Tozo looks miffed at Tarden's incredulous tone and crosses his arms over his chest. "I'm Tozo and, yes, I suppose I am a gnome. Do you always have a habit of gawking at unfamiliar sights?"He chirps gruffly, although the effect is diminished somewhat by virtue of his small stature.
When Tarden suggests they go visit Yedder, he gets a curious look (15) on his face. Tozo inquires, "Tell us more. Who is Sir Yedder? And whereabouts, roughly, are we? Not "in a tower", I mean, but which country or region?"He thinks for a moment and then adds one more thing. "Oh, and... what year is it?"
(Tozo watches Tarden carefully to see if he can ascertain his motivations for wanting to take them to Yedder.)
"Sir Yedder is a good man, if he can, he will help you. We can provide a meal, of course, though don't get your hopes up if your issues run further than that. Yedder is a knight, and he's in charge of our village, Genmore, but he's no diviner".
Then, turning to Mordai, he says:
"Well, as for dangers from here to the village, the mountainside can be steep, so watch your step, and a lot of the mushrooms are poisonous, so don't eat any if you do not know how to distinguish the good ones from the bad ones, but that's about it. Genmore is not particularly far from here anyways, and since Sir Yedder ran the Tails over the river, it is somewhat quiet. And thank Light for that, as it's not like the Count's Garrison will help us if we need saving..."
He nods to Donovan and Reginald as well, and, finally, turns to Tozo:
"I did not mean to offend you. It's just, well, with the relations between the Empire and the Republic being what they are, and considering how far we are from Gnomish lands, I was surprised to see one here".
Hearing the second question, he seems very surprised, but provides what you seem to understand to be an honest answer. He likely just wants to help these five confused strangers.
"By Light, you really lost your memories and knowledge of things, didn't you... We are near the village of Genmore, in the Barony of Totrichel, in the County of Thornby, in the Duchy of Hackleton, in the eastern edges of the Empire of Humanity, close to the Elven Kingdom. Does that help you understand where we are? If so, Sir Yedder might have a map for you to look at, he's as I said, in charge of Genmore, though he's hurt, caught an arrow from the Tails, so try not to irritate him. As for the year, well, I don't really remember the Gnomish calendar, but, by Imperial reckoning, it's the year 654".
Finally, as there are no more questions, he motions:
"Should we leave for Genmore? Let me get my basket, I was done anyways, and we can move on".
The older gentleman nods at Targen. “Lead on, let me carry your basket at least, I appreciate the kindness you have shown to strangers.”
He looks to the others of the group. “What does anyone remember, I don’t know any of your faces but some of you have remembered your names? I truly am pulling a blank.”
"I am not sure if I am remembering my name or not," pointing at the sign above where Mordai awoke, "but that word was above where I woke up, so I am taking it as my name for now, at least until my mind clears. WE should follow Tarden and get to this Sir Yedder as soon as possible, maybe he has some answers."
Tarden emerges from behind the wall, carrying a sizeable basket, filled to the brim with mushrooms.
"Thank you, my friend, though there is no need, I am still quite capable of carrying some mushrooms".
Then, turning to Donovan:
"Well, Dougal is a smith, and Old Ethel runs the village's general store, but, keep in mind, that Genmore is a small village of around a hundred families, and we're far from any trading route, so, if you want anything more elaborate than horseshoes or eggs, you'll have to travel to Totrichel or even Birley".
The walk down the mountainside is not particularly difficult, and soon you find yourselves near a dirt road. Tarden turns left and you follow, soon reaching a settlement. It is indeed not a large village, nor does it look particularly wealthy, but it is not run down or anything of the sort. The land is cultivated, the houses seem either new or well-maintained, and the road is clean. Soon, after entering Genmore, you see a wooden fort, with a palisade made of logs around it. It can easily be called a castle, even though it is entirely made out of wood.
It looks roughly like this:
Seeing the castle, Tarden swells with pride:
"That's Genmore Castle, I helped Yedder and others build it. The Baron did not want a castle here, but Yedder persuaded him. So now Genmore is much safer than before. Even with the Tails and that insane Wizard around".
He says that as you enter the Castle Walls. The lone guard looks at you but says nothing. Tarden walks in and shouts:
"Yed, we have guests".
From one of the Buildings inside, a voice comes out.
"Let me guess, pilgrims?"
Tarden smiles:
"No, actually, though they seem to have lost all of their memory".
"They have 2 non-humans among them, they are in Genmore, and they are not pilgrims?"
With that, a figure comes out of the building. At first, it seems like someone on horseback, but, as soon as he comes fully outside, it's clear. You are looking at a centaur. He has dark brown-grey skin, red hair, beard and tail, and his facial features are somewhat rough, with ears especially ending in a pointy manner.
Here's how he would look, if he was charging into a fight, though currently he's not wearing any armor or wielding a weapon. Instead, his torso is heavily bandaged and his right hand seems to be in a medical brace.
"Thank you, Tarden, I will take it from here. You go over and talk to your wife, Dorees was, as always, worried. You should not really be going into the mountains alone and unarmed".
Tarden turns to you:
"I am leaving you into Sir Yedder's capable hands. And, if anything, you will have a room to sleep in waiting for you in my home. Good bye".
With that, he leaves. Sir Yedder turns to you, and asks:
Morgan is impresses by the centaur that stands in front of him, he wasn’t expecting anything of this stature but we happy. “Thankyou for taking time out if your day to speak with us, but yes unfortunately our memories are gone, we can not even remember our names. All I know is we all woke up in that tower.”
