S&W Sessions Journal: To Domme for Popkins

Warning for players: Possible spoilers ahead, please stop reading.

At the start of the session, there was some discussion as to whether the PCs would do best to go back to the goblins’ cave and take their chances there (with the slim pickings last time) or whether they should try to find some other type of gainful employment. With the departure of the dwarves some time ago and with the addition of Gulch and Kitoth, the party has taken on a decidedly chaotic perspective. Infiltration of the local guild hall was discussed, as was kidnapping. Bounty hunting for popkin poachers was also on their mind, as well as popkin hunting themselves. Wagstaff somewhat creatively began to formulate a plan that would involve hiring a popkin hunter on the druid’s lands and then subsequently turning him in for a reward. It was at this point that through a lucky roll of the dice he noticed what appeared to be the shadow of someone standing outside of the closed door to their room. He quickly changed the subject to that of procuring hops for beer making and tried to stealthily approach the door. The eavesdropper must have suspected his own detection however, for when they threw open the door they found no one on the other side nor in the hall.

After this they decided to take a closer look at a jobs board one of them had spotted near the stables. There were three items there from my dubious job board listings. One sounded interesting to them, which read “Enjoy meeting your neighbors and working outside. Our product sells itself! See Trer in Domme.” They thought this sounded like it might have something to do with popkin fairies and that they should go there to investigate.

Domme lies on the very far side of the valley from where they were. I was a little surprised that the players decided to make for Domme (they had a map after all) and frankly a little disappointed too. I was personally hoping for some more hack and slash at the cave. Still, it’s cool to see them latch on to this idea of the popkin fairies.

The rest of the session involved their travel to the next town and fortress along the river, the great castle Beynac of Lord Beringer. They approached it at dusk after passing a guard station half way there. Both at the guard post and at Beynac itself there was some inspection of their belongings and tax collection which seriously irked Wagstaff in particular. Their funds are running seriously low again, and Wagstaff may find himself in the position of money lender to the rest of the party if things don’t improve soon. Approaching the inner bailey, they attempted to arrange an audience with Lord Beringer himself. The men-at-arms said that there might be a possibility in three weeks and to come back then. None of the party heard the snickering behind them as they took their leave.