Crap. Instead of just one maybe two extra people I could just slide into the current game, I had three. All of a sudden I had five players. Anyway, the new players are Kieran, someone whose name is also Chris so he’s now known as Nash, and Lauren’s sister, Thingy Majig Watsurnaimagin… no wait, her name is Caitlin. Sorry, Caitlin. 

Dramatis Personae played thus: Kieran, Drake (and Drake’s three apprentices); Nash, Pish Tosh; and Caitlin, Ystin. As I have habitually changed things before, Pish Tosh is now Pisoshi Tosima (Pish Tosh is a nick name), and Ystin is Uistane (Nothing against the Welsh* spelling of Justin, I just want something a bit more in-line fantasy-ish).

Session Three, Part One: Into the Breach

Jegro entered the room and stood in the quiet of his office staring at the fire for what seemed like minutes – his eyes droop and his cheeks full of grey whiskers. It seems most people here no at least one person but even so there are new faces. Eye’s swivelling here and there. Everyone’s lips just itching to ask: “What’s going on?”

Without hint, Jegro suddenly turns. He is at an impasse. He has suspicions and theories but he needs proof, witness, confessions, anything that can tell him where his shipment of steel ingots has gone.

He paces to his desk, cleared of papers but still supporting a splattered cup of liquor. He grabs the mug and tilts it for a deep sip. He cradles the mug in his hands and says, matter-of-fact, “You are all going up the road in a fake wagon. It is your job to secure the bandits and elicit confessions from them. Pish Tosh was a survivor from one raid so I’m sure he can identify the culprits. The rest can die. The wagon is prepared and armaments are available to you all to use. You are leaving shortly. I’m sorry for this rush but the trail is growing to cold in Riverrun.”

“Maon and Drennet will see to your preparations. Good luck.” Jegro leaves the room.

Someone says shit.

Then it’s a time for reason and stories…

Pisoshi Tosima is a Dindy from the east. It sounds all too common. In love with the wrong person, someone saw them, some trouble with nobles, and a lot of running to the Sunless Plains for a while, getting oriented and picking up bad habits, and then a few years running with caravans and convoys across the Empire and to Uldholm. He’s done this route only a few times but the first time he was cut down so ruthlessly and quickly. The bandits were on the wagon, cutting every down into submission or injury.

Pisoshi was stabbed and left bleeding in the snow for hours, cold and numb and every breath dim and distant when Drake’s servants found him. Nursing back to health, he made it back to Riverrun and told Lily Drum the bad news.

Drake was a footnote in this tale, a man who has travelled extensively up and down the Empire, even with little trips into the Maemeck Matriarchy. Needing a physician on hand to ensure the safety was more than enough excuse to stay and help take down the bandits.

Uistane is an old hand at weapons. He’s worked at the manor for years being scary looking and using a sword.

When they have finished bundling everyone into the large wagon with the train of shaggy pony mules they pull off. Drake and Pisoshi Toshima in front with the reins bundled up, and miserable.

The trip is uneventful and boring. The thaw has started so when the sun lightens, it’s warmer and before long people are shedding a layer or two of heavy clothing, roping them outside in the fresh air and brilliant sun light.

However the spirits soon stopped with the cart. A thin tree had been felled across the road. It was certainly not big, but enough to stop the wheels.

When the cart stopped, as predicted, bandits moved. Five in front and, when Prime Honour checked, five behind. They were armed with cudgels and spears – cheap peasant weapons. Off to the side were two archers, arrows nocked but their bows undrawn.

Climb out and off the wagon, keep your hands away form your weapons, came the obvious warning.

Uistane and Pisoshi and two of Drake’s servants slowly jump down and stand at the front of the wagon. Pisoshi recognises these men as belonging to the group which robbed his wagon’s ingots and stabbed him.

Drake, his third servant, Hoto Hori, and a wretchedly nervous Prime Honour clamber down from the back.

From the front a bandit moves forward – some wiry, underfed man in his mid-twenties – and prods at Pisoshi with his spear, to move him and get a better look inside.

