15 OctDec 1071 The Temple of Akana, Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
The deaths of Carthon d'Echelon and Dew Xyclone rocked the village of Eding. Peasants were known to be victims of various monsters, but Carthon had quickly become part of the foundation of the community. And most of his dealings with merchants, farmers, and the like involved some of Dew's cooking to break the ice.
Their funerals would normally be small affairs, a few mourners participating in rituals under the large tent that marked the location for the new Temple of Akana. But when one remembered that Carthon was the adoptive father of the young Baron, the area was flooded with area notables. It also meant that a few friends, thought dead by the current rulers, needed to say their goodbyes from a distance. Talis Makolin had already made his vitality noted in a drunken stupor at the Blue Wizard Inn, after learning of the death of his long-lost father, so he brazenly took a seat near the front of the temple, with Baronial guards and Royal spies obviously in attendance.
After the funeral, he mounted his horse and rode east towards Lowdale, attracting a number "curious" followers loyal to the crown. Outside of Lowdale, he and a group of Halfling militia led by Mayor A.Warren Corkbarrel ambushed these agents of evil and brutally put them all to the sword. Ransacking the bodies, the bard discovered coded messages that, when finally broken, gave them vital intelligence:
17 OctDec 1071 Chateau d'Echelon, Barony of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
With the declared death of Echelon, and now Carthon, ownership of the Chateau and surrounding estate was put into question. Carthon had never taken the deed out of his name, and without a will of his own, possession would turn to his son, the Baron, and under the influence of the Crown.
As Baronial Seneschal, Lady Iris put a quick stop to that. Using her power and some scribes more loyal to goodness and light than the law and order of the King/Dread Lord, Iris created a legitimate paper trail, selling the Chateau to "Baron" Felix, giving the proceeds to Jenny d'Echelon.
Felix and Iris worked together to keep the "unexpected guests" a secret, while filling new positions.
Felix would take over all of Carthon's responsibilities, Heirylat (Iris' ne'er do well father) would be the estate foreman, and they would bring a young peasant girl, Zoe Loup, as the new housekeeper. Zoe was a peasant girl claiming her son Luke was Maloran Alberhold's. He denied the claims, and the next day left for Hydincall, where he would be magically transported to Talislanta and killed by a Land Kra. The girl and her newborn had survived the hellish Summer and Fall of 1070, and had lost all of her family in the chaos. With Babette's babies and Dag's kids at the Chateau, it only felt fair to bring her onto the staff... so long as she wasn't a spider person.
22 OctDec 1071 Chateau d'Echelon, Barony of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
With many matters, both formal and personal resolved, the day-to-day activities at the Chateau were coming back to normal, even if each chore still had a hint of sorrow within.
The inhabitants of the Chateau d'Echelon and various outbuildings on the estate:
The four remaining inhabitants were assumed dead (and if not, certainly wanted by the King) and decided it was best to move on for now.
Echelon - Pigeon-loving, former Baron of Eding, now a wanted man of the new evil king if they only knew he was alive. Cleric of an eastern god of the sea
Talis Makolin - a rakish bard, Knight of the Pigeon, also assumed dead. Just discovered he and Echelon are half-brothers.
Velandro - a pious priest of Akana with a kobold following. Also assumed dead.
Mellandria - former baronial scribe under Echelon. Assumed dead as well, now caught up in the zaniness.
Echelon and Talis' father Winston, had owned a manor house somewhere outside of Omsjik. If they played their cards right, they could take ownership of the property without anyone assuming that they were the "Dead" Echelon or "Dead" Talis. Who would be that blatantly obvious?
DM Notes: Sorry for what many could consider a bookkeeping episode, but with some many moving pieces... and so many missing pieces at this time, it was wise and proper to do a formal census. What was once a crazed and bustling estate has turned into eight adults, two kobolds, two kobold children, three babies, and an intelligent wolf. Let's also assume that they're hiring farmhands as needed, but that's a very intimate group, and with Lady Iris' blessing, we can hope they can keep it together.
Next #46 The Actual Accounting... Revealed!
The deaths of Carthon d'Echelon and Dew Xyclone rocked the village of Eding. Peasants were known to be victims of various monsters, but Carthon had quickly become part of the foundation of the community. And most of his dealings with merchants, farmers, and the like involved some of Dew's cooking to break the ice.
Their funerals would normally be small affairs, a few mourners participating in rituals under the large tent that marked the location for the new Temple of Akana. But when one remembered that Carthon was the adoptive father of the young Baron, the area was flooded with area notables. It also meant that a few friends, thought dead by the current rulers, needed to say their goodbyes from a distance. Talis Makolin had already made his vitality noted in a drunken stupor at the Blue Wizard Inn, after learning of the death of his long-lost father, so he brazenly took a seat near the front of the temple, with Baronial guards and Royal spies obviously in attendance.
