Moonday, Coldeven 3, 621 CY
The Free City of Greyhawk
The Green Dragon Inn
"What's this?" John Grond asked, taking the piece of parchment from the stranger.
"My letter of introduction," Rom Riverbluff said.
Reading from the parchment, John said out loud, "It's from Grandma Erin…"
He read it outloud, for most of the Company of the White Oak was assembled around him and eager to hear from the adept who had become like a mother figure to the assembled adventurers.
"Thank you for taking care of the thieves, I was worried they would possibly attack one of my family members next. I'm recovering well, and with spring coming a lot has to get done on the farm. I will have to miss out on this adventure to help my family, but after this we should be set for the spring crop, and will have added some new animals to the farm. I'll do my best to meet you wherever you end up. In the meanwhile, I'm sending this friend of the family to take my place and help you out. His name is Rom Riverbluff."
Rom noticed all eyes upon him. "I'm a veteran of Greyhawk's standing army," Rom explained. "I can fight, and shoot a bow."
No one asked him to prove it. "What do we do now?" is all Haruspex Niv asked.
"Now -- we fetch Brother Langdon," John answered.
Godsday, Coldeven 4, 621 CY
Castle Greyhawk
The Chapel of Boccob
Brother Langdon was confused to see his companions already. "I thought we were not delving into the dungeon again for another week?"
"The castle dungeons can wait," Vask said. "We need to be ready for when those vampires come back, and my master, Prospero, is our best chance at that."
"How many days until we leave?" Langdon asked.
"Tomorrow."
Brother Langdon looked from face to face at his reassembled companions. "What is this nonsense? You know I've been tasked with watching the chapel this whole past week. I haven't had time to prepare for an expedition elsewhere."
"I'm not thrilled either," Percy said. "If I run out of grooming supplies, where will I find them on the road? But if we are going to get to Veluna and back before those vampires return, we should leave sooner rather than later."
Langdon sighed, knowing Vask had been asking to track down Prospero for a while, and now he had the whole rest of the company on board with this plan... "I suppose I can buy rations from some village on the way…"
Rom spoke up next. Being an old farm hand before his military service, he knew the countryside best. "You can find what you need in the village of Hawfair Green, sir, because we need to go back the way we came…"
Waterday, Coldeven 5, 621 CY
Near Domain of Greyhawk
Menhir Road
Once Brother Langdon and his hireling Saraband had fresh rations from Hawfair Green, they followed the road back towards the Free City of Greyhawk, but bypassed it entirely, making their way quickly through the nearer suburb of Barge End until they reached the south side of Greyhawk. Here they began following the River Road as it followed the Selintan down towards Woolly Bay.
After passing a fork in the road heading to the Village of Three Mile Mill, they followed the road for another league until they reached Zagyg's Bridge. It was a route seldom traveled because the old bridge was heavily enchanted and tended to prank unwary travelers trying to use it. But to not use it meant another half-day going south to Ford Keep and crossing the river there.
John Grond volunteered to take the bridge first, along with his hireling Harvard.
"Be wary of trolls," Langdon joked.
Not only did nothing bad happen to them, but John found an old gold piece sitting at the far end of the bridge. Seeing it as a sign of good luck, he picked it up. Haruspex Niv crossed the bridge next with his charmed hireling, Gregory. and nothing happened for him. Brother Langdon crossed next with Saraband and they found a heaping plate of stewed meat, a bowl of grapes, and a cup of wine waiting for them. Langdon and Saraband ate and drank everything and found them delicious. The same thing happened when Reed Underbough crossed with his hulking hireling Herv. Nothing prankish happened when anyone crossed.
It seemed they were meant to go this way. The old overgrown road on the far side plowed straight west through a rolling plain full of tall grass, low scrub, and thick brambles. Still the same morning, they came to a fork where the trail met the Great River Road, coming from Ford Keep to the southeast and heading northwest in the direction they wanted to go. There was an unnamed village here they passed without stopping.
Mid-afternoon, the road spanned a stream with a short, low bridge. By now, weary from walking, no one made a troll joke.
Before nightfall, they reached an unnamed hamlet with a side trail to the west. The broken signpost lying in the grass read "Harrowstone." The Company ignored the side trail, but the hamlet seemed a safe place to spend the night. There was a common house for travelers to sleep in that was already occupied by five pilgrims, heading to Greyhawk to pay their respect at the shrine of some minor deities even Langdon and Percy were not familiar with. The pilgrims reported their luck on the road, having encountered nothing dangerous since the Town of Malaven. Indeed, they had the good blessing of having seen a pegasus! The pilgrims gave up the common house for the company, since the company had 11 members and the house was too crowded for 16.
