Along the cold shore of the Frigid Depths, Palebank Village marks the northernmost outpost of civilized folk. Surrounded by four watchtowers and a ten-foot-tall palisade of sharpened logs, Palebank is a ramshackle village poised between the tundra plains to the south and the cold seas of the Frigid Depths to the north. The village is made up of just over a hundred cabins and shacks, a handful of stores and traders, a few small inns, and two humble temples - one to the dwarven god Moradin, and one to the elven god Corellon. It's too small to have distinct neighborhoods, so most businesses and residences were established wherever they could fit at the time, creating a meandering layout. Off the northern cliff, about fifteen feet down to the sand-and-snow beach, the wooden docks hold around a dozen ships, ranging from fishing vessels to small cargo ships.
The citizens of Palebank often take to ice fishing, trapping, or hunting, traveling in small caravans to larger cities to the south to sell their wares and restock their supplies. Territorial monsters wander close to the village, so rotating squads of trained soldiers and rangers are assigned by the town’s mayor, an aged elf ranger named Irlo Aldataur, to protect the townspeople. The small docks have been recently expanded to accommodate the increased interest of treasure-hunters and history-seekers in sailing northwest toward the islands of Eiselcross, dotted with recently discovered ruins from ancient times. Palebank has become a launching point for these northern expeditions, leading to growing trade and a pressing need for more inns.
Snow gently falls from the sky and a bitterly cold wind bites Elogor’s cheeks as he stands in the humble graveyard of Palebank Village, the fishing outpost that is home to several hundred residents, mostly dwarves and elves. The sun is low in the sky, sinking behind the fresh grave of Urgon Wenth, an old dwarven trader who died after his entire body had slowly transformed into a solid blue-ish ice statue. The folk of the village have gathered to pay their final respects to Urgon’s frozen remains, even though the mysterious cause of his fatal condition — be it magical curse or errant spell or heretofore undiscovered disease — is yet unsolved.
Urgon was a well-known pillar of the community, and a fellow member of the Village’s mercantile guildhall with Elogor. It was the old dwarf who several decades ago had first begun to explore the ruins scattered beneath the icy fields of Eisencross — the islands northwest of Palebank Village. Elogor hadn’t known him personally, but has heard all about his reputation as a hardy explorer, an acquirer of ancient artifacts, and a savvy trader in lost antiquities.
As the funerary services end, townsfolk mill about, before slowly returning to their homes in advance of the oncoming nightfall. Elogor is approached by a weathered elf named Irlo Aldataur — a retired ranger, and the Mayor of Palebank Village. His gruff voice speaks softly and sincerely. “Thank you for attending Urgon’s service,” he says. “I’m sorry to speak of dark tidings under such circumstances, but I believe that Urgon’s death may mean that Palebank Village is in danger, and I’m hoping you can help us.”
IRLO ALDATAUR
Now it’s your turn! Play-by-Post is cooperative storytelling in the form of fantasy fiction, so please write like a novel — use proper grammar and punctuation.
Some PbP conventions are:
Use third person present tense: Elogor does x. Elogor says, “y”.
Put spoken dialogue in “Bold text.” (See my post above). Some players choose to use a font color to distinguish their character, but since there are no other players (yet?) that’s not very important now. Put thoughts in “Italics”
Always try to act in character. Use your character sheet info (Description, Personality Traits, Ideals, Flaws, even Equipment) to get ideas of what to say and do.
Try to give the other player(s) and DM (me) something to work with and build on. The easiest way to do this is to use a skill, ask a question in-character, or attempt some action.
Use the Dice roller (in the menu bar, it’s the black square with 3 angled dots on it, like a 3 on a 6-sided die) to roll for any skill checks (and eventually Combat). As DM I may also roll some for you (in secret). Be sure to use a d20 and add bonuses from the character sheet. Read the skill descriptions to get ideas about what skills to use and when.
Be creative, collaborative, and have fun!
