(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown

Aubrey listens a great deal to the pitching of paddle boats before finally interrupting the doctor. "Splendid, I'm sure my family would be interested to hear more about these paddleships. I am however in the middle of something important. How long are you planning to stay in Shelley Dr. Barr?" Aubrey asks.

History check if needed regarding the lake ghost: 10

Aubrey: you have no idea what he’s talking about re: lake ghost.

"What do you mean, the lake ghost?" Aubrey asks Lord Diamond.

Lord Diamond tells you the story as he heard it from folk folk n the street.  Supposedly, earlier this afternoon a shirtless man had been spotted by dock workers, walking out of the surf.  He was said to be grey, with dead eyes and expression, with bits of seaweed clinging to him.  The story says the man ignored everyone around him and walked in a straight line, east through town and then right out the other side.  By the time authorities were roused, the figure was gone.  It causes quite a stir, but then the arrival of the artificers has dominated the talk of the town. 

Grugga grabs Aubrey's arm and hisses in his ear, "Our boat captain." He gives him a serious look after releasing his arm.

Aubrey just nods at Grugga. "This is Grugga and Leelan by the way, two members of my team, and this gentlemen is Lord Diamond, a patron of the arts of artificing." Aubrey says with a grin. "Perhap we should dine together, I'd like you to meet the rest of the team." Aubrey suggests to Lord Diamond.

"A pleasure, Lord Diamond." He says, shaking the man's hand. "I'm famished; I'd be happy to dine with you all." He also shakes the bottle of wine he brought, "I have enough for everyone."

Lord Diamond looks down at his glass.  "That sounds like a fine idea.  I should probably get some food on my stomach."  He looks at Aubrey.  "There aren't any tables but I have to imagine between the two of us we have the clout to get the house to set us up and provide a proper table service."  He calls a waitress and whispers, setting a gold piece on the counter.  The waitress goes to see the owner with the party in the back, and over the next ten minutes that party disperses, with many of the guests relocating to the bar area.  Your group is able to gather at this long table, along with Lord Diamond and Dr. Barr.

Grugga, you probably don't have a lot of experience with bottle wine service, as you are surprised to find the bottle only holds a little more than three full glasses.

(Aubrey, Lord Diamond might interpret your invitation as you offering to buy dinner.) 

Guilim can still chat with Maverick before joining the others for supper if he likes.

Aubrey invites Rohuzar and Guilim to join them aswell telling Guilims friend he too is welcome to dine with them. Aubrey will gladly take the tab this evening, well up to 45 gold pieces that is ;-) He will make pleasant conversation with everyone, but will try to find out more about the man walking out of the water, Maggies wood, the Carcimon, any other strange events in the area lately, and finally if Lord Diamond perchance would need any further help clearing out that mithral mine of his. 

Persuasion if needed at any point: 18

Grugga will continue paying for bottles of cheap wine. He is also interested in the lake ghost and considers if he would be trained enough to provide the engineering know-how for stabilizing the mines.

Rohuzar joins, but lets Aubrey helm this, mostly just drinking and eating, and keeping an eye out for Leelan. 

Leelan introduces himself to both Doctor Craig Barr and Lord Diamond as they are presented to him by his companions. When asked about his work, the gnome answers questions to the best of his abilities, while also listening closely to the conversation about the ghost. Undead were tricky to study, but it would make a fine addition to his manuscript. 

Leelan orders the grilled venison and some water during dinner. 

"Something like that. More like we are being tested before we get any good jobs." Guilim says, not giving much as for all he knew rhe Elf could be one of the others that is working the same job. As Aubrey motions them over he hops away from the bar and goes over to join the rest of his group.

4

The group dines and chats about the table for several hours.  Those of you who haven't already ordered food or drink, please advise on what you would be ordering.

