Jessica & Chris 16 Apr 2021

Marigold and Chuck

Currently in Garfield TX

Ash - she, dark skin, dark hair kind of frizzy

Chuck - human paladin

Marigold - human

Ash trying to walk away in the heat, Chuck runs up to her to stop her and tell her he’s sorry for being a jerk as a kid, but he appreciates her help, and he owes her. Ash says he owes her a paladinship, a house, a family, etc etc. She just wants to get to LA and find out what thie dark shit is and what’s going on and get this over with.

They’re at least 3 hours by car from NOLA, north NE of Garfield Texas, around 230 pm. They decide to make their way downtown, South. The tiefling from prior session was left to the North. Chuck asks Ash for a shard, promises to pay her back. PER 19, passes.

“I got shot at for you, a rocket launcher from her insane dad, and now you want a $500 shard?” Chuck says “it’s for Goldie”. Ash agrees, in exchange for 2 shards repayment.

They approach the town quietly, trying to avoid people seeing three bloody people. Walk around the outskirts of town for about 3 hours before they come across Garfield RV Campground, essentially a big parking lot. It’s quiet and silent, no people around .They look for cars not hooked to the RV, with the keys still in it. Investigation 6. They look for an older car, find a gas Nissan Ultima 2237, unattended, with keys in car. Marigold looks in the car, messy pax seat w fast food bags, bottles and cups, full of food trash. Backseat has a blowup bed that takes up the backseat. Looks like a car someone is living in. “There’s enough for a small life to be lived in it” (Da’Jon James, DM) They discuss taking it or not, Chuck declares that he likes his life more than he likes this persons. They look through he car, the outline of sweat and body fluids on the mat, as though it’s been used for quite a long time. Trunk has a lot of gallon jugs, some of yellow liquid, a few of them are water.

Ash is a good driver, but doesn’t have a driver’s license, just a permit. None of them do. If they get pulled over, they will get a ticket or worse. They drive off towards NOLA.

On the drive, Marigold makes convo w Ash. “Do you think your family in LA will be safe with the Church after us?” ,. “Hah white people have been trying to stop my family doing what we do for centuries. Don’t worry about it”. Discussion about 1 god versus multiple gods between Marigold and Ash. Felicity, Tiamat, Fire Lord, Bahomet, and Rebel exist. Crazy ass church believe in one god, try to kill people when something goes wrong. Ash drives faster as she gets upset. Persuasion 17, Marigold asks Ash to slow down a bit. Cop car passes, they don’t get pulled over because Ash slowed down.

Marigold and Chuck believe that Asgaroth is the beginning, he created all the other gods, there’s no point in worshipping his children, the other gods.

Chuck breaks a pencil, tries to cast mending on it, practicing his magic. He purposely doesn’t think of Asgaroth, thinks of Rebel instead. Costs 1 gp. A poof of black from his hand, the pencil is repaired.

Chuck asks for Marigold’s hand, casts Ceremony, Coming of Age on her for an hour. Asks for the blessing of ALL the gods, at first they feel uncomfortable, but after a few minutes, a calm comes over the car as though the world is balanced and everything is good, and they feel all the gods are with them. They lock eyes, Ash interrupts with announcement that they’re in NOLA.

Most buildings are up on tall stilts. Poor neighborhoods have about4ft waterline on the homes, they keep getting flooded and have to be rebuilt. Ash casts a spell over a limping guy, Healing Word. Very obvious divide between poor neighborhoods, and touristy area. Shorter stilts, the area under the homes are cute patios etc. After passing miles of poor neighborhoods without stilts, it feels kind of dirty.

They pull over and park near Cafe du Monde, Ash removes the license plates and tosses them in the car. Marigold stares around awestruck, she’s never left Austin. Ash asks if they want to sightsee or go to her aunts. They want clothes and a sword. They head to the left of Cafe Du Monde, to an adventure store called The Vagabond. Small room with a long hall. Jazz floats on the air. There’s a piano, a trumpet and clarinet player. They see Ash and greet her. Clarinet player is a dwarf Tucker, piano human Terri, trumpet is Thanos. She introduces them to Chuck and Marigold, mentions that this is “the Chuck they heard about”, Marigold looks at them askance. The Vagabond is the best jazz venue in NOLA, true facts.

Marigold and Chuck go to the back door, Ash joins the piano player. Marigold has no money, but Chuck says he has 100gp. Marigold wants leathers and clothes. Leather 10gp studded leather 45gp, (all prices same as DnD Beyond).

Storekeeper is a big huge black guy, built like The Rock. He watches them as they shop. Marigold introduces herself as a friend of Ash, he says his name is Abe. He asks if she’s an adventurer, she says she doesn’t know. He points out she’s buying adventurers shit in an adventurer’s store (DM) so she must be one. She allows that he could possibly be correct, although she’s reluctant. Chicago and NYC and SD also have Vagabonds, he givers her a paper and says to take this if she visits another one. They get an adventurer kit, 2 leathers, longsword, common shield, and 10 days of food -70gp. Free clothes for Marigold, Chuck wants to be boogie, his clothes are 2 gp. Persuasion for a discount, 30 with bonuses. Abe asks why no shards, why Marigold isn’t also getting a weapon, she says it’s complicated. He takes out 1 diamond shard and rolls it over to Marigold. Abe asks for 60 gold for all of it, Marigold cradles the shard as though it’s a precious item. Reminds them that a Vagabond will shelter them for the night and help them out if they take the coupon with them. Abe wishes that they may be lucky and winks at Marigold.

