This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
1412
"Comin' right up," Vernon replies. The party eventually finds themselves in front of his signature spiced chowder. "Quiet tonight. Things have been more treacherous in the Dale as of late." The tavern is relatively sparse, with just a handful of locals drinking to the side. "Did you find your way alright? What brings you to Termalaine?" Vernon asks as he passes out some beers.
"You can say that again. It's definitely more treacherous out there. We had an encounter with a Frost giant. Brought it and it's mammoth down outside of town. It gave us a pretty good beating so we wanted somewhere we could rest and recover. It was such a beautiful town and all."
"A Frost Giant!? This close to the Ten Towns?? How strange... Well, you're lucky to have escaped alive." Vernon licks his lips in a weird circular fashion around his mouth. "A mammoth...oh how I would love to get ahold of some of their meat to cook with." He shrugs and shakes his head.
"Yes, Termalaine is quiet, but certainly beautiful despite the Rime. We are mostly simple mining folk. But some of our citizens have been reporting seeing suspicious activity while traveling through the Dale. There is talk of odd treasure being moved in and out of the towns.
Vernon's eyes pop wide open upon a23's reveal. His nostrils flare. "How in the world did you get ahold of that!?" He licks his lips in an odd circular fashion once again, before asking: "What would it take to get that off of you? With a hunk like that, the Blue Clam would have a feast on its hands not experienced in ages!"
“fortunately for you and your patrons this delicacy can be yours for practically nothing.”
a23 imitates a friendly smile
”i only require 2 things. 1, if anyone comes looking for my companions and i you heard we were traveling south. and 2, most importantly, we will require a sack of meat equal in weight to this”
he slaps the mammoth meat enthusiastically
”the bears get hungry. id hate to be the one between them when the meat runs dry.”
"Looking for you...?" Vernon almost seems to glaze over this part of the deal before quickly replying: "We can get you a sack of knucklehead equivalent to that size easily! I'll just have to make a call to some of the locals..."
He stares at the hunk of meat longingly. "Well...? Do we have deal? Maybe you'll even stay for some festivities if I get started cooking it now! The night is still young."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
144
a23 can tell that the half-orc's intent is pure. In fact, his eyes seem to sparkle from the exchange. "I'll get to work immediately!" He motions to one of the patrons, who leaves excitedly.
Errona doesn't notice anything suspicious.
After awhile, the tavern starts to fill with a meaty aroma. The adventures can almost hear the fizzling fats just from the smell alone. The bar starts to fill with locals, who start to transport dishes outside as they are completed.
"We've got a camp fire going outside! Join us, friends!"
The party makes their way outside, where a large bonfire is lit in the center of the town's event square. A crowd of mostly human citizens dances around it, some of them traveling back and forth between a large pot of stew on the fire. Many of them have soot-covered faces, likely being the miners Vernon mentioned.
A willowy teenager sings in the middle of the group:
Ahead of winter's wind she came- The lovely woman with no name; Draped in a fur-lined cloak of red, To the icy lake she fled; The wind pursued her all the same - As sure as night she's dead. 🎶
The miner turns to Roc. "Aye. The singer's name is Marta Peskryk. She runs the Eastside Inn ever since her father Clyde become bedridden."
Legend has it that fifty years ago, a mysterious woman in a fur-lined red cloak stopped at the Eastside on her way to Lonelywood. Because the woman was alone and frightened, the innkeepers - a pair of retired adventurers who happened to be Marta's grandparents - tried to console her. The woman gave them a ring as payment for their hospitality. Not long afterward, a howling wind burst into the inn and tossed the woman about like a rag doll. The innkeepers intervened, giving the woman time to escape. The evil wind battered Marta's grandparents unconscious before resuming its hunt. That was the last anyone saw of the woman.
a23's odd excuse for a "dance" catches the attention of some onlookers in the crowd, but most of them are too occupied with their own merrymaking to care. At least one citizen says: "Wut tha hell?" before turning back to his friends.
Roc approaches Marta as she stops to gather some of the stew for herself. She looks up at him with a surprised expression. He notices that she is wearing a ring around her neck on a chain.
14 12
"Comin' right up," Vernon replies. The party eventually finds themselves in front of his signature spiced chowder.
"Quiet tonight. Things have been more treacherous in the Dale as of late."
The tavern is relatively sparse, with just a handful of locals drinking to the side.
