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Turn Fifty-Nine
Brief Recap: Last turn, the party went their separate ways. Bibi and Mog went north, to found her new sanctuary and to make contact with Krulek. Blade and Fyona headed south to return Bruce Tyrlan's property...
The Druids of Dunore
They spend most of their time in the western area, the largest section. But as Bibi becomes more familiar with the forest, she is aware that on the eastern end there is something dark. Not necessarily evil, but some dour force is present in the eastern glades of pine and cedar. The two spend several nights there, but eventually decide to study the other parts of the forest again, where they feel more welcome. The last full moon came and went, and Bibi felt nothing. Apparently the amulet prevented her transformation. By the end of November, Bibi and Mog have been through nearly all parts of the forest, be it in the form of birds or coyotes or fishes. There are many species of plants Bibi has never before seen, some of which might yield medicinal value if their effects can be investigated. The forest also seems to have a nascent consciousness, as if it were once aware and has fallen asleep, of as it is awakening to itself, slowly, for the first time. Bibi has yet to decide where she will locate the sanctuary to the druidic spirits. She must also decide if she will return to her people and claim her right to the name of Druid. Her understanding of her totem has advanced a great deal since she left her people and her druidic teachers. When she left, she was already an initiate of the second circle (4th level), a position she reached several years earlier than any others of her cult. Her insights into using her totem and its powers had grown steadily since she left, even without her teachers, and now she has all the powers of an initiate of the ninth circle. The ninth circle is the last before becoming one of the nine Druids, when the secrets of the most potent magicks are revealed. Bibi knows she can only learn these magicks in Dunore, the ancient homeland and cradle of her religion. It is there that the Great Druid sits, attended by the three Archdruids and the nine Druids, when they are not away on their work. Azriel ascended to become one of the Nine just before Bibi fled her people. She remembers his absence from their village during his trial, and his triumphant return. Bibi and many others in her village had feared that Azriel's obsidian black skin, an oddity unknown among her slightly xenophobic people and of possible ill omen, would provide grounds for the lowest of the Nine to refuse Azriel's challenge. The only way to become a Druid is to best one of the nine existing Druids. When Azriel did so, with relative ease it was said, he brought great honor on Bibi's tribe and their whole region, and dispelled the rumors that he was of dark elf kin. It has been many years since Bibi last saw Azriel.
Ghotu Graver and Bronk Beareye ride northward, headed toward Thedrickstand Keep. They purchased prospecting equipment at Port Elsinore [see the new and updated Campaign Map.], the last port city on their journey northward. Now, after over a week's ride, they near Thedrickstand Keep. Both warriors look forward to a hot meal, a stiff drink, and a soft bed. In Thedrickstand, they identify themselves by pseudonyms, fearing their real names will attract too much attention. [If you want, you can post your fake name.] They state their aim as heading into the surrounding hills in search of gold. This is believable, given their prospecting equipment and the fact that several prospectors wander the surrounding hills doing the very same thing. Some even find gold, and two working gold minds are within ten leagues of the Keep. That evening, they sit in the common room of a tavern, eating brisket and bread with strong ale. The place is not busy, and Bronk and Ghotu are at a table far from any other people. A soldier wearing the symbol of the Keep on his tabard approaches them and says, "Good sirs," he pauses looking around to see that no one is within earshot of his voice but Ghotu and Bronk, "are you the lords Ghotu Graver and Bronk Beareye?" As Ghotu and Bronk look at each other, the man hastily continues in a lower voice: "Fear no', I have a message from the King hisself. And though i's not for you, you may be able to deliver it. I's for the Priestess of the Wood, the lady Bibi." The man begs leave to sit with the two warriors, for whom he obviously has respect bordering on reverence. Word has obviously reached Thedrickstand of the honors placed upon them by the King. It is said that the King himself has at times mobilized his army based on the word of Ghotu Graver and his company. "The message arrived by carrier pigeon jus' yes'erday, from the Royal Castle, and it instructs that we should find Bibi and deliver this message to her." The man holds forth a sealed scroll. "But the message also says if another of her companions is found, to give the message to them." The man places the scroll on the table before Ghotu and Bronk. The soldier stands and bows, then looks around to see if anyone noticed him. "Favin the gate guard reco'nized you when you came in, m'lords. S'how I found you. Don' think many others know you's here though." The man bows again, looks around again, and leaves.
The morning after they arrive, the two fighters ride early, newly provisioned for several weeks. They strike out eastward, toward the hills bordering the vast wasteland that separates the Northern Kingdom from the Eastern Empires. When they are a day out, they make camp. The next morning, they abandon much of their prospecting equipment, burying it in hope of later retrieval. They head north, into the snow blanketed forest where Bibi and Mog were headed and where Bibi was allowed by King Ozrik to make her sanctuary for her religion.
