If Damros and Xaul return quickly to the tavern they see Skye, her right eye twitching in one corner, wiping the bartop with a dirty dishrag. Thanks to the efforts of Lif, the old, stained wood of the worktop is clean of mess and if anything her dirty dishrag only seems to be making the surface worse.
When they enter, she flinches. “Oh. It’s you two. They’re still practicing. Practicing. Practicing. Practicing.” A particularly tortured sounds comes at the moment and she shudders deeply.
“What have you found out?”
If they share, she nods. “I could use the distraction. Black viper ey? Sounds like a Zhent to me. Blue is a better colour anyway.”
Xaul nods to Damros, grinning, ‘I knew something would come up. Thanks Savra, we’ll be on it’ Returning to the tavern, he fills Skye in (and Sehaethas if he can catch him in between songs)
Damros slides over and speaks softly to Skye before she bolts out the door. "Skye, less is more in this case. You and 'the twins' should be good for a first reconnoiter and poking about. Just don't jump in with both feet if it looks dicey. Come back ALIVE and fill us in. We can go 'in force' after sundown... if necessary. Fair enough?"
The tavern, usually a hive of activity, was eerily quiet, especially after the morning of non-stop 'practice' of that ONE song... Damros sighed at the thought as he paced about the main floor awaiting the return of Skye and Kylaski. The sun had yet to dip below the rooftops but the shadows were creeping slowly across the street. His gaze was fixed on the tavern door; a mix of anticipation and concern etched on their face.
Thoughts of the companions, a motley crew forged in the crucible of shared dangers and triumphs, filled Damros' mind. No matter their prior history, the bonds forged in such partnerships are deep, built on trust and shared experience. Damros shifted, a hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of a worn, familiar dagger, a nervous habit acquired through years of facing the unknown. Every creak of the floorboards, every gust of wind against the window, sent a ripple of heightened awareness through him. A pang of worry tightened Damros' chest. What if they didn't return? What dangers could have befallen them?
Still, Damros knew the companions were capable, resourceful, and cunning, but the world was a perilous tapestry woven with threads of unpredictable chaos and sudden peril. A faint glimmer of hope sparked within his eyes as he imagined the triumphant return, the stories to be shared, the laughter to fill this silent space once more. The wait would be long, but in his black heart of hearts, hope, a stubborn and persistent ember, continued to glow.
The two (and a half) of you investigatig head to the Waterdeep Wazoo offices and manage to get yourself a meeting with Gaxly Rudderbust the publisher. Upon hearing why you have come, he gets a bit defensive. "I should have known you were planning on taking a story not giving it! That's my story to tell. My exclusive scoop! I can't have you going and giving the secrets to other publishers. If you want to know more, you will have to wait until I publish more."
Tired of waiting for 'word', Damros left the tavern (he was creeping out the customers with his pacing and muttering). Instead he decided it was time to go back to his 'part-time job' working at the potion shop behind the tavern.
Sunlight slants through the high, dusty window of the apothecary, illuminating motes of iridescent dust that dance in the air. This particular afternoon shop was alive with the hum of raw magic and the rustle of dried herbs. The air is a complex, layered perfume: part earthy mushroom and moss, part sweet-acrid fermenting fruits, and part the metallic scent of crushed beetle carapace.
Damros fell into a rhythm as he worked on preparing the dried herbs for use later. It was with half an ear and even less attention as a travel-weary ranger entered the shop. The leather of their armor was scarred and worn, and a faint smell of woodsmoke clings to their cloak. "Need a few vials of your basic healing," they say, their voice a low rumble. "That last goblin ambush was messier than usual". Damros stops and hustles to a particular shelf so he could grab a handful of red-capped vials from a shelf where they glint like rubies, their contents swirling with a soft, comforting crimson. He brings the vials up to the front counter.
Even as Damros turned to go back to the workbench, a nervous-looking man, clasping his hands together and fidgeting with his sleeve. He needed a potion for acne before a holiday feast. A soft-glowing green potion, bottled in a tall, slender vial with a delicate cork, was just the thing. "Just a dab on the skin," Damros explained as the customer paid with a handful of small, worn copper coins.
Between customers, Damros got to work restocking. He had a list which he checked and checked again as he filled a crate with freshly gathered ingredients from the garden plot behind the shop. There are glistening, fire-red emberblooms and dew-kissed leaves of meadowlark. Back inside, he sorted the new stock, placing ingredients in labeled jars and organizing the colorful finished products on the shelves. All this bustling back and forth kept his mind off matters concerning the tavern. Moreso, the bubbling and crackling of the cauldrons in the back room was a constant, soothing rhythm. Damros checked on a batch of blue potion in a kettle shaped like a giant, grinning teapot. The steam that rises from it smells faintly of cinnamon and promises a boost of mana to a waiting wizard.
