RL will sheepishly go back to the others in the pillar chamber and suggest that they leave and get Augustin and see what people in town might know about Aiwili
The party exits the temple / angkheg lair with dusty clothes and armour. They pick up the ankheg chitinous armour and wonder who to ask about making this into some non-metallic armour. Maybe Kathrid?
The party shows Jed the head and armour bits and he looks goggle eyed at the bits of the monster. He's going to get some ale tonight telling this story at the Mallard Inn.
It's heading towards late afternoon. Is there anything else you want to do in the village before having food and spending some time in the inn before retiring for the night?
RL will go and have a chat to Kathrid about whether the Anhkeg carapace can be turned into a piece of armour or even a shield. At the very least asking if the piece can be left there until the party can work out what to do with it.
Augustin will go and see what favours the blacksmith needs for working on the armour. He apologies for not coming around earlier or helping in general, making note that an angry pixie has requested "bed rest" for a number of days to get back into fighting shape after the battle. He instinctively swats at his shoulders as if expecting an invisible pixie to appear. He wonders around and starts to finish off any tasks that he has started around the village, noting it is almost time to get on the road again. A part of him is looking forward to travelling on the road again, but a part of him will miss the quiet life he has begun to build here off his own back. Everything he was prior to the last month was someone else's achievements that placed him in that position. He looks around the village as as buildings are slowly rebuilt and people start to move around more freely. He can see the glimmer of hope appearing in peoples eyes, even when others cant. He can hear laughter and joy creep back into people's lives. He looks at the seeds he has planted and hope that when the group leave, others take their place to nurture what they have started.
Kathrid grins when she sees Augustin and RL enter the smithy and looks surprised to see they are carrying the ankheg chitinous plates. There are three other men here, all humans, working at different areas. The female dwarf smith finishes hammering something that looks like a farming implement. Then she comes over to the paladin.
"We're doing well, teaching these folk here to do some armour smith work for a change. We'll be finished your armour on time. It's just about done, really, we're now making sure all the buckles and straps are strong and won't slip, as well as all the underarmour stuff - the padding, the coif and whatnot - are suitable. Looks like it's all going to be fine."
She listens to Augustin, and shakes her head. "No need to apologise, I didn't factor your assistance in my estimations, and there's no station really for you to work at, sometimes I don't have enough to do with this lot and I have to send them for a break. We're running short on iron though, as you know a lot of our silver coins went into creating those silver tipped arrows and bolts, but now we're short on cash for the things we import. So the economy is going to slow a bit, but by next summer it will be fine again. We'll bounce back. All the next generation's stories about Harkenwold's win against the Iron Circle will focus on the battle, rather than the aftermath - the shortages, the refugees, the depressed economy. No one wants to hear about that in heroic tales. But we have to deal with reality. As I say, there is a way forward, but it will take time for us to produce our goods for trade and sale. Unless the Iron Circle in Harkenwold have a big box of silver coins that can be injected into the community it's just time."
Kathrid looks at the ankheg parts.
"I could probably make breastplate armour from this large part, and perhaps a shield from the head. I'd need to talk to the tanner though, might need some lacquer to give it more protection. You delvers continually bring me interesting work. But I will have to charge you, I do have to make a living after all. If you don't want a shield you could donate the head to the Mallard Inn maybe, they could mount it on their wall."
DM note:
Cost for ankheg breastplate - 200sp and will take 5 days. Cost for ankheg shield - 5sp and will take 2 days.
There's nothing Vakiel wants to do unless there are any new shady characters around that might be part of his network with new info.
Vakiel sees a man at the common room of the inn, he looks like a travelling tradesman, probably a builder of some type, judging by the dust on his clothes and boots. As he watches the man catches Vakiel's eye and makes the sign - to anyone else it just looks like a rub of the chin, but Vakiel recognises that as a sign of contact between roguish types. The aasimar wanders over and pulls up a chair and a conversation is had, nothing direct but Vakiel gets some information.
The man is Danz, a builder with some skill in stonework and building. He travels around Harkenwold taking work wherever he is. Currently he is employed in repair of damaged buildings in Albridge. He complains about the low wages, but it's bad all over Harkenwold right now.
