Tales of the Old World 7

<Tales_GM> The year is 2512 on the Imperial Calendar...
<Tales_GM> The Hooded Man is now under the occupation of a patrol of road wardens, who have ridden in, and aggressively taken control.
<Tales_GM> Held separately in the various rooms of the Inn, you wait as the road wardens look about the premises, gathering evidence and piecing the events of the last several hours together.
<Tales_GM> "Bring them down," you hear called out. Moments later, you are all brought down to the bar room.
<Seig>  "You figured out that we are innocent yet?"
<Tales_GM> "You are implicated in the kidnapping and murder of several Imperial citizens," Seig is sternly corrected as you're all lined up.
<Thorek> The bountyhunter folds his arms as he's stood with the others, not talking but giving each road warden the stink eye.
<Seig> "Thats a hard no then."
<Far_Foririan> "Well this has been interesting morning." he says as he is lined up with the others.
<Tales_GM> "The only reason you are not being rounded up and prepared for hanging, is that the survivors are unable to place your faces with that of their attackers. Yet," he says holding up a small vial of liquid.
<Thorek> "I think you'll find they'll speak more of us rescuing them from the bandits that had them tied up in the cellar. The corpses outside will speak well to that as well." Thorek all but growls.
<Roderick> Seeing the vial Roderick speaks up. "Your Road Warden buddy ad that on em and tryd ta drug us with it. He paid dearly for that."
<Roderick> "Ifn he was a Road Warden at all and not some heathen, idol-worshipping piece of shite like the rest of em. Also one o the creature got away."
<Tales_GM> "And I suppose it is coincidence alone that in your possession is a uniform of a road warden, one clearly mortally wounded."
<Roderick> "Had spider legs and such."
<Tales_GM> At the description of the mutant, the wardens pause and exchange glances.
<Roderick> "Of course not, I took it off the pretender who was wearin it. Same as one o the others did with that vial."
<Thorek> "Along with that kruting walking skeleton." He grumbles.
<Far_Foririan> "Have you not shown the bodies over there to the survivors?"
<Tales_GM> "You, or someone, poisoned them. Their recollections are fragmented, inconsistent."
<Roderick> "Yeah, those shites had the innkeep and his family tied up in the basement next ta some heathen idol, there was quite a fight with the beast it conjured as well."
<Roderick> "I imagine that's what that vial does, several of us almost went down as well from it."
<Tales_GM> One of the wardens produces a shard of the shattered idol, strange greenish glow still about it.
<Tales_GM> "So it was an idol."
* Roderick moves his shoulders in an almost shrug, hindered by the fact that he is restrained. "To something unnatural by the look...and tha feel."
<Thorek> "Aye, smashed it to pieces." He spits on the floor. "Filthy thing, my cousin and I almost died destroying it and saving those people."
<Roderick> "How ya can bear to touch it is beyond me."
<Seig> "I was only holding the torch above it, but just its image completely messed with my memory."
<Afrock> "Yup"
<Seig> "I have no recollection of the time after I perceived it ."
<Tales_GM> The tallest of the wardens, a man with a well-groomed mustache and an ornate pistol at his side, pauses and nods. "Untie them," he says at last.
<Tales_GM> "The sailors say you boarded in Ubersreik. Is that true?"
<Tales_GM> One by one, you are freed from your restraints.
<Thorek> "Aye, and the river nearly killed us all on the way here."
<Thorek> "And if you still have my warrant, you'll know what we're about."
<Tales_GM> "Then you benefit from ingratiating yourselves to the Altdorf occupation. What you witnessed here obligates you to report to Karl Wittenheim, the Witch Hunter brought along with the occupation's General Staff."
* Thorek grits his teeth. "Aye, after I bring back my quarry. Orders are to not let the man I'm after escape into the next province on pain of death. This can wait. I'd be more than happy to accept your assistance in doing so, your knowledge of the roads would be most useful."
<Tales_GM> "I will send my report to Ubersreik, with detailed descriptions of each of you, as well as your names; which you will provide. Failure to report to Wittenheim is..." he pauses briefly, looking up to one of his men. "It is unadvisable. You focus time on this bounty of yours at your own peril."
