Session 26 - Showdown at the Sign of the Red Fox
General Summary
Rodrick and Uisce follow the party as they turn back, with Rodrick also hoping he gets his book from Reinhard upon return. Kaleb guides the horses along with Edmon. The party overshoots and travels up to the Nixe before following it upstream. Uisce dives into the river as a disagreement is taking place between Rodrick and Winifred. Uiscie swims to where the nixies were last time to try and gain any information on how to fight Reinhard. She has them summon Nordin their father, who tells her to be careful and to not believe anything he says. The best way to fool him is to pretend to be on his side then turn on him when he is vulnerable. Uisce thanks them and returns towards the town.
After the party crosses the Nixe and tries to skirt around Hirschenwald, a rider from the castle approaches, and Winifred lets her disguise self down. The rider tells her that Wigand has left and that Dagobert is worried sick about her. She tells him to return and tell the majordomo that she's fine, she will return later. She and her companions then travel towards the town and stake outside the tavern for a moment. They try to come up with a plan to lure Reinhard out, but eventually, Winifred and Rodrick decide to just enter the tavern. The rest of her companions stay outside. Kaleb proceeds to remove the new tavern sign, which is greeted with laughter by the Augurs outside the tavern. Winifred and Rodrick enter, and are offered drinks. They are greeted by Reinhard, who asks about their “hunting trip”.
Rodrick asks about the book and Reinhard ignores him to tell Winifred about a fortune teller that told him her future. “You will be blessed with many kin”, he tells her the soothsayer said. Winifred demands to know why he is holding her people and why he's withholding food from her castle. Reinhard claims it is Wigand and Matilda who are doing that. Manfred, who is growing anxious outside, enters the tavern and sits down at Reinhard's table, and is offered wine, which he begins to drink very quickly. Winifred asks Reinhard about how many people he has killed at the castle since she left, as that was implied in the message he relayed through Rodrick. He gives a very vague answer, but says he hasn't actually killed anyone, and that Winifred is reading too much into the message. Prompted by anxiousness and wine, Manfred throws a shatter spell at Reinhard. A fight breaks out, and Winifred and Reinhart both turn invisible. The Augurs inside the tavern cover for Reinhard, while Rodrick demurs from the confrontation. Edmon joins in from outside, and he and Manfred kill four of them, while the rest flee. As they exit the tavern, Reinhard reappears with a bow, and shoots an arrow at Manfred, incapacitating him. Winifred gives chase and is told to "leave the wand behind” by a quickly fleeing Reinhard. She tries tio snap the wand in frustration, but fails. Manfred's bleeding is stopped by Rodrick, and the party then makes its way to the castle.
Once inside Winifered expels Rodrick and Uisce, because she no longer trusts them. Dagobert tells Winifred of the things happing while she was away. He does confirm that no one has been killed in the castle since her departure. The next morning a messenger from Wigand arrives, telling Winifred and all her people to leave the castle willingly in exchange for safe passage. He demands to know which direction she will be traveling and when, and she agrees and tells them she will be heading south in a week's time. She asks Dagobert to tell all the servants what has happened, and about the danger posed by Matilda's wererat minions if they remain. Dagobert offers her her mothers money but she tells him to disperse it among the people as she was never meant to have it or rule. She visits Manfred with Edmon and Kaleb and his condition is declining.
Rodrick and Uiscie return to the tavern. There, they find Edwige's shellshocked family, just recovering from Reinhard's "reign". The Augurs seem to have departed as well. Edwige holds Winifred's wand, which Rodrick then buys for 10 marks. He and Uisce then plan to head south to see Ingo the Pious and maybe make some money while down there.
Comments