For example, you can use the skill Insight to get a hunch about what Irlo may not be saying aloud (maybe he’s lying!?!?). Or use the skill Nature to see if you are aware of any naturally occurring causes of Urgon’s death. Or use the skill Arcana to see if you are aware of any magical causes. Etc.
I’ll post again once you’ve posted and the story will progress from there. Thank you for playing!
Elogor's eyes still hovered on Urgon's statue. "I do have an interest on how he died, but just because ill will befell him does not mean it's fated for the entire village. He was an explorer, encountering countless artifacts and treasures, perhaps something he acquired caused his death and it is merely an isolated incident. Unless what you're saying is that something he got his hands on--upsetting the ruins perchance--may bring a more cataclysmic outcome."
Irlo raises an eyebrow thoughtfully as he listens to Elogor. “A shrewd theory,” he replies. “I knew you were the right person to investigate this mystery!”
Irlo leans in close to Elogor, as if not wanting to be overheard. “Two months ago, Urgon returned home after exploring Eiselcross for over a year. He had been back for only a few days when he came down with a strange affliction, which made him move slowly and caused blue veins to appear all over his skin.”
“Our priests of Moradin and Corellon used every spell and potion they could muster to attempt to heal Urgon, but nothing they tried could stop the bizarre malady. Urgon battled the affliction for weeks, until his ever-slowing body eventually turned to ice.”
“I had hoped that Urgon’s sad fate was an isolated incident, most likely caused by — as you also suspect — something he came into contact with while exploring Eiselcross.
”But just yesterday, I noticed Tulgi Lutan, a dwarf trapper, showing signs of the same condition, and I am most certain she has never been to Eiselcross.”
“I tried to speak with Tulgi about it, but she pushed me away, asking that I let her die in peace. She’s a bit, how shall I say? Difficult to talk to, and distrustful of authorities like me. Perhaps someone like you might have better luck with her than I.”
”Please, put an old elf’s mind at ease,” Irlo concludes. “I will pay 100 gold pieces for any information you can discover about the cause of their affliction. Hopefully we can solve this mystery before anyone else in Palebank Village suffers the same fate.”
Blue morning light shone though the window while Elogor flipped through his record of sales. He reached for the paper slip in his pocket where her name was scribbled down. He could've sworn a relative of hers was a returning customer since her last name--Lutan--was quite familiar. He skimmed the papers over until he found a recording of Lutan. Unfortunately, the last purchase was made quite recently, so if the pattern were to continue, the next purchase would happen in a few weeks--to long, he feared. However, a faded address was on the paper marked for deliveries.
He sighed as he stood from the table. He did not expect it to go so fast, so it was still early morning. Elogor feared it would be too early to take action at once, so he settled on waiting until noon.
With the address for Tulgi’s cabin in hand, Elogor sets out at midday. Tulgi lives on the outskirts of the village, in a somewhat remote corner far from any other residences.
Urgon’s home, however, is nearer the center of town, and along the way to Tulgi’s. As Elogor passes by it, he notices that the now-empty home of the deceased old dwarf is cordoned off with red-painted rope. A painted wooden shingle nailed to the front door reads ‘DANGER! KEEP OUT!’. And in front of that, on the wood planks of the front porch, two individuals seem to be in a heated argument. One, a tall male half-elf, is clearly a member of the village militia, probably assigned by Irlo to guard the empty house. The other is a young female dwarf, whom Elogor has never seen before in town. Although he will have to get closer to hear what’s being said, it is obvious that the two are at odds.
Don’t overthink it! Just decide what you think Elogor would do. Walk closer and listen? Ask what’s going on? Stay out of it? Cast Minor Illusion to cause a distraction? (Be careful, though, if you target someone with a spell, that is usually considered a hostile action.)
As Elogor draws closer to the pair, he begins to hear what they’re arguing about.
