The night quiets and cools, and patrons disperse to their newly built homes, or temporary dwellings. Glynnis closes up for the night, and heads off to bed. The dance hall is large, dark, and quiet again. But this time, it's not a dreary emptiness. There's a new hope filling the air that has been missing since you first arrived in Santekh.
At Ebrius's Dwelling...
Ebrius returns to her boarding house to find the Oversized Sock of Mundane Holding hung up on her wall. It's one of the newer constructions and came pre-furnished for 1 Stl per week.
At the Laughing Dwarf Dance Hall...
The party dies slowly as patrons filter from the establishment intermittently. The last to leave are the members of Vix-Sin, who graciously scoop up every tossed coin they find as the patrons stumble out the door muttering slurred phrases of gratitude for a great show. Once the band cleans up their mess, Glynnis shoos them out the door, gives Handar his cut of the night, and shuffles off to bed, exhausted from a hard evening's work. What remains is a large, dark, quiet hall that so recently carried the din of long-awaited frivolity that you can almost still hear it echoing off its walls. But the emptiness doesn't haunt. There's a new hope filling the air, and many in town seem to be breathing it in.
Albert and Avros share their room with the kobolds who tend to sleep in a pile next to the fireplace. Princess Harkail greets them warmly and invites the two to join the cuddle puddle Culturally, the invite is a tremendous act of trust and generosity. But the bed next to the wall provide a tempting alternative.
The warm sounds of pleasure coming from the next room intrigue the kobolds, and they mutter amongst themselves in Draconic in tones that sound more observational than amused... as if they were perplexed by human intimacy and mating behaviors. But eventually the noise dies down and the kobolds return to their rest.
The morning begins slowly, as Santekh struggles to recover from their night of debauchery. But the water wagons are out, ready to hydrate the workers are are beginning to gather in the town center. Rumors of Dana's grisly crimes have already begun to circulate, and are competing for attention with the ensuing trial of the Letni Inhelk clan representatives. Arvos and Albert awaken to a firm knock. You find the kobolds have already begun brewing their coffee and dawned clothing. They turn their heads almost in unison as they hear the voice of a guard at the door...
"Pardon, but it is time for us to collect the prisoners for their trial. Could... could you open the door, please?" The voice is that of a young man, clearly embarrassed to be disturbing the slumber of local celebrities.
Sise jumps up on a table in surprise when the guards knock. It sniffs the air with its snout in agitation, but returns to Albert when it senses no danger. You can see that the strange little creature has something for you... a candle. You recognize it as one of the candles from Dana's shop.
Albert receives 1 Candle of Invocation Albert and Avros both recover all HP and gain 10 Temporary Hit Points. Remember to check your Oversized Socks of Mundane Holding!
The sock shrinks until it vanishes after you claim your prize.
Sera and Hastos can hear the gentle knocking on their compatriots door, but it's more muffled and feint. Tousled hair and a restful glow belie the nature of relief the night gave them. And the warm morning sun radiating through the windows adds a golden glow the messy sheets and disheveled room.
Hastos and Sera each start the day with Inspiration. Remember to check your Oversized Socks of Mundane Holding!
The sock shrinks until it vanishes after you claim your prize.
Ebrius awakens in her room after a night of adventurous dreams. She awakens feeling bold and fearless, with a sense of strength she hasn't had the pleasure of feeling in some time. You notice that somehow, you fell asleep holding your new scythe and feel loathe to set it down or part with it, but you feel like you could tie it to your pack if you needed to free your hands.
You are attuned to your scythe. Remember to check your Oversized Sock of Mundane Holding!
The sock shrinks until it vanishes after you claim your prize.
Hastos’ eyes pop open at the faint sound of knocking on the door next to them. His instincts are to grab for a weapon he doesn’t have near him, but his time in the wild has taught him better. His muscles tense to prevent him from moving and he scans the room for anything that might pose a threat, or serve as a weapon. (Investigation: 17 + 1 =18)
Although he can’t quite make out distinct words, he listens to the tone of the person speaking. Quietly, but urgently, he whispers “Sera, there’s something going on next door.”
He sits up slowly and deliberately to prevent making noises that might betray their presence and positions himself to get at one of his weapons in an instant should the situation escalate.
“They said something about prisoners.” He again said in a hushed and urgent tone. He continues focusing intently on the door.
Albert smiles and starts painting Mishakal symbol on the wall. He also gives brush to Sise: "Go wild as they say hehe"
"Thank you for this. Even if you are not believers, Mishakal just loves everyone unconditionally! May good luck and fertility fall upon you, your work and home"
After finishing painting Albert goes to Refugee camp to mingle and sleep.
Sera woke to the sound of a gentle knock on the door, her groggy state interrupted by Hastos springing to action. He was already at the door, eavesdropping as if an ambush were imminent. His tense posture and readiness for battle made her sigh.
She slumped back into the stained sheets, remnants of their raw passion from the night before. If she had dreamed of tender morning kisses or soft embraces, she realized with a hint of bitterness that soldiers weren’t the ones to provide them.
Rising from bed, she didn’t bother covering herself, her bare form moving to the water bowl by the window. The water wasn’t drinkable, but it would do for cleaning up. Splashing her face and wiping at her skin, she glanced back at Hastos, nearly naked, his weapon gripped tight. “This is my first morning here,” she said dryly. “Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.”
Her eyes lingered on him briefly, but instead of saying something sweet about last night, she swallowed the thought. It was clear he wasn’t one for sentiment. “Men…” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she searched for her tunic.
