Tale View

Two nekomata and two short people walked into Damakaios' office, and selected seats.  The leader of the Ripa Daneo Freelancers had his office in its usual tiptop shape, with the walls lined with small-weapons displays, mahogany desk with geometric patterns carved into it, and matching chairs.  The hanyou sat at his desk, hair slicked back around his horns.  On the edge of his desk, on Damakaios' right, was a glass tankard.

Cathance, a Mikumwes halfling in pale studded leathers, sat in one of the chairs in the front row.  It was too big for her, and she pulled her heels on the chair, knees bent, arms around her legs.
Tuala, a Maneki nekomata in ink-stained robes, also sat in the front row, so that the center of the row evenly split himself and Cathance.
Ana, a Maker gnome in nice traveling clothes, moved with the careful dignity of the hungover to sit between Tuala and Cathance.
Fine Branch, a Maneki nekomata [what does he wear], pointedly ignored the glass on the edge of the desk and sat in the chair nearest the door.

Damakaios, once the others were settled, carefully opened a thin drawer in his desk and reached deep into it, which definitely looked unsettling to those not used to it, and pulled out 5 neat sheets of paper.  Setting them in front of him, he started to read them out loud: the missions he felt were appropriate for this group today.

• First, for 250 eagles per, carry off whatever you can!  Go clear out Amabel Villa.  Minimal, not zero, structural damage; they are paying us to clear it out, not level it.
• Second, House Hadid needs death butterfly wings.  They are somewhere in the south of Commerce, and will probably pay more than 250 eagles.

Tuala interrupted, "Death butterflies?  that's a new one!"  Damakaios did not grace this comment with an answer.

• Hasapis Vineyards are having the same sort of issue they had the first time, but they are calling in Freelancers before people go missing.  300 eagles per person.

Tuala visibly paled, by which is meant, the blood drained from lips, nose, inside his ears, and he used prestidigitation to make his fur pale as well.  That is becuase he had died during the referenced "the first time," necessitating Fine Branch casting revivify on him.

• Fourth:  follow-on to the attack on the Hang Gliding School, Alvyn repaired and reprogrammed one of the bronze hawk constructs to go home.  I have convinced the Hang Gliding School to pay us to track it down.  I want to see where it goes, and then get everyone to pay us to take care of them.

Cathance thought about Jigsaw, and asked, "Do we know how fast they go?"  Damakaios replied, "As fast as a manticore.  Pays 250 eagles each."

• Fifth & final:  find the crazy-wedding-bad-poetry lady.  Naranjos suggests you check recent weddings.  Also 250 eagles per person.

There was a silence as everyone considered which was worse: "death butterflies" or "bad wedding poetry" or just actual death itself.

Cathance:  anything to rule out?
Ana:  butterflies.
Cathance:  okay, no butterflies.
Ana:  am afraid to burn them.  But stone houses, I can avoid burning them.
Tuala:  …and are not Nature.
Cathance:  but, you both shatter.
Ana <sighed>:  I suppose I can not shatter.
Tuala:  we can not shatter.
Ana <to Tuala>:  what do you think?
Tuala:  am okay with any of them except Hasapis, since I have Comet.  Tracking might be interesting
Ana:  what do you think Cathance?
Cathance:  Fine Branch?
Fine Branch:  fine with all of them but the wedding investigation.
Cathance:  now, there are 3.
Ana:  for the tracking mission, what do we do?
Cathance:  how fast does Hawkie fly?
Ana:  60.
Cathance:  am concerned we will not be able to track it properly, with Jigsaw and Nighthawk…
Tuala:  who can track [with spells]?
Cathance:  I am thinking Hasapis or Amabel.
Fine Branch:  Amabel.
Damakaios:  the Amabel family wants to relocate to Commerce.  Relatively new money, rumours of a lucrative diamond mine.  Lady Karissa wants the house cleared, but not destroyed.  She bought it sight unseen, and doesn't care about time.  Previous Freelancers have found a wide variety of undeads in their exploration.  <paused, looked at paper>  Previous Freelancers have been entering the premises from a 2nd floor balcony.  That part of the building should be clear.
Cathance:  is there a 3rd floor?
Damakaios:  just some attic space.
Cathance:  I wonder what's interesting in the attic.
Ana <dismissively>:  used mattresses.

