It is in sleepy Albarra where we begin our tale. A small farming and trade town from the Olden Times, it has survived invasions, doughts, plagues, and The Great Migration, and still sits today much as it was 300 years ago.
The River Casnei flows by her western edge, with trade going north to the city of Santa Merceda from the mesas and grasslands to the south. The lands nearby are mostly farmland, growing mostly oats, wheat, and maize, or cattle ranches. An ancient road leads East toward Espa.
In this place, several adventurers with disparate goals will encounter each other and begin their journeys together.
The date is Fourthday, Octum 21. It is Noontime.
The weather is a cool 57 degrees (fahrenheit), and a strong dry breeze blows in across the plains, swirling dust in the town's streets. Only the main roads are paved with cobblestone.
Noontime! The perfect time to take a break from the various odd jobs the locals have available and go find something to eat. This morning, the work was stoking the flames for one of the local foundries.
"Got enough firerock for the day?" Rocko wipes the sweat off his snout and sets the shovel by the Gar Smith's forge.
Gar takes a break from hammering on his latest order and nods.
"Thanks, bud. Deb's got your pay."
With a bag full of copper nubbins now in hand, Rocko follows his nose toward the best smells in town. A few people in town will always give the dark glance toward a passing gnoll, but there's plenty who have no problem with a former tribesman making his way in town. Haters gonna hate, so why get down about it? And those who want to scuffle have learned the hard way not to mess with six foot two and two-hundred eighty pounds of axe-wielding muscle.
"Hmm, smells like Abelia's cooking something good at the Mesa!"
So, the Friendly Mesa for lunch it is.
Hey, maybe there will be something more than just odd jobs on the community board.
A handsome older woman nods at Rocko as he enters the Mesa's Cantina/Restaurant area, just off the main lobby. Rocko recognizes the florally named Abelia, as well as the smell of her cooking.
"Morning, Rocko. Oh, 'scuse me, Afternoon!" she says, looking at the water-clock that sits above the fireplace in the wide, low stucco-and-log room.
It has been a long walk from the city for the man known only by a few, and then only as 'Pious.'
Lesser men would falter Those who walk the road of hardship, they are in His company. But I walk in His company
If anyone had been travelling with Pious on the road from Santa Merceda they would know that these outbursts of 'scripture' were a regular part of being in his company.
Wiping the dust of a couple of day's travel from his grimy mouth with a grimier sleeve, Pious enters Albarra, pausing to touch a timeworn gatepost. "By the artifice of civilisation shall the world be subdued. Civilisation is bastion."
Increasingly aware of his light packs, having eaten most of his provisions on the journey, Pious begins to wander the town in search of a place to restock.
It does not take Pious long to note the sign on a small two-story building that reads Jules' General Store. Quite likely they'd sell marching provisions, dehydrated meat, breads, fruit and the like.
If however, he wishes a fresh meal (for a slightly higher cost), a signpost directs him to the Friendly Mesa Inn and Cantina. In a town this size, aside from a visit to the local farmers, those were more than likely his only options, Pious assumes.
Spizz wanders into the town in much the same way that Pious did. Quite unlike Pious, there is no evidence that the little kobold had made any preparations for a long journey. His golden scales were filthy, his overlarge horns caused his head to slump. He releases a long suffering sigh. Then he raises his head.
Immediately, Spizz's entire demeanor changes. Forgotten are the hunger pangs, the long marches, the men with pointy sticks, the cold. He had done it! He had found civilization! He had made it to the center of these lands
and was finally going to make a name for himself!
Ignoring the surprised looks of the locals as he began to tear through the streets, Spizz takes it all in. Buildings! Real buildings! And they had streets! It was beyond his wildest dreams, far better than living in a small cave with 20 other Kobolds. In fact, Spizz is so engrossed with taking in the scenery that he inadvertently collided with another one of the pedestrians on the street.
Peeling himself off of Pious's leg, he pulls a battered book from a crude pouch, and flips through it.
