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Story Hour
Way of the Wicked Playthrough - Updated 2023/03/28
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<blockquote data-quote="rchodges" data-source="post: 8410975" data-attributes="member: 7031385"><p><strong>Part 1:</strong> Knot of Thorns</p><p><strong>Act 3: </strong>Fire-Axe!</p><p><strong>Session 7:</strong> Hostile Takeover</p><p></p><p>As the sailors tossed the dockline over to the group of bugbears, one of them grabbed the line while speaking to his compatriots in his native tongue. “It looks like the food is being delivered to us now, yes?” Donovan heard the group of bugbears, and frustration set upon him. It had been far too long since he had been able to set his feet on land, too long since he had been able to do anything but read and pace about a small deck; and he would not be held in fear by these ignorant brutes. </p><p>Rushing over to the side of the boat where the bugbears were assisting in pulling the ship across the dock, he screamed at them in Goblin. “You go and fetch Sakkarot for us now, and maybe you live to see this night pass, yes?” </p><p>The uncertainty of what to do next was plainly visible on the faces of the bugbears. The small humanoid creature was barking orders at them, and seemed completely unafraid. One of the bugbears called out to the myriad smaller goblins back up the way, “Go and get the Fire Axe! Someone is here to see him!” The goblins, hearing the orders from the much larger bugbears, rushed away in compliance. Still, the bugbears would not be easily denied their food. “Maybe we eat you now, give your gifts to Sakkarot when he arrives, yes?” </p><p>Donovan gritted his teeth in barely controlled rage. “And maybe I kill you all here and now, yes?” </p><p>Snapping his fingers, Donovan switched back to Common, “Bebop, deal with them!” </p><p>Bebop dropped down onto the pier, having already consumed one of his Mutagens a few moments earlier. Despite the obvious and massive increase to his body mass, Bebop was clearly giving up over a foot in height and hundreds of pounds to just one of these creatures. One of the bugbears snorted as Bebop approached them, thinking to crush the little insect. The bugbear swung wide. Bebop dodged the blow, and then snarled with a fury none of them expected. Fear gripped the bugbear who had attempted to attack Bebop, and he began to retreat from the smaller humanoid. The other bugbears mocked the one that was moving away, calling him a coward, then pushing him off the pier into the water and laughing. Another bugbear moved up to Bebop, confidence brimming in its eyes. </p><p>“I’m not afraid of you!”, the bugbear shouted at Bebop before taking a swing. </p><p>The blow connected against Bebop, who didn’t even flinch as the club sunk down onto his shoulder. The bugbear barely had a moment to realize how ineffective the attack was before Bebop exploded onto the creature in a blur of teeth and claws. Within seconds, the bugbear was turned into a bloody mass on the pier, clearly dead. The last two bugbears were visibly unsure of themselves now, as GrumbleJack’s massive weight stepped onto the pier, causing the entire structure to bob up and down in the water. The grabbed their weapons, readying themselves for a fight. Just then, a voice rang out in the distance.</p><p></p><p>“Hold your attacks!”, the powerful voice spoke out across the area where the ship was moored. A bugbear, covered in black fur and wielding an actual flaming axe, approached the pier and the Frosthamar. </p><p>Looking at Bebop, the bugbear asked, “Who sent you?” </p><p>“Thorn.”, was the terse reply of Bebop. </p><p>The bugbear seemed somewhat unconvinced at the single worded reply, and Donovan continued forward, “We are the Ninth Knot, and your delivery has arrived! GrumbleJack, show him!” </p><p>GrumbleJack, hoisting one of the crates that weighed several hundred pounds, tossed it in the air to the black furred bugbear, who caught the crate in his arms with a thud that shook the pier once more. Tearing the crate open, the bugbear saw a collection of weapons bearing the symbol of Asmodeus. “These people are my guests, and I will deal with anyone who brings them harm! They have brought us steel!” The bugbear held one of the weapons from the crate up in the air, and a cheer came from all the creatures nearby. GrumbleJack began assisting the bugbears, as crate after crate is removed from the Frosthamar. While Donovan knew that many crates were being held in the ship, it wasn’t until he saw them spread about the beach area that he truly began to grasp the scope of how many weapons had actually been provided. </p><p>The bugbear, having spent some time watching Donovan and the others, finally approached Donovan and spoke directly to him. “I am Sakkarot, the leader of this group.” </p><p>Donovan smiled and responded back, “I am Donovan, and this is my family. We are delighted to finally meet with you, great War Chief.” Bebop approached the bugbear that he had scared briefly, who was still avoiding him even now. </p><p>“Where are your women?”, Bebop asked excitedly. </p><p>Sakkarot set his hand on Bebop’s shoulder, “I appreciate your enthusiasm for life; but perhaps you would first like to enjoy a feast with my people in order to celebrate these weapons you have brought us.” </p><p>Donovan sighed, once more frustrated at Bebop's choice of words. As they were getting ready to head into the camp, Odenkirk told Donovan, “I’m not going in there with them.” </p><p>Donovan nodded to the captain, “I would have expected no different from you, Captain. We’ll be back soon enough.” </p><p>Wordlessly, Donovan instructed Lucius to stay behind, “Keep an eye on these individuals. We’ll take care of the captain when I return.”