(You all walk up to the Mansion with Jacob and the rest of the Redcheeks. You count about 8 that had come with Jacob to the entrance. As you walk toward the house, you pass by a couple of Halflings digging a sizeable hole in the side yard. You enter the home and are ushered into the dining area. An older female Halfling is cooking up a storm, and it smells delicious. There's a long table with a main dish of sweet meats, eggs and potatoes, but the apple desserts cover half the table and fill the home with a sweet, sweet aroma.
As you’re walking toward the dining room, you do pass a study that looks like it has been ransacked. You can see papers lying around the floor, the desk has been overturned, and you can only assume that more of this is going on upstairs. You can hear Halflings rifling through cupboards. Jacob directs you all to sit and plates of food are soon set in front of you. Another older, gruff looking Halfling with bushy black eyebrows appears. Jacob introduces him as his brother, Darius. Darius looks you all over, scoffs, and goes back to ransacking.)
"Sorry about that. My brother isn't exactly the cheery type. Well, I guess I should start from the beginning. The Redcheek Clan owned Redcheek Farms for generations. My father, Zacharia Redcheek, somewhere around 40 years ago, was approached by a young up-and-coming cider merchant by the name of Tapwell, who offered to buy this farm. My father turned down that offer, and Tapwell returned a few days later with armed mercenaries who slew most of our family."
(Jacob's eyes start to get a bit glassy.)
"Me and my brother were whisked away by our uncle. Only we three survived. I was 10 years old."
(Jacob takes a few moments before continuing. The party looks over accusingly at Augustus, who is too busy eating a big Apple Cobbler to notice.)
"From what we could tell, Tapwell told the town that he had bought the farm from us in a fair deal and just... took over. Me and my brother and my uncle, who is no longer with us, lived a vagabond existence, going from place to place, always afraid that Tapwell's mercenaries would track us down and... finish the job. Eventually, we settled far away from here, got married, had families of our own. One day, we came upon a small army of Goblins on the outskirts of our small town. Only, they weren't alive. Someone, or a group of someone's, had battled and slain them all and just kind of left them there. They had all their weapons and armor and, well... we got an idea. We planned for months, waited for the right time... we stormed the place and used all of our cunning and tricks to make it seem like there were dozens and dozens of us, when really we're only about 16. We knew we wouldn't have a long time before Tapwell regrouped and came to try to run us off."
(Jacob walks closer to the study area, where some much younger Halflings are searching and tossing books and papers about.)
"But we thought, if only, if only we could find the original deed of ownership to the land that proves that the Redcheeks are the TRUE owners of this orchard, then we could plead our case to the Magistrate. But we haven't had any luck, and it's only a matter of time before Tapwell raises an army and tries to drive us out. I don't want anyone in my family to get hurt. I just want them to be able to have what is rightfully ours!"
(A loud slurping breaks the mood, as Augustus noisily eats another slice of Apple Pie. Jacob looks at you all.)
"So, now you know the truth. But I would know something from you all. It seems like you 4, as formidable as you look, wouldn't really think you could take on a whole army of Goblins. Heh, well, Goblin Halflings, as it were. So, I ask you: What exactly were you all sent here to do?"
I slap Augustus on the back of the head and give him a stink-eye, "Savage."
Then turn to Jacob, "I certainly trust you more than these swollen idiots." Refering to Augustus.
"The elder Tapwell paid us to come here and retrieve an undefined something from the house. He did imply that stealth may be the best option as he was under the impression a potential great many goblins were present, but he was also incredibly vague about the mcguffin we were sent to retrieve."
Turning to Carxus, Lena, and Gerard, "Care to have a look in the basement?"
OOC: Sorry to spill beans so quickly, but Nikta's pretty biased against rich folks with enlarged senses of entitlement, sometimes to his disservice.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jacob Bray - The Call of Lon-Dia, Human Bloodhunter 3
"Ow! What'd you do that for!? I wasn't even born yet, even if he is telling the truth!"
