Will Kill for Pay: Blades for Hire (IC)

[rs2excelsior]

OOC thread here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?603918-Will-Kill-for-Pay-Blades-for-Hire).

Exhausted, injured, and dejected, you huddle close around a meager campfire. You are what remains of the shattered Battle Brothers. A scant few days ago the company was nearly forty strong; not the largest mercenary outfit by any means, but one of the best-known, with a reputation of being tough fighters backed by skilled mages. Now, it seemed all of that was gone.

It’d started out well enough. You had taken a job for Lord Nikolaus of Armfeldt, to clear off some roving band of orcs. You'd followed the lord's men, under the direct command of Sir Hildebrandt Lausitz, and tracked the greenskins to a camp within a wood. The plan was for the company to approach from one way, engage the orcs at their camp, while the lord's men-at-arms looped around and engaged from the other side, cutting off their retreat.

Things had gone wrong as soon as you entered the forest. The orcs hadn't been drinking and feasting around their campfires as you'd been told--they were lurking on the paths, waiting for your approach. There were far more of them than you'd been told, as well--and the lord's men never arrived. You fought hard, but were caught off-guard and heavily outnumbered. The Captain had gone down early in the fighting, and despite old Sergeant Othmar's best efforts to rally the troops--or perhaps because of them--he fell beneath the orcs' blades as well. Something happened which had not happened for a long time in the history of the Battle Brothers--the company broke and ran. The survivors fled from the woods... where the pursuing orcs were set upon by the lord's mounted troops. You confront Sir Hildebrandt, who makes excuses about why his men were not where they were expected to be, why his scouts' reports were so wrong... and he makes it clear that you are not getting paid for being defeated, and that you're in no shape to fight him and his men over the issue.

Over the next few days, folks split off—felt like the Battle Brothers were done for, that they would be better off trying their luck with another company, or getting out of the sellsword business and trying their luck in another, less dangerous line of work. Now you are all that remain, those determined enough or with nowhere else to go. It’s up to you whether to rebuild the old company or forge your own destiny under a new name, but one thing is certain—you have little in the way of supplies or coin, you will need work soon to keep yourselves fed.

You are currently on the eastern reaches, in Lord Nikolaus's domain, roughly a week after your defeat. You have very little in terms of cash on hand or supplies--most of that was lost in the fighting or seized by the lord's men. You have probably a day or two of rations each left, and whatever money is on your persons. There is a town nearby--Reisebruck--a small farming village. You may be able to find some supplies there, or perhaps even a job. On the other hand, it is still in Lord Nikolaus' lands. You can continue on, but the next town outside of the lord's lands, Oberstadt, is a
full week away to the west, so you'll have to forage for supplies or similar. That said, west is further from orc lands to the east of the border. As far as you know you haven't been followed by any of the lord's men, though you don't know what they might do if they do find you loitering about.

[tonberryking]

One new recruit was missing. Her bedroll lay near the fire, unoccupied, and seeing as how it and the gear rolled up inside was all she owned in the world, it was unlikely she had abandoned it and her comrades.


In actuality, Randa needed to try to kill something. She had been silently furious ever since that stuffed shirt reneged on his deal, leaving her to deal with a betrayal of employers twice now. Though this one had been far more impersonal her inner anger boiled like a pot on an overloaded stove and getting something decent to eat for the fire was all she could think to do to channel her killer instinct.

With or without prey, she eventually returns, sullen no matter the results, but silently stepping out from the trees until she parks herself back onto her much abused bedding.

"So. Village or strike out to the west? I don't want to stay here but we don't have many choices..."



[roll0] Survival check to go hunting: Randa's looking for anything--wild pig, squirrels, even a deer if she can get lucky but probably not...

Also: Making a general Sleight of hand check to load up on daggers/conceal them: [roll1] she's carrying her two MW's and a plain old dagger on her person now.

[Hazuki]

Lila has spent the last few days in a quiet trance, keeping her thoughts to herself and her presence with what little remained of the company. The loss of the Battle Brothers name, its people, is not one she cares much about. She'd been told so seek a smaller company, and had done so, but forty was still too much for her to bond with anyone overmuch. There were other tieflings among the crew, but...well, what did it matter? She just focused on the job ahead.