As she dressed, her fingers brushed against something in her bundle of belongings—a finely crafted sword hilt, a surprise even to her. She examined it briefly, then tucked it away in a pouch deciding to examine it during breakfast before raking her fingers through her disheveled hair.Glynnis would be thrilled to braid her again she was sure.
Barefoot and tired, she headed out the door to find breakfast, deciding she wouldn’t wait for Hastos. If he didn’t care to share a kind word or a moment of connection, she wouldn’t waste her morning hoping.
As Hastos sees that Sera was entirely uninterested in whatever was going on he realized what he must look like through her eyes. Stark naked and crouched at the door like a lunatic.
He lets out an embarrassed “Uhhmm.” As she’s about to leave the room. “Sorry about that. That’s uh, years of habit.” He clears his throat again.
“About last night.” He pauses, clearly uncomfortable. “I really enjoyed… it was… it meant a lot to me - in more ways than I knew.” He takes a breath. “When you got me out of that cage, you said something about hoping I’m not a bad guy. I, I am. At least, I think I became one. I didn’t start out that way - It’s, uh, the isolation and…“ he trails off and looks down at his feet.
“I think I got lost, and you brought me back. Thank you.” He smiles awkwardly. “Anyway, ill get something on and join you for breakfast… if that’s ok.”
Hastos suddenly stops, his words stumbling out in an awkward apology. He seems self-aware of his clumsy demeanor, stuttering as he confesses how he’s stuck in old habits and he say "...I really enjoyed it..."his voice sincere.
Sera pauses and listens, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes. He genuinely seems to like her, and there's something raw in his admission. When he asks if he can join her for breakfast, she smiles warmly, her heart softening. “Hurry, let’s go together,” she says, her voice gentle but with a hint of playfulness.
As they walk together into the hall, Sera decides to give the onlookers something sweeter to gossip about. She wanted him to know that if he opened up more, if he gave more of himself, she could be his. She presses a kiss to his chin and leans into him, her hand resting on his arm as she snuggles into his shoulder.
"Good morning," she says cheerfully, her eyes sparkling. "Is there any bread left?" She smiles at Glynnis and the others present, letting the warmth of the moment spread, and feeling the shift of something new between her and Hastos.
Sitting down she would also start fumble and try understand what the swordhilt was descreetely under the table ( attuning)
Hastos sits down facing the door. “…and any coffee?” Hastos adds to Sera’s request.
He opens his pack to fetch money to pay and notices an oversized sock. “What the hell?” He says in a low voice. As he reaches inside, the sock disintegrates leaving two stones in his palm (Nature: 12) . “Huh.” He mutters as he slips the stones into his coin purse and retrieves a gold piece. He puts his bag down between his feet. He scans the room for anyone looking suspicious (Perception: 12).
Arvos typically a morning person feels definitely older those days some of his joints give a soft pop as awakens to the knock. With his hair more akin to a birds nest he appreciatively puts on his gift and opens the door "What time is it and oh where are my manners of course come in"
Sera watched Hastos slip back into his combat readiness, sitting rigidly and facing the door, his eyes scanning the room like every patron might be an assassin. It was as though she didn’t exist. With a resigned sigh, she nodded to herself and let it go. Every small attempt at tenderness seemed to be met with the walls of his trauma. Well, he’d given her some fun and relief, but she quickly decided she wouldn’t settle for someone so closed off.
She quietly ate her breakfast, idly fumbling with the sword hilt she’d tucked away. Her curiosity about what kind of blade it might summon grew as she turned it in her hands. Suddenly, a brilliant blade of energy sprang to life with a hiss, slicing the table clean in half. Each half of the table toppled to the sides, sending dishes, mugs, and food crashing noisily to the floor.
Sera gasped, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She quickly willed the blade to disappear, and to her relief, it obeyed. “Sorry! I’ll pay for that… and clean it up,” she stammered, glancing over at Glynnis with an apologetic smile, her face a mix of guilt and awkwardness.
Ebrius slowly wakes, gets dressed, grabs some coffee, and leaves their room.
"Wow, I... did not get enough sleep. Weird... Maybe some food will help..."
I head towards the hall and get some bread, chomping it down in less than a minute. Than I notice a table cut in half and Sera.
"Huh, wait, woah. What's going on over here?!" I say while running towards Sera. "Wait, what do you have?" I say looking at Hastos "Huh, I guess I'll help out, wow. Crazy start to a morning."
Sera spotted Eribus across the room and found herself staring at the tiefling once more. Must be hard to look like the spawn of Takhisis, she thought, then immediately caught herself. Judgmental much? She knew what it felt like to be judged—she’d been a street rat once, after all.
Determined to push past her bias, she tucked away the sword hilt and cleared her throat. “Uh... just something I found in my sock,” she mumbled, her words trailing off as the explanation sounded ridiculous even to her. Quickly shifting gears, she offered a warm smile. “Glad to see you again—and looking better too. Once I’m done scraping food off the floor, why don’t you join us for breakfast?”
She added a small chuckle, trying to joke away her awkwardness as she knelt to clean up the mess she'd made.
"Good morning," she says cheerfully, her eyes sparkling. "Is there any bread left?" She smiles at Glynnis and the others present, letting the warmth of the moment spread, and feeling the shift of something new between her and Hastos.
Sitting down she would also start fumble and try understand what the swordhilt was descreetely under the table ( attuning)
Glynnis is by herself this morning, looking a bit tired, but her spirits are up. "Amazingly, some food did survive th'night. The fresh stuff's still bakin', but I figured ye'd be off to an early start today, so I started warmin' some'n up fer ye." Her smile is warm and genuine and her tone is subdued from fatigue, but still pleasant.
