Session 73

## And Now...

While attending an exclusive meeting of highly-placed and powered individuals within the Barony our heroes discover the corpse of a guard, dead at the hands of an assassin. While searching for the assassin, Rast has discovered that it is none other than Lady Jayne Pryor, once an agent of the Innominate who has sworn a fanatical oath of vengeance against them. Attempts to talk her down have failed and it begins to look like erupting into violence...

### A Clash in the Kitchen.

Sensing imminent violence, Leo hustles the cook out into a nearby corridor, allowing Bug and Rast the opportunity to act freely. Before they can, alas, Lady Jayne seizes the advantage, hurling a heavy frypan at Rast and leaping the central counter to lunge at him with a large meat-cleaver. He manages to avoid the worst of it, taking a glancing blow to the neck, while casting 'Chains of Sin'. Eldritch chains appear, but the spell goes awry and, rather than simply targeting Jayne, a multitude of chains lash forward entrapping everyone within the room and the corridor immediately outside.

Hugh (still in his disguise as 'Lady Evelyn Wainwright'), who has remained upstairs, hears the commotion and remains behind to ensure that nobody else in the main hall does likewise. He takes up a position near the exit and rigs a nearby curtain so that it will be able to be dropped over anyone who enters or attempts to leave, should either become necessary.

Meanwhile, below, Leo attempts to lob a small bag of flour, hoping to blind Jayne. This is an abject failure and merely succeeds in sending a number of pots and pans clattering to the ground. Above, Hugh hears this, and readies his makeshift trap, but fortunately the music in the main hall covers the commotion.

Jayne attempts another attack on Rast, but once again, his steadfast vitality reduces what could have been a savage injury into a minor wound. Taking advantage of the distraction, Bug hurls a concoction into a nearby bubbling stewpot which releases a choking cloud of noxious steam. Bug and Rast are able to cover their exposed skin in time, but Leo, in ensuring the cook's safety, is badly scalded, with his skin breaking out in scaly red blisters and much of his hair falling out. Lady Jayne sustains some minor scalding, but manages to evade the worst of it.

### The Party's Over.

The noise from below finally penetrates into the upstairs room, however, before anyone can make their way to investigate, Hugh manages to surreptitiously lock the main door and pocket the key. Several guards head over to investigate the noise, but are unable to open the door. There follows a series of short-tempered bellowing as the guards try and locate a guest with a key. Hugh, having heard talk of poison gas, chooses not to offer assistance to the guards.

### The Better Part of Valour.

Sensing the battle going against her, Jayne attempts to flee, ducking out the back entrance of the kitchen into a store room. Rast pursues while Bug tends to Leo's burns. Entering the storeroom, Rast sees Jayne attempting to use a large, dumbwaiter-like arrangement with two big double-doors in the ceiling. He re-casts 'Chains of Sin', and this time, the spell goes off without a hitch, entangling Jayne in mystical chains of force.

Meanwhile, back in the hallway, Leo and Bug attempt to talk down the cook, who's on the edge of hysteria. Eventually, their words appear to sink in, though the cook still seems to be in shock. Investigating the kitchen, they see that the gas has evaporated. The cook begins to tidy up in an almost mechanical fashion, and Leo assists her, still trying to keep her calm. Bug mixes a calming potion which the cook drinks and, after a brief moment, resumes restoring the kitchen to a semblance of order.

### After the Ruckus.

With Jayne restrained, Rast continues trying to convince her that she should join us instead of working alone and against us. While we may not share her fanatical zeal and willingness to sacrifice anything to achieve her objectives, our objectives are the same. Hearing the guards upstairs begin battering on the doors, Bug, Leo, Rast and Jayne agree that it would be better to continue these discussions elsewhere.

Leo receives a message from Hugh who explains that he will remain behind in disguise and see if he can gather any information from watching the fallout and observing the various comings and goings, who talks to whom, who leaves with whom, etc... Leo passes the message onto everyone else, and they decide to retreat back to the country house.

### Negotiations Commence.

Back at the farmhouse, a tentative peace has been achieved. Jayne reveals that she hasn't swallowed one of the beetles used by the Dark Brotherhood. She tells the group that most of her work for the Innominate kept her far from Pelgate and she therefore doesn't know any agents stationed within the Barony. She can, however, give the names of various trainers, messengers and assassins, as well as information on the structure of operations within Lorimor. This will be helpful in tracing the influence of the Innominate beyond the Barony's boundaries.

Having given what information she's willing to offer, she questions our heroes, chiefly on their goals, motivations and activities so far against the Innominate. She seems very interested in our heroes' motivations for doing what they are doing. The answers to these questions appear to satisfy her curiosity and a tentative alliance would seem to have been agreed upon.

Rast questions Jayne about her actions at the recent Conclave. She considers them "a poor judgment call". She informs the group that her directions were to murder a number of Barons. Baroness Viola gave the specific instructions to Lady Jayne, which were to eliminate several Barons should the Usurper fail to be appointed Ruler of Allerfeldt. At this point, Jayne is offered a selection of Hugh's clothes to change into.

### A Sting in the Tale.

Rast and Leo have work to do back in town, and Bug reassures them that they'll be fine to remain with Lady Pryor. The two converse convivially, when Jayne asks Bug the name of the organization which our heroes are working for. When Bug seems reluctant, the Lady informs them that they've been poisoned and she will trade the antidote for the answers to her question.

Checking their symptoms, Bug ascertains that the 'poison' is most likely a mild drug which is used to give flu-like symptoms. Pretending to be more sick than they are, they "acquiesce" and feed Jayne a line of pure, unvarnished bullshit. At the end of this, Jayne seems satisfied and presents Bug with the cure. She hopes there are no hard feelings, but she "had to be sure".

### Continued in Session 74...

*10xp*

*(330xp Total)*