This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The hooded figure chuckles at Orla's question, taking it as a quip, and then notices the half-orc walking into the establishment, revealing to those approaching the table the face of an older male half-elf with close-cropped grey hair under the purple hood. His gaze eventually meets that of the half-orc, whose search for a barmaid turns unfruitful. The hooded half-elf gestures to Utar to join them, noticing that the Kettle is otherwise empty (Reece ran back into the kitchen clutching the coins given to her by Charlotte). Once he is certain all other 5 patrons can hear him, he begins:
"I take it you all have heard of the Harpers," his low voice sounding elegant and smooth. "Well, you are talking to one now," he adds, flipping his lapel to reveal a silver brooch in the shape of a crescent moon embracing a harp. "The well-informed among you will know that our organization is dedicated to fighting evil wherever it hides, and our greatest weapon is information. I am offering good coin for exactly that, the right type of knowledge." he says, bringing a small but heavy belt pouch onto the table. "My colleagues and I have apprehended a shady merchant this afternoon who has kindly parted with some valuable info," a small grin filling his slender face. "The merchant was on his way to illegally purchase a red dragon egg from another party at a barn near Madame Freona's Tea Kettle. The meeting is to take place at the old red and yellow barn by the crossroads west of Phlan in approximately 30 minutes. We do not have much time to prepare, but this is where you come in."
(The half-elf then points at one of the PCs. Random PC chosen according to the following chart: 1-2: Orla; 3-4: Drazzim; 5-6: Charlotte; 7-8: Utar; 9-10: Cato. Result: 1).
"Now you may be asking, 'why us'? Well, it seems fate is on my side, and unless my old eyes fail me, you there look strikingly similar to this merchant I talk about." He then brings out a second silver pin, this one in the shape of a oak tree leaf. "If you take the original merchant's place during this meeting and plant this pin on the seller's person somehow, my colleagues and I would be able to track them down to their hidey-hole once they scurry back into it." He looks across the table and adds "For that to happen though, you have to ensure the meeting is successful and that you raise no unnecessary suspicions. The other four can be your bodyguards, assistants, porters, etc. According to our information, the seller and buyer have never met, so they should be none the wiser."
He then opens the small but heavy belt pouch reveling its contents: "Here, pay for the egg with these gems." He picks one up and examines it against the candlelight. "An untrained eye could never deduce these are actually made out of glass."
"Once you have completed your mission, the Harpers will more easily be able to scry on the sellers and learn more about their operation." he says, with an air of imminent satisfaction overtaking his facial expressions for a split second. "In addition, once the transaction is complete, you are to bring the egg back to the stables behind the Tea Kettle, where I will meet you and take possession of it. That's when you'll receive your payment, let's say... 160gp for the lot of you."
(Those of you with passive insight scores of 13 or above also notice that:
the Harper agent seems to have come up with the reward amount somewhat randomly, and briefly looks around to get some sort of facial approval from your party's reaction on whether this would be an acceptable amount).
"And remember, under no circumstances should you fight the sellers or harm the egg," his face now stern. "Information is what I am after, not blood." The half-elf then concludes by giving directions to the abandoned barn on the western outskirts of Phlan, which should be a 20-minute walk from the Kettle.
"The egg of a red dragon! My goodness! May I ask that I be allowed a few minutes after we have finished the mission to examine the egg and record some notes?"
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IRL: Dungeon Master--Adventures in the Cassitana Islands PbP: Player--Esvaris Liadon, Wood Elf Monk 2/Cleric 2--Clerical Heirs: A Divine Mystery
“Fun, you say? Sure, as long as I get what I am looking for. Any questions before you depart? Time is of essence here.”
”Lower your voice, my new friend, you never know who is listening... and yes, as long as you bring it back to me after obtaining it you are free to study it for a few minutes. We wouldn’t want it to be out there in the open for very long, right?”
"Ooh! A secwet mission!" Orla claps her hands together in excitement. "So imma be the mewchant?"She grins. "The dwawf and the hawf-owc awe my bodyguawds." She points at Cato "You awe my secwetawy and the cute witch is gonna be my giwwfwiend oah something."
