Friday, August 1, 2014

Martyr King 22: Saffron's Story and Nut Does a Thing

Adventure log for the twenty-second session in the "Legacy of the Martyr King" campaign.

With Bayka dead, our heroes set about clearing a path to the temple. When they get past the boulder, they find Saffron standing over the unconscious Remi. She collapses in Remi's throne from exhaustion, but proceeds to tell our heroes a tale.

Remi and Saffron are twins. They are son and daughter of Sensei Quinn Lai, and Elf, and a human named Sarah. Quinn Lai was embarrassed, being a monk and an elf, and kept the relationship on the down low. When the twins were born, Quinn took Saffron and Sarah took Remi.

When the kids were three, the Dorians murdered Sarah for reasons unknown, and Quinn took Remi under his wing. However, Remi had witnessed the murder from a hiding space, and the experience had twisted him. He was a cruel and angry child.

Years passed. One day, when exploring the wilderness near a splinter zone, Remi and Saffron stumbled across a stunted Red Oak, a plant sacred to the Sodality. Remi, seeking to take the glory for himself, took the plant and pushed Saffron off a cliff. However, Saffron grabbed a seed.

More years passed. Saffron was abducted by the Dorians, and then fell in with our heroes.

Remi's plant died, as he never understood how to care for it. About a year ago, an Elf named Martin Bard appeared on the scene. He claimed to be from another world, and had a silver band imbedded in the flesh around his head. He told Remi that Remi was the Martyr King reborn, and Remi believed him. He told Remi that only Remi could reconnect the worlds, and that they would need to find the Red Oak to do it.

Remi, with Martin behind him, slowly turned the monastery into a monarchy.

Remi and Martin heard about Saffron and the remaining Red Oak, and sent some assassins after them. They tried to kill Sensei Quinn Lai, but he escaped and went to tell Saffron.

Saffron, shocked by this news, went to the monastery to kill Remi, but was captured and set to be executed. Who should interrupt the execution but Bayka, sent to kill the False Martyr Remi! Martin attempted to defeat Bayka, lost, and escaped. This is where our heroes stepped onto the scene.

Saffron explains that she will try and bring Remi back to his senses, and that her place is here now. Our heroes ask a few questions, don't get too many more answers, and continue on their way.

They travel for a few more days and come across a wrecked caravan and two brain oozes! The little creature fly around the battlefield, dodging bombs and causing chaos. They bring Nut down to 0 int, Princess Sparkles down to 0 int, and Aymeric down to 5 int. There is much dazing and staggering, but the oozes are finally overcome.

A few days later, there is an Earthquake - strange, because Cain does not have earthquakes. Our heroes don't know what to make of it.

They get to Thota to find it completely destroyed by the quake. The underground cities have all collapsed, leaving hundreds of thousands of dwarves dead. Our heroes casually heal those they can on the way, but generally don't pay too much mind the the destruction.

At the port city, our heroes check in to the ship builders. The person at the front desk glances up, sees Maven, then says "Good to see you Maladrok . I thought you were leaving today." While our heroes stand stunned, he looks back up at Maven and apologies, mentioning that Maven looks just like Maladrok.

Maladrok?

Our heroes ascertain that Maladrok has also had a ship built for him here in Thota, and he is leaving today.

When they ask about their own skip, they learn that Patrick Fitzgibbons is their captain and their Reanimate "Ride-Along" is named Alabaster Brave.

Then, Nut does a thing.

He slices the dwarf's hand clean off without any provocation, and his alignment pinger changes to Chaotic Evil.

In rush some workers, who attack Nut to no avail. Nut goes invisible and runs towards the docks. After some bluff and intimidate checks, Castor half convinces the workers that Nut worked for Maladrok, not them. The workmen are leery, given that Maladrok has been so helpful in rescue operations after the earthquake. Then the guards come in. They roll well on their sense motive, and when our heroes refuse to yield, they attack. Avaryn, annoyed and scared when a greataxe deals her 14 damage, kills all four with arrows. Those level 1 fighters didn't stand a chance.

A crowd has gathered outside. They listen to confused sounds from inside the warehouse, and then there is an explosion. Smoke billows from the seams of the closed door. Suddenly a Man with vials and potions strapped around him bursts out of the building. "The warehouse is on fire, everybody run! Maladrok has betrayed us all" He speedwalks into the crowd, shouting increasingly improbable claims and accusations. Moments later, a giant of a man with a gigantic sword leaps through the door "OUT OF MY WAY" cries the giant, and bullrushes his way past the dwarves. Workmen appear from the side entrances, screaming "They are the ones! It's them that did it!"

There is a moment of confused silence, the bystanders look at each other, trying to make sense of the matter.

Suddenly the door is split from it's hinges. Out flies a woman on a unicorn. The unicorn rears in the doorway as smoke billows out, and then the pair streak out into the road, leaping over dwarves struggling to get out of the way.

Our heroes wander around the city, blindly searching for the docks. A crowd (see: mob) has gathered, and begins throwing objects and heckling. Finally, our heroes grab a dwarf and figure out where the docks are.

Our heroes make their way to the docks, where they see Nut, Patrick, and a Reanimate on a strange, black boat. When Patrick sees the crowd he rolls his eyes, then hastily begins casting off.

Suddenly, out from a pub strides Maladrok, with a well armed orcs at either side. He gets between our heroes and the ship, and with the crowd to every side, our heroes have no place to go.

"Who?" asks Avaryn.

"This is a man who is pure evil, with no redeeming qualities. Out of our way, Maladrok," spits Castor.

Maladrok smiles and addresses the crowd. "Friends, friends, I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding. I know these good people, and they would do nothing wrong. This knight is my son, and he would allow no evil on his watch."

Maladrok cocks one eyebrow and looks directly at Maven. "Would you?"

It is October 18th 2000 A.F. This session took 2 week. Nut got a point of Heroic Favor. Our heroes played this session at level 9.

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