Session Thirty-Nine: The Nun’s Priest’s Tale

The Fights Continue

Gillian asks Magnus and Jim—having won the adulation of the crowd—to fight a second time. The duo accepts and goes down into the pit to get ready.

Maurice, increasingly suspicious of the proceedings, slips off to take a walk around the keep area. He sees a number of people in cultist robes stride up from below and make their way purposefully to the amphitheater. The cultists are led by a robed man who is surrounded by a thick swarm of flies, and who reeks of death and offal.

Concerned what this might mean for his friends, he returns to the company to warn them.

Shortly after he arrives, Gillian resumes her position beside the amphitheater and announces Magnus and Jim’s return to the pit. The crowd, already bloodthirsty, goes berserk at Gillian’s words. The rest of the company now fears for their companions’ safety.

Their fear becomes well justified when Gillian’s introduction of Magnus lists some very personal details and achievements, including that he is the oldest of five children, that he is the slayer of a knight of Khorne, and that he is the warlord of the Cult of the Stranger.

Several members of the company attempt to curse or rise to defend themselves, only to find that they are magically immobilized. Gillian, cackling, orders the arriving cultists—previously seen by Maurice—to escort the company into the pit so that they can die with Magnus and Jim.

Garnier, who had stepped away from the company to establish a separate vantage over the proceedings, is undetected by Gillian and is, therefore, the only one not affected by the spell.

The Jig is Up

Meanwhile, Andre watches as the double doors at the end of the hall open, and a sweating, exhausted looking cultist pokes his head out into the tunnel beyond. Gillian’s lads indicate that they have three more people ready for “the procedure” and ask which one they should hand over first.

The cultist squints at Andre and says, “well, him, obviously. He’s one of the cultists of the Stranger, and his Mark of Tzeentch is backwards and painted on with makeup. Seize him!”

Andre takes advantage of the momentary confusion to flee down the hallway of the cellblock. Seeing no easy way to escape, he uses the keys he has been given to lock himself in one of the cells. This baffles the captive who is already in the cell and enrages the cultists. Andre retreats to the far side of the cell as the cultists attack the iron bars, to no avail.

Just as Andre thinks that he might be able to hold out long enough to be rescued by the company, he sees a massive, horned beastman lumbering up the hallway.

Oh Good. Beastmen.

 The Arena of Death

Those of the company that were magically paralyzed are tossed into the center of the amphitheater to join Magnus and Jim. Gillian casually dispels the spell that binds them and, as the company gets to its feet and readies its weapons, orders the doors on the north side of the arena open.

The company looks on in revulsion as perhaps a dozen beastmen come roaring and snarling into the pit. Wielding axes and hide shields, they seek to butcher the company to the last.

A man in the crowd stands up and announces himself as a member of Epernay’s Town Guard. He demands that Gillian stop the fight and proclaims that everyone participating in this blood sport is under arrest. The cultists fall upon him and tear him to pieces.

Garnier hefts his spear and runs along the outside of the amphitheater, before leaping in and joining his friends. He turns and hurls his spear at Gillian, only to have it be deflected by an invisible barrier.

Andre’s Vision

The beastman has little trouble bending the bars, opening it wide enough for the other cultists to get through. Andre, realizing there is no escape, readies his weapon and prepares for the inevitable.

Just then, Andre feels a strange sense of dissociation, almost as if his consciousness has been fractured. At first, he perceives a “nowhere place,” in which he surrounded by countless individuals. Andre doesn’t recognize any of these people, and yet at the same time knows that all of them are, somehow, different aspects of his true self.

Andre focuses on one of the individuals, the haggard-looking prisoner he had briefly encountered earlier. As if in a dream, he watches from the prisoner’s perspective as he slowly rises, removes his rope belt, and goes to the door of his cell. With everyone in the hallway focused on Andre’s cell, it is easy for the prisoner to reach through the bars and garrote the beastman with his belt.

As the prisoner begins to scream, “for the Lady! For Bretonnia!” Andre snaps back to himself. Andre realizes that, as the cultists are briefly distracted by the prisoner, now is his best and only chance to escape. He unlocks the door, slips through the frenetic melee, and runs for the stairs that lead up and out of the complex.

Although several of the cultists give chase, Andre is faster. He reaches the surface, only to find that the rest of the company are fighting for their lives in the amphitheater. He rushes forward to render what aid he can.

Pictured: A Hot Mess

The Battle Continues

Maurice, having seen Garnier’s spear deflected by magic, knows that only holy power can penetrate Gillian’s shield. He ties his pilgrim’s badge from the shrine of Saint Maxense to one of his arrows and fires it at the emcee. Gillian seems amused that Maurice would try such a foolish thing, but her confidence quickly gives way to screams of terror and rage as the badge arrow pierces her shield and her cheek, sending her reeling into the arms of the crowd.

