Between bites of cured meats and cheese, and loud gulps of ale, Jorin finally manages, "Aye, I think this a good fit. Will you be joining us on the trip back to Waterdeep, or do you expect your tasks here to take a little longer?"
He sits back in his chair, casts one arm over the backrest and the other rests comfortably on the giant belt around his waist. He wears it over top his tunic like the title-belt of a gladiator. With a grand smile, he looks to Drusk and asks, "So friend, how does the Road's End coffer look, how close to the goal are we?"
Even with Drusk's urging, Quillary distances herself a little from the group's revelry about the gold acquired for the tavern-bistro. She smiles when a joke gets told, and nods when people include her in the conversation, but she seems a bit withdrawn. Even when a small rat crawls out of her hat and scurries across the floor, upending patrons and causing screams, she only just sort of cracks a smile. "Nothing's wrong," she'll say. "Just tired."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Nightal 21 - Zombie mystery solved, "would've gotten away with it, if it wasn't for you meddling kids adventurers". Dinner at the Stone Stallion.
Nightal 22 - Wagon ride back to Waterdeep
Nightall 23 - Arrive at Trollskull Alley, at the Road's End Manor
Fanny will arrive in a ten-day. Marigold makes arrangement for a special box, which will transport Poita to the manor. Fanny can carry it.
(Poita is a very old ghost. Has intelligence and some personality, but not the consciousness of a live person. Having work to do around the manor, and a decent place to haunt, will make her happier than being around Marigold all the time.)
On the 22nd, the wagon shows up, with Stinky Pete driving it. Drusk will have none of it. (He was stuck next to Pete for half the previous trip.) Drusk digs out a few gold coins, and talks to the transport officer. The party will be on a different wagon, and it is a "red-eye". The ride will be unpleasant, crowded, and continuing through the night. On the other hand, you will be back in Waterdeep faster than the conventional wagon transport.
The party arrives back at the manor on the 23rd, bleary eyed and with a level of exhaustion. But it is nothing a good nights sleep won't fix. Meetings and tasks are set up for the next day. (OOC: Let me know if there are any objections to the meetings, or other things on your to-do list.)
Jorin - Through his contacts at the blacksmith's, will arrange for work groups to do repairs on the manor, especially the 1st floor area that will become the restaurant. Also, Jorin wants some time at the forge to make the most bad-ass kitchen knife Pascal will ever see.
Hildigrim - Meet with a representative of the guild "Fellowship of Innkeepers", which is necessary to run a restaurant in the North Ward. Also wants to spend some down time, reading his books.
Drusk - Meet with a representative of the guild "Vintners’, Distillers’, and Brewers’ Guild", since there will be a bar with the restaurant. Drusk has also been working at another tavern, to learn how to be a brewer, so will be going there to put in some work hours.
Pascal - Meet with representatives of the guild "Guild of Butchers", "Guild of Bakers", and "Guild of Gardeners", about getting a regular supply of food for the restaurant.
Quillary - Has withdrawn a bit, getting used to the strange new house. Seems disinterested in doing errands to get the tavern ready. After she gets her equipment settled, she wants to visit and spend time in the ward "City of the Dead", to the south of the North Ward.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
All of his reminiscing about Waterdeep to Quillary has also made Hildi a little homesick, so he'll head home one day to visit with the family and catch them up on all their adventures. He, of course, offers to the others that they can accompany him if they wish.
Point of order: has Quillary’s shrub Awakened yet?
(OOC: I was going to do that after she settled in, and before she went to the City of the Dead. Let's do it now.)
The first day after arriving at the manor, Quillary puts the pot of awakening (she got from the druid Llyneth) near the front door of the tavern area. As she is watering it with the artistic clay watering can (she got from Regis). As she puts down the watering can, the shrub swells larger, then breaks the pot and starts moving around. After walking in circles, it then stands next to Quillary's leg, waiting for instructions.
No one else hears anything. Maybe Quillary is imagining it. But she thought she heard a soft voice from the awakened shrub: "I am Twigroot." She listens, but doesn't hear it again.
