After squeezing her again, Sandru blows out a breath, pulling back and running his hands through his hair. "I can't imagine Thanara is going to take this well. And Ameiko. Well. She didn't like Savah, but she certainly considers her part of our group. Killing one another Cub, it's not supposed to happen. Regardless of how much you dislike someone, you can't just kill someone because of it. You should have talked to Ameiko about it..."
Sandru looks lost, unsure of himself. "We should go back, hiding out here isn't going to fix anything."
A saddened expression washes over the caravan leader's face as she stares into Ahreni's eyes. "Come now, Cub. Surely you didn't believe her. How cold she ever know how I feel about you? That's ridiculous, of course I love you! You know this." he says before leaning in to give her another hug.
Despite the comforting words however, thoughts of the repercussions of this fill his head. He tries to push them away though.
Sandru finally catches up to Ahreni, dashing up to her. "Are you hurt?!" he asks, moving to look over her.
When she tells him she is not, he throws his arms around her, embracing her in a hug. "I was worried you were hurt." After squeezing for a second, he pulls back with both hands on her shoulders "Cub... What happened? Why did you do it? You know she's, Savah, she's dead now. Right?"
Sandru comes running out of the cave next, frantically searching about "F##!. Where's Cub?!" he asks no one in particular, scanning the crowd and noticing the bloody prints moving off into the distance.
"F!%+." he says again, shaking his head sighing loudly.
Sandru walks away with Olaff, taking care to not be overheard. "I ma not sure. I know she is Ameiko's friend and this is Ameiko's caravan, so I'm not sure how she feels about it. You're right though. Since she's come back, she is not the same. She seems to much more closed to the rest of us and as you say, amassing more and more members of the caravan who are loyal to her and not to us."
"Speak to Relisha about it. Maybe she can have some subtle words with Ameiko?" he suggests.
Exhaustion sweeps over the party and they reluctantly take their cold and damn bodies back to the inn to get a few hour of shuteye before attempting to find these Cold Shadows tommmorrow.
You all crash and quickly fall asleep, but are awakened but a knocking on your door earlier than you like. Sandru awakens each of you, eager to find out if you have rescued Ameiko or have any leads on her. Once you explain that you don't have her yet but are working towards something, he hands you a note.
"Remember that woman you saved from under the furniture, the partner of the guide that went missing that gave you a lead to the farm? Went by Uksahkka, well she says she thinks she knows where Ulf is and to meet her first thing this morning at the Shrine of Shleyn. She says it's urgent you meet as soon as possible because she thinks they are coming for her next."
Gathering your things, you quickly make your way towards the destination described in the letter and inevitably, you find trouble.
The sounds of screams and the crashing of tumbling masonry roll down the street over the normal noises of the crowd. Ahead, above the press, the shrine of Shelyn slowly sways and then collapses into the street, dumping its facade of stone and mortared brick on those unfortunates below, resulting in another wave of screams of pain and fear.
As you try to figure out what is going on, a large earth elemental comes into view, pounding away at the building and quickly reducing it to rubble. An elderly Tian priest lies injured on the street nearby.
Perception DC 18 :
You notice the blood-feather raven perched atop the building across the street. It notices you, seemingly commands the elemental to turn toward you and then flies away.
The elemental stops pounding the building and instead turns towards you, taking note of you for the first time.
With Thanara out of the woods, Relisha is able to keep Sandru alive long enough until Koya and Spivey are able to focus on saving him. Though everyone lives through the order, nearly all of the party has lingering muscle fatigue and soreness from the poison. With the lot of the healing spells exhausted for the day, everyone decides it is best just to turn in early for the night and get some rest.
Morning arrives and while everyone doesn't feel 100%, they all feel slightly better. Heal your ability damage and post how much you still have.
As everyone gathers for the morning meal, they groan an complain about their respective aches and pains. It becomes apparent that Relisha and Ameiko have not make an appearance. After giving them a comfortable amount of time to show, Sandru goes to interrupt their morning celebrations to make sure they are okay. He returns with his face pale and shouts "COME QUICK!" at the top of the stairs.
The party rushes up to their room and finds it a complete disaster. The window is shattered, furniture turned over, sheets a bloody mess. Laying on the ground at the base of the window is Relisha's body clutching a handful of black feathers. Her clothes are ripped open, ribs all broken, bruises riddleher body and her face a mess of wounds from where it looks like an animal of some kind had been pecking at her face.
Ameiko is nowhere to be seen.
