Counsel Member Adventures

I.S.C. High Counsel Exploits

Landrin Darbek, Frederick Kilstun, Edgar, Rehlman, Tristan

How it All Began....

A Troubled Town

The prisoner, a dwarf, young in age, comes walking out between some soldiers. He dressed in rags, and looks to have been beaten already. He is then chained down as everyone awaits the arrival of the king. The horns blast and the procession begins, a site, it seems, that is all to familiar to the people who now gather around the plaza. The king, a human, only in his early 20's, is carried out upon his throne by four men. One of the soldiers who was with the dwarf starts presenting the case against the dwarf. The dwarf only stares at him in wide-eyed horror of the lies that the guard is telling, yet he knows better not to say anything, at least this way he might live.

The way this town works is not favorable to anyone but the king. Yet all seem to live under his rule, with little complaint. (Probably because to complain is an easy way to get thrown in the dungeon) None leave the town either, for as long as they've been alive, this has been their town, their home, and their life. The city can't be much bigger then 7,000 people, yet it has a miniature castle that is dwarfed by any real castle, and the main square is only as big as a normal city block, not that large at all.

The king tells the guards to through the dwarf into the dungeon, and the guards proceed in dragging off the dwarf. Witness to this act of injustice is Landrin Darbek, a tumbler who's group recently disbanded after an unfortunate accident with a flaming axe. He really didn't think to much of it at the time...

A couple hours later, he heard a scream, he ran to the girl, and there over her sat a soldier holding a bloodied dagger. The soldier through the knife on the ground, and shouted for the other guards to come quickly, that this elf, Landrin Darbek, had just killed a women. The guards dragged him away without a fight for Landrin was set on proving his innocence. He was also hauled up in front of the king, and was thrown in the dungeon.

In the meantime, a young squire, by the name of Edgar had recently gotten a job at the castle as a guard. The pay's very lousy so the Capt. takes just about anyone who applies. Edgar was assigned to one of the gates for his first shift, he was a newcomer to this town, and needed to find some quick work.

The dungeon was a place of pure hell, screams filled the air as men were beaten, whipped, shackled, abused, and whatever else the guards felt like doing to the prisoners at the time. The only thing pleasant in the air was the sound of lute being strummed. The prisoners were all shackled to the wall by their arms and legs. Landrin was soon to join them. The guard brought Landrin in the deep recesses of the dungeon and found him a spot next to human. As Landrin passed the prisoners he noticed it was the dwarf who played the lute, and had been allowed his hands free. The dwarfs hands were bloodied from the nonstop playing for hours on end, but he did manage to introduce himself as Rehlman.

Edgar, who was loaded to the teeth with his arsenal of a voulge, knife, hercules club, and flamberge, after his shift headed down to the local bar. In there he found an open seat and got some food. Later on a drunken soldier sat down across from him and began rambling on about anything and everything until he mentioned something of the latest prisoner..the elf. In his drunken stupor he told Edgar all about how he set up the elf for the murder, because some whore wouldn't give him what he wanted. 1 inch away from the soldiers head appeared Edgar's voulge, and Edgar started to lead the soldier to the captain. All this time, a monk scholar by the name of Tristan was taking notes.

"But that's the way things work around here buddy" stated the Captain to Edgar, "the king allows this to happen, because it seems to keep the soldiers in good company with him, to make up for their low pay. If you don't like this I don't blame you and you may leave, if you pursue this, you'll most likely end up down in the dungeon with the others"

Edgar stalked off into the town, only to make a U-turn and head back into the castle gates avoiding the captains site, and headed on down to the dungeon. Down in the dungeon, he could hear the hellish screams from the prisoners, and told one of the guards he was replacing them, and they could have the rest of the night off. After a half hour of observing the situation, he finally decided he couldn't take it anymore, and entered the dungeon itself. The rank smell of urine and blood filled his lungs as he plunged deeper and deeper into the dungeon looking for the elf.

