The Temple of Death: Part Four

City of Plot:
In Madgen, the party remains innocuous as Morf immediately draws looks of suspicion. The party finds an inn (the Magden Arms) with nearby blacksmith and horse stabler. The blacksmith says it will take over a day to fit Lotus' new armour so the party has time to kick back.

With the Bard entertaining the crowd at the inn (and scoring free food and board!), the rest poke around at the local shrine and see a series of panels depicting a Holy Man (the Holy Men are the rulers of Hule) called Hosadus kicking ass and chewing gum. He looks like a nasty piece of work, but lived over 400 years ago, so obviously couldn't still be around.

After passing a completely uneventful night (uneventful, I say!), the party (sans Morf) hits the local market. The Bard has an idea that the party might be able to pass themselves off as a group of Prophets (who travel around, serving as judges), who are known to travel with a small child (Morf???) carrying a lantern and a dog. The order of the day is to get a dog, which they do, a small terrier now known as Emergency Food. (There is talk of turning him into a Zombie Dog but reason barely wins.)

While Habenath entertains a local thief (which did manage to yoink Lotus' money bag), the Bard, Kogaun and Lotus get a slab of plot from a travelling puppeteer. He had put on a favourite play about the Raiser of Greatrealm defeating a Storm Giant and earning the Storm Giant's service at his Temple of Death. The Raiser is also known as the Master, and may also be Hosadus (although possibly just related – that was 400 years ago after all...). The party also gets good directions (aka a map of Hule) to the Temple.

Escape to Danger:
That evening, a rainstorm breaks. As the blacksmith isn't quite finished yet, the party is once again at the inn, where a grizzled old guy strikes up conversation about where the party have been and what their plans are. Eventually the players... er, characters realise he is likely working for the Diviners (Hule's Gestapo Thought Police) and evade questioning. After he leaves, the party decide that running away is the better part of valour and plan to leave that night.

While Lotus is picking up his armour and the horses are being readied, the grizzled old Cleric Diviner returns with a group of Diviner fighters. Oops! However, Sleep and Hold Person are really useful spells, so the party only have to kill three of them (including the cleric), and earn themselves some Diviner cloaks and masks. Could be useful.

After leaving the remaining fighters in compromising positions, and taking the blacksmith with them, the party takes off into the dark and stormy night, knowing that they are now wanted criminals.


To Be Continued (Hopefully!)...