I got my nose to the ground again right after breakfast. I had a hunch that Brandyleaf Mousenut was in the game. My contacts told me he was in town. To look at he was nothing. Just another barefoot, fatgut Halfling with a pipe and an eye for an extra meal. In reality he was as dangerous as red dragon guarding her egg. I knew he had offed some serious clout in Karameikos and Thyatia. Well, I was going to mix it up with him. I needed a word and this might be what I needed to get the target out into the open.
Notes: I rolled an investigation scene. It was 'Ambush a dangerous Actor'. The dice then produced an elite halfling assassin for me. Ok, I can roll with that.
Brandyleaf was laying low at a highbrow eatery on the good side of town. I spotted him immediately as I went into the main room. He was the one with enough plates of food before him to keep the entire army on the campaign trail. The empty plates beside him told a story of their own too. I needed to get near enough to add some herbs to his food but I needed a distraction first. It could not be too obvious. This guy new the business and would recognise something off immediately. Fortunately I had a plan. My herbs would do the trick. There were a couple of others in the room near the Halfling. I joined their table and ordered lunch. As I reached for the jug of water I sprinkled some herbs on the nearest guy's food. Then I waited. It did not take long after he tucked in. Suddenly he retched. I got ready. Then he sprang to his feet, falling over the bench we were sitting on. He scrambled up again clutching his hand to his mouth, retching all the time. I jumped up to avoid the rush and stumbled against the Halfling's table. I was too slow. The Halfling grabbed my arm as his other hand grabbed his knife and thrust it at me. I wriggled and dodged but he still ran a line across my ribs (-2 HPs). I managed to get my arm back and let rip with a spell. He froze, off balance and then toppled to the floor. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to murder me, but he could not move at all. I grabbed him and hightailed it out of there. I needed my quiet shack for the next bit.
Notes: Brandyleaf Mousenut (HD6, Elite Slayer). I chose this to suit his character and reputation. I made the test to put poison in his food an opposed one and he won easily. This meant that he got the drop on Marta. She broke away after being knifed and cast a Hold Person spell, which he failed very badly. So much for the Elite Slayer bit then. Bad luck can get anyone. Using spells in this part of town raised the Heat by 2.
Back at the shack I got to work on Brandyleaf. I strung him from the rafters and waited for the spell to wear off. I also cured my knife cut and swore to get some better armour next time I took on an elite assassin. After he came round, I explained his options to him. He could die here and now or he could tell me how to get into the target's home without setting off any traps or alerting the guard. If he told me right and I made it back, I would free him and let him live. He quickly told me what I wanted to know. There was no percentage in silence for him.
Notes: With 10 victory points Marta moved to the final action scene. I rolled 'Convince an Actor ally of the foe to betray them'. She succeeded easily.
That night the new bride of Eltheriem Chossum killed herself with poison after penning a note decrying the perverted and corrupt practices of her new husband. She gave the note to a messenger and sent him off to deliver it to Chossum's biggest rival in town. Looked like New Chossum would be in for a shake-up then. Brandyleaf was not in the shack when I returned. Probably best for him. I could not let him live with what he knew. I was a worried he might try something, but once I was out of town and into the forest we were on my turf. He was a townie and knew it. I'll keep an eye out for the Halfling, but I don't expect him to come after me unless there's money involved. Honour is not enough motivation for him.
Notes: So, that's Marta's story. We may see her again or we may not, as the gods will it. I'll return to Broneslav next week.
Marta
Level 3 Cleric
Hit Points 12
Herbalism 2
Streetwise 3
Long Distance Runner 1
Contacts in the Veiled Society 1
Spells: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Magic, Hold Person
Adventure
Threat: 3
Marta's Victory Points: 10
Target's Victory Points: 3
Heat: 3
Clues: 1
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