Danz has recently come from Harken village. It looks like the snitch in Harken is Rennis, the owner-operator of Harken Trading Station. Those in the know are steering clear of him, but not letting it be widely known because if Rennis is outed, then the Iron Circle will just replace him with someone else they have bribed or threatened to be an informer and the whole process of uncovering the snitch will have to begin again.
Danz has other information but Vakiel already knows it all. Vakiel fills in Danz on events in Albridge, including the battle, the ankheg, and the tiefling alchemist spy - now deceased. Vakiel does not mention, of course, anything about Primal Spirits, and only says the ankheg lair was a burrow that has been partially collapsed.
Danz has never heard of Aiwili, but thinks it sounds fey-like.
"I could probably make breastplate armour from this large part, and perhaps a shield from the head. I'd need to talk to the tanner though, might need some lacquer to give it more protection. You delvers continually bring me interesting work. But I will have to charge you, I do have to make a living after all. If you don't want a shield you could donate the head to the Mallard Inn maybe, they could mount it on their wall."
DM note:
Cost for ankheg breastplate - 200sp and will take 5 days. Cost for ankheg shield - 5sp and will take 2 days.
would the shield just count as a normal shield? if thats the case then RL would be open to giving it to the Mallard inn if the rest of the party are ok with that?
We need somewhere to leave the carapace and RL is now more keen than ever to make some money, thats 400sp he needs now. RL asks Augustin 'How do I go about making money, its never really been of much use to be previously, you dont get much in a forest for money but I find that I need to make a lot of it all of a sudden.
Grimbald wants to entrust the return of the remains and sword (seperately) to their home. He asks Kathrid to arrange transportation to their home. The name to remain solemn until they are delivered. Then a seperate courier or messenger with the name once secured.
Kathrid says they are expecting dwarven merchants from Hammerfast in the next day or so. Someone needs to buy a coffin from the carpenter to transport the remains. The merchants will likely want payment also.
Esa will approach the tiefling who just calls herself "Shepherd" to start learning the infernal language.
Grimbald will take some money from the party kitty and pay the woodworker for a coffin (1sp) and pay the dwarven merchants from Hammerfast (5sp) to take the coffin and remains back to Hammerfast to leave at the temple with only the note: "Details to follow. Grimbald".
Pick up Augustin's new plate armour.
Talking to Dar Gremath about hiring a boat to take them downriver into the Harken Forest to meet Drith the dragonborn.
Rustling Leaves needs some money to pay for his gold plated acorn material component (200sp) and to get the ankheg carapace made into breastplate armour (200sp). Some of the options below may get them some money.
Rustling Leaves starts sounding out the others about what they will do next. Their options are:
Go see the dragonborn named Drith in the Harken Forest and ask if he will trade for the regeneration relic.
Rout out the remnants of the Iron Circle from Harken Keep.
Look for the missing dragonborn scouts belonging to Dythan's Legion.
Find out why the Iron Circle delegation was heading to the Seven-Pillared Hall under Thunderspire mountain.
Investigate the haunted manor north of Albridge as requested by Fredrick Quicksilver the bard.
Ask around to see if anyone knows anything about the name Aiwili.
Go back to Dal Nystiere and investigate the magically hidden door in the bunker close to the ruins.
Investigate the abandoned wizard's tower in Harken.
Thinking maybe the liberation of Harken is the priority.
It is a cold day with fog rising from the river in the morning and drizzly rain from grey clouds forecast for the afternoon.
Esa asks where Shepherd the tiefling might be found.
"What you want with her? She's as cranky as a mule with a burr under its saddle!" says a farmer.
"She ain't one of us. Ye can't trust devil-folk," says another.
"She's stirrin' up trouble, accusin' us o' messin' wiv her land. We got better things to do wiv our time!" complains a third.
But they relent, shaking their heads and give Esa directions.
Shepherd's land sits about a mile south of the King's Road, about a mile north west of the Druid Grove, and about four miles from Albridge village as the pixie flies.
Grimbald approaches the carpenter. He is a tall, pale-skinned man with blonde hair and beard, both streaked with grey. He has a missing eye with scars that look like they were made from claws across the left side of his face. He introduces himself as Stervun Nilsson. Working in his carpentry and woodwork workshop are two sturdy teenage lads who are obviously his sons and twins.
