As the party’s board has been paid up until the end of May, Helmunt has a breakfast prepared and waiting for you: duck’s eggs, boiled sausage and porridge. You eschew the porch, for while there is an awning over the outside tables, the cloth leaks. So, you find yourselves inside, finishing your breakfast and wondering if the rain will end before the evening.
Josef Mieszko, the Cleric: Paid through ‘til May! Then we’re in no rush - I thought that we were in much more dire straits than this! OK guys, what to do today?Anshelm Helbelinc, the Thief: I only takes a bit of porridge to break my fast, as the cotters’ meal from the night before has left me uncomfortable. “It would appear the locals are in a state of agitation. That might be a situation we could use to our advantage; of course, it could also mean our heads...from either side! P’raps we should see what Tiberius’ friend has to offer us in the way of work and wage.”Delfig Kôlhupfer, the Bard/Thief: Being the late sleeper, I will grumble and groan, stand and stretch, nod appreciatively at Helmut. “I agree, we should see what becomes of Tiberius’s friend.”Tiberius [Adelbert Volkmann], the Fighter/Mage: I agree to go visit Johann at the Merchant’s Hall, once I have broken my fast.Josef: Is Dachau divided into “quarters” – are the low and high class areas of the town physically separate? And if such sections exist, which are we in?DM: There would be “quarters” of the town--specifically, there would be four quarters: a) the wealthier, merchant and noble’s quarter; b) the impoverished quarter; c) the Jew’s quarter; and d) the foreigner’s quarter. These are not the same size.If you imagine a clock face, with the Cathedral, and The Pig across the street at the center of the clock, with 12 o’clock pointing north. From 9 to 12 on the face would be the merchant’s quarter. Extending outward from the Merchant’s hall on the main square are several walled estates; the mayor’s hall, the arsenal and the town bath. Past this are larger merchant’s houses, with artisan’s shops on the main floor and living quarters above, some of them four floors high. There are also half-timbered houses possessed by private clerks, city officials and independently wealthy persons. This area is built on a flat plateau above the Amper bottomland. The center of this plateau is dominated by a fortress, occupied rarely by the Duke of Bavaria, usually held by the Duke’s steward and occupied chiefly by soldiers and those town members who serve the soldiers: cooks, lamplighters, servers, stablers and so on.Between 12 and 4 o’clock, the poor live in a wide, ramshackle circle, mixed with open gardens and cropland, scattered along the bottomland, below the merchant homes. The further away, the greater the poverty, descending from those living nearest the merchant quarter outwards, from strong laborers, to rat catchers and gong farmers, and finally to beggars.Between 4 and 6 o’clock would be the Jew’s Quarter, strictly separated from the rest of the town by a wall built within the city. For other residents of Dachau, free passage is not denied; but the Jews are not permitted to freely roam into the remainder of the city.Finally, between 6 and 9 o’clock is the foreigner’s corner, which is not as deep as the other quarters of the city, though it is an elongated neighborhood extending a third of the town’s circumference. It includes the largest monastery in the town, and the customs house.The North Gate would pass between the Castle and the poor district, at 12 o’clock on our clock. The South Gate would come at 6 o’clock, between the Jew’s quarter and the foreigner’s quarter.Delfig: After waiting for awhile, I comment to Anshelm, “Perhaps we should put our knowledge together, as we have had bits and pieces of conversations. Although we’ve been here awhile, we’ve just now learned that the merchants are squeezing the locals, and perhaps enforcing old grudges to clear them out of the way. This may be leading to some unknown end, as I overheard some of the higher class speaking of an unknown purpose to the building, perhaps for more soldiers. This leads me to believe that there will be a period of unrest coming. Tiberius and the cotters both spoke of the merchants looking for more soldiers. I noticed you were asking questions that seemed to annoy the patrons. Do you wish to share something that you’ve learned? You didn’t say much last night after the performance.”“And Josef... have you anything to add?”Anshelm: I agree with Delfig. “You have good sense for a mummer,” I say while reaching for my snuff. “I wasn’t able to glean all that much from the locals; they’re a suspicious lot and didn’t like me prying, asking about the recent unpleasantness around here.” I mention my overhearing from the coachmen about the four killings. “I, for one, am curious about these murders ...”Delfig: I’m not going to get involved in fomenting rebellion unless there’s a damn good reason for me to risk my neck doing so.Josef: I believe that the activities of the merchants and leaders of the town are common and will be the case in most of the market towns we come across in the Empire - and just as likely were we to go west. If the issue came up, I know which side I would favor - but I fear that the merchant-lords and bishop-brokers have the upper hand. They have the means to declare their will and then enforce it. However the commons resist, the money is entrenched. Perhaps there is a smaller village nearby that we could base ourselves, then come back here once we’ve somehow acquired some wealth.Delfig [to Josef]: “I don’t know enough. The lay of the land feels quite treacherous with the murder of the innkeeper and now talk of other murders. We don’t have a good source of coins yet, so my belly tells me to take care of local business before I consider travelling abroad.”
Nothing else is said and the DM moves the game along.
DM: Let us presume the party’s meal is done. Rain continues to fall, steady and drearily, a bit more than light and less than heavy.Tiberius: Any who wish to come with me to meet with Johann may do so. Otherwise, I will go out into the rain, cloak pulled tight around me, and see if Johann is in the guild hall.Anshelm: I will accompany you.Delfig: I am with you.Josef: I will stay at The Pig, but I appreciate the offer. I’m afraid I don’t make a good impression on the upper-class.Kazimir Kropt, the Assassin: Kazimir will stay at the Pig with Josef, having no desire to go out in the rain when there’s sausage to be had.
So we follow Tiberius, Anshelm and Delfig as they head out into the rain to cross the square. The group is somewhat damp as they poke in the front door of the Merchant’s Hall. It is quite different today. While there lingers a bit of the barnyard odor, you can also detect the strong smell of vinegar and lye that has been used to scrub the Hall’s floor and some of the walls and pillars. The hall is quite empty, except for a long, narrow table where sits a single gentleman, the insignia on his cloak identifying him as a clerk of the guild. An open book showing pages partly covered with signatures waits in front of him.
Tiberius: I step up to the clerk and ask politely if Johann Mizer is available.Clerk (npc): “You are Herr Volkmann?”Tiberius: “Yes. These are my companions.” I motion to the others.DM: The clerk produces a bell from his tunic and a boy appears from behind a pillar; the boy then runs to fetch Mizer. When Johann appears, he will seem somewhat rushed. But he will reach out for your hand and greet you warmly. He asks after your companions and waits for you introduce them.Tiberius: I return Johann’s warm greeting.Johann Mizer (npc): “I did think we would get together, Adelbert,” says Mizer, “but not in the day. Tonight perhaps? I know an excellent beer garden near the baths.”Tiberius: “Yes, that’s fine. We can meet with you later tonight.” I get the name and location of the beer garden and leave with my companions.
