Mid Session Re-statting...
Mar. 20th, 2009 07:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Yeah, last night was one of those sessions that required the GM to leave the room and go and make coffee with a notepad as she worked out what to do. Sometimes, I can leave the party to it and they'll occupy themselves for an entire session and I can just sit back and laugh (and occationly beat down on them with NPCs). Sometimes, however, they make me think very carefully and very quickly when they do something really special.
To set the scene a little: The party are currently in Startin, a kingdom they have not spent much time in. They know the country is technically a monachy, but suspect that most of the power lies with the church. The mother church is here, and there is a heavy paladin presence. They know that Yangus ( a deity they helped raise) has influence over the paladins on the other continent, but they are not sure if he has made his presence known here yet.
The party have been doing reasonably well. By remaining largely honest about their goals, and not getting side tracked by stories they hear on the road, they have managed to get papers, get across the boarder and travel for several days across the country without incident. They've even stayed in several inns without a problem. Now that they are about a day away from their desination, all this is about to change.
The party stop in a nice little town, stock up on pastries and head into the inn for a meal. Unlike the last place, the meat really is what the inn-keeper claimed and the ale isn't watered down at all. Bandez suggests a performance to earn some money in case they need it in the capital, and suggests sleight of hand or tumbling to Esselt. Esselt goes upstairs to get changed into something more suitable and puts on a paladin of Yangus tabard that he has picked up earlier. And then comes down to the common room.
The innkeeper is at first horrified that he has charged paladins for their room and returns their money. But he quikly realises that something's wrong. Paladins always travel in teams of four; they are never seen without their uniform; and they don't drink. So he goes out and flags down the nearest patrol. This being the main road to the capital, it's not far away.
Four paladins burst in, seize Esselt and shackle him. The rest of the party come down to see the shit hit the fan. Charles tries to explain that they will come quietly if they are not shackled, but paladins aren't going to change their orders, no matter how reasonable the request. Paladins aren't used to backing down. So a fight kicks off. The party aren't doing too badly, they haven't scratched the paladins much, but they are holding their own and Talia's managed to escape out the window.
This all changes when a second goup of paladins arrive, bearing the symbols of Yangus. These ones are able to cast magic, and quickly turn the fight. By now, Esslet, Charles and Turk have been caught, and Turk is now blind. Talia is quickly apprehended and Bandez has legged it. In order to try and draw him out, one of the paladins threatens to slit Talia's throat, but he calls their bluff and stays hidden. So the palandins tie everyone to their saddle and ride off, leaving Bandez behind.
After the session, there was talk of the worst possible rescue party Bandez could arrive with. Ralph and Ged were mentioned, but Marcus decided that the worst one would be a group of battlebards led by Zephyr and if that was his only means of escape then Esselt would choose to stay in his cell.
To set the scene a little: The party are currently in Startin, a kingdom they have not spent much time in. They know the country is technically a monachy, but suspect that most of the power lies with the church. The mother church is here, and there is a heavy paladin presence. They know that Yangus ( a deity they helped raise) has influence over the paladins on the other continent, but they are not sure if he has made his presence known here yet.
The party have been doing reasonably well. By remaining largely honest about their goals, and not getting side tracked by stories they hear on the road, they have managed to get papers, get across the boarder and travel for several days across the country without incident. They've even stayed in several inns without a problem. Now that they are about a day away from their desination, all this is about to change.
The party stop in a nice little town, stock up on pastries and head into the inn for a meal. Unlike the last place, the meat really is what the inn-keeper claimed and the ale isn't watered down at all. Bandez suggests a performance to earn some money in case they need it in the capital, and suggests sleight of hand or tumbling to Esselt. Esselt goes upstairs to get changed into something more suitable and puts on a paladin of Yangus tabard that he has picked up earlier. And then comes down to the common room.
The innkeeper is at first horrified that he has charged paladins for their room and returns their money. But he quikly realises that something's wrong. Paladins always travel in teams of four; they are never seen without their uniform; and they don't drink. So he goes out and flags down the nearest patrol. This being the main road to the capital, it's not far away.
Four paladins burst in, seize Esselt and shackle him. The rest of the party come down to see the shit hit the fan. Charles tries to explain that they will come quietly if they are not shackled, but paladins aren't going to change their orders, no matter how reasonable the request. Paladins aren't used to backing down. So a fight kicks off. The party aren't doing too badly, they haven't scratched the paladins much, but they are holding their own and Talia's managed to escape out the window.
This all changes when a second goup of paladins arrive, bearing the symbols of Yangus. These ones are able to cast magic, and quickly turn the fight. By now, Esslet, Charles and Turk have been caught, and Turk is now blind. Talia is quickly apprehended and Bandez has legged it. In order to try and draw him out, one of the paladins threatens to slit Talia's throat, but he calls their bluff and stays hidden. So the palandins tie everyone to their saddle and ride off, leaving Bandez behind.
After the session, there was talk of the worst possible rescue party Bandez could arrive with. Ralph and Ged were mentioned, but Marcus decided that the worst one would be a group of battlebards led by Zephyr and if that was his only means of escape then Esselt would choose to stay in his cell.