IC II

[sulldawga]

Telemachus suggests that, once they are reunited with the mercs, they get back on the road and continue toward their destination.

[thirdkingdom]

Fourthmonth, Twentiethday
Hex 237.118

It takes most of the rest of the day to toss the giants' camp and return to the mercs, at which point it makes sense to camp for the night before heading on.

http://orokos.com/roll/770812: 1d6 5

Fourthmonth, Twentyfirstday
Hex 237.118

The adventurers rise early in the morning and head out. The ride north is uneventful. About four miles to the north of the giant camp the adventurers espy a stone tower, leaning at a somewhat precarious angle, overlooking the trail from a slight rise. It looks abandoned. The adventurers may explore it, or they may press on. Kimrid, their destination, is only a scant fifteen miles ahead of them. Assuming nothing drastic happens they should reach Kimrid by late afternoon.

http://orokos.com/roll/770813: 1d6 3
Again, I'm behind on the hexes. Will update when I get the chance.

[shaidar]

Newton

"Perhaps that was where the giants found those coins. I suggest we push on to Kimrid, we'll have time to take a look later and they might know something about the place"

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

"Mardan - Take note of this place on your map. We are close enough to Kimrid that IF it - Kimrid - is still inhabited, then they should know if there is a threat from that tower and whether it merits further investigation from a group like ours. I agree with Newt. Keep moving."

[VonAlric]

Gardo

"Sounds good. We can venture back over here after we make contact with the town."

[thirdkingdom]

Fourthmonth, Twentyfirstday
Kimrid

The adventurers begin to see signs of civilization about three miles after passing the ruined tower. The track becomes a trail, then widens to a path. The trees thin; here and there the adventurers catch glimpses of structures in the trees, smell woodsmoke on the air, or hear the banging of tools echoing through the trees. Before too long the path grows into a bonafide road, wide enough for a wagon, and the houses become more regular.

Where buildings in the Principality are a mixture of stone and wood, often with low-pitched slate roofs, these buildings are almost all wood, hewn logs laid perpendicular to one another with notched ends at the corners. The roofs are curious as well, overlapping logs hollowed into vees and laid parallel down the length of the roof. They're small, but look to be well-tended, with narrow windows covered in translucent wax paper.

Unlike the ironskins to the south the residents look to be human, dressed in rougher clothes than what the adventurers typically see, of a fashion that would be considered quaint even in places like Alice and Junction. For their part the adventurers and their entourage are stared at wide-eyed as they ride along, children shooed inside or under skirt hems.

Before them, through cleared fields black with turned earth from the year's first planting, can be seen the fortress of Kimrid. A massive, tumbling structure of reddish stone, its walls overlook the cleared fields surrounding. A faint trumpeting can be heard, and minutes later a group of horse and riders emerge from within the walls, cantering towards the party.

As they draw closer the adventurers see twelve men and women on horseback, dressed in leathers and armed with short bows and blades. They sit with the ease of competent riders. "Ho there!" a man with a bushy black beard calls out, "It is not often that we have travelers from the south, and in such great numbers! In fact, I cannot remember seeing such a large and well-armed party of men from that way, not in my lifetime, at least. State your names and your business in the Freehold of Kimrid, if you please!"

[shaidar]

Newton rides forward a few metres.

"Greetings to you. We are the Company of the Scarlet Warriors. We have travelled north from the Scarlet Principality, escorting Kirra Lec, a representative of the Scarlet Prince, seeking to discover what has become of Kimrid during the last cycle. We are glad to find out you survived"

[thirdkingdom]

Guard Captain

"I've heard of such place," he says, "I believe we used to see caravans from the south when my father was a child. It is good to know that the light of Civilization still shines in the South. Welcome to Kimrid, friends. If you will follow me we will get you situated. There are fallow fields outside the walls that we use as training grounds; your soldiers are welcome to set up tents there. We have several inns and alehouses inside the walls where the rest of you can seek lodging."

