The Edwardsville Chronicles - session 0

We start with Aggie, a very elderly cleric, who has arrived in Edwardsville about a month prior. It is day 78 of the Bleak (followed by the Thaw). It is the Day of Flowing Water, the fourth day of the 8-day week; in three weeks there will be a Festival of Earth. This festival lasts for three days and marks the beginning of planting season. Aggie lives in room 19 in the Temple dedicated to the Faith of the Four. It is Aggie’s job to maintain the graveyard, and provide healing for the faithful (generally people who pay). She is helped by a young orderly, whose job is to help the ordained. His name is Opeenn Behal, but everyone knows him as Opi. He is 17, and he never second-guesses Aggie (although that changes after this session).

Aggie arrived at the temple with a man in his mid-20s, Iarmor, a dark-skinned human male with white hair, who came to Edwardsville to learn a language. They were both taken to see Thomas Francis upon arrival. Aggie thinks that Thomas Francis is a bit arrogant; he seems to think he knows everything. He is a very religious man, and strongly believes in the tenets of the faith, and is a stickler for the rules. He is tall for a human, with long robes. His services are well attended, people respect him, and he seems very ambitious.

As it is early morning, Aggie says her four morning prayers before heading to the mess hall. She meets with a girl from the kitchens, Lisa Barac, and introduces her to Opi, who doesn’t seem to notice that the girl is interested in him. Aggie asks Lisa if she and Opi would head into town with her, as she needs to check on the graveyard, and also needs to pick up some healing supplies from the Sacred Earth apothecary, run by a woman named Verna. Lisa brings along Hausel, the kitchen dog, with saddle bags to carry the things Aggie needs.

On her way to the graveyard and apothecary, she comes across a bakery, called Edwardsville Bakery & Baking Needs. The bakery is run by a couple called Norma and Phillus. Aggie buys five pies – three of them are to be picked up later. Aggie continues to the apothecary and buys supplies there. She then heads to the cemetery, where she and Opi see a large group of rats, about 12 of them, and a giant rat, who disappears into a hole in the ground.

On her way back into town, she decides to deposit some of her money at the Broadhelm Financial Institute (BFI). As she is about to enter, she passes a butcher called Clarence, who is talking to a strange lizard man called Larry about meat or something.The institute is very fancy, very well organized, and is run by a smooth talker called Nestor; he can change gold and silver into any other gold and silver currency in the kingdom, but will not take copper. Aggie deposits 50 gold with him. He shows her his fancy alarm system, which he has obtained from the Longriver magic store.

Aggie leaves and returns to the bakery to pick up her pies when she notices rats coming from an alleyway next to the bakery. She goes to check it out, and Larry, who sees her, tags along. Aggie invites him to dinner that night at the temple. Opi is attacked by a large group of rats led by a giant rat. Larry bites the giant rat to death, as Opi is overwhelmed and falls unconscious. Larry runs out of the alley, trying to drag Aggie with him, but she refuses and goes back. She stabilizes Opi and kills all of the rats. She heals Opi and brings him to the Emerald Tankard for fortification.

This is a very nice pub, run by an elf named Lithral Heartwood – it has a fancy menu. Opi orders more pie, and Aggie and Lisa have the chicken with artichoke. Outside the pub, they come across a man named Sampson, who tells them he’s been having a lot of trouble with rats on his farm to the south of the town. Aggie decides to go over to the town administrative offices to tell the officials about the rats, and after that, she returns to the temple for prayer, a nap, and then a mutton dinner with Larry.