[Game Thread] Tantoran Conflict

[The Yellow Bin]

The Setting: Village of Tantori, Tantora
The Date: April 2, Year 151


The Tantoran Spring, unlike spring of other parts of the Te'Saya continent, is a season of arid weather. This serves as an yearly balance of the arctic land, where the harsh winter blizzard provides enough water for the entire year. Near the coast of Tantora, especially on the eastern coast, the snow turns into water and water makes its way towards the ocean. Seasonal rivers can form from a crevice in the land. Such is true in Tantori.

Built on a slight incline from this crevice, the snow that melts and flows towards the ocean creates a river of frigid water. A welcoming sight for all in the village, this provides them with fresh water for their daily use. Spots of green can be seen from places where snow melted faster than other surrounding areas.

The village of Tantori is no more than a collection of large wooden buildings. In each of these buildings, rooms are set up in groups, and grouped on different floors. Travelers, and nomads alike stay here, some of them stay a short time, some of them may stay their entire life. If you can find a room here, you can stay here.

In the middle, an clearing can be seen with four wooden stakes on each corner. In the spring, as it is the case currently, a large tarp is connected by tying to the four stakes, this is the trading area of the village. During springtime and summer, this is where traveling merchants, hunters, and gathers alike come to trade. Once in a while, exotic merchants can be heard trading interesting and magical things.

Just to the north of the clearing is a unique wooden building, smaller than the residential buildings surrounding it. It is only one floor, and it houses a large room. This is known as the House of the Three Matriarchs. As you enter the door, three large wooden chairs face you, with benches set in the circle, creating a nice area for large gatherings.

On this particular day, Tania makes her daily trip to the trading place, gathering and purchasing what she needs for her to last through the day. The trading is bustling. Gilbert, of gnomish descend and familiar face in the trading area of Tantori can be heard shouting out goods for the day: Already skinned hare for sale here! Tender for a nice stew for your evening! Or maybe the deer meat is of interest to you, directly imported from the Ethelu forest! Come and get it!

Next to him, Greta, a dwarven smith shouts out: Fine metal and wooden arms and armors! Us dwarves have the best smiths in Te'Saya! Among other things, Tania understands the ongoings of the trading area. She can get mundane things, any time, however, it is those times when special merchants come by, that's when things get busy in the area.

Suddenly, Tania's keen ears hear galloping sounds from the east. As she looks up, she recognizes a group of amazon, on their horsebacks, fast tracking into the village. They stop at the door of the House of the Three Matriarchs. With bows on their backs, they enter hurriedly into the building...

[Aethera]

This doesn't look good. She finishes her barter for a deerskin to make a replacement jerkin for herself, giving up and paying the price the merchant is at, rather than bartering lower. She wants to know what's going on. The closest amazons would all know her, or at least her mother, though she hadn't recognized any faces as they rushed past. One of the mares, though... she looked familiar. Maybe. Tania always had spent more time with the horses than she had with the people.

On the off chance these women are from her mother's tribe, Tania makes her way up alongside the longhouse--out of line-of-sight--and slowly up to the door so she can peek inside. She doesn't recall doing anything wrong lately, so presumably these women are here because something else is wrong. But why Tantori?

[The Yellow Bin]

The people that were making their way towards the building were neither recognizable by Tania nor did they recognize Tania. Inside the large audience room, a familiar room to Tania in the days that she had lived here sat three women, all of the older than Tania. She entered as the scouts were making their reports. The Balconians to our east are mobilizing their army, my ladies. Your intuitions were right, they are waging war against small villages in the area. They have already overtaken the village of Rular, and they are coming this way.

One of the matriarchs, whom you recognize as Vieli Eth'nielin, bids you over towards them. She is one of the first few who welcomed Tania into Tantori. A half-elf herself, she understood the struggles that Tania had gone through in the past. What do you think, Tania? What does this sound like to you?

The other two matriarchs, now noticing that Tania is among them, turns their attention towards her.

[Aethera]

Though Tania had intended to only listen in, not get involved, she steps up when bid by the half-elven matriarch and bows to the three older women. We have a guard, my ladies, but we'll be hard pressed to stand against an army. While we don't want to invite their attention by arming ourselves, it's unlikely we will remain unnoticed. We're a well known town."

She looks now at the three women who had brought these tidings, considering them as weapons, noting strengths as a general might size up his enlisted men. "Did you see who makes up the army? How many there are? Who might be commanding?" Though she doesn't really expect them to have stayed long enough to check, it's worth asking.

