Meet 107, Adv 7, 1/4/20

This is the group's first trip back to the Terror Dungeon for quite some time. It's also the 2 new guys at the table try in it as well. This adventure is pretty much them going in and out, with some plot moving on the outside for the rest of the group. There will be a few tweaks along the way, but it should be a dungeon delve from the word go.

Write up follows:

The other group returned from up north where we all discussed what happened, shared stories, swapped information, and met the new recruits. There was training to be taken care of, moneys to be divided up, and eventually – our trip to Bork Keep and the Terror Dungeon.

As the days passed on we discussed who would be going in and who would not, on the assumption that half the group would remain here in Erylond and do what short work we can for the Adventurer’s Guild. It was here that we came to the conclusion that we were going to be short some spots on out roster.

The party wanted to hire a porter and that also meant they wanted to hire a Shieldbearer as well. So we put an ad in with Pha-Iyr Carom and the Facilitator lined up a group for us to interview – 3 of each. We met with the all, asked questions, and came to the conclusion on 2. For the porter we hired a 40 year old woman named Silk Valour. She had a hard and rough life and has portered on and off for a number of years but had been badly wounded on the recent trip in.

She got healthy but without her Journeyman papers as a Cobbler or a Barrelmaker, she could only get menial jobs. So only now that she’s on the last half dozen coppers in her pouch, she put her hat back in the ring and is looking to lend her skills to a group that can use her. She took an advance of 2 nobles for 1 days pay to outfit herself on a few items and would be ready to go on the 30th.

As for the Shieldbearer we hired Menaria Roses, a large and imposing figure of a woman and warrior who came dressed for the job in breastplate, tower shield, and two braces of axes. She had been in the dungeon some 6 times. She had been friends with a leader of another adventuring group for 7 years, actively travelling with them for 4.

She had a falling out with them after things had gotten tense and outright torture was performed on some captured people in the Dungeon. She had words, and there was a parting of ways. Since then she’s been looking for another group to join and we were happy to have her.

Once everyone was in place, we decided who was going to the Terror Dungeon: Sybil, Darius, Connal, Rhygar, Shimlagesh, Asher, Vulwulf, Hjalgrim, Percy, Silk, and Menaria – 11 of us. We then went shopping, loading up on whatever gear we needed or thought we’d need and on the 30th of Deathmonth, loaded out sleighs in the morning and set off in the cold 10 degree temperature on our way.

We passed through Canaslan, deciding NOT to stop for now, and pushed on, making it to the far end of the border and thenceward to Bork Keep. The knight’s brigade rode out to make sure all was good, and we made our way to the Keep itself. There were 5 other adventuring parties here right now from what we were told. We parked our belongings in Visitor’s Hall One and then made our presence known to Lord Corface Bork.

In the hall was a very battered and beaten dwarf, swaddled in bandages and resting. We slept well and the next morn woke up, loaded up provisions, and wanted to wait for the stairs to migrate to entrance “2”. It was 11:35 when we approached the doors, gave our name to the girl at the desk, and the two dwarves manning the portal pulled on the chains and revealed the passage going down into the dark.

One by one, we entered, an earthy dank smell coming out along with the faint inrushing of air. Torches lit we continued down until we arrived at long last down the spiraling steps to the entrance room. There were 4 main passages out, a slow burn torch, a side door, and looking down the southeast passage, a pile of loose off white rags.

Sybil made sure the place was clear before inviting the rest of the group down. The party staying together, weapons and spells at the ready. Not trusting the rags, she prodded them aside and seeing another small batch to the end of the side “T” junction (that we did NOT want to go down), the party all drew in close.

She informed us that we were going to pass through the room with the 4 armed ogre skeleton. Touch nothing, don’t dawdle, keep going. Do not stop – loiters will set off the noise trap. She checked the door, confident it was ready, and opened the door.

30’ square room, alcove on the other side with another door closed, 9’ tall 4 armed skeleton figure in the center. It was time to go. We ran through the chamber as she gave the other door the quickest of glances, threw it open, and we all pushed our way into the next chamber. Roughly the same size, there was a 7’ tall statue of a trout in here, made of brass, and had a half dozen bashes in it as if made by a battle axe. The ceiling rose to 15’ in height and there were 2’ tall stalactites and stalagmites.

As the last of us passed through we could feel the wind starting and we slammed the door and waited…and the wind died down – trap averted.

In the room we were in, there was a passage out to the north that led to a short hall going west and a single door on the north wall. But we could hear water dripping in here – but the area was dry. A Phosphorous fungi was growing on the walls that Vulwulf let us know needed moisture to thrive, but again, place had no visible water but we could HEAR water dripping.

We checked out the statue and even had Shim lifted up to peer in the mouth of the fish – in the back of the mouth was a hole about an inch and a half in diameter. We rapped on the fish, sounded thick walled but hollow. Eventually a brass bit was tossed into the mouth hole…it rattled down and we heard it stop with a faint jingle…and the dripping sound stopped.

Nice.

Sybil gave the north door a once over for traps, confident that there were none, and we opened the door with care.

Again, ceiling was still 15’, rough walls, some stalagmites, but growing from the ceiling down, about 6’ long, were waves and waves of rippling pale hay. Growing upside down. And there was a pile of the hay in the southwest corner, almost 5’ tall and covering a good 300 square feet easily. A door was on the opposite side of the room. Briefly we thought about going in, but the rippling hay growing overhead, dense and undulating, made the party uneasy so the decision was to shut the door.

We were talking about heading west to another large chamber, but Sybil let us know she could faintly see the skeletal remains of something on the floor in there.

Meet 106, Adv 7, 12/14/19

We had a truncated group at the table for the last meeting of the year so we ran a shorter "quest" than I had expected to do - but the principle members were all the same. Granmund is a name that will come up again and again on a going forward.

And he's tied in some way to the Ravenstone the party has in their possession.

Plus I got to use the moathouse from T1 again :)

Write up follows:

With the two new members in the party and still no word from the rest of the group working up north, the other half of the group weathered the first major snowstorm and made some serious headway on the house at this time. But there was the constant need to be aware of any issue coming up and eventually through conversation with the GRSAG and themselves, the group wanted to go and visit the middle ring of Erylond and pay some homage to the Grim Gauntlets and the church of Sif.

Connal, Dizzy, and Asher collectively want to make the visit so they took the time to pass through the northgate and see the higher elevated and more glorious center ring of Erylond. The streets were covered in snow but the guild halls through here were grand edifices covering huge areas. Cathedrals abounded and there were considerably more guards patrolling the area. We asked our way around and learned the Grim Gauntlets were on the east side of town.

Eventually making our way there we went to the temple to pray at first before being approached by a Novice who talked with us at length. After learning who we were, two touched priests and a monastic, he elevated us to the Prior Callius and then eventually we were taken to the Abbess Cala of Sif.

A middle aged woman of hidden strength she looked upon our presence here as a sign of providence and proof that the Norns are still at work.

Their Sacristsanct had been stolen from, a tube about 2’ long, brass, sealed, supposedly holds the dying words and breath a great prophet. And although a tube was still in the Sacristsanct, it was not exactly the same – a copy swapped out. There were some adherents, postulants who had been in the area and caught in the act BEFORE the copy was noted and the thought was these two had the tube and swapped it out – selling it to someone.

Wanted the tube returned, the thieves branded as apostates, and then killed. The adventuring guild was a place to go but the Temple has no idea on how to go about this, and the divining they had done let them know that they were holding up some 6 hours outside of town, west, at a riverside keep and would most likely be moving on soon.

And here we are, 3 adventurers, followers of Sif and Tyr, and touched priests to boot. So we 3 took the job and promised to leave immediately, taking a copy of the rough map and what to look for on the way.

There were a series of low keeps that lines the Enderlyn River, long ago outposts the Randari used to patrol the area and keep the barbaric tribes across the waterways in place. Since the fall of the Ympir, the keeps were abandoned one at a time and eventually have been used a way points for weary travelers out in the elements, or reclaimed by the water boggy ground.

There Trade Road ran west, northwest as we counted off the hours. There was a rough trail off the highway that ran along the river which was burbling along as it wound its way downstream. Some 600 yards separated the highway from the River and it was an ever choked bog of tangled vines and semi-stagnant pools. We could see the keep in question and even at this distance, there was a line of tramped snow from the drawbridge to the solid ground where someone(s) had walked up and down the river bank again and again and often over the last day.

Most likely our place.

There might have been some sign of life within and we proceeded with care, stepping off the highway and trailblazing our way through the tall snow to the keep. The croaking of frogs was constant, but it was deep and guttural, and Dizzy was unsure as its cold, snow on the ground, and frogs? Ice frogs? Um..do we want to risk it?

There were signs that someone had been back and forth across the 15’ long drawbridge a number of times, and some of them were hoof prints. So we made the decision to approach, and then summon a creature to charge the water and draw the frogs if any. The call went out and a gnoll appeared where it ran to the water…and a 10’ tall ice pale green/blue frog came out of the water, croaked once, and shot a tongue at it.

Followed by another and then 4 smaller frogs!

We ran across while the summoned creature engaged the amphibians for a bit, coming to the open gates of the keep and looked around the courtyard. Parts of a chopped up dead horse were here, tower immediately to the left, and the main home of the keep to the north and east. A few windows were there but open. Stairs led up and we could see some lights within. Lots of loose prints in the snow of people coming in and out of the keep and the area here.

We scouted a bit, Dizzy giving the all clear, and we climbed up the steps to the main foyer of the keep. Two main halls ran south and west, some older torches, a few doors, and a closed room to the northeast where we could hear voices talking. Alright.

