Tales of the Old World 6

<Tales_GM> The year is 2512 on the Imperial Calendar...
<Far_Foririan> As Far'Foririan sits there waiting for the others to finish their investigation he suddenly stiffens up, as if a second sight he sense something change. Danger is upon them.
<Tales_GM> Rushing forward from the ethereal substance from which it manifested, the creature flails its limbs, charging for Thorek and striking him with a vicious cut to the leg.
* Thorek screams in pain as the horror attacks him.
* Afrock screams in a bloody rage and attacks the creature in front of him.
<Tales_GM> With a furious strike, Afrock splits the creature's form in two.
<Tales_GM> Seconds later, each of the two pieces generates into its own lesser manifestation.
<Thorek> "Well that's a problem." Thorek grunts and then grits his teeth.
<Afrock> "AAAGGGHHHHH!!!!"
* Far_Foririan gets up hearing the commotion going on down stairs, he rushes to the door to get the attention of the two human. He opens the door and yell, "RODERICK, SHIVVA WE HAVE TROUBLE."
<Tales_GM> Both new aparitions strike against the dwarves, with limited success.
* Shivva_Runna runs up to the taven door after hearing the yell.
* Roderick shouts to Shivva while fitting the key into the lock on the coach house. "WHAT'S GOIN ON MATE?!"
<Thorek> The bountyhunter furrows his brow and grips his axe tighter before screaming an oath in Kazalid. His brings his axe down, watching as it bites deep into the horror's body before it poofs and melts back into the idol.
<Shivva_Runna> "We have more company, Boss!"
* Roderick swings open the doors and glances around.
* Afrock finally slashes the creature and it's remains apperates back into the idol.
<Tales_GM> The coach is empty, having gone through the "normal" process of unboarding of passengers and baggage for the night.
<Afrock> "NOW SMASH STONE!!!"
<Tales_GM> The idol absorbs the second of the essences, and begins to vibrate with a low rumble of rock.
<Afrock> "STONE IS ENEMY!"
<Thorek> "Aye, best we smash it now, before anything else comes out of it." Thorek has a grim look on his face.
<Far_Foririan> "Something is arises downstairs with the others, come on." He then begins to run to the area behind the bar and makes his way into the cellar.
* Shivva_Runna follows behind the Knife Ear.
<Thorek> With a roar Thorek charges forth and slams the head of his axe into the idol, splintering it into pieces.
<Tales_GM> With the profane idol smashed, the waving lines on the floor, splayed across the octagon surrounding it, fade and vanish with short upward draft of wind.
* Thorek lets out a deep sigh before checking on the victims.
* Afrock seeing the stone idol smashed calms down and collects himself.
* Far_Foririan stops as a draft of wind pushes up from the hole in the cellar.
<Afrock> "It appears all enemies are gone currently."
<Tales_GM> Of the limp bodies recovered, only the Hooded Man's real landlord, his wife, two servants, and one of the coachmen are still alive.
* Far_Foririan then moves up to where the hole is and pokes his head down, the danger he sensed early seems to be gone, "Um what happened?"
<Thorek> "Aye, let's see if we can't get them up."
<Afrock> "The stone idol produced an enemy for which me and Thorek eliminated."
<Thorek> "Three technically, but we'll talk of that later, help us get some of these people up. Some of them are still alive."
* Shivva_Runna takes his crowbar. "Hey, this is mine."
* Roderick moves inside the inn and calls out to the others. "What's the danger Shivva, Knife-ear?"
<Tales_GM> They are unable to maintain consciousness for longer than a minute at a time, however; the landlords's wife able to share her suspicions that their food was contaminated with a sedative.
<Shivva_Runna> "The dwarfs got it, Boss!"
<Far_Foririan> "So then the danger is gone, this is, well interesting." he looks hops down to help the dawrfs out.
<Thorek> Thorek will assure the good wife that the ones who were responsible for drugging their food are dead.
