The environment is bustling, but not deafening. It's a bit early in the evening for boorish drunkenness and rowdy raised voices.
The genasi looks the like the kind of fellow who's been through his fair share of scrapes and came out the victor. Grizzled, but likely not elite or he wouldn't be alone in a hole like this place.
For what it's worth, a quick description of the rest of the bar and its patrons to set the scene... A large half-orc with a mullet and sleeveless tunic to show off the size of his arms sits on a two-sizes-too-small stool just inside the door. He's supposed to be handling security, but at the moment he's carefully inspecting a monstrous booger he managed to retrieve from his right nostril. A table near you is taking bets on whether or not he's going to eat it. The odds are presently leaning toward "yes". This being a roadside tavern, better than half the patrons are seasoned travelers and questionable folk who're better off outside of civilized society - most reputable folk continued on into Beregost for the night. There are several locals as well, but not many older folk. They're mostly strapping young lads hoping to sign on with a trader or mercenary band and escape the humdrum realities of rural life. There's a long bar along one entire side of the building and it's being tended by a couple older gentlemen and one youngish girl with a nasty scar across her brow. A mismash of square, round, and rectangular tables of various styles and sizes dot the rest of the room. There's a door on the back wall, secured by three quality locks of different styles, that serves as the subject of some debate - no one in the tavern has ever seen behind it, at least not that they'll admit. A ladder to the loft leads to a few meager sleeping pallets. The few private rooms, once the establishment's wine cellar, are accessible via a staircase behind the bar.
Gert slides a bar rag onto the table. You can see a key-shaped object wrapped inside.
GERT: "About six dogs I think, the big suckers with flat noses. Last room on the end. Do what you need to do, just don't start a fight in here if you can help it. I'd better get about my business..."
Portia's brow arches at the note of six dogs and wonders what that room is going to look like let alone moving in the thing with that many. She acquires the key from the rag by using it quick like she is cleaning up some soup she spilled as if to help Gert out quick. She then continues to finish off her soup as she watches the two viola players get up and start at it before anyone else agreed to when they were going to start.
She looks around to see what the patrons are thinking of the impromptu forming of a duet and even a bit of illusion thrown in. Though one table seemed more interested in whether the bouncer would eat his booger. They did not matter and it depended on the night from what she had seen. They seemed about even between for and against the booger eating from what she could hear.
She pushed the soup bowl away after taking the last spoonful and leaned back in her chair. While taking a sip from her tankard she gets a better look of the side of the room where the genasi is sitting noting he had seen fights, but appeared to be alone. It did not appear he had any lackeys with him in the tavern. Maybe his only friends were the dogs. She looked back to the entertainers as her thought made her smile.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PbP - Beregost Blues - Portia Starflower, Half Elf, Cleric, Life Domain PbP - Tome of Annhilation - Vistani Mocanu, Human, Bard
Bullden wishes he would have gotten in on the booger bet. Oh well. Never cry over spilled boogers/milk/whatever. I continue to watch the bar during our musical interlude hoping that our half backed plan works.
Bullden chuckles to himself, watch the orc put the booger in his ear so everyone looses.
The wood-on-wood scratching noise coming from the stool comes to a halt, as Pettilaen turns to face Ishkar. "A duet, you say? I'm not one for playing with others. Perhaps a friendly wager? A gold piece from the other to the victor for who receives the loudest applause? If you agree to those terms then I will happily oblige to this "duet-turned-duel"." He winks to Ishkar before continuing to drag the barstool to an open area facing away from the converted wine cellar.
The time seemed to drag on for an eternity. How am I suppose to win this against an established bard? ... I really should think about thinking and planning more... I'm really gonna have to pull something out of my brain if I'm gonna win this. No! Remember. This is just to distract. The competition isn't important... But what a tale it would be if I beat a bard at his own game! Chuckling to himself at the last thought, he pulls the stool into a corner of the room, and prepares to play. "Perhaps you would like to start us off, Ishkar?"
The impromptu serenade initially draws strange looks. The illusory augmentation puts a few folks on edge, confuses some, and intrigues others.
