5 Leagues from the borderlands – 02

Turn 2

With the freed woodsman in tow, they were welcomed into Coldham manor. The Baron’s steward sought them out and got them accommodations at a better inn. The woodsman and his friends bought them all drinks and offered to help with the wounded. (Rolled helpful locals, giving me one more campaign activity)

“So, you are the reinforcements? That’s it, six… adventurers?”
Ulrike nodded. It was not like it was their choice to be drafted into this role either.
“I guess it is better than nothing. The ratmen are getting bolder and bolder. At first, we heard of people in the deep woodland camps dissapearing, but over the last weeks, people have been snatched from camps and hovels closer and closer to Coldham. We have sent out patrols, but most of our garrison has been sent north to hold off the norsemen. If you can help us patrol the area, keeping the nearby wood camps secure, you can stay here for free, with ale and food included.”

(For campaign activities, I studied, helped the guards and did hard work, earning 2 gold. I bought two slings for my henchmen, as that was the most efficient way to boost my combat power a bit with my fairly empty wallet. For the activity, I chose to ride a patrol)

It didn’t take long for trouble to find the group. Coming up on gallows hill, they spotted men clad in the baron’s livery stumbling out of the woods. Moving closer, they saw that these were no longer the baron’s soldiers however, they were walking dead. Ulrike was about to order the group to cautiously scout the area closer when Ironbeard grunted.
“Arrr! Dead ones, I hate dead ones! Drakenfelds minions took my cousin Borri! I’ve sworn to exterminate them where-ever I find the bastards!” He hefted his hammer and charged roaring up the hill, drawing out more of the zombies, as well as a huge gawping maw.
“I guess we better follow him.” Kara said, running after the maddened dwarf.

The zombies swarmed over Ironbeard by the time the others reached the hilltop. Shade held the gaping maw back with magical grasping roots to buy time for the others to help Ironbeard. It looked bad for a moment, but then the thud of a hammer started to clear the zombies. Ironbeard smashed their heads like rotten pumpkins. Four of them lay dead at his feet, with two more dispatched by Kara’s arrows.

Most of the zombies were dead, but one had walked through a thicket, and it lunged out of the bushes and grabbed Shade, pulling her into the thicket. Ulrike leaped after them. A piercing scream told her she didn’t have long. She reached the zombie and dispatched it with her dagger, but not before Shade had been seriously wounded. However, it was no time to help right now, as she heard the sound of metal landing heavily nearby. Ironbeard had been hurt. Ulrike charged back up the hill, finding the rest of the group in combat with the gluttonous walking maw. Odo was thrown into some crates, and the beast seemed to mutate all the time, wounds closing just as they appeared. She tried attacking it from above, but was thrown off.

Then the beast charged Rosa. The young scholar, just armed with a staff somehow managed to hold off and beat the beast back. It bought enough time for Kara to notch another arrow. With a lucky shot, she hit it in the gaping maw just as it charged for Rosa again. The arrow hit down the esophagus of the thing, and it spewed blood and bile. The three adventurers still on their feet backed up cautiously, but the beast was done. They held the field and could tend to their wounded. Ulrike noticed that Rosa took more responsibility after her brave stand against the maw. She cared for Odo until he woke up from his concussion, and took more than her share in carrying Shade and Ironbeard back to Coldham. (I spent some adventure points to make Rosa a hero after her brave stand)

“Undead? This close to the manor?” The steward muttered a long prayer to Morr. “Thank the gods that you arrived to put down this threat! You are saints!”
“Ha! Unwilling ones then!” Kara sarcastically grinned. The steward did what most “civilized” people did around Strigany, and ignored her.
“Proper saints! I will inform the baron at once!”

Turn 3-5

The “Saints” spent the next few weeks tending to their wounded, doing stray jobs and helping around the manor. The steward arranged for an old crone known for her healing skills to visit, and with her palms greased with gold, she did great work for both of the wounded. Word had travelled around town about their deeds, and several people, including the Baron Liebhard van Heerdt himself wanted them to take on various tasks.

