Torgan will tend to his ales, ensuring that his specialty funeral beer is coming along nicely. "We need to pick up more malt tomorrow!" he yells to his brother.
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Vanderhoff mopes over his tankard of ale, a haunted look on his face. Occasionally he can be heard muttering something into his ale about slimey, cube creatures.
Peering over Wren's journal, the dwarf shakes his head, seemingly too distracted to concentrate on the notes.
Jorgan surprisingly stays sober and reads over Wren's notes with a discerning eye. Comprehensive. The elf's got some brains on him, at least. Good to know someone in the group is keeping things straight and not just drinkin' themselves to oblivion.
Jorgan sits back down after looking over the notes. "Looks good. Seems there's a mystery human behind a lot of this whom we need to track down but I haven't the faintest clue who it could be." Sobered up, Jorgan's enunciation and grammar seem remarkably improved.
After a drink and refill, Krayagn takes a look at Wrens notes. Holding up the scrap of paper found at the Inn, he says, "This note to Melira. Whoever wrote it was also lookin for somethin in Trunau. Think this was written by Skreeb?" Does a double-take on Wren's notes. "Er... I mean Skreed?"
BEEEELCHHH!
"I see a few names needin to be tracked down. Skreed is probably hidin," he takes a drink, "might be able to find Melira, but I think we should talk to Rodrik's partner Omast. Might be able to help put a couple of these clues together."
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Wren stretches and yawns, not feigning a very real weariness that he feels in his old legs. He stands, rolling up his notes. He's only finished half his drink, but it was more than enough.
"That's about all we can do for today, I suppose. Perhaps we will meet again tomorrow to continue our search for Omast? That seems our most likely lead right now, doesn't it?" Wren mentally checks his notes.
"If there is nothing else....?" Wren makes his way out...pausing and turning around. Be nice, Elf. Don't make the same mistakes.
"Thank you all for your service today. You...you didn't have to risk your lives for Trunau...but you did. I wouldn't have survived this day alone." Wren turns on a heel and walks out.
That wasn't so hard, was it?
Piddlespot you.
* * *
Wren leaves the brewery, returning to his small apartment to relax and enjoy his evening...seeking to assuage some of the nagging questions in his mind.
Wren enters and removes his cloak and pack, taking of his belt and pouch. He hangs his bow and quiver on pegs on the wall, stopping to rub his tired, aching legs before pouring himself a glass of water.
With a secret delight, he opens his pack and removes the following items:
Scroll (Pg 27 H5)
Scroll (Pg 27 H5)
Scroll of Hold Portal (Pg 30 H11)
Wand (Pg 31 H12)
He, as a dabbler in magic in his older years, casts Read Magic to allow him to read the scrolls for what they are. He spends times reading the symbols and saying parts of them out loud, trying to understand the arcana in ways that he never had time to as youth.
For the wand, he lays that in front of him as well, bringing a candle close so that he might inspect the wand in detail. He has had little time to practice magic and takes two books off his shelf, consulting one as he tries to identify the wand.
Wren turns the wand over and over in his hands, pleased that he had figured out the wand's use.
This magic stuff can be fun. Wren offers a grim smile as he sits at his table, bent over magics, lit by candles. Had he considered magic as more than a hobby, he might have lit his room by magic itself, but that thought didn't really occur to Wren...candles were just more practical.
The places the wand aside and takes up the second book, a larger tome filled with his meager writings, the few items of arcane trickery that he had learnt over the last few years as a way to pass the time until he found the battle to end his life.
Taking out his inkpen, he copies the scroll of hold portal into his book, proudly inking in neat arcane lettering. Another grim smile upon his lips. Delightedly, he blows the ink dry and frowns as the spell disappears from the scroll.
Amazing of how much of the evening had passed, Wren packs for tomorrow and prepares for bed. There would be more patience-wearing time with the dwarves tomorrow, not something that he enjoyed, nor was used to. He was a loner, no doubt, but a loner among a town built on community and common defense. He would have to endure them for longer.
