After another toll (this time split between the whole party), the heavens opened and our adventurers were eager to find somewhere to stay the night. As luck would have it, they soon approached the inn recommended to them by Hans, the Three Feathers.

They quickly entered the inn, bustling with activity thanks to the presence of the Gravin Maria-Ulrike von Liebewitz of Ambosstein and her extensive entourage. Eventually the party managed to get the attention of the innkeeper, Albrecht, and book a double room- paying a premium so that one unlucky adventurer could sleep at the end of the bed. They then ordered a few drinks- a Kemperbad Peculiar ale for Hargin, a cheap pint of beer for Gustav, and half a pint of milk for Susi- and took up their seats at the table nearest the door, awaiting their meat stews.

A large man at a table near the stairs seemed to be arm wrestling, but none of our party felt that they could best him; they certainly weren’t willing to put up the minimum stake of one gold crown! Hargin thought he might have more luck with the grinning halfling sitting at a table by the bar; Hargin bought them each a round of Kemperbad Peculiar and set about getting Glimbrin Oddsocks drunk before challenging him to a game of cards.

A few quickly-drunk ales later, and the halfling was suitably merry. It wasn’t a tremendous challenge for Hargin to then win a silver shilling at cards; though the pints of ale proved rather more expensive than the prize! After losing one game, Glimbrin decided not to gamble with Hargin again, and the dwarf felt obligated to return to his table.

Whilst Hargin was drinking with the halfling, the other members of the party were tucking into their stew; they had watched when three travellers in long coats had hurriedly entered the bar. Finishing eating, they tried to strike up conversation with a man-at-arms, and found out a little more about the Gravin- accused of murdering a fellow noble at one of her aunt’s parties, she was travelling to Kemperbad to clear her name through a trial-by-combat. The large arm-wrestling man was her judicial champion, Bruno Franke.

They then watched as Bruno was ordered, firstly and unsuccessfully by a servant and then by the Gravin herself, to go to bed. The bar now somewhat quieter, the adventurers made an effort to talk with the travellers, but were rebuffed.

A short while afterwards, a small boat moored outside and a smartly dressed young couple entered the bar with a pair of boatmen tailing them. Then, they were joined by a group of Initiates of Morr, who seemed to bribe the landlord and then carry a wooden coffin up the stairs and to their room. In the meantime, Susi bought Hargin another pint of ale.

The group had limited success in gossiping with the coachmen and boatmen who had just arrived, but did manage to find out that the young couple were Herr and Frau Johann Schmidt, newly-weds from Grissenwald. They were less popular with the coachmen, who they managed to offend quite badly and consequently went to bed in the dormitories shortly after. Hargin was notably successful at striking up conversation with the barman, but unfortunately he didn’t know much more than the adventurers.

The door of the inn was then slammed open as a tall woman in a leather jerkin entered the room, having just stabled her horse. They wasted no time in heading over to speak to Ursula Kopfgeld at her table; at first things went quite well, and she told them in a relatively friendly tone that she was delivering a message to Nuln on behalf of Kemperbad Town Council.

Then things took a turn for a worse. Hargin, having imbibed an impressive quantity of alcohol in a distressingly short period, made various crass insinuations, including the memorable phrase “I want a child”. Ursula leapt to her feet and pushed the dwarf back, which Susi took as her cue to head to bed. Gustav remained, and eventually with the help of the bar staff managed to pull Hargin away from the brawl- but not until after the dwarf had landed a powerful punch to Ursula’s arm. With Ursula retreating to another table in a sulk, both Gustav and Hargin decided it was time to go to their room; at about the same time, a servant came downstairs and ordered the Gravin’s staff to do the same.

On heading up, Susi had noted the presence of several men-at-arms immediately outside their room, supposedly guarding the Gravin’s wing. On the stairs, Gustav and Hargin passed Johann Schmidt, heading downstairs to fetch a bottle of wine. Then, they saw Bruno slip the men-at-arms some silver coins as he makes his way back to the bar; he mockingly mouthed for them to be quiet as he passed them at their door. In the room, Gustav and Hargin got ready for bed and decided to settle down for the night. Susi, however, was more suspicious- she sat by the door and kept her eye at a crack in the wood, looking out for trouble in the corridor.

