"Time to go! I am locking it up. We need to get up to the Commons," the brash Halfling orders tall folk and short folk alike out of her Inn.
Jubilation fills the evening air in the normally staid town of Trunau, for it is the twelfth birthday of the Chief Defender’s youngest daughter, Ruby, and the townsfolk have been preparing all day for the ceremony and festivities to follow. A throng of spectators has amassed at the town Commons; the buzz of the crowd subsides as the weathered town leader, Halgra of the Blackened Blades, takes the stage and begins
to speak, “Thank you all for joining us this night. I take immense pride in my responsibility as Chief Defender, especially when it comes to the honor of the hopeknife ceremony. It is always a great privilege to bequeath Trunauan youths their hopeknives as they come of age.”
Halgra stops speaking long enough to open an ornamental case and retrieve a slender, ornately decorated dagger hanging from a silver chain. “But tonight is a special occasion, for the recipient of this hopeknife is none other than my youngest daughter.”
Once again, Halgra pauses, but this time she turns to talk to the child beside her. “Ruby, by the traditions of our town, you have come of age. This hopeknife represents your responsibilities as an adult and defender of Trunau. You must be willing to use it on yourself, your fellow Trunauans, and your family—even me, should it come to that. It will be a far quicker death than that which the orcs will offer, and providing it is your duty. Do you swear to guard Trunau from all comers, and to use your hopeknife only for its intended purpose?”
Ruby—dusky skinned, black haired, and painfully shy—nods her head in response to her mother’s question.
“If the orcs come, and there is no other option, this is where you cut—here, here, and here.” Halgra demonstrates which arteries to sever while Ruby watches. When she is finished, Halgra sheathes the hopeknife and places the necklace around Ruby’s neck before turning back to address the crowd. “Tonight, Ruby becomes a full member of our community! Let us welcome her, and celebrate her passage into adulthood! Trunau forever!”
The crowd echoes Halgra’s last words in unison, signaling the end of the ceremony.
Once Halgra finishes her speech, the townsfolk waste no time transitioning to the ceremony’s more lighthearted festivities, including a number of games. The first such game is tug-of-war, which traditionally pits the hopeknife receiver against Trunau’s best defenders.
"I am Rodrik Grath and this is my brother Kurst. Ruby will be picking from amongst you lot to see if you can defeat the town defenders in a tug-of-war. There may be some fine specimens out there Ruby, pick your Defenders." Rodrik seems jovial and kind in his mannerism in dealing with Ruby.
Ruby begins to wander around the crowd.
Well Met Rodrik, I am Haskyll. Honoured to observe the ceremony
Rodrik will offer a handshake to Haskyll. "You were a part of that caravan. Glad you made it. We have lost so many caravans recently. This is Ruby." He gestures toward the young girl.
Ruby is as tall as Haskyll. "I pick you," the shy girl says as she continues to survey the crowd.
Ah so I will have to partake in a tug of war. Haskyll grins, I think it might be fun.
Anga watches the ceremony with interest.
what have these people suffered, so this ceremony is now custom and tradition?
She smiles at ruby when introduced.
well met ruby, rodrik. I'm willing to help, if ye wish, but feats of strength are not my strong point. Still it's all in fun.
Rodrik will offer a slight bow to Anga, " Welcome to Trunau. Your kind is very welcome here. Enjoy your evening."
Ruby looks at the Dwarf female with some curiosity. Dwarf females are rare in Trunau. A Dwarf Female, marked with Runes as a Magic-User would be marked is something Ruby has never seen, " I pick you!" Ruby moves on through the crowd, Rodrik and Kurst not far behind.
Anga looks at Haskyll, and shrugs.
I guess we follow her
She starts moving after Ruby
So it would seem.
Haskyll starts walking after Ruby
"Ha, I would put down a sweet silver that you will be a great addition! Wohee Ruby!"
Ruby sees Ulfgard and smiles at the Dwarf she has known her whole life. She gives Ulfgard a hug, "I pick you." Ruby continues to work the crowd.
Ruby hides behind Rodrik when she sees the towering Kaos. But then gently, bashfully, she looks up to the tall man, and whispers, with a touch of excitement in her voice, "I pick you." Then this now young woman continues her search for that final right piece to her team.
Rodrik shakes Kaos' massive hand, "I think she likes you."
Watching Ruby pick Kaos, Anga says to Haskyll
she certainly picks em. And he's a big un.
That he is, I guess the young lady is trying to stack the deck. Haskyll says with a grin.
"Ha, she picks em wisely. Try movin' a dwarf tha doesn't want ta be moved. Yer more likely to move a bloody mountain!"
Ruby hears Ragnir, a frequent visitor to Trunau, and gives the Dwarf Brewer a grin, "I pick you."
"Well it looks like Ruby has her defenders," Rodrik leads Ruby's Defenders to the tug ropes. Several of the town's defenders are waiting to join Rodrik and Kurst to challenge Ruby's Defenders.
Trunau Defenders roll.
Ruby's Defenders begins to pull the Trunau Defenders toward them.
Put your backs into it, boys.
Trunau Defenders roll.
Kaos gives the rope a yank. The rope lunges back toward Ruby's Defenders dragging some of Trunau's very best warriors.
