Session Twenty-Four: The Squire's Tale

The Battle Continues

Though many of them are sorely wounded, the company is able to rally and press the cultists hard. Several of the cultists fall as the horrible pink daemon once again disappears from the battlefield, greatly evening the odds.

Inexplicably, a well-dressed man appears on the battlefield behind the cultists’ battle line. He cheerfully addresses the cultists and asks if they can tell him where he is. Two of the cultists, distracted by this, turn on the man and fire arrows. Fortunately for the new arrival, he vanishes before the arrows hit, disappearing as quickly as he arrived.

The horrible pink daemon reappears, only to be quickly surrounded and dispatched by Renee, Andre, and Magnus. To their horror, the dying daemon splits into two, smaller blue daemons. The trio waste no time in hacking the blue daemons to bits. Though they stand vigilant over the remains, the dead blue daemons do not further subdivide into four daemons of another color.

The lead cultist raises his hand and once again begins to call upon the Winds of Magic. Sir Henri rides him down and strikes the cultist a killing blow with his mace. The cultist’s summoned magic backfires on him, enveloping him in purple fire and branding a blasphemous sigil on his chest that rapidly incinerates his torso.

Seeing the daemons and their sorcerous leader fall, the surviving cultists turn and flee. About half are cut down, but the rest manage to escape through the woods to freedom.

An Awful Blue Thing

After the Battle

Pierre tends to the wounded while several of the others strip the dead cultists of their equipment. Andre asks Pierre if teeth have any value to barber surgeons. When Pierre says yes, Andre proceeds to remove every tooth from the head of every dead cultist. He even takes the purple-black and sparking teeth from the lead cultist’s head.

Unbeknownst to the others, Garnier takes a small black book from the body of the dead cultist.

Sir Henri checks on the prone form of Sir Matthias and finds that the knight is unconscious but alive. Pierre’s ministrations get Sir Matthias back on his feet again, and he gratefully rejoins the company.

Once they have taken stock, sorted out the cutlists’ possessions, and patched themselves up as best as they can, the company hurriedly leaves the battlefield, continuing eastward on their pilgrimage.

Ludovico Giallo

A few hours later, the company meets with a cheerful and singing Tilean merchant who introduces himself as Ludovico Giallo. The merchant has a mule that pulls a small cart containing all of his wares. Seeing likely customers, he greets the company and begins opening up his cart for business. He says that he sells small items that travelers might need (soap, boot laces, and so on), and also sells small treasures that one could give to one’s family and friends after returning home from pilgrimage.

Sabina asks her usual questions. Ludovico has seen no one matching the wandering monk’s description, but did just leave Gascon and the pilgrims in the nearby town of Vierzon. He then warns the players against buying any purity seals offered by the group’s pardoner, as he suspects the bishop’s signature displayed on them is a forgery.

The company looks over the cart and sees that Ludovico has numerous knick-knacks for sale. Renee looks for weapons and armor but finds that the most dangerous thing Ludovico sells are belt knives in metal sheathes. She then decides to buy a pair of pretty earrings. Other purchases include:

• Maurice buys a metal fish medallion on a chain. He also has Ludovico appraise his remaining blue gemstones and his long golden gemstone, which turns out to be a Norscan sunstone.
• Andre buys nothing, but sells his bag of teeth to Ludovico for quite a good price.
• Garnier asks Ludovico to fill a small sack with various trinkets for his family, which the merchant is happy to do.
• Magnus buys a book of religious poetry (first confirming its contents with Pierre), presumably as a gift for Lady Josephine.

The company tells Ludovico that the road ahead is safe now, thanks to them clearing it of cultists earlier. He thanks them all, blesses them in the name of the Lady, asks Ranald to keep his hands out of their purses, and travels westward.

Tilean Merchant, Ludovico Giallo

Vierzon

Just as it reaches early evening, the company crests a hill and can at last see the town of Vierzon in the distance. They also see a young man dressed in the robes of a traveling friar coming toward them. The friar hails them and asks if they have a physician or barber-surgeon among their ranks.

