RC Euro: Oops!

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Garacaius accepted the offer on the groups behalf and agreed to meet at the coster yard the following day, 25th Eleint. That morning he, along with Hayden, Milla, Mistle and Jakob met up with the wagon driver and climbed into the barrels. They headed out of town, after a couple of hours they heard horses and a couple of arrows hitting the cart, their driver surrendered and was knocked unconcious. Still hidden in the barrels they were driven on until they came to rest in a courtyard.
As soon as they arrived they heard a bell ringing and shouts. Garacius and Mistle peeped out of their barrels but Mistle was spotted. Hayden burst out of his barrel, pumped up with bulls strength and endurance. He hacked down the first person he saw, a robed man carrying a crossbow. They then came under crossbow fire from upstairs windows but the aim was poor and no-one was hit. Garacaius returned magic missiles and one of the assailants fell.
Jakob hid behind the wagon and Milla dashed up some steps to the upper floor balcony. There were cries of "Thieves, you'll all hang". The party protested that they were not the thieves. Garacius called a cease fire. It emerged that they were in the courtyard of Owen Carter and their 'opponents' were the merchant vigilantes, including Harvey. Realising the dreadful mistake Hayden and Milla cured the two downed merchants just as they were about to expire.
They realised they had been duped by 'Jack Summer' into almost wiping out the wine merchans of Nesme. Mr Summer was nowhere to be found, though Hayden found a 10 ft pole at the top of the steps and Milla noticed something snagged on the spikes on the top of the high rear wall. It looked like a purse.
Hayden interrogated the driver under Zone of Truth and satisfied himself that the man knew nothing of the plot.

200xp to Garacaius, Hayden, Milla, Jakob and Mistle for NOT killing the merchants!

 

Noticing something odd on top high rear wall Milla uses the pole and some rope to climb up and look closer at what must have been Jacks escape route. Milla scans the outside to see if anyones within sight. Having satisfied herself that Jack is long gone Milla carefully detaches the object from the spikes and climbs back down. Milla examines her find carefully.

[This message has been edited by Zorac (edited March 31, 2002).]

 

Inside the purse was 35 gp and a folded piece of parchment. When unfolded it proved to be a map. It shows the road south from Nesme towards Yartar, the location of Owen Carter's Manor and, a little way up the Goblintide River from where it joins the Surbrin, an 'X'. Next to the X it looks as though it says 'Mudskipper'. The map is signed 'Knave'.

Wed night online
They followed the map to a small wood. Sarathien joined them at this point. Garacaius turned all but himself and Hayden invisible. On the far side of the wood lay a string of horses, a guard and the rotting hulk of a sailing barge on the river bank. The guard challenged them and signaled to the boat. They crossed the gangplank and went aboard. Garacaius went into the stern cabin - straight into an ambush. He was cut down. Milla followed him and found herself fighting 2 men in leather armed with shortswords. A third robber came down the steps from the stern, Hayden and Mistle confronted him. Meanwhile Jakob and Sarathien knocked the guard on the bank unconcious and tied him up.
On board the 'Mudskipper' things were not going well. As the party slipped and tripped on the sloping deck the robbers landed telling blows on them. When Mistle sang her battlesong their fortunes seemed to change. Sarathien joined with Milla to take down the robbers in the cabin before healing Garacaius. The sorcerer was able to get to his feet in time to help Hayden by magic missiling the last standing robber.
Sarathien healed and bound their adversaries. 4 accounted for, but where was Jack?

500 xps to Milla, Garacaius, Jakob
550 xps to Mistle, Sarathien, Hayden.

[This message has been edited by Erran (edited April 04, 2002).]