Cheers
Wrath
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The tourney Excitement grew by the day as the tourney neared. People began to come in from the surrounding lands, bringing goods to trade and hoping to see the pagentry and glantry that these events were renkowned for in the old country. Many strangers began to be seen on the streets of town as well, folks who had travelled at the prospect of cash and other prizes ofter Oleg had sent word back through his trade channels. Unfortunately, most of these people were armed, and that brought trouble of its own with it. Men and women who were used to violence, who travelled the wilder places and competed for cash were not meant to mix with the milder farmers and townsfolk, and before long trouble was like to brew. The absence of any formalised entertainment and bedding locales also added to the mess. A mini tent town errupted almost overnight down near the lake shore, reminiscent of Oleg's before the exodus, but on a much grander scale. Guardsmen, Marshalls and Wardens were all hard pressed in their roles already, and this influx brought them to the edge of what they could handle. It took tight control from those in charge to keep things in check.
The trade delegation had also arrived from Brevoy, bringing the merchants from the Northern Logging Guild with it. Elsbeth met them on the morning before the tourney was to begin, and they looked wear from a long trip. To her great delight, all three were men, something she could definitely work with in terms of negotiation and weasling information out of them.
The Princess and the Priest
He was obviously beginning to feel more confident now that he was on ground he had prepared for. He stepped a little closer, the passion and excitment in his voice carrying to his eyes. "Surely your Highness can see that Abadar would be good to have in service of the nation. We are most assuredly at a juncture where equipment and coin are going to be handled carefully. My parishinres and I can offer service beyond measure in this area. Oleg is a fine man, amn used to trade, but trade in a backwards outpost. These two men behind me have been running large business in Brevoy for years. They know what it is to handle finances that would make master Oleg stammer over the amount. I know how to keep the people happy, your grace. More and more people come to me and my place of worship every week. They come to hear me speak of Abadars plans for this place, his guidance in their lives. They seek security and stability, and his will provides that for them. Let these people see you understand their needs by making this shrine in my lords name. Let us help you grow this settlement into a great nation." Anya's diplomatic approach at least had the man showing her the deference she demanded, but they were big statements none the less. Alandra
Spoiler: A flash of shadow behind the man signified her gods displeasure at what was said here. The ravens wings were what she had seen, a sure sign that something this man stated did not ring true. There was more to this than he was letting on.
A meeting of Clerics The council chamber was well lit, with numerous lanterns having been lit to through the central table into bright light for this meeting. Anya had positioned a large chair into position below the the stuffed and mounted head of the Tazyl worm they had slain. To her right, she had provided Alandra with a similar chair, but left the remaining ones as they usually were for her council meetings. At times like this it never hurt to show what power you could. Irian entered the room and politely announced the arrival of the Abadarian delegation had arrived. When Anya nodded her assent, he showed the men in. The big priest entered first, his great girth covered by a rich set of clothes and heavy chain of gold hanging from his neck with the symbol of his church suspended at the end. Beside him, two of the more affluent members of the township had followed him in. They were both men, and Anya had met both of them before when dealing with allocations of farming lots and discussing trade rights for wool and fishing licences. Both of them were hard bargainers, and both had caused her some angst in meetings in the past with their hard negotiations and veiled trade threats. It was the priest who started to talk Princess, I'm so glad you managed to find time see us. We... he had caught sight of Alandra then, sitting close to the head of the fledgling little nation and it had caused him pause. "Ahh, I see our lady of Pharasma has joined us, excellent.". The words said one thing, but his tone and face told another story.
Some more thoughts on equipment for troops City Guards (Police) - Studded leather, shortsword, billy (truncheon) and daggers. Also a whistle and lantern on pole for night duty. Badges. Castle Guards (Army) - Studded leather, Longspear, shortsword, dagger. Sergents most likely have shield and longsword instead. Tabard. Marshalls (Rangers in essence) - Studded leather, longbows, daggers. Provisions for long ranging patrols in low settlement lands. Badges They're my ideas on how those folks would be equipped at this stage. Basic training as I stated in the other thread (1st level warriors or commoners, about half and half.) These will change with time and more people living in your region. I haven't worked out numbers for each yet, nor an algorythm for how that will change with time, but will do so soonish I guess. Also, I moved this discussion to this thread as its more appropriate than the In Character thread. Cheers
Bakugan
All
Hidden Factions Bakugan and Alannah's idea sparked interest in the Ronin. He had his men and women put their feelers out in trying to find such people as Alannah had suggested. Again, rumors and whispers came to him from the streets, but he had nothing concrete to work from. Intuition and streetsmarts told him that looking near the smithy was a place to begin a more earnest searh though. The new houses in that district held many folk interested in running businesses from their homes, and much construction and other work was being done there still. It would easily be a place where materials could be "reallocated" to setting up some form of safe house or basement system for smuggling goods. He would need to be very careful in how he asked or tracked down this operation though. Enough whispers had come his way that he was sure something was being organized, and the fact that the person in charge was clever enough to avoid his men so far spoke well of their skill. Perhaps there was some merit in what he and Alannah proposed.
The Abadar Connection Having said her piece, Alandra sat back and watched the reaction of the man in front of her. Elias Wrathbone was a corpulent man, big of girth, and well dressed. He showed his wealth as a badge of honor, something he used in persuading certain members of the burgeoning community to his cause. "My dear girl, as much as we all appreciate your fine efforts in bringing this land into the fold of settlement, surely you must understand the need for progress. Lady Pharasma is the goddess of death, a deity dealing in the finality of life, and end of things. We are starting something new here, a beginning that your lady is not even remotely associated with in her purview over the souls of the departed. ". He smiled at her then, a condescending look of one who was addressing a much younger person who obviously didn't understand such complex matters (in his mind at least). "I'm afraid that the shrine you build here should really represent what the people want, and death is a morbidly depressing thing to be worshipping. No, I believe I shall take my petition to the Princess Anya herself, and discuss matters with her. Many of the more...influential members of town are already listening to me, and they seem to be in agreeance. You may be surprised at what the Princess has to say about who should lead the church my dear." Inside, the young priestess fumed at his arrogance, but something she saw in his eyes intrigued her. He was hiding something from her, some vital fact that he was terrified she found out, and it showed in the tenseness of his eyes. All she had to do was find what it was. Easy said than done though.
