30th Day of the Deepwinter: (January):
To Secomber and Back:
Our heroes are still in Runedardath speaking with the Dwaves and planing their next move to visit Baron Agwain Delantar.
The setting sun radiates its gentle light into the Hall of Heroes, floating majestically above the Forgotten Realms. Long shadows are cast by the cyclopean pillars that support the mighty heights of this divine abode. Two figures sit at the table, deep in thought, staring in utmost concentration at a chequered board upon which are placed unusual and intricately carved figures in black and white. The game resembles a type of chess, but the board is where all similarity ends. Besides the board, an hourglass, containing blood-red sand, slowly and inevitably trickles through the aperture.
St. Cuthbert: “The beetle is crushed, a piece too slow for this game, Zagyg! A rolling stone may gather no moss, but a dung beetle can only gather that which reeks!”
Zagyg: “My Lord, you may try to paint it black, but when you play with fire you may soon find that you are out of time!”
St. Cuthbert: “Ridiculous! Preposterous! I am a Saint and not a Lord! Must I for eternity remind you of this, jester? And as such, time is on my side! The Norns may spin it, yet ultimately it is under my thumb.”
Zagyg, while slowly drinking from a finely cut crystal glass containing claret of almost blood-like tincture speaks.
Zagyg: “Yes, yes. Lord of Time! Why those colourful Norns are after mine own heart – like a rainbow, they are! Breaking all the elements of space and time into their respective order and radiating them across the heavens in all their glory!”
St. Cuthbert: “Very poetic. But very pointless, for it is now your move and I hold your Duke of Ivory in check. My Thief and Hunter have cornered him and he will surely fall. Satisfaction will surely be mine.”
Back in Runedardath:
Meanwhile, far below on the earthly plane, Mirafir, Frimly, Thora, Galan and Sigune meet Morri who thanks them for their help. He is a good diplomat and always knows the right thing to say. Sigune points out how interesting it was that there was a Sea Hag under the King’s Hill and the big library so there was a connection to all of those things.
The Dragon Cult seems to have relocated and the cart that disappeared?
There are so many loose ends. We can’t seem to connect Kelthas to the evil lizard men tribe but who knows…?
Hatchlings to great worms… We know there are hatchlings in the marshes and also a young adult that has been in Runedardath after leaving the nest.
Mirafir: “Why did the dragon’s poison leak into the river? Was it deliberate?”
Morri: “We believe it was Dumathoin, the keeper of secrets under the mountain: Our god.”
Thora: “What do the claws do, do you have any idea?”
Morri: “Maybe used in their rituals? What is your next plan of action?”
Thora: “We will go to Secomber and then, who knows? We also want to know what’s happening at the Dwarven mines in the North.”
Morri: “Maybe you should talk to Gorn: he has been cataloguing the tomes. He knows his stuff.”
Morri: “From what I know, Dragonspear castle was once a Dwarven Stronghold.
I don’t know much about Secomber, we have few dealings with them but I can tell you that the Ranger, Traskar Selarn, who has been sent from Waterdeep, has been sent to take charge of the defences of Secomber.
Amelior Amanitas is the name of the mage who is the Sage of Secomber an eccentric busybody who lives in an island in the Unicorn Run. He wears an eyepatch and has gargoyles to defend Secomber if necessary. The Ranger is Traskar Selarn, the human sent by the Lord’s alliance. He was sent from Waterdeep by the Lord’s Alliance.”
The adventurers go and speak to Gorn.
Mirafir: “What do you know of the mines? My mother has vanished!”
Gorn: “This is terrible news. Maelwyn’s was the leader of the band call Maelwyn’s adventuring party and Kira was a part of group. You should seek him in Daggerford for he may be there at this time. How did you know of this?”
Mirafir: “I was told by a strange gentleman Dwarf in a white cloak with a cudgel-like stick and a big white beard. He was unusual fellow. I didn’t spot him at first as he said.”
Stranger: “Have you seen your mother, Mirafir?”
Standing in the shadows, he was.
Morri: “I cannot speak more of this but perhaps you will find aid unexpected near Secomber”
Gorn is a jolly fellow and tells us of his battles with Shadows during the final battle in Runedardath, as our Heroes fought with King Korin. When asked about the mines in the North he says:
Gorn: “I know of them, they have no name. It was difficult to enter, a Dwarven diamond mine. Over several levels, and they had access to a massive series of Lava tubes and chambers.
There was an enormous dry lava tube, a huge hollow bubble in the rock formed by the region’s volcanic action. Here they discovered and mined Diamonds.
The walls of the cavern were made of diamonds of immeasurable wealth!”
