You are on the way to The Count of Eor, where, you have heard, the Count is looking for

a brave group of adventurers to

clear a trade route that is being harassed by brigands. The journey is several weeks along a well-traveled road with only
small hamlets (no omelets) or even smaller villages as you work your way up the rough, hilly land. At day six of the trip,
you came upon your new companions being pressed hard by scores of orcs supported by numerous ogres. Your
appearance and support turned the battle and there were no survivors. Looting the bodies, you each gained an additional
2 gold pieces, 13 silver pieces and 7 copper pieces. The weapons were crude and not worth taking, but worth burning.
There have been no additional mishaps and you have had the chance to take the measure of these new companions. You
have decided to work together. After a number of days, you see a stone Keep atop a small cliff, about three hundred yards
to the left of the road, with a road winding up to gates manned by blue-garbed guards.
Karl Johannes, using his NWP in Heraldry, is trying to remember what the colors / heraldry of the Count of Eor are/is. also,
the name of his Residence. {He recalls that the colors of the Count of Eor are blue or blue and yellow,
depending on rank. The Counts Palace has no name; it is simply The Palace of the Count of Eor. The
Count of Eors name is John Brunis.}
Baldwin is trying to recall where the Count of Eor is housed (having talked to townfolk/ farmers on his way here), and if
this Keep is where that would be. {The Count resides in the city of Vendare, which is described as a large city.
All the villagers and farmers youve talked with, while reticent toward strangers, acknowledge themselves
to be the Counts subjects. His holdings appear to be extensive. From your perspective, it is not easy to
determine the depth of the stronghold on the cliff, but you expected the city to be further along the road.}
Barthoneus is still grumbling about why do they get teamsters, and he has to drive his parties wagon? (but quietly, to
himself) {Union labor vs the right-to-work folks}
Figgis Doesn't like the look of this. {Perhaps he suffers from indigestion; gnomes sometimes are afflicted with
the problem. Human food can be too rich in meats...}
Cyrene Is keeping a Wary eye on that Hobgoblin...A very Wary EYE. {How many eyes does Cyrene have? There
are four Hobgoblins, counting the half-breed.}((The SHIFTY one. Gak, the Traitor Slayer of the Two Swords
thought the other bare watching too. ))
Lucius calls out to Karl Johannes and company, Should we stop and see about getting some supplies?
Need traveling order & leader. Rough and general order, Karl Johannes on his war horse riding abreast
with the first Cart, driven by Baldwin, while Cyrene sits next to him with her bow out (though not with
arrow knocked). Followed by the second cart driven by Barthoneus (who has his crossbow loaded and next
to him) with Figgis next to him. Figgis has his bow out but no arrow knocked.
Keep the responses on this document and well work out who is saying what, when and where.
Maybe even why.
(Line in the sand; please use one at the end of the exchange. And change font, underline,
something OTHER THAN RED to denote an addition to existing text.) No RED heard.

(Wiseass)

Karl Johannes calls out to Lucius Yes, friend Stonehenge, we should.

He will turn his horse to the guards and approach enough to call out to them Hail fellows, what
Lord rules in yonder keep? And how far is the city of Vendare? Hail and well-met, sir knight.
You should know that Nicholas Fennel holds the keep here as Castellan on behalf of the Count of
Eor. Vendare is several leagues farther on the road you are now travelling. Are you seeking
shelter and rest from your travels? If so, I shall call the Sergeant of the Guard and he can
instruct you on our customs, practices and rules here.

That would be excellent, thank you, fellows! We will require food and rest, and care for our
mounts!

