Raydon, The Twins, The Oni and Joining The Party - Session Recap

 2024-09-19 - Session Notes

Cast

    Sebastian - DM

    Harold - Viper / Samurai/Viper - Yuan-ti

    Holden - Manson Black - Sorcerer/Warlock / Human

Meeting Raydon

I talked with Aunt Scathach about wanting to join one of the local adventuring parties and she quickly introduced me to someone named Raydon. He is a Nezumi and seems to be a pretty decent sort who seemed to have a LOT on his mind, but was polite and answered many of my questions about different local groups that might be looking for another member. 

A few days later there was some kind commotion at a big ball that all the big wigs from around Tiberias attended. There was a lot of chatter about what happened that night, where some guy from Kalana accused one of the Archmages of a heinous crime in public and then the mage killed him. Then a bunch of the dead man’s friends were apprehended and taken away for “questioning”. 

A couple of days later Raydon came by where I was staying and offered to take me to his new employer to see if they might have any work there. I was getting antsy and figured that it was time to move on anyway. So, I quickly accepted, having heard of Isabella Majini. Raydon told me that he’d pick me up the next day and when I told Scathach my plans, she seemed relieved that I’d be leaving.

Leaving for Dalazon

I met Raydon at the airship area and we headed for Dalazon. We were talking in his cabin when he received some kind of an alert and diverted the airship to where the signal was coming from. When we got there Raydon jumped down from the ship to where I could see what looked like a Succubus was laying on the ground. I wondered why Raydon would be consorting with one of those creatures? We were all now within earshot and could hear what was being said.

The succubus hollered at Raydon, "It took you long enough to get here!"

As he walked towards where the succubus was laying. I noticed that he was fully geared up in armor, with his spear pointed to the ground. Raydon said, "Firstly what are you doing here and secondly what happened to you."

"I was cleaning up your mess." the succubus hissed towards Raydon, "Your daddy wasn't very pleased you let them go."

Raydon glared down towards her, "What did you do..."

The succubus chuckled evilly, "What you couldn't. We tracked the kid and took care of the problem. Morgan should be done by now and the child's all yours with nothing to worry about. I didn't take my time, just snapped Hana's pretty little neck and was done wi-...."

I could sense the fury building in Raydon, and then she taunted him, "... Remember we can't attack each other Rayray.."

I watched as Raydon lifted his spear towards her, "I told you not to lay a hand on either of them... I told you not to touch them...!"

She pointed her remaining clawed wing and hand towards Raydon. "How do you think your father's gonna feel knowing you struck one of us!" 

“USE YOUR DAMN HEAD!", the demon yelled.

I watched as Raydon continued to look towards her. Not a shred of remorse in his eyes. "I am using my head, it's likely why I'm not part of the project anymore."

The succubus’ eyes widened in terror, and tried to rise up, she was met quickly with a bolt of lightning through her chest from the tip of Raydon's spear. Followed abruptly by Raydon bearing down on her, stabbing and stabbing ignoring her screams, with a rage that scared even me. There was little doubt that Raydon was going to kill the demon.

Raydon continued to stab at succubus’ corpse, there were more than a few murmurs of surprise and a few cheers about him killing the demon. Though he might not have known it, the crew pretty much all seemed in favor of killing her, except one or two, who I would later tell him of my observations. Raydon continued stabbing and chopping at the thing, for what seemed like an eternity, slacking his anger on the demon’s body.

After that he headed to where her blood trail had pointed. Eventually leading him close to what looked like a copper dungeon door. Even from the airship we could see scorch marks, bomb-like craters and bloody smears near the entryway of the dungeon... Then he got a communication from someone and seemed to pick up his pace. 

Raydon reached into a pouch and took out a stone and I could see the relief on his face as whoever he was talking to, spoke with him. As he walked back towards the ship he yelled for one of the crew to get him a sack. I watched as he put what remained of the succubus’ head into the sack. 

