"Well alright then!"Alynys responds with the enthusiasm Lyrandar is lacking. "Good to meet ya, Lyrandar. Name's Alynys. Captain Alynys. And to be clear I haven't got 'ships.' I've got A ship. And there's no chance it'll fit everyone here. Not by half. If we're getting to the docks we'd need to commandeer a fair few ships not strictly speaking under my command. And we'd need folk enough who can sail to get 'em out to sea before the horde overtakes us. That's a pretty tall order, Lyrandar. Which is why I think we may want to re-examine my other plan. The one regarding bold action..."
"We don't even know if the docks have been taken and how many ships are left... less say sailors. Perhaps some of the survivors here could know something if they come from there"
"Guardsman, I find myself interested in a person with knowledge of the ways in and out of the keep. Hidden ways. I am no small talent with magic, and my acquaintances appear to be warriors of skill. If you could provide the knowledge we need, it would be a valuable service. To all, or maybe even just you."
"Well that's easy enough, Lyrandar!" Alynys replies. She steps out towards the center of the room and hops on a table, putting both hands to her mouth. Then she calls out to the mass of survivors "Hey!!! Who here came from the docks!!?"
Arturo reaches back and pulls out a multi-colored lute and begins strumming a sad tune. "Tis hopeless, tis hopeless, the city fills with dread. Soon we'll see, a new Waterdeep, the new City of the Dead. Mommies, turned zombies, a scratch is all it takes. Soon we'll see, a new Waterdeep, the City that never Wakes." <Ahem> Arturo smiles at the group. "Apologies. Inspiration hits at the strangest times! HA!" Flashing a wide grin, "My name is Arturo. A pleasure. I have no interest in joining a prayer circle unless it opens a portal to somewhere other than here. There has to be a damn way out of here. Impregnable fortress my arse, the nobles always have a way to get out so they're not stuck with the riff raff."
(DM - In this hallway with Alynys and Lyndaran what can we see? I'm looking specifically for doors, vents, grates - anything that would take us away from this great hall area.)
Alynys looks at Arturo with visible confusion, but then decides to roll with it.
"Arturo, good to meet you, LOVE the enthusiasm!" Alynys says as folk begin to gather round to her summons. "I need you to channel it somewhere a bit more constructive. I can tell you've got the gift of gab, buddy. Probably more than me, and that's not even accounting for the fangs. Maybe you can help me to persuade these fine dock-folk to help us with our plans to get to the ships? Come on up here!"
Alynys offers a hand to Arturo for him to join her up on the table.
"A performance you say! Well indeed, I'm always up for a good show!" <Ahem> "Fe, fi, fo, fum, please don't let me look really dumb."
He begins strumming a slow gentle tune. "Oh wand-er-erssssss <vigorous strumming> ohhhhhhh vagrants <vigorous strumming> ohhhhh patrons of the seaaaaaa," he looks around the room, trying to gauge the audience. "Please lend meeeeee, your ears now, please listen to our plea."
As the tune quickens to more of a jig, Arturo looks around and sees a barrel nearby. He casts "Animating Performance" and has it start to wobble over, rocking side to side in time to the music.
"We're looking for sailors for captains for MEN! to join us on our queeeeeeesssst! Bring us your youngest your oldest your boldest - we'd also like your best." He jumps on top of the dancing barrel as it spins around."The cities falling, but you can rise, if you've the means to do. Kick the s--t, and come to wit, to fight along your crew! To fame to glory to... f-ck... something reeeaaaal cooooool! To hell with all these zombies HA! To stay is to be the fool."
As he takes his last strum, he jumps off the barrel, takes a step back and takes a deep bow at the same time that the barrel attempts to do the same.
"Now I got their attention, you go and win their hearts," he says to Alynys.
(I couldn't help myself with that last line -- Edit: Apologies for the out of sync comment from prior. I hadn't seen the prior message until just now)
Mr. Peabody: Around the great hall, the paladins are mostly in charge of keeping order. Looking out into the courtyard immediately in front of the main gate, you do see a number of the City Watch conferring quietly, as well as a few who are still on the walls with their backs to you. As you approach, one of the guards takes a moment to speak with you. He looks at you suspiciously. He looks young, and probably took this position thinking that he would rarely have cause to use his blade in violence.
