Goodspeed's Good Men Episode 4

As Decent As I Want To Be (Keith GM, 8/21/2013)

On the road out of Rellin, things are somber. Mourning the apparent sacrifice of his friend, Manthwe is trying to piece everything together. After getting Manthwe up to speed, and informing him of Palanir's intention for everyone to meet at Kalais' mansion, he seems to understand the gravity of the situation.

"The one thing I can't figure out…is how you guys got into this mess? Why did you guys leave home to get involved in this?"

Door or Window stares at Goodspeed. "Well. 500 gold traveling fee. 2500 gold group provisions. 270 gold from Griswaldian deadbeats. 120 gold from hooker thieving. 600 gold from Thomas throwing a fight. 300 gold from a Seaside toll. Those are about the only reasons I have for leaving our town unprotected."

Abraham interjects. "We were promised protection for our city."

"From who?"

A smile comes across Abraham's face, as though he doesn't realize the stupidity of what he is about to say. "The Silver Scale"

Manthwe scoffs. He looks at August. "So just how many of the Scale are left?"

Door or Window adds to the discussion "Six…seven?"

August defends his organization. "We're recruiting."

Wanting to change the conversation away from the hornet's nest he stirred, Manthwe asks his next question. "So am I the last you guys have to retrieve?"

Abraham immediately interjects that they still have to retrieve Wrothgar. Manthwe rolls his eyes.

"Can you think of any reason Palanir would want us to retrieve Wrothgar? From what we've heard you two are a bit at odds…"

"Wrothgar probably isn't what Palanir is after, though it's hard to tell with him. He plays things long term. What he likely is after is the men that are still with Wrothgar. They're in a camp in the Mountains of Misplacement, and have been since the war."

Manthwe marks on Thomas' map where the refugee camp is.

"It isn't hard to find. They've created their own small little kingdom up in the mountains. But be cautious around Wrothgar. After our defeat in Thedra's chambers, he became very distant. He believe he has the view to set Dorthone, and the eastern part of this land, back on the right track. If he believe you to be any sort of threat to his vision, he may strike at you before you know what is going on."

He then points to Thomas. "And I would leave your orc friend outside of the camp. His presence alone may provoke the wrath out of Wrothgar."

With that he departs, heading back to Kalais' mansion.


The forested foothills of the Mountains of Misplacement know tragedy. They have seen countless refugees, trying to escape war or famine, plague or natural disaster. Navigating the hills isn't the easiest task. It's not difficult, but it is easy to lose both your way and your footing if not careful.

Coming into a valley, you realize you have found yourself in the aftermath of what appears to be a large battle. There are several dead orc bodies, bearing a standard of a glittering golden grin. No elves are found at the sight of the battle. The party finds two path, a small amount of tracks leading to the northwest, and a large group that has heading to the southwest.

Heading to the northwest, the group approaches the refugee camp. Thomas attempts (and fails) to hide, while Door or Window draws a line in the dirt. "WROTHGAR! We have some paperwork for you!"

Several elves draw weapons and shout at the party. "WE WANT NO TROUBLE! YOU HAVE WHAT YOU CAME FOR…PLEASE JUST LET US LEAVE WITH WHAT LITTLE WE HAVE LEFT!"

An elderly woman will appear as the party approaches. August notices that the men holding weapons likely have no business drawing swords.

The woman identifies herself as the current leader of the Refugees, Maewen. "This is all that remains of the refugees of Dorthone. We are fleeing to the north."

"What was taken from you?" Door or Window asks.

"Our King. Wrothgar rode out on the field of battle to confront his pursuers. He fell in battle. Two scouts made it back, and said that though they did not see his ultimate fate, they did see the orcs capturing the rest of the elves."

"Did he have any paperwork that might have his signature, or mark? Like battle orders, or a letter?"

"Wrothgar wasn't much on writing."

Maewen, after initial trepidation after hearing the group was sent by the Silver Scale (Whom she regards as worthless) or the Col'm Shar (Who she is also disgusted by), escorts the group to Wrothgar's nearly empty tent.

The group then makes their plans. Abraham and Thomas will head to the orc camp to try to rescue Wrothgar, or at least scope out the scenario. And August and Door or Window shall head back to Kalais' mansion, to gather the Col'm Shar.

Except they have no intention of going to Kalais' mansion. At least, not until they stop in Jesnic to check on the city.


Going back to the battlefield, Thomas quickly grabs an orc uniform, and dresses Abraham in one of the Dorthonian uniforms, with a broken bow, binding his hands with the manacles that Colour was bound with.

They follow the trail on horseback, reaching the edge of the forest where the orcish camp is. It's a large camp, with a large wooden fence that defends the compound. Two guards are posted at the entrance.

"If anyone asks, your name is Manthwe."

Approaching the guards, the orcs look suspicious. "You're lagging behind. Where'd you get the elf?"

