More Adventures in Tellene - Main Tale

[EvilGinger]

Episode XIV a battle won but the war is not over & the worries of the Holdfast Part I

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aetlred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf Fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf Fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Fhokki Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter
Violet – Half Demon Paladin of the Free
Nyassor- Elven, Fighter from Elsewhere
Americ – Human Cleric form Elsewhere
Liamar – Kalamarian Human Cleric of the free from the Hidden Dell
Nyasse - Kalamarian Human girl from the Hidden Dell

Location
The Holdfast and the Hidden Dell, the woods to the south, the Faire at A’Rakham Manor

Events
(The events start four weeks after the end of the last episode at the Holdfast at the western end of the Hidden Dell)
With Violet off on her travels again and with their recent experience with the goblin raid and what followed the people of the Hidden Dell are more than a little worried when the company finally comes to the point where they want to return to A’Rakham and spend some of the gold the Lord of the manor gave them for defending his honour against the goblins.

There was at first a something of a discussion with Liamar and the village elders quite a formidable group in themselves revolving round not leaving the villagers totally unprotected from the goblins possible return as every one present is quite aware the goblins where defeated and not vanquished for good ad all. This got a bit heated at times but Liamar managed to keep things constructive for the most part and it was agreed that the company could go south provided they returned, with the supplies which they had already discussed getting with Violet and Liamar before Violet left on her travels. It was also suggested by Nyasse amongst others that some of the company remained behind as a support for the villager’s fledgling militia. None of the company wanted to stay because the ten gold coins the lord of A’Rakham had given them was more money than they had ever had to spend and in some cases more than they had ever had for any purpose. This left of course the strangers and Aetlred the ever helpful had managed to learn some scraps of their rather odd shared tongue and armed with this he went off to ask them.  He first approached Americ who was the easiest to find as he seldom left his chapel and found him unwilling to help in the matter wanting as far as Aetlred could tell to spend his time mending his broken relationship with his goddess who he believes he had offended.

A short further search located the queer looking elf Nyassor not far from the paddock with the horses in it. Aetlred asked him the same question and this time Aeltred’s blundering about in the unfamiliar tongue got Nyassor more than a little exasperated so as Aetlred looked to him like an Elven adolescent Nyassor asked Aetlred in high Elven if he spoke it. Aetlred was initially annoyed as he often is that the tall elf had been hiding his ability to speak High Elven from him, and then it occurred to him that it had never crossed his mind that someone who looked like nothing so much as an oversized elf might speak an Elven tongue and felt a fool.

The conversation which followed was not brief being in a tongue designed to convey very complex matters developed by a people who where immortal and had all the time in the world to do so. The result of the conversation was that Nyassor agreed to stay at the Holdfast as moral support and to if required prize his friend away form his atonement.  When this was conveyed to the Villagers’ they agreed to let the rest of the company go   and Liamar handed them a list of the sort of things the Villages’ needed to replace the goods burnt or otherwise used up and spoilt by the goblins

With that all sorted out the Company along with a couple of the villagers ponies and Heradin’s pony Bill left for the journey south, which day light on a pleasant day saw them arriving at the faire in the early evening.  

Arriving at the faire the company noted the new defensive ditch north of the road and the presence of a check point on the road manned by tabarded mercenaries in the pay of the Lord of A’Rakham

The faire was if any thing busier than it had been when they had visited a month earlier and the whole ground was a mass off tents and pavilions with several streets of traders now in evidence.

The company first stabled there pack ponies in a small livery stable just inside the boundary of the fair not far form the check point at the entry and Heradin stopped to brief the stable hand in his halting Brandobian about the proper way to care for Bill before rushing to catch up with the rest of the company.

After that the first stop was to visit the Taxidermist to recover the skull of the ogre which was done and after a brief chat with the master taxidermist the Company moved on to the inn seeking a room for the night, not that Aetlred grumbled there would be one as the place would be full to bursting with fat merchants. Lalia noted again the dips working the crowd and this put her rather in mind of a bit of fundraising of her own for why spend ones own hard earned coin on an overpriced room in an inn when you can spend some one else’s.


As they approached the inn they passed D’rek who was working away happily sustained by sips of small ale and nibbles of honey cake passed to him by an apprentice he was as usual for a smith striped to the waist and wearing a bull’s hide apron and was not a jot slimmer than when last met. Seeing the company passing he raised his hammer from the piece and waved it in a friendly manner. The company waved back and continued on to the inn itself.

The great common room was packed and it quickly became apparent that the place was full, something confirmed by Telec asking one of the very busy staff about the availability of a room here or in the foreigner’s house.  However the general opinion was that the Company should at least stop for a drink before finding some where to stay with space for them. Lalia’s eyes where drawn to the leather aprons full of coins all the serving staff had and started to form a plan. Aetlred in a fit of devilment decided to suggest to Fawlit that he get the first round in. Fawlit was desperate fro a drink as he had had none since the companies triumphant last visit and was as ever eager to please so he approached the line of tables which served as a bar coin in hand as even he realized he would have to pay this time. As the Half Ork moved forwards the crowd around him parted and people drew back. Muttering started and by the time the eager Fawlit reached the bar there was a distinctly hostile feel to the atmosphere in the common room. The inn staff just ignored him despite his eagerly proffered gold coin. Fawlit felt not for the first time in his life utterly humiliated, he couldn’t fight all of them and he didn’t really want to, he wasn’t a monster he only wanted a drink, and by all the powers he desperately needed one.

Lalia sensing the distraction provided gave her an opening slipped into the crowd and sidling up to one of the serving staff and sliding an exploratory hand into the coin apron. The serving man noticed and with exemplary speed grabbed her hand stop that thief he said in Brandobian but fortunately no one else heard him, but Sondan saw there was a problem and stepped in taking command of events like his old sergeant would have.  He batted Lalia round the back of the head as if she was a naughty child took her wrist none to gently whilst apologizing to the serving man for the brat, fortunately the serving man saw that Lalia had actually taken no coins decided to leave it at that as Sondan dragged Lalia away, she was annoyed with herself as much as any thing else it was a good plan why hadn’t it worked and that she had had to be rescued stung her professional pride.

Meanwhile Fawlit stood at the bar a moment longer until Telec announced every one out we will find some where which will serve us and marched out of the door the company followed to a man thought Sondan still had Lalia’ wrist in a vice grip until they where clear and she had given her word she would buy a round when they did find somewhere to serve them, Lalia felt more annoyed as her money pouch took a hit just after her professional pride.

By this time the Faire was most defiantly winding down for the day and most of the many stalls where shutting up shop even so it did not take that long for the company to find one of the several large tents which served as taverns in the faire Here Sondan made Lalia make good on her word and she bought the first round as well as ordering some food for herself an annoyed halfling is a hungry halfling. Fawlit downed the wooden tankard of small beer so fast it never touched the sides. Then ordered another it would seem here that his coin was as good as any one else’s. However he failed to notice he was being charged double at least for each drink.

The rest of the company moved over to the table where Sondan and Lalia where sitting and considered ordering food, indeed they where on the point of this when Lalia’s arrived it was a wooden bowl of brown stew, to be more precise it was a brown bowl full of thick some what greasy hot brown liquid with brown lumps floating in it. The brown lumps could have been any thing but most likely might one have been root vegetables or unidentified very over cooked meat.   It came with a brown wooden spoon and a lump of dark brown dry bread even a hungry halfling had it on her honour to turn her nose up at that and every one else decided to have another drink and go looking for some where better to eat.

At this point the company split up the majority of them went with Aetlred in search of a hog roast as he was insistent there must be one at the faire and he had rather liked the one they had had in the dwarf hold. Fawlit stayed here and drunk himself into oblivion. Dvorn disappeared off to find a crowd to tell his stories of how heroic he was to and Sondan to catch up with any of his old comrades who might be about and generally see what was going on in the caravan protection trade


The main company quickly located the almost obligatory hog roast, not hard with it not being all that far from the tavern tent where they had just been. Here the food was good as was the ale which had be bought from the master brewer at Ettis wall the same as the good ale at the main inn though the staff did mention that they might have trouble getting much more as the road west of the faire had seen numerous sightings of goblins and many of the local peasants had decamped to the relative safety of Ettis wall. There were also romours of war from the north and the doomsayers where predicting another great humanoid invasion. Even so the whole night was pleasant and increasingly celebratory as the ale followed and every one went back for seconds and perhaps thirds in some cases. The conversation waxed back and forth over recent events and what the company should do after they took the goods that they where honour bound to purchase back to the Holdfast however no conclusions where reached and thoughts turned to where to sleep that night at which point Aetlred rushed off to the roast once more and every one else more than a little ale fuddled if the truth be told wondered what on earth he was up to especially when he returned with a wooded trencher with a huge portion of roast in it. Snackage he announced with the solemnity of the more than slightly drunk we are all off to see our old friend and companion D’rek. Every one looked a little confused but Lalia caught on first we go and see D’rek and see if he will put us up for the night. With which the company set off to D’rek’s house though the darkening faire bearing their gift before them.

