"We're looking for information about a sword. We were of the understanding that you possess that information, as you once possessed the sword."
Zack nods to confirm his allies statement and continues. "It is of Tian make, and we believe you may have purchased it long ago."
Indeed, Miso agrees. This blade had a name: Suishen.
He pours the party mugs of warm ale and orders his servants to bring out bread from the kitchen. "Ah! Of course! Suishen! So unfortunate-only a few weeks ago a band of masked, black-suited thieves broke in and stole my prize possession. I wasn't at home at the time but several of my servants were killed in the robbery. I used to keep it above the hearth there; perhaps that was unwise of me but I was too proud of it to lock it up. One of my servants was still alive and able to tell me what had happened. The only description he could give was that one of the masked intruders was much taller than the others and seemed to be in charge. I reported the event to the watchmen but nothing ever came of it; there just wasn't enough to go on for them to find a lead."
"Since you seem to be interested I will make you an offer though. Other than as a trophy that has collected dust for five decades, I never used the old sword much. I tried to carry and wield it in my younger days ut everyone it gave me an uncomfortable feeling and I'm not too concerned about getting it back at this point. However, it was my property and the bastards did kill some of my beloved servants. I'm old and have no heirs to leave it to when I die and under our traditions I'm entitled to a weregild from the perpetrator. But since no weregild has been offered, I'm entitled to pursue blood vengeance against those who wronged me."
"If you can discover who perpetrated this crime against me and exact blood vengeance against them to defend my honor and property rights, you can keep Suishen as my thanks. It seems you'll have more use for it than I will at this point. What do you say?"
Terflynn looks at the others and shrugs, seemingly finding it agreeable.
Miso listens to the man respectfully as he speaks. When he presents the offer, the monk considers a moment and sips his mug in contemplation before he replies.
I understand your desire for blood vengeance. Yet I worry that it will bring you no peace. Korada teaches forgiveness is the path to enlightenment; vengeance is a water vessel with a hole — it carries nothing but the promise of emptiness. Miso drops his eyes. I must confess that I myself am still but a learner, and have not approached mastery of this truth.
After a pause, he raises his head again, steeled with resolve. At the same time, those who break the law and have no respect for life are often beyond redemption. I would seek to learn if this is the case for this individual. I cannot speak for my companions, but I for one am willing to accept your offer.
"Excellent!" the old man says. "I'll be glad to know that the thieves are getting what's coming to them and that someone else will be to use and enjoy Suishen after I die."
He begins to stand up but then sits back down with a far-away look in his eyes. "Ah! I've just remembered something. When my beloved servant was dying, he mumbled a few words absentmindedly. I thought nothing of them at the time. Something about 'paying the lion's due'. There's a local ring-giver named Asvig Longthews who is known to have a stylized lion's head in his personal runes. I have no reason to suspect Asvig though. Maybe his words mean something else. But nonetheless they just came to me and I thought you ought to know."
"Maybe we should try speaking with him then. Thank you for your information, and sorry about the loss of your staff." Zack responds to their host.
Asvig's farm lies a 2-hour walk southeast of the city in an area of lightly forested and marshy hills. Like many of the steadings in the area, Asvig's farm is a fortified house of sod and stone with several sheds and outbuildings for mounts, tools, and animals.
Miso asks around about Asvig. He is a landowner of some note who was given his nickname Longthews from the fact that he is extremely tall. In addition to his wife, he has around seventeen followers who live on his property with him.
We have some business to conduct with him, and would like to know what sort of person he is. Is this man trustworthy? Do you consider him a good person?
"Aye, he's respectable enough. His band sure believes in him and they keep t' themselves." an old man at the inn replies. "They run their own little farm and pasture with a meetin' hall an' all. Right traditional clan, they are."
Jennix listens quietly.
His band? I am afraid I do not understand what you mean by that.
"His band, his men, his clan. They've got a traditional meeting-hall-like and live off the land. They follow him and he leads them. 'Bout seventeen o' them or so last I recall. They come into town for supplies now and then and Asvig does some business now and then, trading and bartering. But mostly they stick to their camp."
Ah, now I understand. This is his perhe, to use the words of my people: his chosen family. Please forgive my ignorance.
The party approaches the front of the meeting hall. A tall, well-built Ulfen man answers the door and takes one look at you before turning his head over his shoulder and shouting something.
He then reaches for his battleaxe as you hear the scraping of benches behind him and the movement of many more people.
"Well, I can't understand them, but this reaction makes me think we came to the right place." Zack comments on the unprovoked hostile actions of the other party while retrieving his own bow.
Miso's eyes narrow as an Ulfen answers the door, then he repeats the Skald words as he moves forward. It seems we are expected, then.
Miso will activate Arcane Strike, then five-foot and flurry on the Ulfen who answered the door.
We should maintain our place in this doorway.
Terflynn casts Mage Armor upon himself.
"Perhaps this was just a misunderstanding..." he muses as he prepares to unleash arcane fury.
With two quick punches Miso takes down the man at the door! Terflynn covers himself in mage armor.
---
The Ulfen warriors grab their battleaxes and move to defend the door of their meeting hall!
Terflynn pulls a shard gel from his pack and tosses it into the doorway.
Miso will five-foot back, draw his wand of scorching ray, and ready to fire it at the first Ulfen who steps into the doorway square.
Terflynn covers the entrance with needle-like shards of solidified sludge!
Miso readies his wand.
Zack fires around the monk at the man nearest the doorway.
Jennix fires an arrow at one of the Ulfens.
Watching the arrow hit home, he says. "By the gods, there's an entire ship's worth in there, eh?"
"Unfortunately it doesn't look like we have the option of sinking them." Zack comments sarcastically as he draws another arrow.
Without looking back, Miso states coldly, I plan on sinking them all, my friend.
Zachary puts two arrows into one of the men and takes him down!
Jennix then puts an arrow into another. And as that man moves for the doorway, Miso sends a jet of flame to finish him off!
---
Four of the men hurl throwing axes at the party!
---
Two other men easily step over the shards that Terflynn left behind, their shoes protecting them from damage! They swing their battleaxes at the two frontliners!
The other men make for the back room to come around from the outside while you hear a bellowing from within; likely Asvig himself has come out to join the fight.
Terflynn places a hex upon Miso's attacker, causing his eyelids to become heavy.
He then draws something resembling a tin can with a fuse.
Miso will activate Arcane Strike again, then flurry on U16 if Terflynn's hex worked, or on U15 if it did not.
Jennix curses as he is hit by the Ulfen's axe. "Ooof! That wasn't very friendly!"
Dropping his bow, he draws his rapier and stabs at the man.
Terflynn tries to hex one of the men but he shakes it off.
Miso then punches the man in the gut!
Jennix pulls out his rapier but it bounces off the man's armor.
Zack fires another pair of arrows into the doorway before stepping back and preparing for the flank.
With a well-placed arrow, Zachary takes down the man in front of Miso!
---
One of the men wades through the spikes without harming himself. He draws a battleaxe along the way to join his companion in the front line.
The others continue to hurl throwing axes from behind.
The rest of the Ulfen warriors move around to approach the party from the outside. Asvig and his wife Helva move closer and prepare themselves for battle.
"Grrr, this is getting ridiculous!" Jennix says as he takes another blow from the axe.
Jennix then lashes out with his rapier and hand axe.