Posse Comitatus
by Lee Struglia
The party is encamped for the night when a lone rider pounds into camp, his horse frothing with sweat, his armor torn, his body bent over in the saddle. The rider bleeds from several wounds, and an arrow is still lodged in his side. He stops his horse, which collapses, and he falls off, snapping the arrow as he strikes the ground. He cries out, but his voice is weak, and everyone can see he is near death. Then he passes out before he can speak. Should they choose to heal him in the few minutes he has left before he dies, the party will discover who is responsible for the rider's condtion. They will also find out that the local leadership offers a great reward for the eradication of those who pillage the countryside, rape the women, kill the livestock, and burn the fields. Should they let him expire, they will discover the perpetrators in a short while when the party comes under attack as well, perhaps as they sleep....
(Originally appeared in Re:Quests!, issue #28, October 1992, p. 29; Mary H Kelly, editor.)
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