But this was from what Gorn recalled and it was all a very long time ago.
Thora also met this man in purple robes who spoke to her and he also has never been seen before or hence.
Sigune suddenly points at Mirafir’s robes:
Sigune: “You wear purple… Who else does?”
Mirafir thinks….
Mirafir: “Zagyg! And St. Cuthbert must have been the one Mirafir met! They are driving us North!
With gods like these, one may find even sympathy for the devil!”
The dungeon mine was overrun by Trolls and Barbarian Hillmen who were sacrificing and killing their human captives. Eventually their human captives were bred so as to produce a consent supply of food. This was told to Galan by Kelson Darktreader, the Dukes Master of the Hunt and the Ranger who Galan trained with.
We learn that the Barbarian Hillmen of the North comprise a number of sometimes rival tribes which are spread out across Faerûn.
Mirafir remembers Lady Bronwyn’s tales of the Song of Paths and ask for any information that the wise old Cleric may remember.
Gorn has a distant memory of this. Dwarves were involved in some of these places so it was a mixture of Druids, Rangers, Clerics and Bards. These portals were one way only. Knowledge of the song is required to go through and each would be judged on their song.
Gorn takes out a map and shows us the village of Secomber.
SECOMBER:
Secomber is a small, peaceful town that acts as the de facto border town between the relatively peaceful Western Heartlands and the more savage North along the Sword Coast.
Geography:
Secomber sits atop three stone hills on the North Western banks of the confluence of the Southern-running Unicorn Run River, the cool, clear river that runs down from the mysterious heart of the High Forest, and the Western-running River Delimbiyr, the watery road to the eastern wildernesses of the High Frontier. Directly South of the town is the dangerous High Moor. To the North, along the Secomber Trail, lies Uluvin.
History:
Secomber, a village of some 900 souls, replaced the western fringes of a once-mighty city that was, if legends are true, the proud capital of the long-ago ancient Mage kingdom of Athalantar, the Kingdom of the Stag. Folk digging cellars in Secomber usually turn up old cobbles and stone walls. Inadvertently freed Gargoyles are a fearsome, recurring problem, but sometimes Magical Treasures are unearthed.
Secomber had become a place under constant threat of Goblin raids. The citizens had erected a wall, which was their only defence against the raids, but it did them little good. Many adventuring bands were lost trying to free the town from the grip of fear and Secomber had resorted to leaving tributes outside Mishka’s Warren, the lair of the Urshani clan, which did appease the Goblins but did not free Secomber from the occasional raid. Twenty years later, the regular stream of tributes to the Goblins had left Secomber poverty-stricken.
Current Status:
Secomber was, until recently, a peaceful, rather boring village of fisher folk, farmers, stonecutters, and hired guides and guards for the frequent caravan traffic. The holdings of the farmers fan out Northwest of the village, and the fisher folk make a meagre living spearing and drag-netting fish and freshwater crabs from small skiffs on the two rivers. The stonecutters manage decent living quarrying slabs of pink granite from the cliffs that mark the Northern edge of the High Moor.
Roughly half of all the inhabitants of Secomber are Human. Almost as many are Halflings, whose low garden-adorned homes make the hills of the village seem more a terraced estate than a settlement. The remainder of the citizenry are a few Dwarves of the Ironeater clan and a scattering of Gnomes and Moon Elves.
The Lord of Secomber is Baron Agwain Delantar who took over stewardship from his farther.
Defences:
Secomber has a garrison of 30-50 Soldiers provided by the Lords Alliance. They dwell in a small palisaded fort atop one of the hills and train a 100 or so locals in sword-work and rudimentary tactics. Many of these swings-swords hire out as caravan guards.
The garrison is currently led by Traskar Selarn, a Ranger of some fame, as the Lords Alliance insisted on having a commander with experience in matters of war. The garrison patrolled the farmland and vicinity diligently, capably dealing with the few Orc and Bugbear raids that get this far West.
If the garrison has to defend the village, or engage in pitched battles in the tree-girt, or the surrounding unfortified hills then the defenders will be aided by an Iron Golem and two Stone Beast-Headed, Winged Golems provided by the Mage Amelior Amanitas and even by the Sage of Secomber himself, if he is at home. The Winged Golems look rather like Giant Gargoyles, but they cannot fly.
Lord Traskar Selarn has made sure that all adventurers are welcome in Secomber, and many adventuring bands use the village as a supply base for treasure hunting forays. Secomber is also known for its gardens and eccentric architecture.
Law and Order:
Secomber’s justice system is a basis for most of the settlements in the Western Heartlands.