Checked out the two passages first, no guards, some doors closed, nothing else of interest. So it was the main door. We wanted to be on the ready for them and either go in or have them come out to us – fighting in the door was not the way to go.

But at least 5 voices could be heard with the leader being Rerid and the next most spoken to person being Hrabbi. They were upset, their contact was late and the group wanted to get paid and gone from the area now. Rerid was adamant they needed to give “the wizard” one more day and then good or bad, they leave and make their way eventually to Sorton and then Thak.

The group was getting into place around the door, Dizzy was going to open it, when something made Connal turn around just in time to be leapt upon by an almost 175# wolf! It savaged the monk, ripping and tearing at him while the group was surprised. And then when they were in place, Connal turned with the wolf, back against the wall and began hammering at it as it continued to savage the monastic.

The voices inside grew excited and calls went out to “help my wolf!” and “They’ve found us!” It was weapons out and ready when the door opened and EIGHT young men between 17 and 25 came out with clubs and swords and cold weather clothes and padded armor and one of them had a damned crossbow!

We were beset almost immediately and the battle hit the three party members hard. Dizzy took two painful wounds, the wolf continued to assault Connal, others came about hitting Asher and the other two. We tried to group together but were quickly being overwhelmed. Swords swung, fists flew, and at the end of it, Asher called to Tyr and pointed and Rerid where he shouted, “In the name of Tyr, Hold!!”

And the thief leader froze in place. Along with the other wounds we had done, the poor state of the wolf, and the poor morale of the thieves, the second in command, Hrabbi, ordered the men to drop their weapons and “this has gotten WAY out of hand!”

We helped divest them of weapons, some healing was doled out, and we talked while Rerid was bound in place while held. They had been contacted months earlier by a wizard named Granmund who was looking for religious artifacts that have anything to do with the dead. He approached the pair (Rerid and Hrabbi) and arranged to give them a copy of the tube in question. He was supposed to meet them via boat this last day but hasn’t arrived.

The party had been charged in killing the thieves but Dizzy took a different stance and told them that they fought well and with skill, and Sif will judge them elsewhere, but they were to be spared and head west and away from Erylond, for if they do come back, the Church of Sif will exact a vengeance upon them then.

Hrabbi took the deal and the party was a bit bummed there was no profit for this, but they all agreed to head west and away. Handshakes were given and we tossed a “horse chunk” at the frogs who fought over it while we ran across the drawbridge and back to the Highway. Rerid, no longer held, was bent, but agreed this was for the best.

As for Granmund, they wanted to be long gone before the wizard showed up as he would not be pleased he did not get his tube and wasted time and money on this venture. Granmund is working out of one of the Stolen Kingdoms called Shadowthyrst and we thanked them and waited for them to leave before turning back around and heading back.

We arrived at the temple late at night where the Abbess met with s and was happy to get the piece back. We discussed how it happened and what we had learned. Someone had to have seen the tube for some time to make a copy of it, but it hadn’t been out of the Sacristsanct for years. Scrying? Possible. As for Shadowthyrst, its run by a sad Halfling figure and the entire land is one of misery and sadness, those who stay too long or have a weak will, often times just lie down and wait to die.

Lovely.

The Abbess offered the three of the party members a reduced rate on training in the future and a small reward for their efforts and we left feeling good with how it all played out so far.

Except…Why Granmund’s interest and how will this end up affecting us in the future?

History - Reetersbeard

The Third major clan of dwarves in this area is the Reetersbeard dwarves and a few of the party members have either ancestry or dealing with them. So their history, as known follows:

There is no single defined dwarven homeland, they have been around as far back as the gods have been, building the worlds and universes as required by Reorx, Moradin, Vulcan, Dunatis, or any of the other gods needed. By dint, although dwarves are clannish in nature they are not overtly so and don't assume that their clan or holdfast is the end all/be all.

The Reetersbeard Dwarves story is the tale of a homestead of dwarves who made the decision to move their entire civilization. Twice.

According to what few relics and tablets remain, the Reetersbeard dwarves were part of a larger collective called the Morati. Some 6 or so ages ago (again - VERY long time - almost 2,000 years) the collective split into two main family camps - The Giant Born (Jarlborrin) and the Right Beard (Reetersbeard). The Right Beard camp was growing ill with the constant barbaric attacks by roving tribes of orcs and humans, not wanting to be a part of the assault and "culling" of these surface dwelling raiders and pests - while the Giant Born camp was convinced that it was a noble effort to cull the barbaric tribes before they got too large and caused either starvation or warfare between them.

So 30,000 dwarves and their attendant gnomes, humans, and other followers dismantled their homes, forges, anvils, halls, and other items of value and decided to head east through the great forests and find the end of the world.

They came upon the Mastelic Ocean after many months of travel and then continued their travels south. For the better part of a year the dwarven nation made their way south until they came upon an area with many large hills and small mountains, as well as a single oversized defined peak that was so tall, it pierced the sky. The land was home to a number of elves who had not participated in the Kinslayer Wars and had no trouble or problems with the dwarven nation.

The Reetersbeard Dwarves settled the area and dug mines and homes into the earth. And things were well for a very long time. They multiplied, moved, and spread their teachings and children further south to the human lands and kingdoms in that direction. Eventually the human kingdoms expanded northward and in honor of the friendly dwarves they encountered there, offered them a space in the council of Lords and eventually folded them into the Kingdom of Daro - the High Thane also given the title of Duke and the land was referred to as the Duchy of Reet.

For the better part of 1500 years the Reetersbeard Dwarves lived and had their homes, their nation swelling to 45,000 dwarves and countless other friendly races. They had their lives here until their seers and rangers came back with disturbing news. The lands to the west were wild with many roving tribes of monstrous humanoids - that wasn't an issue. What was the issue was that the lands WEST of that were a blasted wasteland with little life still there - and the darkness was going to spread east.

The darkness of dragons.

The largest clutching of dragons had lived and grown unchecked for centuries and were approaching the stage when they would fight amongst themselves for dominance - sending the weaker dragons to go off and find new territory.

And the only territory was to the east and eventually the Duchy of Reet. Every skein, every runecasting, every divination the dwarves made said this was going to happen. Not now, not next year, maybe not even next decade - but it was going to happen and when hundreds and hundreds and maybe thousands of dragons take wing and spread - nothing on this earth was going to be able to withstand it.

The dwarves thought about it long and for 15 years sent runners and rangers as far as they could to confirm this - and it was going to be the case. Between the land of the dragons and Reet were the Homelands-  where ogres and bugbears and kobolds and other monsters held sway - hundreds of thousands of them - maybe even millions. When the dragons came - they would drive this horde before them and they would hit here first - and then the dragons would follow.

They Referred to this as the Odinstorm, the Murder of Ravens, The Flight. They tried to share this information with the human kingdoms to the south who were embroiled in civil war and didn't listen. They tried to share it with the surface dwelling elves and humans and halflings and whatnot who made up the Duchy of Reet and it was taken seriously. But not everyone wanted to leave - would it be this year, next, the following? A decade or two?

Where would they go??? Many dwarves thought they could stay here, pull the entrances to their mountains closed behind them, and weather the Odinstorm as long as possible - the thought of moving was just not in their bones.

Of those that agreed to leave, some 20,000 a bit less than half, the Reetersbeard clan decided they would again split into two - half would return back to the north and the Jarlborrin Lands, the rest would travel south as far as they could and try to find another place to settle down and live.

So almost 180 years ago almost 10,000 dwarves and another 12,000 other races once again performed their mass migration and traveled the ancient markings and maps north along the Mastelic Ocean and then eventually west - taking almost 2 years to make the journey.

But when they came "home" after some 1,500 years - things were different. The gnomes had a homeland to the east now called Nightwoods, the Jarlborrin had grown and expanded taking over many mountains to the west with the capital of their Thanedom being called Sorton, a group of Mountain Dwarves had emerged from their caves called Gorok - but the majority of the land was dominated by a sprawling orcish empire called Rand.

They were welcomed but the Randari Ympyr didn't want them en masse in their cities and asked the clan to break up (they didn't). The Nightwoods took some of the surface halflings, gnomes and elves and even a few dwarves who wanted to stay. The Gorokian Dwarves were rude and insulting to the wandering Reetersbeard and the Jarlborrin were uncomfortable with their return.

What was decided was that the Jarlborrin would "give up" one of their eastern (and poor) holdings called Ironcamp (which incidentally was one of the original holdings of the Reetersbeard dwarves) which they could "pay" for with 75% of the production of the land and the dwarves (and other races) living there being given to the Jarlborrin as lease and payments - with the land being deeded over to the Reetersbeard Dwarves at that time - it would be theirs free and clear.

The Reetersbeard dwarves thought about it and the concensus was they did not want to travel any further - this was their ancestral home. They took the deal.

And they worked hard for it. 3 coins of every 4 made went to the Jarlborrin's coffers. 3 sledges of marble or every 4 went west to Sorton. 3 gems of every 4 mined from the ground, 3 timbers of every 4 felled from the forests, 3 bags of grain of every 4 tilled from the earth went east to Jarlborrin while the Reetersbeard Dwarves subsisted on what remained. They bartered and traded and begged and scavenged from Tilani to Erylond for any job, any food, and resource they could help to extend their comfort and livelihood another year and get closer to fulfilling their lease without defaulting on it and losing their right to eventually live free again.

