Episode 70 - A Giant Opportunity
| The Assassins |
Azareth - Wizard 5th Level LE (PC) Craven - Fighter / Rogue 3rd / 3rd LE (PC) Creighton - Fighter 5th Level LE (PC) Keldirk - Rogue 6th level NE (PC) |
| Locale | A lavish and comfortable sitting room, exotic refreshments for the taking, The Vesper's house, High Quarter, Del Mord |
| Date | 12th Goodmonth 582 CY |
| Time | Mid-morning |
The four assassins were waiting patiently in the sitting room of their Vesper's house, having been summoned there earlier today. Keldirk, in a foul mood, stood near the fireplace favouring an aching back while Azareth, breathing shallowly, reclined in a plush velvet divan nursing his broken - yet healing - ribs.
| Creighton | (grabs another handful of olives) I'm starving. There's only so many olives I can eat. |
| Craven | (yawns) Try the cheese. |
| Creighton | No chance, I can't stand the stuff. Back in Three-Trees Auntie Adai force fed me cheese. It gave me the shits - literally. |
| Craven | (absentmindedly, not really paying attention) Try the olives then. |
| Creighton | (rolls his eyes) Yeah, good idea, olives. Why didn't I think of that? |
Vesper entered the room in his wheelchair, being pushed by his nursemaid just as Creighton stuffed the handful of olives into his mouth. She laid a blanket over his legs then left the room, closing the sliding doors behind her. It was apparent to Craven that Vesper was not in good shape. His face was pale and he looked as though he had lost weight. There was also a trouble in his eyes, a haunted look that set Craven on edge.
| Vesper | Thank you for coming at such short notice. |
| Creighton | (his mouth full of olives) God more fudd? |
| Vesper | Pardon? |
| Craven | (apologetically) Creighton's hungry. |
| Creighton | (nods demonstrably, his cheeks puffed out, full of olives) |
| Vesper | You'll have to make do with what's on offer. I won't keep you long. |
| Creighton | (disappointed, swallows) Okay, boss. (eyes the cheese mistrustingly) |
| Vesper | Pack your bags, gentlemen, you're going on a little trip. |
| Keldirk | A mission? About time. |
| Vesper | Yes, a mission, but it is not technically an assassination. You'll be going to the Adri Forest to retrieve a magical item. |
| Azareth | Excellent |
| Craven | The Adri? The Great Adri Forest is one of the biggest in the whole Flanaess if I'm not mistaken. |
| Vesper | You are not mistaken, but the forest will be the least of your concerns. The item belongs to Khaar Davishar, a wicked and vile toad from the Horned Society. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the very beginning. |
| Keldirk | (takes a seat) |
| Vesper | Once, not so long ago, I was an assassin. I was a very good assassin and one of the best the Family had. |
| Creighton | (regards the broken man in the wheelchair, dubious) |
| Vesper | At one stage I found myself stationed in the Horned Society; a harsh and inhospitable hole of a country in the North, between the Veng and Rittensa rivers. It is a cold hard land, blanketed in snow and utterly freezing in winter. I was posted to the ugly city of Molag, the capital. Molag is a rough town ruled with an iron fist by Thirteen Hierarchs, a collection of warlords, warlocks, priests and thieves. It is an evil place, despotic and tyrannical, not a good place to visit let alone dwell. People disappear without warning, and many are never seen again. |
| Craven | Sounds charming. |
| Vesper | There is a great deal of rivalry in the ruling Molag council. Each Hierarch has a portfolio of responsibility and the Hierarchs often find themselves in competition with one another. Public feuds between the Hierarchs are uncommon, but behind closed doors the rivalries are fiercely contested. Ego and power, perceived and otherwise, plays no small part in the council. It is a hotbed of political intrigue, mistrust and half-truths. |
| Keldirk | And that's where the Family enters the picture. |
| Vepser | Exactly. In such an environment murders and assassinations are commonplace and we are the tools that the Hierarchs wield in their constant struggle to rise in power. In terms of workload, the Vesper in Molag would be second only to the Vesper in Rauxes. |
| Creighton | And you were posted there, in Molag? |
| Vesper | I was, as an Assassin though, not as a Vesper. |
| Craven | (whistles, impressed) I thought we had it tough. Del Mord must be a picnic by comparison. |
| Creighton | So you were given contracts to take out these hierarchs? |