(Augustus sulkily rubs the back of his head. After Nikta mentions the basement, Jacob's eyes light up.)
"The basement? We've looked all over, but if you say Tapwell told you to look in the basement, we'll look there again."
(Jacob and a few of his family members, who are introduced to you as Mark, Korric, Finn and Wade, walk with you all to the basement. There are many boxes, crates, etc, and they all look like they've been rummaged thru.)
"Where did Tapwell tell you all to look?"
(Nikta informs Jacob that Tapwell told them it was buried in the Northeast corner of the cellar. Mark, Korric, Finn and Wade grab some shovels and start digging. Pretty soon, one of them hits something. There's lots of commotion as they dig the rest of the chest out of the ground and place it in front of everyone. Jacob opens it slowly, his eyes in wonder. There's a few papers and things as well, but right there in black and parchment, you all see the proof that the Redcheeks are the true owners of Redcheek Farms: A Deed of Ownership with Zacharia Redcheek's name on it.)
"This is it!"
(Jacob looks ecstatic, vindicated, and relieved.)
DM's note: It got late on me and I'm not able to finish tonight, I'll be continuing this a little later, feel free to insert whatever reactions you may have.
(Further inspection of the deed reveals that it was signed by Lord Joffrey.)
"Ah, Lord Joffrey, he's older, but still alive. I think his castle is somewhere south of here. We could take the raft!"
"Raft?"
"Oh, yes. There is a river a few miles east of here that connects to the main waterways. It would be the fastest way to get to Lord Joffrey's castle. Only... I can't move my people, and I can't leave everyone here unprotected. You were all very kind and reasonable, but what if Tapwell sends others? I don't..."
(Jacob thinks for a few moments...)
"I know that I already owe you many thanks for everything you've done, but I'm afraid I must ask for your help once more. We need to get this deed to the Lord's Castle. Will you help me get it there? I know it is much to ask, but I don't see any other way. If we split up and leave my family here, they will be defenseless. We need to stay in large numbers. I can go and plead my case and bring Tapwell to justice for what he's done to my family. Will you please help me?"
"So the four of us, and you Jacob, head down river together? Am I understanding that correctly?" I think for a moment, "I'd love to take this news back to Tapwell himself at the point of a blade, but I suppose that may be a bit of a suicide mission at this point. What should we do with Augustus here? I can't imagine the elder Tapwell will sit around for too long before sending someone after his son when he doesn't come home with us."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jacob Bray - The Call of Lon-Dia, Human Bloodhunter 3
"I'd like to go and get all this figured out. I'm not sure what to do with Mr Tapwell,I would suggest he comes with, but like you said Nikta, his father might send someone to look for him."
"I suppose... I suppose we don't have much of a choice but to take young Tapwell here with us. We haven't got much time. The river is swift, we should be able to make good time."
(Preparations are made, bags are packed, Mrs. Redcheek makes a nice picnic basket with lots of delicious things for lunch.)
DMs note: If you all want to do anything before you all leave, go ahead and say so, it'll take place here.
(The 6 of you (the party plus Tapwell and Jacob) walk a few miles east and come up to a dock on a fast moving river where a large Raft, about 20 x 20 feet, sturdy and seaworthy, with some poles to navigate, stands. Jacob helps you all board and gives you all a quick crash course on what to do, and you are on your way.)
(Carxus stands at the front of the raft, looking out along the river. Nikta and Lena also try to keep watch along the port and starboard sides, but are having a little bit of a tougher time because of the current. Jacob is busy keeping the raft on course with a pole and oar.)
Spoiler for Carxus:
You are doing an excellent job keeping watch, and see 2 Giant Crabs about 300 feet away. The raft is heading right towards them. They seem to be trying to move stealthily, but your keen eye sees that they are now underwater and in your path. You imagine they'll be able to climb onto your raft in less than 1 minute.
