Riyphou, still feeling the dwarf’s handshake echo through his arm, turned to Tyrgram with concern in his eyes. He’d caught a glimpse of Tyrgram reaching toward one of the horses, and the dwarf’s focused attention suggested something was wrong. “Tyrgram, what is it? Did you find something?” he asked, voice quiet, so as not to spook the animals further.
When he spotted the bolt protruding from the horse’s flank, Riyphou’s brow furrowed. He gently laid a hand on the horse’s neck, murmuring soft, soothing words to channel the calm he had managed to summon moments ago. “Easy now,” he said, meeting Tyrgram’s eyes. “Let’s get this out without hurting it further.” He kept speaking softly, not sure if the horse could understand him, but hoping his tone and gentle presence would help calm it enough for Tyrgram to safely remove the bolt.
With Tyrgram and Riyphou working together the crossbow bolt comes free with minimal fuss. The horses don't even seem to notice the difference aside from a brief comment that the stinging pain is gone. The crossbow bolt is small, designed to fit in a hand crossbow compared to a regularly sized crossbow. In the distance can be heard shouting, and the rhythmic sounds of metal moving at a quick pace. It looks like the guards are coming up to see what the commotion was about.
"Please, let me offer you a reward for your help!" Argus said quickly with a wave of his hand. "I have reserved rooms at the Bottomless Cup in High Town. I'd be happy to offer a meal and drink as thanks for your aide!"
Riyphou cast a quick, nervous glance around the gathering crowd, hoping Findal had the sense to stay hidden while the guards approached. He then turned to Argus, relaxing his stance and nodding in gratitude. “Your offer is very kind,” he said, extending a large hand. “I’m Riyphou, and I’m afraid I’m quite new to Grayhaven. A place to rest and a good meal would be much appreciated.”
As the officials drew closer, Riyphou raised a calming hand, briefly recounting how the carriage careened out of control and how he and his companions stepped in to stop it. He made sure to emphasize that no serious injuries were sustained—aside from some shaken nerves—and that Argus himself had suffered no ill intentions. Throughout it all, his eyes still flicked toward the crowd, hoping Findal remained safely out of sight.
The explanation gives Maxie time to finish her spell. The backpack she was sitting on rises into the air as the unseen servant lifts it up, which in turn lifts Maxie to around the eye level of most of the folk here. Now she can pay attention to what's going on.
Tyrgram pocketed the small crossbow bolt, gave the horses a last reassuring pet and joined in on Riyphou's account of the situation mostly by nodding and gesturing at the cart and horses.
'Good food and drinks are always appreciated.' He said jovially and accepted Argus' offer.
Between Riyphou attempting to smooth things over, and Maxie floating up into the air, Argus pressed forward quite happy to corroborate that the carriage had gone completely out of control and that these fine folks had saved his very life. It helped to keep the eyes off of Findal, who shuffled nervously on the edge of the crowd until the guards let them go after a very brief set of comments that equated to simply: Stay Out Of Trouble.
Argus then proceeded to order a new carriage for everyone with a cheery smile, and a pleased, "Yes! Yes food! Right this way!" There was a brief moment of concern on how to fit everyone, but everyone at first, but thankfully it didn't take much to get a carriage of good size together with the request to take the group to the, "Bottomless Cup good sir!"
The carriage rumbled down the streets until they became wide and well-maintained, running past rows of shops and well-off homes. Everything in this area of Grayhaven appeared neat and proper, from the lamp posts to even the very people who walked the streets. The roads went further up and up a hill until you could look down and see the rest of the city below, all except the castle which loomed in the distance, standing on a precipice overlooking the harbor.
The carriage came to a stop outside of the Bottomless Cup, and Argus quite happily lead everyone inside and up to the set of rooms he had already booked. "Order what you like. Food and drink, as I said. I really can't thank you enough."
Findal kept to the back of the group for a moment, although he did pause to utter to everyone, "I think...Tykus' tower is rather close by. If we pass through High Street we should reach the Market District easily..."
Maxie orders a modest meal, well modest for someone 6 times her height! Unfortunately, she has to sit on the table to eat. Even standing on a chair she wouldn't be able to reach things on the table. Hmm, maybe she could put her backpack on the chair and sit on that. Ah, that works, though she has to use mage hand a lot to reach things and bring them to the edge.
These weren't problems when everyone was sitting on the ground around the fire during the trip.
Riyphou joined Maxie at the table, settling into a chair that felt oddly small for his large frame. He watched with quiet amusement as Maxie maneuvered her food with the help of Mage Hand, her resourcefulness a reminder of her unwavering determination. As he took a sip from his cup and started on his meal, his thoughts drifted back to the chaotic events earlier.
