Vekkel Benzen's page

Bronwyn Benzen wrote:

"You don't want ol' Nanny Bad-Eye to see you out at night, do you?" Bronwyn puts in.

"Eh? Who's Nanny Bad-Eye? Your grandma?"

"Um. No." Bronwyn says going a bit pale and quite silent.

"Nanny Bad-Eye, the Angry Hag. She has a real name but folks don't say it aloud. They call her "Bad-Eye" for her symbol. She's a black-hearted goddess of witches, chaos and spite in the River Kingdoms. They say her followers, the Black Sisters, are all a bunch of hideous hags and harlots who go around swapping babies, killing calves, curdling milk and such. Nobody likes them of course, but nobody challenges them too much either lest they get the evil eye." Says Ilse as if reading from a almanac.

"Some people say that the Kingdoms of the River are so temporary because of the discord the faith engenders in people." Adds Vekkel. "They say that's what happened to the kingdom of Heibarr, sometime ago."

"There was even an old castle on the banks of the Tuskwater. They say the place was the home of a good and wise king way back when until Nanny Bad-Eye cast her gaze upon them and everyone in place fell into fighting amongst themselves until they all killed each other." Adds Ilse in a gush.

"That's enough of that Ilse. You'll be giving everyone nightmares." Vekkel says.

"Sorry papa."

"Its okay, but we should get going." Vekkel says and gets ready to leave.

"Yeah, you can earn a livin' by fighting. But it's dangerous. Some of my other friends weren't as lucky. And sometimes the job makes you do things you don't want to."

"You mean like eat asparagus?" Hal says

"Yuck." Rolf says in sympathy.

"So what did the dwarf warriors do after trampling all the farmland during the siege? I mean, what did they eat?" Asks the young, rangy, auburn-haired hunter Rolf.

"I ate way too much waybread the first time it was offered. I was sick for a week!" Scarlet laughs. "Then I went right back to the Dwarven camp and ate another loaf. Still felt bad, but not as long!"

"Whoa, you must have some strong teeth." Says the dwarf with a bit of awe. By the look in his eye you think that if he got the chance to he might try sticking his fingers in your mouth to inspect them like a person might when buying a secondhand nag.

Scarlet will spend the next day talking to the Benzen family to make sure they are alright after the earlier attack. She will spend the rest of the day looking for rumors.

1d10 ⇒ 7

At one point Vekkel corrals the youngest four (Baldric 9, Merriam 6 or 7, Tamerlane 5 and Rose 4 into one corner of the fair freeing up their older siblings. The little ones race shrieking in delight through the woods along the edge of the fair playing hide and seek. Scarlet finds herself watching them next to Vekkel who is seated on a log massaging his leg.

"So." Vekkel starts. "Now that you've killed the monster pig what will you and your friends do?"

After a while, the eldest girls, Ilse (16) and Bronwyn (14) return from the fairgrounds proper.

"Come on you kids." Shouts Ilse. "It's time we got going home for supper."

The little ones groan.

"You don't want ol' Nanny Bad-Eye to see you out at night, do you?" Bronwyn puts in.

"Hal! Get back here son!" Hal's father, Vekkel, now up on his crutch and one remaining leg stands and shouts at the boy as he disappears into the press of moving people.

"Now now, we've taken enough of their time. And we all have chores of our own to get to before dark." Vekkel says to his kids, before turning to you. "How far have you to travel? If you like, we would be more than happy to have you stay the night."

Ilse: "Oh yes, please stay!"

Hansel, Leta, Merriam, Tamerlane, and Rose and a boy (about 9 or 10) whose name no one remembers all start cheering! They clasp hands and dance around you all like you are Maypoles!

Hal picking up a branch and brandishing it like a rapier @ Cyrielle: "Show me how to fence!"

Bonwyn offers Zokon some fresh apple pie. "I made it myself."

"Still keep it consider it a treat for the children later on from a man who is glad to see that there are still good people"

"I will, and thanks."

Do you know any others that might have joined the bandits who shouldn't have?"

Well, here's hoping the rumor about Orlivanch is wrong, but he has been scarce of late."

I'm going to guess you've got enough to identify Vekkel's son by now (see above posts).

"Did {you loosing your leg} happen here? Or nearby? The other incidents, were they all near here?"

"Yeah, it happened just out there just past that rise." Vekkel points toward a patch of land between his house and Narlmarches proper. "But farmers all up and down the wood around here have had trouble with that monster. Most folks won't chase him too far into the wood though. People think this end of the Narlmarches is haunted, feytouched or both."

I guess Vekkel can't tell the difference between elves and half-elves.

Correct nor does he know how old either can get. As a side note, most of the lands from River Kingdoms through Brevoy are human-centric and a tad racist (note the lack of non-human House leaders in Brevoy). Zokon and Cyrielle would have what could be called 'human-privilege' though they may not notice it. Next to humans, gnomes and dwarves are the next most common civilized races (and kobolds too, if you consider them 'civilized'), but these groups tend to stick to (or be stuck in) small like-type enclaves.

"Well, good for him. I don't think I would have had the guts to stand up to that thing when I was 80."

Vekkel does a double take.

"Gnomes can indeed do magic, in fact, more often than halflings can. Watch..."

The kids want more! In fact you draw a larger audience.

