Episode 20: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Report

General Summary

The Enemy Within: Enemy in Shadows Episode 20 - “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” 8/29/2020 Post-Game Notes   Day 75 - Festag, 27 Erntezeit, 2512 IC   Berebeli arrives in Weissbruck and clears lock in the early evening. Prior to docking, PC’s ask one another to share his star sign.

• Beau: Grungni’s Baldric, The Sign of Martial Pursuits
• God: Wymund the Anchorite, The Sign of Enduring
• Kris: The Limner’s Line, The Sign of Precision
• Karl: Mummit the Fool, The Sign of Instinct

River Warden patrol boards the barge for an inspection prior to docking. Crew gets news that Capt. Glucker’s patrol was ambushed just outside of Lethov by those hill bandits. Glucker was killed; one other patrolman gravely wounded; Miranda was rescued.   As they’re tying up, Crew notices a stocky crossbow-toting fellow glowering in the doorway of the Black Gold Inn. God recognizes him as the guy who called away those creeps who were making the weird gestures to Karl back in the Konigplatz in Altdorf (the same two creeps who later wound up dead with crossbow bolts through their necks).   Recon at the Black Gold

• 
  According to Josef, this place serves an excellent home-brewed stout (hence the establishment’s name) as well as rotating ales from Eilhart!
• Karl, Kris, and Beau enter the alley behind the Inn to watch for the stocky fellow; Godabert enters through the front with Josef, Gilda, and Wolmar.
• No sign of the lurker, but God does get a nod from the travelers they ran into in Schlafbild -- Gustav and his Morrite companion, Binroy.
• Crew enjoys a meal of roasted squirrel and then after-dinner drinks with Gustav & Binroy. Gustav, after examining God’s magic bow, opens up and expresses relief that he now “knows what side” they’re on. He invites them up to his room to continue drinking and chatting…

Gustav’s boudoir

• Gustav explains that they have a mutual friend in Christophe the Grey, and he knows about the Crew’s journey to the Five Sisters to retrieve one of the cards.
• Gustav and Binroy are a team of some sort, and their mission is the eradication of undead and necromancy. Just as Christophe works to keep tabs on magic-users whose thirst for power could endanger the Empire, Gustav works to purge the land of magic-users that attempt to wield the dhar, thereby betraying the trust that citizens have placed on wizards and sorcerers.

Gustav’s relationship with Christophe:

• Known each other for a long time, and have worked together in the past to deal with rogue wizards.
• Christophe and Sir Pierre met with Gustav in Altdorf after an incident involving a vampire in Ubersreik.
• Gustav consulted on the undead, but he also relayed information regarding the murder of Magister Adolphus and the search for cards comprising the Deck of Many Things.
• He gave Christophe a tip that sent the Grey wizard to Grissenwald (where he recovered the Greased Goat card) and, later, through correspondence, gave Christophe the tip about Doktor Hollseher’s card.

Gustav may have intel on a third card.

• While Binroy was working a case at the Great Hospice north of Altdorf (his station when he was suddenly drafted by a local Priest of Morr to tend to murdered travelers outside the Seven Spokes), he heard about a recently departed resident by the name of Von Plotzkanal, the engineer who designed the Horological Tower in Kemperbad (Karl: “Yeah, of course -- who doesn’t know about that tower?”)
• Apparently the engineer spent his last days obsessing over a deck of cards, dealing himself hands over and over again and muttering to himself.
• When Gustav and Binroy return to Altdorf after this current mission, Binroy will follow up and try to learn more about the deck’s present whereabouts.
• Gustav tells the Crew to meet him/leave messages at Mezzo’s in Altdorf.

Current mission is taking the duo to Gramdorf. They’ve been pursuing a Doktor Albrecht Lederman for almost a year. Now, however, when they’re finally close, they find out that he died the other day. Funeral is in two days; they still want to investigate.

• If the Crew wants to help investigate, they would both welcome the assistance. The local Morrite priest, Erwin Trauer, should be grateful as well.

