Adventure World: Caravan session 5
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Summary
Following on the combat from the previous session - Qog ties up the captured kobold while the others proceed further into the house. They find some ritual casters of some sort and dispatch them, and then are able to negotiate a surrender with some of the kobold clan leadership - M'deena and Tonlok - to take the rest of their people (living and dead) and go, leaving behind their loot and especially the terror drake hide.
While this is happening, Aan hears some roaring outside, which he and Whisper eventually realize are coming from beneath the courtyard. the kobolds explain that they captured some kind of magic bear they've been keeping down there, and give them the keys to deal with it once they are gone.
they find it in the cellar, but it turns out not to be a bear at all, but an orc druid named Kanduk Vresk who was captured from a caravan he was supposed to be helping guard. They invite him to return with them.
Aan and Frond find the cellar creepy, associated with some strange power, and convince the Tsukaav and Kirar to help cleanse the area in a ritual. That done, they head out back towards Kongasharja.
That night during the first watch, Frond and Kirar notice some weird shadows, and rouse some of the others to take a look. Tsukaav recognizes that they are in some way associated with the shadowfell - an intrusion of the plane of death and darkness into the land of the living. Aan is able to see that they are at least humanoid. They are all flying in the direction of the town of Valkalma. The night parade lasts about half an hour, and the group is able to make it back to Kongasharja the next day and report about their successes and observations, as well as their new companion (whom Brauni has taken an especial interest in).
Later, they discover that the rug they recovered is actually a magical portable tent, which they will take when they go to investigate what is happening with Valkalma.
Whisper takes Aan out to investigate the abandoned tower on the island, which is mostly empty except for a small celestial name Lumiel who is guarding the imprisoned ghost of Hilja Laukkanen. Whisper offers to help find someone (or someones) who can cleanse the spirit. Lumiel reveals that he was assigned this duty by his boss, Anaherael - a name that resonates deeply with Aan.
Session
- Session date: 2023-09-03
- In Game date: following on from the previous session
Aan Hears Noises From Below and The Group Ask the Kobolds About It
Narrator: ( Aan , Whisper will posit that the sound is coming from below the courtyard. )
Aan will kneel down to listen
Aan: (Also anyone else is welcome to step into this if they want)
Narrator: (Yeah, other folks might notice Aan kneeling down to listen at the ground in the courtyard.)
Brauni: will come over
Brauni: Uh, what's goin' on
Brauni: Something wrong with the dirt?
Aan: ....angry sound?
Narrator: (You can roll Perception, Hazel)
Brauni: (I got a 16)
Narrator: (There's a faint sound of roaring, coming from beneath the courtyard.)
Brauni: ... the fuck is that
Narrator: (Either of y'all can roll Nature if you like)
Brauni: HEY FROND CMERE
Frond: will come over to see what's going on
Aan: (lol 6)
Frond: What's happening?
Brauni: (lol 6)
Brauni: there's some weird noise coming from down below
Frond: What's down in the cellar?
Brauni: These little fucks better not be trying to pull somethin
Frond: will ask the kobolds who are at the stairs
Narrator: "Entrance is around the side of the house. Go check it out for yourself, why don't you?"
Frond: uh huh... we're not falling for that.
Narrator: snarls the shield bearer.
Frond: if you're trying to pull one over on us, the deal where you get to leave with your skins intact ends real fast
M'deena: hears a snippet of the conversation and approaches the top of the stairs.
M'deena: (loud whisper to the shield carrier) Tonloc, you're going to get us all killed.
M'deena: (to y'all) What's the problem?
Frond: We can hear some kind of noise in the cellar - like roaring. We were just asking some questions about what you got down there, and whether it's going to cause problems for us.
M'deena: ...It's contained. Some kind of weird magic bear that was with the last caravan. We couldn't hurt it, but one of our casters managed to put it to sleep. We chained it up downstairs.
Frond: weird magic bear...
Frond: glances at the rest of the group
Aan: looks at Qog
Frond: it doesn't sound asleep?
Narrator: (Matt's not here, but I imagine Qog would be excited at this prospect.)
Brauni: A bear??
Brauni: Like... black and brown and covered in hair?
M'deena: Didn't say it stayed asleep.
Brauni: Bear?
Frond: hmm
M'deena: Mostly brown, but...yeah, I guess.
Frond: ok. well, it doesn't sound like you're taking it with you, so we'll figure out what to do with it.