ROLL: A skill roll for Performance, made with Advantage due to the magical assistance, could influence their reaction.
Wagers are still ongoing while Gok turns his booger back and forth on his claw-like fingernal.
OPTION: There's still time to get in on the booger bet as the result is not yet final. Little actual time has passed so far. The going odds are .7/1 for and 1.2/1 against, meaning a bet of a silver will net 7 copper if you bet that he will eat the booger and he does or 12 copper if you bet he won't and he doesn't. They've got a bet cap of a silver per individual.
ROLL: I definitely need a Stealth or Sleight of Hand roll (your option) for retrieving the key. It'll give me an idea how subtle it was.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PBP "Beregost Blues" - Dungeon Master of Gnome Slaying +5
The proposed duel between PC's being an inter-party matter, I'll let you two discuss how to resolve it (assuming it's accepted). Opposed Perform checks seems reasonable to me, but there's room for negotiation. :)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PBP "Beregost Blues" - Dungeon Master of Gnome Slaying +5
Another bit of establishing detail that I'll port from the Discord chat because it's relevant in-game:
You guys returned to the Sharptooth Tavern after a night-long stakeout and are tired, but still 12 hours or so away from needing a long rest without bordering on exhaustion. Consequently, you managed to be here at noonish when they opened for the day and secure all but the one room at the very end. It's the largest room, but there's a slow water leak in there so it smells musty and moldy. That's the room your friendly neighborhood pirate took with his dogs.
Also, RE the Sharptooth Tavern:
Unlike the reputable drinking establishments inside Beregost, it's common for folk to carry their weapons here.
The only apparent entrance to the cellars / guest rooms is the rickety stair behind the bar.
Ishkar pulls out to the center of the room and swishes his tail around a second before placing his bow to the strings and unleashes a concerto of notes and chords that draw the attention of everyone in the room even the half-orc from the door to his frenzy of music and speed. Soon everyone has been pulled to the edge of their seats even the booger betting group and their now paying full attention to him (reference for sound) and no other sound can be heard from the entire tavern as his playing echoes through the hall. When he is finally done he bows to the room and turns to Pettilaen and says "Now your turn my friend."
The tavern patrons are well and truly distracted by our two troubadours' re-enactment of the banjo duel from Deliverance, including the bar staff and Gok, whose mouth gapes open and hand falls to his side, smearing the booger down his vest until it clings to one of his tarnished copper buttons. Many folk are stamping their feet and clapping along, bordering on a spell-induced Charmed condition.
Baradwulf (our friendly neighborhood genasi pirate) seems annoyed by the impromptu entertainment. He places a few coins on the bar and, with a sneer, exits the front door of the tavern.
...DM rolls a die behind the screen...
Aside from the two who are busy entertaining, the rest of the group sees a hint of nervousness in the pirate's demeanor. He's anxious about something.
((Stealth/Sleight of Hand have same bonus: 14+2=16))
Portia gets up as Ishkar is playing and moves to the end of the bar by the stairs to the rooms. There she stands watching the room and listening to Ishkar play. She sets her empty tankard down because even the staff of the inn are taking in the awesome performance. She doesn't head down the stairs until the end of Ishkar's performance. She is chuckling since the poor gnome might have to eat his socks after this little duel.
She has the key for the end room, but stops by the door to her room waiting to see who else comes down.
Pettilaen lets out a nervous chuckle, himself mesmerized by the concerto of notes and chords. The magic touch Zina gave him wasn't even necessary... I've lost this coin. Perhaps I have one more trick up my sleeve... In a mocking tone, he declares, "That's all you've got! My friend, I'm certain I have you beat!"
With two flicks of his wrist, the sound of an angelic choir appears from seemingly nowhere, humming a melancholy, yet soft and beautiful, series of notes. Just a few seconds later a second sound enters his magical ensemble: a deep violin (cello), plays the same notes sung by the angelic choir, but four octaves lower. Pettilaen's viol comes into the magical ensemble somewhere in the middle, and he plays a moving piece, in hopes to captivate the audience with it's wide range of moving notes. At times, his viol was off slightly with the angelic choir and cello, but only a trained ear, such as Ishkar's, could hear the difference. (I had a piece like this in mind for what he played) Pleased with his performance, he ends the illusory sounds, and takes a deep bow towards the audience. Returning to his normal stance, he shouts out, "Now let us hear how much you enjoyed the music! Tips are always welcome, if such pieces moved your audible senses to new heights!"
