Session Seven - April 12, 2003

Wherein the ongoing story of the FtF campaign may be found ...

Session Seven - April 12, 2003

Postby Matt » Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:50 pm

The Velvet Glove

Names of Note:

Lord Morgan – known also as Lodros or “Your Grace”. Suspect that he is Arren I, King of Tharda (rumored to have been killed in single combat several years ago).

Merin Sheld – Deryni follower of Morgan. A dangerous blonde.

Aenghysa – not a person but a Jarin rebellion against the Ivinian masters of Orbaal.

Polgar Desmond – Poet in the service of Lord Morgan.

Mikel of Giesa – head of the Aenghysa movement with Lord Morgan, ruthless to Jarin he feels have betrayed the whole.

Kavin of Berry – an associate of Mikel.

Elena – another Deryni follower of Lord Morgan (unsure of hair color but is very dangerous).

Peonu 30-Kelen 1, 730

The group is involved in a discussion of who Lord Morgan is and what should be told to whom (should we warn people of impending doom or let them just fall to it?). Bevan is against warning anyone of what is going on. We also discuss whether or not Lord Morgan can really be Arren I of Tharda. We are unable to come to a definitive conclusion but we do decide that, if it is him, this would be an opportunity that death allows, no one can watch his actions. The group decides to split up, Imarë and Ardeth will pump the Jarin mayor of Lorkin for information about who might be behind the attacks and Sir Arlen, Bevan and the others will go on to Shese to see what is going on there (as this would be the next logical target). The party was captured at the end of our prior meeting by sailing right up to the attacking force and they are still under Lord Morgan’s control. Later this evening, Imarë and Ardeth are duped into going to Shese also and are captured by Morgan’s minions and placed with the others. We are given time to stew about our predicament and are finally brought to Lord Morgan’s presence at 4:00 am.

He has taken as a command center a building in the middle of the village. He has brought items to make it more comfortable for himself in the middle of the siege. He is dressed in a black silk doublet (which covers leather armor) which is embroidered. He also wears a silver chain around his neck with a white rose pendant (we remember that the white rose is part of the arms of Tharda, adding possible fodder for the Arren argument). We also note that he has gray eyes. Ardeth identifies him as the man who came to Theron Pallisers house and is the father of Bevan’s daughter. He identifies himself to us as Lord Morgan and announces that he is known to the Jarin as Lodros. We are told to refer to his as this or as “Your Grace”. He then is recruiting us for his plans against the Orbaalese. When Sir Arlen begins to talk about working for the King of Tharda, Morgan announces that “if you follow the King (Arren II), you follow me. Lord Morgan then asks if we are willing to help him take Shese keep and then Lorkin. The option is given to accept or reject, but we do not like the concept of refusal (all that we have heard is that is not averse to slaughtering anything he considers in his way, real or imagined).

Lord Morgan has decided that the best way to take Shese is by a simultaneous attack from the front and the rear. He has siege equipment for the attack on the front and he assigns the attack from the back to us. We consider this to be a loyalty/fighting aptitude test. We are told that only five or six men remain inside to defend it. The keep is four stories tall and a tower projection should give us the ability to climb to the roof from the water.

We go over on a raft with rope. Imarë is chosen to go first because she is the best at climbing. After her will go the others with the help of the rope. She does attain the roof finally, slipping twice (once into the water). She is sighted by one of the men on the roof and Bevan shoots him in the head with an arrow. He does not appear to have sounded the general alarm. Arlen makes a spectacular throw with a rope and grappling hook and starts to the top before Imarë reaches the roof.

As we reach the top, we start the attack (Sir Arlen, Imarë , and Dascomb, backed up by Bevan with arrows from the tower. Ardeth is unable to make it to the roof and gives up after a spectacular fall from 30 feet (which we rate as a 9.8). In the melee, Sir Arlen subdues the man we think is the Lord of the keep, Imarë stabs her foe five or six times (including a bad cut on the hand and a nice stab to the thorax) and Bevan killed the target from our climb. Dascomb receives major injuries but is not killed. The frontal attack from the siege engines is successful with our diversion and the final three men surrender. They and the son of the Lord (the one we thought was the Lord) are killed immediately. The Lord of the keep soon joins them (it is a general bloodbath). Lord Morgan’s men, being armed and armored like a Thardic Legion are unhurt. We are invited to lunch with Lord Morgan.

At 2:00 we go to lunch in the keep with Lord Morgan, his followers (including Merin Sheld and the Poet), and the Aenghysa representatives. They seem to be the one’s responsible for the body count at the other keep taken. They approach the fight against the Ivinians with a religious fervor. After dinner, we spend the night in the keep.

Kelen 2, 730

We are to head to Lorkin in the morning. Seeming to have passed the loyalty/ability test, we are to have a fighting 101 test. Morgan does not wish to waste men and time on Lorkin with a siege (it is much bigger and better defended than Shese). We (the party) are asked to come up with an alternative to siege. We decide on diversion and subterfuge. Some of the party will set the Temple of Sarajin on fire while the rest sneak into the castle during the confusion. Morgan seems to really appreciate the arson of the temple. It is decided that Ardeth will lead the arson team (I believe with Bevan, but I did not note it) while Sir Arlen, Imarë go with Lord Morgan and Merin Sheld to the castle to take it. The rest of the troops, under Elena, will attack the gates of the town away from the Temple of Sarajin. We get to a side gate of the castle which Morgan opens with mental power (note to self: don’t mess with this man). We are able to work our way into the innermost part of the castle with minimal trouble. We kill the Lord of Lorkin and many of his huscarls. Of those taken prisoner, all males are executed of whatever age (baby to old person). Sir Arlen, speaking with Lord Morgan, is able to have the women spared but utterly fails on the male children, Morgan sees it as too much of a threat, boys will grow up to want revenge.

This is where we left the action, just having seized one of the most defensible castles in all of Orbaal with no loss of life amongst ourselves. Now we have to face what is next … will Lord Morgan want to keep us near him? Send us on other missions for him? Want us to continue or mission for the King (Arren II) to scout the area and what the Jarin are capable of? What should we tell if we do go on for the King about Lord Morgan, does he know who he is and what he is doing? We shall find out.
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Matt
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