| Vesper | No. A Hierarch would never be so bold as to challenge another directly. More often than not the job would be to assassinate a concubine, a diplomat, a distant cousin or someone in someway related to the Hierarch. Murdering trusted body-guards became popular and I killed so many and so often that I came to consider them my specialty. (smiles) Regardless of the target, the effect is the same - a message is sent by one Hierarch and received by another. By carefully choosing their targets, Hierarchs could warn the others that they meant business. I was very busy. |
| Craven | I bet. |
| Azareth | Working in that environment must have been incredibly dangerous. |
| Vesper | (nods) It was very dangerous but also very exciting and very rewarding. And I've told you less than half of it. In addition to being the ranking assassin in the region, I was also under special assignment for the Marque de'Ahb. My charter was to infiltrate the Hierarchs and report back on their inner dealings and plans. I'm prohibited from telling you any more than that, so please don't ask. But, over time, I manoeuvred my way into an advisory position for a Hierarch, one Vazirian Davishar. He is a wicked man, a Priest of Asmodeus and responsible for bringing ritual sacrifice to the city. |
| Creighton | Asmode-who? |
| Azareth | Asmodeus is one of the diabolic lords of the Nine Hells. (taps his chin) In fact, I believe Asmodeus is the Devil Prince and ruler of the ninth plane. |
| Vesper | Correct. Now, serving Vazirian provided me the cover I needed to access the information I required, and gave me a reason to be there. I was in a good place strategically. But then I received the job that would change my life forever. |
A knock on the door interrupted Vepser's tale as his nursemaid brought in refreshments. Creighton took the tray of sweet-cakes for himself and set about devouring them. The others poured themselves drinks, while Vesper took a cup of tea.
| Vesper | (sips his drink) I was contracted directly through the Family to kill a Hierarch, a man about whom I knew very little about. Still, it was a straight forward mission and not one I was afraid to carry out. The Hierarch in question was a junior member, if I could call him that, quietly spoken and careful. During the course of my preparation, I discovered that this Hierarch had dealings with Vazirian's brother, Khaar. |
| Creighton | All these names, I'm getting lost. |
| Azareth | Please, Creighton, remain silent! |
| Vesper | Khaar Davishar was a pretender, a weak-minded fool who considered himself more important and powerful than he actually was. Khaar loitered around the courts like a bad smell, benefiting from his status as brother to a Hierarch. He was cruel to the servants and would often mete out his own twisted form of justice for any slight, be it real or imagined. If a woman rejected his advances then Khaar would simply force himself on her. And because his brother was the law, Khaar did pretty much whatever he liked, whenever he liked. |
| Craven | He sounds like a real piece of work. |
| Vesper | (nods) Vazirian had provided his brother with a sword, a magical rapier that Khaar used to great effect. Now, make no mistake, Khaar is a gifted swordsman and with his rapier he is deadly. Which brings me to my point and the reason I called you hear today. |
| Keldirk | (under his breath) Finally. |
| Vesper | It seems Vazirian eventually tired of his brother, and all the trouble that followed him. After one particularly nasty incident, the Hierarch council met and voted unanimously for Khaar's immediate banishment. I have just received word that Khaar's exile has brought him to an old fortress in The Adri Forest, near a place called Yellow Snake Creek. If the reports I receive are true, Khaar has managed to seduce an Orc tribe into his service. |
| Craven | And you want us to find him, and kill him? |
| Keldirk | Not exactly. What I want you to do is steal his magical sword. If he happens to die in the process, then I think we'll have done the world a favour. |
| Creighton | (chuckles) |
| Craven | It's the sword you want? |
| Vesper | Yes, but it's not for me, this weapon is intended for you Craven. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I believe as a group you lack sufficient magical might to carry out the tasks that will soon come your way. Arming yourselves with this sword is the merely the first step in that goal. |
| Craven | Excellent! The rapier is my preferred weapon, it's a perfect fit. |
| Vesper | (smiles) I thought you'd be pleased. |
| Creighton | Who says you get it? I can use a rapier, too. |
| Craven | But the rapier is my preferred weapon. The choice is obvious. |
| Keldirk | What about your sabre? You use one of them, too. |
