The Missing Money and The Hidden Shack

Chapter 12: Olvir loses his cool with the elusive Morter

Previously on “Olvir, the Forgotten’: Olvir got lucky and dealt with an octopoid monstrosity without trouble in his first delve. He recovered the missing ancient heirloom, but it was too late to save Ezekial’s father.

Olvir decided to return to Damula to deliver his mixed news to Ezekial.

[UNDERTAKE A JOURNEY: Weak Hit] Along the way, he suddenly feels hungry and thirsty, so he stops for refreshment. [Supply -1]

[UNDERTAKE A JOURNEY: Weak Hit] Further along the path, he becomes aware of a wound to his leg. He stops to patch himself up [Supply -1]

Olvir arrives in Damula [REACH YOUR DESTINATION: Strong Hit]. He goes to The Iron Hearth to talk with Ezekial. Olvir hands over the ring and shares that, sadly, his father is dead. [GATHER INFORMATION: Strong Hit] He demands the information about Morter from the crestfallen Ironlander.

Roll on [MEANING TABLE= Change + Home] Ezekial says Morter will not be in Lostbrook, as that’s exactly where he’d expect you to look. But he knows that Morter owns a small hunting shack in the forest close to the village. He would wager his family ring that Morter and the missing money will be hiding out there.

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The Iron Hearth was quieter than usual, with hushed murmurs carrying an undercurrent of unease. Olvir stepped inside, scanning the room until he found Ezekiel hunched over a tankard of mead.

Olvir strode toward him without hesitation and placed the ring on the worn wooden table between them. “Your father found it,” he said, his voice firm but respectful. “But he didn’t make it out.”

Ezekiel’s fingers trembled as he reached for the heirloom, turning it over in his hands as if seeking the meaning buried within its worn edges. The grief in his expression was subtle, layered beneath a hardened resolve, yet Olvir recognised loss when he saw it. “Damn fools,” Ezekiel muttered under his breath. “All of them.”

The moment lingered before Olvir spoke again, his tone edged with purpose. “You promised me information on Morter.”

Ezekiel inhaled sharply, shaking his head as if trying to steady himself. “Morter won’t be in Lostbrook,” he admitted. “He’s smart enough to know that’s where you’d look first.” He set the ring down carefully, then leaned in, his voice low. “But I know this—he owns a small hunting shack in the forest nearby. If I had to wager my family’s ring, I’d say that’s where he’s holed up with your missing money.”

Olvir nodded once, absorbing the details. The forest would add layers of difficulty—tracking Morter and dealing with any surprises he had prepared—but it was a lead. A solid one.

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Does Ezekial know exactly where the shack is located? [FATE ROLL: Likely] Yes. [ORACLE ROLL*] It’s near “a waterlogged quarry where some boats are abandoned on the shore.”

Oliver decides to wait until morning to set out, as it is now evening. [RESUPPLY: Strong Hit] +2 supply (making it the maximum five). [HEAL] Strong Hit +2 Health (to max. five]

He wonders if it is time to [FORGE A BOND] with this town. [MISS] The town requires more from Olvir, notably recovering the missing money.

Olvir rests the night and sets off the next day to find the shack.

Is the journey uneventful (Likely) Yes. Is the shack exactly where Ezekial said [Likely] No

[MEANING TABLE: Eliminate + Mysticism] There is some mystical reason why Olive cannot locate the shack. [GATHER INFORMATION with ASSET: Sway]

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Olvir stands at the edge of the forest, narrows his eyes, and speaks Morter’s name three times. Then he hears the words, “Burnt Oak.” He looks around and discovers a burnt stump of what was once a mighty oak tree. He sends his raven, Ashencry, to circle from that point, and the raven shows a keen interest in a clump of forest to the west.

As Olvir carefully and stealthily moves to the West, he notices that part of the forest is shrouded in mist. Picking his way carefully through the mist and trees, to his surprise, he stumbles upon a wooden shack that is barely observable from any distance.

Is this the place? [FATE ROLL: Likely] Yes

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The mist curled thick and restless around Olvir as he stepped forward, his breath measured and his senses taut. The eerie silence of the forest felt heavier here, as if it carried the weight of something unseen. Ashencry circled overhead, his keen eyes locked on a dense knot of trees to the west, his cries short and deliberate—a signal.

Then he saw it.

Barely visible through the shifting fog stood a wooden shack, its dark frame swallowed by the shadows of the forest. Time had worn its edges, and its structure sagged slightly beneath age and neglect, but it remained intact—hidden so expertly that one might have walked past without ever knowing it was there.

Olvir narrowed his gaze and adjusted his grip on his pack. This had to be the place. The signs had led him here—the burnt oak, the whisper in the air, Ashencry’s insistent flight pattern. Before him, the shack stood as if it had always been waiting.

Morter was close. The stolen coin, the deception—answers lay beyond that threshold.

Steeling himself, Olvir glanced at Ashencry before pressing forward, moving through the mist like a shadow.

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Frustrated by being messed around, Olvir marches across, puts his shoulder to the door, and bursts into the shack, where a frightened-looking Morter cowers behind a small wooden table.

“Pleased to see me?” shouts Olvir, before bringing his fist down onto the table with a thump. “No more excuses, no more diversions….I’ll take the money NOW”

Does Morter have it? [FATE ROLL: Likely] Yes, he does, and he sheepishly hands it to Olvir.

Olvir considers his next move. He decides to still help Lostbrook with its barbarian problem, but will tell the Overseer about Morter’s theft and deception. The Overseer will deal with Morter as he sees fit.

Olvir returns to Damula and hands the Iron Hearth owner his stolen money. Bragga is now cleared to return to his position as bar manager.

[FULFIL A VOW] Strong Hit. +2 experience.

Olvir decides to try to [FORGE A BOND] with Damula. [MISS] They want still more from him. Frustrated and disappointed, Olvir decides this town has nothing more for him, and, cursing under his breath, leaves to make his way to Lostbrook.

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Olvir’s grip tightened around the iron pendant at his chest as he stepped out of The Iron Hearth, his jaw clenched in frustration. The stolen money had been returned, Bregga reinstated, yet the town of Damula remained unmoved. Their distrust lingered, woven into the fabric of their stubborn settlement like the salt in the wind.

He had done his part. He had untangled their problems and followed through on his promises. And still, they demanded more. More proof. More effort. More of him.

Olvir exhaled sharply, muttering a curse under his breath as he adjusted his pack. He would offer them nothing more. Damula had proven itself a place of wary hearts and fickle trust, and he had no patience left for their games.

The road stretched ahead, guiding him away from the ungrateful town and toward Lostbrook. There, new challenges awaited—those that did not require endless compromise.

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NOTES

1. The Oracle roll marked with * was made via “Hill Encounters Random Tables” from Drive Thru RPG.

2. Having “Fulfilled a Vow” by delving into the underground crypt and receiving the ancient ring (Formidable + 2xp) and then getting the money from Morter (Troublesome +1xp), I have three experience points to spend! After spending a fair amount of time staring at the Asset Cards, I decided to upgrade 3 of my Asset Cards (Cut Throat, Sway, and Trickster) to the second level of those cards. I was tempted by a few new assets but decided to “double down” on my existing Assets for the time being.
   
   EDIT Thanks to Oathbound Soliloquy for pointing out that I actually need 2xp to upgrade an Asset, rather than the one I somehow believed. So disregard that last paragraph —back to the drawing board for making this upgrade!