Farm Raid

The party was taking advantage of finally being back in civilization to do some much-needed trading, selling off all the gear they’d collected since leaving Sandpoint and realizing that, even though they were richer than they’d ever dreamed of being, they still didn't have enough to buy that magical accoutrement they really needed.

In the course of the day’s excursions, Bella and Sandoval overheard a few odd snippets of conversation: “You know, they've doubled the city watch since the theft.” or “No, he’s not here – they took him off to the castle for questioning after the theft, and no ones heard from him since.” When they returned to the inn, they asked Ollie if he’d heard anything about this ‘theft’. He nodded sagely and looked around to make sure no one was listening in. “Rumor is that something was stolen from King Sveinn Blood-Eagle recently. No one’s quite sure what was stolen - the castle’s keeping it quiet. But the watch has been increased, and the usual suspects have been rounded up for questioning. Word on the street is that Stanis Vassindio himself was behind the theft!” Zhustin got excited when he heard that name – he’d heard many tales of the legendary Stanis Vassindio, the greatest thief in Varisia, renowned for being able to break into anywhere, no matter how strongly protected, and escape without a trace.

The rest of the group straggled back to the inn, compared purchases, and then went upstairs to drop off their new gear. When they opened the doors to their rooms, they found that they’d been ransacked. Backpacks had been emptied, mattresses slashed, and belongings thrown everywhere, although nothing appeared to be missing. On the floor of one of the rooms they found a very large black feather, over a foot long. No bird they’d ever seen had feathers this large. Well … the dire corbies back at Castle Brinewall probably had feathers this size, but they’d been more of a mottled gray, whereas this was jet black. Bella examined the rooms, and found that one of the windows was unlocked, although it opened only into a narrow alley two stories below. When he learned of the break-in, Ollie was very apologetic, and immediately called the city watch, who took the report with little interest.

The party had supper, looking over their shoulders, and decided it would be wise to set watches for the night. The night passed uneventfully until around dawn, when they were startled into alertness by a woman’s scream from downstairs. Rushing down, they found Ollie comforting his wife, who was sobbing uncontrollably by the front door. Outside, the inn’s sign was mounted on a short post extending from the wall above the door. Hanging from this post was a body. As they moved to take a closer look, they saw with a shock that it was Kei, the boy who had followed and later befriended them. Examining the body, Marie saw that he had suffered a single stab wound to the spine; it had likely paralyzed him, but left him alive until he was hanged by his murderers.

Ollie sent his oldest son to fetch the watch, who soon arrived and began asking questions. Everyone in the party denied knowing the boy. As one of the watchmen questioned the party, his partner was examining the crime scene. He suddenly stooped down, and came up with a very large black feather. The two policemen exchanged a significant look, and began a whispered conference. Bella sidled up and tried to listen in, but all she could hear was a phrase that sounded like ‘Frozen Shadows’. Some more men arrived to cart away the body, and one of the original watchmen tried to reassure Ollie. “The kid was just some gutter rat from the Jade Quarter. Probably owed money to the wrong people. I wouldn't worry about it.”

Ollie’s wife was too shaken from her discovery of Kei’s body to prepare any breakfast, so the party headed out early to find someplace to eat. Over breakfast, they discussed what their next step should be. They still hadn’t managed to find any leads on Suishen, Ameiko’s family’s ancestral sword, and they hadn’t secured a guide to take them over the Crown of the World to Minkai. However, they did have one more lead on that front: the name of possibly the last available guide in Kalsgard, Ulf Gormundr. He was said to hang out in a grog shop in the Fire Quarter, so they made that their next destination.

To say that Gimli’s Mug was run down was being overly kind. Sawyer had to duck his head to avoid hitting it on the ceiling beams, and the “bar” was a warped board laid across a pair of barrels. The sawdust on the floor looked like it hadn’t been changed in 10 years, and many of the patrons passed out around the room looked like they predated the sawdust. The barkeep had so much hair all over his body as to make his race a matter of some debate. “What’a ya want?” he growled at the party as they entered. Sawyer motioned for a drink, and he slammed a bottle of grog down on the bar. “We’re looking for Ulf Gormundr,” Sawyer said as he picked up the grog, careful not to spill it lest it corrode his armor. “He ain’t here,” the barman replied, “but that’s his partner over there.”

He nodded to a woman sitting at a table in the corner. Her dark hair, dusky skin, and broad face identified her as likely a Varki, one of the tribes from the far north. Her face was badly bruised – one eye was swollen nearly shut – and the table in front of her was littered with mismatched grog bottles. Sawyer sauntered over and sat down. “Wha the fuck d’you want?” she slurred. “We’re looking for a guide to take us over the Crown.”