When they arrived D’rek was still up, having a pre bed snack and quickly told his apprentice let them in. He was delighted to see them and even more delighted with the granted slightly cold and a bit congealed pig roast. He took one look at the company and announced that they where wasting away with all this adventuring lark and roused his other apprentice who was already asleep and had them prepare a slap up supper and offered more ale and honey oat cakes for afters.

They chatted late into the night as old friends will reminiscing about the rats at the farm which seemed so very long ago now even if it was only a month or perhaps two ago D’rek was eager to hear of the adventures with the goblins and especially of the hardships he had avoided by giving up the adventuring life. He told of what had been going on around the faire alluded to the sightings of goblins along the kings road to the west and  how he was doing very well being by far the best blacksmith in the area. They talked of who the good armourers and weapon smiths where and D’rek gave them directions to the weapon smiths row and to remind him in the morning. All of them retired late and rose late to the sounds of D’rek opening up the forge outside and the smell of cooking as D’rek’s second breakfast was cooked so he could eat it whilst the apprentices cosseted the forge up to the proper working temperature. 

D’rek offered every one a share of his breakfast, but every one was keen to leave as no one wanted to be present for the awful moment D’rek took of his tunic to start work. He did force some packages of honeyed oat cakes into the departing company member’s hands.  He said they where welcome any time and sent one of his apprentices along to make sure that they found where they wanted to go in the faire as he had to do some food shopping any way as it never did to be in danger of running out of supplies.

The apprentice led the company to the clothier’s row along the road and left them there, with directions to the armourers row just off to the north, as he had to get off to the bakery because he would be for it if he didn’t bring back his masters favorite sweet cakes and the best loaves soon ran out these days. This reminded the company that they had also intended to get some more provisions for the folk of the Hidden Dell so they followed the apprentice to the bake house tent and finding it in an area surrounded by other stalls selling preserves, pickles, sacks of various grains and various long lasting root vegetables of the sort you can make good stews and soups form the company stocked up on these to give the residents of the Holdfast at the Hidden Dell a decent supplement to their basic rations until such time as the crops in the fields by the ruined village which the goblins had not harmed became ready tom harvest and they became once again self sufficient.  The company arranged for these goods to be taken to the blacksmiths house as soon as they where ready. Seeing how much the company had already bought before they got to the clothiers and the weapons and armour smiths Heradin suggested that they would likely need another pack pony to carry it all.  There was as ever and the company decided to invest in another pack ponies’ which they would get the end along with the necessary gear from the livery they had left Bill and the ponies lent them by the people of the Hidden Dell.

As they talked of this the company moved along back to the clothier’s row. Browsing the Clothiers row the company discussed the bolts of cloth that they had been asked to get for the Holdfast chose them and tried to haggle but it cut almost no slack with the veteran merchants but they got what they required all be it not at a bargain price and made arrangements for the goods to be delivered to D’rek’s forge so they could pick them up on the way out and load them onto the pack animals.

With that done the company then moved off up onto the weapon smiths row and started the serious business of browsing for better weapons and armour. Some of it was easy getting a light crossbow for Sondan and Thans with a supply of bolts was easy but getting good quality weapons and armour was difficult as any thing obviously better than standard was also doled to the limit up to push the price up even more. Nothing was to be had in the weapons line which was undemonstrative plain or workmanlike and not flashy often in the extreme. Armour was a little easier but most of that was metal any way and well out of the company’s price range even for the more normal quality sort.  The best they could find was a suit of studded leather obviously made for a priest of the True as it was whilst of excellent quality rather spoilt by all the rivets and washers being brass topped and polished like gold and all the intervening leather painted with gilt paint some of which was flaking where the quilted leather had flexed in use. In the end the company settled on two suits of plain but Thans & Heradin assured every one sturdy and good quality quilted leather of the type the Fhokki people faviour as its good armour and will keep you from freezing in the winter cold. Granted it’s not nice in the south but it’s nearly that cold sometimes around here especially in the mountains and mercenaries who have worked in the north along the ragged northern Cosdolen frontier for  example  going to work in the warmer south often sell it on so its available second hand in large markets an the faire here is as large as you will find for many a weeks march either east or west not to mention being the very sort of place where a mercenary might want to off load unwanted gear.





 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode XIV a battle won but the war is not over & the worries of the Holdfast Part II

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aetlred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf Fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf Fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Fhokki Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter
Violet – Half Demon Paladin of the Free
Nyassor- Elven, Fighter from Elsewhere
Americ – Human Cleric form Elsewhere
Liamar – Kalamarian Human Cleric of the free from the Hidden Dell
Nyasse - Kalamarian Human girl from the Hidden Dell

Location
The Holdfast and the Hidden Dell, the woods to the south, the Faire at A’Rakham Manor

Events

In the morning Fawlit woke with a bad head having passed out under a merchant’s wagon and went off to look for a tavern tent to serve him some food and a couple of tankards of ale to clear his head. 

Dvorn awoke in the arms of an easily impressed serving maid who was no doubt late for work as it was some what past dawn, not that he cared she had saved him the price of a room for the night after all and spent some time with a real hero. He dressed quickly and quietly and left with a blown kiss. Going off to seek some breakfast, in the nearby tavern tent he noticed the damned half ork head down in a bowl of stew and his first drink of the day wretched sot he thought Dvorn did not a knowledge him best not make a point of letting people know the hero Dvorn the axe even knows such a low life, let alone counted him as a comrade in arms. Having eaten and wanting to avoid the stupid clingy beast Dvorn stepped out onto armourer’s row to seek an axe fit for the hero he was. He soon found one a beautifully balanced piece with a blade covered in gilt and the handle reinforced by steel strip decorated with brass polished to look like gold wrapped in fine sot calfskin and counter balanced with a pommel in brass that was in the shape of a screaming Orks head, it was made for him, he also picked up a coat of heavy quilted leather as used by the northern tribes and edged in soft grey fur he thought looked like wolf. His purchase complete and his purse empty of gold he decided to go looking for every one else, how lucky they where he thought to be in the company of such a great hero. 

Sondan took his coin to the armourer’s row to look for some better armour and perhaps a cross bow though that was not the essential it might once have been as he had grown quite fond of the short bow the use of which he had practiced at the Holdfast not least of which because his likely enemies seemed to favor it and therefore a ready supply of arrows could be recovered form them, he had yet to see a goblin with a cross bow or any one else exempt the strangers who where very odd indeed and the elves bow with its steel span looked like it was made to take down charging caparisoned horses or the sort of monster Sondan would rather give a very wide birth to, owl beasts sprang to mind, not that he had ever seen an owl beast powers be thanked.

He browsed the armour available and had set his eye on a coat of studded leather and an open faced plate steel helm when he spied the majority of the company further along the row. He sighed and like the good soldier he was decided to keep hold of his gold and may be save up for a coat of mail at a latter date. He walked up the row to where the rest of the company where examining a very flashy suit of studded leather armour and more than slightly turning their noses up at something only a priest of the True would be see in dead or alive. By the time he reached them they had purchased a couple of suits of leather armour in the fhokki style.
Dvorn saw the company outside on Armourers row as he left the tavern tent and resplendent in his new armour with his new axe shouldered, he would he thought have to think of a name for that after all even the scummy half ork had one he remembered not that he could read the dwarf scratchings on the sharpened club it was so fond of. He wondered whether or not to say where the half ork was and half hoped they would forget about it and leave it behind.

When he joined the company they and the “corporal” Sondan where talking about getting good but unflashy weapons and discussing a couple of coats of fhokki style armour they had just bought doubtless for the fool dwarves or perhaps just one of them and the more fool elf, he did not really care.