Trunau Defenders roll.
As Ruby's Defenders tire, the Trunau Defenders tire even more and are dragged closer to the center line.
Haskyll digs in his feet, and leans hard into the rope.
Trunau Defenders roll.
As Ruby's Defenders digs in, so do the Trunau Defenders. And though there was a momentary stalemate, the Trunau Defenders are dragged closer to the center line. Rodrik's feet are right at the line. Trunau's Defenders start talking amongst themselves to pull and reach into that inner strength.
Ragnir grits his teeth and digs in to pull "Drag those skirt wearers into the pit"
Trunau Defenders roll.
Ruby's Defenders drags Rodrik across the line. The crowd cheers for Ruby and her Defenders. Rodrik, Kurst and the rest of the Trunau Defenders participating in the Tug-of-War drop the rope.
Rodrik approaches the party, Kurst is right behind him, "That was an impressive display of strength. Trunau could use a group like you." He then turns and congratulates Ruby for her victory.
Stretching his arms, Haskyll acknowledges Rodriks comment
Anga laughs
haven't had that much fun for years
Ruby goes from surprised to over-joyed as she is picked up and placed on Kaos' shoulders. She hangs on to the tall human with one hand and waves to the crowd with the other. The whole Commons can see Ruby on her perch. The crowd laughs and celebrates unlike in any time in recent memory.
Rodrik smiles then he lets out a boisterous laugh at Kaos' comment. Kurst grins and claps as the two of them follow Ruby and Kaos through the throngs of people.
One by one people come up to greet and chat with Ruby and her Defenders.
Ulfgard +10
Haskyll +0
Anga +0
Kaos +5
Ragnir +5
“The hopeknife is more than a weapon—it’s a symbol. To Trunauans, earning your hopeknife is a mark of your place in the community. When you earn your hopeknife, it means you are wise enough to make adult decisions, old enough to know what it means to fear, and strong enough to protect your neighbors, even if it costs you your own life.”
For Ruby, she wished the night would not end. The highlight was riding around on Kaos' shoulders. But she knew it wouldn't last and Kaos would set her down. She gives the big Human a hug, them does the same to Rodrik and Kurst.
Shortly thereafter, Rodrik and Kurst gathers the party. He opens a fresh bottle of Honey Mead and pours the contents into several wooden cups. He hands them to Ruby's Defenders and even gives Ruby a cup, "To Ruby's Defenders!" He toast the party.
He then tells the party that he is staying at the Ramblehouse, "Some of you may have met the Halfling Cham. She has agreed to offer you a room at the Ramblehouse for the night. Come let us call it a day."
When Rodrik gets back to the Ramblehouse he will head on to bed.
Still feeling a little bewildered by the party, but accepting the drink and toast.
I agree, lets call it a day.
Its been a good day, but a long one. Sleep will be good.
Anga goes to her room, and falls asleep within seconds of getting in bed.
Day Two
Just before the first of Ruby's Defenders begins to stir the next day, they are awakened, "Everybody up and out of the Ramblehouse. Get dressed quickly and move outside." One of Trunau's Defenders walks the halls of the Ramblehouse calling this same message.
A large crowd has gathered outside and the news spreads quickly: Patrol Captain Rodrik Grath has been found dead! Yes, the same Rodrik that jovially toasted the party the previous evening. The Ramblehouse is roped off. Many in the crowd begins to cry and wail.
You hear from the murmur in the crowd that the inn’s owner, Cham Larringfass, discovered Rodrik’s body in his room, his wrists fatally lacerated and his bloody hopeknife in his limp hand. Everyone is talking that Rodrik had committed suicide.
Only a little later Kurst, Rodrik's brother gathers Ruby's Defenders, “I’m sure you’ve heard by now that my brother, Rodrik—some of you met him last night—was found dead this morning, and I’ve had my hands full since. Right now, the official cause of death is suicide, but I just can’t believe that. Something else has to be going on.
Unfortunately, Rodrik was the best investigator in Trunau; if he were on the case, solving the mystery of his death wouldn’t take long, but with just me left, we might never know what really happened.” Kurst sighs heavily. “I simply can’t handle the investigation and tend to my family duties at the same time. I may be a patrol captain, but right now, I feel my responsibilities as a brother outweigh my other duties. Still, I can’t just let this lie. I’m afraid I’ve exhausted all my other options—the members of Trunau’s militia are competent defenders during siege times, but they’re not sleuths by any means. I need your help. Will you investigate my brother’s death?”
"What the bloody hell is goin' on, wakin' me up this early! This time o' day should only be met by mist, no by any sensible livin' bein'" Ragnir comes out of his room grumbling, until he hears what's happened. "Torag's beard. Oh, lad, ya deserved a better endin' than that."
Resting his hand carefully on his own hopeknife Ulfgard just nods.
"I have a feeling something is weird here, and to admit you need help is no sign of weakness, but one of strenght! I do not know if we find the answers you hope for, mind you, but alas, I will put all my energy in it!"
Grumbling about being woken up prior to the dawn. I am not a member of the Dawnflower club. Haskyll grumps.
His mood changes drastically when he hears about the death.
Aye, I am not a sleuth myself, but I will help with what I can.