Week Nineteen, Day One

 

            Having used the small side room to rest in the team is not so very far from the well.  First thing once they awaken they make their way back and check to see if any more targets are to be found.  A few are, and Jeffery manages to fill his dagger.  Much like Lilly did he trades his dagger in for a longsword.

            Believing they are otherwise done here for the time being the team attempts to make its way back the way it came.  Much like before on the way in they hear giggling and laughing behind them.  Light passed over the area reveals a bunny, crouched over with its paws over its eyes.  It turns back slightly to look at the group before creeping forward and away from them.  Grey Eyes decides to play along and follows.  Jeffery is the first to notice that this one is not alone as creeping up behind Grey Eyes is a second.  No one says anything as this one gets right up behind her before grabbing at her legs.  Grey Eyes feels the numbness of a life drain effect but it does her no harm, likely due to her strong spirit.  Soon after the “attack” the two specters run off laughing.

            The rest of the trip to the more modern sewers is straight forward enough, but the trip trough it is anything but.  Grey Eyes decides to map the way back in case they use this route again.  Going from memory they have a few wrong turns but do not run afoul of anything before finding the way they came in.  They seal the entrance once more and return the key as asked before resting for the day.

 

Week Nineteen, Day Two

 

            Having just finished a long-planned trip the group settles for a simple patrol of the area they were assigned.  During their patrol they come across Terra, who was heading to see them anyway.  She came by to do a few introductions to the other resources in the area in case they are needed.  The first stop is the medical team which is situated on the city border.  The team is composed of the leader, Quincy and his assistance Kirsten and Amanda.

            The medical facility looks functional and furnished by what looks to be mostly home-made equipment and materials.  Seeing this Grey Eyes notes to herself to ask her parents if their workplace might have a few used or otherwise unused sets of equipment she could donate.  Knowing they have a place to go if hurt they leave to make a visit to the surveillance team.

            Arriving at what Terra says is the right place they find only one individual there.  She tells them the rest of the team is out just now on assignment and she herself was just dropping by for a bit of refreshment.  The team is made up of three, Oswald, the leader and his two underlings Fiona and Lorna.  It is their task to see who comes and goes, as well as regulars who are not seen for a while to deal with disappearances.  Should there be any problems they send word to the appropriate team or teams who are then to handle it.

            The next stop and perhaps the last for the day is what Terra terms the “Force” team.  She seems hesitant about going but leads the way to the border downs where the team is located.  She raps on the door to announce her presence before quickly hopping to the side.  Nothing sudden happens other than the door opening.

            The one answering says his name is Earl and claims to be the group leader here.  He invites them all into what looks to be a rather run down house with trash in every corner.  He asks them who they are; Luke states they are here to redecorate.  Earl seems to agree the place could use a touch up.  A doe comes in from what is likely the kitchen area and also asks them all what they are doing here.  She is also told they are here to redecorate.  She too agrees that the place could use something and offers to help.

            As she leaves Earl says “That there is your problem you just made”.  The doe returns, named Miranda apparently, with a jug of some liquid she is pouring on the floor from the kitchen into the living room.  The team determines from the smell that is it most likely some sort of flammable chemical.  It is quickly cleaned up with cantrips as everyone is starting to guess what would happen next.

            Earl says the rest of his group is likely still in the kitchen.  Being at least a bit curious Luke goes that way to have a look.  Three bucks are seated around a table drinking something that smells like lubricant for electrical machinery.  He takes a seat and joins them, they do not appear to care or notice he is a stranger.

            Still talking with the team leader and Miranda, they find that they also refer to each other as Dillan and Jane.  Its becoming clear that they are either giving false names or really do not know who they are.  They way they talk and act seems to suggest they are either not in their right minds or are otherwise intoxicated with something strong.

            Dillan calls everyone out from the kitchen to make introductions.  The whole group of them appears to be half-wits but still a close unit.  All accounted for the members are Dillan, Jane, Grant, Noland and Timothy.  Asking about what Dillan and his group employ as weapons he lets them know that they have a stash in the basement.  The presence of a stash of weapons is of both personal and tactical interest so they ask if they might see this stash.  Dillan seems okay with the idea and so everyone moves downstairs.

