The next installment in our adventures.
***EDIT***
I was remiss in not attributing the write up to its rightful author, A. Dyer. Sorry about that, just laziness and forgetfulness on my part. He also wrote up the Dreams of Araby scenario. I can't recall if there has been another I've posted on the blog that was not written by me. I'll endeavor to do a better job of giving credit where it is due.
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| The group confronts the murder suspect and it's not long before his panic cries reveal his guilt to everyone! Looks like the group acquired some new gear. - J.Brisken |
The party is sitting in 10 tailed cat, discussing how to handle the job search. Although a room is prepared, watches are taken, both for protection and to make sure everyone is up in time. And when the sun comes up, the party is ready to go. They get a quick breakfast before heading to the inn to meet the assessor at the Eel Inn. Along the way, there are lots of refugees heading in the same direction.
While walking, Vincent overhears some dockworkers talking about how the counsel in Talabheim want to remove the unskilled away from Talagaad. As the party is moving away, Vincent recognizes one final word, “plague.”Vincent shares this information with the party.
The Eel tavern is an unremarkable place other than ship parts on the wall, and there is already a small line extending out of the door. City guards are at the door and are letting people in slowly. While in line, several members of the party hear others whispering about the real reason why they want to remove people from Talagaad: there is a disease working its way through the shanty town. No one knows what it is but the symptoms include cough and shuttering. And many in the city blame the refugees.
After about 30 minutes, the party is finally let in to see the Assessor. He seems surprisingly old for someone in the old world. The Assessor has an impressive beard and a bit of a belly. The job is to deliver a group of refugees to the village of Breitblatt. It should take about 3 days there and 3 days back.
Sally asks if it would be quicker to go through the crater. The Assessor points out that there is only a single entrance to Talabheim so there would be no way out. The Assessor offers 2gc each now 8 gc more upon return. At this point, Vincent asks if the Assessor could expedite the party’s entrance to Talabheim upon completion. The Assessor says he can do that if we work quickly.
Vincent then asks if Yohann can help as well and reminded that it would be illegal to consider anyone for a job that is not present. As the Assessor goes to hand the party their money, he quickly pulls his hand back and reminds the party that if they swindle him, they will be skinned alive. The Assessor then hands the money over and tells the party they leave at dawn in 2 days.
In order to escape the risk of plague and to save some coin, the party decides to camp out in the forest just outside of Talagaad.
As the morning comes, the party heads to the Eel Inn and sees about 100 refugees including more than a dozen children and several carts full of furniture and other personal supplies. Although the Assessor did not say the size of the group of refugees, the size of the group is larger than expected. Additionally, a group of soldiers are present and controlling the situation. A man approaches saying he is a servant of the Assessor and hands Lukas a small package. Inside the package is a map and a letter stating that the holder of the letter are employees of the city and no one should interfere. Immediately after the servant leaves, a soldier walks up and informs Lukas that these are the refugees to be transferred to Breitblatt. He suggests the party keep to the north side of the old Dwarf Road because Orcs have been spotted near the village of Waldfardt.
Then the sergeant ushers the party towards the crowd. Vincent makes a speech about the journey and the importance of keeping on guard while we travel.
The party begins the journey with the refugees. The first day of the journey is rather unremarkable. The party notices several older people and children coughing really hard and that all the people coughing are Talabeclanders.
Leopold strikes up a conversation with a young man names Reinhart who turns out to be a blacksmith. He seems to be looking toward being moved into Breitblatt since they do not have a blacksmith. Reinhart is very friendly and in very good humor. Leopold asks if he is from Talabecland, but he is not. He however, points out many who are.
After the first day, the everyone makes camp. Vincent orders everyone to keep small fires and stay inside the carts. Leopold asks Reinhart to help with the watch and Vincent talks to the Kislevites, using the elven amulet and several of them agree and are surprised he can speak their language. Vincent sets up a small trap and catches a bird overnight. Nothing else of note happens during the night.
The next morning the sky is overcast and there is a chill in the air. The group gets the refugees packed for the night and heads along the road. As the refugees are traveling, three figures begin approaching down the road. And they are huge. It turns out that they are very colorfully dressed ogres. One is wearing a hat so large, several people could stand under it. And all have giant weapons larger than a man. The refugees are terrified with children crying and people generally wailing in fear.
The ogres begin talking to each other before one approaches the group. The ground shakes as the ogre approaches. When he arrives, the ogre tips his hat and bows slightly. He speaks with a very deep voice and asks if we fancy sharing a meal with them. Lukas asks what kind of meal. The ogre introduces himself as Thurgredd Heart-Wrencher and asks for several children to eat. Lukas tries to explain that several people in the party have the plague but Thurgredd doesn’t care. Then Lukas and Vincent show him the paper indicating the status of the group. This allows Vincent to convince him to not eat the children. However, the ogre demands a mule to eat, which the party gladly gives him.
After seeing this, the refuges are very grateful and many have admiration in their eyes. They are amazed that they were saved from the ogres. After this, nothing else of note happens during the day.
Upon making camp for the night, Vincent gives the bird he caught that morning to the parents to one of the coughing children. Again, the refugees are ordered to keep small fires and stay inside the wagon circle.
Early the next morning, the party is woken to screaming and shouting. A group of farmers are gathered around a tent and covered in blood. Between the rips in the fabric, the bodies of a family can be seen and they have been torn apart, as if by wild beasts.
Vincent and Lukas investigate and see wolf tracks heading south. However, Vincent notices that these tracks are a little too well imprinted, indicating that they are false prints. Sally and Leopold find a purse with 23 pennies and 20 shillings and a separate small, silver pendant of a twin tailed comet. In the tent, Lukas notices that there are no missing body parts, which is inconsistent with an animal attack. After asking the crowd, it is determined that his name was Klaus and he was a hunter. But the names of his wife and daughter are not known. Lukas and Sally notice that there are no hunting equipment in the tent, either. Leopold points out that he might not have actually been a hunter. Just in case, Sally looks for thief signs and finds nothing. Vincent talks with someone and finds out that Klaus had a very nice bow that he was bragging about. The party decides to announce that it was a wolf attack in hopes that someone might let their guard down.
Everyone travels fine for the day, but stops early. As the refugees make camp, an old woman calls Sally and brings him to a fire where a family has a small boy who is clearly very sick and has marks on his chest. Sally attempts to get the family to let him get help, but they refuse.
Meanwhile, Lukas and Vincent gets a group of men to go hunting, although none of the men show up with a fancy bow. During this time, Leopold and Sally begin investigating, using the ruse of checking for taxable products. Leopold finds the bow while searching a tent and asks the neighbors. The tent belongs to Regimius Janicke, a hunter from Talabecland. The neighbors say he is an odd man who seems to hate all non-Talabeclanders.
The hunting party returns with plenty of game. Leopold and Sally have Regimius identified. After gathering the rest of the party, they follow Regimius back to his tent. He enters, but shortly after comes out and is acting very nervous. As if this is the signal, the party jumps him. Regimius goes crazy and essentially admits to the crime and is tied up and his hatred of non-Talabeclanders. However, the crowd seems unruly. Vincent is able to calm the crowd with his oratory skills.
If Jason comes up with any art I'll update the post.
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