"I... am... sorry!" he says triumphantly. "My... name... is... Spizz... and I am... content?... to... meet... you!" His voice is squeaky, and every word is a chore to wait for, but it's clear that the Kobold is proud of his effort.
There is a metallic click as Pious lets his sword fall back into it's scabbard.
"I nearly exterminated you little one, mistaking you for a wild creature trespassing in the town. Your little book puts the lie to that I suppose. And even the infidel can know His word, and live by His way."
Pious bends down to look at the creature before him. Using a grimy and rust stained chain gauntlet to lift his long, grease and sweat slicked hair from his eyeline.
"There is something of the wilderness to you though. I am Pious, I am content to meet you too. The stories tell that He walked in scales of gold as he was succored by The Stranger. Come."
A sign?
Pious saunters towards The Friendly Mesa Inn, fully expecting Spizz to follow.
"Come. Yes!" Spizz excitedly patters after the man. "Spizz good Kobold. Not bad." He seems somewhat irritated by his limited vocabulary, but pleased that he managed to get this far. Something about his upbeat demeanor and earnest excitement made the little creature eminently likable.
"You don't by any chance speak the most honorable and ancient tongue of the dragon, do you?"
This day was looking great already. He had seen real buildings and made a new friend!
If Spizz is impressed by the outside of the buildings and the cobblestones, he is then keenly impressed by the interior of the Friendly Mesa; the Cantina, right off the main lobby, is as vast as some of the caverns back home. The humans have managed to recreate shelter in an impressive way using only wood logs and dried mud.
There is currently a growing crowd in the Cantina, mostly being served lunch on wooden plates and steaming iron skillets. Almost all of the people in the Cantina are human, save one Gnoll, dining off in a corner.
Pious smells some of the same smells as the restaurants he'd visited in Santa Merceda. Rustic food these Caldovans ate, but quite hearty.
Pious trudges over to an empty table to one side and slumps into a chair, moving his sword and the huge book on his hip to one side. He helps Spizz into a seat by picking him up by the scruff of the neck.
it is not quite a shout, but his voice certainly carries.
"Lunch for me and my... for me and him.
"Certainly, sir," the waitress, a short, brown-skinned girl, says with a pleasant smile. She looks a little surprised to see a Kobold, but not shocked; Kobold miners do occasionally come through town.
The young woman proceeds to set a stack of fry-bread (something which Pious had never experienced before coming to the Marches) and two sauces on the table, one yellow, one green. She also sets down a pitcher of light ale.
"Today, we have steak marinade, trout, spicy sausage, and gazpacho."
The door to the cantina opens and it takes you a moment to see who has entered. A halfling walks over to a seat near the front of the room and sits down.
"Be right with you, Adler," Abelia, the older woman who is proprietor of both the Friendly Mesa Inn and its Cantina, says.
Adler is the only Halfling to reside in Albarra itself (albeit for a brief time), though there are some who farm the nearby plains. Adler recognizes Rocko, a Gnoll who does odd jobs around town, a transplant from beyond the southern mesas. He also knows by sight most of the other Cantina customers this Fourthday morning, save only a man with some unusual tatoos on his arm who sits with a Kobold.
"Wot's a gazpacho?" Spizz enquirers of Pious.
"Wot's a gazpacho?" Spizz enquirers of Pious.
"A vegetable soup with a tomato base from the Kingdom of Espa, served cold," the server replies.
He gave us fire, that we may lift ourselves above the beast. Why would I want cold food. Trout for me...
Pious lifts an inquisitive eyebrow at Spizz, as if this desision was a test. The subtleties of the look are lost as his eyebrows are nearly visible amongst the background tattoos that lattice his face.
Spizz flips through his book, and then makes a face. "Vegetables... for... many... legs! Kobold... need... meat... or... die... with... full... belly." He turns to Pious. "Help please?"
...and steak for them. And two mugs of whatever you have on tap."