He leaned slightly toward Maxie and the rest of the group. “Doesn’t it strike anyone else as odd that the guards didn’t seem to care about the bolt we pulled from the horse?” he asked, his deep voice low enough not to carry beyond their table. “It wasn’t aimed to kill, but it was clearly meant to cause harm or at least create chaos. If the intent wasn’t to injure Argus, then maybe it was part of something bigger—a distraction for something else happening nearby.”
Riyphou paused, rolling a piece of bread between his fingers as he mulled it over. “We stopped the carriage, but what if we missed the real danger? What if someone used that chaos to cover their tracks?” His brow furrowed slightly as he turned the thought over. “I wonder if Argus was the target, or just an unwitting piece in someone else’s plan.”
He took another bite of his meal, still pondering aloud. “Either way, it’s strange the guards didn’t press on it. They either missed the detail entirely or... didn’t want to look too closely.”
Maxie paused in her rapid nibbling at her food to look up at Riyphou. "I never thought of that, but that makes sense. Rather than being a targeted attack, it could have been a random distraction by someone who didn't care who got hurt." She then resumed her rapid nibbling. With her small mouth, she had to take a lot of bites to take in a full sized meal.
'I don't want to insinuate something but going by many a story, guards can be bought off.' Tyrgram added to the conversation in between bites. 'The question needing to be answered is not if they were encouraged to look the other way or don't care. The question is: who stands to benefit from either option?'
Tyrgram surprised himself with that observation. Perhaps all that reading and storytelling made him think in conspiracy theories...
Riyphou, still feeling the dwarf’s handshake echo through his arm, turned to Tyrgram with concern in his eyes. He’d caught a glimpse of Tyrgram reaching toward one of the horses, and the dwarf’s focused attention suggested something was wrong. “Tyrgram, what is it? Did you find something?” he asked, voice quiet, so as not to spook the animals further.
When he spotted the bolt protruding from the horse’s flank, Riyphou’s brow furrowed. He gently laid a hand on the horse’s neck, murmuring soft, soothing words to channel the calm he had managed to summon moments ago. “Easy now,” he said, meeting Tyrgram’s eyes. “Let’s get this out without hurting it further.” He kept speaking softly, not sure if the horse could understand him, but hoping his tone and gentle presence would help calm it enough for Tyrgram to safely remove the bolt.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Trystane - Trollblood Lycanthrope - Vecna || Valerian - Pallid Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Cy Naïlo - Wood Elf Crossbowman - ChatGPT || b'Reh - Stig Order Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant Path Barbarian - Runewarren || Reyhana - Elf Champion Dervish - Seventh Sojourn ||
Animal Handling check with help from Riyphou: 23
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
With Tyrgram and Riyphou working together the crossbow bolt comes free with minimal fuss. The horses don't even seem to notice the difference aside from a brief comment that the stinging pain is gone. The crossbow bolt is small, designed to fit in a hand crossbow compared to a regularly sized crossbow. In the distance can be heard shouting, and the rhythmic sounds of metal moving at a quick pace. It looks like the guards are coming up to see what the commotion was about.
"Please, let me offer you a reward for your help!" Argus said quickly with a wave of his hand. "I have reserved rooms at the Bottomless Cup in High Town. I'd be happy to offer a meal and drink as thanks for your aide!"
Current:
Secrets of the Greenwold - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Historic:
Dawning - A Homebrew Campaign - DMTomb of Annihilation - DM
Dragon Heist of Waterdeep - DM
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Maxie sort of hears the offer, but she's busy casting a spell, so she doesn't answer.
Riyphou cast a quick, nervous glance around the gathering crowd, hoping Findal had the sense to stay hidden while the guards approached. He then turned to Argus, relaxing his stance and nodding in gratitude. “Your offer is very kind,” he said, extending a large hand. “I’m Riyphou, and I’m afraid I’m quite new to Grayhaven. A place to rest and a good meal would be much appreciated.”
As the officials drew closer, Riyphou raised a calming hand, briefly recounting how the carriage careened out of control and how he and his companions stepped in to stop it. He made sure to emphasize that no serious injuries were sustained—aside from some shaken nerves—and that Argus himself had suffered no ill intentions. Throughout it all, his eyes still flicked toward the crowd, hoping Findal remained safely out of sight.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Trystane - Trollblood Lycanthrope - Vecna || Valerian - Pallid Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Cy Naïlo - Wood Elf Crossbowman - ChatGPT || b'Reh - Stig Order Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant Path Barbarian - Runewarren || Reyhana - Elf Champion Dervish - Seventh Sojourn ||
The explanation gives Maxie time to finish her spell. The backpack she was sitting on rises into the air as the unseen servant lifts it up, which in turn lifts Maxie to around the eye level of most of the folk here. Now she can pay attention to what's going on.
