S4E3 PBtT- “Three-Ring Circus”

Recap: Things are ‘head’ing to the winery at Pritzstock for their limited-edition wine. That being ‘Flying-Death-Skulls’ that sport charcoal writing ‘In Constant Jade’ or ‘Fear the GraveLord’. The evil responsible for Father Marcus’ death down in Kemperbad! What else awaits them in Middenheim where they plan to deliver the box (with the fake Nugle-gem) to Capt Scharlach at the sign of the Crossed Keys, Hoffenstrasse?

Rega (Bill) dwarf Engineer

Brandiwyn (Tony) RiverWarden

Ymath (Brian) 8ft tall ogre...absent

Gary (Matt) Cavalry Sgt…absent

Sister Agnes (Duane) Warrior Priestess of Shallya

Katja (Geoff) Entertainer/Bounty Hunter

Tracking the Skulls: Realizing it foolish to search north at night, they joined the waterline to help put out the fires. And chatted with the villagers. “If the skulls came from the north, you might want to talk with Isolde Gunderhofen.” In the morning, they did just that. Her husband would only let the girls Agnes and Katja speak with her. “Days ago, the afternoon when I was walking along the path northeast of the village. It was just sitting on a branch. Didn’t attack. No glowing eyes but it did seem to stare at me as I walked then ran. My husband and some men searched but found nothing. Dared not go into the woods for beastmen live out there. They were satisfied to call me crazy.”

The group followed her directions a few miles toward the forest and gnarly tree she described. They passed empty vineyards and fields. Agnes called out, “Gravelord, show yourself!” In reply, they heard singing from the east…  a nonsense song. And saw the village idiot Wuder who chatted as he sang, “After my dental work, I’ve seen it all. The green haze day or night, days without sun, even skulls. Many times, they will nestle inside my coat for a few hours. No, that’s absurd! Skulls can’t talk.” Agnes poked her dagger against his cheek to encourage him to open his mouth wide to verify the tooth not a chunk of warpstone as Rega suspected. Rega wanting to extract it, Brandi thinking Wuder controlled the skulls. “Follow me, I’ll show you the cave where I found them.”

Wuder skipped thru the forest thicket, almost losing Agnes’ Orphans who tripped among the tangle of vines and exposed roots. They caught up in time to see, just as he explained, a non-glowing-eyesocket skull swoop into his coat. Katja threw her net over the both of them. Wuder giggled thinking it a game. Brandi searched his pockets for charcoal, convinced him responsible for commanding the skulls. Instead, he found a large chunk of warpstone! “Hey, my lucky stone! Give it back!” Recognizing what he held, Brandi immediately dropped it and watched the skull swoop down to nestle it.

Wuder [excess corruption- mutation- phobia: squirrels] picked up his lucky stone and continued skipping away. “Better hurry, squirrels will be out looking for acorns and might mistake your dingleberries… heeeheeehe.” It was even harder to keep up with him. “There it is. Eeek!” They watched Wuder run away in fear of a squirrel sitting on a branch nibbling a pinecone.

Just inside the cave, they saw 2 unlit candles in sconces. They entered at the ready. They paused at the sight of a skull on a ledge, noticing it really a candle holder. Till Agnes sensed spell-magic cast on it. She smashed it before proceeding. Rega led the way with his night vision and paused at a small cavern entrance as he noticed separate piles of bones and skulls. “Shush. There’s also a fresh body in the corner. I think we found the wagon driver, Kurt.”

A short-lived announcement as the others watched the bones assemble into headless skeletons! While Kurt rose as a zombie. So much for stealth as Rega blasted with his pistol as the others swung blade or hammer while Katja twanged crossbow bolts from a distance (she had backed up from fear at the sight of the undead).

While a few skeletons fell to Brandi and Agnes, 3 surrounded the dwarf while others filled the gaps of their fallen. And that’s when a nasally voice echoed from a side passage.

A man in black clothing and cloak stepped forward, "It’s you again! You've found me but I am ready!”From the villagers’ descriptions, they recognized Hans Grauber, accused of lusting for Elizabeth all those years ago. Hans pointed a finger at Agnes as he cast… “Oops!” [failed cast-00, miscast 00, effect 96] The magic missile on his fingertip expanded beyond expectation.

It flew halfway to its target before detonation. Aetheryc feedback. Most skeletons exploded in bony powder while Rega and Katja staggered from the fiery explosion. Han’s cloak was also on fire which made aiming easier for inbound bullet and arrows. While Hans dropped, all saw the spiritual smoky wisp fly up to a bat hanging from the ceiling which took flight. Katja’s net caught it, allowing her to pin it against the wall with a well-aimed bolt. Only to witness the smoky wisp fly out of the cave. All heard the laughing squeak of a squirrel before it scampered away. “Either that was Hans able to transform, or something more sinister possessed him!”

