Campaign

The Hunt for the Golden Crown

7-8 Kelen, 718
Real-Time: 08/28/98 Game #7

7 Kelen, 718: 2th Watch (4am to 8am)

(4am) Thunder sounded and the party awoke simultaneously. It was their watch.

They rose to a commotion in the camp. Everyone was up and moving about. Phillipus stood in the ruins of his tent, looking pale. Fennelisa found a large track and Corneilus found spoor in their camp site. Phillipus's horse was no where to be found.

Caius went to speak with the mani while Fennelisa went off to find the horse. Whatever went through the camp did so at a jog. It destroyed Phillipus's tent (tearing a hole through the other side) and tipped over the sib pot in the center of camp.

Around 6:45am, in the pre-dawn light, the tracker, Mitch, was able to get a lead on the tracks. Fennelisa found the horse and coaxed him back to camp. He was very nervous. The first tenaci was put to work cutting more stakes to fortify the enclosure. The second tenaci went with the Mani into the woods. Mitch led with Fennelisa close behind.

7 Kelen, 718: 3rd Watch (8am - 12pm)

Close on 8am, Mitch spotted something in the trees ahead and motioned the party to stop. Caius crept forward, and Fennelisa was the first to identify it. An eviscerated gargun was about 4' up in a small tree. What remained of the beast was crawling in flies. The blood was dry and the stench was just barely bearable. Phillipus ordered the area searched.

Corneilus & Caius took the left flank; Fennelisa & Mitch took the right. They found many tracks. Corneilus saw something moving in the bushes. He cast his javelin at it, and Caius got off two throwing knives before it moved away. After over an hour of searching, Phillipus called them back. Together they moved back to the encampment. Corneilus had the constant feeling they were being watched, but could find no trace of movement in the bushes.

Phillipus, after conferring with Mitch and his Milities Primi, sent one of the tenaci back to the shepherd to buy another lamb. (baa?) The lamb was tied to a steak 50' away from the encampment. The tenacus worked together to finish fortifying their encampment. One milities was always watching the sheep (baa.)

The horse placed itself in the center of the encampment and was quite content to stay there.

7 Kelen, 718: 4th Watch (12pm- 4pm)

In the middle of the afternoon (3pm), Corneilus sounded the alarm. He pointed out a golden figure on the edge of the woods. It was huge - a giant head covered in long shaggy golden fur and huge feet. It was watching the sheep. (baa?) The legionnaires lined up along the side of the encampment, and waited as the beast sniffed the air and inched forward.

After an hour of waiting, the beast leapt at the sheep (baa!) and killed it with a single blow. The legionnaires threw and pierced the creature. A majority of the lances seemed to bounce off its glistening hide. Two javelins broke the creature's legs, yet it still tried to leap back into the safety of the woods. Phillipus sounded his battle-cry and led the rush out of the encampment and after the injured beast.

Mitch led them through the forest and managed to corner the beast. It was 6' in length, and stood 4½' high. Phillipus rushed into battle with the beast, being saved by Corneilus's quick thinking and Caius's picking up his shield. The fight was arduous, but our heroes eventually prevailed. Upon inspection of the beast, all agreed it appeared most similar to a house cat. Except its ears were round, and it seemed to have long fur only up around its face. Its eyes were a deep brown.

Corneilus is sure to this date that its eyes were green.

On its right flank was a brand of a crown. A golden crown, now surrounded in blood. Corneilus became ponderous.

As they were returning from the fray, Fennelisa felt as if she was being watched. She reported it to Caius and together they realized there must be another beast.

7 Kelen, 718: 5th - 6th Watch (4pm- 12am)

The tenaci returned to the encampment and lit their fires for the night. The dead lamb was tied to the same stake again, and the legionnaires set their watches. Not much happened, and each legionnaire got 4hours sleep that night.

8 Kelen, 718: 1st Watch (12am-4am)

The watches continued.

8 Kelen, 718: 2nd Watch (4am - 8am)

Just before dawn, a legionnaire spotted another golden beast on the edge of the woods. The milities assembled nearby and waited. This beast seemed much more cautious, crawling a little ways out to sniff the air, and then pull back. An hour after it appeared, the beast was overcome with hunger. It ran out to the dead lamb and with a single jerk of its head, broke the rope holding the carcass to the steak. It then tried to leap back into the woods.

The legionnaires let loose with javelins and throwing knives. The beast began to bleed, but still made it back into the safety of the woods. The first tenaci followed one track, the second tenaci followed another.

The second tenaci was the luckier one as they managed to corner the beast. They chased it around and around a small glen, until finally it leapt at Caius, and Fennelisa, Corneiuls, Caius and Mitch were able to at last kill it. Again, Corneiuls swore it had green eyes. Again, it was marked with the brand of a crown.

8 Kelen, 718: 3rd & 4th Watch (8am - 4pm)

The legionnaires ate a hearty meal of common fare. They destroyed their encampment, and sent a legionnaire back to the nearest village to rent a horse and a cart. The rest of the day was spent in travelling back to Fobin.

8 Kelen, 718: 5th Watch (4pm - 8pm)

The legionnaires arrival at Fobin was gloomy. The sky was once more overcast, and the weather had turned bitterly cold. They retired to the baths, and then to bed - with a promise from Phillipus that they would not be awoken before noon the following day.

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