Edgar Henriksson strode through the sun-lit halls of the residence of one Heironymous Blitzen of Delberez, his master of many a year. On this day Edgar would depart to Altdorf to deliver a message from Heironymous to the University in Altdorf, and his master seemed strangely emotional this day.
Heironymous did gift Edgar a stout oak staff to speed him on his journey, saying that although Edgar had always been a keen student he thought it best Edgar use his time in Altdorf to sign up for an expedition to the mountains that was being advertised in Delberez. Edgar was somewhat taken-aback by this, fearing that he was not ready for such an expedition. Heironymous laughed, saying that if Edgar did not experience life to the full and gain more practical experience of life it would be many years before he fulfilled his potential as a wizard.
Thus it was, confused, and bearing the magister's missive Edgar did strike forth for the Coach and Horses Inn, a mere three miles from Delberez. Approaching the coaching inn he was dismayed to witness the early-evening coach depart as he was yet a mile from the inn gates.
Inside the inn Brokk, a dwarf whose mohawk proclaimed he was a trollslayer cursed the excesses of ale that had caused him to miss his coach. He did so by ordering yet another ale, reasoning that the next coach, which lay in the stables, would be departing soon.
Edgar did enter the inn to make enquiries about the next coach, whereupon he met Gustav, the excessively talkative landlord of the Coach and Horses. Pursuing his line of enquiry Edgar was joined by the unruly Brokk. Both learned that the next coach was leaving at dawn and seeing the coachmen, Gunnar and Heinz of the Ratchett Lines Coaching Company, already in their cups Edgar began to have his doubts.
At this point a strange gentleman with shock white hair and wild eyes of a mismatched colour entered the inn. He too was subject to Gustav's attempts at conversation and introduced himself as Igor. Moments later a woman with dark eyes entered the tavern and Gustav's inquisition revealed her to be Sidonia.
Last into the inn was a soldier on his way to Altdorf by the name of Reiner. One of the patrons of the inn, a Bretonnian who answered to Phillipe, introduced himself to Reiner. He claimed to recognise a fellow soldier and invited Reiner to join him at cards. Reiner refused but the drunken Brokk was more than happy to play until he lots 4 gold crowns to the Bretonnian and it was decided that the group play such that the winner by the next round of drinks instead. Curiously Phillipe's performance suffered after this fact.
Eventually Phillipe excused himself to go to his room and the rest of the company made arrangements to stay in the more financially appealing common room of the Coach and Horses. As they did so it became increasingly obvious that the excesses of the coachmen would delay their depature in the morning. Igor, clearly a night person, witnessed the coachmen crashing into the common room in the early hours of the morning.
Breakfast was served that morning and the topic of conversation in the inn was of how the coachmen had not woken at dawn to perform the checks on the coach. One of the passengers, a Lady Isolde von Strudeldorf demanded that someone waken the rascals. After some conversation Brokk was elected and forcefully dragged one of the sleeping coachmen into the main room of the inn. Heinz was eventually intimidated to wake his fellow coachman and after some argument from the second coachman, Gunnar, preperations began. Each of the company agreed to pay 3 and a half gold crowns for passage to Altdorf, exactly half the original price of the journey.
As the coach was ready to depart it was clear that there was not enough room for all the passangers. Lady Isolde was most vehement in her desire not to travel with Brokk in the carriage, claiming for some reason that the odour of the trollslayer offended her. The coachmen shrugged as an argument ensued and decided to use the time to down another pint of ale at the bar. A somewhat riled Edgar, fearing he would never see the spires of Altdorf, joined them.
The matter of seating was eventually solved when Brokk arm-wrestled Isolde's bodyguard Marie. Brokk was somewhat surprised to find his dwarven strength was no match for the iron-like muscle of the warrior-woman and soon found himself relegated to the coach roof along with Reiner and Sidonia.
This then led to the problem of once more motivating the coachmen, who eventually emerged from the tavern somewhat worse for wear. Eventually the carriage began to move towards Altdorf, albeit at a rate slower than walking. It became clear the coachmen were drunk... again.
At Reiner's suggestion Igor (who was used to carting his goods) took the reins of the carriage and the coachmen slept off their excesses. This meant the coach began to reach a sensible speed but so much time had been lost that it was unlikely the coach would reach its intended coaching inn for the night.
A few hours later the coach reached the Altdorf-Middenheim junction. Seeing another coaching inn, The Gables, and realising so much time had already been lost the passengers on the coach seemed split on how to proceed. Reiner wanted to stay in the inn rather than risk being trapped outside at dark while Lady Isolde wanted to press on, threatening the group with the wrath of her Aunt Gertrude von Strudeldorf if they did otherwise.
As Igor still had the reins any voting that took place became a moot point. The carriage was soon driven into the stables of the Gables inn and the innkeeper was requested not to sell any intoxicating beverages to the two grumbling coachmen. Also mentioned by the innkeep was that the Ratchett Lines company was strangely suffering in the face of other competiting coaching companies. This did not surprise the group and they went to bed in the common room of the inn with Gunnar and Heinz's promise that they would do better in the morning.
Quote of the Week:
von Strudeldorf to Brokk: "When was the last time you washed your beard?"
Igor: "When was the last time you washed yours?"
