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"Out of the Frying Pan" - Book I: Gathering Wood (reprise)
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<blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 47415" data-attributes="member: 11"><p><strong>Session #5 (part III)</strong></p><p></p><p>Now being led by the mysterious tall man in the fur cloak, they continued to march for a little less than an hour. The cliff face on the right, receded into the distance, but the one on the left was taller and steeper. Eventually they came to a small village of white stone houses with thatched roofs set upon a low plateau in the cliff face. At the edge of the plateau where a stream ran down the crumbled cliffside, was the tarped over foundation of some sort of mill that seemed under construction. </p><p></p><p>The party walked up the short flight of wide steps up to the village. (40) A broad street lead to a small village square with a well, where an inn and a general store were situated among houses. The followed the sounds of voices and the soft glow of a warm hearth into “The Silver Vein Inn”. In the distance they could see another building under construction. This one was of stone and was built on it own plateau just a little above the rest of the town. </p><p></p><p>The inn’s common room was very dim, and the tables were full of men dressed in dark utilitarian clothes, and black leather hats. They had dirty face and hands, and they had the smell of earth on them, which hung on the damp air. The warmth of the hearth came over the travelers, and they felt the exhaustion of the day’s travel and the damp that had worked its way down to the bone. </p><p>The six of them took a table, as the miner patron looked at them strangely for a moment and then went back to their own meals and conversations. A young boy of about 12 years old with dirty blonde hair and fat chipmunk cheeks, came over to take their order. </p><p></p><p>“I’m Nicholas,” the boy said. “Whaddya want?” </p><p></p><p>“What do you have?” Kazrack asked. </p><p></p><p>“Food. What the heck do ya think we got?” the boy said in a shrill voice. “You’re a dwarf like Rene is!” </p><p></p><p>“Who is Rene?’ Kazrack asked. </p><p></p><p>The boy sighed as if this were common knowledge throughout all of Aquerra, “She’s the priest of Thor here in town.” </p><p></p><p>“A dwarven priest of…” he coughed. “Thor? I had heard of such things it saddens me.” (41)</p><p></p><p>“Whatever,” said the boy. </p><p></p><p>“Well, I will have an ale and some mutton. Have you got mutton?” </p><p></p><p>“Yes, of course we have mutton. What do we look like? And potatoes?” The boy did not wait for the dwarf to answer. “Good, potatoes it is.” </p><p></p><p>The boy came back with a tray full of plates and mugs. </p><p></p><p>“No one else said what they wanted, so I brought the same thing for everyone,” Nicholas said. </p><p></p><p>“Well, you didn’t as us,” Jeremy said. </p><p></p><p>“Mister, if ya wanna be heard in this world, ya gotta speak up, or so my dad always says.” </p><p>He served the food and left. </p><p></p><p>“Sharp-tongue kid,” Jeremy observed. </p><p></p><p>As the group ate, Kazrack and Beorth overheard some miner talking about the wolf at a table behind them. It seemed that the number of wolves had increased, and that they were endangering the local shepherds’ flocks of sheep and goats. Jeremy, Jana and Ratchis overheard some other miners saying how they thought the plague of wolves was a curse brought down by the goblins that had been “forced out of the mine” a year or so before, and that travel into and out of the town had become too dangerous to risk for most people. </p><p></p><p>“Looks like we might have to help out with the wolf problem,” Kazrack said. </p><p></p><p>“Why do you say that?” Jeremy inquired. </p><p></p><p>“Well, if no one can leave the town, we can’t get a wainwright to come with us,” said the dwarf. </p><p></p><p>“He’d be traveling with us. He’d be fine,” Jeremy said. </p><p></p><p>“But still we should help these people,” Beorth said. </p><p></p><p>“That is what I plan to do,” Ratchis said. “I need to take care of this wolf problem, with our without your help; though I’d prefer if I had it.” </p><p></p><p>“You are guys are just incredible. Didn’t the incident with the goblins teach you anything? Why go after these wolves if we don’t have to?” said Jana. </p><p></p><p>“Well, I have no problem with going after the wolves, but let’s see if we can gain something for doing it. We could all use some extra coinage,” said Jeremy. </p><p></p><p>“Coinage is good, but I’m not so sure about going after foaming wolves. I was gravely wounded in that last encounter,” said Chance. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis grunted. </p><p></p><p>“Well, I’d like to help these people, “ said Kazrack. “but our first commitment is to the caravan and the contract we signed, but again, I think we’re going to have to end up doing it anyway.” </p><p>Ratchis looked at the dwarf. </p><p></p><p>The young boy, Nicholas, came back. “Ya want more ta drink?” </p><p></p><p>“Yes,” said Kazrack. “Another ale for each of us.” </p><p>“Okay, well that will be 18 cps up front and ya better give me a good tip, too.” </p><p></p><p>“Nickie! Go get a bucket of fresh water from the well!” the innkeep called. </p><p></p><p>“Dad! Don’t call me Nickie! And I’ll go in a second after I bring these weirdos some drinks!’ </p><p>His father laughed at his son’s cheekiness, but Kazrack sneered. The boy retrieved their drinks and then went out to the well. </p><p></p><p>“Well, first thing’s first – We need to find a wainwright,” Kazrack said. </p><p></p><p>“Did you say, wainwright?” the innkeeper asked, as he had overheard as he walked by. </p><p></p><p>“Yes.” </p><p></p><p>“He’s sitting right over there,” the innkeep said pointing to a man sitting a table with two other men. </p><p>Kazrack went over and was discussing terms with the man (who insisted he would not leave town while the danger of wolves existed), when there was a ruckus of screaming from outside. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis immediately ran to the door, followed by Jeremy and Kazrack. </p><p></p><p>“I hope that isn’t Nicholas,” Beorth said. </p><p></p><p>From the door, Jeremy, Ratchis and Kazrack saw three townspeople being chased down by wolves. Little Nicholas stood frozen in fear by the well. Ratchis ran out after one wolf, while Jeremy moved towards another. Kazrack moved to block the path of one wolf heading toward Nicolas, but it out maneuvered him, as two other wolves knocked down townsfolk. Beorth stepped up to one just in time to see it pull the throat out of a man sending a shower of blood in all directions. Jeremy pulled his shortsword and longsword and engaged another wolf, as Kazrack decided it made more sense to go after the boy than the wolf, so when the boy panicked and ran the dwarf tackled him and shielded him with his own body, which allowed the wolf to grab a big chunk of the dwarf’s hindquarters in his teeth and start biting through the dwarf’s scale mail. