Arabelle Adventurers Quest Notes 2012-09-22
Characters involved: 
Nora 
Merry 
Book 
Mahina 
Tempest 
Ugly
Lock 
Stock 
Barrel 
Squirt
Contents
From Last Game
See Arabelle Adventurers Quest Notes 2012-08-10
The party returns to the town to find it has been the site of a horrific battle and is badly burned.
See also RP: Razing of Walker's Shade
Questing
In Walker's Shade
Merry continues to question Jolfrana about the appearance of the people who razed the village, which prompts Book to ask Merry, “Are those the people you were talking about.” Merry replied in the affirmative, which did not make Book very happy.
The party heads off to a corner of the room to discuss this news. Merry explains about the Avengers and how they are trying to return the Ulan to wilderness and have a distrust of psionics. They are dangerous and prone to violence. He says that Keten - the youngest of avengers and the tattooed, robed guy who burned the village - found Merry on Merry’s way out of an Ulan tribe's village. Keten was looking for Book. Keten said it would be in the tribe’s best interest if Merry returned with knowledge of Book. Merry did not know Book at the time.
Merry now realizes that the arbgah he has was probably not actually from the Ulan tribe that he was friends with. It appeared at about the same time that he met Keten, and is probably a magical tracking beacon. Mahina summons a hippogriff to take the bottle as far from them and the town as possible, towards Arabelle.
The party decides to disguise themselves and get going. Book walks back with a bunch of rags & robes. He tosses them on the table. Mahina excitedly ties rags all over herself, grabs some of Ugly’s pants, and ties them on herself.
-
Tempest - disguise of 15 -
Nora - disguise of 24 -
Mahina - disguise of 21 -
Book - disguise of 11 -
Merry - disguise of 6 -
Ugly - disguise of 7 - Eins Walgorg - disguise of 15
+15xp to Nora for asking how they found us this far away from home
Night falls and the party prepares to camp. Mahina curls up on the ground and goes to sleep. Ugly and Tempest discuss watch: he takes first, she takes second. The dogs assist. Merry dreams of Runt the mule that evening.
Druid Circle
Walgorg states that when they get to the town, we need to escort him to the manor of the guy that is getting the prototype.
Mahina continues to lead everyone through the woods toward the town and finds a great camping place. As soon as we arrive, Mahina drops and goes to sleep. It is a druid circle of nature attunement. Nora recognizes that the area has effects akin to a Hallowed spell on it, and senses the positive energy as well.
Merry tells a story about a place similar to the one they are inhabiting for the evening. It is a great story about wolves eating druids, and friendship. After the story, the party sans Mahina (who is asleep) hears a little applause off to the northeast. Tempest and Ugly jump up as soon as they hear the applause.
A druid enters the clearing. He compliments Merry and his story before sitting down by the fire. Merry speaks to the druid respectfully. The druid indicates that lots of city folk have been coming through lately, lighting campfires everywhere, and going toward Chalfeld. He said there are some foreigners in the area that aren’t causing as much damage - barbarians? Some people are coming from Chalfeld, going from clearing to clearing, and marking up trees, then going back to Chalfeld. Their patrols tend to come out first thing in the morning - sending them out East and South East of town. The druid lets us know where the search parties have already been so that we can go that way.
The party wakes Mahina and she speaks to the Druid. The druid tells her that Squirt needs to find his own path and that she has outgrown him, and he her. She sees that this is true and releases Squirt, then sobs. The druid apologizes for making Mahina sad, but then takes his leave. Mahina cries herself to sleep. Merry wishes the druid well. The party (except for Mahina) notices that they have no idea where the druid’s gigantic snake went.
Chalfeld
Mahina finds delicious berries and even BooBerries! We collect several but do not take all of them. The party asks if they can take cuttings but Mahina says they are not easily transplanted. The party continues on to Chalfeld.
The party finds themselves outside Chalfeld. We decide to leave the dogs behind in the woods, and wait for a good opportunity to pop onto the road unseen. Tempest spots an opening and the party gets out onto the road and heads into the city nonchalantly, still disguised as poor travelers. Merry does a knowledge (local) and (nobility and royalty) roll and he remembers that this place is the original hometown of the prince’s family. It’s a very town with many wealthy citizens.
Zelf's Manor
The party goes to the manor where Walgorg is supposed to meet his business partner who is revealed as Zelf Tetalan, and they discuss business. The guy agrees to do business with Walgorg and he is happy, though Walgorg Jr worries about remembering the exact design that Walgorg Sr knew.
The party has completed the Walgorg delivery quest! Rust's enchantment over them has been lifted.
The party agreed to return in the morning for Walgorg to be interviewed and the Prince/Walgorg insinuated the party would need to escort Walgorg home afterwards.
Tempest says something and the business partner notices that she is from Petera, he looks her over pleasantly, and essentially indicates that he would like to get to know her better. *wink wink* *nudge nudge* (He hints at having a bit of 'foreign delicacy' fetish.)
Settling Into Town
The party takes up residence in the local inn and two of the rooms there. They have magically warming water and everyone enjoys warm baths after the dungeoneering, long march, fighting, and acid wading.
The party goes shopping and finds a wizard who identifies five items:
- +1 Short sword, +1 Heavy Steel Shield, +1 Heavy Mace, +1 Chain Shirt
- Sword of Humility acts like a metal +2 longsword. If the wielder deals the killing blow to someone more powerful than them with the sword, the dead foe becomes undead and follows the wielder's basic commands. The undead serves humbly and loyally but will not fight or use special abilities. The wielder can only have one such undead from the sword at any time.
