What Does the Fox Say? - 20/04/2022 - Mendal Vultan

Let us spy on a conversation in the Three Headed Dragon…

Sat in the familiar location of the Three Headed Dragon, a middle aged, male dwarf is catching up with an old friend from Faerun.

A booming voice could be heard by everyone, as its owner spoke fondly to his friend.

“The Dwarven Quarter’s not bad at all! I was delighted with what I saw! I’d be happy to work there. You know me, I’m happy to work in masonry, smithing or a bit of tinkering; whatever I’m a Clan Crafting Master Guilds Man! Hell, I’ll even do some religious stuff for the locals if they want! I can do it all!”

“That’s good. Sounds really good. Will you be taking adventuring work too? Have you met any adventurers since you arrived?” Asked the dwarf’s companion.

“Yes I have!” The male dwarf boomed delighted to be able to affirm so. “Yes. Some of the shop owners in the Dwarven Quarter had mentioned a place called Fort Ettin where adventurers tended to congregate. So I thought; very well, let’s go check out this giant, pink structure I’ve been hearing about. Well, as I got to the middle of the city, I heard a sound that caught my attention - I could hear an old goliath tune being whistled, and it was coming from a kenku fellow!”

“‘Mendal Vultan - Clan Crafter!’ I said introducing myself. Then, of course, I stuck my bloody foot in my mouth.”


Mendal Vultan Puts Foot in Mouth

Mendal explained that his new companion, Sparks, suggested they get a rickshaw to Fort Ettin, but it was too busy, so they couldn’t find an available one. Mendal then suggested that maybe Sparks could fly them to Fort Ettin.

“And of course, like a complete idiot, I forgot that Kenkus are flightless, and had to beg forgiveness for that blunder. We got along though, turns out Sparks is a bit of a gambler and had to pay some debts off at Fort Ettin, so that’s why we were both going the same way.”

“Ha,” Mendal’s friend responded to Mendal’s embarrassing confession, “comrade that is not the first story you have told me about your booming mouth getting you into embarrassing situations.”

“Yes, yes! And I’m sure there will be more stories when I see you next week!”

Mendal continued to tell his old friend about the other adventurers he met on the way to Fort Ettin. There was Silvia, a human woman with eyes that foretold an experience far deeper in magnitude than her youthful years would suggest. There was the Moonmaiden Cleric, Seraphina and her mustard Aasimar skin. She was far more recognisable a cleric than Mendal, but then Moradin clerics tend to be less about temples and faith, and more about workshops and craft.

When the adventurers arrived at the Fort, they met Cyclone, a female air genasi dressed in golden monk attire.

“Wonderful people! Have you met any of them?”

As it happened, Mendal’s companion had.

“I know a few of them. I haven’t met Cyclone, but I met Seraphina in the Temple of Selune. I once guarded a caravan with Sparks, and Silvia I do know pretty well.”

“Oh splendid! Sounds like I’m definitely meeting good people then!”

Mendal went on to explain that after he accompanied Sparks to pay off some debts, they all agreed to help Silvia with a request.


Excursion Outside Fort Ettin

Silvia needed help. She was worried about a fox she was trying to befriend. The fox, Runt was the name, a white and pale blue vulpine always seemed a little scared. Silvia was worried about Runt and just wanted the little animal to be happy. But, she hadn’t seen Runt in a while. So, the adventurers accompanied Silvia to Runt’s den, but found it had been unoccupied for some time.

“Well, it’s a small hole these fox dens. Of course, as a Dwarf, I suppose I’m small, but I’m bloody wide, so I wasn’t going to fit into the den. Sparks though, had one of those very helpful familiars, and volunteered, Mac a raven, to go in to search for clues. We were all a bit worried there could be a trap, but Sparks wasn’t deterred in sending Mac down the hole at all. I, like a complete idiot, neglected to give Mac Moradin’s guidance, but fortunately Seraphina was on hand to give Mac’s Selune’s guidance. Sparks, funnily enough did seem a bit miffed by this. Maybe he was keen for Mac to have Moradin’s blessings? I’m not sure.”

“Well that’s good,” the tall companion said to Mendal, “back when I was on the caravan guarding job with Sparks, Mac was lost in the Shadow plane. It’s nice to see Mac is back.”

Mendal went on to describe how a fairly large fox stole Silvia’s pack, and the adventurers had to chase after the fox all the way to the Feythorn Forrest.


Excursion Inside Feythorn Forest

“More running! I don’t mean to complain, but some of you tall folk don’t appreciate how your stride is just much bloody wider than, say, my own. But, I managed to keep up!”

Mendal had to admit that at that point though, the adventurers were a little lost.

The adventurers stepped through an odd structure in the forest. The structure was simply two bowed tree trunks, fairly evenly sized, that stood out in this vast, disorientating forest. The adventurers did manage to follow some tracks, once through the gateway that the bowed tree trunks provided, and came across a clearing demarcated by three felled tree trunks, and exotic plants growing by their base causing a magical bright light to emit from the flowers.

Inside this dell in the forest, the adventurers met a forlorn half-elf with thick, strawberry blond hair and green eyes. Jasper was a guardian of sorts.

