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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 1852967" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 2, “Off to Istivin”, May 25th, 1020:  The Silver Moon Adventurers join the Cleric Dominic and the other members of his team for dinner.   Present at this meal are the ‘night crew’ of babysitters, comprised of the dwarven fighter Flashis and human Viking fighter Torvard.   The two of them were inadvertently responsible for the multiple births by giving the newlyweds a bottle of wine that had been spiked with a fertility potion.  As punishment Dominic assigned them the evening caretaker chores, supervised by Llynn’s brother Aaron to ensure that they take proper care of the infants. Over dinner Narg asks Dominic for information about the Kingdom of Istivin.   The cleric replies “They are a small mountainous land along the border with Zalpar.    The Kingdom currently has a population of over 25,000, the majority of whom live in the capital city of Istivin.  The city itself is in the far northeastern corner of the Kingdom.   The city is not far from the Davish River, which flows and merges with the larger Javan River to the east, that river marking the border to the adjacent Kingdom of Keoland.    The city and most townships lie on the Sterich Plain, surrounded by the Chrystalmist Mountains to the north, west and southwest and the Joten Mountains to the south and southeast.  The city itself has a long history, dating back 800 years.  The population is 80% human, 15% dwarf, halfling and gnome, and the remaining 5% mixed, primarily elvan.   It is run by an Aristocracy named.  The hereditary leader is King Querchard, although since the days of the first Phlooredian King the Istivin ruler has adopted the title of Marquis to avoid confusion.  The land gets its wealth from mining operations in the mountains around the kingdoms.   They have also been attacked over the centuries from giants living in the mountains.  Ten years ago the city briefly fell to an onslaught of giants.   The population fled to the Keoland Kingdom, regrouped and during the next year were assisted by the East Lordholding retook the city and drove the surviving giants back.  That was the last time they had trouble from the giants.”“So who is this missing prince?” Serita asks.   Dominic replies “Querchard’s only son.  He disappeared around the same time your group first organized.  I’m not sure what this new information the King has about this but am told that the King will be waiting for you at Fort Silan, the first fortress along the main highway to Istivin.  To get there you will need to travel around thirty miles north along the Zalpar Border road heading towards the Flla Hospice.   You will then reach a road heading northeast into Istivin.   Around twenty miles up the road you will reach Fort Silan.”The party debates different modes of transportation to get there.  None of them are particularly thrilled about a fifty-mile long hike through the mountains.   Dominic offers to loan them out horses belonging to Zalpar but they decide to fly there instead using Fiona’s pegasus.   Arrangements are made for them to leave shortly after dawn.   Mojo objects to the early hour but is told by Serita “You’ll be traveling in the Bag of Holding, so you can just go back asleep.”  He looks to Narg to support him on changing the early hour but Narg says, “Don’t look at me.  I’ve gotten used to getting up early when my son starts to cry for his morning feeding.”   “Why, you don’t have to feed him!” Mark exclaims.  Narg replies, “No, but somebody has to get the kid to bring him to his mother.  Do you really think that Vallessa is going to get out of bed in the winter just to turn around and get back in it?” May 26th, 1020:The morning goes by rather quickly for everyone except Fiona and her mount who have to fly the fifty miles to their destination.    The journey along the Zalpar Border Road is eventful, with her flying high above other travelers and an occasional dwarven patrol.    The Istivin Highway segment is a little trickier, with her pegasi becoming the target of rock-throwing giants at a few places along the way.   She presses on, flying higher and out of their reach of the rocks (much to the chagrin of Narg’s player, who is anxious to fight giants). They reach Fort Silan shortly before noon.   When Fiona is within sight of the fortress she lands on the main road and lets the others out of the Bag of Holding and they then approach the gate.   The fort is a large multistory structure built of stone and standing atop a cliff from which the mountains can be seen from the north and west.  