Urvan enjoyed the display of the Eagles prowess and the brief respite from his chores, which helped mark the day as a special one. Although he privately was already considering the advantages of one of the Apollo Hounds over the more slightly built Eagles, it was undeniably impressive.

He was in good spirits by the end of the day, and the call from the Guard only caused him a mild startle before he looked up. "It's Page Kron sir, from the Campfire." He reminded the sentry and craned his neck up to better show his face in the torchlight.

Urvan feels sudden alarm when he realizes that he has just said his real name and not his cover name, but he manages to keep his concern hidden.  This soldier probably won't remember, and he won't even think to repeat it.  It won't get anywhere.

"Oh, hey there.  Ye're the lad what knocked down Caiaphas.  Good on you, boy.  You be careful, now.  I heared that those horrid birds might still be about -- peck yer eyes clean out of yer face, they could."  He waves amiably and continues his route.

Urvan continues on his stroll, to make sure that soldier doesn't associate him with the kennel at all.  Once all is clear, he returns and again glides over the fence with no problem.  Entering to the usual barking, he tries to hush the dogs to no avail and quickly goes to visit the two pregnant bitches.  The first greets him with tail wagging, happy to take a treat and some neck rubs.  The second finally warms to his presence and is finally willing to accept a bit of the pork shoulder that Urvan pocketed at dinner.

12:19, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 23 using 1d20+7
12:18, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 19,17 using d20+1,d20+1.  Two Handle Animal rolls

Urvan's feeling of guilt and self chastisement persisted all during his walk, and he kicked himself over and over again for being so careless. He would need to be more careful, and the risk was still very near and very real to him.

The time with the dogs soothed him somewhat. It seemed that his persistence was paying off, when hunger and the need for companionship finally overwhelmed the other bitches hesitation at the newcomer.

He showed the dogs affection, his confidence now bolstered a bit as he scratched and petted, the poor things heavily encumbered by their pregnancies.

When it was time to go, he selected a window shutter that was not likely to be carefully inspected and set the latch just off center enough to permit him entry next time he came through, before he once again left through the self latching front door

He returned, wondering if he should report success or if he should wait until Leila had actually given birth.

He supposed he would still need to identify her, even if he had managed to earn some measure of trust from the two of them.

He decided to wait a little longer before reporting, as he recalled how Iwo disliked frequent visits, the man seeming busy all the time and no doubt with little time to spare for largely inconsequential news.

Disable Device is not supposed to be used untrained at all, but this is something anyone could figure out.  It'll be only DC 9, but I'm giving you -4 on the skill.
15:07, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 12 using 1d20-4.  Disable device (untrained)  DC 9
15:13, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 3 using 2d4.  days before someone notices latch.
15:09, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 13,14 using d20+1,d20+1
15:14, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 7,21 using d20+1,d20+1
15:14, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 8,5 using d20+1,d20+1


The following night, Urvan returns to the kennel and tries the window he left not fully latched.  To his pleasure, after a couple of pulls it pops open and he is able to climb in without the more risky climb over the fence.  Both of the bitches seem a little more nervous, perhaps because of his odd means of entry, but both finally accept his treats.

The night after that, he has a similar result with the window, but the first dog, the one he secretly thinks is Leila, is not excited to see him.  Is she starting to give birth, he wonders; then he sees that she has a bandage on her hind leg.  She was hurt somehow, and that's why she is skittish?  He leaves the food for her, and she does finally limp forward in her cage to take it, once he has backed away.  The second dog, oddly, is thumping her tail and seems overjoyed to see him.  He reaches through the cage and gives her a good scratch, and she seems very happy.

The following day is a busy one, with the delegation from Crete leaving, there are lots of message buzzing around the palace, as people make extra effort to solidify any friendships, real or imagined.  Twice he sees the young lady for whom he failed to procure a ribbon, and she seems not even to recognize him.

Finally the business of being a page winds down, and Urvan again travels out to the kennels.  The dogs are already barking, even before he climbs in, and both his visits to the pregnant bitches are unsuccessful.  He is wondering whether he should keep trying or just leave them to whatever is bothering them when the front door opens.  "Quiet down, you stupid dogs!  It's just that raccoon again.  It's probably already gone."  Urvan ducks behind the center table, but he can see the boy already looking around.

