On the third day of travel, Top and Kib ride in the front of the cart, while El remains laying down where he had fallen asleep. The wagon rolls for five hours. Top turns back to El.

“We’ll be there soon.”

Kib yanks the reins from Top and pulls the cart to a stop. Top goes to yell something when the dust on the road starts to settle revealing a figure standing in the middle of the road. It’s an orc with the proportions of a dwarf, slightly lighter skin, a braided beard, and spiked armor made from orc metal but in the style of dwarven armor.

“What the fuck.” Top stands up in the cart and rubs his eyes.

“Daggle Dune! The only dwarvish orc you’ll ever see. And the last you’ll see if you don’t turn over your cart.” He points a sword towards Top.

“We just killed a cyclops. We can kill you easily.” Top spits back down at the bandit.

“Like two midgets could bring down such a mighty creature.”

“I see why you don’t like the word.” Kib looks up at Top.

“Right, it's so demeaning.” Top turns his focus to the kobold.

“Like, from any normal smooth skin, sure. But he is a stunted pig thing.” Kib gestures towards Daggle while speaking to Top.

“Pig?” Daggle raises his free hand up to his face where his tusks jut out ever so slightly.

“Honestly he might be overcompensating.” Top shrugs.

“Archers! Axemen! Orcs! To my side!” Daggle yells.

Three orcs appear on a ridge above the cart, three orcs slowly move from the bushes on the side of the road towards the cart, and three more approaches from behind Daggle.

“Take these two runts out.”

El stands, his bedroll falling off his shoulders, as he aims his crossbow at the ridge.

Standard Action

Light, Crossbow

AC= 13

Attack Roll

16(D20)+3(Skill)=19

6 Damage

An archer falls off the ridge with a bolt buried between their eyes.

“Hah, you think I’m afraid of some human hunter?”

Daggle laughs as El stares him down.

“Take the cart, kill all three.”

El turns and walks towards the edge of the cart as two arrows hit the wood where he was standing. He hops off the cart and draws the greatsword from the loot they acquired. Two axe-orcs rush towards him. The first swings his axe and it slams into El’s shoulder dealing 11 damage. El grits his teeth, unflinching, and shoves the orc back into his ally.

The third axe-orc rushes at Kib. The kobold leaps from the cart screaming with his spear pointed outwards. Kib slams into the orc-like a missile dealing four damage before his tail swings around striking through the orc's chest. With a critical hit, the tail stabs through his heart dealing six more damage. The kobold clings to the body as it falls back onto the road.

Top scrambles into the back of the cart.

“Oh, what, are you running away?” Daggle yells out teasingly.

Top backs up out of the cart and tosses the Bolas at the orc-dwarf. The pair of metal weights attached by a cord tangle around Daggle as he takes a step back falling over onto the ground.

“Get me out of this!” Daggle yells to the three orcs by him.

An orc head flies away from the back of the cart as El slices through the first orc attacking him. The three orcs stop in front of Daggle, one of them bending down to free him of his bindings. Kib sprints at the orc on the right. He stabs his spear into the orc's foot and pole vaults up to his face stabbing his tail through the orc's throat.

Top charges forward, leaping off the cart, rolling, and springing forward to stab into the orc on the left. The orcs' intestines spill out. Both the left orc and right orc fall over dead.

The two archers fire at Top and Kib. The first one hits Top and deals two damage with a grazing blow. The second fires at Kib, but misses. The arrow goes wide and slams through the head of the orc trying to free Daggle.

El elbows the orc he is fighting as they try to swing their axe at him. He follows by swinging the greatsword at them severing their arm from their body. The orc falls over screaming from the blow before being silenced by a boot to the throat.

El starts to walk towards Daggle, the two companions move to either side, and the two archers on the ridge run at the sight of all their warriors dead. Daggle Dune the dwarf-orc looks up at El as he approaches.

“So you’re gonna kill me then. A lowly fucking farmer!”

Daggle chokes on his words as a greatsword splits his brain and stops at his bottom jaw. Teeth from his top jaw fall into his mouth and slide down his throat as his body makes a choking-gurgling noise. El puts his foot against Daggle and pushes the corpse off his blade.

Top grimaces and takes a step back. Kib licks some blood off his lips and stares up at El.

“You did it. You killed like four of them!”

“Sure,” El mutters. He lets the greatsword slip from his fingers before he slowly swivels and returns to the back of the cart.

“This isn’t great.” Top mutters.

The cart rolls the rest of the way to town with El laying down in the back wrapped in his bedroll again. The cart passes by a field of wheat and a hot springs coming down from a hill. Three children run around the hill splashing in the spring.

El pokes his head up to watch them curiously. He turns his attention towards the front of the cart. Five figures were gathered on the road into town. One of them, a dwarf, waved to the party as we approached. El recognized his attire as that of nobility and a crest of a scale on his chest shows that he is this town’s Fodgemeister.

