The Keep of Grunwich Forest

"Probably a wise choice..." says Leina, smiling reassuringly as she keeps playing with the wand "Of all the items we encountered, that Lyre has the strongest magical aura"

"As I said, do keep it with you for today... when you rest, try to meditate with it and you can sling it over your shoulder to keep in contact with it. With time, the item itself should reveal its secrets to you... specially, given that you are a magical wordsmith"

edited 20th Feb '15 11:24:34 AM by daltar

"I'll do the shield and spear then, I imagine," Oisín said taking the items over his back, "It'll be a pain to carve my new symbol in but I'm certain I can manage something once we're back to town. Sanna, Aldrik and myself can make a run there today; if this is the bloody wreck of an abandoned keep is what we were promised, we'll need to be making due soon."

"I'll hire a blacksmith for myself and Aldric and hire up some lumbermen," Oisín continues, "I'll also be sending out some messages to see if we can't get ourselves a retinue and farmers to tend to the place. We'll see about the land soon and with luck by next year, we'll have ourselves a harvest."

edited 20th Feb '15 3:48:28 PM by Fauxlosophe

Drusus yawned; he was tired this morning. As the others went to sleep, Drusus remained at the gate to ponder more at how to get through; his efforts were fruitless. He himself had been the first to intricately explore the layout of the Keep for any clues concerning the door or his mission. It had also been fruitless, to his excited frustration, and he was forced to pack it in as dawn approached.

He had managed a few hours of sleep, in which he was confronted with a strange dream. It seemed a sort of vision, one that may have been relevant to his mission, but he had not long to consider it before he had to get to the day's task. As the others busied themselves with extracting the treasure from the Ogres' lair, Drusus handled the task of disposing of the meat. He Laid horse meat out in a pile near the Ogres for the wolves to feed on, Dug graves for the Humans and buried them.

Having finished saying prayers to the deceased souls, Drusus Rejoined the others, hearing Oisin talk of Bringing people from the town to work in the Keep.

"Here comes Civilization..." he muttered, stepping forward to observe the particular Relics Leina had laid out. He picked up Amulet, observing its bejeweled crafting as well as the tools the others held. "Are these the magic items you said were found?"

"Heh, easy there your Lordship. We ought to see what the Mayor offers before you start drawing your coat of arms and thinking of your tax policy. Hmm likewise... well, what to do with the riches here. Divide them evenly? How to move them out? It's quite a bit of coin to carry all on our packs even with the horsey to help" says Leina as she sits on the pile of silver coins for a moment a bright smile on her face "Oh and yes, these are the magical relics, good Cleric"

Lissa slung the lyre over her shoulder, still being careful not to pluck any of its strings. "The coin is going to be a problem," she mused. "We can't take all of it, can we? Unless you can summon any creatures to help us, but I doubt they'd be pleased with that," she mused to Leina.

"I assume we'd do a reasonable percentage of the farming intake to feed the guards and the like," Oisín said, "We really ought to figure the number of soldiers to farmers and the relative fertility of the land."

"We're of equal position here, but generally I'd lean towards ensuring there's a hearty reserve for the poor and, in desperate times, the people of keep itself should hard times befall us. Though in the early days we can likely be light on taxes and subsidize with the fortune we have found lying about here."

Oisín pauses and opens his eyes wide, "Shite, I've just remembered through the excitement here. I'll be back in a moment."

He grapped the spear and wooden shield, then headed up the keep.

"Aldrik lad? Are ye awake?"

edited 20th Feb '15 8:03:31 PM by Fauxlosophe

"Hmmmg... people always look at arcane researchers for answers... well, it may be our fault for devising so many cool spells over time. Ahhh, this may becoming annoying to listen from me, but... I know of a spell that could help with that, but I don't actually know how to cast it" says Leina with a light pout "I can summon a servant but they can only carry about 10 pounds"

"Ah yes, Sir!" responds Aldrik from the second floor, his blond page cut appearing on sight as he leans over the railing "I was keeping watch on Ria!"

"Aye," Oisín said, "I'm sure she appreciates the gesture, lad, but come ye down and bring herself with you. We're headed to town to reunite herself and her mother and yourself with your own parents. If you fancy as well, I'll get yourself some armour so you'll do proper training so that you might in time join in the frey."

Oisín continued up, looking for the ailing Wolves as well and the cat which he had harrassed the night before.

edited 21st Feb '15 12:01:16 PM by Fauxlosophe

"Well, we can figure out taxes and so on later, Oisin," Lissa said, somewhat bemusedly watching him look around for the cat. "Though I don't know who you plan to tax; this keep is surrounded by the forest. Remember those rocks we had to scramble over to get here?" She shook her head. "Either way... I guess our only choice is to leave some of the coin behind. We can carry back as much as we can and stash the rest somewhere safe."

"Where is safer than an abandoned keep, three hours from anything that we'd call civilization?" Oisín shrugged still hunting for the wee beasts around the keep, "As to people, I know a few exiles in need of a home and we're in need of many workers. Little point in sitting in an abandoned keep; far better to use the land."

edited 21st Feb '15 12:26:57 PM by Fauxlosophe

Lissa opened her mouth, then paused. "If we're taking this keep for our own, I want the library and that astronomy lab," she said.

"Oghma's third letter, you did a thorough search while I was in my dreaming," Oisín said, "Take what rooms you will, provided we've all room to sleep."

