“Mmm I’ll take one of those.” Walt reaches over and takes a snack off the tray and crams it in his mouth. “So good! Thank you, my friend!”
”And I’m Walter Stormchaser.” Walt says with a mouthful of food. “You can call me Walt. Pleased to met you, Zartan.”
Walt looks at his friends, waves Baldar over with a smile and addresses Zartan. “My friends and I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time and stumbling onto some pretty adventurous jobs. We’re good people and we try to help out when we can. Perhaps we can get more information from Fortino and see if we can help.”
Tuuli looks up as everyone descends on poor Fortino. “Everyone back up a step, give the man some breathing room. Here, have a seat, and you, Walt, yeah, Bendrak, siddown.” She gets up and gestures Ruby aside. “Hey, can you cover for Bendrak and me? I think Jules was looking for more hours, and I know I heard somewhere the lizardfolk chef at the the Bloated Carcass had a bright young thing might have time for the kitchen.” Ruby has some choice words for Tuuli, but finally nods and heads towards the kitchen.
Tuuli sits back down. “All right then, Baldar, grab a chair, girl.” She looks at the harengon and extends her hand, “I’m Tuuli. This is Baldar, you’ve already met Walt and Bendrak.” Then she looks at Fortino, and pushes a mug of ale towards him. “Why don’t you start from the top.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
"That would be great. Nice to meet you all. My name is Zartan Furfoot. I lived here for a few years now. I'm a wizard and have been doing some small jobs here and there but I thought it was about time to join up with a good group of fellow adventures."
"Oh, I almost forgot. This is my little friend Fang." He holds out his hand and from thin air pulls a fluffy grey bat. It blinks it's eyes a couple times to adjust to the light and flutters over to Zartan's shoulders. (Picture posted on Discord)
Walt pulls up a seat and sits quietly at the table, giving Fortino some space to collect his thoughts. Upon seeing Fang present themself, Walt subtly slinks down in his seat, crosses his arms and cradles the little field mouse hiding in his shirt giving it gentle scritches under his chin.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Fortino looks around nervously at the growing crowd, and sits back down.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to cause a scene. It's just my mama – she sent me a letter from Milpazul, where she lives now. It's about 15 miles outside San Citlán, out in the Borderlands. Not a rich place – mostly mine laborers and farmers. And bandits. Milpazul caters to travelers looking for shelter, but it has a reputation as a hub for mercenaries, so locals turn to caporales—traditional defenders on horseback—for security in the absence of city support. Anyway, Mama tells me there's some kind of plague – a "chill" she called it – that's killing the people. And it sounds like it's causing a lot of violence. She warns me not to come right now, but I don't want to leave her there by herself."
"You would? That would be a wonderful kindness," responds Fortino, looking down into his ale. "If I don't get back to San Citlán tomorrow I will likely lose my job. The Fire Opal – the Concord Jewel that goes to San Citlán – will leave you near Milpazul if you ask the Clavigers nicely. It sounds dangerous. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Walt looks his friends in the eyes slowly and intently, as if measuring their interest in the job and giving anyone one last chance to speak up. No one flinches or bats an eye.
“Fortino. Friend…we will travel to Milpazul and check in on your mother.
Now, this does sound quite dangerous, so any help that you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Do you have any friends or contacts within Milpazul that might be able to help us with resources, shelter, so on and so forth? What is your mother’s name and where might we find her?
And it sounds like you’ve dealt with these Clavigers that run the Fire Opal Jewel on more than one occasion. Any tips on how we can get on their good side?”
"You've got ta look after your Ma. Before it's too late," Baldar says while munching on one of Bendrak's snacks. "What's the culture of Milpazul like? Anything we should know before we go there?"
"My mom's name is Xóchitl, but honestly, I haven't been out there. She remarried a miner after my dad died and moved out there. So I can't tell you much about Milpazul," responds Fortino. "I don't even know her exact address."
"It's a land of rich and poor. Economic inequality is stark between the majority of its inhabitants and the wealthy landowners and technocrats who control everything. Lavish mansions cradle the rich while the poor scrape to survive. Most of the wealth is concentrated in the city of San Citlán. The elite reap the rewards of progress with little regard for those left behind. But as harsh as life can be for those in the city, Milpazul and the borderlands are harsher still. There, every day is a struggle to survive in the face of poverty, banditry, and drought. It can be really rough out there. I was lucky enough to find work as a trader's assistant in San Citlán, and I haven't been able to leave the city much.
"Culture... Well, the language of San Citlán is Citlanés, but most people also speak Common. Food is a particular point of pride -- hominy-and-meat pozole... Really good! Along with music and dance, ball games are common. And religion, of course. Wrestling, theatrical wrestling – luchadores. I dunno what else to tell you...."