| Craven | True, the sabre is my other preferred weapon. But I am best with a rapier. |
| Keldirk | Horseshit. If the weapon is that powerful maybe I'll take it. |
| Craven | You already have a magical scimitar - exactly how many magical weapons do you need? |
| Keldirk | I can wield two weapons- |
| Vesper | Enough! Your bickering is giving me a headache. So, to begin, you'll need to make your way to a frontier town on the edge of the Adri called Tusk. From there you will be able to source a guide to take you to Yellow Snake Creek. Finding the fort from there should be a relatively simple matter. |
| Craven | Thank you, Vesper, we'll be back before you know it. |
| Keldirk | We're going to the Adri Forest? I hate the wilderness; in fact I hate anything involving nature. Vesper, I think I should remain behind and keep up appearances. |
| Vesper | No, you'll be going too, Keldirk. |
| Keldirk | But- |
| Vesper | You're going, and that's final! When it comes time to equip you with powerful magic, the others will accompany you. This is as much a team-building exercise as anything else. |
| Keldirk | (majorly pissed off, sulks) |
| Vesper | Any more questions? |
| Azareth | Yes. You said that your last job changed your life forever. What happened? |
| Vesper | Ah, yes. Well, I was unsuccessful in my attempt to assassinate the Hierarch. I made a mistake, a small error of judgement and before I knew it I was doing battle with a beast from the Lower Planes. It was a demon that snapped my spine and poisoned me with some foulness that no magic has managed to cure. It is the reason I sit before you in a wheelchair, a mere shadow of my former self, and the reason I had to leave my career behind. |
| Azareth | How horrible. |
| Vesper | (nods) I escaped with my life; I have that much. Alright, if there are no other questions, I'll see you when you get back. |
Back at their private room in The Whistler, the assassins discussed what preparations were required for their next adventure.
The tensions of the past few days within the group had not eased and Craven hoped that this new mission would give them all something to focus on beyond their own concerns. Put simply, the assassins needed a successful mission. Things had been going from bad to worse for them since their last foray out of town to the Crypt of Finn Thrommel. Their recent performances all but earned them a black scroll so this mission needed to go well or their standing within the Family would suffer.
Despite the fact that the goal of this mission was to retrieve an item rather than to eliminate a target the groundwork still needed to be done. If you fail to plan you plan to fail, it was a simple maxim that the teachers on the island had drilled into their students' minds, yet it was something that Craven felt had been missing from their recent ventures. It was time that the group started thinking more as a team rather than a collection of individuals.
| Craven | Creighton - you're in charge of supplies. We'll need enough for about a month. We'll need food, water skins, rope, that sort of thing. |
| Creighton | Sure. I'll also organise some horses, tents, bedrolls and tools for hunting. |
| Craven | Excellent. Azareth, I want you to make a visit to the library and possibly the Bookworm Café. We need to find out as much as we can about Tusk, Yellow Snake Creek and the old fortress. Who built it? Who lives there now? You know the score. |
| Azareth | (nods) Consider it done. |
| Craven | (faces Keldirk) Keldirk, I need you to go to Simpkin and tell him we'll be out of town for a while. Technically we work for his guild, so we should at least make a token effort to keep him informed. |
| Keldirk | Sure. That'll give me a chance to replenish my thieves' tools and buy a new climber's kit. I'll also make a visit to Sam the Herbalist and buy a few vials of Alchemist's Fire and some anti-toxin. |
| Azareth | Add holy water to your list - better to have some on hand than to wish we did. |
| Keldirk | (nods) |
| Craven | Excellent. Alright then, we'll meet back here later today and head off at first light. |
| Creighton | Um, Craven, what exactly are you going to do today? |
| Craven | (smoothes his hair back) Well, considering you three seem to have matters in hand, I plan to spend today at The Angel's Junction. I could be gone for a month, it would be cruel not to say goodbye to my girls, plus it was my birthday two days ago and the girls promised me a memorable present. |
Later that day the assassins gathered in their room. Based on the number of sacks and small crates lying about, Creighton had purchased enough supplies to keep a small army equipped for a month.
