SUMMARY

Session of January 11, 2004

Covering noon Sunday, 26 Greenmoon, through evening Sunday, 10 Workmoon, CY 937

"Saving Hillbay... Again"


So, you sold Found Castle back to Jalminx of the Pirates, for 4000 Gold. Nicely
done. But he paid you only 3200, and a team of mules. The remaining 800 Gold,
he said, awaited you in the town of Innport on Lake Skaya, a couple of weeks journey
north. Just go to the Inn there and mention his name. There is only one Inn in Innport...

You then made your way out of the Sangradoro Mountains, back to Hillbay -- only to
find it burning, its citizens holed up in Relmin's temple and Kursky's stockade.
Quickly you assaulted the assaulters, making them the assaultees, and...

[trumpets sound]

For your courageous and dart-brilliant defeat of the Ogres and their pet Dire
Wolverine, the liberation of that fair metropolis we all have grown to be annoyed
with, Hillbay; for your dedication to informing the royal family of their cousin's
sad fate; for your perseverence despite the embittering meeting with actual royalty;
for your general niceness in the buying of pies and the healing of wounded strangers
in burgs along the way -- you are each awarded 1128 Experience Points.

Furthermore, as Tak guest-carves the fatted hog and Footstool gets sloshed with
the newly battle-tested Relmin, as Meyer's daughter washes Fimbulwinter's life-giving
beard and as Thaed plays cards with townsfolk who baselessly assume he is cheating,
the Drunken Gnome Bard Curly Mingella rewards you all with an epic song of your deeds,
the chorus of which, sung loud, repeatedly, and messily into the night by all the
town, runs usually as follows:

They saved the girls and saved the tavern
And chased out all the goons!
Then off they went to avenge the dead
We knew they'd return soon!
But in that time the town did burn
Our silver luck did swoon!
Till Tharamil's bow and Thaed's thrown dagger
Did make the giants stagger!
Then we had a
Happy happy happy night!
A big big big big feast!
We danced, we sang
To have won the fight
And only lost our yeast... [tempo change] ...y beverages!
Yeasty beverages!
With hops and barley and malt stuff too!
Sure, we must import more brew!
If only Aziz or Thoor could dooooo...
Some magic trick to get us throoooough...
We'd be HAPPIER!
Our feast would be BIGGER!
Bigger, Happier, Toastier, MORE!
Taller than Tak! Wider than Fim!
Fun as an elfin sorceress whore!
Our heeeeroes great -- FOREVERMORE!

Well, it's a hit in Hillbay.

After the feast, you faced many days' ride north, traveling the one main highway
that crosses Delran, through the many small burgs such as Graeterville (whose founder,
Sam Graeter, operates the river ferry) and tasty Piedale, and the recently destroyed
(by Savannahan raiders) Pikeman. Until at last you reached the capital of Delran,
Dunlevao, a walled city -- sealed to all traffic due to the war with Savannah.
Forced to camp outside, you nevertheless were able to fenagle at least Aziz's entry,
and he met with Seven. That's right, son of King Declan VI of Feyl Donok, and advisor
to Delran's King Curdan II.

Seven, however, was not out to win any Miss Congeniality award. He "accepted" the
royal amulet and the journal of his murdered and mysterious cousin Quenlin Iverlin,
without so much as batting an eye at your revelation that that royalty was living
the life of a ditch-digger in the remotest village of Delran. And with scant thanks,
he sent you on your very irked way.

From Dunlevao, the road brought you to the shore of Lake Skaya, and you hired a boat
to cross to Innport. Crossing took a full day, and in the evening you arrived
at the Welcome House, a branch of the Inn, in Innport. Said the boatman en route,
"That's right, just one Inn in the whole town. Competition opened once I recall,
but a tragic fire burned it out pretty soon. Just one Inn, and its Welcome House.