Write-up by Dangerous Brian
Year 98 of the 9th age, the Dragon age.
The cool stillness of the early Autumn air does little to dispel the gloom of an overcast sky. In the herb garden of the Abbey of the Everlasting Flame, Iah and her secret mentor in the magical arts, are collecting fresh herbs and discussing the merits of spider web poultices. Meanwhile, Ogden is pumping bellows in the smithy by the main gate, where his father is heating pig-iron in preparation for re-shoeing several of the Abbey horses. Outside the Abbey walls, Laria is in the south orchards picking chestnuts with the sisters, all under the prissy supervision and direction of Sister Auburn, the Prioress.
Laria's attention is distracted by the approaching sound of galloping hoof-beats, a rare sound in this isolated place. She reports the noise to Sister Auburn, who excitedly lifts her habit up above her ankles and scurries off up the Abbey itself, to make preparations for receiving guests. It's not long before the noise recedes into the distance as the horseman continues galloping up the hill towards the convent itself.
Ogden's father is not amused when interupted by the sound of the wooden log that serves as the Abbey's door knocker being slammed into the gates. He mutters to himself about the timing of the intrusion – just when his boy Ogden has the coals heated to the perfect temperature. With admonitions to keep the heat up, Rowan temporarily abandons his duties as smith to attend to his duties as Porter. Grumbling, Ogden continues to pump the bellows until his fathers return. Ogden is rather surprised when his father tells him to leave the bellows and go fetch Iah to the office of the Abbess. Leave the pumps and let the Iron grow cold? His father has never allowed that to happen before. Realising that something important is on the offing, Ogden pauses only to sluice off some of the accumulated soot and dust from his clothes and hair with a water-filled bucket and rushes off to the herb gardens to collect Iah.
As he leaves the smithy, Ogden sees his father talking to a young, weary human male, who’s been travelling hard. Though travel-worn and fatigued, his clothing is as fine and expensive (allbiet more muddy) than anything Ogden has seen at the Abbey. Rowan and the messenger seem to be talking earnestly as Ogden's mother, Ethelia, looks on through the window of the family's guest-house cottage.
When Ogden throws open the gate to the herb garden, allowing it to thump into the stone of the garden wall with a clash of metal, the herbal discussion has moved only from poultices to the relative merits of fennel and flax. Iah's reaction to the intrusion is somewhat waspish at best, but, nonetheless, she makes her apologies to Sister Vulia and accompanies her childhood friend to the Chantry building. For it is here that the quarters of the Abbess can be found.
As they reach the ornately carved and painted double doors to the chantry, they espy Ser Farradin, Laria's father, trudging towards them, looking very serious. However, as Iah comments, that could mean very little: the severe knight almost always appears troubled and careworn, as is only natural for anyone with Laria for a daughter. They generously wait for the knight to join them, at which point Ogden (at Iah's urging) holds open the door for the others.
While the convent may be small, with a mere seven sisters and only a handful of lay-folk, it is certainly prosperous. Gold and silver statuettes adorn the walls, the stained glass windows (though in need of a good dusting) are of an even thickness and the quality of the stain is magnificent. In the centre of the chantry worship hall, beneath a round stained glass window in the shape of the sun, stands the ever-burning flame itself, it's bronze brazier emitting a sweet-smelling grey smoke.
They make their way through the worship hall and (after making suitable genuflections towards the altar) turn left towards the Abbess's small suite of rooms. From the sounds coming from within as the trio reach the doors, it is clear that Ogden's father and the messenger are already inside.
Odgen knocks on the door. It is Abbess Amelia herself who opens it. The usually serene Abbess wears an unhealthy pallor, as though she has received some troublesome news. She quickly ushers Ser Farradin into the room. Iah and Ogden are left outside with instructions to wait. From outside, the two youths can make out little of what is being said, yet from the timbre and pace of the conversation, the news certainly seems grave.
Shortly after those within the room are joined by a scurrying Sister Aubern, the door opens once again as Ser Farradin leans out: ‘Go fetch that daughter of mine.’ The door closes swiftly. The Templar did not even pause long enough to receive an acknowledgement.
Iah and Ogden argue briefly amongst themselves, on account of the fact it clearly doesn't take the both of them to run such a simple errand. But eventually they both depart to find Laria. By the time the pair arrive, Laria and the sisters are enjoying a moment of fun now that they are free from Sister Aubern's stern supervision. A chestnut fight is in progress while Sister Portia, a voluptious and cheerful young choir mistress with arms thick enough to rival Rowans, makes a show of shaking chestnuts from the tree with main strength alone. Naturally, Ogden says something a trifle unwise and receives a full-scale chestnut barrage from the ladies in return.
After a moments laughter, Iah and Ogden finally manage to pull Laria aside and explain what little they know about events at the Abbey. Agreeing that something odd is in the air, the three hustle quickly back up the hill and soon finds themselves once again standing outside a certain thick wooden door. This time, however, they are greeted by the sounds of an argument in full swing.
Eventually, a near-tearful Sister Aubern opens the door once again and bids the three youths enter. It is very cramped inside. The Abbess restricts her living space to a single room, much of which is occupied by a bed, dresser, desk and a few scattered chairs. About the room stand the Abbess, Sister Aubern, the messenger, Rowan and Ser Farradin. After a moment of awkward silence, Amelia tells Iah that her mother, whom Iah has never before seen or even heard spoken off prior to this moment, has died. Iah clutches the black lotus necklace she wears around her neck, the only keepsake she has of the woman. There is yet another awkward silence, though this one stretches far longer than the last.
It is Ogden's father Rowan who breaks it. “Never mind lass, there's always a brightside. And the brightside this time is that you're rich!” The messenger looks just as irked at Rowan's attitude as everyone else, but goes on to explain that Iah's mother was the famous Lady Nimue- the single most powerful woman in the Kingdom, the Queen herself included. It seems Iah now stands to inherit some of her mother's lands. The messenger introduces himself as Garrett, one of Lady Nimue's squires, and hands Iah her mother's signet ring. However, he goes on to explain that matters are not so simple as Rowan would have her believe. For one thing, her half-brother Malegaunt is not likely to appreciate her sudden elevation to the ranks of the nobility. Nor is he likely to simply stand-by and allow a bastard to inherit some of “his” lands.
At this point, Ser Farradin speaks up an explains something of Iah's complicated family history. He explains that Maleguant's birth came about as the result of his mothers forced-marriage and legal rape by a robber Bann by the name of Osfric. Something universally condemned at the time but which neither the King nor the Chantry had the power to un-do once done. He explains that until the recent death of “Teiryn” Osfric, her mother was largely a prisoner and only recently came into her own as a powerful and influential figure. One whom has done everything she can to ensure that her hated son does not come to inherit the full power of his malevolent and evil father.
Garrett explains that he has come to escort Iah to Denerim, the capital city of Fereldin, where the Will shall be read and ratified by the King. However, he points out that this will not be easy. In accordance with custom, a single day after Lady Nimue's death, the King will have announced the names and locations of all the Will's beneficiaries to the Bannorn (the parliament of nobles). Though the actual Will itself will not be read till all the beneficiaries arrive in Denerim, it is likely that Maleguant already knows her name and present location – and will take steps to prevent her ever reaching Denerim.
It seems Laria and Ogden are keen not to be separated from Iah, something which makes both Rowan and Ser Farradin very proud, though its plain by the presence of the other two youths in the room at this time that they had expected nothing less from their progeny. Neither of the two men - dwarf or human - say anything. But the large lumps in their throats reveal all. Garrett urges the three to be ready to leave as soon as possible. The Abbess agrees, and states that if the trio have any matters they wish to attend too, they had best do so now. Rowan mutters something about supplies and horses and leaves the room at a trot. Laria heads off in swift pursuit to the stables to help the dwarf prepare the horses and saddle a remount for Garrett.
Ogden’s mother is already packing for him. She’s trying not to cry (and miserably failing) and insists on fussing over her little boy. Ogden is embarrassed by the attention. The young dwarf finally admits to his mother that he’ll miss her and that sets her off. Ogden sighs audibly and relents enough to at least give his weeping mother a hug.
