Tunnels and Tricks

 Present:

• Cody Dieback. Human Male Wizard from Highport – Andrew
• Jack "Blocker" Jones. Human Male Temple Fighter of Aquamarina from Porn City – Jamie
• Tom Eade. Human Male Fighter from Porn City – Jeff
• Grim Hand. Human Male Rogue from Porn City – Jason
• Esmeralda "Ezme" Abernathy. Human Female Temple Fighter of Soixante Neuf from Scabport – Shane
• Ardern. Human Female Priestess of Mr Quail from Porn City – Kevin
• Rock Hammer. Human Male Barbarian from Central Plains – Steven
• Willow Woods. Half-elf Male Caribou Gorn Priest from Porn City - Chris
• Kippy Hunt. Human Male Barbarian of the Central Plains – Ian
• Munch Ease. Human Male Thief from Porn City – Darryl

 

by Andrew

Recap

Porn City dilettante and sybarite, Viscount Vincent Thoak, had recently met a horrible death when he had taken possession of a powerful magical cursed spear-head. An adventurer named Magnus had delivered the spear-head to him.

Magnus was now dead, at the party's hand. 

The trail had led the group to Letchtown. They had identified a local mob boss Otto as the one who had sent Magnus out.

Cody had explored Otto's homely girl-friend's cottage (with Gaseous form) and had discovered an underground area which linked her cottage to Otto's headquarters: a brothel the Broken Virgin.

There were indications that Otto's girl was a wizard.

Investigations

Grim (disguised) and Tom went to Natalia, the local druid and Letchtown gossip.

Natalia told them that Otto's woman is called Emance Apaited - "Otto was very taken by her". She had been in town half a year, and had come from Porn City. She was adamant she wanted that cottage (where Cody explored), so much so that the previous residents hurriedly left town. 

Natalia knew that Otto had four bully-boys and some random functionaries. Natalia thought Otto had falling out with the Porn City Thieves' Guild.

Hoping the Porn City Wizards' knew some more of Emance, Cody sent out a Gnome-post letter to his patron Thespian at the Porn City Wizards' Guild. Using his best WG copper-plate:

Dear Thespian,

So far we have nothing new to report, but as part of our investigations on Otto von Thesburg, we need some more info on Otto's significant other. Do you have any info on a lady called Emance Apaited, out of Porn City, We believe she is a wizard.

Lots of love, 

Cody Dieback, 

Mage Extraordinaire

Emance

Grim the Gardener

Grim disguised himself as a gardener and went to visit Emance's cottage.

She answered the door, accompanied by a big dog.

"I'm in the neighbourhood," said Grim. "I am a master gardener. I noticed that there are some things you could do to improve your garden. I am happy to offer my services or some garden advice."

Emance had an elf accent. Maybe she was a half-elf.

"Je ne not interested," she said "I only rent zis property. And I work at the Broken Virgin. Le jardin ne m'intéresse pas." 

"I don't supposed the landlord would be interested?"

"I doubt it. Merci for offering. Ees very kind of you. Mais non merci."

"Can you give me the name of your landlord?" asked Grim innocently.

"No. What do you call yourself?"

"Jacque."

"You must come from zee Porn City. I heard zere are lots of Jacques... In zee dock area.

I have not been to stay in Porn City myself. Only to pass through it. It is a squalid place."

"Where are you from? You have an elvish accent."

"Do I? I just like to talk zis way."

She was very alluring, and Grim felt quite enamored of her. So he broke out his Seduction moves.

"Perhaps we could meet up?" ventured Grim.

She paused and blinked long.

"Meet me at zee Aroused Druid inn," she said, alluringly.

"I look forward to catching up with you."

"I will see you later at the Aroused Druid."

Grim immediately felt the strong urge to go the Aroused Druid. Here, he hired a room, and began the fiddly job of preparing a suitable boudoir for his date.

New soldiers

These new developments delayed Grim, and he did not return on schedule. So the party sent out an invisible Kippy to look for him.

Kippy reported back - no sign of Grim. But he did see two important-looking chainmail-clad soldiers arrive on fancy horses, from the Porn City road, and pull up outside the Broken Virgin. No livery. Excellent armour and weapons. No bows. 

Kippy had overheard them.

 

"I need to see Otto," ordered one.

 

"Oh, Donrat, do come in." [ Kippy's ears are not so good ]

Emance's cottage

Cody returned to Emance's cottage, and did a Gaseous Form again. 

He floated through the cottage, then downstairs like last time, but this time, he went further: down a long tunnel, guessing he had travelled far enough to be underneath the Broken Virgin. 

Then up some rungs, through a bed chamber, a study, another bedroom with bunks, and here were two sleeping bully boys. He continued down another passage, then through a dog room. Then through a door in the back of a cell adjacent to a Torture room, up some more stairs up. Finally, through a secret door to the outside with two minutes left (Gaseous Form lasts 30 minutes). This came out in the alley next to the Broken Virgin.

