|
Quill looks at Storn and nods slowly.
"I'm still not sure why we destroy both things and give them to Gredsuckdel. That's the only solution that makes us safe," Quill says appeasingly.
* * ** * *
Quill continues to help rebuild Trunau, feeling more a part of the town than he had ever before. In the past, he felt (imagined or not) that he was an outsider and a fake-Trunauan, but after this attack, his acclaim, and his defense of the town, he now feels some ownership, some community, some pride.
He works to fletch when he can, or rebuild walls, or dig rubble, or heal the wounded. Trunau is his and he is Trunau's.
When the patients finally run out, Molly takes a trip to Sander's alchemy shop for a shopping spree. Once she has purchased everything she wants, she retreats to her inn room with a collection of alchemical substances and stays there for one day. By the time the Witch rejoins the party, she is wearing a single pearl on a rawhide string as a necklace...
==========
==========
Storn looks incredulously at Quill.
"What sort of madman sees an ancient gem with a map to unspeakable danger and certain death and doesn't follow it?! Also, I doubt we could destroy these if we wanted."
=========
Pleased as punch with the half-plate, Storn heads over to the Clamor. He thunks the now-resized breastplate down.
"So, what'll it take to get some spikes on this armour?"
Realizing he's going to have to go out on another hare-brained scheme that only someone like Storn would be excited about, Sander retreats to his lab, where he begins brewing furiously, hoping to have a few extra potions to help him on the journey.
|
|
Storn looks incredulously at Quill.
"What sort of madman sees an ancient gem with a map to unspeakable danger and certain death and doesn't follow it?! Also, I doubt we could destroy these if we wanted."
Quill looks incredulously at Storn.
"How would you know if you haven't tried? I bet you can, Storn!" Quill says, putting the stone map on the table and handing the artifact hammer to Storn. "I bet you can smash it good! Then we'll send the pieces back to the Gendelsuck."
Quill waits expectantly for Storn to prove him wrong by being incapable of destroying the evil map of doom and sure peril.
Clamor had likely only survived the orc attacks because it wsa made from clay and stone, with no flammable components used in its construction. Still, the building looked the worse for wear as Storn opened the door. Sara Morninghawk looked up as Storn entered Clamor in his bellowing fashion. The bandage on her head spoke to the injuries she had received in the attack, and the piles of broken breastplates, notched weapons, and other metal components were stacked almost to the ceiling.
The thunderhead look on Sara's face eased to that of clouds simmering before a storm as she looked over to see who was stupid enough to come in shouting at her like that. "Anyone else, and I'd tell 'em to get out and not come back. Seeing as its you, and I owe you big, I'll just tell you to get out and come back in two days. I got no apprentices left, and my best journeyman went off with you and your friends, and is now too busy building the militia back up to help me out."
She looked at the magical armor and her eyebrows raised. "Now this is a fine piece. And you say you want to add spikes to it? Are you crazy? They won't be magical, and they'll ruin the lines. Are you sure this is something you really want?"
---------------
Molly was busy in her makeshift lab, creating magical things from ordinary ones, and trying to figure out how to make an extradimensional space in an ordinary bag. She figured she had gotten he hang of it after burning holes in three different bags, and gave the whole thing up as a loss.
---------------
Sander spent the next few days with Louly, and brewing up potions. The woman had quite gotten tired of her hero status, and just wanted to settle back into their routine. She did encourage her husband, though, and would often just sit in her rocker, watching him brew potions. If Sander had ever turned quickly, he might have seen a distant look of sadness on her face, but he never did.
--------------
Mariana also spent a goodly amount of time alone. She was busy trying to craft the tale of the defense of Trunau, but the words wouldn't come. She was much better at telling stories than creating them. Her mind kept wandering back to the artifacts they had found, and her surety that they were important.
--------------
Quill was a Fletcher, and a fletcher fletched. He didn't worry about maps in gems, or magical hammers that changed size as you picked them up. And he couldn't understand why the others thought that these things should be preserved. It was simple. If you had something that someone else wanted badly enough to kill you for it, you got rid of it...and you made damn sure that other person knew you had. Despite all of his protests, and attempts to get Storn to destroy the gem, though, the others kept overruling him and doing their own things.