She sets down a wooden plate of warm barbari with a side of jam, mint leaves, and walnuts.
Hastos sits down facing the door. “…and any coffee?” Hastos adds to Sera’s request.
He opens his pack to fetch money to pay and notices an oversized sock. “What the hell?” He says in a low voice. As he reaches inside, the sock disintegrates leaving two stones in his palm (Nature: 12) . “Huh.” He mutters as he slips the stones into his coin purse and retrieves a gold piece. He puts his bag down between his feet. He scans the room for anyone looking suspicious (Perception: 12).
Glynnis smiles at you and Sera. "You... eh... have a fun night? Dancin', I mean?" she says with a wink and pours the coffee into a clean mug.
Nature (12): You recognize the gems as Alexandrite and Black Opal. At the right merchant, you could fetch a generous price for these stones. Perception (12): The room is basically empty, and surprisingly clean, considering the mess the party-goers made last night.
Sera watched Hastos slip back into his combat readiness, sitting rigidly and facing the door, his eyes scanning the room like every patron might be an assassin. It was as though she didn’t exist. With a resigned sigh, she nodded to herself and let it go. Every small attempt at tenderness seemed to be met with the walls of his trauma. Well, he’d given her some fun and relief, but she quickly decided she wouldn’t settle for someone so closed off.
She quietly ate her breakfast, idly fumbling with the sword hilt she’d tucked away. Her curiosity about what kind of blade it might summon grew as she turned it in her hands. Suddenly, a brilliant blade of energy sprang to life with a hiss, slicing the table clean in half. Each half of the table toppled to the sides, sending dishes, mugs, and food crashing noisily to the floor.
Sera gasped, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She quickly willed the blade to disappear, and to her relief, it obeyed. “Sorry! I’ll pay for that… and clean it up,” she stammered, glancing over at Glynnis with an apologetic smile, her face a mix of guilt and awkwardness.
Glynnis leaps back in shock and drops the pot of coffee onto the ground, splattering herself with the scalding fluid. Sputtering curses and skittering away from the growing puddle of freshly brewed coffee, she glares at Sera like a mother about to ground her child. "Can I get one damned peaceful day with no one trying ta kill someone around here?!" Handar pokes his head out of the kitchen to see what the fuss is, looks at Sera as if to say "Whyyyyyy???" then wisely slinks back into the kitchen.
"All over me fresh linens..." Glynnis starts trying to whisk the scalding coffee off her skirt with her calloused hands, muttering to herself, but ultimately gives up on the primping. She stands up, lets out a deep, frustrated sigh, and looks to Sera and Hastos. "Yer nice kids. An' I know twas an accident. An' I also know ye' ain't got too much money on ye. Tell ye what. I'll bill the city fer the table. They're the ones that put ye up her fer the night, so they're on the hook. But I could use some help around here. With the supplies back in town, we're ready to really start servin' some customers, 'n I need people who can sling drinks and run food. Right now, all I got is Handar 'n Sky. But we could use a little muscle 'round here if things get rowdy. One gold per day, plus food 'n drink. That's me offer. Keep that thing in its sheathe and promise not to break nothin' more, and ye got yerfelf a job."
As the offer is on the... table... four guards come rushing down the stairs, weapons drawn, dragging stumbling kobolds in shackles behind them. They seem alarmed and confused as they observe The Golden Company's newest recruits cleaning up a mess near the bar. Glynnis waves her hand disarmingly and the guards relax and go about their business of escorting the prisoners. "It's fine.. we're fine. Just an accident. We got this under control," she says to the guards.
As Princess Harkail passes by, the two exchange a nod. "Good luck to ye," Glynnis offers the distressed envoy. She watches the kobolds leave as if she's watching a march to an execution. There's a hint of pity in her eyes. Once they leave she mutters one more thought in dwarvish.
Those who speak Dwarvish may roll a Perception check to understand what she says.
Arvos typically a morning person feels definitely older those days some of his joints give a soft pop as awakens to the knock. With his hair more akin to a birds nest he appreciatively puts on his gift and opens the door "What time is it and oh where are my manners of course come in"
With the invitation, the guards enter and collect the princess and her entourage.
"Thank you for keeping us safe, Arvos. If this hearing goes well, I hope our friendship can carry on far after my time in Santekh."
With one last look back, the guards and the kobolds, now in chains walk out the door and down the hall. You hear a "fwoosh!" coming from downstairs and then a loud crashing sound! Then you hear Glynnis cursing and stumbling about!
Glynnis seemed to grow resigned to the chaos surrounding them. Would there ever be peace? She thought to herself, watching as the guards rushing to aid were quickly dismissed. But then, when the suggestion of a new job came up, working to help maintain order, Sera found herself liking the idea immensely. The thought of seeing people come together in a safe place, working toward something meaningful, was much more appealing than formalities like building a temple. She had never been one for such structure anyway.
With a nod, Sera eagerly agreed to take on the role of a serving maid. It felt like the kind of job that would allow her to connect with people—something far more satisfying than playing the part of a distant leader. As for Hastos’s comment about her leading the Golden Company, she simply smiled. "I joined last night," she replied with a shrug, "but let’s meet regularly in the afternoon for practice and drills. The last battle was…," she hesitated, recalling the disorderly chaos. "Let's just say, there’s room for improvement but if you take a job as a guard or something here...that be nice"
Afterward, she joined Glynnis and received her serving maid's outfit—tailored to her well-toned, firm body, accentuating her curves and leaving little to the imagination. The outfit was form-fitting, with a deep neckline that enhanced her small but perfectly shaped bust, the fabric hugging her slender waist and hips. Adding a leather corset to display her slim waist even more. The skirt was short to show off her legs, practical to allow her to move easily. She got a practical small apron with pockets in front. She secured her swordhilt, which held the magical Sunblade she believed was a gift from the gods, hidden in a garter on her thigh, just under the edge of the skirt.