The hunters Elsbeth had spent some time dining with a local man who was trying to set himself up as a businessman in town. He thought of himself as a bit of a mover and shaker, though his manners and etiquete were far from what the courtier had experienced in her past. He had been approached by both hunters, with an eye on starting a trade with them. A few more wines into the conversation, and a subtle use of inuendo and half smiles had the man almost eating out of her plam though. She had found out that part of the deal these men wanted was in the sending of messages about troops and organisations of Freiheitholme. He had agreed to the deal, as they had told him it was more about bringing trade goods through with little harrassment and maybe avoiding future taxes rather than anything else. In short, the man was a fool Elsbeth concluded. Nikolai reported to Lev that the men had moved Northwards, apparently heading through lands that the group themselves had settled or explored. "They left the kingdom lands yesterday Marshall, heading out through the farmlands and into the region the caravans are travelling via. They were apparently very free with their furs and trade goods, looking to estabish some connections in the region, apparently. I can send Murtle along to follow em some more if you wnat, but their technicallyoutside our lands now and if she gets spotted, well River Kingdom law basically means if she goes missing there's not much we can do about it."
Batsukan
Spoiler:
Batsukan, your roll is more of a police chief rather than general. When you say you want mounted scouts, are you thinking mounted police or something else? Your roll is really policing the towns that develop in the kingdom. At the moment there's only one, but others will pop up. Can you give me more info on what you're after there? Cheers bud. For all A note on specialist units.
You generally get more as your population grows but getting specialist troops are going to require additional expense. 1 bp per unit you wish to create. For example, specialised mounted road wardens would cost a BP to start up. Elite guards for Anya would be another. A detective force rather than just street guards. These are all things I can see you guys wanting eventually, but they cost. These aren't really covered in the kingdom building rules, but i believe we need to simulate that kind of development in some way, and build points are what i hae to play with. Additionally, the areas you control are yours to develop as you see fit in terms of what you name them, how you structure them, what uniforms they wear etc. NPC's of note that you create and name can be statted up by you as experts or warriors with the standard array if you wish to go into that much detail. You only have one of each at the moment and some of you haven't really developed one yet. They would be 2nd level at most. Alandra, your girl is a little different. She'll eventuall get to be a cleric level 1, but it will take time. Consider her a commoner at the moment. Go into as much or as little detail as you like about this stuff guys. I won't interfere unless I think its starting to get unblanced. As you develop these things, I can tie them into the game a little, particularly building up rep for certain units or NPC's. This is what makes the Kingmaker campaign so unique, you really get to drive much of what the game world is. Cheers
The hunters
The loggers
The Abadar connection
Alannah
Spoiler: The dwarf would make a fairly poor spymaster. At this stage whatI've revealed is what you remember. You pretty much have most of your past, but you've forgotten the details of what the mission was. You were in Pitax, doing something stealthy and most likely political. I'll do more flashback stuff as the game warrants it, mostly to provide more game threads.
In Council Bergan cleared his throat and stood to adress his leige and the rest of the council. He was nervous, but Eva had been encouraging him the last day or two and so he took solace in that. Addressing such people had always caused him to stumble in the past, but then he had travelled with these folk, bled with them and aided them to conquer this land in some ways. They were not the same nobles he had come to know and loath in Brevoy. He made his report then, brief and concise, so as to sit down all the sooner. The people were happy with the rule of the land to date. The, opening of farm lands had made them more relaxed about survivng the rapidly approaching winters. Crops were being planted as a priority to get a quick harvest in before the snows fell. The tail end of summer usually saw steady rain rather than the flash storms and flooding of Spring and early Summer. As long as the Autumn was long enough, they would have a crop. Loyalty and general good feelings were being shared by the fact that such decisive action was taken against the dragonkin. The announcements of both the tourney for the dragonhide armour, and the fact that the orphaned girl had been taken in by Priestess Alandra herself had also bolstered the township. With that he sat and breathed more easily. Oleg was next, but his report was a little more grim. He clearly stated that work in the building of the new shrine was going ahead as planned. The announcement of the tourney and commision of the armour was going to cost them, but at the moment the Dutchy could handle it. He was heavily concerned though that consumption by the people was exceeding their capacity to prodce food. He suggested that more land should be prepared for farming with roads built and lots provided. Cattle and sheep would be next on the line, to provide better meats and woolen clothing. If they didn't start to consolidate the lands they held and slow expansion and building a little bit, he was concerened they would run out of both funds and resources before the winter was out. Balodeks report was simple. Crime was low, even with the influx of people coming into town. He had recruited ten men and women to aid him in patrolling the streets. He was hoping to get some sort of barracks at some stage, but after Olegs report on funding, was concerned about the costs of such a thing. He had split his people into shifts for both night and day duty and so far it was working well. He had heard some rumours of some folk maybe trying to orgnise themselves in a way to smuggle goods, but so far it was nothing but whispers and false leads. Alannah was beginning to feel the strain of keeping the castle guarded as well as now setting patrols for the roads they were building. She only had so many troops, and training them to a standard suitable for both jobs was telling. At some stage, she would need to push fro recruitment, and that would put a strain on funding even moreso, as Oleg quickly pointed out. Lev was similarly pressed. His group of hunters were not trained so well in policing the wilds as they were in merely hunting. In fact, two of his team had been poachers rather than wardens, but they had turned over a new lease since so much land was free to hunt. Training these men and women would cost as well, as would equipping more folk to keep up with the demands of the expanding realm. Alandra was calm as she explained her congregation was again growing. The announcement of the shrines construction had brought more people to her, as was the way she had handled adopting the orphaned girl. Already a small house had been built to house the two of them, near where the shrine was being built. The Abadarian contingent had been insisting that their god be the dominant religion in the shrine, and that was causing her some contention, but the fact people were again coming to her sermons and asking her for guidance had the woman happy again. Elsbeth didn't have much to report. A group of merchants out of Restov were coming, hoping to get approval to start a logging operation based out of the township. The presence of teh rivers and lake meant they could fell trees within the forest and easily transport them to where demand in the north was high. It would mean increased money flow for the kingdom, but these were also powerful political movers in Brevoy. She warned caution in handling them. Also, Pitax far to the west, was apparently starting to take an interest in the fledgling settlement. She had met two hunters from the region in the markets the other day by mere chance, but her charms had gotten them to talk. She certainly felt they were doing more than just trying trade, especially since they would have had to travel hundreds of miles through unsettled lands to get here. It was a point of interest for her. With the reports finsihed, Anya was left to ponder a letter she had recieved from her father. It was the frst direct correspondance she had recieved from him since claiming her title. He had congratulated her on finally showing the spirit of her namesake. In a move that almost stunned her, he also extended the hand of friendship to her new fledgling township. He had heard of their need for more assistance in running the place and suggested a few names from some of her distant cousins in filling places. He also suggested that the household could loan the township resources if things got tight. He was treating her like a real leader, and not just some recalcitrant child. She would need to consider how much into her fathers debt she should place herself, if at all.
