I’m a Ranger, you’re a Ranger, let’s a Ranger night together!

Mendez inspects the bodies of the dead women with a grimness quite unlike him.
He’d encountered two of these women just a few days earlier. He’d shared wine and laughter with them.
Fair enough for them to rebuff his advances, but to shoot him in the back!
Bodush and Chen had obviously disapproved of him killing the survivor, but evil doesn’t deserve second chances.
Moving over to the still smoking carriage of Lady Benidicta, Mendez checks on the Lady herself. She is unharmed and Mendez waits until she recovers from her faint.
As she comes to, Mendez straightens his shoulders and pastes the smile back on his face.
“Be calm Lady Benidicta. I am here and you are safe. Your carriage is a bit singed but still roadworthy.
Skilled Bandits used magical blasts to unnerve the horses and then attacked us with crossbow bolts from the cover of the trees. I regained control of your carriage while the others quickly found and killed the ambushers.
I’m sad to tell you though, that one of your personal guards was killed.
We should be arriving in Gom Dalat before nightfall.”
Mendez kisses Lady Benidicta’s hand and departs.
As soon as he’s out of sight, the smile drops from his face. Mendez sighs. Lady Benidicta may be unpleasant but everyone deserves a little kindness.
What’s disturbing is the way he’s finding it more and more difficult to keep his ‘mask’ on.

Inn Training aka (Inn)keeping Up Appearances

The landlord of the inn at which Chen has been staying stomps angrily up the stairs. 'Monks should be quiet...' he thinks '...not always thumping around. What could he possibly be doing?!'

He bangs loudly on the door - he has to, to overcome the noises from within. Eventually, a sweaty and confused looking Chen timidly opens his door a crack and peers round.

"Hai, Innkeeper-san!" Chen bows.
"What are you doing in there?" the inkeeper demands.
"I practice." Chen smiles nervously and holds a particularly worn book up to the barman. "I find in bazaar. Is interest to me."

Chen rifles quickly through the pages and the complicated illustrations spring to life. The inkeeper instantly recognizes it as child's flick-book, with a more mature twist. The diagrams depict a series of figures locked in combat...

Chen stops the pages halfway through the book, and points to a set of pictures - men fighting with their bare fists. "This - very easy to learn."

He moves the pages on some more. These pages show a man whirling and twisting with what appears to be a chain link with a large spiked ball on the end. "This - not so easy to learn".

With this comment, Chen allows the door to slowly swing open. As the inkeeper's vision pans around the room he takes in the scene. A mirror lies smashed on the floor, the wardrobe door hangs by it's hinges, the paintings are all crooked, and the bed rests at an angle - one leg obviously broken.

Seeing the fury swell in the inkeeper, Chen bows lows. "I sorry. I pay all damage! Twice!" The inkeeper nods in agreement and his anger abates. This monk may be quite unlike any others he's met before, but at least he's likable.

And profitable.

One mountain too far

Thesis stands at the the top of the daunting cliff-face happy with how these gloves perform. But he realises now that they are no good to him when he is adventuring with his friends. He can't do without wearing his armour and so he can't use the gloves.

He resolves, reluctantly to return the gloves to the hoard to be bid for or sold. Trouble is he now has not taken anything from the last adventure aside from cash and hopes he can do a little better next time.

Sects in the City

Using Bodush’s mansion as a base, Mendez makes sure he keeps in contact with everyone else.
Despite having no interest in St Cuthbert, he occasionally stops by in the St Cuthbertian quarter to check on Eolar and Elogyn. They are both good people but he worries about their overly zealous nature.
Several minor cults have sprung up around the main city, while the St Cuthbertian inner city is being rebuilt.
Too many religions in a heavily populated area is never a good thing.
It's like someone engineered the whole un-civil war to destabilise Febril and specifically the inner city of St Cuthbert!

Lady Benissa

Mendez was walking down the hill towards the town center and was just walking over a small square when a guard pushed him to the side. He turned round and with one hand already on his weapon was about to shout at the idiot who almost destroyed his new shirt when he saw the carriage. He had noticed it a few times over the last week. It was a pompously decorated carriage with expensive curtains hiding the passengers. For Mendez these things stick out.
Mendez was told it belonged to Lady Benissa, one of the most respected and apparently most wealthy members of the higher nobility of Febril. People in the pubs told him that she was also the most beautiful woman in town and well known amongst the poorer people for her generousity.

He watched the carriage which was followed by 4 well armed guards crossing the small square and stopping at one of the public notice boards. While Mendez walked over towards the carriage to perhaps get a glance of the passenger he saw one of the guards nailing a note to the billboard.

Escort needed!
Lady Benissa is searching for experienced fighters
for an escort to the kingdom of Gom Dalat.
Interested people are asked to report to the
head guard at the mansion.
Good payment.