Roll a persuasion check to get him to share what he knows.
Arturo: The Great Hall is a long, ornate room, currently occupied by well over a hundred people from all of Waterdeep's colorful walks of life. There is a staircase at the back that leads to an upper audience balcony, with doors on either side heading off to different wings of the castle, dominated by the Palace's distinguished tiered towers. You quickly surmise from a brief observation (and your general knowledge of the castle from myth and legend) that any useful grates or passageways are likely to be down beneath the castle, in the dungeons or further below. Roll a history check to try to recall a figment of story or lore that might be useful.
Arturo and Alynys: Your antics succeed in drawing a small crowd, one of whom used to be a beggar who roamed the dock ward before the undead invasion. He pipes up as Arturo finishes his jig. "The Docks are fallen! The Horde swept through like a river across all the docks. Something screamed... screamed... screamed." He trails off to a whisper while his neighbors glance at him worriedly. Another voice, a dwarf lady in fairly elegant clothing calls back "How's that going to work when we're in here and the undead block the only way out?" An elf in merchant garb echoes the sentiment.
Most of the crowd disperses to claim a space to rest in the hall, but a handful remain. The dwarf lady, accompanied by a significant group of seven or eight tough-looking dwarves, a half-elf man standing in front of his family with small children, and two human women, one older, one younger. The older woman speaks up. "One of my clients used to live in the Dock Ward, and I was just returning home when that black tower appeared over the city of the dead. I saw the direction of the fighting from the gates here before most everyone else arrived. I think most of the sea-folk fled to their ships at first sign of trouble, though it seemed like the dead attacked the dock ward and the outer edges of the city first, before closing in. It's almost as if..." she shivers. "They wanted to pen us in." The younger human steps up and holds her hand, evidently her mother as far as you can make out the resemblance.
"Thank you all so much your illuminating recollections, you've been so helpful!" Alynys calls to the dispersing crowd, giving a knowing look to Lyrandar as she waves them away. "That sure sounds like some bold action on the part of the army of the dead!"
She turns to Arturo, slapping him on the back and says "Beautiful work, Arturo. You're alright! Man with a talent like yours would be welcome on my crew any day."
Alynys hops off the table onto the stone floor, cocking an eyebrow at Lyrandar and saying "I think we've explored our options to their fullest extent, wouldn't you say gentlemen? Now, are we gonna keep screwin' around or are we gonna get a move on? We're burnin' daylight! I'd hate to be caught in the City of the Dead after sundown, I've heard the groundskeeper can be a real bastard. Where'd that little wizard get off to?"
"Hey PEABODY!!!"she shouts out to the gnome. "We're gonna go kill a lich! You comin' or what!?"
Mr. Peabody: Around the great hall, the paladins are mostly in charge of keeping order. Looking out into the courtyard immediately in front of the main gate, you do see a number of the City Watch conferring quietly, as well as a few who are still on the walls with their backs to you. As you approach, one of the guards takes a moment to speak with you. He looks at you suspiciously. He looks young, and probably took this position thinking that he would rarely have cause to use his blade in violence.
Roll a persuasion check to get him to share what he knows.
A red colored half elf pauses near Alynys and Arturo after hearing the commotion. He wears a leather open vest exposing most of his chest, and scales starting at his neck and disappearing into his breaches below. He is wearing a bowler hat with a pearl mounted front center. He approaches the three after most of the crowd dissipates."So, names Fred, called Red Fred by most. Are you looking for a way out, or are you looking to burn the necro. Because either one is better than waiting here to die."
"The prayer circle's working!" Alynys shouts, vigorously shaking Red Fred's hand. "The gods have seen fit to send me a man of action! Welcome to the team, Red Fred! Name's Captain Alynys. Man with the golden pipes here is Arturo, and that ray of sunshine over there is Lyrandar. Over there's Mr. Peabody. He doesn't know he's coming with us yet, but he's comin', if just to ensure that I'm not the only one on this squad who ain't an elf."
