Damien gives a sideways glance at the fleeting figure of the old man bard, "Someone obviously thinks highly of themselves." Damien thinks to himself. However, that thought is quickly pushed aside as he looks back at the rest of the group, more specifically, at the cleric.
Turning to face Jadyn, he asks, "So we're here. Anything?"
Unlike before, where he gave her his full attention, he now found himself looking out at the surroundings. Not as a tourist, but to get a feel for the city's true colors. He picks out the distant wall, the cheerful trot of passersby, yet something told Damien there was more to find here. "Then again," He thinks to himself, returning his gaze's focus to the cleric, "Most places are."
Lesnalore could barely contain her excitement at the new sights and sounds. Now this was the reason to travel the new sights, the sounds, the people, the dinosaurs? Unable to contain a girlish squeal as the magnificent creature and cart passed her. Oh yes she could get use to this as she lightly bounced up and down on her toes before turning to what remained of the party.
"This is what I live for guys, so I am gonna head off I will meet you at the Thunder Lizard in about however long it takes, and if you could rent me a room or a bunk or whatever I will pay you back. Please and thank you. Otherwise I am gonna go see the city!"
Offering up a thumbs up to those still here hoping one would make a sign of offering to agree she smiled at them before taking off, looking to see what new sights and taste of the Market Ward. Hurrying off like a child without a care in the world as she allowed the air to take her through the market to anything that might catch her eye, hopefully exotic food stuffs unseen by those on the main land, or at the vary least those unseen by here, after all this was an important part of exploration.
"Whew... It just clings to ya here, doesn't it?!"The dwarf pulls his messy red hair up into a ponytail to keep it off his neck, trying to find a way to mitigate some of the oppressive heat of the tropical climate. Gairlik is awestruck by the vibrant colors on display everywhere, so much so that he is almost clipped by the passing dinosaurs. "I think I would prefer some rest,"he says watching the coin tossed by Thom fly through the air. "Why don't you find your own room, old man," he steps aside, not making any attempt to catch it. "You might want to keep that and get yourself another dagger."
He then follows the others seeing as how both inns are located in the same area. Being this close to the source of the death curse, he utilizes his little skills obtained during his time in the various city watch he worked and keeps an ear open for any whispers that may point them in the right direction. Also, once they get to the Market Ward he takes some time for some "window shopping", hoping to find other useful items for jungle trekking.
When Gairlik Holderhek arrives at the location known as Market Ward he overhears snippets of conversation. Well he listens he strolls into a location with a banner which reads "The Red Bazaar". No one knows how the Red Bazaar got its name. One story is that the label comes from the huge slabs of dinosaur meat sold here and the resulting buckets of blood that stain the rain-washed gutters, and that's probably as good an explanation as any.
The residents of Port Nyanzaru shop for their daily needs at the Red Bazaar. Unlike the Grand Souk, which deals heavily in durable goods and luxury items, the Red Bazaar deals in everyday needs: locally produced meat, vegetables, tropical fruit, tej, light tropical clothing, insect repellent, rain catchers, and other household goods. The buyers and sellers in the Red Bazaar are predominantly locals.
OOC: What you hear is sent to you via PM in discord.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Shaking her head woozily after the sudden transition, Quill found herself staring at the quickly departing backside of the bard and the half-elf, only managing to catch the big about securing a room somewhere. Jumping upwards as the dwarf stepped out of the flying coin, Quill made an attempt to catch the coin. (Acrobatics: 13)
Grinning she hastily pocketed the coin as she clicked her tongue at Book who was currently doing his level best to steal a piece of meat from a street vendor. Glaring at the meat, he kicked a small patch of sand resulting in a resounding curse being flung off in his direction as he bounced after Quill.
Striding through the city after the half elf and dwarf she quickly lost sight of them. However a charming smile and several inquiries later, she finally found her way toward's Kaya's House. Giving Book a pointed look, she signaled him to stay put, with a stern "Behave" in gnomish towards the feline who gave her a long bored look before preceding to bath himself in front of the entrance of the inn. Sighing, Quill realized the chances of her car actually listening where slim to none but at least she had tried. Shaking her head, she entered the inn eager to fulfill the simple task that no one else seemed to want, booking a room in this crowded and busy city.
Thom shouted his invitations to the locals. Informing him where he would be preforming tonight and perhaps for the next few nights. Balls juggled in a perfect oval with his daft hands. At a quick flick of his wrists the balls begin to loop within each other creating a fantastic sight for anyone watching. Except nobody was watching (Failed: Performance check). Everyone was already entertained by the sight of daily Dinosaur Races throughout the city streets. So when Thom arrived at Thunder Lizard and pushed open the wooden front door he was crowd-less.
The inside of Thunder Lizard Inn buzzed with noise. If one wanted to find a peaceful rest this was not the place for it. Many of the tables were filled of well dressed Merchants and City Watch officials. Over half of them seemed to be well over their limit of Alcohol yet it didn't stop them from drinking the mugs nearly full in front of them. Most looked as if they had been there the majority of the day with no plans of leaving any time soon.
Approaching a well rounded man behind the bar Thom gave him a wave of his colorfully patched cloak and pointing to the Lute at his side. Though not much could be heard over the noisy crowd the Inn Keeper understood what Thom requested and accepted his offer without a second thought (Passed: Persuasion Check). He directed Thom to a stool on a raised platform in the back of the Inn which Thom cheerfully occupied after removing his lute and testing its strings.