Hastos relaxes a bit as he realizes Eribus is a friend to Sera and extends a hand to Eribus. “Hello, I’m Hastos. Thanks for helping out!”
"You're welcome!"
I then leave the tavern and go out on patrol. With all of the new things going on within the walls, i need to be working my hardest.
"Huh, so much happened yesterday and now it's just... so chill. Why, would someone kill for no reason, I just don't understand..." (Ebrius say's speaking to themselves)
"I could probably look for a job. I need a bit of extra cash anyways." Ebrius looks for someone who could give her a job.
The days pass slowly as Dana's trial drags on. Socially, she's a beacon in this town. In many occasions she been invited to join the council, but she preferred to stay out of the politics, and out of the limelight. The public generally assumed that she was just humble and preferred her privacy, which only made them admire her more. To see her wrapped up in a scandal like this made everyone, the council included, squeamish about prosecuting her.
The court case revealed that she had be visiting battlefields where the rebels and the dragon armies had their skirmishes. She would find dragon army soldiers who somehow survived the battle, drag them to her dungeon, and perform horrific rites on them, extracting their body fat to make tallow for her candles. This was done as a service to her god, Sargonnas, who granted her the power to avenge her son, barely more than a toddler, who was torn from her hands and trampled by Dragon Army soldiers as she was fleeing her homeland. The revelation that she was serving Sargonnas led to an inquisition about an occult presence, but Dana insisted that she was acting alone, and not as part of a secret cabal.
The council chose to believe her, and ordered her shrine to Sargonnas be destroyed. Her candle shop was shut down and the enchanted candles she made were taken away to be studied and archived. She was given a comparatively light prison sentence, which infuriated Amelista. She called for a vote of no confidence to the council, accusing some of the council members to be a part of the cult of Sargonnas. She demanded that there be a new election of council members and an investigation be held to determine who is and who is not serving the concubine of Takhisis.
But although the her claims seemed to have some credibility, she had a hard time rallying enthusiasm to the cause. After all... Sargonnas is the god of wrathful vengeance. And pretty much everyone in Santekh was there because they has some reason to want revenge. As of yet, the cult (if there even is a cult) has shown no interest in harming the people of Santekh, with the singular exception of the one who attacked Bran and Arvos at the dance hall.
To appease Amelista and quiet the modest murmurs of corruption in Santekh, they added a new position to the council, and assigned her the role of overseeing security within Santekh. They gave her a task force of guards and the right to perform investigations. Ebrius found work as a head of one cell of this task force and began the process of hiring and training guards and detectives. It went fairly well, until her anger got the best of her, and she pulled her scythe on a fellow guard. The incident ended without death or injury, but Ebrius was demoted and disgraced.
Amelista would like to become a patron for The Golden Company. She will hire you to secretly investigate the council and route the cultists. You'll be paid 40 Stl per week each if you accept the task.
Talk also turned to the trial of Princess Harkail. Although the trial was rushed, it ended favorably, with Princess Harkail gaining her freedom, as well as the freedom of her entourage. Following the trial, the council agrees to let Letni Inhelk keep the last of the supplies they stole. In return, they are expected to trade fairly with the supply merchants along their trade routes, and open trade for agricultural resources as soon as they return home safely.
While the trial went way smoother than it should've, there were some strange revelations during the trial that has raised further suspicion about corruption within the council. Mainly that the theft may have been an inside job. It was let slip during trial that one of the members of the council told Letni Inhelk about the merchant caravan, as well as gave them vital information about when and where to ambush them in order to claim the supplies. It's also implied that whoever leaked the information was hoping that the robbery would insight fear and outrage amongst the refugees. This would give them a cause to rally behind and, by routing the kobolds, it would've given the council access to all the resources the kobolds have.
Although Princess Harkail was outraged to discover that her clan was set up to be eradicated for resources, she agreed to the terms of the peace treaty, and led an escort of merchants to the Letni Inhelk home to begin trading.
During the trial, you meet Kasi, the Fletcher. She's an older kobold, who has been exiled to live with the humans in Santekh. She was the first to attempt a trade with the Santekh settlers (against the queen's wishes), and accidentally revealed that the kobolds were in possession of highly valuable resources. It was because of her clumsy negotiations that an unknown member of the council set about to betray Santekh and then double-cross the kobold clan. She lives in her hut, which is also her shop, and crafts surprisingly high quality ranged and thrown weapons.
Kasi has offered to make you ten Arrows of Slaying if you can help her get back into the good graces of her clan. She hates it in Santekh. And although the efforts of Albert and Arvos have improved the treatment of kobolds in town, it's still not great to be a kobold in a town that openly hates dragonkin.
The party is fully rested. It's been two weeks, and Buckeran is bursting to explore that Brass Dragon hideout. He's been nagging at you for days to go on the adventure, and now that the trial is over, he's become increasingly annoying.
