Roleplaying table top games make for great stories! The Envoys of Spark is a Dungeons and Dragons campaign created by Elyse T. Join hilarious and entertaining player characters on their voyage in an unknown world, as they try to accomplish an enigmatic mission.
The Envoys of Spark Chronicles are published every Monday! Check back for new adventures!
Check Out Part I of The Envoys of Spark
Check Out Part II of The Envoys of Spark
Check Out Part III of The Envoys of Spark
Miapolafa Trading Post
After lying their way out of a jam at the Miapolafa lighthouse, our group of heroes, with two lighthouse keepers and their goddess statue in tow, move on to Miapolafa Trading Post. They were determined to get to the bottom of the strange story told by vengeful LizardFolk, who had been robbed on the way to Miapolafa Shrine, and blamed the lighthouse keepers for leading them into an ambush. Their first step was to seek out the man who had invited the lighthouse keepers into taking their post, and had since made no contact, Geomo Lif.
Leaving the lighthouse keepers safely onboard the WaveWeaver with Virgil the Sorcerer (who the night before had attempted to drink lava to prove his might and burnt his tongue), the four remaining Envoys reached the trading post by midday. Our heroes, being for the most part new to this world, discovered the strange local produce and farm animals.
Beatrice the Hobbit wanted to use her Etching of Wilderness, to speak to a “Fimgar”, which reminded her a bit of a goat. She tried to swindle a young female merchant into giving the Fimgar to her by promising to tell her something only the Fimgar could known. This trick backfired, but the merchant was entertained nonetheless and asked if Beatrice might be on her way to Nall, a city high North dedicated to the art of foolery. Slightly offended, but thirsty for more information, Beatrice admitted that yes, she was as aspiring fool.
“Are you traveling higher North while your ship has no flag? You know here, we have no Policies, but as you get in-river or higher North, without identification you can get in trouble,” said the young woman.
“Policies?” Beatrice asked.
“Well, when you have no flag, you don’t belong, you are probably up to no good. But here at the Miapolafa Trading Post, we don’t judge! If you are concerned, why not raise the flag of Miapolafa, since you are merchants, are you not?”
Regor III the Hynerian butted in at this point: “Merchants, yes of course, we are merchants!” He lied well.
Something Useful
The young woman was very friendly from then on and bended to Regor III’s attempts at haggling down her prices for produce and two Fimgar, and male and a female, for Beatrice to bring onboard the WaveWeaver. Though Medea, Wizard of the First Order, was not pleased about having a menagerie stinking up their ship, the rest of the group was happy with an opportunity to sustain themselves at sea. With the money, a currency called Solems, acquired by selling their blue babanas, the group could purchase more than they required. They commissioned a flag of Miapolafa, something probably good to have just in case.
Kohmai presented his crate covered in spider webs and dung to the merchant and asked its worth, the to embarrassment of his companions. The young woman was surprisingly helpful and said that though she would not know what to do with such a thing, a solitary witch who lived near the southern west coast of the continent on a floating island, might. “She may be able to turn this object into something of use to you,” she tried to encourage.
Another small stall was set up near the dock, manned by the young woman’s little brother, who looked about twelve years old. He recited to the group, that the smithy took weapon or ship part commissions and repairs, that payment was expected up front, and that he also sold emblems of the goddess Miapolafa. Upon asking, the group learned that the smith worked inside a small cabin nearby, the boy and the young woman’s father, who had recently taken ownership of the trading post.
Something Afoot
This owner, to the surprise of the heroes, was not Geomo Lif. According to this new Owner, Tel Manian, Lif had left a few months ago, wanting to move on from his life of serving Miapolafa. Manian had bought the trading post and moved to the area with his family.
He remembered the LizardFolk, who had ventured to Miapolafa Shrine, and been unlucky on the road, apparently mugged. Despite this story, he vouched for the safety of the area and how the goddess overlooked the path to her shrine. He himself had never heard of bandits in the area.
The Envoys could sense something was odd, but could not find an appropriate turn of phrase that would force this Tel Manian to tell them the truth. They resolved to travel to the Miapolafa Shrine and investigate for themselves. Beatrice left her two new Fimgars in the capable hands of Manian’s daughter, promising for return for them along with the flag they had commissioned. The symbol of Miapolafa seemed to be surrounded with something ominous, perhaps not such a good identification to adopt on the seas…they would have to think about it more later.
Our heroes were careless, as they traveled through the semi-tropical woods, on the path to Miapolafa Shrine. They found a peculiar nook within the trees, a cozy camping area with an extinguished fire pit and a thick layer of dead leaves scattered around.
Who is Robbing Who?
It was only after they found the bloody corpses hidden under the carpet of leaves that they even thought to be vigilant and observes their surroundings properly. In trying to look around, Medea’s leg was caught in a bear trap! Out of the shadows, the hobbit saw a pair of eyes looking straight at her.
“It’s about time you noticed us,” said a well-armed bandit, stepping closer. The ground quickly noticed that they were surrounded by a large ground, archers, a large axeman, a swordsman, and even a druid caster!
“What do you want?” Medea asked as Kohmai opened the bear trap and freed her leg.
“Clearly, to rob you.” The bandit, who appeared to be the leader, said.
“Well isn’t that interesting!” Regor III took the opportunity to say, “because we are here to rob _you_! Perhaps there is some sort of arrangement we can make?”
Before the bandit managed to consider the Hynerian’s offer, Kohmai picked up a large log from the ground and with incredible luck and skill, threw directly it at the leader. He was thrown through the trees and bushes and was badly hurt.
The rest of the bandits attacked, taking their positions around our heroes to their advantage. Without their sorcerer, and thus surrounded, they suffered many injuries. Beatrice did her best to hide high in a tree, while Regor and Medea did their best to assist Kohmai in defeating the most powerful enemies. More than once, one of the Envoys came very close to death but (as they are the centre of our tale, of course,) they were victorious!
The four survivors of the fight took a moment to nurse their wounds in the campsite area, surrounded by dead bandits…and the corpses of their victims, among which, of course, were several Lizardfolk.
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