[The Yellow Bin]

Indeed, the three scouts that have returned from their mission are few of the best in the village of Tantori. They packed light, all with longbows slinging over their shoulders. Their abilities are shown on their faces, sun spots dot the surface in number of places, providing them with a rugged look. It depreciated their attractiveness, but such trait is not one that they wish to hone. They stood in attention like well-trained soldiers, the one in the front who was making the report turns slightly towards Tania, acknowledging her out of respect simply because she was invited to participate in this. She answers: Balcon himself is a dwarven warlord. Though it is not Balcon himself who leads, it may be one of his kin. The size of the army is unknown, but if the village of Rular has been taken, we must assume that they field a larger group than we can handle. Rular is a good size village.

Drisilla Menya, the human who is also a distant kin to Tania speaks at this moment: Have we thought about talks of peace, prior to their advancement towards us?

Peace?? Reginia, a Mi'Tantoran by blood scoffs. She was to continue as Vieli stops her by raising her hand: My child, since you've come at this time, there must be a purpose. I'd like to hear your opinion of our options.

[Aethera]

Tania blinks once, surprised that her opinion was being asked. She was slowly getting known as a tracker and guide, but she wasn't aware her martial skills had been talked of, at least not among the Matriarchs. But she's a loyal citizen these days, and a request from a matriarch, especially Vieli, is going to be answered as best she can. "My lady, I'm not sure we have many options. Peace is unlikely, not if they are trying to expand their territory. Their goal ignores their relations with us, and focuses on our land.

"We should do what we can to bring in food and water supplies before they arrive, and fortify the walls. The guards will need every able bodied citizen for defense. But unless we can come up with some offensive ideas, it will be nothing but a siege, and we will eventually be overrun.

"I can take a small mounted unit for some hit-and-run attacks along the army's flanks, and I think we can come up with savvy bowmen and women to take out any sentries they put when they camp. Then again, hit-and-run is our best option. We must avoid fighting straight on, they'll destroy us." She doesn't really realize that she spoke as if she were commanding the defenses, having meant to say 'I can join a unit', not that she could command such a unit.

[The Yellow Bin]

Vieli listened, as did the two other Matriarchs and the scouts. They listened to Tania, giving her the full attention. The more she speaks, the happier Reginia looked, and Drisilla became more and more distressed. She simply shook her head in response. Vieli noticed this as well, the reactions that the two displayed were expected, but that would mean that she had to make the toughest decision her life.

She then dismisses the scouts and says to them: Go back on your posts, and bring more reports when you have them. They bow and leave at her prompting.

As they prepare to leave, Vieli uses this time to contemplate her options. The sound of the horses neighing and galloping away follow, and the room's attention turns to Vieli, clearly the deciding vote. I am not willing to void all options, we must exhaust all of them before we take our people into war. An offer of peace must come first, we must find out what they want. She looks at Tania and asks: Perhaps you could provide a name for such a task? Or...? The underlying message is clear....

[Aethera]

Tania bows. "I will take any message you desire, my lady."

She looks at Drisilla, who has no idea they are related--Tania never spoke of her parents when she reached Tantori--and bows again, in her direction. "I do not want violence either, my lady, but sometimes we must defend our way of life, and our people. I want no harm to come to Tantori." She doesn't have to say that this is the only place she's been welcomed... her eyes say it without the help of words.

Next she turns and bows to Reginia. "I would suggest we show a strong face, but that we do nothing to seem offensive, or provoke them in any way, my lady. Even if we manage to defeat them by the luck of Saya, our community will take heavy losses." It's not exactly a 'tsk tsk' response, given that this a Matriarch she's talking to, but she manages to convey that she believes the Mi'Tantoran is jumping too quickly for the idea of war.

[The Yellow Bin]

The burly Mi'Tantoran's look of displeasure dissipated slightly. She simply gives Tania a nod before saying: Don't misunderstand me, my child. I do not want war either. But I am in no mood of bowing to a warlord like Balcon, especially a dwarven warlord. Saya watch over you, Tania.

Drisilla is as pleased as one can look at this moment, her graying hair trails down her face, and the wrinkles on her face shows the years that she has gone through, especially in the harsh reality here in Tantora. She smiles, slightly.

Vieli watches the exchange, and is satisfied with the result. Prepare yourself for the travel and come back here when you've done so. I have something that I wish to give you...