She sits hunched at the fire, still heads, shoulders, and horns over the other the other five present. She still has some ration she could share, if it comes to that. If they could find a river, she'd be able to try to catch some fish with her bare hands. But she stays silent until the question of where to go comes up.

"West," she suggests softly.

[Rokku]

"I'm certain the Moon Mother has put us on this path for a reason," says Sister Heidrun, "and the nearby village would provide welcome respite from our travails. I think that to be our best path."

[hannahbbug3]

The irony that, of what was left of the Battle Brothers, more than half were women was not something that was lost on someone like Aravae. She'd never trusted a man further than she could throw him - well, not after that one time that the others still didn't know about - and to be quite frank, trusting a man as far as she could throw him was being generous in the first place. The Captain hadn't been bad. He didn't ask many questions, and she liked that. He was respectful and respectable at the very least. Othmar also hadn't been horrible. And while she wasn't one to mourn, Ara did find herself feeling just a bit bereft that the world might have lost more of the good men that it had to offer. The few that it did, anyway.

For example: they should have never trusted that bastard Nikolaus, and she had known from the start that Hildebrandt was a shifty-eyed d*ck. Of course, such suspicions were par for the course, for her, and the Captain and Sergeant hadn't listened when she brought up her concerns. She didn't consider it a black mark against the men - wasn't right to think so ill of the recently departed, at least ones that had been nice to her while they lived - but she certainly wished that she had been listened to.

When Randa returns to the fire, Ara flicks an acorn into the flames and listens to it hiss and pop and explode. "You hear that?" she asks. "Had I the chance right now, I'd sooner head straight after Hildebrandt and do that to his head than go west. See how that ego of his stands within the coils of a serpent," she spits, tossing another acorn in the fire. "But it would seem that we don't have the numbers for that sort of strike, do we?" she asks the others with a bitter laugh that rings hollow. "It would seem to me that those of us that are left ought to stand together, or we might not stand at all. Whatever you decide. I'll follow," she says.

[kjelfalconer]

Volknard was... irritated, at least. The Battle Brother's had been unusually tolerant of him, so to have to find new work so soon was an unexpected pain. Especially when the whole thing could have been avoided. The flagrant untrustworthiness of the Lord aside, the plan had too many variables for his liking. The information was too old, too unconfirmed, and relying on units he had no contact with was a recipe for, well, this. He'd voiced his concerns, of course, but the Captain had insisted that acting behind their employer's back would look bad on the company. Contracted as he was, the Captain's orders unfortunately took precedence over his own opinions. Though really, what was the point of hiring a tactician if you didn't listen to him?

He had considered selling his services to Lord Nikolaus of course, but even he drew the line at people who'd actively betrayed him already.
"Our most efficient option would be to raid Reisebruck for supplies to last a week or so, then quickly head to Oberstadt."

[hannahbbug3]

"Efficient, yes, smart, no," Ara spoke up in response to Volknard's suggestion. "Come now, man, you've got a head on your shoulders. The six of us against a town militia, I'd say our chances are pretty good," she says. "But all it'll do is paint a bigger target on our back. The six of us against an army that wants revenge? I don't think so."

[tonberryking]

"Hey, the peasant around here have it bad enough; they live under Hildebrandt," Randa dismisses the idea of pillaging quickly.

"We got some money, right? Just pay for some supplies and bail. Even if they attack us and we fight back our former employer's just gonna use any excuse to come after us."

[Rokku]

The Widow Sister's eyes widen at Volknard's brutal suggestion.

I was certainly not suggesting a raid. I'm sure we can come to terms with the villagers. The poor folk generally understand exactly what kind of bastards their leaders are."

[FinnDarkblade]

Andreas sighs wearily and sets down his quill after finishing a line in the Annals regarding the death of one of the newest recruits that had joined them only weeks before the battle in the forest. After massaging his temples for a few seconds he rises and begins to pace.

