{"id":48619,"date":"2020-03-10T09:49:38","date_gmt":"2020-03-10T16:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/?p=48619"},"modified":"2020-03-10T09:51:59","modified_gmt":"2020-03-10T16:51:59","slug":"ravenloft-ironsworn-part-14-the-barons-accountant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/2020\/03\/ravenloft-ironsworn-part-14-the-barons-accountant\/","title":{"rendered":"Ravenloft Ironsworn, part 14, The Baron’s Accountant"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dusty scrolls and tomes line the walls of this room and are scattered across the floor. In the center of all this clutter stands a huge accountant’s desk. A old man slouches atop a tall stool, scratching a seemingly endless scroll of paper with a dry quill pen. A rope hangs next to the old man from a hole in the ceiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease,\u201d the man begins, raising an finger, but not looking up. \u201cPlease\u2026 please please\u2026 do not stand\u2026\u201d he continues to write something down in the huge ledger in front of him. \u201cDo not stand\u2026 on the rug. It is\u2026 very old, and very valuable.\u201d He looks up, setting his pen aside. \u201cAnd you seem to be covered in grime and gargoyle entrails.\u201d He sniffs, rubbing at his nose.
\n\"|236x236\"<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t help but notice how close his upraised hand is from the bell rope hanging down from the ceiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t damage anything so expensive,\u201d he continues, his hand lowering to the desk as his eyes wander over the rug. \u201cWell… it was now it is probably mostly sentimental who arrrrre you?\u201d he asks, rolling his Rs like he has something to prove. \u201cI am Leif Lipseige accountant to the baron. CHIEF accountant.\u201d He pauses, seeming to consider this. \u201cAlso ONLY accountant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHello.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHello. Again. Who are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not very important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026 I am curious. And if my curiosity is not very important and if your identity is not very important I suppose my curiosity and your identity go together very well.\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know what to say to that, so I say nothing at all. Ismark coughs behind me.<\/p>\n

Leif pats the air in front of him. \u201cI… I do not mean to pry if you do not wish to tell me, that is fine\u2026 so what brings you to the castle of the Baron?\u201d<\/p>\n

Again, I give him stony silence. He seems to consider what he just asked and chuckles. \u201cAhh. I see. Yes. I am a curious old man. Habits.\u201d He gestures at me. \u201cIt is only… it seems as though you’ve run into a bit of trouble. Not, ahh… entirely unexpected, I suppose, here\u2026\u201d he nods, regretfully. \u201cI tend to stay to my own chambers. There are many unsavory ahh… employees of the Baron about here and you seem to be involved in ahh… I think it is safe to say \u2018bloody business.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Something in my face seems to give him pause. \u201cOh, don’t worry about me; I’m harmless. I keep the books, but I am no\u2026 I am no minion.\u201d His expression changes slightly – becomes a bit darker. \u201cI’m supposed to be keeping track of the Baron\u2019s riches and conquests and money but he hides things from me; he keeps… he keeps… he doesn’t let me know about all the treasure, so how can I keep track of all these treasures?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2026 does seem difficult,\u201d I deadpan, not sure what else to say.<\/p>\n

Leif nods emphatically. \u201cHe keeps them secret from his own accountant! I was… that… it’s ridiculous!\u201d<\/p>\n

I get the sense he’s a little grumpy. Sure. One of the oldest living servants of the Baron, and he’s not trusted the one thing he’s supposed to be doing. And might be a teensy bit senile.<\/p>\n

Leif is off and muttering. \u201c… some treasures… ridiculous to … he does not … insulting \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

I look around for somewhere to sit, and spot a tall stool in the corner, then shift that direction a bit. It draws his attention back to me.<\/p>\n

He squints at me. \u201cDo you need to\u2026 clean up? Some of that blood on you is red, and seems to be\u2026 yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s right. Given a moment of quiet, my hurts gather themselves into a unified caucus and come clamoring for my attention.
\n\"|230x198\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI can help,\u201d Ireena murmurs. \u201cWith a bit of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nod, surprised but happy with the offer. \u201cI\u2026 may we make use of your room, here? For a short while?\u201d<\/p>\n

[Ugh. Miss. Causes a delay.]<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course\u2026 of course.\u201d Leif\u2019s smile crinkles around his eyes, but those eyes are hard and calculating, like any good accountant. His hand reaches out and settles lightly on the bell rope. \u201cIf you will do something for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I feel Ireena\u2019s hand tighten on my biceps as she stands behind me, I reach up and across, giving her fingers a squeeze of silence reassurance. (I hope).<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s about time the girls form a Bond.<\/p>\n

\u2026 and WONDER OF WONDERS the dice actually agree!<\/p>\n

\"|224x126\" \"|344x89\"<\/p>\n

I\u2019m taking the momentum, since my Spirit is maxed already.<\/p>\n

I pull myself up onto the tall stool standing in the corner, acting calm. \u201cIf you don\u2019t mind talking while we see this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Leif blanches a bit as I pull off my tunic and begin working the chainmail shirt off, but nods. Ireena makes a noise at the cuts and bruises that made it through the armor – Ismark is nowhere to be seen at the moment – and pulls poultice and bandage materials out of my pack, once I tell her where they are.<\/p>\n

[I\u2019m rolling to heal myself with my own skills, so +iron, since Ireena isn\u2019t a full companion or anything, but I\u2019m taking a +1 for having a Bond with her. Which. Whatever. Dunno if that\u2019s R.A.W., but it feels right. Anyway.]<\/p>\n

\"|343x190\" \"|230x122\"<\/p>\n

Okay, so I\u2019m going to take -1 momentum and -1 Supply for +2 health. Again, I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s ENTIRELY legal (maybe I have to take it all from one source or the other or something), but it makes sense in the narrative, because this (and Leif) are slowing me down (-momentum) and we\u2019re digging through the pack for supplies. So. Whatever. Let the rules match the story.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a thing\u2026 an object. A treasure I wish to see.\u201d He waves his hands. \u201cNot have, you understand, but see. Record, as the Baron\u2019s accountant. Has has it, I am told\u201d (those words are bitter) in a study, one floor up and through a dining room located off the same stairs you climbed to reach me. Bring it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I consider this. \u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSwear it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I do, though not as an Iron Vow, since I\u2019m all full up on that, and that\u2019s where I\u2019m going to stop for now, healed up and with Ismark lurking out in the stairwell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dusty scrolls and tomes line the walls of this room and are scattered across the floor. In the center of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,128,6],"tags":[150,307,269,308],"class_list":["post-48619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-actual-play","category-online-table-top","category-table-top","tag-actual-play","tag-ironsworn","tag-pbta","tag-ravenloft"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48619"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48622,"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48619\/revisions\/48622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/randomaverage.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}