Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Three

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

SEARCHERS

Renn takes the bow from his shoulder and nocks an arrow, crouching behind the carts near Sevet and Gatt. "Not sure what's coming. But if it's too much, we should jump in the carts and get moving. I think we oiled 'em enough to shake the rust off. If we can't fight, we'll make one hell of a getaway!"

[VAN]

Filbert, Domenica and Temerlan

While going out with Domenica to gather information Filbert isn't dressed and disguised as Perry. He wears a medium quality green shirt, black leather pants, dark green coat and black cloak. He has a short sword at his belt and seems to have a leather body suit similar at Domenica's and Gimp's. At the tavern follows Dominica's lead and smiles at the singer even if he doesn't know his song. He spots the 4 men with the untreated beard and the 2 at the bar but doesn't make a move to get any closer to them. However he tries to remembers them in case he needs to describe them or see them again.

When Termelan joins them he bows as well and smiles back saying:

"Good afternoon, I'm Filbert and this is Lady Domenica. Happy to make your acquitance Mr Temerlan, with a voice like that you can tell us any song or tale you want, we will be glad to listen. But finish your meal first, it's cold outside and a hot soup is what is needed! If you aren't in a rush we will be happy to have a friendly chat with you, you seem a man that has travelled a lot and for sure has a lot to share."

Filbert orders a hot soup some bread for himself and a beer. He appears in his late 30s for a halfling, 3 feet tall, has hairy feet, sandy skin, brown eyes, and curly, light-brown hair.

[ewancummins]

The Searchers
The Mine


As the party ducks behind cover, a dozen bronze-armored elves enter with bows jangling at their backs and swords in hand. One of them points at Cormac's torch.
(The man was not stupid enough to leave it near him, but if he had extinguished it, the party would be left in total darkness!)
One of the others turns to look down a tunnel parallel to the one his party just used to enter this area. He jumps back, raising his sword.
The footfalls grow louder and faster.
It was not the elves making that tramping noise.

The second group enters at a trot. They appear as tall as elves, at least, and broader built, wearing patchwork armor of bronze, bone, and pinkish skins. Their faces resemble the matings of pigs and demons.
And yet more come on, these pushing from the rear of the elf warriors, right down the tunnel the elves used to enter!

The outnumbered, surrounded elves form a ring of bronze. One elf cries out (in Elvish) "Truce!"
The creatures reply with an immediate attack!

An elf falls, wounded. One of the beast men stoops and grabs the wounded elf by the strap of his helmet. It drags the elf towards the carts behind which several of the party have taken cover.
A rear ranker joins the injured elf's captor.
Together the two monsters force the elf against mine-cart, shoving his head down. The creatures squeal and grunt as one tears away his tassets and the other rips his helmet off. One presses its flat, liver-colored snout into the elf warrior's long hair, nuzzling him. The elf shrieks. More scraps of his armor come off under the creatures' filthy claws.

A short distance away, the battle continues...

[alhoon]

"Good afternoon, I'm Filbert and this is Lady Domenica. Happy to make your acquitance Mr Temerlan, "

Termelan notices the little man and looks at him for a few seconds without speaking. Then he breaks into a warm smile.
"Pleased to meet you mr Filbert. Forgive me for staring, but in my country we're not blessed with many of your kind. In fact you're only the second goblin I've ever met and you're certainly different than another of your kind I met in Lofton. If I may say, you look much different than him and if I may be excused, much better company."
He turns to Domenica, unaware of his mistake. "I'm honored by your company my lady!"

[ewancummins]

Safana wanders the town listening for rumours, and assessing the people. She cannot shake her surprise at the size of the riot last night: a brazen attack indeed. She glances around the streets as if seeking inspiration from the buildings themselves.

After no very great time, however, the cold begins to pierce her cloak, and she wends her way down to the riverside tavern to seek something warm, and something wet!

Safana enters the tavern. She sees that the place is nearly full this afternoon.
She recognizes several people from last night: men, women, and children she and her friends protected. Turning about at a familiar voice, she spots Termelan talking with a woman and a boy. A closer look and she sees that the "boy" is actually Lord Filbert.
She does not know the woman.

[Varrus the Ethical]

Searchers

"Reese, hop inside the first cart and cover us with your crossbow. Sir Boarhort and I will push you and jump inside." To Renn and his men, he whispers, "Want to take the second cart, Captain?"

(OOC Edit: I'm presuming the party is avoiding the cart the beasties and their captive elf are at)

[ewancummins]

Searchers

"Reese, hop inside the first cart and cover us with your crossbow. Sir Boarhort and I will push you and jump inside." To Renn and his men, he whispers, "Want to take the second cart, Captain?"

(OOC Edit: I'm presuming the party is avoiding the cart the beasties and their captive elf are at)

Three devils leap from the carts.
They run into the ruins behind Roald and his companions.

A second later, twenty or more of the rusty little creatures pour from the ruins, scurrying past the battle on the far side and heading back the way they had first entered with the party.

A few of the creatures do not flee at once, but run up to adventurers hiding being the carts and beg for help. Loudly and with a lot of hopping up and down, and waving of little hands!

[steveflam]

Termelan, Filbert and Domenica (With Gimp)

"The honor is all mine, Mister Termelan," she says as she rises and curtsies, before sitting back down.

"I enjoyed your song. Please, share a meal with us. I am Lady Domenica Barilia, owner of Barilia and Associates in River District. This is my associate Gimp."

She gestures towards the young man accompanying her. Now she leans forward, lowering her voice "Listen, I will get straight to the point. We are not here by happenstance.

I believe this is the Inn where some people were poisoned recently? Yes? Have you heard or seen anything that might indicate who is responsible?"

