Session 6:
Great Harvest 15:
Cool, cloudy, no rain, good wind
-Sixth Sense-Memory-Song or a joke-d4 says-Ronan?
Scene #42:
In the morning, I wake Sylvia and gather my things and head downstairs while she dresses. Ronan is already down there, waiting.
“Do you remember?” he looks up at me, “That pretty blonde in Kardon?” I raise an eyebrow. “The one with the dove embroidered at her collar.”
I smile and tease, “I didn’t realize you paid that close attention to Cailin. Or that your eyes made it that far up.”
He snorts, “That was her name? No, I was trying to remember that song of hers. How did it go?”
“Ere the dawn our years have gone and sorrow melts the snow,
Decades pass will our love last will it bloom and grow?
Or as we age and temples grey will sorrow fill our heart,
As ageless tears and faded dreams tear our love apart?”
He leans back, fumbling over the half remembered words.
I smile, then pick up the next line, “Hold me through the darkest night and let me cling to you,
Hold me dear and tell my ear that our love is true.
Lie with me don’t lie to me show me your true soul,
Make my dreams become our dreams and love your only goal.”
He smiles, “Yeah, something like that.” Then his face sours, “Mush.”
I cast my eyes aside as I turn to the bowl of pottage, “Dove collar. Her name was Cailin.”
He nods, “Cailin.” Then we eat in silence until our companions join us.
Q: Does anyone arrive looking for us? YES Q: Angry? EXCEPTIONAL NO Q: Jon Small? NO
Sylvia bounds down the stairs and joins us at table, “What are you two talking about? Let me guess?’ Then she puts on a frown and stares at her bowl sullenly, a twinkle in her eye and a wink toward me.
Edwin arrives a few minutes later, arranging his bowl and cup carefully as he sits, “We need to see the king this morning, as he is…”
“Expecting you!” Smiles Sergeant Freider of the King’s Men. The noble looks down at our table. “I trust the gate guard told you last night and…” he holds up his hands.
“We did not wish to disturb the Chamberlain or wake his majesty at such late hour,” Edwin replies calmly. “If it had been urgent, we would have expected an immediate escort. None being provided, we did not wish to interrupt anyone’s pleasant dream.”
The sergeants snorts, “Well, I was sent to fetch you.”
I look up from my bowl, “Pull up a chair and join us for a bit. I’m sure it’s better than mess.”
Q: Does he join us? NO Q: Does he insist? NO
“Finish your breakfast. I’ll wait,” he smirks, but remains standing.
A few minutes later, we finish our meals, in silence, while the guard sergeant stands over us, examining his nails and the embroidery on his sleeve. Hounds chasing a fox.
“Good sport, unless you’re the fox,” I note, nodding towards him.
He smiles, “I’m a hound.” Sylvia blinks, then shifts nervously in her seat. The sergeant’s eyes flit towards her, then back to me. “My sister did the needle work. She’s quite good, I think.”
I nod in agreement as I stand and shoulder my pack. Edwin and the others rise, as I suggest we get on our way and see what the king wants. Freider nods and leads us towards the keep.
-Immersion-smell of grass or hay-
Scene #43:
We arrive at the King’s Hall, and on doing so, morning petitioners are ushered outside so it is just the four of us, the King, Sir Jon Small, Sergeant Freider and a few other guards, the High Steward, and a heavyset man wearing robes with similar runes to those that adorn Edwin’s clothing. We stand in he hall, stone floor coated in a fresh layer of grass and straw, soft beneath our boots, the smell hangs in the air. The king leans back as he studies us. Sir Jon has a sour look on his face as does the Steward. The robed man’s eyes hone in on Edwin, his brow furrowed. Sergeant Freider steps away, joining another man with a matching ribbon on his sleeve.
After several uncomfortable moments of silence, the king speaks, “I am not accustomed to guests in my home disappearing for a week,” he pauses, allowing the silence to hang in the air once more. “Do you care to explain your rejection of my hospitality?”