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis finished a wolf with one mighty blow and ran over and began to swing his quarterstaff at the one atop Kazrack, as Jeremy finished one wolf and went for another. Beorth was pulled off his feet in the muddy and bloody earth and had to struggle to get back and keep from being killed by a wolf as well. Beorth finally crushed the skull of the wolf he was fighting. As Jeremy and Ratchis tried to finish that last wolf that was determined to rip a hole in the dwarf who shielded the squirming kid, a ray of sickly green light flashed from behind them striking the wolf. They did not see where it came from, but its bites became less effective, and they skewered it. </p><p></p><p>Yet, even as the party gained their breath from the battle, a howl caught their attention, and looking towards the top of the street they saw what appeared to be a very large and shaggy white wolf, that beheld them with intelligent ice blue eyes. They felt the blood in their veins freeze, as it cocked its head, taking them in, and then just as suddenly as he appeared, the mist rolled in across his position and when it cleared he was gone. </p><p></p><p>“Didja see that?!” Chance exclaimed and then hushed his voice. “Twas a devil-wolf. Oh, Bes protect us!” </p><p></p><p>“Yes, I did see it. What was that?” Jana aked. </p><p></p><p>“I didn’t see anything,” Jeremy said. </p><p></p><p>“Nicholas! Nicholas!” the innkeep came running out of the Silver Vein Inn and embraced his son, who Kazrack was just helping to get up off the ground. “How many times have I told you not to go out alone at night?” He turned to Kazrack. “You saved my son. You all did. Drinks are on me and you may stay in the common room of the inn for free tonight.” </p><p></p><p>“These men are dead,” Beorth said, examining the townfolk ravaged by the wolves. “Someone needs to notify their families.” </p><p></p><p>“Someone help me with these,” Ratchis said, beginning to drag the wolf bodies into a pile to burn. </p><p></p><p>“You cannot burn those here. They need to be dragged to the edge of town,” said a man who walked out of one of the dark streets. He wore a chain shirt and held a loaded crossbow. “I am Sergeant Fnord, constable of Tallow’s Post.” </p><p></p><p>He looked over at the dead men and clucked his tongue. “That is a shame. Thank you for your help, generally wolves would not attack the town itself. It must be the disease. People on the outskirts of town have been reporting wolf attacks.” He paused. “And you six are?” </p><p></p><p>“I am Kazrack Delver,” the dwarf said. “My companions and I are here to acquire the services of a wainwright, but it looks like the wolves are getting in our way. We were thinking that perhaps we might help to take care of the problem.” </p><p></p><p>“Well, the town would really appreciate it, and perhaps I could even get the burgomeister to offer some compensation,” Fnord said. </p><p></p><p>“What shall I do with the bodies of these men? Shall we bring them to their families?” asked Beorth. </p><p></p><p>“No, it would be better if their families did not see them like this without knowing what happened first. I will go and inform them, if you will do me the favor of bringing their bodies to my office.” </p><p></p><p>“Of course,” Beorth said. </p><p></p><p>So, Jeremy, Kazrack, Chance, Beorth and Jana brought the bodies to the constable’s office, while Ratchis remained behind to burn the wolves and watch for more. The tall woodsman went into the inn (which had cleared out as people went home after the wolf fight) and pulled a bench the shuttered window. He strung his bow and leaned his quiver of javelins against the wall, and laid his quarterstaff on the floor below him. The warmth of the hearth was getting to be too much, so he pulled off his fur cloak. </p><p></p><p>--- </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, the others had to wait a while for Sergeant Fnord to return. </p><p></p><p>“I’m sorry I took so long, but it would have been rude of me to give the families such news and then simply leave,” he said. </p><p></p><p>“We understand,” said Beorth. </p><p></p><p>The constable showed them inside his office. </p><p></p><p>“I will not be able to speak to the Burgomeister until the morning, but like I said any help would be appreciated.” </p><p></p><p>“Well, it looks like we don’t have much of a choice but to do something about the wolves,” Kazrack said. </p><p></p><p>Jana and Chance looked at each other. </p><p>“As the wainwright won’t leave town with the wolves running around,’ the dwarf added. “But why don’t you and your guards take care of it?” </p><p></p><p>“There is only me and two deputies. We do not have the manpower for such a project. Normally, </p><p></p><p>Rene would help us, but she is away on church business in Rockmar,” Fnord said. </p><p></p><p>“Rene is the priestess of Thor?” Kazrack asked. </p><p></p><p>“Yes. She helped with to get rid of the goblins that took over our mines just over a year ago, and as payment the burgomeister agreed to pay for half of building a temple of Thor in the town.” </p><p></p><p>“We heard that the wolf infestation might be a some sort of revenge by the goblins,” Beorth said. “A curse?” </p><p></p><p>“Unlikely,” concluded Fnord. “The adventuring party that cleared the mine, called the Oath (42) , collapsed the tunnel to a goblin city in the Plutonic Realms (43) and we haven’t had trouble with the goblins since. And from what I can remember, these goblins used worgs, which are intelligent, not normal wolves.” </p><p></p><p>“Well, we should return to the inn and rest, since we will probably head out in the morning,” said Kazrack. </p><p></p><p>“I will come by in the morning after I speak to the burgomeister,” said the seargeant. </p><p></p><p>----- </p><p></p><p>At the Silver Vein Inn, they found Ratchis still waiting, and despite the dimness they could now see what their new companion looked like. The scar that Jeremy had noted before ran from above his eye down his cheek and over his eye; when he blinked they could see that the scratch was on his eyelid as well. Despite his broad shoulders, his head seemed disproportionately large. He had a large protruding jaw, with teeth that peeked out in a pronounced underbite from behind his swollen lower lip. Ratchis’ complexion was mottled, with lighter yellow splotches of skin color on his face chest, but darker on the neck and sides of his head his flat broad nose and cheeks was a wash in a myriad of freckles. His eyes, were brown with hints of red fleck, set into narrow slits beneath his nearly ridged brow; his hair was shoulder length nappy bunches of fiery copper, dulled by dirt and grime, tied back. About Ratchis’ neck was the dark shadow of an indigo tattoo, which looked like it probably </p><p>reached beneath his clothing. </p><p></p><p>“Damn, he’s ugly,” Chance said under his breath. </p><p></p><p>The companions called for a nightcap, which the innkeep happily obliged them with. </p><p></p><p>“Here ya go,” the old man said. “You know I was thinking, I bet the old hermit has something to do with whole wolf thing.” </p><p></p><p>“Hermit?” asked Beorth. </p><p></p><p>“Yes, some solitary man that lives in the woods north of here, where the wolves were seen coming from. People say he has dealings with goblins and might be warlock of some kind.” </p><p></p><p>“Perhaps he’d be worth asking about this whole thing,” Kazrack said. “We’ll see in the morning.” </p><p></p><p>“Well, I’ll tell ya one thing, if he’s got dealing with the devil wolf we saw he has ta be a warlock,” said Chance. </p><p></p><p>The five companions and their guide found spots on the floor by the hearth and went to sleep to dream about hunting wolves or being hunted by them. </p><p></p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 12px">Balem, 12th of Ese - 564 H.E.