Alynys pulls out a few chairs from the table she and Arturo were just standing on, offering them to the three men, and a fourth ready for Mr. Peabody. She sits at the center and pulls out a pad of paper. "Alright, let's talk strategy. What're your angles, boys? What're your areas of expertise? I'll go first. Me? I'm a brilliant inventor, magician, strategist and maritime adventuress. I also got this *clang clang* nigh impenetrable set of magical armor here, of my own design. I've also been told I have excellent penmanship."
"Guardsman, I find myself interested in a person with knowledge of the ways in and out of the keep. Hidden ways. I am no small talent with magic, and my acquaintances appear to be warriors of skill. If you could provide the knowledge we need, it would be a valuable service. To all, or maybe even just you."
"Do you really think so?" The guard asks, his precaution falling to reveal a good bit of genuine nervousness.
"Well, I'm not in charge here, but I once heard some of the old-timers say something about duty at the 'Falling Stair.' Supposedly it's a way out of here, but I don't know where it is. I don't think we are in much state to do much of anything however. They've been keeping civilians off the walls to make sure that word doesn't get out but... uh, er. I'm not so sure I should be telling you this, but it's bad out there."
Arturo: The Great Hall is a long, ornate room, currently occupied by well over a hundred people from all of Waterdeep's colorful walks of life. There is a staircase at the back that leads to an upper audience balcony, with doors on either side heading off to different wings of the castle, dominated by the Palace's distinguished tiered towers. You quickly surmise from a brief observation (and your general knowledge of the castle from myth and legend) that any useful grates or passageways are likely to be down beneath the castle, in the dungeons or further below. Roll a history check to try to recall a figment of story or lore that might be useful.
6
--
Arturo waits for the barrel to wobble over and then plops onto it. "I would say that I have the 'gift of gab', although Alynys you appear to be quite inspired as well! I'm handy with a sword... but words cut deeper," he says as he grips his chest and bows his head slowly. He looks up, flashing a smile. "Melodramatics aside, I'm a practitioner of the arts, that's happy to heckle, distract, irritate, hinder, and cheer you all on... from the back. I'm happy to cross swords, but without these..." He holds up his hands like they're made of porcelain. "Without these, I cannot practice my craft; I cannot fulfill my nature; I cannot be ME! I would have to learn to play the nose flute and attempt to sing at the same time! What an idiotic instrument, the nose flute, though I have heard tell of a man named Markie who can... Uh. Never mind. I'm also good at not being seen. Many of my early performances made that a skill that I needed to learn on the job." He pauses looking around to see what the others are doing.
Red nods to the comments, and remains standing near the table."Well so there is no known way to get out of here? I heard what was said about the docks"
"Guardsman, I find myself interested in a person with knowledge of the ways in and out of the keep. Hidden ways. I am no small talent with magic, and my acquaintances appear to be warriors of skill. If you could provide the knowledge we need, it would be a valuable service. To all, or maybe even just you."
"Do you really think so?" The guard asks, his precaution falling to reveal a good bit of genuine nervousness.
"Well, I'm not in charge here, but I once heard some of the old-timers say something about duty at the 'Falling Stair.' Supposedly it's a way out of here, but I don't know where it is. I don't think we are in much state to do much of anything however. They've been keeping civilians off the walls to make sure that word doesn't get out but... uh, er. I'm not so sure I should be telling you this, but it's bad out there."
Mr Peabody nods his head back and forth. "Guardsman, perhaps you can find out more? Or know where we might start a search?"
"Ah! I have an... Damn... I lost it. Thinking is NOT my strong suit," he says with the self deprecating laugh of someone who's used to it. "However, I am good at causing a ruckus! What if we caused a riot? Get the guards to start doing things that they may not have done due to the panic? That one over there looks like he could use a good laugh. Hmmmm. Yes. And that one looks scared enough already. Maybe..." He leans back on the barrel and begins pulling at his beard as he seems to drift off into his own world, eyes glazing over, looking out over the crowd, but not really seeing them. You see tiny smirks elide across his face and small movements from his mouth as though he's talking through all of this with himself. The mind of an artist at work, or a mad man... He jumps in his seat, quickly sitting upright and shakes his head. He stops and looks at everyone around him. "What were we talking about? OH! Zombies! Right..."
