"Aahaa I have it" says Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai finishing his calculation. He turns to the bookie and says "I have 15 dragons to allocate. Please put five on 'Big Honker', four on 'Ubtao’s Favorite', three on 'Banana Candy', two on 'Bonecruncher' and one on 'Grung Stomper'. By the way is this first past the post or are their payments for second and third?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond DM - Four bards walk into a bar... Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
"They always tilt the odds a bit at these things to guarantee the house a profit, you know, Doc," Keyleth says. Then, after scanning the board more closely with a squint and a cocked head, she looks up in the air and then back at the board, back and forth a few times, her mouth moving a bit but no sound coming out, doing a mental calculation. "You know, this might be the most unique place I've seen in all my adventuring: the odds actually add up. You can expect to break even!" She stops again, lost in thought for a moment. "Oh, I see, they must get their profit from the concessions."
"This is exciting. I think I'd like to put 10gp down on Jungle Princess," she says to the man holding the board. "I like the look of that mount. Looks nimble." She hands him ten gold. "Now where do I get some meat on a stick?"
"My friends, bets can be for a dinosaur to win, place, show, or do something specific during the race, like attack another racer or throw its rider, so many bets can win in the course of a single race."
"In that case I will bet for a win or a place" says says Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai. He thinks for a minute and continues "the odds are obviously for a win, so what are the odds for a place, please?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond DM - Four bards walk into a bar... Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
"My friend, you make this more complicated than it needs to be. The odds are that the dinosaur and rider do what you bet they will do. That's it! Don't over think it."
Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai says "ahh but now I get it. In that case may I change my bet to seven (7) dragons on 'Big Honker' coming first, five (5) dragons on 'Ubtao’s Favorite' coming second and three (3) dragons on 'Banana Candy' coming third."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond DM - Four bards walk into a bar... Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
The man waits for a bit, but gets no reaction from Ransyl. He moves off into the crowd taking more bets from others as he does so.
Then the man seems to yell louder than the others in the crowd "Here they come! All bets are closed!"
Again you hear the roar of the crowd and the tremors on the ground as the racing dinosaurs pass by you. Big Honker seems to be in the lead, trailed by Ubtao's Favorite and then Banana Candy. Just before the finish Ubtao's Favorite makes a move on Big Honker and looks like Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai will lose on a couple of his bets.
But at the last moment the young tyrannosaurus rex, Big Honker, body slams Ubtao's Favorite and trips him up a bit and the triceratops loses enough speed to allow Big Honker to come in first!
Unfortunately for Keyleth Jungle Princess comes in 6th place and she loses her bet.
A short time later the man returns to where you were standing
"Master Tortle, that is 3 dragons for you. Well bet as all three placed as you predicted!" He hands you your wager's and winnings. (Add 3 gp to your sheet)
He then turns to Keyleth.
"Ah, but sadly the Jungle Princess did not fair so well and did not win. You bet 10 gp down on Jungle Princess. Better luck tomorrow eh!" (Remove 10 gp from your sheet)
As the dust settles the crowd begins to disperse and you see that sun will set very soon.
Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai turns to Keyleth and says "never mind. If you like I will explain my strategy to you over a cup of tea, or something stronger if that is your wish, back at Kaya's."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond DM - Four bards walk into a bar... Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
The party makes their way back to their lodging for the night. They find their rooms well appointed and they all get a good nights rest.
In the morning you make your way to the villa of Wakanga O’tamu (wah-KANG-gah oh-TAH-moo) in the Merchant Ward. You are met by guards at the entrance but after telling them your names they quickly escort you into the villa. You are expected and welcome.
As you enter Wakanga’s villa soft music plays throughout. You step into the entry and find this pleasant, breezy, tiled courtyard includes a splashing fountain and green plants. Visitors can refresh themselves in a washroom to the left of the entrance before meeting residents of the villa. The entry portico is guarded by additional guards. The ceiling of the entryway is two stories tall. Ahead of you a magnificently tiled floor is flanked by two sweeping staircases that ascend to the upper floor.
As you pass through the entry you are brought into a sitting area to the right of the entryway. Decorative columns support the arched doorway. Rugs and comfortable pillows are arranged on the floor. Narrow windows look into the garden.
The guards leave you alone in the sitting room, but you can hear them nearby in the entryway.
