Birthright: Tuornen IC

[VAN]

Filbert looks again at the two people at the boat.

"Well, we can always guess he is one of them, but who is the other one? I suspect Baubb had an associate of some sort in the palace, someone that could let him in and out if necessary or someone that could place the toys where Baubb wanted them to be...But we can't be certain. Do you think you can get them with your arrow? Or we can use this cart, it's small but hopefully even if is unconfortable we can get both inside and go downhill with it, otherwise we should run and hope to get closer before they go far away."

[Varrus the Ethical]

Roald flips over the cart upright. "This doesn't strike me as the best of ideas, but if you think we can steer this thing, then by all means."

[VAN]

"Steer it is easy, the problem is the brakes...If you get a stick or cut a branch of a tree we can use that to change the cart's direction by putting it to the ground. Make it stop though without we fall over is much more difficult, we may end up to a tree."

Looking at his burnt flesh and again at the boat Filbert sighs and says:

"Better not risk it, Baubb has splashed me with a lamp and I was basically on fire. I don't want to get dirt on the wounds if the cart goes off the road or gets to a tree. Better go on foot. If you want to hit those at the boat now is your chance since we have the higher ground."

[Varrus the Ethical]

"In that case hand me what's left of the lamp oil. Fire and boats don't mix well."

[ewancummins]

The boat has pushed off now and the two men are rowing hard for the other shore. The river is less than a catapult's throw between the twin cities of Haes and Lofton, as scars on the stone walls of both cities attest.

[ewancummins]

The Auld Oak, just past the wicket

The Huntsman, just outside the courtyard of the Auld Oak

The injured, trapped brigand holds up his right hand, palm open and forward.
''I surrender-- have mercy!"

"I have no intentions on killing you, just going to ask a few questions." The Huntsman says pulling his longsword free of the horse's neck. "If you answer truthfully, I'll tend to your wounds and turn you over to the sheriff. If not.." He says stopping mid-sentence and then shrugs.

"Do you understand?"

The man grunts in pain.
''Unnhh, yes, okay, okay!"

[ewancummins]

The Auld Oak, barroom-


Gunnar rushes to the door, where is he held for a moment while someone inside unbars it for him.

Cormac, having slid down a gutter to get off the roof, catches up just as the door is opened for Gunnar.

Hands reach for both men, pulling them towards the floor. An arrow strikes the door quite close to Gunnar.

"Get in and get low!"

Thunk-- the cross bolt slides in place at their backs.

Looking around the bar-room, Gunnar and Cormac see that their end of the room is occupied by several of the guests and Brennan. One of the men looks badly hurt with an arrow sticking out of his chest and blood all over his tunic. All of the men seem pretty intent on the far end of the room. There, across a no-man-land of broken chairs and overturned tables, bent figures skitter about the shadow behind the long bar and a row of tables flipped to make mantlets. High, whispery voices converse in some monstrous tongue.

Brenna whispers-''Goblins. They nearly killed Hodge with their arrows. If we stay down, they stay down, but if we move they try to skewer us. I heard 'em breaking into the storeroom where we keep the beer. Filthy beggars!"

[ewancummins]

Rennalt-

As the music begins and Renn bows with the rest of the assemblage, he feels delicate fingers brush against his right hand. Something dry and light presses against his palm. When he turns to look, he sees an empty spot on the pew behind him, a little to his right side. He spots a dainty figure in a brown cloak ducking behind one of the massive support pillar—but he loses sight of the mysterious person amid the rows of heads as the people rise from their bows. The thing in his palm feels like a scrap of paper or cloth.

[Lord Skybolt]

Gunnar "whispers" in load voice so the Goblins do hear him"The goblins out side are killed or running for hills right now ." In a true whisper says to Brennan in grimmer tone of voice ."I left somethings stuck in some goblins outside that would be perfect for this situation . If they don't give up after my "whisper" to you I will take care them in more permanent fashion, after I get back ." Gunnar waits for them to open the door so he run out and grab his daggers .

[RocEter]

The Auld Oak, just past the wicket

The Huntsman, just outside the courtyard of the Auld Oak

The injured, trapped brigand holds up his right hand, palm open and forward.
''I surrender-- have mercy!"

"I have no intentions on killing you, just going to ask a few questions." The Huntsman says pulling his longsword free of the horse's neck. "If you answer truthfully, I'll tend to your wounds and turn you over to the sheriff. If not.." He says stopping mid-sentence and then shrugs.

"Do you understand?"

The man grunts in pain.
''Unnhh, yes, okay, okay!"

"Where is your camp located? How many goblins are you working with? Why would you follow me all the way here when it would have been much easier for you and friends to attack a nearby farm?" The Huntsman says to the brigand.

[VAN]

Filbert gives some of the lamp oil to Roald.

"I kept some because we need to light the torch again. The fastest way back is from the same tunnel we came here I guess. Plus we have your horse and the pony tied near Baubb's house and I don't want to let them there during the night."

