During the coming nights as we stop and set up camp Arliden will approach the gnome woman, "Greetings, I've noticed you keeping an eye on things around here, just as I imaging you are aware that I've noticed. I'm just curious what you're hoping to find, I'd be more than happy to talk to you which might get you more information than just skulking around, and to kick things off," and he pushes his hand forward to shake her hand, "my name is Arliden, what's yours."
She quickly shakes your hand but let's go immediately, almost as if it was painful to touch you, looking all around to see if anyone else is nearby. "The name's Jamna. This isn't a good time or place to talk. Gather your friends and we'll talk tomorrow morning over breakfast. Have the dragonborn listen through his familiar so he doesn't blow his cover. And, for the love of Garl, try to be less obvious!" With that, she walks away.
[Assuming you follow the instructions. If not, we'll find a way to ret-con it.]
The following morning as you're sitting down for the morning meal, the gnome approaches you. After glancing around to make sure none of the cultists are watching, she puts her fingers to her lips, then takes Arliden's bowl of oatmeal. After poking through your oatmeal with the blade of her dagger, the gnome lifts it out and shows you an oatmeal-smeared object resembling a tiny bead. She glances over her shoulder toward where cultists sit at their breakfast. “It’s a sliver of bone,” she whispers, “curled into a circle so you can swallow it in a mouthful of gruel without noticing. Once eaten, it slowly uncurls inside you, exposing needle points that pierce your guts and kill you slowly. I suspect they’re in all your breakfasts. I was worried you confronting me so openly would lead to this. Pretend to keep eating so they don't get suspicious.” Before continuing on, she glances back toward the cultists to make sure they aren't paying attention.
"Here's the deal. My name is Jamna Gleamsilver. We don’t work for the same people, but we’re all on the same side — we share a belief that the Cult of the Dragon must be stopped. I need to know what they’re carrying in those wagons and where they’re taking it. Will you help me find out? We can do it tonight.”
"I'm absolutely willing and ready to help, and I promise I can be subtle when needed. I just didn't assume that anyone, us or them, recognized you as an enemy to the point they kill people over it." He pointedly continues to carefully eat so as to not raise suspicion, smiling, and occasionally laughing for good measure. "I didn't realize they had already pegged us as people worth killing either. That makes things a bit more complicated."
"Then you must not know much about the Cult of the Dragon. They would rather kill you than take the time to figure out whether or not you would pose a problem. At least one of you is willing to help. And what of the rest of you? Will you help me figure out what's in their crates? Dragonborn, have your familiar either nod or shake its head to let me know if I can count on you."
"Good. I've probably stayed with you for too long. When we stop for this evening, meet me at the brewer's wagon. After a tankard of ale, we'll separately make our way to the Cult's wagons and figure out what they're hauling up north."
With that, she looks around, paying special attention to the Cult's wagon nearest you, and starts walking off in a different direction.
After the meeting I tell Hatchling, "Hey Hatchling, can you tell Rex I'd like to learn more about that lady with her arm in a sling, the one I charmed for us to escape that camp? Tell him not to put himself in any harm but if he can find anything out about how her arm got broken, and maybe her temperament towards the cult now that would be great. Also, tell him I'm fully away he can probably hear me through you but I think you probably appreciate being talked to and not just through, right Hatchling?" and Arliden scratches him lightly where every he might have learned he likes it and then gives him some meat.
[That's pretty much it. Would it be weird to Oyn that I leave at night? If so I'll try to make some we reasoned excuses in advance.]
[Arliden (and Fjordix), you would reasonably have used a second or third in command among the guards multiple times throughout the trip to give yourself some "time off." Doing so again would not be seen as unusual or noteworthy.]
Rex, the woman with her arm in a sling is part of your wagon's group. Despite having her left arm in a sling, she still has her dominant arm free, and has worked very capably as a guard throughout this journey. You have some time during the day's journey if you wish to strike up a conversation and try to ascertain how she was injured and her thoughts towards the cult.
[Describe how you would like to do this and make a relevant skill check based on whatever approach you take: Wisdom (Insight) to subtly glean information she's not saying, Intelligence (Investigation) to ask the "right" kind of questions to get the answers without being too obvious, or Charisma (Persuasion) to just straight up ask, which may draw a bit of unwanted attention.]
"Who are you, and what does it matter to you why my arm's in a sling?" She is very clearly not happy with being asked.
“Tex” shrugs, “Call it a curiosity toward a beautiful woman. If you’d prefer, I can talk about the weather? But frankly, I think we’re both better than that. In any case, Texford Brightscale, of the Brightscale Texfords, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” “Tex” says with a smile and a wink.
Oh goodie. Come, o dice child, reveal your power to the world, roll the one! Investigation: 13. You have done well, child. The end shall come
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
All you discover is that his favorite color is depends-on-how-technical-you're-being-now-kindly-leave-me-alone.
CURSES! Alright, HumanRex goes back behind a tree and poof suddenly Rex is back from his pee break. Back to guard duty with me!