Sylvia shrinks at the king’s words, Ronan stands tall, proud, unmoved. I glance at Edwin, who steps forward with a bow. “Your majesty,” the mage begins, “We are humbled and honored by your gift of hospitality, and your previous offer of positions in your guard following our service to you, and your family.” He pauses, letting his words sink in, “Enjoying the use of your library, I discovered information about a rather intriguing location on a map I had seen, and in my eagerness to see the place for myself, perhaps I forgot to inform the chamberlain and steward of our intent to leave your home for just a few days.”
-King Insight 15, Edwin’s Deception 13-
Q: Has the king received actual word of our visit to Silvenar? NO
“Bullshit,” the king declares. “You went to hunt goblins.” He nods towards the ears tied to Ronan’s belt. “Even though I told you the situation was under control.”
Edwin smiles and bows his head, “Yes, your majesty. We were also looking for goblins along the way to he broken spire.”
Q: Does the court wizard react to the tower’s name? YES
The fat man in the robes leans over and whispers into the king’s ear. The king holds up a finger, and the man steps aside once more.
“The Broken Spire? Were there goblins in this Broken Spire?” The king asks, skepticism clear in his face.
Edwin shakes his head, “No, we encountered an ogre and trio of goblins just south of it. And also…” Edwin steps forward and presents one of the serpent pendants, “five men and women wearing these. They attacked us in the night.”
-History checks, the King and Sir Jon recognize the symbols at once, the Steward and Court Wizard have no reaction-
The King’s eyes widen as he takes the pendant from Edwin’s hand. He glances at Sir Jon, “Clear the room. You stay.”
Sir Jon snaps his fingers, and the guards file out. The steward and the robed man hesitate, then meeting Sir Jon’s gaze, they too leave.
“Tell me exactly what happened. Everything,” the King insists. Edwin explains we were on our way to Silvenar with the hopes that the elven settlement might know something of the goblins and where they were coming from. We were turned away from Red Claw, then attacked in camp that night be a spellcaster and four other cultists. We finished them, and showed the pendants to Elbrath the Wise, who told us they are symbols of an ancient cult of assassins, Children of the Serpent, that seek to topple…noble families and kingdoms. From there, we went to the Broken Spire, ran into three goblins and an ogre. Breached the tower, overcame its arcane wards, and some mirror guardian, found an ancient spellbook and old coins, then made our way back here to report.”
The king glances at Sir Jon, then back to us, “So, the Cult rises once more, but you did not return immediately with the news?”
Edwin nods slowly, “As you had told us the goblins were not a threat, we were unsure that if we returned, we would be permitted to leave once more to explore the spire.”
Q: Is he pissed? NO
The king leans back in his chair, passing the pendant to Sir Jon, and fixing his eyes on each of us in turn, before honing in on Edwin, “The Cult of the Serpent killed my father. And now, they are here for me, my daughter, my sons, perhaps my wife. I want you to hunt them down, and put them in their graves. You are welcome to come and go as you see fit. Be careful who you trust.” He sighs deeply. “You are dismissed.”
Edwin bows, steps back and we follow him out of the audience chamber as the King and Sir Jon speak and the guards and steward file back into the room.
Q: Is the wizard waiting? EXCEPTIONAL YES
The fat man in the arcane robes is waiting for use, “What did you find in the Broken Spire?” he demands of Edwin.
Taken aback, Edwin replies, “Arcane runes, some sort of mirrored construct, a spellbook, some potions, and a magic ring of some sort.”
“A spellbook? Let me see,” demands the wizard.
Edwin curls his lip, “In exchange for…what, exactly?”
The wizard sighs, “Upstart. Very well. May I please see the book that you found. In exchange, I will share with you a very interesting book in the royal library.”
“The one with the red scales and bone inlay? The King has already authorized full access to his library,” replies Edwin.
Q: Will he offer a spell exchange? YES
The wizard glares at Edwin. Then a faint smile begins to form on his lips, then a smile creases his face, and he begins to chuckle, “That he has,” the wizard shrugs. “Well, I’d still like to see what you found. Perhaps I can offer some of my own studies in return. It is fair.” he offers.
Edwin nods, “Yes, that would be fair.” The two men then leave towards the library, leaving the rest of us in the hall.
