Drawing up to the farm you see a barn with animals, a well and fields of vegetables and grain all of it tended to by a half-dozen children the oldest of which appears to be a blonde boy of about twelve. The farmhouse itself is a rambling affair which at its core looks to have started out as a single room cabin that just exploded with addition upon addition as time wore on.
A blonde human girl of about four stands on the big porch watching your approach. She holds a tiny mashed up bouquet of wild flowers in her small hands and as you draw near asks the gnomes in the company: "Is you hafwings?"
Posh smiles down at the kid and shakes his head.
"No dear child. I am a gnome." he states to the little girl "We're a little taller and more muscular."
"A 'nome'?" She says a bit puzzled. Then she turns toward the slightly ajar front door and yells: "Daddy! Itsa nome! Notta hafwing!"
Another girl in a dress heavily dusted in flour comes to the door. She is obviously the little one's older sister by two or three years and surprised to see you. She grabs her sister (who waves goodbye to Posh as she is dragged into the house) slams the door, and (by the sound of it) retreats back into the house. After a brief hard to hear discussion. The end of which is punctuated by the littler girl emphatically proclaiming: "Deys nomes! Not hafwings!" which seems to settle things.
"Hey there! Come on in." A man's voice calls out from inside.
An even older girl (maybe 14) wearing a soiled kitchen apron over her dress, opens the door for you. She looks a bit shy and embarrassed.
Posh looks to the group a little worried.
"I hope I didn't scare the poor family. Shall we go in?" Posh asks with a smile to the group.
"We probably did but at least we aren't hostile and their caution is good out here"
Zokon moves his horse near the house and finds something to tie the reins to.
"I am Zokon and I and my friends mean you no harm we seek information about local goings on"
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Numalar dismounts, and with a gesture the dust and travel stains disappear from his body and clothing. He puts the stag lord amulet he took from Happs and puts it in a belt pouch.
"Aah, that's better," Numalar says as he straightens his jacket. He steps up to the door, and peers in carefully.
"I am Numalar Auritonius," Numalar bows, and continues. "My companions and I were recently chartered by the Swordlords of Restov to chart these lands, and to strive against banditry whenever possible. We believe there is a bandit camp in the forest south of here and are on the way to deal with them. We do not mean to trouble you, but we saw the smoke from your fire and thought we would inquire after news of the area."
Cyrielle grins, but puts on a stern voice when she addresses Posh. "You had best apologize if you did scare them, 'hafwing'. If we're to be here a while, I won't have the locals fearing us unduly."
She reaches over, grabbing the gnome by the collar and setting him on the ground. "Now go be polite. I'll keep a watch over everyone, to make sure it's safe."
"C'mon in." A lanky blonde man seated at a large kitchen table waves you in. The kitchen is quite large for a frontier home but crammed full of chairs all rung round a banquet-sized table.
"Welcome to our home. I'm Vekkel Benzen and this is Merriam , Bonwyn , Ilse --"
"Deys nomes! Not hafwings!" Points out the littlest child in case no one caught it the first couple of times.
"Yes, we already know that." Interjects the eldest girl as she rushes past with a stack of plates.
"And our Rose of course." Vekkel says scooping up the 4-year-old into his lap. "And you are?"
After introductions, Vekkel says to his youngest: "How about you go collect all your brothers and sisters?"
"Okay." Rose slides off Vekkel's lap and rushes out.
"Have a seat. Rose will be a while." Says the eldest daughter, Ilse gesturing to the collection of mismatched chairs of various sizes around the table. "Would you like something to eat?"
"Dad did you hear! He said they were here to cope with the bandits!" Bonwyn says excitedly and offers Zokon an apple from the table's centerpiece basket.
"Maybe they can get Byron back!" Adds Merriam.
"We'll see." Ilse says with a concerned look at her father. "You best get washed now."
They insist you stay for some food while you discuss the local situation.
Zokon accepts the apple and takes a bite
"Ahh thankyou very nice, reminds me of home."
Studied target on Vekkel to increase my skill rolls
"Please give us what information you will about the area and Byron"
he looks a little nervous at this observation
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"Ah, so you are Vekkel Benzen! Well met. I understand you had a run-in with the infamous Tuskgutter some time ago." Numalar smiles.
"Care to tell us the tale of that? Where did it happen? Or perhaps the memory is too raw. It might please you to know that one Larimus Finch has put a bounty on the pig's head. We read about it at Oleg's; he put up a sign to this effect. We have been staying there the past few days. Well, if we find the beast we shall certainly have it on a spit if we can."
Numalar looks in bewilderment around at all the children.
"It must be a trial raising a family out here on the edge of the wild. Perhaps you could tell us about the various dangers we face out here."
