Wild Coast, Elredd, In front of Hammer and Anvil, Less than an hour after sunrise.
The party has just been evicted from their rooms at the Hammer and Anvil by a frightened innkeeper. Tellius goes back inside to ask the innkeeper to recommend an alternate inn. He directs Tellius to the Three Legged Dog a short distance down the street.
The party lug all their gear down the street to the inn. Rondo strains under the weight of his enormous pack. The streets start to fill as the cities inhabitants go about their morning business. The party enter the Three Legged Dog. As soon as the the innkeeper sees them he hurries to the door and nervously bids them good morning. When the Tellius inquires about lodgings the innkeeper informs them that no rooms are available. It is obvious that the word has been put out to shun the party.
The party decide to try another in. As they walk the streets they get the usual stares from passerbys. The party are more heavily armed and armoured than most of the people on the streets. Saab's snow barbarian clothing and and Aurin's exceptional hight add to conspicuous appearance of the party. However today the party see recognition and avoidance in the eyes of more than a few people. Jimmy is seen guiding a client. He has a black eye and pointedly ignores the party as he passes by.
The party eventually find another inn. The Broken Scythe. Lucien, the least remarkable looking of the group, is sent in alone to try and secure lodgings. Lucien is not surprised when the inn keeper tells him that "You and your friends are not welcome here."
Figuring they have little chance of securing accommodation in the city and having decided attempt a break in of the upper floor of the Broken Rudder this night the party decide to leave the city and return after dark. Hopefully the slavers will believe the party has finally be driven off and relax their guard. A pair of guards at the south gate observe the party as they leave the walled city. The party travel along the coast road for a little more than a mile before leaving the road and secluding themselves in a nearby copse of trees. Rondo sighs in relief as he unshoulders his heavy pack. He wipes the sweat from his face with the back of his hand.
The party camp in the copse until nightfall. Lucien climbs a tree to keep watch. Saab goes off to scout the immediate area to see if they have been followed. He keeps an eye out for any game to supplement their food supply. Rondo changes into his heavy armour and buries gear that he will not be taking back into the city. The day passes without incident. As night approaches they plan the attempt on the Broken Rudder.
Just after dark the group head back to the city. When they are within sight of the south gate and verify it has not been closed for the night, Lucien and Tellius split from the group and head for the shore just outside the city. The end of the city wall extends a short distance into the water. Lucien and Tellius strip from the waist down and wade around the city wall holding their gear above their head and enter the city. This party of the city is quiet after dark and the streets are practically deserted. Lucien and Tellius quickly re-dress and make their way to the dock quarter and the Broken Rudder
They approach the Broken Rudder down a dark alley that runs behind the inn. A short distance from the inn is a brothel. Customers and whores, dimly illuminated by light spilling though a door and windows, lurk in the alley at the rear of the establishment. Soft voices and laughter are heard coming from inside. Lucien and Tellius avoid the brothel and approach the rear of the Broken Rudder. The dim silhouette of a couple of patrons can be seen as they talk and piss against the back of the inn before they go inside through one of the two doors of the building.
When the rear of the inn is clear of patrons Tellius uses his magical talents to become aware of the location of persons within the building. He detects a large number of presences on the ground floor but only four presences on the upper floor. Tellius quickly directs Lucien to the window on the upper floor furthest from the occupants. Lucien deftly climbs to the shuttered window and uses the tools of his trade to lift the inside bar. His plans are thwarted when he opens the shutter to discover an iron gill set into the window. Inside, by the moonlight entering though the window he can just make out an unoccupied large room containing a small bed, table and chair, chest and wardrobe.
Lucien climbs on to the roof and begins to work the plank tiles loose with the intent of gaining access to the roof space. Tellius notices with alarm that Lucien neglected to close the shutters as he found them before moving to the roof. A moment later the familiar voice of Rondo can be heard from within the Broken Rudder booming over the noisy patrons.
After Lucien and Tellius split from the party outside the city the rest gave the pair about 20 minutes head start before they marched up to the south gate and re-entered the city. Once inside they made straight for the Broken Rudder. When they arrived Rondo entered the common room while the others loitered outside about the front door. Broken Rudder Floor Layout
Almost the instant Rondo enterer the inn a couple of men seated at a table near the foot of the stairs leading to the upper floor get to their feet and draw their broadswords. One is wearing a chain shirt the other a boiled leather breastplate. The one wearing the leather breastplate races up the stairs. Rondo calmly maneuvers himself defensively into a corner. Hoping that Lucien and Tellius are already in position Rondo executes the plan to create a distraction and shouts an accusation to all present. "Where is the dwarf that shamed my sister?!"
Afore unnoticed in a dim corner on the opposite side of the common room, a sturdy looking dwarf wearing a leather tunic lowers his tankard and rises from his seat at table. As he rises he places his tankard down and draws a shortsword from the sheath at his hip. For the briefest of moments the tavern is completely silent. With a sneer the dwarf says "Get him!"
The warrior in the chain shirt advances on Rondo as he kicks over the nearest table. Two more individuals in leather tunics distinguish themselves from the crowd by drawing their swords and advancing. The common room starts to empty as patrons rush to exit by both the front and rear doors. Rondo meets the advance of the warrior in the chain shirt with a deceptively quick strike of his war hammer that knocks his opponent to the floor with a heavy blow to the ribs. Seeing their more heavily armoured comrade felled in one blow the two henchmen hesitate.
Hearing that combat has broken out inside Saab, Aurin and Edgaar try to enter the inn but are buffeted back by the exodus of patrons. When they eventually make it inside the dwarf has made his way across the common room and joined the combat. Saab calls down the power of Telchur and blasts the dwarf with a bolt of ice that knocks him to the ground and freezes one of his feet. Aurin mumbles arcane words and spiders erupt from a crack in the floor at the feet of one of the henchmen and swarm all over him. He panics and stumbles back wards swatting at the arachnids. Edgaar moves up to subdue the fallen dwarf.
Waiting anxiously in the alleyway Tellius detects a new presence approach along the rooftops on the other side of the alley. He suspects it is the mysterious K. and is not concerned. He uses his magical ability to leap up on to the roof of the Broken Rudder startling Lucien. Soon they have breached the roof, squeezed into the roof space , breached the ceiling and slipped into the room Lucien viewed from outside. Tellius stands guard at the door while Lucien lights a candle and shutters the window. Tellius subtly check the door handle. The door is locked. They both proceed to frantically search the room for any information about the slavers operations in Elredd. The wardrobe contains dwarf sized clothing. Lucien's lock-picks make short work of an iron padlock securing a chest. Inside the chest is a book and a couple of loose sheets of parchment and a pouch of coins. Lucien grabs them and stuffs them in his tunic for later examination.