Sir Volaash joined the party for brunch and to discuss Rose’s blackmail and the plan to break into Harbreeze Bakery in the Upper City that night. In order to get Ellyn Harbreeze of Rose’s back, the party needed to find some dirt on her that Rose could use to counter-blackmail her.
Dealing with patriars is weird.
On the subject of the legality of breaking and entering (as well as Rose’s past crimes), the party’s trusty dragonborn paladin offered that all would be forgiven with just the right application of prayer.
So off they went to the upper city.
(Sir Volaash, drawn by @Vulphii)
Harbreeze Bakery turned out to be quite well protected. Trying to pick the locks on the front and back doors triggered a pair of magical blast traps that sent scorching rays of magical fire at the party. It was almost enough to knock them out.
Finally breaking in, Mal, Rose, Anya, and Sir Volaash tiptoed through the seemingly deserted building, heading down the hall towards the back room.
The back room proved to be more than they expected. Within her secluded office they found Ellyn Harbreeze trading juicy secrets with a trio of imps! It turns out her infamous talent as a gossip was actually the product of infernal assistance. Upon seeing this, Ellyn sicced the three fiends on the party!
Combat began! Imps in 4e are surprisingly butch, able to easily avoid most melee attacks and turn invisible if struck. Their poison stingers were enough to force a couple of our heroes to retreat down the hall. Fire did little to deter the fiends.
Rose and Malachite were the only ones with ranged attacks. Mal had her sacred flames, and Rose had her heavy crossbow.
Rose took aim…and rolled a natural 1!
I rolled a d6 to determine which character the errant bolt hit…and it was Ellyn Harbreeze! The patriar woman was shot in the chest, falling to the ground. The imps swarmed Rose to get revenge.
before Mal could heal Harbreeze, Rose fired her crossbow again. Another nat 1. This time, Ellyn Harbreeze was shot to death!
Their mistress dead, the imps returned to the Nine Hells. Our heroes now had a much bigger problem on their hands. They’d accidentally killed one of the most well known (and well liked) patriars in the upper city! Neither their flaming fist authority or Rose’s position as a patriar could help them. If this got back to them, they’d be imprisoned for murder in Baldur’s Gate!
They scooped up what evidence and treasure they could, then took off into the night. Anya smooth talked the city watch into looking the other way long enough for the party to get back to the lower city and the Elfsong Tavern safely. As far as they could tell…they got away with it!
That night, each party member had a strange dream…
They were visited in the night by the cambion Whispernus, who offered to cover up their crime in the upper city in exchange for their souls. Naturally Mal, Anya, and Sir Volaash refused. Who in their right minds would sell their soul to a devil, right?