Tsukaav: What are you feeding it?
Brauni: Qog says bears are nomnivores.
M'deena: Scraps and whatnot. I think it's also eating any rats that come too near.
M'deena: steps away again after another whispered admonishment to her compatriot.
Narrator: It takes maybe a half hour or so for the kobolds to gather their things and be ready to head downstairs. They're relatively heavily packed, carrying essentially everything they own with them.
Frond: (about how many are left?
Narrator: (11 will come down from upstairs. Once they're downstairs, another four that were hiding in other rooms make their way out to join them.)
M'deena: The skin, as promised, and we'll move on once we gather our fallen, as promised.
Frond: nods
Frond: Fair's fair.
M'deena: nods.
M'deena: I can't say it's been a pleasure dealing with you, but better than the militia. Watch yourselves. They like outsiders only so long as they're useful and do what they're told.
Frond: Yeah, we know how that goes... we don't stay in one place too long usually.
Frond: If we run into each other again, we'll leave you be and you leave us be, how about?
M'deena: nods, though Tonloc is still scowling profusely.
Narrator: True to her word, M'deena directs her people in gathering their dead and they head away into the wilds.
Brauni: Alright, bear time
Frond: (also I'm curious - did they take the dead drakes too, or leave those?)
Narrator: (They did, yeah)
Frond: (ok)
Aan: (and presumably we let them take the prisoners when they go)
Frond: (yeah)
Brauni Is So Good At Flirting (And Also They Find A Werebear)
Narrator: Spreading out, you can find the entrance to the cellar easily enough, outside of the house on the south side (left on the map, not that mapping is necessary for this, I don't think).
Aan: will see if he can scavenge around for things a bear might eat? Which is probably anything food like?
Narrator: (You want to do that before going downstairs? You probably have rations that a bear would be amenable to.)
Frond: Let's be a bit careful... Don't know if we can really trust what they said
Aan: (yeah maybe while people are looking for the entrance. This I have is fine as long its not all I have >.>)
Narrator: The cellar doors aren't locked or anything. Who is leading the way?
Frond: (I can go first)
Brauni: (I can follow with Qog)
Narrator: There is a pretty standard cellar, with the remnants of shelving and the like, and an open passage further into the earth. You can more clearly hear the desperate or furious roars of the creature coming from down said passage. Following it, you find a sizeable chamber with what's clearly a stone altar in the middle, large metal rings set into it. It was clearly not built by the kobolds, but by the original inhabitants, though the kobolds have made use of it by chaining a large brown bear to it. The bear roars as it hears you approach, then quiets and looks at you quizzically as you enter.
Narrator: Each of its limbs is attached by chain to one of the rings.
Narrator: It stretches the chains as far as it can to get as close to you as possible.
Aan: follows his siblings out of curiosity but will give Qog some food for the bear :x
Brauni: It looks like a regular bear to me...
Aan: :x
Brauni: Hey bear!
Aan: steps further back
Narrator: (Tsukaav, it doesn't look particularly hostile. If anything, it looks excited and or curious.)
Tsukaav: Why would they have brought it down here at all?
Frond: Maybe they thought they could use it?
Brauni: How did they fit it through the door??
Tsukaav: It's cruel.
Narrator: (It's big, but not bigger than the doors/hallway)
Frond: Well we're not going to leave it here like this
Brauni: Maybe we should just let it go?
Brauni: like... I could maybe get it to sleep and then we unhook it and leave
Brauni: or take it outside and leave, I dunno.
Frond: We could try that
Brauni: (what does Qog think)
Narrator: (He probably looks concerned, and, if people will allow, he'll take ten minutes to do his ritual to let him cast Speak with Animals.)
Bear: sits and whuffs, raising its arms and shaking its chains.
Frond: (seems fine to me to take that time)
Aan: (yeah that's fine, maybe nudge him to give the bear food)
Narrator: (We can actually say Qog did the ritual as y'all were looking for the cellar entrance.)
Aan: (Yeah that works)
Brauni: (is it a boy bear or a girl bear)
Narrator: Qog will ask the bear if it's injured, then look confused, and inform you all that his spell doesn't seem to have worked.
Narrator: (It's a boy bear.)
Frond: Hmm... They said it was a weird bear. Maybe it's... Not an animal?
Aan: (nat 20 on arcana yeah... any ideas?)
Brauni: Is it a guy in a suit??
Bear: perks up at that, and, very clearly, nods towards Frond.
