Building a Life

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Episode no.	Episode 68
Date	2009
Game Master	Abbe
Characters	Gloriana Honeypot Nell Velicia
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Velicia, Kaven and I returned to Turtleback Ferry. Velicia even agreed to travel slowly so I could bring Creampuff, even though she rode her magical, much quicker horse. I wondered if she preferred to travel with me because of Kavens cooking. I thought that I should charge her for it too, but then that thought felt strange. Anyway... I was so glad the snow was gone. Even though Turtleback Ferry was filled with scum and villainy I felt a little more at home there than in Magnimar where I grew up. Since I had been appointed Baroness of Hook Mountain I had received a house in town. It was one of the biggest houses in the small town after the church and a few warehouses. It had some decorations, but nothing compared to the Foxglove Townhouse in Magnimar. I suspected it had been a warehouse too far from the water. It had large rooms and a hall echoing emptily. It didn't feel like home. There were two more houses included. One was living quarters for the servants and the other was a small cabin probably for the gardener. I really liked the small cabin. It was cozy and could be very nicely decorated. I moved in immediately. I could even consider spending the winter in it. Maelin Shreed commented that I really should live in the big house but I liked the small one much better. He suggested that I shouldn't let anybody know. I didn't see much of Velicia as she worked on her own things. She was very engaged in the guild she was starting.

At that night I put on a dark cloak and visited my favorite tavern in town. It was real nice sitting in a corner near the burning fire, watching people talking, joking, laughing, and drinking while listening to the bard playing. I almost felt as care free as I did over a year ago, when I was just an old street kid in Magnimar. The innkeeper appeared at my table asking if the baroness wanted anything, but I hushed him telling him that Sandeli Foxglove was the baroness, but I was Nell. After looking puzzled he nodded and left. Even the cold spring rain falling when I went home late at night could bring me down. I just thought of how warm and nice my small cabin would be with all the wool blankets and a crackling fire.

The next day all the hard, boring work started. I had to talk to a lot of people but thankfully I had Maelin Shreed with me. He knew a lot about running things and I trusted him. I tried to sound smart too. At least he agreed to my idea of trying to increasing the trade with the miners, trappers, hunters and the gnomes around the area.

The following day I traveled to Fort Rannick. It was still in a bad shape. Both from the damages to the walls and keep but also in them still being too few to patrol the areas. They all were needed to guard the Fort. I asked Vale Temros what was needed to repair the Fort and perhaps make it even stronger. The usually quite silent and sullen big ranger lit up when talk of architecture came up. He started talking about a lot of things I didn't understand so I nodded, smiled and asked him to write down a list of what he needed. Then I remembered what Maelin had said, so I added that he had to list what he needed, what he wanted and what he would like to have. I mustered the troops and though they were few, they were strong and proud. Their spirit was surprisingly high after their defeat, but they had heard that the clans had scattered and that many ogres had been killed.

I continued to Skull's Crossing, but it looked the same and even though there were lots of water from snow in the mountains still melting, it was still holding. It needed to be repaired too, but for now there wasn't enough money. Returning to the fort I asked Kaven about the gnomes, but he hadn't had much to to with them.

In the following days I visited Bitter Hollow, the gnomes in Sanos Forest and Pendaka. I still love Olam Keeche's delicious cranberry turtle pies. I tried to convince all that it was important to repair Fort Rannick and to get the commerce to flourish. It felt strange talking about these things, when I was begging for food just a few years ago. I still didn't understand it, but Maelin would have to arrange all details.

Wizards Tower

I met Gloriana and Honeypot in Turtleback Ferry. I was a little surprised but Gloriana explained that she and Honeypot were on their way to Fort Rannick, or rather the mountains behind it. I couldn't understand what they would want to do there until Gloriana told me that she would be building a wizards tower high up in the mountains. She had seen a high cliff well away from Fort Rannick while flying over the area on her eagle. There was even a hardly noticeable trail that could be used to get there from the eagles nest, at least on foot. Honeypot knew a ritual that could create a magical tower really quick. I hoped them the best and continued on to Maelin for more boring work. I thought I should hire someone more so I didn't have to care about everything, but Maelin assures me it would get better once we got everything going.

A week later I saw Gloriana flying overhead in the direction of Fort Rannick. I decided to visit her and rode up to the fort. From there I went up to the eagles on foot and found the very faint trail and tried to follow it to where the tower would be. After a few hours I saw Gloriana flying on the eagle. I waved and she saw me and landed nearby and asked what I was doing out there in the mountains. Panting from the high air and hard work it had been I answered her I came to visit her. She laughed and told me I was lost. I didn't fully agree as I knew which way Fort Rannick and the road was, but had to agree that I had no idea of where her tower was. She told me directions and after a while I could see the tower at a distance. It was a tall stone tower, almost a hundred feet high. I wondered what mighty magic could have erected that so quickly.

Description

Nature stuff

Honeypot, Whisper Woods

Working on building magical grove. Encouraging huge tree. Bubbling siphon springs, bathing pools. "lövsalar". Winding paths with places that spontaneously produce music out of thin air... bells, chimes, flute sounds. Think something like the traditional chinese garden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_garden) but less buildings and more magic.

Work in progress, even with magically accelerated growth - if Nell visits it is more what Honeypot describes as coming than what is actually ready to be shown.

Honeypot travels, looking for right-minded people interested in music, dance and love to invite, as well as fey and nature spirits to act as caretakers and minders.

Building music-based ritual library.

Nathaniel

I was in Sandpoint, walking down market street when I saw a face I hadn't seen in a long time but immediately recognized. It was Nathaniel! He had returned from the Great Kingdoms and was now casually walking down market street, leading his big black horse. I screamed out his name and ran up to him and jumped up into his arms. I asked him question after question before realizing I didn't let him answer. I kept silent waiting for all answers at once but all he said was:
"Settle down. I'm glad to see you too, but you have to settle down." he said putting me down.
"Did you get to the Great Kingdoms?" I said, stepping back, looking up into his face.
"Yes." he answered grabbing the reins of Shadowmist.
"Did you meet my sister?" I asked eagerly almost before his previous answer and joined him as he started walking down the street.
"Yes. Yes I did. She's happily married and was sad to hear about Aldern, but had had very little contact with the family."
"What is this thing you're wearing? Is it from the Great Kingdoms?" I asked walking backwards in front of him looking at his jacket.
"No. This is a doublet! After my last duel it was the latest trend. Everyone is wearing them." he said with some pride, "You still keep your old style I see?"
"Yes. I like my clothes. Gloriana says I should wear big dresses now that I'm a baroness, but I like this better. Duels? Did you duel a lot? Who else did you meet? Did you meet anyone famous?"
I continued with my questions almost without end, but he was happy to tell stories of his adventures. He had become famous as Nathaniel, the Bold Adventurer of Perrenland and skilled duelist. During one of his adventures Shadowmist had even been blessed by a very important cleric and he had several stories of romantic and heroic adventures to tell. But those were his and I will not tell them here.

Guild stuff

Velicia built her guild.

Opened a guild-house in Magnimar in old house with lots of monuments

Honeypot performed on opening.

In Sandpoint Velicia talked to wizard and school teacher ???