Grimbald remembers Stervun Nilsson's face as one of the soldiers who helped them against the hobgoblins north of Albridge.
Stervun sells Grimbald a suitable plain coffin for 1sp. He tasks his boys to carry it wherever Grimbald wants.
RL will approach Dar and ask if he knows of anyone that would be heading down river today into the Harken Forest to meet Drith the dragonborn or that would have a vessel that could go there today?
While he is very happy to participate in the discussion on how to get into Harken keep, RL is not sure he would be able to contribute much to the discussion.
Augustin is starting to to amp up his return to work training. He can be seen taking a more active role in physical tasks around the town. His mood is improving dramatically as he starts to regain some of his vigour and energy, no longer tied down by wounds and worry.
He will explore the local lore and legends around town to try and uncover some information about Aiwili, even if its just some breadcrumbs to follow. He tries to think back to any stories he may have heard in Harken as a child.
He would to see if he can get a tattoo on the back of his right hand. A small acorn that has blossomed and is slowly starting to turn into vines that twist and wind his way up about two inches past his rest. It remains noticeably incomplete. When asked about it by the party, he says its the (metaphorical) seed that was planted several weeks ago when pledged his Oath of the Ancients. It represents what has been achieved so far, but also how far they have to go. Its a literal symbol of his own personal growth in fulfilling his Oath, something he can uniquely call his own journey and purpose.
Augustin has never heard of Aiwili, no memory of ever hearing that name through stories. The people Augustin talks to - locals, Dar Gremath, Onneth the elderly innkeeper, Kathrid, or even Gerrad the halfling village Elder, have heard of such a name, although those who know something about such things tell you that the name sounds fey or elvish. Some suggest you talk to Riethann the druid.
Augustin takes the trek up to see Reithann's druid grove. You are met by Lorel, one of her apprentices who ushers you into the grove and towards a house that seems to be part of a living tree.
Loren brings Augustin some green tea and enquires politely about his recovery. Augustin can't decide if Loren is male or female and in the end decides it doesn't matter. He responds equally politely and Loren says that Reithann shall join him shortly.
Within a few minutes Reithann enters the room and accepts tea from Loren and sits alongside Augustin. There is some polite small talk and then Augustin asks about Aiwili. Reithann gives Augustin an assessing look.
"That is a name I have not heard in a long, long time," she says, turning to look out the window. She turns again to see Augustin's own look of calculation and guesses what he is thinking.
"Oh, it's not me," she says, her smile wrinkling her face even more. "But I know Aiwili. But before I answer would you tell me why you want to know, and what will you do with this information?"
Augustin also hears on his rounds that Elza Wood, wife of the carpenter and woodworker Stervun Nilsson, does tattooing as a side hustle. He sees her before going to the Druid Grove and books in an appointment with her the following day so she has time to gather the ink colours and ready her equipment.
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RL will sheepishly go back to the others in the pillar chamber and suggest that they leave and get Augustin and see what people in town might know about Aiwili
Esa slow claps RL after watching the ordeal.
The party exits the temple / angkheg lair with dusty clothes and armour. They pick up the ankheg chitinous armour and wonder who to ask about making this into some non-metallic armour. Maybe Kathrid?
The party shows Jed the head and armour bits and he looks goggle eyed at the bits of the monster. He's going to get some ale tonight telling this story at the Mallard Inn.
It's heading towards late afternoon. Is there anything else you want to do in the village before having food and spending some time in the inn before retiring for the night?
Not for Grimbald
RL will go and have a chat to Kathrid about whether the Anhkeg carapace can be turned into a piece of armour or even a shield. At the very least asking if the piece can be left there until the party can work out what to do with it.
There's nothing Vakiel wants to do unless there are any new shady characters around that might be part of his network with new info.
Augustin will go and see what favours the blacksmith needs for working on the armour. He apologies for not coming around earlier or helping in general, making note that an angry pixie has requested "bed rest" for a number of days to get back into fighting shape after the battle. He instinctively swats at his shoulders as if expecting an invisible pixie to appear. He wonders around and starts to finish off any tasks that he has started around the village, noting it is almost time to get on the road again. A part of him is looking forward to travelling on the road again, but a part of him will miss the quiet life he has begun to build here off his own back. Everything he was prior to the last month was someone else's achievements that placed him in that position. He looks around the village as as buildings are slowly rebuilt and people start to move around more freely. He can see the glimmer of hope appearing in peoples eyes, even when others cant. He can hear laughter and joy creep back into people's lives. He looks at the seeds he has planted and hope that when the group leave, others take their place to nurture what they have started.