Aan: ...Elafir?
Bear: chews at its manacles for a moment, then looks pointedly at you all.
Brauni: He wants us to take off the chains
Frond: Let's let it go... I think that's what it wants
Brauni: ?
Brauni: You're not gonna eat us, right big guy?
Narrator: (Aan, it might be a druid or a lycanthrope perhaps?)
Frond: Put the kids and stuff upstairs... Just in case
Aan: (cool yeah)
Bear: shakes his head to Brauni.
Brauni: (I assume the kobolds didn't leave keys)
Narrator: (Who constitutes a kid in this instance?)
Narrator: (Hazel, high or low?)
Brauni: (high)
Brauni: (my little brothers)
Brauni: (except Qog)
Frond: (Aan and the other one who's like 14)
Aan: isn't going anywhere and will make cranky sounds at anyone who suggests he should
Frond: Just back to the stairs so you can get out, then...
Narrator: (We'll say yes, y'all could have asked for the keys and M'deena would have handed them over.)
Brauni: Alrighty then
Karash: Aww, seriously?
Karash: grumbles but does what y'all say.
Brauni: will go free the bear :D
Frond: You can stay here but if anything goes wrong, you run up there
Bear: waits patiently as you do.
Narrator: Brauni goes to release the bear, who moves his paws to make it easier to unlock the manacles.
Brauni: There you go, magic bear.
Narrator: As the last one comes undone, he sighs, and his features start to shift. Where the bear was is now a very large, very hairy, very naked orcish man of about twenty or so.
Orc: Gods and spirits, thank you all.
Brauni: (how big is he)
Aan: steps back now, even though he was kind of expecting this, because the guys is still a stranger :x
Brauni: Uh... uh
Frond: You okay?
Narrator: (He's on the ground, but you get the impression pretty big.)
Brauni: HIiiiiiiiiiiiii. 👀
Orc: As I can be, I think. Sorry for my...state. Any chance I could borrow a cloak or something to cover up with?
Frond: (does he seem injured or just tired/hungry?)
Narrator: (He seems fine, but, yeah, a bit tired and hungry.)
Brauni: you can have Qog's
Brauni: RIGHT QOG??
Narrator: (Qog probably gives you a look for volunteering his stuff, but will hand over his cloak.)
Frond: Let's get you some food and fresh air.
Brauni: So uh what's your name?
Brauni: I'm Brauni.
Brauni: You from around here?
Brauni: Been a bear long?
Brauni: You like music?
Orc: Much obliged. Kanduk Vresk. Um, no, just passing through, and for a little while now, and, uh, sure.
Brauni: Cool cool cool
Frond: You were with a caravan?
Frond: Or on your own?
Brauni: Yeah where's your wife?
Brauni: . o O (I'm so subtle)
Kanduk: On my own. My karn (community/caravan) is down in Vilyawen. I had done some work up north, and was headed to meet them, but I took a job in Kongasharja with a wagon group headed to Valkama because I heard one of my fathers is went out that way.
Kanduk: Oh, uh, I'm not married.
Kanduk: looks a little self-conscious about that.
Brauni: Ohhh I see...
Brauni: Well well well
Frond: Well. You're welcome to come to ours and eat and rest up, for however long you need.
Brauni: Could be a while I reckon
Kanduk: That's very kind of you, thanks.
Brauni: A real long while
Kanduk: Who do I owe my life to here?
Aan: (how old is this guy?)
Narrator: (Like I said, about 20. So around Tsukaav's age, little older)
Aan: (cool)
Brauni: Well, Aan's the one who heard you yelling first.
Brauni: points to him.
Brauni: That's my little brother.
Frond: Frond Oglaf, my husband Kirar, my brother Tsukaav...
Aan: :x
Frond: starts introducing people
Aan: smiles nervously
Kanduk: takes in the introductions, and will be sure to offer a handshake to Aan specifically.
Brauni: He's shy.
Narrator: (Standing up, he's probably a few inches over seven feet, maybe seven foot three or so)
Aan: hides behind his burlier siblings
Kanduk: falters a moment, but offers a friendly smile and lets it go.
Kanduk: How did y'all end up out here?
Frond: Well, we took a job trying to recover a shipment for the smith in town, and clear out the kobolds
Kanduk: Ah, little bastards. Jumped the wagons I was with, hit me with a damn sleep spell of all things.
