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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
Welcome to the Halmae (updated 2/27/07)
- Thread starter spyscribe
- Start date
spyscribe
First Post
Part the Thirty-Third:
In which: the party hits the road. The road just lies there and takes it.
The Morrin family lives near a small hamlet outside the city walls, a journey of only a few hours on horseback. To avoid looking like a mob, the party splits into two groups of three, Thatch, Reyu and Dennis going to the town center while Anvil, Essela, and Lira veer off to the Morrin family farm.
**********
Amelia’s mother, Amanda Morrin, having just gotten over the shock of finding a Justicar on her doorstep, the horror at learning of the fire at the Mages’ Academy, and the intense relief of finding out her daughter was unharmed, is frankly aghast at the idea of Amelia having some kind of magical protector.
“Well, they aren’t doing a very good job of it, are they?” she points out. “We asked her if she didn’t want to come home after… you know, but she was dead set on becoming a wizard. Never did have much of an interest in the farm.”
“Were there any unusual incidents as Amelia was growing up?” Anvil asks.
She shakes her head, “Nah. Had a bit of colic when she was a young one, then spent all her time reading fairy stories or hanging about with the village alchemist. He taught her a little magic; then she left for the Academy in Dar Pykos. You know what happened next.”
“This alchemist. What is his name?”
Amanda thinks for a moment.
(Note: okay, we had been talking to a lot of NPC lately, and although Fajitas keeps a list of Pykosian NPC names, it was starting to get a bit thin. So, we go on this little jaunt, and hear about the alchemist, and naturally, Bad Monkey Jeff (Anvil’s player) asks for his name.
Fajitas: Of course, he needs a name… >much flipping of pages and muttering ensues<
Bad Monkey Jeff: What of his family? Did he have any brothers? What were their names?
Fajitas: No! No family, no brothers, no parents! He just appeared one day, we don’t really know what happened!
We decided that probably wasn’t a plot hook. )
“Gregor,” she replies at last.
After a bit more light conversation, Anvil decides he is unlikely to get any more useful information from this source. “Would you like Kettenek’s blessing on your farm?” he asks abruptly.
Amanda looks to the turning leaves and then to the cleric on her porch. “Well, it’s Sedellus’s time, but we’d—“
“Excellent.” Anvil turns and marches down the steps. He starts to circle the fields, praying and casting detect magic as he goes.
Essela and Lira are left on the porch. “So,” Lira breaks the awkward silence before she can be pressed into service stringing green beans, “what did you say your sons’ names were again?”
**********
Meanwhile, back in town, Reyu and the others have found the alchemist on their own, but he has no new insights on the matter. Amelia was a very bright girl, with a certain knack for wizardry, but he never saw any evidence of links to supernatural creatures or abilities beyond her training.
“She did love fairy tales though,” he remembers. “You know, all the old stories about shining heroes and villains justly punished.”
Reyu raises an eyebrow, and exchanges a significant glance with Thatch and Dennis. Justice has been something that’s been distinctly lacking in Amelia’s life lately.
**********
Dark has already fallen by the time the party returns to Dar Pykos, and only the fact that they travel with a Justicar convinces the night watchmen to open their gate and let them in.
The next morning, they pay a visit to Professor Alexandra. They find her in the main courtyard, coordinating the remaining faculty and students, answering questions. She looks harried in the extreme. Anvil approaches, negotiating the throng that surrounds her.
“Professor. We require a few moments of your time.”
“Go ahead.” Alexandra replies, not looking up from the vellum someone has pushed under her nose to sign.
Anvil looks around, there are at least thirty people in easy earshot, most of whom have stopped what they’re doing to listen. That didn’t work out so well last time. Anvil clears his throat. “In private. This is a matter of Kettenek’s Justice.”
**********
In the professor’s private office, the silence lingers. No one has really been looking forward to this. Finally, Reyu clears her throat. “Are you… aware of a dockworker murdered the night before last?”
An expression not unrelated to disgust flits across Professor Alexandra’s features. “How could I not be? With half the town claiming he was beaten to death by students, we can’t let them outside without someone spitting at them, or throwing rocks, or worse.” She rubs the bridge of her nose wearily. “Tell me you’ve found out it was some drunken dispute.”
“We suspect it was Amelia.” Anvil informs her flatly. “Has she been studying evil things?”
