The Moorhal Party

= Session 1 - A Sleepy Town = Author: Robin

Within the commons of Moorhal, in a particular inn, two young men; Yimir and Erwin were having their usual mug of ale. It was a rather calm day and not much was happening… until a rather peculiar man entered the inn inquisiting about some thieves. He appeared to be from the Gray North; a Norman and his name was Farsight. He asked the innkeeper but to no avail. However, the two young men who were there at that time decided to offer a helping hand. Erwin suggested talking with the guards as they may have confiscated his stolen items already and Yimir offered to talk to some of his contacts.

On their way out, they were met by a bunch of ruffians. Yimir recognized one of them: Teether; Lemur’s underling. Lemur was a loan-shark and Yimir owed him money… lots of it. However, with the help of his two new companions, they successfully infuriated Teether and fended him off, causing him to walk away, stomping in agitation.

Onwards from there, the group decided to split. Erwin and Farsight headed towards the Men-at-Arms whilst Yimir decided to resolve some business before paying a visit to his criminal contact. Yimir paid a visit to Lemur and the loan shark was as sly as ever in his words, offering the young man yet another job preposition and just like all others, it was a dirty, crooked task. He wanted Yimir to stop an elder-berry wine shipment and steal it, delivering it to Lemur. Yimir blatantly declined his offer, making it clear that he will get the money and he doesn’t want to be Lemur’s subordinate. Lemur was obviously infuriated by that, telling Yimir he’s made an unwise choice.

With that, Yimir exited Lemur’s place and headed towards someone else: his contact, to ask them about Farsight’s stolen belongings. Meanwhile, both Farsight and Erwin had already reached the guards and began talking to them. Erwin, having lived among the Men-at-Arms ever since he was a child, had no problems conversing with the guards and inquiring about any stolen items that they may have confiscated. However, it was to no avail as they knew nothing but before they left, Erwin was told that he might need to move out as new recruits may be moving in and he either needs to get recruited as well or find a new place to stay in. Erwin eagerly asked for methods on how to be recruited and he was given a task: to exterminate a brownie problem in Mr. Brocard’s fields.

On their way out, they met with Yimir again and accompanied him to meet his contact, an old man who was once known for his acts of thievery and not-so-good reputation. However, old man Morn had already left this life behind and fate has winded him up to now work with salt.

Yimir advised that he should go in alone and so he did. The stench of sweat and salt was strong but nevertheless, Yimir was not fazed. He greeted old man Morn and after some chattering and a promise for elder-berry wine, Morn told the young lad what he wanted to hear. A man that goes by the name Sheller was their new suspect. Yimir informed his companions and without wasting any time, they went to where Sheller resided; Tree Heath. Coincidentally, Yimir did not live far off from there as well. In fact, close enough that he’d count Sheller as his neighbor.

They reached Sheller’s house and with that, both Farsight and Yimir excused themselves and entered. After some talk, it appeared that Sheller DID have one of Farsight’s belongings; his flute. Runed and carved out of bone, it was unmistaken. This was Farsight’s flute. However, Sheller did NOT steal it. He acquired it from the market, from a particular musical instruments merchant. Convincing Sheller to aid the party in pinpointing this merchant and taking him to justice, although Yimir and Farsight had other plans in mind, including caving the merchant’s face in. Although they chose not to carry out their plans.

From Sheller’s house, they party, with Sheller accompanying them, went to the market’s district to ask about the merchant who, apparently, had already left and packed up his little stand. They deduced that he may have gone to the stables to either leave to his home or to escape town after selling other stolen goods. However, when they reached the stables, he was not there either. He was nowhere to be found.

Luckily, Erwin had the idea of talking with the Merchants’ Guild to inquire about this mysterious merchant and so they did, going to the Merchants’ Guild and asking about him. On their way to the guild, they were met with a Fire Mage praising the Fire Lord and telling passerby about his religion. He talked with the bunch, introducing Farsight to the Fire Lord’s religion, as he was a foreigner which was painfully obvious. He also handed them a book of lore which the Fire Mage believed could aid them. Finally, they reached the guild and to their surprise, this man was not registered as a merchant nor did they even have a musical instruments merchant. Defeated, they exited the guild. However, be it a stroke of luck or fate, Erwin met one of his fellow Men-at-Arms members who told him they have caught a fence; a merchant who sold stolen goods.

