Run 2: An Incident At The Green Man Inn

Game Date: 18/3/10

The party quickly splits up, with Varis and Elariah electing to explore the keep while Shararael relaxes in the comfort of the One-Eyed Cat and attempts to enjoy a cup of human-brewed tea.

Varis and Elariah make finding Tarlach their first mission, although they are momentarily distracted when Elariah notices the local locksmith’s store on the far side of the square is marked with the symbol for “Freelance Fence” used by thieves back in Specularum.

They find Tarlach in the local dairy, an establishment run by three sisters of Traladaran blood (the only ones in town, other than Elariah). Neanne and Chandry are busy tending the counter, but direct them to a back room where their sister Opal is tending to the rash on Tarlach’s legs. Tarlach makes some introductions and Opal explains that she’s a cleric of Petra, and that the rash is the result of some irritants in the goblin-dog’s spittle that’s more distracting than life-threatening. From there, the pair head their way next door and introduce themselves to Brother Martin, who proves to be friendly, talkative, and somewhat perceptive (he seems to have picked Elariah as a member of one of the Traladaran Old Families right from the outset, although agrees to keep quiet about it). They also meet Jenn, a young woman who recently lost her parents that Martin is teaching to work as a baker. Elariah, being the perceptive sort, notices that Jenn seems to have a vague crush on her mentor.

Back in the Cat, Shadarael is served by the young waitress, Jess, who seems somewhat fascinated by the fact that there’s an elf in the bar. She explains that elves do pass through the Keep occasionally, but it’s a rare thing and the last was over a year ago. She does serve some wine of an acceptable quality when Shadarael asks for something other than beer. Jess warns Shadarael about Golstag the Merchant (he’s a bad sort) and the mysterious Third, a masked woman who seems to have settled into the role of the Green Man’s bouncer despite the fact that she can’t speak common. Shadarael attempts to make contact with Golstag when the merchant comes in, thinking it may be a lucrative source of work. Goldstag turns out to be pretty ambivalent towards the idea, but does share a drink.

The group reconvenes back at the inn where they’re joined by Dubricus D’Amberville, a wizard from the Principalities of Glantri to the north, and his strange little half-duck/half-rabbit familiar Lop. Dubricus tells them the Wandering Tower – a mysterious local landmark that seems to travel throughout the mountains – and explains that his elder brother Jean-Luc built the structure several hundred years ago. Jean-Luc also bred various hybrid creatures in the area, including an owlbear and the landshark currently rumoured to be plaguing the western road. He’s worried about the possibility that the attack on the caravan may have been a third creature, and offers to hire the group to look into this. The fact that he carries a magic pouch capable of producing froofy Glantrian pastries goes a long way towards convincing people they should say yes.

Dinner is served and the trio share a table with Dubricus and Brother Martin, a man who is intensely interested in where everyone comes from and where they’ve been on their travels. The common room fills with merchants guards, locals and the two half-ogre guards working for Golstag. Beer is drunk. Food is eaten. Afterwards Elariah sings for the crowd, choosing a series of traditional Traladar ballads. Its well-received by the entertainment-starved locals, but the drunk half-ogres start getting rowdy. One of them, Bronte, tries to start some trouble but gets talked down by Varis, Shadarael and the promise of free ale.

Afterwards the group is approached by Jadale, the young woman who serves as the Captain of the Keep Guard. She’s young for the role, barely seventeen, but she’s seems confident and passionate about building the keep into the township. She asks some pointed questions about the party’s goals in the area, realises they’d be ill-suited to generic guard duty, and offers them an alternative – work with her as a team of trouble-shooters and she’ll reward them with land and positions of authority when the keep is established. Lacking other plans beyond “track down weird thing beating people up in the forests”, the group agrees.

Jadale excuses herself and the evening wears on, the crowd thinning out somewhat considerably as it gets later. The party retires to their room and goes to sleep, but they’re awoken a few hours later by the sound of something hammering on the door. The situation is quickly assessed – one of the half-ogres is drunk and trying to batter his way in, making dire threats against the group – and a plan is hatched. Everyone clambers out the window in their nightclothes and calls for the watch, running towards the storage shed where their weapons are.

 It doesn’t take long for Sabine, Larl and Charl to arrive on the scene. The join the party inside the in where Bronte is discovered sleeping on the stairs. A quick investigation reveals that he’s battered won the door to the group’s room, and that there’s a lingering aura of enchantment magic around him. Golstag makes a swift argument against imprisoning the half-ogre, but it doesn’t work. Bronte goes to the keep’s cells, Golstag is ordered to pay for repairs, and order is returned.

After examining their options and deciding against sleeping in the open room, the trio choose to sleep in the relative security of the keep’s warehouse where the two watchmen on the gate will be able to keep an eye on them.