Dramatis Personae
Robin playing Rashi the rogue.
Noah playing Igorok the wizard.
Karl playing Bobo the rogue.
Tess playing Tinus the sorcerer.
Issac playing Issac the barbarian.
Sam playing Yartella the fighter.
It was getting dark in the late afternoon of the day of the fight at Santon’s Mills. The heroes spent some time exchanging weapons and buying supplies. Then Lady Altea found them and thanked them for saving he cousin’s daughter. She gave them all 10 gold pieces as a reward. She told them that the traveling actors wanted to leave and that even though she felt it was unsafe to travel, she couldn’t delay them any longer. So Lady Altea wondered if the group would be willing to travel with them for a while so that everyone benefited from the extra security of numbers. She had a patrol out and would know more about the orcs later. They agreed to travel with the actors and then she invited them to stay one last night in the main gatehouse .
In the morning everyone decided to go to The Globe before they left town. They found the actors loading their costumes and props into a hard covered painted wagon. They went into The Globe to do some final investigations. The owner Pease Shaker was heart-broken. He was financially ruined. All his money was gone and he had no way to pay his debts. He would have to sell The Globe, but he reluctantly rejected their offer of two gold pieces to buy it. He needs thousands.
The group searched the Box Office again and under the stage. They could see where the thieves had entered but they found no new clues. Then they went to the prop storage room and found many strange stage props. On a shelf that contained mant wooded animals they was a dust mark in a familiar shape. Igorok took the wooden duck out and it fitted exactly on the dust mark. The duck was back in its rightful place. However they felt they couldn’t just leave it there, they had been through so much together, so Igorok put it back under his cloak.
Outside the actors were packing up. Some members of the group wanted to ride in their caravan, but the lead actor, Murter, was anything but friendly and frankly got downright insulting at times. His insults really hurt and so the group decided that they needed their own form of transport and they pooled their resources to buy a cart and a mule to pull it. Rashi found a comfortable barrel to take with them and the others thought barrels would be useful for holding things, so they got a few more.
While they were out shopping a hand reached from the shadows and pulled Bobo into yet another conversation.
“Have you got our money yet?” asked the Kalla.
“Err, why is it always only me?” wailed Bobo.
“True”, said the Kalla and pulled Tinus in with him.
“So have ye got our money yet?”
“Err, not exactly”, they replied, “we’re working on it.”
“Not planning on skipping town are you?”
“Just an escort job to earn your money”
“Hmmmm. You’re up to a thousand now you know.”
And with that the Kalla vanished back into the shadows.
The group then discussed which way they would go. The actors didn’t seem to mind. So they voted to head for Arlsfort, where they knew that Baron Feldar was trying to clear the region and start a town. Townsfolk need entertainment and they could maybe start their own theatre there.
They followed the actors’ wagon to the north gate. Lady Altea met them there. She had grave news. The patrol she sent out yesterday had not returned. They asked who was on the patrol and Captain Dalker produced a manifest. The group looked at it briefly and noted the number of soldiers.
They should have been back early last night. Could the group keep an eye out for them.
With that she wished them luck and thanked them for all their services to Red Mills. The wagon and the cart rolled out onto the road and the shadows of the nearby houses shifted slightly as if they had seen something they were not too happy about.
As they moved north toward Pelville the group tried to engage the actors in conversation, but alas the actors found them an annoyance and bid them stay away. When Igorok persisted, Murter whispered, “I suggest that you stay away from this wagon.” Igorok immediately felt compelled to stay clear of the wagon and found it hard to even look in its direction.
After a mile or so they heard the approach of galloping horses and around the corner came four soldiers on horseback. They were in chainmail and on their shields was the red waterwheel representing Red Mills. It must be some of the missing patrol.
It was a sergeant, a corporal and two privates.
“Hi”, said Tinus, “where’s the rest of the patrol?”
“Who’s asking?” demanded the sergeant.
“I’m Tinus and these are Bobo, Yartella, Issac and Igorok”, he didn’t mention Rashi who was in her barrel., “What’s your name?”
“I’m Sergeant Jar Santon”, said the sergeant and I know who you are alright”.
“Well where are the rest of the patrol? Where is Captain Cutler?”
“None of your business, out of our way!” demanded the sergeant.
“You’re feeling very tired aren’t you? Why don’t you go to sleep?”, whispered Tinus gesturing softly.
One of the privates slumped on his horse which wandered off a little.
“Why you!!” shouted Jar, spurring his horse forward and slicing into Tinus with his sword. The corporal and the still awake private threw spears at the sorcerer both piecing poor Tinus.
Igorok whispered some arcane words and a thick web enveloped the three soldiers and their horses. Yartella threw a javelin but missed, Rashi appeared out of her barrel and thumped an arrow into the sergeant. Issac who was driving the cart moved it away from the entangled soldiers but as he did that Jar swung his sword again and despite the webbing he hit Tinus again. Tinus was bleeding badly and was just barely conscious. Bobo fired his crossbow and squeezed in front of Tinus to protect him.
