by badams30 » Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:50 pm
Therman Morgan's Initial Offer:
"As I mentioned, we own much land. Too much to adequately observe and manage. Some of our holdings in the north haven't been worked or even patrolled in years." He pauses, looking about at each of you, then his smile vanishes and he he lowers his voice. "We have a piece of land in the foothills, north of here - about a 5 or 6 day ride. Most of our land is just that - land. But this piece has an old manor and some outbuildings to it. A local man approached us about using the property about two months ago, and we told him it was fine, so long as he gave us a report of what was on the property and how the manor was holding up. That young man, his younger brother and two other locals left to go to the manor for a week. After a couple of weeks we began to worry, and we finally sent out a band of 8 townsfolk. Hearty men, farmers, true, but all capable of defending themselves, and knowing the terrain." He casts a pained, grave glance at you all and says "we haven't heard a thing from any of them, either. We've asked the garrison if they could send a squad, but they told us they can't spare the men, and besides - it's outside their jurisdiction. Edith and I don't give a hoot about the land, or all of our land. But these people are like family to us. I know it's getting along in the season, but I'd compensate you well to go investigate this, and find out what's happened to our people. Cost isn't really a concern to me, but I'll give each of you 250 gold to go up there, find out what you can, and hopefully bring our people home... one way or another. I'll buy you any equipment that you need within reason, and provide you some draft horses and winderness gear that you specify."
Melvin's Narrative on the Morgans Land:
"Can't say much about what the Morgans are dealing with. The manor hasn't been occupied in over 30 odd years. I haven't been up there for longer than that. That piece of property used to be a small settlement that grew up next to a copper mine in the hills. A small shanty town popped up, probably almost 100 years ago, with a church, store, and a bunch of old buildings. There was a terrible accident in the mine one day. Almost all the miners died, and after a series of odd accidents and diminishing returns, the mine was closed and the town just disappeared. A Wizard named Meldabar built the manor on the property probably 50, 60 years ago, and used it as his retreat. He trained some apprentices there, and when I was just a lad, I was a guest of his for a summer. I was too young to absorb much of the teaching, but that summer is what made me decide to become a wizard." He smiles a far off smile, then it fades, and he turns his attention back to you.
The manor wasn't opulent or spectacular, but it was pretty big in scope for being so far north. Meldabar lived there for many years, but as he started to get older, he quit taking apprentices, and his health was an issue. And then one day about 30 years ago, Meldabar died, and none of his family wanted to deal with the remoteness of the manor, so it was simply abandoned. The Morgans bought the entire tract of land from the descendants of Meldabar, and they've had it since then.
The old shanty town was barely visible when I was last there, so it's likely long gone by now. I haven't seen the manor, but some who've been by there say that at least on the outside, it's holding up well. The small shrine of Lathander has long been reduced to a pile of rocks, from what I hear. That's about all I know. I did hear from some prospectors about 10 years ago that the old copper mine has long since collapsed, and the town graveyard is the only area that hints at the town's former existance."