Sessions 16 and 17 - The Breaking of the Fellowship
General Summary
The group at the Citadel retired for the night. In the morning, after breakfast, Sigisar, Manfred and Edmon went to the Citadel wall, observing that the general level of chaos seemed to have died down in the city, but also that the city seemed somewhat empty. After, Sigisar went and visited Winifred's room after the wall, as he was informed she was, unexpectedly, back. He did not find her there. He then was told by Gismondo that a visitor, Johann, had come to see him. Sigisar asked to meet him in his receiving room of authority. Edmon and some guards were allowed to come to the room, but Manfred received the impression his presence was not welcome. Assuming that Sigisar would soon lead him into battle with the ratmen, he decided to find something to steel his nerves - a strong drink of fortified wine, in the castle’s wine cellar.
In the receiving room, Sigisar and Johann spoke for an extended period. The two tried to brainstorm about various ways to overthrow the ratmen, including using demoralizing retributive strikes on their leadership, but ultimately came to the conclusion that to retake the city, Sigisar needed more men than what he had within the Citadel - maybe two dozen, if that. And the conventional methods suggested, of asking family such as Lothar for help, or raising mercenaries with money, sounded either unpalatable or unfeasible to Sigisar. Johann informed Sigisar that Matilda in Hegenburg was likely the only leader of any significant sway over the invaders, and also asked the Margrave not to leave the city given Johann’s precarious position as Sigisar’s only advocate on the town council. Sigisar told Edmon he might ask him at some point to go to the Dwarfs for help. Also there was a suggestion of stirring up any potentially still-sympathetic former citizens of Brillig in the woods using a well-spoken representative.
Manfred had a single cup of fortified wine, but his extremely average physiology showed itself, and he became tipsy from this one drink. He spoke with the men-at-arms off shift in the wine cellar. He tried his best to raise their confidence in Sigisar, while also probing to whom Sigisar might go to for help. The men-at-arms suggested the “knights in the priory”, though the tipsy Manfred was unsure who they referred to. Sigisar then arrived. He reassured the off-duty men as he collected Manfred. After their conversation, the foggy-headed Vagant realized the men-at-arms had meant the Tungrisch Knights, which Sigisar thought was a good idea. He thought he should also check in with the Blackfriars. After hearing Manfred’s muddled recounting of the events with Boss Reinhard and Winifred’s return, he continued with his plan to send Manfred back there to meet with the forest people. He dunked Manfred in the river in an attempt to sober him up, and then pushed him out of the gate. As Manfred went through the gate, he saw the menacing visages of the ratmen.
Manfred went into the woods, and found many malnourished and angsty people. Promising them food and Sigisar’s forgiveness if they stood with Sigisar in retaking the city, he managed to amass a group of 50. To the skeptical he revealed some of his bardic power to show that Sigisar was not sending a vulnerable man alone, and to the angry he asked them to channel it against the ratmen. As many of the people wanted vengeance against Reinhard for abandoning them, he also promised vengeance by Sigisar. Manfred marched with the cadre back to the city gates. After an argument, the ratmen at the gate refused to let the rabble re-enter, but would admit him, as a protected member of Sigisar’s retinue. Manfred's main sympathizer among the refugees suggested that the Vagant go into the city and find and inform Sigisar, so some basic provisions might flow through the gates to the waiting. Manfred agreed and went in, going towards the Knights' chapter house.
Earlier at that same location, Sigisar had a long discussion with Brother Romuald as he asked for assistance in taking back over the city. Romuald does not seem unsympathetic, but he also seems annoyed at some of Sigisar’s previous actions. He questioned why Sigisar did not strike when the iron was hot, when the city was falling into chaos, and he asked why Sigisar dismissed help from his uncle. Romuald warned Sigisar that if the Knights are to ask for help from other chapters, Lothar will certainly be one they would call upon, given his high standing in the Order. Sigisar seemed hesitant to work again with his uncle. He spoke to Romuald about attempting to retake the city in the next few days, which seems to stun Romuald. As Sigisar’s plans and number of committed men were vague, Romuald suggests Sigisar sell off any unneeded possessions, reconsider his relationship with his uncle, and slowly build support.