As the shadows start to lengthen and the light from the window dims, the streaks of golden light turn the dust motes in the air to a hazy gold. As Damros begins cleaning up his work and puts his tools away, he notices a young woman with a book tucked under her arm entering and requesting a potion of clairvoyance. There was some haggling a little on the price before settling on a fair amount and the shop owner carefully packaged the shimmery, opalescent potion in a small, padded box. As the young woman leaves, the bell above the door gives a cheerful little jingle, and Damros goes back to tidying up, preparing the shop to close for the night and he returns to the tavern for whatever news unfolded.
The two (and a half) of you investigatig head to the Waterdeep Wazoo offices and manage to get yourself a meeting with Gaxly Rudderbust the publisher. Upon hearing why you have come, he gets a bit defensive. "I should have known you were planning on taking a story not giving it! That's my story to tell. My exclusive scoop! I can't have you going and giving the secrets to other publishers. If you want to know more, you will have to wait until I publish more."
Kylaski answers, "We don't want to get anything published, we want to catch this guy! And then we can give you an exclusive scoop!"
"How do I know that you will give me the scoop and you aren't going to sell it to someone else? Someone who has paid you? Unless there is something in it for me, something I can trust in not just a possibility of maybe getting a scoop, you will find out nothing before I publish it."
(i will allow one more attempt at persuasion from either of you. Other options are available too, before or after a failed persuasion)
If Damros and Xaul return quickly to the tavern they see Skye, her right eye twitching in one corner, wiping the bartop with a dirty dishrag. Thanks to the efforts of Lif, the old, stained wood of the worktop is clean of mess and if anything her dirty dishrag only seems to be making the surface worse.
When they enter, she flinches. “Oh. It’s you two. They’re still practicing. Practicing. Practicing. Practicing.” A particularly tortured sounds comes at the moment and she shudders deeply.
“What have you found out?”
If they share, she nods. “I could use the distraction. Black viper ey? Sounds like a Zhent to me. Blue is a better colour anyway.”
Xaul nods to Damros, grinning, ‘I knew something would come up. Thanks Savra, we’ll be on it’ Returning to the tavern, he fills Skye in (and Sehaethas if he can catch him in between songs)
Xaul Lackluster: Half-Orc Fathomless Warlock: Warlock Dragon Heist
Borvnir Chelvnich: Black Dragonborn Barbarian: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Pushover Gerilwitz: Tiefling Wizard: Acquisitions Incorporated
Callow Sunken-Eyes: Goliath Arctic Druid: We Are Modron
DMing The 100 Dungeons of the Blood Archivist , The Hunt for the Balowang and Surviving Tempest City!
Killer Queen has already extended this signature, though not by much!
A general round of cheers goes up about the tavern as Xaul stops Sehaethas in his 'music training' of the youth.
"He wasn't THAT bad," protested Sehaethas.
It's currently afternoon. You have time today to go investigate if you wish.
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)
(Skye will investigate if at least one other person is willing to come.)
{Kylaski is willing to go with him, she's getting bored with Sehaethas's music lessons}
Damros slides over and speaks softly to Skye before she bolts out the door. "Skye, less is more in this case. You and 'the twins' should be good for a first reconnoiter and poking about. Just don't jump in with both feet if it looks dicey. Come back ALIVE and fill us in. We can go 'in force' after sundown... if necessary. Fair enough?"
Sehaethas says goodbye to his young pupil, who needs to get home to his parents for dinner.
Then Kylaski takes over, 'Let's go!"
The two (and a half) of you investigatig head to the Waterdeep Wazoo offices and manage to get yourself a meeting with Gaxly Rudderbust the publisher. Upon hearing why you have come, he gets a bit defensive. "I should have known you were planning on taking a story not giving it! That's my story to tell. My exclusive scoop! I can't have you going and giving the secrets to other publishers. If you want to know more, you will have to wait until I publish more."
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)
Tired of waiting for 'word', Damros left the tavern (he was creeping out the customers with his pacing and muttering). Instead he decided it was time to go back to his 'part-time job' working at the potion shop behind the tavern.
Kylaski answers, "We don't want to get anything published, we want to catch this guy! And then we can give you an exclusive scoop!"
Make a persuasion check
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)
Persuasion 10, Kylaski is charismatic but it's not trained in persuasion.
"How do I know that you will give me the scoop and you aren't going to sell it to someone else? Someone who has paid you? Unless there is something in it for me, something I can trust in not just a possibility of maybe getting a scoop, you will find out nothing before I publish it."
(i will allow one more attempt at persuasion from either of you. Other options are available too, before or after a failed persuasion)
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)