Baldwin is going to view the keep, trying to ascertain the relative age of the stone work (Clearly
new? Been here for a few years plus? Ancient and in need of repair? I know its 300 yards away
but something might be visible (i.e. scaffolding, fallen/sagging walls etc.)). The stonework
appears to be old, not ancient, but in good repair; no obvious signs of distress, recent battles, et
al. Baldwin is undecided on who did the work and who designed it better than what humans or
orcs would have made, but not quite dwarven
Cyrene is looking at the road going up to the cliff, does it look well-traveled? Signs of recent
travel? The road has signs of use and appears moderately traveled. Most recent signs are
heavy-shod boots, but not many, as if a handful of dwarves are visiting, since the boots go in but
not out.
Other questions:
Political and economic conditions: The Count of Eor is known to be a firm but fair Lord with
extensive holdings here in the world of Greyhawk. (I will locate it more fully for us when I get
back from work). The conditions are thought to be relatively stable, as there have been no
recent wars, but you have seen some signs that not all is as it should be crops are not being
gleaned, farms appear to be short-handed, but not ruined, and some of the wooden bridge-work
has been damaged by recent fighting.
(What recent fighting?) (Did we pass other carts/convoys on the way here?) 1. You dont know as you

havent asked about recent fighting nor did you see any bodies, dropped weapons, etc.
You adjudged it to be recent based on the scars in the structure. 2. You did not pass
other carts or caravans; I would have told you if you had. Could you make your font
color just a little darker for me, please? Say, like this purple it stands out, where the
light blue or pink you chose washes out. Thanks. Does a darker blue work for you?
Thats fine.
Do not use my font, settle on one that works for you!! Please be more conscious of your
grammar, it detracts from your writing

________End of version 3___________________________________________________________

The guard summons the Corporal of the Watch, Evan Cusmo, who politely explains the following:
all gentle-beings are welcome, stables are to the right; please store your wagons and carts in the
storeroom straight ahead. To protect your belongings in the carts or wagons, we have provided
chained and padlocked doors to the warehouse; no need to empty your belongings from the
conveyances before putting them in storage. I have summoned the Bailiff, the Sergeant of the
Guard, and the Captain of the Watch to afford Sir Knight all honors due. If you would prefer, you
may camp off the road below the gates. These are perilous times, however, and I do not
recommend staying outside the Keep at night. Rooms sufficient for your party are available at
the Travelers Inn. The draymen can sleep in the stables, of course. Perhaps the dwarven
members of your party would be interested in meeting some of our recent visitors, who happen

to be dwarves as well. Please give your names to the scribe here so he can keep track of who
enters and departs from our gates.
The Bailiff, Phildo Eberhardt, the Sergeant of the Guard, Garret Gammelle, and the Captain of the
Watch, Dixon Roberts, all arrive within moments of each other, introduce themselves to the party
and acknowledge Karl Johannes as a knight worthy of respect. Roberts asks if Karl Johannes
would be available along with two or three select companions, to dine with the Castellan,
Nicholas Fennel, for the evening meal. Roberts informs Karl Johannes that his horse will be
stabled with the war horses in the cavalry stables and offers him quarters in the main keep
instead of at the Inn with the rest of his party. Roberts also asks if Karl Johannes would care to
exercise his weapons skills tomorrow for the betterment of the Keeps troops. They can set up
lists with dummies if he is interested. Roberts seems sincere about witnessing Karl Johannes
fighting skills and offers to fight with wooden weapons if Karl Johannes is willing. A treat for the
troops never hurts for them to see their leader test his own shill against a worthy opponent. I
almost said foe, but that would be inappropriate for a hosts representative and an honored
guest.
Karl Johannes does not get the feeling that Roberts is lying or trying to ingratiate himself. Karl
Johannes would be honored to take a pass or two through the lists, and he is always eager to test
his mettle against another in friendly honorable combat.
What does he surmise/estimate of his hosts in terms of their fighting abilities? Some toughlooking customers, like the Sergeant of the Guard, for instance. He has seen weapons in good
repair as well as major keep defenses manned (ballistae).
do the guards look like fresh faced youths? grizzled veterans? a mix? A mix, but even the young
ones have a bit of an edge to their demeanor, as if to say, were not country bumpkins even if
were in the middle of nowhere.
do many support bandages? Ah, I think all support the concept of bandages, but few are sporting
bandages
is their armor in good repair? is it uniform (is there a smithy here)? Their armor appears to be in
good repair. Karl Johannes has not had much of a sample to judge, but the styles, types and
general fabrication appears to be consistent. There is a smithy next to the warehouse that
houses the partys carts and wagons. Karl Johannes can hear and smell it.
As the wagons and carts are being brought in for storage, a group of five dwarves comes around
the corner from the left and excitedly call out to Sefor and Kordite, who respond with obvious
enthusiasm. Sefor and Kordite excuse themselves from the party and follow their friends to their
quarters, calling out, Well be back in a few minutes; our friends need to talk with us. While
the teamsters tend to Lucius & companys wagons, (I will presume that non-union labor deals
with the other carts), Cusmo, the Corporal of the Watch, answers questions from Teel while
most of the others are nearby.
T: I saw damage on wooden bridges as we approached the keep it looked fairly recent. Are
you having troubles with bandits or raiding orcs? C: Brigands have been a sore problem for us
lately; we are a small but tough garrison, but we can only patrol a small portion of the good
Counts lands. I know the bridge you are taking about; we slew several of their number and left
the heads on spikes as a warning to others. The survivors must have returned and taken the
heads if you didnt see them. T: Is there a map of the lands between here and Vendare that
we can examine? C: If you are fortunate enough to be one of the good knights chosen dinner
companions, there is a fine map in the Great Hall of much of the land of Eor.

