Summer - 64 Days Until the Season Changes:You rise before your husband and change into your formal gown before waking him. When you inform him you wish to meet his family, Alred nods and compliments your choice of clothing for the occasion. He then dresses himself and wakes Koro to do the same, informing you both that his family will likely be able to feed the whole group.
The town is rather cold at such an early hour, but neither you nor Koro mind such temperature, and there is no way somebody like Alred would show weakness by expressing discomfort over the climate. As you walk you try to remember what you can about the Wildbloods. Much of your life before the Kracken is a blur, but you are able to recall some details.
You knew two Wildbloods growing up: Olav and Rollo. Everybody tended to call them the Greater Twins, while your brother Lenny and yourself were the lesser twins, due to the fact that they were older and one of your number was female. You recall the Greater Twins had three older brothers, one of whom was always away at the sacred village training to be a bezerker; You strongly suspect the absent brother was the man you would eventually go on to marry.
Sitting on the far side of town, right on the beach and just above where the highest tides can peak, the Wildblood home is quite the impressive sight. It is not much bigger than your own new house, but you cannot help but to marvel at the paint. A Bezerker paints a single timber on his home after each major battle he participates. The paint is gold if the Bezerker's side wins and black if it loses. Stripes of various colors on the painted planks indicate events that took place during the battle.
At the wildblood house at least a third of the timbers are painted, and a vast majority of the paint is gold. The painted timbers are blotched by stripes of all colors, but the purple that signifies being a leader, the white that signifies the taking of a prisoner, and the red the signifies killing at least three men are the most common.
You ask Alred as he approaches, and he informs you that none of the paint is from him. There hasn't been a battle large enough to merit timber painting since the Dwarf War ended a generation ago.
When you reach the door Alred knocks. A woman who seems to be nearing the end of her child rearing years answers, and Alred introduces her as his widowed older sister Autumn. You are lead into to a cozy common room full of people, some of whom are still asleep on various fur blankets strewn about. You meet his family one by one over the course of the morning.
First you are introduced to a toothless old woman missing an eyeball. You are told she is Monna Wildblood, the founder of the family who is well over a century old. You are told Monna belonged to the Flame Bosoms, an order of female bezerkers from long ago who would force their husbands to take their names, and fought so hard against the dwarves that the short folk insisted that the empire ban female bezerkers before they would even sit down for peace talks. Although she is now totally blind and very hard of hearing, Monna takes pride in donning her traditional bezerker garb and participating in the high holidays of the old religion.
Next you meet Olav the Elder, a man in his sixties who from what you can discern is Alred's uncle. You get the feeling that there is a good deal of tension between him and the rest of the family, but nobody says why and you do not press the issue.
Alred then introduces his sibblings and their families in order of birth. The oldest of his generation his the widow Autumn, who's husband was killed in a fishing accident. Autumn spends her time taking care of her great-grandmother Monna and her two year old bastard daughter who is as of yet unnamed. Her only legitimate child is a 13 year old son, who is two weak of constitution to work the fishing boats or the local guard, and is serving as the apprentice to a brewer in nearby dwarven fortress.
The next oldest is Aie another sister who isn't present, as she serves as a Concubine to Lord Deigo, the southern lord who is Alred's chief patron.
Alred's two older brothers each keep their own house, but you meet their wives Quilt and Victoria who with their children spend alot of time with the family while their men are out on long trips working the Wildblood fishing boat.
Last you are re-introduced to the greater twins and their family, and right away you feel sorry for them. It is explained that under the old religion twins are sacred, and should never be divided by marriage. For opposite gendered twins this means marrying one another. You remember that as kids, before you understood all that marriage and child producing entails, you and Lenny used to beg your parents to convert so that you could one day get married.
Twins of the same sex, like the greater twins, however are expected to take and share three spouses between them. Because no parent wants to marry their child into such a strange and unfair situation, it is often very hard to make matches for such twins. You can easily tell that their wives were chosen more out of desperation than anything else as one is a malformed cripple missing her lower right leg, one is woman from the tropics who you learn was a slave and a whore before they rescued her from Trilby's brothel, and the last is their own youngest sister; a girl about your age named Winter. The odd family has five children, none older than age four.
There are nine children in the house, and all are younger than Koro. Although some seem curious and willing to play, three of them are deeply frightened by the strange squid-faced boy and begin bawling loudly. Koro's Aunt Winter is pressed into service to take your son and a few of his braver step cousins outside to play in the surf while the rest of the adults talk.
After introductions the topic changes from you and the Kracken to Alred's next adventure. When your husband tells his family that he intends to get your wedding bands blessed the Greater Twins get rather upset. It would seem that the Wildbloods depend on Alred's adventuring income to support the family, and getting the rings blessed is more likely to cost money than to earn it. The three brothers begin to argue, and as the intensity in the room begins to climb they see fit to send their wives away so you do not have to see your husbands acting in an undignified manner. The three of you head to the beach, and Autumn decides to come with you.
