Shadows over Merrovin

[Belen]

Shadows over Merrovin​

The evening had settled over the village of Duskhaven and the summer heat had left the streets empty. Few people patronized the Nightingale House that night. A few regulars shared a meal and chatted quietly with the owner, Emily Alexander, and her staff. The weather was a very popular topic of conversation as the heat and sparse rain left most uneasy. A farming village lived on the good graces of the weather. Otherwise, the only inhabitants for the evening were the newer additions to village: Alexi, a large gremen sitting near a window, Lily, a roviri waitress, and the Quills, Penabel and Genevieve.

It was rare to have so many new faces in Duskhaven. Other than the occasional patrol from Whitehaven or the King’s Levy traveling to and from the great citadel in the Sundered Pass, any resident of the village could count the number of travelers in a single year on one hand. Of the recent additions to Duskhaven, Lily Openshaw, had been the first to arrive. People had been quite shocked when Emily Alexander hired the roviri woman, although her subtle charm quickly won over the patrons of the Nightingale. Alexi arrived soon after. He quietly paid for a room at the Nightingale and spent time wandering around the village and the surrounding area. The Quills, Penabel and Genevieve, crashed into the village a week after Alexi, and they quickly inhabited the home of their deceased grandmother. Penabel spent the time chasing every available girl in town and some of the town council debated a law preventing Penabel from leaving his home after dusk.

Despite the fresh faces, the village soon returned to the normal quiet, secluded place it had been for centuries…

Verist staggered down the street, his screams muffled after too many hours of useless, unanswered cries. The pain of his ruined throat, blistered feet, and heavy load threatened to damp his conscious mind. His thoughts drifted constantly, memories of his wife lying bloody in the field, the day they were married, his happiness when learning they would have a child. “Oh holy mother,” he pleaded silently, “please let me find Father Quentin. I will gladly surrender my life for her.”

Alexi nursed his warm meem (beer) while lost in thought. After several weeks, he had yet to find the reason why his spirit guide led him to this remote village. Only his faith kept him here and the sense of a calling that indicated great need. As usual, such thoughts moved caused him to touch the bear totem that always graced his neck. As the stone slide into his palm, he caught a glimpse of a man staggering towards the inn. The light of the moons enveloped the man in a scene of stark horror.
Alexi’s eyes widened as he absorbed the image of a man covered in blood screaming silently with blood, dirt, and tears forming a macabre mask of tremendous pain. Alexi bolted from the table only to see the same look of horror written in his heart on the face of the roviri waitress, Lily. They both rushed out the door reaching the staggering figure at the same moment.

Lily stared into the eyes of the man and read his muffled pleas. “Help me,” he said in a shadowed cry. She slipped her arms around him as Alexi pulled the ruined body of the woman away from him. Quickly, they rushed into the Church of Brand that sat across the street.

Alexi yelled for Father Quentin as he rushed into the church. Quentin burst from a doorway towards the back of the building to discover what had transpired. It took him a moment to assess the situation before ordering Alexi to bring her to the hospice set up in the rear of the church. After he left the woman with the Father, he returned to find the man unconscious at Lily’s feet.

Lily turned to Alexi and said “Stay with him. I will go back to the inn and get some brandy and cloth to clean some of the blood away.” She left before he had a chance to respond.

Penabel Quill had just finished his drink. It had been a good drink, but he realized that he was not yet drunk enough to forget about the heat. He watched at as Lily rushed into the inn. Aha, he thought, now I can get my drink. The Roviri woman may be attractive, but she really must learn how to service the clientele better. “Excuse me, wench,” he said in his most commanding voice, “I need another drink.” He was quite shocked when she handed him a bottle of brandy and told him to go bring it to the man covered in blood across the street. He was about to argue that wasn’t she the waitress when his sister grabbed the bottle from his hand and started out of her chair. “Hey Gen! Where are you going? We haven’t finished our card game!” His twin sister, thoroughly used to his disregard for everything but his own convenience didn’t pause as she grabbed him by the shoulder and tugged him out of his chair. “That waitress said someone is hurt. I am going to take this brandy to him and see if we can help.” “We huh?” replied her brother, but he followed her out of the inn anyway.

Penabel walked across the street to the temple of Brand. He was quite annoyed at being talked to in such a cheeky manner. He would have to make sure to bring it up with the owner. She may even give him a free drink to assuage his damaged pride. When he stepped inside the temple, well, really little more than a country church, he immediately noticed the large Gremen kneeling before a man bathed in blood. The shock of seeing such a gruesome sight was a blow, and he stood quietly as Gen handed the brandy to Alexi.

