Wallacian Campaign Session #39

• Crow rejoined the party in Westport, and introduced them to his friend Tom
• Zoi departed in search of clues to her missing parents
• The party met with Constable Otis Clarkson at the Eager Mule inn. He explained that two years ago a pair of criminals from the Haskill clan escaped his custody. He added that this was due to The Scurry with-holding information about the Haskills being mageborn. Clarkson said that he had information that the two Haskills, "Black Bart" and "Big Ed", were recently seen in south Westland, and he wanted to hire the party to help him recapture them.
• Clarkson said he would pay expenses, provide provisions, etc. for the party, and had two sets of manacles for the prisoners. He said that they could not use their magic if they were restrained by metal. Clarkson offered to let the party keep the rewards for the criminals, and showed them two old wanted posters listing their bounties as 300 and 200 gold, respectively. The party agreed to his terms, and they planned to leave the following morning.
• Clarkson brought along Mary Miller, who he'd met at the Mercenary Guild. She was also looking to hire sell-swords to journey with her to southern Westland, and is joining the party's expedition.

• The party felt Clarkson was not being completely honest with them, and went to the palace to check the list of bounties. They found that Clarkson had out-dated posters, and that the rewards for Black Bart and Big Ed were now 600 and 400 gold, respectively.
• Leanna stopped by the Westport Academy to visit with one of her old arcane instructors, Professor Bradock [Sorry, I forgot what she discussed with him.].
• Other party members visited the Mortar & Pestle apothecary, hoping to purchase healing potions. However, they found that the proprietor, Marcus Dendrar, was charging about twice the expected price for his wares.
• The following morning, the party headed out, following the coast road south as it meandered about inlets, marshes, etc. Clarkson was riding a horse, and had a pack mule loaded with provisions and tent for himself. The journey was uneventful until they neared Pierside, where they met a patrol of about a dozen Wallacian soldiers marching north.
• The officer in charge asked the party's business, and (since the players decided to let the NPC speak) Constable Clarkson replied they were a posse in search of two Haskill mageborn criminals. The two leading soldiers appeared to recognize the name "Haskill". The two groups then parted, with the party continuing south and the soldiers marching north.
• A short time later, four of the soldiers reappeared jogging south along the road. As they passed, they explained that they were couriers, passing a letter back to Pierside.
• Worried that the letter might be a warning to any Haskills in the village, the party resolved to beat the couriers to the settlement. Relying on Etu's knowledge of the plains and swamps along the coast, the party cut a direct route cross-county, while the couriers followed the longer route along the winding road.
• Arriving in Pierside before the couriers, the party spotted one small ship tied to the pier. Some of the party went to the only tavern, the Rum Locker. There one of the party recognized "Big Ed" Haskill drinking at the bar. Constable Clarkson, tired and thirsty from the cross-country dash, took a position next to Big Ed at the bar and began drinking a cold mug of ale.
• While the party gathered around the tavern and made their plans, Constable Clarkson finished his mug, and finally noticed the man next to him for the first time. Recognizing Big Ed, Clarkson pulled out his badge of office and pronounced that Big Ed was under arrest! Big Ed resisted, and battle was joined!
• Several of the other patrons in the tavern revealed themselves to be allies of Big Ed, and most of them displayed mageborn powers. Mary's interest was drawn to one of their opponents, and she called out for her comrades to kill the woman she pointed to. Mary then quickly changed her mind, and called for her comrades to capture her instead.
• It was a chaotic battle in the confines of the small tavern, but once Big Ed was subdued and manacled, and attempts to rescue him had failed, the surviving Haskills tried to escape. However, the party was able to kill or capture all of them.
• We will pick up next session just after the battle has ended.

Quests Started

• Bounty for "Black Bart" Haskill
• Bounty for "Big Ed" Haskill