Drexon, while looking at the atlas, you notice something peculiar. There is a place in Mantagard called the Verdant Masons. It is a local Masonry Guild and Museum. What takes your interest is their symbol or logo. It is five white flower petals that resemble the arrangements of a clover leaf. Branches or tendrils spread out of the middle of each flower petal upward and downward. The one that is spreading upward holds silhouettes of houses and other buildings. The one that is spreading downward holds a silhouette of a bridge.
Drexon will tell Cob, and the others when they arrive, about what he has discoverd from the atlas. About Twenty-One Jack, Lucky Ranch and Verdant Masons, suggesting they might also be worth checking out after The Crimson Smash.
"Any one of these places could be being used to hide the kids before transport to Saikhan. I will happily volunteer to go to the game house", he says with a large grin at mention of the game house.
{{I'll keep my interaction with Karm in PM so we can move this along. I assume by this point all of you are already with Drexon and Cob. What's the plan? Where are we going? Are we splitting the party again? It's closer to 4 in the evening.}}
{{I think we can skip Karm's shopping trip if all are amenable. Let's just say that he arrived really late for the meeting. That way Karm can reveal what he did before he got to the Silver Sable as we progress with the story. It also gives you a reason to check out the place by yourself if Karm spends quite some time there and almost forgot that you are to meet at the Silver Sable.}}
{{ Are you suggesting we move to the Crimson Smash without Karm? Or carry on with Karm now, whilst he simultaneously sorts out the shopping in private? }}
{{I felt I am being neglectful by only interacting with Karm while leaving you to wait. So, the solution I can offer is that all five of you managed to meet in the Silver Sable and discussed plans. Eremoz and Dvark went straight to the tavern with a bit of a detour, arriving mostly at the same time as Drexon and Cob. Karm, however, came a bit late into the discussion. The reason for Karm's lateness (the visit to the shop) is what he and I are going to conclude in private. As of this moment, if there is nothing else to discuss, we can move to the Crimson Smash as a group with all members accounted for. Or, the alternative is that you can spend some time with RP while we wait to finish Karm's interaction at the shop.}}
With a plan in mind, you make your way to the Crimson Smash. You have to travel for quite some time as the place is almost on the other side of the city. When you arrive, you can see that it is quite an old establishment. A wooden sign with the symbol of a five-leaf clover hangs at the front. Underneath the symbol is the word "c.a. 5915 TA".
The shop is quiet and a little dusty. It seems that business is slow and has been for quite some time. Shelves of bottles and cans fill one side of the room while the other side lays bare with sparse tables and casks of liquor on display.
Directly beside the shop entrance is a desk and behind the desk you see a furred figure reading a book. He grumbles when the bell atop the door ring and stands up to greet you. You are greeted with the sight of a sharp-faced scowling bugbear. He is dressed in loose wool clothing with a heavy-set blanket draped over his shoulder.
"What do you want?" His gruff voice greets you. "Mead, wine, or cider?"
As Drexon walks into the shop, he whispers the words of Deep Speech that seems to focus his mind on whatever task he is engaged with. He looks around the shop for a moment before finally meeting the gaze of the gruff Bugbear. It truly had seen better days, as had the Bugbear he expects.
"Why hello. Is this the birthplace of the wonderful Crimson Cider?", he enquires with a wide smile. "And what of the Qayne Mead and Blood Wine? Surely we are standing where history was made?", he adds, really trying to butter up the Bugbear whilst his companions scout the place out.
The bugbear snorts deprecatingly. "History is one way to put it," he says. "You must be new to town. Probably tourists. Bought or read one of those travel guidebooks, didn't ya? Not much to see here anymore. We almost went bankrupt when one of our employee snitched to the competitor. This and what's in the cellar is the stock we have. No reason to make more when the other shop is mass producing it. Savages all of them. They have no sense of art and care when they made it. Which one do you want? Let's get this over with."
"You caught us", Drexon replies, showing his atlas. "You mentioned a cellar, now that would be something special. Maybe we could hand pick a bottle, or keg, or two".