With most of the company gathered together again and with those that had gone to D’rek’s house, last night wanting something to wash down the small mountain of food just being in his company again could cause you to consume It was decided to retire to the very same tavern tent Dvorn had not long left for a mug of small ale and a longer discussion of what to do next. Here they met up with Fawlit who was already the wrong side of a couple too many mugs of small ale and was quite effusively pleased to see every one and offered to buy them all a drink. The discussion continued on the subject of unflashy weapons of quality and bemoaning the fact that they where not to be had locally. Eventually however the discussion turned to the possibility of getting such made and wondering who they could get to do it. D’rek’s name was mentioned by Heradin and backed up by Thans because any dwarf blacksmith could turn his or her to weapon and armour smiting and D’rek was as far as they could see a rather good one, even if Thans did note not as good as a dwarf of course. However Telec and Aetlred who had known him longest said that he had no skill with weapons and they had never seen him make any thing more complex than an arrow head.  To prove his point, literally, Aetlred hunted through his quiver to find one of the arrows he had made with an arrow head D’rek had forged at the Meliac’s farm. Having found one he passed it round and those who knew their weapons where forced to agree that whilst there was certainly nothing wrong with it there was certainly nothing exceptional about it either. Some what smug his point being proved Aetlred returned the arrow to his now brimming quiver with a flourish. Sondan commented that even so D’rek might have some good steel as even a blacksmith had uses for it, for good measure and to prove his point in Aeltred’s manner he drew his own razor and nail clippers from his pouch commenting that they where of the best steel and doubtless blacksmith work. Telec agreed and wondered if their old friend might sell them some steel and they could seek out a smith to make weapons out of it.  Aetlred blurted out the fact that they already knew such a smith then coloured as he knew he shouldn’t have said so here.  The discussion fell into silence and every one drunk up and left feeling it was time to go and see D’rek then to leave.

The company walked quickly out of the tavern tent and down armourers and then weapon smith’s rows to the main line of the king’s road through the faire passing as they did the line of stalls and tents which formed clothier’s way and past the inn to D’rek’s house where he was to be seen working away sustained as before with bites of honey oat cakes and sips of small ale. He sent his apprentice over to say to them that the cloth and other stores had arrived. He also had the apprentice ask if they wanted to stop for a snack, but the company still uncomfortably full from last night had not even made a start on the packets of honey cakes he had insisted they take to keep their strengths up whilst shopping. Even the Halfling could not face the thought of eating for quite a while and felt more than usual like the barrel big people occasionally refer to her kind as.

Putting the offer of food aside the Company stopped to chat instead about where they could get high grade steel from in the faire. D’rek laughed saying that he had a load he did not need as he had over estimated the demand for tools and was in any event far to busy supplying the nearby Farrier and Waggoner’s with metal fittings for their trades not to mention iron barrel rings of all sizes and nails by the box even if he did delegate most of the latter to his apprentices, it’s the way I learned he adds with a chuckle and a small bit of errant oat cake escapes form his beard falling to the ground. D’rek rests on the handle of the heavy hammer his wields as if it where a tenth of its weight and size and sends his apprentice out back to get the steel bar stock. Shortly the lad arrives dragging a heavy box. D’rek deftly flicks the lid open with his hammer revealing that it is full of long twisted bars of dark steel how much do you need he asks there is another box like this out back but you cant have all of it as I will need it when the knife grinder moves on and I stop having his competition.  A look passes round the company, how much do they need they are not sure. So D’rek asks them what they want making and whilst he is no weapon smith he has a much better eye to the amount of metal needed for any item than they do. The company reels off a list and as they do so D’rek lifts the amount of bar he thinks it will need from the box with a pair of tongs and piles it on the ground beside it. When they are finished he smiles and laughs upending the rest of the content into the heap adding incase he is wrong as he is not weapon smith. The company looks at the pile and tries to assess how much it might cost them.

Aetlred hazards a cautious how much?  D’rek laughs not a penny it’s for old time’s sake and for keeping me alive whilst I learned the adventuring lark is just not for me. They shook hands on the deal and then departed to the Livery to get the extra pony and tack for it before returning to the blacksmiths to load up with their goods.

There business at the fair completed Heradin, made sure that all the ponies where properly packed up with the goods they had bought in preparation for the return to the Holdfast. 

The return journey was as easy as the outward one had been and just as untroubled by hostile encounters. So that by mid afternoon on the day they left A’Rakham the company had descended into the Dell and swung east to arrive at the Holdfast early in the evening.




 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode XIV a battle won but the war is not over & the worries of the Holdfast

experience awards

A work in progress


 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode XIV

the Honour issue

Starting honour              Honour                    Averaging
                                       Awards                     effect
Aetlred    58                     52(-6)                     51(-1)
Telic       71                     74(+3)                      73(-1)
Lalia       57                     57 (+0)                    56(-1)
Thans      69                     72 (+3)                    71(-1)
Heradin    45                    47(+2)                    47(-1)
Fawlit      48                    48 (+0)                    47(-1)
Sondan    50                    54 (+4)                    53(-1)
Dvorn      42                     45(+3)                    45(+0)
Nyassor   30                   30 (+0)                     31(+1)
Americ     30                   30 (+0)                     31(+1)
Nyasse     19                   19(+0)                      20(+1)
Liamar      15                   15(+0)                     16(+1)

The following are out of the group for the session

Violet      185             

Honour at the start of the session 44 at end of the Session 45

 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

A mater of fame

A work in progress

 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode XV – Maters of comparative Religion and a nasty little skirmish in the woods part 1

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aeltred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf Fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf Fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Fhokki Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter
Nyassor- Elven, Fighter from Elsewhere
Americ – Human Cleric form Elsewhere
Liamar – Kalamarian Human Cleric of the free from the Hidden Dell
Nyasse - Kalamarian Human girl from the Hidden Dell

Location
The Holdfast and the Hidden Dell, the woods to the north of it



Events
T(The session started immediately where the previous one finished with the company arriving back at the holdfast from the faire)
The people at the Holdfast where greatly pleased to see the company’s return and helped Heradin unload the pack ponies making short work of the task. Before inviting the company to share the evening meal, after which the company first spoke to Master Selemar Ku’Ato the village blacksmith at the Hidden Dell who Telec had recognised as having had a former life as the master weapon smith to the imperial household in Bet Kalmar before falling foul of a scheme of the emperors to produce a copy of the lost sword of the emperors. They showed him the good steel bar stock which they had been given by D’rek and then commissioned him to use it to make some plain but professional quality weapons for them. The Master agreed seeing that the steel was of excellent quality but did warn them he was very much out of practice as he had not made anything a village blacksmith would not have in these many years. The talk turned to magical weaponry. However Selemar Ku’Ato had said he had seen exactly one magic sword once long ago and admitted he had no knowledge at all of matters arcane. Never the less Aeltred insisted he looked at the dwarf made elf bane arrow heads they had acquired from the goblins ands asked if he could change the enchantment to something perhaps more useful he looked at the arrow heads and agreed they where without doubt the best work of that kind he had ever seen but regretted that he could not help. Some discussion followed as Aeltred would not take no for an answer and in the end Aeltred had almost had to be dragged away from the poor man by his friends. The excuse used was that they needed Aeltred to talk to Nyassor since every one knew both of them spoke high Elven as they had heard talk of the goblins being back in the woods above the dell and given the big elf had distinct ranger like tendencies and was given to scouting they wanted to know more detail.

Nyassor and Aeltred had a long involved but rather precise conversation, just about the only sort you can have in high Elven it has to be said, about the tracks which Nyassor had said he had seen in the woods to the north and Nyassor explained that there seemed to be regular patrols of five to six large dogs probably with goblins mounted on them passing along the game trails in the woods within an hours walk of the edge of the dell and that they had been increasing in frequency from around two weeks after the companies raid on the goblin caves during which time period he would swear there had been no goblin activity this far south. Nyassor believes that the goblins have returned to the caves and possibly in greater numbers than before but has not thought it wise to scout that far on his own. He is also rather of the belief that the company need to return to the caves and deliver a more stinging check to the goblins than they did previously but he senses a certain reluctance and dose not mention that.  This conversation becomes more general turning into the customary discussion about what to do next. During which the translate spell is brought up and Heradin asked why he did not use it so any one could talk to Nyassor indeed every one could. Heradin is forced to explain that the translate spell only gives him the ability to understand unknown languages both spoken and written but not to give the same ability to others. Aeltred gets grumpy and says it’s a fat lot of use then and will not be persuaded otherwise even when its use is shown to him by the rather exasperated Heradin.  At this point Aeltred retires to bed mumbling about the uselessness of magic and dwarves and especially wizards who are dwarves, which fortunately Thans does not over, hear, and every one realises its quite late and it has been a long day and drifts of to their beds.