The company questions the friar and discover that he is Friar Thomas, one of the pilgrims that they have been following for so long. Friar Thomas informs them that Gascon, the leader of the pilgrims, has been grievously wounded, and the doctor that has accompanied the pilgrimage from the start cannot be found.

Friar Thomas

The company is a touch suspicious, but as they seem to have found their original employer, they volunteer Pierre’s services and agree to accompany Friar Thomas to Vierzon.

The friar is glad to be reunited with Andre, who had been in the pilgrimage previously. Andre complains that he was abandoned by the pilgrims, and says they could have simply knocked on his door to rouse him instead of leaving him behind. Friar Thomas apologizes, and says that Gascon, for reasons that are not clear to him, seems to always be in a hurry to get to the next destination. Friar Thomas promises to make sure that no one is left behind in the future.

The company asks how the pilgrimage has gone so far, and Friar Thomas says that, while it has been mostly pleasant, there have been quite a few snags. It seems that everyone on the pilgrim’s path is out to make money, and has been charging the company a dear price for just about everything. He goes on to say that Gascon has proved to be a shrewd negotiator, and has managed to get most merchants and hostlers to lower their prices, but the trip has still proven much more expensive than any of the pilgrims could have imagined.

By the time Friar Thomas is done relating all of this, the company has passed through the gates of the town of Vierzon. They find an air of tension in the city, and Garnier overhears two men who seem to have found something unpleasant and are going off to take care of it. The company is unable to investigate this more fully, however, as they must accompany Friar Thomas to the Inn of the Hungry Mice, where the pilgrims are now straying.

At the Sign of The Hungry Mice

The inn is located in a disreputable part of Vierzon, and is in somewhat of a dilapidated condition. Its common hall looks like a dive bar, which excites Andre, but dismays some of the others. When asked why the pilgrims are staying here, of all places, Friar Thomas explains that every other in was far too expensive, and even the rooms at the Hungry Mice are quite dear.

Upon entering, the company is greeted by a well-dressed fellow from the Empire who introduces himself as Herr Kleiner, one of the pilgrims. He welcomes the company and praises Friar Thomas on finding a physician so quickly. Herr Kleiner escorts Pierre, Andre, and Garnier up to Gascon’s room, while the rest of the company follow Friar Thomas into the common room.

Herr Kleiner

Upstairs. Pierre, Andre, and Garnier are introduced to Guilbauld, a summoner of the Church of Myrmidia, who is standing vigil over Gascon. The leader of the pilgrimage lies semi-conscious in bed. He sports a deep chest wound that has been inadequately wrapped with bandages. Pierre looks at the soaking wrappings and is shocked that no one has done anything to stop Gascon’s bleeding.

Guilbald, the Summoner

While Pierre goes to work, the summoner explains that they tried everything they could think of, but they could not get the bleeding to stop. He tries to explain that this is why they sent Friar Thomas to find a physician, only to be repeatedly interrupted by Andre, who asks why no one bothered to stich up the wound. Guilbauld becomes frustrated, and says that he didn’t know that that was something that needed to be done.

Pierre does his work, stitching the wound and rebandaging it. Despite this, he looks troubled. He tells the others that, though he has done all he could, he had great difficulty trying to close the wound. He is not sure that he succeeded, and he says that he will check in on Gascon to see how he’s doing.

In the common room, the company gets a frosty reception from the other pilgrims. Sabina promises Bram that the Yeoman can punch Gascon just as soon as he recovers. Meanwhile, Magnus, fearing an attack, surreptitiously slips on his brass knuckles.  Sir Henri decides to lighten the mood by buying meals for the company and the pilgrims. This display of generosity shocks the pilgrims, who look at one another in disbelief and with suspicion.