Lev
Spoiler: The horses had bolted during the fight with the Tatzylworms, and now Lev found himself moving through unfamiliar forest trying to track them. The animals had gone in different directions, but their tracks were easy enough to see. He paused, hearing a sound in the distance that he couldn't immediately recognise, remembering back to Mawj and how she had gone missing when recovering horses after the big storm. The noise came again, a strange sort of cry, followed by a snorting bellow. He moved then, not away from the sounds, but towards them. His natural curiosity and bravery were wht stood him above others in this region, and was why he had become a leader in this land. As he drew closer, he could hear the snort again, and finally placed it as that of an angry Elk. Its blood was up, and it was bellowing its definace at some sort of creature. As he came to a small rocky outcrop, Lev saw what was making the other noise. A young Tawny Pelt lion cub was standing atop the rocks, ears back and teeth bared in a snarl as it threatened a huge Elk. The bigger creature had gotten its antlers caught in a briar patch, and the deep gouges across its face attested to how hard it was trying to escape. The cub edged forwards again, swatting out with its claws as it tried to tackle what it was hoping would be a meal. Lev grinned at the audacity and bravery of the cat. Even as entangled as it was, this Elk was for more than the cub could handle. The deer lashed out with its front hoof, clipping the cat and knocking it backwards. The beast rolled backwards but came up onto its feet and immediately charged teh elk. It lept through the air and landed on the front shoulder of the elk, teeth and claws sinking into the big animals hide and tearing new gouges there. At the same moment, the elk finally tore free of the briars and reared backwards. Lev had seen enough. This little tawny pelt deserved to live after the bravery it showed. He drew and fired in one fluid movement, the arrow striking deep behind the front haunch of the elk and sinking into its heart. The animal snorted and went to blot forwards, but its front legs buckled almost immediately and dropped to the ground dead. As the big hunter approached the kill, the little cub stood snarling at him, daring him to approach the kill it was claiming for itself. Again the hunter laughed at its bravery and tenacity. It was clear the thing hadn't eaten for a while, as its ribs showed and the coat was poorly groomed. He felt a kinship with this creature, wandering alone through the woods doing all it could to survive despite what life had obviously thrown its way. He moved forward cautiously and knelt beside the animal, crooning quietly and reaching out a hand. AS it touched the quivering hide of the cat, the animal relaxed almost immediately, crouching down on the kill and beginning to lap up the blood from the wounds on its side. From that point, Lev and the cat were bonded.
With the animals butchered and the humans buried, the group turned back for home. It had taken them nearly an hour to round up the horses, and when Lev had come back, he also had some form of wild cat cub with him. The animal seemed a little worse for ware, but it was responding to Lev like it's own mother. The horses were skittish at first, but became more relaxed as the day passed. Another day and nights travel saw them return triumphantly through the wooden stockade that surrounded their growing township. Those folk who werent out working cheered their rulers as they rode in. At the sight of the massive Tatzyl worm head, the cheers grew louder. it was clear that this sight bolstered these folk, giving them more faith in their rulers than any amount of words could have done. Within three days, a new notice was pinned up around the township. A tourney wa to be held, and the winner to be gifted with a suit of dragon hide armor from the vanquished worms. Spirits soared.
The battle had ended well for the band, with all three arauding dragonkin slain and no one too badly hurt. Lev realised that the hides of the two adults could be skinned and used to manufacture a type of armour that would be useful. To all intents and purposes, the scales of these creatures would act like chain or heavy hide. Between he, Anya and Batsukan, they could easily skin the creatures and preserve the hides for such use when they returned. It was Elsbeth who spotted the cache of coins and various other shiny objects. It seemed that while these worms were more bestial than their winged cousens, they still harboured a penchant for coins. A small nest of gold and copper pieces had been built amongst the scree of the deadfall, along with the gnawed bones of many of their kills. Unfortunately, amongst the bones she also found some fresh remains of the humans so recently killed and what looked to be the skulls of a few lizardfolk as well.
Heading off for a day or two, will get this sorted when I get back unless I can get time on a computer while I'm away. Sorry for the delay. Cheers
Batsukan heeled Kiso hard and the horse lept forward. With a charging run, the Ronin brought his exotic weapon down in a slicing attack the struck the smaller worm a vicious blow. The creature still stood ready to fight, but a massive pool of blood now surrounded the beast and it wavered in weakness. Anya ran forwards at almost the same moment, driving both her weapons into the beast in front of her and finishing it with her blades. It fell into the water nearby, tail twitching in a death throw. Alandra changed her target at the last moment, swinging her symbol of the black rose around to point at the youngest worm. A frigid bolt of cold magic struck the creature, sending an edge of ice along its spine and finishing it off as well. AS the young worm dropped, Batsukan turned his warhorse, ready to charge again but stopped when he saw the corpses. This fight was done.
Elsbeth launched another mystical bolt from her older wand. The magic again struck unerringly, blasting a small hole into the creature and further weakening it. Alannah tried to capitilise on the injuries and fired at the beast, but it proved too tough for even her competent bowmanship. To the north slightly, Lev displayed his prowess with the magic blade he carried, severing a major artery in the dragonkin and killing it. The creature dropped, twisting and convulsing on the ground as if trying to tie itself in knots. The last remaining adult screamed in what could only be described as primal anguish. The red fringe around its head flared outwards, and great strings of venom filled saliva coursed along its teeth as it went into a frenzy of attack. Lev watched as the young Dragonkin also went into a berserk frenzy. He had killed this things mother or father, and now it was out for his blood. It struck out, desperately trying to grasp the man who had killed its parent.
Round 3 a Anya danced and whirled, slashing with both her weapons and sinking the smaller blade into the dragons hide. It still had some fight in it, but the creature looked hurt. Behind her, Batsukan responded in kind, slashing the beast with his own weapon and drawing more blood. The creatures were looking a little panicky now, and might try to flee soon he felt. Alandra piked herself up from the ground and summoned a baleful force upon her target, dragging the doom of the deathgoddess over its immediate future. The young priestess could feel the spell take effect, and knew that the dragonkin was doomed from that moment on. With the young Tatzylworm still firmly engaged, neither parent chose to leave. They both struck out with their mouths, but the defenses of both their targets proved too formidable to penetrate.
