Day 2 Through Day 3

The party woke up that morning very groggy.  Slink was discouraged about last night's roof top chase and he knew he was heavily outmatched.  Krog and Torgon were still sporting bruises from last night's bar room brawl.  Sandie, however, was her normal cheerful self.  The party agreed that Slink should bring the piece of cloth to his contact while Krog and Torgon check out the Gladiator's Guild section of the town and register as a mercenary company at the guild hall.

When all of them returned to the Heady Ale later that day, no news was good news.  The mark on the cloth was that of the Slaver's Guild which probably meant that they were working together with the Assassin's Guild to prevent Alberoth from becoming the abbot of Wulfhilde Abbey.  Slink found someone useful as an informant in the poorest quarter of Durthang. Slink's informant said that it was too dangerous for him to supply Slink with information. Slink guessed it was the sign of the Assassin's Guild because the first thing the man did once he saw it was demand to see Slink's arm. While Slink was leaving the informant's place he saw three men stalking him.  Slink dashed into an alley and climbed up a building and began stalking them, observing everything from above.  After about two hours Slink saw them meet with several men from the Gladiator's Guild.  That meant that multiple guilds within the city were conspiring towards the same objective: prevent Alberoth from becoming the abbot of Wulfhilde Abbey.

And even worse news cam from Krog and Torgon.  They had wanted to make friends with the Mercenary Guild's Black Buckler Company, one of five different mercenary companies in Durthang (Besides Broad Axe, Spear Point, among others) who were responsible for supplying conscripts for the military on occasion as well as volunteers for the gladiator pit.  They entered the Black Buckler practice yard filled with over fifty men performing exercises, sparring, and training. Once inside, a powerfully built man that looked like the lead trainer held up a bag of gold and said, "500 gold pieces to the man who captures both."  At that Krog and Torgon had charged straight out of the practice yard.  Several javelins flew towards them and one sank into Torgon's back.  Over fifteen Black Buckler Mercenaries filed out of the yard and ran after Krog and Torgon. Once in the street, Krog and Torgon encountered members of the Broad Axe mercenary company. Five men from the Broad Axe helped dispatch those of the Black Buckler band who dared take the combat into the street.  After many were killed in open melee in the streets of the Mercenary Quarter, the remaining combatants retreated back to their respective compounds once they heard the horn calls and the noise of the city guard approaching on horseback.  The remaining three of what was once five men from Broad Axe led Krog and Torgon into a covered wagon and took them to the Heady Ale.

The rest of the day the Hawthorn Company decided to lay low in the inn until evening.  Sandie had heard that a bard called Alellia from Dorthonlea would be performing in the Green Griffon and wanted to see her.  The party arrived just as her band was finishing  tuning their instruments and were practicing a song.  Krog and Torgon became fascinated with her beautiful appearance of coal black hair, soft white skin, and regal comportment while Slink, Galdor, and Sandie simply listened intently to her songs which were mostly madrigals and other ballads from Dorthonlea. Later the party had dinner and once they had finished Alellia stepped forward and announced to everyone in the Green Griffon common room, "I have heard about the stunning performance that was given by Sandie Riverbottom at the Heady Ale, which is why I now give call a challenge to her."  Excited, Sandie stood up and with that they began the bardic duel.  Sandie started with a fast ditty that rhymed flawlessly about a lake.  Impressed, Alellia motioned for Sandie to contine.  Cheering the crowd marked a point for Sandie.  This time Sandie began a silly little tale but stuttered a little with the rhymes.  Ilellia finished it only with slight trouble building off of what Sandie began.  Now the crowd was very excited and listened intently for the tie breaker.  Sandie off the top of her head began a humorous song of a chain of calamities that led to total DISASTER in the end and the whole tavern shook with laughter.  Now at this Alellia motioned for the judges to add a point to Sandie and the crowd went wild as Sandie was declared the winner. Then Alellia said,"A round of drinks for everyone, put it on my tab!"  The crowd cheered even louder.

The excitement took about an hour to die down and at one point Slink saw Sandie disappear with Alellia into a private room at the inn only to return a few minutes later.  When Slink asked her what she wanted Sandie said, "The head of the Gladiator's Guild would like to speak with us tomorrow," and left it at that. It had now become clear that Allelia was more than a bard but also a messenger for the Gladiator's Guild if not also a spy.

