Session 20230323 First Blood then Vodka
General Summary
Marsday 3 Ascending Air, Year of the Dragon, Bronze era of the 11th epoch, Calendar
Bertrum's Journal
Hark! 'Tis Bertrum of the clan of blacksmiths, and with joy in my heart do I write this entry. I have finally finished the enchantment of my portable forge, and now, with it, I shall begin to properly instruct Yamak in the art of the forge.
'Twas after the skirmish with the vile "Blood on the Snow" that we arrived in a town, where Lyris, Nightshade, and I, Bertrum, made our way to the local Tavern. The place was alive with merriment, and I, being of a mind to engage in some fun, took part in a game of dice with some jolly locals after buying a round of ale for the room.
Then, Lyris started a performance of his new ballad about the battle with Blood on the Snow, and verily, it was a masterpiece! After the show, we were approached by a man named Hastiin, who offered to hire our caravan to transport food to Ardeleth, a domain to the west of us that had been ravaged by war. Lyris introduced the man to Fruitful Scrupulence, and a deal was struck.
As I played dice, I made enquiries of the townsfolk on how they procured their sustenance since they had no farms. They revealed that they farmed three-dimensionally, high in the trees, and used what I suspect to be magically enhanced crops.
The next day, our caravan, laden with food, departed for Ardeleth. Hastiin was paying us handsomely for our services, and we made it through the small domain of Jarrith without incident. However, when we arrived at the border with Ardeleth, the caravan had to register all its members, for the authorities were trying to keep out refugees. On the journey, I crafted a "survival flask" for our Ice Walker companions - it was a flask that could purify any water. They were impressed and traded me a good number of gems and jewels in exchange. Alas, upon arriving at our destination, we found the town destroyed and the people in dire need of aid. Hastiin explained that the whole country had not yet recovered from the war five years past. I could not stand by idle, and so I set about restoring the town's wells, which had been damaged in the war. Meanwhile, Lyris was approached by an angry mob of townsfolk who revered Blood on the Snow as a hero. They had somehow learned of Lyris' ballad about his defeat, and so they turned on him. Thankfully, Lyris avoided being mobbed by offering to fight their champion in a duel. They agreed, and a mighty warrior, claiming to be Blood on the Snow's lieutenant, stepped forth to do battle. Lyris emerged the victor, and his graciousness in victory won over the townsfolk. Nightshade provided whiskey, which they had not seen in some time, and that cheered them even more.
In light of this, we decided to build a distillery for the townsfolk. I came up with a design, assessed the local resources, and found that a local nut, unfit for eating, could be used to make vodka. Nightshade found some berries that would give it flavor. The resulting "First Blood Vodka" was a success, and we discussed the possibility of it being marketable.
Methinks my suspicions have been confirmed. Forsooth, I have become suspicious of Hastiin. 'Twas strange that he approached us about transporting food to Arbeleth, a task that was also the objective of Blood on the Snow. Moreover, I found it peculiar that the townsfolk had heard about Lyris singing his ballad back in Halta. Thus, I decided to test my theory and tell Blood on the Snow's lieutenant that we felt for the plight of his people and were happy to bring food, and he quickly confirmed that he could get a message to Blood on the Snow. Upon confronting Hastiin, he confessed to being Blood on the Snow, a shapeshifter. I asked Blood on the Snow about the exalted, the war, and some lore in general, and he was most informative. Methinks there is much that I can do to improve the lives of the people of Ardeleth, and I am most eager to begin. In light of this, I took Lyris and Nightshade aside and proposed that we leave the caravan for a time and assist Blood on the Snow in rebuilding Ardeleth. Nightshade was keen to help, but Lyris, always on the lookout for epic adventures, was more dubious. I reminded Lyris that hitching our wagon to one of the Exalted promised much more likelihood of epic adventure than travelling with a caravan whose main goal was to avoid danger. Methinks that this is a worthy cause, and I am most eager to get started on this quest. I shall keep thee, dear journal, updated on our progress. Farewell for now, Bertrum
The next day, our caravan, laden with food, departed for Ardeleth. Hastiin was paying us handsomely for our services, and we made it through the small domain of Jarrith without incident. However, when we arrived at the border with Ardeleth, the caravan had to register all its members, for the authorities were trying to keep out refugees. On the journey, I crafted a "survival flask" for our Ice Walker companions - it was a flask that could purify any water. They were impressed and traded me a good number of gems and jewels in exchange. Alas, upon arriving at our destination, we found the town destroyed and the people in dire need of aid. Hastiin explained that the whole country had not yet recovered from the war five years past. I could not stand by idle, and so I set about restoring the town's wells, which had been damaged in the war. Meanwhile, Lyris was approached by an angry mob of townsfolk who revered Blood on the Snow as a hero. They had somehow learned of Lyris' ballad about his defeat, and so they turned on him. Thankfully, Lyris avoided being mobbed by offering to fight their champion in a duel. They agreed, and a mighty warrior, claiming to be Blood on the Snow's lieutenant, stepped forth to do battle. Lyris emerged the victor, and his graciousness in victory won over the townsfolk. Nightshade provided whiskey, which they had not seen in some time, and that cheered them even more.
In light of this, we decided to build a distillery for the townsfolk. I came up with a design, assessed the local resources, and found that a local nut, unfit for eating, could be used to make vodka. Nightshade found some berries that would give it flavor. The resulting "First Blood Vodka" was a success, and we discussed the possibility of it being marketable.
Methinks my suspicions have been confirmed. Forsooth, I have become suspicious of Hastiin. 'Twas strange that he approached us about transporting food to Arbeleth, a task that was also the objective of Blood on the Snow. Moreover, I found it peculiar that the townsfolk had heard about Lyris singing his ballad back in Halta. Thus, I decided to test my theory and tell Blood on the Snow's lieutenant that we felt for the plight of his people and were happy to bring food, and he quickly confirmed that he could get a message to Blood on the Snow. Upon confronting Hastiin, he confessed to being Blood on the Snow, a shapeshifter. I asked Blood on the Snow about the exalted, the war, and some lore in general, and he was most informative. Methinks there is much that I can do to improve the lives of the people of Ardeleth, and I am most eager to begin. In light of this, I took Lyris and Nightshade aside and proposed that we leave the caravan for a time and assist Blood on the Snow in rebuilding Ardeleth. Nightshade was keen to help, but Lyris, always on the lookout for epic adventures, was more dubious. I reminded Lyris that hitching our wagon to one of the Exalted promised much more likelihood of epic adventure than travelling with a caravan whose main goal was to avoid danger. Methinks that this is a worthy cause, and I am most eager to get started on this quest. I shall keep thee, dear journal, updated on our progress. Farewell for now, Bertrum
Report Date
23 Mar 2023