The following morning the discussion of what to do next recommences over breakfast. Aeltred gets an idea and goes off to round up Nyassor and then Liamar. He first speaks to Nyassor at some length in high Elven about the religion that Americ is a priest off and what is troubling him as even some one so blind to such things has Aeltred has noticed that Americ’s behavior seems more than a little strange . First Nyassor speaks of the religion and does his best to explain but whilst he is an anointed follower of that religion he is no priest ant can only describe their beliefs in very general terms. The goddess whose worship they share is the patron of rebels against oppression and of those who suffer under the yolk of tyranny; it is a cult dedicated to the support of the former when they stand against tyrants and the giving of hope to the latter that tyranny will always pass. It is as religions go fairly minor as most of any given population will drift away from it when the cause off oppression has been removed. This is something understood by its followers who typically seek the next cause requiring their support and move on. The company which Nyassor and his companions Americ, Nesbit the wizard and Meanor Arvol the dwarf where part of had traveled to a city in the north called Eboran to help liberate a nation over run by the forces of the Abyss. Then Nyassor addresses the matter troubling the priest, and causing him according to Nyassor usually a confident individual to lose his confidence quite so spectacularly apparently since they arrived here the goddess has not responded to any on Americ’s prayers and has granted him no magic after he used that which she had granted him before the disaster in Eboran and the young priest believes that this is because he had in some way offended her and seeks to atone. Nyassor adds that he has no idea of the offense, and believes that Americ himself is equally bewildered as to its nature.

Having heard this Aeltred then goes to fetch Liamar and repeats the tale, suggesting that the faith of the free and this goddess form else where sound rather similar, even if Americ’s  goddess of the liberation struggle seems to have a more limited preview that the guardian, not that Aeltred knows any great detail about the theology of either. Liamar hears what Aeltred has to say and after some thought the young man agrees that elements of the two faiths do sound at least on the surface to be similar at which point and he agrees being cut off from the font of his faith would be troubling to any priest. Liamar also being no fool despite his inexperience that Aeltred might want to do more than discuss a matter of comparative religion and asks Aeltred what he is driving at. To which Aeltred replies remembering something Zildor mentioned to him in their long conversation in the dwarf hold saying that the stranger like himself had come from an elsewhere which was cosmologically a long way off and jumps to the conclusion that it might well be distance rather than any fault on Americ’s part which is the issue. Liamar says he can understand the logic of Aeltred’s point but knows very little of such things and so can’t comment. Violet may well know, but as Violet is absent it is not possible to ask her. Then Aeltred unveils his plan, which is to have Americ convert to the faith of the guardian who is obviously the local equivalent of the goddess he worships elsewhere and who would be able to step into her role.  Liamar is not sure that it will prove that easy.

Mean while every one else was finishing breakfast and chatting generally thought the topic of the companies future plans did feature prominently. Aeltred returns with Liamar in tow and explains his plan which is discussed around the table for a while before an agreement is reached to help. Dvorn wanders off as the conversation turns to the practically of how this might be done as he is only really interested in himself and one by one Heradin, Lalia and Thans also drift away as whilst they are in favor of helping the troubled Americ they don’t see that they can contribute practically.

The remaining group discusses the matter and comes up with a plan where Liamar will attempt to convert Americ to the faith of the guardian. Further discussion clarifies that there are two principle problems with this plan the most significant of which are that Liamar and Americ do not share a common language. Things will have to go through a number of translators. Liamar will have to speak Kalamarian to Telec who will have to repeat this in either low Elven or Brandobian to Aeltred who will translate this into High Elven, for Nyassor’s benefit and Nyassor would then repeat it to his friend and comrade and so the discussion would flow back and forth. The other being the minor point that priests of a faith even in the throws of a crisis of that faith are the least easy to convert to another faith even one which is as far as every one else knows is quite so similar, a problem aggravated because none involved but Liamar and Americ have any knowledge of the comparative and competing theologies except in the most of basic terms. None the less the company resolves to go along with this plan and the date is set for it to go into action during the evening meal. Nyassor is tasked with going and seeing his old friend ant talking him out of his isolation in the makeshift chapel to join every one at the evening meal.

Nyassor went off to Americ’s chapel after breakfast to talk with his friend and attempt to persuade him to join every one at the communal supper that night. He was careful not top drop any hint of the plan as he did not want to offend his comrade or for warn him as he suspected that any such would cause Americ to reject the invitation and so the help which Nyassor was sure the company where trying to offer him.

Every one else passed the day in their own pursuits and reconvened at the evening meal where they found that the first part of the plan succeeded and Nyassor had managed to persuade his friend to join them. The extra ale cask the Company had bought from the faire was broached and after supper was eaten the conversation began in earnest against the background of the evening’s entertainment in the common room at the holdfast. The only ones to miss out on which where those whose turn it was to stand guard at the watch post and the watch tree against a repeat of the goblin intrusion

Telec, Liamar, Aeltred, Nyassor and Americ sat together and ate supper, Americ who had been fasting quite a lot by way of penance for the wrong, and he still had no clue as to what it might be,  he had done which had suppurated the goddess from himself since ha had come to this strange place.  He wondered at Nyassor who seemed to had adapted better than he, but then Elf kind where pragmatists especially those few who rejected the cold cruel calculating evil that the majority of them practiced and which had caused the long war between them and most of the other thinking races of Mararianin even the evil ones like the chaotic gnomes and the lizard men of the furthest east against whom his people had long warred. Or the Necromancers of Orisan whose foul practices still persisted despite being first over ran by the devil worshiping Assuri and then conquered by his own people. Still he had said that he would come and at least spend an evening in the company of his old friend and his new found ones.

The conversation around the table started off rather general with small talk and the like but once the translators where comfortable Liamar took his queue and he subtly turned the talk to matters of faith generally at first with both Telec and Liamar chipping in about their religions and that of the Founders creation which was apparently the faith of Liamar’s parents with Americ replying talking of the liberator and her religion. This progressed to a specific comparison between the faiths of the Liberator and that of the Free and it became rather difficult as the linguistic chain proved to be quite unwieldy even if it seemed to hold as increasingly complex theological concepts passed back and forth from Liamar to Americ and the ale flowed and the hour grew late then latter and eventually the group broke up the matter still undecided and perhaps both Americ and Liamar strengthened in their particular faiths. Telec on the other hand couldn’t but wonder quite why he had spent so much time trying to convert some one to a religion other than his own.

Whist this is going on those not involved amused themselves in their own ways in the corner the two horse obsessive’s, Nyasse and Heradin had a long discussion about horses which drifted off onto magic as the usefulness of the translate spell to allow a conversation between a girl who mostly spoke court Kalamarian and a dwarf who really could hold that sort of conversation in dwarvish became rather apparent. Dvorn and Fawlit both fell to carousing which granted in Fawlit’s case involved drinking too much of the good ale the company had bought back for the faire, and in Dvorn’s pinning Lakaran Tur Esamil a noted Kalamarian historian in a former life and his wife Lamasaru a Kalamarian imperial princess in a former life of his exploits and those of his imagined father in the Kalamarian imperial guard also largely imagined as the only fact involved is the existence of a small guard of mercenary Fhokki origin who have for the last centaury stood as shield between the emperor and the knives blades of imperial palace politics. That their grasp of Brandobian is rather poor, Lakaran mostly reads it because of his love of the school of poetry fostered by the temple of the Raconteur in Cosdol only adds to the pathos of the situation.  



Sondan ever the good soldier took his supper and then took himself off to see how the militia volunteers where doing at the watch tree and in the watch post at the base of the cliff path taking with him a couple of jugs of ale and some treats to make the long night pass a little more pleasantly for them. He also it mist be said wanted to check their alertness in the light of Nyassor’s reports of their being goblins in the woods again.  







 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode XV – Maters of comparative Religion and a nasty little skirmish in the woods part II

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aeltred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf Fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf Fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Fhokki Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter
Nyassor- Elven, Fighter from Elsewhere
Americ – Human Cleric form Elsewhere
Liamar – Kalamarian Human Cleric of the free from the Hidden Dell
Nyasse - Kalamarian Human girl from the Hidden Dell

Location
The Holdfast and the Hidden Dell, the woods to the north of it

Events

 In the morning they awoke to find that Americ had returned to his chapel shortly after dawn and had decided not to stay long enough to share breakfast with every one else. Even if Nyassor did, over breakfast the company discussed the need to do something about the returned goblins and it was decided that a severe check would be required to discourage them coming south and from troubling the inhabitants of the hidden dell. The company decided that since the goblins where again patrolling the woods to the north the best thing to do would be to ambush and roughly handle these patrols. Sufficiently so that the goblins would not come south as far as the Hidden dell preferring instead to go off and look for easier targets elsewhere. No one really wanted to contemplate having to clear out the Goblins from the goblin caves again especially as they had almost certainly reinforced their position.  