(Quillary can add the awakened shrub to the Extras. Your choice of "pet" or "sidekick".)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
I also forgot that Hildi has two books at The Charred Remains: the red leather diary written in Elvish full of codes and gibberish, and Mrs. Brinarei's book of magic. He'd definitely want to go by there to find out what they found out.
(There didn't seem to be objections about the list in post 2612, so I'll move forward. There is a lot, so take your time to read the stuff related to your character and what is happening to the others)
Jorin is able to hire repair crew to fix up the manor and get the ground floor ready to be a bistro. However... it costs 1000 GP and will take 12 days to finish. They will start on the 25th Nightal, and continue through the 7th Hammer. That is 13 days, because Wintershield (new year's day) is a day off.
Jorin takes 5 days to create a glorious kitchen knife for Pascal. (If he wishes, Jorin can describe the labor that went into it, and a description of the finished product. At that time, Jorin should remove the custom metal powder from his inventory, and Pascal should add a dagger with the "Adamantine" box checked.)
Hildigrim meets with Broxley, a male strongheart halfling who is a member of the guild "Fellowship of Innkeepers". He makes small talk about being a father of nine, and that sometimes keeping other innkeepers the North Ward to behave is more trouble than his kids. He is will point out that not being a guild member will make running the bistro a "hassle", and that continued compliance with guild rules and regulations makes his rather difficult life “just a bitty bit easier.”
Hildigrim is still uncertain what that book of codes and gibberish is about. Retroactively, he sold off Brinarei's book of magic to Marigold, before you left Amphail. The book was entirely about necromancy. While interesting, in an academic sense, the subject was not to Hildigrim's liking. Marigold was more interested, and was willing to trade a bunch of IOUs from the Charred Remains that she had stacked up. (Marigold provided a group of "workers" to help clean up parts of that store.) (If he wishes, Hildigrim can mention what he acquired at the bookstore.)
Drusk meets with Hammond Kraddoc, a male Illusion human who is a member of the "Vintners’, Distillers’, and Brewers’ Guild", along with his secretary Jinny (young female tiefling) who is taking notes. Kraddoc plans to stop by monthly, to mention which brands of drinks the bistro should be pushing, as Hammond is considers himself a wine/liquor critic.
Drusk continues his work at the other tavern, but it will be many weeks until he learns to be a brewer. (This is a downtime activity to learn a new skill.)
Pascal meets with the various food vendors, and knows who to contact for supplies when the restaurant opens. (If he wishes, Pascal can mention how the restaurant preparations are going.)
Pascal meets the last person. Justyn Rassk is from the "Guild of Butchers". He is a dead-eyed, slack-jawed male Illuskan human. While getting out the guild paperwork to be signed, he starts telling Pascal a bunch of his personal details. (Grew up in the toughest part of Field Ward, pointing to his scars, saying it must be really nice to have enough platinum in your coin pouch to afford living in North Ward.) When Pascal (with his lizardfolk mentality) is uninterested in Justyn's personal life, Justyn sulks... Although delivery charges are part of the guild dues, and clearly mentioned in the contract, Justyn mentions that he expects a few more gold in his palm whenever he is doing the delivery. After all, there are plenty of places to get meat, and "maybe in the next delivery, the meat will be someone you know.”
Quillary should mention what she wants her awakened shrub to do while she is gone. (Guarding the rooms upstairs, or by the entrance of the 1st floor, for example.)
Quillary walks to the City of the Dead during the daytime, which is a decent walk to the south. While there, she overhears the CotD gate guards talking (high Perception and Insight comes in handy). They are trying to find additional security for the owl shift. A rogue (not a Rogue) necromancer has been sneaking around the graveyard, and creating skeletons... Long story short, she gets a temp job offer. If she patrol the grounds from dusk to dawn for the next 10 nights (including the new year), she will get 10 GP (+ lifestyle expenses) and what is essentially a "gate pass" to visit the CotD whenever she wants. (If she wishes, Quillary can mention her time at the CotD. She does crush a few errant skeletons during her guard shifts, but nothing that is a threat to her 5th level Druid.)
