Chapter II, Part 1
Where we find the Companions taking a well-earned rest within Dyramar Keep...
General Summary
Dinner Deserved & A Job Well-Done
9th to the 15th of Summer, 117 YA
It was early on the 14th when Brother Prospit called them all to a table in the Traveler's Inn. As the Companions groggily took their seats, the clergyman waited patiently while rehearsing what he had planned to say about the dinner that they were requested to attend at the keep. As he waited for the last straggler, he wiped the back of his neck which was already damp with heat.
Summer had begun its reign in earnest with a dry heat that made the past week churn slower for each of the Companions. It had been beneficial though as Edlin, Prospit, and Geller had managed to engage the firm guidance of Sergeant Erlik from the garrison for some instruction in armed mayhem. It was with some surprise that Grimbold had chosen not to partake as well but some dark mutterings and shock at the notion that Manling had anything to teach the Duergar settled that question. Instead of working at arms, Nammaton had found a place with the Keep’s smith and worked over at the forge each day. The smith had made it clear that there would be no wages but Nammaton had settled for laboring under a guild-worthy weapon and armor crafter and endeavored to pick up tips and techniques as he labored there.
So the three of them toiled under arms throughout the afternoon sun, Nammatun sweated over steel and hammer at the Keep’s forge, Cyryl flitted in out of their midst at random points while Grimbold spent the days in the common room of the Traveler’s Inn. and the week passed with creaking patience.
It was during one of these evenings that Wilf Bailey mustered up the courage to tell them on the sly that a young woman had come through asking for them. By her description she was fair but it sparked no one’s memory of knowing such a woman. She seemed fairly well-informed and had not stayed at the keep long—she did tell Bailey that she would return in time to try her luck again. When questioned, the innkeep seemed not to have been concerned about her inquiries as she was fine enough to look upon and seemed to honestly want to speak to them. But the fellow with her, he continued, was a sour-faced monument of silence and not nearly as much pleasure to deal with him.
It was on that same evening, later once true dark had arrived, that Cyryl appeared from nowhere and handed over a small sack of coins that gleamed of high value. When asked, he managed to hem and haw to Prospit while imparting that the diminutive shopkeeper at the Provisioner’s store, Mouse, had been most pleased with the exchange of coins for the bag of Cariv Powder. Even as pleased as the Hin was with the purchase, MOUSE had sworn Cyryl to silence regarding the red provenance. The ‘entrepeneur’ in Cyryl was wise enough to know that monopolies were not maintained by polite and proper means—especially that involving illicit substances.
The hillman mountebank had already approached some of the less pious earlier about a proposal. The Hin shopkeep had made inquiries as to more of the same, Cyryl said pointedly, and Mouse had promised fine coin. Cyryl took the others negatives in stride as being a purveyor of narcotics was not the most glamorous of trades. But the amount of coins paid for the small amount of CARIV handed over and, as Mouse explained, the monopoly held by the Gravel Gang on the new addiction settling into Highport made demand sky-high.
By the fourth day, even tolerant Prospit seemed exhausted from continually flinching at the able man-at-arms stentorian voice in their ear at every mistake. It was dimmer, slightly cooler and it had beer. Weak stuff, the Duergar never failed to mention, but the exhausted ‘pupils’ took refuge in it each evening to slake dry throats and numb sore muscles.
By the looks of it, each day Grimbold managed to exceed the previous day’s intake such that by the end of the week, he was looking fairly seedy which took some doing. But the others were a bit surprised by the amiable friendship that seemed to have bloomed between the perpetually thirsty Grimbold and their host, Wilf Bailey. The two seemed to have reached some equilibrium where Wilf took no notice of the seediness of his guest and Grimbold stopped complaining about the watery beer. The innkeeper’s obvious pride at hosting their group was likely some source of it. It seemed that news of their forays had begun to interest the other residents of the keep and folks were a whole lot more friendly during their time within the walls. The guards nodded with a shared smile when they passed in the tight thoroughfares inside the keep even at Edlin in his creepy robes, a little more interest from other smiling folk had netted each of them some small token at some point—a free slice of meat from the butcher, a drink paid for by a farmer—it was a noticeable thing. And moreso, it was noticeable how much such a reception changed their view of the Keep and its residents.
From surly guards to cautious traders, the Keep seemed to hover between a great sense of community and a mob that might flee in all directions given the chance. The treatment of the Companions had already begun to change but as news of the slain Ogre filtered out—the change in their treatment was a palpable thing.
