DISCLAIMER: The Furship Chronicles narrate the adventures of our gaming group as we playtest the Age of Animus Storytelling Game. Bunwick is played by Frank, Raz is played by Steve, Wilhemina is played by Fab and Zouly is played by Lyne. The interactions you read are not straight transcriptions of their conversations in the game (My memory isn’t good enough to remember them all) but rather my interpretation of their characters as they played them in our gaming session. I hope I do justice to the fun we had playing.
The Bridgeside Inn stood before them. Built on a stretch of land between the bridges crossing the Bunny River and Tinker’s River, it wasn’t difficult to figure out what inspired the name. It was a homey sort of building, solidly built and attractive. Bunwick could have pointed out countless factoids regarding its architecture were his traveling companions inclined to hear them. They were not, so he kept the fun facts to himself. Nevertheless, it was a welcome sight to weary travellers on the long road to Lancton.
“I don’t care what you say!” Wilhemina declared petulantly, “I want to sleep in a bed tonight!” She folded her arms across her chest as she stood her ground.
“I wouldn’t mind that myself,” Bunwick chimed in.
Raz carefully considered the request/demand. It had been a long journey, true; but they were so close to the goal. There would be an inn in Lancton to drain them of their Shinies. However, he wasn’t interested in dealing with the stink that Wilhemina would kick up if he refused. Grudgingly, he grumbled his consent, “Oh alright! If it will make you happy!”
Wilhemina clapped her paws together, “Goodie!” She bounded with renewed energy towards the structure.
“I thought she was exhausted…” Zouly grunted to nobody in particular. He and the remaining furs followed her as she entered the inn.
Inside, the main room was cold and empty. Nobody stood to greet them. Normally at this time of year, one could expect a blazing fire in the hearth to provide light and warmth. Here, the fireplace held nothing but ashes.
The four spread out to examine the room. There was no tell-tale layer of dust to suggest a lengthy abandonment. Everything seemed to be well-maintained as well. Whatever had happened to cause the occupants to leave, it had been sudden and recent.
Taking a chance, Raz called out, “Is there anybody here?”
None of them expected an answer, making it all the more surprising when a small voice answered from the back room, “I am!”
The four companions were wary as they walked over to meet the other presence. They cautiously stepped into the adjoining doorway.
A lone fur stood in the small back room. A dapper little groundhog, clad in a green vest over a yolk-coloured chemise. He smiled apprehensively, “I don’t suppose Dross or Jinni sent you?”
The blank expressions on their faces said it all. “Who?” Bunwick asked.
“Dross and Jinni are the owners of the Bridgeside Inn,” the groundhog explained.
“Well then who are you?” Zouly asked rather bluntly.
The groundhog bowed respectfully, “The name’s Teeper. I’m a tailor by trade. I often travel from my home in Lancton to visit family in Calix’s Cross and I always stop here at Bridgeside when I do.” He peered at the four furs, “And who might you be, exactly?”
Each took their turn introducing themselves. When at last everyone was satisfied that nobody meant any harm to anyone else, all turned their attentions back to the curious situation they found themselves in.
“You’ve stopped here before so you know the innkeepers,” Bunwick started, “Are they the type to just leave like the place empty like this?”
Teeper shook his head, “Not at all! Dross and Jinni built this place with their own paws! They’ve worked hard to make Bridgeside into something nice. I can’t imagine what could possibly get them to leave?”
Raz stroked his chin, pondering, “They don’t have any family anywhere that they’d have to visit?”
Again Teeper shook his head, “Not that I know of. They never had children and their parents are long gone.”
Bunwick looked about suddenly, “Where’s Mina?” Nobody had noticed that the weasel was no longer in the room with them.
Zouly let out an exasperated sigh, “Probably getting into trouble again…” He stood up, “Mina? Where are you girl?”
Wilhemina walked back in, gnawing on a leg of mutton that she definitely hadn‘t had before, “You guys were being boring just sitting around and talking, so I decided to look for secret passageways but I couldn’t find any.” She nibbled at her mutton, “Larder’s full though.”
The others streamed out to examine the pantry. As Wilhemina had said, it was still fully stocked. “None of this food has spoiled,” Raz noted. “Even the vegetables are still fresh. That means a day or two at most since the innkeepers left.”
“Well, they didn’t go towards Lancton,” Teeper said next, “I definitely would have crossed them on the road.”
“And we didn’t meet anybody on the road on our way here either,” said Zouly.
“That leaves the countryside,” Raz mused. “Were either of them likely to go out hunting?”
