Description
Ithel MacCarrick is the youngest son of the Earl of Kierney. He is tall, about 6 feet, with brown eyes, and dark brown hair that he keeps cut short. He can usually be found in an inn drinking, dicing, laughing, and hoping to hear about a chance at treasure and glory.
While he might be drinking with the commoners in the inn, it is quite obvious that he views them as beneath him. He is always quick to accept a free drink, but can rarely be found buying drinks for others.
He always has his trident by his side, and when it is in his hand it is almost like it is an extension of him.
Background
Ithel is the sixth child, fourth son, of the Brion MacCarrick, Earl of Kierney. Due to his noble upbringing, he was trained in weapons from a very early age. He sat in on discussions on running the earldom, even though he knew he would never inherit it. Because of this knowledge, Ithel rarely paid attention, and did little to learn these skills. He would much rather be in the practice yard fighting.
Ithel was trained in all manner of weapons, but did not excel with any of them. He would practice just as hard as anyone else, but just did not become proficient with them. It wasn't until he started to work with pole-arms that his talent began to show. In particular, he loved the trident. He began to work with it exclusively, and soon he was able to master the use of it. He was able to hold his own against three others wielding long swords.
In addition to his formal weapons training, Ithel could be found spending time with the court bard. It was not music or stories that he was interested in though. He discovered that not only was the bard a talented musician, he was quite adept with a dagger. Ithel wished to learn those same skills, as they could be quite useful if he ever found himself without a larger weapon. The bard taught him how to throw a dagger with deadly accuracy.
After mastering the dagger training, Ithel could be found with any number of daggers on him at any point in time. Everyone noticed the dagger at his belt, but only the more perceptive noticed the dagger handle sticking out of his boot sheath. However, anyone that thought those were his only weapons were sorely mistaken. With a flourish of his hand, he could make a deadly dagger appear in his hand. Another flourish and is was gone, back up his sleeve. This was true of both arms. In a flash these could be thrown with, and quite accurately.
As he got older, Ithel became tired of sitting in meetings all day and discussing business of the household. Wheat and hay just did not hold his attention. He decided to join the king's army. His father was proud of him, though saddened to see him leave. Ithel left home and made his way to Specularum. Once there he went to the barracks and inquired about joining the army. He me with some men there, and after a long discussion with them, plus a demonstration of his skills, he was in the army. Due to his noble birth, they made him a corporal.
After a couple of years in the army, and a few successful campaigns, he had attained the rank of captain. He had even been praised by the king for his deeds. His men followed him willingly and without question.
Then one one day, everything changed. His company was out in the countryside practicing, and in general keeping the land clean of brigands. Late one day his men brought a band of brigands before him in his tent. What happened next is a matter of speculation, as everyone involved is either dead or refuses to speak of the incident. The only thing that is known is that there was some yelling, then everything got quiet. When Ithel's Lieutenant and several of his Corporals entered his tent they found Ithel hunched over the dead bodies of the brigands wiping the blade of a dagger clean. When questioned, Ithel refused to say what happened. His Lieutenant, took him into custody, and the company began the long march back to the city.
Ithel was brought before the general, and when he refused to tell what happened, was court-marshaled and told to leave the city. Ithel, found an inn for the night and drowned all of his sorrows in ale. The next morning he struck off into the countryside to find glory and treasure on his own.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Friday, June 6, 2014
outer reaches rumors: greymarsh
While away from the others, Kragh has been in the nearby town of Greymarsh, hoping to discover some clues about the goblin illness, as well as to consult other healers in the town about possible remedies.
Though he was unable to turn up information of much use to that situation, he was made aware of the encroachment of the swamp to the east of town. It has been expanding for years, perhaps by a few yards, but the last two years especially have shown rapid growth of the swamp's borders, and those within the town have begun to worry. Several parties of scouts, along with a few knowledgeable trackers and herbalists, have been sent to investigate--each time, however, they are turned away by aggressive swarms of bees before they are able to penetrate the swamp's borders.
There are rumors of a local druid, the Keeper of Bees, and some blame him for the swamp's expansion. Others claim that danger lurks within the swamp, and that only he is able to keep it at bay--the bees are to protect those who would otherwise be in danger, by keeping them out of the swamp.
