We restarted on the 5th, with your boat being loaded by the lighters and everyone assembling. Johannes was asked by Ludwig Baumann to check up on an Imperial surveyor who was carrying out a feasibility study on draining the swamp. He had reported some difficulties with the Frater and the other locals, and was slightly overdue in his last report.

Once under way, Aldhelm began to get a “funny feeling” that something was wrong. His antics just seemed ‘Jonah’-like to everyone else, and when the ship blew up it was - of course - all his fault. Did I say the ship blew up? Well, technically it caught fire. Only when you threw water on the fire it burnt ever stronger. You all immediately realised what you were dealing with. The ship sank, you managed to throw most of your equipment onto the bank, and you all drowned - or were saved by NPCs able to swim. Except for Pieter who actually sank to the bottom with his ‘float”, his large woodaxe tied to his bank, and managed to clamber along the river bed and out. Who said this wasn’t high fantasy? And it rained all the time.

You straggled back to Carroburg, only to repeat the performance the following day. Except you arrived safely. In the meantime, you visited the deranged ‘templar’,posing as Doctor Toulon, and discovered that he was terrified of dark elves - and had seen one in the city. This had sent him over the edge again. A little late, that information. If only you had visited him earlier…!

The campaign against the orcs was a bit of an anticlimax. The Imperial scouts found the orc base on the 7th and you attacked. Everyone fought quite bravely, Pieter accounting for two orcs and everyone else chipping in pretty heroically. The shaman was killed, as were a further 11 orcs. ‘Your’ losses were two on the 5th and three in this fight. “Doctor Aldhelm” assisted some minor wounds, but palpably failed on the more serious. No non-orcs were discovered.

Whilst you were waiting for the scouts to do their stuff (and Pieter ‘the scout’ did nothing to help), everyone went to assist Johannes find the surveyor. You discovered a blast radius around a pile of stones. Inside it were three skeletal remains (the surveyor, his assistant and one other). The stones were a small cairn covering a lead plug. It was obvious that one figure had touched the plug, setting off the blast. You created an ingenious plan to create a rabbit and drop it onto the plug in order to see if it would blast again. The rabbit did not set off a blast. You left the plug.

The next day Agneta and Aldhelm visited the Frater. Agneta paid for a ‘listening’, and confirmed it was her sister. She thought her sister ill, weak and drugged. No one else thought that when seeing her earlier. Aldhelm had a pleasant chat with a couple of members of the Cult. He told them about the plug and the surveyor’s demise through the blast. He learnt that only the really faithful actually pluck out their eye (no surprise there!). Both saw children in the camp, who were obviously drugged and guarded. Agneta was granted a vision by Aesholen/ Faiga.

On returning to Carroburg, Agneta attempted to enlist the aid of Master Hertwig, the Cult of Mórr and the local overlord, citing drugged children having their eyes plucked out. It has not (yet) gotten her anywhere. She learned that children under the age of 10 are not legal entities.

Aldhelm, once more as Toulon, visited the ‘Templar’s’ family again. You learned that he had committed suicide. You suspect he was murdered. Unfortunately, Doctor Toulon’s visit closely followed by the suicide had aroused suspicions. Doctor Toulon barely escaped the beadles. Aldhelm is also in debt to Captain Schnork, who did not hand him over after Aldhelm had mentioned (as Toulon) that he was working for the garrison.

You received a bounty on another ship that you found near the orc base. Aldhelm also collected a lot of souvenirs to resell. Pieter bought some more interesting items off some of the looting soldiers, and hopes to sell them on through Master Hertwig. He also bought some potent brews that were found in the camp.

It was announced on the 9th that all general warrants awarded by Carroburg City have been rescinded. A total of four ships have gone down due to “magic fire”. More unrest is occurring on the Docks. Johannes is a member of the Woodworkers Guild, Master Dietrich having foreseen this. Agneta has had lots of advice on what to do, but is currently not permitted to cast magic.

There was also more coinage trouble, as the new silver coins are anything but. Rumour blames the Grand Duke. Johannes heard it was one of his ‘advisers’.

We will restart on the morning of the 10th. You spent the rest of the 9th resting and generally recovering. You are considering taking the job mentioned by the Cult of Mórr.