With no one speaking to the contrary, the group leaves and return back to The Pig. There, they find that Kazimir and Josef are already off.
Josef: Should the rain lighten, I would like to go wander the Foreign Quarter looking for vendors, bars, etc., looking perhaps toward Bohemian or Polish neighborhoods.Kazimir: I will go with Josef to the Foreign Quarter.DM: The rain is not that heavy at the moment. You head out, and soon see a sign hanging on the front of a building showing the word, “Gospoda.” This is a common description in Silesia for a tavern that caters to soldiers.Josef: As it is early in the day, I would consider coming back to the Gospoda in the later evening.[OOC: Perhaps when others go to meet Johann at the beer garden?]
And so that was a short journey. The rain seems to cut short the players’ interest in doing much of anything, at least until the evening.
Tiberius: Not wanting to catch pneumonia, I will stay out of the rain for most of the day, taking the time to dry out at The Pig.Anshelm: I will be accompanying Tiberius to the beer garden.Delfig: I will be with him too.
We wait with the party. The rain ceases to fall in the early afternoon, though the weather remains gloomy for the remainder of the day. The high hills to the southwest of Dachau retain a shroud of fog into the evening, with no sign that it will lift before sunset. It is, altogether, a dreary day.
In the afternoon, a message arrives from Johann Mizer as to the location of the beer garden, and an indication that Tiberius and his friends should meet him there at six bells. It is not a great distance; Helmunt, ever eager to please, offers to send a boy with the party to show the way, if only a copper piece is given. One way or another, through the wet streets the trio find their way to the garden, which at first glance is unfortunately in the out of doors.
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To the group’s delight, however, it is discovered that half the beer garden is roofed, and a solid structure built on three sides. On the fourth side is a roaring fire, fully eight feet wide and four feet deep, in which burns hemlock and yew. Stepping between a few puddles still filling the hollows between the exposed benches, Tiberius, Anshelm and Delfig join the hearty throng of forty people sitting in the warm comfort provided by the fire.
Mizer is there; he happily greets each one of you; introductions are made, and Mizer pleasantly insists that he buy the first round. The day did not begin too well for him; but an arrangement has been made and a silversmith is to be ousted from his rented property a few miles out of town, so that it will be put under Mizer’s ownership.
While hearing this tale, the trio cannot help noticing that the barmaids are exceptional - all beautiful, all quite young and with remarkable ashen skin and near-perfect teeth. This last, of course, would be quite rare to their experience, and Mizer will laugh when he sees his companions noticing it.
He’s quite happy to explain the happenstance. The beer garden is in part owned by an adventurous young fellow, who a few years ago took part as a mercenary in the recent 30 Year’s Holy War, in Saxony. He made his fortune in silver. This young fellow, a paladin, Eberhardt Hornung by name, has since become the darling of the town, and this beer garden is a contribution to his fame. It is true, adds Mizer discreetly, that Hornung also manages a string of harlots … the “cleanest” harlots in Bavaria, since none ever suffers from any disease, not even in their teeth. But Mizer suggests not spreading such rumours that one might hear in a beer garden.
Anshelm: I chuckle to myself as Mizer tells Hornung’s story. “This silversmith ... what’d he do?” I inquire after a moment, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.Johann (npc): “Oh nothing, I suppose. But it’s not his land, is it? I might have a look at his books, see if he’s worth having as a tenant ... but I’m thinking I’d like to turn the land over to cattle. There might be some trouble, depending on what sort of man he turns out to be - but I’ll send a group of hooligans if I must.”Anshelm: “Indeed. Sometimes you just need to crack a few skulls when tenants become insolent.”Delfig: I will be very pleased to see the eye candy and indeed, I will wink and nod and flirt as would best befit a place like this. I’ll try to blend in with the general mood and feeling. Are the two gentlemen who I overheard at the play yesterday here at the garden?DM: There’s quite a lot of flirting all around - the wenches seem fond of it. But no, you don’t see the gentlemen here.Delfig [to Johann]: “Why would there be trouble?” I ask rather innocently.Johann [choosing to answer Anshelm]: “Oh, these country bumpkins, they think they have rights because they pay their money. They never understand that these shacks and flimsy waterwheels they slap together hardly substitute as privileges of land.”Anshelm: I lean forward. “Yes, the folk ‘round these parts seem the petulant type. Have you had trouble before?”[OOC: Do we recognize Hornung’s name, by the way?]
In the campaign text, Johann never does answer this question; we should assume that he shrugs.
DM: [OOC: I don’t know ... do you?]Delfig: If it seems appropriate (and if no one else is playing), I will take out my lyre and begin strumming and continuing to enjoy pleasant conversation. The type of music will be quiet and celebratory, meant to make people feel at ease and enjoy themselves.DM: There seems less pleasure at your playing here than there would be at The Pig, or gratitude like that given by the cotters. A few of the patrons scowl at you. It is likely they are used to a bard who is at least a member of a College (which you wouldn’t be at 1st level).Delfig: Then at the first sign showing of lack of appreciation, I will stop playing and choose to ask a question of Johann. “Has there been much unrest from the commoners recently? We encountered quite a shocking sight as we entered the city through the North Gate, recently. We wondered if there had been an uprising.”Anshelm: I nod at Delfig’s question and wait to hear an answer.Johann: “Oh yes, the matter of the north blockhouse. Very similar to what I was only just saying. That was nothing more than Von Asper invoking his family’s rights. The inn was never on private land ... and for the defense of the town against the valley bandits it was voted six months ago that the blockhouse be converted into a defensive fortification. I understood there was some resistance to the law, and matters came to a head ... I think the innkeeper was hanged?”Delfig: I listen impassively and shrug. “Was it the innkeeper who was hanging next to a woman in front of the blockhouse? I didn’t know and thought it best not to ask. Is it normal for the good Baron to take such an involvement in matters like this to where a vote was needed?”Johann: “That would certainly be the Baron’s privilege.”Anshelm: I make an impatient gesture. “Yes, yes. Very much the baron’s privilege, and you’ve got to make an example of the rabble, else they all get it in their heads that they can defy the word of law, eh?” I say with a forced smile.“So, what is it you’d like to speak with our friend Tiberius about? You need someone to provide another example for you, then?” Again, said with the best smile I can muster.Johann: “Who is Tiberius?”DM: We'll have Tiberius explain to Johann that it is the name he uses now, rather than Adelbert. Johann signals that he understands.Anshelm: Understanding that Adelbert wanted to inquire about work with Johann, I say so and add that we have skills of various sorts that could be useful to him.DM: Johann seems amused. It has to be explained to him that Tiberius is no longer working for the Baron in Friesing, where Tiberius is from. Johann will answer Anshelm, explaining he has no ‘soft work’ that needs doing.Johann: “You have ‘various’ skills? Have you tried your hand at collections?”Anshelm: I scratch my chin and look to Delfig and Tiberius for a moment, trying to gauge their reactions. “Collections, eh? I’ve not had the pleasure myself, though I can’t speak for my compatriots. You’ve a pressing need for such employment of late, I take it?”Johann: “Yes, of course. Someone will have to explain my rights to the silversmith we were just talking about.”Tiberius [rejoining the campaign]: “I think you’ll find us to be very persuasive men, Johann. And we’re not above a little hard work.”Johann: “Very well then. Come around to the Guild in the morning and I’ll pay each of you 5 g.p. up front, and up to four other men besides. I’ll send a dogsbody along with you to find your way, and a flat sum of 100 g.p. for all of you once I have proof the action is taken and Herr Meyer is off my land … and since you’re now in my employ, allow me to get the next round, too.”DM: Revealing that ‘Meyer’ is the name of the silversmith.Tiberius: I grin. “You’re a very generous man, Herr Mizer. I hope this will be a fruitful relationship for all of us.” I lift my mug, salutes my new employer, and down the beer.Delfig: As they negotiate, I just pull on my beer and listen.Anshelm: I take a sip on my beer and nod. I reason that it’s employment.