</p><p></p><p>Massive dire boars were placed on spits, ready to be cooked over open fires. Sakkarot had the honor of taking the head of the first one. While Donovan and Tamsen ate enough to show proper respect, Bebop and GrumbleJack gorged themselves on food and drink. It wasn’t long before Bebop had left the feasting to enjoy a different sort of flesh. </p><p>“Your friend is given to his indulgences.”, Sakkarot spoke amusedly. </p><p>Donovan nodded, “Bebop fully embraces each moment in life. It’s something I admire about him.” </p><p>Sakkarot took another drink of his wine, then continued, “You said you were the Ninth Knot of the Cardinal, correct?” Donovan nodded, and Sakkarot continued, “I am the leader of the First Knot.” He paused briefly, “I am the only true member of the First Knot. The rest are fools.” Revealing a brand that Sakkarot had placed onto his chest, Sakkarot exclaimed, “I am a true servant of Asmodeus.” </p><p>Donovan pondered Sakkarot’s words for a moment, then responded, “So you are first and foremost a servant of Asmodeus before you are a servant of the Cardinal.” </p><p>Sakkarot snorted, “That man seeks to call himself a Cardinal, yet he was only a Cardinal of the Mitran faith.” The words hit Donovan like a greatclub. Thoughts sped through Donovan’s mind, until the one obvious conclusion was dialed in on: Thorn wasn’t betrayed by the Talerians, he betrayed them. And in that moment, Donovan realized that he wasn’t employed by a man seeking to upend to status quo for the benefit of all religions including those of Asmodeus, he was simply working for a petty creature attempting to lash out for the consequences of the betrayal that had been taken against the kingdom. </p><p>“A man of Mitran faith, you say? How very interesting.”, was the only response that Donovan could muster as his mind was working through all of the ramifications.</p><p></p><p>Bebop entered back into the tent where the three of them had been previously speaking, the scent of sex and sweat covering his body. It was quite apparent how he had been spending his time, as he had a look on his face of self-confidence. </p><p>“Ah, I see your friend has returned.”, Sakkarot stood up, appearing to be intending to leave. </p><p>Donovan gathered his thoughts. “Before you go, War Chief, I was hoping to make a couple of requests of you.” </p><p>Sakkarot focused his attention on Donovan, “What is it then?” </p><p>“First, for the next task that we are being asked of by Thorn, we will need to employ more discretion. As such, I was hoping that my friend GrumbleJack would be able to remain with you until your invasion has been made manifest.” </p><p>Sakkarot nodded approvingly, “GrumbleJack is welcome to stay with us. I’m sure he will not need any protection from me, as he is a powerful warrior in his own right.” </p><p>Donovan smiled, “Wonderful. As to the other request, would you be interested in taking a slave from us? Thorn wishes to have the captain of the Frosthamar killed, so I was hoping I could leave him in your care until your men got bored with him.” </p><p>Sakkarot tilted his head slightly, “I thought your team was sailing on to the town?” </p><p>Donovan affirmed, “Yes, but I only need the sailors for that, I don’t need him.” </p><p>Sakkarot chuckled, “You are certainly an unusual creature, Donovan. And yes, we’ll be happy to take him off your hands. My army can always use more slaves.” </p><p>Donovan smiled and clapped his hands together, “Wonderful, have some of your men wait down at the edge of the pier. We’ll get him ready for you.” </p><p>Sakkarot handed Donovan a simple flare gun, then spoke solemnly, “It will take me two weeks to bring the remaining troops here, and then move into position. Once there, I will be able to keep them in line for another two weeks. You have that long to bring down the defenses of the Watch Wall. Can you accomplish this task in that time?” </p><p>Donovan smiled and said, “Thorn believes this to be true.” </p><p>Sakkarot grunted with a pleased look on his face, then responded once more, “Do this and your names will be legend. Hail Asmodeus!” </p><p>With that, Sakkarot left the tent. Donovan reached out to his family through the telepathic link created by Tamsen. “Prepare yourselves, it’s time for us to deal with the Captain tonight.”</p><p></p><p>Lucius was making the most of his time on the Frosthamar. Taking some of the Blackfire Clay that Donovan had left behind for him, Lucius began trying out some simple dishes with ingredients and spices that he had been thinking about over the last several days. Odenkirk and his crew were having a wonderful evening, with Lucinda even playing the part of a bar wench who would fetch drinks and plates for them. Odenkirk reveled in card games, especially as he frequently changed the rules to suit whatever he thought gave him the best chance of winning. Lucius didn’t give too much thought to such things. It was all well enough that Lucius was being appreciated for his work, by people who didn’t consider service to be a sign of slavery. When the instructions came in, Lucius began silently instructing Lucinda to align herself to the side or rear of Odenkirk as best she could. Even as