Laurelyn looked over her works. Her funds sending a flight out over the Spires of Xelgar were larger than any other. It is her town that gets to host the final rising of the airxips; her vassals that operate the Ship of the Fleet and its three carrax; her pamphleteers that will write the story of these days. Other families had more money, fame, power, but the Ixkon discovered the anti-sink balloons and taut-line messaging that is needed for such a large expedition.
There are two other models like her Airxip Ixkon (of course she gave it the family name), one is slightly larger and with an additional two tenders. Gerarldine played the game well, but proximity to the High Mother could not earn her more than the vital discoveries necessary to cross the Spires. The third broadxip, Arx Golmul, comes from the North. With just two carrax helping it over the Spire it is most likely to struggle with the winds. But the northern community harvests the fuel trees for the bellows and they are experimenting in granting mulkon the right to vote. If the High Mother sees Arx Golmul do well major changes could be forced. It is likely that the Mothers Parliament were outmaneuvered when they approved that flight. No matter for Laurelyn, she is focused on earning her family, all of her family, more money.
Her artists turned out great posters for the launch. Sales are going well and the non-Ixkon living nearby continue to fall under her sway. There was a need for last minute recruits, and the posters helped.
What a perfect day. The winds are blowing towards the Spires. Normally that’s a problem, but today it’s what they need. Two Feyelfs (weeks) floating to those harsh isles and then the steep rise after extensive fishing. After the rise the ships will cross towards a land unseen for centuries, if the math is right the expedition will float for just a Glibbon (month) before landfall.
Captain Yerxian walks beside Laurelyn
“Ma’am, you’ll have to leave or this xip will not float. It is our time, the winds are right and the crew ready.”
“Certainly Captain. You have the cares and wishes of all of Kon behind you. Bring us something wonderful. This is your fleet now.”
There are no large speeches. The High Mother’s words were in every gobkon, hobkon and mulkon’s wallets, pockets or hands. That pamphlet is half orders and half inspiration to be as great as Kon can be. Each ship has a press so that new pamphlets can be made, and with the taut-line messaging system those can be more easily coordinated when at altitude.
It’s been a few days since that awful incident at the shack. They’d left some people dead, with just piles of stones on them and then moved on to the west. Crazy Rohan cast his lot with the escaped goliath Piyu. Teegan was not going to abandon her brother and Master Kellamon could be guilty too.
Estrella thought about leaving, but it would be her and Ashley in this rough wilderness. A glassblower and a messenger pigeon alone in the rough mountains of Western Kirtin would be doomed. She can repair things, but that isn’t useful if you don’t have things. Plus where would she go? How would she find it?
They’re on tight rations now. Finding forage for Teegan’s ram Ha-Lim isn’t easy. Fani’s finding more than enough fish for the meat eaters, but this is rough land. Moving through it is hard.
Ha-Lim slows them down. Everyone deals with it. He’s as much one of them as the rest. It’s an odd group. Two dogs, a terrier that never stops barking and a hound without a sent to follow. Ashley is her pigeon. He could find Korlott, Kirtin-in-the-Sky and home no matter where he is. He’s so smart. But if she sends him off to let the family know what’s happened he’s gone. The group is going to keep moving.
She’d never met a bonded ram before Ha-Lim. Then there’s the heron Fani. What a magnificent creature. It just soars and soars on those huge wings. Can I teach a heron messaging? That might be fun.
They’re also kind of lost – again. It’s easy to think “head west” and know that Sheljar is that way. The Land of Two Rivers is always fascinating, but constantly embroiled in internal strife. Sheljar never offered to help Kirtin, and only one trade family from Qin responded to requests for aid. Estrella doesn’t hate Sheljar for this, but she certainly isn’t excited about the Empire with its guilds, families, companies all competing for power.
“‘Strella, come here!” It’s Rohan. The boy is fascinating. He keeps learning how to apply these funky powers. She runs across the camp.
“What?”
“Look, look” and a he makes a flower unbloom. “Now watch” and it blooms again. He plucks it and puts it behind her ear.
“Get ready to move children,” Master Kellamon says with a smile. A tiny moment of pleasure is necessary. These kids have been away from home for about a week. “Fani indicates to Piyu that the Norther River Everflow is just over that rise and downslope. There’s a town there. We’ll be in the Sheljar Empire tonight. Once we get there we have the protection of the Emperor, but will need to find a guild or family to take us as members.”
Teegan asks, “Which guild is going to take us?”
