01 - Knights Creed

Ages - Age of Magic - Tales of the Wellspring Knight

Knight's Struggle >>

Astrid swore an oath to fight injustice and defend the weak. But after meditating in the wilderness for three years, she never imagined stepping into a quest like this. Astrid discovers a land where magic users rule through fear and intimidation. They call themselves Movers. To fight them, she has to rely on all her magical skills as Knight of the Wellspring. She can’t do it alone. Astrid needs help and she finds it in the most unlikely places. Join Astrid and her righteous friends as they stand up to the enemies of humanity.

TOTWK 01/1 - 5 THE STORY BEGINS

Villagers of Argana re being assessed literally to death by the Nobles and their collector, Assessor Pleth. Have been ordered to produce sugar beets, for Nobles’ wine, rather than crops to feed themselves. Have been beaten by Pleth, so will find new Champion in the Eastern Lands strangers wandering down the Toll Road. Tomescu to find. Astrid,rejoining humanity, coming down road into area. Met Pleth. Astrid arrested for vagrancy (no job, no money, i.e. a vagrant, i.e. arrested to work off toll and fines in jail.) She objected, and ran off after beating down Pleth’s six guards. Fought with weapon of choice, a coil of rope. Left a note on Pleth’s wagon “Will not bend to injustice.”

01/2 Pleth gets back to Assessor’s office, lies about everything. Caught in his lies, because one of his guards had come back earlier and told the truth. Compliance officers will have to be called. Astrid meets Vincenzo in forest.

01/3 Vincenzo provides dinner, breakfast, and interesting conversation about Protectorate development and procedures. While deciding in which direction to proceed, Tomescu comes running, being chased by mother bear and three cubs. Vincenzo rescues all through his Irth Magic (energy used to alter ground composition, creating escape tunnel), and they all go back to Argan to rescue the village.

01/4Took over an hour to get to village (back paths, avoiding Toll Road). Met by villagers, welcomed. Astrid to stay with Village Elder Popova, Vincenzo (now Vinnie), to stay with village scribe.. Food, clothing, shelter in exchange for protection.

01/5The Compliance Squad (Compliance Officer Jank) comes to village looking for Astrid. She, Vinnie and Tomescu escape into forest, wait for dusk. Astrid and Vinnie decide to show up at the village, take on the whole squad.Between the two of them, they fell or kill all 20 soldiers. Need energy when done!

01/7 - 10 KEEP 52

01/6 Astrid, Vinnieand Tomescu go to Keep, to pay fines, tell Commissioner Krann about the disreputable procedures in protective activities in Argan. Vinnie gets into fight at bar, smashes everything and everybody, then escaped to the woods.

01/7 Coming back, he helps Astrid fight Krann, then rescue two magic users from jail. All escape out a rear gate. Tarkon the Fallen, can melt steel. Gormer called on his friends, as yet unidentified. Gormer’s friends show up, The Woodsman and Crew. (Almost twenty men and women, armed (hatchets, bows and arrows, knives). Bring horses, go to Argan, wait for Compliance Men.

01/8 Argan Village Krann and his men go to Lungu Fortress (where Lord Lungu, head of that protectorate, lives), to report happenings, meet with Protector Lungu, who can use magic slightly. Lungu orders Krann back to village, to capture Astrid and bring her to him. Pleth has lied, covered up theft from Krann to curry favor with Lungu. Also failed to tell of note left with wagon. KranAn angry about that. Lungu now knows, and will let the secret still be a secret.

01/9 The Tribute Party Woody convinces Villagers (Popova) to allow them to stay and help defend against tyranny. Argan almost starving, so Gormer suggests stealing from Collector’s shipments to Protectorate. (Many assessors from villages, won’t penalize them). Woody, Gorman and Tarkon to waylay Assessors and Conscriptors. Astrid goes to plan with them, finds Tarkon using Forge magic (Order of the Forge) to product metal for weapons (firearms. Tarkon can fire bullets.) Astrid, Vinnie, Gormer, Tarkon will raid a tribute party. Woody et al will keep Conscription Squad away from village.