To Return a Blade Blade and Fyona have ridden in silence, neither of them mentioning their spat. Blade doesn't exactly understand why he has been so annoyed. He nearly slugged his horse this morning as he saddled her up. Today, he vows, he will try to get a grip on his temper. The two ride south along the South Road out of Heklamar. They plan to turn east when they are past the mountains, and cross over to the Old Bugbear Trail, which Bruce Tyrlan made his fortune on when he reopened it a decade ago. The trail leads straight south to Pastille, where Buce makes his home. Pastille is a port city rich in trade and culture, on the coast of the Southern Sea. [See the map here.] The two travel for several days before the mountains have receded enough for them to turn to the east. [Insert witty repartee/spousal abuse here.] The terrain gets rougher as they head east, the mountain's rocky foothills scattered all around them. At evening on the third day, they hear a loud roar, like a lion, and the yells of men somewhere ahead in the hills. Blade and Fyona kick their horses into a trot. There is not much of a trail, but as they pass along the rocky hills they hear the roar again, and one man's dying scream. Others can also be heard, and the sound of weapons and bowstrings is now clear up ahead. As they top the next hill, Fyona and Blade see a very large lion-like beast with great bird's wings and a great head almost like a man's. It stands on its hind legs, flapping its wings, rending with its claws a human dressed in studded leather armor and carrying a spear. At the left of the scene, atop a steep rise, two other humans armed with bows fire at the beast. Another spearman lies wounded, an arrow in his leg (possibly from friendly fire) and one hand apparently torn off by the beast. A mage lies facedown at the base of the steep rise, his body gutted and rent in a wide pool of blood. [Below is a topographic battlemap. The scene shows a small valley, with archers atop a steep rise (almost a cliff, too steep to ride up) to the left, and the monster attacking a spearman on a hill to the right. The dead mage is at the bottom of the archer's rise. Fyona and Blade ride down a hill toward the melee. They are about 30 meters from the monster.]
The Crown of Acererak Humphrey stands at the front gate of his property, a two story manor house made of stone, which sits on a hill overlooking the docks and ocean to the west, and the forest on the east. The docks are run down, badly in need of repair. Only a few other buildings dot the dirt road meandering along the coast, to the north and east, toward civilization. A few local fishermen bring in their haul, silhouetted by the sun setting on the distant ocean.
First they left the capital city, then they left the regions with large populations, then they reached Ghotu's horse breeding farm, which sat between the channel and the forest. On the other side of that forest sits the Magocracy. After another several days travel, Humphrey and his entourage reached Bronk Beareye's lands--even more rural than Ghotu's. Mainly farmers and fishermen lived this far out, with the occasional trappers and hunters who worked the edges of the forest. One trade outpost occupied Bronk's lands, the last Humphrey would see.
Humphrey hopes these northerners' reputed pragmatism is greater than their prejudice against mages. Humphrey realizes an initial effort on his part might go a long way in winning their support. He sent two of his men down to the town (he brought ten mercenaries and the surveyor) to summon as many people as possible to the docks, where Humphrey will introduce himself and address them for the first time. As he sees them gathering, he mounts his horse and rides down. [Insert what you say to them.] [Later...] Apparently a butler comes with the manor house, for which Humphrey is thankful, for the house is rather large. Humphrey chooses a small basement room for his laboratory, and begins unpacking his things there. The nycademon's head, which Bronk relinquished to the mage out of good sense, sits in a large jar on a shelf. The head is inert, but it still radiates magic, and it does not decay. [Please describe what you do with your other items, like the crown and scepter, and spellbooks; feel free to do something else with the nycademon's head too.] Late that night, or rather in the wee morning hours, as Humphrey sits inscribing Boccob's Book with his most useful spells [please indicate what your traveling spellbook holds], he feels a presence. Magic is in use nearby, Humphrey is sure of it. Perhaps within the house itself.
Treasure and Total Gold Tally Treasure from first adventure, split among bruce, blade, ghotu, mog, bronk, and bibi (bronk and bibi split one share between them since they joined late): 103 silver pieces (sp), 6 pieces of 300 gp jewelry, 4 pieces of 1100 gp jewelry, 15x1900 gp gems, 1000 gp, 10x1000 gp gems, 35,000 gp in assorted gems and jewelry, 4x8000 gp excellent jewels, 23,000 gold pieces, 4,000 platinum pieces, 41x100 gp gems, 13x500 gp gems, 8x1000 gp gems, 17x500 gp jewelry. From the Tomb of Horrors, divided evenly with shares discounted for magic items taken from the loot:
I also have totaled everyone's share of the wealth we have gathered since the beginning of gaming. I won't go into how the calculations were done unless someone is having trouble sleeping and wants it explained. Anyway, here are the results:
Humphrey: 0 gp
The amount of gold was discounted for the gp value of magic items taken, for everyone. The amount of gold is the amount of cash you can raise from sale of the gems, jewels, etc. of your share of the loot, which is all deposited at Gringot's Vault and Trust in Heklamar.
Posting Instructions: Please add as you like, and feel free to revise any actions I have portrayed you as taking.
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Bibi and Mog scout the forest for several weeks, camping in a new location each time. Fall turns into winter early this far north, and the first snows begin to fall during their survey of the forest. Bibi communes with her domain in a new location almost every evening, and each day she discovers more of its secrets. There is much wildlife in the forest, and a few predators. There are also supernatural entities, Bibi can sense them but can't identify them. She hopes they are dryads, but until she meets them she can't be sure.
The journey this far out took early a month for Humphrey's small caravan. In Heklamar, before departing, the mage hired several mercenaries and pack animals, as well as a surveyor/scribe who would be his assistant in mappin his new holdings.
Now that he has arrived at his own "domain," Humphrey understands why the King gave the heroes these lands. Most of the population and wealth of the Northern Kingdom lies in Heklamar and in cities north of the channel, while only a few settlements were on the south side of the channel--where the heroes' lands are situated. Those lands border the forest, on the other side of which is the Magocracy. Though the Magocracy has not advanced on the outside world for nearly a hundred years, it is still considered a threat, especially in the mage-phobic northlands.
