The Tarrasch

A group of thieves that have moved in and are causing a great deal of mischief.

There had always been unexplained thefts in Stonewood, it was just the price of doing business in a big city. But once the occupation happened, more sinister things started to occur with frightening regularity. A mysterious symbol started to show up at the scene of gristly murders, painted in blood. The symbol is the calling card of the Tarrasch.

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The Tarrasch are a thieving group founded by an orphaned elf named Haish Dulshadow. Haish, along with Krath Stormwell and Kinji Cragthorn, formed a strong bond as younglings, and together, did what they needed to do to survive. Eventually, this turned into a bona fied thieving group.

The Grandmaster is a human under the guidance and leadership of the Bloody Fist orcs. No one except himself and Haish know that he is employed by the Bloody Fist. He first heard rumors of a group of thieves in the city, and enlisted them in doing Bloody Fist business, unknown to the group. Haish, who is his sole contact, was eager to do as the Master wished. Soon, the Master was using Haish and his group to abduct for the Bloody Fist, steal for the Fist, and do any tasks that the Fist needed done, but couldn’t do themselves. Haish figured out that they were employed by the Bloody Fist.

The Grandmaster soon saw Haish, Krath, and Kinji as pieces to be moved and played. He nicknamed them as chess pieces, bestowing the title King, Rook, and Knight to Haish, Krath, and Kinji, respectively. The undead minions and warm bodied minions became Pawns in the game. His Litch, a Bishop. He started to think of himself as a Master, moving the chess pieces as needed, and loved seeing the effect he had on the city. In fact, the Master comes into town as a lovely, quick witted, silver-tongued trader and gambler frequently. He is known to trade anything, of any origin, to anybody. He is the man to talk to if you need to sell or have to buy. He loves secretly being among the masses, doing business and collecting information for the Fist.

♚Haish Dulshadow found himself the leader of a small group at an early age, just trying to survive. He has grown up with Krath and Kinji, and they are thick as thieves. He is always thinking of their next job, their next hideout, their next target. By the time the Master came and found Haish, they had already honed their skills as a group. The Master gave them a purpose, and freed them of their self constraints. Unbound, they now inflict terror upon the city.

♝Krath Stormwell always knew that their little thieving group could do so much more than what Haish allowed them. He understood his caution, but Krath was not one for caution. Haish kept Krath on a short leash for much of their lives. Lately, Haish has allowed Krath to explore his limits and Krath has been enjoying himself immensely. With his abundance of earth spells, and his penchant for all things dead, Krath has quietly gathered an army of undead to do their bidding.

♞Kinji Cragthorn has always protected Haish and Krath. From a very young age, Kinji has always watched out for the other two, keeping them safe and helping them carry out their plans. He has never been a planner, but no one is better than him with a sword. Now that there are no rules, his cruelty has come to life. He loves training new fighters and take pride in how well he taught them. He gets enjoyment out of Krath and Haish’s “chess game”, and secretly loves being called a “knight”.

A woman’s scream is heard in the night, the scream of someone whose world just shattered. Crying and sobbing can be heard, and followed to a trail nearby.

The scene is a brutal one. A woman kneels next to a body, sobbing and crying. The body lays face up, a hand is missing, leaving a bloody stump. The stump is tied off with a tourniquet. On the forehead, a symbol is drawn in blood. It is the symbol of the Tarrasch. [THE SLAIN CHEESEMAKER]. As the PCs are surveying the scene, they are attacked by BLOODY RATS, scavenging the dead body.

A friendly adventurer named Luca Norwish is looking for a party to adventure with at the start of the market. He is new to Stonewood, and he and his wife have traveled there looking for their share of loot. He tells the PCs where they are staying and details about his previous life. He has with him a message from a farmer, looking for help. [HI, I’M A FRIEND!]

The farmer is overwhelmed by GIANT FIELD RATS, and they are killing his flock of chickens and eating up his stores of grain. If they could come during the night when they are active, he would be forever thankful. He of course states you can take the tails for the bounty, he doesn’t want anything, just the rats gone. The group comes upon the farm and the rats. Each rat taken produces a “tail” for the bounty. When the rats are killed or ran off, and the group starts to leave, they find the path blocked by a band of thieves. The PCs are beaten down, robbed, and left on the farm. Luca is taken by the thieves. A PC can be taken as well. On the forehead [or hand] of one of the adventurers, a symbol is drawn. The symbol of the Tarrasch. [OF RATS AND THIEVES]

Sometime in the night while everyone is asleep, a body is left, dismembered, in the tavern. A dismembered head is left on the table. On the forehead drawn in blood, is the Tarrasch symbol. [BREAKFAST IN PIECES]

If no one found Darla, Luca’s wife, after he was abducted, she will come into town looking for him, as he hasn’t come home and she doesn’t know where he is. If she finds news of her husband, that he was abducted last night and no one knows where he is, she will become angry and combative. She will claim that the PCs robbed and killed her husband or gave him to the Orcs or other outrageous claims. With steady and strong convincing, she will leave to look for her husband, but not believe that her husband was taken. [NEWS OF A FRIEND]

A quick witted, silver-tongued merchant has come to town. He is jolly and easy to like and talk to. He is a gambler and quickly engages people in a game of some sort. He also is a buyer and seller of goods, of any sort. He is buying rat tails at half the bounty offered by the city. [THE MASTER IS DISGUISE]

Awhile after Darla leaves town, two men come in, dragging Luca. He is unconsious, beaten, and bloody. They found him on the trail, dying, and rushed to get him help. If Luca is saved, he tells the tale of being abducted from the field, taken… somewhere, tortured, and then returned. If someone goes and gets Darla [if she can be found], she will return and collect her husband. They will leave town at once, not waiting for the end of the market. If Luca is NOT saved, well, he dies and draws from the bag like a new adventurer. [RETURN OF A FRIEND]

A distraught mother and father come into town. Their child is missing. He was taken right in front of them from their home. The child can be tracked to a cave. He ran after them, but stopped when they entered the cave. The Tarrasch beat everyone down, rob, and leave them, or the Tarrasch Pawns are defeated. The child’s body is left in the cave, a bloody symbol on his forehead. [THE STOLEN CHILD]