As the conversation at the beer garden turns to less business matters, Josef and Kazimir choose to return to the foreign quarter, in the evening now. And as I did not give a longer description, I’ll include one now.
The Foreign Quarter is a mashing together of temporary housing and tents staked out on open land, culture-focused taverns and shops, offices for obtaining privileges to begin business in the city or to own land as a foreigner, and people who tend to spend much of their time waiting between opportunities to do casual labor.
Josef: What time is it? Evening, yes?DM: Yes. You hear the cathedral striking six bells.Josef: I would like to loiter in the general vicinity of the Gospoda to see if it is very active. Kazimir and I stand outside and talk casually.DM: The Gospoda has become quite active by this time. However, as you’ve chosen to loiter instead of entering, you’re harassed after a short time by both the town watch (made up of local landlords and their kin) and by one of the tapmen of the tavern. Neither demands that you move on your way, but that is coming. You are able to tell that Gospoda seems to be a meeting place for foreign (largely Silesia and Polish) mercenaries.Josef: We enter the Gospoda.DM: You find some forty men inside, equal to your stature, familiar in their behavior - some of them remind you of your taskmasters when you were trained at the use of weapons ages ago. There is much more noise than at the Pig: much pounding of tables, much more rough-housing. You must jostle yourself to the bar to get something to drink - a bottle of ale will cost you a s.p.Josef: I’ll reach in to my belt pouch and pull out 6 coppers and my holy symbol, and open my hand to the barkeep. I turn to Kazimir and say, “Ach! Silver! Will you buy this round?” while replacing my coins. I turn back to barkeep. “Perhaps you have some simpler fare?”DM: [OOC: Kazimir does not seem to be watching just now]The bartender seems about to tell you to leave, when a patron being struck in the face behind you lets out a bellow. You’re just able to get out of the way before the same patron slams face first into the bar. He lifts himself up again, looks towards the fellow who’s hit him and shouts.Patron (npc) [in pain]: “Criminy, Leo! You’ve broken my tooth!”Josef: I will leave the Gospoda. Are there sounds of fighting coming from inside?[OOC: I feel a little hesitant to get into it, without some input from Kazimir]DM: No.Josef: Well, what’s done is done. Perhaps I can come back tomorrow and offer my services as unskilled laborer.Kazimir: I feel restless and leave the Gospoda after Josef, somewhat reluctantly. Kazimir is feeling restless and leaves the Gospoda with Josef somewhat reluctantly. Are there any places in the foreign quarter that might contain places of interest for someone of my ancestry?[OOC: Curses. I missed the opportunity for fist-a-cuffs]Josef [before the DM answers]: Of course, we could engage in a little practice-bout, between friends, you and I, and I could then heal whichever of us came-off worse for the wear. I’d wager that would be me, had I the means to back a wager. Maybe then, we should instead wander off to the beer house that our companions occupy?Kazimir: “Aye. To the beer gardens, then.”
And so, having accomplished little if anything at all, our two players retreat a second time from the foreign quarter. There is little happening there, however, and as the evening winds down the members of the party find their way again to The Pig. The only new agreement that’s been made is that someone should collect their front fee from the Merchant’s Hall, after breakfast.
That night it rains again, more heavily this time, with lightning shaking the tavern’s rafters with its force. As the sun rises on Tuesday the 7th, the sky is clear. It promises to be a beautiful day. In many places on the street and in the square, where the drainage is poor, there are large ponds left from last night’s rain. As the party emerges from the Pig to eat on the outside porch, the temperature is already warm but comfortable. There are three kittens licking at the puddle just a few yards away.
