"Oh, I can wake our sleeping beauty." Threnody replies, gently cupping the side of Tarina's face with something halfway between tenderness and disdain. "But she doesn't seem like the type to be burdened with pesky scruples like honesty, so it seems wise to get a little confirmation before I rouse her."
She plucks the note that had been concealed on Tarina's person with the smug satisfaction of a cat that's snatched the canary off its perch. The tiefling clears her throat and reads the missive aloud so the entire party can hear it. "K... that's probably Nine-Fingers Keene if the Captain was telling the truth about Tarina's connection to the Guild. I wonder how much of this fat purse she's carrying goes back to their coffers?"
Threnody lifts Tarina and lays her down in an empty bedroom, watching the exchange between Bees and Liatris. "Shame about Wendyl. He never really seemed cut out for this kind of work, but I liked him." Her expression turns pensive as she collects her portion of the loot. "Unless there's any objections, I can wake Tarina after we've got a little rest and liquor."
((OOC: If everyone's fully healed up, I'll save the Lay on Hands pool in case there's any other trouble down the line.
Even knowing the effort would be futile, Liatris lingered by the window and strained her eyes to search for any clues that might suggest Wendyll yet lingered nearby, hoping to throw off any pursuers. But that might've been given the halfling too much credit...
"No, he was not."Her response to Bees had been firm and immediate, and only afterwards did she look to the halfling. "But you are right about a drink being deserved." On that note, Liatris closed the window and followed Bees out of the room, presumably gathering everyone else at the bar on the first level. Although on the way, if Liatris saw the trio that stepped up to assist, she approached them and handed them each one gold. "One of our claimed his "head" in the end, but your assistance was appreciated. Consider this a small token of appreciation." She glances over to the bodies on the first floor. "... It occurs to me that a greater reward might be claimed through more... official channels if someone or someones were to deliver their remains, especially that of Dead-Eye's, to the appropriate office."She looks again to the dragonborn and dwarven pair. "A shame we me and my compatriots are too busy at the moment. Mn.. Yes."
Following that nonchalant note, Liatris pressed on for the bar unless hindered by the duo and soon joined the party. And unless Bees is particularly circumspect about the ring, Liatris raised a brow, seeming curious in the moment, but not nearly enough to comment on it. "I think it would best-" Started Liatris as she eyed the offered stack of coin with brows furrowed in at least consideration of them. "Ms. Tarina gets her rest, least she be tempted get herself in any further trouble this evening." She proceeded to take three of her gold pieces and slide them over to the Bartender. "Would this be sufficient coverage for her night stay, and perhaps even a drink if she should wake sooner?"
The gruff halfling smiles as Liatris gives a quick, curt response to his commentary about Wendyl. He's tempted to make clear his own thoughts on the matter, not that it would really matter. He still wasn't excited to be press-ganged into service like this, but Wendyl would likely have it much worse once word got out that he turned yellow in our time of need and the Flaming Fist got hold of him again. Poor little guy, just a little fella in a big world after all. He keeps his thoughts to himself, the smile still prevalent.
Bees thoughts return to the present as Liatris tries to pay the bartender for a night's stay at the tavern. He raises one eyebrow and briefly strokes his thick black beard before returning the fifth stack of coins to his gold pouch. If the bartender has run off with everyone else, Bees helps himself to a bottle of dwarven spirits, pouring a round for his allies. If they are still here he orders a round and then passes them out with a nod of respect to each in turn. He gladly drinks any that are refused.
"Ah don't be so hard on the little guy. Some folks just aren't meant for all of this." Samosh waves his hand around the room with the blood and knocked over furniture.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
The bald-headed man and his two companions pocket the gold from Liatris. "Aye, now there's an idea. Come on boys. Let's get to it before they start stinkin' up the place." All three of them begin to haul the bodies out of the tavern.
Alan Alyth, the bartender, stands up from behind the bar where he had been hiding. His face is pale, but he looks relieved to see that the fighting has concluded. "That ought to do it," Alan agrees, the gold coins quickly disappearing behind the bar. "What'll you folks be having?" He nods gratefully toward the bald man and his friends hauling out the dead bodies, but he mutters something about bloodstains under his breath.
Once everyone has given their order, Alan passes around the drinks. "At least I still have some paying customers," he grins ruefully.
Everyone has gained the benefits of a Short Rest. What would you like to do next?
