Hewelathan's circle of druids focused more on the wild places and its flora and fauna. He points out the temple to his friends. I don't think that any of them have a lot of schooling in religious practices, but maybe they can make a group check of some sort?
Korba sees the woman at the bar smile at him, and feeling the need for a drink himself after being on the boat for so long, walks over and says, "This place have anything special?"
(Is Korba speaking to Bridgette, or to the drider bartender?)
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Rhaenys follows the rest towards the tavern, not paying much mind to the temple they see along the way. When Jodie asks for support for her performance, she happily agrees. As such, when the party enters the building and the bard begins to sing, the changeling chooses some of the candles and torches that might be near Jodie and makes their lights flicker to the rhythm of her music.
The sorceress then turns her focus to the individuals inside the building, and though she is very surprised to find the bartender is a drider, as Korba has begun speaking with a half orc woman that clearly must be the one they are looking for, she joins that conversation:
- Hello there!- she says, waving happily towards the half orc - Nice to see a friendly face around here. You must be Bridgette, right? My name is Rhaenys. We've been told to find you, as we seek an audience with Lord Akkron.
"Yep, that's me," the half-orc says with a grin. "My Master said some folks from the mainland might be comin' to have a chat with him soon. Nice to meet you!"
She waves the bartender over.
"Hey, Shri! This gentleman here wants to hear what we've got for specials! Oh, and drinks are on me, these folks are guests here, after all!"
Bridgette gives you all a warm smile. Meanwhile, the drider eyes Korba for a moment, seemingly contemplating what the best drink would be for him.
"How does a blended bourbon sound?" the spider-creature asks after a moment.
- Oh, your master knows about us already? - Rhaenys asks Bridgette, looking surprised. She then glances Hewelathan, a silent "did we know Lord Akkron was expecting us?" reflected on her face . If they party knew this already, the sorceress has clearly forgotten about it.
Despite asking this, the moment the changeling hears about free drinks being offered (and personalized drinks at that!) her attention turns to Shri:
- Oh, can I have a drink too? Please! Do surprise me! - Rhaenys' eyes sparkle with enthusiasm.
- Oh, your master knows about us already? - Rhaenys asks Bridgette, looking surprised. She then glances Hewelathan, a silent "did we know Lord Akkron was expecting us?" reflected on her face . If they party knew this already, the sorceress has clearly forgotten about it.
The look of surprise on Hewelathan's face tells you that he wasn't expecting that. When he sees Rhaenys look over at him, he raises one eyebrow and gives a rueful shrug, seeming to say, "Maybe we should have expected that. Who knows what powers the ancient lich has?"
Hewelathan's look of surprise fades and settles into one of anxiety as he tries to listen. They're being chased by the dark wizard Firion and the Cult of the Dragon. Now they're seeking an audience with a powerful undead mage. Their situation is finally sinking in for Hewelathan. The group seems to be trapped in swirling forces that they don't understand and that are entirely beyond their control. All they can do is keep moving forward and just try to stay alive, hoping to stay one step ahead of disaster.
This must be what it feels like to be on a little boat tossed about by the waves in the middle of the sea, surrounded by sea monsters and with a violent storm approaching.
The bartender Shri takes a moment to study Rhaenys, then proceeds to mix something and hand it to the sorceress. It's some kind of sweet wine, which is quite refreshing after a difficult fight and many days at sea.
Bridgette giggles at Rhaenys' and Hewelathan's confusion.
"I don't think he knew that you specifically were coming," she clarifies. "But after he drove the crazy dragon cultists out of Baron Ryder's lands he did a bit of divination and foresaw that others would come to seek his aid."
The half-orc takes a swig of some extremely strong-smelling brew and gives you another smile.
"You'll have to ask him for the details, though. Don't worry too much about the meeting, he's not nearly as scary as he looks... well... except to followers of Lolth. Then he's exactly as scary as he looks plus a bit extra."
“A bourbon sounds nice, thank you,” Korba says taking the drink and cooling it slightly. He then says in Undercommon to the Drider, “Have you been on the surface long? I can only guess that things must be very different from before you were turned and to now,”thinking of what the tales tell of how Driders come into the world.
Bridgette giggles at Rhaenys' and Hewelathan's confusion.
"I don't think he knew that you specifically were coming," she clarifies. "But after he drove the crazy dragon cultists out of Baron Ryder's lands he did a bit of divination and foresaw that others would come to seek his aid."