Collapsing at Relisha's side, Sandru lifts her head and announces she's still breathing. Spivey flies in and cast a cure spell to bring her back to consciouness. Sandru holds her head in his lap and shakes Relisa forcefully. "Rel. REL! Wakeup! Where's Ameiko! Where is she!"
Relisha:
In the early hours of the morning, Relisha wakes with a start. The window shatters and six humanoids dressed in black pour into the room. A large black bird circles above them. The men roughly grab Ameiko and retreat back through the window. Ameiko reaches for Relisha, screaming for help but-
Relisha flies up in bed, panting, out of breath. She looks over at Ameiko, sleeping peacefully beside her it had only been a nightmare, thankfully. Everything was fine and she simply had been stressed from the days events is all. Looking over at the window that she had seen shattered in her dream, it still remained in one piece, the the moonlight streaming through.
As she watches the window a shadow plays past it. Then another. Then another. She watches in horror as her dream is replayed before her very eyes as the window explodes inward in hundreds of tiny pieces. Strangely enough, there is no sound from the breaking of the window, no noise at all. As the four dark-clothed creatures enter the room, a bird silently sails in behind them, circling over the bed. The tiefling cries for help, but no words come out of her mouth. All around her the events play out in complete silence.
The men snatch Ameiko, who screams loudly. Or she would have screamed loudly had any sound come out from her voice. Sleeping with a blade under her pillow, she buries it into the chest of at least two men as blood spatters across the sheets. She tries to scream for help, but the words cannot be heard. The men overpower her and pull he towards the window as she tries to fight back.
The large black bird flies towards Relisha and gets all in her face, poking at her golden eye. The tiefling fights with the bird, grabbing a hold of it and ripping feathers from its body, but it slides away from her and sails out the window.
Looking over she sees Ameiko is gone and she dashes to the window, but when she reaches it she sees three men waiting for her. A series of six rapid-fire punches assail her body so quickly it's difficult to tell what happens. Stunned and able to act, she is helpless as another volley of punches and blows riddle her body. The last thing she sees before she passes out is the raven landing on her body, pecking at her face.
"It's not going to happen today, everyone is closing down for the evening and we'll just end up wasting our time out in public unnecessarily. Let's get some rooms at an inn, rest and recharge and hit this early in the morning."
The group sets off in search of rooms in a location they would not be likely suspected of visiting. They settle on a rather nice establishment called The Whistling Fox in the Fire Quarter of the city, one of the nice and more upscale parts of Kalsgard.
Everyone pairs off in their normal groupings, Ameiko with Relisha, Savah with Thanara. Sandru, Koya and the brothers state they will remain with the caravan tonight. I'll let you figure out how you want to handle Ahreni, Shalelu and Olaff's sleeping arrangements.
Comfortable sweet-scented baths, delicious cheese, sweet wines and ales are served as you all enjoy your most comfortable night away from Sandpoint yet.
An uneventful night passes, everyone regrouping for a morning meal after a solid nights rest. After eating, you set out to take care of your traveling needs, selling off items you've acquired and picking up new supplies as needed. This takes most of the morning to complete and you return to your room to deposit your new items only to discover that each of your rooms has been ransacked. Nothing valueable appears to be missing, but the rooms are in a complete disarray.
Perception DC15:
An unlocked widow was apparently the method of entry. A single large, black feather on the floor nearby.
Sandru sighs, putting his hand on Olaff's shoulder "I don't disagree it's dangerous. But look around, apparently the caravan is no safe ground either. She's capable of seeing the ship through from a technical perspective, but I'm not sure about the pieces you mention. I didn't agree to it for the money. It will fetch an excellent amount of coin to enable us to pursue our guide, I did it because she needed space."
He crosses his arms "Look. I'm not saying you're wrong here, but if you feel that strongly about it you are going to need to go down there and tell her not to do it. I'm not getting in the middle of this when she tells me she needs it."
Sandru Ahreni before tousling her hair. "You stay safe now, you here? This isn't the smartest thing to do and I'm sure Shalelu is going to lose her s~$+ when she finds out. I'll tell the brothers to grab some supplies and meet you on the ship. Go make it ready and we'll meet at the shipyards at first light when you arrive. If you get there before us, keep the ship out of sight and lay low until we arrive. We'll do the same."
Pulling her back to look at her, he leans in and kisses her forehead. "I mean Cub, stay safe and don't make me worry about you, alright? We'll get a mug of ale and talk when we meet up again. Go now, quickly before I change my mind and the nosy elf isn't preoccupied."
Sandru nods to what Shalelu says, but looks to Ahreni and reads something in her eyes. "Maybe I was hasty in my judgment. Maybe we need this coin to pay off this guide over the crown of the world? Let me think on it, alright? Can you do another quick perimeter check Shae? I'd feel safer if you give us the all clear."
