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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: 8339779" data-attributes="member: 7031385"><p><strong>Part 1:</strong> Knot of Thorns</p><p><strong>Act 2: </strong>Into the Knot!</p><p><strong>Session 3:</strong> Miles to go Before we Sleep</p><p></p><p>“I’m tired, Donovan.”, Tamsen called out to Donovan.</p><p>Donovan looked over the team, and saw the state of all of them. Of course they were tired. Beaten, underfed, forced to run around and fight for hours on end, how could he have expected any different?</p><p>“Maybe we should sleep somewhere in the prison for a bit?”, Lucius queried.</p><p>Donovan tossed the Portable Alchemist Lab onto the ground, and responded “We can’t do that, Lucius. We don’t know when the next shift will begin to arrive, and all the hells will break when they see what we have done.”</p><p>Snatching ingredients that he found throughout the escape from Branderscar, he began to craft together a grayish paste. “Come here, my love.” Donovan applied the first dose to a brush, and watched Tamsen approach.</p><p>She looked at him quizzically, before he spoke again. “Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.”</p><p>Tamsen complied, albeit hesitantly. Quickly, Donovan painted the paste onto Tamsen’s tongue. She retracted her tongue, then made a displeased face, “So bitter! What is this?”</p><p>Preparing the next dose, Donovan replied, “This should provide us with a few more hours. Enough time to get to the client, and then we can ask about rooms or a nearby inn.”</p><p>Donovan repeated this process with all of them, even GrumbleJack, who Donovan assumed would need additional doses due to his larger size. Donovan didn’t say it to the rest of them, but he knew that when this wore off, the group would be even more exhausted then they were before, so now it was even more crucial that they reached the client soon.</p><p></p><p>The last of the road ended, leaving only the less traveled moors to continue upon. The brackish water began to sink into their feet, as the local insects began to bite and feast on them. Surprisingly, the mood was unusually high, as the effects of the compound Donovan had given the group had caused them to become very perky and alert. Laughter was heard throughout the team, even as the annoyance of the marshes would continue to press upon them. The din of the insects chirping in the background had become a familiar sound now, a constant drone in the night. So, when several members of the party noticed the sudden absence of that sound, the change wasn’t lost on them.</p><p>“Shh!”, Donovan called out it in a curt whisper.</p><p>Total silence fell upon the group, as they began to look for the disturbance that had caused all the insects to flee or be still. The tension was rising in this moment, and it was unclear if it was this tension, or perhaps a reaction to the compound that Donovan had given Bebop a few hours prior that suddenly caused Bebop to have a case of flatulence.</p><p>Donovan glared at Bebop, when Tamsen meekly spoke up, “Guys, I think there’s something….”</p><p>Without a chance to even finish her sentence, a huge tongue lashed out from the water, grabbing Tamsen whole, and pulling her under the surface. A moment later, a huge frog like creature rose from the water, parts of Tamsen’s form still showing from its mouth. The team rushed in to attack without hesitation. GrumbleJack and Lucius’ Eidolon Lucinda were quick to wield weapons for attack. Bebop lined himself up to attack, then quaffed a substance from a glass vial. His form changed as strength came to him. Lucius came up to where Tamsen’s legs still emerged from the frog. While he lacked the strength to free Tamsen, he was able to apply a healing spell to her form. For Donovan’s part, his actions were little more than blind panic.</p><p>“No!”, Donovan screamed out, dropping the items he was holding and going for a longbow.</p><p>The massive frog like creature swung its tail about, attempting to knock away GrumbleJack, then attempting to hop away. The team continued to attack the creature, even as it attempted to flee. Before it was able to flee, the giant creature was slain, spitting out Tamsen in the process. She looked up, covered in the saliva from being in the creature’s mouth. Donovan rushed over to her, falling to his knees where she was laying.</p><p>“Are you ok?”, Donovan asked, clearly concerned.</p><p>“Ew, this wasn’t the goo I wanted to be covered in.”, was Tamsen’s response.</p><p>Bebop, hearing the comment from Tamsen, began laughing. Whether from a release of stress or the compound they were still under, all of them starting laughing after that.</p><p></p><p>Donovan asked Lucius and Lucinda if they could track the beast back to its lair. “We’re not leaving any possible children behind that could plague us when next we pass this area.”</p><p>Lucius, having become quite skilled at tracking animals for his ingredient collection, set to work on discovering the path in which it moved. Within about an hour, they were at the lair of the frog monster. It was an undergrown area, where the group needed to duck down even further into the murky water in order to fully access the location, but they had found it. Lucinda entered first, and notified Lucius that there were no other threats present within. The group proceeded inward, taking stock of what remained in this place. The first thing they noticed upon entering here was the remains of a nobleman who had apparently crossed paths with the creature a few weeks prior.</p><p>Donovan recognized the medallion as a member of a minor House within the city. “I guess I should return this to them, so they at least know their son has passed. In the meantime…”, Donovan handed the medallion over to Bebop, who took the trinket with excitement.</p><p>Tamsen hissed at Bebop, “I hope that medallion brings you comfort in bed tonight, for I surely won’t be.”</p><p>Her angry eyes made it clear that she was still unhappy about the previous encounter, and his actions that led to it. Collecting a few coins strewn about the mud, and finding no other creatures in this place, the team set back off for the manor. Time continued to pass, and the initial giddiness that Donovan’s compound had brought to the group had now worn off. It was merely willpower alone that continued to carry them all forward, as the dirt and grime covered every inch of their bodies. The insects had of course returned, and were now feasting on these easy targets. As a cold mist began to pour down on them, they saw the manor. It was a large place to be sure, aged from the years and limited maintenance, but Donovan knew the accoutrements of wealth when he saw it. At this point it could have been a shack and he would have taken some comfort; but seeing this at least meant that they could very well have spare rooms, some place where he could make sure his team was well rested. He felt that his mind was starting to fail him, unable to plot and plan out how he would negotiate with his would-be clients.</p><p></p><p>As the team walked up the stairs to the front door, the door itself opened before they even knocked. The person answering the door was Tiadora, wearing a white dress, almost see through in its appearance. Her hair had also changed to a platinum blonde.</p><p>Looking at Donovan, she smiled vindictively, “Dearest, you took long enough! We were beginning to wonder if you’d ever make it.” Looking over at GrumbleJack, her expression became dourer, “And you brought a pet.”</p><p>On any other day, Donovan would have a thousand responses. Now, he questioned how long he had spent walking that evening. Had it been days? Had he missed the expected timeline? As Donovan questioned his actions, Tiadora continued to speak, berating him in a passive aggressive manner. Servants appeared, and were tasked to take the team into respective bedrooms for them to be cleaned and changed.</p><p>GrumbleJack also made his displeasure known to Donovan, “GrumbleJack no like this woman. One day, GrumbleJack eat her.”</p><p>Donovan replied, “You eat people?”, to which GrumbleJack nodded.</p><p>“Good to know.”, Donovan responded, “For now though, let’s get cleaned up. We have a lot to learn about our host.”</p><p>Donovan was taken to a room with a bath. The water steamed, as it was clearly warm, and pails of cool water sat beside it to adjust the temperature. After arriving, the servant spoke in an almost monotone voice about how he was here to help clean Donovan and assist him in getting changed. The servant stretched out his arms towards the bed, where a clean pile of clothes were laying.</p><p>Donovan was completely disinterested in what the servant was saying, interrupting the servant in the middle of their speech, “Do you know where the woman is staying?”</p><p>The servant responded, somewhat confused, “Lady Tiadora is with the manor, staying in…”</p><p>“No!”, Donovan snapped, “The woman who came in with me!” The servant nods, pointing down the hallway.</p><p>“Take me there, now.”, Donovan barked out to the servant.</p><p>The servant nervously grabbed Donovan’s clothes, then led Donovan to Tamsen’s room. Tamsen was already in the bath, rinsing off the grime from the day’s efforts.</p><p>“Hey there!”, Tamsen cheerfully greeted Donovan, as she saw him enter, “Care to join me?”</p><p>Donovan kneeled down next to the tub that Tamsen was bathing in. “I’m just glad you are ok.”</p><p>Donovan smiled weakly, then set his head down against the tub that Tamsen was sitting in. Tamsen reached out her hand and touched the back of Donovan’s head. She could tell that he was frustrated with himself and the situation.</p><p>“It’s ok, love. I know you’ll take care of everything.”, Tamsen reassured Donovan.</p><p>Donovan didn’t say anything, and she just let him sit quietly beside her as she finished cleaning herself off. Once finished, she coaxed Donovan out of his clothes and into the tub, then helped him clean the grime from his form. As he sat almost listless in the tub, she whispered encouraging words to him, while kissing him softly from time to time. As time passed, Donovan’s will began to rebuild, as he felt his awareness return to him. The smile drew back to his face, and he looked around Tamsen’s room.</p><p>Donovan finally spoke up, “This is the hard sell, my love. They wouldn’t go to this much trouble if they were going to make us a good offer.”</p><p>Tamsen nods at him and thought to herself, “There he is.”</p><p>She finished helping him get cleaned up and dressed, then momentarily considered offering even more of herself to Donovan in order to renew his confidence, before being interrupted by a servant walking in to collect them. “Lady Tiadora will see you now.”</p><p></p><p>Once they were all brought back together with the notable exception of GrumbleJack, Tiadora led them all into an office. Inside the office was a bald, handsome man with piercing eyes sitting in a leather chair and smoking a wooden pipe. Behind him, a fireplace was lit, showing off his expansive collection of books along the wall. Upon entering the room, Donovan smiled and handed offered the fine bottle of alcohol that the team had acquired from Branderscar to Tiadora, “Lady Tiadora, I wanted to take a moment to thank you and your employer for your aid in our recent departure from Branderscar, and your invitation to this wonderful home. I was always taught one should bring a gift when you are guest in someone’s home, so I hope you will accept this with my compliments.” Tiadora took the alcohol from Donovan, and set it on the desk in front of the man. The man sitting behind the desk leaned forward and smiled towards Donovan with a wicked smile.