Open Quests:
Find the Lair of the Adult Bronze Dragon (must travel with Buckeran). Reward: a dragon's horde, and Buckeran's support in the council
Find Alchemical Ingredients for Witchdoctor Duncan (ongoing) Reward: gold reward varies depending on find
Uncover the Mystery of the Sargonnas Cult in Santekh (turn in to Amelista). Reward: tbd
Restore the holy grounds and cemetery in Santekh. Reward: tbd
Take Kasi to Letni Inhelk and attempt to help her end her exile. Reward: 10 Arrows of Slaying
The night quiets and cools, and patrons disperse to their newly built homes, or temporary dwellings. Glynnis closes up for the night, and heads off to bed. The dance hall is large, dark, and quiet again. But this time, it's not a dreary emptiness. There's a new hope filling the air that has been missing since you first arrived in Santekh.
At Ebrius's Dwelling...
Ebrius returns to her boarding house to find the Oversized Sock of Mundane Holding hung up on her wall. It's one of the newer constructions and came pre-furnished for 1 Stl per week.
At the Laughing Dwarf Dance Hall...
The party dies slowly as patrons filter from the establishment intermittently. The last to leave are the members of Vix-Sin, who graciously scoop up every tossed coin they find as the patrons stumble out the door muttering slurred phrases of gratitude for a great show. Once the band cleans up their mess, Glynnis shoos them out the door, gives Handar his cut of the night, and shuffles off to bed, exhausted from a hard evening's work. What remains is a large, dark, quiet hall that so recently carried the din of long-awaited frivolity that you can almost still hear it echoing off its walls. But the emptiness doesn't haunt. There's a new hope filling the air, and many in town seem to be breathing it in.
Albert and Avros share their room with the kobolds who tend to sleep in a pile next to the fireplace. Princess Harkail greets them warmly and invites the two to join the cuddle puddle Culturally, the invite is a tremendous act of trust and generosity. But the bed next to the wall provide a tempting alternative.
The warm sounds of pleasure coming from the next room intrigue the kobolds, and they mutter amongst themselves in Draconic in tones that sound more observational than amused... as if they were perplexed by human intimacy and mating behaviors. But eventually the noise dies down and the kobolds return to their rest.
The morning begins slowly, as Santekh struggles to recover from their night of debauchery. But the water wagons are out, ready to hydrate the workers are are beginning to gather in the town center. Rumors of Dana's grisly crimes have already begun to circulate, and are competing for attention with the ensuing trial of the Letni Inhelk clan representatives. Arvos and Albert awaken to a firm knock. You find the kobolds have already begun brewing their coffee and dawned clothing. They turn their heads almost in unison as they hear the voice of a guard at the door...
"Pardon, but it is time for us to collect the prisoners for their trial. Could... could you open the door, please?" The voice is that of a young man, clearly embarrassed to be disturbing the slumber of local celebrities.
Sise jumps up on a table in surprise when the guards knock. It sniffs the air with its snout in agitation, but returns to Albert when it senses no danger. You can see that the strange little creature has something for you... a candle. You recognize it as one of the candles from Dana's shop.
Albert receives 1 Candle of Invocation
Albert and Avros both recover all HP and gain 10 Temporary Hit Points.
Remember to check your Oversized Socks of Mundane Holding!
The sock shrinks until it vanishes after you claim your prize.
Sera and Hastos can hear the gentle knocking on their compatriots door, but it's more muffled and feint. Tousled hair and a restful glow belie the nature of relief the night gave them. And the warm morning sun radiating through the windows adds a golden glow the messy sheets and disheveled room.
Hastos and Sera each start the day with Inspiration.
Remember to check your Oversized Socks of Mundane Holding!
The sock shrinks until it vanishes after you claim your prize.
Ebrius awakens in her room after a night of adventurous dreams. She awakens feeling bold and fearless, with a sense of strength she hasn't had the pleasure of feeling in some time. You notice that somehow, you fell asleep holding your new scythe and feel loathe to set it down or part with it, but you feel like you could tie it to your pack if you needed to free your hands.
You are attuned to your scythe.
Remember to check your Oversized Sock of Mundane Holding!
The sock shrinks until it vanishes after you claim your prize.
My DM Registry
My Characters:
Archibald Thwipp, Human/Male/Blood Hunter/L3 posting in The Tavern, DnDBeyond
Sergeant Sylvia, Half Orc/Female/Barbarian/L3 posting in A Beginner's Guide, Myth Weavers
Carric Holimion, Wood Elf/Male/Ranger/L1 posting in Lost Mines of Phandelver, Giant in the Playground
Hastos’ eyes pop open at the faint sound of knocking on the door next to them. His instincts are to grab for a weapon he doesn’t have near him, but his time in the wild has taught him better. His muscles tense to prevent him from moving and he scans the room for anything that might pose a threat, or serve as a weapon.
(Investigation: 17 + 1 =18)
Although he can’t quite make out distinct words, he listens to the tone of the person speaking. Quietly, but urgently, he whispers
“Sera, there’s something going on next door.”
He sits up slowly and deliberately to prevent making noises that might betray their presence and positions himself to get at one of his weapons in an instant should the situation escalate.
“They said something about prisoners.” He again said in a hushed and urgent tone. He continues focusing intently on the door.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Albert smiles and starts painting Mishakal symbol on the wall. He also gives brush to Sise: "Go wild as they say hehe"
"Thank you for this. Even if you are not believers, Mishakal just loves everyone unconditionally! May good luck and fertility fall upon you, your work and home"
After finishing painting Albert goes to Refugee camp to mingle and sleep.
Sera woke to the sound of a gentle knock on the door, her groggy state interrupted by Hastos springing to action. He was already at the door, eavesdropping as if an ambush were imminent. His tense posture and readiness for battle made her sigh.