Both sets of dwarves come back into the hallway; Kordite looks overwhelmed and Sefor looks
amazed and somewhat amused. The five visiting dwarves bid Sefor and Kordite farewell, give a
hearty hail and farewell to Baldwin and Barthoneous, a polite nod to Teel and Figgis, a stiff bow
to the party in general, even Cyrene. They give their names to the scribe as departing guests
and leave the keep. Kordite repeats, in a small voice, Im not worthy, a number of times
before he falls silent, grasping the hilt of longsword on his belt. It doesnt look like his normal
weapon.
Does Karl Johannes choose to sleep in the Main Keep with the Castellan as befits his station or
the Inn with the party? Karl Johannes will indeed sleep in the main keep. He will see to his horse
till he is confident the stable hands are competent. Is there a kennel for dogs? if not he will have
them sleep in his chambers. The cavalry stable is top-notch for such a small keep; there is no
kennel. As Karl Johannes crossed the Inner Bailey to the cavalry stable, he saw a dozen or so
foot soldiers practicing in pairs with blunted wooden weapons, or practicing their long bow
accuracy. Not too bad, seen better, seen a lot worse. Theyll acquit themselves fine, I think,
Karl Johannes thinks to himself, yes, definitely a lot worse. As he passes by a fighting pair, the
soldiers stop, greet him respectfully and then continue practice.
Whom does Karl Johannes ask to accompany him for dinner? Lucius has already informed him
that his Hobgoblin henchman, Gak, considers himself as his personal bodyguard as do the lizard
creature and the half-Hobgoblin female. Makes getting away for a quiet chat very challenging.
If asked, he would recommend Teel, Kordite, or Sefor, in that order. Well then, Karl Johannes will
ask Teel, Kordite and Cyrene to be his companions at dinner. Teel and Kordite accept.
If you have questions for the departing dwarves, catch them early, they seem to be in a hurry.
Barthoneous will hurry after the Dwarves
Hail cousins, a quick word or two if I might!
he will ask where they are coming from, where they are going, what news they have, what they
have seen on the road (brigands, robbers, abandoned mines looking for a new Dwarf population,
Giant etc) (i wouldnt say this looks like giant country) Greetings, brother. We are traveling
back as we came, from the land of Bissell, by the graces of our great deity, Moradin. We can tell
you little about this land, since we arrived by his will and are departing the same way. I would
say that this looks like Hill Giant country, though, since they seem to be as numerous as these
pesky gnats. Slap. Slap. Down here so close to the sea coast and marshes, I doubt youll find
much of interest for mines. But I would be wary of the marshes strange but unpleasant
creatures inhabit swamps. It is good that Lucius and his companions are with you he is known
to deal well with lizard folk. As for mines and territory worth claiming, perhaps you should
consider going up to the North and East to the Kron Hills, where there may be opportunities for
mining. Rumor has it that a great Evil is growing in that area. Too close to the influence of Iuz
for my liking.
After this, Barthoneous will check on the carts/horses and head to the inn, unless there is a
smithy, where he will go instead. If there is a smithy he will look to trade a few hours of work for
a few hours he could use the smithy himself. He will have dinner, a few drinks and retire for the
night if there is no smithy. Done. Barthoneous can hear and smell the smithy as he walks
toward the Inn. The smith, a mighty man is he, with arms like iron bands, but no chestnut tree
here. His name is Karis Fleet and he cheerfully puts you to work training his two apprentices in
mending chain mail. He watches for a few moments to gauge your skill and then resumes his
own work. He introduces his apprentices as Young Pimple and The Wart; they take no offense
but blush at their nicknames. Karis invites you to sup with him and his family and offers you a

