Kaid'an turns to Sir Eren and bows. "Good joust too, sir. Hopefully one bad run won't knock you out of the tournament."
"Alas," replies Sir Eren, "that is exactly what it has done." While he looks disappointed, he remains amicable.
”Thank you, good Sir. Shall we pay our respects to the Baron? It would be remiss of me not to greet your patron.”
"An ambitious fellow, you are! Come with me."
The jousts for today have ended. This was the opening round, where landless nobles and knights eliminate each other before the nobles join in the following day. As Baron Wylder and his retinue are leaving their booth, Sir Eren introduces you.
The Baron is a tall man, hair still dark and thick. He has a short, trimmed beard and piercing eyes. "Greetings, Dan Razvan, and congratulations on your success. Perhaps we will have the pleasure of crossing lances later, hmm?"
”Many thanks, my Lord. I do believe that there is a good chance of crossing lances, my Lord Baron. I am excited by the prospect.” Mihail claps Sir Eren on the shoulder. ”This fine knight has good prospects, my Lord. I hope to see him again in a year or two; he could become a formidable opponent on the lists. Perhaps the next time we cross lances the results will be different.”
Mihail smiles, and bids both Baron Wylder and Sir Eren adieu. He doesn’t want to impose upon them, after all, it is bad manners to interfere with a teacher and student’s relationship.
Mihail’s stomach growls softly. Perhaps it is time to find something to eat.
”Kaid’an! Kaid’an. Oh, there you are. Let us find something to eat before the next event. I do believe they are telling tales and riddles in the refreshments tent this evening. That could be interesting.”
The Baron looks Mihail over with an appraising eye, then nods as Mihail begs his leave.
Returning to his tent, Mihail and Kaid'an collect their new friends from where they were watching. Andaris meets them as prearranged, and they head off to the refreshments tent for dinner.
.
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A herald announces that in two hours, the tall tales and riddles competitions will begin. The events will be held in the refreshments tent, one after the other.
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One hour before the competitions are to begin, Sir Eren enters the tent. He searches through the crowd before spotting Mihail, and approaches with a rapid stride. His expression is serious, and the tension in his face is visible.
"Excuse me, do you mind if I have a word with you, Dan Razvan?" he asks, leaning over and speaking quietly. He looks over the rest of you, and checks the crowd at the nearby tables. "Outside the tent, somewhere a little more private. Bring your squire. If you have anyone you trust with skill in arms or spells, they may come too."
With that cryptic message, he straightens and walks out of the pavilion.
Mihail looks at the back of the rapidly receding knight. ”That was quite odd. Well Kaid’an, it looks like we have an appointment. Andaris, you are welcome to come along and investigate this mystery. Gonan, you may attend if you wish but it is not mandatory.”
Mihail pauses carefully.
”Actually, you may want to stay with Iluna. The last thing we need is a repeat of this morning’s… excitement.”
Andaris, having been aroused from his brief rest by the noise of the cheering crowds, wanders over to where he heard the cheers for Mihail. As he spots the knight and approaches, Mihail hails him:
"Andaris, you are welcome to come along and investigate this mystery.”
Still somewhat groggy from his nap, Andaris is confused, 'What mystery could he possibly have stumbled upon?'
Trusting Mihail, Andaris nods an affirmative and steps up to Mihail's side while ensuring that his cestus is properly equipped.
Gonan looks up from his half eaten mutton chop and nods at mihail. "That might be a good idea. I've just learned that there is a riddle competition. I'll need time to think of one that is worth sharing."
Gonan glances at Iluna then looks back and stares at his food with some intensity. "What are you going to do for now? There's nothing on the tournament schedule."
Turning back to watch Mihail, Kai'dan and Andaris leave with the other knight, Iluna wonders, "Was that not one of the knights in the joust earlier today? I wonder what has happened that he should call upon our friends so suddenly. Surely Mihail would not have gotten himself into trouble, he is far too noble..."
She puts down her mug of cider and thinks for a moment, then answers Gonan's query, "I suppose I could help you come up with a riddle, or perhaps think of a story. Though I'm not familiar with how this competition works. Is it like a battle of wits, where you attempt to stump your opponent with a question they cannot answer?"
