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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rchodges" data-source="post: 8478507" data-attributes="member: 7031385">Part 1: Knot of ThornsAct 4: Burning Balentyne!Session 10: Heartfelt BloodshedTamsen stirred as the rays of morning light cut across the window of the Inn they had been staying in. She began to unravel herself from the bed sheets, reaching out with her eyes still closed over to Donovan’s side of the bed. However, as her arms continued to reach out across the mattress, there was no one else in the bed with her. “Donovan?”, she muttered somewhat confused. Opening her eyes, she began to take stock of everything in the room, even with the limited light. Tamsen saw Donovan sitting at the provided desk, surrounded in papers and books while muttering to himself. “What are you doing, lover?”, Tamsen called out to Donovan, hoping to coax him back into the bed and her waiting arms. Donovan continued to stare into the papers on the desk, absently responding. “Good morning, Tamsen.” Tamsen’s face soured at his words. Donovan rarely called her by her name, especially when they were alone together, as he had an affinity for using pet names of affection towards her. Tamsen exited the bed, her naked form moving slowly towards Donovan. As she approached him, she could see the piles of notes and charts that he had been poring over. How long had he been awake? All night, perhaps. “Everything ok, my love?”, Tamsen spoke softly, as her hands rested against his shoulders. She could feel the tension and focus running across his muscles. “We’re falling behind on scheduling and funds. I’m going to have to make more aggressive decisions.”, Donovan responded flatly. And with those words, Donovan confirmed her suspicions. The “planner” was now working.When Tamsen first began living with Donovan in the Westermeyer manor, she noticed the sort of family that he had. Donovan’s mother was a sweet woman, always warm and kind to her whenever they would speak. But Donovan’s father Alcott was an entirely different creature altogether. After he attempted to “make a move” on Tamsen and was immediately yelled at by Donovan, Alcott focused all of his anger and disappointment into Donovan. Anytime books were out of balance at one of his shops, or there was a discrepancy of how to deal with staffing issues, Alcott would drop everything on Donovan without a hint of warning. Any complaints or questions from Donovan would be met with by a vicious tirade from his father. And, on the rare occasion where Donovan’s mother attempted to intervene, Alcott would howl about how much he had spent on Donovan’s failed education, and how he could have hired a slew of bookkeepers for the wasted coin they spent on him. Tamsen watched as Donovan would focus himself, attempting to prove his worth to his father over and over again, only for Alcott to snort and tell Donovan that he arrived at the obvious and simple answer. During those times, Tamsen remembered how cold and distant Donovan was, desperate to prove his worth, desperate to please a man who would never be happy with his actions. And somewhere in all of that cruelty and beratement, the “planner” was born. It was still Donovan, but with a focused sense of purpose that prioritized results over elegance. Donovan was never cruel to her in those moments, but Tamsen saw the loneliness and rage in Donovan’s eyes, and she hated Alcott all the more for what he had done to the man she cared for so deeply.Not wanting to interrupt Donovan’s studies, Tamsen dressed herself and went downstairs. Bebop and Lucius were already downstairs, enjoying their morning and celebrating the victories they had seen achieved. “Heh, looks like the dwarves are off for their expedition now.”, Bebop snorted happily, as he stuffed his face with food. “Now no one will be coming to repair the worn-down watch wall.” “Now we need to see what we can do about Mott. Maybe he’d be willing to pay for information on where his wife and Eddarly slipped off to.”, Lucius spoke up, thinking about the potential opportunities. “I suspect for a man as career driven as himself, Mott’s going to be none too happy about this public embarrassment.” Tamsen said nothing, just ate her food and smiled weakly at the two boys sitting with her. If she knew anything about Donovan, she knew he wouldn’t prioritize any decision that continued to delay progress or incurred additional expenses. No, the “planner” would want the most efficient resolution possible, which probably meant he would kill his way through the whole fortress to get back onto his perceived timeline and budget, if