Terry turns his head towards the dwurves. "I'm sorry. Were you talking about me?"
Good ear, Thaldal thinks as he crosses the room to talk with the fellow.
"Aye lad, ve are." Even though he is fairly young, as dwur count the years, Thaldal can't help but consider most men to be lads. Most of them can't even grow a proper beard until the are decrepit it seems. "If you are good with that veapon ve may have a proposition for you."
Terry raises an eyebrow. "Really? Well Maggie here was talking to me about something the local clergy seem to think is important for the community. Maybe we can help each other out? As long as your task is reasonable, of course." He looks at Maggie again. "Many hands make light work, right?"
"That they do. Ve are short on details right now, but I vill varn you our task involves walking into a den of evil apparently. If you are interested, come sit down and ve vill discuss it. Mayhap ve can help each other out " He gestures at the table with the others. "I am Thaldal. This is Isinghar, Aotor, Spugnoir and Roddosric."
Raddosric bobbed his head in greeting to the new comer, "Well met sir. I trust the good dwarf has given you the sparse details of our little adventure." He cleared his throat, "I don't believe that I caught your name."
The earthy dwarf watches the newcomer with interest, ”Well young man, we are to embark on a grand adventure full of peril, monsters and treasure. Spugnoir the Sleeper will be leading us to the ancient ruins to find what me may. Would you like to join us? I am Isinghar Thorden of Clan Ironshield, lately of Welkwood. Together we make a formidable team. However before we go, I must deliver a letter to one Jaroo Ashstaff. Would anyone know where to find him?”
He looks around the table with inquiring eyes.
"I hope there are more details than there is a 'den of evil' to be stopped. The people of Hommlet deserve to have such a threat removed from their lives, of course, but fighting blindly into somebody else's stronghold makes for a really short life." He drops his head a little and looks a bit sheepish. "Sorry, I'm Terry. Wandered over here from Dianrift. The Cuthbert clergy in the area can probably provide more details about their task than you have about yours for now." He listens to the further discussion, responding to Isinghhar's question. "I only know one person in town right now, and that's Maggie over there. She's far more likely to know the locals than I am."
”Terry, I like your logic. Spugnoir has very little in terms of details regarding the ruins, so it is best that we collect as much information as we can before leaving. I need to contact Jaroo, so I will look for him and inquire with him about the ruins. Why don’t you check in with the clergy of St. Cuthbert, and let’s meet back here later this evening. Then we can share the information gathered and complete our planning. It may be good for someone to check with the local authority. They may even be offering a reward for bandits or monsters lurking in the area. Any of you want to follow up on that?”
He says looking at Raddosric, Thaldal and Aotor.
He will pause for awhile and continue his conversation with the dwarves and new associates. During a lull in the discussion, he will get up and go to the bar:
”Master Ostler, I am in need of some information please. Would you know where I can find the good Master Jaroo Ashstaff?”
"I'll take that task," the bard agreed with Isingar's suggestion.
”Hmm, I guess I could go look out for bounties. Hey Spugnoir, why don’t you come with me and show me where to find the sheriff or whatever you call your political lawmen around here. Any tough guys want to come with in case we encounter ruffians?
"I assume you are going to go see this Cuthbert clergy Terry? I'll go vith you, maybe they know more about this 'den' as vell."
As Isinghar asks Ostler Gundigoot about the druid, Rudrik listens, then says, "Oh hey, good to know! I should pay a visit to the grove. I'm a believer from th' Old Faith, myself."
"Sure. Well, if somebody can either give me directions or show me the way?" He looks hopefully towards Maggie. "Maggie also said the Cuthberites were offering a reward, since you are looking for bounties."
Somewhat surprised by the half-orc's intervention, Isinghar turns to the large warrior and says, "Well met traveller. It is good to find fellow worshippers of the Old Faith in these parts. You new in town as well?"
He slows down and observes the man. Is this half-orc sincerely a worshipper of the Old Faith or is he looking for an excuse to tag along and rob me once outside? Normally orcs are not very smart or cunning...
"Yeah! My guess is that the giant old oak across the road from here is the place to look. M'name's Rudrik. My ma was Flannish, an' she raised me right. I make offerings at the change of seasons to Beory, occasional prayer to Allitur an' Pelor to look after me," says the grayish half-orc.
