The party accompany the rescued Douven Staul back to Winterhaven whereupon they collect their reward money from the Captain of the guard and Douven hastily packs his belongings and gratefully returns to his beloved wife - many miles away.
A number of questions still remain unanswered, however:
What was Agrid doing at the dragon burial site?
What was the significance of finding a Death Cult Orcus totem on Agrid?
Who is the 'Kalarel' he mentioned in his battle cry?
Could the increase in Kobold activity have anything to do with any of this?
*You can ask questions of:
Salvana Wrafton - the owner of Wrafton's Inn.
Eilien the Old - the charasmatic old man at the inn.
Valthrun the Prescient - the academic who promised to investigate the Keep's history for you.
Lord Padraig - the Lord of Winterhaven.
? - the unsociable female elf whose name you have not yet learned.
Delphina Moongem - the flower seller at the market who often picks flowers near the keep.
Thair Coalstriker - the smithy (who you have not yet met).
Bairwin Wildarson - the shopkeeper with the mockney accent.
Rond Kelfem - the Captain of the guard.
Sister Linora - the priest in the Temple to Avandra.
Tell me who you asking your questions of each time!*
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I hate Kobolds, I hate Dragons, I hate Orcus and just to keep the theme going: I hate Kalarel...
ReplyDeleteWhoever he/she is.
...
Actually now that I think of it I hate Elves as well and 'Kalarel' sounds like a bitch Elven name.
...
Let's assume that's her and kill her... Just in case.
;)
Zahig returns to see the scholar Valthrun and tells him how things went at the dragon burial site, hastily explaining that they wanted to deal with this local, more pressing, problem before moving on to mapping the keep - not least because it may explain why they were ambushed before and to avoid it happening again.
ReplyDelete"I am particularly embarrassed that the burial site was ruined for archaeology by the idiot gnome Agrid and his henchmen."
"But, an insight from you Sir would be most welcome as to why followers of Orcus should be interested in the burial site, and who this Kalarel might be?"
You can find the un-named Elvish lady in Wrafton's Inn - though I doubt it would be taken too kindly if you assassinated her without good reason...
ReplyDelete*Insight: Kalarel doesn't really sound like an Elvish name.
It does to Human ears.
ReplyDelete;)
Also: Insight = 2.
ReplyDelete:)
Daelagor waits ouside Wrafton's Inn at a corner between the inn and the house the elf went to last time and tries to talk to her again. When she come towards him he will bow to her:
ReplyDelete"Good evening! Apologies for interrupting your dinner yesterday night. You didn't seem to be comfortable talking amidst those humans and I understand. It is difficult for us higher fey beings in these uncivilised lands. I'm new to these parts and maybe you could help me. Do you have any information about the things that are happening in and around Winterhaven? If you want, I can walk you home and we can talk on the way?"
Ah, now I understand why Daelagor is referred to as a 'Stalker'.
ReplyDelete;)
Well, you never learn about women in your hunting and fighting classes ;-)
ReplyDeleteTo Daelagor:
ReplyDelete"There's nothing of interest in this town - you should leave."
*Insight: She seems nervous, scared. You get the impression she might be trying to warn you of something.
What's an Elf doing in a Human town anyway?
ReplyDeleteShe's probably a spy.
I say we kill her.
;)
Who said it was a human town?! There are other non-humans there you just haven't met them yet!
ReplyDeleteBTW I've decided that Zahig's reply deserves its own post in full - keep your eyes peeled...
Daelagor looks around to make sure nobody is listening and continues in more of a whisper:
ReplyDelete"Mylady, you seem scared of somebody or something. I'm in the company of powerful fighters and magic users, if there is something bad happening here we are able to help you. But for that you have to tell me what is going on here!"
Her eyes dart nervously from side to saide as she speaks.
ReplyDelete"It is true you were able to save that architect, I suppose. Maybe you can help... I am no stranger to fear - but what I found scared even me.
