Conflict & Reflection
| Current Campaign: 01 | |
| Episode 04: "StrangeIsle Forever" | |
| Year: 1782 (Sycamore Reckoning), 6353 (ante Silwaris) | |
| Location: The Northern Regard | |
| PCs: Annisele, Antagur il-Anyatim, Captain Fred, Vartis Telwin | |
| NPCs: Template:Data | |
Synopsis
Antagur sees Anniselle and Tev reflected at him in a mirror, and they see him; Fred finds a fort where all isn't as it seems; Vartis fights for his life after a bloody skirmish with soldiers
Story
Act One
Fred and Vartis take last watch in the cold early morning -- they wake and bake and stroll around the tavern and stable. Fred finds Captain Voren smoking behind the stable and Voren greets him with intelligence: the crossbows were purchased from Lothians at an outpost a day's ride northeast. The outpost isn't on any of the maps. Fred commands Vartis to proceed on the route and he takes Voren and Jesswick to ride out to this outpost.
Antagur awakens from a dream of his vision. In the dream he felt he was being watched and can only remember a specific fragment: he stood in an old home before a covered mirror and when he pulled the canvas away the mirror image was that of a beautiful pale-haired female in religious robes. Behind her sat an adolescent boy reading a book; when their gazes met Antagur awoke. He attempts to phonetically reconstruct the voice he hears in his vision and arrives at. He transcribes what he can and goes downstairs for breakfast to eat. Antagur notices that Vartis' men are deftly serving him at the table.
Over breakfast he asks Vartis the history of his sword; Vartis claims it is a family heirloom and that it was forged 500 years ago during the war against Belos. Antagur asks to see it and when he gazes into the blade, the reflection is not his own: piercing blue eyes, aquiline features, a resemblance to Vartis. When Antagur mentions his grandfather, Tasker coughs into his food and then composes himself. The lineage is highly regarded by the magi of Loth and Vartis is noticeably impressed. The crew finishes eating, Vartis pays the innkeep and they ready to go. Prior to leaving Antagur blesses the inn.
Act Two
It is a typically quiet morning at Garland Brooke manor and Anniselle is making her rounds while Tev is out training with Allen. At mid-day break Anniselle returns to her room and notices someone has been rifling through her belongings. She finds a long auburn strand of hair. She meditates and traces the origin of the strand of hair back to the mysterious visitor; she knows he is in town, approximately five miles away. Anniselle goes to the chapel to climb the tower for a better view of Tev -- inside she discovers young Kevin kicking back and reading a folio in the chapel. Kevin is embarrassed for being caught, but she lets him off the hook. He points her in the direction of the tower staircase and warns her about the seventh. Anniselle climbs the tower and looks out across the acreage to watch Allen and Tev training on their horses. When their session ends they speak briefly and embrace and Tev returns to the courtyard. Anniselle greets him upon his return.
Tev mentions that Allen had another one of his spells and is off-kilter more often as of late. Allen seems expectant and edgy about some possible arrival. They go to the servants' dining hall to enjoy the mid-day meal. The discussion around the table is lively, and Kevin is expresses his enthusiasm for an incendiary folio promoting free rights for the peasant class. The manifesto is written in the style of a lyric poem and Tev's curiosity is piqued -- he tells Kevin he wishes to discuss the ideas over dinner and wine. Prior to dinner Kevin and Sascha make ready to go into town to purchase supplies and Anniselle expresses her wish to accompany them.
Tev leads her to the library and hunts for books; he says there is an old man he trades books with and would like Anniselle to take him some new material. He stops speaking in mid-sentence and looks beyond Anniselle to the covered mirror next to her. "Can you remove that canvas?" When Anniselle removes the cover, she sees Antagur reflected back at her. After some back-and-forth over whether they saw something and what it was, Tev claims he saw an Ashakre in the mirror and Anniselle confirms it. He briefly describes the Ashakre to her. Before she leaves he hands her a note and says, "let's not keep secrets from each other." She agrees.
Act Three
Fred, Jesswick and Voren ride out, encountering only hunters and trappers and old women collecting kindling. They arrive at the lone outpost in the forest -- a series of thatched huts surrounded by wooden palisades. Voren hands his spyglass to Fred, who doesn't see activity inside the fort but he does see a lone figure chopping wood. Voren and Fred ride out to the fellow, while Jesswick takes a position in the woods with his crossbow.