“Let me in!” the young dwarf maid demands petulantly. “This is my grand-uncle Urgon’s house and I’m his kin!”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the guard replies, obviously irritated but trying to keep calm. “It’s off-limits. Like I already told you, no one’s allowed in except on orders from the Mayor.”
“But the Mayor invited me to come!” she shouts back.
“Youwere invited to come to the funeral,” the guard corrects her, “as were any and all of Urgon’s kin. But that was last night. Today, this house is off limits.”
“But I missed the funeral last night!!”the young dwarf stomps in exasperation, a hint of held-back tears mixing with her obvious frustration and anger. “It was a 10-day journey just to get to this frozen pile of sticks you call a ‘village’ and I got waylaid by bandits on the road. My pony ran off with all my supplies, and I walked all night just to get here too late to see my granduncle buried properly! And now you won’t let me in to his house to gather up his belongings and return them to his ancestral home!?!”Out of breath and red-faced, she glares dangerously at the guard.
The guard, noticing Elogor approaching, turns to him, desperately hoping to disengage from the angry dwarf and change the subject. “Oho, citizen,” the guard calls out to Elogor eagerly. “Are you in need of any assistance?” (Ironically, it would seem the guard is the one in need of assistance in dealing with the irate visitor.)
Some choices seem simple: side with the guard, or side with the dwarf. But creative use of skills, abilities, etc. can chart a middle path. Use Intimidation or Deception and you risk making enemies. Use Persuasion and you might work out a resolution that appeals to both sides.
"I've been assigned by the Mayor to look through Urgon's belongings in hopes to find a connection between the artifacts he holds and the causal factor of his death. I do not come with ill intent." Elogor held his hands up to sell the role of innocence. "I won't take long, and my findings will be reported to the higher-ups when I'm through. And when I'm done," his gaze shifted to the young dwarf beside the guard. "Relatives of Urgon are welcome to take whatever they wish--as long as it has not been deemed a threat or holds great importance to the investigation." He hoped this would be enough to calm the two as well as offer him insight to what really happened to Urgon.
As Elogor speaks, the guard pulls a small roll of parchment from his vest. As the guard scans it quickly, Elogor can see the paper is stamped with the Mayor’s seal.
Meanwhile, hearing that she may finally be allowed inside the house, the dwarf begins to relax.
“You are Elogor Eathalena?” the guard reads off the name, as Elogor nods. “This says you are authorized for entry. And if the dwarf goes with you then she can go in too.” He sounds quite relieved to be rid of the dwarf.
The guard draws aside the rope, unlocks the front door and swings it open to reveal the interior of the one-story, one-room cabin:
The cramped, dark cabin might have been a cozy place when its owner was alive. Now an unmade bed stands near a cold fireplace, its mantle hung with the head of some snarling white beast with gray horns. Elogor recognizes the creature as a yeti - a monstrosity found in Eiselcross. On the other side of the room, a small table strewn with dirty dishes and set with a dwarf-sized chair stands before two empty shelves and an open storage chest whose contents are scattered across the floor: kitchen utensils, dried foodstuffs, adventuring gear, and a few books.
As Elogor walks over to the storage chest, the dwarf stands in the front doorway and cries out, immediately angry and distraught (again), “Who trashed my Grand-Uncky’s place!?!”
Elogor sees that the big storage chest is empty. Judging by the scattered contents on the floor nearby, it had contained a dwarven warhammer, a suit of dwarven armor, a shield, cold-weather clothes, a lantern and a grappling hook.
The books are relatively common collections of local history, lore, practical guidebooks, and tales of former adventurers. But one familiar type of book in particular catches Elogor’s eye: a business ledger, containing detailed records of each of Urgon’s past transactions. The last entry is dated two months previous, and indicates that Urgon sold several items found in Eiselcross to local antique shop Pelc’s Curiosities for 1,000 gold pieces (gp). The items are listed as an ornate silver dagger, an amber scroll case, a jade statuette, a filigreed quiver of twenty ancient arrows, a silver ring set with a jasper, and two blue glass vials.
