Session VI - Back to Civilization (2001-06-05)
It was also time to split the party. Shamp took it as his job to guide the two rescued Black Sword orcs back to Black Sword camp. Before they took off it was decided that Alayn would lead a new trading delegation in two months time. The rest of the party continued north towards human lands.
The day passed peacefully. They heard the orc hunting horns only occasionally, and always faw awar. Ulf was keeping watch with Radagast since it had become rather obvious that Radagast was not very good at keeping watch. he simply did not seem to hear or see anything until it was too late. The night also passed quietly.
Bardia found the remains of an old road, so they could move a little faster. Close to evening they spotted another storm approaching. Bardia realized that it was one of the specialities of the Cursed Lands. He called the storm a "Spirit of the Necromancer". From the distance it looked like a tornado, although it had not yet touched the ground. Drik and Radagast suggested trying to evade the storm by moving perpendicular to it. It did not help, and eventually they had to stop. They found a cliff with a small overhang that would provide some cover from the elements.
Suddenly it became very dark. Everybody felt the hair in their neck rise up. Something frightening was going to happen! They felt as if the life force in their bodies was being sucked out. Figures started crawling out of the earth - creatures that had died long ago. The creatures started fighting against each other, killing each other once again.
Three creatures did not fight just another of their kind. Two skeletons and a bear with skill rotting flesh turned towards the living. Everybody was scared almost witless, so the creatures were able to attack before anyone could really react. Only Radagast was hit, though. A skeleton scratched his side with its bony fingers.
Drik did something amazing, and the two skeletons pulverized without him even touching them! The bear did not seem to care, and tried to maul Ulf with its massive paws. Ulf managed to avoid the blows, and sunk his greataxe into the shoulder of the bear. Bardia and Aeric both closed in, barely avoiding the bears paws and maw, and they both scored hits. The bear raked Drik badly with its claws, and sent Drik tumbling backwards. Drik immediately casted healing magic on himself. That gave an opening to Ulf, who again sunk his axe into the bear for good effect, and Bardia who cut a large chunk of rotting meat from the bears flank. That seemed to be enough, for the undead bear collapsed to the ground.
The storm continued for about half an hour, but no more creatures attacked the party. It was already dark, and Drik suggested they move just a safe distance from the corpses (in case of the manticore appearing for a meal) and make camp. Everybody agreed.
The night, and the following day they were able to travel without seeing or hearing any sign of the orc pursuit. The next morning they could see a fire in the horizon, on top of a hill. They were wondering about the meaning of that, but could not be sure. It could be signal fires of some sort, or somebody might be burning corpses so that they would not rot and spread diseases.
The day again passed without incident. In the evening they heard wolves howling, and Aeric saw a deer trying to outrun a pack of wolves. It was too far away to make any details.
In the morning Drik was again looking tired and very disturbed. He had been seeing visions during three nights now.
That day they finally made it to Fairhill, a town in Bjoric's land. The noticed castle ruins on the road leading to the town gates. Bardia questioned Alayin about Bjoric's opinion about Lord Khulven and his policies. Alayn explained that Bjoric had different views about trading with orcs, for example, but they were not hostile towards each other by any means. He might be jealous of Khulven's current position, though. Radagast also suggested they keep Alayn's identity a secret.
Bardia explained to the town guard that they were weary travelers, looking for a place to rest for the night. He explained Ulf was a beast of burden, hired to carry their gear. This raised Ulf's blood pressure, but before he punched Bardia's nose in Bardia winked his eye on him. It was better to not seem too friendly with orcs if Bjoric didn't regard them too highly. Ulf let it pass, but thought that Bardia would deserve a lesson on how to treat orcs. They guards stated the price to enter the town was one copper per head, and three for the beast (which again was almost too much for Ulf...) Bardia paid one silver piece.
The guards also explained weapons had to be peacebound. The guards placed wax on the sword scabbards and marked them with Bjoric's symbol. The other weapons were treated similarly. The idea of peacebonding was to mark weapons so that if one used them in the town it would be noticed when one would be leaving the town. It would be a simple matter to track down persons who resorted to violence, and make them face justice.
Drik asked if there was a church in town. The guards explained how he could find it. Drik wanted to talk to a fellow clergyman about his visions. The rest of the party members were content with just instructions for a place to sleep. After buying a night at an inn for everyone, a meal and three days rations Radagast gave everyone 2 gold pieces and 4 silver pieces. That was what was left of their loot money.
