There are really two places of interest for travelers visiting Secomber: The Seven stringed Harp and The Singing Sprite.
The Seven-Stringed Harp: This tavern rests beside a pond in the center of the bowl between the three hills Secomber is built on. Its a ramshackle, sprawling building of many wings and bay windows and cupolas. Its easy to get lost inside, due to the alcoves, the dimness, irregular steps, and the odd pieces of furniture and tapestries salvaged from half a hundred Waterdhavian villas. Locals come to meet; merchants come to do business and hire guards. Beware when chatting, lest you be overheard by someone standing behind a tapestry. (Blades through a tapestry are considered bad form.) Its a hard spot to miss. It's overlooked by a floating, glowing, faintly playing harp. The harps not an item, but a permanent spell by Amelior Amanitas. Its not solid and cant be disturbed.
This is a pilgrimage for minstrels in Faerûn. Its as the place where The Ballad of the Dream Weaver was first heard.
There's rarely a night without three to seven bards in attendance, playing for free. Their presence makes this a noisy but melodic tavern. It's a place to watch people, with adventurers, pipe-smoking halflings, dancing gnomes, and gambling elves but its not a quiet place to relax or to conduct private business.
Forty winters ago, the tavern was just as ramshackle, but it lacked the name and reputation, when it was simply the Stag.
A half-elven lady named Talanthe Truesilver sat down in the bar one night and sang The Ballad of the Dream Weaver. It is now one of the most widely performed songs in Faerûn.
Today, bards use this ballad to end long sets of songs and as a rumors compilation, adding legends and sights as verses.
The Singing Sprite: The Sprite is a solid-looking stone building that's cold and damp in winter, warmer and damp in summer. With its pleasant staff, it offers meeting rooms for hire and a superior feasting board. The innkeeper on duty is either Heverseer Windfeather or one of his three brothers they work in shifts.
The Sprite is named for Lathiril Shrune, the long-dead wife of its builder, the human wizard named Ganatharas. She was a sprite who sang atop tables to the delight of patrons. The present gnome owners don't go for such performancesnot with the Harp across the road.
The inn has walls slathered with cream-colored plaster and hung with tapestries. The floors are polished duskwood, andthe furnishings are old and comfortableand every room comes with its own portable (by two strong people) polished copper bathtub.
The Sprite has secret rooms (actually storage closets), that the innkeeper allows guests to use. One room has mysterious maps scratched on its walls. The Windfeathers charge to look at these and claim they show the layout of a lost dwarven holdnearby; just where, they're not sure. The hold, Firehammer Hold, is said to hide rich treasure. The dwarves all perishedthrough disease.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Although Marlyth is too exhausted and drowsy to enjoy the service of the 'Seven-Stringed Harp'tavern, she finds the music pleasing but overwhelming. Initially, she has been lost in the maze of alcoves and tapestries, almost falling off the irregular steps after losing her balance, then roamed the place cluelessly searching for rumors.
Charisma: 13
When she finds the floating, glowing harp; she attempts to cast Dispel Magic on it without paying any heed to the possible outcome.
Tabaqui is still shaken by the ghosts from his past, and so he will proceed directly to the Dancing sprite, purchase some dinner and a room, and retire for the evening.
<I don't actually have these maps, these whole block of descriptive text is from a very old book called "The North". it has a very elaborate map of Daggerford down the river. too bad its not set there.>
A dwarven veteran who has been sitting at the bar approaches Marlyrh snd Calner, who seem to be familiar at least with one another. So, your the lot I heard tale o'? Ya see, ol' Lothar won't keep his mouth shut about the wizards he took up into the moors. Next, I hear he took some folk seem about match your description the same way."
He downs his full glass of ale and wi0es the suds from his beard. He extends a friendly hand and offers, "Name's Durow Dwaircalis, and I have a feelin' those wizards wete lookin' for somethin' specific. Somethin' I know a thing or two about. What say we get away from this bustle o' noise and discuss it further?"
