Arc 1: The Crucible

Story Background

Our story begins on Holika Eve (or simply Holika or Holi), a day of merriment, drinking and games celebrated on the first full moon after the spring equinox.

This year (1020), the festival takes place on 4 Avril, coincidentally the birthday of Thane Sensé Champoux II , the ruler of the settlement. Ironically, the Thane and her husband Lord Robert are not presently in town, having been called away for a regular five-year renewal of her vows of fealty to the Countess of Boulais five months ago. She has not returned nor sent back word. To be fair, however, the mountain passes have been closed with snow since mid-December and only likely passable a few weeks ago, and no merchants have traveled up the Via Lorinne to Kalai either. In the Thane’s absence, the mine manager "Black Rolf" Rolf Idrisson is in charge, since the Thane’s daughter Clarity is only 17 and still a few months shy of her majority.

The weather is starting to turn from winter to spring now, and rain is becoming more common than snow, even though large patches of snow still linger in areas of shade where the sun does not yet climb high enough to reach.Normally, Holika is also a time of feasting, but this year things are much more bleak. Avril is a time when food supplies are nearly at their lowest, as people have long since eaten their fresh crops and it is still too early and cold to expect new plants to produce food.

Usually by this time, people have slaughtered their extra animals to leave only their breeding stock, and often rely almost entirely on stored grain to get through to the early June harvest of the first winter wheat. However, the huge lower grinding stone of the grain mill broke in two while grinding last Novembre, and its replacement from Lorinne has not yet arrived. Without a millstone, grinding wheat into flour can only be done laboriously by a hand-turned quern, creating barely enough flour to keep the citizens fed. People are growing thin and starting to grumble, and some have resorted to butchering their breeding animals. Of course, the baked goods that are a hallmark of this holiday are notably absent this year.

Structure

Exposition

The Opening of the Festival

It is two hours past noon, the traditional hour of the opening of the Holika Festival. It seems the entire village has gathered, even drawing in what must be most of the farmers that live in Longshadow Dale to the west of town. The crowd has assembled in the broad plaza of the Heights, in front of Champoux Manor. There are a series of trestle tables set up in a line on the edge of the plaza near the Thane's Hall. Normally, these would be groaning under the weight of the Spring Feast, but with the recent privation everyone knows that won't be happening. Yet the tables are still there, but are draped in long linen cloths the clearly cover something that can't be made out by shape. People mill about and speculate and laugh and gossip.

A hush falls as Lady Clarity Champoux emerges from the manor, flanked by Tobin and Haj, the two remaining hearthguards in the city. She is a rare beauty, sometimes called Clarity Elfblooded for her pale skin and honey blonde hair. At only 17, she is trying to do her part to keep up appearances in her mother's long absence, but her nervousness is visible in occasional glances or the tension in her shoulders. She steps to the crowd and begins to speak:

"People of Kalai! Welcome to the Festival of Holika Eve! We join with friends, family, and countrymen all across Lysonne to commemorate the downfall of Holika Dahan. We honor and worship Sakshi Ganil, The Unseen Blade, the Inescapable Judge, for hurling down the demoness in flames and saving the people. And of course at sunset, as is our custom, we will place Holika on our pyre of our own in Bastion Square! Lodare i Cinque!" Applause and cheering.

"There are many other festivities and merrymaking planned for today, beginning with the traditional Greased Goblin run starting from this very plaza! But before we get everything started, I need to address a concern we all face. It is no secret that this winter has been hard, and the loss of the millstone has made things especially so. The long absence of the Thane my mother has led many to lose hope, but I urge you to persevere. I know we have all come to long anticipate the feasting, the baked delights, and the pastries that Holika Eve brings, and I know we are sorely disappointed to lack them. But as Holika this year falls on 4 Avril--which is also my mother's birthday--I have decided to let us feast on grain of a different sort--"

She gestures behind her, and servants pull away the cloths covering the tables, revealing ranks upon ranks of filled tankards brimming with ale and mead.

