Val looks at his cousin, shrugs, and takes a hesitant bite. He'll give it two or three quick chews, pause to see if the taste is weird in any way, and then spit it out if so. If not, he'll keep eating the piece that is already in his mouth.
Val, the apple tastes like an apple. It doesn't taste any different than any other apple you've had recently. The apples that grow here are different than the apples that grow in southern Faerun, so you can't compare the taste to what you knew growing up, but you don't get a sense that the taste is bad. Evy can see from your face that you aren't picking up anything out of the ordinary.
The door opens and the man re-enters the store. Following him is a younger version of him — Jud, you assume. He is just as tall, but not as broad in chest or shoulder. He has thicker hair on his head and a patchy bit of hair growing on his upper lip. The middle-aged man puts a hand on Jud's back and encourages him toward the cousins. "Jud, these two are here to ask you about the creature. They're hunting it. They want to help."
Jud doesn't resist being ushered forward, but he doesn't look either tiefling in the eye.
Evy smiles at the boy. “Hello Jud. I’m Evy, and this Val. We’re going to see this monster doesn’t hurt anyone else. But to do that, we need to know everything about it. You can help us by telling us what happened to you.”
Val watches his cousin work her magic and continues to munch on his apple. He raises the partially eaten fruit, as well as his eyebrows, to let the store owner know he is enjoying the snack.
Jud hesitantly looks up at Evy before looking away again and shrugging. "I didn't really see what happened," he says, partially mumbling, partially grumbling. Is he angry? He sighs. "I was supposed to meet Terrin, but was late because —" He pauses, and his eyes flick toward his dad and then back at the floor. "Anyway, I was almost there when I heard the creature — not that I knew that's what it was. But then I heard Terrin screaming. I didn't know it was Terrin. I had never heard anyone make that kind of noise before. It was horrible. I stopped in my tracks, and then I heard things breaking. Terrin's voice got all ... gurgle-y. Like he was drowning. All the while, there was this crunching and breaking and hissing noise. It sounded like some kind of massive swarm. I was terrified, but I couldn't stop myself. I slowly moved around the building that separated me from whatever was going on. That's when the noises mostly stopped. As I slowly approached, I started to see all the blood. And ... a hand. And all the broken crates and other stuff. I finally moved all the way around, and I saw the creature moving away from the market back toward the trees. It was just sauntering away like nothing had just happened. I looked around, and it was weird, because no one else was there. Nobody!" His sudden burst of emotion and energy is very jarring. His glaring eyes and balled-up fists relax as his father wordlessly puts his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Brave of you, boy, to sneak a peek." Val tries a hand at encouragement. "Grab a blade instead of an apple in your hand and start practicing. A few years from now, perhaps they'll be coming to you for help with monstrosities like this instead of us."
-> If Evy is about to try a CHA-based roll, maybe this could count as a help action?
Evy glances up at the father from where she has crouched in front of the boy. She looks at Val as he speaks, then back at Jud.
”That was very brave, Jud. And I’m sure it has to have been terrifying. Thank you for telling us about it. Did you find out where the others had gone? If it was the market, shouldn’t there have been a lot of people there? Can you, or maybe your da, take us there?”
(OOC > Not sure what I’d roll, maybe Evy can Help Val instead, if he has an idea?)
"We can take you there," the father says, giving Jud a nod.
"Bunch of cowards," Jud grumbles.
"Now, Jud, it was unfortunate, but we're townsfolk," the man continues. "It makes sense that if there's a huge creature nearby that people would hide."
Jud shrugs one shoulder. "I guess."
The father and son lead you a couple of streets over. The father explains that things have been cleaned up in the time since the attack happened, so he isn't sure what you might find. They lead you to a fairly wide alley between two buildings. It looks like it's used as a sort of trash area where empty crates and barrels are put until they can be disposed of properly.
Jud motions with his chin. "He was waiting here for me."
You can see that it is an unimpeded accessway from the market to the forest with just about 50 or 60 feet of field between.
"Brave Jud, please tell." Val adds a question of his own: "Can you think of any reason why this monster would come into the market and attack your friend specifically? Anything special or unique about your friend, besides him being your best friend, that is?"