<This is just the questgiver. It's just easier if you're all in one place. You can tell Tabaqui all about it in the morning. Grab anybody else from your partykf you eant. Ill just assume they come with. If you want you can resume the conversation at the Singing Sprite.>
"Yes, we're the people who went to investigate the activities of the Wizards, but Lothar didn't take us there. What do you know about the Wizards? If you want a quite place to discuss the issue, I suggest we join rest of the party members in the 'Singing Sprite'."
"It is quite like Lothar to take credit for things thst csnt be disproven. I guess hst mesns he wabt expecting to see you return."
Cut to: Singing Sprite (interior) its a quite evening and youre all assembled in a private corner. After brief introductions revealing little more than the dwarf's name (Durow) and the fact that he has some local knowledge to share.
"Adventurers. We always turn to adventurers in our time of need. Even me, even now. You see, my brother and I used to be adventurers, he still is, in fact. I've retired from all that. All the corpse robbers and murder hobos." Catching himself, he offers, "Present company, excluded, naturally." Hoping he hasn't alienated anyone too much, he continues, "I left it behind, but my brother Artura ,he kept on. He and a human mage and her husband Waltern used to adventure about further afield than e'en I e'er set foot. When Waltern met his end, me brother Artura helped the widow build a tomb fer 'im and eventually fer 'erself. Now I've learned that her grandson has shown up in 'ese parts. From what I gather, he's a powerful wizard in his own rite and not too keen on playing nice with the locals, neither. What worries me most is that I know of him at all. Fella like that.. it just dont make sense to be anything but stealthy if hes planning on taking what we left in that tomb, what Waltern died fer. He's getting careless, and if he gets his yands on wgats in there. He could more than destroy Faerûn, more than rule it. He could remake it as e'er he saw fit." His expression hardens, but looking around him serms yo find a glimmer if hope.
"I've heard of you lot though. It sounds like youve heen lookin' into ol' Sylvene's past. Seems you might he our best chance. Won't you go see that the tomb is secure and be wary of that grandson o' hers. They say he wears a green cloak, and though i wouldnt ecoect him to use it, his real name is Tyberio."
<Funny thing, I just tslked to a 'Lothar' irl the other day. In my head this guy in the module prounces the "th" but his irl counterpart has just a "t".>
(@Wile_E_Coyote, I can imagine you voice acting like this, unfortunately it's impossible to do so in play by post format.)
I actually picture it more like Meyers' scottish accent. See Charlie's dad in 'So I Married an Axe Murderer' the guy from the 'All Things Scottish' sketches on SNL (I can't find the Patrick Stewart one - I recommend it. He plays a Scottish therapist named Phil McKraken)*. or Fat Bastard from 'Austin Powers'. They're all about the same and without them I don't know if we'd have Shrek, a distinct voice, but clearly a refinement of those earlier examples.
*Also if I run a campaign with a kraken in it, that will be its name.
"So, will you lot go to Waltern's tomb and see if that Tyreus has found it?" The dwarf pleads. "Is there anything I can offer to aid you on your journey?"
"The sepulcher lay some 40 miles east of Secomber. There the south branch of the Delimbiyr (sometimes called Hark River) runs through reedy marshlands along the feet of cliffs and steep hills that rise to form the High Moors’ plateau."
<You can take your long rest and set out in the morning.>
Calner takes a swig of his drink, "Are we going by horse or by boat?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again, where trees and flowers grow."
— The message of Eilistraee to all decent drow.
"Run thy sword across my chains, Silver Lady, that I may join your dance.”
Marlyth takes quick notes on the information provided by Durow, she recognizes the names 'Sylvene', 'Tyberio' but the name 'Waltern' seems quite new to her. She has flinched at the mention of the death of the latter male, and she finally starts rubbing her nose while sniffling lightly when Durow ends the romantic history.
