Session II (11/18/00)

• May 5th, 183 2C. Awakened by a steady rain storm, events of the night before are hazy. Everthing is getting soaked. The group, which consists of Aliana, Anastasia, Creyton, Sperin, and Thurton, decide to head back to the cart where they can get a bit of shelter from the rain as well as some food. They huddle under the cart. Creyton builds a small fire and some shelter. Thurton is hurt badly. Again, what to do is debated. The arguments are interupted by someone coming up the trail. He is dressed as an Imperial Guard. Sperin and Creyton are no where to be seen. The guard introduces himself as Corporal Jude Winslow. There is a lot of mistrust. Eventually, the group agrees to accompany Winslow back to the Senator's encampment on the far side of town.

With Sperin and Creyton tailing unseen, the group gets the cart out of the mud and heads across town. The town seems rather desolate. It isn't clear if the streets are deserted because of the rain which doesn't let up or the recent excitement that has flooded the normally quiet small town. Only a couple of people are seen. Eventually, Ana, Aliana and Thurton, escorted by Jude, make it to the Senator's camp. There are other Imperial Guards there. Sperin is discovered and detained for sneaking up. His weapons, as well as Creyton's sword, are confiscated pending his showing of papers. Aliana, due to her status of birth, is allowed a brief audience with Senator King. Sperin, with Jude, goes off to get his papers. They exchange some information as well. People are given dry clothes.
They head into town and investigate Kiltin's Rest. The blood has dried on the floor where Barton was killed, but there is no sign of Barton. Going over to Drake's Store, they meet Drake who is trying to operate business as usual, in spite of the recent chaos that has erupted in Akia. Drake has Barton's body in a make-shift carton behind his store. He tells Thurton that he can come and give Barton his final rites when he is ready.
The group (Aliana, Anastasia, Jude, Sperin, and Thurton) decides to retire at Thurton's home. Aliana and Anastasia spot Creyton in the woods on the far side of the stables. There is much conversation, dinner is prepared by Ana and Ali and eaten by everyone. Evening comes and people eventually head to sleep.

• May 6th. Anastasia stirs when she hears someone walking on the roof. It is the wee hours of the morning. The house is stirred awake. They are worried. Jude explores outside to learn that it is the "men in black" scouting the place out. One of the knife wielding men is on the roof. He tries to kill Jude, but Jude climbs up and hacks the man's leg. He falls off the roof and is brought inside the house, even as he is screaming in pain. He has a small pouch of coins and a few weapons. He was probably a scout of some sort because soon enough, an entire squad of men are outside. Jude tries to question the man by squeezing his leg. Sperin ends up knocking him out, though Aliana tries in vain to revive the dying man. Jude opens the front door and is shot in the leg by a sniper. While huddling inside, burning canisters of oil crash through the windows. The house starts to burn. The group heads upstairs to the second floor while the first floor ignites. They tie blankets and sheets end to end and climb out the window. Retreating to the barn, they rush to get everyone mounted up and boogeying to the safety of the Senator's camp. The sniper causes Jude to jump from his horse, pulling Aliana with him. Sperin and Ana have trouble controlling their panicked steeds and eventually they each lose their seats on the unsaddled animals. Thurton abandons the plan and goes to ring the town fire bell, riding away on the horse. Jude puts Aliana on his horse (which is named Lars) and sends her off to the woods. Aliana and Ana meet up in the woods near the back of the stables. Sperin and Jude find themselves pinned down in the stables, but they sneak up into the hayloft and climb out the window. They break for the woods as the "men in black" assault the stables in the front. There are at least 10 of them, including some horsemen. The horsemen persue Thurton to the bell, but he manages to ring it, sending up the danger warning to the people of town. He loses his horse, however, as it is shot out from under him by the sniper when he rides back toward the stables to find the rest of the group. With his leg still in pain, he seeks shelter between the buildings. He tries the back door of Kiltin's Rest but it is either jammed or locked. Jude attempts to get Ana, Sperin, and Aliana through the woods to the safety of the Senator's encampment. Creyton, spotting them, follows. Anastasia suddenly warns that if Thurton doesn't get help now, he will die. She tries to go back to save Thurton, but Jude prevents it. She is very insistant, but Jude is a strong man. Creyton arrives and heeds Ana's words. He races back into town to find Thurton as Sperin, Lars, Jude, Anastasia, and Aliana push through the woods west. Thurton is found by the "men in black". In no shape to fight, he looks to be a goner when Creyton does a little sniping of his own. The pair retreat back toward the group with Thurton limping and Creyton keeping the wolves at bay as they are afraid to enter his line of fire. The men can be heard speaking to each other and both Jude and Sperin identify the language as Tiscot. It is a game of cat and mouse and the group flees west into the woods with their persuers kept at bay by Creyton's bow. Thurton is thrown up on Lars as he and the women push ahead. Sperin, Creyton, and Jude watch the rear, but eventually they are flanked and all hell breaks lose. Ana and Aliana run off to the northwest persued by, unbeknownst to them and everyone else, one of the mounted men. The forest is dark and the chaos of battle is everywhere. Creyton and Sperin continue to try to hold the rear flank against superior numbers while Jude tries to stop the group from getting cut off. He only succeeds partially, however, and soon Jude and Thurton are engaged in a skirmish with 4 men. Jude's Imperial Guard combat training and Thurton's ability to stay on a horse when the animal is running through dense forest at night enable them to not only survive, but the first two of the men are dropped. Thurton ends up fleeing on Lars to the northeast. Jude stays and fights the last two, eventually killing them, then rushing off to the west where he hears sounds of combat. Creyton and Sperin are not so successful. First Creyton, then Sperin, are dropped in the woods by these "men in black". Aliana and Anastasia make it out of the woods and realize they have been followed. They wisely duck back into the trees to try and lose their persuer. While they don't shake him, he is forced to dismount in order to engage them. He attempts to get them to drop their weapons but they refuse and a vicious dance of tag begins. One of the girls jumps at him while he swings at the other and it goes back and forth. Eventually, Anastasia tackles him from behind and he goes crashing onto Aliana. The three tumble to the ground. Aliana's nose is broken by an elbow. Anastasia's knife rips open the assailant's throat. As Jude arrives to answer the sounds of screaming, Aliana and Anastasia have managed to kill the man and are still assaulting his dead body. The trio flee the rest of the way back to the Senator's encampment. Captain Clifford is appraised of the situation. He orders Jude and one other guard to stay with the Senator and Mr. Smith, while he heads out to find these aggressors in the woods at night. Aliana and Anastasia are shown to a tent. Jude uses the Senator to circumvent Clifford's orders and he heads back out into the fray. Thurton has ridden around the roads from town and arrives near the Senator's encampment just after Aliana and Anastasia, along with the Senator and Mr. Smith, are loaded into the Senator's carriage. They all head to the nearest farmhouse for more secure shelter. Thurton isn't trusted by the Imperial Guard at first, but eventually Thurston, Aliana, and Anastasia are recovering in a small den in the home. Aliana starts acting strange. Thurton witnesses a glow. Jude stumbles upon Creyton and Sperin in the woods. They were both "knocked out". Strange dreams while unconcious? Jude leads the recovering boys back to the farmhouse eventually.

