Building a Life

“Building a Life”
Rise of the Runelords episode
Episode no.	Episode 68
Date	2009
Game Master	Abbe
Characters	Gloriana Honeypot Nell Velicia
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "Tirana" "The Big Goblin Feast"
Rise of the Runelords chapter list

In this chapter time goes by and the heroes find a place in life.

I will continue to fill this page with half a year of incidents and happenings. Hopefully it will show some character development happening to Velicia, Nathaniel and Honeypot from Nell's point of view. When the last player returns to the campaign, perhaps even Dorothea gets her story told.

Building a Life

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. I went to look at it while Velicia took off to work on her own thing. She was very engaged in the guild she was starting. The house 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, and had been rebuilt into a luxury house. 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 close to the big house 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. The nice old man, 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.

At that night I put on a dark cloak and visited Bottoms Up, the 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. Not 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 let him do most of the talking but I tried to sound smart too. At least he agreed to my idea of trying to increase 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 ogre 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 do 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 all, but Maelin would have to arrange all details.

Wizards Tower

This is a work in progress.

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. It was round with a pair of very high, arched double doors. It had balconies and oriels but the top was flat with crenelation. I knocked on the doors and Gloriana opened the doors and I entered.

Indoor description...

Whisperwood

I had spent a few days in Foxglove Manor and was on my way back to Sandpoint when I met Honeypot on the road. I was a little surprised and asked her what she was doing out there on the countryside. She said she was building a home and invited me to visit. I wasn't in any hurry so I agreed. We turned east and went past several farms. I remembered with some unease the ghouls we fought in that area. Then we left the road and continued into the wilds.

We reached the first trees of Whisperwood when Honeypot said.
"Almost there."
"You built a house in the woods without a road?" I asked her.
"No. Something much better." she answered.
We reached a glade and beyond there was a huge tree. It was surrounded by bubbling siphon springs and bathing pools. There was marked out paths and wind chimes hung from branches, but no house. There was some kind of magic surrounding the place. I guessed Honeypot had cast more than a ritual or two there. She was very enthusiastic and talked about halls made from trees and how the wind would play music through flutes. She talked of how her study of music-based rituals would catch the eye of any study of magic in the world. Her commitment was captivating even though I'm not interested at all in either magic or music. Something there made me laugh and my cares seemed very unimportant. I found myself thinking I should stay there a few days, but then some urge told me I had money to make. I didn't know where it came from, and I didn't really like the impulse but I knew I would be missed if I didn't return. I asked where she would sleep and when she talked about sleeping on branches under an open sky, I suggested that she at least should build a house for visitors. She was surprised at the idea but agreed.

I thanked Honeypot for letting me visit her budding home and told her that if she invited me when it was finished I would love to stay for a while, but now I had to continue on. As I left I felt like I was being watched. I couldn't see anyone but there was some rustling in a big thicket further away.

He's back!

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 around as if nothing had happened, 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.
"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.

Building a Guild

Velicia had been talking a lot about all her ideas for months. How she would create her own money, how she would collect knowledge and how she would build a guild for lending magical items to young adventurers. I don't really trust her idea about money. I like gold and platinum. That I trust. Sure I would have loved to borrow some powerful items when I started out but I never really made a choice to go adventuring. When all this started I had met Velicia and we both liked food and went to the festival in Sandpoint. Then the goblins came and threatened us all. It all happened quite fast without any real decision. Suddenly I found myself as an adventuress. The mayor Deverin said her nephew was the leader of us as an adventuring group and there I was, making more money than I ever had had before in my life. Now she got to work. It seemed it mostly involved traveling around a lot. for a long time she was away and when I occasionally met her we just had lunch and then she went off again. I heard from Ilsoari Gandethus and Brodert Quink that she passed through Sandpoint from time to time. I have no idea what it all is going to lead to but she surely works on her guild. I hope it works out in the end.

The rangers

This is a work in progress.

Fort Rannick while being repaired.

I was back in Turtleback Ferry. The foxglove plants I planted early spring around the small cabin had all grown tall and were starting to bloom. A summer drizzle cooled the otherwise warm weather. The streets hadn't yet turned into mud in spite of people moving about. To my mind it was as if the little town had woken from a slumber. Even in the light rain there were commerce, something I hadn't seen some months ago. Maelin Shreed had done well. The taxes had been enough to start repairs on Fort Rannick. Soon it would be possible to rebuild the houses in the courtyard and the razed tower. Perhaps even improve the gates to make them better equipped to withstand any further ogre attacks.

Late afternoon, wearing the dark cloak I went to Bottoms Up. Not only could I be one of the ordinary people, but I could listen to rumors about what was happening in the area. Lately Kreegwood had become safer and the hunters dared to venture further north. There had been an increase in trade with pelts but people still thoughts that there was a need for the rangers to patrol the area. I knew there wasn't enough of them and none of the recruits that there had been talk about in Magnimar had yet shown up. Kaven was at the tavern too, but enjoying himself on his own. It was a very nice evening with only one fight between two drunk trappers but as nothing was broken, except a nose, I didn't mind.