She pulls out the map of the Sword Coast, then using her Compass and Cartographic Pen she will attempt to find information about the flora and fauna, natural hazard of the area. For gathering more details, she will ask Durow about the place.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
<FYI: This region is actually the border between the North and the Western Heartland. It wouldn't be on a map of the Sword Coast. its actually the most significant thing about the place - like 'last gas for 100 miles'. The North is Harsh.>
<Sorry if some of this is redundant, but here ya go.>
The region has a mixture of wetlands and marshes throughout. Some areas are particularly swampy and difficult to traverse. Most of the wetlands are types of raised peat bogs. The peat, a deposit of old decaying plant life, can make the ground pleasantly springy or frustratingly spongy. The bogs are usually marked with springs, small streams, and depressed waterfilled ponds called flarks, where the sheer accumulated weight of the peat has pushed the ground down and allowed water to gather. As a raised bog without forested areas, the High Moor is often subject to wind. These winds seem all the harsher for the difficulty in finding adequate shelter. Blustery conditions can make bow-hunting a challenging prospect for a hungry ranger.
(If I established a season previously its the same one. I really don't remember. Plus, who knows ow time works in the demiplane you were just visiting. So lets roll for it starting with Winter=1 3)
Spring brings a thaw to the ice and snow of winter, causing wetter and swampier conditions throughout the plateau. Both common beasts and monsters become more active, and many engage in mating behavior; this tends to make them far more aggressive and territorial than normal. During the morning, heavy mists hang heavily over the heath and will sometimes spill over the edges of the moor to surrounding low-lying areas.
Highstar Lake drains into the Hark River, which splashes down the Red Cliffs in a series of waterfalls and rapids. The erosion of the granite here as the river swells in early spring and later retracts has created a relatively smooth ascent up to the lake and the rest of the moor beyond it. The Hark River curves westward, down alongside the northern edge, and eventually meets the Delimbiyr River as a tributary.
The party retire for a long nights rest before setting out in the morning. The mist rises over the heaths of the sprawling moor, limiting visibility. Following Durow's advice, you stick close to the river <if you want you could even take a boat - available in this town without issue for appropriate gold - but I'll leave that to you. It could shave some hours off the travel if you opt to, allowing arrival by daylight rather than twilight. Horses actually would work fine as well, though a boat doesn't need to eat and is immune to most conditions.> Whatever the case, you'll have to set aside any transport options you might opt to bring with you as you approach the sepulcher.
The land immediately around the sepulcher is unkempt, avoided even by the goats and sheep of the few shepherds in the region. Trees are rare here. Stray boulders and scrub plants abound. Cold, windswept rain billows across the reeds and grasses uphill from the river. Water runs off the hills above in muddy streams, bringing dead leaves and clumps of grasses into damp heaps. A single, dead tree bends in the wind, like a bony hand grasping at the sky.
The muddy, soaked ground surrounding the sepulcher is difficult terrain.
A strong wind imposes disadvantage on ranged weapon attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. A strong wind also extinguishes open flames, disperses fog, and makes flying by nonmagical means nearly impossible. A flying creature in a strong wind must land at the end of its turn or fall.
<Per RAW, I know the boat doesn't really work, but it seems like the horse would have a much harder time, given the terrain - though I know horses do live in marshes, I'm sure in these places they'd be going slower than in open terrain. Maybe I'll ask my neighbors with all the horses - we are surrounded by wetlands; I feel like they will know this. I really didn't want this to be a 2-day travel, but if you want gritty realism in your magical high fantasy adventure, then it probably should be a 2-day trip or forced march with possible exhaustion levels (unless you took the 'marine' background from ghosts of saltmarsh). Looking for player input on these points, but if none is offered, it just takes a day and you get there as the light begins to fade.>
Tabaqui will inquire of the locals about an inn where travelers may rent a room for the night.
There are really two places of interest for travelers visiting Secomber: The Seven stringed Harp and The Singing Sprite.
