Cody's Surprise

 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

In Surrey, the party was here to confront the elderly and frail Amelia Wilson. Amelia had contracted Da'Vid Moorn of Sancho who had hired Otto (of Letchtown) to hire adventurer Porn City Magnus to steal a cursed magic spear-head relic off the Central Plains barbarians and give it to Vincent de Throak, from one of the powerful families of Porn City. The cursed item killed Throak.

This was because Amelia Wilson (nee Venning) had lost a grandchild due to Throak.

Thespian of Porn City Wizards' Guild, who was indirectly involved, had ordered the group, via Cody, the "Kill Amelia".

Esme wanted no part of this. Amelia was being punished for stopping child-slavers, and Esme, being a slave child, could empathize with this.

The Ambush Plan

Cody here. My turn to write in this damn diary in person. First person this time.

Every evening, Amelia had been observed being escorted to her home by the sheriff, through the streets of Surrey. This was at the same time each evening, 10 be'light. The group was too wuss-scared to dare take her on in her house. She had some mastiffs that wandered her yard, and the party was scared of the big bad dogs.

So, the plan was to ambush Amelia and the Sheriff as they passed the cleverly-hidden party. 

I would use two Silence spells. One Silence would on the road, and as soon as Amelia and the sheriff walked into the region, then I would cast a second Silence at her feet. While all the bowmen would pepper her and the Sheriff with arrows. The the fighters, Tom, Rock, Grim and Jack would then rush in to engage.

"Still not sure why we are doing this," said Esme. "I think we're backing the wrong horse."

"We voted last time!" squeaked Munch.

Esme decided that she would not participate, morally, but she would only provide healing support.

We all lurked hidden and skulking at a good spot on the main street. Surrey was a tiny town, so the streets were deserted.

10 be'light came and went. No sign!

So, we wandered down to her house and staked it out.

Stake Out

We ended up watching her cottage-cum-tower for a three days and nights, observing, perfectly hidden.

Every day the sheriff would go in and feed the dogs. Occasionally, movement could be seen through the windows of someone walking within.

Amelia's cottage and tower

Plan A

Getting no where fast, we suggested Fat Willow do some in-person reconnaissance. So, using his druidly powers, he turned into a fat sparrow and he flew up to the arrow slit at the top storey of the tower.

Half an hour passed, and then an hour. (The ability only lasted 30 mins). He never returned.

Oh dear.

"Looks like we gotta go in," I muse. "Plan A after all."

The question was, do we go through the dogs and sneak in the front door, or go through the back door. The other wusses didn't want to go through the back door. They thought it was a honey trap. 

We had a vote: Dogs it was.

So, Tom poisoned some hunks of meat, then Munch chucked these hunks of meat into the yard with the dogs. They ate both hunks, and they writhed around on the ground. They were making so much whimpering and groaning noises as the fell poison did its thing, so I cast Silence on them to stop the noise. They eventually died; after five long minutes of agony.

As will be made clear later, let me state now, for the record, that I specifically did not vote for the dog route!

Inside

Then using Detect Traps from me and Ardern and Jack, we made our way into the building. Esme stayed outside (with the dog bodies) guarding the rear. As mentioned earlier, she was not willing to be part of this assassination.

Inside, there was a kitchen, and a guest bedroom. There was a picture in here of a lady, presumably Amelia, with Otto and Emance and a young girl.

Oh dear...

There was an internal cat-flap, and lying on the ground next to the flap was a single sparrow feather. A fat feather.

Oh dear.

The kitchen had a stairway going down to a basement and through a secret door to a passage. This lead to the base of the tower joined to the cottage. 

In this room, the basement of the tower, was a whole lot of junk. I cast Detect Magic and a rocking-horse glowed, a morning-star flail glowed (1H blunt) and a dress-maker mannikin glowed too. 

We carefully entered, but as soon as we got in, they all animated, and came hurtling towards us. Aaargh!

We rushed out and slammed the door.

Back upstairs, through another room and door, we get into the ground level of the tower (level above the animated things). This level of the tower was empty but for a winding staircase going up and down.

In here, there were some more sparrow feathers.

On wards and upwards: Kippy followed by me, Tom, Munch, Ardern, Jack, Grim and Rock.

Floating maul

On the next level was a study. It contained a desk, and lots of books lining the walls. On the wall was a large two-handed maul, and there was something on the desk, the size of a half-elf head, covered by a shroud cloth.