He pats Shalelu's shoulder twice and turns to put his arm around Ahreni, walking away from the ranger as the two walk down to the river together. Once they are clear of prying ears he asks "You doing okay, Cub? You've not been yourself as of late. I've been trying to give you space but something isn't right, I can see it clear as day. Do you need to sail this ship? If so, tell me so and I'll get you off on it and we'll meet you in Kalsgard."
The Varisian man looks at Ahreni, concern showing in both his eyes and voice.
Sandru looks to Ahreni, considering her statement. "We would need to send a few with you to row the ship. I you sure you want to split from the carvan and sail that ship back without us?"
It's agreed that they will push forward to do some basic reconnaissance and return back to camp for night. The six of you plus Sandru and Ameiko ready yourselves for the trek through the woods into Brinewall. With each passing step, Ameiko begins to look worse for wear. Her expression is one of deliberate intensity despite obvious fatigue. As she adjusts the pack on her shoulders, Shalelu and Sandru exchanging glances behind her back.
"Ameiko, is everything alright?" Sandru asks, clearly concerned.
She protests she is fine when asks and eventually Sandru continues pushing through the brush along the swiftly-fading track.
"We should camp here, at the crossroads," Sandru suggests. "The city itself is about half a mile down that track, but we'll have to go in on foot - or horseback," he adds. "Bevelek, Vankor, and Koya can keep an eye on things here while we explore."
He asks Shalelu for her thoughts and she eyes the position of the sun and says "We've got plenty of light to make the trip before nightfall, but I don't know how much exploration we'd get done before dark," the ranger notes. "Likely we'd be camping in the ruins if we leave now." She raises an eyebrow at Ameiko questioningly.
Sandru creates assignments of watching their caravan to rotate between the brothers, Ahreni and Olaff, giving himself and Shalelu the night off and allowing them to get rest in a bed this time around.
He pulls Shalelu aside and asks ”Hey. Sorry about that argument last week. I don’t know why I was so bent out of shape. I’m sorry I yelled.”
Ahreni and Thanara can either finish up in spoilers/discord, but we're moving on!
The following morning the group resumes their trip towards Kalsgard with decent weather and no unexpected assaults from wild animals. So continues the trip for the next 150 miles, about halfway to Kalsgard. Around this time several members of the caravanpoint out something odd -- one of the ubiquitous ravens shadowing the caravan in the hope of finding scraps to eat is a much larger specimen than normal, perhaps the size of a small dog. Once he has pointed it out, it is easy to spot, although it was difficult to see at first, since it hangs back a bit and never drops lower than perhaps 1000 feet above the ground.
Two days later the group arrives at their first stop at civilization in nearly two weeks, Losthome. Losthome is an Ulfen logging town in the far east of the Grungir Forest in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Located on the banks of the Thundering River, though not actually within the Linnorm Kingdom of the Thanelands, Losthome is protected by Kalsgard.
Sandru announces "We'll stop here for the night to resupply and get a sleep outside the caravan if you wish. Be ready to move on at first light."
For shopping purposes, Losthome is a large town. Feel free to make your purchases/sell items and resupply before we move on.
After. It was second watch, so it's well past midnight now.
Sandru says "Hmmm? Oh. OH." he says, looking at Relisha. "I see. Well then. I best get out the way then?" he finishes snatching a handful of meat and waving it around. "Fights always make me hungry, you know?"
Backing out, Ameiko smacks Sandru on the head and he yelps "Ouch! Unnecessary! This is my caravan you know!" She thwaps him again and yelps again "Alright, alright. I'm moving, I'm moving." he says climbing out of the wagon.
Turning back to Relisha Ameiko says "Now, where were we. I think-"
Sandru announces "AMIE AND RELISHA ARE GOING BACK TO BED NOW. DO NOT INTERRUPT THEM FOR ANY MEAT OR-" he flips the curtain open and says "Can I get one more-" before Ameiko growls loudly and lunges for the man before he whips the curtain shut and disappears, laughing.
Ignoring Ameiko, he says"Oh, sounds fantastic. Don't mind me at all, please continue. Pretend like I'm not even here."
Sandru crawls between the two women to reach into an open crate where he rummages around for some dried meat, wiggling himself into the tight space and bumping both of them as he looks around.