When the call to war came and the tribes of dwarves and gnomes struck out against the Randari Ympyr - the Reetersbeard Dwarves did not get involved - they were under no compunction to go to war and could not be enticed to do so by any means - instead they hunkered down and waited until it ended and then went back to paying off their debt.

Finally, almost 80 years ago - the last of the payments had been made the the Reeterbeard dwarves were free.

And they turned their industry and efforts to what they had been doing best for the last 3/4 of a century - acting as the middleman and merchant for the many dissimilar groups, cities, towns, clans, holdfasts, keeps, and despots that littered the now shattered Randari lands. They turned their minds to the best way to generate income and spawned huge caravans that traveled the busted roads and highways - sending hundreds of road repair crews ahead of the caravans to make sure the passage with safe and in good shape. Three times a year the great caravans made their way around the traderoads -the trip taking 75 to 80 days each cycle - and each cycle they pick up goods in one place and deliver them to another to be sold and take a small piece of the profits - which goes back to Ironcamp and helps improve the lives of the Reetersbeard dwarves and those who have stuck with them even in time of adversity.

Meet 105, Adv 6, 12/7/19

This was an interim meeting where the group had a chance to talk to and hire the 2 new guy's "B" character, and also meet with the Blue Boar - who will be a part of the mid part of the game - hunting for the Ravenstone around Barb's neck.

Write up follows:

The few party members still at the Council of Lords had the opportunity to see Lord Durcent go up to Baron Skuddrid and vent his intense displeasure over the verdict. Punishments? Fines? What about Sedition, and Murder and everything else? How the hell can you all three on the Council sit there and just LET him get away with it?!?

The Baron informed Lord Durcent that he has been a part of 35 of these Councils over his 60 plus years, sometimes as a junior member, lately as the head arbiter. And they are fraught with issues that plague everyone. We live in a feudal system – the line of support runs up and down the chain from Duke down to knight and eventually to serf and peasant. Each level taking from the level both above and below it – and offering support in each direction. Stratifying? Yes. But vital in order to maintain order and goodwill to all personages.

At any time evil forces are looking to disrupt any level of the system and everyone needs to work together to keep the fabric as a whole. And when you are Baron, you see so many more threads and buttresses and lines than the levels below – and it’s precarious because if any one part of society realizes that they can be supplanted – the system will break down.

So stripping a Lord of his name and titles needs to be done only at the UTMOST and 100% without a doubt reason where everyone can look at the crimes and nod their head in unison and say, Yes, THAT is a bad man and deserves to be taken apart and thrown down.

And the case against Lord Ostlerson is NOT that. Yes, it’s complete in its own fashion, and yes he did try to appoint his son as Sheriff, but his issues and plotting and crimes both minor and major do not rise to the level of removal of position. If other Lords, Knights, or gentry came to the realization that they can be punished accordingly for their 60% petty crimes and schemes – the system would quickly collapse. And Baron Skuddrid cannot let that happen – since the case was only somewhat compelling against Gregor.

BUT, his son is no longer possible to become Lord, and he is losing profit and freedom, there are investigators on his Demesne looking to his actions and activities looking to find and expose his lies. Lord Durcent will still have to work with Lord Ostlerson, but the other Lord will now be on an uneven footing and will be much more guarded in his dealings on a going forward.

While still in Stivil, Shim did go back and visit the Falser Confectionary where he had the chance to sit with Malted and Uke. They took him to their apartment where Shimlagesh had the opportunity to eat with them and some 20 other gnomes, hear from them their stories on escaping the Nightwoods, see how they live and are treated, and then went on a tour of the factory floor where he saw gnomes making a life for themselves and trying to find a place for themselves when their servitude is up after giving the Falser’s 15 years.

Upon completion they will have a marketable skill, journeyman papers on their trade, and the opportunity to stay on if need be. They were all happy, healthy, in good spirits, and although taken care of, also had their own funds for discretionary purchases if need be.

Not slaves. Not a part of the Theocracy. And being treated well and with dignity. Shim also learned that the Falsers felt that the contract work they had been doing on behalf of Rargitild of the Green Hills with the “boorish human” was about done. He is a blowhard, in some sort of trouble, and truthfully, although humans attacking other humans for a profit is funny to watch, the Falsers want nothing more to do with the tall folk and their stupid short sighted games in order to garner a profit.

Shim left feeling real good and the party proceeded back to the Durcent Province where Darius and Shim had many long discussions about Shim’s feelings regarding the Falsers. They are murderers – and that’s it. And Shim had a different feeling on it, and IT was a long round and round discussion on the matter that had the two of them feeling a strain in their normally bucolic friendship.

At the Durcent Province we did gather a reward from Lord Durcent for our efforts, a pile of the bark to return to Celeste Firesworn, and considerable foodstuffs as further appreciation for what we’ve done.

We then traveled back to Erylond where we arrived at long last on the evening of the 20th of Deathmonth. We took our sleighs and horses to the Mage’s District where we fulfilled the final part of our contract and were paid a bag of silver for doing our part. The party was going to head back to home at long last…

However, during the 3 plus weeks since we’ve been gone, the OTHER half of the group had many meetings with Pha-iyr Carom where after a week of waiting on the group’s return, decided to hold interviews on potential people to join our party. We know we needed some sort of front line fighting and possibly a cleric of some sort. Pha-iyr had 7 interviews for us and we met them the next day at the Adventuring Guild.

They were a mixed bunch. From the key handing lover dwarven bard named Flint, to the paladin who was so off putting about his skills or lack thereof that he effectively wrote himself out of consideration. There were a pair of monastic brothers, each one larger than the other, followers of Sif who although were enticing, didn’t have the skills the party needed at this time.

There was a Fighter Priest who certainly fit the bill although his experience was a bit lacking, and a half-orcish Druid to Idun that we felt would be a good mix to our party. But there was a knight with a squire, human, tall, that seemed to be above the party’s capability and skills. He was returning to the fold of adventuring after retiring a few years ago and doing bounty work finding criminals to bring in to justice.

Ozure Parson, he was a possibility but the group assumed he would be a no since we were not at his skill level but he thanked us for the interview and confided that he was following some visions he had of coming in and interviewing here. His latest bounty was going to take years to resolve and he was following the skein of the Norns at this time, going where he felt led.

When he got up he and his man unfurled their surcoats and we could see his personal sigil of a blue boar on his field of off white. He joked saying he had the nickname of the Blue Boar, Ozure Parson…Azure Porcine…that he took no offense to and was happy to known as.

And although this half of the group, the name Blue Boar meant nothing…the other half of the group currently out adventuring KNOWS that the Blue Boar is the name of the “being released” to hunt down Barb as warned to her in the seamstress’s shop  in a possessed vision regarding the Ravenstone.

Meet 104, Adv 6, 11/23/19

The party had the chance to try Lord Gregor Ostlerson in a Council of Lords - with half the group playing themselves, and the other half LARPing the officiating Lords. So half the group had to PROVE to the other half of the group about Big GO/Lord Gregor Ostlerson's crimes. Lord Gregor was able to defend himself and more importantly, bring doubt to the proceedings.

It was very satisfying but at the same time aggravating because although they knew he was dirty, they couldn't convict him on all 4 counts.

And they have established a nobleman who hates them and his darkly charismatic son as life long enemies.

Write up follows:

The two groups made their way east and southeast through the cold snow, the horses and sleighs turning the trip from a horrible slog to something decent. The two groups talked at length about what they had learned, Thalin and Shim at opposite ends of the spectrum regarding the Falsers. Shim had felt better but had the fear that the Falser Brothers were still acting in the Theocrat’s interests and enslaving gnomes outside of Nightwoods. If ever we got a chance to return to Stivil, he’d like the opportunity to look further throughout their factory.

The crux of it was the Falser’s were still criminals and murders – and to Shim they were and they were not. It was a tense conversation and the miles passed by slowly and over some time.

Darius, Barb, Thon, and Eoghan arrived at Durcent Province first. It had to be about 2 in the morning or so and there was no one around to talk with. After a brief conversation with the guards at the Demesne the group went off to stay at the Woodward (acting) Nagaf at the north end of the Province.

We went off and after some tense back and forth with Nagaf and Fain, the former wards of the original Woodward, we managed to arrange a place to stay (Fain was concerned we were here for sex, deviant or not, as the former Woodward often had late visitors come by) while Darius went back to the trail IN to the Province to await for Rhygar and the other sleigh which arrived some 40 minutes later.

We all slept well and the next late morning awoke, ate, and then made our way to the Manorhouse and Lord Durcent. From there we spent some time filling the Lord, Sheriff Thurbarn, and the Ranger’s assistant Sundar Longwalker of everything we had been a part off since we arrive almost 3 weeks earlier, the Wolf Skull Orcs, the raids, the hunt for the killer, Ixitch Barrowman and Canaslan, our problems there, the Bloodtusk tribe, the woodcutter’s cottage, Big GO, Thon, Stivil, the Falser’s, and eventually all the paperwork and books and disjointed pieces of evidence we had acquired which shows a long and winding trail leading everything back to Lord Gregor Ostlerson as the perpetrator behind everything.

Lord Durcent was stunned. As a fellow lord, he had to elevate this to the next step and that meant sending it off for a Council of Lords tribunal, where the case was being forwarded to Baron Skuddrid of Stivil, an older lord and statesmen, who had presided over 30 of these cases already.

