"Never say die!"

@Edwin Voskamp's AD&D Game: Freehold 2000-06-25

The party:

• Zooo, a Dwarven Fighter.
• Lothar, King of the Hill People, a Human Fighter.
• Angus, a Human Fighter.
• Banba, a Human Fighter.
• Claire, an Elven Cleric of Labelas Enoreth.
• Rynna, a Halfelven Mage.
• Thalen, a Halfelven Ranger-Cleric of Solonor Thalandira.

Getting Ready Getting Better

We spend the next month in town, resting up, relaxing, vacationing almost. We've taken over a wing of the Prancing Pony, with private guards, provided by the innkeeper. We spend our time ingratiating ourselves with the locals, what little we can do, beyond Claire's good works. We try and keep Angus and Lothar out of trouble, spend money on the local merchants and food and drink establishements. We buy drinks and food for the City Guard, I accompany them on some trips in the field, and help them out on a few occasions.

Claire spends time practising her lute, her singing and her song composing. She spends most of her day Healing and taking care of the locals, making many friends and learning much more local history. After not knowing about the signet rings she endeavours to study heraldry. Rynna practises her magic, the fighters getting used to their new armor and weapons, Lothar studying brewing, from both sides of the art, Angus works on his constructionist's skills and Zooo studies stonemasonry, readying himself for another trip underground. After the many forays we've had with local law and nobility, and seeing as how I seem to be the troupe's spokesperson I decide to study up: I spend my time on brushing up on etiquette, bureaucracy, law and persuasive arguing.

One day Banba gets approached by three youths as she's practising in her new armor. They are in obvious awe of her abilities and adore her. They introduce themselves as Edward ap Morgan, Finnigan and Menann. They talk awhile, telling her about Siobhe, High Priestess of Morrigan. Morrigan is a Human God of War, the Raven of the Battlefield, whose clergy is exclusively female. Siobhe was a cleric in a party who disappeared fifty years ago in the Ruins of Cork. Banba invites the trio to have dinner with us that night.

They show up for dinner and introduce themselves. Claire notices Edward's ring, three black birds on a yellow background with a red chevron. He introduces himself as the first son of Morgan, a nobled knight, at Morgan's Hold, fifteen miles out of town. The other two are second sons and obiously Edward's the ringleader. They fawn over us, asking about the dangers in the Ruins of Cork, how deadly it is, telling us it can't be that dangerous. Lothar, by now obviously pissed off and pissed, growls: "Then why don't you accompany us?" They agree readily. I get a touch apprehensive and have all three of them write a note to their parents informing them what they will do and that it is out of their own free will. They seal it with their signet rings and I have three messengers take it to their parents, paying even for return messages, if any.

In the mean time, we decide to take them into the party, for a half-share of the profit each. They show up, dressed for battle, wearing chainmail, carrying swords and daggers, and Finnigan carries a bow. Banba checks them out, beating Edward and Finnigan easily, knocking Menann out. This impresses them to no end, though they seem to have expected it from the warrior godess Banba. After that we start training them to work with us.

After a while, it seems Edward has become infatuated with Rynna: I guess her dancing, rather scantily clad did the trick. He clings to her as a bodyguard, usually talking the noncommittal Finnigan into doing the same. Menann is infatuated with Claire. We leave it be, not even making fun of it, as the three will be good off guarding Rynna and Claire once we're in combat.

I spend my evenings working on the bow for Zooo, as he uses a short bow, which I can do quicker than a long bow, which is what Lothar uses. It takes me several weeks, but I end up with a beautiful, well-made short bow. Zooo tries it and it delivers his flight arrows with extra authority.

Four, five days after we send the notes we are training as a man in his forties, wearing Morgan's colors, shows up. Edward walks over to talk to him, turns pale and tells us he has to leave for a while. I ask him if he wants our help and he indicates that might be a good thing. Since Banba adopted these kids I have her come along, as our most impressively decked out party member. We are taken to The Oak Tree, an inn nearby and meet with Lord Morgan, a leathery looking, tough, forty-something man with a military bearing. He asks us to sit down and talks shop with Banba and me for well over an hour, completely ignoring Edward, who's standing at parade rest, all the time. Later on he asks if we're going to take Edward into the Ruins of Cork and he says he think it's a good idea. He then invites us to dinner. I bow out, but make Banba accept.

She comes back with us, to dress to the nines before going back. As we walk back, she asks Edward what's up with his mother, trying to figure out what Lord Morgan's angle is. Edward tells Banba his mother is at home, and why? Flustered, she tells him now that she met his father, she wants to meet his mother! Edward takes this completely the wrong way, probably noticing that Banba is female for the first time, and, seeing visions of a shotgun marriage floating before his eyes, almost dropping in a dead faint.

Banba has a nice dinner, talking with Lord Morgan about Morgan's Hold, a manor house overseeing 20 farms: about 100 peasants. At the end he tells her if she needs anything to let her know.

Finnigan seems to follow in Lothar's footsteps and seems to be always up for trouble, whenever Lothar is looking for some, which seems to be always. Fortunately, it seems to have a bit of a tempering effect on Lothar, as Finnigan has a way with the women, as evidenced in the tales Claire picks up, and seems to be able to find places a bit out of the public eye to sow their wild oats.

Once more to the Ruins of Cork

After Zooo's armor arrives we spend some time until he's well used to it and get ready to go to the Ruins of Cork. We decide we don't want to have six day trips both ways and try and carry enough food for this caravan, so we hire a wagon and drover, Ben. Ben will be happy to keep camp and take care of us for a gold piece per day, as long as its outside of the blasted zone and as long as it's understood that he'll be gone if any danger shows up. We stock the wagon with weeks of freshly prepared and well packed food from the Prancing Pony and kegs of its fine ale. The three youths show up on light war horses, with a 12 year old kid in tow: Mikey, the son of Lord Morgan's groom. He'll take care of their horses.

Six days travel brings us to near the blasted area and Ben sets up camp, ready for a good night's rest before going down below the Ruins of Cork once again.

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