Daphyra is pleased with the way things are going. She feels that she is making a good impression on her new home, forging connections with the locals... She feels proud and very necessary, her favourite feeling. Her next step is obviously to further that connect with the Town Master.
She overhears Kiselina reminding Vidruth about the tea appointment, and bustles over to them, her ears held high and a spring in her step. "Is it time for tea? I'm very much looking forward to this."
Once he felt that he did all he could with what was available to him here, Berry left his art piece behind. Proud about his skill for a few seconds before his attention was drawn into another direction. Everyone seems to be ready to move. It appears his companions arrived at some conclusion with this lady and now everyone goes their way. Berry makes his way to Marten and asks quietly, “Should we go see Tolben’s kid and ask about that secret passage that he talked about last night? I would love to hear that story. There’s power in secrets.”
When Marten sees preparations being made with the wagon and when he's sure that Linene has left Barthen's and returned to her shop, he rejoins the group in Barthen's. He's interested in the logistics and will help Barthen's workers ready the wagon.
When he hears that they were able to negotiate such a favorable discount for the whole group at the Lionshield Coster, Marten looks impressed. He sums up his feelings with a simple exclamation: "Thank ye. She's a formid'ble woman!"
Berry makes his way to Marten and asks quietly, “Should we go see Tolben’s kid and ask about that secret passage that he talked about last night? I would love to hear that story. There’s power in secrets.”
Marten updates Berry: "I spoke to Toblen this mornin'. Pip never seen the secret tunnel himself. It were his friend: Carp." But he does plan to go see Carp's family at their farm.
Marten tells the others, "The Lionshield woman, Ms. Graywind?, she had no use for the town master. What did she call 'im? Weakling, lamebrained, and a goon. Sounds like he may also be in with the Redcloaks or he at least tolerates 'em." Marten's dark scowl shows that he doesn't have much use for anyone who would tolerate the Redcloaks after what they've heard. Marten says, "Just careful what you tell 'im since it may get back 'round t' the Redcloaks."
As the group goes up the street toward the Townmaster's Hall, Marten says, "While y're at tea, Berry 'n' I'll go down t' the Alderleaf Farm. I heard 'bout the farmer's kid seein' a secret tunnel in the woods 'fore some Redcloaks chased 'im away. We'll see if we can find out where. Could be a clue t' whatever them Redcloaks are up to in Phandalin." Marten smiles apologetically at Mistress Daphyra, "My manners ain't fit for a fancy tea anyway. Better for me to check out the farm."
Marten invites Nosam to join Berry and him if the dwarf is not planning to go to the the townmaster's tea.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
“Carp?” Berry shrugs. “Ok, let’s go and see Carp then. I don’t fancy sitting in a stuffy room over warmed and flavored water with a stuffier chief.”
On their way to the Alderleaf farm, if possible, Berry picks a bunch of flowers that he organizes in a bouquet. He takes care to get a good selection of local varieties with colorfully blossomed ones and fresh buds that will still spring open if put in water (Nature or straight Intelligence is the same for Berry, for deciding of the bouquet looks nice and if he finds anything nice at all: 4).
When everyone is focused on the towering goods of Berry’s antics, the Paladin takes the opportunity to nudge Vidruth. “Perhaps it is tea time? Should we head over to see the town master Harbin?”
"better get on it anyways, i dont know when tea time is but its better to be early than late, except if you are a third group in a fight but that has nothing to do with this and im going off topic again" he lapses into silence, ready to move over to the meeting with the townmaster, as little as he trusts him
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic byVitaly S Alexius
Nosam heads back to his room for a bit after the news about the potential payment for retrieving the cargo from the cave, and overall he's glad things seem to be shaping up nicely for beginning their next steps. He organizes his gear and decides he's ok with what he has, but will be sure to check with the others at dinner to see if anyone has any last minute suggestions or requests. He kicks back and relaxes for now, "now we wait."
The party heads back down the town’s road where Nosam reenters the Stonehill Inn, and the others part ways in front of the Town Hall. Kiselina, Vidruth, and Daphyra head inside.
KISELINA, VIDRUTH and DAPHYRA
Kiselina and Daphyra both know that when people speak of tea time in Neverwinter, they refer to the middle of the afternoon, 4pm say, when the heat of summer might take its toll and make one want to nap rather than manage one’s chores or professional endeavors. Dead center between lunch and supper, an invitation to tea doesn’t suggest even the barest likelihood that the host would extend the tea-time invitation to come early or late for either meal. So the town master’s invitation for half past 11 in the morning seemed odd from the get-go. Of course in a cosmopolitan city like Neverwinter, not everyone ascribes to such formalities in relation to the clock. But among the nobility, among the clergy, among the guildmasters and well-to-do and upwardly mobile, adopting such habits as a general rule allows one to offer or accept such an invitation knowing in advance what to expect. Again, not the case with Harbin Wester here in the border town of Phandalin.
The town hall has sturdy stone walls and a pitched wooden roof. A bell tower rises in the back, and several long wooden stairs lead up to the front where there is a porch upon which a wooden bench sits to either side of the double front doors. Windows look out from within. One of the double doors is propped open.
You walk into a wide entrance vestibule, and beyond it, into a large central chamber with a raised platform at the far end. A desk and lectern are built upon the platform, and before it stand a pair of tables and chairs. Benches in rows fill the rest of the room. Meeting hall and courtroom rolled into one.
A young man whom Kiselina and Vidruth recognize as the bailiff sits on the edge of the platform all the way to one side, holding a ledger and a quill. At the desk on the platform, Harbin Wester sits, sipping from a pint-sized cup and snacking from a small platter. As I mentioned before, the townmaster is a very rotund middle-aged man. He is well dressed today as he was last night, except that his fly is unbuttoned, his socks do not match, and one torn shirt cuff hangs out of his jacket sleeve.
He looks up when you arrive, smiles, and without standing, shouts out a greeting to you, though his mouth is full of bread.