Map hasnt changed.
Round 2b Lev brought his greatsword up and around, slicing deep into the side of the large worm and spraying warm blood in a wide arc. The dragonkin screamed in agony, the sound eerily intelligent. All three worms responded, writhing in a sinuous pattern and flashing colours of pinks and reds down their lateral lines in response to the increase danger. All of them became more frenzied. Alannah dived and rolled, moving back where her horse had recently been. Inwardly she cursed the fact that they'd now have to chase the things down. It woudln't do to return home without the horses they'd so recently been gifted. She fired her bow, but the recent attack and the dizzying tumble she'd taken to escape its threat meant her shot fell wide of the mark. The broad headed arrow skipped off scales and flew off to land in the waters of the lake behind the beast. Almost immediately a pair of glowing shards of force struck the creature, searing into its hide and bursting scales out in a narrow arc. It hissed in pain also, and now all three of teh dragonkin were heavily wounded. The smallest creature snapped at Lev again, trying to bite him but was distracted by the flailing hooves of the nearby horse. It's mouth snapped sidewards, eyes closing as the horse failed, and its bite missed the hunter.
Map hasn't changed much except for Alannahs position. Will update later.
Round 2
It attacked again, trying to tear the rider from his mount, but the Ronins armour proved to hard to grip this time, its sharp teeth sliding harmlessly from the laminated plates Anya tries desperately to cause damage on the creature tearing into her friend, but even with the thing distracted from the grapple, her best shot glances harmlessly from its scaled hide. Alandra squeals a little as her mount shies and throws her from the saddle. She lands whith an audible OOF! on the wet ground but manages to gasp out a prayer to her godess which fills her friends with more skill and bravery. The great worm that had Alannah in its mouth attempts to continue its grapple on the archer but its teeth fail to hold her. Even as the archer slips from its mouth though, the creature breaths noxious fumes into her face
Alannah drew back and fired, the frst shot striking true and driving her shaft into the creatures head even as it lunged across Anya and sunk its teeth into the archer. She had opened herself up to the surprising reach of the creature when she took aim, and now it had her firmly ino her clutches. Lev fired from the back of his horse, striking his target heavily and drawing blood as the arrow sank between armoured plates near its forelimbs. he creature let out a high pitched scream and rushed the hunter even as he dropped from the horse. Its hunting technique was no where near as effective as its parents, and the lunging bite missed easily. Elsbeth meanwhile fired a series of magic missiles from her wand, striking the creature chewing on Alannah and causing some more damage to the beast. Round 2 With a skillful twist, Batsukan pulled free of the animals grip, gasping for breath after having his head in the convulsing throat of the beast.
Batsukan
Spoiler: Nah, I roll using the map tools roller. That way I know the results before I post my replies. It allows me to describe the action without having to go through html coding and then re editing.
When I create maps I create macros for the baddies and fill in their major stats for quick reference. I have also created saved icons with maccros for the players so I know their AC's and hp totals and I update those as I go. I haven't done one for you yet though, and I believe I have to update the others since they levelled. Will do that this week now I'm holidays. This takes time intially, but saves me loads of time later on. Some of the fights I've run have gone over two or three weeks, so this is a big saver. And it makes the writing flow easier without breaking my concentration for re editing. cheers
Alandra responded the fastest, urging her horse forward and casting protection on Batsukan. AS the mount got closer to the dragonkin, it shied a little. While the cleric managed to get her spell off, she was in a rough position to keep it steady. Anya lept from her horse, drawing her weapons and rshing forwards to protect her more vulnerable friend. She looked up as the Tatzylworm lept forwards, mouth wide and throat convulsing in preparation for the food it was after. The cretures head came snapping downwards, but the nimble ruler stepped aside just in time Batsukan held his weapon ready, waiting as the other big creature leapt at him. The dragonkin targeted the mounted Ronin specifically, its cunning and experience teaching it that the two legged opponents that rode the bigger horses were far more dangerous than the mount itself. This Tatzyworm had more success than its family. The shar teeth and armoured skill closed around the Ronin, even as his own weapon glanced harmlessly from its armoured skull. He could feel the teeth and punch through his armour and into his flesh, barely able to land the attack, but causing great pain when it did. What was worse, the teeth had him gripped and he couldn't escape its grasp.
They burst from their cover almost immediately they realised the group was ready for them. Three great beasts shining blue and green in the midday sun. Their heads were those of all dragon kind, wide mouthed and frilled with a spiney mane of webbing and flesh. Great bones protected the head area, and hard scales overlayed this to provide an armoured hide worthy of the best knight. The two older adults must have been very old for they were the largest specimens Lev had ever heard of. Noxious vapours fumed between pointed teeth and writhed up past their narrowed eyes. With a great hiss, the three worms prepared to attack.
The problem here Batsukan, is you had no idea how far the dead fall was since it was in unkown territory. You quite literally come across it and realise this is most likely where the attack occured, when your horse picks up the scent. Going on the description of one girl in shock isn't giving you lots of notice to get prepared for pre buffs. However, the party did have time to prepare suitable spells for those who have adjustable spell selection. While it's likley Alndra may have delay poison available, its unlikely she's cast it yet. I also didn't give people much chance to buy gear. But since the fortress only has a GP limit of 400 gp, a potion of delay or cure poison is not available for purchase. Working on map now, should be up soon.