Friar Thomas politely calls over an older woman in well worn armor, who introduces herself as Dame Britolette, a knight of Aquitaine. The lady explains that she must bear the blame for what happened to Gascon. She then explains what happens.

Dame Britolette of Aquitaine

It appears that several of the pilgrims were becoming frustrated with Gascon, largely due to the expenses that the pilgrims had unexpectedly occurred, but also for other reasons that Dame Britolette does not touch on. This led to much grumbling in the ranks, as well as pointed questions for Gascon. This came to a head earlier in the morning, when Dame Britolette’s squire, Charlotte, who is also her daughter, got into a screaming fight with Gascon in the common room. Before anyone else could react, Charlotte stabbed Gascon in the chest with a knife before fleeing out of the Hungry Mice. No one has seen her since.

Dame Britolette says that, as Charlotte’s mother and mentor, she is the one to blame. She confesses that, had she taught her daughter better discipline and manners, none of this would have occurred.

The company listens to this tale in silence, and considers their next move.

Session Twenty-Three: The Canon Yeoman's Tale

Frieda’s “Trial”

Udda, an Imperial Witch Hunter

Sir Henri musters up everyone in the company apart from Maurice, who has gone off to meet with Michel the Toothless. When Sir Henri explains the situation, several of the company try to beg off, as they realize that the woman who has arrested Frieda is likely a witch hunter. Sir Henri, however, refuses to leave a companion behind, and so goes riding to Frieda’s aid anyway. The rest of the company go with him—some overtly, others much less so.

The company arrives just as the witch hunter (who later introduces herself as Udda), has brought Frieda over to two large and lumpy men from the Empire. These men are Karl Pfannkuchenfaust  and Heinz Hühnerschmidt, two food peddlers from Altdorf. They have employed the services of Udda to track down one Freya of Middenheim, who is wanted in Altdorf for fomenting rebellion, consorting with the Ruinous Powers, and damaging their carts.

Sir Henri, secure in Frieda’s good character, tries to pay Udda some silver to compensate the peddlers for their carts. Before a bemused Udda can say anything, Garnier steps in and warns Sir Henri that, from a certain point of view, it looks like he is trying to bribe a witch hunter. Sir Henri demurs.

Heinz Hühnerschmidt

The company soon discovers that Udda is more reasonable than other witch hunters they have heard about and that the two peddlers are idiots. This causes their courage to return and allows them to vociferously defend Frieda. They point out that Karl and Heinz have gotten Frieda’s name and home city incorrect, and demand to know why they think that they have finally gotten the right woman. They also ask for a description of Frieda’s alleged crimes.

Here, the two peddlers launch into lurid descriptions of a student protest about tuition fees turning violent and of flagrant displays of Chaos magic in the marketplace. Heinz goes into lurid detail about how all his eggs were turned to cockatrices. Andre, who happens to know a thing or two about cockatrices, disputes the veracity of this claim.

Sabina points out that the company has fought numerous Chaos incursions in recent days, and that Frieda has aided them each time. The company backs up Sabina’s statement as she goes on to say that, if Udda wants evidence, all she need do is go to Poissy and talk to a bowyer in the marketplace. Frieda, realizing that her public display of gratitude for the loan of some bows is going to be the thing that saves her, nods along vigorously and confirms Sabina’s description of events.

Karl Pfannkuchenfaust   

Amused that the company has provided evidence and a witness to support Frieda’s innocents, and seemingly thoroughly disgusted with her two traveling companions, Udda releases Frieda into the custody of Sir Henri. She says that she will ride westward to check the company’s story, and she will find them on pilgrimage and re-arrest Frieda if things still seem suspect.

Udda releases Frieda from her chains and departs, all but dragging the two outraged and querulous peddlers behind her.

Michel’s News

The company catches up with Maurice, who is enjoying a cup of ale with Michel the Toothless. Michel greets Magnus and Garnier warmly and asks if they are there to join up with the Company of Ash. They reply that they are going on pilgrimage, but that they may come back this way. If they do, and if the Company of Ash is still here, they may see about mustering out with them.