Kaid'an walks out of the Pavelian and calls out for his cat. She pocks her head up with a large rat between her teeth. "Come on, girl." The large cat get up and follows closely beside her master. Kaid'an walks up close to Mihail and whisper's his question. "Any idea what this is about? Can we trust Sir Eren?"
Gonan pokes at his food with his knife and replies without confidence "I can only assume so... There might be someone here we can ask. With that he looks around the tent for a herald or anyone who appears to be smart.
Gonan pokes at his food with his knife and replies without confidence "I can only assume so... There might be someone here we can ask. With that he looks around the tent for a herald or anyone who appears to be smart.
Gonan easily finds a herald, who gives a little more information about the evening's competitions.
The riddling contest is for the quick of mind, both wise and cunning. One contestant will be selected to start, and he will pose a riddle. Another contestant will be chosen at random to answer the riddle. Should that contestant fail, they are eliminated. Should they succeed, they pose the next riddle. The contest will run until only one champion remains. The grand prize is an Aegis of Recovery, a magical item that protects the bearer from ills and deadly injuries.
The tall tales competition is for the storytellers, and is a major highlight for the common folk. Competitors will tell a wild and fanciful story, the more impressive the better. The winner is the one that tells the best story, with the best presentation. The grand prize is a pair of Apprentice's Cheating Gloves and 500 gp.
Sir Eren is easy to spot in the gathering dusk, waiting a few paces from the brightly-lit tent. He takes a look around and waits a moment as someone walks by. Once nobody is in sight, he begins, "What I'm about to tell you is not to be spread around. Can I have your word of honour that you will not share this information with anyone else?"
Sir Eren grunts as you swear to keep quiet. "I assume you know about the hobgoblins that we caught sneaking around this morning. It seems that they were advance scouts from a nearby canal, trying to infiltrate the tournament grounds. What brings me here is the news that another group of hobs was seen just recently, skulking their way towards the stables. We ran them off, but Baron Wylder is worried there may be more incursions. This tournament means a lot to him, and he will lose face with the other nobles should trouble brew. Our guards are stretched thin enough as it is, and we can't spare the manpower to bring the hammer down on these hobs. We don't even know how many of them there are.
"That's where you come in, Dan Razvan. You impressed the Baron today, and you seem like a good fellow. I'm looking for some men to find out what's going on with the hobs. You will be compensated by the Baron should you choose to accept. Anyone you trust is free to join you."
Andaris speaks softly to Mihail, "It seems that my fears have come to pass; I wish to do all we can to crush this band of hobs before any harm comes to the participants and crowds of this festival. If you accept Sir Eren's offer, I will fight at your side."
Smirking as he returns to his seat beside Iluna, Gonan whispers under his breath. "I guess all that time among the scrolls and books will help me here. I just need to remember the best riddle I've seen, or think of one I've never seen.' Now facing Iluna, Gonan asks "Yes, you were right. Might you be able to compete? You would probably do well in the storytelling competition."
"I suppose I might know a few stories," she says shyly, "The brothers used to tell me stories when I was younger. I've also heard and seen a great deal of wondrous things in my own travels. Though I don't know if I'd be able to speak to so many people... the thought of standing up in front of a crowd makes me nervous."
Sir Eren is easy to spot in the gathering dusk, waiting a few paces from the brightly-lit tent. He takes a look around and waits a moment as someone walks by. Once nobody is in sight, he begins, "What I'm about to tell you is not to be spread around. Can I have your word of honour that you will not share this information with anyone else?"
Mihail nods curtly. ”Of course.”
"I assume you know about the hobgoblins that we caught sneaking around this morning. It seems that they were advance scouts from a nearby canal, trying to infiltrate the tournament grounds. What brings me here is the news that another group of hobs was seen just recently, skulking their way towards the stables. We ran them off, but Baron Wylder is worried there may be more incursions. This tournament means a lot to him, and he will lose face with the other nobles should trouble brew. Our guards are stretched thin enough as it is, and we can't spare the manpower to bring the hammer down on these hobs. We don't even know how many of them there are.
"That's where you come in, Dan Razvan. You impressed the Baron today, and you seem like a good fellow. I'm looking for some men to find out what's going on with the hobs. You will be compensated by the Baron should you choose to accept. Anyone you trust is free to join you."
Andaris softly interjects, muttering in Mihail’s ear, "It seems that my fears have come to pass; I wish to do all we can to crush this band of hobs before any harm comes to the participants and crowds of this festival. If you accept Sir Eren's offer, I will fight at your side."
