Darian exhaled a heavy sigh of relief at Lisl’s words. He gently kissed her on the hand before carefully laying it back down to let her rest. He then turned to the baby and cautiously lifted him up in his arms.
”Magnus. Magnus Aulamaxa.”
The young bravo wanders into the inn, wearing two Aldori dueling swords, one on his belt and the other on his back, a small Orlovsky crest on his chest, greeting many of the people inside by name before settling into a spot with a few men who could be soldiers. Shortly after he arrives, or after Johanna does, one of the men points her out, with no effort to disguise the fact. He continues sitting and talking with the men for another several minutes, both to reach a good conclusion in their conversation and to see what she might do.
If she hasn't initiated contact, he will at this point.
"Johanna, is it? Unusual blade choice for someone so familiar with the Brevoy courts. I am Josef. The bosses are a little preoccupied at the moment, so they sent me to figure out who you might be. How do you propose to help?"
She looks up as the man approaches and smiles as he speaks.
"I am no sword lord if that is what you are implying. I spent little time in Brevoy to be honest. My family is Tian and we lived all of my life in Numeria until recently. While I was in Brevoy there was rumor of teams coming to these lands to deal with bandits. It seems the lords here have done that and more. I understand why they would send you. I'm sure the new lords face many threats. I would wish to offer my help in dealing with such if I can earn your's and their trust. If the current lords do not need someone with my talents then I will happily move along. I am a skilled trap finder and have experience in the courts and dealing with people. Come I have been rude. Have a seat."
She kicks a chair out a bit sits back and has a bit more of her drink.
The young man grins and takes the offered seat. "One of the things that has been made obvious since I've been here is that we never know what skills might be useful when. Not that long ago, we convinced a hedge witch to cure a werewolf. Worked, too! Who would have expected we would need a hedge witch in the first place?" He shakes his head and then indicates the room. "Basically everyone here came to claim a place in Silverhold, with widely diverse skills and outlooks, and no promises that we would need or could use either. Together, they are building a town. No, more than a town. We have 4 satellite villages at this point. They may really be building a kingdom." He shrugs, and waves down a server for a drink, indicating they should get Johanna one as well.
after the drinks are delivered, he leans in, closing the distance and lowering his voice. "The troubles I've seen recently indicate a need for someone who can work within the community, discovering the big secrets they hide form each other, and from our guardsmen. A few months back, we found someone importing poppies and making opium. Still haven't stumbled upon any real sign of his customers, but he had to have had some, right?" He leans back and takes a pull from his mug. "I want Silverhold to be a place my great-aunt would have been happy to visit, not a place my uncle tries to decide who to put on the payroll. Do you think you can help make that happen? Do you even want to make that happen?"
"I have a skill set that can help in this arena, yes. What do I want? I admit I come a bit broken. My family were recently taken from me and I have been on my own these last few months. I'm trying to find my way. This seemed like a possible new start. Over time I may find myself and be able to answer that question, but for now I will do what I can for you and the lords here."
She finishes what was left of her drink and offers a smile.
|
"Magnus is a good name." Isabel agrees when told of her husband's decision. After the complications of the birth it take her a couple of weeks to regain her strength, most of which she spends with Magnus, bonding with the little ball of flesh which caused her such trouble.
The news of a new hire interests her as do the tales of monsters in the kingdom. "We need to put a stop to that!" She declares, "No roving monster band is going to ruin all our hard work!"
Johanna greets the rest of the group when introduced.
"I would like to thank you for this opportunity. Giants? I have never seen such a thing only stories. I'm a bit excited and scared at the same time. I am ready to prove myself."
"Well met, Ms. Atsuko," Darian says in greeting to the newcomer. "I apologize for the delay in Isabel and myself having the chance to meet with you personally, but we were a bit delayed," he adds with a smile as he looks back to his wife holding their son.
