Cerberus Cole

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As the party marches down the street, escorted by guard they can’t help but notice how busy this city is during the day. Merchants beckon potential customers from store fronts and stalls and the volume of customers is beyond what they were expecting. However due to the guard escort, something that they had received upon entering the city the party drew many looks.

Shopkeepers, customers and the upperclassmen and ladies of the city pointed and spoke in hushed tones as the party was ushered by no less than a dozen guards towards the guard quarters. “Not far now you lot” one guard said to them, an older man with a kind face. “If you’re just visitors to the city as you claim then you will be on your way and this little mess we have going on will be far behind ye” he continued.

The city guards building was a grand affair of ornate masonry and glass windows, but there were a number of lords, ladies and merchants standing out front. Those that called and tried to push past a row of guards were staggering. Each one of them called for the guards to be disbanded, to allow mercenaries and paid private guards to take over the protection of the city of Drileah.

Guard Captain Cerberus Cole

The guards led the party past the complainant’s who called for the guard to do something about the current thefts. As soon as the party met the eyes of the victims of the theft they called of their guilt rained down upon them. The guard however protected the party and urged them through to the rooms beyond.

Down several halls they were led until they arrived at a door that hung slightly Ajar. “Captain Cole sir, I have a new group for questioning” the friendly guard called out, winking at the party.

The man on the other side of the door sighed deeply, and loudly. “Bring them through, let’s get it over with then” he answered. The door opened to reveal a relatively fit middle aged man with a well groomed beard. He sat around piles of paperwork and books and looked up at the party. “Well… This will be quick. These aren’t the Feline Filcher. Thank you for following the process Regi but we can declare this lot innocent. Unless they are the Feline Filcher and we can finally put this nightmare to rest. Imagine, this lot trusting dishonest mercenaries and thugs to guard the streets! Pah! These people are the same lot that let the burglar make off with their treasured possessions!”

Cole sat down and grabbed a corked bottle. “Well, while you’re here. Do you want to sit and make it appear as though we are treating you as actual suspects to this crime spree?”

Thoughts

Every cat burglar has to have someone trying to catch them. This is the unwritten rule. Cerebus Cole is our such fellow in this weeks adventure as we look through what this week has in store for our party. I think the art depicts Cole quite well, but I may look for a better portrait later this week, probably for the Zine!

Sashik of Taloncrest

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Sashik is the first in line for the crown in Taloncrest. More civilised than other Aarakocra in the mountains nearby he has approached the city of Wurbek to look for adventurers and warriors who can assist. Despite his lack of crown he still is entrusted with the wealth of his people and they are excellent craftsmen and a proud people.

With the current turmoil of his people a great time of change is upon them. A once quiet people are now pushed to war as a Giant and his army of goblinkin attack and steal the chicks from his peoples nests. The only answer he has to protect his people is to do something his ancestors forbade, reach out to the humans and grounded folk for help.

The People of Pine Ridge

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Elder Penelope

Created in Artbreeder

Penelope has spent most of her life in the village and has earnt a great deal of respect amongst her people. Her father, and his father before him were local heroes. Slayer of beasts, defenders of the village from bandits and monsters and in her youth she aspired to be the same.

But as she got older she was unable to participate in great hunts, or even mild ones and she became content to lead the village. She cares a great deal for everyone within the oaken gates and will put their safety above anything else.

Reginald

Created in Artbreeder

Coming to Pine Ridge as a young man he quickly spent his timing mining the hills for its wealth. After a few lucky breaks in a row he quickly became the wealthiest man in Pine Ridge. However, instead of taking the wealth elsewhere he bought land, built houses and brought more people to the small village to man his farms.

He is still the wealthiest man in Pine Ridge but he works with the people here, and Elder Penelope, to ensure that Pine Ridge is looked after. He currently has most of his fortune resting on the success of the farms and was planning on funding a mine to bring more people to live in the little Village. If this rumoured dragon continues to eat his animals then he wont be able to put Pine Ridge on the map.

The Hunter Rashel

Created in Artbreeder

Rashel travelled to Pine ridge with her mentor, Lake, who taught her how to track creatures and how to survive in the wilds. A natural with a bow she quickly manged to cement herself in with the people of Pine Ridge.

Not long after her, and her mentors arrival a strange sighting of a beast appeared when she was out on a hunt. Lake, her mentor, decided to investigate alone and he stumbled upon a lair of a ferocious beast. Despite being experienced Lake didn’t survive the encounter and managed to make it back to the village.

Rashel returned home with fresh game for the village half a day later. But instead of being greeted with cheering and happy villagers she was greeted by mourners.

Ever since she has kept a watchful eye over the village in case the beast that killed her mentor returns.

Thoughts

Tonight we have three different people to look at. Reginald is wealthy but supports the town. Supposedly from the goodness of his heart but there may be more than meets the eye. Penelope may be ruthless when it comes to protecting her village but she knows a fight she cant hope to win. Despite the sacrifice of the villages funds her pride as a hunter will likely be the biggest cost when she asks for help from the adventurers.

