No One Expects the Chelish Inquisition

The party completed all their preparations in Sandpoint, and set off on their journey to Brinewall Castle. The weather was beautiful, and the first day passed pleasantly. About midday the next day, the party heard hoofbeats on the road behind them. Looking back, they saw three men cantering up the road. The man in the lead wore plate armor and had a large mace slung beside his saddle, while his two companions wore chain and carried crossbows and short swords.

The leader rode to the front of the caravan and reined up in front of the lead team, effectively blocking the wagon’s path. His men took positions on either side of the caravan; they didn’t draw their weapons, but their crossbows lay across their laps. “Who is the master of this caravan?” the leader demanded in a thick Chelish accent.

“I am Sandru Vhiski, and this is my caravan,” Sandru replied warily.

“I wish to interrogate your crew,” the man said haughtily.

Sandru propped one leg up on the wagon seat and gave a chuckle. “Well I wish I had a wagon full of gold, but that don’t mean I’m going to get it.”

The stranger sighed. “I’m afraid I misspoke. I am Raul Desjartel, Inquisitor for House Thrune,

Raul Desjartel

and I will question your men regarding the murder of Baron l’Fontaigne, royal scion of House Thrune of Cheliax.” Nicki swore quietly under his breath and tried to look inconspicuous, while Sawyer quietly pulled the hood of his cloak up over his head and loosened his sword in its scabbard.

Sandru squinted at the man for a long moment, then gave a weary sigh. “Oh very well, but be quick about it. We’ve got a long way to travel yet today.” He stood on his wagon seat and called back along the caravan, “Everyone fall out!”

Desjartel dismounted and walked towards the group assembling beside the wagons, but then noticed Nicki sitting next to Sandru on the front wagon. He did a double-take and his mouth dropped open in amazement. “Lord Genterre? Is that you? When your captors eluded the trap your grandfather’s men had set for them and made off with the ransom, most feared you were dead, but your grandfather sent your portrait to all of the inquisitors, along with an offer of a very generous reward for your safe return. Are these Sczarni scum responsible for your kidnapping?”

Nicki/Roderick stammered out his story about being a look-alike stand-in for the unfortunate young Lord Genterre, but Desjartel wasn’t buying it. “Your grandfather is part of a very important House, and I would be remiss in my duties if I did not do everything in my power to rescue his grandson. We’ll just bring you to him and let him decide if you’re really his grandson or not.” Nicki jumped down off the wagon, continuing to plead his case, but the inquisitor had already dismissed him, and was intent on the caravan crew assembling in front of him.

Sawyer was loitering behind Marie, head down, but Desjartel spotted him immediately, and pointed his hand crossbow at him. “That man! The one with the scars on his face! He’s the one we’re looking for!” His toadies rode forward, crossbows pointed at Sawyer.

Desjartel turned to Sandru, “This man robbed and murdered Baron l’Fontaigne in Magnimar. His accomplice has admitted to the crime, and has identified him as the murderer. We shall return him to Cheliax to stand trial and be executed for his crimes.”

"I didn't rob anybody!" Sawyer protested.

"You see," Desjartel said smugly, "he doesn't deny the murder!"

Ameiko stood up in her seat and spoke with authority. “I am Lady Ameiko Kaijitsu, head of House Kaijitsu, and this man is in my service. The crime you describe happened in Varisa, and whether he’s guilty or not, he should face Varisian justice. Cheliax has no authority in Varisia!”

Desjartel gave a heavy sigh, and rolled his eyes at his toadies. “They’ll give out titles to anyone in this backwards country,” he murmured, then bowed elaborately to Ameiko. “Forgive me, your ladyship. I am sure that you come from a proud and noble House, with many tens of years of tradition. However, I am afraid that you are somewhat ill-informed on matters of international relations. In point of fact, there is a treaty between Varisia and Cheliax that states that any and all crimes committed in Varisia against members of the royal houses of Cheliax will be treated as if they occurred in Cheliax, and be subject to Chelish law. If you wish, you may journey to  Korvosa, and petition your government to renounce this treaty, in the hope they would be willing to risk war with the most powerful nation on earth for the sake of a backwater ‘Lady’ and her murderous sellsword. Men – put this man in chains!”

Nicki stepped up behind the inquisitor and placed his hand on his shoulder. “You don’t really need to take me back with you,” he said quietly, and at the same time delivered a Corrupting Touch. Desjartel staggered back, drawing his mace. He drew in a deep breath, and then unleashed an insulting tirade so vicious and spiteful that everyone near him felt their skin blister, and Koya, Sandru, and Sawyer actually burst into flames! Koya and Sandru dropped to the ground and began rolling around, trying to extinguish the flames, but Sawyer ignored them and charged into battle.