You are only there for a few moments when Wakanga enters the room followed by Syndra Silvane.
"Ah welcome friends!" He calls as he enters. He offers you refreshments and settles in around the table with you. "How was your first day in Chult?"
On the way back from the races, Keyleth responds to Doc, raising an eyebrow: "You had a strategy, did you? I would have thought you just got lucky. You did bet on the front-runners, after all. But by all means, enlighten me."
The next morning as the party is seated with Wakanga, Keyleth sits quietly, waiting for one of the more socially adept members of the party to respond to his question.
"You had a strategy, did you? I would have thought you just got lucky. You did bet on the front-runners, after all. But by all means, enlighten me" Keyleth asks Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai
When they get back to Kaya’s he orders a cup of tea and perusing the menu says to the elf“you really should try this Tee-Qee-La, it is a fermented cactus juice and is the national drink of parts of Chult. Personally I find it a bit strong but you might like it. It comes with a sliver of lemon and salt.”When the drinks arrive, Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai says “my strategy is really quite simple, and is based on the sayings of Aesop, one of our – Tortle that is – most famous sages that slow and steady wins the race. Simply I analysed the odds and worked out that the three dinosaurs I bet on had the best chances of winning the race and while the pay-out might not be as great as odds of a more risky bet, my chance of losing my money completely is commensurately lower.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond DM - Four bards walk into a bar... Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
“Chult has been quite the experience so far. Beautiful place, beautiful people! Several of us had to get some lighter weight armor to deal with the heat, but it will only make us faster.”
"How was your first day in Chult?" Wakanga says to the party.
After Wakanga finishes speaking Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai introduces himself and says “Please call me Dr Arbataveu. I suspect my lady here” pointing to Syndra “will have already explained to you how I got this nickname but you might be interested to know that it was your great-grandfather who first gave me the nickname about 100 years ago not long after The Troubles when I arrived in this fair city for the first time. He always said that I could boar a Tyrannosaurus to tears; a most unfair statement I thought at the time. Well one time I was exploring an old ruin in the jingle when just such a dinosaur ambushed me, you would be surprised how quiet they can be. I withdrew into my shell and tried to explain that it should consider another diet as rocks were really not good eating. Well it tried to get me out of my shell” he says pointing to the large gash “and I don’t know to this day whether it was the perspicuity of my arguments or the toughness of my shell but eventually it got bored and went looking for any easier meal.”
He thinks for a moment and says “now as to our first day in Port Nyanzuru, well fairly successful I would say. As Ransyl Fireforge just said we spent a large part of the day in the Bazaar equipping ourselves with additional equipment suitable to our expedition.” He then continues “after that we went to the Temple of Savras seeking guidance on the Death Curse and the Soulmonger. Master Diviner Zitembe was not sure that the problem has actually originated here in Chult, as my lady” gesturing at Syndra “believes. He did undertake to consult the guides on our behalf, and has advised that he expects to have an answer for us this afternoon. In the meantime if you have any further information or suggestions where we could begin our search it would be much appreciated.”
“Oh and one final point, everybody has advised we should take a guide with us when we venture into the interior. Having had a look at the possible guides, we have settled on the human Druid known as Qawasha. Do you know anything about him? Would you recommend him? Oh yes and I understand that he is to be found at Fort Beluarian, which is about a weeks travel northeast of this city. Do you have any suggestions how we could best get there? he finishes with.
"Ah, yes the heat." Wakanga answers when he hears of the group getting rid of its heavy armor. "It can be quite unbearable, especially in the jungle. Make sure you bring a few rain catchers with you into the jungle. it rains every night and it well help keep you hydrated."
He laughs at the story you tell of earning the scars on your shell. "Yes the beasts can be a bit persistent. And they get quite large out in the jungle. Be very careful if you come in contact with any of the dinosaurs out there, especially the big ones. They can be nearly as dangerous as dragons!"
When you bring up Qawasha he smiles. "Yes, an excellent guide. He knows the jungle very well. He will guide you well. And he hates the undead that fill the jungle. He will be a good ally. As for the Fort, it is not hard to find. Show me your map."
You place the map out on the table.
"So you can take a boat around to where the Fort is and find it. Most travel by land. Follow the edge of the jungle and within seven to ten days you should be there. The travel will not be difficult as you don't need to travel in the jungle itself."
Wakanga then points out some things on the map you might not understand.
