Session #27 – “Loose Ends, New Threads” (part 3 of 3)
In his suite nearby, Markos was reconsidering the information he had asked his cousin to get for him, and decided to go over it with him again, as much as he hated talking to Laarus for any length of time. The small mage reached for the door, but as he turned to tell Bleys where he was going, no sound emerged from his mouth. He tried again, and again nothing. He hustled a few steps away from the door.
“Bleys!” He could hear himself again. “Bleys! Get your weapons!” He moved back to the door, but the magical
silence was no longer in this area. He threw open the door.
Out in the hall, the zone of silence that existed between him and Markos’ door muffled Telémahkos’ voice. However, the blond Briareus could be heard crying out from around the other side of the branching hall that led to his suite as he ran back up the stairs away from the assassins. “Tymon! To arms!” he cried, as he felt the bite of a dagger in his back, thrown by the tall man. As he collapsed he could see the shadow of the woman in the lamplight coming around from the other side of the partition. There was a pain of a blade in his side as all went black.
“
Sagitta caustus!” Markos did not hesitate. He saw the blade fly from the assassin’s hands, even if he could not see Telémahkos, and he let loose an arrow made of acid, but he misjudged and it hissed as burned a hole in the hallway carpet just short of the wiry man’s feet. Bleys the Aubergine dropped the book he was reading on the ground and grabbed his saber, moving towards the door of their rooms.
Timotheus yelled for Tymon to hurry up as he drew a dagger and threw open the door to their suite, but the area of silence moved with the woman and already suppressed all sound in that rear hall. He could hear none of his own words, and neither could Tymon. But he cursed anyway, as he saw his cousin’s crumpled bleeding form with an armed woman hovering over him. He did not get a chance to react. The other assassin, pointed to Telémahkos and then dragged a finger across his throat, rushing at Tim to keep him in the doorway. Timotheus sidestepped, and managed to hurriedly raise his dagger to keep from being stabbed right through the heart. He was wearing no armor.
1 Ignoring the danger to his own life, he dropped a shoulder bowled past the assassin with such speed and fury that the man could not take the opportunity to stab him. Instead, the assassin lost his balance and was forced to drop to one knee to keep from falling over completely.
2 Timotheus dove, pulling a vial from his belt and pouring it down Telémahkos’ throat, barely avoiding a stab from the woman who changed her target at the last minute from Telie to Tim.
Markos ran up the hall away from the fight and towards the door leading to the inn’s dining area. As he threw open the door, screaming “Assassins!” a maid was about to open it and she shrieked in terror, running back in the opposite direction. Bleys went around that way as well, but cut around the hall the as the female assassin had, to cut off that route. He arrived in time to see Telémahkos crawling away from the fight and dragging himself up a wall in order to stand. The male assassin stood as well, and Telémahkos was barely able to roll along the wall to avoid his blow, yanking his rapier from its sheath. The assassin hopped to the left as Tymon appeared in the doorway, longsword in hand. Bleys left the woman to Tim and moved to try to pen the man in. The woman now had weapon in each hand, and Timotheus struggled to block the fast thrusts from both her sword and her dagger. The zone of
silence devoured the sound of the clanking blades.
Timotheus risked leaving himself open to attack and grabbed at the woman to put her in a bear hug, and while she was able to turn away and out of his meaty paws, she had to react too fast to take advantage of the opening. Instead, she fell into a roll, and deftly dodging Tim’s dagger, tumbling over to Telémahkos. His cry of alarm was unheard, but he barely hopped back as her blade bit into the wall. The male assassin now had two weapons pulled as well, and was easily avoiding Tymon’s slow and weighty blows while parrying both Bleys and Telémahkos’ swords. The watch-mage winced as one of his swipes was met with a dagger to the forearm.
Meanwhile Markos was stepping back and forth at the top of the stairs back on the other side where Telémahkos was first ambushed, trying to gauge the edge of the area of
silence. Finally, he chanted, “
Sagitta Aquom! and sent two blue liquid
magic missiles careening into the woman. Timotheus tried to take advantage of the momentary distraction and grabbed at her again. This time he got a cut to his free hand for his troubles. Telémahkos, however, was able to step over and flank the female assassin between him and his cousin, while Bleys and Tymon had the other assassin flanked and pressed him.
