Evile's Stollhaaven Epic

[eabha]

Prologue: Volgarth's Prophecy



Oh, what a fateful day!

I have seen the Valkyries gather in the north west. Three armies will spill blood on the grass of High Common of Embleton today. Two of these armies were lured into a trap of their own making. Four immortals of the Twelve lead the third army. No avatars today; someone has really pissed in their porridge. No doubt this day will be remembered in Stollhaaven history. I foretell that the kingdom will be without two heirs tonight, if not two armies.

Interestingly, I had thought it was beyond the mirrors to foretell the future, but today it seems they can. And now I see why. Today is to be the day of my death. Just a few centuries I have lasted…

Calidrassil never did understand my hobby, playing with the lives of humanoids. She could never find the humour in watching their intimate dances with life. Some are content just to sit in their little slots, suffering untold misery. Others dominate and control, and dream they rule the world.

I digress.

I see an immortal mortal as a plaything of the Trickster, his purity tortured and twisted into a husk of hate. The hate that is poured into him will not easily be quenched. Many will regret that he did not die this day.

I do not believe the Trickster is in league with the Four; the rift between their planes is too far to bridge. But one can never be certain.

I see the mortal is bartered to a Norn, whose attentions drive the mortal to hate, hate and even more hate. His hate is nurtured, and distorted. He hates those he loved, those who serve him, and those who torture him. I see that he is dealt another chance. Even the Fates are twisted. He flees in time to pursue his destiny.

Power is his key. Raw, evil power. I think he means to usurp the Trickster, but how I know not. Evil flocks to him, I see. Yes, his fate deals his cards: three black queens and a white knave. A white knave? Does this mean a new suit has joined the deck? Will this evil hand be enough to overcome the cards dealt to the other side? He will use all at his disposal: time, seasons, drugs, deformity…anything that is unjust, unlawful and unnatural. Those who oppose him must fight fire with fire, though at times it will seem as a tinder stick to a volcano.

I can see some of the cards dealt over there, but the hand will change often, and the cards flicker past my eyes.

An unbridled half-breed runs from the cloth of the church.

An uncertain half-man, seeking justice for his god, falls to a mutation.

A man unjustly persecuted wanders the wilderness.

An unarmed woman pursues the half-breed, but not for lust.

A man in love with his life swims to his death.

A rogue is set there to delay the knowledge.

The path is twisted and long. From the burrows to the dunes, mines and ice fields. Where will it end?

Oh, I see it now! The time is nigh. A young warlord circles toward one of the Four. Flee, you fool, before you kill us both!

…

Cali:

My Love, My Wonder.
I expect it will be you who finds me here.
I am sorry that my meddling brought you
this. Teach our children well, my love. Do
not let them mourn me, but remember me
as I should have been, proud of being
“Lord of the High Crag.”

Would I tumble with you forever.

Volgarth

 

[eabha]

Part I - Cockermouth

Chapter I - Arrivals



Under a hot mid-afternoon sun, barges laden with goods for sale and trade travel the River Cocker. Where the rapids are most formidable, just outside of town, horses on shore are rigged to pull the vessels against the flow of the river, which cuts through the gorge on its northerly course.

On the road along the bank, two women on horseback stop briefly to take in the scene. A grey wolf sits in the shade cast by one of the horses and looks up at the rider, panting.

One of the women – powerfully built with long, red dreadlocks hanging down her back – turns to the other, who appears lost in her thoughts. “Well, what do you think?”

Her friend, a petite brunette with green eyes, shakes her head as if to clear her mind. “I really don’t want to be here.”

“I know what you mean.”

The women are dusty and tired, and have travelled a week to get to the unremarkable border town of Cockermouth, which lies just upriver of them now – a collection of winding streets, grey granite buildings and unfamiliar people. Neither of them knows exactly what they will find here, but it was with a sense of urgency that they left behind the relative safety of the northern forests and countryside.

“Is he here?” the redhead asks. “Can you sense him?”

The brunette closes her eyes and lifts her face to the sun for a moment. “I’m not sure.”

They continue down the road, the wolf trailing behind, and come to a gate leading into town. There, the two women stop and dismount. A guard approaches them to ask what their business is in Cockermouth.

