MAJESTIC ODD: Session One
Like most grand adventures, ours begins in a bar. Specifically, the Skull and Bones, a cesspool notable for being the largest of pit of scum in Krell, a decaying former outpost of an extinct empire. After several drunken days attempting to connect with reality and coming to terms with who they were and where their lives were heading, the three acquaintances and drinking companions hatched a plan.
There were three quietly drinking together that dismal morning. First, Ivar Ivarsson, a pagan and a bard from from barbaric Thule. Following the whims of his gods, he set out on ostensibly peaceful trade expedition with a band of companions to seek fame and fortune. In rough weather, he was lost overboard and eventually found himself in the port town of Krell, only to discover that his ship had long since passed south without him. Whether his pagan beliefs in gods, runes and soap are the delusions of a uneducated charlatan or the source of some real power remains to be seen.
Second is Scribonius, a slave and a scribe to a local magistrate, Gallan. Though he still holds his master in some regard, his greed has overcome his nobler feelings. He stole and studied a curio, a book describing the mystical binding of a man's will to one's own, from his master's collection, and now seeks the means to free himself entirely from bondage to enhance his own power--mystic and material--and through it wealth.
Third is Penderton, also a native of Krell. He was apprenticed to a smith in a city of broken things and eventually took over and ran his master's smithy after the elder passed away. Decades in the smithy's fire and smoke has blackened and hardened more than his hands and face. Falling into a depression, he drove the smithy into ruin and eventually sold it. Now he aims to take his hammer to the city itself and reforge what has been decaying before his eyes his entire life.
Gaining a little of Scribonius' trust, Penderton reveals the plot he has nurtured for years. Gallan the magistrate, charged with enlightening the city's populace and enforcing justice, has failed to prevent it from decaying into physical and moral ruin, while flaunting his own acquisitive inclinations as a collector of rare and expensive artefacts of the old empire. Penderton has given heed to rumours that Gallan demands bribes as he dispenses 'justice' and helps himself to the possessions and families of those whose lives he ruins. This Scribonius, a slave since childhood of Gallan, seems to both prove Penderton's suspicions of the old villain and provide him an opportunity to get close enough to ruin the man.
Before he has a chance to elaborate his plan to his new companions, a fight breaks out in the Skull and Bones. Penderton is frustrated in his attempt to accost the instigators and mete out his own brand of justice by the proprietor, a one-armed man named Jacob, and his servants. Jacob is content merely throwing the drunken sailors out of the bar and has no interest in teaching them a lesson or preventing them from starting another fight in the future. This weary attitude towards law and order is what strangles Krell.
Incensed by this latest sign of Krell's corruption, Penderton sets about describing how he and his companions could benefit from a subterfuge: simply put, become mercenaries of Gallan, find evidence of his venality, and execute justice upon him. Ivar could line his pockets with the man's trinkets and Scribonius could blackmail Gallan for his freedom. Scribonius tries to protect his master by lying about the number of guards and servants in Gallan's employ, so the group sets out to win Gallan's trust first, rather than simply robbing him and forcing a confession out of him, as Penderton initially intended.
The group decides that the way into Gallan's good graces would be a gift to prove their value as mercenaries--an ancient tome of some sort, as the man loves both books and artefacts of the old empire. They spend the rest of the day seeking possible leads.
Ivar consults first his runes, creating a small spectacle at the quay in Krell. His gods tell him only 'good fortune,' but that's enough to set his spirits high. He then puts his ear to the ground, trading stories of his travels and frosty home for the latest rumours, trying to turn up a good lead. He discovers news of the murder of a prominent priest of Mithra in Krell and also rumours of a haunted ruin in the swamplands south of Krell.
Scribonius heads for the majestic Hall of Magistrates to consult the library there. Before he gets far, he runs into none other than Gallan, overseeing the treatment of a dying man. Gallan shows him the crossbow bolt pulled from the man's back, informing Scribonius that the man was part of a caravan that was attacked, and suggesting he attempt to recover the stolen goods for a bounty from the merchants of Krell. Something doesn't quite add up about the crossbow bolt's make and origin, but Gallan can offer no more information about the attackers. Gallan is somewhat puzzled by Scribonius' attempt to solicit information about any ruins of the old empire that might contain notable artefacts, but recommends that Scribonius explore the islands to the west and south of Krell for as of yet unraided sites.
Penderton looks up an old business contact, a dealer in artefacts by the name of Ulrich. Ulrich claims ignorance of any potential sources of old books, but does attempt to recruit Penderton to 'retrieve' a small, pyramidal object from an inhabitant of Krell who 'stumbled over it' in a field near Krell. The crafty merchant claims that it's worth thousands--more than the smithy Penderton used to own--but refuses to reveal any more information about it. He doesn't offer a firm price for its recovery, either, only that he'll purchase it if recovered.
The group reunites. Ivar is eager to sally forth from Krell to visit the haunted ruins he heard of, convinced that the positive reading of his runes indicate good fortune should the group travel there. More pragmatically, Scribonius wants to hear the price being offered by the merchants for the recovery of their goods--coin is more useful than good luck, it would seem. Penderton wants to find the strange object Ulrich mentioned, if only because something worth 'thousands' to his tight-fisted friend might be interesting enough to buy their way into Gallan's graces.
Having so many leads but so little hard information leads the group to decide to first gather information about the strange object and the caravan attack. If nothing results, they will head south to the ruins Ivar heard of. As the hour had grown late, they decided to sleep on it and go on their fact finding expedition the next day.