Thom spent the next hour sharing a story about Perrin Golden Eyes and his flight in the Wolf Dreams to save a Raven trapped in a Cage of Iron by Wolf Killer. The crowd erupted with laughter, shock, and joy. Several of them even throw Coins at his feet (Passed: Performance Check. Obtained 5SP and 6CP). Well performing Thom notices a quiet, down trodden man, sitting by his lonesome at a table in the corner. (Pass: Perception Check)Feeling it was a perfect time to try and gather some information, Thom hopped off his stool and headed to the secluded man.
Taking a vacant seat Thom leans in with a plan to "encourage" this man to provide him with the information he wanted. Removing a dagger from his sleeve, Thom begins to scrape away the dirt under his fingernails. People seemed to be more open with you when they thought they might get a knife to their throat at any moment. Thom began to question this man about every little detail he could think of. Who was in power here? What Merchants might be more loose with their tongues then others? Who might know about the Death Curse and its cause? The man ignored Thom and his berating questions. Angrily Thom snatched the Mug out of the mans hand in order to ensure he was being heard properly. Mistakenly he failed to properly grasp the Mug and it crashed to the wooden floor. With a shatter of glass, it's contents unfortunately splashed onto a few of the City Watch members sitting at a table close to the men.
Before he could apologize Thom found himself forcefully thrown out the front doors and landing face first into a pile of Dinosaur dung and barred from future entry into the Inn. He would have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight.. and take a bath (CRIT FAIL: Intimidation check. 1d4=4HP Dmg BANNED FROM THE INN!) .
Jadyn chuckled, not even looking at the rogue. “I can detect magic and undeath nearby, but we'll have to get close the old fashioned way first.” She started walking southwest, still not looking at the rest of the group. “I'll see you all at the inn.”I need to find a temple. The priests and clerics here are the most likely to know something. The bazaar will be full of locals who can point me to one. I wonder what gods they worship here... and if they'll be willing to make common cause with the Raven Queen...
Shaking his head to clear it after the teleportation, Dariel watches the others split up and go their separate ways. Longing to get out of the city and spend the night in the forest, he realizes that this is not the safest of plans, given the dangers described to them on the island, much less the dinosaurs, so he resigns himself to spending the night in city. Instead, he starts exploring the city looking for a park, hoping to find somewhere with trees and less people where he can relax and enjoy nature for a while before heading to the inn to sleep.
Asking around Jadyn found many individuals who knew about Temples. In fact it seemed the city contained a variety of them. They included the Temple of Gond, a boxy stone building behind the royal docks dedicated to craftsmen and their work. The Temple of Sune could be found atop the high steeps by the sea. This temple only catered the the pretty. Finally the Temple of Souk dedicated to deities, fortune tellers, and diviners and those willing to speak the truth no matter who wanted to hear it. It was here Jadyn decided to investigate the Soulmonger.
Savras's temple is one of the oldest, grandest buildings in the city.The tiled roof of its great dome resembles an unblinking eye, staring skyward. A deity devoted to revealing the truth might seem to have a weak draw in a city of merchants, but Savras was widely worshiped in Chult long before the Spellplague. In those years, Savra's clergy were valued because they could keep tabs on the activities of the inscrutable yuan-ti. As Jadyn enters she shes a Priest, clothed in garments depicting an all seeing eye, in a heated conversation with three dark clad male figures. "What better place to look for Artus Cimber then here?" Said one of the men. "Are you telling us your all seeing God cannot find him?!" Asked another. The Priest shook his head. "He can find anyone when those who seek his wisdom are pure." One of the men jingled a large leather pouch in front of the Priests face. "We brought 500GP for your God! Are you saying this isn't good enough?!" The Priest eyes hardened at the men. "It takes more then a large sum of Cash to entice Savras." "We need to find him, Old Man. Take the money and..." The man cut off at the sight of Jadyn. With a heated look he leaves the Temple. His comrades following close behind.
The Priest watches until the men leaves then turns his focus to Jadyn. He gave a great smile to the Cleric and approached her with joy. "Welcome to the Temple of Savra's. Sorry about those men. It seems some people do not appreciate Savras and believe his powers can be bought." The Priest shakes his head disapprovingly. "I am Grandfather Zitembe. I am the High Priest for Savras in this Temple. How may I assist you today, Cleric?" When Jadyn mentions the Death Curse and Soul Monger the Priest's eyes widen. "Why would you believe the Death Curse has anything to do with Chult?", Zitembe asks hesitantly.
Kaya's House of Repose was as Syndra had said it would be. Quiet and a great place to take a nap. Approaching the Inn Keeper Quill shares her interest for a room to the balding man. In her softest, most sweetest voice she could muster, Quill asked the man if he had any rooms available and if he would be willing to give them up to very wary traveled Adventurers. "You remind me of my Daughter. Sweet lass. She went off to Baldur's Gate about three years ago. Said she would come visit me, she did. I get a letter from her every now and then.. How many rooms did you need." When he was informed it would be for a party of 7 the Inn Keeper gave a quick direction to his Tavern Helpers and within quick order 3 rooms were prepared. "I won't charge you or your companions for the rooms tonight. Helping me remember my daughter is payment enough. (PASS: Persuasion Check)"
With a smile of thanks Quill asked the man if he knew anything or anyone who could give her information about the city or the Jungle. He shook his head. "We get Guides in here from time to time. But there hasn't been anyone today. You never know when they are going to come. Sometimes they don't come for weeks. (FAILED: Persuasion Check)"
Smiling she thanked the inn keeper politely with an enthusiastic handshake, only barely resisting the urge to buy the man out of gratitude and compassion, before heading towards their rooms to deposit her bag. Mentally figuring the men would pair up together, leaving the ladies a room of their own, Quill selected a slightly larger back street facing room for her and the other ladies.
