Chapter 1:Mobilizing at Malforten

[Blazeguard]

Following the sound of the bell, the party takes the northern fork. As you get closer to the houses, you see several armed men emerge from the trees and block the roadway.

The man closest to the group holds out his left hand and places his right on the hilt of his sword. In a cool, business-like tone he greets the group: "Hail, travelers! I am going to have to ask you to stop." The man eyes your weaponry as if he is sizing you up and taking inventory.

"We don't get many visitors here in Malforten so I respectfully ask that you state your business." The rest of the men fan out in a semi-circle, keeping a close eye on the group.

"This is merely a precaution." he continues, waving at the men surrounding them. "We have been dealing with", he pauses, "a 'situation' in the area and we can't be too careful."

He steps back and waits for your response.

You also notice that two other men have appeared behind the group but they don't appear to be part of the guard and seem to be a little too interested in these newcomers.

[Woe]

OOC: Do they have evil intent? It might change my response but probably not. Go bold or go home.

Sanzaru steps forward and in a bold voice, states "Hail and well met! I am Sanzaru Greyhelm, Paladin of (Moradin?). We have been obliged by the Lords of New Aenoch to rid you of the gnoll Gritznak. A traveler coming from Malforten suggested we speak with Eryl." He'll keep his hands away from his axe, but wary all the same.

[Hywaywolf]

Pebbles will smile a big toothed smile and tilt his pipe towards the townsmen in agreement with Sanzaru.

[Jandolar]

Belle is content to let our walking anvil do the talking.

[Blazeguard]

OOC: Do they have evil intent? It might change my response but probably not. Go bold or go home.

No, you do not sense any evil intent.

Sanzaru steps forward and in a bold voice, states "Hail and well met! I am Sanzaru Greyhelm, Paladin of (Moradin?). We have been obliged by the Lords of New Aenoch to rid you of the gnoll Gritznak. A traveler coming from Malforten suggested we speak with Eryl." He'll keep his hands away from his axe, but wary all the same.

Map of Malforten town

You see the man visibly relax as he steps forward to greet you. "Well met, indeed, Sanzaru Greyhelm. I am Nefydd Goff the Airhder. I apologize for the harsh reception but we are at our wit's end here. Gritznak has everyone on edge." He motions for the men to stand down.

"Your information is correct. You will need to meet with Eryl the Hoskin. He's the leader of our militia, such as it is, and as luck would have it, he's currently at The Empty Flagon distributing the evening’s orders." He drops his voice down to a conspiratorial whisper and adds, “You’ll have to excuse him though. He can be…confrontational…at times. He feels responsible for the town and the fact that we haven’t been able to defeat Gritznak has him wound tighter than a lute string.” He gestures for you to follow him and leads you into town.

You head east between the houses marked 2 and 5 on the map. As you walk the path, you start to smell aromas of food being prepared; it smells like potatoes and sausage. Unfortunately, this pleasant smell is interrupted quickly by the stench of wet dog and feces coming from the dog kennels that you see behind the house marked 2. You see and hear dogs barking loudly as the party passes, and then you hear a gruff “SHADDAAAHHP” come from the house. The dogs stop barking instantly, and one of them lets out a whimper.

As you reach a point where you can see the front of the houses you are walking between, you notice that house 5 has barrels stacked on the front porch and both houses have crude signage. The sign on house 2 says “Mathonwy’s Kennels” and the one on house 5 says “Rope and Barrel”.

Past the buildings, the street opens into a circular area which is quite obviously the town 'square'. You see a well with a large bell hanging on the side of the wooden pulley system used for lowering the bucket. Nefydd leads you across the square and up to a large building located directly north (marked 1). It is a single-story structure with a thatched roof and has a sign that says “The Empty Flagon”. The smell of food is now overpowering and seems to have reminded your stomachs as you hear and feel them start to rumble.

As you enter the building you see a large common room with a dirt floor, stone fireplace, and a single bar. Nefydd signals you to wait just inside the door and hurries over to a table off to the side of the room where he has a short, whispered discussion with the man sitting there. After a few moments he motions you over. "Eryl, this is the group that just arrived", he says and then excuses himself.

Eryl fixes you with an icy stare as he stands. You notice a slight limp as he comes around from behind the table. He is tall and thin and is wearing a chainmaille hauberk. He has a thick beard and shoulder-length hair with braids on either side.

"These are our mercenaries!?" He stops himself, realizing he is being rude. He tries to smile, but you can tell it’s forced, and as he talks you see his anger rise again. "Welcome to Malforten. We are glad that you have come to our aid. As you are probably already aware, a gnoll named Gritznak has been terrorizing our village.

He has us held hostage! He demands tribute to leave our village intact! We have attempted to find his hideout to take him by surprise and capture him ourselves, but we have failed on every attempt. This has only made matters worse. Each time he brings his putrid lot into my town, he raises his requirements! Soon, we will merely be working to stay alive, with no profit or quality of life for the people of this town!”

He lowers his voice and gets closer to the group:”What’s worse, is that he must have spies among us. Gritznak seems to know our every move, and the last time we were planning a search party to find his lair, the group was mysteriously ambushed along the way by Gritznak and his crew.

