Tavern Brawls S04W08

Raelyn and Aeric strolled through the campgrounds of Crowley’s Circus, navigating the throngs of people milling about the stalls. The operation featured freakshow exhibits and snake oil mercantilism, with low-rent love potions and good luck charms available at unbelievably low prices. Aeric spoke first, “If we weren’t being deployed as “tunnel rats” in the morning, maybe we should have tried to break into the Dragovars’ Compound instead of hunting for clues amongst the dregs of Thandar. But, unfortunately, with the original mapmaker dead,  I am unsure what clues we will likely find here.”

After a period of silence, the two friends stumbled upon a Strongman. Wearing an executioner’s hood and wielding a double-bladed battle axe spattered with blood, he displayed outrageous feats of strength. Raelyn’s jaw dropped, then she seized the moment.

“Look at the tattoo on his chest. It’s an image of Ratlings feasting on prey, but in the background, you can see the family crest of Dragovar!  It looks like his personal tent is close by.  I will create a distraction, so you can sneak in and scout for clues.” With an ad-hoc plan readied, Raelyn began her gambit with light banter, “Well, well, what do we have here? Is this a Strongman or a Jester here?”

The brute turned to face her, cold blue eyes piercing her from behind the hood, then he spoke, “Well, little lady, maybe you should lay down your hunter’s bow, and I will give you something to pull!”

Raelyn was drawing him in, then retorted, “Oh, I’m fine! My bowstring is wider than anything you can show! I could best you in a feat of strength right now!  What do you say to an arm wrestling match?” The crowd gasped as the slender and thin Ranger challenged the gargantuan Strongman.

Charging forward, his gravelly voice bellowed,  “Sit down; it’s show time for the arm wrestling contest!  When I am done, your bow arm will be snapped in five pieces!”

As the banter between the Strongman and Raelyn continued,  Aeric used the distraction to duck into the Strongman’s tent.

Looking around the simple structure, Aeric quickly scoured the tent and went through the Strongman’s possessions, desperate to find a clue to see if this was Damiro Dragovar back from the dead! Instead, she found dozens of empty flasks, animal bones with tufts of meat strewn about, and axes and long swords of dubious quality. With frustration, she began digging through a pile of clothes and blankets in the corner.  In a filthy pile, she found an oak treasure chest reinforced with steel bands; it was too heavy to move, so she popped it open with a quick cantrip and inside found it filled to the brim with rare precious coins, Royal Thandarian Gold.

On further inspection of this massive treasure hoard, Aeric realized, to her disappointment, that these coins were fake, nothing more than Fool’s gold that had been carefully crafted to imitate the most precious currency in all of Thandar. But, unfortunately, it would only pass the briefest of inspections.

Before anyone returned to the tent, she quickly pocketed one fake coin, closed and locked it shut and exited quickly.  Aeric raced back to the stage where the arm wrestling contest was held. Raelyn was gone, while the Strongman was now down on the ground, howling in pain with two arrows piercing his groin and blood all over the crude stage!

With some luck and intuition, she spotted Raelyn on the move and caught up as she ran for the gate before Lord Crowley’s men could apprehend her.

Running down the hill back to the Inn, Aeric shared her intel, “I don’t think that is Damiro Dragovar. He’s likely just a simple Strongman circus performer. But I did find something interesting, a chest of gold filled with this!”  She opened her hand and displayed the counterfeit Royal Thandarian Gold. It’s no coincidence that Crowley’s crew is sitting on a hoard of fake gold the day before you and I are to provide security to a gold caravan in the forgotten tunnels under the Tipsy Turtle Inn. Someone plans to switch out the gold that is supposed to be moved out in the tunnels tomorrow.  But we still don’t know who the mastermind behind this is.”

Raelyn smiled, and when they were far enough from the Circus, she sat down against a birch tree and rested for a moment. She pushed her long hair away from her face, then finally spoke up, “After I beat the Strongman in arm wrestling, he tried to get a little too friendly with me. So I hit him below the belt with a pair of barbed arrows. Then, as I dashed past the tent you had raided,  I saw a local Brawler go inside… it was Shockwave, the Daredevil of The Decepticons.”

Aeric looked on incredulously, “I am still not sure I see the gimmick here.”

Raelyn continued, “Last night, I was chatting and flirting with Gerard at The Tipsy Turtle Inn.  He was delighted with the business growth this season of Tavern Brawls; the finals are down to the undefeated Wild Bunch vs. the Decepticons. So let me ask you this,  with the finals tomorrow, what do you think Shockwave was doing hanging around the tent of an imitation Damiro Dragovar?  Why isn’t the Wizard practicing for the final Brawl versus Eadwheat?

“But what about the tattoo on the Strongman?”, Aeric asked.

“Here’s the thing, the tattoo is real,  but that isn’t the family crest. That is how the Dragovars brand their servants and slaves. The Strongman isn’t a ghost; he is the property of Shockwave.  And Shockwave is part of the Dragovar clan.   Seven years ago, Damiro used the tunnels for his slave trading route.  Now Shockwave is going to war with the Syndicate and planning to swap the stolen gold for counterfeit gold. This whole thing is a big mess involving the Crowleys and Shockwave attempting to cheat the Syndicate out of their Royal Gold.  Tomorrow is our gold run and the Tavern Brawl finals; we must decide quickly how to get out of the tunnels alive and with maximum profits.”