that was the most efficient route. Lucius looked down at the uneaten plate of breakfast, “Where is Donovan?”, Lucius laughed. “Did you wear him out again last night?” The two boys laughed at the implication. “He’s still upstairs looking over some things. I’ll just take his breakfast to him. Thanks, Lucius.” Tamsen kissed Lucius and Bebop gently on the cheek, then grabbed the plate and returned upstairs.If Donovan had even moved once since she went down to eat breakfast, it was impossible to tell. He was continuing to mutter numbers and statistics to himself. “I brought your breakfast up, my love.”, Tamsen said sweetly to Donovan. “Sure, thanks.”, Donovan’s hand waved across the desk. “Just set it down somewhere, and I’ll get it in a bit. Thank you again.” Tamsen knew Donovan all too well not to accept that answer. If she didn’t pull him away from the work, he would literally go without food or sleep until he was finished. Tamsen sat herself down on Donovan’s leg, interposing herself between him and his work. She cut a bite of the food away, and pushed it into his mouth, “Say ahh.” Donovan was caught unaware in that moment, as the food was forced into his mouth before he could respond. He chewed it briefly and smiled at Tamsen, “Thank you, my love.” “There you are, baby. I thought the desk was going to eat you whole.”, Tamsen giggled as she touched Donovan’s face. Her unease began to dissipate, thinking she could pull Donovan back from his obsessive ways.“Hey Pretty Lady”, the voice of Kiliketz rang out in her head, “Boss told me to contact you when the man who lived at the house showed up. He’s here now.” When had Donovan given these instructions to Kiliketz? Tamsen realized that Donovan had already been planning his actions since last night. “Damnit.”, Tamsen mumbled weakly. “What’s wrong?”, Donovan responded, touching her arm gently. “Kiliketz contacted me and…”, Tamsen could see the almost immediate shift in Donovan’s face. “It’s time, let’s get the guys and head over.” Donovan stood up, pulling Tamsen up with him. Tamsen knew there would be no romantic breakfast, or much romance of any kind for the time being.Tamsen reached out to Bebop and Lucius through her mind’s connection. “Kiliketz says Mott is back home. Donovan wants you to get dressed and be ready to go in five minutes.” Donovan was already planning the battle strategy in his head. Clearly, there would be no discussions with this man before he died.The family made their way over to the Mott residence, taking care to make themselves appear as members of the Castle Guard. Arriving at the doorstep, Donovan finally spoke up, “He’s going to be tired from having to take a longer shift, then being confused at the disappearance of some of Kaitlyn’s belongings. With any luck, he’ll have already removed his armor.” Donovan’s eyes flashed to Lucius, “Lucinda will enter the home under cover of invisibility, then lay the initial strike.” Handing Bebop a pair of flasks, Bebop performed the all too familiar ritual of consuming one, then holding the other in his mouth before spitting it back into the container, after becoming invisible. “Once she attacks, Bebop will follow up with the killing blows.” Lucius applied Invisibility to Lucinda, and then she unlocked the front door and let herself and Bebop in.To say the attack was a slaughter would be an understatement. Without preparation or armor, Mott was in no position to employ his usual tactics, and the sheer brutality of their sudden and unexpected attacks would have killed far stronger combatants. Bebop took a brief moment during the onslaught to mock the Captain for being a cuckold, before finishing him off. Donovan, Tamsen, and Lucius walked into the room a moment later, only to see the slaughter that had been wreaked on Captain Mott. Emotionless, Donovan asked Tamsen to scan the room for items of magic, while he took the love letters and the “Dear John” letter penned by Kaitlyn, and covered them in Mott’s blood. After completing that, he scattered the letters about the room. From there, Bebop took out the sword that belonged to Mott, and stabbed the corpse through the back. For the remainder of the items, Donovan had Bebop take the set of armor and the Halberd that Mott used, following Tamsen’s notice that the weapon displayed magic. Finishing up their actions, the group resumed their disguises, and left the property.Donovan looked to the rest of the group, “I need to do some research in town. I’ll catch up with the rest of you later." The group looked back at Donovan somewhat confused, and then headed back to the Inn. Once Donovan got out of earshot, Lucius spoke up, “That was