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Fairhaven 001: “Ladle to Grave”

2/22/14

The campaign begins with the Group hanging out at the Bronson Bridges in late morning on a cool Fall day. An attractive young woman stumbles up river toward the Group. Mud and dirt hide much of her pale skin, long green dress, and soft brown boots; her wavy red hair knotted and tangled from her journey. She pleads for help, claiming to be on the run from a couple of Inquisitors (A police force that monitors and regulates arcane magic-users, investigates anti-government activity, and answers directly to the Coviria). The Group decides to help her and she gives her name as Liranna.

Hector, who is friends with Joseph Teucrus (bowyer/fletcher), goes to him and asks if they can hide her there. Joe says he is leaving for a few days and allows them to keep her there. Meanwhile, Dilura and Elmorn attempt to make fake tracks that indicate the woman continued upstream.

The next day the Inquisitors arrive in town. The town’s people appear to be afraid of them and give them a wide birth as they ride in. They stop at the Inn and tell the Sheriff that they will be searching every room and crawlspace in town. Upon hearing this, Hector offers to hide her in the special grove south of town that only a few know about. The Group offers up some supplies including clothes from Tor’s mother. Liranna agrees and they head out. Hector returns and the Group decides it is best that she leave the area later that evening.

After searching half the town, the Inquisitors decide to spend the night in the Inn. Tor tries to spy on them in their room, but learns more about them than he wanted to. Foehammer stands watch at the edge of town for Hector’s return and Dilura waits at Joe’s house, while Hector and Elmorn return to Liranna in the grove. When they tells her it would be best if she left, Liranna turns bitter and angry; leaving in a huff.

As Hector and Elmorn return to town, they see Carter, Elmorn’s Druid father, approaching. He sternly yells at them to come to him. Elmorn does as he’s told while Hector quickly runs away. Carter had seen Hector and Liranna escaping town earlier that day and was very upset once he realized they were hiding her from the Inquisitors. Elmorn and Brevyn are sent home by their father. Hector hides out and Joe’s house and talks to Dilura about what he should do. Hector sleeps there, but worried he will be turned in to the Inquisitors, decides to run away in the morning.

Hector first runs to the grove where he is confronted by Carter Nailo. Carter chews him out a bit, telling him “The last thing we need is the law.” In the end, however, Carter tells Hector to return home and to tell his parents he spent the night with Brevyn and Elmorn. Relieved, Hector runs home.

Back in town the Inquisitors have called a town meeting. They say that if anyone is hiding the girl, they can bring her to them with no repercussions. The town has until noon, because the Inquisitors will be moving on then. As the two eat breakfast at the Inn, Brevyn decides to engage the two men in conversation in order to sneak a peek into their bags. Just as he is about to look down into the opened bag, one of the men stands, throws Brevyn against the wall, and puts a short sword to his neck. Brevyn quickly surrenders, but seeing his friend in trouble, grabs a heavy ladle and threatens the Inquisitor. The Inquisitor wants to make his point with Brevyn, but doesn’t want to have to fight and potentially kill two kids. When Brevyn reminds the two men that Tor is a Lord, a brief smile crosses the Inquisitor’s face and he releases Brevyn. Tor stands down and Brevyn leaves quickly. The two men ask Tor to ready their horses as they are about to leave. Tor doesn’t double cinch the saddles, hoping that will make the Inquisitors fall sometime down the road. The Inquisitors do leave on time and the Sheriff follows them out of town.

Later that night, the Group gathers behind Foehammer’s brewery. They notice movement to the south, from the direction of the graveyard. A moment later they see a herd of skeletons shambling toward them. Hector leaves to ring the town alarm bell while Elmorn and Brevyn run to check on their parents who live next to the graveyard. Foehammer gets his Dad who orders him to get his Mom to safety in the town Hall. The Dad, a few of his employees, and Tor stand ready to fight the approaching undead. Just as Tor finds an axe, Hector returns and picks up a crowbar. Both attack one of the skeletons. After the brothers alert their parents, they head north getting behind the herd and attack a skeleton together. Foehammer runs in from the side and tackles one of the skeletons and eventually crushes its skull. Just as the Group finishes off their first kills, a bright light shines from behind the brothers. Sandara Nailo is turning undead and destroys the rest of the skeletons. As the light fades out, one of the brothers sees Liranna hiding amongst the trees, smiling wickedly. When he points her out, Sandara runs after the Necromancer and Carter transforms into a bear charging in as well.

To be continued…