Session 20 Chapter Two

[StormPatriarch]

Session 20 (Sort of): All players present.

My time to run has come again and the group asked to play Eldritch. They even asked for the same characters. So to review, we have a Paladin/Battle Rager (Shortened to Rager for these logs), The Paladin Knight (Knight) & the Mystic Warrior (Mystic).

The campaign picks up 2 months after the last one ended. Some events have shaped the PCs in the interim. Mystic went into seclusion for a month to complete his elevation to the new status of Follower of his Order. Rager has enjoyed the fame he gained from the Ham killed troll story, which has grown somewhat in the retelling. Knight actually was rewarded the rank of Knight Errant (He was a squire through the last campaign). This means he has joined the ranks of the minor nobility as well. The PCs do take time to meet from time to time to renew the bonds that tie them together.

On one of these outings to a local watering hole is where this continuation of the campaign begins. As they are kicking back, Rager (who has imbibed quite a bit as usual) hears the distinct timbre of raised voices coming from behind him. As he focuses his attention further, he found that the raised voices were arguing about the story of the troll struck down by a ham hock in which he features prominently. A large man and his companions are ganging up on an unseen party. The gang is holding forth in loud voices what malarkey it is that a ham hock ever brought down a Troll and the person that did it must be a liar. The rest of the group begins to hear the talk and starts to try to divert Rager from joining in. Rager (realizing he has a stake in the discussion) motions to the nearest waitress and asks her for a ham hock from the kitchen. She complies (once she is paid of course!).

Rager then saunters over to the discussion and leaps onto the table next to them (Actually he tried to but failed the roll so he instead made it look like he stepped onto the chair and then onto the table). He noticed that the individual that was defending the story was a 14-year-old elven looking female (Though he realized that she couldn’t be pure elf). She gave him a look of awe mixed w/another emotions he could not readily identify in the second he had to see her. With a brew in one hand and a hock in the other, he proceeds to try to engage the large man in a discussion on the finer points of the story. The large man decides to forestall such discourse and charges Rager. After a few rounds, he falls unconscious from repeated whacks from the pig part. His compatriots decide that the story didn’t mention unarmed combat so they draw their daggers and continue the assault. [For reader knowledge, the law doesn’t see daggers drawn as murderous intent automatically since everyone has and uses one. It would be more likely to be called a crime of the moment, which carries lesser penalties. Any other recognized weapons would be charged as murder and must be peace bound w/in the city.] Rager continues to evade, counter or take almost all the harm on his armor. He holds the men off while continuing to drink and actually asks for a new tankard mid fight! One of the braver waitresses delivers it.

During this altercation, Mystic worked his way around the crowd and convinces 2 of the large man’s companions to leave. Knight is watching the crowd when he spots steel drawn somewhat near the back of Rager. The man carrying the blade just looks scared and may have drawn it for his own self-defense. Knight continues to ease his way through the crowd to get a closer look.

Several events then happened concurrently. Mystic had noticed Knight’s distraction and started to move in that direction. Knight saw that one of the men that had been beaten down by Rager was slowly bleeding to death. Mystic moved up and was struck in the back by the last of the man’s companions that had NOT entered the fight (the other 2 had run earlier). He continued to fight the man w/his sheathed sword (Peace knot takes a least a round to undo). Knight stopped and healed the man that was bleeding out. The man w/ the blade, (seeing that both of the other PCs were distracted), stuck the short sword he had been concealing against his leg into the back of Rager. (Rager failed to beat the assassin in both stealth contests so he was completely surprised). This severely damaged Rager who called for his ax (Knight had been holding it in his off hand) and healed himself for some toughness. The assassin risked another round of combat but w/defense pools in place for his target, he had little chance of finishing off Rager quickly and now the target was armed and peeved. The other two PCs quickly ran up and the assassin decided to jump out a nearby window. Rager dived after him but was unable to match his speed. Rager did fire off a harm spell but no effect was discernable as the assassin ran out of sight.

When the PCs returned to the tavern, the large man and his compatriots were gone. The other patrons told them that the two left standing had awoken the unconscious ones and dragged the others out the back door. The PCs then turn to speak to the girl.

Game ended here for the session. It was later than we normally went. The group seemed to have a good time. We all were a little shaky on some of the rules but that should settle out quickly since the system is very quick to learn.

Note: This session took place 09-26-2010. I forgot to post it until now.