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The town itself comprises a sorry collection of battle-damaged buildings, ringed by a perimeter wall of logs which is shored up in many places. Several long and bitter battles have been fought here over the past year, and everywhere you look the vivid scars of war are plain to see. The town is strangely quiet and it appears to be weakly protected. The Drakkarim garrison are few in number, and those that you have seen so far appear to be either young, old, or walking wounded.
Night is beginning to draw in. The Drakkarim are lighting the torches which line the perimeter wall, and a change of guard is taking place at the main gate. You are considering leaving this town and continuing on your way towards Darke, when suddenly you see something which makes you change your mind.
A ragged line of Lencian prisoners are crossing the stone bridge, escorted by a dozen Drakkarim armed with crossbows and spears. The main gates swing open to admit them, and, as the Lencians file through with their heads bowed in defeat, you see that the central square of this town has been turned into a large prisoner-of-war compound. It is enclosed by a crude fence of wire and sharpened stakes, which is patrolled by sentries and Akataz war-dogs. From what little you can see you estimate at least two hundred Lencians are being held captive here.
The conditions are shocking. The men are being kept out in the open, without shelter or heat of any kind, and judging by the state of those already here, it looks as if the Drakkarim are purposefully starving them to death.
Your shock soon turns to anger, and you vow to do something to help these prisoners. But before you can think through a plan of action, your Kai senses warn you of approaching footsteps. Two of the Drakkarim escort have slipped away from the line and they are now walking briskly towards the alleyway. One has a large canvas sack slung over his shoulder, and as they draw closer, you are forced to take cover in a shadowy doorway to avoid being seen.
(I roll an 8)
The two escorts enter the alleyway and, although you are less than ten feet away from them, they fail to see you hiding in the shadowy doorway. You watch as they open the sack and proceed to pick over and divide its contents. It is filled with the spoils of battle: items of value which they have taken from prisoners or stolen from the dead.
They laugh greedily until they hear the gruff shouts of their sergeant who is standing at the main gates, shouting out their names. Quickly they hide their booty in a hole beneath an empty horse trough, then they leave the alleyway and hurry back to the town.
I uncover it and search)
You uncover the sack and sift through its contents. Gleaming in the dim light you see a mass of coins, silver plates and candlesticks, jewellery and all manner of precious and semi-precious stones. There are countless gold teeth, pulled no doubt from the mouths of fallen Lencian knights, and scores of trinkets and other mementoes taken from less noble corpses. One item you sense possesses magical properties. You pull it out and, on closer inspection, you discover it to be a polished Jadin Amulet which is fixed to a gold neckchain.
If you decide to keep this Jadin Amulet, record it on your Action Chart as a Special Item which you wear around your neck. It adds +1 to your score should you be instructed to pick a number from the Random Number Table to check against normal missiles (arrows, bolts, darts, etc.).
Having replaced the sack in its hole, you draw your cloak about you and approach the main gates. The guards are busy admitting the latest batch of prisoners and, helped by your camouflage skills, they do not give you a second glance as you stride confidently into the town.
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