Closing the door, she dropped her bag with a sigh, sligning off her bow and quiver as well, grateful to be relieved of the slight load after a long day. Eyeing the bed longingly, she opened the window giving a clear whistle that soon had Book bonding into the room, making a slightly daring leap from an nearby roof as he entered the room without any trouble. Smiling at the cat, she felt no guilt in sneaking him into the inn. He wouldn't harm anything, he would make sure no one would disturb her things, and if she left the window open the feline would also be free to come and go taking care of any rodents or pests in his hunts. Plus if she didn't, he would find his way in anyway and make much more of a nuisance of himself in his efforts to track her down. All in all, this was easier.
Knowing from previous experience that the cat was bright enough to stay out of sight, She felt safe enough leaving the bulk of her supplies within the now feline protected room, taking only her dagger and the gold that she had cleverly hid around her person. First order of business, food. Then she would see what she could do about helping around the inn as payment of sorts to return the inn keeps kindness. He may have given her a room for the night out of the goodness of his heart but there was no need to abuse his good will. She had a feeling she would need all the good will they could acquire with the mixed group she had seemingly fallen into.
Later, she would investigate the market to see if she could pick up more locally available supplies before making her way to meet the rest at the it be tavern to tell them of their good fortune. Plans set for the day, she made her way downstairs to take care of her rumbling stomach.
Jadyn watched the dark-clad men leave.She considered it a good sign that this priest was not swayed by coin. That meant he was more likely to be swayed by another cleric, even one of a different god.
"Why would you believe the Death Curse has anything to do with Chult?"
Jadyn was surprised. She regarded the priest. Is he hiding something, or does he not know? Jadyn found it so hard to read humans. They emoted so much all the time, she never knew if their expressions were real. Well, I didn't come all the way here to give up that easily. Maybe he knows more than he thinks, and just hasn't connected it to the curse...
Gairlik enters Kaya's House a few moments behind Quill, having finished browsing the wares in the nearby market - having made note of a few things to return and inquire about. He gives the gnome nod as she heads off towards her room. Looking to the innkeeper he says, "I'm with that little one."He thanks the man after receiving the key, then makes his way to another room to deposit a few items and to take a load off, reflecting on the whirlwind past few hours.
He finds the washroom to remove a bit of the grime. Reaching under his shirt he pulls out the locket and just stares at it a moment before giving it a kiss and putting it away. Feeling a bit refreshed, Gairlik heads back down to the common room for some food and drink. Finding Quill has also returned downstairs, he pulls up a chair next to her and lets out a long breath. "Quite the day, huh? I'm Gairlik by the way...don't think I've really met any of y'all yet."
Dariel wasn't a fan of big cities and would normally hunt down the nearest exit and glide right into the forest for a good rest. However, given they have been told how dangerous the forest is Dariel decides finding a nice park would be more preferable then an inn. He could always meet up with the rest of the group when it was time to leave the Port. It didn't take long to find what he was looking for. A nice secluded park well off the beaten path. It seemed this park was primarily used as decoration to lively up the area. A stone carved triceratops sat at its center, water streaming out from beneath providing tranquility to anyone who stood near it.
It was here Dariel set himself up for the day. It was also a great spot to overhear passerby's as they went about their day. (PM coming your way.)
Having waited and watched as everyone went their own separate ways, Damien breathed out a sigh of relief. 'Now that they're gone' Damien seems to be standing in one spot one second, but as passing carriage cuts him from line of sight, he appears to have vanished.
Appearing in the shadows of the nearby buildings, Damien immediately looks around for his target. This takes him a few long minutes, but it's nothing he can't put up with, for eventually, he finds him. More specifically, he finds, them. A duo of, what appear to be, small time thugs are surrounding the now unconscious body of another male.
Thug 1, "Bleedin' beggar, hardy 'ad 10 silver on 'im!"
Thug 2, "S'all good, we jus' grab another one, right?"
Damien doesn't care much for the duos chatter, but he's thankful that they made it so easy for him to confirm who they were. 'They're within the creed.' He had been staving his desire for a good while now, any longer and he would have gotten restless. With actual purpose, he silently moved down the alley, gliding across the stone floor. As he moved, he coated his of hand shortsword with a simple paralysis poison, it's purpose soon to come. He slid up right behind the first of the 2 thugs. Thus, with a quick, clean motion he stabbed his right shortsword into the back of the man's neck, the tips comes out of his mouth with a new coat of red.
Thug 2, "Come on le-GWRERK!"
Thug 1, "What you sa-WHA!? BLOODY 'ELL!"
Moving with quickly to use the round of surprise he had gained (aka, surprise round), he quickly maneuvered around the, now dead, thug and came up to the other one, stabbing his offhand blade into the man's diaphragm, preventing him from properly catching anymore breath. Before the man could even use what little air was left in his lungs, the poison took effect and rendered him unable to move, as all the muscles in his body went rigged. The veins his the man's face and neck bulged as sweat poured out over his face and body, the blood seeping from his belly as Damien removed his blade did little to reduce this. As Damien stood over the man, something that none of the other party members that had come with him to this port, appeared in him.
Passion. Pleasure. Relief. And all of this was seen gleeful smile he had on his face.