Sister Vulia is still in the herb garden. It's here that Iah finds her. The girl is still rather flustered when she arrives but Vulia is keen to hear whatever gossip she brings. Iah is furious to learn that Vulia already knew of her history – as did all the nuns, in fact. Iah gets a bit willfull and complains that her life is falling apart and that no-one else understands why she is so upset by all this. Vulia doesn't sound very sympathetic. She demands the girl pull herself together and tells her she should be grateful. Most young woman Iah's age can only dream of being rich and powerful, with every handsome noble in the kingdom competing to win her hand. Vulia eventually apologies if she doesn't seem to particularly care about why Iah is upset. But she tries to explain why she feels Iah should be excited. Why should Iah care that a woman she never met has died? What, after all, did Iah's mother ever do for her except shut her away in a convent? Iah just doesn't think it's fair. She half expects a suitably nun-like reply, something about how the Maker works in mysterious ways. When Vulia simply replies “Why should life be fair?” Iah reacts as though she's been slapped.
“But I have a price on my head now!” she retorts.
Vulia gives her a very parental look. “Iah, you had a price on your head the moment you cast your first spell.”
It's a very subdued looking Iah that eventually joins Garrett and Ogden at the Abbey gates.
After saddling the horses, Laria goes to speak to her father, who has been lurking around her like a lost sheep trying to think of something to say. They try their best, but though Farradin clearly loves his daughter, they have never been close. He clearly lacks for anything to say to her, and can only offer a few last minute fighting tips and a warning to keep her shield up until the moment she strikes. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, as though there's something more he dearly wants to say, but the words do not come. He has never been able to understand his fiercely independent, tom-boy daughter and now he worries he will never again have the chance. The hug he gives her is awkward, more like the way two men would embrace while cheering on their favourite at a race, but it is, at least, a start.
A few moments later, the four travellers are mounted and make their way out the gates. The sisters are there to wish them well with song and prayer. Garrett leads off. Iah is given a second ring by the Abbess as a keepsake before she rides out after the others, along with two sealed letters, one from herself and another from Ser Farradin. These, she explains, are sworn testimonies that Iah is indeed the natural born daughter of Lady Nimue.
As the four ride down the hill, Garrett leads the party while Ogden rides beside Iah and Laria brings up the rear.
They ride southwards down a small path to a crossing where they take a road leading west to the small town of Restenford, past it's yet unfinished castle. The party rides on through the town, not stopping to purchase supplies and other useful items at the insistence of Garrett, then turn northwards, following the East Resten river, riding past farmlands and homes. Not long before sun-down, they arrive at an old, near-broken-down bridge over the river, with a road leading to a small village (which Garrett names as Vintiver) just visible through several miles of fields and small orchards. A few large tents are pitched near the village, along with large, exotic looking wagons. Garrett impatiently explains that these are the wagons of Drellish elves. The young squire insists that the group must ride on if they are to reach the town of Brigton, at the fork of the East and West Resten Rivers, before the gates close with full nightfall.
However, it has been many hours since the group left the Convent, and for Iah especially the events of the day have proven most exhausting. She insists on taking a rest. Though Garrett is reluctant, Iah will not hear off his excuses and so, giving up, he leads the horses down to the water (under shelter of the bridge) to drink.
After only a few moments there can be heard loud noises and disturbances from the trees close to the road. Garrett and Ogden head back up the river bank to the road to investigate. They find a badly wounded man blundering through the bushes and rush to aid him. Very quickly It becomes apparent that this man has been savaged by some wild beast – though, equally apparently, he has also been shot with a black-fletched arrow. In pain-wracked delerium he calls for his family and mutters about demons in the woods.
While Ogden and Garrett debate what to do – they have a lady to protect (well, technically two ladies but Garrett doubts that the young woman in armour needs much in the way of protection) when a terrible howling rends the air and a huge diseased-looking , very angy wolf comes flying out of the forest, lunging at Garrett.
Hearing the howl and sudden screams, Iah runs up the slope to see what’s happening. She sees the bleeding stranger lying prone under the nearby eaves, Ogden with his axe in hand and Garrett rolling about the ground with a grey wolf-form lying atop him. She mimes the action of picking up a stone (for Garrett's benefit) and launches it at the wolf while casting the Stone-Fist spell. The magically summoned rock whistles past it's head.
Alas, Ogden chooses this moment to strike and parts one the hairs of the wolf's head to no effect, his axe slashing through air where it's throat had been a bare moment before.
Laria, her aim thrown by sudden fear and the effort of racing up the bank, fires a wild crossbow bolt into the air, slipping on a patch of mud.
Meanwhile, Garrett rolls about the floor in his struggles, his arm trapped in the creature's mouth, desperately punching the creature with his free hand in a bid to drive it away.
This time, Iah has the chance to take aim before repeating her spell. The magical stone strikes the beast upon it's muzzle, throwing it off Garrett and sending it flying several feet through the air. Empowered by her previous success she lets of a Mind Blast but the wolf shakes it off to no effect.
* She rolls the first double of the game and uses the resultant stunt points to cast a second spell in the same round *
Ogden swings round with his axe, splitting the wolves belly and causing it to howl it's agony briefly into the night before it expires. Alas, three answering howls echo from the woods.
Laria has had enough. Not knowing that the man has a family, she states: ‘Right we need to get out of here. We are only just out of the convent and we don’t need to be food for more mangy animals on our first day of freedom.’
Iah turns to Ogden and demands to know where that man came from. Ogden explains the man was fleeing some sort of demon and had been muttering about his family. Meanwhile, unnoticed by the adventurers around him, the man expires.
Garrett seems torn by what to do. On the one hand, he has a mission to accomplish. On the other, innocent people could be dying. As he turns to address Iah, he sees their four horses, obviously spooked by the howling, fleeing southward. “Shit.” he says. “Who left the horses unattended?”
Laria and Garrett suddenly hear the sound of a woman screaming. That's too much for Garrett. He takes off into the woods at full sprint. Iah and Laria quickly follow (Iah, it must be said, primarily because she doesn't want to lose her only guide) Ogden chases after the others as fast as his stubby legs will carry him.
Garrett draws up at the edge of a small clearing. A woodsman's cottage stands in the centre of it, and dark shapes can be seen moving though the only visible means of entry – an un-shuttered, candle-lit window. Laria stops next to him...
...and Garrett sprints over to the window. He blanches at whatever he sees within and holds up a single finger. Laria interprets this to mean Garrett wants her to wait where she is. Alas, he means that he can only see one foe and rather than wait for the confusion to resolve itself, he draws his two handed sword and leaps through the window. This action is immediately greeted by another wolf-howl which in tuns sparks off some hysterical-sounding screams from a woman somewhere inside the cottage.
Laria runs up to the window just as Iah and Ogden reach the clearing. Peering in, she can see that Garrett has made a poor choice of weapon. The room is tiny and cluttered with furniture including a bed, a wardrobe and a dresser. There is barely enough room for Garrett and the wolf-creature he is fighting and the squires first blow has plainly resulted in his blade catching in one the roof beams. She fires her crossbow at the creature menacing Garrett, but the squire and the wolf are wrestling so violently that she cannot get a clear shot. Her bolt sinks harmlessly into a door-frame opposite the window.
Iah and Ogden dash over to look in. Meanwhile, Garrett grabs the wolf, draws his dagger and sticks it into the wolf-creature twice, throwing the wolf off him as he does so. The wolf rebounds right back at him and grabs a hold of Garrett's throat with it's teeth. It then goes crazy, thrashing and clawing wildly. Garrett is clearly in a bad way, though he somehow manages to retain his feet in the face of this vicious onslaught. Laria draws her short sword and climbs through the window, she strikes desperately at the wolf but it's motions are just too violent and again she just misses landing a blow.
Meanwhile, as Iah and Ogden desperately look on, both all too aware that there is no more space for them to enter the room, two more of the howling wolf creatures round the corner of the cottage. and start running towards them.
Grateful that Garrett is presently too busy fighting for his life to pay any attention to events outside, Iah uses Mind Blast on the two wolves that menace her, stunning both.
Ogden charges, (getting six stunt points) and strikes at both wolves (using a Dual Attack). The first blow is especially powerful (he uses his two remaining stunt points for a Mighty Blow against the first wolf) cleaving the first creature near in two with a single blow. The second one takes such a powerful hit that it is knocked a full two yards back the way it came (Ogden's novice two hander ability).
Garrett is in a bad way, with blood streaming into his eyes from multiple wounds, he just can’t hit the foe facing him. It in turn tries to tear the squires head off, but can't quite manage it either.
Then the screaming stops. The door into the room opens, to be filled by a hulking, dwarf-shaped presence. A foul, pustulantly-skinned genlock blocks the doorway, garbed in a heavy suit of mail and carrying a wickedly barbed axe and a crude metal shield. It looks at the spectacle before it and laughs. A deep, gutteral, belly laugh that promises an eternity of pain.
