Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap part 1

Expedition

The party travelled to Samarra to discover an ambush from the Red House Syndicate against the son of the ruling house in Samarra, Ka’affe Tannous. After they dispatched the villians, and introduced themselves to two new members, they split the party. Half went to the House of Wisdom to look for information to get to hell and the others went with Ka’affe Tannous to get their rescue reward and see if they knew anything about the attack.   They met with the other teams and encountered a strange mist, with stranger constructs inside. As the mist dissipated, they were left wondering what had happened and where that undead presence came from.

Ash Guster, Goliath Monk, and Aurelius Lucius, Tiefling Paladin, having a meal at a small eatery on the outskirts of Samarra after an unsuccessful search for pieces of Aurelius’s heirloom sword.   The pair catches the attention of fellow patron, a lithe charming man named Carrow Antoly. After propositioning them…. As muscle for a job, he flashes a Slaughterfish Gang tattoo. Ash is enthusiastic about a chance for a good fight, but Aurelius cautions against getting on the wrong side of the local police. Carrow tells them to come see him at the Fishhead’s Cup in the docks district if they change their mind and slipped away before Ash could grab him.   Ash’s wish for a good fight was soon answered as the sound of fighting outside pulled the pair from their food.   Hopping back to the main party as they land their flyer at an official Verdan outpost along the canal (fliers not permitted in city limits). The old man manning it gave the party a city map and discount coupons for a sightseeing tour of the city. The party hurried on to the main road only be blocked by a fight breaking out in the road ahead, the same on Ash and Aurelius were just drawn to.   The fight seemed to be a grouo of masked street thugs robbing a noble carriage, the coachman and footman already dead, Yeen, a Gnoll bodyguard was holding most of them off but several were getting past to attack the carriage directly. The party decided to interfere and discovered several unusual things.   First, Rumpel identified the thugs as members of the Red House Syndicate, but noted their work was amateurish and sloppy. These seem more Like raw recruits than professionals.   Second, one of the rogues used a strange red drug to amp up their fighting, though Breeze was able to dodge his wild attacks.   Third, one of the thugs was painting a strange symbol on the carriage that Hype recognized in its half finished state as the same one found on the necklace left to him by his father and on a tomb in the Greenfold. The same symbol Halsa was researching when she was targeted.   Dispatching the rogues the party were thanked by the reacued noble, Ka’affe Tannous, heir to High Judge Rael Tannous, the most powerful man in the city. Hype tied up one that Breeze had put to sleep for questioning, however a last rogue better hidden than the others broke from hiding to try and stab Ka’affe (confirming this was not a robbery but an assassination). Marigold used banishment to shunt Ka’affe away, but the rogue himself was prevented from his goal by a rifle shot from the roof of a building across the canal. A figure in a white mask with blue eyeholes and long advanced Verdan rifle had interfered to protect Ka’afee, but did not stick around to receive any praise (though Ash very loudly offered it) and instead took off across the rooftops.   After Ka’affe offered a reward from his father the party split up. Marigold, Breeze, Vetur, and Ash heading to the House of Wisdom to begin researching (or Ash hoped fighting). Hype, Maris, Aurelius, Rizz, and Rumpel (disguised as a coachman) remained with Ka’affe, the local police, the Bektashi arrived and were embarrassed in their butts being covered by a bunch of out of towners and almost arrested them before Ka’affe steps in.   At the library, Team Research get direction from the front desk librarian and scare a street urchin trying to act tough while waiting for their schoolwork to be graded. Marigold focuses on infernal geography, Breeze on advanced scrying magic, Vetur takes a sun nap, and Ash goes looking for something actually interesting.   She finds a taped off section with the chalk outline of a recent death, a crime scene that she decides to mess with. She notices a book strangely missing from a shelf and intuits it had something to do with the death. The research team question the librarian about this book and finds out the book, an old account of noble houses, has already had a troubled history. It had been retrieved by Team G (the Great and the Talent or as Ash calls them the G Strings as her little brother is a member) after it had been checked out by a scribe working for Halsa Kankad who never returned it… because he went missing. After its return, a researcher was found dead near it and it is now missing once more.   