([Completed] Corvin/Mordred Adventure 2): Hole in the Thornwall

[archolewa]

May 17 AR 1

With their purses heavy from their successful adventure against the Battleaxe Gang, Corvin and Mordred do the rounds with the local markets, plus checking out some military surplus to get Astrid equipped, and get supplies for their next trip south along the Thornwall...and possibly beyond it, into the lands once ruled by the Kinslayer. 1d20+12 = 17 < 20 Alas, arms and armor seem to be in high demand right now, and the pair had no luck haggling any deals.

They found the following prices for weapons and armor for Astrid:

Javelins: 1 silver/each
Tower Shield: 15 silver (i.e. 1.5 gold)
Scale Mail: 30 silver (3 gold)
Chain Mail: 40 silver (4 gold)
Banded Mail: 50 silver (5 gold)
Plate Mail: 60 silver (6 gold)

Horses: 75 silver/each (7.5 gold/each)

For more mundane items that she (and the group) may need:

Backpack: 5 silver
Cloak: 5 - 10 silver (depending on if you want a long or short one)
Rope: 1 silver
Waterskin: 1 silver
1 Week of dried Rations: 15 silver (1.5 gold)/each Last about 2 months before going bad.
1 Week of fresh Rations: 5 silver/each Last about a week before going bad. An eat it or lose it.
Pole: 1 silver
Torch: 2 copper/each
Lantern: 1 silver
Oil: 2 silver/flask
Tent: 20 silver (2 gold)

This is not an exhaustive list, just things that I would consider "bare essentials" for adventuring beyond the city. Feel free to reference pg. 146 of the Dark Dungeons X rulebook for a more complete list.

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin thanks Sebastian for letting Astrid use his share and asks if there is anything specific they can get for either of them.

Corvin wants to keep an eye out for some light gloves for Astrid.

While they are shopping: "I need very little for myself, maybe a lantern and some oil. Once we're done I'm going to leave some money in the vault. For Astrid I'm thinking chain mail or banded? We don't want to slow her down too much, unless we plan to buy horses?"

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin's current suggested shopping is as follows:

For Astrid:

Banded Mail, 50sp
Tower Shield, 15sp
Javelins x6, 6sp
tinderbox, 2sp
backpack, 5sp
cloak (long), 1sp
Rope 50', 1sp
waterskin, 1sp
1 wk fresh rations, 5sp
torch x5, 1sp
lantern, 1sp
oil, flask x6, 12sp
Clothes, merchant, x2 10sp
Purse x2, 1sp
Light leather gloves, 1sp

For himself:
lantern, 1sp
oil, flask x6, 12sp

The total is 125sp. If we use Sebastian's contribution to pay for the banded mail and tower shield (6.5 gp), than Corvin would pay the remaining 60sp. He has a weeks dried rations so his plan is that he and Astrid use up the fresh rations first and then use up the dried rations.

He is also looking for some light leather gloves for Astrid that would be suitable for use in and out of combat. Corvin indicates that he is happy to walk if the others are.

[archolewa]

Corvin can find a pair of soft, supple leather gloves, thin enough to be warn under gauntlets and dexterous enough for everyday use for 1 sp.

Also, in a moment in between shopping, the pair unseal the ceramic flask. It smells of cinnamon and lilacs, very similar (though not exactly the same) as the healing potions they found in the tower.

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin takes a deep sniff.

"A healing potion, maybe. Sebastian might know, or we take it and the other potion for identification."

Thanks. Added the gloves to the shopping list above.

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

I'm getting:

Long Cloak 1 silver
Another week of dried rations 15 silver
Donkey 20 silver
Saddle bags 5 silver
Grappling Hook 25 silver
Lantern 1 silver
Oil 3 flasks 6 silver
10' Pole 1 silver
Large Sack 2silver
Small Sack 1 silver
Tinder Box 3 silver

Total spent: 80 silver (60 if we take Sebastian's donkey)

@Shaidar: I still have some currency left if you or Astrid need any more gear and stuff - I would like to chip in. Assuming we will spend 1 gold on identifying the invisible pot, I will have around 3 gold left. 2 gold left if we decide to identify the ceramic one also.

Corvin

Corvin takes a deep sniff.

"A healing potion, maybe. Sebastian might know, or we take it and the other potion for identification."