Frond: Got that taken care of so I imagine we'll head back soon, it's about a day's walk.
Kanduk: nods.
Kanduk: I'd be happy to tag along if y'all don't mind. I need to figure out what I'm gonna do from here.
Frond: Of course, you're welcome
Brauni: Yeah, stay as long as you want 👀
Frond: What's this place for, I wonder? Do all rich folks have this in their cellar?
Narrator: (Anyone who wants to can roll Religion)
Frond: looks around at the chains and stuff
Brauni: (17 with my bard bonus)
Aan: (Yeah I was gonna poke around in here, but I had to go let in a dog)
Narrator: Brauni and Tsukaav, you don't necessarily recognize all the iconography, and a lot of it is worn by time, but
Brauni: It's a sex dungeon
Narrator: Frond and Aan, you have a visceral aversion to this place.
Brauni: I mean, probably.
Frond: It's creepy
Kanduk: I don't know, but it feels wrong. I'll be happy to see the last of it, I can tell you that.
Frond: Let's go upstairs to make sure there's nothing else weird here
Tsukaav: This is not a place of honor
Aan: mm.
Narrator: You can all head upstairs and out of the creepy basement altar room.
Aan: looks arund uncomfortably and then will scamper upstairs now that he is no longer distracted with mysterious stranger bears
Looting and Cleansing The Cellar
Narrator: It's still mid-morning, so still have plenty of time to start making your way back to Kongasharja.
Frond: (nothing else unusual in the upper part of the house?)
Narrator: (Anyone who likes can roll me Perception)
Aan: (20)
Brauni: (13)
Tsukaav: (Again someone roll for me)
Frond: 15
Aan: (also 15 for Tsukaav)
Narrator: You manage to find some larger goods the kobolds couldn't take with them, trade goods like furs, sacks of grain, some crates of ore, totalling about 100 gold.
Narrator: Nothing else particularly unusual in the place, though that rug in the library is still suspicially well-kept.
Frond: (cool, let's lug that back)
Frond: (also the rug, meemaw could use a nice rug probably)
Narrator: (heh)
Aan: (Does it have any weird magic significance?)
Narrator: All right, you can gather all that stuff up and start making your way back.
Narrator: (How are you wanting to investigate that, Heather?)
Aan: (really just look at it, if its creepy in the same vein as the downstairs room or has sketchy magic symbols that i recognize. If it just looks like a rug that's meant to have ritual ambience then whatever)
Aan: (I only rolled 9s on Arcana and religion tho so I think probably it doesn't seem weird to me!)
Aan: will also tug at Frond before we go and point at the creepy cellar.
Aan: Break?
Frond: Mmm...
Frond: Break what?
Aan: seems uncertain about that specifically
Aan: Creepy :x
Frond: It is creepy. Maybe we can... Bless it or something before we go?
Frond: looks to kirar and Tsukaav for real religious advice 😉
Kirar: looks at Tsukaav and then back to his wife.
Kirar: We could do a ritual to try to cleanse it.
Frond: Okay.
Aan: Aa.
Kirar: (to Frond) Care to join us?
Tsukaav: All right.
Kirar: I mean, anyone's welcome, but I figure best to get Luthic's blessing.
Frond: Of course I will.
Kirar: will dutifully head back downstairs. He sets about etching out the currently carved symbols, making a cut on his hand to cover them over with orcish runes in his own blood.
Aan: will at leaast go watch :x
Frond: will follow his lead
Kirar: Merciful Nulgreth, banish all evil from this place in your mercy. Mother Luthic, bless this endeavor and hallow this hollowed space, this defilement of the earth your refuge for your people.
Kirar: leaves space for Tsukaav to add his own touch and call upon his own patron as he desires.
Narrator: (Tsukaav, Frond, and anyone else who wants to participate, roll me Religion or either a Wisdom or Charisma save.)
Brauni: (I'm good justwatching lol)
Tsukaav: (Narrator roll me a religion)
Aan: can contribute.. weird Aan thing, idk. (19 cha save)
Aan: (I can roll for you Steve)
Frond: (19 cha for me as well)
Tsukaav: (I call on Rull to bless this place and remember the acts of strength and virtue done here ahead of the vile and weak wickednesses)
Narrator: There is a sound beyond hearing, something like a tide rolling away, and though there is no visible change, the room feels less oppressive. Tsukaav, you are filled with a sense of the might of your god. Frond, you feel the warmth of a shared campfire and the Allmother's love. Aan, you feel a light feeling, the first step of freedom after imprisonment.you know this is not dedicated to any of the gods.
