Gameplay Date 08-26-07
Players present: Mordek, Taneus
Nerom's in need of another temple
Well before dawn, Taneus & I wake and start talking about what we're gonna do today. While we're talking, I pull out my toolkit and start tying some of the picks and wires into the underside of my beard... just in case I need them at odd times. Taneus says that he's just going to blend into the crowd. I tell him that I intend to head back outside the city a little ways, then renter as if coming from Bumfor. That I plan on posing as a representative of the Temple of Moradin in Bumfor, looking to purchase land and begin drawing up plans for a Temple of Moradin to be built there in Nerom. That I was going to allude to a team of dwarven craftsmen following in a few days to begin the actual construction. And that I was doing all of that to gain as much information as I could as to what they were actually doing, and at the same time, hopefully I'd be in a position close to the ones in charge if the time came to knife 'em. Taneus kinda gave me a dubious look, as we would each be on our own at times, but at least he knew what I was going to be up to. So while it was still dark and not many people were out and about yet, I left the room and quietly left the Inn and headed southeast along the road to Bumfor.
I didn't go too far, so that when the first horn of the morning sounded, I started to make my way back in to town. As I got closer, I could see that a crowd was gathering around the reflecting pool in front of the HIgh Temple, so I made my way over to join them. There is a raised dais at the northern end of the pool, most likely where speakers can address the crowd and be seen by all. There are also over a dozen orcs about, either serving as a guard near the podium or wandering around the edges of the crowd. When the horn sounds for a second time, the doors of the High Temple open and out come 2 men. One is silver haired and is carrying a military style helm in one arm, while the other is dark haired and steps forward when they both reach the top of the dais. From the hushed whispers of townspeople near me, I find out that the silver haired man is named DeGarren and the dark haired man is named Aglim, and that they are followers of Erythnul. All around me, the people look very tired and very dirty, probably from just getting off work on the stair project.
ORC
Aglim starts addressing the crown, with the usual platitudes and inspirational speeches to inform everyone of the progress they've made and praising them all for their hard work. He also comments that soon, Teryll would no longer have the monopoly on trade goods from other lands. No longer would they be forced to pay the high tariffs and fees to have goods sent here overland. At that, Taneus raised his voice to speak from the crowd. He told everyone that Teryll had recently gone through some major changes within their city government and that they were doing away with the huge tariffs. The crowd murmurs for a bit, but Aglim gets their attention again and finishes off his speech. As he and DeGarren turn to leave the dais, the horn blows for a third time and the townspeople start to disperse. The orcs move in and start grabbing people from the departing crowd for the next shift of workers on the stairs. I catch a glimpse of two of them as they are approaching Taneus, but I missed whatever it was he did to suddenly make them think twice and leave him alone. I spot Luvana in the crowd, along with a few other priests of Obad-Hai, and make my way over to her. She seems excited and even has some information for us. She's found out that the Temple of Pelor has been serving as a hospital for the weak, weary and injured townspeople. Then she explains that the orcs we see around town are from the "Crimson Spears," a savage tribe from Daegus Woods, which is west of Nerom, and that she and others from her Temple are heading out tonight on a mission to prevent any more of them from coming into town. I wish them well as they turn to leave, then I turn and start putting my plan in to motion.
There are still a few townspeople hanging about, mostly those that had just gotten off of work. I wander over to a few of them and introduce myself, and ask them if they could help a newcomer with some information. I ask them where I might find a blacksmith and a carpenter. They direct me toward Briar's Stables, as Zeliath's smithy is just north of it and Kelper's wagon shop is just south of it. They also warn me about the Scarlet Jester, which is a little bit further north than Zeliath's place, that it's a very seedy and wild place with a new woman in charge of running it, and that lots of people have been disappearing from there of late. I thank them for their warnings, then ask if there's an Inn where I might get a room for a few days. They point me toward the Stone's Throw Inn back on the south edge of town. I tell them I must've missed it as the gathering they had this morning drew my attention as I came into town. Finally I ask them whom in town I would need to speak to about purchasing some land. They tell me to speak with Aglim, the dark haired man that was on the dais, and that I could probably find him at the High Temple.
