Monster Blood Tattoo: The Peltryman's Behest 8

(Note, the Era of Covid-19 put a crimp in my gaming group meetings.  Fortunately, after a short hiatus, we were able to reconvene virtually using the Discord app.  Although currently away from my regular residence, I was able to bring some of my scenery with me and so I hope to continue with these picture reports of our game sessions.)

The Wight, also known as Wightbury: Imperial designation of the Imperial fortress-city of Wightfastseigh, built to collect tolls on goods coming down from Sulk and eastern Catalain and the Undermeer states. It is ... the pivot between two themes of the Placidine and the Paucitine.... Yet despite its size and impressive fortifications, it has no direct jurisdiction over the Wormway or in political affairs in the Idlewild (though citizens of influence might have their say). Indeed the cothouses in the Wight are no larger than those along the lonely road; this city is all about taxation revenue and the protection of its collection and the trade route that most supplies it. The citizens of the Wight themselves are generally very concerned with the latest fashions, importing all the new fads and baubles they can from down south—where all the best people dwell. - Factotum

The Wight

10 Calor 1602 HIR

The party was traveling the Conduit Vermis to reach the Ichomeer where they believe that the body of Albany Reeves, step-daughter of their late friend peltryman Valentine Portent, is being used in experimentation by a black habilist.

About midway down the road, they had come upon The Wight, a seemingly friendly bastion in the chaotic circumstances along the Wormway following the fall of Winstermill.  Instead, they found themselves prisoners.

The day following their imprisonment, a long-lost friend, the sabrine adept Ser Firenze Ottimo arrived at the fortified town. He had heard of the imperial bounties being offered for the killing of monsters in the disturbed state along the Conduit Vermis and chose to join the hunt.  After several days endeavor and needing a respite, he came upon The Wight.

Ottimo was lured into the same sense of security by the fair words of the congenial Lady of the Wight, Tatty Swiggersby, a former enrica d'arma of one of the town's inns who had taken power when the quality fled the town.  Soon Ottimo found himself growing drowsy.

He awoke to find himself a prisoner but in the company of his former comrades of the Azure Aurangs who he had not seen in some seven years.  As well, several other individuals were present, including a pair of teratologists, Badger Barkful and Tanga Skamlindar, who explained Lady Tatty's scheme.  Not trusting the mercenary nature of most teratologists, she developed the plan of holding some of the captured monster-hunters as hostages while the others were to be used to defend the town. 

Their prison was the upper story of the former inn belonging to Lady Tatty.  The main floor was used a sort of treasure trove for important supplies and equipment while the upper floor was a make-shift prison.  The Lady did not trust the more regular establishments of the town for these scarce resources. 

All agreed on the need to escape.Being an accomplished lock-scarf as well as a grave robber, Osa managed to free himself and then Alhambra and Lorent from their shackles.  While the others distracted the two guards who were present in the room, Lorent began working to remove the ingenious wire cage placed upon the fulgar Tanga that prevented her from using her eclatics.  (Similarly, a strange metal crown was used to stiffle the wits' powers.) The two guards finally noticed and moved to stop the pair.

Freed now, Tanga sent an arcing blast through the first guard while the normally retiring dispenserist Lorent grapppled the other...

... flung the guard to his death.

Badger Barkful thrust his head out onto the adjoining balcony, wildly brandishing a musket taken from the dispatched guards, before retreating back into the room.  The three guards stationed there quickly rushed to follow the blind wit.

The guards were set upon by the party who had now all freed themselves.  One guard had his neck wrung by Lord Danny, while another fell to Sister Angella's arcing.  The third was grappled by Lorent who hoped to match his prior success.

As Lorent attempted to thrust the guard out of the window, the guard held tight and both plummeted out the window.  Landing upon the unfortunate guard, who was killed, Lorent, despite being severally injured in the fall, survived. Lorent then used the dead guard's body to batter his way through the crumbling wall of the old inn.  Above, however, the alarm had been raised and the town was in tumult.

Fransalir rushed down the stairs to the storage room below.  Seeing the pens filled with precious animals attended by a single stable hand, Frensalir moved to subdue him.  The stable-hand, a vigorous young man called, as Badger later recalled, Dennis, thrust his pitch fork heartily into the approaching skold, nearly killing him. Soon, however, Angella and Ottimo came to Fransalir's aid.  Ottimo's ancient therimoir easily dispatched the heroic but unfortunate Dennis.

The party found their equipage stored in a nearby cabinet as well as the two-horse carriage in which Badger and Tanga had arrived a few days earlier.  As a mob of soldiers and militia pounded at the doors, they hastily hitched the horses to the carriage, rearmed themselves, and crowded aboard the vehicle.  As the doors to the make-shift stable were being battered in, Fransalir threw a handful of concussives at it.  The door burst out onto the mob and Accural spurred the carriage forward. Alhambra lept onto the traces and began slashing at the soldiers who were trying to seize the horses.

With Sister Angella and Ottimo joining Alhambra outside the carriage, great carnage was wrought by their flashing blades and arcing fulgaris.  Lord Danny brought down several officers with his deadly musket shots while the two skolds flung loomblaze into the attackers.  The carriage made progress towards the town gate.

Seeing Lady Tatty screaming orders to her faltering minions, Lord Danny drew careful aim and the shot spun her elaborate red wig completely around her head.  Although this only enraged the Lady, it further disheartened her troops and the carriage reached the gate unmolested.

Accural, not being a trained driver, still managed to maneuver the carriage around the large ox cart that was used as a gate.  Sentries in the houses nearby fired ineffectually at the careening carriage.

Lord Danny used his witting skill to drive the ox recklessly through the small arch that constituted the town gate, causing the cart to tumble and block the entrance.  Lorent and Frensalir soon caught it on fire with their flung potives. 

 The speeding carriage soon made it to the high road of the Conduit Vermis, pursuit from the town having been foiled by the fiery blockage of the gate.

So the party, reunited friends and new acquaintences set off on the final leg of their journey down the Wormway to the Ichomeer and the fate of body of Albany Reeves.