"Hang on, everyone, I'm going to try to steer around them!"
(Jacob uses his skills with the raft to try to go around the Giant Crabs.)
Jacob Dex vs Giant Crabs Dex: 18 vs 8
(Jacob uses the pole to take a hard right and manages to maneuver very nicely. As the raft passes that point in the river, you all look back and see that the Giant Crabs emerged right where you all would have been. You breathe a sigh of relief as you continue on your journey.)
DMs Mechanics Spoiler:
The only reason you guys were even able to have that option is because Carxus rolled a 20 on his Perception check that had to beat an 18. (Crabs have +4 Stealth) Lucky punks... LOL :)
(The raft continues on the path. A couple of more hours pass with nothing happening. You all reach an area of the river that is slower and narrower, but still pretty deep. The river at this point is only about 60 feet wide. Everyone is still keeping a lookout as best they can. Nikta looks over one of the sides of the boat into the water and starts to say something.)
"Guys, I think..."
*SPLASH*
(A Giant Toad jumps out of the water, startling Nikta, who falls in! The Toad lands on the raft and makes a loud noise as it gets ready to take a bite out of you all.)
DMs Note: Roll Initiative, everyone.
Nikta, just to cover what happened, since you rolled a 1 I figured something kind of had to happen to you, so I didn't give you a Dex Save chance. If you want to climb back on the boat, you'll have to roll a Dex save DC 12 on your turn. If anyone tried to help Nikta out, you'll have to do a Strength Roll and beat a DC 12, and that will count as your entire turn. Just FYI all.
Carxus reluctantly agrees and joins the group as they walk to the house.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen- DM (IRL)
The Sunless Citadel- DM (PbP)
https://linktr.ee/neumie
(You all walk up to the Mansion with Jacob and the rest of the Redcheeks. You count about 8 that had come with Jacob to the entrance. As you walk toward the house, you pass by a couple of Halflings digging a sizeable hole in the side yard. You enter the home and are ushered into the dining area. An older female Halfling is cooking up a storm, and it smells delicious. There's a long table with a main dish of sweet meats, eggs and potatoes, but the apple desserts cover half the table and fill the home with a sweet, sweet aroma.
As you’re walking toward the dining room, you do pass a study that looks like it has been ransacked. You can see papers lying around the floor, the desk has been overturned, and you can only assume that more of this is going on upstairs. You can hear Halflings rifling through cupboards. Jacob directs you all to sit and plates of food are soon set in front of you. Another older, gruff looking Halfling with bushy black eyebrows appears. Jacob introduces him as his brother, Darius. Darius looks you all over, scoffs, and goes back to ransacking.)
"Sorry about that. My brother isn't exactly the cheery type. Well, I guess I should start from the beginning. The Redcheek Clan owned Redcheek Farms for generations. My father, Zacharia Redcheek, somewhere around 40 years ago, was approached by a young up-and-coming cider merchant by the name of Tapwell, who offered to buy this farm. My father turned down that offer, and Tapwell returned a few days later with armed mercenaries who slew most of our family."
(Jacob's eyes start to get a bit glassy.)
"Me and my brother were whisked away by our uncle. Only we three survived. I was 10 years old."
(Jacob takes a few moments before continuing. The party looks over accusingly at Augustus, who is too busy eating a big Apple Cobbler to notice.)
"From what we could tell, Tapwell told the town that he had bought the farm from us in a fair deal and just... took over. Me and my brother and my uncle, who is no longer with us, lived a vagabond existence, going from place to place, always afraid that Tapwell's mercenaries would track us down and... finish the job. Eventually, we settled far away from here, got married, had families of our own. One day, we came upon a small army of Goblins on the outskirts of our small town. Only, they weren't alive. Someone, or a group of someone's, had battled and slain them all and just kind of left them there. They had all their weapons and armor and, well... we got an idea. We planned for months, waited for the right time... we stormed the place and used all of our cunning and tricks to make it seem like there were dozens and dozens of us, when really we're only about 16. We knew we wouldn't have a long time before Tapwell regrouped and came to try to run us off."