They all head down Bourbon St about three blocks, hard right to her Aunt’s shop, looks like a back door, but it’s the entry. Looks like a magic and hoodou shop, DIY dolls, incense, etc. “A woman who can only be described as fabulous” (DM) in the shop. Golden robes, striking blue eyes, beautiful dark skin, VAST enormous 1970s giant Afro, tall and lanky. She welcomes them, walks them back behind a beaded curtain into the rear of the shop. Prayer mats in the back, iconography to all the gods, makes Marigold uncomfortable a little. Introduces herself as Dementia, asks how she can help, what they want.

Chuck says thanks, he doesn’t know much about all the gods. Asks for help for Marigold. She stares at Marigold, her eyes slowly turn to a super pale soft gray. She says Marigold has been touched by something very bad, depending on who you ask, unless you ask him,(Perception 18) pointing at either Felicity of Luck, Rebel the Reaver, or Fire Lord. But this guy (azgaroth) won’t like what she got into. Marigold protests it just happened, it wasn’t on purpose. Dementia stands up, asks if she can touch Marigold, puts her hand on the small of the back, pulls up and unsheathes the freaky sword. Good news, now there’s a hole in the leathers for the sword, bad news, now there’s a hole in the leathers.

Dementia puts the sword in front of Marigold - Investigation 18 - the sword looks like it’s being eaten from the bottom, there are runes Marigold doesn’t speak or read. The words are slowly moving around on the sword. It’s really really long, on it’s own, it enters Deter mode while in Marigold’s hand. Dementia asks about Marigold’s father. She says he may not be exactly who she expected, until today. She felt like the creature that gave the sword to her knew her father. The last time the word spoke to her was before she passed out in the bottom of the church.

Chuck casts Divine Sense for Divine, Fiend or Undead. He’s take aback because he gets the essence of all three, it’s very disconcerting

The lights go dim, Demetria’s eyes glow, strands of blue light connect Marigold to Devourer’s Edge. Most of the connections aren’t very strong. The connections of Marigold are blue, the lines from the sword are dark lines. 7 lines, only one of them is connected fully to Marigold. Everyone can see their magic aura, Chuck’s is dull yellow, not the multicolor of Asgaroth as he expected. Ash has multiple colors coming off her. Chuck goes over to look at it, he can read what’s written on the sword in Abyssal and Deep Speech. It says Pride Greed Lust Envy Gluttony Wrath Sloth over and over. Chuck tells Marigold, who protects that she’s been pious all her life. Demetria says the sword didn’t choose her, it chose her father. Chuck asks why his color isn’t like Ash’s. Demetria says he’s a chauvinist one dimensional sexist pig of the Asgorath church so his color is the color of piss.

Marigold says he’s not like that, Chuck says he is, actually, he’s not as nice to other people. Marigold looks down. Marigold looks at the sword, one is connected to her, one of the strands is pointed North, one is pointed East, the other 4 are just floating.

Everyone sits down, Dementia’s energy is dark black, the tips are multiple colors. She casts a spell. Wis - Chuck 18, Marigold 13,

Demetria touches the sword, their bodies get smashed into the floor. Marigold sees her dad fighting, in full plate armor, fighting hordes of demons and monsters, leading 5 paladins through a dungeon. The come to a demon they can’t beat. Paladins die off 1 by 1 until only dad and a demon are left. 16 feet tall, heavy, horns, rippling muscles. Dad looks at the dead, and smiles, says “I’ve been waiting for you, I’ve looked long and far for this chance”. Demon “What? What is this?” Dad talks in a language they don’t know for 2 mins, and at the end the Demon touches dad, his body lifts off the ground, the sword comes out of his body’  “If i do this you’ll give me the power I need? I’ll be the head of the church? I’ll have all the power and money and respect I deserve?” Demon says “I can give you more”. Dad says “oh yes tell me, anything”. Demon says “you’ll know” and disappears. Dad is standing with the sword and says “no no not my baby no”, Demon whisper says “the deal has been made, see you soooooooon”.

The vision clears, Ash yells “WHAT THE FUCK”. Marigold asks what that demon was, Chuck does not know. Dementia says “that demon goes by many names, I have a feeling though, that Gluttony might be the one that pertains to you”. Marigold looks at the sword that eats people, the sword literally decorated with teeth. Dementia says “you have a long road. You don’t know the crust of the 7 sins do you? you have to find the other 6 if you plant to keep living” and looks at the sword. “I’ve never seen them but they’re the seven sins, the 7 vestiges, they hav a lot of names. But if you don’t, this sword with literally eat you like it did your father”

Marigold points out that her dad is alive, Dementia points out that his souls has been eaten, no father would do what he did. Dementia offers one more thing to help, and says she hopes they use the power for good. Dementia casts a spell, Rebel the Reaver starts vibrating very quickly, Dementia puts a hand on Chuck and Marigold goes them the Eyes of the Reaver. Once a day they can cast and see spirits that would be hidden from them. They open their yes and see ghosts around Dementia, generation of women, for she is the voice of the Raver. For the first 24 hours they can see ALL ghosts all the time.

She tells them to go look around and see the city. Chuck asks to talk to her in private, Says he mumbled the words of the paladin but he didn’t believe. He asked for guidance in the car, and he knows he needs to choose, can she help him pick. She says he’s doing it wrong, you pray to the god of what you need at that moment. “Time your prayers like you time the strike of your sword and you will be the paladin you wanted to be. You would be at once the oath keeper and oath breaker at the same time, that is your destiny”

He says he’ll protect Ash, she laughs that Ash doesn’t need help. She hands him an onyx shard and says to use it only when there is no other option, and then repeats it, along with all her ghosts “NO OTHER OPTION”, he says he understands.

He goes outside, see ghosts floating all over Bourbon St. Perception Marigold 5, Chuck nat 20. He can see people’s personal demons feeding on them. One lovely ghost floats by and notices Chuck looking at her directly, and whispers “Help me please” in a haunted tone.