He crouched down to the dying thug and pulled out a dagger, taking it's tip and tracing it around on the man's face. Alone in the alley, Damien was able to do what he wanted, "I really have to thank you, you know." He patted the dagger against the man's cheek, "I'm unable to kill good people, so your very existence is allowing me to partake in the only thing that brings me meaning." He giggles to himself as the dagger's flat face, wipes away some of the man's sweat. "So, as a reward for being a bad person." The smile on his face slowly turns colder and colder as he looks down at the man, causing the man himself to turn pale, as that was the limit to his actions, "I'm gonna have some fun!~"
In the remaining time that came before the poison wore off, Damien made quick work so as to make sure his prey wouldn't be able to call out for help, run or fight him. Normally he'd enjoy such resistance, but, he really didn't have the time, he had a job to do after all. So, in the 10 mins that he gave himself, Damien carved up the thug like a pig, flaying parts of him, dicing others and overall, just experimenting with the man's body. Noticing that the life had drained from the man's body Damien thought to himself, 'Wonder if their bodies will turn to undead after this?' but after another moment's thought, '....oh well, it's not like they'd be able to move after all I did to them.'
With that, Damien cleans off his blades and leaves the scene, stealthing back into the shadows of the port. 'I'd best start looking for someone with some know how about this place. Wouldn't want to be lost out there.' With such thoughts in mind, Damien set out to locate a guide while their was still light in the sky.
Lesnalore Falsight watched as her fellow adventurers went their separate ways each with their own unique agenda. She very well could have followed them but the woman had her own plans... food. She decided the best place to look was right where she was at. Taking a gander along the Harbor it wasn't long until she stumbled upon what seemed to be a very busy fish market. Being much easier and safer then hunting Dinosaurs seafood was a staple for the islanders. The tender fish tasted much better then rough reptile and one didn't have to leave the walls to get to it. Just pull out your fishing poll and snag a fish right from the docks. Due to the popularity of the Wharf prices were often higher in the fish market during the mornings and panned out in the afternoon. Even with the high price in the morning it was often well worth it as the quality and selection was much better. Snagging herself up some freshly cooked and very tasty Moxie Fish Lesnalore swung her feet over the edge of the docks and listened to the chatter of those around her. (PASSED: Perception Check, RUMOR INCOMING)
Thom Merllin stood up and attempted brush away some of the Dino Dung. It seemed like the bloody Creator was not with him today. How could he be having such bad luck? Or.. perhaps the Creator was trying to give him a hand in its own mysterious way. Deciding to put this thought to the test Thom wandered about the city streets attempting to appear homeless in order to get closer to some of the unsuspecting locals. The plan would have worked... except that Dino Dung stunk. Whenever he rounded a corner locals would cut off mid sentence with disgusted glares directed at Thom. If he attempted to get close the majority of Locals would dash away, suddenly having something more important to do. Not wanting to give up, Thom rounded a corner just as soapy cold water splashed him from head to toes. Looking up, he had just enough time to see another avalanche of water poured over him. Thom was wet, grimy, and smlled like Dino Dung. Could it get any worse? (FAIL: Deception Check)
He decided he had enough for the day. Bloody Hell! Thom rounded a corner with all thought of gathering information gone from his mind. It was when he wasn't seeking out knowledge that he discovered it. At that very moment he heard chatter from an alley way near the Red Bazaar. (PASS: Perception Check. PM coming your way!)
At Jadyns continued questioning the Priest did his best to answer it with the only way he knew how. Honesty. It was his job to be honest as High Priest. It was his duty. His requirement. Zitembe smiled at the Cleric and spread his hands widely. (PASS:Persuasion check) “Since you are being honest I shall be honest with you. Death has always been a major issue for this island. It was made even worse when a man thought to raise the undead and utilize it as his own personal army. Since then we have had a never ending tidal wave of undead at the Walls of this great city. Now it will take me some time. Give me 24 hours and I will look into this death curse for you.”
Looking up from her meal (-3sp, -4cp ), Quill smiled widely at the dwarf, swallowing a what of her beverage before extending a hand towards the dwarf. "Well met Gairlik, that's a perfectly lovely name. Does it mean anything nice?" Quill paused considering a moment as to which name to give the company. Other races were....stingy with their names, seemingly content at just one or two of they were feeling fancy, as if one moniker was enough to describe a person. Still it wouldn't do to overwhelm or offend others, nor offer anything to personal, at least not at first. "You can call me Roywna, you know like the tree? Of course, Stronghorn, he's a dwarf who works with my Uncle, he calls me Larunda (occ: ancient Greek meaning Talkitive, chatter), or" adding in slightly accented dwarvish , "Nuisance worse than a fly in my ear, that's what." Returning to common, she laughed brightly, "Which I used to think was quite sweet of him, really, until I learned more dwarvish. Point is, I answer to most anything."
Letting her hand fly in a gesture that took in the inn and the inn keep as well as the town beyond, she continued quite cheerly. "Isn't it just marvelous? All these colors? And the smells? The food is quite good too, at least what I've tasted so far. I've never been this far from home before. Or done anything like this really. Too bad about Uncle, he would have been better suited for this. I'm just an apprentice see, still in training, and all that." A brief worried look flickered in Quill's eyes before being dismissed with an with wave and a wider smile. "That's why it is so nice to meet such nice people! Wasn't the inn keeper simply the sweetest! I just wanted to hug him to bits! " She squeed before looking back towards Gairlik, "I mean to pay back his kindness after my meal. Don't know quite how, not yet, but something is bound to strike me. If nothing else, waiting tables doesn't seem too hard and really it would be the least I could do, don't you think? "
Jadyn took in what the priest had told her. An army of undead... what are the odds that two necromancers recently set up shop in Chult?"I appreciate your honesty. Before I go, can I ask a few more questions? When did this increase in undead start? And do you know where this necromancer is located?"Maybe we can follow the undead back to the source."Why is he sending the undead here? Is there something in particular he seems to be trying to get?"