The Baron agreed to the case and would convene the Council on the 16th of Deathmonth where all the parties would be able to come and present their case. So we laid low and then on the 15th, made our way back to Stivil where we found ourselves at the hospitality of the Baron himself. The Council was also going to be judged by Lord Dunthar Rockholm, a dwarven lord whose family has been part of the rebuild of Stivil since the Randari war over a century earlier, and Sir Agor Randari, an orcish lord who was folded into the nobility some time ago, his clan given the original lands they had owned long ago as their own Demesne.

Lord Gregor Ostlerson was here as well, along with his son Fersic Gregson, the applicant Sheriff. Tensions were high and tempers were strained, especially once the Council of Lords began and Gregor discovered that HE was the subject in question! A number of charges had been leveled against him and the Council’s job was to discover if his crimes were elevated to the state of no contest. If so, he could be stripped of land and titles.

Lord Durcent had three of the party members come forward and detail the crimes and the path lead: Barb, Darius, and Thon – as each of them had a specific point of direct knowledge of how the crimes were laid out.

Throughout the trial, Lord Ostlerson rebutted as need be, offered alternative points of views, and did succeed on many occasions to muddy the waters and cast doubt on the proceedings – even though the party knew what they were presenting was the truth.

It took many hours and Fersic was most upset with Thon who he had assumed was a friend. And Darius and the younger Sheriff applicant had little lost love for each other. Baron Skuddrid kept the trial moving along and with many prompts had the story come out. However, upon the end of all things, even though there were 4 charges leveled against the Lord, only one of them was found to be guilty enough to merit disciplinary action.

As punishment, Lord Gregor Ostlerson was responsible for 5% of the Net Profits of the Demesne to be paid to the Baron for 10 seasons and Fersic Gregson was to be stripped of hereditary titles for taking over the Demesne. That was it. And since Lord Gregor has not acknowledged any of his bastards and only had the one son from his 2nd wife, it meant that as of this moment, upon Lord Gregor’s death, the land would revert to Baron Skuddrid and the Baron could assign the 120 acre Demesne to another Lord as he sees fit.

The group was…disappointed at best. Lord Gregor effectively gets away with his crime and that was it. There was a bright point; Baron Skuddrid was dispatching an investigative team of 12 members to go over the Demesne to find signs of the drug manufacturing on the property. If that was to be found, there would be further punishment and fines levied at the benighted Lord.

Meet 103, Adv 6, 11/16/19

This was a meeting about expectations and how it doesn't always work out. Thon is a new player at our table and I am sure he had a certain idea about his family, but I was able to approach it from the side during a big LARP session and he had a chance to see the half-orc view of things here and how his character fits into it - from his history to his place in it today.

The same was for the Falser Confectionary. These are murdering gnome magic user assassins who we KNOW killed 7 people, and yet they have a factory where they make candy and are well liked and also free other gnomes from a crushing Theocracy from their ancestral homelands.

Again, its how things are assumed and how they turn out.

Write up follows:

Before we went to sleep, Darius wanted to talk about the plan for tomorrow a bit more. The thought went that we would need to get out of Stivil pretty quick upon completion, but we’d be in 2 different sections of the town. Half of us would be at the Falser’s Confectionary trying to steal the logs, and the other half would be at some restaurant talking to the Falsers with Shim.

His thought went that we should have 1 or better yet, 2, sleds and horses available to get us out. If the Falsers find out we were in their locale stealing from them, we’d be killed. And there was too much chance to have half the group “waiting around” for the other half to finish up their efforts and rejoin them.

So the plan for the next day was Darius to go and find Rhygar Halfman, hopefully at Cod Smithson’s place (where the two girls, Abarin and Gersy should have been taken after we freed them from Ixitch). From there he’d get the young half-orc to go with him and purchase two sleds and horses where they could practice, make sure they can handle them, and then situate them outside of town for a fast getaway. Darius would drive one, and Rhygar the other.

So the group was in agreement and we finally crashed. It was Deathmonth the 12th when we woke up to blue skies and cold air. In the eating room of the Unshackled Wolf we ate a hearty breakfast before we were going to break up for the day. Thon had written to his family earlier but had not gotten a response yet, so wanted to go and see if his mother was home (not his father). Shim offered to go with the half-orc.

Darius, Eoghan, and Barb were going to go and try to find Rhygar and Cods, and according to the waitress, the militia and watch lead, Captain Arsin, would be the best place to go and look – he could be found at the Armory and Militia Office on Empire Way just south of the Arena. Shim composed a letter to the Falsers asking them to meet him at 6 PM tonight at the Bread and Lake, an upscale restaurant in the Westhome district. Brading and Thalin were going to wait here in case a response came. And the group split up.

The party walked together until they arrive at Captain Arsin where Thon and Shim continued going. They passed into Leeward and then down First Tusk Avenue. The quality of homes dropped significantly and the place had a general unpleasant smell to it. Eventually they turned north and came around to Felt’s Road where Thon came to stop in front of his family home that he had not seen for over a year and a half.

It was a squat stone building like others in the area, the roof was a highly pitched thatched roof. An outhouse and semi-attached ramshackle shed attached by a breezeway completed the picture; the yard was small and was mostly mud and weeds but fresh herbs were growing in the many window boxes. With Shim at his side for support, Thon knocked on the door.

His elder brother by 4 years, Teclan, met him with a sneer and some snide remarks. After an awkward meeting, his mother Melwyn and sister Tarya came out, hugging the long missing Thon, and welcomed him inside. The place was simple, clean, yet still poor – especially to Thon’s more worldly eyes. He inquired about his father, learning the elder half-orc was in the shed and rather angry. Tarya had gotten word of Thon’s visit but being unable to read, didn’t get the note deciphered until last night and didn’t inform her parents until this morning a short while ago – hence the excitement.

Before he could get too deep into where he had been, his father Treeve Tarison came in. The meeting was…tense and stilted. Treeve never forgave his son for leaving, even though he told him to get out. His mother had missed him terribly and was worried about him, especially since his younger sister had passed on some 4 years ago from a bad sickness – it was rough seeing him go.

Shim was accorded respect and was confused with being a gnome from the Candy Factory, a fact he tried to correct but had little traction being able to do so. The conversation did get to his experiences and there was dismay that he had spent time with the Firvinir Orcs, or as Teclan referred them, Grubbers – not real Randari Orcs. Melwyn was concerned there was a pregnant girl, and then really wanted there to be a pregnant girl. Thon tried to downplay the situation and even offer money (crowns and nobles) which at first irritated Treeve. Doesn’t he work hard? Is this blood money? Did he kill someone to get this money?

Thon got the family to understand he’s doing a good thing right now trying to solve an orcish problem (and learned the here, where Scratch was first created 4 months ago, is NOT a problem for anyone local as no one knows about it at all!) and promised to come home or write more often. Treeve and his son did hug and the father reiterated his words about don’t come back, but he also rescinded them immediately. Thon was surprised to learn that his father actually worked for Loring! As did his mother and sister and brother!

Loring was a bottom feeder who sends orcs to their death fighting rabid wolves and bears? Um, no. Not according to the family – Loring actually is a pretty decent boss, runs the gladiator contracts pretty tightly, and always tries to get the best return for any orc fighting for him as well as a rapid resolution of his contract. Um…ok. Did not see that coming. The two of them left after much hugs and catching up, promising to be in touch before moving on and returning to the Unshackled Wolf.

As for Darius, Barb, and Eoghan, they managed to get a meeting with Captain Arsin who was coy about identifying anyone in town, assuming the party of three were some sort of bounty hunters. However when Darius said he was looking for Cods Smithson and the conversation turned to the others that might have come home to him, the Captain’s attitude changed completely. Apparently Abarin, Gersy, and Rhygar’s return 5 days ago had made some headway amongst the townsfolk and the story of their escape and liberators was spoken of with great admiration.

Darius and Barb seriously tried to downplay it and begged the Captain to just let it go, they were just doing what was right. Arsin led the three of them through the Trades to Smith Street where a collective of tradesmen were doing their work. In front of a nondescript forge where a half-orc smith was working an anvil and another one, the younger Rhygar, was working the bellows, The Captain announced to Cods to come out and upon seeing Darius, Rhygar ran out and met the fighter with a fierce hug and much back slapping.

Cods came out and pumped everyone’s hand firmly, referring to them as lord (Darius downplayed it) and promising them 100 nobles he had saved up from various jobs as thanks. It was returned and Darius wanted to get off the street as other smiths were out as well, also showing their admiration and thanks to the trio for saving their companion’s daughter and friends.

The Captain left us to our devices and we went with Cods to his home behind the Trades where Abarin and Gersy were outside needle pointing. On seeing the group, the two young women raced out and also added their hugs and tears, this time on Barb’s chest and waist. We did get off the street and inside the simple home where Rhygar caught the group up to what’s been going on and then ceremoniously returning the Cat Pillow to Darius as he promised he would.

We talked for a while, the two women pledging themselves to Barb as ladies in waiting for a period of 3 years but Barb was able to defer this by getting Abarin to admit she would wait here with Gersy until the dwarven girl is finally mentally sound – THAT was her current charge. Rhygar? He was a different matter and pledged himself right then and there to Darius who accepted the young half-orc with reservation. He gave him the layout for tonight and the need for horses and sleds. Rhygar who had been here for 5 days did let the group know that of the 4 procurers for the Arena games, it was word on the street that the Six Pickers and its headman, Tudar, would be the best choice as his animals were typically of the highest caliber.

So we gave the girls our love and thanks, told them we’d see them another time, and then made our way with Rhygar to Leeward section of town and 6-Pickers.