Elogor recognizes the name of the antique shop, as it is a well-known, if unusual, establishment in Palebank Village. Pelc’s Curiosities is run by an oddly reclusive elf named Verla Pelc. Verla keeps to herself, opening her shop only when the mood strikes her. She trades any and all objects that interest her, and always seems to have a swiftly-rotating stock of odds and ends. But most ominously, the shop has been the talk of the town ever since it was robbed and vandalized two months ago, and the culprits never caught.
Before leaving to follow the trail of clues leading to the antique shop, Elogor takes a trip around the inside of the house. He hopes there might be something else that could help him before heading out.
“This place is a mess!” exclaims the dwarf, who has already identified herself as Urgon’s grandniece. She walks over to the gear strewn on the floor and starts loading it back into the empty chest. “Urgon would never leave his house like this.”
”A mess?” the guard asks, sticking his head through the open door. Apparently he was unaware of the condition of the house he’d been guarding. “And it looks like it just happened not very long ago. Look! There are footprints!” He points toward a dusty corner beneath an open window on the back wall of the cabin.
The dwarf girl goes over to investigate. (The guard stays at the door, perhaps under orders to stay out himself.) Elogor can’t help but notice that the footprints on the dusty wooden floor are very similar in size to the feet of the dwarf girl.
”We have to find out who did this!” she declares, looking at Elogor as if to say that ‘we’ means the two of them together. “They could have stolen some of my grand-uncky’s other stuff.”
Elogor notices that the guard is also looking at him expectantly, as if waiting to hear his decision about what he will do next.
Use your creative writing! You don’t have to write a lot, but put in some interesting details. What will Elogor do next: Try following the footsteps? Keep going on to Tulgi’s cabin? Change course and head to the antique shop? And what about Urgon’s grandniece?
Initially, it was Elogor's intention to find out the source of the strange disease that plagued Urgon. Now, it seems as all the evidence piles up that he may have to pave way for another change of course. "Please, do not touch anything," he said, playing the part of a detective. "If this truly is a robbery, we must make sure that all the evidence is not to be tampered with any further." He left through the door and circled around to the open window, examining the footprints before him, ready to trace them back to wherever they may lead.
The guard joins Elogor and together they go around the back of Urgon's house, looking for the footprints. The dwarf remains behind inside the house.
Beneath the rear window, in the frozen mud, dry stubby weeds, and dirty snow are what look to be the same pair of footprints as inside the house. Easier to see in the daylight outdoors, the trail leads away between nearby cabins. Following it just a short way, Elogor quickly realizes it leads in the same general direction as the home of Tulgi Lutan -- his original destination when he started out this afternoon.
The guard puts a hand on Elogor's shoulder to stop him. "I've got to remain posted at Urgon's house," he says, apologetically, "or else I'd go with you. It could be dangerous to go alone, if you're dealing with a criminal."
"But he won't be going alone!" comes the voice of the young dwarf, now striding to catch up. "I'm going, too!"
She looks different . . . and Elogor suddenly realizes why: she's wearing the suit of armor and carrying the hammer and shield from Urgon's house.
"I'm Sosta Wenth," she says, "and I came all the way here to set my late grand-uncle's affairs in order. I'm not going to let some petty crook get away with trashing his house and taking his things. So, if you're going to chase this robber down," she states emphatically, almost glaring in defiance at Elogor, "then I'm coming with you!"
"Thank you," he replied, following the footprints. "But this could be quite dangerous--and may I ask, did your grand-uncle have any enemies, per chance? Or does the name Tulgi Lutan ring a bell?"
In response to Elogor, Sosta raises up Urgon's heavy hammer and huge shield she now carries. "I'm not afraid of danger!"she says enthusiastically. "But I don't know much about my granduncle's life here, except that he was an artifact hunter." She lowers her gaze to the ground, embarrassed. "We didn't really keep in touch..." she murmurs.
