Adventure World: Caravan session 3

Adventure World: Caravan session logs Previous Session 3 Next

Summary

The party returns to camp to find that the caravan is packing up to head south to Kongasharja, travelling with the sheriff's people who were collecting harvest shares for the lord of the area. The youths share the story of their adventures and then move on to help with the preparations (at least, some do...)

Frond checks in with Kirar who is packing their wagon with the help of her brother Ugarth.

Frond meets her mother, aunts and grandmother coming back from the village with Taimi, the sheriff of Kongasharja.

Kiar accompanies Tsukav to lay to rest the bones recovered from the cavern that included worshippers of Kord.

Whiser checks in with Lis, the head of the Huinë, on his return, and goes to et some rest

Qog takes his new hammer to his mother, who relates a prophecy about it and tells him it is blessed and can grow to whatever size is needed: "Death knelled / The crown's fall / Death felled / Raise the wall / Titan sundered / The mountain's call / Storms thundered / Doom of all"

They make it to Kongasharja after a week of travelling and get a sense of the town as they roll in. Once the camp is set up, those who are well enough (not you Brauni) disperse to have their own small adventures.

Chlyde, Whisper and Tsukav go to the nearby tavern, where they find it difficult to make friends with the locals. They win some points with how they handle an attempted pickpocketing, but decide to call it a night.

Aan spends some time gleaning in the area, then comes across Certa, one of the younger Drow, playing her violin and singing. After she notices him, she keeps playing for a while and attaccts a larger audience of youngsters. Aan gives her a shell.

Qog checks up on Pica, the rescued dog, and the two of them find a young halfling, Rio Medialuna, poking around the camp. After checking with his elders, Qog bring the kid in to look around.

Kirar and Frond go to check out a temple they notices overlooking a waterfall, and find that it is a temple to Sehanine, which is unusual for the area.

Session

Session date: 2023-08-06

In Game date: Following on form the previous session and a week later

Back At Camp

Narrator: Last we left off, you'd all just returned from your inadvertent adventure rescuing some dwarves and looting a giant tomb. Upon arriving at the caravan with your newly acquired loot, you discovered two of the clan's outriders had returned. You'll also a pair of unfamiliar wagons with a couple of bored-looking guards just outside the village gates.

Narrator: Preparations are clearly under way for an imminent departure, with tents getting broken down, gear and supplies being stored, etc.

Aan: (what race are the guards? also orcs?)

Narrator: (No, they're a mix of gnomes, dwarves, and humans; and the wagons are much more basic than y'all's.)

Dorn: (one of Frond, Tsukaav, and Chlyde's dads) spots you all as he's getting his team of oxen hitched.)

Chlyde: Dorn! You'll never guess what we found!

Dorn: Hey, there you kids are. Your mom was expecting you back a while ago.

Dorn: Oh? What'd you find?

Chlyde: We found a giant's tomb! With treasure!

Dorn: raises an eyebrow at that. He's not the most expressive guy, so that's significant surprise coming from him.

Dorn: How did that happen?

Aan: hews close to his siblings for the moment

Dorn: Weren't you just picking up some vegetables?

Chlyde: will tell him and anyone else who will listen the story of the missing farmers and the battles with ghosts and the tomb, possibly embellishing slightly.

Frond: that's mostly right

Narrator: (Roll me Persuasion or Performance as you prefer, Tuck)

Frond: agrees to show that Chlyde isn't just making shit up ;)

Chlyde: (22)

Narrator: A couple of your youngest siblings and cousins will have gathered and listen raptly to your (mostly true) telling of your adventure. Dorn nods and looks ever so slightly impressed.

Chlyde: Man, it was awesome!

Chlyde: I'm gonna get at least three new songs out of this.

Tsukaav: Many great deeds.

Tsukaav says, apparently in agreement.

Qog: We should probably drop off this 75 pounds of coins somewhere.

Frond: or see if we can get them changed into something more portable while we're here...

Dorn: (to Frond, mostly) Best get all that stored then, we're about to be heading out. Kirar could probably use some help getting your undar ready to go, and the brukuror are...did you just say 75 pounds of coins?