We talked with Tudar, and older male in his early 60’s, and his 2nd a 40’s year old name Vorod. Eventually we did settle on two Clydesdale nags and a pair of 4 person sleds that can be refitted to carts again in the spring (the pair of wheels were stored under the body of each cart). It cost us some coin, but the feeling was it would come in very handy as we expected to get much use out of them on a going forward.

We all met back up @ the Unshackled Wolf and bided our time. The Falser gnomes agreed to the meeting and Thalin began work on his Invisibility spells. Eoghan did make a side visit to his old farm where his wife and child had died, but it was long abandoned and a friendly neighbor didn’t make the place appealing to anyone to move back in (not recognizing Eoghan as his former neighbor).

By 5:30 we split up – Darius earlier had parked his sled west beyond the sight of Westhome while Rhygar situated himself and the wolf south and east of the Trades and the walls of Stivil and waited there. Shim Brading and Thalin when off to the Bread and Lake where they got a table and waited. Darius meanwhile with Barb, Thon, and Eoghan, all invisible, walked the streets, actually passing the two gnomes and their big half-ogre Fryld, as they went off to meet the rest of their friends!

Show time.

Entering the Falser Confectionary, leading the invisible line with hand to shoulder, Darius took a look around the room and made his way to the east side. There were only 8 half orcs/half ogres working the selling floor and one half-orc at the checkout table across the room. The curtain blocking the left door was still in place, but now was a bit pulled aside.

And the door behind it was only 2’ wide and 5’ tall. Perfect from gnomes, not so much for anyone else. Barb and Eoghan were going to straddle either side of the door and slowly pull the curtain away from the wall. This would give the illusion that straight on all was good, but only if you were looking at it at an angle, would see the unnatural shape.

Thon had fingered his lockpicks and withdrew 2 getting ready for the diversion. It was going well as they pulled the curtain back except Eoghan was too close to the nearest display table and was inadvertently pushing it “away” with the back of his thigh. Which had Darius strike into action.

By falling into a display of liquor hard candies and spilling over 300 of the rounded sugary snacks across the floor with an associated “Oh, my god! I am SOOO Sorry!” Various customers and sales floor employees were looking over, all eyes locked on the mess when Darius staggered to his feet, “slipped” on some candy, and plowed headfirst into another display table of sour fruits sugar balls, dropping another 300 plus candies onto the floor. “Oh! Oh! Oh my God!”

Yeah, that was a distraction.

Thon got behind the curtain and stuck the picks in, twisting left and right, catching the tumblers but the ends of the prongs falling free again and again. Um…shit.

Darius was helped up with some good natured “It’s alright, these things happen,” when he noticed the group still had NOT gotten into the door. So he lunged forward and twisted, free arm upsetting a table full of sarsaparilla candies and adding them to the mess growing amidst the floor. A nearby half ogre, helped Darius to stop flailing about by grabbing him from behind and holding him tight while the chaos was being contained.

Thon was muttering curses as the damned picks continued to slip off the ends of the tumblers, bouncing out and off again and again. The sweat on his brow was falling free from his forehead and nose, dripping visibly to the floor and making a wet stain. Barb and Eoghan were getting very concerned standing in one place and waiting…

Darius was helped to his feet and his leg spasmed out, sending at least 30 candies to fly like pin balls across the room and towards the checkout table. The half-orc there gave the half-ogre holding him a nod and nudge towards the door and Darius was firmly guided/manhandled in that direction…

And then Thon got the door open with a successful twist. In no time the three of them entered the narrow and short door, hunched over and twisting to gain entrance, the curtain falling flat in place and then the door closing behind them…

Darius seeing the curtain go flat relaxed and allowed himself to be led outside. The half-ogre, Hrelf, figured that Darius was from another candy factory and was here to cause trouble. He should never come back again. Darius tried to hand Hrelf some nobles and said he was here from Mr. Silver and this should just be forgotten.

Forgotten? Hrelf wasn’t going to forget this and was going to tell the Falsers about Darius and the Mr. Silver Candy Company. Darius just nodded and said, that was probably for the best and was let go, eventually making his way out of town and back to the sled and horse.

As for the other three, there were in a room with a 5 ½’ tall ceiling, a nice great room with gnome sized furnishing, a harpsichord, couches, hanging lights, long hall with two side rooms and ending a double door at the end of carpeted hall.

And four gnomes in decent clothing all staring at the door they just entered from and closed, in the process of dusting and wiping down the room. Fuck…we weren’t alone. They asked if Malted or Uke were here, no answer. We quietly made our way through the room while the gnomes talked about most likely they were here and were invisible. Was it a game? Why were they doing this? Is this a test?

We made our way down the hall, shoulder to hand. To the right was a kitchen where two gnomes were cooking and preparing a lot of food and pastries on the really nice overs and counters. And to the left was a dining room where 20 could sit, and 10 were there now, all gnomes, 6 of which were kids.

No slaves, no slave collars, no one looked beaten or messed up, no one was in rags. This was NOT was we expected to find. It was almost…familial.

There was some questioning if we, (the gnomes) were here, and some answering from the great room that maybe. Ugh. Fuck. The end of the hall was a double door and getting closer Barb was able to tell through the Ravenstone that each door had a wizardmark upon it- the left was an “M” the right was a “U”. The thought was we had seen no office or bedroom – so it was most likely behind here. And before the gnomes started figuring out where we were, we wanted to get in.

So Thon once again took out his picks and worked the lock on the “U” side, opening the lock. He turned the knob. Slowly. Pushed the door. It was dark in there and he pushed it a bit more when some candles flared to life inside and there was a chime like a cascading hard noise, and a spectral voice said, “Welcome home, Master Uke. Would you like a beverage?”

Which got every gnome in the place to come out and look around, looking down the hall and seeing…nothing – just the partially open door.

Gimme a damned break.

We all shoved ourselves inside and shut the door carefully as young gnomes were clamoring from the other side, “Master Uke? Master Uke?” We ignored everything and stood there, hearts hammering as the conversation meandered about on the other side with one of the gnomes saying, “Well, Master, if you want, there’s a brandy waiting for you when you’re ready.”

Gods, we were so boned.

We were again in a small ceilinged room, two large poster beds, tables, chairs, desks, curtains, shelves, knickknacks – obviously where the Falser brothers did their work and slept. We looked over the obvious large desk and although there were lots of books about their legitimate candy business, there were also at least 4 slim tomes that were about Sir Gregor Oslterson and deliveries to, from, and about the Demesne.

We agreed to take them and the disembodied voice said, “Master Uke, it sounds like you have guests, shall I fetch some snacks for all of them?” Fuck fuck fuck magic shit just SHUT UP… After a while, it grew quiet again. We swept all the books into Thon’s backpack, went shoulder to hand line up again, and went back to the door.

No more screwing around, we opened the door and again that damned chime went off and the voice said, “Farewell Master Uke, have a wonderful day!” And a bunch of 2’ tall or less gnome kids boiled out of the kitchen and ran down the hall towards our invisible selves. We grabbed the mug of brandy outside the door, dumped it over, and stayed to the sides as we dodged kids and gnomes milling about and others going, “I told you there were here. Master Uke?”

In the great room we wasted no time, opened the door and marched out quick to the selling floor and damn the curtains and who might see us. As we tried to dodge our way around the room, Barb was inadvertently clotheslined by a half-orc and a 7’ tall lollipop, the barbarian hitting the ground with a strangled gurgle. We felt around to locate her, helped her up and ran out of the place while the half-orc was talking to other half orcs about how something’s been weird today and he is sure he hit someone but no kid was hurt.

Out in the street we made it south and east to the wall and then relaxed the invisibility spell, going visible as we huffed through the cold night air to Darius waiting for us along with the sled. We showed him the backpack full of books, got on the sled, and drove away for the long ride back to Durcent Province.

As for Shim and his contingent, they got to the Bread and Lake early, procured a table near the back, and took to ordering some food and drink. He then asked Brading and Thalin if during the meal, they might want to get up and walk away as he had some private information to share with the Falser brothers about his time leaving the Nightwoods. Walk away? Why? Private. But, we’re all friends. Yeah, but it’s private to me – and maybe the Falsers might want it to be private as well.

At that point Malted and Uke Falser arrived along with the half-ogre Fryld. We all sat down to eat and the conversation meandered only a little bit while Shim was laying the ground work that he wanted to work with them to help free potential other gnomes.

It was at this point that whatever preconceived notions Shim had about the Falsers were slowly chipped away. They had been smuggled out some 12 years ago, shortly after the Theocrat came to power. It was easier then but still expensive. The Theocrat is not a forgiving gnome and his Defenders will often snag entire families and bring them back for re-education.

As for sending Thalin or Brading away, the Falsers felt no need as they would not send Fryld away. Too many gnome issues are shrouded and they need to be shone to the light or the Theocrat will continue to hold sway.

To gnomes it’s a big thing to leave the Nightwoods as it is their ancestral home, as far back as history goes, the gnomes had lived there. But when the Theocrat, in the guise of religious fascism, takes power and solidifies it, even the most ardent believer can’t make the case to stay.

Fryld was one of the half-ogres working with the Centaurs on smuggling gnomes free – and the Falsers took a liking to the half-ogre, especially once they learned he was a natural and untrained sorcerer. Once far away from the Nightwoods they set up shop here in Stivil at a defunct factory and rebuilt it to their needs. Since then they’ve been funding the freedom of various gnomes and their families – to the tune of 136 to date freed. They have a 15 year contract, food and board is provided free as well as education and a marketable skill here. They are free to leave or stay, but the Falsers feel an attachment to every one of them and consider them family.