Lev's knowledge of the natural world and the creatures within it brought to mind a local beast known as a Tatzyl worm. These creatures were related to dragonkin in their distant past, and tended to be ambush predators. The girls story seemed to follow the pattern - A tangle of fallen timber or rocks to hinder movement, plenty of cover and wait till folk had split up along the trail to attack. They were intelligent beasts, attacking in co-ordinated ways and regularly baiting their prey. He recalled a story of one old worm taking a young maiden from a foresters hut but not killing the girl. It allowed her to wander injured and scared in its hunting area, calling for help. When the foresters came to rescue her, it had picked them off one by one killing eight men before the Old Mother of the village had found it and destroyed it. The Old Mother herself had died from its poisonous breath though, her face blackened and eyes bulged as her lungs closed up in pain. These things couldn't be left to roam, especially since it sounded like a family group with two large cretures and one young. The girl listened wordlessly as Lev related this tale. She nodded slowly to Anya's words, but when Alandra spoke, a fire lit behind her eyes. "If I follow lady death, will I gain the power to stop things like this, missus? My Ma and Pa should not have died, and little Jakub was barely out of his poopers. He done nothin'. I wanna stop stuff like that happenin missu, can you help me do that?" **** It took two days to prepare for the journey. Things had changed since they became rulers, and leaving in a hurry was not an option any more. Anya's decree about settling the river confluence and its old crossing had gone out, and even now road builders were laying stone and clearing rock for the passage of hevier wagons. Land parcels were lotto'd and the lcky few who had recieved it began to muster herds of sheep and hill goat outwards from the big pens they had been kept in so far. Riding out of town, Anya's guard gave salute, a single trumpet blaring bright in the morning air as she and her group rode forth to tackle the killers to the west. The small folk gathered along Mikhail's Way to watch them ride, cheering their new Princess and her brave bannermen as they rode forth. Lev and Batsukan rode at the vanguard, the Tien's horse paranicng with head high and feet high stepping. Lev's heavy set roan snorted at the sight, but couldn't match the legence of the stallions gait. Even Elsbeth had gotten used to riding in their travels so far, and looked comfortable upon the back of her Palamino. The mounts were new, and thoroughbred in stock, chosen by a Restovian horsebreeder who had travelled south to join them. These folk looked like rulers now, not ragged adventurers out for gold as they once may have been. **** They were a day and night in reaching the dead fall where the girl stated the attack had happened. Batsukan's horse picked up the scent of death and lizard scat almost immediately, his ears turning downa nd teeth baring at the danger. The Ronin turned to his companions and drew his weapon, allowing them the warning they needed before any attack could come. The Tatzyworms were near, and most likely knew they were her.
Lev
Spoiler: I have been putting thought to your animal companion. I think with our new Ronin and his mount, it would pay to have something that can keep up and fight with him. You have a choice of Big cat or Giant Elk I reckon. I have a little story to write them in, but wanted to see which you'd prefer. The Giant elk has a good solid charge attack but can only really attak with its antlers. It will eventually make a great mount though. The big cat is a type of mountain lion than haunts this region. They're tan with dark brown stippling. They get multiple attacks and pounce but each one does less. The stag moves faster, but both of them should be able to help with a front line fight if Batsukan has to charge.
When the girl appeared in front of the Princess and her retainers, she seemed stunned and glaze eyed. It took quite a bit of work from Elsbeth to finally coax her to speak. When she did, her voice remained flat, retelling the tale with no emotion, as if reading from a book. "Pa had told us we could start a new farm down here. He brought us down on the back of Big Bess, our draft horse. She was all we had after the farm was took by his Lordhsip back home. Dad was hoping to get in with one of the wagon trains rolling out from the big city, but we was late coming in for that. Ma told him we oughta wait, but Pa said we had no coin so we headed in any way." She kept looking about 5 feet in front of her, never meeting the eyes of any of the ones she spoke to. She seemed mature for her age, but then folk who worked the land often grew up faster than city kids. "When we reached the lake and couldn't see no castle, Pa reckoned we musta strayed in the hills. He climbed a tree to gain his bearings and then told us to follow the lake shore till we found this new place he kept talking about. Me and Jakub was riding Big Bess, while Ma, Pa and 'Sandra walked along carrying most of our gear. We come to a dead fall near the lake shore when the Big Blue worms come at us. The biggest one et 'Sandra afore we even had time to scream really. Pa rushed em, waving his stick but he was tiny standing agin them. He got bit by two of 'em, and they tore him up fightin' over was ter eat him too. Ma hit Big Bess then, and she went a running down the water front. We lept the dead fall, but Jakub fell orff and hit his head. Ma was running behind and she picked him up, and that's when the third one come outta the water. It et both of em there and then. Big Bess kepta running, but she got bit by a snake and died. I kept walking the lake shore like Pa told me to, and then the loggermen found me. I don't know much moren that."
In the third month of the new kingdom of Schwertmark, the township began work on a smithy. For the most part, the township and keep ran smoothly. Alannah had trained a core of competent mena nd women to act as a permanent guard around the castle and its keep. The guardsman had no livery as yet, but with the equipment they had recovered from the Staglords hoard, at least they were armed and had rudimentary armour. Lev and his cadre of hunters were also quite successful. They uhnted regularly for meat and other game, managing to bring good quantities of deer and bison in for butchering. The problem was that more and more folk arrived in the newly settled lands. Some came with a look to farm, others had experience in woodcutting and looked to hit the woodlands nearby. People were expanding into the settled land outside the township itself, and soon Lev and his men would need to police these folk. Batsukan, the newest member of the group proved his worth when he caught a group of thieves who were starting to pillage from the stores. These men had gathered a quantity of the more expensive eqipment and some weapons and were about to make a bolt for Restov in the hopes of turning a profit when the Ronin had caught them. He had brought the men to Anya for her to judge, managing to subdue all three perpetrators without resorting to killing them. Alandra was not so fortuitous in her endeavours with the people. Those who had come from Oleg's responded well to the young priestess, but there were some from the Restov contingent who found her worship of the deathgodess a little ghoulish. One man, by name of Chrisof Reckson, started a small worship of Abadar in his home, bringing a group willing to pay homage to the god of civilisation in the hopes he would take a hand in their guidance for the town. The splinter group were not much trouble so far, but Alandra had her doubts about the man who led them in prayer every night. By the time work had nearly finished on the housing and smithy, Elsbeth had returned. It had taken her quite some time to convince Oleg and Svetlana to come with her, and in the end it had been Svetlana's friendship with the exotic sorceress that had swung them. Oleg had packed up his wares, leaving the old trade post to one of the trappers he had traded with regulalry, and moved south. He proved a dab hand at organising the wares though, and any chance of stealing more gear without being noticed vanished almost immediately. It was a warm summer evening when word came to the keep that a young girl had been found wandering along the shores of Lake Neuenfang. She was in shock and covered with blood, though mostly it wasn't hers. The men who had found her claim she kept saying "Blue Worm" over and over, and asking for her Ma and Pa. No one local new them, but she had been found at the Western borders of the settled lands. Something had killed her family it seemed, and the smallfolk began to ask what the Princess and her men were going to do about it.