Pious does not initiate conversation while they wait, he studies the other people in the bar in turn. Staring intently and unashamedly at each patron.
"Certainly." The waitress heads off to place the order with Abelia at the bar, who in turn shouts it back to the cook.
As Pious studies the crowd, he notes the Gnoll has gotten up from his table, and is looking intently at some sort of bulletin board near the entrance.
"Have you lost something?" Pious calls to the Gnoll across the room. "or maybe not lost, but looking for. Judge not the seeker for what is found, but rather what is sought. What do you seek?"
Alder quietly asks for an ale from Abelia and as the strange human stares at him, he keeps his head down and fiddles with his cap.
Alder quietly asks for an ale from Abelia and as the strange human stares at him, he keeps his head down and fiddles with his cap.
A quick cup of ale is delivered as Adler watches the stranger approach Rocko the Gnoll at the bulletin board.
It takes a while for Rocko to realize someone's talking to him.
"Sorry pal," Rocko does a quick twist of his head that turns into an involuntary whole neck rotation, like a dog shaking off water, "A long morning at the hot forge and then a full belly of Abelia's delicious food and ale will put a fog over a guy."
He pulls back his mouth it what briefly looks like a snarl, but it's really just the best a gnoll can manage for a smile.
"My name's Rocko. Don't believe I've met ya before, feller. You new in town?"
He then sees Spizz and his toothy smile widens even further. "Oho, a wee dragon-kin! It's usually only flat-faces around here. Well met indeed, friend!"
(just FYI, 'flat-face' isn't intentionally an insult, it's just a generic term gnolls use to lump all humans/elves/dwarves/etc together. Please don't hate Rocko for it, even if some locals don't like it)
"Hi!" Spizz waves back. His eyes are squinched with the effort of trying to understand. But one word he seems to understand perfectly. "Dragon!" he says with pride, pointing at himself. Then he hisses something.
"I am still learning human-tongue, do you speak the speech of Great Wyrms?
Alder visibly flinches as the kobold says 'Dragon', then begins to speak in draconic.
"Oho! That must be dragon language you two speak. My apologies, my friends, but I know only one or two words in dragon. It has not been long since I learned the local human speech, and I am not the best of students."
Rocko then says a few words that sound little more than barks, growls, and yips to most ears.
Spizz shakes his head sadly, he doesn't speak Gnoll. Putting his battered dictionary on the table, he chatters to the best of his ability with the friendly gnoll.
"Spizz understand flat-face. Kobolds have word for that too, soft-skins. Most Kobold think are better than soft-skin, because dragon made Kobold. Kobold say Kobold should rule all soft-skin, and live easy life. Spizz disagree. Other Kobold liar to Spizz. Spizz go to find real truth. Even if true, Spizz think strong protect weak, not rule. So Spizz go on great... pilgrimage? to find soft-skin leader, to offer Spizz as a protect...y... type Kobold." Spizz is very serious during this statement. He obviously takes this very seriously, and has given it a great deal of thought.
Pious' eye is caught by the halfling's reaction when Spizz mentions his heritage. There is a tale there.
But he leaves this be for now as he listens to the exchange between Spizz and Rocko. He nods at Spizz' words. Protect not rule. For He is the shepherd and we the flock. Not for the first time Pious thinks of the name his father gave him, Shepherd. Signs and portents everywhere.
"I am Pious. These are extraordinary, wonderful times to live in, Rocko. He is returning to us. I am here as a pilgrim, following the portents and living by His Way. I speak no language save His word, it is divine perfection. You both do service to your people by civilising and seeking to improve yourselves. Respect he who steps forward and onto the path, he will reach the town before his brother."
There is no sign that Pious means any slur by his words.
Rocko looks down to notice he's got his paw on a slip of paper on the bulletin board, and remembers why he'd come to check out the board: see if he could find something more interesting than an odd job that would earn a few coppers.
As fortune would have it his paw has set on one such opportunity, and there is another directly below it.
Local rancher looking to solve mystery of missing cattle. Will pay up to 1000 gold to determine who's responsible and stop it.
