Adventures Beyond the Edge

[ExDis]

Adventures Beyond the Edge - Azoi's Journal

Azoi's Journal - Entry One

I find myself on the shore of a foreign land with people I know little
about. The majority of our belongings have been lost. Most disturbing is
the absence of my spellbook - the object of my life's focus. Without it,
I'm little more than a peon. It's starting to look like I'm going to have
to head back home and beg my family to take me back in. No! I can't do
that. I can't let them think that I've been beaten. I will NOT do that.

While the rest of the group began salvaging items that floated ashore, I
sat down and considered what to do next. I felt shaken and uneasy. Before I
came to any decision, I was told that some books were found. Books! Quickly
I ran over to the crate to examine the contents. I couldn't believe what I
saw. A spellbook! I snatched it up faster than a angry badger and retreated
to a quiet part of the beach. Screw you, dad! You're not going to see me
crawling home this time!

I studied throughout the night and empowered myself with the ancient magics
that I was born to wield. With a newfound confidence, my keen mind took
over. Now, let's see what kind of situation I'm in and who I'm stuck with.

First, there's Merrigold. She's shorter than me, which is refreshing, but
that's due to the fact she's a halfling. Full of energy and childish - it's
hard to take her seriously. I can imagine the taunting she receives because
of her height, and it's because of this that I have sympathy for her.
That's not a life anyone should have to live.

Next, there's Ithian. He wasn't a slave like the rest of us, and he has
most of his belongings. Looks like some sort of noble, probably a higher
status than me. He wields a thin sword... let me think for a moment... aha!
I think it's called a rapier. He definitely looks capable in combat. I'll
have to set up some sort of arrangement with him to make sure I'm well
defended when the going gets tough. But what I noticed most about him is
the holy symbol dedicated to the Lady of Fate that he wears. Her I respect.
Who doesn't want to control their own fate?

Jaresh is a quiet one. He keeps to himself and is happy to follow along.
I'm not sure of his motivations, but from what I can tell he has none
except to survive to the next day. I might even classify him as "simple".
He always gives me a weird look when I start studying my spells, as if I
was doing something beneath (or beyond him). Time will tell.

Then there's Mikayla, a low-born woman who looks like she should be farming
and wenching. Of course, I wouldn't mind getting a little piece of that,
but it's not like I have a chance. She looks kind of clueless and unsure of
what to do. My first guess is that she can't read. My tutor always warned
me to keep my books away from illiterates, because they're as likely to use
a book as firewood as they would a log. Sorry missy, you're not touching
this book!

Lastly, we have Tyran. He's just like the bullies that harassed me
throughout my childhood. Overbearing, cruel, and always telling everyone
else what to do. Plus he smells. Doesn't the man ever wash? It's this one
that I need to worry myself most with. Fortunately for me, I have a lot of
experience with these types, so I know exactly how to handle him. But that
look he has - piercing and judging - it sometimes makes me feel
self-conscious. Probably just indigestion.

Shortly after we woke up that morning, we continued our trek along the
shoreline, avoiding detection and looking for signs to determine our
location. My clothes were dirty and my belly was grumbling for some fresh
poached eggs. This was going to be a long day...

 

[ExDis]

Adventures Beyond the Edge - Ithian's Journal

Ithian's Journal - Entry One

Dear Father-

I know not when I will be able to have this missive delivered to you, for at the time of this writing, I am in the middle of the waste, far to the west, and have no idea when, or if, I will regain proper civilization. I’m sure that by now, word will have reached you of the loss of the vessel which was supposed to have carried me to Prompeldia, and I can only hope that I can cause word to reach you before I am presumed dead.

Our ship was attacked in a most unnatural storm, fired upon and rammed, even, by some force apparently looking for something, or someone, in particular. I know not what or who, because in the confusion of the attack, the good captain forced me aboard a small lifeboat with a pair of merchants and a pair of sailors, and we made our escape. I can only hope that the captain managed to escape, as well, but I fear he may have decided to go the way of the romantic sea-captains of my childhood stories, and gone down with his ship.

