Fuddles the Chihuahua

DM Name: Nerylos

Time: Session 1: 3:45 hours; Session 2: 1:30

Participants:
Miren, level, 2 Bard.
Lord Daein, level 1 Crusader
Garry, level 2 Wizard
Saera, level 1 Rogue
Damien, level 2 Swashbuckler/Rogue

Challenges:
Encounter 1
1 Pitbull, CR1
Chronies: 3x CR1/3

Encounter 2
Fuddles, "Dire Chihuahua", CR3
Bodyguards, CR1 x 2
New arrivals, CR 1/3 x2

Experience:
Miren 500
Lord Daein 500
Garry 500
Saera 500
Damien 500

Rewards:
400gp each, from Artificier Farghorn.
1 or a pair of least weapon crystal, max 600gp, MIC page 64, made for you by the Artificier himself.
Damien: Least Crystal of Return x2, 600gp total.
Saera: Least Crystal of Energy Assault - Electricity, 600gp total.
Intro:
Avalon's slums are expansive, and thus home to many things. From people trying to hide from the law with the modern ammenities of a major city, to dope dealers, to communities of immigrants and pilgrims who would simply rather save a buck than enjoy the "dacadences" of more expensive housing. The area is dotted with abandoned shacks, muddy roads, and occasionally refuse piles, but theres more to the area than first meets the eye. Communal houses, minor housing projects and run-down warehouses also take foundation here, giving the slums a mottled, twisted, maze like appearance. Certain parts of the Slums are lawless now, Avalon only has so many guardmen, and with many being drafted into the military for the looming if not inevitible conflict with the Koarti, the slums we're the first and hardest hit in police presence.
As such, it seems thats how you've gotten this job. With noone to defend the people, the cases have begun to pile up and petitions to the government for aide have risen tenfold. There is, however, little Avalon can do when facing the threat of mass invasion and obliteration. People are bound to suffer, and such is their lot in life. Atleast if it weren't for the presence of Artificier Farghorn. The old Tiefling, a mysterious man, has hired you to quietly take care of a "minor problem". In fact, it's one of the more prolific problems in the Slums. "Legend of the Gangwolf", the locals call it. You may have heard of it, but the Artificier has some lightn to shed on the situation regardless.
Packs of wild dogs are no legend, in and of themselves. Especially in a city as wide and varied as Avalon, the slums are riddled with small packs of mangy, feral animals. SCavengers by nature, they typically only attack when provoked, and many are actually fed scraps from the community itself. The Legend of the Gangwolf however, speaks of every few ytears or so, where one animal emerges as a massive, muscled, hyper-intelligent gang leader. As Farghorn reveals to you, it is in fact not a legegnd at all, but actually truth. And as such, there is one of these "Gangwolves" terrorizing the slums presently. Believed to once have been the massive overgrown but beloved Chihuahua of one Nanny Veddleleaf, when the old lady passed away the animal escaped into the slums, and through a series of viscous fights began to carve itself out a niche. Or perhaps in fact a small empire.
"Fuddles", as his name once was, is now reported by locals to be the new head of a Wild Dog Cartel. Viscous killings, extortion and general terrorism number among their tactics, intimidating people into paying them in food when they come calling lest they find and viscously attack them later. Once a job for the government, it has now been seconded to you. The locals have provided the general location of the Dog's suspected den, and with equipment in hand and the promise from the Artificier to compensate you should you return with the beast's corpse, you now bravely venture into lawless territory. You find yourselves gathered at the rally point, some few hundred feat from where the dog and his upper management are believed by the locals to be holed up. While the Dog's name may be comical and the idea of a massive, over-muscled Chihuahua ludacris, something about the area gives you a feeling the danger is very real.
It's up to you now, you stare down the refuse-choked alley that heads up several blocks until it empties into a lot behind a warehouse, where locals claim the monster lives. The alley is lined by the back of several businesses, their back doors either heavily fortified to avoid Dog attacks, or the property simply abandoned. The area is eerily quiet, and the idea you're being watched is something you cannot shake. Good luck.

Summary:
After taking the Job with the Artificier, the party made their way up an abandoned, refuse choked alley. Listening carefully, the found the sounds of dogs nearby, and making their way up the alley found 3 doors in a row, where they were certain the noises must be coming from one. Pushing the first door open they found nothing, but the creek of the door alerted the Dogs to their presence and promptly attacked. Lord Daein's expert use of his Spiked Chain turned their flesh to flayed strips, allowing Saera and Garry to finish them off with the aide of Miren's music. One dog attempted to flee up the alley to it's master, but was cut down by a firebolt to the hindquarters.
Making their way into a courtyard behind an abandoned factory, the party found themselves facing a single guarddog…which raised the alarm, and summoned it's counterpart, and their doggymob boss, Fuddles. The Artificier had mentioned the dog was large, but seemed to have failed to mention what DIRE proportions the beast had attained. After 2 rounds of maneuvering and Daein attempting to draw them in to his AoE of spiked chain death, the dogs were finally ready to make their move. Fuddles took point and moved around the Chain's range, which Saera and Damien were wisely shielded in and Delivered a sound blow to Garry, knocking the poor Wizard into lala land with the strike. Damien quickly moved in to attack, while Daein rained heavy blows on the beast with his chain and Saera moved into the bodyguard, now also attacking Damien, and went to work with her rogue magic while Miren continued to support them with her music and pondered risking getting any closer than she had to the the melee to help Garry. The battle was long and bloody, but in the end our Heros prevailed with only a pair of dog bites, although one was quite potent indeed. Even with more dogs arriving their stalwart dedication and focused fire of the intended target lead them to a solid victory.
While the Artificier had originally intended to only craft them a single crystal each, Damien's polite attitude and general good nature quickly lead him to agree to the Rogue's request.

Awarded by Jennibear