The girl gives Tylaerys a synthetic smile and simply replies: "Hmm. Okay."
The normal thing would have been to reciprocate with a name, although Tylaerys gets the impression that it wasn't an intentional discourtesy, but just the error of the immature and untrained.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Athletics: 14 + 3 (guidance). Jararaka scrabbles at the wood pillars where she can find more purchase with her clawed hands, and manages to climb up to the second floor. She yelps when fire licks at her, much closer than she'd like it to be, then falls onto all fours to avoid the rising smoke. Squinting, she tries to search for survivors. She figures the girl had been yelling more out of frustration than there being any real real cult maps here, but she keeps an eye for any writing or items that seems related to the Red Wizards and Dragon Cults.
Third Investigation: 19 (was a nat20 lol). And Dex save: 11.
[if there's been damage going on she might use a healing word between one of these checks/saves. Unless she was taken out before she can do that... she only has 24 hp. If she's unconscious ignore the rest of the post haha]
She lingers for a dozen seconds in the second floor, but eventually the smoke begins to really sting at her eyes. Pocketing anything (and hoisting up anyone) she can find, she retreats back down to the first floor hurriedly, her green scales covered in soot.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Jararaka:
You pull yourself up and into a large room on the upper floor. Squinting from the smoke and heat, you deduce this was once a dining room. The table and most of the floor is now down on the lower floor, burning in a pile of debris. The force of the blast from below sunk one of the chairs into the ceiling and smashed open a flatwear cabinet. There is no one in here.
Kicking open the nearest door, you find a bedroom. So far this room appears to have been spared by fire. It is a child's room. You quickly toss the covers, look under the bed and closet, but there is no one here. You can't help but notice... its a child's room and yet, everything is especially small. Almost like a doll's room. Perhaps that's overstating it, or perhaps the smoke is just messing with your eyes.
You exit that room and kick open the next. This appears to be an office or a study of some kind. It is lined with book shelves and there is a modest but sturdy looking desk. Smoke is thick in here and fire is starting to lick into this room through a gap in the ceiling.
Ruling out anyone hiding here, you quickly toss the room. You discover the following:
A 50 lb iron lockbox is sitting on top of the desk. (You can grab this if you like)
The desk drawers are all empty.
The top shelf of all of the bookcases are empty. Looking through what remains on the shelves, they have titles like 'Encyclopedia of Knowledge, 1414 Edition, Vols. I - XIV' and 'Red Jaromir's Abridged Histories of Rashemen.' It hard to tell if humans would find these valuable or not.
As you prepare to leave the study, the floor under you shudders and there is a shower of cinders from the rear of the building. You prepare to leave the upstairs and climb back down, as the rest of the upstairs is in flame and inaccessible. As you near the edge of the hole leading down, you spot something down in the burning wreckage at the very back of the shop. It was blocked from view while you were below, but from up here you can just barely see it. Leaning out for a better angle, your suspicions are confirmed. In the back corner of the shop are three bodies, all but incinerated by the fire. One roughly the size of a human adult, and two roughly child sized. Getting to them would require putting out the fire, and from here it looks quite clear that they are well past the point of rescue.
And Dex save: 11.
As Jararaka takes in the grim sight, she hears the sound of splintering would a moment before the floor drops out from under here. Flames liking around the underside of the hole have done their work, and another section of the upstairs - where she had been standing - collapses down to the ground floor. Jararaka takes 6 bludgeoning and 6 fire damage and lands prone in a pile of hot, charred debris.
Jirel, Tylaerys and Yeshil make way for the Blade and Stars, in a direction that keeps them far from the Flaming Fist.
Finn, you observe the approach of the Flaming Fist from a distance. The four soldiers arrive at the burning storefront. Two slowly step into the burning interior, their own cursory investigations a mirror of your own from a minute ago. One of those who remained outside, older, fatter, and seemingly of higher rank, turns and addresses the crowd.
"By order of the dukes, who saw what happened here!?"
No sooner are the words out of his mouth, than with a crash you see Jararaka break through from the upstairs floor and land in a heap inside the shop. The two soldiers inside, rush forward. At the same time, a dozen men and women with buckets arrive on the scene. Most ineffectively splash their water on the outside of the storefront, but a few brave souls venture inside to throw dump them onto the fire. One pauses beside Jararaka and the guards, then dumps her pail on the lizardfork, putting out some of the burning debris around her.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Jararaka takes the iron box, gritting her teeth when she finds it heavier than expected. She stuffs it in her bag as she scans the shelves quizzically, she could read these words but it did nothing to help her understand what might be in the pages. She gives up on the books and bolts for the opening she climbed up. Seeing the incinerated bodies from the new view, her lips curl up and she grimaces. Perhaps she stares for too long, the wood underfoot gives away and she drops into debris and flames.
Thankfully, it's hardly a devastating fall. Yelping in pain, she springs out of the fire. She groans a little as she recovers her bearings, then yelps again as someone pours water on her- though admittedly, it felt better now that her scales were not cracking and splitting from the dryness. "...Thanks, ma'am." She points towards the back of the shop, "some-something exploded! Nobody upstairs, but I saw some people in the back!" It's meant to get attention off of herself, but it wasn't a lie either. She stands and staggers forward to Finn, exaggerating her injuries. "Oh, I need a healer..."
[conc save for enhance ability because i don't want to waste this spell slot lol: 20]
"They did! They saw what happened!" Finn calls to the old, fatted Fist and points to a random guy in a clump on onlookers directly away from the building, trying to turn his attention away from the building and Jararaka inside. "He was telling everyone that he saw everything!"
