Session 31 February 5, 2017
Three souls down on their luck answer Urman’s summon. He hires all three, Gamli Bronso the peg legged and the twins Matia and Kaeso Vademor as guards for the Djoside Keep. Urman balks at hiring the twins since they are petty thieves that fled Vademor the original home of Vorigan the vampire. After charming Matia, he believes the two are no more than what they admit to. He also learns Matia has the skills of a cutpurse and Vademor is a spiritual acolyte. Needed more as security than henchmen, the two stay with Gamli in Djoside.
The Thane sends a chest with a matching pair of dwarven wrought battle axe and hand axe inlaid with mithril. The two are a embassy gift for the Stone Spear chieftain. Urman places the weapons in another chest which he wizard locks, leaving the original publicly exposed as a decoy. Both Urman and Zho ni place Continual Light enchantments on items for the newly hired guards to use in Djoside. Bryn addresses the party after he is presented as a Swordsman. Upon our return to Djoside, he wants to leave our company to stay at home with his Mother and to to assume responsibility as Balenwode Ranger. Otiben insists he include the Keep in his duties, which Bryn acquiesces. Then the Thane’s embassy heads north to Djoside on horseback.
We are greeted first by Orel Mostana the elderly caretaker. In sparkling Apolsede manner, Urman promises to support the caretaker in his dotage, in exchange for a few more weeks supervision of the Keep’s preliminary renovations. Eventually, Urman hires Bryn’s mother to attend to his daily needs. Of course, Bryn peeled off to his mother’s as soon as we arrived. Orel has a copy of the Thane’s writ bestowing the Keep to the party and mentions there is a visitor staying at the Inn who had left word he wanted to meet us. We settle our hirelings and gear in the keep before visiting the inn. There we are greeted as heroes of the community. Shortly the mysterious stranger is summoned, as expected he is Randolph the Thane’s dark hand.
Retiring to a private room, we discuss Randolph’s plans for the embassy. He grew impatient waiting for us so had relocated to Djoside and hired a barge to ship us to Crossing. When we arrive in Crossing, he will make some arrangements then we will deliver the gift to the Stone Spears. After his briefing, he agrees to raise Otiben from Rutterkin to Waghalter over the next week. During this week, we settle arrangement in Djoside so that we leave the day after we had arrived. Urman gives the hirelings their assignments and rooms in the keep are assigned. Zho ni proselytizes to the village and his plans of a new temple are accepted eagerly.
The trip to crossing is without incident and our arrival with no fanfare. Randolp excuses himself leaving the party to explore the town. After a settling in two rooms at an inn, we explore the town perfunctorily and finish with a visit to the a Druid grove north of the town proper. There we speak with Druid Geirnot briefly. He isn’t interested in joining our adventures, even after we reference our partnership with Kymil and the Grand Druid circle in Finnesheim.
Later Randolph introduces us to Dietrich, his field scout. Dietrich briefs us on the bugbear bands threatening Crossing. There is a major settlement in the woods blocking the western Mountain road and a smaller outpost directly west of Crossing. He has investigated several battlefields where the Bugbears confronted Elosha’s minions. Those encounters were inconclusive and don’t seem to have improved either side’s position. Dietrich has very old intelligence concerning Mydius the Hedge Mage. His newest information is that there have been reports of Mydius aiding the Bugbears but never seen travelling from his tower in the east to the areas of engagements in the western woods.
Our embassy to Bori Stonespear is an appearant success. He accepts the Thane’s gifts, confirming the clan’s commitment to the Vale. He pledges up to 50 warriors to confront the Bugbears since their presence also challenges his suzerainty in the region and eminence among the other clans. If pressed, the women can join the men for a force of 75 fighters. We spend most of the time trying to determine the most effective way to defeat the Bugbears and Mydius. Three options seem obvious: a combined assault on the western Bugbear outpost to lure the settlement and Mydius into a confrontation, a clandestine infiltration into Mydius’ tower to lope off the head as it were or a two pronged plan with the Stonespear’s facing the Bugbear outpost and an infiltration team to Mydius’ tower.
We realize our lack of hard current intelligence leaves too many factors in question. Elosha’s commitment to the fray is wholly unknown. What threat she will pose to our newly allied Stonespears during and after confronting Mydius and the Bugbears is unknown. Mydius’ specific behavior and capability since secluding himself is also unknown. Urman is concerned Mydius’s skill outstrips his own. We decide Bugbear hostage(s) will answer some of the open questions. A plan is outlined to procure hostages while Otiben and Randall continue training.
