Sword Coast Rambling

OOC: Hmm, I have you at 910xp total. 

Defeating Redbrands in square - Brots and Beetle 140xp, 
Redbrand Hideout -
Defeating Nothic - 90xp each
Bugbear and redbrands - 210xp each 
Redbrand Guards - 60xp each
Crypt and Jail - 110xp each
Returning Prisoners - 20xp each
Taking Glasstaff to sildar - 40xp each for defeating, 40xp each for trial

Dealing with Agatha - 40xp each
Zombies and Wizard - 160XP each

In the habit of putting these together as we go so unless you've missed one of these you should be good to level up

Running Totals for the rest of you incase you want to check too:

Beetle 1335
Brots- 910
Serak 1285
Syna 1335
Zyltris 1235

Serak: As he watches the final undead fall, Serak says, "Well fought, my friends! A Red Wizard of Thay is no easy opponent, though this one seems more inept than most." 

Approaching the Wizard once again, the bard grabs him by his red robe and drags him into the tower. Ungagging the bound mage, he says, "Try anything and Zyltris will finish the job he started on your skull."

Drawing his rapier, he presses the razor sharp tip against the Wizard's throat and demands, "Now, start talking. Who are you and what are you doing here? What do you know of the orcs in the area?"

Intimidation: 10

Beetle moves in behind the bard and says "Answer my friends questions..."

Intimidation: 20

The wizard stumbles as Serak pushes him forcefully into the ruined tower. Its interior walls covered in long white scratch marks from the claws of the zombie hoard. Terror widens the magicians eyes as the bard draws his blade. As Beetle steps in behind a dampness seeps through the bright red cloak, turning it a much deeper shade.

"H... Hamun.... Hamun Kost sir. Please.... I don't mean you..... I don't mean you any harm." Hamun stutters, gripped by fear but manages to forces the words out, "I.... I'm only an apprentice w...wizard... Mr Modar sent me here to investigate this old place. See about what arcane secrets it holds. But the orcs..... " He glances over at Zyltris and spots the elf picking a long strand of zombie brain from his morningstar, "The orcs are relentless. These zombies were protecting me while I worked here. But now.... You butchered them all! I'm sorry if I... if I've troubled you Sirs. If you release me I won't be a bother to anyone please?" Hamun pleads desperately with his captors, but truly he knows his fate has already been sealed. His attackers actions have made that quite clear.

Brots, while all this is going on is going to go from corpse to corpse to collect his arrows and see what they might have, focusing on the one that had the necklace on.

Serak: Pressing the blade slightly harder against his throat, Serak asks, "Are you alone? We're a thousand leagues from Thay. Where is your master? What secrets have you uncovered so far? What did your Master's expect to find here?"

Satisfied the wizard is scared enough to tell the truth Beetle looks around the tower a bit, checks the stairs and see if anything went up them as far as they go..

(OOC: I am going to be going the Beast Master archetype, and will get my beast companion during our next long rest if that is OK with you.)

As the interrogation continues, Brots busies himself with the lifeless zombie corpses. Though they contain nothing of real value, the gnome is both impressed and slightly concerned at the range of races that the wizard has assembled. Orc, Elf, Goblin and Human all in various states of decay and all part of the same hoard. Brots wanders what kind of life they had once lived as he checks each one carefully. One by one he tries to place them in every day situations, this one clearly a strong orc chieftain of some kind, another a fair maiden... probably an elven princess from a distant woodland. The final zombie he looks over, was apparantly the luckiest of them all. Though Syna has taken his Coin of Tymora already, its luck had clearly permeated into his death.

Meanwhile inside the tower, Beetle climbs the short stone staircase that winds around the north east part of the tower. Once he is about 15 feet above the ground level the stairs suddenly stop, coming level with the curved tower wall. From here the paladin is able to look over the surrounding hillside from the relative cover of the wall. The rolling hills and fields around are quiet and empty, although he can't quite shake the feeling that out there somewhere he is being watched. From his vantage point he can clearly here the wizard speaking up again, panic stricken but compliant nevertheless.

"Y... yes sir I am alone here. At least I.... I am now. I... I don't know where they are. They sent me here alone and were supposed to me.... meet me in a town around here in a f..f.. few months." The clear smell of urine now wafts around the tower,. Hamun gulps hard, "This tower.... this tower was supposed to be an ancient watch tower thousands of years ago, protected by magic. Lege... legends have it that a dragon attacked the tower and... well.... it's not standing any longer. But I can't....  even... find out who built it. The orcs took all the materials I had found here, you destroyed my hoard..... n.... now I have nothing. Mr Modar won't stand for this! I'm as g... good as dead." His eyes water. The young bald headed wizard pleads once more with his captors, "Please. Please let me go. I'll go back to Thay I promise. Please."

