The Travels of a Hairy Hermit

The cottage door receives three tired knocks. A road-weary adult woman, Sister Maelin, a lean human woman with sun-browned skin, cropped dark hair, and a narrow scar at her chin, stands beyond it in a dust-stained brown habit, with a gray cloak, weathered face, and a leather water flask at her belt.

Eiluj remains near the hearth, while Gravam stays in the adjoining workshop. Neither takes the pilgrim’s eyes from the folded letter, sealed with dark red wax bearing the mark of Karosh.

She offers the folded letter but keeps two fingers on its edge. The seal is unbroken, and the writing on the outside names Nilsar directly rather than addressing the local baron.

Nilsar takes the offered letter from Sister Maelin, supporting its folded edge in his right hand. The dark red wax seal bears Karosh’s mark, cleanly pressed and unbroken.

He breaks the wax before her and unfolds the sheet. Records Research guides his inspection as he compares the seal impression, handwriting, address, and signature against the letter’s formal layout.

The letter bears the name of a Karosh trade clerk and a second confirming signature from a northern shipment assessor. Both names are written in different hands, and neither line shows erasure or substitution.

Its contents report missing cargo from three northern trade shipments, with manifests altered after departure. The writer claims witnesses can identify where the goods were diverted, but fears official channels are compromised.

The letter does name all three shipments, gives dates and route points, and requests that Nilsar carry the testimony to the baron. Its seals appear genuine, though the document proves the request’s origin more firmly than the corruption itself.

Nilsar keeps the letter open in his right hand and studies its named shipments, dates, route points, seals, and signatures again. Records Research confirms that Maelin could know the contents without having authored the report.

Her answer fits the document’s structure: she knows its contents as a trusted carrier and witnessed the shortage herself. The two signatures still identify the report’s authors, while Maelin confirms its immediate circumstances.

Maelin lowers her hand from the letter and waits beside the open door. The request for verification has become a witness account Nilsar can carry to Baron Edric Vale without mistaking it for final proof.

Sister Maelin steps inside at Eiluj’s invitation and closes the door against the road dust. She keeps her voice low, separating what the letter states from what she personally witnessed.

Nilsar’s Records Research matches her explanation to the letter’s two signatures, its careful request for verification, and its lack of any charge against the baron. The delivery route appears deliberate, not evasive.

Eiluj sends a message for Aritik while Nilsar keeps Karosh’s Letter and the shipment details together. Sister Maelin waits near the hearth, her account preserved without adding to it.

Aritik arrives with writing materials and sits beside the table. Nilsar lays out the letter, its two signatures, the three shipment names, dates, route points, and Maelin’s account.

Records Research aligns every date and route point across the letter and Maelin’s testimony. The comparison succeeds, but the work consumes the afternoon, leaving the identity of the diversion’s organizer unresolved.

Nilsar Yarb leaves Yarb home behind and arrives at baron's tower.

Baron Edric Vale’s tower rises above Anuncagra’s inner yard, its stone walls bright with late sunlight and its narrow gate watched by armed fortress guards. Nilsar arrives with his shield strapped firmly, axe secured across his back, and helmet buckled over his head, fully protected for the approach.

Aritik walks beside him carrying the organized report, while Sister Maelin keeps close beneath her gray cloak. The tower entrance smells of lamp oil, damp stone, and old parchment, and a clerk waits beyond the guards with a ledger open.

The nearer guard records Aritik’s words and studies Nilsar’s armed readiness without challenging it. Then he unbars the inner door, granting the party entry toward the baron’s chamber while the report remains secured in Aritik’s hands.

Nilsar shifts the Two-Handed Axe and Gilded Round Shield into a crossed position over his back. His Skilled Craftsman’s eye finds the straps’ best balance, keeping the painted donkey visible and his hands free as he follows Aritik inward.

The Northern Helmet’s weight stays secure while Nilsar climbs the narrow stair. The fortress guards close the inner door behind them, and the tower’s stone steps wind upward through cool lamplight.

