Session report from 14th July session at East Midlands Roleplaying Gaming Group, Brunswick Inn, Derby
Dramatus Personae:
Darok the Almost All-Seeing: A tall
Kislevite expatriate with a gift for augury and divination. Little is known
about Darok, but he hails from the north-east of Kislev, where the winds of
Chaos blow strong. (Human Kislevite Male Seer)
Zhazhicl Dizmad Hirn (Zhlak): A
hardy and itinerant dwarf who makes his living fighting for coin in the pits of
manlings. As with so many of his kin he does not suffer fools and has a long
memory for grudges. (Dwarf Male Pit Fighter)
Mellissandra: A high elven archer
fresh off the boat from Ulthuan, seeking the sights of the city that now stands
upon the elven outpost of Sith Rionnasc'namishathir. (High Elf Female Hunter)
"An act of violence is never solitary. Its ripples affect all around
it and nothing is as it was before."
As the sun rose over the canals of Marienburg the local fishermen waved, as
was their habit, to the crew of
The White Dove as it gently approached
the Suiddock docks, its hold overflowing with cargo. On board the man once
known as Marius Steinfield, looked at a city he did not remember. Little did he
realise his return would set wheels in motion. Woe betide those poor fools
crushed under those wheels.
Day 1
The dwarf Zhlak was taking his ease at a cafe by a small unnamed square in
Marienburg's Winkelmarkt, while Darok hawked his divinations to unheeding
passersby. The two fell into conversation and over ales Darok decided he woudl
jump into the nearby fountain to retrieve a brass penny - the only coin his
toils so far had brought them. Mellissandra, a young high-elf archer newly
arrived from Ulthuan, seeking the sights of the Elf District, observed the
unusual pair.
As Darok emerged with his prize an out of control wagon nearly smashed into
the fountain. He had to dive out the way to avoid being crushed. The driver
fled from the wagon, driven off by men on the back of the wagon in common garb.
A second wagon drew up beside and the men proceeded, at the behest of their
leader, to rummage through all the wagon's crates, discarding all the mundane
trade goods contained within.
Curious Darok attuned his gift to sense magic on the wagon and the leader,
Ostav, asked what he was doing. When Darok finally explained Ostav told him to
redouble his efforts, but the Kislevite seer could sense no dweomers eminating
from the wagon. Zhlak in the meantime helped himself to a bottle of ale from
the discarded goods, but his timing could not be worse as it was then that a
score of Marieburg's watch, the Black Caps, descended upon the square. Ostav's
men fled, but Ostav was too determined to make certain that Darok detected no
magic on the wagon that he was left flat-footed.
The three were arrested, with the hapless Kislevite and dwarf assumed to be
Ostav's men. They argued for a while before the Black Caps Captain ordered them
forcibly manacled. The elf, when questioned, stated she had witnessed little of
use. This was enough for the leader of the Black Caps to order her arrest as
well. It then became apparent the Black Caps would tolerate no mischief
and were using an excessive amount of force and amount of manpower to bring Ostav
to heel.
The four were taken by wagon to the Winkelmarkt watch station and then
placed in a cell, still manacled. Zhlak continued to berate the watchmen, which
earned both him and the silent Ostav a beating. After they were gone the
strangely serene Ostav tried to reassure the fellows that all would be well,
but Zhlak was not convinced.
The next day, still manacled, the quartet were taken by river to the Central
Court in Paleisbuurt (Palace District). They were led to the courtroom by the
Black Caps and sat while other trivial cases were dealt with by the attending
magistrate, one Kai der Kwick. When it came to their turn the group Zhlak
insisted on defending himself, until he learned that by quirk of Marienburg's
law all those who defend themselves automatically lose their case (a law which
Marienburg's legal profession approve of). However their lawyer seemed
strangely passive, and as they learned the charges against Ostav and his band
included assault and robbery upon numerous major houses of Marienburg Zhlak began
to suspect why the wheels of Marienburg's justice were turning so quickly on
this morning.
The trio availed themselves of the opportunity to speak in their own defence
(though the Black Cap captain weighed in at every turn to counter their
statements), with Melissandra's status as an elf being recognised by the
magistrate. As her alleged crimes had not occured in Elftown she was subject to
Marienburg's secular law but the magistrate agreed to postpone sentencing for
her. For the others though he began to pronounce sentence until a court clerk
entered and handed him a letter. After a moment the litigant declared the group
not guilty, that it had been a terrible mixup. This enraged the Black Caps but
they were removed from court. The group, Ostav included left the court room
free men.
Ostav apologised for recent events, though it was clear this was not enough
for most of the group, Zhlak most of all. When his belongings were returned he
gave the company 3 guilders as recompense. After promising to make it up to
them later the group let the mysterious fellow leave and moved to a nearby
expensive inn to dine at Ostav's expense. Later they went to a boarding house
recommended by Ostav and found the rates quite agreeable.