Reposting this because you seemed to have missed it:
(OOC: figglewits, thank you for your interest in our one-shot but unfortunately this campaign’s recruiting thread is already closed. I wish you luck out there in finding a game that you can join. Thank you for your understanding.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"I have a question!" inquires Charlotte. She lowers her voice. "How are we so sure that this seller has untrained eyes? What if he does spot the jewels as fake?"
As she's questioning the Harper, Charlotte tries to catch any bit of hint as to the shadiness of this character. Is he hiding something? Is he truly a Harper?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Utar Hammerhand
Thinking along similar lines to the human female, Utar looks hard into the face of the hooded character. The plan he outlined sounds very similar to what he's just performed for them "So we flash a poxy badge and the seller is supposed to know we're legit?"
"Very insightful, red-haired one" he says, with a touch of respect. "We've been told by the merchant that the sellers are likely to be hirelings of some sort. I wouldn't expect them to be the wise kind, but that is a risk we'll have to take."
(Charlotte's insight check:
You get a feeling that a bit of shadiness comes with the job of being a Harper agent. As far as you can tell, this half-elf is indeed one of them).
"No, son of Gruumsh" you hear a bit of disdain in his words. "The oak leaf pin in imbued with magic that would allow us to track the sellers back to their abode. The point is to plant it on them without them noticing. As for proving your legitimacy, well, you'll just have to be convincing and sell your act well."
(Utar's insight check:
You can tell the man is being truthful regarding being a Harper agent and needing this job completed promptly. He simply seems to be loosing his patience. He knows the plan is not perfect, but it is the best he could do with the little time he had. Time seems to be his worst enemy even now and he's probably willing to give you more of a reward if you just take the job and leave immediately).
"Now, I'd like to sit down here, answer all manner of questions, and enjoy some fine tipples with my most esteemed guests, but I'm afraid you are needed elsewhere. Do we have a deal? If so, be on your way, please."
"Catch a dragon egg from under a villain's nose?" Drazzim says. "Well what are we waiting for?" He gets up from his seat."Onwards, my axe will make sure there's no funny shtuff."He grabs a hold of his glaive as well, then looks to the serving girl. "Darling, you've been a great hosht. I'll shee you again."
Reece, who was just peeking through a slight opening in the kitchen door, reacts surprised that Drazzim noticed her. With a nervous giggle, she shuts the door again, no longer eavesdropping.
Charlotte listens to the Harper's words carefully, and starts pondering over how her rookie arcane knowledge could be at help here.
The boisterous voice of the dwarf cuts her thoughts almost immediately and, shaken back into reality, she smiles and gives a big approving nod to Drazzim, as she fastens her witch hat.
She then looks at Orla: "So, I guess you'll be running the show!"
"Don't wowwy! I'm good at wunning shows!"Orla gets up excitedly and looks at the group. "Who wiww twy to attach the pin? Does one of you have weawwy swift hands?"
(OOC: Fun fact, I was deliberating over taking the Actor feat. I decided against it because I thought: " How likely is it I have to impersonate another person in a oneshot?" :P)
"That's what I was looking for!" She unbuckles her plum-leathered spellbook and skims through frantically. "Ah-ha!" She stomps a proud finger on one of the pages.
"I have a little friend who can appear out of thin air, I call him Squirrel, he's invisible and can perform simple tasks for me. All I would need is the seller to be at most 60 feet away from me. Now, I'm not quite sure about his nimbleness... But he is invisible!"
Drazzim mops his mouth with his beard. "Right, let'sh getta move on."He says, looking to others. "I cou-*BURP* could give them thish pin an' pat them down or shumthin'. Being a guard ish all 'bout looking for the hidden shtuff."