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
During the coming nights as we stop and set up camp Arliden will approach the gnome woman, "Greetings, I've noticed you keeping an eye on things around here, just as I imaging you are aware that I've noticed. I'm just curious what you're hoping to find, I'd be more than happy to talk to you which might get you more information than just skulking around, and to kick things off," and he pushes his hand forward to shake her hand, "my name is Arliden, what's yours."
She quickly shakes your hand but let's go immediately, almost as if it was painful to touch you, looking all around to see if anyone else is nearby. "The name's Jamna. This isn't a good time or place to talk. Gather your friends and we'll talk tomorrow morning over breakfast. Have the dragonborn listen through his familiar so he doesn't blow his cover. And, for the love of Garl, try to be less obvious!" With that, she walks away.
[Assuming you follow the instructions. If not, we'll find a way to ret-con it.]
The following morning as you're sitting down for the morning meal, the gnome approaches you. After glancing around to make sure none of the cultists are watching, she puts her fingers to her lips, then takes Arliden's bowl of oatmeal. After poking through your oatmeal with the blade of her dagger, the gnome lifts it out and shows you an oatmeal-smeared object resembling a tiny bead. She glances over her shoulder toward where cultists sit at their breakfast. “It’s a sliver of bone,” she whispers, “curled into a circle so you can swallow it in a mouthful of gruel without noticing. Once eaten, it slowly uncurls inside you, exposing needle points that pierce your guts and kill you slowly. I suspect they’re in all your breakfasts. I was worried you confronting me so openly would lead to this. Pretend to keep eating so they don't get suspicious.” Before continuing on, she glances back toward the cultists to make sure they aren't paying attention.
"Here's the deal. My name is Jamna Gleamsilver. We don’t work for the same people, but we’re all on the same side — we share a belief that the Cult of the Dragon must be stopped. I need to know what they’re carrying in those wagons and where they’re taking it. Will you help me find out? We can do it tonight.”
"I'm absolutely willing and ready to help, and I promise I can be subtle when needed. I just didn't assume that anyone, us or them, recognized you as an enemy to the point they kill people over it." He pointedly continues to carefully eat so as to not raise suspicion, smiling, and occasionally laughing for good measure. "I didn't realize they had already pegged us as people worth killing either. That makes things a bit more complicated."
"Then you must not know much about the Cult of the Dragon. They would rather kill you than take the time to figure out whether or not you would pose a problem. At least one of you is willing to help. And what of the rest of you? Will you help me figure out what's in their crates? Dragonborn, have your familiar either nod or shake its head to let me know if I can count on you."
Hatchling nods.
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
"Good. I've probably stayed with you for too long. When we stop for this evening, meet me at the brewer's wagon. After a tankard of ale, we'll separately make our way to the Cult's wagons and figure out what they're hauling up north."
With that, she looks around, paying special attention to the Cult's wagon nearest you, and starts walking off in a different direction.
[Is there anything your characters would like to do before fast forwarding to the evening stop?]
OOC Nothing here
After the meeting I tell Hatchling, "Hey Hatchling, can you tell Rex I'd like to learn more about that lady with her arm in a sling, the one I charmed for us to escape that camp? Tell him not to put himself in any harm but if he can find anything out about how her arm got broken, and maybe her temperament towards the cult now that would be great. Also, tell him I'm fully away he can probably hear me through you but I think you probably appreciate being talked to and not just through, right Hatchling?" and Arliden scratches him lightly where every he might have learned he likes it and then gives him some meat.
[That's pretty much it. Would it be weird to Oyn that I leave at night? If so I'll try to make some we reasoned excuses in advance.]
Hatchling nods sagely and pats Arliden on the shoulder with his snake body tail.
Meanwhile, if possible during the night, Rex will do just that!
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
[Arliden (and Fjordix), you would reasonably have used a second or third in command among the guards multiple times throughout the trip to give yourself some "time off." Doing so again would not be seen as unusual or noteworthy.]
Rex, the woman with her arm in a sling is part of your wagon's group. Despite having her left arm in a sling, she still has her dominant arm free, and has worked very capably as a guard throughout this journey. You have some time during the day's journey if you wish to strike up a conversation and try to ascertain how she was injured and her thoughts towards the cult.
[Describe how you would like to do this and make a relevant skill check based on whatever approach you take: Wisdom (Insight) to subtly glean information she's not saying, Intelligence (Investigation) to ask the "right" kind of questions to get the answers without being too obvious, or Charisma (Persuasion) to just straight up ask, which may draw a bit of unwanted attention.]
Well, back to the ever handsome Tex Brightscale, oddly named human man extraordinaire!
He’ll do Investigation: 6
Stop asking Rex to do things.
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
"Who are you, and what does it matter to you why my arm's in a sling?" She is very clearly not happy with being asked.
“Tex” shrugs, “Call it a curiosity toward a beautiful woman. If you’d prefer, I can talk about the weather? But frankly, I think we’re both better than that. In any case, Texford Brightscale, of the Brightscale Texfords, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” “Tex” says with a smile and a wink.
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
Go ahead and make a Charisma (Persuasion) check.
[I'm dying]
Go, my child: 18
(Talk fast enough and no one notices!)
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist