My friends call me Melda

General Summary

With one Rust Brother left dead in the forest and another solely wounded and limping for home, the companions headed back to Green Rowe with the spoils of battle. Somehow the minstrel Humperdink calmed the fallen Brother's warhorse enough to follow the party to the woods near the village.
Back in the village, the group paused to consider the letter they confiscated from the dead Rust Brother.
Hear me Brothers, for this is no tall tale. The Stanengist Crown has been found. That's right, the legend is true. My source is sure of the authenticity. Who better to know an artifact of dwarven make than a dwarf.
And before you ask, none of the Stones are attached. It must be as the legend tells, the Stones were all scattered. But first things first. The dwarf tells me that the crown is being worn by some fool elder in a village on the Anger Bay. The old man has no idea what fortune and power sits atop his head.
Our dwarven friend tried without luck to pry the Crown from the villagers with coin. Seems these people believe the Crown is their good luck charm. I plan to prove them wrong.
Send me back my two men plus eight more and a good mystic. And send your most learned men to Alderstone. Perhaps the Great Library will contain some hint where we can begin the hunt for the Stones.
I begin the trek north when the reinforcements arrive. And have no fear. I will leave no witnesses. The world will not know we possess the Crown until it is too late to stop us.
Oh, and the boy is a new recruit. Put him to whatever use you see fit. I do not feel confident he has what it takes to be a Brother but one never knows.
Strauss
Walker tried to get some information about the northern bay from the local apothecary but all he got from the old man was 'North' and 'Eat less salt in your diet'.
Next the companions visited the tavern and laid eyes on the exotic barmaid Melda. Just her flaxen curls and smooth voice made the woman stand out among the local farming populace. But it was her eyes, her golden eyes catching the lantern fire, that pegged her as someone extraordinary. Someone different.
Saving the barmaid from some clumsy flirting by the local farrier, Grahm gained her trust enough to get information on the Rust Brothers. According to Melda, there is an old pirate tunnel from the coast leading under the compund. So long out of use, even the Brothers know nothing about it. How she knew of the tunnel when even the zealots did not, Melda did not explain.
Melda did have a better understanding of the way north than the apothecary and described the land and trek the group would undertake to reach Anger Bay.
Melda also provided information on the farrier. Lazy and unkempt, the man spent most of his day hitting on women instead of providing a living for his wife Agnes. Melda claimed the man had not been like that his whole life. She had known him since he was a boy and once he had been a hard working, ambitious young man but hardship turned his promise into dust. But, to appease Grahm's fears, Melda agreed the farrier had no love for the Rust Brothers.
Armed with their knowledge of the farrier, the grouip confronted the man and convnced him to take part in a bargain. The farrier would return the warhorse to the Rust Brothers, retrieve whatever reward was offered and share the coin with the company. Strangely though, when Grahm mentioned Melda, the farrier claimed he was not really acquainted with her and did not even know her name.
With an agreement in place to secure part of the reward, the party began preparations to make the trek north.

Report Date

23 Dec 2022