In any case, no one has been able to contact the Keeper of Bees for several months, and many have begun to worry. At the current rate of expansion, it could be as soon as two or three years before the swamp overtakes the road, and begins to eat away at Greymarsh!
Though he was unable to turn up information of much use to that situation, he was made aware of the encroachment of the swamp to the east of town. It has been expanding for years, perhaps by a few yards, but the last two years especially have shown rapid growth of the swamp's borders, and those within the town have begun to worry. Several parties of scouts, along with a few knowledgeable trackers and herbalists, have been sent to investigate--each time, however, they are turned away by aggressive swarms of bees before they are able to penetrate the swamp's borders.
There are rumors of a local druid, the Keeper of Bees, and some blame him for the swamp's expansion. Others claim that danger lurks within the swamp, and that only he is able to keep it at bay--the bees are to protect those who would otherwise be in danger, by keeping them out of the swamp.
In any case, no one has been able to contact the Keeper of Bees for several months, and many have begun to worry. At the current rate of expansion, it could be as soon as two or three years before the swamp overtakes the road, and begins to eat away at Greymarsh!
outer reaches rumors: sylvan tomb
Once the group returns to Riverside, they gather Kanaen and discuss their findings in the Spiderwood, and begin to plan a second trip to investigate the forest tomb.
Kanaen, while absent, had actually encountered another dwarf, who is visiting Riverside from the dwarf kingdoms in the mountains far to the north along the Whitewater River. The dwarf is an elder of the merchant caste, and is named Olin. He listens attentively as you share the details of the tomb, and shares his knowledge on the matter.
"Dwarves did not always toil beneath the ground--at least, not all of them. Several clans lived on the surface, farmers and shepherds, same as those folk who call Riverside home today. Our race has declined, and now shuns the surface, but this land once rang with dwarven hammers and speech.
The elves also inhabited this land long before humans came, and built their treehouses atop dwarven ruins, long since claimed by the forest. Not all of these ruins have faded with time, however, and some were repurposed by the elves, serving as homes, temples, that sort of thing, before the elves themselves were driven away. It sounds like you may have stumbled upon such a ruin, and one of significance! I would be interested in seeing this ruin myself, if you've a mind to have me along! My arms may be too old to wield an axe with much skill, but my legs still work, as do my eyes!"
Kanaen, while absent, had actually encountered another dwarf, who is visiting Riverside from the dwarf kingdoms in the mountains far to the north along the Whitewater River. The dwarf is an elder of the merchant caste, and is named Olin. He listens attentively as you share the details of the tomb, and shares his knowledge on the matter.
"Dwarves did not always toil beneath the ground--at least, not all of them. Several clans lived on the surface, farmers and shepherds, same as those folk who call Riverside home today. Our race has declined, and now shuns the surface, but this land once rang with dwarven hammers and speech.
The elves also inhabited this land long before humans came, and built their treehouses atop dwarven ruins, long since claimed by the forest. Not all of these ruins have faded with time, however, and some were repurposed by the elves, serving as homes, temples, that sort of thing, before the elves themselves were driven away. It sounds like you may have stumbled upon such a ruin, and one of significance! I would be interested in seeing this ruin myself, if you've a mind to have me along! My arms may be too old to wield an axe with much skill, but my legs still work, as do my eyes!"
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
outer reaches rumors: the master of songbirds
At the Gilded Goblet, in Riverside, after their venture into the Spiderwood...
Having sent her hawk, Huck, with instructions to seek out the Master of Songbirds, Granny waits anxiously for a response from the druid. Though they've never actually met, there's a mystical kinship between the two--it's almost as if the wilderness around Riverside has been shaped by the druid's presence, or perhaps is a reflection of it. All of these feelings lead Granny to believe him to be a warm, caring person.
Many of Riverside's folks have met him--he breezes through town on occasion, usually to consecrate the earth when a new farm is started, or to attend a local festival. And all tales of the Master of Songbirds tell of his namesake companions, a loyal flock of songbirds that fill the air with harmonies day and night when the Master is about.
