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Noonish of the 2nd of Nolus. Summer. Weather is cloudy, might rain some, might not. A short journey begins.

Everyone loads up Volin's donkey and themselves and heads out on the journey to Meldun, first planned stop on the way to Burzyn.

The journey should take about 4 hours. Plenty of time to make Meldun before dark on one of the longest days of the year.
~1+ hour to Darcen Ruins
~1 hour to the Genin Trail
~2 hours to Meldun Manor

The group arrives at the ruins of Darcen village and finds Sir Gerolt their waiting for them.



Arngeir Orlygsson: Inj (none), FL 0, BL 0, PP 105, Uni Pen (0/0), Phy Pen (-4/-20), Move 6, Initiative: 98, Spc:
Algrim Tirion: Inj (none), FL 0, BL 0, PP 39, Uni Pen (0), Phy Pen (-3/-15), SMP 16, Move 10, Initiative: 90, Spc:
Turnip: Inj (none), FL 0, BL 0, PP 41, Uni Pen (0), Phy Pen (0/0), SMP 17, Move 15, Initiative: 84, Spc:
Murgar: Inj (none), FL 0, BL 0, PP 46, Uni Pen (0), Phy Pen (0/0), SMP 18, Move 14, Initiative: 80, Spc:
Gerolt: Inj (none), FL 0, BL 0, PP 36, Uni Pen (0), Phy Pen (-5/-25), SMP 0, Move 10, Initiative: 96, Spc:
Volin: Inj (none), FL 0, BL 0, PP 46, Uni Pen (0), Phy Pen (-3/-15), SMP 0, Move 11, Initiative: 90, Spc:

Murgar

"Hail Sir Gerolt! I was not expecting to see you so soon. I hope no trouble has found you, but if it has, I will be happy to assist."

Algrim nod and hails Sir Gerolt "Well well, an so we meet again Sir Gerolt. Nice ta see ya an soo soon too." he chuckles and waves at Sir Gerolt.

Volin

The Dwarf bows to Sir Gerolt and says, "Ah, we meet again. Volin, at your service, good sir."
He shakes the reins of his mule. "You remember Roxy. Named after me great-great-grandmother who was just as stubborn. Or so I'm told."

Arngeir smiles when he sees Sir Gerolt waiting for them

"Friend Gerolt! Why you wait here? Is it the gods have more for us together, perhaps?"

"Hullo everyone! I hoped you would come back this way," Gerolt said. He smiled, and provided water from the well and pointed to the trough for the animals. "Patrolling the area is a great idea, and that was my plan. But as a left you, several things began to bother me. I kept riding, and found my way here. It is a nice village, given that it has no one but us here. It has potential."

Gerolt looked at Turnip for a moment, and then at each of the others. "When we fought the drake, we all took a great risk. And we all did our part, with courage. I am honored to have fought alongside you! Now, however, I worry that the good you have done, and the good you plan on doing, may not succeed because you are not from here. I'd like to solve that problem, if you'll let me. Here, let me show you."

He picked up a stick, and then drew a map in the dirt. "We are here, and the outpost is there. Lots of gargun, or orcs, as our dwarven brethern call them. The Genin trail is here, and Burzyn is here. Chysbia has a couple of barons that might be interested in all of this, seated here and here (1). So many kingdoms, and lands, have suffered from war and plague that any chance at gaining more resources will be taken. What we want to do is influence that, so you get what you are looking for, and it is long term sustainable."

He drew a line from Darcin, through the outpost, and far beyond. "Chysbia welcomes strong relationships with Azadmere and her people. If dwarves are interested in the outpost, they currently have to travel through Kaldor do get here. That was not always the case; there is an old, abandoned trail through orc and Ivinian territory. This is the risk that I'd like to help deal with."

He paused, and smiled. "If we take back a drake head to show off, and a hide to get made into armor, or whatever, then this place will attract attention, and we may have to fight again to regain what we have already won. However, if we work with the king, and the barons, we can possibly get their approval to lead the project."

Gerolt turned and looked at Turnip directly. "You said that if you showed up with a gold coin, that you would be arrested as likely having stolen it. Would you want to change that?"



(1) The DM can fill in the names of the barons.

Arngier

"Hah! You southerners and your odd...politics? Yes? Ivinians not give up hard-won land without fight, whatever man sat on cushion on big chair says. Kjal Forsetha is good man, maybe he help. Not wasting Drake after that fight."

Murgar

"Yes a strange custom indeed in these lands that would let someone who had no part in the gain to claim the prize. I am happy to listen to your plan Sir Gerolt. What is it that you propose."

Turnip

"No, no. He's right. The lords and the king claim all land, by right. We either have to seem unimportant enough, which might be hard walking around in dragon armor, or we have to have a patron. Someone with enough punch. The thing is, that outpost is worthless to a lord unless it's protecting something. Like a trail to the dwarven kingdom. We might even succeed in getting the outpost noted as neutral ground. I've heard that there's such an outpost on the Salt Route westward bound towards The Republic of Tharda. What's it called? Trobridge! Because they say it's guarded by trolls. Hey we should call our outpost something along those lines as well. How about..." she sweeps her hand in the air, like presenting something to an audience "...Dragonhold!"

