Orig Post: 2010-05-28
*CY 9141, Month 6, Day 8* – [[:Belim]] and [[:Beeddel]] leave the Dunstrand Faire together. Belim has 4 months left on his enlistment. Beeddel serves as his groom until CY 9141, Month 10, Day 1 when Belim musters out of the High King’s army, in the capital city of Oerdney. They slowly make their way back Dunstrand, hoping to possibly meet up with their companions, but as news from the area continues to reach them, they grow more fearful. Countless rumors of the deaths of the Crows circulate and then by CY 9142, Month 3, Day 2 the word of the bounty reaches them and Belim and Beeddel
think twice about their association. Belim instead decides to go to one of the contacts he met at the The Dunstrand Faire, in Dunstrand City and see if he cannot find some leads there. Besides, Beeddel is well liked there for seeing the spirit of the woods. They are temporarily taken into the employ of the Duke’s Honor Guards, with Belim having the rank of Corporal. After a couple months (9142, Month 5, Day 24), they are released from service as the cost of the honor guard is being shifted toward regular soldiers.
They are released the same day with a young man named [[:Bill Clay]], just come from
the western reaches of Dunstrand and the war there. The three of them all know some of the same people, the talk of the Dunstrand Faire, the legendary Band of Crows (Bill corrects them and informs them they are going by the name ‘Brave Companions’ now). They drift a bit, but money is getting tight, even with the good will from the Faire (it seems like so long ago). War, strife and famine abound and all begin to fear they may be pressed into a force the Duke is raising to defend the western lands of his duchy. Then they are introduced to sira Goll Saren on 9142, Month 5, Day 30, a merchant’s aide and a representative of ‘certain powers’ who have an interest in the struggle for power in Dunstrand. Goll tells them he would like to hire them for a task, a research task. Belim, Bill, and Beedel were busy waiting for Goll Sarens’ summons to meet with the researcher when they discover Gellwin. They are out scouring the armories for good prices when Belim recognizes the halfling from his hair color in a crowd. Surprised and happy, they all reire to a local tavern to catch up. Prior to their meeting with sira Goll, Belim sends word of a new addition to his ‘crew’ that Goll must include in the hiring.
Goll introduces them to [[:Grumwell]], a scribe (though the man is nearly 2m and a massive body suited more for war with a blade than a pen) and says that together they will be traveling to southern Dunstrand to perform this task – should they accept. As to why a scholar needs protection – well, he says that certain parties may not be happy with the outcome of the research. Sira Goll says only that he works for the Shady Rock Merchants (part of a larger allied group or merchants called [[The Surefoot Merchant Coster]]), and that with war and all the uncertainty that been brought to Dusntrand, his masters want to be able to take advantage of whichever way the wind blows, and need more information to do it. Specifically, they want you to research the blood lines of the ancient Riverdan houses and trace all of them to as far as possible. Grumwell
says that a couple are said to be fallow – their line ended long ago. Sira Goll says it may be true, but they want confirmation – the old houses lost their power when the course of the river turned, but change is inevitable, and the course of politics may change in Dunstrand to their favor and the merchant houses want to be able to capitalize.