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Damien gives a sideways glance at the fleeting figure of the old man bard, "Someone obviously thinks highly of themselves." Damien thinks to himself. However, that thought is quickly pushed aside as he looks back at the rest of the group, more specifically, at the cleric.
Turning to face Jadyn, he asks, "So we're here. Anything?"
Unlike before, where he gave her his full attention, he now found himself looking out at the surroundings. Not as a tourist, but to get a feel for the city's true colors. He picks out the distant wall, the cheerful trot of passersby, yet something told Damien there was more to find here. "Then again," He thinks to himself, returning his gaze's focus to the cleric, "Most places are."
Lesnalore could barely contain her excitement at the new sights and sounds. Now this was the reason to travel the new sights, the sounds, the people, the dinosaurs? Unable to contain a girlish squeal as the magnificent creature and cart passed her. Oh yes she could get use to this as she lightly bounced up and down on her toes before turning to what remained of the party.
"This is what I live for guys, so I am gonna head off I will meet you at the Thunder Lizard in about however long it takes, and if you could rent me a room or a bunk or whatever I will pay you back. Please and thank you. Otherwise I am gonna go see the city!"
Offering up a thumbs up to those still here hoping one would make a sign of offering to agree she smiled at them before taking off, looking to see what new sights and taste of the Market Ward. Hurrying off like a child without a care in the world as she allowed the air to take her through the market to anything that might catch her eye, hopefully exotic food stuffs unseen by those on the main land, or at the vary least those unseen by here, after all this was an important part of exploration.
"Whew... It just clings to ya here, doesn't it?!" The dwarf pulls his messy red hair up into a ponytail to keep it off his neck, trying to find a way to mitigate some of the oppressive heat of the tropical climate. Gairlik is awestruck by the vibrant colors on display everywhere, so much so that he is almost clipped by the passing dinosaurs. "I think I would prefer some rest," he says watching the coin tossed by Thom fly through the air. "Why don't you find your own room, old man," he steps aside, not making any attempt to catch it. "You might want to keep that and get yourself another dagger."
He then follows the others seeing as how both inns are located in the same area. Being this close to the source of the death curse, he utilizes his little skills obtained during his time in the various city watch he worked and keeps an ear open for any whispers that may point them in the right direction. Also, once they get to the Market Ward he takes some time for some "window shopping", hoping to find other useful items for jungle trekking.
For: Saute_Monkey
When Gairlik Holderhek arrives at the location known as Market Ward he overhears snippets of conversation. Well he listens he strolls into a location with a banner which reads "The Red Bazaar". No one knows how the Red Bazaar got its name. One story is that the label comes from the huge slabs of dinosaur meat sold here and the resulting buckets of blood that stain the rain-washed gutters, and that's probably as good an explanation as any.
The residents of Port Nyanzaru shop for their daily needs at the Red Bazaar. Unlike the Grand Souk, which deals heavily in durable goods and luxury items, the Red Bazaar deals in everyday needs: locally produced meat, vegetables, tropical fruit, tej, light tropical clothing, insect repellent, rain catchers, and other household goods. The buyers and sellers in the Red Bazaar are predominantly locals.
OOC: What you hear is sent to you via PM in discord.
Shaking her head woozily after the sudden transition, Quill found herself staring at the quickly departing backside of the bard and the half-elf, only managing to catch the big about securing a room somewhere. Jumping upwards as the dwarf stepped out of the flying coin, Quill made an attempt to catch the coin. (Acrobatics: 13)
Grinning she hastily pocketed the coin as she clicked her tongue at Book who was currently doing his level best to steal a piece of meat from a street vendor. Glaring at the meat, he kicked a small patch of sand resulting in a resounding curse being flung off in his direction as he bounced after Quill.
Striding through the city after the half elf and dwarf she quickly lost sight of them. However a charming smile and several inquiries later, she finally found her way toward's Kaya's House. Giving Book a pointed look, she signaled him to stay put, with a stern "Behave" in gnomish towards the feline who gave her a long bored look before preceding to bath himself in front of the entrance of the inn. Sighing, Quill realized the chances of her car actually listening where slim to none but at least she had tried. Shaking her head, she entered the inn eager to fulfill the simple task that no one else seemed to want, booking a room in this crowded and busy city.
For: Potato
Thom shouted his invitations to the locals. Informing him where he would be preforming tonight and perhaps for the next few nights. Balls juggled in a perfect oval with his daft hands. At a quick flick of his wrists the balls begin to loop within each other creating a fantastic sight for anyone watching. Except nobody was watching (Failed: Performance check). Everyone was already entertained by the sight of daily Dinosaur Races throughout the city streets. So when Thom arrived at Thunder Lizard and pushed open the wooden front door he was crowd-less.
The inside of Thunder Lizard Inn buzzed with noise. If one wanted to find a peaceful rest this was not the place for it. Many of the tables were filled of well dressed Merchants and City Watch officials. Over half of them seemed to be well over their limit of Alcohol yet it didn't stop them from drinking the mugs nearly full in front of them. Most looked as if they had been there the majority of the day with no plans of leaving any time soon.
Approaching a well rounded man behind the bar Thom gave him a wave of his colorfully patched cloak and pointing to the Lute at his side. Though not much could be heard over the noisy crowd the Inn Keeper understood what Thom requested and accepted his offer without a second thought (Passed: Persuasion Check). He directed Thom to a stool on a raised platform in the back of the Inn which Thom cheerfully occupied after removing his lute and testing its strings.