The Seven-Stringed Harp: This tavern rests beside a pond in the center of the bowl between the three hills Secomber is built on. Its a ramshackle, sprawling building of many wings and bay windows and cupolas. Its easy to get lost inside, due to the alcoves, the dimness, irregular steps, and the odd pieces of furniture and tapestries salvaged from half a hundred Waterdhavian villas. Locals come to meet; merchants come to do business and hire guards. Beware when chatting, lest you be overheard by someone standing behind a tapestry. (Blades through a tapestry are considered bad form.) Its a hard spot to miss. It's overlooked by a floating, glowing, faintly playing harp. The harps not an item, but a permanent spell by Amelior Amanitas. Its not solid and cant be disturbed.
This is a pilgrimage for minstrels in Faerûn. Its as the place where The Ballad of the Dream Weaver was first heard.
There's rarely a night without three to seven bards in attendance, playing for free. Their presence makes this a noisy but melodic tavern. It's a place to watch people, with adventurers, pipe-smoking halflings, dancing gnomes, and gambling elves but its not a quiet place to relax or to conduct private business.
Forty winters ago, the tavern was just as ramshackle, but it lacked the name and reputation, when it was simply the Stag.
A half-elven lady named Talanthe Truesilver sat down in the bar one night and sang The Ballad of the Dream Weaver. It is now one of the most widely performed songs in Faerûn.
Today, bards use this ballad to end long sets of songs and as a rumors compilation, adding legends and sights as verses.
The Singing Sprite: The Sprite is a solid-looking stone building that's cold and damp in winter, warmer and damp in summer. With its pleasant staff, it offers meeting rooms for hire and a superior feasting board. The innkeeper on duty is either Heverseer Windfeather or one of his three brothers they work in shifts.
The Sprite is named for Lathiril Shrune, the long-dead wife of its builder, the human wizard named Ganatharas. She was a sprite who sang atop tables to the delight of patrons. The present gnome owners don't go for such performancesnot with the Harp across the road.
The inn has walls slathered with cream-colored plaster and hung with tapestries. The floors are polished duskwood, andthe furnishings are old and comfortableand every room comes with its own portable (by two strong people) polished copper bathtub.
The Sprite has secret rooms (actually storage closets), that the innkeeper allows guests to use. One room has mysterious maps scratched on its walls. The Windfeathers charge to look at these and claim they show the layout of a lost dwarven holdnearby; just where, they're not sure. The hold, Firehammer Hold, is said to hide rich treasure. The dwarves all perishedthrough disease.
Weneon votes for the shorter Sprite "I love maps. I want to see the rooms with the maps"
Although Marlyth is too exhausted and drowsy to enjoy the service of the 'Seven-Stringed Harp' tavern, she finds the music pleasing but overwhelming. Initially, she has been lost in the maze of alcoves and tapestries, almost falling off the irregular steps after losing her balance, then roamed the place cluelessly searching for rumors.
Charisma: 13
When she finds the floating, glowing harp; she attempts to cast Dispel Magic on it without paying any heed to the possible outcome.
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Tabaqui is still shaken by the ghosts from his past, and so he will proceed directly to the Dancing sprite, purchase some dinner and a room, and retire for the evening.
Weneon sees some interesting maps.
<I don't actually have these maps, these whole block of descriptive text is from a very old book called "The North". it has a very elaborate map of Daggerford down the river. too bad its not set there.>
A dwarven veteran who has been sitting at the bar approaches Marlyrh snd Calner, who seem to be familiar at least with one another. So, your the lot I heard tale o'? Ya see, ol' Lothar won't keep his mouth shut about the wizards he took up into the moors. Next, I hear he took some folk seem about match your description the same way."
He downs his full glass of ale and wi0es the suds from his beard. He extends a friendly hand and offers, "Name's Durow Dwaircalis, and I have a feelin' those wizards wete lookin' for somethin' specific. Somethin' I know a thing or two about. What say we get away from this bustle o' noise and discuss it further?"