They found spell components and a sorcerers’ book. And parchment, “Revenge! They will fear my name!” Keeping the book cover as evidence, Agnes piled everything else on top of the bones and Kurt’s zombie remains, making a funeral pyre. They explained all to the village elders, “The young man, Hans Grauber, was responsible.” Brandi told Andrey Philip about Wuder. “Warpstone?! Then we will kill him on sight else he curses our land and vines! We can’t thank you enough. You’ll always have a place to stay.” As agreed, Brandi bought the wine barrels and loaded them onto Kurt’s cart. Now theirs.

Schoninghagen: It was evening when they entered their next village stop. A few wealthy carriages were already parked in from of the 3-Feathers Inn. Betha and Ulrike Jung were more than happy to dust off their cloths and to mingle with others of their stature and taste. Under the watchful eyes of their bodyguard Gunder.

Agnes was the first to notice the noble woman in the corner and remember, “That’s the stuffy Lady Isolde Von Strudeldorf we rescued from the carriage attack last year on our way to Altdorf! What a haughty bitch then and sounds the same now.”

9pm: But Brandi was more interested in the large bare-chested man arm-wrestling at a table, with a line of challengers waiting their turn.  No chance to win but the man was giving away free drinks! Brandi, then Agnes, then Katja at least earned free drinks. Katja gladly accepted Agnes’ draft (she a teetotaler). Rega instead lost silver to the halfling playing cards, “Scarlet Empress’ the game.” The evening proved to be a ‘3-ring circus’ as every 5 minutes, another group entered the doors.

2 men and 2 women shook the rain from the cloaks as they settled at a table for a plate of mutton. They were on the trail of a “Gustov Reikhandler ran off without settling his debt to our club. Curly white hair and a goatee. We’ve followed him from Nuln where he skipped out on our Order Ultima (society for law graduates).

They witnessed a servant approach Bruno and whisper. He bellowed, “Why don’t you mind your own business and go to bed yourself! Dieter is quite the brawler and I find I practice best on a belly full of ale!” It wasn’t long before Lady Isolde approached, “I’m paying you. You WILL go to bed when told.”

Katja perked up when she saw a man enter with his arm around a woman and ask for a private room. She whispered to the others, “That’s the Bretonnian Phillip Descartes also from the carriage rescue! What’s he doing here?!” Obviously womanizing as he slapped her rump as they climbed the stairs to their room.

9:30pm: Three men in black robes entered, carrying a coffin. The ‘followers of Morr’ paid for a double room. And declined Agnes’ help. Brandi asked, “Who’s the stiff?” “A nobleman who donated to the church. We are delivering his body north.”

Around the bar, everyone was chatting about the carnival in a few days. Talks about the minotaur fights, dwarfs upset for being disrespected by the Graf. Lady Isolde’s guards scoffing at her desire for Bruno to win at his first chance, “Everyone knows to wait till last. That way, if you win, you don’t have to face every other challenger. And I hear the current Graf, Dieter, wants to lose so he can get married.”

A woman, armed to the teeth carrying a large sword, shook off the rain and bellied up to the bar. “I’m looking for a man. Any strange people come thru here?” Brandi couldn’t resist, “You can quit looking as I’m here.” She laughed, “Too skinny. Not my type. I’m on the trail of a Josef Aufwiegler from Nuln. Paid if I find him.” Agnes joined in, “Another bounty hunter. Maybe you should join up with our own. That’s her on stage, singing.” Brandi called Katja over for introductions and to compare notes. Katja was pissed Brandi had exposed her plans as she hoped to quietly find Josef first. Thus, Katja tried to get Ursula Kopfgeld drunk to spill all she knew.

And that’s when Philip came down the stairs for drinks to take back up. And was intercepted by a servant. Whispers Brandi overheard. “That woman is married. Worth money for me to keep quiet as I know her husband.” Philip ignored the blackmail and pushed past the servant, back up to his room.

10pm: Another Lady Isolde servant scolded her guards for gambling while on duty. And Bruno slipped back downstairs for more drinks and wrestling. Loud, boisterous. [Intimidate- 01; pride] Katja egged Ursula into accepting Bruno’s challenge in hopes she get drunk. While Ursula lost, and drank, she wasn’t drunk. And once again, a servant approached. Agnes helped the dejected wrestler up the stairs. Where Lady Isolde scolded, “Bruno, I told you no women. No romping as you’ll need your strength.”