Watching the others note and discuss the disappearance of Wendyll, Kaster cannot help but wonder if perhaps he shouldn't have fled as well. The easy way in which the others are looting the still bleeding corpses and casually going about their life as if it is a normal day is all the proof he needs that he is not like them... Yet his eyes go to Tarina and Samosh and he wonders if these two would be amongst the dead if he had fled. Many believe the Gods have a plan for us all, that our fates are decided and forged by their great powers. Kaster wasn't sure about all that and thus had to decide for himself how to do the most good. But honestly, he wasn't feeling up to it. Not at all, at all. He was fine tending to the sick and the sad but felt out of his depth with the questions of who lives and who dies and his role in it all... But these thoughts are disrupted by Threnody reading the note found upon Tarina.
"A dungeon? What kind of dungeon??" Kaster asks a bit helplessly, not really expecting an answer. Kind of dreading the answer he thinks he may get...
"Maybe we should leave her coin purse alone?" he suggests, hoping to change the subject. "If she and Zodge do favors for one another it may be best we don't create animosity?"
Kaster follows the others down to the bar proper after doing what he can to be sure Tarina is resting comfortably. He blinks a couple of times at the stack of coins set out for him before clearing his throat. Another thing to make him uncomfortable, for sure. Still, coin was coin. "I'll see to it that these do good work," he says, picking up the coins with one hand even while the other makes a vague, non denominational holy gesture. He orders a shot and a pint to drown it with and then turns and sees the dead are about to be dragged away.
"A moment!" he calls out to the bald man and his companions. "Just a moment, please..." Kaster rushes over and looks at the dead, frowns and then lowers his head in a sign of respect for the dead. He mutters a short prayer about the toils of this world and the opportunities and rewards offered in the next. It is generic and bland but he is a non-denomination servant of the Gods and did not know this men at all. A moment later he is finished and so turns to the bald man once more and nods to him, signaling that it is alright for him to continue his task now. "Everyone deserves a prayer," he offers meekly as way of explanation for the delay.
As there is some continued talk about the missing Wendyll at the bar, Kaster does his best to ignore it and say nothing. He says a silent prayer in his thoughts for the man in the hopes it'll help keep him safe and aid him in finding his role in life.
"We... just leaving Tarina here then?" Kaster asks of Liatris. "Not wait to question her? Not bring her back to Zodge? Then what are we to do? Surely you're not thinking we investigate the bathhouse with the dungeon?" Even as he said it he regretted it. Kaster should have kept his mouth shut. It was possible everyone would have just forgotten about the dungeon... Wasn't it?
After spending the past hour or so nursing the one drink, tending to injuries, and if need be, steering any conversation regarding future plans of the group away from too fine a detail while the group is ever in mixed company, Liatris finally set down an empty mug for good.
"... Mn. Yes, we are just leaving her here, as you say. We've already upheld our end of the bargain in ending the primary threat to her life. And while the probability of those that survive seeking revenge is not zero percent, it is negligible amount, well within her ability to navigate in the future." Liatris replied to Kester. "To your second inquiry, given her nature and the contents of the note, no further questioning will be fruitful. But, if any of you are of a mind to try, we can wait or you are welcome to try and rouse her. Either way, I would ask, however, that any that do refrain from antagonizing her, as they may lead to... unnecessary complications."
She appeared to regard Therondy while mentioning that last point, before turning her attention towards Kester. "For your third point, it was never our mission to bring her to Zodge. If anything, doing so will also lead to further complications, which is best avoided. Now, to your last point, I... I understand your concern, but you already know the answer to that query. Or at least what would be mines. But fret not. At least for today we will not engage in anything more than ascertaining the veracity of the intel. Preferably with far more subtlety than what happened here."
"I never realized I had so many points," Kester says in equal parts rebuffed, confused and amused.
"How old is the note?" Kaster asks a moment later with sudden energy. "Could she not have already done some scouting that would be beneficial to us? She could know a password or a passphrase or even where the secret door is. Is it not worth asking her?" But the sudden burst was quickly draining and each question was less enthusiastic than the last. This really wasn't his bag, so to speak, so he really had no idea what he was talking about... "Well, anyway... Just know that my healing is mostly spent for the day. I could maybe patch someone up and keep them from getting worse, like I did for Tarina, but that's about it... Just so's you know..."
