S5E8 tHR- Exit, Stage Left…Right into Trouble!

From the Beginning: https://rigglewwh.blogspot.com/2021/06/s0e1-introductions.html

PCs: Agnes (Duane), Katja (Geoff), Venegral (Tony), Mor (Bill), Gary (Matt), Ymath (absent)

ReCap: With Rega killed by the Jabberslythe, the wood-elf (Ghost Strider) Mor joined the group with common goal of tracking the dark Pegasus. While Agnes Orphans hunted the beast for spell components, Mor tracked its owner (a Druchii- dark elf). Sad news a village within the Shadensumpf swamps were led astray by the evil dark elf who promised to teach women and children how to extend their life. The men knew not Irthiok’s sadistic intent. The heroes slayed the dark-elf and his Pegasus but could only report the dead of all women and children dead. Returning to Middenheim, Venegral got to work crafting his lists of magical orders: a holding bag for Agnes to shield warpstone if found, a light-stone for Gary that also temporarily blinds, an amulet for Katja to gain moments of 2^nd-sight thru her hunting-dog’s senses (sight/smell).

It wasn’t long before Marshall Schutzmann tasked them with a new mission:  find the radical lawyer, Magistar Gottfried Jarmund, who is willing to testify against the Purple-Hands, supposedly held by a Low-King (mafia) and return him at once without paying the reward/ransom.

Gottfried’s Estate: No surprise the man lived in the wealthy Sudgarten area; be it his occupation or underground connections. Agnes paused to read the note nailed to the door before knocking. The housekeeper repeated the note, “Can’t you read? My master is ill and has deferred all legal matters to his associates. Now go away.” Gary barged his way in, “We are no fools. We know of his kidnapping. We are on orders to find and safely escort your master to the Graf’s staff. When was the last you saw him?” Gertrude apologized, “A week ago. He paid me a whole crown to keep his secret of courting a married lady. I know not her name.”

 They searched his house, confirming the woman continued to keep cleanliness and order within. But when they found Gottfried’s study locked, Venegral cast “unlock” to continue the search. Obvious signs of a hurried exit from someone panicked? His safe open and empty, closet full of fine clothing, and even a sack of gold coins. Mor suspected possible intrusion and opened his senses (2^nd sight) to confirm a faint lingering of magical chaos essence. Agnes poked around his desk cluttered with paper. She found a ledger that recorded a regular 2-gold debt every 2 weeks to “S.H. Chap.” Gary pressed the housekeeper, but she didn’t know any ‘Chap’.

But something clicked in Agnes’ thoughts, “We’ve noticed many a culprit donating to the church. S.H. Chap could be the Shallya Chapel. I can think of 5 within the city: Church of Blessed Tears, St Agnes’ Shrine, Dove & Heart Temple, Tears of the Lady, and St Bertha’s Chapel. Maybe we should make the rounds and see if anyone recognized Gottfried as a regular benefactor.”

Touring the Temples: Agnes was the only one to dig into her coin purse to offer donations at each stop. Gary stayed vigilant she did not dip into group funds. The closest stop was at the Tears of the Lady in the rundown, neglected neighborhood of Ostwald. Mor was the first to sight the nun outside, passing bread to the beggars. Per his keen vision, Mor caught sight of the brand on her arm when her long sleeves happened to slide up her outstretched arm. “Do you humans normally brand yourself?” Agnes answered, “It is not uncommon for petty criminals to seek forgiveness thru charitable work within the sisterhood of my order.” Indeed, when confronted, Sister Anais Nun confessed her prior petty thief that earned the branding, “I was fortunate to be allowed to keep my hand. Surely Shallya watched over me which is why I tend the needy. Blessed be the poor. The government tends to neglect this part of the city.”

It was easy to recognize this location more a soup-kitchen than temple, but Agnes asked anyway about donations. Surprise that indeed, gold crown had been found in the basket a few times in the past. As Anais stirred the soup kettle, she answered, “A lawyer named Jarmund? I’ve heard the name but haven’t met him although it would be nice if he the one donating such wealth to the poor. I can buy lots of groceries with that kind of coin.” Mor happened to inspect the kettle and found rats floating within, “You have to buy them?!” Anais was not ashamed, “There are many who seek the meager offerings we have. They do not question where or what it comes from.” But thru all the conversation, Agnes had that feeling Anais was holding something back. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. She pressed but finally gave up before dropping a silver into the offering as they left.

Outside, Gary reasoned, “To just be branded for stealing… she must have had a good lawyer.” Agnes found a local street urchin and gave him a silver to loosen his tongue. “Yes, I’ve seen wealthy men come around. Not dressed in purple. There was this one weaselly looking man. Accompanied by another well-fed man with a thick moustache. For another silver, I’ll keep an eye out for them and report.”

