"I'm afraid it is, yes. I wasn't born there, I was taken from my home as a small child and raised on Avernus."Camilla admitted. "I had a knack for science and medicine and was put to use in the War." she was quiet for a few moments. "And then..I ran away. And here i am." she took the opportunity to change the subject. "Anyways, I'm not sure why my skin is so white, or perfect - that's sweet of you to say - i've never met my parents and who knows what influence Hell had with that, perhaps. All I've know i that i've always been this color."
DAY TWENTY NINE
I had Messa magically clean my old robe. I'm slowly making a blanket for Bell. Just a little something. Bell's staff was coming along very nicely, but I could tell she saddened a little at the mention of my old robe. I nuzzled my nose into her feathered head to let her know I still loved her just as much, no matter what. Li'riya's been engaging the people of the Unbroken. Occasionally she whispers in my ear something she learned about them, being as discrete as possible. They usually involve a weakness, or a disadvantage, or even something that spooks them. I've also noticed she disappears into the forest each night for about an hour. I'm curious about this behavior, maybe one day i'll ask her about it. She's quiet, perhaps even shy, but a valued member of our little adventuring party.
I was thinking about my hellhound today. The one I got for my 15th birthday. She'd be almost 20 today and i was lost in the memories of the times we spent together. She was a great pet - it was only later I realized that she was given to me..to protect me. I was distracted out of my reminiscing because one of the cult wagons just overturned on a difficult corner. One of the crates it was carrying tumbled free, smashed open, revealing dozens of beautiful items of jewelry wrapped in wool for protection. One of the Unbroken members saw the contraband - obviously this stuff was from Greenest - and started to get friendly with the cultists by helping them repair their wagon. I kept my distance and glanced at the others to do the same. It was just too risky. Later that day, a commoner showed interest in the cargo, asking questions about it - and one of the cultists got angry. I noticed, the next day, that commoner was nowhere to be found.
As the group travels Edward lets the kenku ride on top of his shoulder and put the flower crown on his head. When the flowers start to wilt he asks her to make him a new one. Genuanly he is happy to stay fairly hidden in the cart and keep the kenku happy and occupied with whatever she wants to do.
On Day 29, Messalina obliges to clean Camilla's robe and she also comes over into the wagon that she and Bell are riding in. "I missed the two of you." She says, wrapping the both of them in a hug. "Not that you were ever gone, but I still like being close to the both of you." She still communicates via Message to Camilla, simply because she still doesn't need every mercenary on the wagon hearing their private conversations. "I'm very sorry to hear that, but at least you're in Toril, which is safer and less prone to warfare, usually. I'd offer you a place to stay with me, but I don't have one either, unfortunately."
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Li'riya continues chatting with the various mercenaries, teaching Bell carving, and keeping a quiet eye on the cultists from a distance. She also keeps vanishing into the woods for an hour or so each evening.
"Well, until things change I guess we can wander together!"Camilla communicated through the message spell. "I like it here much better than Avernus, let me tell you."
DAY THIRTY TWO
After two days and nights of rain, lightning, and strange whistling sounds on the wind, I awoke to see that the surrounding countryside was blanketed with fungus. It grew everywhere, including on the road. When anyone stepped on a mushroom - it was nearly impossible not to - it emitted a puff of black spores and a moan of pain. One of the guards said that these tiny shriekers sprout from an immense mycelium that has spread beneath the area from shallow caves. The merchants of the caravan were terrified of the things and refused to drive through them, fearing that they may be poisonous or worse. Besides that, the sounds spooked the animals and make them impossible to control. The mushrooms grew so fast on the rain-soaked ground that I could almost see them getting bigger. It was amazing to watch. They were the size of champagne corks when first noticed; and within an hour, they grew six inches tall, and a foot tall an hour later. Their growth slowed down after that, but by then, most people in the caravan grew nervous and edgy.
I was chosen to be on the team to sweep and cut a path through the mushrooms with a heavy broom or a blade. The noise was distressing to say the least. After, I felt the spores in my chest and that night I was overcome with feelings of grief and remorse - mostly about leaving Avernus, my post in the War, the terrible things I did, and what Zariel and Asmodeus would think of me. Most likely having an allergic reaction to the mushrooms, Messa and Bell, along with the others, grew concerned for my health. They never left my side and I thrashed and sweat for nights on end. I had terrible, terrible nightmares for four days until I started feeling better - even with magical healing. One night I remember Edward had to hold me down so I wouldn't hurt myself from the seizures I was inflicted with. Needless to say, the bond I shared with my friends grew much stronger after that week.
