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thirdkingdom wrote:"You'd love Sabeth, then. My da took me to a ceremony when I was maybe fourteen or so. It's in this underground grotto, and at a certain time of the month the moon shines down through this hole in the ceiling and shines directly on a statue of Sabeth, with his crown and pipes, and the spirit of Sabeth comes into the statue and it comes to life! It starts to play this music, and you can't help but dancing to it. We danced all night, until the sun rose, and were absolutely useless the next day we were so tired for dancing. But my da said that every once in a while a dancer receives the god's blessings, and is granted a boon."

Aldus: "A boon? Ah, well, that is interesting. And we're heading to Sabeth's temple, now. Serendipity, they call that, right? I wonder what we'll find there."

shaidar wrote:Newton "I've already given them money so they can mourn their compatriots properly. There might be more of them, but they are not as tough as were are. But I suppose life is cheap around here and we can always buy more mercs"

"Fair enough. But do let me repeat my offer to you and Telemachus to pitch in on mercenary expenses. I like having them around, but I know that I am constitutionally ill-suited to leading a large body of soldiers—and absolute rubbish at anything relating to military discipline.

Pulpatoon wrote:

thirdkingdom wrote:"You'd love Sabeth, then. My da took me to a ceremony when I was maybe fourteen or so. It's in this underground grotto, and at a certain time of the month the moon shines down through this hole in the ceiling and shines directly on a statue of Sabeth, with his crown and pipes, and the spirit of Sabeth comes into the statue and it comes to life! It starts to play this music, and you can't help but dancing to it. We danced all night, until the sun rose, and were absolutely useless the next day we were so tired for dancing. But my da said that every once in a while a dancer receives the god's blessings, and is granted a boon."

Aldus: "A boon? Ah, well, that is interesting. And we're heading to Sabeth's temple, now. Serendipity, they call that, right? I wonder what we'll find there."

shaidar wrote:Newton "I've already given them money so they can mourn their compatriots properly. There might be more of them, but they are not as tough as were are. But I suppose life is cheap around here and we can always buy more mercs"

"Fair enough. But do let me repeat my offer to you and Telemachus to pitch in on mercenary expenses. I like having them around, but I know that I am constitutionally ill-suited to leading a large body of soldiers—and absolute rubbish at anything relating to military discipline.

Wulfka

"Er, no. We're going to the temple of *Sarnis*. Sabeth's temple is that way," she points to the east, "about nine miles out of town, on the road to Rhea's Ford."

Pulpatoon wrote:

shaidar wrote:Newton "I've already given them money so they can mourn their compatriots properly. There might be more of them, but they are not as tough as were are. But I suppose life is cheap around here and we can always buy more mercs"

"Fair enough. But do let me repeat my offer to you and Telemachus to pitch in on mercenary expenses. I like having them around, but I know that I am constitutionally ill-suited to leading a large body of soldiers—and absolute rubbish at anything relating to military discipline.

Newton sighs and nods "Appreciated. They're paid up for the month but beyond that we'll have to come to some arrangement as a group. I'm not particularly suited to ordering around soldiers either"

Fourthmonth, Eighteenthday
Junction
The Shrine of Sarnis

The adventurer continue on their way, bearing the body of Brin. The dead fisherman is recognized immediately. "Yes, he would come here on occasion to pay his respects," says one acolyte, "it is not an uncommon thing for the local fisherfolk to do, when they have a good catch, or want one. I'm not aware of any family. We will handle the rites from here, but thank you for bringing him in."

Aldus to the priest: "You're positive this isn't a temple of Sabeth? No?"

Pulpatoon wrote:Aldus to the priest: "You're positive this isn't a temple of Sabeth? No?"

Acolyte

". . . "

"No."

Thirdmonth, Eighteenthday
Junction

Telemachus spends some time examining the snake-tooth armband. It's obviously magical, upon a close inspection, and probably only possesses a minor dweomer. However, he is unable to determine exactly what it does. It will take more time and study to suss out its properties.
Thirdmonth, Nineteenthday
Hex 73.47

The Nineteenthday of the Thirdmonth is cloudy, the air still and cool. The mercenaries seem somewhat mollified by their feast of the night before, although those paying attention note that they march with a little less vim and vigour than they usually do, although that's probably just due to hangovers. Crossing the bridge, the adventurers see that it looks as though work has been complete on the structure; all of the masons and carpenters are assembled on the far shore and look to be in the process of laying out for foundations. "We're starting to build the barracks on this side of the river," explains one, "the bridge is done, and we want to get the garrison established over here so we can begin patrolling the land you've cleared."

