Episode 10-
Scene #66:
I rush through the city streets at a fast trot, people making way before the sound of hoofbeats lest they be trampled. Horses not being commonly ridden down city streets.
-Encounter-Drunk wants to fight-
One man refuses to clear the road as I approach, and I yell for him to get out of the way. Instead, he yells back, hurling a beer bottle at me, which glances off my shoulder. I spur my horse and kick him to the ground as I pass by, leaving him rolling in the muck behind me. I have no time for such foolishness!
Q: do they bar me from entry? NO
Riding into the keep, I quickly dismount and hand the reins over to one of the stable boys, “I don’t know this horse,” the lad stammers.
Q: Same stableboy YES
“It’s been ridden hard, tend to it. Did you take the Princess’ mount as well?”
“Yes master…sir,” stammers the boy, who I’d not seen before.
I nod and enter the great hall looking for the queen, commanding the first servant I see, “Where is Sir Jon Small? And the queen?”
Q: Is Jon Small still in bed? NO Q: Are they in the hall together? YES
“The great hall!” comes the reply. “Is it true? Is the king dead?”
“Yes,” I reply, “Go get Edwin.”
“He’s gone, master. He and Enid disappeared. Master Morruss is dead.” The servant replies, fear in his eyes.
I stop short, and look at him, “How?”
Q: Does the servant know? YES
“Poisoned, according to Father Jon,” the young man replies.
I take a deep breath, and enter the great hall.
Q: Do they think me a criminal? NO Q: Is the Steward here? YES
Sir Jon, pale and weak looking turns his eyes on me as I enter. The Queen regards me with grief stricken fear in her yes, and Princess Jenn is crumpled at her mother’s feet, sobbing uncontrollably. Lord Hevran’s eyes narrow as he studies my face, worry etched across his own. Two guards stand nearby.
“Is it true? The king is dead?” Sir Jon Small demands.
I nod, “Yes my lord. A dozen cultists ambushed us. They focused their attack on the king, killing him. Decapitating him. Then one took Princess Jenn while the others tried to hold off our pursuit. I left Ronan and Sylvia behind to recover the King’s body when I went after Jenn. Prince Jon and Prince Allard were not with us. They may still be in the Northwoods, hunting. I came straight away without taking time to find them.”
Sir Jon Small nods, while the queen looks on, seemingly numb with sorrow. The steward speaks out, “What of the other nobles? The rest of the hunting party?”
“There were no others. Just the King, Lady Jenn, the Princess, two dog handlers, Ronan, Sylvia and myself.” I reply in confusion.
The Queen looks between her men, “Everyone was supposed to go on the hunt! I would not have let my husband and sons venture into the Northwoods if I’d known they’d be alone!”
I take a deep breath.
Q: Does the prince arrive? YES
Suddenly, the door to the great hall bursts open. The guards reach for there weapons but it is Prince Jon who staggers inside, carrying the corpse of Prince Allard in his arms, black feathered arrows in the lad’s back.
“Mother!” the Prince cries out. “We were ambushed by goblins!”
-Medicine 25-
I race over to the fallen Prince and examine the wounds, immediately realizing the arrows sticking from the boy’s back are not the ones that struck him down. The wounds are wrong, looking like a crossbow bolt hit first.
The Queen wails in anguish and Princess Jenn leaps to her feet and embraces her older brother, crying, “They killed father! Black robed men killed father.”
-Insight 17, vs Deception 10-
Prince Jon feigns surprise, “What? What has happened?”
I add stepping way from the royals, “And Master Morriss was found poisoned. It seems you must assume leadership of your house, my Prince.”
-Performance 22 vs Insight 20-
The Prince looks from me, to Sir Jon Small, to Steward Hevran and then to his mother, “I will avenge my father! And my brother! I will bring these…black robed men, and these goblin tribes to justice. I will make them pay!”
I bow my head, impressed with the Prince’s ability to pretend this was not his plan all along.
-Deception 15 vs Prince Insight 7-
“My lord, now that your sister is safely here, I beg your leave to return to the scene of the crime and make sure my companions are bringing your father’s remains back for proper burial. I had to ride ahead, and I am worried for them as the hour grows late,” I offer.
“Yes, of course, Master Garrick. You are a skilled hunter. I know you will find them. Shall I send men with you?” the Prince offers.
I shake my head, “I will travel more quickly alone.”
E: Positive for Marlowe: the Breaking of Magic
Scene #67:
I leave the Great Hall and return to the stables to borrow a mount, and speak with the stablehand from before. Looking around, I swiftly find a pair of hands brushing down winded animals fresh from the road.
“How many horses did the prince return with?” I ask the stable hands
Q: Just two? NO Q: hounds and men? NO
“Four, master. His, his brother’s, his father’s and Jenn’s.” the hand replies.
“Were his huntsmen and hounds with him?” I ask.
“No master, just Prince Jon and…his brother,” the crestfallen stable boy replies, fear and sorrow in his eyes.
I nod, “I need a horse. Prince Jon’s business.”
Q: Can he get me a horse? YES E: Negative for Garrick: the Attraction of Travel
“Sir Winfred’s horse, master,” the stable hand leads out and saddles a fine looking beast, “His master no longer needs it.” I nod in understanding as I check the tack, mount up and ride out at a more leisurely pace than when I arrived.
On exiting the gate, I am confronted by two members of the town watch. “Hold there! Get off the horse! You can’t ride through town. You ran over a man!” the watchmen approach menacingly.
-Persuasion 3-
I slide from the horse, “My apologies. I had urgent news for the Queen, and the man through a bottle at me. I kicked him. I did not trample him. Is he alright?”
“We are placing you under arrest!” the watchmen reply, drawing their cudgels.
