Chapter 12

The Tipsy Pseudodragon Inn was a red-roofed, two-story, building with a long, attached, mead hall filled with trestle tables. It was a favored drinking spot of various smugglers, raiders, and other less-than-legitimate sorts. The red shingles of the roof overlapped like the scales of the tavern's namesake. As Janessa, Shavariel, Selima, and I entered, we were almost immediately flagged down by Captain Half-Tusk, who was seated at a table with a few other Demihumans. A full-blooded Orc, a Female Half-Orc, a Gnoll, and a Lizardman were sat around the table with various flagons of drink and platters of food in front of them.

I was suddenly reminded of how the overwhelming majority of the Nelanther Isles population weren't Humans, Elves, Dwarves, or anything like that, but were Orcs, Lizardfolk, Gnolls, Ogres, Half-Orcs, and other such peoples. Only Skaug had a majority of what I'd generally consider to be default race options for Faerun. Not that I was about to let that fact stop me from following through on the deal we'd made with Captain Half-Tusk. As we approached the table, I nodded at Captain Half-Tusk who nodded back at me and broke into a grin.

"Ah, you're here! Fantastic, come meet my crew, or at least, those of us coming with to meet with Ironhand Rognvaldr." Grinned Captain Half-Tusk before pointing to the various Demihumans around the table.

"Sslyth here's a dab hand with a harpoon and, along with Trirg, here, will be on the front lines should Rognvaldr decide to press his luck." Offered Captain Half-Tusk as he pointed first to the Lizardman and then to the Gnoll.

"Nice to meet you." I offered.

"That remains to be seen, Human." Scowled the Gnoll, Trirg, his brown fur raising into hackles. Sslyth the Lizardman just offered a non-committal grunt before shoving an entire hock of ham into his ranged maw.

"Friendly bunch." Muttered Janessa.

"They'll warm up to you if you do your job well enough. Moving on, this here is Umhra and his half-sister Rosh, they're going to keep the package on their person until we've verified payment." Informed Captain Half-Tusk, pointing at the Orc and Half-Orc respectively.

"Aye. My axe will keep anyone trying to take the package from us." Smirked the Orc, Umhra, green face full of tusks pulling back in a rictus grin.

"And if anyone gets past him, my blade stings from more than just its edge." Nodded the Half-Orc, Rosh, a far more pleasing to look-at grin materializing on her far less orcish features.

"Right, speaking of, what exactly is this package?" Questioned Shavariel.

"That's on a need-to-know basis. Do you need to know?" Queried Captain Half-Tusk.

"It would be best to know if we're delivering narcotics to a known violent maniac, yes." Added Selima.

"It's nothing like that, though you're not too far off the mark in terms of drugs. Ironhand Rognvaldr just so happens to have a fondness for certain brothels. Brothels that are more in his price range than high-class." Began Captain Half-Tusk.

"Ah, I think I see where this is going. Let me guess, he brought something back from a visit one night that's a tad too embarrassing to visit the Temple directly to get cleared up?" I asked.

"Just so." Nodded Captain Half-Tusk.

"Wait, so the package you're smuggling to him is a Remove Disease Potion?" Questioned Selima.

"Indeed, a Lathanderian one I managed to smuggle in past the Church of Umberlee. That ups the market price considerably." Affirmed Captain Half-Tusk.

"Just how much does this increase the price?" Queried Janessa.

"Twice the normal rates, which already are fairly extortionate at seven-hundred-fifty Danter. You can see why I'd want extra security." Informed Captain Half-Tusk.

"Aye, why pay fifteen hundred Danter when this Ironhand Rognvaldr could simply attack and take the potion by force?" Asked Shavariel.

"Not that they'd succeed if they tried. We're stronger than some Human with pretensions of grandeur." Scoffed Trirg.

"Cap'n ssayss we need them. Sso we need them. That'sss how it worksss." Admonished Sslyth.

"Besides, Trirg, Ironhand Rognvaldr isn't a milk-drinking townsman like most humans." Scoffed Umhra.

"Aye, I wouldn't underestimate him if I were you." Concurred Rosh.

Trirg just scoffed at that but refrained from saying anything further. Instead, the Disagreeable Gnoll chose to sip at his flagon of cheap ale and let out a low grumbling noise. With that out of the way, Captain Half-Tusk reached into his coat and pulled out a Lantanese Timepiece. A small, clockwork, pocket watch that was one of the various works of precision artifice the Gnomes of Lantan exported abroad and one of the very few that they exported more or less freely. It was a stark contrast to how the Lantanese placed restrictions on exports of almost everything else they made, such as the fabled Smokepowder and Arquebus that their army utilized in great numbers.

Regardless of origin, Captain Half-Tusk gazed at his Lantanese Timepiece and let out an annoyed grunt. He stuffed the small, clockwork, pocketwatch back into his buff coat and looked up at the rest of us. Nodding at us all, he said, "Drink up now, because we have to get moving to the meeting site in the next ten minutes."

"Right. Where is that, exactly?" I questioned.

"The Hanged Man's Tomb." Answered Captain Half-Tusk.

"Sounds ominous." Mused Janessa.

"You think they build actual tombs for hanged men? I knew Halflings were flighty, but I didn't think them stupid as well." Scowled Trirg.

"Enough, Trirg. Do not anger our alliesss." Warned Sslyth.

"Aye, they're not from here, after all." Frowned Rosh.

"Worry not, it is not an actual tomb." Offered Umhra.

"That much we gathered." Responded Selima, dryly.

"Indeed, but what is it?" Queried Shavariel.