Jud nods after Evy asks her question. In response to Val calling him "brave", the young man scowls.
"Can you think of any reason why this monster would come into the market and attack your friend specifically? Anything special or unique about your friend, besides him being your best friend, that is?"
Jud shrugs. "Not that I know of. I've heard that the creature has attacked others. Other random people."
"I heard it attacked the castle," Jud's father adds brightly. "Do you think it's looking for something?"
"That's what we are trying to deduce before going looking for it." Val answers the father's question. "So far, the best lead we have is your comment about the apple orchard."
Val looks at Evy, waiting to see if she has more questions for the boy. Despite his attempt at commiserating, it is his cousin's touch which seems to be doing the trick.
Evy frowns as she considers. "I think we should take a look at this orchard. This creature's pattern still seems random... unless it likes apples, I guess." She kneels down in front of Jud, so she can look up at him (he's not little-kid-short, right?). "Jud, thank you for helping us." She smiles sweetly at him, mostly because that's her nature. "Hopefully we'll come back with good news, and you can feel safer and start to move along from this sadness and anger."
Then she stands up and looks expectantly at Val, her hand firmly on her magical dagger. "Shall we, cousin?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Before Evy turns to him, Val pops in a last minute question: "Do any of you know of anyone else, in this village or elsewhere, who might have seen this beast and survived to tell the tale?"
Regardless of the answer, once Evy turns to Val, he answers: "Yep, let us go."
Jud's father says there's a farm not far from the village where the thessalhydra killed two — an old man and his grown son. He tells you it's on the way to the orchard, which is almost to that edge of the mountains that hedge in the land.
Jud doesn't so much thank the cousins as look relieved when they say they are moving on. His father lays a hand on his shoulder and escorts him back toward the grocery.
Along the way, the cousins come upon a elf in soiled clerical robes attempting to repair his wagon. "This old thing has been giving me trouble for months," the elf smiles apologetically. He gives Val an appraising look. "Would you be willing to lend me your strength? If I can reattach this axle, it will get me to the next village where I promise," he says, placing one palm over the emblem hanging around his neck and raising the other up beside his pointed ear, "I will sell this junker for whatever I can get and buy a good saddle for my mule."
Val thanks the father for the directions and begins walking. He doesn't fully understand what the kid is growing through and, in a misplaced emotional response, is feeling a bit annoyed by the tyke.
On the road, Val considers ignoring the cleric but decides against it. "I care not what you do with your mule." he says while walking towards the cart. "What god has sent us to you in your hour of need?"
Val places his hands under the cart but waits for an answer before doing any lifting.
OOC: I had to double check Val's alignment for this one.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Evy, always aware of their appearance, meets the cleric cautiously, though she is trusting her dagger to warn her of danger. She tries to get a glance at the religious symbol before it is covered up, or after. (Religion: 16) Still, she gamely launches into charismatic mode. "Good day! Of course Val will help, won't you, cousin. What brings you out this way? An elf on the road alone is not a common sight. And," she leans over to check the mule. "What is his/her name?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
The elf gives a little head nod. As far as Evy can tell, he shows no aversion to their heritage. "I am a Goldeye," he says, smiling. "I follow the Golden Lady, Waukeen." He puts a hand behind his amulet, raising it a little from his chest. Evy immediately recognizes it as the symbol of Waukeen, the goddess of shopkeepers, merchants, security guards ... and smugglers. Evy knows that Goldeyes and Waukeen's other worshipers travel the trade routes aiding merchants and caravans or worked in the opulent temples as hosts for wealthy donors, moneylenders, etc. This road is too small to be considered a trade route, but perhaps the elf is on an errand or just passing through. "I travel the road to — ironically — lend aid where I can. And this is Mokiss," the Goldeye says of the mule. The animal continues tearing up grass and munching benignly. The elf moves over to the front of the cart and appears ready to do something as soon as Val lifts.
OOC: I, too, enjoy apples.
Val looks at his cousin, shrugs, and takes a hesitant bite. He'll give it two or three quick chews, pause to see if the taste is weird in any way, and then spit it out if so. If not, he'll keep eating the piece that is already in his mouth.