</p><p>The man began, “I believe you to be the first to ever escape from Branderscar prison. Well done! Of course, you had outside help, and still managed to muddle the whole thing up.” Donovan was taken aback by the last part of that sentence but held his tongue and let the man continue unimpeded.</p><p>“But enough with the pleasantries. You must be curious why I helped you. Rest assured, this is no random act of altruism. I have brought you here for a reason. My name is Cardinal Adrastus Thorn.”</p><p>Donovan began searching his memories to remember an individual with that name. Nothing occurred to him, yet he felt as though he should know this person. His eyes drifted around the room and caught Tiadora’s eyes. Her gaze had changed. She took on a predatory stance towards Donovan’s team. A dark realization came over Donovan, as it occurred to him that this wasn’t a sales pitch, he was listening to a cult leader with a conversion speech. Thorn went on about how he was the High Priest of Asmodeus, and how Asmodeus was once worshipped in Talingarde. It was clear that Thorn wanted revenge on Talingarde, but Donovan was trying to make sense of why Thorn was so passionate for revenge. Then the other shoe dropped. Thorn rolled up a sleeve, showing that he also had the brand of the Forsaken on his arm. Donovan was lost in thought for the rest of the conversation, but he was sure something was said about power and vengeance and war. But Donovan explicitly heard the last sentence with perfect clarity, and knew exactly what Thorn was saying under his words. “Will you swear your allegiance, or will you burn with the rest of the blind fools?” Donovan’s worst fears had come manifest as he recognized he was dealing with a lunatic that was probably capable of killing him and his team with very little effort. But Donovan was still a negotiator, and perhaps he could talk his way out of this situation. His eyes snapped over to Tiadora, still looking at them with a hungry gaze.</p><p>He smiled at her and quipped, “Your friend’s not given to foreplay I see.” Donovan chuckled slightly as Tiadora’s eyes narrowed, then he continued.</p><p>“So, Cardinal Thorn, what a delight to finally meet you! And I see you have yet another test for me to start with. Alright, I’ll play along. Do you mind if I stand, it helps me think?” Donovan stood up, trying to find the answer that had been chewing at his mind for the last few minutes. “I was trying to make sense of why you would want to destroy Talingarde. Destruction is such an inefficient means of gaining control of the city. Don't get me wrong, the black market thrives when governments are weakened. Of course, I could be misreading this whole situation if…”</p><p>Donovan’s head snapped back to Tiadora, as he whipped out his next question. “Lady Tiadora, what were your thoughts about the plan that was used to rescue me from Branderscar?”</p><p>Tiadora’s eyes looked over quickly at Thorn, then came back to focus on Donovan, “I think you need to be listening to the Cardinal…”</p><p>Donovan interrupted her immediately, “I understand. You have no real authority here, meaning that you too are under contract with Thorn. Since you’re powerful…”, Donovan looks back at Thorn, “… that means you are by extension powerful.”</p><p>Donovan put his finger to his mouth. “But you have the brand on your arm, and no one has ever escaped from the prison. You would want me to know if you had escaped, so you didn’t. That means…”, Donovan catches himself in a different answer, as Thorn watches him with something between curiosity and annoyance, “… no, heresy is punishable by death. Which means… which means you died! Yes, you died and were brought back to life. By your acolytes? By your compatriots? By a patron?” Donovan stared into Thorn’s eyes, attempting to see what the truth of his probing would reveal. Thorn was incredibly stoic, beyond Donovan’s ability to extract information through just his speaking. Donovan would not be deterred, however.</p><p>He continued to press in, “But that’s not enough, of course. Not enough for you to want to take down a whole city. So, something else. Something that was taken from you. Something that was…”, Donovan snapped his fingers and pointed at Thorn, “You had power! Real power in the city! You were someone high up in Talingarde, with true power and influence. And then you were betrayed by someone, one of the big three obviously. And that’s what got you to this place!”</p><p>Donovan looked over at the rest of his team, “Family, Lover, Co-Worker. Always the big three for betrayal.”</p><p>Donovan looked back at Thorn and smiled, despite the fact that Thorn was clearly annoyed now. Donovan knew he had poked and prodded hard on Thorn, hoping that Thorn would rather be rid of the lot of them then continue on with someone such as a merchant's son. Donovan’s hopes were stifled when Thorn replied, “We’re not here to talk about me, we’re here to come to an arrangement.”</p><p>Donovan pivoted, attempting to play a different card. “Well certainly Cardinal Thorn, I recognize that I am indebted to you; and as such, am happy to come to whatever agreement you would like to make. But, I see no need for my employees to enter into this arrangement.” Cardinal Thorn countered, “We rescued your team as well.”</p><p>Donovan moved his frame closer, smiling broadly, “With respect, sir, I’m the one who actually rescued my team. As such, I’m the only one who should be obligated to this arrangement between the two of us.”</p><p>Once more, Cardinal Thorn would broach no argument, “We invested considerable resources in the acquisition of your team, Donovan. Were we simply interested in you, we would have invested different resources in order to recover only you.”</p><p>The threat from Tiadora was palpable now, Donovan had played almost his entire hand and had not moved the negotiations an inch. Donovan sighed internally, “May I see the contract please, Cardinal Thorn?” Thorn smiled, then handed a copy of the contract to Donovan. Donovan’s eyes quickly scanned and absorbed the information in the contract.</p><p>Donovan, perhaps from the fatigue of the day or the stress of the negotiation, laughed out loud after reading the text of the contract. “Who wrote this contract, Cardinal Thorn?”, Donovan asked.</p><p>Thorn glared at Donovan, clearly displeased with the nature of the question.</p><p>“Ah, I see, sir.”, Donovan responded.</p><p>Tamsen spoke to Donovan inside his mind, “How are you going to sign a contract when you already have a contract with me?”</p><p>Donovan responded, “Not the same type of contract, my love. This is a contract for service.”</p><p>Bebop spoke out loud, “How long is this contract for?”</p><p>“Perpetual.”, Donovan replied flatly, “Exactly as stated in the first sentence of the contract.”</p><p>Donovan then addressed Cardinal Thorn again, “As you know, I will continue to acquire staff to assist me in my efforts. How exactly will the contract work with regards to my new hires?”</p><p>Thorn responded, “If you are referring to your large friend, rest assured those similar arrangements have been made with regards to him.”</p><p>Donovan pressed, “Wonderful, but I’m referring to employees that I encounter in my travels.”</p><p>Thorn was surprisingly dismissive, “If you find someone in your travels whose goals align with your own, you do not need to bring them back here in order to have them work for you.”</p><p>Donovan smiled, and thought to himself, “Idiot. Yet another hole in your so-called contract.”</p><p>Lucius spoke up to Donovan, “I’m with you, of course. But, don’t you think you need to speak with them on the terms of this contract?” Donovan replied tersely, “I have a plan.”</p><p>Finally, Bebop spoke up again, “This is a bad contract.”</p><p>Donovan, using Tamsen as a relay to communicate to Bebop’s mind, responded to Bebop. “Yes, Bebop, welcome to thirty seconds ago. Of course it’s a bad contract. You’re just going to have to have faith in me that I’ll take care of things. This contract has holes that I can exploit, but there’s nothing I can do about the way it’s written at the moment.”</p><p>Bebop nodded, then looked over at Thorn, “Ok, I’ll sign it.”</p><p>Thorn immediately noticed the change of demeanor of Bebop, and spoke to Donovan, “That’s a surprising change of attitude for a few moments of silence.”</p><p>“That’s a very astute point you make, Cardinal Thorn.”, Donovan replied coyly.</p><p>After all of the members had signed the contract, Tiadora spoke up, “They all signed? Such a pity. They looked so delicious, too.”</p><p>Donovan thought to the entire group, “Oh yeah, we’re killing that bitch when the needful opportunity presents itself.”</p><p>Cardinal Thorn said his final pleasantries, and encouraged the team to rest and recover.</p><p>As the group began to leave his office, Donovan chimed up, “Thank you again for the opportunity to meet with you tonight, sir. It was quite… illuminating.”</p><p>Thorn’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Donovan, “I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”</p><p>Donovan stared back at Thorn defiantly, “You can train a dog with a muzzle or a leash, but you’ll get different results.”</p><p>With that, Donovan left Thorn’s office. Exhaustion was setting in for all of them now, and the group felt the wear of the past twenty four hours pressing down against them.</p><p>Donovan grabbed Tamsen’s hand, “Stay with me tonight, please.” Tamsen nodded, and they retreated to their bedroom, where sleep would soon find them.</p><p></p><p>When Lucius opened his eyes, almost a full day had passed since he had closed them, “Damn Donovan and his compounds!”</p><p>Lucius began to take stock of his bearings. The accommodations were nice enough. The entire manor felt as though it was once something far more interesting and vibrant, before the current residents had turned this place into something static and... dying. Still, there was no time like the present to take stock of what was going on in this place. He noticed a tray of food that had been placed at the foot of his bed. He leaned over and took a bite, finding himself immediately disappointed.</p><p>“Does no one know how to cook around here?”, Lucius thought to himself. Getting dressed, he immediately called forth Lucinda, who bowed and smiled to him.</p><p>“Let us make our way into the kitchen, see what these people do for meal preparation.”, Lucius spoke to Lucinda.