comfortable bed next to the hearth The Wart can bunk with Young Pimple. What do you say,
Master Barthoneous? That way, you can breakfast with us and start on your own work when
youre ready.
I would be honored to share your Food and your Roof. You are a credit to the race of man
In the morning Barthoneous will start work on a dress helmet for Karl Johannes. Not expecting it
to be done anytime soon, but starting it.

Baldwin and Figgis are going to get settled in at the inn, after getting the carts settled.
Figgis will ask around, buy a few drinks, and attempt to gather information. any kind of
information. hotel room numbers of pretty maidens, recipes for stew, tales and stories of
treasure, the location of your hidden rebel base ETC. while spending his money he will attempt to
imbibe slowly, sipping rather than chugging and acting perhaps a little more the worse for wear
than his is. not making a scene, just fitting in. The folk at the Inn are a lively lot; Figgis hasnt
seen anyone he recognizes. He is invited to play a local dice game for copper pieces; the rules
seem to change depending on who is rolling the dice, but Figgis is an old hand at games of
chance (what thief isnt?) and is able to win enough to buy a drink or two for his new
companions. The chatter in the background rises and lowers and he is able to catch a few
interesting tidbits. Some are Very Interesting, others yawningly obvious. Lizard men live in the
marshes (um, where else would they live?), a merchant, imprisoned in the caves, will reward his
rescuers (Oh what caves? How big a reward?) Figgis will pursue this line of questioning, hoping
to ascertain which caves, in what direction, the size of the reward and the likely captors[caves to
North, merchant, not wealthy but well-off, whoever lives in the caves, duh..]., if you get lost,
beware of the eater of men (Hmm), beware of the dog people in the caves (Dog people? What
are dog people?) (are theses the same caves? [most likely the same caves to North]), an elf once
disappeared across the marshes (Sheesh If I had a silver piece for every person who has
disappeared crossing marshes), the lizard men are uniting under a new, great king in the North
(what direction are we headed?) (the lizard men in the north? or the lizard men below us in the
south? [probably to the North, but do I look like a lizard man? Hey, lets roll for a drink],) , a
great evil stalks at night (yawn my grandmother told me that story, too). A tall, jovial priest
with his two acolytes asks if he can buy you a glass of wine and if they can sit and enjoy some
new companionship. Before you can say, Yes, No, or Maybe, a glass of wine is placed in front of
you and the trio sits down. The priest introduces himself as Loren Role, A devotee of all that is
Good. Tell me, friend gnome, what did you say your name is? Ah, Figgous, a fine name. Well,
Fliggus, burp, pardon me, have you given much thought to the state of the lands these days? So
much evil, so much corruption, why, if I could join a group of stout-hearted adventurers, Id lay
my cudgel of correction upside those evil-doers curly heads and knock some sense into them.
Are you prepared to stand before the gods of Good and give a proper account of yourself? Well,
I know I am and so are my two companions. Im sure, belch, pardon me, that youve noticed
theyre quiet folk. Thats because theyre under a vow of silence that can only be lifted when
theyve lifted the heads of enough evil-doers off their evil-doing bodies, if you catch my drift.
Well, nice chatting with you. If you know of a party heading, say North, let me know, Id love for
us to join it and relieve my companions of their vows and relieve some evil-doers of their
heads!! One of your dicing companions comes over and offers you a chance to allow him to win
back some of his money. That priest is a big one. Hate to get him riled at me. Did you see the
armor under his cloak? Anyway, how about a couple of rolls of the old bones?