Mendez read the note and took it off the billboard. He grabbed the arm of the guard who was on his way back to the carriage. "May I see the face of the lady who is offering this job? I might be interested!". Mendez voice was loud enough to reach the carriage.
"No you can't! You can talk to the head guard at the mansion! He has a beautiful face as well!"
While the guards started laughing, Mendez saw the curtain of the carriage being pulled back just before the carriage went round the corner, revealing the most beautiful face he saw in a long time! He has never been to Gom Dalat, but heard that it was one of the wealthier kingdoms. Folding the note, he continued towards the pub where he always met up with the others. It didn't sound like a big adventure, but it would be something different.

A surprise guest

Bodush was reading in the new purchase for his library when he heard the knock at the door. He was waiting a few seconds and smiled when he could hear the shuffling feet of one of his servants hurrying to answer the door. It was already dark outside and Mendez had left to meet the others at a pub in town. Bodush got up and went to the window. He could see 3 shapes in black robes talking to his servant. They didn't look like beggars and their appearance got Bodush interested.
The servant knocked at the door and announced that 3 strangers are asking for "Master Bodush".
"Ask them in, I will welcome them in the study".
'Master Bodush'....this could get interesting.
The servant entered the study followed by one of the hooded figures, the robe still hiding all features of the body underneath. Bodush nodded to the servant who closed the door behind him.

Even before Bodush could greet the guest, he started to talk in perfect common.
"Master Bodush, thank you for welcoming me in and granting me this audience".
Bodush, surprised by the perfectly accentless common and the eloquence, was intrigued.
"Welcome to my house. How may I be of service? Excuse me, but my servant didn't tell me your name?"
"Your servant doesn't need to know my name. My name is Daleg and me and my brothers would need your help. We got your name from a contact in town and were told that you are the leader of a group of experienced fighters who could escort us on our way to the mountains near Gom Dalat. We would of course compensate you well for your efforts."
Bodush enjoyed the sounds of 'leader of a group' for a while in his head before catching up with reality. "What is your business in the mountains of Gom Dalat? To my knowledge there is not much to do there for respected men!"
"Our business there is not your concern. We just need you to make sure we get there unharmed. We are people who treasure privacy and are willing to pay well to keep it that way."
"Escort without questions? Depending on the destination within these mountains we are talking about a 7 to 10 day journey. How much were you thinking to offer?"
"We were told 2 platinum pieces per day and gems worth 800gp on successful arrival should cover your expenses and those of your men"
"So possibly 1000 gold pieces for me and my men? I'm not sure who gave you these numbers but we are highly experienced men and this doesn't sound like a standard escort job. Maybe you should ask the paladins in town?"
"We consider 1000gp per head a reasonable offer. We don't expect any complications and just want to hire an escort as a precaution. Coming from the far east we don't know these lands. Better be safe than sorry. "
"I have to talk to my men about the offer. But you have my attention. Where can we reach you?"
"We are staying at the Seaside Inn near the harbour and want to leave the day after tomorrow. We are expecting your answer by tomorrow noon. You were recommended to us by reliable sources, I hope they were correct. See you tomorrow. Good night!"
The guest turned and went through the door towards the exit. Bodush looked after him torn between surprise and curiosity. 1000gp per head for a simple escort? They could get anybody in the town for that price. He was intrigued.
A few minutes later he took his cloak from his servant and left through the front door. He had to find Mendez.

Tenants Extra

After the initial clean-up is finished, Mendez leaves the main city and goes to visit Bodush.
He smiles as he tries to imagine the odd little Sorcerer living in a fine house. Bodush has spent everything he had saved during the last two years adventuring, having this house built.
Stopping to buy a few barrels of ale and a crate of fine wine as house warming presents, Mendez loads it all on his horse and leads it to the outskirts of the city.
The house isn’t quite finished but already habitable.
With a loud knock on the door, Mendez beams at the servant who opens the door.
“A gift for your Master.” Mendez indicates the barrels and crate loaded on his horses back.
Not waiting for an invitation, Mendez barges in and wanders through the mansion, calling for his friend.
When he finally finds the young mystic, Mendez embraces him warmly. Bodush has not ever in two years, returned a hug, but Mendez never seems to notice.
“Your new home is wonderful Bodush, but a little Spartan. Please accept this small token as a nod towards my future rent.” Mendez passes Bodush a small leather bag containing a hundred platinum pieces. “Use it to buy some furniture.”
Mendez is slightly surprised that no-one else lodges with Bodush but shrugs it off. Bodush can be a little dark and sarcastic at times, but fortunately he’s also witty and charming.
Despite the lack of evidence, Mendez believes in Bodush. He believes that his friend can recover from his terrible beginnings.
... And drinking usually helps.