For some reason on the way to the Majini estate, Raydon needed to talk to someone and being the only non-member of his crew, we sat in his cabin and he told me the story of what had happened and why the succubus died and the reasons for his rage at her. I think he just needed someone to talk to and get that crap off his chest. As he finished his story, we saw another airship fly by us going at a remarkable speed. 

To Dalazon and the Majini

He looked at it out the porthole and smiled, saying “There they go and they will get to Isabella’s well before us. When we get there, I will give Manson the gift and hope to close some of the rift between us. Though it will take more than just this gift to earn both his and Hana’s trust.” I nodded, smiled and told Raydon that I believed it would be a good first step. 

With that he smiled and poured us a nice glass of wine and we sat there quietly drinking while lost in our own thoughts. I was stewing over what I had seen and also the story that Raydon had shared with me. 

At the Majini Estate

When we got to the Majini estate, we met the one called Kayde or who Raydon called the little robo monkey beside the other ship. Kayde chatted away with Raydon for a bit and went on ahead without a second thought or care in the world. Raydon just shook his head and smiled at the innocence that Kayde brought to his world. When we got to the entrance of the estate, our weapons were taken away and we were escorted to the mansion. Raydon was carrying the “gift” and I walked beside him into the library where we bowed to the one I presumed was Isabella Majini. A very beautiful elven woman with unimaginable power just flowing off her. 

Then Raydon presented the gift to the one I suspected was Manson, who looked as though at first he wanted to kill Raydon, but his countenance changed once he looked inside the bag. He looked confused and Raydon told him that he was no longer a part of that group and now worked for the Majini. He told Manson and the other one I believed was Olin, that he wasn’t their enemy and while he had some things he had to take care of, that he had thought on what Manson had told him at their last meeting and planned to live a better life.

Invitation to Stay 

Lady Isabella talked with me for a bit and told me that the others would be sent off on some tasks in the coming days and suggested that I might be able to join them and lend them a hand to see if I was a good fit for their group. She told me that my Aunt had contacted her and vouched that I was who I claimed to be. 

She then went over the rules of the home for us all and made it clear that she expected us all to be good house guests. Lady Isabella warned us that her daughter Cleodora’s fiance and family would be here and her other daughter - Fu, her girlfriend were here as well. She tells us if anything has to happen make sure it is not seen. Manson made a joke and got one of “those” looks from Lady Isabella and he quickly responded with a, “Yes, Ma’am” after the failed joke. One more thing If you intend to do anything try to keep it reasonably quiet. 

Somewhere along the way an obviously pregnant woman joins our group and Manson introduces her as Pluck, his wife. The one that Raydon had told me about and that her name is actually Hana Mukade and was his former lover and that he shared a daughter with. Both of whom he thought had been killed by Morgan and as a result of the error on his part had caused many hard feelings from that time when Morgan had killed their daughter. 

While we are being shown to our rooms I see a dark-haired Elven woman getting what looks like a wolf cut style haircut from a six-tailed Kitsune. Both Manson and Olin look closely at them as we pass the door, but look at one another for a moment and then keep on walking.

As we continue to walk Manson encounters one he calls Nalu - who I learned later was another of Lady Isabella’s daughters. The way that he talked to her and made some suggestive comments, indicated that he knew her. Suddenly Nalu changed into beast form. It spooks Manson for a moment, but holds his ground. She shifts back and seems to know why Manson isn’t scared of her. I heard her say “I’m curious what you are offering in exchange for my skills. Are you participating?” Pluck and Manson looked at one another, shook their heads and Pluck told him, “It'll be fine” and I saw the two of them go off together. I’m not sure of what was going on, but it was important to the three of them.

After settling into my room by the library, I decide to head down to the common area where there's a bar setup for guests and residents. I see Manson sitting there and start to head towards and then decide that it’s probably not the right time to talk with him. I don’t see his wife and he looks rather morose, so I go sit a short ways away. He’s kicking back the drinks rather heavily and then Pluck comes in. She looks at him and walks over and I hear her tell him “Never gain by myself, it isn’t romantic, and just feels wrong. Though to be honest, Pluck looks even more healthy and pregnant than she did earlier in the night.