"I have opened my family's ale stores to the entire village! Drink, be merry, and have a Bright Holika!"

There is a thunderous cheer of approval, and the crowd surges forward to the tables, someone starts singing a traditional song "The Six Arms of Holika," and a barker immediately begins calling for runners to sign up for the Greased Goblin run.

Rumors

The Thane never ordered a new millstone to replace the worn-out one. She’s given up on the village and just abandoned us to starve!
There’s a priest slated to be branded tonight. The bastard stole and ate a goat kid while the rest of us are starving!
Wiglaf, a big blonde mountain of a miner, decided two weeks ago he’d been hungry enough, and he went down to the lake in the Chasm to try to catch some fish. He hasn’t been seen since!
Spring crops should be six inches high by now, but the lingering cold has killed many of the sprouts or stunted them to an inch or two. Even early harvests might be delayed a month or more...if it doesn’t get any colder.
Pastore Roguelin is drunk as often as he is sober and the Church has sent a Custode to bring him in line!
The Thane is dead and her daughter Clarity doesn’t want to admit it.
Black Rolf has designs to marry Clarity and become Thane.
The goblins have a huge cache of flour hidden away. Where do you think their tagliatelle (noodles) comes from?
The rakashans (tigermen) have been especially aggressive this year. Since the Thane took all but two of the hearthguards with her, the Via Lorinne is deadly. Stick together!
The city of Marnesse is said to have the Plague! Called the Red Tears, its victims bleed from the eyes and ears and don’t last a week!
There are horrible monsters in Earthfall Chasm...ones that make rakashans look like kittens! Dewey Daviessen was trapping down there once years ago, and barely got out with his life! They hunger for human flesh, but something keeps them trapped down there...luckily.
Nick Belching says that many miners have been whispering that the deep mines are getting colder...much colder than any underground space they’ve ever felt.
There used to be a witch in town--Lady Elwisia--but she went down into the Chasm 10 years ago and never returned.
The ruins outside town were an ancient home built by two lovers that perished horribly in a fire one night. Their spirits still haunt the stones, but they won’t attack young couples who demonstrate their bravery by kissing next to the sundial.

Conflict

Festival of Holika Eve

(Common Greetings: “Have a Bright Holika!” or simply “Bright Holi.”)
There are six events this year. Normally, there are seven, but the Drunken Gallant drinking contest normally hosted by the Belching Dragon Tavern is not being held this year. Instead, Lady Clarity has opened his entire supply of ale, mead, and wine free for the entire festival! Characters can win prizes, and players can win free Edges for their characters. The offered events are: Greased Goblin
(The Heights) The first event of day pits runners against the agility of an fleet-footed, oiled-up volgare (Disprezzo) who leads them on a merry chase throughout the village while people throw colored powder at them. The first to grapple him (to a Bound state) wins. The volgare wears only a loincloth and is covered in animal tallow. (6-card Chase setup. Disprezzo starts on Card 2. 3 other runners Athletics d6 vs Athletics d6. Grapple -2 vs. same. Use to meet Clarity (who drops the handkerchief to start the race and to describe town layout). Winner gains a copper cup (10p value) and the Free Runner Edge.

Prick the Pig

(Bastion Square) Miners charged with laziness on the job can avoid extra duty hours by taking half-hour shifts as the “Pig” in this game. They wear a hollowed out pig’s head over their own (limiting their vision) and stand 30 feet on a 4-ft square swinging platform. Players get three spears (with wooden ball-shaped heads dipped in colored powder with a ¼” long nail protruding from the tip) that they throw and try to hit the Pig. (Dramatic Task: Three Athletics checks at DC 4, but -2 for Unsteady Platform) Use to meet Black Rolf Rolf Idrisson , who explains why these Pigs were chosen, and miners Jerom and Oswalt (among others) as Pigs. Winner gains a fine boar spear (2sh) and the Steady Hands Edge.

