Sunday, 24 of Harvest
Fuck this guy.
He tried to flex his authority to get bribes out of us. We gave him 10gp, he asked for 10 each. Sett said 20 for all, and so he upped it to 15 per. Right as they were about to start getting physical I grabbed his arm, threatening to break it again. He clammed up and they backed off. As he left he said "Be careful to who you show your face, Caine, I hear there's a big bounty on you".
Fuck.
Who could have put a bounty out on me? I was a nobody. Just a squaddie in the army. I was probably not the only one who deserted. I took nothing worth mentioning, did nothing worth note. Except... Well. I don't think anyone knows about that. Maybe they found out the blood on my hands.
Well. We have a ways to go. Onward through the hills to get to my old home. Such as it is.
Along our way a pixie, fairy - some kind of fae, I don't know - approached us saying the forest was dangerous but it could guide us. We respectfully declined by nonresponse and went on we went. Feels like a minor misadventure we dodged.
Eventually we made it to where we could see Whitlington Bridge in the distance.
--
Iagan Crannach, ever the fool, splashed me with slag water. "Oh I didn't think anyone would walk in front of my shop" we were on the road you gollumpus. I asked him about the bounty, he told me my brother had a bounty on his head too. Speak of the devil Bretan Caine came in to try and explain. It was a tearful (almost) hug and reunion. He caught me up on some details. Ratyn Caine got out. Thank the gods. He also told me that Isott Caine came and talked to our father about something then left. When he asked why we were here, I mentioned the ruins and that I would ask our mum about it as there were rumours she was an adventurer before she settled down. He said Isott mentioned our father protecting mum from something in the ruins which sent me almost into a blind fury. The only thing that man protected was a bottle.
((break))
Seeing my mother was heart wrenching. She was already a shadow of herself previously... Now it's worse. The cloud's in front of the sun and there's barely a shape left. She's pricked her fingers clean, she barely looks at me. Barely even capable of the weakest smiles. When we asked about the ruins she said she knew nothing, but that my sister asked the same questions. Mentioned that she cast a spell on her, then yelled at my father about something before leaving. Probably a memory spell because she said she could couldn't recall. Great. My sister who left - and yes I am not unaware of the hypocrisy - and came back just to stir the pot. Great. Definitely my 2nd least favourite in the family. She seemed shaken, so I decided not to stick around. I healed her fingers and told her to take care of herself. She said maybe if I find my sister I can bring her back and we can all start over. Four of us. Excluding my shitty father. I gave Bretan 500gp worth of amber to make sure she's safe, and comfortable. To take care of her and himself. Then I left. We head towards my father's house but I don't plan to get close. Sett and Aggma are there to ask him what he knows, without me having to be there.
((Sett and Aggma went after Ratyn's father, who revealed that he made a deal with a hag to wipe her mother's memory. He claims that what's in there will only bring death and destruction to the world. That if you touch anything in there it will steal your life force and leave you a shadow of your past self. He revealed that her mother found it, and they explored it together with her insisting on going further and further within. That in there devils roamed and there was a portal to the nine hells itself. Oh I should also mention he tried to shoot Aggma with a crossbow and then got hit in the face by Sett's sheathed sword and knocked unconscious which he very much deserved.
Also revealed was that Isott can use magic and read the mind of her father to find out information on the place and then insisted on going. This happened a year ago.))