Instead the two of them seemed to have filled their days with gossip as it was from the Duergar that the others learned of the some of the stranger things that passed from traveler’s lips to Wilf’s ears. Grimbold shrugged at his companion’s interest but relayed much of the news to them…
"My gramma always said that them Sallow Hills have an old temple in them... bet ya a beer that's where the scum comes from!
“Folks been disappearing from Northweyr… just vanished. Pioneers and settlers. No signs, just gone. Its them Chainers...”
“Nah, it’s a foul beast. One family was found torn to pieces!”
This first piece shared had been strategically planned by the Duergar for more than a day. This Sallow Hills place, Grimbold learned, was one which few knew of the environs and occupants that lay within it. The large stretch of rocky and desolate hills were visible from the keep’s walls across the scrub plains below them. It lay just north of them and was rumored to be the origin of many of the beastmen that plagued the lands and Keep. When Grimbold had inquired further upon hearing of it, Wilf grew visibly nervous and made some attempt to dissuade him. It was clear that, true or not, the rumors were piled high and thick around the place. By inquiring further of random customers, Grimbold had managed to form a picture of the region—desolate, sandy, dry, riddled with the detritus of thrown and jarred stone on the surface while others hinted that foul things lay in the dark spaces between and under the Sallow Hills only leaving to hunt and feast on the virtuous. It sounded like a horrific place and folk seemed to lay a lot of misfortune at its foothills…
Grimbold nearly squirmed in excitement at the thought of heading there next and, for a moment, ol' Bailey thought the stocky fellow wet himself. But the innkeep was as wise as they come and had a terrible need for the use of his limbs in the future.
The news from Northweyr, an Auredain province just southeast of the Border Hills where the Keep stood watch was not as exciting to the Duergar as a whole landscape of danger. But he had made his decision to live amongst the Manlings and so learned that the province was, until the taking of the Keep, the most northerly settled lands in the eastern orbit of Auredain. Folks were heading there for the open lands offered by settlers and pioneers willing to brave the frontier of the kingdom. It seemed that not a few of those folk found untimely ends and recently it had been more. The High Lord of Northweyr was said to be offering a bounty for those willing to safeguard these folk by clearing out some threats. That seemed familiar and the Companions recalled another reward offered in the same province by the Mercator’s Guild involving a band of beastmen raiders that had been hitting caravans recently. Prospit nodded and informed the newcomers that they had once thought it related to the goblin hole they had scoured on their arrival here.
But the biggest news was the arrival of the Church delegation—at long last. The procession had apparently been quite the sight and was accompanied by no small amount of soldiers. The scuttlebutt was that it was led by a Sister Raenira of the Shield, a War-Captain Thandas Melyr and even a robed wizard from the Academy was in their entourage. Along with a score of medium infantry and five royal horsemen, the delegation had set tongues a-buzzing all over the Keep. The Companions kept their involvement quiet to no avail as an invitation to dine at the Keep with the Steward and the delegation had been delivered to the Traveler’s Inn in plain view of all on the very day of their arrival-the previous afternoon.
And so on this fine morning of the 14th, seeking to gain the initiative, Brother Prospit imparted the importance of such an invitation and hinted at the decorum that may be expected by any guest. Through much hemming and hawing, it was determined that not all of them would accept the invitation. Surprisingly, Geller, albeit one of the most rustic of them, was not to be dissuaded and he sweated his meager stock of linen before setting out in search of new threads. Once he committed to spending coin on his apparel, the forester was pleased to pass over a few more and marveled at the shine of his freshly-polished boots.
Later In The Keep's Hall
Brother Prospit leaned back and felt much better about the state of affairs that seemed to surround him of late. In speaking with the members of the delegation, he finally came to terms with the anxiety that even contemplating the ELDERWRATHs brought to him. He was still deeply concerned but he caught Shield-Sister RAENIRA watching him wrestle his concerns under control. She nodded slowly and smiled encouragingly, which did make him feel somewhat better. The priestess was the head of the Church’s delegation and seemed an extremely competent sort. She had asked question after question in a familiar rhythm that took Prospit back to his examination days. She was not unkind, he realized after time, just sublimely focused and that determination so evident in her made Prospit feel a whole lot better at things.