Wren dreams.
Kraygan looks at Wren as the elf offers his farewell. He wears a serious expression and seems still quite sober despite the rapid consumption of three mugs of Steelkeg beer.
"Aye, elf. And we couldn't a dunnit without you and yer fairy magic." He raises his fourth mug in a toast. "Woulda been a tragic told tale on our tombstones. Here lie the Steelkegs - devoured by rats."
He takes a sip, not his normal gulp, and adds as Wren is leaving, "Tomorrow. First light. We'll find Omast."
***
Kraygan, still feeling a weakness inflicted by the shadow rat's evil bite, cuts short his drinking, tends to Haggis, and finds his haypile bed early.
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- Scroll of Knock
- Scroll of Summon Swarm
Going meticulously over the wand Wren is able to make out a small bit and recognizes the wand as:
- Wand of CLW (8 charges)
The dwarves finish their brew and the town of Trunau becomes quiet as night sets in.
Everyone sets in for the night. Nearly 3 in the morning Jorgan, Kraygan and Vanderhoff hear voices within their stable as a window breaks.
Jorgan
Kraygan
Vanderhoff
-------------------------
Assassins
"Whassat?" Jorgan sits up in his sleep and shakes the sleep from his head. "Oy! Somebody's here!" He leaps up and grabs his waraxe, shouting to Hops to come and fight!
Vanderhoff's eyes snap open at the sound if the window breaking. Hearing Jorgan, he bolts out of bed, grabbing his axe. "Where are they?!" He calls out.
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The dwarves quickly stand upon hearing someone break into their shop. Quickly the front of their shop illuminates with a blue glow.
They said to get rid of the quickly and quietly. Use you liquid blade to not leave a trace.
Dark skinned humans round the corner into the room with the dwarves blocking them in. They hold a glowing blue blade that drips as it melts away.
Wren suddenly feels a sharp pain in his side. Looking back he sees that there is also an assassin in the room with him. He was toiling so intently over his tools he must not have heard the man enter his house.
+ Poison
Wren (10/13 hp)
Vanderhoff
Kraygan
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Assassins
----------------------------
Torgan
Jorgan
Round 1
Fort Save
Wren's snap awake, fearing much more than one assassin with a blade. He is more afraid that he will die in bed rather than in battle, with his bow, and on his feet.
Wren yells and yells again, calling his fellow Trunauans out of their beds, shaking them to action.
Wren screams, issuing the cry of warning that all militia know. He hopes that some of his fellow apartmenters will come...and come soon.
Wren jumps up.
Wren tumbles over his attacker...
Acrobatics
...and out the way the assassin came in, seeking those who he had yet not roused. He screams again for good measure.
Kraygan cries, the words coming quick from years of training in the Janderhoff cavalry.
As he grabs axe and shield he notices Torgan still half asleep, and right in the path of the assassins.
"Hoff! Drag Torgan back and I'll hold them off!" Moving to stand over his cousin, Kraygan raises his shield and prepares to cleave anyone that comes too close.
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Wren stands fromhis desk as the blade aims for him once again.
The elf is too nimble and dodges the crystalline shards. The blade slams into his desk, scratching large gouges into the surface.
Wren is able to slam past the man as he runs right out his door.
Kraygan quickly draws his waraxe and shield, readying them for the assassins.
Wren (10/13 hp)
Vanderhoff
Kraygan
-----------------------------
Assassins
----------------------------
Torgan
Jorgan
Vanderhoff charges out the room, attacking the northern assassin, but trips over Kraygan and swings wildly, missing.
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Vanderhoff flies forward tripping over his cousin and falling into the front of the stable slamming his axe into the floor.
The assassins in the room swarm around him slashing their crystalline blades at the dwarves.
+ Poison
+ poison
Small Centipede Poison; Freq 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1 dex damage; cure 1 save
Vanderhoff feels two blades dig real deep into his flesh as he tripped over Kraygan.
