Damn Elf Press

With little more than some bits of gear, a rusty sword, battered shield, and padded armor, Beck strode out of the simple cottage. His mum was gone away for work. She left early most mornings, spending her day in a large weaving room owned by Agnes Gum. Miss Agnes, as she was known, was a shrewd businesswoman. Thrifty, always looking for a deal, but not in a miserly sort of way. Beck’s mum, Koralee, enjoyed the work and the company of the other weavers–women, young, old, married, and maidens, all would find work turning wool into cloth and garments for sale.

Beck thought of his mother as he pulled the fine green cloak around him. Winter was just settling into its own. Cold days would lay in store for awhile. Beck was now a man and today marks the day he has decided to become an adventurer. He will forgo the life of a laborer. It is more than a lust for silver. Beck ached to see what lies beyond the hedgerows and fields of Bree. The Five Kings rose majestically to the north. Oh, how he wished to see the a dwarven citadel! But first, young Beck must earn some travel money.

Sheriff John Briarfoot won’t help him. He would shake his head in disapproval at the mention of an adventurer’s life. “You are too smart, or at least I had believed so, to go wandering off into the wilds!” the hobbit would tell him. Standing only three feet in height, the hobbit had to look up to address Beck. But he could use a long knife like nobody’s business. Beck was an observant lad and the old hobbit had even taught him the basics of swordplay.

Beck’s father was a soldier and seemed better suited for that life than one of husband and father. Beck has last seen the man three years ago and could remember the look in his father’s eyes, constantly searching the horizon. He figured that his dad was wanting to be on the move again. As Beck grew older, he thought that instead his dad was doing what all old soldiers do…keeping guard.

When the spring came again, his father left to rejoin the army. The last Beck had heard was that he was somewhere to the east, fighting in a region called the Fish Marches. Beside his mother, Beck received guidance from John Briarfoot, the town sheriff and also the Reverend Mother of St George’s Church. She was better known as Mother Patience. It was a name well fitting, for she showed an infinite amount of this virtue in keeping Beck on a good course. But for today, Beck was avoiding both of these people. He was of age and had the right to make his own path, but he wanted to avoid the tearful face of his mother or the disapproval of Mother Patience. Sheriff John would simple shake his head and tell Beck that he was a lunatic.

The Dead Pony Inn, Bree’s one and only Inn, was another place he would avoid for now. Myra Stormcrow, the Innkeeper, would laugh in Beck’s face and so would the townsfolk. Myra was a straight talking woman and tougher than about anyone Beck had ever known. Beck imagined the day when he’d return in triumph to the little town. He would throw a full coin purse on the bar and buy a round for all. Then they would see how he was meant to be an adventurer. For today, he would avoid it.

Beck spends the morning wandering the fields and grasslands north of Bree. He passes the burned out shell of the old mill. It is a blackened pile of timbers and rubble on the banks of the river. A quick look around the ruins results in nothing.

He continues north toward a grove of beech trees. The day is growing cloudy and getting colder. His goal for the walk is to find a hedge mage called Otis Bramble. He is an affable, yet eccentric fellow, as all magic-users seem to be. Beck hoped the wizard would give him some small quest or secret locale to explore. No luck for today. Wrapping his cloak tighter, Beck makes his way back to town.

Beck strolls through the open marketplace of the town. It sits adjacent to the inn and the church. Beck is looking for any visiting merchants. A couple long wagons stand the edge of the green. Beck approaches a lad that looks a year or two older than he was.

[GM note ~ I rolled Beck’s oratory skill, roll=9, success!]

Beck has a friendly chat with the young guard. He learns that bandits are still a problem on the road north to the keep on the borderlands. Goblins have also become more bold lately. They have tried to steal goods from camped merchants and even taken a few lone merchants by surprise, sometimes killing or other times kidnapping the merchants for pay. It has even been rumored amongst the men-at-arms that several orcs were seen moving into the woods to the north. Orcs has been scarce for as long as Beck could remember. The orc war twenty years ago had pushed an orcs back into their ancestral mountains.

The youth looked important in his boiled leather armor. He was holding a crossbow and had a sword on his hip. Beck knew that hiring on as a merchant guard was little pay for mostly routine work. He would bet that the weapons and armor were property of the merchant. The young guard told Beck that the merchant is hiring and he could probably join up now for the trip north to the keep. Then it would mean a few days of waiting for the merchants to conclude their transactions and then a return trip to the midlands for more supplies. Beck shuddered at the thought of the monotonous existence this would be. At least as long as the merchant wagons were well guarded. If not, then the danger may come suddenly in a career ending moment.

Beck thanks the lad and walked away. He thought of seeking out the town’s most interesting man, the wizard Cornwall. Folks called him Cornwall the Odd due to the fact that he seemed off kilter. He was quite lucid at times and then again, one may find him sitting on the roof of his hut, singing at the moon. It didn’t help any matters that his hut was enchanted. The body was a cozy little cottage, but it sported a pair of long chicken legs on which it would often strut through the town, much to the dismay of many townsfolk.

Cornwall was a powerful wizard but he’d forgot that. If the town would ever face a horde of orcs, they would have to hope Cornwall was in one of his lucid moments. The wizard was cursed and many visitors had come to the town to help him, but nothing had ever worked. Now he spends his time looking for his hut or playing noughts and dragons with Sheriff John at the Dead Pony Inn.

Beck found the wizard sitting on the roof of his chicken hut. He was repairing the thatch at the peak. “She get’s a little rambunctious sometimes and shakes out some of her thatching. I’d ask you to help, but last fellow that climbed up here, she trotted over to the river and chucked him out the front door.”

Beck didn’t like the thought of being spit out by an enchanted hut. “Good morning, Master wizard! I’ve decided to take a trip and need a little travelling money. Where would you begin to look for treasure around Bree?”

[Rolling an oratory check…8…success!]

GM Notes ~ I made a table of possible adventure sites around Bree. All these sites will be explored in the near future, hopefully.

1. The barrow-downs
2. The fens
3. Fort Halberd
4. The standing stones
5. The spiritwood
6. Castle Maub

Roll=2, the fens.

Cornwall the Odd tells Beck of the dangers and possible treasures of the fens south of Bree. He warns Beck to avoid any floating lights and that bandits may use the marshland for a hideout. Also, Brannog the Witch lives on the southwestern edge of the swamp. If she is in a foul mood, it is best to run the other way.

Cornwall gives Beck a silver coin. It is marked with a rune and will denote the bearer as a friend to the dwellers in the Spiritwood. Beck has been told since he was a child to stay away from the Spiritwood.

Tomorrow he will begin his search of the fens.

GM Notes ~ This session was a ton of narrative influenced by the dice. Depending on my mood, I may write more or less. My goal is to use these sessions to build my campaign world through gameplay. Experience has shown me that I dislike the recording of each roll. To me, that’s really tedious. I do make note of the rolls in my game journal, but for the blog I write a narrative of the action with GM notes added.

Dear Readers ~ If you have any questions about my play report, please send me a comment. Feedback is always much appreciated!

More to come!