* Far_Foririan looks over the idol but is not sure what to make of it while helping out.
* Roderick heads down to where the rest of the group remains.
* Shivva_Runna smashs the lock on the chest and looks inside.
* Shivva_Runna loots the chest with it's content and tries to hide the potion.
* Far_Foririan notices Shivva hiding the bottle he found.
* Afrock walks ups behind Shiva and says, "What you got there?"
<Shivva_Runna> "Nothing!"
* Afrock stares at the glass bottle.
<Far_Foririan> "I would not lie to a dwarf."
<Afrock> "I saw that."
* Roderick cracks a grin at Shivva and chuckles a bit. "Everyone saw ya mate, count that one as a loss."
<Shivva_Runna> "*Sighs* It's a potion, I think."
<Afrock> "What's it do?"
<Shivva_Runna> "I dunno."
<Far_Foririan> "It must be a important potion, if you are trying to hide it and I do believe you know what it does." he looks at Shivva knowing he is lying.
* Shivva_Runna "Listen, I never lie in my entire life. I swear on mi mom. Though I think it's a potion of strength."
* Afrock stares at him.
<Afrock> "May I have it?"
* Shivva_Runna looks at Roderick.
* Roderick gives him a nod.
* Shivva_Runna hands Afrock the bottle.
<Afrock> "Thank you Shivva."
<Shivva_Runna> "What are friends for."
<Roderick> "Well now that this is all settled we need to get back to the cap'n. He's still waitin on us ta get back with help en what not."
<Afrock> "Aye."
<Thorek> "Right, we have a coach and some horses. We'll use it to get back to the Captain and the barge. We'll bring him back with some of the crew and see what can be used to repair the barge. Forian you and I will go there, everyone else will wait here. Sound good?"
<Far_Foririan> "Yes that does sound like a good plan."
<Thorek> "Actually Afrock, you come as well."
<Afrock> "Aye cousin."
<Thorek> With help they'll get the horses attached to the coach and get it started back to the ship.
* Far_Foririan get up on the coach and readies to make way to the ship. "Well this will be interesting for my research."
<Tales_GM> Far'Foririan jolts the horses forward, the claps of lightning and rolling thunder discouraging the beasts to make ground across the soaked, muddy road.
<Roderick> While the others prepare the coach Roderick starts dragging the corpses outside, lining them up alongside the building in the rain. In between his trips to and fro he tells Shivva to make himself useful. "Tidy up in ere mate, we need this place presentable before they wake."
<Roderick> "Don't need pryin eyes an pokin noses."
<Shivva_Runna> "Of course, boss." He starts cleaning the place.
<Tales_GM> The horses at last agree to take off, but they do so at an uncontrolled pace, spooked by a nearby lightning strike.
<Tales_GM> The horses pull the coach forward the uneven trails, threatening to run off the road at any moment.
<Tales_GM> With a sudden correction, the elven scholar barely saves the coach from striking a large stone on the outside of the road, and maintains course for a stretch of narrow road ahead.
<Tales_GM> Discovering that they are nearing the turn of the road by the barge, Far'Foririan now faces the challenge of bringing the horses to a safe stop.
<Tales_GM> Instead, they keep driving, off the road, and into the thick muddy terrain along the river bank. It is only when the wheels are some two feet deep in mud that the coach comes to a stop, the beasts no longer able to pull forward.
<Tales_GM> By the flashes of lightning, the barge can be seen some 50 yards ahead, though the crew cannot be made out clearly with the thick downpour at this distance.
<Far_Foririan> "Welp I never said I was good at this."
<Thorek> "Well that was some kruting luck."
<Far_Foririan> "Well looks like the crew is extending some lines to the trees."
<Thorek> "Well this isn't going anywhere," he gestures to the coach, "let's get over there in the meantime."
<Afrock> 'That was rough."
<Thorek> He hops off the coach and starts trudging over.
<Tales_GM> "Heave!" you hear a call from across the darkness.