Outside the Hauskomtur's reception area, Edmon met a chronicler. The chronicler told Edmon about alleged sightings of “The Lord” (meaning, Gaal the Redeemer) on a white horse in the nearby woods. The chronicler suggested that they may be in the end times. The chronicler then listened to Edmon’s recounting of the events that have occurred thus far, and indicated that it will make a sympathetic story. As Sigisar rejoined Edmon, they were informed runners will be heading out to other Tungrisch Knight chapters. Sigisar decided to renege on the idea of Edmon going to see the dwarfs and said that it will not occur. They then left for the Abbey of Saint Moritz - home of Brillig's Blackfriars.
There, Sigisar and Edmon find the abbey's doors padlocked. Visiting the abbey causes Sigisar to recall that Saint Moritz was a powerful leader in the Inquisition, and was a strong proponent of dismantling Sigisar’s actual order, the Knights of the Tomb. Abbot Herbert unlocked the door for Sigisar. Inside, they talked about rallying, or at least sheltering the people. Herbert was unsure of how to rally the people, but stated that the abbey might be able to feed 50-100 for about a week, at best. The abbot also recounted the visions of The Lord on the white horse to Sigisar. As Sigisar and Edmon prepared to leave, Manfred also arrived at the abbey, having been directed there by Brother Romuald. He told them of the men he assembled at the gates, and convinced Sigisar should go to them quickly so they do not lose their willpower. Sigisar agreed and the group heads to the city gate.
They approached the gate tower whose keepers were preventing the refugees from entering the city. Sigisar demanded that the guards let the people into the city. The ratmen guards are resistant, saying that Brillig was now a free city and that the town council told them not to allow people aside from the Margrave and his entourage in and out of the city. After some whispered counseling from Manfred, the group elected to go into the tower and confront those manning the gate. Once upstairs, Sigisar went to unsheathe his sword. Manfred managed to put one of them into a slumber with magic. One of the ratmen yelled down to the bottom for his compatriots to go searching for help. Edmon elected to confront them and ran down the tower's spiral staircase, but landed flat on his face, and the runners escaped his grasp. Manfred slung insults at the ratmen, weakening their morale. Edmon, ending up emptyhanded, climbed back up tower and faced the remaining ratmen, grabbing one. He planned to throw it off the wall. In the melee, both Sigisar and Edmon were bitten. In the end, Sigisar called upon divine favor and channeled into his blade, and used it to beat the ratmen within and inch of their lives. He told Manfred to stabilize one of them. The other came around and told Sigisar and his company to flee the city, as he was outnumbered. Sigisar killed this ratman upon hearing him speak.
Edmon raised the gate, and the peasants spilled into the city. He and his two companions then merged with the crowd, trying to direct them to the citadel. They pulled along their unconscious, stable hostage. As the crowd ran towards the citadel, they were assaulted with crossbow bolts. Some peasants fell, and others fled. Manfred was shot.by a crossbow bolt. After a failed attempt to hold the morale of the crowd by Sigisar, Manfred steadied the majority of the original group by speaking of food and safety at the Citadel. About 30 of the refugees made it to the Citadel. Once the crowd arrived, the gate to the Citadel was closed. All present hunkered down for a siege, expecting it to last for multiple days. Sigisar made plans to: torture his captured ratman for information, arm and train the peasants, search for spies, run raids looking for additional food controlled by the ratmen, and write a “death letter”. Edmon planned to busy himself with the training of the various peasants, hoping to unlock further knowledge of the martial discipline by teaching others.
* * *
After nightfall on the day of Sigisar's initiation, Kaleb made his way towards the citadel gate, with Winifred in tow behind him. He entered the gatehouse to find a drunken guard. After trying, unsuccessfully, to lift the gate, only to strain his already injured tummy, he decided to speak to the guard instead. While Winifred hid, Kaleb tried his best to convince the guard to open the gate. The guard talked on and on about how bad rat people were and promptly passed out. Kaleb decided to try a fool him by making a minor illusion of himself outside the gate and woke the guard to ask to let him in. The guard - unfooled or simply unmoved - yelled at the fake kaleb to leave. Finally, either convinced or done in by Kaleb's nagging, he offering a ride in a bucket down to the outside of the gate.
