Night settled over the narrow streets of Weisbruck, lantern-light flickering across the muck-strewn cobbles. Beneath the hush of the moonless sky, the companions—already weary from their recent trials—trod with grim purpose toward a lonely farmstead on the outskirts of town. Somewhere in the darkness, an herbalist named Elvyra lay captive, and her daughter’s frantic warning had spurred the group into action. They hardly spoke as they left the dim glow of the final street lamp behind. The only sound was the crunch of their boots over neglected roads and the rustling of reeds near the canal.

They found the abandoned farm overshadowed by a barn painted red, its paint bleached by age. An unsettling stillness took hold of the place. Rusted tools littered the ground, and a dilapidated farmhouse hunched nearby, shutters long since torn away. A subtle flicker of light pried through the barn’s battered timbers—someone was inside. Their breath drew shallow and quiet as they approached. Yet not all among them were deft on their feet. One misstep against an old wooden crate shattered the hush, and a startled shout sounded from within the barn.

Steel hissed as weapons were drawn. The barn door creaked open, revealing a heavyset figure haloed by the glow of a tarnished lantern. Already on edge, one of the companions loosed a bolt from her crossbow. It struck home, burying itself into the man’s side with a wet thud. He staggered backward, wide-eyed, babbling pleas into the night air. It was an inelegant opening, but the band of rescuers seized the moment.

As the wounded figure collapsed, more voices erupted from the barn’s loft. A pistol cracked in a burst of gunpowder and smoke, the shot splintering a wooden support beam. Another pistol fired immediately after, the deafening retort echoing across the empty fields. Their marks were wide; the shooters, perched precariously on the loft stairs, realized too late that they faced skilled adversaries who advanced without fear.

Despite her pounding heart, one of the companions barreled headlong through the open barn door, narrowly dodging the lingering smoke. She caught sight of a man clutching his still-smoldering pistol from a half-raised stairwell. Without waiting for him to reload, she struck. The blow knocked him from the steps and sent him careening onto a pitchfork below. He landed with a grotesque crunch, pinned in brutal stillness. The sight of his twisted body and the smell of burnt powder clung to the air like a warning.

From the loft, a woman with a second pistol aimed, her knuckles white against the weapon’s polished handle. But the intruders closed in. Another arrow zipped overhead, carving a shallow groove across her shoulder. Realizing how quickly the tables had turned, she raised trembling hands and tossed her firearm aside, her voice quivering as she offered no further resistance. Soon after, she led them up the creaking stairs, urging them not to shoot.

At the top of the loft, bound to a chair, was Elvyra—hands and feet lashed, a gag biting into her mouth. Fury stirred in every rescuer’s eyes as they saw what the kidnappers had done. The ragged ropes left angry welts on Elvyra’s wrists. All around her lay piles of mildewed hay and tumbled crates, as though this cruel imprisonment had uprooted what little order remained in the abandoned barn. Freed at last, Elvyra struggled to stand on shaky legs, her dark hair plastered to her brow with sweat. Though her words came in breathy gasps, gratitude shone in her eyes.

Below them, the wounded kidnapper who had tumbled from the loft moaned softly until one of the companions, bent on ensuring no more harm came from him, placed a firm boot on the ground nearby. He looked up in terror, recognized defeat, and made no further move against them. Meanwhile, the heavyset man who had taken a crossbow quarrel was scarcely clinging to life. Another kidnapper had fled into the fields, dropping his pistol and coin purse before vanishing beneath the night sky.

When the interrogation began, the sole conscious captive admitted they had been hired by a faceless patron in Altdorf, someone with powerful connections who wanted Elvyra dragged back to the capital by force. Staring at the battered remains of her allies, the captive’s arrogance faltered, and the coin purse changed hands with little resistance. She knew that if she tried to deny the truth, a swifter fate likely awaited.

Though shaken, Elvyra confirmed it was not merely her skill but also her stock of rare herbs that these thugs sought. She spoke of powerful concoctions that rumored patrons in Altdorf were desperate to obtain. Her eyes flicked away at any mention of names; clearly, she feared lurking forces beyond the reach of this grim barn. Regardless, her rescuers pressed her no more. It was enough to know she was safe.

