Travels amongst the Border Princes II (WFRP 2e) IC

[Haval]

Gabriele breathes a sigh of relief. 'Alright Bert. I've got Severin in the travois. He got hurt down south. Any chance you can help me out?'

[dojango]

Bert goes to look at Severin, who is tossing and turning and muttering. "He don't look so good," the halfling agrees. "Uh, I guess we can take over ta town. See if they can help him. Uh, we can't take the horses over in our boat, though. I'll get the lads to keep an eye on them for ya." He leads Gabriele to a small clearing. There is a burned-out shell of a house and in the garden there are a few other halflings are clustered around a bunch of big pots and jars and there are a few roaring fires. They eye Gabriele suspiciously but Bert says, "Nah, she's alright. I just gotta take her over ta town, don't let her horses run oft, OK?"

Spoiler: Severin

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"One answered question for one answered question is the deal. Now I don't know who any of those names are, but I suppose it is an answer of a sort. As for your first question: Magic wells up from the ground. This spot a great deal of it wells up from the ground and can be used for all sorts of purposes. The garden is a way of, you would say, capping the flow and using it for something constructive. In my case, growing beautiful and useful plants. This prevents the wellspring of magic from being used by evil wizards, of which there are a lot fewer lately thanks to Heraklon. But that may not always be the case. My second question is this. What happened to the bloodstone crown, which you stole from the keep of Magos Valens?"

[Haval]

I just gotta take her over ta town, don't let her horses run oft, OK?"

'Look after them properly and I'll give you some gold when I come back. My friend's come a long way with that horse.' To Bert, 'How is everyone doing anyway? I'd like to think things have been peaceful since I was last here.'

[rax]

Spoiler: dojango

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"They're the Goodchilds, the halflings running the inn where your garden is. They reckon they're descendants of Leonidas, a friend of Heraklon's?" Severin clarifies Flora's history lesson as best as he remembers it.

"A crown?" Severin replies, struggling to remember. "Oh, wait. Aye, we found a silver circlet with red gemstones in the temple throne room. Is that what you're talking about? I remember Alyssa was right fond of it. Torendil said it suppressed some magics in the Magos' private rooms and controlled an abomination he built. I don't rightly know what became of it - I assumed that it was sold off with the rest of the loot, but now that you bring it up, I wouldn't be too surprised if Alyssa kept it for herself. Seems like the kind of thing she might do."

OOC: I actually can't find a post anywhere detailing what happened to the crown after we left the temple. I had assumed that it was sold off, but unless I've missed it, that was never actually stated clearly.

[dojango]

Bert just shakes his head sadly and says, "Worse then bandits. Tax collectors. Back at the village. They's trying to see how much they can squeeze out of us when we're down."

Spoiler: Severin

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She merely nods at Severin's answer and says, "I owe you an answered question, now."

[Haval]

'Same everywhere. You think they might have waited to let you recover first.' Gabriele is obviously not going to mention what she'd heard from Le Houet. 'Just got to hide anything valuable and say the bandits nicked it.'

[rax]

Spoiler: dojango

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"Well, since you asked about the crown - why did you want to know what became of it? Is it dangerous?"

[dojango]

Bert gestures back towards the smoke. "Ya, that's what we're tryin'. Might be lookin' to start moving some stuff downriver ourselves. If we can find someone in Appledel or Inselberg ta buy this stuff we can make a little coin on the side without the Duke tryin' to take a piece of it. But," he sighs. "They also want ta bring back the corvee. The mayor says we'll get a chance ta vote on anything but... who knows. Who knows..." He leads Gabriele down to the river where a small rowboat is hidden under some brush. With some effort, Severin is loaded into the boat. One of Bert's friends takes the horses back into the woods and Bert tells Gabriele to take an oar. They start rowing the boat across the river...

Spoiler: Severin

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She says, "One answer. I want to know because what was buried should stay buried. A sword in the hands of a child is no threat, but in the hands of an evil swordsman is extremely dangerous to the world. Another question for you. Why did you abandon Myrtle Hornwood in the hands of her captors?" She looks at you intently, but before Severin can respond he feels a sensation of falling, of darkness swelling up to embrace him. And the overwhelming scent of apples fills his nostrils and he awakes...

