Adventure Thread

Some suggested that they hold the meeting in the tavern (The Stag at Sunset), some said town hall would be more appropriate, but in the end, Sister Inna prevailed, and the meeting was scheduled in the chapel.

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The sun droops in the heavens as the village of Hillshire gathers. Oswing the chandler is first, as always, to pick out the best seat in the chapel. The Godric and Aelfwyn, the weavers. Walter the stonemason, Osbert the tanner, and Hawise the tavern keeper. The crowd grows, as does the noise in the sacred edifice. Old Hobb Puddlefoot plunks down in his usual pew and stretches his feet out in front of him. Several newcomers to Hillshire join the meeting as well: Orm, Lillit, Ivar, and Llewellyn.

Once the room is full to bursting, Sister Inna emerges to stand in front of the crowd. Nikkghak slips out behind Inna to take a position along the side wall.Sister Inna waves a hand in the air, "Thank you for gathering my friends and neighbors. Let's get started."

Cuthbert, the blacksmith, cups his hands around his mouth and shouts: "'Bout time, Sister! We've been waiting. You started the meeting late!" His wife places a hand on his arm and gives him a stern look.

"I truly apologize. I know that the news has troubled all of us. I may not be dealing with these recent events as well as others. I know that I..." Inna's voice catches, tears pool at the edges of her eyes. She shakes her head and straightens, "I'm sorry. We need to do something to recover our captured loved ones. We cannot allow this demonic faction to pollute our valley. We need to launch an expedition to rescue them."

Margery, the baker, stands, "Yes, but we don't even know where they took them." Several other villagers nod and then turn to look at Sister Inna again.

"That was true," Inna waves to Warin, "but Warin has some information that he would like to share. Come on up, Warin."

Warin the trapper stands slowly and waves off Inna's request to walk to the front. "I can speak from here. You all know me. I spend long bouts of time in the wilds, hunting and trapping. Recently I was tracking a deer north along the mountains and happened upon a group of robed individuals outside of the huge cave there." He looks around the crowd. "Some were guarding and several crews were carving ornate columns around the mouth of the cave."

Sister Inna coughs. "After talking to Warin and several eyewitnesses we believe that this is the same group that stole our friends."

"But what do you want us to do about it?" Cuthbert shouts.

"I am hoping that several brave souls will volunteer to travel north, find this cave, find out lost loved ones, and return them to the village." Sister Inna scans the crowd, searching for eyes with bravery, with the glint of adventure, those who would protect the weak and helpless. She crosses her arms.

Some of the village look around, others look towards the ground; the silence grows.

Cuthbert stands, a scowl on his face. His wife pulls at his jerkin. "Now, that ain't fair, Hobb!" He shouts. "I would go, but I must see to my business. Not all of us have delusions."

Inna steps forward and waves Cuthbert down. "No need for raised voices in this sacred place, friends. Thank you Hobb and Ivar and Llewellyn and Lillit and Orm. We will provide you with what few supplies we can as you travel and of course, I will invoke the blessing St. Terragnis if you so desire." She turns to Warin, "How many days' ride to the mouth of the cave?"

Warin places a hand on his neck and rubs slowly. "Oh, I don't know day, day and a half if ye hurry." He looks at Llewellyn. "The cave used to be empty. Twas a good place to wait out a storm. Several winters ago, I found a bear and her cub holed up there." He nods as his mind wanders into the past. "But the place is swarming now with these cloaked and hooded fellows, I couldn't get close enough to get a good look without them noticing me. Some of them looked fairly tough to me."

I nod to Sister Inna acknowledging her response. Supplies and a blessing. Gede was more my patron, but I wouldn't argue with a free blessing, now with the Gods at this time; it was unwise. I took what was being offered and it was a motley band of people and sparse supplies and some grim hope we could rescue the lost. Then there was the matter of the cave. I added myself in for what it was worth after Warin.

"It doesn't sound like it is too extensive of a cave; we should make haste. These poor victims will likely be taken for some fell ritual, or some sick sacrifice these robed people are up to," I suggest in way getting on with the recovery effort. "These strange cult-like bands of people, they exist in the outlands, too, raiding for victims to do their dark deeds. They'd make warbands of orcs or goblins or both to run down unsuspecting villages like mine."

Sister Inna gathers the group together and lines them up before the altar. Three humans, one dwarf, one goblin, and a halfling. Inna looks out to the crowd, "I will bestow upon our heroes a blessing from St. Terragnis and I will ask her to name our adventuring party." Inna lays her hands on Ivar and Llewellyn's shoulders, closes her eyes, and invokes her god. "Oh powerful, Terragnis, knight of righteousness and justice, bless these gathered here as they depart from our small village to rescue our friends and family. Bless them that they will be guided, that they will know right from wrong. Bless them that they might have their eyes opened to see things that may be hidden. Give them wisdom. Watch over them. I ask you, oh great Terragnis, to name this company." Her voice falters and she becomes suddenly quiet. Inna lifts her head towards the heavens, inclining her ear. She lifts her hands and steps back. "St. Terragnis has spoken to me and has named this covenant. The name that Terragnis has chosen is the Hillshire Wayfarers."