Things happen quickly…Off camera I decide to spend some of the destiny points I have been saving up. 25 points go to Sir Anton (he will find out about that later). 10 points on Prince Hammoton. And, later in the game, 20 points on Sir Andrew. Time to add a wee bit of tragedy, seasoned with dark humour.
The party finds 4 500 gp in the castle, and starts home. They rescue a priest named Brother One-Shot…er…Brother Robert (I picked the name but it was actually the one-shot player’s real middle name, unbeknownst to be. I be psychic today!) They heal up and during the night Lady Christine has a dream. She sees the dead giant Gotch’s ghost, along with the ghost of a beautiful lady. They say they are dead but wish to help her and her friends before they “join with the earth”. In a pool of water, the lady shoes a scene of a young dark-haired girl with a mirror face (a la the mirror-faced sorceress) crying, and saying she doesn’t want to leave. Her mother (dark faced, can’t make out features) says it is for the best that her new husband doesn’t see the daughter around, and a nunnery will be good for her. The mother has a broach that has a white heron on a blue background. Later, the daughter is seen alone, swearing to kill her stepfather and all that spring from his loins. Then the Giant and Lady start to fade, and the Lady says “Please tell Sir Anton that I do not blame his brothers”.
Note that Lady Christine has never met the Lady of the Lake to the North that is the partron of Sir Anton.
But dreams are dreams, and the party awakes and continues home and gets attacked by a chimera (advanced to Huge, just to make it interesting). Combat ensues. Sir Toby stays out of it, and gains nobility for not ganging up on the monster (and trying to warn the party not to be so close together, since it was breathing fire). Sir Arbutus the not-so-noble is totally killed, as is the weasel familiar of Lady Christine. Guess who is mourned more? One reincarnation later (and with Sir Andrew praying and spending fate points), the weasel is reincarnated as a White Hart. With cold iron hooves and antlers, of course.
The party is met by a troop of refugees from Prince Hammoton’s father’s castle. Apparently, the castle has completely disappeared, with a magical mist descending and then lifting, leaving only bare earth behind! Prince Hammoton controls his fears bravely. (Oh, and this helps introduce a lot of followers – the leadership feat taking effect).
On the way back, Sir Andrew, during his watch, sees that Rebel has somehow broken free. He goes to reclaim his horse, but then sees that it is not Rebel but a Nightmare, and he is dragged to hell to fight her. I used the Big version in the MM to kick Sir Andrew’s sorry butt. He is knocked unconscious.
Then “Sir Andrew” and “Rebel” come out of the woods. [hee hee]
The (very large!) party returns to Baron Roderick’s. King Anguish is still there, as are Sir Mordred and Queen Morgan le Fay. The cloak rescued from the castle is presented to Mordred by Prince Caius, who gives it to Queen Morgan to present to Arthur (He is on a quest to seek out dragons).
Baron Roderick asks Prince Caius for help with the mines to the north. And since Prince Hammoton’s missing castle is further north, Caius decides this was something he could help with.
Lady Leanne goes to warn Queen Morgan that the cloak might be a trap. Queen Morgan agrees to look the cloak over carefully before presenting it, to ensure that it is one she would want to give to her brother. She drops a broach, which Lady Leanne returns to her. Queen Morgan says “thank you, it was a gift from my mother”.
You would think the characters would now know everything, but you don’t know my players. The dreamer told Prince Caius about the broach, but he didn’t tell Lady Leanne. However, eventually they compare enough notes to figure things out, but by that time the Queen has left Baron Roderick’s for England.
Otherwise, Prince Hammoton is getting his spy network of followers set up, and talks to Queen Morgan for advice, as he fears a vast conspiracy. She suggests he seek out the Lady of the Lake to the North for help (this is Sir Anton’s patron).
Most of Prince Hammoton’s proto-spy network is left behind, or sent ahead to settle around the missing castle, though he takes Hubert with him.
The party leaves Baron Roderick's castle. He packs them some provisions (a nice duck sandwich for all, and an emerald bracelet for Lady Leanne)
Finally Sir Anton wishes to have his duel with Sir Andrew, due to an old slight on the Lady of the Lake to the North. The duel ensues, but “Sir Andrew” turns out to be a huge demon (Nalfashnee or something – the big ape brute one). The party tries to fight it, but it is very tough. Brother Robert prays for a miracle (blowing his fate points) and I allow all the weapons and natural attacks to bypass the creatures DR/noble. I also give it vulnerability to cold, so that the cold wands can be used. Even so, the player of “Sir Andrew” played the demon non-tactically, as it was a bit too tough. Eventually, the party defeats it.
Backstory: The real Sir Andrew has been captured and tortured in hell. Because time runs differently, he has been tortured for 10 years, even though only 4 days have passed on Earth. Only his faith in the One God gets him through. The demon that came to Earth did so as part of a wager, and by losing the battle, the demon was forced to return Sir Andrew to earth. So Sir Andrew was returned, 10 years older. As a woman. Who is pregnant.
While being tortured, Sir Andrew learned of the dark alliance between some demons, Albion and his giants, dragons and an enchantress. Part of the plot involved giving Arthur a poisonous cloak that would kill him!
But when Sir Andrew (Andrea?) relates this to the party, they realize that the cloak, and Queen Morgan (who is now realized to be not a good person!) is already on their way to England. The party hatches on the idea to quickly go to the Lady of the Lake in the North to get a short-cut to Camelot. A foolproof plan! And that’s it until next week.