"I had cunningly injured a Kobold - the better to follow it back to his lair. Upon arrival I witnessed the most unspeakable acts of depravity all the more eery for their being carried out by moronic beings who could surely not have thought of such things alone. It could only be some mysterious rite of a death cult.
"Whether the rest of the townsfolk are sublimely ignorant or actively a part of this I cannot say, but either way the cult must be destroyed.
"The Kobold lair can be found to the south east of Winterhaven - go there, kill them all, and destroy the cult."
I think we should split up.
ReplyDelete;)
Ooh - sounds like a mission!
ReplyDeleteIt worries me that we still have not got answers to certain questions. The main one that I'm interested in now is what Agrid was actually doing at the burial site - what was he searching for?
ReplyDeleteZahig goes (with Vogir and anyone else if they care to come) to Lord Padraig with that question and also see if he knows who/what Kalarel is.
Vogir's happy to come. Just don't ask him to talk.
ReplyDelete(Charisma revised.)
:)
Daelagor again:
ReplyDelete"Thank you very much for that information! You can put your mind at rest as we are going to take care of that Kobold problem. Did you spot a gnome named Agrid there as well or other creatures than Kobolds? Any information would be useful!"
"All I really remember was the horror and debauchery - but now you mention it, perhaps I did see a gnome there too...
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't really know - it was all so disturbing."
*See seems to be getting really rather upset*
Is her name 'Mavis'?
ReplyDelete(I doubt even Assif will get this reference.)
:)
Never watched corrie, but still get it.
ReplyDeleteIt was one of the staple impressions done by any old-school tv entertainer.
PS - Sven - for goodness sake, give her one of your special hugs ;)
You may even get around to asking her name.
Les Dennis (circa 1980).
ReplyDeleteRuss Abbots Madhouse.
:)
*When you searched Agrid you found the Orcus/death cult idol on him. It was still dirty and obviously what he was looking for in the burial site.*
ReplyDeleteLord Padraif welcomes Zahig and Vogir into his state room whereupon they dhow him the idol and ask about 'Kalarel'. Padraig replies:
"Do you mean to tell me there is a cult here in Winterhaven? Nonsense! What have we here to attract them?!"
*Insight: You would guess that Padraig doesn't know that the Keep hides a rift to the Shadowfell.
I'm thinking that perhaps the Death-cultists need this idol and perhaps a few more to perform a ritual to break through the veil again?
ReplyDeleteAs for 'noble' Padraig.
... Is he an inbred imbecile? How can he not know the history of his own town?
... Unless he's got a high bluff and is on the side of the Death cultists?
... I say we kill him.
... Just in case.
;)
So he was looking for and found the idol, but now the question begs: on behalf of whom?
ReplyDeleteAdding 2 + 2 and getting 5, I would suggest that Kalrel is some kind of lord of the underworld beneath the keep and Agrid was working on his behalf. Kalrel is some kind of Orcus Paladin or Cleric of some sort and is looking to increase his power before launching an attack on the real world.
We also now know that Padraig is clueless.
I think, despite the attraction of smoking out the Kobold nest, our next mission should be to the keep.
'Mission'?
ReplyDeleteWho's paying us?
Pay attention: 250gp for mapping the keep, from Val the Wise
ReplyDeleteIt is what we are here for after all.
We might have something to gain from killing kobolds, but that is not our "mission" proper.
I thought our mission was 'Mapping out' not 'Mopping up'.
ReplyDeleteWe also get money for each Kobold killed if Daelagor remembers correctly. So also mopping up would give money.
ReplyDeleteNew Vogirs new attitude when hearing a new name seems to be "Let's kill " but he doesn't want to kill the stuff that is actually there to be killed without a specific paid mission? :)
Vogir's paranoid.
ReplyDelete... And speciesist.
... And anti royal.
;)
I remember something about that...
So we're being paid to map out the keep AND to kill Kobolds.
The Kobolds seem to be connected to the Death cult.
I think it'd probably be wiser to take out the Kobold nest first.
You're not being paid per head for Kobolds (as I can remember) but Padraif will pay you for destroying the Kobold lair.
