Review of e-mail events and chat summary for 16 February, 2001

 

We last saw our heroes having a celebratory dinner with the Steel Regent of Cormyr after they had been knighted and Matar had become a Count.

 

The group ended up spending the next week in Suzail.  Amber had most of the party over to her house at one time or another, introducing her friends to her family.  The halfling had just about given her mother a heart attack when she brought the “Friends of the Crown” title home.  Then on top of that the next day she comes home a full-fledged Lady!  She also basks in the glow of approval from her church, as Queen Filfaeril herself sends a note of thanks to the High Priest of Tymora in Suzail for Amber’s actions.  She also does some shopping while in town, purchasing a few things for herself, some potion ingredients, and some things to try and sell up in Jurgenville for a profit.

 

Matar was kept busy in meetings with the “Silver Trio” as the three heirs to the throne were being called, and with the Regent and Caladnei.  He was thankful for his father’s calm presence and steady mind as the nobles dumped information and more information on him.  Of course, everything was of “critical importance”.  He quickly realized that being a noble was more work that he had anticipated.  Still, his loyalty to the Steel Regent grew every time he spoke with her.  Somewhat to the amazement of both, he defeated her when the two got together to spar the morning after the knighting.  Alusair was so intrigued by Matar’s oriental fighting style that the pair ended up sparring every morning that Matar stayed in Suzail.  It was Matar’s turn to be impressed as the Regent quickly picked up on how to counter his unfamiliar style.  He was still scoring more blows than she when they parted, but not nearly as many as he had in their first sparring match.

 

Castinar spent most of his time with Jasonovi.  His mentor met and became acquainted with Shadow, Hunter, and Finslayer as well.  They spoke at great length about the kidnappings, as Jasonovi had been appointed to be the Regent’s Special Agent in investigating the matter, and since the Truth Seekers were closer to getting to the bottom of the kidnappings than any other group in Cormyr.

 

Diana spent much of her free time talking with Caladnei, the Regent’s advisor.  Caladnei had never been a religious woman, but her recent and unexpected rise to power had made her reconsider the “big picture”.  Diana was pleased to teach her about Isis, although as often as not they talked shop, not religion. 

 

It was Caladnei who took Diana to see an opera presentation that she though the elf would find interesting.  She was right.  Diana recognized the storyline all too well.  It was the story of Ariessus and Beleg and their unexpected love.  Diana was quietly amused at the portrayal of most of the rest of the party, who were delegated to minor roles as the story was, after all, a tragic love story.  She was secretly glad that she wasn’t in the opera, as she had joined the party long after Beleg had been captured.  Still, she had to admit that for the most part the story was as she had heard it.

 

Thengal only stayed in Suzail for a few days.  He then took a fast-coach to Milborne and arranged transportation for himself up to Jurgenville from there.  It is he who brings word of the party’s knighting and Matar becoming nobility to those who stayed behind in Jurgenville (Sane, Nikki, and Ariessus).

 

Katrina spent her time wandering around Suzail.  When Thengal announced he was leaving early she decided to go with him, traveling with him to Hutail.  From there she went back to her family’s farm, to share with them the decree from the Crown that the Hunters now owned the land around their farm, and to bask in their approval at her becoming a knight.  She ends up spending several weeks there.  (OOC: this is a slight departure from what we had discussed before, but with Thengal heading back Katrina could catch a ride with him and have more time at home.)

 

 

After one week in Suzail Matar felt it was time to go to Thornwood.  He was pleased to learn that Kathin Huntsilver, one of the Silver Trio that had been mentoring him, had recently been appointed as Duke of the Eastern Reaches, making Matar his subordinate.  The Huntsilver family had a magical, flying boat which Kathin used to take Matar, his family, and the rest of the party in Suzail to Milborne.  There Matar was introduced to the people of Milborne as their new Count and Mayor, and he symbolically took his oath of office in front of them once again.  Matar and those with him were generally received warmly by their new subjects.  Lord Carman had not been a particularly popular mayor.  The rangers of the shire (now county), particularly Kuiper and Garyld, provided particularly strong and vocal support to the new Count.

 

From Milborne the party traveled to Greenleaf, again by Kathin’s magical boat.  Matar was rather pleased to see that the old “broken spire keep” was looking much better.  It was still more a garrison for a detachment of Purple Dragons than a home, but Matar’s mother felt she could “whip it into shape”. 

 

After bidding Duke Kathin farewell, Matar spent the next two weeks touring his new county, meeting the people and introducing himself.  Castinar, Diana, Amber, and Matar’s father James all accompanied him.  Castinar wouldn’t stay with the group, but rather spent his time roaming the countryside with Shadow and Hunter, trying to get a feeling for the wilder areas of Matar’s county.  Diana and Amber both spent their time trying to improve the lot of the common folk, doing small deed which went a long way to helping the people accept their new Lord.  Towards the end of their tour they were joined by Katrina, who had heard about them as she stayed at her family’s farm.

 

By the time their tour was over Matar was exhausted.  He joked with his father about actually being eager to return to the Underdark, where he only had to worry about his blade, his friends, and his enemies.  

 

During his journey Matar had come to the decision to set up his home in Greenleaf.  Besides having personal importance for him, it sat astride a new road which the old Count Parlfrey and Lord Carman had carved through the middle of the Thornwood.  Matar’s father wanted to increase trade along the road.  Leaving Milborne in Garyld’s capable hands Matar and his father concentrated on the wilder areas of the county.

 

When Matar announced that Greenleaf was going to be his base of power his mother insisted that he return to Jurgenville and gather up the family’s belongings and bring them down to Greenleaf.  Diana offered to create one of her Portal Circles in Greenleaf and the group teleported up to Jurgenville, three weeks to the day from when they had left.

 

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That’s where things stand right now.  At the chat session last night those who were there discussed how long they wanted to stay in Jurgenville.  The consensus was a total of three months (including the three weeks spent in Cormyr).  So, for your planning purposes, here is how much “free time” each of you have:

 

Sane, Nikki, Ari: three full months (if Sane and Nikki get me their character sheets before next Friday)

 

Thengal: 11 weeks (a week under three months)

 

Amber, Diana, Katrina, Castinar, Matar: Nine weeks (just over two months).

 

I also tried to get the general intentions on what people planned on doing during those two to three months.  I have the following:

 

Amber: brew some potions

Ariessus: unknown

Castinar: unknown, suggested he scout out an Underdark route between TSR and Greenleaf Keep

Diana: probably creating magic items

Katrina: unknown

Matar: return to Thornwood and help his father get settled

Nikki: unknown (needs character sheet submitted)

Sane: unknown (needs character sheet submitted)

Thengal: craft a blade, get it enchanted, check into situation with dwarves

 

You all have ONE WEEK (real time) to get to everything you want done.  At next Friday’s chat session I want to have the party reenter the Underdark and we’ll get back to the module storyline.  So from EACH OF YOU I need two things.  First, your character sheet in the final format.  If you do not get me your character sheet before next Friday’s chat session your character will not participate in any events which occur next Friday (much like Nikki and Sane in the last battle – you’ll be there, but won’t contribute in any way).  Second, I need to know exactly what you want to do during your time in town.  If you don’t send me anything I’ll assume you just hang out.  Don’t send me something like a new spell or magic item next Thursday and expect to be able to use it on Friday. 

 

So, unless there are any questions, get me those character sheets and let me know what you do.

 

Later,

 

Saif