Refit in Borderton: Late Spring 668

[scarik]

Herein our protagonists apply the lessons hard gained in their vicious fight with the Ogres. They share in drink and food and song, and set out a plan to train together with the assistance of the Knights of the Green Lily. Their commander, Sir Tylar, joins them when he can and sees that each of his knights and squires has a chance to collaborate. While the adventurers have money and time to spend the knights must still maintain their duties to the Margrave and provide protection to the weekly caravans that set out toward Springkeep.

These weekly ventures attract dozens of pilgrims who trickle in to Borderton but it is nothing like the procession that had accompanied the Bishop when he first made the journey at the beginning of the year. The knights go in groups of four with their squires and a dozen of the Margrave's men each time now and thus have two weeks back in Borderton each time.

The training is a full time job for each of you with only one day a week off. In that time everyone practices personal combat skills about half the day and Class focused abilities the other half. For Fighters this means tactics and strategy. For Clerics its prayer, meditation and some tactics as they are warrior priests. Barnaby, as a Bard, works on his music and prepares songs of their deeds.

There is no official bounty for the ogres as they are not a threat to Borderton, but the grim trophies are a resource at your disposal. Its up to you to decide how you leverage this proof of your merits to the locals.

[scarik]

Word spreads quickly about the battle with the Ogre clan and within days it seems everyone knows who the adventurers are. They have no shortage of admirers, from interested soldiers to curious children to more offers of.. companionship... than they can count by week's end. Even the MArgrave seems interested and can be seen occasionally viewing their group trainings on some mornings though he never comes down to the yard himself. Sir Tylar is his vassal in any case and His Lordship is clearly content to let his knight manage this occasion alone. Aside from the clerks who ensure the lord's share is paid, that is.

Mornings for all are spent practicing at arms as there is no such thing as a sedentary adventurer. Whether warrior or poet or priest a strong arm requires work to maintain and improve. After midday meals the group divides up into smaller groups to rest and practice the other aspects of their professions. Soldiers drill, priests study and storytellers practice for their evening songs.



You are here training for 5 weeks. Post here about how you spend your downtime and/or if you want to do anything specific.

[tibbius]

Barnaby talks up Rolton's prowess (and Dramm's and Sengrim's accomplishments, as well) while trying to enhance his own skills at defense in melee. Training to 2d level bard costs him weeks of effort, but he has the experience in combat to support that effort.

He also spends 500 sp based on Dramm's heroism to train Dramm up to Fighter 1 and 500 sp I think this is right? to train Sengrim up to Explorer 1.

In the time when he's resting from combat training, Barnaby composes a heroic song about the fight against the Ogres. He references the deeds of Ji-ho, Si-Woo, Rolton, Gorav, Dramm, and Sengrim.


Once he's satisfied with his composition, he auditions to Sir Tylar in hope of getting to perform before the Margrave himself.


The audition goes fairly well. Barnaby snaps a string on his lap harp, but fortunately the discordant note rings out at a tense lyrical moment, and it kind of fits. He can't afford to snap a string every time he performs, though.

[scarik]

Barnaby will be doing many performances throughout the period, but Tylar is suitably impressed.

He also spends 500 sp based on Dramm's heroism to train Dramm up to Fighter 1 and 500 sp I think this is right? to train Sengrim up to Explorer 1.

This is correct. Its 500p for each henchman and for yourself.

[scarik]

Anyone else want to post before I move on?

[GreyWolfVT]

I don't really know what to post so don't wait on me.

[Leitz]

You know what Ji-ho is doing; running training drills for his people when he's not practicing forms with local weapons. And sharing thunking with Sir Tylar's people. Anything else can be done in retrospect, I think.

[scarik]

The mid-point, two and a half weeks into refit.

The initial buzz dies down a little and the party can fully get down to brass tacks.

Ji-ho continues to train and be a regular guest of Sir Tylar as well as often speaking with Gurav Graka about the future of their partnership and how serendipity may have altered their course by revealing an alternate path.

Borav keeps company with the other dwarves. He has been to Borderton before but there are only a bare handful of his kinfolk present at any time. Those few are all craftsmen who provide services to the Margrave, and while they rarely venture outside of the town into the hills beyond they often wish they could. Surely there is gold or gems or other valuable veins to be found by the industrious soul therein.

Barnaby has become a local celebrity and couldn't pay for his own meals if he threatened people at swordpoint. Sir Kyl especially seems to enjoy the bard's epic recitations and it is he who delivers the Margrave's invitation for him to be Master of Songs at the Midsummer Feast in one month's time. Its certainly an honor and also an opportunity to hobnob with the lord and his household for the week prior, but also a great deal of work directing and planning all the performances that the night will demand.

That night a procession of two dozen Ravenfolk in their black, feathered cloaks with their cowls draw over their beaks arrive and head under escort to Vizkeep where their leader Corbin of Ravenswell has come to speak with the lord. In his entourage is his apprentice, Morwen and her assistants.

[scarik]

I don't want to rush, but I get the vibe that its just time to wrap up the interlude and get back to the adventuring. If you decide you need/want to do something in this period just let me know and I can backfill the scene.

[GreyWolfVT]

Bofur and company having been freed and equipped have little of anything to do other than think about getting home at some point.

[Leitz]

Jing Ji-ho will ask Bofur if he and his fellows would be willing to trade Ji-ho buying a supper in exchange for discussing what they are interested in, and hearing the plans for the adventuring party. It's obvious that Ji-ho knows less about dwarves than he wants to, so he's basically buying an education with a meal.