“The watch has been called!” The maid cried from the doorway when she crept back to it, but only Markos could hear her. The male assassin skipped away from Bleys and Tymon and again tried to finish the weakened Telémahkos. Telie was able to parry one blow, but the pommel of the short sword punched into his gut and he gasped. The other assassin stepped over as well, and Telémahkos was forced to scramble to keep from getting run through. The killer woman w as so eager in her attempt, she left herself open to a blow to the neck, but able to recover at the last moment, pulling back as Telémahkos chopped at her.
3 Tymon stepped out into the hall, taking the space left by the male assassin and penned him in between him and his master. The man grimaced as he was forced to spin around to keep Tymon’s sword from cutting his kidneys loose from his body. Timotheus stepped over to try to keep the man penned in, and felt the satisfying punch of his dagger through the assassin’s studded leather armor, as blood blossomed from the serious blow.
Markos’ hand crackled with blue lightning as he approached the melee, getting on the other side of the woman.
Meanwhile, on the upper level, there was a knock on Victoria and Laarus’ suite door. “Sir? Madam? There is some kind of altercation downstairs… Something is happening to your friends…”
The two Red Lantern Gang assassins continued to focus their efforts at finishing Telémahkos, but he parried like mad, his eyes wide as he
silently panting, rarely getting an opening, and too defensive to take advantage of it when he did. Tymon chewed on his lips with absent obsession as he stepped over to flank the male assassin with Telémahkos. The man shuddered and fell as a heavy blow from the manservant’s sword struck him from behind. The woman swerved to avoid Markos’ glowing hand, but left herself open to Timothues, and again he felt the satisfying punch of his dagger through armor. She let out a
silent little cry, but did not fall. However, this allowed Bleys to move around the fight by stepping over the dying man, and slash at the woman with a deep blow across her arm and chest. She was quickly bleeding on the plush carpet of the hall. The
silence dispersed.
Laarus of Ra and Victoria of Anhur arrived, weapons in hand. Markos frowned at his crackling hand and dismissed the
shocking grasp spell. He then cast
detect magic and scanned the two killers.
Bleys the Aubergine got down and began to bind the woman’s wounds, but quickly realized she was beyond his help. Telémahkos began to try to drag the other assassin down the steps, but Timotheus stopped him. “He’s still alive,” Timotheus said.
“So?” asked Telémahkos.
Victoria stepped over and knelt beside the man and asked Anhur to close his wounds that they might take him captive, but the spell was either more effective than she expected, or he was less hurt than he seemed. The man coughed awake and then suddenly spun up to his hands and knees. Telémahkos thrust his sword at the man’s back, but he fell over again avoiding the blow. Bleys stepped over and punched at the man with the basket-hilt of his sabre, but the blow landed awkwardly and to no effect. The man climbed carefully to his feet, avoiding the blows and weapons on the young nobles.
4 Victoria grabbed at him and missed.
Meanwhile, Markos noticed a stone in the belt of the dead assassin that glowed with dweomer, and he hurried over to collect it.
Grunting with pain, the assassin tumbled past the cluster of young nobles. Telémahkos thrust wildly, but missed, and in that moment, a pair of the town guard arrived, men in chain shirts with swords and clubs, but he somersaulted past the one that came to the top of the steps. Tymon ran to the other stairway and blocked the door to the common room, forcing the man to go the other way. Victoria threw herself at the fleeing man, and grabbed at the back of his neck, but the man leaned forward and avoided being grappled. However, he was unable to avoid two of Markos’
magic missiles, and he collapsed again.
“Just stop his bleeding, please!” Telémahkos said to the priests, exasperated. “We’ll let him wake up on his own…” Victoria cast
cure minor wounds and did just that.
Timotheus and Markos finished searching the dead woman and found a folded up sketch of Telémahkos in folds of her clothing. It was a good likeness. The sketch was shown to the guards as explanations were given regarding the attack.
Victoria walked over to Telémahkos and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Anhur, heal my companion’s wounds that were suffered for the offenses he has given…”
Telémahkos brushed her hand away and refused the healing spell. “If that is the nature of your invocation, I’ll do without… I’m tired of the two of you!” He gestured to both priests.
“If that is the way you feel about it, you may go to the temple of Fallon,” Laarus frowned.
“By the Gods!” Markos swore, overhearing the exchange.
“Yeah, this kind of thing is the reason why I pray to
Isis and
Nephthys,” Timotheus said, shaking his head.
