From the back of the group, alongside Kimberly, Quinn He looks over the members of the Dragon and attempts to size them. He's trying to gauge their station in life. He looks about the room and on their persons to see if they are armed.

Investigation check: 1 (12 w/advantage favored enemy trait)

Perception check: 17 (looking for weapons on their person and in the room)

"I have this fine emerald necklace to offer as well." Quinn digs into his possibles pouch and reveals Mirna's necklace.

Favric looks curiously at Jurgen's offering, then rolls his eyes with patronizing disapproval.

In Draconic, he replies with obvious distaste:

 Quinn, who is well-accustomed to sizing up other humans, can see that most of these folks are just inexperienced teenagers. Not well trained, nor of much education. Lost souls, looking for meaning. Favric seems a little different – although of similar background, he seems particularly ambitious and driven. They all seem to be armed with poorly-made scimitars.

"You ready? Let's do this. I'll do the talking." Favric opens the door and begins to stroll up the lane toward the hill. His crew follows with trepidation, some looking a bit reluctant. "Let's move."

As Favric and the rest of The Dragons follow, Syzygy turns to the party with an unsure look on his face. "Are we a sacrifice?" He whispers. Syzygy shrugs his newly bulked shoulders and makes his way for the door to follow Favric. 

Quinn leans in towards Syzygy and whispers. "No, we aren't. If anyone is getting sacrificed, it's them."

He hangs back a bit and seeks guidance from the group. In a low whisper, he says "What's the plan? Do we peel off and leave them to the dragon? Lay back, observe and figure out a plan?"

"Green dragons are master manipulators," Bryony whispers to the others. "The greatest treasure to this dragon will be people it can twist to do its bidding. Maybe we can use that to our advantage?"

When the others turn to look at her with surprise, she shrugs. "What? Auntie Qelline used to read me lots of stories of heroes, and many of them had dragons. That's one of the reasons I was so keen to become an adventurer myself!"

Favric leads his group and yours back through the ruins you just came through, and up the lane past both the old smithy and Mirna's shop. You spot the massive dead spider where it died outside the walls of the ruined store, dangling from a tree. Ahead you see the road winding up the steep hill, upon which stands the stone tower with its partially collapsed roof and an adjoining cottage. Favric strides ahead confidently, with little interest in stealth.

What's your marching order? Is everyone following Favric's group toward the tower?

Jurgen would suggest holding back a little and watching what happens. as for the party marching order, Jurgen will volunteer to be up front. 

Kimberley is reluctantly following but trying to slip back to be at the rear of the group....

Quinn will be just behind Jurgen.

As Quinn passes the others to catch up to Jurgen, he whispers to everyone, one by one "Keep your eyes peeled. If things go south, flee into the woods.  Meet up at the sign outside of town."

DM: Who among this group of Dragon cultists/fanatics are holding the chest of jewels and other offerings? And where are they positioned? 

Bryony follows behind Quinn, and she gives him a nod of acknowledgement. "Is anyone else sort of excited?" she whispers. "I've never met a dragon before!"

Favric skirts around the front of the ruined store. You can see webs stretching across the road from the store to the trees on the north side of the road. Favric gives them wide berth.

Quinn notes that Favric (in a slightly greener robe on map) carries the small box with him. The rest are empty-handed (although with scimitars strapped to their waists.)

Then he begins to lead the party up the steep hill, up a narrow, switchbacking lane. Above, you can see a door leading into the cottage, and several arrow-slit windows are visible in the tower. You notice an eerie quiet in the area and a strange, acrid smell in the air.

The corpses of two giant spiders sprawl near the edge of the pathway, apparently dragged there. Their bloated bodies are puckered and blistered and appear to have been mauled by a large animal. 

The party continues its climb up the steep hill, following Favric and his gang. You pass the freshly dead giant spiders, torn apart and half-eaten. You look up at the 40' tower, which remains quiet.

Favric stops outside the cottage door, then hesitates. For the first time you see a flash of nervousness cross his face. Then he knocks politely on the weathered cottage door.

Syzygy straightens, stands tall trying to embody the pride of draconic lineages. Underneath, the pale shadarkai is petrified. By the sounds of Byrony’s advice, green dragons might be difficult to fool. 

There is no answer to Favric's knock.

He clears his throat, then announces, "It is I, Favric, leader of the Durnstown faction of the Cult of the Dragon. We are here to treat with your majesty, great green dragon. We bring tributes in your honor."  His voice cracks with nerves.

Silence. He turns and shrugs, uncertainly. "Sleeping, maybe."

"Maybe I can get a look inside?" Bryony wonders.

She attempts to scramble up the tower and peer into one of the arrow-slit windows. Nimble and light, climbing isn't as arduous or difficult as it would be for the taller races.

Acrobatics - 14

Kimberley stares at Bryonys climb in utter terror, " Don't wake it...", she whispers to herself

Bryony tries to clamber up the side of the tower. It was presumably originally designed to discourage climbing, but over the decades the decaying masonry has left enough gaps and holes that Bryony is able to climb up, slowly and with great care, as far as the lowest arrow-slit. Looking within, she can see, past the remains of a long-abandoned birds' nest, a large empty space, with daylight streaming down from somewhere above. The stone wall is thick, and her field of view is very limited, so she cannot see much. She gets the sense that there are no longer any floors, if there were any – just a single, lofty space. But she can see an intact 5-foot-wide staircase circling the interior. She does not see a dragon, nor any other signs of life, in the fraction of the space visible to her.

"I didn't expect to meet a dragon with a door knock...at the bottom of a tower." His earlier anticipation now drifting into a little confusion, a little suspicion. 

Syzygy watches Byrony climb the tower and scratches his green-scaled chin, his nails long and sharp. 

"Favric, when was it you last saw the great green dragon?"

"This morning," Favric replies confidently, slightly annoyed by the question. "Eating those spiders. It's resting, I expect, or perhaps out hunting." He shoots an irritated glance at one of his compatriots.

Bryony carefully climbs back down to join the others.

"I didn't see any dragon inside, although I didn't have the best field of view," she says. "It looks like the tower is collapsed or something. It just looks like one big space to me."