You head back to Mayor Ormonds house. He’s in there with his bodyguard Wraven, who is frustrated that he’s not watching out for the mayor, and instead acting as prison guard to the captives in the constables quarters. Mayor Ormond is convincing him that it is completely necessary.
The mayor turns to you as you walk in with both Cirilli and Abramo. He is gobsmacked at seeing the priest, and perplexed at the gag in his mouth. “What is the meaning of this? You find our missing priest and bring him back in chains!?”
The mayor turns to you as you walk in with both Cirilli and Abramo. He is gobsmacked at seeing the priest, and perplexed at the gag in his mouth. “What is the meaning of this? You find our missing priest and bring him back in chains!?”
Xanrym glances briefly at Abramo. Then he truns to the mayor with a sad and weary expression and says, "I'm afraid that we bring you mostly ill news. When we went to the Temple of Merrika this morning, we hoped to find out what had happened to Abramo and how thoroughly this naga cult had infiltrated the clerics there. For my part, I had hoped that Misha was the leader and had been quietly recruiting cult members in Orlane on her own. Sadly, that wasn't the case." He heaves a long, thoughtful sigh before continuing.
Xanrym tries to summarize the key information: "We can meet with your tomorrow if you want all of the details, but I'm sorry to say that the entire temple has been corrupted by the cult. Inside the temple, we had to fight our way through the cult's foul guardians: an ettin, troglodytes, goblins, and undead skeletons! Not your typical followers of Merrika! We also found the corpses of acolytes and others who must have been killed for resisting the cult."
Xanrym finally gestures to Abramo, saying, "As you see, Abramo did not leave Orlane. Or, rather, he left Orlane secretly to meet the naga, and he fell under the her spell! We suspect that he has been hidden in the temple, away from any non-cult members. You will see why when you remove his gag! We thought that you might want to take custody of him tonight, but I would recommend keeping him bound, at least!, and separated from the other cultists. He is not without power!" (Persuasion12)
"But it's not all bad news," Xanrym says. Here, he presents Cirilli to the mayor: "This is Cirilli, the daughter of the Orlane's shopkeeper. Cirilli, the Mayor of Orlane, Zakarius Ormond. The cult took her to the naga's lair deep in the Rushmoors, but the strong-willed maiden was able to resist its enchantment. Abramo has mistreated her and kept her locked in a cage ever since. We will keep her safe with us at the inn tonight: she cannot go home because her family is still under the naga's spell."
Xanrym leaves it at that to see what reaction they get from the mayor. He keeps Cirilli next to him in case she makes another attempt to kill Abramo. Xanrym is not sure what Abramo might say, but he recommends that they remove his gag so that Abramo can speak for himself.
Avery, with a strong grip on the priest, removes the gag. "Go ahead and ask your questions mayor, though I doubt you'll get an honest answer from one as corrupted as this one. He has fallen far from the light and is as corrupted as they come."
Abramo starts laughing as soon as you remove the gag. Clearly he is not interesting in pretending to be anything other than completely insane. Mayor Ormond recognises this with a downcast look. He also knows Cirilli, who will of course confirm everything you’re saying. “I had not thought the evil influence ran so deep. Abramo and your family Cirilli? Is anyone in this town still untainted by this curse?” He sits down as he shakes his head, “Wraven, take Abramo to the jail. Make sure he is kept away from the other prisoners. Cirilli may of course stay with the others. Please would you all come back in the morning? It seems I will need to officially hire you to stamp out this naga cult.”
Wraven takes Abramo, grumbling to himself. While the mayor sits down and begins writing up a letter.
Please would you all come back in the morning? It seems I will need to officially hire you to stamp out this naga cult.”
Wraven takes Abramo, grumbling to himself. While the mayor sits down and begins writing up a letter.
Xanrym thanks Wraven somewhat sheepishly as they re-gag Abramo and hand him over.