The trail of footprints leads Elogor and Sosta toward the edge of town, where they get their first glimpse of Tulgi Latan's small, single-story log cabin.The snow-covered cabin looks peaceful and quiet from the outside. Its windows are shuttered, but a steady stream of smoke piping out of the chimney indicates a roaring fire within.
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Campaign <— Click to Join with your Character
Setting
Along the cold shore of the Frigid Depths, Palebank Village marks the northernmost outpost of civilized folk. Surrounded by four watchtowers and a ten-foot-tall palisade of sharpened logs, Palebank is a ramshackle village poised between the tundra plains to the south and the cold seas of the Frigid Depths to the north. The village is made up of just over a hundred cabins and shacks, a handful of stores and traders, a few small inns, and two humble temples - one to the dwarven god Moradin, and one to the elven god Corellon. It's too small to have distinct neighborhoods, so most businesses and residences were established wherever they could fit at the time, creating a meandering layout. Off the northern cliff, about fifteen feet down to the sand-and-snow beach, the wooden docks hold around a dozen ships, ranging from fishing vessels to small cargo ships.
The citizens of Palebank often take to ice fishing, trapping, or hunting, traveling in small caravans to larger cities to the south to sell their wares and restock their supplies. Territorial monsters wander close to the village, so rotating squads of trained soldiers and rangers are assigned by the town’s mayor, an aged elf ranger named Irlo Aldataur, to protect the townspeople. The small docks have been recently expanded to accommodate the increased interest of treasure-hunters and history-seekers in sailing northwest toward the islands of Eiselcross, dotted with recently discovered ruins from ancient times. Palebank has become a launching point for these northern expeditions, leading to growing trade and a pressing need for more inns.
Snow gently falls from the sky and a bitterly cold wind bites Elogor’s cheeks as he stands in the humble graveyard of Palebank Village, the fishing outpost that is home to several hundred residents, mostly dwarves and elves. The sun is low in the sky, sinking behind the fresh grave of Urgon Wenth, an old dwarven trader who died after his entire body had slowly transformed into a solid blue-ish ice statue. The folk of the village have gathered to pay their final respects to Urgon’s frozen remains, even though the mysterious cause of his fatal condition — be it magical curse or errant spell or heretofore undiscovered disease — is yet unsolved.
Urgon was a well-known pillar of the community, and a fellow member of the Village’s mercantile guildhall with Elogor. It was the old dwarf who several decades ago had first begun to explore the ruins scattered beneath the icy fields of Eisencross — the islands northwest of Palebank Village. Elogor hadn’t known him personally, but has heard all about his reputation as a hardy explorer, an acquirer of ancient artifacts, and a savvy trader in lost antiquities.
As the funerary services end, townsfolk mill about, before slowly returning to their homes in advance of the oncoming nightfall. Elogor is approached by a weathered elf named Irlo Aldataur — a retired ranger, and the Mayor of Palebank Village. His gruff voice speaks softly and sincerely. “Thank you for attending Urgon’s service,” he says. “I’m sorry to speak of dark tidings under such circumstances, but I believe that Urgon’s death may mean that Palebank Village is in danger, and I’m hoping you can help us.”
IRLO ALDATAUR
Now it’s your turn! Play-by-Post is cooperative storytelling in the form of fantasy fiction, so please write like a novel — use proper grammar and punctuation.
Some PbP conventions are:
For example, you can use the skill Insight to get a hunch about what Irlo may not be saying aloud (maybe he’s lying!?!?). Or use the skill Nature to see if you are aware of any naturally occurring causes of Urgon’s death. Or use the skill Arcana to see if you are aware of any magical causes. Etc.
I’ll post again once you’ve posted and the story will progress from there. Thank you for playing!
