Team MeFight Fifty-Second Session

The Church, and Gnob's Folly's Alternate Handler

• Gnob's Folly sends their message. While waiting, they gather vampire-hunting supplies (garlic for two, stacks and holy symbols for everyone)
• After a rest, they come into the church main area to see a man sitting irreverently in a pew.
• He's shady, and his movements are jerky. He introduces himself as Mat and gives the sign of the Azure Geese, and Kib responds with the call of the call-response. This displeases the man, who does not give the response.
• Kib responds with an aggressive posture, which the man likes even less. He seems impatient, but still insists the party follow him.
• Kib sends Anise and Thed to run the rooftops, the others follow.
• They get to an abandoned house. The scouts notice very ominous crows watching the goings-on.
• Mat is still getting the party to come into the building. Anise, meanwhile kills three crows (in a single rapid-fire), which Mat instantly notices.
  • The crows instantly scatter. They later return outside of a longbow range increment, glaring at Anise.
  • He doesn't know where the assailant is, but shouts "murderer!" into the most likely location, throwing rocks ineffectually
  • This causes Kib to lose all suspicion of the man, but he is puzzled at the reaction (he doesn't know about the crows).
• Eventually this passes. Mat is filled with rage at the party (actively hostile), but still has his purpose.
• The ball-o'-silence comes out, conversation ensues
  • Mat rails against the party for being obviously no better than any other contract killers, and for fucking up by not bringing back Grimm Gallant's body.
  • He does acknowledge that the Hourglass and the signet ring may serve the purpose, and will accept them once things have shaken out.
  • He relates that Arekson/Mantatlus, as he is understood, would not have the power to turn an upstanding Traveller (which, by all accounts, he was before). The obvious conclusion is that Arekson's sire, too, is a part of this game.
  • Arekson obviously knows of Grimm Gallant's death, but does not know the traitor, and so he has made his play.
  • He also appears to not have notified any of the capos, and they individually do not seem to be on any high alert.
  • The obvious problem has thus presented itself: When the party moves on any of the remaining two, the remainder will know the traitor immediately, and move against Levan. Arekson and sire will likely stay shrouded to clean up the mess.
  • Mat relates that his people have the power to move on Little Dagger. His proposal, then, is that Gnob's Folly deal with Bloody Kate, and the Azure Geese with the Little Hand, simultaneously.
  • The wrinkle is that this will almost certainly mean Levan will be attacked by Arekson, who will know the traitor and move to remove the remaining capo.
    • This is no skin of most peoples' noses. While the result does mean chaos for the region, the immediate crop of evil mceviltons will at least be out of the picture, and Arekson will likely expose himself.
    • Kib is conflicted. He has no desire to see his brother. who he considers flawed, but redeemable, dead. He further feels that stability in the region is a worthwhile ultimate goal, because of where it stands in relationship to Gildenhome, Alexia and Fresia.
  • Kib signals the others in, requiring Anise's input
    • Mat reacts strongly to the corpses of the crows, which Anise has collected to harvest. Kib notices this, and doesn't understand the source of the emotion, but makes a note of it for the end of the conversation.
    • Anise, too, has no desire to see the Blue Hand dealt with summarily. However, as a possible means to the ends of Levan and Arekson, she appears to consider the sacrifice worthwhile.
• All this said, Kib reluctantly agrees that the simultaneous strike is the best course of action.
• Mat says his people will move at midnight.
• Kib impresses his signet into paper, so it is known so the Azure Geese.
  • A swan in flight overlaid with a a hammer
• These wrapped up, Kib offers his condolences for the killed birds, and Anise leaves them with some decorum. Mat dismisses this gesture as probably just the slick face doing his job, but does become noticeably less hostile.
• The party is already prepared. They summon mounts, and ride.

Whitemist Harbor Surgical Strike

• Thanks to their scouting before, the party already knows where to hit. Bloody Kate and her crew typically carouse in a particular tavern until the late hours, then hole up in the more-or-less impregnable governor's mansion.
• Getting into Whitemist is the easy part (although the mounts have to remain outside the gates).
• They prepare carefully, getting all buffs in place.
• Just before midnight, Kate leaves the tavern on schedule. She is accompanied by some number of nameless redshirts in her inner circle, her ship's doctor (Doctor Locker), and her companion/lover (Deathy Grynne).

• Just as they reach the middle of the street, hell unleashes its fury.
  • Thoven launches a devastating fireball. All but one redshirt are instantly reduced to a single hitpoint. The doctor is badly hurt, but Deathy Grynne and Bloody Kate and the one redshirt evasion their way out of any harm.
  • Thed and Anise get their shots. The doctor just barely hangs on after the onslaught.
  • Tana finishes a buff, and Kib moves to prevent any retreat and engage the rear guard.
  • Tibbers scouts for Thoven, relaying the now-invisible Deathy's position
  • Bloody Kate and her companion are the only to get an action in the surprise round. She rages and rushes at the bulk of the party, Deathy points the brigands' attention to the sky.
  • Thoven finishes off the Doctor with a ray, killing him before he has a chance to do anything. Gil drops on top of Kate like a savage koala, who is frustrated at not having a chance to attack the source of burning fire.
  • Anise and Thed alternate between damage to Kate and picking off remaining redshirts.
  • Pavor Nocturnus activates on Kate, slowing her
  • Kib rushes the back, engaging four of the redshirts.
  • Thoven finishes off bunches of the other redshirts with magic missile. One flees (to be chased by Tibbers), one is cut down by Kib, and one remains for a turn before Kib finishes him off.
  • One more fireball from Thoven (with three missed evasions) manages to finish off everyone but the fleeing brigand at a strike.
  • A mad leap and a shot from a crossbow later, and Thed ends the battle, allowing a silent getaway.
• Thirty seconds of battle, and it is over. The party, with its practiced hand, takes what is valuable and rushes back to find out what is left of the Headsman.

Awards

• 1000 xp to all for punchy RP
• 4300 xp to all but xorry for an ambush and capo successfully executed.
  • This is 2150 xp to Bartley/xorry after splits for a clutch substitute
• Locker's Loot:
  • MW sling
  • Formula book
  • MW lamellar armor
• Grynne's Gear:
  • MW light crossbow
  • MW lamellar armor
• Kate's Kit:
  • Kate's cutlass (+2, mithral, seaborne)
  • Agile breastplate +1
  • Light quickdraw shield +1
  • Ring of protection +1
  • Cloak of resistance +2
  • 120 pp
  • 40 gp