Session 01
General Summary
Our friends have been away from home for the last year at least, some for longer. Most have been
doing their national duty, joining the ranks of the soldiers in the army for a year. Others have been
learning a trade more complicated than that. All have agreed to meet back at the Waymeet Inn on
this their 18th birthdays to celebrate the end of their apprenticeships, 4 years of the new king's
reign and of course an exciting life of adventure ahead of them. The time has come to find out
who these friends are and what they have been spending their last few years doing...
The campaign began on a special day. 'Twas the eve of Coronation Day which marked both the
ascension of King Jarrad I to the throne and also the official birthday of every Albioner. As such
the whole country was in a celebratory mood. It was a particularly special day for Albioners
celebrating their 18th birthday as this meant they had just completed their military service, were
legally adults and were free.
Two such 18 year olds met in the Waymeet Inn - Ethulwulf and Zandrill. Both were Waymeet
natives who had served in similar roles during their military service - patrolling the Honshu
borderlands and dealing with bandits. They were soon joined by Macready, also from Waymeet,
who had a job at Lord Thomas' castle as a stable boy. Their attention was then drawn to a stranger
entering the bar. He had the appearance of an Albioner but was dressed in the costume of Honshu
and carried two curved blades. Curiously, he reminded them of an old friend, Ermenred, who they
had not seen in ages.
A combination of curiosity and friendliness, this being an evening of celebration after all, led
Ethulwulf to invite the stranger to join their table. His name was Heremod and he claimed to have
served a year's military service in Albion, the same as everyone else. The evening still held one
final surprise - the appearance of Ermenred. He'd been gone from Waymeet at least five years and
could even have been dead. He claimed to have spent all that time apprenticed to Arundel, the
only wizard in Albion. On his shoulder perched a talking raven.
So the five Albioners chatted about what they'd seen and done in the past and on thoughts for what
the future might hold. None were ready to settle down and hoped to seek their fame and fortune
through adventure. The pubgoers gossiped about the latest rumours - Sir Harken needing
assistance, Duke George being troubled by goblins, King Jarrad signing a trade agreement with
Cakon Province and the recent controversial executions of Baron Godwin and Sheriff Maitland -
perhaps one of these would make for a suitable quest? Later that evening, Ermenred's parents
came to the pub to join in the party. They were as surprised as anyone to see Ermenred. There then
followed a remarkable revelation - Heremod was Ermenred's cousin! His merchant parents had
been killed and he'd been raised in Honshu but retained his Albioner roots. The partying continued
far into the night, except for Ethulwulf who went home early.
A huge fair and carnival were held in Waymeet to celebrate the King's coronation. Numerous
matrial contests were held including jousting, arm wrestling and archery. Ethulwulf reached the
semi-finals of the arm wrestling before losing to Janik the village blacksmith. Afterwards there
was a huge garden party, attended by nobles and peasants alike. This provided a rare opportunity
to meet with the great and the good of Waymeet, including Lord Thomas and the new Baron
Godwin, who didn't appear to be particularly grieving for his executed father.
At dawn, Ethulwulf and Heremod met up to engage in weapon practice. It made for an interesting
comparison as Heremod delicately swung his twin swords in an elaborate dance, while Ethulwulf
lunged madly with the largest axe anybody has ever seen. Later that day, the five headed north out
of Waymeet, following the King's Road towards Thistledelve, planning to aid Duke George in
battling goblins. En route they encountered some pedlars and also some pilgrims making the long
trek to the library at Mount Macarack.
Upon arriving in Thistledelve there was disappointing news - Countess Fortuna's soldiers had
already quashed the goblin threat. However the trip wasn't entirely wasted as there was a
memorable performance by Mrs Ludd, the best bard in Albion. Zandrill was also pleased to visit
the Tree of Happiness in the Royal Gardens. Zandrill had been given a letter from his master
Marik to deliver to Countess Fortuna so it was agreed to continue the journey further north.
Leaving Thistledelve, the road north passed by a remarkable building. Heremod described it as a
pagoda, a common sight in Honshu. This was the Monastery of the North Winds and the curious
young Albioners paid it a visit. They were privileged to be allowed in and to witness a ceremony
where a monk fought for promotion. Following that, the journey north to Castle Fortuna
continued...
Report Date
10 Apr 2024
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