"But my mom wouldn't write me like that unless something really bad was happening. Something awful has befallen Milpazul."
He drains his ale. and puts his head in his hands.
"The Clavigers?" He waves dismissively. "Just don't be a jerk and ask nicely. Give them some canapes."
”I’ll be ready in just a minute. Please excuse me.” Walt politely bows his head, walks past the group snatching one more canapé from the tray and walks out the door. Walt walks behind the Cat, around a corner into an alleyway all the while looking over his shoulder to see if anyone is watching him. He breaks up the canapé into a few smaller pieces, and adds some nuts, crackers and a squished old goodberry to the pile on top of an old crate. He looks over his shoulder again, sure that no one is spying on him and he fishes out the little field mouse setting him down on the crate. Walt looks the little critter in the eyes and says “I have to go little fella. Here’s some food. Eat the little red berry before it goes bad. If I don’t come back, find uncle Harrow. He has a bunch of snacks.” He pats the little mouse on his head giving it a few gentle scritches before turning around and heading back into the Cat.
“Okay, gang. I’m ready.” Walt sniffles, blinks his eyes quickly fighting back a tear and cracks a little smile.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
If the crystal’s departure is imminent, Tuuli will take her own advice and go get her bag, her pipes, and her new (to her) crossbow from her room. (She actually has a room, she doesn’t sleep behind he bar.)
She returns with all of that and Lucky perched precariously on her shoulder, limbs wrapped in her hair for balance.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
The next Concord Jewel to San Citlán and Milpazul – the bright reddish-orange Fire Opal – will depart in a few hours. If there is any further equipment to purchase or preparations you need to make, you still have a little time.
(As you know, Concord Jewels are building-sized vessels capable of holding hundreds of people and tons of goods. Though the Jewels take a variety of shapes, their interiors are similar. A cylindrical core holds containers for goods, including livestock. Surrounding the core is seating for passengers. The Citadel employs official operators called Clavigers to pilot the Jewels. Each Concord Jewel is linked to one of the civilizations that founded the Radiant Citadel. A Jewel unerringly travels between the Radiant Citadel and the homeland of the Jewel’s linked people. While not in use, the Concord Jewels orbit the Radiant Citadel in an incandescent constellation. Each Jewel corresponds to one of the founding civilizations and resembles a giant gemstone. San Citlán's jewel is in the form of a Fire Opal.)
Bendrak stashes the last few canapes in a small box, and excuses himself for a few minutes to gather his things and make arrangements in the kitchen for his absence.
Unless you have any further business in the Citadel (feel free to make or post any further last-minute transactions or preparations), we pick up the story half a day later.
You have been trudging through the high desert for several hours now. The Fire Opal Clavigers, initially quite receptive to your request to deliver you to Milpazul, announced at the last minute that due to reports of increased banditry, they would need to deliver you to the bottom of the Ruisenor Peaks, instead, many miles away.
The dry, rocky landscape offers little in the way of comfort. The sun beats down on you relentlessly, and the only shade comes from the occasional cactus or scrub brush. The air is hot and dusty, and your feet sink into the loose, dry soil with every step. You can feel your strength and stamina beginning to wane. Your clothes are drenched in sweat, and your water supplies are running low.
At last, the village of Milpazul comes into view in the distance, a cluster of ramshackle buildings huddled together in the harsh desert landscape. Clouds rush overhead and dust swirls across the road to the village, which sits atop a hill overlooking a vast, semi-arid valley. The road ends at a wooden archway in a low, dry-stone wall that surrounds most of the settlement. As you near, a man on horseback spurs his mount and vanishes into the village.
“I guess they know we’re here?” Tuuli ventures, as the man rides away. “We should have brought horses.”
She is tired and sweaty and even her hair hangs limp. She eyes the low wall as if it might be a place to lie down for a bit, but shakes her head. “I’m sure they have an inn… or a tavern… or just some shade? Probably?”
She will continue to trudge towards the town, passing through the arched entry, unless someone stops her.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Zartan takes turn using Prestidigitation to blow cool on folks impacted by the heat. As the group draws near he reaches out his hand and brings Fang out. He instructs him to fly high above and around the town staying safe distance from any danger on the ground or in the air. Report back anything of interest. And off he flys. “I’ll let you all know if he spots anything. “
“Mmm I’ll take one of those.” Walt reaches over and takes a snack off the tray and crams it in his mouth. “So good! Thank you, my friend!”
”And I’m Walter Stormchaser.” Walt says with a mouthful of food. “You can call me Walt. Pleased to met you, Zartan.”