As for Shim he did let know that he was a novitiate in the Arcane Academy and about 5 years or so ago, after a blistering tirade against the Theocrat to the wrong people, he was approached by smugglers who had been paid to get him free of Nightwoods. Following was a 3 week ordeal of smuggling inside tunnels, boxes, bolt hole to bolt hole, making his way out of the Nightwoods and terrified of being caught at any moment. In the clear thinking that follows, Shim realizes that if his unknown benefactors hadn’t smuggled him out when they did, a week or two tops later he’d have been snatched off the streets and taken away for reeducation and maybe even death.

The Falsers seemed honest and earnest, and they were truthful in their dealings. They have a vaunted interest in half-orcs, orcs, and half-ogres because they respect them and their dedication to clan and family. It’s a bit gnomish in their way of thinking and honor is an important part of most orc’s lives. As for gnomes? Too many humans just discount gnomes as…what? Friendly forest folk? Retarded elves?

Unnecessary?

They did talk about Rargitild of the Green Hills, a friend of their who died due to an alembic imbalance while working on some alchemical mixture. And they did admit that they did “contract” work for an odious human who was looking to fuck over the locals just so his son can get a good job. So…human.

The meal was an eye opener for everyone and it was around 8:30 when Shim and company ended the conversation and wished the Falsers the best. He’d be in touch in the next couple of days about working with them and getting someone out (or so he said). From there they left without haste and made their way eventually beyond the walls and to Rhygar who was waiting for them. They loaded up on the sled and turned to the south and east, their horse pushing forward on their long trip to Durcent Province.

Meet 102, Adv 6, 11/9/19

The group had a chance to visit Stivil.

There are some towns in my world that will be important and I put the extra effort into them, and Stivil is one of them. I hope they get a chance to come back soon.

Write up follows:

The group crashed, falling asleep by 6:30 in the morning and not awakening until about 4 in the afternoon on Deathmonth the 11th. And as Darius was concerned about – it was Marketday in Stivil – the same day as Arena Day.

The Coliseum takes up the center of Stivil, with roughly ¼ of its outer northeast seating long ago destroyed during the Dwarven/Randari conflict, but still capable of giving a place to 15,000 howling fans. We were in the Unshackled Wolf, a nice establishment in Eastview. Talking to Thon and Eoghan, we got the lay of the land so to speak (Lords District to the North, “Top” at the Northeast, Eastview (upperclass) to the east, the Trades (industrial and guild area) to the southeast and south, Leeward (lowerclass section) to the south and southwest, Westhome (middle class) to the west, and Merchant’s Blocks to the north west (commercial)).

We discussed our options and plans for today. We wanted to go the Merchant’s Block and get some better cold weather gear and maybe some snowshoes. Then to the Trades to get a lay of the Falser candy maker place. We were told that most places were open till 7 and the Arena games go all day from 10 to 6. As for the Falsers? There was the local Falser Confectionary Factory – on Sweet Street in the Trades – and EVERYONE in town knows about it and them.

While our conversation with the patrons and serving women were going on, there was a young man in his early 20’s playing the harp and playing it…poorly. To stop him from playing people would buy him drinks and send them over to him. So we did the same, and he came over to thank us. Named Tholling, he was 22 and married, father of 2, was a senior stable hand who always thought he was destined for more, when an elven rider about 8 months ago let him know that he had nice strong graceful fingers – he should play the harp.

So he bought…leased…a small Celtic harp and has been trying to make ends meet doing so.

And Darius told him he was an unskilled hack and should quit.

What?

Serious, you have no skill, and no one is going to tell you this, but strange elven women tossing out comments to the stable hand is not a basis on changing your job and life. He then handed him a handful of coins and told him to go home and take care of his kids and try to get his job back because really dude, you just suck.

Tholling left, dejected, and the group looked at Darius who shrugged, saying he was helping the man out.

We left the Wolf and made our way along Empire Way until we got to Main Street and the Merchant’s Block which was situated near the remains of an interior wall that used to cordon off areas of Stivil before the Great War.

From here we wandered around until we stopped at a clothier and leatherworkers called Grandma’s, run by an elderly dwarven woman. She helped us outfit our clothes and get many of them fur lined or the like and the prices were fair. From there we made our way to an outfitter who provided us with snowshoes which we purchased as well along with some spare catgut to effect repairs.

It was after 6 so we went across town to the Trades and then down two smaller streets till we go to Sweet Street. The Falser Confection Factory took up the middle of the block of 6 larger buildings, the factory being almost 100’ wide and 60’ deep, 3 stories tall with two distinct chimneys at opposite sides of the building. There was an open field around the building fenced in with a copious lighting in the front and some teeter totters and slides on the south/left side for families and kids to play on.

We did not want Shim to go on, the gnome becoming more pensive as time has gone on. Only a few of us went in, the rest of us walked the area in order to get a feel for the layout of the place.

4 guards in the front, dressed in finery and fancy clothes, but big half-orc looking people. Inside the main hall was 30 x 50, and had sample and sales tables on the left and right, the checkout counter in the back of the hall manned by the Falser brothers also dressed in colorful candy looking garb. Everyone else here who was working was either an Orc, Half Orc, or Half Ogre – and there were 12 of them. There was a double door on the right hand side of the room and a curtained area on the left that Eoghan was convinced was blocking a door.

The place was busy, 50, 60, even 70 people wandering about sampling and buying hard candies. We did our best to fit in and bought an assortment as time went on, eventually getting to the Falsers where we paid and thanked the gnomes for the treats – then we left to find our friends outside.

As for them they walked the property without making it look they were walking the property. The back of the factory area was a mess of beaten snow as if paths were made, leading from a single door to the fields behind the Factory grounds, through a break in the interior Stivil walls and then lost in the streets of Leeward. There was no other doors in or out. There were NO windows either. Anywhere except the third floor and they were narrow 2’ tall, 4’ wide windows painted black and from their position were most likely at the TOP of the floor – not at all easy to get out of.

In fact the only other bit of interest was a 4’ wide, 6” tall grating set in the foundation of the property on the north/right side near the rain runoff gutter that was pitched the wrong way and was running into the grate and down into the basement of the factory. What?!

We shared the candy, ate some, and decided that we needed to get more information. It was after 7 and the place was still open but they were winding down operations. So we went in a second time, this time with Shim who made his own purchases and then being the last customers, went to the Falser brothers to talk.

Malted and Uke, were deferential to Shim, and their demeanor was one of respect for their fellow gnome. They talked of the Nightwoods and the spiriting of gnomes out of the Theocrat’s rule. Gnomes were brought eventually here were they worked for a bit (15 years) and then would have a marketable skill and the freedom to go where they wanted. The ended well and we left with more questions than answers and to Shim, a different outlook on the Falser Brothers.

We noted they shut the sliding factory doors in front of the Factory and then locked and pinned it from within – meaning we were not going to get in that way. How do they leave? When do they leave? Thon advised us that we should leave the Trades, go back to Leeward, and he felt he could guide us back to the large Wall separating the Trades from Leeward that had fallen to disrepair and had gaps in it.

So we took the walk and within 10 minutes made out way to the dark alleys and then clear garbage choked areas in the snow. From here we could faintly see the building and the back door was open, almost 8 figures were outside and smoking and talking. Some 5 to 10 minutes later the last one walked out and a large half-ogre along with a gnome stood there, the half-ogre held aloft a double bitted battle axe, looked around panning slowly, then nodded to the gnome and they shut the door. The others outside walked through the alley and then were lost in Leeward.

We had Thon sneak back to the Factory after some time and assured us the door was closed and locked and then checked out the grate. He let us know that he could faintly hear high pitched voices crying and some sounds of flesh striking flesh – but the grate only opened to a room barely 10 x 5 with a rivulet cut in the bottom of the wall where the water ran through.

Ok…We needed some information from the inside. The Falsers most likely lived here, there were other gnomes here working…indentured? What’s with all the half-orcs and the like? Aren’t the Falsers destabilizing the Durcent Province and effacing the sale of Scratch to the locals? We suspected the double door led to the factory while the single door behind the curtain led to the Falser’s private rooms.

As for the people that left, they most likely hit a local bar and Eoghan and Thon led the group to Shadowfall off Empire’s Way – and the closest drinking establishment for those coming through this way. Once here we looked around and Eogahn spotted Hrelf the half-ogre who had sold him some candy inside the Factory. Since he already had some conversation with him, the rest of the group held back while Eoghan went and had some conversation with the Half-ogre and his drinking companions.

It went…went.

Hrelf was with his friend Relf the Half-orc who still worked there, Rhelf the half-orc who was fired after 2 days of working there, and Luden, a friend who made a killing at betting at the arena today and was keeping everyone in their cups.

There was quite a long conversation but the Half-ogre inside is a bit intense, named Fryld and he uses the axe to help him “feel” if anyone is hiding nearby – visible or not. The Falsers have 40, 80, 200 (the number fluctuated) gnomes working there making candy including their kids and they were pretty cowed. There was an incident with poison where Relf was yelled out to “Don’t Touch My Poison” when he was helping move some apple candy at some point.

But Eoghan kept asking questions and finally Hrelf said that he’d set up a tour or meeting with the Falser Brothers tomorrow for Eoghan since Eoghan seemed real interested in the factory and he would let the gnomes know about all the questions being asked. Erghh.. yeah.

We hoped he would just be too plastered to remember too much and by quarter to 11, we got out of there and made our way back to the Unshackled Wolf. Safely in our room we divided the situation into two parts – we needed to get the Falser Brothers OUT of the factory and would need a conversation/.diversion to do so – and for that, Shim was very happy to lead that line of inquiry.

