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.