Sir Percy’s Retort

(Cittebasse) A contest of insults played in front of a judging crowd (Sir Percy is the Paladin of Cutting Words.). The game is specifically arranged to have no consequences for the insulter; if a participant becomes incensed they are doused with a cask of water. Led by Gusto (Social Conflict: Three Opposed Taunt vs Taunt d6). Result: Fail is out. 1-3 gains a coxcomb hat (no value but notoriety 4-5 gains hat and the Bolster Edge; 6+ wins the hat and the Minor Enemy hindrance.

Hero and Leander

(Wooden O Theatre , The Gallery) This is a courting challenge named for the Paladin lovers. Only unmarried characters can enter. They will be paired with a member of the opposite gender (or the same if both parties are agreeable). One partner’s right leg will be tied securely to the other’s right, and they are to remain together until the evening ceremony. The goal is to flirt and court and possibly find a marriage match. (Dramatic Task: Five Community checks, -2 because of awkward situation.) Use to meet Tobiasch , owner of the Wooden O and a Bardatti, and connect two PCs or two create meat shield for the later encounter at the ruins. Success gains a romantic partner (at least temporarily) and the Charismatic Edge

L’Ancien Jeu

(The Belching Dragon) The “Ancient Game” is the classic riddle contest, pitting participants (especially scholars and learned clergy) in a battle of wits. Led by Nicholas Belching(person:363955db-cb02-4b9c-91ba-98f44e3628fd) . [i. Use to meet Nick Belching(d6), Eisley the Beadle (d8) and Theodandros of Llys (d10). Winner gains a fine book of classic riddles (10sh) and the Alertness Edge.

Handsome Ox

(The Crescent) Participants have one minute to haul a heavily-laden cart 30 feet. (Dramatic Task: Five Strength checks vs DC 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12). Use to establish a romantic connection and get to the Ruins if no one joined the courting. Passing 3 or more gains winner a wide belt of intricately worked leather (1sh) and the Brawny Edge.

Rising Action

Encounter at the Ruins

At some point, a PC will find themselves at the ruins with a potential paramour. Depending on how it happens, the two may be literally tied to each other’s leg. The ruins are little more than the corner of a ruined wall and a short pillar with a sort of half-sun carved into the top. There is a not-quite round hole at the base of the sun where someone has shoved a foot-long stick, because it was discovered long ago the carving worked as a kind of crude sundial.

Suddenly a tall Matelot man appears at the edge of ruins and advances toward them. He has a dark purple eyepatch over his right eye, carries a black staff topped with an iron spike, and wears a black achkan coat. Four men walk behind him, covered in muddy, roughspun wool cloaks with hoods drawn up. One of these men also has an eyepatch, but his looks more like a bandage, and the right side of his cheek has streaks of old blood and pus that have matted in the side of his unkempt beard. The men are holding stone-tipped spears in their filthy hands and stand between you and escape.

The Matelot man says (evil voice), “Where is the Oculare??” When the PC doesn’t know, he repeats the question. If anyone advances on the man, spears appear at their throat. The man flips up his eyepatch, revealing a rotting, festering eye in a gaping socket that has had both eyelids cut off. He says some guttural, harsh words and the PC can feel icy fingers probing their brain, looking for information. The NPC faints. Roll a Terror (Spirit) check: Success means they stay conscious, but take a level of Fatigue and feel light-headed and slump to the ground, unable to move their limbs for several minutes. Failure indicates they pass out and take a level of Terror trauma.

The man will then scratch the slashed eye symbol into the pedestal with the spike on his staff before he and his cronies melt into the night. If the PCs report this incident, Black Rolf will be concerned but as there is no evidence, little can be done but take note of it...if he believes the person at all. He will likely think it a prank by someone in town trying to scare gropers in the ruins.