[Varrus the Ethical]

Roald lights the rag on the end of the arrow, notches it to his bow, and then draws it back, aiming for the boat.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Cathedral

Rennault is starting to feel rather pleased with himself as he surveys the ceremony--until someone presses the scrap into his hand. At first he tries tracking the figure through the crowd, but soon he loses sight. He then looks down at the scrap. Was it a tip? A threat?

[Adam]

Cormac grumbles. "They would be after the beer," as he scampers on all fours over to the wounded man.

He fishes in his belt pouch and pulls out a berry, handing it to the man. "Eat this an' you'll be right as rain. Keep yer 'ead down. We'll handle this."

[ewancummins]

The Auld Oak, Bar-room

The injured man eats the goodberry; his wounds cease to bleed.

Someone unbars the door and Gunnar races through it before it slams shut.

Gunnar, outside

VIEW CONTENT:

He finds two big goblins trying to steal his warhorse—and not having a good time of it. The thieves hold fast to a halter cast around Rumble’s neck, but are not able to bring the big horse down. A third goblin lies face down in the mud with Rumble’s hoofmarks stamped deep in his bloody corpse.
The big man grabs a dagger from the body of a dead goblin and goes to work. The first would-be horse wrangler doesn’t see him coming, and he nearly takes its head off with a savage shearing stroke across the throat. The other turns to flee, but Rumble kicks it down and tramples it till it ceases to move.

The instant that the door closes again, the goblins boil out of their hidey-holes, swinging axes, stabbing with spears, and hurling empty mugs.

The men, wary of an attack, fire arrows and hurl broken chair legs at the oncoming foe.
Cormac has time for two hasty shots before the monsters fall on him and the other men. He puts two shots in the biggest goblin headed his way, an ugly brute as big as a man with mad eyes and mouth full of teeth like rusted nails.

A wild mêlée ensues. Brennan grabs and head-butts a screaming drunk goblin. One of the farm boys takes a spear in the thigh. Two of the men drop their spears in the tussle. The blacksmith brains a goblin with his hammer. Two fat goblins leap up and down on an injured man, cackling with evil glee—until the fur trader lunges at them, slamming an open bear trap onto one’s face and punching the other in the crotch.

The goblins waver, and then fall begin to back. The door swings open as a mighty thunderclap sounds. Gunnar has returned. The appearance of a giant blood-stained man gripping two red knives does nothing to improve the enemy’s morale. The goblins flee towards the drain by which the entered the bar, only to be cut down by the pursuing men of the Auld Oak.




Beyond the wicket, the Huntsman questioning the injured brigand-

‘’We come after you because you killed our friends. Can’t let that stand. The gobs; they buy captives from us. Unh….damn that hurts…my leg….ah…our camp was under the flat hill. You just didn’t go deep enough. “
The interrogation is interrupted by wild screams and the clash of arms from the other side of the building.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the fighting is over-
The last of the goblins has been slain or forced to flee.
Gunnar has secured his daggers and his warhorse, and had time to check the perimeter. The enemy, it seems, are all gone.
Cormac tends to the wounded men as best he can. His good berries prove invaluable in turning serious injuries into minor ones. No one seems likely to die.
The Huntsman’s conjured thunder storm spends its fury on the surrounding land, lightning bolts striking all across the field, but never hitting the Auld Oak or the tree that gives it its name.


__________________________________________________________________________

Cathedral

Rennault is starting to feel rather pleased with himself as he surveys the ceremony--until someone presses the scrap into his hand. At first he tries tracking the figure through the crowd, but soon he loses sight. He then looks down at the scrap. Was it a tip? A threat?

As the ceremony begins, Renn unfolds the paper and reads the spidery handwriting...

(check PM)
__________________________________________________________________________

The River

Roald lights the rag on the end of the arrow, notches hit to his bow, and then draws it back, aiming for the boat.

Roald's shot arcs high and then dips down towards the boat.

The two men in the boat scream as the arrow strikes the rower's bench. The lean man drops his paddle and swats at his cloak, which smolders where the arrow touched it. The fat man tumbles from the boat with a great splash.



Filbert and Roald peer out at the black swells of the river, hoping to see if the fat man, whom they presume to be Baubb the Toymaker, surfaces. The cold light of the crescent moon and the stars doesn’t quite cut through the night-fog off the water, and neither the fool nor the sell-sword can tell what’s become of the fat man. They hear a faint, distant, rhythmic splash and slap, more like oars than a swimmer…
________________________________________________________________















Ducal Palace, Lofton, Alamie
The mail-clad man-at-arms hurries into the torch lit throne room and bows low before the gaunt old man seated in the gilded chair.
“Your agents have sent up the rocket, Your Grace. I saw the fire over the river with my own eyes.”

Carilon Alam grips the arms of his throne, his thin body shaking like a hound in the slips.
“Excellent! The Toymaker’s gadgets actually did the job! With both Cousin Gilgead and his half-breed son dead, the westerners will welcome my strong hand—or be crushed by it. I will win back my stolen lands. Launch every vessel. Tonight, I reclaim my birthright!”

END OF CHAPTER ONE