to make a building for the Hospitality Guild, the dead-eyed bartender Floyd.
BW enthusiastically greets Beltin and asks him to join them, but Beltin says he is on business and that the people should take BW's version with a grain of salt. And then he innuendo rolls to lets BW know that he does not appreciate being name-dropped and then being made to look inferior; if he keeps it up the people may get to hear some more truthful stories that he, BW, may not like. BW innuendos back a confirmation and calls him a spoil sport. Beltin walks by him and approaches Floyd to speak with him.
Floyd's dead eyes light up when Beltin approaches and he very insincerely offers his condolences on his loss of his dear friend Lucky, and that he was hoping to see him in fact. His boss would like a word. Perfect, says Beltin, he would like a word as well.
Beltin is led behind a sectioned off area of the massive tent, past some divided off rooms with beds and in a couple, hookahs, and to the back. There is what Beltin takes to be a ridiculous sight; there is a free wooden wall to block off this back area of the tent, and set in it is a fine mahogany door. There is a silver name plate on it that reads: "Bartholomew Weyend, Manager."
Floyd approaches the door, but as he does it is clear to Beltin that his enjoyment over Beltin's misfortune has melted away and been replaced by a barely concealed anxiety. Until that moment Beltin didn't notice, but he was beginning to feel some of that too. Floyd knocks on the door and a sharp voice immediately responds, "Why are you bothering me?" Floyd starts to stutter for a second before apologizing profusely and saying the former part owner of the Sip of Blood was there to see him. The voice says to send him in, and the door opens of its own accord and reveals almost complete darkness within.
A definite feeling of unease settles over Beltin, but business needs to be conducted. He goes in. Inside is a rather roomy office that looks as though it was transplanted from a fine manor of some sorts; it has the feeling of both power and old money. There are bookshelves crammed with tomes, a four poster bed in at one end with fine night stands on either side, a massive wardrobe, and more items have no place at a shit hole like the Camp. All exceptionally high quality. The floor is covered in thick carpets that must either sit on boards placed just over the dirt, or just on the dirt itself. On every "wall," really canvas still as it is a tent, is covered with expensive tapestries and curtains that hang low enough to the floor to block out all outside light.
The only light comes from a small, dying candle on a large mahogany desk to the left as you walk into the room. Behind the desk is a lean man in an exquisitely crafted, but clearly many years out of style suit. He looks ancient, but he moves deftly and his eyes are very much alive. He ignores Beltin for a second as he finishes signing a document of sorts and then stamping it with a seal, and then he looks up at Beltin and tells him to take a seat. Beltin does. The door closes behind him and Beltin begins to wonder if this was a mistake.
The manager starts talking immediately and with the air of a man who is not to be interrupted and whose word is unquestionable. He tells Beltin that the Sip of Blood and the establishment known as The Bender Brothers' Fine Accommodations are now the property of the Hospitality Guild as per a signed contract with the Usurer and the deal is done. That said, though they are under no obligation to do so, as a sign of good faith the Hospitality Guild will pay a one time sum of 1,500 bits to Beltin, but it again it should be stated they are under no obligation to do this; it is merely a show of good faith. Beltin will no longer have any stake in either business. He is out.
And then the manager pulls out a bag sets it on the desk. He stares into Beltin's eyes with a look that says asking for more would be un-wise and waits for his response. Beltin looks at the bag and back to the man, and says that he actually came for an item he gave to Lucky Fjork that has some sentimental value to him, a certain decanter and stone. The manager replies that all items in the Sip of Blood are now Hospitality Guild property, but the "lucky" stone was was not recovered; it was most likely stolen by thieves as soon as Lucky's death became public knowledge.
But you do have the decanter, Beltin replies, and the manager gives a stare that seems to be affirmation. Perhaps they could consider an alternative "buy out" currency, suggests Beltin; keeps the bits, give the decanter. It's not something a high quality establishment would need anyway.
The manager smiles the kind of smile you would expect to see on a walking corpse and lets out a short cold laugh. He opens a cabinet inset underneath his desk and Beltin hears the sound of a safe being opened. The manger collects the bag of bits and stows it before pulling out the decanter and sliding it toward Beltin, who takes it and puts it away in his bag. The two men stare at each other for another moment, and the manager says that their business is concluded for now, and that until it is time to do business again, Beltin should take his leave.
Beltin does and secretly thinks hell will freeze over before he does business with that man again. As he steps out he realizes that he was almost shivering. The office must have been 20 degrees cooler than the outside, or perhaps it was just the presence within that gave that impression. Beltin departs.
One item found. Beltin casts Locate Object again and this time is led to one of the older shanty sections of the Camp reserved for the most desperately poor. Outside a crude lean too he sees one of the waitresses from the Sip tending a small cooking fire. As he approaches, the woman sees him and jumps to her feet and runs over to him. She's glad to see someone who was such a dear friend to Lucky and she goes on about how the whole plague story was nonsense and that Hospitality Guild must be behind it. Beltin soothes her and agrees with her assessment and turns the conversation toward Lucky's rock. Did she happen to know what happened to it?
She shifts, almost guiltily, before rapidly saying that she took it because she didn't want it being robbed by thieves in the camp or the fiends over at the Dancing Bear, and that she wanted to see Beltin about it but he found her first. With Lucky dead, her and the other waitress decided that perhaps their time in the Camp was done and regardless of the problems that drove them here in the first place, it was time to go South again. But they couldn't do it without money. And she looks Beltin in the face.
The meaning is clear. She says she knows Lucky would want him to have the stone, but he also wouldn't want his girls to die of poverty, and Beltin is a rich adventurer. 1,000 bits for the stone. That would let them safely book passage with a group heading south and let them maybe set up something for themselves in the South if they managed to get there alive.
Beltin counter offers for the spare gold he happens to have, about 250. The woman replies it would probably cost them that to even get to Bard's Gate, if it was enough at all. Beltin says safer, quicker, more magical transportation can be arranged for free as part of the deal. The women accepts, takes the gold, and gives Beltin the stone. Beltin now has a +1 luck bonus to all his saving throws!
He tells her to get the other surviving waitress and then meet him at Jake's training compound. The woman agrees and says they will be there soon. Beltin heads over to tell Jake the arrangement and once the women arrive, Jake teleports them to the outer market of Bard's Gate and wishes them luck. The women thank him profusely as because of him they didn't get murdered on the road back and ended up with more gold than they had expected for their new lives. One kisses Jake on the cheek.
He gets that warm fuzzy feeling for a second before Teleporting himself back to the brutal world of the Desolation.
To be continued...