"Did you find your way alright? What brings you to Termalaine?" Vernon asks as he passes out some beers.
Roc laughs a bit.
"You can say that again. It's definitely more treacherous out there. We had an encounter with a Frost giant. Brought it and it's mammoth down outside of town. It gave us a pretty good beating so we wanted somewhere we could rest and recover. It was such a beautiful town and all."
Roc looks back to Vernon.
"What else have you heard about the Dale lately?
Errona listens intently to the conversation.
"A Frost Giant!? This close to the Ten Towns?? How strange... Well, you're lucky to have escaped alive."
Vernon licks his lips in a weird circular fashion around his mouth.
"A mammoth...oh how I would love to get ahold of some of their meat to cook with."
He shrugs and shakes his head.
"Yes, Termalaine is quiet, but certainly beautiful despite the Rime. We are mostly simple mining folk. But some of our citizens have been reporting seeing suspicious activity while traveling through the Dale. There is talk of odd treasure being moved in and out of the towns.
a23 perks up from under his cloak
”mammoth meat. you may be in luck”
he rifles through his bag for a moment before revealing the large haunch of meat harvested from the mammoth earlier
”as you can see it is quite fresh”
Vernon's eyes pop wide open upon a23's reveal. His nostrils flare. "How in the world did you get ahold of that!?"
He licks his lips in an odd circular fashion once again, before asking: "What would it take to get that off of you? With a hunk like that, the Blue Clam would have a feast on its hands not experienced in ages!"
“fortunately for you and your patrons this delicacy can be yours for practically nothing.”
a23 imitates a friendly smile
”i only require 2 things. 1, if anyone comes looking for my companions and i you heard we were traveling south. and 2, most importantly, we will require a sack of meat equal in weight to this”
he slaps the mammoth meat enthusiastically
”the bears get hungry. id hate to be the one between them when the meat runs dry.”
"Looking for you...?"
Vernon almost seems to glaze over this part of the deal before quickly replying: "We can get you a sack of knucklehead equivalent to that size easily! I'll just have to make a call to some of the locals..."
He stares at the hunk of meat longingly. "Well...? Do we have deal? Maybe you'll even stay for some festivities if I get started cooking it now! The night is still young."
“agreed”
a23 offers his hand to vernon to seal the deal as he looks deep into his eyes.
insight: 17
Errona looks around the room while a23 mentions people might be looking for us to see if anyone seems to take particular interest towards us.
14 4
a23 can tell that the half-orc's intent is pure. In fact, his eyes seem to sparkle from the exchange. "I'll get to work immediately!" He motions to one of the patrons, who leaves excitedly.
Errona doesn't notice anything suspicious.
After awhile, the tavern starts to fill with a meaty aroma. The adventures can almost hear the fizzling fats just from the smell alone. The bar starts to fill with locals, who start to transport dishes outside as they are completed.
"We've got a camp fire going outside! Join us, friends!"
Roc will join them outside.
a23 looks to his companions and smiles
”i have never been invited to join human festivities. i hope i am not under dressed”
he joins the others outside
The party makes their way outside, where a large bonfire is lit in the center of the town's event square. A crowd of mostly human citizens dances around it, some of them traveling back and forth between a large pot of stew on the fire. Many of them have soot-covered faces, likely being the miners Vernon mentioned.
A willowy teenager sings in the middle of the group:
Roc walks up to one of the miners.
"Beautiful song huh? Is that a local folktale she's singing about? The lady in red?" asks Roc.
The miner turns to Roc. "Aye. The singer's name is Marta Peskryk. She runs the Eastside Inn ever since her father Clyde become bedridden."
a23 stops momentarily to take in the sweet melody of martas song
”ah yes music. I am not a fan”
he makes his way to the fire and dances carelessly with the others
performance: 7
“Thank you for sharing I did not know that story.”
Roc will wait for Marta to stop singing and then will approach Marta with a smile.
a23's odd excuse for a "dance" catches the attention of some onlookers in the crowd, but most of them are too occupied with their own merrymaking to care. At least one citizen says: "Wut tha hell?" before turning back to his friends.
Roc approaches Marta as she stops to gather some of the stew for herself. She looks up at him with a surprised expression. He notices that she is wearing a ring around her neck on a chain.
Roc nods at the lass.
"What beautiful singing that was. You truly have a gift. I noticed the ring about your neck. Is that the ring from the tale?"