Lucinda maintained the ruse of a simple drink server, she began sizing up the Captain, seeing how she would dispatch him. Lucius saw Donovan and the others walking up to the pier, with a group of bugbears in tow. Donovan observed what was going on at the deck of the Frosthamar, and handed Bebop a stack of gold coins. The group stepped up on the ship from the pier, as Lucius kept trying to pull different sailors away from the group playing with Odenkirk. Odenkirk, seeing Bebop with a stack of coins and no understanding of the rules, was nearly salivating at the chance to have Bebop play. And with Bebop directly in front of the Captain, and Lucinda to his side, the plan was about to take place. Tamsen whispered her soft words of Slumber, cutting across the deck of the ship into the Captain’s ears. Odenkirk drooped over and fell asleep. As Donovan shouted out a warning to the crew, Lucinda let the platter she was holding in her left hand drop, while her right hand simultaneously unsheathed her blade. The two hands latched on together to the weapon as the blade made contact with the captain’s neck, severing his head in a moment. The sailors were struck numb with terror, having seen Odenkirk killed faster than some of them could even blink. They began to panic, considering their odds if they went for their weapons. </p><p>Donovan raised his hands in a non-threatening pose. “Relax gentlemen. I’m here to talk to you about employment opportunities.” Donovan began to question the sailors on how much they were being paid for the journey, and how much of that they had received thus far. After learning about the relative pittance they were being paid, Donovan offered to double their fees and increase their advance in exchange for getting the Frosthamar to Alderncross. </p><p>Donovan finally ended his sales pitch with, “Unless some of you are still loyal to Odenkirk.” </p><p>One member of the crew responded from the Crow’s Deck by spitting at the former Captain's corpse. </p><p>Donovan chuckled briefly, “Good enough. Then, unless some of you want to stay here for some reason, I suggest we make distance from this camp on our way to our destination.” A few hours later, the ship was back on the lake, having left the corpse of the captain behind with the bugbears. </p><p>One of the sailors named Asghan approached Donovan, “We’d like to know what your plans are with us.” </p><p>Donovan calmly responded to him, “I understand your concerns, but we have no issue with any of you on this ship. Odenkirk was a fool, who attempted to change the terms of the deal after it had been agreed upon. He sealed his fate when he did that. But, his actions are not yours, and I’m not planning to punish you for the greed of your former captain. My instructions were simple. Kill Odenkirk and his crew. I killed Odenkirk, and now he has no crew.” </p><p>Asghan shook his head vigorously, “No, we are not part of Odenkirk’s crew.” </p><p>Donovan smiled, “Exactly. So, I have fulfilled the instructions that I was given.” Donovan then looked at the sailor intently, “But, you need to understand. I need you to keep quiet on this matter. When you get into town, you need to remember the expression about loose lips and what they sink.” Donovan quickly changed his form into that of the sailor.” </p><p>The sailor responded, “We don’t feel comfortable in that town.” </p><p>Donovan returned to his true form, and cursed himself silently. Of course they don’t fit in, they are poor and don’t speak enough Common. Why would I assume that they would be treated as people? </p><p>“We’ll figure something out, Asghan. But, for now, know that neither I nor my family bear any of you ill will or intend any harm towards you.”, Donovan spoke to the sailor in a calm and reassuring voice. </p><p>Perhaps the words did end up having some positive effect on the sailors, as no violence occurred on the deck that evening.</p><p></p><p>The next morning, the ship resumed its heading to Aldencross, and arrived there within a couple of days. Donovan paid the sailors the remaining amount promised, then stepped off the ship with his family. “I’ll figure out how we’re going to manage all this, so stay docked for now.” The sailors nodded, and the family left to explore the town and all it had to offer. Donovan and the others had collected quite a number of trinkets and baubles over the course of the last few months, and Donovan was all too eager to unload these goods and purchase better supplies. Before that could occur, however, a few things had to be wrapped up. First, Tamsen sent Timeon back to Balantyne, with instructions on how he should reingratiate himself back into the local military here. While Timeon did briefly protest, Tamsen was quite effective at getting him to bend to her will. Once he was on his way, the group decided to find the nearest Inn in order to get a bath. The group only found one place of note in the town, and that was the Lord’s Dalliance. The Lord’s Dalliance was apparently at one time a brothel of sorts before the restrictions in the laws allowing prostitution. Since then, it has clearly gone through several redesigns in order to allow for more rooms to be provided. The group stepped into the Inn, taking in the sights and sounds of the establishment. Sizing up the business, Donovan went to the individual who appeared to be the owner, named Bellum Barhold. Donovan smiled and introduced himself to the owner as “Donovan Thorn”. Donovan asked if any rooms were available, and Bellum