Numalar takes a seat opposite Mr. Benzen (if one is offered).
"We can't stay long, but... perhaps you should tell us about this Byron. Is he your son?"
"Byron's my oldest, but not the wisest. I think he ran off and joined the brigands. If you are going into the wilderness to deal with them I implore you to be merciful. He only did it out of desperation, I'm sure. He's a good kid." Ilse puts a supportive hand on her father's shoulders as he comes close to tears.
"Fortunately, I've got them to help me out." He continues with renewed strength.
"Dad lost his leg defending the twins," Ilse says indicating the 10-ish or so Hansel and Leta in the field nearest the wood. "I only just saw the beast. It's bigger than an ox."
"I'd heard about the bounty, but it ain't just Larimus, all the locals want the beast put down. He tears up our crops and spooks the livestock, but after seeing it up close I wouldn't want to put other folks in needless danger. Larimus said that if one of the other local hunters didn't bring it down he was going to go out and do it himself--at his age! The man's probably pushing 80. Though I guess that ain't much to you ." Vekkel says. "Still I wouldn't want to get in front of him again."
"Wolves are problem throughout the region especially since last winter. And the weather can be rough out here, but still-" He looks at the beautiful day outside. "I wouldn't give it up."
Rose and Tamerlane (a boy maybe a year older than she) try to figure out what 'nomes' are, and why they aren't 'hafwings.' "Can you do magic? Hafwings can do magic!"
The twins get some yarn to entice Luna with. "Her paws are so big."
Vekkel with the aid of a single crutch shows everyone who's interested around the farm.
Not able to fight the crowds around Celyne a scrappy looking twelve-year-old boy looks Cyrielle up and down. "Wow, you fight?"
And Merriam wordlessly offers Zokon a cool cup of lemonale.
"Yes, I do. I'm classically trained in Restov's Aldori style, as well as the formal school of Taldan fencing." Cyrielle drops off the side of her horse, drawing her blade slowly and handing it off to the boy. "And I'm also educated in the informal school of Taldan fencing. Do you know what that is?"
After waiting for the answer, she smiles and takes the blade back, ruffling the boy's hair playfully. "It's retreating. Sometimes you have to not fight if you want to win. I'm Cyrielle Rousseau. What's your name, big guy? Why don't you tell me about your brother? We're going to fight the bandits, and I'd rather not hurt him if I can help it."
"I'm Hal. Byron my brother, went off to join the Stag Lord's army down in the Greenbelt. He looks a lot like me 'cept taller, and not as good looking."
"There's been more and more foreigners--I figure most are wanted criminals-- coming from all around to join up. They say he wants to set up his own bandit kingdom! I wanted to go too, but Byron left without me.... Even though I wrestled a black kobold sneaking into the cellar once and he hasn't even done that! Guess he wanted me to stay and help on the farm."
"Hi kids.. I'm Celyne, and this big kitty is Luna, and if you're gentle with her, she'll be gentle with you... It's okay to pet her if you'd like, she's very soft and will purr like a little kitty if she's happy... " SHe reaches down and ruffles the fur on Luna's head. "Be a good girl, Luna. Be sweet."
She turns to Vekkel and nods to him when he talks about the boar. "I believe I may have met this Tuskgetter when I was traveling - Luna saved me from him or I might not be here today. That was how we met, me and Luna. I would very much like to see that boar served up at Oleg's table.. or yours if you'd have it."
"As for Byron, we'd be glad to see him returned to your fold. If we can find him and get him to stand down, hopefully he will be content to do so. Young men are often taken with wanderlust though."
"Han, do you think Breeg Orlivanch is with the bandits too?"
"Nah, not even bandits would let him join." Looking at your questioning gaze. "Breeg is a local hunter, but no one likes him."
"He's a big jerk!" adds his twin, Leta emphatically.
Zokon takes the profferred drink.
"Thankyou.... is there anything distinct or shiny Byron wears, I am an archer and I may not be able to see the target enough to get a good look at him?"
Posh smiles over as he mentions Bonwyn taking interest in Zokon and then addresses Vekkel.
"Sounds like this hunter causes trouble for your family." Posh states as it seems Leta pointed that out. "Could you give us a description of Byron? If we run into him it'd be best we can recognize him at sight just in case."
Taking a look around the family he looks over to Vekkel and then reaches into his coin purse.
"Here's a few gold peices. I hope this can help you all a little." he hands over the coins and gives a bright smile.
"I believe Posh has the right of it, for your generosity."
Zokon lays 2 gold on the table
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"Byron's my oldest, but not the wisest...
Numalar nods sagely. "We will try to make sure he comes home safe and sound. But as the others have said, we need to know how to recognize him. Do you know any others that might have joined the bandits who shouldn't have?"
