Warm Welcome in Civilization: Game 17

General Summary

The Party barely defeated the devils that were summoned by the Gypsies, stayed over in the village of Millord, skipped visiting the Bardic College, and then rested and relaxed in Immersea. At the end of the game, the Party was about to embark down the Tesser River with the eventual goal of reachiing the village Orlane, the rumored home of the mysterious Explicita Defilious and her captured gnomes.

Gypsy Devils

At the start of the game, the Party was locked in combat with gypsies and their devil companions. An old fortune teller, Mahalla, after giving the Party members magic cards demanded that they give up Ankili mac Aevyrn's magic scimitar. Mahalla explained that the gypsies are in alliance with lawful evil devils against the forces of chaos and the Order of the Necromantia. There are other gypsies, who are working with the forces of chaos and evil. Mahalla, requested that the magic scimitar be handed back, bargained with the Party, erupted in a tirade against the mother goddess Tya Nehru, and eventually led her gypsy and devil followers in battle to retrive the scimitar. Mahalla would not committ to destroy the scimitar now, but said that it would need to be taken to the Ninth level of hell and destroyed by an archdevil: Asmodeus, the King of the Nine Hells. The devils that were summoned consisted of three horned devils, a solamith, and number of lesser devils. The lead gypsies were Mahalla's granddaughter, the dancer Menowen and her nephew, the mage Fennix. Ankili decided to give up the magic scimitar, which resulted in Mahalla and the gypsies opening and entering a gate to hell. However, since the devils had been summoned, Mahalla said that the devils could not be called off. After a vicious battle, the Party slew the devils. If the scimitar had not been returned and the Party needed to fight the gypsies as well, then at least some Party members would have been killed.

Millord

After traveling the rest of the day, the Party stayed the next night in the walled village of Millord. The afternoon was peaceful, passing peasants shearing sheep, harvesting beans and plums, weeding, and getting ready for the first wheat harvest. The village of Millord has recently undergone a major restoration and mini-renaissance because of: 1) more peaceful trading relations between Immerea and the Celtic lands, including Mawatt and Galletica, and 2) the construction of the nearby Bardic College and inflow of new Money and people. Construction of the Bardic College was started in Year of Iron 902, and the college was completed in YR 907 (currently it is YR 910). The five years of construction, and the trade, travelers and increased population to serve the Bardic College have brought a wealth to the village which has not been seen in centuries. The Party stayed at Brother Thom's Inn, managed by Thom, a rat faced blond man, met the town Steward Sir Kalens Childbearer, and passed up the aluring charms of Breya, the serving wench and town prostitute. Declining to take the half day detour the visit the Bardic College, the Party rested a full day to heal from the devil fight, and then headed south toward Immersea.

Immersea

The Feast

The Party arrived in Immersea in the evening, stayed a full day to rest and meet with Lord Crispin Jared and Lady Eva Lithia Jared, and departed the following morning south down the Tesser River. Overall, the Party was impressed with the town and castle. It is obvious that the there is a sense of growing economic and cultural life and energy, overlaying a well ordered country and town. For example, the town walls and castle are an incredible sight with white plaster walls, new construction and elaborate architecture with stone carvings. The travelers from the Celtic, Viking and forest lands continue to be surprised by fruit trees that have been maintained for generations, carefully ploughed fields, and well fed peasants. The wealth and prosperty does not match Bondar and Buntar on the border of Bevil and the Galletica, but it surpasses anything else seen. The Party was warmly greeted by the Lord and Lady and offerred to stay in Castle Immersea. As an important Druid, Ankili mac Aevyrn was offerred to stay within the stone castle walls of the Upper Keep, but he elected to stay in the wooded courtyard apartments with the rest of the Party in the Middle Bailey, which also housed the castle garden with fruit trees, vines and plots for herbts and flowers. A makeshift feast was held for the travelers in the Lowerward Hall. Like the interior of the entire castle, the walls are plastered, with wooden panels and wall hangings. The lord and lady sat on a raised dais of wood at the upper end of the hall, opposite to the entrance, and away from drafts and intrusion. Everyone else sat on benches with temporary trestels that could be dismantles between meals and were covered with white table cloths. Lighting was by candle of wax, impaled on iron candelahara and flares hiung from iron rings in the walls. Even thought it was the middle of the summer, the grand fireplace was lit and provided more illumination. Steel knives, silver spoons, dishes for salt, silver cups and shallow, silver rimmed wooden bowls (but no forks) were provided. At place was a thick slice of day old bread as a plate, but the food was primarily meat, including a peacock with the feathers still on, jelly with hunks of undercooked pork and sugary meat pieces, and the best that Immersea had to offer. Dessert consisted of cheese, wafers and pastries, includingfruit and cheese tarts. Lord Crispin Jared spoke to each of the Party members in their own, native langauge with perfect fluency. He welcomed them with an excellent poem written for the occasion and the evening was spent with petty conversation, music and poetry. The Party was advised to not talk about anything that they might not want widely known because the "walls have ears." The Party learns that Lady Jared is mute, but she "speaks" through her assistant and Chief Lady in Waiting, Ingelgold, who is a Fultonian woman from the Barony of Lithia and is also a young acolyte priestess of Tya Nehru. Ingelgold speaks with authority and the gravitas warranted to one who is the officiall representative of a blooded noble in the Fultonian Nobility. The Party members were carefully seated next to local priests and notables worthy of their classes. Those who were invited to the feast included the priests of the nature gods, and elves and half-elves. There are no gnomes in town, but Lord Jared invited two dwarves from a nearby settlement as the next closest thing. The dwarves are Prince Naefr Clever and Pekkeer Virgir, a priest of Moradin, the chief dwarven god, also known as the Soul Forger, Dwarffather, the All-Father, and the Creator. Moradin created the first dwarves out of earthen materials and tutored them in dwarven ways. The priests and Druids invited to dinner and to entertain the Party included:

