Heroica RPG - Quest#111: No Fear of the Setting Sun

[Endgame]

"Is there really religious battles and, err, disagreements like that...?"

[Khorne]

"More primeval and wild deities? Hmm is it possible these wild barbaric cultures have the audacity to kidnapp a follower of Ennoc?"

"Is there really religious battles and, err, disagreements like that...?"

The captain chuckled softly in his fist and shook his head.

"I guess you folks truly aren't from around here, are you? If you hadn't mentioned you lot were with Heroica, I would've taken you for some people from Drakencourt, to be honest. Farrech isn't Drakencourt, I'll tell you that. 'Fair Farrech' is a euphemism we use to uplift the men's spirits. At times, it can be quite restless here. And sadly, you have reached us in one of those times."

"See, with the past war -in which Heroica supported Dastan-, things have been uneasy all over Dastan. The peace is slowly returning, but in order to secure the victory of the war and ensure that the peace will last, several regiments of soldiers have been pulled from the Dastanese border and have been recalled to the interior. Hel, I had to send half of my garrison here to the south."

"Farrech is the northern bulwark of the Empire, but if you venture further to the north, you're actually still in the Empire, but we just don't have the men to fully enforce our laws there. The Northern March, the vast steppes that protect us further from Viking incursions are semi-lawless. There's a Dastanese governor appointed to rule the March, but it's a well-known secret that he's but a mere puppet of the local Polkung tribes and clanfolk."

"To answer your question: yes, there are more primeval and wild deities than Ennoc. Most certainly. See, these Polkung horse-tribes are the descendants of Viking invaders of ages past. They have mixed with locals, but have kept a lot of the more barbaric elements of their Viking ancestors. If you want, I can tell you more about that, but of essence here is that those folk, the Polkung, worship fierce deities such as Torrun, some angry god of thunder and the skies and whatnot, and Ursem, a wilder variant of Centurus. He's known as the Horse Lord. I don't know all the specifics, though. They know of our 'Ennoc', but they don't worship him. As is the case with their Nord cousins, to them Ennoc is an obsolete and weak god. The Polkung thus often refer to themselves as 'People Who Have No Fear of the Setting Sun', because they simply don't believe in the powers of the celestial body and the representing deity."

"Your theory could be right. The priest might be taken by the Polkung, but I somewhat doubt it. If the Polkung had truly taken the man you're looking for as a hostage, I would've known already. Those people are very boastful of the acts they commit. Plus, we'd probably found his corpse by now if that had been the case."

"The north of Dastan is a wild place. Many cultures clash here and it falls upon me and my men to keep them all together in the name of the Empire of Dastan. I strongly believe our strength lies in our differences, but many in the Empire believe otherwise. Some say the Polkung even secretly supported the Teuthisal uprising. It's kind of a difficult history and relation we share with the peoples of the steppes, if you have time, I can share it with you? Perhaps you could use the knowledge in your search for the missionary?"

[Endgame]

"...I've been out of touch for a while, Captain. That, and I was pretty pampered growing up.

Is it a burden, holding it all together, sir?"

[Capt.JohnPaul]

"Hm... well... we need to start looking. And we need information. You can tell us about the history. We have time."

[Waterbrick Down]

"Hm... well... we need to start looking. And we need information. You can tell us about the history. We have time."

"Well I'm hungry. I'm going to go find something to eat, take good notes."

"Come on Mr. Sanders." Polly bid the captain goodbye and trudged out the door looking for the shop-keepers, hoping someone would be selling something appetizing.

[Khorne]

"Well I'm hungry. I'm going to go find something to eat, take good notes."

"Come on Mr. Sanders." Polly bid the captain goodbye and trudged out the door looking for the shop-keepers, hoping someone would be selling something appetizing.

The captain bade the young girl goodbye as he watched her leave his quarters and venture into the city alone.

QM Note: I haven't built the shops yet (I have built the Inn, though and used most of pieces there). I'll update with pics of the stores ASAP .

"...I've been out of touch for a while, Captain. That, and I was pretty pampered growing up.

Is it a burden, holding it all together, sir?"

The captain sighed.

"I wouldn't go as far as calling it a burden. I consider it my duty to keep everything together, but yes, it can be quite tasking at times."

"Hm... well... we need to start looking. And we need information. You can tell us about the history. We have time."

"Very well then, here we go" Wall of text incoming !!