listed several rooms at different prices. Naturally, Donovan rented out several expensive rooms for him and his family, including the largest room that Bellum offered. Bellum listed an amount for two weeks of rental time, and Donovan countered by making an offer that included several fine bottles of alcohol that he had procured from Odenkirk’s personal stash. Barhold was very pleased with this transaction, actually spending more time trying to understand the motivations of these wealthy travelers. </p><p>“I’m attempting to establish a merchant trading route in the area.”, Donovan responded when asked what his business was in Aldencross. Bellum thought about what he had learned thus far about the man. “I must say, I’m not familiar with a merchant family by the name of Thorn.” </p><p>Donovan smiled at his query, “I’m not using my birth name. I want to be judged by my own actions and not by the name I was born to.” </p><p>“You are quite an impressive young man!”, Bellum responded with approval. “If only more of your kind were in our world.” </p><p>“Thank you for the compliment, Bellum.”, Donovan replied. “As part of our return to land after all these weeks, I would like to pay for all the drinks over the course of the next few hours. If you could give me an appropriate amount that you think it would cost to facilitate such a thing…” </p><p>Bellam’s smile grew wide, as he began to go into the detail of the powerful drinking ability of the Dwarves who stayed at the Inn and worked to maintain the Watch Wall. After a while, he finally came around to the number, “I think that would be 20 Gold.” </p><p>Donovan placed the Gold onto the bar, and smiled weakly. “Now, my good sir, I must retire to the rooms you have provided for us and have a bath. I will be back shortly to celebrate with your fine patrons.” </p><p>As Donovan and Tamsen walked up the stairs to their room, Bellum made the announcement to all of the patrons that drinks would be on the house for the next couple of hours, and thanked the generous donors who made the event possible. A roar came up from all of the bar, and people began to place their orders.</p><p></p><p>Tamsen and Donovan entered their room just as the servants finished adding the water into the bath. As the servants departed, Tamsen pulled off her minimal clothing and climbed into the bath. </p><p>“Come join me, love.”, Tamsen invited Donovan with a devilish grin. </p><p>Donovan looked back at her, “I don’t think it’s big enough for the two of us. I can wait until you are out.” </p><p>Tamsen sighed, then began washing the days of travel from her skin. Donovan assisted Tamsen in bathing. </p><p>As he gingerly touched her back and shoulders, Donovan frowned. “I’m so sorry, my love. I wish you didn’t have to live in a world where you had to hide your wings and tail. This world seems to only accept people who look a certain way and believe a certain way.” </p><p>Tamsen rolled over in the bathtub, facing Donovan. “I don’t care about how people see me, Donovan. I care about how you see me.” Donovan took Tamsen’s hands, “I love you, Tamsen. You are everything to me. I want the world you live in to see you as I do.” </p><p>Donovan leaned forward with an intensity that Tamsen rarely saw from him. She leaned against him, her forehead pressed against his as her arms draped around his shoulders. “The way you make me feel Donovan. I have never felt anything like this before.” </p><p>Donovan smiled at her, their heads still pressed together, “And how exactly do I make you feel, my love?” </p><p>In a single motion, Tamsen grabbed the back of Donovan’s shirt, then pulled him into the bathtub with her. The bathtub water sloshed around the two of them, as Tamsen’s arms wrapped around Donovan, who was now soaked in his clothes. </p><p>Donovan laughed, spitting out the water that had gone in his mouth. “I told you we both couldn’t fit in here.” </p><p>Tamsen kissed Donovan, pulling his clothes off of him. “I don’t care lover. I just want you.” </p><p>Donovan quickly found himself lost in the embrace of Tamsen; and spent for the first time in what seemed like a very long time, being completely alone with the woman he loved.</p><p></p><p>When Tamsen and Donovan finally returned from their rooms, the patrons were well into the enjoyment of the free alcohol that had been provided to them. Bebop and Lucius were already moving around the room, engaging the crowd and listening to the conversations that were being had. Bebop was up to his usual antics, attempting to outdrink the Dwarves in order to get the attention of some of their females. After spending some time drinking with them, Bebop reached his limit; but was able to impress the group in some small way. Listening to the different stories, it was hard to make sense what was true and what was self-aggrandized elaboration; but the group knew that any information could be vital to understanding weaknesses in the Watch Wall.</p><p></p><p>A few hours later, the group began to move through the town, finally selling off the items that they have collected for months. Donovan used his knowledge and skills with mercantile products in order to improve his buying power within the city. Among the many items he purchased for his family, he acquired a single ring. </p><p>He placed the ring onto Tamsen’s finger. “For you, my love. Perhaps not the ring I would truly wish to give you, but one I hope you can accept for the time being.” </p><p>Tamsen looked at the ring on her finger, then touched Donovan’s face gently, “A ring for me from you? It’s exactly what I wanted.” </p><p>Donovan smiled, kissing Tamsen softly on the lips, “We have a long road ahead of us, I always want you to walk it with me.”