Session 17 The Ambitious Assassin
Blinking away the daubs of colour from their vision, the party spot that Silas has left a chest at the cave entrance. It contains 12 potions of healing. It seems they caught the ambitious assassin in the middle of moving Kurt’s loot to a new location. Cade leads the party into the cave.
The party gains 2 potions of healing each.
Bantonio ignites his torch to illuminate a squelchy underfoot. Glowing mushrooms feed from the slime on several large stalagmites. Arti raises their lantern flail, revealing thousands of needle-like stalactites in the cave ceiling. Chalky water drips from the needles into the stagnant pond on their left. Still invisible, Silas’ voice echoes throughout the cave.
“I’ll give you one chance, Cade. Forget you saw me. In fact, forget I ever existed… and leave now with your life.”
“I can’t do that, Silas. You have to answer for what you’ve done.”
“So be it.”
Silas to Cade.
A chain of explosions causes the cave to quake and stalactites rain down on the Six of Steel! Firien seizes Cade and the pair launch themselves out of the way just in time. Silas emerges from the shadows and plunges two poison daggers into Cade’s breastplate! Fortunately, Cade’s armour weathers the blow. Attempting to disengage, Silas is not prepared for Firien’s stalwart defence. The dragonborn swings their flail and grazes the assassin’s armour as he flees towards the shadows. Arti hooks their flail around Silas’ ankle, but he breaks free with a cunning manoeuvre.
Clambering over the rubble, Guy fires an incendiary shot at Silas, but the assassin is too fast. The bullet arcs into a growth of mushrooms, illuminating Silas’ route. Cade and Firien give chase. Gomruss spies another trap in the ceiling directly above Silas! With a mote of graviturgy, the chain of explosives slackens and falls at Silas’ feet. Bantonio plants his torch and pleads with Silas to stand down, but this seems to only anger the assassin further.
Firien’s fangs spark with fire, but Silas is not intimidated. He snatches up the chain of explosives and hurls it at Bantonio! A shock wave of heat washes over Bantonio as he shields his eyes. Cradling his popped ears, Bantonio looks around. Two of the explosives remain in tact with their fuses still burning. He picks up the nearest explosive and throws it into an empty chamber of the cave. It detonates harmlessly.
Blythe glares at Silas, examining her quarry’s movements. She looses a devastating two-arrow volley, halting the assassin in his tracks! Silas stares in horror at the arrows embedded in his chest and cuts away the shafts with his daggers. Firien and Cade back Silas into a corner. Charging forward, Arti scoops up one of the explosives. They press it into Silas’ back and demand he surrender. Silas moves to disengage only to find Firien’s spiritual weapon, the claw of Bahamut, blocking his escape.
“Drop your weapons, now!”
“Big mistake.”
Arti to Silas.
Silas takes a pouch from his belt and casts it to the floor. A shower of blinding sparks conceals his escape and he once again becomes invisible. Arti turns their keen senses towards Silas’ echoing footsteps. They throw the explosive! Thinking fast, Gomruss clenches his fist and purple magic traps both Silas and the explosive in a sphere of intense gravity. The invisible assassin heaves himself through the dirt, desperate to get away, only to be taken off his feet by Firien’s gust of wind.
The explosive detonates. Silas, now visible, emerges from the smoke cradling his wounds. Guy puts a bullet in his thigh. Silas’ knees sink into the mud and the assassin hangs his head in defeat. Cade approaches his estranged cousin.
“It’s over, lad. Lay down your arms. We can figure something out… we’ll speak on your behalf.”
“May Umberlee take you.”
Cade to Silas.
A surge of rage overwhelms Cade as he hears his father’s words. He begins beating Silas with the blunt end of his axe! Firien bellows the dwarf’s name as he raises his axe for a third time. The axe falls… and splits the rock beside Silas. Cade trudges towards the exit, leaving his axe behind.
While Firien tends to Silas’ wounds, Guy inspects the treasure of Kurt Beckonhand. There must be at least 6000 gold here! As he plucks a diamond necklace from the trove, he reconsiders. This was not the hoard of a pirate, but an Umberlant. Dismayed by his own conscience, Guy replaces the necklace and leaves.
“Do you know how difficult it was living with that rotting corpse of a man every day? He relied on me and Cade yet he chastised us at every opportunity. I didn’t have the luxury of leaving as Cade did.
“It isn’t worth dwelling on the ones who leave. The best revenge is a life well lived.”
Silas to Firien.
Gomruss returns Cade’s axe with a flourish of graviturgy and gifts the two dwarves custom Dice Monarchs sets. Cade thanks the Six of Steel for their help and returns to the pond to dwell on the night’s events. The party escort the bound and resigned Silas to the local guard barracks where they find an exhausted Constable Denover waiting for them.
“I should have known it would be you lot. It looks like you’ve done my job for me.”
“Again.”
“Perhaps if the Inquisition let me do my job…”
Guy taunts Denover.
Though he appreciates the Six of Steel were able to detain Silas, he reiterates that they stole a document from the crime scene, thereby obstructing his investigation. When Blythe explains that taking the fake will saved Cade’s life, Denover rolls his eyes. Having identified Silas’ magical boots as the murder weapon, Gomruss relinquishes the Thunderkickers to Denover.
“This is the last time, do you hear me? If you’re going to work for the Inland Guard, you will do so in my charge and in a professional manner.”
“Does this mean we’re on the books?”
Denover to Blythe.
The party advances to 5th level!