The captain shoved away some scrolls from his desk, revealing a map that was lying underneath. It was a similar map like the one Orel had showed them a long time ago, detailing the northern part of Dastan.

"The Northern March stretches from the gates of Farrech all the way up to the horns of the Dastanese continent, ending at the feet of the eastern mountains ranges, the home of the Dragons. The mountains making up the Pass of Farrech give way to rolling hills and the sandy grounds you are mostly familiar with turn into vast plains of long grass: the steppes. Upon these steppes, a myriad of different tribes dwell, of which the most numerous and powerful are the Polkung people of whom I have spoken before. They are not the only ones there, though. There are small herds of Centaurs roaming those grassy plains and along the edges of the plains you will find communities of Cyclopses."

"A very long time ago, when the Empire of Dastan was still in formation, it grew quickly and it was always looking for expansion. Not stopping to consolidate gained territories, the newfound borders crept north, eventually enveloping what we currently call the Northern March. However, due to its rapid expansion, the Dastanese military was overstretched and undermanned."

"During those days, few Humans lived on the steppes, safe for some wild tribe folk who had mastered horseback riding. But they were not the rulers of the steppes. The Centaurs, now a minority were then the major political player in the north. They and the Cyclops tribes I spoke of earlier. As you might know, Centaurs are a wild and delirious bunch, taking great pride in their independence. The had recently been made subject by the Dastanese Empire, but they too saw the weakness to be exploited. So they attacked the few Dastanese military outposts stationed in the March. Through fast guerilla strikes the Centaurs gnawed away at Dastanese morale and numbers. So great grew their confidence, they even managed to attract the usually self-centered Cyclopses of the plains to their cause. Soon, even Humans bolstered their numbers."

"To make matters even worse for us Dastanese, several Viking expeditions landed on our shores. Norsemen, a greedy and warlike people, looking for spoils, land and glory in battle. We stood with our backs against the wall, facing an enormous horde of enemies, so we struck a deal with the Nord invaders. We would give them battle and bloodshed, land in the Empire and citizenship, all they had to do was steer away off Dastanese targets and break the power of the Centaurs."

"And so they did. With utmost brutality and vigour the Vikings cut a bloody swathe through the plains, utterly decimating the Centaurs, pushing the Cyclopses to the edges of the steppes and enslaving many of the Human tribesmen. The Emperors of Dastan kept their word and granted the Vikings Dastanese citizenship and gave them the steppes to live on. The Northern March was theirs, but a governor appointed by the Dastanese Emperors would be their superior. All the Nords had to do was swear allegiance to the Empire and defend its northern border against all manner of invasions, even if they were Nordic as well. It was an uneasy situation, but the Empire survived and the alliance upheld from both sides. For years, the Northern March has defended the richer southern belly from incursions by enemies."

"Cultural differences have always persisted, though. The Vikings were granted lots of autonomy and largely kept their own customs, but adapting several new ones, adjusting to their new lives on the plains. They mixed with locals, but have always remained at odds with the non-Human races sharing the Northern March. Over time, these people came known as the Polkung."

"The last decades or so, the situation in the north has grown ever tenser. Numerous Nords have left Värtland and many seek refuge amongst their cousins of the Polkung people. The Polkung are fearful that they will eventually be demanded to leave behind their heritage and fully accept Dastanese culture and way of life. That they would have to accept non-Humans as their equals. As the Empire is trying to bring all of its myriad races and inhabitants closer together after the civil war, the Polkung are afraid they will lose their privileges. The more radical elements would very much like to rule the Northern March by themselves."

"Like I said, some believe the Polkung supported the rebellion in Dastan. Not because they care about what happens to the Teuthisal, but because anarchy brings rewards to them. When the south is busy, the government won't have time to fold the Northern March into its fray."

"In light of that, it might surely be possible that your priest has been taken. As an act of defiance against 'the south', but I doubt it. If I were you, I'd ask around town first, before heading into the steppes. For all you know, he might just be boozing around here. It wouldn't be the first one. Central government asks the Paladin Order from time to time to send some missionaries here. A shared religion creates a bond between people and races and so the Emperors hope to create a strong and unified Dastan."

[Capt.JohnPaul]

"Aye. Thank you for your help. Well, let's go to the shops. Maybe we can talk with men there... Polly! Polly... don't run off with out us!"

[Endgame]

Lynne stands, entranced by the history lesson, taking it in.

"That's... Quite a story, Captain. It's good to know where our missing missionary might be.

Best wishes, Captain, and thank you for your help."

