Episode 10
-Heyday 8th- Ilsa’s Tale-
-Warm, Clear skies, gentle breeze-
-Immersion-I make a bargain with myself-
-Peace Time Week 2-ancient ruins discovered near Ernith Dun(added to map, not relevant at this time)
-Seepage 1 on d8-Rolled a 6, no seepage
Scene #18: E: Remote Event: the Bestowing of the Physical (Mother Murial receives her promotion to the Bishopric of Faithstone, timing is right)
I don’t sleep well, it was a long night, and I know a longer day is ahead. As I lay there, I promise myself that I will never force anyone to do anything against their will. Never deprive anyone of their freedom. As I swear that oath, I look at Eveline laying beside me. I smile with sorrow at what I must do…what I must risk.
I get up from my bedroll, dress, and lead the mules to a nearby stream for water before I begin loading them up.
-Morning Encounter-Farmers at work- Q: do they greet us? YES E: Positive for People of Farhold: the Transformation of Portals (the portal in the underground temple is now sealed)
I spy a group of farmers in the nearby field mowing their grain. They call out, “Good morning! What are you doing out here?”
-Deception 3-
“Gathering wild herbs,” I reply, “Or at least, I was going to. Had very little luck so far.”
The farmers look at each other skeptically, “No, why camp overnight? Where are you from?”
-Deception 7-
“Lost Shoe. I am running away from my husband. Please don’t say anything if anyone comes looking for me, please!” I beg them.
Q: Do they press the issue? YES
The men are suspicious, and unrelenting, “No…is there truth to anything you ever say, woman?” they ask drawing closer.
“Eveline,” I call.
-Persuasion 13-
Eveline crawls out from the tent and looks up at the men. She smiles, “Good morning, friends. Care for a drink?” She pulls two bottles of beer from one of the saddlebags.
Q: Will they accept drinks? YES
One of the men accepts a bottle, then the second one is taken as well. “Sister, we should share the rest. No use letting our good fortune go to waste,” she grins at the men. I follow her lead. “Say…you’re a handsome one,” Eveline twirls a strand of hair and bites her bottom lip, “I don’t suppose you are…”
Q: Are inlaws present? YES
“Yes! He’s married, to my sister!” snarls one of the men.
Eveline pouts, “Too bad. Well, I suppose my sister and I will be on our way then. We don’t want you to get in trouble lingering with…the likes of us,” she winks.
Q: Do the men leave? YES E: Resolution of ‘Establish new identity’: Adversity amid a Prison
The men scowl and a mix of disapproving and also…intrigued glances, but as a company, they return to their work. We quickly break camp and load the mules.
“Eveline. Thank you. I thought I was caught,” I sigh in relief.
“No, you just needed to redirect their attention, pit them against each other,” Eveline shrugs.
“What if…what if they had taken advantage of you?” I ask.
She laughs and glances towards the men, gives a shrug and replies “That might have been fun too!”
“You’re incorrigible,” I shake my head.
“Yes, my lady,” Eveline winks.
“About that,” I sigh, “I…I want to release you from your oath. I…release you from your oath to me. You are no longer bound to me. No longer sworn. In turning my back on my family, I can no longer protect you, and have no right to demand service. Not when you swore to me out of fear. I’m sorry.”
Q: Does this upset her? NO
She looks at me, confused, then says, “So…I am free to leave? Not that I couldn’t have anyway, but I am not yours anymore. You are not my liege, and I am not your servant. Just…like that?”
“Yes, more or less. Just like that. We are now…just people. Friends, I hope. I hope we are friends, for I consider you my friend, but the road I am on is a dangerous one. I don’t want you to come with me because you are bound to me. I want you to choose your own life. Now that you understand that you are not cursed. That there is a way to control it,” I explain.
“You pledged to help me control it. Are you free from that oath?” Eveline asks.
“I do not wish to be,” I reply. “I want to help you. As your friend.”
Q: Does she hold me to my promise? NO
“I release you from that pledge. It is my journey. My struggle. Not yours,” Eveline replies.
-Persuasion 6-
“Will you…will you come with me?” I ask, desperately pleading with my eyes.
Q: Will she come with me? (unsure due to the low persuasion) YES Q: Does she call me friend? YES
Eveline smiles, “Of course I am coming with you, Yseldra my friend.”
“How about, Ilsa. Ilsa Lovechild? Your half-sister from another father?” I suggest.
Q: Does she like it? YES E: Remote Event: the Overthrow of Weapons (Dad removes the sword I gave him, unable to look at it anymore)
Eveline wraps me in her arms, “I always wanted a sister!” she laughs.
-History 13-
Soon, we have the mules packed and are heading north into the Lonefields. “We head northeast towards Westhold. Keep an eye to the west, there is a highway stretching from Meadcross to…Hamstrung, I believe. If we spot a caravan along the road, we’ll go and join it.” Eveline nods in agreement. The two of us, followed by our mules and an overeager cat, set off into the wilds.
-Immersion-Sense of Oppression-
Scene #15:
As we set off on our journey, I feel this overwhelming sense of dread. As the though my whole world has come crashing down and I no longer even know who I am. “Ilsa Lovechild,” I turn the name around in my head. “What will she become?”
Q: Does my father sent people to find me immediately? NO (He must think I am just holed up in my room or something)
Traveling due north to intersect the highway, I hope to spot a caravan that had just departed Meadcross. That would be the most certain way to cross the Lonefields safely.
Q: Do we spot a caravan? EXCEPTIONAL NO Q: Are they still on fire? NO Q: visible corpses? EXCEPTIONAL YES Q: Raiders present? NO
Along the highway, I see two large wagons smoldering and the bodies of four men strung up on spears. Crows perch on them picking at their flesh. There are no cries of agony. I shake my head, “Not the highway” And we put some more ground between us and the road before heading northeast once more.
-Afternoon Encounter-None-
We walk throughout the day through rugged ground and waist high grass and scrub. We try to slip between ridges and stick to low lying areas. Princeling enjoys chasing mice and ground birds disturbed by our approach. The mules nonchalantly grazing as we walk. “What will we do when we reach Westhold? How are we going to support ourselves if you family isn’t feeding and housing you?”
“I can work as an herbalist. You can too…you said your mother was one, right? And then, maybe we can find someone who wants to explore old ruins, plunder the riches of past ages, uncover ancient lore. Build a fortune that way. But as herbalists, I bet we could make a living anywhere. People always need medicine.” I reply, having given it some thought already.
Q: Does she like the herbalist idea? NO Q: The adventurer idea? YES
“But people always get mad if your cures don’t work the way they want them to. They expect miracles from dried plants. Only the church can provide miracles, and only sometimes. If the high priest wants. If the goddess listens. I think…I think we should explore ruins. Find lost stashes of gold. And maybe…maybe that spell that Krenal was telling us about. That spell to help control my cu…my magic,” Eveline catches herself.
I smile at her, eyes gleaming, “Good! I want to explore. Herbalism can pay the rent here and there, but lets make our fortunes in ancient ruins!”
-Evening encounter-small game-hare- Survival 18-
Near the end of the day, we frighten some hare and Princeling bounds after them. A short time later, we start looking for a good place to camp near one of the many streams we’ve been passing.
-Survival 18-
We eventually find a good spot where a small, babbling brook runs past a small copse of trees where our tent can be concealed. We unload the mules and Eveline takes them to the water to refresh themselves and refill our waterskins while I lay out my protective wards to warn us against intruders. Princeling, tired from walking all day, curls up on top of one of our tents, so I set up he other one instead.
“Take turns keeping watch?” Eveline suggests.
I nod, “Yes. I guess we have to. Ummm…do you need?” I hesitate, then open up my spellbook and begin chanting to read her aura.
Q: Does she want to address it? YES
She waits, patiently, then says, “Yes, I feel it more today than yesterday. But out here, perhaps nobody would notice if my power flared. Perhaps we can take the chance? But, if you are willing…”
I slowly nod, “Alright. Yes…let’s…”
-Evaline Performance 12-
She pulls my book from my hands and sets it down, then kisses me. It is awkward. My first real kiss, very, very awkward. She pulls back, “You didn’t like it, did you?”
“Um, I…I don’t know. Let…let me put my book away,” I stammer, getting up and stowing my book back into my pack.
-Eveline Performance 21, Ilsa’s performance, also 21-
Eveline stands up as well, then takes my pack and sets it inside the tent. Then she turns back to me, “Okay, Ilsa. I need your help. Help me. I promise. You will enjoy it!” she says firmly as she then takes me in her arms, and kisses me once more. I close my eyes as my lips part against hers. Soon, I feel her tongue against mine. Then her hands move across my back and she is guiding me inside the tent…
-Heyday 9th-
-Warm, cloudy, no rain, good wind-
-Immersion-Sidekick and I high five-
-Peace Time Week 2 still-ancient ruins discovered near Ernith Dun(added to map, not relevant at this time)
-Seepage 0 on d8-indulged the night before
Scene #16:
Eveline is grinning at me as we dress the next morning. “I didn’t realize you had it in you. Wow! You take direction very well!”
“Umm, thank you,” I blush, “That was…I mean…Parnela had told me such things were…”
Eveline laughs, “She sounds like fun. Glad I got to show you before she did!” I lower my eyes, and quickly dress, red faced.
Q: Does she think of this as more than just a tool? NO
Soon the two of us have eaten, watered the animals, packed and are on the road again. Eveline is in high spirits, bus she sees my apprehension, “Ilsa? Ilsa. This doesn’t have to mean anything. I needed your help. And you helped. Thank you. If you never want to do it again, that’s okay. I just…I don’t want to be crossing the Lonefields with a hangover. And I hate the scourge.”
I chuckle and nod, “Yes, yes…I agree. That would suck, but…yes, I think we could do that again.” I blush, and she swats my ass playfully.
“I was hoping you’d say that. It is the most pleasant way to avoid trouble, and with you, I don’t even have to worry about getting pregnant!” Eveline teases.
“You’re incorrigible.” I shake my head in reply.
-Morning encounter-none-
-Afternoon encounter-small game-ground squirrels-
-conversation topic-skills-
We walk throughout the day, heading steadily northeast. We panic a group of ground squirrels, and Princeling nearly catches one. It is harder in the wilds it seems.
Eveline asks, “You know how to ride, don’t you? Horses I mean, not…not what I was doing to you last night,” she teases.
I blush, “Yes, yes I know how to ride a horse! Perhaps I shall teach you if we ever obtain a couple of horses.”
“I’d like that,” Eveline admits, “Certainly would beat walking everywhere.”
“It hurts your thighs a lot when you first learn and on long journeys if you don’t ride often. But if you do, you get used to it. And horss are expensive to maintain. They need a lot of grain. Not like mules, so you always have to have feed for them.” I explain.