Hewelathan feels relieved and a little embarrassed that their reaction was so easy to read. He asks Shri for some wine. Then he realizes how hungry he is and asks whether there's food available.
While he eats, Hewelathan listens intently for any details about when and where they'll be meeting Lord Akkron and what to expect from the meeting.
Shri hands over the drinks to Korba and Hewelathan. She looks at Korba and sighs sadly.
"Well, I suppose I've had plenty of time to get used to... this," she says in Undercommon, gesturing to her arachnid lower half. "I spent ten years as an outcast in the Underdark, and I've been living here for about a decade now."
Rhaenystries the wine and is clearly happy with Shri's choice:
- Mmmm, delicious! You do know your customers! - she says, raising the glass to the bartender. She does cock her head a little towards Shri, too, wondering how a drider ended up working in a tavern in the Shaded Island, but not wanting to be too much of a gossip she instead returns to where Bridgetteis sitting and asks - Well, this is a curious place. I was kind of expecting less agreable people, since this place is called the "Shaded Isle" and its lord being a ... well ... lich? But so far it doesn't look half bad- she smiles - So, what can you tell us about Lord Akkron? Does he expect us right away, or will we be able to rest for the night? We did have a fight not long ago with a three dragon cultists.
She lets the half-orc answer, and then adds:
- Baron Ryder ... mmm... I've heard about him. Does he reside in this Isle too?
The half-orc takes a swig of some extremely strong-smelling brew and gives you another smile.
"You'll have to ask him for the details, though. Don't worry too much about the meeting, he's not nearly as scary as he looks... well... except to followers of Lolth. Then he's exactly as scary as he looks plus a bit extra."
Jodie turns to Bridgette, "So how's about you take us to see your master tomorrow? Until then, let's keep that brew flowing." Jodie waves over the bartender and tosses him some recently collected gold (say 12 gp or 2 gp/guest), "Dinner and drinks are on me!"
"Oh no, the baron's lands lie across the sea!" Bridgette replies. "He just needed a bit of help dealing with a certain cult that it seems you folks have also had the misfortune of dealing with. The Baron's fief has had a trade relationship with the Shaded Isle for several generations, which was why the Baron turned to my Master for aid when the Cult of the Dragon tried to conquer his lands. Anyway, he didn't really expect you at any specific date or time, so you can stay here tonight, or the temple of Boccob if you prefer."
The drider bartender glances at Rhaenys.
"It's a lot less friendly when you get to the ruins," she says with a smirk. "Also, these good people aren't especially nice to prisoners... I found that out the hard way when I got here. To be fair, I did kind of deserve it."
"Friendly reminder that we also didn't execute you, and we eventually did decide to let you go," Bridgette points out, taking another swig of whatever she's drinking. "And you apparently had decent enough treatment that you thought it would be better to stay here than crawl back into the Underdark."
Shri sighs.
"I still think that your Master just left me alive to wallow in my many failures..." the drider mutters as she pours out another round of drinks and accepts the pile of coins from Jodie.
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Hewelathan listens with interest to the conversations. He particularly watches Bridgette. He's trying to figure out whether they can trust her (a lich's protege!) and whether she's hiding anything from them. Insight19 (in game log)
Hewelathan is not that surprised to hear Korba speaking in some shared language with Shri, who looks like a dark elf / spider hybrid. Something like a centaur of the Underdark perhaps? He doesn't really understand the talk of prisoners or Shri's "failures." (OOC: I suspect that Hewelathan has never heard of a drider before Nature10 nor does he know Lolth's involvement in their creation Religion4 (in game log).)
"Temple of Boccob?", Hewelthan says. "I'm familiar with the gods of the forests and mountains and seas, but I've never even heard of Boccob."Religion7 (in game log)
As far as Hewelathan can tell, Bridgette is exactly what she seems to be: a friendly, drunken half-orc.
The half-orc seems a little bit surprised to hear that someone doesn't know who Boccob is.
"Uhhh... he's one of the major gods of magic," Bridgette says after a moment. "His big things are balance and knowledge and whatnot... I'd tell you more, but I'm afraid I'm the type who tends to fall asleep in church."
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Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
The half-orc seems a little bit surprised to hear that someone doesn't know who Boccob is.
"Uhhh... he's one of the major gods of magic," Bridgette says after a moment. "His big things are balance and knowledge and whatnot... I'd tell you more, but I'm afraid I'm the type who tends to fall asleep in church."
