Present

Erdudfyl (Etouffee), the Ranger
Meurig (Presto), the Wizard
Shank (a very private person), the Thief

Missing in Action

Inghinn (Elvira), the Thief
Tristan (“the poxy Bard”), Bard

Background

Play starts in the Keep of Bridgeford, on the Brycheiniog / Elfael border.

Ifan the Black, Bandit with a Bounty on his head
Wanted for banditry, slaughter, and crimes against the gods.
Ifan is new to the area, increasingly infamous.
Presto knows of a magical treasure, defended by an unnatural threat.
Rumors of the undead coming from the hills to the west. (“West” is western side of Cantref Elfael)
Undead are known to fear the sun. Some may lair underground, some may lair in dense wilderness.

Scouting for bandit activity on the Radnorshire road, several brightly painted wagons of the Hwb travelling folk are under attack by half a dozen men at arms, surely bandits themselves. As Inghinn and Erdudfyl dispatch half of their number without serious threat to their own health, the remaining attackers stream eastward on the road to safety.
Darragh and Aisling, in the first wagon, are happy to share their experience on the roads from Radnorshire. With a bit of prodding from Inghinn, they’re happy to pay 10 coin for a safe escort to Bridgeford as well.

Play

Sixth Day of the Spring Season (Full Moon +5), Year 2375 of the Imperial Calendar.

Shank, a new member of the mercenary company, meets up with Erdudfyl and Meurig in the remaining tavern in the village of Bridgeford the mercenaries are welcome in. As Shank tries to hustle up a game of dice for coin (while possessing no coin himself for stakes), he strikes up a friendly conversation with the two senior (“senior”) members of the party about the current goals.

Which are, in brief, to find Ifan the Black in his rumored stopping ground of Elfael and retrieve him bodily (or at least retrieve the identifiable parts of his body) for the 500 coin reward on offer by the nobility and magi of Bridgeford. Hopefully while avoiding any unpleasant encounters with the Red Paladins of Mithras operating in the area, who tend to have a rather strict definition of justice.

The three head north, bridging the River Wye into the Kingdom of Elfael on the Radnorshire road. They are mounted on fresh bandit ponies, and trailed by their hired hand and his mulecart. Tristan and Inghinn are notably absent (Tristan having been so for quite some time).

This time, instead of Hwb or Bandits, the party encounters a trio of mounted “iron merchants” riding from Powys. Iron merchants with lamellar armor, curiously styled facial hair, and thick foreign accents. Pleasantries are exchanged, lies are told, and the Saexa are off on the their way to Radnorshire to engage in “merchanting”.
Newcomer Shank, not being comfortable with the cut of the strangers’ jib, decides to be clever and attack their defenseless and retreating backs. Erdudfyl, wanting to get in on that action, likewise attacks from a position of ambush (chosen for seemingly this exact reason).

After a brief engagement of the rocky ground north and east of the crossroads: two of the Saexa barbarians are dead, Tu’un (Erdudfyl’s bearly there animal companion) is dead, Erdudfyl is dead, Meuring has ripped asunder the fabric of reality due to inauspicious spellcasting and followed Erdudfyl into the lands beyond death (without technically being dead yet himself), Shank has beat a hasty retreat with the intention of returning in half hour’s time; and the Saexa Darga Bronson Derricsson (more of a “Charles Bronson” than “Bronson Pinchot”, to our sorrow) is leading a string of four ponies, one thrall, one donkey, one cart (carrying two Saexa corpses, with room for a lippy Cymry if he keeps it up).

If and when Erdudfyl and Meurig return from the black lands beyond death, they have absolutely fair questions about who exactly Shank the Thief is in league with. The mercenaries? The Saexa? Ifan the Black? All we know for sure is that we can’t be certain of Shank’s alignment.