Ronan looks at me, then taps the ears tied to his belt, “I need to find a bounty officer,” and he walks away.
Sylvia, a little rattled looking, stares at me, “What just happened? I thought we were done for.”
I smile, “No. Once the guards cleared off, we were safe. The king felt insulted, but now…I think he almost trusts us. We saved his daughter, and discovered…” I stop and look around, “A problem he wants someone outside of his circle to resolve. Come on. Let’s get settled back in.”
Sylvia and I head back upstairs to the guest quarters where we had previously been staying and I follow her into her room and look out the arrow slit that serves as a window.
Q: View of the gardens? YES
“Good angle. Mine is similar,” I note, then I secure the door and sit beside her on the bed and whisper, “I am not sure why the king’s own steward and his court wizard didn’t recognize the symbol of the men that killed the king’s own father. Either they are very new to the court, they’re incompetent, or they are part of the cult. Keep your eyes out. Edwin will undoubtedly be holed up in that library for the next few days, so when it comes to tracking down who and where the threat may be, it’s up to the two of us, and Ronan.”
Sylvia nods solemnly. Then a slow smile spreads across her face and she gets a gleam in her eye, “Perhaps I should look around?”
I nod, “Don’t get caught.”
The girl eagerly leaves her room to go explore the rest of the castle.
–The Castle Spy-Modified-The published adventure assumes we suspect Sir Jon Small, one of the few characters we actually trust, or that the King let our mission to Silvenar slip to his family, and that we question them, which is unlikely, since Edwin is the only member of the party who would dare interrogate a noble, and then only if he was certain of guilt. There are no secondary characters like a steward, and the court wizard has yet to be introduced in the adventure so far, but I am modifying things-
Knowing the steward is in the great hall with the king, Sylvia slips out of her room to find the man’s offices. She does so easily, for it is a small keep, and the servants pay her no mind. Surprised that it is unlocked, she slips into the mans office and begins looking around. In the bottom of his desk, she finds a journal that seems to be in a different handwriting than that on the ledgers on top. She tucks the book under her tunic to take it with her.
-Investigation 21 Q: Is there anything else suspicious in the Steward’s quarters? YES
In the steward’s wardrobe, she finds a wine bottle tucked away sealed with green wax instead of the usual red. Into the wax seal is an impression that reminds her of the snake pendants we found on the cultists. She tucks the bottle beneath her tunic, then slips out of the room, and back to mine.
“Look what I found!” she whispers excitedly, “The bottle wax, take a look!” I note the impression, pop the bottle open and smell what’s inside.
-Medicine 15-
“Poison,” I note, taking in the acrid smell. Then I look at the book she found, and start thumbing through it, “This was written by someone named Paul, one of the King’s men. Correction, he was promoted to Lieutinant. It talks about patrols. Mentions a wife, Lucille, and their two children in Rabbit Fall”
“Rabbit’s Fall, we were there yesterday morning! That’s where I found my changeling card!” Sylvia smiles excitedly.
I nod. “It looks like he thought there was a spy in the castle. He also mentions that the older Prince, Jon, frequently sneaks out of the castle. He followed him once and saw him with some Lady in Black. Have you met the prince yet?”
Sylvia shakes her head, “No, but he’s kind of handsome, I think. He’s the young guy that sits next to the King, right?” I nod and agree.
“Can you put the book back?” I suggest.
She purses her lips, then suggests, “Perhaps the book should simply be lost in a garderobe. Never return to the scene of the crime, and unless we know where the steward is, I really don’t want to get caught in his chambers. Not if he has a bottle of poison in his wardrobe. And since you popped the seal, we can’t put that back!”
I nod, “Good point.”
“So what do we do?” Sylvia asks.
I shrug, “Keep an eye on the steward, and the elder prince. Perhaps you should shadow him for the next few days if you can.”
“Which one?” She asks.
I shake my head and sigh, “I don’t know. More importantly, I don’t know how. Let’s shift focus, we need to find this Lady in Black.”
Sylvia nods with a smile, “Maybe we are hounds?”
—
In the garden, Ronan returns from the quartermaster’s office through the garden and stumbles across Princess Free and her mother. Realizing who they are that that they block his path, he stops at once.