<This is just the questgiver. It's just easier if you're all in one place. You can tell Tabaqui all about it in the morning. Grab anybody else from your partykf you eant. Ill just assume they come with. If you want you can resume the conversation at the Singing Sprite.>
Marlyth shakes the extended hand and affirms:
"Yes, we're the people who went to investigate the activities of the Wizards, but Lothar didn't take us there. What do you know about the Wizards? If you want a quite place to discuss the issue, I suggest we join rest of the party members in the 'Singing Sprite'."
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
"It is quite like Lothar to take credit for things thst csnt be disproven. I guess hst mesns he wabt expecting to see you return."
Cut to: Singing Sprite (interior) its a quite evening and youre all assembled in a private corner. After brief introductions revealing little more than the dwarf's name (Durow) and the fact that he has some local knowledge to share.
"Adventurers. We always turn to adventurers in our time of need. Even me, even now. You see, my brother and I used to be adventurers, he still is, in fact. I've retired from all that. All the corpse robbers and murder hobos." Catching himself, he offers, "Present company, excluded, naturally." Hoping he hasn't alienated anyone too much, he continues, "I left it behind, but my brother Artura ,he kept on. He and a human mage and her husband Waltern used to adventure about further afield than e'en I e'er set foot. When Waltern met his end, me brother Artura helped the widow build a tomb fer 'im and eventually fer 'erself. Now I've learned that her grandson has shown up in 'ese parts. From what I gather, he's a powerful wizard in his own rite and not too keen on playing nice with the locals, neither. What worries me most is that I know of him at all. Fella like that.. it just dont make sense to be anything but stealthy if hes planning on taking what we left in that tomb, what Waltern died fer. He's getting careless, and if he gets his yands on wgats in there. He could more than destroy Faerûn, more than rule it. He could remake it as e'er he saw fit." His expression hardens, but looking around him serms yo find a glimmer if hope.
"I've heard of you lot though. It sounds like youve heen lookin' into ol' Sylvene's past. Seems you might he our best chance. Won't you go see that the tomb is secure and be wary of that grandson o' hers. They say he wears a green cloak, and though i wouldnt ecoect him to use it, his real name is Tyberio."
<Funny thing, I just tslked to a 'Lothar' irl the other day. In my head this guy in the module prounces the "th" but his irl counterpart has just a "t".>
(Lo'Tar is a phrase in WoW orcish iirc)
Weneon becomes quickly bored with the maps and joins the party
For me its just this (30 seconds is plenty)
(@Wile_E_Coyote, I can imagine you voice acting like this, unfortunately it's impossible to do so in play by post format.)
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
I actually picture it more like Meyers' scottish accent. See Charlie's dad in 'So I Married an Axe Murderer' the guy from the 'All Things Scottish' sketches on SNL (I can't find the Patrick Stewart one - I recommend it. He plays a Scottish therapist named Phil McKraken)*. or Fat Bastard from 'Austin Powers'. They're all about the same and without them I don't know if we'd have Shrek, a distinct voice, but clearly a refinement of those earlier examples.
*Also if I run a campaign with a kraken in it, that will be its name.
<Back to the game>
"So, will you lot go to Waltern's tomb and see if that Tyreus has found it?" The dwarf pleads. "Is there anything I can offer to aid you on your journey?"
"The sepulcher lay some 40 miles east of Secomber. There the south branch of the Delimbiyr (sometimes called Hark River) runs through reedy marshlands along the feet of cliffs and steep hills that rise to form the High Moors’ plateau."
<You can take your long rest and set out in the morning.>
Aye, the lot of us'll go, laddie," says Angus, with a smile. " Consider it doon."
"40 miles East, huh?"
Calner takes a swig of his drink, "Are we going by horse or by boat?"
Marlyth takes quick notes on the information provided by Durow, she recognizes the names 'Sylvene', 'Tyberio' but the name 'Waltern' seems quite new to her. She has flinched at the mention of the death of the latter male, and she finally starts rubbing her nose while sniffling lightly when Durow ends the romantic history.