Kirar: smiles and mouths a silent prayer.
Aan: (Aan things are entirely based on vibes. He won't say anything but maybe he'll draw on things or move them around thinking about his Parton)
Narrator: (Frond and Aan, you both get Inspiration. Tsukaav, you would as well, but you already have it. 😉 )
Frond: (cool)
Aan: lets out a little huff of relief
Frond: Let's be on our way... we have a good distance to walk back.
Narrator: You can all leave the place behind, your steps just a touch lighter for having banished whatever darkness infected the place.
Shadows In The Sky
Narrator: You make it a good ways back towards Kongasharja before camping for the night at the top of one of the many rolling hills. The town shouldn't be but a few hours walk east, and you have a good spot with a nice view of the surrounding countryside.
Kanduk: is clearly happy to be amongst other orcs and walks along in companionable conversation in his cloak-kilt.
Narrator: (The evergreen question: who's taking what watch?)
Frond: (I'll take first)
Aan: can watch whenever
Brauni: (2)
Tsukaav: (As needed, once I've had my rest)
Kanduk: is happy to take whichever, which we'll say is second. 😉
Kirar: will take first with Frond.
Aan: can do 3rd?
Narrator: (Julie, can I get you to roll me Perception?)
Frond: (17)
Narrator: Just a bit after sunset, you notice a strange hush fall over the area as insects and night birds fall silent. Against the blanket of stars, you see blank swaths of empty darkness, and the shadows from the fire move in ways unrelated to the flames' flickering.
Kirar: What is that?
Frond: I'm not sure...
Frond: Something flying overhead?
Frond: it's silent, though
Kirar: Some things, maybe. Look, there's multiple spots.
Frond: nods
Kirar: Some Change weirdness?
Frond: maybe...
Frond: (can I tell what direction the shapes are headed in?)
Frond: (or are they not really travelling in that way)
Narrator: (Sure. They're not in any particular pattern, but they do seem vaguely oriented towards the west.)
Frond: (what's west from here?)
Narrator: (You also get a faint sensation along your divine sense, like somewhere between undeath and celestial, though not as...polluted as undeath.)
Frond: it's sort of like they're undead, but not... it's weird.
Narrator: (Roll me...Int or Wisdom? Survival? I'm open to anything that might reflect knowledge of the area.)
Kirar: frowns.
Frond: (16 on survival)
Kirar: Spirits, maybe? Yurtrus watch and Nulgreth guide them.
Narrator: (You know that west of here is the town of Valkama that Kanduk mentioned, at least.)
Frond: hmm
Frond: (does this continue long enough that I can get Tsukaav or someone else up to look at it, or is it pretty fleeting?)
Narrator: (It'll last off and on for like a half hour, so if you want to get Tsukaav up you can.)
Narrator: (Or whoever else, for that matter.)
Frond: (yeah, I will do that)
Frond: (and maybe Aan? I don't want to wake everyone but I do want some more 'spiritual' ish people to have a look at it)
Tsukaav: What is it, sister?
Frond: Something strange in the sky... I don't know what it is, but it feels like ... sort of undead but not evil?
Frond: I don't think it is harmful, but I don't know what to make of it. Can you look?
Aan: can be woken up to look at the weord sky
Tsukaav: (Can I make anything of this?)
Aan: also has Devil's Sight, so can see in magical and non magic darkness for 120 feet if that is relevant
Kirar: will have done some magic and his hands are wreathed is a ghostly blue, wispy radiance.
Narrator: (Tsukaav, you've encountered Shadowfell influence before, in your training in Issenvik. This is some intrusion of the plane of death and darkness into the material.)
Narrator: The radiance flickers in a non-existent wind around Kirar's hands, trailing west.
Tsukaav: This bears the sign of Shadowfell influence.
Frond: huh...
Narrator: Aan, you can see more clearly, and can make out vague humanoid shapes in the air, largely at the edge of your sight.
Tsukaav: The realm of Death grows thin against the wall of our own realm.
Kirar: That's unusual for this region...
Aan: Aaa...
Frond: is that bad?
Aan: watches them
Frond: should we warn someone about it?
Tsukaav: Surely.
Aan: (what are they doing? just all flying towards the same place?)
Kirar: nods.