<Far_Foririan> "Yea that was." he hops down and makes his way over with Thorek.
<Tales_GM> "Get yer backs into it!"
<Tales_GM> The shouts and calls become clearer as you close the distance to the barge.
<Tales_GM> "Pull like it's a Bretonnian on yer mothers!"
<Thorek> "Captain! Oi Captain!" Thorek tries his best to get his attention as he trudges closer, the storm not doing him any favors.
<Tales_GM> From along the treeline, a lantern is lit and lifted up in your direction.
* Thorek trudges closer, his eyes squinting at the sudden light.
<Tales_GM> "Ya sure this is a convenient time?" the bargemaster calls out, moving in your direction.
<Thorek> "I've got tidings for you, and unfortunately not the good kind." He says as he comes closer. "We investigated the inn and it's dock, and things are grim. The place had been taken over by brigands of some sort. We killed them and found the owner, family, and staff, but they're in no condition to help." He then goes into detail about what all happened, barring the spookier things, and mentions he has a coach and horses, though
<Thorek> it's stuck in the mud behind them. The horses could be useful in helping but he'd need them back for the coach.
<Tales_GM> "What a ring o' rotten luck..."
<Thorek> "Aye, rotten weather to boot. If you can spare some men to help get the coach free we can get back to the inn double quick with your first mate or you, and see what you can use to repair the barge."
<Tales_GM> "The boys are anchoring her best we can," he nods to the lines being tied on the trees, tightly stretched from the barge.
<Tales_GM> "No use tryin' anything else today, gods pissin' something rageful."
<Tales_GM> "We finish here and go back to shelter on yer coach," he concludes with a nod.
<Thorek> "Aye sounds good to me. We'll wait back at the coach then."
<Tales_GM> "Or ye can lend a hand," he points to a couple of loose lines laying limp on the mud.
<Afrock> "It is time."
* Thorek visibly sighs. "You won't get much out of me Captain, I'm a bit cut up from killing brigands. But You'll get one good pull from me." He nods to Afrock.
* Afrock starts assisting with the lines as best he can.
* Far_Foririan get in there and help in.
<Tales_GM> Putting all three of the returning passengers to work, the bargemaster gets his vessel secured against the shifting river swells, and the coach is brought out of its immobile state and back onto the road.
<Tales_GM> The arrival back to the Hooded Man happens as the temperature drops.
<Tales_GM> Several of the deckhands shiver uncontrollably as they struggle to maintain their body temperature as the gates to the inn are shut and the horses are brought into the stables.
<Tales_GM> "Go on. Get inside and warm up," the bargemaster says.
<Tales_GM> "I hear you boys got into some nasty business," he says entering the inn.
<Afrock> "It has been a day."
<Tales_GM> Removing his shoes, and linen shirt, he sits by the fireplace, leaving the items of clothing on a nearby chair to dry.
<Roderick> "You could say that, the problems have been layed in the muck outside, sure saw you em on tha way in, eh?"
* Far_Foririan takes a seat after entering near the fire to dry off his clothing.
<Tales_GM> "Aye. Better out than in," he nods. "Serviceable rooms?" he asks looking up at the ceiling.
<Thorek> "Aye, there should be some rooms in the coach house as well."
<Roderick> "Some are missin clean sheets..but otherwise much bettern bein outside"
<Tales_GM> "Good. We'll pass the evenin' - hope for better weather tomorrow."
<Afrock> "I think I'm going to get some rest."
* Afrock get's ready to rest.
* Roderick nods in agreement, pleased that he doesn't have to go back out in the weather.
* Thorek smooths his wet over the back of his head and takes a seat near the fire as well, wincing in pain as one of his wounds makes itself known.
<Tales_GM> "If the landlord's able and willin' we'll take a look at the wharf ya mentioned, Dawi."
<Thorek> "He and the rest of the staff are currently out of it. We can either check now and talk with him later, or wait 'til he's better."