"These areas that are marked in color are areas where the undead are. They get worse in the darkened area. The Flaming Fist has cleared the undead out of anything that isn't shaded, at least in the areas they operate out of. Of course there are still many dangers in the jungle besides the undead."
"Well, I hope to continue on our quest soon. I think we have the equipment we need. We just need to find this druid guide - and I suppose a place to start looking. I hope that priest at the temple can give us something to go on...I do not want to spend the rest of my days trekking through the jungles of Chult fighting undead creatures to find a cure to permanent death. Which sounds kind of weird if you ask me." The fighter is clearly ready to go but unsure of their direction...
"It is... somewhat reassuring that the trip to meet our would-be guide through the jungles does not itself require a jungle trek," Keyleth says, matter-of-factly. "I had begun to question the system that would have set up such a paradox."
Questions to ask of Master Diviner Zitembe 1) Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai turns to Wakanga and says "as I said we will be meeting with Master Diviner Zitembe from the Church of Savras this afternoon. Do you think that there are any of specific questions we should ask of him?" 2) When the party has finished at the Villa, Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai turns to him and thanks him for his hospitality. He then turns to Syndra and says "we will keep you informed of our progress. What is the best way to do so?" before making his way to the Church of Savras for the afternoon's meeting.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond DM - Four bards walk into a bar... Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
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"Aahaa I have it" says Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai finishing his calculation. He turns to the bookie and says "I have 15 dragons to allocate. Please put five on 'Big Honker', four on 'Ubtao’s Favorite', three on 'Banana Candy', two on 'Bonecruncher' and one on 'Grung Stomper'. By the way is this first past the post or are their payments for second and third?"
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond
DM - Four bards walk into a bar...
Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
"They always tilt the odds a bit at these things to guarantee the house a profit, you know, Doc," Keyleth says. Then, after scanning the board more closely with a squint and a cocked head, she looks up in the air and then back at the board, back and forth a few times, her mouth moving a bit but no sound coming out, doing a mental calculation. "You know, this might be the most unique place I've seen in all my adventuring: the odds actually add up. You can expect to break even!" She stops again, lost in thought for a moment. "Oh, I see, they must get their profit from the concessions."
"This is exciting. I think I'd like to put 10gp down on Jungle Princess," she says to the man holding the board. "I like the look of that mount. Looks nimble." She hands him ten gold. "Now where do I get some meat on a stick?"
"Darvin" | Changeling | Hexblade 1 / Swords Bard 6 | Descent Into Avernus (AC 19; PP 14; 52/52 HP)
Anton Chergoba | Human | Battlemaster 4 | Lost Mines of Phandelver (AC 20; PP 14; 36/36 HP)
The man looks at you as he accepts your bets.
"My friends, bets can be for a dinosaur to win, place, show, or do something specific during the race, like attack another racer or throw its rider, so many bets can win in the course of a single race."
He scribbles your bets on a piece of paper.
"In that case I will bet for a win or a place" says says Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai. He thinks for a minute and continues "the odds are obviously for a win, so what are the odds for a place, please?"
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond
DM - Four bards walk into a bar...
Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
The man looks at you with a strange expression.
"My friend, you make this more complicated than it needs to be. The odds are that the dinosaur and rider do what you bet they will do. That's it! Don't over think it."
Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai says "ahh but now I get it. In that case may I change my bet to seven (7) dragons on 'Big Honker' coming first, five (5) dragons on 'Ubtao’s Favorite' coming second and three (3) dragons on 'Banana Candy' coming third."
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond
DM - Four bards walk into a bar...
Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
The man marks your bets. He then looks down at Ransyl
"Hey, how about you, you wanna make a bet? You're kinda quiet, but I bet you are interested. Dwarves are some of our best customers!"
He laughs a hearty laugh,
"Not much time left though. Speak up or pass, the race will start in just a little bit!"
The man waits for a bit, but gets no reaction from Ransyl. He moves off into the crowd taking more bets from others as he does so.
Then the man seems to yell louder than the others in the crowd "Here they come! All bets are closed!"
Again you hear the roar of the crowd and the tremors on the ground as the racing dinosaurs pass by you. Big Honker seems to be in the lead, trailed by Ubtao's Favorite and then Banana Candy. Just before the finish Ubtao's Favorite makes a move on Big Honker and looks like Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai will lose on a couple of his bets.