"Dad lost his leg defending the twins," Ilse says ....
"Did this happen here? Or nearby? The other incidents, were they all near here?"
The man's probably pushing 80. Though I guess that ain't much to you ." Vekkel says.
"Well, good for him. I don't think I would have had the guts to stand up to that thing when I was 80."
Rose and Tamerlane (a boy maybe a year older than she) try to figure out what 'nomes' are, and why they aren't 'hafwings.' "Can you do magic? Hafwings can do magic!"
...
"Yes Rose, Tamerlane. Gnomes can indeed do magic, in fact, more often than halflings can. Watch..."
Numalar shows the children his empty right hand, front and back. He then closes his hand into a fist, waves his other hand over it, and shakes his fist beside his ear as if listening to see if something is inside his balled fist.
He then reaches out and opens his hand; a small bit of crumpled paper is there, which unfolds into a paper dragon, and then flaps delicately into the air. As it climbs, spiraling patterns of purple, green, and gold appear on its wings, and it flutters around the room just out of reach of the children. It eventually tries to land on Luna's nose.
Numalar smiles wistfully. "My father used to do that for me when I was little. Well, more little than I am now," he winks.
"I thank you for your kind hospitality, Mister Benzen. But we cannot tarry here; we mean to find this bandit camp before nightfall, and we need all the daylight we can get. Wish us luck, and I hope we will see you again some time soon."
"....is there anything distinct or shiny Byron wears, I am an archer and I may not be able to see the target enough to get a good look at him?"
"No. Not really. There ain't much shiny in this family." Vekkel says perhaps a bit nervous at the implication that you might accidentally perforate his son from afar.
She turns to Vekkel and nods to him when he talks about the boar. "I believe I may have met this Tuskgutter."
"As for Byron, we'd be glad to see him returned to your fold. If we can find him and get him to stand down, hopefully he will be content to do so. Young men are often taken with wanderlust though."
Again, Vekkel looks nervous. What if you can't get him to stand down? He looks nervously at Luna's big paws....
"Sounds like this hunter causes trouble for your family." Posh states as it seems Leta pointed that out.
"What do we say when we can't think of something nice to say about a person kids?"
"We don't say nuthin' at all." the twins drearily intone.
"Still I've been meaning to have a word with Mr. Renault about him. Orlivanch is more of a poacher than hunter. He leaves his traps hidden anywhere he can lay them irrespective of whose land he might be on. I'm worried he might someday catch another hunter or a kid. The man's a cad!"
The twins look at their dad sternly. They may not know what a 'cad' is but, they know the tone.
Vekkel sheepishly says: "Sorry."
"Could you give us a description of Byron? If we run into him it'd be best we can recognize him at sight just in case."
"He had a growth spurt over the winter but he hasn't quite filled out, so I guess you could say he was tall, lanky and blonde."
Taking a look around the family he looks over to Vekkel and then reaches into his coin purse.
"Here's a few gold pieces. I hope this can help you all a little." he hands over the coins and gives a bright smile.
"Oh that's not necessary. If anything we should be giving you something. Most of us folk out here have no one to count on except each other regardless of what folks like Orlivanch might do or think. If you bring Byron back that would be worth all the coin in the world."
Do you know any others that might have joined the bandits who shouldn't have?"
Well, here's hoping the rumor about Orlivanch is wrong, but he has been scarce of late."
"Did {you loosing your leg} happen here? Or nearby? The other incidents, were they all near here?"
"Yeah, it happened just out there just past that rise." Vekkel points toward a patch of land between his house and Narlmarches proper. "But farmers all up and down the wood around here have had trouble with that monster. Most folks won't chase him too far into the wood though. People think this end of the Narlmarches is haunted, feytouched or both."
"Well, good for him. I don't think I would have had the guts to stand up to that thing when I was 80."
Vekkel does a double take.
"Gnomes can indeed do magic, in fact, more often than halflings can. Watch..."
The kids want more! In fact you draw a larger audience.
Posh, one who is always inclined to show off decides to cast dancing lights, but have it in a vaguely humanoid form giving off only a faint light and outline as to any suggestion and having her dancing around the room.
To Vekkel
"Still keep it consider it a treat for the children later on from a man who is glad to see that there are still good people"
"Still keep it consider it a treat for the children later on from a man who is glad to see that there are still good people"
"I will, and thanks."
Posh, one who is always inclined to show off decides to cast dancing lights, but have it in a vaguely humanoid form giving off only a faint light and outline as to any suggestion and having her dancing around the room.
"More! More!" shout the kids.
"Now now, we've taken enough of their time. And we all have chores of our own to get to before dark." Vekkel says to his kids, before turning to you. "How far have you to travel? If you like, we would be more than happy to have you stay the night."