As we began our flight from the ship, I happened to notice a woman in the water, who was struggling to keep hold to a shattered spar, so I convinced a pair of rather reticent sailors to bring the boat about and pull the young woman in. From the scars around her wrists as I took her hand to help her aboard, it was obvious that she had been one of the slaves being held in the hold. When the attack first began, I had tried to convince the first mate that leaving the slaves in the hold was wrong, and that they should at least be set free to attempt to swim to safety, as unlikely as that was. I was almost laughed at, if you can believe it…laughed at! And then manhandled into the lifeboat as if I needed to be saved from myself. I think they thought I would try to free them myself. In truth, I considered it.

I know that the tenets of our faith preach acceptance of the events in one’s life, Father, but leaving a person to drown while chained in a ship’s hold, however deserving of the fate of slavery he is, cannot be acceptable. When I saw the woman floating in the water, I knew that she would never survive, and so felt the need to act. As it turns out, there were a number of the ex-slaves clinging to the flotsam and jetsam in the water. Most of them played the drowned rat until their ragtag collection of barrels were secured to the lifeboat, at which time they “revived”. I believe that in their desperation, they meant to try to overtake my small vessel whatever the cost. I may have perhaps saved my own life and the lives of those with me through my own beneficence. I would not have blamed them, had they executed their plan. One must do extreme things, in times where survival is at stake.

While it seemed that I’d earned the slaves favor by saving them, I didn’t trust them for a moment, and so I made sure that the sailors did the rowing, and most of the slaves were forced to expend their energy clinging to the barrels of their makeshift raft, while I conserved my energy, and my swordarm, for the likely confrontation which would occur when we reached land. Well that I did, because within minutes of making land, one of the slaves attempted to strangle one of the sailors with his chains, but my sword persuaded him otherwise. Of all of us, it appeared that only myself and the two sailors were armed, but I felt that until we figured out where we were, and how far to civilization, and whether or not that civilization would be friendly, it was important to find a way to keep peace amongst our ragged band.

Tyran, the chain-wielding would-be assassin, calmed down when I convinced him that the sailor was not among the men who had handled the slaves, and was but a hired sailor for a ship on which the slavers had booked passage. He seemed mollified, but I am sure that if I hadn’t stepped in, he would have killed the sailor, if only for his sword. Again, men will do extreme things when survival is at stake, but I had gotten my lesson. These people were not to be trusted, regardless of whether or not the appeared grateful for their lives.

We all settled into an uneasy truce, with the sailors watching them all as if they would be attacked at any moment, and the two merchants, grossly overweight and still obviously retaining a fair amount of wealth in personal jewelry and their once-fine clothing, both jumped at shadows, and knew it was likely that they would be robbed, and possibly left for dead, by this band, if not for my intercession. I would not them be harmed, but aside from the few gold and silver coins in my belt pouch, and my backpack, which I had managed to get my hands on before we abandoned ship, we were penniless and had no equipment. The merchants’ jewelry would be sold at the first town we found to buy equipment, and hopefully passage to some friendly destination. I saw no need to burden the merchants with this knowledge, however, as they were carrying our wealth for us, and they would be far less tractable if they knew for sure they were going to be robbed.
I spent some time watching the members of our unlikely band, and wondered which would cause dissension, and which would work with me to get us all to safety. Tyran, I suspected, would be one who would be difficult. He seemed a bloodthirsty sort, and I wondered at the reasons he was made a slave. He would never have been a good slave, I think, because he is not the type to be broken to another man’s will. I am surprised that whomever he crossed to end up in chains didn’t kill him outright. That one, I think, isn’t one to let go of a grudge willingly.

Lady Mikayla, a rather fetching lass, is no lady at all, I think. She pretends at affected speech, but the way she bears herself speaks more of the swagger of a man-at-arms, than a noble lady. Indeed, she was quick to anger and did not act the meek damsel in distress at all.

The halfling woman who clung to Mikayla’s coattails calls herself Marigold, and is obviously lowborn. Her speech and manner show her to be uneducated, but I think her clever. Perhaps pretending to be slow and out of her element, better to have those around her underestimate her. I will keep an eye on that one. Sometimes she moves to well to be a simple halfling woman.