Landrin stood there, watching the guards going down the row, taking the shackles off of the prisoners and dragging them into the other room, for their discipline. Now, the man next to him was taken, he would be next. The horror of the thought entered his fogged mind only to be cleared up by the approach of a guard. The guard ordered him to his knees. The guard wasn't probably thinking clearly as Landrin was chained to the wall. Landrin wouldn't have moved an inch, even if he could, and spit at the guard. The guard called for reinforcements in disciplining this elf. Another guard soon came, and gave the first guard a set of keys, and then went about talking to the elf. The first guard took the keys, whispered something to an ogre in gobbley, and unchained the ogre. The 2nd guard soon had a voulge through his back. The first guard went to unshackle the elf, and introduced himself as Edgar.

Dungeon Break (Just doesn't sound right, does it? :)

After having everybody unshackled, and no guard the wiser, the whole group (a dozen or so) plunged through the castle, out the gates, and into the surrounding forest. An interested monk scholar (Tristan) followed after the group into the woods.

Just at this time entering the city was Frederick Kilstun, an assassin by trade, and from the little that people hear, a damn good one. He heard the king of this town was looking for an assassin, and he was soon lead to the king by the captain.

"Welcome, I sent out for one of you for a matter, which now holds little weight in my mind. A more pressing matter has gained my attention and I wish for you to hunt down a man, his name is Edgar...." The king goes on to give a brief description of Edgar, and Frederick is on his way.

The small group of a dozen or so start making tracks deep into the forest, and finally stop for five minutes for a brief rest. There it's decided that the ogre and Rehlman would cover the parties tracks, and that Landrin would go back and get Edgar's horse, and everybody's confiscated stuff from the castle. The rest of the party would continue through the forest as they were sure that king would send out some troops after them. Before parting Edgar gave Landrin a knife, and the ogre a voulge for protection and bid them good luck.

(Next Update) Landrin made his way through the forest back to the castle. The growing darkness shrouded his movements as he returned to the east side of the castle, and studied the patrols. Guards walked on top of the wall by him every two minutes. Just enough time to get over, and out of site. He took his grappling hook, whipped it over the wall, and climbed up the wall, and was back down in no time, an easy feat for a tumbler. Luckily, he wasn't spotted yet. Off to the left was the main gate, which was guards, and to the right a small door. He made for the door, and crashed his way inside to the royal stable. 6 stalls, 5 filled, lined the walls and at the end was a door which he went through.

* * * * *

"Hey, Jack man, don't sleep on the job like that, your bound to get us both beheaded", said the guard to his friend. He's new to the job, and barely 16 yrs. of age. But old enough it seemed to be given the high position of guarding the armory (Which also contained a stockpile of weapons taken from the prisoners). He never wanted the job, but his parents were always trying to keep in good favor with the king anyway they could.

"Shut up you fool, I got some good drinking left to do at the bar after this shift, and it's not like we're about to killed or anything, the guards outside would raise an alarm first."

Just then, the first guard heard a creaking of the door coming from the stable doors. He checked around the corner, and saw no one, and went back to his daydreaming, while his partner sat on the floor trying to catch a few winks. Then he heard it again. "I'll be right back"... He stepped around the corner and this time the stable door was a small ways opened outward. Must be the wind as he went to grab the door handle to close it tightly... A hand yanked him into the stable and covered his mouth, and put a knife to his back. Fear raced through his body, as he tried unsuccessfully to scream for help. A warm stream went down his pants, and he couldn't think of anything to do. Then the attacker spoke.

"Be quiet, or you're a dead man". The hand slowly raised from his mouth, and a dagger went straight to his neck. He turned around to see an the shadow of an elf, easily a foot taller, and in a dark grey cloak facing him. He decided it would be in his own best interest to cooperate as he was tied up and gagged. The elf then left him in an empty horse stall after having taken his uniform, and went through the door to the inside of the castle.