But at the last moment the young tyrannosaurus rex, Big Honker, body slams Ubtao's Favorite and trips him up a bit and the triceratops loses enough speed to allow Big Honker to come in first!
Unfortunately for Keyleth Jungle Princess comes in 6th place and she loses her bet.
A short time later the man returns to where you were standing
"Master Tortle, that is 3 dragons for you. Well bet as all three placed as you predicted!" He hands you your wager's and winnings. (Add 3 gp to your sheet)
He then turns to Keyleth.
"Ah, but sadly the Jungle Princess did not fair so well and did not win. You bet 10 gp down on Jungle Princess. Better luck tomorrow eh!" (Remove 10 gp from your sheet)
As the dust settles the crowd begins to disperse and you see that sun will set very soon.
Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai turns to Keyleth and says "never mind. If you like I will explain my strategy to you over a cup of tea, or something stronger if that is your wish, back at Kaya's."
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond
DM - Four bards walk into a bar...
Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
The party makes their way back to their lodging for the night. They find their rooms well appointed and they all get a good nights rest.
In the morning you make your way to the villa of Wakanga O’tamu (wah-KANG-gah oh-TAH-moo) in the Merchant Ward. You are met by guards at the entrance but after telling them your names they quickly escort you into the villa. You are expected and welcome.
As you enter Wakanga’s villa soft music plays throughout. You step into the entry and find this pleasant, breezy, tiled courtyard includes a splashing fountain and green plants. Visitors can refresh themselves in a washroom to the left of the entrance before meeting residents of the villa. The entry portico is guarded by additional guards. The ceiling of the entryway is two stories tall. Ahead of you a magnificently tiled floor is flanked by two sweeping staircases that ascend to the upper floor.
As you pass through the entry you are brought into a sitting area to the right of the entryway. Decorative columns support the arched doorway. Rugs and comfortable pillows are arranged on the floor. Narrow windows look into the garden.
The guards leave you alone in the sitting room, but you can hear them nearby in the entryway.
You are only there for a few moments when Wakanga enters the room followed by Syndra Silvane.
"Ah welcome friends!" He calls as he enters. He offers you refreshments and settles in around the table with you. "How was your first day in Chult?"
On the way back from the races, Keyleth responds to Doc, raising an eyebrow: "You had a strategy, did you? I would have thought you just got lucky. You did bet on the front-runners, after all. But by all means, enlighten me."
The next morning as the party is seated with Wakanga, Keyleth sits quietly, waiting for one of the more socially adept members of the party to respond to his question.
"Darvin" | Changeling | Hexblade 1 / Swords Bard 6 | Descent Into Avernus (AC 19; PP 14; 52/52 HP)
Anton Chergoba | Human | Battlemaster 4 | Lost Mines of Phandelver (AC 20; PP 14; 36/36 HP)
That Evening (Following Post #131)
When they get back to Kaya’s he orders a cup of tea and perusing the menu says to the elf “you really should try this Tee-Qee-La, it is a fermented cactus juice and is the national drink of parts of Chult. Personally I find it a bit strong but you might like it. It comes with a sliver of lemon and salt.” When the drinks arrive, Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai says “my strategy is really quite simple, and is based on the sayings of Aesop, one of our – Tortle that is – most famous sages that slow and steady wins the race. Simply I analysed the odds and worked out that the three dinosaurs I bet on had the best chances of winning the race and while the pay-out might not be as great as odds of a more risky bet, my chance of losing my money completely is commensurately lower.”
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond
DM - Four bards walk into a bar...
Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
“Chult has been quite the experience so far. Beautiful place, beautiful people! Several of us had to get some lighter weight armor to deal with the heat, but it will only make us faster.”
After Wakanga finishes speaking Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai introduces himself and says “Please call me Dr Arbataveu. I suspect my lady here” pointing to Syndra “will have already explained to you how I got this nickname but you might be interested to know that it was your great-grandfather who first gave me the nickname about 100 years ago not long after The Troubles when I arrived in this fair city for the first time. He always said that I could boar a Tyrannosaurus to tears; a most unfair statement I thought at the time. Well one time I was exploring an old ruin in the jingle when just such a dinosaur ambushed me, you would be surprised how quiet they can be. I withdrew into my shell and tried to explain that it should consider another diet as rocks were really not good eating. Well it tried to get me out of my shell” he says pointing to the large gash “and I don’t know to this day whether it was the perspicuity of my arguments or the toughness of my shell but eventually it got bored and went looking for any easier meal.”