“And here you are. Please, have a seat.” He motions with his free arm to approach and sit at one of the tables facing the platform. “Bailiff!,” he says, several times, before the young man gets up with a sigh, takes the platter from Westen’s table – though not before Westen grabs several more choice items from it. The bailiff reluctantly carries the platter, which now holds a few half-pieces of bread, an almost picked-over bunch of grapes, and one cookie, to your table and sets it down. The bailiff then disappears into a back room. “Now, how are you enjoying my great town, the town of the people, of the hills, of the hill-people, and of errmm the hilly…errrm zephous airs?,” Westen asks, looking down patronizingly from the platform, his lips full, dry and cracked like a bundt cake.
“I asked you here to make you aware of a prospit, about whether you will find enticing. The town master, of whom you now partake, wants for someone as strongly apportioned as myself though not me, to journey easterly on the Triboar Trail. You are perhaps such a one. Or more even than one.
“Now, listen here: travailers have suffered trouble from a band of orcs, yes, orcs, I sez! near Wyvern Tor. I can offer gold. Yes, not silver, but gold to any so brave. One hunderd.”
Marten continues on to the Alderleaf farm while Berry follows behind, picking flowers from various person’s front yards and from the prize rosebush on the edge of the village green.
The farm, which you reach in just a minute or two, is about as small as you’ve seen. It takes only a moment to notice that its owners are similarly proportioned.
A half-sized wagon is being loaded by two burly halfling men who turn to look as you approach, and wink at Berry, but continue with their loading. They seem to be quite efficient and practiced.
Berry may find the farmhouse itself inviting to say the least, whereas for Marten, it seems to have been built for children. Yet if the size is quaint, its details, demonstrating a well-loved home, are doubly so, almost extravagantly so. Homemade wreaths adorn the door and walls, ivy grows on trellises in a way that invites one to look through and see what is on the other side, and the glance is rewarded: a charming gazebo, in which sits a halfling woman of perhaps forty-five years, quietly reading and writing letters. She wears a cotton blouse carefully embroidered, and a simple skirt and boots, yet despite your impression that everything is homemade, the colors compliment the halfling woman’s complexion perfectly, and the effect is clean, crisp, and pleasing. She has chubby red cheeks and a dimpled smile, and a bun of brown hair graying at the temples, pinned atop her head and tied with a simple ribbon. She looks at you with wise eyes over her reading glasses as you approach, and her voice is full and upbeat.
“Well hello there. A pair of unfamiliar faces, I see. If I’m not mistaken, I believe you’re staying at the Stonehill’s Inn?"
“Well hello there. A pair of unfamiliar faces, I see. If I’m not mistaken, I believe you’re staying at the Stonehill’s Inn?"
Marten walks through the trellis, ducking down if needed, and approaches the gazebo. In answer to her question,he says, "Yes, ma'am. Me 'n' my friends are stayin' at the inn while we're in the area." While he's normally uncomfortable speaking with women, Marten is more comfortable on the farm. It reminds him of the ones in his home village, and the halfling's friendly manner puts him at ease.
"My name is Marten Fairview," he says, nodding his head as he briefly touches the brim of his hat. "Good mornin' to you. 'N' this here is my friend Berry."
Assuming that she introduces herself as Mrs. Alderleaf, Marten clumsily asks, "Beg y'r pardon, but...well...ye see, when we were up at Stonehill's inn, we heard a story about yer son. We wanted to ask......I mean...do you know? Did Carp find a tunnel in the woods nearby? And then one o' them Redcloaks chased him away?"
Berry nods along when he's introduced by Marten and flaps his wings slightly to chase away a bee that had been attracted to his assortment of fresh flowers. "Good morning madam," he offers as a greeting. Then, while awaiting the woman's answer he sits down on a rock or root starting to weave a dense ring from the flowers that he collected, a little flower circlet, really.
Daphyra glances around the room to take everything in. She swipes a piece of bread from the platter. "It's a lovely town, Master Wester. The people have been very... welcoming. It's a pity it seems to be so beset by ruffians and thugs taking advantage of the populace. I do agree that it is your duty to try to stamp it out, and I applaud your intentions of doing so. Are we the first group you have approached in such a manner, or have others tried before us?"
Kiselina ascends the wooden steps of the town hall with his comrades. He crosses the threshold to the central chamber and immediately recognizes the power-play Harbin is perpetrating. Classic and classy.
He decides against any attempts to upset the balance of power the town-master may be going for by simply taking a seat at one of the lower table benches. He too, politely grabs some food, a few grapes. However, he briefly (and poorly) exaggerates how wonderful the bread is and the generosity of Harbin to invite the group to tea.
“Oh, town-master Harbin, this bread is simply scrumptious, is this the handiwork of your wife? Why, it must be the wheat from the fields of the majestic Phandalin that enhances the taste just right. If not, then surely the purity of the water is what makes this too much to resist.” (Deception: 5)
As the Dragonborn munches quietly on the grapes, he listens to Harbin’s words. Once Harbin finishes, and Daphyra has had her questions addressed, the knight adds the following.
“Ah, straight to the business at hand then, no delaying with pleasantries.” (Nudging whoever may be closest to Kiselina with a wink from the eye furthest away from the town-master.) “A fine showing of pomp and a great display in…(big pause here) aptitude wouldn’t you agree?”
Turning to readdress the rotund man, “Orcs to the east? Offering 100gp? Such a generous offer. I am sure that helping secure the Triboar Trail to the west of Phandalin from the goblins of Cragmaw must be worth just as much, wouldn’t you agree Vidruth?” (Persuasion: 25)
“Why, we’re just making arrangements to secure some of the missing cargo that was headed to the grand bastion that Phandalin is…due to your management.”
Nosam has been in his room for fifteen minutes or so when he hears a commotion in the rear courtyard below where the bathhouses are. Looking out the window, he sees Elsa and the old servant in a verbal confrontation with four men wearing red cloaks. Nosam is on the second floor.
KISELINA, DAPHYRA & VIDRUTH
“Ruffians and thugs?,” repeats Westen after Daphyra. “Hells no, My Lady, we ain’t got nothing of the sort here. Sometimes they pass through, but no: this town is as clean as can be. Oh, you must mean the goblins, on the Triboar Road? Why, aye, YES!,” and here he adopts a preacher’s tone, and he stands up, pointing to the heavens, while as they say, the barn door remains open below. “We shall not EVER stop, nor rest, nor eat nor drink, nor… nor use the facilities…, until we have stamped out those invertebrates, those foul wrong-doing gobidoids! And we are fortunate to have yourselves and other like-minded folk here to help.”