Sandru shouts loudly for the whole camp to hear as Shalelu walks off "YEAH, YOU REMEMBER THAT!" He turns and kicks the wagon wheel hard with his boot, instantly regretting it. When Ahreni walks over, he grunts in acknowledgement "Yeah. We should be good to get to Jol at least. We can resupply there, I'm not turning around to back down south away from our destination to resupply, Cub." Frustration is evident on his voice and he shakes his head as he turns to address the caravan, climbing up on the wagon and whistling loudly "We're heading out in thirty minutes. Get your s&#~ together people!"
Turning back to Ahreni he says, "Do a quick inspection and make sure were' good to go, alright? Thanks Cub."
"What?! Sandru says, smacking the ranger's hand away. He raises his volume, his face clearly irritated "Are you even serious right now?"
He steps forward and pushes his finger in her chest "Look Shalelu, I like you. Ameiko likes you. But one of us is more skilled as a caravan leader and it's not you. If you want to ask questions and judge which direction we're taking then fine, I don't mind. But if you want to come over here and make this into an insult about how I'm not looking out for everyone's best insterest, then I think maybe it's time you go find your own damn wagon back to Sandpoint!"
Red in the face when he is finished speaking, he stares at her attempt to calm herself and says "You don't get to get out of this by trying to take the middle ground either. It would be faster to go through the woods, but I'm making the decisions on our routes. Is that clear?"
Sandru waits for Shalelu to return after talking to Olaff and when she does he folds his arms "Come on. Tell me you want me to take the dangerous path now. Well? Let's hear it, Ms. Know-It-All. You think it's easy having to make decisions for everyone's safety up here? It's not. A little less second guessing goes a long way, you know."
Sandru frowns at Shalelu's abruptness. "What?! You criticize me for taking risks before and now you criticize me for not taking then? What's gotten into you, Shalelu?"
Knowledge Geography DC15:
The Grungir Forest is south of the capital of Kalsgard, and north of the city of Jol. Humans do not have any great power or settlement within the Grungir Forest and there is no overall ruler with the region falling outside the influence of other Linnorm Kingdoms. The Grungir Forest is a place where humans are not the dominant race, instead it is the realm of fierce linnorms, strange fey, wild animals, and dangerous monsters.
Knowledge Geography DC20:
Fey are the most numerous of Grungir's inhabitants, suspicious Ulfens even claim that they know everything that takes place beneath the forest's canopy. Humans do still intrude into the Grungir Forest: hunting bands roam the forest's outermost edges seeking its abundant wildlife but fearing to venture deeper in, for there lurk monsters. The Guardians of Grungir are a group of Ulfen druids who protect the Grungir Forest from human encroachment but also contain many of the most violent fey or other monsters of the woods. Gnomes are the only civilized people dwelling within the Grungir Forest and even the gnomes avoid the depths of the forest. Gnomish settlements are found on the borders of the Grungir Forest, especially on the southern borders, and usually far from human towns. The mysterious and powerful norns can be encountered throughout the Land of the Linnorm Kings.
Sandru scratches his chin and turns to face the elf. "Do you know more about the Grungir than I, Shalelu? I've only heard tales that men should avoid passing through it. It is a shorter path to travel, but I am not sure if we are in such a hurry to add additional danger to our path. Why don't you talk it over with the Ulfen, he may know more of the dangers of Grungir than I."
Sandru unfolds his map where he's already highlighted his route. He walks her through his projected travel plans as he does so "We're leaving Brinewall here and heading towards Kalsgard here. That puts us passing through the Nolands and entering the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. There should be a trade route somewhere near here, a dwarven mine called Kopparberget at the city of Jol. We'll continue north into the Grungir Forest before crossing the eastern neck of the Grungir until we reach the bridge to Losthome, here. At this point our route follows this western bank of the Thundering River as it meanders north, connecting the many small settlements and steadings in here that stand upon the river’s banks. At the confluence of the Thundering and Rimeflow rivers here, the trade route branches again, see. One trail crossing the Skalsbridge and heading northeast toward Trollheim while the other continues along the Rimeflow to Kalsgard. We'll move off towards Kalsgard and hopefully find what we're looking for."
Looking at the map he scratches his head "The total distance from Brinewall to Kalsgard is about 450 miles and take us another two to three weeks, depending on the weather."
Sandru smiles, "Well, let's move! North it is. We'll make camp again in a few hours, but for now, let us listen to the fair warnings and put some distance between us and Brinewall Castle. I still can't believe were now the only people in Varisia who have any idea of what happened here."
Koya laughs to the large Ulfen, "Olaff, it looks like we're going to give you a ride home after all!"
Sandru nods as well "Of course I will lead you there, Ameiko.