The hooded figure chuckles at Orla's question, taking it as a quip, and then notices the half-orc walking into the establishment, revealing to those approaching the table the face of an older male half-elf with close-cropped grey hair under the purple hood. His gaze eventually meets that of the half-orc, whose search for a barmaid turns unfruitful. The hooded half-elf gestures to Utar to join them, noticing that the Kettle is otherwise empty (Reece ran back into the kitchen clutching the coins given to her by Charlotte). Once he is certain all other 5 patrons can hear him, he begins:
"I take it you all have heard of the Harpers," his low voice sounding elegant and smooth. "Well, you are talking to one now," he adds, flipping his lapel to reveal a silver brooch in the shape of a crescent moon embracing a harp. "The well-informed among you will know that our organization is dedicated to fighting evil wherever it hides, and our greatest weapon is information. I am offering good coin for exactly that, the right type of knowledge." he says, bringing a small but heavy belt pouch onto the table. "My colleagues and I have apprehended a shady merchant this afternoon who has kindly parted with some valuable info," a small grin filling his slender face. "The merchant was on his way to illegally purchase a red dragon egg from another party at a barn near Madame Freona's Tea Kettle. The meeting is to take place at the old red and yellow barn by the crossroads west of Phlan in approximately 30 minutes. We do not have much time to prepare, but this is where you come in."
(The half-elf then points at one of the PCs. Random PC chosen according to the following chart: 1-2: Orla; 3-4: Drazzim; 5-6: Charlotte; 7-8: Utar; 9-10: Cato. Result: 1).
"Now you may be asking, 'why us'? Well, it seems fate is on my side, and unless my old eyes fail me, you there look strikingly similar to this merchant I talk about." He then brings out a second silver pin, this one in the shape of a oak tree leaf. "If you take the original merchant's place during this meeting and plant this pin on the seller's person somehow, my colleagues and I would be able to track them down to their hidey-hole once they scurry back into it." He looks across the table and adds "For that to happen though, you have to ensure the meeting is successful and that you raise no unnecessary suspicions. The other four can be your bodyguards, assistants, porters, etc. According to our information, the seller and buyer have never met, so they should be none the wiser."
He then opens the small but heavy belt pouch reveling its contents: "Here, pay for the egg with these gems." He picks one up and examines it against the candlelight. "An untrained eye could never deduce these are actually made out of glass."
"Once you have completed your mission, the Harpers will more easily be able to scry on the sellers and learn more about their operation." he says, with an air of imminent satisfaction overtaking his facial expressions for a split second. "In addition, once the transaction is complete, you are to bring the egg back to the stables behind the Tea Kettle, where I will meet you and take possession of it. That's when you'll receive your payment, let's say... 160gp for the lot of you."
(Those of you with passive insight scores of 13 or above also notice that:
the Harper agent seems to have come up with the reward amount somewhat randomly, and briefly looks around to get some sort of facial approval from your party's reaction on whether this would be an acceptable amount).
"And remember, under no circumstances should you fight the sellers or harm the egg," his face now stern. "Information is what I am after, not blood." The half-elf then concludes by giving directions to the abandoned barn on the western outskirts of Phlan, which should be a 20-minute walk from the Kettle.
"Harper, eh? Heard they meddle a little too often." Drazzim smirks. "Heard you break as much as you rescue, sounds like fun."
Current Player In: The Guild as Elsara Deepmoon
"The egg of a red dragon! My goodness! May I ask that I be allowed a few minutes after we have finished the mission to examine the egg and record some notes?"
IRL: Dungeon Master--Adventures in the Cassitana Islands
PbP: Player--Esvaris Liadon, Wood Elf Monk 2/Cleric 2--Clerical Heirs: A Divine Mystery
“Fun, you say? Sure, as long as I get what I am looking for. Any questions before you depart? Time is of essence here.”
”Lower your voice, my new friend, you never know who is listening... and yes, as long as you bring it back to me after obtaining it you are free to study it for a few minutes. We wouldn’t want it to be out there in the open for very long, right?”
"Ooh! A secwet mission!" Orla claps her hands together in excitement. "So imma be the mewchant?" She grins. "The dwawf and the hawf-owc awe my bodyguawds." She points at Cato "You awe my secwetawy and the cute witch is gonna be my giwwfwiend oah something."
