Mother’s Love Part 1

## Story

Seline  and Talia get their mail and get a train to Bluepeak. They get the horses checked into a stable car and get their estate set up in that train car somewhere. In the letter from Ernest, he is surprised that she was able to locate such an artifact and goes on to explain pacts. He offers to examine Death's Whisper when they are next in Airpike. Nikki is also interested in what's going on but she isn't surprised. She begrudgingly recommends Ernest for more information. She's had a breakthrough in her work and would like Seline and Talia to stop by when they're in Airpike. There's also a letter from Jareth...

> Hi Mom, Hi Tal, thanks so much for the cool raven skull. Master Talden says it should works great as an arcane focus. I started classes and some are exciting, some aren't so much. Master Talden is teaching arcane basics and I'm really enjoying those. Al tried to take them last year but he couldn't wrap his head around the equations for the spells. Which I find funny and kind of poke fun at him for cuz he's so good with other numbers. You said you got a new house, is it here in Bluepeak? Mom will be happy to know that I have not gotten  caught getting in trouble, I have not gotten into trouble for anything, and even if I had got into trouble with something I would not write about it here. Hope to see you soon. Al says hi, love Jareth.
>
> Jareth Grey, in a letter to Seline Argent and Talia Grey

From the train, they ride through a chunk of the night to the Waypoint and then get up early in the morning to ride to Bluepeak. From there they make a beeline to the Constable's office. At Chief Constable Margie Thatcher's office, she greets them but says quizzically, I haven't even put out the posters yet for missing persons. When Seline asks about the Greshan Estates, Thatcher says they're halfway up the mountain. Seline and Talia bring Chief Thatcher up to speed on her impending zombie problem. They race up the mountain to reach the Greshan estate. Before entering the property though however, they house their horses and Cortez inside their estate before sharing a good luck kiss. Coming out of the trees they see an overgrown fountain a couple of old estates that have moldered too rotted woodwork and cracked foundations. Only one familiar house amongst these is in good condition and it's ahead of them. Visually it is similar to Victoria's private estate but slightly smaller lacking the third story and does have a greenhouse on the back. Seline blows the doors open with Thaumaturgy. As they start through the door shouting for Victoria, a metal hand tipped with claws slashes Seline's face and grabs her by the neck raising her up off the ground.  A woman whose arms have been replaced with metal arms with clawed hands (similar to the one that sheriff had in Jaldin) is holding Seline in the air. Before Talia can turn and shoot the woman above the door, a halfling bursts through the door beside them. It has a generator also similar to the sheriff's with cables going down to metal gloved hands. It shouts and agony "Please kill me" before hitting Talia with an arc of electricity. Talia shoots the zombie strangling Seline twice but it manages to maintain its grip. Seline slips out of the zombie's grip before her spiritual weapon (an Iron Maiden) appears and slams closed on the zombie. It mists and then reforms behind her. It climbs up the wall and then drops down before rushing Seline. Its first strike misses but it's follow-up strike claws Seline. The halfling is still hollering "please it hurts" while it maintains it's arc of electricity on Talia. Black smoke of Talia’s hex surrounds the halfling before Talia activates her personal shield. Seline downs potion of lightning resistance while her iron maiden chomps the clawed zombie. With her claws, the zombie slashes Seline two more times. The halfling moves while maintaining the constant electricity flow to Talia. After moving hex to the clawed zombie, Talia blasts it twice. With its claws the zombie continues to hack at Seline. With tears streaming down her cheeks and force of her will, the halfling stops the flow of electricity to Talia. She drives her hand into the floor has another surge electricity jolts down her arm into it. While the halfling is crouched down, wires can be seen attached the back of her skull to the contraption on her back. Talia misses with Death's Whisper and Retribution jams. Seline downs another healing potion before her Iron Maiden clamps down on the clawed zombie. The holes left behind by the Iron Maiden strikes run freely with the blood oil before the zombie coughs up some of the blood oil. It's clawed strikes misses Seline completely and Seline contemptuously bats the other away with her Shield. The halfling's lightning burns Talia again but also recharges her Shield not unlike another armored Avenger. A quickly unjammed Retribution along with Death's Whisper shoot the clawed zombie in the chest and head. It sprays blood oil as it falls. Seline shouts at the halfling  "Where is she?" The halfling sobs, "she's upstairs." "How many are there?" The halfling responds, "3." The Iron Maiden creeps up on the halfling. The greenhouse stores first open a man stumbling out covered in blisters and charred skin. A tank of the blood oils attached to his back and two hoses are attached to his arms that end in bright blue flames. He screams wordless guttural screams as he lets out twin gouts of fire at our dodging adventurers. The halflings arcing electricity stops, puts her hands on her head falling to her knees crying, "Kill me, kill me, it hurts, it hurts." Talia misses with Retribution but hits a halfling with Death's Whisper. Toll the dead is not affecting the halfling. Flamethrower zombie spews fire at them again while the halfling continues to cry on the floor. Talia is able to shoot the halfling . Flamethrower zombie wasn't affected by sacred flame but gets chomped by the Iron Maiden. Flamethrower zombie hit Talia with a Firebolt. The halflings head snapped back up and although tears are streaming from her eyes they look glazed over. She reaches for Talia but Talia slaps her hand away with her gun. Talia puts two quick shots through her torso. Seline's spectral Spirit Guardians appear and return the halfling to her rest. While her Iron Maiden chews on the flamethrower zombie some more. His attack misses. Talia reloads Death's Whisper. She hit the flamethrower zombie with Punishment after she swaps it with Retribution. Seline's Sacred Flame coffin spikes pepper the flamethrower zombie. A Spirit Guardian ignites the blood oil trickling from the wounds left from Sacred Flame. While the zombie and his contraption become a pile of a ashes on the floor, heavy boots tread down the stairs. Descending the stairs, with brownish-greenish tinged skin and two tusks is a 7ft tall person who appears to have received all of Victoria's modifications so far. Although she focused on generators and hoses to augment his strength.

## Characters

### Players

* Seline Argent
* Talia Grey