Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of... Eyes in a Tavern A group of wanderers, by various means, arrived in Aquilona and it’s gleaming capital city Tarantia. After acquitting themselves well when a gang of thugs tried to shakedown the clientele of the alehouse they were frequenting, the party were hired by Pallantides of the Black Dragons as agents. Pallantides needed new faces to investigate reports of a Stygian agent active in the town of Sicas. As Sicas was pretty much a wretched hive of  scum and villainy, he felt the party should fit right in. He stressed that this was a one-off contract worth 200sp but should they succeed there would be much opportunity for further work. They accepted the contract and Pallantides also offered the party gear and equipment as required on loan from the Black Dragons. Rejecting this generous offer, and not asking for a map or even asking for directions to Sicias, the party rushed off into the city to equip for the journey. After they had made their essential purchases. they eventually set off on the main road from Tarantia – vaguely hoping it was the right one! They travelled on foot, as only Kimrah had a horse, but fortunately this close to the city the road was well-paved and they made reasonable time. That  evening as they set up camp, they were joined by a farmer and his son and daughter heading towards Tarantia to sell their goods. The Travellers offered a brace of coneys as contribution to the cooking pot if they could share the fire. Realising this was a better offer than the trail rations they had bought, they accepted and settled down before a roaring fire enjoying the rabbit stew well-seasoned with Zamoran spices provided by Marko. Their sleep that night was interrupted by a wounded wild boar charging into camp. Kimrah was badly gored by the beast before it was despatched and Grimmir hauled it off into the woods to butcher it to augment their meagre supplies. The (long) Road to Sicas That morning as dawn broke, a stranger walked into the camp, a Vendhyan soldier who introduced himself as Ravi. he told them he had been sent by Pallantides with a map for them, and pointed out that they should have taken the road South out of Tarantia, not the road east! After backtracking for a few hours they were soon on the right road, following the river south. After a brief encounter with an Aquilonian patrol, they stopped briefly that afternoon to trade with some follower passers-by taking the opportunity to trade some of the boar-meat for some salted lamb. Vanko also took the opportunity to trade his city footwear for some stout boots! Toward morning, as most still slept in their bedrolls, they heard the baying of hounds in the distance, but as the sound was obviously some distance away, decided to ignore it. After they set out along the road they quickly found the source of the sounds – a pack of feral hounds that had set upon an unwary traveller about half a mile down the road. the pack, their feasting on the remains disturbed, rounded on them and attacked, but were swiftly dealt with by the party, Grimmir’s bardiche slicing through many of the dogs. Kimrah’s prized horse was slightly wounded which upset the nomad no end. That evening as they settled down to rest, Marko noticed a small mound near the campsite and resolved to investigate. He found small tunnel and began blocking it with stones, when he found himself assaulted by an enraged badger! The reaction of his friends varied as to his predicament, either rushing to help or laughing heartily. The badger’s mate joined the fray, and Marko was badly mauled before both the beasts were slain. Next morning as Vanko stood watch alone, Marko having refused to get out of bed due to his wounds, a young farm-boy, Barrett, wandered into camp. Barrett had managed to get himself thoroughly lost and Vanko agreed he could accompany the party back towards Sicas. The Road Goes On ( and on) Next morning they set out again, they made good progress through the morning,but that afternoon Vanko’s sharp eyes spotted someone seemingly  lurking in the undergrowth. It turned out to be a badly wounded man, introduced himself a Vago, a mercenary out of Ophir. Vago had been set upon by bandits, he had fought them off and then laid down here  expecting to die – especially as he had heard wolves in the distance. The party stopped and Kimrah began binding the man’s wounds, while the others set up camp. The wolves that Vago had  heard moving around  attacked in the night, and although the party managed to fight them off, Ravi was badly injured as was Kimrah’s prized horse. Given the number of wounded in the party they decided to rest up another day.   While the others rested, Vanko and  Grimmir decided to practice throwing a shortsword – well Vanko practiced while Grimmir offered “helpful” suggestions. While there they were approached by another of the bandit’s victims, Oriennka seeking safety in the greater numbers of the party. Next morning they set off again. Despite the warnings of Vago and Oriennka experience they took no extra precautions as they marched down the road and unsurprisingly, ran into a bandit ambush! Kimrah, Vanko and Grimmir were badly injured in the battle that followed and yet another day was lost while wounds were bound and the injured tended by Ravi.   Next day they set out again, and arrived at the Fordhouse, an inn. The inn had been attacked by bandits that morning, but despite being in the process of clean-up was open for business. Vanko, lured by the prospect of hot food, some decent ale and a soft bed, suggested they rest here for the night. Sicas (at Last) Next morning Marko and Vanko asked the innkeeper where the best place to cross the river for those with insufficient funds for the ferry crossing was. The innkeepers suggested they head upriver to the foothills of the mountains where the river narrowed before disappearing into a twisted series of gorges. He warned them the river was in spate with snowmelt at this time of year and would be freezing cold, but undeterred they set off.   