Colonial Caerdia: Lark's Landing is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't familiar with this ongoing story, you can follow this link to Once Upon a Tabletop on YouTube to hear the start of it or read the brief summary I wrote when I switched from video to blog.
You can find the previous episode here.
21st of Waxing Fall - 37th of Waxing Winter, 0AL
The 3rd Watch are home from their latest journey, and are expecting to remain there for some time - especially now that they're planning to build an adventurer's guild. However, there are still some problems remaining that they need to deal with - such as T'Zaric still being wanted for the murder of Balasar.
So Stor heads off to speak with Hargrom, hoping to arrange a council meeting to talk about the plans for the guild hall and to see if he can get T'Zaric's name cleared. Luckily, there's a meeting scheduled for the next meeting that he can attend.
He sits through the meeting's primary subjects - talking about initiating a taxation system that will allow them to pay the militia and improve the settlement, as well as the need for a smaller council and plans for an election - and then broaches the topic of the guild hall. He explains that there is only a small group of them currently doing the long-range scouting, and that they've come close to death several times. If anything were to happen to them, no one would know, and there would be no one to carry on their work. A guild would remedy that situation. The council discusses the idea, and they approve of it, though they say it will have to be a private operation as the council will be unable to fund it.
Then Stor brings up the subject of T'Zaric. He explains about Balasar's evil past working for the Somvidian Empire and how, while exploring his memories, T'Zaric had witnessed Balasar giving the order for his childhood home to be burned - with his father inside. That had led to hem seeking revenge against Balasar.
The council makes it clear that this is not an acceptable excuse for murder. Furthermore, this was the first crime the settlement has seen, so it needs to be dealt with - otherwise they'll be inviting trouble. If Stor knows where T'Zaric is, he's instructed to hand him over to the guard so he can be put on trial.
So, Stor returns home and reports this to the rest of the group. T'Zaric surprises everyone by saying he's willing to hand himself in and be put on trial. They then plan out how they will defend T'Zaric's case, and they agree that complete honesty is the way to go.
Stor takes T'Zaric and hands him over into the custody Hargrom and the militia. A public trial is quickly arranged for the next day, with five of the council members sitting as judges. The story of Balasar's life before losing his memory is told, with an emphasis put on the fact that he was being controlled and forced to do this by the Somvidian Empire. Then the tale of his death is told, and it is made clear that Balasar was trying to kill himself anyway - and his suicide note is presented as evidence. Stor speaks on T'Zaric's behalf, expressing that T'Zaric has been trying to make up for his crime, and that his help is needed. T'Zaric speaks as well, expressing his remorse for what he's done. Finally, Extang makes a suggestion that T'Zaric should be put into the custody of the 3rd Watch, and that his share of the income they get from adventuring should be given to the council for funding the community.
The five judges consider, and then agree with Extang's suggesting - adding that, while not out adventuring, T'Zaric will be required to work in the community - once again, with all earning going to the council - and that his sentence will last for five years. T'Zaric accepts this sentencing, as do the members of the public who are watching - though many of them, especially those who knew Balasar best, aren't happy about it. T'Zaric is set free, and everyone returns to their regular lives.
Staying in the settlement for longer than they ever have before, the 3rd Watch settle into new routines. Hammer finds himself struggling to find a place to belong after Feryon gives up on figuring out how he works. At first, Hammer joins the militia, as it's the only life he's ever known. Then he comes to the realization that he can do whatever he wants now, so instead he goes to help work on the mill, apprenticing under Angro to lean how to be a mason. Extang is also working at the mill, having convinced the carpenter working there to continue his carpentry training.
T'Zaric, after a grueling day of his assigned work at the mill, appeals to the council for a new assignment more suited to his abilities. Through his charm, he finds himself as an apprentice jeweler.
Meanwhile, Logan sets out on a seemingly hopeless mission to find people he can train to be paladins. Fiaeorri tries to convert people to worshiping Pagslas, but she has a hard time of it because most people already worship her as one of the Four. So, Fiaeorri hires a dragonborn to teach her to speak draconic.
Stor turns his attentions to making as much rum as he can, as Wyatt's tavern is getting close to completion. He also suggests to Wyatt the idea to build the adventurer's guild onto the tavern, rather than following the original plan to renovate the 3rd Watch' home base. Wyatt loves the idea, as adventurers will have great stories to share, not to mention they tend to drink a lot.
Over the next couple months, children make the rounds of the settlement to conduct a survey on what services people feel they would be willing to pay taxes for. There is also an election held to whittle the council down to three members. T'Zaric, Stor, and Hammer all run, as does their former companion, Gilligan. However, when the votes are counted, the remaining council members are Duchess Kelenia, an elf with hundreds of years experience as an ambassador, Takyev, a human noble who led his people to safety after being defeated by the Somvidian Empire, and Foddyn, a popular halfling who has plenty of time to commit to the community as there isn't much call for his locksmithing skills yet.
The 1st of Waning Fall brings the Fall Festival, a celebration committed to Pagslas, the goddess of autumn, disease, and inevitable decay. Fiaeorri is particularly excited for it, as she was brought up as a devout follower of Pagslas, but she finds herself a little disappointed and confused. The festival is largely a dance and music festival, with a strange morose, yet joyful feel to it. The focus is on how everything eventually comes to an end, but it seems more like a celebration of everything leading up to the end.
Even the service Triena, the Priestess of the Four, performs at the shrine to Pagslas Fiaeorri built is a surprise to Fiaeorri. The sentiment is about the natural end of things, and allowing and accepting theses - nothing about actively bringing about said end, like Fiaeorri expected.
Those more familiar with the festival note an interesting addition to the entertainment - a pageant being put on by children telling the story of the Mutiny Aboard the Noble's Lark. After all, it was during this festival one year ago that the original members of the 3rd Watch - practically strangers at the time - had saved everyone from the pirates who were planning to sell everyone on board to the Somvidian Empire.
Upon arriving home after the festival, Fiaeorri is surprised to find a cryptic note in her pocket, saying that it is interesting to find one of the faithful here and that she will meet someone soon.
A month later, the 1st of Waxing Winter, brings the Final Harvest Feast - which is just what the name says; a feast. The temperature is certainly getting cooler, but this far south the feast is more symbolic as it is likely crops can be grown through the winter. Hammer has a particular interest in this feast, as he has bought the first clothes he's ever owned and is very proud of them, and has been working to alter his features to appear more human. He's even given himself a mouth so he can eat, though there is no need for it.
On the 5th of Waxing Winter, the mill is finally completed. Extang moves back to working on Wyatt's tavern with his original teacher while Hammer continues working with Angro on his list of projects until he is available to work on the new guild hall.
On the 37th of Waxing Winter, Wyatt's Tavern is finally completed, and there is a huge turnout as the doors are open for the first time. Stor tends the bar, selling the rum and grog he's made, while Wyatt performs and T'Zaric gambles.
With so many people drawn to one place, outside someone pulls Fiaeorri aside - it is a voice from the past, though the face has burn scars making it nearly beyond recognition. It is Meglin, one of the elites from the cult Fiaeorri was raised in. Meglin seems suspicious, though, asking how Fiaeorri escaped. She seems skeptical when Fiaeorri tells her that Gregor told her to run before the battle that wiped out the cult. Meglin walks away, stating that they will see if Fiaeorri is still loyal to the cause. Fiaeorri calls her back, saying she still has questions, but Meglin continues on as if she never heard her.
And that brings an end to this game session. Check back next week to find out what happens in Episode 41.
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