</span></strong></p><p></p><p>The warmth that had evaded the companions’ journey for so long now, found them asleep on the common room floor. Birds chirped, and actual sunlight crept along the floor to itch their noses and makes them squirm to find comfort on the hard wood. </p><p></p><p>They awoke to the innkeeper’s call of breakfast, hard-boiled eggs and butter on yesterday’s toasted bread. As they ate, the constable arrived with a hunched over elderly woman in tow. </p><p></p><p>“Good morning,” Fnord said. “This woman lives on one of the out lying farms, and she came to me this morning to report what she had seen two nights ago and I thought you might find it interesting. Go ahead, Grandmother, tell them what you saw.” </p><p></p><p>The old woman sat at a table and in a voice that creaked like a ship at sea began to speak, “It was two night ago, as I close up the house to go to sleep. I heard a howling and looked out from behind my shutters to see… “ She coughed, and clutched her shawl closer around her shoulders. “. . . a white ghostly wolf. . . It seemed to be almost floating over the ground, and it led a pack of other wolves that were trailing behind it.” </p><p></p><p>The old woman wiped her rheumy eyes. “And then, just when I thought they were all gone, there comes another pale white ghostly form of a girl or something trailing them. It also seemed like it was floating above the ground.” </p><p></p><p>“Ah knew it was a devil-wolf,” said Chance. </p><p></p><p>“Grandmother, where was it going?” Kazrack asked. </p><p></p><p>“In the direction of here, the town. I live alone, so it took me time to get things in order to get here as soon as I did.” </p><p></p><p>“She has family in town that she is going to stay with,” Fnord said. </p><p></p><p>“Will everyone from outlying farms be evacuated to town?” Kazrack asked. </p><p></p><p>“Well, I am sure they know about the wolf plague by now. If they wanted to come into town they would, I cannot make them do so,” Fnord answered. “However, I did speak with Tallow, the burgomeister and he is willing to pay for the services of the wainwright to fix your wagon if you help with the wolf problem.” </p><p></p><p>“That sounds acceptable,” said Jeremy, thinking of the money Crumb had given them to purchase the services. </p><p></p><p>“Yes, that will be okay. . . Especially since we will have to get rid of the wolves to get the wainwright down to where the wagons are,” said Kazrack. “Where are the farms? We should go to where the wolves were last seen and track them from there.” </p><p></p><p>“They were last seen here in town,” Jana said. </p><p></p><p>“Too many people have probably walked around by now for the trail to be any good,” Ratchis said in his raspy voice from a dark corner. </p><p></p><p>“Well, you can try anyway,” said Kazrack. </p><p></p><p>“Yes I can.” </p><p></p><p>“The innkeep mentioned and old hermit in the woods north of here,” Kazrack said, turning back to Fnord. “Said he works with goblins or something; do you know anything about this? </p><p></p><p>“I have heard of the old hermit, and herbalist of some kind, but I know nothing of him and goblins. I don’t think he’s been around long, but I hear tell he lives in a shack almost a full day north of here, past the farms on the bank of the river. If you keep the water to you right, you should eventually get to it.” </p><p></p><p>---- </p><p></p><p>However, as Ratchis had expected, the chance of finding a track at the entrance o town was scuffed away by the passing feet of villagers. So, the five travelers and their new companion, back in his fur cloak despite the growing heat of what looked like it just might be the coming of elfin summer (44), marched north by northeast towards where Fnord told them the farms were. </p><p></p><p>Eventually they came to a tall embankment that looked down upon the farmsteads, and they could see a large number of dead sheep scattered before the closest one. </p><p></p><p>“I’m going to go down there and look for tracks,” Ratchis said. </p><p></p><p>“Shall we all come down?” asked Jeremy. </p><p></p><p>“No, just keep a lookout, I’ll be back,” said the tall fur-clad man heading towards the steep incline. However, the woodsman miscalculated his decent and ended up tumbling head over feet down the thirty feet to a hard wind-knocking landing. </p><p></p><p>“Are you okay?” Jeremy called down, his voice echoing across the landscape. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis waved him off and walked off towards the closest farmstead. What he found was mess of dead sheep, their entrails trailing around the farm yard, and large bites ripped from their throats and flanks. He also noticed that while many sheep were killed only few were eaten and that there were a lot of regurgitated remains as well. The wolf spoor was two days old at the oldest. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis searched around for a time and found a set of tracks that matched several wolves and followed it up where the embankment turned northward and was less steep. He followed it up, and then went to retrieve the party. </p><p></p><p>The others had begun to wonder where Ratchis had disappeared to when he emerged beside them. </p><p>“Come, I have found tracks that go to the east and north,” was all he said and turned to walk back the way he came. Kazrack, Beorth, Jeremy, Jana and Chance followed. </p><p></p><p>They marched on with Ratchis trying to sustain a substantial lead to look for unspoiled tracks, but the party kept walking at the same pace and thus catching up with him, much to his annoyance. Also as they marched they all talked, Chance with Jana, Jeremy with Kazrack, Kazrack with Jana, Chance with Jeremy; talking about the wolves, the caravan, the hermit, Ratchis, and whatever else came to mind. Ratchis just kept looking back at them with a frustrated glare, to him it was a cacophony of monkeys. He had never heard people