Slag Hammerfist stumbles over to the table. " what you talk bout" he smiles and his head is brushing the rafters
(he has 4 intelligence and is barely sentient)
"ac-wain-tanse bod-e-gard mag-nif-i-sent what mean"
(his IQ is legitimately less than 70)
Reposting this because you seemed to have missed it:
"I have a question!" inquires Charlotte. She lowers her voice. "How are we so sure that this seller has untrained eyes? What if he does spot the jewels as fake?"
As she's questioning the Harper, Charlotte tries to catch any bit of hint as to the shadiness of this character. Is he hiding something? Is he truly a Harper?
Insight check: 11
Utar Hammerhand
Thinking along similar lines to the human female, Utar looks hard into the face of the hooded character. The plan he outlined sounds very similar to what he's just performed for them "So we flash a poxy badge and the seller is supposed to know we're legit?"
Insight check: 7
"Very insightful, red-haired one" he says, with a touch of respect. "We've been told by the merchant that the sellers are likely to be hirelings of some sort. I wouldn't expect them to be the wise kind, but that is a risk we'll have to take."
(Charlotte's insight check:
You get a feeling that a bit of shadiness comes with the job of being a Harper agent. As far as you can tell, this half-elf is indeed one of them).
"No, son of Gruumsh" you hear a bit of disdain in his words. "The oak leaf pin in imbued with magic that would allow us to track the sellers back to their abode. The point is to plant it on them without them noticing. As for proving your legitimacy, well, you'll just have to be convincing and sell your act well."
(Utar's insight check:
You can tell the man is being truthful regarding being a Harper agent and needing this job completed promptly. He simply seems to be loosing his patience. He knows the plan is not perfect, but it is the best he could do with the little time he had. Time seems to be his worst enemy even now and he's probably willing to give you more of a reward if you just take the job and leave immediately).
"Now, I'd like to sit down here, answer all manner of questions, and enjoy some fine tipples with my most esteemed guests, but I'm afraid you are needed elsewhere. Do we have a deal? If so, be on your way, please."
"Catch a dragon egg from under a villain's nose?" Drazzim says. "Well what are we waiting for?" He gets up from his seat. "Onwards, my axe will make sure there's no funny shtuff." He grabs a hold of his glaive as well, then looks to the serving girl. "Darling, you've been a great hosht. I'll shee you again."
Current Player In: The Guild as Elsara Deepmoon
Reece, who was just peeking through a slight opening in the kitchen door, reacts surprised that Drazzim noticed her. With a nervous giggle, she shuts the door again, no longer eavesdropping.
Drazzim didn't even notice she was eavesdropping. He was just assuming the serving girl was nearby as he looked in her general direction.
Current Player In: The Guild as Elsara Deepmoon
Charlotte listens to the Harper's words carefully, and starts pondering over how her rookie arcane knowledge could be at help here.
The boisterous voice of the dwarf cuts her thoughts almost immediately and, shaken back into reality, she smiles and gives a big approving nod to Drazzim, as she fastens her witch hat.
She then looks at Orla: "So, I guess you'll be running the show!"
"Don't wowwy! I'm good at wunning shows!" Orla gets up excitedly and looks at the group. "Who wiww twy to attach the pin? Does one of you have weawwy swift hands?"
(OOC: Fun fact, I was deliberating over taking the Actor feat. I decided against it because I thought: " How likely is it I have to impersonate another person in a oneshot?" :P)
Charlotte's eyes immediately widen.
"That's what I was looking for!" She unbuckles her plum-leathered spellbook and skims through frantically. "Ah-ha!" She stomps a proud finger on one of the pages.
"I have a little friend who can appear out of thin air, I call him Squirrel, he's invisible and can perform simple tasks for me. All I would need is the seller to be at most 60 feet away from me. Now, I'm not quite sure about his nimbleness... But he is invisible!"
Drazzim mops his mouth with his beard. "Right, let'sh getta move on." He says, looking to others. "I cou-*BURP* could give them thish pin an' pat them down or shumthin'. Being a guard ish all 'bout looking for the hidden shtuff."
Current Player In: The Guild as Elsara Deepmoon
"Oh, one moah question! What is my name as the mewchant?" Orla asks the agent.