Alexi grabbed the brandy and had just managed to awaken the poor soul when Lily arrived with the wet towels. The terror on his face was heartbreaking. Alexi allowed Lily to question the man. He had a feeling that she would have a calming effect. He watched silently as she asked him what had happened. The man had heard a scream from a nearby field. When he arrived, he found her savaged and bleeding profusely and his only thought had been to get her to Father Quinton.

Lily felt drained as the man passed out again, despite the brandy. She had not seen such death in over a year. Almost, she was overcome with the memory…. She looked up to find Father Quinton standing over them; a look of anguish creased his weathered face. “We should get him to a bed in the back. Poor Verist, he will need his strength.”

Lily stared at the old priest. “Good father, what has happened to the woman he carried here?”

“I could not save her.” he whispered. “She had lost too much blood, and the wounds were great.” Poor girl, he thought, I still remember the day you were born.

 

[Belen]

Alexi straightened to his full height. A near 7-foot tall Gremen could always cast an imposing figure. “In what manner were her wounds dealt, Father,” he said in his heavy accent, “I am interested to know.”

The Father paused for a moment before answering. “I think that you may want to go fetch the constable, Smith Pere; however, to answer your question, it appears that she was attacked with bladed weapons: swords or small axes. Please tell him that Tanya, Verist’s wife, was murdered.”

Alexi looked as if he wanted to say more, but knew that this may not be the best time. He took Verist to the back and laid him in a bed for Father Quinton. When he returned, the others stood milling about. He suggested that they go find the constable. While the Quills seemed to grumble, they grudgingly followed him.

Genevieve followed her brother as he trailed the barmaid and the Gremen, complaining about the rude treatment and demanding that she fetch him a drink. She knew Penabel was fascinated by the Roviri barmaid, although his petulant demands were certainly the wrong way of going about wooing her. She really wished that he would not chase every semi-attractive woman within a week’s ride. It was so damned inconvenient. And she was almost broke, again. How could her brother spend so much on so little. He was so irresponsible! Oh look, we are at the constable’s house. Gen watched the conversation between the half-dressed constable, who had clearly been roused from bed and Alexi. Oh no, he wants us to go back to the church and wait on him. What did we do!? I am certainly not going to wait on him. I am just an innocent bystander that tried to help! Well, no good deed goes unpunished I guess.

As they waited for the constable, Lily watched as Gen and Penabel discussed whether they should be there when the constable arrived. She wanted to roll her eyes. Those two are so damned young…and spoiled. Very spoiled. She would be happy to wait for the constable. Unfortunately, when he did arrive, he questioned them extensively and before asking them to return to their business.

Tanya awoke in an unfamiliar bed. She immediately looked around and saw that she was in a sick bed at the church. “Why am I here?” she thought. “I should be home with Verist.” It was at that moment that she saw herself in a mirror. “Oh, poor Verist, what have I become. Oh god, they have not burned me. THEY HAVE NOT BURNED ME!” And then the hunger drove all thought away…

It had been a few moments since they had settled back into the inn. The entire place was silent. Emily Alexander, the owner, cried softly behind the bar. The few patrons left seemed to wither within themselves. It was the first time Lily had felt like an outsider since coming to Duskhaven. It was at that moment that she heard a scream from within the kitchen.

Lily, Alexi, Penabel, and Genevieve rushed to the kitchen. The sight that greeted them sent chills through their bodies. The dead woman stood in the kitchen, pale with angry wounds. In her eyes, a wild, animal look. She took one look at them and screamed. “I am so hungry!”

Lily drew her dagger and moved to intercept the woman before the poor cook could be attacked. She never noticed the others drawing their own weapons and joining her. The melee seemed to last forever. Alexi buried his axe into her dead flesh, while Penabel and Gen sliced into her with their curved blades. The creature tackled Lily and sank her teeth deep into her flesh causing a wound that bled wickedly. Lily staggered and cried in horror as she saw her own death drawing…just as Penabel’s sword cut deep into its side. As the woman fell, Lily noticed gratitude flash within her darkening gaze.

 

[Belen]

The World:

Elisan

The world of Elisan is a place of ancient evil, forgotten empires, dark rituals. One people may worship the spirits of the forest or their ancestors, while others place their faith in gods. Magic is not rare on Elisan, although the same cannot be said for those who would wield it. Faith is not rare on Elisan, but few are granted favor by the gods. Elisan, like others worlds, struggles with the balance between light and darkness, yet those with the skills to wage or fight that battle are uncommon.