“No, none have come through with the same errr… promiscuity as yourselves. For you seem to shine with the promise of scootin those orcs away!” This is said in complete seriousness.
In response to Kiselina, the town master takes the bait (most unwisely), and smiles unctuously at the paladin’s compliments, smacking his lips in self satisfaction as he sips from his pint.
“Twenty five gold to destroy those vermillion?? Why, I would say it’s worth FIFTY! And that’s cuz I am master of the town, elected fair as can be, and that comes with wisdom enough to know the unworthiness of gold! Ain't that right, bailiff?”
There is no response, for the bailiff left the room minutes ago. But he does, the young man, return presently, with a kettle and three cups and a bowl of rather moldy-smelling tea leaves and sets them on the table in front of you before leaving again, oblivious to Westen's question, it seems.
MARTEN & BERRY
Mrs Alderleaf replies to Marten after looking him right in the eye over her glasses for a long moment, and Berry too. Her expression quickly changed from welcoming to wary upon mention of the Redbrands. She lets her hand, with a letter in it, drop to her lap.
“Mr. Fairview and Berry, welcome to Phandalin, and it’s a pleasure to meet you both,” she says in a voice which is more measured than before.
“Now, what’s this about my ten-year-old son Carp you’ve come around to ask about? You may not have heard, but mothers are like as not to show their teeth if they feel their kin, especially young children, are at risk.”
After a moment, weighing your reactions, she continues, a touch of her earlier cheer returning, although now the flavor is bittersweet.
“I see you mean no harm. Carp is with Sister Garaele learning what he can from her, she’s a mind for history and scholarship and we’re lucky to have her here. I will ask you not to interrupt. But I can tell you this, since I see your heart is in the right place.
“Carp is a spirited and precocious lad. He is enchanted by the idea of being an adventurer, may Tymora lend him better luck than his father – may his spirit rest in sevens and twenties, as they say – who perished seeking the same. Anyhow, Carp told me last week, he was playing in the woods near Tresendar Manor when he found a secret tunnel in a thicket. A couple of “big ugly bandits” – his words – came out of the tunnel when he was there, and met with a pair of Redbrands. None of the men saw him, but it was close, and it scared the dickens out of him and excited him just the same. He’s not one to make up stories, and he’s a sharp eye. I’d say the bandits have taken up lodging in the old manor house, or more likely, its cellar, since we don’t see any lights after dark in the manor’s windows.”
vidruth frowns, not so much about fighting orcs, as the townmasters bullshit, but he remains polite, just watches the townmaster like a hawk, and keeps his hands empty, chair slightly back from the table
"milord, they are in fact vertebrates, which doesnt make them any better, goblins are nasty little shits" he disagrees "bloody vicious with their weapons too, almost certainly worth fifty gold, hell, ive had some experience with them myself, years of it. killed my mom they did"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic byVitaly S Alexius
"Please, Mrs. Alderleaf, we don't want no trouble with protective mothers. Therefore, we came directly to you and not to your son," Berry says but shots a brief glare at Marten, because he thought they would actually do the opposite and search for the boy, not the mother. "It really is troubling news that Phandalin is so infested with these Redbrands. We have half a mind to do something about that and what you just told us could be really helpful towards that end. If there's anything else to the story or otherwise, please let us know. We stay indeed at the Stonehill inn if you need to find us." Berry finishes one flower circlet with about half of the flowers that he collected and starts to weave a second one, while he glances at Marten to see if he wants to add something before they leave.
Nosam attempts to hear what the fuss is about but no luck; he decides to grab his things and head downstairs. Making his way outside to the entrance of the courtyard he looks for any of his companions but unfortunately he remains solo. Once entering the area, he stops far enough away where he can run if needed, but he hopes it doesn't come to that. Nosam and running don't belong in the same sentence; he decides to act and hopefully, if needed, one from his group will hear. Nosam yells out towards the group while eyeing the four men, "Hello Miss Elsa, everything ok out here. I heard a bit of a ruckus from my room."
“Now, what’s this about my ten-year-old son Carp you’ve come around to ask about? You may not have heard, but mothers are like as not to show their teeth if they feel their kin, especially young children, are at risk.”
Marten looks abashed. He had hoped that asking Mrs. Alderleaf the question instead of asking to speak to Carp might avoid the same sort of reprimand that they got from Mrs. Stonehill. He's just glad that the good halfling didn't catch them talking to her son without her leave.
Marten nods along to Mrs. Alderleaf's story. When she finishes, he says, "Well now, I'm glad to hear yer son weren't seen, and he's all right."
"Please, Mrs. Alderleaf, we don't want no trouble with protective mothers. Therefore, we came directly to you and not to your son," Berry says but shots a brief glare at Marten, because he thought they would actually do the opposite and search for the boy, not the mother. "It really is troubling news that Phandalin is so infested with these Redbrands. We have half a mind to do something about that and what you just told us could be really helpful towards that end. If there's anything else to the story or otherwise, please let us know. We stay indeed at the Stonehill inn if you need to find us." Berry finishes one flower circlet with about half of the flowers that he collected and starts to weave a second one, while he glances at Marten to see if he wants to add something before they leave.
Marten realizes with some embarrassment that he got the name of the red-cloaked group wrong. He agrees with Berry, "Yep. We heard tell that these Redbrands were gonna protect the town from goblins on the Triboar trail, but seems to me like they're just a plain nuisance t' the good folk o' Phandalin. This is a tip-top farm, I must say. It's a pleasure to see! I hope the Redbrands haven't given you any trouble here?"
And before they leave the farm, Marten asks, "Thank ye much, Mrs. Alderleaf. Like Berry said, if these Redbrands are jus' common thugs, we may have t' do som'ing 'bout 'em before long. Y've been a great help. I don' suppose Carp mentioned which side o' the manor he found the secret tunnel, did he? Or, if you find out, m'ybe send word ov'r to Stonehills for us?"