DM: Who will go to the Merchant’s Hall for 5 g.p.?Anshelm: I will go.Josef: I’ll go to collect my share.Kazimir: I’ll go along.Delfig: I will go, but I continue to be very quiet, as I’m troubled.Anshelm: “Delfig, have you a thought you’d like to share? I’m not terribly happy at being Mizer’s brute squad, but it’s money. Who knows, we may even find a way to help our silversmith and put the sting to our new employer.Delfig: I shake my head at Anshelm’s words and whisper to him, “I have a sense of ill wind about this. I think we are getting into the middle of something quite larger than ourselves. I have no wish to ‘sting’ a powerful merchant, neither do I have a wish to be marked by the common men as a lackey to the greedy. It’s a bad situation all around.”Josef: “I will think no less of you, friend Delfig.”Anshelm: “My friend, I would think that you, of anyone. would know that life often puts one in such a situation. I’ve no love for greedy merchants, but I’ve no particular loyalty to the folk of this village, either.” I scratch my head thoughtfully before continuing. “Besides,” I say with a grin, “If we manage to come out of this situation alive - and believe me, I feel some of the foreboding you do - think of the songs you’ll spin about it all!”Josef: “Besides, it is only through action that we experience life and better understand it, after the fact.”DM: The party, save Tiberius, heads off to the Merchant’s Hall to accept their starting fee. Does anyone have any misgivings?Anshelm: I definitely don’t. I’m the type to put aside moral considerations for the money if necessary. I’ve learned to live with past misgivings before.DM: Then, at the Hall, the money is given over by Ells, the dogsbody mentioned the evening before. Ells is 20 years old, a somewhat unkempt fellow, whose body seems to function poorly. He moves with a strange amble towards you, his left leg seeming a good deal shorter than his right. His face hasn’t been cleaned in a few weeks, and he has a distinct body odor.The party may add 5 g.p. to each of your pouches, which Ells induces a clerk to hand over. Ells expresses Mizer’s apologies for being absent, for he is in a conference with the Lord Mayor’s chief tax farmer this morning. Nevertheless, Ells knows the way you must go. He expresses in a few words, uttered with difficulty, that it will take until mid-day to reach the silversmith’s homestead.Josef: “What direction? Do you have a cart, Ells? If not, this will be a slow walk.Ells (npc) [haltingly]: “The vess rudd. No kert.”Delfig: I take the 5 g.p. without comment. I dress in my leather armor, with my sword lashed to my belt and my crossbow on my back with bolts in a quiver. I look rather impressive in my bulk, but I also stay to the rear of the group, my cloak ready to pull up to mask my features.Anshelm [watching Delfig]: Good point about the armor and weapons.DM: You can assume you’re suiting up at The Pig before you get started.Josef: I’d like to do a bit of shopping before we leave.DM: Being Tuesday, the market is not open. It will not be until Sunday. You can buy things from the Innkeeper’s table [shown on the overall equipment table].
Ells leads the party through the town, through the edge of the Merchant’s quarter. The West Gate is a good deal smaller than the rather impressive North or South gates. Out of the town, your feet soon fall onto a narrow road, barely wide enough for a wagon, as you drop down into the valley. The Asper river is on your left and there a series of cow and sheep pastures on your right. You note that, while the Asper is perhaps twenty yards across as it passes through the town, where both sides of the river have been embraced by stone walls, here the river is much wider. It is also somewhat shallow and grown with reeds. Numerous sand bars follow its banks. From place to place, as you travel, you find deep ruts crossing the road, where for centuries cattle have been led from the pastures to the river.
The day grows warmer. By ten bells (you can hear the distant toll of the bells of Dachau for a good four miles), to keep from growing very uncomfortable, you will need to doff your cloaks. I cannot remember if anyone has a hat; but if they do, it is greatly appreciated. As you walk, you notice that peasants are rare, and there are no travellers approaching along the road. You see many farms growing rye and other crops, mixed with pasture land. Now and then there are streams, with bridges and guards asking for tolls, but Ells demonstrates a patch of embroidered cloth and metal baubles and you’re exempted from paying. From time to time, where you have climbed a low rise in the road, fifty or a hundred feet, you’ve been able to see extensive, forest-covered foothills rising to the south, perhaps four or five miles away, and purple mountains beyond that; even at a distance of eighty miles, they look impressive, with glaciers visible on their high slopes.
You walk a good five miles to reach a small stone marker, two feet high, describing the distance from Dachau. By then, both sides of the road have grown thick with a mixture of elm and pine trees, with small forested patches falling into darkness on the side opposite the river. There are no longer any farms, nor inhabitants to be seen. Ells points at a much narrower track, hardly wide enough for a cart. As you follow it the track climbs the isolated hill group rising three hundred feet into the hills south of the road. All is forest. The track crosses, then re-crosses a stream as you climb. The plank bridges that you cross show signs of maintenance, and the road is in good condition.
Finally, Ells indicates you are near the silversmith’s house. What preparations do you care to make?
Delfig: I do not have a hat; and by this time I will have removed my cloak. I’ll add explicitly that I have all of my equipment with me.DM: Whatever weapons and equipment you own, believe that you have them with you.Anshelm: “Ells, how far are we from the silversmith’s home?”DM: Ells doesn’t understand what ‘distance’ means. And you’ve learned by now he finds it difficult to speak, so he will mostly answer with one or two words when asked questions. He will not speak unless asked a question. Right now, he points ahead of where you are.Ells (npc): “Tere.”Delfig: I will find a convenient tree and stash my pack behind it. I’ll have my lyre hanging under my left arm, as I fight with my right hand. I’ll hold my crossbow in my hand with a bolt notched. I’ll mention to the others: “If any of you have missile weapons, perhaps we should form two groups and check out things ahead, evenly dividing up our long range weapons?”Anshelm: “A good idea.” I scabbard my sword and pull my sling from my belt pouch.Kazimir: My sling is ready with a stone in it.Josef: I’ll have my sling ready and two lead bullets in my off hand. “Let’s stop here for a moment - leaving the packs behind with non-essentials is a good idea.” Or perhaps we should stay in the trees and observe the place, to try to assess how to approach this. We don’t know if it’s a hovel or a manor house. You’d think that a silversmith might take some steps to guard his raw-materials, if not his finished products.“Ells, does the smith have guards?DM: Ells will shake his head at Josef’s question. Then he moves to Delfig, clearly discouraging the bard from stashing any stuff.Ells [emphatically]: “Beets.”DM: If asked, the dogsbody will only repeat himself more emphatically, saying the same word over and over.As you look around, you can see that the deadfall and the thickness of the forest will make it difficult to move through. It would be quieter to progress along the cart track.Josef: I will keep my pack on me. “Ells, why do you come with Tiberius and me, to try to convince him that he must go … while the others circle around and set his place on fire or some such …?” (just making suggestions)Anshelm: I take Josef aside. “I’m not sure if Ells could convince the smith; it rather seems he’d end up confusing the man! What does he mean by ‘beets,’ anyway?”[OOC: Not that my confusion about “beets” keeps me from picking up my gear again!]Josef: “Maybe the beets of this wood are baby goblins that steal unattended goods. We could dig one up and see.” I turn again to Ells. “What’s the beets, hundemann?”Ells: “Beets!”DM: As I said, Ells is unable to explain what he means by ‘beets.’ It seems self-evident to him.Delfig: I pick my pack up again. “Could mean ‘bats,’ could mean ‘beasts.’ “Josef: I think that the stealthiest of us should go up the path and try to see what’s what up ahead. I’m not sure that I can count myself among the stealthiest present today.Delfig: “Although I’m large, I could attempt to sneak quietly forward. I can try to be quiet.”Anshelm: I say to the group that I can attempt to scout ahead, but can’t guarantee I won’t be seen, especially as the woods aren’t conducive to stealthy movement. “Then again, p’raps it’s best to take a direct approach, eh?”Josef: I’ll watch anyone’s pack that goes ahead, if they need to lighten up.Anshelm: “Well, if you’ll watch it, Josef, I’ll leave my backpack.” I say to Delfig, “We can scout ahead together, perhaps splitting to either side of the home when we approach it, eh?” I have a sudden inspiration: “I think it’s ‘Beasts’ he’s trying to say, maybe?”Kazimir: I’m ready to proceed.Delfig: Yes, I’m moving ahead.Tiberius: Can I cast Armor before going?DM: If you want.Josef: I’ll shift my sling to my left-hand and pull my mace from my belt. “If you encounter trouble, yell and we’ll come.”
