FrancisJohn
Explorer
And back again...
[section]
The trio of intrepid heroes throw the sack of ogre treasure on the wagon, and set off on the final leg of their journey back to from where they came.
Fhanna, Sylvain, and Seros trek through the Kekuku pines for the final time. Nothing of note happens between Kaz Bridge and the end of pines, except for the rising symphony of forest sounds as the insects happily welcome the setting of the sun. The party is left alone with themselves and their thoughts to reflect on their journey from Venza to Roughy and now back again....
They remember crossing Kaz bridge the first time, and finding the poor traveller undoubtedly waylaid by the once-fearsome ogre. From there they made to the swampy roads of the Westerley downs where they easily turned away an attack of some sort of bog gremlins. And they continued into the Ravenbelly forest, where they encountered there first true test.
There was a midnight assault by a band of rebellious forest brownies down by Crook's Creek. Oh how they used their magical tricks to deceive the heroes! Flashing lights and mysterious sounds caused Valdemar and Gazrak to maddeningly run off into the night, never to be seen again. Apparently the brownies got word of the shipment containing the valuable Roughy victuals, and meant to ransack the entire cargo!
Somehow, Francis John III anticipated this mishap, and sent reinforcements that reached the party in the most vital of moments. And that's when the original group was introduced to Caius, Drayvin, and Erin. When they woke up in the morning, they found the tracks of their attackers leading into the forest. Luckily Drayvin's keen eyes prevented them from being caught up in a net trap. They were rewarded by find a small sack of healing potions for the troubles of the previous night's shenanigans.
By the time they got back to the wagon, they found that the tricksy Francis John III had sent Seros as a replacement for Doriandra, and she was summoned back to Venza. With a new party intact, they concluded there journey to Roughy River for their annual midsummer celebration.
The heroes were welcomed as such because of the utter success of the mission. The amount of libations they brought was among the highest ever to successfully make it from Venza to Roughy. And celebrate they did. And if memory serves correctly, Fhanna and Seros celebrated most of all.... together, alone, and until the wee hours of the morning.
When all had awoke, it was a cold and damp morning. Erin was gone, and who knows where she could have gone. Drayvin was grumpy, and other shook off any previous ill-effects of perhaps celebrating a bit too much. All had wanted to go home, and home they did.
Back into Ravenbelly forest, the rains came, and the adventurers came across a funny thing. A satyr trapped under a fallen tree. None could tell if he 'accidentally' dropped his pan pipes or if he was just a bumbling clot of a horse-man. They continued on their merry (yet soggy way).
The next day would prove to be the most miserable and the most deadly. As they were coming back through the Westerly Downs, an army of stirges assailed the party! Apparently sacrificing his life for the good of all was Caius, who valiantly stayed back to let the others escape. By nightfall, Drayvin couldn't bare the thought of leaving a man behind so he went back to see if he could find and help Caius. The group was down to three.
The next part of the tale should be quite familiar. The part where the trio set an ogre on fire and chased him away, which brings the story back to the present.....
Before they knew it, their entourage reached the Baron's Cross trading post, just a gnome's hair west of the outside of Venza. And this is where Seros, bid his friends adieu.
"Sylvain, Fhanna.... oh Fhanna. It has been a pleasure to journey alongside of you on our adventure to Roughy and back." He pulls out a note. The note details special instructions for Seros to singly bring back the wagon to an associate in Baron's Cross. He pulls out another note that he hands to Sylvain. The second note reads as proof of services rendered, and to be given back to Francis John III.
Time for the waterworks.... Seros gives Sylvain the firmest of handshakes, but tenderly grabs Fhanna's stubby dwarven paw. His mouth says nothing, but his eyes compose a symphony. He waves a solitary farewell to his newfound friend and his newfound lover.
The group was down to two, and the sun has nearly set.
Sylvain and Fhanna head east, back to Venza, City of Glass. The great west gate closes behind them, as all travel and trade stops for the day. They begin to stroll along the finely procured but well worn cobbled city streets back to the Dunn Wright Inn. But almost a minute later, along the side of the road is none other than Francis John III! He waves them over, and his face is flush with a look of joy, but his eyes hint a speckle of sadness.
"Good evening, good evening! Sylvain, Fhanna! You've made it back! I knew I could count on you! But, but, but what of the others?" He greets them with the biggest halfling hug affordable by the Prince of All Halflings. "Do tell me about your adventures and Roughy River! How was pops? Tell me on the way to the Dunn Wright! Tell me all about it! A celebration is in order yes?!" Francis is quite content to grab Fhanna and Sylvain by the hand as he nearly skips his way to the famed Venzan Tavern.
