The new group is still going through their growing pains, but this time they don't have a dungeon to try their fumblings on but the town and it's people. And we have had altercations (almost deadly) at least three times, sleep spells going off on townsfolk, as well as two party members tearing their clothes to shreds and hurting themselves badly while fleeing.
I have not stopped laughing most meetings.
Write up follows:
The party was at the Waywocket home when the fighting began. Ironboar was fighting with Device and Fist’al, claiming that no one came to help out (Tempi did!) when he was getting stabbed. Flimflam was trying to mediate but the gnomish barbarian and the half-orc cleric were trading barbs back and forth while Ironboar regaled everyone about how in the field, there are times to make decisions and not talk about it. In fact he brought up the need to react fast like in the field 12 times.
As he was pointing out, “I did MY part as a team,” which caused some head scratching. It was 42 minutes of back and forth before Flimflam took out the pipe and weed and Ironboar eventually calmed down. It was an uneasy peace but we did manage to put it briefly behind us and discuss what our next course of action was to be.
There were three: 1) Someone was going to need to talk to Bradone and the other thug taken into custody, 2) someone should go to the herbalist and learn about rose smells and some of the strange behavior Bradone was displaying, and 3) we should check out Tanner’s Way and see if can find Lirea there.
No matter what, Ironboar was NOT going to be in on the questioning, although he DESPERATELY wanted to be the one. HE did point out that the need to get information and the danger involved sometime was not to be taken lightly and “This is not a game” – which momentarily poked a hole in the fourth wall around the table.
We settled on: Flimflam would go to the herbalist, Enthir, Marcus, and Fist’al would go to the militia to question the prisoners, and finally Tempi, Ironboar, and Device would poke around Tanner’s Way for clues. We agreed to meet back at the Waywocket’s around 3ish and scattered at just after quarter past 10.
Flimflam left the Waywocket home with Whosea and turned right at the end of the block, heading towards Exotic Transportation. Once there he spoke long with Eherego about the lack of war rhino’s and riding pegasi but settled eventually on the prospect of training the 120 lb mass of hunting dog that he now owned into a riding dog. They went back and forth for a while, also commissioning a half-assed build dog house and chain run for the animal to be built by Eherego’s sons, settling on a total of 17 crowns paid in 4 installments over 3 weeks.
Enthir, Marcus, and Fist’al did make their way past the gallows to the militia house where they spoke to Captain Thragriel. The three of them were led to the back of the militia house where 4 small cells were arranged. One of them held the injured and unconscious Bradone Broman while the other had his captured friend, Feril.
The 3 of them learned that Bradone was badly injured but lucky to be alive as the wounds came close to his carotid artery. The herbalist would be back this afternoon about 1:30 to check on him and should let us know if could be questioned then. As for Feril, he did tell us that there were 8 of them that wanted to have their own homestead and Bradone was the “leader” of the group. He had 2 friends that he had been talking/hanging out with lately who had been giving him the rose scented spicy water – some sort of drug. He has been a bit weird but still their friend.
As for the thefts, Feril said they had been knocking off the furthest homesteads and in regards to Verim getting wounded, he thinks it was Bradone who had done it. Just before it happened he got nutty and ordered everyone to drop everything and run for the back gate.
Tempi, Ironboar, and Device left the Waywocket home and traveled southeast across town towards Sutor’s Forge and eventually the run down section referred to as “Tanner’s Way”. Long it had been a slummy section of town but after Shakun had been under the cruel overlording of the Leech and his torturous use of the tannery, this part of town had not been cleaned up, repaired, or even properly patrolled. Most of the buildings were hovels and single story thatched dwellings.
The three of them walked the dirty streets for a bit, seeing dogs, cats, rats, and even a few furtive people hiding in the alleys and broken shells. Eventually they came to the Tannery and decided to check it out first. The door was closed and once forced open showed the gloomy interior of the Tannery. Most of the place was in terrible disrepair. There was a catwalk with 4 doors on the second floor and Device volunteered to hang right outside the main door while Tempi and Ironboar went up each opposite stair to the floor above.
Flimflam went next to the Herbalist where he talked about the effects of rose scented herbs and possible effects. They did not come to much of an accord and the gnomish druid left with no questioned answered.