Lord Diamond continues to hit the whisky hard and his tongue, never tied on too tightly, loosens even more.  He's confident the dwarf he hired will take care of the mine.  He was certainly expensive enough.  Of the mysterious man who walked out of the lake, he's already said everything he knows.  He knows only the vaguest generalities about the carcerimon rangers and doesn't know anything about their present activities, or why they might have a base camp in Maggies Wood.  Of the wood itself he knows about as much as the shepherd you spoke with.  The Wood has an ill reputation and is said to be haunted or watched by spirits.  He suggests, if you're concerned about such superstitions, you should visit Hanbury or Malvern's Town, two villages on the edge of the wood.  Surely the citizens there might know more.  The villages are each under the control of different Shelley cousins, neither of which he knows well and can't predict how helpful they would be.  But the commonfolk likely possess the information you're after anyhow.  Speaking of the Shelley's he is more than happy to talk Aubrey's ear off with complaints.  It is a time honored tradition between the Diamond's and the Goldentide's to piss and moan about the Shelley's, after all.  Of late, Lady Shelley has spent more time traveling than focusing on the town.  She is well loved by the people, but 'the commonfolk are morons, fisherfolk and drunks.'  With her attentions elsewhere, and the Judexi who might otherwise enforce the Emperor's law busy with their neverending crusade against the dragon cults further north, criminal elements have been expanding in town.  There is a growing smuggling problem in town and it is starting to impact legitimate trade... and since the smugglers aren't paying taxes, that is money coming out of the noble's pockets.  There's more, but nothing terribly interesting: he has invested in a race horse; he's irritated that despite being an attractive target for marriage as a young lord, he's been disappointed in the quality of his prospects; his younger brother has been accepted into the clergy of Ord.

Dr. Barr spends most of the time chatting with Grugga.  He listens politely to Leelan and asks a few questions, but it is clear the biological sciences are not something he finds terribly interesting.  He has only been in town a few hours and knows nothing of the rangers or locale news.  He does throw out an opinion that the 'lake ghost' sound more like a possessed corpse or zombie than an incorporeal spirit, though it would be odd for an undead to just walk into and out of town without causing any trouble.  Lord Diamond is reluctant to return the hand torch, offering several times to purchase it from Dr. Barr.

(From Guilim's post, I am guessing he would warn off Aubrey from inviting Maverick to the table?  Guilim seems wary of Maverick's intentions in town...)

You are visited several times during your meal by the owner, Grover Dorne.  You learn the party you dislodged was for his nephew, who became engaged today.  He doesn't mind you taking over the table as he was comping their drinks and he prefers to host paying customers anyway.  Grover has heard all the same rumors about the dead man walking.  He does have more to say on Maggies Wood.  The most common tales he hears are that the wood is home to many magical and dangerous beasts.  But there are certain rituals travelers can perform which will cause the dangers of the Wood to leave them alone.  The most common such ritual is supposedly to leave sweet treats every hundred paces as you travel through the forest.  As far as strange happenings in town, he directs you to the message board on the tavern wall.  He also mention he heard from recent travelers the Judexi are conducting a major offensive against dragon cults in the area around Axehead, way up north.  There was talk of an entire village being razed to root out cult activity.

(Not so much that he is wary, more so that he doesn't want to discuss the job without the others knowing. I would also say he doesn't invite him along but wouldn't nessarily stop Maverick from joining them.

Aubrey orders the Grilled Venison along with a glass of Witches Hex Pinot Noir, savoring a fine meal he haven't had since they left Bardstown. Aubrey listens attentively and politely to what is being said at the table. As he finishes up his meal he will swing by the message board. Just maybe he will find some job that could be taken care of in Maggie's Wood.

Rohuzar will find a moment to check out the message board for information. 

But not before ordering some frog soup, more curious than hungry for it. 

(is lord Diamond picking up the tab for dinner?)

No Aubrey is, although I'm not sure anymore that he will afford it ;-)

Grugga, the topics of the mines does come up several times over dinner.  While this is not your area of expertise, you imagine that if you set your mind to it you could probably come up with something to guard against cave-ins.  However, this would certainly require weeks or months of study, design, and implementation.  Taking on such a project would surely require at least a short term resignation from your adventuring team.

For any who visit the notice board...

Notes in Common:

Notes in Halfling: