In a basement beneath the Church of Pharasma, the goddess of birth and death, two individuals prepare to brawl. In one corner, an orc woman stretches and in another, a human man twitches with anticipation. This is Armstrong and Releoch, Wood-Surpasses-Metal-Gears, respectively.
The match is officiated by the priest of the church, Father Mateo. With a bell in hand and a booming voice, he explains the rules:
Father Mateo: Alright, the rules of the match are as follows. Hand to hand only. I don’t want to see any knives or spells. The match will continue until one of you gets knocked off of your feet. Five gold for participating ten gold for winning.
With that, Father Mateo rings his bell and the match begins. The human rushes the orc with incredible speed, but the orc dodges the blows effortlessly and returns a hard hit of her own.
Meanwhile, Vin, Vilkas, and Thallan arrive at the church, having decided to go there first. The building is practically falling apart at the seams. A woman who works at the church approaches them and asks them what they need. She is suspicious at first, but she eventually leads them down to the basement where they watch the rest of the fight.
The battle is over quickly. The orc is, surprisingly enough, defeated by the human, and the match is called. The winnings are distributed, and both are taken to the rest area where their wounds are patched up. Thallan quickly recognizes the human as Releoch, Wood-Surpasses-Metal-Gears, the person he was traveling with and looking for and goes to talk with him.
Thallan, surprised: How did you win that fight?
Releoch: Uh… (quickly) I was overcome by the bloodlust.
Thallan decides he wants a piece of that action and goes to Father Mateo, requesting a fight. Father Mateo informs him that the schedule is full for the day, but he could get him into an undercard the next day. Vilkas asks Father Mateo about the fight club and after reassurances that they are not with the guards, Father Mateo admits that he is desperate. Money is tight, and this is the only way to keep the church from being closed down.
Vin: I … haven’t lived here for very long, but don’t churches get funding from the city?
Father Mateo: They do, but our funding’s been cut. One of the ministers managed to convince the treasury that this church was no longer needed. He wants us to close down. He’s trying to find every excuse to do so. I’m aware this will give them a reason if we’re caught, but we do good work here and I don’t want to give it up.
Vilkas: Life and death work?
Father Mateo: Among other things, we help bring children into the world, comfort those who are bereaved and dying, and ensure everyone makes their way to the Lady of Graves.
Thallan: So … life and death stuff.
Father Mateo: …to put it crudely, yes.
Vilkas asks about Harlow and while Father Mateo hasn’t had contact with him, he’s concerned that if he discovers the fight club, he will blackmail them or worse, report them for a reward. Thallan, desperately wanting a fight, offers his services in exchange for one. Releoch suggests recruiting the orc, and the two bicker for a moment, as Thallan isn’t sure about sharing any potential reward.
Of course, this all happens within earshot of the orc, who watches in amusement. Releoch and Thallan eventually invite her over and ask for her help. Releoch even offers half of his winnings, and the orc doesn’t say no to that. She introduces herself as Armstrong, a sorcerer visiting Shorehaven, and helps the party work out a deal with Father Mateo. The party deals with Harlow and the Ministry in exchange for a reward and a fight (at Thallan’s enthusiastic insistence). Father Mateo agrees, calling Thallan’s fight one last hurrah as if the church can get funding back, they won’t need it anymore.
With that, the now fully formed party decides to return to the Twisted Beaver where the kobold they contacted is waiting for them.
Closing Notes
This session was pretty short, but now the party is fully formed! Our heroes are
- Vilkas the Barbarian
- Vin the Alchemist
- Thallan the Rogue
- Armstrong the Sorcerer
- Releoch, Wood-Surpasses-Metal-Gears the Kineticist
I will have art for our two new additions soon!
