Session 6

Francisco's Creek

## The Chase

Propelled by their fury and indignation, the Birch Bitches, now three members down, race through the woods to the Domani caravan. While all of them had lost a significant sum of gold, valuables, and other personal effects, El-Laiana is particularly bloodthirsty, as Ssera is one among the captives. As their hunt continues, the tracks left from the wagons grows fresher and more recent, indicating the Rovers' proximity. At last they get sight of their camp, which sits at the edge of a creek just outside of the woods, facing out to the open plains. The party collects their wits and begins to plan on how best to approach the enigmatic bandits.

## Before the Storm

In a bid not to waste time, Madame Voila volunteers to sneak around the camp. Immediately she notices the Domani horses (and their own stolen mounts) loosely guarded in the north, a large cage, and the massive green tent upon the hill overshadowing it. Collaborating briefly, the team agrees upon a signal, and the four heroes split between north and south.

Voila and El take to the horses in the north, happening upon a distracted guard butchering a guitar ((with his rendition of 'Wonderwall')). With a little sleep magic, he is dragged further away from the rest of the camp for a bout of limited questioning. Unwilling to remove his gag, interrogation yielded only so much, and so Voila relinquishes him to El. Despite V's lukewarm plea to knock him out, El is eager to draw first blood in the coming conflict.

Meanwhile, Krell, Tofu, and Liam (the teenage boy the group had rescued) begin carefully scouting the tents in the south. Tofu takes the form of a small spider and begins searching from tent-to-tent for any sign of their goods, but is unsuccessful in all but finding food supplies and Asmirelda the Mender, the old crone who had consoled El the night prior.

Just then, a crash of thunder rings out from across the camp.

## It's Super-Effective!

With a well-placed Thunderwave, V had startled the now-unguarded horses. With no regard for the Domani in their way, they stampede and trample many people and children, while a few others scatter into the plains, denying the Rovers of their chance to escape. Subterfuge now out, Krell and Tofu set into the camp, searching more aggressively for the party's goods. In the north, El bolts toward the cage, Ssera's safety and well-being her sole focus. Meanwhile, Voila is left alone in the field, where she meets eyes with Francisco.

* **KRELL** rummages through different tents, but finds himself in plain view of the Mender. With a single raised hand, the old woman proves herself a capable caster, blasting Krell with an immense arc of lightning. Not one to shirk from a fight, he enrages and unleashes a flurry of attacks, his runes glowing brighter with every swing of his axe. One strikes critically, hobbling the old crone, but despite him getting yet one more slash at her back, the Mender escapes with her life. With unsettling swiftness, she ascends the hill and disappears into the green tent, leaving Krell surrounded by murderous villagers.
* **EL** is met with unexpected resistance in her efforts to reach her love. Appearing alongside the caravan is a woman unfazed by the horrified screams of her people; Ethelinda. Using her dark magics, she strikes an magical fear into El. Although the soldier continues to fight, her attacks are avoided playfully, and the Domani doubles-down on her spells, causing El to immediately fall unconscious.
* **TOFU** happens upon a caravan with a lone guard and a great sum of gold in it. The man himself is quite strange and open to conversation, oblivious to the chaos surrounding him, but Tofu is wise. He immediately casts Detect Magic on the caravan and discovers that it's alight with dozens of glyphs and runes, magical traps for anyone who might steal from it. Cleverly, he asks the man to retrieve their gold and open the chest, which he does willingly (oddly, with his toes). Upon accounting for the party's sum of lost currency, the tortle delightedly conjures a tidal wave, jettisoning the remaining trapped boxes and gold out into the camp, flushing away the guard and other Domani in one swoop.
* **VOILA** is seen by Francisco amid the chaos. They embrace immediately, but from the camp, Ehra emerges. "What are you doing? Kill her! Bite her neck!" With a flick of her wrist, Ehra sends a dagger straight into V's side, wounding her grievously. "Francisco? I'm.. bleeding." Though he suffers a moment of internal conflict between family and the object of his affection, V persuades him to follow his heart ((with a natural 20)), and so he joins the side of the Birch Bitches in the fray. Unwilling to let this moment go without witness, V immediately revives El ("See El, love is real! EL, you're not looking!!") departs to aid her further. Moments later, Francisco's reveals his true self as his canines grow to fangs and he tears and claws at the oncoming Rovers.

## The Desperate Hour (Retconned)

Without the might of their full party, the heroes slowly begin to succumb to the onslaught of bandits. The Baptista sisters and the child, Sebastian, flee into the same green tent at the top of the hill. Meanwhile, Krell falls into dire straits, swarmed by armed bandits. Impressively, Tofu conjures a healing spirit in the shape of a doe to aid the party, passing through Krell and El both. However, the spirit isn't enough to turn back the tide of battle.