He chuckles, continuing, "If you beloved the tailed tiefling outperformed me, then give me your softest roar!" *Insert however loudly they yelled, cheered, clapped, etc.*
"And for me, the dazzling gnome, give me all of the applause and more for what I am due!" *Insert however loudly they yelled, cheered, clapped, etc.*
Ishkar smiles broadly to his little gnomish friend and nods his head at the skill his companion brings to the table. He contemplates those who they can wow in the near or distant future. Maybe even a king someday will be able to enjoy our performance."Shall we do a duet then and give these people an even better show?" He moves his bow to his Viol and waits for his friend to pick up a note.
Pettilaen smiles. "You really want a duet, don't you? Fine! Let's just keep on playing. These people deserve something to make them dance and shout!" With a small hand gesture, the quick, steady beat of a drum comes into hearing, one that might make the patron's feet follow the beat with a tap of their foot or the clap of their hands. It would seem he didn't notice my audible augment of the applause for my performance...
OOC: Performance check of 18 from my end. I'll let you describe the song.
The grin Ishkar wears just broadens "Something quick paced for theses fresh folk. How about a jig?" Before Ishkar can get a response, he begins to play out a country jig and the tavern members begin to clap and stamp along to the beat as the drums pick up in the background and seem in an increase in volume (boosting the Minor Illusion with Thaumaturgy). Directed now at the common folk "I believe most everyone here should know this song it is a local favorite." Everyone begins to sing as the tavern rises into a lively wind. (This song is appropriate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCqByEqwrJI)
Bullden moves around the edge of the room making eye contact with Portia nodding his head towards the stairwell that leads to goldy's room.
Bullden also tries to give a wrap-it-up signal to move things along to our ad-hoc duetters. Keeping an eye out for anyone that might be heading toward goldy's room.
Zina suppressed the urge to bang her head against the bar top table. She felt that her father would have been proud of that amount of self restraint.
The music and posturing between the two performers swelled, filling the bar. The gnome downed the remaining beer in the too-large tankard, before hopping down off her stool. Really, they should install a step-stool or something. The lack of consideration the bigger folk gave to people of her stature was ridiculous.
Trying to move as quietly as she could, the wizard followed Bullden and stood by his side. If something was about to go down, she wanted to be next to the big guy.
Suddenly, a mischievous grin spread across her face. Or more accurately, a normal grin, as the majority of the time Zina smiled she meant trouble. "Want ta see things get really crazy?" she asked Bullden with a wink. Before he could answer, she had cast minor illusion. A member of the audience, who had seemed particularly to enjoy Ishkar's performance, heard whispered in his ear "the tiefling is rubbish, the gnome is the true performer." Another hand motion later, and his friend seated directly next to him, who had taken to Pettilaen, heard a similar whisper say "that gnome couldn't play if his life depended on it!" Zina leaned back a little, hoping her instincts had been correct and that she had picked the two most prone to violence in the crowd.
The crowd clearly favors Ishkar's performance, their eyes mostly locked on him. The applause for each was roughly equivalent, but the edge of heartfelt enthusiasm for Ishkar's was clearly greater.
Portia ducks downstairs to the rooms and watches to see if she was followed. She doesn't see or hear anyone coming, but goes to her room first and gives it a few minutes to be safe.
Around the time the follow-up duet begins, a small group (3) of elven rangers arrives. Their hair and gear is wet. It must have begun to rain at some time in the last half hour or so. Taken aback by the unusual amount of reverie in such a small and inconsequential establishment, they stand just inside the door, watching with amused and slightly bewildered expressions on their faces.