He remains enthusiastic despite the Bugbears disgruntlement, hoping to distract him and get sight of the cellar. If there was something stored here, that is the likely place.
{{ Will ride the coat tails of that persuasion roll for a while I hope :-) }}
"Hrrmh! Might as well. Is it just you five? No matter. Follow."
The bugbear moves to lock the front door and heads to the back room. There, you are treated with the sight of many kegs arrayed neatly beside a large pressing machine that seems to be mechanically operated with a large horizontal crank. A large reddish vat stands beside the machine, dried out of whatever liquid that was in it.
He accesses a panel behind the machine and a trapdoor slides open, revealing a spiral staircase downwards. Downstairs, you can see a long rectangular room with rows upon rows of massive casks and kegs as well as shelves filled with wine bottles covering most of the walls. The year scorched on the casks, kegs, and bottles are quite old. There is one that is more than 100 years old. Others averaged around 50 to 60 years old.
"These are the legacy of the Qaynes. Probably never to see the light of days. Some of these stuffs are more than a century old and still taste good. None other can boast the same quality after only five decades. Ours are magical and brewed from the heart. Unlike those mass produced swills that was only made to maximize profit."
Drexon and Dvark, when you descend down with the bugbear, you notice a symbol of a flower with five petals that resemble clover leaves slightly embossed at the top of the left wall, right above the largest cask that you have ever seen. It is such a tiny symbol that you almost miss it with how much room the cask underneath it takes.
Eremoz will continue to the tavern.
Drexon will make sure he is focussed whilst investigating the atlas.
Investigation (with Guidance): 15+2+3=20
Drexon, while looking at the atlas, you notice something peculiar. There is a place in Mantagard called the Verdant Masons. It is a local Masonry Guild and Museum. What takes your interest is their symbol or logo. It is five white flower petals that resemble the arrangements of a clover leaf. Branches or tendrils spread out of the middle of each flower petal upward and downward. The one that is spreading upward holds silhouettes of houses and other buildings. The one that is spreading downward holds a silhouette of a bridge.
Drexon will tell Cob, and the others when they arrive, about what he has discoverd from the atlas. About Twenty-One Jack, Lucky Ranch and Verdant Masons, suggesting they might also be worth checking out after The Crimson Smash.
"Any one of these places could be being used to hide the kids before transport to Saikhan. I will happily volunteer to go to the game house", he says with a large grin at mention of the game house.
Con thinks for a moment before asking “Do we have time to investigate this many? We might need to watch each one for quite awhile.”
He looks down at the atlas as Drexon shows them all the places they’ve found.
”I think we should start with the Crimson Smash and don take any crap from anyone in there until we get some info.’
{{I'll keep my interaction with Karm in PM so we can move this along. I assume by this point all of you are already with Drexon and Cob. What's the plan? Where are we going? Are we splitting the party again? It's closer to 4 in the evening.}}
"I agree", Drexon says to Cob. "No point planning too far, let's just take things one step at a time, and the Crimson Smash seems a dead cert!".
{{ Happy to go to Crimson Smash asap, although if Karm takes too long Drexon will get worried and want to go look for him }}
{{I think we can skip Karm's shopping trip if all are amenable. Let's just say that he arrived really late for the meeting. That way Karm can reveal what he did before he got to the Silver Sable as we progress with the story. It also gives you a reason to check out the place by yourself if Karm spends quite some time there and almost forgot that you are to meet at the Silver Sable.}}
{{ Are you suggesting we move to the Crimson Smash without Karm? Or carry on with Karm now, whilst he simultaneously sorts out the shopping in private? }}
{{I felt I am being neglectful by only interacting with Karm while leaving you to wait. So, the solution I can offer is that all five of you managed to meet in the Silver Sable and discussed plans. Eremoz and Dvark went straight to the tavern with a bit of a detour, arriving mostly at the same time as Drexon and Cob. Karm, however, came a bit late into the discussion. The reason for Karm's lateness (the visit to the shop) is what he and I are going to conclude in private. As of this moment, if there is nothing else to discuss, we can move to the Crimson Smash as a group with all members accounted for. Or, the alternative is that you can spend some time with RP while we wait to finish Karm's interaction at the shop.}}
{{ Happy to move on personally }}
{{I’m fine with moving on.}}
{{works for me}}
On to Crimson Smash.