Lynne follows leofwin to the shops.

[Khorne]

QM Note: Sorry, no update today. I've got to work the whole day tomorrow, so the next update will probably be on Sunday. The good news is that I'm home the entire week next week, so then I'll be able to keep a steady pace and do some preperatory work for the last stretch

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Ooc: Sounds great!

[Khorne]

Leofwein, Lynne and Orell quickly tried to catch up with young Polly. There were some market stands on one of Farrech's squares, but save for some fruit and other small items sold, there was little to be seen there, so the party entered a small building which had a sign outside that read: "Azim's Shop. Things Are Sold Here."

Orell gasped slightly and hung to the back of the party murmuring. "Can't believe they let greenfolk own property and runs shops nowadays..."

"Azim's name is Azim. I sell things. Do you want to buy things?"

[Endgame]

"Depending on price, yes. Could you show us your wares?"

Lynne turns to Orel and whispers something:

"What do you mean by that "greenskin" comment, exactly?"

[Capt.JohnPaul]

"Aye. What do you have?"

[Waterbrick Down]

"Hello Azim, my name is Polly and this is Mr. Sanders. Yes we would very much like to buy something, we have gold."

"He talks funny, Mr. Sanders."

[Khorne]

"What do you mean by that "greenskin" comment, exactly?"

Orel replied in an equally hushed tone. "Not much. It's just... it sickens me that such creatures can walk around, like all the atrocities they have ever committed never happened. Greenskins are vile and untrustworthy. In the end, all they ever want is destruction. Nothing good comes from them. I wouldn't spent any money here, if I was you."

Even though the Paladin spoke silently, he words carried bitterness and a sense of pure aggression was not far away.

"Aye. What do you have?"

"A bit of this, a bit of that."

"Hello Azim, my name is Polly and this is Mr. Sanders. Yes we would very much like to buy something, we have gold." "He talks funny, Mr. Sanders."

"Welcome, Mr. Polly Sanders to Azim's shop. Here, have a look at all the things I sell for gold."

ITEMS FOR SALE:

Potion

(Restores 10 health to the target.) Costs 5 gold.

Tonic

(Restores 5 ether to the target.) Costs 15 gold.

Remedy

(Removes all negative effects from the target.) Costs 10 gold.

Phoenix Essence

(Revives a fallen ally with full health during a battle.) Costs 50 gold.

Mead

(Causes the

encouraged

-effect, doubling the target's attack power for the duration of one battle.) Costs 15 gold.

Smelling Salts

(Causes the

hastened

-effect, allowing the target to act twice in one round for the duration of one battle.) Costs 25 gold.

Venom

(Use on a weapon to make it cause the

poisoned by 1

-effect on any enemy it hits for the duration of one battle, making the poisoned enemy lose 1 health each turn. Several venoms can be used to increase the effect.) Costs 5 gold.

Smoke Bomb

(Allows the party to escape the battle.) Costs 5 gold.

Bedroll

(Allows the user to rest and regain health and ether in a safe place.) Costs 5 gold.

Shovel

(Allows the user to dig the ground in search of a treasure.) Costs 10 gold.

Telescope

(Allows the user to see far.) Costs 40 gold.

[Capt.JohnPaul]

"Well... I'm kind of good. Lynne, Polly, you want anything?"

[Waterbrick Down]

"I'm still hungry, doesn't anyone sell any food around here?" Polly looks into Azim's pot.

[Endgame]

I purchase a bed roll, before resuming conversation with Orel.

"I thought Ennoc was the Lord of Light and justice? What's wrong with someone that is green, red, blue, or turquoise doing what they wish? He's not harming anyone. His goods are reasonably priced, his shop his well kept. What can you fault him on?"

[Khorne]

"I'm still hungry, doesn't anyone sell any food around here?" Polly looks into Azim's pot.

Polly stands on the tips of her toes and tries to take a peak into the pot. Sadly for her, it was just an empty pot, looking for a new owner.

"Sorry, Mr. Polly Sanders, Azim doesn't sell food. You can get a meal at the inn."

I purchase a bed roll, before resuming conversation with Orel.

"I thought Ennoc was the Lord of Light and justice? What's wrong with someone that is green, red, blue, or turquoise doing what they wish? He's not harming anyone. His goods are reasonably priced, his shop his well kept. What can you fault him on?"

The Paladin starts to sweat and is clearly annoyed with having this conversation. To him, it was clear Orcs and Greenskins in general did not fall in the same category as Humans.