Wren's assassin quickly clamors back out the window.
Wren (10/13 hp)
Vanderhoff (3/17)
Kraygan
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Assassins
----------------------------
Torgan
Jorgan
"Hops! Attack!" Jorgan calls his yak into the room to help.
"Hoff!" Kraygan calls out as his cousin goes the opposite way and takes a wound from the strange blades. Though a part of him is angry that the priest ignored him another part is very impressed with his courage.
With a battlecry Kraygan wades into battle beside him.
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Round 2
Wren moves another 60' away, looking for people, anyone who can fight, for which to stand with. Again he warns of an attack against the town.
"ORCS AND FIRE! ORCS AND FIRE!!"
"ORCS AND FIRE! ORCS AND FIRE!!"
Only after people have roused and when he can check out the entire apartment complex with numbers of Trunauans does he return.
Vanderhoff clinches his teeth as he is stabbed twice. Praying to Angraad, he places a hand on a wound.
As some of his wounds heal, he swings his axe at the northern assassin.
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As the assassins moved in Kraygan slams his axe from around the corner clipping he yellow assassin.
Hops charges into the room slamming into the back of the blue assassin. The assassin slams into the bench as the air escapes his lungs. He gasps trying to catch his breath.
Wren continues to run down the hall of his apartment screaming as loud as he can. A few neighbors begin to open their door to see what all of the commotion is about.
Vanderhoff slightly heals his wounds as he swings his axe at the northern assassin. The assassin dodges it's sharp blade as he presses up against the wall as much as he can.
Kraygan finishes off the green assassin as he imbeds his axe even further into the man.
Wren (10/13 hp)
Vanderhoff (5/17)
Kraygan
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Assassins (Blue-6 hp;
----------------------------
Torgan
Jorgan
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Torgan wakes up grabbing at his axes as the assassins continue to slash at the dwarves.
The assassin's liquid blades slice large gashes into Vanderhoff, Kraygan and Hops.
Wren (10/13 hp)
Vanderhoff (-3/17 hp)
Kraygan (15/22; -1 str)
-----------------------------
Assassins (Blue-6 hp;
----------------------------
Torgan (15/22)
Jorgan (18/19)(Hops 12/21; -1 str)
"You're alright, Hops! Take him down!"
"HOFF!!"
With his cousin going down, and his shield seemingly ineffective against these strange weapons, Kraygan starts to lose his composure. Throwing it down he switches to a two-handed grip and hacks at the assassin between himself and Hops, then steps left over Hoff's body.
"Clan Steelkeg, ATTACK!!!"
Torgan leaps to his feet at the sound of battle. He rushes to the north end of the brewery to grab his weapons. He rushes around the corner and tries to slam his waraxe into an assassin's gut.
"Oi! Vann dead?" Torgan asks with a bit of worry in his eye.
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Torgan slams his axe into the blue assassin, outright killing the man.
Hops attempts to gore the yellow assassin but ends up ramming a table around the room. while Kraygan sinks his axe into the yellow assassin's chest.
Vanderhoff's bleeding seems to stop for now as the assassins swipe their jagged blades once again at Hops and Kraygan.
Both assassin's blades miss their targets as they become frantic.
Wren (10/13 hp)
Vanderhoff (-3/17 hp; stable)
Kraygan (15/22; -1 str)
-----------------------------
Assassins (yellow -9 hp)
----------------------------
Torgan (15/22)
Jorgan (18/19)(Hops 12/21; -1 str)
With another assassin down Kraygan roars in triumph.
"Hah! Get 'em Torgan!
Throwing a fist pump in the air, Kraygan notices a tankard left on the table from his nightcap. With a mad look in his eye he swipes at the assassin to his left and snatches the ale.
"Hah HAH!"
His holds his drink high in premature victory, preparing to drink.