Just when he had been making real progress, it seemed that the Kennel staff was catching on.

Urvan fought back the sudden urge to bolt, to knock the boy down and to run, and instead he quietly knelt down and slipped beneath the table where he squatted like some kind of troll from a fairy tale.

If he could slowly creep about the table, and to keep the top between him and the boy, it might be possible that his cursory inspection could pass right over him in the dim light, or so the boy hoped.

So long as the dogs did not rat him out...

20:58, Today: Urvan Kron rolled 19 using 1d20+6.  Stealth.

The boy searches through the kennel for, presumably, a raccoon that has been a persistent pest in the past.  He uses a directional lantern, making it easy to keep track of where he is looking.  Urvan takes care to keep some boxes between them until the boy finishes his search.  Fortunately, noise is not much of an issue, with several of the dogs still barking.  The boy shushes them and finally calms them, but it's not as if they are ever really silent.

Once satisfied that there are no raccoons left in the building, the boy approaches the large dog in the center of the room.    "Hey there, Leila, girl.  How's your leg?  Let me see.  Still hurts, does it?  Poor girl.  Well, I'll keep that nasty raccoon away, no more bites getting the taint in them."  He rubs her belly, "It won't be long, now, girl -- by Zeus, you're huge."

Before the lad leaves, he takes the time to check all the windows to make sure that the shutters are well latched, so he will likely be suspicious if one is unlocked the following morning.  Finally he leaves through the front door, and Urvan can hear the key turn in the lock.



This crisis point has helped you grow up considerably.  You are now second level in all but the added Ability Score Points that you will get as part of the new level.  These will require a bit of time exercising and/or studying.  Otherwise, though, level up the character, with skill points, BAB, etc.  Remember that you already got one skill point in advance.  You are welcome to stick with Monk, or you might want to add a level of rogue, for the skills and skill points.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:45, Tue 12 July 2022.

Urvan could feel his heart hammering as the young man searched the kennel interior, and then slowly he began to relax when it became apparent that he was giving up the chase.

Then, a feeling of joy surged within him as the young man called our Leila by name, which confirmed his suspicions and added a last piece to the puzzle tasked to him by Iwo.

He tried to be patient, to bide his time after the young man left, and then suspecting that nobody would return after so recent a visit, he approached Liela again with soft, kind words and attempted to give her some more attention.

He had won over a degree of trust with the great Apollo Hounds, and had avoided getting chased or bitten by them in the process. He had collected the materials to help to smooth the process, collected his information and now he had finally confirmed the identity of the particular dog that he was supposed to befriend.

Hopefully she would have her litter soon, the puppies would be blind and helpless for some time, and that would hopefully give him ample time for them to become accustomed to him.

Despite a few bumps, things were looking up.

With the windows out of the picture for awhile, Urvan did another sweep of the interior to look for future means of access before he left for the evening.

Sounds great, I will give it a little thought and will hopefully have him updated soon.

17:19, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 19 using 1d20+2.  Insight.

Urvan moves calmly and slowly, so as not to alarm the dogs into barking again.  Of course, they knew he was here the whole time, and to a dog's awareness, they assume that the boy did, as well.  He remembers from the book he read that the dogs' greatest sense is smell, so they are not limited by such foolishness as sight and sound to know who is nearby.

However, while he is considering the mechanics of it, he has a sudden realization.  He had been thinking that the "raccoon" the boy was concerned with was just himself, having riled up the dogs for several nights in a row.  However, something bit Leila on the leg, so there must have been an actual raccoon, and that animal got in somewhere.  Perhaps if he could find that hole, he could enlarge it enough that would accommodate himself.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:31, Wed 13 July 2022.

Unable to grasp the mechanics of trying to pry his way into the latch, Urvan defaults to the more primitive method of trying to find a hole that he had widen out and slip under.

He may come home a bit dirty, but that was practically expected of Pages, and besides, he was so elated by his progress that he cared little for a little hard labor.