It took another two hours for the wagon train to make its way fully up the hill, and two more days after that before everyone was settled and the base area sorted for the tent town that sprang up. **Alannah was pleasantly surprised when Ulrich turned out to be one of the men leading the wagon trains. The great Ulfen had been the first person she had seen upon waking that fateful day so many months ago. It was he who had dragged her half dead back to Restov and helped her recover, and he had been the one to point her in the direction of her new friends. The big man smiled broadly through his shaggy blond beard, and embraced the young fighter in a crshing bear hug. "It is good to see you again waifling, ja?!" he boomed as he greeted her. She found the term funny, given her strength, but next to him she was almost childlike. He looked around the place, then purposefully touched the weapon at her side. "You found him then ja. I had feeling he might be here.". His voice was sad, carrying some type of regret, but he didn't go into it. Instead he looked up into her eyes and clapped her heartily onthe shoulder, rocking her slightly with his casual strength. "Come, there is much to be done ja. After we get these people sorted, we drink. To Mikhail." **Lev and Anya were busy trying to organise the huge procession of equipment and lay out areas for campsights when a polite cough from behind made them turn. A tall and muscular man stood before them, decked out in armour of a strange design and holding the reigns of a beautiful warhorse. The mans feature were a blend of Taldan and Tienese, something neither of the Brevian nobles had seen before. The man bowed deeply, then presented a letter to Anya, bearing the red seal of teh Rastovian Chancellor. She broke the seal and read it carefully, before looking the man over again. "It would seem Lord Chancellor Devetion believes you have the requisite skills to help us settle this land" Anya spoke carefully. "You can start by helping us sort out these people. Lev is going to be needed to gather fresh meat enough to feed such a workforce, and you may just be what we need to free him up for that"
Within days, work had started on repairing and expanding the staglords fort intos something more regal. A bastion of defense in the wild lands that sould be capable fo bringing those in need within its safe walls. The hills were scoured for basalt and granite to replace the wooden palisade. The old fort and building withn was repaired and soon took on the appearence of a keep. These folk who had journeyed south were mostly unskilled, but they made up for it in work ethic. Everyone was determined to make the most of things while the months remained warm.
[ooc]BP spent so far - Clearing and preparing land = 3, Castle construction = 27, Houses = 3. Total of 33.
Ok, need some info from all of you for details on your kingdoms. Anya - You get to name the kingdom Elsbeth - You get to name your home town Lev - You get to name the major forest in the kingdom Alannah - You get to name the rivers in the kingdom found so far Alandra - You get to name the Lake that your kingdom is built on Also, for each role you have taken on, please come up with a title. I'm building the stats on your kingdom and city as we go. Note, I've put all the types of buildings you can purchase in my GM profile now. Cheers
Rising Nation - Kingmaker Part 2
In the second attack, Alannah had shot the leader of the bandits from a range of 180 feet, and driven teh shaft throgh his eye. That shot alone had seen the bandits stop and stare incredulously. As one they had left and obviously word had spread from there. There were new bosses in town. When Lev finally did arrive back, it was at the head of a column of refugees, wagons and building gear. Lord Chanelor Deveton and the sword lords of Restov had oviously lived up to their end of the bargain. This land was to be settled, and they were providing what assistance they could in the deal. Lev rode ahead of the collumn when the fortress came into sight, galloping his horse up to the gates and dismoutning in a fluid motion as his friends came out to see him. With very little preamble, he handed Anya the scroll and parcel from The Lord Chancellor. Anya broke the red wax seal and unrolled the scroll. Be it so known that the bearers of this charter, having delivered the
Within the long burlap wrapping, Anya foudn something that took her breath away. A jeweled scabbard held a mastefully crafted Duelling sowrd, of a type used by the swordlords themselves. The wepon was perfectly balanced, and gleamed with a bluish sheen as she drew it, reflecting the sunlight off its blade in a glorious display. A small note fluttered to the ground as she drew the weapon, and when she picked it up to read it, the words ringing in her mind with great exhultation. "A Leader deserves a weapon of renown. This is weapon was crafted for you Lady Anya Medyeved, in the hopes it will bring you triumph in all you do. Use it well and rule wisely. You have my undying gratitude and hopefully a friendship we may continue as you rule. D"
Lev
Spoiler:
The river bank was slick with the rain that fell around him. Lev ignored the discomfort, happy enough to be dragging the festering corpse of the Staglord to its final resting place out here in the wilderness. Behind him, the two horses were picketed in the shelter provided by the old toll keepers building. It was the second time he had camped here, and hopefully this time he wouldn't be disturbed by some soul looking for vengence.
He took the corpse in his arms and pushed it into the swelling waters of the river. The rain had only started an hour before, but it was heavy and relentless. Given the hills in these parts, he knew how fast water could accumulate in rills and gullies, rushing forwards to swell a rivers flow with their own contributions. The corpse caught the current, and began to float out into a deeper chanel. Lev had all but severed the man in two, yet enough corpse gas seemed to be trapped in his body to keep it afloat for now. As he watched, a solen hand burst from the water and clutched the Staglords body, dragging it into the murky and swirling depths of the water. Vengence, it seemed, had been served. He rested deeply that night, sleepeing better than he had since he and Anya had travelled to this place in the hopes of settling the land. Beside his travel pack and other gear, a large Ranseur now rested. The weapon still dripped with water, yet it was free of corrosion or damage from being immersed. It seems the spirit had decided to reward its champions as well. The remainder of the trip went without hassle, and when he arrived at Oleg's, there was much rejoicing at the news he brought. Within a week, a message had arrived back from Restov, a sealed note addressed to his sister along with a large parcel for her. The message was accompanied by a very long collumn of settlers and equipment, all of them looking to Lev and his companions to lead them into the wildlands and their new homes. Elsbeth
Spoiler:
The frontier fortress was grimy and smelled of male sweat and old grog. It certainly wasn't a place that Elsbeth would normally consider home, but her hard toil with Alandra in clearing the undead infestation left her exhausted so she had no choice but to sleep in the place.