And so, four go forward, leaving Josef waiting.
As the party fails to specify, it’s assumed they continue on the cart track, which rises up and over a small spur, a mere thirty foot climb. From the top, the three can look down into a small meadow a hundred yards across, on both sides of the stream on the way up. From where you are, you can see varying structures are on the opposite bank … but the stream is quite shallow, and filled with stones to fashion a wide ford.
At one point a channel has been cut into the stream, and above the channel a well-placed dam across the stream creates a substantial pool, thirty yards across - this feeds into the channel, creating a rushing flow before the water is restored to the natural stream bed. The rushing water powers a waterwheel, by all appearances built by a master craftsman. It connects to a cylindrical structure twenty feet in height and twenty feet in diameter. The shingles on the roof of the cylinder have been replaced in the last three years, and the building appears to have been painted the previous fall - it is a bright forest green in color.
Near this structure, to the right, is a low, flat stone and plaster house, crystal-white in color, with glazed glass windows set into expertly fitted frames, quite symmetrical to the eye. A stoop, with a wooden awning to protect the main door from the weather, extends in a cobbled stone half-circle ten feet from the house, to a graciously tailored yard where chickens and three piglets are at the moment feasting. A woman is assiduously cleaning the house’s windows. Further to the right is a barn, smallish but much in the same condition as the mill, also painted recently and in the same forest green. Between the barn and the river is planted an extensive vegetable garden, showing a smudge of green to suggest the first shoots rising. Squinting your eyes, you can see four children, on their knees, appearing to weed the garden.
While he waits, Josef, without explanation, decides to take it upon himself to act very strangely … from the DM’s perspective, parsing out that which makes sense, it seems as though Josef loses his mind:
[OOC: Conscious of what Josef is doing, several members of the Player party mistakenly attempt to converse with Josef … but in fact they are all too far away to even see what is going on, much less be heard.]
[OOC: Attached to these events were a series of miscommunications, mixed with DM complicity and a failure to properly identify who was where, much of this due having played D&D by blog for a short while. These were exacerbated by several errors on my part, discussed in this post, Messing Up.]
Let us return to the Meyer homestead and yard, where Delfig watches Frau Meyer walk away towards the mill, to fetch her husband. So, Delfig finds himself waiting in front of the house door, where the various children of the house watch him. The three older children, two boys and a girl, all younger than ten, seem somewhat fearful. The girl in particular watches Delfig with large, worried eyes. The three year old boy sits against the door jamb and plays with a blade of grass he’s just found. He blows on it again and again, watching it dance as he grips it.
As the party fails to specify, it’s assumed they continue on the cart track, which rises up and over a small spur, a mere thirty foot climb. From the top, the three can look down into a small meadow a hundred yards across, on both sides of the stream on the way up. From where you are, you can see varying structures are on the opposite bank … but the stream is quite shallow, and filled with stones to fashion a wide ford.
Near this structure, to the right, is a low, flat stone and plaster house, crystal-white in color, with glazed glass windows set into expertly fitted frames, quite symmetrical to the eye. A stoop, with a wooden awning to protect the main door from the weather, extends in a cobbled stone half-circle ten feet from the house, to a graciously tailored yard where chickens and three piglets are at the moment feasting. A woman is assiduously cleaning the house’s windows. Further to the right is a barn, smallish but much in the same condition as the mill, also painted recently and in the same forest green. Between the barn and the river is planted an extensive vegetable garden, showing a smudge of green to suggest the first shoots rising. Squinting your eyes, you can see four children, on their knees, appearing to weed the garden.
Delfig: I’ll move along behind the others as we approach. I motion quietly that we should stay in the woods and observe for a moment, behind trees.Anshelm: I agree with Delfig. We should check out the physical area first, see what we can see, then split if need be from there.DM: Surrounding the buildings I’ve just described, there is little else, except meadow and the thick forest. Upon closer examination, you may see a small, indefinable collection of wooden frames on the stream below the house; and twenty yards beyond a hefty sawhorse.Tiberius: I wait for Delfig and Anshelm to complete their observations of the area.Delfig: The meadow is 100 yards across. Assuming 20 yards for structure in the middle, we should be able to circle around and observe what else is behind it, staying in the forest. I’ll quietly confer with the other two, suggesting that one of us makes a slow circle around the place, staying in the woods, walking quietly, to observe and see what we can see.Anshelm: I offer to reconnoiter. “I’m not sure how successful I’ll be; the undergrowth is quite thick here, and there are several ears in the meadow that might hear. I can only hope they’ll be preoccupied with their work to notice a stranger thrashing about in the brush!” Taking a look at the meadow again, I take a bit of snuff before saying, “I’m not sure if we could ford the stream while in the woods, either. At the very least, I’ll be able to get a closer look at the homestead.”DM [rolling dice]: Although you move far from the edge of the meadow, it becomes clear to the observers hidden near the cart track that the residents of the homestead can hear something moving in the bushes. The mother calls her children to come to the door of the house, and goes herself to collect the three-year-old from where it continues to sit in the vegetable garden. Beyond peering into the woods, the mother seems unconcerned.Anshelm, you will find there is nothing special to be seen on the far side of the homestead, except that the house has no back door and the door to the mill is on that side.Delfig: Do we hear any sounds of smithing or other metalwork coming from the structure?DM: If there were any sounds coming from within the mill, they would be drowned out by the sound of the wheel going round and round and the gushing of water.Delfig: “Hmm. Nobody else about and the lady of the house appears to be watchful. But she did not call for her husband. He may not be home. I suggest we send one person to act friendly and inquire as to his whereabouts.”Anshelm: I work back to where Josef is waiting. When I get there, I’ll say, “I don’t think they’ll be surprised to know someone’s about. However, it doesn’t look like we’ll be surprised by anything, either.”DM: It could be that the residents think you’re a beet.Delfig: I repeat my suggestion about sending one person up to inquire to the smith’s whereabouts. “If we go up there like an army, we’re liable to get a bad response. One of us goes up there, inquires if he’s about, then asks to speak to him on behalf of Mizer. Bring him over here, and we can have a discussion. The rest of us can be waiting for him to arrive.”DM: Apparently, no one answers.Delfig: Sigh. I’ll take the reins, and march my bad-feeling-about-this butt up to the house and greet the woman.DM: As you approach, more detail becomes clear. Some twenty yards from the house, you’ll notice for the first time a small Cross of David over the door, indicating that they’re Jewish. The woman sees Delfig and raises her hand in greeting.Frau Meyer (npc): “Good day, Sir.”Delfig: “Good day Frau. Is Herr Meyer about?”Frau Meyer: “Herr Meyer is in his shop. Will you wait while I fetch him?”Delfig: “I nod my assent. “Of course, Frau.”
