Mists of Winter: Chapter One

[Adam]

"Interesting," he mutters as he opens the door and examines the outside.

[ewancummins]

"Interesting," he mutters as he opens the door and examines the outside.

Wind whistles between stone walls in the cold, dark alley.
If the sun remains above the horizon outside the city walls, Benn sees no glimmer of its light here, just the glare of torches reflected in still pools of frosted water, icy potholes.

The sudden, brutal impact to his skull almost knocks him down. Fireworks flash behind his eyes.

He hears feet pounding the cobbles, headed south out of the alley.

When his eyes clear, he sees no one outside the back of the shop.

Mattheo hastens to help Benn.

"What the devil was that?"

[Adam]

Bennedict stands up, rubbing at the back of his head and moaning groggily.

"Just another day at the office," he mutters, feeling the welt growing there. "I think perhaps the thieves left a look-out."

He looks around, trying to spy any sign of the attacker that may remain and determining if it's worth the effort to attempt pursuit.

[ewancummins]

Bennedict stands up, rubbing at the back of his head and moaning groggily.

"Just another day at the office," he mutters, feeling the welt growing there. "I think perhaps the thieves left a look-out."

He looks around, trying to spy any sign of the attacker that may remain and determining if it's worth the effort to attempt pursuit.

Benn begins a hasty search of the alley. He soon finds a patchy track of footprints in the cold mud, but the trail vanishes at the southern mouth of the alley.

Black windows look down on Benn from the pale limestone facades of a row of crumbling ancient manses across the empty street.

He hears no sound in the gloaming except the rustle of the wind and the faint murmur of the river.

[ewancummins]

FRANZ & MUNCHEN

Franz follows the directions given him by the drunken reveler, stamping through the ice crusted mud down Drover’s Way, at the western end of the city.

Munchen waddles along behind his master, puffing out little frosty clouds and snuffling with discomfort.

The exile scans the street and spots a two story house of pale stone with a tin lantern and a painted sign hanging over the door. The limner’s work shows two goats butting heads. Getting closer, Franz feels eyes watching him, but sees only the faces of gargoyles, maidens, and other carved creatures, all weathered and worn, staring at him from the patchwork façade of the public house. A little green light seeps through the thin cracks in the closed shutters over the small windows.

Pushing open the door and striding in, Franz finds the big room warm and redolent with the smells of hops, cooked meat, fresh bread, and a hint of sweat. A jolly fire crackles in the brick lined hearth at the left-hand side of the common room. A few well-placed lanterns cast enough light that Franz can see most of the room; only the corners hang heavy with shadows. He sees a small crowd, most men and women sitting in clumps near the fireplace or lined up at the long bar.

A ruddy-faced young workman looks up from a game of cards with two older fellows and calls out in the direction of the open door, “Close that door, friend, you’ll let the cold in.”

Munchen trundles past Franz, headed straight for the long bar, where he laps up a puddle of spilled beer, getting sawdust and foam plastered all over his big, wet mouth.

A fat alewife behind the bar taps her glowing pipe against a brass dish on the long, dingy counter, sending smoke tendrils drifting up into the air and tiny red embers falling down into the metal container.
She asks, "Can I get you someat to drink, big fellow?''
She gestures at the high rack of bottles and pots that spans the wall behind her.

[steveflam]

Franz looks around, taking in the patrons and the inside of the establishment. He shakes off the cold and smirks at Munchen's antics.

"Sit, Munchen," he tells the large dog as he is approached by the serving wench.

"Ja, I vill have a hot meal and coffee if you have some, tank you."

He takes a seat. He takes in the heat, exhaling. May as well ask her, he thinks to himself.

Once she comes back he asks "I was vondering if you might be able to tell me where I could find a priest. His name ist Dorgio."

[Adam]

BENN

Grumbling in irritation, he returns to the backdoor, kneeling to check for signs that the lock was picked from the outside.

[ewancummins]

SIGN OF THE TWO GOATS

Franz looks around, taking in the patrons and the inside of the establishment. He shakes off the cold and smirks at Munchen's antics.

"Sit, Munchen," he tells the large dog as he is approached by the serving wench.

"Ja, I vill have a hot meal and coffee if you have some, tank you."

He takes a seat. He takes in the heat, exhaling. May as well ask her, he thinks to himself.

Once she comes back he asks "I was vondering if you might be able to tell me where I could find a priest. His name ist Dorgio."

The alewife shrugs, an easy motion that sets her jowls quivering.
"I dunno about any priest by that name. But ask around, maybe one of the other folks here knows."

She turns round and bawls Franz's order into the kitchen.

[ewancummins]

OUT BACK OF
THE MARBLE FAUN

BENN

Grumbling in irritation, he returns to the backdoor, kneeling to check for signs that the lock was picked from the outside.

Benn discovers tiny scratches on the lockplate, visible in the glow of a candle only by means of his magnifying lens.
These marks seem consistent with the sort of fine tools used by a professional thief.
Most burglars in this city just kick in the door or smash the window.

[Adam]

"This was how they got in," Benn says to Mattheo. "Professionals, they knew what they were doing."

He steps back into the shop. "Did you take any notes on what you were reading from the scroll?"

[ewancummins]

KATRINA


A bulldog sitting near the bar looks over at Katrina as she hangs up her apron, finished with her shift.
The animal, big and rough looking at first glance, now makes the most pathetic sort of face with big brown eyes and smiling, slobbery lips. It whines and scratches the floorboards, still looking at her.

[ewancummins]

BACK ROOM OF THE MARBLE FAUN

"This was how they got in," Benn says to Mattheo. "Professionals, they knew what they were doing."

He steps back into the shop. "Did you take any notes on what you were reading from the scroll?"

Mattheo taps his head.
"It's up here."
She sits down with a drawn-out sigh.

"I didn't have much time to take notes. I've got the shop to run, and I have to sleep, too. Indeed, I didn't even finish uncovering and reconstructing the entire table of genealogy. I had reached the last couple of generations. Another couple of days and I could have the name of the current heir."

He drains his cup and then pours himself another drink-- all rum this time.

"Of course it's a curiosity, if it's not a fake. Barovia hasn't had a king in centuries. That's why I'm inclined to suspect a collector. We both know men who would not scruple at burglary to obtain a historical document-- perhaps even an interesting forgery."

[kintire]

She glares at it in disapproval

"I know what you're after. Don't even try it. You only want one thing from me!"

They stare at each other for a long moment, then as it makes the puppy-dog face at her she rolls her eyes.

"oh all right....this once."

She head back into the kitchen and emerges with a plate of scraps of meat, generously piled despite her severe words, and sets it down in front of the slobbering dog with the air of someone much tried.

"You know I'm a cat person really. I totally shouldn't be doing this."

[ewancummins]

Munchen gobbles down the treat.

[steveflam]

The large Falkov man notices Munchens behaviour and smiles to himself. "Pardon me, Madam. He means you no harm. Hist name ist Munchen unt he is a very good dog. Don't be shy, he likes de attention. Mein name ist Franz. Would you care to join me for a meal and some conversation?"

Franz gestures to a chair in front of him.


"Ha ha, thank you!" He bursts out afterwards.