As for the 3 elves, their questioning of Feril did let them know that Lirea was unhappy with Bradone’s new friends and they usually stayed in Tanner’s Way somewhere. Yes she did sleep around but used her body more as a bargaining chip than just slutting around. As for Verim, she was seeing him and the rest of the group didn’t think much of the farm boy. They left, talking once again with Captain Thragriel and reiterated they would be back later this afternoon. They left and headed towards the Broman home to poke around some more.
As Ironboar and Tempi looked over tow of the four doors they gave them a kick and started two vagrants to come bursting out of another, central door. They took a look at the group and one tried to bull his way past Tempi while the other saw Ironboar chasing towards him and he hung over the catwalk and dropped 12 feet to the ground – rolling to his feet with only some superficial scratches on him.
Tempi elbowed the fleeing one near him into the chain rail and then wrapped his arms around his neck in an effort to knock him out. When he was struggling and scratching at the half-orc he did grow a bit angry and kneed the bum hard. In the nuts. Very hard. The bum cried, pissed himself, and passed out in agony.
Ironboar charged down the stairs and yelled at Device to “stop that guy”. The guy in question hit the doors with a smack and Device was surprised, unable to stop him in time. The barbarian hit the streets, turned left, and charged after the fleeing man, Device right behind him.
Flimflam went to Sern’s General store and spent a few minutes haggling with the shopkeep on a gnomish felt cone hat.
Ironboar was growling as the bum tore into a hovel and disappeared inside. Device yelled out, “Right behind you!” and without pause, Ironboar flew into the home. It was a shit hole and warren. He leapt over a tipped over chest of drawers, heard a noise to the left, and blew through a hole in the wall. He charged right into the next house and heard noises upstairs while two frightened vagrants pointed upward in time to his howling cries of, “Where’d he go!?!?!” He grabbed the ladder/stairs and crawled/raced up them.
The three elves were going to the Broman home when Master and Misses Todron came out to thank them for their help in fixing the curse and that he had no gout flare up since yesterday. He did say that he was talking to other friends of his about the group’s skill and the Meriks next door wanted to hire the group. We were pleased and found out it was to move a couch, a heavy couch, from the upper floor to the lower. Less enthused we thanked him and said we’d contact them soon, heading onward to the Broman place.
Ironboar was at the top of the loft where he spied a hole in the thatch and noises from outside. Device was cursing but shouting to “keep going, I’m right behind you.” Bursting out the hole, the gnome heard the running vagrant and charged up the slope of thatch. At the top he saw the other guy already on the next roof and scrambling to get into another hole there. Running at full tilt he jumped across the intervening space and tried to grab at the fleeing man’s foot but failed miserably and instead plowed his should and neck into the hidden support roofing beam, making himself see stars and allowing the fleeing man to make it inside.
Flimflam then took a nice walk across town to the Hall of Heroes where we used the key Zarik had lent him to poke around the long unused building.
Marcus volunteered to stay outside the home near the front gate while Enthir and Fist’al would check out the grounds and eventually the inside of the home one more time. The scout and mage made their way to the gardens and smelled something foul amidst the roses.
Ironboar climbed up to the hole, pulled himself in, and was on the second floor loft of another peasant’s home. The fleeing vagrant had made it to the bottom of the stairs and on seeing the gnome gave shriek of fright and made to run. It was then that Ironboar used himself as a weapon, throwing himself OFF the loft and landing feet first on the running bum. His boot cracked the man’s collar bone as 180 lbs of gnome and all his gear landed at a 9’ drop from above. The bum hit the ground, Ironboar wrapped his hand in the man’s hair, and then lifted up and smashed his face into the floor to knock him out (and breaking his nose).
He called to Device and the half-orc cleric came, to hear Ironboar say, “Got him.”. Got him? He was badly bruised, right shoulder hanging 4 inches lower than his left, bleeding, and his nose was a mass of busted chewed up cartilage. Using one of his last cure minor wounds he was able to stabilize the unconscious man and then fireman carried him out of the hovel and the two of them walked back to the Tannery and Tempi.