Laria is totally awestruck and can’t even lift her shortsword to hit the thing. ‘It’s a Genlock!’ she breathes. “A Dark-Spawn.”
Iah, still outside and out of Garrett's line of sight uses a twig collected from the ground as a crude wand and launches a blue arcane lance at the stunned wolf Ogden has just sent sprawling. The arcane light strikes the wolf in the forehead, killing the foul thing even as it tries to rise to it's feet.
Ogden runs round to the front door of the cottage and barges through the door, roaring at the top of his lungs in a bid to distract the creature he can see in the doorframe.
Inside, a desperately weak Garrett grabs the wolf by the neck and sticks his dagger into it’s eyes and through the thin bone of the eye-socket into it's brain. Dropping the wolf to the floor he notices the genlock for the first time and thinks “Oh f**k”.
The Genlock closes the door behind it with a toothy grin and charges the seriously wounded Garrett. However, it slips on all the blood coating the floor of the room (much of it Garrett's) and barrels into the front of the wardrobe.
Laria charges the off-balance genlock, hitting it squarely, but she fails to find a chink in the things heavy armour. Iah uses Mind Blast on the genlock, seizing the opportunity to make it look as if the thing was stunned by its collision with the thick wooden furniture. The creature stumbles backward, it's weight crashing through the door as it falls.
Ogden pauses to take aim before charging forward at a trot. His impressive downward swing connects with the creatures head, but thanks to the creatures crude but thick helm he fails in his bid for decapitation. However, the dwarf takes some comfort from the satisfying sound of the genlock's jaw breaking.
Garrett dives forward, crazily hoping to find a chink in its armour that his dagger can penetrate, but the blade just slides off.
Laria experiences the same difficulties with her short sword. Hitting the thing isn't the problem, but some weapons just arn't made for taking on armoured opponents.
Ogden gears up for another swing, but the creature is too fast and somehow manages to regain it's feat and block the blow with its shield.
The creatures answering stroke catches Garrett in the arm. It's a small wound, but the pain and blood loss is too much for the brave young squire. He goes down like a sack of potatoes. Realising she has almost no chance of hurting the Genlock with her dagger, Laria steps back and frantically begins loading her crossbow. Iah, seeing Garrett go down, dithers in fear for a moment before climbing through the window and casting a heal spell on the fallen squire. But in her panic, the spell fizzles out.
Ogden and the Genlock spend the next few moments trading blows.
Laria fires her crossbow, but it thuds into the genlocks shield. Garrett's great-sword catches her eye, knocked to the floor from where it had caught in the timbers during the course of the struggle.
Iah, down to her last mana point, mutters a quick prayer before casting Heal once again. The magic manages to stem the blood-flow from Garrett's many wounds, saving the young mans life in the process.
Ogden and the Genlock continue trading blows, but the darkspawn gains the upper hand when he lands a powerful overhand strike, though the dwarf's armour protects him from the worst of it.
Laria takes up Garrett's sword and brings the blade down right down on the back of the genlocks head. With six stunt points spent on three Mighty Blows (for an extra 3D6 damage) she cleaves the foul thing from it's skull to his groin. The genlock drops to the ground in two separate bits.
While Laria and Iah tend to Garrett, Ogden explores the rest of the cottage. His gorge rises as he views the savaged body of a dead youngster in the corner of the next room. Farther away, there lies a dead female, her clothes torn from her lower body and her throat slit. Almost as an afterthought, the dwarf then returns to the edge of the forest to find the stranger is dead too.
Laria goes to fetch the horses. Left with a foul taste in their mouths from their earlier dithering, all four companions spend the night in the gory house. Garrett wakens shortly before dawn. Given the risk of discovery, Iah forgoes using further healing magic on the squire, and contents herself with more conventional healing methods instead.
The cool stillness of the early Autumn air does little to dispel the gloom of an overcast sky. In the herb garden of the Abbey of the Everlasting Flame, Iah and her secret mentor in the magical arts, are collecting fresh herbs and discussing the merits of spider web poultices. Meanwhile, Ogden is pumping bellows in the smithy by the main gate, where his father is heating pig-iron in preparation for re-shoeing several of the Abbey horses. Outside the Abbey walls, Laria is in the south orchards picking chestnuts with the sisters, all under the prissy supervision and direction of Sister Auburn, the Prioress.
Laria's attention is distracted by the approaching sound of galloping hoof-beats, a rare sound in this isolated place. She reports the noise to Sister Auburn, who excitedly lifts her habit up above her ankles and scurries off up the Abbey itself, to make preparations for receiving guests. It's not long before the noise recedes into the distance as the horseman continues galloping up the hill towards the convent itself.
Ogden's father is not amused when interupted by the sound of the wooden log that serves as the Abbey's door knocker being slammed into the gates. He mutters to himself about the timing of the intrusion – just when his boy Ogden has the coals heated to the perfect temperature. With admonitions to keep the heat up, Rowan temporarily abandons his duties as smith to attend to his duties as Porter. Grumbling, Ogden continues to pump the bellows until his fathers return. Ogden is rather surprised when his father tells him to leave the bellows and go fetch Iah to the office of the Abbess. Leave the pumps and let the Iron grow cold? His father has never allowed that to happen before. Realising that something important is on the offing, Ogden pauses only to sluice off some of the accumulated soot and dust from his clothes and hair with a water-filled bucket and rushes off to the herb gardens to collect Iah.
As he leaves the smithy, Ogden sees his father talking to a young, weary human male, who’s been travelling hard. Though travel-worn and fatigued, his clothing is as fine and expensive (allbiet more muddy) than anything Ogden has seen at the Abbey. Rowan and the messenger seem to be talking earnestly as Ogden's mother, Ethelia, looks on through the window of the family's guest-house cottage.
When Ogden throws open the gate to the herb garden, allowing it to thump into the stone of the garden wall with a clash of metal, the herbal discussion has moved only from poultices to the relative merits of fennel and flax. Iah's reaction to the intrusion is somewhat waspish at best, but, nonetheless, she makes her apologies to Sister Vulia and accompanies her childhood friend to the Chantry building. For it is here that the quarters of the Abbess can be found.
As they reach the ornately carved and painted double doors to the chantry, they espy Ser Farradin, Laria's father, trudging towards them, looking very serious. However, as Iah comments, that could mean very little: the severe knight almost always appears troubled and careworn, as is only natural for anyone with Laria for a daughter. They generously wait for the knight to join them, at which point Ogden (at Iah's urging) holds open the door for the others.
While the convent may be small, with a mere seven sisters and only a handful of lay-folk, it is certainly prosperous. Gold and silver statuettes adorn the walls, the stained glass windows (though in need of a good dusting) are of an even thickness and the quality of the stain is magnificent. In the centre of the chantry worship hall, beneath a round stained glass window in the shape of the sun, stands the ever-burning flame itself, it's bronze brazier emitting a sweet-smelling grey smoke.
They make their way through the worship hall and (after making suitable genuflections towards the altar) turn left towards the Abbess's small suite of rooms. From the sounds coming from within as the trio reach the doors, it is clear that Ogden's father and the messenger are already inside.
Odgen knocks on the door. It is Abbess Amelia herself who opens it. The usually serene Abbess wears an unhealthy pallor, as though she has received some troublesome news. She quickly ushers Ser Farradin into the room. Iah and Ogden are left outside with instructions to wait. From outside, the two youths can make out little of what is being said, yet from the timbre and pace of the conversation, the news certainly seems grave.
Shortly after those within the room are joined by a scurrying Sister Aubern, the door opens once again as Ser Farradin leans out: ‘Go fetch that daughter of mine.’ The door closes swiftly. The Templar did not even pause long enough to receive an acknowledgement.
Iah and Ogden argue briefly amongst themselves, on account of the fact it clearly doesn't take the both of them to run such a simple errand. But eventually they both depart to find Laria. By the time the pair arrive, Laria and the sisters are enjoying a moment of fun now that they are free from Sister Aubern's stern supervision. A chestnut fight is in progress while Sister Portia, a voluptious and cheerful young choir mistress with arms thick enough to rival Rowans, makes a show of shaking chestnuts from the tree with main strength alone. Naturally, Ogden says something a trifle unwise and receives a full-scale chestnut barrage from the ladies in return.
