- The party started out in the crowd with the Crimson Cloaks slinking off the stage.
- A black cat came out of the alley and rubbed against Marston and Kriick.
- The rest of the party spread out in the crowd.
- Teak’s giant eagle mount was spotted again, circling over the crowd.
- Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke appeared on the platform and Barak Vasak and Keledeck appeared.
- Kriick and Jon Marston immediately sensed Bride’s presence—she was in Barak’s pack.
- As Barak arrived, a wave of fear spread across the crowd and half the party was scared.
- Barack walked up to Rufus and whispered something in his ear.
- The black cat rubbed against Jon and Kriick again and removed their fear.
- Barak stepped forwarded and said, “Lord Angus, your services will not be needed anymore.” DHaran guards dragged Lord Angus away.
- Barak further stated, “Peoples of the Grey Citadel, your current leadership has failed you—you are in grave danger but have no fear, the D’Haran Empire will protect you and Ambassador Torrey and Commander Rufus will be charge.”
- Ambassador Torrey announced that martial law was in effect beginning that evening. No one was allowed to outside between 8pm and 7am because the D’haran Empire would be patrolling the streets looking for the demons. To be sure they killed all demons, they would not ask questions and instead would kill anything or anyone they found out after dark.
- Kate and Marston raised objections to this tyranny and Barak asked Karyn to bring them on stage. Karyn approached Marston and jabbed him in the stomach with the Agiel and then carried him on stage up to Barak.
- Kneeling before Barak, Marston asked that he be able to have Bride again.
- After some banter, Barak said that Bride was his. Bride confirmed that Barak was one of her husbands and that now all four of them could “message” each other in their heads.
- Barak pulled Bride from his pack and stabbed Marston in the chest, saying “There, I gave you Bride.”
- Marston makes an impassioned speech filled with cliques (his words) and announced that he had crossed a line. Barak calmy said, “I erase lines.”
- Barak and Keledeck teleport away via a ring of teleportation.
- Rufus and Karyn entered the keep and the crowd disbursed, muttering and worrying about this dramatic change in control of the Grey Citadel.
- Kate is thrilled that Marston and Kriick stood up to Barak and she asked the party to join her rebellion.
- The party moved away from the courtyard and went shopping and discusses the dramatic change in leadership of the Grey Citadel.
- They met numerous NPC merchants, including a satyr druid that sold them a talking head of garlic and an herbalist kit that has a 50% chance of making double the potions. She also sold them “fire hot sauce.” It was a bottle that has 7 drops. Placing a drop on the tongue or in someone’s drink would require a CON check (DC 13). A pass meant that the person could spit a fireball for 1d8 damage once in the next 10-minutes. A fail meant nothing.
- The party encountered a blacksmith who was screaming inside his shop. After investigating him, they learned that his son was attacked a couple of days ago and had his heart removed by a demon, but somehow the body is still alive. The party agreed to try to find the boy’s heart. The merchant promised some magical items if they return his boy’s heart.
- They also ran into Beatrice and Cherry multiple times, and Kriick successfully pickpocketed Beatrice. Kiervasan, however, made him stop.
- Marston tried to punch Beatrice but missed.
- The party met a fortune teller that gave a “seeing” to Avari, Keirvasan, Kriick, and Feng.
- Avari’s seeing scared the seer, who said that Avaru was the one who could fix or destroy something critical to life—something related to the Purge. It terrified the seer.
- For Feng, the Seer said he saw an arch druid, not a dog, and that only Feng could handle the Boxes of Orden. But he gave the money for the seeing back because he didn’t understand if it was a true seeing given Feng appeared to be just a dog.
- Kriick seeing involved hearing that his daughter was going to be a queen.
- Keirvasan’s seeing involved being told that he would be a guide to the druid in the underworld and that he would be going to the Underworld soon.
- The party ran into some beggars, including a one-armed fox that Kate was trying to recruit for the revolution.
- The party met more merchants, including a rug merchant and a gnome merchant that sold oddities. Avari purchased an undertaker’s cloak.
- Next, they went to the spell book store, and a magic store, and investigated the burglary.
- Crenshaw, the owner of the magic store, reported that potions of shrinking and a rare book called ‘History of the Necropolis of Ankev” were stolen about 3 or 4 weeks ago, after the Dharan army showed up. He further explained that prior to that, there was no fear in telling people prices. Now if merchants told their prices they risked being robbed, as crime as gone way up. No other items were stolen, even though he had rare spells books.
- They also learned that the druid merchant had druid rocks stolen.
- Finally, they learned that the Ironworks had been burglarized as well, but Crenshaw didn’t know what was taken.
- The party next went to the mage tower. They made it through a couple of trapped doors before being teleported back to the market, next to the one-armed fox, who said “Oh, so you tried your hand at breaking into the Mage tower? Well, at least you have both of your arms.”
- Beatrice and Cherry were there working their pickpocket game, and Marston punched Beatrice. Cherry and Beatrice both drew short swords and went to town on Marston. Beatrice called out in thief’s cant for help.
- Marston laid into Beatrice, almost dropping her before Cherry dropped him.
- The rest of the party extracted Marston’s unconsious body and got away using Levitate and Reposition (misty-step-like magic) spells just as the Dharan patrol showed up.
- The party made it back to the Inn before the 8pm curfew.
- Session ended.