I thank them graciously for their time and head in the direction of the Stone's Throw Inn, where I greet Kaela again and pay for a second room, just 2 doors down the hall from the first room I was sharing with Taneus. Then I swing by both Zeliath's smithy and Kelper's wagon shop to let them know I may have need of their goods and services in the very near future regarding a new temple being built, and that I was on my way to the HIgh Temple to secure some land. And that was where I went next. With the renewed sounds of hammers coming from behind the High Temple, I stepped up to the two grand double doors at it's front. They were 10' high with stained glass designs set into them. I opened one and stepped inside, only to be greeted by an orc asking me what I was doing here. Even though he was being a bit gruff, I politely told him my name and that I was told by the local townspeople that Aglim was the person to see about purchasing land in Nerom, and that I could most likely find him here. The orc looks me over, then tells me to remain here as he walks off to relay my message. I casually look around to take in my surroundings... there are several doors on this level as well as a 15' wide staircase leading upward to a second floor balcony hallway with many more doors along it's one wall. Soon, the orc comes back to take his post again, and Aglim is coming out of one of the first floor rooms. We introduce ourselves to each other, then he asks me about this land that I'm interested in. I tell him that I don't have anything particular in mind, that I'm merely here on behalf of the Temple of Moradin in Bumfor. That for quite a while now, our elders have been wanting to expand and build a new temple in Nerom, especially since nearly every other religion is represented, and having heard that Nerom is about to become a thriving port town, they felt the time was right. I told Aglim that I was sent ahead to broker some land, and start the groundwork by meeting with local artisans about materials for construction. And that in a few days, a group of dwarven masons would be arriving to begin the construction in earnest. I told Aglim that I hope I wasn't being presumptuous as I had already spoken with the local smithy and carpenter as I passed by their places of business on my way here.
Another orc then rushed over from a door off to our right and interrupted us. Aglim excuses himself for a moment, then wanders a little ways away to speak quietly with the orc. As I stood there looking around, admiring the temple's architecture & design, I did my best to listen in. The orc whispered to Aglim in the orc tongue, but that wasn't a problem as fortunately I can speak it myself. "Nothing's working... we can't breach it!" Aglim's whispered reply was, "Tear down the wall!! I want that bitch out of my basement!!" The orc runs off again and Aglim walks back over to me, apologizing for the interruption. He quickly gets back to the topic of the dwarven masons, asking how many we might expect and when they would be arriving... good... he seems to be taking the bait! So I tell him that there were about 15 masons that were preparing for the job when I had departed from Bumfor, and that it would probably take them about 2-3 days yet before they and their equipment would be arriving. Aglim seems happy as he mulls that over. So then I steer the conversation back to the land we would like to purchase, and I ask him if there are any lots available either within or on the outskirts of the town. He tells me he'll have to check the city plots, and that if I'd like to come back tomorrow at this same time, he'd be free to even take me around Nerom and show me what's available. Aglim then asks if I have any idea how big the finished temple would be? I tell him nothing as large as the High Temple we were standing in, maybe more like a quarter of it's size... after all we weren't trying to outdo the Grand Temple in Bumfor... and I give a hearty chuckle. I tell him that I can sketch out a rough floor plan and bring it with me tomorrow when we meet again. Then I ask him if there is a general store around where I could pick up some parchment, ink and a quill. He points me towards Corna's, which is just two buildings to the east, just past Zelnus's Armory & Weaponshop. I shake Aglim's hand, saying thank you and that I'd be back in the morning. As I leave the High Temple, I spotted an offering plate built into the wall near the double doors. I reach into my coin purse and pull out roughly 15 gold pieces and drop them into the plate, looking back to Aglim and saying "May Moradin smile upon what we have started here." I have a sly grin on my face as I walk outside and down the steps of the High Temple and turn toward Corna's General Store.
To be continued...
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