weird, right? For Donovan to spend all of that time worrying about everyone, only to immediately turn around and order everyone dead, that’s not normal.” Bebop nodded, “Yeah, he’s kind of psychotic now, I guess.” Tamsen’s displeasure was obvious, “You two did this! This is your fault! You both make him feel like he’s unwanted in his own family, and now he feels pressure to make you happy.” Lucius protested, “How exactly did I make him feel like he’s unwanted?” Tamsen pushed up closer to Lucius, the rage written plainly on her face. “You made him feel guilty because he was born privileged. He’s always looked out for both of you, but you make him feel like he’s the same as the others.” Bebop growled, “Then maybe he shouldn’t support all of these scum!” Tamsen’s face turned to Bebop, her eyes burning with barely contained anger. Bebop looked away, knowing that he had reached Tamsen’s limit. Lucius raised his hands and smiled, attempting to defuse the situation, “Ok Tamsen, we understand. How can we make things better?”Donovan moved through the streets, walking into and out of stores, his eyes darting over the different products, searching for something, or perhaps several different somethings. Most of the different store owners recognized Donovan, and greeted him enthusiastically. Donovan, however, seemed to appear distracted or disinterested. He made passing attempts to engage the shopkeepers, but his mind was clearly pulled into other places. When he asked questions, it was about weights and measurements of odd products, such as chocolate and salt. Most of the store owners were confused by Donovan’s actions, but still attempted unsuccessfully to aid him in his search.Time passed, and as the bar of the Inn filled back up for the evening’s activities, the discussions about what had occurred at Captain Mott’s home were beginning to escalate. People were speaking about what could have happened, if Captain Eddarly was really involved with Mott’s wife and worse still, if he had something to do with Mott’s passing. The discussions were worrying to be certain, but Bebop had other matters that were on his mind. Bebop kept looking over at Tamsen, and he could see that her annoyance at him had not abated through the evening. “Talk to me Tamsen, please.” Tamsen’s eyes met Bebop’s and he knew that she was still unhappy. “And what would you have me say?” “I’m sorry, ok? I didn’t know how much this meant to you.”, Bebop was genuinely upset, and Tamsen could see it in his eyes. Tamsen pushed up closer to Bebop, her features softening, “HE matters to me, Bebop.” Bebop nodded, “I know, and I understand. You and I, we’ve had to see the worst of things. We’ve had to experience all the prejudice and hate this place has to offer. I don’t want to forgive them, Tamsen.” Tamsen’s hand slid across Bebop’s face, and she nodded briefly before kissing him. After they released, she spoke, “I need him, Bebop. Please.” “I’ll do whatever it takes, for both of you.”, Bebop’s forehead touched against Tamsen, and they were both quiet in the moment.Donovan walked into the bar, seeming annoyed even as several of the people there cheered his arrival. He walked up to the table where everyone was seated and spoke briefly. “We’ve got a lot of riding ahead of us tomorrow, so you all should probably rest up.” Without any further discussion, he walked up into his room, and closed the door. The three of them sat there a while longer, not knowing what to say to each other. Finally, Lucius spoke up. “Well, I guess we have our marching orders. Good night, kids.” With that, Lucius retired to his room as well. Bebop wrapped his arms around Tamsen’s waist. “Do you want to come to my room tonight?” “I don’t think I should right now.”, Tamsen sighed. Bebop grunted, displeasure in his tone. “Ok. But I’m here if you need me to be.” Tamsen kissed Bebop softly once more, and the two of them returned to their respective rooms.The next morning came, and Tamsen discovered Donovan already awake again, studying and restudying the map he had received from the Dwarves. It was clear to her that Donovan was already beginning to piece together the different locations and what they represented to the Keep, even without having someone on the inside to give him a room for room breakdown. Schedules and guard shift rotations were now also in place, even though Donovan could not know what those schedules were. As soon as Donovan heard Tamsen waking up, he set down the paperwork on the desk. “Another busy couple of days ahead of us Tamsen, we’re going to be in the woods for a couple of days.” Tamsen groaned and flopped back on the bed. She had just woken up, and