After some hours working out their newly discovered wealth, Captain Langston sets the PCs about the task of recruiting men for the expedition to Wintersbreath. He divides them into three groups, taking Ginkwrench with himself; Baro and Mudgol; Luz and Slab. Baro and Mudgol first hit up the Cathedral of Blades to seek out a cleric for the group. The abrasive half-orc knocks a few cripples out of his way to inquire with Conniff, who is currently the head of the church in Brandler's absence, but to no avail, since the Cathedral cannot spare any manpower. Luz and Slab first head over to the Floivin Penitentiary, seeking out Zinsk, who is unfortunately missing. They attempt to recruit Chef Gusta, the ogre prisoner from the Skull Collars, but she declines any offer for anything outside of her realm of expertise (cooking for beasts and shagging bugbears). They decide to leave behind a message for Zinsk, and move on.
Luz and Slab stop at the barracks, where Longjohns tells them of some Braulish mercs that were hanging about, including a wrestler and their leader Regg Morland. Then they visit the Dirty Dagger Alehouse, in the cellars of a housing tenement in the Keep. They discover a protocol at the tavern in which patrons stab weapons into the wooden bar as a sign of respect and 'peace' to the shady crowd. They speak with the immensely fat barkeep Jek, and several of the crowd confirm that the mercenaries are out there, including one who supposedly wears a bird mask. Ginkwrench makes a spectacle in the town center, challenging all comers to a feat of strength (arm wrestling). Flood Watchman Barr (#3) witnesses this, and before losing to Ginkwrench 1-2 in a best of three, he agrees to join the expedition. The pair then runs into Mudgol and Baro, while Luz and Slab next stop at the wealthy Seven Flood Inn.
They take a seat directly next to Monch Gnarlbottom and a party of merchants, after bribing the hostess severely. Its about 25-30 minutes before Monch notices them, gives Luz an intense, bloodshot stare and then storms out of the place, leaving his merchant contacts confused. Luz and Slab explain that there was some traumatic event involving a half-orc intruder at Monch's manor, but the merchants don't exactly believe the bullshit story. Meanwhile Mudgol samples Odd Jon's latest creation, 'Roachback Risotto' and finds it a mixed success. Ginkwrench decides to cause some trouble after playing monkey on the damaged Fiery Rat sign, and Odd Jon accosts him to nail it back up and secure it. Ginkwrench instead takes the sign into a nearby alley and carves a penis into it...then promptly nails it up to one of the Rat's surviving beams.
Langston and Mudgol both fail miserable in seducing two of the mouse-eared serving maids, disgusting one of them to the point that she quits the tavern. Quite livid, Odd Jon orders the privatized Mudgol to don the ears and tail and apron himself and start taking orders. In succession, the barkeep Flake Falloway (#4), the old veteran Vondort (#5), who once put up the PCs in his basement before it was destroyed in the invasion, and the courier boy Polk (#6) all convince Langston of their worthiness to join the expedition. Odd Jon expresses reservations that a 'woman' (Private Glass) and a boy are making the trek, but Langston tells him that Polk will be serving as his side kick for cooking and other non-violent errands, and Stuckle then reluctantly gives in. Luz and Slab arrive at last, after a brief stop at the smith Dronn Bellowbroth to learn more of Balard Winch (a dwarf priest mentioned by the hostess at the Seven Flood Inn).
Luz buys rounds for everyone there, trying to earn good karma for the fallout of Monch Gnarlbottom's revelation that the half-orc is alive. Slab leaves for Royal Leathers, discovering it empty and no reply from Grandfather Zinsk. Eventually, there's a knock on the door, and it's the mercenary squad leader Regg Morland (#7-10), come to follow up on rumors that Slab has been asking about him. He agrees to come and fight for the expedition, provided his fees are met (200gp/week, room/board, drink/meals and a full share of plunder) and he and his men are allowed to fight as a unit. The PCs have yet to meet the rest of Regg's men, but they are told they will on the morning the journey sets forth. Eventually, Luz returns to Royal Leathers, and the rest head off to their barracks, Mudgol receiving a nasty 'present' from Pvt. Longjohn.
Verne, Malarous 24th, 838 ID
The last day before the expedition sets out to Wintersbreath. Baro is summoned off to discuss matters with his fellow Wizard Elite Roost (#11), who agrees to join the expedition. Mudgol arrives at Royal Leathers to once again scry into Lt. Banghorn's condition. He seems to have been severely beaten once more, but Mudgol is unable to send a message through to him and learn more. Meanwhile, Ginkwrench get's 'busy' with another of his woodcarving projects, after his morning calisthenics. Ginwrench is surely the Suzanne Somers of the barbarian subculture. Luz continues to gather karma by offering some healing spells to the injured at the Cathedral of Blades, where he happens upon a heavily armored dwarf priest arguing some philosophy with the busy Conniff.
PCs: Baro, Ginkwrench, Langston, Luz, Mudgol, Slab
NPCs
Balard Winch (dwarf male): A haughty and impossibly loud priest who 'practices the old ways', by which we are meant to believe he worships Moradin and rues the loss of Floivin Province to the Eidolorn Empire. He is dressed in full plate mail with a warhammer. Winch agrees to join the PCs' expedition to Wintersbreath for two reasons: to show up Bishop Brandler, and to show up General Gnarlbottom, he of the more highly popular dwarf clan that the Winches themselves spawned from.
Jek (human male): A man so fat his jowls have jowls, whose handlebar mustache gets lost in the folds of his face, Jek is the barkeep of the Dirty Dagger Alehouse in Floivin Keep. A decent sort for information, but the protocols of the tavern must be followed for him to serve any new clientele (a weapon must be jabbed into the countertop of the bar, to show the shady patrons there will be peace here).
Regg Morland (human male): A scarred but somewhat handsome middle-aged mercenary from Braul, he leads a squad of three other men, seeking fortune and 'followin' the killin' where it leads him. His price isn't cheap, 200gp/week for his men plus a full share of plunder, food, drink and board covered, and demands that his quartet be allowed to fight together as a unit (though they will follow the Captain's orders). Slab decides to hire them on, having not yet met Morland's men, and pays for a week up front that they'll join the expedition to Wintersbreath. Regg seems to favor heavy armor, shield and a flail.
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