Mr. Peabody: "Guardsman, perhaps you can find out more? Or know where we might start a search?"
"I'm... I can't. I'm on duty, and given the circumstances, I don't know if I will ever will. But you might follow some of the other guards - I bet you they are stepping up security around there on the off chance other people get wind of a way out and try to compromise the palace's security. So, if you see any guards heading down to the dungeons... You... you wouldn't do something like that, would you?"
Make a Deception, Persuasion or Intimidation roll, based on your approach.
Everybody else: With a small group of civilians who are willing to follow you and serve as sailors, if you can find a way down to the docks. What's the plan now?
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"Well alright then!" Alynys responds with the enthusiasm Lyrandar is lacking. "Good to meet ya, Lyrandar. Name's Alynys. Captain Alynys. And to be clear I haven't got 'ships.' I've got A ship. And there's no chance it'll fit everyone here. Not by half. If we're getting to the docks we'd need to commandeer a fair few ships not strictly speaking under my command. And we'd need folk enough who can sail to get 'em out to sea before the horde overtakes us. That's a pretty tall order, Lyrandar. Which is why I think we may want to re-examine my other plan. The one regarding bold action..."
"We don't even know if the docks have been taken and how many ships are left... less say sailors. Perhaps some of the survivors here could know something if they come from there"
PbP Character: A few ;)
Mr Peabody approaches one of the keep's guards.
"Guardsman, I find myself interested in a person with knowledge of the ways in and out of the keep. Hidden ways. I am no small talent with magic, and my acquaintances appear to be warriors of skill. If you could provide the knowledge we need, it would be a valuable service. To all, or maybe even just you."
Paladin - warforged - orange
"Well that's easy enough, Lyrandar!" Alynys replies. She steps out towards the center of the room and hops on a table, putting both hands to her mouth. Then she calls out to the mass of survivors "Hey!!! Who here came from the docks!!?"
Arturo reaches back and pulls out a multi-colored lute and begins strumming a sad tune. "Tis hopeless, tis hopeless, the city fills with dread. Soon we'll see, a new Waterdeep, the new City of the Dead. Mommies, turned zombies, a scratch is all it takes. Soon we'll see, a new Waterdeep, the City that never Wakes."
<Ahem> Arturo smiles at the group. "Apologies. Inspiration hits at the strangest times! HA!"
Flashing a wide grin, "My name is Arturo. A pleasure. I have no interest in joining a prayer circle unless it opens a portal to somewhere other than here. There has to be a damn way out of here. Impregnable fortress my arse, the nobles always have a way to get out so they're not stuck with the riff raff."
(DM - In this hallway with Alynys and Lyndaran what can we see? I'm looking specifically for doors, vents, grates - anything that would take us away from this great hall area.)
Signature
Alynys looks at Arturo with visible confusion, but then decides to roll with it.
"Arturo, good to meet you, LOVE the enthusiasm!" Alynys says as folk begin to gather round to her summons. "I need you to channel it somewhere a bit more constructive. I can tell you've got the gift of gab, buddy. Probably more than me, and that's not even accounting for the fangs. Maybe you can help me to persuade these fine dock-folk to help us with our plans to get to the ships? Come on up here!"
Alynys offers a hand to Arturo for him to join her up on the table.
"A performance you say! Well indeed, I'm always up for a good show!" <Ahem> "Fe, fi, fo, fum, please don't let me look really dumb."
He begins strumming a slow gentle tune. "Oh wand-er-erssssss <vigorous strumming> ohhhhhhh vagrants <vigorous strumming> ohhhhh patrons of the seaaaaaa," he looks around the room, trying to gauge the audience. "Please lend meeeeee, your ears now, please listen to our plea."
As the tune quickens to more of a jig, Arturo looks around and sees a barrel nearby. He casts "Animating Performance" and has it start to wobble over, rocking side to side in time to the music.
"We're looking for sailors for captains for MEN! to join us on our queeeeeeesssst! Bring us your youngest your oldest your boldest - we'd also like your best." He jumps on top of the dancing barrel as it spins around."The cities falling, but you can rise, if you've the means to do. Kick the s--t, and come to wit, to fight along your crew! To fame to glory to... f-ck... something reeeaaaal cooooool! To hell with all these zombies HA! To stay is to be the fool."
