Call of the Forgotten Realms

Game Master Charles Evans 25

Lapsing into a contemplative mood Seebo quietly thanks Curunir. Then signals to Davkul that they need to go and see the merchant.
When they get outside Seebo will talk to Davkul about the possiblity of taking some of the information they have to Orcbane.

You set off down through the trees, Bronx peering ahead, looking for the likeliest way down, and hoping to keep you both away from an unanticipated tumble over any low crags in these woods. In the steepest places Nim has to jab hard at the ground with the butt of the glaive as he goes, to keep control of his descent.
For a while, progress is good; Then, with a suddeness which takes both of you by surprise, the weather takes a turn for the worse, first a few flakes, and then a snowstorm swiftly sweeping into the valley from over the top of a ridge. Random encounter check (1d100=1) The temperature and visibility abruptly drop.
Time: Approx. 11:04, 30th Nightal, 1383 DR

"Wait one moment, Seebo.", Davkul says, as Seebo turns to go. He produces the lead scroll tube he received yesterday evening. "Might this be the tube that went missing, sir?", he asks Curunír.
"Perhaps.", Curunír replies, drawing his eyebrows together as he peers at the tube; he begins to say something else, then thinks better of it. "You would say, if you thought that I needed to know.", he muses. "Well if this is a friend of yours, perhaps you can come back at some later point, to discuss what, if any, funeral or burial arrangements you would prefer be made. But for now I have devotions to which I should return."
He shows you both upto the main hall, and from there you make your way back out into the daylight of the snow-covered streets.
(Davkul has tucked the scroll tube away again by now.)
Time: Approximately 10:27, 30th Nightal, 1383 DR

"Davkul, I think we need to see this merchant, then see what the other 2 have to add to what we know."
"I'm also begginning to think letting Orbane in on what we know might be a good idea. He'll have more resources than we do and maybe more information after all those soldiers were obviously looking for something"

Bronx will make a survival check to determine the best course of action to ... survive the storm.
1d20+3=13

nim will follow bronxs lead

Bronx is fairly certain that at least for the moment, there isn't too much to worry about in terms of the cold. The trees negate most of any adverse effect which the wind might otherwise cause, and so long as you keep moving, given you're both dressed for cold weather (and Bronx's pony is of a breed suitable for these environments) suffering from the cold shouldn't be an immediate problem. (If conditions deteriorate, the worst you're lookng at is one Fortitude check at the end of every hour, to avoid taking non-lethal damage.)
The fact that you're on an obvious slope at the moment helps to give you a sense of direction- the biggest worry could come when you reach the bottom of the slope, if there aren't any other geographical features to help steer by, since then you could end up wandering around in circles with visibility so reduced.
For now, you should be okay if you head on with slightly greater caution. The good news is you're not so likely to see any regular fey about in weather like this, and any of the nasty winter-loving ones hopefully won't spot you with this reduced visibility until you're practically on top of one another.

The snow swirls around, reducing visibility to between twenty and thirty feet (and giving anything further than ten feet away partial cover).
However, for the actions you have carried out so far this morning, you have each earned 350 XP, although you will need to rest/train (as was outlined in the discussion thread) before you can gain a level.

"If we find any evidence which indicates wrong-doing by specific persons, we should certainly show it to the Captain.", Davkul says. "At present all that we have are hints that deeper mysteries are going on. I would concur that we should now turn our attention to the merchant with no further delay; someone would not have gone to the trouble of marking that map so, unless the merchant is significant in someway in what is happening around here. Did I mention that the satchel we found that map in may once have been the property of Fenwick's brother? If something happened to Fenwick's brother those responsible may have pursued Fenwick to this place for reasons of their own."

"Do you know any quick way to get in contact with Fenwicks family? If you do now would certainly be a good time to do it."
"Anyway let's get going to this meeting."
Musing aloud to nobody Seebo mutters, "I hope Nim and Bronx are alright"

"No. Fenwick's family do not live in these parts; getting any sort of immediate message to them is likely to be out of the question. If we are lucky the merchant we are going to meet might have some way to send such a message through contacts- if he is a trustworthy man." Davkul brusquely responds to Seebo. He unhitches his pony from the post, and calls Nightsong back to him. "Now let us be off."
Are there any preparations/suggestions which you would like to make Seebo (or Davkul if he returns before I next post) before you set off, out of town, for the mining offices?