Drusk has used the party funds to pay the 1K gold to get repairs started and completed.
Drusk mentions the party should look for some more paying adventurer jobs before the restaurant opens. Before it opens, it will cost another 250 gold for initial guild fees and other expenses. Once the restaurant is running, it will cost 60 GP per ten-day for maintenance, wages, and guild fees. Most weeks, the restaurant will show a profit or break even, but there needs to be enough money handy to cover the bad weeks.
(The party could get a loan from Neverember. But the loan terms are rather harsh, and the contract has several ways where the nobleman could take over ownership of the manor. Drusk thinks life will be simpler if they can pay things themselves.)
(OOC: This is a chance for everyone to do a little role-playing and creative writing. This is the day-in-the-life going on, while getting the Road's End ready for business; a short interlude before the next adventure starts. We can keep the character banter and life events going, until the group is ready to move on.)
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
The steel shown red-hot as it absorbed hammer blows and drips of sweat from Jorin’s brow. After the second day, the blade had taken its rough shape – eight inches length, plus the tang, with a straight spine and very gently curved belly.
By morning’s end on the third day, Jorin had worked the shape to perfection, adding an asymmetric and thinned point. In the afternoon, he visited various wood workers looking for the correct piece of cherry to use as the handle. After several hours he had selected a fine piece from Woodrow Hard’s Hardwoods and More, a supplier he had heard of during his ship crewing days.
The forth day he spent shaping the wood into the handle – trimming it down to fit the length of the tang, sanding the edges into an octagonal shape, and working a light stain and seal that would keep the wood from absorbing moisture in the kitchen.
The fifth day was reserved for final sharpening and consecration. The blade was left unpolished and rough hammered near the spine, giving the look of a dark riverbed. He worked a foot powered sanding belt on the lower part of the blade so that is gleamed a bright silvery blue towards the belly. He then took to the whetstone to add the final, lethal edge.
Coating a soft cloth in oil, he wiped each side eight times and then eight times again with a dry towel, leaving the knife glistening with a thin coat of the protective fluid. He spoke in the guttural language of his tribe as he did this, beseeching The Eight to bless the blade and hold its user in their eye. No bit of produce, no tomato, no onion would defy the keen edge of this knife – nor would any unruly Road’s End patron for that matter.
On the sixth day , with the knife oiled and set in a leather saya, he presented it to Pascal.
OOC: Would the Road's End be the guild member, or does one or more of the characters need to become guild members of the guilds? As Hildigrim is seeing the Road's End as just a kind of home base, and doesn't plan to spend much time there running the place, he would be reluctant to be "the guild member" with any of the guilds if that's the way it's done.
Hildigrim immediately returns to the Charred Remains to check on the two books he left. Turns out Mrs. Brinarei's book of magic is just her spell book. "Morbid person," Reelum Bookwright, the spry female gnome who works at the Charred Remains, notes. It has a selection of first level necromancy spells. Reelum comments on how the owner took a lot of notes about speaking with, and/or bringing back the dead. Hildigrim takes the book back, a little disappointed, as he has little to no interest in necromancy. But after a little while of contemplation, Hildigrim contacts Marigold to see if she would be interested in acquiring the spell book, which she is. She offers Hildigrim a number of Charred Remains IOUs in exchange. While Mrs. Brinarei was only in his life a short amount of time, being the sentimental halfling he is, Hildigrim almost feels like he's selfishly betraying the tiefling by entertaining the idea of "selling" her spell book. In the end, he realizes his hesitation is, in a way, selfish as well. He agrees and sends the dark leather-bound book to the necromancer.
He visits The Charred Remains again after receiving the IOUs from Marigold and is told he can pick out a number of things. He selects a scroll of comprehend languages to copy into his spell book, a back-up spell book, and enough parchment and magic inks to duplicate his spell book, including the new spell. His last selection is a brand new journal full of empty, thirsty pages. In a way, this is more exciting to him than his new spell or backup spell book.
