It's now Giovanni's turn to show Korin how to wield a morningstar properly as he flattens his foe.
Korin took 2 damage, everyone else is unharmed.
The four thugs each carried a single potion, chain shirt, 3 throwing axes and a heavy wooden shield. The leader had five throwing axes, wore chainmail armor and a heavy steel shield, along with 2 more potions. All of the potions have the same kind of liquid.
6 potions of Cure Light Wounds in total.
A quick search of the leader reveals two sheets of paper, with two distinctive sets of handwiritng.
For the sum of 50 gold crowns, you and your mercenaries are to watch Rognvald Skagni’s residence on the edge of town for two months. Ignore looters or petty thieves—instead watch for Pathfinders, and if you see them, kill them. Any in your crew who can prove to me they dealt the killing blow on those murderous demons earns a 100 gold crown bonus.
-Hjort Fastaxe
Do as Hjort instructed, but do one thing more for me: capture at least one Pathfinder, preferably an expedition leader. Bring him or her to me separately, and I will reward you an additional 100 gold crowns.
-Runa White
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Let me see this papers, imp, Peter says to Haliphod and read them. Well, it seems that we have friends here, huh? I will love make a visit to this "Runa White", what about you, guys?
After Haliphod informs that the potions are for heal, the Ranger asks to carry one of them, if it won't be a problem for you, of course.
In the town of Trollheim, everyone keeps to themselves. They don't like outsiders, especially nosy outsiders. The Pathfinders realize they'll need to tread lightly and ask careful questions about Hjort and Runa.
You ask around Trollheim, careful to gauge the townspeople before approaching them with questions about strangers.
Korin talks to a comely Ulfen guard and challenges her to an arm wrestling contest. She's quite impressed with his strength, and talks to him about these outsiders.
“I heard about an Ulfen warrior named Hjort—don’t know his family name—who came here a while back after his entire village was slaughtered on the Arcadian coast. People say his rage toward the Pathfinder Society burns bright, as they were the ones who slaughtered his people—a people, I heard, that he was destined to be the jarl of. Those traditional warriors from the coast are serious brutes—I wouldn’t want to be one of their targets.”
Lasaraleen talks to a muscular Ulfen warrior and is straight and too the point. The woman respects her determination and tells the cleric what she knows.
“A dark-haired Chelish woman, family name of White, has been seen about the market recently. She’s hiring mercenaries and low-life thugs for Gorum-knows- what. If you’re looking for her to right some wrong, I’d bring a dozen more of you—she was cornered in one of the market’s darkest corners by some of Trollheim’s biggest miscreants, and just when they thought they had gotten the drop on her, she called to her god and blasted them with holy fire. She’s tough, that one, and not someone I’d mess with.”
An old swordsmith travels around the town during his days. Aloisius manages to talk his ear off about the smith's impressive weapon collection. They soon strike up a conversation, and the Gnome gets a few juicy tidbits.
“Yeah, I know those two. They approached my friends and me and offered us a ridiculous sum to work for them. No way was I going to work for a washed-up Ulfen warrior and a foreign she-devil from the south. Hjort’s eyes told all the story I needed to know: he wasn’t doing whatever he was doing for profit—he was doing it for revenge. That business has only one path, and it leads straight to Pharasma’s ample bosom. And Runa? Well, she’s a foreigner, ain’t she?”
Peter and Giovanni manage to find a destitute Gnome in Trollheim and converse with him without talking about his stench.
“Can’t say as I remember the name of the place, but when they tried to hire my cousin, they told him to meet them at some hole in the market. You’d best do your poking around there and stop pestering the peaceful folk of Trollheim before they decide to yank your entrails out from your mouth and strangle you with them.”
Haliphod meets a tall, lanky woman at an inn. She claims to be in the middle of writing the world's greatest saga, but all she seems to have done all day is drink. Haliphod entertains her by buying another drink.