“Don’t say that! I don’t want to hear it,” Princess Jenn objects over her mother’s laughter.
“No, seriously, your father is an absolute beast. And when I was in True Stone, that boy, Zacharias, reminded me of him back when we first met. Same build, same look in his eyes, same brash exuberance! I think he will be a fine match for you!” the Queen says.
“Mooom! I don’t want to talk about it. No!” The princess replies.
“Well who then? You’ve passed your eighteenth birthday, and it is time you marry. Isaac, perhaps? In Oldenfall. I suppose he is more your type, but I can’t quite picture him uniting the baronies under his banner,” then she chuckles, “Or staying upright on a horse, clad in mail at the head of a cavalry charge. Really, I think Zacharias is your best option….” The queen’s eyes fall on Ronan who is standing back, “Who are you?” demands the queen, curious, her brow furrowed.
Jenn replies, “One of the men who rescued me,” then a spark of mischief in her eye, “He is strong and brave. The kind of man who would lead a charge, or kill an ogre and a pack of goblins. Perhaps I should marry him?”
The queen’s face sours, “Pah, don’t talk nonsense,” she sneers at Ronan, “He’s nothing but a common sell sword from what I was told.” Then suddenly, she blushes, “My apologies young man. I am truly grateful for what you have done for my daughter, and I mean no disrespect to you. It is simply that, my daughter must raise her eyes to find a husband suitable to her station and, well…you understand. But I could use your help. If you are willing. Since you are a man of rare courage, could you, perhaps, fetch me a pair of boar’s tusks. The beasts are quite common, but the larger the pair the better.” The queen smiles with a softness absent while chastising her daughter.
Ronan bows his head, “It would be an honor, my queen,” he turns to Princess Jenn, “Listen to your mother.” Then he continues on his way as they step to the side of the path to allow him room. Jenn sneers at him as he walks by, the Queen smirks proudly at his support.
—
Following Morrus to his quarters, Edwin sits down at the wizard’s table as a plump young woman helps clear space for him. The rotund court wizard smirks, “Well, let’s see what is in your newfound book.”
The gaunt young wizard pulls it from his bag and starts to open it, “Fair trade?” The court wizard nods and his apprentice brings over a book from his shelves. She smiles at Edwin as she opens it for him.
The two men flip through each other’s books, taking notes and scribing arcane words that had been unfamiliar to them. The apprentice, a girl named Enid, brings coffee and sweetcakes to them throughout the morning until finally, the Court Wizard leans back and says, “That’s all? Hardly anything new in this book at all.”
Edwin squirms, for as he had looked through the wizard’s book, he realized the same thing. The old man could gain little from what he had to trade, yet had so much more to offer. Enid snatches her master’s book away.
“Well, young man. I appreciate your…willingness… to share. Perhaps in the future, you might find other mysteries of value and we can trade once more?” The man suggests with a teasing smile.
Edwin bows his head, “Yes. I am very intrigued by some of what I saw in your book and would enjoy having an opportunity to examine it again in the future.”
“Very well, now if you will excuse me, my niece and I have work to do, Enid!” he waves off Edwin as the plump girl begins putting equipment and notes back on he table. Ignored, Edwin leaves and makes his way down to the library.
–History of Darkness-modified–
In the library, Edwin is surprised to find an old man who is carefully putting books back in their place. As Edwin enters, the old man turns around, “Who are you?”
“Edwin Marlowe of the Iron Scholarium. His majesty has given me full access to this library. Who are you?”
“Dull, and this is my library. So you are the one who’s been snooping around!” the old man replies. “I knew someone had been here, and…the Iron Scholarium, that is why you found the Wyrm’s Deceit so interesting,” the old man smiles. “I enjoyed that book as well. What brings you here today.”
“If you are the librarian, why did I not see you at all while I was here earlier,” Edwin inquires.
“I was in Kiddimir, or on my way back home. Have you ever been to the Red Vellum in Kiddimir? A marvelous collection!” the old man beams, gesturing towards a stack of books that Edwin realizes weren’t here two weeks before. “The king allowed me to add to ours, so I have been enjoying placing them on the shelves…after I finish reading each one.” He laughs in childish delight. “But why are you here today?”