Vidruth: "milord, they are in fact vertebrates, which doesnt make them any better, goblins are nasty little shits" he disagrees "bloody vicious with their weapons too, almost certainly worth fifty gold, hell, ive had some experience with them myself, years of it. killed my mom they did"
The town master, hearing of Vidruth’s personal tragedy, literally looks the other way, an unconcerned expression on his face as he barely acknowledges the statement.
“Oh, is that so. Anyhows,” he picks up again, his voice regaining energy, “that’s all I’ve gots to say about that. So, goodbye and while yer here, be good law-abidin folk.” He puckers his face in a smile-not-smile, sits back down in his seat, and begins to studiously pick his teeth.
BERRY & MARTEN
Marten: "Well now, I'm glad to hear yer son weren't seen, and he's all right."
Mrs. Alderleaf smiles firmly at this. You can tell she appreciates the sentiment.
Marten: “"Yep. We heard tell that these Redbrands were gonna protect the town from goblins on the Triboar trail, but seems to me like they're just a plain nuisance t' the good folk o' Phandalin.”
“Some people think that doing someone a kindness gives one the right to turn around and cause em harm, as if it would all balance out. But the Redbrands are worse than that. I don’t believe they’re lending a hand with the goblins, even if they say they are. Even though they could.”
Marten: “This is a tip-top farm, I must say. It's a pleasure to see! I hope the Redbrands haven't given you any trouble here?"
“Why thank you Mr. Fairview. Just as humble as can be here, but a little bit of hard work and a little bit of love can bring Tymora on your side and bless you with lucky rewards. The Redbrands, on the other hand. Yes, they come around collecting tithes of me just the same as everyone else. With Harbin’s blessing now that he’s town master, there’s not much we can do about it. Why, I’d like to just see this ‘Glasstaff,’ they speak of, their enlightened leader as they tell it and speak to him plainly. I have many choice words for him, believe me.”
Berry: "It really is troubling news that Phandalin is so infested with these Redbrands. We have half a mind to do something about that and what you just told us could be really helpful towards that end.”
“You would be doing us all a favor,” Mrs Alderleaf answers, her voice firm, “to do something – anything – about those soot-hearted robbers. It was not this town’s best moment when we elected Harbin town master, but those were easier days. We had no idea what we were in for over the last few months.”
Berry: “If there's anything else to the story or otherwise, please let us know.”
Marten: “I don' suppose Carp mentioned which side o' the manor he found the secret tunnel, did he?”
Mrs Alderleaf frowns in thought for a moment. “There is one more detail. If you’re seeking out the Redbrands. I know where Carp said he saw them. There is a deerpath through the woods south of the manor. If you follow it to a spot where there are four trees all fallen over each other, the biggest one bent in half, and holly and winterberry growing thick around them. It looks almost like a cave under the biggest tree trunk. That’s where Carp says they dug their tunnel.”
NOSAM
Once entering the area, he stops far enough away where he can run if needed
When Nosam enters the courtyard, this is what he sees:
The first red-cloaked man is holding a black iron pan from the kitchen filled with what looks like the same eggs and potatoes you had for breakfast, picking out morsels and laughing sneeringly at the endeavors of his cohort.
The second man is holding Elsa’s arms behind her back, as she struggles, yelling, “Leave Mr Umberto alone!”
The third man is holding the arms of the old valet — Umberto — behind his back as the servant stands there, struggling, eyes wild, turning his head to and fro and shouting in indignation though unintelligibly, for his mouth remains sealed.
The fourth man, using a dagger, has cut a button from Umberto’s vest and is trying, while laughing derisively, to force the button into the servant’s mouth.
“Come on now!,” he says, as the others jibber and giggle cruelly. “A skinny old fella like yourself doesn’t eat nearly enough! Yer momma didn’t raise ya right, hehe. This here brass button’ll be a good start, make you strong as a post. COME ON NOW,” he whispers forcefully, pulling Umberto close, the dagger’s blade now inches from the old man’s neck. “EAT!”
Nosam yells out towards the group while eyeing the four men, "Hello Miss Elsa, everything ok out here. I heard a bit of a ruckus from my room."
The fourth man now turns from Umberto and regards the dwarf, switching the dagger to his left hand. Morning sunlight glints off the pommel of a longsword hanging from his waist. All four men are armed, Nosam’s trained eye picks out. The Redbrands chuckle excitedly at what the fourth man says next.
“Now look, boys. Like I said: a blight of underfed folks right here in Phandalin. Here,” shoving Umberto in the chest, “an old fart weighing less than a fart, and here…,” turning to face Nosam, his voice now slow and clear. “This one has grown to only half his natural height. That is a pity. YOU SHOULD GO BACK INSIDE, HALF-MAN,” he commands Nosam in a low growl, oily curls hanging down over one eye.
Daphyra sends Vidruth a sorrowful look after hearing of his loss.
She looks a little confusedly at Master Harbin. "Of course we will be law abiding citizens. We are here to help the town, after all."
She gets up and brushes the breadcrumbs from her clothes. "Meeting you has been... enlightening, sir. We will report back on your... uhh... troublemakers."
As they walk out the door, she murmurs to the others, "Not what I expected. Shall we check in on Sildar or see where the others have got to?"
Berry gets up, "Thank you Mrs. Alderleaf," he says. "That will help us greatly. Should you ever have any trouble with those ruffians, let us know. For your help, I would like that you accept this little flower circlet as a gift," he says offering the finished flower circlet and open the closed buds with a careful cast of Druidcraft. He wouldn't want to be in the woman's debt by receiving something without offering anything in return, such things can be quite a hassle for fey.
He collects the remaining flowers and turns to Marten, ready to leave, "Quite some mess we got is into here. First, a Black Spider organising waylaying goblin tribes and taking people hostage, and now, someone named Glasstaff who oppresses townsfolk by extorting protection money for literally no protection at all. I didn't expect that we would wander in such a hornets' nest. Each time we turn our backs some new dilemma presents itself."
Daphyra is pleased with the way things are going. She feels that she is making a good impression on her new home, forging connections with the locals... She feels proud and very necessary, her favourite feeling. Her next step is obviously to further that connect with the Town Master.
