The group had performed the "Couch Move" Quest and then were escorting the caravan to Timberton where they did some shopping and the opportunity for another quest. Pulled it right out of my ass - had nothing planned except "meeting a strange rich older dude in a tavern who offers you a chance for glory and riches to bring back a strange artifact." If I could have had him wearing a cloak I would have.
So now over the next few weeks I will finish up Candlewick Keep and the surrounding area and get the adventure ready for the group.
I really enjoy DMing off the top of my head some times.
Write up follows:
The group spent the rest of the 6th getting ready for their guarding mission of the goods caravan leaving on the 8th. Fist’al continued his dalliance with Lirea and the remainder of the party bought a few perishables for the trip. We rested well and on the 7th we convened at the Merrik household to go over the moving of the couch.
The carpenter had been here yesterday and had made various repairs to the aging furniture. We tested it and felt sure that it would survive the trip from upstairs to down. As for the rest of the house, it was still a cluttered, hoarder, mess and we did our best to ensure that there was at least a wide enough path for the couch to be moved.
It was decided that Ironboar and Marcus would move the couch from the top of the stairs to most of the way down, and then Marcus, who was taller, would hand the couch to Tempi and then Device OVER the weak railing and eventually the two half-orc brothers would finish its trek against the living room’s far wall.
Fist’al, Enthir, and Flimflam would be watching.
The move went without any real issue. There was a scary moment when Ironboar did trip when navigating the steps, bashing the 140# couch into the top of his thighs, but it made its way without any further real mishaps and the Merriks were thrilled. 90 commons were promptly paid and we left feeling good after a meal and some weak beer. Ironboar drank quite a bit of the frothy brew and eventually commented while slightly inebriated that his “piss was gonna smell like urine.” Um..thanks Ironboar for that observation!
On the morning of the 8th we met up at the Northern Stablery where there were three large wagons already loaded down. Each wagon was to be pulled by 2 horses, and there were an extra 3 horses being brought along to cycle the animals out during the trip. Each wagon had a driver and a second, and there were 4 other teamsters who came as well, each armed with a crossbow and sword to help scare off potential bandits. (Which hadn’t been working all too well during the past number of trips).
Verim was here waiting for us and he and Lirea were very happy to be with one another. Introductions were made all around and the feel from the men was that they were pleased we were coming and felt confident that this would be an uneventful trip.
We rode off without issue and by 6:30 that evening had arrived at the Flying Pegasus Inn, a large 3 story inn that was situated roughly halfway between Shakun and Timberton. There were also 4 other smaller thatched cottages around the inn which did boast a sizable stable as well as a small smithery for shoeing horses and fixing traces and harnesses should need be. The animals were tended to and the group bedded down after eating.
We slept without concern and the next day we were off before 8, hitting the road with blue skies and sunshine along the way. It was in the mid 50’s today and the bloom of spring was deep across the land. As we travelled closer to Timberton the road meandered through the trees. In some places there were still burned section and scarred ground, testament of the battles that had been fought here. We did also see a few travelers, and in one case a hunter did watch us for a bit before going into the woods, presumably to hunt.
By early evening on the 9th we arrived at Timberton and spent some time making sure we had lodgings. We spoke to the caravan leader who assured us that we would not be leaving until around 10 AM on the 12th. The group talked about it and told Lirea that they did not feel comfortable taking her to Ferron as they had made a promise to stay with the caravan when it would leave and Ferron was just too far to risk going and coming back. She bid us all farewell and kisses went about. She assured us that when the time came she would return shortly to Shakun with Eden (here sister) in tow.
We then spent the next 2 days going around Timberton. It was larger than Shakun in population, but not in area. Most of the homes were 2 and 3 stories tall and there was more obvious poverty and desperation amongst the lower classes of the town. Their chief export was wood – both raw and unfinished. We wandered about and made a number of purchases and contacts, some of the notable ones being a bastard sword for Ironboar and a number of pipes and pipeweed for Flimflam.
Towards the end of the 11th though we had the luxury of being in the Roaring Treant where through a number of conversations about our being an adventuring group, and yes always looking for work, we were introduced to a man named Perrin. He was a man of some means and had a number of compatriots with him – some of them less than savory looking.
Long and short he offered us a job. A collector and facilitator of fine antiquities with a strong emphasis on religious artifacts (focus on Zeus), he wanted us to go and find a place called Candlewick Keep, somewhere on the southern border of the Endless Forest. In there would be a 3’ tall statue of Zeus with sapphires for eyes. It had been made some time ago and the sculptor had actually been struck by lightning at the final stroke of his carving. Through a number of transactions and events it ended up being taken by someone referred to as the Bandit Baron to Candlewick keep where it has been ever since.
The keep is very close to goblin territory although Perrin assured us that according to the Oracle at Argos, the Goblins had never actually ever entered the keep and the statue was still there.
We went back and forth and were going to say no when he told us the job would pay 750 crowns for returning the statue, with 100 crowns up front that would be returned to him should the group be unable to find the statue within 2 months. Also we would be entitled to keep whatever else we found with the knowledge that 5% of it should be donated to the temple of Zeus in honor of the quest.
We talked about for a bit and as had been mentioned, it was a lot of money. One of the party members did comment about taking the job and not going just to get the 100 crowns. “To be honest, we could lie!” It was decided that we should be up front as adventuring jobs would mean more if we had a reputation to be proud of.
On returning to talk to Perrin he could tell we were wavering on taking the job. That’s when he increased the offer to 800 crowns and of the 100 up front, we could keep 50 of it to pay for any associated costs that it would run us for the expedition. Also he increased our time from 2 months to 4 months. However, he was NOT going to be here in Timberton much longer and would be leaving to continue his circuit, eventually ending up in Gul (much further east).
We took the job, got our 100 crowns up front, and then retired to discuss a better name for our group than Flimflam and Company, or the Shakun Adventuring Group. It was roughly 8 PM on the 11th and we were leaving the next day at 10 AM to return to Shakun.
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