Rollo One-Eye. He has a prominent, hooked nose and an eyepatch covering his right eye that has been “made unblinking” to honor Eselde, and his hair is short and dark on the sides and balding on top.
Acolytes (4). P 6 (5), T 6, Vigor d8, Fight d6, Stealth d8, Dam 2d6.

Climax

The Attack

As the sun sets and the day changes to purple twilight, the Holika bonfire is lit, and the smoke and flames dance up to the wooden effigy of the four-armed, blue-skinned demon who wears a skirt made of human arms and a necklace made of strung-together infant skulls.

Pastore Roguelin announces the crime of the Promesso and points out that even the clergy is not above the law. The PC is brought to the block and his head tied down, his right cheek up. Roguelin heats the coals, lifts the red-hot brand...and an arrow takes him in the shoulder!

A tall blonde man, snarling like an animal, runs into Bastion Square and smashes a man’s skull with a thick tree branch. It’s Wiglaf, the fisherman who disappeared two weeks ago! Behind Wiglaf are a dozen more tall men, hurling javelins and swinging gnarled clubs at any and all while arrows fly in from unseen archers. Impossibly, all of the men are Wiglaf! Their features are identical, though their gear and clothing are individually different and they are all barefoot. Panic grips the crowd and chaos ensues.

Benedicte the Cercatore, still in his hauberk, draws his longsword, looks at the Promesso PC, and cuts his bonds before leaping into the fray. Adelena, still in the stocks, screams for help. A few moments later, six more “Wiglafs” add to the attackers. More arrows fly in from the darkness. Handle this as a Quick Encounter. Get a “what are you trying to do” from each character and make the appropriate roll. A Critical Failure means the character is killed.
Running Away. Make an Athletics check at -2 because of the chaos of the crowd. Raise: You escape unscathed and gain the Yellow Hindrance. Success: survive with 1 level of Fatigue from Bumps and Bruise and gain the Quick Edge; Failure: take a Wound and roll on the Injury Table and gain the Slow Hindrance. If the first check succeeded, THEN Roll a Regret (Spirit) check. Success means they saw little of the fate of others as they ran. Failure means they witnessed someone in trouble--someone they could have helped--and then find that person dead or maimed after the battle as a direct result of their cowardice. Take a level of Regret.
Fighting. Make a Fighting check. This will be at an additional -2 if the PC has no weapon (Unarmed Defender), or at -1 (Improvised Weapon) if they can think of something to grab. There are very few actual weapons to be had (the poleaxe is one). The Prick the Pig “spears” are available, and a PC may still have the prize boar spear. The heated brand still lies near the priest. Two Raises: escape unscathed, gain the Brave Edge. Raise: survive with 1 level of Fatigue from Bumps and Bruises and gain a skill die increase in Fighting. Success: take 1 Wound but don’t roll on the Injury Table and ain a skill die in Guts; Failure: Gain the Heroic Hindrance and take a Wound and roll on the Injury Table.
Stealth. If they choose to hide, make a Stealth check at +1 because of the chaos. Raise: Gain the Small Hindrance (the character hid in a place most people couldn’t fit) and escape unscathed; Success: survive with 1 level of Fatigue from Bumps and Bruises and gain the Cautious Hindrance; Failure: take 2d6 Damage and roll on the Incapacitation and Injury Tables and gain the Clumsy Hindrance. If the first check succeeded, THEN Roll a Trauma (Spirit) Check. Success means where they hid they saw little or nothing of the battle. Failure means they hid, but witnessed atrocities in the battle that mentally scar them. Take a Level of Trauma.

The Aftermath

Once several people have been kidnapped, the attackers will retreat, covered by arrow fire. The whole attack took less than two minutes, and Black Rolf and a hearthguard showed up about two minutes after it was over.1d6 people lie dead, including the hearthguard Tobin and the parent of the Reliquary, if applicable, who will croak out for the PC to take the cloak, then cough up blood and die. 2d8 more are wounded, including Benedicte Kampari in his right leg. People are saying several people were carried off by the attackers. They have carried off Bardolf, Geffroi, Lunette, an alewife named Becca, and a stocky miner named Myles.