The day was spent patrolling the woods following the tracks of the goblin patrols and developing a plan of action. The company would have engaged the goblins in the day but it would seem that the creatures where only active at night which posed a problem as not every one in the company had all that good night vision whilst the goblins certainly all did. Both Aeltred and Telec came up with separate ambush plans given that the ambush was going to have to take place at night.  Aeltred’s plan involved the company being strung out along a game track in a fairly dense area of forest and being all armed with missile weapons them taking post shots at the goblins as they rode by in single file the intent being to kill most of them but to allow one at the least to survive so that he could go back and report to his masters that the woods to the south of the goblin caves where dangerous and well defended. Telec’s plan involved setting up a false camp as bait with a big fire both to draw in goblin patrols, as well as giving a light source which would allow those of the company without night vision to shoot a the goblins effectively.  Both plans where discussed and in the end the company decided much to Aeltred’s personal disgust to go with Telec’s. To this end the company spent the remains of the day collecting a lot of wood making some fake tents out of branches and the canvas they had bought at the fare and improvising torches to be left at hand around the fire. In order to make the fake camp more attractive as a target it was also decided that a portion of the company should volunteer to act as bait, Telec volunteered to lead this group and Fawlit whose poor sight an loathing of missile weapons made him useless as a shooter volunteered to help first followed by Dvorn who very much wanted to blood his fine new axe and defiantly did not want to upstaged by a Half Ork.




When every thing was set up to every ones satisfactionthe bait group of Dvorn Telec and Fawlit sat round the fire in the fake encampment making small talk and generally play acting at being lost travelers whilst the rest made themselves comfortable in the cover around the clearing weapons ready if not actually trained on the fire and the camp. They did not have long to wait as the dog tracks on the game path had been read correctly by Aeltred and this was a place the goblins sent a patrol through at least once a night.

The goblins probably spotted the large fire and the figures sitting silhouetted against it before even the ambush group heard them coming on their dogs fast soft padded feet. As when they reached the clearing they where trotting along apace arrows already knocked and bows half drawn. The speed of this entry surprised the bait group who hesitated for several seconds before reaching for weapons. The goblins did not attack, and it seemed that their intent was to take captive rather than kill. However that will never be known as before they did any such plan was interrupted by a hail of bolts and arrows from the darkness. Followed an instant latter by a sling stone and a hurled axe. Goblins tumbled form their mounts to lie stunned or dead in the dirt at the bait groups feet. The two who remained able loosed their held arrows before scrambling for weapons more suitable to a close fight. One arrow missed striking the ground between Dvorn and Fawlit, the other struck Telec in the chest. There was a resounding thunk as the arrow pierced his cloak and then met the dwarf mail beneath and stopped dead, harmlessly breaking against it. Fawlit and Dvorn swung their great axes almost together and the unfortunate goblin swayed to dodge Fawlit’s relatively clumsy swing with “Questions will be axed” straight into the glittering ark of Dvorn’s. There was a gout of dark blood as the goblin lost its head, which disappeared into the darkness; its headless body remained for an instant seated on its dog as if nothing had happened, before sliding off inelegantly. Dvorn let out a cry of exaltation and brandished his great axe one handed quite unnecessarily in triumph, the light from the fire cast a ruddy glow on the blade, and the parts of it unmarred by goblin blood, being gilded, glittered. Lalia sent a second stone hurtling into the back of the one remaining mounted goblin, then Aeltred’s second arrow also struck the one remaining mounted goblin, punching through its still slung shield wounding it deeply and it decided that it had had quite enough and turned his dog away and spurring it to a gallop fled into the surrounding night.

In the bushes around Nyassor and Sondan put down their crossbows grabbed shields and drew their swords. Thans followed up his axe throw by driving a dagger into the flank of one of the rider less dogs. The dog howled half in pain half in anger and threw itself at Telec. Telec who had picked his crossbow rather than his staff discharged it at the oncoming dog at point blank range, but his aim sent the bolt high to be lost in the woods and the darkness beyond, but he dodged the dogs snarling charge. The fight was won but not yet over, Telec grabbed his staff from the ground as both Nyassor and Sondan swords drawn joined the fight. Thans slashed at the dog again, drawing blood but not diverting it from Telec. Lalia, not wanting to lose another stone into the swirling fight for fear of hitting friend not foe, moved to the edge of the fire light and waited her opening. With the goblins all fled or down and so no longer in charge and enemies coming in form all sides the four remaining dogs had little choice but to fight which they did with the desperate ferocity of cornered animals and a desperate struggle followed.  Axes swung and swords rose and fell Thans darted in and out stabbing as he found an opening. Telec swung his staff increasingly wildly beating at the enraged dogs. A dog threw itself snarling at Telec who in his heavy armour was unable to dodge all that well, but its powerful jaws only closed on the hem of the mail and did so with a sickening crunch teeth broke and the animal turned and fled whimpering, Aeltred seeing there where no good targets moved in spear in hand quickly closing the distance to the melee. Promptly to be struck a smart blow on the side of the head by the end of Telec’s staff that caused him to see stars in spite of the hardened leather cap he was wearing. Several others stumbled on the blood slicked ground, as the fight became a matter of attrition. An over confident Dvorn over extended himself with his swing and the dog he was aiming the blow at got in past his guard and jumping up at him sank its teeth deep into his shoulder, Dvorn fell with a howl to match that of the wounded dog defense less. Lalia moved in to make sure the goblins who where on the ground where finished off in case they where only stunned and Thans joined her in this butchers work. Fawlit swiped at the dog just about to tear out the fallen Dvorn’s throat standing over his body protecting him whilst every one gathered around the remaining dogs and one by one they fell overcome by wound s until the last was split nearly in twain by a mighty blow form Fawlit

All was silent again it had taken less than a minute and had not roused Heradin from his dose in his ambush spot.




 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode XV – Maters of comparative Religion and a nasty little skirmish in the woods

As usual all awards are individual

At the holdfast
Talking to the master weapon smith       
(& commissioning the weapons)          05      +0      +0   
Discussions about Magic weapons
(The elf bane arrow heads, in particular)      05      +0      +0
Talking with Nyassor
(About the tracks in the woods)          10      +0      +0
General discussions of what to do next      05      +0      +0
Discussing the limitations of the translate spell
All player characters                05      +0      +0   
Heradin                           15      +1      +0

Trying to Help Americ
Deciding to help Americ (all good characters)   05      +1      +0
Discussing the religion of elsewhere with Nyassor
Aeltred                           10      +0      +0
Telec & Liamar                       25      +1      +0
Planning the attempt
(Telic, Aeltred, Liamar, Nyassor)         10      +1      +0
Attempting to convert Americ
Telec                             15      -3      +0
Liamar                     20      +2      +0
Resisting the conversion, Americ         50      +2      +0      

What every one else was doing
Talking Wizardry & Horses (Heradin & Nyasse)    15      +0      +0
General carousing (Dvorn, Fawlit)         05      +0      +0
Checking the guard Sondan,            10      +0      +0

Dealing with the goblins who have returned
Initial planning (all the pc’s) Nyassor and Sondan   05      +0      +0
Scouting (Aeltred)               10      +1      +0
Scouting (Lalia & Thans)            05      +0      +0
Planning the Ambush Aeltred                 05      +0      +0
Planning the Ambush   Telec            10      +0      +0
Setting the Ambush               05      +0      +0
Volunteering to be bait Telic, Dvorn, Fawlit   05      +1      +0
Slaying and defeating the Goblins and their dogs    
All except Heradin                        58      +0      +0
Special actions – Dvorn’s beheading crit      10      +2      +0
Special actions – Telec’s fumble hitting Aeltred   10      -1      +0
Special actions – Dvorn suffering a crippling crit   20      -2      +0
Heradin dozing off and missing the show      10      -2      +0
Miscellaneous & general awards         
All round good roleplay                    10      +0      +0
Telec’s growing leadership            05      +1      +0

no player character levels though two are close and may well do so next time, however Liamar largly due to all the priestly activity early on in the session does hitting second level.

 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode XV a matter of Honour


Aetlred       51            54 (+3)            53(-1)
Telic          73            75(+2)             74(-1)
Lalia          56            56 (+1)            55(-1)
Thans        71            71(+0)             70 (-1)
Heradin      47            47(+0)             46(-1)
Fawlit        47            49(+2)             48(-1)
Sondan      53            54(+1)             53(-1)
Dvorn        45            46(+1)             47(+1)
Nyassor     31            34(+4)             35(+1)
Americ      31             33(+2)             34(+1)
Nyasse     20              20(+0)             21(+1)
Liamar      16              21 (+5)            22(+1)

Average honour at start of session 45 at the end of the session 46

again Violet is not with the group

 ginger

[EvilGinger]

A Matter of fame

 Episode XV
None of the company does any thing which has any impact on either their personal fame or that of the company as a whole because the episode takes place outside the view of the neither has enough time passed for the fame of the companies former deeds to fade at all  Even then the hiring of the bard by the company during session XIV will slow any such decay.