Frond: it's a lot of copper... but yes

Chlyde: At least!

Chlyde: And also silver and ivory and like... magic stuff!

Aan: might slip away during the story recounting to go do Aan things before we go :x

Dorn: Okay, well, as I was just about to say, the brukuror ("mothers", meaning Verex and her daughters) are in the village finalizing some arrangements, but they'll definitely be interested in that.

Narrator: (What 'Aan things', Heather?)

Frond: I'll go help Kirar.

Chlyde: Where are we heading to?

Aan: (tidy up and add a few more little things to the little shrine he made when he was here, and collect things from various hidey holey that would need to move before the caravan takes off)

Aan: (probably some things from hideey holes can go to the shrine anyway :x)

Dorn: South, down to Kongasharja. That's their sheriff's wagons near the gate, picking up the lord's share of the harvest. We'll travel with them to help guard along the way.

Tsukaav: (I'll help however I would normally do so, but seeming perhaps a bit distracted)

Narrator: (Heather, make me a Religion check)

Chlyde: (Have we been to that area before?)

Aan: (10 ;p)

Narrator: (You (and anyone else around who would care to) can roll History)

Whisper: (2)

Narrator: (Heather, Aan puts together one of his little shrines in an out of the way place. It's calming and gives him a pleasant feeling, but he doesn't feel quite the same connection that he gets occasionally from the simple devotion.)

Tsukaav: (got you beat, 3)

Chlyde: (16)

Qog: (4)

Aan: will keep fussing with it until he is called away to help with other things

Narrator: (Chlyde, you know the caravan's been there before, a few times. Last you remember would have been six or seven years ago, when you were very much still a kid.)

Narrator: (Other folks, all these towns blend together, so who knows. 😉 )

Chlyde: Haven't been there in a while.

Chlyde: I wonder if that old woman who used to give me raisins is still there.

Dorn: Well, you can certainly look her up when we get there, I'm sure. Now leave your old man to his work, and get to yours, brukog (children, 'kids').

Whisper: slips off to ensure/help the rest of the drow be ready for departure

Chlyde: will head off to tell more people about the epic adventure and maybe do some actual work on the side... when she has time for it.

Frond Chekcs in With Kirar

Narrator: Frond, you can find Kirar dutifully packing up your wagon (though I get the feeling y'all don't have a ton of stuff, really, and aren't particularly messy or expansive in unpacking) with some help from your brother Ugarth.

Kirar: smiles when he sees Frond.

Frond: Everything going okay?

Kirar: Oh, hey, you're back. Everything go okay with that task your mother sent you on?

Kirar: Oh, yeah, fine here, just finishing up.

Frond: Well, it was not quite what we expected.

Narrator: Ugarth gives him a bit of a smirking look.

Frond: will relate a less-embellished version of the story

Kirar: Oh? How so?

Kirar: Wow, is everyone okay?

Frond: Yes, well, other than those raiders.

Frond: I had never seen a tomb like that, it must have been old.

Kirar: nods.

Kirar: Giants used to be a big problem all along the western coast, no pun intended. I would imagine it's got to date back to the early Imperial or before. Amazing it hadn't been Changed, though we wouldn't know if it had.

Frond: well it was underground... would they have built it like that or did it... sink down or something?

Kirar: I think it depends on the type of giant in question. Your description makes it sound like maybe a hill giant, and I think they bury their dead, though it does sound like a fancy grave for sure.

Frond: See, you are so smart 🙂 I should have brought you along but I didn't know it was going to be more interesting than picking up vegetables.

Kirar: Next time I'll be sure to tag along, work permitting.

Kirar: smiles and will give Frond a kiss, while Ugarth roles his eyes and pointedly ignores the pair.

Frond: well, what do you need help with here? it looks like you mostly have it all taken care of...

Kirar: Yeah, your brother and I have things pretty well in hand.

Narrator: Ugarth huffs, which Kirar ignores with a smile.

Kirar: I think your mom, aunts, and grandmother are just finishing up business in the village, and we'll be good to go.

Frond: nods

Frond: Maybe I'll just go and see if they need anything

Kirar: nods.