The dream was far more vivid this time than the last one. The landscape smelled of smoke and ash, a grey void tinted red by a glow in teh low horizon. Elsbeth walked steadily along, following in the wake of a group of confused looking men, all of them staring wildly about as if lost and terrified. Each of them carried ghastly wounds, reflecting how they had died in the mortal realm, and with a resigned sigh, the sorceress realised they were the very bandits she and her friends had killed. Again the air split with a sickening tear, sulphurous air blasting from the wound in the sky. From it stepped the demon from her first nightmare, grinning wildly at the sight of so many fresh souls to consume. The men screamed and tried to run, but it was amongst them in moments. Where its claws sunk in, flesh turned to vapours and poured through the rent in the sky. At last, only one of the doomed men remained. In desperation he reached for a weapon that was not there. Screaming in hatred, this one ran at the beast and tried to fight it with his bare hands, but the demon merely laughed and tore out his troat with a languid twist of its hand. As the man became smoke and vapour, Elsbeth realised it was the soul of Akiros, the bandit who had caused Alannah such grief in the real world. The demon faced her again, smiling widely and allowing its long black tongue to poke sinuously from between serated teeth. "This is more like the feast I was promised by your ancestors, girl. Continue in this fashion, and your family bargain may yet be met before your time comes." With that enigmatic statement, the demon stepped back through the fissure and disapeared. Elsbeth woke feeling refreshed and more powerful than before. It disturbed her a little to think that such a gruesome dream actually left her better rested than many of the nights she had spent exploring this wild land. For All of you
Lev took the Staglords body and draped it over the rump of one of the pack horses. He steadied the animal as it moved in response to the new weight and ever increasing stench of the corpse. Just outside the gates, he could hear Alandra and Elsbeth moving around the fortress, incanting a ritual that Alandra had remembered to calm the restless spirits of the land. It was a time consuming ritual, taking both women many hours to cover just small areas of land. They would be at it for days, but everyone had agreed that it was safer than trying to destroy whatever was under the hill, particularly since they didn't know if the undead would just rise again the next day. As he made to leave, his sister came out to bid him farewell. She stood at his stirrup, resting an easy hand upon his boot as Lev readjusted himself in the saddle. She had a slightly haunted look, most likely remembering the execution she herself had fulfilled. Auchs had blubbered and begged for his life, sounding more childlike with each passing moment. Even Lev had felt his heart lurch in slight grief for the simpleton, but he had steeled himself remembering the talk the man had with them after the battle. At least Anya had made it quick, driving her longsword through his heart and killing him instantly. His head, along with those of the other bandits and the strange shape shifter from below, now adorned pikes that lined the roadway to the fortress. A great sign had been erected with a warning to bandits, written in the common speach as well as whatever dialects this small group understood. The heads themselves were message enough though, with their swolen and black tongues and the eyes being picked clean by the carrior birds even now. No one could mistake that. The big hunter nodded down at his sister, understanding her support for him without the need for words. With a click of his tongue, he urged his mount and the packhorse forwards, riding out to leave the body of a fallen madman so a water logged corpse could take its vengence. It was not a journey he particularly relished, but they all agreed it needed to happen. A whistle from the parapets above drew his eyes to the mysterious Alannah. Her blond hair and silver bow gleamed in the mornings light as she stood watch on the towers. She slipped a wink and a wave to Lev as he left, then returned her vigil in keeping an eye on the two magic users as their slow and tedious ritual continued. He sighed a little, looking around at this wild land. If Anya had the right of it, soon this place would be settled with frontiersemen looking to make a new home. In some small way, the woodsman was saddened, and it surprised him.
Loose Ends
1. Stag lords body - As you move the bodies out of the courtyard ready for correct disposal, an image flashes before your eyes. A bloated corpse walking across a fast flowing river reaches out a hand and points at you "Remember our bargain" 2. Haunted hill - The hillside surrounding the fortress appears to be infested with undead. You first became aware of it when three of the badnits fled the keep and were torn apart by whatever it is that lives in the ground. Alandra and Elsbeth both feel almost nauseated as they head onto the ground to recover the bodies, and this most likely saved them. They stepped back onto the road just as the ground nearby shifted and a rotted hand burst from it. The hand clutched feebly at the air nearby, but pulled back into the earth once the women had left the grassed area. 3. Bandit warning - While the keep was now secured, the hills surrounding it most likely contain more groups ranging for loot. They would be unaware of the staglords death at this time. What are your plans to deal with them or warn them of the staglords defeat? 4. Message to the Swordlords - They need to know your mission is complete. How will do this while still keeping the fortress secured? It is a few days ride to Oleg's from here. In that time, anything could take up residence in the fortress you only just recovered. 5. Auchs - Auchs is still sobbing in his cage. He is a big and dangerous man. His thirst for violence and his trained hatred for women make transporting him a dngerous prospect indeed. You have already passed judgement on him, who is carrying it out and when.?
Having cleaned out the fortress, the group took the time to explore and secure the location. A detiled inventory of the cellar region revealed the following gear as well A large amount of stolen wealth can be found in these three rooms—the bandits have been stockpiling their ill-gotten goods for months. The majority of the wealth kept here consists of mundane trade goods like
Elsbeth also stumbled across a number of journals and books that she poured over. To her great delight, a few of them turned out to be scrolls, tucked away within a journal of a mage. She also found a very unusual strnad of rope that seemed to carry a magical aura. When she studied it more thoroughly, the rope seemed to enhance the carrying capacity of anything it attatched to. Alandra had also disovered something amongst the weapons in the cache. A simple looking dagger which at first seemed too corroded and rusted to be of much use. However, somehting about the weapon drew her to it and as she picked it up, she could feel the power within. As she looked it over, a small symbol etched with flaking gold leaf could be seen. It was a stylised rose, the gold etched symbol carved into the blackened hilt made the distinct impression of a blacke rose. It was an old weapon, to be sure, but with some cleaning she knew it would be good as new.
Another flurry of attacks from the party saw the strange creature brought low. Even as it collapsed in death, the thing twisted and warped, changing shape before their eyes to form into an old and beaten man. His body was covered in numerous scars from beatings he had recieved in the past and his face wore a cruel expression, even in death. With his passing, the last vestige of organised resistance from Bandits in this region collapsed. The stolen lands were theres to settle.
Elsbeth readied herself to drop down into the room. In the meantime, Alandra finished her incantation and a small form of air and lightning crackled into existance just behind the savage creature. The elemental pounced forwards and slammed into the creature, damaging it somewhat. Alandra moved as well, sending a dart of ice into the thing and searing its side with frost burn. The creature snarled and snapped, ignoring the magical foes to continue pressing at Lev.
