The Power of Stealth
Ann-See's character wasn't around this week, so she was put on 'follow' and we continued the adventure to infilitrate the seditious underground movement occurring in the city slum. Dexter makes a running journal entry for the benefit of Ann-See, although 'benefit' may be the wrong word for it. Some of the names have been changed because we simply can never remember them. We even have trouble with party member names, as Ann-See is referred to as 'Bunny Ears' in the following.
We are invited to Ammeretto's study for a discussion following our victorious bout in the arena. Dexter convinces her that we were no great fans of the city and its officials by means of brute honesty, and we are invited to meet her later that evening.
So on we go. Dexter tells Illoya that she can't join us, much to her disgruntlement, and we set off to meet them outside the arena. Radish is despatched to buy some flowers to appease her.
We meet Ammeretto and are led through the maze of Beggars Flow to a building much the same as any other. Inside, go down, past some guards into some persuasion of temple, to hear Ammeretto's monologue. She's crazy, and bent on general chaos and destruction, and wants us to join her cause.
Then there is a scream from upstairs, and Illoya is brought down by the guards - she'd followed us here, and sold us out, telling Ammeretto that we are working for Councillor Bloke. It turns out that she's working for Councillor Other Bloke, and was sent to spy on us and find out what we're up to, and was now desperately trying to save herself.
So we convince Ammeretto that, while we were sent here on those grounds, we were still prepared to throw in our lot with her instead. Suitably satisfied with our high rolls, we are set to lead a band to ransack the city. So Ammeretto tells the guard to kill Illoya as she's now disposable.
Conscience gets the better of Dexter, who charges Sandpit (of Slayer fame, set to dispose of Illoya), and intervenes, and the guards and some curious otherworldly dogs that I haven't mentioned in my recap but which were there all along attack. We beat a hasty retreat out of the cellar, vision limited by an acidic cloud thrown up by the dogs. When the cloud dissipates Sandpit, Ammeretto and the dogs are gone. We're mid-fight against some guards above the cellar, ready to pull the building down.
Bunny Ears is on the brink of death, and outside of the building, while Geoff, Dexter and Tor (will remembered with a Cairn) are inside dealing with the last couple of guards. Bunny is on the brink of death, but hasn't had healing yet, since I haven't reached her, and we forgot she could do that herself.
So that's about it.
And what of me? Well, knowing about the meeting in advance and not being an official member of the Dexter's Midnight Dancers gladiator team, and thus not directly invited to the meeting, I decide to tag along unofficially by hiding in Ammeretto's office before the meeting takes place. I would be able to hear all the happens and be available should anything go wrong. And something did go wrong, of course. Unfortunately, what went wrong initially was that the party met Ammeretto outside of the arena and she then led them away to a secret cellar, some distance away from her office inside the arena. It was awfully quiet in the rafters above her office.
Thank goodness for Dexter's journal, otherwise I may have been up there for quite some time.