Home sweet Home

After the battle Vestorius and Tiagra set about recovering the bodies and the boats from the lake. After a couple of hours they have stored two of the boats in the undergrowth nearby the monastery’s dock and couple a little further away in a small inlet up the coast a little way. Next, they set about inventorying the assailants’ equipment. They recover several sets of serviceable leather armour, six long sword, two broad swords, a couple of longbows and quivers of arrows and an assortment of daggers throwing and stabbing. Tiagra takes a mail shirt from the spearman. More worrying is the currency that the assailants possess. Although they do not have much what they have is remarkably similar to that which the party earned from the procurer Rayaki for their work at Quassia’s mill. This leads to some discussion as to who might have commissioned Rayaki to assemble the assailants. Given that their attack was tactically inept the party do not succumb to undue worry, however, they decide to spend some time and effort in fortifying the monastery.

The group split and Vestorius and Tiagra go to the village close by to see about a smith. Meanwhile, Pidmerion and Crannoch set about closing window apertures to arrow slits to prevent another invasion. Vestorius and Tiagra engage Belzon the local smith to put some banding around the gates and to start work on a portcullis to fit inside a housing that Pidmerion will fashion using his growing skill at shaping rock. Additionally, Vestorius engages a housekeeper and some locals to do some remedial work on the orchards as he intends to restart the production of the apple liquor.

The party settle into work on their new home and over the coming days Pidmerion secures the roof space weather proofing it and making it virtually impossible to remove tiles to gain access the way they did. Vetorius sets up the distilling process with the help of manuscripts found in the monastery. Tiagra sets about surveying the monastery intending to see if there are any more hidden rooms or anomalies between the internal and external dimensions.

Crannoch

During his researches in the library Vestorius comes across a regimen for improving health and strength which he sets about implementing for the party. Tiagra begins investigating plant and poison lore. At the end of the second week Tiagra has learnt enough to attempt a blade venom which he achieves with a potency of 37. Both Crannoch and Pidmerion notice an improvement in their strength.

At the beginning of the third week Pidmerion receives a strange dream demanding he ‘return what he has stolen.’ This causes some concern to the party. Later that day Crannoch is by himself lifting weight and practicing his spear technique when, quite suddenly, a figure emerges from thin air and brandishing a two handed spear charges the mercenary. The attack is fast, accurate and deadly, Crannoch misses his parry and the spear crashes through his helmet knocking him unconscious in one blow.

The party gather round and take Crannoch’s unconscious form back to the library where they feel more secure. Vestorius tends to the grave head wound and revives the mercenary who will be left with a nasty scar over his right eye. The party are on their guard as Crannoch explains about his assailant’s appearance. Just as he is middle of his explanation the air ripples and there is quiet popping sound as the assailant appears again. The man is tall, wearing flowing robes and wields his two handed spear with a confident mastery, the deadly end twirling in the light. The party know that to take on such superior numbers this man must be either an expert or an idiot. Once again he charges but this time his attack is deflected by some desperate defending from Pidmerion. Both Vestorius and Pidmerion pour power into their rapiers and they burn and crackle with magical fire. Blows and parries are exchanged with the assailant taking minor wounds to the right leg and chest. The party are concerned that their attacks are not effective as their damage does not equate to the wounds inflicted. Of more concern is the fact the assailant makes a gesture and intones some incantation and disappears. Pidmerion reacts by trying to create a mist to discover the shape unfortunately this fails and he changes tack to create dust from the roof space to settle on the man. As he reappears for another charge Tiagra is ready and swings his two handed axe with devastating skill and accuracy. The resultant blow is catastrophic for the assailant who stares in disbelief as his right arm is severed from just above the elbow in a fountain of blood. In shock he drops his weapon, clutches his wound and looks for an escape. Once again, there is the popping sound and the assailant disappears. This time the party are sure that he has fled the building. They look at the arm which has a leather bracer on the forearm and sapphire ring on the index finger.