Kampari says that when he was wounded, the men started to grab him and drag him toward the gate, but that another of the “Wiglaf” men yelled at them...in Lingua Santa! The man said, “No! First the old priest for One-Eye, THEN we take food!” The men dropped Kampari and rejoined the fight, and later Kampari saw them dragging off Eisley the Beadle. He implores the PCs to rescue Eisley, as he is “hidden treasure of the Church.”

No attacker’s bodies were left, unless the PCs specifically held onto one. Someone reports seeing the attackers throwing their dead off the cliff as they ran. If the corpses are sought out, they look like Rakashans.

Falling Action

Follow the Kidnappers?

The light is fading and a slight drizzle is beginning. The tracks are not hard to follow, at least for now. You notice that though the attackers looked like men, the prints on the ground look like large cat prints over six inches across rather than prints made by human feet. With well over a dozen attackers and several victims all moving rapidly, there are plenty of signs to show that the band ran along the Via Lorinne (the main road) and dove off into the underbrush about 100 yards from the gate. Just behind some screening bushes, the wind strikes you as your view opens up across the entire Chasm, and a narrow and torturously steep makes its way down the cliff face...

Rolf will marshall some men to get hunting bows and man the gate throughout the night.Rolf will refuse to track the enemy into the night (and the Chasm) without trained warriors. “I wouldn’t go down there after them even if I had the golden balls of Viresh!” He won’t leave 300 defenseless for the lives of 3 or 4. He can supply a few spears if there are fools crazy enough to chase after the attackers .If the fog comes up while you’re in the Chasm, you’ll never make it back out. No one ever has.

Resolution

The Disagreement

The trail leads down in switchbacks and curves along a section of nearly vertical cliff wall. The light fades into darkness under an overcast sky, and behind you, far above, you can see the twinkle of the Holika bonfire of Kalai nearly a mile above you. If the PCs have no light source, they’ll have to make Agility rolls at -2 to avoid a level of Fatigue from Bumps and Bruises.

Near the bottom of the canyon the front PC hear the clatter of small rocks being dislodged just ahead, and then silence. Deal Initiative (for order not combat). What do you do? (The noise was caused by Becca, a young Kalite alewife who is hiding from the party behind some rocks up ahead.)Rounding a switchback, the trail widens into a flat area about twenty feet across.

At the near edge of the area, a humanoid-shaped body lies motionless. As your light hits its, it seems to be a Rakashan--a tiger-man--covered in orange and black fur with a tiger’s head and clawed hands. He lies on his side with his back to you, and his midsection is transfixed by a wooden shaft that ends in a stone spearpoint that protrudes several inches from his back. In the middle of the clearing lies another Rakashan on his back. His fur is soaked down its chest and stomach, as if he had been immersed in water. Oddly, not far away from the wet corpse, a pair of white-scaled fish nearly two feet long lie dusty in the dirt.

Everything is dead and still. If the PCs look around, they will find Becca hiding nearby. She is shoeless and her dress is torn in a few places, but she appears unhurt except for some scratches on her legs. However, she is mentally quite traumatized. “The eyes...the unblinking eyes! They see everything!”

When calmed down and asked what happened, she says, “When we got here, there were men waiting, maybe a dozen. The tigermen didn’t seem surprised to see them, like they were expecting to meet. A man in a black coat and a purple eyepatch threw down those fish and pointed at Old Eisley and started saying something to the tigermen. I couldn’t understand what language they were speaking, but the One-Eyed Man said the name Two-Spires in Imperial. Then it seemed like they were arguing over him. The men started to grab Eisley but the tigermen got mad and raised their weapons. Suddenly the One-Eyed Man flipped up his eyepatch and...oh, gods, his eye! Lidless and unblinking! Rotting in his head but moving independently like...like…”

She will need to be calmed again in some way. Then she will continue: “The One-Eyed man spoke some strange words, and one of the tiger-man--that one in the middle there--started choking and gallons of water poured out of his mouth and everything was chaos and everyone was fighting. The tigerman holding me let go to fight, and I got away and hid. The tiger-men got the worst of the fight, and they ran off in that direction dragging the others, except Eisley. The men took him down the slope over that way.”