“I do not know. There are guilds and families based on craft, or trade, or faith, or location. Piyu’s skills with Fani will likely get him attention. Sheljar City has need for birds. He’ll try to connect with a goliath family that raises waterfowl.”
Estrella is happy. Any decent village of Kin needs a messenger. She’s seen dogs do this, but really, nothing is better than a pigeon. She’d find a place, then she’d tell her parents where she was. Maybe Rohan would be in the same town.
The youngsters strike camp. Piyu returns with the weather above his head, another dry day with light clouds. It’s like that massive storm emptied all the waters from the skies. Kell likes that. They should be in that town tonight.
It’s been eight days judging by the cycle of Feylf. Somehow Teegan and Rohan aren’t at Kirtin-in-the-Sky. They also aren’t on the road they expected to be on, some kind of rockfall blocked it and somehow Rohan convinced her that they should go on a path a bit to the west and across a valley. Prior to that rockfall they’d picked up a glassblower also on her way to Kirtin-in-the-Sky for the same service.
Now, they’d missed their reporting date. Runoffs power raging streams and rivers as they try to pick their way north. Little Estrella’s pigeon could get a message back to either her tiny village, EVEN SMALLER THAN KORLOTT, or to Kirtin-in-the-Sky, but the glassblower is scared. They aren’t along known routes, no pigeons or coursehounds have been seen in days.
Teegan isn’t willing to admit that she’s lost. Rohan insists that he knows if they “just find headwaters of Crinth they’ll be fine.” She doesn’t know to believe that he actually knows or if he’s adopted a war story as truth. The River Crinth divides the Confederation from Azsel. It rips through the edge of the Keltann Slope. If he’s right, and over that ridge or the next one, or the next one? they could catch up to the rest of their Year and Serve.
She doesn’t have any ideas. That pigeon, Chechu, will not be leaving Estrella’s shoulder. Ha-Lim is a better scout in this terrain than stupid little Alleway. Being 11 months older than these two is turning into a curse. Young enough she serves in the same year, but old enough she’s “in charge” of a glassblower and a goatherd.
Rough rocks and scrub pine are their other companions. Food continues to run low. They find some berries once-in-a-while, but something has to happen.
Now there are dark clouds in the sky and they’ll be three to the one leaky tent. It’s been a miserable trip and why would she listen to Rohan again, about anything?
Another cold damp night, but she has Ha-Lim. He is warm, even while wet. She lays against him, because his soul is warm. She needs the comfort of a partner, rather than dependents.
In the morning they have plenty of water, but little food.
Trudging through the mud will not be fun. They crest a ridge and see the River Crinth, the whole valley. They also see a sky of green and hail with winds and some sickening funnel cloud down on the plains of Crinth.
There are sparks and lights flying across the river. It’s bewildering.
A pack of dogs circle a hut. These are warhounds, not service dogs. Getting a count is improbable. There are also three halflings with them, again around the hut. The idiots aren’t going in, and there is a hail, in Summer. This isn’t a storm for anything but hunkering down.
“Hey, can we get in there?,” Rohan shouts, “It’s chilly and we can all share.”
A sharp whistle and two of those huge hounds flank a grizzly old halfling, probably the leader.
“The hut and everything in it is ours. Go away children. Go away, now.”
Teegan snickers. This old halfling is trying to boss Rohan and that’s never worked. Except the man hears the laugh, and a different sharp whistle sends those two dogs towards Teegan. Ha-Lim prepares to charge them.
“Are you blind? We’ll die out here in this crazy weather,” Rohan is livid. “There’s lightning and hail and a tornado. We need shelter.”
A dazzling spray of light showers from Rohan’s hands. The dogs stop moving, bewildered and unable to see. Their companion is also blinded.
“Kill them, or capture. I don’t care. Get Piyu too,” the leader shouts with his hands rubbing his eyes.
Ha-Lim rams right through one of those warhounds. It is knocked cold.
As the other dogs and halflings turn to face the kids the door to the hut collapses. A large boot sticking out into it for a moment. A club smashes down onto an unfortunate hound. A grey dog bursts out from the door as well. It pounces onto one of the black and brown beasts.
Estrella ducks behind some scrub. This is exactly why she didn’t want to go to war.
Three of the six opposing dogs are down and out. Two more are blinded. One of the halflings is blind as well. The other two point their drawn short swords at the three children of Kirtin.
“Do you surrender?” Master Kellamon Scoques Lady Harsop steps from the hut. A whip and Bastos at his side. That whip disarms one of the hunters.