Thom spent the next hour sharing a story about Perrin Golden Eyes and his flight in the Wolf Dreams to save a Raven trapped in a Cage of Iron by Wolf Killer. The crowd erupted with laughter, shock, and joy. Several of them even throw Coins at his feet (Passed: Performance Check. Obtained 5SP and 6CP). Well performing Thom notices a quiet, down trodden man, sitting by his lonesome at a table in the corner. (Pass: Perception Check) Feeling it was a perfect time to try and gather some information, Thom hopped off his stool and headed to the secluded man.
Taking a vacant seat Thom leans in with a plan to "encourage" this man to provide him with the information he wanted. Removing a dagger from his sleeve, Thom begins to scrape away the dirt under his fingernails. People seemed to be more open with you when they thought they might get a knife to their throat at any moment. Thom began to question this man about every little detail he could think of. Who was in power here? What Merchants might be more loose with their tongues then others? Who might know about the Death Curse and its cause? The man ignored Thom and his berating questions. Angrily Thom snatched the Mug out of the mans hand in order to ensure he was being heard properly. Mistakenly he failed to properly grasp the Mug and it crashed to the wooden floor. With a shatter of glass, it's contents unfortunately splashed onto a few of the City Watch members sitting at a table close to the men.
Before he could apologize Thom found himself forcefully thrown out the front doors and landing face first into a pile of Dinosaur dung and barred from future entry into the Inn. He would have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight.. and take a bath (CRIT FAIL: Intimidation check. 1d4=4HP Dmg BANNED FROM THE INN!) .
Jadyn chuckled, not even looking at the rogue. “I can detect magic and undeath nearby, but we'll have to get close the old fashioned way first.” She started walking southwest, still not looking at the rest of the group. “I'll see you all at the inn.” I need to find a temple. The priests and clerics here are the most likely to know something. The bazaar will be full of locals who can point me to one. I wonder what gods they worship here... and if they'll be willing to make common cause with the Raven Queen...
Shaking his head to clear it after the teleportation, Dariel watches the others split up and go their separate ways. Longing to get out of the city and spend the night in the forest, he realizes that this is not the safest of plans, given the dangers described to them on the island, much less the dinosaurs, so he resigns himself to spending the night in city. Instead, he starts exploring the city looking for a park, hoping to find somewhere with trees and less people where he can relax and enjoy nature for a while before heading to the inn to sleep.
For: Ghezbora
Asking around Jadyn found many individuals who knew about Temples. In fact it seemed the city contained a variety of them. They included the Temple of Gond, a boxy stone building behind the royal docks dedicated to craftsmen and their work. The Temple of Sune could be found atop the high steeps by the sea. This temple only catered the the pretty. Finally the Temple of Souk dedicated to deities, fortune tellers, and diviners and those willing to speak the truth no matter who wanted to hear it. It was here Jadyn decided to investigate the Soulmonger.
Savras's temple is one of the oldest, grandest buildings in the city.The tiled roof of its great dome resembles an unblinking eye, staring skyward. A deity devoted to revealing the truth might seem to have a weak draw in a city of merchants, but Savras was widely worshiped in Chult long before the Spellplague. In those years, Savra's clergy were valued because they could keep tabs on the activities of the inscrutable yuan-ti. As Jadyn enters she shes a Priest, clothed in garments depicting an all seeing eye, in a heated conversation with three dark clad male figures. "What better place to look for Artus Cimber then here?" Said one of the men. "Are you telling us your all seeing God cannot find him?!" Asked another. The Priest shook his head. "He can find anyone when those who seek his wisdom are pure." One of the men jingled a large leather pouch in front of the Priests face. "We brought 500GP for your God! Are you saying this isn't good enough?!" The Priest eyes hardened at the men. "It takes more then a large sum of Cash to entice Savras." "We need to find him, Old Man. Take the money and..." The man cut off at the sight of Jadyn. With a heated look he leaves the Temple. His comrades following close behind.
The Priest watches until the men leaves then turns his focus to Jadyn. He gave a great smile to the Cleric and approached her with joy. "Welcome to the Temple of Savra's. Sorry about those men. It seems some people do not appreciate Savras and believe his powers can be bought." The Priest shakes his head disapprovingly. "I am Grandfather Zitembe. I am the High Priest for Savras in this Temple. How may I assist you today, Cleric?" When Jadyn mentions the Death Curse and Soul Monger the Priest's eyes widen. "Why would you believe the Death Curse has anything to do with Chult?", Zitembe asks hesitantly.
For: Gwynn
Kaya's House of Repose was as Syndra had said it would be. Quiet and a great place to take a nap. Approaching the Inn Keeper Quill shares her interest for a room to the balding man. In her softest, most sweetest voice she could muster, Quill asked the man if he had any rooms available and if he would be willing to give them up to very wary traveled Adventurers. "You remind me of my Daughter. Sweet lass. She went off to Baldur's Gate about three years ago. Said she would come visit me, she did. I get a letter from her every now and then.. How many rooms did you need." When he was informed it would be for a party of 7 the Inn Keeper gave a quick direction to his Tavern Helpers and within quick order 3 rooms were prepared. "I won't charge you or your companions for the rooms tonight. Helping me remember my daughter is payment enough. (PASS: Persuasion Check)"
With a smile of thanks Quill asked the man if he knew anything or anyone who could give her information about the city or the Jungle. He shook his head. "We get Guides in here from time to time. But there hasn't been anyone today. You never know when they are going to come. Sometimes they don't come for weeks. (FAILED: Persuasion Check)"
Smiling she thanked the inn keeper politely with an enthusiastic handshake, only barely resisting the urge to buy the man out of gratitude and compassion, before heading towards their rooms to deposit her bag. Mentally figuring the men would pair up together, leaving the ladies a room of their own, Quill selected a slightly larger back street facing room for her and the other ladies.