Within minutes, Rega watched the priests of Morr come down to inform the desk clerk, “We’re expecting a carriage from Salzenmund. Let us know when it arrives.”

As Agnes turned to leave, she saw a curly white-haired man exit a room (in his silk dressing gown and slippers) and descend the stairs. Gustov! As he crossed the barroom, one of the men on his trail, walked past him and climbed the stairs. Didn’t even challenge him! After ordering goat milk, he returned to his room with the remaining members of the Order Ultima discretely following him. Obviously hoping for a private chat. Agnes quickly joined Gustov. he professed himself a judge. Agnes told him about those seeking him. Gustov thanked her but retired to his room alone.

Conspiracy: Agnes gathered the others… in time to hear muffled voices inside Gustov’s room. Raised voices then a “Thud.” They rushed in, finding Gustov over a slain lawyer with his head split open. Gustov explained, “He tried to blackmail me. Said I owed money. I refused. You say there are others? 20 gold if you deal with them. Come now sister, they are members of a hedonistic society. Once I found out who they really were, I left. They must fear I will report their foul ways to others.I am headed to Middenheim to work to check paperwork for the Kommission for Commerce/Trade/Taxes.”

Agnes checked the dead lawyer’s body and found a tattoo of a jade scepter. She immediately remembered the skulls, “In Constant Jade. I wonder if they are linked.” Gustov explained that was the symbol of the higher ranks. Agnes and Brandi exited his room to confront the other lawyers in their room down the hall. “Your cohort is dead. And from what Gustov tells, you are associated with Chaos. He’s offering 20 gold for your disappearance.” They could only cough in denial.

Meanwhile, Rega remained behind, sitting outside Gustov’s room on paid guard-duty. Where he witnessed foot traffic throughout the night. Apparently, no-one interested in sleep. Such as Philip stepping out of his room across the hall to inform one of Isolde’s guards, “Tell Hans I’m willing to barter.” It wasn’t long before the servant Hans (who had tried to blackmail Philip), knocked at his door. And entered. “Thump.” Rega pretended to be asleep with his head on his chest as Philip quietly opened his door, scanned the hallway, then exited his room dragging a body.

Deadman Walking: Rega sat and watched the unfolding show. Agnes happened to step out of the lawyers’ room at the same time. Looking at Philip’s back as he dragged the body, “What are you doing?” She called downstairs to the others still in the bar. “Shush. You don’t need to tell the whole world!” Isolde’s guards responded. Philip slipped into a corner room, leaving the body in the hallway. Brandi slipped into Philip’s room to console the woman left all alone. He was about to ‘console’ her on the bed, when his ‘peter-tingle’ alerted him.

Brandi exited the room just as all heard pounding on the tavern front door, already locked for the night. “Let us in!” Four drunk men broke open the door, “Where’s Phillip Descartes?! Where’s my wife?!” they rushed up the stairs where Agnes waited and pointed, “He’s in there.” They stepped over the body still in the hallway and readied their whips as they kicked in the door. Only to find it empty and the window open. The husband followed more finger-pointing toward Philip’s room, where he found his wife and dragged her out by her hair. “I’ll whip him to death next time I see him!”

It gets better: All heard crashing and shouting coming from the priests’ of Morr’s room. They entered to confront the 4 occupants: 3 of them with painted faces. 2 priests chanted over the open coffin, while another was in the process of closing it, and the other groggily sitting on the bed. “We are preparing the soul for its coming passing.” But Agnes caught just enough glimpse to realize the coffin was empty. And remembered there were only 3 priests that entered the Inn that night.

And that’s when Katja recognized the non-painted face of the priest on the bed. “That’s Josef! The opera bomb maker. He’s been drugged.” The priests confessed how they were paid to help him escape north, “What better way to avoid being spotted?” Katja bribed them to go down to the bar and retrieve Ursula. Soon, Katja turned over Josef, “You can deliver the body. Just give me credit.” Ursula paid Katja the 30-gold reward, “We can share in the credit, but you deserve the reward. Now help me drug him, stuff him back in the coffin, and help carry it to my room.”

It was a long night. The 2 remaining lawyers kept peeking out their door, waiting for an opportunity to ‘confer’ with Gustov. They closed their door since Rega sat on watch outside his door. The dwarf just shook his head, “Clowns. As long as there are no lions to complete this circus act.” 

Next Session: Next Session: https://rigglewwh.blogspot.com/2022/03/s4e4-pbtt-separating-chaff-from-wheat.html