Continuing the Story from Julius’ Diary. Some Notes: The story is in the country of Karameikos, in the Basic D&D World of Mystara. Felmont is the 7th Month of the Year in Karameikos.
Felmont 1st 999AC (Beast’s Day) Since we have finished out map, Adriana and I are trying to keep notes on the culture and festivals of the town now. Eventually I would like to include our traditions, but the town is very much not ready for them. My Thyatian Holidays may be considered insulting considering the history here, but I hope Adriana’s Serrainian festivals would be more welcome.
Today is a Big Festival the Traladaran’s have. It’s new to me, so I will try to explain it as best as Mikail, the Tavern keep, did to me. Apparently, this is the date of the last battle between King Halav (The ancient King of the land) and the Beast-Men. Participants dress up as Beast-Men and wander the streets in parades, and there are mock battles between Beast-Men and Men, dances, and other parties in town. A cleric of from the Church of Karameikos visits and holds mass with the town around sundown.
It truly is an exciting day. They even let Adriana and I join the festivities as it is supposed to show Traladarian superiority of beast men. I hope this is a sign that we are being more and more accepted by the town.
Felmont 10th 999 AC Today While Adriana explored the forest nearby, I began to turn up the field lands. It was hard work, and I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked. I am just lucky the well didn’t take much to repair.
AdrianaSkywrenchValarian
My beautiful half-gnome wife.
Felmont 15th 999 (Day of Valerias) For the Day of Valerias (or Day of Love), I surprised Adriana with a song I have been preparing for months, and a Gnomish delicacy from Serraine that she used to love as a child. (I had to send letters to her parents to get the recipe months ago. I am not the chef she deserves, but I hope that I made it well enough.
Adriana got me an embroidered wall sheath for my old sword. We are hanging it on the wall with a propeller to signify how we met.
Our Wall Decor.
The Propeller from Adriana’s Crashed Cloud-Clipper, with my Imperial Sword from my Soldier Days.
A Reminder of how we met.
Felmont 27th 999 Almost all week we have had stars streaking across the sky. It has been a beautiful show for Adriana and I each night. She calls them “Shooting Stars”. I pictured some immortal loading them into his bow and launching the stars across the sky when she called them this.
Below are excerpts from the Diary of Julius Valarian: an NPC in my Dungeons & Dragons Game. It starts with background information and then moves into adventure notes. I will post one month at a time until it is caught up to where the games are.
My PCs will read the up to date on our Roll20 page.
The Diary of Julius Valarian
Lieutenant of the 5th division, The Brotherhood of the Grey Lady (retired due to relocation to Karameikos)
Sisak
Klarmont 1st 999AC Since moving to this small village on the Westron Road, I am still having difficulty remembering anyone’s name and being Traladaran, they are not too forthcoming, so I have decided to keep a log as I meet and learn. Adriana and I decided to move here and rebuild an old house that had burned down. We specifically chose this little village, not because it would be easy, but because if this country has any future, both Thayatians and Traladarans must learn to work together, and If we can’t try to go join their communities, then that will not happen.
Klarmont 2nd 999AC Below I have drawn a map of the town and started making notes as to who lives where so that I can remember and begin building a relationship. If Adriana and I wish to have a family, these are the people that will be surrounding our child, it’s best to know them.
A. The Bountiful Tappe & Tappe Family lands. Mikail Tappe Anya Tappe Weena Tappe Anita Romov Casta Bellaz The Tappe Family have been the most welcoming of the village. I guess it’s from being a tavern family, they are used to travelers and foreigners more. The Family took in the orphan Skelly, who helps out in the stables. Boy seems more comfortable with animals than people.
B. Headman Mavrov’s Lands Grigore Mavrov Savina Mavrov, (daughter) Gytha Kavda, (Daughter in law’s sister) Dieter Mavrov, (grandson) Katrina Mavrov, (Dieter’s wife) Grigor is a stubborn old man who lives with 3 generations of his family. He has not been very welcoming yet, but I hope that his grandkid Dieter and his wife will be more open minded.
