Session Thirty-One: The Pardoner’s Tale

Like Candy from a Baby?

The company visits the shrine of Saint Betva and acquires pilgrims’ badges—this time in the image of a wall with a tower on each side. Sir Henri attempts to make conversation with the stern, older woman and finds he is somewhat more successful than his companions. The woman is unpleasantly narrowminded and religiously strict. She not only hates the riffraff and troublemakers this “treasure hunt” has brought to Colmar, but is also not at all pleased at what is happening to the children. She finds their new toys—which have been made by a local inventory—to be to exciting for the children, and that the creativity and inspiration they inspire will soon turn the children to impiety and the Ruinous Powers.

Sir Henri attempts to distract the woman by asking about Saint Betva. He learns that the dwarven saint is best known for her miraculous construction of the town walls, but is also known for designing various blasphemous devices—similar to what the “heathens” have in the Empire. She, and others who work at the shrine, have tried to suppress this side of Colmar’s saint, but the meddlesome toymaker is causing a resurgence in ideas better left suppressed.

Meanwhile, Andre attempts to buy the toy boat on wheels off of the little girl. The girl refuses, but says that Andre could get his own toy boat, if he really wants one, by visiting the toymaker who made it. She gives Andre directions to what the older woman describes as, “the unrighteous part of town.”

Magnus’ Merry Men

Along the way, the company stops by the town square and finds that Magnus and Jim have successfully recruited three sturdy—albeit dim—locals to serve as Magnus’ men at arms. Magnus sends Jim with the new recruits to the market so that they can be outfitted appropriately. Then Magnus continues along with the group.

Magnus' Peasant Regualrs

The Toymaker

The company travels to a somewhat more dilapidated quarter of Colmar. There, they find a large barn and a small stone house that have been rented out to one Antonella Sclephani, the somewhat infamous toymaker of Colmar. The company finds Antonella to be bright, inquisitive, and quite vivacious. She invites the company into her house as best as she can, and offers up a humble luncheon of wine, cheese, and bread.

Antonella says that she has become a toymaker by accident. She is, in truth, an inventor and architect from Tilea who wishes to follow in the footsteps of Leonardo of Tilea. To that end, she has traveled far and wide to study the work of other inventors like herself, attempt to make the works of previous masters, and thereby improve her craft. She had heard of the great Saint Betva, and of her artificing diagrams, and came to Colmar to study them. Antonella found that the people at the shrine none too keen to let her study the “somewhat blasphemous” works of the saint. Fortunately, a sizeable enough donation allowed her to gain access to the saint’s book of sketches and diagrams.

Antonella Sclephani

Antonella requires very little urging to bring out the book. She shows off several of the schematics within, many of which are clearly technical drawings of the toys the company has seen. Antonella says that she had been making scale models, to better understand the principles behind the schematics, when a small child happened by. She sold the model to the child and the rest was history. Antonella has been using this avenue of income to pay her rent, keep her in food, and work on “the big project” that is in the barn.

The big project is a full-sized version of “Saint Betva’s Eleventh Device.” Antonella is quite happy with how it is progressing, but she also confesses that she likely made a mistake in choosing to build it. It is very large, of course, requires a great deal of specialized parts, is something that she has no experience using and, because Colmar is largely landlocked, has very little use in the area.

Andre, who is a sailor and who remembers the ship on wheels toy, asks her if she can see it. The others ask Antonella if she, perhaps, made a wish with a monk recently. She says that she has, that the monk was lovely, and that everything has been going swimmingly since she met him. The company becomes even more concerned once they hear this.

Antonella invites them into her barn where they behold the nearly-complete full-scale prototype of Saint Betva’s Eleventh Device—a massive, steam-powered ship on wheels. The company goggles at it, while Andre licks his lips and rubs his hands together. Antonella is excited that the company is excited, and becomes even more so when they tell her that they would like to take it with them on their pilgrimage and also invite her along as chief engineer. Andre insists on being the captain.

Meanwhile, Sabina finds Antonella’s wish amidst other papers on a nearby worktable. Sabina strongly encourages Antonella to burn the wish to ashes, and the inventor asks for a lot more details.

