Session Thirty

*[House rules - For this session Heroic Powers cost 1 less to activate.]*

* (Tavern in Redbridge with a Fighting Pit)

**Previously...**

## The Session

### At the Inn

In the aftermath of Goldie's battle with Ailduin, everyone is catching their breath and chatting. Gar lets slip that his Aunts village is nearby; no more than half a day upriver from Redbridge. There is some discussion about the quality of the food. The general consensus is that 'quality' is not a good word to use when describing it, but that the fish soup is okay - as far as fish-based food items that cannot be presented on a stick goes. Ailduin congratulates Goldie on the fight. He seems proud they put on a good show and he very much appreciates the competition.

Eventually, the party decides to get rooms for the night. This seems to surprise the staff. Patrons here are too cheap to usually pay the extra, it seems. The rooms are small and seem to have something of a a rat problem. Alone, Goldie brews a sleeping draught and feeds it to the Cat. Within minutes, both the cat and the old woman are sound asleep.

Dandy goes to talk to the Daniel, the Rat in Pants. He thanks her and says he owes her a favour for this (though he does offer a vague warning that poisoning cat was possibly a step too far). He then hitches up his trousers and heads into the tavern, heading straight upstairs. When Dandy follows to see what's going on, she is shocked to discover a weird kind of rat-orgy, with Daniel frantically mating with ALL the female rats he can find (and with the venue's rat problem, that's quite a number!).

Downstairs, Ailduin noticed the old lady sleeping and becomes concerned. Worried, Gar pokes her gently and, in response, she springs awake suddenly, frantically setting the cat after Daniel. The cat races upstairs and bloodily begins tearing rats to pieces while pursuing Daniel.

Arik finds all of this powerfully odd and casts a perception spell to try and trace the magical currents in this place. He sees that the woman and the cat are two halves of the same being, and that that being is definitely not human. He can also see tendrils of power soaking into the earthen floor of the pit before snaking its way up the sides and along the floor into the feet of the woman. Finds the magic present. Sees the woman and cat are somehow the same (2 parts of the same whole), and also not human. Alduin also seems to be tapping into this energy somehow.

The old Woman collars Gar and glances around at everyone assembled, snarling out a question about who poisoned her.

### Upstairs

Fleeing the cat, Daniel the Rat darts into Goldie’s room looking for someplace to hide. He frantically asks Goldie for help, but before they can reply, the Cat bursts in and ferocious cat-fight starts on top of them. Goldie eventually manages to extricate themself, throwing the two combatants off by tossing their robes across the room until they can catch their breath. Goldie rescues the Rat at the last second but drops him out the window. This seemingly satisfies the Cat, which returns to the corridor and resumes methodically slaughtering all of Daniel's mates. Recovering their robes, Goldie is surprised to note they are only slightly damaged.

By this time, Goldie is certain something divine is going on, but can’t quite put their finger on it. They briefly consider a friend in Tamalir who knows all about this sort of thing - gods, avatars and whatnot - and who would definitely be able to help if they were here.

Outside, Dandy and Goldie go to talk to Daniel. He cryptically explains that tonight's battle was a skirmish in a power struggle over the land upon which the bar is built, which is some kind of place of power. He claims to be the spirit of the place, and that he was pushed out when the woman and her cat took over. He claims that she is somehow worshipped by blood. Hearing all this doesn't really clear much up, so they return to the inn to consult the others.

Once back in the inn, they snoop around some more and discover that there are seven rooms effectively equivalent to the one they rented, but there's also an eighth room, which is heavily locked. After picking the lock and opening the door, they look in and see a room which, for all extents and purposes, looks the same as all the others except for three things: There is not even the smallest sign of any rats, there is only one bed and, despite the fact that it's the middle of the night, there are rays of sunlight streaming in through the far window.

### The Combat

Stunned, Gar enters the room and activates a magical trap which binds him tightly before being dispelled by Goldie. Gar proceeds to make his way over to the window, activiating an identical second trap. As Goldie is freeing Gar, they begin to hear people coming up the stairs. In the doorway, the pair see six bar patrons who have come up armed with impromptu weapons, ready to fight. They are led by Ailduin, who is carrying a sabre. Goldie continues trying to free Gar (and having a LOT more trouble this time!) as the thugs prepare to attack.