At the beach Winter decides that the children will all be safe unsupervised in the water, especially with Koro around, and the four of you decide make good use of your time and get to know each other better by doing something fun while the boys hash things out. They decide that since you are the newest woman in the clan, you get to decide what to do. All of them except Pelii, the wife of the Greater Twins who was rescued from slavery and hardly speaks anything in the common imperial tongue, offer ideas and suggestions however...
-Autumn suggests that the group head down to the docks and oggle the items from the boat that came in last night.
-Linda, The Crippled Wife of the Greater Twins, suggests that the group return to your place and help you sort your wedding gifts. Linda, as it turns out, knows her letters, and can help you write some thank you notes.
-Winter tells you that the Wildblood men keep a small semi-secret distillery in a seaside cave not too far from the house. The Wildblood women have a tradition of breaking in and sampling the product to celebrate important events like a birth in the family. The acquisition of a new Sister-In-Law would be such an event.What do you want to do next?Character Status:All About You...Leona Wildblood
No Health Concerns
Perks:
Depths Adaptation: You can breath water if you need to, and can withstand the cold and pressure of the darkest abyss.
Dark Vision: You can see in the dark
Krakens Grip: You have unsightly yet powerful barbed suckers on your arms and legs. These are usually covered by your clothing, but when they are not you gain a substantial bonus to grappling and climbing most surfaces.
Known Skills:
Physical
Striking: 2/10
Grappling: 4/10
Climbing: 4/10
Swimming: 8/10
Social
Seduction: 3/10
Bartering: 1/10
Socialization: 1/10
Deception: 3/10
Trade
Animal Husbandry: 2/10
Fishing: 2/10
Lore
Monster Lore: 5/10
Hero Lore: 2/10
Imperial Lore: 2/10
Inventory:
On Person
Long Sleeved Shirt
Long Pants
Undergarments
Gold Bear-Shaped Pendant
Wedding Band
Stored at Home
Wedding Gown
Formal Gown
Additional Casual Clothing
Pile of Unsorted Wedding Gifts
Cooking Equipment
Cleaning Equipment
Travon's Powder/Weapon Equipment Storage
Blood Relatives:
Koro Wildblood - Your 7 year old son. Koro is a half Kraken with pale, moist, rubbery skin and tentacles extending from his face like a strange beard. Koro has a hard time speaking due to his beaked mouth, but you can understand him perfectly. The Kraken also made sure that he knew his letters, so he can communicate with the literate through writing.
Loki Crood - Your uncle, and the only living blood relative you still have in town. He is currently imprisoned at the local jail for gambling, pick-pocketing, and adultery. He wrote you a nice letter congratulating you on your freedom and wedding, and invited you to visit him in jail some time.
Your Husband and His Party:
Alred 'The Fierce' Wildblood: Your husband. He is an adventurer best known for saving the life of Lord Deigo and Slaying the Kracken of Crab Port. Under normal circumstances he is a match for 3-4 men, and can easily kill at least thrice that amount when in a rage. He can be found at the house, the stables, the docks, or the tavern when not out on an adventure.
Sir Bronson Wentworth: A former knight of Lord Deigo assigned to serve your husband after the later saved the former's life from bandits. Sir Wentworth is loud and boisterous, but fiercely loyal to your husband. In battle he is at least as effective as an non-raging Alred, if not more so. Even while not out adventuring he can usually be found with Alred, but when he isn't he is likely at the tavern or the whorehouse.
Killman: A mysterious and highly unladylike sorceress who can trace her ancestry to the White Witches of Old. She is quiet and can come off as uncaring, but has a soft spot for children, including your halfbreed son. Killman fights with crippling hexes and powerful Ice Magic. She also, from time to time, uses some of the powder weapons Travon makes. She can be found at the house or the tavern between adventures, but if she isn't there you have no clue where else to look.
Travon Snips: A middle aged man who was expelled from the gadgeteer guild for reasons he would rather not get into with you. Travon has a sick obsession with watching people get torn apart by his inventions, and dosn't even bother trying to hide it. In battle he fights using strange and deadly weapons that spew sulfur, fire, and fragments of metal. When not adventuring Travon spends his time making deadly things in the lab at the house or swapping tips with guild members that can be found at the docks from time to time.
Clancy Frostmound: A wandering minstrel and poet who has fallen in with your husband's group. Clancy is the youngest son of a fairly powerful local family, and sometimes can't help but to allow his arrogance and sense of entitlement to slip through his typically charming personality. Clancy helps the group set up camp, hunts for food, and raises funds on the road through his performances. He can defend himself with a bow or short sword if he absolutely must. When not doing his thing as a wandering minstrel, Clancy spends much of his time at the Frostmound family home or at the stables tending to the group's horses.