</p><p>She smiled and nodded, the conversation between them entirely wordless and unneeded. She was an extension of his will, understanding what he wished and seeking only to make sure the task was complete. Lucius began moving through the manor, attempting to find out where the kitchen was located. A short while later, Lucius found the kitchen, such as it was. The kitchen suffered from being far too clean, and looked as though it was rarely if ever used. Lucius and Lucinda began going through the kitchen cabinets and drawers, finding supplies and cooking utensils needed to complete their task. Once they had everything set up, Lucius set about cooking some simple dishes, just a few things to get a feel for how everything was set up in this area, and maybe to have food ready for the team whenever they finally awoke from their long overdue slumber. However, Lucius soon discovered that the sounds and smells of his cooking had drawn someone else into the kitchen area. The man was clearly a half-elf, Lucius had spent enough time with Donovan to know the telltale signs of one, but that’s about where the similarities would end. This individual was clearly muscular, with a large sword at his side. He was also very quiet, not saying a single word to Lucius, but instead just watching him cook. Being a cook, however, Lucius was always too excited to try a new recipe out on a willing individual, and this individual seemed extremely interested in what Lucius and Lucinda were doing in the kitchen. Cutting a small portion away from one of the meals he had been preparing, Lucius plated the sample of food, and placed it in front of his silent guest. The man began eating the meal placed in front of him, making happily pleased faces as he swallowed each bite. Lucius enjoyed watching different people eat his food and be happy. While working for Donovan had meant that he would never be unemployed again, it also meant that he was cooking for a much smaller group of individuals, and he knew their tastes all too well. So, having this unknown individual enjoy some random dish he decided to create, that reminded him of a different time when he was living a very different life. His friends soon awoke as well, first Bebop who began devouring the food that was placed before him, then Donovan and Tamsen. Tamsen was wearing her shirt partially buttoned and nothing else, as she walked sleepily with Donovan. Lucius was used to seeing this behavior from her back at the estate, but this was just a reminder of how comfortable Tamsen felt in her skin any place she went. Tamsen leaned over at Lucius, kissing him on the cheek and saying “Thank you” while she took the plate he had prepared for her. Donovan smiled and thanked Lucius as well, setting down the plate to take stock of the silent individual who he had not previously seen. Lucius smiled at seeing his family all together around a table eating his food. It had been a while since the four of them had been able to enjoy this simple pleasure. The pleasure would not last long, however.</p><p>Tiadora approached the group, looking to Donovan, “Cardinal Thorn wishes for you to have a tour of the house, and meet with the Actuary.” Donovan stood up, excitedly clapping his hands together, “Excellent! We’re going to be able to discuss transaction rights, find out what percentages they are acquiring goods at here.”</p><p>Tamsen and Bebop looked at each other, a look of regret on each of their faces. For all his uses, Donovan was often given to becoming very excited about the minutia of business transactions. This was something they were definitely not interested in from their many experiences of being dragged by Donovan to merchant meetings, where they would be forced to listen to Donovan drone on about exchange rates and market forces. Looking over at Tamsen and Bebop, Donovan said, “Let’s go, I am excited to see what their stocking procedures are like!” Tamsen, still in just a shirt, smiled and followed behind. Bebop got up from the table as Tamsen glared at him, following the two of them.</p><p>Bebop called back to Lucius, “Aren’t you coming?”</p><p>Lucius chuckled and looked back at Bebop, “No reason for all of us to have to suffer!”</p><p>Lucius picked up the plates of his friends, and set them to be washed, as Lucinda continued cooking. Shortly after, a couple of human men arrived, seating themselves next to the large Half Elf who was still enjoying the different plates being set in front of him.</p><p>One of them spoke to Lucius, “Are you the new cook?”</p><p>Lucius smiled and responded, “I’m the one cooking.”</p><p></p><p>“You’re paying full retail! Who does that?”, Donovan cried out in the Actuary’s room, berating the man sitting before him.</p><p>Pilkington, the Actuary who worked on behalf of Cardinal Thorn, meekly responded, “I agree sir. But, they won’t let me leave this place in order to deal with the merchants directly. I have to work with the prices they set via indirect interaction.”</p><p>Donovan groaned, then looked over at Bebop. “Give me your ring.”</p><p>Bebop thought about it for a second, then handed Donovan the ring. Donovan took the ring, plus a handful of other trinkets that the group had acquired from Branderscar, and set them in front of the Actuary, a clearly annoyed look on his face. “Fine, take these and the money that’s been allocated to our persons, and purchase a Haversack for us. You can liquidate things at wholesale rates, correct?”</p><p>Pilkington nodded, then responded in a confused voice, “Just a haversack, sir?”</p><p>Tiadora looked at Donovan, “The trials that the Master will soon send you on are lethal. If you are intending to acquire anything for your team, now is the opportunity to do so.”</p><p>Donovan, still annoyed at feeling overcharged for everything, responded curtly to Tiadora, “We killed every guard in Branderscar, ransacked their Armory, and looted nearly every object of value that place had to offer. What does lethal even mean at this point?”</p><p>Tiadora sighed, and looked at Donovan with a frustrated face.</p><p>Donovan continued, “But you are right, good lady, I don’t want to be unprepared.” Donovan looked back at the Actuary and said, “Add two bandoliers to that request, please.”</p><p>Tamsen looked up at Donovan, and in her sweetest voice, spoke to him. “Donovan, I’d like a ring.”</p><p>Bebop quickly followed up on her statement, “Better put a ring on that, Donovan.”</p><p>Donovan stumbled for words. Could Tamsen be asking him for what he thought she was asking for? Would she truly be willing to share that with him?</p><p>Tamsen followed up, “I have this bracelet that I really love, but a ring would be wonderful.” The realization of what Tamsen was actually asking for set in for him.</p><p>Donovan gritted his teeth, cursing his self-delusions, “As if she would ever be willing to…”</p><p>He immediately closed that thought off from his mind, and smiled broadly at Tamsen. “Of course my love, we’ll find you a ring you truly like once we are back in a marketplace.”</p><p>Tiadora, having had quite enough of their nonsense, continued the tour of the house. She introduced the team to a group of individuals named the White Ravens. They seemed a pleasant enough group of people, although they seemed to allow Elise Zadoria to do the speaking for them (a relationship Donovan noted, was very much like his own with his team). Elise was pleasant enough, although a little cold, which is perhaps to be expected. After visiting with them, Tiadora escorted the team to the remaining facilities of note within the manor. After which, she abruptly took her leave of the group, undoubtedly not wanting to have to deal with them any more than was required by dint of her position within the manor. As the stated provisions came in, the servants also brought in a set of silver holy symbols of Asmodeous, and some iron circlets. The servants explained that the circlets would allow them to assume any disguise .</p><p>“Look Bebop, you can appear as any individual you would like to look as.”, Donovan noted when the devices were provided.</p><p>Bebop was excited at the prospect, a momentary respite from his own persona. Tamsen and Bebop snuck away in order to try out the circlets for their own entertainment, while Donovan began assembling alchemical devices in the lab area that had been made available to him.</p><p></p><p>The three days passed, and the team was ceremoniously escorted into Thorn’s office once more.</p><p>“Have you enjoyed your gifts?”, Thorn said to them, self-confidence brimming in his voice. “The iron circlets will allow you to move among your enemies unnoticed. The silver amulets will remind you of your true loyalties. And the other items… well, you will need them now.” Donovan became excited at what the Cardinal was discussing. Finally, a chance to leave this place and begin unraveling the scope of the Cardinal’s plans.</p><p>As Thorn continued and the specifics were revealed, Donovan’s hopes were quickly dashed, “You have done well to escape Branderscar and to escape my offer. However, you are still not ready for my service. Tiadora will lead you to the basement of this domicile. There, you will find nine chambers, each more dangerous than the last. Somewhere, hidden within these chambers is a pendant of silver and sapphire. Recover the pendant and bring it to me. Let nothing and no one stand in your way.”</p><p>Donovan was drawn away from the rest of Thorn’s speech as he began to comprehend what had just been said. Cardinal Thorn was implying he had put some sort of “rooms” or “puzzles” in the basement of his own house? What could he reasonably build that wouldn’t endanger the manor proper or weaken the structural integrity of the building? Was he keeping monsters or people down there? Who was going down there to take care of them? Was the staff testing these chambers to make sure they were still in good working condition? The questions flooded his brain, as Thorn continued, “It is almost dusk. You have until dusk tomorrow to complete this task. Do not fail me.”</p><p>“Twenty-four hours!”, Donovan thought to the group, “How many creatures could he be keeping down there?” Donovan began to get nervous. Perhaps he should have put more stock into Tiadora’s words earlier.</p><p>“Tamsen, call GrumbleJack and tell him to meet us at the entrance to the basement. We’re apparently going to need help.” Tiadora led the group back to the basement, and then unlocked the door into the entrance for the trials. Tiadora looked like she wanted to say something, but Donovan wasn’t interesting in verbally sparring with her, so he avoided any conversation beyond a simple thanks. Once GrumbleJack arrived and Lucius had finished summoning Lucinda, the group proceeded down the stairs towards the first chamber. A sign next to the doorway was written in Common. Reading the words, the sign said, “Deception is a tool. Self-Deception is death. Deceive always thy enemy, but never thyself.”</p><p>Lucinda and Donovan took point for the group, as Donovan told her, “Look for anything that might suggest a trap.”</p><p>While Donovan did not notice anything with his analytical sight, Lucinda’s eyes were far more honed. Speaking to Lucius, she called out her findings, “Master, I see an area of the floor near that door on the opposite end. The floor appears to be inconsistent, as though it has been altered.”</p><p>Donovan, hearing that information, looked back at the section of floor Lucinda pointed out. “Damn good eyes, Lucinda. Yep, it’s trapped. I would have missed it had you not pointed it out.”