Dregan smiles and gives Sventlana a hug in greeting. "You have a way at always saying right thing." he says as he heads in to find the food.
After the meal he looks up "You haven't reconsidered coming south have you? We could really use your help and you could help shape something great." Dregan says opening up the old offer not so much out an urgent need in the council but more a desire to have Sventlana cooking more accessible.
Oleg and Svetlana are excellent hosts, as usual. Both Levetons politely decline Dregan's offer - they are quite happy here at the trading post.The trappers and traders are grateful for your offers. They eat and drink heartily and even join for the parts of Gavriil's songs that they know. The gathering goes late into the night, and it's a rough morning that greets you.
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Later in the evening, Talia unstraps Worgslayer from her belt and hands the sword, in its sheeth, over to Oleg. "This sword has been a great friend to Fairhaven. It slew the worg Howls-in-the-Hills and has taken part in many other acts of... taming of the Greenbelt. It is also, as I understand it, of an unusual metal, one particularly abhorrent to demons and fey creatures. Oleg, I'd like you to look into getting it enchanted. I'll see that the proper monies are sent north."
When Talia presents the sword to Oleg, Gavriil lets out a giggle. The night of drinking was obviously effecting him and without knowing it he giggles again and says to Talia, "I don't know if I've ever heard you talk in a way that doesn't sound like you're up on a stage! I know you're royalty, Viscountess, but geez! Come down and wallow with the pigs with the rest of us every once in a while!"
Naralesh chuckles. "I'd say that speaks more to Talia's experience as a brilliant playwright than as a noblewoman, Gavriil." Naralesh muses a moment. "Speaking of plays, have you had much occasion to write recently, Talia? It would truly be a pleasure to see another one of your works performed - perhaps someday in a theater right in the heart of Concord."
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Edric remains quietly on the edge of the group watching and smiling at the banter that passes back and forth. Despite all his time with the group and his position as general of Fairhaven, there are still time, like this where he is reminded that the four before him had been a group a long time before he joined them. Rather than resenting it, Edric simply sits back to enjoy it - family is not something he is used to and he appreciates seeing it and being a part of it, even tangentially.
Talia rolls her eyes and gets ready to retort to Gavriil - when Naralesh diverts her attention. Smiling, the Viscountess nods. "Oh, I write all the time. Mostly at night, when I can't sleep. One day, Naralesh, there will be a theater in Concord. I imagine it designed by the great elven architect Sethtlthen Llllloydwrithen. All marble spires surrounding an open-air amphitheater..."
Sword forgotten, Talia sips from her cup and describes, in great detail, the layout of her fictional theater, complete with animated hand gestures as she talks...
Gavriil giggles again at the comment from Naralesh. In a slightly slurred manner, he smirks and says, "Ah, yessss... Brilliance! I believe it was that brilliance that told us that we could not ambush the bandits on our first day in this trading post, which ended with her captured and you being left for dead!" He looks over to Edric, looking for a friend in the argument and says with another laugh, "Hells! She'd probably still be in their clutches if I hadn't run to get help! That was the day we met Magna and Dregan!"
While Talia continues on with her dreams of a theater in Concord, Gavriil regales Edric with their time in the Stolen Lands before he and Vosil joined them. Tales of giant spiders, bandits, kobolds in radish patches! And of course, Gavriil is the hero of every tale he tells!
1 Sarenith 4708
The journey south is warm and pleasant as summer begins over the Greenbelt. You follow the line of the Thorn River until just before the plains of Concord, then turn west. You follow the line of the Tuskwater; past the Old Beldame's swamp, past the old hermit's oak, and into the unknown.
2 Sarenith 4708
The woods here are much as you as remember from your hunt for the Scythe Tree. The blighted hollow is still dark, but shows signs of recovery. Other than that, the exploration goes smoothly.
3 Sarenith 4708
More woods. A light rain falls throughout the day, more of a misting than anything else. A ruined, circular keep looms out of the forest, surrounded by towering, ancient trees draped with hanging moss. Four circular towers sprout from the cracked walls like the trunks of great trees, at least one crumbled into rubble. Twisting vines and thick moss cover the walls in a coat of verdant green, blending the ruins almost seamlessly into the surrounding woods. The overgrown remains of a path lead to an open, arched gateway gaping in the keep’s eastern wall, its doors long since rotted away.
Gavriil rides along with the others through the misty rain as they approach the tower looming in the distance. As they come up on the base of the tower, Gavriil lets out a long whistle, "I gotta hand it to you, Naralesh, the elves sure knew how to build. That tower is impressive!"
He dismounts his horse and ties it to a nearby tree before moving to the entrance and says, "We should keep an eye out for an elven bauble inside. There's a girl I met back in Concord that has offered a reward for a fancy elven bauble and it looks like whoever owned this place won't be missing whatever we find."
He keeps his hand on his hilt as he steps through the massive gates.
A low whistle escapes Talia as she spies the keep. "Beautiful," she murmers, dismounting and quickly tying Apple off to a nearby tree.
"I doubt there's much left," Talia says, drawing her scorpion whip as she follows along with Gavriil. "It looks abandoned. I'm sure the keep has been picked clean over the eons."
Something, however, was tugging at the noble's mind, a bit of worry around the edges of her thoughts. "Wait. Didn't Narlthropple say the keep was dangerous?" Pulling Narlthroppel's notes from her pack, the Talia begins flipping through them.
Jubilost's expedition returns near the end of Desnus, 4708 (turn 12 of kingdom building). His hands over his maps before bidding you adieu. He's off to the south, but thanks you for your support.
Here's what he found:
Tiressia's grove.