Landrin, disguised as a guard, walked up to the other guard who was now sleeping, and told him he was his replacement for the night. The guard thought nothing of it as he left. After a little difficulty, the key to the armory was located and Landrin was outside of the castle walls with the stuff he was told to collect. Mainly the dwarfs, and his stuff. He located Edgar's horse, and was off into the forest as quickly and silently as he had arrived.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, Frederick, the assassin, ventured deep into the forest, and finally came upon 3 sets of tracks. A large # tracks had gone left and right. And only a small set up the middle. The path left, looked like the best way to start with, and he started heading down the tracks, searching for his mark. A man of the savage trade, Frederick was, but only because it fit his purposes, and served him well financially. The marks were always too easy it seemed, they were all men of stature, and gave other men reasons to hate them, either that, or they were the most treacherous of thieves and murderers. This is the first man he'd get to go after with a real purpose, other then the money that is. He'd be getting a man who helped free prisoners guilty of crimes, he could now be know as a true jack of the trade.

An Ogre and a dwarf appeared in the trail in front of him, he ducked in the bushes while they passed. Remembering them fleeing as he entered the city, he went down the path they came from. After following it for a good half hour, the trail abruptly ended, and the no one was to be seen. Tracking was never one of his top priority's, with nobility, he always knew where they were. He'd obviously chosen the wrong way, and returned to the split in the path's, this time following the left path. After a few hours, sleep overcame his need to travel farther. He would stop here, out of view of the road, for a couple of hours, and get the early lead on his mark in the morning.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, the small group of escapees from the dungeon fled south. They'd made steady time, and had already passed through the forest, an small patch of farmland, more forest, and only now, when they arrived at a river, did they finally decide to lay down for a couple of hours. And then later on they'd follow the river upstream, and find a port town to disperse into.

* * * * *

Frederick awoke to the sound of boots walking down the trail. Upon farther inspection he saw that it was the dwarf and the ogre. Both looked sleepless. They headed in the same way he was headed. Frederick gathered his stuff, and followed a safe distance behind. The fools would lead him right to the camp. There he would make his kill, and therefore make his money.

After following them to the edge of the forest the dwarf and ogre stopped, and found a spot to rest on the farm. From here on the path was easy to follow, as the crops had been beaten down by the escapees.

Meanwhile, Landrin rode Edgar's horse through the forest and found the dwarf and the ogre just as they were waking up. Landrin continued on ahead after the small group after giving the dwarf his possessions back.

Meanwhile, the small group of escapees headed up the river after crossing it. They followed the beach for a long time, until they came upon somebody camping out on the beach. They went through the surrounding farmland to avoid him seeing them. They continued onward until they arrived at a small town. The sun up by now, already into the afternoon, yet all of the were deathly tired. Here they split up into the town, Edgar bidding each good luck. Edgar and Tristan both decided they'd find an inn.

A night passed and all continued on their way. The next morning Tristan woke up early to the chatter in the main lobby of the inn. He went down to observe and saw an elf, decorated with weapons, a weird looking helmet, and various other interesting items, standing on a table talking to everybody. He was telling people about an isle or something, where people could go to start a new life, and right now he was taking anybody and everybody who wanted to go with him. It sounded interesting, so Tristan, after the main speech went over to talk with the elf. Edgar, about this time, came down the stairs and also talked to the elf.

If they were interested in going, they would have to be 10 miles south, at the docks, by next week. Tristan, was pretty sure he'd go, while Edgar was looking forward to going. The elf, seeing Edgar so interested, asked him to spread the word throughout the city to all those he meets, for the elf had other cities to visit yet. Edgar said he would, and formally introduced himself, as did the elf, his name being Lancelot....

Edgar and Tristan both decided to hang around this town for the week, then head south. Edgar went out and found a job as a horse groomer, to pay for his stay at the inn.

Next to arrive in the town was Frederick, he looked around a bit, and found his mark at the stables. The stables being out in the open, Frederick decided against confrontation right away. Instead he found a job as a merchants assistant, where he could keep a close eye on his mark.

