Session 436 – The Bard's Curse
General Summary
The Story So Far
Ash - An expert in the occult and a skilled monster hunter. Ash uses his talents and budding alchemical expertise to battle what people fear most for a price.
Ryobi - A monk of the embattled Order of the Warriors of Mameka. Ryobi is given an important mission: retrieve the holy blades containing the souls of his brother knights, which were lost in the recent Rethemi civil war.
They are joined by Vinzent, a bard with a morbid demeanor and a haunted past.
This is the continuation of Session 433 - The Two Headed Man.
15th of Peonu (Spring) 729TR
The heroes have travelled to the rather dubious city-state of Varv, located on an archipelago. This small, rough City is generally ignored, except when merchant ships disappear, as it has a violent reputation and is suspected of piracy. The heroes are planning to slay the mighty three-headed sea serpent, the Kankanos, a powerful Aegesir that resides in a nearby.
Location: On the road near the City-state of Varv.
Part 1 – An Unappreciative Audience
The heroes have just arrived in the city and are spending the evening at the rough, dirty, but cheap Hungry Hag Tavern. Vinzent is entertaining and having a hard time of it; it’s a tough crowd. The heckling of three dirty, common louts is particularly annoying, and they appear to be egged on by a beautiful, clean, and well-dressed young woman seated in the back. She seems out of place.
After a barrage of insults from the ruffians, Vinzent has had enough and bites back, returning a few feeble insults of his own. The woman laughs and whispers to the ruffians, who then decide to knock some sense into Vinzent. They approach and proceed to start battering him while the young woman looks on with glee.
Meanwhile, Ash and Ryobi are on high alert. Ryobi carefully looks for anything unusual concerning the woman and any openings that might be exploited if an Assassination is in order, but she easily spots his intense gaze and, with a smile, warns him not to do anything he might regret. Ash comes to Vinzent's defence, distracting two of the thugs. While fighting, he also looks for anything noteworthy in the woman and determines that she is definitely not what she seems. Every esoterical device he owns flares up; she is extremely powerful, and he mentions this to Vinzent, who has been cowering and dodging attacks. The bard quickly goes pale, “Whatever you do, don’t attack her, for you will not stand a chance; I think she is a demigod Dulcia, one of the goddess Halea’s divine handmaidens.” Vinzent previously explained to his friends that Dulcia, the Princess of Harmony, had cursed him after he insulted her, for not making a tithe to her shrine. Dulcia wants revenge, but the heroes believe that under the Accord of the Gods, she cannot normally directly take action, only inspire mortals to act. Even then, the divine rules are unclear, but Ryobi is sure that if she were to strike Dulcia, she would then be free to retaliate; this could be with a curse or worse.
Part 2 – Confronting a Demigod
Ryobi decides not to try to kill the woman and instead assists Vinzent, but the thugs do not hold back, and one attempts to drive a dagger into his back, angering him. Ash knocks out one of the thugs and, with his weapon to the unconscious man’s throat, threatens to kill him unless Dulcia calls off her minions. The handmaiden smiles sweetly and calls Ash's bluff, “The poor man’s fate is in your hands.” Cursing Ash leaves the man unharmed and assists Ryobi and Vinzent.
Ryobi is not fooling around. These men tried to kill him, so he has no mercy, severely injuring one, who will likely bleed to death on the ground, but his wounds fortunately stabilize. The last thug fights with inspired energy, but eventually collapses after a heart punch by Ryobi. “That’s disappointing,” Dulcia sadly mutters.
Part 3 – The Princess Favor
Ash attempts to negotiate a peaceful resolution, but Vinzent will have none of it. If he regains the favour of Dulcia, the Princess of Harmony, he will invariably lose the favor and spark the ire of his current patron, Thalia, the Princess of Fortune. Unsatisfied with the outcome, Dulcia disappears from view, and the tavern resumes as normal; no one, including the men who were beaten up, seems worried. What passes for the law also doesn’t appear concerned; no one was killed or as badly injured as they originally appeared, which causes some frustration to Ryobi, who wants the hecklers dealt with. A civil case before an Archon may be possible, but it is unlikely to be worthwhile in terms of time and effort; any witnesses seem to have a hazy recall of events.
The heroes decide to move on and continue planning the destruction of the feared Kankankos.
Created Content
Nothing this week.
Related Reports
Nothing this week
Player Characters
Ryobi - Human - L14 Monk
Background - Temple Guard.
Archetypes - Barbarian/Fighter.
Ash - Human - L14 Thaumaturge
Background - Weaponcrafter.
Archetypes - Alchemist/Vestige Hunter.
NPC Companion
Vinzent - Human - L14 Bard
Background - Cursed.
Archetypes - Blessed/Disciple of Thalia.
Next Session
NPC Companion
Vinzent
He is a skilled minstrel who is infamous for his melancholy performances and bad luck.
Halea's Handmaids
The goddess Halea is served by seven handmaidens. They are not directly worshipped, but prayers and tithes are often offered to them for their favor.
Dulcia - The Princess of Harmony
Dulcia is described as a beautiful young woman playing a musical instrument, most often a harp or flute. She is a lover of the arts and is a patroness of many performers and entertainers.
Thalia - The Princess of Fortune
Thalia is described as an attractive, grinning woman wearing mismatched clothing, with wild hair. She holds a pair of dice and is well favored by gamblers.
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