Session 2
After action report - 2d session of 7k.
Players: Marcus (Brontus Malloy)
Mar 21
Brontus meets with Lord Derrick Dramwell. Lord Dramwell prefers to be called “Sir Derrick” -- Brontus thinks of him more as a “man of the people” and finds him quite easy to get along with. Sir Derrick requests that Brontus go and see if he can find remnants of the attackers. He offers up to 11 men -- his knights and esquires who have hunting experience. Brontus considers the offer and prefers to act alone. Sir Derrick insists on sending one esquire with him to report on initial findings. Brontus accepts and heads out with Esq. Gladys.
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Interlude: Women have the “Second class citizen” level of social stigma. But this is by social convention, not by law. Because she sought a martial career, she’s had to overcome a considerable amount of prejudice. It has made her an interesting character. Brontus, being somewhat broad minded, only cared that she could keep up and carry her own weight -- the same considerations he would have had to any of the “amateurs” Sir Derrick might have sent along. Gladys was designed as a sample character before, and this seemed like a good opportunity to establish her existence in case there’s a need to swap in a character quickly later on.
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After spending the remainder of the day hiking at a good pace (Brontus was able to share his hiking skill by making a Leadership roll), the pair arrives at the ambush site. They find all of the bandit bodies missing. An hour of daylight remains, so Brontus sets to work. He’s pleasantly surprised to find Gladys helpful. One, whom he had wounded, appears to have recovered and headed off with little effort to conceal his path. That path leads east. But he finds another trail, hard to follow, that leads north. Daylight finally gives out, so he and Gladys camp for the night.
Mar 22 & 23
In the morning, Brontus is able to find that two distinct sets of tracks were responsible for removing 4 bodies. Even more odd is that on one, the right foot seems to “wobble” -- sometimes pointing in, sometimes out, and very obviously so. He finds something similar on the opposite foot of the other track, though it isn’t nearly as obvious. He also finds a couple of pieces of dry straw which seem quite out of place. Brontus decides to follow the trail to the north made by the two odd sets of footprints. Esq. Gladys leaves to report to Sir Derrick that Brontus has found a trail.
Finding that he can’t easily follow the trail, he guessed which direction it was heading and managed to pick up the traces there. At this point, he finds another set of footprints, this pair normal. He follows them for two days. The only interruption is a bear going after his food during the first night he is alone, but he has set up camp well and the bear moves on, frustrated.
During this time, a rainstorm has been threatening. The second night, it hits and gets worse into the next day. He decided to guess where they are going, and settles on an area with limestone caves that’s roughly 20 square miles. He can think of at least a dozen caves where several men could hole up, so he decides to simply go and have a look at them systematically.
Mar 24
Brontus heads for the nearest cave. It’s a particularly easy one to stake out, and the storm is letting up. He decides to rest and eat and watch for the remainder of the day and into the night. The cave is situated on a small lake, and there’s a stretch about 100 feet long where anyone entering or exiting the cave will be easily spotted from across the lake.
As he watches, from a distance he sees what looks like a unicorn standing at the edge of the lake. It is far off and unmoving, so he discounts his initial impression, but he can’t fully shake it. As the day grows late and he becomes convinced that the cave is empty, he decides to have a look at the “unicorn.” Approaching it, he sees that it is indeed a beautiful white horse with single horn on its head. It appears to be staring into the lake. He tries using his facility with animals, even touching and trying to feed it, yet it remains transfixed, looking into the lake. He talks to it, even mounts it -- all to no avail.
Finally he steps into the water, trying to get into its line of sight. When his footsteps disturb the water, it shakes its head and looks up at him. “Thank you, less attractive creature.” Brontus hears the voice in his head. The unicorn is in fact grateful, revealing that a hazard of “being so beautiful” is that it can become so enamored of its own reflection that it finds it impossible to look away. The unicorn also seems to know a little bit about Brontus by “talking” with him, including his name. The unicorn’s name comes across as a mental saga that Brontus finds confusing.
As a thank you, the unicorn takes Brontus to a nearby glade. As it is twilight with darkness deepening, it is amazing to find the spring flowers in bloom and what looks like a swarm of fireflies buzzing about the glade. The unicorn calls one of the “fireflies” over, and tells Brontus that it will serve him for a fortnight. The little creature is some sort of minor faerie being.
Brontus sends it into the cave to check if anyone is there. It returns a few minutes later to report that the cave is empty. The two camp for the night, and it tells him that its people are there for the equinox and festival of flowers -- it is morning, it says, and we celebrate the dawn.
Mar 25
Brontus and the faerie-fly go to the next cave on his list. Its smaller, but Brontus knows it could shelter a handful of men. Sending the faerie-fly in, it reports that no one is inside, but it is occupied. Inside they find a pair of bedrolls, a stack of furs, and some meat. It looks like poachers, or perhaps some of the few licensed trappers. Brontus stakes out the area and waits. He doesn’t have to wait long before a pair of men come back to the cave with a handful of rabbits. Brontus doesn’t recognize them, so he knows that they’re poachers.
Brontus readies his shield and longsword and moves quietly to the cave mouth to confront them. He calls for them to surrender in the name of the Reeve of the Forest. They decide to fight. Unfortunately for them, it’s a task they prove rather inept at -- Brontus quickly wounds both of them severely. Unconcerned for their safety, he binds them, gathers up their goods (which he, as deputy of the Reeve, will receive a share of), and tends to their wounds.
They prove able to travel, so he decides to take them to justice in Blytheton. He sends the faerie-fly to check out another cave, and heads for a nearby village -- the very same village Esq. Hawthorne is steward of. In that village, he meets up with Gunnar, who has decided to stay in the area to pursue a young lass and convince her father that he’s worthy of her attentions. He also hears the bad news: another deputy reeve was found dead by foresters.
Mar 26
Gunnar accompanies Brontus to Blytheton. The two prisoners, looking beaten down, are nonetheless driven hard, doubly so by Gunnar of whom they are quite afraid. In Blytheton, they deposit the prisoners and go to meet Sir Arbek, the Reeve of the Forest. Sir Arbek wants Brontus to find the killer of his deputy. Brontus says some good words about Gunnar, who asks Sir Arbek for employment as an auxiliary, which is granted; Gunnar is assigned to Brontus.
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There the session ends. Brontus is going to find a consulting mage to help track the deputy’s killer. He may also ask for additional muscle.
GM Notes:
This was actually a fairly short session, relative to the last one. I initially expected a second player (who right now is leaning toward playing a bard), but he got his days mixed up and so it was another solo session. That wouldn’t have posed a problem, but I chose to leave things off in Blytheton, where it would be easy to add new PCs. Next session, which should be in a couple of weeks, we will probably have 1 - 3 more players. That’ll certainly add some punch!
