Starting with the shop, the bard now paces around the foundation and then in ever-increasing circles, looking for the place where the overgrowth and dead wood decay feels strongest. He brings a stave of hickory left in the shop, using it as a diving rod and watching the wood's exterior to find where the concentration of wood blight has the quickest effect, in conjunction with his magical sense and whatever he's able to parse from the Heartsong.
Nothing of note is found within the shop itself… but as Andrew paces around the foundation, after his third ring he is nearly stopped dead in his tracks on the east side of the building. About 15 feet from the shop is a large rock. The disharmony in the Heartsong is almost tangible as his boot touches the old worn granite. With shaking fingers he reaches down and rolls over the small bolder. Attached to the rock is a small wood sign that has the following words carved into it and blackened, most likely with a red hot piece of iron. “Ernesto Di Valla – Granted: Novlar 11, -10677”
Your jaw drops. If the date is correct, the piece of wood is approximately 750 years old. There is not any sign of rot or deterioration. No insect activity. The wood is pristine. You fail to see how this is possible due to its age, exposure to the weather, and being underneath a rock in damp soil for who knows how long.
"DaniELLLLL...." His call is not meant for Daniel alone but anyone else in the area, although his friend is first to mind as the old cleric has been puttering around the builidng with a hammer. He drops down to examine the area around the stone and mutters the name to himself, thinking though the prominent family names of the nearest city, Port Hempstead. "Ernesto Di Valla. Di Valla...Di Valla..."
Trying to scribble down the events between houses, Andrew does a circuit of the fields to see who needs what in terms of items. He focuses on how much planking might be needed to repair buildings, and tools lost to the nature spirit's anger. He'll stop to tell the tale, and to emphasize how the kobold shama helped - any good will is better than none, after all.
Once he has an idea of how far and badly the damage spread among the neighbors (including the Pawn Shop), he'll bring his assessment back and estimate how much wood they'll need to rebuild. He will bargain for whatever portion of that can be obtained from the Dirty Claw tribe (at fair value in trade). True to their guild agreement, however, no weapons will be offered to the kobolds as part of the trade deal.
Daniel drops the last stone in place to the makeshift blacksmith forge and wood cutting station. Glancing around, he seems satisfied with the set up before going to work removing rotting wood from the store. Spotting Andrew walking about, "Andrew, if you are going to trade, ask if they have any hickory and aloe in exchange for healing potions, will you? The hickory makes excellent window framing."
Wagon loads of wood begin making their way into the Hempstead Fields area. The Dirty Claw High Shaman Kronkslivak has been true to his word. Trade with the kobold tribes has progressed thus far with no bloodshed when representatives of the Angel’s Guild are present. Poachers and other encroachments on kobold lands have been met with their usual warlike ferocity though, and the occasional head on a stick can still be seen near their borders.
Some have noted an old gnarled tree on a cliff overlooking the Angel’s shop. Many have remarked on how odd it is as they never noticed it before, yet the tree looks so old and decrepit… as if it has been growing there for centuries. Upon closer inspection the old tree has the vague appearance of two wooden creatures interlocked in an embrace. From time to time kobolds can be seen sneaking to and from this area, offerings of food and crafts left at the base of the tree.
With the influx of wealth into the kobold tribal lands, it appears that the influence of the Dirty Claws has grown among their own kind. Rangers have reported seeing many other smaller bands and their tribal elders travelling to the area.
In recent developments... Two agents of Thistletoe Trading were found killed, their arrows full of kobold arrows. A half orc body was found near the new tree on the cliffs overlooking the Angel’s shop, and an elven body was found near the border of kobold tribal holdings. Other Thistletoe agents in the area fled when news reached their ears. Rangers surmise that they may have represented some type of perceived threat by the Kobolds to both their sovereign rights, and to their newly returned nature spirit.
There are currently no indications of any precursor to large scale raiding by kobold war parties...
Daniel informs Trent, Captain of the Hempstead Guard, of what has transpired with the kobolds and the Angels Guild and asks that he refrain from further encouragement of raids into their territory. He reassures the man that the kobolds are protecting their territory and show no signs of massing to raid the farmlands beyond.
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Topic: Angels Guild - What the Heck? (Read 5551 times)