Estrella shouts yes. The leader of these hunters screams “No.”
A bit drunk on this unknown power Rohan screams “then die.” Three missiles of light and force shoot from his hands. The blinded dogs both take one, the leader the other. Rohan’s pike is lying on the ground now. This arcane power shooting forth is intoxicating. And the human child disappears.
Piyu clubs one of those swordsman with that board from the floor of the hut. It splits in half over the woman’s head. Rohan throws her hammer at a dog trying to take out Ha-Lim. The children, the escaped slave and the Master are dominant.
“Now?” Master Scoques asks.
“Yes.” Two swords drop, with a soft whistle that calls the remaining dog back to the hunters.
“Then leave. Leave forever. Piyu is free. Tell the Ranch that you never found us. Because if I return and point out that you were trying to take me, you are dead. You have no shelter from the storm. You do not deserve it.”
As they walk away Piyu calls to his heron, who swoops down and plucks the eyes from the leader. Piyu follows that up with a giant rock into the little halfling’s back. That leader is crushed under the weight of a stone that a nine-plus foot mammoth of a kin can hurl.
The other sprints off towards a tornado and a war fought between things that can control fire and lightning, kind of like what Rohan just did. Rohan is still gone.
Master Scoques takes charge. “Find that boy.” He points to Teegan. “Behind the bush, get over here so we know everyone is safe. And Piyu, you’ve just made our future. It’s not one I wanted, but it’s one I’m willing to take.”
Teegan is confused. How can she find Rohan. He did that thing and poof. Stupid little Alleway is sitting, as he does when he wants a treat. But the terrier looks up and then sniffs in circles, and then looks up at the same spot and then circles. This act is repeated a few more times.
“Alleway come!” He does not. He stares at a space about 5 feet up in the air, and then leaps up. Rohan pops into sight, right there, with his damn dog in his hands.
Raucous laughter comes from the teen. “I did that! I did that! I think I can do it again!”
“Boy, you will not. We’re all in quite a bit of trouble now,” Kellamon is used to leadership. “As soon as this storm passes we need to go. Two hunters died at our hands. I won’t be accepted in Crinth. Piyu cannot go back to Azsel and our Ranch. You three are clearly not where you are supposed to be, so you’re coming.”
This slaver’s speech is correct, yet disturbing. While Kirtin and Azsel are at war, there is little that can help the three teens away from their society. Rohan is partially to blame, and if Azsel demands him there are those in Kirtin that would turn him over rather than start a hot war.
“We shall, but where,” she decides for all three.
At the same time Rohan chuckles, “I go where I want.”
Estrella is calm, cowardly and absolutely fascinated by what Rohan has done. It is beyond the powers she’s seen in her little village. This thing can be used to hold the Slope, or free slaves, or whatever. She’ll follow Rohan, because he has power, if not authority.
“If you come with us, boy, you will be a free man. If not, you will be at the whim of those hunters’ family. We’re going to Sheljar. It does not allow recapture. Piyu will be free. You will be free. The girls will be free. And I’ll be able tell my family I’m alive, but gone.”
“How far?”
“Young lady, it should be about two weeks journey through these mountains to the west. Fani and Piyu can find us fish. It will be hard, but we’ll live.”
Piyu nods his head and enters the shed. “Come, come. This storm will be over soon.” A small cloud above his head disappears and three of the moons appear in their phases. The Dragon is hinted by a dark splotch.
When the teens enter the hut, it is quite crowded. A ram, a terrier, a pigeon, a heron, a warhound, a goliath, a halfling and the human teens isn’t much space in this outbuilding. But it is warm. Kellamon has food. There are introductions broken up by thunder and the scream of fierce winds, maybe even screams from the battle down along Crinth. It doesn’t stop with the storm, but accelerates and worsens.
I’ve had the great pleasure of playing with the alpha test of Fantastic Maps#HexAllTheThings. If you want to break the tool sign up here. The first thing I did to break it was make a larger than expected map of the Western Wildes, or those cities and towns that are primarily influenced by The Everflow.
Telse, Mira, Qin and the other cities near the Everflow and its two rivers.
This image doesn’t include the Fog of War functions, nor the ability to see descriptions as part of the labels as the web version does. Thankfully for me, the region is temperate and mostly green trees. So the earliest of releases looks like what I want the area to look like.
