The Keelboat gets under way before daybreak. It moves quickly down the River Esk, to where it meets up with the Kestrel River. Before noon Captain Bloodtusk makes a difficult maneuver to point the Keelboat facing up the Kestrel along its Eastern banks. The Keelboat comes to a stop. The crew disembarks with four horses to begin the journey pulling the boat upriver against the Kestrel's strong current. The crew works the newly acquired horses, along with one familiar with the task.
By evening the Keelboat comes to a rest at a familiar location to many in the party. It is the Lastwall weighstation where the part rescued Calrianne Blix. The Knight of Orem is there. She greets the Keelboat, along with three other Knights.
The Captain greets the Knights of Orem, as the crew readies the boat for the night.
When Calrianne sees the party, "Were you successful? Any word concerning my Great, Great Grandfather?"
The Knights and Bloodtusk's crew prepare an evening meal together.
very! We have a story to tell ye, one that will make ye pleased, I think.
Anga explains the story, detailing the assault on the fort, the death of the giantess and the ogre mage, and the defeat of the orcs (with likely interjections by others in the party). She also tells of her grandfather's ghost, his quest for release, the skull of gloom and its successful conclusion.
Calrianne is overwhelmed by the story, "This will provide great closure for my family."
"I will need to tell my superiors that you have cleared the Fort. This may be an opportunity to expand our borders again." It was hard to tell which piece of news Calrianne was more excited about.
Aye, if you do be reclaiming the fort, all well and good.
I was for sending people up to re occupy it, once we had the chance to rest.
As for the rest, Haskyll sits down with the party, and tries to figure out an equitable division of the loot from the fort.
Supper was filling. The Knights were roasting a deer. Bloodtusk offered a keg of Dark Beer. All rested peacefully.
Day Forty-Three
Calrianne mounts her steed and leaves early for Vigil, the Capital of Lastwall.
Shortly after the Keelboat disembarks from the Knights of Orem weighstation.
The day was uneventful.
By dark Bloodtusk finds another place along the river to camp. It was a location that Bloodtusk and many others have used before for a resting spot.
This night too was restful and without incident.
Day Forty-Four
The new horses helped to speed up the journey. By late afternoon the Keelboat docks near the trail that leads south to Trunau. The party takes their leave of Captain Bloodtusk and his Keelboat.
The party pushes on to Trunau. It is dark when you reach the Northern gates that leads into the town's lower quarter. By the time the party reaches the Inner Quarter, the scene of some of the heaviest fighting, a crowd is forming around the party. People are coming out of their houses or tents, as many lost their houses in the fires.
By the time the party reaches the upper quarter and the Langhorne, the crowd has swollen to nearly the entire town's population. "Ruby's Champions have returned," is called out over and over.
Young Ruby runs out in her nightgown. She looks for Kaos. She wants him to carry her upon his broad and tall shoulders.
Level Seven
Anga nudges haskyll
how romantic. Seems kaos has a follower
"I have been fine, thank you," Ruby responds to Kaos. "Will the Orcs attack us again? If they do, I will be ready," she pulls out her Hopeknife so quickly that she almost loses her hold on to Kaos.
Leira covers behind the group, still unconfident of her family reaction after she left in such a rush from town.
The young girl looks sternly at Ruby as she talks with Kaos, and she then decides to look over the crowd for Sarah and Erik.
Laughing at Rubies antics, Haskyll joins in the festivities.
Leira will find her family in the crowd.
Halgara comes out and greets the party in front of the Longhouse.
When she hears that Grenseldek, her Hill Giants, and the Twisted Nail Orc Tribe has been destroyed, Halgara calls out, "Tomorrow, I declare, will be a day of celebration. Prepare a feast." She then calls out, "Today these... She points toward the party. "are not only Ruby's Champions, they are Trunau's Champions." The crowd erupts in a great cheer.
Ragnir watches the proceedings, especially with Ruby and wipes at his eyes with a sleeve. Looking around he grumbles, Blasted group be gettin' dust in me eyes!
Leira sighs as she sees Sarah and Erik. Still scared they might be angry at her, when little Sarah runs towards the girl with a wide smile, Leira cannot avoid tears to emerge on her eyes.