Assembled in the cozy confines, most of the company choked down their hardtack while Brother Langdon and Saraband ate fresh fruit in front of them. There was plenty of water from the cart they had brought, that was outside where the mules were tethered. Inside, Harvard tried to entertain with traditional folk songs from Blackmoor he had learned, but his singing voice was terrible. Gregory, his eyes still not fully adjusted to sunlight after years in the dungeon, complained of a splitting headache that Harvard was worsening. John, to make peace, suggested to his hireling that wine made his singing better.
Being cautious travelers, they kept six two-hour watches through the long night, but there was no trouble. Percy alone was the final watch, from the seventh to the ninth hours of the day, and the extra task fell to him of feeding the mules, making sure everyone ate and then was packed for the next day's leg of the journey.
Earthday, Coldeven 6, 621 CY
Far Domain of Greyhawk
Great Western Road
That morning, the Company found the thirteenth milestone along the road missing and, past that point, the road was less well-maintained. It also started turning due west again.
It was at this point that they observed something large and white flying towards them. As it drew closer, they could see it was something small and white flying around and behind something large and white, and as they drew closer still they could see it was a pegasus mare and foal. And as they drew even closer still, they could see the foal had a saddle on its back, and something in the saddle. And as they swooped low, just 50' overhead, everyone could make out it was a hobbit-sized person. He (or she? It was hard to say, as obscured by heavy clothes as the hobbit was) called out to them, then came around and swooped past once more.
Which was exciting news to Reed Underbough. He was looking for a certain hobbit and thought he might find her on the road...but could this be her? He stayed there and stared, long past when the rest of the company started to move on, after deciding the hobbit and pegasi were no danger to them. But soon they were all moving on, so focused were they on their goal.
Late morning, they passed another unnamed hamlet They then passed a second side trail, this time heading south. The Gnarley Forest also was looming much closer now, just two miles away. It looks like it used to be closer but had been intentionally cut back, and the field was full of tree stumps to prove it.
Two more unnamed hamlets come and went, their occupants better armed each time than the last and less and less welcoming to armed strangers. And always the Gnarley Forest was at their left flank. It drew closer and closer to the road, with fewer stumps between them and it.
The cart brought them convenience -- it carried all their heavy armor, the freshwater barrel kept them hydrated throughout the long march, and the back of the cart was used frequently to sit and rest one's feet -- but it also slowed them down. The mules were uneven in their speed and it made judging how long it would take to get from location to location difficult, so that they mistimed things that night and ran out of daylight before reaching the next hamlet. This would be their first time camping outdoors, ever, as a full company. Watches remained the same as the previous night. Each watch heard weird noises coming from the forest all through the night, but nothing emerged to trouble them.
Freeday, Coldeven 7, 621 CY
Far Domain of Greyhawk
Great Western Road
There was hardly a cloud in the sky this day. This morning the road began to meander a bit through a rolling plain of tall grass, shrub, and the occasional tree -- so that the company was only 50 feet away when they noticed something stretched across the road, which was either a snake over 10' long, or the long thin tail of some much larger creature hiding in the grass!
The company hung back and waited for it to finish crossing, and eventually it did slither completely into the grass on the north side of the road. Determined to keep their distance even more, the company moved off the road and moved through the tall grass on the far side -- where they were surprised by a second one! They were huge adders, this one 12' long, and it nearly bit Reed, no doubt thinking him a bite-sized morsel. The company wanted to back well out of range, but there was no putting a mule-drawn cart in reverse. Worse, the mules were panicking and threatened to overturn the cart. So the company worked to lure the snake away towards them instead of the mules. This not only worked, but the company was able to keep enough distance between them and the snake to bring their slings to bear -- and the snake was killed two sling stones later.
Everyone else was ready to move on, but Langdon saw a type of treasure to be had here -- snake meat! As they were skinning the snake, John and Langdon had a debate about what the snakes were doing out here in this still-cold weather.
Mid-morning, they reached a small village called Greenleaf, with a tavern and hostel. Here they passed their first side trail that led straight to the forest. A sign here pointed that way and read “GAWKES MERE - 11 Miles.”
Ignoring Gawkes Mere, the company did stop and spent some time in the tavern. The tavernkeeper woke his serving lad and put him to work. The tavernkeeper laughed at John when he asked for bread and offered them gruel. The gruel wasn't bad, though, and the ale there was even better. Indeed, it was so good that Reed offered to buy a cask of it and, after a little haggling, he got it for nine gold. John and Harvard were ready to lose a day getting drunk on ale, but the rest of the company remained focused on the journey, so a tipsy John and Harvard kept up with the company as they pressed on later that morning.