In the most casual tone they can manage, they explain that they are just a couple of travelers passing through and that they might do a little shopping while in town. The guard asks to see their identification.

The brunette, Morihana Cahira, hands over her papers first. If she is at all nervous, her face does not betray it. Her papers are legitimate and satisfy the guard. He hands them back and turns to the redhead, Eabha Magorin. Her papers, too, are in order.

“We’re probably going to be here a few days. Can you recommend a good place to stay?” asks Morihana.

“A couple of lovely young ladies like yourselves?” the guard says, looking them over in a way that makes them feel vaguely uneasy. “The Green Dragon.”

“How do we get there?”

“Well, you follow Mane here down to Market Square where you go right on Forest Road for a while ‘til you come to Main Road. The Green Dragon is just down Main a bit,” he explains, gesturing in an indistinct fashion.

Two Mane Roads? Eabha thinks. Great.

“Now, you two will have to register yourselves and your possessions – that includes all weapons and magic items – at Town Hall within 24 hours,” he tells them. “And you might want to familiarize yourselves with the town’s laws.”

He points to a sign hanging on the side of the gatehouse before moving off to talk to another newcomer.

The women’s eyes scan the board, picking out what are – for them – the only relevant details:

Town Crimes and Restrictions
By Order of Cockermouth Town Council

Misdemeanors (Max. Penalty - 1000 Gold Pieces)

Brawling, Drunkenness, Bestiality, Exposure, Theft, Bad Puns, Speeding, Pocket Picking, Dueling, Loitering, Spitting, Stabbing, Dancing, Stuttering, Aiding Druids, Gnome Racing, Vampirism

Felonious Crimes (Max. Penalty - Imprisonment)

Pyromania, Slander, Leering, Rioting, Lying to the DM, Using Illegal Currency, Urination in Public, Disobeying Town Constables or Military Officers, Biting, Picking Zits

Unless on official duty, the following are also felonious: Wearing Metal Armour, Carrying 3 or More Weapons, Use of Any Offensive or Defensive Magic, Imbibing Magical Potions, Discharging Missiles, Asking Questions, Riding Animals (Except Bugbears)

Serious Crimes (Max. Penalty - Death)

Murder, Assassination, Killing, Carrying/Using Poison, Rape, Swearing, Vomiting, Making/Accepting Bribes, Possession of More Than 11 Magic Items, Tax Avoidance, Spying, Vagrancy, Druidism, Dice Roll Cheating, Flying over Town/Castle, Self Abuse, Bleeding in a Public Place, Desertion, Bringing Bad Luck Upon Town, Possession of Illegal Currency in Excess of 50 Gold Pieces, Illegal Betting/Trading, Abuse of Officials (Town, Military and DM), Riding Slaves, Failure to Register Person, Weapons and Magic Items, Failure to Pay Funeral Expenses, Failure to Attend Temple Services Once Per Month​

Druidism: punishable by death across the kingdom for many hundreds of years, since the War of the Third and the creation of the Druid Charter. The redhead casts a glance at her friend. Morihana does not appear concerned. Eabha knows that her nonchalance is (at least in part) a cover. Beneath it lurks rage. Morihana has witnessed the worst of the persecution of the Druids. She has seen the Tolgarian Knights, those self-appointed defenders of the kingdom and Church of Stollhaaven, ruin entire lives with their Inquisition. Eabha has also experienced the injustice of their single-minded mission to seek out and destroy those they have branded as heretics, but it was Morihana’s parents who were burned at the stake. And it is Morihana who lives in daily fear of arrest, torture and death.

Her status as an outlaw makes their task here in town doubly dangerous as they have come to search for her twin brother, Dwiss, also a Druid. Only the worst kind of situation would force Morihana out of the wilderness and into a town such as Cockermouth, and her brother’s disappearance is just such a situation. But all the women have to go on is her vague sense that something terrible happened to Dwiss when he headed south several weeks ago.

They realize they cannot be too careful now. These are dangerous and uncertain times for everyone in the kingdom. It has been just a couple of months since the assassination of the Crown Prince took place here in Cockermouth. A coming war with the Orcs in the South now seems to be more than a rumour. And one wrong move or an unwisely spoken word could lead to Morihana’s sharing her parents’ fate.

