Friday 9 April 2010

Evil in Elmshire - Chapter 3.1

Chapter 3 - Parte 1 - Scions of Goodness
The awake party having driven off the last of the Rhenee river folk, steer the barge back onto land. The first rays of the morning sun touch the campsite and some of the poisoned party being to rouse. All awake feeling unwell and naseous but it is only the Bard that returns the gift of the halfling stew and beer back onto Mother Oerth.

Recovered somewhat they then help in the thorough search of the vessel and many dead things therein and this is what they find...
  1. a heavy locked chest (opened in Ulric's usual way) and found to contain about 2000 gps and a letter. Letter along the lines of 'Well done, keep up the good work and keeps those slaves coming'
  2. a bag containing about a kilogram of a white powdery stuff, and which Brother Kelly determines to be some form of opiate.
  3. on the dead scary ass dude, a unholy symbol of Iuz and a Pass granting Diplomatic Immunity, valid and stamped in the City of Greyhawk.
Hmmm...

The party sail, maneuver the barge along the coast and ram it onto the beach next to the village of Elmshire, considerable damage is inflicted to the barge and too many of the passengers on aboard and the initial enthusiasm for 'sailing fast and ramming the boat ashore!' soon give way to loud curses and angry recriminations.



Disembarkation follows with the party and surviving halfling fighters wandering into the strangely quite and empty streets of the halfling habitation. Moving toward and into the village green, a loud voice suddenly accosts them and arrests their approach.

'STOP RIGHT THERE SLAVERS!, shouts Windsor Greenshade, Mayor of Elmshire from the first floor window of his abode, 'the games up, we know who you are now, so any one of you who attempts to move or try anything funny, DIES!', and to make good on his threat a dozen or so other top floor windows open around the square and the business ends of some very heavy xbows are pushed through and aimed at the party.

Discussions begin 8-)

...and end with the Mayor being stabbed and pushed out of the 1st floor window by Roland Proudhair, the Patriach of the Proudhair Family and also the wealthiest halfling in whole of Elmshire (and also and as an aside Mr October in What Halfling! magazine.)

The Party are assailed by missile fire from the Proudhair Residence, a rather large and luxurious mansion located in a plumb spot in the village square. The rest of the village seem unsure on what to do, so don't fire at the party, this is due to some bellowing from the Paladin, some glib words from the Bard, some elegant pleading from the Warlord, some religious preaching from the Cleric and finally with Ulric losing patience and dropping his pants, bending over and shouting across to Roland Proudhair, 'I respect you most highly!'

A melee ensues 8-)

The result of which is burning Proudhair residence, a lot of dead Proudhair family members, the paladin giving a free, open air concert to a raptured halfling audience, a captured and trussed Roland Proudhair, a massive and extremely heavy chest and the majority of the party in a underground escape tunnel, skulking behind a sturdy metal door awaiting a fiery explosion that doesn't quite come.

Ulric attempts to unlock the chest in his own inimical way, it in turn tries to poison him and anyone else within a close burst 3. Ulric remains unmoved and opens the foul thing some more, the chest finally gives way and disgorges 20 000 gps into the light of day together with a multitude of shiny gemstones. Ulric the Dwarf comes, loudly, whilst the rest of the party shift uneasily. A secret compartment full of paperwork is also found and handed over to the bard, the correspondences, going back a year, detail the Proudhair's involvement with the slavers and the halfling disappearances.

Roland Proudhair is also brought around and tortured asked some very hard questions. He spills his guts and explains how the Proudhairs used the Merrifoot family as 'muscle', small muscle admittedly but muscle nevertheless to do their dirty work, they kept the family in line via the opiates they learned that they were addicted too. He also informs the party that the slaves are moved to he City of Greyhawk (and not Lankmar Dabe) before being transferred across the lake to a place known only to him as  'Helleron'.

Ulric in a unparalleled and completely unexpected act of generosity (well certainly to me), donates the lion's share (80%) of the Proudhair Slaver gold to the village of Elmshire. Korbin and Dirkwood although having grown up in the halfling realm, having many relations whom will be directly helped from this noble act of charity, still cry like good uns over this unexpected monetary loss. They understand the Dwarf's decision, but they can't agree with it on roguish principles!

High above in the heavens, Thor puffs out his chest and looks across the shocked auditorium of watching Gods and singles out the stunned face of Osiris, Crom, Pelor and beams,
'See, I don't need any Paladins to do my work Pelor, the common folk always suffice!'
 Pelor still stunned by the actions of Thor's foremost worshiper on Oerth finally replies,
'I worry not Thor, Baron Quentin is my implement of goodness on Oerth, although Ulric's action is to be commended, truly, my knight will show you all what true goodness is really all about'

Meanwhile, on Terra Oertha...

Windsor Greenshade, recently recovered Mayor of Greyhawk, having been given all the facts, decides that the Greyhawk authorities need to be informed of this turn of events. Roland Proudhair must also is to be transported to the City to stand trial for his many crimes. He writes the boys a letter of introduction to the Mayor of Greyhawk (Nerof Gasgal (no relation)) there to explain the situation and see what he has to say.

The party decide to make a few quick repairs to the beached barge 8-) and then sail it along the Selitan River to the City of Greyhawk.

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