            The basement is of the small, earthen sort.  The entirety of the basement is nearly filled ground to ceiling with shelves upon which are cases of ammunition and grenades.  The grenades seem to belong to Jane and each is hand-crafted; small ears attached and painted with eyes and noses.  A quick look reveals there are some cases of newer and expensive ammunition that seems out of place for this unsophisticated team.  Dillan says they are “sponsored” by some guy in a suit and combed back hair he calls “Slick”.  This news is of great interest, it seems the Harrows are not totally independent.

            Jeffery gets it into his head he would like to have a match against one of the other bucks.  The challenge is accepted, but instead of a one-on-one Jeffery finds that two more join in as support for their comrade.  As Jeffery is now facing as three-on-one Luke steps in to aid him.  Although Luke manages to get a successful sleep spell cast on Timothy, Noland and Grant still pummel them down.  They are stronger than they look but also slower.  From what Dillan says they are also receiving some sort of “juice” that improves their combat performance.

            While it is obvious now that Dillan and his team are both supplied and capable there is another team that deals with situation that Dillan cannot.  Dillan explains there is a group that works with the less straight forward and honest problems.  For the moment rich with new information and two members battered the team returns home with plans to see this “other” team soon.  As Grey Eyes and Lilly are not in need of rest as much as some they use what time they have to be of service to Dlar.

            Grey Eyes is interested in finding someone available quickly while Lilly takes efforts to find someone with curvy features above average.  Grey Eyes hires someone named Deneece as a prostitute while Lilly hires a Sindy.  Neither of these two is happy with the idea of entering the downs and asks for extra pay before doing so.  Grey Eyes and Lilly lead them downstairs with now practiced ease and offer them to Dlar while the pair stands still in shock.  After the meal is over Lilly and Grey Eyes loot the discarded clothing; twelve wafers from Sindy and five from Deneece.

            With this duty done they return to the main floor and look for Kati.  They find her tending matters and take this chance to talk about a few trades and about the upcoming party they have planned.  Kati lets them know how much funding she has secured since they last spoke and go over a few details on what to order.

 

Week Nineteen, Day Three

 

            Understanding they are now deep in both time and rank within the Harrows the team has a chat about plans for their task.  For now they wish to continue to observe and gather information on any other teams and their capacities.  They opt to patrol their given area to satisfy the expectations made of them.

            Only a short time into their patrol they come across an individual in a dull-yellow robe that covers them completely.  This person stops in front of them as if in challenge, but it takes only a few moments for them to guess it is Anosa.  Anosa is not very much impressed she is so easily identified even without being fully visible but gets down to business in spite of it.

            Anosa has come to them in order to lead them to the last of the Harrow teams in the area personally.  This last team is one of mystics of a sort as she puts it.  The only real mystic is Earl, the leader, the other three, Fiona, Jody and Miranda, are all Ohrnomancers.  Once at the house being used by the mystic team Anosa knocks on the door and starts to leave immediately, wishing the team good luck.

            The door is answered cautiously by Miranda who invites them in once they identify themselves are Harrow.  While it is true Earl is the only real practitioner of the Art here it is the other three that run the place.  Earl sits alone in his room producing scroll after scroll for the use of his parasitic team mates.  When asked why he bothers Earl flatly states “They can make his life very hard or very good.”  A few attempts at trade are made and the team gains a few new spells for their efforts, mostly by just coping what they wish while Earl is busy.  Luke also searches the rooms of the three girls, finding they keep wands, rings and other expensive stuff.  He pockets one of the rings for himself before the team finally leaves.

            Happy with their newly gained arcane material it is decided they simply return home and rest for the day.

 

Week Nineteen, Day Four

 

            Much like the day before it is decided that patrol would be a safe bet.  Today’s patrol turns up a team of three enforcers in the downs which means as Harrows they have a job to do.  Krystal decides that they should be left alone for now and just followed.  As it turns out the enforcers were leaving the downs anyway and no real action on their part is needed.  Luke for some reason follows the enforcers out of the downs while the rest of the team returns home.