Torgan swings his maulaxe and then his waraxe into the assassin.
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Torgan swings his axes at the assassin. His Maulaxe viciously takes out a nearby nightstand as his waraxe slams into the man's neck nearly severing it while Kraygan finishes off the last assassin before he has time to move by sinking his axe into the center of the woman's face.
Wren (10/13 hp)
Vanderhoff (-3/17 hp; stable)
Kraygan (15/22; -1 str)
Torgan (15/22)
Jorgan (18/19)(Hops 12/21; -1 str)
"What the bloody hell was that all about? Now we're the targets?! I guess we've got some lead on the original killer then." Jorgan first checks over Hops' wounds to make sure they aren't life threatening and then searches the bodies for anything identifying.
Vanderhoff lays still on the ground.
Celebrating victory, Kraygan upends his tankard over his mouth.
And finds it empty of course, because he never leaves dregs behind.
"Bah!"
Then he hears Vanderhoff moan at his feet and tosses it aside, crouching to tend to his brave cousin.
"Hoff! Don die on us!"
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Wren gathers whomever is nearby to do a room by room check of the apartment building, fearing more assassins in the town. It still does not occur to him that he might have been targeted (and likely won't until the dwarves mention their attack).
When he is certain that no others in nearby Trunau have been attacked, he returns to his room to inventory his belongings to check if anything had been stolen and this had been a random attack.
He mops up the blood around his wound, his eyes going to the useless (to him) wand of CLW laying on his desk. He will secure his window and door again (it had somehow not even occurred to him that he had a window...pretty nice apartment, he decides).
Eventually, Wren will sleep again. Upon awaking, he will prepare for the day and make his way to the brewery.
* * *Morning* * *
Wren walks in looking for food...real food. He places the wand down amongst the dwarves.
"Here, take this...it will do me little good. It will heal minor wounds," Wren mentions.
Wren stiffly takes a chair and stretches out his aching legs. Yesterday's exertions were the most his long legs had done in a while.
"Where to today?"
Torgan pulls on his scale mail and sheathes his weapons before dealing with the bodies. "Gettin' blood all o'er my brewery..." mutters the dwarf as he drags the corpses outside after Jorgan has stripped them of possessions.
He flags down a guard running towards Wren's place and alerts them to the situation at he brewery and how it resolved. The man trots off as the brewery seems safe for the moment.
After ensuring that the brewery is secure, Torgan locks the doors and bolts the windows before stripping down to his sleepwear and resuming his nightly six hours.
He rises early to find that some of the poison must have gotten into his new batch of beer. "Hmm... Tha' could be bad."
---
Torgan has his brother heal his wounds with the wand provided by the elf. "Glad t' see ya found this. Will help th' others who're more injured."
"Any clues on the purchaser o' these men's services, Jorgan?" the freshly-scarred dwarf says as he pulls his tunic on over his head. His blonde beard billowing out from the white linen.
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Jorgan searches through the bodies and finds a few items:
- Antitoxin x4
- smoke stick x4
- leather armor x4
- light crossbow x4
- beryl x4
Jorgan uses a charge of the wand to heal Torgan's wounds as the dwarves rest the remainder of the night tending to Vanderhoff's wounds.
A large portion of the district seems to have been awakened by the dwarves loud noises. Though it took a bit longer for help to come as the noises of battle were not much different than the normal noises that the dwarves create.
The guards come in and rope off the front of the dwarves brewery. Much to the same extent of Rodrik's death. Come morning a small crowd begins to gather as Wren meets the dwarves once again.
Squeezing through the small crowd is Kurst, Rodrik's brother. He seems to be out of breath. I heard what happened last night! I am glad to see that you are all well except for minor scraps and bruises.
Wren (12/13)
Vanderhoff (-1/17 hp; stable)
Kraygan (17/22)
Torgan
Jorgan (Hops 14/21)
Kraygan nods in approval when Torgan dons his armor. Falling back into his military training he organizes the Steelkegs into armed and armored watches for the rest of the night, taking the last for himself.