Michel goes on to say that he thinks the Company of Ash will be leaving soon (though hopefully not before one of the local barber surgeons finishes Michel’s new set of false teeth). He says that a force of orks and goblins have moved out of the mountains into the southern plains of Carcassonne, and that the mercenary companies will earn plenty of coin by fighting them. He also mentions rumors that a large band of skaven are responsible for displacing the greenskins, and that he hopes to fight “those Chaotic bastards,” too.

A side conversation occurs, in which Garnier suggests offering some money to Michel to bring him along on the pilgrimage with them. He says that Michel is a formidable fighter, and considering how the company’s journey has gone so far, another warrior would not be remiss. The company, however, decides not to hire on Michel and, with pleasant goodbyes, allows him to go back to the Company of Ash.

Michel the Toothless

Ambush!

With Frieda released, the company well rested, Renee freed from the taint of Chaos, and the last of their purchases made, the company packs up their encampment and prepares to set out. Just prior to departure, Sir Henri visits Sir Matthias’ camp and asks if the knight errant would like to accompany them eastward. Sir Matthias graciously accepts.

The company has now grown quite substantial and includes Andre, Sabina, Renee, Garnier, Pierre, Magnus, Maurice, and Sir Henri. Though they have lost Sir Jean-Marc somewhere along the way, they have been reunited with Sir Jean-Marc’s horse. In addition, the company includes long time companions Herni the innkeeper and Frieda, as well as the new arrivals of Jim, Jules, Constance, Bram the Yeoman, and Sir Matthias. Sabina quips that, if this keeps up, they will rival the original pilgrimage in size by the time they reach Turin.

The much-enlarged company sets out eastward, and soon reaches a part of the road where the woods stand relatively close on either side. Garnier realizes that this is an ideal spot for an ambush, and remarks as much to the others.

It is at this moment that the holy woman they had met the night before leaps out onto a nearby boulder, a bow in hand. She laughs at the company and says, “you should have taken the Brethren up on our hospitality! You could have died peacefully in your sleep instead of messily in battle! Attack!”

With that, perhaps a dozen or so other people step from the forest, armed with bows. Coming up behind them is an unarmed man with a wild look in his eyes. He raises his hands to the sky in an opening gesture to summon the Winds of Magic and shouts a challenge at the company.

“Kill the cultists of the Stranger! For the Changer of Ways! Death to the enemy! Death!”

A desperate battle begins. The sorcerer is wounded badly by an early volley of arrows and retreats into the forest, only to return moments later escorted by a hideous, pink daemon creature that teleports around the battlefield, slashing and roaring at the company. The other cultists answer the company’s own arrow volleys with their own, badly wounding Garnier, Maurice, Bram, and Jules.

The injured and the noncombatants retreat to the cover of Henri the innkeeper’s cart, while those skilled in close combat rush the cultists in an attempt to strike them down. This goes well, until a hail of Chaotic energy blows Sir Matthias off his horse and the pink daemon teleports behind Sir Henri and tears up his left side.

While the frontline fighters rush to aid the two knights, the cohort at the wagon try to treat the injured, ready their bows and crossbows, and pray to the Lady for a miracle.

An Awful Pink Thing

Session Twenty-Two: The Canon Yeoman's Tale

Andre’s Map

While everyone gets settled in for dinner, Andre mentions that he has a map that shows where a treasure is buried near the town of Colmar, which is one of the places the pilgrimage is meant to pass through. The company is interested in this, though a touch skeptical. Only Jules seems particularly eager to find the treasure, which unnerves Andre.

Andre's Map. In Ink.

