Summer - 17 Days Until the Season Changes:You agonize over the Koro situation for a day or so before deciding to tackle you son your own way. Informing the Frostmounds and your in-laws that you wont be needing their escort services after all, you begin planning a routine to fill the next several weeks.
Deciding that proper literacy is skill that would be worth picking up, you pull Vicar Petal aside and ask him for lessons. The Elf agrees without hesitation, and begins to visit you in the middle of the day while Koro is out doing his own thing. Learning to read is a slow and laborous task and is made even more complex by the fact that the Vicar insists on teaching you the art of three distinct written languages: Northern, Imperial, and Elfish. You pick up Northern the fastest; it is the local tongue and you have had some exposure before. Over time you begin to understand it well enough that you can read a simple text if given enough time. You learn to identify many important words in the other two scripts, but still feel that you would not be able to read anything of substance in them without help.
During these lessons you manage to get your teacher to open up a bit as well, and learn some of his story. He is 47, which for an elf is barely adulthood, and is fleeing marriage. Somehow he managed to get himself betrothed to a female from one of the savage subterranean elf clans. He refuses to go into much detail about his bride to be, but claims that if he can win at least 10 converts among the humans he will be allowed to join the clergy, take a vow of celibacy, and escape his obligations with his honor intact.
You spend your mornings with Koro, reading the Cantrips book together and trying to learn magic. It is difficult, but Koro manages to get the basic principal of channeling magical energy down in about a week and a half, and is able to help you come to the same understanding in about a week. Learning spells is another matter alltogether, and one at which you do not have much luck: You have managed to get a lesser sleeping spell that can render a rowdy child or husband drowsy to work once or twice, but you can't cast it with any sort of consistency.
Koro, either because he is smarter than you or just has the benefit of being able to read the book directly, picks up spells a bit faster. He learns the drowsy spell and a cantrip for driving away vermin, and is able to cast both of them with a success rate well above 50/50.
You bring up a few more point to Koro outside of the magic lessons. You explain what the cauldron is, and he agrees to be careful around it. He also notes that it will be difficult to keep captured sea creatures alive long enough to get them to the cauldron. You also bring up the idea of trying to find pearls, and point out that they could be worth money. He says he will do what he can.
Although you are pretty busy during the afternoon with your reading lessons, you manage to keep updated on Koro's actions by employing some of your sisters-in-law to spy on him and asking the boy himself about his adventures.
He often spends the day alone in the ocean, hunting. The boy is more than skilled enough to bring in food for the family, which is eaten raw or cooked in the cauldron if it makes it back to the house alive. He manages to bring in two pearls over the weeks, which he gives to you, but they are dull and likely come from shellfish other than proper pearl oysters.
Having made the decision to stop the cooking lessons as you have a magic cooking cauldron, you stop visiting the Embassy. This has the unintended effect of causing Koro to spend less time with the dwarven boys he had been hanging out with. Instead he begins to fall even deeper into the influence of the woman from the magician's guild.
He spends more time with her, and gets even better at picking locks. One day you find Travon's workshop completely unlocked. When you confront Koro he informs you that he only works on the lock to practice his lock-picking, an assures you that he wouldn't be dumb enough to enter the lab without Travon around. You also begin to hear rumors that your son is doing odd jobs for the shady Magicians Guild and the brothel. A search of his room turns up three silver pieces, a pipe, and some exotic smoking herbs. As you ponder whether or not to confront your son with the findings, he approaches you with a gift.
It is a book bound in some strange leather and lacking a title or author. Koro explains he got it through his connections with the magician's guild, and that it is a copy of the handbook used to train Dwarven Battlemages during the war. He declares that he thinks learning domestic magic is a bit below the both of you, and would rather learn something with a bit more pop.
You and Koro spend the evening swimming the harbor together in search of shipwrecks you could potentially salvage. Three wrecks are found, each with their own quirks and difficulties.
The first wreck is a supply ship that you suspect was used during the recent war, although you can't tell which side used it. It has a large vault that is too heavy to carry off. Koro notes that the lock is enchanted to resist rust an to be hard to pick, but expresses confidence that he should be able to open it someday.