Darok later went out to a nearby alehouse by himself. Speaking to a trader
from the Suiddock's Import-Export Exchange he learned the rumour that Ostav and
his men had been found innocent at their trial because Ostav was either the son
or nephew of Director van Haagen, the Haagens being of Marienburg's Ten
Families.
Day 2
Before breakfast the company received a message, delivered to their lodgings
by a young boy, inviting them to a house in Goudberg. Upon arriving there and
being shown in they realised the man before them was Kai der Kwick, the
magistrate from the day before. The magistrate said he had been impressed by
the way the company had handled themselves in the trial and that he wished them
to deliver a message to a person in the Suiddock. He impressed on them that
this was a matter requiring both discretion (hence the seer and elf) and
forcefulness (hence the dwarf) on the part of the deliverers - and paid them 10
guilders each. The message was a bag containing 50 guilders, and a strong
assurance this was the last such payment.Following Kwick's instructions the company returned to Suiddock to an
abandoned shop. A pair of thugs opened the door to them and they met Leon Reno
and delivered the money and message. Reno told the fellows his response was,
"The details are elsewhere" though he was clearly shaken by Zhlak's
attempts to intimidate him.
Returning the group stopped by the Bruenwaser Kanal as Darok spotted a
striking woman weeping by the canalside. Her brown tress of hair and facial
features resembled their elven companion, Mellissandra, though the elf claimed
she could see no such likeness. She gifted the elf a necklace made of shells, a
good luck token she claimed, before departing. Darok could sense minor magics
of life and death in the necklace.
Arriving once more at der Kwick's townhouse the trio saw a window on the
third floor was opened, and heard a loud smash. When no-one came to answer the
door the three of them forced their way in and ran up to the third floor. The
bedroom where the window was on was deserted, save for part of a smashed vase.
Going downstairs the three found one room locked and forced the door open to
reveal a small library with a dead woman lying upon the floor. Mellissandra
noted an acrid sweet smell. Searching the room the trio noted books on the New
World and Lustria, and on the desk papers containing poetry to the Goddess of
Mercy, Shallya. An empty snuff box and an unopened box of sweetmeats also lay
on the desk, and by the panels of the desk the fellows found a green
cylindrical pod-like item. Mellissandra secured it upon her person just in
time, for a group of Black Caps burst into the house with the magistrate.
Seemingly devastated by the death of his wife, Hanna, the magistrate
acknowledged the trio as his men and that he had been expecting their return.
He mentioned he had just returned from errands and had seen a dark figure
sneaking about the upper floor through the open bedroom window. He had run to
get help, little realising his wife was in the house. Finding no marks on the
body, and after a lengthy interview with the fellows the Black Caps believed
she had locked herself in the library and proceeded to die of fright as the
looters ransacked the townhouse.
Bemused the trio returned to their lodgings to let their employer
grieve.
Day 3
The companions spent the day performing basic chores and making purchases
with their new-found wealth. Darok identified the mysterious pod they had found
at the magistrate's room as a cocoon. The companions decided to avail
themselves of the library of the Temple of Verena in Templewjik. However Zhlak
and Darok could not read and soon grew impatient. As Ostav had promised to
contact them at their boarding house Zhlak sent a messenger to the Haagens.Mellisandra's efforts proved fruitful - she identified the cocoon as belonging
to the Lustrian Tiger Spider. The description was, however, rather incomplete,
and the other tomes in the library were written in the ancient Classical of
Tilea.
Day 4
At breakfast the companions received a letter, stating:-
My friends,
Please meet me at Deedesvald Graveyard this morning at ten. It is of the utmost
urgency.
Yours in hope,
Getta
Going to the cemetery the companions witnessed Hanna's funeral attended by
many of the good and great of Marienburg, including numerous priests and
priestesses of Shallya. They also saw Kai der Kwick, his maid Celeste and by
her side the odious Luc Reno they had delivered the message to.
After the funeral Gretta made herself known. She was an initiate of Shallya
and in hushed tones, concealed by the morning mists she told the company of
Hanna's unhappy marriage to Kai, of how he beat her and how she had only found
happiness in her work with the Church of Shallya. She was certain Kai had
arranged for her murder, despite the lack of evidence. She implored the company
to investigate. They agreed, though they were uncertain how they could help.
Going to the Elftown the trio made the acquaintance of Fiaroth, one of the
apprentices that worked in the chaotic emporium. There they enquired about the
tiger spider, including offering to sell it to the apprentice. The apprentice
knew little about the spider (referring them to the Southlands Expedition
Company, who had acquired the spider for the shop). Their attempts to sell the
spider back were rebuffed when he said it was a niche market and that there was
little demand for one – the last one had been ordered over a year ago and had
just arrived from Lustria a few weeks ago. He, and a nearby dogsbody called
Antonio, described the buyer as an Estalian called Heraldo Garcia.