talk to so much. Eventually, he walked back to them and said, “First, keep it quiet back here, you can be heard for miles. Second, slow your pace to be equal to mine.” </p><p></p><p>They all looked at each other wondering where he got the idea they talked so much. They had hardly talked at all, or so they thought. </p><p></p><p>The group continued with some better progress. They stopped bumping into Ratchis as he kneeled to check for wolf signs, but still chattered too much for the tracker’s tastes. </p><p></p><p>While looking, Ratchis found a new set of tracks, a bit fresher than those of the wolves that seemed to run parallel to them. They were small booted footprints of perhaps a woman or child. There seemed like it might be of just one figure. </p><p></p><p>“Goblin?” he wondered. He walked back to the rest of the group. “Be wary of ambush, it seems like there are things other than wolves in these woods.” </p><p></p><p>The companions continued northward, running roughly parallel with the river, which they could hear gurgling to their right. They heard birds chirping in delight of the return of the sun and warmth, but not much else as they still talked among themselves quite a bit. After another 20 minutes of marching, Ratchis had lost the tracks, but continued to in the same general northward direction, coming to a clearing that caught his eye. He motioned for the others to stop and peered into what seemed to have been a campsite. The charred remains of a small fire lay beside a fallen log, the woodsman crept along the perimeter of the clearing avoiding the center. </p><p></p><p>However, a foaming-mouthed wolf emerged from the underbrush and took a bite of his calf, trying to pull the huge man to the ground. He was able to pull free and keep his feet by pure strength alone. Ratchis called out, and faced off against the wolf, but did not see the second wolf creeping from behind and pulling him from his feet, with another bite and pull. Jeremy ran out to aid Ratchis, but a third wolf emerged from the right to attack him, and when Beorth entered the clearing, yet another wolf emerged to attack the paladin. Kazrack entered the fray himself, heading towards Jeremy’s wolf, only to have yet another emerge. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis found his feet, and turned to brandish his staff against both wolves at once. He slammed them with all his might on the snout, but they did not flee, but only growled, blood mixing with the white foam that bearded their faces. Jana and Chance stepped into the clearing, and the young girl tried to cause a wolf to flee, but it refused to give into the chill of arcane fear, and continued its assault. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis was having a hard time handling two wolves at once, blood pouring profusely from his leg wounds, but finding an opening to withdraw from the beasts, he mumbled words and laid his hand upon his wounds healing some of his injuries; though none of the others noticed, as the wolves closed in once more. Kazrack made short work of his wolf, and was moving to aid Jeremy, when Jana and Chance gasped. At the north entrance to the clearing they noticed the intelligent ice blue eyes of the white wolf, its shoulders a tangle of thick fur, its white muzzle making the foam that dripped from his gums difficult to see. </p><p></p><p>Ratchis was able to dispose of one wolf, but the other seemed stronger, if not just and violent and diseased, and bit him again. Beorth finished his, and ran to meet the great white wolf as it bounded towards Kazrack. The dwarf thrusted forward with his halberd, but the creature side stepped, and Beorth saw his opening. The beast moved in such a way to leave itself perfectly open, and his muscles tensed for the impact of what was bound to be a skull-splitting blow… but the blow did not connect! He looked again, and it seemed as if the blow had gone straight through the creature. The dwarf and the paladin, prepared another strike, but then the white wolf was gone! </p><p></p><p>Jana cried out as she felt and immense pain in her thigh. She turned, wrenching her leg to see the white wolf standing behind her. Jeremy finished his combatant and began to run over to help with the white wolf, but as it avoided a flurry of blows by the companions who attempted to surround it, it disappeared again. Appearing this time behind Jeremy and biting him as well. Ratchis finished the last wolf and ran to join the fray. Jeremy landed a glancing blow with his short sword, but before any more damage could be dealt it, it disappeared again and was nowhere in sight. </p><p></p><p>“Didja see that? Didja see what it did?” Chance said in a voice cloaked in fear. </p><p></p><p>“What? I didn’t see anything, “ said Jeremy. “Though the white one did seem to move kind of fast. Where did it go?” </p><p></p><p>“It just disappeared,” said Kazrack. </p><p></p><p>“Back ta hell where it probably came from!” said Chance. </p><p></p><p>“Calm down, Chance,” said Beorth. “We don’t know what it was. Though my blow seemed to go right through it.” </p><p></p><p>“I was able to injure it slightly,” said Jeremy. </p><p></p><p>As Ratchis stepped up to join the conversation, he paused and tilted his head. </p><p></p><p>“You heard that, too?” Kazrack asked him. It was the sound of someone or something moving quickly through the foliage between the campsite and the river. The sound stopped and then immediately seemed to move in the opposite direction. Kazrack and Ratchis charged after it, followed by Beorth. Jeremy decided that it might be best to “cut off” what it was and began to take a circuitous route towards whatever it was. Jana began to make her way in that direction more cautiously, and Chance followed close behind. </p><p></p><p>Kazrack and Ratchis stopped and listened again, when Kazrack spotted a figure crouched behind a tree. </p><p></p><p>“There!” he pointed with his halberd, and ran in that direction. Whatever it was dashed into the undergrowth and kept going. Ratchis quickly passed the slower dwarf, and came around a large oak to be face to face with what they were chasing, and with a whispered breath, the huge woodsman toppled over into a slumber. </p><p></p><p>Kazrack’s tumbled companion cleared the dwarf’s view of a slender androgynous figure, with long golden hair, large blue eyes, pale white skin, and tapered ears. Only the slightest swelling of a breast was visible beneath her near transparent wrap, and she wore long hip-high boots. In a flash of sunlight she turned and ran again, but Beorth who had not slowed down caught up to her as she tried to maneuver about another tree. She turned quickly and in a flash drew her short sword, holding the other hand up, in a unique fighting stance. </p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>End of Session #5</strong></p><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p></p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p></p><p>(40) Tallow’s Post was established to support the silver mine, Tallow’s Deep, both of which are run by Burgomeister Grundle Tallow.