Elogor's eyes still hovered on Urgon's statue. "I do have an interest on how he died, but just because ill will befell him does not mean it's fated for the entire village. He was an explorer, encountering countless artifacts and treasures, perhaps something he acquired caused his death and it is merely an isolated incident. Unless what you're saying is that something he got his hands on--upsetting the ruins perchance--may bring a more cataclysmic outcome."
Irlo raises an eyebrow thoughtfully as he listens to Elogor. “A shrewd theory,” he replies. “I knew you were the right person to investigate this mystery!”
Irlo leans in close to Elogor, as if not wanting to be overheard. “Two months ago, Urgon returned home after exploring Eiselcross for over a year. He had been back for only a few days when he came down with a strange affliction, which made him move slowly and caused blue veins to appear all over his skin.”
“Our priests of Moradin and Corellon used every spell and potion they could muster to attempt to heal Urgon, but nothing they tried could stop the bizarre malady. Urgon battled the affliction for weeks, until his ever-slowing body eventually turned to ice.”
“I had hoped that Urgon’s sad fate was an isolated incident, most likely caused by — as you also suspect — something he came into contact with while exploring Eiselcross.
”But just yesterday, I noticed Tulgi Lutan, a dwarf trapper, showing signs of the same condition, and I am most certain she has never been to Eiselcross.”
“I tried to speak with Tulgi about it, but she pushed me away, asking that I let her die in peace. She’s a bit, how shall I say? Difficult to talk to, and distrustful of authorities like me. Perhaps someone like you might have better luck with her than I.”
”Please, put an old elf’s mind at ease,” Irlo concludes. “I will pay 100 gold pieces for any information you can discover about the cause of their affliction. Hopefully we can solve this mystery before anyone else in Palebank Village suffers the same fate.”
Blue morning light shone though the window while Elogor flipped through his record of sales. He reached for the paper slip in his pocket where her name was scribbled down. He could've sworn a relative of hers was a returning customer since her last name--Lutan--was quite familiar. He skimmed the papers over until he found a recording of Lutan. Unfortunately, the last purchase was made quite recently, so if the pattern were to continue, the next purchase would happen in a few weeks--to long, he feared. However, a faded address was on the paper marked for deliveries.
He sighed as he stood from the table. He did not expect it to go so fast, so it was still early morning. Elogor feared it would be too early to take action at once, so he settled on waiting until noon.
With the address for Tulgi’s cabin in hand, Elogor sets out at midday. Tulgi lives on the outskirts of the village, in a somewhat remote corner far from any other residences.
Urgon’s home, however, is nearer the center of town, and along the way to Tulgi’s. As Elogor passes by it, he notices that the now-empty home of the deceased old dwarf is cordoned off with red-painted rope. A painted wooden shingle nailed to the front door reads ‘DANGER! KEEP OUT!’. And in front of that, on the wood planks of the front porch, two individuals seem to be in a heated argument. One, a tall male half-elf, is clearly a member of the village militia, probably assigned by Irlo to guard the empty house. The other is a young female dwarf, whom Elogor has never seen before in town. Although he will have to get closer to hear what’s being said, it is obvious that the two are at odds.
Don’t overthink it! Just decide what you think Elogor would do. Walk closer and listen? Ask what’s going on? Stay out of it? Cast Minor Illusion to cause a distraction? (Be careful, though, if you target someone with a spell, that is usually considered a hostile action.)
Elogor decides to walk closer to find out if what the people are discussing can help him understand more about the strange disease.
As Elogor draws closer to the pair, he begins to hear what they’re arguing about.
“Let me in!” the young dwarf maid demands petulantly. “This is my grand-uncle Urgon’s house and I’m his kin!”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” the guard replies, obviously irritated but trying to keep calm. “It’s off-limits. Like I already told you, no one’s allowed in except on orders from the Mayor.”
“But the Mayor invited me to come!” she shouts back.
“You were invited to come to the funeral,” the guard corrects her, “as were any and all of Urgon’s kin. But that was last night. Today, this house is off limits.”