They sat there talking quietly and I just let myself relax a little before heading back up to my room. I tried not to overhear their conversation and give them some privacy. Though I did hear the words Intime Verhain used a few times and that they needed to do it once more, though Pluck said she wouldn’t do it without Manson there.

Other Guests

As I head back to the room, I see a Feroxian, who has a viper sword and probably Dragoon armor. Her hair is forest green and teal colored eyes. I bow, as I realize that she is a much more senior Viper and has slits on her pupils as well. Then I heard her squeal and saw her hug one that I learned later was Fu in a big hug.

Then a short ways down the hall I notice another noble with gray hair, an Elven with silver eyes, who is speaking with Lady Isabella about how he is surprised that he has to come to her estate on this plane for something that usually takes place in the Feywild. Who responds that she felt it was more fitting to court her daughter in their home. When she sees me approaching and makes the hand gesture that I interpreted to quickly move along. I did.

After that brief encounter, I headed for one of the training rooms. I notice that Fu is walking out with the Feroxian in Primordial, a language I have heard, but do not understand. I learned Fu is part of Historia’s Palladium ranked group. Also that there are some guests and others who are allowed to have swords inside the Mansion. 

Over the course of the next couple of days, I got acquainted with the rest of the party. Learning that Manson was a Paladin and Warlock, while Pluck focused Gunbreaking and more on mech as well maintaining the airship they had. She is obviously pregnant and I wondered how she would do all that once she has what I have been told are twins. Olin is an illusionist wizard and Kayde an evolutionist. Olin is the son of a major arch mage in Tiberias and exhibits a bit of that spoiled rich kid trying to prove himself, to himself and Kayde, well I’m not sure about him, very distractible and naive all at once, but a very capable melee combatant.

Knowing that I needed to continue working on my Viper skills, I sought out the one I had met the other night and found out her name was Nora the next morning when I saw them in the common area. I respectfully asked if she would be willing to help me work on the new forms that I was learning. Both her and Fu chuckled and seemed more than willing to do so. 

When we got to the training room, Fu created a psionic blade, assumed the defensive stand and made a motion that resulted in a glowing green sword. I can tell that she has sparred several times with Nora. She takes me through the forms and walks me through the errors I was making and Nora offered several observations and hints to help me improve. Then she took me through several rounds of actual combat instruction, when I got my butt whipped, but made a lot of improvement from the start to where we finished. I think I got over the intimidation factor that both of them have about them and how far above my abilities they are. I thanked them for it and they both told me that they would be more than willing to do this again, if they had time. I bowed and respectfully asked for their leave, which was granted with smiles. 

I heard that Pluck and Manson visited Nalu one more time. Only this time together. After which they went back to the airship to recover for several days. Manson even barricaded themselves in the Captain's Quarters.

Though I did hear them wondering what the Fey are going to ask in return for all their help lately. The legends speak of them taking the first born. They both chuckled at that, but it seemed a bit forced and nervous.

The Birth of the Twins

I happened to be sparring with Raydon when he was requested to attend the door to the birthing room. It seemed that those visits with Nalu resulted in Pluck’s gestation period becoming much shorter than normal and she was having the children today.. Manson comes charging in and attempts to go into the birthing room and is stopped by Raydon as Lady Isabella told him to.

After Manson stops Raydon walks over and leans against the wall. 

Manson asks him what he's doing here and Raydon tells him that he’s there to make sure that he doesn’t do anything stupid. Manson goes on a bit of a rant about trustworthiness and I can tell that Manson is concerned about Pluck and how she’s doing. He cracks the door open and we can see Lady Isabella, Nalu and some others in there with Pluck. Nalu comes over, smiles and gently but firmly shuts the door.

I sit there quietly, listening in on the conversation, figuring it is an opportunity for me to learn more about one of the people in the party that I am probably going to join when they leave here.

