Session 18: Swords in the Streets
General Summary
Having recovered the 'tapestries' desired by Lord Calyops (as well as by the goddess Little Sister; and the Black Paladin, Nicholas Ash ... or whomever he serves; as well as who knows who else), the adventurers re-cross the Whispering Grasslands with little more trouble than Kelpip burning through a pair of his good boots and being forced to wear his 'second-best' pair. These do NOT look good on him.
Ensconced for the night in the Last Inn (or whatever the MacSeamuses are calling it now), the party regales the other patrons with tales of their escapades. They also purchase a few items acquired by the Inn since last they passed this way, including new -- and very shiny -- golden, winged boots for Kelpip. Ruhst must also be talked out of using his Temple Thieves powers for ill by raiding the Inn's vault.
Also, he gifted homemade mink gloves for Little Sister, who only twitched her nose slightly at the smell.
Afterward, no small amount of time is spent by the players and the GM learning how to navigate Roll20.
The next morning, however, the team makes their way, at long last, back within the walls of Etherian Elps, Watchtower of the North and ... home. Such as it is. Having convinced Little Sister that the best plan might be to go ahead and let Calyops keep the tapestries for now -- safer in his vault than in their own cart, was the argument -- the Thieves determine to go straight to Lord Calyops' tower and get their just rewards.
However, on the way, and right after Little Sister popped into a pub for a drink, the team is ambushed by yet another party anxious to claim the Thieves' spoils for themselves. These are scorpion cultists from the Ten Thousand Trackless Sands -- the foreign strike teams of the Sultana herself, and familiar foes to Ruhst, Kelpip, Trajinous, and Percy, who met their ilk when retrieving Little Sister's figurehead from the Rain Temple north of Etherian Elps only a few months prior.
The assassins, even bolstered as they are by magic, have been woefully misinformed of the Thieves relative abilities. Even Kelpip, though harmed in the doing, is able to cut down two of the six scimitar-wielding southerners with icy shards of magical force. Ruhst and Dolan's arrows tear into the others (Dolan's from behind a pile of firewood, the closest he could find to 'logs' in the city streets). The three magic users among the group are harder to fell, though, and two of them, after being lashed by Percy's nimble and very sharp tail, are able to make their escape ... after vowing to be more formidable in the future, of course. One, Alys, seems particularly annoyed with the adventures, they having killed the third magician, Cynth, early in the fight.
After briefly pursuing the cultists, who disappear into a maze of cutthroat-filled alleys, the team regroups. Dolan joins Little Sister in the bar, and the others go to the old Watchtower to meet with their patron.
There, the beholder waits for them. But he, too, has had troubles this night of blades: one of the Sultana's most prized warriors, the djinni called Thunder of Sand, attempted to break into Lord Calyops' vault and steal away the figurehead contained there. The beholder was able to repulse the attack, but Thunder of Sand was only ... dissuaded ... not slain.
And in more mixed news for the Temple Thieves: Calyops tells them that their next target is in the deserts of the Ten Thousand Trackless Sands -- home turf of the Sultana and her numerous and loyal troops.
As an afterthought, the beholder also presents the party with a strange message he received via Messenger Raven. It is a note that says, merely, "No worries. Have become one. --FB"
Rewards Granted
Calyops rewards Ruhst, Trajinous, Kelpip, and Percy with 1000 gp each. They 'choose' (Trajinous takes some convincing) to share 200 each with Dolan for his aid in the most recent caper.
Character(s) interacted with
The Scorpion Cult magicians, Alys and Fenz, have lived to pester the party another day.
Comments