Regi smiles up at Donovan, "Yes, I suppose we are."
To Lord Yedder adding on to Morgan's response, "Yes. Collectively, we all woke up not remembering a thing with names above our beds and we're all wearing the same tattered rags... that is what we know."
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Gash- Lvl14 Goblin Wizard - The High Court of the Aasimar Queen
"Goodbye, Tarden. Thank you for the escort." Tozo looks up — way up, given his stature — at the centaur's imposing form.
"I'm afraid Morgan and Regi have the gist of it. I remember what I can do, and my skills, but not how I got here, my name, or what I was doing before.
Tozo clears his throat for a moment and continues. "If it is not too rude to say so, may I ask how you came to be in a leadership position in this village? Tarden seemed surprised to see a gnome such as myself, so I had assumed anyone other than humans was unusual. But you are certainly quite a bit different than the villagers you lead."
He thinks for a moment, reflecting. "I must add, also, even notwithstanding the strangeness of losing one's memory, that it is stranger still to wake up in that tower, of all places. Does that location bear any significance to you? Was it something else interesting in the past? How is it that no one noticed us?
Tozo concludes with two more questions. "And moreover, I've noticed everyone keeps asking if we are pilgrims. Pilgrims to what location? Are travelers of that kind common in these parts?"
The Centaur looks at all of you, deep in thoughts, and then says:
"You have not lost your memories. What you have lost, is your knowledge about the world. I cannot believe that anyone would not know about how the empire works, or who lives within it. That is why the great war was wage, after all..."
He turns first to Tozo, then to Mordai, and finally to the humans:
"No, if I was to ask you, gnome, about the Tenets of the Tinkerer, or you, dragonborn, about your mother, or the three of you, about the Emperor, you would have nothing to tell me, would you?"
Then he answers Tozo's questions:
"As for how the Empire works, well, please follow me".
He goes inside one of the side buildings of the main castle. Within it, there is a table, on which a number of papers are strewn about. From this bundle, Sir Yedder takes out a map of sorts.
"This is the known world. Though, I assume, it is unknown to you:"
"You see the tiny peninsula in the north-east part of the Imperial lands, near the Elven kingdom? That's Hackleton, where we are right now. If you give me time, I have maps for it, as well as the county of Thornby too, but I don't really remember where I put them..."
He rubs his temple, as if remembering what Tozo asks him, and continues:
"As for how I got here... Well, here's the thing. There is a reason why the Empire controls half the world. Unlike how the Elves used to be, or how the Dragonborn are now, humans do not have literal gods leading them. By Light, they have had 29 Emperors from 3 dynasties, yet not one of them even had any tangible magic talent either. No, humans are successful, because they are governed well, using clever institutions and concepts such as fairness, societal advancement and so on. Ever since the inception of the Empire by Edgor the Great, these have been the tenets upon which the nation stood. So, when, during their expansion, they came across the lands of others, they acted as any empire would - they conquered, but, afterwards, tried to be as benevolent as possible. So, currently, besides humans, there are five "Major Minorities", the horse-men, cow-men, bird-men, giant-men and cat-men. We have other names for ourselves, of course, I prefer being called a Centaur, but the Imperial nomenclature tries to make us seem like a strange version of a human, so we, for lack of a better word, fit in better".
He motions to the village around him.
"This place is as far from ancestral Centaur lands as possible. The Empire actually pays you and gives you land, if you leave your race's territories and meld into the greater community. I did that around thirty years ago, and, well, managed to serve the local aristocrats well. So, for the last 22 years, I have been a knight, and for the last 18 of of them, I have been assigned to Genmore. Some prefer to have a kingdom of their own, like the Tails, even though the Tabaxi, as they prefer to be called, were conquered over three hundred years ago, so none of them have any memories of what living independently would look like, but, knowing how horrible the Centaur society was, I, for one, prefer living under the Empire".
He motions to Tozo and Mordai:
"As for why Tarden was surprised to see you, well, the Dragon's lands are far to the east, as you can see on the map, while the Gnomes are to the south, and since they are not part of the Empire, we do not really see much of either of your race. Birley has a temple devoted to the Dragon, so a few dragonborn can be seen here, but Gnomes are very rare".
Then, he answers the final questions:
"As for the pilgrims, well, we do not get many of them, but, since we are very far from the central roads, we do not get any visitors of any different kinds, so, seeing a non-human, we automatically assume it is supposed to be a pilgrim. They visit the Monastery of Saint Dunston the Immolated, a martyr from the Great War, who sacrificed himself and a number of prisoners, so that the Tails, who had just begun operations then, could not use their life energy for a horrible spell, that could wipe out any non-Tabaxi in the entirety of Hackleton. That was a long time ago, but, since Saint Dunston saved not only humans, but thousands of other races as well, he is respected by other races too, so we get quite a few pilgrims. The monastery is not far, so you can visit it for more details, if you care about stuff like that."
Sir Yedder furrows his brow.
"And those towers are actually related to that story. They were built to combat the Tails insurgency, and that is where the prisoners were kept and, consequently, where they died as well. However, for the last century, they have been pointless ruins, nothing else. Now, if that is all, I have a couple of questions to you. Firstly, My instincts, as those of a veteran of many battles, tell me, that you lot will be quite good in battle. You just have that look. I, on the other hand, happen to be extremely understaffed. So, if I offer you shelter, food, clothes, weapons, and, if you happen to know magic, some spell books that I took off dead Tabaxi, will you be willing to run a few errands for me? I won't ask you to do anything amoral, and you'll have something to do, while you try to either reacquire your memories, or just learn to cope with this new world outside. So, what say you?"