Damakaios shook his head, made a note on the Amabel papers, and put all the mission papers away.  The others, meanwhile, filed out of his office and headed towards the stables to grab their mounts, as the first sheet of rain blew against the outward window of the office.

The Freelancers flew to Amabel Villa from theirs in the increasingly unpleasant weather.  A storm was in the distance eastward.  They took perhaps 20 minutes to get there, and circled the villa looking for anything out of the ordinary.  Having all been here before, they knew what to look for, although Tuala was distracted by Comet's distress at the wet.

Nothing seemed unusual, however, other than how well the ancient roof was holding up in the sheets of rain.  They landed in the atrium, which was at least less windy, and looked around.  Strains of music were audible from the north corners of the atrium; they clashed.  To their east, under an awning, was a door to the second floor which had been overgrown, but Cathance and Hikawera had previously cleared.  The vines and overgrowth had not grown back.  There was also a door to either side of it.

The door to the right went into the 1st floor, but the door to the left was more mysterious, so the Freelancers decided to try the latter.  Fine Branch strode up to it confidently, with the others arc'd behind him:  Tuala, Cathance, Ana.  Since Cathance was directly behind him, she was jumping up to see over his shoulders.  The door did not open easily.

Cathance cast the guidance of the Tortoise on Fine Branch, and he pulled mightily, and it swung open to reveal a large anteroom, perhaps 25'x30', with a standing-height circular table, and some couches with end tables.

The furniture appeared to be populated by 5 undead ghost people who apparently had been engaged in pleasant conversation before the Freelancers so rudely interrupted them.  These 5 dropped their refreshments and drinks as they stood up, facing Fine Branch angrily.

Cathance, still bouncing, said to Ana and Tuala, "Guys, there's, like, ghosts in there!"

Shields materialized on the arms of the ghosts, all but one of which were wearing chain mail.  The spirit lacking chain mail was wearing a breastplate with fancy shoulders, and was directly across the room from Fine Branch, who stood just outside the open door.

Which put him fully in view of Cathance, still bouncing in the rain.  It made her grimace, but she deliberately shot a bolt of pure chaos at this commander spirit, which he contemptuously knocked aside with his shield.

• Ana suddenly cited a dumb poem:
  You should not be scared of Only me
  But of All the people around You
  <Narrator voice:  perhaps that rhymes, when in Gnomish.>
  • Sparkles converged on the commander's head, but nothing happened, because the enemies abound spell doesn't work on undead spirits.
• The commander strode to the door, drawing his longsword; and they saw it had a black pommel, and it glimmered and sparkled sporadically.  Without hesitation he swung twice at Fine Branch, slashing the nekomata on the second swing.
  • "You should not be here, leave this house!" he yelled in a ghostly way.  "YOU are not invited to the party!"
  • He struck Fine Branch again with the glowing sword, which also spread necrosis in this new slash.
• The spirits in chain mail swarmed out of the room into the rain, producing ghostly battleaxes and each attacking a different Freelancer.
  • Ana and Tuala were slashed, but Fine Branch and Cathance avoided the attack.
  • They all roared, as much as ghosts could, "You should not be at this!!!" and attacked again, a bit recklessly.
    • Tuala cast shield, in which various gears caught and blocked the battleaxe; but the others all avoided the attacks.
• Fine Branch, surrounded by attackers, cast word of radiance, and holy light shot out from him to burn the spirits.  The wraith furthest away, which had attacked Cathance, avoided the burn.
  • They all hissed and muttered.  "Rude party behaviour", "Such uncouth", "Oh of course, nekomata".
  • Fine Branch, ears slightly back, cast a twice-uplevel'd spiritual weapon in the form of a goat statue, which then whapped the wraith attacking Tuala with force.
  • Nighthawk flew over and also attacked the wraith on Tuala.  His beak crit the spirit, but did not injure it nearly as much as either the nekomata or the hippogryph expected, and he was so thrown off his claws missed. 
• Under attack and wet from the rain, Tuala was unpleased, ears back.  He cast an uplevel'd magic missile on his attacker, the four darts striking the spirit with force.
  • Comet, who was even more displeased in the rain, came over and attacked the same wraith, and was also disappointed after a crit with his beak.
    Spirit:  who brings a gryphon to a party?  please leave, nekomata scum
    Tuala:  you are years out of date
    Spirit:  how rude
  • Comet slashed the wraith with his claws for good measure, even if they didn't damage the ghost much.

