[The story so far]
Session 06 - Corcelle at last
After a good night's sleep, the party (now including the halfling thief, Gowmac) set off to Corcelle with the aged priest Berignon and the cart of trading goods which had been the charge of Berignon's late comrades (the first adventuring party who had met an unfortunate goblin-related end)
An uneventful ride led the party to the impressive gates of the walled city of Corcelle, much to the relief of Berignon [and the players, now on their second characters] who was much regretting the need to leave his home monastery and cosy book-lined study.
While waiting in line to pay the entry toll, the farmer ahead lost control of his flock but proved happy to answer questions about the city after the party helped gather his sheep again. The party got a basic layout of Corcelle and even a spot of history after judicious questioning. They were particularly intrigued by the story of the Loyal Twelve whose shields where carved into the walls of the barbican which guarded the gate - knights from long ago who had refused to surrender Corcelle to a barbaric uprising from the North even though it seemed certain the king had been slain. All twelve had fallen in desperate defence of a breach in the walls, but had bought sufficient time for a relief force to arrive.
Once inside, the party headed straight to the Temple of Althea to deliver Berignon and to wangle as much of a reward as possible out of the High Priest, Alaric. They got some blessed elixir each which was promised to heal even the deepest sword cut [d8+2 HP restored but the players don't know that, merely that it is healing, one dose], as well as a promise to be remembered if there were any quests that might serve Alathea and require their talents. A small amount of coin was disbursed as a gesture of good faith, and the party (rather to the disgust of the Summoner, Gratis) donated the tapestry with the disturbing designs they had liberated from the goblin chief's bedchamber. Alaric was rather insistent upon this - such an aura of harm was about it that he could not permit it to end up in the wrong hands.
Duty done, they tracked down Bertalac, the owner of the cart and cargo they had picked up at the Four Feathers inn along with Berignon. His warehouses and stabling was built right up against the inner face of the north-western walls of Corcelle. A stocky and prosperous fellow, he dressed plainly but in very high quality fabric.
His gratitude to retrieve his goods, which included incense for the imminent Spring Equinoctal celebrations centred upon Alathea's temple, was sufficient for him to offer banking services and a friendly jeweller who would buy the necklace they'd found in the goblin hoard in addition to a reward.
His gratitude to retrieve his goods, which included incense for the imminent Spring Equinoctal celebrations centred upon Alathea's temple, was sufficient for him to offer banking services and a friendly jeweller who would buy the necklace they'd found in the goblin hoard in addition to a reward.
Thus established, the party split. Dumnorix went to pray and sleep at the temple of his goddess [cleric of Alathea, raised in a monastery since an early age] while the others acted on Bertalac's advice and took rooms at The Wounded Gryphon. The landlord's brother is a captain in the Watch so there's never any trouble there, plus the chef is a genius and there's good stabling.
Next morning they met again at Bertalac's, sorted finances, named each other as beneficiaries in case of "permanent personal corporeal cessation", and then... went shopping!
[I award XP for coin spent, so there was excitement as their meagre totals started to tick over slightly. The dual-classers realised the price for their range of skills!]
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I hope you like my sketches (admittedly part-traced!) - I've been enjoying plonking them down on the table to aid my descriptions and the players have been sweetly generous with their approval.
Rab
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