Jude gets reamed for circumventing orders. There is much debate on what to do. It is decided that Jude and the group will go to Moonsong Winery because Aliana's connections there. They will also verify that the place is safe for the Senator since it is clear that his well-being is the first priority of the Imperial Guard.
It is nearly dawn when they arrive. Thurton and Creyton wait outside. Jude, Aliana, Anastasia and Sperin go in. They meet with Craf, who is entirely rude to and ignores Aliana. Jude questions him on loyalties and knowledge of recent actions. Craf Moonsong seems to have a basic idea of what is going on in town, but very few of the details. He also seems not overly concerned about it. His mind is obviously elsewhere. Jude departs to fetch the Senator. Aliana has a few confrontations and conversations with her uncle as well as some explorations of the house she grew up in. People eventually fall asleep in nice, comfy beds as the sun rises.
By the next afternoon, brunch is served in the main dining hall by Maria. It is decided that the Senator will be heading back out to sea for his safety. Captain Dorian Clifford of the Imperial Guard leaves Corporal Jude Winslow in charge of the situation of Akia (by his own request). The Senator comes to wish the group luck in their crisis and, after a bit of disrespect from the group, he leaves. Jude is yelled at by the Senator for something or other. The carriage with the Senator, Mr. Smith, Captain Clifford and the other remaining Imperial Guards departs. Creyton shares some of his healing salve with the group. He then goes off at the groups' request to scout around and see if he can find the encampment of these "men in black". The afternoon is spent in the dining room of the Winery, drinking, eating, resting, and talking. Some insight is gained into the group members. Jude explains that Threforfar is an Empire that exists without a government. The Imperial Mandate expired two years ago and the place is in a state of flux. The host avoids his guests for whatever reasons. Creyton returns. He reports that he found the camp of the enemy and that it holds between 15-25 people. They are very sloppy and obviously not woodsmen. The camp is northwest of town, between the town and the winery. He also went into town. Some of the townspeople are leaving out of fear. Drake is trying to keep things calm and run Akia as if nothing had happened. The group decides that if the "men in black" are going to come, they are going to be ready. Creyton is sent back out to watch them through the night, but he doesn't leave until he gets his fortune read by Anastasia, much to Jude's frustration. Some scouting is done regarding the defensibility of the Moonsong Winery should the "men in black" strike again. The host has some conversation with Aliana, Thurton, and Anastasia. Thurton makes some defensive preparations in the kitchen. Sperin and Jude talk out on the balcony. Eventually, people fall asleep. They are all so exhausted from the night before.

• May 7th. Dawn comes, bringing Creyton with it. Assuming that at least 10 and as many as 16 are dead, the numbers of the "men in black" are dwindling. There is debate about what to do. Jude decides to go the ugly road and gets Creyton to sign on. Thurton, Aliana, Sperin, and Anastasia are convinced to go back to the woods east of town and wait where they hid under the cart in the rain. They make it there safely. Jude and Creyton go off to attempt to assassinate the remaining "men in black".