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Peek: Olander's Field Notes
🕑 Added 2024-09-08 23:48:38 +0000 UTCIn the finest suite in the finest inn in Fourdock sits a desk. Atop that desk, and strewn about other nearby surfaces like the window sill and floor, lay the field notes of the Crown Inspector, who sits in the eye of the storm. Where some prefer voice notes, or taking notes while actually in the field, Olander Wideblade has his own method. From the outside, it looks like madness, as he tends to be rather quiet on an inspection, before returning to his room to write out pages of notes to organize later.
When he was starting out as an inspector, he had dozens of wax tablets to hold his temporary notes, before he'd organize them coherently for his reports. Sometimes he still uses them, but his latest assignment has him making more notes than would allow tablets to fit in his room, and so paper it is.
It's good to have funding from the Crown.
At the center of the chaotic mess is the booklet from the local branch of the Dungeoneers, which is not free from his rampage of ink and charcoal. Hardly a line in the book has escaped his curiosity, with words crammed onto the page to voice it, or numbered notes leading somewhere in the dense forest of paper slowly consuming his suite.
Even the name of the dungeon, Thedeim, has a page of notes, trying to figure out where it could have come from. It did not slip his notice that the dungeon itself chose the name, so it must have some importance, if only he could discover it.
And that's only the first of the oddities of Thedeim. With how his spawners are specialized, he would have pegged the dungeon as a toybox, but he hasn't been able to find a single delver who hasn't had to fight denizens to get anywhere interesting in the dungeon! The only exception seems to be for those visiting the enclaves, and even then the dwellers specifically escort guests to and from the enclave.
The fights are never deadly, a fact that has a whole stack of notes devoted to it, yet are also rarely trivial. What trivial fights are had simply seem to be to gauge how tough a particular delver or group is. There are rumors of Grim making appearances outside the graveyard shortly before some encounters and somehow warding away some unfortunate accident, but little in the way of details. The closest would be the encounter with a tunnel horror, but he's already spent enough time agonizing over that particular report.
All he's been able to glean is the grudging acceptance that trying to fight Grim would, at best, be an exorcise in futility. If the skeletal scion is really powerful enough to subtly weave life, death, and fate affinities so as to make everyone question if he's even doing anything, he's powerful enough that Olander should leave it be. He's confident he could win, but why even try when all he would do is likely upset the dungeon?
Especially since there's another undead scion that seems ready, willing, and able to give him a fight. He had skipped the section on this Rocky the first time, but after hearing everyone talk the shambling corpse up, he took a closer look. What he read was a good reminder to not let his ego get ahead of himself. If the report is accurate, he would have had his rear handed to him if he approached a fight with Rocky like any other zombie scion.
Probably if he tried to treat him like a lich, too. He's heard of elemental unarmed fighters from lands across the sea, but never had the chance to face one. From what he's reading, Rocky could teach them a thing or two, and it makes him wonder just how he should prepare for their upcoming match.
He hasn't yet accepted the quest officially, but it's a foregone conclusion at this point. The adventurers like to argue about if Rocky or Fluffles are the stronger scion, and considering Fluffles is the Conduit, the argument should be settled. Yet the adventurers are pretty evenly split. Olander has faced a few conduits, so he understands the raw power they wield, yet the primary argument in Rocky's favor is his control and raw combat capability.
The prospect is enough to drive Olander to distraction, itching to just go down there and throw down the gauntlet. But he should keep his cover, and he really should try to organize this mess into a preliminary report for the Crown. Despite all the questions Thedeim himself poses, he's also a very clear answer to the question of Fourdock's taxes last year. The town is in a boom, and by all appearances, it's only getting started.
Forget simple funding for improved roads. The Crown should dust off the old sea routes and see if they're still viable. The locals are convinced the sea is going to be truly open to them once more. If the Crown helps, not only can they bet on a lot of good will, but a lot of tariffs. The King looks at a profitable and stable town a lot like Olander looks at a good fight: something to be cherished and encouraged at all reasonable cost.
Comments
Jerry A
Tftp. I wonder if he will even be able to gleam half of what TDM is about, and what fun misconceptions he will draw. :)
Ethan Barrow
Great Peek!! I'm glad he's begun to really recognize Thedeim's impact.
Ben Bass
Thank you for the Peek! I love the peek into how Olander does his work and how his mind works - how he is incredibly observant, and will just get all of his thoughts out of his head and then go collate and edit them, it really brings more realism and a personality to the character. That and his dilemma of when to challenge Rocky, the If is a forgone conclusion it seems. Can’t wait to see how that plays out!