Before they leave, Xanrym crosses back to the mayor's desk to shake his hand. He says, "Today was -- well, it was a hard day for us, full of tough fights and grim surprises. But we know that this news must come as a heavy blow to you, too. We wanted to bring Abramo here so that you could get him to the jail without raising a lot of questions from the other townspeople. I'm just glad that the town has such a capable mayor. The world needs more people who are able to rise to the challenge of such dark times. Of course, we need to rest, but," here he gestures to his companions as he says, "we'd be glad to return in the morning to discuss what we could do. Right?"
While the party members answer and the mayor is presumably looking in their direction, Xanrym tries to sneak a brief look at the letter that Mayor Ormond had started writing. He wants to know who the mayor is contacting and wants to confirm that nothing in the letter implies that the mayor is secretly in league with the cult.
(I guess that would be Stealth or Deception: 18. Xanrym has the same bonus in both skills.)
(I guess that would be Stealth or Deception: 9. Xanrym has the same bonus in both skills.)
(OOC: If that roll doesn't provoke a scene, Xanrym is ready to leave the mayor's with the party and Cirilli. They'd return to the Golden Grain Inn now where he hopes that they find Maajid, Toska, and Oliver still alive and safe. They'll move slowly, keeping alert for any troglodytes or cultists who might be moving around Orlane late at night.)
Wraven takes Abramo, grumbling to himself. While the mayor sits down and begins writing up a letterBefore they leave, Xanrym crosses back to the mayor's desk to shake his hand. He says, "Today was -- well, it was a hard day for us, full of tough fights and grim surprises. But we know that this news must come as a heavy blow to you, too. We wanted to bring Abramo here so that you could get him to the jail without raising a lot of questions from the other townspeople. I'm just glad that the town has such a capable mayor. The world needs more people who are able to rise to the challenge of such dark times. Of course, we need to rest, but," here he gestures to his companions as he says, "we'd be glad to return in the morning to discuss what we could do. Right?"
"Absolutely," Theldrin replies with conviction, then stifles a yawn as he suddenly realizes just how tired he is after the day's events. Abramo having been delivered into custody, he now hopes to head to the Inn as soon as possible.
You can’t see what the mayor is writing but you get the sense it has something to do with the offer he has for you tomorrow.
You walk part way back to the inn with Wraven, who gives you a nod as you depart. “If something or someone wakes you up during the night, just make a lot of noise. Lldryk and I are just over the road, we should hear you. I promise you we’ll be doing the same.” You get the sense the old mercenary is not used to feeling this worried.
You get back to the inn to find your compatriots alive and we’ll. Toska has spent the day healing Maajid’s leg, another day and it will be done apparently. Oliver has spent the day cowering in the inn and annoying them it seems. Maajid looks up as you come in, “How has your day been friends? And who is this young woman you’ve brought back?”
You walk part way back to the inn with Wraven, who gives you a nod as you depart. “If something or someone wakes you up during the night, just make a lot of noise. Lldryk and I are just over the road, we should hear you. I promise you we’ll be doing the same.” You get the sense the old mercenary is not used to feeling this worried.
Xanrym steps aside before Wraven walks off. He says, "Thank you. The body longs for sleep, but I think that we'll have to keep watch at the inn overnight. Now that we've seen how thoroughly the cult has infiltrated Orlane, constant vigilance seems wise." Then he steps closer to Wraven as he says, "Good luck and a peaceful night," before dropping his voice to a loud whisper and saying, "I would speak to you tomorrow. I 'Yr' that we have a mutual friend." With a curt nod to see that Wraven heard him, he walks with the group back to the inn.
You get back to the inn to find your compatriots alive and we’ll. Toska has spent the day healing Maajid’s leg, another day and it will be done apparently. Oliver has spent the day cowering in the inn and annoying them it seems. Maajid looks up as you come in, “How has your day been friends? And who is this young woman you’ve brought back?”