--------------
A few days after the attack, each of you received a summons requesting that you attend a special meeting of the Town Council. Th entire council was there, as was the druid Silvermane, whom you had found and rescued by the Hopespring pool beacon. Chief Defender Halgra spoke for the Council as she thanked you for your actions in saving the town, both during the raid itself, and under the hill. Then, she moved on to her request.
"From the notes you found, and from information we...extracted...from some of the orc survivors of the raid, we learned that the Twisted Nail orc tribe is being headed by the hill giant, Grenseldek, and her council of hill giants. She wanted something buried under Trunau - that stone and hammer - and she will stop at nothing to get it. She has also stated that Trunau is an offense to both giant- and orc-kind and she will wipe our town and everyone in it off the face of this planet, even if it costs the lives of every orc she can control."
"Sure, we can follow a certain suggestion I have heard - namely, destroying the objects, and making sure grenseldek knows we have done it - but her desire to destroy our town cannot be handled as easily."
"I don't have to tell you of the danger we are in. Trunau simply cannot weather another attack like the last. Our victory this week was one of morale, not numbers. The majority of the orc fled when they saw we - you - had killed the giant and destroyed their siege equipment. That, coupled with Kurst's outrider screen was enough to send them running. But, if Grenseldek is serious about destroying Trunau, she can."
"It is a simple matter of numbers, and the advantage our defenses have given us in the past is woefully broken now. It will take months to get the outer defenses rebuilt, and even longer to replenish our militia. That is why Yelena is not with us today. She has been promoted to Sergeant, and is helping to flesh out the defensive line."
"What I, we, are proposing is to hire you to deal with Grenseldek before she can rally her forces and return to Trunau. We think you are best suited for this, given how well you handled the giant at the Hopespring pool, and how well you worked together as a team for the entire battle. We need you to do this. Your families, those that live in Trunau, need you to do this. Can we count on your help?"
|
|
"Can we count on your help?"
Quill looks around at his new friends, trying to gauge how they will react to the invitation.
Quill thinks about Marigold Pottersmoot and nods yes. He nods that he is willing to die...but he's not sure for what yet.
"What do you want us to do? Go kill Grendelsek? How? We don't know where she is, right? We can barely handle one giant, let alone an army."
-------
-------
Storn smirks at Quill. "Quill, I don't smash everything just for the hell of it. For you see, this gem may lead me to more smashing. It's an investment in breaking faces."
--------
--------
Storn nods assertively. "I'm not wearing this to be pretty and kiss the ladies. I have some damage to do. And they don't have to be magical, just pointy. It's magic armour and can take a beating. When I finally die gloriously in battle, my weeping companions can haul this back and fix it up for the next poor bastard."
--------
--------
Storn's face opens into a huge, craggy grin. "I'll do it! And so will everyone else!"
He pauses for a moment, listening to Quill's protestations.
"Hrmph. Well, the elf has a whiny, whiny point to make, but I guess you're asking us because you know it's possible. Where is she, and what are we dealing with in terms of numbers and other stuff? Do they still have an army?"
Sanders sighs deeply and looks helplessly around at the others in the room, his thoughts drifting -- as they almost always do -- to his wife.
"I don't think we really have any choice. We can't let them destroy Trunau and hurt the people here. But you don't need to hire us. We -- or at least I'll -- do it because, well, like I said, we don't really have any choice.
"Maybe we should follow that map? If that's what she wanted, she must think there's something there. Since I don't think we can face her head on, especially not just the handful of us."
"Excellent! We were hoping that you would rise to the occasion. That's why we asked Silvermane to join us today. Some of you may know him,already, but the druid has spent most of his life in service to the Hopespring. Although he cannot speak, I will act as translator for him."
The elven druid stood and bowed slightly to you. His arms and hands moved in sweeping gestures, punctuated by delicate finger motions. It was almost hypnotic, and as the elven druid signed, Halgra spoke the words aloud. He began by thanking you for saving his life at the Hopespring beacon. He is certain that the giant or the orcs with it would have killed him, had you not intervened.