The town judiciary, which is known as Rods of Justice, are respected elders who are elected every four years. At any one time there are between 6 and 9 Rods depending on how many are deemed to be required to serve. If a majority of the other Rods voted for it, they could dismiss any one Rod from their company at any time and every Rod could also resign willingly at any time. Rods can recuse themselves from specific cases if they thought they could not be impartial but a Rod could not be compelled to, even if the potential for bias was obvious to all.
Secomber’s laws were based on those of the City of Waterdeep (The City of Splendour) with a few differences. First and foremost being the fact that there were no ‘Crimes Against Lords’, which were the most serious accusations in Waterdeep. However, assaulting a Rod of Justice was treated as both ‘Aiding an Attack Upon Secomber’ and ‘Assault Upon a Citizen’, the sentences for which were combined at trial. The plaints, or charges, were called ‘Godsfrowns’, ‘Deathseekings’ and ‘Deceits’, ‘Malices’ and ‘Threatenings’.
Every judicial case in Secomber was heard by a nine-person jury made up of Secomber’s landowners. The jury selection process was done by a blindfolded child who had themselves been picked at random by a local priest (or one of the Rods if a priest was unavailable). The child would be presented with a cauldron containing chits, upon which were the names of all eligible jurors, however, if the child picked a juror who had already served within the last year, the chit would be temporarily removed and they would have to choose again.
Trials were always public affairs often attended by bored citizens looking for something to do. Although the accused were allowed to speak freely, the utterance of threats, obscenities or going on tirades would earn them a gag to keep them quiet. Spellcasting within the court without the explicit permission of a Rod of Justice was a serious offense. If the defendant did so, they were knocked unconscious, then bound and gagged before the trial continued with the crime added to the list of charges against them. A trial would rarely last more than half a day, though a Rod of Justice could elect to have a stay while waiting on the arrival of a witness or crucial evidence.
Upon being found guilty, a defendant was subject to the whim of either the presiding Rod or the jury in terms of sentencing. If fines could not be paid, the guilty party’s assets and property could be seized and any remaining monies owed were paid off in hard labour. Appeals against verdicts were not allowed, but as time went on, when new evidence came to light, it became more and more common to have an immediate informal retrial. If the convicted were proven innocent by the evidence, charges could be dismissed and prisoners swiftly set free.
Outside of criminal matters, Secomber had a system of regulations and bylaws for civic matters, the breaking of which earned the offender a fine and a warning not to do it again, since repeat offenders faced harsher penalties.
Notable Locations:
- The Seven-Stringed Harp (Tavern):
- The Singing Sprite (Inn):
- Tower of Amelior Amanitas: The home of the famed Alchemist and Sage of the North.
1st Day of the Claw of Winter: (February):
Riding to Secomber:
A night’s rest enables Mirafir to recover his spell points back. The next morning the adventurers depart to travel along the Western-running River Delimbiyr to Secomber. It will take the party 2 days travel to get there y horse. Farewells are said at Runedardath with Ale, friends, etc. presented. 20 miles to the small farming village of Julkoun where we plan to have lunch. Some Elves are around keeping an eye on us as we leave the area for the Laughing Hollow.
JULKOUN:
You find yourself on a hill looking over a village in the distance. A wall surrounds the village and the Western-running River Delimbiyr behind it. On the other side of the river you see farm land in the distance with people working in the fields. The village is small, but the people seem friendly enough, though they are obviously nervous around outsiders.
Demographics:
The village of Julkoun is inhabited entirely by Human, mostly farmers and gatherers.
Government:
Gideon Dearnith is the leader of this village and is well trusted. There is a 5% tax on all purchases, and an additional 5% on those who are passing through. There is not a tax on bartering however, which allows most denizens to avoid the majority of the taxes. All citizens are taxed annually in amounts that are tailored to the individual.
Defences:
The village of Julkoun is protected by a spiked wooden wall surrounds the village and it itself surrounded by a 10’ foot moat. The upper city is at the top of a steep sided plateau with the 10’ foot moat at the incline’s base. There is a thick wooden gate at the North and the East wall with a guard house at both. Each gate has a bridge that can be raised.
Industry:
The village of Julkoun is mostly made up of farmers; therefore the main export is grain and animal goods. They are well known for their light and sturdy leather. They import metals for tool repairs, village maintenance, and simple weapon fabrication.
Infrastructure:
Worn cobblestone roads wind through and around the village. A watermill is at the South side of the village next to a chain that hangs over the river and connects to a building on the other side. Attached to the chain is a buoyant platform that is used to transport farmed goods from the fields across the river, as well as moving the people to their fields.