<Tales_GM> Having a light meal, and some drink, the barge crew find any place they can to sleep, passing the evening, through the night, recovering their strength.
<Roderick> "Just give off Thorek, wait till the weather clears n everyone rested. Can't do shit about now anyhow."
<Thorek> "Easy now, just presenting what's available to Captain."
* Thorek catches some shut eye in one of the coachhouse beds. Not wanting to spend the night in the inn after what he and Afrock killed.
<Tales_GM> Night provides a welcome rest for you all, too, and in contract with the goings-on of earlier in the day, you catch the greatest, most restful sleep you ever have.
<Tales_GM> At dawn, you are awoken by heavy knocking on the Inn entrance. Outside, you can hear the stomping and whining of horses.
* Shivva_Runna sound asleep, drunk on the table.
* Afrock get's up from under the table feeling better.
* Far_Foririan wakes up from hearing the door knocking, from the seat at one of the tables he sat at.
<Tales_GM> After a second round of knocking, the door is broken down.
* Afrock braces himself for combat.
* Roderick scrambles up and looks down into the courtyard in front of the inn.
* Shivva_Runna dives under the table.
<Tales_GM> "Hands near blades get you killed! Everyone flat on the floor!"
<Afrock> "You road wardens?"
* Thorek eyes shoot open as he hears the inn's door is broken down. "By Grimnir's beard, what now?" He grumbles as he sits up and joins Roderick at the window. "More brigands?"
<Tales_GM> "And soon to be your executioners, lest you comply! Down, now!"
<Afrock> "Last warden I met was a fake may I see a badge?"
<Roderick> Upon seeing the horses and their barding Roderick breathes one word to Thorek. "Wardens."
<Tales_GM> A crossbow is cocked, and aimed directly at Afrock.
<Afrock> "Well I don't like these chances.
<Roderick> "You may be tha only one that can smooth this out Thorek."
<Thorek> "Probably wondering what happened to their friend. Whoever was wearing that warden uniform we killed last night, obviously wasn't one of them." He pinches his nose between thumb and forefinger. "Umgak."
* Afrock surrenders.
<Roderick> "Make sure n show em that fancy paper of yours."
<Tales_GM> Weapons are taken away from those inside the Inn, and piled outside.
<Thorek> "Aye, I assume you want to stay up here and watch?" He grabs his boots and buckles on his belt and swings on his cloak. "Aye, umgi. Hopefully they'll question the innkeeper and realize we saved the inn as well."
<Tales_GM> Satisfied that they have a grasp on the situation, two Wardens step out, past the corpses, and go up the coach house steps, blades drawn.
<Far_Foririan> "Wardens, I think we can just all calm down and explain what happen." he says as he keep his hands up for them to see.
<Roderick> "That's the plan, but I don't think those two will oblige." Roderick crosses his arms and waits for the men to ascend.
<Tales_GM> The coach house door is kicked in without ceremony, sword tips the first thing to enter the upper staff room.
* Roderick remains leaning against the window sill at the unceremonious intrusion.
* Thorek will meet the wardens on the steps and will bellow to them, "in the name of General Jendrick von Dabernick! Stay your blades and take me to your sergeant, or whoever his equivalent is."
<Tales_GM> "On your face, both of you! You are under arrest!"
<Tales_GM> Underscoring this order, is the unmistakable click of a pistol as it is raised at Roderick's back.
* Roderick uncrosses his arms cursing. "Anytime Thorek. Course it's only gonna matter if these boys are real Wardens." Roderick is slowly complying.
<Thorek> "I don't have time to deal with your shite, wardens, we have a criminal of our own to hunt in the name of General Jendrick von Dabernick." He'll produce the bounty with and show it. "Unless you're really willing to obstruct the authority of the occupation forces of Ubersreik?"
<Tales_GM> "Far from Ubersreik, Dwarf. Comply, or be cut down."
* Thorek sighs. "Better do what they say." He'll begrudgingly comply. "Any funny business umgi, and I'll be sure you're going in the book back home."