Kathrid grins when she sees Augustin and RL enter the smithy and looks surprised to see they are carrying the ankheg chitinous plates. There are three other men here, all humans, working at different areas. The female dwarf smith finishes hammering something that looks like a farming implement. Then she comes over to the paladin.
"We're doing well, teaching these folk here to do some armour smith work for a change. We'll be finished your armour on time. It's just about done, really, we're now making sure all the buckles and straps are strong and won't slip, as well as all the underarmour stuff - the padding, the coif and whatnot - are suitable. Looks like it's all going to be fine."
She listens to Augustin, and shakes her head. "No need to apologise, I didn't factor your assistance in my estimations, and there's no station really for you to work at, sometimes I don't have enough to do with this lot and I have to send them for a break. We're running short on iron though, as you know a lot of our silver coins went into creating those silver tipped arrows and bolts, but now we're short on cash for the things we import. So the economy is going to slow a bit, but by next summer it will be fine again. We'll bounce back. All the next generation's stories about Harkenwold's win against the Iron Circle will focus on the battle, rather than the aftermath - the shortages, the refugees, the depressed economy. No one wants to hear about that in heroic tales. But we have to deal with reality. As I say, there is a way forward, but it will take time for us to produce our goods for trade and sale. Unless the Iron Circle in Harkenwold have a big box of silver coins that can be injected into the community it's just time."
Kathrid looks at the ankheg parts.
"I could probably make breastplate armour from this large part, and perhaps a shield from the head. I'd need to talk to the tanner though, might need some lacquer to give it more protection. You delvers continually bring me interesting work. But I will have to charge you, I do have to make a living after all. If you don't want a shield you could donate the head to the Mallard Inn maybe, they could mount it on their wall."
DM note:
Cost for ankheg breastplate - 200sp and will take 5 days.
Cost for ankheg shield - 5sp and will take 2 days.
Vakiel sees a man at the common room of the inn, he looks like a travelling tradesman, probably a builder of some type, judging by the dust on his clothes and boots. As he watches the man catches Vakiel's eye and makes the sign - to anyone else it just looks like a rub of the chin, but Vakiel recognises that as a sign of contact between roguish types. The aasimar wanders over and pulls up a chair and a conversation is had, nothing direct but Vakiel gets some information.
The man is Danz, a builder with some skill in stonework and building. He travels around Harkenwold taking work wherever he is. Currently he is employed in repair of damaged buildings in Albridge. He complains about the low wages, but it's bad all over Harkenwold right now.
Danz has recently come from Harken village. It looks like the snitch in Harken is Rennis, the owner-operator of Harken Trading Station. Those in the know are steering clear of him, but not letting it be widely known because if Rennis is outed, then the Iron Circle will just replace him with someone else they have bribed or threatened to be an informer and the whole process of uncovering the snitch will have to begin again.
Danz has other information but Vakiel already knows it all. Vakiel fills in Danz on events in Albridge, including the battle, the ankheg, and the tiefling alchemist spy - now deceased. Vakiel does not mention, of course, anything about Primal Spirits, and only says the ankheg lair was a burrow that has been partially collapsed.
Danz has never heard of Aiwili, but thinks it sounds fey-like.
would the shield just count as a normal shield? if thats the case then RL would be open to giving it to the Mallard inn if the rest of the party are ok with that?
We need somewhere to leave the carapace and RL is now more keen than ever to make some money, thats 400sp he needs now. RL asks Augustin 'How do I go about making money, its never really been of much use to be previously, you dont get much in a forest for money but I find that I need to make a lot of it all of a sudden.
DM Note: It would count as a normal shield unless someone could enchant it for you during the creation process.
Kathrid is happy for you to leave the ankheg bits at her workshop.
Grimbald wants to entrust the return of the remains and sword (seperately) to their home. He asks Kathrid to arrange transportation to their home. The name to remain solemn until they are delivered. Then a seperate courier or messenger with the name once secured.