She slumped back into the stained sheets, remnants of their raw passion from the night before. If she had dreamed of tender morning kisses or soft embraces, she realized with a hint of bitterness that soldiers weren’t the ones to provide them.
Rising from bed, she didn’t bother covering herself, her bare form moving to the water bowl by the window. The water wasn’t drinkable, but it would do for cleaning up. Splashing her face and wiping at her skin, she glanced back at Hastos, nearly naked, his weapon gripped tight. “This is my first morning here,” she said dryly. “Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.”
Her eyes lingered on him briefly, but instead of saying something sweet about last night, she swallowed the thought. It was clear he wasn’t one for sentiment. “Men…” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she searched for her tunic.
As she dressed, her fingers brushed against something in her bundle of belongings—a finely crafted sword hilt, a surprise even to her. She examined it briefly, then tucked it away in a pouch deciding to examine it during breakfast before raking her fingers through her disheveled hair.Glynnis would be thrilled to braid her again she was sure.
Barefoot and tired, she headed out the door to find breakfast, deciding she wouldn’t wait for Hastos. If he didn’t care to share a kind word or a moment of connection, she wouldn’t waste her morning hoping.
As Hastos sees that Sera was entirely uninterested in whatever was going on he realized what he must look like through her eyes. Stark naked and crouched at the door like a lunatic.
He lets out an embarrassed “Uhhmm.” As she’s about to leave the room. “Sorry about that. That’s uh, years of habit.” He clears his throat again.
“About last night.” He pauses, clearly uncomfortable. “I really enjoyed… it was… it meant a lot to me - in more ways than I knew.” He takes a breath. “When you got me out of that cage, you said something about hoping I’m not a bad guy.
I, I am.
At least, I think I became one. I didn’t start out that way - It’s, uh, the isolation and… “ he trails off and looks down at his feet.
“I think I got lost, and you brought me back. Thank you.” He smiles awkwardly. “Anyway, ill get something on and join you for breakfast… if that’s ok.”
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Hastos suddenly stops, his words stumbling out in an awkward apology. He seems self-aware of his clumsy demeanor, stuttering as he confesses how he’s stuck in old habits and he say "...I really enjoyed it..."his voice sincere.
Sera pauses and listens, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes. He genuinely seems to like her, and there's something raw in his admission. When he asks if he can join her for breakfast, she smiles warmly, her heart softening. “Hurry, let’s go together,” she says, her voice gentle but with a hint of playfulness.
As they walk together into the hall, Sera decides to give the onlookers something sweeter to gossip about. She wanted him to know that if he opened up more, if he gave more of himself, she could be his. She presses a kiss to his chin and leans into him, her hand resting on his arm as she snuggles into his shoulder.
"Good morning," she says cheerfully, her eyes sparkling. "Is there any bread left?" She smiles at Glynnis and the others present, letting the warmth of the moment spread, and feeling the shift of something new between her and Hastos.
Sitting down she would also start fumble and try understand what the swordhilt was descreetely under the table ( attuning)
Hastos sits down facing the door. “…and any coffee?” Hastos adds to Sera’s request.
He opens his pack to fetch money to pay and notices an oversized sock. “What the hell?” He says in a low voice. As he reaches inside, the sock disintegrates leaving two stones in his palm (Nature: 12) . “Huh.” He mutters as he slips the stones into his coin purse and retrieves a gold piece. He puts his bag down between his feet. He scans the room for anyone looking suspicious (Perception: 12).
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Arvos typically a morning person feels definitely older those days some of his joints give a soft pop as awakens to the knock. With his hair more akin to a birds nest he appreciatively puts on his gift and opens the door "What time is it and oh where are my manners of course come in"
Sera watched Hastos slip back into his combat readiness, sitting rigidly and facing the door, his eyes scanning the room like every patron might be an assassin. It was as though she didn’t exist. With a resigned sigh, she nodded to herself and let it go. Every small attempt at tenderness seemed to be met with the walls of his trauma. Well, he’d given her some fun and relief, but she quickly decided she wouldn’t settle for someone so closed off.
She quietly ate her breakfast, idly fumbling with the sword hilt she’d tucked away. Her curiosity about what kind of blade it might summon grew as she turned it in her hands. Suddenly, a brilliant blade of energy sprang to life with a hiss, slicing the table clean in half. Each half of the table toppled to the sides, sending dishes, mugs, and food crashing noisily to the floor.
Sera gasped, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She quickly willed the blade to disappear, and to her relief, it obeyed. “Sorry! I’ll pay for that… and clean it up,” she stammered, glancing over at Glynnis with an apologetic smile, her face a mix of guilt and awkwardness.
Hastos remains motionless the flaming sword slices through the table like a hot knife through butter.
As they bend down to pick up the various bits and pieces, Hastos asks “Woah. What was that?”
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Ebrius slowly wakes, gets dressed, grabs some coffee, and leaves their room.
"Wow, I... did not get enough sleep. Weird... Maybe some food will help..."
I head towards the hall and get some bread, chomping it down in less than a minute. Than I notice a table cut in half and Sera.
"Huh, wait, woah. What's going on over here?!" I say while running towards Sera. "Wait, what do you have?" I say looking at Hastos "Huh, I guess I'll help out, wow. Crazy start to a morning."
I kneel and also start picking up table chunks.
Hastos relaxes a bit as he realizes Eribus is a friend to Sera and extends a hand to Eribus. “Hello, I’m Hastos. Thanks for helping out!”
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Sera spotted Eribus across the room and found herself staring at the tiefling once more. Must be hard to look like the spawn of Takhisis, she thought, then immediately caught herself. Judgmental much? She knew what it felt like to be judged—she’d been a street rat once, after all.