| Azareth | (sitting on a crate) You took your task to extremes, I fear. |
| Creighton | Better to have too much, than not enough. |
| Keldirk | (kicks a large sack) Four hundred feet of rope is a tad excessive, no? How did you pay for all this crap? |
| Creighton | Party funds, of course. |
| Keldirk | Fabulous. |
| Creighton | (genuinely upset) What's your problem? |
| Craven | Don't worry about it, you did well. Azareth, what did you learn? |
| Azareth | (holds up a roll of parchment, tied with leather string) I have a map to Tusk and the name of a tavern where we should be able to secure the services of a guide. Our trip to Tusk will take ten to twelve days, depending on the weather. |
| Keldirk | It's high summer, mage. I doubt we'll see much rain. |
| Azareth | A word of warning though - Tusk is a rough place, a true frontier town. I am reliably informed that as well as woodsmen and furriers, the town is a haven for those running from the law. We can expect to meet all manner of riff-raff from Almor, the Duchy of Tenh and even The Great Kingdom. |
| Creighton | Sounds like my kind of place. (beams) |
| Craven | What about Yellow Snake? |
| Azareth | I was unable to learn anything about Yellow Snake Creek. However, I did learn about a place called Yellowretch which I feel is as good a lead as any. |
| Craven | (nods) Go on. |
| Azareth | Yellowretch is the name given by the gnomes to what was once a very rich gem- mine, in a hilled region of The Adri, about a hundred miles from the western border. As the gnomes delved ever deeper, they inadvertently burrowed into a large cavern with strange, yellow walls. The story goes that as they broke through to the cavern, they released a stinking gas which forced them to abandon the mine. Now, and this is the interesting part, so permit me to read from my notes. (unfolds a sheet of paper) Sometimes, when the weather is calm, this noxious gas creeps out of the old mine and drifts through the forest, colouring everything - the trees, the grass and a nearby river - a sickly pale yellow. |
| Keldirk | A yellow river? That sounds like our place. Any mention of a fortress? |
| Azareth | Unfortunately, no. But that's not to say that what Vesper heard was completely accurate. Perhaps this fortress is just an outpost, or even an abandoned gnome mine, for example. |
| Keldirk | (unconvinced) Possibly. |
| Creighton | (regards Azareth fondly) It's a good bit of detective work, little buddy. |
| Azareth | (nods, pleased) |
| Craven | I dare say we'll be able to learn more once when we reach Tusk - if Yellow Snake Creek exists doubtless a local will know of it. |
The next morning the assassins rode out of Del Mord, through the low-lying farmlands and into the countryside. Soon the twisting, blue-ribbon of the Harp River was gone as they entered the thick tree cover of Del Forest. The road was wide and firm, and would remain so until at least Ring Roads at which point they would have to turn North.
Despite a passing familiarity with horses, none of the assassins were expert riders and by the end of the day their behinds were sore, their backs strained. Azareth's ribs were a constant discomfort, but he bit his lip and resisted the urge to complain.
| Creighton | (poking the fire with a stick) Do you think Agarat and his cronies will come looking for us? |
| Azareth | I never considered that. |
| Keldirk | If they do then they're going to be mighty disappointed. (laughs) |
| Azareth | Very disappointed. And, you know what, that makes me very happy. |
| Creighton | I'll drink to that! (uncorks a goatskin, full of Aerdi Whiskey, and passes it around) |
Though it was still within civilised lands, the Del Forest had a dangerous reputation. Trade caravans routinely hired mercenaries when travelling to Del Mord; banditry was an ever-present threat. Humanoids, too, wandered the land and occasionally banded into large groups in order to threaten small communities. Rumour had it that somewhere, deep in the forested hills, was a hidden entrance to a Druegar colony.
After a brief discussion it was decided that Keldirk and Craven would share first watch, Creighton and Azareth the second. The first night passed without incident but, a little after midnight on the second night, the camp was roused into action.
| Keldirk | (indicates to Craven to wake the others, draws his twin scimitars) |
| Craven | (quietly wakes the others, alerting them of danger) |
| Others | (prepare for battle) |
For the last five minutes Keldirk and Craven had been tracking a sound in the forest. Whatever was making the noise was big, real big and making no effort to conceal its' whereabouts. At first it seemed that the creature making the noise was heading away but now, alarmingly, it seemed to be coming in their direction - and fast.