He thinks for a moment and says “now as to our first day in Port Nyanzuru, well fairly successful I would say. As Ransyl Fireforge just said we spent a large part of the day in the Bazaar equipping ourselves with additional equipment suitable to our expedition.” He then continues “after that we went to the Temple of Savras seeking guidance on the Death Curse and the Soulmonger. Master Diviner Zitembe was not sure that the problem has actually originated here in Chult, as my lady” gesturing at Syndra “believes. He did undertake to consult the guides on our behalf, and has advised that he expects to have an answer for us this afternoon. In the meantime if you have any further information or suggestions where we could begin our search it would be much appreciated.”
“Oh and one final point, everybody has advised we should take a guide with us when we venture into the interior. Having had a look at the possible guides, we have settled on the human Druid known as Qawasha. Do you know anything about him? Would you recommend him? Oh yes and I understand that he is to be found at Fort Beluarian, which is about a weeks travel northeast of this city. Do you have any suggestions how we could best get there? he finishes with.
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond
DM - Four bards walk into a bar...
Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
"Ah, yes the heat." Wakanga answers when he hears of the group getting rid of its heavy armor. "It can be quite unbearable, especially in the jungle. Make sure you bring a few rain catchers with you into the jungle. it rains every night and it well help keep you hydrated."
He laughs at the story you tell of earning the scars on your shell. "Yes the beasts can be a bit persistent. And they get quite large out in the jungle. Be very careful if you come in contact with any of the dinosaurs out there, especially the big ones. They can be nearly as dangerous as dragons!"
When you bring up Qawasha he smiles. "Yes, an excellent guide. He knows the jungle very well. He will guide you well. And he hates the undead that fill the jungle. He will be a good ally. As for the Fort, it is not hard to find. Show me your map."
You place the map out on the table.
"So you can take a boat around to where the Fort is and find it. Most travel by land. Follow the edge of the jungle and within seven to ten days you should be there. The travel will not be difficult as you don't need to travel in the jungle itself."
Wakanga then points out some things on the map you might not understand.
"These areas that are marked in color are areas where the undead are. They get worse in the darkened area. The Flaming Fist has cleared the undead out of anything that isn't shaded, at least in the areas they operate out of. Of course there are still many dangers in the jungle besides the undead."
"Is there a captain that you would recommend we approach who may be sailing to Fort Beluarian in the near future?" Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai asks.
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond
DM - Four bards walk into a bar...
Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]
"No, not really. It would all depend on who is in the harbor at any given time. You would need to go to the Harbor Ward and see what ships are in. "
"Well, I hope to continue on our quest soon. I think we have the equipment we need. We just need to find this druid guide - and I suppose a place to start looking. I hope that priest at the temple can give us something to go on...I do not want to spend the rest of my days trekking through the jungles of Chult fighting undead creatures to find a cure to permanent death. Which sounds kind of weird if you ask me." The fighter is clearly ready to go but unsure of their direction...
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
"It is... somewhat reassuring that the trip to meet our would-be guide through the jungles does not itself require a jungle trek," Keyleth says, matter-of-factly. "I had begun to question the system that would have set up such a paradox."
"Darvin" | Changeling | Hexblade 1 / Swords Bard 6 | Descent Into Avernus (AC 19; PP 14; 52/52 HP)
Anton Chergoba | Human | Battlemaster 4 | Lost Mines of Phandelver (AC 20; PP 14; 36/36 HP)
Questions to ask of Master Diviner Zitembe
1) Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai turns to Wakanga and says "as I said we will be meeting with Master Diviner Zitembe from the Church of Savras this afternoon. Do you think that there are any of specific questions we should ask of him?"
2) When the party has finished at the Villa, Vah Jo Gyaan Chaahata Hai turns to him and thanks him for his hospitality. He then turns to Syndra and says "we will keep you informed of our progress. What is the best way to do so?" before making his way to the Church of Savras for the afternoon's meeting.
DM - Storm King's Thunder - The Gods Respond
DM - Four bards walk into a bar...
Cracitus Tibicen (Tibi) - Aarokocra - Rogue [Swashbuckler] / Fighter [Battlemaster]