Hurriedly, they returned to the Men-at-Arms barracks where they finally found the merchant sitting across a table, regretting multiple of his life choices. All of Farsight, Sheller and Yimir had reasons to want to get physical with this guy. Farsight: for selling his precious flute, Sheller: for fencing him stolen items and Yimir: for wasting so much of his time. Yimir really just wanted to punch someone.

After some interrogations and suggesting from Erwin’s side, the merchant admitted to all his crimes, even telling Erwin who he got those items from: two teenagers, going by the names of Marcel and Hugh. He agreed to pay a fine as well as compensation for Sheller. After that, Erwin was praised by his superior in the Men-at-Arms and the group was rewarded in… stolen drums which they later sold at the market district. They got some good buck out of it as they were in good quality and shape.

Erwin then asked his companions to help him with his recruitment task, telling them that they’d be rewarded. Farsight did not mind as it would be a good relief of anger and Yimir did not turn down any opportunity to gain wealth. With so, they headed to the fields. They talked to the field owner; Mr. Brocard and inspected the area. Farsight spoke with his son and immediately realized something was wrong with him. After some brainstorming, the party realized that the goblins were not just mindlessly attacking, they wanted something from the inside. Erwin postulated that it might be the son’s statuette as it perhaps may belong to a shaman of the goblins, having been found by the boy on the fields. However, when they looked for the boy, he was nowhere to be found.

Brocard immediately panicked, envisioning every possible reason and possible outcome of his child’s disappearance and started rallying up some farmer mob to look for him. The group however were already on their way towards their destination; the broken watermill, after learning from the father that it was the boy’s favorite place. There, they did find the boy, standing amidst the darkness, scared and alone. However, as they approached him, they were attacked by a number of goblins and what they feared became reality, it was an ambush.

= Session Two: = It was dark, the boy was ahead, not listening to the calls by Erwin. Out of sudden, they got attacked. The goblin ambushed from the tall grass. The flicker of the torch held by Yimir, threw large ominous shadows as he defended with his sword, the goblins red eyes were reflected. They all were surrounded. Erwin rushed forward to save the boy who got struck down by the goblins. Farsight was surrounded by three goblins but got assisted by a Shedomite that leapt from the darkness to cover his back. Farsight has got a hard blow against his already broken helmet, blood spur from the open gash and he felt the stabbing pain in his arm from a savage blow. Farsight could see from far in the darkness the torches from the vanguard approaching, he shouted "Retreat", the Shedomite followed him. For a split second, Erwin was about to follow Farsight, but at a glance to the desperate screams of the wounded boy, he decided to try saving the boy but before reaching, he got knocked out and fell onto the ground by the repeated blows from surrounding goblins. The boy lay sprawled onto the ground, a grim sight. The goblins did not pursue the fight as they grabbed the idol from the dying boy.

At this moment, Farsight stopped and stood ground and prepared to counter-attack, the farmers with Brockard, the boy's father, rushed at the same time into the battle. The fight was short since the goblins were already retreating, disappearing into the darkness. The boy's father went to the knees, grabbing his dead boy in his arm, crying. Farsight stabilised wounds of Erwin and then approached Brochard and said, "No time for mourn, the danger is not over, we must pursue the goblins, and thereby avenge your boy's death". Brochard didn't listen. Erwin and Yimir were inclined to pursue as well and tried to convince the farmers to accompany them, but only one decided to follow them. During the preparations for departure, the Shedomite introduced himself as Rhei, who decide to aid their cause for the share of the bounty. Erwin and Farsight healed the party from wounds while the rest looted the remains of the goblins.

Then they pursued their foes. Farsight tracked the fleeing goblins to a cave. Erwin and Yimir proposed to smoke them out. So they gathered grass and branches, collected them at the cave entrance and created a fire whose smoke lingered into the cave. They waited for a while, but no goblin came out from the cave. They entered the cave after a few hours when the smoke has cleared out, encountering tombs and engravings on the walls. Erwin exclaimed, " It seems to be a resting ground for the First men". They found unconscious goblins on the ground that were killed and loot scattered around. Farsight become frustrated at the looting from the graves and said that he doesn't want to disturb the dead, "This would only anger the ancestors". They counted the bodies, it seems not to be all of them, and the idol was secretly recovered Rhei. As they were leaving, they heard at the cave entrance the howling of a wolfpack and as peering into the darkness, Farsight spotted the White Wolf, he recognized the beast. They decided to rest in the cave to wait for the pack to leave the area.