After reaching the ground, Winnie guided Kaleb to the house where she had earlier met Franz and Ignatz only to be met by at least 10 rat people. Franz - apparently their leader now - recognized Winnie from before and stopped the rest from killing them both. Kaleb, who understood animal speech, asked "Snoot" what she wanted. The fox told him she wanted to know if they could stay for the night and possibly get some help leaving. Anxious about what Sigisar might have meant with his earlier remarks about Narcissa and believing her to be in danger. Franz agreed, and "Snoot" and Kaleb were able to spend the night at this house.
In the morning, Winnie transformed back into her human form and spoke to Kaleb, asking if he believed in Narcissa's innocence and if he understood what was happening, though she soon came to the conclusion that she should speak to the principals herself, and keep her own counsel on the situation. She asked Franz to help them out and any food they could spare, before she left she asked what he thought of Reinhard. Franz responded that he wouldn't trust him any further than he could throw him, though he added that Reinhard and Winifred's uncle Wigand were apparently pals. He then organized his guests' departure from Brillig in barrels.
After a short journey by cart, the barrels were apparently dumped on the side of the road. A few people noticed and approached, thinking it was beer. Winnie turned invisible, but Kaleb was discovered, and told he would be taken to meet the “King of Freedom”. He was brought to a camp full of cold half-naked people begging for food. Winnie followed silently, holding on to the gnome's shoulder. Upon arrival, they saw Reinhard around a large fire. He welcomed kaleb back! Kaleb explained that he was going to meet his friend Narcissa in Hegenburg. Winnie squeezed his shoulder when he almost slipped her name also. Reinhard seemed to believe Kaleb, gave him candy and let him sit by the fire. After Reinhard wandered away, Winnie followed believing she was hidden. When they were alone, he sniffed the air and called her name. She let her invisibility slip and started crying, expressing her gratitude that she hadn't killed him and he was alive. He laughed at her and said 'he hadn't had that much fun in years'. She apologized for what she had done and explained her problem with magic. With that, he produced a wooden wand with a chicken on the end of it, saying that perhaps it would help. He promised that he could help her with her powers and that she needed to let her anxiety about her friends go.
Reinhard coaxed her back to the fire asked if she would feel better sending a letter to her friend to meet her at home. When she did so, Reinhard asked Kaleb to deliver it, and presented him with a contract, saying that by promising to do as he was asked, he would be magically bound by it. He then taught Kaleb to mark it with an "X". Turning to Winifred, he started assuring her about Kaleb's abilities to deliver the letter, and then asked to invite him to her estate. Winifred considered the situation and felt soothed by his words about Kaleb and the others, and agreed to this plan. Kaleb set off, leaving Winnie with Reinhard, hoping to see everyone again.
After Winifred and Kaleb parted ways, she followed Reinhard away from his followers, and asked about them and how they would fare. Reinhard reassured her that everything will be fine and they will be taken care of, she seemed worried but she chose to believe him. They walked north, the direction Winifred believed her estate was located. At one point, a playful snowball fight broke out. Winifred became more at ease as Reinhard told her secrets of their kind and hidden talents they had as fox shifters. As the night came they huddled up to stay warm, and she asked if he knew her uncle. He said he did but quickly changed the subject.
In the morning they continued their trek in the woods. As Winifred was still having trouble with directions and not recognising the woods, she suggested they find a road. But after locating one, they found a bend around which they saw a small group of people. Reinhard and Winifred realized they were in fact undead just before they started chasing them. Reinhard then lifted and carried winifred due to her knee injury. Winifred, in a state of panic, tried to figure out if they headed in the correct direction as Reinhard ran very quickly from the undead. As they ran they found a old windmill that Winifred recognized, and then she was able to guide them straight towards Schloss Hirschenwald.