Xanrym is honestly delighted to see Maajid doing so well and the others safe and alive. Xanrym answers briefly, "Today was a gauntlet, Maajid! Ah, this is Cirilli. She's the daughter of the couple who run Orlane's general store, but her family has fallen under the cult's influence. We will keep her safe and hidden here, at least for tonight." He introduces Cirilli to everyone but does not explain where they found Cirilli. He feels like it wold be better for her to forget her imprisonment for now and just have some normal interactions, like sitting down at a table for dinner.
Xanrym says, "We spent most of the day up at the Temple, and we found that the cult had taken it over entirely. Toska, thank Merrika that you did not stay overnight at the temple! We had a hard day," he stifles a yawn, "oh! -- and a long one at that, but we're still alive to tell the tale!" Realizing that he suffered the fewest injuries of the party this day, Xanrym says, "But first: dinner! We haven't had anything but meager rations since breakfast. If you have found some food and drink in the larder here, let's sit down and eat. We've all suffered grievous injuries today, and we need a proper meal and then a good night's rest." He helps bring out some food and beer and wine and after checking that the doors are locked, sits down to eat.
While they have dinner, the party presumably shares some of the events of the day after they left the inn with the Mayor Ormond in the morning. For his part, Xanrym tries not to talk too much about the Jocelyn or the other humans that they killed, and he doesn't mention Abramo at all or that they took a prisoner. He's still worried that either Toska or Oliver may be in league with the cult, and he doesn't want to give out any extra information. Right now, the party has been lucky to take out Misha and then topple the cultists at the temple in just 24 hours. He thinks that it'll take a few days for word to spread among the cultists still in the town, and he hopes to stay "ahead" of the cult as long as they are in Orlane.
After dinner, Xanrym proposes that they set a 10-hour watch rotation: 2.5 hours on and 7.5 hours off. As suggested earlier, if they watch in pairs, at least one of the party members is always awake:
Theldrin is relieved and glad to see everyone back at the Inn, and soon settles into whatever dinner is available though strangely he finds he doesn't feel very hungry. He makes polite conversation with anyone that seems to want to talk but mostly is looking forward to resting and replenishing his depleted energy.
I’ll leave a bit of time for everyone to share any campfire stories they may want to before heading to sleep for the night.
(OOC: Xanrym has done plenty of talking in my last few posts, and I outlined which stories he'd share over dinner. I don't have anything else to post before they go to sleep / long rest.)
Assuming we use to the posted watch schedule, Xanrym will share more details with Maajid once they're alone, mainly just to emphasize that he's glad that the party didn't leave him at the temple the previous night. He also tells Maajid that Mayor Ormond may want to hire the party to help rid Orlane of the remaining cult members, and he checks whether Maajid is interested in staying in Orlane for another week while the party tries to get to the bottom of Orlane's troubles.
Or does Maajid prefer to leave Orlane and continue toward Keoland as soon as Toska finishes healing him? If Maajid could get to Hochoch, he could probably take a boat down the Javan River into Keoland. Xanrym has heard that the Good Hills are prosperous, and there might be good trade there. Or Maajid could head toward Shiboleth on the eastern end of the Rushmoors before heading south toward Nile Dra, the Keoland's capital city. In either case, Xanrym says that the party may not be able to escort him until they're done with this business in Orlane.
Maajid listens to you, “I must admit, I would very much love to leave this town. But I also must accept that I may need an escort through this land. Perhaps it is not as safe as I thought. Once this is over I wonder if you would consider continuing on some kind of retainer system? Of course the others would be welcome as well.”
Assuming there is wine available, Theldrin quietly sips his wine as he listens to the others talk. He often seems lost in thought, and indeed he finds himself constantly replaying the battles at the temple in his mind, considering what he might have done better.
He snaps out of his distracted state upon hearing Maajid's offer, and catching the trader's eye, gives him a polite smile and nod.
Maajid listens to you, “I must admit, I would very much love to leave this town. But I also must accept that I may need an escort through this land. Perhaps it is not as safe as I thought. Once this is over I wonder if you would consider continuing on some kind of retainer system? Of course the others would be welcome as well.”
