November 15th, afternoon and evening in the year 670 by Kingdom reckoning
Those who remain in town spend a leisurely afternoon perusing market stalls and enjoying the treats on offer. There is one booth manned by a gnome that proves to be interesting. He is of average size for a gnome and his hair is a bright lavender puff under his billed cap. He stands on the table and advertises his wares. His stall is covered in charms and baubles of all shapes and sizes and when Dolgi wanders by he squints his eyes and begins to sniff the air. He points at you and says in a shrill voice, "you, you've been marked by one of the fey!"
Dolgi stops looking at the baubles and looks up to the gnome. "Yes, I've met one of the fey...uh. I mean I have met a fey, a pixie actually, you know in addition to you friend gnome. Why do you ask?"
ReplyDeleteHe winks and says "I can smell it on you, I can! It's very seldom someone so...earthy is graced by the presence of a pixie." He wrinkles his nose and clears his throat before saying the word 'earthy'. "You must have done something very heroic. Tell me your story! Tell me and I'll repay you in kind."
ReplyDeleteHe plops down on the table. A young maid approaches to observe his wares and he shoos her off with a shout.
Dolgi grabs a box and then pulls out his pipe. Motioning for permission from the gnome, he begins to light the pipe.
Delete"Aye, I'll tell you the story. It is one of grand heroics and some tragedy too." Dolgi puffs his pipe for a moment.
"It started when a group of adventurers met me after I'd been captured by a bunch of defilers. Defilers, you've heard of them? No? Well apparently, they are a group of druid types who worship a queen who was defiling one of the world trees up near Ashmont. So I was out of Ashmont trailing some orcs when I was captured. I still can't believe those defilers saw me and then captured me. But that's not important. So for some reason they kept me alive and were taking me back to their lair, basically a defiled world tree."
"So, this group of adventurers ambush them, killing the quite fast actually. They invite me to join them, come to find out later, they had dealt with these defilers before and their ranger had left to follow a survivor and not come back, they feared him dead. So in to this world tree we went, killed more defilers and then we found the queen. Real bad one that one, part human and part slug. Never seen such a thing, have you?" Dolgi keeps talking without really waiting for an answer.
"Rescued a bear them defilers been using for something. Druid dwarf with us healed it and has trained it to ride and fight, which is pretty impressive. The group headed out and that night, while on watch, a pixie came up into the camp. I gave him some ale and we talked. Apparently, he'd..or is it she'd, hard to tell I suppose, probably kinda like the dwarves, they look so similar, but I am pretty sure it was a male pixie. Anyway, he said he'd been asleep and had woken up because he could hear the earth. The earth! Warms m' heart it does. And he asked for a drink, so I gave him some ale. Would make a good dwarf I think. Gave me a tree branch, house plant as a gift and went on his way."
Dolgi takes a puff on his pipe.
"How's that grab you for a tale? Been out of practice so probably needs some work and a few mugs of ale and such."
He nods, frowns, cheers and is generally enthusiastic during your entire story. He stands on his table when you relate the story of killing the defilers, hides behind a box when you talk about the Leech queen and a tear falls from his eyes when you relate the beauty of the pixie.
Delete"Oh that is a good story, friend dwarf. Now let me tell you mine!" He stands back up on the table and puffs out his chest.
"Once upon a time, in a kingdom far to the south, there was a rich king who had a daughter. The daughter was very fair and the king loved her very much and was afraid that she would be kidnapped. So the king kept his daughter inside all the time and she grew fairer and fairer. The king was still afraid that she would be injured so he made a special house for his daughter hidden far back in the forest so that she would be safer still. His daughter became stiller and stiller. The king then became worried that when he was dead that she wouldn't be able to take care of herself so he piled gems and jewels into the house in the woods. The king also made his best guards watch the place.
Eventually the king died and still the princess sat in silence and stillness. Until she became a statue of purest ivory. Now she kneels in that old house in the forest, always safe and always alone and her guards, who turned to stone, watch her always."