Mihail nods once again, this time making eye contact with Andaris. Turning to look at Sir Eren again, Mihail offers his hand.
”It would be our distinct pleasure to deal with your goblin problem, Sir Eren. The Lord Baron has our full support. How can we assist you in this matter?” Mihail asks with as much gravitas as possible. This is so reminiscent of the tasks his father would set him that Mihail is almost overcome with homesickness. However, he manages to shrug it off with a bit of mental effort.
”It would be our distinct pleasure to deal with your goblin problem, Sir Eren. The Lord Baron has our full support. How can we assist you in this matter?”
Sir Eren nods, a measure of relief slipping into his voice. "We know which general direction the hobgoblins are coming from, and we figure they're living in the old canal a couple miles away. At the least, we'd like to know how many of them there are, and to see if they're forming into an army. At best, we'd like them cleaned out."
"Baron Wylder would like this done as soon as possible: if you're amenable, he wants to have you go tonight. Right away, if you can." Sir Eren shifts uncomfortably, clearly wishing he didn't have to make that last request. "I realize it is hardly an ideal time, with hobs being sneaky buggers who can see in the dark, but we need information quickly. If the Baron needs to raise a militia or hire mercenaries to fight a pending assault, he needs to know as early as possible," he explains.
"Of course, if we're lucky and it turns out to be a small group, you'll be rewarded well for removing them. Just don't get over your heads. If there are too many for you to handle, let us know so we can get more men."
"I am game for a night hunt. When we go outside the camp there is someone I would like to pick up. Should we ask the Wizard if he wants too.. wait. Lets just leave Iluna is Gonan's care. We shouldn't leave her alone and I don't know about taking her with us."
"You know a wizard? That might come in handy - hobgoblins have this hatred of arcane magic, and for good reason. They dress up in their armour and form tight ranks that are hard as anything to break, but get a mage in there to roast the whole group in their plate..." Sir Eren gives a grim smile and leaves the rest to your imagination. "You can bring any associates you trust to keep this quiet. It's not something we want the general populace to know. We can give you horses and torches, or other supplies if you need them," he adds.
While Sir Eren is right about hobgoblins hating arcane magic, it actually stems from their ancestral hatred of elves, and the wizards among them.
They tend to use alchemical methods to reproduce what other societies do with magic.
Andaris bows to sir Eren, "Sir, I will council my friends to haste, I understand the threat these cretins pose to the festival attendees."
Turning to his companions Andaris says, "I am prepared to journey immediately, if you wish to gather Gonan please make haste. I would that Iluna not be brought into further, this has been a harrowing time for her." Andaris has genuine concern, but this may come across as patronizing.
"I'll get my horse." Mihail nods once again to Sir Eren, and goes to retrieve his horse.
Mihail returns shortly, Lanfarnesse in tow.
"I am ready. Shall we be underway?" Mihail intentionally deepens his voice slightly, in accordance to his father's instruction on appropriate dramatics for night-time meetings.
Listening to her you can tell her fears are clearly childish and probably not well founded. She is likely just intimidated by the prospect of public speaking, and suffering from minor stage fright, or rather, the fear of the possibility of stage fright.
In response Andaris uses his most serious priestly voice, intoning,"Let's be off then. Lead on noble Mihail and pray the gods be on our side. Pray that this threat is easily crushed." He finishes with a small wink towards Kaid'an. Following the directions provided by Sir Eren, Andaris begins to walk away.
"Excellent," Sir Eren intones quietly as you all agree. "Meet me on the road to the castle in fifteen minutes. I will arrange for a scout who knows the area to point you in the right direction, as well as anything you will be needing. Horses and torches, perhaps?"
"Touches and horses would be nice. However, don't light them right away. Andaris, you can see in the dark correct? Can these creatures? I would rather sneak up in the cover of darkness then announce ourselves with bright torches. Give ourselves the advantage. Also I need to pick up a friend before we leave."
Mihail goes to ready Lanfarnesse, Kaid'an collects Bagheera from the woods, and Andaris heads to their rendezvous early. He notices Sir Eren come five minutes before their scheduled meeting, leading a pair of horses. Beside him is a man wearing a long dark hooded cloak, presumably the scout. As the rest of you arrive, the sun is casting long shadows over the plains.