Raydon tells him she is in the best hands this world has to offer and that Manson needs to find something else to do while she gives birth to your children. Manson motions for them to sit down and they begin to talk. 

Raydon asks, “What are your plans after this?

Manson responded with, “I’m not sure at this time.”

Raydon, “I want these children to have both of their parents and the daughter we share to have all us work to figure out how to raise her as well. Maybe you need to change for the sake of them and yourself as well.”

Manson, “The children will have no parents if we keep going the way we are. We both almost died  back in the dungeon, I am aware that things have to  change.”

Raydon looks at Manson, “Hana is married to the man beside me, my kid is fused to your’s. I have to cope with the fact that she’s happier with you in the short time you’ve been with her than the time that I was with her. I had my chance and screwed it up. If I had been a better man then, things might have been different. I know that now. After our conversation in the prison, I’ve started down a path to becoming a better man and one that someday I will be comfortable with being. You were right, I needed to lead a life one can be proud of.”

Manson looked at Raydon with a different look, it wasn’t one of hatred or distaste that I’d seen before, more like seeing Raydon as something other than the enemy for the first time and he looked a bit downcast as he replied, “Where I’m heading maybe you’ll have a second chance with her.”

Raydon sighs and responds, “I got off the path I was heading down, it might be the best for you to do the same.”

Manson, “I can’t stop. Both Pluck and I are bound to the Oni, to get rid of Morgan and Guillermo. With the birth of the twins the chances and risks aren’t worth it anymore. I have to do something to ensure that Pluck is going to be okay.”

Raydon, “How is Hana going to feel, that you are going to sacrifice yourself, to let her live. How are you going to secure their future if something does happen to you?”

Manson, “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. I’d rather Pluck feel upset towards me and alive, than to feel nothing at all and dead. I’ll carry on the mission. My children will never be safe in this world while Morgan still walks it.”

The Long Wait

Seven hours later Nalu comes out wiping their hands - blood is on it. Manson freaks for a moment, until she asks, “Do you want to see them?”

When he goes in, Raydon and I stand by the door, he is grinning and I smile back and nod. It was a long wait and a lot of words were said between him and Manson that needed to be said over those seven hours. Lady Isabella is there and Pluck is cradling the children. Nalu says there were a couple of complications and she needs a couple days to rest. 

Pluck is smiling and looking at the children, but looks very exhausted. He takes both, she tells him, be careful, he just smiles. Isabella just rolls her eyes and adjusts his arms to carry the children better and he spends some time there. 

Named the twins

Chika Mukade 

Hazel Black

Raydon and I step out and sit down outside to give them some privacy for a while. He tells me that there is a look in Manson’s eye and we should keep an eye on him, when he leaves the room. That he is probably going to do something stupid, but that he thinks is necessary.

The Modification to the Pact

Manson comes out a while later and asks Raydon if there is someplace in the mansion he can go to have some privacy. Raydon tells him that he will take him to a place where no one will bother him, but that the two of us will be his escorts to ensure that no one will bother him and if he needs assistance after, we will be there for him.

Raydon directs Manson to a place outside. Where he places his hand on the Oni Sword. Then I see the silhouette of the Oni appear here on the material plane. It commands “Speak Boy!” 

Manson, “Chi-Hara, I’ve come to bargain. Spare Pluck. Spare her soul. Remove her from the deal we struck. We will slay those we have sworn against… But losing her? If I were to falter? The spirit of my late wife in her? My beautiful children without a mother? I cannot allow it to happen… I am so sure of this more than anything in my life. That family means more to me than myself. Without a shred of a doubt, I would die for them… I cannot do so under these circumstances… Spare Pluck, and when our enemies are six feet beneath my feet, your blade bathed in their blood, I will still be tied to you.