I still have a hard time swallowing it. So your old man was an emperor of sorts? I mean, your dad, Lonjiku, was no hero, and your brother... Would he have been the one who would have been the next emperor? And why was your old man here, instead of on the throne of Minkai?!?"
Sandru quirks a brow at Ahreni before waiting to see if she was serious. Quickly realizing that Ahreni is not a jokester, he nods to her and looks away into the distance "Cub, love is a complicated thing that is more than one thing. Let's say it is when your heart in your chest beats an extra beat for someone else. It takes many shapes and forms, but you will know what it is when it overtakes you."
Turning back to her, he asks "What love calls to you, Cub?"
As the caravan pulls into town, Sandru hops off and tells everyone "Alright folks, listen up. This is our first major stop and I'm only planning to be here for a couple of hours. Stretch your legs, get a drink, visit the brothel, whatever floats your boat. Meet back here at two bells, no later. You don't want me to send Ahreni looking for you, okay?"
This is a small town nearly equivalent in size to Sandpoint. If there is any shopping or errands to be done let me know. We'll move on after everyone gets a post or three in.
Shalelu finishes up some shopping and preparations before the town turns in for the night. Ameiko stays up late, working into the wee hours of the morning on trying to finish preparing for this journey. In reality, she's finished much of the important tasks and doesn't have as much to do as she keeps telling everyone. She's mostly all nerves and excitement, too wired to sleep and wide-eyed with wonderment about what they might find in their journey north.
On the morning of debarking, Ameiko leaves her manor in southern Sandpoint in the care of her house staff with enough supplies and payments for the next two months. She has made arranges to send a letter on what will be required in the future should should not make it back in time and how to proceed in her absence until she returns.
Shalelu is leaning against a post which probably has her initials carved on it somewhere given as much time as she spends leaning up against it. Koya is huddled by the fire, warming her old body. Two Varisian brothers named Bevelek and Vankor are drivers for Sandru's caravan are also present, busily devouring the food on the table.
He unfurls an oiled map and begins to discuss his plans. "I have studied the way before us, and I think we will have a smooth journey. We can follow the Lost Coast Road from Sandpoint, up to the base of the Fogscars then inland to the villages of Galduria and Wolf's Ear. They are small, frontier colonies, like Sandpoint. Not much to see or trade, but good for restocking supplies and a warm bed."
"The road follows the Lampblack River for a ways before cutting through the upper reaches of the Churlwood, eventually reaching Roderick's Cove. A true town, that, and we should find it a good place to rest and refit, as required. It will be our halfway point, and the last real piece of civilization we see for a while."
"Unless there is dire need, I would prefer to avoid Riddleport. visiting that place always seems to draw... entanglements. Instead, I know an old track that runs north out of Roderick's Cove and through the southern hills of the Stony Mountains, dumping into the Velashu Uplands. From there, the track follows the river north-west. We cross a pass through the Nolands and should find Brinewall soon after."
"If everything goes well and we don't encounter too much trouble, we should be there in sixteen or seventeen days."
Turning back to the group he says "Before we depart, we should all be on the same page of what each of us is going to be responsible for on this trip. We have two covered wagons, Koya's wagon and one supply wagon, thus need four drivers. I'm told Poppy will be bringing and river her own wagon, which will be our fifth. Bevelek, Vankor, Ruka and I will be driving the other wagons. Kajiwara, Lor-Sinn and Asuka will be starting off guards duty and working with Shalelu to scout as necessary. Ameiko and Samton are both travelers so-".
Ameiko leaps to her feat, arms flying to her hips "Wait a minute! I am no traveler! Put me on guard duty! You know I can do that. I refuse to be a worthless traveler only!"
Sandru sighs and corrects "Ameiko will be our entertainer, keeping our spirits high and our ears tuned to her wonderful gifts." Sandru doesn't look at the glare that Ameiko bores into his skull and keeps going. "Does anyone have issues with the responsibilities I've outlined here."
Sandru nods in affirmation. "We are going to restock the next few days. Ameiko is going to fund the trip, so I'm going to start gathering equipment and gear for the wagons and animals. I am also going to need to talk to each of you about what you can contribute during our trip. We're going to be on the road for a few weeks, so I need to know if you can cook, guard, scout, heal, track, drive or wherever else your talents may be."
Sandru turns to follow you but stops after fifteen feet. "No. I cannot. I must stay here with her. I cannot allow something else to befall her while I would be away. Cannot you all take care of this without me?"
"Please tell me true. I cannot stay here if the task will not be done."
