SPQT -- Bread and keelboats

April 5 - I polled the volunteers, and we are all going because: Alfredus - It will look good on his resume and advance his ambitions.
Decimus - There are magic items and spells in the crypt.
Gaius - The alternative is being loaned to my mother and he likes adventuring.
Robyn - If he doesn't go, everyone else will probably die.
Tamara - Decimus is going, and if she doesn't go, everyone else will probably die.

This is a simplistic and probably slightly unfair summation but is true in its essentials. I think I have made it clear to everyone that this is a cooperative venture and that we will only deal death in defense or with my express authorization, but I should probably check occasionally.

April 6 - We are sailing peacefully up the river, slightly crowded on this keelboat and looking rather the worse for wear.

Uncle teleported us into Brigantium yesterday morning and we spent the day catching up with our friends and making arrangements for the trip. It appears that Milo's rival has died unpleasantly, Senator V is keeping a low profile, and Milo is running the docks. How he got there from jail, which is where we left him, I'm not clear; but apparently there have been no more problems with Leaguer spies disrupting the grain shipments since he took over.

When Robyn and Alfredus stopped at Brax's for a drink, they found that he, and several other businesses, have been harassed by people apparently trying to elevate their employer's business at the expense of their competitors. I had turned Gaius loose to look up his old friends, so Robyn hunted him up and asked him to learn more about it. It is uncertain whether the party in question is using illegitimate means to bolster legitimate business, or whether the businesses are fronts for other activities; regardless, as Uncle's protege Brax is entitled to what aid we can give him.

I am not much use at this sort of thing in my own persona, but I do have connections. I suggested putting together a large party for the evening, which, if it did not draw the bullies out, would at least give Brax a profitable evening. In consequence, I rounded up everyone suitable of my acquaintance - or more properly, many of my acquaintance and most of their brothers - and Decimus invited his wizard friends. This seemed to go very well. Certainly Brax sold a lot of drink, and bread. The young patricians of this city are ingenious at thinking of recreational uses for bread. Primus and two of the Sunshine Boys kept a watch on the alley, and Gaius, Robyn, and a couple of dozen familiars kept watch on the street.

Sure enough, the bravos were attracted to the liveliness of the atmosphere. Alerted by the familiars, we went out to converse with them. They warned us that Brax's was a haunted, dangerous place. We invited them to come to the party. They departed, and we watched them out of sight. Warned by the mention of haunting, Decimus cast "See invisible," and I told him that, if he saw anyone in that state, to let me know, as I had Invisibility Purge.

We went back in, where the wizards were throwing rolls into the air and the patricians were throwing darts at them. Brax didn't protest, so I didn't either. After a short time, Decimus was alerted by Primus to the presence of an invisible man inside, so he obligingly went out for a breath of air in order to let him gain entry.

The sequel was most satisfactory. The young man - Quintus Varo or Maro or some such thing - summoned three dire rats about the time I used invisibility purge. He recovered his wits quickly enough to point out the rats to the room at large, but one of Decimus's more quick-witted friends cast an illusion on him to make him appear to be a large roll of bread, at about the same time that I cast Hold Person on him. Fortunately, no one chose to throw darts at him. Decimus and Brax dispatched the rats expeditiously and Alfredus set the young man on a table and persuaded him to admit that his master had paid him to ruin Brax's business. Decimus stepped outside to summon the vigiles, and found Robyn and Gaius standing over the variously prone and supine forms of the four thugs who had previously backed up Quintus. Since they had drawn knives while Robyn and Gaius had to resort to improvised weapons (raising the question why so many boards were scattered about the street, but I didn't mention that), and there were so many witnesses to the confession, the vigiles made no difficulty about it.

I stayed for another half hour or so, but when it became evident that I was no longer needed I departed, slipping Gaius sufficient funds to finance suitable graffitti. I fancy that it will be easier for a business to compete legitimately than to rely on strong-arm tactics once having become famous as the employer of one who shall be known to posterity as "Breadhead." If the unscrupulous equestrian in question is not completely discouraged, I fancy that the patrons of the other harassed businesses will be inspired to deal with the problem in more and more amusing ways. How tame it would be, to merely break heads after this! I wish Alfredus had invited that group of poets. I fancy they could make something popular out of the incident.

April 7 - We thought we were in for some excitement earlier today. We passed a man with a bow, who obviously preferred not to be seen - in fact, only Robyn saw him. We kept a close watch for the next several miles, but all we saw was a mired barge. I detected no evil on the bargemen, and they refused our assistance.

April 9 - We passed about 10 men pretending to fish from dinghies. Robyn wanted to accost them, saying that they were clearly up to no good. I was obliged to remind him of the number of times when we have behaved oddly with perfectly good cause; however, we are setting a good watch tonight, and camping on the opposite bank of the river from them. Gaius is not as cheerful as I like to see him. He doesn't say so, but I think he regrets leaving his friends in Brigantium. However, I could hardly have left him there without me, not after getting him remanded to my custody.

April 12 - We paused in the city of Catabarra while the keelboatmen conducted some business. We divided into groups and went shopping, sight-seeing, etc. No incident.

April 13 - During his stint at the wheel, the Captain was assaulted by an Invisible Stalker! It nearly killed him. Decimus, fortunately, was able to see the creature, but invisibility purge doesn't work on them and in any case I was busy saving the Captain's life. It nearly killed Decimus before Gaius and Greta dumped flour and ashes on it, rendering it visible enough for Alfred and Robyn to cut it into collops. I would dearly like to know who sent it after us!

April 14 - As if yesterday weren't enough, today we were attacked by two wyverns! Fortunately we saw them coming from quite a distance, and peppered them with arrows and lightning bolts as they came. I summoned a celestial eagle to harass them, but otherwise I was limited to standing there watching them come. One died slightly before it reached us, overshot us from momentum, and created a large wave. Most of us were crouching behind and clutching crates, but Decimus and Tamara had remained standing to take one more shot at the second one, and Alfredus was taking out his great ax, and they all went over the side. Alfredus sank like a stone, so I cast rescue to bring him to me, and Tamara managed to swim well enough for her and Decimus. Robyn, Gaius, and the Sunshine Boys dispatched the second wyvern, and we all survived the second wave. We camped at once, and are all dried out now. Ludo has stopped teasing so hard to come with us into the wilderness.

April 16 - Vercorum. While Robyn made arrangements for horses and paid off the keelboat, I called on Tribune Quintus Celsus Achilleus, and then on the church. They have not made the progress I would like on the lycanthrope problem. Although they have interrupted a few sales and rescued a couple of infected slaves, they have not been able to press home to the main culprit. Senator V's villa outside of town, near a quarry, is the probable headquarters, but one must have an excellent reason for trespassing on the private estate of a senator. The Tribune had not thought to borrow a priest for judicial purposes until I suggested it, and the local church was waiting to be asked. I managed to bring them together in amity on the subject, and there will be spellcastings tomorrow. I am reluctant to depart until this matter reaches a satisfactory conclusion.

Flavia Celsus has kindly offered to have Greta and the children to stay with her while we are in the wilderness. I will ask Gaius if he would prefer to stay here and look after them for me. Flavia has a few staff his age, and it's not good for him to be so entirely in the company of adults.