Continuing with Monk and opting for the Animal Companion Ability. It just ties in too well with his story to pass up.

08:19, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 20 using 1d20+5.  Handle Animal.
08:19, Today: Zag, on behalf of Urvan Kron, rolled 10 using 1d20+6.  Perception
Plus continuing from your previous Insight roll.

With the dogs calm, Urvan is able to take his time moving among them.  He suddenly understands how important his own demeanor is in their reaction to him -- he is calm, they are calm.  Even the other dogs that have not been receiving treats are no longer snarling or snapping at him; they've just accepted him as part of the kennel.  He spends several hours searching for how a raccoon could get in or out of the building, with no result.  Maybe it was getting in through the window that he left barely latched, but that seems hard to believe.

He returns to Leila who greets him more normally.  She accepts his treat and allows him to rub her huge belly, and he can see that the bandaged leg looks sore and swollen.  Looking at her leg, he wonders why a raccoon might have approached such a huge dog.  Even if such an animal is trying to get at the food, it is hard to believe that it would bite a dog unless it was cornered.  This is where the raccoon enters and exits the building -- it has to go past Leila!

Urvan unlatches her cage and sticks his entire head and shoulders in with her.  She could easily rip my throat out in this position.  She sniffs at him, her sniffing getting more aggressive as she gets near his pouch holding the treats.  After giving her the last of what he brought, he digs through her bedding and -- there it is! -- a hole in the wooden floor that clearly has been gnawed to make it larger.  The hole is right against the edge of her crate, so the raccoon has to squeeze past the wire mesh.  If she happened to be lying against the wall, it might be startled and take a bite at her.

Urvan pulls the crate out and looks disparagingly at the hole.  There is some sort of crawlspace under the building, which he probably can find access to, but he couldn't even fit his head through this tiny hole, never mind his whole body.  But maybe it will be enough to come and visit the girl, possibly even without all the barking.  Looking up, he sees the first gleam of sunlight in the windows, and he realizes that he has to leave.

Now run out of time, Urvan abandons the promising line of investigation, gives Leila one last scratch on the way out and slips out the door before he made sure that it was latched behind him.

He yawned as he made his way in a circuitous path back towards his room.

Soon, soon she would give birth, and perhaps he would get to know the new litter of pups in the coming days.

The next day is light for messages.  It is sparring day for the knights, so of course Gerro wants to be down there to watch all the action.  Urvan has to admit that there are times when fighting with weapons makes sense, since fighting an armored man without them can be hazardous.  But he sees opening for takedowns and throws that he knows armored men are especially vulnerable to, and he is frustrated that none of these knights take advantage of those opportunities.  Suddenly he is overwhelmed with how much he misses sparring with his father, or reading with his mother, or just enjoying the peace of the wilderness.  He has been so busy with his new life his old one now seems years in the past.

That night, and for several nights to follow, Urvan is able to visit Leila quietly by scooting into the crawlspace.  He is able to widen the hole enough to get his head and one arm through, though it cuts into his neck rather painfully.  He gives her treats and pets her.  She, in return, licks his face which is trapped from even leaning away.

After four nights of this routine, Urvan stops at the campfire with another bottle for his friends.  As he approaches the kennel, he can see light shining through the cracks in the shutters, enough that several lamps must be burning inside.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:22, Thu 14 July 2022.

After Urvan had spotted what he hoped was the first hints of Leila's birth, a little thrill of excitement ran through him

He elected to retreat a little and to mount the perimeter wall to perhaps overhear what was going on.

Do you mean that you are climbing up on the wall right there next to the kennel?  This is a difficult but not impossible climb (DC 20).  Or are you going to one of the towers where there are steps up, but you might have to convince one of the guards patrolling to let you up?  You could try bluff, diplomacy, or stealth to get past.  None of these will be terribly difficult rolls, since they aren't on their guard towards the compound.

Let's go with trying to sneak into the wall with the guards attention mostly focused outward.

11:37, Today: Urvan Kron rolled 13 using 1d20+7.  Stealth: Sneak on wall.