Mordai sits there a moment thinking about all that he has heard and the replies to Sir Yeddar.
"You are correct I do not have any memory past waking up in that tower accept for my abilities," at which point I cast Prestidigitation and clean up the clothes that I am wearing, "and your offer is most gracious and the only option I see for the foreseeable future." With a slight chuckle, "And really I can't think of any reason why I would not offer my services."
"I do have a question though Tarden mentioned some insane wizard or something about, I wonder if he had something to do with my friends," looking around at the group for confirmation, "situation and would like to talk to the wizard at the first opportunity, if you would not mind. I am greatly interested in what happened to us but otherwise I would be more than happy to help you for the benefits you offer."
Tozo looks at his companions and considers (13) this request carefully. "Nothing amoral, eh? Has this been a complaint of previous errand-runners?"He grins. (OOC: Does Tozo think Lord Yedder seems to be honest and forthright in this regard?)
"Well, I can't say I've heard a better offer, and it's not as though I had any plans. I'll let my companions speak for themselves, but out of curiosity, what sorts of errands are we talking about?"
"And spellbooks, you say? Plural?" A glint shines in Tozo's green eyes. "Why, that is certainly intriguing. But I noticed you didn't mention currency. It would make it a little easier to say yes if we knew we were getting more than mere provisions. Surely you see the wisdom in adding the coin of the realm and financing these errands properly?" He nods agreeably (8) and arches an eyebrow, as if paying him and his companions more were the most sensible decision in the world.
Sir Yedder listens to Mordai first, and answers the questions:
"Well, the Wizard would be Vitae, and yes, he's quite insane. He wants to be immortal, and has a few followers, who are equally, if not more, delusional. I highly doubt that he has anything to do with you, though, my people have been surveying him and he hasn't left the windmill, which he took over and considers his new tower, for the past couple of weeks. Though, he is one of the problems that I have currently, so I'd be happy if he was dealt with, somehow".
Turning to Tozo, next:
"No, that has not been a complaint, but, when I was working as a warrior-for-hire, that was my primary request when asking for jobs, so I tend to emphasize it as well".
He seems quite honest, at least, no dishonesty can be detected.
"The errands would include, whichever you may choose, dealing with an insane wizard, scouting out the Tails, cleaning out a previously abandoned mine shaft, finding a solution with the Count's garrison who refuse to do their duty, or offering your services, on my behest, to the head monk of the monastery, who has been complaining a lot".
He finishes listing the items, then continues:
"As for spell books, well, yeah, the Tails have quite a few clerics, wizards and even sorcerers, so, when they die, I tend to find them. They are never all that good at magic, but the spell books are quite usable. Which of them do you require? As for coin, well, I pay as per the recipient's ability, so, first, I will feed you, clothe you and outfit you, and you will choose one of the... was it five? errands I have, you will finish them successfully, and, then, we will converse regarding payment for any future endeavors. How does that sound?"
"A little physical activity or work might jog our minds maybe. I have no problem running these errands for you. Seems like more than a fair deal. I'd like to take a look at your lighter blades..." Regi kind of starts moving his arms around. "I think I work well with two? That's what my instincts are telling me and both my arms feel strong."
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Gash- Lvl14 Goblin Wizard - The High Court of the Aasimar Queen
Donovan gracious bows, not very far however. “You are too kind to offer us such generous hospitality. Can you point us to where we can find some equipment to arms ourselves?”
He spins around to his companions with a smooth movement. “We should help the people in the village that have been so kind and address the counts garrison. They are neglecting their duty and should have there attitudes “adjusted”. Partially hidden behind his slightly unkempt beard a smile was peeking out.
Sir Yedder motions for you to follow. He exits the building you were in and enters a different wooden structure within the Castle. Upon opening the door, you are greeted by a sight of numerous weapons and armors, as well as a bunch of tomes lying about in a corner, which, you can assume, are spell books. On the other end of the wall, there are several racks with armor overlaid on them.
"These are my... let's call them trophies, that I have taken from the slain Tails. I would have preferred a more... traditional approach to trophies, but, apparently..." And here, the Centaur changes his voice to a mocking tone, clearly mimicking someone "...Cutting of the ears of the dead is depraved barbarity".
There are all kinds of swords, daggers, axes, bows, spears and so on strewn around the room. Basically, any simple or martial weapon, be it ranged or melee, can be found here. The spell books are also for, pretty much, all schools of magic. As for armor, they range from all types of leather to hide armor and chain shirts.
"The Tails do not tend to have any magical items, nor do they ever wear heavy armor, but that is understandable, as they are an insurgency, which is on its last legs and is steadily dying out" the Centaur says, then adds: "Each of you can take one melee weapon, one ranged weapon with, let's say, 20 pieces of appropriate ammunition, one armor piece and one spell book, if you happen to need it".
He waits for you to finish picking your gear, then says:
"Now, in about 15 minutes or so, it's time for dinner in the great hall of the Castle, so you can join us. I will have a table set just for you, so you will be better able to converse and have some privacy. After the dinner, I will expect from you the answer as to what of the options I gave you would be preferable".
Then, he lists the errands again:
"First, Dealing with Vitae, the insane wizard up in the windmill, to the north from here. He is insane and has commandeered that windmill along with several of his followers. None of them have been seen in a couple of weeks, but we know that Vitae is still in there. I do not care how you deal with him, but I want him off the lands of Genmore. However, he seems dangerous, so if he dies, that would likely be a service to the Empire, though I will leave that decision up to you.