Appologies for the sporadic posting recently. I'm in marking time again (seems to be more and more prevalent in the job nowadays). I'll update as I can but this pattern is likely to continue for at least another week. After that, I should be able to get back to once a day or close to it. Cheers
Alannah quickly slides down the ladder, landing with nimble grace on the stone floor below. She turns and watches as Lev moves forwards and fires his bow into the creature. The arrow strikes it in teh side, but rather than kill it, it seems to become more enraged. Lev watches in a kind of detatched fascination as the wolverine runs across teh ceiling and down the wall before leaping at him with savage claws and teeth. Despite this most unusual approach, and its overall enthsiams for teh task, the creature fails to land a blow on the hunter though. The thrum of another bow firing down the hall signals Anya firing her own weapon, but it flies well wide of her target.
End of round 1
Anya stepped in behind it and attacked with her weapons. While she realised the creature clinging to the roof ahead of them was most likely the true threat, she also knew she couldn't really reach it from here. Her swords wove a dance of death as she attacked the thing, her shortsword skipping off the creatures thick chitinous exoskeleton but her dueling sword punched home. A strange odour filled the air, as the weapon punctured vital organs and various gas chambers inside the ant. Round 2 Lev felt its grip begin to weaken, and then it fully relaxed as Elsbeth sent one of her trademark magic missiles into the thing. As quickly as it had appeared, the great ant sunk back into the ground and was covered up, as if never having been there. The big hunter was free to move, but the distance to his target was cluttered with wooden debris and old masonry. He wouldn't get much time to swing with that type of obstacle in his way.
Alannah's light came flickering into the room, though she'd had to lose her readiness to fire at any threat in order to retrieve it and activate the stick. As its bright light filled the room, both Anya and Lev blinked for a moment or two as it affected their vision. Lev's keen eyes picked out a large grey mass clinging to the ceiling of the room at the far end of where he was standing. The thing looked like some sort of badger, though how it was clinging to the roof was anyone's guess. Elsbeth drew forth her magic wand, ready to use it against whatever was coming, and then a huge ant seemingly burrowed up from the ground behind Lev and Anya. The thing was nearly the size of a pony, and its head and mandibles were huge. What was wrse, its great stinger dripped with a clear venom as it moved in and attacked. Its great Pincers closed around Lev's leg, seemingly targeting him at randomd. While teh stinger seemed to scrape ineffectively against his armour, the pincers themselves dealt a painful crushing blow to his leg, grasping him in a restricting grasp. Alandra called out, even as the thing appeared. She held on tightly above the fight while the ant attacked her friends. Anya failed to pick out what Lev had seen, but she certainly saw the ant biting her brothers leg.
As the conversation wandered back and forth around him, the simpleton slowly realised that his life was hanging in the balance. He began to wail again, dropping to the ground and grovelling before the group as he begged noisily for his life. His protestations were broken by great gasping sobs and rivers of snot began to run heedlessly from his nose, mixing with the blood and dirt already caked upon his face. He truly was a pitiful sight, and sounded like nothing more than a sad and scared child at that moment. Only his sheer size and the remembered wounds he had dealt kept their heads in the right space for judging him. With some difficulty, Lev dragged him kicking and screaming over to the bears cave where he tossed him boddily in and closed the gate. The enclosure locked from the outside, well out of reach of the big man. Given it was strong enough to hold the enraged owl bear before, it was more than up to the task of holding Auchs, who merely screamed as the foor closed, and began to tantrum in the corner. All this happened just in time too, for not long after the gate closed, Lev shrank back to his regular size as Elsbeth's spell wore off. The cellar Lev carefully descended the ladder, his feet feeling for every rung and his back itching as if expecting a dagger to plunge into it at any moment. As his foot touched the ground, he thought he caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye, but when he turned, there was nothing but a stone wall there. He shivered slightly, then stepped away from the ladder and drew his greatsword. Anya joined him next, standing with her brother at the foot of the ladder with her swords drawn. The sudden sound of gutteral chanting came from the entrance of a far room. Neither of the two fighters could see into the darkness, but both of them had heard enough magic to realise that a spell was being cast, just as Alandra was half way down the ladder.
Those with spell craft
Spoiler:
The spell is a summoning spell, bringing forth some form of creature to assist whoever is casting. (giving you this one for free)
The trial Despite the small argument in the background, the big simpleton quickly succumbed to Elsbeth's charms and tells everything about his involvement at the fortress. He was found wandering the streets of Restov by a man he referred to as Dovan. Dovan had given him his name, telling him he was as strong as an Auchs so he should be named after one. Under Dovan's careful treatment, Auchs had come to truly loath most women, taking time to help Dovan subdue and brutalise a number of them before they had been fored to flee to wildlands. (Some of the group remembered hearing about the case of women being brutally murdered in the slums of Restov a few months before they had been recruited by the swordlords. From all reports, most of the victims were young blond women, all of them had had their heads crushed by a tremendous force, but only after some horrifying tortures had been done to them). Auchs idolised Dovan, and looked up to him as a saviour, so he followed him even into this dangerous alnd. They had caught a road patrolmen as he took his "business" in the bushes. Auchs had crushed his skull and then Dovan had ridden them both hard into the hill lands until the horse had died. Not long after that, the stag lord had found them. Auchs spoke of him with mixed fear and admiration, for he was the only man the simpleton had met who truly had the capacity to beat him with his bare hands. At first Auchs thought his fun with Dovan had come to an end, but under the Stag lords care, they had been allowed to continue ministering to the "whores of the world", every chance they had. A few women worked for the stag lord, and apparently they had to leave them alone. Auchs couldn't understand why, but while ever Dovan told him not to touch them, he was happy enough to follow orders. Now that Dovan was dead, he was at a loss again. He had his toys, but no one to help him decide where to go or what to do. His biggest concern seemed to be getting his wounds tended and when his next meal was coming, but all of those watching him also caught him staring at both Anya and Alannah and thier blond hair. The cellar Having searched and gathered the bodies, and dealt with the simpleton by the immediate case of simply locking him in the bear enclosure until working out what to do with him, the party readied themselves to face whatever was in the cellar. The doorway opened easily enough to Anya's grip, while Alannah and Lev stood aiming bows down into the darkness. Nothing stirred in the cool cellar below, the faint daylight casting eerie shadows across the stone and dirt room. Crates and barrels seemed to fill the place, but they could also make out an exit to another area carved in to the ground below the fortress. The only way in was a rickety looking ladder that was tied firmly to the support beam just below the trapdoor. A strange smell of rank sweat and leather filtered up from the room below as they stood around the entrance.
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