I'm not sure if Ji-ho would recognize that Morwen is interested in adventuring, but pretty much everyone knows that the short easterner is thinking big and willing to talk. Perhaps Corbin remembers the easterner handling some unruly thugs not so long ago, and would direct Morwen that way?

[GreyWolfVT]

Bofur agrees to the offer from Jing Ji-ho

[Leitz]

Not sure how much you want to play this out, but I figure it'd officially bring Bofur up to speed on everything that's planned. He and his troupe are encouraged to train with the growing military of the Jings, and if Bofur feels they want to join the company, Ji-ho will explain that he is contracted to Gurav, so nominally everyone works for Ji-ho while Ji-ho answers directly to Gurav. Ji-ho does encourage Bofur and his friends to discuss this among themselves, and if they have any questions about how things work, there are others in the group they can ask questions of. (It's pretty clear that the second easterner defers to Ji-ho, so going elsewhere for unbiased answers is probably a good idea.)

If you haven't read the Adventuring Party thread, that the pay/share structure that we're using. Ji-ho has a Letter of Marque that relieves him of most heavy taxes, but 5% does come off the top for the Margrave. Ji-ho is studious about paying that, to ensure he stays in the good graces of the local nobility.

Gurav and Ji-ho are talking about clearing the first watchtower and making it a base camp, and then possibly clearing them out one after another, and then garrisoning them. A Hill Dwarf would probably make a good "lord" for the watch tower closest to Kraka Grak, since Gurav and kin will be in the mountain itself.

[tibbius]

Barnaby keeps busy with training and performing, trying to talk up Ji-Ho and Rolton (and Dramm). He keeps forgetting about Sengrim, who seems to be mostly absent - down some hole with some halflings, probably.

Dramm is more dedicated to his training than one might expect. Perhaps he has big dreams? He maintains his taciturn demeanor, drinking less than others do and generally behaving in a respectable manner.

Sengrim occasionally does appear, but doesn't interact much with the rest of the party. He seems a bit downcast.

[scarik]

I will post tomorrow to bring us to the Midsummer Festival. From there you will have RP options that we can handle in private forums and then head back out to adventure.

[scarik]

Midsummer in Borderton

The entire week leading up to the festival is one of excitement and preparation and a carnival atmosphere overtakes the otherwise rugged and dull demeanor of Borderton. Whole families make their way from their homesteads across the Westmarch to take part, and while there are numerous merchants and vendors who hope to turn a profit the basics are all free and provided by the generosity of the Margrave. Massive cooking pits are cleared and readied for the dozens of whole animals they will prepare and ovens built of bricks burn around the clock churning out sweets and loaves for the thousands who have come. Borderton itself may only be home to 500 people or so, but the nearby fields and forests support more than 4000 additional commonfolk who extract their living from the land.

By midweek it seems like they have all shown up and anyone with a strong hand and a spear is pressed into short term service with the garrison. None are upset by this though as the Margrave pays a months wage to each of them for a weeks work.

For Ji-ho this is an opportunity to demonstrate his command skill to the Margrave's officers. He has already had much time with Sir Tylar and his Knights of the Green Lily but this is the first time he has been introduced to Sir Klar. Klar is the Margrave's marshal, and thus his principal military advisor. It is he who oversees the day to day operations of the garrison and its logistics. He is a rough gentleman in his 50s, long since gone grey in the beard.

Bofur finds that while the vast majority of the folk are humans there are a few dozen of his own Derrigar people scattered across the small realm who take leave of their wilderness encampments to come and partake of the Margrave's meat and ale. There is even a handful of Gnomes among them.

Barnaby finds he can get little peace to enjoy the events as he has become quite famous and he is constantly beseeched for a song or a poem wherever he goes. On the plus side, often dour Sengrim seems to come alive and introduces his friend to the local halflings and proves that his people are renowned as the best chefs in the land for a reason. The smallfolk serve a a social bridge between the more reserved Dwarves and Gnomes who otherwise avoid too much interaction with the festivities.

This is Morwen's first festival in Borderton as well and it is an almost overwhelming spectacle for a people-watcher of her caliber. Most of the time humans find her people to be unsettling, maybe because of the necromancy, but in large gatherings like this their garrulous nature becomes more apparent. Their incredible athletic abilities allow them to flit among the crowds without effort and allow them to shed their sinister reputations if only for a few days.

[Leitz]

Jing Ji-ho

Ji-ho does his best, but it is seldom wise to put a soldier in the place of a policeman. Still, his own troops are engaged, and they have worked enough together to know what to do.

Captain roll: Pair dice roll [_2d6]=(5+1)=6

[tibbius]

Barnaby gratefully but warily accepts the Margrave's commission to host the Midsummer Follies. Jongleurs, harpists, illusionists, and acrobats have appeared from varying distances to celebrate the holiday with their arts. He is responsible for scheduling, cajoling, sobering-up, inebriating, and generally herding a few dozen two-legged cats. Such are the artists of the realm. He's also been entrusted with the prize purse, a heavy responsibility that he immediately tries to foist on Gurav - little fear that a dwarf will mishandle assets in bail.

General MC ability:

[GreyWolfVT]

Bofur thinks fondly of the gnomes "Oh, I always liked gnomes they're so inventive. They can think of and create many things most others wouldn't even come up with. Maybe we should try and locate one to join us."

[roobeastie]

Morwen takes her time deciding which group of people to get close too first, eventually walking over to get a few sweet cakes from a nearby stand. She's aware of the effect that she has on most onlookers, and as such doesn't attempt to smile or speak for now. Instead, she offers a few nods of her head here and there in greeting, before approaching a merchant selling baubles of a shiny persuasion.