"Yes, we do seem to have a bit of a monster problem to our north that we must attend to. Then, I believe we plan to explore our eastern border a bit more before returning to Silverhold and looking to the west and south. Do you have any experience in the wilds?"
"I'm afraid not. We lived in the frontier lands of Numeria but I was never taught to hunt or track."
Darian nods. "I have some woodsmanship training from my father teaching me to hunt back in the woods outside Kintargo, but I'm no ranger or druid by any measure, myself. But it's good to know ones skills as well as limitations, right?"
He turns to everyone else. "Josef, Freya, Lisl, let us all get prepared to ride out in an hour. See that Ms. Atsuko has a proper mount for travel as well, if she does not have one of her own. We can take this opportunity to see exactly what she is capable of," he says with a mischievous grin.
He then turns to Isabel. "Have you made arrangements with a wet-nurse for our time away? I know this is going to be hard on you, as it is for me, but we have our responsibilities to attend to."
|
|
Isabel sighs, still looking at Marcus cradled in her arms. "Yes... I don't want to leave him... but you're right. There's a woman in the village who had a baby girl a few weeks ago. She's willing to suckle Marcus alongside her own child while we're away." She gives a tremulous smile.
"Could you take him? I need to... go and get ready."
She leaves straight backed, but it's clear that Isabel is about to cry and doesn't want anybody to see.
By the time they leave however she's much better, and if she looks back towards Silverhold Castle, towering over the lake more often than usual, then no doubt its because the building is so grand...
”Yes, I’ll take Magnus to her,” he says with a teasing and playful tone to his wife.
He gives her the time she needs as he readies their horses and makes the proper arrangements with the lady before riding out towards the monster sightings to their north.
Lisl is very much a busybody with the new baby, helping with diapers, training about what to watch for with childrens' health, and assisting in teaching mother and father alike what she knows about making sure the baby is eating enough and not suffering from any illnesses. In spite of this, her education is aloof - removed; she has never had children of her own, and all of this is the result of books she has read or training she had at the temple, not hands-on experience.
Getting back into the saddle is something of a relief - at least it's a familiar kind of risk.
Josef will see that Johanna is introduced around.
When there's an unobtrusive chance, he'll tell Darian "She seems pretty neutral, actually. Not a lot positive or negative that I pulled from our discussion. I'm as curious to see what happens as you are."
He takes the time to ensure that one of the men readies a mount and gear for Johanna before preparing his own.
As the group gets ready to hit the trail again, "Giants, hunh? Something else that will hit me before I can get close enough. At least these shouldn't smell as bad as the mud pits!"
Travel is fast an easy, it's an old familiar route for most of you. You find the site of the Ettin attack easily, the many wagons heading south have left a trail and a burnt out wagon pulled to one side marks where you should start.
Survival checks to track the Ettin please.
Freya and Fenrir slowly move through the area, looking to pick up the trail of the ettin.
(free use of inspiration, aid other bonus from Fenrir)
”Don’t jinx yourself, Josef,” Darian says with a smile. ”I’ve never smelled an Ettin, have you?” he asks with a chuckle. ”Comments like that usually are a sure fire way to end up in a headlock and up close and personal with their armpits!”
When they arrive at the scene, Darian also rides out, scouting the area near the attacked wagon train and helping Freya pick out some likely trails.
_________
The trail is easy enough to find, several hours of following the heavy indentations left by the Ettin lead you to small valley.
Creeping closer you soon spy several of the large, stinking Ettin, you also detect a single human figure who seems to be ordering the Ettin around?
What are you doing now?
"So...so those are giants? Four of them...It seems one could crush me. Is there any chance of diplomacy? What is our play here?"
She looks on cautiously not knowing any of her companions yet and how they may react to this.
Darian studies the gathered group from their overlook. ”They have openly attacked caravans traveling our lands. And are clearly being commanded to do so by whoever that is,” he says, pointing at the human that seems to be in charge. ”We take him down, and maybe the giant...ogre...things will stop fighting and can then be reasoned with?”