Nicki and Shinjiro flanked the inquisitor, while Sawyer and Marie went after his nearest toady. The toadies remained on horseback, galloping around the party and firing their crossbows (wildly, as it turned out). Bella drew her own bow and began returning fire. Sandoval tried to Dazzle first the inquisitor and then a toady with a Flare, but soon determined that tactic was useless, and drew his own bow. Ameiko began singing a song to help the party overcome the inquisitor’s spells and put out their flames, and then turned her attention to helping Koya, who was still burning. Marie began dispensing healing as the party continued to fight.

Desjartel attempted to cast Hold Person on Sawyer, but he resisted, and stepped up to engage his would-be captor. Surrounded by foes, the inquisitor died, and one of his toadies fell at almost the same time. The remaining horseman turned and tried to gallop away, undoubtedly to report to his superiors. Bella took careful aim and buried an arrow between his shoulder blades.

The party searched the inquisitor and his men; they found a letter describing the suspect in Baron L’Fontaigne’s murder as “a tall lean man, with long blond or white hair and multiple long scars upon his face”. They also found a sketch of someone who looked remarkably like “Nicki”, identified as Lord Roderick Genterre. A reward of 5000 GP was offered for his safe return. There was some joking (?) discussion of turning Nicki in for the reward, but Sawyer put a quick end to that discussion. Someone started to wonder why Sawyer was wanted for murder, but another dark look put an end to that line of inquiry as well. Desjartel and his men were left in shallow graves in the woods, and the caravan continued on, Sawyer now mounted on a fine new horse.

The next ten days passed without incident, although the party continued to look over their shoulders with concern. The caravan travelled to Galduria, then Wolf’s Ear, then on to Ravenmoor, stopping at each town to trade and replenish supplies. At Ravenmoor, they took a ferry across the Lampblack River, then turned west, following the fast-flowing Chevali  River towards the town of Roderic’s Cove, where Sandru planned to cross the river and head back north again.

As they entered the outskirts of Roderic’s Cove, they heard a bell ringing, and saw black smoke billowing from a large building at the river’s edge. “That’s the Riverside Inn!” Sandru shouted, and the party rushed forward. They found the back wing of the inn in flames. Several citizens had formed a bucket brigade, hauling water from the river to dowse the flames, but despite their efforts, the fire was spreading. The wind was blowing sparks towards a stable next door, threatening to ignite a pile of hay bales stacked along the side of the stable.

Sawyer, Shinjiro, and Bella rushed to the stable and began carrying away the bales of straw, while Zhustin cast Ray of Frost  on the hay and the side of the stable to try to prevent it from catching fire. The rest of the party, along with Sandru, Ameiko, and Koya went to form additional bucket brigades. Once all the straw had been moved, Sawyer, Shinjiro, and Bella also joined in, while Zhustin redirected his Frost spells against the burning inn. Sawyer asked if anyone was still inside; in all the confusion, no one was sure, so he tried to enter the burning building to search for victims, but was immediately overcome by smoke himself, and Bella had to pull him out.

Just as it seemed that they might be stopping the fire’s spread, a woman’s scream split the air. “Jane! My little Jane has fallen into the river!” A five-year-old girl had been helping fill buckets at the river’s edge, and had toppled in, and was now being carried off by the current. “She’s being swept toward the falls!” Sandru cried. Sure enough, the party looked downstream, and saw that just a few hundred feet away the river disappeared over a large waterfall.

Most of the party was still wearing armor, and knew that by the time they got it off to try to swim, little Jane would be beyond rescue. Shinjiro was not, and he leapt into action, sprinting down the riverbank to a position just ahead of Jane. Bella followed, and tossed Shinjiro her grappling hook as he dove into the water, then played out the rope as Shinjiro tried to swim out to the girl. At first, Shinjiro made good progress, but the current and undertow were strong, and he quickly began to tire. He seemed to be getting no closer to the little girl, and they both were being carried ever closer to the fatal falls. At almost the last moment, he made a superhuman effort, which brought him just close enough to wrap his arm around the half-drowned child. Bella began hauling on the rope, and soon Shinjiro and Jane were both panting on the shore.

By this time, the group back at the inn had managed to get the fire under control, and while the back part of the inn was a smoldering ruin, the blaze was out. As people began to catch their breath, the innkeeper’s wife began to call out, “Isabelle! Isabelle! Where is Isabelle? I can’t find Isabelle!” Isabelle, they learned, was the owners’ 15-year old daughter, and no one could remember seeing her since the fire started. The party searched the smoky ruins of the inn, fearing the worst, but no bodies were found.