She overhears Kiselina reminding Vidruth about the tea appointment, and bustles over to them, her ears held high and a spring in her step. "Is it time for tea? I'm very much looking forward to this."
Past characters:
Cariadne - Forest of Celador
Daphyra Fuffletail - The City of Cats
DM - Geek Legends - Wild beyond the Witchlight
Leela Steadystone - Adventures in the Sands
Mirri Goldenhorn - Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Lola Smythe-Whyte - Larkin Expedition
Daphyra - Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver
Vanja - Binder's Hold and the Problem with the Mine
Once he felt that he did all he could with what was available to him here, Berry left his art piece behind. Proud about his skill for a few seconds before his attention was drawn into another direction. Everyone seems to be ready to move. It appears his companions arrived at some conclusion with this lady and now everyone goes their way. Berry makes his way to Marten and asks quietly, “Should we go see Tolben’s kid and ask about that secret passage that he talked about last night? I would love to hear that story. There’s power in secrets.”
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
When Marten sees preparations being made with the wagon and when he's sure that Linene has left Barthen's and returned to her shop, he rejoins the group in Barthen's. He's interested in the logistics and will help Barthen's workers ready the wagon.
When he hears that they were able to negotiate such a favorable discount for the whole group at the Lionshield Coster, Marten looks impressed. He sums up his feelings with a simple exclamation: "Thank ye. She's a formid'ble woman!"
Marten updates Berry: "I spoke to Toblen this mornin'. Pip never seen the secret tunnel himself. It were his friend: Carp." But he does plan to go see Carp's family at their farm.
Marten tells the others, "The Lionshield woman, Ms. Graywind?, she had no use for the town master. What did she call 'im? Weakling, lamebrained, and a goon. Sounds like he may also be in with the Redcloaks or he at least tolerates 'em." Marten's dark scowl shows that he doesn't have much use for anyone who would tolerate the Redcloaks after what they've heard. Marten says, "Just careful what you tell 'im since it may get back 'round t' the Redcloaks."
As the group goes up the street toward the Townmaster's Hall, Marten says, "While y're at tea, Berry 'n' I'll go down t' the Alderleaf Farm. I heard 'bout the farmer's kid seein' a secret tunnel in the woods 'fore some Redcloaks chased 'im away. We'll see if we can find out where. Could be a clue t' whatever them Redcloaks are up to in Phandalin." Marten smiles apologetically at Mistress Daphyra, "My manners ain't fit for a fancy tea anyway. Better for me to check out the farm."
Marten invites Nosam to join Berry and him if the dwarf is not planning to go to the the townmaster's tea.
“Carp?” Berry shrugs. “Ok, let’s go and see Carp then. I don’t fancy sitting in a stuffy room over warmed and flavored water with a stuffier chief.”
On their way to the Alderleaf farm, if possible, Berry picks a bunch of flowers that he organizes in a bouquet. He takes care to get a good selection of local varieties with colorfully blossomed ones and fresh buds that will still spring open if put in water (Nature or straight Intelligence is the same for Berry, for deciding of the bouquet looks nice and if he finds anything nice at all: 4).
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
"better get on it anyways, i dont know when tea time is but its better to be early than late, except if you are a third group in a fight but that has nothing to do with this and im going off topic again" he lapses into silence, ready to move over to the meeting with the townmaster, as little as he trusts him
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S Alexius
Nosam heads back to his room for a bit after the news about the potential payment for retrieving the cargo from the cave, and overall he's glad things seem to be shaping up nicely for beginning their next steps. He organizes his gear and decides he's ok with what he has, but will be sure to check with the others at dinner to see if anyone has any last minute suggestions or requests. He kicks back and relaxes for now, "now we wait."
The party heads back down the town’s road where Nosam reenters the Stonehill Inn, and the others part ways in front of the Town Hall. Kiselina, Vidruth, and Daphyra head inside.
KISELINA, VIDRUTH and DAPHYRA
Kiselina and Daphyra both know that when people speak of tea time in Neverwinter, they refer to the middle of the afternoon, 4pm say, when the heat of summer might take its toll and make one want to nap rather than manage one’s chores or professional endeavors. Dead center between lunch and supper, an invitation to tea doesn’t suggest even the barest likelihood that the host would extend the tea-time invitation to come early or late for either meal. So the town master’s invitation for half past 11 in the morning seemed odd from the get-go. Of course in a cosmopolitan city like Neverwinter, not everyone ascribes to such formalities in relation to the clock. But among the nobility, among the clergy, among the guildmasters and well-to-do and upwardly mobile, adopting such habits as a general rule allows one to offer or accept such an invitation knowing in advance what to expect. Again, not the case with Harbin Wester here in the border town of Phandalin.
The town hall has sturdy stone walls and a pitched wooden roof. A bell tower rises in the back, and several long wooden stairs lead up to the front where there is a porch upon which a wooden bench sits to either side of the double front doors. Windows look out from within. One of the double doors is propped open.
You walk into a wide entrance vestibule, and beyond it, into a large central chamber with a raised platform at the far end. A desk and lectern are built upon the platform, and before it stand a pair of tables and chairs. Benches in rows fill the rest of the room. Meeting hall and courtroom rolled into one.
A young man whom Kiselina and Vidruth recognize as the bailiff sits on the edge of the platform all the way to one side, holding a ledger and a quill. At the desk on the platform, Harbin Wester sits, sipping from a pint-sized cup and snacking from a small platter. As I mentioned before, the townmaster is a very rotund middle-aged man. He is well dressed today as he was last night, except that his fly is unbuttoned, his socks do not match, and one torn shirt cuff hangs out of his jacket sleeve.
He looks up when you arrive, smiles, and without standing, shouts out a greeting to you, though his mouth is full of bread.
“And here you are. Please, have a seat.” He motions with his free arm to approach and sit at one of the tables facing the platform. “Bailiff!,” he says, several times, before the young man gets up with a sigh, takes the platter from Westen’s table – though not before Westen grabs several more choice items from it. The bailiff reluctantly carries the platter, which now holds a few half-pieces of bread, an almost picked-over bunch of grapes, and one cookie, to your table and sets it down. The bailiff then disappears into a back room.
