Post by Theo Wrathwing on Jul 27, 2019 16:46:12 GMT
This evening Portia I was very almost killed by an old lady.
I’m not overly sure it would have been the type of heroic death to get the bards a’singing — but the old lady in question did turn out to be something known as an Oni. What’s an Oni you ask Portia? In happier times I would have guessed at a type of seafood. Unfortunately now however I am better informed, but I’ll get to that.
I was responding to what I assumed was going to be an easy enough opportunity to make some coin:
Simple security job at my concert tomorrow.
20gp and free drinks all night.
Ask Faye.
I made my way toward an establishment called The Red House, which I had avoided visiting up to this point due to the place giving off a general air of murder, crime, and unhygenic latrines.
It proved to be as bad as I had feared.
Sticky floors Portia.
I was joined by four others, only one of which I had crossed paths with before — a large, deep-red, brimstone-stenching, Tiefling male called Arkadius (he doesn’t tend to blend well into crowds).
Speaking of stenches, there was also a rough looking human gent who smelled primarily of fish named Stedd. Stedd was...unique. However Stedd would also prove to be tremendously useful, but again more on that later.
The last two were a couple of Bards who would end up being that evening’s entertainment. A wing adorned and unbelievably bubbly halfling woman named Sheryl and Faye, the Elvish author of the job advertisement.
After quick introductions were made we entered The Red House to meet our benefactor for the evening. The owner of the tavern was a tall Elvish woman called Elaria. She greeted Faye enthusiastically and informed us all that we would be doing a mixture of crowd bulstoring for Faye and Sheryl’s performance as well as some incognito security work. It turned out that Elaria wanted a private, undisturbed conversation with a VIP guest of hers.
The bards would serve as the distraction, the rest of us as an added level of security. Simple.
To say that this was something of a thin description of what was actually going to transpire would be an understatement. The evening was full of surprises.
The first surprise was that Elaria’s VIP guest was a Drow woman. Now I was raised on the nightmares of Drow Portia. They turn pain into art. They are evil, through and through. To see one walking around so brazenly above ground, even in as shady a pub as this, slightly wrong-footed me.
But we had already been employed and the Bards did quite a spectacular job at providing a distracting duet as Elaria and her guest vanished downstairs for their meeting.
Stedd, Arkadius and I nonchalantly made our way over to the downstairs entrance to stand guard. Or at least as nonchalantly as a 7 foot tiefling, a heavily patchy elf, and a man stinking of fish are capable of.
Here things got a bit bungled.
A goblin charged her way over to us and demanded to be let downstairs to speak with Elaria. Stedd pretended to drunkenly throw up. I tried to go down the stairs to disguise myself as Elaria in an effort to talk the goblin out of this endeavor but was spotted. I pretended to drunkenly throw up. Arkadius put up a good effort at blocking the door. No pretense at throwing up was made. To his credit.
Somewhere in this confused jumble of imagined puke the real Elaria stormed her way upstairs to talk with the goblin. From the odd caught word of their conversation it became apparent that this goblin, Cluq, was co-owner of this tavern with Elaria and not overly approving of this incognito meeting.
Then there was a scream.
It came from downstairs where Elaria’s guest presumably still waited. I suddenly heard Faye’s voice in my skull. Bard magic. ‘Get down there now!’
We burst through downstairs and it was here I met the old Lady. Standing over the Drow with weapon raised to strike. Arkadius and I unleashed our most violent examples of magic on the decrepit woman, who seemed to take it unsettlingly well. Before vanishing.
Stedd ran in and threw his pint. I believe this was in an effort to reveal the old woman but it didn’t quite hit its mark.
Our two Bards caught up with us just in time for the old lady to make her reappearance. Only this time in a slightly more threatening ensemble.
A huge, winged, blue-skinned and demonic creature. This Portia, was an Oni.
We fell into action. The Bards came in their own, displaying magics I had never seen before. Faye getting up close and personal with the creature and Sheryl healing and inspiring. Stedd went in swinging and ended up displaying quite the impressive prowess with a longsword whilst Arkadius and I provided ranged support with own magics.
I didn’t last long Portia, I’m not sure what that thing hit me with but I actually went unconscious this time. By the time I came around the beast was dead, Stedd dealing the final blow...which he was quite proud about.
After secreting our VIP out of the tavern under an invisibility spell placed by Arkadius, Elaria took her away to a safehouse. But not before we learnt her name. Ainhoa.
This is my second time meeting Drows in Kantas Portia. They are a race I had wanted to see the back of.
But I’m intrigued.