When my days have come to an end. When Manson Black, draws his last breath and I slip the mortal coil, take my soul in its entirety. To use as you so desire, turn me into a weapon of malice. I know I’ll be more than capable! You must know it as well. The growth we have had in such a short time is ASTOUNDING! You will be promised quite the powerful soul when my last day arrives. I can’t stop myself from pushing onwards to kill all of those we swore against, even with my new family. I will never be at ease knowing that Morgan walks this earth, and the rest of the lot! My children will never be safe until what we all set out to do is done. Those children deserve their mother if I was to die slaying every last one of them…”

The Oni thunders angrily, “You wish to alter the deal, now because of a few runts, you want to change the deal. We have a pact and you want me to change it!”

Manson stands his ground and says, “The risks have grown greater, I…”

  

The Oni continues angrily, “You knew the risks when you made the deal. You knew the risks when you laid with her! Are you not a man of your word!”

Manson looks down and then I can see his resolve stiffen, “I come to offer more. I offer my complete soul at the end of my life which will be powerful. I am just a mortal man. Family… love… I am asking for your compassion. This offer is much more than our original agreement.”

The Oni grabs his mask. We see a Demonic face resembling his own. The demon pulls out the sword, “The question is do I take your life now or later?” and tells Manson, “Kneel Boy. I’m going to take every bit of divine intervention, to ruin your afterlife, from the moment you die, until the last of the Mukade clan dies out. You will live your life, but your afterlife will be mine.”

He holds the sword over Manson’s chest, then tells him, “One thing, one of your children will go down the same path you have, if they die you are going to be the one to devour them. The alteration under my control. You will become your child’s Oni.” It stabs Manson with the blade, it sinks into him, it takes away his Paladin Hood and any associated powers. His Patron instead grants him the powers of a Sorcerer as a part of him seems to sink into the blade that holds the Oni’s soul. 

We all get a vision of Pluck seeing/knowing what Manson just did. She’s confused, fearful, wondering “Where is Manson?!”

Raydon and I both look at him and say, “It took a lot of balls to do that. Feel Good? 

Manson was looking worse for wear and quite weary, “No, but I did what was necessary.”

Raydon tells him, “Mind doing us both a favor, go make sure that she is okay with what you just did.”

We both see that Manson now has a red glow to his eyes. 

The three of us head back inside, Nalu is waiting for us, she gives Raydon and me a quick once over and is looking Manson up and down and I could tell that she sees what he has done. Manson sees the reflection of the Oni in her eyes. She nods, “Yeah, seemed about right.”

Manson just sighs, “I had to take the monster away from Pluck”

She points to herself and says, “The things we do for the ones we love.”

Outtake for Manson and Pluck

Manson puts his arm around Pluck, 

When she sees Manson, the fury on her face. Manson sits at the edge of the bed. Pluck says, “What did you do?”

Manson, “What needed to be done. No more chances, no more risks. I had to secure one of our futures”

Pluck, “Who gave you that right to make that decision for me? Why do you get to be so self-sacrificing?”

Manson, “The children need their mother…”

Pluck, “What about you? You have a second chance. We are right here!”

Manson, “It almost wasn’t! We’ve gotten this far by blind luck. Time and time again we keep almost losing it all. We’ve spent these last few weeks teetering at the edge. I couldn’t bear the weight of it all any longer. I couldn’t keep pretending to believe we’ll make it through all of this alive. Then when we found out you were pregnant? The gravity of it grew by ten fold… I had to make sure you lived and the children would have at least one of us. Someone needs to be around for the children and I thought it should be you. No more chances.”

Pluck, “Do you expect me to sit here and just be okay with this? These children need their father, I need you! You will take care of yourself, for everyone around you. You are not allowed to sit there and say I’m okay with dying. You will be there at the end. I refuse to let them fatherless.”

Manson, “I’m not going anywhere, not yet anyways. I’m right here for all of you. At least you will be here to be upset at me. It’ll be okay. “

Pluck, “You think I’m safe from my family’s past, that’s not how this deal works.”

Manson, “We have a chance at a new life. I’m still here and I plan to be here. We can raise our family however we want.”