The Professor is unimpressed by his bluntness. “No.”
Reyu tries the more diplomatic approach. “We do not necessarily believe she is the actor here, but… misfortunes seem to follow her.”
The professor sighs. “The last thing the school needs is a murder investigation. I can’t let you take her into custody unless you have proof. We’re sitting on a powder keg and that would be more than enough to set it off.” Alexandra winces at her own metaphor. “I mean, relations between arcanists and the rest of the city are… not us literally, here… It’s rather delicate,” she finishes finally.
“Professor, have you slept…?” Lira doesn’t bother to finish her question. The look on Alexandra’s face makes the answer self-evident.
“There is no rest for those seeking Justice,” Anvil intones.
A silence falls on the room.
“Does Amelia have any friends we could talk do?” Dennis asks.
“Not many, she’s a quiet girl, keeps to herself. Not surprising, considering…” The professor sits back in her chair and closes her eyes in thought. For a moment, it seems that she may have dropped off, but her eyes soon flutter open again. “You might want to talk to Neville. He was always trying to hang around her, even if she wasn’t interested in letting him. And… Hadass. They were friends. At least as far as either one of them had friends.”
The party thanks the professor, and quickly takes their leave. As she watches them go, Alexandra makes one last request. “Please, keep this quiet. I don’t need a riot on top of everything else.”
In which: the party hits the road. The road just lies there and takes it.
The Morrin family lives near a small hamlet outside the city walls, a journey of only a few hours on horseback. To avoid looking like a mob, the party splits into two groups of three, Thatch, Reyu and Dennis going to the town center while Anvil, Essela, and Lira veer off to the Morrin family farm.
**********
Amelia’s mother, Amanda Morrin, having just gotten over the shock of finding a Justicar on her doorstep, the horror at learning of the fire at the Mages’ Academy, and the intense relief of finding out her daughter was unharmed, is frankly aghast at the idea of Amelia having some kind of magical protector.
“Well, they aren’t doing a very good job of it, are they?” she points out. “We asked her if she didn’t want to come home after… you know, but she was dead set on becoming a wizard. Never did have much of an interest in the farm.”
“Were there any unusual incidents as Amelia was growing up?” Anvil asks.
She shakes her head, “Nah. Had a bit of colic when she was a young one, then spent all her time reading fairy stories or hanging about with the village alchemist. He taught her a little magic; then she left for the Academy in Dar Pykos. You know what happened next.”
“This alchemist. What is his name?”
Amanda thinks for a moment.
(Note: okay, we had been talking to a lot of NPC lately, and although Fajitas keeps a list of Pykosian NPC names, it was starting to get a bit thin. So, we go on this little jaunt, and hear about the alchemist, and naturally, Bad Monkey Jeff (Anvil’s player) asks for his name.
Fajitas: Of course, he needs a name… >much flipping of pages and muttering ensues<
Bad Monkey Jeff: What of his family? Did he have any brothers? What were their names?
Fajitas: No! No family, no brothers, no parents! He just appeared one day, we don’t really know what happened!
We decided that probably wasn’t a plot hook. )
“Gregor,” she replies at last.
After a bit more light conversation, Anvil decides he is unlikely to get any more useful information from this source. “Would you like Kettenek’s blessing on your farm?” he asks abruptly.
Amanda looks to the turning leaves and then to the cleric on her porch. “Well, it’s Sedellus’s time, but we’d—“
“Excellent.” Anvil turns and marches down the steps. He starts to circle the fields, praying and casting detect magic as he goes.
Essela and Lira are left on the porch. “So,” Lira breaks the awkward silence before she can be pressed into service stringing green beans, “what did you say your sons’ names were again?”
**********
Meanwhile, back in town, Reyu and the others have found the alchemist on their own, but he has no new insights on the matter. Amelia was a very bright girl, with a certain knack for wizardry, but he never saw any evidence of links to supernatural creatures or abilities beyond her training.
“She did love fairy tales though,” he remembers. “You know, all the old stories about shining heroes and villains justly punished.”
Reyu raises an eyebrow, and exchanges a significant glance with Thatch and Dennis. Justice has been something that’s been distinctly lacking in Amelia’s life lately.
**********
Dark has already fallen by the time the party returns to Dar Pykos, and only the fact that they travel with a Justicar convinces the night watchmen to open their gate and let them in.
