After they've all had a chance to commit the path to memory, Gawain steps away from the desk. "We'll get started immediately. Should have everything we need. The next time you hear from us, you should have one less group of bandits to worry about."
"We look forward to hearing about your success. Good luck out there." If there's nothing more to be discussed, Governor Nighthill and Escobert will dismiss you, remaining behind to have their own discussion as you leave. Down the stairs of the tower again and a short walk through the keep's courtyard puts you back in the town proper.
As the early morning cold is warmed by the rising sun in the sky, you find more and more of the town's people out and about. Merchants passing through the town have begun setting up wagons or stalls in the market square, and already you can see townsfolk haggling them over prices. Walking through the town, it's hard to believe that such a peaceful place could be having troubles. You pass people gathered in groups, chatting as they take breaks from their daily chores of splitting firewood or fetching well water.
Following Escobert's map, you're on your way out on the northwest road when you're spotted by a group of young children playing on the outskirts of town. They're wielding branches that have been carved up into the general shape of swords, and some of them have torn up pieces of cloth around their heads. On seeing you, one of the kids breaks from the group and stands defiantly in front of you, holding his stick in your faces. "Halt bandits! In the name of Governor Nighthill, you're under arrest!"
The serenity of the town is not lost on Gawain as they make their through it. Though larger, in a way the atmosphere reminds him of home, a fact that fills him with both peace and longing. He hoped to take care of their bandit problem as quickly as possible, but wasn't eager to leave them soon either.
As they're accosted by a brave youth, probably playing some variation of knights and bandits with his friends, he can't help but laugh. Wary of the boy's makeshift wooden sword, he throws up his hands in surrender. "Alright, you've caught us brave ser knight. We're at your mercy."
"To whom do we have the honor of being arrested by this fine morning?"
Gallant will look with a menacing smile at the children, "I dare not be arrested, don't you know I am the bandit king Dragon King and this is my crew. We yield to no one!" Using Minor Illusion he will summon the sound of a dragon roaring around the children. "Give up your good ways and join us in our dastardly deeds!" Gallant will then stretch his hands and laugh maniacally.
The party would know Gallant loves to put on a show for the little ones, though it may be over the top on occasion
The children watch Gallant cast his spell, most of them flinching and looking around in fear as the sound of a dragon's roar pierces the air. Once they connect two-and-two their smiles return and they raise their wooden sticks in a cheer. "Never!" One of them shouts. While a few others sprint over to take your group's side, baring their toy swords against their former allies.
The young lad that confronted you directly didn't flinch or move, staring down Gawain intently. After a few more moments, he finally breaks and grins. "I'm Bran. Are you a knight, like a real knight?" He asks, and you see his eyes widening a little bit as he looks over your armor and weapons. "Are you here to take care of those nasty bandits? My pa got robbed by them once!"
With a chuckle, Gawain shakes his head. "No, I'm not really a knight. I don't think any of us are."He supposed to kids that grew up out here, anyone with a halfway decent set of armor and a blade would look like a knight. "But, you can rest assured that we'll have those bandits dealt with soon. We're on our way right now, Ser Bran the Brave." He says with a wink. "Next time you see us, your home will be bandit-free."
Iris stands back while Gawain and Gallant entertain the kids, laughing when the latter spooks them with an illusion spell. Outside of her own family children were...Strange creatures to her, she was happy those two were able to handle them. "Speaking of..." She starts, nodding her head further down the road. "We should be on our way."
“The King must go and show those weak little bandits who is boss.” Gallant laughs like a comic book hero and throws a thumbs up with a wink to the kids and begins to walk, “Make sure the town knows, they won’t be hearing from the Sunless.”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Cool!" The young boy named Bran seems to gloss over your denial of knighthood, instead focusing in on the assurance of both Gawain and Gallant. He raises his toy sword in the air and calls to his friends, "let's go!" And running back into the fields next the road, there's a disorganized chorus of goodbyes and well wishes as the others leave to follow him.
With the town of Greenest at your backs, you begin your journey into the Greenfields...
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
10
Your first day of travel is mostly uneventful. You pass a few farmers on the road, on their way to Greenest for supplies, trade, or just to visit friends and family. In your short conversations with them, you find that none of them have encountered the Sunless on their most recent trips.
As the sun finally sets leaving you in darkness, you find yourselves just before a crossroads. The west of your are rolling hills with tall grass and weeds, while the east is occupied by acreage of woods. You setup your camp for the night, rest your feet and cook your meals for the evening. As you're about to settle down for the evening and start your watches, you all notice a soft, pulsing blue glow originating just beyond the treeline...
Back during the event in town with Bran the Brave and his friends making a game out of apprehending the party, Crannoc would have used his telekinetic Mage Hand to start whipping his hair into a spiral vortex, as if a wild sorcerer in league with Gallant's dragon/bandit king.
Happy is the land in which the cubs play freely! By Silvanus' grace, I hope it stays that way, though my dreams tell me it will not.
As the blue glow becomes visible among the trees, Crannoc looks around for any animals, particularly a bird, who might be willing to scout. (He may use the Speak with Animals ritual or Animal Friendship if so).