Others:
Monna Wildblood: An ancient and long retired bezerker and your husband's great-grandmother.
Olav Wildblood the Elder: Alred's ageing Uncle. He seems friendly enough, but there is some heavy tension between him and the rest of the family.
Autumn Wildblood: Alred's widowed older sister. She is raising a young bastard daughter and has a son abroad.
Quilt Wildblood: The wife of one of Alred's older brothers.
Victoria Wildblood: The wife of one of Alred's older brothers.
Olav Wildblood the Younger: One of Alred's younger twin brothers. Forced into a rather uncomfortable marriage situation by religious tradition.
Rollo Alred: One of Alred's younger twin brothers. Forced into a rather uncomfortable marriage situation by religious tradition.
Pelii Wildblood: A woman from the tropics who somehow made her way to the northlands as a slave. She was rescued to marry the Wildblood Twins. She has one son. She is having a hard time adapting to the north, and the family tells you it is a struggle to keep her alive each winter.
Linda Wildblood: The daughter of a local fisherman who was born missing half a leg. Her deformity made it rather hard to find a husband, so she settled on entering an unusual marriage with the equaly desperate Wildblood Twins. She has a son and a daughter.
Winter Wildblood: Alred's youngest sister. With the appointed wedding date approaching and no leads on finding her twin brothers a third wife, she volunteered to fill the role. She has a son and a daughter.
Helga Towercap: The head chef at the embassy, and quite the aficionado of local gossip.
Snarlf Leatherspike: An obese assistant chef at the embassy. Snarlf has a young daughter who gets along well enough with Koro.
Tilla Lordcaps: The wife of the dwarven ambassador. More than willing to share her views on the town's situation.
Notable Events:
-Alred doesn't want you to witness him bickering with his brothers, and has sent you and your sister-in-laws away until they can resolve things...
-The Kracken took you before your parents ever had time to teach you how to cook, and Alred insists that his wife be able to serve meals to his party while they are in town. He has called in a favor at the dwarven embassy, and somebody there is willing to give you cooking lessons at your leisure.
Locations in Town to Explore:
Your House: A simple building with a master bedroom, a child's bedroom, a kitchen, a living/dining room, a storage closet, and an empty room Alred has given you permission to use however you see fit. Travon keeps his lab in the basement, as no other building in town would have it.
Frostmound Home: The home of one of the more respected families in town. You know the patriarch is the captain of the town guard and the father of one of your husband's party members.
Wildblood Home: The home of your In-Laws. From what you understand most of the 8 Wildblood Brothers fish on their father's boat or serve in the town guard. Although you don't know any of the family other than Alred particularly well, they have made it clear that you are welcome to visit whenever you wish.
Governor's Mansion: The seat of imperial power in town. No self respecting southern noble wants to live in the cold northernlands, so the post of Governor of Crab Port is used by the imperial high houses to keep black sheep children and other creeps out of the way. The current occupant of the governor's mansion is said to be a reasonable man with a poorly concealed preference for sodomy.
Dwarven Embassy: The empire, only 30 years removed from a brutal centuries long war with the short bastards, enjoys an uneasy peace with dwarfkind. At the end of the war Crab Port was the only town close enough to dwarven lands and with a willing enough populous to host the embassy. Although blood hatred is still status quo in most of the empire, the hardy people of the northlands have found they have much in common with their former foes. The Ambassador and his family are highly influential members of the community.
The Tavern: Although a bit rough around the edges, the local tavern is a good place to meet people and catch up on local gossip.
The Brothel: A standard den of vice thinly veiled as a boarding house for sailors. Your parents, who both died during your captivity, used to run this place and you grew up in the apartment above it.
The Stables: Where the party keeps their horses when in town. Alred and Bronson both love to ride in their free time and are close friends with the stablemaster, so they can both be found there fairly often.
The Docks: Fishing is the town's major industry and most families own a fishing boat. In recent years, due in part to the presence of the embassy, the docks have become a part of the dwarven trade routes and all sorts of cool goods and people have begun to filter through them by sea.
The Wrath Ruins: The remains of a stone shrine where ancient men worshiped the wrath spirits. Some local families, including the Wildbloods, keep the old religion. Your wedding and most of the following festivities took place here.
The Beach: The Ocean is frigid and the beach itself is rocky, but children still show up to collect shells and play in the surf during the short summer... or they would if they were not frightened by Coro's appearance.
There are plenty more interesting locations in and around town, but your memory of your childhood isn't very strong, so you will have to explore or ask around to find them.
Author
Topic: TSG: The Hero's Wife (Read 27361 times)