Dragon's Egg - Act IV

[Steerpike]

Ballara

Everyone is able to settle in for the evening easily enough. Rik and his boy have the food ready in short order and have it sent to the rooms. There is time for baths while the food is being prepared, however the inn has only two room with bathtubs - they're both private rooms dedicated exclusively to that purpose. Since the inn is relatively empty, there is no wait to use the tubs, and Rik can arrange to have hot water brought in to fill the tubs.

As evening arrives, townspeople straggle into the inn a few at a time for a drink after a long day of work. Many of them are on palisade duty, the completion of the palisade being a top priority for the city. The two old men playing their board game remain where they are, drinking their ale slowly and starting new games periodically.

Camp

Branwen seems to enjoy the naming game. She mutters 'fox' to herself a few times, scanning the bushes for any sign of the animal. Her own name and Bressel's come out more like Bwannen and Bwessel during normal speech, but when she remembers to slow down she gets them almost right.

Batos

Batos misses the deer, but the creature is growing sluggish as it continues to bleed heavily from the neck. Rather than attack again, it turns and makes for the trees. The deer's front legs buckle, but it manages to rise shakily and tries to move away from the wolf.

Aliron

No deer shows itself to Aliron. He spots a large hare nibbling at some growth poking up through the frosty ground. The creature seems oblivious to the elf. A small group of the black birds (grouse of some kind, it looks like) gather in the distance, and they're relatively large though not as large as the hare.

((Can RP as much of the passing day and night as you guys want, or else move ahead in time)).

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Nissa

I join Baldy in the bath, gladly taking the tub first when offered. I wait until she's submerged in the water herself before discussing our agenda for the night.

"So, when do we make arrangements for the kids at the temple?"

"Maybe in the morning," says Baldy, "after we eat, I'd like to meet with Dalla to write the letters and see if we can all meet with Conal regarding the orcs and bandits."

"Bressel and the others'll need to know about that as well. Maybe over dinner, we can see if Zoran, Cadell or Liadan will warn the others. Otherwise, I'll go."

((@Philster, Ireth, assume Nissa asks who will go to camp while we're all eating.))


Baldhart

When dinner is ready, I deliver Dalla's dinner to her room, as well as Gunnar and Abbi's.

"Dalla, I'm sure Rik or Conal will see that our letters are delivered. I promised your mother I'd keep you safe, so… I suppose a letter from you would be reassuring. Sometimes I think I was a little too quick to walk away from my own Mother." I want to tell Dalla that I'm glad I headed north when I did, but it hits me that if I'd missed that ship and taken the next, my path may not have led to Tommen. Best I say no more, just shut up and write.

If Dalla or the children read over my shoulder or ask what I'm writing, I've nothing to hide. Though I'll warn the children before sharing what might remind them of tragedy…

Dear Mother,

It's been near a month since I headed north. I've grown closer to my goddess and now have a better understanding of her ways. Perhaps my nun's vows when I was young were for the wrong reason, but recently I've made my commitment to such a path. I may very well be Brynhild's only living nun.

Tell father I have killed 34, only the first 20 with a blade. The rest were killed by my bare hands, and the last four in particular deserved it most. Best I not go into detail. I only wish to tell father the training he arranged served me well.

As did yours, Mother. Diplomacy proved quite fruitful when I met a great leader who refused to be bullied into siding with an evil force. Some would have dismissed him as a monster, a laughingstock, or both. But you taught me how to speak to a leader and I won him over. Someday, I will tell you the whole story in person.

​

In this life or the next.

I keep that thought to myself, and close my letter to Mother on a high note focusing on rescued children, grateful villagers, and the friends I made. I name all, Zoran, Dalla, Biorn and the children being the only names not seen in my last letter home. I wonder if my parents have received it yet…

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I gladly join the others at dinner, and eat my fill of the hearty fare. When Nissa asks who will go to warn those outside of town about the presence of orcs or bandits, Liadan and I quickly accept. I hope neither of those foes will accost our allies before we can warn of them.

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron
Such a long time since he had a relaxing hunt, away from people, without the constant stress of protecting someone, trying to predict where an attack would come, and how to protect the weaker people in our group.

He draws back the bow aiming at the hare. Hit or miss he will hunt more.
normal to hit day arrow [1d20+6] = 6+6 = 12 ;damage[1d8] = 2

Even as the arrow flies, he draws another arrow and nochs it, preparing for another shot, or in case his shot should attract unwanted attention, a relaxing hunt does not mean it is danger free.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I finish dinner quickly and head out toward the camp, with Liadan at my side. We go on foot, preferring to let Llucheden rest while she has the chance to.

I approach with caution, aware that the foes I seek to warn about may even now be lingering nearby.


((DEX, prime))

Liadan

As we head out to the camp, I keep a watchful eye on our surroundings, not wanting to let friend or foe pass by unnoticed.