While he waits, Josef, without explanation, decides to take it upon himself to act very strangely … from the DM’s perspective, parsing out that which makes sense, it seems as though Josef loses his mind:
Josef [to himself, as no one else is present]: Perhaps we should use our Ells to show the silversmith what’s coming his way … who doesn’t get the message of a body in his yard at sundown? I think that’s a good idea; among some other ones …The beet-lover [Ells] holds a pass [his merchant guild’s patch]. I could don his robe and use it to speak with the doorman … I apologize. I was speaking to characters not present with me. It is difficult with splitting the party, and also never knowing when the other players are going to contribute. I’ve been trying to think of some strategies to deal with this…I cast my command spell at Ells, using the word, “Sleep.”DM: Ells makes no move to disrupt the spell before it is cast, and conks out. The spell lasts only 2 rounds.Josef: I’ll wait 5 seconds. If no one else makes a move I’ll attack him.
[OOC: Conscious of what Josef is doing, several members of the Player party mistakenly attempt to converse with Josef … but in fact they are all too far away to even see what is going on, much less be heard.]
Josef [to himself]: “He is a werewolf” I smash him with my mace.DM: Suddenly, Josef puts Ells out of the misery that is his life. 10 x.p. to Josef.Josef: Okay. I’ll start dragging the body into the woods. I take the patch he showed to the toll-takers, and then sit and pray for 10 minutes to help guide his soul through the roots, into the ground.
[OOC: Attached to these events were a series of miscommunications, mixed with DM complicity and a failure to properly identify who was where, much of this due having played D&D by blog for a short while. These were exacerbated by several errors on my part, discussed in this post, Messing Up.]
Let us return to the Meyer homestead and yard, where Delfig watches Frau Meyer walk away towards the mill, to fetch her husband. So, Delfig finds himself waiting in front of the house door, where the various children of the house watch him. The three older children, two boys and a girl, all younger than ten, seem somewhat fearful. The girl in particular watches Delfig with large, worried eyes. The three year old boy sits against the door jamb and plays with a blade of grass he’s just found. He blows on it again and again, watching it dance as he grips it.
Delfig: While waiting, I’ll smile at the children. The sun feels nice on my back and a part of me wishes that I could be successful at my music and dance so I could afford a place such as this.DM: Soon Frau Meyer returns, with Herr Meyer. Delfig sees them coming across the grass towards him. A chicken steps daintily out of their way.Delfig: I’ll gauge Herr Meyer as he walks up.Herr Meyer (npc): “Yes?”DM: He seems just curious or normal.Delfig: I’ll smile and nod. “Herr Meyer, I am Johann. I come from Dachau and I would like to speak to you a moment about business ...” I’ll motion him to walk with me towards the party.DM: Meyer will come forward a couple of steps at Delfig’s urging, but then he will stop.Herr Meyer: What is this about?Delfig: I smile again. “Herr Meyer, I’ve been asked to discuss a matter with you of some importance. I can assure you that I mean you no harm, I only wish to talk to you. My assistant has lagged behind me and I am waiting for him to join us. Please, it’s a lovely day and I believe you will benefit from the talk.” I motion and walk slowly.DM: He doesn’t move. He clearly doesn’t trust you.Herr Meyer [to his wife]: “Melanie. Go into the house.”Delfig: (OOC - Scheiß!)“Herr Meyer, you are not in any danger. Please, come talk with me. If I wanted to harm you, I would have done so without regard.”Herr Meyer [his voice rising]: “What is this? Who are you?”Delfig: I sigh and shake my head. “Please Herr Meyer, do not yell at me. I am Johann Keschel and I come on behalf of a mutual business partner. I was sent to inquire as to your living arrangements and your use of this land.”Herr Meyer: “What?”Delfig: “This land, Herr Meyer ... is it your land, or do you indeed rent from a merchant in Dachau? I was sent to inquire if you were leaving the homestead or not.”
As the conversation continues, the player characters standing at a distance cannot help paying attention.
Tiberius: I curse. “Looks like Delfig has his hands full. Should we go and help him?”Kazimir: Can we clearly hear the conversation between Meyer and Delfig?DM: Not very clearly, no. You’re about 50 yards away, half the width of the clearing. But you can see from their positions it is not going well.Kazimir: “We’ll give Delfig a bit more time to wag his silvered tongue, and then if it don’t work, we make it nasty and quick and sort the rest out later.” How far apart are Delfig and Meyer standing? I’m considering a shot with the sling if things start to really go south … for instance, if Herr Meyer should suddenly produce a weapon.DM: About 10 feet apart.Tiberius: The situation is not going well. “Let me give our friend Delfig some help.” I hand my weapons to my companions, so as to appear less threatening and walk toward Herr Meyer and Delfig. I’ll cast charm person as soon as I’m in range, counting on Meyer not being able to react in time.DM: Delfig will see Tiberius emerge from the trees, as he can’t help keeping a watch for the others.Delfig: Seeing Tiberius, I’ll motion him over, waving at him. “See, there is my assistant now. Helmut! Over here!”DM: Herr Meyer is now keeping his eyes on both Delfig and Tiberius. He will speak to Delfig.Herr Meyer: “I rent from the Baron von Asper. This is HIS land.”Delfig [to Meyer]: “Ah, my apologies. I was under the impression that Herr Mizer and you were in negotiations regarding the status of this land.”Herr Meyer: “Who in the name of Moses is Herr Mizer?”Delfig: I hold back my instinct to do a doubletake. “Herr Meyer, Johann Mizer is a merchant of no small reputation in Dachau. It was my understanding that you and he were negotiating for the use of this land. Are you saying that you deal directly with the Baron?”DM: To remind Delfig, Mizer’s words at the beer garden were, “...an arrangement has been made and a silversmith is to be ousted from his rented property a few miles out of town, so that it will be put under Mizer’s ownership.”Herr Meyer: “Of course with the Baron. I have no idea who this Mizer individual is.”DM: Tiberius should consider himself close enough now to join the conversation.Tiberius: “It doesn’t matter whether you know him or not,” I say impatiently. “He knows you, and you’re on his land. That needs to be corrected. Take any grievances you have with your patron, but you will leave here today.” I signal for the others to approach.