</p><p></p><p>Looking up at the Watch Wall just beyond Aldencross, Donovan knew that the next steps of their walk would be a challenge for his family.</p><p></p><p>Session 7 Ends.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="rchodges, post: 8410975, member: 7031385"] [B]Part 1:[/B] Knot of Thorns [B]Act 3: [/B]Fire-Axe! [B]Session 7:[/B] Hostile Takeover As the sailors tossed the dockline over to the group of bugbears, one of them grabbed the line while speaking to his compatriots in his native tongue. “It looks like the food is being delivered to us now, yes?” Donovan heard the group of bugbears, and frustration set upon him. It had been far too long since he had been able to set his feet on land, too long since he had been able to do anything but read and pace about a small deck; and he would not be held in fear by these ignorant brutes. Rushing over to the side of the boat where the bugbears were assisting in pulling the ship across the dock, he screamed at them in Goblin. “You go and fetch Sakkarot for us now, and maybe you live to see this night pass, yes?” The uncertainty of what to do next was plainly visible on the faces of the bugbears. The small humanoid creature was barking orders at them, and seemed completely unafraid. One of the bugbears called out to the myriad smaller goblins back up the way, “Go and get the Fire Axe! Someone is here to see him!” The goblins, hearing the orders from the much larger bugbears, rushed away in compliance. Still, the bugbears would not be easily denied their food. “Maybe we eat you now, give your gifts to Sakkarot when he arrives, yes?” Donovan gritted his teeth in barely controlled rage. “And maybe I kill you all here and now, yes?” Snapping his fingers, Donovan switched back to Common, “Bebop, deal with them!” Bebop dropped down onto the pier, having already consumed one of his Mutagens a few moments earlier. Despite the obvious and massive increase to his body mass, Bebop was clearly giving up over a foot in height and hundreds of pounds to just one of these creatures. One of the bugbears snorted as Bebop approached them, thinking to crush the little insect. The bugbear swung wide. Bebop dodged the blow, and then snarled with a fury none of them expected. Fear gripped the bugbear who had attempted to attack Bebop, and he began to retreat from the smaller humanoid. The other bugbears mocked the one that was moving away, calling him a coward, then pushing him off the pier into the water and laughing. Another bugbear moved up to Bebop, confidence brimming in its eyes. “I’m not afraid of you!”, the bugbear shouted at Bebop before taking a swing. The blow connected against Bebop, who didn’t even flinch as the club sunk down onto his shoulder. The bugbear barely had a moment to realize how ineffective the attack was before Bebop exploded onto the creature in a blur of teeth and claws. Within seconds, the bugbear was turned into a bloody mass on the pier, clearly dead. The last two bugbears were visibly unsure of themselves now, as GrumbleJack’s massive weight stepped onto the pier, causing the entire structure to bob up and down in the water. The grabbed their weapons, readying themselves for a fight. Just then, a voice rang out in the distance. “Hold your attacks!”, the powerful voice spoke out across the area where the ship was moored. A bugbear, covered in black fur and wielding an actual flaming axe, approached the pier and the Frosthamar. Looking at Bebop, the bugbear asked, “Who sent you?” “Thorn.”, was the terse reply of Bebop. The bugbear seemed somewhat unconvinced at the single worded reply, and Donovan continued forward, “We are the Ninth Knot, and your delivery has arrived! GrumbleJack, show him!” GrumbleJack, hoisting one of the crates that weighed several hundred pounds, tossed it in the air to the black furred bugbear, who caught the crate in his arms with a thud that shook the pier once more. Tearing the crate open, the bugbear saw a collection of weapons bearing the symbol of Asmodeus. “These people are my guests, and I will deal with anyone who brings them harm! They have brought us steel!” The bugbear held one of the weapons from the crate up in the air, and a cheer came from all the creatures nearby. GrumbleJack began assisting the bugbears, as crate after crate is removed from the Frosthamar. While Donovan knew that many crates were being held in the ship, it wasn’t until he saw them spread about the beach area that he truly began to grasp the scope of how many weapons had actually been provided. The bugbear, having spent some time watching Donovan and the others, finally approached Donovan and spoke directly to him. “I am Sakkarot, the leader of this group.” Donovan smiled and responded back, “I am Donovan, and this is my family. We are delighted to finally meet with you, great War Chief.” Bebop approached the bugbear that he had scared briefly, who was still avoiding him even now. “Where are your women?”, Bebop asked excitedly. Sakkarot set his hand on Bebop’s shoulder, “I appreciate your enthusiasm for life; but perhaps you would first like to enjoy a feast with my people in order to celebrate these weapons you have brought us.” Donovan sighed, once more frustrated at Bebop's choice of words. As they were getting ready to head into