"I just got here, but the local ale's good. Sellsword. Looks pretty peaceful in these parts, but the barman said I should talk to Rufus and Burne, the locals building that keep up on the hill, if I want work. Or maybe the temple of St. Cuthbert. Now I don't like having my head bonked so I don't usually spent a lot of time around the Cudgel and Stars, if you catch my meaning, but if I can't find a job here I'll have to move on somewhere else."
Grinning with undisguised pleasure now, "Well lad ye are in luck! My companions and I, were just discussing the need to add a strong arm to our ventures... We are adventurers looking to visit ruins close to town. We are expecting heart-stopping perils and more than a few terrible monsters, but if ye have the stomach for that sort of thing maybe ye be interested in joining us?"
I'll de a darned elf! This half-orc is indeed a follower of the Old Faith!
He nods his head towards the table where the two dwarves and three humans are plotting...
"My blades are ready," affirms the half-orc as he lurches away from the bar and heads to the indicated table with a rolling gate and the clinking of metal from his arms and armor, still holding the last of his ale.
|
"Well, they provided knockers. These guys tend to be pretty close-minded. We probably ought to knock." Terry reaches up and uses the knocker on the left.
"Alvays best to be polite."
While the pair waits for an answer Thaldal tries to remember anything he had learned about Saint Cuthbert's church.
Looking toward Rufas and Burne the bard asked, "Those two gentlemen that just came in?"
"Well looks like the fates smile upon us then," Raddosric said with a smile as he got up from his seat and made his way over to the duo. He stops and gives a slight bow, "Greetings good sirs. I am Raddosric, bard and adventurer, and I would like the chance to talk with you."
Aotor wanders over to stand next to Raddosric and thinks of something to add, comes up with nothing then says. ”And I’m Aotor. I’m with them.” He points to the bard and all the dwarves. ”I adventure too I do.”
Rudrik makes small talk as he and Isinghar approach the druid's cottage.
"I never really had the aptitude for druidry, y'know," he says, "but I respect the wardens of the Old Faith. The Old Faith isn't much spread in dwarf-lands, though, is it?"
He stops at the porch and knocks on the cottage door.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Thaldal, you recall that the order is divided into three orders; the chapeaux, the stars, and the billets. The chapeaux seek to convert new believers. Stars seek to enforce doctrine. Billets are the most numerous and seek to protect and minister to the faithful. All of the orders are known to be quite forward and strong in their faith, willing to defend it with words or weapons, as necessary.
"You wish to speak with us? Well, then. Let me place my drink order and we'll get down to business." He takes a seat and nods to a barmaid to come near. "I should like a Sundish lilac, if you don't mind. my dear." The girl nods and hurries off. "Now, gentlemen," he motions for you to be seated. "How can I be of assistance to you?"
"Well met! I am Terry. Several recent arrivals were in the tavern when Maggie told me that your temple had a request for some people to handle a problem? We were asked to see what more information was available so the group could decide whether or not to take the risk. I'm hoping you can help us."
”Well we be headin’ out in the wild and just thought, maybe coincidentally, that there would be a bounty or two for some ruffians or goblins we did. And we been told you be the closest thing there be to law you are so do you know of any? Bounties that is.”
"You are correct. The Old Faith is not popular amongst the dwarven clans. I am an 'odd duck' amongst my own..." He pauses, thinking how best to phrase his thoughts, "I have been estranged from my family and clan for a number of years. I hope to return soon and see my family." He turns morose and introspective for the rest of the short walk over to the grove.
"Well met Master Ashstaff. I am Isinghar Thorden of Welkwood at your service. My mentor and teacher Lozan the Brown, has requested that I deliver this letter to you in person." He smoothly retrieves the package and hands it to the Druid.
He then continues, "As my associate Rudrik mentions, we are both new in town. A few more recent arrivals have banded together to seek adventure. Now that I have discharged my service for my master, I have decided to join this group, and offer our services. We have heard of ruins close by that may be infested with dangerous monsters. If this is true, maybe we can help..."