He quietly draws his bow and knocks an arrow. ”But either way, we have to go into this expecting a fight with all of them. We try to eliminate what we can from range, put things more in our favor as best we can before we get in range of all that muscle. Ready your bows or spells, everyone.”
"The man has power over them. I understand the creatures have done the attacks. What if the man can be reasoned with?" She takes out her wand and uses a charge before readying her crossbow.
"I am ready"
”To what end?” Darian asks the newcomer curiously. ”He’s clearly guilty of banditry at best. That alone means a punishment by the sword. At worst he has more nefarious goals in mind. I am all for solving things peacefully if possible, but what does that get us here beyond losing the element of surprise? Their end fate will be the same, assuming we are the victors here, of course.”
"I am sorry, it is just the size of the creatures has me scared. I will do my best. I can speak their tongue. If we drop the man I will try and reason with them if they don't crush me first."
Darian smiles at Johanna, ”Then we at least know your smart. Only a fool would go into a fight of any kind without a level of fear. Even so...let’s try and take who we can alive. Namely the leader. Learn what was motivating these attacks. It may not be possible, but the information would be helpful.”
Once everyone signals they have made their preparations, Darian pushes magic out from himself and enhances everyone’s weaponry and courage.
__________
Freya nods toward Darian after casting a protective spell on herself from a wand and directly casting another to bolster Fenrir.
"As always, the lawgiver stands with us as we bring order to these lands," says Lisl, waving her golden key in the air in a circle. "We will put an end to these depredations."
Josef watches Darian and Johanna banter about the upcoming fight. "You know as well as anyone that the fight which will kill you is the one you don't take seriously. Of course these things can crush our bones. Remember that, and don't give them the chance! Oh, and get used to Darian wanting to make friends with everyone. It works out far better than it has any reason to, really. I've almost stopped questioning it."
Darian smirks at Josef, ”Except with you, ya stubborn mule!”
"Hold out your blade a moment, dear sir," says Lisl to Josef. Then she touches the blade with her golden key while uttering a quick paean to Abadar.
"Should the situation call for it, your blade will carry the magical power of Abadar and cleave through foes that resist mundane arms."
Your current position has some cover, are you going to stealth closer or attack from where you are?
You do have surprise at the moment so give me your actions.
Once everyone has done their preparations they'd like, Darian gives a silent count of "3...2...1" before turning and letting an arrow fly at the human leader.
__________
Johanna takes aim and awaits the signal, when the first arrow flies she shoots her bolt as well at the human.
Lisl launches a sound burst, the cacophonous blast catching the ettin just over its two heads.
Darian's arrow misses. Johanna wounds him lightly. Lisl stuns him with a spell.
Josef, Isabel & Freya?
Josef thinks that a ranged volley is probably the best way to at least start this, so he begins next to Darian, with his almost unused bow . . .. Targeting the potentially organizing human, too.
The unknown human reels back from his wounds. "Attack!" He cries loudly, pointing in the direction the arrows came from. He then disappears around the side of the old building.
The unstunned Ettin lumber forward looking around for you.
That's all their actions this round. The party may now act.
Johanna loads and takes another shot with her crossbow at the stunned giant. After she drops it moving toward the building to get to a flank and draws her swords.
Sneak attack as it's within 30ft and stunned.
Seeing the man dart behind the building, he looks to Freya and says ”Freya! Stop him!” before drawing his sword and rushing the nearest behemoth.
Dropping his bow and pulling his sword as he charges forward, Josef is shocked at the pure size of the ettins as he reaches the feet of the closest, but that doesn't keep his training from taking over!
Freya nods and heads off after the man, urging Fenrir forward as well.
Once in position, Freya conjures a ball of ice to hurl at the man.
(inspire, bless)
(inspire)
After hurling the ball of ice, the Ulfen woman bids Fenrir to attack.
(magic fang, inspire, bless)
(magic fang, inspire)
(magic fang, inspire, bless)