Deli Of The Beast

an adventure starring Barten, Graveyard, and Pamela.

## Setting

Applewood Corner Deli, Niqamui

Tend to your flocks #Shepherds. Something foul is afoot and Graveyard Shift, Pamela and Barten IV must find its source. New friends and old rivals await in The Deli of the Beast. #Shepherds #FirebreathingKittens #deliofthebeast

## Non Player Characters

* Nusi
* Rodolfo
* Snowy the rat
* Boban Martinus
* Dean Paltrinieri (was the delivery guy)
* Swansea Wales
* Ismelda Hat-a-Way (pretending to be her older sister Velda - her true identity was discovered when she was taken into custody)
* Slushy the rat
* Chico Rendicaria

## Plot Summary

This particular Thursday started off as any other day, Barten, “Pamela Lee”, and Graveyard Shift were wiling away the hours in the FBK Guildhall when a spot of white caught the eye of the - relatively-speaking - Barten. Upon further inspection, Barten saw that this white thing was in fact a rat that was taken off the street by the bartender Nusi. Graveyard Shift also spies the endearing little fellow from across the hall and decides to join Barten in meeting this furry friend.

This rat seems uniquely intelligent, and being the inquisitive mind that she is, Pamela investigates this rodent to see if there is anything unnatural about the creature. It is found that the rat who by now has cultivated the nickname “Snowy” is definitively magic. After some attempts to determine what kind of magic or spell would be on Snowy, Graveyard Shift attempts to appeal to Snowy’s intelligence and possible conscience by asking him outright if he can speak to them.

Surprisingly, this is successful and Snowy greets the party and tells them that he is on an assignment to get on a cart to Applewood Corner for their master, Velda. With the mention of this name, Snowy realizes that he may have said too much and grows quiet. The party resolves to investigate this location to see if they could find anything further.

An hour of a rat’s life later, the party arrives at Applewood Corner and it appears to be a vast, covered market with vendors selling all manner of foodstuffs. An acquaintance of Pam, a Mr. Boban Martinus attends the party at the deli section. Pam introduces Graveyard Shift and Barten as “Fido” and “George” respectively.

After some questioning, it seems that Boban knows something about the book stall nearby. Without prompting, Boban offers to fetch Pam her “Thursday Special”. While he is indisposed, the party makes the brilliant idea to split up. Pam opts to investigate the back of the market using her stealth and cunning to her advantage while Graveyard Shift and Barten decide to check out the aforementioned beef stall. Having two non-eating, non-organic lifeforms investigate beef at a food market seemed like the right play at the time.

Utilizing the heightened intelligence of Snowy, Graveyard Shift and Barten figure out that only the beef from a seller called “Lavache” was eliciting a response from Snowy. Landing on the conclusion that they may need to investigate this supplier further, Graveyard Shift and Barten return to question Boban. Erstwhile, Pam discovers where and how the food is shipped in and out of the market.

Graveyard Shift presses Boban for further information by pouring his heart out and it is revealed that the supplier comes this very evening. Pam suggests that it would be best to wait until the wagon arrives and follow or stowaway. In the meantime it’s time for a shopping montage. After some levity in a pet store, the party share some deep truths about themselves (listen to the episode if you want to know more) and the party forge deeper bonds of friendship.

It is Thursday evening and the party sees the cart they need to stowaway on. Remarkably, the least stealthy of the three (Graveyard Shift) does not foil this endeavour and they all sneak onto the cart successfully. While looking around the cart, another rat is found in a cage, this one is also white with brown marks on it, which earns them the name “Slushy”. Slushy cannot talk and shows no signs of heightened intelligence, but is cute nonetheless.

The cart eventually reaches the end of its journey at a farm. With some difficulty on the part of Graveyard Shift (hitting the ground with a resounding clunk), the party hides under the cart to stakeout the location. About an hour later, a familiar face exits the barn; it is non other than the one-sided nemesis of Graveyard Shift, Swansea Wales.

When the coast seems clear, our heroes decide to move locations to a nearby shed. Once again the large metal body of Graveyard Shift betrays the party and the ne’er-do-wells are alerted. While the ruffians investigate, Pam is able to identify where the “beef” from Lavache Farms is coming from. A grizzly site indeed; animal skeletons of all kinds, including that of minotaurs and other sentient life are piled together beside the barn.

Appalled by what is described to him and as an effort to draw attention away from his friends, Graveyard Shift reveals himself to Swansea and puts forth a challenge. The two will fight one on one. The fight seems to be in Swansea’s favour before Barten joins in the fray to save his friend. Pam capitalizes on this distraction by sending Snowy with a note tied to his back to bring authorities as backup. Pam is also able to break into the barn and check for any survivors. Barten is also able to dispatch an orc mage and identify a wagon fleeing the barn driven by the one and only Chico Rendicara.

After the dust has settled, the party has two captives, Swansea and an orcish mage by the name of Velda. It is then revealed that Velda is responsible for Snowy’s intelligence as he was her familiar. Freed from Velda, the party decides to adopt Snowy and Slushy into the FBK. Some interrogation reveals that this was an operation to take off-cuts of any and all creatures resembling beef and selling them as premium stock; a scheme befitting those of moral ineptitude such as Swansea and Chico.

And once again, the FBK have solved another mystery and return to the Guildhall with more friends than when they left with.