[November 16th-21st – One last look in the ruins under Moon Manor and then back to Aegea City to get things done.]
[This game uses the Fifth Revised Edition of the Hero System rules along with the Fantasy Hero supplement. This session happened October 26, 2020.]
Player Characters:
Jala – human female – a person of discretion, studying aspects of the Law [to avoid them] at the Dusk Academy
Ricky the Astrologer – human male – has a thirst for knowledge but doesn’t know what he’s searching for, currently studying Astrology at Monarch University
Zarek the Red – fox male – a cerebrally-unfettered spell researcher [read: Mad Scientist] turned into a talking fox, studying Natural Philosophy at Monarch University to find a way to become human again
Vorgand – human female – professional porter and Adventurer’s Aide, irregularly attends classes at The Tested military academy, practitioner of Steel Serpent martial arts, and Guildmaster of the Delvers Guild
Via Roll20
Nick Stalwart – human male – part of the Stalwart family of merchants, studying Mathematics at The Interesting Institute of Profitable People, a college at Monarch University
Clarence – human male – studies Religion in Temples district, coincidentally the group healer
Non-Player Characters:
Torsten, Fish, Harek – ex-bandits, now The Torchbearers for the Delvers Guild
Konrad Moonclub – Stalwart family factor in Little Wytheford
Orm Oxdriver – driver of the guild’s over-sized, double-decker vardo
Yggsday, November 16th, 1st year of the reign of King Vladik the Gamesman
Evening
After dinner in the ex-chapel of the Moon Manor ruins, the Delvers fell to discussing their future plans. This included discussion of moving heavy loads up and down from the lowest level. Ricky and Zarek decided to go down and take another look at the lift near the stairs to the lower level.
Now that he knew what one might look like, Ricky located what he believed to be a control panel for the lift. It was a small panel adjacent to the open shaft with a total of large seven buttons. On the left were three buttons he guessed were to raise, lower, or stop the lift. The set of four more buttons on the right had no indication as to what they were for. Zarek cast Detect Magic and found panel was not radiating any magic. Zarek wanted to force open the panel to see its interior, but Ricky counselled not breaking it. Zarek decided to wait [for now].
The two went to the bottom of the shaft and climbed up to the lift platform, jammed in the lower part of the shaft [Zarek flew]. The square platform was wedged in solidly – it had clearly dug into the walls where it stopped. Additionally, there were no mechanisms or cables attached to the platform, suggesting it was raised and lowered using magic. Zarek could detect no remaining traces of that magic on the platform or in the shaft.
Satisfied if also disappointed, the two returned to the surface and reported their findings.
Sunday, November 17th, 1st year of the reign of King Vladik the Gamesman
Early Morning
The vardo was loaded up with the Delvers and the small amount of loot they were taking back to Aegea City. Orm then drove the vardo back to Little Wytheford. During the trip, the Delvers continued their discussions about the organization of the guild. They settled on an application fee for joining the guild of 1 silver coin. That should be enough to avoid frivolous applications, but not so high that it discourages actual applicants. A draft of the application form was also roughed out.
Vorgand also questioned Clarence about the best way to gain real title to the Moon Manor ruins and the grounds around them [as opposed to the fake ones Ricky forged]. Clarence, the most knowledgeable of the group on the kingdom’s bureaucracy, suggested Vorgand start with the Office of the Keeper of the King’s Lands and submit a formal request to settle the land.
Noon
The vardo arrived in Little Wytheford and Orm steered it to the Stalwart family warehouse. Nick chatted with Konrad a bit, explaining his list of requested supplies for their return trip. Then the Delvers ran to the ferry, getting on just before the ferry left the dock, carrying the last four elven chairs for Ferragus to sell off for them. Vorgand spent most of the trip planning the party the guild needed to hold to celebrate their success. The guild decided that there would be a door fee for non-guildmembers with applications available, but a filled in application did not waive the door fee.
Sundown
The ferry arrived at the City Docks at Aegea City. The Delvers made their way to The Library for their customary dinner, drinks, and bragging to the other students.
Moonday, November 18th, 1st year of the reign of King Vladik the Gamesman
Morning
Vorgand, back at her small apartment at the The Blooded, the kingdom’s military academy, finds a letter addressed to her. Opening it, she finds it to be an invitation to the Royal Winter Ball on December 21 for “Guildmaster Vorgand and up to one guest”. Thinking over the other guildmembers, Vorgand decides that Clarence is the least likely to cause an issue/scene at the Ball. She sent Clarence a message explaining the situation.
Zarek went looking for a blacksmith to teach him the way of smithing [as part of his plans to create his own golems]. He eventually found one [Gunnr] to accept him as a short-term student after proving he could hold the tools effectively. [The platinum coin he offered Gunnr as payment for the privilege did not hurt either.] The sight of a fox learning how to work metal naturally drew a crowd of onlookers for the entire day.
Ricky started a week-long process of creating a magic circle in the basement of the Delvers Guildhall. It will be part of a teleportation gate between the guildhall and the Moon Manor ruins. Zarek helps with the planning when he is not at the smithy being trained.
