Loose threads: The Nameless Maid remains at large, despite some connection to Yataka; Devil Worship, Evaristo de Napoli offering communion services with devilkin in Javervale; Who this 'Tormen' is and relationship to Yataka
Participants:
Aeonrei Aeminus, Level 9 Universalist Wizard/Druid/Rogue
Sirxus, Level 9 Champion
Tarah Nirimaya, Lv 8 Monk
Cati, Level 7 Champion
& Ninja as the GM
Locations: Javervale
Within Javervale, Visited: Paragon Library, Luigi Tosto's Estate, The Minstrel Goblet
Significant NPCs: The Mantis, Halfling Assassin assistant, Yataka Genso, Tomen, Luigi Tosto, Luigi's Nameless Maid, possible sighting of Ingo Astrodius
Short summary:
Party met up with red mantis assassins and learned about Yataka Genso, a criminal from the Old World that has escaped justice and gone into hiding here in the new world. She's using her hobgoblin ancestry to hide among the Republic of Jagriarius in the city of Javervale. She's a notorious for use of occult, enchantment, or some psychic powers to target and mentally brain drain intelligent and scholarly individuals in society, leaving behind a catatonic husk. Aeonrei lead the party using the disguise of a bugbear merchant, performing an investigation that narrowed Yataka's activities to the manor of a republic researcher Luigi Tosto. After conducting an 'interview', Yataka revealed herself to be Luigi in disguise and challenged the party into a psychic duel. Lacking much battle experience, Yataka quickly found her own mind shattered, with Sirxus ending her life with the snap of a neck. The party fled as Javervale guards flooded the scene shortly afterwards.
Full Report
A meeting was arranged in seedy undertavern of our beloved First Landing, a basement bar for crooks and plans and schemes by the looks of it. The Mantis was to be our patron, an obvious Red Mantis assassin of at least seemingly honorable intentions. The Mantis has patronized other groups before with his assassination missions, documented in Martial Murder and Martial Murder II. I opted to keep to the naming scheme with this documentation as well.
Our task was to track down and 'gut' an infamous Hobgoblin by the name of Yataka Genso, as so eloquently put forth by The Mantis's companion. A round of questions was fielded about the mission, revealing:
- Yataka is an escaped criminal of the Old World, having managed to infiltrate the guild and The Portal using her charm, wit, and disguises. She has fled into the republic to use her natural ancestry of a hobgoblin to blend in into the Republic.
- It is believed she resides in the city of Javervale, not far from where our portals reach.
- Yataka is old, carries a foul disposition, and is capable of powerful mental magics or perhaps psionics.
- Her crimes often carry the Modus Operandi of targeting educated, scholarly, or intelligent members of society, closing in before eradicating their prestige with a Feeble Mind like effect. She has left behind husks of scholars in her wake, thus the mark for death by the Mantis
- Yataka's powerful mental magics has some limitations. She lacks means of flight or teleportation, so can be cornered. Her imagination is often lacking - making her list of disguises often well known and documented. All in all, she's not a creative sort.
Javervale and First Landing has had a tenuous history from its first contact. Javervale is occupied by House Astrodius, rather deranged nobility who lie, cheat, steal, and gaslight our agents to maintain their obsession of control. They have kidnapped one of our own, Mesper Sorgowin in Death Becomes Her, and it was by fortune a group of our own mounted a rescue mission in The Resc of Mesp. Needless to say, much of the challenge of this assassination laid in evading Astrodius as it did finding Yataka.
I have explained the 'what' of the task in great detail, but i'll surmise the how fairly quickly. We used disguises to enter Javervale. Gathered information in its key locations, particularly its largest library The Paragon. We heard a rumor that Yataka had met with a local scholar Luigi Tosto, who seemingly has been absent from public life recently. Connecting the dots, we arranged a meeting with Luigi.
The moment we implied Yataka in our meeting, 'Luigi' dropped the pretenses and revealed to be Yataka herself. The real Luigi was already the victim of her feeble minding, huddled in a corner of his own filth and hidden by mere illusions. Admittedly Yataka got the surprise on us, thrusting us into a mental construct of a palace or arena to be our battlefield.
Yataka demonstrated formidable mental prowess. She apparently split our party into two different mental constructs - splitting Tarah into her own fight while simultaneously fending off Sirxus, Cati, and I. Her weakness however lies in her lack of creativity - she had no strategy beyond the hope she could simply over power us. In a way the psychic duel evened the playing field - we were able to rally our summons to support and keep us safe while keeping Yataka surrounded and under heavy pressure.
When the final blow was struck, we were back in our bodies and Yataka was stunned in her own 'luigi' disguised rags. Sirxus broke her neck and ended the petty scoundrel. Her psychic spirit called out for a 'Tormen' however, cowardly begging for help. Each of us seemingly imparted with some knowledge Yataka gleamed from her victims.
I spoke with Luigi's maid after the battle was fought, and the woman looked spooked as she seemingly expected Yataka to appear rather than us. She was permitted to cover up with lies, and was also useful in informing me about Republic religion; a religion that deals more in devils rather than the divine. A man by the name of Evaristo De Napoli was a suggested contact in Javervale for those interested.
While it would have been ideal to stay in Javervale for a few more days to maintain pretenses, something tripped off the guards attention and caused them to breach Luigi's manor. Sirxus and I retreated to the outskirts of town, Cati and Tarah returned to First Landing to submit proof of our kill. According to Tarah's account of the guards, it seems like we attracted the personal attention of one of the Astrodius siblings; my guess might be Ingo Astrodius. An interesting quirk of their guard, I'd say.
The adventure, I would say, proved to be a neat and tidy affair at the end of the day. An assassin of Achaekek could ask for no more.
Secrets Kept,
- Aeonrei Aeminus
(OOC: the details of how the party tracked down Yataka, or why Aeonrei teleported rather than recalled, are purposely kept vague or omitted)