Adventure 2 - Flown the Empty Kennel

The four adventurers returned to the Harris farm in the wee hours of the morning, dragging the carcasses of the domesticated hounds behind them. In the morning, they rode into town to the strange curiosity and then celebration of the townsfolk. Keigan regailed the crowd in the Red Lamp Saloon of their daring exploits, whilst Neelan scanned the crowd for people upset at the news of Harris' good fortune. John Henry Smith conferred with Officer Ducal, the local captain of the Watch, and negotiated a commission to investigate the matter further as official agents of the Crown.

Hamish MacCranog, a burly Noisu warrior from northern Stanholm, took an instant liking to Keigan's stories, and expressed an interest in joining the group after a fortnight of tedium in Creek City. Elsapeth, pursuing her own agenda, decided to leave the group and head northward, onto the colony of Norrisburg. Abel Hawthorne also silently returned to the group, his errand with the local clergyman apparently completed.

Convinced that the trained hounds came, through some channel, from one Garrison Lyons of Blanchard, the group set out to the neighbouring town under Ducal's instructions to interrogate Lyons for information pertaining to the cattle slayings. When they found and approached the Lyons kennels, the windows of the home were boarded shut and the group was ambushed. After a quick and fierce battle, all but one of the defenders were killed, while the party suffered a single unconscious ally (Hamish, who cleaved three of the armoured men in twain with his massive sword).

When awoken, the captive claimed to be one Yul Tinder of Norrisburg. Keigan and Hamish interrogated the man, learning that he was hired the day before by Garrison to defend the kennels from "crazy men" coming to kill him. Garrison left unexpectedly not long before the party arrived, taking most of the remaining kennel dogs with him (and who knows what else). Keigan, betraying a darker side than his usual jovial self, included cutting off the man's finger as part of his interrogation technique. John Henry took Yul back to Blanchard, placed him in the stocks, and sent a missive to Ducal informing him of the situation.

Neelan found tracks at the rear of the kennel, dog prints and shod feet, leading out into the forest.