Got some catching up to do. Here goes:
Rufus’ Raiders
We began the session describing the downtime activities the party was involved in from November 11th through December 24th (when the other party’s session ended).
- Rufus Hypnol– Lvl 4 Barbarian Death Dealer – Ambushing, Survival, Running, Armor Training, Profession – Gangster - STR +2, CHA -1, Switching to plate mail and armed with a two handed sword – Would be gangster
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Dante – Lvl 5 Assassin (Assassin-For-Hire) – Precise Shooting, Bargaining, Fighting Style (two weapons), Weapon Finesse, Intimidation, Gambling – STR +1, INT +2 WIS -2, DEX +3, CON -1, wearing custom skull helmet, Plate mail, short sword, war hammer +1, unearthly appearance (corpselike skin, black and red eyes) – death worshipping assassin granted the divine ability to detect magic 1x daily.
<ul style="list-style-type:circle"> <li>War dog - Finn, Hunting dog - Scout, Guard Wolf - Balto</li> <li><strong>Murphy aka Telemachus</strong> – 1st lvl freed slave fighter – Labor, (others TBD), STR +2, WIS -2, CON +1</li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>Lazarus Deathbrood</strong> – Lvl 3 Cleric Exorcist – Sensing Evil, and Intimidation, INT -1, WIS +1, DEX +2, CON +1 CHA +1 Wears Banded Plate under a black cassock, armed with shield and sickle or a scythe, Budding Cleric of Death granted the daily ability to cast sanctuary 1x daily.</li>
The Raiders last adventure was in early November. The campaign calendar had advanced to December 24th (Yule eve). During that time, the Raiders were in Adamas. Dante was learning to gamble and Rufus continued his training with Boss Horner on how to become a gangster. At the end of November, Rufus and Dante got their share of Isaac’s Moon Pool business. Rufus also got a decent return from his investment in the Dock Boys gambling operations.
In December, Dante received a boost of gold and XP from the sale of a ring of protection +2 by the Village people. Dante decided to invest in the Dock Boys casino, and gave Rufus 5K gold to give to the Dock Boys to invest in their gambling operations.
Lazarus spoke to the Legate of Muntburg, who allowed him to build a temple to Death near the burial grounds outside the city. He hired an engineer to help with the construction.
Rufus completed his training with Boss Drake Horner (a total of 60 days), and learned a new proficiency – Profession – Gangster. He decided that he wanted to meet with the Don of the Dock Boys. He approached Boss Horner, who set up a meeting with his CAPO, Phillipe Verodart, who ran a bar in the Upper Docks. Rufus refused to tell anyone (DM and other players included) the purpose of the meeting. Phillipe agreed to set up a meeting with the Don, based mostly on the good word of Boss Horner and his reputation as a good earner. The next day, Rufus brought Dante to the meeting for backup.
They were taken to a back room and found Don LeFayd, a wild looking female warrior, CAPO Verodart, a dwarven assassin and Boss Horner. The woman was Magda ‘the fist’ Moreno, the Don’s personal enforcer. The dwarf, Ruthan Underforge, had the same role for CAPO Verodart. (Throughout the conversation I had the picture of the Don on the monitor/TV I use during play which included a list of his traits (Boundless, Honorable, Moralistic, Violent)). The conversation went something like this:
Don: Drake tells me you are a good earner for him. So what do you have for me today?
Rufus: Does Boss Horner have to be here? (Dante looks over at Rufus in amazement).
Verodart: Yeah he does, he’s the one who vouched for you.
Horner: This guy . . .
Rufus: Alright. So I think I should run Muntburg, not him.
(silence for a heartbeat)
Don: (quizzically) Are you KIDDIN’ me?
Rufus: I think it’s time for, whaddya call, some new blood.
Horner: Watch what you say next kid.
Rufus: I think I can do better.
Don: (loudly) This man vouched for you, stuck his neck out for you, taught you everything you know, and YOU STAB HIM IN THE BACK!!!!!!
Verodart: Don . . .
Rufus: (interrupting) well, I can fight him for it . . . (backhanded by Magda, leaving him with a bloodied lip).
Don: (angrily) What makes you think that I would even allow someone so disloyal even in the Dock Boys. The only reason you’re here is because of Drake. YOU’RE LUCKY I DON’T KILL YOU WHERE YOU F#&%ING STAND!!!