everything was already terrible. Without waiting for her response, Donovan left the room.Donovan walked downstairs, stopping only briefly at the table where Lucius and Bebop were sitting. “I’m going to go rent us some horses. Be ready for an overnight stay. It’ll take us a couple of days to get there and back.” Without waiting for questions of comments, Donovan walked out of the bar and into the street. Tamsen came downstairs shortly after Donovan departed, and she sat down next to Bebop and Lucius. Lucius looked at Tamsen, once again less than pleased, and chimed up, “So, are things… better now?” “Are you asking me if we had sex Lucius? Because no, we did not. Donovan stayed up all night studying.”, Tamsen replied curtly. Lucius shrugged, “I don’t know what to say. It seems like he’s worried about how long everything is taking right now. But, I guess I better go pack some stuff for us to eat overnight.”Having acquired a group of horses for the group to ride out on, Donovan returned to the Inn and asked anxiously, “Are we all ready to go?” The group looked over at each other, then back at Donovan. They then proceeded to leave the Inn, putting their gear and then themselves onto the horses. As the group proceeded, Donovan engaged with Kiliketz from time to time and suggested to him places where he should be scouting ahead. In between those conversations, Donovan and Lucius spoke about different creature types, and which ones are most effective in this type of setting. “I’m guessing we’re not having a conversation with these individuals either?”, Bebop asked of Donovan. “No Bebop, we’re killing them in their sleep. Any questions?”, Donovan replied in a very matter of fact tone. Bebop simply looked over at Tamsen, who looked back at him wordlessly. When the group finally arrived a reasonable distance from where Kiliketz told them the soldiers were camping, they dismounted from their horses, and began walking to the campsite. Pausing just out of sight range, Lucius summoned Lucinda, then applied invisibility to her. She moved as silently as she could behind the one standing guard. Donovan then instructed Tamsen to apply Slumber to the one soldier who was on guard. She complied, appearing directly in front of the soldier before using her magics to put him to sleep. With that, Donovan pulled out his rapier, speaking softly to the blade as it took on a sickly purple hue.Donovan and Bebop moved up on the group of soldiers who were now all sleeping. With the assistance of Lucinda, the three of them positioned themselves over three different individuals, one of whom they believed to be Captain Varning. Timing their attacks together, the three of them slaughtered three of the guards. However, Bebop could not contain his excitement, and his squeals of delight woke up the remaining guards. “Blistering Invective, Bebop.”, Donovan spoke to Bebop, unfazed by the change in the situation. Donovan had explained how this particular Elixir worked, and Bebop was all too excited to try it out. The liquid ran down his throat, and a guttural angry sound escaped his lips, hateful words being spewed out at these unfortunate guards. Of those guards who were still alive and able to wake up, two of them burst into flame, while the other two seemed disturbed by what they were seeing and hearing. Tamsen reached out with her Hexes again, applying Slumber once more to one of the guards not currently on fire. All the soldiers still conscious were cut down as so much wheat, with the other sleeping soldier to be murdered in his sleep a moment later.Lucius called forth an Earth Elemental to dig a communal grave for the soldiers, as Bebop and Donovan went to work stripping the corpses of their gear. Most of the mundane equipment was left with the bodies, but a few items of worth were discovered on Varning. Once the bodies were finished being buried, the group set up their own camp, almost directly on top of where Varning and his soldiers were slain. “You all did great work tonight.”, Donovan said, a smile traced weakly on his face. That night, as Donovan laid asleep next to Tamsen, Tamsen could feel the wetness on his face, and she silently cursed Alcott again.As the next day arrived, the group headed back to Aldencross, unsure of what the next task would be. Donovan described the Rookery to the group, and told them how long the play would be running. Donovan described the specific actions that the team would need to follow, and what rooms they would expect to pass through. “This is our only window of opportunity. We take out this, we’ve stranded Balantyne once and for all.” This was heartening news for all the group to hear. Not