The Adventure

Our story takes place here....

Our three adventurers met on the road just south of Matterfort, each heading into town for a much-needed respite from their travels. After talking amongst themselves, they decided they tolerated each other well enough to adventure together.

After a short trek, they enter the important trading hub of Matterfort. In the center of Umbermoor, this thriving town sits not only on the north-south route between Varzand and Tamora, but also near the critical east-west route between Ulsternaulde and the great fortress-city of Vuldun.

As can be expected, the town is bustling: carts clatter down the cobblestone streets, traders hawk their wares, travelers and adventurers of all sorts meander about. Since this is Umbermoor, there are plenty of dwarves about, working mainly as artisans. A wise traveler knows that there are dwarf-dug caverns beneath the town, where those dwarves who truly can't stand open spaces live and work.

And as its name implies, the town is also a fort. A large barracks sits in the middle of town, along with an armory and some training grounds. Most new recruits to the Umbermoor armed forces are stationed here, rather than at the more remote capital, Vuldun. Vuldun is also nigh-impregnable, and needs relatively few troops.

Despite the presence of so much military personnel, Matterfort is hardly a joyless authoritarian dump; there's still plenty of fun to be had, should you know where to look, or who to pay.

You all make your way to a tavern called Hogarth's Folly. Despite the name, whoever Hogarth is should be happy with the tavern's business; while not quite filled to bursting, there are still plenty of patrons drinking, eating, and making merry. Since it's 6 PM, the dinner rush has started, and the staff hustles through the clean and tidy interior, setting out food and drink and then collecting the resulting dirty dishes with impressive efficiency.

As you all look around, three people stand out...three people who look like they might need some intrepid adventurers to aid them....

The first is a tanned, muscular, blue-haired gnome, wearing battered chain mail. She's shoveling food and drink into her mouth as fast as she's able, and seems to be watching the entrance intently.The second is a dark-skinned man wearing a red turban. He's clearly at ease, laughing and gesturing along with a group at a nearby table.The last is an older man with a thick beard, also wearing armor that's seen some use, who seems oblivious to the cacophony around him. He stares down at his ale, only sipping occasionally.

Leira sat and looked at the three. She nodded and sighed.
"Fine..." she said almost in a bit whiny voice. "I'll go talk to the boring one." she stood up. The gnome woman and the older man both looked way more exciting personalities. But nevertheless, Leira dragged herself to the red turban. Maybe the most timid look person had the most exciting story to tell. Who knows.

Instead of talking to the red turban directly, Leira observes him for a moment. He seems in a group, and he seems to have fun. But why does he keep gesturing?

She steps forward.

"Well met. I am Leira Stormwind. Want a beer? I can't help notice you keep trying to get my attention."

@Aenwyn:

The gnome gapes up at Aenwyn, half-eaten food dribbling from her mouth. Then she swallows, washes it all down with a large gulp of ale, and wipes her mouth with a sleeve.

"Well, lookit you! Nice tail! And the rest o' ya ain't bad, either! What's the word to describe it? One o' them big ones...oh yeah! Voluptuous! HAHA!"

She kicks out a chair and gestures for you to sit.

"Name's Wyla Turen. An adventurer...just like you are, I'm thinkin'. And yes, I am in a small amount of distress...not large, not even medium, just a teensy tiny smidgen. But maybe you can help. I'll try to give ya the short version, cuz folks say I talk too much. Can you believe it?! HAHAHA!"

Another gulp of ale, and she begins:

"Was travelin' from Ulsternaulde, mindin' my own business, when I come across four other travelers. They were just lazin' about by the road...which is fine, I don't judge. But then they started hurlin' insults about my size. Fuckin' original, right? So's I hurled some back...better ones, of course, cuz Mama Turen's daughter ain't no shy, stammering doofus."

"Things got even more heated, so's I challenged one o' them to a wrestling match. We doffed our armor and went at it. Hoped that would shut 'em up after I won...which I did, easily, cuz I'm strong as an ox. But it didn't shut 'em up. In fact, they all rushed me! I hate retreatin', but four versus one ain't good odds."

"So's I dove for my pack, and I was just able to get a bag o' caltrops and toss it at 'em. Confused 'em enough to allow me to grab my armor as well, and I high-tailed it outta there. They gave chase, but I'm at home in the wilderness; I zigged and zagged and made my way here. Now I'm just grabbin' a quick meal before I hit the road again. I think I lost 'em, but ya can never be sure; that's why I was watchin' the door."

"But if you and yer companions (ain't they yer companions?) wanna help, we can put those shitstain bullies in their places! If we can find 'em, that is. Now, to be clear, I don't wanna kill 'em, even though it seems like they wanted to slit my throat. I'm forgiving like that! No, I just wanna beat the tar outta them, maybe maim 'em a bit, and steal all their gold. So, whaddaya think?"

@Thomas Miller

The older man stares at you for a long moment. Despite his age, he's powerfully built, and his gaze suggests a stubbornness that's not easily tempered.

But then he sighs, and suddenly it seems as if all his wrinkles have multiplied fivefold.

"No, I'm not alright, stranger. I'm here on an important mission, but it's one I wish had been given to someone else. However, duty and honor is paramount to me, so I intend to see it through."

"I'm Cormac Thalken, cleric of Tempus. Tell me, have you ever had to hunt down a friend?"