She pulls out the map of the Sword Coast, then using her Compass and Cartographic Pen she will attempt to find information about the flora and fauna, natural hazard of the area. For gathering more details, she will ask Durow about the place.
Cartographic Tool Check (Nature): 13
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
<FYI: This region is actually the border between the North and the Western Heartland. It wouldn't be on a map of the Sword Coast. its actually the most significant thing about the place - like 'last gas for 100 miles'. The North is Harsh.>
<Sorry if some of this is redundant, but here ya go.>
The region has a mixture of wetlands and marshes throughout. Some areas are particularly swampy and difficult to traverse. Most of the wetlands are types of raised peat bogs. The peat, a deposit of old decaying plant life, can make the ground pleasantly springy or frustratingly spongy. The bogs are usually marked with springs, small streams, and depressed waterfilled ponds called flarks, where the sheer accumulated weight of the peat has pushed the ground down and allowed water to gather. As a raised bog without forested areas, the High Moor is often subject to wind. These winds seem all the harsher for the difficulty in finding adequate shelter. Blustery conditions can make bow-hunting a challenging prospect for a hungry ranger.
(If I established a season previously its the same one. I really don't remember. Plus, who knows ow time works in the demiplane you were just visiting. So lets roll for it starting with Winter=1 3)
Spring brings a thaw to the ice and snow of winter, causing wetter and swampier conditions throughout the plateau. Both common beasts and monsters become more active, and many engage in mating behavior; this tends to make them far more aggressive and territorial than normal. During the morning, heavy mists hang heavily over the heath and will sometimes spill over the edges of the moor to surrounding low-lying areas.
Highstar Lake drains into the Hark River, which splashes down the Red Cliffs in a series of waterfalls and rapids. The erosion of the granite here as the river swells in early spring and later retracts has created a relatively smooth ascent up to the lake and the rest of the moor beyond it. The Hark River curves westward, down alongside the northern edge, and eventually meets the Delimbiyr River as a tributary.
<You think you can get there based on that?>
The party retire for a long nights rest before setting out in the morning. The mist rises over the heaths of the sprawling moor, limiting visibility. Following Durow's advice, you stick close to the river <if you want you could even take a boat - available in this town without issue for appropriate gold - but I'll leave that to you. It could shave some hours off the travel if you opt to, allowing arrival by daylight rather than twilight. Horses actually would work fine as well, though a boat doesn't need to eat and is immune to most conditions.> Whatever the case, you'll have to set aside any transport options you might opt to bring with you as you approach the sepulcher.
The land immediately around the sepulcher is unkempt, avoided even by the goats and sheep of the few shepherds in the region. Trees are rare here. Stray boulders and scrub plants abound. Cold, windswept rain billows across the reeds and grasses uphill from the river. Water runs off the hills above in muddy streams, bringing dead leaves and clumps of grasses into damp heaps. A single, dead tree bends in the wind, like a bony hand grasping at the sky.
The muddy, soaked ground surrounding the sepulcher is difficult terrain.
A strong wind imposes disadvantage on ranged weapon attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. A strong wind also extinguishes open flames, disperses fog, and makes flying by nonmagical means nearly impossible. A flying creature in a strong wind must land at the end of its turn or fall.
<Per RAW, I know the boat doesn't really work, but it seems like the horse would have a much harder time, given the terrain - though I know horses do live in marshes, I'm sure in these places they'd be going slower than in open terrain. Maybe I'll ask my neighbors with all the horses - we are surrounded by wetlands; I feel like they will know this. I really didn't want this to be a 2-day travel, but if you want gritty realism in your magical high fantasy adventure, then it probably should be a 2-day trip or forced march with possible exhaustion levels (unless you took the 'marine' background from ghosts of saltmarsh). Looking for player input on these points, but if none is offered, it just takes a day and you get there as the light begins to fade.>