"Quick, he's getting away!" Finn calls out and lightly pushes the guard in that direction away from the building. ((Deception? 15. Sam if it's persuasion or performance...))
"Oh, I can help with that," Finn says and moves towards Jararaka as the Fist is hopefully moving the other way. Hopefully meeting the lady lizard halfway, Finn will use thaumaturgy to brighten brighter between them and any of the Flaming Fist who may be looking at them, perhaps throw in some harmless ground trembles to try to discourage pursuit...
At Jararaka's warning that there were people in the back, one of the Flaming Fist soldiers moves in that direction, shielding their eyes from the heat and smoke as they try to get a better look. The other escorts Jararaka back toward the street, where they run into Finn.
Finn was successful in sending the outside guards off in pursuit of the 'witness.' His thaumaturgy is effective as well. Surprisingly so. The ground tremors almost convince him... and then he and Jararaka realize it is no longer Finn's cantrip. WIth a rumbling crash and a wave of heat, ash and cinders, the rear of the building collapses and the heat and debris once again pours out into the street. You don't get a look at what became of the inner-most Flaming Fist soldier. Outside, the crowd surges away as the street is once again filled with horrified screams. In the chaos, the two of you are able to slip away....
Minutes later, the five of you reconvene at the Blade and Stars, a well put together four-story inn not far from the Basilisk Gate. Outside, a round wooden sign hangs above the doorway. It features a woman's hand clutching a scimitar. Several enchanted stars twinkle softly around the blade.
Unlike more typical inn and taverns, the Blade and Stars doesn't have a large communal dining hall. Instead, there is a small lounge with a bar at the front of the ground floor. New arrivals check in here and established guests can come down to greet visitors. Meals are served in the guest rooms instead, with small rooms coming with a table and chairs, and some larger suites having complete dining room setups for larger parties. The arrangement makes the Blade and Stars popular among merchants and also the site of many business luncheons and dinners.
Stepping into the lounge, it is quite full of patrons though the atmosphere remains quiet and respectful. A few heads turn at the goliath, lizardfolk and hexblood as they make their way up to the bar, but you're nothing these folk haven't seen before.
At the bar, an older half-orc woman greets you. "Good evening. I can offer you drinks but I'm afraid we've no vacancies, what with the festival and all. Ales are 3cp and we've wine as well, price dependant upon the vintage. My name is Lupin... if I can get you anything, just ask."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"I'm so sorry to hear that Lupin, we were so looking forward to enjoy your hospitality here at the Blade and Stars. Are you quite sure nothing can be arranged to accomodate us?" Tylaerys asks with a warm smile, laying a pouch of coins in front of her at the bar counter.
Persuasion: 18 Another roll if coins or any help action should give advantage on the roll: 25 Insight to tell if the half-orc woman just wants to get rid of us: 23
"I'd buy her a drink b'fore you." Jirel quips back to Fynn without looking over her shoulder.
"Keep up Little One." The goliath gestures with her hand while the green-skinned girl continues on after her. While Jirel sounded gruff, she did keep a fair pace, allowing the little girl to keep up just enough to nip at her heels, free to chatter on as much as she liked. It maybe even brought the briefest of smile tugging at the edges of Jirel's lips, breaking the warriors stone expression for perhaps the briefest of moments before returning back to normal. She may not admit it though.
Blades and Stars
While mended, Jirel was still battered, bruised and brushed with various debris. She'd blink. It took mustering all she had to be polite so Tylaerys could sweeten up Lupin without the contradiction of her intimidation. The goliath wasn't without low grumbling, from her, or her stomach, though. "Food." She grunts with a cross of her arms. "Please." She adds as if remembering her manners. Outside of these city walls, in the wild, she wouldn't need to rely on someone to provide her sustenance, or accommodations.
Jararaka spins her head to look back, the spines on her back rising as she thinks about possibly being among those ruins if she had stayed for a few more seconds... the faint stinging from the burns reminds her to get far far away from flames for now, and she turns around to keep pace with Finn, following the directions Tylaerys had given them. She wipes at the soot on her arms and face futilely, wondering in a small voice, "d'I still look like I ran through a fire..?"
Joining up with the others- the other three people now, she croaks out a 'hey', only now realising how dry her throat is. She digs out a handful of silvers and copper, and orders while Tylaerys negotiates, "Gods, I'm parched. And a round of ale for us."
Finn, for a change, keeps his mouth shut and just drinks his drink. He keeps a close eye on the kid and a more general eye on the hustle and bustle of the place but is just happy to relax for a minute.
Now that they are all indoors together and in close proximity, the foursome seems more intimidating to the girl than they were when spread out on the street. The girl's eyes seem to linger longer on Jirel and Jararaka than the other two, although she feels all of them watching her to varying degrees. But despite her internal anxiety, she puts on a mask of confidence with more than a bit of swagger as she says:
Anyway, I'm called Yeshil, if you wanna know. Then glancing around the room she adds: Not very private, is it? I suppose we could converse discreetly if we just speak in another language.
An labhraíonn éinne teanga na fey?(In Sylvan: "Does anyone speak the language of faeries?") Zer moduz deabruen mihia?(In Infernal: "How about the tongue of devils?") Možno jazyk drakov?(In Draconic: "The speech of dragons, perhaps?")
She is clearly trying to impress the others with her knowledge of esoteric tongues...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Drinks are ordered and Lupin calls a serving lad over and tells him to fill your cups. "Food, I'm afraid, is only available for those who are renting rooms and as I said, we are quite booked...".
She trails off when Tylaerys makes her pitch. Eyeing the coin, then eyeing the five of you, then the coin again, she is visibly wrestling with temptation.
