Prequel 2: Tom's Bounties

Tom's Bounties is the second session of Untitled Deltora Campaign, and the second prequel session. It introduces four main characters, and is focused on two bounty missions issued by Tom the Shopkeeper to the party members.

### **Major Events:**

On a raven farm run by two of Sorceress Thaegan's two children, Pik and Snik, two workers, Flower and Capitus Joe Mamá are enjoying the company of the ravens when Pik and Snik charge in and demand the ravens are taken into the barn. When all the ravens are in the barn, the room is filled with the crack of thunder and a puff of smoke.

Tom the Shopkeeper informs Eimyr of a new bounty provided by The Resistance for killing the Sorceress Thaegan, worth four years' worth of salary. Eimyr accepts, and departs for Pik and Snik's farm. When he arrives, he sees the same flash of light. Inside, Thaegan's children greet her with a song, and they embrace, to which Flower and Capitus begin signing that they'd like to be with "Mommy Thaegan".

Once Thaegan sees them, she rounds on them, and begins threatening them, especially Capitus, as she senses her magic on him but cannot recognize him. Eimyr enters with Pik and Snik rounding on him, but when he shows them his Shadowlord's Brand, they drop to their knees, and tell him they'd do anything they could to help his mission. Sorceress Thaegan, however, instantly doubts his story, but after a tense debate, she decides it's not worth it dealing with him, as she sees him as worthless and unable to mess anything up. Flower and Capitus keep commenting on how much they want to be with "Mommy Thaegan", and Pik and Snik sun them out of the farm.

When they arrive back at Tom's Shop, he refuses to pay Eimyr, as no bounty was collected, and goes back to his other customer, Cass, another bounty hunter. Cass asks for another bounty, to which Tom informs her he doesn't have many current jobs, but he does have knowledge there is some sort of Shadowlord agent messing with Queen Bee and her orchard, as he hasn't gotten nectar from her in a week. After some haggling over payment, Cass agrees to the job, along with Eimyr and Flower, and the shop hobo Indigo tagging along.

On the way, they see a small pod of Grey Guards blocking the river to cross the Broad River. Cass sneaks up behind them, while the other three go up. The Grey Guards stop them, but Cass pops up from behind and attempts to sweet talk them, which they see right through, until she bribes them to leave. They begin to take the bait, when Indigo jumps on one of their heads and tries to kill him with his own helmet. The rest of the party, taking advantage of the surprise, attack, with two getting stabbed by Cass in the jugular, one getting bisected by Flower, and the last getting his hands and then skull crushed by Eimyr and Indigo. Indigo eats one of them and marvels at his delicious rotten corpse taste.

They travel for another day until they reach Queen Bee's Orchard. It seems eerily silent, and there's rotting fruit on the ground. They make their way to Queen Bee's cottage, which also seems silent, but Indigo begins to develop a purple rash from their allergy to bees. As they make their way to the second floor, they can suddenly hear a conversation between two people, Sorcerer Aldannan, a 12 year old boy, threatening Queen Bee, an old woman, and celebrating his victory over her. He jeers that her sons will come here soon and he'll be able to take them out, cementing his place as The Shadowlord's favorite.

All the party members step forward and take turns bonking him on the head, with him trying to fight back, but being so incompetent at magic, all he's able to do is singe Cass when he meant to conjure a fire elemental. He finally is knocked unconscious, and the party members say their goodbyes to Queen Bee, and head back to Tom's Shop.

In Tom's Shop, they tell him of the victory, but when they tell him they defeated Sorcerer Aldannan, Tom grows very pale, and tells them to leave immediately and never return. It turns out Sorcerer Aldannan is the protégé of Sorcerer Oacus, one of The Shadowlord's most loyal and powerful servants, and just by being associated with the party, Tom could be killed, or worse. The party leaves Tom's Shop, and as a last parting gift, Eimyr steals a mudlet, with Tom cursing him till they're out of sight.

### **Appearances:**

#### Party Members:

* Eimyr
* Flower (First Appearance)
* Capitus Joe Mamá (First Appearance)
* Cass (First Appearance)
* Indigo (First Appearance)

#### NPCs:

* Pik (First Appearance)
* Snik (First Appearance)
* Tom the Shopkeeper (First Appearance)
* Sorceress Thaegan (First Appearance)
* Sorcerer Aldannan (First Appearance)
* Queen Bee (First Appearance)

#### Mentioned:

* The Rest of Thaegan's Children (First Mentioned)
* The Shadowlord
* Steven (First Mentioned)
* Dane (First Mentioned)
* Doom (First Mentioned)
* Nevits (First Mentioned)
* Sorcerer Oacus (First Mentioned)

### **Trivia:**

* This is the non-opening-session session with the most number of new Party Members, at four. The next most is two.
* This is the first session to happen in person but not at school.
* This is the only prequel so far to star more than one character, and the one with the most number of characters starring.