Abraham starts yelling in Elvish.

"Got one trying to run away. He needs to go in with Wrothgar."

"That elf is a special prisoner. All of the other elves go into the pits."

"You don't understand, this is Manthwe. Of the Col'm Shar"

Abraham continues to yell in Elvish. The orc stares him down. "I thought he would be taller. Weird. Wrothgar is in the Chieftain's hut."

Inside the camp the atmosphere is that of a large party. The orcs are too busy drinking and fighting to notice Thomas and Abraham. The orcs have dug a large pit in the center of the camp, and are crowded around it cheering and wagering. Currently in the pit is an elf, one of Wrothgar's men, trying to fight off a pair of Worg with a large stick. There is a crude blacksmith, and a large pen that the worg are kept in. Along the north wall are a set of pits that are covered in large logs, being used to house the prisoners. There is one room that appears to actually have a door, that appears locked.

Every so often, a chant will ring out. "DA GOLDTEETH WILL RISE!"

Thomas attempts to get into the room, but can't get past the lock. One of the guards, who was previous occupied by the fighting, notices Thomas and Abraham. "EH! TAKE DAT ELF TO DA PITS!"

"This elf is special. He's Col'm Shar! Boss said to put him in here."

"WHY DIDN'T YA SAY SO!" The orc unlocks the door. Thomas immediately kicks him into the room, and slams the door shut. After a quick scuffle, Thomas quickly kills the guard, and undoes Abraham's bindings.

Inside the building is a simple room, that appears to be the hall of the chieftain of the orcs. There is a giant banner of a glittering, orcish grin on the back wall, and a pair of chests along the wall. In ther center of the room is an Elf. He is in rags, chained face down to a large table. His face hangs over the table, where a cauldron is brewing, forcing the steam into his face. Thomas detects the smell of poppy.

They quickly free Wrothgar, and Thomas takes a flask of the poppy milk. But now they have no way to get out. Abraham offers to provide a distraction. Grabbing the banner and lighting it on fire, he rushes north, to the pits, causing most of the orcs to chase after him.

Abraham quickly lights the logs closing off the pits on fire. One elf succumbs to the flames, but the rest manage to make it out. Handing off whatever spare weaponry he has to some of the elves, Abraham makes a rousing speech."Today I offer you freedom or death. Either is better than this." With the orcs closing in, Abraham and the elves make their final stand…


Fleeing the camp with Wrothgar, Thomas makes it back to his horse. Feeding Wrothgar the entire bottle of Poppy milk, he begins to make his way toward Muscle Tower to claim the bounty himself. But drums are sounding in the camp. And orcish riders have discovered Wrothgar's disappearance.

After a long chase, the worgs bring the orc chieftain, Rubi Snarltooth, close enough to drop Thomas's horse. The worgs immediately begin to feast.

Thomas quickly brings one of the orcs down, but the Chieftain hits a crushing blow with his great axe to Thomas's midsection.

"You have something that belongs to me…"

The chieftain smiles, revealing a glistening grin.

After a long skirmish, Thomas slays the orcs. He breaths a sigh of relief…before the worgs rise up from their meal to rush Thomas.

A pair of arrows cut down two of the worgs, but the third, the chieftain's worg, leads over Wrothgar, whom Thomas had put between himself and the worgs. It gnash into Thomas's shoulder, pinning him to the ground.

Desperate, and near death, Thomas reaches for a dagger on his belt. Barely reaching it, he raises it up, and guts the final worg.

Wounded and without a horse, Thomas picked up Wrothgar, the mighty warrior, and began to make his way out of the forest with drums beating, and the sound of more worgs beginning to pour out of the camp.


Arriving in Jesnic, the first thing August and Door or Window notice is a large cart filled with bodies. Roughly 20, human soldiers…men that August and Door or Window have never seen before.

Walking into town, empty casks litter the street. Door or Window decides to head to house. While walking through the streets, he feels himself being nervously watched by the town's residents. One will come out, Tucker, the town blacksmith. He cries out "Thank god you're back! You…you were gone too long…"

Arriving at the mayor's office, August finds Mayor James Randal desperately working behind his desk.

"August…August is that you? August it was terrible. These men, soldiers, came. Said that they had been paid to guard the town. And they did! But…they couldn't stand up to them. They killed the soldiers….and they took the children. August all the children, they've been taken."

"Where did they go"

"East. This was a week ago."

"Who did this? What did they look like, how many?"

James begins to cry. "I…I don't remember."


Loot:
Wrothgar

Quotes of the Night
"Careful is my middle name." -Thomas the Decent
"I'm not the leader of the Good Men" - August, followed by "Apparently I'm not either." -Abraham
"Can I put on the orc armor, so that I smell like them?" -Abraham
"I have more intelligence than you!" -Shane

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