Ilse: "Oh yes, please stay!"
Hansel, Leta, Merriam, Tamerlane, and Rose and a boy (about 9 or 10) whose name no one remembers all start cheering! They clasp hands and dance around you all like you are Maypoles!
Hal picking up a branch and brandishing it like a rapier : "Show me how to fence!"
Bonwyn offers Zokon some fresh apple pie. "I made it myself."
Cyrielle crouches down, putting her face at eye level with the boy. She shakes her head slowly. "Not now, Hal. If we lose against the badits, which we won't, you'll be safer without weapons. You wouldn't stop them, only irritate them. And if we win, there'll be plenty of time to teach you some swordplay. And speaking of the bandits, we should be off. I think we've spent too much time here as it is."
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"Gnomes can indeed do magic, in fact, more often than halflings can. Watch..."The kids want more! In fact you draw a larger audience.
The paper dragon continues to flutter around, occasionally breathing out clouds of gold and purple sparkles on things. After a bit it is joined by a green and gold paper dragonfly that buzzes around the room. After that Numalar asks Rose to find him a suitable "magic wand" (indicating a stick about a foot long) and once she brings one Numalar lets them take turns pointing the wand and causing each other's hair to change color.
While this is all happening, Numalar will also quietly use prestidigitation to clean the place up, so by the time we leave, the floors and furniture are clean and polished, everyone's clothes seem clean and fresh, and the dishes look as if nobody ate from them even though the Benzens offered us refreshments.
"Now now, we've taken enough of their time. And we all have chores of our own to get to before dark." Vekkel says to his kids, before turning to you. "How far have you to travel? If you like, we would be more than happy to have you stay the night."
"I'll leave it up to the rest of the group. We've got a lot of places to explore and I'd like us to take down the wild boar for you." he smiles as he is obviously suggesting this to the group.
Though the children are sad their father reminds then that you could always return. The thought brightens them and the youngest are already making plans for it.
"For luck, in case you need it."
Inside you find a number of herbs (willow bark, a couple of jars of powder plants, as well as gauze.
Pressing on a few miles more brings you to the edge of the wood, its border stretching like a great wolf's jaws about you. The civilized lands are to your back, Vekkel's farm gone behind the grassy hills. You've come to the edge of the land of the wild things.
Pressing on, the party enters the Narlmarches proper, an old growth forest whose thick roots twist this way and that, grappling with suddenly hilly terrain. Farther in, the light grows dim, and the air cool under the flowering spring foliage overhead. Rabbits, squirrels, deer and quail rush along the game trails amid years of dead leaves, and under the cover the hearty shrubs and grasses that find purchase here. Song birds, and cicadas by turns herald your arrival with their incessant chirping. The rumor of your coming seems to echo throughout the wood.
Along your way, you find the forest is dotted with great stone outcroppings, trickling streams as well as green, tree-lined gorges, waterfalls and small clearings filled with bright, lavender and wine-hued milkweed and the busily buzzing bees that attend them.
As they are travelling if no one else has survival Zokon will range about 20 metres ahead trying to find bandit tracks
Posh appears to be lost in his own little world since they left that farmhouse, being unusually quiet and staring off into the distance.
Cyrielle rides close to the front (2nd?) with Posh still seated in front of her. As she rides, the conversation with the boy plays in her head, and she worries about whether teaching swordplay is the right thing to do. Nevertheless, the stop has refreshed her, and she's fairly observant.
Disappointed in not spending the night with the hospitable family, Celyne and Luna leave reluctantly... Celyne keeps a watchful eye out as they travel, and seems to almost relax and seem more at home under the foliage of the forest.
Luna, at Celyne's direction, walks in front, watching and sniffing and listening avidly as she pads along.
Obviously, Luna is a bit distracted.
In the forest you don't find any bandit tracks but you do find a number of other tracks.
"I've found plenty of kobold tracks in the area seems there's a regular nest of them hereabouts, i'll have to remember where we are so I can pick up their trail again for later if we need to that is"
"Shhh.. I hear something from over that way... it sounds like... well, like someone is sick."
Celyne starts heading in the direction of the sounds, making sure Luna is at her side while she does so.
Luna hears nothing but pads along at Celyne's side dutifully, giving the occasional swat at a marauding butterfly.
Luna hears nothing but pads along at Celyne's side dutifully, giving the occasional swat at a marauding butterfly.
Zokon follows Celyne and Luna keeping watch in case it is a trap, he has his sword drawn and his buckler ready.
Celyne guides her horse and Luna toward the clearing with Zokon in tow.
Celyne slips off her horse, whipping the reins around a bush, and moves toward the kobolds...
Luna follows along, curious about the strange 'toys' laying on the ground, and wondering if they are for play or food.