The Long Road - Game Thread

Jorin frowns, and slurps more quietly.

Chastised by the tiny girl, Jorin quietly finishes off his drink. As Hildigrim is getting caught up by the history lesson, it ends. The children spill out of the inn. Tinker realizes that your group is there, and nods gratefully that you waited until he finished the instruction.

Tinker is excited (and a bit worried) when told that Vajra has obtained the shard and made arrangements to examine it. Tinker calls over one of his aids, and informs her that he will not be teaching the other lesson that morning, as he will be busy. He stuffs his books and manuscripts into his backpack, and is ready to leave.

Your group of 7 arrives at the home of Finethir Shinebright an hour later. Since it has been less than 24 hours since your last visit, the outhouse is still burnt out rubble, and pieces of broken bedposts are on the ground outside of the hole in the middle platform wall. Shinebright sees the group coming closer (but too far away to identify you), and you can hear him call out, "No, no, turn around. Not open for business today!" (Vajra looks at your group to explain the situation and deal with Shinebright's reluctance.)

Quote from Quasimodal >>

Shinebright sees the group coming closer (but too far away to identify you), and you can hear him call out, "No, no, turn around. Not open for business today!"

(Vajra looks at your group to explain the situation to Shinebright and deal with his reluctance.)

(Bump.)

Pascal will explain the deal with charm and gusto.

(Dont have time atm for full post, just throw in some Cajun slang and you’ll get the jist haha)

Hildigrim steps forward beside Pascal. "We have need of a great wizard," he says with a bit of a joke coloring his tone. "This pair is in need of the circle in your basement, and we've come to cash in one of your IOUs in order to use it."

Quote from JcAndD >>

Pascal will explain the deal with charm and gusto.

(Dont have time atm for full post, just throw in some Cajun slang and you’ll get the jist haha)

(I had to refer to a Cajun glossary provided by a restaurant.)

"I don't know what "rougarouin" you are telling me to avoid, but I assure you I have none. And I don't know why you need my cellar for a "gris-gris", but it is off limits to everyone. My valuable items are down there, and no one goes near it until I am organized."

With their passive Insights, Quillary and Hildigrim can tell that he is nervous about going to the cellar, and isn't telling the whole story. Considering his debts, he can't have many items of value left. (Persuasion or Intimidation check to get use of the cellar. If you want to work together, Help will give Advantage.)

Quillary is not good at either Intimidation or Persuasion, so she will Help someone, following their lead. Oh! Drusk should offer guidance, perhaps in a whispered conversation about how to overcome Shinebright's reluctance. Below are the tactics she would employ if left to her own devices, or if Helping without much guidance. 

Intimidation: "That's the Blackstaff over there who wants to use your basement. She knows your name. Now, is that because you're a great wizard, or because she has had to clean up your mess? Hm? How many powerful enemies can one wizard make in a tenday?"

Persuasion: "That's the Blackstaff over there who wants to use your basement. She is on a mission vital to the City, and the entirety of Faerun, and will surely think kindly on any wizard who helps her, especially with such an easy task as the simple use of his cellar."

Jorin will step aboard the persuasion train saying, "Come now, welching on an IOU does not become a man like yourself.  Those of us who honor tradition and the old ways have only our word to bond us to our deeds.  We have a matter of great importance and require your aid.  Surely you would not refuse us, as we did not refuse you when you came to our hearth for aid."

Pascal also persuades with a wink and a smile!

OOC > Basically, everyone took a step back and left Hildi standing there as the volunteer!

OOC: Quillary and Jorin's persuasion arguments are great. I don't think Hildi (and his measly +1) needs to get involved. Jorin, roll with advantage! And hopefully guidance. Do we know where the entrance to this basement is? It's not through the outhouse, is it?

OOC: I do have a +6 tho, I can be the mouthpiece here

Quillary elbows Pascal forward.

(Make the Persuasion roll with advantage, or the DM will steal the die roll away from you.

And 1 will be added to the result, from Drusk's Guidance.)

ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’ ROLLIN’: 20 + 1

Between Pascal's gentle pulling and Quillary's occasional club pushing, Shinebright is led towards concealed doors underneath the middle platform (like storm cellar doors). He gets more and more nervous. Even the shredding one of the IOUs (many still remain) does not ease his concerns.

As you stand before the doors, you notice an Arcane Lock on them. Gradually, Shinebright lets out that he might have been slightly drunk when he cast the magic circles. They might be a bit more powerful than he intended, and Noke may have neglected them the past month. When Shinebright heard strange things stirring below, he closed the doors to avoid seeing what is now in his cellar.

After the lock is removed, Vajra asks the party to clean up the cellar. She and Tinker will start setting up the equipment for the ritual, and will bring it down, when it is safe to do so. (Shinebright is invited to stay out of the way.)

(Did the party want to make any precautions before heading down? Or proceed, with caution? You are told that beyond the doors are 5' wide stairs, leading downward to the 25' by 25' cellar.)

“So, just to be clear, y’all don’t want me eating none of this magic, right? It’s a real easy thing, so you lemme know.”

(OOC: What exactly does Pascal consider "eating magic"?)

They just need the magic circle. If something else came through, that is open season.

As soon as they are ready to go, Hildigrim will cast dancing lights and send the spheres down into the space as evenly as he can before descending. He also calls Volo out of his pocket dimension to perch on his shoulder until needed. Oh, and he'll prepare to use his shortbow.

Quote from Quasimodal >>

(OOC: What exactly does Pascal consider "eating magic"?)

They just need the magic circle. If something else came through, that is open season.

 It is how I am flavoring Dispel Magic. I eat it, similar to how I gained my magic originally.