Xanrym is non-committal, "Well, we'll have to see. I'm certainly interested, and I'll certainly mention the offer to the others." He explains, "We were able to escort you to Orlane yesterday because we all had business in Orlane anyway. Of course, we've been dealing with this evil, naga-worshiping cult almost since the moment we arrived. Once we're done with that business, we'll have to see how everyone's 'business in Orlane' turned out and whether any of us are free. If we are, I'd certainly be happy to escort you to wherever you're going in Keoland."
He snaps out of his distracted state upon hearing Maajid's offer, and catching the trader's eye, gives him a polite smile and nod.
(OOC: I might be wrong, but I think that that was after everyone went to bed and we had started the night's watch. Xanrym and Maajid had the first watch shift together. Xanrym would certainly tell Theldrin, Avery, and Liarin about Maajid's offer in the morning.)
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Theldrin thanks Xanrym for the healing potion and drinks it as the party prepares to leave.
8
You head back to Mayor Ormonds house. He’s in there with his bodyguard Wraven, who is frustrated that he’s not watching out for the mayor, and instead acting as prison guard to the captives in the constables quarters. Mayor Ormond is convincing him that it is completely necessary.
The mayor turns to you as you walk in with both Cirilli and Abramo. He is gobsmacked at seeing the priest, and perplexed at the gag in his mouth. “What is the meaning of this? You find our missing priest and bring him back in chains!?”
Xanrym glances briefly at Abramo. Then he truns to the mayor with a sad and weary expression and says, "I'm afraid that we bring you mostly ill news. When we went to the Temple of Merrika this morning, we hoped to find out what had happened to Abramo and how thoroughly this naga cult had infiltrated the clerics there. For my part, I had hoped that Misha was the leader and had been quietly recruiting cult members in Orlane on her own. Sadly, that wasn't the case." He heaves a long, thoughtful sigh before continuing.
Xanrym tries to summarize the key information: "We can meet with your tomorrow if you want all of the details, but I'm sorry to say that the entire temple has been corrupted by the cult. Inside the temple, we had to fight our way through the cult's foul guardians: an ettin, troglodytes, goblins, and undead skeletons! Not your typical followers of Merrika! We also found the corpses of acolytes and others who must have been killed for resisting the cult."
Xanrym finally gestures to Abramo, saying, "As you see, Abramo did not leave Orlane. Or, rather, he left Orlane secretly to meet the naga, and he fell under the her spell! We suspect that he has been hidden in the temple, away from any non-cult members. You will see why when you remove his gag! We thought that you might want to take custody of him tonight, but I would recommend keeping him bound, at least!, and separated from the other cultists. He is not without power!" (Persuasion 12)
"But it's not all bad news," Xanrym says. Here, he presents Cirilli to the mayor: "This is Cirilli, the daughter of the Orlane's shopkeeper. Cirilli, the Mayor of Orlane, Zakarius Ormond. The cult took her to the naga's lair deep in the Rushmoors, but the strong-willed maiden was able to resist its enchantment. Abramo has mistreated her and kept her locked in a cage ever since. We will keep her safe with us at the inn tonight: she cannot go home because her family is still under the naga's spell."
Xanrym leaves it at that to see what reaction they get from the mayor. He keeps Cirilli next to him in case she makes another attempt to kill Abramo. Xanrym is not sure what Abramo might say, but he recommends that they remove his gag so that Abramo can speak for himself.
Avery, with a strong grip on the priest, removes the gag. "Go ahead and ask your questions mayor, though I doubt you'll get an honest answer from one as corrupted as this one. He has fallen far from the light and is as corrupted as they come."
Liarin is staying quiet, but has shifted back to human form at this point.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Theldrin is content to let Xanrym do most of the talking, keeping a wary eye on Abramo, especially once Avery removes the gag.