Closing the door, she dropped her bag with a sigh, sligning off her bow and quiver as well, grateful to be relieved of the slight load after a long day. Eyeing the bed longingly, she opened the window giving a clear whistle that soon had Book bonding into the room, making a slightly daring leap from an nearby roof as he entered the room without any trouble. Smiling at the cat, she felt no guilt in sneaking him into the inn. He wouldn't harm anything, he would make sure no one would disturb her things, and if she left the window open the feline would also be free to come and go taking care of any rodents or pests in his hunts. Plus if she didn't, he would find his way in anyway and make much more of a nuisance of himself in his efforts to track her down. All in all, this was easier.
Knowing from previous experience that the cat was bright enough to stay out of sight, She felt safe enough leaving the bulk of her supplies within the now feline protected room, taking only her dagger and the gold that she had cleverly hid around her person. First order of business, food. Then she would see what she could do about helping around the inn as payment of sorts to return the inn keeps kindness. He may have given her a room for the night out of the goodness of his heart but there was no need to abuse his good will. She had a feeling she would need all the good will they could acquire with the mixed group she had seemingly fallen into.
Later, she would investigate the market to see if she could pick up more locally available supplies before making her way to meet the rest at the it be tavern to tell them of their good fortune. Plans set for the day, she made her way downstairs to take care of her rumbling stomach.
Jadyn watched the dark-clad men leave. She considered it a good sign that this priest was not swayed by coin. That meant he was more likely to be swayed by another cleric, even one of a different god.
"Why would you believe the Death Curse has anything to do with Chult?"
Jadyn was surprised. She regarded the priest. Is he hiding something, or does he not know? Jadyn found it so hard to read humans. They emoted so much all the time, she never knew if their expressions were real. Well, I didn't come all the way here to give up that easily. Maybe he knows more than he thinks, and just hasn't connected it to the curse...
Gairlik enters Kaya's House a few moments behind Quill, having finished browsing the wares in the nearby market - having made note of a few things to return and inquire about. He gives the gnome nod as she heads off towards her room. Looking to the innkeeper he says, "I'm with that little one." He thanks the man after receiving the key, then makes his way to another room to deposit a few items and to take a load off, reflecting on the whirlwind past few hours.
He finds the washroom to remove a bit of the grime. Reaching under his shirt he pulls out the locket and just stares at it a moment before giving it a kiss and putting it away. Feeling a bit refreshed, Gairlik heads back down to the common room for some food and drink. Finding Quill has also returned downstairs, he pulls up a chair next to her and lets out a long breath. "Quite the day, huh? I'm Gairlik by the way...don't think I've really met any of y'all yet."
Having waited and watched as everyone went their own separate ways, Damien breathed out a sigh of relief. 'Now that they're gone' Damien seems to be standing in one spot one second, but as passing carriage cuts him from line of sight, he appears to have vanished.
Appearing in the shadows of the nearby buildings, Damien immediately looks around for his target. This takes him a few long minutes, but it's nothing he can't put up with, for eventually, he finds him. More specifically, he finds, them. A duo of, what appear to be, small time thugs are surrounding the now unconscious body of another male.
Thug 1, "Bleedin' beggar, hardy 'ad 10 silver on 'im!"
Thug 2, "S'all good, we jus' grab another one, right?"
Damien doesn't care much for the duos chatter, but he's thankful that they made it so easy for him to confirm who they were. 'They're within the creed.' He had been staving his desire for a good while now, any longer and he would have gotten restless. With actual purpose, he silently moved down the alley, gliding across the stone floor. As he moved, he coated his of hand shortsword with a simple paralysis poison, it's purpose soon to come. He slid up right behind the first of the 2 thugs. Thus, with a quick, clean motion he stabbed his right shortsword into the back of the man's neck, the tips comes out of his mouth with a new coat of red.
Thug 2, "Come on le-GWRERK!"
Thug 1, "What you sa-WHA!? BLOODY 'ELL!"
Moving with quickly to use the round of surprise he had gained (aka, surprise round), he quickly maneuvered around the, now dead, thug and came up to the other one, stabbing his offhand blade into the man's diaphragm, preventing him from properly catching anymore breath. Before the man could even use what little air was left in his lungs, the poison took effect and rendered him unable to move, as all the muscles in his body went rigged. The veins his the man's face and neck bulged as sweat poured out over his face and body, the blood seeping from his belly as Damien removed his blade did little to reduce this. As Damien stood over the man, something that none of the other party members that had come with him to this port, appeared in him.
Passion. Pleasure. Relief. And all of this was seen gleeful smile he had on his face.