You can see the North River and South River coming out from the Font of Two Paths. There is also the devastation at the Ruins of Sheljar. That city didn’t handle the Awakening well. Though it’s only been 21 years the influx of cantrips into this city in the swamps lead to fighting and destruction. The area has been abandoned as many of the bridges, dikes and other bulwarks were destroyed. There are also now massive waves pounding the shores of Sheljar Bay.
Those that followed the story of The Five will see the Glass Tower and the encampment where the Cult of Nak took residence. I used regional shading there to show areas that were effected by the volcano that Scholar Cortez set off. Along the road is the West Gate where Obsondites took over. There is regional shading there as well.
Mira and Qin get some attention, but since their outlying communities are not common knowledge to the people of Telse they get no labels. Three of The Five are from Telse and its environs. Shonee grew up in the town itself. Aamar spent some time in the uplands discovering his faith. Mo hails from Fort Ooshar, a former Sheljar tax collecting town that Telse now controls so that their goods can get to Mira unmolested.
Qin is defined by it’s massive harbor, the lighthouse and the Cannons of Qin. Those two towers at the mouth of the bay prevent attack from the sea. The road through the uplands is hard travel, and many will take the South River upstream on pole and paddle.
Mira has more outlying towns and towers. With it being much closer to the River Crinth it has to use more of its might to prevent invasion and refugees from the Crinth/Azsel wars. There’s also an odd peninsula that I made just to test out how the automatic shorelines worked.
These are fairly simple maps at this point. I used a scale of 24 miles across, because I wanted a moderate day of travel per hex. The scale change and actual gaming forced changes from my first hand drawn map. I’ve now started working on two other regions where other characters originate. Gate (Samul, Behn) is nearly done. The lakes along Crinth where Mansaray is from are still being developed, and may need to wait for more features.
“Here, fix this,” Estrella’s brother hands her an axe. It takes a few moments and the large chip is gone. “Done.” Others have these big powers, they can do things. Baboli can predict the weather and make flowers bloom. That’s so useful. Femmo does fun little things with fire. He helped clear a new field. It’s so handy.
She repaired a broken jar and the little ornament she blew for her Journeywork to reveal on Service Day. Chechu, her little pigeon, returns from Kirtin-in-the-Sky. The letter is simple. No exception is granted. She will serve, as all do. A common glassblower, with a messenger pigeon and the ability to mend will serve on the Keltann Slope where Azsel continues to raid. She isn’t a hero. She’s as common as can be. Simple, and ineffective at war, but she will serve.
Commoners are the foundation of the land. They aren’t adventurers and heroes. They blow glass. They tend bar. They farm. It’s not often that a GM needs a stat block for a Commoner, unless they are routine. At this point Estrella is young, with attributes that don’t seem like they should develop into a fighter, but she’s an experienced glassworker. Below you will find a rules hack to quickly throw together a Commoner who has an uncommon role within your DnD campaign.
Commoners start with the following attributes and skills.
Class Features HD: 1d4 at 1st and 2nd levels HP at 1st: 4+CON HP at higher levels: CON + HD if appropriate Must have 12 in Apprentice Attribute and 11 in Journeyman Array: 12,11,11,10,9,8 If dice roll: 3d4+3
Proficiencies Padded Armor Two simple weapons, 1 must be melee Saving Throws: Apprentice attribute at 1st level, Journeyman at 2nd Skills/Tools by profession and level
Estrella’s array is STR: 8, DEX 12 13, CON 9, INT 10 11, WIS 12, CHA 13 with a woeful 3 HP. Her humanness added 3 points. Estrella is a bit of a leaders and wise, for a Commoner. She knows how to use darts and a light hammer.
As a glassblower she has some skills. As most in Kin she learns some History on the Day of Glight. She knows how to use Glassblower’s Tools, because well, that’s what she does. There’s also a bonus to her DEX or INT, because those are the attributes she uses the most. Since she’s already finished her journeywork we know that she’s actually already reached that second tier as a commoner, a Journeyman. She could set up her own shop now. Her work is decent.
That has game benefits too. Glassblowers pickup Arcana as their vials and bubbles are often used by various scholars, alchemists and sages. She again gets a bonus to DEX or INT. This time it goes to INT to represent her fascination with book learning. That’s still a pretty poor array. If she continues on her path she’ll become a Master Glassworker with expertise in those tools.
She could also learn a new profession.
Obviously she could have been some other profession with other skills and familiarity with tools, but then she would not be Estrella. She’d be a different commoner. Here are a few of those.