It was Bunwick who answered with a question of his own, “With a full pantry? What would be the point?”
Wilhemina yawned, “I’m bored! I came here to sleep in a warm bed, not talk about furs who aren’t even here! I’m going up to find a room.”
“For once, I’m with Mina,” Zouly said to the others. He continued before she could comment on how he’d agreed with her, “It’s getting late and whatever happened here, we’re not likely to solve it tonight. Might as well get a good night’s sleep and start again fresh in the morning.”
Bunwick looked concerned, “What about the innkeepers? Won’t they be upset if they return and find that we’ve helped ourselves to a room while they were gone?”
“This is what inns are for,” Raz pointed out. “If they return, we can explain to them what happened and square things up.” He led the others out and up the stairs to claim a room. With his objections neatly answered, Bunwick quickly followed. In a matter of minutes they were all fast asleep.
* * *
Wilhemina, Raz, Zouly and Teeper all stuck their heads out from their rooms at the same time. Only Bunwick remained asleep in his bed. “You heard it too?” Teeper asked the others, who could only nod.
An hour had passed since the travellers had turned in. They were all sound asleep when they each heard a strange sound coming from the hallway. Unsure if what they’d heard was real or a dream, they’d each opened their doors to look out. As they looked at each other in confusion, the strange breezy whistling sound picked up again.
“There it is again!”
Raz perked his ears, “Where’s it coming from?” The next time they heard it, he pointed to the only unoccupied room, “There!”
The four moved quickly and burst through the door only to find the room empty. The window was closed and even more curious was the view. The trees were completely still. There wasn’t even the slightest breeze outside.
Where the others were perplexed, Teeper grew agitated, “I don’t like this!” He left the room to stand in the hallway. After satisfying themselves that there was truly nothing out of place in the room, the others followed him.
Teeper yipped when the windy whistle sounded again. Raz called out sharply, “Who’s there?!”
The loud voice finally stirred Bunwick from his room, “What’s going on?” he asked sleepily.
Teeper looked at him incredulously, “You didn’t hear it?”
Bunwick rubbed his eyes with the back of his paw, “Hear what?” As though in answer, the whistle call sounded again, giving him a start, “Oh my!”
“It sounds like it’s coming from downstairs now,” Zouly observed. He bounded down the wooden stairs to the main room. It was as empty as when they first arrived. The others joined him and they all set about re-examining the room.
“There’s nothing here,” Raz declared.
“I don’t like this at all!” Teeper repeated.
Wilhemina looked non-plussed, “This is stupid! I’m going back to bed!” Yawning, she left the room to head back upstairs. Her companions watched her go, then turned back to each other.
“Well, what do we do now?” Zouly asked.
“We could take turns standing watch,” Bunwick suggested.
“I’ll stand first,” Raz volunteered. “The rest of you head back to bed.”
Teeper shook his head, “No way! I’m not staying one minute more in this place!”
Raz shook his head, “Don’t be silly friend. If anything was going to happen, I’m sure it would have happened by now. Go up to your room.”
“Nuh-uh!” the groundhog grunted. “I’m sleeping outside!” and with that, he marched out of the building.
Zouly shrugged, “Suit yourself.” He and Bunwick went back to their rooms, leaving Raz all alone to stand watch.
* * *
An hour passed and nothing happened. Raz was slowly starting to doze off in a chair when suddenly a bright light flashed before his eyes. For a moment, the night was transformed into day and then, just as suddenly it went out again.
“AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!” Teeper screamed from outside.
Raz raced out to see what was the matter. He found the groundhog cowering behind the inn. “What happened friend?”
“The light!” was all Teeper could blurt out.
“You saw it too, then?” Raz said simply. The groundhog was clearly scared. Raz felt uneasy himself, but still managed to keep hold of his emotions. “Come friend. Let’s go back inside.”
The fear of being left alone was stronger than his fear of whatever he imagined lurked in the lodge, so Teeper followed the big wolverine back inside where they found Zouly and Bunwick waiting for them.
Bunwick looked concerned. “What happened?” he asked. “We heard a scream!”
“It was Teeper,” Raz replied. “We both saw a bright flash and the poor fellow lost his wits for a moment.”
“Are you alright, Teeper?” Bunwick asked, but the little groundhog was staring at the ceiling, abject terror on his face.
Zouly, Bunwick and Raz all followed the terrified fur’s eyes and witnessed the strangest sight any of them had ever come across.
A strangely glowing light streaked across the ceiling. Dark spots within the light suggested the hint of a skeletal face. The spectral apparition hovered over them for a moment and then it was gone.
