Sir Halmut Runcitor, a rogue half-orc knight of Thring, has not given into the despair of exile, and seeks to scrape together a holding in these wild hills with the help of his friend, the halfling druid Belinda Codd, and a handful of depressed retainers. As of now, his demesne includes an ancient watch tower without a proper roof and a few snake-infested acres. Life is hard. Belinda manages to coax some potatoes, maize and tomatoes from the parched ground. Attempts to drain a nearby marsh (16.23) led to the grisly deaths of two retainers.
Runcitor projects a chipper attitude maintained largely by his enchanted flask of endless wine that keeps his followers toiling another day.
When examining the site around his tower, Runcitor discovered a score of overturned colanders similar to those in Jar Town (16.20). He took great effort to right them, despite Belinda’s protests, and he awaits the annual rain. Belinda believes that any rain they catch will be afflicted with a dire curse. Runcitor will hear none of it, and their disagreement has put a strain between them.
Neither Belinda nor Runcitor know that their sad little home lies in the middle of a veritable snake library. Many of the book-snakes let loose during the massacre (16.23) that did not fancy the marsh life slithered here, and their descendants are being hunted to extinction. Each asp or cobra their retainers spear for their meat and hide is another chapter of knowledge lost to the world.
Hooks
- Why was Runcitor exiled? Why did he choose this area to settle, of all places?
- How did he get a flask of endless wine?
- Why is Belinda here? What is her history with Runcitor?
- Are the colanders the same as those in Jar Town? What will happen when they are filled with water?
- Who is angry about the book-snake massacre?