That afternoon they passed through another hamlet, but after that the entire day was spent traveling through wilderness. The Town of Maraven was their next destination and was surely somewhere up ahead, but there was no sign of it when they burnt through the last of their daylight. Although the road had done plenty of zigzagging to this point, Rom was convinced they had so far traveled only 90 miles west of Greyhawk as the crow flies.
That night, while John and Harvard were on guard duty, and everyone else was just falling asleep, and from the position of the moons it was an hour to midnight, they noticed a fire being lit not far away. Someone had made a campsite just 400 feet from their own in some clearing behind the tall grass! Or some things, as became apparent when they heard the monstrous laughs of the creatures. Somehow, they had either failed to notice the company's campfire or didn't care, but John dimmed the light from the fire just in case. They watched the other campfire, unable to make out the figures around the fire in the dark. When it came time for Langdon and Saraband to take over their shift, they were informed of the mysterious neighbors, but these neighbors got up and left shortly after the shift change, heading due east.
Starday, Coldeven 8, 621 CY
Domain of Dyvers
Great Western Road
There were no further incidents in the night and soon, that morning, the company came face-to-face with Eastguard Fortress, a massive square-shaped castle rivaling The Citadel in Greyhawk City and Castle Greyhawk itself for size. Eastguard, with its two east-facing towers, protected the Town of Maraven from the Gnarley Forest, doubled as a lighthouse for the Nyr Dyv (the Lake of Unknown Depths), and served as a reminder to Greyhawk that this land, from this point west, belonged to the Free City of Dyvers. Eastguard Fortress stood on a low hill overlooking the town and stood over a stream that served like a moat on the town’s east side.
The small port town was relatively new, less than a hundred years old (with Eastguard Fortress being only 30!), and just over 1,000 people called it home. Although the fortress was imposing, the town itself was surrounded by a wooden palisade, with a walled inner portion of the town where, one would presume, the richer residents dwelt. The walled inner town extended to the far west side, surrounded by a crescent-shaped outer ward on the north (where the docks on the lake were), east, and south sides.
Instead of exploring the town, the company made a beeline for the docks, for the plan was to navigate the rest of the route by river travel. And there were plenty of boats at the piers -- many barges and longships, and a few cogs. The cogs were merchant vessels, but they either did not want additional passengers, had no need for additional mercenary guards, were not heading to Veluna, or were not heading there soon. Which left the longships to try next.
Captain Sigurd of The Dragon's Bane was more than happy to transport them as far as the City of Verbobonc, if they rented his boat for 85 gold. This was a significant expenditure for the company, considering that everyone had left 90% of their treasure hoarded away back in Greyhawk. Not everyone was trustful of the riverboat captain and his team of two dozen rowers either, so a compromise was reached where the company would pay him half now and half on arrival.
The Dragon's Bane was 57' long, 10' wide, and 3' deep. Bringing the mules and cart was doable, but required the entire company to huddle up at the fore of the ship to balance the boat. Captain Sigurd took the initial payment somewhere ashore to secure it, foiling Reed's unspoken plan of stealing it back at some point. That afternoon, they cast off, Verbobonc bound!
The lake was not only infamously deep, but huge -- there was no seeing the far side of the lake from where they were. They sailed west, following the south shore. But there was no sleeping on a longship, so they had to stop where there were ports for the night. Captain Sigurd always slept on land, while the crew took turns guarding the ship or sleeping. The mules would be taken off the ship so they could stretch their legs, as would the company, who also posted their own watches through the night. That first night was spent at a small lakeside inn between Maraven and Dyvers.
Sunday, Coldeven 9, 621 CY
Domain of Dyvers
Nyr Dyv
Although they reached the Free City of Dyvers at midday, they had to stop here and rest for the remainder of the day, as every stop they planned to make was measured in days out from Dyvers.
Moonday, Coldeven 10, 621 CY
Domain of Dyvers
Nyr Dyv
Moving back out on the lake, they followed it to where it narrowed at its western end. By noon they could see the far north side of the lake. By evening, the north and south shores were only a few miles apart. They camped that night at a small lakeside inn just outside the Town of Caltaran.
Godsday, Coldeven 11, 621 CY
The Westlands
Velverdyva River
Now the crew took down the sails on The Dragon's Bane. The longship was a riverboat now heading upstream, so it was time for the rowers to earn their keep. The 24 rowers rowed in shifts, pushing further upstream, away from the Domain of Dyvers and towards the wilderness. They passed Westguard, the smaller mirror image of Eastguard Fortress, just after noon. The longship docked at a small lakeside inn again, this time by no nearby community.