* * *​

Elsewhere in town, a motley looking group bursts through a small door at the base of a tall, black tower and out onto the street. Blinking in the strong sunlight, they look around, slightly dazed. Most of them are covered in rat bites, old and new. Some of those sporting the bites look ill.

Townspeople stop and stare, wondering who the man and the three females (“Oh, look! One’s an elf!” someone says a little too loudly) might be, and why they are accompanied by a distinctly ticked-off looking black cat.

The companions talk amongst themselves for a moment, but they are obviously confused. Where do they go now? The cat, having lost what was left of its patience, simply scampers away down the street, off toward the Temple. The group follows.

* * *​

Finding The Green Dragon turns out to be trickier than the two women had imagined. They quickly begin to curse the town’s founders and all subsequent generations for their bizarre sense of humour. Not only is there a Mane Road and a Main Road, but there are Wright, Write and Right Streets. And Knight and Night. Morihana and Eabha come across Green Dragoon and Green Lagoon inns on their way to their intended destination. Nerves frayed by the long journey, the friends let their frustration get the better of them and argue in the street about where to stay.

When they finally do locate The Green Dragon – a pleasant looking building with the oddest green roof tiles – they are happy to find that it is a reputable inn with good service. They leave their horses with the stable boy, Toomie, who promises to take them out into the paddock during the day for exercise. The proprietor, George, gives them a room overlooking the street and tells them that Toomie will bring up a bathtub and hot water as soon as he can.

Both women bathe and change into fresh clothes before going down to the dining room for a delicious supper of rabbit stew. Soon, they find themselves talking with a pleasant young man named Wassup. They move to the bar where he buys them drinks. There is some decent entertainment – a good looking woman playing the lute, her rat bites only recently healed – but Eabha is eager to hear anything about this town and is pleased to have a possible source of information. Wassup tells them he’s in Cockermouth studying medicine under a Doctor Waring. However, when questioned about recent events, Wassup does not reveal anything interesting or important. He mentions the assassination of Prince Waldeguard, but does not really know the details. He tells them that just a couple of months ago there was a battle in the streets of the town and that magic was involved, but again, he is not very descriptive. Perhaps sensing their boredom with his conversation, Wassup eventually head upstairs to his room.

At this point, Morihana and Eabha separate and wander about the crowded bar to see what they can learn. Morihana overhears a few people discussing the food at The Green Lagoon, noting that a special spice they use there seems to make the food unforgettable. She isn’t sure of the value of this piece of information but looks around for Eabha. She spots her standing near a couple of soldiers.

Eabha listens as the soldiers talk.

"It was down by the wharf that we captured the wretched thing. One of those half Elf/half Orcs."

A half Elf/Orc?

Eabha, who has spent a fair amount of her life defending the southern border of Stollhaaven against Orcs, has never heard of such a thing. Nor can she even imagine it.

"Oh, yeah?" the other soldier asks. "You've seen one of 'em, then?"

"Yup. We took it up to the castle dungeon for questioning, but I heard it was found dead in its cell the next day, before anything useful could be gotten out of it."

"Dead? Well, who killed it?"

"No idea. But there's plenty around who don't care for those abominations."

"True."

The soldiers have had a few drinks and seem to be in a good enough mood so she approaches them. After all, Eabha was, until just recently, a soldier herself. She explains that she accidentally overheard them and is curious about this strange creature. But she is met with icy stares. They tell her that she will undoubtedly hear more, but make it clear that she will not hear it from them. Even Morihana’s arrival with beer for the men does not change their disposition.

Moving away from the soldiers, the women discuss what they have learned. Morihana shares her news about The Green Lagoon and its food, and draws Eabha’s wrath for confusing the place with The Green Dragoon. They consider having lunch there the next day to check it out. Morihana admits to having heard about the half Elf/Orcs during her travels as a courier, but she doesn’t know much about them. It’s late and they’re tired, so they decide to go upstairs.

As they prepare for bed, they discuss their plans for the following day.

“I’m not sure we should register our magic items,” Morihana says. “I don’t want to lose my circlet. I have a feeling it might be confiscated. This doesn’t seem like a magic-friendly town.”

