Day 21-27 – The second week in Northlake

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The second week in Northlake whilst a little more focussed than the first, with the party having “found their feet” so to speak, still feels as though it passes far too quickly.

Northlake itself seems still somewhat frenetic, but there is definite evidence of a slight calming of tempers. There are still the occasional “celebration” parties, but these are fewer and requiring less forceful city watch intervention.

**PARTY TREASURY: -2 Gold, 16 Silver (PLUS individual spends below)**

**(“Fact” Sheets Are Later – Below Are Individual Character Actions As I Understood Them, Each has led to one or more of the “Fact” Sheets)**

**Joshua**

Joshua has spent much of his time training the new dog and scouring markets in search of “collectables”, particularly anything that may be of Elven origin. By the end of the week you have amassed a fair pile of what might be bric-a-brac or might be sellable, but nothing that jumps out of you.

In order to set up a stall near the main market, you will need to obtain a permit, costing 3sp for a year. The paperwork will take around 3 days to process.

You have obviously been noted as having an interest in historical items….. (see below “The Two Scrolls”)

**TOTAL SPEND: 1 Gold, 12 Silver, 6 Copper**

**Dougal**

Dougal commissions a more up to date map, and discusses the parties current map with Sparrowsight. The party communicates their willingness to sponsor 5 students to undertake research, and this is gladly welcomed. Sparrowsight advises on which students have interest areas that align with the parties research goals. Payment is weekly in advance, so that runners where needed can be secured, and on the basis that the party will help out as possible, 2 runners are also commissioned.

**TOTAL SPEND: 16 Gold, 15 Silver, 6 Copper**

**Bazin**

As the most familiar with the College catacombs, Bazin takes on the role of senior runner for the week and coordinates the activities of the other party runners, plus the 2 runner hirelings.

**TOTAL SPEND: 13 Copper**

**Hamish**

(See Dougal!)

**Wun**

Wuns job at the hospital continues to pay well, now that the activity in the city has died down somewhat there are noticeably fewer injuries to tend to, although general first aid skills are always appreciated.

**TOTAL EARNINGS: 1 Gold 3 Silver (some expenses paid out)**

**Twoo**

Twoo splits his time between his friends in the Western District and supporting the research as a runner at the college.

1st Level Spell – Will cost 5gp and take ½ day to attempt learning (fee is payable even if you do not make your INT roll). – **NOTE Inter party member teaching does not cost money.**

**TOTAL SPEND: 1 Silver 4 Copper**

**Quercius**

Another week at the shrine, still no meeting with Golderod unfortunately.

More interesting snippets about Wyldwood though.

**TOTAL SPEND: 3 Coppers**

**Caradoc**

Another busy week running shotgun for the other party members, Joshuas activities in buying up ancient looking memorabilia/”artefacts” has obviously not gone unnoticed and you spot at least a couple of cutpurse types shadowing him, though no obvious attempt at theft is made.

Towards the end of the second week, whilst you are waiting for some of the party to finish up at the college you are approached by a well dressed Dwarf.

Dwarf: “Greetings young brother, perhaps I can stand you a quick ale whilst you wait to chaperone your friends back to the Inn?”

The Dwarf does not seem at all hostile, and there is a small hostelry near the college with outside tables, so you accept the offer.

Sitting down at the table, with your back to a wall you can survey the street outside the college. The Dwarf orders two ales and sits in silence until the drinks have been delivered. Then, once the waiter has moved on, the Dwarf slides onto the table a small wooden disk with the same sigil burnt into it as you have noted on a number of properties.

Dwarf: “I would be guessing that you know what this sign means?”

You nod.

Dwarf: “Well, let me explain things to you in a little more depth, just to make sure there are no understandings so to speak. The Elven invasions has put the bollocks on a whole lot of operations and caused a lot of people to reassess where they stand. Here in Northlake, we brethren have no wish to end up slaughtered or enslaved by the Elven scum and so have reached an accommodation with the authorities. We do not interfere with or jeopardise anything that is involved in the defence of the city and its environs.”

You: “…and you and your brethren get?”

Dwarf: “For the moment, nothing – lets just call us a patriotic bunch shall we.”