"Oh!", Hewelathan says, feeling a little embarrassed, but he chuckles at her joke about falling asleep in church.
If Hewelathan gets a chance, he asks Bridgette (or asks Rhaenys or Jodie to ask her) whether she knows why the cult was trying to conquer Baron Ryder's lands. If needed, he clarifies: "It's just that the cultists we've encountered didn't seem like people who would bother with rulership or holding land. Do the baron's lands hold some valuable resource? Or does he control a particularly strategic location?"
And later, "You said that Baron Ryder lived 'over the sea.' Do you mean to the east, in Faerun? Or is his barony in some other land?"
The half-orc seems a little bit surprised to hear that someone doesn't know who Boccob is.
"Uhhh... he's one of the major gods of magic," Bridgette says after a moment. "His big things are balance and knowledge and whatnot... I'd tell you more, but I'm afraid I'm the type who tends to fall asleep in church."
"Oh!", Hewelathan says, feeling a little embarrassed, but he chuckles at her joke about falling asleep in church.
"Don't worry," Korba says quietly to his side, "First I've heard of them as well. Not room for many other gods in the Underdark..."
Korba thinks for a minute and says, "If the cult is after the Akkron's land, perhaps it's just coincidence that we've run into them as well. Hopefully at least. We've got enough on our plates already to be dealing with two sets of enemies after us; more so if we don't understand why we're the target of one."
"It's a lot less friendly when you get to the ruins," she says with a smirk. "Also, these good people aren't especially nice to prisoners... I found that out the hard way when I got here. To be fair, I did kind of deserve it."
"I still think that your Master just left me alive to wallow in my many failures..."
- Uhm, I wasn't going to ask, but since you seem more talkative than I initially credited you for: would you share your story with us? How did you end up serving such good drinks here? These definitely do not look as failures to me! - The sorceress asks with sincere curiosity. Then, thinking that Shri might not appreciate being asked about her past, she quickly adds - Well, only if you feel like talking about that of course! Sorry I'm advance if I'm being too curious!
"Don't worry," Korba says quietly to his side, "First I've heard of them as well. Not room for many other gods in the Underdark..."
Korba thinks for a minute and says, "If the cult is after the Akkron's land, perhaps it's just coincidence that we've run into them as well. Hopefully at least. We've got enough on our plates already to be dealing with two sets of enemies after us; more so if we don't understand why we're the target of one."
- Same, never heard of Boccob before - Rhaenys says to both Hewelathanand Korba- Guess I'm not the church-going type myself either - she adds, shrugging and smiling to Bridgette - And I really wish it was just a coincidence, Korba, but ... that sounds too good to be true. FirstJarden, then the cultists... - she doesn't end the sentence, looking worried for a moment. But she shakes that feeling off quickly, trying to focus on the present moment - But perhaps we should leave these worries behind for now until we discuss them with Lord Akkron in the morning. Why don't we just enjoy this nice dinner and simply rest for tonight? I say we've more than earned it!
"I second that. I wouldn't mind a nice rest after that fight..."
The sorceress seemingly smiles to herself, then she gently taps her staff.
You have no idea what deity this temple is dedicated to.
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(I'm afraid afraid Rhaenys got a 3 in History)
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
You also have no idea what deity is worshiped here.
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(Is Korba speaking to Bridgette, or to the drider bartender?)
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Rhaenys follows the rest towards the tavern, not paying much mind to the temple they see along the way. When Jodie asks for support for her performance, she happily agrees. As such, when the party enters the building and the bard begins to sing, the changeling chooses some of the candles and torches that might be near Jodie and makes their lights flicker to the rhythm of her music.
The sorceress then turns her focus to the individuals inside the building, and though she is very surprised to find the bartender is a drider, as Korba has begun speaking with a half orc woman that clearly must be the one they are looking for, she joins that conversation:
- Hello there! - she says, waving happily towards the half orc - Nice to see a friendly face around here. You must be Bridgette, right? My name is Rhaenys. We've been told to find you, as we seek an audience with Lord Akkron.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
"Yep, that's me," the half-orc says with a grin. "My Master said some folks from the mainland might be comin' to have a chat with him soon. Nice to meet you!"
She waves the bartender over.
"Hey, Shri! This gentleman here wants to hear what we've got for specials! Oh, and drinks are on me, these folks are guests here, after all!"
Bridgette gives you all a warm smile. Meanwhile, the drider eyes Korba for a moment, seemingly contemplating what the best drink would be for him.
