Session — 06/16–06/22/989
Chains, Fire, and the Door Beneath the Beauty
Return to the Black Boar Inn
The Blades returned to the Black Boar Inn under a heavy sky. Word traveled fast in Skade, and the inn was thick with tension. Guards in ill-kept chain mail lingered nearby, carrying food out to someone unseen. A minor noble—the Count of Skade, resplendent in a small crown, red robe, and an aggressively frilled shirt—kept to himself, a book carefully hidden away.
Justly the Snakeoil Salesman wasted no time. Corwin Thorne and Mol Potts met him privately and delivered their report. Corwin spoke carefully, keeping their discoveries vague but useful. Justly listened, nodded, and then revealed his next move: his mercenaries had identified several “witches.” They were already bound for Strangeways, where justice—of a sort—would be delivered.
Zel Cunningham visibly paled when Justly mentioned Elf Hunters. On the road outside, a cart creaked past carrying four prisoners. One woman in a blue dress smiled serenely. Another reached out toward Zel, eyes pleading. The mule pulling the cart was old, slow, and utterly indifferent to the weight of its cargo.
Corwin suggested horses—to outrun Justly’s procession and reach Strangeways first. No one believed they would find any.
The Long Road Home
The journey back took days. On the road, Ooby the Goblin emerged from the brush, cheerful and fearless, announcing his intention to travel to Strangeways with Zel. He declared himself fluent in four languages—Common, Common, Goblin, and “Common”—and immediately proved useful by starting fires and hunting dinner (mostly squirrels).
That night, Mol told Ooby a story: a parable of a goblin named One Shoe who ventured into the wider world, learned much, and survived by knowing when to stay unseen. The lesson landed. Zel entrusted Ooby with a letter for Hammond at Strangeways Manor, detailing what had happened after Tinky’s message was sent. By morning, Ooby slipped away toward the Duke’s estate.
Corwin suggested a change of plans—Zel and Leda might be safer heading straight to the Duke rather than returning to town.
Strangeways Manor
At the manor, Zel and Leda found Hammond instead of the Duke. Duke Elric Strangeways was away for several days. Ooby, astonishingly, was already inside—pressed into service as a scullery maid. Leda Gebhart passed the time by tending the overgrown gardens, trying to look inconspicuous.
Strangeways
Strangeways itself was restless.
Farmers gathered in their best clothes. Fires were being prepared. One victim was already burning—an elf sympathizer, the wife of a merchant from the square. Rumors churned through the crowd.
Zel and Leda uncovered an old circle of bricks etched with faint runes, long ignored. Their conversation turned grim. Leda voiced the fear neither wanted to name outright: what if the hunter took their parents next?
At the town square, the crowd was thick. Zel searched desperately for her parents and found nothing. Corwin spoke with his father, Garrick Thorne (Constable), while Nazyn the Mage Hunter announced he had identified another sympathizer. Ophelia Gebhart (Mayor) was present, speaking with Sister Allison (Dead) before the Church of the Beauty (Temple).
Then the cart arrived.
The Burning
Nazyn declared he had not found an elf—but a witch.
Gan Porter, wife of the Holly Bush’s owner, was dragged forward in chains. She raved about Baphomet, about legions and beasts. Zel recalled Gan as sharp-tongued, severe, and unsettlingly articulate. Leda recognized the demon’s name at once: Lord of the Labyrinth, beasts, and betrayal. Mol thought he glimpsed the mark of a bull’s head burned into Gan’s flesh.
Nazyn asked for her last words.
Gan cursed them all.
Mol tried to turn the crowd. Corwin retreated into the inn to console Gan’s husband and quietly investigate whether this execution was convenience rather than justice. Zel sought out where Nazyn was staying—the inn itself.
Then a scream tore through the square.
The Church of the Beauty
The scream led to the church.
Sister Allison (Dead) lay crumpled on the stone, eyes burned away, a stab wound in her body—cauterized, precise, horrifyingly familiar. The acolytes wept. Garrick Thorne stood nearby, shaken. Leda’s examination confirmed the worst: the wound matched the method used to kill the necromancer in Skade.
Mayor Gebhart was furious.
Zel spoke quietly with Sister Margaret, an old acquaintance. Only Sister Allison had carried the keys to the crypt. Margaret took them now and ordered everyone out.
Corwin tried to linger. Mol searched for signs of demon worship and found none. Zel and Corwin attempted to slip into the crypt but were caught. With grim irony, Garrick placed Nazyn in charge of the investigation.
Zel argued—cleverly, quickly—and convinced them the Blades should assist.
Corwin gathered Mol and Gideon. Leda, meanwhile, was at home being scolded for dirt, gardening, and disobedience. When she returned, Ophelia’s anger only deepened.
Nazyn left for the inn. Garrick departed. Zel pressed Margaret again—and this time, the sister relented.
Beneath the Church
The crypt was quiet. Too quiet.
Seven tombs lay in the floor, others stacked in the walls. Candles burned beside some names. A curtain hung at the far end, stirring faintly.
Mol searched for infernal signs. Nothing.
Corwin studied the statue and felt unease he could not name.
Leda searched the walls—and found it. The curtain concealed a slit of darkness. A stone, worn smooth, sat where countless hands had pressed it before.
The party argued. Should they stop? Report this? Wait?
Zel stepped into the darkness without another word.
The others followed.
They barricaded themselves in the hidden passage and rested, the weight of fire, chains, and secrets pressing down on them.
The date turned.
06/22/989
And whatever lay beneath the Church of the Beauty waited patiently in the dark.
Next Session Reminders
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The hidden passage beneath the church
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The fate and motives of Nazyn the Mage Hunter
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The truth behind Gan Porter’s execution
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What Sister Allison was guarding