[Since you didn't specify how much coin, I'll assume it was just enough... in this case 25gp, or 250sp if you were using some of that silver the Order of the Gauntlet provided. Which reminds me... the Order of the Gauntlet gave 3000sp from their treasury back when a fake cult wagon was still part of the plan. I didn't see it in anyone's inventory but someone should make note of that. If no one feels like carrying it, there are plenty of good people in Baldur's Gate who can take it off your hands for you. And whoever is carrying it, keep in mind 3000sp is going to be an awfully big, jingly sack of coin.]
At last Lupin accepts the sack of coin from Tylaerys. "Ok. You twisted my arm. Listen, I have got a room for you, but it can only be for tonight, understand? Starting tomorrow it is booked clear through the end of the festival. I'll need you up and out of there bright and early so I can get it cleaned and ready for the client. Anything..." she pauses, steadying a grey-green finger at each of you, "...anything happens to that room, I'll have the Fist in here to drag you before a magistrate. I've got a lot a coin riding on this reservation and I don't need it louted up. If you can't be on your best behavior, say so now."
Assuming no one objects, she calls the serving lad back and hands him a key. The young man grabs a tray of drinks and leads you to a rear staircase and up to the fourth floor of the inn, passing another server with empty bottles and mugs on the way. Down a narrow hall back toward the front of the building he leads on, until he stops at a door marked Suite 4. He unlocks the door, opens it and sets the tray of drinks down on a small table and then hands Tylaerys the key. "Food will be up shortly. Your meals, and this first round, are included with the price of the room. Servers will visit on the half-hours, with a knock. If you need drinks or additional help, just invite them in when they knock. Each floor shares a water closet," he says, pointing to set of double doors at the end of the hall, "but there is a copper tub in the master bedroom. We ask that you give us an hour notice and we can gave a bath prepared. Please enjoy your stay at the Blade and Stars."
Inside the door is a wide common room. An oval dining room table sits in the center of the room with 8 chairs. There are two small sofas on either side of the door, each with a small table (one of which currently holds the tray with the round of ale and cup of tea). Against one wall are three open doors leading to bedrooms. One bedroom holds a single, king sized bed along with the aforementioned tub behind a privacy screen. The next room has a pair of twin beds. The third room holds 4 bunk beds. All have clean sheets, feather pillows and comforters. On the opposite wall, a brick fireplace is dark and silent. The mantle above is decorated with ships in bottles and a huge painting of a galleon sailing through rough seas is hung above the fireplace. A pair of smoking chairs sit before the unlit fire. The last wall, opposite the doorway, has three doors opening to a balcony. Stepping out and looking to your left, you can see over a pair of smaller buildings to see most of the Basilisk gate and the open square before it. Looking to your right, you can see the narrow, winding streets of Baldur's Gate sloping downhill to the docks, the bay, and the sunset beyond.
10 minutes later, another server arrives with a tray of food. Seared white bass and carrots in a sauce of butter and dill for each of you, along with a basket of assorted breads.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Jararaka blinks at the way the girl switches tongues so easily, impressed, and responds in her hissy rumbly draconic,
This one I know, ah, but looks like Tylaerys' got this one. Call me Jararaka. Saw something maybe-interesting in the shop earlier... but food first.
With that, she begins following the server up to the room. She is momentarily distracted by the food and luxury in the space, downing a her ale in one go and tossing the seared bass whole in her mouth. She wanders around the room, looking out the window and balcony almost overly suspiciously, before stopping at the large dining table and gesturing for the others to gather around. Even though they are alone in the room, she keeps her voice low, "a'ight, first off, we are not talking to The Guild or the Flaming Fist about the Cult anymore. They've all been payed off. That's how they move all their treasures without involving any of the porters. We've gotta keep the snooping out of sight if we don't wanna be targeted this early. Good thing is, we've a lead. Anything not handled by porters, good chance that's the Cult. And, the porters can't be happy about getting their work cut, so we could ask around there."
"With that gotten over with, what's your deal, lil' one?" Jararaka settles into one of the chairs and tilts her head at Yeshil, not really with judgement, but more a confusion to what a lone girl has got to do with all this, "y'looking for the Cult and the Red Wizards too? They stole your stuff or something?"
She then heaves the locked box she found onto the table. Patting it, she goes, "found this in the shop upstairs, in a study or something. It better have something important... cracked scales are a pain." She squints as she recalls, "there's three people I saw in the back, an adult and maybe two kids, all... y'know, past the point of rescuing." And continues to give a rough description of what she saw before she fell back down.
[to save some back-and-forth, Jararaka relays all the information from the pawn shop from this post and her description of the burning shop is all from this post!]
"Baths!" Finn calls out to the serving lad. "Quick as can be, then more hot water to refresh it at least two or three times..." He certainly wants to wash the grime and grit of the explosion and crawling through the storefront off of him and he assumes Jararaka and Jirel, at the least, do as well. Meanwhile he does help himself to food and drink, though perhaps not as ravenously as Jararaka.
"Well it could be we want to feed them some wrong information at some point," Finn suggests of the Guild and the Fist. "So let's not NOT talk to them exactly... But yeah, if and when we do we need to keep in mind who else is hearing what we say."
"Do we have any reason to think it was the cultists who blew that place up?" Finn asks, glancing at the new kid. "That is a pretty dramatic scene for a cult you would think wants to keep a low profile..."