Azoi, a Brandobian, like Tyran, is clearly a learned man, though quiet, and seems to follow Tryan’s lead more often than not, though I d not think that they knew one another before their captivity. He may be following Tryan simply because they are fellow countrymen, or possibly because he has some reason to feat Tyran, and feels it is best to curry his favor.

Jaresh…he is an enigma. A Dejy by look, he moves with a strange grace…almost catlike. I have no doubt that he is a dangerous man, and also seems to take his queues from Tyran. I will have to be careful about the three of them. Even with a sword, three might overwhelm me if taken unawares.

Over the next day, we collected a number of casks and boxes from the ship wreckage which floated ashore, including rope, some well-preserved food, though not much, and a number of odd useful pieces of equipment, foremost of which was a tome of some obviously arcane nature, and it was immediately claimed by Azoi. So that answers that riddle. I’ll definitely have to be wary of the three.

 

[ExDis]

Adventures Beyond the Edge - Marigold’s Journal

Marigold’s Journal - Entry One

So, how was I taken as a slave? Well, me gold were runnin low. I didn’t want to use me savings, so when one a the other thieves said he had a sweet deal down on the docks and did I want a part, I asked what the part would be. He said 300 gold at the least. Well, acourse I said yes; who wouldn’t? Twink had a good reputation for doin his groundwork, so I thought it would fly. But it didn’t.

When we got on the ship that were the mark, they was waitin fer us. None a us got away I don’t think; I seen Twink and his partner, Jaffer, among the people chained in the hold. I made sure to get the name a the stinker as gave Twink the know about this ship. One day one a us will get home and the gang will take revenge.

The human chained next ta me were nice. She gave me some food and water she had saved for me cause I were still sleepin off the sap ta the head I’d taken in the fight. I’d et worst, but that were a long time gone.

She tole me her name were Mikayla, which were a right pretty name, an I tole her so. Then I tole her me name were Marigold, and we exchanged stories of how we came to be here in the ship, both proper edited acourse.

We were in that stinkin boat a long time. When we was finally taken off, it were straight to a slave market, where Mikayla and I was sold together. I thought we might be, cause not many people think halflings is worth much. They thinks cause we’re small, they can’t get a full day’s work outta us. That may be true for some kinds a work, but there’s lotsa things we can do just as good as humans, and sometimes better. And we’re cheaper to clothe and feed, too. But most humans is stupid; don’t think much past their eyes.

Before I had a chance to get us free, we was loaded onto a new ship, chained into a cramped space with two gnomes, two elves and five other humans. All the tall folk was pretty, cept for one a the men. Two a the humans was already been slaves; ya could tell straight off. But three a them was new-caught, and one a them, the not-pretty one, had real attitude. I knew there would be trouble aplenty ifn he got free, and decided to give him his chance when it would best suit me own purposes.


We sailed for several days. Eventually the humans got to talkin like they allus do. They was wonderin what kind a master had bought em, and what they was meant for. Now, only the Gods and the master knew, but that answer wouldn’t serve me purposes none, sos I tole them that, since most all a them was pretty, we was probly gonna be headed fer a brothel. I says even the one with the attitude would be fer sale, even though he wouldn’t like it much, as there was plenty a men who liked to abuse strong, manly types as they was buggerin em. Then I says in a consoling voice that he weren’t to worry none; such slaves rarely lived long. I thought he were gonna take the ship apart right then and there, and were sure he would give Mikayla and me plenty a distraction to get away when the time were right.

A coupla days later, the weather turned queer. At first I thoughts it were wizard weather and I panicked. A quick beatin brought me back to my senses, and we was all locked down right and tight in our pen. We waited tensely for what seemed like hours, and then heard cannons.

I got outta my shackles right quick and helped Mikayla outta hers. Two a the humans were already free, and helpin the other humans, sos I freed the gnomes and the elves, warnin them all to stay low, though they didn’t all listen.

While I were workin on freein the elves there were suddenly a screamin sound and two holes suddenly appeared in the ship, one on each side. I yelled at everyone ta stay down, cause I heared enough tales in dockside taverns to know we’d been blasted by cannonfire. Not ever one listened though and the next cannon ball took off one a the elves’ heads and put a hole clean through one a the humans’ chests on its way through the ship. Finally people listened to what I were yellin.

