Episode 63 – The Wolf, the Witch and the Large Wardrobe (Part II)
| The Assassins |
Azareth - Wizard 5th Level LE (PC) Craven - Fighter / Rogue 3rd/3rd LE (PC) Creighton - Fighter 5th Level LE (PC) Keldirk - Rogue 6th level NE (PC) |
| Locale | unknown. |
| Date | after 4th Goodmonth 582 CY |
| Time | Late afternoon. |
The assassins entered the village of Hamlynn just before sunset. What few people there were on the main street of the small village looked at the arrival of the four bedraggled strangers with a combination of fear and surprise. The village itself was quiet and had an air of melancholy. Up ahead the group noticed a tavern and made their way towards it.
Inside the tavern things were equally sombre, the usual banter and hubbub typical of a country tavern was noticeably absent. The clientele sat and drank in depressed silence, barely raising an inquiring eye in the direction of the four newcomers. Craven made his way to the bartender while the other three headed for a table.
| Craven | Good evening. My companions and I would welcome a warm meal and some refreshments. May I enquire as to what is available to eat this evening? |
| bartender | Pea soup and roasted pheasant. Take a seat I'll have it brought to you. |
| Craven | Thankyou my good man. Excuse my directness, but may I ask if some tragedy has recently befallen this place. Everyone we have encountered so far has seemed, well, in low spirits. |
| bartender | You could say that. |
With that the bartender turned and entered the kitchen, he left Craven at the bar alone in a manner that made it obvious that the discussion was over. Craven moved to join the others at the table.
| Craven | I have ordered us a meal and a round of drinks. |
| Creighton | Good, I'm starving. |
| Azareth | Might I enquire as to how we were planning to pay for this? |
| Craven | The dwarves had some coin on them, it should be enough to cover it. |
| Azareth | Should we not also hire a room? We may be in town for a few days. |
| Craven | (looks around the village tavern disapprovingly) I was hoping for some more luxurious accommodations. |
| Azareth | The town does not appear populous enough to support more than one tavern. |
| Craven | Hmmm, very well, I guess we have little choice but to stay here. |
The meals arrived and Craven organised the room. By the time they had finished their meal, the locals in the taproom had lost some of their initial gloom and had begun talking among themselves. Bored with the mindless conversation of his fellows Keldirk passed his time by eavesdropping on a nearby table. Before Creighton had finished his second meal Keldirk became very interested in one conversation and swung his chair around to join the table of locals.
| Keldirk | Can I buy you a round fellas? |
| man #1 | You talkin' to us? |
| Keldirk | You guessed it genius. So are you thirsty or what? |
| man #2 | Sure, why not? (signals the barman) Five ales, Harman. |
| Keldirk | My name's Keldirk. |
| man #1 | Greetings Keldirk. What can we do for you? |
| Keldirk | I couldn't help but overhear you discussing your predicament. |
| man #3 | (suspicious) What about it? |
| Keldirk | Well it seems to me as though you could do with some help. And that's what me and my boys do. We help people. |
| man #3 | (dismisses Keldirk with a wave of his hand) A mercenary! Well turn your chair around now, sunshine, and don't waste your time. We don't have the gold to pay you and your crew. |
| Keldirk | We can negotiate on price. (smiles) So, what're your names? |
| man #1 | My name is- |
| man #3 | Shutup! (to Keldirk) You don't need to know our names. For all we know you could be a stooge sent here to test us. |
| man #2 | Yeah. We know the penalty for insurrection. You may as well waltz on back to your boss and tell 'im that we're toeing the line. |
| Keldirk | A stooge? Me? You've got it all wrong. |
| man #3 | Maybe. But we can't take the risk. |
| Keldirk | (nods and waits for the barmaid to distribute the tray of drinks) Alright. I understand. How about I take away the risk. You tell me what I need to know, all casual-like, and what I do with that information is my business. And, if what I do with that information happens to be something that makes your community happy, then any gifts of gratitude would be welcomed with open arms. But there'll be no contract, no shaking of hands, no nothing. And, best of all, there'll be no trouble. What do you have to lose, eh? |
| man #3 | (thinks) We have a lot to lose. |
| man #2 | Our wives for one thing! |
| man #1 | And our homes. |
| man #3 | We can't afford to lose any more than we already have. (shakes his head in sadness) I just couldn't take it. Thanks for your concern, stranger, but we risk too much. |
| Keldirk | Bah! You risk nothing. I don't even know your names. Who am I going to tell? |
| man #3 | It's a small village. It wouldn't be too hard to point us out if it came to that. |
| Keldirk | (changing tack) Listen to yourselves! You're too busy wallowing in your own self pity and all the while your children are god knows where. (looks at each face in turn) Yes, I overheard you talking about your children. I heard how the crops have failed and you can't pay your taxes. And here you have a chance at getting your children back but you just sit here and tell me what more you have to lose. Pathetic! You've already lost the most important thing you have. No, not your children, your goddamned self respect. You make me sick! You had the chance and you blew it. Forget I said anything. Go on, live your life in fear. (raises a finger) But know this: you and your whole stinking community will rue the day you turned down the help of the Silver League. |
Keldirk knocked his cup over, spilling drink across their table. With a last lingering glare he abruptly turned his chair around, a wry smile on his thin lips.
