The Chronicle Campaign Gameplay - PbP

(OC: is the Merchant making arrangements for the entire party to spend the night or should we do that individually?)

Mobya sits on the wagon with the basket by her side waiting and pondering what she needs to do next.

[I presume he's making arrangements for everyone in his hire, i.e., everyone except Ayra and Wraeven

And what praytel is the merchant saying in post #782?  Ayra might have to cast Comprehend Languages to understand this guy ;)]

Wraeven, as you ponder the strange sensation, which is unusual and would have to indicate some sort of strong resonate magic, you look back again at the line of logs at the edge of the forest which stretch for miles in either direction. and looking back, you see a faint shimmer like the heat of air in desert sunlight and get the sense that some sort of magical wall is connected to the logs themselves.

Mobya, make an insight check to see if you can read the Merchant's intention to any degree.

Agozur, Alesandair, and Wraeven as you stand near the wagons...you begin to smell something stronger than your lack of a bath for a few days, and remember the day-old-dead servant of the Raven Queen at the back of the second wagon.

Ayra, as you walk in to The Clearing's Edge, it appears to be an inn-like establishmnet, but is in some ways less rowdy than a normal tavern. Rather than a series of open tables, each table has room for normal supping but the center of each has a different game present. Some tables with grids of squares or hexagons etched or burned into the grain of the wood, others have rounded divots for placing game pieces into, and some even have a variety of small orbs of various colors or multi-tiered boards with small rough-hewn menageries of figurines. Small wood tablets hang on pegs from the rims of each table spelling out the rules for each game.There is a large plant seeming to grow into the wall of the Edge to your right. Next to the indoor plant is a long bar with a spindly wooden creature made of branches and twigs organizing glasses behind the bar.

By chance is there a guard or an obvious graveyard or church near (don't matter the type of church, all faiths will even suffice)?

20

While fanning at his nose and gesturing towards the cart "Friends I think we should hand this one put to rest finally".

Wraeven to Mobya

When there is a moment that Mobya is not busy Wraeven will check on the younglings. 

"Mobya, I thought I'd bring this to your attention. There is something going on with these trees that have been logged. It is like there is a magical wall connected to a line of logs [my paraphrase of DM description, though not sure if I have it right] Do you know what's going on here? I've never seen logging on such a scale. So many trees gone."

 Wraeven to Agozur

"I agree. Thank you for mentioning it."

Wraeven will ask the inn keeper about any temples in the area.

Ayra is delighted at the sight of the tree-like creature behind the bar.  "Good evening" she begins and proceeds to asks for a room as well as evening and morning meals for both for herself and Wraeven.  After the arrangements are made, she will pause before asking, her eyes bright with wonder "I hope you don't mind my asking...  What kind of creature are you?"

Insight 4

Upon Ayra's request #translation (this is what I get for doing an accent schtick with a main NPC haha)

Merchant's Original text....

"Iffin' yeh beh woonten teh teek keer uhf dat ....uh...peckeege... yeh foont, seh dat cleereek deehr. Lil unt yah two Beehr Boyes, steeye clooseh wit meh."

"If you be wanting to take care of that ...um....package....you found, see that cleric there. Lil and you two Bear Boys, stay with me."

Ayra, the bartender will tap it's arms together and point to the plant in the corner. It will also give you two keys with the common symbols for 32 and 31 etched into them. 

...(will post response to the rest of your all later unless you resolve amongst yourselves before. )

[Also, Ayra, if you wanted to, you really could cast comprehend languages, hahaha. Might make my job easier temporarily if in heavy dialogue moment.]

Agozur (I think you were doing a perception check), of the four buildings. One is The Clearing's Edge, another the ramshackle hut with the wood-etched symbol above it, the third appears to be a stable of sorts, and the last is hard to discern exactly, but might be large residence?

Wraeven as you step into the Edge, you see the various tables and a few robed patrons, Ayra is just finishing up at the bar with the branch and twig creature. When you ask about temples, the creature will raise a woven-branched arm and point to the left. The same direction as the small hut with the etched wood ideograph over it. 

Mobya, as you piece together what Wraeven has described, you deduce from what you know about the use of plants in various spells, that sometimes trees can be used to harness magical energy. As you also look at the row of lines, you note the logs are surprising uniform. Thus, it could be the case that the logs are acting as a way to concentrate, harness, or contain magical energy.

Following suit and entering the Edge, Alesandair's attention is captured by a group playing one of the games. After Walking up to the barkeep and requesting a room for the evening, a small meal, and two drinks I will walk over and hand one of the drinks to Agozur for removing the harpy from his chest the previous night. "Ain't much for now, but i still owe you a large favor, comrade." 

Alesandairs attention quickly returns to that of the games being played and he observes very acutely the one with the colored orbs while reading the rules.

The branched bartender [btw, anyone in the room can do a nature check to see if they recognize the type of creature] will point to the Merchant when you mention a room and wave you off, but when you ask for food, it will mime lifting a cup to drink and tap it's arm once and point to a lineup of coins embedded in the bartop, it looks like he rests a twig on the silver coin.

Ayra looks on with continued wonder as the tree creature interacts with her companions.
Nature 6 (to identify the type of creature :) - lol or not)

When Wraeven enters she gives him one of the room keys.

Not knowing where to go with the corpse Agozur will also enter the building Arya and Wraeven went into. Seeing the tree creature Agozur will ignore all else going on around him and go up to it "Ahhhh it's been a while since I've seen something like you, how are you friend? My family had many  plants we called friends back home." Taking a moment he will reminisce quietly to himself about home and... her.

(He's using "Speech of beast and leaf - You have the ability to communicate in a limited manner with beasts and plants. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in return. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them.")

14 Nature
OOC: I'm assuming that 14 is enough to know that they're some kind of living and/or animated tree/shrub kind of deal so I'm just going with it, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Feeling uneasy about the magic-containing trees, and looking around and finding herself alone outside with the wagons and the babies while everyone else is attending to one business or another, Mobya decides to strap the basket to her back, gets down from the wagon and hitch the horse to the hitching post. Still outside and keeping her eyes on the wagons, she walks a little closer to the entrance, stands by the wall, and looks around the property as she waits for someone to return.

Perception check: 6

[I think Wraeven was directed to the small hut, when he asked about a temple]

to Ayra "Thank you for the key. I'm going to that small building over there to inquire about  cleric services for the body. I will catch up with you after a bit if you want or you can come along, either is fine."

Wraeven will approach the hut, knock on the door and enter if no one answers it [if it looks open]

Ayra, it is clearly made of branches, with your 6. All that time spent in the Upper Spires didn't really give you a lot of nature experiences.

Agozur, you recognize this creature behind the bar as a twig blight. Hearing your words, It nods at you and curls some twigs at the end of a branch, lifting its "hand" in a twiggy version of a knuckle bump.

[busy day today, home inspection and escrow money and work... sorry for delaying, but I'll get to the rest as soon as I can. It should level out soon.]

Agozur will carefully return the bump with a smile "You have a fine establishment little one." before turning and returning to his compatriots "I'll be staying will Lil and the carts tonight if you need me"