“Now, how are you enjoying my great town, the town of the people, of the hills, of the hill-people, and of errmm the hilly…errrm zephous airs?,” Westen asks, looking down patronizingly from the platform, his lips full, dry and cracked like a bundt cake.
“I asked you here to make you aware of a prospit, about whether you will find enticing. The town master, of whom you now partake, wants for someone as strongly apportioned as myself though not me, to journey easterly on the Triboar Trail. You are perhaps such a one. Or more even than one.
“Now, listen here: travailers have suffered trouble from a band of orcs, yes, orcs, I sez! near Wyvern Tor. I can offer gold. Yes, not silver, but gold to any so brave. One hunderd.”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
MARTEN and BERRY
Marten continues on to the Alderleaf farm while Berry follows behind, picking flowers from various person’s front yards and from the prize rosebush on the edge of the village green.
The farm, which you reach in just a minute or two, is about as small as you’ve seen. It takes only a moment to notice that its owners are similarly proportioned.
A half-sized wagon is being loaded by two burly halfling men who turn to look as you approach, and wink at Berry, but continue with their loading. They seem to be quite efficient and practiced.
Berry may find the farmhouse itself inviting to say the least, whereas for Marten, it seems to have been built for children. Yet if the size is quaint, its details, demonstrating a well-loved home, are doubly so, almost extravagantly so. Homemade wreaths adorn the door and walls, ivy grows on trellises in a way that invites one to look through and see what is on the other side, and the glance is rewarded: a charming gazebo, in which sits a halfling woman of perhaps forty-five years, quietly reading and writing letters. She wears a cotton blouse carefully embroidered, and a simple skirt and boots, yet despite your impression that everything is homemade, the colors compliment the halfling woman’s complexion perfectly, and the effect is clean, crisp, and pleasing. She has chubby red cheeks and a dimpled smile, and a bun of brown hair graying at the temples, pinned atop her head and tied with a simple ribbon. She looks at you with wise eyes over her reading glasses as you approach, and her voice is full and upbeat.
“Well hello there. A pair of unfamiliar faces, I see. If I’m not mistaken, I believe you’re staying at the Stonehill’s Inn?"
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Marten walks through the trellis, ducking down if needed, and approaches the gazebo. In answer to her question, he says, "Yes, ma'am. Me 'n' my friends are stayin' at the inn while we're in the area." While he's normally uncomfortable speaking with women, Marten is more comfortable on the farm. It reminds him of the ones in his home village, and the halfling's friendly manner puts him at ease.
"My name is Marten Fairview," he says, nodding his head as he briefly touches the brim of his hat. "Good mornin' to you. 'N' this here is my friend Berry."
Assuming that she introduces herself as Mrs. Alderleaf, Marten clumsily asks, "Beg y'r pardon, but...well...ye see, when we were up at Stonehill's inn, we heard a story about yer son. We wanted to ask......I mean...do you know? Did Carp find a tunnel in the woods nearby? And then one o' them Redcloaks chased him away?"
Berry nods along when he's introduced by Marten and flaps his wings slightly to chase away a bee that had been attracted to his assortment of fresh flowers. "Good morning madam," he offers as a greeting. Then, while awaiting the woman's answer he sits down on a rock or root starting to weave a dense ring from the flowers that he collected, a little flower circlet, really.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Daphyra glances around the room to take everything in. She swipes a piece of bread from the platter. "It's a lovely town, Master Wester. The people have been very... welcoming. It's a pity it seems to be so beset by ruffians and thugs taking advantage of the populace. I do agree that it is your duty to try to stamp it out, and I applaud your intentions of doing so. Are we the first group you have approached in such a manner, or have others tried before us?"
She munches on her bread as she awaits a reply.
Past characters:
Cariadne - Forest of Celador
Daphyra Fuffletail - The City of Cats
DM - Geek Legends - Wild beyond the Witchlight
Leela Steadystone - Adventures in the Sands
Mirri Goldenhorn - Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Lola Smythe-Whyte - Larkin Expedition
Daphyra - Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver
Vanja - Binder's Hold and the Problem with the Mine
Kiselina ascends the wooden steps of the town hall with his comrades. He crosses the threshold to the central chamber and immediately recognizes the power-play Harbin is perpetrating. Classic and classy.
He decides against any attempts to upset the balance of power the town-master may be going for by simply taking a seat at one of the lower table benches. He too, politely grabs some food, a few grapes. However, he briefly (and poorly) exaggerates how wonderful the bread is and the generosity of Harbin to invite the group to tea.
“Oh, town-master Harbin, this bread is simply scrumptious, is this the handiwork of your wife? Why, it must be the wheat from the fields of the majestic Phandalin that enhances the taste just right. If not, then surely the purity of the water is what makes this too much to resist.” (Deception: 5)
As the Dragonborn munches quietly on the grapes, he listens to Harbin’s words. Once Harbin finishes, and Daphyra has had her questions addressed, the knight adds the following.
“Ah, straight to the business at hand then, no delaying with pleasantries.” (Nudging whoever may be closest to Kiselina with a wink from the eye furthest away from the town-master.) “A fine showing of pomp and a great display in…(big pause here) aptitude wouldn’t you agree?”
Turning to readdress the rotund man, “Orcs to the east? Offering 100gp? Such a generous offer. I am sure that helping secure the Triboar Trail to the west of Phandalin from the goblins of Cragmaw must be worth just as much, wouldn’t you agree Vidruth?” (Persuasion: 25)
“Why, we’re just making arrangements to secure some of the missing cargo that was headed to the grand bastion that Phandalin is…due to your management.”
(Pausing here for now.)
(Nosam & Vidruth Bot #1)
NOSAM
Nosam has been in his room for fifteen minutes or so when he hears a commotion in the rear courtyard below where the bathhouses are. Looking out the window, he sees Elsa and the old servant in a verbal confrontation with four men wearing red cloaks. Nosam is on the second floor.
