Beginning of the Silver Talons Arc
In which our heroes travel north, meet The Crooked Kin, save Alice, get their fortunes read, get involved in the rivalry between two bards and listen to the Ballad of the Bloody Bastards.
The Ballad of the Bloody Bastards
There’s no other band that strikes the heart with so much fear,
Men and women flee and hide whenever they are near,
For though they claim they serve the law and justice is their mission,
Right and wrong to them have but the loosest definitions.
Be you innocent or guilty, that’s not something they’ll consider,
Their pockets lined with gold, they will serve the highest bidder.
If there’s a bounty on your head, if your wanted ‘live or dead
Your blood will most likely stain their swords red.
It’s the hunter’s thrill that drives those mercenaries
And fearsome reputation each of them carries.
First, a wizard, banished from Arcanix for some vile controversy
Mercedene they call her, though she has no mercy.
And if you think there’s nothing worse than a mad and dang’rous wizard,
How about a crazy halfling astride a giant feathered lizard?
A berserker from the savage Talentan planes and hills,
They call him Krojun Eats-What-He-Kills.
Back-to-back he fights with Crusher, who will punch through walls with ease
A metal man whose mighty fists will bring you to your knees.
Innocents around this warchild suffer accidents galore,
Life to him, in times of peace, is still a bloody war.
And worse, beware the Bastards for they cannot be surprised,
Marsh, the master augur, scans their future with his eyes.
His power comes from distant gods who ‘neath the seas have sunk,
His powers would be twice as strong if he weren’t always drunk.
And if you’ve not yet run away to someplace hard to find,
Hear about the Bastards’ leader, that will change your mind:
Former soldier, master killer, for the Last War he pines,
He spent five bloody years behind enemy lines.
He’s a blood hound, a hunter, and once he’s on your track
There is no escape from him, you better watch your back
For his arrows strike hard, sure as his name is Ricard.
The Redwulf he was dubbed by some local bard.
Of quick and bloody work he and his are the Masters,
That’s why they call them the Bloody Bastards.
And if you go against them, hope your sleeves are full of aces
Cause those fellows they got friends in high places.
The authorities do nothing and the law will not arrest ’em,
Our only hope is that some other group will best them.
But until some fools find courage to rise to the test
They remain the fiercest bounty hunters in the West.
Session glossary
- The Bone Knights – an elite order of warriors from Karrnath
- Ronnel Deswin – a craftsman who sent his son to Marketplace with a valuable rose sculpture
- The Crooked Kin – a travelling troupe of Karrnathi performers with various handicaps and deformities
- Kaleb – their leader; an albino human
- Alice – a young performer suffering from microcephaly; saved from phase spiders by the party
- The Crossroads Inn – a large inn on the road to Passage
- Savine – an elven bard; fabulous and successful
- Gildayne – a half-elf bard; jealous of Savine’s success
- “Rats” – a crime boss rising to power in Passage
- Ricard Redwulf – their leader; an ex-soldier and master hunter
- Krojun Eats-What-He-Kills – a savage berserker from the Talenta Planes; rides around on a giant lizard
- Mercedene – a wizard, banished from Arcanix
- Marsh – an augur; follower of forgotten gods; always drunk
- Crusher – a violent warforged who likes fistfights
The Bloody Bastards – a band of unscrupulous mercenaries and bounty hunters; currently hunting Ballista
Turn of the Age 