 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

An Urban Interlude part one the gathering storm

Begins with the Goblin raid on the town of Vayham and continues until it is contemporaneous with the events of session XV above

Part one the gathering storm

Dramatis Personae
Leon – a Brandobian Human Fighter
Quarrel – a Halfling Thief


Location
the Brandobian county town of Vayham in the North West corner of the region

Events
(These begin during session XIII of the main story and progress to the end of session XIV this is largely about setting the scene for what follows and to be gin with time passes rapidly with relatively few events)

Vayham is the county town of the Cosdolan County of the same name it was established before the fracturing of Brandobia and the subsequent civil war thought it only grew to its present importance following that when it was chosen by the first king of Cosdol as the seat for one of his more trusted nobles. This noble was charged with consolidating Cosdol’s eastern border with the adjacent rather lawless back country Kalamarian province. A situation which became even more critical when the Kalamarian Empire itself collapsed locally and then even its successor the city state of P’Bapara largely lost what little control of the area due to the actions of humanoids, mostly Orks in the Laggosa mountains to the east. This noble and his descendants largely succeeded in this even expanding their holdings into the abandoned area of the former Kalamarian province and bringing a period of peace and stability which has lasted until the present day.

The town has expanded form the area walled by the first count and the walled area was extended to incorporate this expansion by the present count’s grandfather creating the Newtown, and it was expanding again due to the influence of the Cult of the Coin lord and the growth of beef farming to the east the other side of the M’Alvern stream to the east, which caused the existing beast market to expand to an area outside the east gate,  Where additional stock pens where built and an enterprising gnome built the regions first and so far only commercial slaughter house about twenty years ago.  

Despite the mention of the Gnome the towns population is almost entirely human and of either Brandobian of P’Baparan stock with a mere two extended Halfling families and a scatter of individuals who can legitimately lay claim to some Elven blood, even if none have enough to be half elves, even if a grand parent or great grandparent was. There is no Dwarves resident and very few pass through either as there are no dwarven settlements any where around.

Town ordinances bar half Orks from the town outright and only permit half hobgoblins as employees of reputable citizens.  The town is prosperous, provincial, parochial and peaceful beyond the odd drunken punch up in the beast market between drovers.




Leon was between jobs but had no particular problem with that as he still had coin in his pocket from his last job as a mercenary on the northern border of Cosdol and to be frank felt he had earned a bit of rest and recuperation. He found Vayham with its numerous inns and taverns as well as a constant new crowd wanting to listen tom his tales of daring do in the northlands a fine place to do that, not to mention it was a damned site warmer and more clement here than on the somewhat windswept northern frontier.

He had rented a room in a lodging house in the old town behind the market square which he shared with another mercenary soldier Nyadryn another refugee from the northern frontier and his occasional lady friend and of all things a Halfling clerk from the market administration a strange quiet fellow but apparently quite upright if boring. There where at first at least a couple of empty rooms in the house but as the time passed these filled up.

Nyadryn had been in the town since the holder of the fief just over the M’Alvern stream in whose service he had been had sent him effectively single handed to deal with that bandit problem last year, granted they had only been goblins in the end but he had been in the north and had a health respect for those bastard creatures ability to butcher the stupid and the cock sure, he had seen to much of it which is why he was now down south as he still thought of it and working as a carpenters labourer again. Still that had its perks he was sure that the masters youngest daughter was sweet on him.



Quarrel one of the few Halflings in the town and at least on the surface as conventional and unadventurous as the rest of his kinfolk here about. A clan whose only adventurous impulse in living memory was their paternal grandfather moving his family here from the more Halfling dominated lands to the south and east of Cosdol and even then that was to avoid a renewed war with Eldor which never happened in the end.

Leon was to be honest unemployed but did not see much of an issue with that provided he still had the coin to support himself without working as he much preferred spending time in the tavern telling tales of former adventures to actually doing more. He also thought himself rather above having to do common labour again

All was as described until quite  recently when a large band of hostile and apparently well organised goblins appeared in the area of the M’Alvern ridge and started raiding the farms and then the villages south of there and east of the M’Alvern stream. The situation escalated and within a few days the land holder found he was unable to defend his small fief and returned to join the refugees in Vayham and to regroup and request assistance form his liege lord the count.

In response to his vassals quite reasonable request the count gathered up the forces he had to hand and rode with them across the M’Alvern crossings to confront the goblins. In retrospect the Count wishes he had called up the counties feudal levies and waited for them to arrive before doing so but convinced that speed was of the essence to catch the raiders and that he had sufficient force to deal the goblins a severe rebuke he attacked straight away. His small army smashed through the goblin force attempting to hold the M’Alvern crossings and when their retreat apparently turned in to a panicked rout gave chase back toward the M’Alvern ridge. This was done without much thought to the possibility of ambush sadly and the goblins had indeed set one which the counts pursuing army ran right into.

Even so the goblins where not quite able to take full advantage of their coup and the counts army managed to regroup and after a hard fight, involving a number of casualties to gain control of the field driving off the ambushers. However this time the lesson being learned there was no wild pursuit. However as the army was reordering it became apparent that the Counts son and heir had been fatally struck by an arrow. This arrow had punched thought the mail around his neck and slain him outright.  This caused the count to rethink his plans and he ordered his army back to Vayham to plan.

The counts army withdrew back to the town and as they did so they started to be harassed by goblin archers riding on great slavering hounds, which they could not get to grips with and more good men died in the retreat.  Reaching the town near dusk the count’s exhausted force gained it hoped some rest. However even this was shattered as towards mid night a large band of dog mounted goblins arrived before the east gate and driving off the rather thin guard in the outer market burned it and the slaughter house to the ground before making a concerted attack on the gate. This failed as the Counts men rallied form their beds to defend the town and the town levy was called out for the first time in living memory.

Having stirred up the hornets nest good and proper the goblins rode off back over the M’Alvern crossings leaving the fires of burning buildings in the foregte and farmsteads this side of it to light their way home and to mark their nights foul work.  

The next morning the count called up his feudal levy from all around the county and made an announcement such that all men at arms in the town regardless of in whose employ they might be must make them selves available to defend the town. Further the formally strict rules on the bearing of arms within the walls of the town where relaxed and the town militia where expected to take their arms with them to work. As a result just about every shop, inn or tavern in the town has a tell tale stack of spear small shield, padded jack and leather cap to be found in plain view.  There was also an immediate run on swords in the town and every sword smith in town of which there where it being a market town very few sold out and then quickly ran out of steel to make more as orders fairly poured in. Ancient blades which had not seen the light of day let alone use since the Brandobian civil war also put in a strong showing as did various articles of equally antique armour.

In the days and weeks which followed the feudal levy mustered as ordered and more refugees trickled in from the areas along the M’Alvern stream, meat became increasingly expensive and the price of lodgings shot up. The markets became less busy and the beast market robed of the beef cattle from the banks of the M’Alvern stream more or less closed down and the rumors started.  The war however settled down to a stale mate of raid and counter raid across the stream. With the most concerning event being that the landholders in the south of the county where the kings road crossed it had withheld their levy as they too where troubled by goblin raiders.

First shortly after the funeral of the Counts son it became known that the arrow head that killed him was both enchanted and of dwarven workmanship, and that this had been determined by no lesser persons than the chief priests of the True and the Founder who had examined it as it was recovered form the body of the counts son even if the most of the shaft arrow it had been attached to was destroyed, as a result of the fall he took form his horse when struck down and whilst his lifeless body was born away form the fight.  This fragment of fact grew and morphed into a monster, especially after some dwarven coins where recovered from goblin corpses in subsequent skirmishing along the M’Alvern stream. It became known that the Goblins where in the pay of a evil dwarven sorcerer and there was a small riot inside the north gate when the gnomish owner of the abattoir in the foregate, which the goblins had burned, was taken for a dwarf and had to be rescored by the town guard and there where casualties on both sides and one rioter killed before order was restored.

After that the suspicion was cast on any one who had any thing of dwarvish work in their possession and much was burned publicly or just hidden if too valuable and any one who defended dwarves or who had been seen in the company of them as Nyadryn had  was likely to get hassle or worse indeed  Nyadryn who had adventured with a dwarf last year and who had come into town with one got into a deal of trouble and had to break some heads after he mentioned that the one dwarf he had known closely was a decent fellow and that those he had heard of in the north where in no way either evil or any friends of goblins. However he soon tired of defending the honour of those not present and kept his opinions to himself.

Both Leon and Nyadryn though they kept to their normal employ made themselves known as fighting men to the authorities and did the occasional duty as a result however their lives did not change significantly otherwise.

