The opening adventures of Tom Kelly, Doolish Lóegaire, Colm Lóegaire, and Tristin Lóegaire

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Saturday, 21 March 3098 – Newgrange

Afternoon

My good friend Tom Kerry is back in town. He is a bard and has returned to our hometown of Newgrange for the Lóegaire family reunion. He’s quite a character and tends to dominate whatever social group he’s in--for as long as they’ll put up with him. His first order of business was to check on a friend of his, Drake, of Drake’s Pub. So off he and I and Colm and Tristin Lóegaire went. (Colm is a cousins, I’m not sure how I’m related to Tristin.)

On the way to Drake’s Pub Tom found time to trade insults with O’Fule (a local elderly gentlemen most of the townspeople refer to as “Old Fool”); Tom won. Once we got into the seedier part of town where Drake’s Pub is, we came across two young men hanging around one of the canal bridges. I suspect they were there to collect a “bridge tax”, but thought better about asking our group. We also passed Tim “The Enchanter”’s cottage; Tim took the opportunity to inform Tom that Tom’s father still owes him money. Tom insulted Tim.

TROUBLE AT DRAKE'S PUB:

Finally we get to Drake’s Pub, and sure enough, Tom’s friend Drake is being accosted by Marve, a town ruffian. We shoo Marve away without a fight. We find out from Drake the Marve is part of the “Bend of the River Boys”: a gang run by Fergus, a former infantryman of the King’s Army. Marve had come by to collect some protection money, but as Drake had recently been robbed and nothing had been done about it, he no longer felt it was money well spent. (The rest of the local businesses do continue to pay the protection money; either they consider it fair or they simply don’t share Drakes’ courage (stupidity) to stand up to the Bend of the River Boys.

Evening

After enjoying a few mugs at Drake’s Pub, we head to the Lóegaire Family reunion we’re we heard further disturbing news associated with the Bend of the River Boys.

LÓEGAIRE FAMILY REUNION--BYONE FROM SINDE WAS ATTACKED:

Byone Lóegaire and his wife from up the river--Sinde. As they floated along the Byone river early this morning, they were jumped by three bandits, their valuables taken, their boat capsized. Uisden had already fixed them up, but they were still pretty shook up. I marvel that these Bend of River Boys are tolerated; nobody but us seems compelled to do anything about them.

We assay to avenge our Lóegaire kin that night. While we’re discussing our plans, Tom runs his mouth a bit too much and Colm hauls off and smacks him. (I think it was the “swing your wee gay blade” comment that put Colm over the edge.) Colm even went so far as to challenge Tom to a duel for leadership of the party! Tom immediately backed down, then continued to lead the party. (Tom had been needling Colm pretty badly; Colm is so grandiose and proper I’m sure he makes a hard target for Tom to resist.)

Night

I cast Continual Light--daylight, on a small rock in preparation for an ambush of the brigands that assaulted Byone and his wife.

BYONE RIVER AMBUSH:

Colm, Tristin, and I are laying down out of sight in Tom’s boat as he rows it up river to where Byone and his wife where waylaid. Sure enough, three ruffians jump us. Tom pulls the prepared rock out of a pouch and the daylight blinds them; it is also our signal to spring into action. Luckily, they are not armed and we manage to overcome them all: I with Dehydrate spells, and the rest with their weapons. I was impressed with everyone’s courage and demeanor in our first combat situation--nobody used unnecessary force in apprehending these villains. Since Uisden’s lodge was in the bad part of town and it was so late, we decided to leave them with Hamish Lóegaire (Patrick Lóegaire’s (Colm’s father) right hand man).

Sunday, 22 March 3098 – Newgrange

Morning

It appears the three bandits escaped from Hamish. Evidence that they had escaped the barn where they’d been left bound for the night was obvious. I found it impossible to believe that someone of Hamish’s competence had allowed them to escape. My suspicions were soon confirmed when one of them turned up dead on the bank of the Byone River with his throat roughly cut and his right thumb cut off. The nature of the murder--the missing right thumb--implied this was an gang-style execution. I suspected that Hamish had simply decided to handle things himself, but wanted to give the Patrick Lóegaire family plausible deniability.

Afternoon

Tom wants to check on Drake again, so we all go to Drake’s Pub. Tom puts away mug after mug and Tristin tries to keep up for a while. Colm, or course, doesn’t allow himself to get out of control. Drake hadn’t been bothered again since yesterday. Eventually it gets late enough that it’s time to return to the reunion.

Evening

The party is just getting started and Tom and Tristin are showing up already tipsy. I expect things will get interesting early.