| Craven | (leans over to Keldirk) What was that all about? |
| Keldirk | Shut up. |
| Craven | Alright. (leans back) Whatever you say, Mister Happy. |
The men at the table talked in hushed tones, but thanks to Keldirk's expert hearing he had no trouble discerning the flow of their discussion. After fifteen or so heated minutes one of the four men approached Keldirk and tapped him on the shoulder.
| man #3 | (extends his hand) You can call me, um, Globstok. |
| Creighton | Sorry? |
| man #3 | Globstok. |
| Creighton | I heard you, I'm just sorry. |
| Keldirk | Pull up a pew Globstok. |
| Globstok | (takes a seat) |
| Creighton | Globstok? What kinda name is Globstok? |
| Globstok | (offended) It's not my real name. |
| Keldirk | (flashes an angry glare at Creighton) It's fine Globstok, we understand. |
| Creighton | But Globstok? It's downright ridiculous. Harry, Bob, Ralph. Now they're some good fake names. But Globstok? Where'd you pull that one from? |
| Globstok | (motions to rise) |
| Keldirk | Sit. We don't mean any disrespect. |
| Globstok | I haven't done anything like this before. I'm just a baker. |
| Keldirk | Shh! Don't tell us anything about yourself. The less we know about you the better. |
| Globstok | I understand. |
| Keldirk | To my left is Craven, then Azareth and the big chap is Creighton. We form a third of the Silver League. |
| Azareth | (mouths to Craven) The Silver League? |
| Craven | (shrugs) |
| Creighton | Yep, that's us, The Silver League. |
| Keldirk | Creighton. (smiles warmly, his eyes cold) Please, allow me to do all the talking. Good man Globstok need not know too much about us, either. |
Keldirk called the group in and spoke in a soft, conspirational tone.
| Keldirk | Globstok, tell my friends what has happened to the children of the village. |
| Globstok | It's a tragedy. Nothing like this has ever happened to us here in Hamlynn. Our crops failed again, but much worse this year than the last. And the Lord wants his taxes but we couldn't pay. |
| Keldirk | Slow down. Take a deep breath and take your time. Here, have a drink. |
| Globstok | (gulps his drink, obviously nervous) We have been unable to pay our taxes for three harvests now and then the Lord sent the Overseer here to take care of matters. (closes his eyes, a pained expression on his face) The Overseer is truly wicked. He's killed many able-bodied villagers making an already bad situation worse. Some of the crops were ruined simply because we couldn't harvest them before the rains. |
| Keldirk | (a little impatient) The children. Tell us about the children. |
| Globstok | When the Overseer returned from the Lord's castle the last time, he brought the Lord's guards with him. The guards took our children, all of them. Took them back to the Lord's castle. They are being held hostage there until our taxes are paid. |
| Azareth | That is truly terrible. |
| Globstok | (nods) It gets worse. The village has until the end of this week to make the payment or they will begin killing one child per week until the debt is paid. |
| Craven | And will the repayments be made in time? |
| Globstok | (shakes his head) No. Not a chance. What little harvest we did get was all but ruined by the early rains. And with the dwarven bandits along the road keeping traffic down we have not been able to gather payment or go for help. It's a dire situation. (lowers his head in sadness) |
| Keldirk | Which is where we come in. |
| Craven | We do? |
| Keldirk | We can help get the children back. |
| Craven | (in thieves cant) What are you doing? |
| Keldirk | There are no children in this village. Not one. Remember, we need to give two children to the old hag in order to get home. |