Their work wasn’t finished. Under the weight of certain moral codes, they set about burying the dead kidnappers. No marker or ceremony, just shallow graves by the barn’s edge—work done quietly beneath the wan glow of flickering lanterns. The air felt heavy and cold, smelling of churned earth and coppery blood, a testament to how swiftly violence had come and gone. One among them couldn’t shake the conviction that something unearthly still prowled those fields. A keening she swore she heard earlier itched at the back of her mind. Yet no creature—demonic or otherwise—rose to confront them. The only watchers were the stars.

With Elvyra able to walk, they prepared for the long night’s return to Weisbruck. Fatigue set in, but a quiet sense of accomplishment buoyed them onward. Midnight shadows engulfed the roads, and the canal beside them whispered softly of secrets carried away by the current. In hushed conversation, they questioned what new evil might yet surface in Altdorf if someone with wealth and nerve could order such a brazen kidnapping. Elvyra, they decided, would not be left alone until she was reunited with her daughter.

At last, flickers of distant lamplight revealed the familiar silhouette of Weisbruck. While others in town slumbered soundly, the battered band arrived at the docks. The old riverboat welcomed Elvyra with the promise of safety. Her reunion with her child came in breathless relief, tears overshadowed only by the resolve in her gaze. Though her life had been threatened, she now stood amid those who had risked blood and steel to save her.

In the silence that followed, no one pretended the danger was truly past. Ghosts of their grim encounter lay beneath the dirt near that red barn. The kidnappers might have been driven off, but they served a greater power—one that still lurked in Altdorf’s shadows. Despite this dark truth, at least for the moment, they had snatched Elvyra from a cruel fate. The companions exchanged knowing looks, exhausted but resolute. If the echo of distant threats lingered, so too did the bond forged in violence. Their road stretched onward, uncertain and laden with peril, yet fiercely lit by the knowledge they stood together against whatever new horrors lurked in the night.

Session Notes

  • Prelude and Recap:

    • The session begins with Luke summarizing recent events. The group has been in the city of Weisbruck, deciding whether to engage in river trading.
    • Josef (the boatman) helped them learn about trading routes, and the party stayed at the Happy Man Inn.
    • A peddler tried to scam them with a suspicious bell, but Thindruk saw through the trick and punched the scammer. Felrick managed to grab the bell afterward.
    • Josef received alarming news about his friend Elvyra the herbalist: her home was ransacked, and she disappeared.
    • The group investigated Elvyra’s cottage, found it in disarray, and discovered her child, Lyra, hiding in the cellar. Lyra had barricaded herself in out of fear. She mentioned strange men arguing with Elvyra, returning later to break in and kidnap her.

  • Resuming at Elvyra’s Cottage:

    • The session picks up with the party still in the house, contemplating their next move.
    • Josef explains he has known Elvyra for several years, sharing drinks and friendship, but no deeper secrets.
    • The party questions Lyra, who saw men in the house earlier, one wearing a poofy hat with a feather. She confirms all appeared human and wore typical Reikland fashion.
    • Lyra describes that there was a loud argument and then a violent struggle. She didn’t get a clear look because she was shut in the cellar.

  • Plan to Investigate at the Happy Man Inn:

    • The group decides to return to the Happy Man Inn and question regulars to find clues.
    • Josef offers to look after Lyra on his boat, taking her away from the cottage. She agrees, and the party heads to the inn without her.

  • Gathering Rumors at the Happy Man Inn:

    • Wanda buys drinks and uses her connections to gather rumors. She confirms that four men (likely from Altdorf based on accent and dress) were poking around, asking after Elvyra.
    • The men kept to themselves, spent only a couple of nights in town, and left abruptly. Some locals assumed they wanted to collect debts from Elvyra.
    • The innkeeper mentions these strangers originally said they were “waiting on a friend’s boat,” possibly named “Bernger,” but they left earlier than expected.
    • The party sees a posted Imperial proclamation declaring it illegal to label anyone as a “mutant,” signed by Emperor Karl Franz. They note the official stance is suspicious and discuss it briefly.