After a moments laughter, Iah and Ogden finally manage to pull Laria aside and explain what little they know about events at the Abbey. Agreeing that something odd is in the air, the three hustle quickly back up the hill and soon finds themselves once again standing outside a certain thick wooden door. This time, however, they are greeted by the sounds of an argument in full swing.
Eventually, a near-tearful Sister Aubern opens the door once again and bids the three youths enter. It is very cramped inside. The Abbess restricts her living space to a single room, much of which is occupied by a bed, dresser, desk and a few scattered chairs. About the room stand the Abbess, Sister Aubern, the messenger, Rowan and Ser Farradin. After a moment of awkward silence, Amelia tells Iah that her mother, whom Iah has never before seen or even heard spoken off prior to this moment, has died. Iah clutches the black lotus necklace she wears around her neck, the only keepsake she has of the woman. There is yet another awkward silence, though this one stretches far longer than the last.
It is Ogden's father Rowan who breaks it. “Never mind lass, there's always a brightside. And the brightside this time is that you're rich!” The messenger looks just as irked at Rowan's attitude as everyone else, but goes on to explain that Iah's mother was the famous Lady Nimue- the single most powerful woman in the Kingdom, the Queen herself included. It seems Iah now stands to inherit some of her mother's lands. The messenger introduces himself as Garrett, one of Lady Nimue's squires, and hands Iah her mother's signet ring. However, he goes on to explain that matters are not so simple as Rowan would have her believe. For one thing, her half-brother Malegaunt is not likely to appreciate her sudden elevation to the ranks of the nobility. Nor is he likely to simply stand-by and allow a bastard to inherit some of “his” lands.
At this point, Ser Farradin speaks up an explains something of Iah's complicated family history. He explains that Maleguant's birth came about as the result of his mothers forced-marriage and legal rape by a robber Bann by the name of Osfric. Something universally condemned at the time but which neither the King nor the Chantry had the power to un-do once done. He explains that until the recent death of “Teiryn” Osfric, her mother was largely a prisoner and only recently came into her own as a powerful and influential figure. One whom has done everything she can to ensure that her hated son does not come to inherit the full power of his malevolent and evil father.
Garrett explains that he has come to escort Iah to Denerim, the capital city of Fereldin, where the Will shall be read and ratified by the King. However, he points out that this will not be easy. In accordance with custom, a single day after Lady Nimue's death, the King will have announced the names and locations of all the Will's beneficiaries to the Bannorn (the parliament of nobles). Though the actual Will itself will not be read till all the beneficiaries arrive in Denerim, it is likely that Maleguant already knows her name and present location – and will take steps to prevent her ever reaching Denerim.
It seems Laria and Ogden are keen not to be separated from Iah, something which makes both Rowan and Ser Farradin very proud, though its plain by the presence of the other two youths in the room at this time that they had expected nothing less from their progeny. Neither of the two men - dwarf or human - say anything. But the large lumps in their throats reveal all. Garrett urges the three to be ready to leave as soon as possible. The Abbess agrees, and states that if the trio have any matters they wish to attend too, they had best do so now. Rowan mutters something about supplies and horses and leaves the room at a trot. Laria heads off in swift pursuit to the stables to help the dwarf prepare the horses and saddle a remount for Garrett.
Ogden’s mother is already packing for him. She’s trying not to cry (and miserably failing) and insists on fussing over her little boy. Ogden is embarrassed by the attention. The young dwarf finally admits to his mother that he’ll miss her and that sets her off. Ogden sighs audibly and relents enough to at least give his weeping mother a hug.
Sister Vulia is still in the herb garden. It's here that Iah finds her. The girl is still rather flustered when she arrives but Vulia is keen to hear whatever gossip she brings. Iah is furious to learn that Vulia already knew of her history – as did all the nuns, in fact. Iah gets a bit willfull and complains that her life is falling apart and that no-one else understands why she is so upset by all this. Vulia doesn't sound very sympathetic. She demands the girl pull herself together and tells her she should be grateful. Most young woman Iah's age can only dream of being rich and powerful, with every handsome noble in the kingdom competing to win her hand. Vulia eventually apologies if she doesn't seem to particularly care about why Iah is upset. But she tries to explain why she feels Iah should be excited. Why should Iah care that a woman she never met has died? What, after all, did Iah's mother ever do for her except shut her away in a convent? Iah just doesn't think it's fair. She half expects a suitably nun-like reply, something about how the Maker works in mysterious ways. When Vulia simply replies “Why should life be fair?” Iah reacts as though she's been slapped.
“But I have a price on my head now!” she retorts.
Vulia gives her a very parental look. “Iah, you had a price on your head the moment you cast your first spell.”
It's a very subdued looking Iah that eventually joins Garrett and Ogden at the Abbey gates.
After saddling the horses, Laria goes to speak to her father, who has been lurking around her like a lost sheep trying to think of something to say. They try their best, but though Farradin clearly loves his daughter, they have never been close. He clearly lacks for anything to say to her, and can only offer a few last minute fighting tips and a warning to keep her shield up until the moment she strikes. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, as though there's something more he dearly wants to say, but the words do not come. He has never been able to understand his fiercely independent, tom-boy daughter and now he worries he will never again have the chance. The hug he gives her is awkward, more like the way two men would embrace while cheering on their favourite at a race, but it is, at least, a start.
A few moments later, the four travellers are mounted and make their way out the gates. The sisters are there to wish them well with song and prayer. Garrett leads off. Iah is given a second ring by the Abbess as a keepsake before she rides out after the others, along with two sealed letters, one from herself and another from Ser Farradin. These, she explains, are sworn testimonies that Iah is indeed the natural born daughter of Lady Nimue.
As the four ride down the hill, Garrett leads the party while Ogden rides beside Iah and Laria brings up the rear.
They ride southwards down a small path to a crossing where they take a road leading west to the small town of Restenford, past it's yet unfinished castle. The party rides on through the town, not stopping to purchase supplies and other useful items at the insistence of Garrett, then turn northwards, following the East Resten river, riding past farmlands and homes. Not long before sun-down, they arrive at an old, near-broken-down bridge over the river, with a road leading to a small village (which Garrett names as Vintiver) just visible through several miles of fields and small orchards. A few large tents are pitched near the village, along with large, exotic looking wagons. Garrett impatiently explains that these are the wagons of Drellish elves. The young squire insists that the group must ride on if they are to reach the town of Brigton, at the fork of the East and West Resten Rivers, before the gates close with full nightfall.
However, it has been many hours since the group left the Convent, and for Iah especially the events of the day have proven most exhausting. She insists on taking a rest. Though Garrett is reluctant, Iah will not hear off his excuses and so, giving up, he leads the horses down to the water (under shelter of the bridge) to drink.
After only a few moments there can be heard loud noises and disturbances from the trees close to the road. Garrett and Ogden head back up the river bank to the road to investigate. They find a badly wounded man blundering through the bushes and rush to aid him. Very quickly It becomes apparent that this man has been savaged by some wild beast – though, equally apparently, he has also been shot with a black-fletched arrow. In pain-wracked delerium he calls for his family and mutters about demons in the woods.
While Ogden and Garrett debate what to do – they have a lady to protect (well, technically two ladies but Garrett doubts that the young woman in armour needs much in the way of protection) when a terrible howling rends the air and a huge diseased-looking , very angy wolf comes flying out of the forest, lunging at Garrett.
Hearing the howl and sudden screams, Iah runs up the slope to see what’s happening. She sees the bleeding stranger lying prone under the nearby eaves, Ogden with his axe in hand and Garrett rolling about the ground with a grey wolf-form lying atop him. She mimes the action of picking up a stone (for Garrett's benefit) and launches it at the wolf while casting the Stone-Fist spell. The magically summoned rock whistles past it's head.
Alas, Ogden chooses this moment to strike and parts one the hairs of the wolf's head to no effect, his axe slashing through air where it's throat had been a bare moment before.
Laria, her aim thrown by sudden fear and the effort of racing up the bank, fires a wild crossbow bolt into the air, slipping on a patch of mud.
Meanwhile, Garrett rolls about the floor in his struggles, his arm trapped in the creature's mouth, desperately punching the creature with his free hand in a bid to drive it away.
This time, Iah has the chance to take aim before repeating her spell. The magical stone strikes the beast upon it's muzzle, throwing it off Garrett and sending it flying several feet through the air. Empowered by her previous success she lets of a Mind Blast but the wolf shakes it off to no effect.
* She rolls the first double of the game and uses the resultant stunt points to cast a second spell in the same round *
Ogden swings round with his axe, splitting the wolves belly and causing it to howl it's agony briefly into the night before it expires. Alas, three answering howls echo from the woods.