In Messtag, the violent Estalian district of Marienburg, the trio learned
Garcia could be found later than night in a brothel. To pass the time they
returned to the Magistrate's mansion ostensibly for their pay. Mellisandra
excused herself and was escorted to the facilities by the maid, Celeste. She
noted the maid was wearing a set of expensive pearls. After she left the room
she returned to the library. Searching it quickly she found nothing of import,
but this time the books on the New World struck a chord with Mellissandra and
she quickly found a reference to the Tiger Spider.
After receiving their pay and being told by Kai der Kwick their services
would not be needed any further the group the group returned to the brothel.
There they quickly found Garcia and cornered him. A sailor approached
Mellissandra and accosted her, calling her Ella. Apologising the drunken sailor
left with his comrades but not before Garcia tried to make a run for it. Darok
restrained the Estalian and after renting a side-room they interrogated the
Estalian, learning he had acquired the spider from the shop on behalf of an
anonymous benefactor who had arranged for some ‘business trouble’ to disappear
without charges. Through one of Messtag’s numerous local crime gangs, the
Ramones, he had delivered the spiders through a series of anonymous contacts.
The group returned to the Suiddock and while returning to their lodgings
were approached by a one-legged man with a monkey on his shoulder. He persuaded
the group to join him on his barge, saying he had orders to take them to
someone who had information for them. Zhlak had his reservations but they
agreed. As he gently rowed the barge up the canal the man lit his pipe with a
piece of paper and handed the burning paper to his monkey companion. The monkey
ran below the barge. Then as they passed under the bridge a rope was lowered to
the one-legged man and he clambered up it swiftly, pulled up by shadowy figures
on the bridge. Mellisandra was the first to hear the hiss of a fuse and as
Zhlak tried to push the barge a voice yelled for them to jump.
Mellisandra vaulted effortlessly into the canal water but began to flounder,
while Darok leapt after her. Zhlak barely cleared the barge as it blew, but his
armour protected him from the debris. Darok however was not so lucky and took
some scrapes and cuts. The dwarf and elf struggled to swim but Darok used the
debris that had buffeted him to get to shore and threw a rope to them.
All three were wet and miserable by the time they returned to their
lodgings, but they spied a mob of black caps ostensibly searching the boarding
house for three Chaos worshippers. The three decided to decant to a different
hostelry, choosing the Perched Pelican, a nearby tavern. There they quickly
made the acquaintance of the titular pelican, Beaky, and decided to drink to
warm themselves and drive the taste of the filthy Suiddock away with copious
amounts of alcohol.
As they were recovering from their ordeal a man approached them in a black
cloak, introducing himself as Max. He stated he was the one who had warned them
on the bridge. He told them that they had made powerful enemies in Marienburg,
forces he wished to help them oppose. He told them that he knew they were a
friend of the whaler Whitey and wanted to silence all of them. If they wanted
to be safe they had either better travel to the New World or look into Whitey.
After some questions he left the companions to their new lodgings.
The company discussed what to be done. They assumed it was Kai der Kwick who
had tried to have them killed. He would have to be dealt with.
Day 5:
At breakfast the companions decided to leave the spider cocoon and a letter
to the watch explaining how Hanna der Kwick had died with the barkeep, with
instructions to take it to the Black Caps if they did not return. When they
confronted the magistrate and mentioned that proof would find its way to the
watch he first of all tried to blow-off their allegations. Finally he admitted
to the murder, but stated no-one would believe them, and that he had not tried
to kill them. He brought the companions the contents of his safe, 150 golden
guilders and made the dwarf swear that they were finally done with each other.Flushed with success the companions returned to the Perched Pelican and decided
that they would take their evidence to Getta at the Temple of Shallya. However
if Kai der Kwick was telling the truth and was not behind the attempted murder,
who was?
To be continued in August
Quote of the session
Naomi/Mellisandra: (looks bemused) “I don’t know how I feel about monkeys
carrying fire.”
.JPG)
1. Paul McGann. The Doctor who never was, I remember considering his outing decidedly watchable compared to much of the 80s Doctor Who panto that I'd lost interest in as a kid. It's a tragedy he never got a series as he had an amazing costume (and it is unbelievable he just found it lying around), was an excellent actor (with much more range than say Tennant) and the more modern sensibilities of the current Doctors with a posh veneer resorting to the blatant common-denominator-pop-culture-remarking of Tennant or (less so) Eccleston and Smith.
11. Colin Baker. Worst Doctor ever.