And we would need to sneak some people in invisibly to get through the curtained area and into the Falser Brother’s private area to find the log books for Lord Gregor Ostlerson. Thon was already a keen man with a set of picks so it was going to be him, Darius, and Barb – and we estimated a half hour, maybe 45 minutes tops to get in, look around, grab what we needed, and sneak out in such a way that we don’t attract the attention of the sales floor as well as got out before the Falser Brother’s meeting with Shim, Eoghan, Brading, and Thalin ended. So at 11:30 we were going to turn in and Shim would approach the Falser’s tomorrow to set up a meeting and hopefully, the game would be afoot.

Meet 101, Adv 6, 10/26/19

The party performed one of two possible "heists" at this point - splitting their forces to distract the Jannisary while the "sneaky team" went below to get the book they needed. Time was of the essence and it was the opportunity for the new guy to have a little time in the spotlight - as thieves are often able to do.

The adventure is just about over - a few more meetings and then we'll see how it all plays out.

Write up follows:

The group went over possible plans and then revisited them again and again until they came to the realization they would need 3 groups to carry this off, and each of the groups had their own limitations. We would need a group to enter the basement and find any paperwork that would prove what Lord Gregor Ostlerson was up to – that group WOULD need Thon as he knows the layout of the interior of the manorhouse but has already picked the lock there before.

We would need a group to act as a decoy/diversion for Thon, occupying the Janissary Haki’s attention and as many of his people as possible and if possible, the Lord himself. This group would need Darius who had already introduced himself as the leader of the merc company using the name Fergus.

Lastly, we would need a group or at least a few to stay back at the house with the wolf for two reasons: 1 – the wolf is poorly trained and taking it into the keep was not going to work. And 2 – we were supposed to have Thon chained up and wearing a bag on his head and since we needed Thon to enter the Manorhouse, it could not be him still at the house – which meant the only other orcish person in the group would be Barb – and she and the wolf do not get along.

Thanks to Silver Glass’s spell book, Thalin had access to Invisibility which did give us some extra leeway to making it happen. So – Shim was going to empty most of his bags and leave them here and ride in Thon’s backpack, we was also going to empty HIS bags and leave most of his stuff here – taking the 5 tumbler key that would get us to the basement.

Barb was going to wait here with the wolf and with one of the window shutters open and a chair situation near the corner that would cast her in some shadows – would put the bag on her head and sit there hulking if anyone was going to come and investigate – this left Brading, Darius (as Fergus), Thalin, and Eoghan to head for the Manorhouse.

As for getting the Janissary’s attention, they crafted a noted in which they indicated they would need some more money for a deliver job, but if read with care – the start of each line began with the letters, s-c-r-a-t-c-h. Hopefully something that would want Haki to meet with the group.

It was 1:45 when we finished our preparation and invisibility was cast on the gnome and the half-orc. Shim rode in Thon’s backpack, standing up and keeping his hands and arms on the half-orc’s head and neck to steady himself as well as guide if need be. The realized quickly that walking was a challenge as they could not see their feet and with the falling snow (already 12” and climbing) they had to walk in the middle or back of the group, with Brading acting as a plow break as he shoved his way through the falling and piled snow.

Once at the gate, the same guards were there as earlier and they talked to the group while Darius gave them the note and said he needed to talk to the Janissary. One of the guards went inside and we waited, talking with the other 3 who were watching the party with cautious care. Eventually the Janissary came out in the snow, had some words with Darius and mentioned a “problem to itch” and motioned for them to follow. They crossed the courtyard and at the foyer of the Manorhouse, were instructed to leave their weapons, shields and helms – and then inside to leave their cloaks.

While this was going on, the Janissary pulled one of the guards aside and whispered to him. He looked over the group and then walked past them to the main gate and out of the Demesne – heading towards the share crofter’s hut we had been staying in. Hope Barb was taking care of business. He left a page, a young boy in his early teen years to wait upon us and then lead the group to his offices. Besides the normal compliment of valets and maidens, there were 4 well equipped guards here and 2 more down the hall.

Once ready, we followed the page to the main hall and then to the left towards the offices – according to Thon’s notes, the only thing past here was the door he needed to go down on the right and eventually the main hall where Lord Gregor and his staff stay.

Once the group peeled to the left, Thon and Shim stayed back and waited until the halls were clear. The 2 guards followed the Janissary and party to the meeting room (plus 2 other guards in the area) and the page went with them – so for about a minute or less, the hall was clear.

Now.

Going to the door he worked his picks invisibly until the tumblers hit and then he entered silently, turned and shut the door. Alright, in! Stairs going down – no light. Infravision picked up faintly the line of the steps and there was a warmer source at the base some 16 steps down leading to another room. He took them one at a time but in the dark, invisibly, he did slip and skidded down a few steps before coming to a stop and nursing the few scrapes he had.

Sighing with relief, the half-orc and gnome passenger made it to the bottom where the withdrew the 5 pin key we had taken from Ixitch’s place, stuck it in the lock, and twisted the lock, opening it…

As for Darius and his lot, they were escorted to the Janissary Haki where they sat around the table with the administrator, guards obvious and present, and they shared a drink (required). Then it was some conversation about mercenary groups and wanting to make a name for themselves. Bigger jobs, better opportunities. Did we talk to Thon? Sure, but we were never told we couldn’t, and he did reveal some information that the “group” could use to potentially sell…stuff.

Effectively Darius and the others were peddling the idea that as Mercenaries, they can travel far and wide and sell product if need be and no one would be surprised to see them there. Haki was a bit dismayed that the group had spoken to Thon but did say that business being done here had hit a snag with a distributor being less than prompt and trustworthy.

If they can deliver Thon to Loring in Stivil and be back here in 5 days with proof of delivery without issue, he would then give them another job where they can go can “collect” a sizable sum that is owed to Lord Ostlerson – and they can keep 6% (after haggling). If they succeed in that…then they could be trusted as a possible source for distribution.

Holy crap – deliver the Half-orc to die in the arena and then the next job is effectively go to Ixitch and collect the money.

Darius and the others threaded a tight line in being agreeable and mercenary – but not give away anything that they shouldn’t already know concerning the situation. We figured we would need to give Thon and Shim more time so we dragged the conversation out for almost 40 minutes…

The door opened and there was a feeling of being tired as the two of them held their breath and entered the chamber slowly and with care. There were a few small candles lit. The far side of the chamber was covered with a large alchemist’s lab, many burners going and glassware spiraling up and down to different beakers. Assorted junk and bric-a-brac littered the floor and there seemed to be a body lying in the space near the table.

But it was the pair of baleful red eyes that looked around and glided forward as if a ghost. It came to the door, looked around, and then seemed to inhale and let out a deep breath that filled the hall with a mist that then seeped around the chamber. Thon and Shim made their way to the table where they could see raw lion’s leaf and eyebrite were distilling under some pressurized chamber and running up and along the alchemist’s lab. This was the creation of Scratch.

But what the heck?

Ghost? Where was the books? Any logs? And the dead body – was orcish and seemed to be a Firvinir type, fetishes and similar raw natural accoutrements. But dead for months.

This…was not going to do.

There was a drawer in the center of the table but the ghost was positioned there. We would need to remove him and then open the drawer. The two of them whispered a plan and came up with Shim using his innate ability of ghost sounds to make it sound as if the door was opening. Nice. When the ghostly figure went to the door, we would open the drawer, look for any book, take it, and hide it immediately in Thon’s backpack where it should be unseen.

So…Shim concentrated and the sound of the door opening DID cause the ghost to go over there. They quickly opened the drawer and it was filled with glass tubes and sticks and stoppers and corks and yes, a bound book! Eureka! They took it and hid it in Thon’s backpack just as soon as the eyes were at the door, inhaled…and breathed out.

The gasses having nowhere to go billowed back around the room and Thon and Shim both tried to hold their breath hiding in the corner but Thon succumbed to the sleeping vapors and passed out. Shit.

Shim now had to get Thon up and they needed to go as it’s been about a half hour he guessed. So he needed to get Thon up, but a “stab” would break the invisibility – he needed to be in the backpack. But the book was in there. So he needed to get it OUT of the backpack (visible) and into HIS backpack! Nice idea…But the ghost had come back and we were in line of sight.

Think…think…Shim was watching the fire under the Bunsen burner and had another idea. He used his innate ability to make dancing fires, giving them the same color and intensity of the Bunsen flame.

And then he had them crawl across the table. The ghost went crazy, trying to smack the table (ineffectively), fan them (ineffectively), even using a large rag to buffet the fires.

While the figure was not paying attention, he drew out the book and quickly shoved it in his backpack. He then tried to invisibly get in Thon’s backpack, the half-orc lying on his stomach. But he misjudged and fell out of the pack onto the floor. Fuck damn it fuck.

Trying again and struggling to keep the flames still dancing about, he backed into the pack, hunched low, pulled the flap over his head and then flicked his dagger forward from his wrist sheath and tried to stab Thon in the back through the back.

What should have been a small prick turned out to be sinking 6 inches of knife blade into Thon’s back.

Thon woke up and Shim was hissing at him to Shhhh while Thon was gritting his teeth and taking stock of where he was. The ghostly eyes were looking all over but saw nothing and was still fanning at the flames that were starting to break apart due to lack of clear sight as well as jostling inside the cramped backpack.