And finally Landrin, Rehlman, and the ogre hobbled into town. They found Edgar, and Edgar collected his weapons and told them of the isle that he was going to, and what opportunities lie there. Everybody seemed pretty interested so they decided they'd hang out in the town with Edgar, and travel to the isle with him. Rehlman, and Landrin found jobs at the inn to support themselves while they wait.

Frederick waited for just the right time to get Edgar, and about 5 days later, that time came. Frederick walked into the stable, blocking the entrance as Edgar tended to the horses.

Edgar looked up at the man dressed in black, and leap for the the nearest hoe against the wall. The man took up his blow gun and shot a dart, hitting Edgar. Edgar went to run past the man dressed in black, but before he could he had another dart launched into him. The man in black caught him and Edgar struggled to get out of the stables, trying to scream for help, and slowly it all became like a dream, and Edgar went unconscious.

Peasants stormed into the stable to see the man in black forcing an unconscious person on top of a horse. The man leapt onto the horse and tried to ride right through the peasants but they stopped him, and took Edgar's body from him. The man pleaded his case that this person broke the law in the other town, but it was to no avail. Edgar later woke up, and felt fine.

Later on, that same night they saw each other in the same inn. Edgar ran outside and hid behind one of the merchant carts. Frederick eventually found him, but this time didn't attack. It seems as though Frederick also has some sense for what's right and he and Edgar exchanged a few words....and both walked off, both pissed off, but neither hurt.

The Boat

A couple hundred people of various races boarded the boat including Landrin Darbek, Frederick Kilstun, Edgar, Rehlman, and Tristan. On top of the boat stood Lancelot, who now formally greeted everyone. He told them all to have a good time, and get lots of rest, because there'll be a lot of work to get done when they get to the Isle of the Southern Cross.

(Next Update) The boat traveled forth for the next several days. The people on the boat stayed busy by playing cards and telling the stories of their past.

One morning, Edgar and the others were awoken up by a bell ringer walking down the hall of cabins. Edgar sleepishly got up and wondered up to the deck to see what was the matter. He went up the last stair when he saw land. The trip had gone way to fast he thought to himself, but the land had people on it, maybe this was a different isl....

"We're stopping at the Henray Isle, part of the Floenry Isle chain" Lancelot shouted over the crowd, "Pick up anything you'll need from the market for the next few months and we'll be shoving off in half a day, be back here by then."

Edgar leapt off the boat as it docked, happy to be on land that wasn't constantly rocking back and forth. He then followed the crowd into the market, intent on his purpose. He bought some food, a black hooded robe, and some other knick-knacks with all the money he had left. After perusing around town a bit, he returned to the boat for a small nap.

After an hour or so of sleep he woke up and wondered on up to deck where some kid with a wooden sword ran up to him and asked him if he'd sword fight him. Edgar accepted and drew his sword, and they play fought until Edgar let the boy win. Edgar looked over and saw Frederick fishing off the side of the boat with someone, and also found Tristan, so he started talking with him. He looked over a few seconds later, and saw the boy sword fighting a wooden pole on the ship, and then looked again and the boy was gone.

He wondered on over to the pole to look around and he found the boys sword laying on the deck, and staircase leading down into the cabins.

Edgar ran downstairs into the main hallway, and caught a glimpse of the the boy being yanked around a corner. He ran down the hallway, and turned just as a door slammed shut. There were 5 doors on either side. He tried knocking on the one in the middle on the left side, and then opened it. Nothing... Then he went to the door on the right middle and knocked on it..Nothing.. and then tried to open it but it was locked. Just then he heard a box fall over inside the room.

Edgar hacked on the door until he could see inside. Inside there was an Orc holding the boy with a knife to his throat. Telling Edgar to leave or the boy would die. Edgar tried to talk to him but the Orc looked unstable so he ran up to the deck for help. He grabbed Tristan, and the guy who was fishing with Frederick and an elf and got them to help him. They ran back down to the room but the Orc had left. Edgar started searching room after room with the others, guards were posted at the exits of the ship and soon a whole mob of people were searching the ship.