“I am looking for information about the Children of the Serpent,” Edwin replies.
The librarian’s face pales, and he nods, “A nasty cult indeed. You know they killed the king’s father. I was there.” he shakes his head, “poisoned blade. in the back. He never saw it coming.” Then with a sigh, he admits, “We have several books that mention them. Perhaps…”
The two men then spend the rest of the day looking for references to the cult, with Edwin devouring every book that Dull brings him to examine.
—
That evening, my companions and I are in the great hall sitting among lesser guests and high ranking servants. The king and his family sit at the head table. A couple of local barons with them, then his household knights, then we are at the end with some merchants and lesser visitors. Sylvia keeps looking at Prince Jon.
“The queen wants us to fetch her some boar tusks,” Ronan nods towards me.
I shrug, “Easily done. If we are careful about it.”
“Can I come?” Sylvia asks eagerly. I glance back towards the prince, then the steward, watching how they interact.
Ronan’s eyes follow my gaze, then he chuckles as a serving girl lingers next to the prince, his left hand hidden from view as she blushes, “I thought the girl looked familiar.” I raise my eyes, urging him to continue, and Ronan tells me how he first met the prince in a rather delicate situation with that very servant. “It seems the royal children are not above enjoying baser fruits.”
Edwin’s eyes turn away from the conversation. bored, and he studies Moruss and his niece. “The wizard has some useful magic in his book. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to copy it all. He wants a better trade.”
“I could borrow that book or you,” Sylvia suggests with a conspiratorial whisper.
Edwin glares at her, “Unlikely. His chambers are undoubtedly warded. And perhaps secretly under guard. Too great a risk.”
Sylvia pouts, “The steward’s chambers weren’t.” Edwin’s eyes widen, then he stares at me.
“Long story, but…the journal of a man named Paul was hidden in the steward’s office. Apparently, the king’s man suspected the older prince of treason. Sylvia also found a bottle of poison with the serpent mark on it. A wine bottle’s worth” And remembering this, I set my cup back onto the table. The others do likewise.
“Well, I found some references to the Children of the Serpent in the library, but I need to finish reading them. Maybe I can find a solid lead.” Edwin explains.
I nod in agreement.
“It see
(Gain 53 gp in bounties, Edwin scribes four new spells into his book, Melf’s Acid Arrow, Web, Enlarge/Reduce and Tenser’s Floating Disk. He has difficulty grasping the other spells in the Broken Spire book and the Bone bound book in the library, and only gained one spell from Moruss)
Great Harvest 16
-Warm, clear skies, gentle wind-
-Immersion-Sense Extreme heat or cold-
Scene #44 (Negative Alteration):
As we prepare to go about our days, Edwin interrupts breakfast, “Since the two of you plant to go boar hunting, you might be interested to know that there is legend of a magical boar that dwells in the woods to the northeast. It would be a feather in your caps if you could bring that one in.” Ronan and I look at each other, and grin. But at that moment, the prince stops next to our table. “A magical boar to the northeast? May the best hunters win!”
As the prince leaves the hall, Ronan and I quickly finish our meals, collect our weapons and head outside, Sylvia follows close behind. We see the Prince, with hounds, two guards and a couple of hunters riding out ahead of us. Ronan and I look at each other, and at Sylvia, “Hounds and a head start. We’re going to have to hoof it!”
-City-No Encounter-
-Road encounter-giant rats-
As we follow the road north, we soon work up pretty good sweats alternating between jogging and fast walk. At one point we frighten a group of large rodents that were by the side of the road. They scamper back into undergrowth.
“Hold up,” Sylvia finally begs, trying to catch her breath. Ronan and I aren’t even winded.
“What’s wrong, girl,” demands Ronan, towering over her, “Tired already?”
She looks up at him, and then defiantly, “Yeah! I am tired! I don’t run as much as you two! I mean, I don’t run all day like you two.”
“She scampers,” I grin, “And gets away.”
She looks up at me with a grin, “That, I do!”
