Search and Attempted Seizure

Nadya provided the adventurers with a hot meal and warm beds, bid them to stay put while she delivered her food shipment to the fortified storehouse on the other side of the village and made arrangements to better outfit them for their travels in Irrisen. When she returned soon after, Nadya brought a collection of winter clothing with her, urging the heroes to wear the more common peasant garb of Waldsby to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Since it was still afternoon Casia stated that the group wanted to explore the village.  Maybe there would be items for them to purchase from various vendors.

"Certainly.  I can go with you to introduce you to the townfolk.  You can be my relatives from Kizobran," Nadya suggested.

The party passed several houses as they headed back toward the town square. 

"What is that burned out house there on the left?" Jorgen inquired pointing at a burnt frame and crumbling foundation.

"That remain of the house of Waldsby's last headman, Tjorvar Leikovich. Three years ago, Tjorvar came under suspicion of being a member of the underground resistance group called the Heralds of Summer's Return. Nazhena Vasilliovna's response was quick and brutal-her guards burned down Tjorvar's house with his wife and child inside, and Tjorvar himself was hung from the town hall's clock tower until he died of exposure and the ravens picked his bones clean. Since then, Waldsby has been without a leader," Nadya related sadly as she made a sign toward the ruins.

"What was that gesture you just made?" Santrel asked.

"Just a protection from the evil eye," Nadya answered, "We don't want Tjorvar's wife or daughter following us."

Milos wished to visit the chapel. The tiny building was dedicated to Pharasma but the priest Rolf Halzberg was welcoming.

"Glad to see a fellow believer." Rolf said, "The White Witches take a dim view of my work and religion in general."

"Do you have any items for sale to a good party?" Milos asked.

 "I have a oil of protection from evil, a scroll of goodberry and a Wand of Cure Light Wounds."

The party had a small conversation and agreed to each contribute to purchasing the Wand.

After Milos took time to leave a donation the party bought some Holy Water and headed to Verana's Sundries.  Verana Stolya ran a sparsely stocked store but she did have some common items including snowshoes and skis. She also had a few magic items but they were too steep for the group presently.  The snowshoes on the other hand were snapped up.  Jorgen also purchased a set of skis.

The blacksmith, Iziamir Polovar had an interesting shield of arrow catching that caught Casia's eye but it was also too expensive.  A barbershop had a sign depicting a clearly unhappy clean-shaven dwarf. Next to the barbershop was the White Weasel, the only tavern in Waldsby.  The group decided to have a meal while Nadya went home to feed the twins. 

After the group set down at a table a woman approached and coldly noted they were strangers. 

"Where are you from? Are you enjoying our little village?" she asked.

"We are from Kizobran," Santrel answered.

"Well welcome to our establishment.  I am Katrina and my mate Emil runs the bar.  Emil get some of the winteryew moonshine for our guests."

"What is winteryew moonshine?" Fanara queried.

"It is our local liquor made distilled from the bark of the winteryew tree."

"Maybe I'll have a hot tea instead," Santrel said interrupting.

"Would you like some food also?  We have the local mutton."

"Yes lets have that," Amadeo said sipping the moonshine.

Emil apparently was roving the tables and told a joke only he laughed at, the other just groaned.  When the food came the party wondered if anyone ever ate here as it was as bland as Emil's humor and as cold as Katrina's tongue.

Having finished some of their meal, the heroes left some silver on the table and left to head back to Nadya's house.

"Come back again, or don't," Katrina said as they filed out the door.

Back at Nadya's the party helped with the boys who were told that they would have to sleep by the fire as the guests would have his room.  When it came time to retire, Nadya instead gave the party her rooms even though Casia was loathe to accept.

The night was spent with no interruption but the party found their gear cleaned and folded neatly when they awoke.  Neither Santrel nor Fanara had noted anyone in the rooms so this was a mystery.  The group began to study spells and Fanara began a seance at the end of which her hair was woven in a tight bun and was shades of green and brown.  She touched the party and invoked a benefit of the seance boon to the party.

Just as they finished they heard a loud rapping on the door.

"Open up, let us in by order of Radosek Pavril." a booming voice stated.

"Orm, get away from the door," Nadya screamed.

Fanara and Santrel opened the door to the rooms and saw an armored and armed man enter followed by another.

"Where are those strangers?" the first emphatically said.  "You must give them up to us."

"I have no idea who you mean," Nadya responded facing him down.  

The guard then slapped her and the party was immediately ready for battle.  He then pushed her back toward the rear door where another guard entered.  There were now four of the guards in the small front room.

The twin immediately hit the floor and crawled away from the combat.  The guards attacked with longswords.  Santrel cast sleep and one of the guards hit the floor.  Fanara, Amadeo, Milos, Casia and Jorgen had to move from the bedroom into the main room.  The battle was mostly failed attacks at the beginning as the party tried to help Nadya who was trapped between two guards.  The kitchen door opened and another guard attacked Santrel. Jorgen fired his crossbow at that guard.

Suddenly pots, pans and knives began flying at the guard from the kitchen as a knee high creature that looked like a hairy old man who was mostly beard appeared next to Jorgen.

"Who are these men?" Casia yelled over the sound of battle.

"They are guards from the Pale Tower," Nadya responded wielding her dagger.

The battle continued and the heroes took the upper hand as the guards began to fall.  Then Santrel saw another guard outside running away from the fight.  Fanara took off after the fleeing man and tackled him before he even left the yard.  Soon all the guards were dead as Amadeo applied a coup de gras on the sleeper.

"We need to leave for the Pale Tower right away," Milos said with concern as he asked if the party needed healing.

Searching the guards found cold iron longswords and armor.  The party took the swords and left the armor for now.  The bodies were moved behind the house and hidden in the snow.  Fanara found a note on one guard.

"Search the town to find the aliens and report to Sergeant Sertane." It was signed by Radosek Pavril.

"Who or what is this hairy mop?" Jorgen asked.

"He is Hatch, a Domovoi.  I found him adrift in the snow around the Pale Tower.  He lived in the pale tower until Nazhena cast him out to die in the snow.  It seems she didn't appreciate his pranks." Nadya related.

Hatch was busy re-organizing the pots and pans in the kitchen.

"Does he know about the layout or secrets of the Pale Tower?" Fanara inquired.

"I only was allowed on the first floor but I can relate some of the layout and methods to travel to the second floor." Hatch said interrupting his work.

Milos was anxious to get going, "Does anyone need healing?"

Jorgen and Amadeo said they needed some healing and Milos provided this. After Nadya talked with Kashka to watch the twins, the party headed to the warehouse to load the sleds for a trip to the Pale Tower.

As they approached the town square the party saw four more guards and another figure.

"Halt in the name of Queen Elvanna," the main guard said.

DM's Notes: The party is closing in on 3rd level after the night's adventures.