Frond: there's a town that way, uh, Valkalma... the one Kanduk mentioned
Narrator: (Yeah, Heather. It's hard to track them individually, as they flit in and out of your perception, but the movement is definitely to the west.)
Aan: (Could I like... sketch the shape of one on something? even just in the dirt?)
Narrator: (Roll me a Dex check)
Tsukaav: I fear that if it is headed for some place or town, any warning we would give would be far too late.
Aan: (nat 20 for 22 :D)
Aan: will make the others look at his sketch
Narrator: Aan will have drawn a rendition of a humanoid figure, gliding along in the air.
Kirar: nods at what Tsukaav said.
Kirar: We can let the brukuror know abou this when we get back tomorrow, and they can inform the lord?
Frond: I guess that's the best course of action.
Tsukaav: Agreed
Frond: will also tell Brauni and Kanduk about it when waking them up for their watch, in case it happens again, or there's any further strange happenings
Aan: will keep watching them util someone tells him to go back to bed or they stop
Narrator: The phenomena stop about a half hour after it started and, though Brauni and Kanduk are ready to keep an eye out for it, it doesn't pick up again that night.
Aan: will go back to bed, definitely not butthurtvthat no one looked at his cool drawing 😅
Frond: (I assumed we all looked at it!)
Frond: (you said you were going to make us look, I figured I did so - I just don't know what it is!)
Narrator: (Yeah, it just looks like a person's silhoutette, essentially, though even in the dirt he does manage to convey a sense of intangibility)
Back At the Caravan
Narrator: Despite the strangeness, you're all able to get good rest and head back to Kongasharja, making it to town by late morning. The town remains busy as ever, and the camp is awash in the usual daily routine. A stew bubbles on a campfire under the watchful eye of a few younger siblings and cousins, and you can hear the rhythmic clang of Big Krusk at his anvil. Frond: (I'll go and fill in the brukuror on what happened, including the weird shapes in the sky on the trip back)
Frond: Aan could see them better, I think, or at least, he drew a picture of them in the dirt.
Verex: is the only one of thebrukuror* currently at camp, and she listens intently to your tale.*
Frond: oh, and we brought you a rug!
Verex: Well, the boy is touched by some other power, so that stands to reason, I suppose.
Verex: Did you now?
Verex: smiles.
Frond: it was in good shape despite the house being pretty wrecked otherwise
Frond: seemed like a shame to leave it
Frond: if you don't want it, we can probably sell it to someone in town or something
Verex: nods.
Frond: also, I think Brauni's got it bad for this fellow we found, Kanduk.
Frond: so maybe we can find a reason for him to stick around for a little while and see if he feels the same?
Verex: smiles and nods.
Verex: You're going to be good at this.
Verex: How did your dathak (kin) do? Everyone work together all right?
Frond: Pretty well!
Frond: No big problems, anyway. There's always things that could have been smoother, but it wasn't too bad.
Verex: Everyone came home, and extra. That's all we can really ask for.
Frond: nods
Frond: Do you know his folks? It wasn't a name that I could remember dealing with.
Verex: considers.
Frond: he said they were in Vilyawen, but he thought one of his fathers was in Valkalma - it seemed like he was looking for him, but I didn't want to pry too much into his family business right away.
Verex: I seem to recall a Vresk or two in my day. There was one when we fought in the far south, years ago...Mhach! That was her name. Mhach Vresk, rode a dire bear, if I recall. Might be related.
Verex: He happen to say what his father was doing in Valkama?
Frond: not to me... he sat watch with Brauni last night so he might have opened up to her, more, I'm not sure.
Verex: If he's still there, and there's...whatever this is that's going on that direction, might be worth looking into.
Frond: nods
Verex: smirks at the concept of Kanduk "opening up" to Brauni, but doesn't say anything.
Frond: once we settle business here - get those goods back to the smith - we can go take a look, if you think it would be wise?
Verex: nods.
Verex: Well, you kids get a little rest, but there's always work to be done. I'm going to find your mother and head back to the keep. Might be we can get paid for being neighborly, hmm?
Frond: Yes'm.
Verex: gets up and pats Frond on the arm.
Verex: You did good, all of you.
Frond: thank you
Verex: nods decisively and will head off to find Volda.
Solos
Brauni Talks to Kanduk
Narrator: (Do you want to have this be when they were on watch together on the way back? Or sometime when you're back to the caravan?)