Rather than seem annoyed or even angered by Kaster's continued questions and insistence on picking apart her assessment, Liatris went from being initially taken aback to leaning and looking intrigued at Kaster. One could even catch a hint of a smile touching the corner of her lips. Though when the halfling appeared to lose vigor, so too had any hints of a smile disappeared from view.
Still, he continued to have her attention, and after chewing over his words a bit more in mind, she gave a faint nod of approval. "I stand by my earlier assessment, but hearing your view has rekindled my curiosity. And in this instance, I would be... thankful to have been wrong."She admits. "Futile though it may be, she could also yet have contacts there or know of a noteworthy figure that frequents the bathhouse to look out for as well. Very well. I will abstain from leading the endeavor but will aid however I can in future negotiations."
Bees listens as the group discusses the merits of waiting for Tarina to wake up and questioning her. He walks over and stands next to Kaster, "I agree with Kaster! While I'm fairly confident Tarina swindled that coin purse playing bones..." The gruff halfling looks over a Threnody with a raised eyebrow before continuing, "...we don't need to create animosity with a potential ally after saving her life. Who knows, maybe she'll give it to us after she wakes in appreciation for what we did for her."
He watches as our pretend wood elf conveys a range of emotions in short order. 'Was that a smile I just saw? No, I thought not.' Bees nods to Laitris as she suggests helping with the negotiations. "That's good, we all know how well I negotiated with that pirate crew to become their captain." Bees laughs heartily as he drinks some more of his dwarven spirits. Clearly, he knows how silly it must have looked.
As Threnody approaches the bar on the ground floor and ascertains that her compatriots have been compensating the onlookers who intervened, she remunerates Liatris and Bees as best she is able.
"Might as well explore every avenue while we're here. I'll heal Tarina once we've got our breath back." Threnody says in agreement with Kaster, downing her second glass of wine of the evening. She takes a seat beside Bees and clinks a glass of wine against his mug, toasting him for getting the killing blow against Cadavrus.
"You'd be surprised how many steamy bathhouses lead to dungeons in the basement. Some folk even pay extra for the experience." She grins saucily, taking a sip of her wine. After patching up her wounds and fraternising with her comrades over the course of the next hour, she trudges back upstairs and into one of the bedrooms where Tarina was laid to rest.
The tiefling hovers over Tarina and lays a hand on the dice-cheat's forehead. Her hand begins to glow as she pours healing magic into Tarina's prone body. "Wakey-wakey. It's all over - Cadavrus is dead, and now it's time you paid up your end of the bargain."
Kaster looks upon Threnody with an expression of shock and horror upon hearing her words about bathhouse dungeons and people paying for the experience. "Wha... why would anyone..." he starts but upon seeing her grin he realizes what she is on about and rolls his eyes. "Oh please, you don't know the half of what goes on in the back rooms of the various houses of worships. Very few of the Gods require a vow of chastity, you know. And those dedicated to the ones that do? Well... They have the most creative ways around those rules of anyone!"
Tarina comes to slowly, groaning. She places a hand over her abdomen where she'd been hit with a few arrows. The wounds are closed now and have started to heal with the aid of Threnody's magic. Although she is stable, the pirate still looks weak and shaky from the blood loss.
"Umberlee's tits, what happened?" The former pirate looks up at Threnody, who is the only one she can see at the moment with the others downstairs at the bar. "I guess I'm not dead then. And I guess that means I should thank you for that."
Tarina pulls out the pouch of gold coins and plops it into Threnody's hands. "Here, take this. I don't need it as much as you and your friends will if you're going after those cultists. I can always earn more." The pirate gives the word "earn" an ironic emphasis.
Bees clinks glasses with Threnody and drinks with her in a toast. "Thank ye. Cheers to the team effort!" He finishes his drink and walks upstairs with the Teifling woman to arouse Tarina. Bees doesn't enter the room but stays back several paces and leans against the door frame, ensuring the two are not disturbed as Threnody works. Bees smiles as his intuition proves true and Tarina hands over the gold pouch to Threnody.
At this point, Bees walks into the room and asks Tarina, "My friend Kaster has some questions for you. You feeling up to walking downstairs where our group waits?" He smiles at the thought of Kaster questioning Tarina, knowing it would be entertaining.
Tarina rolls her legs over the side of the bed and attempts to stand. She wobbles for a moment but manages to keep her feet.