Two tiers of walls surround the outer section of the fort and dozens of archers are currently atop the walls.   The higher of the two towers rises up to a point seventy feet about the structure.   The party reaches the main gate and announces themselves. The party have been expected and their reputation as the continent’s foremost adventuring team precedes them.   They are soon ushered into the great hall of the fortress when King Querchard waits.   The man is surrounded by his two principle advisors.  The first of these is a tall bearded muscular fifty-year old human male with a diagonal scar across his face who is introduced as Frush O’Suggill, Captain-General of the Watch.  The other is an older thin-faced human with short white hair and a white goatee.  He wears a high-collared black robe and matching skullcap.  He has sharp pointed eyes.  The man is introduced as Verbane, Chief Wizard of the March.  Showing his usual distain for authority Narg ignores the two advisors completely and begins the conversation with the King by exclaiming “Yo Crown-breath, what’s the scoop?”    “I beg your pardon?” the Monarch exclaims.   Mojo, of all people, interjects “I am General Mojo of the Queen’s Army and at her request have come to offer you our assistance.   Could you please tell us the cause of the current problem?”  The King states “Fifteen years ago my only son Lomaran, then only nine years old, set sail for the east to begin his final schooling in preparation for his eventual succession to the throne.  His shi never reached its destination.  After a search along our coasts I presumed the ship and my son to be lost at sea.  I was without an heir and without hope, until now.Ten days ago the body of one of my knights was returned to Fort Silan by a group of strange, gray-skinned gnomes.  He was a member of a seven-man squad patrolling high in the mountains near our western border.  These men were some of the strongest and bravest in the realm.  The other six men have been missing in action for over week from when their patrol was to end at Fort Wheelan and I fear the worst.   The dead knight was Sir Hujer.  He had died of burns, exposure to cold and many terrible wounds.  Stranger still was what he bore on his person, a silver necklace bearing my royal seal.”  The king lifts a tarnished necklace from his lap and holds it up.  “This is the same necklace that I gave to my son, just before he disappeared so many year ago.  To say the least, it is extremely odd that it should be found so high in the mountains, when by all rights it should now be lying at the bottom of the sea.”Serita asks exactly where the ship departed from.   The King replies “The port city of Nos Nevits in the East Lordholding Kingdom of Raylan.”  The Silver Moon adventurers are familiar with that city, as the father of their cleric Vincenzo rules it.  They also know that it is situated more than 100 miles to the east.  The King continues “I’m not only interested as to my son’s possible whereabouts, I am also gravely concerned about this new threat from the west and the possibility of…well, of whatever threat slew my knights and possessed my son’s necklace.  Because of the presence of the giants we know so little about what lies in these mountains beyond our mines.  This is why I have asked for your assistance.  I would like you to find out who or what is behind this attack, what happened to the rest of he patrol, and, if possible, what all of this has to do with my long-lost son and heir.” Mojo exclaims, “Hold on, that was fifteen years ago.  Don’t you have any more kids?”  “No, he was my only child,” the King replies.   Mojo says, “Then I think you have another problem.  Maybe somebody should have a talk with you about the birds and the bees.”   Narg interjects “Hell, even Matthan has a kid, and he…”  Serita cuts Narg off, stating to him and Mojo “And maybe I should just bang both of your heads together.”    She then mutters “However, perhaps I should have a talk to the Queen about druidic fertility treatments.”Narg says, “Excuse me your majesty.  I must confer with my teammates.”  The six step away and he says “What do you think?”  Mojo says, “I haven’t heard any mention of payment.  We need to find out how much we can get away with charging him.”   Mark asks, “Do we even want to do this?”  Serita states, “The knight died of fire and ice, that means a mage, an ogre mage or a dragon.”   Narg says, “I heard giants!  I’m in.  At least this isn’t one of those missions where we have to answer riddles from pixies or try to be nice to lawful good clerics.”  “Or rid the world of giant cosmic dogs with gnolls as fleas,” Mojo quips.</blockquote>

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