After Silvia had convinced Jasper that none of us meant any harm to the fox we chased, we simply wanted the pack back, and were looking after the safety of another, smaller fox.

“So, it turned out that the little fox, Runt, was there, and had Silvia’s pack! Also, Runt’s a magical pup. Some of the foxes like Runt are imbued with enchantment magic, and you can probably imagine are sought after by unsavoury buggers who would hunt these splendid animals to make use of their magic to subdue opposing armies. Well, Jasper told us about this aristocratic hunter known as The Cruel Duchess. Ranger-type who can summon a savage, huge wolf. Well, Silvia suggested we try and reason with her to stop hunting the little fox, but then if she couldn’t be reasoned with, or more importantly, if she started to attack us with force; then we’d have to defend ourselves.”

“Oh, sounds like combat was on the agenda,” the tall man said.

“Too right!”


Malperdy aka The Burrows

Jasper had also told the adventurers about a way in which hunters could be captured in the forest and removed from threatening the wildlife. There were tunnels marked with fox statues which if you went through as a hunter, you were unlikely to come out of. But, non hunters had a very good chance of exiting the tunnel maze, if they entered.

Jasper provided the adventurers assistance in pursuing the Duchess and finding an entrance to Malperdy, if they deemed it necessary to try and lead the Duchess into the tunnels.

“And so we made a plan. We all hid around the fox statue in the surrounding brush, while Mac was disguised as Runt, so that the Duchess would be lured to our location!” Mendal explained with some excitement, as he drew his friend into the fighting part of the story.

“Sparks was also using illusory magic so that the disguised Mac would sound like a fox from afar. Well, this did draw the Duchess in. She was an absolute stunner to look at, but you could see the cruelty in her eyes. Silvia, who wasn’t hidden, tried to dissuade her from killing the fox, who of course was Mac, but she was having none of it and loosed an arrow into the illusory fox, and poor Mac was ‘poof’... Sparks bloodied cheered though! Very bizarre, and the fool - no longer hidden - gave away his position. But anyway; brother, it was on!”

Mendal described Cyclone’s lightning fast use of a staff, as she closed in on the Duchess, and Seraphina’s powerful Guiding Bolt, which hit the Duchess from an incredible distance.

“And then Silvia, with a trident, sticks the Duchess with several of the trident’s points deep into her, pumping massive amounts of Eldritch magic into her at the same time. Bloody marvellous, good stuff!”

“Oh yeah,” the tall man agreed, “yeah she does that now! Haha. She’s very good with that trident. A dragon man gave it to her.”

“Really?” Mendal was fascinated by this knowledge. “Well, I was going to bolt on over to the action and do a spell I know you haven’t seen me do yet; Spirit Guardians - lots of little winged mes - smacking opponents with divine magic. But, then, like a fool I imagined I had your ridiculously long legs, and then realised I couldn’t get in range for Spirit Guardians. So, I took a leaf out of my fellow cleric’s spellbook and blasted the Duchess with my own Guiding bolt. Pow! Got her right in the back. She wasn’t expecting it!

Mendal went on to describe the wolf that the Duchess summoned to back her up, and how Sparks blasted it with repeated magical force that was able to push the large wolf backwards. Mendal described Cyclone double teaming the wolf with thundering staff strikes, and how Seraphina performed the role that other adventurers expect from Clerics, and healed Silvia from injuries the Duchess had done with a glaive.

“And Silvia, after receiving healing magic, only went and bloody did it again! She ran the Duchess through further for a second time! She then announced she was tapped, but bloody hell do you need anymore? AHAHA!”

“I’ve definitely seen her do that myself. It’s really good. But let me ask you, Mendal, “ the larger man began, “... did some creepy spirit emerge from the Duchess’s bod…”

“YES IT BLOODY DID! YES!” Mendal confirmed for his friend, as he slapped the table with both hands, causing the heads of other patrons to turn around as he did so.

“‘I gave you a warning!’ Is what Silvia said as that spector emerged from the fallen body of the Duchess. She reassured me that this was her own magic and not to worry about it. Oh and then Sparks shot the shit out of the wolf with more of his Eldritch blasts, and then we went back to the clearing where we met Jasper. And also, Silvia was actually magically blinded when she struck the Duchess for a second time. Didn’t have Lesser Restoration prepared, so Seraphina took care of that one.”


Back at the Clearing

“Silvia got her pack back, Jasper was pleased and gave us some gems as a reward. I also got this lovely foxfire charm. It’s bloody brilliant, I’m going to make good use of this at the forge, and the little pup, Runt, was quite friendly with Silvia now. It was a good little adventure.”


Let us shift away from the adventuring tale back to two friends, where the focus will begin to shift…

“Well done, comrade!” The large man said proudly to his friend. “Your first adventure sounds great. I’m glad you are here.”

“Thank you! I appreciate your words, big man. You know, when I heard Sparks singing that Goliath tune, I did think for a second it was you, Kavel!” Mendal laughed and slapped the table, not for the first time that day.

“Anyway, you’ve been very good as usual listening to me prattle on. How are you, Kavel old chum? And, wait a minute! Those tattoos on the back of your hands, those are Dwarven runes!”

The large Goliath smiled at his Dwarven friend, “yes comrade. They are Dwarven runes…”