"Aye, I can do that," she tells Bees. "I need a stiff drink after all this anyway."
The former pirate walks down the stairs, swaying from side-to-side a bit as if heavily drunk, but, with the bar and a promise of a glass of whiskey at hand, she is able to totter over to a stool, motioning for Alan to give her a drink. The bartender complies, pulling a bottle of whiskey from behind the bar. He pours a finger of whiskey into a glass, but Tarina shakes her head. Alan pours her a double, and the pirate takes a deep swig, sighing with contentment.
"That's better," she says. "Now, what more do you want to know?"
Kaster watches Tarina come down the stairs, more or less join them, and order a drink. "You're alive," he says, pointing out the obvious. "Good, good... Very good." Kaster then returns to his drink and listening closely to what is going on around him but doing his best to shrink down to his minimal halfling size and go unnoticed.
OOC: Do we live in this town? Can we spend the night at somebody's house? I think we need a long rest before we go take a bath in a dungeon.
(You can be from Baldur's Gate. I don't think all of you are though depending on your backstories. Or you could stay the night in the Elfsong Inn, but it will cost 8 sp per night.)
Threnody follows Tarina downstairs at a languid pace, pausing just shy of the bar. One by one, she stops in front of each of her companions, pressing twenty gold pieces into their hands, being especially insistent with those who refused to take her coin earlier.
"Tarina was feeling mighty generous after her brush with Dead-Eye." She offers as explanation, easing herself on a barstool near Samosh and Kaster.
"Now then... I hate to be all business, but time is likely of the essence." The tiefling says, her long, red-striped tail giving an idle flick behind her. "You mentioned something about a secret door in the bath-house?"
((OOC: Tarina's pouch contained 100 gold, so that's 20 GP to each member of the party.))
"Oh, I can wake our sleeping beauty." Threnody replies, gently cupping the side of Tarina's face with something halfway between tenderness and disdain. "But she doesn't seem like the type to be burdened with pesky scruples like honesty, so it seems wise to get a little confirmation before I rouse her."
She plucks the note that had been concealed on Tarina's person with the smug satisfaction of a cat that's snatched the canary off its perch. The tiefling clears her throat and reads the missive aloud so the entire party can hear it. "K... that's probably Nine-Fingers Keene if the Captain was telling the truth about Tarina's connection to the Guild. I wonder how much of this fat purse she's carrying goes back to their coffers?"
Threnody lifts Tarina and lays her down in an empty bedroom, watching the exchange between Bees and Liatris. "Shame about Wendyl. He never really seemed cut out for this kind of work, but I liked him." Her expression turns pensive as she collects her portion of the loot. "Unless there's any objections, I can wake Tarina after we've got a little rest and liquor."
((OOC: If everyone's fully healed up, I'll save the Lay on Hands pool in case there's any other trouble down the line.
@owlbear - Okay if we take a short rest?))
Even knowing the effort would be futile, Liatris lingered by the window and strained her eyes to search for any clues that might suggest Wendyll yet lingered nearby, hoping to throw off any pursuers. But that might've been given the halfling too much credit...
"No, he was not." Her response to Bees had been firm and immediate, and only afterwards did she look to the halfling. "But you are right about a drink being deserved." On that note, Liatris closed the window and followed Bees out of the room, presumably gathering everyone else at the bar on the first level. Although on the way, if Liatris saw the trio that stepped up to assist, she approached them and handed them each one gold. "One of our claimed his "head" in the end, but your assistance was appreciated. Consider this a small token of appreciation." She glances over to the bodies on the first floor. "... It occurs to me that a greater reward might be claimed through more... official channels if someone or someones were to deliver their remains, especially that of Dead-Eye's, to the appropriate office." She looks again to the dragonborn and dwarven pair. "A shame we me and my compatriots are too busy at the moment. Mn.. Yes."
Following that nonchalant note, Liatris pressed on for the bar unless hindered by the duo and soon joined the party. And unless Bees is particularly circumspect about the ring, Liatris raised a brow, seeming curious in the moment, but not nearly enough to comment on it. "I think it would best-" Started Liatris as she eyed the offered stack of coin with brows furrowed in at least consideration of them. "Ms. Tarina gets her rest, least she be tempted get herself in any further trouble this evening." She proceeded to take three of her gold pieces and slide them over to the Bartender. "Would this be sufficient coverage for her night stay, and perhaps even a drink if she should wake sooner?"