The Sister was potent, that Prospit knew, from her membership in the consecrated Order of the Shield—the Auredain Church’s answer to the dark things that gnaw at men’s souls. No one was admitted to such a duty without proven themselves many times over. If that had not been known, her companions would have served as confidence boosters on their own. The war-leader of the Church soldier contingent introduced himself as CAPTAIN THANDAS MELYR. The robed fellow with the dagger beard and sharp features was Edvern Mothair, a dweomercrafter with the Academy, a higher-ranked one than Edlin it was clear though there seemed to be no tension between them. Indeed, the two seemed to get along quite well as Edlin spoke quietly to him throughout the meal. The mage was on loan to the Church from the Academy, Edvern Mothair interacted amiably and had no difficulty putting those present at their ease during the dinner.
Captain Thandas was an obvious veteran and bred soldier-noble. He sat with the ramrod stiffness of someone who had spent so long standing at attention that it was simply a part of them now. Over the course of the dinner those present learned that Captain Thandas was actually in service to an Auredani lord. He was on loan, Thandas explained, to the Church for several seasons. This was not uncommon especially if a person or their liege lord was solicitous of the Church out of faith or more base needs.
It was clear that the Church had sent a small force that was ready and willing to face things that others dare not even imagine. And, as Prospit learned during the dinner, the Companions were coming along for the ride! Only as guides, they would accompany the delegation to the site of the Old Raven Tower's ruins and then, Sister Raenira was emphatic, the Companions would depart.
The dinner and after-interactions went well as most everyone enjoyed themselves. In addition to Thandas, Ser Airdyr and Ser Yolua Madosti were seated across the table while Eriam of Curuc, the Steward of Dyramar, sat at the head and let no topic go untouched by his wit.
Once the questioning and accolades were complete, for the Church defenders were sincere in their admiration of the Companions encounter with the cult, the dinner broke into other smaller conversations between neighbors and like-minded professionals. This gave the Companions an opportunity to share information and gather new pieces from the entire dinner party.
Edlin was so pleased to finally be able to talk shop with another practitioner that he held the company of Edvern most of the evening. Lucky thing that the dweomer-crafter seemed not at all interested in chit-chatting with the warriors and dived in as deep as Edlin. It was during this conversation that Edlin mentioned the scarcity of Academy resources out here on the border. It was his choice to come, Edlin mentioned sincerely, but the lack of tutors and a library made it that much more difficult. The mage was surprised to hear that Edvern had anticipated such an issue and had come bearing gifts for him. Edvern indicated that he bore a letter of recommendation that should help to open up the few mage doors in the region for a spot of instruction. In addition, Mothair whispered conspiratorially, he had brought a small working that Edlin could learn and cast on his own until training became available. The incantation seemed useful as it conjured a disk of arcana that acted as a beast of burden. Such a thing would be no small matter if Grimbold’s dream of finding mountains of coins in their adventures were to come true.
The night passed quickly and a date was agreed upon for their departure. It was late when the guests finally left the hall and made their way to rooms in the keep or without.
Much Later Still...
Brother Prospit eased his way into the Sentinel's Chapel fully cognizant of the proximity to midnight. A scrape and small flame appearing over a candle made him wince at the brightness despite its size. It did not make him flinch—no servant of the Virtues had need to flinch or fear while under the eaves of such that was devoted to Them. He etched his respect and devotion to towards the altar and then greeted Sister Raenira. It was a private matter that they needed to discuss for while all might fear the Elderwraths; it was the Church’s unceasing crusade against any hint of a Nameless Cult that safeguarded the souls of Man. Like him, though she showed it less but spoke now of it more, Sister Raenira was deeply concerned and Prospit answered additional questions that she posed to him now in secret.
They spoke at some length and it was even darker when Brother Prospit eased himself out of the chapel through the half-opened door and shut it quietly behind him to avoid attention. On his person, the iron-banded flasks of holy curatives clinked and the sound lightened his step. The Church had seen fit to turn its eye towards him and his Companions and the notion was steadying.
The Priest, the Birds & Grimbold's Big Idea
15th of Summer, Keep Dyramar-Auredain
It was a Market-Day at the Keep the following morning and the Companions fairly hustled out in eagerness. It helped that the clink of coins in their pouches was more substantial than previous times. While Edlin made his way to find an arcane purveyor who allegedly came to the Keep on Market-Day, Geller and Prospit slowly drifted through the small area set aside for the merchants. Dyramar’s Market-Day was slim pickings compared to those familiar to all of the Companions but then they stood so far out on the frontier it was a wonder anyone came here at all!
