Akuban Knights: Episode 12

## Cast

Neal Pass Erickson - Dungeon Master

Anna-Sophie - Sara

Chloe - Maya

Sven - Budariousz

## Recap

### 9th June, 1511

Yetel. Maya is talking with the Questari Representative, Laza Questari, at their headquarters. The quest the *Akuban Knights* are given is to obtain the key to Pike's Point. Specifically a wax imprint of the key to the city gates, so not to alert anyone it has been taken. Pike's Point is now being controlled by the Northern Block (Gil'daaren, Stone'song, & Tezro'han). There is 3 current copies of the key, one at the gatehouse of the wall, 1 with the Captain of the Guard, and the last one with the city leader (whoever that is).

May returns to the tavern to brief the rest of the *Akuban Knights*. They start working out how to get to Pike's Point across the Red Desert & White Desert. The decide on avoiding the Red Deserts by travelling around them in the Quazzarian Steppes, which are inhabited by the Akuban Nomads. From Aldir, take a ship to Pike's Point, since the Northern Faction now controls both Aldir & Pike's Point now.

Budariousz buys a camels and barrels of water. Maya buys some desert clothing. Sara goes to hire a guide, Fernardo.

### 12th June, 1511

The *Akuban Knights* leave Yetel and head west along the north end of the Quazzarian Steppes. Sami, Yassi and Jane stay behind in Yetel. During the trip Maya flirts with Fernardo.

### 15th June, 1511

The *Akuban Knights* finish travelling across the north coast with the cammel and star heading south.

### 16th June, 1511

The *Akuban Knights* come across a broken down wagon. Maya sneaks in close to investigate the wagon. The wagons seem destroyed from beneath. Ferando tells Maya of the rumors of a wingless dragon that burrows beneith the sand. The *Akuban Knights* continue onwards.

### 18th June, 1511

The *Akuban Knights* arrive at Yetel, controlled by the Northern Block. Fernardo stays outside the city, not liking to be in cities. He is paid for 60 days, so he will wait for the *Akuban Knights* for 55 more days.

All the paths into the unwalled town are watched by guards. Maya gives the cover story that they are after mercenary work. They are lead though the town, past the unusually quiet streets as the civilian population are keeping a low profile. They arrive at the local military recruiting station and introduced to a Captain Shauna.

Captain Shauna tries to recruit the *Akuban Knights* into their forces. Their next target is Tal'Ushar, which is still under control by the Western Block. Budariousz bribes Captain Shauna so they can go to Pike's Point.

The *Akuban Knights* book passage and sail to Pike's Point.

### 19th June, 1511

The *Akuban Knights* arrive in Pike's Point. It is more lively than Yetel. On the docks Sara has some bangles stolen by a pickpocket. Budariousz punches the man, shouting out thief. A guard arrives to take the thief away, and Sara gets her bangles back. The guard announces the thief, a young woman, given the martial law, is going to have one of his hands cut off, a punishment unusual typically in Akuba.

Budariousz talks with the guards about getting a job. They ask him to follow them into the town square, where they will be escorting their prisoner, to talk with their leader.

Maya notices a young man in the crowd who looks perturbed by this announcement. Maya goes to talk to the young man, Jimmy. He tells her that the thief, Jane (a different Jane) is his sister. Maya tells Jimmy she will try to do something to save his sister.

Sara talks with a merchant and gets the information on the town. Pike's Point used to be in the Eastern Faction's control, until the Northern Faction's naval blockage cut the food supply to Pike's Point. The Eastern Faction was forced to stand down and the Northern Faction too control and implemented this Martial Law.

The *Akuban Knights* head into the town square separately. Other Jane is tied up with a row of other prisoners as a crowd forms to watch the punishments. Budariousz unknowingly creates a distraction for Maya, as he is talking to the guards. Maya uses the chance to cut Other Jane's bonds, and sneak away.