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
The gruff halfling smiles as Liatris gives a quick, curt response to his commentary about Wendyl. He's tempted to make clear his own thoughts on the matter, not that it would really matter. He still wasn't excited to be press-ganged into service like this, but Wendyl would likely have it much worse once word got out that he turned yellow in our time of need and the Flaming Fist got hold of him again. Poor little guy, just a little fella in a big world after all. He keeps his thoughts to himself, the smile still prevalent.
Bees thoughts return to the present as Liatris tries to pay the bartender for a night's stay at the tavern. He raises one eyebrow and briefly strokes his thick black beard before returning the fifth stack of coins to his gold pouch. If the bartender has run off with everyone else, Bees helps himself to a bottle of dwarven spirits, pouring a round for his allies. If they are still here he orders a round and then passes them out with a nod of respect to each in turn. He gladly drinks any that are refused.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
"Ah don't be so hard on the little guy. Some folks just aren't meant for all of this." Samosh waves his hand around the room with the blood and knocked over furniture.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
The bald-headed man and his two companions pocket the gold from Liatris. "Aye, now there's an idea. Come on boys. Let's get to it before they start stinkin' up the place." All three of them begin to haul the bodies out of the tavern.
Alan Alyth, the bartender, stands up from behind the bar where he had been hiding. His face is pale, but he looks relieved to see that the fighting has concluded. "That ought to do it," Alan agrees, the gold coins quickly disappearing behind the bar. "What'll you folks be having?" He nods gratefully toward the bald man and his friends hauling out the dead bodies, but he mutters something about bloodstains under his breath.
Once everyone has given their order, Alan passes around the drinks. "At least I still have some paying customers," he grins ruefully.
Everyone has gained the benefits of a Short Rest. What would you like to do next?
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Watching the others note and discuss the disappearance of Wendyll, Kaster cannot help but wonder if perhaps he shouldn't have fled as well. The easy way in which the others are looting the still bleeding corpses and casually going about their life as if it is a normal day is all the proof he needs that he is not like them... Yet his eyes go to Tarina and Samosh and he wonders if these two would be amongst the dead if he had fled. Many believe the Gods have a plan for us all, that our fates are decided and forged by their great powers. Kaster wasn't sure about all that and thus had to decide for himself how to do the most good. But honestly, he wasn't feeling up to it. Not at all, at all. He was fine tending to the sick and the sad but felt out of his depth with the questions of who lives and who dies and his role in it all... But these thoughts are disrupted by Threnody reading the note found upon Tarina.
"A dungeon? What kind of dungeon??" Kaster asks a bit helplessly, not really expecting an answer. Kind of dreading the answer he thinks he may get...
"Maybe we should leave her coin purse alone?" he suggests, hoping to change the subject. "If she and Zodge do favors for one another it may be best we don't create animosity?"
Kaster follows the others down to the bar proper after doing what he can to be sure Tarina is resting comfortably. He blinks a couple of times at the stack of coins set out for him before clearing his throat. Another thing to make him uncomfortable, for sure. Still, coin was coin. "I'll see to it that these do good work," he says, picking up the coins with one hand even while the other makes a vague, non denominational holy gesture. He orders a shot and a pint to drown it with and then turns and sees the dead are about to be dragged away.
"A moment!" he calls out to the bald man and his companions. "Just a moment, please..." Kaster rushes over and looks at the dead, frowns and then lowers his head in a sign of respect for the dead. He mutters a short prayer about the toils of this world and the opportunities and rewards offered in the next. It is generic and bland but he is a non-denomination servant of the Gods and did not know this men at all. A moment later he is finished and so turns to the bald man once more and nods to him, signaling that it is alright for him to continue his task now. "Everyone deserves a prayer," he offers meekly as way of explanation for the delay.
As there is some continued talk about the missing Wendyll at the bar, Kaster does his best to ignore it and say nothing. He says a silent prayer in his thoughts for the man in the hopes it'll help keep him safe and aid him in finding his role in life.
"We... just leaving Tarina here then?" Kaster asks of Liatris. "Not wait to question her? Not bring her back to Zodge? Then what are we to do? Surely you're not thinking we investigate the bathhouse with the dungeon?" Even as he said it he regretted it. Kaster should have kept his mouth shut. It was possible everyone would have just forgotten about the dungeon... Wasn't it?