Device was livid – Tempi’s guy was out completely and his nuts were paste and Ironboar’s was badly wounded and would need hospice care at least. The gnome didn’t care and said, “But they ran – had to stop them.” Eventually Tempi’s guy woke up, in terrible pain. Name was Genorin and we coaxed out of him that Lirea might be living in a home behind the Tannery – brown door and one green shutter on left window. Ironboar and Tempi went to check it out, with orders from Device to “LOOK – DON’T GET INTO A FIGHT” and to bring the information to Waywocket home and tell Flimflam. He was going to stay and help the two men for now.
Enthir and Fist’al discovered the dead dog in the garden and the wounds were just like the same ones that Ironboar did earlier today on Bradone. The dog also looked like Whosea. This disturbed the two elves who would be telling Flimflam about this later. A fast detect magic revealed no magic in the area and none on the ground floor. The two elves checked the ground floor one more time and then went back to the 2nd floor.
Marcus was in the front waiting when a group of pilgrims stopped on the other side of the hedgerow outside the Broman home. A realtor was talking about the house and the Final 30 and the good location. It was when he offered to show the place that Marcus panicked and kicked the gate shut. Someone outside yelled “Hey” and “What’s going on”. It was then that he grabbed another handful of rose petals, tossed them ahead, and called out a sleep spell.
Putting nine of the 10 visitors to sleep. The last one was surprised and making lots of noise – so Marcus ran. He cut and ran around the back of the Broman house as fast as he could. He did not alert Fist’al or Enthir inside, instead he booked. As he hit the deck he charged to the end and leapt – attempting to clear the thorn bushes and make it to the grassy garden area beyond.
He failed.
His legs got tangled up and he shredded his pants, the thorns cutting into his flesh and ripping his skin below. In pain he grit his teeth and kept on running.
Inside the home Fist’al heard the sound of yelling out front and then crashing and cursing out back. Peeking through a window he spotted a lone figure charging across the garden area and vaulting into the Waywocket backyard! He told Enthir that it must be one of Bradone’s buddies and they should get him now. The two of them charged towards the back of the house, closing the door and locking it swiftly behind them.
Meanwhile Marcus failed to clear the Waywocket hedges and his pants were nothing just shredded cloth falling off his waist. He was bleeding terribly and had two painful wounds. He limped to the back door and it was locked, and so were a number of windows. He did get lucky and managed to rip the lock on one of the living room windows open, clambering in and slamming it closed behind him.
Limping and in pain he went to the kitchen where he pumped the well handle and filled the wash basin. Then he proceeded to remove the last of his leggings and tried to staunch the flow of blood and clean himself up.
Fist’al jumped over the hedges but Enthir did not, instead he too hurt himself on them, rolling over the tops and ruining his shirt in the process. As they made it to the Waywocket yard Enthir instead slammed his waist into the hedges, flipped over the top, and rolled to a painful stop, in pain and covered in blood. Fist’al just looked at him and shook his head, before going up to the house and looking around. Someone was in the kitchen. Lock picks out, he broke into the home.
As Marcus was finishing up he heard the click of a lock, a breeze of fresh air, and a single creak of flooring from the living room. He took out his bow and backed up, eyes firmly fixed on the door. Both Marcus and Fist’al played cat a mouse for a minute or two until they realized they knew each other. Then Fist’al berated Marcus for not only firing off another sleep spell, but by NOT warning them in the house that visitors were here and running away. Enthir was just glad to clean himself next at the kitchen sink.
Ironboar and Tempi found the house in question and then it was a quick look in and a boot to the door and BAM – they were in. They heard a slamming door further inside the hovel and the two of them went looking.
The found the only other door led to the front of the place – and the main street near Sutor’s Forge (Hi Forge, Tempi waved). Lirea had been here but she was gone now. So the two of them proceeded to tear the place apart – and they found two items of interest – a pillow made of sky blue cloth shot through with white thread and 4 vials of amber colored semi-opaque liquid in small vials that smelled faintly roselike. They pocketed the items and after getting Device who was transporting the two injured men to the Temple Grounds to rest and maybe get medical attention, the 3 companions were heading back to the Waywocket home to find out what the other’s had found and share their own news as well. Time is roughly 12:30 in the afternoon.
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