Alan Riddle is a hoarder, information, strange stuff, whatever he can get

General Summary

In comparison to our last stop, Tinhold is downright calm. The weather might be damp and gray, but the walls and a bit of a gate feel secure even if there’s not much there. Scarpe leads us to an inn and with a few hours to dark takes us to Alan Riddle at the Little Shop of Excesses. Alan Riddle isn’t what I expected. He’s a short old man, maybe four and a half feet with long curly mutton chops and a long stem pipe. As we come in he greets us in Imperial, then takes a quick glance at us and switches to Alorian. “Welcome, come in and have a spot of tea with me,” he says gesturing at a nearby table. We all sit down and he continues, “So why have you come to my little shop? What are you looking for?” he asks Milli as he sees her bracers “We came for two reasons, first we are here to check on the item you are holding for Baba Yaga, and second she wishes to trade you for the flute. She believes we have something you might be interested in,” she answers sipping the hot tea. “Then follow me young ones,” and he pulls out a key from about a hundred other keys and unlocks the door to a spiral staircase. As we follow him down the lantern lights up. We walk widdershins at the bottom of the stairs and he slowly counts to six, and then reverses to delta, and then a door appears across from us. The door opens into a tunnel away and as we go down it starts to feel warmer. He walks down on the right hand side for a bit and then backs up three steps and forward four on the left, and then opens a door to the cavern. In a pool of raidance are rings upon rings of sleeping teenagers on stone benches. “The youth of the Andremani,” I whisper. “Are they all here and accounted for?” he asks Milli. She walks slowly and carefully between the rows looking at each face as she does. “It appears so,” she answers glancing at one last face. “Do you wish to recover them at this time?” he asks innocently with a curious look on his face. “No, no it is best they stay here,” she answers hurriedly, “Shall we talk about our proposed trade?” “Yes, let’s return back up to my store,” and we follow him back upstairs, but it is a different path from before. We sit back down to the pot of tea, still hot in its pot. “What do you have that I might be interested in?” he asks pouring another cup for himself. “In our journeys we found this doll that Good Granny thought you would be interested in,” Cap’n said holding it out. “When you say her name and give a simple command she will follow it. In exchange she would like the runed flute that you have.” “Do you know what this means?” Alan asked looking reverently at the doll, carefully moving each of her joints and turning her all about. “I found it. Look at this mark! Ezra the Enchanter made this doll, and fairly recently too. Maybe ten or twelve years ago. Yes this is quite an amazing exchange to make. Are you sure you want to make this trade? This doll is quite amazing, and might be worth a pretty penny or could come in handy somewhere else.” “We gave our word to the Good Granny we would exchange her for the flute for her,” I answered. “I see, then she is finally making her final move in the game of the courts,” he muttered to himself. “Is there anything you would like to know? I will answer what I can in exchange for this great find.” “What is the thing we most need to know?” Cap’n asked immediately. “How should I know? What a silly question,” Alan asked quite insulted. “What will be our binding to the Good Granny once we bring back the flute?” Milli burst out. Alan sat back and tapped his fingers together, “There are too many variables to give an answer, but this I will tell you” North is awakening [several lines lost to noise in the background] Child under the glass grows restless and begins to dream Come springtime will be a Thanemoot Blade oncle lost will make an appearance there [more noise] Underlords finally lost their emperor and now succession The hills vibrate Orcs and ghouls walk another blade of power War is coming and what part yours? Queens continue the dance And Good Granny comes closer to the final play, but always she’s had her eye on the Queen’s Dance “We’re being hunted by the Huntsman, he’s granted us a three month stay, but after that will return, do you know how we might escape him?” Cap’n asked. “The Huntsman? Escaping him would be quite a feat. I heard a story of a lad caught by Titania. He did burrow and burrow in her bower for a day, a year a century,” Alan waved his hand, “one day he met a girl and she stole his heart and he decided to leave Titania. In her wroth she sent forth the Huntsman after him. He fled across rivers, through trees and tunnels deep, until he found three things did bind the Huntsman away. A ring of salt, blessed ground, a lover’s heart bound and fashioned a necklace. While her love held true the Huntsman could not find him.” “We’re a bit short on true love’s heart at the moment,” Milli joked. “Do you have a talisman that could protect us?” Cap’n asked. “I might, what would you offer in return?” After a bit of dickering back and forth we gave up the batons, the black pearl, 5 baton batteries for necklaces of non-detection. Then we truly got to see Cap’n fall into his grove for he bargained giving up the glave and the small bag we found of Roan de Carville’s for a bag of holding. It can hold a four foot square worth of material with a two foot opening. Once an item is put into the bag it can only come back out a day later. “Now what do you have that be makin’ people like me more?” Cap’n asks with a gleam in his eye.

Report Date

21 Dec 2021