He then spoke of a demiplane called the Vault of Thorns, constructed by the druidic Council of Thorns, of which he was once a member. The Vault contains magic items once used to combat the predations of giants, and which should help you in your quest. The Vault, he says, has an entrance in the Ghostlight Marsh, a swamp to the northeast of Trunau.
The druid produced an ancient leaf-embossed lantern, telling you that if the husk of a dead will-o-wisp is placed in the lantern, it will guide the bearer to the circle of stones that marks the Vault's entrance. You will know that you are close, when you are traveling on the river Esk,and see a large stone with a circle of thorns carved into it. Once you reach the druidic circle, you need only wash the supernaturally fueled lantern’s light over the central standing stone to open the portal into the Vault of Thorns.
Halgra thanked the druid, and then continued. "Our scouts report that Greseldek has taken the remnants of her forces and holed up in Fort Redlake. If you can sneak into the Fort, using the weapons and items that are in the Vault, and remove her from leadership, then that should be enough to stave off any further attacks on Trunau for a while. Certainly long enough for us to get the walls and gates repaired,and perhaps get the militia healed back up into some order of fighting force."
"I have already secured passage for you up the River Esk, following this route here. The captain, Raag Bloodtusk, has agreed to take you where you need to go, and wait for you to do what needs done. He has a kind of understanding with the orcs in Belkzen, and as long as you don't draw too much attention to yourselves, you should be able to blend with his crew. I have a letter of introduction to Bloodtusk, as well as some other documents I'd like for you to deliver to him while you are bout it. "
"Questions? Comments? Reservations?"
Mariana continues to make notes, very fascinated by the details of this secret Vault.
"Why would the Council not provide these weapons to the people of Trunau for their protection? That seems reasonable, does it not? Regardless...do you, as a past member, know what sort of items we can find there?"
Tapping a finger to her lip, she adds a note, then looks back up, "Thankfully, we have Storn here, but is there any other assistance you could provide us, since Yelena will be staying to help here...we have lost one of our two strongest fighters...so anything that could be provided that would not slow the town's repairs...well, it would certainly be appreciated."
|
|
"Hrmph. Well, the elf has a whiny, whiny point to make, but I guess you're asking us because you know it's possible."
"...and as long as you don't draw too much attention to yourselves, you should be able to blend with his crew."
Quill raises his hand to ask a question.
"What if..."Quill's eyes dart quickly to Storn, then back to Halgra. "What if some of us aren't good at blending in? What if say...they were too loud and impulsive to blend in? What do we do then?" Quill asks tentatively unsure how to handle the delicate, but very obvious, issue.
Quill thinks more then has another question, agreeing with Mariana. He echoes the point.
"Why don't we bring the weapons back here for the defense of Trunau? I'm not trying to doubt your wisdom, but maybe they might be put to better use here so that they might stay in the hands of Trunauans if someone falls in battle."
Molly looks at Silvermane and... frowns.
"Begging your pardon, mister, but won't your old buddies object to us taking their treasures? Especially on the say of an ex-member? No offence to Druids in general, but you're not known for being kind to folks what rob you or despoil your holdings."
Silvermane smiled ruefully and, once he had Halgra's attention, began signing answers to some of the questions directed to him. Halgra spoke, "The Council of Thorns was destroyed centuries ago, holding off an orcish invasion in the depths of the Ghostlight Marsh. In their determination to stop the orcs, they died, all but three. Of the three that survived that assault, I am the last one living. Faced with sure defeat at the hands of an orcish horde that made the one attacking Trunau look like a family picnic, my brothers called to the wild magicks of the swamp. Just before I lost sight of them, I saw a host of will-o-wisps flood into the orcish ranks."
"I have never been back there. I kept the secrets of the Council until this day, waiting for an opportunity to break the orcish hold over this part of the world. As you have saved me from certain death, I wish to aid you in saving this corner of the world from despoilment."
"As for the treasures that are there, I cannot be certain. But know this, there were artifacts there dating back millenia, even to the Fall. Many were created specifically to aid in killing giants and their orcish pawns."
He nodded to Halgra, who continued. "As for my part, I would as soon strike the head of the serpent off a long way from Trunau's vulnerable citizenry. To be frank, bringing those treasures here may indeed aid in our defense, but it might be even more of an impetus for Grenseldek to attack - or to unite several more tribes in a joint assault - simply to remove the threat at her heels. A swift, and relatively stealthy, strike would be preferable, from the council's point of view."
"As for blending in with the keelboat's crew, I suspect that if you annoy them enough they might just let you swim. But, finding a will-o-wisp in the Ghostlight Marsh isn't likely to be difficult. There's a reason it's called the Ghostlight Marsh, after all."
"As for fighters, I don't know. I can put out the call for any volunteers, but I imagine most will be wanting to follow Yelena's course and stay to build up our defenses. Do you really think there is need? Storn seems like a strapping lad, ready to draw steel at the smallest convenience. As long as he remembers that the point isn't to die for your companions, but to make sure the other bastard dies for his, all should be well."
Molly gets up and, unless Silvermane refuses, enfolds the old Elf in a hug.
"Sorry, mister. I didn't know."
As the others complain and make up reasons not to do the best things, Storn actually drools at the thought of looting an ancient vault and then beating up giants with its contents. He touches his holy symbol, for he knows he is truly blessed.
Storn then glances over to Quill, grinning beneath his helmet.
"I'm exactly as impulsive as I want to be."
Looking then to the weird druid, Storn nods once.
"Get on a boat, don't get in trouble, head into a swamp, beat up a wisp, unlock a vault with it, loot the vault, punch a giant. And trust me, elf, bleyður flýja, stríðsmenn hörfa. Cowards flee, warriors retreat. In the Gorumskagat Gorum himself retreats so as to claim victory in the end. I'm very good at not dying, I've done is repeatedly."
|
|
"...relatively stealthy, strike would be preferable, from the council's point of view."
Quill raises his hand to ask a new question.
"What if..." Quill's eyes dart quickly to Storn, then back to Halgra. "What if some of us aren't good at being stealthy? Suppose...they were too loud all the time?" Quill asks, but then quickly adds more as Storn looks over. "I'm asking for a friend who's loud. He might want to go and he's really loud...not about anyone here. I'm asking for a friend."
Bluff -
"When I said relatively stealthy, I was comparing it to a full out assault with an army at your side. A handful of people can often go places where an army of five thousand cannot."
Storn turns to Quill, finally losing his temper. The enormous Kellid is now a mountain of iron, strange spikes sticking out in all directions. His booming, lilting voice echoes strangely from beneath his helmet.
"Damnit, stop making up excuses! Is this who you want to be? Would your God be proud of you to hide and hope this goes away? Look at Sander, he would rather do anything than this, but he thinks of Trunau before himself. Like it or not, you saved hundreds of lives and showed courage when you didn't think you had any. You're being asked to do this because you can. Trunau needs you because you have greatness in you."
Storn leans in, speaking reverentially, as if reciting a religious passage.
"Will you fight?"
Sander meeps as Storn directs attention toward him. He stutters for a moment as he tries to defend himself, but the big stranger is completely right -- he would rather do almost anything but this, but sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do...
"Besides the treasures, are there any defenses set up? I mean, they couldn't have let anyone just wander up and get it even if they figured out the will-o'-wisp bit, right?
" ... Which brings up another thought. I've -- thank all the gods -- never met a will-o'-wisp that I know of. What do we need to kill one?"
|
|
Excuses?! ME!!?
"Excuses!!? I already said I'd go! I just want to be properly prepared!" Quill whines whinily defends himself. "I just want to be sure we know what we're doing and have a good plan."
Quill quickly tries to get the attention of Halgra.
"Is there anything the town can do to help us be successful? A few more wands? Help enchant my bow?"
Quietly, she makes her notes and pays attention, enraptured by the ancient elf. Finally, she speaks up, "Not knowing what treasures we might find...perhaps you might remember what sort of guardians and traps we might find? I can't imagine a vault being hidden and that being it's only defense..."
Looking over at Quill and Storn, she shakes her head, "Warriors...I ask that you pay attention so that we might be fully ready for the trials and tribulations before us. Please do not turn me into my father...when my oldest brothers bickered..."