only did it mean they were in a good position to take over the Keep, but perhaps this would mean the end of Donovan being so reckless. Tamsen and Bebop seemed to be in an especially good mood with the shift in Donovan’s demeanor. “This sucks Donovan, I’m not getting any treasure or pleasure!”, Bebop complained, although mostly in jest. Tamsen looked suggestively at Bebop, “Let’s get you in a bath, Bebop, and I’ll help you take care of that last part myself.” A laugh came over the group, one that they hadn’t shared in some time together. The group arrived back at the Lord’s Dalliance late into the evening, with all of them feeling somewhat tired from the day’s travel. Still, Bebop and Tamsen were able to find time to enjoy each other, in the way that made each of them feel connected to the other.Donovan allowed himself to sleep in the morning that Ye Merrie Men were slated to perform in the Keep. All of his efforts had seemed to come together, and he only needed to wait until later in the evening to act out his envisioned plan. Indeed, he even allowed himself the luxury of some intimate time with Tamsen, which he had completely denied himself these last several days. However, fate was to decide a different course for the group, as rumors began to swirl up at the Inn that Commander Havelyn had denied entry to the performing troupe, citing a threat to the Keep that was in place. Donovan was deflated at the sound of this news, and began to second guess all of his efforts thus far. What did he not tie up? What aspect of the plan had been overlooked? Did Eddarly somehow get a message through to Havelyn? Donovan’s frustration grew at all of these unanswered questions, but he was resolved to see this matter through.The group got together to discuss their options. “We can’t delay on this, if they get a message out now, all our efforts thus far will have been for nothing! We have to go in!”, Donovan exclaimed. Lucius queried, “What’s the plan then?” Donovan had considered using the tunnels again, but having to wait on an opportunity during the day was risky for the four of them, and waiting all night left too much uncertainty. “We’re going to disguise ourselves as guards, and claim that we are transfers from another Watch Tower. Given the recent issues, it’s not out of reason for them to have put in for such a transfer. Once we get in, we’ll make our way to the Rookery and take that piece off the table.” “And if they don’t let us in?”, Bebop asked worriedly. “Then we’ll improvise.”, Donovan gritted his teeth in that answer, and the group knew what that meant.Heading down to the Watch Tower, things had changed quite a bit from a mere three days ago. The entrance into the compound now had multiple guards, and their appeared to be additional troops that had been brought in. Worse still, everyone entering or leaving was being actively stopped and questioned. Donovan again raged at himself, allowing something to slip through his notice. Tamsen, sensing Donovan’s growing frustration, took Donovan’s hand momentarily. He heard her voice in his head. “Please focus, my love. We all need you right now.”, Tamsen was almost pleading in her request. Donovan felt his heart racing, and he knew she was right. He walked up to the individual manning the guard station and introduced himself. “I’m Grant, me and my guys got orders from our Commander to come down here. Apparently, there’s been some trouble.” The man in the station looked at Donovan through his disguise, “What group are you with?” “We were told to report to Captain Varning, sir.”, Donovan responded, attempting to sound nonplussed. “And where did you come from?”, the guard continued to press. “East Tower.”, Donovan mumbled. He was unsure which Keep would be able to send resources. The guard stared at Donovan, seemingly unimpressed. In his mind, Donovan called out to Tamsen, “I think we’re going to have to kill them all.” “Wait, love. Just wait.”, Tamsen shot back. The guard shrugged, then went into the Keep. In Donovan’s mind, all he could see was his failures. He was convinced that somehow, someone had gotten a message through to them, despite all his efforts. Donovan could barely hold his breathing in check now, so certain he was that a fight was about to commence. Finally, a grizzled soldier came out of the Keep. Donovan could tell this individual had been in the military for some time, and had authority here. “You boys say you were to be transferred to Varning’s team, is that right?”, the man spoke. He had authority, but not cruelty. Donovan responded, “That was our understanding, sir.” Captain Barhold shook his head, “No one around here knows how to