Sandru is exasperated by Relisha non-answers. ”Dammit! If you don’t know, who will? That means nothing to me! We need to help her, I’m supposed to be watching out for her!” he shouts as he kicks a large rock and very clearly injures his foot in the process when he starts screaming profanities at no one in particular. His frustration evident, he starts to limp and moves to put Ameiko over his shoulder instead. When someone offers to help he waves them off and says gruffly ”I got it.”
”Let’s just get her back. Maybe mother will know something.”
Unfortunately, Relisha's healing seems to have no effect on Ameiko's state.
Sandru scoops up Ameiko, concern evident on his face. He peppers Relisha with questions as they walk. "Is she okay? What's going on? What did she say? Why isn't she waking up? What's wrong with her? When will she wake up? Why did she say that?"
Even after Rel's healing Sandru is still worse for wear, but he doesn't complain nor ask for any additional healing. He reaches up to Ahreni and Olaff who help him up. Holding his abdomen, he painfully makes his feet. He announces hoarsely "Ahreni, go find the horse that got away. Hopefully he's still nearby."
"Savah, are you conscious? Good. Get on the hitch, we need it fixed."
"Bevelek. Get your brother and start working on the tree in front us with Olaff. We need to get out of here quickly. I don't trust more won't come and we won't survive another ambush like that."
Wiping blood from his mouth he moves to check on Ameiko. As he gets close he sees her resting on Shalelu's lap on the ground. He asks "Can you get up? We need to get you into the wagon. Shey can you manage that? I'm going to check on mother."
He walks off towards the rear of the carvan, limping.
Sandru doesn't answer at first. He thinks about Shalelu says and then repeats "Going north is safer. We're going north. End of discussion."
He rises and says "I need to check in with Ahreni. Keep this to yourself please. I need you focused on keeping us safe, not digging into our routes. That's my job." before making his way out.
Sandru looks around when Shalelu confronts him and Riddleport. At first an annoyed look flashes on his face, but it quickly washes away and he responds "Shalelu. I'm leading the caravan, am I not? I'm going to take the path that I think will provide the best security for us on our trip to Brinewall."
"Going through Riddleport would probably be faster. Safer is debatable. The last time I went through there things ended badly and uhm, I think it would be best if we gave it a wide birth right now."
I made a journey map of where you have gone so far and where you are headed to help you better visualize the journey to Brinewall.
Sandru nods in acceptance of Ahreni's answer. He tousles her hair and adds "I'm not just talking about sex Ahreni, I meant the companionship of others. But I understand. I just wanted to make sure you had the opportunity."
As he walks back to his wagon he clarifies "I do not drink too much! I would say it's exactly the right amount." grunting and calling out to Bevelek "Bev, toss me the wine jug please."
He catches it as he walks past and mounts his wagon and leads the caravan onward passing the outskirts of Wolf's Ear, allowing everyone to breath a sigh of relief. At Wolf's Ear he turns north and follows the trail between the Lampblack River on the east and the Churlwood forest on the west.
It a few days of travel to get around the Churlwood before turning west and crossing the Chavali River before entering Roderic's Cove late in the evening at the end of the fifth day.
The caravan pulls into a simple town where no one is walking around with flashy clothes or items. Most buildings are made from timber, though some of the older homes have a stone-walled ground floor. Gravel made from shells paves the streets throughout town, and a small creek powers a mill and provides fresh water.
The caravan rode for 14 hours today, an hour more than Sandru ypically likes to ride, but the thought of sleeping in a real bed after a few days on the road was too good to pass up. Stretching as he hops off the lead wagon, he announces to everyone "Alright, listen up. This is our last town we'll be visiting before we turning north into the lesser used trails."
No one brings up that going west through Riddleport is much faster, likely saving days on their journey and allowing them to stay another night in an even larger city. It's been a hushed conversation around the caravan that Sandru would not be taking them through the sea-side town on their trip.
"So get a good nights sleep, good breakfast, get your shopping in and spend a few hours taking care of whatever you like in the morning. We'll meet back at the stables at noon tomorrow and depart."
He points to a large building about seven doors down. "That's the Creekside. I'm headed there now to secure lodging for all of us, two to a room. I'm getting six rooms and someone gets a bed to themselves. Divide up and go drink yourself silly before turning in."
On a more serious note he looks at each of you and adds "Stay safe. Stay paired up. We're too close to Riddleport for my tastes and I don't trust that town worth a s#%#."
"Bev, you and Van are up on caravan security tonight. Get it all taken care of and I'll see you in the morning."
With that, he escorts his mother towards the inn.
I'm going to assume everyone here knows about Riddleport given it's one of the more famous cities in Varisia.
Knowledge Local - DC10:
Roderic's Cove has existed a little less than a hundred years, originally built by emigrants leaving Magnimar. The larger town of Riddleport to the west claims control of the small town.