Come morning he has piled the bodies of the assassins in the brewery's wagon, along with the half-orc and troll's head.
Upon Wren's arrival, Kraygan offers him the breakfast of dwarven kings (dark beer). "Ye missed a party last night. A PARTY OF ASSASSINS, HAR!"
When the wand is presented, and the nature of it explained, Kraygan suggests saving the item for an emergency and calling upon Tyari Varvatos at the Sanctuary for healing, paid for with a donation supplied by generous dead assassins.
In response to Wren's question about the plan for the day Kraygan nods to the approaching form of Kurst. "Well, I 'spose we should start with him."
To Kurst, Kraygan offers a tankard and begins the long story of their investigation thus far...
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It slowly dawns on Wren that the dwarves were attacked during the night as well. He wears a stunned expression as he tries to put the many pieces together.
"But...but...that doesn't make sense," Wren mentions. "It just can't be. It can't." Wren takes a chair, thinking and trying to explain.
"You see, I was attacked last night as well. I thought it was an attack on the town. After it turned out that no one else in the apartment nor nearby had been attacked, I thought it was random," Wren says.
"Now that you also were attacked...that means it must be related to the investigation. Someone doesn't want us poking around...but here is the strange and scary part: it was definitely someone within Trunau, probably a local, who is behind all this."
Wren looks to make sure the assembled beardage is keeping up.
"The timing is so...quick. These assassins and their strangely sharp blades must have been nearby or local in order to get to us so quickly. I mean, we were only put on the case 2 days ago. And we weren't very overt about things: we just spoke to a few known people."
Wren gets to the jaw-dropping part of it (at least for him).
"They knew where I lived. They knew to strike me there. This isn't a big town, but they knew exactly where to find me. This is very curious...it almost doesn't make sense."
Wren sits back, mind still pondering, and waiting to hear what the beards think.
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Vanderhoff dreams nightmares of being helpless and stabbed many time over by a dull butter knife. The knife is wielded by a disembodied hand, but he can never manage to stop the knife as it plunges into his body, leaving ragged, blunt force wounds. He cries out in anguish and fury, calling on Angraad to save him....
Vanderhoff awakens in bed, his body hurting all over. Sitting up and looking around in bewilderment, he gingerly touches mended and mending wounds. Rushing to his cousin's rooms, he spouts. "I thought it was a dream, but my wounds tell me otherwise. Did I fall? Did you get them assassins?"
Once he is at the table with Wren and his cousins, Vanderhoff's mind reels as he tries to digest everything. "So, someone local is up to something, and their trying to stop us from finding out, just like the brother." His beard starting to bristle with anger he says. "Well, I ain't lettin' it stop me. Any of you wantin' to back out?"
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Kurst looks about the group and lets loose a large sigh. At least we know Rodrik didn't disgrace himself with an unnecessary suicide.
Kurst takes the tankard from Kraygan Thanks
Kurst's face becomes serious. I hope that you are wrong about this being local Wren. Too many have died as of late. As if dealing with the damned Orcs isn't enough for us.
As Vanderhoff talks he feels as if he is a bit lethargic and drained physically. A small trickle of blood comes down from his nose, dripping on the floor.
Kurst gets a rag from his pocket and hands it to the dwarf. I stopped by to make sure that you guys were alright and to see if you had found any news on my brother. I hope that you all will join us this evening. Rodrik's funeral will be at the Flame of the Fallen just before sunset.
Vanderhoff accepts the rag and wipes the trickle of blood from his nose. Lifting his tankard to take a drink, he hand wavers and he sloshes the brew onto the table. Shaking he head, he sets his drink down. Rubbing the wound from the wolf, he says. "I'm feeling a bit disjointed today.... "
Wren's suspicions cause a deep scowl to spread across Kraygan's face, causing his beer-flecked beard to bristle like a pissed-off rabid hedgehog. A raid organized by external forces was bad, but enemies within the walls, perhaps even locals, was unfathomable to a dwarf that had grown up among a community that so rarely used the word that it took him a moment to recall it.