Second, Scouting out the Tails. That would be to the east from here. I ran them over the Hindburn river, but was wounded in the process, as you can see, and I don't want to risk their return. Also, the river is the border between the lands of Genmore and the neighboring village, Sabden, so my jurisdiction does not extend beyond it, but you can easily make the crossing and cut off the Tails' tails, so to say. The assignment would be scouting out any danger from the Cat-men, and if there's a chance of a crossing, preventing it.
Third, Cleaning out a mine shaft. You might have noticed the large mines to the west of Genmore. They are silver mines, and, in the distant past, were quite lucrative, but they are mostly empty now. There are several shafts, where there is still some ore left, and the villagers are mining there, but, last week, in one of them the guys reported hearing strange sounds and got scared. It might be nothing, but I do not want to risk their lives. And, honestly, since it is a mine, even when healthy, I probably would have been unable to go inside, so I would be happy if it was checked out and, if any danger presents itself, you would have to deal with it.
Fourth, Negotiating with the garrison. They are located in a fort southwest from here. and, well... I mean, they are not wrong to refuse service, as the Count is not paying them. And no, that cannot be remedied, I already tried, the Baron said, that he cannot interfere in the dealings between the Count and his men. So, I need them to somehow be convinced, that they should still patrol the area without receiving any pay, as Genmore certainly cannot afford their wages. They refuse to talk to me, as I have threatened them before, and they feel... aggrieved.
Finally, Going up to the monastery, to the north-west from here. The head monk, Edwall, is complaining that Genmore does not show them support, and has thrown a tantrum. He actually refuses to tell me, why he needs guards, so it might be nothing, or he may actually be in danger. I really do not like him, but, well, the Monastery is still quite important, so if that is dealt with, I would like that. Hence, if you go up there and make it so that he's satisfied, I would consider the errand fulfilled.
So, that is your options. I want them all dealt with equally, so you can make the choice based on your own preferences. Now, let us go to the Great Hall, which is kind of a misnomer, as it's just a large room, so neither great, nor hall, and have our feast".
With that, Sir Yedder leads you into the primary building of the castle. it is not particularly well lit, as only the part of the room facing the inner yard of the Castle has windows (with arrow slits instead of them being put on other walls), but you can see well enough. The table set aside for you has a white sheet covering it. On it, are five empty plates with no real cutlery and there are five chairs. In the middle of the table, you can see a large roasted chicken which smells amazing for those who have not eaten in a while, as well as a large pot filled with what you assume to be roasted beans with mushrooms, another, smaller pot filled with half a dozen roasted fish, likely trout, a plate with a dozen or so freshly harvested tomatoes and cucumbers, and a larger plate filled with small, home made bread loafs. Finally, there are five large glasses filled with clear, spring water.
The room contains seven more tables of similar size and same foods on them, but with more chairs. They are being filled quick, apparently Sir Yedder having invited the villagers to the feast as well. Before everyone begins, the Centaur approaches you and says: "May Light make your feast enjoyable. And, don't forget, once we are done, I expect an answer".
With that, he walks to the center of the room and stands at one of the tables in a place, where there's a plate but no chair, clearly a place reserved for him in this manner. Thus, the feast begins.
Regi enters the room and looks around at the equipment. He pulls down for himself a scimitar, a longbow with 20 arrows, and a chain shirt. Holding the scimitar in one hand he finally says, "If one of you should not require or desire your melee weapon... I could use a second one of these, my guts are telling me its my preferred course of fighting." Regi, then backs up and lets the others find their equipment.
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Gash- Lvl14 Goblin Wizard - The High Court of the Aasimar Queen
Something sparks in Tozo's eyes as he handles the spellbooks carefully, perusing them slowly and cautiously. "Delightful," he mumbles under his breath, caressing their folds and edges. It takes up the better part of a quarter-hour as he does nothing else but flip through the first few pages of each book to see what resonates with him the most. He eventually selects a nondescript gray tome, battered and worn, among the least ostentatious of the bunch, and a few basic supplies.
As he considers the options and his companions peruse the stores, he muses out loud. "For me, all these sound important, so the question is which is the most urgent. Frankly, a mad wizard who is primed to blow at any given moment certainly seems like the most pressing matter. I suppose there is the question of exactly how dangerous this wizard is."
Morgan spent the most of his time testing the balance of blades and seeing what his arms could comfortably carry until he settled on a large weathered great-sword. He smiled to himself as he swung it a few times and assessing the blade he also grabbed a whetstone or two to neaten the blade somewhat. After which he walked to the armour and grabbed a chain shirt. “For now this will have to do, I guess those cat folk really didn’t wear anything to heavy, but I suppose this will protect me somewhat.”
Finally he walked to the tomes, watching as Tozo scanned through them. “You work with the arcane I see.” He was interested in all magic but found himself tied to a blue leather book, not as thick as some of the others but had all the notes he needed. He would grab a small amount of ink to adjust what he needed, and with that he was done with the room waiting for the others to finish.
”You are right Tozo, the wizard to gives me the biggest worry, if he has allies then he could cause more damage if left in checked. Further more the place he has taken hold of should be given back to the village or whoever it belongs to, I know the other issues are important but this could escalate at any moment.”
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Tozo looks miffed at Tarden's incredulous tone and crosses his arms over his chest. "I'm Tozo and, yes, I suppose I am a gnome. Do you always have a habit of gawking at unfamiliar sights?" He chirps gruffly, although the effect is diminished somewhat by virtue of his small stature.