Knowledge Local - DC15:
Roderic's Cove was founded about eighty years ago as part of the wave of emigrants leaving the city of Magnimar, led by the notorious privateer Sir Roderic. Looking for a smaller and less structured way of life, they founded such communities as Riddleport and Roderic's Cove. Most of these outposts did not survive, falling prey to native creatures or the countless other rigors of frontier life. Roderic's Cove was built atop a traditional Varisian gathering site. Despite attacks by the bandits and goblins of the Churlwood, not to mention countless pirate attacks, the town flourished.
[spoiler=Knowledge Local DC20]
Nestled in the northeastern corner of the Varisian Gulf at the mouth of the Chavali River, the small community of Roderic’s Cove was built atop a traditional Varisian gathering site. Constant struggles keep the small and insular town from developing into something more, and gossip and superstition both bolster and restrict the community. As often as the town has resisted corrupt rule, its people have exhibited voluntary ignorance when choosing what to accept due to family or tradition, resulting in a tightly knit community of people resistant to outside influence.
Demographics
N Small Town
Government: autocracy (port-governor)
Population: 1,100 (87% humans, 5% half-elves, 4% halflings, 3% elves, 1% gnomes)
Notable Persons
Desil Marphan: keeper of the Lady’s Chapel
Larenza Thort: port-governor
Julit Freson: militia captain
Approximately 20 years ago, the pirate captains of Riddleport finally decided that Roderic's Cove was too juicy a plum not to pluck, and brought the town under their control. The town has continued to flourish, however, as the pirates of Riddleport have spared the town ensuring its success as a shipping and trading port.
Notable Locations:
Notable locations
The following locations of interest are located in and around the town:
Lady's Chapel (Pharasma)
Blackberry's Bakery
Lankmeer's Mill
Brogan's Apothecary
Hudsten's Kennel
Cove Guardhouse
Creekside Tavern and Inn
The Circle (town square)
Cove Hall
Kelstrop Meats
Perick's Smithy
Pelson's Cuts
Conrel's General Store
Temple of the Stars and Roads (Desna)
Rampant Reefclaw (extravagant establishment refined cuisine)
Boatyard
Cove Armory
The Docks
Hallen's Ferry
Sandru spells it out. "Cub, it's Wolf's Ear. That's the name of the town. WOLF'S Ear. You know, like like a wolf? The people that live here, it's supposed to be full of people who are also wolves."
He takes his hand pinches her nose.
Shrugging, "I don't know if it's like when I go to the Pixie or the Dragon. Maybe you want to go run around with them for a bit? Or not? I'm just saying, I don't know if we'll be back this way and I'm not sure if this is something you're interested in or not."
Sandru clasps Olaff on the back and asks for his side of the story about happened. "Thank Gods you were still by the camp! They could have made off with Thanara or one of the wagons. I knew you'd be a good fit in this caravan Olaff. You're definitely earning your wage, my friend!"
As the caravan pulls into town, Sandru hops off and tells everyone "Alright folks, listen up. This is our first major stop and I'm only planning to be here for a couple of hours. Stretch your legs, get a drink, visit the brothel, whatever floats your boat. Meet back here at two bells, no later. You don't want me to send Ahreni looking for you, okay?"
Turning to Ahreni he pats her on the shoulder "Hey Cub, I'm heading over to The Pixie for some uh, refreshment. Keep an eye on the caravan until I get back, alright? Won't be gone more than hour at most."
He rubs her hair and stretches his back and he walks off into town.
This is a small town nearly equivalent in size to Sandpoint. If there is any shopping or errands to be done let me know. We'll move on after everyone gets a post or three in.
The roles on the caravan were just about done being discussed when the door jingles and the smith Savah Bevaniky walks in with a sack thrown over her left shoulder. She tries towards Sandru who snaps his fingers. Addressing the group at large he says "Damn, I almost forgot. I went to see Savah last night about some more supplies and convinced her to come with us up to Brinewall. I figured having a smith with us to server as wainwright and help us repair should arise could save our lives."
Turning to Savah he says "Thanks again for helping us out."
The muscle-bound smith simply nods once and says "No problem." as she continues to stride into the room. She drops her sack on the floor and pushes the hair out of her face as she takes a seat at the table where the food is and starts digging into the leftovers.
Sandru looks to Thanara and grins. "Well Thanara, food doesn't just prepare itself. It does take some effort to cook a meal for a dozen folks several times a day. When you're not doing that? I suppose you can help out as needed."
