Group 1: Interlude Session: Of Marshmallows and Blades

Party: Fir, Detho, Rachel and Gryven

During the months following the rescue of Louix, the group meets on a semi-regular basis, swapping tales and generally warming to each other as familiar and trustworthy faces within Vertange.
Beyond that, they encounter some of the more prominent locals and take on jobs to maintain a certain level of survivable wealth, now that tales of bandits in the countryside drive up prices within the city proper.

Feeling the need to establish a fixed income, Rachel befriends Amelia, a young elven barmaid in the Jardin (she works in the Verdant Grove - a winery) and spends some time talking about the brewing process.
She thinks up a new concept (magical marshmallow flavouring), but due to the raw magical power she wields to get the tastes in the confection, the results are unpredictable. As this new dubious delicacy comes into the hands of Beiro Benotti, head of the Imperial Duelists, the man sees a commercial avenue in which these mystery mellows can work to great effect. He immediately forms a working understanding where Rachel's invention is marketed by the Benotti and she receives a small cut from the sales to upkeep her.

As she heads to tell her friends of this, during a classic midweek meeting/bender at the "The City of Perlis presents: Drinks" tavern, the group spots a lady being stalked by a band of shadowy figures and Detho decides to intervene.
Unbeknownst to any party involves, the figures had been overheard at the Skull and Crossbones pub down at the wharves by the rogue Gryven. Not one to stand idle while talk of kidnapping is uttered, Gryven followed the ambushers to the plaza where Fir, Detho and Rachel are enjoying the evening.
Detho, kicking hostilities off, rushes towards the suspected miscreants and Rachel launches a molten blob of marshmallow experimentation at the band, triggering Gryven to also strike.
Within moments of the fight kicking off, the group is standing over the bodies of the fallen. They get invited by the lady they saved, Honora Du Calle and spend the evening socializing. At the end of that evening, a new companion is found and onwards Gryven attends the meetings, happy to have found other foreigners in this city that mean well by him.

Detho, a few days later, draws the ire of the master of the L'Equichant kennels, Tangui L'Equichant, as a reaction to a loudly barking mastiff (aka 'punch it on the nose') is seen as an offense. Detho gets away, but feels like the man has had a bad impression of him. Getting back down to the Area Vulgaris, Detho lays low for a while and becomes fast friends with a halfling brawler named Aetius, in spite of the later's tendency to snip a purse or two while trouble goes down. 

Gryven, after a slightly more ... busy ... evening, gets into a spot of bother at a local pottery, where he smashes into a shelf, causing massive financial issues for himself. Luckily enough, Marco De Bouchee is nearby to assist him, in return for a favour at some point in the future. The deep pockets of the De Bouchee family provide and Gryven finds himself free from issues... for now.

Fir, in his pursuit of justice and proper behaviour around town, comes across evidence that the assistant of Trebatius Sumquaes has forged evidence for a trial. Presenting what he knows, he does not only free an innocent from the capital punishment, but also gets the real culprit executed. 
Fir is unsure if he is happy with this, but the glow of Scorchwyn's approval does ease the burden he has shouldered.

Spending some time with Detho to clear his head, Fir strolls the streets of the Jardin and takes in the breath-taking architectural marvels before being set upon by Lucius Tesodi. The expert tailor drags the pair into his store and offers them some of the finer couture available in the city, asking them to model these throughout the city when fancy takes them that way. A little bewildered, Fir manages to make his escape, while Detho seems happy to have a free set of clothes.

Rachel, wandering through the streets, gets challenged by a bunch of bullies, led by Brescia Du Calle. They steal her hat and try to force her into a fistfight. When this is going down, Fir hears the cries of his ally and decides to even the odds. As he arrives on the scene, the pair of heroes band together to create a memorable 'exploding donkey poop attack', which seems sufficient to no longer have to worry about the young Du Calle and they manage to get away, hat in hand.
Afterwards, Fir gets accosted by Appius, a local tour guide, with whom he bonds in his pursuit of making Vertange a little nicer for everyone who comes there. 

When Gryven is heading down to the Area Vulgaris, he meets a goblin named Eudoxius. The little sewer cleaner discovers Gryven does not mean her ill and offers him the comfort of her house (a standing wall and some creative tarp. They agree that she'll shelter him in exchange for food or weapons, whichever are easiest to come by for him. 

Detho, finally, gets round to meeting with Francois Du Treve and questions him about his sister.
Francois relates that, on charges brought by the De La Quinne family, Detho's sister is in the city prison under lock and key.

Group 1: Vertange "One-shot": Louix 2

 Party: Fir, Egil, Detho, Rachel and Vholanthus Sumquaes.

