Montumazin 10, Year 887 (New Imperial Calendar)

I’ve never been hailed as a hero before.  It’s nice enough but it wears thin pretty quickly.  I get it people, I saved you from a fate worse than death – enough already.  There’s only so much fawning I can abide.  Plus the boring stories about how they’re so happy they can get back to their dumb spouses and ugly children.  Ugh.  Besides which they aren’t fully saved yet – we’re in the middle of nowhere.  Not to mention the fact that Argo and company weren’t pleased that lost treasure of the army wasn’t anywhere to be found (who could have guessed that would be the case?) so they could flip out and murder everyone at any moment.  

There were several items on the agenda and since I need these people to bring down Królewna & Bonifacja I decided to take the bull by the testicles.  No one seemed to mind much – in times of crisis most people are panting for someone to tell them what to do and save them from the terrible burden of free will.  The first order of business was making sure that Haya and the two teamsters were in this for the long haul – a little bit of ass kissing, a little bit of flattery, and a little bit of charm – piece of cake.

After that it was convincing Argo and friends to stay with us instead of haring off after a treasure that was clearly long gone.  The unslaved mob had a couple weapons from me, a couple that they took off Imrael, and a couple they took out of Haya’s camp (I had looted everything else when no one was paying attention) but that wouldn’t count for much – we’ll need some muscle if we were going to make it out.  It wasn’t too hard to convince them – an appeal to vanity worked like a charm.  Saving all these people?  That gets you all kinds of good press – adventurers eat that up.

Then came the thorny bit.  Out of the nearly six score people rescued more than two dozen of them were Vieland soldiers.  Thankfully Sergeant Marsh was a practical sort – he wasn’t frothing at the mouth about taking them as POWs.  Still the question was what to do with them.  The Vieland troops had no officers to speak of but they decided amongst themselves to appoint a fellow by the name of Wiremu a Corporal or a Bravette or something – military people are like that, they need a chain of command to subvert in order to feel at ease.  Wiremu’s suggestion was that they take their share of the supplies and strike off on their own to try and rejoin their army.  I’m not exactly sure how much of a death march that would have been but since we only have four days worth of food it seems pretty death marchy.  It’s the kind of plan soldiers come up with – honor, duty, flag, all that.  I was able to talk him out of it by ensuring him that these were extraordinary circumstances and we all needed to work together, hostilities between nations aside.

Speaking of food, there was some talk about going on half rations and waiting for the next supply wagon to grab it as well.  As per usual they were missing the big picture – if a wagon with supplies was coming every four days there must be a place they’re coming from not that far away.  Thankfully we had two very cooperative teamsters/prisoners that filled us in on the details.  Head northeast for three days, turn dead east at the Spur Hills, and in the ruins of Gribyr Królewna & Bonifacja had set up a little operations center for this slavery program. 

We head there, take the supplies, and we should be good to go.  Go where is a question no one could agree on but we’ll deal with that later.  No sense in counting your chickens before they’re strangled after all.  We (and by we I mean they) spent the bulk of the day scavenging the Sluice for anything of use but we did set out a few hours before sundown.  We didn’t get far, but that wasn’t the point, the point was we were out of the city – away from the place where these people had been held captive.  It was a little thing, but it made a difference.  

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Funds: 10,258 gold

XP: 70,003

Inventory: Ring of Many Garments, Bag of Tricks (rust), Cap of Disguise, Secure Pocket, Resplendent Diplomat’s Palette, Secure Paypack, Skeleton Key, Brooch of Shielding, Pouch of Magic Stones, Masterful Grey Gloves, Black Marketers’ Bag, Biting Bracelet (Endless Ammunition), Boots of Escape, Bracers of the Glib Entertainer, Ring of Animal Friendship, +1 Falchion, +1 Greatclub, +2 Commanding Light Crossbow, Headband of Alluring Charisma +2, Manual of Quickness of Action, Bracer of Fire Resistance (10), Spear of Piercing Thunder, Handy Haversack, Amulet of Natural Armor +1, Cloak of Resistance +2 (2),  Headband of vast intelligence +2 (2), Ring of Feather Falling

Signet ring, noble’s outfit, candlerod (9), masterwork dagger, succubi carving, Domiel family ring, walking stick, masterwork playing cards, spinel and peridot holy symbol of Kralten, diamonds (14), silver crown, waterskins (6), trail rations (7), antitoxin (9),  formula book, smelling salts (3), sunrods (3), thieves’ tools, tindertwigs (6), various and sundry inebriants and intoxicants

Potion of Spider Climb, Potion of Eagle’s Splendor, Potion of Jump

Silver ring, gold bracelet, gold and pearl pendant, gold ring, platinum necklace (2), mithril hair clasps (3), 4 small diamonds

Revenge List: Duke Eaglevane, Piltis Swine, Rince Electrum, watchman Gridley, White-Muzzle the worg, Percy Ringle the butler , Alice Kinsey , “Patch”, Heroes of the Lost Sword, Claire Conrad, Erist priest of Strider, Riselda owner of the Sage Mirror, Eedraxis,  Skin-Taker tribe, Kartak, Królewna & Bonifacja Trading Company, Hurmont Family, Androni Titus, Greasy dreadlocks woman, Lodestone Security, Kellgale Nickoslander, Beltian Kruin the Splithog Pauper, The King of Spiders, Auraluna Domiel, mother Hurk, Mazzmus Parmalee,  Helgan van Tankerstrum, Lightdancer, Bonder Greysmith, Pegwhistle Proudfoot, Lumbfoot Sheepskin

Rumors : Exiled noblewoman (Reoccurring), vigilante “Litheria”(Reoccurring), murderous Halfling (Reoccurring)

Graltontown Buildings – Mill