She looked up with surprise. “At this time of year?” The party was getting really tired of hearing that response every time they asked that question. Nonetheless, Sawyer pushed on. “We heard Ulf Gormundr might be available, and that you work with him.” The woman grunted. “That fool might just be crazy enough to take you in the off-season, but he ain’t here. And before you ask, I don’t know where he is, and I don’t want to know! He’s the reason I got this.” She waved her had across her bruised face.

“Did Ulf do that to you?” Sawyer asked. “No!” she said emphatically, glaring at Sawyer. “Ulf’s never laid a hand on me. It was those others.” Marie had joined them by this time, and she cast a quick Cure Light on the Varki. She looked up in surprise, and her mood shifted. She introduced herself as Uksahkka, and said she was Ulf’s partner, helping him with logistics and serving as a tracker and hunter on his expeditions. Work had been scarce lately, but then out of the blue he’d gotten an offer from a local chieftain, Asvig Longthews, to scout a new route through the Grungir forest. Ulf had gone out to Asvig’s farm several days ago to finalize the arrangements and receive payment, but he’d never returned. “I went out there looking for him yesterday, but Longthews said he’d never shown up, and then he had a bunch of his men beat me up and throw me off his place, and told me if I ever came back he’d kill me.”

Asvig Longthews’ name seemed to be coming up much too often, and the party decided maybe it was time to pay him a visit. Uksahkka told them his farm was a couple of hours southeast of Kalsgard and gave them directions. “But the road is pretty open, and if you go in the daytime, he’ll see you coming from miles away,” she cautioned. “Your best bet might be to approach after dark.” The party thanked her for her information and started to leave, but she grabbed Sawyer by the arm. “Please, let me know whether you find Ulf or not. He’s been good to me.”

The party thought that Uksahkka’s advice on a nighttime visit to Asvig was sound, and it was too early in the day to start out there just yet. Maybe it was time to start trying to find Suishen. All they knew from the vision was that Ameiko’s grandfather had sold the sword to a well-dressed and obviously wealthy young Ulfen man. They began making some inquiries as to where they might find a special sword, and the initial responses were that there were all manner of weaponsmiths and merchants in the Stone Quarter, who could supply them with excellent Ulfen weapons. No, they clarified, they were looking for a Tien weapon, and an antique one at that. Well then, came the response, your best bet would probably be to ask around in the Jade Quarter.

So they headed for the Jade Quarter. As they made their way through the streets, they were suddenly accosted by a very large and very drunk Ulfen warrior. “You killed my dog, you miserable pile of weasel shit!” The party looked around, thinking he must be talking to someone else, but he began poking a stubby finger into Sawyer’s chest. “I’m Gorvald Thrimbyrson, and you poisoned my best dog, you stinking sack of pig vomit! I demand weregild, or I’ll declare a blood feud!” A crowd was beginning to gather, hoping for the spectacle of a drunken brawl. Nicki stepped between the two fighters, trying to defuse the situation. “What makes you think we killed your dog? We just got into town, and we don’t even know you.”

“If you don’t even know me, then why’d you want to kill my poor dog?” Gorvald howled. “I demand 50 gold in weregild, or I’ll kill you all, you black-toothed, bow-legged son of a half-troll hag!” Nicki was tempted to let the confrontation continue just so he could take notes to add to his list of insults. But he continued to try to play peacemaker. “What makes you so sure we were the ones who killed your dog?” he asked again.

“Because he told me you did it! He saw you poison my poor Buster. I’d had Buster since he was a pup. He had one black ear and one white ear, and he used to …” Nicki interrupted before the man got too maudlin. “Who was this man that told you we did it?” Gorvald pointed to a nearby tavern. “That fella in the tavern. I’d gone in to drown my sorrows after I buried poor Buster, and he told me the bastards what killed him were right outside.”

They convinced him to take them to the tavern to point out their accuser, but of course he was gone by the time they arrived. Nicki continued to use his considerable charms (and a few more rounds of drinks) on Gorvald, while Zhustin asked the bartender a few questions. “Yeah, he was talking to a fellow a little while ago. Never saw him in here before. Not a very big guy, all dressed in black. Kept his hood up, so I couldn’t see his face very well.”

By this time Gorvald and Nicki were fast friends, and when Nicki offered the grieving man 5 gold to buy a new puppy, he began to weep with gratitude, then used the money to buy several rounds of drinks for the house. The party finally managed to extricate themselves when Gorvald began leading everyone in the bar in a rousing rendition of the Ulfen version of How Much Is That Doggie In The Window.

Arriving at last in the Jade Quarter, they sought out some high-end shops that seemed to deal in antiquities. Was there an Ulfen man who owned a shop such as this? That resulted in some perplexed looks and negative responses. Well, perhaps a collector? An Ulfen who liked to acquire Tien antiquities? “Ah yes,” came the smiling answer “you must mean Fynn Snaevald! He has quite a fine collection at his home in the Amber Quarter.”