Returning to the southern hex, the adventurers explore the southeastern portion. The woods thin and turn back into the more common deciduous forest that they are used to. Nothing of interest is found, nor do they encounter any dangers.
Thirdmonth, Nineteenthday
Junction
Early Evening

Upon returning to the town in the evening they are greated by Madam Fleur. "I've got a couple pieces of news for you," she says, "first, I've found a potential new recruit for you. He's raw and untrained, and, to be honest, comes off as kind of awkward, but he seems healthy enough, and is possessed of a keen intellect. Second, I've received word that Brassan Cen has finished researching this aqueduct you discovered, and will meet you for dinner to go over his findings."

Feargus

thirdkingdom wrote: The Nineteenthday of the Thirdmonth is cloudy, the air still and cool. The mercenaries seem somewhat mollified by their feast of the night before, although those paying attention note that they march with a little less vim and vigour than they usually do, although that's probably just due to hangovers.

Once Feargus sees this, he spends most of the day riding among the mercenaries and generally attempting to raise their spirits. He's never really tried to lead men but he's certainly always thought of himself as a leader of men.

Aldus asks Telemachus and Newton, "Tell me, do you plan on keeping your companies after we finish this contract? If so, we should put some thought into how to keep them occupied. At present, we have a few more days of exploring, and then, if nothing alarming is discovered, a return to the lake and the door, yes? Does anyone have any notions of what we should turn our attentions to next?"

Newton

"Well, they're paid up for the month, so we should make use of them. After that I guess it depends on what we do next, the most obvious being the manticores, or there is that town up north, with the dervishes. If the group isn't up to sharing the bill, then I won't be keeping them longer"

Telemachus

"As long as we travel the wild lands, outside the Variegated Kingdoms, we will have need for a large force of mercenaries to safeguard our persons. While I am capable of raising mighty magics to kill powerful monsters, I am less effective against larger groups of comparatively weaker opponents.

I'm not quite sure why the mercs complain so. Did my Fireball not break the back of the bandit assault? Did my Sleep spell not neutralize the goblin chieftain in an instant?"

The mage sighs.

"Perhaps we will have to pay them more coin. In any event, the door may lead to a dungeon area where they cannot follow. It will be a good time for them to rest and recuperate."

When he next sees Madam Fleur, he makes sure to ask her about more recruits to replace their losses among the horse archers.

Newton

"I agree we have need of the mercenaries when we travel, but I think that occasionally we should consider a slightly less blunt approach to solving some of our problems."

thirdkingdom wrote: Thirdmonth, Nineteenthday
Junction
Early Evening

Upon returning to the town in the evening they are greated by Madam Fleur. "I've got a couple pieces of news for you," she says, "first, I've found a potential new recruit for you. He's raw and untrained, and, to be honest, comes off as kind of awkward, but he seems healthy enough, and is possessed of a keen intellect. Second, I've received word that Brassan Cen has finished researching this aqueduct you discovered, and will meet you for dinner to go over his findings."

"When can meet this man and find out if one of us sees some potential in him?"

shaidar wrote:Newton

"I agree we have need of the mercenaries when we travel, but I think that occasionally we should consider a slightly less blunt approach to solving some of our problems."

thirdkingdom wrote: Thirdmonth, Nineteenthday
Junction
Early Evening

Upon returning to the town in the evening they are greated by Madam Fleur. "I've got a couple pieces of news for you," she says, "first, I've found a potential new recruit for you. He's raw and untrained, and, to be honest, comes off as kind of awkward, but he seems healthy enough, and is possessed of a keen intellect. Second, I've received word that Brassan Cen has finished researching this aqueduct you discovered, and will meet you for dinner to go over his findings."

"When can meet this man and find out if one of us sees some potential in him?"

Fleur

"I can bring him in tonight, if you'd like. Do you want to meet him now or after you meet the sage?"

Newton

"I don't think we've any plans, so no time like the present"

Aldus is eager to go see the sage, but patiently waits for the others to appraise the potential recruit, only fidgeting a moderate amount.