An abandoned keep in b7 of elvish design. (woods)
The 'hut of a madman' in a7. (woods)
The swamp witch.
A river ford in D7. (hills)
A 'bowl of hot mud filled with black mushrooms' in B8. (hills)
An island in the middle of the lake with 'strange lights'. (lake)
A lizardman village in a8. (woods)
An abandoned ferry in B9. (hills)
"Hmmm... Must have been thinking of the island with the strange lights." Talia pockets the expedition notes and shrugging, makes her way towards the abandoned keep.
Dregan secures the horses then follows Gav to the gate [b]"No harm in treating it as dangerous, Gav you might want to slow down let Nara check for any lingering magics and that the structure is sound, then let Edric or myself go first.
Gavriil smirks at Dregan over his shoulder and raises an eye-brow to him. "I think can handle a forgotten keep, Dregan, but I'm touched to know you care. Now come on! I don't want to stay out in this rain any longer than I have to!" He slows down a bit, though to allow Nara to comb the area for magic, but stays out in front.
"It's a beautiful sight," Naralesh says, looking up at the ancient keep. "Nature claims all in the end. It's as though the keep were part of the land itself." He prepares himself for the exploration, casting his defensive magics first before murmuring the simple incantation which will scan ahead for any magical enchantments.
Dregan looks at Gav written in large letters across his face is the 'fact' that what Gav said is crazy and trying to work out it is part of a joke. Sighing he tries to correct his friend "We all have roles, mine is to keep us safe by seeing dangers before they see us, Edric's is go into dangerous places first that's why he has all that armour, your's is to keep our spirits up."
Gavriil lets out a sigh and stops before the gateway. He turns back to Dregan and says, "Fine, if I'm just good for my songs then go on ahead. You can make sure the abandoned place is safe for us." He gives Dregan a mock bow and points the way through the gateway, letting him go first.
Dregan pauses for moment trying to work out if he is being mocked. He give Gav a nod before turning forth Nara for confirmation everything is safe before sneaking through the gateway.
Still wondering what to do if Gav was mocking him he doesn't concentrate kicks a stone through the gate ahead of him.
Gavriil lets out a sigh and stops before the gateway. He turns back to Dregan and says, "Fine, if I'm just good for my songs then go on ahead. You can make sure the abandoned place is safe for us." He gives Dregan a mock bow and points the way through the gateway, letting him go first.
The walls of the keep are 5' thick and 20' high. they are covered in ancient, worn carvings elvish in origin.
Dregan starts to walk through the gate, when he notices a tiny wire strung along the ground. Throwing an arm out, he stops everyone in their tracks!
Dregan silently runs his hand along the length of the wire to show it to the others before putting one finger to his lips. Turning back to the gateway he takes an exaggerated step over the wire and continues in.
Dregan silently runs his hand along the length of the wire to show it to the others before putting one finger to his lips. Turning back to the gateway he takes an exaggerated step over the wire and continues in.
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Gavriil lets out a harumpf as Dregan spots the trap that he was about to just walk into. Maybe the old man was right, but he sure as the nine hells wasn't going to admit it to him. He lets out a sigh and begrudgingly says, "Well, good job, Dregan. Can you like use your trapping skills to disable it? Nara? Do you have some magical mumbo-jumbo that could help?
Dregan retreats from the tower and beckons the others to follow.
"That trap is new and maintained which means that place is deserted. Italia do you want to try your diplomacy? As for the trap, animal traps are designed to be easy to disarm. Human ones aren't, I may be able to trigger it with an arrow or large rock..."
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-Posted with Wayfinder
Talia studies the keep from the treeline, frowning slightly. "Whoever is in that keep has made no attempt to reach out to us in Concord. I'm not sure they're friendly. We should scout the keep first. Dregan, would you be able to lead us quietly around the fortress? We may be able to gather a better idea of its inhabitants."
There is, indeed, a hole in the wall of the ancient keep. The wall has collapsed here, leaving a pile of rubble 10' high.
Gavriil looks around to the others and then moves to the hole in the wall quietly.
Once he gets up to the rubble, he starts to climb over it to see inside the wall.
If he reaches the top of the rubble and the coast looks clear then he'll wave the others over.
The coast appears clear.
Nodding, Talia begins climbing the rubble, scorpion whip clutched tightly in her hand. The Viscountess moves with almost preturnatural grace, stepping silently over the rubble until she stands next to Gavriil, peering around the keep's inner courtyard.
Naralesh follows behind the others, trying to be stealthy but not having much practice with it.
Gavriil moves into the walls of the keep, keeping an eye out for any other traps or people that may not be friendly towards them. He moves along, trying to be as quiet as possible towards the high tower in the middle of the keep. Once he reaches the tower, he peeks in through the door to see if they have company.
A graceful tower rises out of the keep’s central courtyard, now overgrown with bushes, undergrowth, and several sizable trees. Like the outer walls, the tower is draped with vines and creepers, and several small plants have taken up residence on ledges and in cracks along its sides.
"If the front gate was trapped there may be more. I'm going to check out the far side." Dregan whispers then slow circles the main tower and in anticlockwise direction to make sure nothing is hiding out of there view. He will end up near the enterence of the G3 tower and if nothing happens before then go check the door for any obvious traps and then listen at it.
Talia crouches and watches Dregan, thankful for the man's skillful sneaking, ready to spring into action at the first sign of trouble.
Gavriil holds at the doorway, waiting for the others to catch up to him before moving on.
The group begins working it's way towards Gavriil while Dregan sneaks around the tower. Crouching in the dense brush, Dregan suddenly feels a sharp pain in his left side. A gash in his kidney appears, spurting blood!
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Dregan comes back, bleeding profusely from the gash in his side.