Val, the apple tastes like an apple. It doesn't taste any different than any other apple you've had recently. The apples that grow here are different than the apples that grow in southern Faerun, so you can't compare the taste to what you knew growing up, but you don't get a sense that the taste is bad. Evy can see from your face that you aren't picking up anything out of the ordinary.
The door opens and the man re-enters the store. Following him is a younger version of him — Jud, you assume. He is just as tall, but not as broad in chest or shoulder. He has thicker hair on his head and a patchy bit of hair growing on his upper lip. The middle-aged man puts a hand on Jud's back and encourages him toward the cousins. "Jud, these two are here to ask you about the creature. They're hunting it. They want to help."
Jud doesn't resist being ushered forward, but he doesn't look either tiefling in the eye.
Evy smiles at the boy. “Hello Jud. I’m Evy, and this Val. We’re going to see this monster doesn’t hurt anyone else. But to do that, we need to know everything about it. You can help us by telling us what happened to you.”
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Val watches his cousin work her magic and continues to munch on his apple. He raises the partially eaten fruit, as well as his eyebrows, to let the store owner know he is enjoying the snack.
Jud hesitantly looks up at Evy before looking away again and shrugging. "I didn't really see what happened," he says, partially mumbling, partially grumbling. Is he angry? He sighs. "I was supposed to meet Terrin, but was late because —" He pauses, and his eyes flick toward his dad and then back at the floor. "Anyway, I was almost there when I heard the creature — not that I knew that's what it was. But then I heard Terrin screaming. I didn't know it was Terrin. I had never heard anyone make that kind of noise before. It was horrible. I stopped in my tracks, and then I heard things breaking. Terrin's voice got all ... gurgle-y. Like he was drowning. All the while, there was this crunching and breaking and hissing noise. It sounded like some kind of massive swarm. I was terrified, but I couldn't stop myself. I slowly moved around the building that separated me from whatever was going on. That's when the noises mostly stopped. As I slowly approached, I started to see all the blood. And ... a hand. And all the broken crates and other stuff. I finally moved all the way around, and I saw the creature moving away from the market back toward the trees. It was just sauntering away like nothing had just happened. I looked around, and it was weird, because no one else was there. Nobody!" His sudden burst of emotion and energy is very jarring. His glaring eyes and balled-up fists relax as his father wordlessly puts his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Brave of you, boy, to sneak a peek." Val tries a hand at encouragement. "Grab a blade instead of an apple in your hand and start practicing. A few years from now, perhaps they'll be coming to you for help with monstrosities like this instead of us."
-> If Evy is about to try a CHA-based roll, maybe this could count as a help action?
Evy glances up at the father from where she has crouched in front of the boy. She looks at Val as he speaks, then back at Jud.
”That was very brave, Jud. And I’m sure it has to have been terrifying. Thank you for telling us about it. Did you find out where the others had gone? If it was the market, shouldn’t there have been a lot of people there? Can you, or maybe your da, take us there?”
(OOC > Not sure what I’d roll, maybe Evy can Help Val instead, if he has an idea?)
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
OOC: I feel like that last question from Evy there could be accompanied by a persuasion check, if you want to try...
OOC > An excellent idea!
Evy and Val work their cousin charm on the man and his son to get them to take us to the scene of Terrin's death. Persuasion with Help: 26
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
"We can take you there," the father says, giving Jud a nod.
"Bunch of cowards," Jud grumbles.
"Now, Jud, it was unfortunate, but we're townsfolk," the man continues. "It makes sense that if there's a huge creature nearby that people would hide."
Jud shrugs one shoulder. "I guess."
The father and son lead you a couple of streets over. The father explains that things have been cleaned up in the time since the attack happened, so he isn't sure what you might find. They lead you to a fairly wide alley between two buildings. It looks like it's used as a sort of trash area where empty crates and barrels are put until they can be disposed of properly.
Jud motions with his chin. "He was waiting here for me."
You can see that it is an unimpeded accessway from the market to the forest with just about 50 or 60 feet of field between.