"It's probably the safest option to just head to the village, get some supplies, and move west as fast as we can. It galls me though to think that Hildebrandt will just get away with what he's done to us. I'm up for getting some revenge but Aravae is correct, we don't have the numbers to stage an open strike against his forces. And making a strike against the village or his men, right or wrong, wouldn't harm him personally anyways.

That doesn't mean there's nothing we can do though. I've been with the Battle Brothers for a long time, since before most of you were born if I'm not mistaken. And the company's been around for quite a bit longer than that. Open strikes have never been what we were hired for, we've never had the numbers for them. We survived and made a name for ourselves as well as we did by choosing the fights we could win, the ones we were suited for. The Brothers have been betrayed by employers before, and it's been our tradition to do what we can to make future employers wary of that idea. After all, if a minor frontier lord's underling can get away with stabbing us in the back then what's to stop everyone else who doesn't want to spend any of their own men or coin from doing the same thing.

So I'm all for revenge here and I'd like your help, as a professional matter if nothing else. Personally, I feel like we owe it to the ones we lost and I think if we put our minds to it we can find a way to make Hildebrandt hurt without losing any more or exposing ourselves to any undue risk. I definitely can't do it myself though, at least, not if I want to get away with it afterwards. So my vote is for revenge on Hildebrandt and maybe even taking what we're owed if we can figure out a way to manage it. If you're all not willing though, or if there's no way to do it safely enough, then I'm open to running. I'm no fool and even I value my living Brothers more than the dead."

He sits down again by the fire and begins carefully packing away the Annals and his writing equipment, content at having had his say.

[Hazuki]

Lila stays quiet through the conversations that follow. Raiding a village for some food strikes her as such a wasteful idea; she had her start in mercenary work by saving a village from raiders, not by acting like one. She has food and coin enough, and it wouldn't hurt the lords much either way. The idea of revenge is still hot in her mind, but how to go about it...that, she has no idea of. Assassination would be their best bet; effective, clean, focused. If she could get her hands on the man, he'd be dead before he could start begging...

But she's had that kind of fantasy before. Making it real is the hard part.

"Revenge how?" she asks Andreas, as she gently fondles the symbol of Sinue around her neck.

[FinnDarkblade]

The tip of Andreas's tail flicks back and forth as he considers.
"For a lesser Noble like him the two things he probably cares the most about are his life and the little bit of power he has. Killing him is obviously the simplest way to get at him and probably sends the strongest message about betraying us. That being said, it probably also has the highest risk of us being hunted down afterwards. After all, we're just a bunch of mercenaries and they're lords. It wouldn't even have to be all that certain that we were the ones who killed him for them to be able to pin it on us.

As for his power, I don't know enough about him to know what might be worth aiming for to send a message. If any of you have heard anything that might work I'd be glad to hear it but given the situation and our lack of time I think killing him is our most realistic option.

It would be nice if we could make it as hard as possible for anyone to be certain we did it though. Maybe we could make an appearance at the village to get supplies and tell people we're heading west as fast as possible before doubling back during the night to pay Hildebrandt a visit. After all, most of us can see in the dark much better than the humans. Any other ideas?"

[Hazuki]

"Get back on our feet first..." Lila says, then pauses. How did it go again? "We need to get back on our feet before we start chasing prey," she intones and hopes the meaning is obvious enough without her having to elaborate on why.

[hannahbbug3]

Aravae listens to all the others have to say, and then gives a nod. "At the very least, our course seems set. We head for the village and resupply. From there, well, we can talk on the road," she says. She glances up to the afternoon sun, humming. "Should we get moving while the light's still good? Lord's army or not, there are also likely still some orcs about. Campfire will attract them. I think we should get going."

[Hazuki]

Lila nods, pulling herself to her feet to help pack the group pack away their things should they need it.

[kjelfalconer]

He turned his attention back to what maps they still possessed. He wasn't convinced they had the capital to procure enough supplies, but the group had spoken, and he was still technically employed by them. The best he could do now was find the best routes.


Rolling Geography: [roll0]

[Rokku]

"I'm glad we've chosen a sensible path," says Heidrun, rising and dusting herself off, "Andreas has the right of it. His power base first, and then his life, I think. That is how the Moon Mother would like it."