| Craven | (to Globstok) Perhaps there are other villages nearby? Villages whose children have not been stolen? |
| Globstok | (shakes his head) There are no other villages for hundreds of miles. |
| Creighton | Your kids have been kidnapped! (chuckles) Kidnapped. Get it? |
| Azareth | Yes, Creighton, you are very clever. Now please, be quiet. This is a serious matter. |
| Keldirk | Do you have a militia? A standing guard? Who enforces the law in this village? |
| Globstok | Sheriff Downes. He's the only one left. |
| Craven | Left? |
| Globstok | When the children were being taken we tried to make a stand. (sniffs) A lot of good men died that day. The Overseer and the Lord's guards were just too strong, you see. |
| Keldirk | The Sheriff, where will we find him? |
| Globstok | Sheriff Downes runs the Hamlynn mill. You'll find him down the road, before the bridge. But he won't help you either. The Overseer was very clear that any resistance will mean the death of all our children. |
| Keldirk | Well, Globstok, trust in us. The Overseer won't know what hit him. |
| Creighton | (inspired) Trust us, Globby. Where there's injustice in the world, where wrongs need to be righted, where lies have taken hold in truth's stead, you will find the Silver League fighting to make things right. |
| Keldirk | Go well, Globstok, but go quietly. Tell no one of what we discussed. We shall return with your children in tow. |
Globstok left the assassins' table and returned to his fellows. The assassins finished their drinks and retired to their room
| Craven | (flops onto his bed) You have no idea how much I am looking forward to sleeping in a real bed. |
| Creighton | (slaps Keldirk on the back) The Sliver League? |
| Keldirk | (shrugs) It served its purpose. We got the information we needed. |
| Azareth | I am rather partial to the name. Perhaps we should keep it. |
| Creighton | You're joking right? |
| Azareth | Yes. |
| Craven | You did well, Keldirk. We could have wasted days trying to find two children in this hole. At least now we know that they are being held in the Lord's castle. |
| Creighton | So what's our plan? Find the Lord's castle, grab two kids and bugger off? |
| Keldirk | (nods) That's what I think we should do. The next village is a hundred miles away and I don't fancy a walk of that length if I can help it. |
| Azareth | There is one thing that bothers me. Did any of you notice a castle when approached the village? |
| Creighton | (thinks) No. |
| Keldirk | (shakes his head) Nope. But I wasn't really looking for one. |
| Azareth | Indeed. But the castle would certainly be the biggest structure in the area and I would imagine it would be difficult to miss. All we need to do is speak to this Sheriff fellow and ask him where the castle is. |
| Craven | Maybe it's a few miles away. Or further along the road, in the forest. |
| Azareth | In any case we will clearly require the assistance of the Sheriff. If not to find the location of the castle, then at least to learn more about this Overseer or the Lord's guards. We would be well advised to go into this with our eyes wide open. |
| Craven | (yawns) Let's leave it 'til the morning. |
The next day the assassins made their way to the mill. Now that they knew the situation they couldn't help but notice the complete lack of children. There was no laughter, no crying and no signs of any childish games. All that the assassins could see were sombre men and tragically sad women.
They found the mill-come-sheriff's office easily enough, and before long Sheriff Downes stood before them.