As he takes his last strum, he jumps off the barrel, takes a step back and takes a deep bow at the same time that the barrel attempts to do the same.
"Now I got their attention, you go and win their hearts," he says to Alynys.
(I couldn't help myself with that last line -- Edit: Apologies for the out of sync comment from prior. I hadn't seen the prior message until just now)
Signature
Mr. Peabody: Around the great hall, the paladins are mostly in charge of keeping order. Looking out into the courtyard immediately in front of the main gate, you do see a number of the City Watch conferring quietly, as well as a few who are still on the walls with their backs to you. As you approach, one of the guards takes a moment to speak with you. He looks at you suspiciously. He looks young, and probably took this position thinking that he would rarely have cause to use his blade in violence.
Roll a persuasion check to get him to share what he knows.
Arturo: The Great Hall is a long, ornate room, currently occupied by well over a hundred people from all of Waterdeep's colorful walks of life. There is a staircase at the back that leads to an upper audience balcony, with doors on either side heading off to different wings of the castle, dominated by the Palace's distinguished tiered towers. You quickly surmise from a brief observation (and your general knowledge of the castle from myth and legend) that any useful grates or passageways are likely to be down beneath the castle, in the dungeons or further below. Roll a history check to try to recall a figment of story or lore that might be useful.
Arturo and Alynys: Your antics succeed in drawing a small crowd, one of whom used to be a beggar who roamed the dock ward before the undead invasion. He pipes up as Arturo finishes his jig. "The Docks are fallen! The Horde swept through like a river across all the docks. Something screamed... screamed... screamed." He trails off to a whisper while his neighbors glance at him worriedly. Another voice, a dwarf lady in fairly elegant clothing calls back "How's that going to work when we're in here and the undead block the only way out?" An elf in merchant garb echoes the sentiment.
Most of the crowd disperses to claim a space to rest in the hall, but a handful remain. The dwarf lady, accompanied by a significant group of seven or eight tough-looking dwarves, a half-elf man standing in front of his family with small children, and two human women, one older, one younger. The older woman speaks up. "One of my clients used to live in the Dock Ward, and I was just returning home when that black tower appeared over the city of the dead. I saw the direction of the fighting from the gates here before most everyone else arrived. I think most of the sea-folk fled to their ships at first sign of trouble, though it seemed like the dead attacked the dock ward and the outer edges of the city first, before closing in. It's almost as if..." she shivers. "They wanted to pen us in." The younger human steps up and holds her hand, evidently her mother as far as you can make out the resemblance.
"Thank you all so much your illuminating recollections, you've been so helpful!" Alynys calls to the dispersing crowd, giving a knowing look to Lyrandar as she waves them away. "That sure sounds like some bold action on the part of the army of the dead!"
She turns to Arturo, slapping him on the back and says "Beautiful work, Arturo. You're alright! Man with a talent like yours would be welcome on my crew any day."
Alynys hops off the table onto the stone floor, cocking an eyebrow at Lyrandar and saying "I think we've explored our options to their fullest extent, wouldn't you say gentlemen? Now, are we gonna keep screwin' around or are we gonna get a move on? We're burnin' daylight! I'd hate to be caught in the City of the Dead after sundown, I've heard the groundskeeper can be a real bastard. Where'd that little wizard get off to?"
"Hey PEABODY!!!" she shouts out to the gnome. "We're gonna go kill a lich! You comin' or what!?"
Persuasion 16
Paladin - warforged - orange
A red colored half elf pauses near Alynys and Arturo after hearing the commotion. He wears a leather open vest exposing most of his chest, and scales starting at his neck and disappearing into his breaches below. He is wearing a bowler hat with a pearl mounted front center. He approaches the three after most of the crowd dissipates. "So, names Fred, called Red Fred by most. Are you looking for a way out, or are you looking to burn the necro. Because either one is better than waiting here to die."