  • Encounter with Old Otto:

    • Wanting more details, they track down Old Otto, a stevedore who works the docks and is known for seeing comings and goings.
    • Otto tries to flee the moment he spots them—he recalls having been threatened by the party in a prior episode.
    • Wanda and Felrick corral him, paying for drinks to placate him. Otto shares what he knows: four men were seen last night pushing a wheelbarrow with a large trunk, heading out the northern edge of Weisbruck.

  • Heading to the Red Barn:

    • Otto points them to an old abandoned farm with a red barn near a canal.
    • The party leaves town in the evening, following the tracks. They see hints in the dirt that a small cart or wheelbarrow passed here recently.
    • They arrive at the run-down farmhouse and the large red barn. From a distance, they notice a faint light in the barn’s loft.

  • Stealth Attempts and Wanda’s Alarm:

    • Several party members try to sneak close, but Wanda accidentally smashes her sword against debris, believing there might be a hidden threat. This loud noise draws attention from inside the barn.
    • A heavyset man steps out with a lantern, demanding to know who is there.

  • Combat Erupts at the Barn Entrance:

    • Thindruk briefly holds back to let his allies shoot if they wish.
    • Wanda rushes forward, startled by her own concern about demons. She intimidates the guard by telling him there are demons outside. He becomes confused, shining his lantern about.
    • Nora dashes into the barn, spotting a second kidnapper in the loft armed with a flintlock pistol.
    • Thindruk closes in on the first man from behind and delivers a mighty blow with his knuckle dusters. The victim stumbles, badly wounded from the strike.
    • Qavitrae fires her crossbow at the guard outside, inflicting severe damage. The man collapses, screaming.
    • Inside, the flintlock-wielding kidnapper fires at Nora but misses; the shot splinters wood around her.
    • A second person with a pistol—a woman—appears on the loft stairs. She shoots at Felrick but fails to connect.
    • Another kidnapper tries a dramatic leap from the barn’s upper door to tackle Wanda outside, but he botches the attempt and crashes to the ground, winding himself.

  • Fighting Continues—Nora’s Powerful Strike:

    • Nora charges the man on the stairs with a takedown attempt, but he avoids her initial grapple. She then smashes him with her swagger stick, sending him tumbling backward.
    • Her blow is so forceful he careens into a pitchfork that was hanging near the stable wall, impaling himself and dying instantly.

  • Subduing Remaining Foes:

    • Qavitrae tries to choke out the prone man outside but fails, then attempts to punch him, but he curls up and avoids the hits.
    • Felrick aims his bow at the second loft figure, forcing her to surrender. She drops her pistol ammunition, pleading for her life.

  • Locating Elvyra in the Barn Loft:

    • The surrendered kidnapper leads them upstairs. They find Elvyra tied to a chair, gagged. She appears shaken but unharmed.
    • The kidnappers mention they were hired by an unknown party through an intermediary. They only know they were supposed to bring Elvyra back to Altdorf.
    • The surviving captors are permitted to leave. They vanish into the night, one of them clutching a grievous wound.

  • Looting and Burying the Dead:

    • The party gathers coin from the kidnappers and splits it among themselves. They also recover at least two flintlock pistols.
    • They discover one dead man wearing hidden brigandine armor. Wanda or someone else in the group retrieves it, though it has damage from combat.
    • Wanting to respect the Empire’s customs, they bury the fallen kidnappers in a shallow grave rather than leaving bodies to rot.

  • Return to Weisbruck with Elvyra:

    • Elvyra is relieved to hear her adopted daughter Lyra is safe. She warns the group that she has old, dangerous connections in Altdorf, which likely led to her kidnapping.
    • Elvyra thanks them but advises caution; she believes these powerful individuals may try again.
    • The group makes its way back to town in the late evening, intending to reunite Elvyra with Lyra and Josef. They end the session heading for the Barabelli, Josef’s boat.