Waking up the morning after their battle with the sea serpent, the party is treated to a misty fog along the water.
Looking about where their travels could take them next, Kristov takes out his spyglass and scans the shoreline. The only thing of note he sees is the burnt remains of a small city.
“If we have time and are interested, we could check out those ruins,” Kristov says. “Maybe some valuables are left behind, or information on other settlements.”
Coming out of his hold, Capt. Sertold scoffs and says, “You’ll naught find anything but woe and bandits in the remains of Falender.”
The trader regales the party with what he knows of the sad city. According to legend, it was a neutral ground between the Aslenes and the Ailanders. It was prosperous for a time, but then Zygofer’s son, Zertome, raised an army to drive out the Ailander warlords controlling Moldena and Margelda.
While the campaign was successful, the people of Falender bore the price. The routed soldiers became bandits and burned the town to the ground. The captain says only squatters and thugs remain.
“However,” Sertold says. “Meroggha and I need to make repairs to the ship. You have two days to find what you can in Falender. I’ll be leaving on the morning of the third day.”
Breaking out a rawhide canoe, Sertold helps the party into the water and watches as they paddle to shore. The four adventurers and wolf soon find themselves in the burnt-out remains of a small fishing village. They reckon it’s on the outskirts of the larger settlement.
Jabbles the Goblin scouts ahead, and to his delight, finds a well. He insists that a secret entrance could be there but hears nothing but a splash when he drops pebbles into the well.
“They must have filled the well with water to stop people from traveling down it! We should find another town with a well!” Jabbles says.
Faus spies a graveyard to the south of the village and encourages his companions to head there.
“If you guys want to spend some time here, I could raise us an army of the undead,” Faus. “I can also speak with the dead if we’d like some more information.”
Jabari walks away in disgust as he sees Faus begin to dig up the unmolested graves.
“Why are you so weird?” the wolfkin asks.
The strange rat-wizard responds with a shrug, “You can’t let a good corpse go to waste.”
Faus gathers plenty of bones for his spells and discovers five silver coins and a well-preserved riding crop from the graves.
Leaving the graveyard, the adventurers start poking through the nearby homes. They don’t find much, but Kristov eventually finds a scorched book with writings about Falender.
One passage reads:
ONWARD TO THE SEA
The Aslene soon mixed their blood with that of the Ailanders. Settlers made their way east to the plains of Moldena and Margelda, which are suitable for horses and livestock. There they founded the wooden city Falender, which now lies in burnt ruins. There were already a few fishing villages around Anger Bay, populated by people who moved into the area from the north. Still, the meeting between the two peoples was peaceful since both sides could benefit from and use the other’s skills and knowledge.
The last passage he could salvage read:
FALENDER IS BURNED
After being gone for ten years, it was said that Zygofer’s son, Zertorme, turned to the Elven- spring in Vivend and offered them his services as well as information about his father and his secrets. Once this rumor spread, many humans from Harga joined Zertorme. In return for participating in the purge of the Alderland warlords ravaging the plains, they were given land on the plains of Margelda. Margelda was liberated, but many soldiers from the west remained as bandits in the area, and they burned the wooden city of Falender to the ground before they dispersed.
Growing board with dusty remains and no treasure, Jabari ambles up a small hill to the village’s largest home. Throwing the door open wide, he’s met with the business end of a halberd and the war cry of an Ailander.
Hearing the war cry, other attacks soon shoot arrows and slash out from the windows in the ruined homes. The party is beset on all sides by unseen assailants.
Jabari and the spearman are locked in mortal combat as Faus huffs and puffs his way up the hill. Meanwhile, Kristov and Jabbles burst into a home and find the bowman. Kristov smashes the bowman’s head in with his hammer.
Hearing his wolf yelp, Jabbles races outside to see a man with a club smacking Jango.
“Stay away from my wolf!!” Jabbles yells. In a furious volley of attacks, he succeeds in digger his spear into the man’s belly.
Jabari and the spearman trade several attacks before the wolfkin finally finds purchase between the bandit’s chainmail links. Plunging his sword deep into his victim’s side, Jabari roars with satisfaction.
Just moments later, Faus rounds the corner and casts a fearsome spell at the bandit. The strange sorcerer reaches out with his hands and drains the spearman’s life.
“You’re not gonna steal my heart because I’ll steal yours!” Faus says with glee.
However, the bandits weren’t out of surprises. Bursting out from the brush, a swordswoman screams and swings her longsword at Faus. The blow slices open his ear and drops him to the ground in agony.
Turning to face her, Jabari trades blows with the woman, but he quickly overpowers her. Driving his sword into her belly, the wolfkin howls in victory. The swordswoman gasps in pain but manages to get away from the wolfkin warrior. She calls out to her fellows to flee as she runs into the city.
Irritated, Jabari turns to Faus and says, “Thanks for destroying that guy’s heart, sorry about the ear.” All Faus can do is moan in response.
Down in the village’s central part, Kristov and Jabbles make short work of one bandit. Hearing the swordswoman’s call to run away, the remaining pair try one last desperate attack before taking to their heels.
Not to be outdone by Jabari, Kristov tackles one of the thugs and takes him prisoner. Meanwhile, Jabbles mounts Jango, and they gallop after the remaining attacker.
With a cry of, “This is for Faus, you son of a bitch!” The goblin plunges his spear into the bandit’s head, killing him instantly.
With the battle over, Kristov leaves their prisoner with Jabbles and races to Faus’ side. The old trader does his best, but the magic user’s wounds seem beyond his skill…
JesseFolk.com 