Lonely Coast

Game Master The Lonely GM

To his surprise he doesn’t see Mellyn but rather a boy running down the road, I wonder where he is going on such a miserable day. The boy makes his way up the path toward the porch and as he gets closer Col realizes that the boy is carrying a letter in his hand. Out of breath the boy stops and hands Col the letter, explaining between labored breaths, “a man… left dis for ye… at da inn.”

Col examines the envelope and sees his name on the outside written in a fancy script. The letter is sealed with wax and the imprint of some seal he doesn’t recognize. He looks up to see the boy still standing there and asks the lad, “Is the man waiting for a reply?”

“No, e just dropped off de letter. Said e was in a rush to make Wolverton before nightfall.”

Col nods his head, “Right, off you go then.”

The boy looks puzzled and asks, “Ain’t ye goin to be openin it? What do it say?”

Col smiles at the lad saying, “It’s my letter, says so in fancy script, so it is my business not yours. Yours is to get back home before someone boxes your ears.”

As the boy heads back down the road Col opens the letter and reads:

A letter from Tahllian Liaiamne to Colwyn Dein of Swallowfeld

Master Dein Salutations, I hope this missive finds you in good health. I write you by way of recommendation from a mutual friend Anlyvr Tor. I require a man of quick wit as well as discretion for a task I am unable to perform myself and Sergeant Tor highly recommends you for the task.

Anlyvr, I haven’t seen him since he joined that mercenary company years ago. Begged me to go with him the fool. He considers a moment, Seems as he’s done well for himself Sergeant no less. He strokes his chin, I wonder what this is all about, and continues reading the letter.

Colwyn finishes the letter and concludes, So this Tahllian wants to know if is son Malvenos is at the Priory of Cymer. I wonder what all the secrecy is about.

He takes another pull off his pipe and forgets all about cutting wood for a while.

You are travelling to Cymer at the behest of Tahllian Liaiamne. Tahllian (a powerful elven mercenary warrior) is searching for his wayward half-elven son, Malvenos. Tahllian, recently hearing stories of a half-elven warrior watching over the priests at Cymer, has dispatched you to investigate. Your mission is simple; to determine whether the half-elf is indeed Malvenos but not to alert him to his father's interest in the priory.

Winter’s darkest night brings future blight
A dark cold wind follows in its wake
Storm’s eye breaches with its might
Inhabitants of the coast to shutter and quake
The peaks will tremble as the coast is set right

Most villagers agree that this was a foretelling of the great storm that did indeed hit Swallowfeld on winter’s longest night that year. However, it was also the night Colwyn was born and some have said that the words were talking about his breach birth. They say that cold wind was actually Colwyn who was a breach birth on winter’s longest night. They also point to his storm colored eyes as further evidence that the monument spoke of him. Although they offer no opinion about what the last to lines point to.

He ignores his sister’s hounding and continues to sit there relaxing and reminisces about a time when he wasn’t a guest in his sister’s house.

Col thinks about a happier time when this house used to belong to his parents Belwyn and Selli. Col was raised in this house along with his two sisters Kera, the one with the shrill voice who was 6 years older, and Laimoni, 6 years his junior. His father Belwyn was a fisherman and occasional smuggler. Belwyn was a large man, with an even larger laugh, quiet and contemplative, and always restless on land. While his mother, Selli managed the small homestead that butted up against the river called Taran’s Run. His mother was a small woman who always wore a smile, was always humming or singing, loved to cook (her pies routine won the blue ribbon at Summers End festival), possessed a “green thumb” (biggest cucumbers since old man Crabtree was around) and was generous in giving hugs to me and my siblings. But most of all she enjoyed life and found joy even in the common drudgery of everyday life.

Life on the frontier was rough but his father carved out a living as a fishermen. The family also maintained a large garden but couldn’t be considered farmers. On the property there was a small pen with a handful of chickens, and a pig as well as a shed that housed a pair of milk cows. The next nearest home belonged to a family named Tor who had three boys Tym, Carlyn, and Anlyvr. The two eldest boys worked in the mine with their father. While Anlyvr, who was a few years older then Col, became his constant companion and best friend.

Col and Anlyver were like two peas in a pod, where one was the other was sure to follow. Both had an aversion to work and the two snuck off and had many misadventures together. They did everything together including building a raft and floating out to sea, trying to sneak up on Sowena, camping in the woods overnight, and exploring ruins. Col’s lack of work ethic as well as his smart mouth caused him to spend some time in the woodshed under his father’s ministrations.

Col was raised to take up his father’s trade and would eventually have his own small fishing boat. Col’s lessons began at a young age and his father was a hard task master. Col’s first lesson occurred when he was only two when his father threw him into the river telling him to swim or die. Fortunately, Col chose to swim. Ironically, Col and his friend Anlyvr spent much of their free time playing in Tarans Run. Unfortunately, Col did not take to being a fisherman with the same aptitude. Suffice to say that after one voyage it became clear to Col that he was not meant to be a fisherman. He was too much of a free spirit and time aboard the little ship chaffed at him. It seemed that he was always scrubbing, hoisting, battening, and belaying. When he would rather climb up the tiny mast imaging he was a Griffon Rider as the wind rushed through his hair.

As fortune had it when he was ten Col was saved from the life of a fisherman. His father’s ship failed to return home after a severe storm. His family patiently waited as they held out hope for his father’s return. A few weeks turned into a few months and their hope dwindled. The reality of the situation finally sunk in, that his father was never coming back.

As a result of his father’s death the family debts mounted and with creditors calling his family was left to their own devices. Mother eagerly tripled the size of the garden hoping to sell the excess produce. She began brewing ale and making pies to sell to the Inn. His sister quickly married Gregor Kelen, a quick tempered heavy handed man, who worked in the mines and had little liking for his brides little brother. As result of these actions the family climbed out of debt but because of the rough life they never had any coins to spare.

The families string of bad luck continued four years later. Col remembers the night of the goblin raid. Thunder rumbled in the distance as rain beat off the slate roof of the small house. At first they thought the screams coming from the homes closest to the woods were a trick of the storm. Before they knew it the front door of their home burst open and the home was infested with goblins. Thanks to the efforst of the family the goblins were beaten off. However, the celebration was short lived as they realized that Col’s younger sister, Lamoni, and several other young villagers had been taken by the goblins in the raid. In the aftermath the town put together a party to find and rescue these young ones. They had no success as the storm covered there tracks and Col’s sister and the others taken was lost to them.

After the goblin raid Col started pestering Mellyn Vosper who lived across the street. Mellyn was a renowned hunter and marksman and Col constantly begged her to teach him woodcraft so he could track down and kill the goblins that had taken his sister. Col was a quick learner and spent every spare moment at her side. After six months under her tutelage Col and his best friend Anlyvr went to Woverton to join a mercenary company. To Col’s great chagrin the company accepted Anlyver but rejected Col as being too young at 14. Dejectedly Col returned home and continued his studies under Mellyn. This remarkable woman taught him how to shoot a bow, the art of woodcraft, how to hunt, fish, skin and clean game, and how to look for sign when tracking, but most of all she taught him about the sweet dignity of living free on the frontier and respecting others. Although she was many years his senior Col couldn’t help but fall in love with her and looks for any opportunity to spend time with her.

His mother died heartbroken two months later and Col was left in the care of his eldest sister and her husband. Col is sixteen now and over the years her sister’s family grew. Recently she and her husband have been hinting that Col needs to move out to make room for baby number five.