Setting: Inner Keep of The Fist
Cast: Party, Shan, Terent, Kon
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The PCs are escorted by a pair of guards to a small barracks designed for about forty troops. It is lined by rows of bunkbeads and contains no other furniture of any kind. The room is lit by torches set at fifteen feet intervals along the walls.
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Events
- The PCs are left for about a full bell. This should give them plenty of time to discuss in character what they have learned and how they will approach the War Captain. Elle is a bit worried about meeting him, but will do her best to get him to agree to send troops to help with the Dreadlord and the Bone Eaters.
- Terrent returns a little over a bell after leaving. He says that he’s gotten the War Captain to agree to a meeting that evening. This gives the PCs several hours to kill. Terent has to oversee drills, but tells the PCs they can go to the mess to have dinner if they are hungry. He gives each of them a golden eagle token to pin to their cloaks. This should prevent anyone from giving them a hard time as it indicates they are authorized guests of The Fist.
- If the characters leave for the mess they will have to cross the training yard to get there. Roughly thirty soldiers are taking turns sparring in a wide circle ringing by white stones. One of them, a burly man wearing corporal’s bars, will call out, “Hey, Halfblood…why don’t you take a turn sparring?”. This will bring a great deal of attention to Grond. If he rises to the bait he’ll be paired off with a burly northman (20 str) named Kon. They’ll fight using cloth wrapped blades which do non-lethal damage.
- During the fight (if there is a fight) a member of the White Hand will approach Viktor. He’ll introduce himself as Shan and ask what temple Viktor is from. Shan hails from a temple in the mountains north of the Hammer of Reevanthara, but he does know who Martos is. Shan’s style of fighting is a bit different than Viktor, but he is very similar in most ways. He’s been assigned to this temple to tend to the troops, but calls himself a ‘glorified nurse’. He is an amiable man about Viktor’s age. He obviously likes Elle, and keeps stealing glances at her.
- If Kon loses the fight he will offer Grond his hand and tell him, “You hit like a mammoth. Remind never to insult you. Well fought my friend. You’ll have to let me buy you a drink later.” Kon is a boisterous loud northerner, but he’s good tempered and a bit simple of mind.
- If Kon wins the fight he’ll still offer Grond his hand and say, “You’re the toughest opponent I’ve ever faced. I’d be privileged to fight along side you.”
- After the fight (if it happens) the PCs head into the mess. Kon will ask to join them, but Shan will excuse himself to tend to his duties.
- The mess hall is designed for over five hundred people to eat at once. It resembles a typical high school cafeteria with long rows of tables & benches. At the far are wide swinging doors that lead into a kitchen. There is a long bar near this door that has all the food they are serving. Dinner is venison stew, and a bored looking old woman is serving up bowls to a long line of soldiers.
- The PCs are left largely to themselves, and may discuss whatever they wish. They receive looks ranging from hostile to curious, but due to the gold tokens no one accosts them. If Kon is with them he’ll ask many questions about where they are from and why they are here.
-When the party enters the mess they will notice a group of battlemages sitting off by themselves. The battlemages wear white tabards with blue trim over black leather armor. Each has a staff very nearly identical to Terwynn’s propped against the tables they are sitting on.
- Not long after the party is seated one of the battlemages rises and approaches Terwynn. She asks him where he came by the staff, and her tone is anything but friendly. When she hears that it came from Daffyd her jaw drops and her eyes widen. Her demeanor completely shifts, becoming quite friendly. Her name is Ana, and she welcomes Terwynn to The Fist. She wants to know all about what it was like to train with the legendary Daffyd.
- The scene ends with Terent arriving to tell them that they’ve been summoned to see the War Captain.