After a brief altercation with a hungry mountain lion, they found a likely place to cross and Marko tossed a grappling hook across, hooking it into the rocks on the shore opposite. Gingerly he edged into the freezing water, immediately felling the strength of the current. He made good progress initially  ,but suddenly disaster struck as the grappling hook loosened and he began to drift downstream. Fortunately Grimmir had hold of the rope and hauled back on it, unfortunately the shock of the sudden  halt forced all the air out of Marko's lungs, forcing him under the freezing torrent. Grimmir immediately dived into the icy flow, while Kimrah spurred his hors down the back and took up a position downstream. Vanko and Ravi readied a rope, tossing it out to the Aesir warrior as he surfaced with Marko in his arms. They managed to scramble the unconscious Zamoran onto the back and Kimrah began stripping his wet clothes and wrapping him an a horse-blanket him while Ravi and Marko gathered wood and lit a fire. Fortunately, though cold and wet, Marko showed no further sign of injury. deciding to head back to the warmth of the inn rather then try again. They headed back and ensured that Marko had a hot bath to warm him up.   Next morning they tried again. Marko, Kimrah and Ravi crossed safely – but Vanko decided he didn’t fancy the icy water and decided to go back and get the ferry! Reluluctantly  Grimmir decided to follow suit to keep an eye on the Zamoran.   They met up later that morning outside the city, where a bazaar was in full swing. Before heading in to the city, they spent some time sampling the delights of the bazaar which allowed Marko to take the opportunity to relive one of the citizens of the burden of his purse. Once inside they took rooms at The King’s Head and took in the sights of the city. As they moved through the throng two calls by the town crier particularly caught their attention:   *    ‘Girl gone missing! The eldest daughter of Baelerius Harp was taken from the steps of his home, and now she cannot be found! A girl of two and twenty years, young Shevan is dark of hair and fair of face. Fifty silvers to her rescuer!’ *    ‘Murder! Murder in the streets of the Pit! Two guards dead, crushed as if by hooves, and only a glimpse of a dark rider to blame! One hundred silvers to the headsman that brings the rider to justice! Stable hands and innkeeps beware any new faces with black steeds!’ They immediately decided to investigate, deciding their first port of call should be the house of Baelrius Harp, which they quickly ascertained was to be found in The Square. Of Madmen, Assassins and the Shaving of Heads As they entered the posh area of the city, they passed a madman confined in the stocks and raving about the “Black Rider”, Marko and Vanko tried to calm him and see if they could get any meaningful information from him but he was too far gone, so they continued moving through the city towards the missing girl’s house in The Square, they were interrupted by screams coming from down the street. The source of the screams quickly became apparent as a lion came bounding down the street with screaming citizens fleeing before it. Like a well-oiled machine the party sprung into action, and quickly despatched the feline threat – only to be confronted by a furious Shemetish merchant and his bodyguards accusing them of destroying his property. Vanko and Marko quickly faded into the crowd, but Ravi and Kimrah, not understanding what the merchant was saying, stood-by attempting to remonstrate with him in various languages until a city Watch patrol arrived to investigate. The Watch’s investigation seemed to consist of taking the word of the rich merchant and immediately arrested Ravi and Kimrah. As the patrol marched them off towards the city gaol, Grimmir attempted to intervene (as he actually spoke Aquilonian) but was basically told to take it up with the judge. As things quietened Vanko moved forward through the crowd, intending to speak to the merchant who was still lamenting the loss of his wares to anyone who would listen. However Marko, from where her lurked in a nearby alleyway, took things into his own hands, firing an arrow at the merchant and killing him stone dead! In case anyone had seen him, Marko decided a change in appearance was required and headed off to buy a new cloak and shave his head! Vanko, now on his own, decided to continue the mission and met with Baelerius Harp. Baelerius couldn’t really tell him more about what had happened t his daughter, but did provide him with a sketch of some tracks he had   found in the house afterward. Elsewhere in the city, Grimmir was eventually able to persuade the Watch to release his comrades on payment of a “fine” of 5 sp each, and they set up to catch up with the others. They eventually met up in a small inn just of the square. While Vanko bummed drinks of anyone who would buy him one they all reviewed the sketch coming to the conclusion that it was not off boot prints but some other more uncommon footwear. As they headed back to the inn for a night’s rest, they stopped to help put out a fire in a nearby house. Marko headed into the ruins discovering the household had been slain before the fire had burned out the front of the house. Next morning, while Kimrah and Ravi stayed in the inn resting, Marko Vanko and Grimmir continued their investigations. Their first stop was at cobblers, who identified the tracks depicted in the sketch as belonging to some kind of sandal, but not a common one – perhaps a riding sandal! After this they split up, Grimmir headed to the shanty town around the silver mine, while Marko and Vanko checked out the local stables.  