Gameplay 1e - The Maiden's Kiss

Gerald nods and replies, Yes we will help of course.

He scans the area looking for soldiers.

Emma will tie up and gag the remaining soldier, then see what she can find on the corpses, anything of interest? Also, what kind of weapons/armor are they carrying?

They each have a breastplate (+3 armor to torso), a Short sword (Str+d6), a dagger (Str+d4), a pistol (Range 5/10/20, Damage 2d6+1), and shot & powder (10).

"Anyone need medical assistance... well anyone else..." Ataan inquires noticing his injuries and grumbles checking the size of the men to switch out his shirt once he's done, "And you, what is your name and when was your task to be completed by? Gavrel we should do something about the bodies." he inquires mostly moving a hand in the air to mimic last rites.

Ataan eyes the spoils, "I wonder how you take those apart..." he mutters eyeing the pistol.

"Finally, a pistol!" Emma exclaims. Anyone mind if I take one of these, along with the shot and powder?". She then looks at her dagger, and back at the guard's shortsword, "Or one of these..." and picks it up to replace her dagger. She mulls over the breastplate but feels it would encumber her too much.

Emma looks over Helga as well, seeing if she needs any medical assistance

Ataan can also roll a Wild Die on that healing check before we resolve it.

Gerald is thinking about the breastplate but is otherwise good because of his boss Wheelock.

Ataan removes one Wound, and Emma finishes the job. That takes twenty minutes so by that time, the girl Helga had settled to your presence.

When you're ready, Helga leads you to her house, and her father rushes out and embraces her.

"Child!" he cries. "I told you never to go out in the day! When I heard the soldiers were seen nearby I feared the worst. Praise to God for delivering you safely to me."

Helga breaks the hold and gestures toward you. "Were it not for these brave travelers, I would have been on my way to... well, they saved me, but in doing so killed the soldiers."

"Bah!" spits Helga’s father. "May the Devil take his own with speed. Please," he gestures toward his house, "join us for something to eat. We are not rich, but we can offer hospitality."

Over a simple meal of bread, cheese, and cold meat, Helga’s father, Klaus, explains that the region is gripped by terror.

"The villages around these parts were normal once," he sighs. "Yes, we were poor, but we had our freedom. Then the Devil’s Mistress began taking girls. At fi rst we thought it was a blessing, for the soldiers told us the girls would be trained as servants. A lowly post to people such as yourselves, perhaps, but the money we were paid could feed us for an entire year.

That was five years ago. We tried to arrange visits to see our daughters, but we were always refused. Then the next year the soldiers took more girls, and more the next. Last year they stopped paying us, taking our children by force.

We began hiding our girls, but the soldiers burned down houses and killed livestock until we revealed where they were. Now we send our children away, to the town. Helga here refused to leave me, her poor, old papa."

What a terrible thing to be happening. And for so many years!

Emma's blood is boiling upon hearing the tale. She takes a deep breath and goes to take a swig from her flask, but it's empty. "Who is this Devil's Mistress? And why does she need girls and children?

Any time the Devil’s Mistress is mentioned, all present cross themselves repeatedly and mutter hurried prayers for deliverance.

Klaus can't tell you what she is other than the hereditary noble for this land. She lives in a castle on a nearby mountain. Neither she nor her ancestors were known for cruelty until this past five years and the demand for daughters.

"I see she has stricken your courage and filled you with fear. We will look into this mistress and get your daughters back if we can. First though, does anyone have any whiskey to fill this with?" as she points at her flask.

Klaus will see you your flask, filling out with a crude whiskey.

Did you want to rest overnight before calling on this Devils Mistress? What are you doing with your prisoner? Klaus could quietly see him hanged if you leave him in the hands of his fatherly fury.

"Who knows what dangers await, best to be well-rested and prepare beforehand. I say we stay the night. As for the guard, he deserves whatever justice is meted out to him, by you Klaus."

The night passes with only one incident: around midnight, you hear a scream, which is then choked off. Klaus returns to the house and drinks quietly by himself. In the morning, his haunted eyes greet you and after a quiet supper, you saddle your horses and he leads to to the castle of the Devils Mistress.

The castle is a vast brooding edifice cast in near-permanent shadow by the mountain on which it sits. Klaus says that he’ll wait at the foot of the mountain to guide you back, but is very scared and will not willingly go closer.

You can approach the main gate, but there is no easy way to sneak in. Castles are purposefully made to forestall such efforts.

Gerald walks around the man gate and looks in between the bars, scanning within and all around the outside looking for a possible entrance. Perhaps they can find a way over the gate or another way in. He does have a rope and a grappling hook.