The contracts:
1: Deliver a letter from a secretive group to a contact in Fort Solace (+3 adventure points, +1 Gold)
2: Patrol and secure the immediate area around Coldham manor for the baron (D6+2 Gold)
3: Locate an important item for a secretive group (+3 adventure points)

Turn 6

The Saints travelled to Coldham with the time sensitive letter, the gold coin tip they got helped with the choice. The weather was horrible, with pouring rain and winds bordering storm, but they made the trip, and at least the weather kept any ambushers away.

Delivering the letter to the captain of the guard, they got a request to bring urgently needed supplies to Camp Whitepoint. The garrison there had fought the invading chaos forces and held them off, but now they desperately needed more supplies. They agreed to deliver the supplies with haste.
(rolled community in need of supplies. Will give me a round of free upkeep and two rations if completed in two turns. An earlier roll told that the barons forces had inflicted a defeat on an enemy threat, and I selected to reduce the chaos warriors to 5)

Turn 7

With the supplies packed, the Saints headed back to Coldham, keeping an eye out for anything on the roads. The weather was still horrible, but when they neared Coldham, they heard the baying of a wolf. With the contract with the Baron in mind, they investigated. (chose to travel to Coldham and complete a patrol before I continue on my way to Camp Whitepoint. The objective was to eliminate the foe, a fitting task for the current storyline)

A small horde of giant rats streamed towards them on the road, seemingly guided by an ethereal looking hound. As the rats came from the road, there was not a lot of obstacles in the way, and the Saints readied their ranged weapons. Luckily, the weather had calmed somewhat, allowing them to use arrow and stone with precision. Ulrike started the hunt, claiming a giant rat with the first bolt off her crossbow. Shade weaved her magic, her magical roots holding the hound in place, allowing Ironbeard to launch a precise stone right in it’s head. While it looked etheral, it was corporeal enough for it to roar in pain and sink together. Odo also claimed a kill with his sling, and then Ironbeard and Ulrike held the frontline, slaying rats until the final few scattered with their tails between their legs. (Got a very easy match-up, and the rolls for table edges gave some opportunities for shots without cover. With the warband now loaded up with 5 ranged weapons, it was easy to pick off most of the weak enemies and then just dispatch the last few in defensive combat with +2 for combat skill and support)

Surveying the area, they found a long dead adventurer clad in a gleaming suit of mail and a purse with a few gold coins. Ulrike hefted the armor. It was lighter than expected, and even though the adventurer was nothing but bone, the humid environment had done nothing to the armor. Not a spec of rust was visible.
Ironbeard inspected the find. “Aye, that is proper dwarf craft! Gromril, nothing better to be found.”
(I found a magical suit of armor and 2 gold on the field. Ironbeard gained a level, and got the pathwise skill)

Returning to Coldham manor with the rat tails, they were greeted like heroes. The steward handed Ulrike a letter. “He said he was an old friend of yours, and to give you this.” Ulrike opened the letter. “I heard about a black haired beauty leading a band of adventurers to great deeds, proper saints from what I hear. Hah! I will find you around, and we can remeniss about your less saintly past. Signed Igor Koch.” With a smile, she recalled some of the mischief she had gotten into with that rogue. It was good to know that she had friends in this inhospitable place. (news roll gave me an adventurer friend)

Thinking about her old friend made Ulrike ponder about her new companions. They had been brought together by misfortune, and they were still stuck in a hellish place, forced to be together. But after this latest victory, she felt like something had changed in the group. She saw Kara and Ironbeard laugh over tall mugs of ale. Shade and Rosa talking over glasses of wine. Even Odo, the plucky young bretonnian had a different luster about him. Maybe they were turning into a proper adventuring band after all? She decided to congratulate Odo with his kill of the day, buying him a big beer on the way over. (I spent adventure points and Odo got his upgrade to hero, maybe one day he will become a mighty knight after all?)