He crouched down to the dying thug and pulled out a dagger, taking it's tip and tracing it around on the man's face. Alone in the alley, Damien was able to do what he wanted, "I really have to thank you, you know." He patted the dagger against the man's cheek, "I'm unable to kill good people, so your very existence is allowing me to partake in the only thing that brings me meaning." He giggles to himself as the dagger's flat face, wipes away some of the man's sweat. "So, as a reward for being a bad person." The smile on his face slowly turns colder and colder as he looks down at the man, causing the man himself to turn pale, as that was the limit to his actions, "I'm gonna have some fun!~"
In the remaining time that came before the poison wore off, Damien made quick work so as to make sure his prey wouldn't be able to call out for help, run or fight him. Normally he'd enjoy such resistance, but, he really didn't have the time, he had a job to do after all. So, in the 10 mins that he gave himself, Damien carved up the thug like a pig, flaying parts of him, dicing others and overall, just experimenting with the man's body. Noticing that the life had drained from the man's body Damien thought to himself, 'Wonder if their bodies will turn to undead after this?' but after another moment's thought, '....oh well, it's not like they'd be able to move after all I did to them.'
With that, Damien cleans off his blades and leaves the scene, stealthing back into the shadows of the port. 'I'd best start looking for someone with some know how about this place. Wouldn't want to be lost out there.' With such thoughts in mind, Damien set out to locate a guide while their was still light in the sky.
For: Vash
Lesnalore Falsight watched as her fellow adventurers went their separate ways each with their own unique agenda. She very well could have followed them but the woman had her own plans... food. She decided the best place to look was right where she was at. Taking a gander along the Harbor it wasn't long until she stumbled upon what seemed to be a very busy fish market. Being much easier and safer then hunting Dinosaurs seafood was a staple for the islanders. The tender fish tasted much better then rough reptile and one didn't have to leave the walls to get to it. Just pull out your fishing poll and snag a fish right from the docks. Due to the popularity of the Wharf prices were often higher in the fish market during the mornings and panned out in the afternoon. Even with the high price in the morning it was often well worth it as the quality and selection was much better. Snagging herself up some freshly cooked and very tasty Moxie Fish Lesnalore swung her feet over the edge of the docks and listened to the chatter of those around her. (PASSED: Perception Check, RUMOR INCOMING)
For Potato:
Thom Merllin stood up and attempted brush away some of the Dino Dung. It seemed like the bloody Creator was not with him today. How could he be having such bad luck? Or.. perhaps the Creator was trying to give him a hand in its own mysterious way. Deciding to put this thought to the test Thom wandered about the city streets attempting to appear homeless in order to get closer to some of the unsuspecting locals. The plan would have worked... except that Dino Dung stunk. Whenever he rounded a corner locals would cut off mid sentence with disgusted glares directed at Thom. If he attempted to get close the majority of Locals would dash away, suddenly having something more important to do. Not wanting to give up, Thom rounded a corner just as soapy cold water splashed him from head to toes. Looking up, he had just enough time to see another avalanche of water poured over him. Thom was wet, grimy, and smlled like Dino Dung. Could it get any worse? (FAIL: Deception Check)
He decided he had enough for the day. Bloody Hell! Thom rounded a corner with all thought of gathering information gone from his mind. It was when he wasn't seeking out knowledge that he discovered it. At that very moment he heard chatter from an alley way near the Red Bazaar. (PASS: Perception Check. PM coming your way!)
For: Jadyn
At Jadyns continued questioning the Priest did his best to answer it with the only way he knew how. Honesty. It was his job to be honest as High Priest. It was his duty. His requirement. Zitembe smiled at the Cleric and spread his hands widely. (PASS:Persuasion check) “Since you are being honest I shall be honest with you. Death has always been a major issue for this island. It was made even worse when a man thought to raise the undead and utilize it as his own personal army. Since then we have had a never ending tidal wave of undead at the Walls of this great city. Now it will take me some time. Give me 24 hours and I will look into this death curse for you.”
Looking up from her meal (-3sp, -4cp ), Quill smiled widely at the dwarf, swallowing a what of her beverage before extending a hand towards the dwarf. "Well met Gairlik, that's a perfectly lovely name. Does it mean anything nice?" Quill paused considering a moment as to which name to give the company. Other races were....stingy with their names, seemingly content at just one or two of they were feeling fancy, as if one moniker was enough to describe a person. Still it wouldn't do to overwhelm or offend others, nor offer anything to personal, at least not at first. "You can call me Roywna, you know like the tree? Of course, Stronghorn, he's a dwarf who works with my Uncle, he calls me Larunda (occ: ancient Greek meaning Talkitive, chatter), or" adding in slightly accented dwarvish , "Nuisance worse than a fly in my ear, that's what." Returning to common, she laughed brightly, "Which I used to think was quite sweet of him, really, until I learned more dwarvish. Point is, I answer to most anything."
Letting her hand fly in a gesture that took in the inn and the inn keep as well as the town beyond, she continued quite cheerly. "Isn't it just marvelous? All these colors? And the smells? The food is quite good too, at least what I've tasted so far. I've never been this far from home before. Or done anything like this really. Too bad about Uncle, he would have been better suited for this. I'm just an apprentice see, still in training, and all that." A brief worried look flickered in Quill's eyes before being dismissed with an with wave and a wider smile. "That's why it is so nice to meet such nice people! Wasn't the inn keeper simply the sweetest! I just wanted to hug him to bits! " She squeed before looking back towards Gairlik, "I mean to pay back his kindness after my meal. Don't know quite how, not yet, but something is bound to strike me. If nothing else, waiting tables doesn't seem too hard and really it would be the least I could do, don't you think? "
Jadyn took in what the priest had told her. An army of undead... what are the odds that two necromancers recently set up shop in Chult? "I appreciate your honesty. Before I go, can I ask a few more questions? When did this increase in undead start? And do you know where this necromancer is located?" Maybe we can follow the undead back to the source. "Why is he sending the undead here? Is there something in particular he seems to be trying to get?"