"How does a blended bourbon sound?" the spider-creature asks after a moment.
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- Oh, your master knows about us already? - Rhaenys asks Bridgette, looking surprised. She then glances Hewelathan, a silent "did we know Lord Akkron was expecting us?" reflected on her face . If they party knew this already, the sorceress has clearly forgotten about it.
Despite asking this, the moment the changeling hears about free drinks being offered (and personalized drinks at that!) her attention turns to Shri:
- Oh, can I have a drink too? Please! Do surprise me! - Rhaenys' eyes sparkle with enthusiasm.
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
The look of surprise on Hewelathan's face tells you that he wasn't expecting that. When he sees Rhaenys look over at him, he raises one eyebrow and gives a rueful shrug, seeming to say, "Maybe we should have expected that. Who knows what powers the ancient lich has?"
Hewelathan's look of surprise fades and settles into one of anxiety as he tries to listen. They're being chased by the dark wizard Firion and the Cult of the Dragon. Now they're seeking an audience with a powerful undead mage. Their situation is finally sinking in for Hewelathan. The group seems to be trapped in swirling forces that they don't understand and that are entirely beyond their control. All they can do is keep moving forward and just try to stay alive, hoping to stay one step ahead of disaster.
This must be what it feels like to be on a little boat tossed about by the waves in the middle of the sea, surrounded by sea monsters and with a violent storm approaching.
The bartender Shri takes a moment to study Rhaenys, then proceeds to mix something and hand it to the sorceress. It's some kind of sweet wine, which is quite refreshing after a difficult fight and many days at sea.
Bridgette giggles at Rhaenys' and Hewelathan's confusion.
"I don't think he knew that you specifically were coming," she clarifies. "But after he drove the crazy dragon cultists out of Baron Ryder's lands he did a bit of divination and foresaw that others would come to seek his aid."
The half-orc takes a swig of some extremely strong-smelling brew and gives you another smile.
"You'll have to ask him for the details, though. Don't worry too much about the meeting, he's not nearly as scary as he looks... well... except to followers of Lolth. Then he's exactly as scary as he looks plus a bit extra."
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“A bourbon sounds nice, thank you,” Korba says taking the drink and cooling it slightly. He then says in Undercommon to the Drider, “Have you been on the surface long? I can only guess that things must be very different from before you were turned and to now,” thinking of what the tales tell of how Driders come into the world.
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Hewelathan feels relieved and a little embarrassed that their reaction was so easy to read. He asks Shri for some wine. Then he realizes how hungry he is and asks whether there's food available.
While he eats, Hewelathan listens intently for any details about when and where they'll be meeting Lord Akkron and what to expect from the meeting.
Shri hands over the drinks to Korba and Hewelathan. She looks at Korba and sighs sadly.
"Well, I suppose I've had plenty of time to get used to... this," she says in Undercommon, gesturing to her arachnid lower half. "I spent ten years as an outcast in the Underdark, and I've been living here for about a decade now."
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Rhaenys tries the wine and is clearly happy with Shri's choice:
- Mmmm, delicious! You do know your customers! - she says, raising the glass to the bartender. She does cock her head a little towards Shri, too, wondering how a drider ended up working in a tavern in the Shaded Island, but not wanting to be too much of a gossip she instead returns to where Bridgette is sitting and asks - Well, this is a curious place. I was kind of expecting less agreable people, since this place is called the "Shaded Isle" and its lord being a ... well ... lich? But so far it doesn't look half bad - she smiles - So, what can you tell us about Lord Akkron? Does he expect us right away, or will we be able to rest for the night? We did have a fight not long ago with a three dragon cultists.
She lets the half-orc answer, and then adds:
- Baron Ryder ... mmm... I've heard about him. Does he reside in this Isle too?
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra
Jodie finishes her encore, collects her coin, and joins the rest of the party for dinner.
Jodie turns to Bridgette, "So how's about you take us to see your master tomorrow? Until then, let's keep that brew flowing." Jodie waves over the bartender and tosses him some recently collected gold (say 12 gp or 2 gp/guest), "Dinner and drinks are on me!"
Fargen Hill Dwarf Cleric/Barbarian - Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Jodie Olwen Half-Elf Bard- Chronicles of the Accursed
"Oh no, the baron's lands lie across the sea!" Bridgette replies. "He just needed a bit of help dealing with a certain cult that it seems you folks have also had the misfortune of dealing with. The Baron's fief has had a trade relationship with the Shaded Isle for several generations, which was why the Baron turned to my Master for aid when the Cult of the Dragon tried to conquer his lands. Anyway, he didn't really expect you at any specific date or time, so you can stay here tonight, or the temple of Boccob if you prefer."
