Captain’s Daughter

In the Shore district of Caras Celairnen tucked up against the main walls and away from the
main streets is the Captain’s Daughter. For where is stands this is an impressive in complete
with brewery and a good sized drinking room. The two story structure is the home of
Hrothgar and like his name sake it serves the finest mead in the town.

“Then it came into his mind

to raise a mead house,
mightier far than ever was
seen by the sons of earth, and
within it, then, to old and
young he would all allot that
the Lord had sent him, save
only the land and the lives of
his men.”

Well so lay the grandiose

hopes of Hrothgar, a Northman who though trained in weapons never saw action. His wife
Hilda and his son and daughter (Unferth and Hrethal) help in the running of the inn. The inn
does well because the mead is good and Hrothgar has relations who are rivermen; from such
contacts Hrothgar also runs a quiet line in hard to come by artefacts.

“So lived the clansmen in cheer and revel a winsome life, till one began to fashion evils, that
field of hell.”

 
All was well with Hrothgar’s inn until he opened up new cellar space. Behind a rock wall he
discovered a passageway that led down into the underdeeps of the old Dwarven citadel.
Perhaps not so bad if these depths had not become how all manner of dwellers of the dark
could enter. Soon his inn became plagued by strange visitors and worse his paying guests
would disappear. It soon became clear to Hrothgar that he would have to block up the cellar.
However, no matter what method he tried there was always one visitor who returned thirsting
for fresh meat, Grendel.  The only solution was to slay the monster as quickly and quietly as
possible before the authorities became aware of the danger and took the inn away from
Hrothgar.

With the defeat of Grendel, the way became clear to explore areas of the Underdeeps opened
up by the passage in the cellar. Many hidden doorways and collapsed passageways wait to be
found and cleared. The risk is great but the potential reward of discovering a lost Dwarven
artefact attract adventurers in the know to the Captain’s Daughter.  Hrothgar charges a fee for
entry to the Underdeeps and also sells adventurers packs of useful items such as torches and
lanterns in bulk. Adventurers are expected to find their own path and pay a finders fee on all
treasure returned to the surface. In addition, Hrothgar will often buy items that would be
difficult to sell from adventurers.

This sideline in artefacts and a well connected network to distribute them means that
Hrothgar often has small commissions for adventurers to undertake for a reward. These can
involve the Underdeeps below the inn, but more often the wily inn keeper has heard rumour
of an item in other locations which he believes he can sell on at a profit. For such tasks
adventurers will receive the usual adventurer’s supplies excluding transport (unless needed to
return the item).

Characters in the Captain’s Daughter

Hrothgar
The Innkeeper laughs heartily from behind the bar his
braided golden hair gently flowing in waves as if
guiding the golden mead into the glass before him.
His blue eyes appear ready to break into song.
Hrothgar is not a tall man among his kindred but is
broader than most and his physique implies that
removing the odd drunk from the inn would be a
trifling task.

Hrothgar was raised in Elvenbyen further north on the

Lhun. In his youth he wandered the wilderness as a
trapper and occasional woodsman. However, he soon
realised he preferred to play host to weary travellers
than be one. Having married his wife Hilda, he
cashed in his bounty and they both moved to Caras
Celairnen to buy and run the Captain’s Daughter.

 
Hilda
From the doorway a small whirlwind of energy bustled into the
room, deposited a tray of food before the customers and left in a
flurry of rosy cheeks and cheery platitudes. Her blue dress was as if
the sky had entered the room and her smile made the occupants feel
as if the sun had followed it. Pale blue eyes reminded the watchers
of a winter’s sky and her skin was the winter snow.  With kind
words of hospitality Hilda moved through the room until, with a
calm word to her husband, she leaves. Once more the room
becomes a little bit dimmer and smaller.

Hilda runs most of the housekeeping side of the business, including

importing the honeycombs needed for creating the famed mead
sold here. However, don’t be fooled by the appearance of a
domestic goddess, she is fully aware and participates in Hrothgar’s
under the counter trades.  Indeed, her family connections with
Elvenbyen allow for the transport of goods avoiding some of the
more normal routes.

Freawaru
With a glittering smile, she gives the young man one
last lingering look before disappearing into the inn,
hips swinging and long golden hair swaying like a
field of corn in a summer breeze. The young man
lingers wondering whether if he stays he will get one
last glimpse of those blue, summer sky eyes.
Reluctantly, he turns and drifts off to accomplish
whatever quest she has sent this young knight on.

Beautiful, charming and devastating, Freawaru, or

Frea to her family, appears to be the perfect model
child. Yet all is not as it seems, Freawaru has
discovered early in her life (13 years old) that a
winning smile and a lingering look can make men,
well boys, provide all sorts of things. Already she
has a small network of footpads and burglars, mostly
friends of her brother, who are willing to acquire
small trinkets for her.

Hroðmund
In the dark shade, the young man slouched against the end-wall of the row of houses, his
pale, pock-marked skin gives the impression of vampire. His watery, blue eyes  nervously
glance from shadow to shadow as if allergic to the light. A voice calls from the inn
and Hroðmund sighs heavily. Shaking hands with a dark shadow which sits with him in the
shade he slouches across the sunlit yard towards his chores.

Adolescence has not been kind to Hroðmund, his skin and attitude have both taken a turn for
the worse. Already he has gained a reputation for trouble,
despite the fact that he has done little wrong except be
ungraceful in completing chores and hang around in the
less obvious alleys of the district. Hrothgar feels that his
son will come round and just needs some time to grow up.
As such he is keeping him on a short rein and is hoping
that he can send him to live with relatives up in Elvenbyen
to help the process.

