Session Two, The Bounty

The group of mercenaries were celebrating in their own way. The two rogues were living it up while most of the rest were soberly assessing the next score.
Prexus came to the ill shaven group after a long night. He had been given a bounty for a group of adventurers calling themselves 'the Border Lords'. They were wanted Dead by authorities in the Great Kingdom of Aerdy to the North. The sum of 1,000 gps would be given for the confirmed deaths of each of a band of 7 adventurers wanted for multiple murders and the desecration of a temple. Descriptions and names followed. One was a half elf, one a half orc, and five humans, two of whom were blond haired twins.
The Bounty was legal but not here. Prexus warned that if the group were caught killing these adventurers, it would be bad. The two forms of Law in Rel Astra were the Dotari, a clannish group of very ill trained and very corrupt constables. The second group are a martial order called 'the Hell Knights'. They roam the city freely, as no one will challenge their edicts. They emulate the organization and ruthlessness of Hell, and deal out severe punishment to the unlawful. The local Order of the Rack seeks to remove indolence and idealism. While outliers from the Order of the Scourge often sweep into the Shattered state of Medegia to kill the unlawful.
Brimbul and Pumkinhead Johnny paid to find out where the adventurers were staying. Apparently they were selling off loot from an adventure, so were in and out of 'the Duck & Jug' Inn and tavern. Hadrian and Brimbul seperately scouted out the tap room and had a meal of Ham and Quail eggs, with some pudding and an ale or two.
They found 3 of the group camped out at a table. Two of the three were in full plate and the third, a dwarf cleric was in banded mail. The scouts got a little apprehesive, as they were better armored than the sell swords. The rest of the Privateers were awaiting the scouts at another tavern 'The Red Griffin' down the block. Where they had rented a private room. Also in the tap room were an off duty soldier, some locals if no note, a performer playing for his dinner in a corner, of little skill, and Brimbul noticed a fellow rogue casing the room.
3 More of the target group came in from outside, carrying packs. The half elf, a wizard or bard (?), a red haired human another wizard (?), and the half orc, a rogue carrying a sack of coins. They had clearly been out trading and selling. Of the 7 only a heavily armored fighter, one of the twins, was no where to be seen.
Since the Privateers had 6 of the 7 in sight, the scouts went to gather up the rest of their band. When everyone was ready, they cast a few defensive spells, then headed out one at a time. Brimbul and Pumkinhead went into the Duck and Jug ahead of time. They bribed the rogue to distract the off duty soldier with a story of a tavern brawl nearby, then they went upstairs stealthily, on the pretext of checking out the common sleeping room.
As Hadrian moved into position outside the inn he cast a nother spell, this time he was warily checking his new found 'allies' for evil. Finding none he headed inside. He mistakenly did not cast of Prexus...
When all of the Privateers were in the tap room, they found the half elf had joined the three down stair, while the human mage and half orc rogue were no where to be seen. The two fighters and two clerics went upstairs with everyone in the tavern noting their arrival. The fight started upstairs. As the half orc came out of a private room he was attacked by the four adventurers. He yelled out a warning and entering a frightful rage he cut down Imgar the dwarf before he knew what hit him. Pumkinhead and Brimbul came at him from two sides and cut him down. The human wizard had cast a mirror image on himself and was behind the half orc.
Meanwhile the 4 adventurers from downstairs came up the stairs and started fighting Kurgan. One human fighter fell before the clerics were out of cures to heal Kurgan and he had to withdraw. During the fight the half elf was casting daze on Kurgan, until he was forced to stop. The dwarf cleric cast a silence to stop the Privateers clerics.
One of the twins advanced up the stairs. He was met by Kurgan who he cut down after taking a blow, and then Prexus, seeing a symbol of Heironeous around his neck charged and smote him. The fighter of heironeous smote Prexus back.
Pumkinhead and Brimbul had more luck. They slipped a few lucky blows past the wizards mirror images and slew him, then went to work on the private room which had been locked since the start of the fight. Then unlocked it and found a fully prepared fighter. One of the twins, a symbol of 'Pholtus of the Blinding Light' around his neck and a long sword and shield in hand. Again the two effectively tag teamed and defeated him, but not before Pumkinhead was almost killed in the fight.
Prexus got the best of the holy warrior, and the dwarf was the last combatant, whom was defeated by a newly healed Kurgan. The half elf ran off, and the group was forced to quickly cast a detect magic and grab valuables which were readily available before high tailing it out of there.
In the aftermath, the local constables, a clannish martial group called 'the Dotari' were bought off by Brimbul and Pumkinhead's contacts. The price was 10% of the groups take. This price was readily agreed upon. Brimbul and Pumkinhead are members of the local thieves guild, called 'the Council of Thieves'. The Council seemingly can buy off or have corrupted almost every institution in Rel Astra. They deal mostly in protection and fencing, with the occasional kidnapping thrown in.
At the end of this adventure Brimbul and Hadrian felt unsure how 'right' their actions had been. But blood money spends as well as any.