S29: Working Nine to Five (feat. Dorus)

As our crew gets to work they are uncertain if their new 9-5 routine is the way to go -- except Fey who expresses that this may be as good as it gets and is ready to lay down roots. According to Jivers, the rest of the party perform their new janitorial duties anywhere from good to could-use-some-work. Fey is busy stealing various goods from the pantry, explicitly against Jivers’ direct orders. Nom is loitering in staff quarters politely asking Jivers to refrain from backside shenanigans in the future. Dorus is busy hanging decorative shields in a back room as Jivers makes some plans for some upcoming bro-time. Mokon is masculinely carrying bags of coal and testing the boundaries of locked gates. And Alora appears to have swept Jivers completely off his feet (or at least on par with Dorus) explaining her talents lie in performing… in various ways -- Jivers walks off red faced and flustered.

As the group continues to “work” they begin to hear distant bells chime. Jivers’ voice booms through halls and corridors in a much more panicked manner than before. “Alright people, a culling is imminent. Lock the doors. Bar the windows. Turn out the lights. And proceed to the safe room.” Mokon, Fey, Nom, and Alora race to Jiver’s voice unsure of what is happening. He quickly gives a summary of what is about to transpire now pleading with the group to do their jobs and lock down the manor. Dorus steps in to show our group the ropes. As the servants of Flounder Weasel mansion begin to file into a barred backroom (the same room of which Dorus was hard at work) our group follows suit. Soon everyone is locked snuggly into a small room behind heavy iron bars. More questions are asked as the sky turns a deep violet. Jivers explains that people and monsters come through these portals as emplores them to remain quiet (as Nom loudly coughs multiple times) as this has happened before and will happen again -- Therack is fully prepared for cullings. Just then a final servant appears. Annoyed, Jivers lets her inside the safe room and begins a head count -- the correct number of people are present. Now to be quiet and wait. Mokon stirs in the cellar below. Jivers had miscounted. As the group looks around they realize there are two servants that look exactly the same. Jivers orders the group to fix it and the rest of the servants down into the basement while they do. 

The BOP and two identical young women stand alone. Questions are asked, threats are made, and heads are scratched. The crew seems to be at a loss. One of the women exclaims she has had enough and jumps over the railing to the stairs. Dorus and Nom try to stop the young woman, but instead crash their large frames into one another knocking the woman down the stairs. Nom follows to collect the possible suspect. As Nom enters the dark hallways below she realizes that all of the people down here look different. Not remembering one from the next she has no idea who to apprehend. Jivers is of little help as it is dark and his eyes are old. Just then a scream is heard behind Nom. A man lay on the ground -- his face ripped and disfigured. Jivers order everyone back upstairs once more. 

As everyone climbs the stairs and enters the small room once more. Mokon, being annoyed, puts a small group of them to sleep. Jivers takes a closer look. All the servants he knows to be hired stand before him. A little deductive reasoning pushes Jivers to release all the females (and himself) locking the crew and three men in a small room. Fey takes this opportunity to remove herself from the others to explore the second story of the large mansion. The questioning begins again with no solid leads gained. Finally, Alora begins to search the pockets of the men. One by one she find general items -- coins, pocket knives, a spoon (of which Jivers takes note). The final man searched reveals his pockets are empty. Nom decides to subdue the man with her backside (Jivers takes mental notes that backside play isn’t apparently off the board as much as it would have seemed.) As Nom aggressively sits toward her foe she finds the floor with her behind. The man appears directly behind Jivers promptly dragging him out of the room. The group hear a short struggle when Jivers appears once more. He slowly walks to the door, puts the large key in the lock, and SNAP. The large metal door is mired shut.