Maurice attempts to follow this up with a second arrow dipped in manticore venom, also bearing a pilgrim’s badge. This one, alas, shatters on Gillian’s defensive barrier. By this time, Gillian recovers, and calls upon the Winds of Magic to hurl a bolt of raw Chaos at Maurice.

“Die, thrall of Zuvassin,” she screams, as her bolt strikes Maurice in his chest. He is blown off of his feet and slides across the bloodied sand.

At this moment, Andre arrives on the scene and gets into position behind Gillian. He draws the envenomed needle he took from the herbalist’s shop in Colmar and, with a vicious stab, plunges it into Gillian’s shoulder. The poison does its work with horrifying speed, and Gillian soon falls, her enchantments broken, clutching at her seizing heart.

Andre joins the others in the amphitheater and finds that they have acquitted themselves well against the beastmen. Most are dying or already dead, and only Maurice and Sir Henri have sustained any injuries of note. Sir Henri is pleased to see Andre, but is even more pleased to have been able to protect his squire, Jim, from a gruesome death at the hands of the hordes of Chaos.

Jim, for his own part, has acquitted himself very well.

The crowd of cultists seems not to care that the company is winning, so lost are they in their own frenzied bloodlust. Several of the company, most notably Garnier and Sabina, suggest that they get away from the ruin and the amphitheater as quickly as possible. Andre refuses and quickly describes what he saw in the complex beneath the keep. He insists that the company remain and free the cult’s other victims.

Grudgingly, the others accept.

Into the Beast’s Den

The two doors at the north of the arena are still open, and lead down a large passageway into the side of the hill. The company enters the passage and runs to the far end, where they find themselves in a large room with heavy gates blocking off entrances into smaller side rooms. The air is thick with the scent of straw, musk, an animal spoor, and the company can see numerous creatures padding around on the far side of the gates, fangs bared.

Several cultists are also here, both surprised and horrified to see that the so-called “Cult of the Stranger” is charging  them.  One of the cultists demands that they release “the beast” from its pen. Other cultists are dubious at this strategy, but seeing the company charging them with weapons drawn, reluctantly obeys.

A lever is pulled. Chains rattle. A gate falls back. Leaping into the room, fur bristling, acidic saliva drooling between clenched jaws, black wings spread wide, is a manticore. It raises its scorpion like tail, and the company sees that its stinger glistens with lethal venom.

All that Manticore Venom Had to Come From Somewhere...

 

Session Thirty-Eight: The Nun's Priest's Tale

The Disappearances

Very little can be done about Sir Thopas. The company is questioned by the guard when they arrive on the scene, but as they clearly had nothing whatever to do with Sir Thopas’ magical assassination, they are permitted to depart. As the company leaves, the town guard tells them that they need to be at their inn when the sun goes down, as Epernay is under curfew.

The company returns to their inn, tries to relax, and asks the staff and other guests about the curfew. They learn that the curfew has been put in place as a response to several mysterious disappearances that have plagued Epernay over the last month or so. 

Just Need...hic...A Lil Drink

At about this time, Arnaulf the constantly drunk cook decides that he would like to go out on the town and sample drinks at Epernay’s taverns. Sir Henri goes after him to make sure that he doesn’t get into trouble, only to find that Arnaulf is in a heated argument with two of the town guards. The guards immediately defer to Sir Henri when he arrives, and Arnaulf tries, repeatedly, to sneak off in the confusion.

Sir Henri corrals Arnaulf and speaks to the guards about the disappearances. Between his questioning of the guards and the rest of the company’s questioning the folk of their inn, they learn the following.

• No one has disappeared from within Epernay, thanks to its walls and its guards.
• The disappearances focus on the roads outside of Epernay and the surrounding hamlets.
• People just vanish most of the time.
• Other times, bloodied clothes are found, but little else.
• Merchant caravans have all their goods left behind.
• No one has returned from being disappeared.

Magnus’ Night Out

Magnus grows restive and decides that he will flaunt the curfew to take part in the pit fights. He invites the others to go with him and they, for the most part, accept. Notable exceptions are Henri the innkeeper, Jules, and Frieda. Jim, notably, thinks this sounds like a cracking good time and comes with.

They leave the town easily enough, stopping by the landship to ensure that Antonella and Magnus’ mercenaries are doing all right. Once they confirm that all is well, they travel to the rendezvous point and hop on the cart that is going to the pit fights. They are joined by several local yokels from the surrounding hamlets, several people who are likely town guard in disguise, and one gentleman that seems overly fond of knives.

Their destination is a ruined keep that overlooks a similarly ruined, but still serviceable, amphitheater. There are quire a lot of people here. Some look like they plan to fight, while others take bets, sell food and drink, and offer other services. Despite the danger, the illegality, and the specter of the disappearances, everyone seems to be in good spirits.