"The prayer circle's working!" Alynys shouts, vigorously shaking Red Fred's hand. "The gods have seen fit to send me a man of action! Welcome to the team, Red Fred! Name's Captain Alynys. Man with the golden pipes here is Arturo, and that ray of sunshine over there is Lyrandar. Over there's Mr. Peabody. He doesn't know he's coming with us yet, but he's comin', if just to ensure that I'm not the only one on this squad who ain't an elf."
Alynys pulls out a few chairs from the table she and Arturo were just standing on, offering them to the three men, and a fourth ready for Mr. Peabody. She sits at the center and pulls out a pad of paper. "Alright, let's talk strategy. What're your angles, boys? What're your areas of expertise? I'll go first. Me? I'm a brilliant inventor, magician, strategist and maritime adventuress. I also got this *clang clang* nigh impenetrable set of magical armor here, of my own design. I've also been told I have excellent penmanship."
Red smiles at Alynys. "I burn things. And I can testify that zombies burn quit well. I burnt a lot of em. But...there seems to always be more."
"Guardsman, I find myself interested in a person with knowledge of the ways in and out of the keep. Hidden ways. I am no small talent with magic, and my acquaintances appear to be warriors of skill. If you could provide the knowledge we need, it would be a valuable service. To all, or maybe even just you."
"Do you really think so?" The guard asks, his precaution falling to reveal a good bit of genuine nervousness.
"Well, I'm not in charge here, but I once heard some of the old-timers say something about duty at the 'Falling Stair.' Supposedly it's a way out of here, but I don't know where it is. I don't think we are in much state to do much of anything however. They've been keeping civilians off the walls to make sure that word doesn't get out but... uh, er. I'm not so sure I should be telling you this, but it's bad out there."
6
--
Arturo waits for the barrel to wobble over and then plops onto it. "I would say that I have the 'gift of gab', although Alynys you appear to be quite inspired as well! I'm handy with a sword... but words cut deeper," he says as he grips his chest and bows his head slowly. He looks up, flashing a smile. "Melodramatics aside, I'm a practitioner of the arts, that's happy to heckle, distract, irritate, hinder, and cheer you all on... from the back. I'm happy to cross swords, but without these..." He holds up his hands like they're made of porcelain.
"Without these, I cannot practice my craft; I cannot fulfill my nature; I cannot be ME! I would have to learn to play the nose flute and attempt to sing at the same time! What an idiotic instrument, the nose flute, though I have heard tell of a man named Markie who can... Uh. Never mind. I'm also good at not being seen. Many of my early performances made that a skill that I needed to learn on the job."
He pauses looking around to see what the others are doing.
Signature
Red nods to the comments, and remains standing near the table. "Well so there is no known way to get out of here? I heard what was said about the docks"
Arturo: A word, a sound, briefly flits through the mind, but is shortly lost.
Mr Peabody nods his head back and forth. "Guardsman, perhaps you can find out more? Or know where we might start a search?"
Paladin - warforged - orange
"Ah! I have an... Damn... I lost it. Thinking is NOT my strong suit," he says with the self deprecating laugh of someone who's used to it.
"However, I am good at causing a ruckus! What if we caused a riot? Get the guards to start doing things that they may not have done due to the panic? That one over there looks like he could use a good laugh. Hmmmm. Yes. And that one looks scared enough already. Maybe..."
He leans back on the barrel and begins pulling at his beard as he seems to drift off into his own world, eyes glazing over, looking out over the crowd, but not really seeing them. You see tiny smirks elide across his face and small movements from his mouth as though he's talking through all of this with himself. The mind of an artist at work, or a mad man...
He jumps in his seat, quickly sitting upright and shakes his head. He stops and looks at everyone around him.
"What were we talking about? OH! Zombies! Right..."
Signature
Mr. Peabody: "Guardsman, perhaps you can find out more? Or know where we might start a search?"
"I'm... I can't. I'm on duty, and given the circumstances, I don't know if I will ever will. But you might follow some of the other guards - I bet you they are stepping up security around there on the off chance other people get wind of a way out and try to compromise the palace's security. So, if you see any guards heading down to the dungeons... You... you wouldn't do something like that, would you?"
Make a Deception, Persuasion or Intimidation roll, based on your approach.
Everybody else: With a small group of civilians who are willing to follow you and serve as sailors, if you can find a way down to the docks. What's the plan now?