“So that’s why you just bought two mules? Instead of mules and horses?” Eveline asks.
I nod, “Correct. I wanted to save as much money as possible, while still getting what I needed to outfit a company.”
“And is that still your plan? To hire men?” Eveline asks.
I shake my head, “No. Not to hire men. Maybe a groom, but not fighting men. I only want partners. Men who will share the risk and share the wealth, not because I pay them, but because they hunger for the same chance at wealth, or glory, or knowledge that we do. I really don’t care which they seek, as long as our short term goals align. I just want partners.”
Q: Does she agree? YES
Eveline nods, “That makes sense”
Q: Have people been sent to find me yet? YES (1-5, east toward Faithstone and Oldenfall,6-9 northeast towards Hammerfell and Kiddimir, 10-11, throughout barony checking with our vassals, 12 westhold) 12! (I guess Bertran guessed right) Q: Other directions as well? YES (or maybe just covering all basis, so…likely low alert) Q: With hounds? YES Q: Did they find the shepherds? very unlikely YES Q: Did they find the farmers? very unlikely NO Q: Following the highway? YES E: Setback to ‘Find companions’: a Passion for Intrigues (First lead will be a rat who tries to sell us out!)
-Survival 21 Ilsa, Survival 8 Eveline, mules fail, everyone is exhausted by the fore march to finish the crossing today-
-Evening encounter (none) and force march once we catch sight of village lights in distance to clear that last 5 miles-
-Immersion Touch something solid-
Scene #17: E: Setback to ‘Cross the Lonefields’: a Failure of a Prison (2 villains, Q: Orcs? EXCEPTIONAL YES)
The mules are becoming more reluctant with each passing mile. Princeling long ago perched himself on Hare’s pack, tired of keeping pace. Eveline is clearly growing tired, but the lights of a village are only a short distance ahead, so we press on. Outside the palisades, I see orc heads, only a couple of weeks old, posted on stakes along the trail. “Hail there! Bid us enter!” I plead towards the watchman as we draw close.
-Perception (thank you cat!) beats their stealth-
Suddenly, Princeling hisses as two large orc spring from the wheat field and tries to grab me! I summon a shield that deflects him and he snarls as the watchman shouts down “Who goes there?”
“Orcs!” I yell back a warning. Eveline hurls a bolt of light at it, but misses him.
Q: Are the guards afraid? YES
The guards cry out in shock, “Witchcraft!”, but he second guard in the tower puts a bolt in the back of the orc coming at me anyway. I hurl a bolt of fire at the orc and he screams as a second orc rushes towards Eveline, hitting her hard with a makeshift club…a chunk of firewood from the looks of it. My orc comes at me again with a similar piece of wood, but I don’t get a chance to shield against it, instead, my ward takes the impact. The first guard starts sounding an alarm as I hear Eveline say something that causes her skin to shine like the morning frost on a winter’s day.
Another crossbow bolt strikes the first orc, as does one of my firebolts, but the brute doesn’t go down! The other orc clubs at Eveline, and the ice on her flesh dissipates, spreading up the orc’s arm as he yowls in agony from it. Eveline repeats her incantation and the frost reappears on her skin. I slip past me foe and blast him with a bolt of fire, causing him to crumple to the ground by the side of the road, but Eveline’s adversary braves the frost a second time, once more striking her, but instead of merely absorbing the frost he actually causes her to recoil in pain, but she brings the shield up a third time!
“I’m here!” I yell to her as I hurl a bolt of flame at her attacker, but my shot goes as wide as the crossbow from the watchman. Again the orc hits her, but she spits a bit of blood from her mouth as the frost once more flows from her to her attacker.
-Perception 21-
“Keep it up, you stupid bastard!” Eveline snarls as she reaches towards him, lightning arcing from her hands as he cries out at her touch on against his frostbitten flesh. In the distance, I notice several more orcs fleeing through the fields, as though these two were distracting the guards from the other’s retreat. A crossbow bolt and a gout of flames from my hand finish our foe.
I turn to the guard, “There are more! Running that way!” I point.
The guard strains his eyes in the dim light, takes aim and fires at one of the fleeing orcs, “Let them inside,” he calls to his fellow.
The gate opens, and I quickly bring our two mules inside, then as the gate closes and the rest of the garrison approaches, along with the village militia, I take a look at Eveline. “He hit you pretty good!” I say as I begin treating her bruises.
“Yeah, but I hit him back even harder,” she grins.
“What was that spell?” I ask her.
Eveline shrugs, “No idea. But creates an icy sheet of armor around me, and then hurt him, so…I won’t complain.”
“Sergeant! Where are the prisoners?” the village lord demands looking towards one of his me, then at us in confusion, “And who are these?”
The sergeant reports, “They escaped, broke out of the barn. Killed Hylder and took his weapons,” then he looks from us up the man in the watchtower.
The crossbowman has stopped trying to shoot at the fleeing targets disappearing into the night. The other guard calls down, “A pair of witches!” The crossbowman adds that I killed two orcs.
-Persuasion 21-
“Elven magic, I assure you,” I reply to the lord with a bow. “I am Ilsa Lovechild. This is my sister Eveline. We seek shelter for the night, then we will be on our way. Please?”
The lord looks up at his men, the crossbowman nods, while the other guard looks worried, the lord looks at us, “There may be room at the inn. One night, then…we’ll see.” He then climbs up the watchtower. I know he lacks the man power to pursue an unknown number of orcs into the night on such short notice. Too many chances of blundering into a larger force, and on foot, they are unlikely to catch them even with hounds. I bite my tongue and head towards the village square.
-Immersion-Anxiety-
Q: Is there room in the inn? NO
After handing our mules over to the stable boy, we carry our baggage into the inn. “No room here ladies,” calls out the innkeeper. “What was that going on outside anyway?”
-Persuasion 15-
“A couple of orcs jumped us at the gate,” I reply, “How about the hayloft?” I ask. “But with a warm meal first?”
The man nods, “A warm meal, I can do that. Hayloft, that too. Smells foul though.”
“Any other options in this village? Could I pitch a tent in the square, perhaps?” I ask hopeful.
Q: Is squatting allowed right now? NO
He laughs, “No. Hayloft, you can use. A tenpiece each as insurance.”
I sigh, and agree. Soon, Eveline and I are sitting with bowls of pottage, bread and a little cheese, and some weak beer.
Q: Does anyone sit with us? YES (generate person)
A woman only a few years older sits beside us. “Do I know you?” she asks pointedly.
I stiffen at the question, but Eveline replies casually, “We come from Hammerfell, through Farhold. Have you ever been in Plowstump? That’s where we grew up.”
Q: Has she been to plowstump? EXCEPTIONAL NO
“Oh, no…no. Of course not!” the woman frets, “What a silly question!”
-Deception 15-
“I thought you said my sister looked familiar, where else could you have met her?” Eveline pushes.
Q: Does word get back that we are witches? NO
“Must have been mistaken,” the woman replies. Then a youth enters telling everyone that the orc prisoners escaped and killed one of Harald’s men. Thankfully, nothing is said about us or the fight outside, and we eat or meal in peace.
Afterwards, we retire to the barn, climb up into the hayloft, and secure our gear beside us, spreading out our blankets in the darkness before blowing out our lantern and lying down to sleep. “Are you good tonight, Eveline?” I ask.
“Aside from the sore jaw, yes. I’m good. Thank you for asking, Ilsa.” she replies.
“Goodnight my friend,” I reply.
“Goodnight, my sister,” she replies and sleep soon takes us both as Princeling curls up between us.
-10th Great Harvest-
-Warm, clear skies, steady breeze-
-Immersion-Touch, NPC warm –
-Peace Time Week 2 still-ancient ruins discovered near Ernith Dun(added to map, not relevant at this time)
-Seepage 0 on d8-leveled spells in combat the day before-
-Pursuers should arrive in Goodwill tomorrow evening, or what’s left of it-
-Eveline passes her con save and heals 3 hit points-
Scene #18 (Positive Alteration):
I wake in the hayloft, Eveline snuggled up against me, her skin warm to the touch. Hair in my face again. Princeling mews as I begin to stir, reluctant to jump off us. “Get up, your highness!” I tease and he finally leaps down, and then hisses to remind me he should be in charge.
The stableboy calls up from below as he pushes open the door, “Missus’s, I brought some breakfast for you!” I smile down at him as he climbs up the ladder, a basket of bread and cheese along with a jug of warm milk hanging from one arm.
“Thank you friend,” I smile as I take the basket and Eveline sits up with a yawn.
Q: does he ask about us? NO
The boy nods and climbs back down, then starts tending the animals while Eveline and I eat. Soon, we dress and climb down as well, leaving our things in the loft for the time being. “What’s the innkeep’s name?” I ask the stable boy. He tells me the man is called Salvo. I ask the boy’s name then too.
“I’m Ulfi! Best stablehand in the village!” he boasts. I ask if there are many stablehands in the village, and he laughs, then admits, “Only me and the lords’ men. But it sounds boastful to admit I’m the best in the barony.”
I laugh, “Well, Ulfi. Is it safe to leave my things here for the morning?”
“Of course! I won’t let anyone touch your packs,” he declares. I nod and take him at his word. Then we head into the village.
Q: does he ask about us? NO
A soldier stands outside the inn, and seeing us emerge from the stable, says, “There you are. Lord Harald would like a word. Please follow me.”
“Of course. Are you his sergeant?” I ask, making conversation.
“As you wish,” I agree with a nod, then Eveline and I follow the man to Harald’s manor house.
Q: Is he hostile? YES
“Shut up, witch,” he scowls. I roll my eyes at Eveline who gives me a nervous look.
Inside the manor house, Lord Harald speaks with his chamberlain. A couple of servant scurry away. The nervous guard from last night stands in one corner, the man who fetched us positions himself beside the door out. I bow, and remain bowed until he deigns release us. Eveline follows my lead.
Q: Does he let us linger? NO
“You may rise,” Lord Harald says after only the briefest moment. “So tell me, who are you? Or rather, what brought you to our gate so late at night, and wielding magic, no less?”
I smile, “I am Ilsa Lovechild, and this is my sister, Eveline. We are from Hammerfell by way of Farhold. We are wandering. Seeking a place to call home. People tend to fear what they do not understand…so…we keep moving.”
-Persuasion 15-
“But why here? Why now?” the lord asks.
-Deception 17-
Eveline interjects, “My sister and I are healers, herbalists, and we heard there had been fighting in Westhold, and thought we might be able to help the injured,” she puts her hand to her bruised jaw, “We just hadn’t expected to be injured along the journey.”
“So how did you end up on my doorstep, when the road from Farhold leads to Goodwill?” Harald raises an eyebrow.
