Dog Days: Session 4

Quick Disclaimer: The player who played the ferret Disaster from Session 3 dropped out of the game. 

When we last left our party, the meeting with the senator was set up at his warehouse with the Captain and the Captain was in full knowledge of the situation. 

The party arrived at the warehouse with the Capt. of the Guard in addition to some of his men with him and others to arrive for an ambush if needed. During the meeting with the Senator the Capt. explained that he know that the Senator was in league with the Governor and that he does not trust the Senator to take him into custody to prove his innocence. As who loyalties are where were trying to be discovered in a very tense situation (especially with trigger happy Roger) a brown rat dressed in a blue robe with gold stars on it and carrying a staff seems to appear of out nowhere explaining that he lost is precious jerboa Bobo (there were lots of gerbiling jokes made throughout the night) and asked if anyone has seen him. 

 As many questions are asked around trying to figure out who the hell this person is and if they were betrayed Thorin and Ghost hear noises of combat outside and watch the senator escape to his trap door with his guards. Thorin and Ghost inform the rest of the party what is going on and charge out of the door to discover the Capt.'s men mortally engaged in combat with the Governors soldiers. It is wondered by everyone who the Governor knew they were there. As the party enters the fray it does not look like it is going to end well. Various crossbow bolts, spells, and sword swings miss their targets as Thorin and Ghost take some mighty blows the draws blood. The tide soon turns with the help of the Thane's banging story telling skills which helps the party slaughter most of the Governors men and a final splash of acid to the face of the Sgt. after watching his fellow soldier next to him slip and take two swords to the chest was to much. The  Sgt. throws down his spear and orders a surrounded to his remaining troops. As one of the Governors catches a nasty sword cut to his back fleeing, Roger holds his pistol the the Sgt.'s head and asks him how he knew they were here. The Sgt. replies that the Governors men have spies all over the city and it was only a matter of time before the found the Capt. and who was helping them. Roger then states that is all he needs to know and pulls the trigger...During the lull in the chaos introductions are made and the party realizes that the Rat wizards strongly dislikes the status quo and helped them during the fight...

Now introducing the rat wizard Felcher, who grew up in Dogma and studied magic at one of the most run down and scorned magic schools and has a hatred for the status quo.

Shortly after this incident the part is approached by a beggar jingling some coin in his hat and says it is not safe here, the Governor has sent in the Calvary and numerous reinforcements will be here soon. The beggar also states that the Upright Man (who is the Thief Guild Master of the entire Triumvirate) wishes to meet with us. The party quickly decides that this is really the only option they have and they could use some help. The beggar leads them down a maze of alleyways to a dead in where the rat taps a pattern on the wall and part of the wall opens into another alleyway. The party was led through another maze of alleyways and finally to a waiting carriage with another rat smoking a pipe and everyone entered the carriage. During what seemed like the never ending ride some philosophical conversation is made and it is learned that the Upright Man is a hero among the poor people and especially in the slums. He only steals from the middle class and rich and does what he can to help protect the poor because no one else will. 

The carriage ride finally stops and as the party exists they find themselves in a large room with various other members of the thieves guild around. The party is instructed that to speak to the Upright Man they must leave all weapons behind and after the party disarms they are padded down and they find the dagger Thane tried to hide. The party is then led through a few doors and into a pitch black room that as soon as the last person crosses the threshold the doors slam shut and the hear it lock. A voice then appears to be all around them and introduces himself as the Upright Man and he explains that the Capt. is under arrest - not for the crimes of the ferrets (for that is reason alone to hang him) but for the crimes against the poor of the city. The Upright Man goes on to explain that the Capt. has failed to protect his people and has even facilitated various transgressions. After some back and forth conversation the Upright Man promises a fair trail for the Capt. as he is just and decisions are not pre-decided like the mockery of the courts of the nobles. Due to the parties actions, the Upright Man finds us trustworthy and he appreciates our treatment of the beggars, and he goes on to inform us that the Governor has hired a cat by the name of Sylvester to hunt us down. The very name sends chills through the party and Sylvester is known only by legend, the most blood thirsty assassin to every walk the lands. In hunting is prey, Sylvester will not only kill is mark, but people that come into contact with his mark as well (even if it is a chance meeting). The Upright man says he will give us aid to leaves the city and as long as we are in areas of his power, we can find help. 