He also picks up the leather diary written in Elvish and full of codes and gibberish from the Charred Remains. This book is still a mystery. A fascinating mystery, Reelum says. She tells Hildigrim that it took some doing for her to get that book back from the people she showed it to, but the owner of the Charred Remains (she declined to tell him who that is) interceded. She doesn't have anymore information, but says to check back later, and she'll tell the halfling if there are any updates.
Hildigrim is pleased to hear Jorin wants to visit the Goodbody household with him, and they make a date to go the next week. Hildigrim mails his mother a note of warning.
Pascal, meanwhile, blinks at the human. So far, the guilt trip has been largely ineffective against, you know, a lizard that grew up in an actual swamp. At the mention of his possible friends ending up in the meat delivery, Pascal waves his hand, “No, no. Listen, I cherish my friends very much, but... eh...” He leans in close a hand covering his mouth, “They ain’t the best quality, you know? Food wouldn’t taste right.”He stands back up, “Besides, while I appreciate ya offer for a little extra supplies, I just wouldn’t feel right bribin’ ya. Just the usual spread should be fine. Pork, beef, chicken, all that. If I be needin’ humans or the like, I’ll drop on by.”
Unfortunately, threatening a creature that regularly eats humans/the like, with such things seems to go over poorly. Pascal has interpreted this as a bonus offer.
Quillary is quite chuffed when shown Ilena's room, as it sits alone at the top of the structure, across the hall from the attic storage. The two big windows to the north let in plenty of light, and she puts her meager belongings down on the floor. "This will do well," she says to herself.
Over the next few days, she introduces everyone to Twigroot. "Fortunately they appears to understand Common," she says. "It was that or the language of the First Things (Primordial), and I thought that might limit them. If it is okay, I'll give them leave to stay in the common area, perhaps they can visit the greenhouse I see across the alley? I'll introduce them to the owner. But I would like everyone to treat them as were they a friend or patron, or as we treat Lif or Poitra, a living creature that will develop their own desires and interests." She crouches down to the small shrub and breathes on it. "They might like a song, I suppose."
Quillary also starts to spend evenings and nights away from the Road's End, sleeping much of the early part of the day, and emerging for afternoons and early evening before leaving again. She takes Twigroot occasionally, but often leaves them at the Road's End.
A few days later, she corner'sHildi over dinnertime. "I would pay my fee for staying in your building," she says. "How much would it be? I have been earning coin."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
Unfortunately, threatening a creature that regularly eats humans/the like, with such things seems to go over poorly. Pascal has interpreted this as a bonus offer.
(Pascal has DM Inspiration. Add the "sunrise" to your character sheet.)
Early during Pascal's response, Justyn get red-faced and shows his anger to try to intimidate Pascal. But when he realizes this isn't working, and he starts to understand how terrifying Pascal's calm words are, Justyn becomes confused and cowed. (I am imagining Pascal as Hannibal Lector in "Silence of the Lambs", talking about liver and fava beans.)
When Pascal relates the meeting to the party later in the day, the consensus is to double check any deliveries made by Justyn for the foreseeable future, to make sure he abides by the contract.
OOC: Would the Road's End be the guild member, or does one or more of the characters need to become guild members of the guilds? As Hildigrim is seeing the Road's End as just a kind of home base, and doesn't plan to spend much time there running the place, he would be reluctant to be "the guild member" with any of the guilds if that's the way it's done.
...
Hildigrim is pleased to hear Jorin wants to visit the Goodbody household with him, and they make a date to go the next week. Hildigrim mails his mother a note of warning.
(It is more that the Road's End will be in the travel brochures as part of an accredited hospitality organization, and not that guild members are expected to have secret meetings and strange handshakes. So everyone is registered with the guilds, but only while they are managing the Road's End. The fees are to pay for health and safety inspectors, and the like.)