The captive was taken into custody and the body was carried off. The guards informed the party that the local watch-mage Berenger the Taupe would want to talk to them about the events in the morning. Peter Van Durant, the host and manager of the inn was appalled by what happened. “What can I do to make up for this horrible breach of security?” He asked. It turned out the two assassins had taken a vacant suite on the upper level earlier that same day, but they had come asking about one the night before.
“A refund…” Bleys replied. Peter Van Durant sputtered.
“Well, this event will likely lead to us staying in Lilly City longer than we planned…” Victoria said.
“Say nothing more,” Peter Van Durant replied. “I will make sure you get a complimentary stay for the rest of your time here…”
“Who of the Winter Family owns this establishment?” Bleys asked.
“Raphael Winter, sir…” The host replied.
“I expected as much,” Bleys said.
5
The host informed them that he had sent for a medicus of Fallon to come and see to Telémahkos’ wounds. After everyone retired back to their rooms, Markos sought out Victoria and Laarus in theirs. “You need to stop insulting Telémahkos and be mature about this,” he told the priests.
Victoria tried to stifle a dry chuckle and failed. “You are right,” she said. “
Someone needs to be mature about this…”
“You insulted him by denigrating him in your call to your god,” Markos replied.
“I did no such thing,” Laarus said.
“You’re right. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time…” Markos said. “It was just Victoria.” He turned to her.
“If he chose to be offended by words then it is his prerogative to eschew the healing of Anhur,” Victoria replied.
“You really can be a pig-headed bit…,” Markos stopped himself and spat, leaving.
Back in Telémahkos and Timotheus’ suite, the latter was pacing back and forth and talking hastily, while Telémahkos lounged on a couch, crestfallen and wounded. Tymon Lowe was cleaning and oiling their weapons.
“No, that’s it! From now on we’re going everywhere together!” Timotheus said.
“We were already supposed to be doing that, but you kept whining,” Telémahkos muttered.
“That’s because we never got to do what
I want to do!” Timotheus spun on his cousin, and his voice grew sharp,
“Maybe I should just stay in Lilly City and get myself a real sword master and learn to defend myself better,” Telémahkos said. “Victoria and Laarus can shove the charter up their asses!”
There was a knock at the door, and Tim quickly snatched his dagger from the dropcloth where Tymon was working. “Who is it?” he asked.
It was Elias of Fallon, sent from the temple to see to Telémahkos’ wounds.
Balem, the 12th of Keent - 566 H.E. (637 M.Y.)
Ra’s Glory had still not risen when the Signers of the Charter of Schiereiland rose to begin their day. Markos went to see Victoria again, first thing. “I wanted to apologize for how I acted last night,” he said. “I had no right to yell at you or call you a name.”
“Apology accepted,” Victoria replied.
“But, can’t you see why Telémahkos would want for you to not characterize him in an insulting way when you petition your god?” Markos tried again.
“What he wants is immaterial,” Victoria said. “He has rejected the offering of my god. The offense is not to me, but to Anhur…”
“Then educate him… Explain to him,” Markos asked. “Reach out to him and see why he is offended…”
“I know why he’s offended,” Victoria replied.
“Then show him why he should not be offended,” Markos was willing to try anything.
“I don’t think it will make much difference,” Victoria said.
“How do you know if you won’t try?’ Markos’ voice rose a bit, and Laarus came out into the common room having been awakened.
“The only lesson I hope to impart to him is one of honor and courage,” Victoria said. “If he does not comport himself with those facets then he will continue to need to be healed as a consequence…”
“But what about unit cohesion? And morale? Are those not important to the god of war and battle?” Markos asked. “Think about your words in light of that…”
“Fine. I will talk to him.”
Markos thanked the militant of Anhur profusely.
After dressing she went directly to catch Telémahkos on the way to the quick breakfast they’d have before heading to the duel at dawn.
“Markos said you wanted to talk to me?” Victoria said.
“No, and I actually don’t have anything to say to you,” Telémahkos replied, curtly and made to walk past, but stopped and turned. “You insult me at my every turn…”
“I know you think so…”
“And you don’t care about my well being either! Like when you wanted to use me as bait to draw out the assassins,”
6 Telémahkos continued. “Are you acting out of the rivalry of our Houses?”
7
“You speak foolishness,” Victoria responded.
“Then what is it? Explain to me why you feel I should be left injured after my duel when my life is in danger,” Telémahkos asked, with obvious hurt feelings emerging from his angry façade. “What offense have I given Anhur that you should refer to it in your prayer to him?”