OOC: Suits me fine Brots. Something else for me to worry about lol

Syna examines the coin charm he has picked up:

Investigation: 7

Religion: 5

Syna rolls the golden coin around his knuckles playfully. It’s bright metallic surface catches the light of the campfire and reflects it brightly. On one side of the coin is the engraved face of Tymora, The Lady of Luck. She is surrounded by several shamrocks arching around her head. 

Though usually worshipped by Halflings and gamblers, Tymora has followers of all kinds across Faerun. The coins themselves are often used in many superstitious ways. Some give the coins to the poor to boost their own luck, others gamble with them. Some keep the coin with them to ward off misfortune.

Despite the coins gleaming metal, it shows its age. Centuries of rubbing the coin for luck have all but faded the etched markings on the opposite side. Such a pretty thing though. Discarding it would be such a shame. 

Serak: Sensing this poor fool is simply in over his head, Serak feels almost sorry for the Wizard. Sheathing his rapier, he says in a sympathetic voice, "You are an evil wizard of Thay, but... you've committed no crime. I suspect your Master's punishment will be far worse than anything Sildar could dream up. You shall remain our prisoner until we decide what to do with you. Attempt escape and your death is certain."

Preparing to take first watch, Serak casts Detect Magic as a ritual and searches the immediate area. He examines the coin and pays special attention to the well, peering into its depths.

Perception: 16

With his ritual cast, Serak begins his investigation of the courtyard. A faint purple aura catches his eye through the fabric of the wizards tent. Lifting the fabric door, Serak finds himself in a comfortable traveling suite, including a cot, a chair, a writing desk, supplies, and a chest of clothes. Following the pinkish glow to the chest beneath the desk, he finds a small leather bag containing 5 platinum, 20 gold, 20 electrum and 35 silver pieces (16gp, 7sp each) as well as a single pearl and a potion of healing. Finally finding the source of the aura, the bard pulls out two further items.

One, a small ringbox reveals a blue glow as he opens it revealing it as an item of abjuration. Inside a ring made from ancient Netheril, bearing  a small silver shield on its head. The second item, a long tube of bone, contains a scroll, with a faint red glow. Knowing this to mean the item is one of Evocation, Serak tries to distinguish what secrets it holds. Sadly the text is illegible.

Satisfied that the tent holds no more secrets, the bard stops at the well on his way back to the tower. Glancing into the darkness, he hears the faint trickle of fresh running water and is quietly impressed, half expecting a well as old as this to be long dried up. With nothing else of note, Seraks final duty before taking watch is a quick inspection of Synas coin. The metal glows faintly with a golden brown hue, leading the bard to suspect it to hold some kind of transmutation magic. The symbol of the reverse of the coin is hard to make out. Years of rubbing have worn the image away, but catching it in the firelight he can make out the outline - another face, or a shamrock? Truly it is difficult to tell, but he hopes the token will bring them luck on their travels. Returning the coin to Syna, he pats the druid on the shoulder before settling in for the night.

Do you have our latest hp? And I assume we want to take a rest here?

OOC: Not handy. Although the last map will have the latest Hp numbers, no damage was taken after that was posted.

Wont matter with a long rest though, I’m sure that’s the plan atm

Stars sail overhead as the few remaining hours of the night pass quietly. Sitting on a boulder just inside the broken tower wall, Serak has a perfect view of the courtyard. The campfire, long extinguished by the party for safety, sends smoke over the wizards tent as it gently flaps in the peaceful breeze. Not a creature stirs in the ruin as the night wears on, although Serak can’t shake the feeling that they are not alone here. Spirits or his imagination, either way he cannot let his guard slip. 

When dawn breaks the party wake feeling refreshed. The rain clouds have finally passed, leaving the sky above them clear and bright. A perfect summers morning. As the group tuni into a quick breakfast they begin organising themselves for the day ahead. In the daylight, the tracks they had been following the night before reveal themselves once more, heading southwards to the cairn in the distance.

OOC: That is a long rest, assuming you guys were planning that. If you’re heading south I’m guessing it’ll be a similar marching order again? There’s also the wizard issue to deal with.

OOC: yeah I think we needed a long rest we pretty much blew everything that fight...and yes the regular marching order is good...

Syna retreats into a quiet area and begins to meditate and prepare his spells...

Brots will dissapear into the forest for a little bit to find his best companion. He'll be gone for a little bit before returning with a Blood Hawk on his shoulder. (OOC: If that's ok with you DM)

Serak: Awakening the next morning, Serak searches Kost before ungagging him.

Perception: 18

Taking his staff, component pouch, Spellbook and any other magic he possesses, he then says, "Before we decide what to do with you, tell us what you know of this ring."