I look at him in confusion, “I thought the highway led to Hamstrung? There were two burnt wagons and men crucified just north of Meadcross, so we cut cross country instead, fearing the road might be watched by raiders.”
“So, you ended up here in Hamstrung, on accident, thinking the highway would lead you here? Why…how did you learn of Hamstrung if it was not your destination?” Harald asks, testing us.
“I passed through this land a year ago,” I admit.
Q: Does he recognize me? No Way. NO
“I do not recall a witch passing through last year,” Harald regards me with suspicion.
“I try not to be recalled,” I confess. “Or let it be known that I practice elven magic. Men fear it.” I nod towards the guard in the corner. “But if an orc comes at me, what else could I do?”
-Deception 12, vs his perception of 20-
“What indeed? How…powerful…are you?” Harald asks. I glance at Eveline who subtly shakes her head. “I suggest you ignore your sister and tell me the truth here.”
“I am a student. Studied under my aunt. I know some simple protection spells, and a few fire spells. Nothing that could turn a battle, but enough to put down a single foe,” I lay it out there. “My sister’s talents are similar.”
Q: Is he pleased by this? YES Q: Does he offer lodging for a few days? EXCEPTIONAL YES
Lord Harald smiles, “Would you be willing to remain here in Hamstrung for a few days, as my guest, as the inn is crowded with refugees. And come to the aid of my men should the village come under attack? The orcs have been testing our lands, and I fear, Hamstrung could be next. Until aid arrives from Westhold, I’d like to…reinforce my defenses anyway possible. And you just…fell in my lap.”
“It would be an honor, my lord,” I bow. Eveline’s eyes widen, and she bows as well.
Q: Does she ask about a wage? YES -Persuasion 14-
“Will we be paid, my lord? A soldier earns a crown a day, twice that in battle, I hear,” Eveline suggests, “Food and lodging is appreciated, but coin lets us continue our journey.”
Q: Will he pay the extra? NO
“Food and lodging of course, and one crown per day. You’ll be eating and sleeping better than the men, that should be compensation enough.” Lord Harald declares.
I bow, “Thank you, my lord. You are most gracious.” Eveline bows and gives her thanks as well.
He snaps and a servant comes into the room, “She these ladies to the guest quarters. They will be staying with us for the next few days. I am told you had mules with you?”
“Yes, my lord. We need to fetch them and our possessions, by your leave,” I plead. He nods agreement, “Do so after Magda shows you your rooms.”
I bow once more, then follow Magda to the guest rooms. “You will stay in this room, and you will stay in this room,” she directs each of us. “I trust you will find these accommodations…far beyond any to which you may have previously been accustomed,” she smirks.
-Magda’s perception 17-
I can’t help but give Eveline a wry grin, which causes Magda to furrow her brow, I then say, “Truly, these rooms are magnificent, and we are most grateful to our host, and to you, his…chamberlain?”
Q: Is she head chamberlain? YES
“Of course. While I expect you to explore the village throughout the day, please be in the great hall at dusk if you would like to enjoy dinner. I’ll not be saving food for laggards,” she explains.
Q: Has he caught a mouse? NO
“Understood, good mistress,” I reply. Taking one more look inside the room, Eveline and I then follow her out the front door, head to the stables to retrieve Rabbit and Hare, fetching Princeling as well who is mewling at something in the corner of the barn. With our gear in tow, we hand the mules over to Harald’s stable hand and then set our gear in our bedrooms. “Don’t unpack more than we must,” I caution Eveline. She nods in understanding.
After we get settled Eveline collapses on the bed, “The hayloft was, but do you think it would be okay if I just…went back to sleep?”
I laugh, “We are Lord Harald’s guests!” and I pick up a pillow and hit her with it. “Enjoy, sleepy head. I’m going to explore the village.”
“Take your cat, lest he wake me, or…knock over something he shouldn’t,” Eveline warns. Princeling and I then head into the village.
-Immersion-Whisper bargain between sidekick and I-
Scene #19: E: Positive for Yseldra Faust: the Extravagance of the Military
“Bring me something sweet from the tavern,” Eveline says quietly as I leave the room.
“I will,” I whisper back as she drifts to sleep.
Out in the village, I immediately look around the handful of shops in the square. It’s a small village, maybe a hundred families, but I remember hardly anything from the hour so that spent in the village last year. Nonetheless, I let my hair loose, as I have always worn it in a braid, and it is better this way, lest the braid be remembered.
-Encounter-Village Woman-generate the woman, the village priest, and a soldier-
Walking through the village, there seem to be a lot more people than i expected, and…many women and children loitering around. Even a fair number of men, which is unusual given that it is time for the wheat harvest. Then I spot a woman passing out bowls of soup to women and children lined up in front the village shrine. A priest stands beside her, speaking of Freia’s mercy and the need to turn aside from one’s own sins, to reflect on one’s shortcomings and to bear patiently with one another. I smirk. I’ve heard the words many times before, but somehow, they ring hollow of late.
“You should take your bowl and get in line while there is still food remaining. His lordship ordered a hog butchered this morning, but there are many here,” a man says to me from behind.
I look and see he is one of the lord’s men that I had not seen before, “Thank you, soldier.” I reply with a nod, “Yours is a generous lord.”
“Indeed he is, but…” he looks around, “It would be appreciated if you and your fellow refugees would lend a hand with the harvest.”
I nod thoughtfully, then ask “That would be fitting. Are these people…all from the same village?”
“Are you not one of them?” the soldier replies.
“I am from Hammerfel, through Farhold. I arrived last night,” I reply.
Q: Is the man frightened? YES
The soldier takes a step back, “Oh…it’s you.”
-Persuasion 11-
“A guest of your lord, yes. I my name is Ilsa,” I reply, offering a smile and gentle shrug. “I’m…here to help. Really.”
“What is…what is your name?” I ask, delicately.
Q: Will he say? NO
He scowls a bit, then backs away, “Just…don’t cause any trouble.”
I sigh, then turn my attention back to the people in line. Studying them. They look frightened, hungry, and tired. I shake my head, then head over to the village shops. There is a windmill on one edge of the village. Its arms turn slowly as someone must be grinding up flour. There’s a weaver, a baker, and a candle maker. I stop at the baker’s shop.
“Hail friend, do you have any sweets?” I ask.
-generate baker-
“Don’t friend me, girl!” the toothless baker snarls, “Either show some coin or shove off, unless you want to clean the oven?”
“What will you give me for cleaning the oven?” I ask, curious.
-his perception 4-
“A worker, eh? Not a lay about like the others?” he looks me up and down. “
“I’ve never cleaned an oven before, but if you have some…fruitcake? Perhaps destined for the tavern or your lord’s table but perhaps you’d be willing to trade for labor?” I suggest, curious as to how cleaning an oven might work out.
Q: Does he have fruitcake? NO E: Ambiguous Significance: the Postponement of Opulence
“Fruitcake? Fruitcake? Why would I have fruitcake in this goddess forsaken village?” he laughs.
-Persuasion 6-
I shrug and suggest, “I’ve had it before, and it tasted heavenly. If I were a baker, I’d bake it whenever I could.”
“Clean the oven, then we’ll talk about…fruitcake,” he laughs and opens the door into his shop for me to enter fully. “The broom and scouring pads are over there. Then there’s the bucket. Well, over there, across the square.”
“Any hearth soot?” I ask.
Q: Does he have hearthsoot? YES
“Yes,” he pauses, “Over there. Never done it before, but you know the trick, eh?”
“I’ve made hearth soot before. Just because I’ve never cleaned an oven doesn’t mean I don’t know hearth soot, master…?”
-Marmat’s Insight 17-
“Master? Marmat, I am…Master Marmat, I guess. You aren’t like the other refugees are you? You are from the city. Westhold?” Marmat asks.
-Deception 7 vs his insight 15–
“Hammerfell,” I bind my hair up into a ponytail and take off some of my outer garments so they don’t get soiled.
“Hmmph, do the work and we’ll see, girl,” he nods.
I smile and begin sweeping the soot into a dustbin, “Where to?”
“Fill the bucket and dump it in the fill at the edge of the village,” he instructs.
-Wisdom 18-
I nod and start the work in earnest. After a couple of hours, I step back, muscles sore from having worked so hard in such crowded quarters, “Well, master Marmat?”
Q: Will he admit to the good job? YES
He looks over my work, then nods, “Well done, girl from Hammerfell,” he scoffs as he says that. “What’s your name, girl from Hammerfell?”
“Ilsa,” I lower my eyes as I pull my outer garments back on, “Ilsa Lovechild.”
Q: Does he assume the reason I conceal my origin? EXCEPTIONAL YES E: Positive for People of Westhold: the Revelation of an Illness
“Lovechild? Oh…love child,” he softens a bit, “Well…um…you did good work.” He takes a few loaves from his shelf, left from this morning, coats them in honey, then sprinkles some nuts across the top of them. “Something sweet. The buns are this mornings.”
“Thank you, good master,” I nod and accept the sticky buns. Then I leave his shop.
Q: Does he ask me to return tomorrow? EXCEPTIONAL YES
“You should come back tomorrow. The oven needs to be cleaned every day,” he calls to me.
“Thank you, master,” I nod.
Q: Is Magda at the door? EXCEPTIONAL YES
I soon return to the manor house, and entering, Magda starts to ask where I’d been, but then looks down to see the sticky buns, “What are you doing with those?”
“I did some work for Master Marmat, these are my wage,” I grin.
“Our lord is paying you, is he not?” Magda asks.
“But he did not instruct me to lay idle, or forbid finding additional labor. Besides, my sister begged a sweet, how can I deny?” I laugh and head back to the guest rooms with Princeling following behind.
Q: Is Eveline asleep? NO
Knocking on Eveline’s door, she bids me enter, “Oh, good! It’s you,” she smiles, sitting up in bed. Then she yawns.
“I brought some sweets,” I pass her one.
“Now we need some wine to go with,” she suggests.
I laugh, “I don’t think Magda will offer, and you really should have mentioned that earlier,” I chide her as I take a bite of the bread. It isn’t sweetened, but it is alright. Not a special made pastry though. Eveline devours hers with great delight. “Here, take the rest of mine. I’m not particularly hungry,” I offer, knowing she’ll enjoy it far more than I would. She takes it greedily.
“I am going to wash up, then I have some studying to do. I’ll be in my room,” I tell here.
“Yes, my l…sister,” she stops herself.
“It is okay to call me your little sister,” I cover, in case she was overheard. “I won’t cut of your hair in the night again…over that anyway.” I laugh.
The pillow hits the door as I close it behind me.
In my room, I begin studying the book that had once been lost in my father’s library. Adding another powerful spell to my own book, I grin in satisfaction. “Very nice!”