At the back, the peasants are largely en-lusted with Hoto rather than enraptured as she’d hoped but then these are rough, filthy men who have seen any sort of women in months let alone someone as dignified and perfected. Her efforts are wasted. One man takes a step forward, his breath is rapid and his face is flushing with excitement and nervousness, he moves to dominate the other men and maybe get them out of the way before making moves on Hoto.

As he moves forward, Prime Honour finally drops to his knees and sobbingly begs for his life, pawing at the bandit. The bandit scowls but seems accepting of Prime Honour’s act of fitful cowardice and submission and he looks back at Hoto and takes another step forward. Behind him, the other bandits are moving forward, also wanting to get some action with the women without or without her consent.

Prime Honour slams a dagger to the hilt into the advancing bandit’s thigh. Prime Honour yanks it out and the bandit makes a sound, clutches his leg, and falls over all at the same time. Prime Honour is up, with two daggers flicking.

Hearing the cry, the other bandits jerk up into awareness at the rear of the wagon. Pisoshi flings a wicker doll at the bowman – it splats in the mud. Drake’s staff whips up and stoves in the teeth of the distracted bandit closest to him. Pisoshi and Uistane pull their swords and wait for a bandit to make a move. The panicked bowman is looses a shot off into the trees. Drake’s #1 deflects a Bandit cudgel with his short sword. The other two bandits move in to assist their thieving brethren.

The sounds of battle suddenly rising from the front, the other bandits (already spooked from Prime Honour) take two steps back all thoughts of violation replaced with imminent violence. Hoto peels out her thin and curved rapier, her imitation dinda and with a flourish waits for a bandit.

Drakes #2 and #3 pull out their swords and start flanking to the left. Prime takes a step forward his knives readied. Everything is still. A bandit screams and runs forward with his spear up and slashes it down over his head, catching Prime Honour along his ribs forcing him to his knee.

Drake’s #2 and #3 easily take on two bandits with defensive strokes. The second bowman, trained on Prime, shoots an arrow into the wagon.

Overconfident, the bandit tries the same manoeuvre against Prime but this time the spear is easily caught on Prime’s daggers. Pushed back the bandit steadies and moves to try for a third time. Not wanting to be a pin cushion, Prime scurries on all four under the wagon. The spear-wielding bandit marches on him, maybe to try and prod his spear under the wagon.

Drake’s #2 and #3 and slashing and whirling their swords maniacally as only Paharans do.

At the front, one bandit is scrabbling backwards trying to hold his broken jaw and stop the blood pouring out his ruined nose. His noise suggests pain may have started to set in. Drake settles in to sit this out defensively. Drake’s #1 is fairing better against his opponent. Uistane moves to strike but is blocked. Although gripping his sword, Pisoshi whisks another doll out at his opponent but instead of flopping into the mud, it tears open and loses a swarm of jagged black shapes which whip up and settle on the bandit, darting under his clothing, behind his cloak, gnawing at his exposed flesh. They don’t move like birds or insects, the zig zag like agitated fish in the water. Soon, the bandit is thrashing and rolling on the ground, flicking blood of many ragged and open bits on his flesh.

The bandits facing Drake’s #1 starts backing off, acting with dodges and parries. Drake’s #1 lets him go and the bandit departs through the tree line. The bowman looses an arrow at Pisoshi but it zips into the earth. Pisoshi pulls out another doll.

Uistane whips his sword up and diagonally across his bandit’s face, through the skin and thin flesh, the cheek and lips, the bridge of his nose, his left eye and his scalp. Part of his face peels and hangs down. He screams, drops his weapon, and holds his face in place. He’s staggering around half-blinded and in horrified shock [Gotta love those unparried 3x10 hits with short swords]. Two more bandits start backing off in the direction of the bowman. The bowman starts stringing another arrow. Pisoshi pulls out another grass doll.

The bow man fumbles the arrow but looks up as the doll strikes his body and vomits up the little biting shapes. Luckily for him, his leather armour covers most of the exposed areas. Dropping his bow, and keeping his face covered, he bolts. The last two bandits flee with him.