 The party is quickly ushered out of the room and retrieve their equipment. During this time, one of the guild members gives them 1,000 guild pieces to split among themselves and a single copper coin that one side depicts a man with a very obvious broken back and the other a very tall man walking upright. The guild member then instructs us that we must show this corn to prove our loyalty to the guild but are also warned to not overreach or overstay our welcome. The party loads back up in the carriage and we are dropped off outside of the south side of the city. 

After some discussion, the party decides that we will head south into the woods (staying off roads and paths) then turn north to head towards Ratatia and Dogma as Thorin explains that he has some friends in the slums the might help.

Days upon days of travel bring nothing of interested until one morning Thorin notices smoke rising above the trees.  Thorin then whispers to the party and points to the smoke. It is quickly decided that Thane should go and scout it out and in an amazing vanishing act (a really obscene stealth check) Thane is able to scout out the area and finds that there is a small clearing with a mud out and no one else around. Upon Thane's return it is decided that everyone will approach the hut and upon entering the hut they find an impossibly old ferret with blind eyes and before a real conversation can start Felcher does not waste anytime offending the old ferret woman in ways that even man Roger look at him with disgust (this is a true feat) as everyone else shook their heads and muttered under their breath. It took some quick wit of Thane to recover the situation and we learned in a very cryptic way that danger is following us and the old ferret went on to explain that one of us will find no friends in Dogma except a few in the slums (but even that is a gamble) as the situation has worsened since one of the party members have left. This causes some side way glaces but nothing more. The party decides to leave the old woman alone even though Felcher tries convince the rest of the party to rob her. 

Many more days of travel ensue until the woods give way to grasslands and upon entering the grasslands the party spots some deer and as they are discussing if they should kill one to eat one a group of the chickens ambush two of the deer and start tearing into it. 

The party is spotted by the lead chicken which rears up and does a few fake charges at the party to try to intimidate us. As the party backs away very slowly it is discussed that young chickens can be domesticated as mounts and Thane breaks away (with another obscene stealth roll) to try to find their tracks so the party can find their nests. Roger follows Thane's efforts but the chickens catch their scent even though they could not see Thane or Roger and after some communication between the chickens they take rip off large chunks of meat and take off as Roger and Thane barely avoid them. It is quickly decided after that that it would be unwise to fight an unknown number of chickens actively protecting their nest and the party travels on. 

Another string of uneventful traveling (to the DM's dismay I am sure) leads to the discovery of small village and after a quick scouting mission it is determined that everyone will enter the village, resupply, gather intelligence, and hopefully a nights rest. After learning that an actual town is only 4 days travel away the party is charged for rations at a ridiculous mark up because winter is coming and offered a place to sleep at their supplies of rations house for the night but they have to sleep on the floor. During the dinner that their hosts provided they learn that the people hear rarely get any information regarding anywhere else unless someone comes through to trade or one of the villagers has no other choice then to make a long trip to one of cities or towns. The party also learns that recently a Warden of the Spine has came down from the mountains to trade and shared tales of strange magics and stranger beasts roaming the lands. 

After dinner the party goes to bed and sets up a watch. During Felcher's watch, he suffers a vision in the fire of a group of cats in the daylight traveling to the village and killing one of the outlaying farmers after the farmer gives the cats information regarding the party. Then Felcher wakes up the rest of the party and explains the situation. It is decided that is not safe for anyone to stay in the village and the party convinces the villagers to leave single file and head to the Warden's outpost in the Spine and the party will head in a different direction. 

This is where the session ended...