The party had little difficulty finding Fynn Snaevald’s home. He was a well-known independent trader in amber and whale oil. As soon as they reached his house, they suspected they were at the right place. Whereas most Ulfen homes were rather plain and unadorned, Fynn’s house had ornate gables and decorations that looked like those in the Jade Quarter. They knocked on his ornately carved door, and it was opened by the old man himself. He was well into his nineties, but still hale and hearty. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“We’re interested in antique Tien swords, and were told you might have something like this in your collection.” The old man brightened at their interest in his collection, and immediately invited them in. He led them into a parlor, and instructed servants to fetch crusty bread and warm ale. Nicki took the lead. “We’re actually looking for a particular sword. It was from Minkai, and you might have purchased it some 50 or 60 years ago.” Fynn’s eyes narrowed. “Did this sword have a … name?” Nicki paused, then answered truthfully. “Yes, it’s name was Suishen.”

Fynn gave a start of surprise. “I can’t believe you’ve come looking for Suishen now! It was my first major purchase of my collection after my father died – he was a collector too, you know, and I caught the bug from him. I bought that sword over 60 years ago, and it was always my favorite, even though it was completely unbalanced – every time I tried to use it, I felt like I was going to cut my own leg off! Anyway, I kept it right there for almost my whole life.” He pointed to an empty spot above the mantle and his face darkened. “Then a few weeks ago, some damned thieves broke in. They killed my servants and stole Suishen. It was the only thing they took. Thank the gods I wasn’t home at the time, or they’d have killed me, too. Only one of my servants was still alive, but he couldn’t tell me much. They were all dressed in black, and had their faces covered. One of them was a lot taller than the others, and seemed to be in charge, but that’s all he could say before he died.” Probing more on the date of the break-in, the party determined that the theft had occurred shortly after they’d left Brinewall Castle.

On a hunch, Zhustin pulled out one of the lion’s-head arm-rings. “Have you ever seen one of these?” Fynn squinted at the arm-ring then nodded. “Sure, that’s Asvig Longthew’s sigil. Never met him myself, but he’s …” His voice trailed off. “You know, the last thing my servant said before he died was ‘Pay the lion his due’. I thought he was just raving. But dammit, the reason folks call him ‘Longthews’ is because he’s so tall – just like the man who led the thieves. Maybe my servant was trying to tell me I need to seek vengeance against the lion – Asvig Longthews!”

Fynn was getting worked up now, pounding his bony fist feebly against the arm of his chair. “Those men broke into my house, killed my servants, and stole my property! I’m entitled to weregild, and since nobody’s offering that, I’m entitled to exact blood vengeance! I’m an old man now, and they know they have nothing to fear from me, but I’m within my rights to appoint proxies.” His eyes blazed as he looked up at the party. “Will you represent me in this matter? Find out who stole Suishen and killed my people. Defend my honor and property rights by extracting blood vengeance against them! If you recover the sword, I will give it to you as a prize.”

The party readily agreed, and told Fynn they planned to pay Asvig a visit that very night. Knowing they could trust the old man, they asked him what he knew about blood-feather ravens and if he’d ever heard the term “Frozen Shadows”, but he knew nothing on either topic.

By now it was late afternoon, and they knew the sun would set early this far north, so they set out for Asvig’s farm. The road led through rolling hills with marshy lowlands between, with widely scattered farmsteads. It was growing dark by the time they reached Asvig Longthews’ place. It was a large fortified house of sod and stone, topped by a thatched roof. Smoke could be seen rising from a narrow smoke hole in the center of the roof, as well as from some smaller holes in a wing at the west end of the house. Several outbuildings were to the north and east, and the whole compound was surrounded by a ring of short wood posts driven into the ground at regular intervals, about 60’out from the main house.

The party observed the house from a distance for some time, but saw no signs of obvious guards. Looking back the way they’d come, they saw lights on the road behind them; it looked like torches carried by a large group, maybe an hour away. If they were going to act, they’d need to act now. They cautiously approached the ring of posts. Up close, they could see that they were topped with fancifully carved lion heads, similar to those on the arm rings. Each post also had a set of runes carved down the length of each post. Marie cast Detect Magic, and saw that each post was imbued with an aura of conjuration magic, possibly some sort of summoning spell. Bella noticed that an area of the road just before it reached the ring of posts was rubbed smooth, as if someone had drawn or written something in the dirt and then wiped it away. Nicki examined it more closely, using his knowledge of arcana, and believed that he could make out a rune that had been drawn there. He drew the same rune in the dirt, took a deep breath, and stepped between the posts. Nothing happened, and the rest of the party quickly followed him through.