Day 3


At around five in the morning when all the party woke up, they had an early breakfast and met in a rented meeting room at the inn.  The subject was what should the party do with their invitation from the Gladiator's Guild.  Slink was very uneasy since he saw assassins meet with members of the Gladiator's Guild.   Galdor simply listened to the discussion. Krog was for it if the Hawthorn Company came armed.  And Torgon along with Sandie were slightly neutral.  The outcome of the meeting was that the party would go to the Gladiator's Guild fully armed whatever the cost.  The party left the inn around eight and because of the crowded streets of Durthang they made their way to the Aristocratic Quartiere and the house of the Gladiator Guildmaster at nine. Inside the large, stone house of the Guildmaster, a servant acknowledged them in the foyer and went to get the "Master."  As soon as the man disappeared a cage suddenly slammed down, suspended from a rope, trapping them inside when it clanged against the flagstone floor.  And with that a figure slowly descended the staircase surrounded by guards with spears saying,"Oh isn't this embarrassing.  The whole Hawthorne Company trapped here.  I doubt that any of you happen to have 500 gold pieces on you?"  No response. "Oh, very well then.  I will hold you ransom until you provide me with your bounty.  Which of course is impossible so I will cut you a deal.  In six days from now there will be a gladiator bout. The prize for winning is your life along with 500 gold pieces, the price of your bounty.  And I will give you a fine cut of information if you survive the bout and purchase your bounty with your winnings.  Don't bother to accuse me of anything. It simply won't work because most mercenaries attempt to garner fame and notoriety from potential clients by winning gladiator bouts. The prizefighting is good publicity. So are you with me?"

  

                                                             So ends day 3

 

Day 1: Adventures in Day 1 as told by Slink

  The party was led into a small room by a man named Adso, who obviously greatly disapproved of leading a half-orc and gnome around the sacred abbey.  Inside was a man that all of the adventurers knew to be Father Alberoth.

  "Greetings; as you all know, I am Father Alberoth. I have sent for you, as there is a pressing matter at hand.  In forty days hence, it will be Marhaus day. On Marhaus day we unite the skull of Saint Marhaus and the spike that he used to drive the terrors from the this land. Every hundred years, when we unite the skull and spike, a divine prophecy is received from the One. This Marhaus day, there shall be such a prophecy. But there is one... problem.  The skull we speak of was originally housed in a distant abbey. The group of clerics and monks transporting the skull here to Durthang were attacked.  Two men managed to escape and arrive here; one died in the hospital, the other ran away.  I can not prove it, but I am suspicious that someone has infiltrated this abbey and has done God knows what mischief. ...." (introduce Galdor, talk about murders)

The adventures stepped out of the abbey.  It was eight o'clock and crowds were out in force, severely slowing them down.  By 8:30, the party was by the inn named The Heady Ale. Striking a deal with the owner for 60 gold pieces per week, they covered their room and board.

 Soon they were settled and began a discussion concerning what they should do.  Slink proposed that he should move to the lower end of the town to acquire information with a little "motivation," as he put it.  Sandie decided that she wanted to go and get a license to perform in the city.  Torgon and Krog decided to escort Sandie. Difficulties had already arisen, for Sandie and Krog (as a half-orc and gnome) where considered slaves of Torgon, the fighter of status. If found wandering in the city, they could be whipped or stolen to be 'resold.'  As of Galdor's opinion, he simply said, "I will follow what the rest of the party decides," and left it at that.

 As  Krog, Galdor, Sandie, and Torgon departed, Slink went near the slaving market to find the lower end of town, . After fifteen minutes of pushing through the crowd, Slink found his destination. Little shanties were scattered as far as the eye could see, with poor people coming in and out, going about their business.   Slink headed towards one hut where on man was sitting outside.

 "Tell me sir, where might I find certain information?" he asked; the scruffy peasant stared him in the eye and grunted, "Depends on what information you wish to acquire."

 "The type known by a choice few," Slink replied with a knowing expression.

 "Come inside," the man muttered quickly.  Inside, he poured some ale from a dusty mug and offered it to Slink, who merely asked, "What do you know about the Thieves' War that's going on currently?"  The man replied,  " Oh it's a nasty affair.  It's happening because of the skull of Marhaus,  the Slaver's and Gladiator's Guilds do not want it found because if it is reunited with the spike, Alberoth will become the Abbot and he is far from being a fan of slavery and gladiator bouts."

 Slink pushed a silver piece forward and took out a gold piece.  The man continued, "Baron Wulfhilde also doesn't want Alberoth as abbot;  he wants his son to be the next abbot so he has more control in the city."

 Slink pushed gold piece forward. The man's eyes got bigger,  "Also the death of that man - you have probably heard of it - he was drowned in a vat of pig's blood.  He was one of the members in the Thieves' or Assassins' Guild. Deaths like this probably will keep happening."

