In which the Silver Talons go to the theatre, meet a particularly dysfunctional director and try to get his troupe back together. Also, they investigate a murder, lay a trap for a succubus, become trapped between two succubi, survive the Kiss of Death, slay one succubus and spare the life of another, trusting that demons can be redeemed.
Session Recount
Theren escorts Vim to the tavern in the Golden Dragon to go over what we did to ‘rescue’ him. (As Steve was not present) Theren once again hinted at the required conversation that he and Vim must have to discover the true nature of his plant-like metamorphosis because it could be dangerous to him but also somewhat advantageous to how Theren and Vim could work together in the future – what with all the possibilities of utilising his plant like offensive abilities. In the meantime, Kaster, Ifrid and our newest member Tivala (played by Chris as Artillery left with Ballister to the Eldeen Reaches) when about Passage enquiring about materials needed to make sure our bespoke smithy gets off the ground. After enquiring for several hours, they learn that they need to go to some far away towns. 1 in Breland and the other somewhere to the East in the Talenta Plains called the Wandering Isles. Each requires a ride on the lightning rail – but our brave adventures’ funds continue to dwindle as the Wizards spend a lot of the hard earned Galifars on writing new spells. Once they return to the tavern where Theren and Vim conversed, our team resolve to complete the 3rd task presented by their benefactor Jurian to discover what has become of his investment into a theatre troupe.
Along the way to the location of the theatre in The Cobbles (west Passage) they notice a dragonhawk descend rapidly a couple of blocks away. Their curiosity piqued (and with much grumbling to stay on task by Ifrid and Tivala), Kaster and Theren force a generous amount of peer pressure on their colleagues to go see whats going on (A dragonhawk rider in Passage is similar to like a police helicopter landing). Our brave heroes arrive to see a commotion outside of one of the two popular inns in the cobble called the Foxhound Inn and a paramedic team stretchering out what looks like a mummified corpse of a patron that was drinking in that very establishment last night! Theren convinces the paramedic (through a crit medicine roll) how he is well versed in investigative autopsies and is granted access to the body to learn that a demon has likely feasted on it. Theren tells Kaster of his finding to which Kaster metaphorically puts on his deerstalker hat and cries “The game is afoot!” and with his best detective face on, convinces the solders restricting public entry to our team to take a look around. We find inside through a means of a new spell from Ifrid to look inside NPCs thoughts that a rather flawless looking redhead in her mid-20s was seen taking this victim into a room upstairs – but all the staff are restricting our team to take a look around. Almost as if compelled to say so…
Tivala, using her sneaky sneaky ways, manages to get into the room where the dastardly deed occurred and found only but some recent scratch marks on the window sill outside and an otherwise pristine looking room for such a tavern. To clean if you ask me. Our trail seemingly was growing colder by the minute, but outside a Paladin from the Silver Flame boldly and brashly started demanding access to the tavern on the grounds that he was designated by the Queen herself to go out and hunt the demons plaguing Aundair. Clutching the talisman around his neck he pulsed with a glowing divine energy and reluctantly admitted there were no demons around and if our heroes ever discovered more information to find him at the nearby popular inn of the Haunted Harp. The heroes, with a reluctant shrug of their shoulders, moved on from the crime scene to continue onto their original task of discovering what has come of the theatre and its inhabitants over in the Nightingale Theatre. Through winding streets and falling billowing, moist fog, our party reaches their destination to see the theatre and its surrounding area in a state of disrepair and disuse. Entering the theatre into the musty, mothball smelling foyer Theren spots a large rat peering down at them through the heavy cobwebs on the second floor before scuttling away startled.
With Kaster taking point they move into the auditorium where it seems like noone has been present for years. Dim sunlight streaks through holes in the wooden roof and creates obvious sunbeams through the levitating dust and spores floating around. The large chandelier that was once a focal point at the top of the theatre hall now lies in the middle of the aisle, slowing growing its own ecosystem beneath in its crystal concaves and bowls. Pages of a screenplay are scattered throughout the seat rows and from the stage, eerie piano music seems to eminate from. Ifrid, using his Bat familiar scouts the area to discover that a ghostly human figure is sitting at an upright piano just off stage right which puts the group all on alert. They move to the stage, one by one with the help of Pass without a trace, and despite Kasters bulky and plate armored frame creaky the wooden steps up onto the stage – get the jump on the figure playing the piano. The figure turns out to be one of the directors of the theatre troupe, still dressed in full costume and makeup, lamenting the woes of his troupe abandoning him due to ‘creative differences’ of not doing what theyre told. Theren, dubious about the nature of this character manages to take a peek behind the black stage curtain separating the backstage and sees a giant, stalking female spider – pulsating with eggsacks and sticky with ichor as well as some rats in the rafters absent-mindedly chewing on ropes that hold heavy bags of sand elevated. Bags that are now conveniently hanging over our heroes now on stage….