Everyone was free from their chains now, but the door were bolted shut. The holes in the ship was big enough to squeeze through, and we was beginnin to take on water so we all went to the side where the pirates wasn’t and looked out. There were lots a wood floatin in the water; two a the masts, boxes and crates, bodies. Everyone started jumpin in, but I can’t swim, so I tried to climb up into one a the little boats. The ship was pitchin too hard and the ropes were too frayed fer me to manage though and I ended up in the water. Mikayla grabbed me and helped me up onto a barrel a water that one a the humans had thrown in.


I looked around and saw the gnomes and two a the other humans clinging to a mast, tying the three barrels together. The elf and the other human weren’t nowheres in sight. After the barrels were tied together, everyone clung to em, and Mikayla noticed one a the little boats nearby. She called out to them and persuaded them to take her and me into the boat, and one a the humans in the little boat managed to tie the barrels to the back, sos the other humans and the gnomes would be safe, too. Two humans, which looked to be sailors, were rowing the boat away from the ship, hopefully to the nearest shore. Aside from the human who helped us and the two sailors there was two other humans who looked to be merchants.

The sailors rowed for what seemed like forever, before the bottom of the little boat scraped against the shore. We all piled out and Mr. Attitude immediately attacked the sailors. Some a the others pulled him off, and Mikayla and the nice human from the little boat, who turned out to be some kind of cleric, persuaded him that the sailors had nothing to do with him being slaves, so he calmed down and stopped his attack.

It weren’t too miserable a night. And in the morning there were lots a things washing up on the tide. We got some weapons from the bodies, as well as some decent clothing. At least, the humans did.

We could see a road in the distance, but Mr. Attitude said it would be dangerous to take it; most likely we would find us slaves again. Sos we followed the shoreline. When it started to get dark we stopped and made a camp. Me and the gnomes collected some crabs and clams and such from the shore and the tidepools so I made a seafood stew with saltwater and some seaweed and such as we found. Never had anything so good and I can’t imagine how much that a meal would have cost back home.

The next few days were all pretty much the same; just walkin and more walkin, and makin enough seafood stew each night to feed us again in the mornin. Humans bein what they be, it weren’t long afore I learnt their names and stories, most of which I think were actually true.


The sailors were just your common seamen. The two merchants wasn’t quite as prosperous as they seemed, I think, but they was alright more or less. The nice human was called Ithian and was headed for some temple or other. He were a nobleborn and a high one too I’d bet what with the color of his hair and eyes and how tall he were and how nice his features. Then there were Azoi, some minor noble with magic who did something typically noble-stupid and got in trouble for it so ended up sold into slavery to pay the fine. Jaresh, like me, were taken by slavers, not legally sold into slavery. It happens, and much more often than common folk think. He had been in a monestary, whatever that is, and had left to spend some time wanderin the world. Sounds hair-brained to me, but he’s quiet and polite and seems nice enough. Then there’s Mikayla, who were runnin with some outlaw band I think, and someone sang a song so she were taken and sold, by the sound of it also illegally, though I’m not sure. Seems she coulda been sold legally, but someone didn’t bother with the formalities, if I’m readin between the lines right. The gnomes, Jorak and Darren, were sold for debts, cause of all the bad years Kalamar has seen lately. Damned Kalamaran nobles! They don’t want to hear it, just see their money. And hey, if everyone’s a slave, then they can collect all the profits, can’t they? The Gods should visit a plague on them!

And then there’s Mr. Attitude. He’s a right dodgy one that Tyran. I believe his tale of treachery, for he tells it with a bitterness that speaks of truth. And though he doesn’t say it, I’ll bet he deserved what he got. He’s pure nasty, through and through, for all he smiles and jokes with the other humans. Want to know what a man is really like? Don’t watch how he treats his superiors or his equals. Watch how he treats those he considers his inferiors. He sneers at the merchants, makes the sailors carry the water all by themselves and he treats the gnomes and me like we ain’t people. He’ll have to be watched like a hawk, he will. Otherwise the gnomes and me, at least, is gonna find ourselves back in chains, as he walks away with his belt pouch jinglin.

