Part 1: On the road to Milborne

[PaulH]

Garrick 'works the bar' gathering information as he can, keeping as much distance between himself and the obvious paladin. Also asks some shady looking customers about getting some 'specialised' kit - lockpicks, poisons, etc. He also asks quietly about 'guild membership'. (Letting local thieve's guild they may have potential new member).

After a while Garrick asks about passage on the morning barge.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

After a few discreet inquiries Garrick recieves suggestions to seek out a certain "upright man" of good standing by the name of Dern Cullen. Mr Cullen himself is in the inn tonight. He is a middle aged man who keeps his grey hair and jawline beard short and neatly trimmed. His clothes are made of good durable cloth but a tad old and worn. He pays little attention to the ruffians that stand at his shoulder as they banter and glare at each other. As Garrick approaches he focusses on the elf and awaits his greeting. There is a sense of power about this man like a coiled spring waiting to be released. He does not seem amused or intrigued by the elf's appearance, he merely exudes an ominous presence that is almost a tangible force.

[Custom_Hobby]

Sir Thorgrin stays a couple of steps behind Garrick. He keeps an eye on everything around them and lets Garrick do the talking.

[PaulH]

Garrick catches Dern Cullen's eye and slightly nods to a quiet corner. (Or at lest a less obvious place to talk). If Cullen accepts Garrick will buy another drink and follow him.

Garrick's not sure if this is a 'Guild' contact or something entirely legit.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Looking the elf up and down Dern finaly speaks to the men who surround him. "Well, well, well, here's  a pair of well rattled chums and no mistake. Pendle, buy them a drink each, there's a good pal." The group chuckle and one breaks off, headed for the bar.

"Now then," says Dern, speaking directly to Garrick, "why don't you come and sit here with me an' share a tip of rum belch with me. There's no need to shoole away in the shadows. There's nothing to say as I'm afraid to speak in my pal's company like." At this the men surrounding him chuckle once more.

Oh thieve's cant is fun. I'll need to check which languages Garrick is fluent in but with successful decipher scripts/int checks he should be able to work out the gist of it. I highly recommend Gary Gygax's The Canting Crew to all of you for entertainment value. It's largely based on the late rennaissance thieve's cant with the addition of various "obsolete" words and others he included for fun to fill gaps or that just happened to tickle his imagination.

[Chrysalis]

Since Kharsis doesn't seem to pick something interesting in the room, and Garrick does, the young paladin will simply stay where he is. He will try not to look too much at the table where Garrick sat, drinking his ale. However, should things go bad, he's on the ready to fight... You never know, with such awful places, thinks Kharsis.

[PaulH]

Garrick joins Dern for a drink, and tries to find out what's on offer - items or information.

[Custom_Hobby]

Sir Thorgrin walks over to Kharsis "Lets hope he can find something useful."

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Well Garrick sits down and, as Pendle brings him a drink, Mr Cullen mentions that  alittle bird told him someone might be looking for gilks (lockpicks), a bess (crowbar) or even a family man (at Garrick's geuss, this refers to a fence who recieves stolen goods and also trains up scoundrels in various arts and also forges petty documents, but it could mean a few other things as well).

As the discussion takes place a young lad with a prominent nose and spotty face bursts in and exitedly informs Dern that "Kerrig and Lentarn are roasting the pigs".

"Well now," says the aging knave, "I always knew they was a right pair of roaring boys. We don't want nuffing to do with scourers like that."

"But mr Cullen sir," insists the spotty faced lad, "they've gort Kleggy an' three others an' all."

Giving him an unpleasant look Mr Dullen replies, "well then that's right different isn't it? Kleggy's a right captain sharp and no mistake. He's probably dragegd hapless friends into something they'd have done better to keep out of. There's nothing we can do for them now but pray, and hope the great beak does right by 'em."

From this Garrick ascertains that Kerrig and Lentarn have been arrested (he knew that already) but that Dern Cullen considers them to be a pair of mindless thugs without a shred of conscience who'll rob, assault and even abuse the watch without shame.