[rs2excelsior]

The decision made, the group packs up and sets off down the road. There's not a lot of traffic about--orc raiders combined with armies on the march tend to do that. Most peasants wouldn't be too keen to run into either. Reisebruck is most of a day's march away. Had you waited until morning to set off, you'd arrive the later in the afternoon; as it is, you should make the village before midday. You find a place to camp by the road and pass an uneventful night. If Hildebrandt has dispatched any men to keep an eye on your group, they've been very good at staying hidden.

You reach Reisebruck without incident. It is a village like a hundred others you've passed on your travels around Ostmark, a haphazard collection of little houses, around a hundred people or maybe a bit fewer, usually relying on a single resource or trade to sustain itself economically--in this case the cutting and refining of lumber. The village folk look warily at you as you approach, most keeping their distance. The town doesn't have a wall, per se, more like a low palisade--it could be easily climbed, but at least might offer a little protection against wild animals or people sneaking in. A single man, middle-aged or older bearing worn leather armor and a halberd that's seen better days, bars your path as you approach. "Hold there, strangers. What's your business in Reisebruck?" You notice a few other townsfolk inside the palisade wall watching the exchange. None of them are armed, at least not with more than hunting knives and woodcutting axes, but there are likely a few more militia about in case there is trouble.

[Hazuki]

As they approach the entrance, Lila does her best to not seem threatening. This amounts to walking a little less urgently than she might like, but there's not much else she can do considering her...everything. She learned a long time ago that smiling was oddly unhelpful when it came to dealing with strangers.

At the man's question, she pulls a small pouch of coins from her belt and shakes it to the tune of jingling coins. "Food, other supplies," she tells him as simply as she can. "Visiting a shrine to Sinue, if there is one."

[tonberryking]

Entirely used to having her path into a town barred, Randa just quietly glides up to the guard, looking up at him. She's not visibly carrying any weapons, just her bedroll tied up and slung over her shoulder, hands down by her sides, fairly inconsequential looking compared to even the elder guard.

"Food, supplies and a road out of here; we're not even planning on spending the night. Surely, we're no match for the likes of you..." she says in a sleepy, indifferent tone following Lila, "Is there an entrance fee, or something?" she leaves the "we've got money" part off, no need to start greasing palms yet...


[roll0] Bluff check to make it seem like we're a bunch of losers this guy could totally take in a fight.

[hannahbbug3]

"Why, Randa, I'm certain these men wouldn't hold the gate of the village hostage from us!" Ara says, stepping easily into the role of a damsel that's much weaker than she truly is. "These are upstanding men, I'm sure, and wouldn't leave us poor womenfolk and our escorts barred from the city just because we are weary and dirty from the road. Would they?" she asks, looking to the the guards.

[roll0]

[Rokku]

Approaching in the full garb of a Midnight Nun, Sister Heidrun smiles beatifically at the guard and inclines her head in a slight bow.

"As my friends say," she begins, "we simply seek to purchase some supplies. With orcs likely prowling the woods, we must sadly move on from these lands sooner rather than later. But I would see that this village has the Moon's blessing before we depart, if you find that amenable."

[/roll]1d20+12[/roll] Diplomacy

[Rokku]

Diplomacy [roll0]

[kjelfalconer]

He had no particular interest in these people. The odds of them ever being relevant to him again were slim, but he still did his best to take stock of the situation. The town's exits, defensible points, if the people could act as a distraction. Those were his concerns. And, technically, if the people could pose an obstacle to them, but he already highly doubted that.

[Hazuki]

Lila faintly furrows her brow and leans down to whisper in Ara's ear. "Am I a womenfolk?" she asks innocently.

[rs2excelsior]

"All right, all right. Jus' being careful. Armed folks on the road, don't know their intentions, y'know. But you folks seem reasonable enough. Don' have an inn to offer you, if you're thinking of staying the night, but the headman'll probably have somewhere for you to stay. If it's food you're looking for, the huntsmen should be in sometime this afternoon. If they had a good haul they might be willing to sell you some. Joachim's the blacksmith an' Othmar's a carpenter an' general craftsman, they'd be the best bet for supplies. Come on, an' don' draw a weapon in the walls." The man steps aside and waves you in. The villagers are still eyeing you with a mix of interest at new folks and wariness that you appear to be well-armed--a reaction pretty normal for mercenaries entering town. Some prodding from the gate guard gets you the locations of the various folks he mentioned--it's a small village, they should be fairly easy to find.