Late afternoon, Magda stops by our rooms, “Perhaps the two of you should go out back and wash up for dinner. There is a washtub behind the kitchen,” she smirks. I smile and thank her, then Eveline and I head out back where the washtub is concealed from prying eyes by the nearby woodpile and stable wall. I nod for Eveline to go first, then as soon as she is cleaned up, I take my bath. Then we head inside and join our lord in his hall.
Q: Are the two new ones nervous? EXCEPTIONAL YES
I am surprised to see it is just Lord Harald, four of his men, and the two of us at table. There is room for many more. I conclude he is unmarried. I bow as I enter the room, holding Eveline up to do the same. He nods for us to go ahead and be seated. One of the men shuffles nervously as we sit down. He is a pale man, not much older than me, and I quickly recognize him as the guard from the tower last night that was afraid of us. I smile gently as I sit in an empty chair farther from him. Another guard, I recognize from the market this morning, he told me about the hog slaughtered for the refugees. The other two men, I hadn’t seen before. One is a decade older than me, the other only a few years ahead of Eveline. They are thin lipped men, and I guess they are related. They both shuffle uncomfortably as Eveline sits beside me. Princeling mews, and many of the men stare at the cat.
“It’s a cat,” Lord Harald reminds them. “And these two…witches…as you call them, are here as my guests for a few days. At least until this orc threat has passed.”
The men nod, mumbling their understanding, but not challenging their lord’s decision as servants bring plates to the table. Pints of warm beer, plates of pork rib, fresh greens, bread and cheese, “This morning’s hog,” I whisper to Eveline. She looks at me in confusion and I recall she wasn’t with me in the marketplace.
-Discussion of allies-
Harald raises an eyebrow, “I understand you’ve met a few of my men, but not all. Humphrey here, was on gate duty when you arrived last night. Then Jordan, I understand you met in the market today?” gestures towards the big man. “Then Pascel and Torence”, he indicates the older and younger thin lipped men. “They are led by Sergeant Arnolt, who is on duty at the moment. There are four more besides them…and we lost a fifth last night, when the orcs escaped their imprisonment.”
“Why were you holding orcs captive? For the temple?” I ask starting to eat now that Harald has begun his meal.
Q: recently captured? YES
Harald nods, “Yes. They were captured two nights ago, but the patrol that took them left them with us to watch while they continued their circuit. They were supposed to have already been retrieved. Instead, I lost a man.”
I nod, “Hylder, was it? Did he have family?”
Harald looks up at me, “Yes. A wife and two small children.”
-Harald Insight-16-
I nod. “Unfortunate. The cost of war.” Eveline gently kicks me beneath the table, and shoots me a sidelong glance. I look up and notice how Haralds is studying me, “It’s always the widows and children who suffer,” I shrug, trying to sound a little more sympathetic and less…factual than before.
“You know much of war?” Harald raises an eyebrow.
-Harald Insight 23-
I shake my head, “Not directly, but when men have marched against the Lonefields, and some return home missing limbs, or not at all, the women of our village would weep for their loss. I know that.”
Harald glances at Humphrey, then back to me, “You…you’ve killed before. When the orcs attacked you and your sister, neither of you panicked. And your magic…your magic is designed to kill. I suspect you know a great deal about war in spite of your youth.”
I smirk, “Yes, my lord. Those are not the first orcs we have killed. I’ve also killed kobolds,” I look at the soldiers, “but never men. I’d rather not raise a hand against men, but I will not yield my freedom without a fight.”
“My sister means we wouldn’t let a gang of bandits take us captive for ransom,” Eveline interjects. “Or worse.”
The guards smirk or chuckle a bit at that.
“What of you, my lord? Have you killed many? You seem young, but your lord’s lands are invaded. You and your men have fought, yes?” I turn the matter to him.
Q: Did he fight? YES
“Of course! Just two weeks ago, outside of Axdull, soldiers from Farhold and Hammerfell were encircled, trapped by the horde having refused to surrender captive orc women for the sake of speed, and Lord Allestor’s forces, of which I was a part, had to rescue them. I slew nearly a dozen orcs myself that day.” he boasts proudly.
-Persuasion 13-
I pretend to accept his version of those events, “You sound very brave indeed, my lord.” He shrugs, feigning modesty, but those are words he enjoyed hearing. All noblemen do.
“So, where did you meet…kobolds?” Harald asks.
I glance at Eveline, then sigh, before explaining, “The Whispering Hills. A treasure hunter named Calbroth asked us to join his expedition, and we did.”
-Harald’s Insight 16, my deception 8-
“Really?” Harald smirks, “What did you find?”
I shrug, “Just a bunch of old books, and kobolds…and more kobolds.”
Q: Does he call me on it? YES
“You’re holding something back, “What is it?”
-Persuasion 14-
“Of course I am. I am a woman. We always hold something back,” I give him a wink.
Q: Does he insist on full disclosure? YES (Harald Intimidation 13)
“Don’t. It is not your place to withhold information from your host,” Harald says firmly.
-Deception 22 to stop at 99% truth vs his insight 14-
I wince at being spoken to in such a way, but Eveline’s hand grips my thigh, reminding me of our station here. “Forgive me, my lord. It was I who persuaded Calbrock to accompany me to the Whispering Hills. I had heard there was an ancient library lost in those hills, and being a student of elven magic, hoped there might be something of use within.”
“How hard was it to admit that? You are not a mere hireling witch, but a…captain? Of a gang of treasure hunters?” Harald raises an eyebrow.
“Was a captain. Calbrock died. The other men with us abandoned me. I’ve not taste for it now,” I lower my gaze and Eveline rubs my back.
“So…these books? Were they in your pack? Or did you sell them all in Farhold? I hear that Baron Faust devours books like a snake does frogs,” He asks.
I laugh, “I’ve not heard that about his lordship. Yes. I could be persuaded to show you what I found, after dinner.”
Harald nods, “I should like to see what you recovered.”
Following this, the rest of dinner was uneventful. The soldiers went back out to return to their duties, Eveline and I retired to our room briefly, me to fetch a couple of books, “Be careful!” Eveline warns. “He is sharp!”
I sigh, “I know, but…come with me!”
Q: Will Eveline come with? YES (Eveline intelligence check 23)
“Mmmm…I…alright,” Eveline agrees. I pull out my books and Eveline stops me, “you have to pretend you can’t read these. I can’t read these. They are in Elven. He probably can’t read these.”
I stop, flummoxed, “Oh, that’s right.” I pull out the spellbook that I found in my father’s library, and two of the elven texts.
Eveline shakes her head, “Not that one. You just have to let him know that you cannot read anything you found! And you are looking for someone to translate. And you might have to sell it to him if he offers, since we cannot read them.” At this, I take two different books altogether, and my spellbook. Then we head back to the hall.
Q: Does Harald speak Elven? YES
Harald is sipping a cup of wine and gestures for me to sit beside him. Eveline sits on my other side, farther from the lord. I open up my spellbook, and his eyes brighten with curiosity, “This was given me by our aunt, I need it to help read the books we found,” I explain. He nods, his eyes scanning the words in my book. Though written in our own tongue, he clearly is not familiar with the words arcane. I smile, “She would have called you an eager student. Now, remain silent for a few minutes.” I begin reciting the words in my spellbook, intoning the words I need to understand any language, and then, I close my spellbook, passing it to Eveline, and open one of the other books.
I push it over so he can see it as well as I, “This is a book of herbal remedies, it explains how to craft each cure, and where one might find the ingredients, at least, where one could in ages past, for this is an ancient book.”
“I thought you we were an herbalist already,” Harald raises an eyebrow.
“Um…yes,” I reply.
“So is there anything here you did not already know?” He presses.
“Hmmm…no,” I admit.
I close the book and push it aside. I purse my lips, then tell Eveline, “Get the two large books.”
Reluctantly, she gets up to go fetch them. “Why did you bring this book to me?” Harald asks.
“Because, I can afford to lose it,” I smile, “As it holds nothing I do not know.”
“Did you think I would take a book from you?” He raises an eyebrow.
“Lords often do as they choose,” I admit. “And if you can read them, why would you not?”
Q: Does he agree with my assessment? YES
He chuckles, “I will pay a fair price for what I choose to take.”
I close my eyes as I nod agreement. Eveline returns with the atlases. I open the first one, “This is an atlas of an ancient empire called…Thurm,” I point out the word. He nods, and I can tell he is reading the text himself. “You read elven? Without magic?”
-Harald’s history 21-
“Of course. All educated men do,” he replies. “This is fascinating. Thurm once ruled these lands, and this…where every settlement was located, what it produced, the names of the lords and families. It is…an amazing find!” Excitedly, he reaches for the other book, “And this?”
“The Atlas of Elhana Sur, a contemporary nation of Thurm, controlling the great forest that stretched up into the Lonefields, and all around south and east through the south woods and into what is now the gnoll highlands.”
“And this book?” he grabs the second of the two that I had initially brought in, but opening it, his brow furrows in confusion.
I recite few words, “A journey beyond the veil, it details how one might travel, by arcane means, through the spirit realm towards Celestia.”
“I cannot read it,” he confesses.
“It is the language of the goddess. Your village priest might understand it.” I suggest.
-My persuasion 15 as a passive baseline offer- Q: Does he want it? EXCEPTIONAL YES (a small village lord has roughly 3000 crowns per year for purely discretionary use, 10 months per year, he has 300 available normally, the book is worth 225. Q: Is he a saver? YES (10% bonus for this roll)
He turns his attention back to the Atlas of Thurm and begins reading from it. “I must have this book. Two hundred crowns,” he states.
“I don’t want to sell it to you,” I admit. “It will tell me where to find ancient ruins that might hold…even greater treasures than this!”
“Precisely. Two hundred fifty crowns,” Harald offers.
Eveline whispers, “Take it.”
I glare at my friend. Harald interjects, “Listen to your sister, lest I simply take the book and have you thrown in jail for impertinence.”
-My persuasion 21-
I sigh, closing my eyes, “Two hundred crowns, but I have full access to the book and lodging here in your home anytime I am passing through Hamstrung.”
He laughs, “Agreed! Unless the woman I marry suspects you of ill intent, then you may read here, in the hall, but must take lodging at the inn.”
I chuckle and shake my head, “Agreed. We can be jealous creatures sometimes.”
The three of us continue diving into the ancient tome. I periodically pause to recite my divination spell to maintain my ruse, but otherwise, we read into the wee hours of the knight. Eveline retires to bed taking the other books with her.