You recall that will-o'-wisps have a natural immunity to magic, and that they can emit light of almost any color, though the color they radiate seems to be related to region (i.e., wisps in one area all tend to emit the same color light). They are also naturally gifted with the ability to be come invisible, seemingly at will.
When questioned about defenses, Silvermane makes a sort of bobbling gesture with his hands, then continues to sign. "There are likely some natural guardians, and perhaps some that have wandered into the Vault in the centuries it has been left untended. It was never meant to be a defensive storage area, not long term anyways, and there were fewer guardians than you seem to expect. Of course, that was centuries ago, and many of the guardians I once knew are likely long gone by now. The fey found it an interesting place, though, and there will likely be some about, dryads mostly. "
Agrit reacted to Storn and Quill's comments. "Most of my stock went up in flames, and I am not a crafter. We might be able to get a few potions from the Iomedean clerics, but I am afraid that at this point, any magical help you need is going to have to come from whatever you can find in the Vault."
Nodding to both Silvermane and Agrit, then she taps her chin for a moment. "We are going to need to figure out some non-magical way to deal with the will o the wisps...as they can turn invisible...though, if Storn gets a lucky hit, it might not matter." She shakes her head slightly.
"We are going to need to be prepared for fey, as well, then..." she says as she jots down some notes in her journal and then puts that all away. Pursing her lips for a moment, she then checks to make sure things are secure and ready.
I also think that if you buy a wand, you learn the activation then and there, so it counts as having used the wand before and gives you the +2 bonus
"Cold iron weapons and a bag of flour or two, then."
"I could possibly make some blanches, if we need," Sander says, thinking furious, trying to remember his old lessons. He'd always been better at plants than anything else, but desperate times call for poor halfling to have to do things they don't want to do.
"You can cook them onto weapons and they'll act like cold iron until you hit something."
Storn grins over to Quill.
"If that's how elves say yes, than yes it is."
He listens to the council and weird old elf druid for a bit before looking to the others.
"I have everything I need. Even bought a blanch, although some cold iron weaponry would be even better. Something to sort out before we go. I think the questions we need are answered."
|
|
Scolded by Mariana, Quill wonders what *he* get to get yelled at. He was just asking questions...he wasn't the one yelling and stomping and yelling.
Quill downcasts when the town has little aid for them in the mission of utter importance that they are being sent on.
Quill sits and ponders what he'll need to go on a boat, then kill a willowy wisp, then raid a vault, then kill a giant army in a fortress.
Sure, I can do that. Sure I can.
Quill reflects on the 200 arrows he just purchased and realizes he might need to buy more. And other things.
|
|
Quill politely declines the cold iron gift, almost having more cold iron than he can carry and he doesn't want to take any more from the town he loves.
He does, however, summon the bravery (or, as he thinks of it, rising like Storn) and goes to see Marigold, the miller's daughter under the guise of buying some flour for his trip.
After ordering, Quill calmly lays out a full gold coin for the bag of flour, a gift more of remembrance than of need. It would be flour that he had bought from Marigold and that meant something (unlike the uncouth and unrefined trollops he was currently dallying with) deep to Quill.
"...so yeah, I might not return, Marigold," Quill says trying to stay tough. "I'm going off to break into secret vaults and slay giants. I might not ever return...but I'll have good flour if I need it for something. And I'll have it to remember...Trunau."
When he gets his flour, he will hastily stow it in his haversack and leave, losing his nerve after directly speaking to Marigold.
(unlike the uncouth and unrefined trollops he was currently dallying with)
Marigold gravely took the coin and smothered a giggle as Quill professed his undying need for flour to her. "Be safe, won't you Quill? I would really be upset if you didn't return." She waved to him as he left. After the door closed behind him he heard sounds of what could only be her sobs - tears, most likely. He was sure of it. Tears, definitely.
Before the group departs Trunau, Molly will visit Jenk's grave. Here, she dons a cloth mask with seven ribbons trailing from its rim along her hair, and recites a long, droning chant in the harsh-sounding language of her homeland. The dirge is her final farewell to her relative...
