Living Expenses

**"Living Expenses" (1x07)** is the seventh session of the first chapter of A War On All Sides. The group begins a new life as owners of a keep, but are met with some unexpected twists and turns along the way.

## **Synopsis**

The morning started off as most do in an inn; Freynor arose early and was eager to get a large breakfast. Ivantar rose to see what the goings on were. Ronwe sat and mulled over notes privately in his room. Crawmi pretended to sleep so that he could earn a few more precious Freynor-less moments. The peace did not last, however, as the group was quickly drawn to action as a drunk and belligerent ogre started to cause trouble at the bar counter of The Dancing Flame. The ogre angrily attempted to fight the barkeeper for mocking his appearance. The group was able to calm him down, however Freynor sat a gold coin on the counter to pay for his breakfast, and the ogre stole it. This led to a brawl that left the ogre and his gnoll ally beaten and bruised.

After a few relaxing moments, some Silver Hand guards entered the inn, looking for a meal. After asking some questions, the party were informed that Silvertide was sending a battalion to shore up defenses along their southern borders, as the nation of Ratin began aggressive advances northward. Half of the group went to see Murat to acquire some goods, culminating in Freynor finally buying a staff. The others went to seek Alvar and meet his merry crew whom he picked as his guards and assistants to join him at Freynor Keep. The party was overall pleased with Alvar's choices. They met a human guard named Rolph, a bugbear guard named Mort, a gnomish chef named Miksin Lolio, and a dwarven security specialist named Eomar Lodswaddle. They happily turned away Bryant Westin, a human animal specialist. Alvar also brought along his companion, Evania, who was more than happy to leave her job at The Thin Curtain for a chance at a newer more lavish life in a keep. And Griff came along too, still in the body of PATSY.

With their help established, the party set forth towards their new home. Along the way, they were stalked by a raving lunatic that only Freynor was able to notice. The madman quickly attacked, leaving the party battered and wounded with his unnatural speed and abilities. After a skirmish, the party downed the foe, with Ivantar piercing his chest. Ronwe, intrigued by his healing capabilities, took the man upon his horse. After a few minutes, the body sprang to life again, dealing near fatal damage to Ronwe in the process. The party dispatched him again, and this time Ivantar lopped off his head for good measure. Upon inspecting the body, Crawmi did not notice anything significant, however the body's odd nature did remind him of their previous encounter with Laramore Degal at their keep, but this specimen was clearly less physically altered than the former.

After the roadblock, the party made their way to the keep. They setup their rooms, and Ronwe capped the evening by raising the dead body of one of Laramore's former guards. It did not behave as perfectly as he planned, so he sent it careening out of his second story window just as Crawmi came to check on him. In the morning, the crew enjoyed a nice breakfast prepared by Miksin Lolio. A loud thud was then heard from the foyer, with the group eventually determining it was coming from beneath the ornate statue in the center of the room. The group found a secret button which caused the statue to turn, revealing a staircase leading to a cellar. A swarm of demonic foes rushed out, and the party dispatched of them quickly with the help of their newly hired guard. Seeing a new area of their keep they hadn't seen before, the party was both unnerved and excited. With bellies full, the party set forth into the darkness to see what sorts of new and fun surprises their keep held.

## **Featured Characters**

### **Player Characters**

* Ivantar
* Ronwe
* Freynor
* Crawmi

### **New**

* Mort
* Miksin Lolio
* Eomar Lodswaddle
* Rolph
* Evania

### **Returning**

* Alvar Dornik
* Griff / PATSY
* Tyrael Mynteres

## **Inventory**

* Ronwe put a 10g down payment on a Ring of Mind Shielding with Murat.