Session23


 * 6-29-2013 Invasion at the Reception and the Victorious battle vs The Black Mark **

Carriages arrive at the Medici estate for the wedding reception... It's grand, newly built, and beautiful. Decorated for the reception with green and white flowers. Lavish buffet tables laid out with both human and elven culture dishes.

Erevin steps out to gallantly offer his hand to Shri, twirling her out into his arms from the door. Renata and Bishop are in the entrance hall greeting their guests as they arrive. Bishop tells Erevin that he remembers him as a child from the last time he was in Myth Coramanth after rescuing Lady Annaisaru. Erevin greets him very pleasantly, taking note how similar his looks are to Dominic. Erevin pokes Renata with her new title, "Lady Medici... it's a pleasure to see you again. You look lovely." Ren jabs him back with emphasis on his own newly revealed title,"LORD Lionspaw..." Ren and Bishop are both interested in the beautiful drow woman on Erevin's arm. "I trust you'll be hoarding her time this evening then?" Erevin nods as he escorts Shri to the dance floor, "Let's get to the monopolizing, shall we?" Kale steps out, dressed in a verdant green, and turns to lift Wren out of the carriage down to him, light as a feather. She smiles, admiring him, "You look ravishing tonight..." He smiles at her in her sheer green elven gown, "You look beautiful as well." The two are welcomed warmly by Renata and Bishop. After Ren compliments Wren's dress, Bishop smiles knowingly back at Renata and asks Wren where she got it. Wren thanks them both, and tells them that she had it custom made. Kale escorts her out toward the soft music playing in another room. Azarius arrives, stepping out of their carriage and taking Trieste by the hand. "What's the plan, sir?" "We're at a reception... the plan is to have a good time... but stay alert, as I've said I don't trust these affairs." "You really think something will happen at a wedding reception?" "It wouldn't be the first time..." They are welcomed in by the new couple. Renata is interested in the human woman on Azarius's arm... someone she's never met. After introductions, Azarius leads Trieste out to the dance floor. "Dance with me, and try to keep up." "I'll do my best not to tarnish the Chaat name in any way, sir." Erevin and Shri head for the bar where they find Archer behind the counter and Dorothy weaving her way through the people with ease, holding a tray of glasses perfectly still as she walks. Recognizing the young man from the bar in Lyrabar, Erevin smiles at him, "You do catering too?" Archer grins, "Bishop and I are friends... can I get you something elven... or..." he glances toward Shri, "would you care for something darker?" Erevin bows slightly to Shri, "I'll defer to the lady..." Shri smiles at Archer, "Do you have Widow's Tears?" Archer grins knowingly, "How did I know you would ask for that..." He pulls out two glasses and sets them up carefully without touching or smelling with a dark smokey webbing and what looks a bit like spiders, and then pours a dark red liquid into them. Erevin and Shri take their glasses to a table, "To future toasts... may they be plentiful and often." It's strong! Erevin feels awesome! Shwing! Yuki arrives panting from running from the beach. She quickly changes her outfit with her ribbon to be clean, sand-free, and sparkly yellow. Renata and Bishop welcome her in. She thanks them, "I just left Gregori on the beach... Oh!" she blushes, glancing back and forth between the two, "Was I supposed to say that?" Renata smiles, "It's fine. I'm happy that he could make it. Did you help him through it? Is he alright?" Yuki nods and smiles, "He did very well. He's a little sad, but happy to see you happy." Bishop smiles, "Our wedded bliss will be long and fruitful." Renata smiles and adds, "but not too fruitful." Yuki moves into the other rooms where a sea of noble men and women are socializing and dancing. Erevin and Shri are dancing beautifully together. Wren and Kale are dancing one of the dances she had helped them to learn, and while their steps weren't perfect.... their elven grace made them look beautiful anyway. Azarius and Trieste were socially conversing with Reegan and Carus before Azarius too went to the dance floor, escorting Trieste. Lots of pretty dancing... and almost everyone seemed to have a partner. Annaisaru arrives with a rather young and handsome elven warrior on her arm. Most of the elves from the embassy are attending the reception as well. Bishop welcomes everyone again, "Please help yourselves to the bar where Archer will be happy to set you up with whatever you like, and to the tables where there are many dishes to choose from." Bishop and Renata walk out to the dance floor where everyone clears back to leave them a large open area to dance their slow, romantic dance together. They look good together, like they've done this many times before. Looking around the room, Yuki discovers that Axton is also at the reception and heading with purpose toward the newly married couple was a handsome Mr Harbinger, dressed in black. Some kind of Sune warning goes off in her heart to protect their new love and she moves to intercept him, "Mr. Harbinger! I didn't know you would be here today! And without a date! Me too! How convenient for both of us!" "Yuki... I thought your duties would keep you at the temple." "I was a guest of an old friend... Do you know Renata and Bishop?" "Not well... no." "Why did you seem to be on such a purpose to see them?" "To dance with the newly married bride." "Oh... I find I'm jealous..." "Well I ... I didn't mean to make you feel that way..." "Shall we dance then?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Mali, Posy, Thorn, and the barbarians arrive at the locked gate of the Medici estate. The guards deny them entrance, "You are not on the list." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Thorn pipes up, "There is a nefarious plot against the couple! We need in at once!" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"And you are?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"The guy who found out about the nefarious plot!" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"Why don't you just be on your way..." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Posy charges the gate with Uther and Ursus quickly backing her up. Mali tries a more passive approach and slips between the bars, but her boobs get caught! Thorn notices the locking mechanism on the other side and uses his thrown dagger to port through next to it. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Guards seem to be in a bit of a commotion inside the estate, heading toward the front gate. Wren notices something is wrong and nudges Kale, "I told you something bad was going to happen! Let's go check it out." Before Kale can respond to her, 2 cloaked figures begin porting into their room... a mage among them casts, but nothing seems to happen. The other unleashes 2 hellish dog beasts. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Outside the guards still refuse entrance, and finally Uther just tosses Posy over the gate. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Dark cloaked figures filter into the other rooms... Azarius notices a mage dispell the magic in the room, and then he throws up his magic shield, sending Trieste after the mage. Everyone in the various rooms start to feel sick. Erevin draws his blade and slices into one of the cloaked men, who feints and stabs Erevin with poison. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Yuki is in a third room with Axton and Harbinger. The emerging figures begin stabbing the noble couples in the room. Yuki sends out a wave of healing to aid them and the the dark figures turn in unison toward her. She quickly hides behind Harbinger who gallantly steps in front of her. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Mali manages to tumble into the door behind the guards while Thorn unlocks the gate to let the barbarians charge through. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Azarius steps forward and grasps the man fighting Erevin, giving Erevin the opportunity to step behind the would be assassin and stab him in the back. Blood splashes out of the front of him and onto Azarius. The figure flicks out his dagger in front of him as Azarius barely avoids a dagger into his man jewels and manages to keep a grip on him. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Kale closes the gap between Wren and the mage and draws his blade while Wren ties up the other figure and one of the hounds in a sticky webbing. The other hound goes after the noble couples in the room who are in chaos trying to escape. More waves of sickness flare through the rooms. Trieste isn't doing well, and one of the elven couples pukes up a green slime. Erevin recognizes it as a voracious life form that eats through metal and wood and devours humanoid flesh. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">2 of the figures stab deeply into Harbinger while the third circles around a pillar to slash at Yuki, her blood misting out over the back of Harbinger. The assassin breaks out of the webs in the other room and charges Wren, slashing her deep and spraying blood over the wall. Posy rushes in the doorway behind Mali, quickly followed by the barbarians and Thorn standing on Uther's shoulder pointing toward Posy to follow her charge. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Yuki sees Harbinger struck with a dagger that goes through his body, but there is no blood... she starts yelling directions to the noble couples, "Clear the room! Get out to safety!" She prays. Mali notices Kale and Wren through the first door in the hall, and she tumbles in to join them, barkskin covering her body. Axton uses his divine presence to hold one of the cloaked men in place. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Trieste fights to keep the mage busy, but she's struggling with the green slime trying to come up out of her lips. The mage manages to summon in an earth elemental. Azarius uses a shocking grasp to electrocute the figure still in his grasp. A burnt flesh smell wafts off of him as he falls to the ground dead. Erevin turns to impale his sword into the advancing mage coming in the doorway who sends out a shocking grasp through Erevin. Renata and Bishop move in together on the elemental. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">3 of the Black Mark figures emerge from the 4th room only to be met by Posy and the barbarians in the hall. Posy rages and smashes her axe through the first one. Thorn leaps off of Uther's shoulder, tumbling through the air to land behind the assassin Posy is fighting. He slashes with both blades into his back, dropping him to the floor. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Wren grabs the assassin who stabbed into her and pulls him closer, placing her lips on his and breathing a cone of cold into his lungs. Kale drops the lifeless mage to the floor as he glances over his shoulder at Wren, "Hey, I kiss you with those lips!" Mali summons in a cheetah and sends it along with Melloran into another cloaked member of the Black Mark, shredding and mauling him brutally! Yuki commands one of the assassins to sleep. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Trieste fights the sickness and calls out her battle directions to the others in the room and manages to hold back the mage from casting. Azarius aids her with magic missiles into the mage to drop him dead. Shri lays her hands tenderly against Erevin. He teases her as he battles the other mage in the doorway, "Not now, my love, we're a little busy." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">She laughs, "I love that you're very perverted... but you have a green slime in your belly." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"Can you fix that?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">She sends her magic touch through her hands against his body and he pukes up the green slime as she nods. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Wren steps back, fighting back the green slime that burns the inside of her throat trying to get out, and Kale steps between her and the cloaked human still clutching his throat, his lips blue. Kale lands the finishing blow with his blade. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The second figure lunges at Thorn, but the halfling manages to dodge out of the way, leaving him open for Posy to step up and cross cut with her axe, cutting him in half and then ripping out his throat. She looks to Uther, "Get bloody, baby!" Claws emerge and he moves in to finish him off. The third figure watches in horror and quickly flees the other way. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Renata and Bishop bring down the earth elemental as Yuki comes into their room from next door. She sends out a healing wave over Azarius, Trieste, Erevin, Shri, and the newly wedded couple. Mali and her cats of death claim the life of the last one standing, and she Kale and Wren move to find the others.Thorn grabs a few select things and quickly heads out of the estate. Everyone still looks sick. Yuki heals as many as she can. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The Black Mark symbol is found on the corpses. Bishop says that he's heard of a new group of thieves in town. Thorn agrees. Bishop takes the man held in place by Axton aside for questioning while Erevin and the others take the one that Yuki slept. They intimidate and question him. Mali and Melloran circle him, growling. He's low on the totem pole. Says he was sent to kill the nobles. They were supposed to be sick and dying. They were to kill the bride and groom, and make a name for the Mark. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"Who's your leader?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"Probably the Black Mark. There's a warehouse on the docks... they'll be waiting for you." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Thorn wanders over munching on a donut from the tables, "They're a little occupied at the moment." He tells Erevin he still wants to see the guy tortured more, so Erevin tortures the thug while questioning Thorn who fills him in on a more exact location. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Erevin talks with Renata and Bishop. Tells them we'll go and ferret out this warehouse, but to send the authorities to clean up. We head to the dock. The evening is beautiful... starlit sky, ocean breeze. The dock is bustling. Find the warehouse abandoned and boarded up. Thorn and Erevin hear creaking on the roof above and move in closer with quiet stealth. Posy clinks behind them, "I'm not gonna be left behind." Wren hangs back a small distance with Kale, Yuki, Azarius and Trieste, but Mali moves in quietly. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Mali and Thorn climb up one side of the building while Erevin climbs up the other. Posy can't seem to get a good grip and scrambles a bit against the brick wall. Erevin spies the watchman with a crossbow and attacks him with Thorn and Mali quickly coming in from behind to kill him quickly and quietly. They hang his body over the edge and come down. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Ursus, Mali, Thorn, and Erevin take the water route into the building. Azarius times it carefully and throws a fireball into the boarded door, smashing it open as the others emerge from the water inside. Wren, Kale, Posy, Uther, Yuki, Azarius, and Trieste stride in through the burning splinters. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">We take several prisoners for the arriving paladin guards. No booty though... the leader must've gotten away with it. Azarius and Trieste take the sub to the old pirate cove as a quiet way to ferry to and from the Destiny. Find paperwork with initials for BM - the Black Mark and MC - Marco. We burn down the warehouse. Thick charred smell of wood. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Community bucket brigade and water mages arrive to put out the building. Alexander Brightwood arrives with the paladins, "Miss Ashdown, why are you and your companions always involved in these things?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"Why Mr. Brightwood... I don't know what you're talking about." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Erevin whispers to Yuki, "Him I approve of..." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Yuki blinks at Erevin and eyes up Alexander Brightwood. Measuring him behind his back and checking him out. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Paladin Brightwood escorts Yuki back to the temple of Sune at Erevin's suggestion. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"Miss Ashdown, Have you had much to drink?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"No... but would you like to? Can paladins do that? ...with priestesses of Sune?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Mali shows us her new sparklies she got from the Ghaunadaur statue that was sending out a red fungus. Everyone thinks they're cursed. Azarius says he'll take her to the magic shop to have them checked out. Thorn decides to sleep in a different place each night... just in case. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Erevin goes to Shri, "We're leaving. We're going to Myth Coramanth." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"What about your companions?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"I owe them too much already. They don't need to be involved in this ranger's matter." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"A trip to Myth Coramanth would take weeks... even on horses, but you owe it to our companions to help them get their friends back... besides, they would follow you anyway." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"They have their own more pressing issues to deal with to not follow me... Waterdeep, Raven, etc..." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"I think we should talk to the group." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">We gather together for a late lunch to decide the next action to take... there are 6 people still lost. Mali nods, "Esme is strong and a powerful druid. She will have a better chance than some." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Erevin talks about needing to go home. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Wren looks at him, "Is this something that has to be dealt with immediately?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Erevin hands her the box with elven ears... Yuki touches them, performing a blood biography. She tells us that they belonged to an elven ranger, out on patrol. He was ambushed by a drow about a month ago and she tells us his name. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"Does that help you, Erevin?" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">"It confirms what I already knew..." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The discussions are tense. Erevin is set on returning home despite suggestions to notify Horitsu and the guard in Myth Coramanth. Yuki is broken over wanting to search for Rue and Ori. Wren feels the pressure to find Loch. Kale and Amara want to help find the others. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Erevin attempted to explain his obligations, "If the choice were my own... I would choose to help you find the rest of our companions... but this is something that I must do." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Yuki upset and sad, "No... you wouldn't Erevin, you would journey to Myth Coramanth." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">More discussions on priorities.Wren and Yuki the only two with a high priority of rescues. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">A compromise is reached to go to Myth Coramanth where Horitsu will be notified of what's going on and the woods will be checked. Amynta and Axton will be joining us on the ship to Myth Coramanth.