"Me veseli, da sva se spoznala Yeshil."Tylaerys says in high draconic, smiling warmly and offering her hand in a handshake. "I'm sure we will have somewhere more private soon where we can all use the common tongue." She continues in common before returning her attention to Lupin. "Don't think we can't handle ourselves dear Lupin, you will have both prominent clergy..." The blonde half-elf says inclining her cute head to Jararaka. "...and royalty..." Then making a bow to Jirel. "...as your honoured guests." She finishes with a warm smile to the half-orc.
Following along to Suite 4, accepting and pocketing the key, Tylaerys then explains to the serving boy that she is looking forward to enjoy her bath in one hour. The young half-elf smiles with excitement as she enters the luxurious suite, quickly checking all the rooms before placing her gear in the bedroom with the copper tub, then helping herself to some white wine before finding a seat by the table, listening to Jararaka and Finn, giving the locked box a curious glance before turning her attention to the green skinned girl again. "The man in the building, could he be the thayan wizard you sought?" Tylaerys asks Yeshil with a compassionate smile.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Yeshil's reaction to both Jararaka and Tylaerys responding in Draconic is noticeably different. The lizardfolk gets a warm smile, while the half-elf little more than a half-hearted return handshake, despite the obvious attempts to be kind. Yeshil's eyes widen when Jararaka mentions "movement of treasures", and replies to the lizardfolk's question about Yeshil's involvement:
You probably heard about the dragon attack on Luskan recently, yeah? Well turns out the Cult of the Dragon was behind it, and really it was all just so they could rob the vault in the Hosttower. Took most of their gems and gold, but also bumped off one of the high-ranking mages - an exile from Thay. So the Arcane Brotherhood - that's who I'm working for - wanna get their treasure back, but they also wanna find out why their mage was killed. Now it looks like more Thayan exiles are disappearing. Dovnod Imbros was the last one still at large in Baldur's Gate. I was hoping he could tell us why the Cult is going after the Thayans. I was on my way to meet him.
Then in answer to Finn's query, Yeshil replies: It must've been the cult, or more likely they paid the Guild or someone to do it. The other Thayans just went missing, on the quiet. Maybe this was different. Maybe they wanna send a message or something.Yeshil shrugs.
When Tylaerys asks about the body in the ruined building, Yeshil simply replies: Yeah, that was probably Imbros. And the other two would be his wife and kid. He was married to a halfling.
Finally, Jararaka reveals the strongbox, and Yeshil practically leaps at it. How did you...? she exclaims, eyes wide with increased admiration for the fortitude it must have taken to retrieve this from within the building. Finding it locked, Yeshil reaches into a pouch within her robe and withdraws some lockpicks, then proceeds to pick the lock without bothering to ask for permission...
If allowed to proceed: DEX check +PB for Thieves' Tools prof: 18
Jirel hasn't said anything as yet, but Yeshil's responses to her are just as warm as with Jararaka, if not more so. She seems to smile every time she looks up at the goliath. So far she is fairly neutral toward Finn, who I take it hasn't changed in appearance yet.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
"The Arcane Brotherhood..."The young blonde half-elf says, her silvery eyes briefly going wide with surprise. She knew of this organization of course, an organization shrouded in mystery, with the apparent goal of political and economic control of the north. At this point they would however need any allies they could find to oppose the cult. The half-elf gets visibly sad as Yeshil explains a wife and child was incinerated in the conflagration. This was indeed a ruthless war. Would it make her equally ruthless in the end? She was also more affected than she would want to admit by the green-skinned girl seeming to take warmly to both Jirel and Jararaka while still seeming suspicious and cold to her. She was used to be able to make friends but recently she had been doubting herself, severely, feeling empty and tired of vainly trying to be friendly and pleasant. She hoped that bath would be prepared soon so she could have an excuse to slip away...
Shortly after the food is brought, a bellhop begins bringing pails of hot water. It takes quite a few trips to properly fill the tub and the middle-aged man is huffing and wheezing by the time the first bath is full.
While this is happening, there is a scrabbling sound from the balcony, and shortly thereafter Misses Binklesworth of the Twilight Binklesworths saunters in through an open balcony door.
Finn:
Misses Binklesworth connects through your bond and you are able to absorb a bit of the cat-familiar's experiences. It tailed the man who left Sweetjen's and followed him through the Outer City and into the Lower City of Baldur's Gate:
He stopped at five different taverns, shops and homes. At each of the first four stops, he met with other men and women and delivered a report. Though his words evolved slightly with each report, the jist of it was:
A woman stopped by Sweetjen's on Wyrms Crossing. She claimed to be part of a group of 4 adventurers who were in town hunting information about the treasure and those who hold it.
He provided a brief, accurate description of Finn's original face. But also noted the woman had shapeshifting magic. No details on the other three companions.
The foursome had been present at the attack on Greenest and claim to be getting intelligence from the Lord's Alliance.
If any party should claim a bounty on these meddling adventurers, the Crossers assert claim to a 10% lien against it for sharing this information.
At the last stop, a closed shop in Eastway, the man went inside and a guard closed the door quickly behind him. Misses Binklesworth was not able to gain entry and the man did not exit quickly. Eventually she left to seek you out and deliver her report.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM -(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown *Red Dead Annihilation: ToA *Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Finn spends a good long time fawning and cooing over Misses Binklesworth before even bothering to find out what she had found out. "Ohhh, you smart kitty! I would have been bringing you back soon... Yes I would have... You didn't need find your way to me... but you so smart... and brave... and resourceful, aren't you? Yes you are! You are!" Pets and scritches are interposed with praise and snacks from the food brought up by the bellhop. Plates are made up just for Misses Binklesworth...
"Seems the Crossers are trying to claim 10% of whatever bounty may be on our head," Finn eventually announces to the room. "Is there a bounty on our head? Already?? I wonder how much..."