Prime exits from the side of the wagon, hoisting a dagger. He peers around the rear to where the fighting is happening. The bandit is occasionally jabbing blindly under the wagon.

Hoto is facing a bandit and takes a few steps forward whipping her thin blade in a complex pattern before extending it delicately… and it explodes into flame, the heat mushrooms visibly in the chill morning air, forcing everyone to avert their gaze. Hoto’s bandit stumbles back. The bowman runs at the sight of the flaming sword.

Prime Honour moves and throws his dagger at the spear-wielder. It slices into the bandit’s arm. The bandit drops his spear and flees. Facing armed and sorcerous battle is too much. As do the ones matching Drake’s #2 and #3. The one facing Hoto is too dazed, as he turns Hoto stabs her blade down and pins leg to the ground.

At the end they have three bandits now known as Broke Nose Jaw, Flappy Face, and Limpy. With Drake to administer treatment, the three bandits are quickly patched up (although everyone seems to feel squeamishly sorry for Flappy Face.)

...INTERMISSION. Go to the lobby and buy some some of our snacks or refreshments.

Session Three, Part Two: You can Never Go Back Home

The wagon reaches Riverrun and a rather swollen Long Marching River. It is night, so the Band of Bastards makes way for the Riverside Watch Guard House and speaks to the Night Captain. He readily agrees to help interrogate the prisoners (Flappy Face is too deathly ill to be tortured), but Broke Nose Jaw and Limpy are forcibly stripped naked and chained to the stable’s outdoor courtyard.

The for two hours, the Band gets a hot water to rub down in, some hot wine, thick stew, and a few moments rest on some soft cushions.

Two hours later, the Night Captain leads a two of his aggressive tackling dogs to the two naked and chained freezing men and lets the dogs play sport with them, nipping and biting and straining at their slipping leashes.

It isn’t too long before the names come up. Of course, the Night Captain lets the dogs take a few more nips so that the two are on the verge of tears. Once the dogs top and are reigned in, the two babble everything. They were approached by two men Doto and Leddon who would paid the bandits well for taking down two very specific wagons coming down from Vigil Uld-side. The capture ingots were moved into a different wagon and driven down to Riverrun by the Doto and Leddon pair. The Band leaves the two bandits with the Watch Guard.

Perplexed by this, Prime Honour goes to the Puckered Roost and finds Honesty, his regular tout. Prime asks Honesty if he knows anything about and can find out about this Doto and Leddon – especially who they hang with and where they are now. Honesty remembers that they do That Kind of Business with Filgo but hasn’t seen them for a week or so. Leddon is large, plump but quite tall with thick greasy black hair. Doto is a skinny short-arse with face covered in old pox-scars.

Prime thanks Honesty and tells him to stay with him for a while.

Rounding up the band, Prime tells them they’re going out into Riverrun for a little late night reconnoitring and visiting. They need to find out were the ingots are. They march onto Filgo’s ramshackle home and base of operations in the outskirts of the Imperial Quarter.

As they reach the outskirts of the Imperial Quarter, the regular traffic slows right down until only lonely suspicious groups quickly hide away from the eight-strong cluster of tired, scraped, dirty (or vaguely off-coloured Hoto), armed mercenaries and one wide-eyed tout – the usual scum of Riverrun actually moving completely out of their way and out of sight.

They reach Filgo’s place now strangely devoid of its usual infestation of lurkers and malingerers. Without notice, Pisasho and Uistane move off to the side of the building and creep to the rear where they find the backdoor purposefully blocked with a mound of filth and trash. Nearby there is a broken, rag-studded window.

Hoto steps up to the door and raps firmly. The door is opened by a shocked Pizzane. He asks what she wants, but a little unsure. Hoto says she wants inside to speak to Filgo and that’s urgent and important to him and him alone. Pizzane starts getting flustered and says Filgo isn’t home. She tells Pizzane to go and tell Filgo immediately that they have found the possible location of Lily Drum’s missing shipment and will soon be able to pay his extensive gambling debts. Pizzane says he’ll bring Filgo directly and closes the door.