Shalelu finishes up some shopping and preparations before the town turns in for the night. Ameiko stays up late, working into the wee hours of the morning on trying to finish preparing for this journey. In reality, she doesn't have as much to do as she keeps telling everyone. She's mostly all nerves and excitement, too wired to sleep and wide-eyed with wonderment about what they might find in their journey north.
On the morning of debarking, Ameiko leaves her manor in southern Sandpoint in the care of her house staff and makes sure that instructions on how to proceed in her absence until she returns.
In the dim light of pre-dawn, she makes her way past the stables and catches Sandru makes a final inspection of the wagons and supplies. Sandru claps Ahreni on the back. "You've done well, Cub. Everything is ready, well stocked and secured. I see the keen mark of a future master in the details here," he finishes with a wink.
"Come... We will head inside and discuss the route with the others." he walks back inside the Dragon with Ahreni, joining the others who are finishing their morning meal.
Shalelu is leaning against a post which probably has her initials carved on it somewhere given as much time as she spends leaning up against it. Koya is huddled by the fire, warming her old body. High Vindicator Helvinius stands silently near the ranger, but does not appear to be conversing with her. Two Varisian brothers named Bevelek and Vankor are frequent drivrs for Sandru's caravan are also present, busily devouring the food on the table.
He unfurls an oiled map and begins to discuss his plans. "I have studied the way before us, and I think we will have a smooth journey. We can follow the Lost Coast Road from Sandpoint, up to the base of the Fogscars then inland to the villages of Galduria and Wolf's Ear. They are small, frontier colonies, like Sandpoint. Not much to see or trade, but good for restocking supplies and a warm bed."
"The road follows the Lampblack River for a ways before cutting through the upper reaches of the Churlwood, eventually reaching Roderick's Cove. A true town, that, and we should find it a good place to rest and refit, as required. It will be our halfway point, and the last real piece of civilization we see for a while."
"Unless there is dire need, I would prefer to avoid Riddleport. visiting that place always seems to draw... entanglements. Instead, I know an old track that runs north out of Roderick's Cove and through the southern hills of the Stony Mountains, dumping into the Velashu Uplands. From there, the track follows the river north-west. We cross a pass through the Nolands and should find Brinewall soon after."
"If everything goes well and we don't encounter too much trouble, we should be there in sixteen or seventeen days."
Turning back to the group he says "Before we depart, we should all be on the same page of what each of us is going to be responsible for on this trip. Last night Thanara secured us a fourth wagon and two horses, so now we have two covered wagons, Koya's wagon and one supply wagon, thus need four drivers. Bevelek, Vankor, Ahreni and I will be driving the wagons. I talked to Thanara yesterday and she's agreed to take on the role of cooking for us. I'm putting Shalelu on scouting duting, Olaff on guard duty and Relisha as healing and general health responsibilities. Ameiko and Helvinius are both travelers so-".
Ameiko leaps to her feat, arms flying to her hips "Wait a minute! I am no traveler! Put me on guard duty! You know I can do that. I refuse to be traveler only!"
Sandru sighs and corrects "Ameiko will be our entertainer, keeping our spirits high and our ears tuned to her wonderful gifts." Sandru doesn't look at the glare that Ameiko bores into his skull and keeps going. "Does anyone have issues with the responsibilities I've outlined here."
Sandru walks into the dining area and picks up a bowl of Thanara's patented Stewp. He is about to take a bite when he notices Thanara looking at him, waiting for his praise. He takes a bite and swallows it, giving a thumbs up. He nods silently and quickly makes his back out to the sable where he gags and coughs, putting the bowl of food in front of Patches. The animal leans down and sniffs it before kicking it over.
Sandru shrugs and says with a sigh "We have a lot of work to do."
Sandru takes Thanara on a shopping excursion to Savah's where they are greeted by the always charming and particularly strong-willed Savah.
The duo picks up some new pots and utensils for their trip, taking a little longer than originally planned due to Thanara's lack of experience in searching for relevant gear. When Thanara recommends they pick up a shovel to keep a fire burning, Sandru tries to stay calm and explain to her what utensils are used for and how to actually prepare food.
With new supplies secured, they return back to the stables where Sandru tries to start going over the basics of riding with Thanara as well. Eventually though, he bids her farewell and explains he has much more to get done before they depart tomorrow.
Sandru rubs her head and chuckles "Ah! There we go! Most excellent! Why don't we start with the basics then? I need to go pick up some new supplies for the trip. You could come with me to Vin's and pick up the gear. I can walk you through the different items we need and then we can talk about how to use them. We'll work together each evening on the morning meal, deal?"
