Another encounter with the cultists. Looks to be the same group as before. Back to finish us off? I think not!
Battle Records: Nivak = 16 kills, 3 kills in 1 turn. Nadon = 15 kills (including 2 Wizards). Growlyn = 9 kills (including the Head Warrior), High Damage Kill at 26 points. Caradryan = 8 kills (including 2 Elites), 3 kills in 1 turn, 1 assist. Lillay = 8 kills. Varthlokkur = 7 kills (including the “Warrior Chick”). Jezeg = 5 kills. Ilmarian = 2 kills. Akban = 1 kill.
Day 1016 (2 days later)
That night: Nickolaus is providing finer traveling accommodations than we are used to. Generally whenever we’re “on the road”, we just camp out. It’s only when we’re in town that we spring for “deluxe” lodgings at a flophouse or less often an inn. Nickolaus would rather spend his nights at a roadside inn, if possible, and we’re not ones to pass up free food, ale, and/or beds. We’re all set to eat some fine stew and drink some finer ale at one such establishment and there’s a round of thuds coming from the front door. Upon further investigation, we see that there are several flaming arrows stuck in said door. Varthlokkur, Growlyn, Louis, and I all rally out front to defend as best we can. Caradryan takes the others to gather our injured (from upstairs) and our horses and cart (from the stables). Two other guests assist us out front. We can’t figure out who our attackers are – only that they appear to be mercs and we see that they carry banners. Our fellow guests turn out to be quite proficient in the art of spell-casting – a great relief to me as I was concerned about going up against such a large group without our entire party. We stay after the battle to help clean-up because Varthlokkur believes that the attackers were after us and our “cargo” and proceeds to tell the owner of the inn.
Battle Records: Varthlokkur = 3 kills. Lillay = 2 kills. Growlyn = 2 kills.
Records: Jezeg loses another 32 pounds.
Day 1023 (7 days later)
That night: Rufino gives us quite a surprise at dinner! We’d stopped at another roadside inn and again we didn’t even get a chance to eat first. Don’t these people have any manners? We’re weary and hungry and the two dwarfs have been yelling for ale since mid-day. I suppose it’s too much to ask for a little rest and relaxation before battle. Well, Rufino must have known we were coming because he and his men were posing (very well, I might add) as the inn’s staff and guests. It’s not a pretty fight. Nivak loses his second (and last) hireling, Akban, to a blow that cuts his head clear off. We are largely victorious with the exception of Rufino’s escape. He must have realized that his was the losing team. After the battle, we find the original inhabitants of the inn in a back room – all dead. Some of us are wounded seriously enough to require settling in here for at least a week or two. The non-wounded take care to bar the windows and doors securely and set a rotating watch.
Battle Records: Varthlokkur = 15 kills. Growlyn = 12 kills. Nivak = 11 kills, High Damage Kill at 23 points. Lillay = 9 kills. Nadon = 7 kills. Jezeg = 7 kills (including Head Assassin). Ilmarian = 2 kills. Caradryan = 1 kill from under the table with his staff. Akban = 1 kill, died in battle.
Day 1025 (2 days later)
Caradryan must operate again. Nickolaus’ bodyguard, Louis, dies on the table. And, I’m up next. He’s not the gentlest of surgeons, but he gets the job done (sometimes). I survive the ordeal, but I’m on bed-rest for the next 14 weeks. I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself. On the “bright” side, though, I won’t have to wear armor for awhile, so maybe this weird rash on my arm will heal itself.
Records: Caradryan = +1 KOT.
Day 1081 (7 weeks later)
This inactivity is killing me! And, I’ve got 7 more weeks to go. I don’t know if I can make it. Although, we did have visitors today which helped to relieve the boredom…just a tiny bit. Some men from the local magistrate stopped in to question why the inn had been closed up for so long. Caradryan and Growlyn sweet-talked them and I think even pulled it off without raising too much suspicion. They claimed we were doing renovations on the place and waiting for our supplies to come in. They’re staying the night here.
Day 1082 (the next day)
The magistrate’s men leave and someone puts up a “For Sale” sign. They’ve decided we should sell it as our own. Who would be the wiser? It’s not like it’s within any one town’s limits.
Day 1091 (9 days later)
Finally some riders stop! A man named Josef comes in asking for the owner and Growlyn points him towards Caradryan. Josef turns out to be a traveling wine salesman. It doesn’t take much (or long!) to tempt Caradryan into buying the whole lot of it. There goes more gold – 350 pieces to be exact. Growlyn tries to step in and stop the proceedings, but fails. It’s obvious that this new acquisition is just a catastrophe waiting to happen. Caradryan doesn’t waste any time cracking open the first bottle of the finest and finishes it off in hardly more than a single swallow. Growlyn locks the rest of it up, promising to ration it out moderately. Caradryan, Varthlokkur, and Growlyn get into a huge argument about the whole thing.