LÓEGAIRE FAMILY REUNION--FURGUS ACCUSES US OF MURDER:

Uisden Toag finds me pretty quickly and informs me that Furgus has accuse us of attacking those three brigands unprovoked and murdering one of them. We are all to assemble in the Meeting Hall tomorrow morning. I inform the rest of the party. Tom and Tristin seem to drunk to care much. Tom and managed to scare up some willing ladies and they seemed far more interested in that. I task Colm to keep Tom out of trouble and I keep an eye on Tristin.

I’m concerned that the Bend of the River boys might try to move against us tonight. With Hamish testimony, it’s nearly impossible that any counsel of three elders will find against us. I suspect that Fergus wants some retribution, but knows accusing Hamish would get him nowhere; so, he’s accused us because it might be possible to convince a counsel that three young men got drunk and picked a fight that got out of hand.

Night

I sleep in Tristin’s house. I’ve no idea what Colm and Tom did. I hope Colm didn’t kill Tom.

Monday, 23 March 3098 – Newgrange

FACING OUR ACCUSERS AT THE MEETING HALL:
Morning

Sure enough, Tristin and I are summoned to the Meeting Hall. We get there and Tom is no where to be found. I realize now that putting Colm in charge of Tom was a ridiculous idea. Fergus is there with the two surviving bandits. Hamish is also there, I presume as a witness to our side of the story. They look pretty beat up--a lot worse than when we left them. I feel not a bit of sympathy for them. Eventually, Tom shows up. Uisden is presiding and the other two elders are known to be reasonable men, so I’m not too worried. The bandits tell their story: they were attacked unprovoked. They include the fact that magic was used against them (the light, but I don’t think they were aware of the Dehydrate spells) which means if the counsel does decide against us, payment will be more the worse. Tom can barely keep his mouth shut during the proceedings. We give our side--the truth.

Finally, Hamish gives his account. He admits we woke him up that night with a story of apprehending three bandits, but denies he did anything to help us or even saw them! I suspect that he realizes that his testimony isn’t necessary to secure our innocence and so doesn’t see any need to implicate himself. But, I can’t help but be a little suspicious of his motives. Colm claims Hamish’s loyalty to his father’s family is unimpeachable. Uisden dismisses us and says the counsel will deliberate. This has clearly become more than an open and shut case.

Afternoon

Uisden informs me that he knows Hamish was lying. Even still, the fact that this makes our side of the story inconsistent doesn’t help matters. Uisden of worried that if he find in favor of us, that it might bring hostilities with the Bend of the River Boys to a head, and he doesn’t want that to happen.

Hamish approaches Colm with another option. I cast Seek Foe, but get nothing on Hamish, who is not pleased to see me casting--it’s pretty obvious I don’t trust him. But, after he lied in the Meeting Hall, he can’t be too surprised. Hamish and Colm discuss an option where Uisden exiles us. He claims this would appease Fergus without bring dishonor to the Lóegaire Family.

The party discusses the plan. Tom is simply going to cut and run. I steadfastly refuse to admit any guilt. I convince Colm and Tristan to stand with me. We decide to proclaim our innocence publicly at the reunion this evening and the beat a hasty retreat out of town before Fergus can organize himself against us.

Evening

Tom is waiting by his boat while we make our announcement

OUR GOODBYES AT THE LÓEGAIRE FAMILY REUNION:

I never really appreciated what Tom does until now. I would say the townspeople’s reception of our proclamation of innocence and decision to leave Newgange ranged from mild irritation at the pause in festivities to open hostility. I got one pat on the back as I left the town of my nativity, and I’m not sure if it was a genuine well wish or just some drunk relative placating his naive beardless nephew.

There was one highpoint. Byone Lóegair, the man who was attacked on the river by the bandits we apprehended, made a point of personally thanking me for my part in bringing them to justice.

ESCAPE VIA THE BYONE RIVER:

We make our way straight the party to Tom’s boat and … there’s no boat? Not sure whether Tom as been taken by the Bend of the River Boys (my opinion) or made a cowardly retreat (Colm) we stick with the plan and start walking up the river to Sinde.

A few long minutes later, we find Tom’s boat hidden in some brush with Tom asleep inside it. Even I was furious.

We make are way up the river until we run into a flotilla of Bend of the River Boys! We quickly decide to go down the river instead. We see what we think are a few of Fergus’s men on the shore as we leave our home of Newgrange for the foreseeable future.

A feeling a dread fills my soul as I wonder plans that flotilla has for my home village of Newgrange. Tom refuses to turn back to warn them, and I’m not sure there’s much good it would do if we did.

Thus ends the opening adventures of Tom Kelly, Doolish Lóegraire, Colm Lóegraire, and Tristin Lóegraire.

See Also

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