Eabha glances down at her bracelet. Two of the charms that dangle from it are shapeless blobs of silver. A third is in the form of her Druid friend. The fourth is a hooded Ranger: her old captain and friend, Savantur. She wonders where he is now. When their militia in Headly was disbanded a couple of months ago, he had joined many of the others in the regiments and headed south in preparation for the coming war with the Orcs. It is good to know, though, that he is not so far away as long as she has the bracelet.

Eabha agrees that they won't turn anything over to the town and climbs into bed. She doesn’t realize how tired she is until her head hits the pillow. She means to ask Morihana again how they intend to go about finding her brother, but she is too tired. Minutes later, she is fast asleep.

 

[eabha]

Part I - Cockermouth

Chapter II - Market Day



Eabha and Morihana eat breakfast in the noisy dining room the next morning and discuss the day ahead. Both are eager to begin the search for Dwiss, though neither is certain how to go about this without raising suspicions. And besides, there are certain things that need to be taken care of first. Like registering at Town Hall. They are in the middle of putting together a schedule for the day when they notice the level of chatter around them decrease significantly.

Looking up, they see a party of five - two men and three women – enter the dining room and take seats at a nearby table. As they do so, a tall, thin gentleman in grey pushes himself away from his table and leaves the room.

Eabha and Morihana recognize one of the women as the bard who had entertained there the night before. They don't recognize her companions.

Gradually, the other patrons resume their conversations, though they continue to cast sidelong glances at the newcomers as they order and enjoy their breakfasts. It is difficult for Eabha and Morihana to tell if these people are esteemed, feared, or loathed by those around them.

A short while later, breakfast is disturbed once more, this time by the clatter of horses outside. Everyone in the room strains to see what is happening out the window. Seconds later, an officer enters the dining room, approaches the party, and addresses a black-haired man.

“Mr. Shukup? Welcome to Cockermouth. You and your companions have been invited to the castle. The count wishes to meet with you there. A carriage is waiting outside.”

The black-haired man nods, and the officer departs.

Morihana looks at Eabha and whispers, “A meeting with the count? They must be pretty important.”

“Or in a lot of trouble,” Eabha adds. “Let’s follow them out.”

The two women leave the dining room behind the mysterious party, and watch as they get into the carriage, which is accompanied by several officers. A noisy and excited crowd has gathered to watch.

The carriage pulls away and the women watch it as it disappears down a bend in the road. About to head back into the dining room, they notice a youth selling newspapers nearby. Eabha and Morihana each buy one and quickly read.

COCKERMOUTH NEWS
Wednesday July 4, 1981

HERO RETURNS​

A’mal Shukup returned to Cockermouth late yesterday. He and his companions brought news of the fall of Keswick and Rigg after a dangerous journey in the Wildlands.

Shukup departed Cockermouth very secretly about six weeks ago on a special mission for Count Mather. It is now believed that Shukup went to Keswick and Rigg with orders for the garrison there. One of his companions returned with news that Keswick was besieged with Wildhillmen and Orcs two weeks ago. A company of Green Dragoons trying to reach Keswick was turned back last week when they met strong Orc resistance.

Shukup, with the noble assistance of the Paladin Lorindel, was instrumental in the apprehension of several members of the Elf/Orc abominations that threaten our Southern borders and trade. The abominations had infiltrated our town and murdered several citizens in the streets before Shukup and Lorindel confronted and slew these evil creatures.

It is also believed that Shukup and Lorindel were members of the army tactical squad that rescued the Elvin heiress and royal ladies that were captured by the Orcs when they slew Prince Waldeguard last spring.

Shukup’s companions Lorindel and Priest Sarkoff failed to return and are believed to have given their lives for our safety.

In other news, the rat catcher, Ragest, is still at large. City officials have been unable to locate him in the sewers under the city. It is believed that he has fled the area.


“I think we have to learn more about these people,” Morihana says when she has finished.

* * *​

It is market day in Cockermouth, and the main square is filled with stalls where merchants sell everything from weapons and armour to glass and jewellery. Countless pens contain chickens, goats, sheep and other livestock. It’s busy and noisy. Morihana, Eabha and even the wolf, Ashling, feel uncomfortable as they wander from stall to stall.