TechNinjaSigma
I like how every Inspector seems to have their own methods for taking notes and making reports; really builds up the characters
mly85lc
Well even in IR "normal bows" be theyry "straight bows" or "recurve bows" on "warbow" category can have draw weight form 110 to 185 ponds. where modern day Olympic archery company bow is around 40 to 45 pound draw. Sure there more days hunting bows that go up to 100 pounds and beyond in draw weight. And theyry are (usally) smaller than theyry medieval counterparts. And while adventurers and ohter professionals going underground or ohter tight pace will found them usefully that hardly a ground breaking new invention it inself... well so long enchanting or available material don't change it effervescent too mutch.
rawrfish1
Waiting for the orlander rocky fight that is a chapter in it if it’s self
mly85lc
Come to think of it.. A standard boxing ring is between 16 and 24 feet (4.9 and 7.3 m) to a side between the ropes with another 2 feet (0.61 m) outside. Where normal polearms are about a 5-to-6-foot-long (1.5 to 1.8 m) long so normal boxing ring might be too smal to use polearms... mayde ×4 it?
mly85lc
Mayde instead on Rockys training ring. MC should build custom stadium on one of crypt areas?
mly85lc
Though they're should decision about amounts of moster, times and paybacks. Plus the loan monster should not become a crusts for dungeon proving them.
mly85lc
So all this inception brings mind questions: can [dungeon alliances] share/loan theyry mods for quest on ohter dungeon and still get mana form it? Say if MC loads his [healing slims] for Souht Woods? Seeing he's main "clients" are nomadic orc tribe's having escorted quest trought he's areas. Some small task whit beard and fox alongside some wolf doing harassment and trying separate they does main party. Slime there to proctet them form permanent incurred and giving "safe locations" to reach. Of course if they're perished on trail we'll death is part of the deal
Aerowarrier
On one hand, I’m a bit sad that we won’t get to see his gut reaction to Rocky practically dancing on his feet when they get down there, but on the other hand it’ll be such a better fight with Olander as prepared as he can be. I’m kinda hoping we get it from Rocky’s view honestly
Timo Immig
Does he know about the shortcut to the Southwood? Allowing People to efficiently transport people and Cargo.
AssumedPseudonym
I like the reasoning behind that, and the *only* reason I’m not buying that is that the ODA would have used the official name for them in their material. As prevalent as “scythemaw” may or may not be in Fourdock usage, it’s still not what Telar would have used, and therefore not what Olander would have used.
Durphymcbob
Giant pool for the quartermaster and the firstmate to rest in as well as some merfolk connected by a shortcut for some vip seating
Black Esper
There needs to be more advertising 😀 Is Teemo going to be the commentator? Violet, the Southwood and Hullbreak need time to send their scions as VIP Guests.
Lord-Siver
that last comment makes clear how olander will probably stay as he will have some really good fights with Rocky
Herakilla
Thanks for the peek! The excitement continues to build!
Demonlord
Thanks for the amazing peek 😊 Can't wait for the chapter and the delving of Thediem
Anthony Felscher
TFTC! This fight is gonna be good.
Speedsaber
So fighting thediems skeleton boss would lead to a GRIM outcome
Vorquel
Thedeim spread the name pretty effectively in fourdock. He could easily be using the language of his information package.
87894354
Somewhat mentioned in 166 and 167. It's not until Chapter 177 when we see someone (Yvonne) actually using one, and we get a proper discussion on them. Afterwards we get only brief mentions of them - some of his dwellers are equiped with them for the war against the Maw.
Typhoonator
Can't wait for tomorrow
Zachary Key
And I'm sure that the king will stand out of Thediem's way and do all of the grunt work for getting things approved for whatever reason. That all being after the king realizes just how valuable Thediem will actually be!
Brandon C
Olander is definitely taking these inspection notes at face value now! Guess his time with Berdol made him realize that the notes weren’t exaggerated. And that Fluffles got a storm affinity with several witnesses!
Staples01
Wait, what chapter was compound bows??
Zachary Key
Nah, it said it was based off of the info from the adventures and from the booklet as there were pages numbered to correspond with the booklet.
Kebbitevoke -
In due time, I want to see the Kings response to Olanders outlandish notes of Thedium.
Andyr98
It's been so long since I have read that chapter I forgot his name was really the dm
Tyler Morrissette
TYFTP can't wait for the next chapter tomorrow night, just wish I didn't have to wait for 10pm to see it
87894354
This is before he's seen the compound bows, an invention that's going to get the attention of pretty much every archer in world. And considering that this is a fantasy setting... that's a lot of people.
chris Bell
So does that mean he has done a inspection or seems more like his notes are based on the guide book and what information he has gotten from the locals
Geoff Urland
The crown is well on its way to becoming an ally. The DM scratches the King's back....and the King provides delvers and roads and favorable enclave tariffs?
Jacob
shorter one but i love it. i have to admit to a maniacal chuckle when i finished reading it. im hyped for this delve. adn for the fight. i think that a cover of "we will rock you" would be most appropriate as an entrance song for rocky.
Stickboy172
Honey would probably buzz up a storm if she saw his notes explosion.
AssumedPseudonym
He is starting to realize, heh. …Also, point of order, would he call them “scythemaws”?