Leon a bit of a scoundrel and a rake continued to enjoy the easy life and spend a lot of his time in taverns telling tales of his adventurous life and soldiering life to any who would listen, especially enjoying the eager ears of the increasing number of impressionable young refugees.

Quarrel found that the business of the market office which he was junior clerk in dropped considerably and he spent more of his time twiddling his thumbs as work and working the taverns for coin on the gambling tables in the evenings. There where as a result of the refugees a lot more people in the town without employment and those who still had coin to do so and given the rise of the price of food and of lodgings fewer did whiled away the time drinking and gambling and bemoaning their fate. However Quarrels’ greatest fear was that thing should get so dire that the count should call a levy of the town which would mean his actually being called up to fight, horror.

A cloud of uneasy expectation hangs over the town







 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

An Urban Interlude part one the gathering storm

Setting the scene          experience      honour      fame
Vayham about the town            0         +0               +0
Introducing our hero’s
Leon                        0         +0              +0
Quarrel                      0         +0              +0
Nyadryn                      0         +0              +0
Recent events
The changes these have caused           0          +0              +0   
The characters reactions to them
General role playing
Misc (all)                    15        +0      +0


 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Part two a Simple Eviction Job part I

Dramatis Personae
Leon – a Brandobian Human Fighter & self styled hero
Quirrel – a Halfling Thief
Nyadryn – a Brandobian Human, fighter
Esme– a Brandobian human, a loud over enthusiastic person, Nyadryn’s girl friend
Siskin – a Halfling Cleric of Chance Quirrel’s cousin
XXXX– a Gnome,
YYYY– a Gnome
ZZZZ – a Half Elven fighter magic user  

Location
the Brandobian county town of Vayham in the North West corner of the region

Events
(These take place during episode XIV & XV of the main story)
With the amount of work the Market administration office is having to do greatly reduced owing to the virtual closure of the beast market following the raid and the loss of the lands beyond the M’Alvern stream to the goblins and the general reduction of trading in the great market Quirrel is he would be the first to admit making work for himself just to alleviate the boredom and more importantly make his supervisor a junior priest of the coin lord called Bevan think he is working hard. However this can only work for so long and it would appear that this is the morning the ploy breaks down

Bevan came over to Quirrel bouncing a small soft leather drawstring bag, a coin purse, Quirrel though hopefully, in his left hand and holding a small roll of parchment in the other he was smiling which was always a bad sign Quirrel thought, briefly the paralyzing fear that this might be his levy warrant crossed his mind but then Bevan spoke calling as he always did boy despite Quirrel being ten years his senior. Boy he began I have a job for you and he proceeded to lay out the task he had in mind. As he did a wave of relief flowed through poor Quirrel.

It would seem that in the past there had been a lot of smuggling into the town through tunnels which started in what later became the new town and passed under the wall into the district just inside the old wall line then the town slum area. These of course became useless when the Counts great grandfather built the new wall and no more where built as the economic environment changed to faviour legitimate trade. However one tunnel is known to have passed beyond the current wall, into the farmland beyond the then Foul Borough and now New Town.  Given the present trouble with goblins it would be good to know if this tunnel is still usable because it would be very unfortunate if situation deteriorated and town was besieged to have the Goblins have a way under the wall or more likely a way a band of raiders made it across the river and stumbled into the out wall entrance and got into the town. Given the present situation with the town already packed with people with not enough to do and more than a little jumpy as many of them had been forced to flee their homes by goblins the panic would be massive and the coin lord’s temple believes likely beyond the ability of the Count to control.

Therefore the temple has decided to give its trusted servant Quirrel a budget to deal with it, at which Bevan passes the roll of parchment and bag of coins to Quirrel here boy go and get some people together and investigate this your budget is fifty slivers try not to spend it all. With that Bevan strides off, Quirrel assumes to whatever he doing to make himself look busy, Quirrel puts the bag and parchment down on his desk looks at them both for a moment then unable to resist releases the cord on the purse, empties it onto the make work paper work and counts it, fifty silvers do indeed glitter back at him, which are all his if he plays it cleaver, the small roll is a warrant covered with official seals announcing the bearer to be an accredited agent of the Market authority and giving them the right to do what ever was required in support of their work. Quirrel smiled and when through a mental list in his head of people who would be inclined to come along for a few silvers which with a bit of after action creative accountancy could be expanded to use up all or most of the silver. The first name on the list was cousin Siskin, who was always up for any sort of adventure and Quirrel new exactly where to find him.

A sort time latter Quirrel approaches the Lucky Copper a garishly painted tavern in the north of the town which also happens to be the finest gambling establishment in town and a shrine to the god RISK. It stands out from the plain white washed buildings around it with their timber frames faded to dull silver, Its walls are washed with bright yellow ochre, its beams painted black and the wooden shingles which cover the roof a bright red, thought the sun and the rain has begun to fade this to deep terracotta. The masterfully painted sign outside the door shows a pair of fine ivory gaming dice showing a seven with a single copper coin with a cute smiley face upwards between them. For those patrons that can read under this is blazoned the words “Lucky Copper” the tavern is busy and the and more or less every table is packed with men and boys and the occasional woman engaged in popular games of luck and skill. Small coins lay in piles amongst the cards and dice and there is a buzz of exited activity all round. Siskin is easy to find despite his shortened stature as he is leaning on the wall by the door into the temple proper over seeing the shine of luck where patrons may sacrifice a trade coin by putting it through a slot in the shine and if truly lucky be favored by the return of the lucky copper the tavern is named for. Seeing cousin Quirrel approach Siskin opens the door to the chapel and signals him to come inside as Quirrel will almost certainly want to talk and the chapel is a quieter and more private place to do that than the gaming room.

However as they are in the temple of RISK a wager is required by way of sacrifice first. A pair of coppers are placed in the bowl on the chapels’ altar table and the dice are rolled with a prayer to the lord of all risks by Siskin, the temple wins and as normal Siskin returns his coin to his pocket and drops his cousins lost one in the offertory strong box. Well cousin to what do I owe the pleasure.

Gap to fill

Returning to Quirrels lodging the two cousins discuss the mission and who else might be up for an unusual way of earning a few silvers.  Siskin mentions a young gnome one of the abattoir owner’s young nephews or great nephews he thinks who is obviously rather underemployed given the place got burned down by the goblins recently. So much so that the young fellow is spending rather a lot of time and coin in the lucky copper and other, Siskin shudders, dubious gaming houses where they fix the games against the player rather then letting RISK rule as IT should. So convincing is Siskin that Quirrel is persuaded to back track to the gnome’s house near the north gate where he is apparently out but a servant takes a message and assures Quirrel and Siskin that he will pass the message along and that the young master will be back shortly and will meet them outside the great hospital as asked.  With that the two companions resume their journey back to Quirrels lodgings to recruit the warriors Nyadryn, and Leon as a couple of big people with swords would reduce the chance of any rough stuff as Siskin put it to calm his rather jumpy cousins nerves.

XXXX was very bored, his father had sent him to work for his uncle and learn the business so that perhaps one day he could set up something similar in on of the towns of the north or even the great cities of Crandolen or Cosdolan. He had not particularly wanted to do this but his father had made it clear that there was not enough room for him in the family Gem cutting business in Neffaria, even if he had ever shown any interest in the business like his older sister or real skill at cutting Gem like his younger brother and in any event he had had XXXX educated at great expense in that school in Crandolen so was his farther felt destined for better things.  So He had gone along with it and what goes and happens barely a week after he arrived and before he had settled in at all some blasted goblins come over and burn the place down.  Leaving XXXX and every body else involved with the business for that matter at a lose end as the as with the goblin treat still there it would be stupid to try to rebuild and with the goblins occupying the majority of the live stock raising land beyond the river and having burned down or driven out all the occupants from those this side there would be no work for it either. His uncle had tried to get keep every one busy at first but now they had run out of even make work, and XXXX was bored very and rather wished he was still at the school in Crandolen or at least in a city where a young gnome about town could find proper amusement. So XXXX was to be honest relived when he arrived home form a walk around town to relive the boredom to find that a one of uncles aged retainers had a message from a pair of Halflings one of which he recognized by the retainers description as Siskin who he sort of knew that there was a job and possibly some excitement to be had and that if he was interested he was to meet them outside the great hospital. Pausing only to grab a snack and collect his gear XXXX was on his way, something exiting was going to happen at last.

