Gnomes, Tomes & Catacombs: Episode 04

__NOTOC__
== Synopsis ==
In the evening, Midori, staying at Dusty's Tavern in Fen Den, is visited by a mysterious cloaked man claiming to serve the God Jexel, who informs her that Chad Barbo is mostly dead and can be revived if she completes a task. This task involves freeing servants imprisoned by a lord in Pernisis. After convincing her companions, Locke and Gerald Knott, to assist, the group meets Brad Barbo and decides to properly bury Chad. Following Chad's burial, Midori rejects Jexel, turning to the Goddess Martha, who demands Midori prove her worth. In Pernisis, the party learns about Lord Tavington Jr.'s abuses and takes justice into their own hands, killing him and his servant. Disguising Midori, they fabricate a story to mislead the town. Disillusioned by recent events, the party returns to Fen Den, where they meet Wyatt, who reveals a plot involving Major Tavington and other corrupt officials. The group commits to Wyatt's cause of justice. That night, Midori, stripped of her clerical powers by Martha, encounters the deity Voraci, who challenges her to prove herself as a killer, which Midori accepts.
==Recap==
===Day 21 (1510-08-31)===
It is evening. Midori is in her room at Dusty's Tavern in Fen Den when she hears a knock at her door. Coming in is a 5'5" man wearing a cloak. He tells Midori he is also a servant of the God Jexel, and has come to help Midori get her faith back. The stranger claims that Chad Barbo is only mostly dead thanks to Jexel.
To get Chad back, Midori must complete a task. 2 years ago in Pernisis, the lord of the town was having his 5th wedding when it was pranked. In response, he put all of his servants in jail. Midori is tasked with freeing them. The stranger leaves.
Midori wakes up Locke & Gerald Knott and tells them about her mission. They don't believe Midori and Locke says they'll talk about it over breakfast.
===Day 22 (1510-09-01)===
The party is having breakfast in the common room when Brad Barbo enters Dusty's Tavern and heads over to the party. Brad asks about Chad and is told his remains were left behind in the Hill Giant's cave. After Locke beats them both at arm wrestling, Brad and Midori convince Locke to come and give Chad a proper burial.
The party decide to leave after they have finished their long rest.
===Day 26 (1510-09-05)===
The party leave Fen Den. Gerald Knott sings a song along the way.
:I woke up this morning and asked myself,
:Is life worth living without Chad himself?
:He was our core, our party's soul,
:Now he's gone we're not whole.
:No one gave a damn about him, he was a zero,
:But now he is dead we sing like he's a hero.
:Is that right? Is that fair?
:His life was cut short without a care.
:By a dastard whose name I despise,
:I may wish for his timely demise.
:In times dire, we should all desire,
:A better place, where horses ever graze.
:For Chad Barbo strong, for him our hearts will long.
===Day 28 (1510-09-07)===
The party arrives back at the Hill Giant's cave. Locke & Gerald dig a grave outside as Midori & Brad go inside. Midori finds Chad's body hasn't decomposed at all.
Brad insists that Chad would like to be buried, so Chad is put into a grave and buried. The party say words over the grave. Midori puts her last bottle of alcohol and her necklace on the grave and walks away. 
Midori doesn't trust Jexel anymore and decides to follow the Goddess Martha instead. Midori prays to Martha and beseeches her. Martha allows the conversion, but Midori still has to prove herself.
The party head on to Pernisis to investigate Major Tavington.
===Day 35 (1510-09-14)===
The party arrives in Pernisis on foot, a lovely little seaside town. In the town square are some officers recruiting for the Drekissin army. They say Major Tavington is still at the front of the war, but his son, Lord Tavington Jr, is in town. 
The party waits at the Nisis, a tavern in town, and Lord Tavington Jr arrives. Locke wants to sign up for the army, but first wants to know of Knight Blackmare's status. Lord Tavington Jr will send a letter to his father to find out, but asks for Locke's last name. Locke reveals his last name is Bonelli, a noble family from Eridon. Brad pickpockets the young lord for 50 gold, which he hides under the floorboards in his inn room.
Lord Tavington Jr tries to ask Midori out for dinner and is rejected. The young lord, angry, marches away. While he is leaving, Locke secretly trips him over, causing Lord Tavington Jr to stumble.
Everyone heads back to the table. Brad offers to share the gold he stole, but no one wants any of it. Brad goes off to buy a nice rapier engraved with Chad's name on it.
That night at the Nisis, the party overhears a dock worker. The dock worker says at his wedding, Lord Tavington Jr came by and demanded the right of prima nocta. Prima nocta isn't the law in Drekis, but the young noble was armed and had power. The party decide to take the law into their own hands and punish Lord Tavington Jr for this act.
Lord Tavington Jr lives on his father's estate half a mile outside town. There is a garden wall with guard towers and guards in chain mail. The party think of a plan to lure out Lord Tavington Jr using Midori, but Midori will only support the plan if it doesn't involve violence. The rest of the party wait in ambush on the beach.
Midori goes inside the estate and waits inside a parlour. Lord Tavington Jr arrives a few minutes later in his smoking jacket. Midori invites Lord Tavington Jr for a walk on the beach and he accepts. He accompanies her to the beach along with his servant.
