IK:Armandor
Attendance: Herman, James, Ryan, Joe, and Randy
XP: ---
Supporting Cast: Leto, Jannis Riordan Jr/Jannish, Brosnan MacHagan & Company, Teagan Riordan, Paulo, Isabella, Salvades Distroya, Dirk Jaeseo, Montador Gateu, Carmella,
Names: Moorgrave Rogan Torcail, Alvoro Lasca, Franscisco Castra, Nicolo Vasari, Bernal Castra, Jack Derro, José Ryòn, Conlan Moliarty
Going into the country of Ord
Caitlyn: We awaken in the morning to find that the ground is covered with a beautiful white frosting of snow! Everything is so beautiful when it's covered with fresh snow. Of course the boys started having a snowball fight, enjoying snow the way that boys do. It made me smile to see them happy. If only all our fights were snowball fights.
We spend the day traveling to the Ord border and find that there is a checkpoint on the road with a sign that says "Armandor Border Patrol". Dook started speculating and making plans and just generally acting shady about crossing the border. I started to chastise him when he reminded me of the extra horse that we had with us. While I don't know what's in it, I know that it's filled with something illegal. So I decide to go and talk to the guards, since everyone generally agrees that I'm a nice person to talk with. I see that the guards aren't paying much attention to anything, except that one of them is trying to very quickly hide empty liquor bottles. Tsk, tsk.
I speak with Brosnick McHaggin, who's breath smells strongly of cheap booze, and he allows us to pass into Armandor without any trouble.
We camp within the Ord border.
Riordan Ranch
Into Moors instead of plains. Moors are organized, water damed up appropriately, and frozen. They grow cranberries when they are in season. Moors give way to scrub land with cattle. Square plots and numbered. One farm has a very intricate mechanical irrigation system.
Riordin Ranch, with an elderly woman (grandma Teega Riordan). She invited us in for tea and company. She told us that we weren't pronouncing Janis correctly. She is happy that Nancy married into a good family. Doesn't like Janis Sr, thinks he runs in the wrong circles. We offer to take a letter from her to Nancy, since we are headed back that way. She uses criminal labor on the farm, in fact, she threatened to shoot one. Caitlyn was very shocked. Caitlyn told on Isabella, who was complaining about her work.
Teagan Riordan to Paulo, who is slacking at work and playing with the farm dog: "Paulo, get back to work! I don't pay you to be a lout. And stop playing with the work dog! We don't want him getting lazy like you." When Paulo doesn't respond, she picks up, cocks and aims a nearby rifle. "If you don't get back to work, I'm going to withold your last month's pay from your family 'cause we'll havve to repaint the whole barn red to match your brain splatter. Now get going you worthless no-good Thurian. I should have left you to rot in prison." She returns to the table, "Please pardon me. I don't know how I let the city talk me into running a half-way house for petty criminals."
To the city of Armandor to try and meet our contact
About the city
Armandor, larger than Fellig and half the size of Corvis. Considered the main food producer for Ord, in fact they export food. Chruch to ascendant Roan, patron of the downtrodden and impoverished. Leader of the city is Rogan Torkhel, thurian descent, head of the wealthest house. Holdings for generations. Family had worked with the ogroth. Primary houses other than Torkhel: Loskas, Castras, and Fesares. Rogan has refined tastes, wife and daughter (a princess) manage the affairs. City is on a hill and not walled, quaint, occassional stone buildings. Roan church is wood with white wash. Pass a estates <insert names>. Trollkin and Gobber population, civilized to human standards. It's mostly thurians in the city. Many farmers markets with livestock.
Burning Man
We can't get attention at the ranch we have to go to in order to meet Jack Darrow. We decide to go into the city, get a room, and collect some information. We encounter a group about to burn a man, "Tell us where Jack and Jose are or we will burn you!" Apparently the guy was a murderer by sorcery. He is burned to death.
Pink Priapism inn. We pass. Offered the Vulgar Unicorn inn. Decide to go into the Pink Priapism. Inside is very pink but the people are normal. The bartendress is smoking a big cigar, and is big and plump.
Collecting information
Room cost: 1.5 gp
Menu: We have cabbage soup. It isn't that good. Tirotin picked the cheapest thing on the menu.
Burned man was found with a bull that was sacrificed, and a person was found dead. <someone fill in the details> Burnell Castra saw the ritual.
Tirotin attempts to gather information and is slapped for asking if they're women of the night.
Dook attempts to gather information at a gobber bar. He actually gathers some information <needs to be filled in>
Tolmek gathers information <needs to be filled in>
Caitlyn, Jamison, and Janis, Jr go to the Roan church.
Back story: Apparently Salvades slew a cowboy while trying to steal a bull for sacrificial purposes. "Everyone" knew he was a Thamar worshipper. The cowboy was found emaciated, as if drained of his life to death and with a stiletto in the spine. The bull was nearby, slain, entrails strewn about. The cowboy killed was Bernal Castra, one of the younger members of the Castra family. We knew he used to run with Jack Derro (Dook's contact) and Jose Ryon, but they've been missing since the murder.
Into the woods to find Derro
Was led into the woods to meet Dekker. Turns out that he's undead.
Jamison: Jack Derro seems to have been bitten by a vampire and turned into a vampire spawn. The "Dirk" character turned out to have the same kind of knife as was supposed to have been used in the murder that the one man who got burned was accused of. And he used it on me. Wait, didn't Tirotim mention that Vampire Spawn could Dominate people? That could mean that the burned man was innocent. Dirk isn't an issue anymore. He dodged left when he should have dodged right.
OOC stuff
1/2 day of scribing scrolls