Horner: Boss, let me talk to him, he’s just a dumb savage.
Verodart: Don, give Drake a chance to talk to him.
Don: You got five minutes.
(Horner and Rufus leave the room to talk. Everyone stares quietly at Dante)
Dante: I’m just here to invest some money.
Don: (yelling) WAS ANYONE TALKING TO YOU?? WHO THE F*@% ARE YOU TO TALK TO ME??? GET THE F*@% OUT OF HERE!!!! (Magda moves forward and Ruthan raises his crossbow. Dante bows and leaves)
(Out in the hall – Rufus and Boss Horner talk).
Horner: (hurt) Kid, what are you doing? I brought you in, taught you the business, and now you try to steal from me? From ME? I treated you like family, like a son. Why didn’t you come to me first. C’mon, lets go in there and make it right.
Rufus: I’ll wrestle you for it. (Dante enters into the hall).
Horner: You broke my heart. I WAS going to have you start running the crews in Muntburg, but now . . . If you ever darken my door again, I swear I’ll kill you. Now get out of here before I change my mind and kill you where you stand.
(Rufus looks at Dante, for a minute considering making a stand here and now. Dante slowly shakes his head, “no way”, remembering where they are, in the home of CAPO Verodart, a place where everyone stops in silence in response to a single whistle. They hastily exit the tavern together).
At this point it was clear that Dante and Rufus were not going to get their 6300 gp investment back.
The Raiders made it back to Muntburg and entered the dungeon. They made it to the 2nd level without incident and began exploring. They found the signs of a recent battle, with several dead creatures believed to be hobgoblins. They encountered some wooden statues, 2 of which came to live and attacked. Despite their resistance to some of their weapons attacks, they were able to chop them up sufficiently.
*** spoiler***
The party managed to find a room with twin statues of Ares and Athena, both heads replaced with that of Terms Termax. There was a small magically locked coffer on a table between them. The party figured that that if they could cast the right divine spell it would open. Unfortunately they figured the right spell was bless and Lazarus wasn’t high enough level to cast it. They vowed to come back when he learned the spell.
*** end spoiler***
They found a room with several shelves and a white dagger, which Dante determined was magical. They also managed to fight some shadows, and luckily Lazarus was able to ‘magic up’ Rufus’ blade and the party defeated them. Unfortunately, Telemachus and Dante’s wolf were reduced to zero HP, and both were chopped up by Dante before either turned into a shadow.
They ran into a magically locked door, which Rufus managed to chop down with his axe. The noise attracted a group of zombies, which were easily turned and dispatched. Unfortunately there were 2 wights behind the door. Lazarus was unable to turn them. Rufus’s blade was still enchanted by Lazaru’s spell. Using his last spell slot, Lazarus enchanted his scythe. Dante was struck by the cold claws of a wight and felt his lifeforce drain away (losing a level!). The party finished off the undead and found several chests of treasure.
Deciding to go back to town, they headed out of the dungeon. Going back through the room with the dead hobgoblins, they found a larger, savage looking hobgoblin checking out the remains. As it moved to attack, it shrugged off Dante’s slash, and slashed him back, paralyzing him! The party watched in fear as it’s wounds started to heal! They finished the creature off, waited for Dante to recover, and made it safely back to town.
After a quick trip to Adamas and the sale of the magical dagger, Lazarus leveled up. He went to the temple of death in Adamas and interviewed several young priestesses of death. He decided on a young noble woman who lost her parents to disease. Returning to Muntburg, Dante, Lazarus, and the young priestess went back into the dungeon. They ran into some hobgoblins in the same room they had dispateched the throgrin, which they quickly defeated. They returned to the room with Area and Athena , cast the appropriate spell, opened the box and discovered a small gem. They headed back to Muntburg without incident.
(The PC Lazarus was complaining on how his character seemed underpowered compared to the Assassin and Barbarian. WHen he talked about retireing him and starting over as a mage, they talked him into hiring a mage henchman instead. Rolling well he found a 2nd lvl mage. His ability to enchant weapons (a reskinning of sharpness only given to clerics of Death and Ares) was the only reason the party was able to defeat the shadows and the wights. By the time he came back and obtained the magial gem from the dungeon, he started to realize that clerics are o.k. after all).