"Hehe, who would have thought the errant knight fancied himself a Lord?" says Leina with a little grin "Though I agree on the matter of coin... we're not prepared right now to carry it all outside. Better if we pick one of these rooms, one without windows if possible and lock it all inside for safekeeping. Then we can come back with a cart or something"

As to the wolves, most of them were outside... and still rabid, eating heartily of ogre flesh. The ones Oisin healed were inside the keep, sitting down and looking at him... and another rabid one seemed to patrol the second floor. As for the cat, there was no sight of them at the moment.

In only a few moments, both Aldrik and Ria would make their way downstairs... where their eyes opened up wide at the sight of the marvelous treasure.

"Great Lady in the Shade..." they both say, with Ria continuing "That's the bounty of a hero's tale..."

edited 21st Feb '15 2:54:09 PM by daltar

Oisín would cast his spell to speak with the animals, he spoke in barks and purrs, a strange tongue half way between his Fey Sylvan and the noise of beasts themselves, impossible to concieve of without magic behind it.

"Come ye out ye wee wolfies, and you as well ye wee fey Cat. I'll see what I can't do to fix you and soon we'll be figuring how to make this week well for all. I'm sorry for any hurt we've caused to ye and we'll make you all better yet; this keep will be a beacon to man and beast alike."

He beconned specifically the diseased wolf, keeping away from the others for fear that disease might spread to them. He held out his open palm in greeting with a bit of food.

The cat would not appear when called for, no matter if Oisin used the animal tongue... though then again, perhaps they were not within range to hear. The sole wolf within the keep moved towards Oisin, though he growled and seemed somewhat defiant... his wild nature and the sickness raging within him making him aggressive.

The rest of the wolves, all five diseased ones, were outside feasting on the ogres so they couldn't move inside to Oisin's call.

edited 21st Feb '15 3:00:47 PM by daltar

Oisín held poured a bit of water in his hand and held it out, kneeling on one leg with his blade beside him.

He spoke in his beastly tongue, "Have a drink wee pup, you've earnt it well. You'll be right better afterwards, I promise ye."

edited 21st Feb '15 3:14:11 PM by Fauxlosophe

Lissa kept a fair distance away from Oisin and the wolf, standing with Ria and Aldrik as they goggled over the treasure pile. "Some of this likely belongs to the town," she said. "You'll have a house to rebuild, after all, Ria, and the walls too." She shifted a little, feeling a bit of warmth on her back where the lyre rested; that was a little worrying. "But our priority is still getting you two home."

"Mmmmm..."

Drusus paid little attention to their talk of the treasure. Matters of material wealth were of little importance to him. Yet the amulet he now held was alleged to be magical, and he examined it curiously, hoping to determine what it may have been capable of, if anything.

Arcana check on the Amulet

The wolf, with some hesitance did lean forward to drink the water... after all, she was more than a bit thirsty... her mouth constantly foaming, taking more and more water from her body.

"O-Oh, for my home?" says Ria, eyes open with wonder at such generosity "B-But milady... the people of the town would surely help us with that... for you, who I owe my life to do this more too... It is beyond a dream..."

Drusus for his part would be able to identify the magical item in his hands... it wasn't the type to be all that obscure, even if they were rare to come by. Its type was known as Amulets of Health... crafted and imbued with the essence of life itself. Whoever wore it would be as the most healthy and vital of men.

Oisín muttered again in Sylvan his healing word as the wolf drank, "Beiḋ sláinte agat arís, le cúnamh Oġmi."

"Yes, of course we'll aid. I'm certain it'd be no burden to send you home with some of the wealth here, to afford yourself a dowry and some comfortable means for yourself and your mother. We'll need a great deal to make this place into a proper keep, but once we do yourself and her will always be guests of honour."

"Either way, we'll have to stash the coin somewhere and head back to town as soon as we can," Lissa said. "Oisin, do you plan on curing the rest of those wolves? I'd rather that than having them wandering the halls..." she eyed the beasts nervously. "I feel sorry for them, too. But I'd rather not leave them waiting for us when we come back."

"I've only so much I can do in a day, but I promise ye, they're as tame and gentle as pups if they're not harrassed."

"If you say so," Lissa said doubtfully. "Anyway... shall we get going? Drusus, all set? We can track down Sanna on the way."

Thus, the party was ready to make the trip back to civilization... with Leina making the rather morbid suggestion that they take the left ear of each Ogre to show back as prizes of their victory. Thus, with some rather unpleasant smelling packs they walked through the forest...

And to their luck, they didn't stumble into anything more menacing than gracing deer and birds in the trees. Going around the rocky hills they encountered on their first trip, they found an easier path around to the west... and after only a couple of hours they broke through the treeline into Riltplait Province and sunny skies.

Their trip through the countryside was nice and uneventful, though as they neared the town of Riltplait eyes fell upon them from the fields... and slowly, people started to follow after them. They noticed Ria, for there was no lass like her elsewhere in the province... and an aura of excitement started to fill the air. A crowd started to form up... and someone must have run ahead to tell the mayor, for the group was directed by the guards to the town plaza... where more and more people where awaiting their return. The mayor and his dwarven assistant stood side by side by the statue of the local Goddess.

"I think this is the moment where we report our success with some heroic words" says Leina with a grin upon her face, handing Lissa the bags with the ears "Up to you I leave it, Wordsmith... Though knowing the Green Knight he may want to say something as well"

"I've never been much for speaking to great crowds," Oisín said, "Though I wanted to greet your mother as I gave her my word we'd be out to find you and I can't imagine she'd be elsewhere."

He smiled and cracked his neck, "I've always preferred a more personal meeting but there's only so much can be done."

edited 25th Feb '15 11:22:15 AM by Fauxlosophe