Next stop- Dove & Heart in Geldmund, where Sister Urmagurt greeted them, “Please, have the men stay outside. This is a safe house for abused women.” Katja and Agnes quickly learned few if any gold ever found its way into their collection basket. “I wished and pray! Yet the Tears of the Lady has found such? I’ve heard of Sister Anais Nun. She has reformed from a past life of sin. Good for her and the poor she tends. Maybe this lawyer you seek has fathered many of those urchins and feels guilty.” Agnes offered a gold to prime her collection box. And also found a recruit for her own temple she planned to start up soon.

They rode onward to Wynd and St Bertha’s Chapel where Sister Else cared for the sick. “Engineer’s Guild adds to our collections considering their workers tend to find our beds from their work injuries. Sure, they’ve donated gold before.” Sister Agnes lent a hand tending to the wounded before leaving her own donation.

At this point, Gary/Katja/Mor split off to see Half-Nose, leaving Venegral and Agnes to finish researching the remaining temples. They backtracked to St Agnete’s Shrine in Brotkopfs that had a fresco of sheep shearing as its logo. Brother Gerardus recognized Agnes with an offhand jab, “So, you’ve finally returned to the city from your hunting to perform official duties of healing.” She ignored the snide remark as she asked the same questions. At least she learned the brother had dealt with chaos before. “The Fly Lord can humble us all.” He rolled up his sleeves to show pock marks of infections. “While I was confronting The Blightkings in the mountains.” Agnes hesitated before leaving a donation.

By now, Agnes and Venegral were convinced the first stop was the key. But they finished their tour, stopping at the Church of the Blessed Tears in Ostter. Brother Simon was pleasant and thankful for her donation.

Dealing with Half-Nose: Meanwhile, the others (Gary/Katja/Mor) found Half-Nose at his Brittonian House in the Altquartier district. He already knew Schutzmann sent them, “How is the Marshall doing?” Gary cut to the chase, “Which of the four low-kings has him?” Half-Nose held out his upturned palm and answered per offerings:

• 2 shillings: “Bleyden? Don’t make me laugh. He’s not smart enough to pull something like that off. Too busy hiding in the Big Cheese’s shadow.”
• 4 shillings: “Herla? Not her style. Makes her money from the rich scholars.”
• 6 silvers: “The Big Cheese? Mr. Edam Gouda is more likely to kill the traitor in the streets.”
• 10 shillings: Half-Nose looked nervous before he answered, “The Man? You didn’t hear it from me. Let’s just say there has been a lot of activity around one of his safe-houses. #33 Baughhaffen. He specializes in smuggling which requires a lot of muscle. Back entrance to the house? I don’t poke around THAT close to his business. Already lost half a nose.”
• When questioned about Jarmund, Half-Nose revealed, “He’s been working with a lot of students at the university. Like a rabblerouser… power-to-the-people.”

Confronting Sister Anais Nun:  They regrouped at the Tears of the Lady. The urchin lookout had nothing to report, “Only came out a few times to empty a chamber pot.” Katja pressed the sister, “We know Gottfried was your lawyer.” Agnes twisted her wrist, “Why did you lie?” Anais confessed, “Yes, yes. I robbed him. He caught me but also defended me in court in exchange for me helping him sometimes. He actually fronted the money to start the soup-kitchen in this old shop, complete with a smugglers’ tunnel underneath. He’s used it to move around unseen.” Venegral cast Fearsome to open up more. Anais was in tears as she confessed, “I hide him from the low-kings. Come with me and I’ll show you. But promise, don’t hurt him! He’s in the basement and very paranoid.” Indeed, Gottfried backed into the corner at their appearance.

They Found Him: He recognized Gary, “You brought Kastor! You’re Purple-Hands!” Fear crossed his face like a wounded and cornered animal. Ready to strike till Agnes offered him the ring given by Marshall Shultzmann as proof they came from him. Gottfried finally calmed down as he confessed, “I had to kill them. The guards holding me captive. I ran here as the only safe place I could think of. I’ve wanted to escape from the Purple Hand for a long time, loathing it and myself for what I had done in its name.”

Gottfried continued, “My chance came when Wasmeier’s plot collapsed. With ensuing chaos as a cover, I made contact with The Man and arranged to be hidden while he negotiated my defection. But he betrayed me and held me captive till I managed to escape here.” Gottfried looked at each for approval, seeing some doubt. 

“As proof of my intentions, here’s the last coded message I received but haven’t had time to decode. See you yourself.” With Agnes the only one able to read, she sat at a table and began the translation. Growing impatient, Gottfried pulled out his decoder.