As they arrived the servants were surprised and Winifred had her majordomo Dagobert von Linz come and listen to what had happened to her brother Kaspar and to the fate of House Horstkopf. She told him almost everything, leaving out only the parts about Niflheim and the fox transformations. As she finished he seemed entirely unmoved by what she had told him. He asked who Reinhard was and Winifred's companion referred to himself as 'Lord Reinhard'. Winifred was surprised at this. She had a guest room prepared for Reinhard and she retired to her old room. Alicia, one of her oldest servants, helped with her bath and knee injury while avoiding eye contact. Winifred asked if anything had happened while she was away but Alicia didn't have any words for her.
The next morning Winifred had breakfast and waited for Reinhard to wake up. After the servant told her his room was locked she called upon Marcellina, an old woman who carried keys to all the rooms of the castle, to unlock his door so she could check if he was still there. When Marcellina opened the door, they saw Reinhard on the bed, asleep. Leaving him be, Winifred took this time to walk about her home and look through her brother's things to learn about her marriage agreements, she found correspondence between Kaspar and the Margrave von Horstkopf. The letters revealed Kaspar's disinterest in Vilaris as a good suitor. Winifred found a locked panel and asked Marcellina to unlock it, but she did not have the key. Soon, she was joined by Reinhard, who helped her unlock it with a lockpicking set. Behind the panel was a small chest. Reinhard quickly disarmed the poisoned needle trap and opened it to find about 500 marks, Winifred's mothers tiara, and two very expensive necklaces. Winifred, somewhat disappointed, took 250 gold and split it with Reinhard for helping her. She left everything where it was and Reinhard suggested they go riding to the neighboring towns and explore.
As they rode around he asked constantly about the local animals and what villages produced what, compiling lists of nearly everything - pigs, chickens, pears, etc. Winifred brushed this off as they headed back. Reinhard told her to meet him in his room that night after dinner for a real “party”. When she headed to his room and he told her to follow him silently. They made their way to the coop and he instructed her how to use his gift, the chicken wand: wave it once - the chickens fall asleep, twice - the dogs fall asleep, and three times - bad things happen. After the dogs fell asleep, Reinhard transformed and bit off the head of a chicken and drank its blood. He asked if she would join him and she also transformed and killed a chicken, also drinking its blood. After this Reinhard licked blood off her face and asked if she would show off how she turned invisible and she complied. He asked to meet him again in his room and sneaked away. She walked back to his room and retired to her human form. There, she asked why she never heard his name before and the name of his domain. Reinhard offered a deal: he would tell her where he's from and take her to his domain if she marries him. Winifred seemed taken back and stuttered her words; he told her to think about it and she left.
* * *
Upon receiving the letter from Winifred and Reinhard to deliver to Narcissa in Hagenburg, Kaleb set off in the direction Reinhard pointed. His first solo adventure, he was excited and determined to get his mission done. Following the trail, Kaleb surmounted paths over hills until the sun started to set and he prepared camp with Winifred’s bedroll. After determining that he could not set up camp in a tree, the ground would be sufficient.
In the morning, he set out again, noticed signs of a camp, and sneaked up to observe the inhabitants. There were a group of humans that seemed somewhat disheveled and exhausted. Kaleb, just being happy to see another person he could talk to, revealed himself to the humans who were defensive and scared. They called Kaleb a devil but continued to explain they were uprooted from their homes after an undead horde attacked. Kaleb asked if they knew where he could find Narcissa, but forgot the name of the town. He did remember there was a “B” sound in the name though. The villagers, shockingly, did not know where this location was. They pointed in the direction of where their former town was and, with this information, Kaleb decided to go the opposite direction.
Eventually, Kaleb came upon a river and, feeling peckish, tried to catch fish with his hands. Fully overestimating his abilities, he fell into the river and started scrambling to get out. Some force protected him, and he was able to swim back to the shore. After this, the second day away from the city was coming to a close. Kaleb removed his wet clothing, ringed them out, and hung them to dry.