In a quick action, Theren informed Tivala and the others of their danger and predicament – but regardless of such a warning Ifrid peeks his Hobgoblin face through the split in the curtain to be face to glistening pincers with the mama spider – enraging her and encouraging swarms of rats and bats to attack our heroes! In no time at all our heroes dispatch the swarms of vermin and split the female spider in half which roasting the eggs in an blazing ball of fire. It scorches the stage – but nothing that can’t be repaired. They learn that the director is angry at his brother who writes the screenplays and now they have to somehow get them back together and overcome their differences because a contract is a contract and they want their goddamn blacksmith shop already. Setting this brother to start cleaning up the theatre now that it is free from vermin, our party follows the directors instructions to find his brother over at the Haunted Harp – where upon arrival, see the so called screenplay writer sitting at a table with a pretty, mid-20s redhead that is practically fawning and cooing over his creative prowess. Just before a line of questioning could be fully investigated upon, a bard with a familiar face steps through the crowd – Yorian, the bard that captured the deaths of the bloody basterds is about to go on stage to perform his newly crafted prose of the feats of the Silver Talons – the heroes that felled the Bloody Basterds.
After listening to the song, the tavern crowd now start to recognise our heroes and we are now no longer anonymous adventures in a town but seen as heroes/jockies/prize fighters etc. Which didn’t help because amongst all the shouts for autographs the Silver Talon Paladin shows up and greets us. Theren mentions to him that he thinks he should use his demon tracking talisman right now because of obvious reasons in close proximity. Lo and behold, his tracking tells him that the redhead is a demon and must be dealt with and swiftly. The brother throws himself inbetween us and the woman saying shes not what she seems and we’ve got it all wrong… and manages to convince our heroes to hear them out and not brutally murder the demon in the gutter outside. Seeking privacy in a room upstairs, she reveals her true form of a Succubus – but exclaims that it is her sister that is doing the killing and she has tried many times to get her to change her ways. Her ways are to continually feed off of this creative brother but in a moderate fashion and with consent. Icky. But we strike a deal (after so much talking) to use her to find her sister after learning that she feeds on those who are devout but open to corruption. Long story; short, Tivala and Theren become bait by performing desperation.
The Succubus arrives and takes to Tivara as bait, dominates her and tells her to go upstairs where Kaster, Ifrid, the Paladin and sister Succubus are planning to pounce from. Things do not go as planned. With Tivala almost being immediately killed and subsequently saved by clutch heals from Theren, charmed hobgoblins being counter-charmed and a really difficult combat as other charmed solders attempt to intervene – they end up eviscerating the killer demon, which ends the domination of the guards – but not the blood-thirst of the Paladin who is now compelled to kill the other Succubus as she tried to also charm him. Again, long story; short, we strike a deal with the Silver Flame to not kill her but put her under their wing and take full responsibility for her actions. Theren is not pleased with the deal, but sides with his friends over killing a demon. Tivara, after almost dying and with all our heroes spell slots spent – now retire to the Golden Dragon to lick their wounds and roll their new hit dice as they achieve Level 5.
The Song of the Silver Talons
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Session glossary
- The Faldrens – an influential and respected family involved with Brelish politics
- House Tarkanan – an unofficial, underground house for the bearers of aberrant marks
- Nightwalkers – bringers of decay and ruin; some unfortunate bearers of aberrant marks transform into these horrific monsters
- The Nightshade Theatre – a severely neglected building in the Cobbles
- Haran Helmworth’s house – a building attached to the Nightshade Theatre
- The Foxhound – a tavern in the Cobbles Mellie – waitress at the Foxhound
- Braimant – a man murdered at the Foxhound The Haunted Harp – another tavern in the Cobbles; know for bardic performances
- Sercyl Nightingale – director of the disastrous theatre company known as the Nightingales
- Kamiel Nightingale – his brother; a playwright
- “A Monarch’s Malady” – Kamiel’s latest play
- “The Purge of Cardinal Merozzio” – an old classic play about a Thranish inquisitor; set during the Lycanthropic Purge
- Talandro Imaradi – a Thranish knight of the Silver Flame and a hunter of monsters
- Elika – Kamiel’s muse; secretly a succubus
- Rahvi – Elika’s evil sister; now dead
Turn of the Age 