The signal is seen by those in the trees, resulting in action from the remaining two characters.
Anshelm: I sigh as I see Tiberius motion the group forward. “Well, we’d best present a united front, eh, friends?” I say, replacing my sling from my belt pouch and unsheathing my sword.Kazimir: I advance with Anshelm. I have put my sling back on my belt, and am carrying my club and shield. I don’t have them raised yet.
As they begin to move, the tension between Delfig, Tiberius and Herr Meyer escalates.
Herr Meyer: “What? What are you talking about?”Tiberius: “I mean that you, your wife, your children, everyone, have been to commanded to leave on the authority of the owner of this land, Herr Mizer. If you do not do so, there will be consequences.”DM: Meyer will back up, putting ten feet between himself and Delfig or Tiberius. “Where is your writ of seizure?”Delfig: At Tiberius’s words, I hold up my hands. “Now, we don’t need to be so hasty, good Helmut. I’m sure Herr Meyer here is a reasonable man and doesn’t need to be threatened so.”Tiberius: Did we ever get one from Herr Mizer?DM: No, you never got one from Mizer.Tiberius: Then I will pull my writ of passage from my backpack, relying on the fact that silversmith cannot read. Either way, I will say, “See? We have the right of law on our side, Herr Meyer.”DM: Meyer might be willing to step forward to see Tiberius’ writ of passage – but more likely he would insist on you opening it up and showing it. However, just then he sees Anshelm and Kazimir coming over the hill, armed. Meyer leaps and runs towards the woods.Tiberius: I curse. I shout over at Anshelm and Kazimir, to run after Meyer. I turn to Delfig. “Let’s go and secure the wife and children. Perhaps we can use them to force Meyer to be reasonable.”Delfig: I look at Tiberius sourly. “Excellent job. Now you’ve scared him away. I’m not going to ‘secure’ women and children, and to suggest that is abhorrent.”I take off running after Meyer. “Wait! Do not let my associates scare you away. We mean you no harm!”Anshelm: Gah, why’d I pull out the sword?! I’m face-palming for real right now. I curse and run to cut off Meyer’s escape.DM: Delfig is fairly close on Meyer’s heels, perhaps twenty-five feet behind. Meyer jumps through a patch of hawthorn bushes and goes cutting off between the trees, making no attempt to look back over his shoulder at the house. He pays no attention to Delfig. His path is straight as an arrow.The terrain and vegetation, as I said, is full of deadfall and quite dense, but Meyer’s path is fairly open, suggesting that a patch of the forest has been managed. At any rate, Delfig has a little trouble keeping up only because Delfig is in leather armor, while Meyer is unarmored.By the time Anshelm is able to reach the edge of the woods, he has no idea where either Delfig or Meyer is.Anshelm: I curse and sheathe my blade. “Well, at least we’ve got five gold to show for our troubles,” he says.DM: Kazimir pulls up behind Anshelm, in the same circumstance. Both have no idea where Delfig and Herr Meyer are.Tiberius: Having no weapon, I will stay where I am.Anshelm: “Tiberius, where’d they go!?”DM: To clarify, Tiberius is some thirty yards away, having remained by the house, while Anshelm and Kazimir ran to the edge of the homestead clearing before losing track of Delfig and Meyer. Let’s say Tiberius can barely hear Anshelm’s question.
As the realization that they’ve lost track of their friend, let us leave Anshelm, Kazimir and Tiberius behind for a moment, and follow Delfig as he chases Herr Meyer.
Delfig: Can I put on a burst of speed and tackle him?DM: You’re having trouble just keeping up!Delfig: At some point, I’m going to realize that I’m not not going to catch him.DM: Saying that, as Delfig is about to give up, both he and Herr Meyer burst into a small clearing, about eighteen feet across. Between two trees in the clearing is a cross-pole, about seven feet off the ground, which has hanging on it a line of rabbit skins, long dried out. Meyer leaps for the pole, sweeps off the skins and turns to face Delfig, holding the pole like a quarterstaff.Delfig: I draw my sword and drop into a fighting stance. “Herr Meyer, I do not wish to kill you, or even harm you. My companion was too overbearing and intent on fulfilling a task that I do not agree with. Please, let’s talk before we have to shed blood.”DM: Apparently, Meyer is too concerned about his family to have a chat. Roll initiative.Delfig: I grab dice and roll a 3.DM: Meyer rolls a 5, winning initiative. He attacks with his quarterstaff, rolling a d20 and missing.Delfig: “Scheiß!” I turn and run, yelling out for help.
The sound carries through the forest, so that the rest of the party hears Delfig cry out. It should be understood that the sound is too far for Tiberius to have heard it.
