Bandaluthia Session 34

Bandaluthia Session 34.

The Animals decide that The Satyr & Sickle is the first place to look for their missing comrade Jacob.

A plan is hatched. To go to the Satyr & sickle in disguise to check it out. Primarily to find out if the layout has changed, and to try to find any trace of Jacob. They know that there are four names on their list that work out of the Satyr. The plan also involves finding out about these four too, with a view to removing them from the equation sooner or later. So the animals decide to leave their own Sword of Orlathry to the running of the bar staff for the evening. As midnight comes around, some of the clientele begin to thin out. One attractive woman hands Driezack who is on the door, a gold piece. - He fails to notice that it bears the mark of the New Thieves Guild. Perhaps things might have gone differently if he had noticed.

The Animals decide on two teams for their reconnaissance of their former guild local HQ. One team to remain outside as additional muscle. Made up of those thought to be recognisable as Animals; Coolio, Apricot, and Dreizack.
Inside go Shaniqua, with an apparent halfling servant Ti Ying, Elle, Ratzel and Negri.

As they enter, Ti Ying sees that they are spotted almost immediately by two males accompanying a female. Elle casts detect thoughts, and establishes that there are three more upstairs, and that the female appears to be shielding her thoughts. She also establishes that Jacob is not present, so she sends a message to Coolio with her silver raven to say Jacob is not here and for the rest to leave.

However, the Animals inside are approached by the woman, who turns out to be Anastasia, the woman who seems to be at the heart of all their recent troubles. She offers the Animals 100,000gp each to join her, but some are only offered 50,000gp. Some private discussion leaves the Animals deciding to take her money, and double-cross her.

One of the male attendants takes their names, but a comment by him as he leaves triggers a rapid revolt by the animals. Anastasia disappears. Elle holds the attendant, and Shaniqua moves to attack him, as does Ratzel ! (Yes, it shocked us all) and Ti Ying.

Affe alerts the Animals who are outside that Ratzel needs their help. Just as the raven appears with a message that says "go home". Luckily the monitor lizard of Negri is also insistent, and they hurry to the Satyr & Sickle rather than the Sword of Orlathry.

The man with the list has already passed it on to another just as he was held, and the other disappears, just as Anastasia did. The held man is dispatched with an overpowering onslaught by three of the Animals, and Shaniqua goes invisible, looking to find the three upstairs. Two doormen move to attack. One is stopped in his tracks by another of Elle's spells, the other takes some damage and is floored by an attack by Negri. Ti Ying tumbles past the one still standing, and ends up in a perfect position to attack the prone doorman. Ti Ying grasps the man's head. The doorman's neck gives a sickening crunch-snap sound, and the body stops moving. He does not look especially comfortable with his neck at that angle, but he seems relaxed about it.

Shaniqua manages to slip behind the three descending thugs from upstairs. It is not long before the three are only two, and those are confronted with the rest of the Animals, who are now ready to oblige them in their headlong rush to oblivion. Blows, magic missiles, and sharp implements all combine to make the remaining lives of the two enemies short, but exciting.

The extra muscle now appears just in time to see the remaining live doorman released from his desire to assist Elle. The animals flee towards Bernard's taxi rank. It is closed, so they make their way to the "Sea Cat". Another pub on their list, and a possible location for Jacob. Ratzel has a couple of unburnt fireball spells that are itching to explode. He reasons that if Jacob is held inside, then causing some kind of disturbance might aid him in his efforts to escape. The two fireballs would appear to be made for the task, so he casts them into the building.

Strangely, the noise of two fireballs exploding in the building alerts the law, but this time, the quick thinking Negri manages to give the Animals time to come up with good enough excuses, and No one attacks the City Guards. Once more the Animals appear to get away with it.

Now it is time to make their way home. It is raining and miserable, but happy that they are still alive, the animals walk through the streets late at night. Ti Ying keeps a little distance away from the rest, and moves quietly in the rain, staying well hidden. Around the corner from the Sword of Orlathry, hiding in the market stalls he spots two suspicious figures, and makes his way behind them. They wear red crude masks, like pillow cases with eye holes cut in them. This restricts their vision and hearing, making his job easier.

He stands close behind them and listens to them discussing the Animals and talking of attacking. He moves first, bringing both their heads together with a resounding crack. The pair crumple, unconscious. He uses their masks as ready made handles, and drags the two bodies to the front door of the Sword, just as Shaniqua and ratzel set of the trap that was set on it. Ratzel takes the full force, Shaniqua managing to place the door between her and the blast. Ratzel though is down and looking very bloody.

"Apricot" wakes one of the red-hooded men, removes his hood, and asks him if he will talk. He refuses. She wakes the other and asks if he will talk. He too refuses, so she tells Ti Ying to kill him. The monk snaps his neck with a simple flick, reprising the sickening crunch-snap that signals the end of the victim's life.

The other man is asked if he will talk, and he decides to offer a little bravado. He tells Apricot that they are there to kill the Doppleganger. Ti Ying knows he probably means Elle, the shapeshifter, and decides that Elle should hear what the man has to say. So instead of breaking the mans's neck, he takes him inside to speak to Elle. Where they have taken the injured Ratzel and found the badly injured body of Jacob, dumped by his captors as some kind of sign.

Elle hears what the member of "The Clan" has to say, and is not pleased at what she hears. She now knows who has been killing her kind. While Ti Ying still holds the prisoner, Elle uses her dagger to repeatedly stab, slice and shred the man's body until he eventually dies of his many wounds. Elle seems to have found the ability to do damage. Albeit small amounts, but her anger was obviously sufficient to keep up the furious attack until she was no longer adding fresh wounds. A gruesome and painful death, but one that appeared to satisfy her fury.

Needless to say, the law arrive once more, but this time the Animals are the wronged party. There is a moment of suspicion when the body of the perpetrator is found to have a cleanly snapped neck, but something reasonably close to the truth placates the law, and the Animals retire for a well earned rest.

---