Drusk mentions that Hildigrim should invite everyone for the trip. Maybe on Wintershield? Less than a ten-day away, but it would be after Jorin finishes the smithing on Pascal's kitchen knife.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
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I’m in favor of hiring her. She fits the classic aesthetic, so I approve haha
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
Hildigrim doesn't have a problem with it.
Between bites of cured meats and cheese, and loud gulps of ale, Jorin finally manages, "Aye, I think this a good fit. Will you be joining us on the trip back to Waterdeep, or do you expect your tasks here to take a little longer?"
He sits back in his chair, casts one arm over the backrest and the other rests comfortably on the giant belt around his waist. He wears it over top his tunic like the title-belt of a gladiator. With a grand smile, he looks to Drusk and asks, "So friend, how does the Road's End coffer look, how close to the goal are we?"
Even with Drusk's urging, Quillary distances herself a little from the group's revelry about the gold acquired for the tavern-bistro. She smiles when a joke gets told, and nods when people include her in the conversation, but she seems a bit withdrawn. Even when a small rat crawls out of her hat and scurries across the floor, upending patrons and causing screams, she only just sort of cracks a smile. "Nothing's wrong," she'll say. "Just tired."
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
OoC - aww, sad Quillary...
(Hmm... timeline...)
kidsadventurers". Dinner at the Stone Stallion.Fanny will arrive in a ten-day. Marigold makes arrangement for a special box, which will transport Poita to the manor. Fanny can carry it.
(Poita is a very old ghost. Has intelligence and some personality, but not the consciousness of a live person. Having work to do around the manor, and a decent place to haunt, will make her happier than being around Marigold all the time.)
On the 22nd, the wagon shows up, with Stinky Pete driving it. Drusk will have none of it. (He was stuck next to Pete for half the previous trip.) Drusk digs out a few gold coins, and talks to the transport officer. The party will be on a different wagon, and it is a "red-eye". The ride will be unpleasant, crowded, and continuing through the night. On the other hand, you will be back in Waterdeep faster than the conventional wagon transport.
The party arrives back at the manor on the 23rd, bleary eyed and with a level of exhaustion. But it is nothing a good nights sleep won't fix. Meetings and tasks are set up for the next day. (OOC: Let me know if there are any objections to the meetings, or other things on your to-do list.)
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Point of order: has Quillary’s shrub Awakened yet?
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
All of his reminiscing about Waterdeep to Quillary has also made Hildi a little homesick, so he'll head home one day to visit with the family and catch them up on all their adventures. He, of course, offers to the others that they can accompany him if they wish.
(OOC: I was going to do that after she settled in, and before she went to the City of the Dead. Let's do it now.)
The first day after arriving at the manor, Quillary puts the pot of awakening (she got from the druid Llyneth) near the front door of the tavern area. As she is watering it with the artistic clay watering can (she got from Regis). As she puts down the watering can, the shrub swells larger, then breaks the pot and starts moving around. After walking in circles, it then stands next to Quillary's leg, waiting for instructions.
No one else hears anything. Maybe Quillary is imagining it. But she thought she heard a soft voice from the awakened shrub: "I am Twigroot." She listens, but doesn't hear it again.
(Quillary can add the awakened shrub to the Extras. Your choice of "pet" or "sidekick".)
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
OoC - Yesssss, finally knife time!
Jorin would love to accompany Hildigrim home and meet his family, if there is a break in the forge-work that would allow for it.
I also forgot that Hildi has two books at The Charred Remains: the red leather diary written in Elvish full of codes and gibberish, and Mrs. Brinarei's book of magic. He'd definitely want to go by there to find out what they found out.
(There didn't seem to be objections about the list in post 2612, so I'll move forward. There is a lot, so take your time to read the stuff related to your character and what is happening to the others)
Drusk has used the party funds to pay the 1K gold to get repairs started and completed.