Tyrgram pocketed the small crossbow bolt, gave the horses a last reassuring pet and joined in on Riyphou's account of the situation mostly by nodding and gesturing at the cart and horses.
'Good food and drinks are always appreciated.' He said jovially and accepted Argus' offer.
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure
Having missed most of that while she was summoning a new unseen servant, Maxie asked, "Food?"
Between Riyphou attempting to smooth things over, and Maxie floating up into the air, Argus pressed forward quite happy to corroborate that the carriage had gone completely out of control and that these fine folks had saved his very life. It helped to keep the eyes off of Findal, who shuffled nervously on the edge of the crowd until the guards let them go after a very brief set of comments that equated to simply: Stay Out Of Trouble.
Argus then proceeded to order a new carriage for everyone with a cheery smile, and a pleased, "Yes! Yes food! Right this way!" There was a brief moment of concern on how to fit everyone, but everyone at first, but thankfully it didn't take much to get a carriage of good size together with the request to take the group to the, "Bottomless Cup good sir!"
The carriage rumbled down the streets until they became wide and well-maintained, running past rows of shops and well-off homes. Everything in this area of Grayhaven appeared neat and proper, from the lamp posts to even the very people who walked the streets. The roads went further up and up a hill until you could look down and see the rest of the city below, all except the castle which loomed in the distance, standing on a precipice overlooking the harbor.
The carriage came to a stop outside of the Bottomless Cup, and Argus quite happily lead everyone inside and up to the set of rooms he had already booked. "Order what you like. Food and drink, as I said. I really can't thank you enough."
Findal kept to the back of the group for a moment, although he did pause to utter to everyone, "I think...Tykus' tower is rather close by. If we pass through High Street we should reach the Market District easily..."
Current:
Secrets of the Greenwold - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Historic:
Dawning - A Homebrew Campaign - DMTomb of Annihilation - DM
Dragon Heist of Waterdeep - DM
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Maxie orders a modest meal, well modest for someone 6 times her height! Unfortunately, she has to sit on the table to eat. Even standing on a chair she wouldn't be able to reach things on the table. Hmm, maybe she could put her backpack on the chair and sit on that. Ah, that works, though she has to use mage hand a lot to reach things and bring them to the edge.
These weren't problems when everyone was sitting on the ground around the fire during the trip.
Riyphou joined Maxie at the table, settling into a chair that felt oddly small for his large frame. He watched with quiet amusement as Maxie maneuvered her food with the help of Mage Hand, her resourcefulness a reminder of her unwavering determination. As he took a sip from his cup and started on his meal, his thoughts drifted back to the chaotic events earlier.
He leaned slightly toward Maxie and the rest of the group. “Doesn’t it strike anyone else as odd that the guards didn’t seem to care about the bolt we pulled from the horse?” he asked, his deep voice low enough not to carry beyond their table. “It wasn’t aimed to kill, but it was clearly meant to cause harm or at least create chaos. If the intent wasn’t to injure Argus, then maybe it was part of something bigger—a distraction for something else happening nearby.”
Riyphou paused, rolling a piece of bread between his fingers as he mulled it over. “We stopped the carriage, but what if we missed the real danger? What if someone used that chaos to cover their tracks?” His brow furrowed slightly as he turned the thought over. “I wonder if Argus was the target, or just an unwitting piece in someone else’s plan.”
He took another bite of his meal, still pondering aloud. “Either way, it’s strange the guards didn’t press on it. They either missed the detail entirely or... didn’t want to look too closely.”
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Trystane - Trollblood Lycanthrope - Vecna || Valerian - Pallid Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Cy Naïlo - Wood Elf Crossbowman - ChatGPT || b'Reh - Stig Order Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant Path Barbarian - Runewarren || Reyhana - Elf Champion Dervish - Seventh Sojourn ||
Maxie paused in her rapid nibbling at her food to look up at Riyphou. "I never thought of that, but that makes sense. Rather than being a targeted attack, it could have been a random distraction by someone who didn't care who got hurt." She then resumed her rapid nibbling. With her small mouth, she had to take a lot of bites to take in a full sized meal.
'I don't want to insinuate something but going by many a story, guards can be bought off.' Tyrgram added to the conversation in between bites. 'The question needing to be answered is not if they were encouraged to look the other way or don't care. The question is: who stands to benefit from either option?'
Tyrgram surprised himself with that observation. Perhaps all that reading and storytelling made him think in conspiracy theories...
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Tyrgram, the Butterfly Knight: Dwarf Warlock - Secret of Greenwold
Iòlinder Corrach: Half Elf War Cleric - Allansia Adventure