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Well met, Rudrik and Isinghar Thorden of Welkwood. Local issues, eh? Come in, come in. Find yourselves a seat and listen to the tale I must share." He leads you into the small cottage, which you are surprised to find larger and more comfortable than it would seem from the outside. The rear wall is gone, replaced by the trunk of a massive oak into which the cottage itself seems to meld. Impossibly, the trunk is hollowed, yet the wood still thrives. A set of stairs inside the trunk (seemingly part of the tree itself) leads to, presumably, the upper reaches of the tree.
"Sit now, and listen well," the man says. In a low voice, he begins his tale...
"In 566 Common Year, forces of evil from Dyvers or the Wild Coast constructed a small chapel outside the nearby village of Nulb. The chapel was quickly built into a stone temple from which bandits and evil humanoids began to operate with increasing frequency.
"In 569 CY, a combined force was sent to destroy the Temple and put an end to the marauding. This allied army clashed with a horde of evil men and humanoids, including orcs, ogres and gnolls, at the Battle of Emridy Meadows. Men-at-arms from Furyondy and Veluna united with dwarves from the Lortmils, gnomes from the Kron Hills, and an army of elven archers to face the threat of the Horde of Elemental Evil, consisting largely of savage humanoids such as orcs, ogres, and gnolls. The arrival of the elves from the shadows of the Gnarley Forest turned the tide of battle, trapping the savage humanoids against a bend in the Velverdyva where they were routed and slaughtered.
"After dispersing the Horde of Elemental Evil, the allied forces laid siege to the Temple of Elemental Evil itself, defeating it within a fortnight. Spellcasters loyal to the goodly army cooperated on a spell of sealing that bound the demoness Zuggtmoy, a major instigator in the Horde of Elemental Evil, to some of the deepest chambers in the castle's dungeons.
"The site itself remained, however, and over the following decade rumors of evil presence there persisted. The Viscount of Verbobonc and the Archcleric of Veluna became increasingly concerned and cooperated to build a small castle outside this village to guard against the possibility of the Temple rising again.
"For the next five years, Hommlet gained in wealth thanks to adventurers who came to the area seeking out remnants of evil to slay. Things quieted down for a while, but of late evil has begun to stir again, with groups of bandits riding the roads.
"If you would be of aid, then you can best help by keeping an ear low to the ground for stirrings of evil. There lies, about a league to the east, an abandoned and mostly collapsed moathouse that once served as an advance guard for the Temple. It was besieged and largely razed by the forces of good some years ago, but it is entirely possible that the ruin could have been rebuilt and habitated by bandits, or worse. If you wish to investigate the potential rise of evil in these parts, you would do well to begin there. Be sure to report to me your findings."
She leads you into a worship chamber screened by a drape of green velvet. Inside is a life-sized statue of St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel, smiling, the great cudgel held high in one hand while the left hand beckons to the faithful and doubters alike. Growing ferns and other plants are behind this statue, while to either side are tree stumps from which the clerics officiate. An altar is carved from a single piece of bronzewood with billets, star bursts, and the sacred sign of the Crumpled Hat.
The walls are wainscotted with carved panels, and the painted walls show various marvels performed by St. Cuthbert. A band of holy sayings is above the walls and wood: "Square corners can be pounded smooth." "Thick heads are not made of glass." "Salvation is better than smart answers. Some good folk can understand only one thing." "Enlightenment can penetrate even the helm of iron." "Evil which cannot be removed must be eliminated." "Foolishness can be beaten." "Lawful correction lies in a stout billet." "Capricious behavior brings knots to the heads of those lacking wisdom." "Preach quietly, but have a large cudgel handy."
"Please wait here," she instructs before disappearing into another door. She is gone only a few moments when a young man dressed in similar garb, this one wearing a crumpled chapeaux, emerges from the same door by which she exited the room.
"Well met, strangers. I am Calmert, the lay leader here in Hommlet. Myrella tells me that you wish to speak with me."
Raddosric shrugged his shoulders and winked at the man, "I would say you're not being entirely honest." He continued with a smile, "And we're not looking for trouble just trying to lend a hand."
Isinghar listens in rapt attention to Jaroo the Druid's history lesson and concern about current activities. He nudges Rudrik a couple of times as the big half-orc dozes off in his chair.
He continues after Rudrik's questions, "I understand, and accept your recommendation. My new companions and I will explore the ruins of the old fort and report back to you what we find. Do we need to present ourselves to the local authorities before embarking on this adventure? I mean do we need to get official endorsement of our activities? Some sort of charter?"