OOC Okay, Level yourself to 3rd level, you kinda have an idea what you will be doing and what is needed to accomplish this next task. In my games, full HP at all levels. Also, equip yourself with normal equipment up to 200 gold. Also, design ONE magic item that is a +2 (probably weapon since it costs more), and don't worry about naming it. I'll do that. When you're done, post back here ICly then I'll know.

[Aethera]

OOC I've leveled up and put together a +2 weapon... but it's only +2, I couldn't decide if I wanted to get fancy... or rather, I would've liked to get fancy, but in a homebrew world I don't really know how, as some things I might add would be totally useless, some things wouldn't. I'm a fan of weapons that are either useful to a certain class (like a ranger weapon) or a certain bloodline (the Menya family). Or something totally different, like a partially-sentient weapon that decides it will help the character. Or I could just stick to a basic +2 longsword. Do I have to buy my own horse, or could that be kinda assumed? With only 200 gp, horses aren't exactly in my budget. Story-wise, she'd have bought the horse awhile ago, or taken it from her mother's tribe, so she didn't have to travel on foot forever. She probably would've arrived at Tantori with it. I also haven't chosen a 1st favored enemy for Tania, as I have no idea what "else" is out there in your world, or if I should be choosing different variations of humanoids each time. Could you advise me, or at least give me an edited version of the Favored Enemies list? Character Sheet

Tania returns to the matriarchs after only a short while, dressed in the leather armor she wore when she was in the wilds for days at a time. Her two blades were notably missing, however, attached to the saddle of her mare, Nightstar, who waited outside. "My ladies," she acknowledges, bowing before the three thrones.

[The Yellow Bin]

By the time Tania returned, Vieli had also returned with a blade of her own. A Longsword, blue hilt with a light green gem on the bottom of the hilt. The sheath itself is a masterwork, in its artistic sense. It matches the blue hilt with it's royal color of violet. As Vieli unsheathes the sword, the sweet sound of the sword can be heard, crisp and sharp, matching the blade's keen use. Vieli swings it around as the other two Matriachs quickly ducks out of the way. But they were afraid for naught, from what Tania can see, Vieli is quite proficient with the blade in hand.

Bidding Tania forward, Vieli says: This, my child, is my own. Her name is Starlight. It will be your guiding light in the darkness of the world. This trip.... this trip will be your first of import, may Saya watch over you... It would not be hard for you to track the scouts and their direction, I am confident that you will do us proud, Tania. With a swift move, the sword is back in sheath and Vieli holds it in the palm of her hand for you to take her own sword.

[Aethera]

Tania looks properly impressed with both sword and Vieli's proficiency with it. "Starlight, hmm?" she murmurs as she takes the sword from the matriarch. She bows deeply to the three women, then turns and exits the building. "Starlight," she says to the sword, "I'd like you to meet Nightstar. Nightstar, this is Starlight. She'll be traveling with us." Tania shifts around the weapons hung from the saddle, slinging the quiver with longbow across her body, and places Starlight in a position where she won't rub either the horse or rider, and within reach, just in case.

Tania gives Nightstar a last pat, then mounts up, turning the mare with her knees. She loops the reins around the saddle-horn, preferring to let 'Star have her head, and nudges the mare towards the gate where the scouts had come rushing into town.

[The Yellow Bin]

It didn't take too much for Tania to track the three horses' hooves heading east. The ground is still soft enough, due to the snow melting, for Tania to see the tracks. They were on a gallop, she gathered. The hooves' prints were far apart, and deep. They must be working the beasts hard.

Tania reaches a crossing, it seems that all three separated, one of them head north, one heads south, and the other, heads east...

[Aethera]

Tania leans back in the saddle, a signal the mare knows. As they slow, she considers. With Balcon to the east, she knows she could get to the heart of the matter by approaching Balcon himself, if he would see her. If the warlord didn't deign to see her, she'd have trouble finding the army leader out in the wilds, and she might have lost precious time riding to Balcon and back.

She turns Nightstar south, then nudges her into a gallop. "We need to find the army," she tells herself, unconsciously speaking aloud to her horse and the longsword Vieli had given her. "Rular's our best bet if they've any sense at all. No army retreats home just to head out again. Maybe I can talk some sense into them."

[The Yellow Bin]

The closer Tania gets to Rular, the more vivid the picture is of Rular. Smoke covers the clouds above Rular, and where there is smoke, there is fire. But the scene is more dire for Rular than that, as she gazes into the horizon, anticipating Rular to come to her, she spots a familiar figure off to the side. Holding on to the bit of the horse, she is apparently bandaging a lone person... Who is badly hurt...