They had gotten down to there final rooms and Edgar was looking through one when Tristan yells. Edgar went to see the Orc fleeing up the stairs. Everybody ran after him, as he headed for the front of the ship. He was finally cornered at the bow. Nobody made a move on him for fear of the boys life. The Orc said something about bringing the boy back dead or alive.

Just then, Landrin noticed a small rowboat approaching alongside the ship with 3 orcs in it. It pulled up to the bow, and just as Orc was about to throw the boy down Landrin leapt for him, causing the boy to go into the water. Sailors jumped overboard after the boy. And everybody went charging at the Orc.

The Orc managed to fend off a few attacks before he shouted, "Capt. Drake will get you for this." and then he met his death. The sailors recovered the boy, and the Orcs in the boat had enough weapons drawn on them that they rowed back off into the ocean.

That night, Edgar stayed awake until well into the morning. He quietly left his cabin and went to Fredericks cabin. Here he was going to get his revenge. On him he had his Black robe. He picked the lock to Fredericks door and entered. Frederick laid there asleep. Edgar, in the deepest voice he could muster, woke up Frederick with knife at his throat. He pulled Frederick up, and led him silently up to the main deck which now had nobody on it. He told Frederick that he was a Merc. sent by the king whom Frederick was supposed to do the assassination for.

"Why didn't you kill that man you were sent to kill?"

"I found him to be innocent of wrong-doing" Frederick spitted out.

"I hear you tryed to get him but failed, a bunch of peasants stopped you"

"That was before...before I found out what the king did to those people in the dungeon, they were innocent"

Edgar revealed himself and that night taught Frederick a little lesson. They both went back to their cabin's and found some sleep...

Tomorrow the true rocking of the boat would start again, it wasn't so bad right now that they were docked...They needed all the rest that they could get.

(Next Update - View of the Captian, Sheila Nazare)

A week and a half has passed, and tides and waves pounded the Lady Rose, rocking it back and forth and back and forth and as my Lady sang to me, however the tune must have been off for the weak of stomach, for they saw fit to throw up all over her decks. Land lovers, I tell ya.

Spirits have been getting pretty glum around here and even my crew is starting to worry, becuase we haven't seen land in such a long time, not like the shore runs like they're used too. The cook says we still have a good store of liquor in the kitchen so I've arranged to have a party thrown tonight to cheer up some people around here.

Later that evening the party was in full swing, it just so happens that the lady was fortunate enough to have some fine musicians along on Her belly, not to mention the juggling storyteller. People were having a pretty good time even though it seems that men outnumbered us women a good 2 to 1, but for those who couldn't get the women seemed to have enough to drink to make up for it. I even had my first mate, Scully, take over the wheel for a while mingled among the people.

After a while, when the juggler stopped his juggling and went to some good story telling (even though his voice sounded quite hoarse) the music slowed down to fit the story, and a lot of people started heading below deck. I took the wheel back and just enjoyed the fresh night air.

People were going down to there rooms finally when I heard a scream cut short by thunk. I looked back to see one of my sailor's laying flat against the cabin wall. Then the boat lurched throwing me to my knees. A huge tentacle whipped itself on deck crashing through a few planks. People started to scream and run every which way but I could do nothing but stand and try to keep the boat on course.

"Twack!", the boat lurched again. I looked back to see some of the passengers shooting arrows and fireballs into the giant tentacle. John was up in the forefront trying to stab it, only to be knocked away by the giant tentacle. Finally after a few blows the tentacle was severed and the animal retreated.

A few of my men lowered themselves over the side of the Lady and reported back that hull should be fine until they can repair it in the morning.