As further proof, Gottfried explained the cults’ organization, “There are three arms of the cult: the Novitiae, Terribilis, and Impedimentae. I headed the Ordo Novitiae involved in recruitment and indoctrination. The Ordo Terribilis were involved in research and strategy, headed by Wasmeier until he disappeared. A man named Bahr looks set to take his place. The Ordo Impedimentae organized resources, I’m not sure who ran them. We only ever met a couple of times a year, and in disguise. I only recently met Bahr who has a horrible scar on his face along with a large mustache.” When Gottfried ran out of breath, Gary pressed for more, only forcing the turncoat to clam up, “No more. I’ll only speak with Schutzmann.”

All the while of the confession, Mor sought solitude outside as such human interactions was meaningless to him. He just felt a tingling and climbed to the roof as lookout. It wasn’t long before he recognized the same men wandering back and forth along the street, occasionally looking at the house. Mor slipped off the roof and back into the Shallya temple and handed Agnes 4 of his elf arrows (which drew fear upon Gary’s face). “We have company. Almost a dozen. They know we are in here. Someone probably tailed us. There could be more inside the buildings across the street.”

[Now look who was paranoid as they planned their escape.] Gary silently contemplated killing Gottfried since he’d pretty much confessed all. He was the first to mumble, “I’m not going to die for him.” While Venegral began to channel, Gottfried offered, “I promised Sister Anais I wouldn’t, but I can summon… help if needed.” Agnes knew exactly the kind of help implied, “Keep your demons to yourself. I wondered how you escaped your guards.” As their proposed plans grew more numerous and detailed, Mor had to observe, “For a race so short-lived, you sure take a long time deciding.”

The Plan: “Forget the smugglers’ tunnels. No telling what is down there. Besides, that’s the low-kings means of secret travel as evidence back in Boganhaffen. Let’s stick to the streets above.” Thus, Mor climbed back outside to perch upon the roof. Till he fell and took up duties at ground-level. Gary readied a pistol at the doorway, Katja with cross bow at the window, while Venegral kept in the shadows continuing to channel, as… Agnes drug the unconscious body (dummy) of Gottfried into the street and dumped him as she spewed, “Show yourselves! What’s he worth to you?”

The plan was for the cultists to draw close enough for Venegral to cast Fireball in their midst. Only one came forward which drew Agnes’ instructions, “Don’t let him get closer.” Which Mor understood as… the elf twanged an arrow, dropping the man. And all hell broke loose. Gary opened the door and blasted another with his pistol before stepping back inside to reload. Katja fired a bolt that took the nose off another. From inside the temple, Venegral tried to bluff, “We have you outnumbered. Pay us for the body.” Laughter erupted from the streets as the cultists moved to cover.

Crossbow bolts sank into the temple door and window frame, while another sank into the dummy lying in the street. A standoff. Till from outside, “Get reinforcements!” THAT forced the heroes’ hand. Venegral cast fireball in the middle of the street to the left, wounding those blocking that axis of retreat. Mor fired 2 arrows (swiftshiver shafts) at 2 cultists side-by-side, dropping them. Those within the temple poured out and turned left. Pursued by the remaining cultists busy reloading their crossbows.

Unfortunately, another group of men gathered before the retreating heroes and chanted. Magic users! Katja saw them first and shot a bolt that interrupted one cultists’ casting (his spell loosed upon his own). Mor drop one with an elf arrow as Gary focused his pistol shot at those closing from the rear. Arrows, bolts, and another blinding fireball thinned the enemy and gave hope to escape. In exchange, Mor and Katja suffered magical darts. The path ahead cleared and escape at their fingertips. Till the sounds of horrific screaming erupted from those cultists in pursuit at the rear.

Agnes and Gary both saw the shadowy blur amongst the cultists that slit their throats. A demon! The Skaven Assassin they had encountered in Professor Hasche’s office at the College of Scientology! [critical] A ninja throwing-star cut the binding on Agnes’ left arm bracer. Gary fired his pistol at the skaven who deftly dodged. Agnes’ arrow also missed. “Our only hope is to engage in melee. It’s deadly at range!” Indeed, as it deftly dodged another fireball from Venegral. More stars thrown at Agnes as she tried to close into melee… a solid hit to her head but she still stood.

Mor strung 3-swift arrows to bracket his target: one found its mark just before Gary closed into melee. But his swing also dodged. The elusive skaven side-stepped Agnes’ hammer swing but could not avoid Katja’s blade. And while the skaven avoid another fireball from Venegral, it was blinded by the flash. Dead to rights. And easy mark that would not be able to see from where the next strike came. Except… the skaven disappeared into the shadows. The only evidence of its escape route was the fairy sparkle coming from a manhole cover. “HOW THE HELL…”

Next Session: https://rigglewwh.blogspot.com/2022/09/s5e9-thr-what-say-you-lady-greyplume.html