"Anyway, that kind man from Sweetjen's went on a little tour of the Lower City and made his claim. Seems he thinks the information he spread around was with a cut but honestly? He didn't have much to tell them. A description of the old me, perhaps, and that there's four of us but other than that just that we were at Greenest. No description of the rest of you. We should be good enough, I think, depending on who we talk to and what we say..." Finn trails off, eyes falling back to the kid and realizing none of them could really be all too sure on just who the kid is or what he real goals are.
Striding over, Finn takes the locked box out of the reach of Yeshil and hands it back to Jararaka. "Whoah there, kid... Before you go opening up things that aren't yours, perhaps you tell us who you are? What you're up to? Why are you involved in Arcane Brotherhoods, Red Wizards and all things cultist??"
"And who died and declared Tylaerys gets the best room and the first bath?" Finn asks out of nowhere, a trace of amusement on his voice. "I mean seriously Ty, you still smell better than any of the rest of us!"
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The girl gives Tylaerys a synthetic smile and simply replies: "Hmm. Okay."
The normal thing would have been to reciprocate with a name, although Tylaerys gets the impression that it wasn't an intentional discourtesy, but just the error of the immature and untrained.
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
[sorry for the hold up!!]
Athletics: 14 + 3 (guidance). Jararaka scrabbles at the wood pillars where she can find more purchase with her clawed hands, and manages to climb up to the second floor. She yelps when fire licks at her, much closer than she'd like it to be, then falls onto all fours to avoid the rising smoke. Squinting, she tries to search for survivors. She figures the girl had been yelling more out of frustration than there being any real real cult maps here, but she keeps an eye for any writing or items that seems related to the Red Wizards and Dragon Cults.
[casting Enhance Ability for adv on Int checks]
First Investigation: 17. And Dex save: 20.
Second Investigation: 16. And Dex save: 15.
Third Investigation: 19 (was a nat20 lol). And Dex save: 11.
[if there's been damage going on she might use a healing word between one of these checks/saves. Unless she was taken out before she can do that... she only has 24 hp. If she's unconscious ignore the rest of the post haha]
She lingers for a dozen seconds in the second floor, but eventually the smoke begins to really sting at her eyes. Pocketing anything (and hoisting up anyone) she can find, she retreats back down to the first floor hurriedly, her green scales covered in soot.
Jararaka:
And Dex save: 11.
As Jararaka takes in the grim sight, she hears the sound of splintering would a moment before the floor drops out from under here. Flames liking around the underside of the hole have done their work, and another section of the upstairs - where she had been standing - collapses down to the ground floor. Jararaka takes 6 bludgeoning and 6 fire damage and lands prone in a pile of hot, charred debris.
Jirel, Tylaerys and Yeshil make way for the Blade and Stars, in a direction that keeps them far from the Flaming Fist.
Finn, you observe the approach of the Flaming Fist from a distance. The four soldiers arrive at the burning storefront. Two slowly step into the burning interior, their own cursory investigations a mirror of your own from a minute ago. One of those who remained outside, older, fatter, and seemingly of higher rank, turns and addresses the crowd.
"By order of the dukes, who saw what happened here!?"
No sooner are the words out of his mouth, than with a crash you see Jararaka break through from the upstairs floor and land in a heap inside the shop. The two soldiers inside, rush forward. At the same time, a dozen men and women with buckets arrive on the scene. Most ineffectively splash their water on the outside of the storefront, but a few brave souls venture inside to throw dump them onto the fire. One pauses beside Jararaka and the guards, then dumps her pail on the lizardfork, putting out some of the burning debris around her.
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Jararaka takes the iron box, gritting her teeth when she finds it heavier than expected. She stuffs it in her bag as she scans the shelves quizzically, she could read these words but it did nothing to help her understand what might be in the pages. She gives up on the books and bolts for the opening she climbed up. Seeing the incinerated bodies from the new view, her lips curl up and she grimaces. Perhaps she stares for too long, the wood underfoot gives away and she drops into debris and flames.
Thankfully, it's hardly a devastating fall. Yelping in pain, she springs out of the fire. She groans a little as she recovers her bearings, then yelps again as someone pours water on her- though admittedly, it felt better now that her scales were not cracking and splitting from the dryness. "...Thanks, ma'am." She points towards the back of the shop, "some-something exploded! Nobody upstairs, but I saw some people in the back!" It's meant to get attention off of herself, but it wasn't a lie either. She stands and staggers forward to Finn, exaggerating her injuries. "Oh, I need a healer..."
[conc save for enhance ability because i don't want to waste this spell slot lol: 20]
"They did! They saw what happened!" Finn calls to the old, fatted Fist and points to a random guy in a clump on onlookers directly away from the building, trying to turn his attention away from the building and Jararaka inside. "He was telling everyone that he saw everything!"
"Quick, he's getting away!" Finn calls out and lightly pushes the guard in that direction away from the building. ((Deception? 15. Sam if it's persuasion or performance...))
"Oh, I can help with that," Finn says and moves towards Jararaka as the Fist is hopefully moving the other way. Hopefully meeting the lady lizard halfway, Finn will use thaumaturgy to brighten brighter between them and any of the Flaming Fist who may be looking at them, perhaps throw in some harmless ground trembles to try to discourage pursuit...
At Jararaka's warning that there were people in the back, one of the Flaming Fist soldiers moves in that direction, shielding their eyes from the heat and smoke as they try to get a better look. The other escorts Jararaka back toward the street, where they run into Finn.