Dwarf: “Anyhow, you lot arrive in town in the company of the small group of Pathfinders. But you don’t report to military HQ but instead take up residence in the main city and proceed to familiarise yourselves with the town and in particular the college over there. It doesn’t take much digging to find out that you have papers that pronounce you to be auxiliary Pathfinders, and you and I both know that the those papers are really only suitable for wiping your arse with.”

The Dawrf pauses, but you decide silence is the best option at this point.

Dwarf: “Hmmm, so me any my colleagues get a little suspicious and do some more digging, and find out that whilst your business may not be official like, it has been sanctioned by more senior officers in the Pathfinders and also a landed Knight from the Sky Guards.”

At this point, your colleagues come out of the college and begin the journey back to the Inn.

Dwarf: “Leave them, they will be safe enough. Another beer?”

The Dwarf waves to the waiter, who brings over two more ales.

Dwarf: “So me and my brothers have a bit of a quandary, in some ways as patriotic citizens of Northlake we should be reporting you lot to the authorities. On the other hand, you do not seem to be doing any harm, have some reasonable sponsors and from what I have heard have already been involved in some fighting with the strange critters that are rumoured to be surfacing.”

Dwarf: “…and so, what we have decided is that it is unlikely that anyone else will blow your cover in the next couple of weeks. So, you folks have two more weeks to finish your business in the city and then you either move on – or else end up explaining to the authorities why exactly you are here. I do not want to hear any explanations as to why you are here, it will either be a tissue of lies or something that I probably should not know about. Whichever, it is irrelevant from my perspective.”

Dwarf: “Do we have an understanding?”

You nod, and take a deep drink of ale.

Dwarf: “Great!”

Dwarf: “So now, lets talk of lighter things, you are obviously an apprentice still, have you decided if you are going to follow a specialist path?”

(Two hours later, and slightly the worse for drink, Caradoc stumbles back to the Inn)

**TOTAL SPEND: 1 Silver, 1 Copper**

**Garaf**

On asking around, you soon determine that there is no formal temple to Perceval in the city. Many of the merchants or large commercial concerns will have a shrine to him in his aspect of supporting commercial ventures. The shrine at the Falling Star is a typical example of this, and was inherited by Jurrage from the previous owners, he saw no harm in maintaining the shrine (Jurrage actually worships Shanah). Every week or so a priest will come by to pick up any offerings and to pray at the shrine and give blessing upon the Inn. Side note: It is commonly understood that stealing from a Perceval shrine is not a clever thing to do.

Garaf makes a mental note to try and be around when the Priest next visits, but unfortunately it is not this week. For the week you spend most time at the College, with the odd trip out to the markets to find anything interesting to add to Joshua’s “stock”, nothing really jumps out at you but you have picked up items that others may find interesting.

**(NOTE: You can learn spells from others in the party – make the INT roll – without spending 5pg)**

**TOTAL SPEND: 15 Silvers, 13 Copper**

**Umar**

Umar soon realises that his skills are not best suited to helping the research activities, other than occasionally helping shift large crates around so that runners can get at otherwise inaccessible shelves.

So he spends his week, firstly at the Temple where he makes contact with Apana. With the continued lifting of the siege and easing of the situation it is now unlikely you will need Apanas assistance in getting to Far Haven (see below). Once suitable homage has been paid, Umar spend the majority of the week in the inner quarter mixing with the mercenary companies there.

It soon becomes obvious that Umar is regarded as needing to gain a fair bit more skill prior to being able to sign up with either of the companies present. But as with all mercenaries with a bit of time on their hands, there are drinks to be had and gossip to be exchanged. Whilst recounting the parties meetings with Ogres and Kobolds, Umar discovers that over to the West, the mining settlement of Cerdyd suffered from attacks. The creatures involved are described in some detail (Harpies), but have been dealt with by soldiers.

**TOTAL SPEND: 4 Silvers**

**The Map (Part 2)**

Sparrowsight: “Oh no, we sold off the old maps many years ago, there is always a market for maps and whilst those were a bit inaccurate in places they made very good points of reference. Our current thinking is that they were drawn up about 100 years before the Elves left the island – but we still have no idea as to why.”

Sparrowsight: “Obviously there were a number of different mapmakers involved in their generation, the decoration around the edges varies wildly from map to map. Some even had no decoration whatsoever, almost appearing unfinished.”

Sparrowsight: “Well the main corrections that had to be made were pretty superficial, replacing place names obviously and for some reason the Cracks of Doom used to be know as the Plains of Dust – but that was about it if I remember correctly.”