Laria has had enough. Not knowing that the man has a family, she states: ‘Right we need to get out of here. We are only just out of the convent and we don’t need to be food for more mangy animals on our first day of freedom.’
Iah turns to Ogden and demands to know where that man came from. Ogden explains the man was fleeing some sort of demon and had been muttering about his family. Meanwhile, unnoticed by the adventurers around him, the man expires.
Garrett seems torn by what to do. On the one hand, he has a mission to accomplish. On the other, innocent people could be dying. As he turns to address Iah, he sees their four horses, obviously spooked by the howling, fleeing southward. “Shit.” he says. “Who left the horses unattended?”
Laria and Garrett suddenly hear the sound of a woman screaming. That's too much for Garrett. He takes off into the woods at full sprint. Iah and Laria quickly follow (Iah, it must be said, primarily because she doesn't want to lose her only guide) Ogden chases after the others as fast as his stubby legs will carry him.
Garrett draws up at the edge of a small clearing. A woodsman's cottage stands in the centre of it, and dark shapes can be seen moving though the only visible means of entry – an un-shuttered, candle-lit window. Laria stops next to him...
...and Garrett sprints over to the window. He blanches at whatever he sees within and holds up a single finger. Laria interprets this to mean Garrett wants her to wait where she is. Alas, he means that he can only see one foe and rather than wait for the confusion to resolve itself, he draws his two handed sword and leaps through the window. This action is immediately greeted by another wolf-howl which in tuns sparks off some hysterical-sounding screams from a woman somewhere inside the cottage.
Laria runs up to the window just as Iah and Ogden reach the clearing. Peering in, she can see that Garrett has made a poor choice of weapon. The room is tiny and cluttered with furniture including a bed, a wardrobe and a dresser. There is barely enough room for Garrett and the wolf-creature he is fighting and the squires first blow has plainly resulted in his blade catching in one the roof beams. She fires her crossbow at the creature menacing Garrett, but the squire and the wolf are wrestling so violently that she cannot get a clear shot. Her bolt sinks harmlessly into a door-frame opposite the window.
Iah and Ogden dash over to look in. Meanwhile, Garrett grabs the wolf, draws his dagger and sticks it into the wolf-creature twice, throwing the wolf off him as he does so. The wolf rebounds right back at him and grabs a hold of Garrett's throat with it's teeth. It then goes crazy, thrashing and clawing wildly. Garrett is clearly in a bad way, though he somehow manages to retain his feet in the face of this vicious onslaught. Laria draws her short sword and climbs through the window, she strikes desperately at the wolf but it's motions are just too violent and again she just misses landing a blow.
Meanwhile, as Iah and Ogden desperately look on, both all too aware that there is no more space for them to enter the room, two more of the howling wolf creatures round the corner of the cottage. and start running towards them.
Grateful that Garrett is presently too busy fighting for his life to pay any attention to events outside, Iah uses Mind Blast on the two wolves that menace her, stunning both.
Ogden charges, (getting six stunt points) and strikes at both wolves (using a Dual Attack). The first blow is especially powerful (he uses his two remaining stunt points for a Mighty Blow against the first wolf) cleaving the first creature near in two with a single blow. The second one takes such a powerful hit that it is knocked a full two yards back the way it came (Ogden's novice two hander ability).
Garrett is in a bad way, with blood streaming into his eyes from multiple wounds, he just can’t hit the foe facing him. It in turn tries to tear the squires head off, but can't quite manage it either.
Then the screaming stops. The door into the room opens, to be filled by a hulking, dwarf-shaped presence. A foul, pustulantly-skinned genlock blocks the doorway, garbed in a heavy suit of mail and carrying a wickedly barbed axe and a crude metal shield. It looks at the spectacle before it and laughs. A deep, gutteral, belly laugh that promises an eternity of pain.
Laria is totally awestruck and can’t even lift her shortsword to hit the thing. ‘It’s a Genlock!’ she breathes. “A Dark-Spawn.”
Iah, still outside and out of Garrett's line of sight uses a twig collected from the ground as a crude wand and launches a blue arcane lance at the stunned wolf Ogden has just sent sprawling. The arcane light strikes the wolf in the forehead, killing the foul thing even as it tries to rise to it's feet.
Ogden runs round to the front door of the cottage and barges through the door, roaring at the top of his lungs in a bid to distract the creature he can see in the doorframe.
Inside, a desperately weak Garrett grabs the wolf by the neck and sticks his dagger into it’s eyes and through the thin bone of the eye-socket into it's brain. Dropping the wolf to the floor he notices the genlock for the first time and thinks “Oh f**k”.
The Genlock closes the door behind it with a toothy grin and charges the seriously wounded Garrett. However, it slips on all the blood coating the floor of the room (much of it Garrett's) and barrels into the front of the wardrobe.
Laria charges the off-balance genlock, hitting it squarely, but she fails to find a chink in the things heavy armour. Iah uses Mind Blast on the genlock, seizing the opportunity to make it look as if the thing was stunned by its collision with the thick wooden furniture. The creature stumbles backward, it's weight crashing through the door as it falls.
Ogden pauses to take aim before charging forward at a trot. His impressive downward swing connects with the creatures head, but thanks to the creatures crude but thick helm he fails in his bid for decapitation. However, the dwarf takes some comfort from the satisfying sound of the genlock's jaw breaking.
Garrett dives forward, crazily hoping to find a chink in its armour that his dagger can penetrate, but the blade just slides off.
Laria experiences the same difficulties with her short sword. Hitting the thing isn't the problem, but some weapons just arn't made for taking on armoured opponents.
Ogden gears up for another swing, but the creature is too fast and somehow manages to regain it's feat and block the blow with its shield.
The creatures answering stroke catches Garrett in the arm. It's a small wound, but the pain and blood loss is too much for the brave young squire. He goes down like a sack of potatoes. Realising she has almost no chance of hurting the Genlock with her dagger, Laria steps back and frantically begins loading her crossbow. Iah, seeing Garrett go down, dithers in fear for a moment before climbing through the window and casting a heal spell on the fallen squire. But in her panic, the spell fizzles out.
Ogden and the Genlock spend the next few moments trading blows.
Laria fires her crossbow, but it thuds into the genlocks shield. Garrett's great-sword catches her eye, knocked to the floor from where it had caught in the timbers during the course of the struggle.
Iah, down to her last mana point, mutters a quick prayer before casting Heal once again. The magic manages to stem the blood-flow from Garrett's many wounds, saving the young mans life in the process.
Ogden and the Genlock continue trading blows, but the darkspawn gains the upper hand when he lands a powerful overhand strike, though the dwarf's armour protects him from the worst of it.
Laria takes up Garrett's sword and brings the blade down right down on the back of the genlocks head. With six stunt points spent on three Mighty Blows (for an extra 3D6 damage) she cleaves the foul thing from it's skull to his groin. The genlock drops to the ground in two separate bits.
While Laria and Iah tend to Garrett, Ogden explores the rest of the cottage. His gorge rises as he views the savaged body of a dead youngster in the corner of the next room. Farther away, there lies a dead female, her clothes torn from her lower body and her throat slit. Almost as an afterthought, the dwarf then returns to the edge of the forest to find the stranger is dead too.
Laria goes to fetch the horses. Left with a foul taste in their mouths from their earlier dithering, all four companions spend the night in the gory house. Garrett wakens shortly before dawn. Given the risk of discovery, Iah forgoes using further healing magic on the squire, and contents herself with more conventional healing methods instead.
In the morning, the travellers take time to bury the bodies and conduct a brief service before setting off once again, spending the next two days in steadily worsening weather heading north. Just before noon on the first day's travel sees the party at Brigton. However, at Garretts urging, they ride onwards, despite Iah's concern for his wounds- which she knows will not heal well while the group remains on the road. By the same time the next day, the the small but impressive castle-town or Blackkeep, capital of the Bann of Blackwood. Garrett explains that Blackwood was the seat of Malegaunts father, Osfric, but that two scant years ago Nimue gave the lands to her “good friend” Rolland Henli. Garrett further explains that he hopes to find his two brothers, Fossett and Shelby here, and gain an escort from the Bann's men.
However, after making enquiry at the castle-gates, Garrett learns that Bann Rolland has not returned from his hunting trip – and nor have Garrett's brothers, who rode off to find the Bann while Garrett continued on the Abbey. The guards refuse to give entry to the keep without the Bann's say-so and Garrett, fearing the presence of Malegaunt loyalists in the town, is reluctant to spend the night hoping for their return. He advises the others to press on and, since Iah is of the nobility, all defer to her decision to keep going and camp under the eaves of the Brecilian forest.
