Abelhelm Reichert, Lothar El Kaloffi, Mandred Vogel and Otfried Orsten are travelling by coach from Nuln to Altdorf. Their coach will have terminus at an inn named the Three Feathers.
The forest road begins to wind along a stream that runs to their right. If the heroes were to walk in it most of it would only rise to their shins, but the heroes can tell there are a few places where it may be deeper. The stream comes right up to the edge of the road occasionally and the horses clearly want to stop for a drink.
Up ahead the heroes see a bridge that crosses the stream, as the road they are following turns. Beyond the bridge the road turns again, but the woods are too dense to see where it leads.
The Coach makes a short stop and the adventurers stretch their legs. Suddenly the calm is pierced by a harsh voice calling: "Stand and Deliver!". While the Coachman ups his arms immediatly, our heroes have different thoughts and prepare to engage the ambushers. Only Lothar is confused to their purpose, apparently in Araby, foodpads are more eloquent but he quickly grasps the situation and charges the challenger. A short battle ensues where Abel proves his worth with his sling. Mandred casts his first spells against anything other than a practice dummy and proves effective as well. Lothar reveals himself to be a ruthless killer and Otfried saves one of the bandits after having him swear allegeance to Sigmar.
The Highwaymen quickly make a run for it and the heroes find some loot on the corpses; gold, bow and arrows and a magical rod that gives off light.
By dusk, the coach finally arrives at the Three Feathers Inn.
Inside, the inn is bustling. servants are hurrying to and fro, and the innkeeper is engrossed in conversation with a scribe who carries a visibly bulging purse. It is fully ten minutes before they are able to attract his attention. “Welcome,” he says at last, “sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, but as you ran see, wt have a distinguished guest tonight- the Gravin Maria-Uirike von Liebewitz of Ambosstein, no less - and there are so many arrangements to be made. I hardly know whether I'm coming or going with it all. Now. then, you want a room? What am I saying, of course you will. Ah, excuse me again, I'll only be a moment.”
The heroes wait for another few minutes as he directs a train of servants to the Gravin's rooms. "So sorry,” he says as he returns "It truly is mad this evening.“
The heroes order meals, rooms and a bath and take in their surroundings. Several men-at-arms and servants are milling about the bar room. The Gravin's champion is armwrestling with some of them.
Apart from these, there is also a halfling Gambler and a human Minstrel and of course, the staff of the inn and two coachmen.
While the heroes eat their food, three nondescript travellers enter, followed 20 minutes later by two boatmen and Mr & Mss Schmidt. The couple retreats upstairs without supper or even a drink; it is clear that they only have eyes for each other. The boatmen stay in the bar,
Ursula Kopfgeld arrives at the inn on horseback. She books a single room for the night. When she is questioned about her business, she claims to be working for the Kemperbad town council, taking a message to Nuln. She does not reveal any details about this, saying that it is confidential.
At 10 o' clock, a liveried servant comes downstairs from the Gravin's rooms, and orders her people to retire for the night, since they will be starting at first light tomorrow. Reluctantly, the various servants and men-at-arms finish their drinks and drift off to the dormitory. At about the same rime, "Schmidt" comes down to the barroom for a bottle of wine. As he is on his way back to his room, he is approached by one of the Gravin's servants. A heated but inaudible exchange rakes place, and Schmidt hurries back upstairs, looking very angry. The servant heads off to the dormitory.
Ten minutes later Bruno Franke returns, grinning broadly and looking around with exaggerated caution to make sure that none of the Gravin's party is still there. He orders a mug of ale, telling the barman to "keep 'em coming!" After a few minutes an armwrestling contest starts again. Ursula watches for a while, and then challenges Bruno.
Our heroes take this opportunity to start a wager, Mandred, having looked at the stars, thinks Ursula will lose.