—
-11th Great Harvest-
-Warm, cloudy, no rain, steady breeze-
-Immersion-rumbling sounds –
-Peace Time Week 2 still-ancient ruins discovered near Ernith Dun(added to map, not relevant at this time)
-Seepage 0 on d8-recovered from exhaustion the previous day-
-Pursuers will reach Westhold Town late afternoon- Q: Are my pursuers splitting up? EXCEPTIONAL NO
-Eveline passes her con save and heals 3 hit points-
Scene #20: E: Progress on ‘Westhold is in turmoil’: the Overindulgence of Goals
Eveline and I sit on the back porch, eating some leftover bread and cheese from last night’s meal that Magda’s cook offered us. Princeling lounges nearby. There is a distant rumble in the sky, but the clouds don’t look like rain. Eveline glances at me, “I’ll need your help tonight. Else I could get drunk,” she offers.
I nod. “I’ll help.”
She smiles, then considers, “Not in the house, little sister. We’ll need to find someplace else.”
I laugh, “Good point.” She grins and chuckles too.
Getting up, I suggest, “I am heading over to the baker’s shop. Going to help clean the oven again.”
“Wait until this afternoon. He likely needs to do some baking this morning. Let’s go out, and look for some herbs. We might find something.” Eveline counters. I nod and we head towards the village gate.
-Random Guards on duty- Q: Do they stop us? YES
We approach the village gates and see Jordan and Humphrey on watch. Jordan, the big man, steps forward, “Where are you going?”
-Persuasion 21-
“Out to look for herbs. We’ve not been told to stay inside the village, just to be available, in case of attack or something. We’ll be back in a bit,” I smile at the man.
Though frightened of us for some reason, he nods and steps aside, “Keep your eyes sharp if you go beyond the fields. The wilds are just beyond us.”
“Thank you,” I smile at him, and Eveline and I leave the village. Princeling bounds after us, looking to see what he can find.
-Morning encounter-Hare–Forage table, 2 blue tree sap, 7 dose of comfrey-
Several hare dash away from us as we walk through the tall fields of standing wheat. Lucky it’s us and not a farm boy with a sling! Walking along the field markers, we cut comfrey leaves that I can dry and add to my healing pouch. And then…we saw it. An ancient, magnificent looking tree whose leaves have a bluish tinge. “Oh, wow!” I gasp.
“Yeah, I sense it too,” Eveline agrees.
“I thought these were only in Elven lands. The atlas didn’t show this as elven land,” I explain.
“Well, tap it. Maybe we can get some sap from it,” Eveline urges.
I take a bottle from my kit, and we carefully tap the bark of the ancient tree, and slowly, blue sap pours from it. I grin, eyes bright, “Magnificent!”
“Let’s get back to the village,” Eveline exclaims and we run back quick as we can, giddy with excitement.
Q: Do the guards stop us? YES
“Halt! Hold up!” Jordan exclaims, then looks behind us as we pull up short of him. “Why are you running.”
Eveline and I grin at each other, “That might be your lord’s business, but it would frighten you if we told you!”
-Intimidate 17-
Eveline shouts “Boo!” startling the guard for a moment. Then she laughs and we walk past them inside the village and up to the manor house.
—
-Persuasion 12- Q: Will she allow it? YES
“Magda, can we use the kitchen for an hour?” I ask the chamberlain. She scowls, but allows it. Eveline fetches our cooking gear, while I return to my room to review the recipe as I’ve never made this before. Soon, we have the kettle brewing and I have two clean vials ready for the potion.
-DC 20, 2 doses, pass one, fail the second-
I smile as I pour out a crystal blue liquid into the first vial, but the rest of the liquid scorches and I cannot fill the second one. “Damn it,” I curse.
Eveline holds up the blue vial, “Still…this could save a life!” I nod agreement, and stash it into my kit. Then we turn to processing the comfrey and replenish my depleted stock of compresses.
–We head back into the village together this time-Farmwife-Q: Is she afraid? NO
An older woman, about my father’s age, calls to us, “Are you the one’s the guards whisper about? Staying in our lord’s house?”
“I am certain they whisper about us. Fear is in their eyes,” I shrug, “But not in yours. I am Ilsa, this is my sister Eveline. Yes, we are witches, I suppose you might say. We practice elven magic and mean no harm to anyone here. And you are?”
Q: Does she need help? EXCEPTIONAL NO
“Wenhild,” she looks us up and down. “How did you learn elven magic?”
-Deception 22-
“From our aunt,” I explain, “She was very wise and some say she had an elven lover, but she never admitted such to me.”
Wenhild nods, “Well…I suppose…that…that’s very interesting.” She nods. “If anyone in the village troubles you, please let me know lest you be tempted to turn them into a toad.”
I laugh, “Of course.” Then Eveline and I head to the baker.
“Our aunt taught us magic and had an elven lover?” Eveline asks in my ear as we walk.
I shrug, “How else would we learn. Telling someone you are a wand will just scare them.”
Eveline nods, “Yes…been there before.”
—
“Marmat!” I exclaim on arriving, “My sister and I are here to help clean once more.”
Q: Is he worried because of rumors? YES
The baker looks Eveline up and down suddenly wary, “I have heard something about the two of you. That you might be a witch.”
I sigh, “There are no secrets in a small village, are there? A loaf for reach of us, and we’ll clean the oven again?”
Q: Does he accept the offer? YES E: Negative for Village Guards: a Celebration of Travel (Athletics 21, Harald)
There is a sudden commotion in the square behind us, and I see Harald struggling to keep control of his horse. One of the guards that is with him gets kicked to the ground, and then gets stomped on a second time, but Harald gets good control of his animal moments later.
Eveline is already racing to the guard’s side, pulling him away from the horse. I join her, pulling a bandage from my pack and chewing some of the comfrey to moisten it up. “Alright, lay still,” I tell the older soldier as he groans in pain. .
“Sergeant!” Pascel, the thing lipped older soldier from last night cries out, now that his lord no longer needs help controlling the animal. I am already cleaning up the blood and applying a bandage to the cut across the sergeant’s forehead.
Eveline and Pascel start to help the man to his feet, but Eveline has a hard time of it, so we trade places and I help guide the soldier to the barracks to rest. The village priest from yesterday meets us there.
“What happened?” the priest demands, looking at the injuries and my bandage work.
“Horse spooked,” the sergeant replies, “I was in the way.”
The priest spreads his fingers out across the man’s side, and begins to pray. His hands glow blue, and I can see that some of the man’s bruising seams to go away. I glance at Eveline who admire the work. The priest then turns to look at us, “Did you do this?”
“No. We had nothing to do with the horse getting spooked.” I retort.
“No, the bandage,” the priest clarifies. “It is good work.”
Relieved, I respond “Oh, yes, I’ve bandaged people before. My name is Ilsa, and this is..”
“Eveline,” the priest interrupts. “The witches.” He looks down at the injured man.
The sergeant shrugs, “I like them,” he laughs and then coughs, his ribs aching.
-Perception 5-
Nodding, the priest introduces himself, “I am Brother Ofstan. I tend the needs of this community . I am grateful you are here to help. May the goddess smile upon you.”
Eveline’s eyes widen, “You mean, you aren’t going to tell us we are cursed? Corrupted by demons?”
-Religion 8 (so he can’t explain)-
“I see no evidence of such. If you act in Freia’s service. I have no quarrel with you,” Brother Ofstan shrugs.
I smile, “Thank you, brother. That is refreshing to hear.” He nods, and Eveline and I wish well the sergeant, whose name is Arnolt, and then return to the village square and Marmat’s shop. There he allows us to clean the oven in exchange for two loaves from the morning.
—
Q: Has a patrol come through? YES (1-4 regulars, 5-6 mercenaries) Q: Do we learn the orcs have fled? YES
While we are working, a patrol of the baron’s men pass through the village. They stop at the tavern while the knight leading them visits teh manor house. He departs a short time later with his men and they continue their route.
We clean up and join our host for dinner. Harald is smiling, “I am grateful for your help with sergeant Arnolt. I’m not sure what caused my horse to rear like that, but it could have been far worse.”
I nod, “I am always nervous when a horse passes by for that very reason. Mules don’t rear up so much.”
“Magda says you borrowed the kitchen this morning, might I ask why?” he inquires.
I nod, “The tree outside, with the blue leaves. Its sap possesses special properties, and once harvested, requires immediate processing to ensure its potency. We crafted a very powerful medicine from it.”
Q: Is this sufficient? EXCEPTIONAL YES Q: Will he release us? YES
He nods, then adds, “A patrol came through earlier today. The orcs have fled our lands,” he pulls out four gold crowns, “As agreed. You are free to continue your journey…to wherever it is you are really heading.”
Q: Are the guards frightened? YES Q: Does Harald laugh? EXCEPTIONAL YES
I bow my head, “Thank you, my lord. You are most gracious.” I wave my hand and the coins slide across the table and into Eveline’s hand. She smiles and adds them to her purse. The guards dining with us this evening collectively inch their chairs back. Harald laughs at their reaction. I join him. Then Eveline as well.
“Thank you for showing me at least some trick,” Harald chuckles. “I know you aren’t what you claim to be, but you are welcome here whenever you pass through.”
“Thank you, my lord. And if you discover someplace of interest nearby in that book of yours, please let me know when I pass by. I would love to explore it myself,” I offer.
He nods agreement.
—
After dinner, we retire to our rooms. I go to Eveline’s room and ask, “Where do you think we should go? Hayloft? Outside the gate?”
She pulls me into her room, and closes the door behind us, then she pushes me down onto her bed. “We are leaving tomorrow and he knows you aren’t what you claim. Let’s enjoy a soft bed while we can.”
-Eveline Performance 23, Yseldra 14- Q: Are we detected? NO
“Okay..” I start to reply, but her lips silence mine as she begins to undress me. Soon, our bodies are intwined once more.
-12th Great Harvest-
Hot, cloudy, no rain, good breeze-
-Immersion, see something discarded within reach-
-Peace Time Week 2 still-ancient ruins discovered near Ernith Dun(added to map, not relevant at this time)
-Seepage 0 on d8-had sex the day before- (Romance status is at 3 successes (Enamored) for each of them using modified Hearts and Arrows, granting a point of spark for each, which functions like Inspiration. Any “romantic” or supportive interaction with the othe recharges this to a maximum of 1 per day)
-Pursuers scouring Westhold Town proper, Alestor informed last night- Q: Does Alestor send riders to his vassals? Unlikely YES
Scene #21:
I wake up in Eveline’s bed lying half across her. She is stroking my forehead, “You need to cut your hair,” she says. “Conceal it more fully. I’ll cut mine too, but they aren’t really going to be looking for me. And your journal, our nice gowns, they need to go. Your ring…that too.”
I look up at her, “I wish you were wrong. I don’t want my journal to be lost though.”
Eveline shrugs, “That’s just my advice. Do as you will. I’m not the one running away from home.” I sigh and climb out of bed, then start dressing. Eveline continues, “And we need better clothing. Nobody believes you are a shepherdess. Be a tradesman’s daughter. And don’t meet noblemen’s eyes. Cast your eyes down. Defer. Always defer.”