Thirdmonth, Nineteenthday
Junction

Madam Fleur introduces the adventurers to Furos Moir, a youngish man with shockingly bad table manners. He also seems to be rather clumsy, but he seems smart enough, and looks healthy. "My da's a logger," he says, "and I just don't see myself doing that for the rest of my life. Seems so . . . boring, you know? I've heard there are riches to made exploring the wilderness, and I figured, why not give it a try?


Brassan Cen

The sage sits down at the table after Furos leaves, a stack of papers in his arms. "It's fascinating," he says, "truly fascinating, how the mutability of our world affects historical records. To start, you should know that Junction is a relatively young town, dating back to the end of the Fourteenth Apex, which is basically when the Scarlet Principality expanded west. In those days, apparently, the Sarn was but a trickle; the main waterway was the Bel, which runs through Rhea's Ford and connects with the Sarn to the south of us, before flowing to falled Zizdul and the Silver Sea. Anyway, at some point during the Fifteenth Apex, roughly two hundred years ago, the histories tell us of a great earthquake that shook the lands; the Bel shrank and begin impossible to navigate, while the Sarn grew to about the size it is today. Now essentially landlocked, the Scarlet Princes looked west, to the village of Junction, at that time but a stop on the way to the ore-rich mountains of the west. But that actually has nothing to do with my research."

He shuffles some papers. "What I started off saying is that the extremes of our world, this never-ending pendulum swing from Law to Chaos and back again, has made record-keeping difficult. Oftentimes libraries are destroyed, whether by barbarian hordes, fire, or even the bizarre magical fluctuations known as Chaos Storms. I have been unable to ascertain what the purpose of the aqueduct is, but based upon your description of its age, and the general direction it runs, I would hazard a guess that it once funneled water to the Basilisk Hills and the empire that once ruled there before it fell some three Cycles previous, before the Scarlet Princes strode this far west. I've compliled some information on what I know about the Skeldrene Dynasty, that you're welcome to look through."

thirdkingdom wrote:Thirdmonth, Nineteenthday
Junction

Madam Fleur introduces the adventurers to Furos Moir, a youngish man with shockingly bad table manners. He also seems to be rather clumsy, but he seems smart enough, and looks healthy. "My da's a logger," he says, "and I just don't see myself doing that for the rest of my life. Seems so . . . boring, you know? I've heard there are riches to made exploring the wilderness, and I figured, why not give it a try?

Newton

"If you're dad was a logger, you must be use to the wilderness, or at least being outside. Did you have a particular profession in mind, lad, such as warrior, or a guide, or something else? All types can travel the wilds, although some will be better at it than others. There can be riches, but danger too. Have you any knowledge of weapons, a dagger or bow perhaps?"

shaidar wrote:

thirdkingdom wrote:Thirdmonth, Nineteenthday
Junction

Madam Fleur introduces the adventurers to Furos Moir, a youngish man with shockingly bad table manners. He also seems to be rather clumsy, but he seems smart enough, and looks healthy. "My da's a logger," he says, "and I just don't see myself doing that for the rest of my life. Seems so . . . boring, you know? I've heard there are riches to made exploring the wilderness, and I figured, why not give it a try?

Newton

"If you're dad was a logger, you must be use to the wilderness, or at least being outside. Did you have a particular profession in mind, lad, such as warrior, or a guide, or something else? All types can travel the wilds, although some will be better at it than others. There can be riches, but danger too. Have you any knowledge of weapons, a dagger or bow perhaps?"

Furos Moir

"I am what the artificers of Pesh refer to as a tabula rasa, a "blank slate". But I'm sure you already knew that. I've always thought it would be keen to be a magician, to be honest."

Aldus thanks Brassan Cen for compiling the historical dossier. "We'll entertain the troops by reading this around the campfire!"

As the party members leave the sage, he says, "It's all very interesting, and I'm glad to know it, but it doesn't sound very applicable to our needs and interests. At least, at present."

That evening, he sews the sheaf of notes together to form a book, so they'll be easier to keep track of, and the stays up late reading them and drinking wine.

Madam Fleur

She promises to continue looking for mercenaries. "At some point it may be worthwhile for me, or maybe even you, to make a trip to Rhea's Ford."