"The Hanged Man's Tomb is a local meeting spot for various raiders and smugglers just outside Jannathstaad. It's called that because it's the cellar of an old barn that's long since collapsed and rotted away. Now there's just the cellar and an open field where the barn used to be. About a century ago, Jarl Floki the Grim used to use that field to hang dissidents. He never realized the local dissidents were meeting with weapons dealers smuggling them equipment for their coup in the cellar nearby." Chuckled Captain Half-Tusk.

"I appreciate the Irony. Actually, didn't Jarl Finehair's father come to power in a coup? I wonder if it's the same one." I remarked.

"It was." Grunted Umhra.

"Stupid Human Jarl couldn't smell the danger from his own court. He deserved to be killed and replaced." Snorted Trirg.

"That's not how things are done in most places, Trirg." Reminded Rosh.

"Yesss, even in the Sswampsss we do not change leadersss quite like that." Insisted Sslyth.

"Enough local history. It's time to get going. I hope everyone's prepared because if I know Rognvaldr he may well try to kill us all even if he does pay. This ordeal will be less embarrassing that way for him." Cautioned Captain Half-Tusk.

My group had arrived ready, but Captain Half-Tusk's crew needed a moment to finish their drinks, which they did in one go, chugging their tankards down to the dregs before slamming them down on the trestle table. Captain Half-Tusk left a few dozen Danter on the table for the barmaid and soon we were being led through the streets of Jannathstaad and out the gates toward a field in the distance. The field was surrounded by woods on three sides and marked by boundary markers along the dirt road leading off into the woods from the town. Captain Half-Tusk led us around a hillock near the field where a small stone archway led down into a drystone cellar that had to be a few centuries old. Inside were a number of casks, which had been tapped by the fourteen or so Northmen Raiders currently standing around in the cellar.

These raiders were led by a Blonde, Bearded, Raider with an intense, piercing, blue-eyed, stare, wearing a plus two breastplate and Cloak of Mountain Leopard Fur with an unknown enchantment on it. His Maul likewise had an unknown enchantment on it, but I was able to place his boots and gauntlets as being Boots of Striding Plus Two and Gauntlets of Ogre Power. This had to be Ironhand Rognvaldr, the famed violent raider. I was told to stay back in the stairwell to guard the package with Rosh and Umhra, just in case, while Shavariel, Janessa, and Selima moved forward into the cellar with the others. If I heard anything untoward, I was to come running.

Rognvaldr, meanwhile, turned his piercing stare on Captain Half-Tusk as he and the others made their way down the drystone stairs into the Hanged Man's Tomb. The conversation that had been ongoing as they walked into the main area stopped immediately as hostile glares were sent their way, as I stayed back on the stairs as I was told to do along with Rosh, Umhra, and the Package. Already things weren't exactly going well, but it was the conversation that followed after that cinched that feeling for me.

"Half-Tusk, did you bring what I asked?" Questioned Ironhand Rognvaldr.

"I have it. Did you bring the gold?" Queried Captain Half-Tusk.

"He doesn't get it. We're going to kill him either way." Smirked one of Ironhand Rognvaldr's Raiders in Illuskan, thinking that nobody understood the Native Tongue of the Northlanders. I did, however, and as soon as that was said, I descended the steps.

"Captain! It's a trap!" I called out l, reaching the bottom of the stairs just as Ironhand Rognvaldr snatched up his maul.

"The lad's right! Why would I deal with scum like you when I can just kill you and take the merchandise?" Laughed Ironhand Rognvaldr.

"I knew it! You've developed a reputation, Rognvaldr! It's made you predictable!" Scowled Captain Half-Tusk.

"Not predictable enough for you to avoid your doom, though! Kill them all! Take the package!" Spat Ironhand Rognvaldr, beginning to foam at the mouth.

Rage, Ironhand Rognvaldr was a Barbarian, it seemed. This fight was gonna hurt. After all, nobody hit quite so hard as a barbarian in the grips of a berserker rage. I immediately drew Aremeg's Fury and unlimbered Aremeg's Wisdom, taking a position next to Shavariel, Sslyth, and Trirg as Janessa, Selima, and Captain Half-Tusk fell back to the second line while Umhra and Rosh moved to join them. Even with nine of us fighting we were still outnumbered by the fifteen enemies, including Ironhand Rognvaldr. I was willing to bet there were more of his crew waiting in the wings to kill before the night was over, too.

I couldn't think about that now, however, because Ironhand Rognvaldr let out a furious bellow and he and his crew charged us. I just barely managed to lean away from a powerful, two-handed, strike of Ironhand Rognvaldr's Maul which broke not only one of the tapped kegs but the drystone plinth it was sitting on. Shavariel moved to engage Ironhand Rognvaldr, but he smashed his Maul into her shield, sending tortoiseshell shards flying and smashing her to the dirt floor of The Hanged Man's Tomb. Then his crew let out shouts of their own and rushed the gaps in our line their Captain had created.

And the fight against Ironhand Rognvaldr and hus Raiders had begun in earnest. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. We get a bit more info about Jannathstaad's history, an introduction to the principal members of Captain Half-Tusk's Crew, and the start of the Group's First Job in Jannathstaad. Ironhand Rognvaldr isn't just a Barbarian, though. He's a multiclass Fighter/Barbarian with the Frenzied Berserker Prestige Class. That's a deadly, if unstable, combination. Robar wasn't wrong when he said the fight was gonna hurt.

At any rate, the next chapter will be the fight with Ironhand Rognvaldr and the subsequent effort by Robar and Company to claim Rognvaldr's ship in payment for his attack against the rest of his crew. I'll also have images for the characters and places introduced here before then as well.

Stay tuned. . .