By sundown they are deep inside the Brecilian forest proper. To put as much distance between themselves and any pursuit as possible, they ride into the night for as long as there is sufficient light to follow the path. Ogden and Laria are convinced someone is following the party. They feel eyes on them for much of the day. Yet none of the group can see or find any definite signs of pursuit.
They avoid trouble until shortly before nightfall on their second day in the forest. Riding along, a stout net is suddenly raised up across the parties' path. While they dither as to what to do, a second net is raised behind them. Ogden then takes the initiative and rides off at full pelt towards the right only to ride straight into a band of nearly a dozen men armed with long-spears. The sudden shock causes Ogden's palfry (a mere riding horse, not bred for war) to rear up and throw him to the ground. As the others pull up behind him and try to turn about more spearmen run up from the direction in which they came. Ogden and Iah make a brief show of fighting for it, but it quickly becomes apparent their only hope is to surrender. The odds are simply too great and one of the party – Garrett- has yet to recover from his previous wounds.
One of the men steps forward. Unlike his companions, this one is freshly washed, clean, and well dressed under his expensive looking mail armour. The knight demands that the party drop their weapons. Once they have complied, his men come forward to bind them. He sneeringly looks back and forth between Laria and Iah and announces: “Which one of you bitches do I have to marry to get rich?”
Iah blanches as history repeats itself around her. Meanwhile Laria, thinking quickly and determined to thwart the ambitions of their captor, steps forward and replies:
“Sire as much as you are inelegant with your speech, I am the one you seek. As you see, I am afraid I am not much to look at.”
The knight snorts dismissively. “I`m not marrying you for your looks.” His men laugh cruelly.
The party are securely tied and helped up onto their horses before being blindfolded. This company doesn’t seem to be a very cohesive or disciplined band: they laugh and joke loudly during the journey.
After an interminable period of time, the bound characters begin to smell wood-smoke and shallow latrines. They are brought towards a source of heat and, their blindfolds removed, find themselves in a more-or-less permanent woodland camp inside the ruins of an old chantry. The beacon of ever lasting flame is blasphemously being used as cooking-fire. The characters are led to a poorly made wooden cage and thrown inside. They find they are to share their prison with an ill-used priestess. Her robes are badly soiled with blood and torn in places, and her face and hands are bruised and bloody. Clearly, she has undergone some degree of torture at the hands of her captors.
They are told to sit down and shut up by the knight, who sadistically announces that he “Has a stag-night to enjoy!” This is met with raucious cheers from his followers who, with the exception of a pair of disgruntled men left to guard the cage, proceed to get themselves loudly (and aggressively) drunk.
After a few more moments of griping, the two guards start looking forward to being actual farmers and tradesmen again. That is, just as soon as their boss becomes a “proper noble” once again.
Iah and the others turn their attention to the priestess, who seems to have withdrawn into herself and is in a very bad shape. She constantly mutters variations of the phrases “I won't do it, I won't.” and “It's wrong. It's blasphemy, it's wrong.” while rocking herself back and forth.
After a few more hours, the moon has sunk behind the trees and the height of the festivities has been reached. The knight returns to the cage, now dressed in court clothes, black trimmed in silver, that would not look out of place at a funeral but hardly seem appropriate for a wedding. The knight and the guards discuss the possibility that Laria might be lying. They casually discuss torturing one of the women to find out the truth, but the knight doesn't want “damaged goods”. Someone comments that “Torturing the dwarf will be bloody pointless, you know what the little bastards are like”. And so, after a moments thought and a brief shrug, the knight has Garrett dragged out of the cage and towards the cook-fire. “After all, the bastard looks half-dead anyway.” They others are powerless to stop it. Ogden tries, despite his trussed-up state, and gets a spear-butt to the face for his troubles.
To the young mans credit, though the torture lasts hours, Garrett says nothing. Garrett only screams.
It brings Laria and Iah to the brink of tears – Iah cannot understand what she has done to earn such loyalty. Before this moment she could not understand why her mother would send such a young, untried boy to defend her. But now she has come to a realisation - Nimue didn't send her someone who could protect her. She sent her someone even more valuable. Someone she could trust. The young heiress promises herself that should they survive the rest of the night, Garrett will not go unrewarded for his bravery.
And it is then that they hear the clarion call of a silver horn calling from the woods. A hunting horn. The celebrations stops.
From the woods around the camp, a single voice calls out: “ A Henli! A Henli!”
And from a single ragged, tortured boy's voice, a reply is heard; “ A Lion! A Lion!”
There is a sound like wind through rushes. Arrows land, some finding their mark in the chests and limbs of brigands. A warcry is raised, a single ululating shout that is wordless in it's intensity. From both sides of the camp, armed men garbed in hunting clothes charge into the clearing and then the butchery begins. As the first drunken brigands begin to fall, a second wave of attackers throw lit brands into the clearing for illumination. For the first few moments, all is chaos as a wild melee erupts. Two of the newcomers rush towards the cage, each charging one of the guards.
Inside the cage, Ogden calls out “Can you free us?” The look he receives from one of the newcomers is clear: Uh yeah. Just let me kill this guy first, 'kay?.
Iah's Mind Blast stuns both of the brigand guards, giving the two rescuers an opening. With the distraction she has been praying for well and truly here, Laria finally decides to struggle against and test her bonds. To her surprise and great satisfaction, she finds they have been tied rather loosely and begins to wriggle free.
As patiently as he can, Ogden waits for the two rescuers to finish their work. All around the camp, the outnumbered hunters are killing brigands as best they can. Already though, the shock of surprise has worn off. The renegade knight is already rallying his men to his side.
One of the cage guards falls. The hunter who dealt the killing blow turns his weapon on the cages flimsy lock, shattering the wooden device with a single blow.
Ogden shouts ‘untie me’ but without waiting for anyone to do so he barrels past the hunter who rescued him and bolts towards a nearby pile of weapons. Finding a sword leaning against a tree, Ogden turns his back to it and tries to cut his bonds by rubbing up and down against the blade. In moments, he’s halfway through.
Iah leans over to check on the priestess, who is still keening and rocking back and forth. Feeling sorry for the poor woman, Iah tries to calm her, teling her help is here and that they will soon be free.
Meanwhile, Laria shrugs out of her bonds. Running towards Ogden she lifts a dagger from the nearby pile of weapons and cuts him free.
Elsewhere, Iah's bonds are cut by the hunter who smashed the lock. His companion is hard-pressed by the remaining guard however, and so he returns to his assistance.
By now however, the knight has managed to assemble the majority of his surviving men around him where he sets about organising them into a line of battle. Garret, still tied and moaning in horrendous agony, lies a mere spears length in front of this line.
Ogden shouts for Laria to save Garrett, and charges the other guard - the one who struck him with the spear butt - wounding him badly. Iah hears his shout and clearly thinks it's the right course of action for she, too, shouts for Laria to help Garrett. Meanwhile, with everyone around her distractedly fighting for their lives, she risks using healing magic on the near-catatonic priest. To Iah's surprise, within moments of her spell taking effect, the glazed look in her fellow prisoner's eyes begins to fade. “Where are we?” the Priestess asks, looking at Iah as though seeing her for the first time. “What's happening?”
Laria reaches Garrett, ducking a few spear thrusts as she does so, and tries to drag him away. However, as she grabs him, he screams in agony. She finds she just doesn't have the strength to move him. “Ogden! Help me!”
Save for the hunter struggling with the last guard, the rescuers have finished their individual battles. A tall, handsome man with sandy-blonde hair, dressed in green breaches and a white draw-string shirt stands facing the Brigand lines. “To Me!” he shouts, “Form Line” but as he does so he waves his sword in the air in a circular motion. From the woods around the camp his call is answered. Hooves shake the earth as, driven by a handful of mounted figures, a score or more of riderless horses charge from the woods into the rear of the brigand battle line. Chaos ensues, buying the group's rescuers the time they need to assemble into a battle formation of their own.
Meanwhile, Ogden abandons the fight against the remaining guard to answer Laria's desperate call. Together, they manage to drag Garrett back to the hunter battle-line, which parts to let them through. The poor squire screams with every jolt but, as Ogden observes grimly, as least that means he's still alive.