The silence of the chill night air, after imagining the pleasant background noise of songbirds, is foreboding, and Granny can't help but fear for the safety of Huck. So it's not altogether surprising when the night's silence is disrupted by the awkward flapping of heavy wings, announcing Huck's return--and in an injured state.
Rushing immediately to examine the hawk, it's apparent that one of his wings has been pierced by a bolt, or perhaps an arrow. It's not a grave wound, and should heal in time, but explains the hawk's ungainly flight. Nestled gently in the hawk's talons is a tiny songbird, alive but weakened as with some malady, as well as a small bunch of purple flowers.
Granny recognizes the flowers immediately, having stumbled upon them in her wanderings with Kragh. The flowers are not native to the region, thriving instead in the wetlands further south, but the pair encountered several patches of them in the woods north and west of Riverside, perhaps a half-day's walk from the town.
The full context of the message, however--as clearly both the songbird and flowers were meant to serve as a message from the Master of Songbirds--remains a mystery.
Having sent her hawk, Huck, with instructions to seek out the Master of Songbirds, Granny waits anxiously for a response from the druid. Though they've never actually met, there's a mystical kinship between the two--it's almost as if the wilderness around Riverside has been shaped by the druid's presence, or perhaps is a reflection of it. All of these feelings lead Granny to believe him to be a warm, caring person.
Many of Riverside's folks have met him--he breezes through town on occasion, usually to consecrate the earth when a new farm is started, or to attend a local festival. And all tales of the Master of Songbirds tell of his namesake companions, a loyal flock of songbirds that fill the air with harmonies day and night when the Master is about.
The silence of the chill night air, after imagining the pleasant background noise of songbirds, is foreboding, and Granny can't help but fear for the safety of Huck. So it's not altogether surprising when the night's silence is disrupted by the awkward flapping of heavy wings, announcing Huck's return--and in an injured state.
Rushing immediately to examine the hawk, it's apparent that one of his wings has been pierced by a bolt, or perhaps an arrow. It's not a grave wound, and should heal in time, but explains the hawk's ungainly flight. Nestled gently in the hawk's talons is a tiny songbird, alive but weakened as with some malady, as well as a small bunch of purple flowers.
Granny recognizes the flowers immediately, having stumbled upon them in her wanderings with Kragh. The flowers are not native to the region, thriving instead in the wetlands further south, but the pair encountered several patches of them in the woods north and west of Riverside, perhaps a half-day's walk from the town.
The full context of the message, however--as clearly both the songbird and flowers were meant to serve as a message from the Master of Songbirds--remains a mystery.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
outer reaches #2: rewards!
Here's a breakdown of the XP rewards from the second session. It was a short session, and there wasn't a lot of combat, though the group did cover a lot of ground and accomplished a fair bit.
Goblins: 81 XP total
Award for averting the lumbermen's attack on Magnolia & Petunia: 200 XP
Award for discovering the source of the goblin malediction: 750 XP
Bonuses: 250 XP
Total: 1,281 XP
Divided by four players at the session, result is 321 XP per player, plus any applicable bonuses due to ability scores.
No loot to divide, this time!
Goblins: 81 XP total
Award for averting the lumbermen's attack on Magnolia & Petunia: 200 XP
Award for discovering the source of the goblin malediction: 750 XP
Bonuses: 250 XP
Total: 1,281 XP
Divided by four players at the session, result is 321 XP per player, plus any applicable bonuses due to ability scores.
No loot to divide, this time!
Friday, May 9, 2014
outer reaches #2: spinning threads
Wherein the heroes make new friends in the Spiderwood, sample some tasty treats, and save some townsfolk from themselves.
Having come together again after a season of downtime, our heroes reconvene at The Gilded Goblet (this time, minus Kragh, who is off investigating the source of the goblin malediction) to discuss new plans.
After some discussion--spurred by rumors of lumbermen and townfolk who want to "burn the witches" out of the Spiderwood--the heroes decide that their own investigation is in order, if for no other reason than to save the lumbermen from a grisly end entirely of their own making. If they aren't witches, then the townsfolk aim to murder and if the they are, they're likely to be murdered in the attempt. Ultimately, the decision is made for the heroes to seek out these "witches," and to make their own judgment.