01/10 Blue Creek Village Just as the four were about to attack the Party, a naked creature appeared, ’Moxy, fought with Party, (who had been torturing something, ten feet tall, male,) was almost beaten down when Tarkon killed some of Party with bullets and fireballs, , Astrid et al killed the rest (20 in all). Astrid wanted to talk to the female warrior, but Gormer driving up with the Tribute wagon, called warning that others might be coming. Had wanted them to leave “thing” on the ground as a distraction, while they had taken the wagons. Wouldn’t have had to kill all 20. Met ‘Moxy, communicated with creature, named him Charlie. Talked with only living prisoner, wanted to leave him as a messenger. But this crowd different – a special compliance party, with approval of Lungu’s son, Clarence. Had raided Blue Creek. Astrid et al go back to Blue Creek, taking logbooks of Compliance party as evidence. Blue Creek wants to pay pair tribute- OK. Asked why she was doing it for Argan? “I guess you could say we’re concerned strangers. We see things aren’t right. We’re here to change them.

01/11 COMPLIANCE OFFICER JANK Jank intended to teach Argan a lesson, with thirty men in his crew. H intended to live there for the winter, indebting the village to him for sustaining the crew. He would then own the village, as he did three others. Finds road washed out on way. Had to go through a field, were stopped, attacked with bees and hornets, by the Woodsman and Crew. Lungu and son devise plan to send in MANY compliance teams, to Eastern District, to make them pay for Argan’s non-Submission. Make surrounding District force them to comply. Clarence to negotiate and fight, if needed. (Will use magic).

01/12 - 15 RETURN TO ARGAN

01/12Wagons meet Woodsman and Crew on way, party come into village, all meet ‘Moxy and Charlie, have village feast that night. Tarkon warns of Lungu’s vengeance to come. As he speaks, a bandit rides in, telling of fight and capture of Alisa, to hang her that night, outside Keep 52. They did, Woody found her, went insane. Moxy darted him, Astrid carried him off to horses, and they all escaped as Gormer turned into a bear and charged the guards.

01/13 Moxy helps Astrid hide Woodie in the forest, Gormer comes into camp, exhausted by his magic. Smokes (he needs it), sleeps. They start back to Argan I the morning, meet bandits looking for them. Arrive at village to find that Charlie had caused fields to grow overnight, allowing a second harvest of rye and oats. Charlie, also, healed fully. Will expect retribution from Jank, Movers, and Lungu.

01/13 Krann corrects Clarence on his use of force on Alisa. Clarence states he will enforce his own brand of order. Krann sent letter to Lungu complaining about it. Threatens Krann forcibly, then relents – calls Krann crazy. Has never seen this fanaticism from a bureaucrat before. Krann believes in the system. Has weight of history behind him.

01/14 Clarence given note left as message with Blue Creek survivor. Visited Pleth, for first note. Pleth gave it, refused to tell where extra tribute was located, until Clarence started injuring his children. Read Pleth’s confession, dispossessed them all. Back at Argan, all of the villagers, and Charlie, brought in the harvest, feasted, sang, Charlie singing the best of them.

01/15 Astrid, Tarkon, Gormer, Vinnie, ‘Moxy waken early to recon the Keep, perhaps bring back Alisa’s body. Gormer to be watch. Will notify them telepathically. With help of Marty and Arthur guards who don’t like what’s going on, they release Alisa’s body, take it back to Argan, to Woody. Buried in forest, bandits quiet.

Krann happy body gone. Wants to take control from Clarence, make district more his.

Astrid has kept the rope used on Alisa, will make a rope weapon from it. Loosened it up, had blacksmith put metal tips on ends, as weapons, attached.

01//15 - 17 THE BANDITS

01/15, 16 Astrid asked Woody if there were more bandit tribes around that might want to join the fight, collect plunder, etc. He said yes, and two more groups showed up. Too crowded, until Astrid told them that they would all be going to Keep 52 on a raid, , to see what was going on. Astrid meets with leader of new group at a neutral area, near a pond. George fights her, eventually agrees to work with her.

01/17 Astrid and the bandits attack several Trophy parties, bringing the goods back to the camps. Sally, a bandit Leader, wants her group to attack Compliance companies in the southern regions. (Almost like Robn Hood). Have also been copying the log-books (Village scribes) Village elders will listen to evidence, speak up. “It’s going to be much harder for the Commissioners to argue against their own system when we compare what the Assessors takse to the legal code. In returning to Argan, Astrid find bandits with the Pleth family in tow. They were bringing them to Astrid to question, if she wanted, before they were killed. She decides (and convinces others) nbot to kill him, but to take him to village, where he will work off his guilt. Popova agrees. Group talks about how to store extra, second harvest. Needs processing soon, or will spoil. All pitch in to winnow grain, store it.