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The weather in Trunau is pleasant. The sky is clear, and the wind is gentle. Now is the time for appreciating life. Enjoy your time.
Vael emerges from the back area of The Killin' Ground, where he works on brewing the popular Oakfist Ale for the bar. Wiping sweat from his brow, he readjusts his wide-brimmed hat and calls out, "Rabus, where be ye?"
Dressed in the buttoned white shirt and pants typical of a working-class artisan, the dwarf wanders the bar until he finds its owner behind the bar. The excitement is obvious in Vael's wide grin. "I've got an idea that cou' make for an addition ta me ale. I'm thinkin' about a spice or two that'll give it an interestin', seasonal flavor. Just need a couple in'redients ta test a batch. Mind if I head out ta Barterstones and see what I ken git?"
The Week of 11-17 Rova 4716:
“Sara Morninghawk makes pretty much all the hopeknives in Trunau, and there’s no better smith in town. She and her apprentices can personalize any blade to order, from engraved blades to gem-studded hilts. There were some raised eyebrows when she married that dwarf, Agrit Staginsdar, but I wasn’t too surprised—Sara’s always been one to take in the weird ones.”
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Pig returns from his morning hunting trip. He has found over the past two years in town, that the western fields are flush with small game this time of year. He was proven right. Grouse, pheasant and quail were all found in abundance.
Whistling a local toon, Pig makes his way through the the main gates and to the Ramblehouse with ease. Most townsfolk are still in bed. He quietly slips into kitchen,puts a quail and two pheasants on hooks and heads back to the common room. Pig makes himself a cup of coffee and plops himself into his favorite chair and relaxes. He takes a sip of coffee, smiles and waits for the rest of the town to stir.
Whistlepig spends the week away from most of the chatter...
Things have been slow this week, despite the good weather; Ushyle spends most of his recent evenings in the common room of the Ramblehouse, reading books borrowed from Meeson's Goods & Salvage (in exchange for occasional manual labor).
He is interested in history, but has found he rarely remembers the fine details; the story is similar with maps. Still, he has found a book in front of him usually means others leave him to his thoughts and his tea. He watches, though. And he listens.
The Week of 11-17 Rova 4716:
“Sara Morninghawk makes pretty much all the hopeknives in Trunau, and there’s no better smith in town. She and her apprentices can personalize any blade to order, from engraved blades to gem-studded hilts. There were some raised eyebrows when she married that dwarf, Agrit Staginsdar, but I wasn’t too surprised—Sara’s always been one to take in the weird ones.”
Raen looks up from her beaker, hearing the front door open in the next room of the House of Wonders. She sets down the beaker and listens for a moment to see whether the arrival is a customer, and the heavy tell-tale footfalls clue a familiar face that soon appears in the doorway. Raen waves and smiles eagerly. "Hello Agrit!" She takes a breath and tries the language she's been practicing with the older wizard, training her unaccustomed tongue to the thick, sharp sounds of Dwarven.
Raen grins, her full smile and thin arched eyebrow framing an expectant expression.
The Week of 11-17 Rova 4716: Raen pays little attention to the word around town.
Week of Rova 18-24:
Raen: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Work is good for the soul some days. Other days, it is nothing more than what gets one from sunup to sundown.
This week has been full of the latter.
Ushyle has found the monotony of his labors, usually a respite, to be particularly chafing this week. Maybe it's the weather, which has been unusually warm for Rova; maybe it's wanderlust; maybe it's something else...like That 'n' Such being out of Jalmeray black AGAIN.
Rumor has it that the old burned out church outside of town is haunted....
The question is, does Ushyle try to hide his desire and play it cool?
Week of Rova 18-24:
Raen: TBD
Ushyle: SUCCESS
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
(Rene): TBD
Go ahead and roll the bluff then.