"That's very sad, friend gnome. Oh..my where are my manners, my name is Dolgi. Good to meetcha. That's a sad tale who would do that to their child. Sure children are a treasure and should be held as such. Does your story tell how the young princess can be rescued from her condition?"
DeleteHe shakes your hand and replies, "I'm called Radget."
DeleteRadget nods sagely at your next words and then sputters in disbelief, "why would you want to rescue her?! Didn't you hear the part about the gems?"
He strokes his chin thoughtfully, "I suppose you'd have to do the opposite that her father did. Wouldn't that make sense?"
When Radget talks about the gems, Dolgi laughs. "Why of course lad, the gems are important, but dontcha think the princess would be so happy you rescued her and the guards that she'd give you gems? Maybe not all of them, but probably a lot. Heck, I'd ask for my weight in gems. That'll be a lot, as you can tell."
DeleteDolgi pats his stomach.
He looks at you skeptically and then mutters, "wouldn't do me any good..."
DeleteHe brightens back up and then starts as if he remembered something. "I've got just the trinket for you!" He rummages around in his pile of junk and pulls out a large feather attached to a leather thong. "This is a finder. Tell it one thing you want it to find and it'll take you there. You can only choose one thing so make it good! And be careful when you pick, the spirit bound in it can be a tad literal."
(See, not all random encounters are bad!)
Delete"Thank you Radget, this is a great gift. Why, I don't have anything near worth this."
Delete"I tell you what, Bremel isn't probably the safest town and to be honest, we are hunting a bandit that's been ravaging the roads around this area. We.." and he motions to the old lady hanging around "..are members of the guild Vengeance Falls. If you need some help from us, just get to the guild scribe and they will get a message to us. We'll come runnin' as fast as we can."
He bows deeply and says "thank you for your generosity." He taps his chin, "Vengeance Falls, I like the sound of that."
DeleteHe picks up a flag with a crude drawing of his face on it and begins advertising his wares again, shouting "Radget's Gadgets, best around!"
Shade, shadowing the dwarf to ensure that no harm befalls him, hears the gnome's proclamation, and moves closer, all the while keeping his cowl drawn tight to hide his face and his stooped posture to finish the look of an elderly woman.
ReplyDeleteSeeing that the dwarf is in fine form, making friends and influencing people more than Old Man Carnegie back home, Shade heads down the street looking for magical items that Rethas may enjoy when next the two meet.
DeleteIn the market you find these magic items for sale:
Delete25 gp
Potion of Resistance
175 gp
Arcane Scroll of Scare, Shield
300 gp
Potion of Status
300 gp
Potion of Fox's Cunning
675 gp
Wand of Remove Blindness/Deafness (13 charges)
2315 gp
+1 Longsword (Glowing)
10000 gp
Ring of Jumping (Improved)
Cursing his lack of coin and eyeing the magical items with envy, Shade slips off into the crowds. Appearing as an elderly woman, hunched with age and bundled against a cold that was still approaching, people allowed him a wide berth. Shade turned his nose back to the inn and went to scribe a scroll of color spray from his prepared spells, vowing to scribe more of Mage armor as time permitted during their stay.
DeleteDolgi sticks the magical feather in his pack and continues to do some browsing. Not really seeing anything else he needs, he heads back to the tavern where Ghalen works. Finding an empty table in the corner, he orders some food and ale, while he does some serious thinking.
ReplyDeleteThe staff seems to recognize a dwarf in deep thought and give you a wide berth, returning to your table only to refill your mug.
DeleteAfter spending some time thinking and eating, Dolgi pulls the thin gold chain out of his pack and begins to examine it.
DeleteIt's a regular gold chain like one would wear around their neck. Just an accessory.
DeleteJul looks for vendors selling caltrops and artisan's tools
ReplyDeleteYou find both in the same place, a shop called the Electrum Buckler offers all manner of adventuring gear that can be had for market value.
Delete(Whatever the price on the pathfinder site says is fine.)
(thanks)
DeleteJul turns to his companions and says, "Where and when are we to meet up with the rest of our party?"
ReplyDelete