Meanwhile Team Schmooze rides with Ka’affe to meet his father. Waiting for them, is his father an elderly well dressed man flanked by a squad of Bektashi and Seyda Jameel, Ka’affe’s fiance and Gaz’Rocian noble. Rael Tannous is very relieved to see his son safe and offers lavish rewards to his rescuers (Rizz, Aurelius, Hype, and Maris receiving 5000 gold each), but Hypes seeks information more than money.   Hype reveals his fathers necklace and shows Rael, the symbol painted on the carriage. Rarl claims no knowledge of the symbol and says it will be looked into directly, but Hype notes that he is not telling the whole truth, a flicker of recognition at the symbol betraying Rael.   Hype also noted that Seyda, Ka’affe’s fiance had also taken an interests in Hype and Rael’s conversation, but hid it well. The prisoner Hype captured was handed over to Chief Faruk of the Bektashi with a promise that Hype could be part of the interrogation of the assassin with the Bektashi’s truthfinders. As he and his son headed back to their palace, the party noticed Seyda giving Hype a curious look of surprise and slight recognition. Rizz’s automated system identified that there is a high chance of a genetic link between Hype and Seyda (as they are about the same age, either sibling or cousin)   The other part of the Party finished up at the library and went to pick up Vetur who was sunning himself outside only to find him chatting up a beautiful Tiefling woman named Raquel with a similar ability to Aspasia’s love aura. Recognizing the party as members of the Champions of the North, she gave them an invitation to the Canyon of Veils to a club she works at called the Lusty Sighs.   As night fell, the party reunited to see the fire festivities begin around the city. Not in the mood, the team made their way to Swithem Mansion to meet Team Team G and Team B. Meris noted they were being tailed by a curious mangy dog from across the street, all the way to the mansion.   At the mansion they were greeted by Team G led by Nadil al-Cham who razzed them a little but seemed to be a little bit less assholish. They were told Team B would soon be arriving and Marigold went off to see her parents who are also staying here.   Team B arrived, a quartet of bards whose band is named the Bad Bitches. Their lead guitarist Mitsue started nice and cheerful cute, but layed into both teams and appointed herself in charge stalking off with a parting quip from Rizz (or artificial Zazik). Her bandmates made apologies for her and their lead singer Jasdeep and Team G’s Wizard Lakos (Ash’s baby brother) began helping with the notes and research for rescuing Sigrid and Halsa’s soul.   Some dinner was prepared, Rylee and Wadi of Team G prepping some healthy options while Hype ordered in with a selection of the best tavern fare around the city for a working dinner.   Team B layed out what they knew of D4C, a public facing office in the Merchants district, and two possible locations for their actual HQ, either in the docks district or in the sewers. They also knew about an operative they had encountered before new to the team, a powerful succubus who has a sibling in the Canyon of Veils that could be asked for information. Team B claimed the merchant district investigation and Team G had slipped in ahead to claim the docks leaving Team F the sewers with the Canyon of Veils as a consolation prize.   While this was going on a stranage mist had begin to fill the street outside and Lucius sensed an undead presence in the mist. The party investigated with the others Teams hanging back to help but not interested in investigating.   The party found themselves swallowed by the mist and transported to a strange garden with a cute children’s picnic scene that rapidly turned into a nightmare with the distant but incessant sound of weeping. The party defeated a group of ghostly animated porcelain shard assailants and the mists retreated. As Breeze wondered allowed what had happened the party noticed behind her the graffitied symbol that has been plaguing Hype’s life.   Further investigation discovered the remnants of the mist tasted like tears and a mysterious figure running across rooftops away bearing resemblance to a mysterious rifleer they had seen that morning.   The party confused and tired headed to bed, Maris and Rizz taking watch and being watched by the small mangy sleep deprived dog from before.