Last week I made a post about a choice I had to make in D&D and I said I would post a recap of the night. Well, the night split into two sessions since the party spilt and there was quite a bit going on… Anyway, let’s get on with. I’m going to try to avoid any proper names as they belong to my Dungeon Master. Player names are fair game as they are loser nerds what don’t deserve respect. Also, warning, long post is really -blam!-ing long. I was going to just recap my bits but I like oversharing. Also also, I didn’t really do much polishing so there will be irksome dialogue and errors. I’m not sorry. Our campaign is an Urban Fantasy/Noir type thingy. Think Fantasy New York. Our primary objective has been to catch a serial killer known as the Hightown Slasher. He got the name for his most prominent victims being members of high society, but we’ve discovered victims all over the city and a pattern in the shape of a constellation known as the Twins. One other thing that’ll come up are the constructs of the city, called “Marionettes,” that are mostly used as fancy servants and occasional performers in the wealthier districts higher in the hills. Some character info: [spoiler]- “Jane,” Warforged Hexblade Warlock/Rogue. My character was murdered and had her soul bound to a Marionette body. Basic amnesia plot, mostly. Trying to regain my memories. Was originally going to avenge my own death, but it turns out I was most likely killed by Kristof’s sister in self-defense and have some form of connection to the Slasher. I also have an Archfey Patron that likes to tease me. - Torvald, Dwarven Paladin, Order of the Crown. Former Captain in the City Watch. Currently has a bounty on his head after the Slasher framed him for the murder of the head of the Dwarven Mafia. Has a wife and three kids in hiding for their own protection. Still has a few allies in the Watch to help us out from time to time. -Kristof, Human Wizard, School of Abjuration. He comes from a noble family, is a student at the magic University, and has been investigating the Slasher for a bit before the campaign began. Also, his sister killed me in a theater and then was killed by the Slasher. He doesn’t like me very much, but we get along enough to work together. - Tulip, Firbolg Druid, Circle of Dreams. When we started, Tulip was a homeless addict with a large debt to a drug lord. She also volunteered at a free clinic in the poorer parts of town. She was sleeping in an ally the night of the theater murders and witnessed the Slasher fleeing the scene with a body (mine, we assume). Now, she’s clean thanks to Torvald, lives in our “office” provided by Kristof, and runs the clinic herself. Also, there’s a plague subplot that hasn’t really gone anywhere yet, but she wants to find a cure or something. [/spoiler] Now then, last session we found my character’s old apartment in the slums. there wasn’t much to find, the place had mostly been picked clean by thieves or possibly the Slasher himself, but we found a few leads. There was a pouch of magic components and some tools hidden in the floor boards that Kristof recognized as basic supplies provided by the University for students as well as a torn-up report sheet indicating I was failing an Enchantments class. We also found a badly burned letter from an orphanage with a name beginning with A and L. It’s something! When we returned to the Office, I discovered that someone had slipped a note into one of my coat pockets. It was from the Slasher. To sum it up, he has my corpse and wants to put me back together. He left instructions for where to meet. So, the next morning/session we decided to split up and check out both leads. I had a bit of time to kill before my meeting so Kristof and I hit the University. We didn’t have too much luck at first, they’re not exactly cool with us having a list of every student that has attended one of the handful of classes dedicated to the study of the School of Enchantment. So, we stole them. Turns out we are master thieves! I’m good at picking locks and Kristof is good at detecting and dispelling magical defenses! Unfortunately, they sort their records by LAST names so…we just stole all the rosters for the Enchantment classes. All 100+ pages of them. [b][u]SCENE CHANGE![/u][/b] Torvald and Tulip had a much easier time acquiring their list of names. Torvald just LIED ABOUT STILL BEING A CAPTAIN. Bad Paladin! NO! But yeah, that letter was apparently an invitation to a sort of “Family Reunion” of all the kids from a certain group. Torvald told more LIES and got a list of al those kids while Tulip played with some children that were amazed by her giant hairiness. As they left, a courier intercepted them and gave Torvald a letter from his wife saying she was worried and the kids missed him and stuffs. We all met up at the office and shared our findings and Torvald asked if any of us would come with him, just in case. Tulip said she needed to get to her clinic and I LIED about looking over the lists, but Kristof offered to come along. After they all left, I slipped out the back and went to the meeting with the Slasher. Now the fun begins! I arrive at a fancy restaurant in the hills and take a seat at a specific table as instructed, keeping an illusion up to hide my creepy soulless doll face. After a few minutes, another Marionette approaches and sets a plate of Devil’s Food Cake and another note with a gold piece in it down, motioning towards an empty table behind me saying a gentleman had ordered it for me. The cake fills me with a sense of nostalgia but doesn’t trigger anything else because I failed my memory check. The note instructs me to walk down the block and listen to the street performers play, then tip them the gold piece. I do so. Another few minutes pass and they finish their performance. I tip them and almost immediately a Half Orc approaches me and says he’s been told to retrieve me. I smile, thank him, and follow him towards his carriage. He opens the door and I enter to see a fancy man sitting across from me wearing a mask… [b][u]SCENE CHANGE![/u][/b] Tulip enters her clinic to discover chaos. There was an explosion in on of the factories and many Goblin and Kolbold workers were injured. She immediately sets to work casting spells, making skill checks, and just doing everything she can to help out. Then, larger Goblin in fancier clothes entered her clinic with a few Gnoll and Half Orcs behind him. Of course, it’s the drug lord she owed a sizable debt to. But to everyone’s surprise, his men weren’t holding weapons, they were holding crates and bags full of herbs and extracts. The goblin announces that they have healing properties and he’s giving them to the clinic free of charge. He then walks over to Tulip and reaches up to take her hand in both of his and says with a tear in his eye, “Your debt is forgiven. Furthermore, your clinic is now under my protection and I will be sending men weekly with more supplies to aid you in aiding others. Thank you for helping my people when no one else would.” Or something like that. I really liked that moment. Very wholesome and shit. [b][u]SCENE CHANGE![/u][/b] Torvald and Kristof meet up with his wife at their safehouse in a slummy apartment complex. She’s very glad to see him, but she never sent a letter. As they get ready to run, a Molotov crashes through the window of the apartment. They flee upstairs, intending to hop over to the roof of the next building and hopefully dodge any goons, but they’re on the rooves of the adjourning buildings waiting for them with crossbows. Kristof throws out some spells while Torvald protects his family as they run for the fire escape. Torvald uses one of his abilities to get everyone focused on him and tanks it all. His armor and shield are riddled with bolts but only about half of them managed to go deep enough to wound him. Still, my poor good boy isn’t feeling so hot when they get off the roof and right into the new Dwarven Mob Mosses trap. This bloodthirsty ass, son of the previous boss, has been hounding us all campaign. Luckily, he decides against killing everyone outright. He wants to be dramatic about it and loads everyone into separate carriages to take them to the docks. Luckily, Kristof had a bit of copper wire in his boot and managed to slip it out and cast Sending a few times. He informs Tulip, myself, and a friend we still have in the City Watch that took over Torvalds position. (Continued Below)