Looking where the tiger-men went, you can see a distant tree of immense size, on a small hill perhaps a mile distant. The reason it can be seen in the gloom is because it is lit from below by firelight and has several smaller lights like lanterns twinkling in its branches. From that direction you can hear distant drums.

Looking where the cloaked men went, they seemed to head across the canyon floor, which is a little marshy through here and difficult to track across. However, some distance away--very difficult in the dark to tell how far--one of the tall columns of rock common in the Chasm is silhouetted against the night sky and has two very clear taller spires of rock or possibly branchless trees on top. All is silent from that direction.

Which way do you go? Rescue Eisley the Beadle from the cloaked men or rescue Bardolf, Geffroi, Lunette, and Myles from the tigermen? Which one do you leave to their fate?

Relations

Protagonists

Clarity Champoux [Paysan female, 17] A pale-skinned beauty, she is a rare Paysan noble. She has long blonde hair, light brown eyes, and a ready laugh. She is fluent in Lalange and even Lingua Santa, but prefers to speak in simple Imperial. She has been insulated from much of the plight of her village and as a result seems a bit clueless.
Rolf Idrisson. [Paysan male, 51] Graying black hair and steel blue eyes. He is both the Manager of the Wheal Wisdom mine and the Constable of Kalai, governing in the Thane’s absence. Sir Rolf is arrogant and knows he is a better man than any of the folk who he must call lord. Known among the local nobility for his foul temper and his favorite weapon, a thick black longbow, the Constable of Kalai has earned the nickname “Black Rolf”.
Pastore Roguelin . [Paysan male, 55]. has been the parish priest for Kalai for the last thirty years since the disappearance of Pastore Petric. He is a compassionate priest, known to overlook the occasional Pagan reference as long as the person confesses later. However, he seems very nervous around Cercatore Kampari, and has reacted unusually harshly in the punishment of the Promesso currently in the stocks...
Cercatore Benedicte Kampari . [Matelot man, 55]. Though people believe he is a Custode that oversees several Pastore, Kampari is really a Cercatore, an Inquisitor, a member of a newly-revived order of the Church Militant. For being an Inquisitor, he is surprisingly gentle and thoughtful. Speaks in soft, sonorous RP. May become a mentor for a Bastione PC.
Theodandros of Llys. [Loxodon male, 230]At seven and a half feet tall and with the head and trunk of an elephant, Theodandros is unmistakable in Kalai. He is one of the few loxodons so far south of Ashmyre, Theodandros is the only founding citizen still remaining. At 230 years old, he is barely middle aged for one of his species. Speaks ponderously slowly, with large words. His current goal is to see that Clarity Champoux becomes the next Thane.
Nicholas Belching. [Paysan male, 41] Slicked-back blonde hair in a long ponytail, with a bushy blonde handlebar moustache of which he is extremely proud, and crescent shaped spectacles that sit far down his nose. He thinks he is an extremely clever man (thus the tavern name), even though he really isn’t. His hands live on his hips, and he winks often to show how clever he is. He is quite peeved this year that Clarity has opened his cellars, because it hurts his business.
Gusto. [Volgari male, 48] A middle-aged, rail-thin goblin who is the cook for the Belching Dragon Tavern. He constantly chuckles evilly like he is hiding something, but he is actually quite upright and innocent
Eisley the Beadle. An elderly (74 yo) caretaker of the Church of the Unfailing Bastion, he is still spry and vigorously active. He has been the beadle of the Bastion since its founding nearly 50 years ago. He has no hair, including eyebrows, and likes to say, “Once more in my good ear?” even though he hears quite well for his age. A devout Adorati, he attends services nearly every day.