With a plan in mind, you make your way to the Crimson Smash. You have to travel for quite some time as the place is almost on the other side of the city. When you arrive, you can see that it is quite an old establishment. A wooden sign with the symbol of a five-leaf clover hangs at the front. Underneath the symbol is the word "c.a. 5915 TA".
The shop is quiet and a little dusty. It seems that business is slow and has been for quite some time. Shelves of bottles and cans fill one side of the room while the other side lays bare with sparse tables and casks of liquor on display.
Directly beside the shop entrance is a desk and behind the desk you see a furred figure reading a book. He grumbles when the bell atop the door ring and stands up to greet you. You are greeted with the sight of a sharp-faced scowling bugbear. He is dressed in loose wool clothing with a heavy-set blanket draped over his shoulder.
"What do you want?" His gruff voice greets you. "Mead, wine, or cider?"
As Drexon walks into the shop, he whispers the words of Deep Speech that seems to focus his mind on whatever task he is engaged with. He looks around the shop for a moment before finally meeting the gaze of the gruff Bugbear. It truly had seen better days, as had the Bugbear he expects.
"Why hello. Is this the birthplace of the wonderful Crimson Cider?", he enquires with a wide smile. "And what of the Qayne Mead and Blood Wine? Surely we are standing where history was made?", he adds, really trying to butter up the Bugbear whilst his companions scout the place out.
Persuasion (with Guidance): 20+6+3=29!!!
The bugbear snorts deprecatingly. "History is one way to put it," he says. "You must be new to town. Probably tourists. Bought or read one of those travel guidebooks, didn't ya? Not much to see here anymore. We almost went bankrupt when one of our employee snitched to the competitor. This and what's in the cellar is the stock we have. No reason to make more when the other shop is mass producing it. Savages all of them. They have no sense of art and care when they made it. Which one do you want? Let's get this over with."
"You caught us", Drexon replies, showing his atlas. "You mentioned a cellar, now that would be something special. Maybe we could hand pick a bottle, or keg, or two".
He remains enthusiastic despite the Bugbears disgruntlement, hoping to distract him and get sight of the cellar. If there was something stored here, that is the likely place.
{{ Will ride the coat tails of that persuasion roll for a while I hope :-) }}
"Hrrmh! Might as well. Is it just you five? No matter. Follow."
The bugbear moves to lock the front door and heads to the back room. There, you are treated with the sight of many kegs arrayed neatly beside a large pressing machine that seems to be mechanically operated with a large horizontal crank. A large reddish vat stands beside the machine, dried out of whatever liquid that was in it.
He accesses a panel behind the machine and a trapdoor slides open, revealing a spiral staircase downwards. Downstairs, you can see a long rectangular room with rows upon rows of massive casks and kegs as well as shelves filled with wine bottles covering most of the walls. The year scorched on the casks, kegs, and bottles are quite old. There is one that is more than 100 years old. Others averaged around 50 to 60 years old.
"These are the legacy of the Qaynes. Probably never to see the light of days. Some of these stuffs are more than a century old and still taste good. None other can boast the same quality after only five decades. Ours are magical and brewed from the heart. Unlike those mass produced swills that was only made to maximize profit."
Drexon and Dvark, when you descend down with the bugbear, you notice a symbol of a flower with five petals that resemble clover leaves slightly embossed at the top of the left wall, right above the largest cask that you have ever seen. It is such a tiny symbol that you almost miss it with how much room the cask underneath it takes.
Dvark glances around "it really is quite the stash"
Dvark looks around to see if there's anything to see.
Perception: 17