@Leira Stormwind

The turbaned man laughs at your words; it's an infectious, musical laugh, as if care and worry were for lesser mortals.

"I admit, I was not trying to get your attention. I only just noticed you now, so absorbed was I in our discussion. But I will gladly jettison this current conversation, if a beauty such as you wishes to speak with me. Such features! You are gorgeous, no doubt, but I also sense an inner strength within you...perhaps even magic? And that hair! Exquisite!"

"My name is Hassan Rein, a member of the Prosperous Path. Perhaps you've heard of my guild? No matter either way. We can discuss it if you wish, we can discuss your surely adventurous life, we can discuss anything under the sun! Please, sit! I'll shoo these lowly dogs away (I jest, of course...but only partially!), so we won't be distracted."

@Aenwyn:

The gnome nods, makes a few more salacious comments about your tail, and then resumes scarfing down her meal. Though she still watches the entrance, she seems more relaxed now that she has potential allies.

@Thomas Miller:

The man lets out a gruff laugh as you introduce yourself.

"I appreciate the 'mister,' but no need to be so formal, Thomas. Cormac will be fine. I also appreciate the offer of help; it would certainly ease my burden. Let me tell you what I must do, and you can decide if you wish to aid me."

He then takes a deep breath, seems to collect his thoughts, and begins his tale:

"I seek a man named Dane Marsk. Like me, he was once a follower of Tempus; I knew him well, and adventured with him on several occasions. But the last time we fought together...[you can almost hear his teeth grinding]...things went awry."

"Some goblins had been terrorizing Timbervale, a village north of here; they seemed to be based in the nearby woods. We were sent into those woods to ferret them out. A simple enough task, it was thought; thousands of adventurers have accomplished similar tasks without incident."

"But there was trickery afoot. We found the goblins easily...and some hobgoblins. The fiends had held back the bulk of their forces, hoping to lure the inevitable adventurers into a trap. They succeeded, probably beyond their wildest hopes. We were overrun, and had to retreat."

"There were five of us in the party. One was killed. Three made it out of the woods, myself included...exhausted and injured, but still alive. Dane got left behind in the chaos, and was captured; we were too weak to immediately go in search of him. We recuperated, gathered reinforcements, and went out to hunt for our comrade...but we tarried too long. Our foes used that opportunity to move deeper into the Forest of Shields, probably sensing that we would return in force."

"We tracked them all through the forest, and even through the foothills of the Iron Range. Finally we cornered them. A terrible battle resulted, but we won. All the fiends were killed; no quarter was asked, so none was given."

"We found Dane after the battle...emaciated, battered, half out of his mind. You see, it had taken us over a month to track down these goblinoids. The things they'd done to Dane in that time...."

"The clergy thought they could heal his fractured mind, but it was naught to be. As soon as he recovered a portion of his strength, he loudly renounced Tempus for abandoning him, slew two clerics, and set off for parts unknown...well, unknown for a time. Now he's resurfaced here in Matterfort. I have credible information that he's recruiting people from the dregs of society...for what exact purpose, I can't say, but I'm certain it's nefarious. There have already been tales of murder and rape."

"He's been designated one of the Fallen, a former follower of Tempus who's descended into madness or darkness. We trained him, we supported him...now it's our responsibility...my responsibility...to deal with him. If he can be apprehended, he'll be tossed into a dungeon from which he'll never escape; if he insists on fighting till the end, then an end he shall have."

He takes a few sips of his ale, and then rubs his beard thoughtfully.

"Excuse the length of my tale, Thomas, but I figured you needed to know all the facts. As you can see, this isn't a task I relish; Dane was a good man, and I can recall many fond memories of traveling with him. And if you were to say we failed him, that we didn't rescue him soon enough, that we didn't heal his mind as we should have...well, you'd be well justified in saying those things. But the fact remains: he's become a danger, and must be stopped."

@Leira Stormwind:

"Never heard of my guild? Well, let us banish your ignorance on this matter forever!"

"The motto of the Prosperous Path is 'Wealth Through Valor.' Sounds simple enough, right? But I believe you could switch it around, and it would still ring true: 'Valor Through Wealth' is also appropriate."

"You see, we're not just an adventuring guild, though adventuring is surely a large part of it. We also handle all things related to commerce. This dual nature of the Prosperous Path means that your tasks could be incredibly varied: one week you might be delving in an abandoned mine for treasure, the next you might be helping negotiate a trade agreement between two merchants."

"Martial prowess is required, but also cunning and diplomacy. This actually keeps our ranks relatively low. Many find they only want adventuring, and leave the Path to join a guild that focuses exclusively on that; others find they only want to deal with the business and investing aspects, and so also leave."

"But if you're a person of varied talents, and are willing to adapt...well, let's just say that no member of the Path has ever starved."

"So, Leira Stormwind...are you interested in joining? I'd be happy to sponsor you, if you are. If not, I won't be offended...but I will be offended if you immediately leave, without further conversation. Just because you're not interested in the Path doesn't mean our evening together has to end. We can certainly find myriad other things to talk about!"

@Thomas Miller:

"Of course, Thomas. Discuss amongst yourselves."

"However, I'll be moving forward with my mission shortly. So you may have to catch up with me, should your deliberations take some time. Still, I have a room here at Hogarth's Folly, and if I'm not there, Hogarth will know where I am. He's discrete and dependable...and no pushover."