Cody headed back to the party's secret warehouse base to report.

Grim's Dilemma

By then, Grim had arrived back under his own steam - still in his Jacque disguise.

"She's sexy lady who is into me" he said, talking about Emance.

The Larch

The group thought he was bewitched.

"We are going to meet up tonight at the Aroused Druid [one of the two remaining unburned inns]. Gonna be a sexy time."

Suspicious, Ardern cast a Detect Charm on Grim. He was indeed charmed. 

Kippy returned to the Broken Virgin to watch Donrat's horses.

After a quarter hour, the two men emerged, and they left in a hurry, back towards Porn City.

"I reckon Donrat is the next part of the chain," suggested Jack.

While Kippy was gone, Grim snuck out, and no-one noticed.

"Oi reckons we better go catch Grim," said Jack. "Else he'll spill the beans."

Grim was back in the Aroused Druid in his boudoir. An inn servant knocked on his door and gave him a note. Grim couldn't read, so he got the servant to read it: 

Dear Jacque, 

I look forward to tonight and our escapades. I particularly look forward to your large engorged aubergine. I have one small difficulty in that my lover is very jealous and will keep an eye on me, and so I will endeavour to be at your room at 7 be'light. If I cannot be there, I apologize and so you must knock on my door, as my gardener, tomorrow morning one bell after light - and we can do some ploughing.  

Forever, your loving E.

Grim ironed and re-ironed the sheets, busying himself for the meeting - only 7 hours now. He wanted the room to be perfect for her.

Cody and Tom visited Grim after dark at 9 be'light (E minus 2). Tom distracted Grim enough to give Cody a chance to cast a Dispel Magic on him. That cured the charm. 

With his mind clear, Grim remembered that Emance was indeed a member of the Porn City Wizards' Guild, and she was very interested in why the party was in Letchtown. He also remembered that he had passed on dangerous information to her: namely that the party was back in town and specifically mentioned Cody, Willow, Kippy, Rock, and Ardern by name.

After losing his Charm, Grim had no interest in staying in his boudoir, so all three left the Aroused Druid, and returned to the party's secret warehouse, making very sure that they weren't followed.

Here, the party hatched a plan to catch Emance if she went to visit Grim alone.

Kippy, hidden, staked out the Broken Virgin. 

Grim, hidden, watched the Aroused Druid. 

Munch, hidden, watched Emance's stone cottage.

At 8 be'light (E minus 1), two bully boys left the Broken Virgin and went to the Aroused Druid. Here, they settled into the bar area.

At 7 be'light, Emance left the Broken Virgin. She arrived at the Aroused Druid and met up with the waiting bully-boys. Here, she sent them both up to Grim's boudoir. 

There was a theory voiced that maybe Emance was a WG plant, and thus she was working with the same goal as the party - an ally? This new discovery put paid to that.

Secret Warehouse

It also proved that Otto knew that the group was back in town.

So, the party hurriedly left their secret warehouse, and left town, carefully checking there was no-one following; Cody did think he saw something. They returned to the old barn for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Cody snuck into town unseen, and went to check the Gnome-post dispatcher. A letter had arrived from Porn City, from his patron Thespian.

To Cody Dieback, c/o Letchtown

Have you found out who was behind Vincent Thoak's murder YET?  

Regarding Emance Apaited, she is a mage from Porn City. Quite powerful. Don't mess with her.

Yours etc.

Thespian Incarnate

If Emance was working on the same mission as the party, surely Thespian would admit it. So this was further proof that Emance wasn't an ally.

 

Plan 'B'

 Present:

• Cody Dieback. Human Male Wizard from Highport – Andrew
• Jack "Blocker" Jones. Human Male Temple Fighter of Aquamarina from Porn City – Jamie
• Tom Eade. Human Male Fighter from Porn City – Jeff
• Grim Hand. Human Male Rogue from Porn City – Jason
• Esmeralda "Ezme" Abernathy. Human Female Temple Fighter of Soixante Neuf from Scabport – Shane
• MARMALADING Ardern. Human Female Priestess of Mr Quail from Porn City – Kevin
• Rock Hammer. Human Male Barbarian from Central Plains – Steven
• Willow Woods. Half-elf Male Caribou Gorn Priest from Porn City - Chris
• Kippy Hunt. Human Male Barbarian of the Central Plains – Ian
• Munch Ease. Human Male Thief from Porn City – Darryl

 by Darryl

Well, the hands of time have ticked forward yet another 7 days, and the fleet feet of fear have run the band out of town into a burnt out barn,  where their beating hearts shudder and gasp at the close shave the group has just had.