At the tower’s top chamber, Nilsar steps clear of the stair and unbuckles the Northern Helmet. He removes it carefully, freeing his hair and beard, then carries it beneath one arm.

The upper chamber opens before them, with Baron Edric Vale waiting beside a broad table. Nilsar’s axe and gilded, green-and-brown donkey shield remain safely slung behind him as Aritik presents the organized report.

Aritik breaks the seal and lays the report before Baron Edric Vale. Nilsar watches the baron’s face while Sister Maelin stands ready beside the table.

Maelin recounts the dates, route points, and altered entries without embellishment. Records Research gives Nilsar each detail in sequence, matching her words against the written report and separating witness from allegation.

The baron’s surprise is brief but genuine at the clerk’s dismissal; concern replaces it as he asks for the station’s name and clerk’s seal. He shows no guarded reaction to his own authority, yet his practiced control leaves one uncertainty: whether he knows more than he reveals.

Nilsar lays one hand beside the report and keeps the Longsword he forged at his hip. Concealed Chainmail rests beneath his clothes, while Records Research and reliable accounts give his proposal a careful foundation.

The baron writes the order beneath the report and seals it for Odran. Aritik marks the station records for comparison, while Sister Maelin watches the decision without interrupting.

Nilsar’s words carry loyal support without excusing the law. His Keeps Reliable Accounts discipline grounds the appeal in Aritik’s careful work, while Reads Legal Records keeps justice tied to proper judgment.

The baron adds his seal beneath the order and places it in Nilsar’s hand. Aritik’s service is formally affirmed, and the household’s standing remains protected under the baron’s authority.

Nilsar secures the sealed order and leaves the chamber. His helmet remains beneath his arm, while the axe and gilded shield stay strapped across his back as he descends toward Captain Odran’s command.

The stair opens onto the fortress yard, where the watch offices lie beyond the inner gate. Nilsar crosses toward Odran, ready to receive his next duty under the baron’s order.

Nilsar removes the loosened bandage from his arm and steps onto the training field. His healed shoulder moves freely, while the green, brown, and gold donkey shield rests firmly on his arm.

His Skilled Craftsman’s eye checks the shield strap and buckle, setting its weight comfortably before he crosses the packed ground toward Captain Odran.

Nilsar extends the sealed order. The shield covers his forward side as he presents it, and his healed arm bears the document without hesitation.

Odran breaks the seal and reads beneath the open sky. Around him, the training field carries the sounds of drills, harness buckles, and measured footwork.

Nilsar crosses to the eastern training line, where eight younger recruits from the eastern villages wait in mismatched padded coats, leather caps, and borrowed practice gear.

He watches their footing, grip, spacing, and recovery through each drill. His Superb perception catches uneven training, quick learners, and three recruits who already move with disciplined purpose.

His Skilled Craftsman’s eye assesses the recruits as carefully as flawed tools, separating sound habits from faults that will fail under pressure. The Gilded Round Shield demonstrates proper guard and balance.

Nilsar tests them through turns, shield work, controlled advances, and formation changes. He identifies four promising defenders, two needing stronger footwork, and two who require close supervision before garrison duty.

By the end of the assessment, Nilsar has a clear report: the eastern recruits can reinforce the town watch, provided experienced guards pair with the weaker members during their first deployments.

Nilsar gives the findings in a measured sequence, distinguishing ability from risk without belittling the weaker recruits. His Legendary Diplomacy makes the assessment easy to accept, while Keeps Reliable Accounts keeps every number and recommendation exact.

Odran turns toward the eight recruits and marks four places in his ledger for experienced partners. The recruits with weaker footing are moved to a separate practice line, while the two needing close supervision remain under direct watch.

The eastern recruits accept the arrangement without protest. Odran closes the ledger, having received a complete assessment and a practical deployment plan before dusk.