Let me know what y'all are looking for. Availability will be somewhat limited. If you're just looking for some rations and such, you can get them, we don't necessarily have to RP it in detail.

[tonberryking]

Randa silently walks past the guard--though makes a point to stay out of reach-- and avoids anything that would be worth defending from a robber's perspective. Doesn't look for a shrine, ignores the fancier houses... She finds out where the Huntsmen gather, and then goes to pay Othmar a visit...


Randa is looking for a water skin, a week's worth of rations but also a craftsman's kit to make traps with. Not, like, bear traps or anything dire, but the goods to make hunting snares and the like with. She has 75 gp so that should cover the sundries but she plans to ask around Othmar and failing that, the hunters when they return.

[roll0] Diplo. She knows her business about traps, but this may or may not be off putting as she tries to get a good deal...

[FinnDarkblade]

Andreas enters the village quietly and moves to meet the huntsmen, planning on spreading the (not untrue) story that they are buying supplies for a journey westward by asking about how many days worth of supplies they might need to reach various towns in that direction.


[roll0]

[Rokku]

"If you could just direct me to the shrines, we would very much appreciate it."

[Hazuki]

"Could one of you accompany me to the shrine please? I do not want to wander alone," Lila requests of her associates, then heads off to pay her respects to the shrine regardless. She offers a small prayer for guidance in the future, thanks that she has survived thus far. Then she pays a visit to Othmar, where she purchases a new pair of boots for everyone save the Widow Sister, followed by stocking up on a great deal of rations for the week ahead and she picks up an insectbane candle while she's there.

Once the group is back together, she presents everyone with their new boots for their travels ahead and hands the insectbane candle to Widow Sister. "I know you have magic boots, but I also know you don't like insects. Light this, and they will stay away from you," she explains.

[FinnDarkblade]

Andreas nods in response to Lila's request.
"I'll come with you. The only thing I need to buy is food when the hunters return this afternoon."
He stands back in respectful silence as she prays at the shrine. As they leave on her other errands he asks,
"How have you been since the battle? I know I checked in with everyone for injuries afterwards but I've been occupied with the Annals since then." He grimaces slightly. "Can't neglect the living for the dead."

[Hazuki]

Lila ponders the question for a few seconds as they walk. "I have felt odd. I know that I should be sad, that our fellows died. But I did not know them truly, so it is not the sadness I think I should feel. Not when I am with others, like you, who knew them for very long. It is like I am not doing enough to despair as deeply."

[FinnDarkblade]

Andreas nods as she speaks and hesitates for moment before speaking, constructing his thoughts.

"I understand what you mean. Many of those who died in the battle were new recruits that I hadn't known for long either. If it helps at all I don't believe there's anything wrong with struggling to mourn someone you've not been close with. I've grieved for every Brother I've lost but some have always been a more personal pain than others."

He thumbs the dull ring on his hand as he speaks, remembering the loss of his adoptive father several years ago.

"Grief is for the benefit of the living, not a debt that we can owe to the dead."

[Hazuki]

With that, Lila feels some weight lift from her shoulders. She smiles slightly at Andreas. "That is a wise thought. You should write it down so others can hear it."

[Rokku]

At the shrine to Sinue Sister Heidrun performs a traditional blessing, entreating the Moon Mother to shield the village in the dark, and guide her party through the twisting paths of the future.

"Thank you Lila," she says when presented with the candle, "you're always so thoughtful."

[Hazuki]

"You are welcome." Lila briefly bows her head to the Widow Sister. "I thought we all could use something, to feel better."