Professions
Apprentice Attribute
Apprentice Skill
Apprentice Tools
Journeyman Skill
Journeyman Attribute
Master Ability
Prerequisites
Artist
CHA
History
Artist Tools
Religion
DEX
Expertise: Artist Tools
Barber
CHA
Medicine
Insight
WIS
Dagger
Blacksmith
STR
History
Smith tools
1 other tool
CON
Any 1 weapon
Brewer/Vintner
INT
Arcana
Brewer’s Tools
Herbalism Kit
WIS
Cook or Herbalist
Butcher
STR
Animal Handling
INT
Any 1 slashing weapon
Carpenter
STR
History
Carpenter’s Tools
CON
Expertise: Carpenter’s Tools
Clerk
INT
History
Calligrapher’s Supplies
Religion
WIS
3 Languages
A GM could throw together a list of professions or slap them together as needed. They should be skeletons of a class, not an actual class. They shouldn’t even match a background in potency, until their fourth tier as a Commoner when they possibly become heroes, or they are just extraordinary artisans, craftspeople, etc.
Here are those tiers of play. The first three can be played by PCs if a player wants to have that feeling as the farmboy that becomes something (or the glassblower).
At 1st level (Apprentice)
Plus 1 to Apprentice attribute or Journeyman attribute
Proficiency in Apprentice skill and tool (if only one can take any single skill, language, tool)
If in Kin gain Bonded Companion
If in Kin gain single Cantrip
At 1.1 (Journeyman) – 50 xp
Proficiency in Journeyman skill. If none listed or already known can take any single skill, language, or tool
Plus 1 to Apprentice attribute or Journeyman attribute
At 1.2 (Master) – 100 xp to advance
Proficiency bonus grows to +2
Plus 1 to Apprentice attribute
At 2.1 level (Expert) – 300 xp
Gain expert ability
Plus 1 to Journeyman attribute
Gain HD
At 2.2 (Adept) – 600 xp
Learns 1 new skill/tool/kit of choice
Can take 1 Feat
Gains +1 to any two attributes related to profession(s)
Learns proficiency in shield or leather armor and 1 additional simple weapon
MULTI PROFESSION RULES
At 3rd level rather than Master can become Journeyman in either profession. Gain those abilities at new 1st level
At 4th level can advance a tier in either profession gaining those benefits
At 5th level must advance highest tier one more tier. They would not get a feat, nor the martial profs if multi-professions.
BECOMING A HERO
At 300 or 900 xp a Commoner can become a hero and multiclass
Pick a background and gain all skills, features yet unlearned
This makes a Commoner, a bit less common. It’s a waste of time for an NPC that won’t regularly interact with characters and is most useful if that NPC is going to partake in some kind of action or encounter with the PCs. For a PC the slow start is difficult. But advancement should be rapid. During a session zero a one-on-one session could take that PC through a couple minor encounters. This type of PC doesn’t need a backstory because they play that backstory.
Don’t let your regular Commoners remain common.
We’ll dive back into Estrella’s heroic rise from glassworker to frustrated peace as she meets Teegan and Rohan in their Summer of Service.
Korlot is a small walled town along the hillside in the Lothian Highlands. Every morning Teegan and her little brother leave the Upper Gate with the handful of goats their family collected. They head out to the managed clover fields with their fences. The family cannot dedicate time to herd goats, not today. Dad will work the rye and barley with Ried today. Mom is working on the cheese this morning. In the afternoon she will be trading family mohair for a shield for Teegan and Rohan
The family isn’t rich enough to buy two shields, and like many who raise two children so close together their weapons-of-age are hand-me-downs. Teegan’s already started practicing with Pa’s hammer. It is light and natural to her hand. She would also take Dad’s halberd.
Rohan hasn’t practiced. His friend Spence helped him create a pike. It was cheap and simple. Spence found a bit of iron to shod the staff. Hopefully the pike keeps the boy ten feet further from trouble.
Little Alleway is out front of the goats. The yippy terrier is horrible herder, but Rohan loves him. Everyone in the family has a terrier, except Teegan. Everyone loves them, except Teegan.
Last year, when she reached bond-age, grandpa was dying. Teegan provided his care for most of the season. She’d bring him tea and listen to the stories about when Korlot mustered out in the most recent attempt to take back Kirtin-on-the-Lake. He’d speak of loyalty and might, of failure and friendship, and of disappointment that the north could not defend themselves from Azsel and Kirtin needed help from the thieves of Daoud.
As she listened Ha-Lim, the immense bighorn ram, would be at Pa’s feet. As Pa weakened Ha-Lim crept closer. During this time her friends were bonding with various dogs, ponies and cats. She did not go on a bonding journey. Pa had a few months and so many stories.
