Session 33 - The Stranger from the West

General Summary

Munkh and Alena returned from their hunting and foraging expedition, to find Ivan and Lada fishing, only to notice a figure seemingly standing on the water.
They ask who that was, and Ivan responded by saying very little, but the look on his face conveyed his feelings instead; Irina had returned on the Great Day, to give hope to the party. And as it was the Great Day, a great haul of fish was taken from the river, along with the food that had been found by Alena and Munkh.
As they were eating, a stranger approached the party. He wore a cloak of simple furs and nice clothes, but also openly carried a weapon of war. He asked to join the party, to share their bounty. The party agreed, hesitantly. He clearly carried an air of danger around him, but perhaps the kind that was intriguing rather than fearsome.
The stranger introduced himself as Wojciech Heinrich. Clearly a foreigner's name, but since it was the Great Day, and he openly proclaimed himself a man of Gaal, the party saw no reason to reject his company. The party learned Wojciech was traveling with no particular destination in mind. When the party let him know where they were traveling, Wojciech thought it would be interesting to join them. Once again, they saw no reason to decline. Ivan, in particular, was in a great mood, for it was the Great Day, and most the rest of the party was in good spirits as well. Even Alena was feeling a tiny bit more merciful.
Tthough Lada would like this part to be forgotten, she had mistaken a poisonous plant for a edible one, and attempted to cook a soup with it. However, Munkh ended up noticing. Luckily, there was plenty of food, so throwing out the poisoned soup, to make a new bowl, was no cause for concern.
When the party went to rest, two men approached the now dimming coals of the campfire. They were on horses, but held themselves like Noriki, not Kochmaki. The party learned they were bounty hunters who were searching for a foreigner, one who had robbed a poor man of all the food he owed, starving him to death.
Wojciech was livid. "I did not steal from a starving man! He had plenty of food when I stole from him! If he was starving, why would he not have eaten the food before I had stolen it?"
The bounty hunters, and the rest of the party turned their heads towards the man known as Wojciech, who quickly hid behind the Psoglav Munkh. The bounty hunters made clear their intentions to capture or kill Wojciech, and anyone who got in their way. Most of the party stepped to the side, to let them do their work. However, Munkh was also between the bounty hunters and Wojciech, and the bounty hunters seemed keen on attacking the presumably evil Psoglav as well. This was their biggest mistake.
As they charged Munkh and Wojciech, combat ensured. Wojciech fended them off, earning himself a serious injury in the process. Lada, Alena, and Ivan stepped off to the side, ready to fight should the bounty hunters change targets. The bounty hunters themselves were well equipped with spears, shields, and padded armor. None of that mattered.
Munkh tore into both of them in nearly an instant, killing both before they had any chance to prove their heroics. The party, impressed, calmed the horses, looted the bodies of food, money, weapons/gear, and anything else of value. The next morning, their bodies were buried by the river, to make the digging of the graves easier. After prayers were said over the graves, the party left towards their destination - the old capital city of Dubno.
Over the next four days, the travelers had to avoid some thick brambles, request passage across the river at high cost, and listen to Wojciech trying to justify his actions to the party, which they mostly ignored. There was some discussion of peasants reporting the party to local authorities, as they had seemed both suspicious and curious of them when ferrying the party. But after a few days of travel, the food they had saved up was eaten, and the party decided to find a place to camp to forage, fish, and hunt for more food.
That night, a light moving toward them and seemingly produced from nothing made Lada and Alena became suspicious. They called out to the party to awake from their sleep. Most of them did, with Wojciech seemingly too tired to be roused easily.
However, as the light got closer, it became clear what it was; a glowing feather. As Alena and Ivan beheld the feather, they could feel its influence, making anyone who saw it to also desire it. Alena resisted the temptation completely, whilst Ivan only did so partially. However, Lada and Munkh beheld the feather, they were desperately drawn to having it. Lada was the first to snatch it, and ran off. However, the gleam in Munkh's eyes, and Lada's as well, meant that they would not give it up without violence. And, before Alena could stop them, the party was about to attack each other for this mystical, light-producing, feather.

Rewards Granted

• armaments taken from some bounty hunters

Report Date

09 Jul 2023