Abramo starts laughing as soon as you remove the gag. Clearly he is not interesting in pretending to be anything other than completely insane. Mayor Ormond recognises this with a downcast look. He also knows Cirilli, who will of course confirm everything you’re saying. “I had not thought the evil influence ran so deep. Abramo and your family Cirilli? Is anyone in this town still untainted by this curse?” He sits down as he shakes his head, “Wraven, take Abramo to the jail. Make sure he is kept away from the other prisoners. Cirilli may of course stay with the others. Please would you all come back in the morning? It seems I will need to officially hire you to stamp out this naga cult.”
Wraven takes Abramo, grumbling to himself. While the mayor sits down and begins writing up a letter.
Xanrym thanks Wraven somewhat sheepishly as they re-gag Abramo and hand him over.
Before they leave, Xanrym crosses back to the mayor's desk to shake his hand. He says, "Today was -- well, it was a hard day for us, full of tough fights and grim surprises. But we know that this news must come as a heavy blow to you, too. We wanted to bring Abramo here so that you could get him to the jail without raising a lot of questions from the other townspeople. I'm just glad that the town has such a capable mayor. The world needs more people who are able to rise to the challenge of such dark times. Of course, we need to rest, but," here he gestures to his companions as he says, "we'd be glad to return in the morning to discuss what we could do. Right?"
While the party members answer and the mayor is presumably looking in their direction, Xanrym tries to sneak a brief look at the letter that Mayor Ormond had started writing. He wants to know who the mayor is contacting and wants to confirm that nothing in the letter implies that the mayor is secretly in league with the cult.
(I guess that would be Stealth or Deception: 18. Xanrym has the same bonus in both skills.)
(OOC: If that roll doesn't provoke a scene, Xanrym is ready to leave the mayor's with the party and Cirilli. They'd return to the Golden Grain Inn now where he hopes that they find Maajid, Toska, and Oliver still alive and safe. They'll move slowly, keeping alert for any troglodytes or cultists who might be moving around Orlane late at night.)
"Absolutely," Theldrin replies with conviction, then stifles a yawn as he suddenly realizes just how tired he is after the day's events. Abramo having been delivered into custody, he now hopes to head to the Inn as soon as possible.
You can’t see what the mayor is writing but you get the sense it has something to do with the offer he has for you tomorrow.
You walk part way back to the inn with Wraven, who gives you a nod as you depart. “If something or someone wakes you up during the night, just make a lot of noise. Lldryk and I are just over the road, we should hear you. I promise you we’ll be doing the same.” You get the sense the old mercenary is not used to feeling this worried.
You get back to the inn to find your compatriots alive and we’ll. Toska has spent the day healing Maajid’s leg, another day and it will be done apparently. Oliver has spent the day cowering in the inn and annoying them it seems. Maajid looks up as you come in, “How has your day been friends? And who is this young woman you’ve brought back?”
I'll be out until Sunday evening
Xanrym steps aside before Wraven walks off. He says, "Thank you. The body longs for sleep, but I think that we'll have to keep watch at the inn overnight. Now that we've seen how thoroughly the cult has infiltrated Orlane, constant vigilance seems wise." Then he steps closer to Wraven as he says, "Good luck and a peaceful night," before dropping his voice to a loud whisper and saying, "I would speak to you tomorrow. I 'Yr' that we have a mutual friend." With a curt nod to see that Wraven heard him, he walks with the group back to the inn.
Xanrym is honestly delighted to see Maajid doing so well and the others safe and alive. Xanrym answers briefly, "Today was a gauntlet, Maajid! Ah, this is Cirilli. She's the daughter of the couple who run Orlane's general store, but her family has fallen under the cult's influence. We will keep her safe and hidden here, at least for tonight." He introduces Cirilli to everyone but does not explain where they found Cirilli. He feels like it wold be better for her to forget her imprisonment for now and just have some normal interactions, like sitting down at a table for dinner.