I furrow my brow and look at her, “You meet my gaze.”
“Desperate hope after you told Mother Muriel you would not obey. I didn’t understand who you were, and now, you are more than that.” Eveline gives a feeble smile
I smile warmly in return, “Let’s go.”
Q: Is Harald there? YES
I return to my room and pack my gear while Eveline packs hers, then we head to the great hall where Lord Harald is eating breakfast with some of his men. Eveline and I bow, “By your leave, my lord.”
“You’ll not stay for breakfast?” Lord Harald asks.
-Harald’s insight, 12-
“You are a most gracious host, but the road calls. May Freia bless you and your lands,” I raise my eyes to meet his gaze. “You are a good man.” He regards me with an intrigued look as Eveline pulls me away.
Out in the courtyard, “That! That’s exactly what you shouldn’t do!” she warns.
“But he already suspects everything,” I point out. She sighs in agreement. Soon, our animals are saddled and we are on the road, Rabbit, Hare and Princeling tagging along behind. The guards are glad to see us leaving.
-Morning Encounter-bees, hornets nest- Q: Is the lord of Goodwill at home? YES
We follow the road from Hamstrung to the highway, then begin following it north through ruined country side. In the distance, ruined farmhouses can be seen. Fields of unharvested and partly trampled ripened wheat attest to the devestation of the recent warfare.
-Perception 16, by Princeling-
As we pass down the road, Princeling stops and arches his back. Then we hear a buzzing noise coming from a tree by the side of the road. We give it a wide berth.
Q: Guard on duty? EXCEPTIONAL NO Q: Is the manor intact? EXCEPTIONAL NO
Late morning, we arrive at a ruined village surrounded by a partly collapsed palisade, we pass through the broken gate and see even greater devastation. Only a handful of houses remain intact, the rest are burnt to varying degrees. There are a handful of people and animals around. A few men working to finish collapsing an old house. An old woman is trying to salvage what is left of a garden. I look up towards the old manorhouse, which has collapsed in on itself from fire…its stone exterior walls no defense against the flame.
-Lord Markely perception 4-
There is a nobleman talking to an older man surrounded by some younger ones. Three soldiers stand lounge nearby. We continue walking, passing through the village without interruption.
-Afternoon Encounter-Hawk- Q: Does the patrol return now? NO
We hear a hawk screeching overhead. Suddenly, it dives down, and then triumphantly, soars back into the air, a poor, unfortunate gopher in its talons.
“The hunters always win. Prey never does,” Eveline notes, glaring at the hawk. “That house, over there, come on.” She urges and I follow her to a ruined house. “We cut your hair, now.”
Q: Is anyone there? NO
I sigh, but have to agree, and I close my eyes as Eveline begins cutting my hair with a knife. As she does so, she confides, “From now on, I do the talking. You keep your eyes down. Say nothing. You are my mute sister, Ilsa. Mute, do you understand?”
“Why mute?” I protest.
“Because until we change clothes, you cannot talk! You are too confident, too certain. It doesn’t work with you dressed as a shepherd,” she explains. Then she pulls our fine gowns out from the mule packs, and takes them down into the root cellar.
Q: Any plunder down there? YES
She comes back up the stairs, “Alright, there are sacks of potatoes, onions and carrots. We can get new equipment later after we know you are no longer being hunted. Until we change clothes, we are refugee herbalists with food from our garden to trade. We leave the shovels, most of the travel rations. We’ll wrap up the books, and hide them here under a floorboard.”
“Then we’ll never get them back!” I protest.
“We don’t have a choice!” Eveline hisses back. “Do this! Anything tied to you gets left behind here, and now!”
I glare at her as I begin going through the packs. “Fine. You’re right. And I hate it!”
She pulls me away from the mule, spins me around and kisses me. “Get used to me being right! We are going to get clear of anyone who might be looking for us.”
I step back, surprised, “You…that wasn’t needed to keep you safe.”
Eveline shakes her head, “No. It’s to keep you safe. Let’s get rid of anything we shouldn’t have. The strong box goes. We’ll keep the coin, hide the jewelry, in the bottom of a sack of food.”
“I cannot abandon my spellbook,” I point out.
She nods, “We have to be careful hiding it then. And…maybe another. But…don’t be greedy,” Eveline pleads. “I don’t want you to be captured and taken from me.”
I nod, and then kiss her back. “Let’s do this.”
—
We pry open a floorboard in the root cellar, and Eveline and I start digging out a hole in which to conceal our goods, dumping the excavated soil some distance from the building. Then, by lantern light, I sit down and copy two of the arcane potion recipes into my spellbook. Then I forge a land deed, granting permission to settle in Westhold, addressed to Sergeant Mical of the Order of Norgard, addressed to him at Fort Norgard (which is outside of Kiddimir) and signed by Chancellor Torrence. I then use my seal on it, and after the seal hardens, we break the seal, and applying heat to the letter, let the parchment scorch and the imagery on the seal become unrecognizable, so it was clearly an official document. Then we bury all of the other books we were carrying with the rest of our supplies.
The books are carefully packed inside a backpack, then wrapped inside one of the tents. My ink and parchment with them. Then we fill in the hole, and hammer the floorboard back in place, leaving the hammer and shovel then in the cellar of one of the other farm houses. It is nearly dusk when we load up Hare with what little we are still carrying, along with sacks of potatoes, onions, oats, beans, peas, salvaged clothes and seed grain. Our coins are mixed in with the sack of beans and peas, dense and heavy, but unlikely to be thoroughly searched if at all. I give Eveline my falcon pendant, and she gives me hers. She also dons my copper bracelet, both gifts from her fiancé who convinced us to come with him as a freeholder on the frontier, and she tucks the forged letter into her pouch. With a firm blow, we send Rabbit running off to the west, unencumbered.
On the road, we continue working on our story, we were herbalists in Plowstump. I am very shy. I do not talk, but I am not mute. That way, if I slip, or someone hears us whispering to one another, we are not proven liars. Eveline met a soldier, a Sergeant Mical from the royal army. They met when she was trading at market in Hammerfel and his company was passing through. He is a much older man, but she was fond of him, and when he mustered out and was told he could claim land in Westhold, he convinced her and I to join him there. But we were still looking for a plot when orcs attacked, so he hadn’t yet been to Westhold proper to have the baron sign off on the grant. For a physical description of Mical, we’ll use that of Captain Sonder. If we are discovered to have coin, or other jewelry, it is the spoils of his long service, hidden because we feared bandits. He was killed by orc raiders, our oxen slain, hens stolen, cart burned. We escaped with our mule and what we were able to salvage later from nearby farms.
As we reach the fields surrounding Allsfair, I stop talking and lower my eyes, watching the ground as I lead Hare.
Q: Does she want to skip the villages? EXCEPTIONAL NO
“Time to test our story,” Eveline resolves as we approach the village. It has clearly been attacked, judging from damage to its palisade and the orc heads staked out along the approach. Any field workers have already retired behind the walls for the night at this point.
-Immersion-Begging-
Scene #22: E: New NPC: the Spying of a Representative (this will be the beggar, and he also resolves the looming traitor thread)
As is nearly always the case, there are two guards at the village gate, watching as we approach. The gate opens, and two more step forward, one with a pair of warhounds. Just inside the gate, I see an old man in rags, a crutch by his side and wooden bowl in hand “Coin? Bread? Help me,” he pleads. The guard’s eyes are on us though.
Q: Do the guards question us? EXCEPTIONAL NO
As we walk past the guards, one of them shakes his head, “Pitiful,” I hear him mutter.
Suddenly, the beggar perks up, “Two women! One with red hair! Do I get the bounty? Do I get the bounty? I’m getting the finest room in the inn tonight!”
-Wisdom Saves, burning “romance” spark for rerolls-Both over 15- Eveline deception 19, Guard insight 5-
Eveline and I both give the man confused looks, and I put my hand to my head. Eveline speaks first, “What is he talking about?”
“Pipe down, Jerome,” the guard shouts at the beggar, then he looks at Eveline and I. “Who are you?”
“I’m Eveline Lovechild. This is my sister, Ilsa. She doesn’t talk. My husband…he didn’t make it,” she adds with a sniffle.
“Where are you from?” the guard asks.
“Plowstump, near Hammerfell, but my father was a soldier, told he could have a freehold here in Westhold. We were looking for a good place to settle so we could ask the local lord permission,” she pulls out the crumpled letter, to show the guard, “but…we didn’t know where to run when the orcs came. We were out on the frontier…looking for a good place near a stream.”
Q: Does he study it closely? NO
The guard takes the letter, gives it a cursory glance, likely unable to read much of it, and hands it back to Eveline. Then I sense he is looking at me, “What’s your name girl?”
I moan a bit and make a tradefist sign for medicine and bag.
-Deception 13, vs Insight 5-
“Drug Sack,” Eveline translates. “As close as we could come up with for Ilsa when mum figured out she doesn’t talk.”
The guard reaches out and touches my hair. I cast my eyes down and recoil slightly, blushing when he says, “Pretty little thing. Shame she doesn’t talk.”
“That ain’t all bad!” laughs the guard with the dogs.
The one touching me withdraws his hand and snaps back, “Don’t let Lady Alfifa hear you say that. She’ll put you in stocks.” The dog handler’s grin vanishes, and he glances back towards the village square. The handy guard then turns back to Eveline, “You and your sister are free to go. But there’s no lodging here. You aren’t the only ones who’ve lost everything. But you’re better off than most. Sorry about your husband.”
“Mical was a good man,” Eveline replies wistfully, looking like the wind has been knocked out of her, “Thank you.” She manages a weak smile, and we pass by the guards and into the village.
Q: Are there refugees everywhere? EXCEPTIONAL YES
There are people sleeping under the awnings of shops and farmhouses, carts and wagons everywhere. Livestock tied loosely to whatever is available. Village guards are on patrol.
There is an inn in the center of the village, and while it seems very lively and crowded outside, the market square in front of it seems more…desperate.
-Encounter-Village Guard-Perception 20-
One of the local guards looks us over, and stops in front of me, “Your name?”
-Eveline’s Deception 16, Guard Insight 14-
Startled, I step back and sign “Medicine Bag” again. Eveline interjects, “Ilsa. Her name is Ilsa, but my sister doesn’t talk. She’s very scared. Is there someplace we could rest the night? Cook a meal? We have food, we aren’t asking for handouts,” she pleads.
“No. No fires unless you can crowd in near the one by the well. We’re letting people cook there. I think they’ll welcome a bit more in the pot,” he looks at Eveline, “the redhead doesn’t talk?”
-Performance 17-
“No,” Eveline averts her eyes,”Not since we were little. Forgive me, my husband just died and my sister and I are looking for shelter. We need someplace to rest and…will we be welcomed when we reach the city? Do you know?” she pleads.