Kippy and I went in a bit further, but before I could cast Detect Magic, the maul detached itself from the wall and hurtled towards us!

It savagely whacked Kippy HARD.

Tom and Munch came up the stairs next. I frantically tried to avoid the vicious maul, but no luck, and it whacked me HARD.

Kippy wrenched off the shroud on the desk. Underneath was a white crystal ball.

The maul targeted Kip again and knocked him down.

Everyone else got inside the room.

I then did a Detect Magic, as Munch rushed up the stairs - but he vanished! The maul glowed, the ball, and the desk.

Amelia

"Stop this nonsense now!"

We then heard an elderly woman's voice "Stop this nonsense now!"

The mace paused, and flew back to its cradle on the wall.

Amelia, herself, walked down the stairs in a nightgown, with a cat.

"Where's our Munch?" I asked weakly.

"He's up here visiting. With your sparrow. Your fat sparrow. I knew you were coming here. It's about time, Cody Dieback."

I blinked.

"H...How do you know me?"

"I know you well. I know your mother. Greta Dieback"

Blink.

"But Ferranti Stevens killed her. Killed mummy."

"Are you sure?" she said.

Blink.

"She is still alive," she continued. "I know her well. She would not wish you to harm me."

"I agree with that!"

"You killed my dogs," she stated.

"W...well *I* didn't. In fact I voted not to go that route."

"A life for a life, is what I live by. And I have two of your people. You have come to kill me. So fulfill your task and leave."

"N...Not if you know my mummy. I will protect you. Thespian wants you dead."

"I killed Vincent because he killed my grand daughter"

I recovered a bit.

"We seem to be at an impasse then," I said. "So ... um... your cat didn't get our sparrow after all?"

"No, that was just a joke."

Joke indeed.

"I've done no wrong," said Amelia, changing the subject again. "And yet you killed my son."

"Who was he?" I asked.

"Otto."

"Oh, that prick. He deserved to die. Did you know he was rutting... your daughter?'

"I did," she said. "That's how I got a grand-daughter."

Blink.

"You approve of that?"

"You can not fight against blood.  So, again, take my life, if you wish."

Greta Dieback

"No," I protested. "I ...uh... changed my mind now. You know my mum."

She pointed at the desk.

"The crystal ball will tell all."

"What, talk to my mum?"

"Touch it and see."

I touched it, tentatively. There was a thrilling tingle up my arm, so I immediately put both hands on it and lovingly embraced it [failed Arcane Defense save]. Through the misty glass, I  saw a woman's features come into focus: "Mummy!". 

The Red Witch

My mother, Greta Dieback, was still just as beautiful, and hadn't aged a day. She was now a powerful witch in the Central Plains. Known as the fearsome "Red Witch". We had heard this name two seasons ago, when we were first working for Ester (the barbarian druid in the Central Plains).

Having lost all motive to harm Amelia, despite Thespian's threats, I moved up the stairs to protect and aid her from the group. Not that this was really necessary. Their hearts weren't into this mission any more.

Esme, tired of shouting from outside, joined the group inside.

Amelia, sensing danger towards her had dropped, said "In return for your lives, I hereby give you a task. I would like the Spear of the Elessari Circle returned to the Central Plains Barbarians."

Thespian currently had the spear, held in the Porn City Wizards' Guild.

"I will pay you nothing, but the Plains Barbarians will reward you well. So, your choice is simple. Either kill me, or do my task."

"I am not going to kill you," I snapped. "No way."

"You will protect me."

"Yes, my mother would want me to protect you. But you're perfectly safe anyway. No-one in my group is brave enough or motivated enough to do this now - except maybe Rock. I was the only one pushing this barrow anyway, using the threat of Thespian and the Porn City Guild. But that has completely changed now."

Rock gazed across at the eighty-year-old's chest in her nightgown hoping he could see some lovely lady lumps. 

Noticing Rock's misplaced lecherous stare, she waved her hand and he vanished. With another wave of her hand, Munch and Willow, looking rather surprised, appeared in a puff of greasy black smoke.

"I will write up a contract which you will all sign tomorrow," she said. 

"Also, you will need to decide which member of your group you will sacrifice," she said coldly. "As payment for killing my dogs. A life for a life, as it were."

"How about if we bring you the head of Thespian?" I offered.

"That would be adequate."

T O   B E   C O N T I N U E D

Richard's stint ends here.