</p><p>Lucinda and Donovan went to the walls that initially appeared to be blank, their eyes and hands tracing for seams in the walls. Almost at the same moment, each of them spoke out, “Hidden door.”</p><p>Donovan looked back at Lucinda’s find. After Lucinda opened the doorway, a hidden portal revealed a glowing blue gem. As Donovan inspected it more closely, he saw an inscription on the object saying “Thou hast seen through deception to uncover a useful tool.”</p><p>Donovan flicked the object about his fingers a few times, and then said, “Ah. Liquid Frost, very interesting.”</p><p>He stashed the object into one of his bandolier pockets, then opened the hidden doorway he had previously discovered. Lucinda and Donovan carefully stared down the hallway to confirm there was nothing of note.</p><p>Once complete, Donovan looked back on the team. “So, lesson one is… don’t step on traps? Ok. Odd sort of lesson, but fine.”</p><p>The group moved down the hallway to the next doorway. As with the first doorway, a sign in common bore an inscription: “Following the herd is for fools. Fear not their icy derision. Instead, fear only thy Infernal Lord.”</p><p>Donovan put his hand over his face, “Please don’t be something that requires ice. Please don’t be something that requires ice. Please don’t be something that requires ice.”</p><p>The door opens into another room similar to the previous one. Donovan and Lucinda check for any oddities in the room. Quickly, they noticed the traps on the doors located on the opposite side of the room. Donovan also noticed an odd chill in this room, several degrees colder than the connecting hallway. Darting his eyes around, he spotted a patch of mold on the other door not previously studied.</p><p>“Purple mold.”, Donovan nodded with understanding.</p><p>“What’s purple mold?”, Tamsen asked.</p><p>“Purple Mold is a fungus that survives by consuming the ambient heat of the nearby area. It can be extremely dangerous when exposed to fire or direct body heat…” Donovan sighed, knowing what the answer was going to be, “… and is destroyed by exposure to extremely cold objects, such as ice.”</p><p>The group chuckled, seeing the frustration on Donovan’s face. Donovan took out the Liquid Frost item retrieved from the previous room, and handed it to Bebop, “Good sir, if you would please, throw this at that.”, pointing to the Purple Mold on the doorway.</p><p>Bebop readied himself with a windup, then hurled the object at the offending mold. The object struck, splashing the mold with a chilling concoction, causing it to fleck away.</p><p>As this was taking place, Donovan's eyes drifted to the floor, when realization set in. "Follow not the herd! Ugh, it’s like child’s first dungeon. Why are these signs so on the nose?”</p><p>Exasperated, Donovan faced the group and spoke out loud, “Now, I want you all to imagine this. Lady Tiadora had a member of her staff come down here, clean up any footprints that would lead to the door over there, and add footprints to these trapped exits. All of this, just so this sign would have some meaning in relationship to this room!”</p><p>Donovan sighed again, as the last of the mold flecked away and the heat began to return to the room, “Let’s press on.”</p><p>As the next doorway is opened, Donovan and Lucinda check once more for any oddities about the hallway. Finding none, they move on towards the next area. Once more, the sign appears in front of them, written in Common: “Know your enemy. Shatter all that blinds you and then burn the adversary to ashes.”</p><p>Donovan paused to think on this room. “So, a Blindness spell when we open the door, or Darkness spell overtaking the room, right?” The group nodded at Donovan’s assertion. “Alright, so we line up to the side of the room, then open the door.” The group arranged themselves as Donovan suggested, then threw open the door. Blackness extended from within the room.</p><p>Donovan pointed at the state of the room, nonplussed, “Darkness, right.”</p><p>Bebop readied himself to head into the room, and Donovan barked at him, “No, there is one or more monsters in there that will take advantage of your lack of sight in order to attack you!”</p><p>Lucinda stared unblinking into the room, studying it. As an Eidolon, her eyes could pierce darkness that would limit many members of the party, including Donovan. “I see it Master, there is an orb sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room.”</p><p>Lucius replied, “Can you shoot the orb down?”</p><p>Lucinda apologized, “I am not familiar with such weapons, Master. I am willing to try, but lack skill.”</p><p>Donovan slid the bow off of his shoulder, and readied an arrow. “Lucinda, please come guide my hand. I may not be able to see the object you are referring to, but if you put me in position, my shot will fly true.”</p><p>Lucinda placed herself behind Donovan, taking heed of his instructions on where the arrow will travel in relation to his form. Based on his instructions and her perception of the object, Lucinda adjusted Donovan's shoulders and hands.</p><p>“I believe the shot is ready, Donovan.”, Lucinda finally spoke up.</p><p>“Thank you, good lady.” Donovan took one more breath, then let the arrow fly.</p><p>The arrow flew wild, nowhere near the intended spot. Lucinda points to the spot in the room where the arrow struck, and Donovan readied another arrow.</p><p>“Let’s try that again, Lucinda. I think I get what you are trying to do.” Donovan began performing calculations in his mind, understanding how she might be perceiving the location of his shot.</p><p>Donovan lined up the arrow once more, as the calculations worked through his mind. Last second adjustments occur, based on what Lucinda relayed to him. The shot is released again, this time perfectly striking the center of the orb, knocking it off the platform and causing it to break into ineffective pieces. The room, no longer darkened by magic, begins to light up. Donovan nods his approval to Lucinda, with a sense of pride at the accomplishment of the group.</p><p>Just then, Lucius spoke up, “You know, I could grab that orb with Mage Hand, and we could stick it in the Haversack.”</p><p>Donovan slaps his forehead, “That’s a brilliant idea, Lucius! Such a very clever and creative solution! I wish you had said that about two arrows ago.”</p><p></p><p>Looking at the floor, the party noticed that it was covered in a series of holes, suggesting something could come up from underneath.</p><p>“Snakes?”, Bebop said, looking at the floor.</p><p>Donovan handed Bebop an arrow, which he broke the tip off the shaft in order to push down into the holes. But still, no response from the expected “creature” that would come forth once the darkness had been removed.</p><p>“We need to put something out there.”, Donovan said to Lucius. “Toss some creatures on the far side of the room.”</p><p>Lucius was concerned, as he knew that meant he would have to draw back Lucinda. But, for the sake of the group, he complied. A group of rabbits were summoned into the room. Suddenly, a red mist came up, grabbing one of the creatures. A piteous scream came out of the rabbit, and it was desiccated in a moment.</p><p>“Oh gods!”, Tamsen shrieked, pulling Pooky close to her.</p><p>GrumbleJack called to Dononvan, “You want me to smash that, boss?”</p><p>Donovan nodded, still trying to work out what this red mist was that he was seeing. GrumbleJack attempted to smash the mist, but missed with his powerful blow. Bebop grabbed one of the alchemical fires that Donovan had prepped for him, and tossed it into the room. Spinning wildly, the shot missed the mist, and instead landed on another one of the rabbits that Lucius had created. Lucius immediately began the process of recreating the Eidolon, but the process was long and arduous for combat. Tamsen meekly murmured some words to coax the mist to sleep, but the mist seemed unimpacted. Donovan fired an arrow at the creature, still lost in thought.</p><p>Suddenly, Donovan recognized the creature in his mind. “Vampiric Mist! Damnit! Bebop, hit that thing with everything you’ve got. GrumbleJack, get that far door open!”</p><p>Bebop pulled an Elixir from his bandolier and consumed it, while moving up to the creature, his form growing more bestial and monstrous. Meanwhile, the creature viciously wrapped a tendril around GrumbleJack’s arm, causing him to howl in pain. Lucius continued to focus on his ritual, as Donovan’s arrows proved to be largely ineffective against a creature made mostly of vapor. Tamsen moved away, cowered in the moment, as GrumbleJack attempted to peel the lock away from the door. The creature, not recognizing the potential threat from Bebop, continued to focus on the easy attack of the Ogre. GrumbleJack cried out in pain yet again, but was able to finish getting the door open, immediately bolting through the doorway. Bebop unleashed a savage assault on the Vampiric Mist, as teeth, claws, hooves, and horns smashed into the Mist. Even with its ability to absorb damage, it was apparent that it did not enjoy what just took place. The creature, more intelligent than one would have hoped, decided to retreat back into the ground rather than face another onslaught like the one it had just endured. With the creature down beneath the floor, Tamsen is hurried across the room to the open door on the other side. A minute later, Lucinda returned to the field, as her and Lucius also retreated into the far hallway. Finally, Donovan made his way to the doorway, with Bebop continuing to watch for an opportunity to strike.</p><p>As Bebop entered the hallway on the far side of that room with the rest of the group, Donovan threw down his bow in frustration. “What in the hells, Thorn? If you have the capacity to create and maintain Vampiric Mists, this war is already over! We just drop them on the enemy forces and let them do what they do best!”</p><p></p><p>Donovan grabbed one of the vials lining his bandolier, consumed it and placed his hands against GrumbleJack. The visible injuries that GrumbleJack had sustained closed up, and his confidence returned. Another doorway appeared before the group, with yet another inscription to be read: “The chosen are revealed by their might. The weak deserve no sympathy.” Pushing open the door, the room was well illuminated, with several metallic looking snakes in the room. Lucinda pressed into the room first, striking down one of the creatures. Her blades bounced off the side of the snake, and a spark flew up from the ground at the force of her impact.</p><p>Donovan yelled out quickly, “Iron Cobras. Cast Shield on all the frontline fighters!”</p><p>Bebop, empowered by the recent consumption of a Mutagen, felt a sense of rage and power that he unleashed on these metallic creatures. Between him and the other two, the progress was slow but consistent. Lucius and Tamsen applied protective magics to the melee fighters, making it nigh on impossible for the snakes to penetrate their flesh. Combined with the limited intellect of the snakes, this fight was ended in short enough fashion. Donovan looked over the wreckage of the metallic constructs that the group had just battled.</p><p>Looking at the metal, Donovan realized the composition of the snakes. “These aren’t iron, they’re Mithral!”