The party eventually decided on who was going to make the trip to Stivil and who was going to stay behind. There were a number of things we wanted to take care of, and too many of us needed to stay behind for training. Darius wanted to have a brief conversation with Pha-iyr Carom before we left, where the fighter did learn that the 2 people that we had pulled out of the Terror Dungeon that had been burned to just bones, were most likely hirelings that the Chosen of Asgard had brought with them. A team of thieves, they had been hired by Lester Humbleman, leader of the Chosen, and the consensus was that the 2 had a falling out with the paladin and his team and stormed off, eventually getting captured and killed by ogres. The fixer did offer to set up a conversation between Darius and the group leader and we hoped to get to it soon.
Meanwhile the party had used our own wagon, made sure it was loaded down, and got our nag from the stables, eventually making the trip out of the Northgate. Unlike the main Traderoads, the lesser roads were poorly designed and infrequently maintained. Prone to ruts and flooding, the 6” of muddy ice and snow still covering their surface proved a long trip for us, eating up the entirety of the day. The trees were thick to our west and in many places the arboreal spread threatened to consume the road itself. The land rose slowly ahead of us, making the horse groan from effort. The day had fallen to night and eventually we could smell the city of Stivil itself.
Surrounded by farms and grazing lands, the walled city had been breached during the Randari War over a century ago and the dwellers never fixed the walls, instead used the fallen stones in future building and projects. Numerous breaches, some of them easily 30’ wide dominated the area. A main road led us through and after announcing ourselves to the guards, were given direction to the Eastview District and a suggestion to stay at Third Breech – an Inn of some renown and standing. The centerpiece of the city was the Arena, a stadium capable of seating 7,500 that dominated the middle of Stivil. Built over 2 centuries ago by Randari Orcs, it has been almost continuously used all these years and it is the largest draw to anyone who has any interest in visiting Stivil.
We came to the Inn where a stableman took our tired animal from us (Stavi). We then went in where Hjaring, the proprietor, welcomed us and made sure we were fed and given drinks before arranging a room for us for the night. We made our way up to our room and after settling in watched as Grendel used almost all the water to clean himself and his clothes up in the room ewer. He then went out to get more, walking down to the Commonroom to ask Hjarling to take care of it.
It was here that Dizzy laid out for the party what he was looking to get done here. It seems that there was a Thorian priestess laid to rest here, Matron Autti. She had an earring on missing the second – of which Dizzy had. The dwarf then wanted us to get the body dug up, take the earring, and then once he had the pair, wanted to make a trip east of Thak where he would seek the lair of the copper dragon Herodotus who took it so so so long ago.
Whaaaat?
We had some back and forth where he had to sell it to the group but eventually everyone agreed to go and see the tomb tomorrow and then make a further decision. Good enough for now.
It was Airmonth the 2nd when we broke our fast and then wandered to the Lord’s District and the main city graveyard. It was fenced (wrought iron) and there was a funeral house on premises. The dwarven priest, Gulmund, sweating and large, came out to meet us. We fabricated a story about visiting great former priest graves and Matron Autti was next on our list. He seemed welcome to the idea and we went off to a mausoleum that had been sponsored by the temple of Thor. With space to inter 6, Autti spot was 4th from the bottom. There was a clay seal here and Gulmund chatted with us for a bit before escorting us out. We had asked some questions but left long before it would raise too many suspicions.
Liking what we saw we would have to come up with another possible way to get in after hours and get to the grave.
Lastly, Eoghan begrudgingly made the decision to head off to his family home and speak with his Father and Mother. Dylan Bowyer, Leila Bowyer (his mother), and Morgan (elder brother) and Seren (older sister) were stunned to see him. It had been a year and the family had fallen on some suspicion with Eoghan’s absence. The Bowyer’s farm had been taken back by the landlord and then reparted out to another. Dylan and Eoghan did not see eye to eye- both still stinging from actions and words made over a year earlier. And to add more drama, the parents were going to separate. This was going to put Dylan’s operation as Master Hunter here under great pressure. Morgan was trying to step up but the elder brother did not have Eoghan’s natural gifts as a hunter and ranger to truly help the father. And Seren was way too self absorbed and her prospects of being married off had diminished greatly, she was now seeing a musician at a local bar.
Eoghan did get a lead though. Seems a local monster hunting group had taken up locale west of the town to the abandoned watch keep Falcon’s Nest. Run by a halfling named Jessie, she had gathered a decent group together and had a large portion of the town convinced that a monster or more made their home in the Passian Hills and were part of the hunting problem as well the source for a number of unexplained murders. He thanked his family and made his way out, interested in telling the group what he learned and hoped to go to the keep.
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