Cathance did not really want to experience these haughty ghostly warriors up close and personal, so she disengaged, backing up a few feet and calling Jigsaw.  Then she was mounted and up in the air.

• Ana cast wall of fire to make a wall that looked miniaturized, 4' tall and snaking around through all the spirits, including the commander.  The rain hissed and sizzled where it made contact with the fire.
  • Three of the spirits, including the commander, avoided most of the fire, but that did not help Tuala's attacker, who was burned entirely away.  The others were fully burned by the heat, but remained.
  • Flying above, Cathance called out, "Watch your tails, Fine Branch!"
• The commander found himself standing in the fire, and flanked by Fine Branch and Nighthawk.  "It's rude to bring your own excitement to the party," he scolded Ana, and moved out of the fire towards her.
  • Fine Branch drew a daggar and slashed him, and Nighthawk slashed with his claws, but neither slash did as much damage as they would to a corporeal person.
  • The commander swung twice at Ana.  The first swing missed, but the glimmering sword's backstroke was perfect…
    • …watching from above, Cathance did something, so the stroke tangled in Ana's clothes.  She was still slashed, which wrecked her wall of fire, but not as bad as the crit she had been about to receive.
  • Frustrated almost to incoherence, the commander exclaimed, "You are being REALLY RUDE!"
  • His longsword glowed purple and black in the rain as he slashed the little wizard again, and this time the cruel swipe left a trail of necrosis in the wound.
• There were 3 other wraiths still, and 3 Freelancers on the ground; they attacked accordingly, recklessly swinging their not-ethereal-enough battleaxes.
  • Tuala's new attacker got his battleaxe locked again in the gears of the sorcerer's shield spell.  He yanked it free and slashed Tuala through the shield.
  • The wraith on Ana slashed her with his battleaxe, but missed on his second strike.
  • The wraith attacking Fine Branch swung wide both times.
• Fine Branch moved the goat statue spiritual weapon to the wraith in the doorway, where it promptly whiffed.
  • Tired of being on the ground and in melee in the rain, Fine Branch pulled himself up onto Nighthawk.  Two spirits slashed him, but now he was on the hippogryph.
  • Nighthawk beaked the wraith on Ana, then moved to the commander and slashed with his claws.  The hippogryph's strikes were not very effective.
  • The cleric then summoned a celestial to help.  A tall, glowing, winged cat angel materialized next to the commander, carrying a mace shining with holy light.
• The celestial smacked the commander with her mace, burning him with radiance and bolstering a grateful Ana.
• Tuala mounted Comet and flew up near Cathance, then started pumping out magic missile on the wraith attacking Ana with a battleaxe.  Three darts struck and still he was on his feet.
  • Tuala used his sorcerous abilities to cast magic missile again, and the spirit dissipated on the first dart.  He sent the other two darts at the other wraith next to Ana, who had attacked Fine Branch.
  • Comet swooped back down to attack this spirit with beak and claw.

Cathance cast a twice-uplevel'd chromatic orb at the commander, which settled on fire before it struck, hissing in the rain.