Before they can charge, however, Dandy interrupts and asks them if they're really alright with being members of a cult. This distracts three of the thugs, while two of the remaining patrons are cut down by a newly-freed Gar with very little effort. Ailduin tries to de-escalate, pleading with Gar to stay out of it, that they are messing not only with his life, but with things they don't fully understand. Arik is taken aback by the elf's stern words, but only for a moment, as Ailduin launches himself at Gar, swinging his sabre.

The sabre blade is caught on Arik's and the battle is joined. It's a fairly even contest, but Arik gains the edge when he manages to slide the tip of his blade past Ailduin's defenses and behind the gem serving as the elf's heart, stunning him for several seconds. The three thugs momentarily distracted by Dandy rally and surge forward, striking Goldie. They try to create an escape by burning a hole into the wall, but only manages to make the wood lightly smoulder and smoke. Gar meets their onslaught with equal force.

The old woman’s cat appears at the top of the stairs, soaked from head to paw in blood. The sight is ominous and alarming, but is the last clue Dandy needs to understand what is going on.

### Dandy's Revelation.

*[Using her ‘All the Facts’ Heroic ability, Dandy recalls the following lore]*

The old lady isn't, as they had theorized, trying to gather power to become a god. She is a largely forgotten god who is trying to maintain her existance with a handful of followers. She is 'Red Edith', an Ancient God of Violence, Blood, Bloodsport and Predatory Animals (particularly cats, who play with their prey). She is obscure and largely forgotten, surviving partly as a cautionary 'Boogeyman' figure, and sometimes evoked by jilted lovers wishing harm on their ex’s.

Edith is traditionally vulnerable to being attacked in ways that don’t cause bleeding, such as strangulation or poisoning. The more you attempt to harm her with blades, the more powerful she’ll get. Cats are a ‘perfect’ violent manifestation of her. She is sometimes seen as part lioness/ part human women. Her holy symbol is a single claw or talon or needle (possibly related to her knitting needles?)

Given her divinity would be plainly seen if she was fully manifested, Dandy theorizes Edith’s true from should be somewhere nearby to maintain a connection, especially given the small following (power) she has. She shares the important parts she has learned with the others, especially the instruction NOT to draw any blood fighting her or her minions.

### Continuing the Fight.

Arik moves to attack the vulnerable elf, but Gar intervenes, blocking the blow with Fluffy (all bundled up). Fluffy cuts Arik’s blade in two (the impact uncovering part of Fluffy’s blade) and the tip embeds into Ailduins’ shoulder. As the blood runs from the wound, it diverts into rivulets running through the air to be absorbed into Fluffy's blade.

Seeing this, Gar has an idea and races downstairs. Dandy manages to put two of the thugs out with sleeper holds, removing them from the fight bloodlessly, while Goldie creates a sleep spell to direct at the cat, successfully putting it to sleep. With his path effectively cleared, Gar races over to the Fighting Pit and drives Fluffy's blade into the blood-soaked earth. The blade begins to drain all the blood into itself. With Edith and the Cat asleep and her small handful of followers either dead or incapacitated, there is almost no one to stop him, and the swiord soaks up all thee power - the blood, pain and violence - from the ring, staining Gar's hands red.

Fluffy wants to take all the power into itself, but Gar denies it and races out of the Inn. Recovering from his wound, Ailduin begins to stagger into the mysteriously well-lit room. Goldie blocks his path, sending both of them tumbling to the ground, but AIlduin still manages to disrupt the sleep spell. As Ailduin tries to regain his feet, Arik stands over him, suggesting he throw over his sword and stay down. Ailduin throws down his sabre, but using that as a distraction, manages to slip past them into the room and closing the door, locking them out. For a brief moment, as the door is closing, the room looks different - dark and well-decorated with a figure sleeping on a bed. Arik picks up the discarded sword.

### Obey the Cow God

Dandy, meanwhile, has pursued Gar outside into the streets, asking what he's looking for. Gar shouts over his shoulder that it's fine. He knows where he can find a cow. He just has to get there in time.

Shrugging, Dandy continues to pursue Gar as he races through the maze of narrow alleyways, emerging in a field on the outskirts of town, races over to a cow and drives his sword into it, forcing the blood and energy from the pit *into* the cow...

### *Continued in Session 31....*

- 10xp (400)

**Quote:** *“There seems to be a lot more going on here then Rat-in-pants was telling me!”*