Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

[ewancummins]

FIVE DAYS LATER


DOMENICA


She learns more about The Crone,Oona, from her various contacts and informants:


Oona may have originally come from Tuor's Hold. Details are spotty, but sources report that she was born there in a riverside hamlet destroyed decades ago in fighting between the two duchies.

She has often been overheard by guests and staff and the Three Penny, as she cursed House Alam and wished ill on Alamiens in general. It seems she was bitter about Devlin agreeing to marry Carilon Alam's daughter.

She has no known living relatives.

Her former kitchen girl says that the old woman fed table scraps to " something" she kept in a wooden box.
Not a big box, maybe big enough to hold a small dog.

And finally , Dominica learns from an informant among the city gravediggers that a body has gone missing from the dead cart just this morning. The digger had carried three paupers out of the town to be buried in the common field to the west. He buried the two lightest bodies first, a pair of beggar kids. But when he turned round to bury the third, an old woman, it was gone.
Nowhere in sight, it obviously couldn't have just fallen out of the parked wagon.

He ran like hell!
Thinking about it in the safety of a pub, he realized that this could be The Crone. The description matches pretty closely, although he cannot be sure because of all the coal and soot rubbed on the corpse woman's face.
So he brought the news to Dom.

[ewancummins]

FIVE DAYS LATER

GUNNAR

The knight has had ample time to search for the Crone's treasure hoard, if it really exists and can be found in the area Lachlann described.

But has he done so, or have other matters occupied him?

His informant has told him (on the morning of the fifth day after the meeting at Caer HAES and the issuance of the warrants) about a rumor that Terem, one of the leaders of the Hooded Hunstmen has holed up in a house somewhere near the River Gate.
The fugitive may be looking to bribe the gate guards, get through into the Riverside quarter, and hop on a boat out of town. Or maybe not.
The informant feels that the most reliable tip is one that places the man in a certain fishmonger shop. He reports having seen for himself , while peeking through a window shutter, a man matching the description of Terem. But the light was poor and cannot be certain.

[steveflam]

FIVE DAYS LATER


DOMENICA


She learns more about The Crone,Oona, from her various contacts and informants:


Oona may have originally come from Tuor's Hold. Details are spotty, but sources report that she was born there in a riverside hamlet destroyed decades ago in fighting between the two duchies.

She has often been overheard by guests and staff and the Three Penny, as she cursed House Alam and wished ill on Alamiens in general. It seems she was bitter about Devlin agreeing to marry Carilon Alam's daughter.

She has no known living relatives.

Her former kitchen girl says that the old woman fed table scraps to " something" she kept in a wooden box.
Not a big box, maybe big enough to hold a small dog.

And finally , Dominica learns from an informant among the city gravediggers that a body has gone missing from the dead cart just this morning. The digger had carried three paupers out of the town to be buried in the common field to the west. He buried the two lightest bodies first, a pair of beggar kids. But when he turned round to bury the third, an old woman, it was gone.
Nowhere in sight, it obviously couldn't have just fallen out of the parked wagon.

He ran like hell!
Thinking about it in the safety of a pub, he realized that this could be The Crone. The description matches pretty closely, although he cannot be sure because of all the coal and soot rubbed on the corpse woman's face.
So he brought the news to Dom.

Domenica at Her Office

"You've done well, lad. Thank you." A bag of coins appears in her hands and she slides it to the lad over her desk. "Be gone now. Keep your eyes and ears open for me as always."

Once he exits, she looks at Finn. "We need to move fast. If that was indeed her she can't be far. Get the word out now. She can be found, I feel it. I'm going to go see the Sir Rory ASAP with
GIMP. Send word to the Arch Prelate of what we've found out."

Turning to GIMP. "Let's go."

She and GIMP take a carriage to the Castle. She hopes that she can see Sir Rory without an invitation. They arrive at the gates to the castle.

[ewancummins]

CAER HAES


Domenica's warrant suffices--after a security check--to get her in to see the Castellan.

Sir Rory meets her in a secure room, flanked by four mailed guards.

" You have news for me, my lady?"

[steveflam]

"Yes I do Sire. I have learned that The Crone's name is Oona. She may have originally come from Tuor Hold itself.

My sources report that she was born there in a riverside hamlet destroyed decades ago in fighting between the two duchies. She has often been overheard by guests and

staff and the Three Penny, as she cursed House Alam and wished ill on Alamiens in general. It seems she was bitter about Devlin agreeing to marry Carilon Alam's daughter.

It is quite doubtful she has any family.

I've been told that her former kitchen girl says the old woman fed something she kept in a wooden box.

Maybe her dog? Though why she'd have a dog is beyond me Sire.

Lastly, the most important information, Sire. One of my informants, a digger, carried three bodies out of the town to be buried. He did two of them and the third, an

old woman, had disappeared! He, ran like hell and once he was safely inside a pub and had time to think about it, he realized this ole woman, underneath the coal and soot, looks a lot like the

Crone. He came and informed me right away and thus here I am Sire."

[Adam]

Scowling, Cormac stand up and chases after Boarhort. "Righ'," he says, "An' I'm sure we'll jes wander back in here unnoticed later, too."

He grumbles but begrudgingly follows the knight out of the area.

[ewancummins]

"Yes I do Sire. I have learned that The Crone's name is Oona. She may have originally come from Tuor Hold itself.

My sources report that she was born there in a riverside hamlet destroyed decades ago in fighting between the two duchies. She has often been overheard by guests and

staff and the Three Penny, as she cursed House Alam and wished ill on Alamiens in general. It seems she was bitter about Devlin agreeing to marry Carilon Alam's daughter.