Gustav offers to identify some of the magical shit the Crew has been carrying around:

• Two whitish (bluish to Godabert) vials from the Sisters cave: Esmeralda’s Calming Nectar. Said to help cleanse and calm the soul. Gustav offers 10GC for them off the bat, knowing that the Crew would be better off keeping them.
• Greenish vials and powders from Ernst’s case: non-magical. Pharmacological? But the hidden compartment in which they were secured, red suede, is intriguing. Gustav can’t place it, but he says he’s going to ask around. Discreetly.
• Bag of silver arrowheads: silbur verhexten, or “witch silver.” Add’l damage to undead, but you’ll need a good fletcher first. Gustav offers them 3GC for the bag; Crew accepts.
• Silver necklace: very powerful old Elven magic, but Gustav can’t place the enchantment or the activation. Recommends a loremaster in Bogenhafen who operates an establishment called The Vermillion Pawn. Be forewarned: he’s not cheap.

  Back to the Berebeli

• Crew sets a watch schedule, with Karl taking first shift. Beau decides to sleep al fresco on the stern deck.
• Close to 1:00 AM, Karl notices some movement along the docks. Beau’s spider-senses wake him up. A glint of metal in the moonlight, and a crossbow bolt sings through the night and slams into Karl’s shoulder. The stocky menace charges the barge, along with four thugs, two of whom seem to be carrying pots of flaming oil.
• Beau rallies the folks sleeping below and charges to attack the thugs at the back of the boat.
• While two of the thugs keep Beau occupied, two others douse parts of the deck and cabin walls with flaming oil, and the crossbow dude jumps to the prow to finish off Karl (while cursing the name of “Kastor Lieberung”).
• Beau batters his foes and is soon assisted by Kris; God arrows one of the arsonists through a cabin window.
• 
  Despite some well-timed defensive parries, Crossbow Dude is killing Karl! After a particularly vicious bone-cracking blow, he sheathes his sword and draws a dagger while fire and smoke build up behind him.
• One of the thugs, who had been injured by God, stumbles into the flaming part of the deck behind Crossbow Dude, distracting the killer long enough for Karl to crawl away.
• Josef, Gilda, and Wolmar are topside: Wolmar points out more would-be arsonists approaching from the dock and starts cutting the barge loose. Josef is working really hard to sober up. Gilda rushes over to Karl to tend to his wounds.
• Crossbow Dude pushes back against his clumsy thug, tossing the guy into the river. Two other thugs wind up in the river either as a result of the battle or willingly.
• Beau smashes the shit out of the fourth thug and, despite trying to pull his blow, her back snaps clean as her body crashes against an iron grommet. Death is instantaneous.
• Obscured by flame and smoke, Kris leaps through the fire and attacks Crossbow Dude before he has a chance to finish off Karl, taking the grizzled vet completely by surprise. Kris slides Saif through his opponent’s gut and, seconds later, with blood pouring out of his stomach and mouth, life leaves Crossbow Dude’s eyes. It’s quite dramatic.
• A search of the body reveals that Dude’s name must be Adolphus Kuftsos and, “in accordance with his plan,” his quarry, one Kastor Lieberung (identified by a sketch that looks just like Karl), the magister impedimentae of some secret society, would be traveling the Middenheim-Altdorf Road.