“But I missed the funeral last night!!” the young dwarf stomps in exasperation, a hint of held-back tears mixing with her obvious frustration and anger. “It was a 10-day journey just to get to this frozen pile of sticks you call a ‘village’ and I got waylaid by bandits on the road. My pony ran off with all my supplies, and I walked all night just to get here too late to see my granduncle buried properly! And now you won’t let me in to his house to gather up his belongings and return them to his ancestral home!?!” Out of breath and red-faced, she glares dangerously at the guard.
The guard, noticing Elogor approaching, turns to him, desperately hoping to disengage from the angry dwarf and change the subject. “Oho, citizen,” the guard calls out to Elogor eagerly. “Are you in need of any assistance?” (Ironically, it would seem the guard is the one in need of assistance in dealing with the irate visitor.)
Some choices seem simple: side with the guard, or side with the dwarf. But creative use of skills, abilities, etc. can chart a middle path. Use Intimidation or Deception and you risk making enemies. Use Persuasion and you might work out a resolution that appeals to both sides.
23
"I've been assigned by the Mayor to look through Urgon's belongings in hopes to find a connection between the artifacts he holds and the causal factor of his death. I do not come with ill intent." Elogor held his hands up to sell the role of innocence. "I won't take long, and my findings will be reported to the higher-ups when I'm through. And when I'm done," his gaze shifted to the young dwarf beside the guard. "Relatives of Urgon are welcome to take whatever they wish--as long as it has not been deemed a threat or holds great importance to the investigation." He hoped this would be enough to calm the two as well as offer him insight to what really happened to Urgon.
As Elogor speaks, the guard pulls a small roll of parchment from his vest. As the guard scans it quickly, Elogor can see the paper is stamped with the Mayor’s seal.
Meanwhile, hearing that she may finally be allowed inside the house, the dwarf begins to relax.
“You are Elogor Eathalena?” the guard reads off the name, as Elogor nods. “This says you are authorized for entry. And if the dwarf goes with you then she can go in too.” He sounds quite relieved to be rid of the dwarf.
The guard draws aside the rope, unlocks the front door and swings it open to reveal the interior of the one-story, one-room cabin:
The cramped, dark cabin might have been a cozy place when its owner was alive. Now an unmade bed stands near a cold fireplace, its mantle hung with the head of some snarling white beast with gray horns. Elogor recognizes the creature as a yeti - a monstrosity found in Eiselcross. On the other side of the room, a small table strewn with dirty dishes and set with a dwarf-sized chair stands before two empty shelves and an open storage chest whose contents are scattered across the floor: kitchen utensils, dried foodstuffs, adventuring gear, and a few books.
Elogor walks over to the storage chest and examines it, taking note of the items and book titles around it.
As Elogor walks over to the storage chest, the dwarf stands in the front doorway and cries out, immediately angry and distraught (again), “Who trashed my Grand-Uncky’s place!?!”
Elogor sees that the big storage chest is empty. Judging by the scattered contents on the floor nearby, it had contained a dwarven warhammer, a suit of dwarven armor, a shield, cold-weather clothes, a lantern and a grappling hook.
The books are relatively common collections of local history, lore, practical guidebooks, and tales of former adventurers. But one familiar type of book in particular catches Elogor’s eye: a business ledger, containing detailed records of each of Urgon’s past transactions. The last entry is dated two months previous, and indicates that Urgon sold several items found in Eiselcross to local antique shop Pelc’s Curiosities for 1,000 gold pieces (gp). The items are listed as an ornate silver dagger, an amber scroll case, a jade statuette, a filigreed quiver of twenty ancient arrows, a silver ring set with a jasper, and two blue glass vials.
Elogor recognizes the name of the antique shop, as it is a well-known, if unusual, establishment in Palebank Village. Pelc’s Curiosities is run by an oddly reclusive elf named Verla Pelc. Verla keeps to herself, opening her shop only when the mood strikes her. She trades any and all objects that interest her, and always seems to have a swiftly-rotating stock of odds and ends. But most ominously, the shop has been the talk of the town ever since it was robbed and vandalized two months ago, and the culprits never caught.