The Spiderwood is not nearly as ominous as rumored, though it is heavily populated by its namesake arachnids. Before striking into the wood, they meet with Ford--chief among the lumbermen antagonists who aim to confront the witches--to dissuade him from pursuing the task without further investigation. By virtue of the charisma of the heroes, they succeed in delaying the group--at the same time gaining maps to the forest trails, along with the location of the witches' hut.
The hut, situated in the middle of an unnatural clearing in the Spiderwood, is found in short order. In front of the hut is a bubbling cauldron, attended by a haggardly old woman who occasionally samples the contents of the cauldron with wooden spoon. Upon approaching the hag, her companion--a bubbly, gentle old woman--enters the conversation, and introductions are shared along with a tray of candied spiders, which everyone enjoys. Petunia and Magnolia are new to the area--they leave the source of their arrival, and of the hut & clearing, shrouded in mystery--and offer their help to investigate the goblins, claiming that to best do so, they need a live specimen.
Feeling that this is a task easily accomplished, the group leaves Petunia and Magnolia--only to find themselves shrouded in darkness, and that hours have passed outside of the clearing while they were only within a short while. Unable to explain the phenomenon, they leave the forest, passing by an iridescent trail of spider webs which seems to beckon the group further into the forest.
Following trails discovered previously by Granny and Kragh, the party heads to the barrens north of Riverside, to the last known location of goblin attacks. Knowing the goblins to be feral and vicious in their attacks, leaving the slaughtered and eaten corpses of their victims, Nash lays a trap for the goblins, which succeeds in drawing the attention of seven diseased goblin warriors.
By the virtue of Granny's forest magic and the shafts of the heroes, all but one of the goblins are defeated and the other is brought in due course back to the Spiderwood. Hoping to discern the nature of the seeming magical passage of time, the party splits to deliver the goblin--but this effort is fruitless. Is it some magic of the witches? Of the Spiderwood itself? Or is it some property of the candied spiders, eaten earlier?
Petunia, the haggardly witch, receives the goblin and, before anyone can react, unceremoniously dumps it into the cauldron, sampling the result. As a sign of good will, Granny also samples the "stew," and her stomach roils. Magnolia directs her to consume a tea of amaranth to soothe the ill feeling, and Petunia holds up her end of the bargain. She claims to have known the source of the problem all along--a foul, bubbling pit far to the north of Riverside--giving the party more clues as to the origin of the problem, if not much help as to actually remedy the problem.
The heroes make to part ways with the witches, and they offer their own task to the group, with promise of reward. They seek a bejeweled diadem, which apparently lies somewhere in the Spiderwood, and while sharing no information regarding the properties of the item, they express gratitude that the group may deliver information about the diadem, should they come across it. The group leaves on good terms, disappointed in that the temporal phenomenon does not happen again.
The party delays until night time, hoping to encounter the iridescent spiderwebs again--but are again disappointed. Not willing to give up quite so easily, the party investigates further and eventually Daisy--following a hunch about moonlight--uses her mirror to discover the strands, which the party follows to an old stone tomb, covered in shadows and overgrowth, deeper within the Spiderwood...
Having come together again after a season of downtime, our heroes reconvene at The Gilded Goblet (this time, minus Kragh, who is off investigating the source of the goblin malediction) to discuss new plans.
After some discussion--spurred by rumors of lumbermen and townfolk who want to "burn the witches" out of the Spiderwood--the heroes decide that their own investigation is in order, if for no other reason than to save the lumbermen from a grisly end entirely of their own making. If they aren't witches, then the townsfolk aim to murder and if the they are, they're likely to be murdered in the attempt. Ultimately, the decision is made for the heroes to seek out these "witches," and to make their own judgment.
The Spiderwood is not nearly as ominous as rumored, though it is heavily populated by its namesake arachnids. Before striking into the wood, they meet with Ford--chief among the lumbermen antagonists who aim to confront the witches--to dissuade him from pursuing the task without further investigation. By virtue of the charisma of the heroes, they succeed in delaying the group--at the same time gaining maps to the forest trails, along with the location of the witches' hut.