“Anhur would have you behave with bravery and honor at all times,” Victoria replied. “And the offense I mentioned was not against Anhur, necessarily, but rather I meant the intrigues that led to your own role as a possible assassin and the price that has been put on your head as a result of that…”
8
Telémahkos and Victoria spoke a little more and came to an understanding, patching up their disagreement.
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The first lights were peeking from the east when the Signers arrived at the Duelist Market Square. There were few people around, but those that were had come especially to see if Markos showed up. There was a murmur as he and the others arrived, but he was already looking green, having forced down some filthy canal water before going to sleep and drinking another cupful on the way over. He stumbled over
Azavia Heartsong to inform her of his illness, with Timotheus and Telémahkos at his side.
Bleys the Aubergine was wandering around the outer arena area, taking in the scene and seeing the merchants begin to set up their stalls when a big yellow hound came bounding at him from across the square. Cautious, the watch-mage threw out a foot to keep the dog at bay, and it stopped and growled.
“Down Ewan!” A figure was walking steadily after the dog. A tall handsome young man in dark brownish gray watch-mage robes tinged in yellow came up to Bleys. He had cropped light brown hair and light eyes, and wore a long sword at his side. Bleys recognized him as Berenger the Taupe, having graduated from the Academy in Bleys’ first or second year there.
“Well met!” The watch-mage greeted his peer with respect and subdued pleasantries, which Bleys appreciated, and they fell to talking about the assassination attempt on Telémahkos the night before. Seeing them, Laarus Raymer of Ra walked over, and made sure to let the watch-mage know that the assassins were the same as the ones who had attacked in Sluetelot. As the time for the duel approached, Berenger said he would meet them at the Golden Arch Bridge & Inn afterwards to finish the discussion and for him to have a chance to question Telémahkos.
When Markos was called up, he stumbled and vomited (using
prestidigitation to tickle his own gag reflex and let loose the rancid water he had imbibed). “I want to fight, but I am too sick…” He croaked.
“I will fight him sick or well, it matters not!” Danser Von Huet Blued responded, coming off as even more angry at Markos than he had at Telémahkos. “Let us determine a suitable handicap and I will endure it and still triumph!”
“No… I cannot fight… Telémahkos will have to fight for me as my second…” Markos insisted.
“I will gladly put the duel off until tomorrow so that I might fight the man who insulted me in my triumph,” Danser offered.
“I can understand why you’d want to put off your embarrassment, but my group has been delayed enough because of this dueling foolishness… It must happen today, or else you will be the coward for not going along with it,” Markos was panting by the time he finished, and then hurried over to the edge of where the gondolas were moored and puked again.
“Coward? I would love nothing better than to cut your tongue out!”
“Ugh, the way it tastes right now, I would cut it out myself, if I could…” Markos replied. Meanwhile, Telémahkos allowed Laarus to heal the last of his lingering wounds with a
cure moderate wounds spell. Timotheus rubbed his cousin’s shoulders in an effort to get him to relax and loosen up for the duel. “Listen…” He said quietly to Telémahkos. “What kind of trouble were you in in Sluetelot? Floris said you were in some kind of political trouble?”
“What are you talking about?” Telémahkos flinched and spun around, growing tense.
“Well, I was thinking about it and remembered that Floris said something about not being able to protect you the night before we left… He wasn’t very specific…” Tim lamely explained.
9Telémahkos glowered at his cousin and pushed him away.
Azavia Heartsong announced the combatants as she had the day before, and once again the duel began. Once again they fought with rapiers (Telémahkos using the one he had rented from Dextrobe’s), and once again they fought until one yielded. This time Telémahkos tried to slow down pace, while Danser rushed in with heavy blows as if tired of the whole thing already. It had hardly begun when Telémahkos was already forced back, panting, wheezing, sweating, and barely able to keep Danser’s sword from scoring a winning (and possibly fatal) blow.
Telémahkos’ return thrusts and swipes were turned away with little effort. This duel was a parody of the one fought the day before.
10 “Are you even trying?” Danser asked, not mocking, but with true disbelief and more than a little bit of disgust. Unfortunately for him, his disdain distracted him and as he stepped forward for a finishing thrust he did not see the patch of slick mud he was stepping on. Danser’s backside slammed into the ground painfully and those around the arena burst out laughing. Vulnerable, he looked up at Telémahkos, but Telie merely stepped back and gestured for Danser to stand.
