Paths of the Damned, Pt. 1: Through the Drakwald

[Old Fezziwig]

Schiller nods and directs his men to look for the requested items in addition to general supplies. Meanwhile, Granny tends to the orphans, getting them fed and telling them a bedtime story.

When they return (just before most of the camp has gone to sleep), they talk to Schiller briefly, and then to the party — they were able to find a prayer book of Sigmar, a battered wooden shield, and one score arrows, which they distribute to Ottokar and Winifred as desired. After a quick meal of cold meat, they head off to bunk down or go on watch. Granny finishes the story, herds the children into the wagon, and the camp is quiet...

...after you've all been asleep for a while, a child's cry splits the silence. Soon the rest of the orphans have joined in, creating a veritable cacophany of wailing. Exhausted refugees curse the interruption of their sleep, shouting for Granny Moescher to calm the children. The only response is more crying.

 

[Wilphe]

Winifed slips out from under her horse and goes to investigate, <I'm not going to sleep until someone deals with this, so it might as well be me>

 

[Lot]

Ottokar rises to his feet quickly upon hearing the children's disturbance. His first instinct is annoyance. How come these people can't stay out of trouble? Why do they always need rescuing or guidance? Ottokar shakes of his impatience, realizing that these people are in terrible need and that he is blessed to be in a position to possibly aid them. Strapping his new shield in place, Ottokar heads to the source of the crying. His hammer is drawn. He sees Winifred on the way and nods to her.

"Here we go again, eh?"

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Winifred, Ottokar: The children are, as you might suspect, all awake, and Granny Moescher is nowhere to be seen. A nearby guard, presumably one that was supposed to be on watch duty, looks shameful and kind of bewildered, "She's slipped off, but I never saw her leave." He pauses before adding, sheepishly, that he "must have nodded off."

One of the children, a boy, rushes up to the two of you and starts babbling wildly. The child's in tears and damn near incomprehensible, but you're able to piece together something about a dream about a black raven in the wagon with the orphans.

 

[Wilphe]

Winifred clams the orphan, Shh! It was just a dream, that's all it was." That done she looks at the soldier, unwilling to berate him, "We have had a hard time and been through much, you cannot be blamed. Please send our compliments to Hans and ask him if he can pick up her spoor."

She looks at Ottokar, "Ravens, orphans and old women who go walking in the woods after dark. I'll go saddle my horse whilst Hans finds her trail. Sigmar only knows what trouble she might be in."

 

[Old Fezziwig]

The soldier nods at Winifred and scurries off. Meanwhile, another child, a bit older, says, just before you head off, "Granny Mo's been funny all day. Since we stopped to clear the broken carts. She cried -- I saw her! She said it was just dust, but I know it weren't true. She was crying about Fahndorf. She said it was soldiers that did the burnin' but it was Graf Sternhaur that had the bloody hands." He pauses. "She said lots of bad words. She said what's power for if you don't use it. She said that the bird told her it was the right thing to do. I heard her say it, and then she was all scary looking. Like when Captain Schiller chopped up that Beastman who killed Frau Becker."[sblock]Anyone have anything they want to do, or are y'all just heading off to follow the path?[/sblock]

 

[Lot]

Ottokar listens intently to the child, then falls in next to Winifred.

"I think we need to have a long talk with Granny when we find her this time.

He adjusts the strap of his new shield and starts following the trail.

 

[Insight]

Falandror joins the posse chasing down the errant granny. He keeps an eye out for greenskins hiding among the thrushes.

 

[Wilphe]

"Thank you child. Perhaps when we find her, her motives may be clearer. However, first we have to find her." Winifred saddles up and heads out.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

n/t