A summary of the players' experiences
Put recaps here. I've got some in my own notes, but it'd be hard to parse out all the parts the rest of you shouldn't read.
Contents
10/13/06
Anjou and Eckhardt were apprehended as suspicious outlanders in the town of the Lady of the Plains' chapel. The other members of the party fled, and were looking to plan a rescue attempt, when a mysterious stranger barrelled in to their camp with the captured in tow.
A possibly dangerous situation was defused at the Eastern Griffon Tavern, where angry pilgrims in the retinue of a Damsel were demanding free rooms from the proprietor. Somebody gave the proprietor the money to pay for the pilgrims, and violence was avoided.
Finally, the players got on a boat in Montfort, got chased by Von Teumar, and almost met the Lady of the Lake.
Ben's note (061015) Yeah, whatever. the Northman went charging into the city, ready to bust some skulls. Rather than see the sword captured, Anjou handed himself over to the authorities (not to mention that he's a hothead and thought his "honor" was being besmirched). Eckhardt, Anjou, and Magnus were released in order to bring the other characters in. Anjou wanted to lead them into the pass with the "not dwarves" so that they might be able to orchestrate a rescue, but they were met by Teumar disguised as a faceless. At the tavern, Anjou gave away his good craftsmanship clothes to settle the dispute. Anjou spilled way too many beans to Teumar, after which he decided to try to kill everybody but got wailed on by the magic might of Eckhardt and Hassan. Too bad he blew up like three characters. After that, we found out that the castle at Montfort had rebelled, but that Sturm was too far away to do anything about it (and being accused of treason). We chartered a boat, but then got chased by aqua-teumar. We set fire to their boat and shot them full of arrows, then fled into the forest, where our whole crew was slaughtered by "not elves". We came to the famed lake, where we threw the pillar, but kept the sword. Anjou got a nice new bow. Then we were mystically transported, with our boat, to the southwestern edge of the forest. Most of us want to kill Teumar, but basically, we're free to do whatever. Maybe we should go to Araby :)
10/20/06 "The Return of Robert"
--Edmiao 00:06, 23 October 2006 (MDT)061020 Recap ". The characters awoke on a raft floating into that city Quenelles that they wanted to go to. Our horses were miraculously waiting for us at the dock. The city was deserted, but further investigation revealed the people in the city square cheering their previous Duke who was not declared King. Several characters spotted a shady looking ruffian in the alleyways and Hassan(who also had some personal business to take care of, that he never did get appear to get to) and Jacob investigated while the rest high tailed it out of town after hearing something to the effect of "Death to Reiklanders" from the crowd. The shady character turned out to be Robert, to the chagrin/horror of everyone except Jacob, who gave him a big hug. He was slightly less crazy (but only slightly) than his last appearance. After Robert and Jacob looted a rich house for a blunderbus (01 search roll), we high tailed it south towards the southern port of Talia with the goal of catching a boat back to the north. After visiting two more freindly Bretonian towns along the way and trading the blunderbus for a horse for Robert, the group was amubushed by ratmen while camping. They were dispatched and Robert was a bit too eager to get at their ratman goods, so much so that he almost jumped into the fire. The next day the group headed into the mountains for a 2-5 day trek over the snowy pass.
10/27/06 "Ulrach's Poetic Justice"
--Edmiao 12:41, 28 October 2006 (MDT) 061027 The characters continue through the mountain pass towards Tilea. They are ambushed by bandits and have a poor showing except Eckhart, who throws rocks through peoples heads and cyclops their ass. Poetically, and to no one's suprise, Robert takes double Ulrach's fury from a minon for 26 damage and must burn his last fate point.