If that avenue looks fruitless, he muses quietly. "Very few natural beasts or plants glow blue, and any natural glow would be unlikely to pulse regularly as this one does. So it could be magic but it could also be a distraction to draw our attention away from another threat."
Either way, he calls on Silvanus'Guidance to help him look for threats immediately around the party, including from a direction different than the glow.
Taking a look around, Crannoc is able to spot a curious owl poking its head out of the hollow of a nearby tree. Around the greater area...He doesn't see anything that looks threatening. Besides the owl and other small critters, your party seems to be entirely alone out here.
Hildr, a living bulwark, interposes her bedroll between the mysterious blue light to the east and the rest of the camp, staying just within the comfort of the firelight. As she settles down to rest—sword gripped at her side, shield donned across her chest—she offers to take the last watch at and before dawn. Creatures with darkvision protect the camp best in the all-encompassing darkness of the night.
But Hildr has trouble sleeping. These are not her lands, and though her companions are strong, she is afraid of the dark, as all humans should be, and of strange, pulsing, hypnotic lights. Of course, Hildr would rather take her own life than let this on.
"That's...Odd." Iris locks on to the pulsing blue glow emanating the woods, feeling almost mesmerized by the light. She wracks her brain for a moment, trying to recall if there were any magics she recalled that could create such an effect.
Iris: You don't recall any specific spell or magical creature known this kind of glow. But something does twinge in your brain, a story you heard from a wizard giving a lecture on demiplanes once in Silverymoon when you were much younger. As an example, the mage had called upon an old folklore tale of the Sister Springs, a demiplane whose entrance seemed to travel along the Sword Coast - attracting travelers passing by with a glow the color of clean spring water. Beyond that, you aren't able to recall anything else.
"I...I think it's fine?" Iris says aloud to the others, furrowing her brow as she tries in vain to recall the rest of the lecturer's lesson. "I've heard of something like this before. An entryway to an extradimensional space...This one to a hot springs of all things. Honestly, it's interesting enough to check out...People have come back to tell the stories, so it can't be too dangerous."She trails off, her curiosity clearly piqued. Then she quickly adds, "although I understand the need for caution. So if we want to just leave it, we can. But...Well..." They might not ever see anything like this ever again.
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Crannoc nods, feeling secretly relieved that his idea to burn the tangle-weed seems like a last resort, and pores over the large map curiously.
How differently city-folk envision the landscape of nature than I am accustomed to!
Absently, he smooths and holds down any curling edge or corner of the map with his invisible telekinetic Mage Hand.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Hildr examines the contents of the pouch Nighthill gave her. "Now you're talking, Governor."
After they've all had a chance to commit the path to memory, Gawain steps away from the desk. "We'll get started immediately. Should have everything we need. The next time you hear from us, you should have one less group of bandits to worry about."
Gallant will play the same song he did last night at the tavern about his party to put a nice dash of excitement to Gawain’s statement!
"We look forward to hearing about your success. Good luck out there." If there's nothing more to be discussed, Governor Nighthill and Escobert will dismiss you, remaining behind to have their own discussion as you leave. Down the stairs of the tower again and a short walk through the keep's courtyard puts you back in the town proper.
As the early morning cold is warmed by the rising sun in the sky, you find more and more of the town's people out and about. Merchants passing through the town have begun setting up wagons or stalls in the market square, and already you can see townsfolk haggling them over prices. Walking through the town, it's hard to believe that such a peaceful place could be having troubles. You pass people gathered in groups, chatting as they take breaks from their daily chores of splitting firewood or fetching well water.
Following Escobert's map, you're on your way out on the northwest road when you're spotted by a group of young children playing on the outskirts of town. They're wielding branches that have been carved up into the general shape of swords, and some of them have torn up pieces of cloth around their heads. On seeing you, one of the kids breaks from the group and stands defiantly in front of you, holding his stick in your faces. "Halt bandits! In the name of Governor Nighthill, you're under arrest!"
The serenity of the town is not lost on Gawain as they make their through it. Though larger, in a way the atmosphere reminds him of home, a fact that fills him with both peace and longing. He hoped to take care of their bandit problem as quickly as possible, but wasn't eager to leave them soon either.
As they're accosted by a brave youth, probably playing some variation of knights and bandits with his friends, he can't help but laugh. Wary of the boy's makeshift wooden sword, he throws up his hands in surrender. "Alright, you've caught us brave ser knight. We're at your mercy."
"To whom do we have the honor of being arrested by this fine morning?"
Gallant will look with a menacing smile at the children, "I dare not be arrested, don't you know I am the bandit king Dragon King and this is my crew. We yield to no one!" Using Minor Illusion he will summon the sound of a dragon roaring around the children. "Give up your good ways and join us in our dastardly deeds!" Gallant will then stretch his hands and laugh maniacally.
The party would know Gallant loves to put on a show for the little ones, though it may be over the top on occasion
Performance 16
The children watch Gallant cast his spell, most of them flinching and looking around in fear as the sound of a dragon's roar pierces the air. Once they connect two-and-two their smiles return and they raise their wooden sticks in a cheer. "Never!" One of them shouts. While a few others sprint over to take your group's side, baring their toy swords against their former allies.