AND
An old military stronghold seems to be housing some hostile types who are waylaying travelers out beyond town. See Intendente Caprone for more information. Intendente Caprone is, essentially, the mayor of Albarra.
Lex moves through the bar to get a good look at the Kobold. Her people spent decades deciding on whether to make one. They never did. She cocks her head in simulated aggression as a sign of respect.
Rocko sighs inwardly at Spizz’s talk of ‘ruling all soft-skins’. His tribe had been much the same, and he was glad to be rid of such beliefs. Whatever Pious was saying was a bit lost on poor Rocko, but he could tell the man was strong in his conviction.
“You too both sound like you’ve ’got strong purpose’, as Brother Herbert would tell me. Don’t know how much I can help ya, but I’d be glad to join you if the work helps pay for another day’s food.”
Rocko also nods politely at the dragon-speaking newcomer before turning back to the board.
After looking at it closely, he frowns at something he’s never seen before.
“Wait, one-zero-zero-zero … even the number Gar Smith had on the price board for that fancy shiny metal town guard armor wasn’t this wide!”
Lexxan's Sanctuary leaf armor is tightly woven but glides easily across her lean frame. She leans in close to Rocko. "I knows a place of dragon's hidin'" She says in common, but you are unable to place the dialect. "I'd be willin' to spill for a drink or two."
The lunchtime crowd has cleared out a bit, and everyone has finished their meals. Rocko, Pious, Spizz, and Lexxan, having started conversations over the past hour, now sit around a large central table in the lodge area of the Friendly Mesa (right outside the Cantina area). Nearby, Adler Tiller sits unobtrusively.
Before you on the table are two slips of paper, which Rocko found earlier, each one representing a possible avenue for adventure: The Missing Cattle, and The Old Stronghold.
"Spizz know that number! Number use for Ancient dragon."
Alder continues to slowly drink his ale, but leans in closer to see what the strange group is talking about. He remains, outwardly anyway, uninterested in the conversation, but inside the little fellow is torn as to approaching the group and joining in, or simply staying out of the way. He continues to listen in!
It seems, by His will, we four have been drawn together. To what end it is not for us to say."
With ink blacked hands he takes up the two job offers
"Our immediate path seems to part before us. I must let His indefinable, irrefutable will guide me. I cannot yet speak His word but I have learned to trust that He speaks through those on my path, for my path is His way."
Pious abruptly walks over to Adler, clatters to sit at his table and bangs the notes face down on the wooden surface.
"What says you, stranger. Will you be His hand for me this day. Pick one."
He stares intently, unerringly.
Lex watches a brown cat with white patches of fur scurry beneath the table. She grabs a little piece of chicken and slips down under to search for the cat. She sees it near a chair with a look of 'I'm about to run'. Lex holds out the piece of meat. Steady and calm were her hands. The cat began to relax and move toward the tasty looking chicken.
When the cat starts nibbling, Lex softly sweeps it up and into her arms.
"You sound like madman Pious!" Lexxan's voice ushers up from under the table. "And it only looks like a number Spizz!"
“Hey, relax everyone, they’re just jobs. Do the work, get paid, spend it on what you want.”
Rocko thinks back on what was on the pages. “The cattle one may be a bit of a mystery, but I doubt it’s more than a good tracker and some decent muscle can handle. Probably one rancher trying to build their herd on the sly by stealing’ from another. That or some hungry beastie that needs to be taken out before it loses its fear of people.”
He chews at a leftover bone from his meal as he thinks of the other. “The other one sounds more like big group of warrior work, but I’m guessing Cap don’t have enough spare guard and doesn’t want the mess of sending word to the cities and getting nothing but empty barking.”
“The rancher one sounds like an easier hunt but the fortress one could be big danger but better pay”
Spizz jumps up and down excitedly. "Spizz say we go fight the bad guy! Spizz want to fight bad guy! Save the day!"