Later on that week I saw dark clouds rolling in in big amounts. By nightfall the rain had started to patter against the Lady's deck and the waves started to roll higher. I decided to have my entire staff up on deck to care of anything that might go wrong and the main sails were lowered. The rain started to come down harder and harder until it was a terenchle downpour. My boys took to the buckets and tossed overboard whatever they could, between getting knocked to and fro from the waves that crashed on deck. I had them tie ropes around their belts that would keep them from flying overboard, but still loose enough that they could get free of the rope if need be. Lancelot had better pay us good for...

"Whump" a wave nailed the boat, and Shiela was flung down the stairs to the lower decks and landed unconscious.

A New Beginning (Overview)

The next day I was shook'n awake by Scully, my head hurt like hell, but I went up on deck to see that basically everything was intact and the clean up was in full gear from the storm. Then he told me... the Isle should be really near now as he thinks the storm actually helped us get closer to it last night. I immediately had a bell ringer run down the halls because I know the guests will want to see the Isle when it first comes into view.

(As Described to the Players)

"You all wake up to the sound of a man running down the halls clanging a bell.

You get up the decks to see the light of the sun rising in the glory of a new day behind the clouds from the storm last night. A dwarf from the uptop the ship holding a telescope shouts, “Captain, she should be visible to the naked eye soon!”

You stand there eagerly on the deck waiting for your first glimpse of your new home, you wait for how long your not sure of, but it seems an eternity.

Finally, the clouds begin to drift away to reveal a sky of a majestic blue. The suns rays blast forth through the opening in the clouds in bright shafts of light and the waves that you’ve grown so sick of reflect the suns beauty into the brisk sea air that you take in that you take a deep refreahing breath of. Way off in the distance you finally see it, a place that you’ve heard so much of and until now thought it could only be a dream, a fairy tale lost in the legends of old, you see the Isle of the Southern Cross.

A castle known as Southwind Keep stands proud on isle just past the rocky shore like an immovable fortress plucked out of the history books of time, to have it’s beauty, and soul displayed for all to see again.

You stand there basking the warmth of the suns light, and you think to yourself, the new life you have forever been searching for, has been found, at last....."

And it was. Each had there own reasons for coming, but all had in common the need of starting over in life. Cheers went up through the crowd and people of all ages hugged and drank to it.

After a day's worth of sailing towards the Isle, they passengers finally got there first chance to stand on solid ground in weeks, although some seemed to prefer to lie down on the beach and kiss the earth.

It was nearing night at the time, so the people went out into the burned down city and found some of the remaining huts on either side of the main city and found a spot to sleep for the night.

The next day everybody went about working or scouting the Isle. Landrin and Frederick in particular went to go check out the castle.

Landrin walked through the dusty halls and came upon the courtyard. The round courtyard had nothing but vines and giant weeds now, but he envisioned the beauty that would be their come spring and a little work. He gazed up at two 2-story tall doors, that were closed at the time. He went over and slowly opened one, and it revealed the main hall. The stone was still in tact but the everything else was trashed around the place. Then he saw it, up on the thrown.

Landrin walked up there to find a note and a mug with it's handle broken off sitting on the thrown. The note was illegible to him so he went around trying to find somebody who could read it. After a few people trying with little luck, Landrin found Lancelot working on a hut outside the castle and handed him the note.

Lancelot read out load: "Get this cup to the Land of the Damned by 3 weeks after the 10 month. Very Important! Do Not break it! -Signed Rachel"

"Dammit that's only 3 weeks from now, where's the cup?"

Landrin held up the cup for Lancelot to see.

"Would you be willing to sail to the Land of the Damned with Sheila and her crew to deliver this, I know you won't make it 3 weeks, but late is better then never" Lancelot said.

"I will Lancelot, I feel my life was meant for the mainland anyway, now that is." Landrin replied.

So it was settled, and Landrin sailed off for the Land of the Damned the following day after saying his good-byes. Meanwhile, the rest of the people worked hard to repair this new place they call home.

Follow the Castle Path to return to Main Page

This page hosted by