the camp, Odenkirk told Donovan, “I’m not going in there with them.” Donovan nodded to the captain, “I would have expected no different from you, Captain. We’ll be back soon enough.” Wordlessly, Donovan instructed Lucius to stay behind, “Keep an eye on these individuals. We’ll take care of the captain when I return.” Massive dire boars were placed on spits, ready to be cooked over open fires. Sakkarot had the honor of taking the head of the first one. While Donovan and Tamsen ate enough to show proper respect, Bebop and GrumbleJack gorged themselves on food and drink. It wasn’t long before Bebop had left the feasting to enjoy a different sort of flesh. “Your friend is given to his indulgences.”, Sakkarot spoke amusedly. Donovan nodded, “Bebop fully embraces each moment in life. It’s something I admire about him.” Sakkarot took another drink of his wine, then continued, “You said you were the Ninth Knot of the Cardinal, correct?” Donovan nodded, and Sakkarot continued, “I am the leader of the First Knot.” He paused briefly, “I am the only true member of the First Knot. The rest are fools.” Revealing a brand that Sakkarot had placed onto his chest, Sakkarot exclaimed, “I am a true servant of Asmodeus.” Donovan pondered Sakkarot’s words for a moment, then responded, “So you are first and foremost a servant of Asmodeus before you are a servant of the Cardinal.” Sakkarot snorted, “That man seeks to call himself a Cardinal, yet he was only a Cardinal of the Mitran faith.” The words hit Donovan like a greatclub. Thoughts sped through Donovan’s mind, until the one obvious conclusion was dialed in on: Thorn wasn’t betrayed by the Talerians, he betrayed them. And in that moment, Donovan realized that he wasn’t employed by a man seeking to upend to status quo for the benefit of all religions including those of Asmodeus, he was simply working for a petty creature attempting to lash out for the consequences of the betrayal that had been taken against the kingdom. “A man of Mitran faith, you say? How very interesting.”, was the only response that Donovan could muster as his mind was working through all of the ramifications. Bebop entered back into the tent where the three of them had been previously speaking, the scent of sex and sweat covering his body. It was quite apparent how he had been spending his time, as he had a look on his face of self-confidence. “Ah, I see your friend has returned.”, Sakkarot stood up, appearing to be intending to leave. Donovan gathered his thoughts. “Before you go, War Chief, I was hoping to make a couple of requests of you.” Sakkarot focused his attention on Donovan, “What is it then?” “First, for the next task that we are being asked of by Thorn, we will need to employ more discretion. As such, I was hoping that my friend GrumbleJack would be able to remain with you until your invasion has been made manifest.” Sakkarot nodded approvingly, “GrumbleJack is welcome to stay with us. I’m sure he will not need any protection from me, as he is a powerful warrior in his own right.” Donovan smiled, “Wonderful. As to the other request, would you be interested in taking a slave from us? Thorn wishes to have the captain of the Frosthamar killed, so I was hoping I could leave him in your care until your men got bored with him.” Sakkarot tilted his head slightly, “I thought your team was sailing on to the town?” Donovan affirmed, “Yes, but I only need the sailors for that, I don’t need him.” Sakkarot chuckled, “You are certainly an unusual creature, Donovan. And yes, we’ll be happy to take him off your hands. My army can always use more slaves.” Donovan smiled and clapped his hands together, “Wonderful, have some of your men wait down at the edge of the pier. We’ll get him ready for you.” Sakkarot handed Donovan a simple flare gun, then spoke solemnly, “It will take me two weeks to bring the remaining troops here, and then move into position. Once there, I will be able to keep them in line for another two weeks. You have that long to bring down the defenses of the Watch Wall. Can you accomplish this task in that time?” Donovan smiled and said, “Thorn believes this to be true.” Sakkarot grunted with a pleased look on his face, then responded once more, “Do this and your names will be legend. Hail Asmodeus!” With that, Sakkarot left the tent. Donovan reached out to his family through the telepathic link created by Tamsen. “Prepare yourselves, it’s time for us to deal with the Captain tonight.” Lucius was making the most of his time on the Frosthamar. Taking some of the Blackfire Clay that Donovan had left behind for him, Lucius began trying out some simple dishes with ingredients and spices that he had been thinking about over the last several days. Odenkirk and his crew were having a wonderful evening, with Lucinda even playing the part of a bar wench who would fetch drinks and plates for them. Odenkirk reveled in card games, especially as he frequently changed the rules to suit whatever he thought gave him the best chance of winning. Lucius didn’t give too much thought to such things. It was all well enough that Lucius was being appreciated for his work, by people who didn’t consider service to be a sign of slavery. When the instructions came in, Lucius began silently instructing Lucinda to align herself to the side or rear of Odenkirk as best she could. Even as Lucinda maintained the ruse of a simple drink server, she began sizing up the Captain, seeing how she would dispatch him. Lucius saw Donovan and the