Q: Is the city welcoming of refugees? NO Q: Is he nasty about it? EXCEPTIONAL YES
The guard snorts, “No. There’s no room there either. Lord Allestor says you lot should all go back to your homes, harvest your grain before it rots, then rebuild your homes before winter hits. Every day you loiter here is a day closer you get to starving to death or whoring yourselves out for a crust.”
-Performance 25-
I feign worry over his words, while Eveline screws up her face in disgust, “If my husband were still alive, you’d be on the ground right now,” she warns him.
The guard backs away, then gestures, “Cooking pot by the well.”
Eveline pulls me along by my shoulder and I tug Hare after us as we make our way into the village square.
–encounter-village industry worker-
In the village square, I stop along the edge with Hare, while Eveline takes two potatoes an onion, and a handful of beans in her kerchief and makes her way to the large cooking pot. “My sister and I would like to contribute if we can each get a bowl too,” she offers. The old woman by the cooking pot eagerly adds our contribution to the pottage, tossing in the beans then slicing up the roots and tossing them in as well. Eveline smiles at me, just as a man approaches, smelling of malt.
“Hey there. I’ve got a warm bed if you don’t want to sleep on the streets like all these others,” the man suggests.
I squeeze my arms together and cast my eyes down.
Q: Does he persist? NO
“Hmmph, suit yourself. Sleep in the cold for all I care,” the man snorts before going to make the same offer to another woman.
I glance up, and notice Eveline smile at me.
Eventually, bowls are being filled and passed around. Eveline offers up our bowls then carefully returns to me at the edge of the square once they’ve been filled. “What did that guy want?” she asks, then catches herself, “As though you could say.”
I sign “lodging” and “trade” using tradefist, then make an obscene pantomime so she understands the offer. She looks around for him, “I’d have said yes myself. It solves two problems tonight. But it was right for you to say no.” I give her a concerned look. She shrugs, “It’s alright. One night. We should be fine.”
I nod, hesitantly, then we sit and eat our stew. I try not to guess what meat might have been offered up. Probably a hen, but…people are desperate right now and nobody.
Q: Can we find a quiet corner to sleep in? NO Q: A group that welcomes us? EXCEPTIONAL NO
We look around the village, but every barn is locked up, people’s carts now serve as makeshift lean-to’s. Blankets are laid out everywhere, and whenever we find a place where it looks like we might be able to squeeze in, we are shooed away. We end up behind the tavern, where people with money are enjoying music, meat and mead not doubt. I brush down Hare and we lean up against the wall of the tavern to sleep.
-13th Great Harvest-
-Pleasant, cloudy, no rain, gentle breeze-
-Immersion, smell, manure-
-Peace Time Week 2 still-ancient ruins discovered near Ernith Dun(added to map, not relevant at this time)
-Seepage 1 on d8-rolled a 4- no seepage(Romance status is Enamored)
-Harald Insight on learning of Yseldra’s flight, 18- Q: Does Harald betray Eveline? Unlikely-NO (He realizes who she was, and after the courier leaves, chuckles to himself and tosses the letter into the burning hearth, telling nobody)
Q: Does Jerome try to report to a bandit contact? NO
Scene #23:
The stench of manure washes over us as the wind catches the ever increasing odor within the palisades. I groan and rise alongside my sister, and then walk to the village well, tiptoeing past other refugees to fill my water bucked and bring it back to Hare. Eveline starts packing the mule. “We’ll move east, away from the border. No point in going to Westhold proper. Maybe we’ll find welcome beyond? A place to settle and rebuild away from orcs?” she says as though merely talking to me, but also maintaining our ruse.
I nod, and sign “Bargain” in Tradefist. Then we make our way towards the north gate of the village, hoping to continue our journey.
-Village encounter-the village miller’s wife-Q: Has Avis the Miller’s wife heard about the runaway noblewoman? NO-Reaction roll 15 (positive)
On our way towards the gate, a well dressed woman stops us, “Oh, you poor girls! I bet you had to sleep outside last night. I’m so sorry what’s happened to you lot. It must have been horrifying, orcs burning your home and all. Here, let me help!” she presses a loaf of bread into Eveline’s hand and one into mine.
“Thank you,” bows Eveline lightly, then adds, “My sister doesn’t talk. She thanks you too.” I bow my head as well.
“Oh! Oh dear me! So horrid, so horrid,” stammers the woman. “Cursed by the Dark Brother, and then this. A tragedy, a horrid tragedy.”
Eveline looks at her in confusion as I recoil a bit for clearly the woman is a bit odd. “The goddess will protect us in the end,” Eveline replies.
“I hope so. I’ll pray for your,” the woman says. Eveline thanks her and we continue on our way.
Q: Are stopped at the gate? EXCEPTIONAL NO Q: Are others heading east? NO Q: North? YES
The guards sneer as we leave through the north gate. Then observing the sign indicating the path to Westhold and another pointing east towards a village called Short Trot, we head east, though others continue following the road towards the city.
-Morning encounter-no encounter-
We stow one loaf of bread for later, and split the other, eating as we travel. We pass by an area where the nearby field had been trampled, likely by a horse formation, but otherwise, casually follow a narrow road through the farmland spotting the occasional hamlet as well as men and women at work in their fields. By midday, we have reached the village of Short Trot. As we draw close enough to see smoke rising from kitchen fires, I tie a kerchief over my head so my hair color is not obvious from a distance. Eveline does the same, though, her hair being longer still, is visible from the side, yet sisters should dress much the same way as their mother taught them.
“I’d rather go around, but it would look suspicious,” I whisper to Eveline.
Q: Does she agree we should enter? YES
She nods agreement, “Agreed. Too bad you can’t talk.” she teases. I smile and fall silent once more as we approach.
Q: Do the guards turn us away? NO Q: Question us? NO Q: Are there many refugees here? EXCEPTIONAL NO
The guards give us a quick glance as we enter the village, and head towards the village square. There we water Hare, and sit down for a bit, sharing the other loaf of bread. There is no tavern, but I spot an herbalist, a blacksmith, a gristmill and a couple of other shops.
-Village encounter-Guard, generate guard-Q: Has he been told? (Unlikely due to the lord being a skeptic) NO-
“Hope you lazy sots don’t plan on staying around,” a guard says as he approaches us.
-Performance 15-
I immediately cast my eyes down, and Eveline replies, “No master. We just needed a rest from the road. I’d hoped there might be an inn and a warm meal before we continue. We’ll be on our way soon,” she holds up the bread.
Q: Does he lecture us? YES
“The Baron has ordered all refugees to return home. The orcs are driven away. Go back home, harvest your grain, and rebuild,” the guard snarls.
Eveline stammers, “Understood…we just need to eat first.”
Q: Does he question me? EXCEPTIONAL NO
He looks between us, then snorts and walks away.
As soon as we are done with our bread, watering the mule and cat, refilling our own waterskins, we head back out the village gate, then head east once more.
Q: Does a guard ask why we are going east? NO
We continue to follow the road towards the village of Godsale.
-Afternoon Encounter-a reflective glint off the road-
Farther on, I spot something shiny a short distance from the road. “I wonder what that is,” I whisper, pointing in the direction.
Eveline shrugs, “Let’s find out,” and we lead Hare off the trail and into the pasture. Princeling happily races ahead, scattering some field mice.
Q: Is it a weapon? YES Q: Dead body nearby? YES Q: Orc? EXCEPTIONAL NO Q: Adventurer? YES (generate party, ask ChatGPT what they might have, then roll to see which one’s body I find) (died 1 day ago, yesterday, Medicine check passed)
“A dwarf?” I mutter, then pick up the short sword lying near the man’s body.
“Search him,” Eveline suggests, and I immediately do. He has a pouch of coins, but woven into his jacket, there are two small gems. He has a couple of daggers too. I take the valuables.
“We can’t leave him here, and we don’t have a shovel,” I say.
Eveline nods, “Yeah,” and we wrap the body in its cloak and carefully lift him up onto Hare. Then continue on our way.
I tie the man’s pouch back onto his belt, “We’ll keep the hidden gems, but I don’t want it to look like we’re thieves.” Eveline nods agreement.
-Godsale-
-Immersion-Metalic smell-
Scene #24 (Positive Alteration): Q: Is a friend of the dwarf’s present? NO
I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as we approach the village of Godsale. It’s wrong to leave a man to rot, but that’s just what a refugee might do. I cast my eyes down, and trust Eveline to handle the situation. The smell of the dwarf’s blood still fills the air.
Approaching the village, two guards spot us and immediately come to join us, “Is that Ironbeard?”
Eveline stammers out, “We don’t know. We found his body off the side of the road about five miles back, and just couldn’t leave him there for the crows.” The guards quickly usher us inside the gate and up towards the village shrine. They send a boy to inform the village lord.
I keep my eyes down, and inside the shrine, I curl up in one corner, holding legs to my chest, rocking back and forth as though in grief and trauma, while the priest talks to Eveline, “
Q: Were dead orcs nearby? EXCEPTIONAL YES
“What happened?” the priest demands.
“We don’t know, but there were some orc bodies nearby too. We just…we had to bring him back for burial,” Eveline pleads.
“You did well,” the priest smiles.
Q: Has he heard? YES E: Progress on ‘Westhold is in turmoil’: Proceedings regarding Liberty (Priest perception 12, with me curled up the way I am, it would be very hard for him to spot my red eyebrows, maybe a DC 20, at least a DC 15)
The priest lays out the dwarf’s body, and begins removing his outer garments and cleaning the wounds.
The village lord arrives, “Where are his fellows?” The lord demands. The priest nods towards Eveline. Eveline bows her head, and the lord asks her.
“I don’t know, my lord,” she stammers, “we found this man’s body…surrounded by dead orcs. We just…we just couldn’t leave him.”
“No others? No signs of his companions?” the noble demands.
Eveline shrugs hers her shoulders, still looking down, “We only saw this man…his blade shone in the sunlight. We didn’t look any farther.”
-Lord Giles perception 11-Q: Does he ask who we are? YES
“I don’t know you. Refugees?” the lord demands.
-Deception 14, vs insight 9- Q: Does he ask our destination? EXCEPTIONAL YES E: Setback to ‘Westhold is in turmoil’: the Attainment of the intellectual
“Yes my lord,” Eveline keeps her eyes down, “My…my name is Eveline. That’s my sister, Ilsa. She doesn’t speak.”
His eyes narrow, “Where are you heading? Everyone was told to return to their homes and start rebuilding.”
-Performance 22 vs Insight 21- (forgery quality, 20)
With shaky hands, Eveline produces our forged letter, “My husband…my husband Mical was granted a Freehold, but we were looking for the right place…so we could ask the baron permission to settle there…then we were attacked. We have no home right now. We are on our way to Kiddimir. Maybe the lord chancellor will give his grant to me?” she dares raise pleading eyes to the lord, “By your grace?”