Before leaving to follow the trail of clues leading to the antique shop, Elogor takes a trip around the inside of the house. He hopes there might be something else that could help him before heading out.
“This place is a mess!” exclaims the dwarf, who has already identified herself as Urgon’s grandniece. She walks over to the gear strewn on the floor and starts loading it back into the empty chest. “Urgon would never leave his house like this.”
”A mess?” the guard asks, sticking his head through the open door. Apparently he was unaware of the condition of the house he’d been guarding. “And it looks like it just happened not very long ago. Look! There are footprints!” He points toward a dusty corner beneath an open window on the back wall of the cabin.
The dwarf girl goes over to investigate. (The guard stays at the door, perhaps under orders to stay out himself.) Elogor can’t help but notice that the footprints on the dusty wooden floor are very similar in size to the feet of the dwarf girl.
”We have to find out who did this!” she declares, looking at Elogor as if to say that ‘we’ means the two of them together. “They could have stolen some of my grand-uncky’s other stuff.”
Elogor notices that the guard is also looking at him expectantly, as if waiting to hear his decision about what he will do next.
Use your creative writing! You don’t have to write a lot, but put in some interesting details. What will Elogor do next: Try following the footsteps? Keep going on to Tulgi’s cabin? Change course and head to the antique shop? And what about Urgon’s grandniece?
Initially, it was Elogor's intention to find out the source of the strange disease that plagued Urgon. Now, it seems as all the evidence piles up that he may have to pave way for another change of course. "Please, do not touch anything," he said, playing the part of a detective. "If this truly is a robbery, we must make sure that all the evidence is not to be tampered with any further." He left through the door and circled around to the open window, examining the footprints before him, ready to trace them back to wherever they may lead.
The guard joins Elogor and together they go around the back of Urgon's house, looking for the footprints. The dwarf remains behind inside the house.
Beneath the rear window, in the frozen mud, dry stubby weeds, and dirty snow are what look to be the same pair of footprints as inside the house. Easier to see in the daylight outdoors, the trail leads away between nearby cabins. Following it just a short way, Elogor quickly realizes it leads in the same general direction as the home of Tulgi Lutan -- his original destination when he started out this afternoon.
The guard puts a hand on Elogor's shoulder to stop him. "I've got to remain posted at Urgon's house," he says, apologetically, "or else I'd go with you. It could be dangerous to go alone, if you're dealing with a criminal."
"But he won't be going alone!" comes the voice of the young dwarf, now striding to catch up. "I'm going, too!"
She looks different . . . and Elogor suddenly realizes why: she's wearing the suit of armor and carrying the hammer and shield from Urgon's house.
"I'm Sosta Wenth," she says, "and I came all the way here to set my late grand-uncle's affairs in order. I'm not going to let some petty crook get away with trashing his house and taking his things. So, if you're going to chase this robber down," she states emphatically, almost glaring in defiance at Elogor, "then I'm coming with you!"
SOSTA WENTH
"Thank you," he replied, following the footprints. "But this could be quite dangerous--and may I ask, did your grand-uncle have any enemies, per chance? Or does the name Tulgi Lutan ring a bell?"
In response to Elogor, Sosta raises up Urgon's heavy hammer and huge shield she now carries. "I'm not afraid of danger!" she says enthusiastically. "But I don't know much about my granduncle's life here, except that he was an artifact hunter." She lowers her gaze to the ground, embarrassed. "We didn't really keep in touch..." she murmurs.
The trail of footprints leads Elogor and Sosta toward the edge of town, where they get their first glimpse of Tulgi Latan's small, single-story log cabin.The snow-covered cabin looks peaceful and quiet from the outside. Its windows are shuttered, but a steady stream of smoke piping out of the chimney indicates a roaring fire within.