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PREVIOUSLY - CAMPAIGN DIARIES 27 - CAVE OF THE NECROMANCER
16 Elient - Day 78 - The Road to Amphail
16 Elient - Day 78 - The Road to Amphail
The League headed south on the Long Road, heading for the coast and their destination - Daggerford, where Sir Isteval had invited them to stay through the winter. Nowhere was driving them to making good time, her interest in Sir Isteval's accomodations being obvious.
They spent an uneventful night on the road, camped with other locals near a frequented spot near a great rock along the roadside. While the other travelers made camp in a cluster and started cooking with the pots and pans they brought in their wagons and on their horses, the League ate only the goodberries that Nowhere magically produced. They were nourished, but somewhat unsatisfied as the commoners made pots of soup and stews in their fires, and the smells reminded the team of the dinner they shared with the Willets just a night before.
In the morning, while the others are packing up their camp, The League has only their bedrolls and tents to gather, and they break camp very early and head south on the road. The day is blustery and cold and they gather their cloaks tightly about them while marching faster to keep warm. Along they way they reminisce about Clinker, and Atlas takes some crumblecake that he saved for the road and sends a slice to Clinker through the message box, hoping that he will find it soon.
The day passes with the miles, and they come into Amphail in the early afternoon. The town is another small northern town on the savage frontier, the humankind folks gathered together for the safety of one another in this harsh country.
One of the shops they notice in town is Imbryl's Cloaks. This garment shop looks a bit dingy, but a few local women are gathered and chatting, sipping wine at a table by the window. Inside there looks to be a selection of cloaks, smocks, tunics and breeches. Dain charges over, an idea forming in his head.
He opens the door and is welcomed by Bellisa Imbryl, a short, fat, broad-shouldered woman with a merry manner, a nose like an axe blade, and glossy, gleaming black hair.
"Hello, how can I help you?" she asks
"Do you do alterations?" Dain asks?
"Yes, but I have many fine cloaks and garments already sized...", she spreads her arm towards the shop and some of the ladies start to twitter.
"I need this costume altered to my size." Dain insists. "And washed" he says as he pulls the bear costume, still dark with black blood from the zombie that wore it. "It might have have a rip or two from a sword thrust."
"Why of course", she cautiously remarks, taking the costume. Then she gets a closer look and emits a startled "Oh... oh!, well, this is quite unusual, but I'm hear to serve. The alterations and cleaning will take three days, and cost 6 silver."
Dain hands her a couple of gold pieces. "Please make it tomorrow, we are in a hurry to get to Daggerford."
"Oh... oh!, well, that will work too, thank you!" she states, and she takes quick measurements of the burly Dwarf. "It may be a little tight in the chest, you are much broader than the original." she tells him. "Do you your best." he replies, and in short order leaves the establishment, the other ladies now silent, but watching with fascination the every move of the Owlbear League through the windows.
They continue on, into the town, noticing a large white granery to the north of the road. It is recently built, with a domed roof, and made of stone with just a single wide doorway showing. There are several workers moving grain into the building, and a number of cats lounging in the field around the blue-trimmed building.
Atlas decides that the cats interest her, and he goes to investigate. "Hey, leave those cats alone." One of the workers yells. "I'm just saying hello." Atlas replies. "Stay away from them, they are for the granery, they keep the rats away."
"I want to take the cat." Atlas whispers to the rest of the League. "No way, they will totally see you." Orryn the rogue says. "But what if I just try to sneak it..." she starts, but Nowhere cuts her off, "There is no way to steal the cat when those workers are watching. Let's go!"
The League follows, making sure Atlas comes along without incident.
They see a shrine and Immeral has an idea, telling the others he will catch up with them, since they are now staying overnight since Dain is having bear costume alterations. As they wander on, he steps into the holy place. There is a dwarf cleric within, going about his business and he spies the Immeral entering and makes and approach.
"Greetings traveler. Welcome to The Earth and Coin, temple to Chauntea the grain goddess and Waukeen, the merchant's friend. I am Baritreth, how may I help you?"
"Thank you for your welcome. I was wondering if I might borrow your brazier for about an hour for a incantation." Immeral asks. "I could make a donation of 5 gold for your troubles.
"As long it was not a prayer to any of the dark gods, you may borrow it for your generous donation." Baritreth replies.
"I assure you it is not." Immeral tells him, and the welcoming dwarf brings him over. Putting his pack down, Immeral begins the incantation that will change Syldan his hawk familiar to the form of a cat over the next hour. The dwarf looks on with curiosity for a bit and lets him be.