[thirdkingdom]

Fourthmonth, Twentyfirstday
Kimrid

The adventurers are escorted through the gates into Kimrid proper. In some ways it is similar to Bastion, and to the settlement of the Ironskins, in that the central -- and largest -- part of the town is actually a fortress, with residential and commercial buildings spreading out from the central area. The captain, who introduces himself as Garbeo, points out locations of interest. "That building over there is the Dusk's Embrace," he says, "they have rooms for rent, as does the Ruined Jester" he points at another building a few hundred paces away. "There are two more taverns, as well, both down by the docks, and they have some rooms for rent, but they're not . . . deserving of your patronage, I think. Rough and tumble places. Dirty. The markets are a street up from the river." He motions towards the center of town, towards a massive edifice built of the same reddish stone. The road from the gate leads straight up to a wide stairs in front of a columned portico. Statues of massive, winged beasts sit on either side of the stairs; lions with the face of Men. It's too far away to make out the detail. "That's the temple of Mnencir," he continues, "the seat of both temporal and spiritual authority in Kimrid." The adventurers note that Garbeo wears a surcoat of dusky red and black, upon which a badge resembling the leonine statue can be seen. "At some point tomorrow I would advise presenting yourself at the temple and introducing yourselves to the authorities."

The men and women of Kimrid are shorter than those of the Principality, with coppery skin and black hair. They wear clothes of reds, greens, blacks, and browns, buttoned with horn and adorned here and there with fur cuffs and collars. Their shoes are wooden, with high heels that click on the cobbled roads of Kimrid. Most of them stare open-mouted at the adventurers, and whisper to one another as the party passes by.

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

"Captain, who are the normal patrons of these inns? Who else visits your town, if there's been no one from the South in ages?"

[thirdkingdom]

Telemachus

"Captain, who are the normal patrons of these inns? Who else visits your town, if there's been no one from the South in ages?"

Captain Garbeo

"There's trade along the Deres," he says, "the river that you can see there, on the north side of Temple. Mostly to the east; there's not much to the west of us. There are some baronies to the north of us, as well."

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

"Have the people of Kimrid tried to explore to the south? We encountered some orcs and some hill giants but nothing too organized as far as resistance."

[thirdkingdom]

Telemachus

"Have the people of Kimrid tried to explore to the south? We encountered some orcs and some hill giants but nothing too organized as far as resistance."

Captain Garbeo

"Aye, some patrols were sent south. They were slain. After the second patrol fell to the giants the decision was made by the Council that we would be better off to expand the trade routes that were already clear. You'd have to ask the Council about that, though. I don't know about the whole decision."

[thirdkingdom]

Kirra Lec

Kirra Lec rides forward, flanked by her bodyguards. "Captain, I am Kirra Lec, a bonded representative of the Scarlet Prince. I seek an audience with your Council, and with the Derabesa, in the morning. If you could be so kind as to arrange such a thing, or point me in the direction of one who can, I believe I will retire for the evening. I like the sound of the Dusk's Embrace, myself, and I think a long bath would do well to scour the road-dust 'ere the morning."

[shaidar]

Newton

"Shall we see if there are rooms at the Ruined Jester? The Dusk's Embrace doesn't sound quite like my kind of place. Lec, we will not be far if you need us. I think it would make sense for the company to report to the authorities at the same time you do, at least initially, as we are your escort. Assuming everyone is happy with that?".

Once we find rooms, Newton will want to have a bath and gets some clothes cleaned and repaired, and have a decent meal and some good ale. Tomorrow, I thought it would be best for us to get the visit to the temple done first with Lec, and then we can explore the the town afterwards. We shouldn't need to be there with Lec for all the diplomatic stuff, but I think it's good that we place the link between the Company and the diplomatic mission in the minds of the authorities.

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

The mage takes Casfrea to the temple right away, to see if he can get healing for her wounds.

The next morning, he'll accompany Kirra when she presents herself to the local rulers.

All the while, he's asking around about the presence of any mages in town, or libraries.

[shaidar]

Newton

Upon hearing Telemachus's intention to obtain healing for Casfra he speaks

"Now we've arrived safely in Kimrid, Ribar and I have healing magic we can use on Casfrea. Let us use this first before you go seeking further healing, if needed"

[sulldawga]

Telemachus

"As long as Casfrea doesn't mind waiting. I seek only to end the pain of her wounds."

[shaidar]

Newton

"We can do it now if you want, or when we get rooms"

[thirdkingdom]

Newton

"We can do it now if you want, or when we get rooms"

You guys have reached civilization. I'm not going to stress over healing people at this point.