<Tales_GM> "All the assistance I can provide is this; until I can get detailed testimony from the victims, and until I can identify the bodies, I will be unable to complete my report. I hope you understand and appreciate this."
<Thorek> "I'll be more than happy to give you mine, my name is on the bounty-hunter guild's Registrar. Thorek Damnazeki. These lot are my deputies as they all have a connection in finding and bringing this man in." He waves his arm around to his companions.
<Thorek> "I appreciate your candor, master road-warden. If you don't mind, let me ask you a couple of questions that might help speed us along." He then gives the description of the 'man' they are after and his disguise.
<Thorek> "You or any of your men think you might have seen such a person?"
<Thorek> "He was heading due west toward the Duchy of Black Rock."
<Roderick> "An assume it's alright to reclaim our affects?" Rodericks rubs his wrists where the manacles had dug in.
<Tales_GM> "Can't say we've seen such a person. Though be warned, Jungfreud troops have rallied along the Black Rock border, and they are impeding access to anyone not expressly allowed into the road systems - a jurisdictional boiling point to which the Wardens must respond."
<Tales_GM> "You are free men," he nods to Roderick, "Just as soon as we have logged your names."
<Roderick> "Right then."
<Thorek> "I appreciate the information, master road-warden. You'll not be going in the book for doing your duty at least." He recovers his affects with a grumble though.
* Roderick waits for the bureaucracy to be finished with before collecting his gear.
<Seig> "Seig Fluss for the record officer"
<Tales_GM> "Fluss," he repeats with a nod. "Collect your effects."
* Thorek returns, all equipment back where it belongs and he nods to the master road-warden. "Might I have your name as well? So I know how to address you?"
* Seig collects his effects "Yeah knowing who we are addressing would be pretty reasonable I believe"
<Tales_GM> "Road Sergeant Mueller," he replies.
<Roderick> "Roderick Haynes."
<Far_Foririan> "The name is Far'foririan." he tells the record officer and then goes the gets his things.
<Tales_GM> Roderick's name is written down, and is invited to retrieve his belongings with a nod.
* Roderick nods in return and starts collecting his affects.
* Shivva gets his equipment and cart. He says "Shivva is my name."
<Tales_GM> "Shivva."
<Seig> "Shivva has been a cunt and not shared their surname till this point so goodluck."
<Roderick> "I imagine he needs you surename Shivva."
* Shivva rolls his eyes. He replies "Runna. Shivva Runna."
<Tales_GM> With some work, Far'Foririan's name is written in the officer's best Reikspiel, before allowing the elf to reacquire his things.
<Tales_GM> "Runna; a peculiar name. Tilean, is it?"
<Thorek> "Sergeant Mueller, pleasure to make your acquaintance master umgi. Now. Given our main mode of transportation is currently beached I've a mind to use the coach not currently in use. Would you be opposed to me using it for the good of the Reikland? The coach master won't be using it anytime soon so far as I can see."
<Tales_GM> Without waiting for a reply, Shivva is given the go-ahead to take back his belongings.
* Shivva grumbles as he stuffs cart with his stuff.
<Tales_GM> "I will permit you to return the coach to its owners in Ubersreik," the Road Sergeant replies with carefully chosen words.
<Roderick> "We'll return it when we report to the Witch Hunter Thorek."
<Thorek> "Much appreciated Sergeant Mueller." Thorek gives him a knowing nod. "Lads, let's get going, Sergeant Mueller is a busy umgi and we don't need to impede his work."
* Seig states "Sounds good enough to me" as he boards the coach.
* Shivva tries to drive the coach.
* Roderick clims into the coach and prepares for the worst, remembering all of the past times Shivva has tried to drive.
* Far_Foririan gets into the coach as well.
* Thorek takes a seat inside the coach.
<Tales_GM> All four of the coach's horses secured to the vehicle, Shivva drives to make up for lost time to the border of Black Rock.
<Tales_GM> With the skies clearing out, the morning passes by with little progress, as Shivva's unfamiliarity with these roads causes an unnecessary three-hour detour.
