Bandaluthia Session 18

Bandaluthia: Session 18

After the take down of Donis’ sorcerer Cardonius, the Animals rest well into the morning. The halflings of the house arise just in time for second breakfast. A late morning indeed! There are a few discussions between the Animals and morning plans get made. Ratsel and Hollenlord go to the Sickle to talk to Dave, and to order some very specific items for the Four. Dave informs of a person caught by Gryff the previous night trying to follow the Animals home. In an ante chamber just off the secret Guild lounge is a man tied up, and beaten to within an inch of his life. Dave explains that he is a Harker, and that he has a message for the Animals. Ratsel and Hollenlord go back to tell of their news.

Shaniqua and Coolio, meanwhile, have also headed off to the Sickle, but an unusually subdued Shaniqua awaits a private audience with Dave, leaving Coolio upstairs to invest in some delicious Brolin pastries and Esquillan coffee. Shaniqua asks Dave about a letter that she had received from a woman called Gretta Helyanwe. The content had told Shaniqua of her parentage, which had profoundly upset the halfdrow.
Dave confirms that she is in fact a ‘Guild Pensioner’ (people incurably injured whilst on Guild business) and is most likely telling the truth, but Dave also mentions that D’Jarra-Leon’s boss N’Thaal-Dar would know for sure. He then lends Shaniqua a ring for the day, a ring of truth, to find some answers for the poor girl.

Once the news is conveyed to the rest of the Animals about the captured Harker, they go to question him themselves. The Harker explains that he is sent to ask for a truce, and to arrange a meet between the Animals and a Harker Elder. After much talk between themselves about this turn of events, of which the options included:
1. “let me put a sword in his neck” (Hollenlord)
2. “Make them pay 5000gp for the truce” (Qu)
3. “let’s go and bomb the s**t out of their pub” (Qu & Hollenlord)
And so forth with many more options resulting in the ultimate doom of ALL Harkers, their families, their homes, places of work and worship and then everyone they are ever likely to meet! Or words to that effect!
It was decided to meet the Elder on Nebblestone Bridge at 3 in the afternoon.

The meeting was swift. Shaniqua had the ring on, and the truce was set with insurances which left threat to both sides should the truce be ignored. Not a fib was told upon the bridge during the meet.

The Animals turned their attention to Donis’ cleric Gene’o. After briefing their taxi man Bernhard, the Animals awaited their quarry in the markets half a mile South of The Sword of Orlathry. Bernhard turned up, but did not stop. He quickly and quietly told them that Gene’o walked, but he wasn’t alone. Two of the Donis heavies were escorting him. The Animals decided to “Go for it” and when the three child traffickers were close, Coolio ran out trying to spin a rouse, but Hollenlord jumped the gun and blew the surprise ambush. Here luck had a hand, but whether for good or bad we will never know. The Law appeared. Two soldiers and a cleric of St. Cuthbert. The situation was defused, and the two different sets of people went their own way….. or so it would seem.

The Animals went back to the Sickle. They saw a figure hiding in a nearby alleyway, but even as they readied themselves for an ambush, a shadow took the assailant down with a simple swipe of a silvery blade. They shadow formed to show himself as the Harker Elder from the bridge. He regarded the Animals with a nod of his head and then melded back into the inky blackness of the night. The Animals then had a drink, but felt like they were being watched… again. They drank up and left. They managed to see that they were being followed, and went into an impromptu ambush. As they readied themselves for the third time that night the result was again a non starter. The Harker Elder bought out Donis’ urban ranger ‘Dex’ and the Elder gave him over. He stated that the truce was on, and that he had showed that he would keep his part of the deal. After the Harker left, Coolio stepped up to Dex who Hollenlord held. Coolio opened his cloak to reveal his new ‘club’ the magic crossbow from the Four. Two bolts thunked satisfyingly into the ranger, Hollenlord released his grip and gave him a hefty smack with his sword, Shaniqua backstabbed him, Qu shot him as well with a human bane infusion from his repeating crossbow and Ratsel let Dex ‘have it’ with the kaleidoscope. Dex was well and truly dead. The Law was not far behind, and after Ratsel took all the magic from the corpse, the Animals fled, with the head just to prove the kill.

So halfway through the ‘Donis Hathers’ contract, a possible 15,000gp to claim the Animals look in good shape. The Harker threat seems to have been settled and the house is in good working order.

What can go wrong….?