Session VI Report

General Summary

Following the group's investigation of Emmerich von Jungfreud, they set out to return to Ubersreik, travelling along the road back to the city. As the sun begins to set, they come across a road- and riverside inn - the Three Feathers. Entering the inn's fortified compound, they find several river barges docked, a coach by the stables, and a veritable horde of servants moving chests and assorted items from one of the barges to the inn - as the party founds out, all in service of one Gravin Maria-Ulrike von Liebwitz of Ambosstein, a cousin of the Grand Countess Emmanuele von Liebwitz of Nuln.
The Gravin, they find out, is travelling for the city of Kemperbad to deal with a legal matter - she stands accused of murder and witchcraft following the death of Baron Otto von Dammenblatz at one of her cousin's legendary parties during Black Powder Week in Nuln, the Baron having been found face down in a punch bowl. His son, Baron Eberhardt von Dammenblatz of the Duchy of Dunkelberg believes witchcraft or poisoning was involved. Everyone of the Gravin's party, on the other hand, believes the baron drank himself unconscious, slumped comatose into the punch bowl, and drowned.
Regardless, the group gets themselves rooms for the night as well as some drinks and food. Some lose their hard-earned coin in a game of Scarlet Empress, a card game, against one Halfling, just hired to attend a party in Ubersreik in the near future, going by the name if Mercinellin "Seedling" Thorncobble. They also meet (and befriend?) a Dwarf with a fancy hat who introduces himself as "Captain Farok". Will, meanwhile, manages to beat Bruno Franke, the Gravin's personal champion, in a game of arm wrestling.
Then, disaster strikes! Another 'adversary' of Bruno's arm wrestling competition falls unconscious and is dragged off to the dormitory of the inn - as Raaf finds, he has taken Heartkill and dies not too long after. Will spots one of the Gravin's servants respond with great shock as the man in question fell unconscious, seeing her run outside - but finding himself unable to spot her, afterward. 
The inn's peace is disturbed again as an angry, drunken man, together with a bunch of thugs, storm into the inn, demanding to know where Friedrich von Pfeifraucher is - a man who had introduced himself as 'Johann Schmidt', earlier, together with one 'Frau Schmidt'. Resorting to violence to get to the man who his wife is cheating on him with, a tavern brawl erupts, with everyone getting involved - Raaf throwing wooden mugs at the thugs while Morathric and Will face them in a fistfight as the Dwarven captain chases after the man himself up the stairs, knocking him unconscious at 'Johann Schmidt's' opened door. He and his lover leave shortly after, and the captain manages to get their room for himself after a brief talk with the innkeep.
In the night, when the group is resting in their rooms, screaming emerges from the Gravin's wing of the tavern and guards pull Morathric and Raaf from their rooms a little after Will and Farok investigate the screaming, themselves - Bruno Falke appears to have been killed, a dagger found in his dead body - more specifically, Raaf's dagger! Ordering the group locked into Bruno's old room for the night, the Gravin sentences Will to become her new personal champion before everyone is made to leave the room. Roughly an hour after, the Gravin returns, informing the group that she does not believe them to be guilty, and that instead they - and more specifically, Will - will be acting as bait for the assassin that killed her champion.
Later in the night, the servant that Will had noticed earlier in the evening appears again - emerging from the chimney in the group's room! As she is noticed, she tries to make a run for it, seeking to leap from the window Morathric had opened earlier - only to be caught by a dagger thrown at her by the Dwarf, injuring her and making her fall all the worse, resulting in her capture by some of the Gravin's guards stationed outside after a short chase (and a few rough blows to the head). In the morning, the group is absolved of their guilt, and paid by the Gravin, who also offers them passage on her barge to Ubersreik, which the group accepts.

Report Date

03 Aug 2020