LogTorments of the Righteous-Jason-29

Game log for the 2019/11/17 session of AW: Torments of the Righteous, as taken by Jason

The expedition to Nachtburg is on the road to Hoddard's Rock, and it's being overtaken from behind by some other party. The party behind us is mounted on horses, to judge from the sound, and that's enough to make Hike call for a halt. As they wait for the cav, Archimandrite Tamiloff asks Hike what she thinks their play is, and she suggests that it's time for Abbot Matthias to do the talking. The mounted party turns out to be from Schwarzhoele, and includes Lord Marcus Entwiss and Captain Schmitto. Entwiss is upset that the group bypassed the city, in contravention of town rules, and wants them all to go back to town to deal with the matter. Hike cheerfully informs him that no such thing will happen. Entwiss insinuates that Hike would never knowingly break the law, but she parries that she's obeying the higher law, in the form of the Archbishop's express order. She gives Matthias the floor, but his explanation doesn't matter to Entwiss, who doesn't defer to the Archbishop.

Hike takes stock of the situation and figures that Schmitto is the weak link. Unlike the Lord, the Captain understands how badly this could go for him, and how quickly. She quietly asks him what's really going on here. Schmitto explains that Lord Eisenbach is the feudal lord of the region and expects control of the whole region. She responds that those are just Flaubert's words coming out of Eisenbach's mouth. Schmitto admits the truth of that charge, but doesn't think it changes his obligations. Hike argues that the miracle is something the Church has to deal with right away, and she doesn't have time for all this politicking. Schmitto agrees, and casually mentions that Flaubert sent men to investigate two days ago. Meanwhile, the argument between Matthias and Entwiss gets heated, since neither will defer to the other.

Hike sighs and turns to Entwiss. She acknowledges the legitimacy of Entwiss' authority, but states plainly that she she will not defer to an secular authority against the wishes of the Archbishop. Entwiss orders Schmitto to seize them. Schmitto doesn't really want to try to seize a Torchbearer force twice his numbers, but his men ready weapons. Hike tries to bluff him into backing down- bluffing because in her long game, she wants the military on her side two take down Eisenbach. Inga steps up with her hand on her knife, to help show the townies that they face a large, angry, armed, united force, and he'll die first. Entwiss is so taken aback that his horse retreats. He promises that he'll bear word of this to Lord Eisenbach. Before the group departs, Champion asks whether there's been any development in the investigation into the death of Brother Silas, and while Entwiss says, "Who?", Schmitto says that the investigation points to Inga. The Schwarzhoelers go back to town.

The caravan makes it to Hoddard's Rock, rests for a watch, and carries on. Halfway between the Rock and the Hangman's Tree, they overtake some travellers, headed in the same direction. Many of them are from Hollewald, including Klaus, Inman, and Tannheuser the apothecary. They're all headed to Nachtburg, and they didn't know the town had been excommunicated. The pilgrims think they are saved. The Torchbearers think they are taxed. In particular, Hike gets Tennheuser to heal up those who need it.

A day later, they get to the Hangman's Tree, and they hear torches again. Hike orders the force off the road. She orders the ring of torches lit that facilitate camping there. The horsemen turn out to be two armed men and a heavily cloaked figure, who turns out to be Lady Cordelia Entwiss, who is incredibly pleased to be with Egon again. The Duchess starts sobbing again about how she can't see the bright place, but Cordelia promises her that they're all going to the bright place together. Egon will deliver them salvation! Egon confirms to Hike that she and her bodyguards will be joining the party, and that she has nothing to tithe with. Under her cloak, she's wearing homespun pilgrim clothes. Cordelia does allow Egon to put Emmaline Kunstler on horseback. While they're camped, yet another group of travellers come through and get taxed.

While camped, Champion asks Inga whether she had anything to do with Brother Silas' death. She honestly did not. Sadly, she tries so hard to convince him that he ends up thinking she must be hiding something.

Despite Hike's best efforts to warn people to stay real close and never fall behind, things go bad on the next leg, and the screaming starts. Hike decides to stage a rescue, including Champion in her team, and Carl gives the Damerrung's sword back. Tamiloff packs the rest of the caravan into a dense mass so his Torchbearers can create a perimeter.

When the rescue party arrives, a woman is clinging to a tree with one arm and her child with another, as something with wings tries to fly away with it. Hike aims her crossbow and looses a bolt, which hits the woman in the back of the head. Mission failed. People are shocked but Hike isn't losing any sleep over it. Through a vigorous forced march, the group arrives in Nachtburg that night. It's utterly deserted, with only a few bodies around, and it's incredibly creepy. The well-light is bright here, though of course there are some weird shadows, and the people start to chatter. They're not happy. Enoch Baumgartner, whose wife was just shot and child taken by demons, feels especially ill-used by the Torchbearers who took his money and killed his wife. Inman points out that it's no different from losing the lottery, really. Inga can tell this has the potential to flare up into a riot. Egon call tell that for some of the unhappy pilgrims, Enoch has more authority than Hike does. He goes before them and speaks the truth to them, and unites them behind the Torchbearers, tells them to celebrate making it to Nachtburg, and then sends them quietly back to their lives.

This thwarts Hike's notion to go right to the well. They'll have to camp. Hike gets her group to ring the stone barn with torches. One of the Torchbearers shares some whiskey around, and that also improves relations with the pilgrims a lot. Hike doesn't drink, though. When Egon asks her about it, she admits that she's disturbed about accidentally shooting that woman. Egon tries to assure her that she did her best, but Nachtburg taught Hike that intent doesn't matter. The two of them agree that what matters now is getting people to the well.

The Champion starts making the rounds of the torches, and has a heart-to-heartwith Hike about whether he can be counted on in the future. He confesses to having a demon in him, and explains this was done deliberately to try to turn the demons' strength against them. Hike seems willing to give him a try. They spy movement out in the dark, which causes Champion to keep an extra watch on it.

After people are rested, it takes about a day to get to the well, with the light getting brighter and brighter all the time. As they come closer, they come across some sort of very large X-shape, which turn out to be house beams joined together. Two men are tied to them, and both had their throats slit. Tamiloff worries about what they're walking into. Hike warns him about the things Barbarossa did there. Egon recognizes one of the dead men as one of Deacon Flaubert's men, and tells Hike so. Hike and Tamiloff talk openly about the fact that the survivors will be hardened fanatics, and they may need to kill everyone here. Egon overhears and goes to ask Matthias to try to chill those two out a bit.

As they approach, they see that people have been busy here. They've built a village here. People come out to great them, including Thaddius Margner, who comes out and invites them all to douse their unneeded torches.