The next morning, they pay a visit to Professor Alexandra. They find her in the main courtyard, coordinating the remaining faculty and students, answering questions. She looks harried in the extreme. Anvil approaches, negotiating the throng that surrounds her.
“Professor. We require a few moments of your time.”
“Go ahead.” Alexandra replies, not looking up from the vellum someone has pushed under her nose to sign.
Anvil looks around, there are at least thirty people in easy earshot, most of whom have stopped what they’re doing to listen. That didn’t work out so well last time. Anvil clears his throat. “In private. This is a matter of Kettenek’s Justice.”
**********
In the professor’s private office, the silence lingers. No one has really been looking forward to this. Finally, Reyu clears her throat. “Are you… aware of a dockworker murdered the night before last?”
An expression not unrelated to disgust flits across Professor Alexandra’s features. “How could I not be? With half the town claiming he was beaten to death by students, we can’t let them outside without someone spitting at them, or throwing rocks, or worse.” She rubs the bridge of her nose wearily. “Tell me you’ve found out it was some drunken dispute.”
“We suspect it was Amelia.” Anvil informs her flatly. “Has she been studying evil things?”
The Professor is unimpressed by his bluntness. “No.”
Reyu tries the more diplomatic approach. “We do not necessarily believe she is the actor here, but… misfortunes seem to follow her.”
The professor sighs. “The last thing the school needs is a murder investigation. I can’t let you take her into custody unless you have proof. We’re sitting on a powder keg and that would be more than enough to set it off.” Alexandra winces at her own metaphor. “I mean, relations between arcanists and the rest of the city are… not us literally, here… It’s rather delicate,” she finishes finally.
“Professor, have you slept…?” Lira doesn’t bother to finish her question. The look on Alexandra’s face makes the answer self-evident.
“There is no rest for those seeking Justice,” Anvil intones.
A silence falls on the room.
“Does Amelia have any friends we could talk do?” Dennis asks.
“Not many, she’s a quiet girl, keeps to herself. Not surprising, considering…” The professor sits back in her chair and closes her eyes in thought. For a moment, it seems that she may have dropped off, but her eyes soon flutter open again. “You might want to talk to Neville. He was always trying to hang around her, even if she wasn’t interested in letting him. And… Hadass. They were friends. At least as far as either one of them had friends.”
The party thanks the professor, and quickly takes their leave. As she watches them go, Alexandra makes one last request. “Please, keep this quiet. I don’t need a riot on top of everything else.”
So what are Pykosian names based on? My own bad habit is to use too many people named "Bob". I've tried to mitigate this a bit by affixing surnames: professions, city of origin, or street names. Bob Treelane, Bob Smith, Bob Cormyr, etc. It's really sad when you have to start using more than one of the options (Bob Daggerdell-Weavermain). 
. . . . . . . -- Eric
. . . . . . . -- Eric
KidCthulhu
First Post
Fajitas said:Hmph. To you, maybe...
I feel your pain, my friend. I have to stop making up names on the fly, because I can never remember them! And then my smart alec players are always asking about them. "Hey, remember that guy we met 3 months ago? The shop keeper? What was his name?"
Fajitas
Hold the Peppers
Pyske said:
Pykosian names are by-and-large English, by which I mean British. I decided this not quite early enough into the game, which is why, for example, Regger/Reller/Remmer had a weird, made-up fantasy name. If I had it to do over, his names would be Nick/Rick/Dick, or some variant thereof.
Every major location in the Halmae (i.e. city-state or kingdom) has its own naming convention, thus it's usually easy to tell from the name of an NPC what his place of origin is. Many religious orders (Justicars and Guardians being the most obvious) also have naming conventions.
Last edited:
spyscribe
First Post
KidCthulhu said:
For the record, the session now being recounted--which goes back to the morning after the fire and goes through a couple more updates at least--with its numerous chats with even more numerous NPCs is what gave rise to my compulsive note-taking at the table in the first place. *shrug* It seemed perfectly harmless at the time...
So in our game, when we're trying to remember the name of the shopkeeper from three months ago, if Fajitas doesn't remember, he just shrugs and looks at me.
It also means that a lot of NPCs helpfully spell their unsusual names upon first meeting the party.
Bad Monkey Jeff
First Post
And to me! We have you outnumbered!Fajitas said:Hmph. To you, maybe...
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