Waterday, Coldeven 12, 621
Gnarley Forest
Velverdyva River
Late this day, the ship sailed into the Gnarley Forest. The forest pressed tight against the banks of the river. There was no sign of civilization except when river traffic passed them in the opposite direction. That night, the ship docked at a small riverside hostel, the last land-based structure they would see for two days.
Earthday, Coldeven 13-Freeday, Coldeven 14, 621
Gnarley Forest
Velverdyva River
Again, the ship sailed through thick forest, though the river was always wide enough that the forest canopy did not shade much of the river. The rowers pressed hard, always knowing that there was only so much space on the lonely piers erected along the river's length and they were in trouble if they found no berth. But they were in luck -- that, or it was still too cold for most rivergoers. They would have to share a pier with a barge or two, but that was it for this stretch of lonely river.
Freeday, Coldeven 15, 621
Veluna
Velverdyva River
The ship finally sailed out of the forest this day, where the Att River merged with the Velverdyva at the port Town of Stalmaer. There were clear plains to the right, but always the forest to the left, either near or at least in sight. The river came around and followed the forest, heading south. All was calm until -
Large shapes crashed out of the forest and took to the air -- dragons! Or at least dragon-like creatures. Two of them flew towards the river. The crew literally hit the deck, trying to hide. But they did not need to; the dragon-like creatures turned north and followed the river in the opposite direction.
Everyone returned to their oars and the rowers went back to gaining on the river. The upcoming Village of Thaymouth brought a welcome sense of normalcy, oblivious to the dragon-like creatures. But the ship did not stop; they had to press on hard to make the Town of Oakham by nightfall. And they did!
Starday, Coldeven 16, 621
Veluna
The City of Verbobonc
More villages came and went. By late evening, they reached the City of Verbobonc, the first and closest city on the edge of Veluna!
The City of Verbobonc was a busy river port, with traffic of barges and cogs and even the occasional caravel coming and going most any day. The city had grown up, literally, around the river, with quarters on either side of its banks. The river was spanned by three low bridges with breakaway sections that could be lifted out by cranes if anything taller than a barge wished to sail through (and after paying a toll to the River Warden’s Office). Security was tight along the river, but not sternly so, with the inspections requiring more patience than anything else. The riverfronts were manned by the River Warden’s Dock Guild, but guarded by men-at-arms of both the First Army of the Church and the Viscount’s Standing Army. Visitors had some of the laws explained to them, usually by someone with a crushed hat and a cudgel in his hand (signifying the Order of Saint Cuthbert) including keeping bows unstrung, bladed weapons sheathed or otherwise hidden, not to openly worship an evil deity, and never killing someone of a social class higher than yours.
The Company of the White Oak presented their letters of introduction to the Dock Wardens and were admitted in.
Verbobonc was a walled city, with a worked granite curtain 15’ high and 8’ thick surrounding it. The north side of the city had three gates leading out and the south end had but one gate. Also, a breach in the north curtain wall had long since been filled in by the Olven Wall -- a tangle of thick forestry said to be more impassable than the real wall. The wall's defenses seemed modest, perhaps even a token effort, which was perhaps not surprising given the city had probably never once been invaded in its history. Engraved over each outer gate to the city – and there were three – was the city’s motto, “Earth and stone, man and gnome.” Inside the city, surrounding the only grassy hill in sight, was a second curtain wall, a solid granite wall the same height and width as the outer one. Up close, this inner wall was revealed to be highly decorative, with bas relief carvings of gnomish warriors all over it and sayings in what was surely the gnomish language carved under them. It was clearly much older than the other wall.
The city's inner wall was occupied by a castle next to a cathedral. Both buildings looked new, or had undergone extensive renovation, to reflect the new gothic style. The castle was the Viscount's castle and the cathedral was known as the Temple of the Heavenly Virtues, and their twin presence here reflected the balance of power between the nobility and the clerical class in Verbobonc. The bells of the cathedral rang, up to three at a time, at every hour on the hour.
The city was tightly packed, its population having outgrown the outer wall and spilled out of it. Easily 24,000 people must have called Verbobonc home, with at least 23,000 more living in the outskirts surrounding it. The streets of the Inner City tended to be narrow and curvy, with the longest being Tarry Road that encircled over half of the city. Tarry Road, Way Down Road, and Hegoaldean Road -- muddy ruts in the best of times -- sported the majority of the larger businesses. Only the Viscount’s Road was cobblestone.
One of the reasons the city had filled up so fast was that so much of it had been set aside for gardens and parks. The city was divided into six quarters, but with no visible borders between them; only residents knew the distinctions between the quarters.