At the dawn of the third day, Kaleb put on his partially frozen clothing and followed the river upstream. After a short hike, he found a small village across the river. A few calls across the river and some villagers came to talk. They agreed to transport Kaleb across the river but did not realize just how small of a creature he was. Kaleb described himself as a plant like a tree or cabbage and the villagers seemed to understand. They continued to describe themselves as goats who liked to eat cabbages, though. Though they were, in fact, not goats. They transformed into rats! Despite the life-threatening situation, Kaleb was happy to see familiar faces and explained he found their kind very helpful and kind. The villagers, confused, probed Kaleb about his reasoning for coming and discovered he was looking for his friend Narcissa to deliver a letter from Reinhard. They also discovered that Kaleb was once in the service of Sigisar but fled the town of Brillig with his friend Winifred. The rats also read the letter that Kaleb was meant to deliver, breaking the seal.
After some time discussing Kaleb's fate, the rats decided they would take Kaleb downstream to the town of Hegenburg, where Kaleb was supposed to be heading. They put him on a cart and gave him a suitably sized cloak to keep him warm. The rats also insisted that Kaleb provide compensation for their hospitality and took his coins.
Upon arriving at the gates of Hagenburg, the gate guards questioned what their business was. After some discussion, the guards allowed the cart through so that Kaleb could be brought to Matilda. Kaleb noticed there was a secretive exchange between the rats and guards and a pouch was given to the cart rats.
At long last, Kaleb was put into another room to wait for Matilda. In his curiosity, he sifted through large paintings and the rubbish piles and was able to find a silver fork. Narcissa and Matilda then arrived in the room. He explained the situation and gave the broken letter to Narcissa. After some examination, Kaleb was allowed to stay and explore the town.
* * *
After cleansing the chapel of the citadel, Narcissa went to the wererats to arrange a meeting with Matilda and a way out of the city. She paid them a tidy sum and then rode her carriage to Hegenburg. Along the way she was accosted by a group of hooded figures. Narcissa slipped away, abandoning the carriage in the process and fleeing on foot. After a long and uncomfortable night in the woods, she resummoned the carriage and continued her journey to Hegenburg.
Narcissa was immediately impressed by Matilda and offered up her services in exchange for asylum. After some back and forth, Matilda agreed and appointed Narcissa as her gardener. Narcissa gladly accepted and spent the rest of the week learning under Matilda.
In Hegenburg, Narcissa had her audience with Matilda, a tall, thin woman with dirty blonde hair. Some of the ratmen around looked over Narcissa in a less-than-friendly manner, but Matilda dismisses them. Narcissa and Matilda talked. Narcissa said she wants to offer her services. Matilda expressed a desire to see Narcissa’s "grandmother", and told Narcissa to be a “gardener” who can help her access the Weltbaum in Fallsmar. Narcissa expressed her resentment for both Sigisar’s and Winifred’s houses. Matilda didn't seem very interested in Sigisar, or Brillig. She expressed concern that there are too many large “personalities”, like Narcissa and Boss Reinhard, appearing around her.
The next day, the two decided go to a delapidated Rathskeller (now rechristened as Ratskeller). There Narcissa received sustenance in the form of a head of cheese. She asked for new clothes, and Matilda suggests she is free to look through whatever might be left of what was abandoned by the fleeing residents of Hegenburg. Some ratmen then came and whispered to Matilda, saying a messenger has arrived for Narcissa. The messenger was brought in - it was Kaleb. He produced a letter for Narcissa, and then drews an X on a bench in the bar.
The letter, from Winifred, read:
"To Dear Narcissia, I hope Kaleb finds you well! I know you couldn't have done what they say, I have met with Reinhard and I’m going home to Hirschenwald. You are always welcome and I fear Sigisar may be after you. Be safe and I await you my friend!"
After reading this, Narcissa promptly burned the letter with a bit of magic and watched the wind blow away the dust.Rewards Granted
- dress and glove (Narcissa)
- chicken wand (Winifred)
Missions/Quests Completed
- Narcissa and Kaleb arrive in Hegenburg
- Winifred arrivees in Schloss Hirschenwald
- Manfred, Edmon and Sigisar rescue Reinhard's erstwhile followers
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