I had realized I had to go to Magnimar to try to get more rangers. I waited a few days until the rain let up before setting out. The trip there was mostly uneventful and in less than a week, Kaven and I arrived at the city gate just before sunset. The guards were unusually dull minded and hassled before we were let in. We headed for the Grand Arch district and returned to my house and settled in for the night.

Next morning after a steady breakfast I went to see mayor. I was shown into a room where lots of people already were waiting. After a long time a man appeared and nodded to one sitting waiting. He left with the man and then nothing happened for a long time. I was incredibly bored. Instead I started looking around. As soon as one of those working there saw me they told me to go back to the boring room. I told them I would and continued on looking through the place. Then I found out that waiting in that room wasn't even to see the mayor, but an aid to him to see if you'd get to see the mayor. That sounded all too boring and I looked for him myself. I never found the mayor, but I overheard someones saying the mayor wasn't even there.

There had to be an easier way to get to meet the mayor. He couldn't hide behind aids and papers all the time. I had heard that there would be some concert at the theater with some famous bards. I guessed that the mayor would probably go there. I dressed in my best dress and went to talk to Gloriana. She accompanied me to the Triodea and the Stonewall concert hall.

At the concert I saw not only the mayor but also Honeypot. She was engulfed by the music. I found it strange. Sure it was nice, but she was completely lost in it. Afterwards I sneaked up close to the mayor thinking I might get a few words with him, but he hurried out of the Triodea to a waiting carriage. I overheard him talking of a big party he was going to. I had to wait until then, but at least I got to know where it was.

Gloriana and I met Honeypot and together we went to the big, pompous house where the party was held and easily got passed the slightly skeptical guards. I headed for the mayor, but as I was closing I overheard two fops talking I passed on the way: "Have you heard, that new baroness is asking for more troops to some fort far off in the wilderness."
"Send her criminals, I say. I've heard she's a criminal herself."
"Is it wise to talk like that if she's really a criminal? You never know what they might do." I said, interrupting their conversation.
"And who might you be?" one of them said with a superior look.
"I'm Sandeli Foxglove, Baroness of Hook Mountain." I said, curtsying, while still staring hard into the man's eyes.
They put their noses in the air and hurriedly left. Gloriana stepped up to me and started saying something, but I broke out in laughter so hard I didn't hear. I guess she lectured me on behavior again.

I dried my tears of laughter and straightened my dress, then continued up to the mayor. He was sitting at a table full of food, eating. As I approached his aid tried to intercept, but I sidestepped him and sat down next to the mayor.
"Is the chicken any good, your honor?" I asked him.
"You again, huh?" he said between bites.
"Of course! Did you miss me?" I said happily and tasted a piece of carrot.
"You cant be bothering the mayor now, miss baroness! He's..." the aid said angered.
"Get your own food." the mayor interrupted.
"I can't refuse such an invitation, your grace." I stated, looking mockingly at the aid. I added "Could you get a maid?" to him.
While eating I told the mayor of my problems and that the ogres could be a threat to a much wider area if not the whole of Perrenland if Fort Rannick was defeated again. He mostly listened to what I said until he had finished eating.
"Are you gonna eat that?" was his first reply and after letting him eat my eggs, with some hesitation I have to admit, he agreed that the garrison ought to be strengthened. After some debate with his aid he agreed to sending thirty recruits to join the rangers, ten of which could be selected from the Magnimar city guards. The rest would be sentenced criminals, selected from prison. Thereafter Magnimar would continue to send criminals to serve their sentence as rangers. I thanked him and took my leave. The aid gave me an angry look. Then I could really enjoy the party and had much fun.

The next day I rode to Sandpoint. If I would have to choose the candidates for the rangers I wanted to get help from the best fighter I knew and who also knew about law and stuff. I found him in the Sandpoint Garrison talking to Sheriff Belor Hemlock. It was Nathaniel I wanted to accompany me back to Magnimar to choose rangers. After just a little persuasion he agreed. We left even the same day. I think he might be getting bored even if didn't admit it. As we left I noted that some men had started wearing doublets in the same style he had been since he came back from the Great Kingdoms.

We had we kept a fast pace to arrive at Magnimar before darkness fell, but were too late anyway. To my surprise Nathaniel easily got the guards to open the gates and let us in. We retired for the night, me to the Foxglove townhouse and him to the Deverin townhouse. I didn't really understand why we couldn't sleep in the same house in town, when we can sleep in the same room when adventuring.

Next day choose rangers

Talk about fashion.

Bring them to Turtleback Ferry myself

Velicia

This is a work in progress.

She leaves some books she suggests I should reed.

Honeypots Retreat

This is a work in progress.

Revisit when more is built

Velicia done more

This is a work in progress.

Even more guild stuff