ROLL: Zina, please give me a Deception check (unless there's a skill you feel is more suitable for the attempt) as you try to go all "Gandalf and the trolls" on these hapless tavern patrons. Your action is occurring about the same time that the elves show up.
Two drunken patrons toward the center of the tavern cast their gazes about as if searching for whomever just "crop dusted" them. They seem briefly agitated, but the music draws them back in a few moments later.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PBP "Beregost Blues" - Dungeon Master of Gnome Slaying +5
The environment is bustling, but not deafening. It's a bit early in the evening for boorish drunkenness and rowdy raised voices.
The genasi looks the like the kind of fellow who's been through his fair share of scrapes and came out the victor. Grizzled, but likely not elite or he wouldn't be alone in a hole like this place.
For what it's worth, a quick description of the rest of the bar and its patrons to set the scene... A large half-orc with a mullet and sleeveless tunic to show off the size of his arms sits on a two-sizes-too-small stool just inside the door. He's supposed to be handling security, but at the moment he's carefully inspecting a monstrous booger he managed to retrieve from his right nostril. A table near you is taking bets on whether or not he's going to eat it. The odds are presently leaning toward "yes". This being a roadside tavern, better than half the patrons are seasoned travelers and questionable folk who're better off outside of civilized society - most reputable folk continued on into Beregost for the night. There are several locals as well, but not many older folk. They're mostly strapping young lads hoping to sign on with a trader or mercenary band and escape the humdrum realities of rural life. There's a long bar along one entire side of the building and it's being tended by a couple older gentlemen and one youngish girl with a nasty scar across her brow. A mismash of square, round, and rectangular tables of various styles and sizes dot the rest of the room. There's a door on the back wall, secured by three quality locks of different styles, that serves as the subject of some debate - no one in the tavern has ever seen behind it, at least not that they'll admit. A ladder to the loft leads to a few meager sleeping pallets. The few private rooms, once the establishment's wine cellar, are accessible via a staircase behind the bar.
Before the serenade begins...
Gert slides a bar rag onto the table. You can see a key-shaped object wrapped inside.
GERT: "About six dogs I think, the big suckers with flat noses. Last room on the end. Do what you need to do, just don't start a fight in here if you can help it. I'd better get about my business..."
Common Sword Coast security dog:
Portia's brow arches at the note of six dogs and wonders what that room is going to look like let alone moving in the thing with that many. She acquires the key from the rag by using it quick like she is cleaning up some soup she spilled as if to help Gert out quick. She then continues to finish off her soup as she watches the two viola players get up and start at it before anyone else agreed to when they were going to start.
She looks around to see what the patrons are thinking of the impromptu forming of a duet and even a bit of illusion thrown in. Though one table seemed more interested in whether the bouncer would eat his booger. They did not matter and it depended on the night from what she had seen. They seemed about even between for and against the booger eating from what she could hear.
She pushed the soup bowl away after taking the last spoonful and leaned back in her chair. While taking a sip from her tankard she gets a better look of the side of the room where the genasi is sitting noting he had seen fights, but appeared to be alone. It did not appear he had any lackeys with him in the tavern. Maybe his only friends were the dogs. She looked back to the entertainers as her thought made her smile.
PbP - Beregost Blues - Portia Starflower, Half Elf, Cleric, Life Domain
PbP - Tome of Annhilation - Vistani Mocanu, Human, Bard
Bullden wishes he would have gotten in on the booger bet. Oh well. Never cry over spilled boogers/milk/whatever. I continue to watch the bar during our musical interlude hoping that our half backed plan works.
Bullden chuckles to himself, watch the orc put the booger in his ear so everyone looses.
The impromptu serenade initially draws strange looks. The illusory augmentation puts a few folks on edge, confuses some, and intrigues others.
ROLL: A skill roll for Performance, made with Advantage due to the magical assistance, could influence their reaction.
Wagers are still ongoing while Gok turns his booger back and forth on his claw-like fingernal.
OPTION: There's still time to get in on the booger bet as the result is not yet final. Little actual time has passed so far. The going odds are .7/1 for and 1.2/1 against, meaning a bet of a silver will net 7 copper if you bet that he will eat the booger and he does or 12 copper if you bet he won't and he doesn't. They've got a bet cap of a silver per individual.