Kleggy is clearly a bully boy who's heavily into witness intimidation and debt collection but Aldred and Brud don't seem to be involved in anything dodgey.

Dern isn't going to do anything to get them out of the mess they've got themselves into (or if he is, he isn't going to discuss it here) and he's advised his underling to "hope the judge is deals fairly with them".

[PaulH]

Garrick asks if there's been any other strangers around recently, or any unusual 'contracts' being offered. Garrick also points out that the arcanist seemed to be specifically targetted.

Once the main questions are out of the way he gets down to business and asks about local 'trade' - who to avoid, good marks, etc. Garrik pats his concealed toolbelt when lockpicks are mentioned. He also asks about this vllage downstream, and about the wizard there.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Over the course of a few minutes Mr Cullen informs Garrick that the local chapel of siant Cuthbert is very popular with the townsfolk. Cuthbert is very strict on good behaviour and all the locals at least pay lip service (and some are truly devout indeed). As such there aren't many opportunities to get up to no good (and those that do often go to confession to at least seem remorseful for their deeds). Out here in the countryside the local priest and the townsfolk take a more lax view of the good saint's strictness but the local guards (all three or four of them) are not a force to be triffled with. The village shopkeeper, in particular, is very security conscious and alert.

He also tells him that while Thurmaster is closer to Lord Parlfray's castle, it's fairly run down and impoverished (due to large scale attacks by lizardmen from the marshes years ago). As such the folk of Thurmaster are more inclined to lawlessness, why, the town's inkeeper has three of his own ladies who sell cool ale (women of easy virtue who also sell booze). The shopkeeper in Thurmaster is less alert than the one in Millbourne but Dern warns that the banker of Thurmaster is not to be trusted. He does not rob folk blind but keeps introducing new fees and charges after negotiations have been agreed on.

He knows that Theothrastus is a wizard, the only one in all Harranshire. The old boy likes to come out and put on fireworks demonstrations for the children during religious festivals. Other than that the aging wizard likes to keep to himself. "And his tower, you've just got to see his tower," he chuckles.

Nodding at sir Thorgrin he adds "I see you've brought Snagger with you." When asked what this means he explains that, "well when the only dwarf in the village spends three or four months telling us that his nephew's coming to see him and then finaly a dwarf turns up what are we meant to think?"

[Balgin Stondraeg]

After a while Garrick, Thorgrin and Kharsis return to The Barron of Mutton. Shenaistos has observed the townsfolk going about their evening business. Everyone seems upset and a bit on edge but that's understandable what with the sudden disappearance of Chenna, Theothrastus' apprentice.

Back at the inn Andren and Bran produce a rather appetising stew from the kitchen as dinner for their geusts. They also set aside two of the private rooms for the group (neither of which is Chenna's room or the common room). Evereyone eats and then retires for the night. Spellcasters may wish to sort out their spell lists for the day to come.

In the morning Andren wakes the group and takes them down to the boat house where they meet Capella, a stocky woman in her thirties with her dark hair bound in a greasy ponytail that curls around her neck and down over her left shoulder like an oily ferret or something. She tilts her head on one side and eyes the newcomers up as if measuring them up for something.

Andren explains the situation to her and she listens quietly, eyeing up the newcomers, hands folded behind her back. She agrees to give you all passage on the barge for free if you help load it up and this end and unload the contents when it reaches Thurmaster. Once unloaded the dockers will take care of them. You can also act as security for the barge's contents on the journey.

So the party help load sacks, crates and barrels onto the barge. Once the few crew push off the barge begins it's merry route downstream. The forest to the south of the river seems to flash by at a faster rate than they would on foot. The boatmen keep an eye out for brigands and ne'erdowells in the woodlands to the south and the fileds to the north. The weather is thankfuly dry and even a little sunny but the day itself is thankfuly uneventful. As evening draws on the barge reaches the docks of Thurmaster.