"Ha!" then in a lower voice Samosh says, "Whenever have you heard 'bathhouse' and 'dungeon' together?"
Samosh takes a seat as they wait for sleeping beauty to waken. There are questions that need answers.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
After spending the past hour or so nursing the one drink, tending to injuries, and if need be, steering any conversation regarding future plans of the group away from too fine a detail while the group is ever in mixed company, Liatris finally set down an empty mug for good.
"... Mn. Yes, we are just leaving her here, as you say. We've already upheld our end of the bargain in ending the primary threat to her life. And while the probability of those that survive seeking revenge is not zero percent, it is negligible amount, well within her ability to navigate in the future." Liatris replied to Kester. "To your second inquiry, given her nature and the contents of the note, no further questioning will be fruitful. But, if any of you are of a mind to try, we can wait or you are welcome to try and rouse her. Either way, I would ask, however, that any that do refrain from antagonizing her, as they may lead to... unnecessary complications."
She appeared to regard Therondy while mentioning that last point, before turning her attention towards Kester. "For your third point, it was never our mission to bring her to Zodge. If anything, doing so will also lead to further complications, which is best avoided. Now, to your last point, I... I understand your concern, but you already know the answer to that query. Or at least what would be mines. But fret not. At least for today we will not engage in anything more than ascertaining the veracity of the intel. Preferably with far more subtlety than what happened here."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"I never realized I had so many points," Kester says in equal parts rebuffed, confused and amused.
"How old is the note?" Kaster asks a moment later with sudden energy. "Could she not have already done some scouting that would be beneficial to us? She could know a password or a passphrase or even where the secret door is. Is it not worth asking her?" But the sudden burst was quickly draining and each question was less enthusiastic than the last. This really wasn't his bag, so to speak, so he really had no idea what he was talking about... "Well, anyway... Just know that my healing is mostly spent for the day. I could maybe patch someone up and keep them from getting worse, like I did for Tarina, but that's about it... Just so's you know..."
Rather than seem annoyed or even angered by Kaster's continued questions and insistence on picking apart her assessment, Liatris went from being initially taken aback to leaning and looking intrigued at Kaster. One could even catch a hint of a smile touching the corner of her lips. Though when the halfling appeared to lose vigor, so too had any hints of a smile disappeared from view.
Still, he continued to have her attention, and after chewing over his words a bit more in mind, she gave a faint nod of approval. "I stand by my earlier assessment, but hearing your view has rekindled my curiosity. And in this instance, I would be... thankful to have been wrong." She admits. "Futile though it may be, she could also yet have contacts there or know of a noteworthy figure that frequents the bathhouse to look out for as well. Very well. I will abstain from leading the endeavor but will aid however I can in future negotiations."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Bees listens as the group discusses the merits of waiting for Tarina to wake up and questioning her. He walks over and stands next to Kaster, "I agree with Kaster! While I'm fairly confident Tarina swindled that coin purse playing bones..." The gruff halfling looks over a Threnody with a raised eyebrow before continuing, "...we don't need to create animosity with a potential ally after saving her life. Who knows, maybe she'll give it to us after she wakes in appreciation for what we did for her."
He watches as our pretend wood elf conveys a range of emotions in short order. 'Was that a smile I just saw? No, I thought not.' Bees nods to Laitris as she suggests helping with the negotiations. "That's good, we all know how well I negotiated with that pirate crew to become their captain." Bees laughs heartily as he drinks some more of his dwarven spirits. Clearly, he knows how silly it must have looked.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
As Threnody approaches the bar on the ground floor and ascertains that her compatriots have been compensating the onlookers who intervened, she remunerates Liatris and Bees as best she is able.
"Might as well explore every avenue while we're here. I'll heal Tarina once we've got our breath back." Threnody says in agreement with Kaster, downing her second glass of wine of the evening. She takes a seat beside Bees and clinks a glass of wine against his mug, toasting him for getting the killing blow against Cadavrus.
"You'd be surprised how many steamy bathhouses lead to dungeons in the basement. Some folk even pay extra for the experience." She grins saucily, taking a sip of her wine. After patching up her wounds and fraternising with her comrades over the course of the next hour, she trudges back upstairs and into one of the bedrooms where Tarina was laid to rest.