--BenofZongo 16:45, 28 October 2006 (MDT)After suffering much beating, the players rally and begin to take the fight to the foe, dispatching most of the bandits, with Eckhardt definitely taking the fore by holding our left flank almost single handedly. As mentioned above, we are about to mop the floor with our enemies when Robert is double critted. The gods are cruel. Right about the time we can handle ourselves, we're 'rescued' by a guy who shoots fire and is accompanied by mercenaries. clearly trustworthy, and not a chaos sorcerer. Not even a little bit. Turns out he works for the mercenary supreme, Arturo Giovanni, who apparently never read the War with Hannibal and doesn't know that mercenary armies always turn on you at the crucial moment, having been bought by your opponent. Regardless, he's building an army to carve himself out a nice piece of tilea when the shit hits the fan in the Empire. Ambrose discovers some secret texts that give us some clues about the other pillars: as it happens though, most of the characters think the best thing we can do is stay as far away from them as possible. There is some discussion of going to Altdorf, but given that the chief proponent of this is actually going to Spokandorf, I'd be surprised if it sticks.
11/24/06 Plague Farm
--Matts 14:24, 27 November 2006 (MST) The group accepted a comission from one Arturo Giovanni to determine the nature of his brothers' dealings at a Giovanni farm holding at the very edge of arable Miragliano land. The players agreed, and arrived at the farm after intimidating a goon who had been following them. There, they despaired at the plagued state of the land, at the plagued farmers who greeted them, and at the Skaven who subsequently assaulted them. They reported to Arturo, and were told to chill out at another Giovanni farmstead while the family doctor ensured they weren't infected.
The Northman came in while the players were away at the farm; he entertained himself by crushing a mercenary known as the Adder in a pit-fight.
1/5/07 Bounty Hunters
The farm turned out to be a plague-ridden disaster, and Arturo further employed the players to go to Remas and fetch his brothers, so he can put them to trial. Additionally, Giacomo Cielvini, one of the Deici, is apparently upset that the Northman killed his nephew during a pit-fight.
The players travelled to Remas, or the outskirts thereof, and were foiled - the brothers fled before they could apprehend them. The brothers then set out by ship, hoping to beat the Giovannis to a certain smugglers' cove where they were likely headed. Their ambush set, they hear the approach of horses...
1/12/07 Bounty Hunters (part deux)
--Edmiao 11:31, 16 January 2007 (MST) The Brothers Giovani were captured without incident and delivered to Arturo. The group collected their cash and land reward and retired to the farm for a week. They were visited by Elsa(?) in the employ of Cielvini, who warned them to leave town before the trial. Arturo invited the characters to a party, which was just about to start.....
1/19/07 Prelude to the Trial
--Edmiao 14:03, 20 January 2007 (MST) characters dicked around for two weeks before the trial of the brothers Giovanni. They went to a party and overheard vonRichter asking Arturo Giovanni for aid in a coming war; Arturo was noncommittal. vonRichter stated that Sodom al Sodomy, the famed Ranger General of Araby was coming across the badlands with an army to attack the empire. At the end of the session, Robert and Jacob discovered that Scaven continue to occupy the swamp by the plague farm. The rest of the group was about to investigate.
1/26/07 The Trial
--Matts 13:33, 27 January 2007 (MST)The players brought their concerns over the Skaven in the marsh to Arturo, who more or less convinced them that there was nothing he cold do. The returned to their farm, where they were ambushed by several armed men, who they quickly dispatched.
They spent the rest of the time until the trial whoring and drinking, under the protection of Il Duce's honor guard.
They arrived at the trial, where in a surprise move, Giacomo Cielvini brought in a special observer and justicar. A man in a long, red cloak, clad in plate, with the tall hat of a witch hunter: Marzano di Luciano, and his sizeable retinue. He turns to the players and growls:
"Now we will see what it is the Red Wolf so desperately desires."
A year later, in Svenkmeyer's Drowning Hole, a tavern in the Altdorf slums: the proprietor, an old man with a scarred face and milky white eyes wipes the tables down. It is late, far past closing time, and yet, the door swings open, and a hooded figure enters and takes a seat at a table in the corner. A few minutes pass in silence, and the door opens again and another hooded figure enters.
After a time, there are seven people in all sitting around the table, and the proprietor approaches; he is recognized as a Jentz. "Gentlemen," he barks in a hoarse, scratchy voice, "I am glad to see you all again."
The proprietor sits down, at the last seat around this table. "You've got a lot to tell me, I'm sure. Why don't we start with the tale of how you escaped that witch hunter?"