  Interlude:   There is a slight lurch, a gentle scrape, and an audible sigh from the Berebeli as its boards creak and release. The nighttime stillness is interrupted by two gentle gulps as the river accepts anchors. The river barge is shored an hour south of Weissbruck.   “I have no idea how you did that, Josef.” Kris, hands on hips, shakes his head in amazement. “I mean the darkness is one thing, but this fog is like moving through lambswool. I can’t even make out port from starboard, let alone this old fishing pier.”   “Years of experience, me boy. You’ll get there.” Josef wipes the sweat from his brow and squints into the darkness past the shoreline. “Experience which also tells me we might only be slightly safer here than in Weissbruck.”   “In the city where armed thugs were trying to light the barge on fire and execute our crew?” Wolmar, who rarely gets upset, sounds upset.   “No, you’re right, you’re right.” Josef takes a deep breath. “And you were right to cut us loose. We would have been ill-prepared to fend off another attack. And if those ropes had caught fire…”   “Well, I’m wide fucking awake.” Beau is still fully charged, stomping around the deck. “Oh. We missed a boot.” He picks up one of Adolphus Kuftsos’s black leather boots and heaves it downriver where it breaks the water with a splash.   “Shhhhhhh! Fuck!” Kris wheels around.   “Whaaaaat? Fuck!” Beau doesn’t care. “We’ll keep an eye on the road from Weissbruck. Anyone on horse or foot would have to reach the nearest bridge before crossing to this side of the Bogen. How much further to the nearest crossing, Josef?”   Gilda has just finished lighting candles on the deck and Josef unfurls his charts. “Two hours upriver, at least. Beau is right. We should be good here until dawn. Best to post watch regardless.”   Beau leans in to the impromptu planning session and silently mouths the words “Beau” “Is” “Right.”   “Well howsabout I already handled my shift and I head off to bed, eh Josef?” Karl struggles to stand, but then leans back on the cargo tarps, in obvious pain. “Or maybe I’m just going to sleep here.”   Gilda offers Karl a shoulder and she leads him back inside the cabin.   Josef chuckles. “Well either this is the most ill-fated, cursed trading trip or…”   “Right?” Godabert, eyes wide, is nodding in enthusiastic agreement. “I mean, rotten luck guys, yeah? One weird encounter after another.”   “It’s those bandits. The ones you fought off in Hartsklein.” Wolmar is thoughtful, staring off into the mist. “You heard the river warden. They rescued their leader, and they came back for revenge.”   “Man, I wish that was the case,” Beau says to no one in particular.   “Bandits? That one fellow with the crossbow? He didn’t look like some cave-dwelling wrecker.” Josef is not quite convinced. “And I didn’t recognize the others with him.”   “To be fair Josef, you were still half-asleep and likely all-drunk when you climbed up on deck.” Kris smiles. “I think Wolmar is right. I also think we’ve seen the last of them. For tonight anyway. Our immediate concern is replacing some planks, rigging, and oilcloths.”   “True, true.” Josef turns his attention back to the map. “Our original plan was to stop over in Imke… but I doubt that little fishing village will have what we need.”   “Might I suggest…” Godabert leans in closer. “...that we push on to Gramdorf? Certainly the seat of the Barony should have supplies?”   “If we head out as soon as the sun comes up, we could be in Gramdorf by nightfall.” Josef strokes his beard. “We would need to spend most of the next day in town to secure supplies and affect repairs. A little delay… but we can still make it to Bogenhafen by Mitterherbst.”   “Sounds like a plan, Captain!” Beau claps Josef on the shoulder. “Now why don’t we go down and get some rest? It’s been a long night. And I’ve got a dream-date with a flame-haired bandit…”   Kris, suddenly left alone above deck, shuffles his cards. He cuts to the Ace of Claws, ponders, and wonders quietly to himself, “How does one tell the difference between a crow and a raven?”   * * *  

Rewards Granted

XP:

• 20 points for befriending Gustav Weil, master wizard of the Amethyst Order
• 25 points for surviving the attack on the Berebeli
• 30 points for a swell session

• Godabert: 75
• Beau: 75
• Karl: 75
• Kris: 75

  Loot:

• 3 GC from Gustav Weil for the bag of silbur verhexten arrowheads
• Heavy crossbow and 20 bolts from Kuftsos
• Three sets of manacles and keys from Kuftsos

Character(s) interacted with

Locations scouted and new NPC’s engaged:   Weissbruck, The Black Gold Inn   Weissbruck, the docks

• Adolphus Kuftsos, bounty hunter (?) - deceased