 Slink put two gold pieces on the table and acknowledged him with an, "I'll keep in touch.  You should expect me stopping by from time to time." With that, Slink left the shantie.  As he moved through the crowds, he spotted three men following him with their hands in their cloaks.  Smirking, Slink waved at them.  Obviously agitated, the men moved even faster. With ease, Slink slipped through the crowd and ran into a shantie, eluding them easily.

Krog, Galdor, Sandie,and Torgon successfully bought Sandie's license and made it back to the Heady Ale by twelve o'clock.  When Slink arrived, it was one o'clock. He ate a late lunch and told the group his information.  With nothing else to do, the group lounged about the rest of the day until the evening.

 While Sandie was performing, Krog decided he would like to talk with some men at an opposite table. The men were from the mercenary guild Spear Point.  As Krog approached, one of the men spat and said, "Get away filth.  We don't drink with half-breeds".

 Enraged, Krog slammed his great-ax into their table.  That was the last straw.  All the tables cleared as people scrambled to get away from the raging half-orc and taunting mercenaries. Krog slammed the first man in the face with a fist of iron, knocking him out instantly.  As two men charged him, Torgon shouted, "Clean fight! Take off those gauntlets!" to the leader of the group who was arming himself with them.

 Ignoring Torgon, the leader slammed Krog in the jaw.  Krog responded by giving him the upper cut of his life.  Torgon cold-cocked one of the men on him while the other swung at his face, missing by inches.  All this time, Sandie was still performing with Galdor next to her, sipping wine that he clearly disliked.  Disgusted by the bar room brawl, Slink successfully marched through the entire fight scene and sat near Galdor, sipping his ale.

 Torgon smashed the last man on him right across the face while Krog sent his final adversary flying onto a table that split under the impact.

 "That was too close," Torgon told Krog, who grunted. Slightly hurt, he took his two bowls of soup and went outside to eat in the stables.  He never saw the shadowy figures creeping behind him.

 Sandie was upstairs when she heard Krog snarl in pain and surprise.  Charging downstairs, she followed on the heels of Slink, Torgon, and Galdor. Outside, they found Krog with smashed soup bowls and a dagger in his back, facing two hooded figures.  Slink automatically tumbled into the shadows, creeping up on one of the men.  Sandie drew her whip, but Galdor was quicker. Muttering an incantation, he flung his hand into the air and pointed at one man.  A blindingly bright spear head flew from his finger and struck the man, killing him in an instant. Torgon deftly snatched his hand-and-a-half sword from the scabbard and dispatched the other assassin.

  Quickly the group began to pick up the bodies to dispose of them. At that moment, the inn keeper rushed out of the back door.

 "What happened?

 Torgon replied. "Assassins tried to kill my half-orc body guard."

"Why isn't there any mark on that one?"  The inn keeper pointed to the one Galdor killed as Sandie attempted to drag the body into the stable, and not succeeding.

  "Krog strangled him." she replied with relish. The inn keeper recoiled.

  "Quick." Slink interjected. "We need to bury the bodies in the stable before the city guard sees."  That silenced everyone. Krog dug a pit while Sandie and Galdor searched one body and Slink the other. Besides a few weapons, the only things of consequence where a bit of cloth and the tattoos on the forearms of the assassins: two serpents entwined around a black sun and moon. The cloth was embroidered with a sign that none of them could place.

While everyone else went to bed, Slink threw his grappling hook to the top of the roof and climbed up with Sandie close behind.  Nearing the top, Slink looked at the roof and saw one cloaked figure sitting there watching them, about 20 feet away.  Wasting no time, Slink leaped from the roof, drawing a javelin in a seamless flip.

 "Stand down coward!"  But to no avail. The figure simply took off running with a head start, leaving Slink far behind.

And so ends Day One.


~by Slink (as usual, extensively edited by Sandie)

Day 1 Hawthorn Campaign

   In the eerie fog, a wagon filled with barrels bumped along the road. Cramped (all save one passenger) uncomfortably inside the barrels, four beings were concealed within them.

   As the wagon began its approach to a city, the sound of regular hustle and bustle was heard.  Though the adventurers in the barrels could not see it, the road was laced with spiked orc heads, giving every impression that the city was fully prepared for attacks and war. The city was called Durthang and it was located in Sturmhutte.  Durthang means iron spike, for upon the day that St. Marhaus drove the demon wargs from the land, his sword was broken and he fell beneath them as he ran them through with an iron spike proclaiming, "Light shall shine again!  Light shall shine again! Light shall shine again!" forty times before he was struck down.

Once the wagon entered the city it traveled without delay to the abbey. Quickly the barrels were smuggled inside. As soon as the barrels were opened the travelers were able to see with whom they had traveled: a female gnome, a male half elf,  a male half orc, and a male human.  

~ by Slink (extensively edited by Sandie)