The second wreck is old and decaying, and home to a family of merfolk with whom Koro is able to communicate. He informs you that they claim to have lots of gold, and would be willing to part with it in exchange for favors. Away from the wreck and out of the earshot of the inhabitants, Koro tells you that the family is a bunch of dumb inbred hicks, and that he is not sure if they can be trusted.
The last wreck, which appears to be a recently sunk local fishingboat, makes you feel sick to the stomach when you approach it. After several failed attempts to get near the damn thing without vomiting, you and Koro both agree that it is cursed.
After several weeks of following this routine, Travon returns with your wedding band and news of the party. The ring is enchanted to send psychic messages to your husband. It can send and receive one message a week. These messages may only be a word long, but their maximum word length increases by one on your wedding anniversary. As soon as you put it on the word 'Absence', spoken in Alred's voice, flows through your ear.
You learn from Travon that Alred and the rest of his party are moving further South. An army of Cave Goblins is raiding the town of Spear Point and the surrounding estates by night, and Alred expects to find wealth an glory in fighting them off. He also intends to get in touch with the Hellwalls, a well off family in the area to whom you are related to through your mother. He hopes to either return by boat by Midwinter, or send Clancy back with more money at that time. He has sent money back to his family, including 10 silver for you.
Although your newly enchanted ring allows for some limited communication with the husband, it has become clear that it will be a long time before he is at your side once more. Travon is now back, and will likely be working in your basement daily, so the house will feel less empty at least. Among other things you need to decided how to handle your son's involvement in the crooked magician's guild.
What do you want to do next?Character Status:All About You...Leona Wildblood
Healthy
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: 2/10
Deception: 3/10
Trade
Animal Husbandry: 2/10
Fishing: 2/10
Hunting: 1/10
Cooking: 1/10
Magic Basics: 1/3
Lore
Monster Lore: 5/10
Hero Lore: 2/10
Imperial Lore: 2/10
Literacy:
Read Northern: 2/10
Read Imperial: 1/10
Read Elfish: 1/10
Inventory:
On Person
Long Sleeved Shirt
Long Pants
Undergarments
Gold Bear-Shaped Pendant
Enchante Wedding Band of Comunication
Bag of 40 Copper and 10 Silver
Stored at Home
Vial of Purple Gunk
Assorted Jewelry Appraised to be worth about 320 Silver
Cantrips for the Good Wife
Untitled Handbook of Dwarven War Magic
Enforcer, the Enchanted Shortsword of Mercy to Women
Stopper, the enigmatic and possibly magical spear
Hag's Cauldron
Wedding Gown
Formal Gown
Additional Casual Clothing
Cooking Equipment
Cleaning Equipment
Travon's Powder/Weapon Equipment Storage
2 Dull Pearls
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:
Grendel Frostmound: The local captain of the guard. Said to be corrupt and an enemy of your family, but has offered you help if you need it.
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.
Maylyn Cold: The daughter of a subsistence farmer plagued by a nasty pack of Wargs. She has quickly become a good friend of yours and spends some of her nights under your roof.
Jung Wang: A local jeweler who has become a friend of yours. He is good company and more than willing to help you, but clearly is interested in more than your friendship.
Vicar Petal: An Elf on a mission to see the world and win converts for his goddess Aileaf. He is willing to listen to your horrible memories and worst fears, and you find his wisdom and healing magic to be of use to you.
Notable Events:
-You have found four potential sources of employment or training for you son: The Wildblood Fishing Boat, The Jeweler Jung, The Sacred Village, and Fieldwork come late summer/fall.
-You know of two sacred villages. One which can be reached by land, and one which can be reached by sea. The one by sea is more strict, but better at outputting Shaman. The guards can escort Koro and/or yourself to the one by land at any time with two days notice. The Wildbloods fish in the direction of the one by sea, and would be willing to take passengers, but are leaving in a few days. You should decide on the sacred village matter soon.
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 Guild Halls: A large building near the docks where several imperial guilds are working to establish a presence in the North. The Carpenters, Magicians, and Importers currently occupy the building.
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.
The Distillery: A cave with three stills that produce rather low quality spirits. Run by your husband and brothers-in-law.
The Harbor: Although there are a few nasty beasts in the ocean that can outswim and hunt you own, most of them would fear Koro. Exploring underwater for shipwrecks and other loot is a fairly safe way to look for a fortune and bond with your son.
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 27411 times)