Nick walked around the docks, looking for his little brother’s friend, Berooz. When he located Berooz, Nick asked if Berooz had heard from Les. Berooz said he hadn’t. Nick checked in with his family and learned that they had been approached by a representative of the Stout family [a rival family in the merchant house both families were a member of] with a letter from Les. Les had apparently “gotten on to” [read: “stowed away”] on the wrong boat and now was working off his passage as a cabin boy on the Silent Fortune, a merchant ship owned by the Stout family and now currently in the Eastern Opal Sea. In exchange for allowing Les to work as a cabin boy, instead of turning him over as a stowaway at the next port where Les would have been imprisoned, the Stalwart family now owed the Stout family a favor.
Noon
After morning training, Vorgand goes to the shop of Tolenka of Shumsk, the official signet ring maker for the Kingdom of Aegea, to get an appointment to commission a signet ring. The assistant was not impressed until Vorgand brought the thunder [made a Presence attack], asking who the assistant thought they were, interfering with official guild business? The assistant was much more polite and allowed that there was a possible opening in the schedule at 2:00 PM – would the guildmaster find that acceptable? Vorgand accepted the appointment and then left to get some lunch, a bath, and a change out of her sword-practice clothes.
Clarence asked his mentor at the Temple of Ygg, Oleg the Gregorius, for guidance on getting cleric robes to wear to the Royal Winter Ball. Oleg was enthusiastic about Clarence going to the Ball and sent him to see Nunzio the Pale Wizard alone with a letter of recommendation. Nunzio’s shop was in a second-floor shop in the block adjacent to The Temples. Clarence took his Staff of Creation [wrapped up] with him so the robes would go with it as he planned to take it with him to the ball. Nunzio and assistant took Clarence's measurements and they discussed colors and styles. [Clarence is not yet tied to a specific temple, so he has some leeway in his formal robes.] Clarence paid 10 gold coins for materials and Nunzio told him to return December 2 for the fitting.
Having worked out where his little brother was now [and how much trouble Les was in when he got back], Nick went over to Ferragus’s shop. When Nick arrived, Ferragus was talking up the price on one of the elven swivel-chairs the Delvers had sold to Ferragus. Nick stayed out of the way until the sale was finished. Once the sale was complete, Ferragus came over to Nick and greeted him warmly. After some chit-chat, Nick brought out the elven object d’art Nick had brought from the behir’s hoard. Ferragus was greatly excited to see the piece and happy to hear that Nick had 10 more of similar quality to sell. They worked out the terms for the sale of the objects d’art.
Once that was done, Nick brought out the gold ingot. Ferragus’s jaw dropped and before he could restrain himself, he asked in a low voice, “What did you do – rob an elven bank?”. Ferragus then held up his hands and said, “Never mind. It was rude of me to ask and I really don’t want you to answer that.” Ferragus picked up the ingot and inspected the imprint on the bar before asking if this was the only one Nick had to sell. Nick said he had 19 more just like it. Ferragus’s eyebrows went way up, but he held control of his tongue. He said he could convert these to coin, but he’d need to be discrete about it. He then asked if he could hold onto this ingot to shop around. Nick agreed – he had done enough business with Ferragus to trust that Ferragus would not run off with it. They wrapped up discussing delivery of the last four elven chairs and the particulars of delivering the art objects and the ingots.
2:00
Vorgand met with Tolenka at her shop. There were snacks and tea while they discussed designs and materials. Vorgand eventually decided to purchase two signet rings: a functional ring made from steel and a decorative one [but still functional] made of mithril [to match Vorgand’s mithril earrings]. The rings would be identical other than material, which allow Tolenka to work quickly and have them ready by December 9th. The steel ring was 50 gold coin and the mithril one 500. Vorgand put down a deposit of 55 gold in cash, payment of the balance to be made once the rings are ready. Tolenka also provided Vorgand with a letter of recommendation for a top quality clothier.
After her meeting with Tolenka, Vorgand went to The Blooded and tracked down a dance teacher to sign up Clarence and herself for dancing lessons.
Jala eventually caught up with Nick and asked for recommendations as to where she could get the behir gems evaluated. He recommends a jeweler over in the Merchant district who would give a good price on the gems. Jala thanked Nick and went to talk with the jeweler. [It was getting late, so I got a little hand-wavey here so we could wrap up for the night.]
Magusday, November 19th, to Cromsday, November 21st, 1st year of the reign of King Vladik the Gamesman
Nick spent the rest of the week trying to recharge the wands in the Delvers’ possession. He was able to work out a way to recharge the Wand of Winds, but it did not work on the other two wands. [He doesn’t have Spell Research so I’m limiting his ability to develop new spells.]
Cromsday, November 21st, 1st year of the reign of King Vladik the Gamesman
After skipping on sleep and classes for the week and with help from Zarek, Ricky is able to finish work on the magic circle in the basement of the Delvers Guildhall. He still needs to create an identical one in the Moon Manor and then perform the ritual to connect the two, but this one is done.
End of Session
[The party got a lot of non-adventuring stuff done, but I forgot to have Vorgand’s big party as it was getting late at the end and I have a morning teleconference. I’m going to retcon it to say the party was delayed so the party area could be cleaned up. We addressed that part in the next session.]
Delvers Guild
Session A, Character Creation Part 1
Session B, Character Creation Part 2
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