Jouef Town"Hello, Jacques Lavoie? We were told that you would take us to Bartelsberg." Alexandre asks cautiously. The old man looks at him with a confused expression; then his face lights up and he begins shouting at the top of his lungs;
'My friends! Dear servants of the Emperor! Liberté, égalité, fraternité! I... I have been waiting for you!' he beams, standing up with wavering steps.
Alexandre shushes him quickly, not wanting to attract any more attention to them, but the man continues on. 'Bartelsberg, Bartelsberg! A true nest of evil! Yes, I still know where that is! I still have that! Oh, get in, get in, my friends. Bartelsberg awaits!'
While he's distracted, Regina takes a quick look at the back of the carriage but notices nothing abnormal, aside from the overall horrible shape of the thing. Despite their shared doubts, the rest of the group decides they have no choice but to board the vehicle, [2] though finding seats proves impossibly difficult. Hippolyte sits next to the driver while the others crowd together in the back.
"How long have you work the roads around here, monsieur? Know anything about the poor victim who was murdered?" the surgeon asks carefully. Jacques seems to have taken on an eternal smile and babbles on his response happily.
'Oh, how long has it been now? Twenty years? Thirty? I'm an old man, monsieur, and my memory just isn't what it used to be.' he frowns, looking confused again. 'Of course, I've... recently fallen on hard times. I think.'
Getting back his happy grin, he continues; 'Oh yes, that poor, poor girl. I'm afraid I didn't have the pleasure of personally knowing her, but I do know his brother. Poor man, he must be heartbroken. But with so many bandits and deserters on the roads these days, something like this was bound to happen. Ah, but I have no doubt she's in a better place now. A better place.'
[6] He takes out the reins and prepares to get the horses moving, but seems to remember something. He looks back in confusion and spots the missing wheel. 'Well, I'll be damned...' he mouths. 'Just a moment, my friends. I really must apologize for all these inconveniences.'
The driver jumps off the carriage and disappears inside the run-down house behind him, returning in a moment with a spare wheel. He begins working on hammering it on... and continues hammering it on for a good half an hour, rejecting all offers of assistance. A small crowd of curious villagers begins to gather around him, laughing and jeering both at him and the travellers idiotic enough to mount his carriage. Just before the group's patience reaches its end, the little old man lets out a shout of joy and hurries back to the reins.
'All done now. Shall we go?'
[3+1=4] Hippolyte has studied him all this time, but it's difficult to tell what's wrong with him. His strange mood swing when he saw you, faulty memory and confusion all point at some sort of mental damage, though it doesn't specifically resemble anything he's seen in the army. Physically, he's fine, if a bit on the thin side and by the smell of it hasn't seen a bath in the last few years.
---
8/8 Health Points: [
IIIIIIII]
The Preacher – Aydin Kyrotomanios
Equipment: The Quran, Prayer Mat (rolled-up), Walking Stick, Simple Clothing, Packet of Foodstuffs
Speaks: Turkish, Arabic,
Rudimentary Greek,
Rudimentary French,
Fragmentary Italian, Fragmentary PersianSkills:
Man of the Faith 8/8 Health Points: [
IIIIIIII]
The Spy – Regina Boulanger
Equipment: Flintlock Pistol, Dagger, Fake Papers, Travelling Clothing, Packet of Foodstuffs
Speaks: French, English, German, Italian, Swedish, Russian,
Rudimentary Turkish, Rudimentary Spanish,
Fragmentary Hungarian, Fragmentary ArabicSkills: The Spy's Tools 10/10 Health Points: [
IIIIIIIIII]
The Woodsman – Viktor
Equipment: Woodsman's Axe,
Ancient Musket, Woodsman's Rags, Tinderbox
Speaks: Serbian,
Fragmentary French, Fragmentary TurkishSkills:
Skilled Hunter,
Wilderness Survivor 8/8 Health Points: [
IIIIIIII]
The Surgeon – Hippolyte d'Oberlin
Equipment: Surgical Gear, Notebook, Clean Cloth, Empty Bottles, Travelling Clothing, Packet of Foodstuffs
Speaks: French, German, English,
Rudimentary Swedish, Rudimentary Turkish,
Fragmentary Russian, Fragmentary Arabic, Fragmentary LatinSkills: Field Surgeon,
Natural Scientist 10/10 Health Points: [
IIIIIIIIII]
The Monster Hunter – Alexandre Aruno
Equipment: Flintlock Rifle, Silver-coated Knife,
Bag of Tools, Fine Clothing, Flask of Wine, Packet of Foodstuffs,
The Malleus MaleficarumSpeaks: French, German,
Rudimentary Italian, Rudimentary Swedish, Rudimentary EnglishSkills: Scholar of Evil,
Famous Hunter
Author
Topic: Bonaparte's Hounds - Monster-hunting in the 19th century - Turn XI (Read 10214 times)