Severin finds himself in a bed, his inflamed wounds have been bandaged. Flora Goodchild is sitting on a stool next to the bed with a bowl. She almost drops a spoon on Severin's chest as his eyes pop open. "Oh, Severin! You're awake!" she says. "Thank the Gods, we've been so worried about you!"

[Haval]

Gabriele is happy to help with the rowing. 'We've just come from Inselberg. If you try there I'd say go armed. They're taking Halflings to work the mines.'

[rax]

Spoiler: dojango

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"What're you talking about, abandoned?!" Severin began his retort, when suddenly he found himself awake again.

"Flora? Where am I? How in Shallya's mercy did I get here? I....owww!" he groaned as tried to sit up and the pain of his wounds returned. "Stralwald? I'm in Stralwald?"

OOC: Should we switch to non-spoilered conversation from here on?

[dojango]

Bert is a little disturbed at that, and mutters something. And then, "I thought that Riverhopper girl had run off there, I know there was some bad blood... did she get put into the mines?"

Once Gabriele and Bert land on the other shore, they drag the boat ashore and use the oars to make a quick stretcher and head towards Stralwald. Soon they encounter farmers, woodcutters and the like on the way to the village and soon a large crowd of people is helping carry Severin to the village. It's dark by the time they arrive, and Severin is quickly hustled to the inn where the innkeeper clears out a table and he is laid upon it. The midwife is summoned and she examines his wounds. "Very bad," she pronounces. "He is strong, but these are not healing right. You know what he needs most," she says pointedly to the innkeeper, who nods. Severin is brought upstairs to rest in a room. Gabriele finds herself the center of attention. "What happened to him," asks Belisarius, who hurries over from a corner table. "Not more bandit trouble?" Behind him Gabriele sees a thin man and a guard wearing the livery of Castle Bremcote.

Upstairs, an hour or so later, Severin wakes up with Flora at his bedside. She tells him, "Your friend brought you here, you were so sick! I was worried so I made sure you got some of the special apples..." Severin examines his wounds and sees that the redness is beginning to fade. They still hurt quite a bit and his ordeal has left him feeling weak and tired. But very much still alive.

OOC: Yes no real need for spoilers. Severin recovers 2 wounds, bringing him up to 5, making him only lightly wounded.

[Haval]

In the boat Gabriele just looks sad, 'We think she was there, but maybe not anymore. Might be good news even but we don't know where she ended up. Maybe better if we talk about it when Severin wakes up. It's a long story.'

To the midwife, 'Wasn't a good place to be getting intio any fights. I was getting worried.' To Belisarius, 'Not bandits, or not anymore anyway. We had a run in with a little **** who was part of the army that attacked us here. He's been working for Tollares down in Inselberg and robbing people whenever he gets bored. We did for him but we both got a bit messed up in the process.' She'll nod towards the man, 'Should I introduce myself?'

[dojango]

"Dangerous times," mutters Belisarius, and then shrugs. "Most people try to avoid meeting tax collectors when they can, but you're welcome to talk to him. Sent here to figure out our 'proper obligations', he is."

[rax]

Upstairs, an hour or so later, Severin wakes up with Flora at his bedside. She tells him, "Your friend brought you here, you were so sick! I was worried so I made sure you got some of the special apples..." Severin examines his wounds and sees that the redness is beginning to fade. They still hurt quite a bit and his ordeal has left him feeling weak and tired. But very much still alive.

"The apples? Maybe that's why...no, it was probably just the sickness making me see things..." Severin muttered.

"Thank you, Flora. You've saved me again," he thanked the young halfling lass. "I think I'd like to try and get up, if I can. See how Gabriele's doing and find out what happened after we left Inselberg."

[Haval]

"Dangerous times," mutters Belisarius, and then shrugs. "Most people try to avoid meeting tax collectors when they can, but you're welcome to talk to him. Sent here to figure out our 'proper obligations', he is."

'Well I don't live here. I don't think he's allowed to tax me just for passing through. You reckon he's the sort of tax collector who might be talked into looking the other way?'