12:40, Today: Zag, for the NPC Guard, rolled 3 using 1d20-2.  Perception with -5 penalty

Urvan walks over to one of the towers and sees the guard dutifully watching outwards.  He thinks that it is one of the guards that he recognizes, but without a good look at the man's face he isn't sure.  Urvan decides just to slip past the man, which he does with no difficulty.

Perched on the wall just above the kennel, he realizes that the wind is a little stronger now that the wall no longer protects him, so he can't hear anything going on inside the kennel.  However the kennel's shutters do not seem to come quite to the top of the window, so this perch is perfect for getting a view into the building.  As he had hoped, he can see that the woman and the boy are standing next to Leila's cage where Leila is aggressively licking a brown wet blob that is certainly a puppy, and there are at least two more -- probably three or four -- lying next to her.

With a glance this way and that, Urvan got down on his belly and crept forward until he could see down I to the kennel below.

With the wind tugging at his hair, he smiled as he saw that his suspicions we're right and that Leila had given birth to her litter of pups.

He watched for a few minutes, not wanting to risk being come upon by a guard, and resolved to rest a little now and to return later when the commotion had died down.

Urvan heads back to the pages' dorm to catch a few hours, drinking enough water to wake himself up just before dawn.  Slipping back out there, he sees that the lights are still on, so there isn't really any opportunity to interact with the animals.  He heads back to bed.

When he finally wakes up, he gets dressed and goes to put on his sandals, and he finds a tiny roll of paper tucked into the buckle.  It reads, Find something to be busy at between stables and kennel just after lunch.

Eager for whatever Iwo has planned, Urvan grabs a quick lunch and then heads out towards the kennel.  Just outside the stables is a fancy carriage trimmed in red and yellow.  One man in Lexagonal livery, the same red and yellow, is sitting in the seat and another is standing by the harness, obviously preparing it for horses that will soon be emerging.

Urvan, eager for what promised to be an exciting day, planned ahead and set about returning a set of bits and bridles that he had taken earlier in the day.

With one hand full of equestrian accessories, he turned the corner to behold the stunning carriage parked just outside.

The young man slowed, not quite sure what to make of the carriage and the driver, so he approached slowly as to not disturb whatever was going on, but still clearly intent on returning the equipment.

Urvan brings the equipment into the tack room where he "borrowed" it from earlier.  He can't quite see the kennel door from inside the tack room, so he hurriedly puts a couple of things away, then peeks out to watch open area near the kennels, then puts another few items away.  Once he is done, he heads out following a groomsman leading a beautiful, jet black carriage horse.  He stands to the side to admire the magnificent animal and to watch the process of attaching the harness.  After another minute, the groomsman brings out a second horse, nearly a twin of the first, and the liveried man starts attaching this one, as well.

Just then, Iwo Behyd steps out of the kennel entrance.  He calls out, pointing at Urvan, "You there, page boy."  He turns back into the kennel without even giving instructions, since anyone calling a page boy just assumes they will come running when called.  Urvan runs and opens the kennel door, his heart racing.  As usual, the dogs start their raucous barking when anyone enters.  Inside the kennel are Iwo and Lady Stilwell, of course.  However Urvan is surprised to see not only Davin Chesterson, the Lord Regent, but also Queen Shenea herself!  He has seen her several times, but never so close.  He kneels as he has been taught, then rises and stands to the side.

Obviously, he has entered into some conversation.  No one even acknowledges his presence, so he stands off to the side, as if waiting for a message to be prepared.

"No," says Lady Stilwell, "this is not a fair wager.  I'm sure you have some trick prepared, Iwo.  You've probably been sneaking in here visiting the hounds until they are familiar with your scent."

Iwo makes a show of mock outrage.  "I am hurt -- deeply hurt -- that you think I would pull such a trick on you.  I say that these hounds have been too coddled, that they will let anyone approach them."  He pauses, then sighs, "Fine.  If you say I'm not a fair test, we'll find another.  This page, here -- he can do it."  He turns to Urvan, "Boy, what is your name?"

Urvan is a little startled to be suddenly the focus of attention when he was wondering if they had forgotten him.  "Urvan, sir."  Remembering his earlier mistake, he completes, "Urvan of Tamecia, my lord."