The architecture consisted primarily of timbered row houses; starched white buildings with brown, green, burgundy or navy timbers. Domes, pillars, arches, and sweeping wide stairways were common features.
One uncommon feature was wizards' towers -- the city boasted only one, and this was the home of Scottenkainen, the man who contacted Vask about Prospero's whereabouts. Only, when they finally met Scottenkainen -- a bald-pated, clean-shaven man of 50 years of age, wearing expensive spectacles, dressed in blue robes -- did they learn that they may have come all this way for naught.
"Prospero...is not here," Scottenkainen explained to the assembled company (hirelings, though, waited outside). "He went to Veluna City, but came back much changed. I fear something may have affected his mind. He was raving, asking me when the Crook of Rao was broken. The Crook of Rao is, of course, the most powerful relic in the world, wielded by the Pope of Veluna. It has never been broken. Prospero muttered that something had either affected his memories, or those of the rest of the world. To find out which, he teleported to the Great Kingdom. The Royal Demesne of Ahlissa. Portum Keep, to use the Augury Mask.
"I tell you this because you are known to me, by name at any rate, Vask, and Prospero would trust you with this information. But also because I am unsure what to do with this information myself. The things Prospero has told me, particularly about Castle Greyhawk, troubles me deeply. You see...by the year 599, the forces of Law had won a great victory. Indeed, one for the ages -- the last portals to the underworld on this hemisphere had been sealed shut. This was supposed to usher in a new golden age for the world in what we measure our seventh century. Yet, it seems that the forces of Chaos have succeeded in reopening some of the portals already, when it was never meant to be possible that they should ever be reopened.
"How many of you have ever heard of the Temple of Elemental Evil? Long ago, Veluna and Faraz had to join forces to stave off the army of Chaos that issued forth from the Temple of Elemental Evil. Many years later, the temple was finally razed. But...I am very worried what would happen if the portal to the underworld were reopened there. Would you go and check? I would be willing to pay 200 gold, to be divided among you, if you would. I would require no proof other than your word, magically verified, of course."
Sunday, Coldeven 17, 621
Veluna
The Viscount's Road
South of the city was farmland as far as the eye could see, and a well-maintained road, uniformly 20 yards wide, that zigzagged gradually between fields of crops that abutted the road. Copses of fruit-bearing trees could be seen here or there further from the road, but little grew along the route that would offer shade -- or conceal bandits.
At the third milestone, the travelers came to the small Village of Kleinmere, home to about 200 people. Most of the people they saw about were humans, but they also spotted a halfling and a gnome as they proceeded through the unwalled village. They did pass a guard patrol of 12 of the Viscount's soldiers, gathered outside a tavern called The Muddy Well. The soldiers eyed them suspiciously, but did not stop the travelers.
There were some simple shops for travelers – a cobbler, a farrier (horseshoes), and the like. There was also a roadside shrine to Fharlanghn and -- most importantly -- a crossroads. The Viscount's Road continued to the south and a sign continued to point that way towards "Etterboek". A road to the southeast appeared much rougher and overgrown -- still used, but perhaps not tended to in some time. This road's sign read "Penwick".
The Town of Etterboek, they had been told by Scottenkainen, was one such town on their route. They were also looking for the Town of Hommlet, and this second town they reached by late evening. Neither town had been walled, though Hommlet boasted an impressive keep and large chapel. Hommlet was home to some 1,500 people and, luckily, the Inn of the Welcome Wench did not turn them away despite the lateness of the hour.
Moonday, Coldeven 18, 621
Veluna
The High Road
The road east out of Hommlet was the High Road, and this led to the Village of Nulb and, from there, the Temple of Elemental Evil's ruins would be reached. But, long before reaching Nulb, the company found their way forward was blocked. Ten men in chain and ten orcs in chain, commanded by a man in platemail armor, blocked the road.
"This road is closed to you," the commander said. "Turn back."
John was clever, though, and quickly came up with a story that gave their commander pause. "We've come as recruits for the Temple," he said.
"Indeed?" the commander answered. "Well...then let us test your mettle and see if you are worthy. Orcs...test their mettle." And the orcs advanced.
They never really had a chance. John Grond, with his ferocious strength and skill, could skewer two orcs on his spear at once. Two members of the company were hurt -- Saraband seriously so -- but just as the last of the orcs were going down, Haruspex Niv brought his sleeping spells to bear on the commander and his human brigands, which turned the battle first into a rout, and then a complete victory. Many were slain, but the last three men, including the commander, were taken as prisoners. As far as the company was concerned, they did not even need to visit the Temple ruins directly -- this was all the proof they needed.
Two days later, Scottenkainen agreed, and paid them the promised sum.