We wait for several minutes, then continue our journey at a fast walk that she can more easily handle.
–History of Darkness-Failed Arcane Research roll, but passed Religion roll–
In the library, Edwin cannot find anything about arcane influence over the Children of the Serpent, but he discovers that cult was once devoted to the creator god, Krenax, who they honored with animal sacrifices and strict devotion. After the rise of the lich king, when the Empire of Thurm was fighting for survival, the children sought more power from their god in order to prevail, and began offering human sacrifice instead of animal. Eventually, they became a cult of assassins, offering the souls of their victims to their god, rather than voluntary sacrifices from their own ranks. The cult was said to be centered around an old tower called Morn, which Edwin recognizes from Elbrath’s and Sylvia’s maps.
Edwin leans back with a smile on his face, “Perhaps they are still there.”
–Back to the Boar Tusks–Q: Do we catch up to the Prince? YES
We catch up the prince’s party at the treeline near the halfling village of Littleshir. They are sitting around with their horses and dogs, eating lunch and chatting with local farmers.
-Stealth-fails-
I have a brief notion of trying to spook the horses, but decide I don’t want to tangle with the dogs, so we simply slip into the woods.
“You lads are fast!” jeers the prince, as he and his men look our way. “But we’ll find the beast before you.”
“Care for a wager?” suggests Sylvia. Ronan and I glare at her.
The prince looks surprised, then grins. “Very well.” He opens his purse, then, his brow furrows. He purses his lips, then suggests, “Three imperials!” He walks over and holds the three platinum coins in his hands. I open my purse, and show him I carry enough gold crowns to cover it.
“May the best hunter win,” I reply.
“Thank you. I will,” he smirks as he turns back towards his men while they start mounting up. I nod to my companions and we enter the woods as well.
-Afternoon No Encounter-
-Evening Event-
Stalking through the woods, we have little luck finding traces of this legendary boar. Suddenly, we are surprised by a crashing sound to our right. We drop down raising bows, and I see lots of movement and a cloud of dust rising. Then nothing as the dust lingers in the air, catching the light of the waning sun. I walk over, and realize that an old tree, rotten through the core, had just split open and collapsed. “Huh. I guess when a tree falls in the forest it does make noise.”
-Survival 17 no night encounters-
Awhile later, the light grows too dim to really spot any tracks, so I find a good spot for us to make camp. We pitch our tents, eat some bread, jerky, dried raisins and nuts, then settle in for the night. Ronan laments, “Edwin’s wards did come in handy.” I nod in agreement.
Great Harvest 17
-Warm, clear skies, gentle wind-
-Sense of Gloom-
Scene #45:
In the morning, I wake to Sylvia cooking us breakfast. I watch the smoke rise and drift away as she hands me a bowl of ground oats. “Thank you,” I smile as I shake a growing unease.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, worried.
“There’s something not right about these woods. Something…foul.” I mutter as I close my eyes and try to figure out what I find so troubling.
Soon Ronan is up, joining us for breakfast. Then we quietly pack our tents and continue the hunt.
-Morning Encounter-Deer/Elk-
Moving quietly through the forest, see the three deer in the shadowy dappled light of the morning sun. Sylvia starts to raise her bow but I shake my head. We move on past the animals as they look up, curious as to our presence in their domain.
-Afternoon-No Encounter-
-Evening-Hornet’s nest-
Creeping through the woods, unable to shake my unease, but also having had no luck finding boar tracks I could follow for more than a quarter mile, Sylvia cries out.
“Damn it! Damn, damn get them off me! Damn it!” I look back and she is flailing around trying to beat back a dozen angry wasps. I whip of my cloak and beat them away as she escapes.
Catching her breath, she complains, “Look at my ankle! They stung the crap out of me!”
“What’s you do? Step in their nest?” I ask.
“I guess so. I brushed up against some scrub and they just kind of exploded up around me,” She whimpers rubbing her ankle, and her wrist where she took another sting.
-Survival-23- Medicine 12-
I look around for a bit and find some witch hazel. Taking several leaves, I start chewing it as return to Sylvia then press the crushed leaves to her stings, wrapping the poultices in place to soothe the pain. She smiles, “Thank you.” Later, “It already feels better.” I nod and we look for a place to set camp for the evening.
