NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(contact)" data-source="post: 410627" data-attributes="member: 41">The moral of the story is "stay out of the underwear drawer".Eight:  What Mirror Shall Not Prove the Lie?(or, "Et tu, Bitchae?")As the group is sifting through the wreckage of Kelanen's Rest, a new companion arrives.  A high-born Lady of Mitrik.  From the court of Lady Anne herself comes Lady Amyryth, a Paladin and swordswoman, sent to congratulate the party on their victory over Sir Willam, and aid them in all future endeavors.  Further, Heydricus recruits a wandering mystic by the name of Ren Qi to join the group.  Ren Qi, an elven lady of indeterminate age serenely accepts the challenge set before her.Lady Amyryth has gifts for Lord Henri and Lady Marie, from Anne of Mitrik.  The party decides this would be a good opportunity to do a little investigative work and determine who the leak is in Henri's court.  After Lucius crafts disguises for Rose, Ren Qi, and himself (the three PCs that have never shown face in Henri's court), Amyryth presents herself to the Lord of Knulb.  Lucius is disguised as Amyryth's valet, and the other two are playing ladies-in-waiting.The four PCs discover immediately that there are spy-holes throughout the Court, a bit strange for the home of a Paladin, but not entirely unheard of. The PCs craft a plan to use the banquet as an excuse to search Lady Marie's room.  Their search reveals a secret door leading to a  'behind the scenes' passage that allows a view of all the guests' rooms.  When a quick search turns up nothing further, the PCs leave the passage to return to their appointed places at the feast.  Hurrying back to his role as a squire, Neither Lucius nor his 'master' Lady Amyryth are present when Rose and Ren Qi decide to go back to Marie's room.They search the bed and find a hidden dagger that seems otherworldly and disturbingly vile.  Startled by the voices of Marie's ladies-in-waiting entering the antechamber, Ren Qi's response is to search the wardrobe.  The ladies-in-waiting open the door to find Ren Qi and Rose up to their elbows in the Lady's unmentionables.Just as Lucius was really starting to get the creeps from the dirty looks Marie kept giving him, the banquet is disturbed by the frantic shrieking of five women.  "Thief!  Thief!  Oh, help us!  Thieves in the Lady's room!"  The Lord looks embarrassed, and rises to investigate.  The entire gathering follows him.  Marie whispers malevolently directly into Lucius' mind:  "I'll get you for this, Gutter Rat".  Caught red-handed, completely unarmed, and surrounded by men-at-arms and Knights, the PCs realize that the Lord's beautiful young wife is the leak.Henri angrily confronts the PCs with a tone of righteous indignation (as only a Paladin can).  The party spits back their accusations about Marie.  Marie calls for a champion to defend her honor.  Two of the Lord's Paladins, however, back the PCs, and accuse Marie of being a seductress, and Henri of being a cuckold.  Obviously, there has been some dissent in the Manor.Lady Amyryth demonstrates her Paladin abilities, and challenges Henri to do the same.  Henri, surprisingly enough, refuses.  It comes clear that Henri and his court are Fallen Knights.  The Lord's men fall upon the unarmed PCs and their Paladin allies, but the outcome is clear from the beginning.  Both Paladins are swiftly rendered unconscious.  Lucius flees, running deeper into the Lord's Manse, followed by Ren Qi.  After a few rounds of ineffectual fighting, Rose surrenders, as does Lady Amyryth.A desperate manhunt ensues, with the two Rogues evading their pursuers long enough to arm themselves.  Ren Qi drinks her potion of invisibility and slips weapons to her companions.  Some clever distractions provide the PCs with an avenue of flight, and they take it, only to be met at the door by a teleporting Lady Marie, who reveals her true form:  A beautiful woman of demonic visage, bat wings protruding from her back..  A succubus.  The fleeing PCs rush past the Lady, all save Amyryth, who cannot back down from a fight with a demon.  Amyryth is cut down by Marie's men-at-arms.The party splits up outside the Manor, and flees into the dubious safety of Knulb, which, they realize with a sinking dread, is wrapped quite snugly around Marie's little finger.  Ren Qi and Rose narrowly avoid capture, making their way into the woods.  Lucius heads to the Orphanage, run by Priests of St. Cuthbert and Pelor, to appeal for aid.  He is immediately followed by the Lord Henri, and the remaining Knulb militia.As the confused High Priestess tries to sort out the truth, Lord Henri and his men attack.  The battle is pitched, and just as Henri seems to have won the day, a rag-tag army of Shieldlanders surrounds the orphanage.  Directed by the Thieves' Guild, the refugees enter the fray and butcher the Lord of Knulb.Lucius, never one to stand on honor, tries to sneak out the back way, only to spot a sizeable force of Rogues and wererats (and were-rogues!) slipping up to the Orphanage.  He flees, but not before he witnesses their murderous intent.  That night, Knulb is burned to the ground by the forces of Evil.  Marie and her demonic brethren are victorious.</blockquote>

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