Episode 12: Bait & Witch Report

General Summary

Prequel to The Enemy Within Episode 12 - “Bait & Witch” 3/13/2020 Post-Game Notes   Day 14 (17th overall) - morning of Konigtsag, 1 Nachgeheim, 2512 IC   Crew heads off to Cordelia’s in the morning to get the bomb enchanted. Once there, a nervous Ida and angry Cordelia entreat them for assistance. Cordelia thinks she is being followed by two shifty travelers. She wants the Crew to set up an ambush in Whistlebone Alley and, after she leads them through, waylay the miscreants and tell them to leave old ladies alone!   The Crew sets up a helluva ambush. As soon as the two shifty rogues stroll through, only several paces behind Cordelia, the Crew wastes no time and tries to murder the poor bastards.

• Godabert’s announcing arrow shot slices off the dude’s (Jannick) nose.
• The girl rogue (Ingrid) gets off a lucky shot on Kris before she is subdued.
• Kris knees Jannick in the nuts and takes his crossbow. Then he dumps out the rest of his belongings on the dusty street like crooked Baltimore poh-leese and takes the poor sod’s grappling hook and rope.
• Take that, ya bastards.
• (They eventually feel somewhat bad and give back most of the stuff, except for the grappling hook.)

Turns out these two are a pair of lousy bounty hunters chasing a Hannah Baumann, wanted for illegal witch-hunting and murder. They produce a wanted poster and letters taken from a victim’s house in Bogenhafen in which Cordelia’s name had been circled several times. Cordelia was to be bait for Baumann. Uh oh… who’s got eyes on Cordelia..?   Where the alley opens out on the Punzenstrasse, Ubersreikers are milling about. Shirtless scavengers bang on doors looking for wood to burn. Shopkeepers open doors and shoppers give a morning halloo. Kids throw rocks at each other. And then that one kid… that kid… what’s he staring at me for…?!   Kris snatches the shitty kid and hoists him in the air before anyone knows what’s happening. Uh oh… Kris going to murder a kid now?   Under threat of violence, the kid (Ophelin) tells the Crew he was paid by a mean lady in black leathers to spy on Cordelia and report her whereabouts. Where? She went to Rugger’s (the boarding house, not the Boatsman’s Guild) and that was like five minutes ago.   To Rugger’s!

• As soon as the Crew approaches the front door, they hear sounds of a struggle from a second floor room. Karl’s perceptive hearing pinpoints the area, and they race inside.
• Karl reaches the room first and sees a slumped body bleeding in the doorway and the bounty hunter (Hannah) fighting with Cordelia. Hannah clocks Cordelia, causing the handsome apothecarian to tumble, then does a number on Karl before his reinforcements arrive.
• She jumps out the window onto the roof of the kitchen below.
• Karl and Beau are the first to pursue, delicately and nimbly racing along steeply sloped roof tiles.
• Godabert tends to the bleeding mystic (Alexander).
• Kris takes his new favorite toy, the grappling hook, buries the metal in the window frame, then does a leaping, flying rappel across the rooftops. He slides dramatically past all three and yanks taut the rope to trip Hannah as she tries to climb to the stable roof.
• Hannah is slowed down, but she’s still careening across the rooftops to the far end of the Rugger compound. The lads, meanwhile, are slipping, dangling, and risking life and limb with one misstep after another.
• Godabert takes a shot, and lands a pretty nasty arrow in her back. Eventually she makes it to the roof of one of the outhouses and slips!
• Karl tumbles off the roof and gets knocked out. Kris makes a controlled fall into some hay and races over to finish off Hannah. Subdued!
• Cordelia explains: she assumed the ruffians (Jannik and Ingrid) were staking out her place looking for her friend Alexander, a mystic herb forager with… questionable affinity for the Winds of Magic. She had no idea she was the real target, nor that Baumann was the one doing the hunting.
• Alexander comes to and blesses Godabert with a mystic acknowledgement.
• Karl gets his Fortune Teller > Mystic career hook

The Crew hauls Hannah’s ass in front of Judge Mierte, remands her to custody, and collect 100 shillings. Judge scoffs, looks at Beau, and says, “I suppose you think you’re some kind of bounty hunter now, do you?”

• Beau gets his Thief Taker > Bounty Hunter hook

Cordelia, by means of thanks, offers to enchant the bomb for free and provide the Crew with her newly crafted improved healing draughts. Come back tomorrow, boys.   Interlude:   Beau leads the march away from the courthouse, pausing triumphantly to order four skewers of greyish meat simmering over a charcoal brazier from a Marktplatz stall. He immediately inserts one into his mouth and pulls out the bare, greasy stick before even deigning to toss coins to the vendor.   “Guys, these are good. You should get some.”   The other three follow along a bit more slowly: bruised, battered, and, in the case of Karl, barely conscious.   The oil lanterns illuminating the interior of the Red Moon Inn, and the friendly, raucous laughter emanating from within seem to keep the chill evening air and tendrils of river fog at bay. The heroes’ hearts are lifted, if even for just a moment. “Whoa -- check this out.” Godabert notices a pool of blood, somewhat fresh, at the base of the stone steps leading to the Inn. The pool leads to a spatter, which leads to a trail… splotches of shiny black blood down the alley that runs south alongside the building. Around the corner, past the outhouses and near the back door, lies a tiny, barely breathing body.   “Oh shit. It’s Stickybun.” Kris nudges the little halfling over with the toe of his boot. “I think he’s still alive…”   “Well a couple more hours should fix that.” Godabert starts to walk away. “Leave him for the gong farmers to collect in the morning.”   Karl bends down and pokes at Stickybun’s shredded tunic, where his back is exposed. Fresh blood drips from open wounds, carved into a pattern on the halfling’s skin. “Not much of a canvas here, but there’s definitely something written on the poor bastard’s back. ‘DAMNAZ KRON.’ Whaddaya suppose that means?”   “It’s something in that kobblybobbly language,” Beau explains, displaying some impatience. Those meat skewers produce a mighty thirst.   “Khazalid, yeah.” Karl tries to roll Stickybun over. But with a cough and a sputter, the little feller spins around on his own.   He gasps for air and blinks repeatedly, trying to focus his consciousness around his next few words. “Them dwarves… the Silverbeard gang.... A message for…” Stickybun tries to sit up, but his hands slide out from underneath him.   Face up, eyes closed, just as a wind off the Teufel kicks dirt and mist down the alleyway, Stickybun exclaims, “Tell your friends that if they think they can come into OUR home, blow it up, and NOT expect us to return the favor… then you don’t know DWARVES!”   “Fuck.” Beau steps over the halfling and tries the back door of the Inn, leading into the kitchen. “I need a beer.”   * * *

Rewards Granted

XP:

• 20: dealing with the bounty hunters without killing them
• 25: ensuring Cordelia and Alex survive
• 35: capturing Hannah and turning her in
• 25: unlocking a career trigger (Beau and God)

• Godabert: 105
• Beau: 105
• Karl: 80
• Kris: 80

Loot:

• Grappling hook and rope
• 100 shillings
• Sword (from Hannah)
• Crossbow pistol with four bolts (from Hannah)
• 2 shillings, 9d (from Hannah)

Character(s) interacted with

Locations scouted and new NPC’s engaged:   Artisans’ Quarter: Whistlebone Alley

• Jannik Fanger (Bounty Hunter)
• Ingrid Wenig (Bounty Hunter)
• Ophelin (street rat)
• Hannah Baumann (Rogue Witch Hunter)
• Alexander Grün (Hedge Witch)