The drider bartender glances at Rhaenys.
"It's a lot less friendly when you get to the ruins," she says with a smirk. "Also, these good people aren't especially nice to prisoners... I found that out the hard way when I got here. To be fair, I did kind of deserve it."
"Friendly reminder that we also didn't execute you, and we eventually did decide to let you go," Bridgette points out, taking another swig of whatever she's drinking. "And you apparently had decent enough treatment that you thought it would be better to stay here than crawl back into the Underdark."
Shri sighs.
"I still think that your Master just left me alive to wallow in my many failures..." the drider mutters as she pours out another round of drinks and accepts the pile of coins from Jodie.
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Hewelathan listens with interest to the conversations. He particularly watches Bridgette. He's trying to figure out whether they can trust her (a lich's protege!) and whether she's hiding anything from them. Insight 19 (in game log)
Hewelathan is not that surprised to hear Korba speaking in some shared language with Shri, who looks like a dark elf / spider hybrid. Something like a centaur of the Underdark perhaps? He doesn't really understand the talk of prisoners or Shri's "failures."
(OOC: I suspect that Hewelathan has never heard of a drider before Nature 10 nor does he know Lolth's involvement in their creation Religion 4 (in game log).)
"Temple of Boccob?", Hewelthan says. "I'm familiar with the gods of the forests and mountains and seas, but I've never even heard of Boccob." Religion 7 (in game log)
As far as Hewelathan can tell, Bridgette is exactly what she seems to be: a friendly, drunken half-orc.
The half-orc seems a little bit surprised to hear that someone doesn't know who Boccob is.
"Uhhh... he's one of the major gods of magic," Bridgette says after a moment. "His big things are balance and knowledge and whatnot... I'd tell you more, but I'm afraid I'm the type who tends to fall asleep in church."
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"Oh!", Hewelathan says, feeling a little embarrassed, but he chuckles at her joke about falling asleep in church.
If Hewelathan gets a chance, he asks Bridgette (or asks Rhaenys or Jodie to ask her) whether she knows why the cult was trying to conquer Baron Ryder's lands. If needed, he clarifies: "It's just that the cultists we've encountered didn't seem like people who would bother with rulership or holding land. Do the baron's lands hold some valuable resource? Or does he control a particularly strategic location?"
And later, "You said that Baron Ryder lived 'over the sea.' Do you mean to the east, in Faerun? Or is his barony in some other land?"
"Don't worry," Korba says quietly to his side, "First I've heard of them as well. Not room for many other gods in the Underdark..."
Korba thinks for a minute and says, "If the cult is after the Akkron's land, perhaps it's just coincidence that we've run into them as well. Hopefully at least. We've got enough on our plates already to be dealing with two sets of enemies after us; more so if we don't understand why we're the target of one."
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The human looking changeling raises a glass towards the bard:
- Cheers to that! - she says, in appreciation of Jodie's gesture.
- Uhm, I wasn't going to ask, but since you seem more talkative than I initially credited you for: would you share your story with us? How did you end up serving such good drinks here? These definitely do not look as failures to me! - The sorceress asks with sincere curiosity. Then, thinking that Shri might not appreciate being asked about her past, she quickly adds - Well, only if you feel like talking about that of course! Sorry I'm advance if I'm being too curious!
- Same, never heard of Boccob before - Rhaenys says to both Hewelathan and Korba - Guess I'm not the church-going type myself either - she adds, shrugging and smiling to Bridgette - And I really wish it was just a coincidence, Korba, but ... that sounds too good to be true. First Jarden, then the cultists... - she doesn't end the sentence, looking worried for a moment. But she shakes that feeling off quickly, trying to focus on the present moment - But perhaps we should leave these worries behind for now until we discuss them with Lord Akkron in the morning. Why don't we just enjoy this nice dinner and simply rest for tonight? I say we've more than earned it!
"I second that. I wouldn't mind a nice rest after that fight..."
The sorceress seemingly smiles to herself, then she gently taps her staff.
"We fought well today, right?"
"Indeed we did, dear"
Peindre l'amour, peindre la vie, pleurer en couleur ♫
Auriel | Shenua | Arren | Lyra