Episode 1: Pradesh

Baracus sets Eden down.

All of life is a fight, my friend.

He drew his homesick knife and settled into a balanced stance.

Rydler clutches his holy symbol and hugs the door with his shoulder, bracing himself for entry "My first is in breath but not in air. My second is in have but not in receive. My last is in dad but not in father. I'm your current predicament and your choices in life; I'm not a crate full of gold but an orc with a knife."

Rydler pushes in, heaving the door forward, he grins at the Kaspeathan "What am I?"

Sunitha shakes her head. "Our nephew is demonstrably a bigger fool than we thought. I don't think we will be putting him in charge of any more business ventures. Aishwarya here, however, is almost as sharp as I was when I was her age." The ancient woman rubs her wrinkled chin. "You lads seem to have a knack for contract negotiations. Maybe you'd like to do a job for me. I intend to send Aishwarya down to the docks to reopen negotiations with one of our more...unsavory contacts; I can offer you a commission if you accompany her."

Baracus watches as the men transform into monstrous rodents. His own anger transforms commensurate to the monstrosity of abomination.

I PITTY THE FOOL THAT PLAYS WITH THE FORCES OF DARKNESS!

He guides the Pradeshi knife - one of the famous Thousand Swords itself - to cleanse its homeland of this bullshit.

Baracus stomps forward and thursts Xiphos into the Kaspeathan's midsection, wounding the fiend. The half-transformed face twists into a snarl. "You DARE?!" he roars, "I AM SARDO NUMSPA!!! You all die here this day!"

Ybus holds the half-eaten malpua between two fingers. "Tell you what, let me consult with my associates and see if they're willing to agree to these here terms."

His free hand rubs some leftover powder off his jacket and makes a fist. Ybus dabs the malpua upon the side to make two eyes. "What do you say? Should we escort this fine lady on her reputable mission into un-reputable domain?"

The voice changes. "Crimson and clover, over and over," says Ybus while moving his thumb and forefinger like a mouth to the words.

Suddenly the malpua shows up, contorted and folded like a face. "You're speaking in thumbs again," Ybus says, in a third voice. "But what about the hand-kissing guy? Maybe he wants to do it for free?"

Ybus' voice returns to normal. "Oh, don't worry about him; he's imaginary. Though I wouldn't mind sampling some of that flower petal concoction they've got in the second nook and cranny above the fourth shelf back in the third room."

"Yes, by all means, consult your associates. Regardless of your decision, tonight you will be our guests. It is Dasai after all!" Auntie Sunitha claps her hands and the household resumes its merrymaking. There is music and laughter and dancing. Food and wine flows - yes, even some of that flower petal concoction that Auntie Bazilah has been saving for a special occasion. That wily auntie has her sights set on Urban, but Aishwarya rescues the paladin by dragging him to the dance floor.

Urban is used to Ybus' antics, but sees that it may be taxing the patience of the Pradeshi matriarchs. Privately Urban had been in a bit of an internal struggle about the payment placed before him. It stung to hear that the employer was not happy about the performance and results. After being slow and measured, Urban speaks up.

"Lady Sunitha, we thank you for your generous payment, but also for your offer to hire us again. I would like to have a chance to earn your full trust in a new venture. As a show of good faith, I would leave you my share of the earnings and take only the gold of my comrades who are separated from us now. I ask that you keep it in case it is needed to ease any feelings that we have dealt too shrewdly with you or Aditya."

Seeing that combat is now unavoidable, Erden smiles, and holds forth both hands. He feels magical energy surging through his body, making him almost high with the feeling. He moves his hands through a set of precise motions, as if drawing invisible runes in the air and then points at Sardo, releasing three glowing owls from his hand, which all move to strike the man-demon unerringly.

Round 1: Enemies

Erden's magical owls slam angrily into Sardo Numspa just as his transformation is complete. Where a well-dressed Kaspeathan stood mere moments ago now towers a skeletal, winged demon, its twisted horns seeming to almost scrape the crumbling ceiling! The demon sidesteps, not out of fear for you it seems (though he does eye you all with more respect now than he did before you wounded him) - he seems to be avoiding the ray of afternoon sunshine falling from the door you all just crashed through. The sunlight illuminates the formerly dim, windowless room, helping you to see additional details you missed before: Profane symbols are scrawled and etched across the crumbling walls and floor. Next to the Child's cage is a circular grate of some sort. Perhaps it leads to a cellar, or escape through the sewers? One can only guess.

It's hard to think about any of that this instant as the demon swipes at Baracus with razor-sharp claws. The half-orc feels the claws rending flesh, bone and sinew before they actually connect; it's as if the demon willed the wounds into being with its malice rather than with its claws. Baracus takes 10 Psychic damage. Ignores Damage Resistance.

The giant rats charge. The first one, its face criss-crossed with scars, finds a soft spot behind Baracus' knee with its claws, then rears up and latches onto Rydler's shoulder with its teeth.
Baracus takes 8 slashing damage before DR.
Rydler takes 12 piercing.

"Back, damn you! Guard the child!" Sardo Numspa snarls cuffing the rat with a vicious backhanded swing, sending the minion tumbling into the pile of rugs, sending up a cloud of dust and fluttering, grey-winged moths.

Seeing this, the other rat halts its charge and scurries back as ordered, glaring at the group with mismatched eyes, one black and one red. You can hear the rest of the rats out in the back alley scrabbling at the door, but it's locked and barred from inside.

Heroes' turn. Go!

Urban

"I'm no lady!" Sunitha snorts. "Call me Auntie. You're an honorable man - I knew it when I laid eyes on you. There are no ill feelings, I assure you, or else you and your friend would already be in irons. Keep the gold." The matriarch gestures for Urban to walk with her as the rest of the household prepares for the evening feast under the other Aunties' supervision. Sunitha even takes the paladin's arm though her grip is strong and Urban is certain she needs no support. You pause at a balcony overlooking the courtyard. "I said you are an honorable man and I meant it. But I also sense a... shall we say colorful past. I don't care about that. I care about the future." Urban follows her gaze as she says this - she is looking at Aishwarya. The matriarch measures her next words, "It would please me greatly if you and your friends agreed to accompany Ash tomorrow. I will not force you, and will bear no grudge if you decline, but I would feel better if you agreed. You'd be paid of course."

Ybus

Three youths, Anusha, Pranav, and Hrik appear to have decided you are now part of their gang, and have enlisted your help stealing a platter of samosas from the kitchen. Are you up to the task?

Ybus sees nothing wrong with feeding the young, and the fried manna from the gods should not be denied anyone.

Reconnaissance is key. Ybus needs to determine who is in charge of the kitchen, surreptitiously eyeing the comings and goings, as well as possessor of the biggest wooden spoon. He asks the youths for guidance in this endeavor, in case they have insight on the organizational hierarchy.

Once this individual is picked out, Ybus consults the bones! "What, no bones?" he asks of Anusha. "A chicken leg will do. Find me a drumstick or something." He then weaves an invisible pattern in the air with his belaying pin, drawing a random and messy diagram of runes and other symbols.