Assets:
The village keeps a store of at least one year of food and supplies, and has an armoury full of simple weapons.
Guilds and Factions:
The merchant’s guild has a small office here.
History:
This village has had a fairly peaceful history, though a mysterious illness came to them over the winter this year and they were forced to burn the infected and their domains.
Architecture:
The village of Julkoun is constructed entirely from wooden buildings. The buildings outside of the walls have thick doors that almost bled into the walls they sit in, while the building inside the walls, have brightly coloured clothes in their doorways instead.
Geography:
The Delimbiyr river runs right next to the city, providing it with fresh water. To the South of the river, past the grain fields can be found a large forest. The village of Julkoun itself is a plains city.
Natural Resources:
Wood, grain, fish, meat, cattle/deer
The adventurers enter the village from the northwest. There is a chain across the river for the villagers to raise a toll for passing river fare. Mirafir notices several burnet cottages outside of the wooden palisades.
The local officials are curious what members of the Daggerford Watch are doing so far from their jurisdiction. The adventurers are invited into the Gilded Wheel Inn, a rough and ready stop for farmers and river workers. The ale is nonetheless good.
After lunch the journey continues. At this time of year (Day of the Claw of Winter: (February) it begins to get dark already at around 6ish.
It is fairly hilly and grassy but few trees along the banks of the river. This is a good place to set up camp.
Thora: “Let’s spend the night together here. It is a good spot to defend and the hour is late.”
2nd Day of the Claw of Winter: (February):
An uneventful night passes and the next day is also without incident before the adventurers arrive in Secomber.
With the sun barely over the crest of the eastern hills, it beams its full strength directly onto the Delimbiyr River at the point where it meets its tributary, the Unicorn Run. On a fresh and cold morning such as this, the surface of the icy river is converted into a hazy steam which rises mysteriously from the waters and over the banks, wrapping the picturesque town in a magical golden haze.
The road is close to the river, but rising to the left of the adventurers, the Lord’s Fort can be seen, its towers spiking into the pale blue heavens. Farms and homesteads loom at intervals out of the steam and Frimly recalls “The Slush”, an impoverished dockland area, where many ply their meagre trade with the increasingly receding river traffic.
Frimly: “It’s a tough life for this lot! I should know, wasn’t much different back where I came from, but you can’t always get what you want. That’s what I say.
But sometimes you might just get what you need, right?”
Thora wants to speak to Derval’s associate before going to the keep to see Baron Agwain. This means going up through the town and around the keep to the Iron Eater Compound where the Dwarves are working. They are all covered in pink dust from the mined marble.
One of the dwarves starts nudging the other:
Bombore: “Look, it’s Thora! I’d recognize that beard anywhere?”
Thora: “Do ye have something fer us tae drink? I was looking fae something stronger than water…
This is a courtesy visit of sorts. Who’s aboot?”
The party is brought before the boss of the mine.
Gamgee: “Tell us everything!”
Says the gaffer, Gamgee.
Frimly: “Well it had gone tae wrack and ruin! Y’ken? Orcs and trolls.”
More food and drink is brought out and lashings of clam juice. Frimly is doing his thing of regaling and singing. The Dwarves are somewhat suspicious of Frimly. Thora introduces her party to them as her brothers and sisters.
Thora: “We can only make amends for that which we can make amends for? And what d’ye make of the Wizard here with the eye patch?”
The Dwarves look at Frimly and say:
Gamgee: “Well he is a great and learned wizard. He is about 6 foot tall; he wears spectacles and has a long great grey beard.
But he is eccentric to say the least…”
Thora: “Do you think he has an agenda?”
Gamgee. “He is also interested in unnatural phenomenon and not even wild horses would drag him from his studies!”
Thora: “And the new commander of the troops?”
Gamgee: “He seems honourable for one of them… He is approachable but a strict adherent to the law. Baron Agwain is still the Lord but he lacks the military experience.
The garrison is currently led by Traskar Selarn, a Ranger of some fame, as the Lords Alliance insisted on having a commander with experience in matters of war.
The garrison patrolled the farmland and vicinity diligently, capably dealing with the few Orc and Bugbear raids that get this far West.
Thora: “It sounds like he has had his wings clipped?”
Gamgee: “Well he just doesn’t have the knowledge for military operations. He has taken on his responsibilities and he is a changed man these days.
He used to be cocky but no longer. He even comes and drinks with us occasionally! As for marrying Lady Bronwyn, the suspicion is that he was bewitched.”
Mirafir: “What of Dygath?”
