Otho's Children

Otho of Blackthorn sent his twisted minions to break into the covenant. Godwyn, Joseph, Randolph, and Bloody Bill tracked down the intruders. Along the way, Joseph got his first taste of battle, they rescued John the Pedlar from the clutches of evil, and Godwyn met an ancient ally of Stranggore who asked him to make a harrowing choice.

Time and Place

Late Summer 1201, at the covenant of Stranggore.

Dramatis Personae

In order of appearance:

• Joseph
• Randolph
• Godwyn
• Bloody Bill
• John the Pedlar

Intruders at the Door

The new kennel had been built the previous season and Randolph had bought two bitches to breed to Amadán. One night, late in the summer, Joseph the stable boy was sleeping in the hay-loft of the stable as usual when he was awakened by a clamor from the kennel. All three dogs were baying as if in alarm. Joseph climbed down to check on them, but he could neither calm the hounds nor see the cause of their dismay. A bleary-eyed Randolph joined him at the kennel a moment later.

While the grogs were searching near the kennel for the cause of the disturbance, Godwyn came down from his sanctum and out the front door, dressed in his enchanted leather clothes as always. Evidently, he sleeps in them. When the grogs could tell him nothing, Godwyn abruptly changed into wolf form. That startled Joseph, who had heard that Godwyn often turned into a wolf, but had never seen him do it.

Immediately, Godwyn smelled an unsettling scent on the wind. It was man-like, but neither beast nor man. His hackles went up and his lips curled in a snarl. The scent was still very fresh. He put his nose to the ground and quickly found a trail -- leading right up to the front door of the covenant!

Godwyn darted off to follow the trail. Seeing that the grogs did not follow, he looked back over his shoulder and barked, jerking his head in the direction the trail led. The grogs hesitated, but seemed to get the message. When the three reached the rampart around the covenant, Godwyn stopped. He turned around, snarled, and nodded his head back toward the covenant. This time, the grogs apprehended his meaning without delay, and went back to fetch their weapons. Joseph grabbed the staff he keeps in the stable for practice, and Randolph fetched his bow, arrows, and sword.

Godwyn easily followed the scent a mile north from the covenant, to the edge of the bishop's forest. There, he turned back into a man's shape. "We're following something supernatural that trespassed into our covenant to work some mischief. I want to find out what. We're getting close. It could be dangerous, so I'm going to cast a couple of spells on each of you." (The spells were Eyes of the Cat and Doublet of Impenetrable Silk.) Joseph marveled at how a moonless night was transformed into dusk; then his eyes chanced to meet Randolph's and he saw a pair of slit-pupiled cat's eyes gazing back at him. Then Godwyn returned to wolf form without another word.

Ambushed!

A few minutes into the woods, Randolph spied a pale figure darting amongst the trees up ahead. It was man-like, but smaller than a man. The two men and wolf stopped and began moving cautiously, stealthily, toward it.

Without warning, a half-dozen twisted creatures leaped from the undergrowth and attacked them! They looked like pallid, grubby, naked children, but misshapen and gangling, with sharp claws, pointed teeth, and feral eyes. Boggarts, Godwyn later learned they were called.

Joseph was startled and momentarily confused, but he stood his ground. A horrid little creature leaped onto his back and clawed at his face. Another tried to seize his leg, but he kicked it away and fended it off with his staff. Randolph was pulled to the ground. Godwyn tried to get his teeth on one of Randolph's assailants, but the little creature nimbly evaded him and delivered a vicious series of punches and kicks.

Godwyn, bruised and winded, broke away from the fray. He saw that Joseph had regained his wits and driven off one boggart and pinned the other to the ground with his staff. Randolph was down and being dragged off into the undergrowth by three or four of the horrid creatures. One of the boggarts had stolen Randolph's sword and flung it away, so he was flailing about with his knife.

Godwyn realized he was in no condition for further hand-to-hand fighting, so willed himself back into two-legged form so he could cast spells. "Joseph! Give me your staff!" he cried. The boy released his squirming captive and tossed his staff to the wizard, who deftly caught it and cast Piercing Shaft of Wood. The staff, transformed into a heavy, barbed javelin, streaked toward one of Randolph's captors and pierced it through the throat. The boggart dropped to the ground, choking on blood, and promptly died. The other monsters released Randolph and scampered away into the woods, pausing only to carry away their fallen comrade.