As you prepared to leave, after breaking your fast on the eighth day after the attack, Councillor Halgrim comes to see you off. Given the recent evidence of spies and saboteurs in Trunau, the Council determined that it would be best not to send you off with any more fanfare than was necessary, so only Halgrim and Kurst were there to see you off. Everyone with families in town had said their goodbyes already, and there was no crowd of well wishers.
Kurst offered his hand to each of you, wishing you good luck on your journeys. Halgrim offered something a little more. There were three items the Councillor handed over. One was a letter of introduction to Captain Bloodtusk of the keelboat slated to take you upriver. The second was a map of the route you planned to travel, with important information on borders and the route itself freshly inked. The third was a sealed envelope. Halgrim handed it over, saying "This is a personal delivery to Raag Bloodtusk. Deliver it to the hands of none other, and don't be snooping, either."
--------------------
The Kestrel River lies some eighteen miles directly north of Trunau, though of course the road was anything by direct. Without hurrying, for Halgrim had informed you that as long as you showed up before dark, you'd not miss the keelboat, you traveled the trail. The sun was high in the sky when Mariana noticed something amiss. Shapes in the trees seemed a little too regular. It almost looked like a box set up about 15 feet off the ground, and there was someone in it...
Her warning shout came too late as an arrow spanged off of Storn's new armor. Another kicked up a puff of dust in the path to his left. Shouts rose from all around you as a small group of orcs rushed in from their hiding spots in the woods.
Mariana
Molly
Quill
Storn
Sander
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Having no family or proper friends to see off, Storn simply leaves a note for the teenagers he sees daily, instructing them in the ways of Gorum.
Now attired as a proper man of Gorum - that is head to toe in uncomfortable, noisy, unwieldy armour, Storn joins the others. He gives Kurst a stern nod.
"Understood."
========
========
Storn clanks along steadily, a pace slower than the rest of the group, but the sturdy Gorumite remains resolute. His initial delight and bluster has faded into a serious determination, and despite his ugly face being entirely hidden by a helmet, his words are short and to the point.
ping!
Storn looks down as an arrow bounces off his armour, and he sees the orcs.
"Hah! And here I thought I was getting bored. Come at me you bastards! STOOOORN!"
Sensing the problems abounding, and seeing the arrows fly, Mariana decides it's time to try something new...
Taking a step closer to Quill...she flicks her wrist and out pops her brand new wand.
Using the familiarity gained from when she purchased it, she attempts to get the wand to work.
Cast Bless
And with that...the wand was activated!
Mariana
Molly
Quill
Sander
Storn
Yelena
orcs
Mariana acted quickly, even before the shouting turned to actions. She drew her new wand and activated it, sending a feeling of blessing throughout the group.
Initiatives:
Mariana 17
Molly 15
orcs 14
Storn 14
Quill 9
Sander 8
Here's the map
any square partially covered with foliage is assumed to be underbrush, and thus difficult terrain.
Tucking the wand into her belt, Mariana draws her bow and nocked an arrow. Looking about, she feels like she needs a moment to fire.
"We've got company, it would seem. Just another day in this land, I suppose..."
"Lovely," Molly sighs. "It never fails; just when we've got an appointment to be somewhere."
The young Witch quickly loads her crossbow and fires!
As Mariana switched out wand for bow, Molly shot one of the ambushing orcs. The bolt took the orc in the leg, but it didn't slow, crashing through the brush and waving a greataxe. From the other side of the trail, another orc engaged Mariana, and two assaulted Storn, the big man's armor turning all but one blow.
Another pair of arrows lanced out from the high hides to either side of the trail, but Sander ducked behind the combats raging around him and both missed their mark.
Storn takes 1 hit for 7 damage.
Initiatives:
Storn 14
Quill 9
Sander 8
Mariana 17
Molly 15
orcs 14
Here's the map
any square partially covered with foliage is assumed to be underbrush, and thus difficult terrain.
Molly drops into a roll and tries to get behind the Orc, putting it between her and Quill.
As she bounces back to her feet, the Witch mutters a quick incantation and her eyes start to glow like burning coals.