Iah grabs the priestess by her shoulders and steers her out of the cage and past the two battling men by the door at a run. They quickly take up position behind the hunter battle line, where Iah notes that the sandy haired man who leads the rescue is flanked by two young men who seem the very doubles of Garrett. Relief floods her as she realises this is an actual rescue, and that she has not simply swapped one set of captors for another. As she watches, she sees that not only is the young man in the white-shirt stunningly handsome (even in this poor light) he is also a natural born leader. The men around him seem energised by his mere presence and, though they are terribly outnumbered and lack even shields to match the heavy armour and long spears of their opponents, not one shows any sign of thinking that they might loose this battle.
Meanwhile, not far from Iah and the Priestess, Laria finds herself a crossbow and a few scattered bolts and begins to load her weapon.
As the last of the hunters join the battle line, the renegade knight manages to reform his line into a circle, with spears pointing in all directions like the bristles of a hedgehog. Already many of the horses and one of the riders leading them are down and slain. White-shirt makes another motion with his sword, shouting above the noise to attract the attention of his riders, and the remaining horsemen lead the mounts back into the safety of the trees. The two forces glare at each other across a distance of about thirty paces. The hunters are too few and lack the shields necessary to charge a spear-wall. But neither do the brigands seem keen to attack these skilled and deadly hunters, unarmoured and outnumbered or no.
Taking advantage of the sudden pause, Ogden moves up between Garretts two brothers and makes a surprising announcement. “I could kiss you boys. But under the circumstances I'd best save that till later”.
Nearby. the leader of the hunters peers down at Ogden with something approaching amusement.
“Master Dwarf: You are almost certaintly the strangest thing I've seen yet in an already utterly surreal night.” Ogden chuckles in reply.
Iah crouches down beside Garrett, safely behind the Hunter battle-line. With the Priestess nearby administering the last rites to dying men, Iah cannot risk calling upon her magic and tries healing the squire with skill alone. But whether due to the awful events of the evening, the clamour of the dying men and wounded horses around her or else the sheer presence of the handsome young man not a dozen feet away, she cannot concentrate.
Not far away, the renegade knight stands up behind his battle line and exhorts his men to attack.
The effect is rather ruined somewhat by Laria, who pops up from behind her own lines and shoots the bastard with her crossbow. As the man screams and falls back to his knees behind his men, Laria calls out ‘How do you like that for a wedding gift! You pr**k!’
At the injury to their leader, the brigands begin backing away, their nerve gone. As much as he curses and kicks at them, he cannot restore their morale.
Perhaps reassured by the slow retreat of her captors, Iah's hands stop shaking sufficiently for her to properly staunch Garrett's many bleeding wounds. The price of his loyalty is terrible. Garrett has lost his right eye, most of his teeth, an ear and all but one of the fingers on his left hand.
“Garrett I am so sorry.” she croons. It is all Garrett can do to groan in response.
Laria grabs another crossbow and shoots again, hitting another Brigand square in the chest and almost certainly killing him. This is too much for the twenty or so surviving brigands, who break and run, their leader amongst them. At this, the white-shirt orders a general attack, chasing the brigands out of the clearing, though he does not allow his men to go far into the woods before calling them back.
Sentries are quickly posted, and the wounded hunters brought to Iah for healing. The wounded brigands, are, off course, simply slain. None of the hunters are under any illusions as to what sort of fate awaited the womenfolk at the hands of these scum.
Garrett's twins rush forward at the sight of their brother and start pulling at Iah's bandages, desperate to see his wounds for themselves. Iah protests, but they’re not in a mood to listen. Only when Ogden threatens them with his unmistakable brand of charm do they relent and withdraw, though they remain close enough to supervise Garrett's care at Iah's hands.
As Iah finishes badanging up the last of the injured hunters wounds, a shadow falls across her, causing her to look up. She sees the extremely handsome man, standing above her and, by the light of the burning candle she has been using while tending the wounded, she can see for the first time a peculiar cross shaped scar on his left cheek. She also notes how young she is. He cannot yet have seen twenty-five. The leader of the hunting party stretches out his hand.
“My name is Rolland Henli. I was a friend of your mothers and, if you'll have me, I shall be a friend to you as well."
However, after making enquiry at the castle-gates, Garrett learns that Bann Rolland has not returned from his hunting trip – and nor have Garrett's brothers, who rode off to find the Bann while Garrett continued on the Abbey. The guards refuse to give entry to the keep without the Bann's say-so and Garrett, fearing the presence of Malegaunt loyalists in the town, is reluctant to spend the night hoping for their return. He advises the others to press on and, since Iah is of the nobility, all defer to her decision to keep going and camp under the eaves of the Brecilian forest.
By sundown they are deep inside the Brecilian forest proper. To put as much distance between themselves and any pursuit as possible, they ride into the night for as long as there is sufficient light to follow the path. Ogden and Laria are convinced someone is following the party. They feel eyes on them for much of the day. Yet none of the group can see or find any definite signs of pursuit.
They avoid trouble until shortly before nightfall on their second day in the forest. Riding along, a stout net is suddenly raised up across the parties' path. While they dither as to what to do, a second net is raised behind them. Ogden then takes the initiative and rides off at full pelt towards the right only to ride straight into a band of nearly a dozen men armed with long-spears. The sudden shock causes Ogden's palfry (a mere riding horse, not bred for war) to rear up and throw him to the ground. As the others pull up behind him and try to turn about more spearmen run up from the direction in which they came. Ogden and Iah make a brief show of fighting for it, but it quickly becomes apparent their only hope is to surrender. The odds are simply too great and one of the party – Garrett- has yet to recover from his previous wounds.
One of the men steps forward. Unlike his companions, this one is freshly washed, clean, and well dressed under his expensive looking mail armour. The knight demands that the party drop their weapons. Once they have complied, his men come forward to bind them. He sneeringly looks back and forth between Laria and Iah and announces: “Which one of you bitches do I have to marry to get rich?”
Iah blanches as history repeats itself around her. Meanwhile Laria, thinking quickly and determined to thwart the ambitions of their captor, steps forward and replies:
“Sire as much as you are inelegant with your speech, I am the one you seek. As you see, I am afraid I am not much to look at.”
The knight snorts dismissively. “I`m not marrying you for your looks.” His men laugh cruelly.
The party are securely tied and helped up onto their horses before being blindfolded. This company doesn’t seem to be a very cohesive or disciplined band: they laugh and joke loudly during the journey.
After an interminable period of time, the bound characters begin to smell wood-smoke and shallow latrines. They are brought towards a source of heat and, their blindfolds removed, find themselves in a more-or-less permanent woodland camp inside the ruins of an old chantry. The beacon of ever lasting flame is blasphemously being used as cooking-fire. The characters are led to a poorly made wooden cage and thrown inside. They find they are to share their prison with an ill-used priestess. Her robes are badly soiled with blood and torn in places, and her face and hands are bruised and bloody. Clearly, she has undergone some degree of torture at the hands of her captors.
They are told to sit down and shut up by the knight, who sadistically announces that he “Has a stag-night to enjoy!” This is met with raucious cheers from his followers who, with the exception of a pair of disgruntled men left to guard the cage, proceed to get themselves loudly (and aggressively) drunk.
After a few more moments of griping, the two guards start looking forward to being actual farmers and tradesmen again. That is, just as soon as their boss becomes a “proper noble” once again.
Iah and the others turn their attention to the priestess, who seems to have withdrawn into herself and is in a very bad shape. She constantly mutters variations of the phrases “I won't do it, I won't.” and “It's wrong. It's blasphemy, it's wrong.” while rocking herself back and forth.
After a few more hours, the moon has sunk behind the trees and the height of the festivities has been reached. The knight returns to the cage, now dressed in court clothes, black trimmed in silver, that would not look out of place at a funeral but hardly seem appropriate for a wedding. The knight and the guards discuss the possibility that Laria might be lying. They casually discuss torturing one of the women to find out the truth, but the knight doesn't want “damaged goods”. Someone comments that “Torturing the dwarf will be bloody pointless, you know what the little bastards are like”. And so, after a moments thought and a brief shrug, the knight has Garrett dragged out of the cage and towards the cook-fire. “After all, the bastard looks half-dead anyway.” They others are powerless to stop it. Ogden tries, despite his trussed-up state, and gets a spear-butt to the face for his troubles.
To the young mans credit, though the torture lasts hours, Garrett says nothing. Garrett only screams.