Budariousz is given a test by an officer to prove his worth by convincing one of the normal guards nearby to deliver water to him, with zero legal authority. Bud first tries to use a lie, but when that fails, he uses force, sending both the guards to the ground with their eyes poked. Budariousz again asks the 2 guards to fetch the water. One guard crawls towards the well, the other guard pokes Budariousz in the eye. Budariousz admits he deserved that, but offers to buy him a drink later to make up for it. The other guard fetches to vase of water, then Budariousz returns to the recruiter. The recruiter makes Bud a Jr Lieutenant, and tells him to report in tomorrow.

Maya talks with Jimmy and Other Jane, both their parents are off at war. They have only been thieves since the start of the war. Maya asks about the Gate Captain, Debra, and finds out she is hetero, which means Maya has to think of another target. Other Jane cuts her hair short to disguise herself.

The *Akuban Knights* make their plans. Maya will try to steal the key, while Budariousz will try getting the key from the inside. Bud asks Maya to shave his head. Maya discovers under Bud's hair are thieves guild tattoos from Drekis know as "The Family".

While Bud and Sara go to an inn to rest, Maya goes back to the thieves and teaches them about on the how not to be seen. After some time a patrol of guards comes near them and the thieves mention to Maya that there is a curfew at the moment. The group successfully hide.

Maya returns to the inn with the others.

### 20st June, 1511

Sara visits the solder barracks as a Cleric of Martha looking for a place to stay, willing to cast healing magic on anyone who needs it. The guards accept and put her to work healing. She finds out that Pike's Point has been importing a lot of food from Outlast, Drekis, in order to feed the town.

Maya meets with the new Mayor of the city, Hilda, someone from the Northern Block Families. Maya subtly flirts with her, trying to see if she is receptive, but she gets an unclear signal back.

Bud spends the day training with the solders. He socialises them between drills and afterwards, working out who is assigned where. He finds out the Captain of the Company named Peter.

Since Maya is pretending to be a baker, she buys a pound of Honey Cakes. She poisons one of the Honey Cakes, before heading to the Mayor's Office. Maya acts coy and offers a Honey Cake to the Mayor Hilda, the poisoned ones. The Mayor pours out some wine. Maya says she came from Sandashar to Pike's Point to get away from the war, and Hilda makes up a Sandashar landmark that doesn't exist to test Maya, which Maya passes. Maya and the Mayor Hilda after while start kissing, while the Mayor grows drowsy. Hilda passed the poison check so doesn't fall unconscious, but is just drowsy. Maya then secretly stabs Hilda with another poison and she finally falls asleep. Maya collects the key from the Mayor's waist, uses the wax box to make the impression, and puts the key back.

That evening *Akuban Knights* meet up at the Tavern. Maya is smug and shows the Key Impression to the rest of the family. Sara isn't happy about being excluded from the plan, and is worried if Maya goes off alone and is unable to be saved. Maya agrees to keep the party into the loop.

Maya tries to get Other Jane and Jimmy to come with them out of the city, but they refuse, and suspect Maya is a sex-trafficker, and flee. Maya shrugs and returns to the inn.

Bud isn't happy that the two got away and wants Maya to either kill them or kidnap them. Maya refuses to kill them, and says they will be hiding and impossible to find.

Bud heads to the barracks and reports Other Jane to the authorities, however his description doesn't account for her hair cut.

### 21st June, 1511

The *Akuban Knights* start it's exit plan. Bud asks for a poison to be sick from Maya. Bud report in sick to his training officer.

Sara reports that Bud is sick of the Black Plague to Captain Peter, the leader of the military company. Captain Peter authorises Sara to take Bud away from Pike's Point to Aldir to be healed.

The *Akuban Knights* board a ship and sail for Aldir.

### 22nd June, 1511

The *Akuban Knights* return to Aldir. Sara dismisses the guards, saying her temple can take it from here.

The *Akuban Knights* leave Aldir and meet up with Fernardo and travel back to Yetel.

### 27st June, 1511

On the way back to Yetel, the party spot some riders of the Northern Faction, the Tezro'han Family, a lance of riders scouting the Desert. The Calvary charge at the wagon. The cavalry knock out Ferando, and he starts to bleed to death. The rest of the party is slashed at, and Bud drags one off his horse.

The other Calvary swing back around to attack again.