 "Well that went well." said someone in the group. Not Munch of course as he staggered and fell to the floor. His wounds were mended but a deep major one still lay below the surface. 

Nor could it have been Esme, Kippy or Cody, all holding their stomachs and dry retching despite the Slow Poisons that had been cast on them. No, we will have to leave the culprit unknown but this is of no matter, the group just from the look in their eyes seemed to all agree, things had not gone to plan, it couldn't have there hadn't been one.

Willow did what he could regarding Slow Poisons and so did others, but they all knew they were very much in a temporary state, Neutralize Poisons were going to be needed in the next 8 to 12 hours and Munch could barely walk. Willow suddenly felt faint and he along with some others fell under the spell of the marmalade curse. [Chris left early.]

Natalia

Murmuring discussions were had, and in the middle of the day Kippy and Tom wandered into town to see if they could work out how to contact the local Druid, Natalia. Luckily Otto and his mates did not see them and Tom was able to find out that Natalia lived in a small grotto just out of town. Instead of barging straight through the middle of the town our two brave party members looped around the outside of the town eventually finding where Natalia was in her grotto. Natalia invited them to sit and questioned them for some time on what it is the party is wanting from her and how it is that these wounds and poisonings have happened. Tom in the party's usual open and frank manner tells her everything, and she sits quietly pondering with a subtle smile upon her face. She agrees, for a fee, to help us out and begins walking back, the long way of course, with Tom and  Kippy in tow.

Along the way Tom and Kippy fill out more detail, and Natalia reciprocates and tells them  of some rumours that say that Otto is well connected and quite senior within a specific group of the thieves guild in Porn City. Tom presses her for more information but after some time he realizes that Natalia does not seem to know anything more.

On getting back to the rest of the party, Natalia looks things over and says that this could be quite a job and will take some time. She settles down and begins her ministrations. Three days later and with the group significantly lighter due to the gold that it has cost, the group is back on their feet. Munch's major wound is healed and all traces of poison have been removed from the very souls of Esme, Kippy and Cody.

"Well, what now you laggards. Should we go teach Otto a lesson, beat him up, get him to cough up who his employer was on that job we is investigating, and then grind him into a pool of rancid mincemeat?"

"No"

"Well, how abouts we sneak in at night, beat Otto up, get him to tells us who's his boss, and then chop him into bite-sized pieces of stir-fried crispy pork?"

"No"

"Well, how's about we set fire to the brothel, catch Otto as he runs out, beats him up..."

"No"

"Well, we should all just bugger off then, no plan from all youse scaredy cats."

Silence and confusion surround the group, every plan put forward seemed to lead to death. Otto looks way too strong and no matter how much each person beats themselves on the head, no plan seemed to make any sense.

"How about plan B?"

"What does that mean?"

"We don't attack we watch and gavva intellygence."

Silence reigned, and reigned some more. Grinding could be heard coming from between ears.

"How about we find a place to hide and watch Otto and his boys for awhile?"

"Yeah, then we may knows what we's up agin."

So, slowly and with much hesitation the party put a plan, a plan of the dreaded 'B' type together. 

Grim shuffled off into the shadows and some time later stepped back towards the group. But was it him really? Standing in front of the group was someone quite different, a dowdy looking middle-aged man, slightly scruffy but somehow looking like a business clerk. 

Grim as merchant "Jack"

"What do you think?" Grim's voice said from this new looking figure [good Disguise roll]. "Yes, it is I, Grim, and I will set forth back into town in this wonderous disguise of mine and acquire a place of abode for us from where we can peruse the activity of the town and Otto's grotto of pleasure, and from whence we can plan our further activities." 

Grim sauntered off with the party now fit and healthy and hoping that success would come their way. Grim walked around the small centre of the town, avoiding the Merchants' Guild who's sign hung outside a small office. Instead, he wandered over to a small area in one corner of the town where banging and other noises of commercial activity could be heard. Warehouses of various sizes were here and Grim found himself in front of an old man in a seedy-looking office. 

"Good morrow to you kind sir. My name is Jack, and I am in the employ of James Jones, a merchant based in Porn city, and he has tasked me with taking possession, via lease, of a warehouse of good quality with respects to his business," extolled Grim/Jack. 

"Yeah well them warehouses are very rare, very rare indeed in these here parts, but as a favour to you, and at great inconvenience to me self, I may be able to find you a small area for yer goods. Mind you the price is not negotiable," the old man replied. 

"Well, let us set forth and peruse the estate of which you speak, my master is in great urgency for this transaction to be completed," said Grim/Jack. 

Skanky warehouse
(maybe a "werehouse")

They shuffled off and around a corner where the old man unlock a small building in terrible repair. Rotten boards and air flowed freely through the 100m2 building. The sky could be spotted in the odd place of the roof and noise could be heard coming from the next door building which shared a wall. A small window in one side showed an alley and another building. All in all, not the most salubrious of warehouses. 