The hut, situated in the middle of an unnatural clearing in the Spiderwood, is found in short order. In front of the hut is a bubbling cauldron, attended by a haggardly old woman who occasionally samples the contents of the cauldron with wooden spoon. Upon approaching the hag, her companion--a bubbly, gentle old woman--enters the conversation, and introductions are shared along with a tray of candied spiders, which everyone enjoys. Petunia and Magnolia are new to the area--they leave the source of their arrival, and of the hut & clearing, shrouded in mystery--and offer their help to investigate the goblins, claiming that to best do so, they need a live specimen.
Feeling that this is a task easily accomplished, the group leaves Petunia and Magnolia--only to find themselves shrouded in darkness, and that hours have passed outside of the clearing while they were only within a short while. Unable to explain the phenomenon, they leave the forest, passing by an iridescent trail of spider webs which seems to beckon the group further into the forest.
Following trails discovered previously by Granny and Kragh, the party heads to the barrens north of Riverside, to the last known location of goblin attacks. Knowing the goblins to be feral and vicious in their attacks, leaving the slaughtered and eaten corpses of their victims, Nash lays a trap for the goblins, which succeeds in drawing the attention of seven diseased goblin warriors.
By the virtue of Granny's forest magic and the shafts of the heroes, all but one of the goblins are defeated and the other is brought in due course back to the Spiderwood. Hoping to discern the nature of the seeming magical passage of time, the party splits to deliver the goblin--but this effort is fruitless. Is it some magic of the witches? Of the Spiderwood itself? Or is it some property of the candied spiders, eaten earlier?
Petunia, the haggardly witch, receives the goblin and, before anyone can react, unceremoniously dumps it into the cauldron, sampling the result. As a sign of good will, Granny also samples the "stew," and her stomach roils. Magnolia directs her to consume a tea of amaranth to soothe the ill feeling, and Petunia holds up her end of the bargain. She claims to have known the source of the problem all along--a foul, bubbling pit far to the north of Riverside--giving the party more clues as to the origin of the problem, if not much help as to actually remedy the problem.
The heroes make to part ways with the witches, and they offer their own task to the group, with promise of reward. They seek a bejeweled diadem, which apparently lies somewhere in the Spiderwood, and while sharing no information regarding the properties of the item, they express gratitude that the group may deliver information about the diadem, should they come across it. The group leaves on good terms, disappointed in that the temporal phenomenon does not happen again.
The party delays until night time, hoping to encounter the iridescent spiderwebs again--but are again disappointed. Not willing to give up quite so easily, the party investigates further and eventually Daisy--following a hunch about moonlight--uses her mirror to discover the strands, which the party follows to an old stone tomb, covered in shadows and overgrowth, deeper within the Spiderwood...
Monday, March 24, 2014
in-character comments and replies
First, a general update. Things are going well with the newest addition to our family, Lucile, and I'm hoping to be able to host a game some time in the coming weeks. More on that as details become available.
Second, regarding in-character posts and comments. Several players have posted character backgrounds or stories, and I have provided XP rewards for this. I encourage anyone interested to submit their own!
Some have also replied in-character to some of my posts, and I've followed up to progress the story. In doing so, however, I have learned that players don't necessarily receive notifications of new comments, only new posts. So if you've responded to a post at any time in the past, please check in to see if I've managed a response. You can subscribe to each post, if you're interested, when leaving comments. I've tried to create interesting new story threads--whether or not these make it into the next session, or whether they're discarded is entirely up to you guys.
I'll send out a pre-session recap with any new developments resultant from the blog comments, so that you guys can decide on a course of action prior to the session.
Second, regarding in-character posts and comments. Several players have posted character backgrounds or stories, and I have provided XP rewards for this. I encourage anyone interested to submit their own!
Some have also replied in-character to some of my posts, and I've followed up to progress the story. In doing so, however, I have learned that players don't necessarily receive notifications of new comments, only new posts. So if you've responded to a post at any time in the past, please check in to see if I've managed a response. You can subscribe to each post, if you're interested, when leaving comments. I've tried to create interesting new story threads--whether or not these make it into the next session, or whether they're discarded is entirely up to you guys.
I'll send out a pre-session recap with any new developments resultant from the blog comments, so that you guys can decide on a course of action prior to the session.
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