Baldwin will pray thanks to Odin for the safe passage so far, for strength in battle and glorious
victory. than he will talk to some of the guards around the keep, getting their sense of things. He
will proceed to the inn afterwards and slowly smoke his pipe in the corner. The guards are glad
to have someone new to talk to after all, how often do you get news in this Pelor-forsaken
place?!? They seem cautiously confident of the future, knowing that death walks about. They
speak of the beauty of the land at night, the glory of the stars, but temper it with, We need to
be ever vigilant here; up here in the Keep were safe. Only a brave but foolish group would
attack us headlong. Riding or tramping through the fields and woods is another story have to
have two heads and eight eyes, as Granny Jacoby told me when I was just a sprat. A few offer
pipe weed of a tolerable sort, and willingly trade some if offered. When you get to the Inn, you
see Figgis dicing for coppers on the Tavern side. The majority of the folk are human, hard to tell
visitor from town folk. Once you settle in and order (or not), youre left alone.

At Dinner Karl Johannes will tell the story of his uncle and the Tarresque. This usually gets a good
laugh and starts a night off right. He will at some point ask:
1) rough guess as to the number of bandits? There is at least one band in this area, and we
would certainly appreciate your attention to this matter, even though we are not the focal
point of the Count of Eors concerns. We have sent out several patrols and theyve returned
generally with some limited success. The farmers have reported what could be a land shark
attacking their livestock, although weve never seen the creature. The Baliff chimes in that, in
his opinion, too many farmers are using too much corn to produce too much strong drink!!
But there may be merit to their claims, he admits.
2) rough guess as to where they are located? where have the known attacks taken place. Within
half a days ride is a cave complex that is beyond our capability to reduce; Ive sent scouts
several times over the past year to monitor the progress, or should I say, the regress of
tranquility there. A hodge-podge of monsters, but, sad to say, beyond us. I have too few
seasoned troops. Perhaps, since it is on your way to Vendare, I could prevail upon you to
reduce the strength and potency of the pests. I could lend you a half-score of horsemen and a
half-score of foot soldiers, if you choose; you could use them as you see fit security for your
wagons and carts or assault troops with you. Whatever you find is yours, of course, although
my troops would appreciate a small largess, if they prove to be useful. Im not certain that
the bandits lair is there. It might be, but my scouts havent said it is. The swine bandits have
taken to harassing the caravans that ply this road. When Ive sent a strong escort, theres
been no activity and when I dont, well, the merchants guilds are pounding on the doors!!
3) what proof does the count require of the bandits end? The only answer I can give you is you
have to talk to John Brunis directly. Ill be thrilled to see my troops come back with their skins
intact and the heads of enemies to mount off the battlements!! And a live one or two, if you
could. Nothing like a few crucified criminals or one-handed thieves to settle the peace. I
agree whole-heartedly, good sir, says Teel with a smile.
4) Who do the bandits typically attack? Typically caravans on the road, but a few enterprising
merchants have tried barges and large rowing vessels on the River Ardo to transport their
goods and the blasted brigands have turned into pirates at times!! You could take the Ardo
south to Vendare, but it would be a long journey, especially when the Ardo runs through
swamplands, as it sometimes does. Best to continue South on the main road here. Now what
does that remind me of? Hmm. Oh, yes. A small party with a knight, appeared to be a knight