Brauni: (on watch is fine)
Brauni: (can do later next time if we do scenes before we go on the adventure)
Narrator: (cool)
Kanduk: seems pretty well at ease for a man just recently imprisoned.
Brauni: So uh how long did you say you were a bear?
Kanduk: Like when I was chained up, or in general?
Brauni: Uh both I guess
Kanduk: Chained up, it was a little hard to tell, but I think...maybe a week or so? In general, I caught it around four years ago, when I was on my .
Brauni: Caught it? 'Bear' is contagious?
Kanduk: It can be, if it's the right type of bear. I have ursanthropy.
Brauni: huh...
Brauni: Is that uh, a pain in the ass? It seems like kind of a pain in the ass
Kirar: It was for a while, I'm not going to lie. I didn't use to be able to control it.
Kirar: I still don't always have a handle on it, and that can be...inconvenient.
Brauni: Is that why you didn't just stop being a bear and leave the basement?
Kanduk: Oh, no, that I think had something to do with the chains. I tried to change back, but couldn't. It was kind of spooky, and the chamber itself didn't help. Thank the gods you all came along.
Narrator: (wrong brackets back there, but you get it 😛 )
Brauni: The vibes were way off in there.
Brauni: I think it was a weird sex dungeon
Brauni: I mean, which isn't necessarily bad
Brauni: 👀
Kanduk: You think? I know nobles get up to some weird stuff.
Brauni: Yeah.
Brauni: So what do you do besides 'bear'?
Kanduk: laughs at that.
Kanduk: Well, I try to bear sparingly. Mostly I do guard or soldier work. I'm kind of just getting back into it, actually. The job I had before this one that got me captured by kobolds, of all people, was the first one I'd had since I was infected. Like I said, it took a while for me to get a real handle on it.
Kanduk: Luckily, there were people to help.
Brauni: Yeah?
Brauni: Friends? Like, close friends?
Brauni: . o O (like sexy friends??)
Kanduk: Some. More like...mentors, I guess. Back east, in Vanilorran lands. There's an enclave of folks with the changing curse. I spent a couple years there learning to control it.
Kanduk: A lot of them are shifters, so they kind of grew up with it. Some sought it out.
Brauni: Ohhh... Not many orcs then?
Kanduk: Just one other while I was there. Older lady, a cleric of Luthic. She had the same as me, said it was a gift from Luthic and Gruumsh.
Kanduk: shrugs.
Kanduk: Didn't feel like it at first, but...it has its perks, I guess.
Brauni: I mean, I like bears. I'm a huge bear fan.
Kanduk: Oh?
Brauni: What's not to like? They're big, strong...
Kanduk: nods.
Brauni: 😏
Kanduk: Oh, hey, why did you ask me about music right after y'all rescued me?
Brauni: Oh yeah! I'm in a band, with my cousin and my brother.
Brauni: Chlyde's got some lurgy, so she's not with us but you'll meet her soon
Brauni: And Aan's the other one in the band, the little guy with the horns.
Kanduk: Oh, right, quiet, kind of standoffish.
Kanduk: Cool. What instrument do you play?
Brauni: He's just a lil shy.
Brauni: The lute mostly.
Kanduk: That's neat. You learn from family? I can sing, badly, but never picked up any actual skill like that.
Brauni: Started self taught, then when I did my I learned a bunch.
Brauni: Got my first lute when we trashed some bandits.
Brauni: says proudly
Brauni: They stole it from who knows who.
Brauni: I still have it! It's a bit beat up but, y'know, sentimental value
Brauni: I got a fancier one for performances. With skulls and flames and stuff on it.
Brauni: See?
Brauni: will show it off :v
Kanduk: will go over to take a look.
Kanduk: Wow, that's really cool. Like a...a battle lute.
Brauni: Yeah!!
Brauni: You gotta stick around with us a while. See the band play. Plus it'll do ya good to be around orcs.
Brauni: My mother's gonna like you, I can tell.
Kanduk: Yeah, I just may. I do want to see if I can find my dad, but we'll see how things go. Wandering off without a clan obviously didn't work out well for me.
Kanduk: blushes a little at that comment.
Brauni: Oh your dad, what clan is he with?
Kanduk: Normally with my mom's caravan. Well, my mom and one aunt's. But they left word in Kongasharja that he'd gone to Valkama to look into some old burial site. He's kind of a treasure hunter, looks for ancient stuff, that sort of thing. There's supposed to be a dragon lord from right at the fall or Arkhosia buried out that way.