</p><p></p><p>(41) In Aquerra, Thor is a member of the Kalevalan Pantheon of northern gods, and is god Thunder and Mountains, and a often a patron of dwarves in those realms. The worship of a human god by dwarves is looked down upon by most traditional dwarven communities.</p><p></p><p>(42) The Oath this adventuring band is best known for the infiltration and razing of the slaver city, High Port in the Schrab Hills of western Thricia. (This Aquerra campaign ran from fall 1996 to winter 1999).</p><p> </p><p>(43) The Plutonic Realms are the expansive caverns and tunnels that exist beneath Aquerra, from the near-surface strongholds of black dwarves to the deepest colonies of illithids. At one time all the different pockets of these realms were connected by the tunnels of the Undersea, but many have been lost or collapsed since the height of the long ago fallen Second Dwarven Kingdom.</p><p></p><p>(44) This is the common name for a short period of otherwise uncharacteristic time of near-summer-like condition in the mid-Autumn. Often harvests of autumn foods like apples and pumpkins are done during this time.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="el-remmen, post: 47415, member: 11"] [b]Session #5 (part III)[/b] Now being led by the mysterious tall man in the fur cloak, they continued to march for a little less than an hour. The cliff face on the right, receded into the distance, but the one on the left was taller and steeper. Eventually they came to a small village of white stone houses with thatched roofs set upon a low plateau in the cliff face. At the edge of the plateau where a stream ran down the crumbled cliffside, was the tarped over foundation of some sort of mill that seemed under construction. The party walked up the short flight of wide steps up to the village. (40) A broad street lead to a small village square with a well, where an inn and a general store were situated among houses. The followed the sounds of voices and the soft glow of a warm hearth into “The Silver Vein Inn”. In the distance they could see another building under construction. This one was of stone and was built on it own plateau just a little above the rest of the town. The inn’s common room was very dim, and the tables were full of men dressed in dark utilitarian clothes, and black leather hats. They had dirty face and hands, and they had the smell of earth on them, which hung on the damp air. The warmth of the hearth came over the travelers, and they felt the exhaustion of the day’s travel and the damp that had worked its way down to the bone. The six of them took a table, as the miner patron looked at them strangely for a moment and then went back to their own meals and conversations. A young boy of about 12 years old with dirty blonde hair and fat chipmunk cheeks, came over to take their order. “I’m Nicholas,” the boy said. “Whaddya want?” “What do you have?” Kazrack asked. “Food. What the heck do ya think we got?” the boy said in a shrill voice. “You’re a dwarf like Rene is!” “Who is Rene?’ Kazrack asked. The boy sighed as if this were common knowledge throughout all of Aquerra, “She’s the priest of Thor here in town.” “A dwarven priest of…” he coughed. “Thor? I had heard of such things it saddens me.” (41) “Whatever,” said the boy. “Well, I will have an ale and some mutton. Have you got mutton?” “Yes, of course we have mutton. What do we look like? And potatoes?” The boy did not wait for the dwarf to answer. “Good, potatoes it is.” The boy came back with a tray full of plates and mugs. “No one else said what they wanted, so I brought the same thing for everyone,” Nicholas said. “Well, you didn’t as us,” Jeremy said. “Mister, if ya wanna be heard in this world, ya gotta speak up, or so my dad always says.” He served the food and left. “Sharp-tongue kid,” Jeremy observed. As the group ate, Kazrack and Beorth overheard some miner talking about the wolf at a table behind them. It seemed that the number of wolves had increased, and that they were endangering the local shepherds’ flocks of sheep and goats. Jeremy, Jana and Ratchis overheard some other miners saying how they thought the plague of wolves was a curse brought down by the goblins that had been “forced out of the mine” a year or so before, and that travel into and out of the town had become too dangerous to risk for most people. “Looks like we might have to help out with the wolf problem,” Kazrack said. “Why do you say that?” Jeremy inquired. “Well, if no one can leave the town, we can’t get a wainwright to come with us,” said the dwarf. “He’d be traveling with us. He’d be fine,” Jeremy said. “But still we should help these people,” Beorth said. “That is what I plan to do,” Ratchis said. “I need to take care of this wolf problem, with our without your help; though I’d prefer if I had it.” “You are guys are just incredible. Didn’t the incident with the goblins teach you anything? Why go after these wolves if we don’t have to?” said Jana. “Well, I have no problem with going after the wolves, but let’s see if we can gain something for doing it. We could all use some extra coinage,” said Jeremy. “Coinage is good, but I’m not so sure about going after foaming wolves. I was gravely wounded in that last encounter,” said Chance. Ratchis grunted. “Well, I’d like to help these people, “ said Kazrack. “but our first commitment is to the caravan and the contract we signed, but again, I think we’re going to have to end up doing it anyway.” Ratchis looked at the dwarf. The young boy, Nicholas, came back. “Ya want more ta drink?” “Yes,” said Kazrack. “Another ale for each of us.” “Okay, well that will be 18 cps up front and ya better give me a good tip, too.” “Nickie! Go get a bucket of fresh water from the well!” the innkeep called. “Dad! Don’t call me Nickie! And I’ll go in a second after I bring these weirdos some drinks!’ His father laughed at his son’s cheekiness, but Kazrack sneered. The boy retrieved their drinks and then went out to the well. “Well, first thing’s first – We need to find a wainwright,” Kazrack said. “Did you say, wainwright?” the innkeeper asked, as he had overheard as he walked by. “Yes.” “He’s sitting right over there,” the innkeep said pointing to a man sitting a table with two other men. Kazrack went over and was discussing terms with the man (who insisted he would not leave town while the danger of wolves existed), when there was a ruckus of screaming from outside. Ratchis immediately ran to the door, followed by Jeremy and Kazrack. “I hope that isn’t Nicholas,” Beorth said. From the door, Jeremy, Ratchis and Kazrack saw three townspeople being chased down by wolves. Little Nicholas stood frozen in fear by the well. Ratchis ran out after one wolf, while Jeremy moved towards another. Kazrack moved to block the path of one wolf heading toward Nicolas, but it out maneuvered him, as two other wolves knocked down townsfolk. Beorth stepped up to one just in time to see it pull the throat out of a man sending a shower of blood in all directions. Jeremy pulled his shortsword and longsword and engaged another wolf, as Kazrack decided it made more sense to go after the boy than the wolf, so when the boy panicked and ran the dwarf tackled him and shielded him with his own body, which allowed the wolf to grab a big chunk of the dwarf’s hindquarters in his teeth and start biting through the dwarf’s scale mail. Ratchis finished a wolf with one mighty blow and ran over and began to swing his quarterstaff at the one atop Kazrack, as Jeremy finished one wolf and went for another. Beorth was pulled off his feet in the muddy and bloody earth and had to struggle to get back and keep from being killed by a wolf as well. Beorth finally crushed the skull of the wolf he was fighting. As Jeremy and Ratchis tried to finish that last wolf that was determined to rip a hole in the dwarf who shielded the squirming kid, a ray of sickly green light flashed from behind them striking the wolf. They did not see where it came from, but its bites became less effective, and they skewered it. Yet, even as the party gained their breath from the battle, a howl caught their attention, and looking towards the top of the street they saw what appeared to be a very large and shaggy white wolf, that beheld them with intelligent ice blue eyes. They felt the blood in their veins freeze, as it cocked its head, taking them in, and then just as suddenly as he appeared, the mist rolled in across his position and when it cleared he was gone. “Didja see that?!” Chance exclaimed and then hushed his voice. “Twas a devil-wolf. Oh, Bes protect us!” “Yes, I did see it. What was that?” Jana aked. “I didn’t see anything,” Jeremy said. “Nicholas! Nicholas!” the innkeep came running out of the Silver Vein Inn and embraced his son, who Kazrack was just helping to get up off the ground. “How many times have I told you not to go out alone at night?” He turned to Kazrack. “You saved my son. You all did. Drinks are on me and you may stay in the common room of the inn for free tonight.” “These men are dead,” Beorth said, examining the townfolk ravaged by the wolves. “Someone needs to notify their families.” “Someone help me with these,” Ratchis said, beginning to drag the wolf bodies into a pile to burn. “You cannot burn those here. They need to be dragged to the edge of town,” said a man who walked out of one of the dark streets. He wore a chain shirt and held a loaded crossbow. “I am Sergeant Fnord, constable of Tallow’s Post.” He looked over at the dead men and clucked his tongue. “That is a shame. Thank you for your help, generally wolves would not attack the town itself. It must be the disease. People on the outskirts of town have been reporting wolf attacks.” He paused. “And you six are?” “I am Kazrack Delver,” the dwarf said. “My companions and I are here to acquire the services of a wainwright, but it looks like the wolves are getting in our way. We were thinking that perhaps we might help to take care of the problem.” “Well, the town would really appreciate it, and perhaps I could even get the burgomeister to offer some compensation,” Fnord said. “What shall I do with the bodies of these men? Shall we bring them to their families?” asked Beorth. “No, it would be better if their families did not see them like this without knowing what happened first. I will go and inform them, if you will do me the favor of bringing their bodies to my office.” “Of course,” Beorth said. So, Jeremy, Kazrack, Chance, Beorth and Jana brought the bodies to the constable’s office, while Ratchis remained behind to burn the wolves and watch for more. The tall woodsman went into the inn (which had cleared out as people went home after the wolf fight) and pulled a bench the shuttered window. He strung his bow and leaned his quiver of javelins against the wall, and laid his quarterstaff on the floor below him. The warmth of the hearth was getting to be too much, so he pulled off his fur cloak. --- Meanwhile, the others had to wait a while for Sergeant Fnord to return. “I’m sorry I took so long, but it would have been rude of me to give the families such news and then simply leave,” he said. “We understand,” said Beorth. The constable showed them inside his office. “I will not be able to speak to the Burgomeister until the morning, but like I said any help would be appreciated.” “Well, it looks like we don’t have much of a choice but to do something about the wolves,” Kazrack said. Jana and Chance looked at each other. “As the wainwright won’t leave town with the wolves running around,’ the dwarf added. “But why don’t you and your guards take care of it?” “There is only me and two deputies. We do not have the manpower for such a project. Normally, Rene would help us, but she is away on church business in Rockmar,” Fnord said. “Rene is the priestess of Thor?” Kazrack asked. “Yes. She helped with to get rid of the goblins that took over our mines just over a year ago, and as payment the burgomeister agreed to pay for half of building a temple of Thor in the town.” “We heard that the wolf infestation might be a some sort of revenge by the goblins,” Beorth said. “A curse?” “Unlikely,” concluded Fnord. “The adventuring party that cleared the mine, called the Oath (42) , collapsed the tunnel to a goblin city in the Plutonic Realms (43) and we haven’t had trouble with the goblins since. And from what I can remember, these goblins used worgs, which are intelligent, not normal wolves.” “Well, we should return to the inn and rest, since we will probably head out in the morning,” said Kazrack. “I will come by in the morning after I speak to the burgomeister,” said the seargeant. ----- At the Silver Vein Inn, they found Ratchis still waiting, and despite the dimness they could now see what their new companion looked like. The scar that Jeremy had noted before ran from above his eye down his cheek and over his eye; when he blinked they could see that the scratch was on his eyelid as well. Despite his broad shoulders, his head seemed disproportionately large. He had a large protruding jaw, with teeth that peeked out in a pronounced underbite from behind his swollen lower lip. Ratchis’ complexion was mottled, with lighter yellow splotches of skin color on his face chest, but darker on the neck and sides of his head his flat broad nose and cheeks was a wash in a myriad of freckles. His eyes, were brown with hints of red fleck, set into narrow slits beneath his nearly ridged brow; his hair was shoulder length nappy bunches of fiery copper, dulled by dirt and grime, tied back. About Ratchis’ neck was the dark shadow of an indigo tattoo, which looked like it probably reached beneath his clothing. “Damn, he’s ugly,” Chance said under his breath. The companions called for a nightcap, which the innkeep happily obliged them with. “Here ya go,” the old man said. “You know I was thinking, I bet the old hermit has something to do with whole wolf thing.” “Hermit?” asked Beorth. “Yes, some solitary man that lives in the woods north of here, where the wolves were seen coming from. People say he has dealings with goblins and might be warlock of some kind.” “Perhaps he’d be worth asking about this whole thing,” Kazrack said. “We’ll see in the morning.” “Well, I’ll tell ya one thing, if he’s got dealing with the devil wolf we saw he has ta be a warlock,” said Chance. The five companions and their guide found spots on the floor by the hearth and went to sleep to dream about hunting wolves or being hunted by them. [b][size=3]Balem, 12th of Ese - 564 H.E.