The girl embraces her little sister while she tells her how much she has awaited for her return. In the distance, Leira sees Erik and with a look of complicity and a nod she let's him know her mother, his wife, has been avenged.
Anga nudges ragnir in the ribs affectionately, causing him to gasp for breath.
ah ya big softie. You'll lose ye tough dwarf rep. Let's celebrate with a fine ale.
Anga then wipes her own eyes.
argh! Tis infectious!
Aye Anga, if yea don't mind, I will be taking you up on the ale.
Haskyll looks slightly aside, and wipes his eyes clear.
Ragnir grins lopsidded and grabs Haskyll under one arm and Anga under the other, Aye lass!, but ye're no' gettin' it richt. We'll be celebratin' wi' MANY fine ales! He steers them towards the closest Inn.
"HA, someone said the magic words. ONWARD to the tavern! It´s high time to feast and celebreate!" Moving with the other dwarfs toward the Alehouse he even offers to buy the first round!
"Alehouse? That sounds mighty fine," Umlo follows the others to the Ale. Ingrahild is right next to her brother. Droja is right behind the poorly barbered Dwarf. The Half-Orc crouches in her robes so low that her height is more like a human's than a Half-Orc's.
Umlo and Ingrahild have passed through Trunau a few times. This is Droja's first time in the town.
Anga laughs loudly.
And so the dwarves quaff much dwarven holy water, ie ale.
Leira looks first at Kaos, then at Ruby. She clenches her teeth then speaks "I... I want to share some time with my family first. So long I have not been with them. They want to know all that happened"
She looks then back to the dwarves and adds "But I will join you later"
Turning back she leaves with Sarah and Erik.
--------------------------------------------
During these days in Trunau, Leira will spend a couple of days creating a very realistic dummy of a man. She spends plenty of money, 120 gp, with the tanner and butcher, so the dummy has very realistic vital points drawn on it.
She will spend two days without almost speaking to no one, dumping her angriness with a terrible fury on the dummy. Arrow after arrow, refining her accuracy to reach the vital spots of the dummy-man.
The Longhouse essentially becomes the Alehouse, as Jagrin and Kurst Grath roll out barrels of Dwarven Ale. Twice a year a Dwarf Merchant named Heinbeck brings a caravan of wagons loaded with Jandefhoff Dwarven Ale to Trunau, Freedom Town and Lastwall. Jagrin uses it to keep the town guard amenable. But tonight is a start of a celebration.
Bunks in the Longhouse were provided to the party for rest.
Day Forty-Five
For most of the party, this day was filled with Dwarven Ale and Song. Halgara had several of her fattest pigs slaughtered and roasted up, along with pots of beans, roasted corn and potatoes. Trunau had not feasted like this in many years. And it was right that the should, for more than they even realized at the time, today was the beginning of Trunau's golden age. The Orcs of Belkzen would begin to leave the lands south of the River Esk alone. News of the complete destruction of what was once one of Belkzen's most powerful Orc Tribes, the Twisted Nail, will spread quickly throughout the Orc lands. To the Orc Chieftains raiding Trunau equalled their own demise.
By the end of the day, Droja helped both Ingrahild and Umlo find their bunks to sleep it off.
Day Forty-six through Day Fifty-Two
This was a time to rest and train.
Forge of the Giant god
During the days of rest, Umlo studies the geode. After several days, he announced to the party, "All we need to do is follow the River Kestrel to its source high up in the Mindspin Mountains. There looks to be a cave there that will lead to the trail to Nargrym Steelhand's tomb."
Then it looks like that is the way that we will be going, but not right now.
I think we might have to go to a larger city, in order to get a bit better gear, before we go wandering off in that direction.
Talk of a bigger town brings Umlo into the conversation, "You could go to Jandefhoff, the great Sky Citadel of the Dwarves. It is Ingrahild and my home. The tomb of Nargrymkin Steelhand is along the way."
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On one of the days when most the party was training, Droja leaves early in the morning from the party's company.
