Council of Thieves, Part 5: Mother of Flies - Session 35: Dusk Market Ambush

Dramatis Personae

Alfaren “Alfred” Eredel – Elf transmuter

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer

Boecca – Half-orc inquisitor of Erastil

Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) evoker

Lam – Human barbarian (not counted for xp purposes)

Slavé/Jancen – Tiefling (in guise as a human) rogue/assassin

Sunday, 19 Calistril, to Moonday, 18 Pharast, 4709 A.R.

The Returners get back to some semblance of normal life for a time following the defeat of Liebdaga the Twin. Carlos and Alfred get busy working on various crafting and magical research projects. Carlos in particular begins the laborious task of crafting a clay golem, using his recently acquired clay golem manual to good effect.

Slavé continues his work with the Order of the Scourge Hellknights, and suggests to Pontia the possibility of an alliance with the Returners, whose motives thus far have coincided rather nicely with the goals of the Scourge. Pontia agrees, and the two groups set up a meeting, where they discuss mutual interests in Westcrown. Pontia presses her need to ally with a powerful group that can increase the profile of the Order of the Scourge with the Wiscrani, and impress upon the populace the difference between their order and that of the Rack. The Returners, meanwhile, agree with the notion of having an ally in the Hellknights, a powerful organization throughout Cheliax, and see the benefit of the seemingly more moderate Order of the Scourge over the Order of the Rack.

Alizander slowly comes to terms with the horrors he experienced while in his coma, during which time he felt as if he was imprisoned in Hell for well over a year, and forced to commit all manner of terrible things against the tortured souls of fellow Varisians. He finds some solace in caring for his young daughter.

Tavo celebrates his annual church’s holiday, the Day of Bones, on the 5^th of Pharast.

Boecca undertakes a quest to atone for his sins with Joraviah in the Nessian Spiral. With the aid of the vulpinal Jezeletrix, he seeks out a priest of Erastil in the hills north of the Hagwood, a wizened old hermit called Odren Hurst. Hurst welcomes the half-orc and his unlikely companion (disguised as a human woman) into his humble home, and agrees to assist Boecca in his atonement. Hurst anoints the half-orc with various pungent herbs and chants a long, droning atonement prayer. When the ritual has been completed, Hurst explains to Boecca and Jezeletrix that something has disrupted the balance within the Hagwood – that a large force of hill giants, ogres, and men from the city has intruded upon the domain of the Mother of Flies, the ancient hag and last remaining of three sisters, turning the tide within the old woods towards chaos and destruction. As part of his atonement, Hurst asks Boecca to assist in removing the incursion in the Hagwood and restoring the Mother of Flies as its rightful master.

A new arrival to Westcrown, a man from Egorian who calls himself Lam, asks Nagiphax the cyclops-kin about the Returners at the Beer Golem tavern. Nagiphax introduces Lam to Alizander, and the Varisian sorcerer invites the burly Lam to meet the other Returners.

Toilday, 19 Pharast, 4709 A.R.

The party receives a note from Arvanxi’s former majordomo, Crosael Rasdovain, asking them to meet her at the Dusk Market in the Parego Dospera in the late afternoon. The group meets with Crosael, who explains that she believes an old contact, a pesh merchant named Goren One-Ear, has critical information about the Drovenge siblings’ plan for Westcrown. She leads the group towards Goren’s shop in an alley behind the Dusk Market. The Returners are ambushed there by a group of Council thieves led by an assassin and ogrekin barbarian. Luckily, the Returners manage to thwart the attack and defeat the ambushers. They are too late for the pesh merchant Goren One-Ear, however. The Returners find him pinned to the back wall of his shop, his lower jaw removed and on morbid display on the sales-counter.

Treasure

· Reward from the Mhartis Family

o +2 Mithral trident

Experience Awards

· Thieves – 4800 xp

· Kruthe the Hammer (ogrekin) – 3200 xp

· Maglin, Council hushman – 6400 xp

· Total – 14,400 xp

· Per PC (5) – 2,880 xp

Current XP Total per PC

· Carlos, Slavé – 80,235 xp

· Alfred – 77,680 xp

· Boecca – 77,460 xp

· Tavo – 73,590 xp

· Alizander – 72,250 xp

· Total Current Fame Points – 20