The races on Elisan are much different than the common races found in the player’s handbook:

Gremen: A race of humanoid bears that make for excellent warriors. They are strong and cunning, and they are respected among all races.

Avyrim (dwarves): Avyrim have a passionate love for the natural world. They seek to bring balance between nature and civilization. They are a people in touch with the magic of life.

Estradi (Halflings): The Estradi are a magical people. They have accomplished a great deal by studying the arcane and learning the hidden secrets of the world. They are respected and feared by many for their prowess with the mystical energy.

Nomani (elves): A gypsy race that travels the length of Elisan. They are often craftsman and traders, although like are accused of theft often and are not well trusted for their wandering ways.

Roviri (half-elves): The Roviri are the result of a union of Nomani and Human. They are considered by humans to be a sign of bad judegment, although the Nomani welcome them.

Humans: PHB standard.

The Setting:

Duskhaven

The village of Duskhaven is a walled village at the edge of the kingdom of Merrovin, located in the Barony of Whitehaven. The village is the closest settlement to the Sundered Pass, which leads into the Kingdom of Garoth. Garoth is ruled by an Orc King and has attempted to invade Merrovin in the past. The village often serves as a stop for Merrovin soldiers traveling to and from the great forts defending the pass.

The Northeast portion of the village is dominated by an old keep. The keep has been abandoned for the last twenty years and the villagers have been unable to maintain the fortifications. The king has promised to assign a new lord for the elderly keep, but has yet to do so. This has left the region without a local defender and judge and the people have to rely on patrols from town Whitehaven for defense.

The village is usually sedate. It is surrounded by farms and the locals are self-sufficient. The village folk depend on the occasional garrison or merchant to receive its news and any luxuries that cannot be made locally.

To the North of Duskhaven lies the Heartshire forest. The king has long maintained a hunting lodge within the wood, although it has not been used since the he fell ill nearly a decade ago.

Whitehaven lies to the southwest of Duskhaven and hosts the seat of the Barony. The current baron is Hamish Alexander. The Alexander family has ruled the barony for the last century and has always been strong supporters of the Montaigne family (royal family). Hamish Alexander is a decorated knight and considered one of the foremost tacticians in Northern Boreas. He has faithfully maintained his allotment of soldiers for the kingdom and often visits the forts within the pass to inspect the troops. Although he has tried to get the king to name a successor to the Duskhaven keep, he has been unsuccessful. He does send a regular patrol to the village to insure its safety.

And so it begins….
The sleepy village of Duskhaven has long remained a quiet place. Lord Alloran passed away nearly two decades ago, leaving no family. His keep has steadily fallen into disrepair and ruin. After several decades, many in the village have come to the conclusion that the King has forgotten them. They pay the King’s tax to Hamish Alexander, Baron Whitehaven, yet have despaired of ever gaining a new advocate and protector. Lord Alexander does his best, but he cannot maintain the King’s Levy in the Sundered Pass and provide troops to garrison Duskhaven in addition to his own town.

It is a rough time for the people of Duskhaven and many fear the future. The King has remained ill for many years. The last merchant brought rumors of an embittered monarch who had turned inward since the death of his son nearly 3 years ago. It is whispered that the Duke of Merrovin has begun to administer the Kingdom. Few like the Duke, any many villagers wish that the King’s daughter had not fled the kingdom when faced with a marriage that she did not want.

Unease filled the village, families moved to other towns, and the summer heat seemed to beckon a tense weariness among the people. Even the children seemed subdued….

The Cast:

Lily Openshaw (Roviri rogue): Lily travels from place to place never staying too long. She is a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties, although there is a hint of sadness about her. She spends her time working in inns and taverns and she supplements her income by lightening the pockets of some patrons from time to time.

Alexi (Gremen Toten Warrior): Alexi has a special connection to the spirits of the forest and he identifies with the Bear totem. He is a powerful warrior with a great desire to follow an honorable path.

Thorell (Human Magister): Thorell has chosen the Art as his path through life. He has just returned from his apprenticeship to find his cousin’s wife murdered at the hands of goblins, who obviously had a wealthy patron.

Penable Quill (Human Mageblade): Penable is a true scoundrel. He gambles, likes wenches, and hates responsibility. He often has to be pulled from bed and has little desire to do anything that will not personally enhance his statue. He is a lusty braggart, although somewhat charismatic. He is escaping a life spent in the service of the church of Brand.

Genevieve Quill (Human Mageblade): The sister of Penable, she decided to run away from home with her brother to escape an arranged marriage. She trained with her brother as a mageblade and has an honest heart, but she lacks drive and is more content to let events happen to her, rather than create them.