A small crowd gathers as the contest begins. First, Bruno's arm begins to go down-he was being gentle with the lady-but he quickly applies more of his strength and the contest begins in earnest. Neither contestant moves -a sheen of sweat breaks our on Bruno's forehead, but it is an even match. Then Ursula's arm wavers, and Bruno -no longer the gentleman- pours on the power and forces her arm slowly bur surely down to the table.
Although he has won, Bruno looks at Ursula with a new respect, and the two of them spend some time talking and drinking together. The heroes relax after winning and Abel enjoys a conversation with the halfling who also speaks thieves tongue. The two become friendly and talk about possible futures. They decide to meet again later in the Pissing Cat, a tavern at the docks of Altdorf.
A few minutes later, a tray of fresh drinks is taken to Bruno. This time one mug of ale is drugged. It is intended for Bruno, but instead, one of the servants drinks it. The ale is laced with a poison. The victim passes out and Bruno makes a comment about people not being able to hold their drink. One of the adventurers is looking in the direction of the bar, and sees that one of the staff suddenly looks worried and leaves.
Bruno is ordered to his room again and 20 minutes later the Gravin's scribe, Gustaf Rechtshandler comes down, dressed in a nightshirt and a silk dressing gown. He picks up a brandy but on his way upstairs he has a heated discussion with one of the nondescript travellers.
15 minutes later Mr. Schmidt comes downstairs, looking drawn and worried, he steps to the heroes table with a proposition: He'll pay 10 gold for them to get one of the Gravin's servants. Abel happily obliges and remain in the hallway, eavesdropping on the door of the Schmidt couple. He hears something about blackmail and the sounds of Schmidt killing the servant. While Abel returns to his companions to discuss this event, they are approached by another servant, asking their attendance in Rechtshandler's room.
Next, there is a great hammering on the inn's main door. The landlord refuses to open it at first, but it seems that the knocker is prepared to break it down if necessary. After a few minutes the door is opened, and in comes a well dressed but fairly drunk man, and three large and aggressive-looking thugs. The man is called Thomas Pramhandler and he demands to know whether a Friedrich von Pfeifraucher is here, asking everyone in the barroom in loud and angry tones. When everyone has told him that there is no one staying in the inn under that name, he pauses for a moment.
"Well his boat's moored outside," he says, "so suppose we'll just have to go and look for him. Gentlemen?" He waves his three thugs upstairs, and a brawl breaks out as the staff tries to stop him, aided by several of the inn's patrons. The heroes follow upstairs but do not intervene. When Pramhandler finds von Pfeifraucher there is be a terrible and noisy scene as two of the thugs hold the noble down and Prahmhandler horsewhips him. The third thug holds the weeping young woman and forces her to watch. Afterwards the woman is taken away by the group.
Mandred is puzzled as well, weren't there only 3 initiates?
Just when the adventurers close their eyes there is a loud scream from the Gravin's wing. When they arrive, the heroes find Bruno dead on the floor, stabbed in the back with the dagger embedded in him. Upon closer inspection, it proves to be Abelhelm's dagger. Everyone is roused and called down and it is obvious now that several persons are missing. The heroes are confined to their room and Lothar is sentenced to replace the Gravin's champion and ordered to remain in Bruno's room. Everyone goes back to bed but there is no sleep granted to our adventurers.
The heroes try to stay awake holding vigil in the dark and some of them fail. When the assassin creeps in he is quickly subdued by the stalwart heroes. They recognise him as the shifty member of the inn's staff.
Dawn breaks and once more everyone is called down. The Morrites do not answer and after breaking down their door a scene of carnage is revealed. All three "initiates" are dead, and the coffin with which they entered the inn has been broken open and contains a freshly dead, headless body. Ursula Kopfgelt is also missing, and her horse has been taken from the stables. Once everyone has assembled, the Gravin brings our the servant captured by the PCs and explains that he was in the pay of Baron von Dammenblatz. and is responsible for Bruno's murder as well as the attempted murder of her newly appointed champion. She rules that the servant is to be locked up and handed over to the Roadwardens , and then everyone goes on their way. It's been a busy night, and one that no one will forger in a hurry.