"It's not his fault, per se. It's just a fault with his race. Orcs are violent and cruel. They only know destruction and bathe in bloodshed. His race as a whole has forfeited their right for redemption. They can never know the warmth of Ennoc, because they are the ones who brought his favoured kingdom to ruin. For that, there can never be forgiveness."

"Can Azim help you with anything else?"

The Party:

Leofwein Twynam (Capt.JohnPaul) *Party Leader* *Poisonous Attacks*

18 Year Old Human Barbarian

Level 3

Power

: 6

(3 + 3)

Defense

: 0

Health:

10/10

(8 + 2)

Gold:

22

Equipment:

War Axe (WP:3)

Inventory:

Mead (2x), Remedy, Venom (2x)

Lynne (Endgame)

(20)24 Year Old Human Cleric

Level 3

Power:

6

(3 + 3)

Health:

7/11

(9 + 2)

Ether:

4/7

(5 + 2)

Gold:

12

Equipment:

Oak Staff (WP: 3)

Inventory:

Potion (2x), Phoenix Essence, Tonic, Bone, Bedroll

Polly & Mr. Sanders (Waterbrick Down)

9 year old female human Mage

Level 3

Power:

6

(3 + 3)

Health:

7/7

(5 + 2)

Ether:

3/7

(5 + 2)

Gold:

23

Equipment:

Letter Opener (WP: 3, dagger)

Inventory:

Potion, Amethyst, Tonic (2x), Fire Bomb

Orel Cayne, Third of his Name (Controlled by Capt.JohnPaul)

41 year old male human Knight

Level 5

Power:

8

(5 + 3)

Defense

: 2

Health:

9/14

(10 + 4)

Gold:

19

Equipment:

Blessed Blade (WP: 3, longsword, light-elemental), Shield of Ennoc (SP: 2)

Inventory:

Potion

[Waterbrick Down]

"I'm good, I'm going to the inn. Thank you Mr. Azim."

[Khorne]

Leaving Azim's shop, Polly found herself on the dusty streets of Farrech again. The floorboards of the battered boardwalks cracked, even under the lithe girl's small weight. A cold autumn breeze whistled past Polly's ears as she tightened her grip on Mr. Sanders. It had gotten even colder than when the party first arrived and small flakes of snow drizzled from the sky, but smolt as soon as they hit the ground. Slowly, puddles of molten snow and mud were forming, turning 'Fair' Farrech into a grimy mess.

Unlike Port Glazmouth, Drakencourt or any other Dastanese city, even unlike the barracks the party had visited earlier, most of the building were build in a style the locals colloquially, and with a sardonic sense of humor, called "Colonial Chique". Cheap buildings made from a basis of clay bricks and wood, covered with white plaster. Easy to build, easy to repair and easy resources to come by in the northern parts of Dastan, were sandstone was a more rare commodity. So, too, was the inn Azim had referred to. An off-white dirty building, with plaster chipping off in some places, revealing the brick structure underneath.

"Whut 'ave we here?", one of the drunks at the door said in slurred speech, "a little girl and her bear? You sure you're in the right place, missy?"

[Waterbrick Down]

"If this is the inn, then I am."

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Leofwein steps forward, axe on his shoulder. "Is this the inn? If so watch yourselves. We have business here. If not we will be on out way. "

[Khorne]

"If this is the inn, then I am."

The man smiled widely, revealing one of his golden teeth. He stepped aside and opened the door for Polly.

"Excuse me, I was just asking. I wouldn't want to help a young girl such as yourself into any trouble, but if this is truly what you're looking for, step right in."

Polly entered the inn, soon followed by the other members of the party. The warmth of the candles and people pushed the cold autumn breezes out and greeted the Heroes kindly. Slowly, their eyes adjusted to the darkness of the place. Like the outside, the inside was rather dirty. The floor was solely stamped earth with a few loose tiles and stacks of hay laying about.

to entertain the, mostly drunk, clientele. It was a rowdy place, but it was a place where the party would be able to gather information and score a meal.

The Heroes made their way through the customers, to the bar, which was tended by a U'Kin.

"What do you require of me what is you wish?"

[Waterbrick Down]

Polly curtsied to the man outside the door. "Thank you, kind sir."

Entering the inn, the little girl couldn't help but tapping her foot to the lively beat. She made her way over to the U'Kin bartender, climbed up on the stool and inquired.

"What's on the menu?"