At first Leira does not want to accept Droja's words, she rubs her hands, like if that can clean the taint on her veins, "No... that is not possible. Orcs have been the enemy, they have been harassing Trunau for decades"
But she does not reject Droja this time "I... I somehow knew. There is something fiery and brutal coming out of myself. I feel sometimes I can barely control it. I often dream of an orc, I am the orc myself, the orc break the chains and enlarge, battles for his life against another rival tribe" she stretches her hands "Thanks Droja. But I do not know if I have the bravery to accept this. Who am I?"
Later that day, Leira will seek for the town's elders discovering Droja's words are truth. The girl will disappear for the rest of the day, enraged and angry.
After a day disappeared, Leira will come back to the group while they are having a meeting in the Longhouse. She will ask for some mead to accompany the dwarven ale. "I am coming with you. To Nargrymkin Steelhand tomb and Jandefhoff itself. Erm... sorry... well if you accept me to" the girl seems confused and there are signs she has been crying for long.
"A new expedition.. count me in!"
aye, a new quest. But let's have a couple of days to equip. Ah want to write some scrolls. Do any of you want any?
"Who be this Steelhead? It is Steelhand! Nargrym Steelhand, and my sister and I are Nargrymkin. We are of his blood," Umlo quickly forgives Kaos realizing he is only human.
Umlo continues, "Nargrym lost his hand to a Frost Giant. He had forged a replacement hand of steel. It was said that with this steel hand, he slayed many Giants in his time. He was buried with his steel hand, weapons and armor."
"Aye, I'd like ta be seein' this tomb. Mayhaps we c'n be gettin' saim inspiration from it. Ye c'n be countin' me in."
Torag would be forsaking me if i were ta let his people go inta harms way without me. But i also will need a couple o days to prepare.
Leira smiles happy at Kaos "If you are visiting a tomb, you will need someone able to neutralize possible traps found at place"
She turns then to Umlo "Is there any story or legend on what kind of things where placed to defend the tomb against robbers?"
The girl will gently accept Anga's help "Perhaps having a scroll of invisibility might be helpful at some point"
She will look for available objects able to improve her capacity to spot and disable traps, like eyes of the eagle or goggles of minute seeing.
Leira and Kaos seeks magic items in town. They will find Sara Morninghawk and Agrit Staginsdar working on restoring their damaged home. "We lost a lot in the fire, but I did manage to salvage some items. Let me look to see what I can find," Agrit goes and looks at her inventory.
"I have some of what you are looking for. I have the goggles you seek," Agrit looks at Leira. "It is a rare item in my inventory. Its sale price is 2500 gold pieces."
Agrit speaks to Kaos, "I have a Muleback Cord. It is 1000 gold pieces."
Umlo will respond to Leira, "Nargrym Steelhand's tomb has been lost for a long time. No one knows what creatures or traps guard the great one's tomb."
Ulfgard searches for a magical shield spike to install in his shield.
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Leira and Kaos seeks magic items in town. They will find Sara Morninghawk and Agrit Staginsdar working on restoring their damaged home. "We lost a lot in the fire, but I did manage to salvage some items. Let me look to see what I can find," Agrit goes and looks at her inventory.
** spoiler omitted **
"I have some of what you are looking for. I have the goggles you seek," Agrit looks at Leira. "It is a rare item in my inventory. Its sale price is 2500 gold pieces."
Agrit speaks to Kaos, "I have a Muleback Cord. It is 1000 gold pieces."
Thank you that will be perfect. I have a Heavyload belt and wondered if you would consider a trade?
Leira smiles at Agrit "That's great Agrit! Thanks, I will take the goggles"
Sara Morninghawk and Agrit Staginsdar will look at Ulfgard's shield. It will take a couple of days, but we should be able to enchant your shield. It will cost 2000 gold pieces.
Sitting for a while on the porch after hearing the words of the wise, Ulfgard walks to the forge of Trunau. Asking for a piece of iron and bits and pieces of other metals he starts to smelt it into an amalgam. Then with time and care, he starts crafting a Belt loop for his hammer.
As a symbol that now he is the owner of the weapon and a token of respect for the god of creation who crafted the hammer, even if he was a giant.