Kathrid says they are expecting dwarven merchants from Hammerfast in the next day or so. Someone needs to buy a coffin from the carpenter to transport the remains. The merchants will likely want payment also.
Summing up things discussed on chat group:
Rustling Leaves starts sounding out the others about what they will do next. Their options are:
Thinking maybe the liberation of Harken is the priority.
14th Day of Latesummer
It is a cold day with fog rising from the river in the morning and drizzly rain from grey clouds forecast for the afternoon.
Esa asks where Shepherd the tiefling might be found.
"What you want with her? She's as cranky as a mule with a burr under its saddle!" says a farmer.
"She ain't one of us. Ye can't trust devil-folk," says another.
"She's stirrin' up trouble, accusin' us o' messin' wiv her land. We got better things to do wiv our time!" complains a third.
But they relent, shaking their heads and give Esa directions.
Shepherd's land sits about a mile south of the King's Road, about a mile north west of the Druid Grove, and about four miles from Albridge village as the pixie flies.
Does Esa wish to take this journey now?
Grimbald approaches the carpenter. He is a tall, pale-skinned man with blonde hair and beard, both streaked with grey. He has a missing eye with scars that look like they were made from claws across the left side of his face. He introduces himself as Stervun Nilsson. Working in his carpentry and woodwork workshop are two sturdy teenage lads who are obviously his sons and twins.
Grimbald remembers Stervun Nilsson's face as one of the soldiers who helped them against the hobgoblins north of Albridge.
Stervun sells Grimbald a suitable plain coffin for 1sp. He tasks his boys to carry it wherever Grimbald wants.
RL will approach Dar and ask if he knows of anyone that would be heading down river today into the Harken Forest to meet Drith the dragonborn or that would have a vessel that could go there today?
While he is very happy to participate in the discussion on how to get into Harken keep, RL is not sure he would be able to contribute much to the discussion.
Augustin is starting to to amp up his return to work training. He can be seen taking a more active role in physical tasks around the town. His mood is improving dramatically as he starts to regain some of his vigour and energy, no longer tied down by wounds and worry.
He will explore the local lore and legends around town to try and uncover some information about Aiwili, even if its just some breadcrumbs to follow. He tries to think back to any stories he may have heard in Harken as a child.
He would to see if he can get a tattoo on the back of his right hand. A small acorn that has blossomed and is slowly starting to turn into vines that twist and wind his way up about two inches past his rest. It remains noticeably incomplete. When asked about it by the party, he says its the (metaphorical) seed that was planted several weeks ago when pledged his Oath of the Ancients. It represents what has been achieved so far, but also how far they have to go. Its a literal symbol of his own personal growth in fulfilling his Oath, something he can uniquely call his own journey and purpose.
Augustin has never heard of Aiwili, no memory of ever hearing that name through stories. The people Augustin talks to - locals, Dar Gremath, Onneth the elderly innkeeper, Kathrid, or even Gerrad the halfling village Elder, have heard of such a name, although those who know something about such things tell you that the name sounds fey or elvish. Some suggest you talk to Riethann the druid.
Augustin takes the trek up to see Reithann's druid grove. You are met by Lorel, one of her apprentices who ushers you into the grove and towards a house that seems to be part of a living tree.
Loren brings Augustin some green tea and enquires politely about his recovery. Augustin can't decide if Loren is male or female and in the end decides it doesn't matter. He responds equally politely and Loren says that Reithann shall join him shortly.
Within a few minutes Reithann enters the room and accepts tea from Loren and sits alongside Augustin. There is some polite small talk and then Augustin asks about Aiwili. Reithann gives Augustin an assessing look.
"That is a name I have not heard in a long, long time," she says, turning to look out the window. She turns again to see Augustin's own look of calculation and guesses what he is thinking.
"Oh, it's not me," she says, her smile wrinkling her face even more. "But I know Aiwili. But before I answer would you tell me why you want to know, and what will you do with this information?"
Augustin also hears on his rounds that Elza Wood, wife of the carpenter and woodworker Stervun Nilsson, does tattooing as a side hustle. He sees her before going to the Druid Grove and books in an appointment with her the following day so she has time to gather the ink colours and ready her equipment.