</p><p>Looking around the group, he responded with both excitement and irritation, “Do you know how much these cost to make? He could have given all of us five times what he spent on us instead of making these things! Oh well, it’s our money now.”</p><p>With that, he had GrumbleJack pull apart the constructs and stuff the pieces into the pockets of the Haversack that Bebop was wearing.</p><p></p><p>Donovan leaned against the wall and shook his head, “It’s like my father, all over again.”</p><p></p><p>Session 3 Ends</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="rchodges, post: 8339779, member: 7031385"] [B]Part 1:[/B] Knot of Thorns [B]Act 2: [/B]Into the Knot! [B]Session 3:[/B] Miles to go Before we Sleep “I’m tired, Donovan.”, Tamsen called out to Donovan. Donovan looked over the team, and saw the state of all of them. Of course they were tired. Beaten, underfed, forced to run around and fight for hours on end, how could he have expected any different? “Maybe we should sleep somewhere in the prison for a bit?”, Lucius queried. Donovan tossed the Portable Alchemist Lab onto the ground, and responded “We can’t do that, Lucius. We don’t know when the next shift will begin to arrive, and all the hells will break when they see what we have done.” Snatching ingredients that he found throughout the escape from Branderscar, he began to craft together a grayish paste. “Come here, my love.” Donovan applied the first dose to a brush, and watched Tamsen approach. She looked at him quizzically, before he spoke again. “Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.” Tamsen complied, albeit hesitantly. Quickly, Donovan painted the paste onto Tamsen’s tongue. She retracted her tongue, then made a displeased face, “So bitter! What is this?” Preparing the next dose, Donovan replied, “This should provide us with a few more hours. Enough time to get to the client, and then we can ask about rooms or a nearby inn.” Donovan repeated this process with all of them, even GrumbleJack, who Donovan assumed would need additional doses due to his larger size. Donovan didn’t say it to the rest of them, but he knew that when this wore off, the group would be even more exhausted then they were before, so now it was even more crucial that they reached the client soon. The last of the road ended, leaving only the less traveled moors to continue upon. The brackish water began to sink into their feet, as the local insects began to bite and feast on them. Surprisingly, the mood was unusually high, as the effects of the compound Donovan had given the group had caused them to become very perky and alert. Laughter was heard throughout the team, even as the annoyance of the marshes would continue to press upon them. The din of the insects chirping in the background had become a familiar sound now, a constant drone in the night. So, when several members of the party noticed the sudden absence of that sound, the change wasn’t lost on them. “Shh!”, Donovan called out it in a curt whisper. Total silence fell upon the group, as they began to look for the disturbance that had caused all the insects to flee or be still. The tension was rising in this moment, and it was unclear if it was this tension, or perhaps a reaction to the compound that Donovan had given Bebop a few hours prior that suddenly caused Bebop to have a case of flatulence. Donovan glared at Bebop, when Tamsen meekly spoke up, “Guys, I think there’s something….” Without a chance to even finish her sentence, a huge tongue lashed out from the water, grabbing Tamsen whole, and pulling her under the surface. A moment later, a huge frog like creature rose from the water, parts of Tamsen’s form still showing from its mouth. The team rushed in to attack without hesitation. GrumbleJack and Lucius’ Eidolon Lucinda were quick to wield weapons for attack. Bebop lined himself up to attack, then quaffed a substance from a glass vial. His form changed as strength came to him. Lucius came up to where Tamsen’s legs still emerged from the frog. While he lacked the strength to free Tamsen, he was able to apply a healing spell to her form. For Donovan’s part, his actions were little more than blind panic. “No!”, Donovan screamed out, dropping the items he was holding and going for a longbow. The massive frog like creature swung its tail about, attempting to knock away GrumbleJack, then attempting to hop away. The team continued to attack the creature, even as it attempted to flee. Before it was able to flee, the giant creature was slain, spitting out Tamsen in the process. She looked up, covered in the saliva from being in the creature’s mouth. Donovan rushed over to her, falling to his knees where she was laying. “Are you ok?”, Donovan asked, clearly concerned. “Ew, this wasn’t the goo I wanted to be covered in.”, was Tamsen’s response. Bebop, hearing the comment from Tamsen, began laughing. Whether from a release of stress or the compound they were still under, all of them starting laughing after that. Donovan asked Lucius and Lucinda if they could track the beast back to its lair. “We’re not leaving any possible children behind that could plague us when next we pass this area.” Lucius, having become quite skilled at tracking animals for his ingredient collection, set to work on discovering the path in which it moved. Within about an hour, they were at the lair of the frog monster. It was an undergrown area, where the group needed to duck down even further into the murky water in order to fully access the location, but they had found it. Lucinda entered first, and notified Lucius that there were no other threats present within. The group proceeded inward, taking stock of what remained in this place. The first thing they noticed upon entering here was the remains of a nobleman who had apparently crossed paths with the creature a few weeks prior. Donovan recognized the medallion as a member of a minor House within the city. “I guess I should return this to them, so they at least know their son has passed. In the meantime…”, Donovan handed the medallion over to Bebop, who took the trinket with excitement. Tamsen hissed at Bebop, “I hope that medallion brings you comfort in bed tonight, for I surely won’t be.” Her angry eyes made it clear that she was still unhappy about the previous encounter, and his actions that led to it. Collecting a few coins strewn about the mud, and finding no other creatures in this place, the team set back off for the manor. Time continued to pass, and the initial giddiness that Donovan’s compound had brought to the group had now worn off. It was merely willpower alone that continued to carry them all forward, as the dirt and grime covered every inch of their bodies. The insects had of course returned, and were now feasting on these easy targets. As a cold mist began to pour down on them, they saw the manor. It was a large place to be sure, aged from the years and limited maintenance, but Donovan knew the accoutrements of wealth when he saw it. At this point it could have been a shack and he would have taken some comfort; but seeing this at least meant that they could very well have spare rooms, some place where he could make sure his team was well rested. He felt that his mind was starting to fail him, unable to plot and plan out how he would negotiate with his would-be clients. As the team walked up the stairs to the front door, the door itself opened before they even knocked. The person answering the door was Tiadora, wearing a white dress, almost see through in its appearance. Her hair had also changed to a platinum blonde. Looking at Donovan, she smiled vindictively, “Dearest, you took long enough! We were beginning to wonder if you’d ever make it.” Looking over at GrumbleJack, her expression became dourer, “And you brought a pet.” On any other day, Donovan would have a thousand responses. Now, he questioned how long he had spent walking that evening. Had it been days? Had he missed the expected timeline? As Donovan questioned his actions, Tiadora continued to speak, berating him in a passive aggressive manner. Servants appeared, and were tasked to take the team into respective bedrooms for them to be cleaned and changed. GrumbleJack also made his displeasure known to Donovan, “GrumbleJack no like this woman. One day, GrumbleJack eat her.” Donovan replied, “You eat people?”, to which GrumbleJack nodded. “Good to know.”, Donovan responded, “For now though, let’s get cleaned up. We have a lot to learn about our host.” Donovan was taken to a room with a bath. The water steamed, as it was clearly warm, and pails of cool water sat beside it to adjust the temperature. After arriving, the servant spoke in an almost monotone voice about how he was here to help clean Donovan and assist him in getting changed. The servant stretched out his arms towards the bed, where a clean pile of clothes were laying. Donovan was completely disinterested in what the servant was saying, interrupting the servant in the middle of their speech, “Do you know where the woman is staying?” The servant responded, somewhat confused, “Lady Tiadora is with the manor, staying in…” “No!”, Donovan snapped, “The woman who came in with me!” The servant nods, pointing down the hallway. “Take me there, now.”, Donovan barked out to the servant. The servant nervously grabbed Donovan’s clothes, then led Donovan to Tamsen’s room. Tamsen was already in the bath, rinsing off the grime from the day’s efforts. “Hey there!”, Tamsen cheerfully greeted Donovan, as she saw him enter, “Care to join me?” Donovan kneeled down next to the tub that Tamsen was bathing in. “I’m just glad you are ok.” Donovan smiled weakly, then set his head down against the tub that Tamsen was sitting in. Tamsen reached out her hand and touched the back of Donovan’s head. She could tell that he was frustrated with himself and the situation. “It’s ok, love. I know you’ll take care of everything.”, Tamsen reassured Donovan. Donovan didn’t say anything, and she just let him sit quietly beside her as she finished cleaning herself off. Once finished, she coaxed Donovan out of his clothes and into the tub, then helped him clean the grime from his form. As he sat almost listless in the tub, she whispered encouraging words to him, while kissing him softly from time to time. As time passed, Donovan’s will began to rebuild, as he felt his awareness return to him. The smile drew back to his face, and he looked around Tamsen’s room. Donovan finally spoke up, “This is the hard sell, my love. They wouldn’t go to this much trouble if they were going to make us a good offer.” Tamsen nods at him and thought to herself, “There he is.” She finished helping him get cleaned up and dressed, then momentarily considered offering even more of herself to Donovan in order to renew his confidence, before being interrupted by a servant walking in to collect them. “Lady Tiadora will see you now.” Once they were all brought back together with the notable exception of GrumbleJack, Tiadora led them all into an office. Inside the office was a bald, handsome man with piercing eyes sitting in a leather chair and smoking a wooden pipe. Behind him, a fireplace was lit, showing off his expansive collection of books along the