Meanwhile Siskin and Quirrel had arrived at Quirrels lodging house. They ran into Lion first and after only an introduction and a short chat he proved more than up for the mission as Quirrel outlined it. Leon then mentioned that Nyadryn was in

Gap to fill

Siskin, Quirrel, Leon, Nyadryn, and Esme met up with XXXX as had been arranged outside the entrance of the great hospital and Quirrel quickly lead them thorough the maze of lanes alleys and passages to the house which lay in the ley of the bank which was all that was left of the old wall. It was a small one story thatched timber framed house typical of the poorer part of the old town. The walls where peeling and the mud and plaster daub was cracking away form the wattle panels beyond the roof sagged and the thatch was old and grey well weathered more than a bit decayed. That said it was not so different from its neighbors or half a hundred other near by. Smoke gently issued from the smoke hole accompanied by the smell of cooking so the house was occupied. The door was locked or rather latched on the other side but as what to do about this was being considered Esme surprised every one by producing a wooden key of the sort used to lift such latches and with a couple of deft twists managed to get the latch up. Beyond the door was what was once any way the entry hall for the house, thought it was also apparent from the straw mattress in one corner and pile of rough bedding that some one was at least camping out here now. There where two doors leading on one to the south opened onto a bedroom with little furniture beyond straw mattresses and coarse bedding of the same sort that had been found in the  hall the one to the east from behind which sounds of systematic chopping could be heard accompanied by the smells of a stew cooking seemed more promising. Like the bedroom door it was not locked. This time it opened onto a kitchen.  The place was sparsely furnished with a large table and a scatter of stools all of which had seen better days. The rooms only inhabitant was a middle aged woman in an unstylish and old fashioned dress who when the company entered looked up from her chopping at a turnip. Quirrel saw the large heavy and well used knife and winced, shaking himself however he pulled himself together and approached the woman who by no means tall towered over him as did all the big people.

It all however proved to be rather less terrifying than he had feared

[EvilGinger]

Part II


Gap to fill

Leaving his companions to guard the secret door that they had found in the cellar of the house Quirrel hurried back to the office pausing only to affix a notice to the hose door saying that all the residents had been evicted by order of the Market Administration action on behalf of the Count. He scurried off thorough the streets busy with big folk who had given up on work for the day and who where heading home. The state of trade was Quirrel observed to him self appalling and it would be little worse even if the goblins actually besieged the town as some of the local doomsayers suggested that they might.  Quirrel did not rush as he felt he needed the time to compose himself and give the best report to Bevan, not to mention wanting to borrow the spare night lantern from outside of the market office as it would be so much better for exploring down in the dark than candles or even the torches recovered from the houses basement. He would also rather like it if he had to admit if Siskin well known low boredom threshold caused him to encourage the others to explore further so that the place was all checked out and any thing dangerous dealt with by the time he got back.

In the cellar Siskin quickly became bored and his new found companions where quite happy to agree with him when he suggested that whatever Quirrel had said there was no harm and more use in pressing on rather than loitering round in the cellar waiting for further orders. A quick check of the door revealed that it was not locked or barred and seemed only stiff from lack of use; further no one who examined it could find a trace of the trap Quirrel had found. So Leon & Nyadryn yanked and pulled at the thing till it came open during which process as expected the trap was revealed not to exist.

Beyond the door was a stone ramp which lead to a solidly built and dry passage some six feet wide and the same high lined with wood which showed little sings of rot whose floor was covered in a thin layer of dust suggesting it had not seen use in a long time, even if shallow ruts in the ramp and the floor beyond suggested that one it had.  Seeking a better light source than the candle Quirrel had left the company emptied the wall sconces of all the lit and unlit torches before pressing on down the passage.  Once down the ramp the passage was beautiful and level all the way until the far end. It was so straight level and featureless that it was rather difficult to assess quite how long it was. Even when paced out by Leon latter it was still less than certain. At the far end the company came across a stone ramp almost identical to the one at the start except that this one lead up to the roof which was here a panel of half rotted wicker work held together by roots, the passage it would seem was blocked off which was what they where here to find. However Siskin was curious and just had to know quite how blocked the passage was. He mover up the ramp until just under the roof and drawing his dagger worked it through the rotten roof as far as it would go. Removing it he peered into the hole and saw no light. Every one else stood and watched as he worked, and Esme began to squeak quite excitedly.  Nyadryn began to get a bad feeling, why was the girl of his dreams so, then he found that he had no words to describe his feeling so it turned to annoyance with Quirrel since if he had not messed around back at the house they could all have been off and doing this without her being involved, this still might turn into an adventure and he didn’t want Esme getting hurt or even involved adventures are not cute or heroic whatever she might think. They are quite unpleasant even when one is well equipped to deal with them and Nyadryn was certain Esme was not.  Siskin repeated the maneuver with his short sword and when it found no resistance a couple of inches further in than the dagger had gone he withdrew it revealing a very faint shaft of light. XXXX grinned and laughed as the tunnel to his gnomish night sight lit up beautifully. Sunlight however defuse was always better than torches or candle.  Right a the back Leon watched in horror as the idiot Halfling worked his sword to expand the hole, so much for the tunnel being sealed. He considered intervening but he was right at the back and diden’t think that he could barge his way past Nyadryn Esme and the gnome in time to stop him so he decided to wait and once he was sure where the tunnel opened out alert the guards at the south gate and get it properly guarded then blocked off after all he was known to the guards having worked with them though mostly on the east gate where the chances of getting some action with another goblin attack where greatest.  Sure enough Siskin opened up a big enough hole that he could pop his head out of and see that the Tunnel opened into a willow copse under the shade of a huge ash tree. Leon turned and strode off barely noticed by the others who where all too intent on what Siskin was doing. Soon the hole was big enough for a Gnome a Halfling or even a Goblin to climb through.  Nyadryn winced inwardly as Esme excitedly encouraged Siskin and XXXX to go through ad take a look what was on the outside. Not needing all that much encouragement if any both Siskin and then XXXX climbed through the hole that Siskin had made and found themselves in a small copse of pollarded willow trees at the corner of a field on the edge of the killing zone outside the new wall with in sight of the road leading from the south gate. Sheep where peacefully grazing in the next door field and it being spring several lambs where frolicking amongst them. At the back of the copse almost in the sparse hedge which surrounded it was a massive and ancient ash tree. Siskin considered climbing it for a better view, but reconsidered quickly as the lowest branch was several times his height above him. Turning round he noticed that XXXX was leaning on a willow idly watching the lamps at play. So Siskin suggested that given there was a shortage of meat in the town some one would almost certainly pay well for a sheep of a lamb and given what XXXX uncles business was it would be easy to find a market.

Whilst all this was happening Leon had left the house and made his way as fast as possible to the south gate. He needed to alert the guard there and to make sure that the tunnel was sealed and the town saved from the threat it posed of course it would do nom harm if he was the hero of the day either.

By this time Quirrel was well on his way back from his short interview with Bevan at the market office carrying a half full lantern had had filched form outside the front door on his way out.

Arriving at the south gate Leon shouted that he needed to see the sergeant urgently and after a short discussion him having been recognized because of his involvement with the patrols outside the east gate the sergeant was fetched. The sergeant was a middle aged man at arms called Dolmar and he soon saw the threat called up the dozen men waiting in the ready room and set off with them and Leon down the south road towards the large tree which Leon had pointed out to him. As they ran weapons where drawn and the two who had thought to bring crossbows fitted bolts onto them.

At around this time Quirrel arrived back at the house and finding it deserted and a quick glance into the clear revealing that there was no sign of his companions, Quirrel’s acquisitive nature took charge and he systematically when thought all the possessions of the people in the house and found a good score of trade coins, he considered doing the same to the bed piles in the cellar but his caution prompted him not to as it would not do if his companions realized he was a thief, if nothing else they might want a share. After this even Quirrel began to wonder what his companions might be up to so leaving a candle by the now open secret door and holding his now lit new lantern he proceeded down the passage with due caution because even if his colleagues had been down here that did not mean that there might not still be traps for the unwary. Some way down the passage the light form the lantern he noticed that there was a discontinuity in the pattern of the stout posts which made up the wall. He stopped and had a good look at this and was quickly convinced that this was another secret door so Quirrel left a candle on the floor opposite. That would need investigating but he was not about to do that on his own.

Mean while Leon the sergeant and the guard where rushing from the gate along the road towards the copse, pushing their way through the hedge where upon they discovered Siskin and XXXX, unconcernedly lounging about in the shade of the great ash tree. Dolmar the sergeant said that they where both under arrest and his men moved to take them into custody, as he said they had some explaining to do to the captain of the guard.

Gap to fill

Ooh monsters said Esme and readied her borrowed axe and the huge rat lifted its head and sniffed the air, before catching sight of every one.

Still a work in progress but very defiantly getting there

[EvilGinger]

More & propely formated stuff with pictures to follow

 Ginger