Drusk mentions the party should look for some more paying adventurer jobs before the restaurant opens. Before it opens, it will cost another 250 gold for initial guild fees and other expenses. Once the restaurant is running, it will cost 60 GP per ten-day for maintenance, wages, and guild fees. Most weeks, the restaurant will show a profit or break even, but there needs to be enough money handy to cover the bad weeks.
(The party could get a loan from Neverember. But the loan terms are rather harsh, and the contract has several ways where the nobleman could take over ownership of the manor. Drusk thinks life will be simpler if they can pay things themselves.)
(OOC: This is a chance for everyone to do a little role-playing and creative writing. This is the day-in-the-life going on, while getting the Road's End ready for business; a short interlude before the next adventure starts. We can keep the character banter and life events going, until the group is ready to move on.)
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
Ooo, an adamantine dagger! I shall write up an appropriate narrative for such a construction and post it later today!
The steel shown red-hot as it absorbed hammer blows and drips of sweat from Jorin’s brow. After the second day, the blade had taken its rough shape – eight inches length, plus the tang, with a straight spine and very gently curved belly.
By morning’s end on the third day, Jorin had worked the shape to perfection, adding an asymmetric and thinned point. In the afternoon, he visited various wood workers looking for the correct piece of cherry to use as the handle. After several hours he had selected a fine piece from Woodrow Hard’s Hardwoods and More, a supplier he had heard of during his ship crewing days.
The forth day he spent shaping the wood into the handle – trimming it down to fit the length of the tang, sanding the edges into an octagonal shape, and working a light stain and seal that would keep the wood from absorbing moisture in the kitchen.
The fifth day was reserved for final sharpening and consecration. The blade was left unpolished and rough hammered near the spine, giving the look of a dark riverbed. He worked a foot powered sanding belt on the lower part of the blade so that is gleamed a bright silvery blue towards the belly. He then took to the whetstone to add the final, lethal edge.
Coating a soft cloth in oil, he wiped each side eight times and then eight times again with a dry towel, leaving the knife glistening with a thin coat of the protective fluid. He spoke in the guttural language of his tribe as he did this, beseeching The Eight to bless the blade and hold its user in their eye. No bit of produce, no tomato, no onion would defy the keen edge of this knife – nor would any unruly Road’s End patron for that matter.
On the sixth day , with the knife oiled and set in a leather saya, he presented it to Pascal.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Nj3ah4tNhJ_CWwSNmQsO_RX0pS8LxL5p/view?usp=drivesdk
OOC: Would the Road's End be the guild member, or does one or more of the characters need to become guild members of the guilds? As Hildigrim is seeing the Road's End as just a kind of home base, and doesn't plan to spend much time there running the place, he would be reluctant to be "the guild member" with any of the guilds if that's the way it's done.
Hildigrim immediately returns to the Charred Remains to check on the two books he left. Turns out Mrs. Brinarei's book of magic is just her spell book. "Morbid person," Reelum Bookwright, the spry female gnome who works at the Charred Remains, notes. It has a selection of first level necromancy spells. Reelum comments on how the owner took a lot of notes about speaking with, and/or bringing back the dead. Hildigrim takes the book back, a little disappointed, as he has little to no interest in necromancy. But after a little while of contemplation, Hildigrim contacts Marigold to see if she would be interested in acquiring the spell book, which she is. She offers Hildigrim a number of Charred Remains IOUs in exchange. While Mrs. Brinarei was only in his life a short amount of time, being the sentimental halfling he is, Hildigrim almost feels like he's selfishly betraying the tiefling by entertaining the idea of "selling" her spell book. In the end, he realizes his hesitation is, in a way, selfish as well. He agrees and sends the dark leather-bound book to the necromancer.
He visits The Charred Remains again after receiving the IOUs from Marigold and is told he can pick out a number of things. He selects a scroll of comprehend languages to copy into his spell book, a back-up spell book, and enough parchment and magic inks to duplicate his spell book, including the new spell. His last selection is a brand new journal full of empty, thirsty pages. In a way, this is more exciting to him than his new spell or backup spell book.
