LogAn Age of High Adventure-Jason-4

Game log for the 2022/05/29 session of An Age of High Adventure, as taken by Jason

We are continuing last session's story! Kiana has failed to kill Prince Nikanuur, and now she's hiding in a different quarter of the city, hoping to avoid the minions of Baron Rakul. It's the early morning hours, and she's trying to sneak to a new spot. The marketplace is just setting up, and she can see one of the Baron's agents paying the vendors for intel on her location. She leaves a fake trail with a blood smear and then doubles back to elude them. She thinks it works, but someone rats her out and reports her whereabouts to the Baron.

Servants awaken Hediyeh and Ninsunu for breakfast. The Queen and the Baron sit at one end of the very large table, and Hediyeh at the opposite end. Hediyeh's willing to take on the task of bringing Kiana to justice; or perhaps, more likely, just a really bad end.

She goes to the roof and sneaks out of the manse. She waits for an opportune moment and them mingles into a crowd. A guard spot her and tries to follow, but loses her in the crush. She meets up with Musarra, who's been feeding well, and invites him to take a big ol' bite out of Kiana.

Aram decides to visit the siege. There are so many cranky people there that someone's bound to have some impulses in need of being let loose, right? Quite a few of the Baron's men turn out to be sick of this waiting and happy to try to bum-rush the wall.

Breakfast inside the manor is just ending when the guards report the attack underway. The Baron tries to make a move and force Ninsunu acknowledging him as Regent, but she refuses to give an inch, and he ends up having to agree to fight for her in hopes of future reward.

Aram's having a ball. The besigers have felled a palm tree to make a battering ram, and are banging on the gate. It seems like Rakul's compound might fall.

Hediyeh and Musarra prepare to enter Kiana's hiding place. Hediyeh tries to distract their prey while Musarra closes for the kill. Kiana sees Hediyeh and smells Musarra before they see her. She heads for the exit. Musarra expects this move and follows quicky. Kiana's got a bolthole in mind but Musarra's somehow faster and cuts her off. She knocks some random objects over and changes direction, headed for a door. Musarra's too fast again and catches up, and tells Kiana to meet the mistress. She agrees. Musarra binds her with her own sandal lace and brings her to Hediyeh.

Hediyeh asks her if there are other assassins, and Kiana assures that there are many more, far too many to stop. Hediyeh begins using Kiana's blood to create a binding spell for Aram. Kiana tries to get away from the sorcress' blade, and no matter how she struggls, the blade draws closer to her arteries... but no matter how Kiana squirms, she can't avoid the spilling of her blood. Now it's Musarra's turn! The spirits of the city begin coalescing. The basement of the fish-seller's shop begins to look like Night on Bald Mountain.

Aram senses magical forces aligning against him. Suddenly just watching the fighting and munching falafel loses its savor. He begins encouraging the defenders to abandon their lord, and only the Ninsunu has any hope of holding their loyalty. She tries to grab a spear and shame the man into fighting for her, but they will not. She and Baron Rakul have to run for it, and fight a skirmish on the way out.

Hediyeh turns Musarra loose on Kiana, who she took for dead. Kiana's a little tougher than that, though, and she's only playing dead. When Musarrah's just about to strike, she goes for his eyes. He's rather too ferocious to care about that, and he tears out her liver. Exit Kiana.

The city has given itself over to chaos. People are being killed in the street just for having coins bearing the King's likeness. Ninsunu and Baron Rakul sneak away, finding their way outside the city as it tears itself apart.

Hediyeh locates Aram. They discuss the state of the city, which might charitably be described as "chaotic" or perhaps "absolutely wrecked." She doesn't really rrust the demon and begins binding him into a bottle. Aram resists, and has plenty of chaos to draw upon. She instead binds him to teaching her how to prey upon people's worst impulses, as he does... once they leave the city.

Eruk burns, haunted by a liver-eating ghoul.