[WFRP] The Bloody Crown XIV

[LeSwordfish]

"How much?" Ludo asked, making both Jak and Stela jump. He was able to listen very quietly when he wanted.

[LCP]

Stela seemed a little reluctant to answer - but she had just said she couldn't afford to be proud. She looked to Jak and the others for some cue. Brina nodded at her.

"Three crowns, two schillings and fivepence," said Stela. "That's what it was the last time I paid."

[LeSwordfish]

"A friend of Brina's is honorary Painford people," Ludo said. "Were there other people in there with similar debts?"

[LCP]

"Um... yeah, I think so," said Stela. "I mean, not that I know what everyone owes... but there's at least a few."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Ludo..." Sieghard interrupted. He glanced at Jak, Stela, and Brina, then lowered his voice. "We can't do what you're thinking. Word gets out and there'll be no end of people expecting what they think is their share. And when the money's gone and the people are still coming, what then?"

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo opened his mouth to object, and then closed it again, a little sourly. He drew four crowns from the payment Filomena had made and handed them over. "If anyone asks where you got the money... leave my name out of it, maybe."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"I ain't telling you not to help people," Sieghard muttered when he saw Ludo's expression. "Just... Be smart about it is all. There's only so much we can do and we can't have people risking themselves coming to us and then having to turn them away."

"It was your money, understand?" he said, pointing at Jak. "Think up some way you earned it and then all of you stick to the story."

[LCP]

The looks on Stela and Jak's faces were ones of surprise, gratitude - and a little confusion at the request for secrecy. It took them a little while to find the words to say thank you. Stela was clearly wondering why they were helping them at all.

"That's very kind of you, Herr Stubbs," said Brina. "Not a kindness that'll be soon forgotten, I'm sure."

She exchanged a glance with Bran. "...I suppose we'll be headed down to Painford next, to get our folk who are still left there. Were they doing alright, when you were last there yourself?"

[LeSwordfish]

"I'm setting off for there soon," Ludo said. "Would be happy to have some companionship on the road."

"Last time we saw Painford, Sforza himself had just left, going south, so if anyone had any problems they were keeping it to themselves. Branka's little one's doing well, got his first tooth in. Mirana's been looking after the goats while Ivan's been sick."

[LCP]

Brina was pleased to hear Ludo's news - a much more evident and straightforward appreciation than the wary respect she'd shown for their intervention with Pietro. "Ranald must be with us today, then, that we crossed paths with you," she said. "We couldn't ask for better company to travel in."

OOC:

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I'm taking it that you guys will want to play out Elsa's discussion about Bardhyl first, but let me know when you're ready to move ahead to your respective journeys. I'm assuming you'll set out the following morning.

2 things I'm not clear on atm: will Elsa be taking Olga with her to Putbad? And will Sieghard be accompanying Ludo & Jarla to Painford?

[LCP]

Konigstag, 27th Pflugzeit

On the morning of Konigstag, the party split up to go their separate ways: Jarla and Ludo south to Painford, and Elsa upriver to Putbad to fetch her horses. There was no need for goodbyes - they knew they’d be seeing each other again soon enough.

Elsa

The earliest riverboat that Elsa could find departing for Putbad was called the Stirpike. Just like the boat that had taken her south, it was carrying a complement of guards - rough men and women who looked like they’d have been more at home in the company of No-Nose Dragos than the well-heeled merchants who made up Elsa’s fellow passengers.

“It’s ridiculous we have to travel like this,” said the best-dressed among them - a woman who claimed to be from the Jewellers’ Guild. She was travelling with a guard of her own, a hulking fellow with an iron-bound strongbox strapped across his back. “The Prince will have to do something about it. I mean, what are the Reaches coming to when even the Azril isn’t safe?”

"Always been bandits in the Karst,” said another. “The guilders could clear them out, if they stumped up the coin to get a few men together. They’ve done it before.”

“I heard they already tried,” said a third. “Whoever’s leading this bunch isn’t making it easy. Heard they’re calling them the Ghost.” There was a pause as the others looked at him, waiting for an explanation. “On account of disappearing.”

The passengers’ conversation was interrupted by the crew getting ready to cast off, a couple of boatmen chivvying them out of the way. Worming out past the other vessels that crowded the ends of the piers, the Stirpike dipped her oars and began pulling north.

Bardhyl

While the others were travelling, Bardhyl had some work to do in town. Sandu didn’t look happy to see him again - but then Sandu rarely looked happy to see anyone.