He also picks up the leather diary written in Elvish and full of codes and gibberish from the Charred Remains. This book is still a mystery. A fascinating mystery, Reelum says. She tells Hildigrim that it took some doing for her to get that book back from the people she showed it to, but the owner of the Charred Remains (she declined to tell him who that is) interceded. She doesn't have anymore information, but says to check back later, and she'll tell the halfling if there are any updates.
Hildigrim is pleased to hear Jorin wants to visit the Goodbody household with him, and they make a date to go the next week. Hildigrim mails his mother a note of warning.
OoC - a note of *warning* lol. Jorin will be in his best behavior!
Pascal, meanwhile, blinks at the human. So far, the guilt trip has been largely ineffective against, you know, a lizard that grew up in an actual swamp. At the mention of his possible friends ending up in the meat delivery, Pascal waves his hand, “No, no. Listen, I cherish my friends very much, but... eh...” He leans in close a hand covering his mouth, “They ain’t the best quality, you know? Food wouldn’t taste right.” He stands back up, “Besides, while I appreciate ya offer for a little extra supplies, I just wouldn’t feel right bribin’ ya. Just the usual spread should be fine. Pork, beef, chicken, all that. If I be needin’ humans or the like, I’ll drop on by.”
Unfortunately, threatening a creature that regularly eats humans/the like, with such things seems to go over poorly. Pascal has interpreted this as a bonus offer.
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
Meanwhile! Once Pascal gets his knife, he is *very* pleased with it!
DM - Elustran Days ~ Fate/False Revelation
Rex'aliha - Hoard of the Dragon Queen ~ Mozu of Worms - The Stormpoint Mountains ~ Muireach Maon - Shepherd’s Crossing ~ Crownsguard - Storm King’s Thunder ~ Gunnar Wayland - Boats, Rocks, and Ruffians ~ POUF! - Ex-Ravens ~ Pascal LaRoux - Long Road Dragon Heist
Quillary is quite chuffed when shown Ilena's room, as it sits alone at the top of the structure, across the hall from the attic storage. The two big windows to the north let in plenty of light, and she puts her meager belongings down on the floor. "This will do well," she says to herself.
Over the next few days, she introduces everyone to Twigroot. "Fortunately they appears to understand Common," she says. "It was that or the language of the First Things (Primordial), and I thought that might limit them. If it is okay, I'll give them leave to stay in the common area, perhaps they can visit the greenhouse I see across the alley? I'll introduce them to the owner. But I would like everyone to treat them as were they a friend or patron, or as we treat Lif or Poitra, a living creature that will develop their own desires and interests." She crouches down to the small shrub and breathes on it. "They might like a song, I suppose."
Quillary also starts to spend evenings and nights away from the Road's End, sleeping much of the early part of the day, and emerging for afternoons and early evening before leaving again. She takes Twigroot occasionally, but often leaves them at the Road's End.
A few days later, she corner's Hildi over dinnertime. "I would pay my fee for staying in your building," she says. "How much would it be? I have been earning coin."
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. I love it so.
(Pascal has DM Inspiration. Add the "sunrise" to your character sheet.)
Early during Pascal's response, Justyn get red-faced and shows his anger to try to intimidate Pascal. But when he realizes this isn't working, and he starts to understand how terrifying Pascal's calm words are, Justyn becomes confused and cowed. (I am imagining Pascal as Hannibal Lector in "Silence of the Lambs", talking about liver and fava beans.)
When Pascal relates the meeting to the party later in the day, the consensus is to double check any deliveries made by Justyn for the foreseeable future, to make sure he abides by the contract.
(It is more that the Road's End will be in the travel brochures as part of an accredited hospitality organization, and not that guild members are expected to have secret meetings and strange handshakes. So everyone is registered with the guilds, but only while they are managing the Road's End. The fees are to pay for health and safety inspectors, and the like.)
Drusk mentions that Hildigrim should invite everyone for the trip. Maybe on Wintershield? Less than a ten-day away, but it would be after Jorin finishes the smithing on Pascal's kitchen knife.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)