(Jacob walks closer to the study area, where some much younger Halflings are searching and tossing books and papers about.)
"But we thought, if only, if only we could find the original deed of ownership to the land that proves that the Redcheeks are the TRUE owners of this orchard, then we could plead our case to the Magistrate. But we haven't had any luck, and it's only a matter of time before Tapwell raises an army and tries to drive us out. I don't want anyone in my family to get hurt. I just want them to be able to have what is rightfully ours!"
(A loud slurping breaks the mood, as Augustus noisily eats another slice of Apple Pie. Jacob looks at you all.)
"So, now you know the truth. But I would know something from you all. It seems like you 4, as formidable as you look, wouldn't really think you could take on a whole army of Goblins. Heh, well, Goblin Halflings, as it were. So, I ask you: What exactly were you all sent here to do?"
DM - Tomb of the Delian Order One-Shot (Level 1)
Natasha - The Call of Lon-Dia Human Rogue (Level 4)
I slap Augustus on the back of the head and give him a stink-eye, "Savage."
Then turn to Jacob, "I certainly trust you more than these swollen idiots." Refering to Augustus.
"The elder Tapwell paid us to come here and retrieve an undefined something from the house. He did imply that stealth may be the best option as he was under the impression a potential great many goblins were present, but he was also incredibly vague about the mcguffin we were sent to retrieve."
Turning to Carxus, Lena, and Gerard, "Care to have a look in the basement?"
OOC: Sorry to spill beans so quickly, but Nikta's pretty biased against rich folks with enlarged senses of entitlement, sometimes to his disservice.
Jacob Bray - The Call of Lon-Dia, Human Bloodhunter 3
" I don't mind." Lena mumbles around a mouth full of food.
"This food is absolutely wonderful, by the way. Its been so long since I've had a proper halfling dinner." She tells Jacob, "Compliments to the chef."
Avery Highdale-Halfling Rogue(Thief) Lv.3
Penelope Skyshatter-Dragonborn Sorcerer(Draconic Bloodline) Lv.2
Red Skies in Mourning: DM
Volqelli Ryxu- Drow Wizard(Conjuration School)/Rogue Lv. 13
"Ow! What'd you do that for!? I wasn't even born yet, even if he is telling the truth!"
(Augustus sulkily rubs the back of his head. After Nikta mentions the basement, Jacob's eyes light up.)
"The basement? We've looked all over, but if you say Tapwell told you to look in the basement, we'll look there again."
(Jacob and a few of his family members, who are introduced to you as Mark, Korric, Finn and Wade, walk with you all to the basement. There are many boxes, crates, etc, and they all look like they've been rummaged thru.)
"Where did Tapwell tell you all to look?"
(Nikta informs Jacob that Tapwell told them it was buried in the Northeast corner of the cellar. Mark, Korric, Finn and Wade grab some shovels and start digging. Pretty soon, one of them hits something. There's lots of commotion as they dig the rest of the chest out of the ground and place it in front of everyone. Jacob opens it slowly, his eyes in wonder. There's a few papers and things as well, but right there in black and parchment, you all see the proof that the Redcheeks are the true owners of Redcheek Farms: A Deed of Ownership with Zacharia Redcheek's name on it.)
"This is it!"
(Jacob looks ecstatic, vindicated, and relieved.)
DM's note: It got late on me and I'm not able to finish tonight, I'll be continuing this a little later, feel free to insert whatever reactions you may have.
DM - Tomb of the Delian Order One-Shot (Level 1)
Natasha - The Call of Lon-Dia Human Rogue (Level 4)
(Further inspection of the deed reveals that it was signed by Lord Joffrey.)
"Ah, Lord Joffrey, he's older, but still alive. I think his castle is somewhere south of here. We could take the raft!"