Klarmont 7th 999AC I got a roof over our head. While our house is not finished, I managed to get a roof over our head. We can move out of the tent and into the house tonight. We will have to use the tent material to block the East wall, but it is better than the tent alone. I also got a chance to talk around the village and meet a few more of the villagers. They still don’t like me, but Mikail Tappe seems to be warming up, and is willing to let me know a bit about the families. I have added them to the map above:
C. Czigany Family lands. Boris Czigany Nada Czigany, (Boris’s wife) Hallie Markov, (Nada’s old mother) 6 (soon 7) children, ages 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 (names unknown right now) Boris is too busy trying to feed his family to worry about racial tension. Good. If I lend a hand here and there it may help.
D. Zbon Family Land Obert Zbon, Nefen Zbon,(Obert’s eldest son) Welda Zbon, (Nefen’s wife ) Nefen and Welda’s three children, ages 2, 4, 5 (I don’t know their names) Casimir Zbon,(Nefen’s younger brother) The Zbons own the only bull in the village and receive extra payments from the villagers each spring to sire more. Casimir tends the villagers’ cows and sheep.
Klarmont 8th 999 We have a fourth Wall. I managed to get the last wall reinforced today after a long day’s work. I think I will rest tomorrow, before starting to prepare the field. I have decided on a nice vegetable garden. My cousin in Thyatis has been kind enough to send some seeds over of some vegetables that are not native to Karameikos, and should grow well enough for us to sell at the local markets. Adriana had a fever today, and Mikail introduced me to the town doctor, Janos Yorbin (seriously) Dr. Yorbin came over and gave her a concoction to drink. Aparently sleeping out in the tent for the length of time she had been was not setting well with her. I got used to roughing it in the army, she never had that at wizard school. I have added Dr. Yorbin’s land and the land of “Runa the Wisewoman” to the map above. Dr. Yorbin suggested We visit Runa to see if our future really is here. (I get the feeling he hopes we don’t stay too long.)
E. Yorbini Family lands Janos Yorbini, (Doctor & Farmer) Wenceslava Yorbini, (Janos’s wife ) Three sons: Radu, age 14; Dmitri, age 12; Jakos, age 10 Janos is the town doctor. Adriana has already made contact with them, and there is no tension there.
F. Runa’s Hovel. Runa Kroza, (wisewoman) Amber (orphaned urchin) Daimon,(cat) Runa is the town “Wisewoman”, I don’t believe she has any power other than being cranky, but the townsfolk believe in her “predictions” Run took in Skelly’s sister, Amber, and uses her like a slave practically.
Klarmont 14th 999 I managed to get enough of the field prepared to plant. Had to dig some irrigation by hand. Adriana has been doing much better since the visit from the doctor. She has been using her “Cantrips” or whatever to make the house more livable and arrange things inside. Our home is starting to look more like a home. Adriana has been contemplating becoming what the people of the city mockingly call a “Hedge Wizard”. Apparently, there is a whole specialty of wizard whose whole focus is the regular care of a small town. Gardening, farming, magics to help plants grow, locate lost objects, and other acts to help the town. Adriana went into town to the Bountiful Tappe today and met with Runa and a lady called Radinka, who is the village mid-wife. When she returned, she helped me add a few more places to our map of the town. It is not an easy thing to do, getting to know the locals, but it at least keeps us occupied, and has become a kind of hobby of ours to learn more about the town.
G. Podsk Residence. Han Podsk, Gilda Podsk, (wife) Maria Podsk, (daughter , 9 years) Mikal Podsk, (son 9-years) Gilda is of some relation to the Tappe family at the Inn. But I have not relly had much chance to talk to them. They have been civil to Adriana, but not really friendly.
H. Czelb Residence. Stanislan Czelb, Danika Czelb, (wife) Three children: Two boys aged 9&14, 1 girl (5 yrs) Radinka Czelb, (Widowed Sis-in-Law) (village midwife) Radinka is the town midwife, another person good to know in the future. Adriana has gone by to introduce herself to this family, but no real connection made.
Klarmont 15th 999 I went hunting earlier today, I just needed to get out away from the vegetables and supplement our diet with some meat. While I did this Adriana went into town. When I returned, she had located the town butcher, and a potter, that we could replace some of our broken dishware from. My wife is amazing. I have added them to our map of town.