In the morning, the wolves appeared to have left. They started to walk the way back to the village. On the way, they met a cartographer, who rewarded them for the tales of their deeds and whereabouts of the cave, the tomb of the First men. At the village, a funeral was held, the party showed briefly their respect as they realised they were not welcomed to the village, Brochard was in grief and partly blamed them for the boy's death. So they left for Moorhal. At the gates of the town, they were halted by the guards who gave the Shedomite and the Northman an evil eye, but at the sight of Erwin, they all were let in by the gates.

In the town they reported to the Captain of the guard, Erwin gain as reward the first rank of the militia as a reward. Some of the loot from the merchant that sold stolen good was given as a reward as well, but Farsight was offended, they were stolen goods, not won in a fair fight. The Captain asked for help with the White Wolf, Farsight told him that this beast was summoned by accident by him during a ritual, the beast has followed him since then and Farsight wove to bring the matter to peace as soon as possible. On their way out from the guards quarters, Yimir heard a reward for finding the lost savings for a merchant.

= Session Three: = As they were resting at the Triumphant Lion they planned for the hunt of the White Wolf. Leaving the tavern, they met a herd with his sheep, gathering inside the wall to protect them from the wolves. They bargained for sheep, they bought three, planning to use them for bait. Farsight took the bounty he got for the goblins, departed and headed for Harding's place, the old ranger. He asked him for making a bow.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group strolled down one of the main streets of Moorhal, and Yimir bumped into a huge man, calling himself Fodel. Yimir grunted at the man, one word on top of another, lead to a quarrel and they began to fistfight. Yimir was soundly defeated, apparently, his first real loss. Erwin sighed and asked everyone to not stir up more trouble. Farsight appeared to the scenery when Yimir was laying on the ground, and he reached out his hand and said: "Don't lay there, get back at him". Yimir had enough and he went to his own quarters in town, his mothers home. During the day, some in the group become ill, fever and coughs.

At same time, Yimir was resting, Farsight borrowed some talents from Erwin and bough some arrows from Harding and the party had some ale at the tavern. As Yimir returned to the tavern, he tried making a concoction for the illness but failed alas, losing his tools for making his potions. So they went to a water priest to find a cure. The priest gave the cure as well asked for help to find some blessed weeds by the Water Lady, to be found near the river outside the town. As Erwin and Rhei were gathering ingredients for the water priest, Farsight hunted down some rabbits in the outskirts of Moorhal. The rabbit skin he sold, he now began to learn the art of trading in Vengard, so he managed to come by the talents he owed Erwin. The roasted rabbit over the open fire tasted well and Farsight shared this meat with Erwin and Rhei.

Back at the temple of the Water Lady, the priest rewarded them for the ingredients and bought their cure. In the late afternoon, they left Moorhal for the hunt of the White Wolf, and on the way through the gates, they overheard a tale of a missing caravan. They witness as they passed by several farms the rampage of the wolfpack, with breached fences, doors of booths and stalls. Farsight asked the others to look out for a hill on which they shall wait in for the wolfpack to attack them, and he added: "The White Wolf is after me, I angered a spirit who possessed the body of this wolf". Someone in the group then asked out loud, "But why then buying the sheep?". The found a good spot, a hilltop with a sharp cliff to cover their backs. They made a campfire. They heard the wolfpack, and they tethered the sheep near the cliffside of the hill.