Thon got up, crossed the room, and they opened the door and ran up the stairs as the eyes came back and breathed AGAIN, making them lightheaded but doggedly still awake, they came to the top of the steps and opened the door…no one was there, but they could hear a voice nearby whimpering.

Going down the hall towards the entrance, the two hall guards were still not back, and there was a closet style room open with the page boy in there scrubbing boots and wiping his tears. The main room showed everyone’s cloak was still hanging so they were not gone yet. For some reason Thon thought about wiggling the door of the armory room which attracted one of the main entrance hall guards who was told to not worry. Shim was hissing from the backpack to knock it the hell off.

But Thon did it again at the other armory door. Which attracted the guards again who got pissed and decided they should let the Lord know “the ghost was acting up again”.

Fuck. The guards were walking around and the valets and chambermaids came out of the woodwork as well. With the crowding of the room, Thon and Shim went back down the hall and ducked into the closet the page had come out of.

At this time Darius and company were wrapping up their meeting with the Janissary when he was instructed that the “ghost” was acting up again and he ended the meeting now, going to the hall with the group following as well as those guards. And then Lord Gregor Ostlerson emerged with his OWN people from his chamber at the end of the hall angry and red faced. His appearance was very much like Fersic’s, except aged another 25/30 years. Tall, wide, blond, he was imperious in his demands and the guards let him know what was heard.

He whirled to an older woman in Helian robes, “Crone! What’s going on?! Is the damned thing still here?!” She grit her teeth, eyes rolling into her head and replied, “It’s here, my lord. Below as of now but agitated as if something has interrupted its work. I feel…yes, something has vexed it.”

He demanded she look into it while the Janissary introduced us to Lord Gregor. He didn’t seem to know any of us but had been briefed as to our cover story. He hoped we would serve to be useful to his needs as he could use some useful help as of late. Then he barked, “And shut this damned door!” and slammed the closet door closed. With invisible Thon carrying visible Shim inside his invisible backpack inside.

The Janissary wished us well and suggested we go back for now as there were problems here they needed to take care of. So we all went down to the entrance hall and got our packs and cloaks while Thon waited for the hall to get silent before sneaking out the closet door and making his way down the hall, past the surprised page who was looking at the now open closet door again!

Once we were all there we left (Thon letting Brading know he was there with some gentle taps and prodding) and made our way out of the manorhouse, off the Demesne, and back to our hut. Once inside a very relieved Barb and barking wolf was happy to see us. Apparently one of the guards came by about 45 minutes ago to look around but the snarling angry wolf gave Barb enough time to don the bag and sit in the corner – selling the illusion she was Thon and was still here tied up.

The consensus was after making sure we were all here was that we should get the hell out of here now and NOT wait for the snow to end. At best it was 8 hours with good weather to Stivil from here – and with 12”+ inches of falling snow it was going to be longer. But staying here once it was discovered we were in the basement and took something was going to be worse for us.

The book was an herbalist journal belonging to an orcish descended individual named Rargitild of the Green Hills. It dialogued roughly a year or so of his experiments and refining of Lion’s Leaf and other drugs into what was known as Scratch – the last entry being about 4 months earlier where the Sheriff of Durcent Province had paid him a visit and was dismayed at what was going on. Rargitild didn’t seem to have any nefarious motives and was researching for the pure pleasure of it. He did have dealings with the Falser Brothers who often visited with him to exchange recipe ideas and other alchemical and herbalistic ideas.

Rargitild was from Stivil. The Falser Brothers are from Stivil. The Falser Brothers work for Lord Ostlerson – and if there were records – they would have them.

Last line of the chain – Stivil.

We were gone within 20 minutes and Shim rode Darius’ shoulders as we trucked away from the hut and moved with speed and haste east, northeast. The snows continued to fall and the temperature dropped to the low 20’s, high teens…and then eventually 12 degrees.

Bundled in layer upon layer of clothing we trudged along breathing hard and trying to weather the bitter cold and mounding snow. Eventually Brading cast his precious few Endure Elements spells on 3 of us. Darius lit his brazier with about half of his coal and the party walked on. Some time during the night we saw a trio of mammoths walking through the snow and then 10 minutes later, a wolf pack of 8 following the shaggy pachyderms. With aching exhausted feet we kept walking one tired foot in front of the other. By 1:30 or so in the morning the snow stopped falling giving 19” solid in places, mounding up higher based upon snow drifts.

We were so tired, and cold, and aching, and sore. We were soaked to the skin and trying to keep on going when finally about 6 AM we arrived at the town of Stivil. The outer walls had been breached a century earlier and had never been repaired so there were dozens points of entry in and out of the city. The large semi-circle of the Arena was visible from just about anywhere and between Thon and Eoghan who both grew up here, they directed us to the Unshackled Wolf where we tiredly arranged a room and trudged our way 15 hours later up there to strip off our gear, lock the door and collapse to our beds for a long long long tired rest.

History - Nightwoods / Theocrat

One of my players is playing a gnome at this time and the subject of the gnomish homeland has come up again and again. He's asked questions about the Nightwoods as well as the leader, the Theocrat, to help understand while most of the gnomes in this area are the way they are.

So without further ado:

The Nightwoods have been home to gnomes as far back as an record goes. Original records also showed that halflings and elves lived there in roughly equal numbers but elves left many ages ago, and halflings over time filled with wanderlust have been emigrating out.

On good terms with the dwarven and orcish enclaves normally, it was when the Kaizer of the Randari Ympyr started his expansionist push that the Nightwood gnomes were approached to help control the orcish expansion. It was a close vote but the Nightwood gnomes went to war. (almost 130 years ago - gnomes live about 3.5 times the life span of a human)

Gnomes are gregarious creatures - they like to talk and they like the company of other creatures - especially gnomes. An individual gnome would get angry  - but a group of them to commit to all out war is almost unheard of.

After 4 years of fighting and the increasing xenophobic and bloodthirsty destruction the Gorokian Mountain Dwarves were displaying was enough for the Nightwood Gnomes to drop out of the combat and instead work for peace. Their removal from the conflict was enough for the Jarlborrin and Reetersbeard dwarves to do the same about a year later and the Gorokian Dwarves continued their shit for another year until every far flung outpost, keep, and orcish stronghold of power and government had been destroyed.

It soured the relationships between Gorok and Nightwoods ever since.

Normally all beliefs are welcome in gnomish society but the atrocities the dwarves exacted on the orcs for 6 years followed by the next 2 decades the gnomes spent on rebuilding, aid, and support for the broken orcish, human, and other races ravaged by the war made the following and belief in Odin, Thor, Sutur, Thrym, and Tyr seriously impacted and diminished in gnomish society. Open displays of worship were looked upon with some disdain and suspicion; warmonger, dwarf lover, and baby killer were bandied about often.

As the years went on the gentler gods were given sway and a greater impact on Nightwood society. Garl Glittergold and other ancestral gnomish figures were always revered but maybe 35 years ago a powerful orator and adherent for Garl rose to the head of the religious order where he espoused his name took only the title of Deacon.

Since then the following of Garl exploded - with public festivals, singing, dancing, shows, public works, and a firm rebuke for those who don't allow his followers their due. In time the following of the other gods also began to wane. Some of the fields began to have less yields, hunts became less fruitful, some trees might have had some sickness upon them.

The followers of Garl Glittergold did not suffer from these issues and offered to lend his help and prayer to those who needed his help - for a small stipend, a tithe - barely 5%. And again, the Deacon and the Garl Glittergold church prospered.

Other shrines were defaced, statues quietly removed, markers taken down. Priests and clerics were publicly ridiculed and chastised. The Deacon was eventually invited to be the High Lord's religious confidant - further expanding his reach and power. Other impacts of the other gods and even races were now being reduced further. Dwarven caravans were turned away at the borders, then other caravans were denied entry. Immigration trickled and the High Lord repurposed the gnomish armed forced to be one of protection - keeping all other races out.

And then the High Lord, always prone to bouts of brainfever, fell into a coma. Not dead, his heirs could not assume the throne - so it was up to the council to rule until he either awoke or passed on. The Deacon consolidated power amidst the council and was elected as the First or head councilor. He took the honorific of Theocrat and said to speak for the High Lord and Garl Glittergold for the betterment of all gnomes and gnomekind.

He tightened his grip on the Nightwoods and some gnomes not liking the way things were going agonized over the decision to leave but eventually did so. And many of them were denied the chance to leave! Turned BACK from the border, they were then taken by the Theocrat's people where they were indoctrinated again into the ways of Garl Glittergold, and taught that they have a purpose in gnomish society and that is to be a member of it - the outside world is not here and is not safe. This is the gnomish ancestral home and has been so as far back as history goes, at least a thousand years, definitely longer. You. Don't. Leave.

Ever.

Adherence to the Nightwoods is inimical to every gnome.
If you love the Nightwoods, then you love its leader, the Theocrat.
If you listen to the Theocrat's teachings and advice, then you show your love for our god, Garl Glittergold.

Gnomish families try to leave and the loudest dissenters sometimes just disappear.

There is a network of underground tunnels and escape ways that various centaurs, fauns, and satyrs help maintain along with a core resistance of gnomish followers of Idun and Frey who don't live in the 5 principle cities; instead make the homes and lives in the wild and try always to avoid capture by the Theocrat's Defenders. They help spirit the various gnomes in and out of the Nightwoods to others beyond the borders to eventually get these gnomes away and to safety. It is long, difficult, and expensive to maintain and do - but until the High Lord dies, Wakes up, or the Theocrat is removed from power - to some gnomes this terrible choice is all that's open to them.