On the beach, the party jump Lord Tavington Jr and demand he tells them everything about his father. Gerald simultaneously casts sleep on the servant. Lord Tavington Jr resists for 10 seconds before revealing everything the party wants. Lord Tavington Jr says his father, Major Tavington, puts "undesirables" into positions where they will likely die so he can acquire their lands.
The party discusses at length what to do with Lord Tavington Jr, but they decide to let Brad kill the lord, as they take the unconscious servant away. Brad takes the signet ring from the dead Lord Tavington Jr, as well as his fingers and 1 ear.
As Brad leaves to steal a rowboat to dump the body in the sea, Locke and Midori set up a scene with the servant. After some time, Midori, alone, wakes up the servant with a panicked voice, saying that Lord Tavington Jr is drowning. The servant panics and tears off his clothes and swims in the water to search for Lord Tavington Jr but finds no sign. Locke and Gerald arrive at the scene pretending to be wandering bystanders and the servant rushes to them telling them to help him save Lord Tavington. After failing to find him, the servant decides to hurry back to report his lord's death. Locke fails to stop him. With no other choice, Gerald casts sleep on the servant again.
The servant gets tied up and is woken up again. The party give him the option of fleeing or being killed. The servant agrees, but Midori knows he is lying. As the party debates what to do, Gerald casts Toll the Dead on the servant, killing him.
Brad returns with a rowboat and they put the bodies in the boat. He rows out and dumps the bodies in the sea. The party decides to make it seem like bandits kidnapped Lord Tavington and that Midori barely escaped. To make her story more believable, the party decide to beat up Midori.
The injured Midori heads to the Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Rod is there and talks with her. She cries and says that many bandits arrived and kidnapped Lord Tavington Jr on the beach. Sheriff Rod orders the town on alert. Midori acts traumatised and keeps the story straight. Midori waits in the Sheriff station.
Everyone else is at the Tavern with alibis when a town guard comes in to form a posse to search for Lord Tavington Jr. The party doesn't join the search.
Brad takes the party to his room and shows the fingers and ears and thinks about pretending to ransom off Lord Tavington Jr to get his father, Major Tavington, to come back to town. Locke and Gerald think they should just leave, as they aren't going to be able to do anything about Major Tavington as the corruption seems deeper than one man.
===Day 36 (1510-09-15)===
Midori is escorted from the Sheriff Office back to the tavern. She tells the party that she has an escort outside and that she is disillusioned by her new god, Martha. Gerald uses a Silent Image spell on Midori to disguise her. The party then leaves town.
At the end of the day the party rests in a small quaint little village, population 200. The party rest for the night.
===Day 40 (1510-09-19)===
A group of men in chain mail are asleep under a tree. Gerald notices the men aren't asleep but resting. The party leave them alone and continue on.
===Day 42 (1510-09-21: day after new moon)===
The party return to Fen Den and go to the Blackmare Estate. The servant reveals that Lady Blackmare was murdered while the party was away. The culprit was a short escaped convict, See Lin. Also Lady Blackmare's son died in a riding accident a week ago, leaving the future of the Blackmare lands unknown. Midori pays her respects and then leaves.
The party meets up. They are all disillusioned over the events of the past few weeks. The party ambles back to Dusty's Tavern to find a new quest unenthusiastically. Wyatt comes over to their table.
Wyatt talks about justice and asks if the party is still interested in the cause of justice, specifically justice to those above the law. He tells the party that the Blackmare estate will be inherited by Major Tavington. Wyatt takes the party to someplace private.
They head downstairs under the Tavern. Wyatt reveals Major Tavington isn't the only corrupt official out there. Talking such things is treason, but these corrupt men must be stopped. Brad reveals the fingers, ear, and ring from Lord Tavington Jr. Wyatt approves, saying there must be a higher power at work to put them all in this position to work together.
The party are in and join Wyatt's cause.
Wyatt tells them of a wagon shipment heading to the frontlines; it is going to pass though Fen Den in 4 to 6 days time. The shipment will have a ledger in it, listing inherited lands and titles. With that ledger, they can find out who Major Tavington's next target is. However, the wagon is going to be guarded by 6 soldiers, including a Lieutenant. The Lieutenant is a magic user.
That night Midori is alone outside, looking up at the stars. She prays to Martha asking why all this death is around her. Midori feels sorrow flow over her heart; her god mourns the dead and the suffering. Midori feels Martha is useless since people are still dying. She feels anger from Martha, who condemns Midori for joining this murder squad and strips Midori of her clerical powers.
Midori rages against the heavens when at one instance she feels a presence. She feels silky warm. A pleasant voice talks to Midori.
:"Isn't death abundant? There is no escaping it." says Voraci.
Midori agrees with Voraci's words.
:"Would you like to help? Help bring about the end of those who have been here too long? Whose time is up, whose ways are over, who need to be brought down." asks Voraci.
Midori agrees wholeheartedly.
:"Prove it to me. Prove to me you have the heart of a killer." says Voraci.
Midori says if Voraci watches, she will prove herself.
:"Thank you, my child." says Voraci.
Category:Gnomes, Tomes & Catacombs Episodes