wall. Upon entering the room, Donovan smiled and handed offered the fine bottle of alcohol that the team had acquired from Branderscar to Tiadora, “Lady Tiadora, I wanted to take a moment to thank you and your employer for your aid in our recent departure from Branderscar, and your invitation to this wonderful home. I was always taught one should bring a gift when you are guest in someone’s home, so I hope you will accept this with my compliments.” Tiadora took the alcohol from Donovan, and set it on the desk in front of the man. The man sitting behind the desk leaned forward and smiled towards Donovan with a wicked smile. The man began, “I believe you to be the first to ever escape from Branderscar prison. Well done! Of course, you had outside help, and still managed to muddle the whole thing up.” Donovan was taken aback by the last part of that sentence but held his tongue and let the man continue unimpeded. “But enough with the pleasantries. You must be curious why I helped you. Rest assured, this is no random act of altruism. I have brought you here for a reason. My name is Cardinal Adrastus Thorn.” Donovan began searching his memories to remember an individual with that name. Nothing occurred to him, yet he felt as though he should know this person. His eyes drifted around the room and caught Tiadora’s eyes. Her gaze had changed. She took on a predatory stance towards Donovan’s team. A dark realization came over Donovan, as it occurred to him that this wasn’t a sales pitch, he was listening to a cult leader with a conversion speech. Thorn went on about how he was the High Priest of Asmodeus, and how Asmodeus was once worshipped in Talingarde. It was clear that Thorn wanted revenge on Talingarde, but Donovan was trying to make sense of why Thorn was so passionate for revenge. Then the other shoe dropped. Thorn rolled up a sleeve, showing that he also had the brand of the Forsaken on his arm. Donovan was lost in thought for the rest of the conversation, but he was sure something was said about power and vengeance and war. But Donovan explicitly heard the last sentence with perfect clarity, and knew exactly what Thorn was saying under his words. “Will you swear your allegiance, or will you burn with the rest of the blind fools?” Donovan’s worst fears had come manifest as he recognized he was dealing with a lunatic that was probably capable of killing him and his team with very little effort. But Donovan was still a negotiator, and perhaps he could talk his way out of this situation. His eyes snapped over to Tiadora, still looking at them with a hungry gaze. He smiled at her and quipped, “Your friend’s not given to foreplay I see.” Donovan chuckled slightly as Tiadora’s eyes narrowed, then he continued. “So, Cardinal Thorn, what a delight to finally meet you! And I see you have yet another test for me to start with. Alright, I’ll play along. Do you mind if I stand, it helps me think?” Donovan stood up, trying to find the answer that had been chewing at his mind for the last few minutes. “I was trying to make sense of why you would want to destroy Talingarde. Destruction is such an inefficient means of gaining control of the city. Don't get me wrong, the black market thrives when governments are weakened. Of course, I could be misreading this whole situation if…” Donovan’s head snapped back to Tiadora, as he whipped out his next question. “Lady Tiadora, what were your thoughts about the plan that was used to rescue me from Branderscar?” Tiadora’s eyes looked over quickly at Thorn, then came back to focus on Donovan, “I think you need to be listening to the Cardinal…” Donovan interrupted her immediately, “I understand. You have no real authority here, meaning that you too are under contract with Thorn. Since you’re powerful…”, Donovan looks back at Thorn, “… that means you are by extension powerful.” Donovan put his finger to his mouth. “But you have the brand on your arm, and no one has ever escaped from the prison. You would want me to know if you had escaped, so you didn’t. That means…”, Donovan catches himself in a different answer, as Thorn watches him with something between curiosity and annoyance, “… no, heresy is punishable by death. Which means… which means you died! Yes, you died and were brought back to life. By your acolytes? By your compatriots? By a patron?” Donovan stared into Thorn’s eyes, attempting to see what the truth of his probing would reveal. Thorn was incredibly stoic, beyond Donovan’s ability to extract information through just his speaking. Donovan would not be deterred, however. He continued to press in, “But that’s not enough, of course. Not enough for you to want to take down a whole city. So, something else. Something that was taken from you. Something that was…”, Donovan snapped his fingers and pointed at Thorn, “You had power! Real power in the city! You were someone high up in Talingarde, with true power and influence. And then you were betrayed by someone, one of the big three obviously. And that’s what got you to this place!” Donovan looked over at the rest of his team, “Family, Lover, Co-Worker. Always the big three for betrayal.” Donovan looked back at Thorn and smiled, despite the fact that Thorn was clearly annoyed now. Donovan knew he had poked and prodded hard on Thorn, hoping that Thorn would rather be rid of the lot of them then continue on with someone such as a merchant's son. Donovan’s hopes were stifled when Thorn replied, “We’re not here to talk about me, we’re here to come to an arrangement.” Donovan pivoted, attempting to play a different card. “Well certainly Cardinal Thorn, I recognize that I am indebted to you; and as such, am happy to come to whatever agreement you would like to make. But, I see no need for my employees to enter into this arrangement.” Cardinal Thorn countered, “We rescued your team as well.” Donovan moved his frame closer, smiling broadly, “With respect, sir, I’m the one who actually rescued my team. As such, I’m the only one who should be obligated to this arrangement between the two of us.” Once more, Cardinal Thorn would broach no argument, “We invested considerable resources in the acquisition of your team, Donovan. Were we simply interested in you, we would have invested different resources in order to recover only you.” The threat from Tiadora was palpable now, Donovan had played almost his entire hand and had not moved the negotiations an inch. Donovan sighed internally, “May I see the contract please, Cardinal Thorn?” Thorn smiled, then handed a copy of the contract to Donovan. Donovan’s eyes quickly scanned and absorbed the information in the contract. Donovan, perhaps from the fatigue of the day or the stress of the negotiation, laughed out loud after reading the text of the contract. “Who wrote this contract, Cardinal Thorn?”, Donovan asked. Thorn glared at Donovan, clearly displeased with the nature of the question. “Ah, I see, sir.”, Donovan responded. Tamsen spoke to Donovan inside his mind, “How are you going to sign a contract when you already have a contract with me?” Donovan responded, “Not the same type of contract, my love. This is a contract for service.” Bebop spoke out loud, “How long is this contract for?” “Perpetual.”, Donovan replied flatly, “Exactly as stated in the first sentence of the contract.” Donovan then addressed Cardinal Thorn again, “As you know, I will continue to acquire staff to assist me in my efforts. How exactly will the contract work with regards to my new hires?” Thorn responded, “If you are referring to your large friend, rest assured those similar arrangements have been made with regards to him.” Donovan pressed, “Wonderful, but I’m referring to employees that I encounter in my travels.” Thorn was surprisingly dismissive, “If you find someone in your travels whose goals align with your own, you do not need to bring them back here in order to have them work for you.” Donovan smiled, and thought to himself, “Idiot. Yet another hole in your so-called contract.” Lucius spoke up to Donovan, “I’m with you, of course. But, don’t you think you need to speak with them on the terms of this contract?” Donovan replied tersely, “I have a plan.” Finally, Bebop spoke up again, “This is a bad contract.” Donovan, using Tamsen as a relay to communicate to Bebop’s mind, responded to Bebop. “Yes, Bebop, welcome to thirty seconds ago. Of course it’s a bad contract. You’re just going to have to have faith in me that I’ll take care of things. This contract has holes that I can exploit, but there’s nothing I can do about the way it’s written at the moment.” Bebop nodded, then looked over at Thorn, “Ok, I’ll sign it.” Thorn immediately noticed the change of demeanor of Bebop, and spoke to Donovan, “That’s a surprising change of attitude for a few moments of silence.” “That’s a very astute point you make, Cardinal Thorn.”, Donovan replied coyly. After all of the members had signed the contract, Tiadora spoke up, “They all signed? Such a pity. They looked so delicious, too.” Donovan thought to the entire group, “Oh yeah, we’re killing that bitch when the needful opportunity presents itself.” Cardinal Thorn said his final pleasantries, and encouraged the team to rest and recover. As the group began to leave his office, Donovan chimed up, “Thank you again for the opportunity to meet with you tonight, sir. It was quite… illuminating.” Thorn’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Donovan, “I’ll be keeping an eye on you.” Donovan stared back at Thorn defiantly, “You can train a dog with a muzzle or a leash, but you’ll get different results.” With that, Donovan left Thorn’s office. Exhaustion was setting in for all of them now, and the group felt the wear of the past twenty four hours pressing down against them. Donovan grabbed Tamsen’s hand, “Stay with me tonight, please.” Tamsen nodded, and they retreated to their bedroom, where sleep would soon find them. When Lucius opened his eyes, almost a full day had passed since he had closed them, “Damn Donovan and his compounds!” Lucius began to take stock of his bearings. The accommodations were nice enough. The entire manor felt as though it was once something far more interesting and vibrant, before the current residents had turned this place into something static and... dying. Still, there was no time like the present to take stock of what was going on in this place. He noticed a tray of food that had been placed at the foot of his bed. He leaned over and took a bite, finding himself immediately disappointed. “Does no one know how to cook around here?”, Lucius thought to himself. Getting dressed, he immediately called forth Lucinda, who bowed and smiled to him. “Let us make our way into the kitchen, see what these people do for meal preparation.”, Lucius spoke to Lucinda. She smiled and nodded, the conversation between them entirely wordless and unneeded. She was an extension of his will, understanding what he wished and seeking only to make sure the task was complete. Lucius began moving through the manor, attempting to find out where the kitchen was located. A short while later, Lucius found the kitchen, such as it was. The kitchen suffered from being far too clean, and looked as though it was rarely if ever used. Lucius and Lucinda began going