Collecting what he needs to brew his Oakfist Ale is a lengthy process for Vael, mostly because the old mare leading the cart never listens. Rabus named her Absent, and to the dwarf it's never felt more appropriate. He spends much of his time in Barterstones cursing the nasty spirit of the creature. Tulia, his thrush familiar, flits about during these trips. She tries to help by making polite suggestions to the horse. Absent ignores them both.
With the afternoon in full swing and the cart near capacity, the brewer stops in front of the stall of a herbalist. He jumps down, spits, and walks inside. Tulia stands on the back of the horse and keeps watch.
"Afternoon ta ye. Lookin' for some horehound and heather. A fair bit of it too." Vael says to the herbalist. He takes his hat off and wipes the sweat from his brow. "I ken it's a strange request, but it's what I need. Been workin' on an experiment for nearly a week now. Have ye got any?"
Things are quiet at the moment in Trunau. There are some kids coming of age soon, so there's a bit of commerce here and their for new outfits, etc. The ceremony is in about a month. The general feeling is that there will be a lot of money changing hands as that day approaches. A good time to invest!
Week of Rova 18-24:
Raen: TBD
Ushyle: SUCCESS
Vael: SUCCESS
Whistle Pig: TBD
(Rene): TBD
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Whistle Pig has been busy over the past week. The fall is a busy time with the harvest and the preparation for winter. He takes a two day trip into the mountains to enjoy the hollers and ridge line trails before the onset of the winter snows make the trip a bit more difficult. He brings back various herbs, weeds and medicinals.
After returning home, Pig spends an evening satisfying his curiosity and stakes out the Plague House for an evening. He knows it's probably nothing, but his halfling inquisitiveness is getting the better of him...
As of late there's word that one of the half-orcs in town has developed a mild addiction to something. Drugs aren't typically an issue in Trunau though.
Week of Rova 18-24:
Raen: TBD
Ushyle: SUCCESS
Vael: SUCCESS
Whistle Pig: SUCCESS
(Rene): TBD
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Whistle Pig decides to see if the rumors that Vael is creating a new brew is true. While there, he notices that Salma is doing what Slama does: dance and get drooled on by the local human men. He doesn't get the attraction really. He does think she'd be good for deep river crossings. She could be used as a life preserver...
Whistle Pig is utterly captivated by Salma...
Week of Rova 25 to Lamashan 1:
Raen: TBD
Salma: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: FAIL
Upon hearing a commotion in the common room of the Killin Ground (the local tavern), Vael emerges from a back room. He removes a pair of goggles, adjusts his wide-brimmed hat, and watches the spectacle before him.
As an ifrit woman dances, several of the afternoon patrons have gotten into stomping and banging a beat for her to follow along. There's raucous laughter as her dance comes to an end, with everyone smiling.
"She really is quite good," Tulia says. The bird stands on Vaels shoulder, speaking into his ear. "Not much of this seen around here. Very exotic."
Vael smiles and says to his familiar, "Do ye admire her? It sounds like ye do. I'm sure ye ken flap those win's all fancy-like if ye wanted." Tulia chirps, sounding pleased.
Seeing that there's not too many patrons yet, the dwarf calls out, "I've a new brew I'd like yer thoughts on! Who's interested in a little taster? Honest feedback, please!"
Rova is nearly over, and the heart of the harvest season, Lamashan, is nigh. It's one of Ushyle's favorite times of the year, when the snow from the Mindspins makes its way down the slopes and approaches the land.
He has missed the hunting trip with the gnome this month, and one day decides to take a walk outside the walls. His paces soon bring him to the old Plague House, and his thoughts drift to the stories he's heard since he was a child struggling to learn Common. How many lives were lost, he wonders, when some cruel bastard set the sanctuary alight that night?
Week of Rova 25 to Lamashan 1:
Raen: TBD
Salma: SUCCESS
Ushyle: SUCCESS
Vael: SUCCESS
Whistle Pig: FAIL
Of course... sigh.
