Cousin Talin, Ja'Tubis, Zapi, MartÃn le Noir, Robert Hazart, Richard Loubeau, Till (nee Werner) Riemenschneider and (briefly) Hop Frog Berbatov played in a session run by the infamous Quendalon on 27 January, 2011. Hanna was recuperating in the hold of a boat.
Summary
After some provisioning in Glantri, the Crossed Swords hire an ethically challenged riverboat captain to barge them South, toward Darokin and ultimately the open sea. Along the way this cur, this churl, this wicked buffoon, this low man who does not know the doom he has brought on himself… Hoak… betrayed the party to the captain of a Darokinese garrison. They thought to ransom Robert Hazart, and trapped the Company on their barge with some two dozen footmen.
The party could not see to giving up one of their faithful sons, but could not get the Darokinese to vacate the barge. With Hanna broken and bandaged downstairs, a miniaturized Martin, and unproven new members Zapi, Ja' Tubis, Cousin Talin, and Riemenschneider forming a soft part of their ranks, a battle would not go their way.
Richard Loubeau sought to insert himself as the Hazartian noble, seeking to use his trick 'believable lie' spell - but the tense soldiers did not permit for casting. He was cut off from the party, and perhaps doomed, but the unleashing of phantasmal spells, mocking the agony of lighting, and fire, knocked out a full half of the invading force.
Richard nearly escaped, with the use of a Grease spell on a gang-plank, but the party was unable to assist. The thief-dabbler was taken to the fortress jail.
Much frenetic discussion and wringing of hands. The Company comandeered the boat from the wayward captain and came up with a solution: honesty, of a sort. Riemenschneider volunteered to take the single wounded soldier to the fort, with the news that the soldiers thought to be killed by violent arcania were in fact hale and healthy, if tied up. Could they engineer a swap? Robert Hazart - the true low ranking noble - would engage his artifact Cube to turn invisible and follow the Teutonic newcomer.
Lord Borek was amused by the approach. Unkown at that time, the pudgy dwarf Hop-Frog was also en-manacled within the gates; once a member of the Darokinese forces, if only as a field medic, he had been recaptured while sniffing out ways to help the travelling Company. Roughed-up and battered, he was nonetheless able to acknowledge that Richard Loubeau was not a noble in any sense of the word.
Riemenschneider, with Robert tapping hints at his back, offered 1,000gp and the return of the Lord's men, inechange for Richard - plus his belongings.
The exchange happened the next day… minus Richard's lightly magicked leather armor and, almost, his splendid magical hunting cap. Riemenschneider, more noble (in his heart) than anyone involved, roared with displeasure when Borek's perfidity was discovered. His charismatic uproar softened the beast's resolve long enough to return the hat, and the party was returned to the boat - Cousin Talin, who had followed the proceedings in stealth, returned as well.
In the midst of this, Captain Hoek was discovered to have gone missing. Surely his family or business partners would desire revenge for a mutinee'd boat; but now he was abroad as well.
Losses and Loot
No deaths! Losses were limited to Richard Loubeau's money, armor, ransom, and dignity. For enemies bested, the mighty sum of 266xp.