through the kitchen cabinets and drawers, finding supplies and cooking utensils needed to complete their task. Once they had everything set up, Lucius set about cooking some simple dishes, just a few things to get a feel for how everything was set up in this area, and maybe to have food ready for the team whenever they finally awoke from their long overdue slumber. However, Lucius soon discovered that the sounds and smells of his cooking had drawn someone else into the kitchen area. The man was clearly a half-elf, Lucius had spent enough time with Donovan to know the telltale signs of one, but that’s about where the similarities would end. This individual was clearly muscular, with a large sword at his side. He was also very quiet, not saying a single word to Lucius, but instead just watching him cook. Being a cook, however, Lucius was always too excited to try a new recipe out on a willing individual, and this individual seemed extremely interested in what Lucius and Lucinda were doing in the kitchen. Cutting a small portion away from one of the meals he had been preparing, Lucius plated the sample of food, and placed it in front of his silent guest. The man began eating the meal placed in front of him, making happily pleased faces as he swallowed each bite. Lucius enjoyed watching different people eat his food and be happy. While working for Donovan had meant that he would never be unemployed again, it also meant that he was cooking for a much smaller group of individuals, and he knew their tastes all too well. So, having this unknown individual enjoy some random dish he decided to create, that reminded him of a different time when he was living a very different life. His friends soon awoke as well, first Bebop who began devouring the food that was placed before him, then Donovan and Tamsen. Tamsen was wearing her shirt partially buttoned and nothing else, as she walked sleepily with Donovan. Lucius was used to seeing this behavior from her back at the estate, but this was just a reminder of how comfortable Tamsen felt in her skin any place she went. Tamsen leaned over at Lucius, kissing him on the cheek and saying “Thank you” while she took the plate he had prepared for her. Donovan smiled and thanked Lucius as well, setting down the plate to take stock of the silent individual who he had not previously seen. Lucius smiled at seeing his family all together around a table eating his food. It had been a while since the four of them had been able to enjoy this simple pleasure. The pleasure would not last long, however. Tiadora approached the group, looking to Donovan, “Cardinal Thorn wishes for you to have a tour of the house, and meet with the Actuary.” Donovan stood up, excitedly clapping his hands together, “Excellent! We’re going to be able to discuss transaction rights, find out what percentages they are acquiring goods at here.” Tamsen and Bebop looked at each other, a look of regret on each of their faces. For all his uses, Donovan was often given to becoming very excited about the minutia of business transactions. This was something they were definitely not interested in from their many experiences of being dragged by Donovan to merchant meetings, where they would be forced to listen to Donovan drone on about exchange rates and market forces. Looking over at Tamsen and Bebop, Donovan said, “Let’s go, I am excited to see what their stocking procedures are like!” Tamsen, still in just a shirt, smiled and followed behind. Bebop got up from the table as Tamsen glared at him, following the two of them. Bebop called back to Lucius, “Aren’t you coming?” Lucius chuckled and looked back at Bebop, “No reason for all of us to have to suffer!” Lucius picked up the plates of his friends, and set them to be washed, as Lucinda continued cooking. Shortly after, a couple of human men arrived, seating themselves next to the large Half Elf who was still enjoying the different plates being set in front of him. One of them spoke to Lucius, “Are you the new cook?” Lucius smiled and responded, “I’m the one cooking.” “You’re paying full retail! Who does that?”, Donovan cried out in the Actuary’s room, berating the man sitting before him. Pilkington, the Actuary who worked on behalf of Cardinal Thorn, meekly responded, “I agree sir. But, they won’t let me leave this place in order to deal with the merchants directly. I have to work with the prices they set via indirect interaction.” Donovan groaned, then looked over at Bebop. “Give me your ring.” Bebop thought about it for a second, then handed Donovan the ring. Donovan took the ring, plus a handful of other trinkets that the group had acquired from Branderscar, and set them in front of the Actuary, a clearly annoyed look on his face. “Fine, take these and the money that’s been allocated to our persons, and purchase a Haversack for us. You can liquidate things at wholesale rates, correct?” Pilkington nodded, then responded in a confused voice, “Just a haversack, sir?” Tiadora looked at Donovan, “The trials that the Master will soon send you on are lethal. If you are intending to acquire anything for your team, now is the opportunity to do so.” Donovan, still annoyed at feeling overcharged for everything, responded curtly to Tiadora, “We killed every guard in Branderscar, ransacked their Armory, and looted nearly every object of value that place had to offer. What does lethal even mean at this point?” Tiadora sighed, and looked at Donovan with a frustrated face. Donovan continued, “But you are right, good lady, I don’t want to be unprepared.” Donovan looked back at the Actuary and said, “Add two bandoliers to that request, please.” Tamsen looked up at Donovan, and in her sweetest voice, spoke to him. “Donovan, I’d like a ring.” Bebop quickly followed up on her statement, “Better put a ring on that, Donovan.” Donovan stumbled for words. Could Tamsen be asking him for what he thought she was asking for? Would she truly be willing to share that with him? Tamsen followed up, “I have this bracelet that I really love, but a ring would be wonderful.” The realization of what Tamsen was actually asking for set in for him. Donovan gritted his teeth, cursing his self-delusions, “As if she would ever be willing to…” He immediately closed that thought off from his mind, and smiled broadly at Tamsen. “Of course my love, we’ll find you a ring you truly like once we are back in a marketplace.” Tiadora, having had quite enough of their nonsense, continued the tour of the house. She introduced the team to a group of individuals named the White Ravens. They seemed a pleasant enough group of people, although they seemed to allow Elise Zadoria to do the speaking for them (a relationship Donovan noted, was very much like his own with his team). Elise was pleasant enough, although a little cold, which is perhaps to be expected. After visiting with them, Tiadora escorted the team to the remaining facilities of note within the manor. After which, she abruptly took her leave of the group, undoubtedly not wanting to have to deal with them any more than was required by dint of her position within the manor. As the stated provisions came in, the servants also brought in a set of silver holy symbols of Asmodeous, and some iron circlets. The servants explained that the circlets would allow them to assume any disguise . “Look Bebop, you can appear as any individual you would like to look as.”, Donovan noted when the devices were provided. Bebop was excited at the prospect, a momentary respite from his own persona. Tamsen and Bebop snuck away in order to try out the circlets for their own entertainment, while Donovan began assembling alchemical devices in the lab area that had been made available to him. The three days passed, and the team was ceremoniously escorted into Thorn’s office once more. “Have you enjoyed your gifts?”, Thorn said to them, self-confidence brimming in his voice. “The iron circlets will allow you to move among your enemies unnoticed. The silver amulets will remind you of your true loyalties. And the other items… well, you will need them now.” Donovan became excited at what the Cardinal was discussing. Finally, a chance to leave this place and begin unraveling the scope of the Cardinal’s plans. As Thorn continued and the specifics were revealed, Donovan’s hopes were quickly dashed, “You have done well to escape Branderscar and to escape my offer. However, you are still not ready for my service. Tiadora will lead you to the basement of this domicile. There, you will find nine chambers, each more dangerous than the last. Somewhere, hidden within these chambers is a pendant of silver and sapphire. Recover the pendant and bring it to me. Let nothing and no one stand in your way.” Donovan was drawn away from the rest of Thorn’s speech as he began to comprehend what had just been said. Cardinal Thorn was implying he had put some sort of “rooms” or “puzzles” in the basement of his own house? What could he reasonably build that wouldn’t endanger the manor proper or weaken the structural integrity of the building? Was he keeping monsters or people down there? Who was going down there to take care of them? Was the staff testing these chambers to make sure they were still in good working condition? The questions flooded his brain, as Thorn continued, “It is almost dusk. You have until dusk tomorrow to complete this task. Do not fail me.” “Twenty-four hours!”, Donovan thought to the group, “How many creatures could he be keeping down there?” Donovan began to get nervous. Perhaps he should have put more stock into Tiadora’s words earlier. “Tamsen, call GrumbleJack and tell him to meet us at the entrance to the basement. We’re apparently going to need help.” Tiadora led the group back to the basement, and then unlocked the door into the entrance for the trials. Tiadora looked like she wanted to say something, but Donovan wasn’t interesting in verbally sparring with her, so he avoided any conversation beyond a simple thanks. Once GrumbleJack arrived and Lucius had finished summoning Lucinda, the group proceeded down the stairs towards the first chamber. A sign next to the doorway was written in Common. Reading the words, the sign said, “Deception is a tool. Self-Deception is death. Deceive always thy enemy, but never thyself.” Lucinda and Donovan took point for the group, as Donovan told her, “Look for anything that might suggest a trap.” While Donovan did not notice anything with his analytical sight, Lucinda’s eyes were far more honed. Speaking to Lucius, she called out her findings, “Master, I see an area of the floor near that door on the opposite end. The floor appears to be inconsistent, as though it has been altered.” Donovan, hearing that information, looked back at the section of floor Lucinda pointed out. “Damn good eyes, Lucinda. Yep, it’s trapped. I would have missed it had you not pointed it out.” Lucinda and Donovan went to the walls that initially appeared to be blank, their eyes and hands tracing for seams in the walls. Almost at the same moment, each of them spoke out, “Hidden door.” Donovan looked back at Lucinda’s find. After Lucinda opened the doorway, a hidden portal revealed a glowing blue gem. As Donovan inspected it more closely, he saw an inscription on