”And when it left, it went that way?” Evy points in the direction of the forest.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
"Brave Jud, please tell." Val adds a question of his own: "Can you think of any reason why this monster would come into the market and attack your friend specifically? Anything special or unique about your friend, besides him being your best friend, that is?"
Jud nods after Evy asks her question. In response to Val calling him "brave", the young man scowls.
"Can you think of any reason why this monster would come into the market and attack your friend specifically? Anything special or unique about your friend, besides him being your best friend, that is?"
Jud shrugs. "Not that I know of. I've heard that the creature has attacked others. Other random people."
"I heard it attacked the castle," Jud's father adds brightly. "Do you think it's looking for something?"
"That's what we are trying to deduce before going looking for it." Val answers the father's question. "So far, the best lead we have is your comment about the apple orchard."
Val looks at Evy, waiting to see if she has more questions for the boy. Despite his attempt at commiserating, it is his cousin's touch which seems to be doing the trick.
Evy frowns as she considers. "I think we should take a look at this orchard. This creature's pattern still seems random... unless it likes apples, I guess." She kneels down in front of Jud, so she can look up at him (he's not little-kid-short, right?). "Jud, thank you for helping us." She smiles sweetly at him, mostly because that's her nature. "Hopefully we'll come back with good news, and you can feel safer and start to move along from this sadness and anger."
Then she stands up and looks expectantly at Val, her hand firmly on her magical dagger. "Shall we, cousin?"
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
Before Evy turns to him, Val pops in a last minute question: "Do any of you know of anyone else, in this village or elsewhere, who might have seen this beast and survived to tell the tale?"
Regardless of the answer, once Evy turns to Val, he answers: "Yep, let us go."
Jud's father says there's a farm not far from the village where the thessalhydra killed two — an old man and his grown son. He tells you it's on the way to the orchard, which is almost to that edge of the mountains that hedge in the land.
Jud doesn't so much thank the cousins as look relieved when they say they are moving on. His father lays a hand on his shoulder and escorts him back toward the grocery.
Along the way, the cousins come upon a elf in soiled clerical robes attempting to repair his wagon. "This old thing has been giving me trouble for months," the elf smiles apologetically. He gives Val an appraising look. "Would you be willing to lend me your strength? If I can reattach this axle, it will get me to the next village where I promise," he says, placing one palm over the emblem hanging around his neck and raising the other up beside his pointed ear, "I will sell this junker for whatever I can get and buy a good saddle for my mule."
Val thanks the father for the directions and begins walking. He doesn't fully understand what the kid is growing through and, in a misplaced emotional response, is feeling a bit annoyed by the tyke.
On the road, Val considers ignoring the cleric but decides against it. "I care not what you do with your mule." he says while walking towards the cart. "What god has sent us to you in your hour of need?"
Val places his hands under the cart but waits for an answer before doing any lifting.
OOC: I had to double check Val's alignment for this one.
Evy, always aware of their appearance, meets the cleric cautiously, though she is trusting her dagger to warn her of danger. She tries to get a glance at the religious symbol before it is covered up, or after. (Religion: 16) Still, she gamely launches into charismatic mode. "Good day! Of course Val will help, won't you, cousin. What brings you out this way? An elf on the road alone is not a common sight. And," she leans over to check the mule. "What is his/her name?"
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
The elf gives a little head nod. As far as Evy can tell, he shows no aversion to their heritage. "I am a Goldeye," he says, smiling. "I follow the Golden Lady, Waukeen." He puts a hand behind his amulet, raising it a little from his chest. Evy immediately recognizes it as the symbol of Waukeen, the goddess of shopkeepers, merchants, security guards ... and smugglers. Evy knows that Goldeyes and Waukeen's other worshipers travel the trade routes aiding merchants and caravans or worked in the opulent temples as hosts for wealthy donors, moneylenders, etc. This road is too small to be considered a trade route, but perhaps the elf is on an errand or just passing through. "I travel the road to — ironically — lend aid where I can. And this is Mokiss," the Goldeye says of the mule. The animal continues tearing up grass and munching benignly. The elf moves over to the front of the cart and appears ready to do something as soon as Val lifts.