“Hjort and Runa, you say? Yeah, I know ‘em. I drink a beer and punch a guy in the face every night down at the Horned Helm, and they’ve been there for weeks—months maybe. I tell ya, that Hjort can throw a punch, and don’t get Runa started about religion—she’s likely to talk about it long enough it starts a fight and the way she ends fights ain’t fair, ain’t right, and just ain’t normal. Runa is a dark-haired woman from Cheliax, and Hjort is a large brute with red hair, a red beard, and a scar across his left cheek.”
By the time you get your answers, it is almost nightfall.
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"Does anyone think they know us by sight? Maybe we can go visit the tavern, get a drink, a bite to eat, do some reconnaissance, and then make a plan to approach them? Might even had rooms for the night..."
"I don't think so. But I know a place that we can go and drink some beers this night. It's call 'Horned Helm'. Who will follow me?"
Peter says while turns in the inn's direction, and starts to walk to there.
You have heard many stories about the Horned Helm. Even the roughest and toughest of Trollheim consider it to be one of the worst dives in town. At least once a week, someone has a knife sticking out or their brains bashed against the wall.
The Horned Helm is a low-slung, two-story building of questionable construction leaning heavily over a shoddy corner of mud and brick in the dankest, filthiest parcel of land in all of the market. It has no windows, as they’ve all been broken and boarded over; its only door looks like a simple plank of wood covered in scratches, burns, and probably blood stains. Noise, heat, and smoke pour out from under that door and rise to a staggering crescendo of laughter as the door swings lazily open and two bodies are unceremoniously dumped into the rutted, frozen mud streets outside. A battered sign hangs above the door, swinging on two chains, one shorter than the other. It bears the faded image of an Ulfen helm with two ridiculously large horns.
Two bodies are lying slumped outside the walls. The bodies are bruised, alive and unconscious. As you enter the insults begin almost immediately. The bartender, a one-armed bearded man is the loudest and most vile of them all. He laughs at the six scrawny wimps who came into his bar.
The other thing you notice is the intense heat, blazing off of two iron furnaces full of coal. Eventually the insults cease, and the heat is a bit more comfortable.
There is a man seated opposite from the entrance, with only the profile of his left side visible to you. He matches the description of Hjort that you know of.
"" he said pointing to hjort.
Korin offers a hefty reward for Hjort's capture, and the bar suddenly falls silent as many bar patrons consider the offer. Hjort breaks the silence and raises his hands in surrender. "W-w-wait! Hold on. I ain't-"
Two men (the red and black outlined icons with the swords) stand up almost immediately, shouting loudly enough to cut Hjort off. "We don't like no outsiders starting fights in the Horned Helm! That's our job! Trollheim!" The black one throws his mug at Hjort. Hjort whimpers and hides under his bar stool.
The bartender laughs as he runs into the kitchen and chaos erupts yet again. Bar stools fly, ale is spilled, and several drunk patrons enter a wild melee.
Seems like the two men, as well as several drunk patrons want to have a word with you...
Round 1
Peter
Alosius
Korin
Lasaraleen
Giovanni
Haliphod
Thugs
Bar Patrons
The party is up. The bar patrons are used to fighting unarmed, so they don't provoke. The two thugs who don't like outsiders wield throwing axes.
Korin singes two of the rowdy patrons near him.
Peter draws his greatsword and quickly cuts down one of the men near him.
Lasaraleen cuts into the purple patron, injuring him but not stopping him.
Giovanni's morningstar goes wide over the thug's head before he gets to draw his axe.
Peter
Alosius
Korin
Lasaraleen
Giovanni
Haliphod
Thugs
Bar Patrons (Red 2, Black 2, Purple 6)
It's Gnome Time...
Aloisius lets loose a wave of pretty colors!
All three men taste the rainbow and collapse.
Haliphod blows the purple patron away with a wave of his hand.