"Very good, Urvan.  Do you like dogs, boy?  And are you a brave lad?"

Urvan, being a somewhat introverted and reclusive young man, was on the verge of being overawed by being in the presence of such August personages as Queen Shenea herself and members of her entourage.

Somewhat shyly, he approached at Iwo's behest after having knelt and given his supplication, obviously uncertain as to why he was being brought forth and what might be asked of him.

The nature of his ruse soon became more clear, and after a glance to the floor and feeling very exposed, he nodded modestly.

"Yes my lord, I do like dogs very much." he answered quitely, and honestly, and then after a moment. "As brave as the next boy I suppose, sir " he answered somewhat laconically.

"Very good, very good," says Iwo Beyhd.  "What I want you to do is to approach this dog and stroke her gently to calm her.  Then, very slowly, take one of the pups and bring it out here.  If she tries to bite at you, then the Lady Stillwell will win the wager.  You don't have to actually let her bite you, you can pull away before that happens."

The queen speaks up, "Wait.  What is in it for the boy?"  She looks at him carefully, "You said you are from Tamecia, so you must be ..." she pauses, working through a mnemonic of some sort, "Brogovan's son, yes?"  She considers, barely waiting for Urvan's nod.  "So you're a Spartan, then, of the warrior caste.  If you succeed at this, it will show that you are blessed by Apollo, and you deserve to have one of these war hounds by your side.  Will you accept that as your reward for this deed?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:31, Thu 21 July 2022.

Urvan was struck by the notion that somehow, likely through days if not weeks of preparation, he had some how worked his way into a position to where the Queen herself was willing to give away such a valuable animal to a boy that he didn't even know.

That's not to say that he was not grateful, he was thrilled by just the chance, and in being in the presence of her Majesty, but the plans within plans, the complexity of it all was something that he felt that he could only barely grasp at. Now he was just a player in Iwo's game, but some day? who knew?

He tried to keep the excitement out of his voice, to maintain some degree of stocism, but it was difficult. He squared his shoulders a little and raised his head about an inch or so before he nodded. "I would your Magesty, and gratefully, if I manage the task."

Even after his many visits to Leila, she was still a huge and dangerous animal. With vulnerable pups nuzzling blindly at her teats, would she still tolerate him? Much less allow him to take one of the pups from her side?

They were about to find out.

After the Queens indication, and with a glance to Iwo, he turned and approached the huge hound slowly, and offered her his hand to smell. Despite his best efforts it was trembling very slightly.

Then, when she seemed to grow bored of his overtures, he cautiously worked his way around, knelt down, and wrapped his hands around the middle of the largest pup before he gently began to pull it away.

As Urvan approaches the dog, she stares at him and her tail begins to thump furiously.  He puts his hands through the bars of the cage and she starts to lick his hand, searching for the treat.  Iwo chuckles and Queen Shenea gasps, "You are indeed favored of Apollo.  This hound greets you as a beloved master."

Urvan realizes that he had planned poorly, as it is a tight fit to get the pup out through the bars.  He shifts the thing so it is resting in along his hand, and he carefully draws out his arm.  Bringing the animal out carefully, he again cradles it in both hands, flipping it over to see the tiny bit of umbilical cord and to check its gender.  (This is your choice.)  Presenting it to Queen Shenea, he proudly announces the dog's name.

Urvan turned the pup over in his arm and saw that it was male, it's bare pinkish belly already swollen with milk.

Like most of its breed, it was a tan color with white markings about the chest and feet, but aside from being bigger than its siblings, it's fur seemed a little longer, and was matted to it's body by the birth and it's mothers tongue.

The fur, hung lank and wet about the muzzle and like a beard, made him think of an illustration he had seen in one of his mother's books, a personification of the seasons and the Gods that ruled over each portion of the year.

Holding the hefty pup up to the Queen as it thrashed and whined, his satisfaction was evident in his eyes, even if his expression remained serious.

Urvan knew then what he would call the pup.

"With your blessing your Majesty, I shall name him Boreas." He suggested as he averted his eyes, and then presented the animal for her inspection.