***************************************

We saw a small village on the road today. The merchants and sailors want to go there but Tyran said it were too risky. So we’ll keep walkin, though he tole the merchants and sailors they could leave us midday tomorrow and head back. That night we was attacked by kobolds. We kilt a coupla the stinkin vermin, but they kilt Darren. Poor Jorak!


Acourse the sailors and the merchants took the opportunity to run for it. Fools! They woulda been kobold bait for sure. Tyran stopped them, though I’m not exactly sure how. So he stripped them of their pretties and their money. He missed a fair amount a what they had hidden away. Lucky I looked in their clothes afore Tyran gave it back ta them. He wanted to keep their rings, but Mikayla protested. Loud and long. He put it up to a party vote. Me, I aint got nothin against them, sos I didn’t partickly want ta be the cause a them bein enslaved, so I voted to let em keep the rings. Aint like their value were gonna make never no mind a difference. Ithian said to let em keep the rings too, and so they gots ta keep em.

We let em go halfway through the day, just like Tyran promised. He even let them have a little a their money. Ya could tell me thought it was a waste a money though. I think he thinks the kobolds are gonna get em, but I think they gots a chance to make it.

We kept headin east and came to a drab little village on a bay that evenin. Had a dock and everythin, though we found out the bay were too shallow fer the ships to come in. Everythin were traded by longboat.

We stayed the night, got us some clothes and good food as wasn’t from the sea. But we got to have us a bath, and oh! How good that were. They didn’t bring much water, sos Mikayla and I had ta share. Well, I wanted to be clean and enjoy a good long hot soak, sos I used a bit a magic to clean us up. Mikayla has promised not to tell no one just yet that I can do that. After all, it’s not like what I got’s worth gettin excited over. Not unless you’re a thief, anyways.

Tomorrow we’ll head on out again. We’ll have better luck in a larger town, Tyran says.

 

[ExDis]

Adventures Beyond the Edge - Campaign Notes

Greetings!

At this point it may be important to give a little out-of-game information. The majority of the group were captured near their respective homes and transported to the city of Dowond-Brandel, the capitol of the Theocracy of Pel Brolenon. Here the characters were sold at auction to a single buyer, strictly by chance. They were loaded onto the ship Gentle Breeze and they began their journey through the pirate infested Straits of Svimohzia towards the Elos Bay. Fortunately for our intrepid adventurers, they never made it that far.

As they headed east through the Straits of Svimohzia, past the Whimdol Bay, their ship was attacked by a vicious and reckless group of pirates, who had no apparent concern for capturing the boat in tact. It was at this point that the characters escaped the ship before it was sunk. They landed very near the town of Nabamish, but skirted it out of fear on their way to the village of Nojeth. It was here in the village of Nojeth that they were employed as caravan guards by Malvus the Trader. Several of the group had concerns as to the nature of his cargo, but no one ever questioned him regarding it.

Well, without further ado, I will return you to the journals.

 

[ExDis]