The Lords in New Aenoch seem to be too busy fighting their wars to the west and south. Those damned affairs have consumed most of Outremere’s veteran warriors, and they do not have any to spare! They have, however, offered a bounty to assist us. Should you bring Gritznak to us or kill him, the reward is 500 gold pieces. If you put an end to him, you must bring us his head. There is a catch - the Lords did not trust that the bounty would be safe here in our village. I have been given a token to give to the persons who put an end to Gritznak’s evil. This token must be presented to a Lord of New Enoch to collect the reward. You are, of course, entitled to any valuables that you collect from Gritznak’s lair, as well."

As he inspects the group, he says: “I have to be honest, this journey will likely be the end of some or all of you. You do not look like the type of fellows that can finish this task. But, you are all we have, and I have no choice but to put what little faith I have in you.” He shakes his head in disappointment.

“The horses and wolves that his party rides are always wet when he arrives here. His forces must ford the Drunderry close to the village. In the past we have tracked his party, and they seem to always come from the north. It is getting late, and you are welcome to stay the night in our town, but I wouldn’t be offended if you did not keep us company. We are quickly approaching another due date for a tribute, and our stocks are low. The colder months will soon be upon us, and we cannot afford to lose more supplies.”

[Hywaywolf]

On the way into the town, immediately after engaging with Nefydd Goff, Pebbles will step up beside one of the more friendlier looking townsmen and say, "A beautiful village you have here. The countryside has been spectacular and you lot look well organized and ready for trouble. I think I may like it here." He'll wait for some sort of response and if it is positive he will continue, "But tell me, who are those two men of yonder who did not join your welcoming party. they seem to have quite an interest in us as well."

Pebbles will have memorized the faces and the garb of the two men in case he sees them later. Is their anything about what they wear or how they look that would indicate their profession?

[Woe]

"Eryl, your faith will be well rewarded. As a Paladin of the Order of the Lumbering Anvil, it is my sworn duty to aid villages such as Malforten." Sanzaru thinks about adding how his Order requires him to refuse the bounty, but decides against it for now. He doesn't want to emphasize his friends' more earthly morals. "Some of my companions are trained Elven Scouts, capable of tracking an ice elemental through a blizzard. We also have a mage from New Aneoch. We will slay Gritznak for Malforten and rid the world of this evil."

"Come, tell us more of his forces and tactics. You say he fords at Drunderry. Perhaps you have a map of the area, or know of local huntsmen who know the best fording locations. How large are his raiding parties and how often do they come? Of course, we will also want to know more about the readiness of Malforten to defend against a raid, should it come to that. You mentioned spies as well. Perhaps we should start there, and over a flagon of the local ale."


OOC: Sorry I can't introduce Mumford better. "Mumford, reader of magics" felt a bit weak. I'm happy to retconn it. As for Pebbles, maybe he's attached to an elven scout unit? I'm sure even Elven Scouts have an affirmative action program.

[jcm]

Mumford hangs back but listens to the conversation. He absent-mindedly practices a coin trick while doing so.

OOC: Sorry I can't introduce Mumford better. "Mumford, reader of magics" felt a bit weak. I'm happy to retconn it. As for Pebbles, maybe he's attached to an elven scout unit? I'm sure even Elven Scouts have an affirmative action program.

OOC: Don't worry about it. He's keeping a low-profile, trying not to let on that most of his experience is just magic shows at fairs!

[Blazeguard]

On the way into the town, immediately after engaging with Nefydd Goff, Pebbles will step up beside one of the more friendlier looking townsmen and say, "A beautiful village you have here. The countryside has been spectacular and you lot look well organized and ready for trouble. I think I may like it here." He'll wait for some sort of response and if it is positive he will continue, "But tell me, who are those two men of yonder who did not join your welcoming party. they seem to have quite an interest in us as well."

"Eh, who? Oh, that's Gwion the Conner and Ian Meanz. Gwion is a local farmer and fisherman and Ian is a local ruffian who showed up here a year or two ago. If you ask me he's on the run from something sure as ale is wet."

Pebbles will have memorized the faces and the garb of the two men in case he sees them later. Is their anything about what they wear or how they look that would indicate their profession?

Gwion is dressed in the common working garb of the area, while Ian is dressed in a mish-mash of items that seem to indicate several different professions...or none at all.

"Come, tell us more of his forces and tactics. You say he fords at Drunderry. Perhaps you have a map of the area, or know of local huntsmen who know the best fording locations. How large are his raiding parties and how often do they come? Of course, we will also want to know more about the readiness of Malforten to defend against a raid, should it come to that. You mentioned spies as well. Perhaps we should start there, and over a flagon of the local ale."

As if on cue, a man 'materializes' at the table sporting a huge grin and long, flowing blond hair. "Gentlemen, mi'lady", he makes a sweeping bow, "Welcome to The Empty Flagon! Kerrywyn the Yellow at your service. What be your pleasure?"

[Woe]

"Nice to meet your acquitance, Kerrywyn. We'd like a round of the local brew please, and maybe a loaf of fresh bread to go with it."

Once Kerrywyn leaves to get the ale, Sanzaru leans closer to his friends. In a low voice, he says "I think we should split up for a bit. Some of us should talk with Eryl and learn more about the raiders and tactics. Pebbles had a great idea with getting to know the villagers better, to see if any stand out. Mayhaps the elves can scout the local terrain or tail Gwion and Ian."

OOC: I'm assuming mi'lady is a typo (confusion with apple lane?). Sanzaru is definitely a male dwarf. I have a thing about unbearded female dwarves, and a thing about playing bearded females.