The crew watches as Jivers slowly morphs into a large scaled and spiked aberration. Without thinking the group strikes, sending pain toward their foe. Fey hears the fight from the second story heading down to lend a hand. Only Nom escapes the cage with quick use of her misty step ring, appearing directly behind the hulking beast. Mokon tries to limit casualties by forcing the beast to focus on him. Unfortunately, the divine spell lasts only for a short time before a thunderous crack is heard knocking the beast into the doorframe. The group does the best they can from within their cell. Only Nom has the ability for direct melee attacks -- the two exchange blows. The gray “salad” as some call him smiles at Nom turns his back to her and unleashes a fireball engulfing all within the now unsafe room burning all within and killing the two unprepared servants. Dorus has had enough. Grasping the large steel door Dorus pulls -- the door begins to bend and creak. The hinges hold. Mokon follows suit, unable to pull it from the hinges. The fight continues as damage is dealt to both sides. Angry, Mokon grabs the door again, this time rendering it from its thick hinges. The party is free. Salad is no fool. Knowing his foes are now free he disappears from view. Mokon, Dorus, and Nom all attack as the dark skinned nightmare rushes past. Only Fey (who has expertly hidden against a wall) lands a blow. The creature escapes into the mansion’s servant hallway. Mokon, Dorus, and Nom eagerly pursue their invisible combatant. As it reappears in the center of the long hallway Mokon begins to swing to little effect. His attempts seem to cut through the creature too easily… and illusion. Just then Dorus feels claws and teeth rip into his flesh from behind. Dorus falls to the ground unconscious as the creature retreats to the servants quarters. Alora attempts to lead the creature back to a more strategic space with pounds of rare meat -- unfortunately the ruse does not take hold. Mokon and Nom listen -- hearing the creature in the dining room they both speed forth attempting to cut off escape. Fey follows the creature directly after taking a second to stabilize the party’s new elephantidae friend. Once in the dining room Nom erupts magical thorns and brambles to impair their reptilian foe. The gray beast attacks the unsuspecting servants ending their lives instantly. Alora now appears unleashing a blast of thunderous pain knocking the creature further into the brambles. Nom a Mokon finish the job slice after slice until Mokon renders Salad in two.

As the group recovers from the semi-intense battle, Jivers enters the room singing their praises and is extremely worried about Dorus who has yet to stand upright. Alora takes care of their downed potential future ally allowing him to reconnect with the group. Jivers realizes the BOP are much more able than first suspected, giving them an instant promotion to Flounder Weasel secret service and the afternoon off… since the mayor is currently away. Dorus also makes sure to keep Nom honest “allowing” her to give the “extra” pin she secured back to Jivers, Nom “appreciates” Dorus’ honesty. Dorus knows very little about these new Flounder Weasel employees so he decides to probe. The crew begins to recap their background and adventures thus far in GrimShackle… each with their own unique memorable moments. The crew, in return, asks very little about their new large gray friend… until they are reminded of such. Dorus begins to explain that he has been in the Grimshackle for 40 years also by a culling. He was taken in by a blacksmith named Ton who has been a mentor and friend and helped Dorus find his god Edath. 

The crew walks and talks, leaving the Flounder Weasel mansion to explore Therack with free reign. Once outside, they begin to hear a harsh repetitive squeaking noise coming from above as an automaton in the form of a hawk lands on a fence close-by. The bird begins to speak in a familiar tone. After a few moments the group realizes this is B3N-nY (Benny), Tezlo’s automaton in a new form. Benny has many questions for the group. Where is Glug? Where is Nom’s arm? (He may be able to help with that.) Where has the crew been? He also gifts the group an updated world map (as promised by Tezlo). He continues on, explaining that Alora was Tezlo’s favorite, giving her a small pendant which can be used to call for Benny in times of need. The tense used prompts the group to ask about Tezlo. Benny reveals that Tezlo is dead due to a fire that started in a large nest close to his home. When the fire spread, Tezlo did his best to extinguish the flames. Unfortunately he lost the battle as did the swamp gas balloon. Tezlo is buried beside his late wife. In leaving Benny asks for the group to bring leather to repair the balloon and to also call Jebediah as he has misplaced his sending stone and hopes a “call” to it will help locate the device. Benny then flies away lonely and alone reciting only that if someone was responsible for making the fire that ultimately killed Tezlo it was a real “dick move”.