At the third stable they tried they interrupted a couple of thugs shaking down the owner. The stable owner was grateful – once they disposed of the corpses - and was actually willing to talk about “The Rider”, telling them that he had seen the Rider three days ago in the shanty town. They joined Grimmir in there and after searching around they found some likely tracks near the city wall, but they seemed to vanish into thin air! In  the absence of anything better to do, they decided to have another word with the madman in the stocks. This time, they three of them managed to calm the madman enough to find out that he had seen “The Rider” fly over the city wall on a winged steed , whose wings vanished as it landed on the ground. Purple Hats and Black Riders Next morning, Marko walked out of the inn, straight into a Bloody Dawn ambush. Grimmir and Kimrah immediately leapt to help their friend, while his brother Vanko seemed more interested with the attentions of the serving wench and an extra portion of eggs! Fortunately his assistance wasn’t really required as their assailants seemed every bit as ineffectual as the rest of their gang and although Marko and Grimmir were slightly wounded, no further harm was done. After finishing breakfast they headed out into the city, deciding that as they had already made enemies of the Bloody Dawn, they might as well right into the middle of the brewing gang war in The Pit.  He explained that they could pretend to be members of a new gang – the Purple Hat Gang. After brief dissention from Kimrah who wanted a purple waistcoat, Marko stopped at a haberdashers to buy them all fetching purple caps. they all put on the caps and headed towards the Iron Skull Inn, where the Red Butchers were supposed to hang out. Their new headwear attracted many admiring comments from the already sozzled patrons of the inn. As Marko and Vanko headed for the bar, Grimmir quietly lost his cap under one of the tables.  The barkeep, told them they they could make contact with someone from the Red Butchers later on that evening and advised them to return then. After a beer or two they headed back out into the city following up the leads they had already acquired. The revisited the Shanty Town and the scene of the fire, confirming that The Rider had been seen the night Shevan had been kidnapped, and had also been seen in the vicinity of the Benedictus the Scribe’s house before the fire. They also discovered that the scribe had been a collector of antiquie scrolls. Kimrah also paid another visit to the Khitan merchant who somehow was able to identify the sketch of the track as belonging to a stygian cavalry officer’s sandal. On returning to the red skull inn, the hooked up with one of the Red Butchers members. The thug seemed in a poor mood, complaining that he head gone to the House of Two Dragons first for a beer only to find it all locked-up and no sign of life save a black stallion in the back near the stables. Their ears pricking up at this news, they took their leave and headed toward the rival pub. As they had been told it was deadly quiet. Marko and Vanko decided to head in the front, while Grimmir headed for the back door. Kimrah meanwhile decided to scope out the stables where he discovered a jet black beast of a breed he couldn’t identify. The stallion was wandering free in the stables and appeared to be feeding on the corpses of three other horses. As it saw him the horse reared up and lashed out with it’s hooves. As Kimrah moved to defend himself Grimmir heard the sounds of the conflict and hurried round to help. By the time the Vanir arrived, Kimrah had already fallen beneath the vicious hooves. Drawing his bardiche the Vanir charged forward as the steed turned his attention to him, hooves flashing wickedly. Fortunately the barbarian’s rage allowed him sto stay conscious long enough to slay the fearsome steed before he too succumbed beneath it’s flashing hooves. Marko and Vanko meanwhile had broken into the pub through a window. It was dark within, but a fire arrow fired by Marko in the wall provided some light – particularly after the wall-hangings caught fire! It was a a scene or carnage within. All the patrons appeared to have been torn to pieces, but they could hear the sound of whimpering – and thus life -  coming from upstairs. They made their way stealthily upwards, to find the Rider in the midst of some foul occult  ritual withe Shevan’s naked form splayed out on a bedstead and covered in obscene-looking runes. Vanko immediate drew his daggers and attacked, his brother scant seconds behind. The Rider snatched up a scimitar with one hand and the slung the screaming girl over his shoulder, and headed for the window. Vanko had foreseen this however and moved to block his exit, Marko moved into flanking position and battle was joined. Hampered by carrying the struggling girl and caught between two thieves sneak-atatcking him the outcome was without doubt. Once the Rider was slain, Vanko calmed the struggling girl while Marko searched the room recovering some treasure and a strange ancient-looking scroll from the Rider’s pack. Marko speculated that this scroll had been stolen from Benedictus the Scribe. After this they went in search of their comrades, finding both badly wounded,  unconscious though stable next to the corpse of the steed. Marko administered some first aid and helped by Shevan they managed to hall their two unconscious friends back to their inn, as the Two Dragons burned merrily behind them. Over the next few days they returned Shevan to her father, collected their rewards and rested for a few days before heading back to Tarantia. The trip was uneventful, though their dreams were haunted by the strange runes they had seen painted on the rider and Shevan. They met with Pallantides who after listening gravely to their report, thanked them and paid them the rest of their fee and took the scroll to have it translated by a sage.