Everyone knows that lights have been seen moving around in the burned remains of the old Plague House, but what could it be? Some people think it’s the ghost of Arthuris Bain, out for revenge against Trunau for not protecting the church. Others think it’s will-o’-wisps feeding on the fear of the poor souls who died. Others cite less supernatural possibilities: secret romantic rendezvous, treasure hunters looking for the old church’s hidden tithing coffers, or— most disturbingly—traitors meeting with their orc contacts, planning a surprise attack from within.
Tyari Varvatos and her crew make no secret of the fact that they want Lastwall to reclaim its lost territory. But could they actually be planning a coup to retake Trunau and turn the town into a military outpost? Why else would one of the most powerful figures in Vigil send her little sister to a dangerous backwater like Trunau?
No one’s quite sure where, but most people are convinced that somewhere in the Meeting Room of the Ivory Hall is a hidden safe where Halgra keeps the jewels and magic items she must undoubtedly have acquired during her decades of adventuring—items that could easily be sold off or used to help the town.
Week of 2-8 Lamashan 4716:
Raen: TBD
Salma: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Halgra has a whole passel of grown children, but are those she brought to Trunau the only ones, or are some of the supposed traders she meets with her offspring as well? And what exactly is the story behind her half-orc children, anyway? Could one of their fathers be a powerful orc leader? Some folk even whisper that Hundux Half-Man, the ruler of Wyvernsting, was one of her lovers—or her child!
Week of 2-8 Lamashan 4716:
Raen: TBD
Salma: Success
Ushyle: TBD
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Raen sits cross-legged on a crenelation of the palisade over-looking the Barterstones. The cool night air tugs at her robes, which flap in the breeze, and the many stars overhead give a good light to see by. A bow and quiver lean against the wooden wall beneath her and rattle softly from time to time, a reminder of the gravity of her shift. Still, she passes the time mostly by practicing her magic, training her fingers to weave the right threads to make tiny fireworks that she can use to impress the next child who wanders into the House of Wonders.
Week of 9-15 Lamashan 4716:
Raen: Success
Salma: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
A few years back there was a half-elf in town who seem to stir up trouble. He wore blue, carrying a staff of red. He was dodgy about what brought him to town, but when he left there was a fair number of upset husbands. While he was never proven to be the culprit, there are a couple of children with suspect parentage.
Week of 9-15 Lamashan 4716:
Raen: Success
Salma: Success
Ushyle: TBD
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Jagrin’s started posting guards at the entrances to the Longhouse’s stores—why would he do that if someone hadn’t been filching? And if only the six council members have keys, who could be responsible?
One part of Ushyle's work that is always a little difficult is when the orcs come to the Barterstones. He can feel their eyes boring through him as he walks past, and feels the townsfolk, who can sometimes put his race behind them, react differently on those days. Maybe it's just his imagination, though.
Week of 9-15 Lamashan 4716:
Raen: Success
Salma: Success
Ushyle: Success
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
"It took me a bit ta figure it out," Vael says to his friend Agrit. He wanders about her shop, idly looking over it's trappings. "Tha ale fermented too quickly, with nae near enough activity on tha fourth day. Left a nasty strong under and after taste. So, I'm back ta tha drawin' board."
Perched on a shelf, Tulia joins their conversation. "You should take break away from this. Give yourself some time and perspective. The best ideas can come from some time on the road even."
Vael just waves a hand dismissively.
Tyari Varvatos and her crew make no secret of the fact that they want Lastwall to reclaim its lost territory. But could they actually be planning a coup to retake Trunau and turn the town into a military outpost? Why else would one of the most powerful figures in Vigil send her little sister to a dangerous backwater like Trunau?
Week of 9-15 Lamashan 4716:
Raen: Success
Salma: Success
Ushyle: Success
Vael: Success
Whistle Pig: TBD
Whistle Pig stays blissfully unaware of the social scene.
Week of 16-22 Lamashan 4716:
Raen: TBD
Salma: TBD
Ushyle: TBD
Vael: TBD
Whistle Pig: Fail