The dwarf is flanked on his left by an elven woman in a law-keepers leather uniform and a goliath wearing black plate armor. El notes that both of them lack lanterns, the elven woman has the markings of local authority while the goliath has the markings of a soldier. Flanking the dwarf to the right of him is a human priest in black garb with a sun pendant hanging from his neck. Further to the right is a gnome with scholarly clothes and a pair of spectacles. The gnome has baby blue eyes and a full head of white hair.

“Travellers! What brings you to Crestfall?” The dwarf calls out.

The group shifts uneasily seeing Kib, a kobold, on the front of the cart. Not only a kobold, a purple scaled one wearing clothes like it thinks it's a person.

“Just looking to continue trading Fenil! I was here last week.” Top calls out.

“I recognize that,” Fenil responds.

“But you have a fucking monster with you.” The armored soldier says.

“How can it even walk under our God’s holy light?” The priest questions with an accusatory tone.

El slowly rises from his bedroll dragging the bloody greatsword up with him. The lantern is no longer attached to his belt. He looks down at the five figures as he steps across the cart, in between Kib and Top, before stepping down to the side of the Ox.

“And who do you think you are? Wielding a weapon in our presence is punishable by death.” Fenil squeaks.

“Drigs sent me to train with Sheriff Grace Amfall. I assume that's her.” El nods to the law keeper at the end of the lineup.

“Her? Curious.” The gnome mutters.

“Alright, first test then. Don’t resist the priest. Sir Icinklast can you please cast Zone of Truth.” The woman steps forward tying her blonde hair back.

“I won’t be ordered around by brutes.” The priest puts his foot down.

“Do it if you want to stay tax-exempt.” Fenil threatens the priest, Sir Icinklast.

Cast Spell Zone of Truth

Creatures within the emanation area (or those who enter it) can’t speak any deliberate and intentional lies.

Will Saving Throw / 5 Minutes

A shimmering yellow aura surrounds the cart and the five figures.

“Who are you three?” The Sheriff asks.

“I am El, the halfling is Top, and the kobold is Kib.”

“Easy to remember then.” The Sheriff rubs her chin.

“Whose blood is on your sword?” The soldier shifts in his stance to place a hand on the pommel of his blade.

“Daggle Dune. A dwarvish-orc who attempted to shake us down and take our cart while were on the road.” El answers.

“Then there is one less bandit in the world.” The soldier smiles satisfied.

“Like eight less.” Kib counts on his eight fingers.

“What are your intentions in Crestfall? Your real intentions.” Fenil asks.

“I am here to train in being a better warrior under Sherif Grace Amfall. To become stronger than any enemy. Strong enough to defeat the denizens of the hells and save a friend.”

“And the others?” The knight looks up towards Kib and Top while El looks down and away.

The knight can sense the boy has lost people already. A fact of life the soldier was used to.

“I want to make money.” Top answers honestly.

“Tax evasion.” Kib answers.

The party members and the locals turn to look at Kib.

“What? Speaking my truth.” Kib crosses his arms.

“I’m a tax collector.” Fenil points at himself.

“Wrong answer,” Kib replies as their bladed tail swishes.

“And the Gods you follow?” Icinklast asks.

“Bandlor, God of War,” El answers as the priest and dwarf move a step away from him.

“Neria, my bountiful Goddess of Luck.” Top answers.

“AGFHFGBAQYHF” Kib screams into the void.

“Bandlor is new. Never heard that one.” Icinklast clicks his tongue against his cheek.

“He’s a great guy. You should meet him.” El smiles.

“You’ve met a god?” Icinklast scoffs.

“Yeah.” El turns to the gnome off to the side.

“Oh, I have no questions.” The gnome says quietly.

“Well the priest got two, so I want another.” The Sheriff speaks up. “Do you have the intention to cause any harm to anyone in this town?”

“No.” El, Top, and Kib all reply.

“I have no more questions.” Sheriff Grace nods to Fenil.

“Good lads. Could use a fighter like you in the army.” The knight points at El.

“Pshh.” Sir Icinklast turns and stomps off towards a church much further down the road.

“I can get them some food and lodgings.” The gnome speaks a little louder than before.

“Alright, see to it.” Fenil turns and leaves with the soldier following close behind him.

“If you are here to train with me then you’re buying me a drink.” Grace turns and walks ahead of the group.

“My bar is this way.” The gnome squeaks as he tries to follow after the Sheriff.

His legs are incredibly small and his body is so stunted. Even when similar in stature to Kib his body just isn’t made for anything physical in nature. El walks alongside him.

“What was your name?” El asks.

“Fenbar Rinkling. If it's easier for you, then you can call me Mr. Rinkling or just Mr.'' The gnome breathes heavily as he walks.

“Why would that be easier?” Kib walks along his other side.

