The World Outside

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Rise of the Runelords episode
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Episode no.	Episode 94
Date	2010
Game Master	Abbe
Characters	Honeypot Nathaniel Nell Velicia
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In this chapter Template:Rise of the Runelords chapter.

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Leaving Velicia and Honeypot in Runeforge, Nathaniel and I returned to the world outside.

Finally I was reunited with Kaven and could ask him to prepare a real dinner. He had already begun by preparing the dragon meat that we left behind. That dinner was yet one of the best he had done. He had really made the best use of the spice brought. After eating we all packed up and started down the slope. It was a little less tiring to go downhill, but since it was slippery it took as much time, but soon we were back in the little coastal township and retired to the inn. We would take the boat across the huge lake the next day, but that night I enjoyed being among ordinary people. They asked us who we were and I told them we were adventurers. Immediately there were requests for stories of our deeds, and I told of how Honeypot, Nathaniel Deverin and I, Sandeli Foxglove, defeated the mighty, white dragon Arkrhyst. We were offered many drinks that night and Kaven, who I slipped my drinks to, got a little too drunk.

The next day we took the boat and after two days we were finally back in Sandpoint. There was another late night of telling of stories and partying before we got to bed. The next day I was at the Rusty Dragon writing in my diary, when I thought of how we had told our story and how happy the listeners had been. I knew I wanted to tell it to as many as possible. Nathaniel and Velicia had lent me books with stories, but I wasn't sure if that was the right way. I wanted to tell every one not just nobles and wizards who could read. I thought of how the children, not that much younger than me, had listened intensely when we told of the battle with Arkrhyst. Their glittering eyes transfixed while huddling under their cloaks by the fireplace in the inn. I felt frustrated and packed up and went for a walk. Walking down Market street and into the market I almost bumped into Cyrdak Drokkus. He hurriedly passed me, nodding a greeting, but it got me thinking. Perhaps I could write a play instead. Almost anyone can go to the theater. I hurried back to the Rusty Dragon and sat down to start writing only to realize I needed to buy papers. I couldn't write the play in this book. It wasn't long before I was back and started writing.

Early the next day, but still after Nathaniel had left to head back to Runeforge, I set out for the journey back home to Turtleback Ferry. I found it strange but I had started thinking of it as home. It was my first home I could remember clearly. I had had flash backs from my early childhood in Foxglove Manor and even if I felt a little at home in my old room there, I've never felt at ease in the rest of the house. There are to many bad memories from our visit there when I learned who I am and we faced Alder for the last time. It was a cold autumn day but it was the thought of Aldern and that house that gave me the chills. As we rode Kaven also pulled his cloak closer around him. I wondered if my thoughts had affected him too. The journey took us a week before I was back home and could recuperate fully. I slept in the cottage, just going out of bed to eat and put another billet on the fire for a whole day.

I dressed up in my dress and went for a walk in town as the baroness today. Everyone acted funny and bowed wherever I went and I remembered why I prefer to be Nell instead of Sandeli, but I thought they needed to know that I was back. Maelin Shreed was happy to see me and doubly so thanks to me being dressed as a baroness. He was about to hold a sermon so I joined. I had never really listened to what he said before. Now it made more sense. Afterwards we talked about what had happened to Turleback Ferry and of what I had done. Not much had changed but I could tell old Maelin wouldn't turn away some help running the town. I told him that I had started to write a play. I mentioned that I thought we ought to build a theater in town. It would provide some other pastimes than drinking and whoring that seemed to be the two biggest. He loved the idea and was suddenly filled with energy. That evening I not only told of my latest adventures, but also tried the first few pages I had written on my play. It was well liked so I got inspiration to write more. I spent the next several days sitting in a corner of the Golden Giant writing. Sometimes Kaven walked by and we tried some lines together but mostly just bringing food.

Today the rain changed for snow. Big flakes danced in the air and somehow I liked it. Perhaps knowing I could return to a warm fire in my little cottage made me forget the cold nights on the streets of my youth that made me hate winter. Nathaniel told me that eating of the white dragon Arkrhyst's heart made me endure cold weather better. I didn't know why and I didn't really care. All I knew was that I liked the way the flakes slowly danced around, almost as if they never needed to fall to the ground and they only stuck there after hitting it by mistake. The white snow covered the muddy ground, making it look clean. I hadn't realized how dirty Turtleback Ferry had looked before being covered by the new shining white snow, but the streets soon turned back to their muddy selves when people and carts went about their business. When I arrived at the Golden Giant and met Kaven, he commented that most people dressed warmer than I was in that weather. I guess Nathaniel was right after all.

I wrote for more than a month before I felt I had enough to show to Cyrdak Drokkus and returned to Sandpoint. Only the day after getting there I met Nathaniel, Honeypot and Velicia. They were back for provisions but mostly to talk to Brodert Quink. We all gathered at the Rusty Dragon, talking and eating. Velicia had found out that Xin-Shalast was by a river that used to be called Avah. The old name had long since been forgotten but with the help of Brodert she was convinced that it was the river running by Bitterhollow into Claybottom Lake back home at Turtleback Ferry. Xin-Shalast itself would be high up in the wild mountains beyond. We decided we'd better wait until the weather got warmer before attempting to to go high up in the mountains. It would be even colder there. Then the door opened and several huge barbarians entered. They were dressed in furs and carried big swords and axes. One of them spoke with a loud, booming voice in broken common:
"We are looking for the dragon slayers! We are told they can be found here,"
"We are. What do you want with us?" Nathaniel answered and stood up.
I slipped off my chair and moved around the table, putting one hand on the handle of my dagger hidden on my back. It turned out they were wolf nomads from the north, wanting to thank us for slaying Arkrhyst, who had been terrorizing them for years. They also wanted to buy back some of the items we had found in its treasure. We hadn't had the time or need to sell it all so we still had what they wanted. It turned out that the armor with a wolf's head on the chest had been worn by their king and lost long ago. Several of the things we didn't think was that valuable were very valuable to them, having belonged to their royalty and they payed very handsomely in gold and wolf furs.