TFL 17.11.21

What a session! We were sad to be short Vantis & Bubbles, but still had a fun one. Here's the re-cap:

While Bubbles slept upstairs, and Sev sipped on an ale at the bar of the White Dragon, Adokal, Ruspbin, and Vantis killed the ghost residing in their cellar. Upon returning upstairs, they found the bar bussier, with six or seven people milling about.

The first people of note were the two men in matching outfits of leather. The dwarf and human were fighters and messengers sent by Jakari Stonehands, and they suggested that the gang pay the Arena a visit in the near future. Adokal assured them that they would.

Next came a nervous merchant seeking an audience with Ruspbin. Ruspbin immediately recognized this to be the thief of his Staff (among other more illicit memories). Knowing that the (still un-named) group had returned to town, he wanted to apologize. He made his offer while webbed against the wall facing a VERY angry Ruspbin. 1,000 GP plus 25% off all future purchases as means of restitution for his crime. Ruspbin accepted, freed him from the web, and shared a drink with the visibly rattled shop keep.

Shortly after, Ruspbin received another tap on the shoulder, this time from another familiar face: Salta. She'd heard he was back in town, and while she feigned hurt feelings over not having been visited, she quickly made it apparent that she was mostly just happy that he was back. She was dropping some strong signals, and invited him out to the Festival of Blades, the annual holiday of Cutter, which is to take place in 5 days, under the full moon. He accepted, and they continued to merrily drink together...until another patron spoke up.

Senka the Cambion Knight of the Gaze Unyielding approached the group and told Salta to shove off. Salta went to the other side of the bar, irritated, and told Ruspbin not to keep her waiting. Senka explained that she was bored, and wanted to liven things up by offering a deal. The group could select one champion to face her in single combat at sunrise. If they did, she would take their head home and report that she'd killed them all, giving the surviving four a clear pass from the Knights moving forward. If they didn't, she'd continue to hunt them all down.

After MUCH deliberation (thanks for dialing in!) it was finally determined that Adokal would face her with all of the advantages the group could offer him. Ruspbin forgot about Salta, which pissed her off what good. She left, and they went to bed for a night of restless anticipation. They woke before dawn, ready to head to the South Road only to find Sev missing from his room, all of his gold left behind.

Realizing that he'd taken matters into his own hands, they raced after him hoping to stop him. They found him waiting for Senka on the Road, less than an hour before Dawn. After a convincing case by Sev, Adokal relented and the four of them left Sev to his fate, retreating back to the South Gate.

Senka arrived as the sun rose, Sev took off all of his gear, and approached her without fear. The greeted each other, and began. He lasted about six seconds.

She flew above him and smashed him into the earth, leaving his body a shattered, ruined, and utterly deceased mess. True to her word, she started sawing off his head when suddenly a black smoke gushed out of his throat.

A human figure made of black smoke formed, and proceeded to battle her in a pitched and furious fight. No matter what she tried, she couldn't seem to slow him down, and ultimately he ran her through. I just want to remind everybody that NONE OF YOU KNOW THIS. None of you were there, only Sev, and he's dead.

The gang waited at the South Gate, scanning the horizon for signs of the battle, and felt it safe enough to go investigate, whereupon they discovered Senka's bloodied corpse, and Sev's destroyed body. They don't know how Senka or Sev fell, but they've collected their fallen comrade and took a somber ride home with a very disturbed coach driver.