Adventures Beyond the Edge - Jaresh's Journal

Jaresh's Journal - Entry Four

Amazingly, sometime that night the lifeboat found the beach, and its passengers stumbled out onto the sand; those of us relegated to clinging to barrels crawled ashore behind them like exhausted, waterlogged rats. I do not remember anything more from that night, except for this. As I sprawled on the sand, gazing deleriously into the night sky, and listening to the gentle hissing of the surf on the beach, I saw a flickering spot of movement, low to the horizon. It seemed that one of the stars, unlike all of the others, was not content to stay in its place that night. As this star wandered the sky, zigging and zagging from one point to the next, it began to attract other stars, which fell in formation around it. I gradually begin to discern a serpentine shape, like a river of flowing stars, which finally resolved into a sinuous dragon, of the kind found in the far east - I knew of such beasts from my training at the monestary. Faint at first, the star dragon grew and became clearer; it had a body of light, star-scales shining like a thousand diamonds, and the greatest, a piercing blue, for an eye. It twisted across the heavens, as if dancing to celestial music, rushing from one edje of the sky to the other and back again; and then the beach and the sea fell away, along with my exhaustion, and I rose into the sky and became part of the dance. The dragon swirled around me, its body hissing softly against the black velvet sky as its scales twinkled and flashed. For a brief moment, I was tossed in a river of stars, before it twisted away into the night. As I floated in the sky in wonder, I looked further into the stars, and they took on the appearance of a vast, dark wasteland with many small, isolated pockets of activity. The dragon reappeared, bursting into the center of this scene in a tight coil, rapidly unwinding and spreading across my vision, displacing or absorbing all in its path. And then, in a brilliant cascade, all movement ceased, and I was left regarding the night sky; a brilliant blue star shining from its center, while the surf hissed out its soft song. As I drifted into the deep blackness of sleep, I wondered at this omen, for dragons of this nature were reputed to be portents of good fortune to those they favored.

With the coming of morning we were better able to appraise our situation. We were a company of twelve, comprised of the two sailors, the two nobles, the red haired man, the woman, Tyran, myself, another man, two gnomes, and a halfling girl. The sea had brought us small gifts in the night, depositing bits of wreckage on the sand near by. A few small weapons were recovered, as were other basic supplies. The unnamed man was very excited to find a battered and water-stained book; he refused to let anyone else look at it, and spent hours huddled away from the others, poring over its contents. One of the barrels was retained, and put into service carrying drinking water, which the red haired man somehow purified from sea water. The sailors were recruited to carry it.

Our travel was, for the most part, uneventful. We subsisted on shellfish and whatever other sea life that we could capture from the beach, and the water from the barrel. After a few days of walking, we sighted a village of some sort ahead in the distance. The nobles, who Tyran had labeled as merchants, were ecstatic, as were the sailors - salvation, and no more walking! The rest of us, as recently escaped slaves, were rather more dubious about our prospects - no one was interested in being re-enslaved. We made camp out of sight some distance away, and considered what to do.

It was later that night, while the book man and one of the gnomes were on watch, that strange noises drifted over the dunes - beastial voices! According to the book man, the gnome went to investigate, as he could see in the dark, while the book man roused the rest of the company. A few minutes later, we reached the top of the dune that the gnome had disappeared over, and were shocked to see in the moonlight four humanoid figures, holding glittering swords, leaning over a dark shape lying on the ground. I charged down the dune into their midst, swinging my staff at the one farthest to the left - I heard my companions also making war upon our attackers, but could not spare a look. My staff connected solidly, and the creature's head virtually exploded, showering gore over a surprisingly wide area. This was nothing like training at the monestary! As a glowing point of light flew down from the top of the dune to strike one of the other creatures in the chest, I pivoted and swung at yet another, but my balance was bad, and I missed. Only one creature remained standing, and it fled across the dunes, pursued by the woman. And just like that, it was over. We had lost a companion, but victory was ours.

When we returned to the camp after looting the bodies, the merchants and the sailors were gone - fled into the night. This clearly infuriated Tyran, who ranted loudly and impressively, using complex and inventive curses - the gist of which seemed to be that merchants in general, and these two in particular, were duplicitous, worthless, hapless, spineless wastes of skin and food that could not be trusted out of hand and should be slowly and painfully murdered. Unfortunately for them, they had left a clear trail on their exit, and that moment seemed near at hand. We set after them at once, and recaptured them in short order.

We decided that entering the town presented too much of a risk, to the dispair of the terrified merchants. However, no one particularly wanted to continue to listen to their whining and complaining, or be held back by their slow pace, so a compromise of sorts was reached. We would bypass the town, and release the merchants once we were safely past. They reluctantly agreed, and further agreed to donate their jewelry, and what money they had on their persons, to us in appreciation for their safe passage. Tyran insisted that this include their signet rings, which the book man - whose name was Azoi - said were enchanted. A heated debate broke out at this point, Tyran on one side, and the woman and the red-haired man on the other; eventually the merchants were allowed to retain their rings. We left them on the road the next afternoon, and continued on as they headed back to the village.