Looking about at the decorations and sayings, Terry frowns a little but tries to maintain a positive outlook.
"Yes, Calmert. I'm Terry. We were just at the tavern, and a young lass said that your church was looking for some help solving a threat to the good people of Hommlet. We thought it was a good idea to come and try to find out more. What can you tell us about this task?"
|
|
|
|
Thaldal tilts his head at Calmert's explanation. "Vould you say that this moathouse ruin is a former den of evil? I ask because a man named Spungoir vas asking for aid in exploring one nearby. I also vanted to ask you if you had any more information than he did. It sounds like the two quests may be one and the same."
"Thank you Master Jaroo. We will check out the old ruined fort. If you should need any other assistance please seek me out at the Welcoming Wench. We will use the inn as our base of operations."
With that Isinghar is ready to return to the Welcoming Wench. He will wait quietly by if Rudrik has any further questions.
"How much can you afford," the bard asked playfully. In a more serious tone he continued, "How does ten gold per head sound and we try to bring them in alive for trial. If we bring them in dead we only get five."
”Simple. You don’t put any bounties on common folks.” Aortor replied in earnest.
|
|
The warrior merely eyes you carefully, as if gauging your worthiness. At length, he sighs, "I think that we could meet that price."
Burne considers a moment longer, then extends a hand. "Agreed."
"Hunh. Okay. Well, can you give us instructions on how to reach this moathouse? The less time we spend wandering around trying to find it the less likely we are to let anybody who may live there find out about us before we find them."
"You've mentioned 'the temple' tvice now. Should I know about this temple? I don't know vhat you mean."
Raddosric shakes Burnes hand, "Agreed." He gets up and looked to Aotoc, "Let's be off Master Dwarf and let these good men return to their drinks." He glances back toward the duo, "Thank you again." He returns to his origional table and awaits the return of the others.
Waving for another mug he remarked, "That went rather well, don't you think?"
After saying their farewells to Jaroo Ashstaff, Isinghar and Rudrik head back to the Welcoming Wench and return to their table.
To rest of group once all return:
”Rudrik and I met with the Druid Jaroo Ashstaff. He shared the history of the area with us, and that of an evil temple.”. He goes on the describe in detail Jaroo’s history class:
"In 566 Common Year, forces of evil from Dyvers or the Wild Coast constructed a small chapel outside the nearby village of Nulb. The chapel was quickly built into a stone temple from which bandits and evil humanoids began to operate with increasing frequency.
"In 569 CY, a combined force was sent to destroy the Temple and put an end to the marauding. This allied army clashed with a horde of evil men and humanoids, including orcs, ogres and gnolls, at the Battle of Emridy Meadows. Men-at-arms from Furyondy and Veluna united with dwarves from the Lortmils, gnomes from the Kron Hills, and an army of elven archers to face the threat of the Horde of Elemental Evil, consisting largely of savage humanoids such as orcs, ogres, and gnolls. The arrival of the elves from the shadows of the Gnarley Forest turned the tide of battle, trapping the savage humanoids against a bend in the Velverdyva where they were routed and slaughtered.
"After dispersing the Horde of Elemental Evil, the allied forces laid siege to the Temple of Elemental Evil itself, defeating it within a fortnight. Spellcasters loyal to the goodly army cooperated on a spell of sealing that bound the demoness Zuggtmoy, a major instigator in the Horde of Elemental Evil, to some of the deepest chambers in the castle's dungeons.
"The site itself remained, however, and over the following decade rumors of evil presence there persisted. The Viscount of Verbobonc and the Archcleric of Veluna became increasingly concerned and cooperated to build a small castle outside this village to guard against the possibility of the Temple rising again.
"For the next five years, Hommlet gained in wealth thanks to adventurers who came to the area seeking out remnants of evil to slay. Things quieted down for a while, but of late evil has begun to stir again, with groups of bandits riding the roads.
"If you would be of aid, then you can best help by keeping an ear low to the ground for stirrings of evil. There lies, about a league to the east, an abandoned and mostly collapsed moathouse that once served as an advance guard for the Temple. It was besieged and largely razed by the forces of good some years ago, but it is entirely possible that the ruin could have been rebuilt and habitated by bandits, or worse."