Walt looks at his friends, waves Baldar over with a smile and addresses Zartan. “My friends and I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time and stumbling onto some pretty adventurous jobs. We’re good people and we try to help out when we can. Perhaps we can get more information from Fortino and see if we can help.”
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Tuuli looks up as everyone descends on poor Fortino. “Everyone back up a step, give the man some breathing room. Here, have a seat, and you, Walt, yeah, Bendrak, siddown.” She gets up and gestures Ruby aside. “Hey, can you cover for Bendrak and me? I think Jules was looking for more hours, and I know I heard somewhere the lizardfolk chef at the the Bloated Carcass had a bright young thing might have time for the kitchen.” Ruby has some choice words for Tuuli, but finally nods and heads towards the kitchen.
Tuuli sits back down. “All right then, Baldar, grab a chair, girl.” She looks at the harengon and extends her hand, “I’m Tuuli. This is Baldar, you’ve already met Walt and Bendrak.” Then she looks at Fortino, and pushes a mug of ale towards him. “Why don’t you start from the top.”
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
"That would be great. Nice to meet you all. My name is Zartan Furfoot. I lived here for a few years now. I'm a wizard and have been doing some small jobs here and there but I thought it was about time to join up with a good group of fellow adventures."
"Oh, I almost forgot. This is my little friend Fang." He holds out his hand and from thin air pulls a fluffy grey bat. It blinks it's eyes a couple times to adjust to the light and flutters over to Zartan's shoulders. (Picture posted on Discord)
D&D since 1984
Walt pulls up a seat and sits quietly at the table, giving Fortino some space to collect his thoughts. Upon seeing Fang present themself, Walt subtly slinks down in his seat, crosses his arms and cradles the little field mouse hiding in his shirt giving it gentle scritches under his chin.
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
Fortino looks around nervously at the growing crowd, and sits back down.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to cause a scene. It's just my mama – she sent me a letter from Milpazul, where she lives now. It's about 15 miles outside San Citlán, out in the Borderlands. Not a rich place – mostly mine laborers and farmers. And bandits. Milpazul caters to travelers looking for shelter, but it has a reputation as a hub for mercenaries, so locals turn to caporales—traditional defenders on horseback—for security in the absence of city support. Anyway, Mama tells me there's some kind of plague – a "chill" she called it – that's killing the people. And it sounds like it's causing a lot of violence. She warns me not to come right now, but I don't want to leave her there by herself."
“You want us to go, make sure she’s safe?” Tuuli asks quietly. “We can do that.”
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
"You would? That would be a wonderful kindness," responds Fortino, looking down into his ale. "If I don't get back to San Citlán tomorrow I will likely lose my job. The Fire Opal – the Concord Jewel that goes to San Citlán – will leave you near Milpazul if you ask the Clavigers nicely. It sounds dangerous. Are you sure you want to do this?"
“Absolutely! I’m in; if you’ll have me. “
D&D since 1984
Walt looks his friends in the eyes slowly and intently, as if measuring their interest in the job and giving anyone one last chance to speak up. No one flinches or bats an eye.
“Fortino. Friend…we will travel to Milpazul and check in on your mother.
Now, this does sound quite dangerous, so any help that you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Do you have any friends or contacts within Milpazul that might be able to help us with resources, shelter, so on and so forth? What is your mother’s name and where might we find her?
And it sounds like you’ve dealt with these Clavigers that run the Fire Opal Jewel on more than one occasion. Any tips on how we can get on their good side?”
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
"You've got ta look after your Ma. Before it's too late," Baldar says while munching on one of Bendrak's snacks. "What's the culture of Milpazul like? Anything we should know before we go there?"
"My mom's name is Xóchitl, but honestly, I haven't been out there. She remarried a miner after my dad died and moved out there. So I can't tell you much about Milpazul," responds Fortino. "I don't even know her exact address."
"It's a land of rich and poor. Economic inequality is stark between the majority of its inhabitants and the wealthy landowners and technocrats who control everything. Lavish mansions cradle the rich while the poor scrape to survive. Most of the wealth is concentrated in the city of San Citlán. The elite reap the rewards of progress with little regard for those left behind. But as harsh as life can be for those in the city, Milpazul and the borderlands are harsher still. There, every day is a struggle to survive in the face of poverty, banditry, and drought. It can be really rough out there. I was lucky enough to find work as a trader's assistant in San Citlán, and I haven't been able to leave the city much.
"Culture... Well, the language of San Citlán is Citlanés, but most people also speak Common. Food is a particular point of pride -- hominy-and-meat pozole... Really good! Along with music and dance, ball games are common. And religion, of course. Wrestling, theatrical wrestling – luchadores. I dunno what else to tell you...."