I. Kruschneh Lands. Vladislav Kruschneh, Olaf Kruschneh, (farmer and butcher & Vlad’s son) Cleva Kruschneh, Olaf’s wife Olaf is the town butcher, I need to remember when I go hunting, to bring him the animal.
J. Silecz Residence. Burr Silecz, (potter) Sonya Silecz, (wife ) Three children (aged 8, 9 & 11) Burr seems to be a potter as well as a farmer. He sells pottery at the nearby city market.
(After Dinner) It is a full moon tonight; you can hear the wolves howling. The locals believe there are werewolves in the forest, but I have not seen any evidence of such. Adriana decided to see if she can find wolvesbane to grow. Even if we don’t believe in the werewolves, the locals do, and they may be interested in buying some, if we can grow it.
Klarmont 16th 999, Our Old Blankets began to wear through, so I took the day away from the fields to go into town with Adriana. Mikail Tappe was able to send us in the direction of the town weaver (I have added her family and land to the map. Before leaving, I asked Mikail if there was a carpenter in town. I am able to build our house and big bulky structures, but with Adriana’s birthday coming up, I would like to get her some cabinets or desks for her work in “Hedge Wizardry”. The Carpenter “Vlad Vlem” (I swear I cannot make these names up!) was not too keen on helping me, but his wife convinced him, as she has grown fond of Adriana. There was a strange purple star in the sky tonight. I hope it is a good omen for our family. We added the two families to our map.
K. Reh Residence. Armand Reh, (sheep shearer) Milka Reh, (wife) (weaver, spinner, and dyer) Four daughters, (Aged 6,8,10,12) Armand Sheers everyone’s sheep, and his wife Milka seems to be the town weaver. She makes all sorts of cloth items for the town from the wool.
L. Vlem Residence. Vladimir Vlem, (carpenter ) Velika Vlem. (wife) Valdemar, (son, 16)
Klarmont 21st 999, I was out today cutting wood to make a fence around our crops today. While in the woods, I ran into an odd sort of fellow. Alvis is the local swineherd. Have you ever heard of a swineherd? Neither had I. He takes the town’s pig out for walks into the forests and uses their noses to forage for things like truffles, and herbs. The rest of the town pays him to use their pigs in his little treasure hunt. Can you believe this? I am certain they either don’t know about his side business or don’t care. Either way I sat down with him for a drink while his pigs were nearby. I invited him and his wife over for dinner, thinking his herbs and things might be useful to Adriana. But since I know little of these things She should be the one to discuss it. Alvis was quite happy to help us finish up our map of the town as well, but suggested we keep it a secret, because the rest of the town might feel like we are spying on them. Alvis’ additions included:
M. Romczi Residence. Alvis Romczi, (swineherd) Zoru Romczi, (wife) This is the local swineheard family. They don’t own many pigs, but Alvis tends to the heard of all the townsfolk. He takes the pigs into the forest each day, why is beyond me, but he is able to bring them all back, so that’s good.
N. Rogoz Residence. Bellamy Rogoz, Zoru Rogoz, (wife) Two sons aged 4,5 Zelda Patka, (Zoru’s mother) Bellamy is the one-armed famer. He won’t go into how he lost his arm with me, but it sure wasn’t in battle. Alvis says there is a funny story about that which involves a barn raising. I am sure Bellamy would not think the story very funny.
O. Radescu Residence. Bram Radescu, Ida Radescu, (wife) Children: Boris Radescu, (son, age 18) Igor, age 15 Barret, age 14 Roald, age 13 Bram is a bit stubborn, and holds a grudge, but does not seem to care if we are Thayatian or not. He just doesn’t like a soldier in town, and holds me responsible for the nations situation…. So has avoided me and Adriana up to now.
P. Valerian Residence. And of course our Homestead. Avis reminded me that a map of Sisak would not be complete without our house, since we have been here for months now. He is honestly the first person other than Mikail who has made us feel welcome in town. And this is a good step we feel.
( Map originally from Dungeon Magazine #24, published July 1990 by TSR Periodicals. Drawn by Diesel)
Baldwins Abroad 
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