Thanks. Added the gloves to the shopping list above.

"Lets ask Sebastian first, and then well see"

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin is OK for money. If there is anything you think he's missed for Astrid then he's fine to buy it out of his funds. He's also OK to pay for the identification of one or both items (if needed) this time round so Mordred keeps more coin.

I had some gold left from his starting funds so money isn't an issue and the money from Sebastian really helps. I'm happy to pay the gold for the id's this time round, and just remember it for next time.

[archolewa]

Mordred

I'm getting:
Long Cloak 10 silver (should it not be 1?)

Yes, my bad. Short cloak is 5 copper, long cloak is 1 silver.

Donkey 20 silver

Note that Sebastian already has a donkey. I think he mentioned it at some point, but he may not have. In which case, he would have let you know before you went shopping. No problem with taking two, just wanted you to be aware.

[shaidar]

Yes, my bad. Short cloak is 5 copper, long cloak is 1 silver.

I've adjusted that on my list further up.

[Edeldhur]

Corvin

Corvin is OK for money. If there is anything you think he's missed for Astrid then he's fine to buy it out of his funds. He's also OK to pay for the identification of one or both items (if needed) this time round so Mordred keeps more coin.

I had some gold left from his starting funds so money isn't an issue and the money from Sebastian really helps. I'm happy to pay the gold for the id's this time round, and just remember it for next time.

I will have a second look at Astrid's gear. I think we can split the cost of ID, since:

Note that Sebastian already has a donkey. I think he mentioned it at some point, but he may not have. In which case, he would have let you know before you went shopping. No problem with taking two, just wanted you to be aware.

And I think one donkey is enough

[Edeldhur]

Astrid's gear looks fine to me.

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin goes shopping as given above.

Removed the 60sp from his coin.

Corvin wants to leave 10gp at the Vault.
Removed 11gp from inventory and added info to the notes section

[archolewa]

The pair finish purchasing supplies for the trip south to aid Sebastian everyone make sure to update your character sheets if you haven't already.

They next stop by the Academy, where they find an old classmate of Mordred's, a magic-user named Lyle who specialized in potions and alchemy. He and Mordred chat a little bit, before Corvin hands over the potion with a invisible liquid, plus a gold coin. Make sure somebody mark a gold off your sheet, or both mark 5 silver.

Lyle taps the side of the vial very gently. He pops the cork off and takes a sniff. He nods. "Yup. Can't see the liquid, and its odorless. Definitely potion of invisibility. Be careful if you smell something like damp fur. Means the potion's gone bad. Throw this sucker back, and you'll be invisible until you decide to punch someone in the nose, or sing a spell. Careful though. Some of the cheaper versions make you blind while you're invisible. It's a lot easier to make someone invisible by blocking light, but that means no light reaches your eyes. There are other, more sophisticated methods that allow you to retain your sight. But if this is cheap or old, it might be using the brute force approach. Feel guilty taking a full gold for that, though. I'll go ahead and check the flask for free. Two-for-one deal."

He takes the flask, pops it open, takes a sniff. "Healing potion. Wasn't made using thornwall flowers. A bit odd that. Far as I know, just about every healing potion in the Refuge is made using Thornwall flowers. There are other recipes of course, but those all use materials that are native to the Great Green farther east, or the Amber Sea to the north. Still, I've heard of some folks, especially elves, who've managed to maintain some little gardens of plants from their homes. So maybe, sourced from one of those? Dunno. But definitely a healing potion. Cinnamon and lilacs give it away. Be careful if you don't smell the lilacs. Means potion's gone bad."

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

"Thank you for the information Lyle - it will be most useful to know exactly what these can be used for" - Mordred nodded at his old classmate - "How are things going over here at the Academy? Any new gossip?" - he chuckled.

We can retcon the conversation - I know we are to meet Astrid at the Grove, so we can move along if needed.

[archolewa]

Lyle shrugs. "Not really. Got to see Princess Flora's children arrive. It's said her son's shown some interest in the arcane arts. Be kind of exciting, to say nothing of terrifying, to have an opportunity to teach the son of two of the greatest heroes of our age."

At that moment, there is a knock at the door, and an apprentice ducks her head in, a girl in her early teens at most.