Against my better judgment.
Yours Faithfully,
Theo
I’m not overly sure it would have been the type of heroic death to get the bards a’singing — but the old lady in question did turn out to be something known as an Oni. What’s an Oni you ask Portia? In happier times I would have guessed at a type of seafood. Unfortunately now however I am better informed, but I’ll get to that.
I was responding to what I assumed was going to be an easy enough opportunity to make some coin:
Simple security job at my concert tomorrow.
20gp and free drinks all night.
Ask Faye.
I made my way toward an establishment called The Red House, which I had avoided visiting up to this point due to the place giving off a general air of murder, crime, and unhygenic latrines.
It proved to be as bad as I had feared.
Sticky floors Portia.
I was joined by four others, only one of which I had crossed paths with before — a large, deep-red, brimstone-stenching, Tiefling male called Arkadius (he doesn’t tend to blend well into crowds).
Speaking of stenches, there was also a rough looking human gent who smelled primarily of fish named Stedd. Stedd was...unique. However Stedd would also prove to be tremendously useful, but again more on that later.
The last two were a couple of Bards who would end up being that evening’s entertainment. A wing adorned and unbelievably bubbly halfling woman named Sheryl and Faye, the Elvish author of the job advertisement.
After quick introductions were made we entered The Red House to meet our benefactor for the evening. The owner of the tavern was a tall Elvish woman called Elaria. She greeted Faye enthusiastically and informed us all that we would be doing a mixture of crowd bulstoring for Faye and Sheryl’s performance as well as some incognito security work. It turned out that Elaria wanted a private, undisturbed conversation with a VIP guest of hers.
The bards would serve as the distraction, the rest of us as an added level of security. Simple.
To say that this was something of a thin description of what was actually going to transpire would be an understatement. The evening was full of surprises.
The first surprise was that Elaria’s VIP guest was a Drow woman. Now I was raised on the nightmares of Drow Portia. They turn pain into art. They are evil, through and through. To see one walking around so brazenly above ground, even in as shady a pub as this, slightly wrong-footed me.
But we had already been employed and the Bards did quite a spectacular job at providing a distracting duet as Elaria and her guest vanished downstairs for their meeting.
Stedd, Arkadius and I nonchalantly made our way over to the downstairs entrance to stand guard. Or at least as nonchalantly as a 7 foot tiefling, a heavily patchy elf, and a man stinking of fish are capable of.
Here things got a bit bungled.
A goblin charged her way over to us and demanded to be let downstairs to speak with Elaria. Stedd pretended to drunkenly throw up. I tried to go down the stairs to disguise myself as Elaria in an effort to talk the goblin out of this endeavor but was spotted. I pretended to drunkenly throw up. Arkadius put up a good effort at blocking the door. No pretense at throwing up was made. To his credit.
Somewhere in this confused jumble of imagined puke the real Elaria stormed her way upstairs to talk with the goblin. From the odd caught word of their conversation it became apparent that this goblin, Cluq, was co-owner of this tavern with Elaria and not overly approving of this incognito meeting.
Then there was a scream.
It came from downstairs where Elaria’s guest presumably still waited. I suddenly heard Faye’s voice in my skull. Bard magic. ‘Get down there now!’
We burst through downstairs and it was here I met the old Lady. Standing over the Drow with weapon raised to strike. Arkadius and I unleashed our most violent examples of magic on the decrepit woman, who seemed to take it unsettlingly well. Before vanishing.
Stedd ran in and threw his pint. I believe this was in an effort to reveal the old woman but it didn’t quite hit its mark.
Our two Bards caught up with us just in time for the old lady to make her reappearance. Only this time in a slightly more threatening ensemble.
A huge, winged, blue-skinned and demonic creature. This Portia, was an Oni.
We fell into action. The Bards came in their own, displaying magics I had never seen before. Faye getting up close and personal with the creature and Sheryl healing and inspiring. Stedd went in swinging and ended up displaying quite the impressive prowess with a longsword whilst Arkadius and I provided ranged support with own magics.
I didn’t last long Portia, I’m not sure what that thing hit me with but I actually went unconscious this time. By the time I came around the beast was dead, Stedd dealing the final blow...which he was quite proud about.
After secreting our VIP out of the tavern under an invisibility spell placed by Arkadius, Elaria took her away to a safehouse. But not before we learnt her name. Ainhoa.
This is my second time meeting Drows in Kantas Portia. They are a race I had wanted to see the back of.
But I’m intrigued.
Against my better judgment.
Yours Faithfully,
Theo