((WIS, prime))

 

[Steerpike]

The Inn

The food is hearty, as is the ale for those who want it. By the time Rik has finished the meals a few more people have wandered into Badger's. They glance at any party members in the common room but don't seem overly surprised. It becomes evident that word of the group has already spread throughout Ballara. The townsfolk are friendly enough, and most of the talk is about orcs and bandits and getting the palisade finished. Other talk concerns river traffic, fishing, and trade from Alfoss.

When Baldhart delivers food for Dalla, Abbi and Gunnar, she hears laughing behind the door of their room before knocking ((I assume she knocks)). When Dalla opens the door, she is smiling. Her smile wilts a little bit, but not entirely, when Baldhart enters. Gunnar and Abbi are sitting on the bed, their fingers entangled in lengths of string.

"Dalla is learning us Cat's Cradle!" Abbi says, when Baldhart enters. She wriggles her fingers and tangles then untangles her string, trying to make some kind of shape. Gunnar tells her to hold her hands still, then pulls the string into place and Abbi displays something that might be a ladder if you squint at it.

Dalla takes the food over to a small table, saying "Teaching, Abbi. I'm teaching you Cat's Cradle. Not 'learning' you." Abbi receives this information without comment, intent on trying to change her 'ladder' into some kind of animal face.

Dalla says "Thank you for bringing this up, Baldhart. I know you must be as hungry and tired as everyone else."

Cadell and Liadan get their share of curious glances from the locals, but nothing hostile. More of a fascination with elves. When they head out of the city toward the camp, Biorn asks to come along ((if they'd rather Biorn stay in town, he will)). As they leave the city 'gate,' such as it is, Conal spots them and walks over. "Getting late in the day." He eyes the sky. "If you have business outside of town, best be on your guard."

Cadell and Liadan are able to make it to where the rest of the group is camped with little trouble. There are no signs of orcs or bandits this day. Moving slowly and quietly through the trees, they spot the camp before any in the camp spot them. Masama and Bressel are watching the surroundings, while Burnbright kneels next to Branwen, the two girls playing some sort of game with Branwen's crude doll. Keitsumah is there as well, but there is no sign of Batos, or of Aliron.

Aliron

Though his first attempt misses and the hare bolts into the trees, it does not take Aliron long to find additional game. He manages three large rabbits in short order, and at one point a fox darts away in front of him. It may or may not be the fox from camp, earlier, but though it is not the best eating its pelt holds some value.

Batos

The deer, having been on the worse end of the fight and still bleeding, hobbles away into the trees. It would take little for the wolf to catch him.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

The children's laughter brightens the room. I tell Dalla, "You're wonderful with them. If you'd rather write the letter after the children sleep, writing can wait."

I offer to lead a prayer to Brynhild before the meal. I keep it short and vague, giving thanks for the meal and praying for strength against the challenges ahead.


Nissa

After Liadan and Cadell leave, I let Zoran know I'm off to the temple.

As soon as I meet someone, I'll do like Baldy and introduce myself as "Nissa van Donk, servant of Brynhild." I'll also mention that I met Inquisitor Brecht on the road, and would like to discuss a matter regarding some orphans.

 

[Steerpike]

((Oh, with respect to the letter))

Dalla promises to write the letter once the children are in bed and she has time to think about what she wants to say. She doesn't try to read what Baldhart is writing. Abbi and Gunnar wander over by Baldhart a few times, still playing with their strings, but neither is trying to read Baldhart's letter, they're just enjoying being around the two adults.

((will address the temple ASAP. Gotta run for now)).

 

[Keitsumah]

Batos

Panting, I shake myself and pad after the deer, waiting until it trips up and ending its life with a deft bite and twist, snapping its neck. He put up a good fight and deserved a painless death. However, tired as I am, I lay down and pant for another few seconds before getting up and preparing to drag the deer back to camp.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

We make our way into the camp, having seen the others long before they took notice of us. I raise my hand in greeting to whoever acknowledges me first.

"Holding up well out here, I trust? I saw fit to warn you, there are orcs and bandits said to be in the area. Best to keep a sharp lookout for them." I clap a hand on Biorn's shoulder, hoping he won't be too frightened by the thought. I'll keep him as safe as I can in any case.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

I watch the children playing. I don't want to tell Dalla how to live her life, but the children would be happiest living with her and her mother. And Dalla would be safe…

After eating with the children, I stick around long enough to prove myself barely functional at Cat's Cradle.

"It's a wonder our hands aren't tied together, Abbi. I best follow your lead."

After playing with Abbi a bit, I tell Dalla, "You're right. It's best you have time to think before writing. Let's talk later tonight." Before leaving with the dirty dishes, I tell the kids, "Have fun, but don't forget to eventually sleep."

