Solo Missions Are a Privilege

==Season Fourteen, Episode Two==
Preceded By: Season Fourteen, Season Premiere: Boys Blowin' Up Our Phones
Followed By: Season Fourteen, Episode Three: Domo Arigato Mister Roboto
Introducing: Galland the Lucky, Mr. R
==Summary==
: The party needs to get moving. Everyone doubts that Hannibal's ruse successfully diverted the strange white-robed men, and it's best if no one knows where they are or where they're headed. But before the party can move on, they need more information.
: Icania asks Ashra if she wants him to call Grax. She explains that while she thinks she and Grax share goals, she's sure that he won't work with her. Icania thinks that some future version of Ashra offended some past version of Grax and Xoth, and that's why they hate her. This makes sense with what is contained in the letter Ashra received after the Awakening, which she shows him.
: Ashra thinks that the Gloriosas will use the stolen Baetyl to control the movement of the moon. She also notes that Xenteroth chose the Ruins of Eldergrin as his base from which to oppose their goals, and that their family was founded by a man named Franko marrying a woman named Zabrain, neither of which sound etymologically related to the name "Gloriosa". She suspects that they are in fact related to the Harmonians, and that they took their name from Ravinia Glorios.
: Ashra uses the viewing pool one more time to meditate on Ravinia. She sees an image of a giant stone ziggurat glowing with a strange purple flame. She gets a very bad feeling about it. It looks like the same castle the party just sold a small statue of. She has never seen it in her history research, but she suspects Heckle may have mentioned it in his works.
: Rostan meditates on the men in white cloaks. He sees a demon warrior, glowing as though it had lava in its veins. The party studies the image together and identifies the creature as a Nesferati Elite. They make up the special forces of the armies of the abyss. They fight dirty, and whichever party has the element of surprise will probably win the fight. Their nastiest ability is a Death Pact, which links their soul to that of their enemy. When one dies, the other will immediately die as well. They are sometimes sent to blend in with locals for reconnaissance missions, using magic to disguise themselves. They like making deals, but aren't usually worth binding. Their social status within demonic society is slightly higher than their power level would imply.
: Icania thinks he can make a modified Magic Circle against Evil which would serve as a decent trap. He sets about designing one, written in Dwarven, which will activate when stepped on and still bind the demon within even if some part of the words are destroyed. He suggests that Rostan go into town to lure the demons back to the circle. 
: Icania and Rostan are the only available party members who weren't in the fight with Orcas, as Tamiko is currently engaged in a battle with a giant crab somewhere offscreen. Icania needs to work on the circle. Rostan is an assassin, just like Claire was, so he should be good at this. Ashra and Leilah agree to sending Rostan to lure the demons back.
: Leilah asks her mother where would be the safest place to lure the demons. Anahita suggests an isolated grove nearby. It is far enough away that battle will not harm the falls, though there is a spring of very pure water which she wants protected. The rest of the party gathers at this grove. Ashra and Leilah plan what spells to cast before the demons arrive, and Rostan heads off towards town.
: Rostan disguises himself to look like an incompetent assassin before he arrives. He wants to appear to be one of the mooks of the white-robed men, then report to their leader.
: He finds Benin Falls a quiet place. A djinni notices him, gives him an odd look, then leaves. There are several pubs in town. The adventurer's bar is The Dry Casket, and the dwarf bar is Rock Rock Rock.
: Rostan looks around, trying to get information on the white robed men. He hears that there is a group of men with scary magical swords, about five or six of them. He tries to thank the random peasant who offered this information, but accidentally offends him instead. Rostan settles for handing the man a coin, then goes into the Rock Rock Rock.
: Most people are asleep due to the extreme heat, but since the bar is shady a few are drinking. An odd looking human man sizes up Rostan from the corner. He appears suspicious of him for reasons unknown.
: The fat halfling bartender greets Rostan. He asks for something good, and is brought a mug of warm spring water. It's delicious. He pays for the water and reserves a room for the night. He then goes over to talk to the man who keeps staring at him.
: He asks about the men he's looking for and learns that they are Quick Blades of Cuthbert. Their party came through chasing a bounty. They're staying in the room next to his. Rostan admits he's trying to keep them from killing his friends.
: A human man walks into the bar. He is tanned, with brown hair and green eyes. He looks to be from further north. He orders a room and a pale ale.