So she listened. She learned. She brought Pa tea, goat cheese and bread. She started to bring Ha-Lim clover and grass. When she cleaned the room, she cleaned for the ram too. When she walked to the well for water, Ha-Lim followed. The rare times that she left the house to bring the goats in, Ha-Lim followed.
When they buried Pa the ram was there, as usually happens when the person passes before the animal in a bond. He laid next the burial plot for a while and then trotted over to Teegan. Teegan never went on a bonding journey, never had a bonding ceremony. It didn’t matter. Ha-Lim is now her bonded partner in life.
It’s a lot better than those damn yippy dogs. He’s horrible at helping herd the goats, eats the vegetables and grains when working the crops and the horns get in the way of cuddling. None of those things matter. Ha-Lim is quiet and elegant. Every breath reminds Teegan of Pa. And all those memories of Pa are also memories of Ha-Lim.
Plus, when Rohan and his friends get too foolish threatening to have the ram bowl through their group tends to get them to change their focus.
“Rohan! That billie is pissed off. Call Alleway back here,” she screams out. “And dammit, stop throwing rocks at the goats!”
Tomorrow the four of them will be off to Kirtin-in-the-Sky. They will serve their not-Winter with the Shield of Kirtin. After a week or so of training they’ll head to the northern hills to show force against Azsel. Rohan is going to be trouble with a ten-foot pole, keeping that kid under control is hard enough. Giving him distractions like weapons and new friends will be a disaster, and a requirement of the law.
“Alle, get here!” and he throws one final stone. ‘Throws one final stone’ could be Rohan’s middle name.
“Rohan, here’s your bread. Eat, then go tell Ried to watch the goats. We have to finish packing.”
That evening the town would hold Teegan and Rohan’s Service Feast. That celebration of their final step into adulthood ends their time as youth. The moment they take to the trails and roads to Kirtin-in-the-Sky they are adults. They will serve the Kingdom and starting with next Winter they will be ready whenever Kirtin needs them.
Many meet their partner during Summer Service. Teegan just wants Rohan to come home alive. That’s probably going to be harder than meeting someone, even if Azsel doesn’t raid. Rohan can’t stop talking about Azsel-ite cavalry on dogback.
He’s excited at the chance of battle and his bond is a tiny, yippy terrier. This is a horrible combination.
The clouds overhead are dark and gloomy. Winds have picked up enough that Fani is staying close to Piyu. She’d rather not fly and that bird certainly isn’t made for walking. As hail falls Piyu knows that he must stop running and find shelter. His escape didn’t include clothing for a run through the mountains and this type of storm.
* * * * *
He took the opportunity to escapte when he earned his weekly hour with Fani. The Scoques were kinder than most other halflings, in that they allowed their goliaths to visit their companions on occasion. Most of the birds on the ranch didn’t even have their wings clipped. The treatment of bonds like Fani, the quality of life for Piyu and his friends and the lack of aggression in enforcing Azsel policies meant that most accepted their place.
Scoques Ranch became the new tribe. Most of the others considered the Scoques themselves the new tribal leadership and went about their business. It was the better of awful situations with which the border tribes along River Crinth dealt. Many were in fact settled. They were going to get sold or forcibly bred. They could choose their own family and even occasionally would be allowed to participate in local festivals celebrating the Everflow, or Harvest, or Migration.
While much of the Azsel/Crinth relationship is about a quest for power through slavery versus freedom for the Scoques family it may be something more like servitude, though none earn their freedom. It is supposedly possible. Piyu doesn’t want possible. He wants his bird on wing and his feet sitting in a cool mountain pond while the two of them fish together. Piyu wants to be free, even if that means less well off.
So Piyu left. He ordered Fani away and followed. Just walking off Scoques Ranch Piyu heads towards the hills. He does not break into a run until he crosses the fence on the ranch. Then his huge stride opens and he runs and runs and runs.
It is the worst escape plan. At this point he’s committed. He runs through the afternoon and the night not resting until the next morning. Fani brings him back some fish. The two find a crevice and nestle in for a short rest. Goliath and bird will need to get up soon and keep running.
* * * * *
Piyu heads back to the hut he’d passed a while ago. It’s the only cover he’s seen since he escaped the settled lands. He thinks he’s still far enough ahead that shelter makes more sense than pushing through this type of storm. Hail is starting to fall, even though it is the Summer. There is also a wicked green tint to the clouds back over River Crinth.