As the wolf pack were closing in, Erwin lashed out with firebolts from his fingertips, taunting a group of wolves to attack. Farsight shouted, "to the ledge, don't get dragged down on the ground by the wolves!". Erwin got overrun and almost dying. Farsight prayed to the god of the spirit wolf for a merciful death of his kindred spirits he began to weave his dance with his spear. As Farsight lashed out with a firm hand, he hit twice and killed two of the wolves that were over Erwin. One that attacked Erwin retreated. Yimir and Rhei fought bravely against several wolves and both bitten by the wolves but Rhei rapidly delivered blow after blow and he showed off the wolves that were over Erwin. At the sight of the Erwin, passing slowly to death, Farsight went with one knee onto the ground, stabilised the wounds with a magical touch and forced into Erwin's mouth a content of healing potion that he got from the Captain of the guard. With Erwin back to the fight, they finally turned the tide to their favour and the wolves were retreating, but from the darkness, the White Wolf emerged. Farsight advanced but the White Wolf angrily clasped with his teeth onto the spear and tore the spear out of Farsight hands, as the spear landed few meters away, Rhei swiftly bent down and passed the spear back to Farsight and danced with no fear of death before the huge beast. Farsight followed the Shedomites lead and lashed out and delivered a hard blow. Farsight was astounded by the strength and the agility of the wolf. The White-Wolf snarled at him but focused on Rhei, ignoring Farsight's taunting: "It's me you want, attack me your beast". Suddenly Yimir passed by both of them, and he bashed the huge beast of the ledge and the White Wolf landed onto the ground with a whimper. They all looked over the ledge, seeing another pack of wolves were feasting on the sheep they brought with them and the White Wolf heading back upon the hill.

= Session Four: = Despite the best efforts of Farsight to calm the wolf spirit, the group ended up putting the beast down, along with the rest of its pack. The sheep did not make it.

Attracted by the sounds of battle, but too fearful to join in earnest, the group met another Shedomite merchant arrived on the scene to heal the wounded and dying. He also aggreed to assist the party in taking the spoils (furs, meat, etc) from the fight back to town.

Farsight decided to honour his kill by skinning the beast and cutting off its head, whilst Rhei and the other Shedomite gathered alchemical ingredients from the pack, including the white wolf's heart.

After returning to town in the early hours of the morning, Farsight immediatly headed to Harding's place to sell the pelts and commission armour made out of the white wolf remains.

Once the party had slept off the pains of the previous day, Yimir decided that he would be better off simply working off his debt directly; and left the party for good. The rest of the group decided to pay a visit to Count Sayer's castle to claim the bounty of the white wolf.

Farsight could not belive his eyes at the splendour of the castle, having apparantly grown up in a cave. In addition to his shock at the count's wealth (and despite warnings); Farsight refused to cease insulting the Count by mispronouncing his title. To add to and already bad trip, Farsight had already given away the wolves' head and pelt to Harding, and was unable to actually prove that the wolf was killed. Thankfully the party still had the wolves' heart. The count (annoyed with these antics) eventually set the gaurds on Farsight, before reluctantly paying the group for the bounty (albiet less than what was promised.)

After some hunting, herb gathering and the like; the day ended with the Shedomite being paid for his assistance in the form of a gemstone, and Farsight picking up his new fancy flute.

= Session Five: = A new member joins the group Jean the actor. Joining the group after a duel with farsight, ending in a concussion and nosebleed for Jean. allowed to join anyway and the party grew to 4 members.

Following this introduction, the group met Abraxes the evangelical Fire-preacher.He gave them the task of finding some enrubied chalices with religious significances to the church.After a “small” discourse Farsight and Braxis had a disagreement that ended in mutual threats of violence. After a small pause for Farsight’s allies to dodge out of the firing line- Braxis used his magics to chase out Farsight threatening his very soul.

Following this the group set off to the hottest shop in town;Fire and Sparks. While there they took on a new quest to clear out a local mine of minecrawlers so that the owner can get access to much cheaper ores.With his permission we were able to receive half the payment upfront worth of weaponry from the shop, and with a new plan to set traps for the minecrawlers the group set off for the mine. The group failed to evade some scavengers and ended up killing 5 of 6 of them.

After getting lost again the group met a strange blind lady who claimed to be a witch when they found her cottage in the hills. Sharing a chicken dinner, Farsight made a good impression on her who offered to teach him magic in exchange for helping her a few days of the week. As a reward for Erwin retrieving Hogweed for her potion-She awarded the group a chest that contained a magic pendant relating to the water circle.

The rest of the story is unfortunately lost...