: Rostan enlists the help of the man he's talking to to go up the stairs and look for the Quick Blades. The two sneak up and look at the door, where they see a strange brand. When they get a ways up the stairs, there is a sudden roll of thunder. They recognize this as a modified alarm spell.
: Meanwhile downstairs, the man who's been watching Rostan draws a pistol. The bartender pulls a crossbow out from under the bar, and the two have a quiet standoff, then give up and put their weapons away.
: Rostan runs downstairs. The man with him says he's been following these swift blades, and they may be swift blades but they're definitely not of Cuthbert. The bartender confronts Rostan about the noise and he says he's not the most dangerous person there by far. The bartender misunderstands this and kicks out the man with the pistol; only after he's gone does Rostan correct him.
: Meanwhile in the grove, the party works out a buff routine while Icania perfects his magic circle. They are concerned at how long it's taking Rostan, but realize they have no efficient way to contact him. They begin to consider that while he is "an assassin", maybe his skillset differs from Claire's more than they thought.
: Back at the bar, the man who was kicked out decides to find out for himself who's in that room. He uses his spider climb slippers to climb up the back of the building and peek in the window. He sees two men with small horns casting a spell together, and quickly hides himself.
: Rostan realizes that he is probably Not The Man For This Job, and he offers the man who went up the stairs with him some money to go lead the swift blades into a trap. The man introduces himself as Galland the Lucky and agrees to the job.
: Galland gets halfway up the stairs before there's another thundercrack. He reaches the door this time, which is oddly scratched with a design that looks like the inside of the brand of Furcas. He uses Ghost Sound to knock on the door, and gets a sense of forboding. The door opens and he is greeted by a handsome man in clerical robes, who asks if he can help him. He offers to trade information for money, and the man notes that he's been following him. Galland says he knows the people the man is searching for; the man replies that he's not looking for people.
: Galland offers Rostan's description of the party as including a "squid and mechanical guy"; the man becomes interested. He agrees to pay 50 asse to be led to the party.
: The party finally notices people coming. Rostan returns first. Ashra asks him what took him so long; he starts to mouth off to her, and she yells at him, then asks for a full explanation. He gives the full explanation of what has happened, including the men he met at the bar, and the party gets into position to ambush the demons.
: The next person to enter the grove is the man Rostan got kicked out of the bar, who has followed him home. This man introduces himself as Reon Volpe (it later turns out this is a false name) and agrees to fight the enemies. Galland follows soon after, and agrees to fight as well, arranging a small transaction with Leilah in lieu of the payment he was previously offered.
: The enemies finally arrive. As suspected, they are demons. The party hides in the brush except for Icania, who sits behind his magic circle with a fake magic candle. He tells them to come get it, and one of them knocks it over magically, then ignores him. The demons catch a glimpse of Cicero, shout "There's one!", and attack him. Cicero fights back but is taking some hits. Ashra hits one of them with one of her powers, then retreats with Dimension Door. They seem interested in her as well. Icania keeps trying to lure them towards him; when this fails, he jumps over the sign and starts trying to tank hits.
: The demons only seem interested in the party members who fought Orcas; they ignore Rostan and Reon's attempts to hit them, but they also attack Leilah when she moves out to support Cicero. Cicero Dimension Doors to safety and finds himself with Ashra and Galland behind the magic circle. She has them hold hands, regains her focus, then teleports the three into the battle, with herself next to the biggest demon.
: This demon sees Ashra, strikes her with several unusually lucky blows, and she disappears. Leilah recognizes her new contingent planeshift spell, which saved her from death.
: Icania grabs one of the demons and flings it into the circle. The runes do not become adamantine, and some of them are obliterated, but the demon is held in place. It Dimension Doors away, as does the other. Icania throws a Negative Energy Ball at a quadrant of the map, destroying many of the trees. He finds one of the demons, and the party charges it and kills it.
: Ashra reappears, quickly reclaims her possessions, and traces the teleports. The other demon teleported northwest towards the river. The party is unlikely to catch him now.
: The party regroups. Ashra greets Galland and Reon, then offers each of them employment with the party. Reon agrees not to steal the party's shiny things in exchange for being shown the enemy's shinier things. Both agree to join the party.
: They return to Benin Falls, where Tamiko has finally finished her battle with a giant lobster. She sits over it with a giant cracker and a tiny fork, welcoming them back.
Category:Episodes
Category:Season Fourteen Episodes