“You know the Green Dragon’s not a ferry,” he said, when Bardhyl had given him the outline of their plans for Gina. “There’s plenty of boats on these docks who’ll take anyone up that way if you put a few schillings in their hand.” He sighed. “But you’re asking a smuggler, so I’m guessing you want her smuggled, is that right?”

He paused for a while in thought, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “Just one question. Is this the paying kind of favour?” He raised his red eyebrows at Bardhyl. “Only the wife’s going to start asking me why she married me again if I do too many more of the other kind.”

---

Angestag, 28th Pflugzeit - Elsa

The Stirpike got past the Knives without the Ghost making an appearance. With the river so low, the current was weak, and the boatmen on the oars made good time against it. They arrived in Putbad early on Angestag afternoon.

The Pool of Putbad was crowded with boats, many of which Elsa thought hadn't moved since the last time she'd seen them. The mighty Silver Falls were now so reduced that by the time the water reached the bottom it was little more than mist; as a consequence, the hike up the winding cliffside path to the high town was unusually dry.

The horses were in good health, and Bastard even seemed pleased to see Elsa again - which was to say, he only tried to bite her a little bit.

---

Festag, 29th Pflugzeit - Ludo & Jarla


It was late on Festag when Ludo and Jarla reached Painford. With Brina and the others on foot, it had been a leisurely journey even for Ludo's pony.

On the road, Brina and the others had shared a few stories of how things were getting on at their farmstead - as much for Stela's benefit as for Ludo's. It sounded like things were going alright, for all that the drought showed no sign of breaking. They were close enough to the Teeth that they'd had a brush or two with the goblins, but they didn't seem too concerned. "Too many of us for the little beasts to get hold," opined Bran. "You've just got to be careful when you're out by your lonesome."

On arriving in town, Ludo and Jarla had barely got down out of the saddle when Hanna came hurrying over to fill Ludo in on where things stood with Gina. “She’s in an old charcoal-burner’s hut, about five minutes out into the woods,” she said. “She’s bouncing off the walls a bit, but it’s keeping her out of the public view.”

Jarla, meanwhile, had noticed there was a horse tied up outside Gavril’s. She was pretty sure she recognised it as the lean old nag that Jacques had been riding when he left Savonne with the hunt.

Hanna saw where she was looking, and gave a small nod. “He turned up this morning,” he said. “Says he's headed for Savonne with messages from the Prince. Doesn’t seem in much of a hurry though.”

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"If you want to check on the girl and let her know what's going on, I can keep the singer busy," Sieghard suggested. He turned to Hanna. "Where is he now?"

---

"I'm sorry that I wasn't here to greet you herr..." Sieghard realized he couldn't remember the singer's name. "But there was some business in the north I needed to see to and I didn't expect you to return north so soon. I'm surprised the princess let you leave her side. I've heard she's fond of you."

Spoiler

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Sieghard is also joining the Painford group. Apologies for not saying so sooner. Busy time of year.

[LCP]

Painford, 29th Pflugzeit

"He's still inside with Gavril," said Hanna. "Don't think he's much used to hard marching."

Jacques was indeed inside the hostel, nursing a cup of wine. He looked up at Sieghard entered.

"That is very good of you to say, my lord steward," he said, brushing back his black curls with a preening air. "Of course, I was reluctant to leave their highness' side - but the Prince required a trustworthy messenger to take the news of their return back to the city. They will be only a day or two behind me, I believe."

[LeSwordfish]

Elsa, Sieghard, and Ludo - 26th
"I'm not sure I trust him at all," Ludo said. "That said... if he wants to drag us into the karst for some reason, I at least want to know what that reason is. If he's an agent of the vampire, he might know where Mala is, and if he was loyal to Rorik... could do more effective things than lure out and kill us."

Ludo on the Road - 28th
"Knew a trader who went out wearing this massive tall steel helmet." Ludo said. "Had a spike on top like two feet tall. His theory was that the goblins would think he was bigger and stay away. It worked for a little while, they left him alone."

"What happened to him in the end?" Ortwin asked.

"Struck by lightning."

Painford - 29th
"The prince is coming back so soon?" Ludo asked. "I thought he was going all the way to Mirino?"

