07/07/2026 – Hunting the Lost Company (14)

Becoming Baron

Edmund orders his Uncle Edrin arrested, which his guards carry out. Edrin looks angry and defiant, telling his nephew that he will regret this. Edmund dismisses him and then turns on the guards who were loyal to Edrin. Their captain gets on his knees and offers the Baron his sword. Edmund takes it and seems to consider executing the man, but he spares him, making him and his men to swear loyalty to him, in front of the whole city.

Edmund then proceeds into the main keep, surrounded by a swarm of nobles, guards and towns people, though the guards stop the people from entering the keep. The Companions follow him in and they enter a throne room, where Edmund ceremonially sits on the throne, assisted by Chancellor Holland. He is proclaimed Baron of Cariele.

The Companions find themselves standing around in the Throne Room for a long time. There are a lot of people who want the new Baron’s attention and their access is filtered by Chancellor Holland. At one point though, Edmund has to explain what happened to him, at which point he introduces the Companions. They are his friends from Mhoried who rescued him from the Lost Company, a vicious band of mercenaries. He owes them his life.

Go After the Lost Company

Edmund then says he was one more task he would like his friends to perform for him. He wants them to go after the Lost Company and capture or kill them. He initially says they can keep the 5000gp ransom money, until Chancellor Holland points out that the money came from the private coffers of certain wealth individuals, including himself, who came up with the money.

The new Baron says they can worry about the money later, but if they do not go after the Lost Company immediately, the trail may go cold and they will escape. He tells them how Bracken had all the monks of Fontainmere Abbey murdered and the Abbey burnt down, which horrifies some of the more religious members of his court.

The Companions agree, though they need some food and supplies, as well as armour and a horse for Rowan, who has none. Chancellor Holland orders the Captain of the Guard to see to whatever they need. Edmund then advises them to leave, as he has a lot of things to sort out in his new realm.

The Captain arranges for armour for Rowan and some plate for Banquo, plus two stable hands and a large horse to go with them for support. Logan has a Healer come to see them, to share some bandages for binding up wounds. They then decide to eat and rest as they are hungry and tired. They will have to leave early in the morning to begin the pursuit.

Tracking the Company

Early in the morning, the leave Caerlinien and head to the field where the Lost Company waited for the Companions to bring them Edmund’s ransom. There is no sign of the Company. Logan looks for tracks and determines that they have gone in different directions in twos and threes. He is able to determine that Bracken went north, so they decide to follow him.

His trail heads across the Northern Imperial Road and into the woods, heading north. There are quite a lot of people going back and forth on the main road, which makes the trail harder to follow, but Logan is able to keep track of it. At a certain large tree in the woods north of Caerlinien, the tracks show the Lost Company met up together and stopped overnight. There is sign of scuff marks and blood on the floor, suggesting there was a fight.

Rowan tries to ask some passers-by if they saw anything, but he just scares them off. Banquo talks to a nearby blacksmith, asking if he saw anything. He says there was a group there last night. They had an argument, then a fight broke out, probably over money, and one of them rode off. He describes some of the Lost Company members. After a while the rest of them headed north.

Riding North

The Companions resume following their trail to the north. They meet a hidden forester’s trail and follow that. The track is not that wide though and they have to go single-file, with Logan in the lead, trying to follow the tracks. Eventually, the trail re-joins the Northern Imperial Road and Logan suspects they sped up. It looks like they are heading for Dhoesone.

They now have a choice, make up some time by galloping up the main road until they find signs that they left the road, or take it slowly and check if they turned off unexpectedly. They decide to gallop and follow the road for a couple of hours. Malcolm and Logan take the lead.

Lost Them

After a while they approach a river, with a stone bridge over it, as well as an Inn, a stable, soldiers and a customs house. It looks like the border with Dhoesone. Banquo asks the soldiers if they have seen a group resembling the Lost Company come this way, but they have not. It looks like the Company turned off unexpectedly before the bridge.

Banquo asks about other ways to cross the river. There is a ferry about 10 miles west, or an old forester’s ford about four miles east. He also learns that travellers did mention a group, who turned off the main road to the east.

The Forester’s Ford

The Companions resolve to head east along the river and check out the forester’s ford. A few miles up the river it begins to get wider and there is another forester’s trail that crosses the river at a stony ford. They explore the area, with Logan looking for tracks. They find the body of a Forester, who has been freshly killed, his head beaten in with a club and dumped in a bush.

Logan is able to find the same crooked horse shoe that he has been seeing in the Company’s tracks, suggesting they did come this way. It looks like they crossed the river and headed into Dhoesone. They follow, with Logan continuing to track them.

Old Farm House

They follow the trail for a couple of hours now, heading up into some grassy hills, with sheep and goats wandering. It is windy and a little cold. Eventually, the trail leads to an old farm house, hidden between two hills. There are several hours tied up outside. The house is wide and made of stone with a thatched roof. There are two shuttered windows, one either side of the main wooden door.

There is someone on watch, who spots them before they spot him. Logan recognises him as Silas, one of the Lost Company and they realise they will have to act quickly.

