Session 4: Trials and Executions Report
General Summary
Ulric had convinced the others to stay around for the trial to be held by his clan against the Duke. An array of ancient crimes committed when Duke Lothairs family stole the seat of Wolfsfelden were presented followed by his aligning with the Vampire, the murder of the citizens of Wolfsfelden to create an Undead hoard carrying a bit more present weight. As this drug on the Duke leveled a finger at Casimir, now treated as leader of the village and demanded trial by combat. Casimir, for the only bright moment on his face of this trial gladly accepted. Ulric would step forward offering to fight as champion. Casimir would shake his head "No friend, this I must do on my own. The Duke was given his armaments and a makeshift list field was erected. Casimir wielding the ancient sword in two hands would face off against Duke Lothair, wielding his arming sword and shield with skill. The Duke would rush forward lunging to which Casimir would roll to the side, the Duke would redy his shield. Casimir would delivering a heavy blow, the Duke taking some of it on his shield then would repost. The exchange would continue, the citizen of Holzweil would cheer on Casimir, a roar going up as he shattered the Dukes shield with another heavy blow. While the Duke had delivered several blows as well it was clear the two handed strikes of Casimir were taking their toll. Dropping low to avoid a blow the Duke would lunge forward, catching Casimir off guard with a critical blow, the blade sinking deep into Casimirs torso his eyes would go wide then roll back as he fell over unconscious. Ulric would roar in furry as he erupted into his wolf form. The Duke would turn to the sudden onslaught, the citizen looking on in dismay as Casimir fell. Darius would rush over and lay his glowing hand upon Casimir healing his wounds while Ulric slammed the Duke to the ground cracking several ribs and knocking him unconscious. Casimir would weekly protest, "Stop....he won..." getting to his feet with a clenched jaw, "leave him..." turning his back to his people he would limp off into the woods.
Two men would pick up the Duke carrying him to Rosilinds herbalist shop, followed closely by Rosilind and Katarina. Drogomir would also bring up the rear of this little entourage as Ulric went to follow Casimir shifting back to his human form. Ulric would find Casimir not too far into the wood, the ancestral sword driven clearly in rage into a tree as he sat on a downed tree and was attempting to wrap a poltice about his abdomen and wound. With little success he would shout his frustration and throw the poltice across the forest. "Are you alright?" Ulric would ask coming to sit by him. "No! I did not ask for this nor want it! I cant even defeat my ancestral foe, everyone is counting on me to be a king?! How can I lead if I cant even do this?" his voice filled with frustrations. Ulric would frown slight, "This is the problem when simple foresters are thrust into such things....Casimir you are a good man, good men chaff the most under the crown because they do not seek it...which likely means you will not only be a good man but a good king." Ulric would let that hang in the air a moment, "But, whatever you decide, to follow this path or not, you are a good man, and I support you" he would stand and off Casimir his hand. Casimir would let out a heavy breath in frustration, not at Ulric but at this path before him, he would take Ulrics hand and nod. "Now go find your Sister so that can be done properly, eh?" Ulric would look back to town. Casimir would nod collecting his sword and moving back towards the hamlet.
Within the healers hut the duke would be set down with little care, Rosilind coming up beside him to look over his bloody wounds. As the men left Katarina would come up behind Rosilind and put her hand on the young woman's shoulder, "You should go tend to your brother." Her voice carried a command to it, but not hostility. Rosilind would glance to her and then to the Duke before nodding and heading out to find her brother. Removing the Reapers Lancet from her pack, she would open the skulls head at the head emptying the 3 doses of poison the sword cane carried into the Dukes mouth. She would look over to Drogomir, "It is a shame he perished before she could help him wasn't it?" Drogomir would nod, "Oh yes...tragic indeed" his thick Rutheni accent coming thru before he turned to return to the others.
Spend one last night in the village the party would set out in the morning for Wolfsfelden, arriving upon the Summers Solstice and its festival. The line to enter the city was exceptionally long and slow, Adelaide would also take note that the banners on the walls were not quite right, while still of the same family, they seemed to be older and of a cadet line. As Pozake strode forward to try and figure out what was happening, a guard would move quickly to him pulling him aside. Dirk, an old friend from Poazkes time with the city watch would start to sound like he was questioning Pozake but then would speak lower, "What are you doing here? The whole watch is looking for you and your friends, they say you kidnapped the Duke!?" Pozake would shake his head, "He was under the influence of a Vampire, we rescued him and got him out of the city." Dirk would frown, "Well a woman claiming to be a cousin has taken over in the mean time, she has arrested your whole temple claiming they were planning a coup today, working with undead, and doing other great blasphemies." Pozake would just stare a moment, "what no, that was not them, it was the Vampire! We need to get into the city." Dirk would frown and look around, "Not this gate, meet me at the Dog Meadows Gate at 4, I can get you in then. Parting Pozake would tell this to the others. Drogomir would offer, "I was not with you when you took the Duke, I can go in here and meet you at this gate, to ensure you aren't being set up." With a nod the party split. Drogomir would cross the city picking up what information he could while the rest would take lunch outside the walls and also try and gain what they could. They would learn the Imperial Legates, also holy men of the Azanarian faith had been arrested. Arriving at the Dogmeadow Gate at 4, Dirk would be true to his word and get the party inside Wolfsfelden for the festival. Drogomir would meet them with a concerned look, "The temple was taken without a fight...and there is a big announcement at Dusk in the square. They next decided to meet with the Rickenfol family, to see if any information could be gleaned. Orym Rickenfol who had hired them earlier had little to offer, other then all the cities Aldermen had been called to the palace this morning. He set out to see what his father knew, but did not return. Finding this Darius offered, "If that teleport circle still exists, I can get us into the dungeon again and we can see who we can rescue from the temple.
As dusk was growing closer the party took haste across town, broke into the old crypt where Darius easily activated the teleportation circle. Inside the dungeon they found the door ahead locked, Drogomir would shift into a rat and scout the prison, finding many clerics and other Azanarian faithful in the cells, with only a handful of guards watching them. With ease the guards were over powered and the clergy set free. Finding monks and mostly low level acolytes, Pozake would ask where the High Priest and Legates were. Having been taken out several hours ago no one knew. Pozake would give a rousing speech to rally his fellow Azanarians and then would arm them as best they could before setting out back thru the portal and up to the streets. Making as best speed as they could the small gang would arrived after the sun had set and a speech was already under way...."These traitors murdered your fellow citizens, conspired with dark forces, and saw to the death of my beloved cousin Duke Lothair." From the back of the assembled throng Drogomir and Pozake would shout out these were lies, but it held little sway over the fascinated crowd. "And they must die for their crimes!" as the Woman finished and dropped her hand, the 15 or so figures on raised platforms, hooded, would suddenly drop, hanging before the crowd. Ulric would shift to his wolf form and roar over the crowd, causing a sudden panic as people tried to clear the streets giving them a path to the front.