The tiefling hovers over Tarina and lays a hand on the dice-cheat's forehead. Her hand begins to glow as she pours healing magic into Tarina's prone body. "Wakey-wakey. It's all over - Cadavrus is dead, and now it's time you paid up your end of the bargain."
((1 HP of Lay on Hands into Tarina.))
Kaster looks upon Threnody with an expression of shock and horror upon hearing her words about bathhouse dungeons and people paying for the experience. "Wha... why would anyone..." he starts but upon seeing her grin he realizes what she is on about and rolls his eyes. "Oh please, you don't know the half of what goes on in the back rooms of the various houses of worships. Very few of the Gods require a vow of chastity, you know. And those dedicated to the ones that do? Well... They have the most creative ways around those rules of anyone!"
Tarina comes to slowly, groaning. She places a hand over her abdomen where she'd been hit with a few arrows. The wounds are closed now and have started to heal with the aid of Threnody's magic. Although she is stable, the pirate still looks weak and shaky from the blood loss.
"Umberlee's tits, what happened?" The former pirate looks up at Threnody, who is the only one she can see at the moment with the others downstairs at the bar. "I guess I'm not dead then. And I guess that means I should thank you for that."
Tarina pulls out the pouch of gold coins and plops it into Threnody's hands. "Here, take this. I don't need it as much as you and your friends will if you're going after those cultists. I can always earn more." The pirate gives the word "earn" an ironic emphasis.
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Bees clinks glasses with Threnody and drinks with her in a toast. "Thank ye. Cheers to the team effort!" He finishes his drink and walks upstairs with the Teifling woman to arouse Tarina. Bees doesn't enter the room but stays back several paces and leans against the door frame, ensuring the two are not disturbed as Threnody works. Bees smiles as his intuition proves true and Tarina hands over the gold pouch to Threnody.
At this point, Bees walks into the room and asks Tarina, "My friend Kaster has some questions for you. You feeling up to walking downstairs where our group waits?" He smiles at the thought of Kaster questioning Tarina, knowing it would be entertaining.
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Tarina rolls her legs over the side of the bed and attempts to stand. She wobbles for a moment but manages to keep her feet.
"Aye, I can do that," she tells Bees. "I need a stiff drink after all this anyway."
The former pirate walks down the stairs, swaying from side-to-side a bit as if heavily drunk, but, with the bar and a promise of a glass of whiskey at hand, she is able to totter over to a stool, motioning for Alan to give her a drink. The bartender complies, pulling a bottle of whiskey from behind the bar. He pours a finger of whiskey into a glass, but Tarina shakes her head. Alan pours her a double, and the pirate takes a deep swig, sighing with contentment.
"That's better," she says. "Now, what more do you want to know?"
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Kaster watches Tarina come down the stairs, more or less join them, and order a drink. "You're alive," he says, pointing out the obvious. "Good, good... Very good." Kaster then returns to his drink and listening closely to what is going on around him but doing his best to shrink down to his minimal halfling size and go unnoticed.
OOC: Do we live in this town? Can we spend the night at somebody's house? I think we need a long rest before we go take a bath in a dungeon.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
(You can be from Baldur's Gate. I don't think all of you are though depending on your backstories. Or you could stay the night in the Elfsong Inn, but it will cost 8 sp per night.)
Extended Signature
Characters: Bryony Alderleaf (Phandelver and Below) ♦ Vesta Trevelyan (Vecna: Eve of Ruin) ♦ Ada Kendrick (Curse of Strahd) ♦ Gareth Blackwood (Dragon of Icespire Peak) ♦ Karys Velthune (Out of the Abyss) ♦ Surina Xarith (Simple, Heroic Adventure)
DM: Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Threnody follows Tarina downstairs at a languid pace, pausing just shy of the bar. One by one, she stops in front of each of her companions, pressing twenty gold pieces into their hands, being especially insistent with those who refused to take her coin earlier.
"Tarina was feeling mighty generous after her brush with Dead-Eye." She offers as explanation, easing herself on a barstool near Samosh and Kaster.
"Now then... I hate to be all business, but time is likely of the essence." The tiefling says, her long, red-striped tail giving an idle flick behind her. "You mentioned something about a secret door in the bath-house?"
((OOC: Tarina's pouch contained 100 gold, so that's 20 GP to each member of the party.))