Sir Matthias

The company tells the tale of Sir Jean-Marc and asks Sir Matthias if he has seen their erstwhile companion in his travels. He confesses that he has not. He says that he found Ambrose alone and riderless, wandering through a small forest a day or so prior. After searching around and finding no one to whom the Ambrose belonged, Sir Matthias mounted him and continued his journey eastward. He tells the company that, if Ambrose belongs to their friend, he is happy to give him up. The company insists that he keep Ambrose, for now. Sir Matthias, perhaps embarrassed by their generosity, excuses himself and sets up camp elsewhere.

Garnier quietly notes that none of his companions seem at all bothered that Sir Matthias is the spitting image of the Yellow Knight, and decides not to press the issue.

Sir Henri, somewhat suspicious of Sir Matthias, asks Jules to follow the knight at a distance and see what he does. When Jules balks, Constance offers to go with him.

Errands and Visitors

Having eaten, the company decides to take a wander around the encampment outside of Castle Carcassonne. It is a lively place, even at night, and the company makes purchase from various market stalls and buys drinks at the open-air taverns.

They soon grow fatigued and retire to their encampment, where sleep quickly takes Renee. Shortly thereafter, a woman in holy vestments visits the encampment. She blesses the travelers in the name of the Lady and says that she is a member of the Brethren of the Pantheon—a religious sect that pays heed to all the goodly gods. She goes on to say that, should the company require spiritual refreshment, they are welcome to visit the Brethren’s enclave, located in the woods north of the castle. Sir Henri tithes two silver to the woman for her holy work, and the rest of the company politely thanks her and leaves.

Shortly after the woman’s departure, Sabina says, “all right, do we want to discuss just how sketchy she was?” The company agrees that the woman exuded suspicion, and admonish Sir Henri for giving her coin.

The conversation soon turns from the woman to the various Chaotic threats the company has fought, as well as the numerous hangers-on the company has accumulated on their way to Turin. This prompts Henri the innkeeper to say that he must, with apologies, ask for some coin to refresh his food stores, as he did not realize he would have quite so many mouths to feed. Between them, the company provides Henri with a shockingly large pile of gold crowns. Henri thanks them profusely, and promises that they will all feast like the monarchs of Bretonnia for the rest of the trip.

This moment of levity is quickly dashed when Frieda jostles Sabina’s arm and points over at Renee.

“She’s doing it again!”

The Message and the Mark

Renee, still asleep, is lying on her back with her left hand in the air. She is, once again, making strange gestures and muttering to herself. The company watches this in bafflement while Sabina and Frieda recount that they had seen this same behavior previously in Paix and went to the priests of the Shrine of St. Jacqueline about it.

Andre suggests that, since Renee looks like she is writing, that someone ought to stick a quill in her hand and hold up some paper, to see if she’s writing anything intelligible. Frieda quickly produces a stick of charcoal and opens one of her books to a blank page. Holding the book over Renee’s hand, the company watches in silence as Renee scribbles something down. Her seemingly random motions are actually intelligible, and produce the following:

Lady, have mercy upon your humble servant. I beg you, please, in the name of all
that is holy, send someone to relieve me of this miserable burden.

Realizing that something foul is at work, the company awaken Renee and tell her what’s going on. Pierre asks to inspect her left arm, which had been wounded in the fight with Amelia (the daemon of Slaanesh) in Poissy. Pierre unwraps the old bandages to see that, in addition to his stitching, Renee has a very sinister looking mark that looks as if it has been branded on her skin.

Sabina thinks that the words Renee was writing sound very similar to the “wishes” given to people by the wandering monk. She and Frieda also think that the mark looks similar to the curious ideograms that accompany the wishes. They, and the rest of the company, agree that Renee has been marked by Chaos, and try to decide what to do about the problem. After some discussion, it is decided that Pierre will attempt to surgically remove the brand to see if that helps. Andre and Maurice run off to one of the open-air taverns to buy the strongest drink they can afford.

Renee is given half the contents of the bottle procured by Andre and Maurice, and is then asked to bite down on a leather strap. She bears the pain very well as Pierre does his work quickly and with calm efficiency.