Her father, Roush Marssanz, was adamant that he knew what happened. “It’s that damned Stark kid. No good, low-life, sneak thief – he’s always sniffing around after my daughter. I’ve told him to keep away, but he won’t listen. This morning I caught them whispering to each other out back, and I gave him a good thrashing, and told him if he ever came back, I’d kill him! Now he’s gone and burned down my inn and kidnapped my daughter!” The mother chimed in. “I don’t know what she sees in that awful boy. I told her and told her he’s no good, but will she listen to her mother?”

By this time, The sheriff of Roderic’s Cove, a corpulent man named Rossing, had arrived, and he began asking cursory questions: “What started the fire?” (“That Stark kid, of course!”). “Where did it start?” (Not sure yet.) “Was anyone hurt and is anyone else missing?” This last question caused a bit of confusion as people started counting noses and taking inventory. Finally the barmaid asked “Where’s that scribe fella? He was here this morning, but I don’t see him around now.”

The innkeeper was demanding action from the Sheriff. About that time, the stable master came running up. “Sheriff! Two of my horses are missing!” That made the innkeeper explode. “Dammit Sheriff, you bring that kid back here, and we’ll save the city the expense and hang him ourselves!” Several of his neighbors muttered darkly in agreement.

The Sheriff tried to calm the crowd that was threatening to turn into a mob, then motioned the party over to him. He was sweating copiously, and wiped his brow and neck with a large red cloth. “This is a bad situation here, but we’re a bit strapped for men at the moment. We have two known smuggler ships come into port this morning, and I need every man I got to keep watch on the waterfront or they’ll steal the merchants blind. I know Roush has his blood in a boil, but I have to tell you I’m not convinced the girl didn’t run off with young Stark of her own free will. You all look like a capable group – if you could see your way free to help figure out what happened here, and find out where the girl went, well, the city could probably reimburse you 200 gold for your time and trouble. And just between us, if the girl comes home but Mr. Stark were to make his escape, I think everyone might be the happier.” He gave the party a little more background on the Stark boy. “Jerrol Stark lives down in the Cove. His mother died when he was a baby, and he was raised by his dad, a barkeep at the Drunken Crab. Dad died a couple of years ago though, and the boy’s been on his own since. Been in my jail a few times – fighting and petty theft mostly – but he’s not really a bad kid, as Cove kids go.”  He also offered the party the services of a local hunter to serve as a tracker if they pick up any trail.

When Marssanz and his wife found out the party was going to investigate their daughter’s disappearance, they also offered a reward. “We’re simple folk, and we don’t have much, but if you can bring our Isabelle back to us, we’ll give you what we can. My old granddad had a couple of magical knickknacks from his adventuring days that have been gathering dust in the cellar – they’re yours if you can find Isabelle. And if you bring that Stark brat back – dead or alive – I’ll throw in a hundred gold.”

The party began speculating on where a 17-year old might go if he was running away with his 15-year old girlfriend. Since he was a local boy, it seemed likely he’d take her back to familiar ground, somewhere in the slums of the Cove, but that wouldn’t explain why they’d need horses. Maybe they was planning to run off somewhere together? They might be planning to cross the river and head north. But why set fire to the inn?

The party began looking around the burned out portion of the inn. They determined that the fire appeared to have started in a room above the kitchen. When they asked if anyone had been staying in that room, they learned that it had been rented to the missing scribe. That piqued their interest, and they asked more about him. “He was that fella what came in last night,” the barmaid told them. “What was his name? Oh yeah – Vasharian. Said he was a travelling scribe - you know, writes up contracts or wills, or writes letters for people what can’t write themselves. Although you’d have to be pretty desperate to spend much time cooped up in a room dictating letters to that guy. He had a stink on him! Whew! Figured we’d have to wash out his room with lye. Guess we won’t have to worry about that now.” When asked, she said that he’d arrived on foot.

They then began asking neighbors whether anyone had seen anyone take off with the missing horses. Most people hadn’t noticed anything, but one fellow scratched his beard in thought. “Yeah, I saw someone riding off just before the fire started. Couldn’t tell who it was, but they were hell bent for leather. They weren’t on the road, though – they looked like they were headed toward the trail that skirts between the coast and the Churlwood, south towards the mountains.” He said there had actually been two riders, several minutes apart, but they were too far away for him to give any kind of description.

By this time the promised tracker had arrived, and they examined the area where the neighbor reported seeing the riders. He had no trouble spotting fresh hoofprints cutting south across the fields to the south of the road. He said there were two horses, running at a full gallop, headed south. Ameiko and Sandru shared a worried look, but said nothing other than to volunteer to join in the search for the missing girl, as did Koya. Borrowing extra horses from the willing stable master, the group set off to follow the track.

The party earned 771 XP for their exploits, putting them at 3512 XP, with 5000 required for Level 3. We’ll be at Rich & Joette’s next week.