-Survival 7-Roll for night encounter-Event drumming, 3rd watch-
“Wake up!” I am startled as Sylvia shakes me from my bedroll. “Listen!”
I sit up and hear the sound of drums. Some distance away to the north. “No fire for breakfast this morning.” I stand and arm myself while she wakes Ronan.
“Goblins?” the old soldier asks.
I nod, “No villages that way on the map. Has to be goblins.” We break camp early then eat as the sound doesn’t seem to be getting any closer. “Any idea what they are saying?”
Ronan shakes his head, “No”
-Perception rolls, Sylvia scores 22-
“There are two sets of drums though. Not together, but some ways apart. One set sounds, then the other, but a different pattern. I think two groups are talking,” Sylvia observes. I nod in agreement.
“Let’s get moving,” I conclude.
Great Harvest 18
-Pleasant, Clear Skies, Steady Breeze-
-See something forgotten, then it’s gone-
-Survival 23-Prince’s party rolls 19-Stealth Nat 20 for party lead-
Scene #46:
On the morning of the third day, I spot some large hoof prints, “Boar” I nod as I begin leading my companions along a quietly babbling brook deeper into the woods. We move quietly along the bank until I see up ahead, an elven village, children at play, hunters bringing in game…and then it’s gone. A majestic white boar stands in front of us. The wreckage a long forgotten village in the canopy above him. Sylvia raises her bow.
“Wait,” I hold out my hand to her.
Q: Does he prince take the shot? YES
An arrow flies in from the right, string the bow through the eye. It shudders, and collapses to the ground.
“Hah!” Prince Jon calls out as he and his men enter the clearing beneath the lost village, “Seems I have won our little wager.” I glance at him, then walk towards the boar’s carcass. “My kill!” he boasts, “But perhaps I’ll let you help skin the animal.”
I shake my head, “No, this is no ordinary boar. It was a memory. A guardian of what was.” I look up into the trees around us. “These woods are ancient, and filled with ghosts and memories.”
Q: is the prince uneasy? NO
The prince looks up into the canopy, “Old tree houses? They dot these woods. Abandoned, forgotten. Nothing of value to any of them.” he shrugs, and beckons for his huntsmen to dress the carcass and remove its tusks. “A matter of coin, perhaps?” he holds out his hand.
I nod, “Our wager,” as I count out thirty gold crowns.
The man smiles, “Perhaps we should hunt together more often. I like it one someone knows to let their betters take the kill.” He laughs as he and his men complete their bloody work.
-in the adventure, if you kill the white boar, you are supposed to roll to see if some tomb might reawaken at some undisclosed point in the future, but for me–
Suddenly, I feel a chill in the air, and start looking around. “Do you feel that?” I ask, but Sylvia already has her bow up and is searching for a target as the dogs begin to whine.
Something bursts from beneath a low rise in the ground and starts running towards us. Sylvia looses an arrow but the shot goes over it’s head! A dog burst from its handler’s leash, throwing him off balance and leaps into the feral looking creature, biting it in the arm. The guard releases the other dog and fires his crossbow at a second creature that has burst from the ground as he falls back towards the prince and I. Ronan drops his crossbow, drawing his hammer, he smashes the one the dog bit into a pulp! Several more emerge from the earth as I put an arrow into another before dropping my bow and readying blades. The prince draws steel and engages one of the creatures as his men loose arrows then draw blades. A dog brings the one I shot to the ground!
Soon we are engaged in a swirling melee with archers moving out to get clear shots, these “ghouls” moving in to rip us apart, and Ronan and I, with the help of a dog, killing one after another. After the dust clears, our company and the princess’s put the enemy in the ground. One of the dogs appeared to have been killed, but when I approach, it is clear he was only mildly scratched. After a few minutes, he is back on his feet as good as new.
“Well, that was unexpected,” notes the prince as he and his men clean their weapons after the fight. “You two,” he nods towards Ronan and I, “Are good enough to be in the Kings Guard. Why did you turn it down?”
“Ahem,” interrupts Sylvia.