Unferth
The lanky youth perched on a barrel in the sunshine of the
shore, his hat shaded quick eyes which watched the hustle
and bustle of the dock. Smoothly, he glided into the
anonymity of the  crowd. Some minutes later a rich
merchant exclaims in surprise at a missing ring from his
finger and a crowd gathers round to help him search the mud for the lost trinket. From up the
hill by the Shore gate the Unferth turns to see the commotion down on the shore. He smiles
quickly in amusement as he place a ring upon his finger.

Hroðmund’s best friend Unferth lives close by to the Captain’s Daughter. Outwardly polite
and well dressed many hope he will be a good influence upon Hrothgar and Hilda’s son. But
Unferth is bewitched by Freawaru who has harnessed his light fingers in adding to her
collection.

Eclef
A sickening crunch, an inhuman scream, panic
set in on the dockside. Soon the kegs have been
moved from the unfortunate. A burly, dark
haired man kneels down beside the injured
docker, his eyes scan the damaged limb.
Quickly, he gives the patient a sip from a flask
he carries on his hip, and watches until the
man’s eyes glaze. With soft, deft hands he
works quickly cleaning the wound site, setting
broken bone and binding the wounded legs.
Soon he has finished and fellow dockers have
made a make-shift stretcher to carry the invalid
to the hospice. Eclef returns his spare bandages
to the satchel he always carries with him,
accepting the thanks of his fellow dockworkers
with good grace.
Eclef is a good friend on Hrothgar’s; they both met in Caras when Hrothgar first took
possession of the Captain’s Daughter. In the local community, Eclef is held in some regard,
this is because of his skill as a healer. His mother was a member of the Sisters of Nienna and
so from her he has learnt many of the healing arts. After the opening up of the passages to the
Underdeeps Eclef supplements his income as a docker by selling first aid kits and providing
healing services to those who have met with “accidents” below ground.

Layout of the Captain’s Daughter

First level of Underdeeps below the Inn

Adventures set in the Captain’s Daughter

Ridding the Captain’s Daughter of the Grendel

Perhaps it was the mead talking or perhaps it was the travel weariness that induced the
adventurers to choose the Captain’s Daughter as the ideal inn for the night. Within the Caras
there are many inns and taverns to spend the darkling hours, but at this time and place none
could be more dangerous…

The atmosphere in the bar is tense, only a few drinkers occupy tables in the inn and the
innkeeper has a look of sorrow that if it were a sea would drown an armada. In a corner some
of the locals murmer gossip and a sharp eared listener will here
snatches of worried talk about the threat to the local area and the
need to tell the local militia. So the evening drifts on and soon all but
one of the drinkers have drifted into the night.  Leaving the mead-
soaked customer to sleep it off the adventurers bid the inn keeper
goodnight and go upstairs to sleep.

The adventurers are asleep in the room upstairs when they hear a
rasping noise from below. Low growling and a sudden scream
should bring them running into the bar. By the fire where the mead-
soaked customer slept is an arm and a trail of fresh blood leads to the
cellar room behind the bar.

Exploring the Underdeeps

Caras Celairnen is a town that draws in many adventurers as it sits at

the edge of the wilderness of several regions. Many souls pass
through seeking their fortune either through trade or  heroic feats in the the underpopulated
nearby regions. Less well known is the existence of the Underdeeps below the city. The
remains of a Dwarven kingdom have been lost to all but those who have access to arcane
knowledge.

Adventurers may arrive at the Captain’s Daughter under sponsorship of a scholar or because
they have heard rumours of the underground caverns. Exploration in the upper levels would
provide an ideal starting point for lower level characters with its low risk, low reward
wandering in the dark.
Red Obsidian dagger

Looking for work, or perhaps looking for

some superior items; then there is a chance
that the adventurers could end up at the
Captain’s Daughter. As a likely looking
bunch of heroes Hrothgar may have some
work in recovering an item which he
happens to know is in an unguarded villa to
the south in the hills by the Southern Ered
Luin range.

Umli Shamans created these magical

daggers decades ago after a deposit of red obsidian was uncovered deep in an underground
cave system near an ancient volcano. Magically hardened and sharpened, these daggers are
deadly in combat, even if they appear primitive to the casual observer.

Benefit: In addition to being a dagger that deals +5 crit damage  in combat, when one of these
daggers is placed upon a map it will point to the nearest treasure hoard or deposit of red
obsidian, whichever is worth more as red obsidian is very rare and highly coveted.

Sword of Heroes

Looking for work, or perhaps looking for some superior

items; then there is a chance that the adventurers could
end up at the Captain’s Daughter. As a likely looking
bunch of heroes Hrothgar may have some work in
recovering an item which he happens to know is in an
unguarded tower on the Northern Marches of the Hills
of Evendim.

In ancient times a Maia of a small stream blessed this

simple looking copper short sword for a hapless hero
who turned the tide of battle and saved the day on the
Northern Marches. Only to fall into decadence over his
triumph and later cause worse damage in time. Such
things often happen in old tales. With the powers of the
sword many would be heroes (and villains) are willing
to take the risk of becoming debauched to wield the
blade.

Benefit: This ancient magical sword grants the bearer an increased armour class while it is
being held(None becomes SL etc) . The sword itself deals +15OB  in combat and twice per
day will strike all within a 45 degree arc in front of the bearer with a single hit.

Disadvantage: The tensile strength of copper is about half of that of steel so any breakage
thresholds are doubled.