"But my mom wouldn't write me like that unless something really bad was happening. Something awful has befallen Milpazul."
He drains his ale. and puts his head in his hands.
"The Clavigers?" He waves dismissively. "Just don't be a jerk and ask nicely. Give them some canapes."
Tuuli locks eyes with Walt, then nods decisively. “No time to waste. Anybody need to pick something up before we go? When’s the next crystal?”
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Zartan, putting Fang back into his pocket in space he stands up and says "I'm ready when you all are."
D&D since 1984
”I’ll be ready in just a minute. Please excuse me.” Walt politely bows his head, walks past the group snatching one more canapé from the tray and walks out the door. Walt walks behind the Cat, around a corner into an alleyway all the while looking over his shoulder to see if anyone is watching him. He breaks up the canapé into a few smaller pieces, and adds some nuts, crackers and a squished old goodberry to the pile on top of an old crate. He looks over his shoulder again, sure that no one is spying on him and he fishes out the little field mouse setting him down on the crate. Walt looks the little critter in the eyes and says “I have to go little fella. Here’s some food. Eat the little red berry before it goes bad. If I don’t come back, find uncle Harrow. He has a bunch of snacks.” He pats the little mouse on his head giving it a few gentle scritches before turning around and heading back into the Cat.
“Okay, gang. I’m ready.” Walt sniffles, blinks his eyes quickly fighting back a tear and cracks a little smile.
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
If the crystal’s departure is imminent, Tuuli will take her own advice and go get her bag, her pipes, and her new (to her) crossbow from her room. (She actually has a room, she doesn’t sleep behind he bar.)
She returns with all of that and Lucky perched precariously on her shoulder, limbs wrapped in her hair for balance.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
The next Concord Jewel to San Citlán and Milpazul – the bright reddish-orange Fire Opal – will depart in a few hours. If there is any further equipment to purchase or preparations you need to make, you still have a little time.
(As you know, Concord Jewels are building-sized vessels capable of holding hundreds of people and tons of goods. Though the Jewels take a variety of shapes, their interiors are similar. A cylindrical core holds containers for goods, including livestock. Surrounding the core is seating for passengers. The Citadel employs official operators called Clavigers to pilot the Jewels. Each Concord Jewel is linked to one of the civilizations that founded the Radiant Citadel. A Jewel unerringly travels between the Radiant Citadel and the homeland of the Jewel’s linked people. While not in use, the Concord Jewels orbit the Radiant Citadel in an incandescent constellation. Each Jewel corresponds to one of the founding civilizations and resembles a giant gemstone. San Citlán's jewel is in the form of a Fire Opal.)
Bendrak stashes the last few canapes in a small box, and excuses himself for a few minutes to gather his things and make arrangements in the kitchen for his absence.
"Lead on, sounds like a great adventure."
Unless you have any further business in the Citadel (feel free to make or post any further last-minute transactions or preparations), we pick up the story half a day later.
You have been trudging through the high desert for several hours now. The Fire Opal Clavigers, initially quite receptive to your request to deliver you to Milpazul, announced at the last minute that due to reports of increased banditry, they would need to deliver you to the bottom of the Ruisenor Peaks, instead, many miles away.
The dry, rocky landscape offers little in the way of comfort. The sun beats down on you relentlessly, and the only shade comes from the occasional cactus or scrub brush. The air is hot and dusty, and your feet sink into the loose, dry soil with every step. You can feel your strength and stamina beginning to wane. Your clothes are drenched in sweat, and your water supplies are running low.
At last, the village of Milpazul comes into view in the distance, a cluster of ramshackle buildings huddled together in the harsh desert landscape. Clouds rush overhead and dust swirls across the road to the village, which sits atop a hill overlooking a vast, semi-arid valley. The road ends at a wooden archway in a low, dry-stone wall that surrounds most of the settlement. As you near, a man on horseback spurs his mount and vanishes into the village.
“I guess they know we’re here?” Tuuli ventures, as the man rides away. “We should have brought horses.”
She is tired and sweaty and even her hair hangs limp. She eyes the low wall as if it might be a place to lie down for a bit, but shakes her head. “I’m sure they have an inn… or a tavern… or just some shade? Probably?”
She will continue to trudge towards the town, passing through the arched entry, unless someone stops her.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Zartan takes turn using Prestidigitation to blow cool on folks impacted by the heat. As the group draws near he reaches out his hand and brings Fang out. He instructs him to fly high above and around the town staying safe distance from any danger on the ground or in the air. Report back anything of interest. And off he flys. “I’ll let you all know if he spots anything. “
D&D since 1984