(forgery quality, 20, vs Insight 8) Q: Does he believe the letter? a Sure thing-YES
He snatches the letter from her hand and carefully reads it. Then he sighs, “I am sorry for your loss. Perhaps the Lord Chancellor will grant that favor.” Then considering he adds, “There is no inn here, but you shouldn’t have to sleep outside.” He looks to the priest, “Might they sleep here in the shrine?”
The priest nods, “Of course. Freia welcomes all of her children.”
The lord nods, “I will have some food sent over.” Then he turns and leaves.
Q: One of his kids? YES
A short time later, a very well dressed girl about ten years old, likely the lord’s daughter, arrives with a basket full of food, and a letter. She smiles up at Eveline. Eveline bows. The girl asks, “Were you really attacked by orcs? Did master Ironbeard save you?”
-Performance 11, insight 8-
Eveline looks at her in confusion, then averts her eyes, “No my lady. We were attacked by orcs days ago, and my husband killed. But Ironbeard was attacked by orcs too…in a different fight. But he must have died bravely. There were lots of dead orcs around him.”
“He was very brave! And dwarves are very strong! There must have been a lot of orcs!” the girl gushes, looking at the dead man’s body. Then she remembers why she is here. “Father said to bring you some food. There is some…pheasant, some cheese, some bread, some turnips,” she makes a face, “Oh, and I brought you some honey bread.” The girl beams, “I love honey bread!”
“Thank you, my lady,” Eveline keeps her head bowed low.
“Oh, and this!” the girl adds, passing a letter to Eveline. “It isn’t for you to open. It is for you to deliver to the high chancellor. Father says you deserve help for what you’ve done. The letter is supposed to help.”
“Thank you, my lady. You and your father are most generous,” Eveline replies. The girl then smiles and leaves.
The priest shakes his head, “She is a precocious child. Eager to help her father. Anyway, you have food. There is a well in the village square. I am going to retire to my lodging. You may sleep here. Good night.” And with that, he leaves.
I give a deep sigh of relief, as Eveline looks at the sealed letter, then adds that to her pouch. We then share the food, eating whatever will not keep over night or travel well. Then we unload and tend to Hare before retiring for the night.
“It doesn’t really feel right to…” I hesitate, looking up at the statue of Freia staring down at us.
-E Performance 21, Y Performance 16- Q: Does Freia smite us? No Way-YES
Eveline drapes her cloak over the goddess’ eyes, “Please forgive us,” she says, and then she turns to me, and we enjoy one another’s companionship. We are in the middle of things when an owl suddenly sweeps into the shrine screeching in our ears and tangling in Eveline’s hair while she straddles me. Eveline cries out and the owl departs.
“I warned you!” I laugh.
Eveline shakes her head, then turns to the statue, pulling her cloak from it, “Forgive us, Mother Freia.” Then she sits down and using Hare’s bridle, begins lashing herself in penance. I cast my eyes down until she is done, then I take the bridle and do the same.
Afterwards, we retire to sleep.
-14th Great Harvest-
–Clear skies, inconsequential wind–
-Immersion, see something brightly colored through a gap-
-Peace Time Week 2 still-ancient ruins discovered near Ernith Dun(added to map, not relevant at this time)
-Seepage 0 on d8-self-mortification, Eveline down 2 hit points, Yseldra down 1 hit point, but both passed con saves to heal overnight- no seepage(Romance status is Enamored)
Q: Is Alewash navigable? NO
Scene #25:
Waking in the shrine and getting dressed, I offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to the goddess for our safe travels thus far. Then as Eveline and I head outside and to water and load up Hare, I spot a red bird sitting in a nearby tree, partly hidden by its boughs. I smile. Then there is a streak of orange and the bird bursts out from the leaves as Princeling tumbles out of the tree, having missed his mark. I laugh and glance at Eveline. She grins and says, “But sometime, the hunter misses its mark.” I nod and sweep up my frustrated cat as we start walking towards the gate.
Q: Are we intercepted by anyone? YES (generate–shopkeeper’s wife)
“Is that your cat!” screams a well dressed woman storming across the square towards us. The red bird now perched on her shoulder. I cower, cradling Princeling while Eveline turns to face her.
-Persuasion 21-
“Please forgive us, mistress,” Eveline stammers, “it will never happen again. We were just passing through and lost track of him over the night.”
“Harumph!” the woman snorts, “See to it that it never happens again!”
We scurry away towards the village gate, pretending to be cowed and embarrassed.
Q: Do the guards stop us? Very Unlikely-NO
We then cross the bridge over the Alewash River, and follow the road east towards a village called Coney, according to the signposts.
-Morning Encounter-quail-
Following the road through farmland and pasture country, we see people working the fields, harvesting heir grain. The occasional hawk circling, and then some quail scamper across the road. Princeling, walking alongside us now, races after the birds, but rejoins us a short time later empty handed. “Not such the fearless hunter after all, are you?” I tease.
“Watch it, cat! Ilsa will have to replace you if you don’t straighten up,” Eveline warns.
Princeling raises his head in disdain.
(generating the next two villages hints at something interesting) Q: Is Eveline uneasy? NO
As we travel, we notice in the distance to the south a forest that seems…dead. Though it is fall, the trees look as though they stand in dead winter, lifeless and barren. “What do you think of that?” I ask.
Eveline studies the scene, “Some sort of woodrot? Leaf blight? Nothing that concerns us. Let’s keep moving.” I nod agreement and we press on to Coney.
Q: Do the guards stop us? NO Q: Does anyone approach us? NO (generate tavern)
We enter the village with no difficulty and make our way towards the village square. To our delight, there is a tavern! We head directly towards it, only pausing by the well to water Hare, then we enter the tavern. I hang my head low while Eveline guides me toward a table.
After we sit, Eveline walks over to the bar and a sourfaced man greets her. “Two tankards, two bowls of…broth.” he looks her up and down. “Can you pay?”
“Yes master,” she pulls out two silver coins, “Can you scoop from the bottom of the stew, we are hungry and need more than broth for our journey. Bread and cheese too?” adding a third coin, “and the ale.”
The bartender nods, and serves us properly, two full bowls of ham, leek and potato stew and two tankards of strong ale, along with a loaf of bread and some soft cheese. We smile as we sit across from each other and eat. “When we get to Kiddimir, we’ll have to go to the temple and see if the church can help us get an audience. You’ll see! Everything will be alright,” Eveline assures me.
I fake a weak smile, feigning hopeful eagerness.
-taproom event- Q: Do any approach us? NO
While we are talking, several youths from the village pour into the tavern, clearly having ducked away from the fields and shirking their responsibility. The barkeeper manages a terse grin, but starts pouring tankards for the young laggards. Thankfully, none of them seem to take any note of us as we continue our little charade. After filling our bellies, we buy two more loaves from the barkeep, and hit the road once more.
Q: Anyone trouble us as we leave? YES (farmer’s wife) Q: Looking for her son? EXCEPTIONAL YES
“Is my boy in there again?” an older woman calls to us as we are walking away from the village square.
I lower my head, and Eveline replies, “A bunch of boys just came in before we left. He might be with them?” she shrugs, and the woman makes a sour face as she storms towards the tavern.
-Afternoon-No encounter-cow tracks-
We make good time following the road as it now curves north, towards Shadowood according to the road signs. We come across an area where a herd of cattle was clearly driven down the road, but the tracks fade as we see where the animals were driven back off the road into other pasture.
Q: Do the guards stop us? EXCEPTIONAL NO (this noble cares little for law, so Very Unlikely his men are attentive) Q: Are there refugees here? EXCEPTIONAL YES
Finally, we reach the village of Shadowood late in the afternoon, and the guards scarcely pay us any notice as we wander through the gate and towards the market square. The square is crowded, not merely with wandering peddlars and caravaners, but with a large number of refugees as well. Apparently, many are ignoring Lord Alestor’s order to return home, and perhaps attempting to find safer new homes to the east. We quickly blend into the crowd. I point out the inn.
Eveline shakes her head. Instead, she starts looking for another communal pot. I lower my eyes and follow her through the market, keeping careful watch on our mule as I pull Hare behind me.
Q: Is there a community pot? NO (Investigation 20) (generate a refugee group and the leader)
Unfortunately, it seems that every group of travelers is keeping to themselves. So Eveline begins asking around for people heading towards Oldenstone in the morning with whom we can tag along, and soon finds a family heading that way. Once she does, she does, she fetches me.
“Ulf, this is my sister, Ilsa. She doesn’t talk, but we are glad you’ll let us come with you,” Eveline introduces me. I nod, keeping my eyes down.
-Ulf’s insight 19-
“Sister, you say? You don’t look much alike,” he muses.
-Performance 6 (even rolling with advantage! two 1’s!-
“Half sister,” Eveline clarifies, “Our mother was…well…our name is lovechild.” she whispers, embarrassed.
Q: Does he care? EXCEPTIONAL NO
“Fine, lie all you want. There’s safety in numbers, and I don’t really care how you are related or if you are. We leave first thing in the morning. You said you had some food?” the old man demands.
“Yes, of course,” Eveline replies and I quietly pull several potatoes and onions from our sacks, and also a few handfuls of beans and peas with which our new companions can start a stew.
Q: Do they have much food? NO
They are eager for the food as they haven’t eaten well in several days. Altogether, the group consists of thirteen adults plus fifteen children. Nearly half of our potatoes, onions and beans are gone in an instant, and I have to be careful not to expose any coin.
-Performance 11-
“Don’t be so stingy,” complains an older woman, apparently Ulf’s wife. “Keep putting more in.” I shake my head, but keep it lowered.
“We also have to eat,” Eveline protests. “Have you nothing to trade on a market day for more food?”
“Nothing left,” one of the younger women laments.
“I point to Eveline’s gold pendant, and she takes it off, and hands it to me. I then wander into the market square, palming the pendant into my purse and slipping out a gold crown. Head lowered, I find a vegetable stand, and tradefist for some food. Then a meat seller.
-Persuasion with disadvantage for lack of direct words, 10, fair price-10 lbs salt pork (4 sp), 30 lbs potato, 30 lbs beans (6 sp)
I return to the troupe with three sacks of provisions that I can scarcely carry. Eveline asks, “Anything left?”
-Performance 11, Ulf’s insight is only 6 this time-
I shake my head sadly, and she fakes a tear, lamenting the loss of the gold pendant her imaginary husband gave her. But now, provisioned once more, our companions are much happier as we immediately add some meat to the stew, and will have more tomorrow.
We crowd together with our new companions, and rest for the remainder of the day, staying out of the way of other refugees, the guards and people attending the market.
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