Bronx will tell Nim to be cautious and when they reach the bottom of the hill try to point them in the right direction towards town.

Let me know if there is any rolls we need to do, otherwise Bronx will be just trying to reach town.

For a couple more minutes, you make your way as carefully as you can downhill through the trees and falling snow, and then, beneath a snow covered roof, with chinks of light showing through cracks, and smoke coming from the chimney, you come upon a log-cabin, a solid construction some ten feet wide and thirty feet long, nestling in a hollow in the slope of the ridge. Stacks of covered wood, stockpiled for the winter, stretch out to what (orientating by the slope) is likely to be the north of it.

Bronx motions towards the cabin. "Let see if we can get some shelter and wait out the storm. Once we move away from this hill it will be too easy to get lost out in the woods. And maybe whoever lives there can give us some information about these fairy folk and their plans."

Seebo climbs up on Davkul's pony (behind Davkul)and heads out to the mining offices.

nim agrees with bronx, "let me go in first in case dere is trouble i big i protect you friend bronx"

You carefully proceed down into the hollow and around what Bronx takes to be the south end of the cabin. All the windows are shuttered up against the winter weather, although light sneaking out through cracks from inside continues to be apparent.
Around on what Bronx takes to be the east side of the cabin (hidden from view by the bulk of the cabin from you as you descended from the west) there is a sturdy pine post driven into the ground, some five feet in height; since this is only a couple of feet from a solid door into the cabin in the middle of the probable eastward aspect (the door is currently firmly shut) it seems likeliest that this post is here for visitors to secure their mounts to it.
Somewhat over a dozen feet down the slope from this side of the cabin, in line with the door, a pole (some half a dozen feet in height) is visible protruding from the snow covered forest floor.
There is a wreath of holly nailed to the door of the cabin.

Bronx will dismount and tie his pony up. He then motions for Nim to knock on the door. Bronx brushs the snow off of his shoulders and smiles at Nim, "Got to look to impress."

nim will go to the door and knock saying hello is dere anyone in, if no-one answers he will try to open the door

Following the directions which Seebo obtained in the boarding house, you leave town, taking the fenced track which switches back and forth up a series of hairpin bends across the lower slopes of the eastern side of the valley. Like the western slopes which you were frequenting last night, these slopes too are forested, and the occasional thump of snow falling from conifers, as the day warms (slightly), echoes through the trees. There are signs in the snow that already several other people have travelled along this track this morning, although neither of you have enough skill as trackers to be certain of numbers at a glance- upwards of half a dozen would seem to be a good estimate.
The deep imprinted lines made by wheels seem to indicate that at least one horse-drawn cart or pony trap has apparently travelled this track this morning (again you can't glean further details without pausing to examine the evidence) adding its own confusing traces in the snow.

Juggling the wooden box which he has been carrying and his glaive as best he can, Nim strides through the swirling snow upto the door and manages to pound on it several times with an elbow, whilst shouting out: "HELLO, IS D'ERE ANYONE IN?"
After a few moments it sounds as if someone is first approaching the door, and then removing a bar which helps keep the door fastened shut.
You hear a woman's voice calling out in common, from just the other side of the door: "If you're either brigands or tricksters come back to cause more trouble, you had best throw down your arms or flee if you have little wish to face MY ire."

we not tricksters, and i not know what brigand mean, is it some one who play in a music band? actually my big bruder is a bit of a trickster, him always getting into trouble with mama. we wanna come in cause it cold out here

"It looks like there's quite a few going out to the mine, I wonder if they're all applying for the job or if they're just working at the mine."

Bronx will pipe in, "Just a couple of travelers lost in the storm and looking for some shelter to wait it out ma'am. We'd be willing to do any chores you might have in payment." Despite his words, Bronx will keep his light hammer out, but down, just in case there is any tricks coming from inside the cabin. Can't be too careful with those fairy folks

"I had heard somewhere that the mine-owners have given their workers a holiday today, in respect of the end of year festivities of this coming night.", Davkul responds to Seebo. "Of course they may take the opportunity to undertake maintenance tasks of some sorts, which are best carried out without the usual numbers of miners around and getting under their feet."