The blue patron laughs at the pretty colors and tries to shoulder charge Aloisius.
Clobbering the poor gnome.
The red thug draws his axe and tries to chop at Giovanni.
He manages to get a deep cut in him.
The white patron tries his luck and tries to punch the pretty lady.
It's this thug's lucky day!
Korin burned most of the hair off of two of the patrons, and they are NOT pleased about that. They approach him to voice their displeasure.
But only one of them manages to leave a mark on the sorcerer.
Hjort continues to cower underneath the stool. "This ain't worth the money!"
Peter
Alosius (2 nonlethal)
Korin (2 damage, 3 nonlethal)
Lasaraleen (4 nonlethal)
Giovanni (6 damage)
Haliphod
Thug
Bar Patrons (Red 2, Black 2)
Party is up.
Peter's greatsword quickly and decisively takes out Red. Black is too lucky to realize how close he is to death.
Lasaraleen is not amused and hits White, who is drunk enough to keep fighting.
Haliphod's stormcloud misses the thug
Giovanni clobbers the axeman, although not enough to take him down.
Peter
Alosius (2 nonlethal)
Korin (2 damage, 3 nonlethal)
Lasaraleen (4 nonlethal)
Giovanni (6 damage)
Haliphod
Axe Thug (10 damage)
Bar Patrons (Black 2, White 5)
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Aloisius stumbles when the man rams into him, but is able to maintain his ground. "That wasn't nice! Unless you're a hippo! Then it'd just be normal!" Aloisius laughs as he pats the charging man on the back, his laughter catching like wildfire for a few moments.
The gnome then strides towards the cowering man. "Boy, sure was lucky we came through those doors, eh? Oh! Stay down! Still some mugs flyin' round!"
Alosius (2 nonlethal)
Korin (2 damage, 3 nonlethal)
Alosius cracks a joke, and Blue finds it hilarious!
Korin roars, and his hands grow scales and razor-sharp claws. He sinks one claw into Black.
Blue pounds his fist into the table, trying to regain his composure. "Cause hippos charge all the time! Haha."
The axe-wielding thug continues his fight against Giovanni.
He chops Giovanni again, disabling him.
"A chick who knows how to fight with a big sword? I think I'm in love..." White drools a bit as he swings at Lasaraleen.
No where close, this time.
"Whoa, that blade is big, big, big!" Black thinks it's awesome to punch a swordsman.
And awesome it is! Peter is too busy destabilizing from his previous assault to avoid another fist.
Peter (2 nonlethal)
Alosius (2 nonlethal)
Korin (2 damage, 3 nonlethal)
Lasaraleen (4 nonlethal)
Giovanni (10 damage, disabled)
Haliphod
Axe Thug (10 damage)
Bar Patrons (Black 6, White 5)
The party is up. Giovanni is at 0/10 and is disabled.
Aloisius tickles the blue patron with a pair of eldritch bolts.
Korin's ferocious claws rip into the black drunkard, leaving him unconscious upon the floor.
Lasaraleen's command scares the thug briefly, but he quickly snaps out of it. "Just defending my good friend Hjort. Isn't that right, buddy?"
The man underneath the bar stool squeaks. "uh...uh-huh..."
Peter (2 nonlethal)
Alosius (2 nonlethal)
Korin (2 damage, 3 nonlethal)
Lasaraleen (4 nonlethal)
Giovanni (10 damage, disabled)
Haliphod
Axe Thug (10 damage)
Bar Patrons (White 5, Blue 2)
A lightning arc shoots from Haliphod and fries the axe-wielding thug. The man remains standing, but by a sliver.
Peter (2 nonlethal)
Alosius (2 nonlethal)
Korin (2 damage, 3 nonlethal)
Lasaraleen (4 nonlethal)
Giovanni (10 damage, disabled)
Haliphod
Axe Thug (14 damage)
Bar Patrons (White 5, Blue 2)
Peter and Giovanni are up.