Shorticus — Roleplayer Guild

@Mardox@Eklispe@Lauder@Lexicon@Wernher@Tracyarmav@babbysama@Jangel13

Serheim finds himself welcomed as warmly as can be expected by the Gearalti people. Though at first the negotiations were dull and dry and the Gearalti chief was not enthused with the goods Serheim had brought, the Gearalti proved hospitable. It was over longer, more personal talks at night that the Gearalti chief and Serheim come to an accord: what the Gearalti really needed was food. They would trade goods to be sure, but during the winter months the Gearalti would want food instead of goods.

With that information, and with some respect shared between the two leaders, Serheim is free to return to his village. Trade will begin at the start of the next season.

(@Lauder Trade route with Gearalti established)

It takes the better part of a few weeks for Seòras to fashion together the traps he needed. Using helpers drawn from the kerns when they were not sowing the fields, Seòras managed to create a series of traps which would serve the clan well. They will have to be placed and prepared in advance, but nevertheless would be deadly enough. Perhaps they could be poisoned or enchanted, even. Either way, these traps will protect the clan.

(@Jangel13 -25 goods)

The Barrows

Maire's expedition starts enough. She and her companions travel north-east where long blades of grass on gently rolling hills sway pleasantly in the breeze. It's a fair country, to be sure. The land certainly looks fertile, the grass is lush and full of color... It seems rather surprising that nobody has settled the region yet, really. 

No matter. The walk gets a bit rough for Maire, given her size, and for Alban, given his age and thinness. The further the group travels, the harder the going gets, and as dusk comes closer the sky becomes cloudier. But there are small patches of sweetgrass to be found, much to the kerns' delight, and they seem to grow thicker as the group heads up the tallest of the hills.

Something gnaws at the back of Maire's mind, telling her this could be a bad idea, but the group continues anyway. But when they crest the top of the hill, everyone in the party comes to a halt.

In the midst of a series of hills is a low valley, and in the midst of the valley is a huge mound. From the top of the mound jut four tall runestones, upon which are carved words in an old, old tongue. None of her compatriots can understand what they say, but Maire is a learned woman. These are the words of Ancient Urlandi. She's able to make out the words on one runestone, faded though they are:

Here they lie, our brothers bold
Whose hearts were pierced with the pale
Heroes now stiff, dead and cold

We laid them with splendid gold
Their deeds to you we would regale
But this warning must be told

The third runestone in the series is broken, and so it cannot be read. But there is more on the fourth:

So wake not our bravest dead
Whose hearts were pierced with the pale
Lest by you they shall be fed

While the full story isn't available, there is certainly something ominous about the warning, though the last line is confusing. Maire does not have time to ponder its meaning, however. As she finishes reading, she hears old Alban yell "MOVE, MAIRE!" at the top of his lungs. She's shoved, and then she hears a scream from behind her. She looks over as quick as she can, and what she sees is horrific.

Alban stands where Maire stood but a moment ago, his arm being yanked free of his body as a monster tackles him to the ground and gnaws on his flesh even as he's still alive. The gallocmen react quickly, rushing forward to assist the old man, but it's too late. Cathair helps Maire to her feet as quick as he can and yells to the others, "More are coming! We have to get out of here!"

Everything that follows is a bit of a haze. Maire remembers the sky being black and the runes on the stones glowing a terrible, throbbing red. She remembers one of the gallocmen staying behind to hold off the monsters so the others can flee. And then she remembers herself, Cathair, and a young warrior standing far away from those hills, panting for breath and leaning on walking sticks. Miraculously, Maire and Cathair managed to carry with them a copious supply of sweetgrass, but that doesn't make the day any less grim.

Something is very wrong in the Hidden Valley.

(@Lexicon -1 Kern, -1 Gallocman, sweetgrass discovered, The Barrows discovered)

Dunald's sacrifice to Lugibaid is not immediately answered. He presents a traditional sacrifice first - seven cows' worth of goods - but it becomes clear that something more is needed. So, he arranges for three cows to be sacrificed with the goods, and this is enough to earn Lugibaid's favor. The soil will be fertile this year, and the harvest should be good.

(@babbysama -7 goods, -3 cattle. Lugibaid gives us the Good Soil blessing.)

While Domagoj isn't able to create a vast quantity of his concoction to increase the health of the crops, Domagoj is able to devise a means of producing such a thing. It will take considerable time to gather all the ingredients necessary, however. It will cost some treasure to hire the workers to gather the goods, and the clan's kerns won't be willing to do this work during Rain season. Crops need to be planted still, after all.