With V and El unable to reach him, Krells' rage piques at critical levels, as he crushes the enemies surrounding him mercilessly, so much so that the Domani were forced to surrender with the aide of Francisco's support for surrender. Dropping their weapons and begging for their lives. Krell was able to control himself, but many had already fallen to his axe. The change in atmosphere was as palpable as it was swift. On cue, Elophia Baptista and Caven finally emerge from the tent.

## Prince Charmed

El rushed far forward of the combat line to rescue Ssera and was greeted with a steady but manageable stream of Rover women. Ethelinda attacked her and seemed to get the upper hand on the rapidly-becoming-beleaguered soldier, but the tides turned in El’s favor and Ethelinda withdrew. El quickly dispatched the prison cart’s guard and took the key from him. Another woman menaced her as she was unlocking the cart. By this point, the heaviest of the fighting was over and El gave her the chance to just... jog on. The woman refused so El, in exactly *no* mood for this kind of behavior, kills her with one hit and continues unlocking the cart. V catches on and enters the cart as well, and begins releasing prisoners.

Kaven reappears and charms Francisco, ordering him to attack Voila. He jumps into the prison cart and Voila tries to talk him down. El draws Voila’s attention to the love potion, currently dangling off her belt. Kaven’s charm is strong and Voila doesn’t see any other choice. She grabs the potion, puts the phial in her mouth and kisses Francisco, effectively overriding Kaven’s charm, at least for an hour.

The rest of the prisoners are freed, and in the chaos, we lose track of them. Tofu calls an armistice, saying we can negotiate and if we can’t, he’ll tidal wave the kids. Kaven calls his bluff. Elophia is taken aback by Kaven's callous disregard for the children. It doesn’t matter. Anyone who could fight for them is dead, run away, or has surrendered. The battle is over. It is only now that the team learns that all the prisoners had been cursed by Elophia.

## Crimes of Passion and Minor Mendings

El’s fury flares into destructive wrath. Francisco ties Kaven up and gags him. El drags him into the tent and ties him to the center tentpole.

“Lift the curse.”

He stares.

“Lift the curse now.”

No response.

“This is the last time I’m going to ask you, Kaven. Lift the curse.”

“Even if I could, I wouldn’t.”

“Suit yourself.” El said casually as she grabs one of the torches illuminating the tent and sets fire to the entrance of the tent on her way out, and then all four corners. The screams lasted only a few minutes.

Kaven dispatched, and the Birch Bitches alarmed and nauseated by El’s grotesque display, V takes charge of the post-battle ordering. She asks Elophia to tend to the wounded. El begins to object, but Elophia touches a charm on her necklace and teleports 80 feet away. Tofu is the only one fast enough to stop her.

## Cut to the Chase

Tofu demonstrates his incredible speed at last, transforming into a giant wolf spider and chasing her down across the plains. He is upon her in no more than a few minutes and entangles her in his web. His pincers sink into Elophia as she attempts to free herself from the snare. Again and again she proves not strong enough, and again and again Tofu bites into her, attempting to envenom the ringleader. Elophia, seemingly imbued with unholy vitality, frees herself from the web at last, and attempts to paralyze him with magic. The effort gains her a small headstart, but Tofu is on her heels again.

After an encore of the previous events, Elophia eventually breaks free from the next web. Bruised and battered, she musters the strength to send a phantasmal force at him, crushing his spider form and forcing the tortle to return to his former shape. A battle of physical prowess transforms into that of raw magical skill, Tofu replying in kind with a Tidal Wave. "Remove the curse!" he demands.

Elophia's only response of weight is that of her Beguiling Whispers, but Tofu shrugs off the mental effects of her magic. Without any other animal forms to shift into, he strikes out at her with his staff. "Release the dryad and remove the curse!"

"No!"

She attempts to charm him but is unsuccessful. Tofu, drained of magical energy, nearly bludgeons her to death. Elophia, who otherwise has a firm upper-hand with own pool of magic, casts another Charm spell, this time ovetaking the tortle. He relinquishes his pursuit of her, and Elophia gets away. It is only an hour later that he is finally free to realize his defeat, as he continues a somber trek home.

## De-escalation and a Depressing Denouement for a Dark Day

Some hours later, Tofu returns to the camp in defeat. He is very glum, and his manner even slower than usual. Ssera breaks down when she hears that Elophia got away and El comforts her as best she can and also gives words of comfort to Tofu for his defeat. With Francisco's family gone and the Rovers disarmed, V suggests that the Rovers aid the party in securing their entry to Greywald, which leads to some confusion between her and Francisco. He expresses his intent to come along with the party, but V insists that he take leadership of the Rovers, as he is the only remaining leader for his people.

Separate camps are established, and the groups part ways for the evening.