IronFort: DragonTalesSession005

Chapter 5 - Strays

The man who channels stands alone.

He gives his friends for sacrifice.

Two roads before him, one to death beyond dying,

Which will he choose? Which will he choose?

What hand shelters? What hand slays?

Blood feeds blood.

Blood calls blood.

Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.

Now the Great Lord comes.

The town watch are guarding the site of the lightning strike on the Inn and shoeing people away. There is talk about Darkfriends in the town. The group prepare to leave town before we get the blame or the Thief-takers catch up with us again.

TyrgrimTorenan is found wandering around, JacAlNorey wraps his eyes in bandages.

As the group are about to check out, OlivaAnStein, suddenly faints. A Healer Woman is summoned to look at TyrgrimTorenan and OlivaAnStein. She is concerned about OlivaAnStein whom has suddenly come down with a strange fever and orders her to have bed rest. She tells TyrgrimTorenan that his eyes are not damaged and if he keeps his eyes covered then they will recover over the next few days. UzulfTzun pays her 4 Shillings for looking after his friends.

The group resign themselves to staying in the town for sometime and book another night in the Inn. Later in the afternoon OlivaAnStein comes downstairs from her room as if nothing had happened. Everyone including OlivaAnStein is perplexed by this.

UzulfTzun chats around his friends amoungst the Merchant and finds that there is a large Caravan leaving first thing, the owner will let the group travel with it. All agree that travelling with the Caravan would be safer.

The group trade 'down' their nice Traveling Van for a Covered Cart. They also buy a second tarp, a stove and wooden planks plus bedding to put under the tent (it is raining and cold). This lot wipes out the profit on the swap.

That evening there are entertainers in the Posh Inn. TyrgrimTorenan asks them to perform a version of the 'Hunting of the Horn' which UzulfTzun translate and expands until all leave him to his drink. OlivaAnStein pays for a song from home. The Rich Merchant returns with gift for OlivaAnStein, a 100 silver marks pearl necklace. There is some competition for OlivaAnStein attentions and she lays on the 'I never get presents' act thick and heavy. She snubs the Rich Merchant this evening but agrees to meet up at another time.

[Adar-17]

The group join the Caravan a first light and travel with them as the second wagon in line until the next town. They are very busy and there are no rooms. OlivaAnStein pretends to be a rich travelling lady and an old house in the village is opened for her us.

JacAlNorey and OlivaAnStein are taken to the house by a maid, there are signs of entry. JacAlNorey goes back for the rest, he returns with UzulfTzun. They find a young man in the artic. He claims to be subject to some bad dreams and to have been chased from his home village. The group are suspicious and try several interogation techniques but he sticks to his story. OlivaAnStein seems to take a shine to him and he is allowed to stay.

The stranger is scared and considered to be in danger by some of the group, so we take him with us in the Cart.

In the morning TyrgrimTorenan eyes have improved but they still need to be partially covered.

After a few hours travel along the road, it is noticed that the normally very busy trade route has no carts or caravans going the other way.

JacAlNorey is sent up the road to see if the road is out or blocked etc, he find after some miles that the next village has been attacked. All the villagers are on the road, waiting for the Queen's Guard to arrive and deal with the problem. He returns back. It is agree that the 'adventurers' will head up the road and attempt to clear it for the Caravan.

The group enter the village from different directions, in the classic split up to cause more damage and confusion style. They are soon horrified by what they find. It seams that a Trolloc raiding party swept into the village and killed most of the people that where in the open, not long after dawn. They ripped open the Inn and killed everyone there. They chased a lady into the barn and she somehow killed one. There is a 'magical' knife that is very hot found in a bucket of water and a burn mark on a barn column.

Is it normal for Trolloc to attack in daylight? TyrgrimTorenan's answer: no, they are usually nocturnal and attack only in daylight when pushe by more powerful shadow creatures.
The only proof that this was a Trolloc raid is one expertly killed Trolloc and the remains of an attack. Could this have been faked - if so whom would do this? If it was a con why is the lady lying? In fact why is she lying? DM's note: well, you have a partial answer now... :-)
What was the knife for and why is it a bucket of water? Are there things that are only killed by Heat? Is the heat the remains of something on the knife? DM's answer: you might never know now as TyrgrimTorenan left with the knife...

OlivaAnStein persuades some of the villagers to come out of there homes and she 'sheperds' them outside the village.

We discuss stuff with the lady and she claims not to be an Aes Sedai but she is definatly not, just a lady. However, the blow that kills the Trolloc was from an expert.