others walking up to the pier, with a group of bugbears in tow. Donovan observed what was going on at the deck of the Frosthamar, and handed Bebop a stack of gold coins. The group stepped up on the ship from the pier, as Lucius kept trying to pull different sailors away from the group playing with Odenkirk. Odenkirk, seeing Bebop with a stack of coins and no understanding of the rules, was nearly salivating at the chance to have Bebop play. And with Bebop directly in front of the Captain, and Lucinda to his side, the plan was about to take place. Tamsen whispered her soft words of Slumber, cutting across the deck of the ship into the Captain’s ears. Odenkirk drooped over and fell asleep. As Donovan shouted out a warning to the crew, Lucinda let the platter she was holding in her left hand drop, while her right hand simultaneously unsheathed her blade. The two hands latched on together to the weapon as the blade made contact with the captain’s neck, severing his head in a moment. The sailors were struck numb with terror, having seen Odenkirk killed faster than some of them could even blink. They began to panic, considering their odds if they went for their weapons. Donovan raised his hands in a non-threatening pose. “Relax gentlemen. I’m here to talk to you about employment opportunities.” Donovan began to question the sailors on how much they were being paid for the journey, and how much of that they had received thus far. After learning about the relative pittance they were being paid, Donovan offered to double their fees and increase their advance in exchange for getting the Frosthamar to Alderncross. Donovan finally ended his sales pitch with, “Unless some of you are still loyal to Odenkirk.” One member of the crew responded from the Crow’s Deck by spitting at the former Captain's corpse. Donovan chuckled briefly, “Good enough. Then, unless some of you want to stay here for some reason, I suggest we make distance from this camp on our way to our destination.” A few hours later, the ship was back on the lake, having left the corpse of the captain behind with the bugbears. One of the sailors named Asghan approached Donovan, “We’d like to know what your plans are with us.” Donovan calmly responded to him, “I understand your concerns, but we have no issue with any of you on this ship. Odenkirk was a fool, who attempted to change the terms of the deal after it had been agreed upon. He sealed his fate when he did that. But, his actions are not yours, and I’m not planning to punish you for the greed of your former captain. My instructions were simple. Kill Odenkirk and his crew. I killed Odenkirk, and now he has no crew.” Asghan shook his head vigorously, “No, we are not part of Odenkirk’s crew.” Donovan smiled, “Exactly. So, I have fulfilled the instructions that I was given.” Donovan then looked at the sailor intently, “But, you need to understand. I need you to keep quiet on this matter. When you get into town, you need to remember the expression about loose lips and what they sink.” Donovan quickly changed his form into that of the sailor.” The sailor responded, “We don’t feel comfortable in that town.” Donovan returned to his true form, and cursed himself silently. Of course they don’t fit in, they are poor and don’t speak enough Common. Why would I assume that they would be treated as people? “We’ll figure something out, Asghan. But, for now, know that neither I nor my family bear any of you ill will or intend any harm towards you.”, Donovan spoke to the sailor in a calm and reassuring voice. Perhaps the words did end up having some positive effect on the sailors, as no violence occurred on the deck that evening. The next morning, the ship resumed its heading to Aldencross, and arrived there within a couple of days. Donovan paid the sailors the remaining amount promised, then stepped off the ship with his family. “I’ll figure out how we’re going to manage all this, so stay docked for now.” The sailors nodded, and the family left to explore the town and all it had to offer. Donovan and the others had collected quite a number of trinkets and baubles over the course of the last few months, and Donovan was all too eager to unload these goods and purchase better supplies. Before that could occur, however, a few things had to be wrapped up. First, Tamsen sent Timeon back to Balantyne, with instructions on how he should reingratiate himself back into the local military here. While Timeon did briefly protest, Tamsen was quite effective at getting him to bend to her will. Once he was on his way, the group decided to find the nearest Inn in order to get a bath. The group only found one place of note in the town, and that was the Lord’s Dalliance. The Lord’s Dalliance was apparently at one time a brothel of sorts before the restrictions in the laws allowing prostitution. Since then, it has clearly gone through several redesigns in order to allow for more rooms to be provided. The group stepped into the Inn, taking in the sights and sounds of the establishment. Sizing up the business, Donovan went to the individual who appeared to be the owner, named Bellum Barhold. Donovan smiled and introduced himself to the owner as “Donovan Thorn”. Donovan asked if any rooms were available, and Bellum listed several rooms at different prices. Naturally, Donovan rented out several expensive rooms for him and his family, including the largest room that Bellum offered. Bellum listed an amount for two weeks of rental time, and Donovan countered