While they are shopping, they spot a freshened-up Book head over to the tavern.
Fire at the Tavern!
Merry walks over to the tarvern a little later, to look for Book. He spots three guys sleeping in front of the door, a few dead guys inside, and the place on fire with alcohol poured everywhere. Book is nowhere to be seen! Ugly, Tempest, and Nora drag out three of the bodies, then Ugly and Tempest start dragging barrels of water from the nearby river to put out the fire. They succeed spectacularly, and the tavern owner thanks them, but the jerk apparently doesn’t believe in rewards.
Merry talks to one of the 3 people who just woke up and discovers that the same people who razed Walker's Village are the ones who attacked the tavern and set fire to it.
After the fire is put out and Book's backpack recovered, the stunned party goes back to the Inn.
Merry's Backstory
Merry shares the details of his backstory with everyone so they can help better understand what they are up against:
- You have been with a particular tribe in the Ulan that you are quite fond of. They treat you almost as one of their own.
- One of their recent stories worries you, though. It's another tale about a group of Ulanian heroes... you've heard many yarns regarding their exploits and so have a good idea of what these guys are known to do (through exaggerated gossip). The group is called Nareshie which roughly translates as "Avengers" but with a twinge of spirituality.
- These six adventurers are treated like heroes by the young in the Ulan, though people fear them as much as they respect them. No one wants them in their villages at all, as they take what they deserve-- which is pretty much anything they want. Yet, for the most part they use their powers for vengeance and attacks against Hakan, Fresia, or other outsiders who do not respect the tribes of the Ulan.
- The most recent exploit worries you a lot-- the hyperbolic tales describe how they assaulted a remote Hakan monastary one night recently, slaughtered all the dwellers there and burned it to the ground. (This is almost certainly the same monastery
- The burning-to-the-ground act is cathartic to hear for the the barbarian tribes. Large, organized buildings and structured civilization are almost a sin to them. Such things are corrupting the world and driving warm-blooded tribes deeper into the coldest parts of the Ulan.
- The stories say the Nareshie recovered two powerful magic items from the razing, but they cannot activate them. They left no one alive to tell them how to do so, but they suspect that monastery survivors exist and they are hunting them now. It's quite a reasonable reward being offered for any gnomes found with the "Gedanken" gift-- or what you know as (the uncommon) psionic powers.
- You worry at first that they will turn on you, but everyone in the area knows you and does not fear you-- you're a storyteller afterall. Besides, you do not read minds or else you would not ask so many "baby" questions (which is how they refer to your questions on lore/knowledge that every child knows in the Ulan).
- A few days after the rumors continue, you think that it's probably best to go see what is being said of that Hakan attack back in the civilized lands. You tell the tribe family you're with a particular good fable and let them know of your departure the next day. They are sad to see you and your dogs go, but they break out some of their best Arbahg-- an alcholic beverage that tastes like tar initially but has a delicious aftertaste. (You've been trying to discern its ingredients for a long time, but it's a closely held secret.)
- The tribe is unusually quiet in the morning, and when you go to leave, you are stopped by a stranger. You recognize his garb as that of a Zupanist holyman. As is common with Ulan religious leaders you've encountered, he has a compelling presence and pays more attention to his appearance than most tribe members. He has his black eyebrows plucked to have vertical lines in them, such that he appears to have two small eyebrows over each eye-- your lore tells you that this is a customary marking for bastard children of tribal leaders.
- The man introduces himself as Kitm -- and you immediately recognize the name as one of the youngest of the Nareshie avengers. Kitm asks you where you are headed. You tell him you are heading back to Hakan as you usually do after a long stay in the Ulan, but that you only expect to be gone for a fortnight or two. He says that he'd love to accompany you to the border roads, as he is heading to meet with a trading caravan. You begin to talk your way out of that when you notice members of the tribe giving you pleading looks. Hiding your reluctance, you agree to walk with him.
- He is great with your dogs and Kitm's conversation gives you some great Ulan insight. Unfortunately, though, he casually talks about his latest exploits against Hakan interlopers. He seems to forget that you are from Hakan, or perhaps he is trying to measure your loyalty to your homeland with the explicit discussion. (You don't believe he sensed your alarm as he discussed desperately wanting to capture one of the remaining gnomish monks to torture information out of them.)
- Upon reaching the border roads, Kitm bid you fare tidings, but requested that you provide any information you find about the monks on your return. He states that the tribe you were visiting will be much happier if you return with knowledge of the lost monks. Your latest Yarnich immersion was deep enough that you were able to catch the subtle threat in such a wording. He looks forward to seeing you in "a fortnight or two".
- As is customary on your visits back home, you make your way to visit Cordeiro, a small southern village in Hakan. You quickly decide to seek the spiritual guidance of Sulevi Llyr, who was a close friend of your mother's. She has always been one of your most trusted advisors, and you suspect she may know of this monastery (or at least can offer some of her sagely advice).
- The attendants in her church (which is more lavish than it was when you saw it last) tell you that she is off to Arabelle and that she left in quite a worried state.
- Concerned both for the tribe and for Sullevi, you decide to head to Arabelle...
GAME ADJOURNED