The door opens, spilling light out onto the snow, about the figure of a tall, pale blonde haired human woman, with lime-green irises to her eyes. She is wearing studded leather armour, has a drawn shortsword of unquestionably fine quality in her left hand, and a dagger sheathed at her belt.
Behind her, what you can see of the cabin appears to be in some disarray.
"Put the big hedge-trimmer down.", she advises Nim. "I've hunted more intimidating bandits than you look to be in my time." She glances at Bronx. "Has this guy been troubling you? Why has he forced you out into these woods with him? Is he in league with any others? Do you know what might have been going on here, in particular?"
To accompany this last question, she pushes open the door with her right hand somewhat further and indicates the turmoil of the cabin, with broken furnishings and smears of something dark and rust coloured here and there. A strange musty smell of rotted wood and leaf mold drifts out into the cold fresh air.

Bronx raises his free hand palm out in a sign of greeting. "Peace ma'am. My well grown friend here is no bandit. We came into the woods looking to discover the source of some trouble that was out here last night, which it looks like came here perhaps. The storm drove us here and we would be willing to discuss this more, inside in the warmth and ..." Here Bronx looks around the woods and storm suspiciously, "away from possible listening ears. My friend will be happy to put down his weapon inside while we speak. Isn't that right Nim?"

nim looks slightly hurt! i no bandit! i a farmer, dis is not a hedge trimmer it is a glaive and i use it to stop bad things hurting my friends! i put it down but you must not let me forget it! many times i forget things and i get in trouble

The woman seems to consider for a couple of moments, surveying Bronx, as if weighing his words and trying to decide how far to believe him.
She steps back and to her left, lowering her sword (but keeping it ready) and motioning with her right hand, inviting you in.
“Janathria Erstmuither”, she says introducing herself. “Professional bounty hunter. Come in by all means, and perhaps you can convince me that you had nothing to do with the apparent absence of a woman who wrote to her cousin in Sundabar, begging for her to hire and send aid, or the messy death of a man whom I take to be the aforementioned Sileve Riptree’s husband.”

if dis woman who is missing needs help we will help, i will get my bruder, him cast magic, him cleric, we find woman who is lost!, mama say help dems dat need it

"But at any rate, if they are all heading for the interview, yet are not just bodyguards hired to locally enforce security, then we may have some competition for attention.", Davkul concludes.
For a while you head on in silence, broken only by the plodding feet of Davkul's pony. Then, whilst still climbing, the track straightens out, running roughly south through the snow and trees across the still rising flank of the ridge, the hairpin bends now abandoned. The track crosses a westward flowing stream by means of a small, sturdily built, arched stone bridge. Up ahead and to the left of the track, the trees look to thin out a little, and what appear to be the slate roofs of buildings can be glimpsed.

"We'd better head for that area, where those buildings are. It must be nearly midday. Those of good character wouldn't be late."

"We don't know anything about those people and this cabin. As I said, we were in the area looking into some events last night, involving ... " Bronx looks around suspiciously "fairies. We met one of the creatures today as well as an unnatural abomination looking to be some kind of fungus-unliving creature. We just need shelter, until the storm settles down and then we are heading back to town to seek aid. You are more than welcome to accompany us, perhaps someone there can tell you about the people here. Neither me nor my companion are from this area, so we don't know anything about them." Bronx then starts to look around to see if there is a stool or a box that has survived that he could sit on and rest. His light hammer still out, but down by his side.

Inside, the cabin is something of a mess. Besides the unpleasant smell, there are leaves and withered flowers everywhere in what seems to be the single, open-plan, room (some effort has been made to clear a rough chair of them), and various diagrams and symbols have been smeared on the walls in a dried rusty brown substance. There is a discarded and broken body of what seems to be a human man, in his thirties perhaps, up at what Bronx takes to be the north end of the room, some sort of despoiled shrine or magic-working place (with what seems to have been a circle of black candles, partially burned down, but currently unlit and in several cases snapped) at the south end, and a general state of disarray prevalent, with what look to have been the personal possessions of at least one man and one woman, of simple means, scattered about the cabin, although some effort seems to have been made to methodically sort through them.
There is a fire burning in the cabin's central chimney stack. Illumination is assisted by a couple of lanterns, shining brightly and hanging from the rafters.
The woman watches your reactions very carefully, after pushing the door too behind you, as Nim props his glaive up against a wall, and Bronx locates a stool to sit upon.
There are what look like a pair of dead pixies amongst the leaves in the southwest corner of the room, that have been hacked clean in two, and there is some sort of unpleasant black stain around the south side of the chimney breast.