by making an offer that included several fine bottles of alcohol that he had procured from Odenkirk’s personal stash. Barhold was very pleased with this transaction, actually spending more time trying to understand the motivations of these wealthy travelers. “I’m attempting to establish a merchant trading route in the area.”, Donovan responded when asked what his business was in Aldencross. Bellum thought about what he had learned thus far about the man. “I must say, I’m not familiar with a merchant family by the name of Thorn.” Donovan smiled at his query, “I’m not using my birth name. I want to be judged by my own actions and not by the name I was born to.” “You are quite an impressive young man!”, Bellum responded with approval. “If only more of your kind were in our world.” “Thank you for the compliment, Bellum.”, Donovan replied. “As part of our return to land after all these weeks, I would like to pay for all the drinks over the course of the next few hours. If you could give me an appropriate amount that you think it would cost to facilitate such a thing…” Bellam’s smile grew wide, as he began to go into the detail of the powerful drinking ability of the Dwarves who stayed at the Inn and worked to maintain the Watch Wall. After a while, he finally came around to the number, “I think that would be 20 Gold.” Donovan placed the Gold onto the bar, and smiled weakly. “Now, my good sir, I must retire to the rooms you have provided for us and have a bath. I will be back shortly to celebrate with your fine patrons.” As Donovan and Tamsen walked up the stairs to their room, Bellum made the announcement to all of the patrons that drinks would be on the house for the next couple of hours, and thanked the generous donors who made the event possible. A roar came up from all of the bar, and people began to place their orders. Tamsen and Donovan entered their room just as the servants finished adding the water into the bath. As the servants departed, Tamsen pulled off her minimal clothing and climbed into the bath. “Come join me, love.”, Tamsen invited Donovan with a devilish grin. Donovan looked back at her, “I don’t think it’s big enough for the two of us. I can wait until you are out.” Tamsen sighed, then began washing the days of travel from her skin. Donovan assisted Tamsen in bathing. As he gingerly touched her back and shoulders, Donovan frowned. “I’m so sorry, my love. I wish you didn’t have to live in a world where you had to hide your wings and tail. This world seems to only accept people who look a certain way and believe a certain way.” Tamsen rolled over in the bathtub, facing Donovan. “I don’t care about how people see me, Donovan. I care about how you see me.” Donovan took Tamsen’s hands, “I love you, Tamsen. You are everything to me. I want the world you live in to see you as I do.” Donovan leaned forward with an intensity that Tamsen rarely saw from him. She leaned against him, her forehead pressed against his as her arms draped around his shoulders. “The way you make me feel Donovan. I have never felt anything like this before.” Donovan smiled at her, their heads still pressed together, “And how exactly do I make you feel, my love?” In a single motion, Tamsen grabbed the back of Donovan’s shirt, then pulled him into the bathtub with her. The bathtub water sloshed around the two of them, as Tamsen’s arms wrapped around Donovan, who was now soaked in his clothes. Donovan laughed, spitting out the water that had gone in his mouth. “I told you we both couldn’t fit in here.” Tamsen kissed Donovan, pulling his clothes off of him. “I don’t care lover. I just want you.” Donovan quickly found himself lost in the embrace of Tamsen; and spent for the first time in what seemed like a very long time, being completely alone with the woman he loved. When Tamsen and Donovan finally returned from their rooms, the patrons were well into the enjoyment of the free alcohol that had been provided to them. Bebop and Lucius were already moving around the room, engaging the crowd and listening to the conversations that were being had. Bebop was up to his usual antics, attempting to outdrink the Dwarves in order to get the attention of some of their females. After spending some time drinking with them, Bebop reached his limit; but was able to impress the group in some small way. Listening to the different stories, it was hard to make sense what was true and what was self-aggrandized elaboration; but the group knew that any information could be vital to understanding weaknesses in the Watch Wall. A few hours later, the group began to move through the town, finally selling off the items that they have collected for months. Donovan used his knowledge and skills with mercantile products in order to improve his buying power within the city. Among the many items he purchased for his family, he acquired a single ring. He placed the ring onto Tamsen’s finger. “For you, my love. Perhaps not the ring I would truly wish to give you, but one I hope you can accept for the time being.” Tamsen looked at the ring on her finger, then touched Donovan’s face gently, “A ring for me from you? It’s exactly what I wanted.” Donovan smiled, kissing Tamsen softly on the lips, “We have a long road ahead of us, I always want you to walk it with me.” Looking up at the Watch Wall just beyond Aldencross, Donovan knew that the next steps of their walk would be a challenge for his family. Session 7 Ends. [/QUOTE]
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