This close to the house, they could hear noise coming from inside: music, laughter, shouts, and an occasional shriek. It sounded like a party was well underway. They began to check the outbuildings. The first was a stable, with a dozen or more horses tethered inside. The next was a barn filled with bales of straw and alfalfa. As he began to head around a wing of the house that jutted out to the northeast, Zhustin heard snoring coming from inside. Peeking around the corner, he found it was an open storeroom, packed mainly with sheepskins and bales of wool. Three Ulfen warriors were passed out drunk in the piles of wool. Marie cast Silence on a rock, and Bella used it to sneak in and quickly slit their throats. The final outbuilding was a storage shed, filled with farm implements and tools. There was a door leading into the house, and there was also a back door off a wing at the northwest corner of the house; the party listened at both, but couldn’t make out anything other than the obvious sounds of partying.

If Ulf and Suishen were being held inside, they needed some way to get in without having to fight their way through an unknown number of foes. The obvious answer (well, it seemed obvious to Nicki) was to set something on fire. And that barn full of straw was just begging to be lit up. Soon it was blazing merrily while everyone hid behind the northern shed, waiting for people to come running out so they could sneak in through the back door. Unfortunately, the people inside seemed to be consumed with their revelry, and didn’t notice the burning barn. So Nicki had to go up to the back door, throw it open, and shout “The barn’s on fire!” Then he ducked out of sight.

The door opened into a pantry, and inside were three Vikings, their pants around their ankles, having their way with a struggling female thrall. Grumbling, one of them came shuffling outside, hiking up his pants as he went. As soon as he saw the fire, he dashed back into the house, slamming the door behind him. The party crouched in hiding, waiting for people come running out the back. Instead, they began pouring out the front of the house, rushing to the burning building and forming a bucket brigade between the well and the barn. Shortly a much taller man clad in chainmail and furs emerged and began shouting orders at the others.

Their diversion a success, the party returned to the back door. Marie pulled it open to find that one of the rapists had been unwilling to abandon his victim. He looked up and leered a Marie. “Are you next?” he chuckled. “No,” she snarled “you are!” She raised her mace to smash in his skull, but found that Bella’s rapier had already pierced his heart. Bella and Marie glanced at each other, and if any of the Ulfen warriors had seen the look that passed between them, they’d have known that their lives were forfeit from that moment. Bella knelt to comfort the girl who lay on the floor, and pulled her clothes back over her. “Was there a prisoner here?” she asked gently. The girl, unable to speak, simply nodded and pointed back into the house.

Marie pulled open the door. It led to the kitchen, where three more thralls were preparing food, and fending off the advances of another pair of warriors. The door that led to the main part of the house was closed, and Sandoval dashed in to block it, earning the wrath of one of the Ulfen, who began hacking at him with his battleaxe. Nicki Dazed the other, who stood there stupidly until Shinjiro began battering him with fists and feet. Sandoval was doing his best to prevent anyone from reaching the main room to raise the alarm, but taking a beating in the process, until Sawyer stepped in a dispatched his assailant. Nicki finished the other off with Magic Missiles and that phase of the battle was over. Bella quickly questioned the kitchen thralls. They said that Asvig’s liege-lord, Snorri Stone-Eye, had recently died, and this party was a funeral feast in his honor. His real funeral would be tomorrow, when his body would be set ablaze aboard his funeral ship. Yes, there had been a man held prisoner here, but he’d been taken away this morning; they heard Asvig joke that he would soon be joining old Snorri.

Ushering the thralls out of harm’s way, they opened the door and pushed out of the kitchen. Most of the rest of the house was a single large room. Tables and chairs were pushed back against the wall, and a large fire pit filled the center of the room. The tables and floor were littered with food and spilled drink. It appeared that almost all the able-bodied warriors had gone outside to fight the fire. About half a dozen were passed out on the floor or under tables, while a couple still stood, but barely. To the south, a large wooden screen blocked off what appeared to be another room or wing of the house.

Sawyer advanced to engage one of the swaying warriors, while Sandoval dropped his net over him (although it was hard to tell if that made him much more incapacitated than he already was). Shinjiro moved to the south and pulled away the screen. Beyond it was a bedroom, and two large (and apparently sober) Ulfen warriors barred entrance. A naked thrall was tied to the bed, and beside it stood a tall red-haired woman with a raven perched on her shoulder. At the sight of Shinjiro, she let out an ear-piercing shriek of rage. She hooked her fingers at Shinjiro and he instantly dropped to the ground, snoring softly. The raven lifted off her shoulder and began flying towards the front door.

The PCs earned 486 XP for the night, bringing them to 12,941 XP, with 15,000 required for Level 5. It will be a few weeks before we take up this adventure again. Next week we’ll be play-testing Brian’s GenCon adventure at Leo’s house. The following week everyone will be returning from GenCon, so we won’t meet. We’ll resume with this on the 24^th (location TBD).