Partway through the procedure, Jules and Constance return to report that Sir Matthias has set up camp and is resting. They only get partway through this message when they see Renee’s impromptu surgery and begin yelling in shock. They are quickly calmed, however.

Pierre succeeds in removing the mark, however, when he has finished his work, a beam of yellow light leaps from Renee’s arm and strikes him in the forehead, knocking him unconscious. He awakes in a foggy place in front of a large stone ruin. Within the ruin, a lumpy creature mocks him, laughs at him, and addresses him with strange turns of phrase and cryptic riddles.

The figure then allows Pierre to ask them one question. Pierre responds with, “what is your name?” The figure explains that they have many names, some of which Pierre already knows very well. The figure then laughs again and dismisses Pierre, causing him to regain consciousness.

Pierre awakens surrounded by his companions. He tells them what he experienced and then, with shaking hand, checks on Renee a final time. The company all agrees that they have had enough for the day and decide to get to sleep, which they do.

More Errands and Visitations

The next morning, at Henri the innkeeper’s urging, the company visits the Shrine of the Sword, which is a holy site erected at Castle Carcassonne in remembrance of the unknown warriors that have perished defending Bretonnia’s southern borders. The company acquires sword-shaped pilgrim badges, which they add to their collection, and spend some time asking their usual questions about pilgrims and monks. None of the officiants at the shrine remember seeing a monk, but they do definitely remember Gascon and the pilgrims.

This talk of pilgrims attracts the attention of a rugged, pockmarked, bow-wielding man who introduces himself as Bram. He tells the company that he has a score to settle with their erstwhile boss, Gascon, whom he knows as Godfrey. Bram says that Godfrey had convinced him that he was an alchemist who was seeking a reliable method of turning base metals into gold, and had asked Bram (then a yeoman of means) to finance his research. When Bram ran out of money, Godfrey ran out on Bram, and Bram has been pursuing him ever since.

The company explains that they have no particular love of their employer, whom they have been trying to catch for quite a while now. Andre, who had been with the pilgrims until recently, says that he (and others) was getting quite fed up with all of Gascon’s surprise fees and taxes, and harbors no particular love for the man, either. The company agrees to let Bram accompany them eastward and says, that if they ever catch up with the pilgrims, they’ll let Bram have the first punch.

Renee, who remembers that a man identified as Godfrey of Ranald had a bounty on his head, insists that she be second in line.

The company then parts ways to do a last little bit of shopping prior to setting off eastward after the pilgrims. Magnus and Garnier happen to see a banner for their old mercenary company—the Company of Ash. When they approach it, they run into one of their old companions, Michel, who—due to some dental issues—is colloquially known as “Michel the Toothless.”

Michel is delighted to see the two men, and is even more excited when he hears that Maurice is with them. He asks Magnus and Garnier if they are here to muster out with the company, as word has come up from the south that the orks are once again advancing out of the southern mountains. The two men say that they are on pilgrimage, but that they may join the Company of Ash once their business is done. A moment later, Magnus makes a quieter, less committal remark about winning the favor of the love of his life, the Lady Josephine.

Michel is excited to hear this. He says that he’s going to grab a table at one of the taverns, and tells the Magnus and Garnier to go find Maurice and bring him along for drinks. They agree, and part ways.

Bram, Yeoman of Bretonnia

Frieda’s Tasty Past

Somewhere nearby, Sir Henri makes his way across the mustering ground to where Sir Matthias has camped. Sir Henri’s plan is to ask the knight errant to travel eastward with the company.

He has not quite reached Sir Matthias’ encampment when he hears a familiar voice calling for help. Turning around, he sees Frieda being lead away in chains by a formidable-looking woman dressed in Imperial clothing and a wide-brimmed hat.

“Sir Henri! Help!”

Knowing what he must do, Sir Henri goes to find and rally the others to Frieda’s defense.