We had Bod, Grey and Siegfried looking out through the peepholes in the Jerris gate, watching 9 or so people slowly moving towards the gate, and Arahan was on the jungle side watching another 2 walk toward the Liaj gate. Arahan confirmed with the locals that the namegivers walking towards the gate looked like someone who had gone missing and another who had fallen beneath a tree down a mudslide, so they were people that had not necessarily been confirmed as dead. The villager also told Arahan that the previous day they had a situation where other lost villagers seemed to return and were welcomed at the gate before they turned rowdy, but in that situation they were beaten off and allowed to flee. They ones that came yesterday also looked like different villagers.

Arahan decided to run to the Jerris gate, where he arrived to see Grey climbing up the freestanding guard tower. Grey managed to get to the top easily and looked out to the group of namegivers walking towards the gate. As he watched he saw that while their movements were slightly stiff, they were looking around and quite aware, even if they were making no sound (but the refugees from Jerris were pretty quiet as well). Arahan and Siegfried both decided to climb up to the top of the tower as well, to get a better view and for some potential sniping.

Ert Keelsetter arrived at the gate, and instructed his fighters to get out the gate, form a wall and use the butts of their spears to thump the silent namegivers, if they do not communicate with him when he attempts it. The replicants walk slowly towards the gate, and Ert shouts out to one he recognises, yet they do not respond just keep walking towards the gate. They get to the gate and start pounding on the door, making no noise. Ert gives the signal and the fighters push out through the salley door and start to form a line.

Grey decides that it would be better if he was close to the thick of things and leaps out over the group using Great Leap. The ex villagers do not even notice his existence as he lands and takes position at the back of the pack, watching carefully. All of a sudden there is a quick movement, the cry of a guard and blood fountaining from his neck, and the ex villagers all seemed to be wielding knifes, chisels or sickles. Arahan reacts first and fires and arrow at a likely target, but missed horribly with the shaft embedded into a guard of the village. Ert looked around in fury and shouts that they should not fire unless they have a clear shot. Grey wades in with his axe and hits very hard, injuring his opponent and following with a swift kick in the gnars. Siegfried also looses a shaft and sends one of the ex villagers to the ground wounded.

Arahan decides he would be better placed in the thick of melee but his attempted jump failed and he landed waist crossways across the top of the wall, before falling back to the safe side winded. While Bod flies to the top of the wall to get a better view and Siegfried plants another shaft in the grounded target, Grey manages to hit hard again, not noticing a small cloud of straw that pops out the top of his opponent. Ert cries for his troops to form a defensive line and create a shield wall.

Arahan lays on the ground wheezing when Bod reaches the top of the wall. Grey continues to hack around him, taking down one opponent and getting stuck into another. Siegfried continues to puncture the ex villager still on the ground until it stops moving. Ert wields a heavy hammer and beheads one of the villagers with a hefty sweep.

Arahan gets his stuff together and manages to get through the gate, where he sees Grey seriously wound another opponent. Arahan clearly sees the straw stuffing being literally beaten out of it. He concentrates as he moves around to the flanking position and notices that the villagers also look like walking scarecrows. He shouts this out to the rest of the combatants and they all attempt to see through the illusion.

The mêlée continued, with Arahan battling a scarecrow and slashing and swift kicking it. Grey was battering another scarecrow to the ground, attacked another causing it to fall before falling on it due to tripping himself. He then dusted himself off and cut through the scarecrow at his feet. Siegfried shot a few more arrows, all causing wounds before the mêlée closed over the available targets and Bod sat on the wall observing the illusions that had been caste over the walking scarecrows. The village guards and Ert managed to smash the rest of the scarecrows into kindling, with application of boots, hammers and spear butts being the preferred tools. The scarecrows did not even try to flee, flailing until their last movements were crushed out of them.