It is quite doubtful she has any family.

I've been told that her former kitchen girl says the old woman fed something she kept in a wooden box.

Maybe her dog? Though why she'd have a dog is beyond me Sire.

Lastly, the most important information, Sire. One of my informants, a digger, carried three bodies out of the town to be buried. He did two of them and the third, an

old woman, had disappeared! He, ran like hell and once he was safely inside a pub and had time to think about it, he realized this ole woman, underneath the coal and soot, looks a lot like the

Crone. He came and informed me right away and thus here I am Sire."

"We need to hurry, in that case."

Sir Rory orders the one of the four guards to hustle to the stables and have the boys working there get some horses ready.

"We will bring extra mounts and go straight to your warehouse to meet your crew. I think riding around the city walls westward towards the burial ground would be faster than going through town. But what say you? And do you have a plan to track her if she has left the burial ground?"

[steveflam]

"I can try to track her Sire, but my talents are not of tracking. I am sure in my employ I may have someone. Just in case, have you the services of a talented tracker, just in case? I am ready to lead the chase, but remember fighting is not my forté, Sire."

[alhoon]

FIVE DAYS LATER

FILBERT
SAFANA
TERMELAN

Termelan seeks Filbert to give him a report. He politely greets his diminutive patron and takes him to a somewhat secluded spot where they can talk without too much risk to be overheard.
"Good afternoon lord Filbert. I've inquired the common folk about the person we're looking to visit. The bad news is that I got conflicting information about him and his background. The good news is that everyone seems to have an opinion about him and only the most outrageously defaming opinions were whispered. As such, I believe this person doesn't get around much, but also doesn't terrorize the people. Hence, I believe we will be safe enough to talk with him, without too much risk to our wellbeing.
Since he sounds as a reclusive fellow though, you have to find something to pick his interest. I'm not sure he plays much at politics from what I've heard, although I may be wrong, so for him to set aside his own projects to help allies ... there must be something for him to gain. "

Termelan makes a small pause, makes sure nobody overhears and adds. "You know Lord Filbert, the word "necromancer" did come up though. And there have been those rumors in Caer Haes about hordes of undead under his control. Something to keep in mind while we take the optimistic view that he's a recluse."

[ewancummins]

"I can try to track her Sire, but my talents are not of tracking. I am sure in my employ I may have someone. Just in case, have you the services of a talented tracker, just in case? I am ready to lead the chase, but remember fighting is not my forte, Sire."

CAER HAES

He frowns.
"His Grace left early this morning with the Master of Hounds, the best of the kennel, and his huntsmen. A bit sudden, and I was not planning on it. Several important men are out with him. Diplomacy as well as sport. I really cannot say more than that , as I am sure you must understand. So, no, I don't have immediate access to a good tracker. I am sure I can obtain the service of such a man within an hour, though. But I hate wasting time. Do you know anyone?"

[ewancummins]

THE SEARCHERS


Following " the poo monster" over the boot-worn ruts that serve as streets in Kal Antherak, the party leaves the district of pits, masonry hives, and and stone corals.
The fugitives enter a deeper section of the cavern where foul muck coats the floor to ankle depth.
Pale things rise in the slime, some standing as tall as men. As they get nearer, the group's identifies the pallid growths as huge mushrooms.

Cormac recognizes the species, though he has never seen this type grown so large (knee high would be considered large in the cool rainforests of western Rjurik). The shrooms should be edible.

Renn followers thrust their torches this way and that, peering as they do into the shadowy apps in the fungal thicket.

Near the torch bearers, the tentacled monster stands quivering and waving its fronds in the air.
It makes ghastly sounds in its gut. And then it vomits a large brownish red ball with yellow sticklike things poking out; the acid eaten bones and armor of the orog sentinel it gobbled back in the tunnels.

Anna, the skinny brunette child the party has rescued (at least, from the Marquis) stares at the filthy heap that just spat out orog remains.
She continues to stare as the creature sprays white string from its open mouth.
The stringy stuff sticks to things it touches: mushrooms, people, rocks.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Renn makes avoiding the waste-monster's stringy expectorate his first and foremost priority.

"Did you see them fight over that spear? I don't know if it has any power, but they must believe it does. But what about you?" he asks the bard. "What in the nine hells happened to you back there?"

[RocEter]

The Searchers, The Bard

Renn makes avoiding the waste-monster's stringy expectorate his first and foremost priority.

"Did you see them fight over that spear? I don't know if it has any power, but they must believe it does. But what about you?" he asks the bard. "What in the nine hells happened to you back there?"

"You can set me down now, Roald." the Bard says.

"Something entirely unexpected, the Marquis was a scion; by piercing his heart and I stole his bloodline, thus ending that crazy bastards life." She says. "I will explain later when once we get all the children and escape this horrible place. There were hundreds of Orogs behind those fighting over the spear, we should continue moving."

[ewancummins]

FUNGAL GARDEN OF THE OROGS


Sir Boarhort makes a sign against evil.
"Bloodtheft!"

Nevil also makes the sign.

Sevett and Gatt exchange suspicious looks. Sevett mutters something about "Lynwerd."

[Adam]

Cormac gives the men a wry look. "He didnae do it on purpose," he grumbles.

Turning back to the child, he gives the kid a smile and gestures towards the big monster. "He's a silly one, isn't he? Ye ever seen a cat hack up a hairball? Pretend he's just like a big cat."

He discreetly navigates her away from the beast. "An' besides, he helped us find you. So he can't be all bad, yeah?"