| Creighton | (whispering) What's going on? |
| Craven | (quietly) We don't know yet. Listen |
| Azareth | Shall we kill the fire? |
| Craven | Too late for that. |
| Creighton | It sounds big. What is it? |
| Keldirk | We'll find out soon enough, look! |
Suddenly the small trees at one edge of the campsite were violently parted, uprooted and flung aside with effortless ease. Emerging from the darkness was a giant, over ten feet tall and wielding what appeared to be a large wooden club. Its skin was a deep ruddy brown, shoulders and head covered in wiry black hair, thickly matted and full of gunge. It wore thick animal skins around its torso and waist, tied together by a length of rope. Hanging from the rope was a sack, bulging with god-knows-what inside.
| Hill Giant | Rarghh! (regards the humans with disdain) |
| Creighton | You're a big bastard, aren't you? (circles wide, careful to remain out of club range) |
| Keldirk | What now? |
| Craven | Well I don't think it wants to be friends. |
| Keldirk | Let's see- |
Suddenly the dishevelled looking giant took matters into its own hands and leaped with surprising speed into their midst. The horses, tethered at the edge of the camp, went into an immediate frenzy, desperate to break free.
| Hill Giant | (swats his club at Craven, sending the assassin flying into the nearby bushes) |
| Craven | Ergh.. (struggles to rise, stunned and out of breath) |
| Creighton | You'll pay for that, fatso. (brings his sword down on the Hill Giant's back, but the force of the blow is absorbed by the thick animal hides) Damn. |
| Hill Giant | (spins and swats Creighton aside, the power of the blow numbing Creighton's sword arm) Graagh-Haa! |
| Keldirk | (senses an opportunity, dashes forward and chops at the giant's legs, opening a small gash) |
| Giant | (nonplussed about so small an injury, turns to face Keldirk) |
| Keldirk | Now, now, don't be hasty. (back-peddles) |
Meanwhile, Azareth removed a small amber rod from his component pouch and began to cast his most powerful spell. It was the first time he had ever used the spell in anger and he silently prayed that he understood its complex workings well enough.
The incantation complete; a powerful bolt of lightning shot forth from Azareth's finger tips consuming the small amber rod. The angle took the giant squarely in the chest, then continued on and up into the tree-tops, setting them alight. The giant rocked back, stunned and in pain, its hair standing on end.
| Hill Giant | Aieee! (furs and chest hairs singed, becomes angry) |
| Azareth | Take that! (steps back into the bushes, out of harm's way and prepares another spell) |
| Creighton | (attacks again, the magical scimitar leaving a faint magical light in its wake) |
| Hill Giant | (blocks Creighton's attack with its club, and kicks out solidly, connecting with Creighton and sending him sprawling) |
| Creighton | Ugh! (climbs to his feet) Damn this thing is strong! |
| Keldirk | (darts in again, his two magical scimitars feeling strangely heavy in his hands, misses with both strikes) Shit! |
| Creighton | Let's attack together, try to outflank it. |
| Keldirk | Alright. Where the hell is Craven? |
| Craven | (as if on cue, emerges from the bushes) I'm coming. (disentangles his leg from a trailing branch) |
| Hill Giant | (strides forward, bringing his club to bear in a double-handed, over-head strike intent on nailing Creighton into the earth) |
| Creighton | (manages to avoid the blow) Whoa! |
| Keldirk | That was close. (strikes again, one blade scoring a hit on the giant's thigh) My damned weapons have lost their sting! |
| Creighton | (scores a hit of his own, then dodges aside) Huh? |
| Keldirk | Nevermind, I'll tell you later. |
| Creighton | If there is a later. |
Craven was bruised, but not broken, and he re-entered the fray with murder on his mind. His rapier and sabre flicked in and out, scoring two hits on the giant's arms.
| Craven | Hit me will you? I think not. |
| Hill Giant | Graargh. (lashes out again, thumping Craven on the shoulder, forcing him to his knees) |
| Craven | (groans as he regathers his feet) Now you're really starting to piss me off. |
From the cover of the nearby bushes, Azareth released his second spell and three bolts of magically charged energy shot into the giant's head. The magical missiles caused the creature react as one would to a minor annoyance, but did nothing to distract it from its intent - which appeared to be a desire to pulverise the others.