Laying Siege

Sam notices that there is a smoking chimney and immediately starts using his fire magic skills to cause the fire in the house to start smoking, but making it flare up and then go down. He notices the smoke from the chimney starts to get thicker. The others begin to advance towards the main door, which bursts open and the large, muscled man, Brogan, looks out. He checks out the Companions, notes their number and who they are, and then closes the door, telling those inside.

Logan begins to use his animal affinity to cause the horses to become a little skittish and start to pull at their ropes, but he is unable to agitate them enough to pull themselves free. He keeps trying. Sam continues to make the fire smoke.

The others keep about 10 yards from the door, weapons ready. Rowan decides to light a torch, planning to set the thatched roof on fire. Banquo fires a crossbow at one of the horses, which causes it to thrash and pull its rope much harder. That also makes the others much more agitated.

1 - The Battle Begins

The door bursts open again and Brogan stomps out, wielding a large club. He roars and charges towards Banquo, shouting he is going to brain them all. Banquo and Malcolm fire at him, with Malcolm hitting him in the chest. He staggers a little, clearly hurt, but he keeps coming.

Silas comes to the door, firing a bow at Malcolm, hitting him in the chest. Malcolm collapses.

Logan stops trying to agitate the horses and prepares his spear. Sam takes out the skull staff he took from Gulnar.

2 – Fighting Brogan

Logan throws a spear at Brogan, but misses. Banquo closes in on Brogan, who swings his club, which Banquo blocks with his shield, then hits him in his left arm, wounding him badly. The big man grunts, but keeps fighting.

Sam attempts to use the skull staff to enchant and frighten Brogan. Although he has never done this magic before, he is able to create a small effect, spooking the big man and distracting him.

Silas fires at Sam, but misses. Malcolm continues to try to recover from the pain of an arrow in his chest.

3 – Brogan Killed

Brogan is distracted and Banquo uses the opportunity to slash his throat, causing blood to pour out. He collapses, quickly dying.

Sam decides to run out of range as fast as he can, as there is nothing he can do about Silas’s arrows.

Silas changes target to Logan, who tries to use his shield to deflect, but it fails. He is hit in the chest, but it is a shallow wound thanks to his armour.

4 – Closing In

Malcolm recovers but decides to stay sat down and fire his bow at Silas, but it is an awkward shot due to his cover and misses.

Banquo uses his shield for cover and runs to the doorway where Silas is. Silas draws his sword and retreats into the house. As Banquo enters the house, he finds Bracken standing to the side of the door. Braken hits Banquo in the side as he enters, wounding him, but his armour blunts the blow a little. Banquo is able to hit Silas and wound him. There are two other members of the Lost Company in the house, but they do not attack at the moment.

Rowan follows Banquo, carrying a burning torch. He attempts to set the thatching on fire.

Vera, the red-headed woman, appears to the side of the house with a bow ready to fire. Logan runs at her, using his shield for and she fires, but hits his shield.

Sam decides to start making the fire in the house flare up more dramatically, hoping to set the house on fire.

5 – In the House

Logan attacks Vera with his spear, injuring her in her left arm, while blocking her attack. Malcolm has no target, so he bides him time. Sam continues to make the fire in the house flare up.

Banquo is attacked by Silas and Braken, but he is able to hold them both off by defensive fighting. Rowan continues to set the thatch on fire. It is starting to catch.

6 – Burning House

Logan hits Vera in the head, causing her to pass out. Banquo calls for Rowan to help him, who draws his sword and enters the house. Sam continues to feed the flames.

The house is now significantly on fire. One of the other members is caught by a flare from the fire and set on fire, starting to scream. The other runs past Silas, Banquo and Rowan, who is wounded badly by Banquo as he goes by. Malcolm shoots an arrow at the man, killing him.

Banquo continues to fight defensively, holding off Silas, but Brogan gets a glancing blow in on his left leg

7 – Negotiations Refused

Braken then shouts to Banquo it is time to stop this. He can have the money. Banquo refuses and continues to fight, attacking him, but Braken blocks him. Braken then shouts at him in a very intimidating way and Banquo begins to back off.

Rowan begins to back out of the house. Malcolm asks Braken who he is working for. Braken says he will tell them if they stop the fight. Malcolm says keep fighting.

8 – Braken Breaks Out

Banquo hits Braken in his right arm, though he is wearing heavy armour himself, which helps deflect the damage. Braken then raises his shield and barges through Banquo and Rowan, making it outside. Banquo gets a second hit on his left leg as he passes by.

Braken then heads towards the horses, most of which have now pulled their ropes and fled, but Braken’s house is still here. He heads for it, hoping to escape. Sam uses the skull staff to spook the horse, causing it to pull its rope and flee.

Silas hits Rowan in the right leg.

9 – Braken Killed

The Companions close in on Braken, who has nowhere to flee. Banquo closes in on his for single combat with Braken, blocks his attack and kills him.

Silas surrenders and Vera is still unconscious, the only members of the Company still alive. The fight comes to an end.

End of Episode Fourteen