Finn was successful in sending the outside guards off in pursuit of the 'witness.' His thaumaturgy is effective as well. Surprisingly so. The ground tremors almost convince him... and then he and Jararaka realize it is no longer Finn's cantrip. WIth a rumbling crash and a wave of heat, ash and cinders, the rear of the building collapses and the heat and debris once again pours out into the street. You don't get a look at what became of the inner-most Flaming Fist soldier. Outside, the crowd surges away as the street is once again filled with horrified screams. In the chaos, the two of you are able to slip away....
Minutes later, the five of you reconvene at the Blade and Stars, a well put together four-story inn not far from the Basilisk Gate. Outside, a round wooden sign hangs above the doorway. It features a woman's hand clutching a scimitar. Several enchanted stars twinkle softly around the blade.
Unlike more typical inn and taverns, the Blade and Stars doesn't have a large communal dining hall. Instead, there is a small lounge with a bar at the front of the ground floor. New arrivals check in here and established guests can come down to greet visitors. Meals are served in the guest rooms instead, with small rooms coming with a table and chairs, and some larger suites having complete dining room setups for larger parties. The arrangement makes the Blade and Stars popular among merchants and also the site of many business luncheons and dinners.
Stepping into the lounge, it is quite full of patrons though the atmosphere remains quiet and respectful. A few heads turn at the goliath, lizardfolk and hexblood as they make their way up to the bar, but you're nothing these folk haven't seen before.
At the bar, an older half-orc woman greets you. "Good evening. I can offer you drinks but I'm afraid we've no vacancies, what with the festival and all. Ales are 3cp and we've wine as well, price dependant upon the vintage. My name is Lupin... if I can get you anything, just ask."
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Just some tea, please, the girl asks quietly, her face barely visible under her white hood, as a couple of copper pieces are placed on the counter.
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
"I'm so sorry to hear that Lupin, we were so looking forward to enjoy your hospitality here at the Blade and Stars. Are you quite sure nothing can be arranged to accomodate us?" Tylaerys asks with a warm smile, laying a pouch of coins in front of her at the bar counter.
Persuasion: 18 Another roll if coins or any help action should give advantage on the roll: 25
Insight to tell if the half-orc woman just wants to get rid of us: 23
Earlier
"I'd buy her a drink b'fore you." Jirel quips back to Fynn without looking over her shoulder.
"Keep up Little One." The goliath gestures with her hand while the green-skinned girl continues on after her. While Jirel sounded gruff, she did keep a fair pace, allowing the little girl to keep up just enough to nip at her heels, free to chatter on as much as she liked. It maybe even brought the briefest of smile tugging at the edges of Jirel's lips, breaking the warriors stone expression for perhaps the briefest of moments before returning back to normal. She may not admit it though.
Blades and Stars
While mended, Jirel was still battered, bruised and brushed with various debris. She'd blink. It took mustering all she had to be polite so Tylaerys could sweeten up Lupin without the contradiction of her intimidation. The goliath wasn't without low grumbling, from her, or her stomach, though. "Food." She grunts with a cross of her arms. "Please." She adds as if remembering her manners. Outside of these city walls, in the wild, she wouldn't need to rely on someone to provide her sustenance, or accommodations.
just an unstable unicorn.
Jararaka spins her head to look back, the spines on her back rising as she thinks about possibly being among those ruins if she had stayed for a few more seconds... the faint stinging from the burns reminds her to get far far away from flames for now, and she turns around to keep pace with Finn, following the directions Tylaerys had given them. She wipes at the soot on her arms and face futilely, wondering in a small voice, "d'I still look like I ran through a fire..?"
Joining up with the others- the other three people now, she croaks out a 'hey', only now realising how dry her throat is. She digs out a handful of silvers and copper, and orders while Tylaerys negotiates, "Gods, I'm parched. And a round of ale for us."
Finn, for a change, keeps his mouth shut and just drinks his drink. He keeps a close eye on the kid and a more general eye on the hustle and bustle of the place but is just happy to relax for a minute.
Now that they are all indoors together and in close proximity, the foursome seems more intimidating to the girl than they were when spread out on the street. The girl's eyes seem to linger longer on Jirel and Jararaka than the other two, although she feels all of them watching her to varying degrees. But despite her internal anxiety, she puts on a mask of confidence with more than a bit of swagger as she says:
Anyway, I'm called Yeshil, if you wanna know. Then glancing around the room she adds: Not very private, is it? I suppose we could converse discreetly if we just speak in another language.
An labhraíonn éinne teanga na fey? (In Sylvan: "Does anyone speak the language of faeries?")
Zer moduz deabruen mihia? (In Infernal: "How about the tongue of devils?")
Možno jazyk drakov? (In Draconic: "The speech of dragons, perhaps?")
She is clearly trying to impress the others with her knowledge of esoteric tongues...
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
Drinks are ordered and Lupin calls a serving lad over and tells him to fill your cups. "Food, I'm afraid, is only available for those who are renting rooms and as I said, we are quite booked...".
She trails off when Tylaerys makes her pitch. Eyeing the coin, then eyeing the five of you, then the coin again, she is visibly wrestling with temptation.
[Since you didn't specify how much coin, I'll assume it was just enough... in this case 25gp, or 250sp if you were using some of that silver the Order of the Gauntlet provided. Which reminds me... the Order of the Gauntlet gave 3000sp from their treasury back when a fake cult wagon was still part of the plan. I didn't see it in anyone's inventory but someone should make note of that. If no one feels like carrying it, there are plenty of good people in Baldur's Gate who can take it off your hands for you. And whoever is carrying it, keep in mind 3000sp is going to be an awfully big, jingly sack of coin.]
