For a Few Coppers More

While digging around in the dead Bonusaguses stuff Albus came across the following letter:

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Garrick of Rhone,

I write this to you as my duties and responsibilities keep me away and I will now miss your departure. Your companions are well respected and recommended by their Parens so I doubt that you will have cause for complaint in them but be watchful and keep them focused and on a short leash never the less.

I have managed to arrange for you some financial means that, if properly used and developed, should allow you and yours to, if not prosper, than at least to not have to worry about meeting your obligations to your Turb. These matters will require some work on your part but, as a true member of our house, I have no doubt that your skills and personality are up to the tasks.

I would recommend first that you go to Efrain as the least difficulties will be encountered there and it may be of use to have one as an example to hold before the others. Claudio, I have been told by my agents, will have the most entanglements but is also the richest fruit to be plucked. Rafael the Potter, and Klaes the Pious will have the bulkiest gear to bring back so plan ahead for them as once they agree to leave they will no doubt be eager to start their work anew.

One last word of advice, Garrick, be cautious on your journey. Some number of the Order have a gift of foresight and more than one has mentioned to me that, while they judge that your mission will be a success, they fear that the journey may be a hazardous one. Be on your guard!

B

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Being a busy man Albus gives the note to Filius and tells him to "take care of it".

Not having a clue but knowing that one needs a killer with one at all times Filius takes Terryn along and they wander off to find the one person that they know that actually knows something about the locals: Brother Raymond Hirsch. It turns out that Raymond doesn't know as much as they'd hoped he would but they go to bar and find someone who does know Efrain.

Efrain is a wood worker (specializing in doors and the occasional bed, but they're very different things and one shouldn't expect that everything made of wood is easy!) and they go to his house and, after a tedious conversation about doors he is convinced to go along with them at least to see the place. That night Filius promises to find him a wife and a deal is struck! One down, three to go!

They then talk to a the Abbot (I think, I may be wrong) and find out that Claudio the wood carver does a lot of work for the various churches and cloisters around and in fact he's done not a small bit of the carving for the Abbey. The Abbot tells them that he lives further to the south very close to the mountains, it's about a 6 to eight hour trip and, with Raymond knowing a secret back way they get there before dark.

They arrive and see a small village of 8-10 buildings down on the banks of a river, up on a nearby hill is a small frontier fort surrounded by a wooden palisade. Basque marauders are attacking the villagers and the group leaps to the attack. Filius fries a few bandits and the rest run away but not before once again Basil is crippled with a heavy wound from an enemy archer. They meet the local lord who lives in the "castle" one Baron Karl who is a veteran of the wars with Charlemagne and the Paladins. He and his wife hold this little speck on the frontier and he's disappointed in his lot in life. And he doesn't think much of Roland either. As Claudio lives on his land they need the Barons approval (more or less, Claudio's not a serf but he's important to the locals so it's important to not create problems where they don't exist), this is done with the tacit decision to be allies in an undefined manner. Filius and Karl will need to talk more in future.

Claudio is a bit of an ass, a bit of an egoist, and playing to these factors Filius, Raymond and Terryn get him to agree to move to the covenant site. Claudio is left to believe that he is going to be the head of an Artisans Guild and one can only assume that he will think that the Magi work for him in some capacity. Karl does warn them that, as he's an asset to all the religious types in the area there may be trouble from them if he's not doing work for the Church. Two down, two to go!

After returning to the Covenant and out of ideas where to look next the group decides to head to the City in the hopes of picking up the trail of the rest of their quarry. They decide to take a boat down the river and meet one Salty Pete who gives them a ride for a fair amount of coin. Being the only one with bargain pays off for Salty Pete again! Eager to pump anyone they meet for information the group asks Salty if he knows Kleas the Pius or Rafael the Potter. Aided by a great die roll Salty Pete reveals all they need to know to bring in the last two.

Rafael the Potter lives up the coast from the "big city" so they leave him for last, Klaes the Pious is in prison in the City awaiting his execution for killing someone in a bar fight so, with some urgency, they proceed there to get him out. After talking to Klaes Raymond is convinced that there is a chance that he didn't actually kill the person. Much maneuvering later Raymond gets the local Bishop to force the civil court to let Klaes go. Not surprisingly Klaes is willing to relocate but there are several Frankish persons of note who have gotten used to Klaes' services so there may be trouble from them in the future. Also the Bishop will need to be placated for his part in the affair.

They then go up the coast to get Rafael the Potter. He's deaf, annoying, and debt to a loan shark called "Stefano the Bruise" (or "Da Boose" as Rafael calls him). Filius finds Stefano and his gang and convinces them (by a ball of fire held in his hand and a great Presence roll) to let Rafael go and forgive his debt. Stefano asks if Filius does contract work and Filius says he's open to discussing it.

The group returns victorious having added four annoying persons into the covenant community.

Here is the game copy:

Digging through the belongings of the Dead Bonusagus Albus finds a note from someone (signed “B”) that tells of a manner of getting income for the covenant. It is oblique and Albus turns it over to Filius and tells him to go and get the money. Filius and friends go looking for the Source of Income!

The Source are a disparate set of crafts people that need to be invited out to the covenant site with their gear. The conflicts will be with them not wanting to go, not being free to go, people demanding their services before they can go, etc.

Efrain – wood worker, in a nearby town.

Income: low

Earned by: making and fixing anything made of wood but mostly furniture and doors

Entanglements: 1) Doesn’t know who they are 2) Wants to see the place first

Personality: Goofy Dave from Lucent

Claudio – Wood carver, in a different town

Income: high

Earned by: carving of wooden statues and figurines for religious and secular clients

Entanglements: 1) Local lord Baron Karl views him as personal property 2) Local priest Father Gustavo views him as parish property 3) Wife and extended family in town don’t want him to leave 4) Doesn’t know who they are

Personality: Doug Shuler

Rafael the Potter – Potter, in a city

Income: Moderate

Earned by: quality manufacture of pottery dishes and urns, etc

Entanglements: 1) Lots of gear to move 2) Needs to build a new kiln 3) In debt to a loan shark “Stefano the Bruise”

Personality: Rusty the deaf guy from Leanin’ Tree

Klaes the Pious – Weapons smith, in the “big city”.

Income: Moderate

Earned by: Manufacture and repair of weapons, swords, spears, and so on

Entanglements: 1) Lots of gear to move 2) Local Franks need and demand repairs so he can’t just vanish 3) In prison for attempted murder of a bar patron. In a dispute over the bill drunken tempers got out of hand and one Gilles, a local stevedore, ended up dead, his head crushed in with a tankard. Klaes and most of the other patrons have only vague memories of what happened so this is an “open and shut case” where payola or something is needed to clear a possibly innocent mans name.

Personality: Tony Moresi

Events while traveling around finding these people: Basque Raiders are looting a village that they’re near by. This is a chance to intervene and save lives, blow stuff up, and see the Basques for the thieving bandits they really are! Bandit names: Benat, Etor, Jakome, Kerbasi, Mikolaus. *

No Lore for this