ReplyDeletePadraig would also like proof that the cult exists.
You know that there is an ancient (sealed) rift to the Shadowfell in the Keep, but you have heard (through the unnamed elf) that the Kobolds are currently involved in cult activity.
"Thank you very much again! We will make sure that this Kobold pest gets eradicated. I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name?"
ReplyDeleteAfter that Daelagor goes to the Blacksmith and asks him for the price to sharpen the longsword. After paying he will then start casual small-talk and includes "I guess the business of a blacksmith is going quite well with all those Kobolds and a death cult nearby? A small war is always good for business, isn't it?"
The elf looks up at Daelagor and smiles "My name is Ninaran - now please dally no longer!". With that the runs off to her home.
ReplyDeleteThe dwarven blacksmith, Thair Coalstriker, grins broadly and answers gruffly as he thrusts the longsword into a glowing brazier. "That'll be 1gp for sharpening the sword, and another for treating me like the town's gossip!"
ReplyDeleteHe pulls the sword from the fire, places it on his anvil and begins to strike it firmly, ironing out the dents and bends and sending fiery sparks flying across the forge. In between the clangs and rings he calls "Yer question be about as subtle as my hammer, and I'll answer it just as bluntly!"
The room fills with steam as he plunges the still orange sword into a barrel of water. As the hissing quietens down he sits, selects a file from a collection of many on the wall and begins to sharpen the blade.
"The Kobolds are usually nothing more than a nuisance - but recently they've been getting braver and more effective in their raids. Not many merchants venture this way as it is, let alone with those bastards trying to rip off them that do. As for a death cult, I have no idea what yer blathering about. This be a law abiding town patronised by Avandra herself. There's no cult here, nor any reason for one to be."
He stands and hands back the sword - its is immaculately repaired - straight and sharp as the day it was forged. "Here's yer sword - now do have any other work fer me or shall we spend the day lolly-gagging like washer-women?!"
Lolly-Gagging
ReplyDeleteLOL!
Thank you Ghanash for making me laugh this morning! :D
ReplyDeleteAnd there was Daelagor trying to be subtle.....
Daelagor smiles, takes his sword and after inspecting it hands Thair two gold pieces.
ReplyDelete"Thank you, this was the only work I had for you right now. And may I add, you did an excellent job on both accounts! Good day!"
As I see it we have two options:
ReplyDeletea) Go directly to the Nerathi Keep, battle the Kobolds, the undead and their mundane guardians whist mapping it out as best we can,
Or
b) Head for the Kobold nest, kill them all in a ruthlessly efficient manner and then after we’ve recovered, head out to the Keep possibly better armed and facing possibly less opposition.
Obviously I vote for killing the evil Kobolds, but I’m willing to listen to any logical reasons pushing for the other course.
While the others mull the situation over, Vogir heads over to the Temple to Avandra.
“Please Sister Linora, I am off to explore the Nerathi Keep and have heard rumours of undead infesting its underground passageways. Please allow me to offer a donation to Avandra and purchase some Holy water from you.”
How much will she sell the vials of Holy water for?
Will she give me a discount if I buy a larger amount?
Funds: Limited.
Personality: Even more limited. (But I am going for polite.)
:)
Sister Linora replies softly "Any donation to the chapel is greatly received, and Avandra would be pleased to help. 20gp would get you one vial of Holy Water - perfect for cleansing the world of foul undead. I am afraid Avandra would not let me sell the vials any cheaper to a man not of the cloth..."
ReplyDelete'Bless you Sister. I'll take five, and for you I'd happily convert. Let Avandra keep me safe on this journey, let me strike a blow for good and let me change Winterhaven for the better.'
ReplyDelete;)
(Vogir gives Sister Linora 100gp...)
"Peace be with you"
ReplyDelete*Sister Linora gives Vogir 5 vials of Holy Water*
In church I always mumble 'Peas with beef stew'.
ReplyDelete:)
Vogir takes the five vials carefully, stows them in his pack and bows to her before leaving.