The Wonky Baron’s men continued their journey eastwards and came to Oakhaven, a tiny town nestled in a wide valley full of tent villages. The eastern part of the five village area. Four tribes of nomads call this their home, and they live pretty much independently from the town itself, although the town considers them within their domain.

Militia, Militia everywhere!

Oakhaven started to build palisades, which help guard the roads already, even though there are gaps between them. Aita the wizard announced the party as working for the Baron of Stonehaven, and told this to everyone; and was stunned to notice the reception cooling considerably. The group was escorted to the barracks right next to the jail — according to rumors, the new Lord fills this jail up rather extensively with opponents to his plans or policies.

As Baron’s men the party was ordered to give up their weapons before they were allowed to meet Lord Maldrak. Aita expected more reasonable behaviour from him, and at least a token acceptance of the Baron’s power over the land. Alas, it was not to be: Lord Maldrak had only distaste for the Baron and treated the party as enemy negotiators.

A Quest

However, he offered them one way to earn trust: By conquering the Sky Tower, a watchtower in the south which the town militia has so far failed to commandeer. To that effect he also lent them three horses in addition to the four they already had, so they could move fast enough.

A Temple

After that the Aita led most of the party to the temple to hand over the body of the fallen cleric; in his state the temple priests did not even recognize the man, despite the fact that he was one of their fellows, a cleric from this very temple. As the facts lay, the temple accepted the body and offered to bury him gratis.

A Guildsman

Aita still gave them a donation and asked for hospitality, and so the whole party was allowed to spend the night in the temple.
Meanwhile, Delf the Thief went out to connect with the local underworld and gather some intel. He learned much about the hostilities brewing under Oakhaven’s surface, spoke with the gang-lieutenant “One-Eye”, got along swimmingly with him, and hired a young upstart thief called Floss. Young Floss was, by his own telling at least, an awesome shot with the bow, and ready to come with them and guard the mounts while they explored the tower.

Delf learned from “One-Eye” that Sky Tower was built by a wizard who had died there under somewhat mysteriouis circumstances, and since then nobody had been able to secure that building — apart from some “giants” who were supposedly there, even though “One-Eye” thought that might just mean “big fellas”. There were also dangerous birds in the area, who should be avoided.

A tyrant

Between Lord Maldrak and the local Thieves Guild, “The Crimson Blades”, there was enmity, and the Lord was seeking to discover the identity of their leader, “The Blackheart”, in order to apprehend and possibly execute him. However, that did not make the Crimson Blades friends of the Baron: they had no love for either lord .. even though a lord far off in Stonehaven was preferable to one right here next door.

Lord Maldrak built his heavy-handed regime on a whole army of outside threats: The evil Baron, the vile Dwarves, the dangerous goblins, the terrible kobolds, and the disgusting underworld and traitors nibbling away at the stable pillars of Oakhaven society.

No Gold, no Glory

Lots of socialising and talk, meeting people, learning things;
in other words, no gold and no combat, meaning no XP.
I gave them 30 each anyway, for exploration, as is now tradition in this game for all sessions where no XP are earned. Still sat queer with some of the players, who would have liked at least one little fight with some robber carrying a sack full of good hard gold.

Sorry, no luck this time around: towns under the heavy yoke of a militaristic overlord are bad places for random robbers, and in the overland travel there was no encounter rolled. Alea Vult!

But there will be more, much more, opportunity for violent action next time: at Sky Tower.

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Shared World campaigns

Wonky Business