KISELINA, DAPHYRA & VIDRUTH
“Ruffians and thugs?,” repeats Westen after Daphyra. “Hells no, My Lady, we ain’t got nothing of the sort here. Sometimes they pass through, but no: this town is as clean as can be. Oh, you must mean the goblins, on the Triboar Road? Why, aye, YES!,” and here he adopts a preacher’s tone, and he stands up, pointing to the heavens, while as they say, the barn door remains open below. “We shall not EVER stop, nor rest, nor eat nor drink, nor… nor use the facilities…, until we have stamped out those invertebrates, those foul wrong-doing gobidoids! And we are fortunate to have yourselves and other like-minded folk here to help.”
“No, none have come through with the same errr… promiscuity as yourselves. For you seem to shine with the promise of scootin those orcs away!” This is said in complete seriousness.
In response to Kiselina, the town master takes the bait (most unwisely), and smiles unctuously at the paladin’s compliments, smacking his lips in self satisfaction as he sips from his pint.
“Twenty five gold to destroy those vermillion?? Why, I would say it’s worth FIFTY! And that’s cuz I am master of the town, elected fair as can be, and that comes with wisdom enough to know the unworthiness of gold! Ain't that right, bailiff?”
There is no response, for the bailiff left the room minutes ago. But he does, the young man, return presently, with a kettle and three cups and a bowl of rather moldy-smelling tea leaves and sets them on the table in front of you before leaving again, oblivious to Westen's question, it seems.
MARTEN & BERRY
Mrs Alderleaf replies to Marten after looking him right in the eye over her glasses for a long moment, and Berry too. Her expression quickly changed from welcoming to wary upon mention of the Redbrands. She lets her hand, with a letter in it, drop to her lap.
“Mr. Fairview and Berry, welcome to Phandalin, and it’s a pleasure to meet you both,” she says in a voice which is more measured than before.
“Now, what’s this about my ten-year-old son Carp you’ve come around to ask about? You may not have heard, but mothers are like as not to show their teeth if they feel their kin, especially young children, are at risk.”
After a moment, weighing your reactions, she continues, a touch of her earlier cheer returning, although now the flavor is bittersweet.
“I see you mean no harm. Carp is with Sister Garaele learning what he can from her, she’s a mind for history and scholarship and we’re lucky to have her here. I will ask you not to interrupt. But I can tell you this, since I see your heart is in the right place.
“Carp is a spirited and precocious lad. He is enchanted by the idea of being an adventurer, may Tymora lend him better luck than his father – may his spirit rest in sevens and twenties, as they say – who perished seeking the same. Anyhow, Carp told me last week, he was playing in the woods near Tresendar Manor when he found a secret tunnel in a thicket. A couple of “big ugly bandits” – his words – came out of the tunnel when he was there, and met with a pair of Redbrands. None of the men saw him, but it was close, and it scared the dickens out of him and excited him just the same. He’s not one to make up stories, and he’s a sharp eye. I’d say the bandits have taken up lodging in the old manor house, or more likely, its cellar, since we don’t see any lights after dark in the manor’s windows.”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
vidruth frowns, not so much about fighting orcs, as the townmasters bullshit, but he remains polite, just watches the townmaster like a hawk, and keeps his hands empty, chair slightly back from the table
"milord, they are in fact vertebrates, which doesnt make them any better, goblins are nasty little shits" he disagrees "bloody vicious with their weapons too, almost certainly worth fifty gold, hell, ive had some experience with them myself, years of it. killed my mom they did"
This Mug immediately shared with me a transcendental tale of an Infinite Mug that anchors the Universe and keeps it from folding in on itself. I filed this report under "illogical nonsense" and asked why its sign is in Times New Roman font, when it is basic knowledge that Arial Black is a far superior font. I wondered: How did this mug even get past the assembly line with its theistic beliefs and poor font choices?
quote from Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S Alexius
"Please, Mrs. Alderleaf, we don't want no trouble with protective mothers. Therefore, we came directly to you and not to your son," Berry says but shots a brief glare at Marten, because he thought they would actually do the opposite and search for the boy, not the mother. "It really is troubling news that Phandalin is so infested with these Redbrands. We have half a mind to do something about that and what you just told us could be really helpful towards that end. If there's anything else to the story or otherwise, please let us know. We stay indeed at the Stonehill inn if you need to find us." Berry finishes one flower circlet with about half of the flowers that he collected and starts to weave a second one, while he glances at Marten to see if he wants to add something before they leave.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Nosam attempts to hear what the fuss is about but no luck; he decides to grab his things and head downstairs. Making his way outside to the entrance of the courtyard he looks for any of his companions but unfortunately he remains solo. Once entering the area, he stops far enough away where he can run if needed, but he hopes it doesn't come to that. Nosam and running don't belong in the same sentence; he decides to act and hopefully, if needed, one from his group will hear. Nosam yells out towards the group while eyeing the four men, "Hello Miss Elsa, everything ok out here. I heard a bit of a ruckus from my room."
Intimidation- 10 (8+2)
Perception- 8 (Passive 10)
Marten looks abashed. He had hoped that asking Mrs. Alderleaf the question instead of asking to speak to Carp might avoid the same sort of reprimand that they got from Mrs. Stonehill. He's just glad that the good halfling didn't catch them talking to her son without her leave.
Marten nods along to Mrs. Alderleaf's story. When she finishes, he says, "Well now, I'm glad to hear yer son weren't seen, and he's all right."
Marten realizes with some embarrassment that he got the name of the red-cloaked group wrong. He agrees with Berry, "Yep. We heard tell that these Redbrands were gonna protect the town from goblins on the Triboar trail, but seems to me like they're just a plain nuisance t' the good folk o' Phandalin. This is a tip-top farm, I must say. It's a pleasure to see! I hope the Redbrands haven't given you any trouble here?"
And before they leave the farm, Marten asks, "Thank ye much, Mrs. Alderleaf. Like Berry said, if these Redbrands are jus' common thugs, we may have t' do som'ing 'bout 'em before long. Y've been a great help. I don' suppose Carp mentioned which side o' the manor he found the secret tunnel, did he? Or, if you find out, m'ybe send word ov'r to Stonehills for us?"
KISELINA, DAPHYRA & VIDRUTH
(Daphyra bot #1)
Vidruth: "milord, they are in fact vertebrates, which doesnt make them any better, goblins are nasty little shits" he disagrees "bloody vicious with their weapons too, almost certainly worth fifty gold, hell, ive had some experience with them myself, years of it. killed my mom they did"
The town master, hearing of Vidruth’s personal tragedy, literally looks the other way, an unconcerned expression on his face as he barely acknowledges the statement.
