I wanted to go to the whore house
Continuing to investigate an abandoned marketplace within the ruins of Molaesmyr, the group finds itself in combat with a crazy barber and butcher duo, joined by a vampire spawn. Thinking they were in the clear, they're ambushed searching the empty houses by a shadow-tendril creature!
Session 30
The group continues south through the marketplace. There's a small district, with a few houses, and a smell of death and decay. The only movement is Vesryn's dancing lights showing us the way. We split the group with casters on the stairs, and the rest flanking to the west.
Maltheo jumps off of Briya to stand on the roof of a small house, and Kra'naelen creates a giant direwolf silent-image decoy. At this time, we hear, "Ooh, a customer!" And a halfling-sized creature appears out of one of the houses with long, lanky arms, long pointy ears, no nose, pale skin, and wearing a leather apron. "Do you two need a shave? Your pet will have to stay out side! Look how sharp. I've been waiting for a long, long time." Cass asks for a kitty cut (fluffy tail and bushy collar) and is persuasive enough to convince it to do the cut outside. Kra'naelen notices a shadow moving in the doorway of the barber's house, and Forma comes out after he asks if anyone else is "working". She has a similar look to the other one, with longer longer hair that is supposed to be tied up but looks frazzled. She's in a potato sack instead of an apron. It's styled and belted, though: garbage chic.
Maltheo investigates the small building; it seems dark and abandoned perhaps. Briya checks out alternative paths of travel nearby, and Prohpet is staying in the shadows. Maltheo hears someone inside the building he's standing on; they're going to the door and saying, "The barber has clients? Clients? Really!"
Cass mentally tells the barber, via the Message spell, that he's selling out the two other casters. He can have their souls, or anything. "I don't need their souls; I want to show them how much of an artist I am." (After doing a creepy smelling sound and mouth movements.) He then uses his scissors and razor to give Cass a grooming session. Full on lion's mane, poofy tail, bushy paws. Cass gives a gold, and the barber replies, "Thank you for this... and also for those!" It seems to have slight-of-hand stole Cass's bag of pearls & gems.
Combat!
After the vampire spawn joined the butcher and barber, we were able to defeat the trio. Upon searching the latter's house, we found that it is decrepit and empty, and contains nothing of value or substance; lots of rotting food and not much else. Then, searching the spawn's house, it seems relatively clean, compared to the other. A bed not very used; a table with personal effects. Kra'naelen walks in and spooks a stealthed creature that surprises him from behind with smokey tendrils coming out of its head. It throws tentacles onto the terrain and combat begins.
Combat!
(To be continued: Top of round: Maltheo has help from Echo; Kra'naelen will need to roll since he's starting his turn in the tentacles)