When I get back to the common room, I ask Rik who I should see about sending letters. After that, I suppose I should stop by the temple…

 

[Philster401]

"So what do you two want to do?" Zoran asked after he finished eating.
"We could play a game, go help build the palisade, or something else."

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron

Though his first attempt misses and the hare bolts into the trees, it does not take Aliron long to find additional game. He manages three large rabbits in short order, and at one point a fox darts away in front of him. It may or may not be the fox from camp, earlier, but though it is not the best eating its pelt holds some value.

With the movement of the fox, Aliron draws back, but holds and allows the fox to run. Bland meat and the pelt is messy to deal with.
He slowly, but quietly circles back towards camp. Continuing to look for any suspicious activity or potential threats, completely circling the camp before returning.
[[Before he reaches camp, he would probably notice the familiar sets of footprints, but also looking for any new footprints. Any signs of other human(oids) in the area.]]

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

Once my letter is taken care of, I head over to the temple. Nissa is there, and as I approach she introduces me as "Brynhild's only nun."

"Baldhart Eisenberg," I add. "I see you've met my spiritual guide. She taught me well about Brynhild's ways, and even inspired me when it comes to facing battle--and I mean she leads by example. Though so far, I haven't had the honor of fighting right at her side. For better or worse, I may get that opportunity soon, want it or not. I'm sure Nissa's told you about the children."

Nissa's subtle nod confirms this, but I don't ask if their options are an orphanage or if there's a family willing to adopt them.

I go on to say, "I can't call myself Brynhild's follower if I ignore innocents in peril. We came here to rest and provide a safe place for those kids, but if any orcs or bandits start any trouble I mean to make mangled corpses of 'em."

I think back on all that went wrong in Arendal. I won't repeat those mistakes. Not intentionally, anyway...

"We're not exactly new at this sort of thing, so at the risk of coming off rather pushy for a stranger, I need to know who's who in this town. The more I understand the threat and how you defend yourselves, the better I can help. Last town we defended, the children were hidden and I was not trusted with information about the hiding place. It turned out there was a way for the fish demons to come after the children from the sea. If not for Nissa flying in there naked..."

Nissa smirks at me, "Naked?"

"Oh, come now. I mean without your sword." I go on, "Anyway, she was one of three to rush into the caves after half a dozen or so fish demons. Two old men died, sacrificing themselves so the children would not be harmed. And I found myself stopping the rest with a rather unlikely ally."

Here I go with the war stories again.

"Even as servant of the Battle Goddess, I don't wish to talk about battle so much. I've just seen too many good people die before their time in the past month, and now... I hoped to relax and maybe trade in my bronze plate armor and see that and a few coins might be worth a strong horse." I allow a laugh at my own expense. "I don't even know if you have a ranch here. I know you have orcs and bandits."

 

[Steerpike]

CAMP

Batos wears the injured deer down until the creature collapses onto the hard ground. Its heart beats for the last time even as Batos begins dragging the carcass back toward camp.

Cadell and Liadan manage to get to the camp without alerting Burnbright or Masama, both of whom are talking while Masama watches the far edge of the wood. When the two elves appear, Masama thumps Burnbright on the back and says "That side of the camp was yours to watch!"

Burnbright sputters for a moment, then realizes Masama is teasing her and grins. Both Masama and Burnbright grow more somber when Cadell and Liadan tell them of the orcs and bandits in the area.

"Orc! Gnolls and goblins! Fish demons! Bandits!" Masama shakes his head. "I begin to think that the northern air makes people sick. Why else do they stay in such lands?"

Biorn keeps what he probably thinks is a stern expression as Cadell mentions the dangers, and nods when Cadell places a hand on his shoulder.

Branwen is occupied with her doll and the talk of orcs and bandits doesn't appear to interest her.

When Aliron returns, he does indeed see signs that Cadell and Liadan have returned to camp, but there are no other signs in the area - nothing to indicate any enemies are afoot.

BALLARA

Abbi giggles and Gunnar grins when Baldhart tries to use her large hands to play Cat's Cradle. At one point, Abbi is practically in Baldhart's lap, physically moving strings from one of Baldhart's fingers to another to try to form something. Abbi's own hands are tiny in comparison. When Baldhart leaves, Dalla agrees to talk later.

Rik often takes letters from townsfolk, which are then sent south on wagons to Alfoss. As it happens, letters can be delivered to either Rik or to the Temple of Tyr, and in either case the letter will end up on the same southbound wagon the next time one sets out for Alfoss.

At the temple, Baldhart meets Father Adelbrand, whom Nissa has already met and introduces her to. He is pleased that the two of you met Brecht and that you left each other on friendly terms. He seems suitable impressed by Baldhart and tales of what the group has been through.