[ewancummins]

Cut Scene
The Twisted Tower

" You are certain?"
The Manslayer's voice echoed off the stone walls.
The warrior who had brought the news averted his eyes from his leader's glare.
" Yes, I am certain, Leader. Who else could defeat so many of our warriors? And I saw and knew the enemy. No mistake. " He tensed, ready for a blast of Rhoubhe's hot temper and maybe worse.
The awnshegh stalked across the floor and stopped before an open window.
" Hawks, hounds, and horses. This time, I will lead the Hunt myself. Ready yourself."
The warrior keened in joy. His Leader was not angry with him for failing to stop the incursion. And the glory of the Hunt would be his to share!

[Varrus the Ethical]

Searchers

"So I'm pretty sure I know what happened to the dwarves.," Road says while he pushes his back into the old mine cart. "Those thing look like orogs, which means we really, really need to not be here after they finish having their fun with the elves."

[ewancummins]

Rhennault Ghonallison



Sevett and Gatt look upon the fight from their hiding places on either side of their captain.
Sevett says," Orogs! "
He and Gatt both grab the cart side and make ready to shove, but they hold for word from Rhennault.

[Lord Skybolt]

Gunnar's warband


Gunnar and his warband have spent all morning searching for, and following, tracks in the farm country north of Haes. The hunt began well when one of the men found a little heap of discarded hood-masks near the edge of the shanty town But every trail they followed since daybreak criss-crossed other trails in hopeless confusion or vanished at the edge of one of the several small brooks that feed into the big river.

Now, boots spattered with mud, cloaks plastered with frost, the weary searchers have returned to Riverside with no captives to show for their efforts.
Gunnar's men attend to cleaning their gear, fetching a late breakfast, and other necessary tasks.

Meanwhile, their leader...

Sleeps in and goes to see who(aka the Captain of the Guard) would let these riots go on for any length of time period .

[ewancummins]

Gunnar's warband


Gunnar and his warband have spent all morning searching for, and following, tracks in the farm country north of Haes. The hunt began well when one of the men found a little heap of discarded hood-masks near the edge of the shanty town But every trail they followed since daybreak criss-crossed other trails in hopeless confusion or vanished at the edge of one of the several small brooks that feed into the big river.

Now, boots spattered with mud, cloaks plastered with frost, the weary searchers have returned to Riverside with no captives to show for their efforts.
Gunnar's men attend to cleaning their gear, fetching a late breakfast, and other necessary tasks.

Meanwhile, their leader...

Sleeps in and goes to see who(aka the Captain of the Guard) would let these riots go on for any length of time period .

GUNNAR AT THE WATCH-HOUSE


Gunnar finds the place without any trouble. He recalls the way from the last time he was here, the day before the raid into Lofton.


Inside, he sees a couple of junior watchmen scurrying around on errands, a waiting woman dressed like a servant or a tradesman's wife, and a mastiff snoozing on the floor despite all noise.
He also sees a folio sized printed woodcut hanging on the wall near the front door. It depicts a familiar-looking bearded face with a caption beneath the portrait that reads:

TORTHUR
A DWARF
NO ADMITTANCE
UNLESS SHACKLED
For the benefit of the illiterate, the printer has stamped pictures of chained hands on either side of the text.

One of the junior watchmen stops, turns, and stares a second at Gunnar.
''Sir Gunnar?" The man bobs his head.
''Can I help you, sir?"

After Gunnar tells the young fellow to take him to an authority, things proceed very quickly. Within two minutes, Gunnar sits in the Captain's office.

A lean, gray-bearded man enters the office. Gunnar recognizes him as one of Rennault's men, an old thief-catcher from the northern provinces. Serjeant Gilson, Gillman, something like that.
The older man sits down.
"Sir Gunnar now, is it? My congratulations."
Rings show under the man's eyes.
He opens a desk drawer and fishes out two pipes and a round white pine box.
"Smoke?"

[ewancummins]

Termelan, Filbert and Domenica (With Gimp)

"The honor is all mine, Mister Termelan," she says as she rises and curtsies, before sitting back down.

"I enjoyed your song. Please, share a meal with us. I am Lady Domenica Barilia, owner of Barilia and Associates in River District. This is my associate Gimp."

She gestures towards the young man accompanying her. Now she leans forward, lowering her voice "Listen, I will get straight to the point. We are not here by happenstance.

I believe this is the Inn where some people were poisoned recently? Yes? Have you heard or seen anything that might indicate who is responsible?"

Domenica questions the minstrel, but he does not seem to know about any poisoning at this place.
Nor, indeed, do any of the house's small staff.

It's starting to look like Filbert's tip was a complete wash, when Domenica overhears two men discussing spoiled beer.
One of the men claims that the riot was set off by a cask of bad brew.
"That's why it started. Didn't someone say that Alamiens poisoned their drink?"

[VAN]

Termelan, Filbert and Domenica with Gimp

Filbert looks up at Termelan, the smile has disappeared from his face.

"I understand that you are foreigner but if I may ask where do you come from and you haven't met or heard any of my race before? I'm not a goblin, I'm a halfling that's why we were so different... it's like calling you a dwarf. Anyway yesterday at the Riverside district happened a fuss, someone falls down and begins kicking in the muddy road, another falls and also begins jerking and flailing about and a young woman in the crowd of spectators begins to dance madly about. She screams and falls down. Filbert describes them as better as he can and then realizes that he has said to Domenica that this happened in the inn but actually was outside even if people were drinking beer."

Turning to Domenica says:

"I'm sorry things have happened so fast yesterday that I told you the story wrong, the fuss was outside, at the Riverside district. And now that I'm actually thinking about it maybe this was just a provocation act against Alamiens, but seemed pretty real to me. We need to ask if indeed there were these people poisoned.I'm sorry again."