Season 1 Episode 2: Dust on my Boots

Opening Summary

Morning came quietly to the road north of Highpoint. The caravan that had carried slavers and half-truths had vanished into the distance, leaving behind only drifting dust and rumors already beginning to change shape in the telling. The young man Yusef, rescued from the depths of a well the day before, spoke of troubling dreams: visions of broken stone, shifting chains, and a road bending away from the sea.

Whether guided by fate or curiosity, the travelers chose to follow where those dreams seemed to lead. Ulfgar the firbolg shaman, Tyrigg the dwarf paladin and his ram Goat, Rai’venen the grey elf rogue, Chariot the witch, Hemorna the pixie druid, and Tin-Head Gil continued north toward the port city of Highport. Somewhere beyond that lay Darkshelf, a place the dreams refused to name but would not release.

The road ahead promised answers. Or trouble.

The Adventure Unfolds

The morning journey passed in relative quiet. Rai’venen ranged ahead to scout the road while Ulfgar lingered near the rear of the party, watching the sky as he often did in search of the strange storms he had once tracked across the Flanaess.

As the travelers neared Highport, the road grew busier and the whispers began. Passing merchants spoke nervously of bandits operating south of the city. According to rumor, two figures had robbed a caravan and killed one of its guards before disappearing into the countryside. One witness described a towering traveler, while another insisted the criminal had been absurdly short.

The descriptions struck close enough to home that the party decided it was best not to linger too long on the subject.

Highport itself proved exactly what one might expect from a rough port city in the Pomarj. Orcs made up much of the population, and the streets were thick with merchants, sailors, and cargo moving toward the docks. The party drew more than a few looks as they entered, particularly because of Ulfgar’s size, but they passed through the gates without serious trouble.

Their first encounter with the city came in the form of a drunken would-be thief who attempted to pick Ulfgar’s purse in the street. The attempt ended badly for the pickpocket when Hemorna, unseen and invisible, quietly loosened the man’s belt. Moments later he collapsed in the road with his trousers around his ankles, drawing the attention of nearby guards.

Sheriff Grask soon arrived to investigate the disturbance. The orc lawkeeper questioned the travelers but seemed satisfied with their explanation. Before leaving, he warned them about the rumors already spreading through town about the caravan robbery.

He then directed them to the Tusk and Tankard, the busiest tavern in Highport and the place where news and travelers tended to gather.

Before settling in for the evening, the party took time to gather supplies. Chariot replaced her worn pack with a sturdier backpack, while Rai’venen purchased a lock to secure his belongings. Ulfgar sought out a blacksmith and arranged for a special connector to be forged that would allow two staves to be joined into a longer weapon, work he intended for Gil.

With errands finished and daylight fading, the group made their way to the Tusk and Tankard.

Inside the tavern, the atmosphere was lively. Sailors filled the tables, the smell of ale and roasted meat hung in the air, and a bard named Everard Strings entertained the room with songs drawn from the latest rumors of the road.

One of those songs caught the party’s attention immediately. Everard had already composed a ballad about mysterious travelers who had robbed a caravan south of the city.

The resemblance to recent events was uncomfortable.

Chariot, undeterred, quickly befriended the bard and happily shared stories of her magical studies while Everard eagerly gathered details for future songs. At the same time, Rai’venen arranged lodging for the group. Three rooms were secured for the night, and through a bit of quick thinking he struck another bargain with the tavernkeeper.

The party would prepare dinner for the evening crowd.

Roughly fifty people.

What followed soon after was considerably less organized.

Two drunken orcs began arguing at the far end of the room. Their insults escalated quickly, mugs began flying, and within moments the entire tavern erupted into a full brawl. Tables overturned, drinks splashed across the floor, and fists began swinging in every direction.

Gil quickly found himself facing one of the instigators, an orc named Tumble. The two traded blows in the chaos as the fight spread across the room. Tyrigg took a defensive stance to protect the others, while Ulfgar attempted to contain the situation by sheer size alone.

Hemorna contributed her own invisible mischief (resulting in a half-naked Tumble) while staying clear of the worst of the fighting.

At one point Gil managed to get the upper hand and hoisted the now half-dressed Tumble off his feet, hauling the struggling orc toward the tavern door in an effort to remove at least one problem from the fight.

Meanwhile, Chariot and Rai’venen took a dramatically different approach.

Chariot climbed onto the bar and began performing with her fan veils while Rai’venen accompanied her with a lively tune on the flute. For a brief moment the tavern fight became something halfway between chaos and entertainment.

The distraction worked about as well as one might expect.

Eventually the front doors burst open and Sheriff Grask strode inside. The effect was immediate. Fists stopped mid-swing and chairs were quietly set back down as the room froze under the sheriff’s glare.

Grask surveyed the wreckage with clear irritation before demanding to know who had started the fight. Tumble raised his hand and pointed at his rival, explaining the entire conflict had begun over an insult involving his mother.

The sheriff seemed less than impressed.

Tumble and another brawler named Skolar were ordered to clean the tavern and pay for the damages. With that, the fight ended almost as quickly as it had begun.

Memorable Moments

• Hemorna humiliating a street pickpocket by loosening his belt at exactly the right moment
• The spreading rumors about mysterious road bandits who sounded suspiciously familiar
• Chariot befriending the bard Everard Strings and nearly giving him enough material for an entire album
• Gil squaring off with the orc Tumble during the tavern brawl
• Rai’venen and Chariot turning a bar fight into a musical performance
• Sheriff Grask ending the entire brawl with a single command

Lore and Discoveries

• Rumors are spreading through the region about two mysterious travelers who robbed a caravan south of Highport
• Highport is a rough port city where orcs make up much of the population
• News of the roads spreads quickly through traveling bards like Everard Strings, who turn rumors into songs that travel from town to town

Notable Creatures or NPCs

• Sheriff Grask, the orc lawkeeper of Highport
• Everard Strings, a bard who collects rumors and transforms them into songs
• Tumble, the drunken orc whose argument sparked the tavern brawl
• Skolar, another tavern brawler caught up in the chaos

Cliffhanger – What Comes Next

With the tavern quiet again, the party found themselves with rooms for the night, a kitchen full of ingredients to prepare, and a tavern packed with sailors expecting dinner.

Outside the Tusk and Tankard, rumors of mysterious bandits continued to spread across Highport.

Inside, dinner for fifty still needed to be cooked.

And somewhere beyond the city, the road to Darkshelf Quarry waited.