The little halfling jumps as the human slams the papers down on his table.
Oh...Ummm...I do not know...maybe check on the cattle first then go to the castle? "
He looks the group over and then seems to come to a conclusion.
"Yes, the cattle first. It would be best if you learned your new team's strengths and weaknesses before you tackle the castle. Much more danger there probably!"
Lexxan lifts her head sharply only to bang it against the bottom of the table. She sucks in air quickly to mitigate the pain. "Gnomish regen!" she curses.
She rises out from under with more caution. Lex releases the cat on top of the table. It carefully searches for some more tasty morsels. Lex sees a waitress heading for the table. Lex thinks that the waitress is obviously coming to shoo the cat off the table. She points at the waitress dramatically, "Don't be a hero." Lex points at her eyes with two fingers and then points them at the waitress, as if to say 'I'm watching you.'
The waitress was only going to ask if the group needed anything else, but is immediately stopped by Lex's odd behavior. A look of confusion crosses the waitresses face. She turns and heads to a different table.
Lex's head shakes with satisfaction.
"The cutey pie midget is right." She smiles at Adler. "I'm good with a whip. What are the rest of you good at?"
Alder smiles and seems to blush at the comment from Lex.
"Ummm...might you need some more help? I am pretty good at sneaking around and can help open locks and such...and I am pretty good with these knives!"
He draws out a matching pair of kukri from hidden sheaths somewhere under his cloak.
"Good at?" Spizz looks confused. Flipping through his book, he drops down to the floor and draws in the dust the phrase, what are you good at? Then, he begins chanting and flailing his arms about. His eyes flash gold for a second, he looks pleased with himself, and then nods sagely. "Spizz good at magic. Magic of Dragon!"
The new group of companions, having met, resolves to leave in the morning. They are able to get directions to the ranch they're looking for from some local traders. The trip is approximately 11 miles (almost 18 km), and so will take a reasonable amount of time.
The morning is actually somewhat cold, the sky clear, with heavy winds from the west.
Just past town, the party crosses the wide stream that is a branch of the River Casnei. Not long after that, you pass the Boulder Mark, a place where several boulders have been moved, in the distant past, into a cluster at the bottom of a hill along the trail.
The cold winds carry on into the morning, though the sun is starting to burn off some of the chill. Crossing a small stream, barely a trickle in the dry weather, you come into a land of small mesas with a spotty covering of brush. It is around time for the mid-day meal.
Lex scrambles to a bush nearby the trickling water. She gathers some berries. She stores the extras and prays on what is left. She hands out a berry to each in the group. "It'll fill ya up. Eat. Eat."
Lex distractedly looks around.
Lexxan easily produces enough food for the party, should they wish it.
Looking around the area, she sees blue sky, shrubs of various sorts, cacti, and some 50' or so mesas, the beginning of ranching land. The ranchers fed cattle on the shrubs that grew around the mesas, using individual mesas almost as property boundaries between one ranch and another. Though Lexxan cannot see any cows, she doesn't have to wait long to hear one mooing in the distance.
The area looks pleasant and idyllic. Lexxan sees no threat.
The party still has about 3 miles left to reach the ranch that posted the request on the message board.
Pious, ever ready to see fate's hand in all things but wary of trusting to this fickle force, approaches the bar and restocks his personal supplies
At the Boulder Mark Pious pauses and, placing an inked palm on one of the huge rocks spends a moment in silent contemplation.
When Lexxan offers him the berry he sniffs it warily before stuffing it into his mouth and chewing loudly with his mouth open. The berry is tart but satisfying.
"Thank you. Where does this power come from Lexxan, what god blesses your steps?"
Lex pauses knits her eyebrows. "Givin' nature an aspect?" she shrugs. "More like energies transmuted with mindful requests."
She casts a spell and asks, "Please tell us more of your god."
She quickly outpaces the conversational limit and can only hear the sounds of nature around her.
Spizz tugs on Pious's leg. "Spizz will listen! Spizz like learning."