When Tarden suggests they go visit Yedder, he gets a curious look (15) on his face. Tozo inquires, "Tell us more. Who is Sir Yedder? And whereabouts, roughly, are we? Not "in a tower", I mean, but which country or region?" He thinks for a moment and then adds one more thing. "Oh, and... what year is it?"
(Tozo watches Tarden carefully to see if he can ascertain his motivations for wanting to take them to Yedder.)
Tarden begins with answering Morgan:
"Sir Yedder is a good man, if he can, he will help you. We can provide a meal, of course, though don't get your hopes up if your issues run further than that. Yedder is a knight, and he's in charge of our village, Genmore, but he's no diviner".
Then, turning to Mordai, he says:
"Well, as for dangers from here to the village, the mountainside can be steep, so watch your step, and a lot of the mushrooms are poisonous, so don't eat any if you do not know how to distinguish the good ones from the bad ones, but that's about it. Genmore is not particularly far from here anyways, and since Sir Yedder ran the Tails over the river, it is somewhat quiet. And thank Light for that, as it's not like the Count's Garrison will help us if we need saving..."
He nods to Donovan and Reginald as well, and, finally, turns to Tozo:
"I did not mean to offend you. It's just, well, with the relations between the Empire and the Republic being what they are, and considering how far we are from Gnomish lands, I was surprised to see one here".
Hearing the second question, he seems very surprised, but provides what you seem to understand to be an honest answer. He likely just wants to help these five confused strangers.
"By Light, you really lost your memories and knowledge of things, didn't you... We are near the village of Genmore, in the Barony of Totrichel, in the County of Thornby, in the Duchy of Hackleton, in the eastern edges of the Empire of Humanity, close to the Elven Kingdom. Does that help you understand where we are? If so, Sir Yedder might have a map for you to look at, he's as I said, in charge of Genmore, though he's hurt, caught an arrow from the Tails, so try not to irritate him. As for the year, well, I don't really remember the Gnomish calendar, but, by Imperial reckoning, it's the year 654".
Finally, as there are no more questions, he motions:
"Should we leave for Genmore? Let me get my basket, I was done anyways, and we can move on".
Don smiling and scratching his bulbous belly through his tunic, looks around the group and Throws his arm over Reginalds shoulder.
“Aye looks like we’re all traveling companions. So fellows head to Genmore for some food and we can figure out what the bloody hell is going on?”
He turns back to Tarden “any chance you have a smithy or shoppe in Genmore?”
The older gentleman nods at Targen. “Lead on, let me carry your basket at least, I appreciate the kindness you have shown to strangers.”
He looks to the others of the group. “What does anyone remember, I don’t know any of your faces but some of you have remembered your names? I truly am pulling a blank.”
"I am not sure if I am remembering my name or not," pointing at the sign above where Mordai awoke, "but that word was above where I woke up, so I am taking it as my name for now, at least until my mind clears. WE should follow Tarden and get to this Sir Yedder as soon as possible, maybe he has some answers."
Tarden emerges from behind the wall, carrying a sizeable basket, filled to the brim with mushrooms.
"Thank you, my friend, though there is no need, I am still quite capable of carrying some mushrooms".
Then, turning to Donovan:
"Well, Dougal is a smith, and Old Ethel runs the village's general store, but, keep in mind, that Genmore is a small village of around a hundred families, and we're far from any trading route, so, if you want anything more elaborate than horseshoes or eggs, you'll have to travel to Totrichel or even Birley".
The walk down the mountainside is not particularly difficult, and soon you find yourselves near a dirt road. Tarden turns left and you follow, soon reaching a settlement. It is indeed not a large village, nor does it look particularly wealthy, but it is not run down or anything of the sort. The land is cultivated, the houses seem either new or well-maintained, and the road is clean. Soon, after entering Genmore, you see a wooden fort, with a palisade made of logs around it. It can easily be called a castle, even though it is entirely made out of wood.
It looks roughly like this:
Seeing the castle, Tarden swells with pride:
"That's Genmore Castle, I helped Yedder and others build it. The Baron did not want a castle here, but Yedder persuaded him. So now Genmore is much safer than before. Even with the Tails and that insane Wizard around".
He says that as you enter the Castle Walls. The lone guard looks at you but says nothing. Tarden walks in and shouts:
"Yed, we have guests".
From one of the Buildings inside, a voice comes out.
"Let me guess, pilgrims?"
Tarden smiles:
"No, actually, though they seem to have lost all of their memory".
"They have 2 non-humans among them, they are in Genmore, and they are not pilgrims?"
With that, a figure comes out of the building. At first, it seems like someone on horseback, but, as soon as he comes fully outside, it's clear. You are looking at a centaur. He has dark brown-grey skin, red hair, beard and tail, and his facial features are somewhat rough, with ears especially ending in a pointy manner.
Here's how he would look, if he was charging into a fight, though currently he's not wearing any armor or wielding a weapon. Instead, his torso is heavily bandaged and his right hand seems to be in a medical brace.
"Thank you, Tarden, I will take it from here. You go over and talk to your wife, Dorees was, as always, worried. You should not really be going into the mountains alone and unarmed".
Tarden turns to you:
"I am leaving you into Sir Yedder's capable hands. And, if anything, you will have a room to sleep in waiting for you in my home. Good bye".
With that, he leaves. Sir Yedder turns to you, and asks:
"So, what was this about losing your memory?"
Morgan is impresses by the centaur that stands in front of him, he wasn’t expecting anything of this stature but we happy. “Thankyou for taking time out if your day to speak with us, but yes unfortunately our memories are gone, we can not even remember our names. All I know is we all woke up in that tower.”