            Once home they find they have mail.  The envelope they have is from their surveillance team and simply states there is an issue just a few blocks away.  Wanting to look reliable they make their way to the area marked immediately.  It does not take them long to discover just what the “issue” is.

            A bloody trail of dead marks the path of a single individual who uses little more than a pitchfork as a weapon.  Once they find him his black and leaking aura marks him as a reaver.  Trying to prevent any more civilian deaths than there have been already they attack to get its attention.  With auras as bright as they have they likely did not even have to attack it to earn attention.  While the reaver moves quickly Grey Eyes and Lilly move faster by use of expeditious retreat.  Using a little shoot and run they try to lead it around while they wear it down, but their attacks do not seem to be having the desired affect.  After a short time of trying to run ahead of it they turn to find it is gone and a door on a nearby house smashed open.

            By the time they turn around and run back the reaver has already killed the three offspring of a family and is about to turn on the parents.  Grey Eyes tries a sunder shot on the reaver’s pitchfork breaking it.  With its attention renewed she runs back out into the streets to fight it again.  Still their attacks make little headway and it looks like there is no end in sight.

            In the middle of the renewed hit and run the reaver is struck by a web spell which only roots it in place for a moment as it realizes what happened.  The web is struck moments later by a fireball which sets fire the both the web and reaver.  A series of magic missiles and an ice storm hit next, followed by a scorching ray and another set of magic missiles.  This barrage of magic manages to cut the reaver down thankfully.  Grey Eyes and Lilly turn to find it is the members of the mystic team that came to deal with the problem as well that brought in the extra magic firepower.  The mystic team teases them for trying to take such a thing on by themselves like that, but Grey Eyes and Lilly feel it was better to try than to let it keep on killing any longer.

            Each team going their own way they depart and head home.

 

Week Nineteen, Day Five

 

            This turns out to be a full day of rest.  Both Lilly and Grey Eyes suffered wounds from their fight with the reaver and need to recover.  Luke takes this free time to learn fireball which he got from Earl.  Jeffery spends his day with Kikah and Luke and Krystal use their medical skill to assist Grey Eyes and Lilly in their recovery.

 

Week Nineteen, Day Six

 

            Mostly back up and ready again they opt to do a little patrol of their area again for two hours then move to the boarder area to finish up.  In their patrol of the border area they come across another Harrow team, one which they do not know.  This team of three is made of up Chris, a mage, Edd, a fighter and Slayer, a visibly disturbed individual that carries a very solid looking metal instrument.  From inspection Grey Eyes and Lilly pin Slayer down as a reaver, on that does not appear to attack on sight.  His instrument seems a bit less than functional for music than they are comfortable with.  Slayer says its really just a weapon that looks like something less threatening so he can carry it around anywhere without security problems.  Grey Eyes asks if she can try to lift it which Slayer allows.  She guesses the object weighs somewhat around four-hundred pounds, which Slayer has been known to swing one-handed.  Everyone pretty much crosses off any ideas of fighting Slayer head-to-head.

            While Edd and Chris are of much less interest Grey Eyes and Lilly keep asking Slayer questions about him and his past.  He says things are kinda fuzzy for him past wise, but he recounts what he can recall.  He remembers the enforcers had him and were going to execute him, but so far as he knows this did not come to pass.  He woke up outside of his prison with other people, he thinks, and he just walked out.  After that day he found he had tremendous strength, no need to eat or sleep and a slightly greater blood thirst as slaughter was at least slightly more enjoyable than he remembered it.  Both the necromancers figure that he was indeed put to death, but was reborn a short time later as a reaver while he was laid out in the morgue.

            Since they are both Harrow, they decide to finish up their patrol for the day together as a larger group.  Lilly and Grey Eyes use that time to keep notes on Slayer to try and determine the extent of his strength.  Other than this the patrol is thankfully uneventful.  They part ways on decent terms and the group heads home.

            Grey Eyes and Lilly return to keep Dlar a little company and prep for the party tomorrow.  Kati has sold a few of the scrolls donated by them for the event and made twenty-five wafers.