Once you are all assembled, Sir Eren waves at the cloaked man beside him. "Cain here will take you to the canal. They run for miles, but we think we know the approximate location. All sorts of nasty things live in the canals, and it's been a while since we cleaned them out. We just don't have the manpower to do that anymore. Keep an eye out, and come back if there's too many for you."
"Good luck, and Abadar's blessing on your task," Sir Eren calls as you ride off.
On horses, it is only a half hour journey across the plains to the canals. Designed to connect the fertile plains to the shipping of the Inner Sea, here they are 40 feet wide and 20 feet deep. There is no water in the canals here, Cain explains, because a few miles away a set of locks collapsed, blocking off this section. It has been like that for decades, but no one is really in a rush to get it fixed.
Cain brings you to a place where the dirt walls of the canal have partially crumbled, allowing easy access to the canal floor.
The sun is nearing the horizon, and you estimate there is about 10 minutes of sunlight left. The section of canal runs north-south, and you are on the eastern side. The walls of the canal are rough dirt, steeply sloped. The inside of the canal is dim, lit only by the sunlight scattering off the eastern bank.
Ten minutes pass, and the others have not yet returned.
If either of you wish to prepare for the contests, you may spend the remaining time (45 minutes or so) thinking up riddles or coming up with ideas for your story.
Mihail looks around suspiciously, lance gripped in his right hand.
”I have a bad feeling about this.”
Andaris shares Mihail's concern but says, "there is nothing for it but to proceed."
Andaris rides carefully into the canal, at the bottom he takes a look around.
Kaid'an also shares Mihail concern and begins to scan the surroundings.
"Cain, when Sir Eren said nasty things live down here what did he mean? Is there something other then goblins?"
Taking a look into the canal, you see the detritus of years of disuse. Rotted leaves have accumulated in the corners, and you spy a broken wagon wheel sitting by the far bank. Small patches of weeds have taken hold, but the canal bed is mostly hard-packed dirt. The only movement visible is a pair of birds hunting for insects in the decayed plant matter lining the edges.
The dirt walls look like they may be moderately difficult to climb, but pretty easy to slide down. It would be extremely difficult to get a horse down, however.
You are currently at the area with a collapsed wall - going up and down here is simple, even with a horse.
"Cain, when Sir Eren said nasty things live down here what did he mean? Is there something other then goblins?"
Cain shrugs. "Lots of things take shelter in here - it's out of the wind and out of the way. Wild animals, monsters, bandits, poor folk - all sorts. There's a lot of canal to go around, so it's not like the place is packed with them, but you've got to be careful. Last time they cleared out these canals - thirty years ago, must've been - they found a manticore nesting in an abandoned lean-to. Killed a few soldiers before they managed to take it down."
"Will you fellows be able to find your way back? I should return to duty."
Gonan starts inspecting the ground at his feet. "I think... why would you... we should help each other for the competitions..." Gonan doesn't notice his head getting warmer, and the colour on his cheeks showing it.
"We should be able to find out way. Thank you, Cain."
Kaid'an take a look at the walls of the canal. "I vote for staying on top when we travel. I would rather have the high ground if we get attacked. We can always drop down if we need but getting back up is the issue."
Andaris stops at the top of the canal, turning around to nod his agreement with Kaid'an.
"Farewell Cain, pray for our success. Mihail, Kaid'an, let us depart. Let us travel quietly; I will take the lead as my sight may better penetrate the shadows in the canal."
Andaris leads his companions along the canal's edge, keeping careful watch for signs of the enemy.
"Lead on, Andaris. Mihail do you want to take the second spot in line?"
Kaid'an pats his bow on his back. "I will follow behind and soften up anything we find."
”A true knight never abandons his mount. We shall proceed down the middle of the canal, on horseback. Damn the goblins, anyway!” Mihail states firmly.
”However, if you feel it necessary, you may ride along one of the tops of the canals. I however, will stay astride Lanfarnesse. My lance is far more effective from horseback.” Mihail raises his lance resolutely, gesturing for Andaris and Kaid’an to make their choices.
Andaris guides his horse into the canal where the damaged wall affords easiest access, then proceeds to use his keen sight to lead the party.
Kaid'an looks down and the mud in the canal.