Regi smiles up at Donovan, "Yes, I suppose we are."
To Lord Yedder adding on to Morgan's response, "Yes. Collectively, we all woke up not remembering a thing with names above our beds and we're all wearing the same tattered rags... that is what we know."
Gash - Lvl14 Goblin Wizard - The High Court of the Aasimar Queen
"Goodbye, Tarden. Thank you for the escort." Tozo looks up — way up, given his stature — at the centaur's imposing form.
"I'm afraid Morgan and Regi have the gist of it. I remember what I can do, and my skills, but not how I got here, my name, or what I was doing before.
Tozo clears his throat for a moment and continues. "If it is not too rude to say so, may I ask how you came to be in a leadership position in this village? Tarden seemed surprised to see a gnome such as myself, so I had assumed anyone other than humans was unusual. But you are certainly quite a bit different than the villagers you lead."
He thinks for a moment, reflecting. "I must add, also, even notwithstanding the strangeness of losing one's memory, that it is stranger still to wake up in that tower, of all places. Does that location bear any significance to you? Was it something else interesting in the past? How is it that no one noticed us?
Tozo concludes with two more questions. "And moreover, I've noticed everyone keeps asking if we are pilgrims. Pilgrims to what location? Are travelers of that kind common in these parts?"
The Centaur looks at all of you, deep in thoughts, and then says:
"You have not lost your memories. What you have lost, is your knowledge about the world. I cannot believe that anyone would not know about how the empire works, or who lives within it. That is why the great war was wage, after all..."
He turns first to Tozo, then to Mordai, and finally to the humans:
"No, if I was to ask you, gnome, about the Tenets of the Tinkerer, or you, dragonborn, about your mother, or the three of you, about the Emperor, you would have nothing to tell me, would you?"
Then he answers Tozo's questions:
"As for how the Empire works, well, please follow me".
He goes inside one of the side buildings of the main castle. Within it, there is a table, on which a number of papers are strewn about. From this bundle, Sir Yedder takes out a map of sorts.
"This is the known world. Though, I assume, it is unknown to you:"
"You see the tiny peninsula in the north-east part of the Imperial lands, near the Elven kingdom? That's Hackleton, where we are right now. If you give me time, I have maps for it, as well as the county of Thornby too, but I don't really remember where I put them..."
He rubs his temple, as if remembering what Tozo asks him, and continues:
"As for how I got here... Well, here's the thing. There is a reason why the Empire controls half the world. Unlike how the Elves used to be, or how the Dragonborn are now, humans do not have literal gods leading them. By Light, they have had 29 Emperors from 3 dynasties, yet not one of them even had any tangible magic talent either. No, humans are successful, because they are governed well, using clever institutions and concepts such as fairness, societal advancement and so on. Ever since the inception of the Empire by Edgor the Great, these have been the tenets upon which the nation stood. So, when, during their expansion, they came across the lands of others, they acted as any empire would - they conquered, but, afterwards, tried to be as benevolent as possible. So, currently, besides humans, there are five "Major Minorities", the horse-men, cow-men, bird-men, giant-men and cat-men. We have other names for ourselves, of course, I prefer being called a Centaur, but the Imperial nomenclature tries to make us seem like a strange version of a human, so we, for lack of a better word, fit in better".
He motions to the village around him.
"This place is as far from ancestral Centaur lands as possible. The Empire actually pays you and gives you land, if you leave your race's territories and meld into the greater community. I did that around thirty years ago, and, well, managed to serve the local aristocrats well. So, for the last 22 years, I have been a knight, and for the last 18 of of them, I have been assigned to Genmore. Some prefer to have a kingdom of their own, like the Tails, even though the Tabaxi, as they prefer to be called, were conquered over three hundred years ago, so none of them have any memories of what living independently would look like, but, knowing how horrible the Centaur society was, I, for one, prefer living under the Empire".
He motions to Tozo and Mordai:
"As for why Tarden was surprised to see you, well, the Dragon's lands are far to the east, as you can see on the map, while the Gnomes are to the south, and since they are not part of the Empire, we do not really see much of either of your race. Birley has a temple devoted to the Dragon, so a few dragonborn can be seen here, but Gnomes are very rare".
Then, he answers the final questions:
"As for the pilgrims, well, we do not get many of them, but, since we are very far from the central roads, we do not get any visitors of any different kinds, so, seeing a non-human, we automatically assume it is supposed to be a pilgrim. They visit the Monastery of Saint Dunston the Immolated, a martyr from the Great War, who sacrificed himself and a number of prisoners, so that the Tails, who had just begun operations then, could not use their life energy for a horrible spell, that could wipe out any non-Tabaxi in the entirety of Hackleton. That was a long time ago, but, since Saint Dunston saved not only humans, but thousands of other races as well, he is respected by other races too, so we get quite a few pilgrims. The monastery is not far, so you can visit it for more details, if you care about stuff like that."
Sir Yedder furrows his brow.
"And those towers are actually related to that story. They were built to combat the Tails insurgency, and that is where the prisoners were kept and, consequently, where they died as well. However, for the last century, they have been pointless ruins, nothing else. Now, if that is all, I have a couple of questions to you. Firstly, My instincts, as those of a veteran of many battles, tell me, that you lot will be quite good in battle. You just have that look. I, on the other hand, happen to be extremely understaffed. So, if I offer you shelter, food, clothes, weapons, and, if you happen to know magic, some spell books that I took off dead Tabaxi, will you be willing to run a few errands for me? I won't ask you to do anything amoral, and you'll have something to do, while you try to either reacquire your memories, or just learn to cope with this new world outside. So, what say you?"