She watched the various movements outside the door. She heard the next room’s door open and then close; the same happened again a few moments later as the person returned. She saw Bruno return to his room with his tail between his legs. She watched a “fancy man” in a dressing gown pay off the men-at-arms and visit the bar; whilst he is gone, one of the travellers came and entered the room opposite. The “fancy man” returned with a brandy, and was followed soon afterwards by the other travellers. Moments later, one of the travellers headed to Rechtshandler’s room.

Susi at one point poked her head out of the door and struck up conversation with the men-at-arms, ascertaining that the “fancy man” was Gustaf Rechtshandler, the Gravin’s lawyer. Whilst they were talking, Rechtshandler poked his head out of his door, but saw that they were still sitting there and went back inside. She also paid the men-at-arms to keep an eye on her door as well, but soon after she goes back inside they too retire to bed.

Moments later, there was a surprise as she saw Rechtshandler open his door and drag out the body of the traveller! Susi quickly woke up Gustav and Hargin and they hatched a plan. They waited until Rechtshandler was close to their door, and then opened it, surprising him and quickly grappling him into their room. At the same time, Susi dashed across to the travellers’ room and knocked hurriedly, explaining that their companion has been murdered by the “fancy man” and pointing to the body now abandoned on the floor! They closed the door on her as they discussed what to do, and Susi was invited back into the party’s room by Hargin, with the body now dragged inside. Susi, however, said that she needed something to calm her down; as she left, a drawn and worried Schmidt exited his room and she trailed him to the bar.

Meanwhile, Rechtshandler was given a chance to explain himself. He told them that the travellers were cultists of the Ordo Ultima, identifiable by the tattoos on their chest, and that they were blackmailing him because of his student involvement in their secret society. More importantly, from the party’s perspective, he offered them 250gc for help in eliminating the cultists.

It didn’t take long for Gustav and Hargin to make up their mind. Hargin grabbed his crossbow and stood by the window, aiming towards the door. Rechtshandler was given Susi’s fishing spear and crouched in front of him. Gustav wielded his hammer (normally used to repair his boat) and stood by the door, preparing to ambush the cultists.

The door was knocked and the party shouted for whoever it was to come in. As the first traveller bursts through the door, Hargin sent a bolt hurtling into his leg; at first it looked like a meagre flesh wound, but our adventurers had fortune on their side and it was soon revealed as much more serious. Gustav then did nearly as much damage with his hammer, sending it crashing into the cultist’s arm. Then Rechtshandler leapt forwards with the spear, stabbing it straight through the traveller’s stomach and even grazing the cultist behind. The first traveller slumped to the floor, dead.

Gustav failed to hit the cultist standing behind, who was able to pull away from combat and fled to his room, locking the door behind him. Gustav and Hargin shoved the two corpses into the wardrobe whilst discussing with Rechtshandler what to do. It was agreed that they would attempt to clean up the mess on the floor with rags made from the cultists’ clothes, and Rechtshandler would send a servant to check whether the window of the travellers’ room was open.

Susi, meanwhile, had headed downstairs and ordered herself a whole pint of milk and an apple pie. She asked casually what was bothering Johann Schmidt, and was offered 10gc to deliver a message to a servant named Hans Erpresser, who should be in the dormitory, asking him to visit Schmidt’s room. She did so, and found that Erpresser was the only one awake in the dormitory; the servant seems pleased, and she watched him ascend the stairs whilst she finished off her dessert.

Hearing the disturbances upstairs, Susi soon decided that she should rejoin the party. As she walked along the corridor, she saw Schmitt poke his head out of his door and then retreat back inside when he saw her. Susi arrived just in time to hear Gustav, Rechtshandler and Hargin agree their plan.

Already quite tired, the party made for their bed with the intention of getting some more rest.