"Traitors in Trunau!? Why??"
Slamming his tankard on a table, sending a small fountain of froth airborne, Kraygan paces the brewery with angry stomps. Noticing Vanderhoff's shaky hands he growls in frustration. "Poison and dirty tricks are for cowards. We should call on Tyari for healing before gettin into more trouble."
To Kurst, he asks few questions. "Any idea where we can find Omast? Think we gotta talk to him, but before that.. ye know anyone in town goes by the name of Skreed? How about Melira?"
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/me first world problems
Wren's suspicions cause a deep scowl to spread across Kraygan's face, causing his beer-flecked beard to bristle like a pissed-off rabid hedgehog.
"Traitors in Trunau!? Why??"
Slamming his tankard on a table, sending a small fountain of froth airborne, Kraygan paces the brewery with angry stomps.
Wren nods as Kraygan begins to understand the depth of the betrayal. Wren's eyes narrow as he looks to the pile of loot recovered from the assassins.
He jumps to his feet, realizing something new.
"Tell me dwarves...did any of you consider to take one of the assassins alive? Mine escaped..."
Bluff
"...but these same assassins might have been the same ones that killed Roddy. After all, and I don't know if you all noticed their blades? Did you? Do you notice that there are no blades amongst their possesions? They had 'glowing blue blade that drips as it melts away'?"
Wren goes over to the stack of gear, searching them for daggers.
"I don't know what kind of blades they were, but they were sharp. My back will confirm that. I suspect that these assassins, who were so skilled at silent entry, were the ones that killed Roddy."
Wren looks around to see if the dwarftangle or Kurst have anything to add.
Jorgan looks to his own wounds and Hops' after everyone gets some more rest. He spends an hour brushing down Hops' coat.
----
"I don't know what kind of blades they were, but they were sharp. My back will confirm that. I suspect that these assassins, who were so skilled at silent entry, were the ones that killed Roddy."
"That much seems obvious I think. They were using some sort of crystals as blades, which explains a bit concerning Rodrick's murder and how it was staged. Strange, never seen anything like it."
Jorgan scratches his head wildly. "Seems like we need to head to the South Wall. C'mon, let's get moving. No use sitting around here talking about it." Jorgan whistles at Hops and starts stalking off with the yak in tow.
"Aye. To the wall."
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"Seems like we need to head to the South Wall..."
Wren smile fades.
"No, wait. We should find the last assassin. It was he who killed Roddy...and should lead us directly to the local source," Wren walks over to the pile of gear. "We know that he's not local, and is likely wearing leather armor with a light crossbow. In addition, I can describe him...so someone in town probably has seen him. In fact, we have the assassins you found. We just need to find out who in town has seen them before."
"These guys were in town. They have been around otherwise they would not have found us this quickly. Or maybe we should check at the gates? To see if any of the guards recognize when they came in?"
Wren looks at Kurst.
"Can you help on this? We have *the* assassin who probably killed your brother. We know what he looked like...I can describe him to you. If he left town last night, then we can track him. If he's still here, you can find him, right?"
Once again Wren brings up an important lead. Thinking about the assassins, he picks up one of the crossbows. "These killers were organized and well equipped. Would be hard to miss a group like that around town. Might have military or some sort of assassin training. And those crystal weapons... anyone in town able to make such things?"
His brow furrows in thought...
"Cham from the Ramblehouse might recognize these traitors. We should have her take a look at their faces and outfits. Kurst, can you get her and find Omast, and bring them here? Meanwhile, Wren and us could talk to the gate guards?"
Going through the items recovered from the basement of the Plague House, Kraygan holds up the signet ring. "Huh. Wonder why they had this. Anyone recognize the symbol or those clothes?"