"Raft?"
"Oh, yes. There is a river a few miles east of here that connects to the main waterways. It would be the fastest way to get to Lord Joffrey's castle. Only... I can't move my people, and I can't leave everyone here unprotected. You were all very kind and reasonable, but what if Tapwell sends others? I don't..."
(Jacob thinks for a few moments...)
"I know that I already owe you many thanks for everything you've done, but I'm afraid I must ask for your help once more. We need to get this deed to the Lord's Castle. Will you help me get it there? I know it is much to ask, but I don't see any other way. If we split up and leave my family here, they will be defenseless. We need to stay in large numbers. I can go and plead my case and bring Tapwell to justice for what he's done to my family. Will you please help me?"
DM - Tomb of the Delian Order One-Shot (Level 1)
Natasha - The Call of Lon-Dia Human Rogue (Level 4)
Carxus turns to the rest of the party.
”I want to get to the bottom of this and determine who really owns this place. What do you guys think?”
Hoard of the Dragon Queen- DM (IRL)
The Sunless Citadel- DM (PbP)
https://linktr.ee/neumie
"So the four of us, and you Jacob, head down river together? Am I understanding that correctly?" I think for a moment, "I'd love to take this news back to Tapwell himself at the point of a blade, but I suppose that may be a bit of a suicide mission at this point. What should we do with Augustus here? I can't imagine the elder Tapwell will sit around for too long before sending someone after his son when he doesn't come home with us."
Jacob Bray - The Call of Lon-Dia, Human Bloodhunter 3
"I'd like to go and get all this figured out. I'm not sure what to do with Mr Tapwell,I would suggest he comes with, but like you said Nikta, his father might send someone to look for him."
Avery Highdale-Halfling Rogue(Thief) Lv.3
Penelope Skyshatter-Dragonborn Sorcerer(Draconic Bloodline) Lv.2
Red Skies in Mourning: DM
Volqelli Ryxu- Drow Wizard(Conjuration School)/Rogue Lv. 13
"The Redcheek Clan thanks you."
(Jacob looks over Tapwell for a moment.)
"I suppose... I suppose we don't have much of a choice but to take young Tapwell here with us. We haven't got much time. The river is swift, we should be able to make good time."
(Preparations are made, bags are packed, Mrs. Redcheek makes a nice picnic basket with lots of delicious things for lunch.)
DMs note: If you all want to do anything before you all leave, go ahead and say so, it'll take place here.
(The 6 of you (the party plus Tapwell and Jacob) walk a few miles east and come up to a dock on a fast moving river where a large Raft, about 20 x 20 feet, sturdy and seaworthy, with some poles to navigate, stands. Jacob helps you all board and gives you all a quick crash course on what to do, and you are on your way.)
I need 2 Perception checks from each of you
DM - Tomb of the Delian Order One-Shot (Level 1)
Natasha - The Call of Lon-Dia Human Rogue (Level 4)
Perception 1: 4
Perception 2: 1 (continuing the trend of stellar perception rolls from Nikta!)
"Boats aren't my strong suit, let's make this quick..." Nikta is visibly uncomfortable on the raft, obviously affecting his attention...
Jacob Bray - The Call of Lon-Dia, Human Bloodhunter 3
Perception 1: 20
Perception 2: 14
(Don’t worry Nikita, Carxus has got your back.)
Hoard of the Dragon Queen- DM (IRL)
The Sunless Citadel- DM (PbP)
https://linktr.ee/neumie
OOC: Sorry the power went off at my house and it was off all night.
Perception:8
Perception:7
Avery Highdale-Halfling Rogue(Thief) Lv.3
Penelope Skyshatter-Dragonborn Sorcerer(Draconic Bloodline) Lv.2
Red Skies in Mourning: DM
Volqelli Ryxu- Drow Wizard(Conjuration School)/Rogue Lv. 13
(Carxus stands at the front of the raft, looking out along the river. Nikta and Lena also try to keep watch along the port and starboard sides, but are having a little bit of a tougher time because of the current. Jacob is busy keeping the raft on course with a pole and oar.)