[rs2excelsior]

Randa and Lila are able to find what they're looking for well enough. Othmar has a bit of everything--most of it inexpertly made, but workable enough. He's a jovial enough fellow, with a bit of a habit of talking too much. The Sinuite shrine is easy enough to find, tucked in between some buildings at the market square. It's a simple enough stone structure, a lunar cycle carved into the face along with various prayers and blessings, showing signs of wear. There are small votive candles and minor offerings left around it. The townsfolk give you privacy there, out of respect as much as nervousness.

Andreas has no trouble getting information about nearby larger towns. Most folks here go to Schwarzburg when they're going to market or temple, no more than four or five hours to the northeast with a decent cart--although that's not in the direction you're heading. Oberstadt is a large city, the largest in the vicinity--headman Dietrich got his fancy clothes there, one of the villagers notes with some small degree of awe. It's more like five or six days westwards, depending on how quickly you travel.

The village headman comes find you after a little while. He's better dressed than most of the other villagers, clearly more wealthy, though not as large, rotund, and unused to physical work as a typical person you might find leading a large town or city. If he's concerned about the band of armed people which have come into his village, he does a fairly good job of hiding it. "Welcome, travelers! I am Dietrich, head of this little village here. We don't have much, but you're welcome to what hospitality we have. May I ask how long you're planning on staying here?"

The huntsmen make their way in late in the afternoon, as promised. Fortunately, even after providing what the townsfolk need, they've brought in extra game and forage. There's plenty for you to be able to purchase several days of rations a piece, and they seem fairly eager to have some extra coin on hand--you hear them discussing a few things to purchase on their next trip into Schwarzburg with their unexpected cash windfall. Dietrich invites you to stay in the town's meeting hall for your meal and to stay the night, if you wish to do so.

Again, time is a bit flexible, if you want to jump in anywhere in between. Dietrich basically comes and finds the biggest clump of you he can find, up to you if you're there or not.

One thing I want to bring up, if you want to recruit NPCs to join the company, you can do so at settlements. You might be able to find trained warriors at bigger cities; here you're mostly going to find enthusiastic but untrained peasants at best. They will expect pay, however, and right now you only have your personal funds, nothing in the company coffers--but if you do decide to hire on a few arrow fodder new recruits, feel free.

[Rokku]

Sister Heidrun wanders the village a bit, getting to know the people and ministering to those who need it.

She also slips the story of the battle in the forest into conversation when possible - how the Battle Brothers made a noble last stand against impossible odds, while Lord Nikolaus' forces arrived too late to stop the slaughter. What could have held them back? Certainly not craven greed or cowardice, the Lord would never risk his people that way...

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[hannahbbug3]

Ara wastes no time on pleasantries with the others that are headed for the shrine, instead more keen on taking Randa's approach to things. Resupply, meet the huntsman, be on their way. It's her opinion that the hamlet can offer them very little besides that, and when she rejoins the others with her supplies intact she is surprised to see that anyone thought of her while doing their own shopping. "New shoes. A practical gift," she says, accepting them and putting them on. They fit her well enough, even if her feet were smaller than most people assumed, given her complexion. A little room meant more space for extra layers of socks when the cold season came. For now, though, she didn't want blisters, so she put the new shoes in her bag in favor of the ones she had been wearing before without offering Lila an explanation.

When they are approached by the headman of the village, Ara regards him with not much interest. As she thought before - this is a small village with nothing to it. It didn't have much to offer.

I can't think of anything I need to buy right off that Aravae doesn't already have - for fluff's sake, we'll say she purchased anything that she might have lost in the fighting, but she technically already has in her inventory.

[Hazuki]

When Dietrich approaches the group, Lila finds herself in a position she doesn't particularly want to be in. "Hello. Not for long. A day, maybe," she says and hopes that will satisfy him.

[FinnDarkblade]

Andreas steps up to answer as well, seeking to make as favorable an impression as possible.

"Greetings Dietrich. I am Andreas, Annalist of the Battle Brothers company. We are on our way travelling west to regroup from recent losses suffered against the orcs in the region while under contract with your Lord. We'll be seeking paying work as soon as we can, likely in Oberstadt, so our stay will only be as long as it takes for us to gather the supplies we need and finalize our plans. I thank you for your kindness and we would be honored to accept your hospitality for the night. I am also the company physician so in repayment I'd be happy to take a look at any ill or injured you have while we are here."