The company is approached by Gillian, a grandmotherly sort who smokes a clay pipe and seems to be in charge of the proceedings. She is escorted everywhere by several very large lads who seem to be a bit short on brains. She is friendly enough, and gives the company the rundown of the upcoming fights.

Magnus and Jim register as a fighting duo. Renee considers entering the fights, but begs off when she sees the competition. Pierre volunteers his services as a doctor and is immediately welcomed by Gillian. He is put at the first aid tent on the edge of the amphitheater.

Gillian, Just a Nice Old Lady Who Loves Pit Fights

 Renee Goes for a Walk

As the rest of the company find food, drink, and seats, Renee slips off and scouts around the keep. Most of it is tumbledown, but portions are still usable and inhabited. Renee notices several of Gillian’s lads lurking about, as well as rough and ready types who seem to be the house fighters. She also spies someone in a hooded robe leading a battered, manacled individual into the ruins on a length of chain. Renee watches as the figure in the robe and their prisoner disappear down some steps beneath the keep.

Renee returns to her friends as the fights get underway and tells them of what she has seen. The group surmises that the people who have disappeared are being brought here, and make plans to look around some more to confirm these theories.

Tests of Mettle and Cunning

Several fights occur in rapid succession, with Gillian emceeing the proceedings. They are notable only in that Magnus and Jim win their bout handily, and are untouched by their foes. The pair quickly become a crowd favorite, and the assembled cheer raucously for them. Those of the company that bet on Magnus and Jim collect the winnings of their 3:1 odds.

A subsequent fight does not go as well. Several young folks from the countryside are pitted against a pack of mangy, vicious, and half-starved wolves, who are let out into the amphitheater through a pair of doors in the side of the hill. The youngsters are no match for the ferocious and starving wolves, and are nearly killed before the organizers are able to pull the wolves off of them.

One of the House Fighters

The mood turns sharply downward during this fight. Rather than be horrified at the carnage, the crowd seems to love the intensity and savagery on display. The company, realizing that the crowd is turning into something vicious, realizes that they may soon have a lot of trouble on their hands.

Meanwhile, Pierre has just finished tending to one of the house fighters defeated by Magnus and Jim. During his examination, Pierre noticed that the fighter had a strange symbol tattooed on the small of his back. This symbol looked identical to the ones marking the deadship back in Annecy. He only has a few moments to spare before he must spend every effort trying to save the lives of the youngsters mauled by wolves, but Pierre uses the time to relay a message to his friends.

While Pierre performs his magic, the rest of the company hatch a plan. They are certain that they have unwittingly entered a den of Chaos and must find a way to extricate themselves. Renee says that she can paint a reasonable facsimile of the tattoo on one or more of the company’s members, disguising themselves as cultists and, potentially, getting access to more areas and information.

Andre volunteers for the mission and, shortly thereafter, Renee has used some charcoal from a nearby lantern to mark him with a symbol of Chaos. Andre, feeling that the direct approach is the best, walks straight up to Gillian and her lads. After a bit of evasive conversation, Andre reveals his “tattoo.” Gillian appears to be taken in by the ruse, welcomes him as a fellow brother in Chaos, and says that she is going to put him to work.

Gillian has one of her lads escort Andre into the keep and down the stairs, so that Andre can get acquainted with things and help with the very important work going on below. Andre descends with the lad and finds himself in a substantial underground complex. He passes by several people in cultist robes, as well as several rough looking house fighters.

Andre is tasked with feeding numerous prisoners of the cult, almost all of whom beg Andre to free them or kill them. The lone exception is a tall, muscular itinerant with wild hair and a scraggly beard, who simply stares at the wall of his cell.

Andre Encounters This Mysterious Stranger

Halftime

Gillian announces the halftime for the pit fights, and most of the assembled crowd gets up to get more food and drink or to relieve themselves. Shortly thereafter, Pierre finishes with his work and reports that he has been able to save the lives of the three most grievously wounded of the youngsters. Gillian is quite pleased with this, and tells Pierre that her lads will take the youngsters below for additional treatment, rest, food, and healing draughts.

Pierre is suspicious of this, but lets the lads carry off the youngsters.

A short time later, Andre spots three bloodied and bandaged youngsters being carried through the complex by several of Gillian’s lads. They are led by a cultist in purple robes, who brings them to a pair of sealed, brazen doors at the western most end of the complex. Andre’s acute hearing allows him to pick up the rhythmic sounds of chanting issuing through the door.

The cultist tells the lads that his brethren have not finished with their work, and that they are to stand there until the doors open. The cultist further says that the youngsters will “go next.”

Oh Good, More of These Jerks