(@Tracyarmav Will cost 10 goods to produce enough of the stuff to make the clan's crops healthier. You can make it in the Fire and Ash seasons.)

Titania makes good progress while training the youths to fight. Kerns and would-be gallocmen alike benefit from her lessons, and the help from Fintan proves surprisingly useful. Their progress isn't enough to really count for much in battle yet, but given another half-season or so of training, some quality fighters might be produced from these efforts.

(@Eklispe)

Though he once wanted nothing more to get away from the forge, Ardghal finds himself before it again, beating iron in a rather dispassionate manner. It isn't that he wants to be here, but that he needs to. The clan needs good weapons and armor, and he's one of the few that can provide that.

His work isn't what anyone would call a masterpiece. Ardghal knows that. However, he fashions some good swords, axe heads and spear heads, and he makes reinforcements for wooden shields. It's a good start, but the work leaves Ardghal worn out and bitter. The forge reminds him too much of the days when he labored under the guidance of his father. His last words to his father... before King Harlaus had him...

Ardghal tries not to think about those words he said. His father was a brave man. He deserved better.

(@Mardox You've fashioned together some solid equipment at a relatively low cost - 5 goods - but will suffer a -1 penalty to all rolls for this turn due to bitter memories of the past that won't go away.)

Eliz and her companions make their way to the Stormcaller tribe. Eliz and her group are welcomed warmly by the Stormcaller Clan who recognize them as being from Clan Aonghus. Like Clan Stormcaller, Clan Aonghus sided with the Storm Giants long ago, though perhaps not so zealously. Clan Stormcaller has always felt a sort of kinship with them, even though they are not allies.

However, Eliz's behavior is enough to bring about a whole lot of ire from the Stormcallers.

"You insult us with your demands," one of the members of Clan Stormcaller's Council shouts. "You insult us even further by suggesting that we should be honored to acquiesce because 'the gods will it!' We have our own task from the Tuad Rithe, and we will not have you and your clan treating us as lapdogs!

"We will tell you nothing of Stormpeak, give you no aid, and we will certainly not forget the insult Clan Aonghus has brought upon us!"

It is a fruitless venture, and although Eliz hoped to learn something of value from the Stormcallers, she instead learns nothing. She and her band of gallocmen continue on their trek to Stormpeak with plans to conduct a cattle raid on Clan Nightfell along the way.

Word reaches the Clan Aonghus Council of the diplomatic faux passe performed by Eliz days later. Apparently, Clan Stormcaller is very angry.

(@Wernher You should be done exploring and back home within a turn.)

Waning Rain

Strange Rains

Unsurprisingly, heavy rain is not uncommon in the Rain season. However, these rains have been unrelenting.

The clouds have been gray and have covered the sky, preventing good sunlight from reaching the crops for a week on end. Moreover, the land could very well flood if the water keeps on coming at the rate it does. Clan Aonghus is situated right by the river, and while that means crops are more fertile, it also means that flooding is much more real risk for the clan.

But the strangest thing is that other clans haven't come forth looking for help with the potential floods, and that's normally exactly what they do at a time like this. In fact, traders entering our land aren't even talking about the weather, save to be exclaimed that Clan Aonghus is getting "such good rain." That probably means other clans are not suffering as we are.

Given the suspicious nature of the matter, the Council has decided to meet and determine what to do. Something MUST be done, after all, or there could be a flood. There is some push, too, for the Council to figure out what is causing these strange rains.

(@Mardox@Eklispe@Lauder@Lexicon@Tracyarmav@babbysama@Jangel13)

Crooked Horns

Ardghal and Titania are training with the other gallocmen. It's a rainy day, as it has been for the last several days. The Council will be meeting later today to discuss the matter, but a little bad weather never stopped a warrior from getting a good workout.

The two of them decide to spar with one another. The fight is a good one, and some folks come to watch. Suddenly, Ardghal trips in the mud, and most expect Titania to finish the battle. Instead, she and Ardghal both notice something in the ground by his foot: a large piece of bone.

The two of them get the other gallocmen to help them investigate the matter, and some nearby kerns come about and bring shovels. Before long, they reveal a large, monstrous skull in the ground, and everyone knows what it is: the skull of a small dragon. What's more, it's in very good condition, and there are two large horns sticking out from its head.

Dragonbone is a marvelous substance, and it could be put to good use. A dragon's horns are perhaps even more valuable. Now, as the discoverers of this beast's head, it's up to Ardghal and Titania to decide what is to become of the skull that the clan had been marching over for seasons.

(@Mardox@Eklispe)
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