[/size][/b][size=3][/size] The warmth that had evaded the companions’ journey for so long now, found them asleep on the common room floor. Birds chirped, and actual sunlight crept along the floor to itch their noses and makes them squirm to find comfort on the hard wood. They awoke to the innkeeper’s call of breakfast, hard-boiled eggs and butter on yesterday’s toasted bread. As they ate, the constable arrived with a hunched over elderly woman in tow. “Good morning,” Fnord said. “This woman lives on one of the out lying farms, and she came to me this morning to report what she had seen two nights ago and I thought you might find it interesting. Go ahead, Grandmother, tell them what you saw.” The old woman sat at a table and in a voice that creaked like a ship at sea began to speak, “It was two night ago, as I close up the house to go to sleep. I heard a howling and looked out from behind my shutters to see… “ She coughed, and clutched her shawl closer around her shoulders. “. . . a white ghostly wolf. . . It seemed to be almost floating over the ground, and it led a pack of other wolves that were trailing behind it.” The old woman wiped her rheumy eyes. “And then, just when I thought they were all gone, there comes another pale white ghostly form of a girl or something trailing them. It also seemed like it was floating above the ground.” “Ah knew it was a devil-wolf,” said Chance. “Grandmother, where was it going?” Kazrack asked. “In the direction of here, the town. I live alone, so it took me time to get things in order to get here as soon as I did.” “She has family in town that she is going to stay with,” Fnord said. “Will everyone from outlying farms be evacuated to town?” Kazrack asked. “Well, I am sure they know about the wolf plague by now. If they wanted to come into town they would, I cannot make them do so,” Fnord answered. “However, I did speak with Tallow, the burgomeister and he is willing to pay for the services of the wainwright to fix your wagon if you help with the wolf problem.” “That sounds acceptable,” said Jeremy, thinking of the money Crumb had given them to purchase the services. “Yes, that will be okay. . . Especially since we will have to get rid of the wolves to get the wainwright down to where the wagons are,” said Kazrack. “Where are the farms? We should go to where the wolves were last seen and track them from there.” “They were last seen here in town,” Jana said. “Too many people have probably walked around by now for the trail to be any good,” Ratchis said in his raspy voice from a dark corner. “Well, you can try anyway,” said Kazrack. “Yes I can.” “The innkeep mentioned and old hermit in the woods north of here,” Kazrack said, turning back to Fnord. “Said he works with goblins or something; do you know anything about this? “I have heard of the old hermit, and herbalist of some kind, but I know nothing of him and goblins. I don’t think he’s been around long, but I hear tell he lives in a shack almost a full day north of here, past the farms on the bank of the river. If you keep the water to you right, you should eventually get to it.” ---- However, as Ratchis had expected, the chance of finding a track at the entrance o town was scuffed away by the passing feet of villagers. So, the five travelers and their new companion, back in his fur cloak despite the growing heat of what looked like it just might be the coming of elfin summer (44), marched north by northeast towards where Fnord told them the farms were. Eventually they came to a tall embankment that looked down upon the farmsteads, and they could see a large number of dead sheep scattered before the closest one. “I’m going to go down there and look for tracks,” Ratchis said. “Shall we all come down?” asked Jeremy. “No, just keep a lookout, I’ll be back,” said the tall fur-clad man heading towards the steep incline. However, the woodsman miscalculated his decent and ended up tumbling head over feet down the thirty feet to a hard wind-knocking landing. “Are you okay?” Jeremy called down, his voice echoing across the landscape. Ratchis waved him off and walked off towards the closest farmstead. What he found was mess of dead sheep, their entrails trailing around the farm yard, and large bites ripped from their throats and flanks. He also noticed that while many sheep were killed only few were eaten and that there were a lot of regurgitated remains as well. The wolf spoor was two days old at the oldest. Ratchis searched around for a time and found a set of tracks that matched several wolves and followed it up where the embankment turned northward and was less steep. He followed it up, and then went to retrieve the party. The others had begun to wonder where Ratchis had disappeared to when he emerged beside them. “Come, I have found tracks that go to the east and north,” was all he said and turned to walk back the way he came. Kazrack, Beorth, Jeremy, Jana and Chance followed. They marched on with Ratchis trying to sustain a substantial lead to look for unspoiled tracks, but the party kept walking at the same pace and thus catching up with him, much to his annoyance. Also as they marched they all talked, Chance with Jana, Jeremy with Kazrack, Kazrack with Jana, Chance with Jeremy; talking about the wolves, the caravan, the hermit, Ratchis, and whatever else came to mind. Ratchis just kept looking back at them with a frustrated glare, to him it was a cacophony of monkeys. He had never heard people talk to so much. Eventually, he walked back to them and said, “First, keep it quiet back here, you can be heard for miles. Second, slow your pace to be equal to mine.” They all looked at each other wondering where he got the idea they talked so much. They had hardly talked at all, or so they thought. The group continued with some better progress. They stopped bumping into Ratchis as he kneeled to check for wolf signs, but still chattered too much for the tracker’s tastes. While looking, Ratchis found a new set of tracks, a bit fresher than those of the wolves that seemed to run parallel to them. They were small booted footprints of perhaps a woman or child. There seemed like it might be of just one figure. “Goblin?” he wondered. He walked back to the rest of the group. “Be wary of