At the back, Uilgane and Pisasho hunker down amid the trash and filth near the window. Pisasho, right under the window and suddenly stock-still hears someone talking to someone else about the mad woman who works for Lily Drum and she’s asking about the ingots. This is clearly making the one voice nervous. The other voice sounds angry that the other couldn’t tell Hoto to go away but also concerned that they know the names Doto and Leddon. The voices stop talking and someone walks away [a 2x9 set off two dice for Sense + Hearing…].

By this time Uilgane is teetering trying to hold his awkward balance but he manages to keep himself upright and stable.

At the front, Drake creeps around to the other side of the building to scout but finds nothing of value or breakable.

Filgo opens the door and greets Hoto and Prime cordially and apologises he cannot speak for long since he has a pressing engagement soon and must depart. Hoto tells him they have caught some bandits and have the names Doto and Leddon. Apparently, he, Filgo, knows the two. Filgo declares the men are vague acquaintances but they have been missing for quite some time. They had no fixed address. Very well, says Hoto, as soon as they discover the two miscreants, they will come and pay Lily Drum’s debt forthwith. That’s very good, says Filgo, but he must depart if they wish to speak more later, they may do so. Hoto asks for later tonight, which Filgo declines. Hoto asks for tomorrow and Filgo agrees tomorrow is better, especially at the Puckered Roost. Hoto is hesitant but Filgo will not budge on the Puckered Roost. He also insists on eleven in the morning. Bidding goodnight and good luck he hastily shuts the door. The group falls away to nearby locations and hides watching the house.

Back at the back Pisasho plans to get Uilgane to burst the window so he can lob in some woven grass dolls at whoever is nearby but stops when he hears the first angry voice come back and tells the other voice to inform Doto and Leddon to move the ingots to the other safe house while he deals with Lily Drum’s mad witch woman.

The front door opens and the Dirty Boy Gammo jogs out into the night and walks around keeping watch but not moving to far from the house. So cautious is he that he doesn’t see Drake sidle back to the band’s location just behind where he’s standing. While this is happening, Gammo whistles and a street urchin appears from the gloom. Gammo whispers to him, tells him to get to the Watch Guard House and inform the Night Captain a robbery is happening at a warehouse on the South-Western shade-face of the Empty Quarter. The robbers are well armed and dangerous. The boy peels off.

Prime tells Honesty to run to beat the boy and tell the Night Captain the same story but for his benefit. Honesty scampers off in a sprint. Gammo hurries back inside. The band go around the house to where the other two have been.

The back door opens, so cunning has the trash and mess been layered and built that it does not stop the door opening inward. A thin, reedy man comes out with a lantern and flashes some signals. Quickly some street boys come running. They look like Honesty except older and meaner. The thin man speaks to the larger, bigger one called Catflower and tells him to get to the Empty Quarter warehouse and tell the two men to move to the second safe house very damn quickly.

[At this time I rolled two pools for the Dirty Boys’ Tout’s run and Liam rolled for Honesty’s run. They rolled five each. Honesty got no sets, Dirty Boy’s Tout got 2x5. The Dirty Boy’s Tout reached the Night Captain first. Of course the characters don’t know this. I rolled two more pools for Honesty at -1 and then -2. He had one 2x3 success.]

When the lantern-holding Dirty Boy went in, Uilstane and Pisasho tore off as best as they could after Catflower. The rest of the gang sees them running after the tout and they follow.

Unfortunately, it’s just not fast or agile enough and Catflower has lived near or about the Empty Quarter his whole life and has the legs to prove it.

Eventually the party end up in the desolate Empty Quarter, technically Riverrun is behind them, this is a place of absolute depravity and utter dismal poverty during the off season. So they spend a few seconds trawling about the South-West shade-faced section of Riverrun. The eventually hear a tittering and follow, sneaking around like guilty looking. They see Catflower at a double door of a warehouse chatting to somebody inside. However it is shouting is heard, instructions are been given. Catflower gets a couple of coins and leaves.