Anshelm: I take off toward the sound of Delfig’s voice.Kazimir: I will hesitate for a second, look to see if Tiberius is coming, and then head after Anshelm.Tiberius: Not without weapons.DM: Within just three combat rounds, Anshelm and Kazimir will see Delfig running towards them, alone.Kazimir: I will call out to Delfig.Delfig: Once I see that Herr Meyer isn’t in pursuit, I’ll stop and catch my breath. “I chased the smith to a clearing a short ways behind me. He grabbed a stave and swung at me. I don’t know if he’s skilled or not, but he showed no fear at me holding a sword. With the three of us, he might be more easily dealt with or negotiated with. However, he might also have run the other way. I think we should approach cautiously and slowly, to see if he’s still there or run away again.”Anshelm: “Just lovely,” I say. I agree with Delfig.Kazimir: “Wait a minute, lads ... I have a point of discussion to bring up. Something is amiss with our having no writ of seizure. Perhaps we need to re-evaluate the situation before we try to confront Meyer again. I think we’re played for fools by Herr Mizner.”Delfig: I’m still sucking wind after that long chase, and then flight. “He certainly did not seem as I had pictured him when Mizer sent us to rout out a ‘silversmith’. He almost shoved his stave up my nose. I can still hear the whistle.“Herr Meyer’s a Jew, for one thing. You know what that means. He claims to be renting from the Baron and that he has no clue of Herr Mizer or any arrangement. We have no writ and now we look more like thugs, which gives Meyer a reason to distance himself from us. Mizer spoke of an arrangement, but I don’t know any more than that.”I’ll pause for a minute to see if Meyer comes back through the woods.“Well, he either is off to get help, or he’s waiting for us to make the next move. Safety in numbers. We should go back and investigate the house and shop.”Anshelm: “It does appear we’ve been played for fools. Mizer certainly knew what he was dealing with when we asked him for work.” A bit dejected, I look at my companions. “We have to try to right this situation somehow, to keep our skins if nothing else. So: are we with Mizer or Meyer? Myself, my sympathies lie with the smith.”DM: There’s no sign of Herr Meyer; however, for Tiberius’ benefit, there is now smoke rising from the chimney of the house.Anshelm: “Well, let’s not stand here waiting for the ‘beets’ to get us. I doubt we’d be able to speak with Frau Meyer at this point. Do we just wait for the smith to return?”Delfig: “Let’s rejoin our friends and see what they have found.” I head back to the farmhouse.Anshelm: I nod and follow Delfig.Delfig: When we rejoin Tiberius, I’ll relate the same info from before: the smith backed me up with a stave and I wasn’t ready to fight someone who might be better prepared than we thought. I’ll point to the Star of David and note that we seem to have stumbled into something way over our heads. “So, do we remain here and perhaps face a mob of angry Jews or do we hide in the trees and skulk about a bit to see what occurs? Or do we check out the mill? If we agree to pull back, let’s at least get into the trees a bit away before we discuss where to go next.”Kazimir: “Maybe travelling to Augsburg just now would be good. We should lay low until we can get this figured out.”Anshelm: I nod in agreement with Delfig. “Kazimir, I believe you’ve mentioned the only option available to us at this point: lie low.” Scratching an itch, I continue. “I’ve no idea what motives lie behind this misadventure, and could care less to be truthful, but I will not risk my life for one such as Mizer. And we’re past being able to reason with Meyer.” With a sardonic smile, I finish, “We’ve been looking for a way out of Dachau for some time now. It appears that we’ve been granted our wish.”Delfig: I am now overtly moving away from the house and into the woods, motioning to the others to follow. “We can explain later, if needs be. I agree, we need to be cautious and make sure we’re not pursued ... let’s get going, NOW!”Anshelm: “You’re right, best to move now.”Delfig: I will move along the track back towards the main road for a few minutes then move off to the left and find a decent spot to rest a minute and discuss.Anshelm: I follow.Tiberius: I agree with lying low for now. I move with the rest of the party.
Taking steps to bring the party together again, at last, Anshelm, Delfig, Kazimir and Tiberius meet Josef, climbing up the other side of the rise, to the point where everyone can see the homestead below – where before the party waited, while Delfig went to talk to Frau Meyer. Josef seems flushed and anxious. Quickly, the party makes Josef aware of the high points of what has happened, explaining that they’ve made a terrible mistake with approaching the Homestead too aggressively.
DM: While talking to Josef, Delfig catches sight of Herr Meyer crossing his front yard and entering the mill, opening a door near the waterwheel, presumedly informing the rest of the party.Josef: I run to shouting distance of the house, keeping an eye on the windows for signs of attack. If I see any, I’ll stop. When I’m close enough, I shout, “A man in Dachau, named Johann Mizer, wishes ill of you! He would have had us come to kill you! We are sorry to have troubled you – we will never trouble you again!”Herr Meyer [from inside the mill]: “If you are sincere, throw aside your weapons and step away from them.”Delfig: I listen. I’ll take a glance at the woods, to see if there’s anyone who might be watching from the woods, as Meyer’s ally. If it seems safe, then I’ll move to join Josef.Josef: I toss my weapons five or six feet, towards the mill. “We don’t know what his motives were. He hired us as ruffians.”Delfig: I glance at the rest of the party and see if they are of a similar mind to disarm. I’ll toss my weapons out of immediate reach, but close enough that I can grab them at a run.
As other members of the party speak as if they had followed Delfig, we will treat them as though that was the case.
Anshelm: If I see the others do so, I carefully set my sword on the grass and move to stand by Josef.DM: You see Herr Meyer emerge from the shop, and stand about twenty yards away from Josef and the others, including Tiberius and Kazimir. Herr Meyer will be carrying four war hammers. He drops two in the grass at his feet, but continues to hold one in each hand. He will suggest that Kazimir and Tiberius also disarm themselves.Tiberius: “I don’t have any weapons.” I gave them to Kazimir, to hold for me.Herr Meyer: “I’m waiting.”Anshelm [eyes on Meyer]: “Kazimir, weapons down, man!”Kazimir: I will also disarm.Herr Meyer [to Tiberius]: “You. What made you think you had the right to threaten me or my family? Who is this merchant you mentioned? This supposed landlord of this property?”Tiberius: I shrug. “All I know is what my employer told me. He told me to deliver the news to the current occupant and to see that he leaves. If my words threatened you, it is because I am a zealous worker.Herr Meyer: And this Johann Mizer sent you to push me off my land, which I rent from my Lord the Baron. Without papers! I do not recognize your authority. Why would it not be the Baron himself? With armed guards and his written seal?”Tiberius: Very well. You are correct, we do not have a writ of seizure. I had hoped to trick you earlier, because I had believed you to be a simpleton. It is apparent that this is not the case. And that you are a man that is not easily intimidated.” I eye the warhammers. “Still, we have our job, although it seems some of us are less than enthusiastic about it. Divided as we are, it seems we will be unable to complete it.”Herr Meyer: “Then I suggest you return to your employer and tell him that you’ve failed. Get off my land.”Anshelm: I clear my throat. “Herr Meyer, we’ve little inclination to return to our employer. To be honest, we had little heart for removing a man from his rightful lands. And it’s clear that Mizer played us for fools, and played us well, at that! I tell you, it leaves a foul taste in my mouth, and I’d like nothing more than a chance to return his insult.Delfig: I nod in response to Anshelm’s speech.Anshelm: “I would think that, even if we were to leave and never return to Dachau, Mizer would try again to remove you from your home. Perhaps there is benefit in our working together against a common enemy.”Herr Meyer: “What can you show me that I may trust your word?”Delfig: “There is probably very little we can show you something to prove our word, and you have every right to be suspicious of us. You have only our actions, in that we’ve agreed to lay down our weapons, and the fact that we’re telling you all this, to perhaps assist you. We do not understand what is going on here, aside from that your ouster and the deaths of an apparently innocent Innkeeper seem a bit too coincidental. Our fates are sealed. We are unable to return to Dachau now. What would you have us do to prove our word?”