The leaves and flowers look to you like the sort you've seen at some fey revels, used for decorations, as platters for food & drink, etc. From the state of this place, it looks like there have been a lot of fey in here at some point or a prolonged occupation by a smaller number.

nim looks around the room, he has a look of concern, "what has happened here! who is der dead man! who killed him, was it you? (looking at the woman) we need to tell der sheriff dat a person is dead. bronx, you clever you can tell us what happend??

Bronx looks around the room shaking his head in disgust until he sees the dead pixies. At which point a large grin appears on his face. "Your work?" he asks to the mercenary, pointing at the pixies.

Turning to Nim, Bronx vaguely waves at the rest of room. "It is pretty obvious. These evil pixies were doing some kind of foul ritual and get cut up for their deed." Turning back to Janathria, "Did you find anything those foul creatures? We think they are part of a larger group causing problems in this area."

The woman unbends a little in her attitude towards Bronx; enough so that she seems favourably inclined to respond to his questions.
“When I arrived up here last night, having had to pause and check directions down in the town owing to the falling snow, there was some sort of fey revel or religious ceremony going on, with the candles which you see there lit and dozens of the pranksters cavorting in here. Apparently they had thought themselves unlikely to be receiving visitors of any sort, and were surprised to be disturbed. Given that the corpse of the man you see there tallied with descriptions my employer back in Sundabar and townsfolk here had given me of Sileve’s husband, I deduced the feys’ likely ill intentions and waded in, causing the gathering of perhaps two dozen of them- all pixies of some sort, or so I at first assumed- to break and flee. Regrettably the risk of the situation did not allow the taking of prisoners for interrogation. One of them dissolved into some sort of black ichor when my blade encountered it-” she frowns a little here, “I have not experienced any such creature before- but the ones I cornered at that end of the room”, she waves with her free hand at the corner with the pair of dead pixies- “seemed to die in a regular fashion, or at least the ones which did not manage to break away under cover of invisibility. I may have injured several more, but they escaped, and I had no mind to go looking for signs outside in the snow, when I still had no idea what may have been passing here, or if Sileve may have been stashed around the back of a woodpile out in the snow. After searching this place as best I could but finding no sign of my employer’s cousin, I dozed a little and was disturbed on at least one occasion by a couple of strange luminous green bugs which scuttled out of corners, before vanishing back into them as soon as challenged. This morning, I have been continuing to search for clues as to what may have been passing here, and waiting in the hope of a fey counter-attack of some sort, which might yield prisoners for my interrogation this time. You seem to have some notions of your own of what is going on in these parts. It might be mutually beneficial to share and discuss them with someone else. And whom, exactly, am I addressing?” (This last is rather more directed at Bronx than Nim.)

By the way: amongst the symbols scrawled on the wall you can both make out a crude skull image repeated several times, not unlike one which you may recall seeing somewhere last night... other patterns are much less familiar, involving more abstract squiggles or wavy lines, not really easy to recognise as anything, although some might be highly stylised flames.

You're feeling slightly uneasy, with the buildings coming into sight, as if there are very faint disturbances running through the shadow-weave, coming from the slopes up above you to your left (the east).

Bronx hops off his stool and bows low. "I am Bronx Madcap and this my companion Nim." Moving back to his stool, "We met recently when a group of these bugs, coming and going as you described, attacked an inn we were staying at. One of the fellows there, a round faced gnome who I met on the road, learned that someone he knew might have been taken by the bugs or some fey and brought into the woods.

We attempted to track them and found our way onto a ledge where a large bear had been killed. While there some strange creatures hiding under the snow attempted to attack us. We realized our danger and fled, intent on coming back today to investigate further. Over the night fairies attacked the town robbing it of any forms of cold iron they could, their one true weakness. Our group decided to split up. The more book learned fellows stayed in town to see what they could come up with, while me and my large companion here went back to see what we could.

When we returned to the corpse of the bear, the chain that might have been cold iron was gone. Also the body of a dead gnome began rising, seeming to be more fungus than gnome. We tried to fight it, but after temporarily blinding Nim here, it fell over the ledge. A fairy began harassing us, but we think we were able to decieve it into thinking we were part of its overall group. And were able to get away. And here we are.