Mordai sits there a moment thinking about all that he has heard and the replies to Sir Yeddar.
"You are correct I do not have any memory past waking up in that tower accept for my abilities," at which point I cast Prestidigitation and clean up the clothes that I am wearing, "and your offer is most gracious and the only option I see for the foreseeable future." With a slight chuckle, "And really I can't think of any reason why I would not offer my services."
"I do have a question though Tarden mentioned some insane wizard or something about, I wonder if he had something to do with my friends," looking around at the group for confirmation, "situation and would like to talk to the wizard at the first opportunity, if you would not mind. I am greatly interested in what happened to us but otherwise I would be more than happy to help you for the benefits you offer."
Tozo looks at his companions and considers (13) this request carefully. "Nothing amoral, eh? Has this been a complaint of previous errand-runners?" He grins. (OOC: Does Tozo think Lord Yedder seems to be honest and forthright in this regard?)
"Well, I can't say I've heard a better offer, and it's not as though I had any plans. I'll let my companions speak for themselves, but out of curiosity, what sorts of errands are we talking about?"
"And spellbooks, you say? Plural?" A glint shines in Tozo's green eyes. "Why, that is certainly intriguing. But I noticed you didn't mention currency. It would make it a little easier to say yes if we knew we were getting more than mere provisions. Surely you see the wisdom in adding the coin of the realm and financing these errands properly?" He nods agreeably (8) and arches an eyebrow, as if paying him and his companions more were the most sensible decision in the world.
Sir Yedder listens to Mordai first, and answers the questions:
"Well, the Wizard would be Vitae, and yes, he's quite insane. He wants to be immortal, and has a few followers, who are equally, if not more, delusional. I highly doubt that he has anything to do with you, though, my people have been surveying him and he hasn't left the windmill, which he took over and considers his new tower, for the past couple of weeks. Though, he is one of the problems that I have currently, so I'd be happy if he was dealt with, somehow".
Turning to Tozo, next:
"No, that has not been a complaint, but, when I was working as a warrior-for-hire, that was my primary request when asking for jobs, so I tend to emphasize it as well".
He seems quite honest, at least, no dishonesty can be detected.
"The errands would include, whichever you may choose, dealing with an insane wizard, scouting out the Tails, cleaning out a previously abandoned mine shaft, finding a solution with the Count's garrison who refuse to do their duty, or offering your services, on my behest, to the head monk of the monastery, who has been complaining a lot".
He finishes listing the items, then continues:
"As for spell books, well, yeah, the Tails have quite a few clerics, wizards and even sorcerers, so, when they die, I tend to find them. They are never all that good at magic, but the spell books are quite usable. Which of them do you require? As for coin, well, I pay as per the recipient's ability, so, first, I will feed you, clothe you and outfit you, and you will choose one of the... was it five? errands I have, you will finish them successfully, and, then, we will converse regarding payment for any future endeavors. How does that sound?"
Morgan bows his head in thanks. “I Thankyou for all that you offer us, once we are fed we will repay you.”
Morgan is ready to follow Yedder and the others to eat and try to understand more about what happened.
(loving the details and the work you have put in by the way)
"A little physical activity or work might jog our minds maybe. I have no problem running these errands for you. Seems like more than a fair deal. I'd like to take a look at your lighter blades..." Regi kind of starts moving his arms around. "I think I work well with two? That's what my instincts are telling me and both my arms feel strong."
Gash - Lvl14 Goblin Wizard - The High Court of the Aasimar Queen
Donovan gracious bows, not very far however. “You are too kind to offer us such generous hospitality. Can you point us to where we can find some equipment to arms ourselves?”
He spins around to his companions with a smooth movement. “We should help the people in the village that have been so kind and address the counts garrison. They are neglecting their duty and should have there attitudes “adjusted”. Partially hidden behind his slightly unkempt beard a smile was peeking out.
Sir Yedder motions for you to follow. He exits the building you were in and enters a different wooden structure within the Castle. Upon opening the door, you are greeted by a sight of numerous weapons and armors, as well as a bunch of tomes lying about in a corner, which, you can assume, are spell books. On the other end of the wall, there are several racks with armor overlaid on them.
"These are my... let's call them trophies, that I have taken from the slain Tails. I would have preferred a more... traditional approach to trophies, but, apparently..." And here, the Centaur changes his voice to a mocking tone, clearly mimicking someone "...Cutting of the ears of the dead is depraved barbarity".
There are all kinds of swords, daggers, axes, bows, spears and so on strewn around the room. Basically, any simple or martial weapon, be it ranged or melee, can be found here. The spell books are also for, pretty much, all schools of magic. As for armor, they range from all types of leather to hide armor and chain shirts.
"The Tails do not tend to have any magical items, nor do they ever wear heavy armor, but that is understandable, as they are an insurgency, which is on its last legs and is steadily dying out" the Centaur says, then adds: "Each of you can take one melee weapon, one ranged weapon with, let's say, 20 pieces of appropriate ammunition, one armor piece and one spell book, if you happen to need it".
He waits for you to finish picking your gear, then says:
"Now, in about 15 minutes or so, it's time for dinner in the great hall of the Castle, so you can join us. I will have a table set just for you, so you will be better able to converse and have some privacy. After the dinner, I will expect from you the answer as to what of the options I gave you would be preferable".