The soldiers struggled in the web and the private managed to break free. He spurred his horse around the entangled area and attacked the cart. Bobo took the brunt of the attack but was okay. Yartella threw another javelin, this one thumped into the sergeant’s chest. Rashi fired at the private attacking the cart, another hit. Issac swang at the private cutting him. Tinus whispered magical words and glowing arrows sped into the sergeant. He was starting to lose confidence. Bobo attacked the private, he was hurt now. Then Igorok finished sent more glowing arrows into the private and he fell from his horse, dead. Issac jumped from the cart and rushed at the sergeant, cutting him with his axe. Tinus followed but missed his attack.
The sergeant could see he was doomed but decided to take the wounded Tinus with him. He swung his sword, but this time the web hindered him enough so that he just missed. Meanwhile the corporal was frantically trying to break free. Yartella rushed him and tried to wrestle him to the ground. Bobo and Igorok finished off the sergeant and then Issac joined in the wrestling match. In the end the two of them pulled the corporal from his horse, subdued him and tied him up. Then they round up the sleeping private and tied her up too.
They searched the soldiers and found some gold. Looking at each other and then at the gold and then back at each other, the group decided that from now on they would share treasure evenly. So they each got four gold pieces. They also found two potions with cultist symbols on them. After a short debate Issac sipped one and a small graze on his finger that he had barely noticed healed up instantly. He handed the potion to Tinus who gulped it down and immediately felt a bit better.
The actors had moved off a bit, but were watching carefully. The group loaded the dead bodies on their cart and then woke the prisoners. At first they weren’t co-operative but soon Tinus could tell when they were lying and when they were telling the truth. They questioned them at length and even though they mostly lied, Tinus was always able to tell.
The prisoners were Corporal Larshall Miner and Private Elsienora Rolate. The dead soldiers were Private Ront Weaver and Sergeant Jar Santon. They were all members of the Gruumsh cult that the group had interrupted the day before. In fact they were all related to the people they had killed. They were indeed working with the Blood Moon orcs and the rest of Captain Cutler’s patrol had been captured and taken to a nearby abandoned tower which the orcs had taken over. They were vague about the Kalla being in the cult, but Tinus could tell that they weren’t, nor was Lady Altea.
After the interrogation they gagged the soldiers and put them in the barrels. Then they covered the dead bodies and moved up to the actors.
Issac approached them and demanded entry into the wagon.
“I suggest that you return to Red Mills and report to Lady Altea what has happened here”, whispered Murter.
“I’m going back to Red Mills to tell them what happened here”, said Issac.
“Aren’t you very tired?” asked Tinus, “Shouldn’t you get some sleep first?”
“Yeaahhhh”, whispered the barbarian, “I …. zzzz” and he slumped over.
They lifted him gently into the cart and tied him up until he got over his compunction.
They drove their cart around the actors wagon and carried on toward Pelville. The wagon followed but at a distance.
After half a mile they noticed an old tower west of the road but they didn’t approach it, but rather kept going. When they got to Pelville they skirted the town and carried on along the narrow road which was really little more than a path to Arlsfort. After Pelville they did not see the actors’ wagon any more, it must have stopped there. As the group drove they discussed what they would do when they got there. Apart from avoid the Kalla and not tell about the soldiers they also decided that they would like to build a theatre, in the shape of a duck! And if the duck could float on the lake that would be even better! Yes, they wanted a floating theatre in the shape of a duck.
The grass, the trees, the very gods who made this world sighed deeply.
As the sun was setting they arrived at the new town of Arlsfort, which was more of a concept really than a town. There was very little here. And as they assessed the place the moon rose. A full moon, but not the usual warm yellow, it was now blood red.
End of Episode 4
XP
Further investigations in The Globe: 200XP
Unfortunate discussions with the actors: 450XP
Getting out of town despite the Kalla: 200XP
The fight with the soldiers: 3 x 25 + 1 x 50 = 125XP
Uncovering that the soldiers were part of the cult: 500XP
Arriving at Arlsfort “safely”: 500XP
For a total of 1950XP, divided between 6 is 329XP each.
Rashi 950 + 329 = 1279XP Level 3
Igorok 950 + 329 = 1279XP Level 3
Bobo 950 + 329 = 1279XP Level 3
Tinus 950 + 329 = 1279XP Level 3
Issac 650 + 329 = 979XP Level 3 !!!
Yartalla 350 + 329 = 679XP Level 2
Varis 950XP Level 3
Lil 600XP Level 2
So congratulations to Issac, Issac has leveled up to level 3.
Next Session is Saturday May 11th
Apologies for the mix up with the room this time, I believe that it is sorted now and that our booking is properly recorded on the library’s system.
The Cork Orc 