Determined to push past her bias, she tucked away the sword hilt and cleared her throat. “Uh... just something I found in my sock,” she mumbled, her words trailing off as the explanation sounded ridiculous even to her. Quickly shifting gears, she offered a warm smile. “Glad to see you again—and looking better too. Once I’m done scraping food off the floor, why don’t you join us for breakfast?”
She added a small chuckle, trying to joke away her awkwardness as she knelt to clean up the mess she'd made.
Hastos joins in the cleaning and the three of then have the mess cleaned up in short order, and find a new table to sit at.
As replacement food and drink are brought to the table, Hastos asks Sera, “How many people are in this group of yours? You certainly seem popular!”
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Glynnis is by herself this morning, looking a bit tired, but her spirits are up. "Amazingly, some food did survive th'night. The fresh stuff's still bakin', but I figured ye'd be off to an early start today, so I started warmin' some'n up fer ye." Her smile is warm and genuine and her tone is subdued from fatigue, but still pleasant.
She sets down a wooden plate of warm barbari with a side of jam, mint leaves, and walnuts.
Glynnis smiles at you and Sera. "You... eh... have a fun night? Dancin', I mean?" she says with a wink and pours the coffee into a clean mug.
Nature (12): You recognize the gems as Alexandrite and Black Opal. At the right merchant, you could fetch a generous price for these stones.
Perception (12): The room is basically empty, and surprisingly clean, considering the mess the party-goers made last night.
Glynnis leaps back in shock and drops the pot of coffee onto the ground, splattering herself with the scalding fluid. Sputtering curses and skittering away from the growing puddle of freshly brewed coffee, she glares at Sera like a mother about to ground her child. "Can I get one damned peaceful day with no one trying ta kill someone around here?!" Handar pokes his head out of the kitchen to see what the fuss is, looks at Sera as if to say "Whyyyyyy???" then wisely slinks back into the kitchen.
"All over me fresh linens..." Glynnis starts trying to whisk the scalding coffee off her skirt with her calloused hands, muttering to herself, but ultimately gives up on the primping. She stands up, lets out a deep, frustrated sigh, and looks to Sera and Hastos. "Yer nice kids. An' I know twas an accident. An' I also know ye' ain't got too much money on ye. Tell ye what. I'll bill the city fer the table. They're the ones that put ye up her fer the night, so they're on the hook. But I could use some help around here. With the supplies back in town, we're ready to really start servin' some customers, 'n I need people who can sling drinks and run food. Right now, all I got is Handar 'n Sky. But we could use a little muscle 'round here if things get rowdy. One gold per day, plus food 'n drink. That's me offer. Keep that thing in its sheathe and promise not to break nothin' more, and ye got yerfelf a job."
As the offer is on the... table... four guards come rushing down the stairs, weapons drawn, dragging stumbling kobolds in shackles behind them. They seem alarmed and confused as they observe The Golden Company's newest recruits cleaning up a mess near the bar. Glynnis waves her hand disarmingly and the guards relax and go about their business of escorting the prisoners. "It's fine.. we're fine. Just an accident. We got this under control," she says to the guards.
As Princess Harkail passes by, the two exchange a nod. "Good luck to ye," Glynnis offers the distressed envoy. She watches the kobolds leave as if she's watching a march to an execution. There's a hint of pity in her eyes. Once they leave she mutters one more thought in dwarvish.
Those who speak Dwarvish may roll a Perception check to understand what she says.
Back at the room...
With the invitation, the guards enter and collect the princess and her entourage.
"Thank you for keeping us safe, Arvos. If this hearing goes well, I hope our friendship can carry on far after my time in Santekh."
With one last look back, the guards and the kobolds, now in chains walk out the door and down the hall. You hear a "fwoosh!" coming from downstairs and then a loud crashing sound! Then you hear Glynnis cursing and stumbling about!
My DM Registry
My Characters:
Archibald Thwipp, Human/Male/Blood Hunter/L3 posting in The Tavern, DnDBeyond
Sergeant Sylvia, Half Orc/Female/Barbarian/L3 posting in A Beginner's Guide, Myth Weavers
Carric Holimion, Wood Elf/Male/Ranger/L1 posting in Lost Mines of Phandelver, Giant in the Playground
Hastos looks surprised at the job offer. “How many do you need?” he asks as he takes another draw from his coffee cup.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Glynnis seemed to grow resigned to the chaos surrounding them. Would there ever be peace? She thought to herself, watching as the guards rushing to aid were quickly dismissed. But then, when the suggestion of a new job came up, working to help maintain order, Sera found herself liking the idea immensely. The thought of seeing people come together in a safe place, working toward something meaningful, was much more appealing than formalities like building a temple. She had never been one for such structure anyway.
With a nod, Sera eagerly agreed to take on the role of a serving maid. It felt like the kind of job that would allow her to connect with people—something far more satisfying than playing the part of a distant leader. As for Hastos’s comment about her leading the Golden Company, she simply smiled. "I joined last night," she replied with a shrug, "but let’s meet regularly in the afternoon for practice and drills. The last battle was…," she hesitated, recalling the disorderly chaos. "Let's just say, there’s room for improvement but if you take a job as a guard or something here...that be nice"
Afterward, she joined Glynnis and received her serving maid's outfit—tailored to her well-toned, firm body, accentuating her curves and leaving little to the imagination. The outfit was form-fitting, with a deep neckline that enhanced her small but perfectly shaped bust, the fabric hugging her slender waist and hips. Adding a leather corset to display her slim waist even more. The skirt was short to show off her legs, practical to allow her to move easily. She got a practical small apron with pockets in front. She secured her swordhilt, which held the magical Sunblade she believed was a gift from the gods, hidden in a garter on her thigh, just under the edge of the skirt.