Petra, a priestess of Tya Nehru.
Artes Haywheat, a black haired man in his 40s with a pencil thin moustache, who is the local priest of Sennia.

Salvador Mooton, the chief priest of the village gods and Sennia. He is a man with nice clothing and who is well spoken.
Ard Hvarart, a Celtic Druid in his 30s, who is tall (6"3"), skinny and a nervous twitch always looking over his shoulder as if he is about to be ambushed. He has the look of one who has seen death a few too many times.
Kelvin Mier, a priest of Pan from the Barony of Ashan. He is a handsome man knowing for his womanizing.
Gwenevere O'Conn, a priests of Silanus, the god of the forests. She is red haired, with freckles and has a fiery personality.
Hilder Orventus, a Druid and Priest of the Nature gods
Rosha, who manages the Temple of Nature Gods. She is a Druidess, and a beautiful woman long black hair, tall and charming.

The elves and half elves are numerous for such a small town, and in addition to Lord Jared, included:

Castle Steward: Lorwick, wood elf male. Healer and priest of Rillifane Rallathil, the chief wood elven diety. He keeps the castle accounts and keep Lord and Lady Jared informed of all of the goings on of the lands and tenants. He is in charge of procurement, logistics and staff management of the castle. He works directly under Lady Jared, who is directly in charge of castle domestic activities, but serves as a backup and assistant in all the tasks.
Force Commander of the Royal Immersean Military: Onne Lordwen, half-elf woman, is the castle marshall and captain of the guard. A strong unattractive woman with battle scars from years of service in the Fultonian miliatary. She is also in charge of the stables, oversees the household's horses, carts, wagons, containers, horse grooms and stableboys, the transporting of goods, and the castle blacksmith/armorer.
Town Seneschal: Tosha Pent, half-elf woman, and all financial and legal matters concerning the castle's estates outside of the castle itself which is the responsibility of Lady Eva and the Lorwick, the Castle Steward. She is in her mid-30s, five and half feet tall and 110 pounds. Known as the "paper witch" by the merchants, and presides over the town constables, scribes, guilds and town counsel and even representing the lord and lady when they were unavailable. She directly reports to Lord Crispin Jared.
Chief huntsman and scout: Leaf, half-elf male.

Also at dinner was:

The librarian and ambassador: Lucian Ja, Fultonian human, a large eared, foppish, absent minded man in his late 40s. He is the first advisor to Lord Crispin Jared, and his official representative to the outside world.
First lieutenat in the Immerean Military: Labeta. Nubian female, who is a member of Lord Jared's personal guard. She is strong, beautiful and over six feet tall.
Lady Eva Jared's Housecarl: Liesel, Fultonian woman from Fulton. A member of the paladin of The Order of the Swordmaidens of the White Oak. She is six feet tall and over two hundred pounds of muscle, and in her mid 20s. She is organized and observant, and meticulously guards the safety of Lady Eva Jared and her children.