The young lad that confronted you directly didn't flinch or move, staring down Gawain intently. After a few more moments, he finally breaks and grins. "I'm Bran. Are you a knight, like a real knight?" He asks, and you see his eyes widening a little bit as he looks over your armor and weapons. "Are you here to take care of those nasty bandits? My pa got robbed by them once!"
With a chuckle, Gawain shakes his head. "No, I'm not really a knight. I don't think any of us are." He supposed to kids that grew up out here, anyone with a halfway decent set of armor and a blade would look like a knight. "But, you can rest assured that we'll have those bandits dealt with soon. We're on our way right now, Ser Bran the Brave." He says with a wink. "Next time you see us, your home will be bandit-free."
Iris stands back while Gawain and Gallant entertain the kids, laughing when the latter spooks them with an illusion spell. Outside of her own family children were...Strange creatures to her, she was happy those two were able to handle them. "Speaking of..." She starts, nodding her head further down the road. "We should be on our way."
“The King must go and show those weak little bandits who is boss.” Gallant laughs like a comic book hero and throws a thumbs up with a wink to the kids and begins to walk, “Make sure the town knows, they won’t be hearing from the Sunless.”
"Cool!" The young boy named Bran seems to gloss over your denial of knighthood, instead focusing in on the assurance of both Gawain and Gallant. He raises his toy sword in the air and calls to his friends, "let's go!" And running back into the fields next the road, there's a disorganized chorus of goodbyes and well wishes as the others leave to follow him.
With the town of Greenest at your backs, you begin your journey into the Greenfields...
5
4
2
10
Your first day of travel is mostly uneventful. You pass a few farmers on the road, on their way to Greenest for supplies, trade, or just to visit friends and family. In your short conversations with them, you find that none of them have encountered the Sunless on their most recent trips.
As the sun finally sets leaving you in darkness, you find yourselves just before a crossroads. The west of your are rolling hills with tall grass and weeds, while the east is occupied by acreage of woods. You setup your camp for the night, rest your feet and cook your meals for the evening. As you're about to settle down for the evening and start your watches, you all notice a soft, pulsing blue glow originating just beyond the treeline...
Back during the event in town with Bran the Brave and his friends making a game out of apprehending the party, Crannoc would have used his telekinetic Mage Hand to start whipping his hair into a spiral vortex, as if a wild sorcerer in league with Gallant's dragon/bandit king.
Happy is the land in which the cubs play freely! By Silvanus' grace, I hope it stays that way, though my dreams tell me it will not.
As the blue glow becomes visible among the trees, Crannoc looks around for any animals, particularly a bird, who might be willing to scout. (He may use the Speak with Animals ritual or Animal Friendship if so).
If that avenue looks fruitless, he muses quietly. "Very few natural beasts or plants glow blue, and any natural glow would be unlikely to pulse regularly as this one does. So it could be magic but it could also be a distraction to draw our attention away from another threat."
Either way, he calls on Silvanus' Guidance to help him look for threats immediately around the party, including from a direction different than the glow.
Crannoc's Perception plus Guidance: 21 + 3 = 24
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Taking a look around, Crannoc is able to spot a curious owl poking its head out of the hollow of a nearby tree. Around the greater area...He doesn't see anything that looks threatening. Besides the owl and other small critters, your party seems to be entirely alone out here.
Hildr, a living bulwark, interposes her bedroll between the mysterious blue light to the east and the rest of the camp, staying just within the comfort of the firelight. As she settles down to rest—sword gripped at her side, shield donned across her chest—she offers to take the last watch at and before dawn. Creatures with darkvision protect the camp best in the all-encompassing darkness of the night.
But Hildr has trouble sleeping. These are not her lands, and though her companions are strong, she is afraid of the dark, as all humans should be, and of strange, pulsing, hypnotic lights. Of course, Hildr would rather take her own life than let this on.
"That's...Odd." Iris locks on to the pulsing blue glow emanating the woods, feeling almost mesmerized by the light. She wracks her brain for a moment, trying to recall if there were any magics she recalled that could create such an effect.
Arcana: 22
Iris: You don't recall any specific spell or magical creature known this kind of glow. But something does twinge in your brain, a story you heard from a wizard giving a lecture on demiplanes once in Silverymoon when you were much younger. As an example, the mage had called upon an old folklore tale of the Sister Springs, a demiplane whose entrance seemed to travel along the Sword Coast - attracting travelers passing by with a glow the color of clean spring water. Beyond that, you aren't able to recall anything else.
"I...I think it's fine?" Iris says aloud to the others, furrowing her brow as she tries in vain to recall the rest of the lecturer's lesson. "I've heard of something like this before. An entryway to an extradimensional space...This one to a hot springs of all things. Honestly, it's interesting enough to check out...People have come back to tell the stories, so it can't be too dangerous." She trails off, her curiosity clearly piqued. Then she quickly adds, "although I understand the need for caution. So if we want to just leave it, we can. But...Well..." They might not ever see anything like this ever again.