Grey helped with stacking the straw bodies before applying a torch and seeing the pile light up. Inside the gate Ert proclaimed that the party would continue and begged the heroes to attend and boost morale for the villagers. Some of the party noted that the T’skrang did not join in with the battle, even though the flamboyant one seemed very keen. Grey and Arahan spoke with Ert about this, and Ert confirmed that they were confronted by horror pawns called Strawmen, which were common across Barsaive. While he said the attack was not out of the usual for all of the area around Jerris the frequency of strange happenings had increased. Bod explained that the illusions cast to disguise the Strawmen were not difficult, and the caster probably was not too close as there were no interactions with the illusion that would disguise what affected them externally, such as not reacting to blows or no blood being spilt. All of the party felt the effects of a few days constant battle and were happy to eat and drink and then retire early. Grey was reassured that they did not need stand watch as he had other Adepts who were his security staff who would handle the security for the night, and they would only be bothered if there was a need.

The night passed without incident, and the heroes awoke to a grand breakfast of porridge, fruit, milk and chops. The party performed their morning constitutionals, and paused to see to a few of their hurts from the previous day. They intended to travel to Jerris today, to ensure they were in the town for the presentation that would be occurring the following day. Ert was out and about and they walked across to say their goodbyes. Ert was glad to have hosted them, and said that there always was a place for them to stay if they required it. He also mentioned that there was plenty a group of Adepts could do around here to help him, such as rescuing people and dealing with the tribe called the Tamers. The group asked if anyone else was travelling to Jerris today and Ert pointed out that the T’skrang traders would leave today as well, going through Jerris on their way to the Serpent River.

Bod flew across, as he had previously made acquaintances with the traders and the T’skrang agreed that 4 extra bodies would be welcome on their trip to Jerris. The travel was uneventful, with Bod concentrating on discussing as much as possible with the traders who were directing the wagon with its precious load of a magical keel, Bod believing that it was best to stay close to the source of authority on this journey. While Siegfried jumped on the back of the wagon and got some much needed rest, Arahan and Grey approached the flamboyant T’skrang and engaged him in conversation. The T’skrang was quite garrulous, and revealed that he too followed the path of the Warrior and was impressed at the characters competence in the battle the previous evening. He intimated that he wanted to join in but was pulled up short by the traders, who pointed out his primary task was as a bodyguard. He told you that he preferred to use natural weapons of the T’skrang, the other guard, the T’skrang dressed in black (from now on known as Johnny cash), followed the path of the blade, yet was not open in social situations. He also mentioned that the keel was destined for a House K’tenshin Battleship, and they would meet up with other T’skrang merchants and travel in convoy to the river.

The heroes arrived safely in Jerris, and knowing they had a day to kill split up and followed different paths.

Arahan and Siegfried went off to see if they could find a seller for the hard glass globes filled with gas. Arahan, using his knowledge of the criminal underworld, strode the market and spotted a few pickpockets. He pointed out that he had an unusual item to sell and they suggested a fence they knew well. Arahan and Siegfried followed the pickpockets through the market, avoiding the merchants clamouring over them to sell them bric a brac and food items from various points of Barsaive and the world apparently.

Grey took Bod to the council chambers, where he heard that Omasu was boarding. On arriving in the council boarding house Grey announced his desire to meet Omasu. A lumbering Obsidiman was fetched by the guard, and introduced themselves as Garg, Omasus’ major domo. Garg took the two aside to a meeting room, where he started by explaining that Omasu was very busy and would only be available in the greatest need. Grey then related the story of how his wife was slain and his children were captured by Theran slavers, and how he was on a quest to get them back. Garg was moved but still hesitant to agree to a meeting. Grey asked if Omasu was going to attend the presentation the Jerris city council were going to have the next day to celebrate fighting off the Theran assault, as they too were going to be honoured during it. Garg asked if they were two member of the group of heroes that apparently assisted the Troll in battling Theran slavers way up in the sky on one of their vedettes. Bod and Grey confirmed that they were the heroes and Garg then said that he would probably be able to organise a meeting, and will send a courier with the meeting time and date to wherever they would be staying.

And that closed out the day’s play, with our Heroes legend growing, and the group pursuing different batches of information. What will happen next, when they are facing the adulation of the Jerris population?