Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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ewancummins
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Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

Post by ewancummins »

THE SEARCHERS

Three days and three nights after reaching the bandit camp



....


The last few days have passed in relative quiet. Cormac finds a bush covered in winter berries, and soon he had made and doled out many enchanted morsels for his injured friends. Between this nourishment and the druid's frequent rites of healing, the whole party has recovered its full strength in three days of rest.

On the morning of the fourth day the Brown Knight announces that his group is going down to the low country. Freezing rain has plastered all the camouflaged tents. The sheets of ice crackle as the men strike camp, each man moving with practiced quickness.

As the camp dissolves, the robber knight sends two of his men to point out the location where the peddler reported having seen elves leading captive children into the mountain.

Now, late morning, the party has gathered its gear and gone uphill through the trees in the cold and damp. Before and above them hangs an escarpment holed with nine shadowy caves ranging from several hardly bigger than banger holes to one enough for a man to ride into without ducking his head.

To reach the caves and the cliff, one most cross a short but steep slope of tumbled boulders and dead brush. No living trees.

Above and beyond the scarp rises the mist clad heights of a mountain. Further away, other peaks loom in the low clouds.

The bandit scouts do not tarry long. In parting , one says,
"Beware, friends. Old Red Rack left parts of a man here once. This might be inside his territory. "
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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Haes


Three days after the Raid
...


Gunnar's actions were covered by a ducal warrant, so no legal repercussions trouble the raiders.

Three days have passed without any confirmed sightings of what Termelan nicknamed " hoodies."

But the Crone has not yet been captured, despite searches by Gunnar and by Sergeant Gilly of the City Watch and his picked team. Even the garrison from Caer Haes has had no luck catching the old woman.
In response to the unusual situation, the Duke has added a curfew to the nightly gate closures. Only persons with permission may be out after dark.
A woodblock printing press makes dozens of these.
(Each PC has one, including Domenica, thanks to the Archprelate's intervention.)

Now the notables, leaders, and experts of the raid have all received a summons to Caer Haes for a meeting with the duke's advisers.
Domenica Barilia has also been summoned to this meeting.

The meeting takes place in a shadowy council chamber with a big hardwood table, lanterns rather than open windows, and very thick walls. The air carries a whiff of burning oil.

Guards escort the guests in to wait for the duke's advisers to arrive.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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Cranstel shuffles down the hallways of Caer Haes, nervously shuffling some of the papers with his scrolled notes and praying to himself that he doesn't get called upon to speak for any extended periods of time.
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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Filbert comes to the meeting carrying the papers and the statuette he has found in the chest of the secret room. He is still preoccupied about the effect of that nasty needle's poison and hopes he can recover soon enough to be part of the next mission.
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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CAER HAES

A guard escorts Filbert and Cranstel into the meeting room.

No one else is here yet.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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Domenica arrives at Caer Haes with GIMP. She leaves him in the hallway. "Keep your ears and eyes open, GIMP," she whispers to him, then enters the meeting room.

She does look to see who has arrived and walks towards Filbert and the unknown man to her.


Curtsying properly, she greets him. "Good day, Lord Filbert. Always a pleasure to see you, sire." She waits for him to introduce her to the man.
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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Filbert smiles at Domenica.

"Lady Domenica, pleasure is all mine. Let me introduce you to Signor Cranstel, he has a fine apothecary in Car Haes and is a fine chemist. He has helped us identify a nasty poison earlier. When you have time I would like to update you about the Threep Penny situation. There was a raid earlier but unfortunately the Crone managed to escape."
- The first 2 Feats a wizard should take are "point blank shot" and "Precise shot"!
- W H A T ! ? !
- Or they should NEVER memorize rays!
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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Repeating the same as with Filbert, curtsy to Signor Cranstel


"I am Lady Domenica Barillia, proprietor of Barillia and Associates here in the city. It is a pleasure to meet you, Signor Cranstel. I count no Chemists or Apothecary owners amongst my acquaintances as of yet. Perhaps we might be able to speak of business at a later time in more relaxed surroundings?"
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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Cranstel blushes somewhat at the half-man's comments. "Ah, yes, I'd be happy to, ah, discuss more business later," he says, "Though I should say, I didn't quite identify the poison...not enough left of the cellar to get a good sample..."
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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Searchers

"We'll try to finish our business here quickly, then." Roald turns to the caves and sighs. "More elves in caves, again. Joy."
"Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it."

George R.R. Martin.
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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CAER HAES


Sir Rory, the graybearded Castellan enters the room.
He wears a tabard with the House Flaertes colors and hart's head device sewn on his right breast, and a long poignard dangles at his hip.

He makes eye contact, no smile, with Domenica before saying, "Welcome back to Caer Haes, my lady. "

He nods to Filbert.
"My Lord, I should like to begin straightaway if you do not object. We can cut through the non essentials while the others are on their way."

Cranstel, he merely waves towards an open seat.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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Varrus the Ethical wrote:Searchers

"We'll try to finish our business here quickly, then." Roald turns to the caves and sighs. "More elves in caves, again. Joy."
The scout says" There are worse things than elves in the deep places of the earth."
And then all three bandits depart in haste, melting into the misty tree line like ghost soldiers.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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ewancummins wrote:CAER HAES


Sir Rory, the graybearded Castellan enters the room.
He wears a tabard with the House Flaertes colors and hart's head device sewn on his right breast, and a long poignard dangles at his hip.

He makes eye contact, no smile, with Domenica before saying, "Welcome back to Caer Haes, my lady. "

He nods to Filbert.
"My Lord, I should like to begin straightaway if you do not object. We can cut through the non essentials while the others are on their way."

Cranstel, he merely waves towards an open seat.

Domenica's reply is just as warm as she merely nods politely, bowing slightly, "Sir Rory."
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

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CAER HAES

Sir Rory says,

"Right , then. First order of business is this old woman and some questions raised about her property. The taxmen say her name is Oorna and that she took over from the previous owner. The title deed my lord, Filbert, found confirms that much. Her property has been impounded until her trial; apart from the money already confiscated as a fine and disbursed to the duke's agents.His Grace prefers not to attaint even an obviously guilty party without process of the law. "
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

Post by Varrus the Ethical »

ewancummins wrote:
Varrus the Ethical wrote:Searchers

"We'll try to finish our business here quickly, then." Roald turns to the caves and sighs. "More elves in caves, again. Joy."
The scout says" There are worse things than elves in the deep places of the earth."
And then all three bandits depart in haste, melting into the misty tree line like ghost soldiers.
Roald doesn't turn around to see the bandits depart. His gaze remains fixed on the caves.

"Variety's nice, I suppose."
"Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it."

George R.R. Martin.
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