The opponent got to his feet and brushed himself off. He tipped his cap to Telémahkos and raised his sword. Telémahkos rushed in, but his blade was knocked aside and he felt the basket-hit of Danser’s sword slam under his chin, and the bite of its blade to his left shoulder as he fell back. He sat in the dust panting, and then slumped over, blood spilling from his open mouth.
“And now you…” Danser turned to Markos and pointed at him with his bloody sword. “You will know when to keep your mouth shut!” Markos bit his lip and looked down as Victoria walked calmly over to Telémahkos and called to Anhur to close his wounds before he died. Danser Von Huet Blued stormed off to a little applause from the crowd.
Telémahkos came around and was helped to his feet by Tymon and Timotheus. “Heh. I could have done that,” Markos said, coming over.
“It would have lasted longer,” Telémahkos replied, depreciatingly. Victoria called on Anhur once again to bring him from the brink of reopening his wounds.
11
Timotheus tried to help his cousin walk, but Telémahkos pushed him off and leaned on Tymon instead.
“If you can’t lean on family, who can you lean on?” Timotheus asked with hurt in his voice.
“Tymon, apparently…” Markos quipped and got a punch in the arm for it.
Back at the inn, Telémahkos’ attempt to cloister himself away from the others due to his surly mood was quashed by Bleys, who reminded him that Berenger the Taupe would be arriving soon to talk to them, and he would want to talk to Telémahkos specifically as well.
Grumbling, Telémahkos retreated to his suite to wash up, and asked Tymon to fetch him some wine. Though Telémahkos was greeting his cousin with icy silence, Timotheus stood by ‘on guard’ the whole time. The Signers of the Charter of Schiereiland gathered in the dining room and met up with Berenger the Taupe, his dog, Ewan, wandering the bridge outside.
As they ate a second and heartier breakfast (Telémahkos drinking glass after glass of wine), they talked over the attempts on Telémahkos’ life, and told Berenger that
Captain Angeleena Firth had identified assassins as members of the
Red Lantern Gang. Markos showed the watch-mage the stone he had found the night before. “Captain Firth called it a ‘Blood Stone’,” he said. Berenger the Taupe took the stone and examined it and took a moment to cast
detect magic and stared it for a few moments and then handed it back.
“The one thing you have not told me is why the Red Lantern Gang would be sending assassins after you in the first place,” the watch-mage looked to Telémahkos. He spoke in an almost Bleys-like voice that brooked no nonsense.
“We ran afoul of them during our adventures, and for some reason they have fixated on me…” Telémahkos began.
Berenger looked from Telémahkos to Bleys who nodded.
“I see… it is a private matter that happens to be localized wherever you are…” Berenger said, cutting off Telémahkos. “I understand.”
“And the assassin that lived?” Victoria asked.
“He is locked away in the dungeons of
Terrapin,” Berenger replied.
“Can we speak to him?” Bleys asked.
“It can be arranged, but I doubt it would do much good,” Berenger said. “Even if he did speak, most of what he’ll say are lies…”
“I may be able to do something about that,” Laarus said.
“You have a means of making him speak?” Bleys asked.
“No, but if he does speak we can be assured that he speaks the truth,” Laarus replied.
Berenger said he would arrange for them to get an audience with the prisoner the next morning.
End of Session #27
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Notes:
(1) Remember, Timotheus was preparing for bed when this happened.
(2) The assassin was knocked down by the overrun attempt. In Aquerra campaigns, the rules for knockdown apply not only to weapons, but for bullrushing and overrun attempts as well.
(3) The assassin fumbled, allowing Timotheus an immediate attack of opportunity against her. He missed.
(4) Using a full-round action to stand mitigates the attack of opportunity usually allowed adjacent opponents when getting up from a prone position.
(5) Raphael Winter is the patriarch of a wealthy and independent branch of
the Winter Family, who show little interest in being part of a noble house.
(6) Victoria made this suggestion in Session #22
(7) While
House Briareus and
House Ostrander have the same patron house (or perhaps,
because of this) they have long been rivals.
(8) Victoria is referring to Telémahkos’ recruitment by the Herald's Guild to kill Harliss Javell. See InterSession #4.1 and Sessions #6 - #8.
(9) See InterSession #26.1
(10) Telémahkos’ player was rolling as awfully for this second duel as he rolled well at the beginning of his first duel.
(11) The first spell only brought Telémahkos back to 0 hit points.