The women continue on to Town Hall where they register, more or less, all of their weapons. Eabha receives a mild lecture and is encouraged to enlist in the army when it is discovered that she has recently left a militia. Morihana promises they will “go by the recruiting office later.” From Town Hall, they are sent to the bank to deposit those weapons they will not be carrying with them.

The cost of carrying all of their weapons is too high so they have to leave some behind. Morihana doesn’t mind parting with her scimitar, at least temporarily. She is able to leave with her staff after convincing the clerk that it is nothing but a simple walking stick. Eabha, however, feels naked without her longsword. Moreover, she now has just two throwing axes instead of her usual four. She was told she could keep her longbow, unstrung, in her room at the inn as she might be called upon to help defend the city against attack. Small consolation for losing her favourite weapon. She worries that she’ll never see it again.

They did not even bring their magic items with them.

It is around noon when Eabha and Morihana emerge from the bank, where they have deposited the weapons they will not be carrying. Ashling has been patiently waiting near the door. It’s lunchtime and the women stop at a jeweller’s stall to ask about a good place to eat. They inquire about The Green Lagoon to see if they can get any more information about the special spice used there, but the jeweller seems to have no idea what they’re talking about.

As he lists several places in town that they might try, Eabha spots something odd in the crowd: a man with unnaturally bright blue eyes. But he disappears before she can really see him. The jeweller is still speaking, telling them of a popular restaurant selling exotic food nearby, as Eabha looks around madly. But the man is gone.

They thank the jeweller and as they walk away, Eabha tells her friend what she saw. Morihana questions her, demanding details, but Eabha finds that she can’t recall anything about the man except his eyes. Not knowing what to make of it, they sit down to enjoy a meal.

Shortly after lunch, as the women walk back out into Market Square, they are approached by a tall young man with brown hair and hazel eyes. They recognize him as being a member of the party that was called away to the castle during breakfast. He recognizes them, too. They make small talk for a few moments and agree to meet up again over dinner at The Green Dragon. Right now, he tells them, he’s looking for a tailor. He needs to buy wedding clothes. Morihana asks him who is getting married but the man, whose name they still have not learned, is evasive. They help him locate a nearby tailor and watch him disappear into the shop.

The women are pleased with their new dinner plans; they suspect that this man and his friends are well connected and will yield the kind of information they are looking for. They wander about the market for a little while longer before deciding to go back to the inn, stopping at the stable on the way to visit their mounts.

But Cian and Chugi aren’t in the stable. Neither is George’s horse, and the stable boy Toomie is nowhere to be seen.

Back at the inn, they explain the situation to George, who is immediately concerned. Toomie is usually back by mid-afternoon, and so is now a couple of hours overdue. He gives the women directions to the paddock – out of town by the back gate, through an orchard and across a meadow – and fifteen minutes later, they find the spot. Only, there are no horses. Getting closer, Eabha catches sight of a bit of green fabric in the tall grass.

And lying in there, near a stone wall, is the young stable boy. He is breathing, but unconscious. A trickle of blood behind his ear indicates that he was probably struck from behind with a club, sap, or other blunt instrument.

Eabha stands from her position at the boy’s side and scans the fields around her. It’s then that she notices a small bit of movement behind a bush a short distance off. It’s Bayard, George’s horse.

The beast shuffles backwards as Eabha moves within ten feet of him. He stamps nervously at the ground, but she eventually wins him over and approaches him, whispering familiar words under her breath…

Bayard isn’t able to tell her much. The other horses were taken by a group of men, but he had been left behind because he’d fought back and been too much trouble for them. They fled to the east.

Eabha leads the horse back toward the spot where Morihana waits with the still unconscious boy and tells her friend what little she has learned.

Morihana gets up and begins to study the ground around them, looking for signs of what happened there.

“There were three of them, probably human,” she says. “All on horse back. Our horses were lead away, not ridden. Why would Chugi allow himself to be lead away?”

Eabha notes the anxiety in her friend’s voice. Chugi is more than just a mount to the Druid.

“Don’t worry,” she tells Morihana. “We’ll find them. First, though, we have to get Toomie to a doctor. Help me get him up on the horse.”