After the funeral, he mounted his horse and rode east towards Lowdale, attracting a number "curious" followers loyal to the crown. Outside of Lowdale, he and a group of Halfling militia led by Mayor A.Warren Corkbarrel ambushed these agents of evil and brutally put them all to the sword. Ransacking the bodies, the bard discovered coded messages that, when finally broken, gave them vital intelligence:
- King Cervinal knew Talis was alive, but did not know that Echelon, Velandro, or Mellandria were still alive.
- The King wanted Talis dead.
- Cervinal honestly liked Norm Dingleberry, granting him a knighthood and a vital defensive command in Lansluck.
- The rest was confusing, and possibly in a strange dialect or different language, but it appeared that the King either knew of the Spider-People, approved of their mission (not disclosed), or were in cahoots with them.
17 OctDec 1071 Chateau d'Echelon, Barony of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
With the declared death of Echelon, and now Carthon, ownership of the Chateau and surrounding estate was put into question. Carthon had never taken the deed out of his name, and without a will of his own, possession would turn to his son, the Baron, and under the influence of the Crown.
As Baronial Seneschal, Lady Iris put a quick stop to that. Using her power and some scribes more loyal to goodness and light than the law and order of the King/Dread Lord, Iris created a legitimate paper trail, selling the Chateau to "Baron" Felix, giving the proceeds to Jenny d'Echelon.
Felix and Iris worked together to keep the "unexpected guests" a secret, while filling new positions.
Felix would take over all of Carthon's responsibilities, Heirylat (Iris' ne'er do well father) would be the estate foreman, and they would bring a young peasant girl, Zoe Loup, as the new housekeeper. Zoe was a peasant girl claiming her son Luke was Maloran Alberhold's. He denied the claims, and the next day left for Hydincall, where he would be magically transported to Talislanta and killed by a Land Kra. The girl and her newborn had survived the hellish Summer and Fall of 1070, and had lost all of her family in the chaos. With Babette's babies and Dag's kids at the Chateau, it only felt fair to bring her onto the staff... so long as she wasn't a spider person.
22 OctDec 1071 Chateau d'Echelon, Barony of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
With many matters, both formal and personal resolved, the day-to-day activities at the Chateau were coming back to normal, even if each chore still had a hint of sorrow within.
The inhabitants of the Chateau d'Echelon and various outbuildings on the estate:
- Felix Homsburg - Current owner of the estate. Former Baron of Homsburg, Ras-Prythax. Kidnapped by Spider-People 341 years prior. Rescued by Echelon and given a trusted job.
- Zoe Loup-Alberhold - 19 year old housekeeper. Her year-and-a-half old son Luke was fathered by Maloran Alberhold.
- Heirylat - Estranged father of Lady Iris. Former crime enforcer kidnapped by Spider-People in 1050. Rescued by Echelon and given a job. Current Estate Foreman, part-time tax collector.
- Babette of Hydincall - accomplished street thief. Became pregnant from a man from another world. Her boys, Darius and Yuri, six months old.
- Brutus - Dim-witted but loyal ex-gladiator who found a home and a family at the Chateau. Works as a manual laborer on the estate. Part-time tax collector.
- Dag di Velandro - Kobold Acolyte of Akana with a sworn blood-vow to serve Velandro. His wife Groeta, and "teenage" children Scrag (son) and Daschelle (daughter) live in a bungalow.
- Kane - Eastern monk and water elementalist. Effectively has retired from adventuring. Spends his days working for his keep, in deep meditation, or assisting his friend Mohammad.
- Mohammad - Mentor of the Echelon, now a crippled, agoraphobic, and psychically weakened cleric of Tshang Kai Shing.
- Pathfinder - Grey wolf, permanently charmed by and telepathically linked to Echelon. He spends his days sleeping around the barn or helping the humans herd animals on the estate.
- Sterling Riverbend - Quarter Ogre Fighter picked up Hydincall. Used for manual labor and guard duty.
 |
| Zoe Lupe-Alberhold, the new housekeeper |
Echelon - Pigeon-loving, former Baron of Eding, now a wanted man of the new evil king if they only knew he was alive. Cleric of an eastern god of the sea
Talis Makolin - a rakish bard, Knight of the Pigeon, also assumed dead. Just discovered he and Echelon are half-brothers.
Velandro - a pious priest of Akana with a kobold following. Also assumed dead.
Mellandria - former baronial scribe under Echelon. Assumed dead as well, now caught up in the zaniness.
Echelon and Talis' father Winston, had owned a manor house somewhere outside of Omsjik. If they played their cards right, they could take ownership of the property without anyone assuming that they were the "Dead" Echelon or "Dead" Talis. Who would be that blatantly obvious?
DM Notes: Sorry for what many could consider a bookkeeping episode, but with some many moving pieces... and so many missing pieces at this time, it was wise and proper to do a formal census. What was once a crazed and bustling estate has turned into eight adults, two kobolds, two kobold children, three babies, and an intelligent wolf. Let's also assume that they're hiring farmhands as needed, but that's a very intimate group, and with Lady Iris' blessing, we can hope they can keep it together.
Next #46 The Actual Accounting... Revealed!
No comments:
Post a Comment