Trent had little time to spend gathering more supplies, he was well off enough to begin his hunt, and the sooner he finished this task then the sooner he could get back to leading his men. With that in mind he started to think over his choice of where to hunt them, clear above all was the fact that hunting a troll in Haegar territory, while more dangerous, would give him the prime opportunity to scout out the lands across the border and bring back something worthwhile. "To the North again it seems, and to the site of where the Ranger's Guard was reduced to what is to day. Sometimes I regret taking those vows ..." Trent mumbled as he clambered onto his horse, and kicked it into a trot, it was a long way to go and little time to make the journey.
Begin heading North towards Haegar lands, along the way stop at the smaller villages to trade for supplies to help me where I can, and look specifically for a jar of pitch and some spare cloth rags. At the villages ask for any knowledge that can help me kill the trolls, ake a detour round Northwatch, and cross the Haegar border before setting up camp a half a days travel from the castle on that side of the border if possible.
You easily acquire pitch and rags and begin your journey north. [6] The peasants along the way are full of information about how to kill trolls; all of which are of questionable veracity. Apparently trolls...
- Are vulnerable to silver and will die at the touch of it.
- Have enough strength and sheer bulk to take on a man in platemail toe-to-toe.
- Heal at an unnatural rate, but only during the night.
- Are turned to stone by daylight.
- Form a protective stone skin in daylight.
- Look like ordinary rocks until the sun sets.
- Will not heal wounds made by fire.
- Will not heal wounds made by silver.
- Silver weapons actually heal wounds made to trolls, including the wounds they make themselves.
- Fire heals trolls.
- Trolls can turn into stone to become immune to damage, but unable to move.
- Heal instantly if they eat human flesh.
- Eating troll flesh heals your wounds instantly.
- Troll flesh is poisonous.
- Troll hide makes for an excellent armour, but requires great skill to work.
- Trolls are immune to fire.
Along the way north you run into a small party...
Well, the rumor mill would surely be fed by this troll hunter.
Tiakath searches for rumors about this person hunting trolls.
[3+1] Before leaving Northwatch you ask about Trent and his mission amongst the rangers there. Apparently the ranger guard in Northwatch are men whom he recruited personally, many of whom have stronger loyalty to him than to some distant king. The unit as a whole must remain behind to guard the Northwatch, but three of the strongest rangers agree to travel with you in your search for their captain.
Along your journey back to Stormstead, you come across a man with straw coloured hair and blue eyes, wearing a travel-stained green cloak and hood. It only takes a moment for you to connect the man with the rangers accompanying you and they quickly recognise him for their captain. He reveals that he is fact headed north past Adderkeep.
Well, nothing to do now but go to dinner, and receive another contract... Target... Whatever
Go to the Iron hound, an hour before meeting with Aveline. Receive info on the next target, by means of the guy asking if I want a drink. Maintain guard at all times.
[3-1] On your way to the Hound, you are not aware of any tails at all. You arrive at the Hound and take a seat at the bar, ignoring Aveline for the moment. You sit down and order a mug of ale, but a man in shabby clothing sat next to you flips a billon wolf onto the bar.
"s'F'n, gt't," says the man in some utterly incomprehensible hill accent. "L'm' b'y'dr'nk." The barmaid pulls a pint and sets it down in front of you. The shabby man sips at his own drink and squints at you. "Cn'y'rd?"
"What?" you ask.
"C'n - ye - ri'd?"
"Um, yes.""Gd." The man slips a small folded piece of paper onto the bar, which you palm instinctively. "Py's thr'y cr'ns, tk't'r'lv't." The shabby man downs the rest of his pint and leaves immediately. You take the piece of paper and your drink back to the corner alcove and look at the message inside.
Target is a Selenid horse merchant, Ban Yi Soong. Soong is believed to have a base in Adderkeep, just beyond Windheath's borders in Haegar lands. Soong also possesses a ledger with full details of his business dealings. Pay is 30 crowns, conditional. 10 crowns for killing Soong, 20 crowns for retrieving the ledger and returning it to a contact who will be waiting at the Hound. Use whatever means you feel necessary.Ask the above to be done with, if possible, with the problems concerning the Haegar and the Trader.
On the Elders, propose a loyalist guard detachment be stationed to their lands to help train their people in compensation for the year of planning. Foreign trappers be damned, our lands will be unsoiled by their graces and their ilk. The detachment could also aid in training the locals.
Windheath has no law regarding Habeas Corpus. If you aren't noble, nobles can seize and imprison you without trial indefinitely and even seize your property and person if they can prove they have 'cause'. Nobles operate under privilege, a separate system of law, but the merchant is not noble so you can impose whatever conditions you like.
Unfortunately your steward informs you that the Selenid, Ban Yi Soong, is the only merchant mad enough to sell horses to Windheath. International trade outright collapsed during the Age of Iron as a result of Queen Kathryn's staunch isolationist policy - distrust stemming from the risk of external arms being brought in to fuel a new war. Haegar pirates freely roam the seas near Windheath and without a stable international trade route merchants refuse to pay for convoys to provide protection - as such, luxury items such as horses are ripe pickings for the Haegar. Soong apparently has his own heavily armed ship by which he conducts trades, though he arrived by horse - suggesting that the ship is moored in some unknown location.
[2] The family of the girl requesting marriage prove unhelpful. They either know little about how the tryst came to be and simply request that the Haegar be made to disappear, one way or another.
[6] You learn that the Haegar's name is Sigurd Mjolnsenn, at which several of your guards stiffen and the ranger corps immediately reach for their bows. You've heard of him yourself; a notorious slaver and killer and deadly warrior. You understood him to have been a chief of some standing amongst the Haegar, but he explains that he was betrayed by his second and usurped. Sigurd still commands much respect and fear amongst the Haegar and informs you that his first thought was revenge, but he was wounded during the fight that exiled him from his clan and came upon this girl at the border. His strength left him and the woman, Vorna, took him to an abandoned dwelling and nursed him back to health. He is willing to forgo vengeance to live a life of peace with Vorna, and will undertake whatever duty is required of him to make this happen.
[5] Vorna corroborates this story independently, claiming that she fell not for his sheer strength but for the stories and poems he told her during his recovery. She tells you in no uncertain terms that she is loyal to her Marquis, though - if you forbid her marriage outright she promises that will not marry.
[3+1] Although the Elders are unhappy when you say that the trade route will remain open, they are overjoyed to hear that their liege will commit troops to prevent poaching. Any foreigners that wish to hunt in the swamps will need to acquire licenses, allowing your own people to secure their livelihoods with the growing demand for pelts. Hurray for mercantilism! Note that if war calls the guard stationed here away, poaching is likely to occur during their absence. They didn't get everything they wanted, but they still offer to train a single unit as Ambushers for 0.6d instead, so you ultimately come out in the clear.
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Topic: You are King III: Spring 938 AAL (Read 133468 times)