“Oh, is that so. Anyhows,” he picks up again, his voice regaining energy, “that’s all I’ve gots to say about that. So, goodbye and while yer here, be good law-abidin folk.” He puckers his face in a smile-not-smile, sits back down in his seat, and begins to studiously pick his teeth.
BERRY & MARTEN
Marten: "Well now, I'm glad to hear yer son weren't seen, and he's all right."
Mrs. Alderleaf smiles firmly at this. You can tell she appreciates the sentiment.
Marten: “"Yep. We heard tell that these Redbrands were gonna protect the town from goblins on the Triboar trail, but seems to me like they're just a plain nuisance t' the good folk o' Phandalin.”
“Some people think that doing someone a kindness gives one the right to turn around and cause em harm, as if it would all balance out. But the Redbrands are worse than that. I don’t believe they’re lending a hand with the goblins, even if they say they are. Even though they could.”
Marten: “This is a tip-top farm, I must say. It's a pleasure to see! I hope the Redbrands haven't given you any trouble here?"
“Why thank you Mr. Fairview. Just as humble as can be here, but a little bit of hard work and a little bit of love can bring Tymora on your side and bless you with lucky rewards. The Redbrands, on the other hand. Yes, they come around collecting tithes of me just the same as everyone else. With Harbin’s blessing now that he’s town master, there’s not much we can do about it. Why, I’d like to just see this ‘Glasstaff,’ they speak of, their enlightened leader as they tell it and speak to him plainly. I have many choice words for him, believe me.”
Berry: "It really is troubling news that Phandalin is so infested with these Redbrands. We have half a mind to do something about that and what you just told us could be really helpful towards that end.”
“You would be doing us all a favor,” Mrs Alderleaf answers, her voice firm, “to do something – anything – about those soot-hearted robbers. It was not this town’s best moment when we elected Harbin town master, but those were easier days. We had no idea what we were in for over the last few months.”
Berry: “If there's anything else to the story or otherwise, please let us know.”
Marten: “I don' suppose Carp mentioned which side o' the manor he found the secret tunnel, did he?”
Mrs Alderleaf frowns in thought for a moment. “There is one more detail. If you’re seeking out the Redbrands. I know where Carp said he saw them. There is a deerpath through the woods south of the manor. If you follow it to a spot where there are four trees all fallen over each other, the biggest one bent in half, and holly and winterberry growing thick around them. It looks almost like a cave under the biggest tree trunk. That’s where Carp says they dug their tunnel.”
NOSAM
Once entering the area, he stops far enough away where he can run if needed
When Nosam enters the courtyard, this is what he sees:
The first red-cloaked man is holding a black iron pan from the kitchen filled with what looks like the same eggs and potatoes you had for breakfast, picking out morsels and laughing sneeringly at the endeavors of his cohort.
The second man is holding Elsa’s arms behind her back, as she struggles, yelling, “Leave Mr Umberto alone!”
The third man is holding the arms of the old valet — Umberto — behind his back as the servant stands there, struggling, eyes wild, turning his head to and fro and shouting in indignation though unintelligibly, for his mouth remains sealed.
The fourth man, using a dagger, has cut a button from Umberto’s vest and is trying, while laughing derisively, to force the button into the servant’s mouth.
“Come on now!,” he says, as the others jibber and giggle cruelly. “A skinny old fella like yourself doesn’t eat nearly enough! Yer momma didn’t raise ya right, hehe. This here brass button’ll be a good start, make you strong as a post. COME ON NOW,” he whispers forcefully, pulling Umberto close, the dagger’s blade now inches from the old man’s neck. “EAT!”
Nosam yells out towards the group while eyeing the four men, "Hello Miss Elsa, everything ok out here. I heard a bit of a ruckus from my room."
The fourth man now turns from Umberto and regards the dwarf, switching the dagger to his left hand. Morning sunlight glints off the pommel of a longsword hanging from his waist. All four men are armed, Nosam’s trained eye picks out. The Redbrands chuckle excitedly at what the fourth man says next.
“Now look, boys. Like I said: a blight of underfed folks right here in Phandalin. Here,” shoving Umberto in the chest, “an old fart weighing less than a fart, and here…,” turning to face Nosam, his voice now slow and clear. “This one has grown to only half his natural height. That is a pity. YOU SHOULD GO BACK INSIDE, HALF-MAN,” he commands Nosam in a low growl, oily curls hanging down over one eye.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Daphyra sends Vidruth a sorrowful look after hearing of his loss.
She looks a little confusedly at Master Harbin. "Of course we will be law abiding citizens. We are here to help the town, after all."
She gets up and brushes the breadcrumbs from her clothes. "Meeting you has been... enlightening, sir. We will report back on your... uhh... troublemakers."
As they walk out the door, she murmurs to the others, "Not what I expected. Shall we check in on Sildar or see where the others have got to?"
Past characters:
Cariadne - Forest of Celador
Daphyra Fuffletail - The City of Cats
DM - Geek Legends - Wild beyond the Witchlight
Leela Steadystone - Adventures in the Sands
Mirri Goldenhorn - Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Lola Smythe-Whyte - Larkin Expedition
Daphyra - Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver
Vanja - Binder's Hold and the Problem with the Mine
Berry gets up, "Thank you Mrs. Alderleaf," he says. "That will help us greatly. Should you ever have any trouble with those ruffians, let us know. For your help, I would like that you accept this little flower circlet as a gift," he says offering the finished flower circlet and open the closed buds with a careful cast of Druidcraft. He wouldn't want to be in the woman's debt by receiving something without offering anything in return, such things can be quite a hassle for fey.
He collects the remaining flowers and turns to Marten, ready to leave, "Quite some mess we got is into here. First, a Black Spider organising waylaying goblin tribes and taking people hostage, and now, someone named Glasstaff who oppresses townsfolk by extorting protection money for literally no protection at all. I didn't expect that we would wander in such a hornets' nest. Each time we turn our backs some new dilemma presents itself."
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||