**Giants & Torgan**

Giants are not overly numerous across the North Island, the majority of the Giant tribes are now found in or around Torgan. Umar himself came from a township just outside of Torgan but has no memory of visiting the city.

Giants live for a long time, over 400 years at least, and have long memories, inter-clan conflict is common, and it takes a strong ruler to keep the peace around Torgan. A young adult Giant will stand at least 7’ tall and it is common to see 8’ or more adult giants, it is generally believed that the race never actually stops growing.

Torgan itself crouches on the edge of one of the swathes of land devastated during the early Troll Wars during the Time of Chaos, originally inhabited by Orcs the city was conquered by nomadic Giant tribes who then settled in the region. Since then Torgan has long been a thorn in the side of the Old Kingdom up until the peace treaty between Alvera and Grih Torgan. The tale of that alliance has been told any number of times and seems to grow in scale and dramatics with every telling. Although Giants are now well accepted within the East, and indeed a number of giant tribes have migrated deeper into the kingdom, there are still some suspicions about Torgan itself. Some people refer to it as a Chaoshold, others claim that the old Orcish worship of Dekatur is still practiced within the city (nearly every Giant encountered will normally worship Shanah or Wyldwood – but then again few encountered are from the city itself). Grih Torgan himself, whilst the ruler of the city actually makes his home outside of the city in a nearby township – nobody really understands why.

**Mercenaries At Northlake**

There two mercenary companies of note at Northlake.

**The Red Knights Company:** A mixed company of Knights, Sergeants, Men at Arms and Archers, about 500 strong, primarily human. Very experienced and with a solid reputation, the company has been in the pay of Adamas for at least 15 years, and the joke is that they are now actually Alveran regulars (though do not say that to their face). The Red Knight himself is a Palladin of Universal.

**Cohners Company:** About 150 strong, primarily Dwarven, this is company specialises in engineering and siege works/defence. They have around 20 giants in the Company, all wielding huge double-bladed axes and arbalests.

**The Defiance Shrine (Part 2)**

The Defiance Shrine was apparently founded in Northlake during the Age of Chaos and according to some of the priests there is the third oldest of all the Wyldwood holy sites. One evening Quercius is shown by one of the acolytes to an ancient stone, standing about 4’ tall in the depths of a dense patch of scrub. On the stone are inscribed figures of what would appear to be an Eagle, a Lion, a Snake, two Human(oid)s, and a Centaur surrounding a stylised Oak tree.

Acolyte: “It is said that this stone was erected as part of the founding of this shrine. Certainly all of the pilgrims that visit here come to pray at the stone prior to departing.”

An interesting viewpoint that some of the acolytes seem to have had in the past is that the Elves were guardians of nature and that their departure was forced upon them by some evil external power. As has become obvious, the Elves are in fact people of Empire and so far have exhibited no particular love of nature or balance. Those acolytes that had the mistaken believe are occasionally teased about it, generally good naturedly.

**Specialist Thieves**

Starting at 3rd level a Thief may begin to specialise and hone their skills in a variety of directions, or they may opt to stay as a generic “Thief”.

The options open are:

* Generic Thief – jack of all trades
* Blackguard – combat focus
* Spy – information broker
* Safecracker – complex breaking and entering
* Guard – provision of security
* Mageblade – focus on taking out arcane wielders (Thief cannot have spell casting ability)

�Training in any of these options requires tuition, generally only available at formal “Thieves Guilds”, but individuals may be able to provide training in one specific path. Training generally costs around 50gp. Should the Thief achieve 5th level, without any specialisation then he has lost the opportunity.

**Generic Thief**

All normal Thief rules apply, the Thief will gain +1 Dex, +1 Int or +1 Cha (player choice) at 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter.

**Blackguard**

Blackguard can no longer improve the skills of Pick Pockets, Open Locks, Remove Traps.

Blackguard can spend one Thief Ability point per level gained to gain +1 HP.

Blackguard gains +1 Dex, +1 Con or +1 Str (moving to 18/xx strength as a fighter) at 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter.

Blackguard can use a shield in combat without penalty.

Blackguard backstab is as a Thief of 2 levels higher, e.g. a 7th lvl Blackguard will backstab as a 9th lvl Thief (x4 damage)

**Spy**

Spy can no longer improve the skills of Pick Pockets.