| Sheriff Downes | Now, how can I help you boys? |
| Craven | Good morning, my good man. We seek directions to the Lord's castle. |
| Sheriff Downes | (laughs) Then you've come to the wrong place. |
| Craven | Sorry? |
| Sheriff Downes | I can tell you where the castle is but I can't take you there. Only the Overseer has the means to get there, and he's not known for his generosity. |
| Azareth | The means to get there? What do you mean, Sheriff? |
| Sheriff Downes | I don't know much about it. All I do know is that the Overseer has special keys that allows him to reach the castle. Without the keys, you can't get to the castle. |
| Keldirk | What do these keys look like? |
| Sheriff Downes | I don't know. All I do know is that he keeps them well guarded, in a black leather pouch that hangs by his waist. |
| Craven | The Overseer, eh? Where do we find him? |
| Sheriff Downes | (seriously) You don't. You keep walking and forget about him and the Lord's castle. |
| Keldirk | (steps forward) Alright, let me be completely honest with you. My colleagues and I have learned of the plight of the village children and we wish to offer our assistance. |
| Sheriff Downes | (looks at the group for a long while before turning away) Leave. Don't waste my time. You wouldn't stand a chance. |
| Craven | Don't be fooled by our appearance. I think you'd be surprised by what we are capable of. |
| Sheriff Downes | Aye, strong lads you are but you're not equipped to go up against the Overseer. I lost twenty men to 'im, and he took barely a scratch. (sadly) Hamlynn thanks you for you intentions, but you offer naught but false hope. Walk away, while you still can. |
| Keldirk | (spits) You're pathetic. This whole god-forsaken village is pathetic. Here we are, The Silver League, offering our help free of charge and you turn us away. You deserve your fate. (leans forward) But what of your children? Should they suffer because their parents and guardians are too weak to take a stand. |
| Sheriff Downes | (angry) We made a stand! Don't you listen? We lost twenty men. You are but four and you're barely clothed, let alone equipped to take on the Overseer. And if you fail, what then? The Lord's Guard will return with the bodies of our children, that's what. |
| Craven | (solemnly) We shan't fail. We are very good at what we do. And the salvation of your children has become our quest. |
| Keldirk | Yes. My men and I have never failed. (looks around the guardhouse) Surely you have some equipment here. |
| Sheriff Downes | If you're so good where is your equipment? |
| Azareth | Good question. A very good question indeed. You are obviously an astute man to hold such a prestigious position as guardian of this town. An astute man with a quick mind. Where is our equipment? Well, that is a long story. And one that we have no time to explore. Suffice it to say that is a tale of woe. And one of glory. And a quest that will surely be sung by the bards for years to come. Better you would be, good Sheriff, to ask yourself 'how can I help these men'? |
| Sheriff Downes | (nods) Whatever weapons I have will not harm the Overseer. We learned that the hard way. |
| Azareth | Just what type of man is this Overseer? |
| Sheriff Downes | Man? (laughs) He is no man. He's a beast, a wolf that walks like a man. Nothing can hurt it, no sword, no mace no nuthin'. |
| Creighton | (raises an eyebrow) A were-wolf? |
| Sheriff Downes | A what? |
| Azareth | A lycanthrope? |
| Sheriff Downes | (shakes his head) I aint heard either of those names. The Overseer is the Overseer - he is what he is. |
| Keldirk | Let me get this straight - in this whole village you don't have a single weapon that can hurt him, not even the smallest knife or dagger? |
| Sheriff Downes | No, nothing. We are a simple village, and until the Overseer arrived we barely had a need for weapons of any kind. |
| Azareth | (rubs his chin) What about silver? Would there be much in the way of silver in the village? |
| Sheriff Downes | (thinks) Certainly not enough to pay the taxes if that is what you are suggesting? |
| Azareth | No, not at all. What manner of currency do you use? |
| Sheriff Downes | Bronze, mainly. A smattering of copper and perhaps one or two silver coins in the entire village. Our taxes keep us poor. Why? |
| Azareth | What about jewellery, or cutlery, any silver at all? |
| Sheriff Downes | (confused) Perhaps some. Why do you ask? |
| Azareth | If this Overseer is indeed a lycanthrope then silver will harm it. If we can gather sufficient silver to coat enough weapons for us to use then we will kill this Overseer and free the children. Gather as much silver as you can and have the village smith coat as many blades as he can. |
| Creighton | Two longswords, a rapier, a sabre and a couple of shortswords oughta do it. |
| Sheriff Downes | I will see what I can do. It may take a day or two. |
| Craven | Be as quick as you can, the longer you take to get us the weapons, the longer it will be before your children are returned and the Lord's reign of terror comes to an end. |
| Keldirk | And longer it will be before we can get home |
| Normal Text | Character's words or descriptive text if part of a paragraph |
| Italic Text | Character's thoughts or actions if surrounded by parenthesis |
| Bold Text | Character is shouting. |