"You won't think bad of me if I choose to stay up here, right? I can drop down and any point and I prefer to be higher up with a bow. Also Bagheera thinks it seems funny down there. Anyways, lead on Andaris."
With Andaris and Mihail riding along the bottom of the canal and Kaid'an and Bagheera riding along the eastern crest, you advance south for another few minutes before anything interesting happens.
A few hundred meters distant, you can see the canal curves to the right, blocking your sight line.
Up on the edge, Kaid'an notices a flicker of motion in the shadow of a boulder 50 feet away - a hobgoblin scout is crouched there, and is slowly shifting to the side of the rock opposite Kaid'an and Bagheera. In the canal below, Andaris manages to catch a glimpse of a second hobgoblin peeking out from behind a tangled bush, 40 feet away. They seem to have spotted you.
"Hobgoblin hiding behind the boulder, 50 feet away. I only see one. There must be others." Kaid'an dismounts his horse and polls out his bow. He thought about casting gravity bow but he was out of spells for the day. He wouldn't one able to rely on magic for this fight. Bagheera crouches down, presenting a smaller target in case they have bows. She is waiting for the prey to come closer.
Andaris dismounts from his horse and ensures that his Cestus is properly equipped.
Andaris looks to see what weaponry the hobs carry.
He taunts, "Ha! Vermin, I bet you could not hit me if you tried!"
An arrow flies from the bush, answering Andaris's shout. Indeed, his taunt is accurate as the shot misses. Above, the hobgoblin shifts to the far side of his rock, out of Kaid'an's sight.
Andaris can't see the hobgoblin up top right now, but the bottom one certainly has a bow. It is difficult to see through the bush, but the hob doesn't seem to have a large shield or a polearm.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend..."Iluna herself becomes rather embarrassed, "Yes I think that would be grand. How about..."
Regaining her composure she launches into discussion with Gonan of all the possible riddles and stories she knows. The two of them spend the remainder of the time before the competition trading ideas and swapping stories, generally having a good time, and rather entirely forgetting that something momentous was about to take place with their friends, who have left them to their amusement it seems.
As the two of you practice riddles and stories, the crowd inside the tent grows. Men clear an area at one end for the contestants while others arrange the tables for a better view. However, your friends do not return from their talk with the knight.
At the appointed, time, a herald calls for silence. The crowd settles into a mood of eager anticipation as he requests all would-be riddle masters to step into the contestant area. He showcases the grand prize: a pair of Apprentice's Cheating Gloves, which he dons and demonstrates, and a bulging pouch of platinum coins.
Approximately 30 people head into the contestant area, from all walks of life.
Kaid'an lets an arrow fly at the Hobgoblin hiding behind the bush since his arrows can't pierce through sold rock. Bagheera moves forward towards the rock then lowers her stance. Prepairing for the target to step out from the rock.
The bush provided a bigger hindrance then Kaid'an thought. The plant might fear him in the future though. Always a silver lining.
The hobgoblin up top steps towards the edge of the canal and looses a pair of arrows at Mihail, both which clang uselessly off of his armor.
Meanwhile, the one behind the bush fires twin shots at Andaris. The monk drops quickly to one knee to avoid the first shot, which would have caught him in the stomach had he not been so fast. Even so, the fletching brushes by his cheek, leaving a line of red and causing a sudden sweat at the close call. The second arrow passes harmlessly where his head once was.
Andaris charges towards the Hobgoblin in the bush, "You do not deserve even my scorn, wretch!"
Pounding into the hobgoblin with all his might, Andaris delivers a terrible blow. The distinctive snap of breaking ribs resounds through the canal as the cestus wrapped fist makes impact.
As the hobgoblin's head spins from the blow, visions from the void enter its mind, filling it with forbidden knowledge which it is ill equipped to make sense of.
Andaris's blow pounds the hobgoblin, and he staggers back with a hand on his broken ribs. Air knocked out of his lungs, he gasps while seeing things that aren't really there. He seems in very bad shape.
Mihail snorts in indignation. ”Barely a challenge.”
Nevertheless, Mihail and Lanfarnesse surge forward, charging the unlucky Hobgoblin.
Continuing past his unlucky foe, Mihail and Lanfarnesse wheel around for another pass.
Kaid'an spets up and then sends an arrow back it his attacker who has thankfully stopped hiding behind a rock. While Bagheera attacks him from the side.