Spy backstab is as a Thief of 1 level lower, e.g. a 9th lvl Spy will backstab as a 8th lvl Thief (x3 damage)

Spy gains +1 Dex, +1 Int or +1 Cha at 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter.

Hide In Shadows, Move Silently and Hear Noise skills increase by +1%/Spy level

New skills can be learnt: Detect Lie/Evasion, 20% + 5%/ability point spent, modified by Charisma bonus

**Safecracker**

Safecracker backstab is as a Thief of 3 level lower, e.g. a 9th lvl Safecracker will backstab as a 6th lvl Thief (x3 damage)

Safecracker gains +1 Dex, +1 Wis or +1 Int at 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter.

Detect Traps, Remove Traps and Pick Locks skills increase by +1%/Safecracker level

Detect Traps has half chance of detecting magical traps (so if Det Traps is 78%, the safecracker has a 39% chance of detecting a magical trap)

Remove Traps has half chance of circumventing (not removing) magical traps (so if Remove Traps is 78%, the safecracker has a 39% chance of circumventing a magical trap)

**Guard**

Guard can no longer improve the skills of Pick Pockets or Open Locks

Guard gains +1 Dex, +1 Con or +1 Wis at 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter.

Hide In Shadows, Move Silently and Hear Noise skills increase by +1%/Guard level.

New skills can be learnt: Sense Ambush, 15% + 4%/ability point spent, modified by Wisdom bonus

**Mageblade**

Mageblade cannot be multi classed with a spellcaster (including Ranger/Palladin/Bard)

All thief abilities drop by 1% per Mageblade level

Mageblade gains +1 Dex, +1 Str or +1 Wis at 5th level and every 3 levels thereafter.

Providing the Mageblade is aware of a spell being cast that targets him/herself or includes him/her in the area of effect:

* Mageblade can apply Dex AC modifiers to saving throw
* For damage effects a save indicates ¼ damage (as opposed to ½)
* For spells with no saving throw (e.g. Magic Missile, Slow) the Mageblade gets a saving throw (target = 20) and can apply all protections and Dexterity bonuses to that save

**Routes Out Of Northlake**

With the peace between Alvera and the Empire holding, road travel South is now possible, although it will cost 1sp per person for a suitably authorised pass through Elven lands.

West, will be a hard slog and will necessitate diverting to avoid the Cracks of Doom, there is a chance you could locate guides but they would cost at least 6sp per day.

East, would again need a pass through Elven lands, and it is advised that you avoid Riverside unless you have specific business there, but you could then travel on to Beriesa and or Wingsport (many weeks travel on foot).

North, would need passage on a boat. Options are:

* Lartower: 2sp per person, from there you could travel West to the Blue Tower and Tronston Town
* Jevenne: 30cp per person (this is the most travelled route and the main trade route), from where you could go North to Far Haven
* Yorkhagen: 2sp per person, again you could go North to Far Haven if you with, but more likely to want to move on to Wingsport or beyond to Beriesa

**The Song Of The Spheres (All 5 verses)**

The stars wheel.

I wake in awed delight to a thousand thousand points of light, dancing in the infinite beauty of the darkness that is without end. Watch as they spin, kaleidoscopic, yellows, golds, silvers, reds, and greens. Some dance alone, majestic, stately, others whirl in frenzied cartwheels about one another. Some remain almost motionless, disdaining joyous abandon to more seriously consider their place in the firmament, whilst others still flit past with breathtaking speed, come and gone in but an instant. Yet all glitter with the ecstasy of being, and all reach out with their cold light to welcome me, to bid me join in the dance.

The stars wheel.

For a time I am content to watch, dazzled, awed, entranced, and all is light and movement. Then, somehow, I am aware that I can also hear. For each point of light, for each bright star, for each gleaming, glistening sphere and for every spinning bright bauble, there is a voice. A hundred, a thousand, a million strands of sound, each with their own song, their own timbre, their own exaltation of life and glory, yet all coming together in fantastical harmony, each unique yet each a part of a single shimmering tapestry of sound, now stately chorus, now breathtaking counterpoint. Song without end, music of the spheres. And within that composition, a space, a voice yet unvoiced. The music shifts, beckoning, enticing, and instinctively I answer, weaving my own voice into the tapestry, buoyed, lifted, uplifted and upheld by those around me. And so the song is again complete, and so together we sing.