At last Lupin accepts the sack of coin from Tylaerys. "Ok. You twisted my arm. Listen, I have got a room for you, but it can only be for tonight, understand? Starting tomorrow it is booked clear through the end of the festival. I'll need you up and out of there bright and early so I can get it cleaned and ready for the client. Anything..." she pauses, steadying a grey-green finger at each of you, "...anything happens to that room, I'll have the Fist in here to drag you before a magistrate. I've got a lot a coin riding on this reservation and I don't need it louted up. If you can't be on your best behavior, say so now."
Assuming no one objects, she calls the serving lad back and hands him a key. The young man grabs a tray of drinks and leads you to a rear staircase and up to the fourth floor of the inn, passing another server with empty bottles and mugs on the way. Down a narrow hall back toward the front of the building he leads on, until he stops at a door marked Suite 4. He unlocks the door, opens it and sets the tray of drinks down on a small table and then hands Tylaerys the key. "Food will be up shortly. Your meals, and this first round, are included with the price of the room. Servers will visit on the half-hours, with a knock. If you need drinks or additional help, just invite them in when they knock. Each floor shares a water closet," he says, pointing to set of double doors at the end of the hall, "but there is a copper tub in the master bedroom. We ask that you give us an hour notice and we can gave a bath prepared. Please enjoy your stay at the Blade and Stars."
Inside the door is a wide common room. An oval dining room table sits in the center of the room with 8 chairs. There are two small sofas on either side of the door, each with a small table (one of which currently holds the tray with the round of ale and cup of tea). Against one wall are three open doors leading to bedrooms. One bedroom holds a single, king sized bed along with the aforementioned tub behind a privacy screen. The next room has a pair of twin beds. The third room holds 4 bunk beds. All have clean sheets, feather pillows and comforters. On the opposite wall, a brick fireplace is dark and silent. The mantle above is decorated with ships in bottles and a huge painting of a galleon sailing through rough seas is hung above the fireplace. A pair of smoking chairs sit before the unlit fire. The last wall, opposite the doorway, has three doors opening to a balcony. Stepping out and looking to your left, you can see over a pair of smaller buildings to see most of the Basilisk gate and the open square before it. Looking to your right, you can see the narrow, winding streets of Baldur's Gate sloping downhill to the docks, the bay, and the sunset beyond.
10 minutes later, another server arrives with a tray of food. Seared white bass and carrots in a sauce of butter and dill for each of you, along with a basket of assorted breads.
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Jararaka blinks at the way the girl switches tongues so easily, impressed, and responds in her hissy rumbly draconic,
This one I know, ah, but looks like Tylaerys' got this one. Call me Jararaka. Saw something maybe-interesting in the shop earlier... but food first.
With that, she begins following the server up to the room. She is momentarily distracted by the food and luxury in the space, downing a her ale in one go and tossing the seared bass whole in her mouth. She wanders around the room, looking out the window and balcony almost overly suspiciously, before stopping at the large dining table and gesturing for the others to gather around. Even though they are alone in the room, she keeps her voice low, "a'ight, first off, we are not talking to The Guild or the Flaming Fist about the Cult anymore. They've all been payed off. That's how they move all their treasures without involving any of the porters. We've gotta keep the snooping out of sight if we don't wanna be targeted this early. Good thing is, we've a lead. Anything not handled by porters, good chance that's the Cult. And, the porters can't be happy about getting their work cut, so we could ask around there."
"With that gotten over with, what's your deal, lil' one?" Jararaka settles into one of the chairs and tilts her head at Yeshil, not really with judgement, but more a confusion to what a lone girl has got to do with all this, "y'looking for the Cult and the Red Wizards too? They stole your stuff or something?"
She then heaves the locked box she found onto the table. Patting it, she goes, "found this in the shop upstairs, in a study or something. It better have something important... cracked scales are a pain." She squints as she recalls, "there's three people I saw in the back, an adult and maybe two kids, all... y'know, past the point of rescuing." And continues to give a rough description of what she saw before she fell back down.
[to save some back-and-forth, Jararaka relays all the information from the pawn shop from this post and her description of the burning shop is all from this post!]
"Baths!" Finn calls out to the serving lad. "Quick as can be, then more hot water to refresh it at least two or three times..." He certainly wants to wash the grime and grit of the explosion and crawling through the storefront off of him and he assumes Jararaka and Jirel, at the least, do as well. Meanwhile he does help himself to food and drink, though perhaps not as ravenously as Jararaka.
"Well it could be we want to feed them some wrong information at some point," Finn suggests of the Guild and the Fist. "So let's not NOT talk to them exactly... But yeah, if and when we do we need to keep in mind who else is hearing what we say."
"Do we have any reason to think it was the cultists who blew that place up?" Finn asks, glancing at the new kid. "That is a pretty dramatic scene for a cult you would think wants to keep a low profile..."
"Me veseli, da sva se spoznala Yeshil." Tylaerys says in high draconic, smiling warmly and offering her hand in a handshake. "I'm sure we will have somewhere more private soon where we can all use the common tongue." She continues in common before returning her attention to Lupin. "Don't think we can't handle ourselves dear Lupin, you will have both prominent clergy..." The blonde half-elf says inclining her cute head to Jararaka. "...and royalty..." Then making a bow to Jirel. "...as your honoured guests." She finishes with a warm smile to the half-orc.