Zouly, Bunwick and Raz looked down from the ceiling and at each other. They stood in silence until finally Zouly asked, “Was that a specter?”
They’d all heard folktales of ghostly apparitions that wandered the countryside. But they were just stories parents told their kids to scare them.
“I’ve never seen one before to be sure,” Raz answered, “But…”
“Wooooo!” Teeper wailed. He was trembling now, “This place is haunted!”
Raz tried to reason with him, “From what I’ve read on the subject, specters don’t stay in one place. They’ll move along soon enough.” He was just starting to reach the groundhog when the whistling started again,
Teeper started screaming. Zouly shook his head, “For the love of the Six…” He bounced in front of the groundhog and shouted at him, “CALM DOWN!”
The sharp command had the opposite effect on the terrified fur. Even more frightened then before, Teeper took off, running around the room erratically, toppling furniture over as he went.
“Just perfect,” Bunwick muttered, “Nice going, Zouly!”
“How was I supposed to know he’d react like that?” the frog protested.
“He’s scared out of his mind!” Bunwick snapped, “How did you think he was going to react?”
“Obviously, I thought he would calm down!” Zouly snapped back.
Raz cut them both short, “Will you two stop bickering with each other and help me catch him!”
Working together, the furs and scaley cornered the scurrying groundhog. Zouly held his paws out to Teeper and slowly approached, “Easy there, Teeper. We’re not going to hurt you.” He advanced until finally he could set a paw on the cowering fur, and started to rub his head soothingly, “It’s okay. Nothing’s going to happen. We’re here to protect you.”
Teeper didn’t say a word. He only whimpered. His eyes were wide-open and vacant. Raz peered into them and then looked the fur over, “I think he’s been scared wild.”
Zouly and Bunwick furrowed their brows in confusion. Raz explained the phenomenon where awakened furs suffered traumas so severe, it hampered their ability to reason. They reverted back to a wild state.
“Will he get better?” Bunwick asked.
Raz shrugged, “I don’t know…there aren’t many documented cases. Logic would dictate that if he could be awakened once, he should be able to be awakened again.”
“What are you–” Zouly started. Teeper was rubbing his head against the frog’s tummy, “Get off of me!”
Bunwick couldn‘t help laughing, “Looks like you have a new best friend, Zouly!”
Zouly didn’t see the humour in the situation, “It’s not funny! Get off!”
Raz watched as the groundhog followed the agitated frog around the room. “He seems to have imprinted on you as his protector.”
Zouly looked dumbfounded, “What?” He stared at Teeper, “Are you serious?”
Raz nodded, “Absolutely serious.”
“What are you all doing up so early?” Everybody looked to the stairway where Mina stood, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The weasel had slept through the entire ordeal apparently.
“Early?” Zouly asked, still trying to push Teeper away.
Wilhemina nodded, “The sun’s just coming up,” she pointed to the window where indeed the first rays of light were starting to filter in. She then looked at the frog wrestling with the groundhog, “What’s with Teeper?”
“It’s a long story,” Bunwick said. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he was clearly amused, “But the long and short of it is that Zouly has a new pet!”
Mina pouted, “That isn’t fair! Why does Zouly get a pet and I don’t?”
The frog stamped his feet, “I don’t want a pet! It’s bad enough we have to be taking care of you half the time!” He looked to Raz, “Can’t we just let him run free in the wild?”
Raz shook his head dubiously, “Teeper’s lived his whole life in civilized society. He doesn’t know how to survive in the wild. Leaving him all alone now would be signing his death warrant.”
“Well what are we supposed to do?” The frog demanded to know, “We can’t very well keep him with us from now on, can we?”
Raz considered it, “He’s from Lancton and we’re going there anyway. Maybe being back in a familiar setting will help him come back to himself.”
Zouly grudgingly caved, “Okay then. Just to Lancton!”
Bunwick was still grinning, “You’re always saying it’s hard to keep up with us, Zouly. You could ride Teeper!”
Mina looked up, “What? No! *I* want to ride Teeper!” She moved toward the frog and groundhog.
“Oh no!” Zouly exclaimed, shaking his head, “If anybody’s going to ride him, it’s going to be me!”
Raz walked past them and back towards the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Bunwick asked.
“To get some sleep,” Raz muttered.
“Now? What about–”
Raz interrupted them, “Look friends, it’s been a long night and we’re still three days away from our destination. I say we catch some much needed rest and start fresh this afternoon.” Without waiting for a reply, he headed up the stairs to his room. The road to Lancton would have to wait.