The woodsman greets the horsemen with a shout: "state your business!" Fred shouts out his rank and the woodsman salutes him and claims to be a lieutenant. Voren spies another woodsman hiding in the tree line and whispers it to Fred. "Why are you here?" asks the Lt. "I'm here under direct command under Lord Owen and beyond that it's none of your concern," replies Fred. The lieutenant shouts, "I hope you don't mind me saying, sir, Lord Owen is a pig and can go fuck himself!" and reaches into his cloak -- before he can continue his move he is shot through the chest by Jesswick. He falls to all fours, coughing blood.
A howl echoes from the woods and a lone swordsman runs screaming into the clearing; Voren drives his horse towards the swordsman, who drops his sword, kneels and swings a crossbow from around his back. The bolt wounds the horse, which rears and falls on Voren's leg. Fred rides to the horseman, dismounts into a run and throws down his own sword. The swordsman follows suit and the two men fight hand-to-hand. Fred subdues him with a quick parry and arm-lock. Jesswick kills the lieutenant and checks on Voren, who pulls himself out from under his horse and clutches his broken leg. Fred loses his temper (CRIT FAIL) and breaks his adversary's neck.
Fred and Jesswick explore the stockade and find it empty. They secure the door and Fred discovers documents in the command quarters. Jesswick finds an expensive quickheal wand and hands it over to Voren, who heals himself with it. As they are exploring, Jesswick notifies Fred that he believes the soldiers who left this fort might have been headed towards their party. They all mount up and ride hard back to their team.
Act Four
Vartis and Antagur have been traveling for about a day and a half and are near the southernmost border of Keldoras. They are two days from the southern gate into Keloras. While he is riding out on point Vartis meets a Lothian soldier riding his horse in the opposite direction; they stop for a brief talk. Vartis asks Cpl. Creswell for his orders and the corporal quickly draws his shortsword and stabs out at him -- Vartis parries the attack and the two engage in combat. Antagur rides out to them in time to see Vartis cut deeply across his face. Vartis stabs the corporal through the vitals and Antagur disables him with a Total Paralysis spell. He falls to the snow and bleeds out as the fight continues.
The team draws their weapons as they see a group of horsemen charging at them. The two teams meet in the road and skirmish. Dela shouts, "someone kill that fucking mage!" Antagur shoots a soldier with Spider Silk and binds him; the soldiers horse panics and the bolts from the fight, with the soldier bound to it. Tasker orders Antagur to protect Vartis. Vartis spurs his horse at their battle mage and attacks him, but his attack does no damage and the mage strikes him in the face with Death Touch (CRIT HIT). Vartis tumbles from his horse, evidently dead. The team howls angrily and fights with renewed vigor.
Antagur attempts to cast a spell but misses big (CRIT FAIL); the mage attempts to dodge the attack but misses big (CRIT FAIL) -- Antagur's failed attack leaves his own arm paralyzed and the warmage's horse rears up and impales him into a tree limb through the back of his head. Antagur turns to see Tasker standing over the last soldier, who writhes in agony as he is immolated from the inside out. Dela says, "sir you're going to kill him." Tasker responds, "that's the fucking point, soldier." The enemy soldier pitches forward and combusts into flames and Tasker gives the order to finish the others off.
Antagur heals Vartis as best he can and is fatigued and partly injured by the effort. Dela supports him. Tasker heals Vartis with assistance from his powerstone (which completely drains it) and heals one of the wounded soldiers. Antagur heals the other soldier and they stabilize the injured. Tasker looks to Vartis and asks, "Permission to desecrate their bodies, sir." Antagur demurs and Vartis tells Tasker to loot the bodies and remove their heads.
Dela finds disguises in their kit and Tasker discovers they're tattooed with sigils signifying the standard of Duke Kordish. Vartis writes two warning letters to Duke Owen and has Lowell and Beth ride back to Loth with them along with a head from their enemies; he also tells them to bring reinforcements. Antagur blesses their journey before they go. The team puts together a makeshift camp away from the road on high ground and they hold out there for the next hour. Tasker and Antagur heal the soldiers and they're ready to ride.
Meta
Game Notes
- played Oct 02 08
Points Awarded
1 point
Season Pool
4 points