17-NOV-2007

Post date: Mar 3, 2008 4:08:05 AM

Begin the quest to help Zenda move on.

Start learning how Moonstraddle became a duskblade?

Did I hear Elgin Tarcik is returning to Troll's Bridge?

Adventure II – The Anniversary

Plot

A week after Zenda's funeral is the seventh anniversary of the fall of Walton and of Manty's going missing. Zenda has been keeping watch in the cellar until the wall has been repaired. She has also shown the orcs that the area is now haunted and they pass the area quickly when traveling through the sewers.

As it is the anniversary of the fall of Walton, Baron Donamal holds open court at Schloss Tanglewood Zuooririmystos. Any who wish an audience are granted one. This is an opportunity to address the orcish activity in the sewers with the lord.

Once the activities are concluded at the castle, the company starts following Zenda's suggestion to check for any of Manty's etchings on the stone used to build the walls around Troll's Bridge.

Characters

Antagonist(s)

The Town Council

Protagonist(s)

The Company

Setting

Court at Schloss Tanglewood Zuooririmystos

The walls of Troll's Bridge, inside and out

Plot Complication

While at court, anyone on the town council that knows that anyone of the company is going to take advantage of an audience with the baron makes contact with the company members and requests that no mention of a troll be made in court. Statements about a troll living under the bridge will be met with disbelief, denial, ridicule or silence.

Producing proof of the presence of a troll will bring scorn from Guildmaster Roston, Elán (if present) and Aleric Gorkan (even though he is not part of the council). Guildmaster Anvil will show disappointment in the whole situation. The Wizard and Wisewoman will reveal no reaction and remain silent. Captain Haller will become stone-faced and struggle to remain calm. The Teton Ambassador will show surprise and then give the council a disapproving look and a low growl.

The assembly will gasp in horror, but Donamal will quickly inject some levity into the situation with a chuckle and thank the individual for the anniversary entertainment and launch into the story of the founding of Troll's Bridge.

The incident will be quickly forgotten, however, the whole scene will be a distraction that can be taken advantage by at least one other member of the company.

Rising Action

Finding any sign of Manty on the walls is a matter of luck, which the company is granted almost immediately upon looking on the outside walls. Deciphering Manty's code will need to be a collaborative effort, but ultimately puzzled out by Char.

The clues in the code take them to the northern most section of the wall where they find the now filled in pit they had been in a week earlier. The stone right above where the secret door is, at ground level, has one of Manty's codes on it. It is his code for “taken” and dated two months ago!

The discussion upon determining this is where could Manty have gone. Rebelton is where he sent his family before the disaster, so where else would he start looking?

Climax

While discussing the best and fastest way to travel to Rebelton, a large eagle lands at the edge of the woods and transforms into a humanoid. This is Ksirb Emitae, the elven vampire that has been teaching Moonstraddle the ways of the duskblades. He suggests meeting back here, outside the gates in the morning and he will escort them to Rebelton and further Moonstraddle's training along the way.

Dénouement

Entering Troll's Bridge, they find that Elgin Tarcik has returned and they follow him back to Schloss Tanglewood OM to witness his return, Senafar's suit against Lord Donamal over the seizure of her ship and crew and the coup by the Town Council to take control of Troll's Bridge.

Drokalar is the name of the troll encountered at the secret entrance to the sewers. This information was given to Hurley by the Wisewoman during the event at the castle.

While Hurley is addressing the Baron and assembly about the orc invaders that killed his grandmother, Baron Donamal announces that the leader of the orcs that have been invading cellars has been captured and "properly" incarcerated and is being questioned.

Drokalar and his followers are specifically granted rights to enter Troll's Bridge. This is an amendment to the town's charter as discovered by Char. Char brings this up in front of the assembly during the event at the castle. There are several negative reactions from various dignitaries, but the Baron deflects the issue and blusters into the tale of the cataclysm and founding to the town.

Bam-Bam, having sneaked into the dungeons of the castle, witnessed Drokalar torturing an orc in the presence of...another orc. This torture is also witnessed by at least one human gaoler from the castle.

To the dismay of the town, Elán has returned from a several months long absence. Alric questioned her about the whereabouts of Elgin Tarcik. She was particularly vile in her display of pleasure at Elgin's predicament, but she was also hiding something. Alric did not pursue this any further out of "respect" of her powers.

Alric was welcomed into the company after inquiring about the mysterious cloaked figure conversing with Moonstraddle; thinking it might be Elgin Tarcik.

This evenings activities is worth 60 XP for each character.