Resolution, Pt. 1.
2 Days before Melissa arrived at the farm, Diamondback’s group of ruffians was ambushed by 45 or so slaver mercenaries. Sid, one of the toughs, was scouting ahead, separated from the main group when the ambush was sprung. He made it away unscathed, being pursued by 4 slavers. Sid’s companions didn’t make it. After ambushing his pursuers, slaying the four of them, Sid retreated back towards Voushta. That’s when he ran into Melissa and Belle. Sid and Melissa had worked together before, Sid on orders from Diamondback and Melissa in partnership with Sid’s boss, so they knew and trusted each other reasonably well. Belle didn’t like Sid, but a meat shield is always appreciated, especially a stealthy one.
The three of them rode toward the farm, resting in a storage barn overnight (and having an encounter with a vengeful vampire that Sid and Melissa had ran into before; the vampire was misted in 4 rounds). The next day they stopped at a farm to get more water and liberated a slave. Charles Freeman (he named himself after we were on our way) agreed to help us free more slaves, especially once we told him how young the ones we were after were. Charles’ master wasn’t too happy we were leaving with him, and didn’t accept the 2 gold Melissa angrily threw at him in payment. He called together his friends, formed a posse, and came after them.
Once they were about an hour out of the farm, Melissa headed back to deal with the people following them. Afraid they’d head to the farm and blow their surprise, she took to the air (as half-demons have wings) and flew back to take care of the situation. Two of the nine survived, one of them grievously injured. Melissa had used some magical grenade-like weapons, liberated from the BBEG of the last storyline, to take them out, but hadn’t expected them to be so potent (6d6 damage caught everyone involved off guard, plus, no one made their save). Kara, Melissa’s Half-Angel wife (long story, unimportant details) was very, very disappointed in her. She wasn’t very proud of herself, either.
Returning to the group, they started recon at about midnight. There were 5 wagons, a barn where the slaves were kept, and the farmhouse. There were also about 60 slavers in total. Some of the slaver mercenaries had brought their wives, some even their children. They were still partying about their successful ambush of Diamondback’s men. Melissa snuck into the camp, with the help of a very-difficult-to-cast invisibility spell (ala Kara), and poisoned their casks of alcohol with her hallucinatory serum. From the roof of the barn, Sid kept an eye on things while Melissa snuck back to Belle and Charles, who were waiting not too far off.
Melissa, Belle and Charles drew first blood that night, slaying a group of four men who left the farm to chop some more wood for their bonfire. Two were dead before their initiative count came up, and their companions fell moments later. Charles only had time to grab one of their weapons before they were all dead. Bodies hidden, they proceeded back, leaving Charles outside the perimeter of guards due to his lacking stealth abilities.
Waiting until around 4am, the three Rogues snuck down from the barn roof, after most of the slavers had retired for the night, and started slitting throats. In less than two minutes, 15 people, men and women, were leaving ever-larger pools of blood on the floor of their wagons.
There were 3 men left around the campfire when the assassins regrouped and began planning their next assault. Sid would worry about the ones around the fire, while Melissa and Belle would slay the perimeter. One by one they fell, grabbed and slashed, or knifed in the throat, or slashed by keen scimitars. The nine guarding the farm fell in short order.
When they returned to the fire, Sid had killed one of the slavers, cutting his head from his body with one swing of his greatsword (rogues with power attack are terrifying in a Grim ‘n Gritty game). Another man had come out of the house to get another drink, and was resting against the barrels of booze. The three rogues took them all out in a daring and bloody dash; the half-demon diving off a roof while the humans lunged out of the shadows. The bodies were dragged away, and Charles was retrieved for the assault on the barn.
The farmhouse’s and one of the barn’s two doors locked and disabled by Sid, the assassins burst into the barn by it’s side door and dropped 4 guards in 9 seconds. The fifth man, screamed for all he was worth.
While Charles and Belle helped the slave kids out of their bindings and started putting horses on the wagons, Sid and Melissa went back to the farmhouse. The door was busted down, and the melee began. Some of the slavers were killed, others subdued (where no one was put at risk), and Belle joined them inside. Melissa gave Belle one of her grenades, which was used on 4 bowmen readying an action inside the building, and happened to kill a hiding slave along with them; the only slave casualty of the night.
From there it was mopping up. Any that took up arms were killed. Those who cowered were merely subdued. The bodies were brought into the farmhouse, and after it had been looted thoroughly, it was set on fire. The barn was burned to the ground as well. The slaver hiding down the well was found and, though intended to be a prisoner, was killed by Sid. All of the slavers livestock was brought along, as well as all their food, feed, and as many barrels of water as could be found to fill.
All in all, 8 prisoners were taken. 27 of the origional 28 slaves were freed, 17 girls, 10 boys. Melissa killed 24 people that night, Belle 22, Sid 3, and slaves killed 3 more (mostly women who would have been taken prisoner.) 8 people were subdued and taken in the wagons, their fates to be decided later.
It was a massacre. 2 PC's were struck for damage, and a total of 3 damage was inflicted, one of which was healed. Belle was blessed by Moyra (goddess of luck and trickery), for she didnt' take a single hit, and somehow landed more crits than Melissa (who's threat range is 14-20). A more successful adventure we have never seen or had the guts to hope for. And, as far as I'm aware, not a single die rolls was fudged.
That was Monday night's game... Tuesday's game was much, much different.
- Kemrain the Repentant Assassin.