The stars wheel.

Then suddenly there comes a new light, that moves not with but through the eternal dance, upsetting rhythm and balance, destroying the ever-shifting ever-felt symmetry. And with it too a new voice, harsh, grating, dissonant, a shrill severing of the woven threads of song, a voice that comes closer, nearer, louder, harsher. And then, where before there was no feeling, suddenly there is pain. Burning, shifting, twisting, lancing, searing. My song wavers, falters. I try to sing only the joyous beauty of the dance that first gave me my voice, yet the pain within me twists my song, intruding so that I voice not the beauty of the dance but the burning agony of a thousand pin-pricks of white heat moving on, through, in me. I try to sing, but there comes only noise, reflected pain where once there was reflected joy. I try to sing, but can only scream.

The stars wheel.

The light shatters into rainbows of colours known and unknown, each star now seeks to eclipse the others with ever more gaudy displays accompanied by a cacophony of sound which has no balance or pattern. I feel my mind shattering into the chaos, even as my voice gives out, and I have a hundred no a million perspectives on the chaos which somehow further fragments into even more incoherence.

<untranslateable section, believed to be unknown language>

The stars wheel

And in their wheeling ever shifting movement and light a pattern begins to emerge, within the tumultuous chaos of the million voices a rhythm begins to make itself heard. Even as my sight dims and my mind collapses towards blessed oblivion the pattern grows stronger and begins to dominate, the rhythm takes precedence and drives the other sounds into the background. I cannot see, I cannot hear and yet imprinted on my final memory is a fixed pattern of bright light accompanied by a deep simple dominating rhythm.

<untranslateable section, believed to be unknown language>

I am nothing, I am everything.

The stars are unmoving

**Starport (Part 2)**

When Starport was founded is unclear, general acceptance is that it was during the time of chaos. The general belief is that a small tribe of nomadic humans settled here and finding the Greathawks roosting in the high towers of the citadel realised the opportunity presented. Taming the Greathawks allowed this tribe to become a major power in the region prior to the foundation of the Kingdom.

**Research (Week 1)**

**Legendary Creatures**

This proves quite a rich source of material, it is soon fairly obvious that to the Elves at least many of the creatures that modern civilisations regard as mythological were real to the Elves. These creatures were regarded with significant dislike (but not disdain).

Within the week your research has identified Ogres as being known to the Elves, described as:

“Brutish footsoldiers of great strength and stamina, they sometimes act as leaders of the lesser spawn but more often are deployed as shock troops. The more intelligent individuals can be shamans, priests or even arcanists – these individuals have the potential to be extremely dangerous and should be eliminated as soon as encountered.”

Research continues, more material next week (certain)

**Elven History (twilight of change, Sorleaf)**

Student: “Don’t you get it?”

Party: “????”

Student: “The Sorleaf story is obviously set before the time of Chaos, but how was it then written by an Elf? Either the Elf was around after the departure or the Elves has some significant strength in prophesy? Sparrowsight says I need to consider other options, but I cannot think of anything.”

Where do you want to go with this research, we already know that the Elves had some visibility of a time they called the Twilight but they did not seem to have any preconception of the Age of Chaos.

There are some other stories from the Elven age down in the archives – just let me know if you want me to dig them out.

RESEARCH NEEDS DIRECTION

**The Brooch/Symbol**

The student is convinced that he has seen something similar as coming out of research over the past year or so. Frustratingly the week produces no meaningful results though.

Research continues – more material known to be there (30% likely next week estimate)

**The Spell of Voids**

The spell of voids is mentioned a number of times as a great arcane ritual that was known to the Empress and her inner circle of arcane advisors. The first weeks research has not unearthed any specifics around this ritual and its purpose though.

Research continues (20% likely of more info next week)

**Flying Cities and references to “Stars”**

(Note: It becomes apparent very early on that a lot of the information in this area seems to have been migrated to Starport).

It is known that one of the Elven manifestations of power was embodied in 5 flying cities, each city was associated with one of the elements with the city associated with Mana housed the Empresses palace. The only mention of “Stars” that appear to be common are related to temples, again 5 main temples, again each associated with one of the Elven elements.

Research continues (30% likely of more info next week)

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