The Owlbears Crew

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The Owlbears crew were rumoured to be bloodthirsty, cutthroats who loved nothing more than pillaging and killing. In fact this was… True. Almost all the crew members were hired, captured or enslaved because of their brutality and hunger for violence and plunder. But despite all this there we are few who were there because they felt obliged and none more so than Bryce Bronson – the father of the Captain of the ship.

Bryce was disheartened by his sons actions after a rather bloodthirsty skirmish with the a merchant vessel. Shocked by his sons behaviour he faked his death by falling overboard and secretly made his way to shore. There he blended in with society and became a farmer.

When the news of the ship and its crew’s demise came to Bryce he was both relieved and distraught. Despite the repulsion he felt for the unwarranted violence he still adored his boy and the though of him never reconciling and making peace with the pirate lord shocked him. This eventually shattered his sanity and he began to see ghostly visitations of his son, hearing the ghostly cannon fire of the Flying Owlbear and even seeing his son walking through the streets, searching for something.

Josh “Shank” – the Parrot.

Created in Nightcafe.studio

A ghostly glow has taken over the parrot, that and the extra clawed toes it appears with that gives it an alien and haunting appearance. When ever the parrot named Shank appears the Flying Owlbears cannon fire shortly follows, real or not.

Old Bryce the farmer, refers to the Parrot as Josh and breaks down into a nervous wreck when the parrot appears in town which has lead to rumours of a curse. And of a treasure that old Bryce and the parrot called Shank both know about.

Bryce Bronson

Created in Artbreeder

Bryce was once a member of the Flying Owlbears crew, although it will take divine intervention or magic to get this information out of him. His plundering days long gone he spends his time farming and providing food the the village of Tarmak.

However when he drinks, which is most nights, he can be found in the Iron Crustacean, run by old maritime workers. When he drinks he tells tales of the Flying Owlbear and its crews exploits, the daring escapes and the heroic rescues of those stuck out at sea. The tales make it sound like they were heroes rather than Pirates and so he is normally ignored or laughed at by the other patrons.

Percy Bryceson Bronson

Created in Artbreeder

Percy was Bryce’s son and the captain of the Flying Owlbear. He lost his mother early to a mysterious illness and since then he was obsessed with ancient relics and treasure. One night during a storm he was flung overboard and despite the crew, and his fathers best efforts he wasn’t able to be rescued. However as the sun rose on the next day he was found alive and straddling an ancient treasure chest that contained a solution to his problems… and the key to his future.

Thoughts

Tonight I wanted to touch on the three main NPCs that we will encounter. However like previous weeks and earlier adventures any NPC can be called upon in order to bolster the people available to us. A few weeks ago I recycled and reused a few adventure maps. This week we could take any NPC from the past… well almost any, and add them to the tavern, the roads or the town of Tarmak.

The Pennywhistle Company

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The keepers of Crelion Manor

The Dottery’s run the Crelion manor inn and are an odd pair. Jane is warm, welcoming and motherly while Tom rarely says anything at all and always stares at people as if he wished they were elsewhere. Together though they have appear to have maintained the manor to a high standard and the beds are certainly comfortable. Despite being situated near the woods that appear to be haunted, or worse the manor appears to be unaffected.

Jane can be found walking around the manor lighting lanterns and cleaning the house almost methodically while Tom never strays too far from the front door and a little desk where he keeps an ever watchful eye on the log book in front of him.

Tom Dottery

Created in Artbreeder

Tom is well built and tall. The signs of his age is slowly appearing in his beard and hair but his eyes have lost none of their youth. During the party’s interactions with him they don’t believe they have heard him say a single word to him or Jane who hovers around him and talks enough for both of them.

Despite being quiet, and his face set in a constant stare of disapproval he is quick to help the adventurers when they need it. Just as quick as he leaps into action to assist he goes back to being quiet with a frown fixed upon his face.

The party have caught him nodding towards an old guest book at his table and when his wife isn’t around he appears to gesture silently towards the door as if asking the party to leave.

Jane Dottery

Created in Artbreeder

Jane is a small and frail looking woman with eyes that look almost to large for her face. The opposite of her husband, Tom, she is exuberant and always happy to talk. She is quick on her feet and has a bad habit of sneaking up on people due to how quietly she moves.

Despite her diminutive frame it is obvious to any who witness her that she rules the manor on a daily basis. She is quick to insist that the guests reach out for any little issue but organises Tom to rectify any issues.

Despite her warm and caring nature she shies away from physical touch and blames a illness she caught when she was younger for a fragile constitution that is quick to bruise and bleed from the smallest of touches.

Thoughts

I came up with Jane and Tom to be opposites for a reason and it’s all to do with the Manor. And nothing is as it seems at Crelion Manor which I will expand upon this week. The interactions between the two hosts will need to be monitored closely this week as we move around the manor. And while waiting the storm to die down I will throw in some additional information to keep the part busy. But that’s for me to expand upon tomorrow.