Xanrym says, "We spent most of the day up at the Temple, and we found that the cult had taken it over entirely. Toska, thank Merrika that you did not stay overnight at the temple! We had a hard day," he stifles a yawn, "oh! -- and a long one at that, but we're still alive to tell the tale!" Realizing that he suffered the fewest injuries of the party this day, Xanrym says, "But first: dinner! We haven't had anything but meager rations since breakfast. If you have found some food and drink in the larder here, let's sit down and eat. We've all suffered grievous injuries today, and we need a proper meal and then a good night's rest." He helps bring out some food and beer and wine and after checking that the doors are locked, sits down to eat.
While they have dinner, the party presumably shares some of the events of the day after they left the inn with the Mayor Ormond in the morning. For his part, Xanrym tries not to talk too much about the Jocelyn or the other humans that they killed, and he doesn't mention Abramo at all or that they took a prisoner. He's still worried that either Toska or Oliver may be in league with the cult, and he doesn't want to give out any extra information. Right now, the party has been lucky to take out Misha and then topple the cultists at the temple in just 24 hours. He thinks that it'll take a few days for word to spread among the cultists still in the town, and he hopes to stay "ahead" of the cult as long as they are in Orlane.
After dinner, Xanrym proposes that they set a 10-hour watch rotation: 2.5 hours on and 7.5 hours off. As suggested earlier, if they watch in pairs, at least one of the party members is always awake:
Theldrin is relieved and glad to see everyone back at the Inn, and soon settles into whatever dinner is available though strangely he finds he doesn't feel very hungry. He makes polite conversation with anyone that seems to want to talk but mostly is looking forward to resting and replenishing his depleted energy.
I’ll leave a bit of time for everyone to share any campfire stories they may want to before heading to sleep for the night.
(OOC: Xanrym has done plenty of talking in my last few posts, and I outlined which stories he'd share over dinner. I don't have anything else to post before they go to sleep / long rest.)
Assuming we use to the posted watch schedule, Xanrym will share more details with Maajid once they're alone, mainly just to emphasize that he's glad that the party didn't leave him at the temple the previous night. He also tells Maajid that Mayor Ormond may want to hire the party to help rid Orlane of the remaining cult members, and he checks whether Maajid is interested in staying in Orlane for another week while the party tries to get to the bottom of Orlane's troubles.
Or does Maajid prefer to leave Orlane and continue toward Keoland as soon as Toska finishes healing him? If Maajid could get to Hochoch, he could probably take a boat down the Javan River into Keoland. Xanrym has heard that the Good Hills are prosperous, and there might be good trade there. Or Maajid could head toward Shiboleth on the eastern end of the Rushmoors before heading south toward Nile Dra, the Keoland's capital city. In either case, Xanrym says that the party may not be able to escort him until they're done with this business in Orlane.
Liarin doesn't have a lot to say tonight.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Maajid listens to you, “I must admit, I would very much love to leave this town. But I also must accept that I may need an escort through this land. Perhaps it is not as safe as I thought. Once this is over I wonder if you would consider continuing on some kind of retainer system? Of course the others would be welcome as well.”
Assuming there is wine available, Theldrin quietly sips his wine as he listens to the others talk. He often seems lost in thought, and indeed he finds himself constantly replaying the battles at the temple in his mind, considering what he might have done better.
He snaps out of his distracted state upon hearing Maajid's offer, and catching the trader's eye, gives him a polite smile and nod.
Xanrym is non-committal, "Well, we'll have to see. I'm certainly interested, and I'll certainly mention the offer to the others." He explains, "We were able to escort you to Orlane yesterday because we all had business in Orlane anyway. Of course, we've been dealing with this evil, naga-worshiping cult almost since the moment we arrived. Once we're done with that business, we'll have to see how everyone's 'business in Orlane' turned out and whether any of us are free. If we are, I'd certainly be happy to escort you to wherever you're going in Keoland."
(OOC: I might be wrong, but I think that that was after everyone went to bed and we had started the night's watch. Xanrym and Maajid had the first watch shift together. Xanrym would certainly tell Theldrin, Avery, and Liarin about Maajid's offer in the morning.)