It brings Laria and Iah to the brink of tears – Iah cannot understand what she has done to earn such loyalty. Before this moment she could not understand why her mother would send such a young, untried boy to defend her. But now she has come to a realisation - Nimue didn't send her someone who could protect her. She sent her someone even more valuable. Someone she could trust. The young heiress promises herself that should they survive the rest of the night, Garrett will not go unrewarded for his bravery.
And it is then that they hear the clarion call of a silver horn calling from the woods. A hunting horn. The celebrations stops.
From the woods around the camp, a single voice calls out: “ A Henli! A Henli!”
And from a single ragged, tortured boy's voice, a reply is heard; “ A Lion! A Lion!”
There is a sound like wind through rushes. Arrows land, some finding their mark in the chests and limbs of brigands. A warcry is raised, a single ululating shout that is wordless in it's intensity. From both sides of the camp, armed men garbed in hunting clothes charge into the clearing and then the butchery begins. As the first drunken brigands begin to fall, a second wave of attackers throw lit brands into the clearing for illumination. For the first few moments, all is chaos as a wild melee erupts. Two of the newcomers rush towards the cage, each charging one of the guards.
Inside the cage, Ogden calls out “Can you free us?” The look he receives from one of the newcomers is clear: Uh yeah. Just let me kill this guy first, 'kay?.
Iah's Mind Blast stuns both of the brigand guards, giving the two rescuers an opening. With the distraction she has been praying for well and truly here, Laria finally decides to struggle against and test her bonds. To her surprise and great satisfaction, she finds they have been tied rather loosely and begins to wriggle free.
As patiently as he can, Ogden waits for the two rescuers to finish their work. All around the camp, the outnumbered hunters are killing brigands as best they can. Already though, the shock of surprise has worn off. The renegade knight is already rallying his men to his side.
One of the cage guards falls. The hunter who dealt the killing blow turns his weapon on the cages flimsy lock, shattering the wooden device with a single blow.
Ogden shouts ‘untie me’ but without waiting for anyone to do so he barrels past the hunter who rescued him and bolts towards a nearby pile of weapons. Finding a sword leaning against a tree, Ogden turns his back to it and tries to cut his bonds by rubbing up and down against the blade. In moments, he’s halfway through.
Iah leans over to check on the priestess, who is still keening and rocking back and forth. Feeling sorry for the poor woman, Iah tries to calm her, teling her help is here and that they will soon be free.
Meanwhile, Laria shrugs out of her bonds. Running towards Ogden she lifts a dagger from the nearby pile of weapons and cuts him free.
Elsewhere, Iah's bonds are cut by the hunter who smashed the lock. His companion is hard-pressed by the remaining guard however, and so he returns to his assistance.
By now however, the knight has managed to assemble the majority of his surviving men around him where he sets about organising them into a line of battle. Garret, still tied and moaning in horrendous agony, lies a mere spears length in front of this line.
Ogden shouts for Laria to save Garrett, and charges the other guard - the one who struck him with the spear butt - wounding him badly. Iah hears his shout and clearly thinks it's the right course of action for she, too, shouts for Laria to help Garrett. Meanwhile, with everyone around her distractedly fighting for their lives, she risks using healing magic on the near-catatonic priest. To Iah's surprise, within moments of her spell taking effect, the glazed look in her fellow prisoner's eyes begins to fade. “Where are we?” the Priestess asks, looking at Iah as though seeing her for the first time. “What's happening?”
Laria reaches Garrett, ducking a few spear thrusts as she does so, and tries to drag him away. However, as she grabs him, he screams in agony. She finds she just doesn't have the strength to move him. “Ogden! Help me!”
Save for the hunter struggling with the last guard, the rescuers have finished their individual battles. A tall, handsome man with sandy-blonde hair, dressed in green breaches and a white draw-string shirt stands facing the Brigand lines. “To Me!” he shouts, “Form Line” but as he does so he waves his sword in the air in a circular motion. From the woods around the camp his call is answered. Hooves shake the earth as, driven by a handful of mounted figures, a score or more of riderless horses charge from the woods into the rear of the brigand battle line. Chaos ensues, buying the group's rescuers the time they need to assemble into a battle formation of their own.
Meanwhile, Ogden abandons the fight against the remaining guard to answer Laria's desperate call. Together, they manage to drag Garrett back to the hunter battle-line, which parts to let them through. The poor squire screams with every jolt but, as Ogden observes grimly, as least that means he's still alive.
Iah grabs the priestess by her shoulders and steers her out of the cage and past the two battling men by the door at a run. They quickly take up position behind the hunter battle line, where Iah notes that the sandy haired man who leads the rescue is flanked by two young men who seem the very doubles of Garrett. Relief floods her as she realises this is an actual rescue, and that she has not simply swapped one set of captors for another. As she watches, she sees that not only is the young man in the white-shirt stunningly handsome (even in this poor light) he is also a natural born leader. The men around him seem energised by his mere presence and, though they are terribly outnumbered and lack even shields to match the heavy armour and long spears of their opponents, not one shows any sign of thinking that they might loose this battle.
Meanwhile, not far from Iah and the Priestess, Laria finds herself a crossbow and a few scattered bolts and begins to load her weapon.
As the last of the hunters join the battle line, the renegade knight manages to reform his line into a circle, with spears pointing in all directions like the bristles of a hedgehog. Already many of the horses and one of the riders leading them are down and slain. White-shirt makes another motion with his sword, shouting above the noise to attract the attention of his riders, and the remaining horsemen lead the mounts back into the safety of the trees. The two forces glare at each other across a distance of about thirty paces. The hunters are too few and lack the shields necessary to charge a spear-wall. But neither do the brigands seem keen to attack these skilled and deadly hunters, unarmoured and outnumbered or no.
Taking advantage of the sudden pause, Ogden moves up between Garretts two brothers and makes a surprising announcement. “I could kiss you boys. But under the circumstances I'd best save that till later”.
Nearby. the leader of the hunters peers down at Ogden with something approaching amusement.
“Master Dwarf: You are almost certaintly the strangest thing I've seen yet in an already utterly surreal night.” Ogden chuckles in reply.
Iah crouches down beside Garrett, safely behind the Hunter battle-line. With the Priestess nearby administering the last rites to dying men, Iah cannot risk calling upon her magic and tries healing the squire with skill alone. But whether due to the awful events of the evening, the clamour of the dying men and wounded horses around her or else the sheer presence of the handsome young man not a dozen feet away, she cannot concentrate.
Not far away, the renegade knight stands up behind his battle line and exhorts his men to attack.
The effect is rather ruined somewhat by Laria, who pops up from behind her own lines and shoots the bastard with her crossbow. As the man screams and falls back to his knees behind his men, Laria calls out ‘How do you like that for a wedding gift! You pr**k!’
At the injury to their leader, the brigands begin backing away, their nerve gone. As much as he curses and kicks at them, he cannot restore their morale.
Perhaps reassured by the slow retreat of her captors, Iah's hands stop shaking sufficiently for her to properly staunch Garrett's many bleeding wounds. The price of his loyalty is terrible. Garrett has lost his right eye, most of his teeth, an ear and all but one of the fingers on his left hand.
“Garrett I am so sorry.” she croons. It is all Garrett can do to groan in response.
Laria grabs another crossbow and shoots again, hitting another Brigand square in the chest and almost certainly killing him. This is too much for the twenty or so surviving brigands, who break and run, their leader amongst them. At this, the white-shirt orders a general attack, chasing the brigands out of the clearing, though he does not allow his men to go far into the woods before calling them back.
Sentries are quickly posted, and the wounded hunters brought to Iah for healing. The wounded brigands, are, off course, simply slain. None of the hunters are under any illusions as to what sort of fate awaited the womenfolk at the hands of these scum.
Garrett's twins rush forward at the sight of their brother and start pulling at Iah's bandages, desperate to see his wounds for themselves. Iah protests, but they’re not in a mood to listen. Only when Ogden threatens them with his unmistakable brand of charm do they relent and withdraw, though they remain close enough to supervise Garrett's care at Iah's hands.
As Iah finishes badanging up the last of the injured hunters wounds, a shadow falls across her, causing her to look up. She sees the extremely handsome man, standing above her and, by the light of the burning candle she has been using while tending the wounded, she can see for the first time a peculiar cross shaped scar on his left cheek. She also notes how young she is. He cannot yet have seen twenty-five. The leader of the hunting party stretches out his hand.
“My name is Rolland Henli. I was a friend of your mothers and, if you'll have me, I shall be a friend to you as well."
[next] session two
[background] life of lady nimue