"Space is mighty hard to find around here," the old man grinned to Grim. 

"Yes well, though smaller than my master may have requested, I will take you on your word and honesty, kind sir, and know that the price for a two week initial lease will be fairly derived, so enlighten me of the consideration required, shake, and our dealings will be satisfactorily arranged," replied Grim.

Five minutes later Grim smiled to himself, knowing he had begun the first steps of plan 'B', whilst an old man shuffled away chortling to himself and jingling like 30 pieces of gold.

Grim returned to the party late in the afternoon with pride and success highlighted in his beaming smile. 

"Success friends, we have a small warehouse a couple of hundred metres away from the brothel, easy ingress and if required a simple escape route, simply kick a couple of boards out and we can scurry out our new back door if needed," Grim informed the party. 

Slowly  optimism began to seep back into the bones of the party, who sat around and worked out how to get everybody safely into their home for the next few days. 

In the early hours of darkness of the next day, Munch and Grim sneaked into town whilst the rest of the party waited just out of town. After checking things out and ensuring that the town was quiet, Munch returned and in small groups led the party to the warehouse. The next day broke with all safely stowed and secured.

And so began a number of days with a very similar pattern. During the day, Kippy and Cody sneaked carefully around the town, predominantly keeping eyes upon Otto's grotto of pleasure. Whenever he was spotted coming out the front door, he was followed. He, along with one of his bully boys would visit a number of establishments around the town. After entering, he would be inside for a short period and then move on to another establishment. From time to time, he would be seen adding coins to a pouch he had attached to his waist. The back door of the brothel too had activity with the barmaid and the slim woman remembered from the first night of contact, could be seen coming and going appearing to be doing standard domestic activities. 

On one occasion, Cody followed the slim woman who went into a stone domestic dwelling about a hundred metres away. The small amount of drifting smoke from the chimney increased but she never returned to the brothel. At night Munch also maintained surveillance on the brothel and stone dwelling. In the stone house a light would appear regularly after midnight, remain on for an hour or two and then be dowsed, to leave Munch cold and bored as little else would happen through the night.

Eventually the party, after hearing reports on shift change over from day to night, were able to put together something a little intriguing. The slim woman would be seen working away in the kitchen of the brothel but Munch did not see her leave the stone house in the morning. The fire in the stone house would be smoking away merrily, she did not leave, and yet somehow she was in the brothel. Sounds once again began emanating from between the ears of some of the party.

"I reckons there's some sort of tunnel."

"Yeah, me too"

"How's we gunna found find out?"

"Don't worry I can do that." says Kippy, "Just gimme a Invisible spell and I will checks out the inside of the brothel."

Kippy, invisible

So Kippy, sneaking and invisible (Cody's spell) enters the brothel.   With great care and waiting for movement of people to open and close doors, explores the building. Nothing new in the public areas and in the back a kitchen dining area and a single room with two bully boys lounging around inside. Something is wrong the inside is smaller than the outside. 

So Kippy tries again and this time sneaks into the bully boy waiting room and Otto arrives, presses a secret panel and he enters another room. Kippy decides to not follow him. Still things don't seem quite right so the group decides on a new tactic, searching the stone house of the slim woman. 

Cody, using his Gaseous Form spell, enters the house during the day, when the party is pretty sure no one is at home. The house is very feminine and there is a lounge, bedroom, office and kitchen. In the kitchen a basement containing basic food and utensils and a tunnel pointing towards the brothel. With time running out, Cody leaves, returns to the party and fills everyone in. 

That night Munch sneaks close up to the house once the light is turned on inside and looks through the windows. He sees the slim woman sitting by the fire in the lounge and after some time a naked Otto enters, after dousing the light, the two of them retire to the bedroom

Cody - in Gaseous Form. 
Propane styling

The party wants to find out more about this house and so the next day Cody once again uses Gaseous Form to reenter the house. 

Down into the basement he flows and finds a door a little way down the tunnel. He willows his way under the door, sees a large rusty chain attached to the wall some sort of feeding trough, with old rotten food against the wall. A tunnel continues straight ahead. He decides he knows enough for now and so he returns up stairs and goes into the office, in whispery form, enters each drawer of the desk found within and finds a large tome in the top drawer. He turns back into human form. The study/office is that of a woman's, with a dust-free tidy room with small ornaments and prints on the walls. He Detects Traps and the door and drawers are both trapped. Deciding once again that this information should be given to the group he turns back into Gaseous Form to get out of the house, and then sneakily finds his way to the party's warehouse where he tells all.

But the hands of time have once again moved forward, the  tongues of the party fall silent and the plan 'B' of destiny will need to remain unconcluded for yet another seven days.