Kirar: We'll be here holding down the fort.

Narrator: Ugarth gives another very teenager-y huff.

Frond: Thanks, sweetheart.

Frond: will go and check on the brukuror

Frond Meets With The Sheriff From Kongasharja

Narrator: It's not too long before Verex, Volda, Yevelda, and Kih return from inside the village, essentially meeting Frond as they walk out of the gates with a gnomish woman of median (gnomish) height and a hawkish demeanor.

Frond: oh, hi, I was just coming to check if you needed anything before we go.

Volda: Oh, Frond, good timing. We were just about ready to head out. This is Taimi, the sheriff out of Kongasharja.

Taimi: Ma'am.

Frond: Good day, Sheriff.

Taimi: says with a nod.

Yevelda: Ceana and Floraidh said you all had quite the adventure.

Frond: It was an unexpected encounter, to be sure.

Taimi: I'm sorry to hear about all that. We get raids from the north and east around this time of year, when the harvest comes in. It's lucky I ran into your family so it'll be less dangerous on the ride back. If Lord Laukkanen would just spare me some troops...

Taimi: shakes her head, sighs, and spits.

Frond: It's no trouble. We will be able to defend against any problems we might encounter on the way.

Taimi: I'm grateful, and happy to spare the coin in any event. We should be ready whenever you all are.

Verex: Then best we get under way, hmm?

Taimi: nods politely and will head over to her wagons.

Yevelda: I'm sorry you guys had to deal with those raiders, but I'm very glad Ceana and Floraidh are safe.

Frond: I'm glad that we arrived in the time we did, so we could help.

Volda: I'm sure Tsukaav had a good time with it, and Chlyde must have a couple versions of the story by now.

Frond: I think she's writing several songs on the subject.

Narrator: That gets a smile from the group.

Volda: Did Kirar get your undar ready? I sent Ugarth to give him a hand.

Frond: Yes, they had it all in order. There was hardly anything left for me to do.

Kih: The mark of a good husband. You get another one or two, and you can live the easy life like us.

Frond: _smiles at that

Narrator: That gets another general laugh, and you'll all have made it to the camp by then.

Frond: well, I will keep an eye out

Qog Talks to Yevelda About The Hammer

Narrator: (Anything in particular anyone wants to accomplish before heading out?)

Qog: would really like to get this hammer checked out by someone who knows more about magic and/or religion.

Narrator: (Okie doke. You have three choices (though obviously you can consult all of them over the course of travel): you mother Yevelda knows about magic, your aunt Volda knows about religion, and your grandpa Krusk knows about hammers. 😉 )

Qog: would probably check with Yevelda first, since the hammer is obviously magical.

Yevelda: will have just returned to camp with the rest of the brukuror and is getting the last of your family's stuff squared away.

Qog: walks over with the hammer.

Qog: Do you have a minute?

Yevelda: Hmm? Sure, sweetie, what is it?

Qog: It's a long story, but we found a tomb while we were picking up the produce, and I found this. It's DEFINITELY magic. Do you have a way to figure out what it does? Right now I just know it hits really hard and lights up when it does.

Yevelda: Oh, it lights up? Marvelous!

Yevelda: glances around.

Yevelda: Your dads and siblings have this under control. Come on, let's see what this thing can do, hmm?

Qog: nods his head

Yevelda: will go into the wagon to grab her ritual book, returning and taking you to a now-cleared spot nearby.

Yevelda: This was with the giant corpse you all found?

Qog: Yeah, and I think me grabbing the hammer might have woken it up.

Yevelda: Well, I heard you put it back to 'sleep', so alls well that ends well. I just thought a giant's hammer would be bigger.

Yevelda: starts laying out the implements and ingredients for the ritual.

Yevelda: will also take the time to explain what she's doing and involve Qog in the ritual.

Narrator: As the ritual reaches its zenith, she touches the hammer and her eyes go a solid gold color, shedding a soft radiance.

Qog: isn't sure what he should be doing, so he'll just watch quietly for now.

