In part 1 of this series, we take a look back at the introduction to this adventure through the narrative perspective....
INTRODUCTION
The last couple of weeks have been somewhat surreal for the Reavers in Shadowdale. Destroying the bandit stronghold, rescuing so many citizens of the Dale and defeating the evil Priestess of Talona has left the village deeply indebted to the heroes. All of the villagers greet and treat the heroes warmly whenever encountered and they are charged nothing for any services they require. They have permanent free lodging at the Old Skull Inn and Lord Mourngrym has offered land and labor should any of the heroes wish to build a permanent residence in the village. Their selfless acts have given them true hero status.
The first order of business in town, other than making Crimson the most popular color in the whole dale, is to bolster security within the dale, increasing patrols and recruiting more into the militia. The cold weather foreshadows a long cold winter coming so the whole community has pulled together to help the Jessim's rebuild and prepare for winter. A permanent watch-post is established on the outskirts, near their farms. Shadowdale is coming together and sharing with one another in an unprecedented way preparing for a harsh autumn and winter to come.
It's been 2 weeks now of resting and training and discovering new powers of your unique items when we find Gar, Grey and Arcady practicing swordplay in the backyard of the Old Skull Inn, while Crowe sits nearby under a large Maple Tree, looking up periodically from the tome in his lap to watch the horseplay. The lilting sound of a flute carries on the remarkably chilly breeze from Flan, who is sitting on the opposite side of the aged maple, disinterested in the grunting, sweaty warriors playing with their weapons. Alea sits on the grass nearby, seemingly enjoying the music, but lost in her own thoughts.
Gar also is momentarily lost in thought - It's Nana's birthday and he has never missed one of the aged matriarch's grand birthday events, but the trouble in the Dales has kept all of them busy and away from loved ones. Arcady scores what would have been a deadly piercing stroke to Gar, and the jesting begins - "A blow like that would not kill me, I'd shrug it off and slap you like a little princess and if you ever woke up you would have the intellect of Old Man Gillum's mule." With a rolling of Arcady's eyes and a giggle from Grey, Gar flashes a brilliant white smile at his two friends and they all fall into a fit of laughter together.
As the laughter dies down, Rikkon, one of the town children (Farmer Markin's boy if you recall correctly - Always up to mischief of some sort) comes running round the corner of the Inn towards the group of warriors. He seems excited about something and addresses them with some urgency. He has discovered something magical in Lady Essindra's Orchards (Never mentioning what he was doing in her orchards to begin with) and it is something the Crimson Reavers should look at. He promises he hasn't touched it, ....well just with a stick, but nothing happened. He's left Orly and Bent to watch it while he came running.
Deciding to go take a look, but deciding from the boys reaction that it does not sound immediately dangerous, the group of heroes heads to the farm just north of the ramparts, deciding to walk on this sunny but brisk summer day, and then see what foolishness the boy is up to.
Following the road to Essindra's fields the group is met with warm greeting from all villagers they pass. Miss Marril even rushes out from her cottage to offer the group one of her Dale's famous wild berry pies (Only slightly less famous than her wild berry wine) - but declining the pie only ensures that she will drop it off at the Old skull for them to have later.
Then there is the widow Margory Gilglade who stops the group to present to them 6 pairs of colorful freshly knit mittens, with various childish looking animals prominently displayed on the back of each. What with all of the cold weather it'll soon be snowing and they'll be glad to have them. As she begins to talk about how her joints ache so terribly in this weather and how the wind seems to just howl right through her farmhouse - it'll be the death of her - she notices that the heroes are busy and bids farewell. (She does not take no for an answer on the mittens).
Then there is Martin Greyhorn (Of the Westfield Greyhorns) having a pint with Old man Gillum by the side of the road, with Gillum's mule - laden with tinker goods, staring off in a stupor at something up and to the left, his other eye lazily studying something down and to the right. They would talk to the heroes all day about the unusually cold summer and poor harvests if they could. Talk of monstrous humanoids and wolves attacking their flocks is nothing new, but there is the distinctive feeling that between that and the broken fence in Greyhorn's east pasture, the heroes should be on top of things and fix everything. A few polite smiles and after 5 minutes of trying, the heroes manage to extract themselves from that conversation and they eventually approach Essindra's farm.
From the roadway, they can see something shimmering brightly in the air about 10 feet above the grass of the orchard. 2 young boys can be seen running around underneath it with sticks in their hands. It still being at a distance, the group climbs the ditch and enters the grounds of Lady Essindra's orchard, approaching the hovering magical construct.
There is a green glowing image of a stylized Griffon (The same symbol as the Company of the Griffon) hovering 10 feet above a 3' diameter circle of green glowing magic on the grass in the field. The 2 lines of arcane runes around the edge of the circle are animated and moving around the circle in different directions. In the center of the circle in glowing letters on the grass are two words - Gaerun Burr.
Stepping into the circle, the entire group are magically transported......
Arrival
In the blink of an eye you find yourself in another place entirely. You are indoors, inside a cozy looking sitting room, with a homey soft rug in the center of the room upon which you can just see the last fading of a green glowing circle as it disappears. The walls are adorned with fanciful quilts, lovingly crafted with masterful precision. The sun shines in a large window overlooking a massive city and the sounds of the busy streets below can be faintly heard.
Just then you notice a pretty young woman in a servants uniform standing near an open doorway leading into a tastefully decorated hallway. Voices can be heard down the hall. Gar recognizes the hallway if not the pretty servant. The young woman looks in your direction, smiles and says:
"Bienvenue maître de la maison Gaerun (Welcome home master Gaerun). s'il vous plaît permettez-moi de vous escorter (Please allow me to escort you)", she says as she motions towards the hallway.
When you approach she turns and leads you down the hall, turning to gar she says:
"Vous avez été très manqué dans cette maison et votre père se fera un plaisir de vous voir (You have been very missed in this house and your father will be pleased to see you.) Mais d'abord je dois vous accompagner pour voir votre ..... (But first I must escort you to see your ....)" she pauses to open a door at the end of the hall... "grand grand-mère (great grandmother)".
As she finishes speaking the door swings open to reveal another well appointed but comfortable room with a crackling fire and seven elderly women sitting in padded chairs in a rough semi-circle about the room by all appearances knitting up a storm, at the head of which is Gar's beloved Nana. The women look up with interest, but no real surprise is evident on their faces. The servant excuses for the interruption and then gracefully leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
"Well, come forward boy" Nana says with her usual severe unreadable expression on her face "Let's see what you've done to yourself with those sharp objects you seem to like swinging around all in a bluster." Nana as well as the 6 other aged women begin to look over Gar with penetrating curiosity. Gar has the distinct feeling that these women know a lot more about him than he does about them, and there is something very disconcerting about that.
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**Nana will look gar over and disapprove of any scars or signs of damage.
**She will chastise Gar for not introducing his handsome elf companion. Then she will greet the rest of the companions with fondness as well as the same severe once over, disapproving of this and that as she sees fit.
**She will express her condolences for Maeric's death. She has spoken to his family since and they know that his companions did everything they could to save him.
**After a few brief moments of conversation she will rush the boys off to the Inn to see Gar's father and the women of the party will have no choice but to stay and endure Nana's attentions - Disapproving of Grey's armor and haircut, etc. The last thing the men hear as they leave is "Greyal has always been big boned"....and "with the proper makeup" and "I have just the right material for a beautiful dress...." and "Alea dear, you are fading away. Men like a woman with.."
**The girls will have to endure this for at least an hour before they can meet up with the rest of the men who are no doubt drinking and pinching barmaids and thoroughly enjoying themselves.
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More to come in Part 2...