As the rest of the group continues on, they notice a tree off the main square by a well, and the tree bears a sign. The tree is leafless and has a trunk as large as some cottages, and although somewhat squat for it's girth, it still rises above all the buildings. Several kids are looking up, and up above, single boy peers north with hand shading eyes from the sun. "The orcs are coming! Run!" And he scrambles down the tree faster than any adult and catches the running kids below, racing off into the alley nearby.
An elderly dwarf, sitting on a plank bench under the tree, berates the kids as they run. "Rendell, you keep crying orc and when they come, I will throw you to them first!" The dwarf takes a drag on his pipe and exhausts a plume of smoke.
As you approach, you get close enough to read the text on the sign. "Whoever shall put sword or ax to this tree shall receive equivalent blows in return."
"You touch that tree and the town will be down on your heads," the crotchety old Dwarf says to the League.
"Why is that?" Dain asks respectfully.
"That tree is The Old Dead Rowan. Legend says that a sorceress of great power is buried under its roots, and her power keeps the tree from rotting. This power sometimes heals sick folk who sleep atop the trunk's fork. Locals swear that they've seen it happen, and the law here says that anyone caught chopping at the tree will receive the same number of ax blows that the culprit dealt it. So don't be getting any ideas."
"No sir, we won't" Dain says to the codger, "Although I might sleep in the tree tonight. Maybe we all will."
"Hrumpf!" the old dwarf snorts, and puffs his pipe again.
There is also a monument nearby and the League steps over to it. The center of town is overlooked by a black stone statue of a huge rearing war stallion. The plaque on the statue says "The Great Shalarn". It is a tasteful statue, but it looks as if it has been vandalized, the testicles of the statue have been broken off jaggedly. There is a note tucked in one of the curls of the tail and Nowhere takes it and reads it aloud.
"Ybyrr, my husband is away, meet me at our favorite place. It is unsigned." The tiefling folds the note and stuffs it back in the tail and the other gives her a questioning look. "I'm not getting involved." she states forcefully.
The League continues on, finding a junk shop and almost heading into a tavern when Immeral returns with his familiar, now a cat. Atlas asks, "Can Syldan talk to other cats?"
"Yes," says the wizard. "Why?"
"We should go back to the granary and have him check if the cats are under any duress, if they are happy." Orryn just shakes his head in silence with closed eyes, hiding them rolling. "We can do that." replies Immeral, and they start walking back to the granery.
When they get close, most of the other League members hang back, thinking this is a foolish waste of time, but since they are stuck in town overnight for a bear costume resizing, they don't object. Immeral drops Syldan and commands him to ask the other cats if they are happy. Syldan quickly learns that the cats are somewhat oblivious to happyness, they exist, they are well fed as there are lots of rats to hunt around, and there is a pond nearby with good water.
As Syldan returns to Immeral's arms, the granery workers yell out again. "Hey, I told you to leave those cats alone!"
Immeral responds "This is my cat."
"How's that?" one of the workers yells, and now several pick up pitchforks and start walking over.
"This really is my cat." Immeral repeats.
"You didn't have a cat an hour ago! Get the hell out of here, and drop that cat!"
Pausing a moment to consider an explanation of how his magical hawk got transformed into a magical cat, Immeral and Atlas back away with hands up, "no problem" he says, as the other members of the Owlbear League snicker and start walking away. Immeral sends a mental command to Syldan to come find him in town after a few minutes.
They continue on, window shopping, as the other members of The League mock Immeral and Atlas. "I'm so glad you checked on the well being of the cats that were laying around in an open field. Did you think they were hypnotized and couldn't just walk away?" Dain asks. Immeral and Atlas remain silent through the ribbing, realizing they might have caused an incident with the whole town stacked against them, so they humbly march on. In short order Syldan returns and The League decides to continue on the road south, even though it is late, not wanted to chance any questions or incidents.
They don't get far, breaking camp while there is still daylight, upset that they missed an opportunity for warm food and beds and grousing a bit at Atlas and pet concerns. Nowhere disappears for a while and comes back with a deer she has scored, so their dinner is at least not goodberries.
17-19 Elient - Day 79-81 - Amphail to Waterdeep
17-19 Elient - Day 79-81 - Amphail to Waterdeep
The League's march south takes three days, the air growing colder, the nights a bit less comfortable. There are many travelers on the road, friendly but wary, and some small conversation with those that have camped near the road at the worn places spaced about a day's march apart. They seem pleased to have the League nearby, but Lady D is a strange bedfellow for common travelers and journeymen.
On the third evening they camp by the High Road which travels up and down the Sword Coast and will bring them to Waterdeep.
NEXT - CAMPAIGN DIARIES 29 - ENTERING WATERDEEP
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