Then, he lists the errands again:
"First, Dealing with Vitae, the insane wizard up in the windmill, to the north from here. He is insane and has commandeered that windmill along with several of his followers. None of them have been seen in a couple of weeks, but we know that Vitae is still in there. I do not care how you deal with him, but I want him off the lands of Genmore. However, he seems dangerous, so if he dies, that would likely be a service to the Empire, though I will leave that decision up to you.
Second, Scouting out the Tails. That would be to the east from here. I ran them over the Hindburn river, but was wounded in the process, as you can see, and I don't want to risk their return. Also, the river is the border between the lands of Genmore and the neighboring village, Sabden, so my jurisdiction does not extend beyond it, but you can easily make the crossing and cut off the Tails' tails, so to say. The assignment would be scouting out any danger from the Cat-men, and if there's a chance of a crossing, preventing it.
Third, Cleaning out a mine shaft. You might have noticed the large mines to the west of Genmore. They are silver mines, and, in the distant past, were quite lucrative, but they are mostly empty now. There are several shafts, where there is still some ore left, and the villagers are mining there, but, last week, in one of them the guys reported hearing strange sounds and got scared. It might be nothing, but I do not want to risk their lives. And, honestly, since it is a mine, even when healthy, I probably would have been unable to go inside, so I would be happy if it was checked out and, if any danger presents itself, you would have to deal with it.
Fourth, Negotiating with the garrison. They are located in a fort southwest from here. and, well... I mean, they are not wrong to refuse service, as the Count is not paying them. And no, that cannot be remedied, I already tried, the Baron said, that he cannot interfere in the dealings between the Count and his men. So, I need them to somehow be convinced, that they should still patrol the area without receiving any pay, as Genmore certainly cannot afford their wages. They refuse to talk to me, as I have threatened them before, and they feel... aggrieved.
Finally, Going up to the monastery, to the north-west from here. The head monk, Edwall, is complaining that Genmore does not show them support, and has thrown a tantrum. He actually refuses to tell me, why he needs guards, so it might be nothing, or he may actually be in danger. I really do not like him, but, well, the Monastery is still quite important, so if that is dealt with, I would like that. Hence, if you go up there and make it so that he's satisfied, I would consider the errand fulfilled.
So, that is your options. I want them all dealt with equally, so you can make the choice based on your own preferences. Now, let us go to the Great Hall, which is kind of a misnomer, as it's just a large room, so neither great, nor hall, and have our feast".
With that, Sir Yedder leads you into the primary building of the castle. it is not particularly well lit, as only the part of the room facing the inner yard of the Castle has windows (with arrow slits instead of them being put on other walls), but you can see well enough. The table set aside for you has a white sheet covering it. On it, are five empty plates with no real cutlery and there are five chairs. In the middle of the table, you can see a large roasted chicken which smells amazing for those who have not eaten in a while, as well as a large pot filled with what you assume to be roasted beans with mushrooms, another, smaller pot filled with half a dozen roasted fish, likely trout, a plate with a dozen or so freshly harvested tomatoes and cucumbers, and a larger plate filled with small, home made bread loafs. Finally, there are five large glasses filled with clear, spring water.
The room contains seven more tables of similar size and same foods on them, but with more chairs. They are being filled quick, apparently Sir Yedder having invited the villagers to the feast as well. Before everyone begins, the Centaur approaches you and says: "May Light make your feast enjoyable. And, don't forget, once we are done, I expect an answer".
With that, he walks to the center of the room and stands at one of the tables in a place, where there's a plate but no chair, clearly a place reserved for him in this manner. Thus, the feast begins.
Regi enters the room and looks around at the equipment. He pulls down for himself a scimitar, a longbow with 20 arrows, and a chain shirt. Holding the scimitar in one hand he finally says, "If one of you should not require or desire your melee weapon... I could use a second one of these, my guts are telling me its my preferred course of fighting." Regi, then backs up and lets the others find their equipment.
Gash - Lvl14 Goblin Wizard - The High Court of the Aasimar Queen
Something sparks in Tozo's eyes as he handles the spellbooks carefully, perusing them slowly and cautiously. "Delightful," he mumbles under his breath, caressing their folds and edges. It takes up the better part of a quarter-hour as he does nothing else but flip through the first few pages of each book to see what resonates with him the most. He eventually selects a nondescript gray tome, battered and worn, among the least ostentatious of the bunch, and a few basic supplies.
As he considers the options and his companions peruse the stores, he muses out loud. "For me, all these sound important, so the question is which is the most urgent. Frankly, a mad wizard who is primed to blow at any given moment certainly seems like the most pressing matter. I suppose there is the question of exactly how dangerous this wizard is."
Morgan spent the most of his time testing the balance of blades and seeing what his arms could comfortably carry until he settled on a large weathered great-sword. He smiled to himself as he swung it a few times and assessing the blade he also grabbed a whetstone or two to neaten the blade somewhat. After which he walked to the armour and grabbed a chain shirt. “For now this will have to do, I guess those cat folk really didn’t wear anything to heavy, but I suppose this will protect me somewhat.”
Finally he walked to the tomes, watching as Tozo scanned through them. “You work with the arcane I see.” He was interested in all magic but found himself tied to a blue leather book, not as thick as some of the others but had all the notes he needed. He would grab a small amount of ink to adjust what he needed, and with that he was done with the room waiting for the others to finish.
”You are right Tozo, the wizard to gives me the biggest worry, if he has allies then he could cause more damage if left in checked. Further more the place he has taken hold of should be given back to the village or whoever it belongs to, I know the other issues are important but this could escalate at any moment.”