The prince scans the battlefield, and notes the number of goose feathered arrows sticking out of enemy corpses, “Good shot, girl.” He admits, impressed.
“We are here with Edwin Marlowe, helping him explore ancient ruins. Can’t do that on guard duty. What of you? You certainly didn’t hide behind your men, but stepped right into the fray. You’re bold,” I suggest.
The prince smiles appreciatively, “A lord should lead in battle, not cower behind his men.” Ronan nods appreciatively.
We all clean our weapons, his men dress the dead animal, and our two parties return home together. Never having seen a boar the size of the one the prince killed, there was no need to hunt any longer.
-Afternoon-No Encounter-
-Evening-No Encounter-
-Evening-Survival passed-No Encounter Roll-
Q: Does the prince put the moves on Sylvia? Unsure-YES Q: Does she respond in kind? Unlikely-YES
At the campfire, the young prince winks at Sylvia, “I’ve seen you around the castle, but didn’t really know who you were. How do you come to travel alone with these two men? Is one of them your uncle, perhaps?”
The girl blushes, “No, we are just travelling companions. They helped me out of some trouble, and have been kind enough to let me tag along.”
“I can see why. You are certainly handy in a fight, and…quite easy on the eyes as well,” he winks.
She giggles, “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“He does,” snarls Ronan, protectively.
The prince shoots him a dark look, then remembers where else he has seen him, “Perhaps you should mind what you speak of.”
Sylvia stiffens but Ronan does not react, just continuing to regard the young noble much as he has before. “My lord,” Ronan replies, “I will not see you toy with my friend just to cast her aside. She is not your plaything. She is a shield mate in my squad. You will treat her respectfully.”
Q: Does this escalate? YES
The prince’s eyes flash with anger as he jumps quickly to his feet. His men are on theirs as well, as am I, “Know your place, peasant. Or I’ll remind you of it,” he snarls hand on the hilt of his blade.
-Persuasion 14-
Ronan slowly stands, his hands away from his belt, “The advantage is yours, my lord. And no words I say could ever stain your honor. Better known for your valor, not your temper.”
Q: Does this de-escalate? EXCEPTIONAL YES
“Valor?” the prince smiles, “You do not know fear, do you? You’ve seen a great deal of fighting then?” Ronan nods. “Tell me about it.”
Evening wanes as we sit around the fire, Ronan and I sharing war stories with the prince and his men. The prince and his men have occasionally skirmished with goblins, and even bandits. He mentions how his friend, Paul, was killed in a bandit raid last year while the two were on patrol together. But he has never fought in a pitched battle, endured a siege, or commanded one.
As we turned in, and Sylvia crawled inside my tent as she often does she whispers, “Does Ronan…care?”
I nod and whisper, “Go to sleep.”
Great Harvest 19
warm, clear skies, insignificant breeze
-Immersion-Sense-Hyper awareness-
Scene #47:
I wake the next morning to Syvlia curled up against me. For the first time, she is not on watch in the morning as the Prince’s men are handling it, and I feel her warm breath against my cheek, her arm across my chest.
-Stealth 10-
She jerks awake as I try to gently roll her off of me, “Oh, what? Sorry, so sorry,” she stammers blushing as she pulls away and I sit up.
“Don’t worry about it,” I assure her as I gather my gear to finish dressing. “I’ll see you outside.”
Soon, we are all sharing a meal with the baron and his men. Then we are on the road back to Firth.
-Three encounter rolls-
The day passes rather uneventfully as we head back through the woods and into the farmland. At one point, we startle a flock of grackles feasting on grain lost during the harvest. Then we startle a brood of rats, about where we had passed them a few days earlier. By nightfall, we are back at Firth.
The prince goes to present his well earned trophy to his mother, while the three of us return to our rooms, then join Edwin for a meal in the great hall.
He tells us of the Children of the Serpent, and that they once had a temple in the Tower of Morn. As he points it out on the map, I laugh, “We passed by there yesterday. We didn’t get close enough to see it, but we were in that area. It felt…off.” The wizard nods, and insists that we go and investigate in the morning. “No rest for the wicked.” I shrug.
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