At the gates of Middledorf, the party meets Falandar for the first time. He has a message from Alane's master who instructs the group to stay in the town, find some work and keep a low profile. Needless to say the party fails to keep a low profile and even manage to burn down a section of the town (to be fair this wasn't entirely their fault). [GM's note: this was a slightly reworked "Sing for your supper" out of Plundered Vaults]
The next day they awake to find the town in turmoil. A vast force of Beastman are approaching Middledorf from the North and South, cutting the town off from any help. A call is raised for all able folk to report to the small army barracks (an Imperial Gunnery School) for conscription.
What follows is a rather farcical attempt by the group to convince the local commander that they are of more value then mere conscripted farmers. Highlights include:
- Grim Gorgson telling the commander that the party is a group of assassins but "not to worry as we are not here to kill anyone you know"
- Alexa trying to pick a fight with some soldiers to prove that she is not "just a girl"
- Falandar touching (in slightly camp way) the biggest conscript he can find, attempting to put him to sleep, to show how powerful a wizard is, failing to cast the spell and getting beaten up for his troubles.
- Alane sleeping through all of this
Proceeding to the town gates, in an attempt to find a way out of town, the party convinces the captain of the watch (by inciting a mob) to open the gates to allow a survivor of a scouting party back into the city.
The scout turns out to be magically booby-trapped and promptly explodes wiping out the city gates, the mob, the guard and badly injuring several members of the party...
The party springs into action helping the injured and organising the barricading of the gate. They then head off to find another way out of the town. Urgrim quietly starts a small fire under the barricade (without anyone noticing) as they head off!
Meanwhile Alane wakes up and at the door of their inn is met by a man, Herr Milo von Shultz, who claims to be a wealthy merchant requiring an escort out of town. He has bribed a number of folk and has a way out of the town (over the West wall). The party jumps at the chance (and the large amount of money on offer).
Later that night the party and Milo lower themselves over the wall whilst the bribed guards look the other way. As usual Andreus (the only character with the Scale Sheers Surface skill) manages to fall and hurt himself.
Running into the woods, the group heads towards the West to a rendezvous point with Milo's people near the town of Sommeville. Suddenly war drums sound in the night and the yells and hooting calls of pursuing Beastmen fill the air. After several hours the group appears to have eluded the Beastmen, when they are unexpected set upon by a band of Bestigors.
Largely due to Alane's powerful magic dart spell (and some very high dice rolls) the party quickly cuts down their attackers. After looting the corpses they turn around to discover that Milo is missing, having been captured during the fighting.
With some cunning tracking they find Milo wounded, towered over by a huge Bestigor. They promptly dispatch the Bestigor and attempt to heal Milo. Alas his wounds are fatal...
Before passing away Milo entrusts a small black box encrusted with blood red gems to the group. He explains with his dying breath that they must get the box to his comrades and that under no circumstances are they to open the box. He claims that the box has the power to destroy the world.
The group examines the box, Grim Gorgson cannot identify the metal it is made from and it feels “wet” to the touch. Alane's magical senses detect a weird absence of magic around the box, as if the box is a hole in the winds of magic.
Crashing in the woods and the approach of wardrums spurn the party to turn West and start running again...
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