Gamgee: “Dygath? He’s the Baron’s Master of the Hunt and tracker for Agwain. They say he mourns his previous employer… If you and your comrades would like food and shelter for a night you are welcome to stay!”
Thora: “Aye! Gimme shelter! The problem with these wars is that they cost a lot of money.”
Gamgee: “Aye that it is!”
Frimly then sings a sweet and gentle song in perfect Dwarfish which impresses his hosts greatly!
Frimly: “Here’s a little number I tossed off recently! I call it “The Maid of Runedardath”. You hum it; I’ll smash your face in!
I met a Dorwinian wine-soaked queen in Daggerford,
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride,
She heaved her beard right across my shoulder,
I had to put up some kind of a fight,
It’s the Runedardath maidens!
Gimme, Gimme the Illefarn blues!
3rd Day of the Claw of Winter: (February):
The Sage of Secomber:
As Galan, Frimly and Mirafir consider going to the island of the Sage of Secomber, some of Baron Agwain’s guards appear.
Guard 1: “No one visits the Wizard, unless he requests their presence.”
Guard 1: “No one visits the Wizard, because he’s crazy.”
Galan writes a note about the songs of the gateways in order to grab the Sage’s attention.
“We wish to have a private meeting at the earliest opportunity regarding the songs of the gateways…”
It is attached to Galan’s companions, Crow the Raven, leg and sent across the Sages Tower.
Mirafir sees Crow fly to the tower. As it gets closer, two gargoyles appear, and grab the crow which they first examine and then release. As we head back towards the castle, Agwain and three of his men approach.
Baron Agwain Delantar: “Gentlemen welcome to my castle. Master Frimly? Master Mirafir! Thora and all others!”
Thora: “Let us go to the Dwarven dwellings were we can talk.”
Mirafir: “Discretion is the better part of valour.”
Baron Agwain Delantar: “Indeed!”
Thora reveals all she knows about the guards who were killed in Daggerford Castle. Agwain still has no knowledge of who put the charm on him previously.
Baron Agwain Delantar: “All those in the castle were interrogated and my Wizard and Cleric was present throughout making sure that everyone was truthful and not under spells themselves.”
Thora: “Tell me of Dygath?”
Baron Agwain Delantar: “Dygath has only recently come into my service, a year or so ago. He is a skilled hunter and tracker.
Thora: “What weapons does he favour, a Crossbow?”
Baron Agwain Delantar: “He uses a Long Bow but not a Crossbow.”
Thora: “What has he told you of his last days with Baron Cromm?”
Baron Agwain Delantar: “He tells of the attack on Cromm’s Holding, while he was on a hunt with the Baron, they were attacked by a Ceratosaurus were he was knocked unconscious.
After he regained his wits he had lost his wits and wondered for several days until he returned to the Holding, but all had left but a couple.”
We learn little more about Dygath and how there is no evidence to directly prove of his evil deeds, but Baron Agwain agrees to introduce him to us as we leave the town. He is with the party as we exit the town.
Baron Agwain Delantar hands Mirafir a note secretly as they leave. Mirafir takes a look at the note, which has a single stylise letter B written on it.
Mirafir: “Baron Agwain must trust me indeed to hand this note on. Are suspicions were true concerning the couples fondness of one another”
The adventurers, on the way back to Daggerford see smoke rising from the opposite side of the river at the village of Julkoun, where the chain is held. The party enters Julkoun and are recognised from before. The Captain of the villages Militia takes us over to the main warehouse on the other fortified hill. Mayor Barnard introduces himself.
Sigune: “What has happened?”
Barnard: “We were attacked! All we heard was screaming and then the fire started under the cover of darkness!”
Mirafir casts ‘Clairvoyance’ and sees that the gates have been torn down. Several bodies, 12 in total, can be seen scattered around the fortified area. The Wizard can see no movement within. The bodies are cut but no foes lie amongst them. We head across on a boat. The party sees the carnage first hand.
Galan checks the guard post for tracks and can see that there was a group of at least fifteen or so partly bare-footed partly booted attackers. Some came over the walls, some through the gates, al then leaving in a Southerly direction.
Thora, Frimly. Mirafir and Sigune are caught in a dilemma:
- To aid the villagers and track down the raiders, in what is more than likely a trap set for them?
- And to do this would surely only delay them in attending to the more pressing matters of the North: the very tasks that have been set them by their Gods in person!!!
- Perhaps some of the personas in Secomber were given too much emphasis and others too little?
- Who could the mysterious source of aid be, that Morri mentioned to Mirafir?
- Perhaps a return to Secomber to seek aid in tracking down the raiders would be a wise option?