It was while enjoying the different sights and faces that Brother Prospit came across a trader in animals and soon had his attention snared by brightly-colored birds that were in a hung cage. Their song, which trilled out only briefly in the turmoil of the market, was sweet and paired by the other bird—clearly they were mated. The trader identified them as Eruhvian Songbirds—they were quite rare and likely the first of their kind to be seen in these parts. Prospit waited patiently as the trader revved up underneath his tale of their scarcity and alleged curative powers. Finally the trader subsided and settled down into an honest haggle with the clergyman.
In less than an hour, the Companions had seen every inch of the Market-Day specials and the merchants. While a great improvement over most days at the Keep, it was still a meager offering. Brother Prospit was roundly questioned by everyone as he walked in the door with two spinning bird cages with a total of seven songbirds huddling within. It was then that he reminded them of their promise of gifts for the Sisters and they could certainly benefit from having a few questions answered. Everyone did have to admit that Prospit was thinking ahead of all them. But then Edlin proudly showed off his purchase to a table of faces that made it clear they had no idea what he was talking about while showing it off.
A Metamphora, he sighed, was a specialized container that had been inscribed and enspelled to retard the deterioration of the arcana in harvested sources. The mage pointed out that, with some luck and help with a blade, he could harvest empowered organs and trophies from some of the fiends that they face and sell them for coin. Significant coin, he reassured Grimbold and rattled off some of the prices that Alquin of Laer had pitched to the young mage now that he owned the metamphora. The traveling arcanist-merchant had indicated that harpy feathers and claws were a hot item and quoted a price that made even Geller take notice. The rest of the group looked with newfound feelings of warmth for the robed firebug—more money was always good for digestion.
So it was that the Companions were enjoying a late lunch and admiring their purchases when their table was approached by two bare-faced teens… young men? They were clearly not long from their family farm and, judging by their clothes and smell, had traveled some distance. The smaller one introduced them both as Moon and Padraeg of Lovas. They both seemed a bit in awe now that they were standing there and it gave put a tremble into Padraeg's voice as he made their pitch.
"Moon and I want nothing to do with farming or fishing. We are here to become legends—just like you. There’s been talk all around about y'allslaying an Ogre and fighting off beastmen brigands—you are the very thing we have been looking for… mentors. Moon has a spear and I can carry stuff!
The boys were eager, energetic and entirely pathetic. Grimbold still had not even acknowledged their presence and when his tablemates began speaking over his head was when the Duergar near burst at the lurking boys. They fled a few steps at the look in the Duergar’s eye but were stubborn in beseeching the Companions to take them on as crew. Their offer was not half-bad—no wages for the first month and the boys would also serve as porters. They were just so damned eager they looked like a pair kittens stalking a big bouncy insect and trying, with overflowing confidence, for the hundreth time to pounce on it. This concerned Prospit as he had serious reservations about bringing them into the wilds. Prospit's conscience warred with his sense. His back ached sympathetically as the priest recalled the weight of his kitchen pack. It really was heavy. But he had no desire to lead two fresh-faced boys to a hard end...
After some discussion, the Companions indicated that they would be heading east to complete a small delivery and then would return. If the boys were still here, then the Companions would consider employing them. Like lightning, the two boys were almost falling over themselves at the chance. They indicated that they were camped outside the walls and would definitely be here for at least a week. MOON who was quieter than PADRAEG, did manage to slip-up and admit that they would have to leave then as they would be out of food and coin.
Brother Prospit sighed and just waved them away before any more helplessness oozed out of them. That began a ‘debate’ amongst the Companions about taking on additional mouths and novices at that. The boys had proudly stated they had been militia-trained but none of the Companions had any illusions as to the efficacy of that. Grimbold just looked at the others like they had spilled his beer or set fire to his beard.
Those twerps? Helpful? <snort> Wait a tick... Yes! I'll drink to Ogre-bait!
Character(s) interacted with
Sister Raenira, Anointed of the Order of the Shield|Auredain Church
Edvern Mothair, Journeyman-Arcanist of the Academy
Captain Thandas Melyr, Acting Captain of the Church Guard
Sergeant Erlik of Dyramar, Sergeant of Dyramar's Garrison|Trainer
Padraeg of Lovas, a would-be Hero from Lovas, Auredain
Moon, a would-be Hero from Lovas, Auredain
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