Yevelda: Death knelled

The crown's fall

Death felled

Raise the wall

Titan sundered

The mountain's call

Storms thundered

Doom of all

Yevelda: 's eyes return to normal, and she shakes her head.

Yevelda: Well, that was strange. What happened?

Qog: Your eyes light up gold, and you said some stuff about the crown's fall, and a titan, and 'doom of all,' which doesn't sound too good.

Qog: Is the hammer cursed or something? I figured with the Pelor symbol that is was probably all right to keep.

Yevelda: Oh, no, I don't think it's cursed at all. I think it's blessed, though I'm not sure I understand it in its entirety.

Yevelda: But it is magical, and I think is particularly dangerous to the undead, or the enemies of the gods.

Yevelda: And I think I understand why it's so small, comparatively.

Yevelda: utters a command word, and the hammer shrinks from a warhammer to about the size of a basic workman's tool. She says another, and it grows to the size of a maul, big enough you see her struggle with it momentarily. A third command word said, it returns to its 'original' shape and size.

Yevelda: holds it out back to Qog.

Qog: How did you do that?

Yevelda: Quite the find, dear, and I think it will serve you well. I'm going to want to study it some more, though.

Yevelda: can teach Qog the command words.

Qog: Yes, please.

Qog: Anything I can help with before we get on the road?

Yevelda: There's always plenty to do. Maybe go help Big Krusk get his tools and anvil loaded.

Qog: Yes, ma'am -- and thank you!

Looks down at the hammer and grins before he runs off to find Big Krusk.

Yevelda: smiles tiredly as she watches Qog run off.

Narrator: The caravan is soon packed and ready to get under way to Kongasharja.

Arriving in Kongasharja

Narrator: It's about a week's travel (the sheriff's wagons and teams aren't quite as good as y'all's) to Kongasharja. The first day's travel is across mostly grassy hills, to the edge of a large forest. The next two days are through the forest, ending up camping on the banks of the Nentir River on the other side. The fourth day you skirt the edge of a ruined settlement, its lone untumbled tower wreathed in mist despite the otherwise pleasant weather. The next day sees you through another forest hugging the banks of the river alongside which you ride. Another day and a half through gentle hills and pleasant valleys scattered with farmsteads sees you through to your destination, and the walls of Kongasharja rise ahead of you.

Aan: burrows deeper into the wagon as we approach the city

Chlyde: (So this is an actual decent sized city?)

Narrator: (It's about 1300 people or so, give or take merchants and other travelers moving through)

Narrator: Travelling with the sheriff gets you through the north gates with no problem. You get a good view of the castle on the bluff to the east, and a crumbling tower on an island in the river to the west. Taimi can direct you to a good place to camp in the lower city.

Narrator: (Can I get Perception checks from folks?)

Tsukaav: (bah, 10)

Whisper: (18)

Chlyde: (18)

Aan: (14...)

Frond: (21, natural 20)

Qog: (13)

Narrator: Your route takes you straight through from the gates to the switchback path to the lower city, eventually ending up at an open field with a few bits of rubble still scattered here and there near where the small stream cuts across and flows into the larger river. Along the way, you pass an inn proclaiming itself the Silver Unicorn and a mercantile (6 and 7), a pair of temples (Frond, Whisper, and Chlyde will note the more northern one as a little run down and bearing the sunburst, anvil, and crossed lightning bolts of Pelor, Moradin, and Kord; with the latter, bigger one sporting Erathis's stylized cog symbol). Passing into the lower city, you cross the busy market green, which is flanked by another mercantile and and alehouse, the sign of which proclaims it the "Lucky Gnome".

Frond: (what's the general makeup of the town?)

Narrator: Much like the sheriff and her guards, the town seems a mix of gnomes, dwarves, and humans, with gnomes most numerous. You also spot a few elduar, halflings, tieflings, dragonborn, and shifters here and there. It's reasonably cosmopolitan for a mid-sized town, sitting on a crossroads of the river and the east-west trail.

Narrator: You'll all have things to do, getting the camp situated, but by early evening the clan can sit down to a nice communal dinner. After that, your evening is free, though you'll all get a standard warning not to go anywhere alone.