"Anyway, I digress. Here's what we need to do, probably. Clear that trail, get an audience by the King of Azadmere, or some chamberlain at least. Convince them the trail is safe enough for travel and that we vow to guard it, in return for getting to keep the outpost as our basis of operation. How does that sound?" Turnip looks satisfied.

After all, Intrigue is her highest ranking skill.

Volin

The king of Azadmere be no fool. What do ya exactly want from him?

Gerolt grinned at Turnip. "Azadmere is a ways away, but Chysbia is underfoot. Let's talk about what we'd like to do in the short term. Baron Rythel is over this part of the kingdom, and I can possibly talk to him as we pass through Caermel. He would be interested in hearing how we can make this happen, and I'm not unknown to his court."

"Chysbia has already welcomed dwarven folk, and there's no sign of that stopping. How they feel about this would be an interesting question, and one that we can find out about, when we reach Burzyn. Perhaps they would speak more freely with those of their own blood?" Gerolt looked at the dwarves, and then turned to Arngier. "Yes, Kajl Forsetha is a good man. Like my family, he is loyal to the King of Chysbia. Like many Ivinians he is a strong warrior, and also an exemplary baron."

Gerolt drew a long wandering line south and east from Darcen, and then made an X at the end. "Geda is about as far from here as you can get, and still be in the Kingdom. Why would Kajl Forsetha care? Other than the fact that starting this project will lead to a greater chance of battle with the orcs? He is known to be a great warrior, and sometimes sitting in one place wears on a man of action. Of course, he might be interested in hearing the tale from other Ivinians. Rebuilding the path to Azadmere would be a bloody, and worthy, challenge."

Grinning, Gerolt added. "I'm also known to the court of Kajl Forsetha, despite being an odd southerner. Here's what I propose. We can talk about the details as we go, but we head for Caermel. We say nothing of any of this until we are there, and there we present the drake head to Baron Rythel, and pay a bard for a decent composition about the fight and the bravery. Such things stir men's souls. The Baron may want time to ask questions or think about things. He is young, for a baron, and has only been leading for a couple of years. Let's let him take whatever time he needs. Meanwhile, Algrim and Volin are in Burzyn proper, sounding out their kin. In good time we head to Geda, and see if we can get Arngeir and Murgar an audience with Kal Forsetha."

Smiling sadly at Turnip, he said, "You need to think about who you wish to be. People will see you differently after this, who do you want them to see?" He paused, and then added. "Choose wisely, who we portray often becomes who we are."

Arngeir nods at Sir Gerolt.

"Plans change when fight starts, but is good start. Must teach me more about local customs, how these barons work."

Algrim "Let's not ferget that it was me own ancestor's ghost that seeked me out. So if anythin' I got plenty o claim on tha place. Granted I ain't got no way ta prove it ta no barons er lords. Though I'd hope some good ol bookworm has some records of tha place's history. Maybe somehow we can use that ta provie I've got rights ta tha place." the hopeful dwarf tries to chime into the conversation.

Arngeir

"Depends if Baron Rythel wants better relationship with Khuzdul. Can hope so."

shaidar wrote: ↑Fri Jun 02, 2023 11:31 am Arngeir nods at Sir Gerolt.

"Plans change when fight starts, but is good start. Must teach me more about local customs, how these barons work."

Gerolt nodded. "Easiest to think of it as a group of families. The king is the head of the family, and each baron runs their own fief much as the head of a household runs their house. In effect, we are asking a baron to extend his family to here, at Darcen, and let us decide how to run it."

When Algrim spoke, and Arngeir added a bit, Gerolt said, "Yes, that's the tricky part. We are asking the baron to extend his family just so far, and to let someone else have a family right next to his. If it was just the outpost, it would benefit him to take control of it. But if we can show the benefit of building relations with Azadmere and her people, that might help steer the conversation into that direction. Part of the question is increased trade, opening a route to Azadmere that does not go through Kaldor benefits Chysbia, and thus the baron. That's why speaking to the dwarven enclave here might help. Also, if the proposal included clearing out gargun held lands, that might interest Kajl Forsetha."

Arngeir nods

"Need good persuasion then. Am good with people, got from father. My harnic not so good. Chysbia strong with Larani, not always welcome to my people. You know how baron feels about my kind?"

Algrim "Well me clan is pretty well known fer our locksmithin so who knows maybe one of them lords er barons heard about us an won't question me claim, hell maybe one of em will be wantin ta help us. We can only hope."

Arngeir smacks his forehead

"Am fool, have magic"

He casts a tongues incantation:

Percentage: [1d100]=43
MS

"Is that better? The magic improves my Harnic, but doesn't always work. It lasts half an hour. This might be useful in the negotiations, although I do need to improve my natural skills with the language."

shaidar wrote: ↑Sat Jun 03, 2023 10:42 am Arngeir smacks his forehead

"Am fool, have magic"

He casts a tongues incantation:

Percentage: [1d100]=43
MS

"Is that better? The magic improves my Harnic, but doesn't always work. It lasts half an hour. This might be useful in the negotiations, although I do need to improve my natural skills with the language."

If you know the language you get to make a Skill Improvement roll at the end of duration for Tongues, if you had a MS or CS. If you don't know the language and roll a CS you get to open it.

So, you get to make a roll now. Using Tongues frequently is the fastest possible way to get better at any language quickly.