Messalina was not pleased at all about the two days of non-stop rain. Not just for the obvious reason, but because her white dress threatened to betray her in this rainy climate. She was sure that Camilla would've enjoyed the view, but she didn't want Bell or any of the other children to see her like that, nor did she want the mercenaries on board to. So she was forced to wear her jacket for the next two days and once the rain let up, she finally cast Prestidigitation to let herself dry off. When Camilla left to go cut mushrooms, she hoped that she would be careful. Initially, she didn't notice that Camilla was ill, as her already pale skin betrayed no signs of sickness. But when she started seizing in the night and couldn't even find solace in her sleep, that's when she knew that something was wrong. She tried to take care of Camilla to the best of her ability, but she wasn't trained in medicine, which made it all the worse that Camilla was sick, since she'd probably know what to do in this situation. Messalina quickly learned that Camilla wasn't going to be able to hold down solid food, so she just focused on keeping her hydrated, cleaning up after her when she vomited, and making sure that her temperature didn't get too hot. During the night, she and Bell stayed with Camilla, just trying to comfort her while she tossed and turned through constant nightmares.
The one thing she took solace in was that none of the mercenaries wanted to be on the wagon anymore while Camilla was sick. After she recovered, Messalina smiled and gave her a quick peck on the nose. "I'm happy to see that you're well again. You aren't cute when you're barfing your guts out."
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
"I guess we can say mushrooms are off the table. Forever."she whispered as she sat up, smiling at Messa and Bell. "Thanks for watching over me, you guys."she said to everyone. She took the soonest opportunity to wash in a river, and was finally able to eat again. The fact that she lost about 5 pounds didn't help, and she was very hungry to say the least, which was a good sign.
DAY THIRTY EIGHT
Today it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon. A herd of deer was spotted grazing on a nearby hill. The hunters of the caravan took the opportunity to hunt fresh meat for the larder. The herd, however, included a magnificent stag that shimmered in the light as if its coat was spun from gold and its antlers plated with platinum. Nearly everyone in the caravan who could handle a bow wanted to bring down the beast. Its pelt would have been worth a fortune, even if it was not real gold. A few of the more cautious types, including Li'riya, warned that the creature is clearly a blessed being and that killing it would bring bad luck on the caravan, but no more than two or three people were persuaded. In minutes, the hunt was on, and the deer herd scattered into the nearby forest and through farmer fields.
About four hours past, and not everyone from the hunting group returned. When asked what happened, one of the hunters explained that the stag greeted the hunting party in broken Common. It assured them that they are "on the right track, and they must continue following the river of gold until they reach the castle in the sky." Their path will be "filled with hardship and blood."To aid them, it offered the hunting party a beautiful magical longbow. The bow appeared on the ground before them, and then the stag faded from view saying, “Not all will survive . . .”
Messalina stayed on the caravan when almost everyone else went off to kill the deer. Li'riya's warning was good enough for her, but she also wanted to be with her friends and didn't want to dirty herself with hunting. When the hunters came back speaking of a golden river and a sky castle, Messalina was questioning whether the hunters had lost their sanity. "Camilla, did those hunters eat the same mushrooms you did?" She messaged.
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
"No."she said, "They didn't. Not that i'm aware. I saw no one actually try to eat those horrible things, and trust me, I didn't either. The danger was that the spores they released got into one's lungs."She shivered in recollection of the days she was sick. "I'm no hunter, but I bet that was one very interesting encounter. Wouldn't you say?"
"I might!"she said, but you couldn't tell if she was serious or not, her attention was now drawn to Bell. Bell had perked her head up and cocked it at short various angels periodically looking at a man from one the one of the cult wagons. Bell stared at the man for a little bit longer, then waddled over to Messa, tugging on her clothing.
"PsSwsSwswsSwT" she whispered in Messa's ear. Messa looked at Bell with a humorous look and said, "Yes, that's what a whisper SOUNDS like, but what are you really trying to say?"