Morning Prayers

Lady Eva Lithia Jared invited the Party to a morning service to Tya Nehru in the chapel. Lady Jared explained the basics of Fultonian Religion, which include that Tya Nehru is the mother goddess of all the gods, including the lesser detieis of the less civlized people like the Celts and Vikings. Druids are allowed and welcome in Fultar and Fultar does not regulated what people think in terms of their beliefs. Druids are also welcome to proselytize and convert Fultonians to worship the Celtic or nature gods. However, foreign priests and Druids cannot deny or preach that Tya Nehru is not the mother goddess or that their gods are superior to her. The hierarchy of the gods must be respected, or else the gods will wreck havoc and destroy humans. This is the reason Fultar rules the world, and the failure to honor this order is what brought on the great calamities of Fultar's history, including Guar Conquest, Arrival of the Great Worms and The Rise of the Undead. Her message was specifically intended for Ankili to understand what he is permitted to do in Fultar as a priest, but also general education for the other foreigners, including, the Viking Skald, forest gnome and Gwen, the bard from Mawatt. What has become clear to the Druid, the Viking Skald and the forest gnome is that Fultonians view a world as being a huge gap between the divine and mundane that can only be crossed by the holy ones: official priests. From the perspective of the Vikings, Celts, elves and forest gnones, this seems to empty the world of gods and make it a lonely place. The humans and divine no longer interact, and gods can only be approached by the priests and the imperial temples. This contrasts to the worldview of Celts, Vikings, elves and gnomes, who know that they share thier world with a multitude of "Others" who are not human or even demi-human. The most obvious are the gods, but also their divine servants and a whole host of other beings, spirits and creatures. This shadowy population beside whom humans walk span more worlds than one and were situated at the center of many realms of existence--far beyond the familiar and aseptic binaries of "good" and "evil" or "law" and "chaos." These worlds are all other places for other inhabitants, but are also ordered and connected in a manner that makes me accessible if know the right paths to take. In Fultar, the sprites, dryads, nixies, eprechauns, saytrs, fairies and others are known to exist, but are to be exterminated or at least removed from civilization. Elves, dwarves and gnomes are to be tolerated, if they know their place as second class non-citizens. It is dangerous for humans to become too close to these supernatural powers or the divinity of the gods, which is why the priests must perform their important mediation role and the creatures and lands of the fairy are to be conqured.

The Hunt

Lord Jared takes the Party on a hunt, which gets them out of the town and castle where they can speak freely. The Party passes on its adventures and what it knows about its mission, and Lord Jared promises to help how he can. He passes on some history about Orlane, rumors of kidnapped gnomes, and other information that confirms but does not add much in specific details to what the Party knows. The rumors include that the village of Orlane may be dyting. It was once a small and thriving community, but it has become a maze of locked doors, with frightened faces, strangers being shunned, trade withering, and peasants abandoning their farms with no explanation. Lord Crispin Jared recommends that the party keep an even lower profile, and suggests that on the downriver trip that the party stay on the boat rather than disembark in the fishing villages that the boat will docket at, that the party skip visiting the town of Olan (which is where the boat will drop the party off before it goes overland), and, on the overland trip, that the party stay in local villages, and not seek to stay in a local monastery of Tya Nehru called the Sanctuary of White Laurel (which will house travelers) or a high noble in the area who could house the party, if the party wished. Lord Jared believes that it is likely that there are agents and slavers who are working for whoever is kidnapping the gnomes, especially the closer you get to Orlane. The high noble is Sir Gavin Bluecleft, who has a reputation for hostility toward non-humans and could be working with the slavers (Lord Jared does not have any information, but says he would not trust Sir Gavin). The abbess of the Tya Nehru monastery is the cousin of Sir Gavin.

Last Night in Immersea

A smaller feast is provided to the Party, but it is more formal and includes a ceremony knighting Monell, after it is learned that they are of royalty and a member of the petty Fultonian Nobility. Monell has also inherited a blood fued with those who now own and control their rightful heritage and land. Monell's family, the Alatus Leon, sufferred a great calamity about 30 years ago during the Battle of Emridy Meadows and the defeat of the evil Order of the Necromantia and the Temple of Elemental Evil. All members of the Alatus Leon family were slain, or later disappeared, and Monell may the last surviving family member. After the Battle of Emridy Meadows, a priestess at the local oracle and shrine of Sennia annouced that a child of the Alatus Leon would someday return and fight to reclaim their lands, and his child would be known by the return of the great Alatus Leon's winged lion shield and trident. This magical shield was found as part of the Olbat Loot: Game 15.5. Lord Jared also gives each of the party members a potion of extra healing.

Down the Tesser River

The Party will travel downriver with Monica and Thrace Riverboat, who are transporting wine and furs to the coastal town of Critlip. About 120 miles and two and half days downriver, the Party will disembark at the Fultonian fort town of Olan. Petra, a priestess of Tya Nehru will join the Party. Good byes are said to Odium Moulim (the cowardly and learned mage and astrologer), Brandabaris (the Ranger), Gwen (the bard from Mawatt), Angharad Fawr (the Celtic merchant warrior from Bondar and Buntar and his remaining warriors, some of whom are from Olbat), and Antonia, the heretic flagellant priestess of Tya Nehru from Bevil.