<Tales_GM> As the afternoon comes in, Shivva finds his way back on the right path; and on a mile-long straight, a toll becomes visible ahead.
<Roderick> "Right so it looks shiny n all but I don't recognize these ones. They are from Black Rock." Roderick scans the surrounding terain.
<Roderick> "An based on that over there we're still a good bit from the border. Looks like the Jungfreud's are makin a move into the Lady's Vale."
<Thorek> "Shite. That cunt might have already made it then..."
<Roderick> "Well he's not at the border yet. We still have time. We just needa figure out how to get past these shites."
<Thorek> "We aren't exactly inconspicuous," Thorek chuckles.
<Roderick> "I do ave a uniform. We might be able to claim loyalty to the Jungfreuds."
<Thorek> "You all that good at lying?"
<Far_Foririan> "Not really."
<Roderick> "Never really had ta. Most people believe in the uniform. That was generally enough and if not..." Roderick casually pats his sword.
<Thorek> "Well, it's that or running the toll. Give it a try."
<Roderick> "Course ifn they ask you could just say I hired ya to get me out of tha city. N the unfirom can be some proof."
<Roderick> "Wouldn't be werin it if I was runnin anyways right?"
<Roderick> "Let's give it a go."
<Thorek> "That's fair."
* Shivva brings the coach at the stop near the toll.
<Tales_GM> Holding a hand up in the air, a toll keeper steps forward.
<Tales_GM> Two others approach from either side of the coach.
<Tales_GM> "Don't look much like coachmen," the first of them says, looking up at Shivva and Far'Foririan.
* Shivva shrugs and says "A job is a job."
* Thorek hops out of the coach and greets the toll-masters. "Greetings master umgi. I'm on a tight schedule here, how much do we owe you?"
<Tales_GM> Banging on the side of the coach, on the plate reading CARTAK LINES, one of the lateral toll keepers speaks up. "Did Cartak hiring of elves come as a change at the same time coachmen uniforms stopped being required?"
<Thorek> "I don't question how you do your job, and I'd appreciate you not questioning mine. I'm borrowing this from a close friend to transport some cargo" He'll lower his voice all conspiratorial-like. "One of the town watch with a heavier purse than most is trying to get to the Jungfreuds for sanctuary, if you catch my meaning, umgi."
<Tales_GM> "We're Jungfreud's men, not the lowly rank and file of the Altdorf pretenders. And bribery is a hanging offense."
<Thorek> "Perhaps you misunderstood, my client paid me to get him out of the city to get to the Jungfreuds. I'm not implying bribery, master umgi."
<Tales_GM> "And you are?"
<Thorek> "Thorek, of Dawihafen. And whom am I addressing?"
<Tales_GM> "The Lords Jungfreud did have that unfortunate lapse in judgement, did they not? Allowing you dwarves to live among humans could only end this way. With the hijacking of a coach to receive some extra pay."
<Tales_GM> "Cartak lines are from Altdorf," one of the further toll keepers says, then.
<Tales_GM> "What?"
<Tales_GM> "The Cartak Lines. They're owned by a fat prick in Altdorf," he says nodding again to the identifying plate on the coach.
<Tales_GM> "Right..." the lead toll keeper says, considering this fact's implication.
<Thorek> "Aye," Thorek grits his teeth, keeping himself from burying his axe in the insufferable prick's face. "And one of it's drivers is a friend of mine, he's letting me borrow it in the meantime. Daring times these are."
<Tales_GM> Almost in unison, hands are lowered to the hilts of weapons.
<Tales_GM> "Everyone, step out."
* Roderick opens the coachdoor and tosses out the city watch unfiform.
<Roderick> "So this is how the Jungreuds treat their own." Stepping down out of the coach, following the uniform.
<Tales_GM> "Those rags are meant to make up for your pathetic deception, are they?"
<Tales_GM> Weapons are now drawn.
<Tales_GM> "Those rags mark him as one of my men," a commanding voice booms from behind you. A man in armor, sitting atop a tall horse moves forward. "Sheathe your weapons at once."
<Tales_GM> Anticipating the toll keeper's questions, he announces, "Udo Steiger, Captain of the Ubersreik City Watch."