For the first time in a good long while I woke feeling refreshed – I think that snake venom really cleared my sinuses. I would recommend it to anyone, some more than others. I’ve been making better progress than I expected on my soul harvesting operation but I feel like I need to get out of town to really make progress there – things are too dangerous in Graltontown right now. I gathered my brute squad and went to pay a visit to my good friend Kellgale – finding her out with her wagon hocking her miracle elixir.
I had her heavily out-gooned and she and her goons quickly packed up their wares to move along but I had anticipated this and had her out-flanked. She had a wand out as I approached but was clearly hoping to avoid a fight. I told her we could let bygones be bygones but I wanted to know about this supposed gladiator in which I had invested – real or scam? She assured me the investment was very real, although she clearly intended to retain any profit – and in fact she was heading to Heathgrove the next day, since the Clash of Champions would begin soon and she wanted to get out of Graltontown due to the civil unrest.
What perfect timing, we could travel together! The roads aren’t safe you know, and in any case there is no road from Graltontown to Heathgrove. I hugged her warmly and said that traveling together would also give us a chance to get to know each other better. I winked and “joked” that she shouldn’t even think of leaving without me. She laughed nervously and said that she wouldn’t dream of it.
After I had my goons start preparing for travel and checked in with my laborers at the mill – they were mostly working, much to my surprise. Nevertheless I hired a foreman to check in on them while I was gone.
I spent the rest of the day in the woods with the Kostelos – not normally my idea of a good time but it’s good to keep building on that relationship and Graltontown is getting pretty unsafe these days. After nightfall I had one of the young warriors take me out to Hidden Moon’s hunting ground. Just when I thought I might not see her she appeared suddenly out of the gloom. As the terrified warrior cowered behind a tree stump I gave her the treat I had brought – a ham with rum-glaze and soaked in rum brine. As she enjoyed her delicacy I asked her about her fellow worgs – it seemed that unlike regular wolves they were solitary rather than running in packs.
After boasting about how they didn’t need to form packs to bring down prey she told me that worgs come together at times but it’s more of a loose alliance than the formal hierarchy of a wolf pack. Boasting aside they usually have no issue finding prey on their own so there’s no real reason to cooperate barring some kind of threat. I told her I might be interested in any other worgs that might want to experience the “city life”. She was conflicted about the prospect – the food and booze is clearly a powerful draw but the noise and confusion (and stench) of a human city is just as clearly a deterrent. I told her just to see what her fellow worgs thought.
I resigned myself to a very uncomfortable night in a Kostelos camp – I guess one good night’s sleep is all I get.
____________________________________________________________
Funds: 820 gold
XP: 15,944
Inventory: Peasant outfit, wooden box, Signet ring, Ring of Many Garments, thieves’ tools, land deed, Bag of Tricks (rust), gold ring, Cap of Disguise, Secure Pocket, candlerod (9), masterwork dagger, succubi carving, Disguise kit (8 uses), Domiel family ring, walking stick
Revenge List: Duke Eaglevane, Piltis Swine, Rince
Electrum, watchman Gridley, White-Muzzle the worg, Percy Ringle
the butler , Alice Kinsey , “Patch”, Heroes of the Lost Sword, Claire
Conrad, Erist priest of Strider, Riselda owner of the Sage Mirror,
Eedraxis, Skin-Taker tribe,
Kartak, Królewna & Bonifacja Trading Company, Hurmont Family, Androni
Titus, Greasy dreadlocks woman, Lodestone Security, Kellgale Nickoslander,
Beltian Kruin the Splithog Pauper, The King of Spiders, Auraluna Domiel
Rumors : Exiled noblewoman (Reoccurring), vigilante “Litheria”(Reoccurring), murderous Halfling (Reoccurring)
Souls Damned to the Thirteen Hells – 3/10 (26 days remain)
Teams – Labors, Brute Squad (Robbers and two teams of Soldiers)
Buildings – Mill (repair time 8 days)
Managers – Master Smith (paid for next 8 days)
The Errant Endeavors of Ela the Expert 