“Well,” Hastos says to Glynnis, “… I guess that job probably suites me better than anything else.” He adds with a shrug to Sera.
“I suppose I accept your offer.”
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
(Sry I don't post everyday :( )
"You're welcome!"
I then leave the tavern and go out on patrol. With all of the new things going on within the walls, i need to be working my hardest.
"Huh, so much happened yesterday and now it's just... so chill. Why, would someone kill for no reason, I just don't understand..." (Ebrius say's speaking to themselves)
"I could probably look for a job. I need a bit of extra cash anyways." Ebrius looks for someone who could give her a job.
The days pass slowly as Dana's trial drags on. Socially, she's a beacon in this town. In many occasions she been invited to join the council, but she preferred to stay out of the politics, and out of the limelight. The public generally assumed that she was just humble and preferred her privacy, which only made them admire her more. To see her wrapped up in a scandal like this made everyone, the council included, squeamish about prosecuting her.
The court case revealed that she had be visiting battlefields where the rebels and the dragon armies had their skirmishes. She would find dragon army soldiers who somehow survived the battle, drag them to her dungeon, and perform horrific rites on them, extracting their body fat to make tallow for her candles. This was done as a service to her god, Sargonnas, who granted her the power to avenge her son, barely more than a toddler, who was torn from her hands and trampled by Dragon Army soldiers as she was fleeing her homeland. The revelation that she was serving Sargonnas led to an inquisition about an occult presence, but Dana insisted that she was acting alone, and not as part of a secret cabal.
The council chose to believe her, and ordered her shrine to Sargonnas be destroyed. Her candle shop was shut down and the enchanted candles she made were taken away to be studied and archived. She was given a comparatively light prison sentence, which infuriated Amelista. She called for a vote of no confidence to the council, accusing some of the council members to be a part of the cult of Sargonnas. She demanded that there be a new election of council members and an investigation be held to determine who is and who is not serving the concubine of Takhisis.
But although the her claims seemed to have some credibility, she had a hard time rallying enthusiasm to the cause. After all... Sargonnas is the god of wrathful vengeance. And pretty much everyone in Santekh was there because they has some reason to want revenge. As of yet, the cult (if there even is a cult) has shown no interest in harming the people of Santekh, with the singular exception of the one who attacked Bran and Arvos at the dance hall.
To appease Amelista and quiet the modest murmurs of corruption in Santekh, they added a new position to the council, and assigned her the role of overseeing security within Santekh. They gave her a task force of guards and the right to perform investigations. Ebrius found work as a head of one cell of this task force and began the process of hiring and training guards and detectives. It went fairly well, until her anger got the best of her, and she pulled her scythe on a fellow guard. The incident ended without death or injury, but Ebrius was demoted and disgraced.
Amelista would like to become a patron for The Golden Company. She will hire you to secretly investigate the council and route the cultists. You'll be paid 40 Stl per week each if you accept the task.
Talk also turned to the trial of Princess Harkail. Although the trial was rushed, it ended favorably, with Princess Harkail gaining her freedom, as well as the freedom of her entourage. Following the trial, the council agrees to let Letni Inhelk keep the last of the supplies they stole. In return, they are expected to trade fairly with the supply merchants along their trade routes, and open trade for agricultural resources as soon as they return home safely.
While the trial went way smoother than it should've, there were some strange revelations during the trial that has raised further suspicion about corruption within the council. Mainly that the theft may have been an inside job. It was let slip during trial that one of the members of the council told Letni Inhelk about the merchant caravan, as well as gave them vital information about when and where to ambush them in order to claim the supplies. It's also implied that whoever leaked the information was hoping that the robbery would insight fear and outrage amongst the refugees. This would give them a cause to rally behind and, by routing the kobolds, it would've given the council access to all the resources the kobolds have.
Although Princess Harkail was outraged to discover that her clan was set up to be eradicated for resources, she agreed to the terms of the peace treaty, and led an escort of merchants to the Letni Inhelk home to begin trading.
During the trial, you meet Kasi, the Fletcher. She's an older kobold, who has been exiled to live with the humans in Santekh. She was the first to attempt a trade with the Santekh settlers (against the queen's wishes), and accidentally revealed that the kobolds were in possession of highly valuable resources. It was because of her clumsy negotiations that an unknown member of the council set about to betray Santekh and then double-cross the kobold clan. She lives in her hut, which is also her shop, and crafts surprisingly high quality ranged and thrown weapons.
Kasi has offered to make you ten Arrows of Slaying if you can help her get back into the good graces of her clan. She hates it in Santekh. And although the efforts of Albert and Arvos have improved the treatment of kobolds in town, it's still not great to be a kobold in a town that openly hates dragonkin.
The party is fully rested. It's been two weeks, and Buckeran is bursting to explore that Brass Dragon hideout. He's been nagging at you for days to go on the adventure, and now that the trial is over, he's become increasingly annoying.
Open Quests:
My DM Registry
My Characters:
Archibald Thwipp, Human/Male/Blood Hunter/L3 posting in The Tavern, DnDBeyond
Sergeant Sylvia, Half Orc/Female/Barbarian/L3 posting in A Beginner's Guide, Myth Weavers
Carric Holimion, Wood Elf/Male/Ranger/L1 posting in Lost Mines of Phandelver, Giant in the Playground