Brauni: Ma's got ears to the ground, maybe she's heard something.
Brauni: That sounds sick as fuck though.
Brauni: Dragon Lord. Nice.
Kanduk: Apparently no one knows exactly where it is, so supposedly it hasn't been looted in all this time. Good find if he manages it, but with that weird shadow stuff your cousins mentioned...
Kanduk: I'm worried about him.
Brauni: Well... maybe we should go check that out! 👀
Brauni: Treasure... dragon lord... that all sounds cool to me
Brauni: I mean, I'd go with you
Kanduk: smiles.
Kanduk: Well, like I said, we'll see how things go after we get back to town.
Brauni: Yeah, yeah... of course 👀
Kanduk: will happily ask more questions about your music and such as you pass the time on watch.
Brauni: may scoot subtly closer as the watch goes on, lol
Tsukaav Visits The Temple
Narrator: Tsukaav , your run takes you up the switchback to the upper city, retracing the caravan's path from the north gate. Once again you spot the two big temples along the route, noting the cog of Erathis on the larger of the two, and the crossed bolts of Kord alongside Pelor and Moradin's symbols on the smaller one.
Tsukaav: (so the smaller one is where, 16?)
Narrator: (Should be 10. Y'all came in the north gate. 10 is the smaller temple, 13 is the bigger one.)
Tsukaav: (got it)
Tsukaav: (I'll go to the temple that has the symbol of Kord. Does Kord have much to do with Pelor and Moradin - can I figure out why those three would have the temple together?)
Narrator: (Different places have different traditions, and all three are popular among Nerath's dwarven communities.)
Tsukaav: (all right, I'll approach respectfully, and of course i have my holy symbol out as I always would during morning prayers)
Narrator: The temple looks a bit run down, but the steps are swept and there's incense lit, so someone is clearly doing their best to take care of it.
Tsukaav: (I'll call out in Common so as not to startle anyone)
Tsukaav: Hello?
Tsukaav: (I'll pull on the door, realized i never said that or checked if it is open)
Narrator: The door is unlocked, and you can step inside and see a bald dwarven woman standing up from the floor near a second row pew.
Tsukaav: Good morning. I am a servant of Kord come to pay my respects.
Uir: Well no, all are welcome, though we don't get a lot of Kord...ites? Kordians? through here unless there's a war on. Uir Undelmar, good to meet you.
Uir: will offer a hearty handshake.
Tsukaav: Uir, well met. I am Tsukaav of the Oglaf clan. I and my kin arrived yesterday.
Tsukaav: I took my holy orders far to the north, in Issenvik, at the great temple there.
Tsukaav: If there is anything to be done here at the temple to make it ready for those of my faith, I am here to serve.
Uir: Well, if you're offering, the Kord altar could probably use some work.
Uir: points to a simple wooden altar with a crossed bolts symbol and little else.
Uir: Truth be told, this whole place was a bit abandoned after the Guimaraes raided the town a few years ago, but I took it upon myself to rebuild.
Tsukaav: (have I heard of / do I know what she's referring to by the Guimaraes?)
Tsukaav: looks at the sad little altar, and thinks of his long-dead compatriot from the giant's tomb.
Tsukaav: I will see what I can do.
Narrator: (You can roll History)
Tsukaav: (11)
Narrator: You know that Guimaraes is the region east of here, also gnomish-ruled but with a sizeable shifter population.
Tsukaav: I am no great craftsman, but I will see what can be done to improve this simple altar.
Tsukaav: May I ask, Uir, who do you serve?
Uir: Pelor is my particular patron, though I honor all the gods. And I'm no great craftsman myself.
Uir: gestures to where she was trying to fix the leg of the pew.
Uir: Thought and effort are as much prayer as words.
Tsukaav: In the striving, we serve.
Tsukaav: will do what he can to tidy things up, straighten up things, and take care of anything that any of the gods need that would require a tall person to reach.
Uir: smiles.
Narrator: (hee)
Tsukaav: I should return to my caravan, down in the lower city. But I shall return here if needed. And if there is more I can do to serve, find me there.
Uir: Many thanks for your help, young man. Pelor light your path, and Kord lend strength to your arm.
Tsukaav: will return to the caravan, invigorated.
Narrator: (You know what, go ahead and take an inspiration for that (which you can spend for advantage on a roll of your choice) )
Tsukaav: (woot)