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[section]
The trio of intrepid heroes throw the sack of ogre treasure on the wagon, and set off on the final leg of their journey back to from where they came.
Fhanna, Sylvain, and Seros trek through the Kekuku pines for the final time. Nothing of note happens between Kaz Bridge and the end of pines, except for the rising symphony of forest sounds as the insects happily welcome the setting of the sun. The party is left alone with themselves and their thoughts to reflect on their journey from Venza to Roughy and now back again....
They remember crossing Kaz bridge the first time, and finding the poor traveller undoubtedly waylaid by the once-fearsome ogre. From there they made to the swampy roads of the Westerley downs where they easily turned away an attack of some sort of bog gremlins. And they continued into the Ravenbelly forest, where they encountered there first true test.
There was a midnight assault by a band of rebellious forest brownies down by Crook's Creek. Oh how they used their magical tricks to deceive the heroes! Flashing lights and mysterious sounds caused Valdemar and Gazrak to maddeningly run off into the night, never to be seen again. Apparently the brownies got word of the shipment containing the valuable Roughy victuals, and meant to ransack the entire cargo!
Somehow, Francis John III anticipated this mishap, and sent reinforcements that reached the party in the most vital of moments. And that's when the original group was introduced to Caius, Drayvin, and Erin. When they woke up in the morning, they found the tracks of their attackers leading into the forest. Luckily Drayvin's keen eyes prevented them from being caught up in a net trap. They were rewarded by find a small sack of healing potions for the troubles of the previous night's shenanigans.
By the time they got back to the wagon, they found that the tricksy Francis John III had sent Seros as a replacement for Doriandra, and she was summoned back to Venza. With a new party intact, they concluded there journey to Roughy River for their annual midsummer celebration.
The heroes were welcomed as such because of the utter success of the mission. The amount of libations they brought was among the highest ever to successfully make it from Venza to Roughy. And celebrate they did. And if memory serves correctly, Fhanna and Seros celebrated most of all.... together, alone, and until the wee hours of the morning.
When all had awoke, it was a cold and damp morning. Erin was gone, and who knows where she could have gone. Drayvin was grumpy, and other shook off any previous ill-effects of perhaps celebrating a bit too much. All had wanted to go home, and home they did.
Back into Ravenbelly forest, the rains came, and the adventurers came across a funny thing. A satyr trapped under a fallen tree. None could tell if he 'accidentally' dropped his pan pipes or if he was just a bumbling clot of a horse-man. They continued on their merry (yet soggy way).
The next day would prove to be the most miserable and the most deadly. As they were coming back through the Westerly Downs, an army of stirges assailed the party! Apparently sacrificing his life for the good of all was Caius, who valiantly stayed back to let the others escape. By nightfall, Drayvin couldn't bare the thought of leaving a man behind so he went back to see if he could find and help Caius. The group was down to three.
The next part of the tale should be quite familiar. The part where the trio set an ogre on fire and chased him away, which brings the story back to the present.....
Before they knew it, their entourage reached the Baron's Cross trading post, just a gnome's hair west of the outside of Venza. And this is where Seros, bid his friends adieu.
"Sylvain, Fhanna.... oh Fhanna. It has been a pleasure to journey alongside of you on our adventure to Roughy and back." He pulls out a note. The note details special instructions for Seros to singly bring back the wagon to an associate in Baron's Cross. He pulls out another note that he hands to Sylvain. The second note reads as proof of services rendered, and to be given back to Francis John III.
Time for the waterworks.... Seros gives Sylvain the firmest of handshakes, but tenderly grabs Fhanna's stubby dwarven paw. His mouth says nothing, but his eyes compose a symphony. He waves a solitary farewell to his newfound friend and his newfound lover.
The group was down to two, and the sun has nearly set.
Sylvain and Fhanna head east, back to Venza, City of Glass. The great west gate closes behind them, as all travel and trade stops for the day. They begin to stroll along the finely procured but well worn cobbled city streets back to the Dunn Wright Inn. But almost a minute later, along the side of the road is none other than Francis John III! He waves them over, and his face is flush with a look of joy, but his eyes hint a speckle of sadness.
"Good evening, good evening! Sylvain, Fhanna! You've made it back! I knew I could count on you! But, but, but what of the others?" He greets them with the biggest halfling hug affordable by the Prince of All Halflings. "Do tell me about your adventures and Roughy River! How was pops? Tell me on the way to the Dunn Wright! Tell me all about it! A celebration is in order yes?!" Francis is quite content to grab Fhanna and Sylvain by the hand as he nearly skips his way to the famed Venzan Tavern.
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