Following along to Suite 4, accepting and pocketing the key, Tylaerys then explains to the serving boy that she is looking forward to enjoy her bath in one hour. The young half-elf smiles with excitement as she enters the luxurious suite, quickly checking all the rooms before placing her gear in the bedroom with the copper tub, then helping herself to some white wine before finding a seat by the table, listening to Jararaka and Finn, giving the locked box a curious glance before turning her attention to the green skinned girl again. "The man in the building, could he be the thayan wizard you sought?" Tylaerys asks Yeshil with a compassionate smile.
Yeshil's reaction to both Jararaka and Tylaerys responding in Draconic is noticeably different. The lizardfolk gets a warm smile, while the half-elf little more than a half-hearted return handshake, despite the obvious attempts to be kind. Yeshil's eyes widen when Jararaka mentions "movement of treasures", and replies to the lizardfolk's question about Yeshil's involvement:
You probably heard about the dragon attack on Luskan recently, yeah? Well turns out the Cult of the Dragon was behind it, and really it was all just so they could rob the vault in the Hosttower. Took most of their gems and gold, but also bumped off one of the high-ranking mages - an exile from Thay. So the Arcane Brotherhood - that's who I'm working for - wanna get their treasure back, but they also wanna find out why their mage was killed. Now it looks like more Thayan exiles are disappearing. Dovnod Imbros was the last one still at large in Baldur's Gate. I was hoping he could tell us why the Cult is going after the Thayans. I was on my way to meet him.
Then in answer to Finn's query, Yeshil replies: It must've been the cult, or more likely they paid the Guild or someone to do it. The other Thayans just went missing, on the quiet. Maybe this was different. Maybe they wanna send a message or something. Yeshil shrugs.
When Tylaerys asks about the body in the ruined building, Yeshil simply replies: Yeah, that was probably Imbros. And the other two would be his wife and kid. He was married to a halfling.
Finally, Jararaka reveals the strongbox, and Yeshil practically leaps at it. How did you...? she exclaims, eyes wide with increased admiration for the fortitude it must have taken to retrieve this from within the building. Finding it locked, Yeshil reaches into a pouch within her robe and withdraws some lockpicks, then proceeds to pick the lock without bothering to ask for permission...
If allowed to proceed: DEX check +PB for Thieves' Tools prof: 18
Jirel hasn't said anything as yet, but Yeshil's responses to her are just as warm as with Jararaka, if not more so. She seems to smile every time she looks up at the goliath. So far she is fairly neutral toward Finn, who I take it hasn't changed in appearance yet.
How does a red dragon blow out the candles on its birthday cake?
"The Arcane Brotherhood..." The young blonde half-elf says, her silvery eyes briefly going wide with surprise. She knew of this organization of course, an organization shrouded in mystery, with the apparent goal of political and economic control of the north. At this point they would however need any allies they could find to oppose the cult. The half-elf gets visibly sad as Yeshil explains a wife and child was incinerated in the conflagration. This was indeed a ruthless war. Would it make her equally ruthless in the end? She was also more affected than she would want to admit by the green-skinned girl seeming to take warmly to both Jirel and Jararaka while still seeming suspicious and cold to her. She was used to be able to make friends but recently she had been doubting herself, severely, feeling empty and tired of vainly trying to be friendly and pleasant. She hoped that bath would be prepared soon so she could have an excuse to slip away...
Shortly after the food is brought, a bellhop begins bringing pails of hot water. It takes quite a few trips to properly fill the tub and the middle-aged man is huffing and wheezing by the time the first bath is full.
While this is happening, there is a scrabbling sound from the balcony, and shortly thereafter Misses Binklesworth of the Twilight Binklesworths saunters in through an open balcony door.
Finn:
Misses Binklesworth connects through your bond and you are able to absorb a bit of the cat-familiar's experiences. It tailed the man who left Sweetjen's and followed him through the Outer City and into the Lower City of Baldur's Gate:
PC - Ethel - Human - Lvl 4 Necromancer - Undying Dragons * Serge Marshblade - Human - Lvl 5 Eldritch Knight - Hoard of the Dragon Queen
DM - (Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown * Red Dead Annihilation: ToA * Where the Cold Winds Blow : DoIP * Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts: HotDQ * Red Wine, Black Rose: CoS * Greyhawk: Tides of War
Finn spends a good long time fawning and cooing over Misses Binklesworth before even bothering to find out what she had found out. "Ohhh, you smart kitty! I would have been bringing you back soon... Yes I would have... You didn't need find your way to me... but you so smart... and brave... and resourceful, aren't you? Yes you are! You are!" Pets and scritches are interposed with praise and snacks from the food brought up by the bellhop. Plates are made up just for Misses Binklesworth...
"Seems the Crossers are trying to claim 10% of whatever bounty may be on our head," Finn eventually announces to the room. "Is there a bounty on our head? Already?? I wonder how much..."
"Anyway, that kind man from Sweetjen's went on a little tour of the Lower City and made his claim. Seems he thinks the information he spread around was with a cut but honestly? He didn't have much to tell them. A description of the old me, perhaps, and that there's four of us but other than that just that we were at Greenest. No description of the rest of you. We should be good enough, I think, depending on who we talk to and what we say..." Finn trails off, eyes falling back to the kid and realizing none of them could really be all too sure on just who the kid is or what he real goals are.
Striding over, Finn takes the locked box out of the reach of Yeshil and hands it back to Jararaka. "Whoah there, kid... Before you go opening up things that aren't yours, perhaps you tell us who you are? What you're up to? Why are you involved in Arcane Brotherhoods, Red Wizards and all things cultist??"
"And who died and declared Tylaerys gets the best room and the first bath?" Finn asks out of nowhere, a trace of amusement on his voice. "I mean seriously Ty, you still smell better than any of the rest of us!"