Bardolf. [Paysan Male, 35] He stands fully 6’4” with a build like an apple barrel and speaks with a low, gravelly voice. He always wears a fancy hat, and is very sensitive to any jokes made about him. He is a well-known miner.
Geffroi. [Matelot Male, 24] He has long, wavy, brown hair and brown eyes with rough chocolate skin. He stands 5'5" tall and has a skinny build. He has a square, plain face. He smokes a pipe sporadically and only speaks in whispers. He quietly worships Sakshi, the Inescapable Judge and he is a scribe for Black Rolf. He is always ready to help others. He wants to know every side of a story before expressing an opinion.
Tobiasch . [Matelot male, 50] Owner of the Wooden O Theatre and a secret Bardotti. Father of Adelena.
Tobin. [Paysan Male, 23] 5'9" and muscular, this is one of the two remaining hearthguards in town. He wears a dark gambeson and a heavy breastplate, keeping many of his physical features obscured. His black hair is smooth and relatively long. He has light brown eyes. He laughs at people and throws down challenges. He is highly competitive and combative; and he harbors a deep hatred of goblins.
Garnot. [Paysan male, 18] A youth who has grown up in Kalai and doesn’t want to spend his whole life in the mines. Falls in love at the drop of a hat and will literally throw himself in the path of any danger to save his paramour. Notices sunsets and beauty around him, and speaks in Gothic Romance phrases.
Madlin. [Paysan female, 22] 5'11" and lanky with angular features, she is an attractive figure. She wears a tight fitting brown shirt and pants. Her blonde hair is smooth and relatively long. Initiate Cappellano.
Adelena . [half-Matelot female, 19] Poet/Actor. In the stocks in the church plaza wearing a sign, “Slander.” Short red hair and brown eyes with a rapier wit and an Irish accent. Is a wealth of knowledge, if plied with tobacco, alcohol, or romance. Loves a good pipe and a mug of ale, Is a wealth of rumors and information. Daughter of Tobiasch, owner of the Wooden O.
Lunette. [Paysan female, 24] Farmer. Dark curly hair, round face with apple cheeks. She is quiet and can barely make it a few minutes in conversation before her hampering stammer kicks in. Really wants a kiss.
Selona. [Paysan female, 42] Cobbler. Widowed to a hunter who never came back from Earthfall Chasm. Looking for a new husband to take care of her in her later years.
Deliziosa. (Volgari female, young) Name means delicious.
Disprezzo. (Volgari male, early middle age) Gong farmer. Name means scorn. Think Monster from Harry Potter. Wears a leather eyepatch over his right eye.

Backdrops

Locations

Locations in Kalai, Village of Disprezzo will run from the Heights to the Gallery to Cittebasse through the Ruins, back through the Crescent to Bastion Square and through Uppergate back to the Heights.

Bastion Square. Church of the Unfailing Bastion / Saint Claremont (Pentic Church), stocks and gallows

Uppergate. Overlook into Earthfall Chasm . Logement (apartments) Prick the Pig, Charity’s Ale service.

The Crescent. Mostly a pass-through area connected by rope bridges, tunnel to The Gallery, wooden staircases up to Gallery buildings, and Lower Gate. Some scrub bushes and grasses. No real businesses here. Handsome Ox

The Gallery. The Belching Dragon, Grain Mill, Most shops, Wooden O Theatre , Courting, Riddles.

Cittabasse. Shabby wooden shacks lower on the cliff. Rickety. All the goblins. Path to Ruins. Sir Percy’s Retort

The Heights. Champoux Manor. Flagstoned High Plaza. Fruit trees. Amazing view of Earthfall Chasm. Start of the Greased Goblin and kickoff the festival. Normally the site of the feast (not happening this year).

The Ruins. A few crumbling walls from some long-forgotten civilization lost to time. Sundial. A place to make out.

Subplots

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