When it comes to talk of the town, Adelbrand says "Anyone who is able to fight does so when the orcs or bandits come. We haven't seen them often, at least not in the two years I've been here. Small parties come down out of the mountains, usually more interested in stealing food, weapons, or anything else they can get their hands on than killing people, though of course we have lost people when the raids occurs. The past couple of months, the raids have been more frequent. Once every couple of weeks at least, and they come in greater numbers and take more. When they come the very young and very old are ushered into this temple, and the door is barred from the inside. The rest of us fight. The parties still seem more interested in looting than in killing, so many of the villagers don't fight as fiercely as they might if lives were threatened. Worldly goods can be replaced, though we sorely miss the food at times.

The most disturbing trend lately is that we've seen mixed raiding parties. Orcs and humans seemingly working together. I've never known orcs to tolerate humans among their company - it just isn't in their nature. But these are strange times I suppose."

Turning to talk of the children, he says "We have no orphanage here - not in the sense that Alfoss does. That is a much larger town, of course. We take children in here at the temple if their parents pass and they are left without homes. The temple will watch over them until relatives can claim them, and if no relatives come forward we ask families here in Ballara to take them in. Times are hard, though, and on the few occasions we've had to take in orphans, most end up on a wagon to Alfoss where there are greater resources and more people who might take in a needy child."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

Aslaug anticipated we would move in this direction. How could she not?

"Father Adelbrand, I suspect they are not truly looting. They're looking. Think of it. Who loots the same place over and over again? They are expecting someone to pass through here… and when they've found who they're looking for, or even think they have, that's when the real fight will come."

I recall Nissa mentioning how she was able to show her wings to Brecht and not be accused of being a demon…

I gesture toward her. I won't mention her wings, but I will say this: "Nissa knows Brynhild better than anyone I've ever met, but of course she is not typical of Her followers. Inquisitor Brecht has a gift similar to the paladins, a means to ensure Nissa was not an evil one charming him with a false claim. He tested her."

"I took no offense," Nissa adds. "Nor did he when Zoran, a paladin in our party, put him to the test."

"Father," I go on, "I will need to trust a select few with some very sensitive information. I don't mean that we have what the orcs and the men want, but I think I know what they want. Our appearance might be enough for them to suspect we have their prize. I'd like to meet with those who would take charge of Ballara's defense, and I'd like to have Zoran with us at the meeting, so if there is an evil one among us, we will know. Likewise, if you have the same gift of the gods as Brecht or if there's a paladin here in Ballara who can see evil at a glance, feel free to put Nissa, Zoran and I to the test."

So Father Adelbrand doesn't think I'm ordering him to run all over town, I clarify, "If you can give me a few name names, Father, I'll gladly look for the people. Any chance Conal would be among them? I already know where to find him."

 

[Steerpike]

Ballara

Adelbrand rubs at his jaw. "Looking for something? I suppose it makes sense. We assumed they'd timed their raids to come after we'd received several wagons from Alfoss, replenishing some of what we had lost. But given the meager takings here, the orcs and bandits could surely have found better uses for their time.

"But what is this thing they're looking for? Do they seek some evil artifact in Ballara? And why do they want it?" His eyes scan the ground back and forth rapidly as his mind works. "It is something the witch wants, yes? Orcs were never overly bold before she rose here in the north. And I've heard stories that some orcs and other foul creature are in league with her."

He considers a moment, then says: "This is ill news indeed. I do have the ability Father Brecht has, to look into the hearts of men in search of evil. As for Ballara's defense, Conal is the one you wish to speak with. Technically, Elder Osgood is Conal's commander, however that rank falls to Osgood merely because he acts as Ballara's magistrate. Osgood has no military training, though, and Conal does. Osgood defers to Conal when it comes to issues of defense. It was Conal who insisted on the palisade."

((I forgot to note, above, that while Adelbrand is a "Father," by title, he's a lot younger than any of the other "Fathers" you've met so far in the north. He looks anywhere between about 28 and 30)).

 

[Philster401]

(I asked the kids a question btw)

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"Then look into my heart now, if you haven't already. I know I'm being rather pushy for someone who just stepped into town, and whatever your image of a nun must be, my appearance is far from it. I want you to know there is no evil in me, and I'll want Zoran to give me that same assurance about anyone present when we speak of the witch. Someone in Ballara likely works for her and it's possible he has left town to inform the orcs."

Or she, though I can't imagine a woman would go out into the wilderness to meet orcs and bandits.

"Maybe what you suspected was close. The wagons drew attention, but not because of the cargo. Maybe the raiders were interested in the visitors."

I give Father time to put me to the test, then head in Conal's direction. Nissa stays behind. I'll leave it to her to decide if Father can see her wings or not…

 

[SeverinR]

"While I was hunting I looked for signs of any humanoids that might attack us, or the town. I found no signs in the area I went."