Lyle waves Corvin and Mordred along. "But I need to get going. It's time for me to go convince Old Haldred to let me borrow his lab. I think I might have a way of extending the life of a healing potion by a solid three months. Ahh, so much was lost in the Kinslayer War. You know, there are healing potions that elves crafted over three hundred years ago that are still good today? But the knowledge was lost and we're nowhere close to rediscovering it."

Lyle ushers the two out, and closes and locks his lab behind him. He rolls his eyes at the pair. "Got to keep out overly curious apprentices."

The girl's face colors a little bit.

Modred and Corvin return to the Grove. By the time they get there, the sun is beginning to wester, amber rays shooting across the sky.

They find Sebastian and Astrid in the far southwestern corner of the Grove, right up against the Thornwall. Nathaniel's body, cleaned up and dressed in a simple, but clean tunic lay next to an open pit. Sebastian waves them over, while Astrid tends to a trio of small saplings. Her hands are still wrapped in bandages.

"There you two are. And quite loaded down I see. Here, put your stuff over here for now. We can distribute supplies after the ceremony. Not much to it. Corvin and Astrid will lower Nathaniel's body into the grave, since you two are his family. Mordred and I will fill in the grave, and then Astrid will plant the sapling. Once the planting is done, you'll each have an opportunity to say something if you wish," says Sebastian

This small little corner of the grove is silent save for the chirping of birds, and rustle of leaves in the wind as Astrid and Corvin lower Nathaniel's body into the grave. Not long after they climb out, Sebastian and Mordred take some shovels and fill in the grave.

Once the grave is filled, Astrid transfers a sapling from a pot into the earth. "An evergreen for Nathaniel. He always loved evergreens, because even in the darkest, coldest days of winter they stayed green and bright. A reminder of the Spring to come."

She picks up the second sapling, and transfers it from the pot to the earth a little bit aways from Nathaniel's evergreen. "A beech for Mother. I, I know we don't have her body, but Sebastian said we could still plant a tree for her. It was with a beech tree she taught me courage. Always pushing me to climb higher, and higher, until I was sure the branches wouldn't hold my weight and beyond."

She moves to the third pot. She hesitates. "And, and for my father... I mean, I know. I know he worshipped Him, but but not anymore! The woman, she called him an apostate. Said he abandoned her master. So, so that means he turned his back on Him right? He didn't die a servant of the Enemy right? He, he died a decent man, right?"

She looks up, her eyes flicking from Sebastian to Mordred, and finally to Corvin. Her expression is desperate, dreadful, anxious, hopeful, uncertain. "Right?"

[shaidar]

Corvin

"He turned his back on the enemy and chose the love of his family, in the end that sounds pretty decent to me." he says with a sad smile.

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

He remains silent for most of the ceremony, allowing privacy to Corvin and Astrid.

"Life is not a straight line" - he replied to her with a nod - "You can only try to make the best choice at each point in time, when they are presented to you. Even though it might have cost him his life, he made the right one, and tried to get back on the path. No more could be asked"

[archolewa]

Astrid sighs in relief. She plants the final sapling with slightly shaking hands. "And, and for my father, an oak. It'll take a long time to grow into maturity, but long will it grant shade, peace, and a home for creatures big and small. Long might it take for him to find peace, but long will the peace last."

Astrid takes a deep breath. She checks each sapling, then stands and steps away, wrapped in her own thoughts and memories.

Sebastian steps forward and sings a low, brief song of health and balance, and a return to the cycle of the Earth while casting rich soil upon the base of the saplings.

He claps Corvin on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Corvin. Feel free to take some time. I'm gonna go hunt down that stubborn donkey of mine."

[Edeldhur]

Mordred

"How are you my friend?" - Mordred asked Corvin after Sebastian and Astrid had moved away.

[shaidar]

Corvin

Corvin on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Corvin. Feel free to take some time. I'm gonna go hunt down that stubborn donkey of mine."

Corvin nods "Thank you Sebastian...for everything."

Mordred

"How are you my friend?" - Mordred asked Corvin after Sebastian and Astrid had moved away.

Corvin keeps his voice low, so as not to disturb Astrid. "I am... OK. This is the second family I have lost to the war. Sometimes I wonder if I am being punished for something I have done..." he shakes his head "... I am sorry for such a self indulgent thought. Many have lost so much more than me. It is up to us to ensure this happens to no-one else, to finish what's left of the war, permanently."