-Persuasion 17- Q: are people aware of the king’s death yet? NO
I hold out my hands, “Friends. It has been a day of immense tragedy. I have been sent to recover the remains for our liege, King Gerard Free. Perhaps I can pay a fine, and be on my way.”
The men stammer in shock, “What? The king is dead?”
I nod, “Check with the gate sergeant. I told him when I arrived. Prince Jon is lord now. He sent me to recover his father’s remains. Please, let me pass.”
The watchmen step aside in shock, and I lead the horse down the street, passing through the main square intent on stopping at the Yellow Toad Inn, as it is the only place I can think of where Edwin might hope to intercept us as anyone who enters the city from the main gate must pass by.
—
Q: Is Edwin at Yellow Toad? YES
Edwin and Enid saw Princess Jenn Free, and then minutes later, Garrick race towards the keep on horseback. They waited, Enid praying for good news. Edwin calmly waiting, watching, and hoping that his companion would soon leave the keep and come looking for them. The two sat near the window, eyes sharp, slowly eating bread and cheese, sipping a weak wine. Hoping not to be confronted by anyone as they linger.
-Event-boastful adventurer-generate adventurer-
A strong but lean looking man lounges at the bar regaling people with tales of his martial prowess, “So there I was, facing down these three goblin warriors on my own. The biggest with a giant gold earring dangling from his nose! A war chief! But one lunged for me, and I ran him through with my blade, then the second one came..”
Edwin tunes the man out, as Enid asks, “What if they arrest your friend? Or ask him how to find us?”
Edwin shakes his head, “Garrick won’t betray us. None of my allies would. That’s why I chose them. They are men…and women…of their word. Sure, a couple of them may play fast and loose with the truth to stay out of trouble, but they won’t betray one of their own.” Edwin takes another sip of his wine. Then asks, “What is that book you keep fiddling with, and whispering to?”
(event resolution, breaking of magic)
“My uncle’s spellbook,” Enid shrugs and she whispers to it again. Suddenly, the lock pops open and she smiles, “Why didn’t I come up with that earlier?” she grins taking a look inside. “He rarely let me look inside, and never allowed me to turn from the page he shared.” She pauses, sadness overcoming her. A sniffle and a few tears, followed by a weak smile, “But now…I guess his secrets are mine to unlock.”
Edwin nods solemnly, “Guard that treasure well.”
—
Garrick soon arrives at the Yellow Toad Inn. Leaving his horse outside, he quickly scans the room for his missing companion. “Edwin!” he exclaims on seeing the wizard.
Edwin leaps to his feet, drops a few coins on the table, as Enid puts away her uncle’s book and gathers her things as the two men embrace. “I wasn’t sure they’d let you leave the keep. Let’s talk outside.” Edwin insists.
Garrick leads the two outdoors, then turns to Edwin and explains, “The king is dead. So is Prince Allard. Prince Jon is behind it. We need to find Ronan and Sylvia.”
The news hits Edwin and Enid like a thunderbolt. “By the goddess,” mutters Enid.
A moment later, Edwin nods, steely resolve on his face, “Then he is also responsible for having Master Morruss killed and for blocking access to Sir Jon Small this morning.”
Looking around warily, Garrick leads the trio out of the city.
-City evening-no encounter-
At the gates, the guards let the men leave, recognizing all three, and recalling Garrick’s words from earlier.
Through the darkness, by torchlight, the three travel towards Littleshir near where the hunt began.
-Encounter-Cat-
They walk through the night, looking for Ronan and Sylvia, expecting to meet them on the road. Instead, they only soul they find is a lone cat with a mouse in its teeth. The animal dashes away on seeing the three and their horse.
-Encounter-Bandits-2d6= 7 men-
Eventually, they reach the site of the ambush, but there are some rough looking men picking over the dead.
“Hail there,” calls out Garrick, catching the men by surprise.
“You stepped into a fine mess, friends,” one of the men replies, drawing steel.
-Intimidation 19-
Garrick draws his weapons as well, Edwin’s hands are sheathed in flames, and after a panicked glance at Edwin, Enid’s hand also fill with fire. Stepping forward, I announce “I killed a dozen men here earlier today, but left two of my friends here. I wonder if you’ve seen them?”
The bandits step back, uneasy in the face of obvious magic. “No, nobody here, just corpses. These men and women in black robes, and those two hunters over there.”
I glance to where they are pointing, then back towards the bandit spokesman, “Anyone in fine clothing? A man whose head was taken?”
The bandits shake their head, “No…just a bunch of penniless fools with these weird amulets on them.” He holds up a serpent pendant.
-Medicine 6, can’t really tell how long they’ve been dead- Bandit intelligence check 14-
I nod and walk towards the huntsmen. “Where did these men come from? Do you know them?”
“Not by name, they are from a small hamlet near Littleshir. There’s usually four of them that hunt together. A father and his boys, I think” the bandit replies. “They usually hand over their catch when we run into them.” he snorts, then shakes his head, “Someone didn’t like them much.”
I nod, then step away, “Do what you have to do. We’ll go our own way, and none of you need die tonight.”
The bandit nods, fear still in his eyes, “Much obliged.”
Out of earshot of the bandits, I tell Edwin, “Those hunters weren’t part of the ambush, but that looks like Ronan’s handiwork…and one of Sylvia’s arrows. If there were four of them, the other two fled to the nearest authority, Littleshir. Which is where Ronan and Sylvia might have gone to borrow a wagon, since we didn’t meet them on the road. I suspect they are under arrest there. I need rest. We’ll go there in the morning. Let’s get out of these woods and set camp.”
Edwin nods in agreement, “It has been a long day. We’ll need our wits about us tomorrow if we are forced to break them out, one way or the other.”
-Nighttime-No Encounter-
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