"Sounds like this hunter causes trouble for your family." Posh states as it seems Leta pointed that out.

"What do we say when we can't think of something nice to say about a person kids?"

"We don't say nuthin' at all." the twins drearily intone.

"Still I've been meaning to have a word with Mr. Renault about him. Orlivanch is more of a poacher than hunter. He leaves his traps hidden anywhere he can lay them irrespective of whose land he might be on. I'm worried he might someday catch another hunter or a kid. The man's a cad!"

The twins look at their dad sternly. They may not know what a 'cad' is but, they know the tone.

Vekkel sheepishly says: "Sorry."

"Could you give us a description of Byron? If we run into him it'd be best we can recognize him at sight just in case."

"He had a growth spurt over the winter but he hasn't quite filled out, so I guess you could say he was tall, lanky and blonde."

Taking a look around the family he looks over to Vekkel and then reaches into his coin purse.

"Here's a few gold pieces. I hope this can help you all a little." he hands over the coins and gives a bright smile.

At Zokon too.

"Oh that's not necessary. If anything we should be giving you something. Most of us folk out here have no one to count on except each other regardless of what folks like Orlivanch might do or think. If you bring Byron back that would be worth all the coin in the world."

"....is there anything distinct or shiny Byron wears, I am an archer and I may not be able to see the target enough to get a good look at him?"

"No. Not really. There ain't much shiny in this family." Vekkel says perhaps a bit nervous at the implication that you might accidentally perforate his son from afar.

Numalar: A seat is offered but Rose complains bitterly upon her return until put into her father's lap.

"Byron?"
"Byron's my oldest, but not the wisest. I think he ran off and joined the brigands. If you are going into the wilderness to deal with them I implore you to be merciful. He only did it out of desperation, I'm sure. He's a good kid." Ilse puts a supportive hand on her father's shoulders as he comes close to tears.

Looking about the table at the Benzen family, Vekkel and nine blonde children present all mirroring their dad's longish face and bright blonde hair you don't suppose it would be difficult spot Byron once you met him.

"Kids?"
"Fortunately, I've got them to help me out." He continues with renewed strength.

"Tuskgutter?"
"Dad lost his leg defending the twins," Ilse says indicating the 10-ish or so Hansel and Leta in the field nearest the wood. "I only just saw the beast. It's bigger than an ox."

"I'd heard about the bounty, but it ain't just Larimus, all the locals want the beast put down. He tears up our crops and spooks the livestock, but after seeing it up close I wouldn't want to put other folks in needless danger. Larimus said that if one of the other local hunters didn't bring it down he was going to go out and do it himself--at his age! The man's probably pushing 80. Though I guess that ain't much to you at Celyne." Vekkel says. "Still I wouldn't want to get in front of him again."

On the topic of Celyne, as much attention as some of you might get from the kids, Celyne and her cat get most of it. Upon first contact the children are by turns awestruck, apprehensive, and finally utterly enthralled by the elf and her big cat. Vekkel himself nearly falls out of his chair reaching for his crutch to defend his family with when he sees Luna (regardless of whether he sees her outside through a window or in his kitchen).

"Danger?"
"Wolves are problem throughout the region especially since last winter. And the weather can be rough out here, but still-" He looks at the beautiful day outside. "I wouldn't give it up."

Rose and Tamerlane (a boy maybe a year older than she) try to figure out what 'nomes' are, and why they aren't 'hafwings.' "Can you do magic? Hafwings can do magic!"

The twins get some yarn to entice Luna with. "Her paws are so big."

Vekkel with the aid of a single crutch shows everyone who's interested around the farm.

Not able to fight the crowds around Celyne a scrappy looking twelve-year-old boy looks Cyrielle up and down. "Wow, you fight?"

And Merriam wordlessly offers Zokon a cool cup of lemonale.

More Diplomacy from those who've haven't used it yet, please.

"C'mon in." A lanky blonde man seated at a large kitchen table waves you in. The kitchen is quite large for a frontier home but crammed full of chairs all rung round a banquet-sized table.

"Welcome to our home. I'm Vekkel Benzen and this is Merriam (the 6-7 year-old girl), Bonwyn (the shy middle-teen girl), Ilse (a young woman of about 16 busying herself about the kitchen)--"

"Deys nomes! Not hafwings!" Points out the littlest child in case no one caught it the first couple of times.

"Yes, we already know that." Interjects the eldest girl as she rushes past with a stack of plates.

"And our Rose of course." Vekkel says scooping up the 4-year-old into his lap. "And you are?"

After introductions, Vekkel says to his youngest: "How about you go collect all your brothers and sisters?"

"Okay." Rose slides off Vekkel's lap and rushes out.

"Have a seat. Rose will be a while." Says the eldest daughter, Ilse gesturing to the collection of mismatched chairs of various sizes around the table. "Would you like something to eat?"

"Dad did you hear! He said they were here to cope with the bandits!" Bonwyn says excitedly and offers Zokon an apple from the table's centerpiece basket.

"Maybe they can get Byron back!" Adds Merriam.

"We'll see." Ilse says with a concerned look at her father. "You best get washed now."

They insist you stay for some food while you discuss the local situation.

Diplomacy (gather info) checks from everyone please (aside from Numalar who already has his in). You can direct conversation to the topic you would like to know about.