ambush, it seems like there are things other than wolves in these woods.” The companions continued northward, running roughly parallel with the river, which they could hear gurgling to their right. They heard birds chirping in delight of the return of the sun and warmth, but not much else as they still talked among themselves quite a bit. After another 20 minutes of marching, Ratchis had lost the tracks, but continued to in the same general northward direction, coming to a clearing that caught his eye. He motioned for the others to stop and peered into what seemed to have been a campsite. The charred remains of a small fire lay beside a fallen log, the woodsman crept along the perimeter of the clearing avoiding the center. However, a foaming-mouthed wolf emerged from the underbrush and took a bite of his calf, trying to pull the huge man to the ground. He was able to pull free and keep his feet by pure strength alone. Ratchis called out, and faced off against the wolf, but did not see the second wolf creeping from behind and pulling him from his feet, with another bite and pull. Jeremy ran out to aid Ratchis, but a third wolf emerged from the right to attack him, and when Beorth entered the clearing, yet another wolf emerged to attack the paladin. Kazrack entered the fray himself, heading towards Jeremy’s wolf, only to have yet another emerge. Ratchis found his feet, and turned to brandish his staff against both wolves at once. He slammed them with all his might on the snout, but they did not flee, but only growled, blood mixing with the white foam that bearded their faces. Jana and Chance stepped into the clearing, and the young girl tried to cause a wolf to flee, but it refused to give into the chill of arcane fear, and continued its assault. Ratchis was having a hard time handling two wolves at once, blood pouring profusely from his leg wounds, but finding an opening to withdraw from the beasts, he mumbled words and laid his hand upon his wounds healing some of his injuries; though none of the others noticed, as the wolves closed in once more. Kazrack made short work of his wolf, and was moving to aid Jeremy, when Jana and Chance gasped. At the north entrance to the clearing they noticed the intelligent ice blue eyes of the white wolf, its shoulders a tangle of thick fur, its white muzzle making the foam that dripped from his gums difficult to see. Ratchis was able to dispose of one wolf, but the other seemed stronger, if not just and violent and diseased, and bit him again. Beorth finished his, and ran to meet the great white wolf as it bounded towards Kazrack. The dwarf thrusted forward with his halberd, but the creature side stepped, and Beorth saw his opening. The beast moved in such a way to leave itself perfectly open, and his muscles tensed for the impact of what was bound to be a skull-splitting blow… but the blow did not connect! He looked again, and it seemed as if the blow had gone straight through the creature. The dwarf and the paladin, prepared another strike, but then the white wolf was gone! Jana cried out as she felt and immense pain in her thigh. She turned, wrenching her leg to see the white wolf standing behind her. Jeremy finished his combatant and began to run over to help with the white wolf, but as it avoided a flurry of blows by the companions who attempted to surround it, it disappeared again. Appearing this time behind Jeremy and biting him as well. Ratchis finished the last wolf and ran to join the fray. Jeremy landed a glancing blow with his short sword, but before any more damage could be dealt it, it disappeared again and was nowhere in sight. “Didja see that? Didja see what it did?” Chance said in a voice cloaked in fear. “What? I didn’t see anything, “ said Jeremy. “Though the white one did seem to move kind of fast. Where did it go?” “It just disappeared,” said Kazrack. “Back ta hell where it probably came from!” said Chance. “Calm down, Chance,” said Beorth. “We don’t know what it was. Though my blow seemed to go right through it.” “I was able to injure it slightly,” said Jeremy. As Ratchis stepped up to join the conversation, he paused and tilted his head. “You heard that, too?” Kazrack asked him. It was the sound of someone or something moving quickly through the foliage between the campsite and the river. The sound stopped and then immediately seemed to move in the opposite direction. Kazrack and Ratchis charged after it, followed by Beorth. Jeremy decided that it might be best to “cut off” what it was and began to take a circuitous route towards whatever it was. Jana began to make her way in that direction more cautiously, and Chance followed close behind. Kazrack and Ratchis stopped and listened again, when Kazrack spotted a figure crouched behind a tree. “There!” he pointed with his halberd, and ran in that direction. Whatever it was dashed into the undergrowth and kept going. Ratchis quickly passed the slower dwarf, and came around a large oak to be face to face with what they were chasing, and with a whispered breath, the huge woodsman toppled over into a slumber. Kazrack’s tumbled companion cleared the dwarf’s view of a slender androgynous figure, with long golden hair, large blue eyes, pale white skin, and tapered ears. Only the slightest swelling of a breast was visible beneath her near transparent wrap, and she wore long hip-high boots. In a flash of sunlight she turned and ran again, but Beorth who had not slowed down caught up to her as she tried to maneuver about another tree. She turned quickly and in a flash drew her short sword, holding the other hand up, in a unique fighting stance. [b]End of Session #5[/b] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [b]Notes:[/b] (40) Tallow’s Post was established to support the silver mine, Tallow’s Deep, both of which are run by Burgomeister Grundle Tallow. (41) In Aquerra, Thor is a member of the Kalevalan Pantheon of northern gods, and is god Thunder and Mountains, and a often a patron of dwarves in those realms. The worship of a human god by dwarves is looked down upon by most traditional dwarven communities. (42) The Oath this adventuring band is best known for the infiltration and razing of the slaver city, High Port in the Schrab Hills of western Thricia. (This Aquerra campaign ran from fall 1996 to winter 1999). (43) The Plutonic Realms are the expansive caverns and tunnels that exist beneath Aquerra, from the near-surface strongholds of black dwarves to the deepest colonies of illithids. At one time all the different pockets of these realms were connected by the tunnels of the Undersea, but many have been lost or collapsed since the height of the long ago fallen Second Dwarven Kingdom. (44) This is the common name for a short period of otherwise uncharacteristic time of near-summer-like condition in the mid-Autumn. Often harvests of autumn foods like apples and pumpkins are done during this time. [/QUOTE]
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