The band approaches quietly sneaking along the wall to the now closed but not bolted double doors. Any openings along the way are stuffed with rags to stop the cold seeping in. They smell of fresh woodsmoke – a sign of money during the winter.

At this point two other street children, brothers, see Hoto and start trying to talk to her using the only experience they have – soliciting prostitutes. It doesn’t bode well and Fulsworth and Figsworth start making unpleasantly loud noises, lobbing trash about, yelling at the party, and causing a fuss. This ruins the surprise and alerts whoever’s inside the warehouse.

The door opens and Leddo steps out with a sword looking frustrated, sweaty, and angry. From inside rolls out a smoky and musty with cloud the smell of stale, spilled wine. Jogging with his sword, comes the short and ugly Doto. Inside two others are loading heavy-looking sacks onto a cart.

He sees Uilstane and swings clumsily and misses, to which Uilstane slashes at him and Prime’s hurried jabs force Leddo back inside. Doto readies his sword at the intruders. Pisoshi is hefting another black doll when he flings it at Doto. The doll tears itself into little sharp shapes which settle nastily on a suddenly panicky Doto. Dropping his sword and flopping back out of breath, his hand raised, Leddo surrenders covered in little bloody pokes and slashes.

Prime strides in, his sword-in-hand dangling, and stops at the two stopped in their labours mid-hoist.

Don’t stop; says Prime with icy calm; please… continue loading the wagon. The two minions share a look and do so.

Doto is shivering in the corner rubbing his little icy bite wounds. Next to him, Leddo is sitting with his face in his hands.

Suddenly the Watch arrives with ten guards pike-strong with the Night Captain, all sweaty and out of breath, some clutching at stitches and grimacing. The Night Captain walks up to Prime and says he has been alerted to a robbery currently happening at this very warehouse against these two, Leddo and Doto. He has to arrest whoever is committing the robbery, which, unfortunately is Prime Honour and his crew.

There’s nothing the Night Captain can do except arrest all eight of them and keep them overnight. He will bag the wagon and its contents and keep them as evidence as long as he can. He doesn’t suspect before their current owner takes it back.

Prime nods to his band and they all surrender to the Guard and walk back to the Riverside Watch Guard House with the cart and ingots but leaving Doto and Leddo with their two underlings behind.

End of Session Three and Notes

Considering I had three extra players and six extra characters (somehow I started picturing Drake and his apprentices as Hugh Laurie and three lab-coated minions and I couldn’t stop). Although I railroaded the adventure, even retroactively assigning Caitlin’s character to Jegro’s permanent staff of militia, I feel the combat forced a quick and dirty party-bond which held well.

The benefit is that the bigger party now allows me to introduce the Company rules (to which I’ve hinted and hand-waved through description only).

Caitlin 2
Although Caitlin was largely on the back bench, her presence was felt. I fear she might be a once-off step-in player since she originally came to see Leanne.

Kieran 2
I think Kieran was a little unsure since I was the only person she knew and she’s filled with a lot of D&D conditioning. She will change as she gets to know everybody and become familiar with the system. She did volunteer to play the party medic and apothecary so as a form of recompense I’ll make a Healing Esoteric Discipline for her in the near future with free technique or two in lieu of experience points.

Leanne 10
Awesome chicken dish! Well worth the admission fare. Expert: Cooking 5 + MD.

Liam 3
This… “Don’t stop,” says Prime with icy calm, “please… continue loading the wagon.” …was worth the admission price. And the awesome, awesome, awesome power of Path of the Serpent’s Fangs is his.

Also it was the first time Liam realised his position of leadership among the rest of the group.

Laurel 3
The Love that dare not speak its name, For Hoto, is the love of younger men and medieval light sabres… and putting the fear of God into bandits… berating Prime Honour…

Nash 1
While Nash elected to play a gay Dindy man, running to the far more liberal and accepting Empire, is worth a bag load of experience points. Unfortunately playing this man as a cartoon reduces the potential reward to a handful of caught sneeze. I hope he stops using his wrestle-them-down-by-dedicated-harassment routine on Kieran.

Chris 0
When you’re this sexy, you don’t experience.