Correction there are two problems. A small group is climbing up the slope behind that hut. They are about a half mile away. Three small halflings and too many dogs to bother counting now.
Three problems – there are tiny sparks flashing back and forth across the river. They are red and gold. Smoke starts to billow out from a ranch near Scoques. Even smaller are the hints of blues and greens in the distance. What is this?
The storm opens in full. Hail and winds and a tornado off in the distance. It does not matter now that the tiny building is occupied. Fani needs shelter. So they open the door and stare at Master Kellamon Scoques Lady Harsop and Bastos. Piyu can’t see Latarza, but that may not matter. He’s face-to-face with someone who though friendly will be taking him back to the Ranch.
Lightning splits the tree behind him. Fani gives a soft cry. The peel of thunder shakes their souls.
“I can’t run through this.”
“Come in,” Kell says. Moving back. “You don’t have weapons?”
“No. I just wanted to get away,” Piyu, despite having a huge size advantage speaks with a hint of fear. The Scoques don’t use whips, and rarely even nets, but the natural order is that halflings are in charge, even when alone.
“I’ll start a fire.” Kellamon begins to gather some dry hay into the fire pit.
“No!” Piyu shouts quietly. The little halfling raises an eyebrow and looks back. “There’s someone else coming Master Kellamon.”
“Slavers? We wouldn’t hire slavers!”
“They almost certainly are, but I didn’t get a close look. Master Kellamon today is going to change our lives.”
“Yours will be worse for it.”
“No, this isn’t about me and trying to leave. This storm is different. It will last through the day, maybe the next.” And in front of Piyu’s hands a greenish cloud, hail and a tiny tornado appear.
Kellamon’s jaw drops. Bastos whimpers. Fani tucks her head under wing. Piyu just stares in wonderment at the model of the weather that somehow appeared in front of him. He’s never done this before today.
“Close the door.” Kellamon’s authority is slightly weakened. The door closes, untouched by goliath hands.
Piyu is startled. Maybe it was the wind, acting in concert with the words? The visual model of the storm disappears.
“Let’s settle in and hope that those slavers pass don’t notice the hut. If they do I will try to pay them off.”
It is the night when things change for Piyu, Kellamon and all of Kin.
The recent empowerment of cantrips sparked the greatest interest in the Font of Two Paths out in Western Kin. This place is holy, clearly something unnatural creates the Everflow. Each day a new group shows up in worship, or to search the lands for a clue as to why this Awakening occurred.
A generation ago Telse was just a merchant town that connected upcountry villages to the great port city-states of Mira and Qin. Now it is overwhelmed with newbs. They are taxing the ability of the town to feed everyone. The villages in the area cannot provide enough. Food is now being brought into the area by barge.
Formerly a pastoral town and region Telse is the new frontier. Cultures are mixing in ways that are unexpected. Due to Telse’s history as a faith retreat and shipping region the language is commonly known, but new tongues enter the town constantly. Outside the walls, which enclose the Font, there are districts of the Five Kingdoms, as well as the guilds, clans, tribes, faiths and ways. They have their normal conflicts and worries, but in much closer proximity.
The town guard and militia are overwhelmed. When dustups between the ghettos flare to a great enough level they are ignored. Violence, robbery, assassination, forced conversion, slave trading and other evils disgust the people whose families called Telse home for generations.
Mayor Kellamon (Halfling) is losing control. His guard is needed to have some semblance of peace.
He formulates an idea. Find the greatest scholar in all of Kin. Find the Lorebook. Use its immense power to set things back to normal. Rid the outsiders from Telse. The last Mayor tried creating a rumor that the Lorebook was in Aszel, held by the Emperor. Adventurers ran off to Aszel to take the Book. They were slaughtered or enslaved. Aszel stepped up its involvement in Telse-ian affairs and Kellamon because mayor by freeing a significant number of slaves. Prior to that he was a shepherd with three dogs and even earlier he had a dark past.
Mayor Kellamon gathered a group of about twenty at the base of the Everflow Falls. He stands on a dias that preachers typically use. At his side are Captain Piyu, Corporal Allison, Elder Sealm and Bishop of Quar Ollium. Nils is in the rear with a doubtful scowl on his face.
His amplified voice booms over the selectees and the other crowds.