Oh yes, and the foul fairy mentioned a name, Markov. Does that mean anything to you?"

Janathria narrows her eyes for a moment, then scowls.
“Whilst I have run into at least one lowlife, by the name of Markov, who left the encounter with his head still on his shoulders, I have not yet had time to acquaint myself with this town and its inhabitants. The letter never mentioned anyone behaving suspiciously in town that I recall; just concerns for goings on in the woods.” She begins to pace, speculating out loud as she goes. “Are these random pranks though, inspired by a general level of malevolence, or is there a grander design beyond mere terrorising of the general populace to these things? If something really angered the fey last night, I can imagine them going after weapons in retaliation; if there is any specific goal, these could be distractions, or preparations for a main strike.” She halts and looks at Bronx: “What do you know of this fellow who may have been taken by the bugs or fey? What strange creatures drove you off last night? And what was this ‘chain’, which you speak of as having been left with a dead bear?”

Sensing a certain unease in his companion, Seebo asks,"Davkul are you alright? We need to get to those buildings for this meeting."
"If you think there's something wrong with this, or something I should be on the look out for let me know now."

nim has nothing to say at the moment

Bronx shrugs his shoulders, "I don't know anything really about this fellow. I believe he was a halfling with some information for our fellow gnome, but beyond that I can't say. Not that it really mattered to me. I have dedicated my life to hunting down fey who cause trouble, so I was more interested in dealing with those creatures.

As for the creatures that drove us off, I can't say what they were exactly. They moved under the snow. There were a fair number of them and there was something ... unnerving about them. One ran into the chain on the bear and seemed to be hurt by it, which is why we thought about getting the chain today. The chain looked to be a leash or harness of some kind on the dead bear."

"Nothing more than a sensation of someone walking over my mother's grave.", Davkul says brusquely. "Though I think that we should keep our eyes and ears open for anything untoward. That someone should mark that map in that way; I am not certain, upon reflection, that they may mean the merchant well."
Davkul nudges his pony into a trot forward again.

With the sudden change in pace and gait, Seebo clutches at Davkul's sides to stop himself bouncing off the back of the pony .(ride check 1d20 1=16)

"It may have been useful, nonetheless, to have some idea what this contact of your acquaintance was doing in these parts, before he was run off as you say that he was. I am currently in two minds whether the fellow at the end of the room was killed for simple fun, or if there was a more practical purpose such as ritual sacrifice or to silence an inconvenient witness to something. I do not know whether to think Sileve has been abducted for some reason, fled the events which overtook her presumed husband, or was out visiting someone else when disaster struck here. It seems apparent that for the fee that I have been paid I am going to have to make some effort to get to the bottom of things in these parts, until or unless Sileve shows up. Strange, too, that after all these years I should finally be matched against fey foes..."
She lapses into a brooding silence.

nim has nothing to add

At a brisk trot, you cover the last stretch along the track to the buildings.
Beneath cliffs in excavations scooped out of the side of the ridge are a number of slate-roofed wooden sheds, open-sided storage areas, and other stone-walled buildings, strung out along the left-hand side of the track. The track continues southwards, past these buildings, on to some other destination, but from the directions which you've been given this is where you're supposed to be.
There are a number of people- a dozen or so in total, whose ranks look to be drawn from a mix of dwarves, humans, and halflings- gathered in the open air in front of one low building with a poster of some sort fixed to its closed door. Some of them have heavy armour and ornately decorated swords, whilst others are dressed in plain travelling clothes suited for winter in these parts. There seems to be some sort of sporadic conversation going on, as they pace and eye one another uneasily, their breaths steaming in the cold air.

Time: Approximately 10:54, 30th Nightal, 1383 DR
With the clearer view across (although not down into) the valley offered by the removal of trees around these buildings, you can see that, in the west, the horizon looks to be darkening ominously beyond the forested ridge of the valley's far side. (The selfsame ridge which Nim & Bronx were supposed to set out up, on their errand, earlier today.)

Surveying the people around "We should go over and see what's going on."
Then looking out over the landscape, Seebo offers a quiet prayer to Garl, to look after Nim and Bronx.

"Well once the storm breaks, you are welcome to join us. You can try to see if our friend knows anymore that would be helpful."