do paperwork properly. I’m guessing you four don’t have the paperwork for your transfers, do you?” Donovan, feigning dejection, replied, “Sorry sir, I just follow orders and keep my head down.” Barhold smiled at that response, “Well, we can at least get you boys a meal and a good night’s sleep before we send you back.” With that, Barhold led the group into the Barracks, pointed at some cots for them, and then returned to his work.The group looked around the barracks, with people coming and going, while others were attempting to sleep. Donovan estimated there were around forty people in the room. Donovan spoke quietly in Infernal, “We can kill them all.” Donovan began analyzing the room dimensions, thinking about the group’s powers and what could be accomplished in the relatively small space they had to work with. “We’re with you, Donovan.”, Lucius responded, the fear resonating slightly in his voice. In that moment, Donovan realized what he was doing, and what he was risking. His impulsiveness would cost him the only family he had ever had or loved, and all to maintain some personal absolute that he had created for himself. Donovan began to slow his breath, letting himself calm down and enter the moment. He walked up to one of the soldiers that was standing around the barracks. “I heard that food was still available?”Having been given the directions to the different doorways and some of the rooms beyond them, the group left the barracks and began the trek up to the rookery. They momentarily stopped on the second floor so as to not catch the guards’ attention. Donovan handed an Alchemist’s Fire to Lucius and told him to throw it out past the guards, so as to draw their attention away from the staircase. Completing that, the group went up to the top floor, finding a heavy door with the sounds of birds cawing behind it. “Time for Lucinda”, Donovan looked at Lucius. Once Lucinda and Bebop had arranged themselves into the position where Donovan had suggested, Donovan went up and banged on the door. “Master Martin, the Commander seeks your counsel, right away.” After a short while, a feeble old man opened the door, looking confused at the “soldier” standing in front of him. “What’s that? What does Havelyn want?” Donovan insisted, “Apologies Master Martin, the Commander seeks your counsel regarding some messages to be delivered.” The old man seemed appropriately annoyed, “Why can’t he come up here? Fine, fine!” The bird handler then went through talking to several of his birds, assigning them tasks they were to complete while he was away. Donovan thought it was cute, albeit somewhat sad. Finally, the man was ready to leave. “Alright, son, lead on.” “Yes sir.”, Donovan replied. As Martin and the others began walking towards the steps leading down, Lucius carefully moved in and closed the only open window within the bird filled rookery, effectively sealing the creatures in. From there, Lucinda snuck up behind Martin, decapitating him in a single blow. Martin fell, his lifeless form crumpled in a moment. Bebop picked up his body and tossed him into the fireplace within the rookery. Shortly after, Lucius summoned a Fire Elemental, instructing it to kill all of the ravens inside the room, as the group began the trek downstairs.Upon returning to the third floor, Donovan uncorked another bottle of Alchemist’s Fire, and poured the content over the collection of arrows that they had discovered there on the way to the Rookery. Finishing that task, the group proceeded down to the second floor where the guards that they had previously encountered were still standing around the area that had momentarily burst into flame. “Fire in the Rookery!”, Donovan cried out to the guards! “We need water now! Fire in the Rookery!” The guards, panicked at hearing the news, ran off in order to find buckets and water. With that, the group finished their journey by passing through the Armory, and returning to the Lord’s Dalliance Inn via the tunnels.Later that night, as a very satisfied Donovan laid naked next to the woman who had made him feel that way, he stared wistfully up at the ceiling of the Inn, reflecting on what had occurred over the last few days. Whoever this Commander Havelyn individual was, Donovan realized that the man was no fool; and all of his plans thus far had just been the easy part of tearing apart Balantyne. If Donovan planned to continue assaulting the compound, he would have to create some new strategies to deal with this man.“I hope you’re ready Commander, I have plans for you and yours.”, Donovan mused to himself.Session 10 Ends.</blockquote>

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