ROLL: I definitely need a Stealth or Sleight of Hand roll (your option) for retrieving the key. It'll give me an idea how subtle it was.
The proposed duel between PC's being an inter-party matter, I'll let you two discuss how to resolve it (assuming it's accepted). Opposed Perform checks seems reasonable to me, but there's room for negotiation. :)
Another bit of establishing detail that I'll port from the Discord chat because it's relevant in-game:
You guys returned to the Sharptooth Tavern after a night-long stakeout and are tired, but still 12 hours or so away from needing a long rest without bordering on exhaustion. Consequently, you managed to be here at noonish when they opened for the day and secure all but the one room at the very end. It's the largest room, but there's a slow water leak in there so it smells musty and moldy. That's the room your friendly neighborhood pirate took with his dogs.
Also, RE the Sharptooth Tavern:
Performance check: Natural 20
Ishkar pulls out to the center of the room and swishes his tail around a second before placing his bow to the strings and unleashes a concerto of notes and chords that draw the attention of everyone in the room even the half-orc from the door to his frenzy of music and speed. Soon everyone has been pulled to the edge of their seats even the booger betting group and their now paying full attention to him (reference for sound) and no other sound can be heard from the entire tavern as his playing echoes through the hall. When he is finally done he bows to the room and turns to Pettilaen and says "Now your turn my friend."
The tavern patrons are well and truly distracted by our two troubadours' re-enactment of the banjo duel from Deliverance, including the bar staff and Gok, whose mouth gapes open and hand falls to his side, smearing the booger down his vest until it clings to one of his tarnished copper buttons. Many folk are stamping their feet and clapping along, bordering on a spell-induced Charmed condition.
Baradwulf (our friendly neighborhood genasi pirate) seems annoyed by the impromptu entertainment. He places a few coins on the bar and, with a sneer, exits the front door of the tavern.
...DM rolls a die behind the screen...
Aside from the two who are busy entertaining, the rest of the group sees a hint of nervousness in the pirate's demeanor. He's anxious about something.
((Stealth/Sleight of Hand have same bonus: 14+2=16))
Portia gets up as Ishkar is playing and moves to the end of the bar by the stairs to the rooms. There she stands watching the room and listening to Ishkar play. She sets her empty tankard down because even the staff of the inn are taking in the awesome performance. She doesn't head down the stairs until the end of Ishkar's performance. She is chuckling since the poor gnome might have to eat his socks after this little duel.
She has the key for the end room, but stops by the door to her room waiting to see who else comes down.
PbP - Beregost Blues - Portia Starflower, Half Elf, Cleric, Life Domain
PbP - Tome of Annhilation - Vistani Mocanu, Human, Bard
Performance check: 19 total
Pettilaen lets out a nervous chuckle, himself mesmerized by the concerto of notes and chords. The magic touch Zina gave him wasn't even necessary... I've lost this coin. Perhaps I have one more trick up my sleeve... In a mocking tone, he declares, "That's all you've got! My friend, I'm certain I have you beat!"
With two flicks of his wrist, the sound of an angelic choir appears from seemingly nowhere, humming a melancholy, yet soft and beautiful, series of notes. Just a few seconds later a second sound enters his magical ensemble: a deep violin (cello), plays the same notes sung by the angelic choir, but four octaves lower. Pettilaen's viol comes into the magical ensemble somewhere in the middle, and he plays a moving piece, in hopes to captivate the audience with it's wide range of moving notes. At times, his viol was off slightly with the angelic choir and cello, but only a trained ear, such as Ishkar's, could hear the difference. (I had a piece like this in mind for what he played) Pleased with his performance, he ends the illusory sounds, and takes a deep bow towards the audience. Returning to his normal stance, he shouts out, "Now let us hear how much you enjoyed the music! Tips are always welcome, if such pieces moved your audible senses to new heights!"