the object saying “Thou hast seen through deception to uncover a useful tool.” Donovan flicked the object about his fingers a few times, and then said, “Ah. Liquid Frost, very interesting.” He stashed the object into one of his bandolier pockets, then opened the hidden doorway he had previously discovered. Lucinda and Donovan carefully stared down the hallway to confirm there was nothing of note. Once complete, Donovan looked back on the team. “So, lesson one is… don’t step on traps? Ok. Odd sort of lesson, but fine.” The group moved down the hallway to the next doorway. As with the first doorway, a sign in common bore an inscription: “Following the herd is for fools. Fear not their icy derision. Instead, fear only thy Infernal Lord.” Donovan put his hand over his face, “Please don’t be something that requires ice. Please don’t be something that requires ice. Please don’t be something that requires ice.” The door opens into another room similar to the previous one. Donovan and Lucinda check for any oddities in the room. Quickly, they noticed the traps on the doors located on the opposite side of the room. Donovan also noticed an odd chill in this room, several degrees colder than the connecting hallway. Darting his eyes around, he spotted a patch of mold on the other door not previously studied. “Purple mold.”, Donovan nodded with understanding. “What’s purple mold?”, Tamsen asked. “Purple Mold is a fungus that survives by consuming the ambient heat of the nearby area. It can be extremely dangerous when exposed to fire or direct body heat…” Donovan sighed, knowing what the answer was going to be, “… and is destroyed by exposure to extremely cold objects, such as ice.” The group chuckled, seeing the frustration on Donovan’s face. Donovan took out the Liquid Frost item retrieved from the previous room, and handed it to Bebop, “Good sir, if you would please, throw this at that.”, pointing to the Purple Mold on the doorway. Bebop readied himself with a windup, then hurled the object at the offending mold. The object struck, splashing the mold with a chilling concoction, causing it to fleck away. As this was taking place, Donovan's eyes drifted to the floor, when realization set in. "Follow not the herd! Ugh, it’s like child’s first dungeon. Why are these signs so on the nose?” Exasperated, Donovan faced the group and spoke out loud, “Now, I want you all to imagine this. Lady Tiadora had a member of her staff come down here, clean up any footprints that would lead to the door over there, and add footprints to these trapped exits. All of this, just so this sign would have some meaning in relationship to this room!” Donovan sighed again, as the last of the mold flecked away and the heat began to return to the room, “Let’s press on.” As the next doorway is opened, Donovan and Lucinda check once more for any oddities about the hallway. Finding none, they move on towards the next area. Once more, the sign appears in front of them, written in Common: “Know your enemy. Shatter all that blinds you and then burn the adversary to ashes.” Donovan paused to think on this room. “So, a Blindness spell when we open the door, or Darkness spell overtaking the room, right?” The group nodded at Donovan’s assertion. “Alright, so we line up to the side of the room, then open the door.” The group arranged themselves as Donovan suggested, then threw open the door. Blackness extended from within the room. Donovan pointed at the state of the room, nonplussed, “Darkness, right.” Bebop readied himself to head into the room, and Donovan barked at him, “No, there is one or more monsters in there that will take advantage of your lack of sight in order to attack you!” Lucinda stared unblinking into the room, studying it. As an Eidolon, her eyes could pierce darkness that would limit many members of the party, including Donovan. “I see it Master, there is an orb sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room.” Lucius replied, “Can you shoot the orb down?” Lucinda apologized, “I am not familiar with such weapons, Master. I am willing to try, but lack skill.” Donovan slid the bow off of his shoulder, and readied an arrow. “Lucinda, please come guide my hand. I may not be able to see the object you are referring to, but if you put me in position, my shot will fly true.” Lucinda placed herself behind Donovan, taking heed of his instructions on where the arrow will travel in relation to his form. Based on his instructions and her perception of the object, Lucinda adjusted Donovan's shoulders and hands. “I believe the shot is ready, Donovan.”, Lucinda finally spoke up. “Thank you, good lady.” Donovan took one more breath, then let the arrow fly. The arrow flew wild, nowhere near the intended spot. Lucinda points to the spot in the room where the arrow struck, and Donovan readied another arrow. “Let’s try that again, Lucinda. I think I get what you are trying to do.” Donovan began performing calculations in his mind, understanding how she might be perceiving the location of his shot. Donovan lined up the arrow once more, as the calculations worked through his mind. Last second adjustments occur, based on what Lucinda relayed to him. The shot is released again, this time perfectly striking the center of the orb, knocking it off the platform and causing it to break into ineffective pieces. The room, no longer darkened by magic, begins to light up. Donovan nods his approval to Lucinda, with a sense of pride at the accomplishment of the group. Just then, Lucius spoke up, “You know, I could grab that orb with Mage Hand, and we could stick it in the Haversack.” Donovan slaps his forehead, “That’s a brilliant idea, Lucius! Such a very clever and creative solution! I wish you had said that about two arrows ago.” Looking at the floor, the party noticed that it was covered in a series of holes, suggesting something could come up from underneath. “Snakes?”, Bebop said, looking at the floor. Donovan handed Bebop an arrow, which he broke the tip off the shaft in order to push down into the holes. But still, no response from the expected “creature” that would come forth once the darkness had been removed. “We need to put something out there.”, Donovan said to Lucius. “Toss some creatures on the far side of the room.” Lucius was concerned, as he knew that meant he would have to draw back Lucinda. But, for the sake of the group, he complied. A group of rabbits were summoned into the room. Suddenly, a red mist came up, grabbing one of the creatures. A piteous scream came out of the rabbit, and it was desiccated in a moment. “Oh gods!”, Tamsen shrieked, pulling Pooky close to her. GrumbleJack called to Dononvan, “You want me to smash that, boss?” Donovan nodded, still trying to work out what this red mist was that he was seeing. GrumbleJack attempted to smash the mist, but missed with his powerful blow. Bebop grabbed one of the alchemical fires that Donovan had prepped for him, and tossed it into the room. Spinning wildly, the shot missed the mist, and instead landed on another one of the rabbits that Lucius had created. Lucius immediately began the process of recreating the Eidolon, but the process was long and arduous for combat. Tamsen meekly murmured some words to coax the mist to sleep, but the mist seemed unimpacted. Donovan fired an arrow at the creature, still lost in thought. Suddenly, Donovan recognized the creature in his mind. “Vampiric Mist! Damnit! Bebop, hit that thing with everything you’ve got. GrumbleJack, get that far door open!” Bebop pulled an Elixir from his bandolier and consumed it, while moving up to the creature, his form growing more bestial and monstrous. Meanwhile, the creature viciously wrapped a tendril around GrumbleJack’s arm, causing him to howl in pain. Lucius continued to focus on his ritual, as Donovan’s arrows proved to be largely ineffective against a creature made mostly of vapor. Tamsen moved away, cowered in the moment, as GrumbleJack attempted to peel the lock away from the door. The creature, not recognizing the potential threat from Bebop, continued to focus on the easy attack of the Ogre. GrumbleJack cried out in pain yet again, but was able to finish getting the door open, immediately bolting through the doorway. Bebop unleashed a savage assault on the Vampiric Mist, as teeth, claws, hooves, and horns smashed into the Mist. Even with its ability to absorb damage, it was apparent that it did not enjoy what just took place. The creature, more intelligent than one would have hoped, decided to retreat back into the ground rather than face another onslaught like the one it had just endured. With the creature down beneath the floor, Tamsen is hurried across the room to the open door on the other side. A minute later, Lucinda returned to the field, as her and Lucius also retreated into the far hallway. Finally, Donovan made his way to the doorway, with Bebop continuing to watch for an opportunity to strike. As Bebop entered the hallway on the far side of that room with the rest of the group, Donovan threw down his bow in frustration. “What in the hells, Thorn? If you have the capacity to create and maintain Vampiric Mists, this war is already over! We just drop them on the enemy forces and let them do what they do best!” Donovan grabbed one of the vials lining his bandolier, consumed it and placed his hands against GrumbleJack. The visible injuries that GrumbleJack had sustained closed up, and his confidence returned. Another doorway appeared before the group, with yet another inscription to be read: “The chosen are revealed by their might. The weak deserve no sympathy.” Pushing open the door, the room was well illuminated, with several metallic looking snakes in the room. Lucinda pressed into the room first, striking down one of the creatures. Her blades bounced off the side of the snake, and a spark flew up from the ground at the force of her impact. Donovan yelled out quickly, “Iron Cobras. Cast Shield on all the frontline fighters!” Bebop, empowered by the recent consumption of a Mutagen, felt a sense of rage and power that he unleashed on these metallic creatures. Between him and the other two, the progress was slow but consistent. Lucius and Tamsen applied protective magics to the melee fighters, making it nigh on impossible for the snakes to penetrate their flesh. Combined with the limited intellect of the snakes, this fight was ended in short enough fashion. Donovan looked over the wreckage of the metallic constructs that the group had just battled. Looking at the metal, Donovan realized the composition of the snakes. “These aren’t iron, they’re Mithral!” Looking around the group, he responded with both excitement and irritation, “Do you know how much these cost to make? He could have given all of us five times what he spent on us instead of making these things! Oh well, it’s our money now.” With that, he had GrumbleJack pull apart the constructs and stuff the pieces into the pockets of the Haversack that Bebop was wearing. Donovan leaned against the wall and shook his head, “It’s like my father, all over again.” Session 3 Ends [/QUOTE]
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Way of the Wicked Playthrough - Updated 2023/03/28
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