HotDK 19: “Mind if I have a seat?”

It’s been a hard few days as the rains, appearing to recede, only return in earnest making The Trade Way muddy and hard to travel. It’s taken a toll on the pack animals and on the people. Everyone is tired, and tired of dry rations since it’s been impossible to start a decent fire for either warmth or cooking.

You final come upon a roadside inn, one Achreny’s been promising was just a little farther up the road now for days. You are more than pleased that for the first time in several days you won’t have to camp out in the rain. Unfortunately, you enter to find that the entire inn is completely sold out of rooms. Not only that, but the common room has been reserved for a private party. Looking around you see only one group – what appears to be an aristocratic judge and his entourage of human dilettantes.

They make comments from across the room like “enjoy your evening”, “sleep tight”, and “Our horses are rather picky about who they share space with, so we’ve reserved the all of the stables too. I’m sure you understand.” All the while laughing at the idea that you’ll once again have to sleep outside in the cold and rain.

Malice tries to diplomatically persuade them, but they not only are rude and pompous to the point of issuing threats to the inn keeper if he allows you all to stay and violence toward you if you don’t leave immediately. Malice takes a seat at a table, which sets the men off even more and the sound of steel on leather rings in the air as swords are drawn.

Battle erupts in common room of the inn, with two of the men rushing to meet Pubert in melee. The other two, including the group’s apparent leader, take up crossbows and open fire at Malice and Arynor. Somehow the fail to notice Brehanna’s small form despite her deftly casting spells that eventually decimate one of them. Meanwhile, Malice, still from his chair and taking damage from crossbow bolts still manages to hold his own versus the leader while Arynor eventually forces the other shooter to surrender with a combination of arrows and magical ability.

With one member down, one disarmed, and one having surrendered one might think that would be the end of it. Alas the one that started it all apparently has more pride than sense and continues to verbally spar with Malice while firing bolts. He breaths his last insult though as Arynor finishes him with a perfectly placed arrow through is left eye.

Afterwards the others admit they, nor their now dead “leader” are nobles or even rich. They promised the inn keeper an extra 1,000 gold to not let anyone else stay here with a plan to act as they did should anyone actually show up on such a night. They had had great fun turning away others into the storm until your caravan arrived. The truth is, the gold was part of the joke as they intended on leaving before the inn keeper awoke in the morning without giving him any more than they had already paid. In fact, the didn’t even have an extra 1,000 gold.

Instead of sleeping in the rain you send the three remaining men, one of whom was still unconscious, out into the storm and entire caravan is finally able to get out of the storm and into a nice dry, warm, inn (at half price because of your heroics).