• Ana disengaged, calling for Pelorus, and she mounted and flew up next to Cathance.  Her nice clothes were slashed, and she was bleeding profusely.  Cathance saw that the Maker gnome had turned quite pale.
  • Cathance:  how you doin'
    Ana:  the celestial helped.
    Cathance:  o, wow, Ana, drink a healing potion
    Ana:  I always forget about those!
  • The diminutive wizard drank a healing potion.
• The commander swung twice at Fine Branch.  The first swing missed, but the glimmering sword's backstroke was perfect…
  • …watching from above, Cathance again did something, so the stroke tangled in Fine Branch's armor.  The cleric was still nicked, but it wasn't so bad.
  • Commander:  nekomata manners leave so much to be desired.  no wonder they are never invited to parties.
    Tuala:  have you tried having better parties?
  • Angry, the Commander swung his glowy longsword again, but it went wide.
• The remaining two wraiths laid their battleaxes into the nearest targets, namely Nighthawk and the summoned celestial.  They were both muttering, "bureina neko", "uzai", "dasai nekomata" as they slashed.  The Freelancers did not know these words, but it sure sounded like insults.
  • Nighthawk was slashed once and avoided the second swing.
  • The celestial was slashed twice, her attacker muttering "bakeneko" angrily.  With each slash her radiance dimmed.
• Fine Branch moved the goat statue spiritual weapon to strike the ghost attacking the celestial.  The force of its attack caused the ghost to dissipate, streamers lost in the rain.
  • Nighthawk struck back at his attacker, and that ghost withstood the beak but dissipated in the wake of the hippogryph's raking claws.
  • Fine Branch, irritated, cast a thrice-uplevel'd guiding bolt at the commander, a small streak of radiance flashing from his outstretched hand, and a much more powerful streak descending from above to burn him.
  • The commander sank to one knee under the onslaught, and slowly stood back up.
    Fine Branch:  where I come from, a party without a nekomata is considered a very dull affair
    Commander:  not so, for a properly organized revelry
• The celestial pivoted and swung her mace at the commander, but it whiffed over his head.  She brought it down on him for her second swing, and he evaporated, hissing in the rain:  breastplate, sword, and all.

The Freelancers were left in the atrium, bleeding in the rain.  Incongruously, the music still poured out of the corners.  Woodwinds to their right, and organ music behind them, clashing.

Fine Branch cast healing word on the injured Ana, then as she landed, he looked her over and cast it again.  Then they all dismounted to examine the room that had held these intolerant shades.  The mounts stayed outside, Comet especially under the awning out of the rain.

In a rack, covered in dust, they found a pair of ornate canes:  one was dark wood with silver chasing, the other pale wood with a bronze eagle head.  Fine Branch and Ana were taken by these items, looking at them closely; which left Cathance and Tuala to look around the rest of the room.  They found some more items in the dust:

• Where the commander had been sitting originally, there was a round leather helm with brass fittings and mouthguard.  
• Another couch had a whip handle.  Upon picking it up, a flame manifested that lit the room, and could be shaped like a whip.
• Lastly, they found a rapier, in a reddish… no, red/black scabbard.  The hilt and scabbard hangers were some dark grey metal, and the hilt sported a red gem, but it was not a ruby.  Drawing the blade, they saw it was the same metal, but with dust from the same gem mixed in with the metal.

Ana began a ritual cast of detect magic, and apparently was not feeling down for her normal quality mumbling, because she dramatically dipped a finger in her own blood, traced runes in the air, and murmured very clearly, "With my own blood I will reveal the secrets of the universe…"

She was disappointed to learn the interesting canes were not magic at all.  However the ugly helm and begemmed rapier were; also, to noone's surprise, the flame-whip was.

The room had a door to the left and right, but with three of the Freelancers still injured, they decided to suppress their curiosity and head back to Freelancers Villa.

Back at the villa, the Freelancers talked to Damakaios and Estarai, who was happy to identify the three items for them:  Vox Helm, which allowed its wearer to alter their voice; Torchbearer’s Reach, which lit things like a torch and struck like a whip; and Cinnabar Rapier, which was coated with a magically refreshing injury poison.

They relayed how the ghosts they encountered had all expressed anti-nekomata bias, and Tuala asked about it, "what that really a thing?"  Damakaios shook his head; he did not know.

Estarai explained, "Of course there are always racists; some are more prominent at this," she started, "Prior to the Comet, Pteroti and Garuda coexisted, but were still rivals.  Nekomata were like… spies, so there was distrust.  These activities evolved into the Shadow Cat monastery, and Order of the Star Cat."

Damakaios stroked his goatee, filing this information away for future.  Then he paid out the mission fee of 225 eagles each, and the Freelancers withdrew to rest and recover.