Khareo's Tale #4 - Yelling a devil down

This session report is a continuation of the previous session: Speaking of the devil. 

Act 2, Scene 3 - The poison apple

The sister decided to head for the Arc society to consult the library. Neither managed to find something about devils, but Mary convinced another member to help. Martha eventually found out that devils are usually insubstantial and invisible. Devils are made of black magic and are motivated purely by malevolence. Interestingly, they are repelled by true faith and white magic.

The following day around lunchtime, Lady Fremton came to talk. She confirmed that they really had been sent by Silvardo Torrens. Reassured, Lady Fremton explained that she was haunted for two years by a devil named Merbaum. He first preyed on her husband for a reason that she did not know, requiring to be fed gold every night. Once that he got on the brink of bankruptcy, her husband attempted to resist. Merbaum use wicked curses to make him sick until he died. Since that day, the devil visits her almost every night, demanding more gold. Lady Fremton obliged under the threat that Merbaum will go after her relatives. Lady Fremton was now penniless and tormented by creditors.



Mary had a hunch that stuffing an gold amulet with white magic could create a poison apple for Merbaum. They headed to the market and purchased a small gold ring for 4 gold ecus. This was a handsome sum for the Lothal sisters. While Martha was catching a nap, Mary completed the ritual to enchant the ring as a vitality amulet. This was not exactly an offensive curse, but she charged it with as much white magic as she could.

When, late into the night, Lady Fremton came back. The sisters had loaded their flintlock pistols and were ready to face Merbaum.

Act 3, Scene 4 - Yelling a devil down

Lady Fremton's home. I love my wooden blocks.

Lady Fremton's house was a leftover from better days. She offered tea and biscuit to the sisters. Mary advised to stay in the living room so that when Merbaum flies in by the kitchen window, they could scurry out by the front door. 

After about 30 minutes of awkward silence, Mary hear the flapping of wings and thud in the kitchen. She signaled Martha to hurry out and quickly shut the door behind them. Within a minute or two, they heard a loud crash and some yelling in the flat.

Merbaum is choking Lady Fremton as the sisters burst
into the room.

When Mary opened the door, a small devil was trying to choke Lady Fremton while she was lying on the floor. Mary aimed her flintlock pistol, Martha did the same. The devil was between 2-3 feet tall, chubby and covered with a thick ebony-like wrinkled hide. On his back were a pair or pathetic leathery wings.

Merbaum eyes raised to meet the aiming sisters. He dropped Lady Fremton and ran to Mary in an attempt to grab on to her. Mary recoiled to dodge the devil and dragged him into the hallway where Martha shot him at point blank range. Mary shot him as well. Both shots hit the devil, but only the second seemed to hurt.

Fierce close combat with a devil.

The proximity of the devil paralyzed the sisters in fear.  The devil grappled Martha as she was drawing her foil. Mary tossed her gun at him. Mary grappled Merbaum, who was now grappling Martha. She overpowered and kicked him at the jaw. Martha launched into a threatening rant in an attempt to scare the devil away.

Merbaum broke away from Mary and turned invisible. He scurried back into the flat. He attempted to talk to the sister, but they didn't relent and kept on raving and threatening him [Intimidation check, at default, but very spirited role-playing! It failed, but the devil figured out that he would be gaining nothing by staying at the time.].

After a few failed attempt to engage the sisters into a discussion, Merbaum ran off by the bedroom door. Martha and Mary chased him out with the foil in hand. All that they heard was the flapping of wings through the window.

Act 3, Scene 5 - Running away to Mr. Torrens' house

Merbaum, tired of being yelled at, takes off
from the bedroom's window.

Understandably, Lady Fremton didn't want to stay home that night. She hid the bruises around her neck with a scarf and left her house with the sisters. The amulet was lying on the floor, where the devil spat it. They walked back to their block, and stopped at their neighbor's house. 

Mr. Torrens had his servant prepare a bite to eat. The four rehashed the latest events together. Mr. Torrens told Lady Fremton that she could stay at his home at for as long as she wanted. She accepted. 

Mary proposed to protect Lady's windows with vitality amulets, which seem to ward him off to an extent. Mr. Torrens offered the sisters a small purse of silver crowns to cover all expenses. 

Before leaving, Martha confirmed with Lady Fremton some details about her birth. She went back home and tried to see what the stars had to say about Merbaum. Unfortunately, her best shot wasn't enough to pull more information than that this devil was involved in the Lady's life.