| Azareth | (shouting) We have to try something different. |
| Creighton | (dodging, awaiting for a chance to strike) Shoot another lightning bolt - the first one seemed to work. |
| Azareth | I can't! Not today. |
| Keldirk | Fabulous. |
| Craven | Focus everyone! Let's kill this thing. |
The Hill Giant was unimpressed; his anger shifted quickly from madness to rage. Most times the little people died quickly; yet these four were proving resilient, still alive despite his efforts.
| Hill Giant | (stamps his foot into the campfire, sending embers spiralling into the night sky) Grarr Eargh Skraagh! |
| Creighton | Okay guys, we go on three - one, two, three! |
Craven, Keldirk and Creighton moved in together, whichever way the giant faced it had one foe to its rear. Timing their strikes to near perfection, the assassins managed to score a series of hits, each drawing blood from the massive foe. Almost as punctuation to the offensive, Azareth sent another volley of missiles into the giant, this time causing obvious discomfort.
The giant lashed out angrily, sweeping his club in a great arc. Craven managed to hurdle the log, but both Keldirk and Creighton were swept from their feet, crashing to the earth with a thud. The giant reached down and plucked Keldirk up by his ankle then, with a mighty heave, flung the wiry thief into a tree.
| Keldirk | Ughh. (slides down the trunk, stunned) |
| Creighton | (scrambles to his feet) Time to end this farce. (to Craven) Ready? |
| Craven | Let's finish it. |
Craven and Creighton attacked in unison, their disparate fighting styles complementing their tactics - Craven's measured balance of attack and defence seduced the giant into paying him more attention, only to have Creighton's all-out-attack get through.
| Creighton | (leaps in the air and brings his sword down in an double-handed strike, opening a large gash in the giant's neck) Yaarghh! |
| Giant | (whirls around, clobbering Creighton and sending him back, near the frightened horses) |
| Craven | You're mine now! (lunges forward, at once slicing and stabbing with his sabre and rapier. The blades bite deep into the giant's kidney region) Yes! |
| Hill Giant | (more concerned now than angry, decides to find easier prey elsewhere, begins to lope off into the trees) |
| Azareth | Not so fast! (sends another volley of magic missiles into the creatures back) |
Like a felled tree the Hill Giant toppled forward, crashing to the earth with a resounding thud. Craven ran over the beast and stabbed it in the base of its skull, then stabbed it again for good measure.
The fight over, Craven and Azareth set about reorganising their camp, while Creighton dowsed the flames from the myriad spot fires started by Azareth's lightning bolt and when the giant kicked their campfire. Keldirk spent his time searching the massive body for anything of value, he found nothing.
Creighton returned to the campsite holding a very large and very smelly sack.
| Creighton | I found this just over there. (pours the giant's sack out, sifts through it with his foot, taking inventory) Some coins, a rabbit-skin, a skull of some kind... probably a dog. Um, there's a dagger, the hilt of a sword and, yuck, a half-eaten bird. Oh, here are two gems and some more coins. Some rope, a broken mirror and other useless stuff - pretty disappointing, really. |
| Keldirk | I'll have the dagger, looks like a nice blade. |
| Azareth | Wait! Let me check the lot for magic first. |
| Keldirk | (draws his black-bladed scimitar's and lies them in the pile) Re-check these while you're at it. |
| Azareth | Why? |
| Keldirk | I think they've somehow lost their power. They felt heavy and, well, wrong. Just a feeling, it's hard to explain. |
Azareth cast his spell, a divination which allowed him to determine the presence of magic and the relative strength and type in play. After a few moments of quiet contemplation, Azareth broke from his examination.
| Azareth | (to Keldirk) You're right, your blades have lost their dweomer. |
| Keldirk | Damn! |
| Azareth | The dagger is magical, and powerfully enchanted, so it is not all bad news. |
| Creighton | You win some, you lose some. |
| Keldirk | (snatches the dagger from the pile, checking the blade) |
| Craven | Anything else? The gems? The rope? |
| Azareth | Sadly, no. What remains are mundane items only. |
| Creighton | (flicks the dead-bird into the trees, then gathers the coins and gems) I wonder where his lair is - we might find more loot there. |
| Craven | We might also find the rest of his family. No, let's count our blessings and leave at first light. |
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