Sewendia and the Cave of Peril

The town of Sewenton lays along the Grendy River and just south of the Green Wood. There are nearly 500 people who live in shadow of Kingfall Manor, including Bradley the elder, Stroh the Brewer, Will the Tanner, Gallegos the Butcher, Shepherd Grover the town Priest and Lenara the Witch.

After their last adventure, Lord Snow and his merry band of juvenile delinquents (the Reivers) were first in town, quickly followed by Friar Thaddeus. They interrupted a meeting in the Church of the Divine Master. The meeting was called to discuss the future of the province of Sewendia. Word has spread -- Baron Entsordell is dead. His wife, Baroness Borfridr is now a young clueless widow at 19.

A shy and unlearned gal, Borfridr blushes easily and demurs habitually to her late Lord Husbands factor Hakon. While she is a noble woman in title, she knows little of life beyond the town and has experienced less. Aside from her husbands loyal bodyguards, and Bergun the Reeve, she has no one confident in her ability to rule. For Borfridr was a peasant just months ago. She was chosen for her ample bosom and wide hips, which Baron Entsordell took as a sign of fertility. Either signs were wrong, or the baron, at age 82 was beyond the age of siring children. Then again, perhaps the old curse was true... the man who is made lord of Kingfall shall never know an heir. 

The Fergus Codex holds that when a noble dies without an heir, his wealth should pass to his liege lord. When that noble is the head of a faction, his House is eliminated or replaced by the fiat of the King. The people of Sewenton chaff at such a notion. No nobleman chosen by the king is likely to care for the people here, besides there is an ancient custom going back centuries to the Sakish Wars. The Promise of Gregor I was that the Sewen and his worthy successors would always rule Sewendia -- ever since the latter offered shelter to the former after a grievous wound suffered in battle.

The late baron’s factor, Hakon, insisted that he was best equipped to be the regent of this province. He was no nobleman, but he could read and balance a ledger. He meant to follow the same route to nobility taken by his former master and like so many lords of Sewendia. He will enter the nearby Cave of Perils and prove his worth. From there he shall emerge a hero with a token in hand. That token, when presented to the King of Rath will see him enobled and investitured as the regent of Sewendia. Thus it has ever been since the last of Sewen's original line died. For centuries, commoners like the late Enstordell have braved the cave and been recognized by the current King of Rath.

There is only one problem. The Cave of Peril is perilous and Hakon is a coward. The town already sent Wilson the tanner’s boy to explore -- he did not return. The town produced no further volunteers. 

Suddenly, Lord Snow was recognized by his noble bearing. Half of those assembled saw him as the fortuitous choice to be regent of Sewendia. The other half saw him as a worthy hero -- one who could enter the cave, rescue Wilson Tanner and retrieve the token for Hakon. Snow agreed to obtain the token for the sum of four gold bars -- an amount well beyond the imagination of anyone in Sewenton, except the factor. He agreed to the price, knowing it would bankrupt the province, but figuring that after a lean year or two, the province might bounce back.

Snow approached the cave with his Reivers and Friar Thaddeus; along with Wil Tanner who was anxious to find his son. The aura of the cave was one of great terror and it was filled with perpetual darkness that no light could long vanquish. One by one, the entire party fled, save Snow. He alone was able to reach the rear of the cavern. At the back wall, a ghostly apparition appeared -- a stately warrior, slender and uncommonly tall. It spoke with a commanding voice.

As Snow had proven his courage and tenacity, he now only needed to enter the final chamber and withdraw six items from the many mundane things piled there. If he emerged with the correct items, he would be rewarded. If not, his fate would be sealed in stone.

As Snow entered the final chamber he found a stone table with thirty items piled upon it. Around the table were the stone shapes of a dozen claimants who had failed the test, including one young enough to be Wilson the tanner's boy. Just then, a magic mouth appeared above the table and spoke the first of six riddles.

It holds most knowledge that has ever been said, but is not the brain and not the head. To feathers and their masters, tis both bane and boon... it begins empty and is full soon.

River without water, forest without trees, mountains without rocks, and farms without fleas.

No flesh, nor feathers, no scales, nor bone; yet they have fingers and thumbs of their own.

Ten men's strength but ten men can't break, though even a young maiden can wrap it around her finger.

Two bodies it has, though both joined in one; the more it stands, the more it will run.

Iron roof, glass walls, burns and burns; and still stands tall.

Though the first was solved by pure happenstance, Snow managed to figure the remaining five. After all six riddles were answered, Snow emerged from the chamber and was again visited by the apparition, who handed him a scroll, sealed in wax.

Upon returning to Sewenton, the adventurer decided not to relinquish the token he received, but knowing that Hakon would not be wiser, handed him a ring recovered from a previous adventure. By then, the rest of the party joined them and the journeyed together to Rath to see Hakon's audience with the King.