Session Twenty One: Slaying Drayas, the Head of Clan Erm

Session Date: June 28, 2008

Meta-game Issues (Rules Clarifications)
(Out-of-Character)

We noted that the "Adherent of Ilvir" trait rules had not been used. John suggested that if we forgot them and there wasn't a strong reason to use them. It would limit use of Faith on the non-Faithful, but that would not make it significantly less powerful. Jim agreed that we would not use them for now. Also, we gave a reminder that Faith could be used to control Ivashu.

Final Matters in the City
(Afternon, 16 Halane TR 720)

Jaroud ventured into Coranan, and he bought some basic leather armor from an armorer known to Kalrun, and with advice from Judyn cut a good deal (successful Resources vs Ob 2). In the west end already, he went to check on his shop and was unsurprised to find it vandalized. He had heard that Mykel had been killed and dumped on his doorstep, but there is no sign of the body.

Bowdyn also ventured in the city in daylight to see the clothier Urbain whose shop is next to Laranz. Urbain had been looking for a seamstress, and Bowdyn convinced him to offer the job to Hillay without mentioning who had suggested it. He told Urbain that she could be found at the Halean Temple, though he had not yet seen her.

Kalrun, knowing that he was leaving for at least a ten-day, talked to the new Ilviran convert Captain Jenkyn. He agreed that he would officially be on suspension for an indefinite time, perhaps saying that given his situation it would be best if he were out of the city for a while.

Leaving Coranan
(Morning, 17 Halane TR 720)

In the morning, Jaroud, Kalrun, Bowdyn, and Judyn prepared to leave to head north along the river to Palomeinar to kill Drayas, Analia's uncle and head of clan Erm. Maban stayed behind to watch over the Nolah still being kept in the Kuseme house. As the four prepared to leave, Olrau revealed that he had dreamt a vision of the young boy Mykel who had been killed. Mykel came to him naked and obviously dead, and said that he blamed Olrau and the other founders for his death. He demanded a life in return. Olrau said that they should bury Mykel properly with some Ilviran blessing.

As far as the others knew, Ilviran traditions regarding burial were relatively lax. Bodies would traditionally be buried in the ground, though they had heard of bodies being laid out in the wilderness to be eaten by animals or Ivashu. So it was an odd request. Olrau noted that the boy was one of them, although his original conversion had been a cover for him to spy on them for Tiny. Olrau did not hold the others back, but they agreed he should boy's body while the others were gone.

The four set out posing as merchants heading north to trade at the fair in Palomeinar. They carried a change to clothes to dress quite differently from themselves, and brought a small two-wheel cart carrying several barrels of drinks, mainly beer and ale.

Travelling to Palomeinar
(17 to 22 Halane TR 720)

The four traveled incognito up through Ostenor district in the hills north of Coranan. Analia had advised them of a little-known path along the east side of the river to Palomeinar, used mainly by legionaries. They passed a major fortress along the way, presumably built to intimidate the Hefiosa who live in the mountains to the north. They camped between towns to keep a low profile.

Upon heading north out of Ostenor along the path, the four ran into a squad of legionaries lead by a very young captain perhaps not yet twenty. The legionaries warn them of dangers, and agree to accompany them to Palomeinar. Camping with the legionaries that night, the men's talk makes clear that they ignore their young captain -- sometimes openly.

At the Fair
(22 Halane TR 720)

They arrived at Palomeinar on the 22nd with the legionairies. The festival was already underway, and Judyn quickly set up a booth to sell her wares. Many Hefiosans were there, with a profusion of goats, goat products, and rarities from the mountains. Jaroud went north to the town of Quaye to scout the villa there, where Analia had said that Drayas usually stayed. He was extraordinarily perceptive in surveying. He realized that Clan Erm had gone off recently to the south, and also identified an excellent ambush point for the return. (Got 8 successes on the Perception check.)

At the fair, Kalrun and Bowdyn wandered some. Kalrun came upon a man who was selling a set of three Vlasta - small dinosaur-like Ivashu that are known for their savage attacks in packs, ripping out the victims' eyes. He bargained to buy the Vlasta, citing how unhealthy they look, and indeed one died while they are speaking. Buying them and bringing them to the others, he went and collected goat eyes to feed them. At first they didn't take the food, but Judyn whispered a prayer to heal them - blowing on the goats' eyes to give them life and feeding them to the vlasta.