“Thank you for coming. Telse is changing. It is not the simple place of pleasure and pilgrims, but now boom town. After the various wars and quests of the Awakening, Telse doubled in size. I am trying to get a handle on things here, and am getting help. Bishop Ollium is working with other faiths about shared access to the Font of Two Paths, this should go a long way to soothing the needs of the religious. Piyu and Allison are continuing their efforts to train the guard and militia, as well as leading an effort to build a new wall. The towers are helping provide early warnings about those that would raid our lands.
“These, here before us are on a different mission. They are to search for the Lorebook. If our small village is to become a city, we must know the cause. Maybe then Telse can use the knowledge to build something great together, rather than have outsiders define our future.
“Piyu and I talked with all, and have grouped them together. They are not criminals beings sent on a fools errand as Mayor Benson sent those souls to Aszel. Some will stay behind to reinforce others that near success.
“You, you, those two, that one, her and her see Elder Sealm when we are done.”
A fight breaks out between two of that group. A sergeant of the guard and his squad pull apart a Halfling and Goliath about to go at it. They are taken to the overcrowded town jail.
With a broad gesture, “those to my right see the Bishop. Those to my left will talk to Allison. Piyu will join you after he jails the idiots. Thank you for volunteering.”
Kellamon walks away followed by his three herd dogs. Nils starts climbing the Cliffs of the Everflow.
Sealm’s advice for the group is simple. Do not assume the myths are lies. Go West, away from troubled times, because what scholar would seek violence while trying to learn? He hands Aamar a smooth stone and indicates the group should leave on the western trail to the Cliffs of Gallinor and Dakhan Thaeeb.
Samul, Shonie, Saffron, Behn and Aamar lack direction, but not hopes. They have their own reasons for participating in this foolish errand. Heading through the boom town and its multitude of neighborhoods with their menagerie they do not get odd looks, except for Samul due to the rare iguana and Aamar’s bear cub.
The mostly Halfling group does not have a pack mastiff, so they purchase a mule to carry supplies on their journey. They head to the western gate. They look to the hills of the Western Wildes not knowing what their future is.
Finding this one was going to be trouble. The rough lands towards Telse along the Bell’an Range is a good place to hide. Getting into the unclaimed hills is a way to avoid the Crinth-Aszel war and, probably more importantly, a way to find evade capture. Some rush to the front, where the number of Aszel soldiers and their dogs make hiding harder. But, those that rush to the front also stand a chance of finding their tribe.
Piyu took the other route towards sharp crags, forests, brambles, and streams. The goliath’s massive frames make hiding hard, in the Range and Upper Telse there is hope.
Kellamon does not care for Piyu’s hope. He doesn’t care for his ability to hide. This hunt already cost him Latarza. It wasn’t even violence, just a horrendous accident away from any help. A stupidly rushed river crossing so as to not lose the scent. Lat had the lead, a little slip and Bastos’ littermate is gone.
Pain had ripped through Kell. A companion of several years torn from his little pack. Losing the food, other traveling goods and time meant little. Latarza is gone. He was a damn fine dog. He’s gone.
That was two days ago.
Now Bastos cannot find the scent. There’s a narrow path, and it is likely that Piyu followed it. An abandoned homestead sits off to the west. Recent rains weigh down tall grasses, they may be some kind of grain gone wild.
A shadow passes over Kellamon as he’s bent to the ground inspecting trail sign. He glances to the sky and sees a massive eagle. It is circling. Bastos is several dozen feet away, and could be the center of that circle. Kell gave the whistle for come. Losing a second dog just trying to catch an escapee would be foolish.
The wingspan and that grand beast could cover a cloud. As it drifts off away, Kell wonders about the kind of place he’s in where a bird that large would be free. Kell, also thanked As that Piyu’s bond is just a heron. Piyu wouldn’t run out of food, but there’s nothing to scare Kell and Bastos. Impracticality would be Piyu’s downfall.
Dark clouds roll overhead, chasing the giant eagle to the mountains. The storm would be massive. Since the escaping goliath’s trail had stopped here recently, the abandoned shed could be shelter again. He’d lose little time to this soon-to-rage storm. Piyu could try to keep running, but these rains would slow him, the winds would threaten his bird.
Another night with no fire, but at least he’d be warm with Bastos curled next to him. Dinner is nuts, tack bread and some dried roots paired with a bit of fresh water. It was the best night of the chase, even if both he and Bastos were lonely.
Maybe tomorrow he’d catch Piyu or that damn bird. One would lead to the other. Maybe tomorrow he could start a journey home and grieve properly. For now, he could sleep. Tomorrow he’d recapture the massive goliath.
Full Moon Storytelling 