Spoiler for Carxus:
You are doing an excellent job keeping watch, and see 2 Giant Crabs about 300 feet away. The raft is heading right towards them. They seem to be trying to move stealthily, but your keen eye sees that they are now underwater and in your path. You imagine they'll be able to climb onto your raft in less than 1 minute.
DM - Tomb of the Delian Order One-Shot (Level 1)
Natasha - The Call of Lon-Dia Human Rogue (Level 4)
Carxus points to the spot where he sees the Giant Crabs.
”Giant Crabs, about 300 ft ahead. We could try to avoid them or try to make them dinner.”
Hoard of the Dragon Queen- DM (IRL)
The Sunless Citadel- DM (PbP)
https://linktr.ee/neumie
Nikta spins up an eldritch blast, holding the energy at a crackle between his hands until he can get a clear shot at them...
Game mechanics: He readies the blast to be released as soon as they're within 120ft IF we choose to kill rather than avoid.
Attack: 7 Damage: 12
Initiative: 2
Jeeeeeez. Can I put these dice in dice jail and get a new set?
Jacob Bray - The Call of Lon-Dia, Human Bloodhunter 3
"I'd rather avoid them if we can. No need to cause harm for no reason."
Avery Highdale-Halfling Rogue(Thief) Lv.3
Penelope Skyshatter-Dragonborn Sorcerer(Draconic Bloodline) Lv.2
Red Skies in Mourning: DM
Volqelli Ryxu- Drow Wizard(Conjuration School)/Rogue Lv. 13
"Hang on, everyone, I'm going to try to steer around them!"
(Jacob uses his skills with the raft to try to go around the Giant Crabs.)
Jacob Dex vs Giant Crabs Dex: 18 vs 8
(Jacob uses the pole to take a hard right and manages to maneuver very nicely. As the raft passes that point in the river, you all look back and see that the Giant Crabs emerged right where you all would have been. You breathe a sigh of relief as you continue on your journey.)
DMs Mechanics Spoiler:
The only reason you guys were even able to have that option is because Carxus rolled a 20 on his Perception check that had to beat an 18. (Crabs have +4 Stealth) Lucky punks... LOL :)
(The raft continues on the path. A couple of more hours pass with nothing happening. You all reach an area of the river that is slower and narrower, but still pretty deep. The river at this point is only about 60 feet wide. Everyone is still keeping a lookout as best they can. Nikta looks over one of the sides of the boat into the water and starts to say something.)
"Guys, I think..."
*SPLASH*
(A Giant Toad jumps out of the water, startling Nikta, who falls in! The Toad lands on the raft and makes a loud noise as it gets ready to take a bite out of you all.)
DMs Note: Roll Initiative, everyone.
Nikta, just to cover what happened, since you rolled a 1 I figured something kind of had to happen to you, so I didn't give you a Dex Save chance. If you want to climb back on the boat, you'll have to roll a Dex save DC 12 on your turn. If anyone tried to help Nikta out, you'll have to do a Strength Roll and beat a DC 12, and that will count as your entire turn. Just FYI all.
DM - Tomb of the Delian Order One-Shot (Level 1)
Natasha - The Call of Lon-Dia Human Rogue (Level 4)
Lena Initiative:20
Avery Highdale-Halfling Rogue(Thief) Lv.3
Penelope Skyshatter-Dragonborn Sorcerer(Draconic Bloodline) Lv.2
Red Skies in Mourning: DM
Volqelli Ryxu- Drow Wizard(Conjuration School)/Rogue Lv. 13
Initiative: 14
(ouch)
Hoard of the Dragon Queen- DM (IRL)
The Sunless Citadel- DM (PbP)
https://linktr.ee/neumie