[LCP]

Painford, 29th Pflugzeit

Jacques looked interested to see Ludo - and did a poor job of hiding it. "Oh no, no," he said. "No sense in travelling all that way when there is plenty of fresh air and game in the Vale. It's very green there now, after the rains they had in the hills. Although there are too many... how do you call them? Les sauterelles." He imitated the noise of a cricket. "Myself, I detest insects."

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa, Ludo and Sieghard

"I'm not sure I trust him at all," Ludo said. "That said... if he wants to drag us into the karst for some reason, I at least want to know what that reason is. If he's an agent of the vampire, he might know where Mala is, and if he was loyal to Rorik... could do more effective things than lure out and kill us."

"I do intend to follow him out there," said Elsa, "but we need to keep a close eye on him. Maybe ask him how well he knows Wadim, and see if he tells us the truth. But that can wait."

---

Traveling upriver

Though she considered bandit-hunting to be beneath her at this point, Elsa listened with some interest to the tales of the 'Ghost'. Arne Golden-Hair, former Prince Belehir and Gunda were all unaccounted for, and all had sufficient motive to turn to banditry. Then again, this could be someone new.

"How long has there been talk of this 'Ghost'?" she inquired, leaning towards the conversation.

"Have they been hitting specific kinds of shipments? Do you know someone who's been hit and lived to tell about it?"

OOC

Spoiler

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Gossip 44: (d100)[14]
Fortune: (d100)[8]

---

In Putbad

Elsa spent her late afternoon in Putbad running some housekeeping errands, including the literal 'house-keeping' of paying next month's rent. At dusk, she took both horses out into the fields of the Uplands to let them stretch their legs and eat some of the tender grass of spring before the return to Savonne.

After nightfall, she put on makeup to conceal her tattoos and visited an inn near the upper port to gamble for small stakes and listen to what the boatmen were saying about the low river, the state of commerce, and whatever was going on in the upstream princedoms.

OOC

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Untrained Gamble 38. Elsa is not wagering more than 10 shillings total. (d100)[30]

Is it Gossip 44 or Perception 75 to just listen passively to rumors? Anyway here's a roll: (d100)[41]
And here's a re-roll: (d100)[83]

I don't really have any other plans in Putbad, so if the others finish their stuff before I post again, feel free to have Elsa return to Savonne with the horses.

Edit: Some pretty solid rolls!

[rax]

Konigstag, 27th Pflugzeit

"Nothing gets past you, Sandu my man. You'll be carrying paying passengers and I fully expect you can count on a decent gratuity to ease your good lady wife's worries as well. A couple of my men will be coming along to keep an eye on the girl and speed her on her way once you make Putbad," Bardhyl grinned.

"By the way, I hear there's bandit troubles up the river these days. Some fellow the call 'The Ghost'? You know anything about that?" he asked the smuggler.

[LeSwordfish]

Ludo, Sieghard, Elsa
"He'll find us pretty hard to ambush, I tell you that much."

Painford
Ludo nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I won't have it said that we're ungracious hosts in Painford - what are you drinking?"

OOC

Spoiler

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Jacques doesn't like Ludo much but I wonder if Irene might have let something slip near him, or some other reason for him to be giving Ludo the eye. I want to give him a few drinks, butter him up a bit, and see if I can get him to say what it was. Probably Charm vs 92 (1d100)[11] or possibly Gossip vs 72, probably with some kind of ruined-his-life penalty.

[RossN]

Festag, 29th Pflugzeit - Ludo & Jarla

Jarla who had entered just after Ludo smiled at Jacques: "It's been too long Jacques. So what word from their Highnesses?" She tried to look diffident as she added: "How is my dear friend the princepessa?"

[LCP]

27th Pflugzeit

Elsa

As was so often the case, Elsa sensed a little reluctance on the part of her fellow passengers to talk to the Prince's infamous fire wizard. On the deck of the Stirpike, however, they had nowhere to go. Nervous though they might be in her presence, none of these worthy merchants wanted to give the appearance that they personally were ignoring her.

"There's been three boats taken since the coronation," said the man who had spoken most authoritatively. "That's what I heard - and it was the last one that got the guilders to go searching for the wreckers." He shook his head. "Don't know what they were carrying. If any of the crew got away, I haven't heard of them making it back to Putbad."

Bardhyl

"Nothing gets past you, Sandu my man. You'll be carrying paying passengers and I fully expect you can count on a decent gratuity to ease your good lady wife's worries as well. A couple of my men will be coming along to keep an eye on the girl and speed her on her way once you make Putbad," Bardhyl grinned.