Pluck, “They’re going to a good school and have friends, hobbies they want and will pursue them. You’re going to be there…”

Manson, “I will do everything in my power to do just that. I will be there. I’m going to go kill Morgan, then raise our family. Watch the children grow as we both get old together. I just had to make sure that you were safe, if that didn’t happen.”

He went to bed with Pluck, he’s awake replaying the scene with the Oni, over and over again. Tending to the newborns whenever they cried, letting Pluck rest. A knock at the door, the Oni Child offers to help. Manson lets her in and they coddle the infants together.

---

A Small but Important Observation

As I get ready to go to my room I see Ester leaving Olin’s room very upset and she heads straight towards Kenzo’s room. An awful lot of this tale seems to be centered on that woman and the disruption she tends to bring to others. I have a feeling she is one to keep my distance from.

Deciding to Join the Party

The next day I see Raydon and maids are getting the spare cribs and baby stuff, heading to Pluck and Manson’s airship. Which in many ways seemed to be the life that Raydon would be leading for a while and I felt pretty sure that if I did accept a position with the Majini’s that I wouldn’t be happy for long. 

I learned earlier from Raydon that Manson’s group needed a couple of new members, since two had died in the attack at the copper dungeon and they didn’t fully trust me at first due to coming in with Raydon. As their opinion of Raydon changed they began to see me from a different perspective. Then as Raydon got to know me, he had asked me to join them during one of our sparring sessions, if they would have me. Not as his friend, but as someone who would be able to help them achieve their goals.

The rest of the day was one where I purposely got to know the others in Manson’s party. At the end of the day Manson and Pluck either felt comfortable with me and my story or desperate to replace the ones they had lost. But they seem to be the party leaders and they asked if I would be willing to join them. I told them I would be honored to join their party and Manson took me to the airship and gave me Neko’s old room. There were some personal belongings of his in there that we moved down to the ship’s storage area and I set about making it my room.

However, we were expected to remain at the mansion for a couple more days, while Pluck recovered from giving birth to the kiddos. Manson had survived Pluck’s tongue lashing, though there was still a hint of Pluck being pissed about what he had done without consulting her. I figured that it would blow over pretty quickly and they’d get back to working on their relationship, or it would be something that would fester and not go away. Something beyond my control, but if it became too much of an issue, I could simply move on. But it would be a chance to do more than just be a leech and live off my name and others.

Meeting Aura

I couldn’t sleep that night and got up to wander down to the common area. On the way down, I see Raydon in one of the training rooms getting his ass handed to him by a strange creature almost goat-like in appearance, who weaves fibers of energy. He’s smiling and enjoying the competition. I see a third eye open on her forehead and realize it’s Aura. Another of the Majini foster children, that I’ve been told about by Raydon. 

I see fragments of the void rotate across her staff, it reminds of the magic black mages use. Tapping into the far beyond, the space you’re not supposed to go. Clearly Aura is a black mage and is giving Raydon all he can handle. He picks himself up off the floor and brushes himself off, saying that hurt a lot more than he thought it was going to. 

When he sees me snickering in the doorway, he laughs as well and tells me, “Are you going get your ass in here and help me or are you going to stand there laughing? Help me put this whelp down.” I laughed and chided him, “What the great Raydon is unable to put the whelp in her place by himself.” She chuckled and I stepped into the room and immediately found my ass on the floor. Laughing too, I grabbed a couple of practice swords. Then we had a good sparring session where I acquitted myself reasonably well and found myself waking up to Aura laughing and pouring a healing potion into my mouth and then going over and doing the same to Raydon. Raydon and I just sighed and he said “That hurts more than it's supposed to.” 

We all laughed and went down to the common area where Raydon went into the kitchen and came out with some pretty solid snacks and we sat down and talked about things we each had noticed during the sparring session. Aura told us that in order to weaken a Black Mage, you need to keep moving them off of their ley line, otherwise their magic just keeps getting stronger. That is one of those hints, I’ll file in the back of my mind, because at some point, I have a feeling that I’ll be dealing with one in a non-sparring situation.