Deranis

Session 5

Deranis

The orc head stopped rolling, its hideous face permanently stuck in an expression of fear and horror, its tongue sticking out. Slowly Ahmok (whose blade had just sent the orc’s head flying from its shoulders) and the rest of our group lower their swords and survey the battle scene. A remaining 2 Scorchers quickly leg it away from the bloodbath.

After cleaning up our wounds a bit and collecting the spoils of the battle (some basic orc gear and 90 or so silvers) we arranged with our captain to let us keep the orcs’ horses even though space on the Ugly Duck was already limited. The horses should get us a good coin or two. We tied up the two remaining unconscious orcs, one of them clearly the leader.

Following the battle were an uneventful couple of days and nights, in which we healed our injuries, cleaned up our gear and engaged in some personal training (I even dedicated some time on my read and write magic skills, so much has happened in the last few months that I had totally neglected my arcane studies). I even tried my luck in wheedling out some info from the orcs and only managed to get the leader’s name – Bashraka.

Dawn of the 25^th saw us on the ship’s bridge looking at a much more happening part of the river. Now a lot wider, the river had more barges and small ships plying their trade, as well as quite a number of T’Skrang fishermen. Pretty soon the outline of the docks of the outpost-city Deranis was in sight. We bid farewell to the fellow travelers of the Ugly Duck, especially to some fellow named Doriam who had taken quite a liking in our adventurous spirit and passed to us some trinkets he had hand made.

As expected from an outpost town, Deranis was one confusing mesh of settlers and traders and tradesman, merchants and porters, of every race. Everyone was buying, selling and trading, while a constant flux of new settlers sorted out their packs, another group would leave the city on their next leg of the journey. Compared to the quiet days idling on the Ugly Duck, this was quite overwhelming. We also got news from the Ugly Duck captain that he is hanging his captain’s boots and selling off the ship, maybe return to adventuring. I am sure our paths shall meet again. Also at the docks was a large T’Skrang vessel, the famous Andante, boarded on which where its even more famous adventurers, Adagio the renowned Elementalist and Captain Triel-Fin the Swordmaster.

Our stay in Deranis was meant to be a short stop while Omaron sells some goods, the money essential for his next purchase in another city. Things did not turn out that way at all.

I ended up on cargo guard duty at the docks, while Ahmok and Elessar went to ransom the orcs at the constabulary and get the bounty for the orc ears, The ransom money was quite paltry considering the risk involved and that this same orc group had already wrecked and attacked other barges upstream. Omaron was having an even worse day, as he got the bad end of vicious rumors being spread by some unknown miscreant. These totally unfounded rumors; of him being a pirate fence, or Theran sympathizer and worse made the Deranis merchants (a gullible lot let me tell you) avoid Omaron like the Red Plague. In short we where stuck. Without the money, we were at the end of the line and an increasingly frustrated Omaron asked for our help to get him out of this situation.

After a lot of asking around, bribery and threats we finally found the root of the rumor, a disrespectful inn by the name ‘White Hand’ where a human Troubadour was plying his trade with song and lyre, spreading the rumors on Omaron. From what Elessar told me afterwards, himself, Ivor and Zaphon found out the direction in which the Troubadour had fled, doubtlessly satisfied with his job and not wanting to be around when Omaron finds out. They quickly pursued him and after a long hard ride made it to a non-descript inn at a toll bridge outpost. There they cornered the bard and since he was not listening to friendly advice, he soon received painful advice from Elessar as he was making another hasty retreat. Now with the Troubadour securely bound, the trio made it back to the city. The bard confessed he was paid to spread the rumor, but did not disclose by whom (except that it was an old dwarf) or where.

Once at the city things did not go well though, the city guards obviously inquired about the harsh treatment, and the bard’s quick tongue and Ivor’s uncouth manners quickly meant that the Troubadour was out of it scot-free while Ivor had to cool off the night behind bars. Doubtlessly this will be the first night of many in lock-up for our rowdy Weaponsmith.

The situation unresolved, Ahmok and myself went again on the hunt for the minstrel, before he leaves town again. Cornering him at ‘The Inn at The End of the Road’ we conned him into drinking a bit more than he should have, and pretty quickly was dozing in bed in a room above the Inn. Quickly we sent word for Omaron to come interrogate the source of all the hassle. Next morning, Glanson (the Troubadour’s name) woke up with Omaron and Gehebu and a few of our group around his bed. We left Omaron to deal with the situation. After some time Omaron was just as unsuccessful at getting out the name of the old dwarf who paid Glanson to start the rumor and reluctantly he let the bard go.

Stuck once again, we finally opted to start our own rumor to discredit Glanson and after a whole day running around in inns, our Troubadour Ajisha was starting to get some results. That evening Omaron finally managed to sell his goods, and we pocketed the silvers from the loot and the horses. I am quite glad we will soon be out of this town.

Jarl!!