"Antonella Sclephani wishes to find one who appreciates her work."

After they discuss the wish, Maurice asks Antonella if she might be able to make him some special arrows to help him in battle. She says that she thinks this is an interesting problem, and will get to work on it right away.

The company leaves her to her inventing, and goes to investigate one of Colmar’s many towers.

Street “Toughs”

The company departs from Antonella’s house only to discover that they are being watched by several people dressed in common peasant’s garb. The company follows them, but the individuals see that they are being followed and hurry to get away. The company splits up and follows after the individuals, eventually trapping them in a street outside of a seedy inn called the Black Dog.

The three individuals, who are unarmed, unarmored, and badly outnumbered, profusely beg the company’s pardon. They explain that they are in the employ of another treasure hunter who has had made little headway in finding the treasure. They say that their boss had asked them to spy on any new arrivals looking for the treasure, and see if they could get any leads. Garnier tells the individuals to clear off. The individuals gladly accept.

One of Several "Dangerous" Locals

The Tower of the Dog

This tower, in the southeastern part of Colmar, was suggested to the company by the stern woman at the shrine. She does not know its name, but she did think there was a marker plaque in it that named both it and the other towers.

The company arrive to find a small market is set up around the base of the tower, and that the tower door is wide open. Numerous people, including those of questionable appearance, go in and out of the tower semi-regularly. The company learns, through talking with several peddlers, that the tower is not Gilles’ Tower, but the Tower of the Dog.

Maurice spots a one-eyed, armored woman and approaches her, asking her if she knows where he can buy certain herbs, “that would be useful in hunting.” She directs him to a small apothecary near Colmar’s main marketplace, where he can easily buy all the dreadful poison he needs.

The company enter the tower and search it, keeping out of the way of other townsfolk and treasure hunters. They discover that the marker plaque has been removed—potentially by other people looking for the treasure. They also surprise two young men involved in carnal relations, which proves to be embarrassing for everyone.

They at last ascend the tower. In the topmost room, they see several arrow slits spread out equidistantly along the outer wall. Each of these has a symbol carved into its windowsill. The more learned members of the company think that these symbols are dwarven letters, though none of them match the symbol on Andre’s map.

In a fit of inspiration, Sir Henri suggests that they go back to talk to Antonella, who is, if not conversant in dwarven runes, at least in possession of a book written by a dwarf who built Colmar’s towers. The company decides to split up, with some remaining in the tower and the rest returning to Antonella.

Tower of the Dog, Ground Floor

Gilles’ Tower

Antonella is pleased and surprised to see the company so soon. She is glad to help them and takes out Saint Betva’s book to let them look through it. Pierre quickly finds a page that features an architectural drawing of Colmar’s defensive wall, and which also provides the names—in Bretonnia and dwarven—of all the perimeter towers.

The company reconvenes and travels to Gilles’ Tower, keeping extra vigilant to make sure they are not being followed. Upon reaching the tower, they find that it is constructed identically to the Tower of the Dog. They quickly ascend to the topmost room, find the sill with the matching rune from Andre’s map, and look through the accompanying arrow slit. In the afternoon sun, they clearly see three distant hills standing alone in the forest north of the town.

Realizing that they have discovered the next marker that will lead them to the treasure, the company discusses what to do next. They decide to excise the dwarven letters from the sills in the tower—the better to deter pursuit. They will then leave the tower in three groups, travel in different directions, collect Jim, Jules, the three new recruits and their horses, and leave Colmar by three different gates. They will then meet up in the forest outside of town and travel to the hills in search of the treasure.

Magnus, Sabina, and Maurice are chosen to leave first. As they descend the tower, they become aware that it is unusually quiet, as if the people in and around it were called away for some strange reason. Suspicious, the trio ready weapons as they descend.

They reach the bottom floor to find Anastasia standing just inside the tower entrance, behind the two men the company had seen before at the King’s Arms. Anastasia has her arm around Jules, who has been bound and gagged, and who has the barrel of Anastasia’s pistol shoved squarely into his temple.

Jules glances away from the trio, obviously ashamed, and says,

“Sowwy.”

One of Anastasia's Cube-Headed Flunkies