Jaroud then returned in the late afternoon to tell the others that Drayas was somewhere in town. He kept watch on the small tower built by the water, and spotted Drayas leaving. Drayas was an older man in rich clothes, with graying hair and signs of a sedentary life. He went to the fair with two bodyguards, a slave, a wife in her twenties, his teenage daughter, and his ten-year-old grand-niece, Analia's daughter.

The Poisoning Attempt
(Late Afternoon, 22 Halane TR 720)

With Drayas at the fair, the four conspired about the possibility of giving him the poison that they had gotten from Laranz. They knew little about it, but it had been given to Laranz by his relatives as a presumably humane means of suicide. They theorized that would not taste terrible, but was not likely to be more than one dose though it would be sure. It did appear to mix well with ale.

Drayas actually came by the booth that afternoon with his family. Seeing him coming, Judyn quickly prepared the finest ale she had with the poison. He arrived and spoke with her for a time, interested in the foreigner. She concealed her Kaldorian accent and learned that he was to be joined by his son Carl, the young legion captain, and that they would be leaving back north the next morning. However, he was feeling full and did not drink the ale despite a tempting offer from Judyn. (A failure by on on a straight Persuasion roll against his Will of 5 or 6.)

He did indeed come back later, and that time tried a drink. (The GM rolled a Die of Fate that on a 1 he would return, and it came up.) He tried the poison ale, but upon tasting it he thought it was odd and gave it back. Judyn apologized and offered drinks for all his people, and he invited her to dinner at the manor that evening.

The dinner was uneventful, with Judyn and Bowdyn attending posing as man and wife. They heard that his son Carl the legionary captain would be traveling with them the next morning. However, Judyn persuaded him to do a surprise inspection of his troops to keep them on their toes when they thought he was leaving -- thus keeping him busy during the time of the ambush.

The Ambush
(Morning, 23 Halane TR 720)

During the night, Jaroud and Kalrun had gone to the ambush point to prepare. Judyn and Bowdyn joined them in the pre-dawn, hiding the cart in the woods much earlier. The trap is set with a rope to trip the horses in front, and a tree to fall to cut off retreat in the rear. Jaroud hid himself with his bow on a rock overlooking the path, separate from the others. All wore disguises covering their faces.

Late in the morning, Drayas came riding through with four bodyguards along with his wife, teenage daughter, and grand-niece. His men see signs of the trap and three of the bodyguards ride forward to confront the enemy. However, the trap was successfully sprung on them, unhorsing the three guards who rode forward.

From his vantage point, Jaroud aimed and made an amazing first shot, hitting Drayas in the eyes -- a mortal wound! The others rushed forward to finish him off and chase away the guards. Judyn finished off Drayas while Bowdyn chased off the remaining guard who stood by him. Kalrun engaged the remaining three guards who had been unhorsed, wounding one while the other two retreated.

Judyn prayed for a minor miracle that in their bandit outfits and the confusion, the Ilvirans would be mistaken for Hefiosans. Her prayers were heard. The grand-niece had tarried while the daughter had fled, but Judyn sent her packing with a slap to her horse's rear.

The Getaway
(Afternoon, 23 Halane TR 720)

Mainly to cover their purpose, the four stripped Drayas' body of its valuables, including Jaroud cutting off his finger with a signet ring. (This was +2d cash on hand for all four PCs.) They then fled back towards where they had hidden their cart. Jaroud went off through the wilderness on his own, taking his weapons and the valuables stripped from Drayas.

After some debate, Judyn, Bowdyn, and Kalrun changed their clothes, retrieved their cart and rode back towards Palomeinar. They claimed to have heard the sounds of fighting and hid for fear of bandits. As soldiers rode up, Judyn demanded they stay and protect them.

In town, all was chaos as fighting between the legionaries and the Hefiosans had broken out -- sparked presumably by Drayas' daughter claiming that they had been attacked by Hefiosans. Drayas' son Carl tried ineffectually to control his men and reign in the chaos. The Ilvirans rode out of town to the south along with a stream of others who sought to escape the violence.

(End of Session)