The group meets up with Rachel, who had stayed back at the Temple of the Order of the Scorched Oath.
A magnificent place in its own right, with a high domed ceiling and various portal-shaped rings on the outer wall, this place of worship is illuminated by a massive bonfire, ever fueled by acolytes of the God Scorchwyn.
Within the sturdy outer wall, in front of the altar where the chief priest would make his devotions, Rachel is studying the crystal vases that are used to donate the blessings of the Scorched Oath to those in need of light and warmth.

The group rejoices at being reunited with their friend and introduce Louix to another member of his 'guard'. They then proceed to meet Gerard, a devoted knight of the order, and the Abbot.
Measuring their worth, the Abbot allows the group to spend the night in the safety of the Temple's storage room. 
As the Temple is devoid of windows and entertainment, paired watches are set to avoid nightly ambushes.
Fir and Detho decide to spend some time tightening the bonds of their friendship by exchanging stories, while Egil and Vholanthis attempt (and fail) to come up with a way to allow Egil access into the ranks of the Varangian Guard of the Emperor.
The night passes uneventfully and come morning, the weary warriors suspect an ambush might be likely. 
They send out Gerard with a ruse, in full plate, to check if all is well before setting out themselves.
Sadly enough, this backfires as the noise of a fully armoured brute tromping through the streets set all the watchers on edge.
The moment the party is outside of the Temple and heads into the backstreets, arrows rain down and battle is joined. Proving height is not strictly an advantage when one possesses the powers of flaming wings, a combat capable monkey attached to said wings and a magically charged goblin, the ambushers are dispatched and the group moves on, Louix safely in their midst.
They bump into a drunken noble on their way, whom Vholanthus recognises as Robert Sumquaes, a fact he handily files away together with the coin on the man's person.
The group then heads, well in time, to the Court of the Lady of the Scales where the defense of their friend/ally/patron Louix is to take place.

As they do, they still ask Louix for more information on what he is to reveal that is so important it has led to their lives being endangered so oft. Louix eventually reveals that he has concrete evidence that Beiro Benotti, son of the lord Evaris Benotti, was not the cause of pregnancy for the lady Arretta Du Calle, as Beiro was at that time visiting the Empress herself on a personal request of that esteemed person. He, on behalf of lord Fabian L'Equichant, intercedes now and brings his testimony to avoid the marriage between the houses Benotti and Du Calle. Satisfied with this, the group escorts Louix to the Hall of Hearing, where the court will take its seat. 

When the Primo Giudice Iulius Sumquaes asks for the group to leave the courtroom, Vholanthus interjects with a bit of useful information on a family member and the combined pleading of the others, allowing the group to be present as curtains fall over the windows and assassins follow shortly after.
Again melee is joined and again it is the blades of Fir that slice down the foes, while wolfjaw and goblin fire combine with the might of Freicove's traditional bladesmanship and the hardy shield of Detho to lay low those lack the wits to run from the might of these warriors. 

Pleased that his testimony not only was heard, but that his life was saved a multitude of times, Louix rewards the party grandly, though their attention seems to be more focused on a note in the pocket of one of their aggressors.
It offers the sum of 650 gold to the party (whose names are convincingly signed at the bottom of the note) for the murder of Lord Marshall Durant Du Calle.
Iulius Sumquaes has gotten a good view of the groups talents and also offers his thanks and discretion.

Group 1: Vertange "One-shot": Louix

Party: Fir, Egil, Detho and Vholanthus Sumquaes.

The City of Vertange - AFB 97

In a city where secrets are a currency more dear than coin,
what you know can get you into trouble easier than what you don't know.

It all starts with a letter. A noble seeking assistance, offering to meet the party in the Area Vulgaris. 
The party decides to head over to a tavern known as the Abbeverato, where they arrive before their meet is due.
They seek out a table and are seen by the locals as... unusual. A group of Galetto swordsmen have been sizing up the fighters at the table and stake their claim on the party's coin.
A brutal fight later leaves all the attackers in the clutches of whichever deity would take their souls in the afterlife.

Conto Abbeva, the tavernkeeper, tries to restore order best he can but fails to do so before... "Don Inconnue", the alias used by monsieur Louix du Pleur de Nicheries, enters and seats himself at the party's table.
The group discusses the issues with Louix (and frankly, interrogates him), before discovering there are men who want to see him dead, because he is to bring testimony at the court of Scales tomorrow at noon.
What he asks from the party is protection so he can stand witness and he promises coin for their efforts.

The group takes him up on the offer, and after debating which location would serve best to keep him safe, head out for the Temple of the Order of the Scorched Oath, where Fir knows enough folks to ensure sanctuary and where Rachel, another friend, currently studies the deep Mysteries.

As the group makes their way there, they walk into an ambush and fight their way free, to arrive at the Temple for the evening.