He chuckles, continuing, "If you beloved the tailed tiefling outperformed me, then give me your softest roar!" *Insert however loudly they yelled, cheered, clapped, etc.*
"And for me, the dazzling gnome, give me all of the applause and more for what I am due!" *Insert however loudly they yelled, cheered, clapped, etc.*
Ishkar smiles broadly to his little gnomish friend and nods his head at the skill his companion brings to the table. He contemplates those who they can wow in the near or distant future. Maybe even a king someday will be able to enjoy our performance. "Shall we do a duet then and give these people an even better show?" He moves his bow to his Viol and waits for his friend to pick up a note.
Pettilaen smiles. "You really want a duet, don't you? Fine! Let's just keep on playing. These people deserve something to make them dance and shout!" With a small hand gesture, the quick, steady beat of a drum comes into hearing, one that might make the patron's feet follow the beat with a tap of their foot or the clap of their hands. It would seem he didn't notice my audible augment of the applause for my performance...
OOC: Performance check of 18 from my end. I'll let you describe the song.
OOC: Performance check of 24
The grin Ishkar wears just broadens "Something quick paced for theses fresh folk. How about a jig?" Before Ishkar can get a response, he begins to play out a country jig and the tavern members begin to clap and stamp along to the beat as the drums pick up in the background and seem in an increase in volume (boosting the Minor Illusion with Thaumaturgy). Directed now at the common folk "I believe most everyone here should know this song it is a local favorite." Everyone begins to sing as the tavern rises into a lively wind. (This song is appropriate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCqByEqwrJI)
Bullden moves around the edge of the room making eye contact with Portia nodding his head towards the stairwell that leads to goldy's room.
Bullden also tries to give a wrap-it-up signal to move things along to our ad-hoc duetters. Keeping an eye out for anyone that might be heading toward goldy's room.
Zina suppressed the urge to bang her head against the bar top table. She felt that her father would have been proud of that amount of self restraint.
The music and posturing between the two performers swelled, filling the bar. The gnome downed the remaining beer in the too-large tankard, before hopping down off her stool. Really, they should install a step-stool or something. The lack of consideration the bigger folk gave to people of her stature was ridiculous.
Trying to move as quietly as she could, the wizard followed Bullden and stood by his side. If something was about to go down, she wanted to be next to the big guy.
Suddenly, a mischievous grin spread across her face. Or more accurately, a normal grin, as the majority of the time Zina smiled she meant trouble. "Want ta see things get really crazy?" she asked Bullden with a wink. Before he could answer, she had cast minor illusion. A member of the audience, who had seemed particularly to enjoy Ishkar's performance, heard whispered in his ear "the tiefling is rubbish, the gnome is the true performer." Another hand motion later, and his friend seated directly next to him, who had taken to Pettilaen, heard a similar whisper say "that gnome couldn't play if his life depended on it!" Zina leaned back a little, hoping her instincts had been correct and that she had picked the two most prone to violence in the crowd.
PBP: DM of Titans of Tomorrow
PBP: Lera Zahuv in Whispers of Dissent
PBP: Evaine Brae in Innistrad: Dark Ascension
PBP: Cor'avin in Tomb of Annihilation
The crowd clearly favors Ishkar's performance, their eyes mostly locked on him. The applause for each was roughly equivalent, but the edge of heartfelt enthusiasm for Ishkar's was clearly greater.
Portia ducks downstairs to the rooms and watches to see if she was followed. She doesn't see or hear anyone coming, but goes to her room first and gives it a few minutes to be safe.
Around the time the follow-up duet begins, a small group (3) of elven rangers arrives. Their hair and gear is wet. It must have begun to rain at some time in the last half hour or so. Taken aback by the unusual amount of reverie in such a small and inconsequential establishment, they stand just inside the door, watching with amused and slightly bewildered expressions on their faces.
ROLL: Zina, please give me a Deception check (unless there's a skill you feel is more suitable for the attempt) as you try to go all "Gandalf and the trolls" on these hapless tavern patrons. Your action is occurring about the same time that the elves show up.
Two drunken patrons toward the center of the tavern cast their gazes about as if searching for whomever just "crop dusted" them. They seem briefly agitated, but the music draws them back in a few moments later.