[dojango]

"I think you should stay resting..." Flora says uncertainly, but Severin is able to stand up and has enough energy to make it to the door. From below he can hear the sound of people talking and laughing and can smell cooking food and spilled ale. And he realizes just how hungry he is..

Belisarius says to Gabriele, "He's more the boss tax collector rather then the ones that come knocking on doors. He wants to set a percentage of the harvest, he wants to bring back the corvee, he wants to tax the river traffic... I think I've got the negotiations sorted but if you have any influence back at court that might help, well, I'd certainly owe you a favor if you could bring it down..."

[rax]

Checking to see that he's decent, Severin takes a deep breath and opens the door. He makes his way slowly down the stairs, looking for Gabriele as he does so...

[Haval]

'I can ask. You did help us out and all, but I expect you can't put it off forever. How do you think this tax collector man would take it you lot were talking about moving somewhere cheaper? Just thinking out loud of course. I thought the whole point of moving down here is that you can move somewhere else if you don't like the local lord.'

[dojango]

Belisarius snaps back, "My family's been runnin' this inn for generations. We didn't abandon it during the famine, or during the orc invasion, we didn't abandon it to bandits and we ain't going to abandon it to tax collectors!" This last part is said quite loudly and there is a lull in conversation. The man from Castle Bremcote looks into his cup, pretending not to be listening in. "Besides, nobody wants ta be like those damned Riverhoppers."

Severin gets up out of bed and confirms that he is still wearing his pants, blood-stained and dirty from travel. He heads down the stairs with Flora following nervously behind, ready to catch him if he falls. He sees Gabrielle and Belisarius conversing, and he hears Belisarius say, "damned Riverhoppers!" as he emerges.

[rax]

Severin makes his way over to where Gabriele and Belisarius are talking.

"Room for one more?" he asks. "I think you must've taken a wrong turn somewhere, Gabriele, we were supposed to be going to Castle Bremcote, aye?" he jokes weakly as he eases into a chair. "Flora says I was right sick when you brought me in. What happened? Wounds got infected?"

[Haval]

'My Dad would have said the same at one point before the war up north. But I grant you that a little tax isn't the best reason to move on.'

Gabriele will relax a bit at the sight of Severin up and about. 'Looks like it. We probably should have gone to see those Shallayans when we had the chance. Should you be up and walking around yet? I was getting worried.'

[rax]

"Flora wanted me to stay put as well, but you know what they say - an apple a day keeps the Shallyans away," he quips. "I guess I'm gonna need a few more days before I'm ready to ride out on new adventures, though. I will be riding right? Bertrand's okay, aye?"

[Haval]

'Had to wing it. The horses are with Bert's mates just over the river. Couldn't exactly get them in the boat. I'm sure they're ok.'

[rax]

"Who's that fellow? Doesn't look like a local?" Severin asks with a nod towards the tax collector.

[Haval]

'That is the tax collector down from Bremcote. Obviously no one's happy to see him here. Maybe we know some of the same people?'

[rax]

"Didn't Le Houet order Master Faria to come down personally and work out a deal?" Severin answers Gabriele.

OOC: See this post. I assume this tax collector isn't Luiz Faria?

[Haval]

'I'm sure he didn't come alone. Assuming he didn't have problems on the way down.'

[dojango]

"Didn't Le Houet order Master Faria to come down personally and work out a deal?" Severin answers Gabriele.

OOC: See this post. I assume this tax collector isn't Luiz Faria?

OOC: Good remembering, it was only a few weeks ago in character but a while ago as the thread moves. Uh, I guess he's out lurking around somewhere and that's one of his assistants.

[rax]

"I hope not. I remember Le Houet's exact words were for him to "...find out what Belisarius wants. And what he needs. Work out a deal with him, and the Duke can ratify it when he returns." And this was after we'd made it clear that the villagers hadn't been able to get all the harvest in, not to mention a bunch of homesteads being burned. It would be a shame if they ended up sending someone who hadn't gotten the message," Severin points out.

[Haval]

'Tax collectors not being known for their subtlety. Maybe we should see if Faria's around somewhere.'