anyway, came by heading South late one evening a week or so ago. Couldnt make out his
pennons, though. Maybe a friend or relative of yours, hopefully.
5) does the party need to make contact with the count themselves? do they present themselves
to him? do they show up with proof of the bandits demise after it is done? The only answer I
can give you is you have to talk to John Brunis directly. Hes a firm but fair man with much on
his mind. I may think I have problems, but Im sure they are nothing compared to his.
Cyrene will study the map, and if known attacks are pointed out she will look for likely places the
bandits could be hiding. Has she seen any women here? Would a place like this have females
(she wonders)? The known attacks seem to be along the road north and south of the keep. No
obvious place, such as an old, abandoned castle for the bandits to lair. There are women in the
Keep; the Castellans wife is at the table as is the Bailiffs wife. Cyrene has seen no women-atarms or female adventurers (yet). Nicholas Fenton offers to have his scribe make a rough copy
for the party.

After dinner Karl Johannes will polish his armor and inspect his pennon, tabard, and shield. He will
berate himself that he lost his Dress Helm in the Goblin Pit. Oh well. He will think he should take
a squire soon. Then decides he should be a bit more experienced before he tries to teach
another. As he reflects on what he has heard and seen at dinner, he is struck by the change in
Kordites demeanor. Prior to meeting those other dwarves, he was the life of the party, as if any
dwarf could ever be really cheerful. Kordite ate sparingly and spoke even less, a challenging
guest for the vivacious wife of Nicholas Fenton, but she persevered. Oh well, time will tell and a
dwarfs boorishness is hardly new, as long as he pulls his weight in combat!!!
Who rules the Kron Hills? Is there a lord or are they unclaimed? Unknown, sorry. (Check map 4)
Karl Johannes while at dinner
1.1 where is the focal point of the Lords concern? Either problem bandits or cave complex if cave complex reduced, where would bandits be able to sell stolen loot?
1.2 Where have the reporting of a land shark been? Farmers fields outside of Keep.
I think would be much obliged to you for the use of your men, and I will consult with my
companions but I suspect we will indeed ride a day north and divest these caves of their foul
folk!
Where are the local Elvish Enclaves Cyrene is wondering. (No clues yet, she realizes)
Also Cyrene is trying to recall what she knows of LandSharks dangerous creature
unpredictable and powerful
A Copy of the Map for the Party would be much appreciated.

Karl Johannes will try to reign in his Active Imagination, and tell himself that capturing and
saddling the Land Shark is impossible. Well Unlikely at any rate (and will drift off to dreams of
riding the LandShark Into Battle)

What phase of the moon is it? Early Autumn and full

------------------------------------------------------------------------------End of version 4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------On the Morrow, Figgis will tell the Party of the conversation last night with the priest. Figs will
suggest they allow him to join, the more the merrier, and another pair of healing hands is never
a bad thing. He will also prepare his spells for the day.
Karl Johannes will tell the party of the cave complex and move that they set out for it after his
practice bouts with the locals. (he hopes to set out about noon.) (Well, if the caves are a halfdays ride, and were slower in carts and wagons and with soldiers on foot, then were camping
out. Perhaps we should leave on the morrow. Gives the locals time to recover from the
thrashing youll give them.)
Baldwin will give thanks to Odin and pray for his spells. He will inquire of Stonehenge how his
evening went.
Barthoneous, after a few hours of working on the Helmet, and a breakfast with the smith and his
family, will settle in to watch more fool Humans, one man trying to knock another off a horse
with a bit of a stick. Harrumph.
Cyrene will watch the display. (Keep off my font!! Fouls me up!! My font. Mine. Next offense,
negative EXP)
The jousts and battles go well in the crisp fall air of the morning; Karl Johannes has to pull his
strength to keep from breaking bones. He is clearly superior in skill and strength and even
demonstrates defending against multiple attackers.
What does the party decide with respect to departure time? After the noon meal or in the early
morn of the morrow?
The party will leave on the morrow. We will include the priest and his minions er acolytes.