El had no idea when Kib had left the cart. Top was still riding the cart through the streets just a few feet behind the group. The kobold also seemed noticeably too close to the gnome. As far as El knew, gnomes hated kobolds, which was large in part to the mythos of the smallfolk. Now that El was thinking about it, the halflings accepted Kib so easily, and now Rinkling doesn’t even seem phased by the purple kobold’s intrusiveness.

“There is already a Fenil in town, who is arguably a more important person, making it inherently harder to remember my name. It starts with the same three letters, it's not common names you would easily discern from, and my last name matters more to me than my first.”

“I’ve never thought of Fodgemeister’s as important before.” El remarks.

“Then you must not handle all that much money.” Mr. Rinkling says with a grumble.

The group approaches a pair of rounded double doors set into the side of a large hill. The doors at the base of the hill. At a few spots along the bottom of the hill and near the top of the hill are windows. It’s a two-story tavern built into a hill.

Sheriff Grace opens the doors and steps down a few steps into the first floor of the tavern. Tables and chairs are strewn around with plenty of space between them. Gnomes bustle about, filling most of the tables, with only a few odd individuals spaced out amongst them.

El eyes a group in the corner of the room carving a map onto a table. A half-giant, two humans, a dwarf, and a devil-spawn are among the group. The devil-spawn is of particular interest. Usually referred to as a planetouched; this one has ashy skin, small curved horns, and dark blue eyes that lock onto El’s.

El turns away, gritting his teeth, and follows Mr. Rinkling to a table. The gnome sits on a barstool by the table to reach it while the Sheriff sits on the opposite side. Kib and Top sit to the left of Mr. Rinkling. El sits to his right.

“I control the trade and the merchants who wish to trade in this town. Keeping this place functioning and maintaining our fragile rim settlement economy is important.” Rinkling comes out and speaks very bluntly.

“Why is it fragile?” Kib asks while looking at a children's menu left on the table with some colored drawing tools.

“Adventurers frequent the town as three different roads lead here, and to the south is the Barrens. A place of many ruins meaning loot and experience for the well trained.”

“So you want us to go to these ruins for you?” El interrupts.

“No, of course not. Most of the tier one adventurers that come here get 'merked' on their first expedition. If the sands don’t take you, the beast tribes will, the orcs will pick your bones clean, and the bandits will trace your path back home to kill your family.”

“Then you want to control our trade?” Top sideyes the gnome.

“You can freely do trade here as long as you do the lesser tasks for me that adventurers are too good for.”

“Are you serious?” El rolls his eyes.

“You wanted to train under me, right?” Grace says as she waves down a barmaid.

“Of course. So that's how it is?” El crosses his arms.

“We need you to handle the things contained in this envelope.” Mr. Rinkling hands a sealed envelope to El.

The boy takes it and pockets it.

“Fine, Top isn’t staying, he’s running the cart,” El informs them. “And Kib is a miner, a prospector, who could use some work to earn the coin needed for training.”

“That's fair. My plan works better with just you working on this. Kib can work in the coal mine with my cousins.” Rinkling hops down from the barstool. “Enjoy your meal. My daughter can work out your lodgings.”

“I’m getting drunk. How about you three?” The Sheriff takes a few tankards of ale from a female gnome barmaid.

“I am going to try and sell our wares before we check-in for the night.” Top stands from his seat.

“Well, I think I need to go draw some things.” Kib scoops up the colored

“Two for you and two for me.” El shrugs.

“Down the hatch!” The Sheriff tips her drink back.

El tries to drink his but chokes on the horrible taste. He sets the drink back down and composes himself.

“Ever drink before?” Grace raises a brow at him.

“No, never.” He then pulls the tankard up to his lip and starts to down the liquid.

“Quick study! Good to see in a potential protege.” Grace slaps El on the back and he lets out a horrid burp.

Top Selling Shit

Sell for half the listed price.

Large Heavy Crossbow 50 Gold

Black Pearl 500 Gold

Large Greataxe 20 Gold

Total 570 GP/ Profit 285 GP

When Top comes back to the tavern he divides the money up into shares for his companions and opens three tabs. One for him to restock on supplies, one for Kib to survive, and one for them to take care of El. Top sighed, looking over at the table where El and the Sheriff were.

“Your scaled friend is in the back being taught how to play Devil’s Ante. Your taller friend left with the Sheriff.” The female gnome informs Top.

“I hope to the Gods that kid turns out alright.” Top mutters.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, show me to the back, please. I don’t want my friend gambling away all his money.”

El: Share of GP

Kib: Share of GP

Top: Share of GP

122 GP

121 GP

121 GP

36 SP

36 SP

37 SP

266 CP

266 CP

267 CP

El

Average Lifestyle

10 GP

Kib

Poor Lifestyle

3 GP

Top

Poor Lifestyle

3 GP

Long Rest 1 x Level

El

25/32