Adventure Log

23/01/2016

Our adventure begins for the Half-Hero troupe!

How three "Half" people entered a sleepy village

So, with our players assembled and despite my lack of prep time (thanks to various work disasters throughout the week) our game eventually got underway.

Three adventurers, Myrtle Bullroarer the Halfling Ranger (Sarah), Zydrunas the Half-Orc Barbarian (Bry) and Erik Deville the Half-Elf Wild Sorcerer, found themselves all having resons to want to be in the region of the Dessarin Valley at the same time. These three knew one another reasonably well and saw no reason to help one another out along the journey towards vengeance, recovery and discovery. Apparently, these players figured out how to make three Halves into a whole party, if you see what I mean :)

To that end they took up jobs with a Dwarf peddler taking his caravan south through the valley and, thanks to information they had, ventured towards the traveller’s stop of Red Larch, a simple place full of tradesman, quarrymen, caravans and farmers.

Vengeance.

Zydrunas, a being filled with the fires of retribution, was tracking a man responsible for burning to death a companion of his. He had found out that this murderer was looking to find an kill a Blue knight and that to escape the law he had taken a job on a southbound caravan. Red Larch was a place to begin a search.

Zydrunas, a being or rage and indignation, would find this man and make him pay dearly.

Recovery.

Myrtle had been approached just days earlier than Zydrunas’ discovery by a Ranger of the Emerald Enclave. Trouble was suspected in he Dessarin valley with a Dwarven delegation from Mirabar – they had gone missing en route to an Enclave member in Goldenfields. These Dwarves were carrying special seeds that must be found and delivered and while the Enclave had agent in the area, more hands were needed. The Enclave could trade information about how the human trade conglomerate acquired her villages lands which had led to the displacement and loss of many of her kin. Would Myrtle help? Although predisposed to doing so for the promised information, her mind was made up when Zydrunas announced his planned trip. Seemingly two favours could be given at once.

Myrtle decided to take the offer as the payment would set her next course of action as she, too, was a being on not inconsiderable vengeful intent. In this case towards those that destroyed her village. Zydrunas would surely approve and assist.

Discovery.

Erik had been deeply meditating. His search for the meaning of his power and how to unlock it’s potential had slowed down these last few months. While Myrtle had helped him locate an area of considerable natural magic to help his study, it had long since stopped providing him breakthroughs. Now all it was doing was giving him nightmares.

Erik’s dreams and meditative visions were dark and foreboding; He saw a forgotten temple of sorts. Lying within was a power, mysterious and brooding. Something sinister, something…..alien. Yet he believed this was somehow akin to his own power. He was intrigued, and spent more time trying to force the visions and dreams to study them.

After much work at his endeavour, Erik had come to believe that the power was dangerous – VERY dangerous. It seemed to emanate from the Dessarin valley, a place he had never really been. He’d need a guide, and he’d need muscle if he was to investigate further – luckily he knew two useful people whom he may convince to help.

Luckily for Erik, they were also going to the Dessarin valley and so he convinced them about the importance of his discovery and enlisted them to help his search for this power, and to prevent it from spreading it’s influence if necessary if he would see to their tasks in turn. A bargain struck, our trio set to travel

To Red Larch.

Our party found a Dwarf caravan going South, took small payment for an easy guard job as the Dessarin valley had apparently been seeing more bandit activities recently, and set to discovering what they could along the way about Mirabar and the delegation. Apparently there was a famous historian attached to the delegation and he was likely to have wanted to stop at holy sites and ruins along the way so it was no surprise the delegation was late for it’s appointments as far as the caravan owner was concerned.

Deciding to simply seek signs of trouble in the area of the Dessarin Valley and see what that may unearth for them, the party decided to stop at Red Larch and start asking questions. Given it’s central location and well travelled road, Red Larch presented a good hope of rumour, info and clues.

As they entered the town, they were joined by a scuffy young man dressed in a lawman’s tunic but a butcher’s stained garb underneath. This was assistant constable Edward Lamb, a young pipe-smoking and rather scatty lawman who clearly had another trade besides accosting travellers.

Assistant Constable Lamb greeted the caravan warmly and after introductions by the caravan leader, Edward cheerfully questioned the characters intentions in a round about way. The party earned a smile, info on where to stay and some advice about rumours of bandits on the Cairn road for their patience with his unusual questioning style and veiled threats of the law for troublemakers.

Before the party could act on Edwards advice on places to stay (and while they were looking at an upside down washbasin fashioned into a warriors helm for the local bar) a girl of 8 summers ran through the group screaming, “Nana! Help! Nana!!” 

Taking this as a clue to potential trouble, Myrtle stealthily followed the girl (well, as stealthily as you can in an open street with onlookers staring at you and you buddies) while Zy turned back to see where the girl had come from and check trouble there. Erik, left alone for a moment as his companions sprang into action, followed Myrtle slowly, flashing a smile at the onlookers and explaining that the Halfling’s odd behaviour was down to the fact she wasn’t used to towns.

We left our story with Myrtle following the girl towards some sort of shop, passing an argument on the way and with Zy frightening some locals by searching the land behind their property in typical menacing style. Have our party found genuine trouble, or is this a simple case of a crying girl? What is the argument about? Is Zy getting the lawmen called on him for intimidation and trespass (however accidental)? How will Erik explain his companions odd behaviour and child-following?

Find out, next time!