"How much are we talking here?" said Sandu "I don't know what your interest is in this girl, but if she's anything to do with that lot you asked me to introduce you to, I'll bet she's trouble." He kept his eyebrows raised. "If this is a no-questions-asked sort of deal, then I've got to charge you top rate. Twelve crowns."

"By the way, I hear there's bandit troubles up the river these days. Some fellow the call 'The Ghost'? You know anything about that?" he asked the smuggler.

"Heard about that, did you?" said Sandu. "Hope you're not looking to move in on that business yourself. Moving goods up the river is difficult enough these days as it is."

He sighed. "The Knives've always been a good spot for wreckers. Now the river's so low, the big boats have got to go round 'em at a snail's pace. It's like a red rag to a bull. And you know as well as anyone, there's too many lads sloshing about after the wars who've been shown how to use a weapon, but don't have anyone paying 'em for it any more." He knocked back a swig from his drink. "Heard there was some muster of guild guards went out into the rocks to flush this lot out, but hunting bandits in the Karst is a fool's errand. Too many hiding places."

"Haven't had any trouble with them myself so far. The Dragon can still get through that stretch at a fair lick. River gets much lower, maybe I'll start worrying." He shrugged. "If we've got to start paying a toll to keep the wreckers sweet, I've done that before. Price of doing business."

---

Elsa, 28th Pflugzeit

Elsa found a card circle at the Silver Lady, and to her pleasure found herself walking away with six schillings more than she'd staked. The talk at the inn was dominated by the still-falling level of the Azril - traders concerned about how much longer their boats would be able to traverse the Knives at all, and locals muttering about Azriller withdrawing her favour.

"You know they had a big ceremony at the temple down there in Savonne?" said one player, a white-bearded old riverman who seemed to know his way around a deck of cards. "Asking the gods for rain. Fat lot of good that did."
"It's the monks here we ought to be asking for answers," said another. "She's their river, ain't she?"

OOC:

Spoiler

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Rumour-gathering is pretty much the core use of Gossip.

---

Painford, 29th Pflugzeit

"My lady Schreiber!" said Jacques, leaping to his feet and bowing low to Jarla as he saw her enter. "Too long indeed! What a pleasure it is to see you here - I was expecting to find you in the city."

Jacques had seemed suspicious of Ludo's hospitality, but Jarla's appearance seemed to ameliorate any ill-will he felt towards the halfling at least enough for him not to turn down the offer of free drinks. As he chatted away to Jarla, Ludo kept him plied with flattery and alcohol, waiting for him to let something slip. For Jacques' part, some part of him clearly revelled in the attention.

"Oh, the principessa is doing well, tolerably well. I was coming to tell you, my lady, they are returning to Savonne - I thought you would want to have everything prepared. I think they will be leaving Manann's Keep tomorrow." He paused, and then with a nonchalant air that Ludo was sure was very bad acting, airily asked: "Have you heard any news of the runaway? The principessa's serving girl - you know she is still very concerned about the poor thing."

[RossN]

Painford, 29th Pflugzeit

"That soon? Oh... wonderful," Jarla replied, frozen smile on her face. "And yes I suppose I must return to Savonne to prepare."

She didn't risk glancing at Ludo but instead paused a moment, before asking in excited tones that suggested she was hearing it for the first time: "What is this about Irene's girl?"

[LCP]

Painford, 29th Pflugzeit

Jacques clapped his hand to his forehead. "Sainte Dame! Of course, you haven't heard. My apologies, my lady. It happened here, on the way down." He gestured expansively around, as if to take in all of Painford. "The principessa had an, ah, episode - she felt unwell. The fear was that she had been poisoned, but she recovered very shortly. Perhaps something she ate, oui? But this serving-girl, one of the principessa's maids, she disappeared. I don't believe she's been seen since." He looked to Ludo. "Unless you have any news to share, monsieur... Stoobs, was it?"

[LeSwordfish]

"I've been out of town," Ludo said, butter not melting in his mouth, thinking a series of vicious curses that now they would need to wait for Jacques to leave before travelling with their guest. "You probably know more than I do...?"

[LCP]

Painford, 29th Pflugzeit

Jacques gave an expressive shrug. "Myself, also. Perhaps the lord steward knows," he said, looking to Sieghard. "In any case, I am only asking because the principessa looked so worried, you know. I must ride on for Savonne tomorrow." He glanced towards the door. "I would set out today, but that wretched horse has jarred my bones almost out of their sockets. I tell you, my lady, if I can find the man in the city who sold it to me, I will give him a piece of my mind."

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"If there's any sign of the maid, we'll be sure to send word immediately," Sieghard answered. "I know how much the principessa must care for the girl. And after all she's been through, I'm sure it weighs even more heavily." He had been watching Jacques drink and couldn't imagine the scrawny minstrel was good at holding his liquor. "You say she's recovering well though?" he raised his own cup. "To her health!" then after draining it and giving the others a moment to do the same, he grabbed a second, "And to the prince as well!"

[-Sentinel-]

Traveling upriver

"If any of the crew got away, I haven't heard of them making it back to Putbad."

Elsa's eyebrows went up. Robbery was one thing, but wholesale slaughter was another. "Well, they certainly won't take this boat."

---

28th Pflugzeit - At the Silver Lady

Elsa stayed out of the conversation, not wanting to draw attention to herself, but her concern about the drought grew. Clearly Nahorek still had the ability to kill hundreds, even without a physical body. But what could be done against a spirit? This was why they needed Wadim and his knowledge. Time was running short. A second lean year in a row would be a disaster, especially if Sforza still planned to launch another costly campaign.

---

29th Pflugzeit

Though she had originally planned to return to Savonne quickly, Elsa decided to remain in Putbad another day to ask the guilders what they knew about this 'Ghost'. She put on her fancy black-and-gold garb and paid an official visit to the various guildhalls. Finding them mostly empty since it was Festag, she instead knocked on Leona Groz' door, trusting that the guilders' daughter had an ear to the ground for this sort of thing.

Spoiler: OOC

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Festag is the equivalent of Sunday, right?

[LCP]

29th Pflugzeit

Painford

Jacques echoed Sieghard's toast with gusto. "Not too bad, this Thornwood wine," he said, when he had finished his second cup. "Not too bad at all."

OOC:

Spoiler

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If your aim is to get Jacques drunk with peer pressure, then if you specify how drunk + give me a Consume Alcohol test I can tell you how successful you are + how long that takes. Otherwise, ball's in your court - Jacques is just hanging out in the hostel while he recovers from the ride up from Manann's Keep.

Putbad

Elsa found Leona at home. "Magister," she said, welcoming Elsa inside. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

[-Sentinel-]

Elsa and Leona

"Lady Groz," said Elsa, returning the formal address. "I won't take too much of your time on this fine Festag. I'm here on semi-official business... Can we sit? Eberhard can attend, it's really no trouble at all."

Once she was seated and with a cup of wine, she dived right into the matter. "I'm well aware, of course, that banditry on the Azril has increased of late. But on my way here, the boatmen were speaking of an elusive figure they call the 'Ghost', and that's news to me. I presume the guilders are talking about it too?"

[rax]

27th Pflugzeit

"Twelve crowns!? Sandu my friend, are you trying to make me look bad? If I go back to our mutual friends and tell them I agreed to a price like that, they'll think I've gone soft in the head! If I were you, I'd think of a new number and remember that if you do this right, some of the most powerful people in the Reaches will owe you a big favour. In fact, they'll owe us both a favour," Bardhyl countered with a wink.

"Me, turn wrecker? No fear, much too stationary for my tastes. I prefer to keep on the move, do a little business here, a little business there, and ride on before anyone gets too upset," he explained grandly. "So you've not heard anything about who 'the Ghost' might be? How about where they're moving the loot?"

[TheSummoner]

Sieghard

"Help yourself to it," Sieghard suggested, unusually affably. He passed Jacques another cup and grabbed one for himself. "And tell us, how have things been in Manaan's Keep. We haven't had any news from the south since... well, the trouble with the vampire."

Spoiler

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If your aim is to get Jacques drunk with peer pressure, then if you specify how drunk + give me a Consume Alcohol test I can tell you how successful you are + how long that takes. Otherwise, ball's in your court - Jacques is just hanging out in the hostel while he recovers from the ride up from Manann's Keep.

So drunk he can't walk without help. I don't think he's necessarily conscious of it, but whatever errand Irene has him on is no doubt something bad for us. I see a couple of ways getting him absolutely sloppy could be used, so we'll start with the drinks and go from there.

(1d100)[88] vs 51
(1d100)[22] reroll if needed.