Narrator: (I'll also say that Frond, Whisper, and Chlyde notice another tower, in much better repair, on the little steep-sided hill in the south east, and Frond spots a building to the east, on the edge of the ridge, that looks like it might be another temple. (22 and 20 respectively))

Frond: (I'll see what Kirar wants to do, but if he has no specific aims, I might go look at that possible other temple, just to see what it is)

Narrator: What might people be interested in getting up to? 🙂

Chlyde: will head to the taverns to scope out the situation and see if they are in need of performers.

Narrator: (Heading off alone or taking anyone with you? We'll assume Brauni came down with something on the trip south and isn't feeling great, much to her own dismay.)

Chlyde: will see if anyone is interested in getting a few drinks in town.

Whisper: can accompany Chlyde if there is nobody else volunteering

Tsukaav: will go into town for drinks, sure.

Aan Discovers Certa Playing the Violin

Aan: will poke around in our campsite to see if there ins anything of interest previous campers left around, and maybe range to the outsirts of that f there aren't a lot of other poeple around... need more things for the next shrine :x

Aan: (assuming chores and stuff are all done, anyway)

Narrator: (Yeah, this is after chores for the day)

Qog: will hang around camp and maybe have a chat with Pica, see how he's settling in with the caravan.

Narrator: (Heather, roll me an Investigation check)

Narrator: (With advantage, lets say. Aan is plenty experienced at rummaging through trash 😉 )

Aan: (lol 13 - withadvantage. I should not have worn me 'all my rolls are trash' shirt 😅 )

Narrator: Aan finds plenty of neat stones, some worn smooth by the river, including one with a hole straight through it, as well as some shells with an iridescent sheen to them. It's not an impressive haul, but likely a pleasant one by Aan's standards.

Aan: (yeah, that will keep him happy enough - he will stash them for now in some little hideyhole)

Narrator: Aan, you hear music playing from the south side of the camp, near the stream, a soft, sweet melody on presumably some kind of stringed instrument.

Aan: (relatively close to our camp, you mean? He will try and sneak closer and see who might be making it)

Narrator: (In camp, you think, actually. Roll Stealth)

Aan: (I accidentally rolled with advantage first but -19)

Narrator: Aan, you round one of the undar and spot Certa, the youngest of the drow and Marya and Lis' daughter, sitting on a stump playing a violin and humming to herself. You don't recognize the song and can't understand the words, but it does feel you with a sense of peace, tinged with sadness.

Aan: will just sit and listen then :3

Certa: continues to play for some time.

Aan: (Do I have any ieal how old she is? or not necessarily age but like, is she a teenager or a kid or what)

Narrator: (Basically a teenager/young adult)

Aan: is probably not going to disturb her, but if she really is just off playing by herself for a long time then he might decide to just leave her be :x

Certa: pauses in her playing after she finishes the (quite lengthy) song, and, after a moment, starts as she turns and notices Aan.

Certa: Oh! Hello there.

Certa: Gave me a bit of a fright. I might have thought you were an ëala. Or I suppose and ainu, hmm?

Aan: was just in the middle of withdrawing and also starts when she notices him

Aan: gives her a nervous smile

Certa: Did you want to come listen? I wasn't bothering you, was I?

Aan: will slowly sit back down where he was

Certa: begins to sing again in Elduar, this ballad a bit more strident.

Aan: will sit and listen, leaning on his knees, tail wrapped over his feet

Certa: I wasn't sure this kind of music was to your liking.

Certa: says once she finishes the song.

Aan: points a hand at his heart and will say "nice?" in awkward common

Certa: I just meant, it's very different from your usual music. Not that I don't enjoy that as well.

Aan: different.

Aan: agrees

Certa: smiles pleasantly and will play another song, standing up to sway and turn with the music.

Narrator: You're not sure you'd heard her play or sing before, but you did know she was a dancer. She often does so for coin when her sister or cousin plays accompaniment, and she's quite talented.

Aan: doesn't really have anything to contibute to this, but can watch :3

Certa: will gladly play a few more songs, probably gathering a small audience of mostly other youngsters.

Aan: will leave her one of the shells he found earlier