WFRP Chapter 101: Take Me Home, Country Roads

Summary: Travelling to Averheim.

Chapter 101 ~ The Path less travelled.

With 

Having survived the night in the abandoned crypt we resumed our journey east to Hurlach.  We spent the night at a farm where Tayy paid for us to sleep in a barn by cooking a wonderful meal for a farmer and his family.  They enjoyed it so much he was invited to come back another time!

On the following day Tayy got lucky at the shops and was able to replace most of his armour in Hurlach.  We also visited the local wizard Tokamak.  He told us the grimoires we had were evil and should be burnt or buried.  He was impressed to meet Countess Hayley and she offered him a job as court wizard once she reached her estates.  He was a worshipper of Verena and had left Nuln after it became dedicated to Sigmar.  He told Hayley to send for him once she was established at her estates.  As we were leaving Gwyn popped back and made a private transaction to get his ring recharged.

We went into the woods to burn the books but got concerned in case that caused some foul magical curse.  Instead we dug a deep hole (good job Tayy has a spade) and buried them.

Then began our long journey.  We headed north to Pforzen through the forest to avoid anyone looking for us.  We managed to sneak around a score of Goblins trying to ambush us.  The town was very busy and a pick pocket almost stole Tayy's bag of holding!  Then we went east to Staig, took a ferry south to Agheiten.  Tayy managed to replace the last of his armour and sell a few items to help bolster the dwindling party coffers on this leg of the journey.

At Agheiten we found a group of merchants taking brandy north to Streissen.  A perfect four day journey to get us to Averheim.  Our plan was then to travel west to Nuln avoiding the agents of Hayley's uncle who were looking for to to be coming from the south.

The merchants were convinced the goblin bandits had all been wiped out and have very few guards with them.  This proved unforunate as on the third night, while camping on the old dwarf road, we were attacked.  A dozen goblins including a wizard and champion came charging out of the night.

The merchants put up little resistance and quickly fell to the goblins blades.  The champions magic sword almost cleaved through Tayy's skull and he was left dazed.  Staggering on the spot only able to parry the incoming blows.  His magic ring kept him alive but he knew he could not last long.  Having recovered he jumped away from combat avoiding the attack of opportunity the Goblin champion got and tossed a bolas entangling the champion whom Gwyn was then able to stab and kill.  Tayy then ran in and used his now formidable skills with a blade to slay the other goblins attacking his friend.

Meanwhile Hayley had quickly dispatched a couple of Goblins and engaged the wizard in melee.  He used a spell of iron fists turning his punches into sledgehammer blows!  After a couple of these the unarmoured woman collapsed to the ground feigning death.  Seeing most of his friends dead the Wizard turned and fled.  Hayley leapt back up to her feet and shot him in the back with her last magical sleep arrow.  This put him to sleep permanently as it killed him.

Hayley got the magical leather armour [+3 everywhere] the goblin leader had owned.  From the merchants we got a few coins and a pair of carts and horses.  Fortunately Gwyn could drive a cart so we loaded up one of them with as much of the brandy as we could and heading north.

Reaching Averheim we sold our cargo of brandy for about half its worth and got a room at the local inn to consider our next move.  Would we continue to Nuln or just abandon the plan and head further east to Ryazan?

Image Credits -
Art from velinov.