[roll0]
Nothing to do but keep on trying to roll. =P

[kjelfalconer]

He'd be happy to be out of this place honestly. It was a defensive nightmare, but more than that, places like this always made him feel... uncomfortable. He was a creature ill suited to peace, and to be surrounded by civilians... He found them as relatable as his horse. A part of him sometimes felt like there was more to it than that, but the reason danced tauntingly at the corners of his vision, never allowing him to focus upon it.

He was confused as to why he'd been bought boots though. It seemed a waste of resources to him, and she'd get no leverage out of it.
"Are we not done here yet? There's still time to make distance before nightfall."

[rs2excelsior]

"Losses? To orcs? Oh no, that isn't good. Not close to here I hope?" He shakes himself, seeming to remember his manners. "Well, best not to dwell on it. You're welcome to stay the night in the hall, then. Evening meal will be served soon, then I'll have some matresses brought up for you. At least it'll be warmer than sleeping under the stars, eh?" He seems a bit happier to offer the town's hospitality after hearing you're only staying the night. "And a healer, you say? I think there are some folks who might like to stop by before you leave. Well, I'll let you get about your business, then!"

The village comes together to put a small feast on, with the game brought in by the hunters, some vegetables from a cellar, rough bread, and watery ale. Still, it's a hot meal, more than you can say for many a night on campaign. At first the villagers are rather standoffish, clearly uncertain about the group of mercenaries in their midst, but as it becomes clear you're only here for a bite to eat and a roof over your heads (spreading around some coin earlier probably didn't hurt, either) they warm up enough to start asking questions--mostly folks who'd never been more than a day's trip from their birthplace, looking for stories of far-off places and exciting battles. They listen to Sister Heidrun's stories with interest, and a decent bit of sympathy for the situation that you found yourselves in. "Quite a pity, all that, but that's nobles for ya. Best not to get involved with em, that's what I always say. When things get tight, they're in it for their own skin, every one of them, an' us little folk like you and I ain't worth nothing. I suppose Nikolaus is better'n most, he don't mess with us so long as we don't make a fuss here. I reckon so long as we keep it that way we don't get no attention from him, and that's probl'y for the best." From the nods and murmurs this comment brings from other listeners, the sentiment seems to be one held by most of the village. Quite a few come to Andreas with various scrapes and ailments, which he offers advice as best he can--something else which seems to bring the villagers around to your side. By the time the sun is going down and the villagers returning to their homes, if they are still nervous to being host to a mercenary group, they aren't showing it anymore. True to his word, Dietrich has a set of simple straw mattresses brought up into the hall after the meal is cleared away and the tables moved to the sides of the hall. You can build a fire in the firepit for a bit of light and warmth, although it's early summer and the night is comfortable.

In the morning, with supplies purchased, a better night's sleep than you've had in a while, and better directions to Oberstadt, you set off. It's a bit of a hike with not much in between, and the road isn't particularly well traveled, but it should take you out of Lord Nikolaus's immediate reach--and offered a prospect of further employment. It's not the easiest of going, but there is a road, and you make fairly decent progress. There are some places where the road is beginning to become overgrown or washed out, but you manage to overcome these minor obstacles without much difficulty.

A couple of days out of Reisebruck, you're on another stretch of unassuming road. There's a gully which cuts across the road, probably 4-6' deep, and it's crossed by a narrow bridge just wide enough for a cart to pass. As you approach, Volknard notices motion on the opposite bank, though he can't pick out what's causing it--wild animals moving through the brush, perhaps?

Like a good portion of Ostmark, you're in a fairly heavily forested area. Off of the road there's thick underbrush and heavy trees, and visibility is limited.

[Hazuki]

Lila picks up a few stones and starts tossing them hard into the brush.

[hannahbbug3]

"Lila, what are you throwing stones for?" Ara asks, not really noticing the rustling. And if she did, she assumed it was from the rocks that Lila threw.

[Hazuki]

Lila shrugs. "I have a bad feeling about this bridge."