Bardia was apparently fed up with carrying his gear for he went and bought a donkey. Radagast sold his longbow (he had decided he'd continue using the light crossbow instead), an extra longsword and a dagger.
In the evening Drik also described what he had seen in his visions. He did not yet explain what he had learned from the visit to the church, except that he had received a healing potion. That could certainly come in handy.
The next day started with fair weather, and they made good progress towards Cador which was some three days away. They slept peacefully through the night, until Drik and Aeric heard something moving through the underbrush, closing in on the camp. Aeric yelled and shot two arrows towards the beast that suddenly charged - one arrow hit and one missed the bearlike creature that was covered in feathers. Drik was trying to wake up Ulf, Alayn and Radagast who were sleeping in his tent.
The creature attacked Bardia who had been sleeping under a tree, hitting him with one huge paw and grappling him in a bear crush. While Drik was kicking Ulf awake he also summoned a spiritual weapon to attack the creature. Bardia got lucky and was able to break free from the grapple, the spiritual weapon might have confused the beast somewhat. The thing did not want to let Bardia go, and pawed him again and once again Bardia found himself in not-so-friendly hug.
Drik must have heard Bardia's bones crunching when came to heal him. Radagast told Alayn to stay in the tent (Alayn was frantically loading his bow) while Radagast run outside to help his friends. Ulf had waken up enough to grab his huge axe, which he swung at the monster. Feathers and blood spattered everywhere from the mighty blow. Bardia used the opportunity and sunk his sword deep into the feathery bear. The thing gave a pained yelp and bolted for safety.
Drik was in vicious mood, and wanted to follow the beast and kill it. Radagast tried to reason that the creature had certainly learned that they were too hard to kill and it would not bother them anymore. Drik was adamant, though, so Bardia tried to follow the tracks. He lost them after a few minutes, blaming the bad lighting conditions.
By mid-day the following day they met a group of armed men, three on horseback. They asked if the party had traveled safely. The group proceeded to tell about the owlbear (for that was the feathery bear they had encountered), where they fought it and gave directions to the men. They said they were going to hunt it down.
Next night Bardia and Aeric scouted the camp grounds a bit further away to see if they could avoid some nasty surpises. They discovered some animal tracks and the like. They had a good nights rest, except for Drik who had once again had a vision and seemed downright ill in the morning. When Bardia queried Drik about the vision, Drik promised to tell about that more in the evening after he had had some time to think about it.
The next day they arrived safely at Cador. The town was surrounded by fields and farmer houses. The town guards recognized Alayn, saluted and welcomed him. Alayn lead the way to the sheriff's office.
Drik wanted to go and surpise Cordwellyn and drag him to the sheriff so he could throw the bastard into jail. Radagast persuaded him to drop the idea, because it would be the sheriff's job to do the arresting, if he so decided. Rioting in the town might just get themselves into jail!
While they waited for Alayn to finish his business with Aelric, Drik told of his latest vision. Soon Aelric's servant came to summon them in.
There was discussion about the next trading expedition, and this time the security would be tight. It looked like the party's services would not be needed. Then it was time to discuss payment. Aelric mistook Ulf for Hrun, which almost sent Ulf over the edge. "Is there no limit to the human stupidness or what," Ulf was thinking. Bardia also rubbed the fact in some more. Aelric counted each one had earned 14 gold, and Ulf would get Hrun's share since under the circumstances he was the closest to a next of kin Hrun had had outside of his homeland.
Drik and Radagast then told of the betrayal of Venya, and Drik particularly voiced his suspicions about Cordwellyn. Radagast was starting to realize that it might not be such a good idea to overtly accuse the man who practically owned hald of the town. Aelric did not believe Cordwellyn to be behing anything sinister, since it seemed that Cordwellyn would stand the most to gain from continued trading with the Black Sword orcs. Aelric also mentioned that there was a rumor Cordwellyn had once been a captain of the Waymarch.
Aelric also explained that there had been more and more strange beast attacks lately, which was the reason there were raised bounties and even completely new bounties for bringing proof of certain dead monsters. The prize for the manticore was now land and title and 500 gold! There were reports of manticore "puppies" as well. Owlbear beak would be 50 gold (at that point Radagast groaned, he should have run after the owlbear), firebreathing hounds 10 gold a head and the prize for Venya (preferably alive) was set to 100 gold. Alayn promized a personal prize of 5 gold per Iron Claw orc scalp.
Alayn also offered his personal thanks to the party. He said that everyone could choose one item for free from the town armory. They could also train with the town guards.
$50 discount!