Bell waved her in closer again, and this time, spoke common. She explained quietly that there was a cultist in the distance watching us suspiciously, noting who we talk to, when we eat, and where we sleep. Messa looked at Camilla, and both of them squinted their eyes. This was a problem we had to take care of fast before it spread like a wildfire. We were just two days from Waterdeep. We couldn't risk the mission after this long a journey.
One night, the cultist tried to murder one of the women of our group. Thinking ahead, that night we slept in Edwards wagon. As the cultist quietly climbed into the wagon, he didn't expect to see a minotaur in the cabin.
The only sound from the wagon that night was the loud snapping of a cultist neck.
Messalina was thankful that they were traveling with someone that could break necks as easily as Edward could. Meanwhile, she starts eagerly whispering to Bell and Camilla. "We're almost at Waterdeep. Have either of you ever been to Waterdeep before? It's one of the biggest cities in the world, there are so many things that I want to show you. Wonderful restaurants, stores that sell the most beautiful and exotic clothing the world has ever seen, and an excellent public bathhouse."And then she spots Li'riya heading off to the woods again and quickly sends a Message her way. "Hey, you've been going off to the woods every night since this journey began. Are you doing anything specific in there, or are you just enjoying being in the great outdoors?"
Edward answers, "I have not been there before. I am hoping to uhhh visit an adult place. I realized when I was with the orc woman how long it has actualy been."
Messalina messages back. "Well it certainly makes us all feel safer to have you on patrol, Li'riya. But it must be terribly lonely, why don't you hang out with us once you're done?"
And then when Edward chimes in about Waterdeep: "There are plenty of those institutions in Waterdeep."
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
"Being new to this land, having only heard about it, no, i've never been!"Camilla admitted. "I'm exciting to see, live, and try many different things. While using my talents for something positive. Helpful."
DAY FORTY TWO
About three days from Waterdeep, a female gnome approached us just as we were sitting down to the morning meal. After glancing around to make sure none of the cultists were watching, she put her finger to her lips, then took the bowl of oatmeal from Li'riya that she was about to eat. After poking through the oatmeal with the blade of her dagger, the gnome lifted it out and showed us an oatmeal-smeared object resembling a tiny bead. She glanced over her shoulder towards where cultists sat at their breakfast. “It’s a sliver of bone,” she whispered, “curled into a circle so you can swallow it in a mouthful of gruel without noticing. Once eaten, it slowly uncurls inside you, exposing needle points that pierce your guts and kill you slowly. I suspect they’re in all your breakfasts.” As she got up and walked away, she added, “Let’s talk this evening.”
I didn't eat breakfast that morning.
Bell noticed that two of the cultists kept looking in our direction but appeared to be trying to hide their interest. After being so long along in the journey, my patience was running out with this filthy cult, and my urge to burn alive all of them right there and then was rising. That evening, after most of the travelers have bedded down, the gnome approached us again.
“We don’t work for the same people, but we’re all on the same side — we share a belief that the Cult of the Dragon must be stopped. I need to know what they’re carrying in those wagons and where they’re taking it. Will you help me find out? We can do it tonight.”
Messalina was thankful that the gnome had warned them about their breakfast being tampered with and that she had brought along corn chips for the trip. She had a few for breakfast and offered some to Camilla and Bell. "No danger in these." She Messaged"Except perhaps the carbs." When the gnome came back that night, she was slightly suspicious and made it a point to voice those suspicions. "Who are you? Who do you work for? And how do I know that this isn't a trap?"
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Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
At the mention of carbs, Camilla's stomach growled. She looked down at her stomach and pulled her pants bottom out, noticing she had indeed lost weight on this journey. While not bony, she was very hungry, and she pat her stomach with the promise of something delicious in a few days.
"I can't answer those questions, unfortunately. Again, just know we're on the same side. I just saved this young ladies life, I wouldn't do that if we weren't. I've seen how you guys act, i'm just here for information. Do you know what's in those wagons?"
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"I'm afraid it is, yes. I wasn't born there, I was taken from my home as a small child and raised on Avernus." Camilla admitted. "I had a knack for science and medicine and was put to use in the War." she was quiet for a few moments. "And then..I ran away. And here i am." she took the opportunity to change the subject. "Anyways, I'm not sure why my skin is so white, or perfect - that's sweet of you to say - i've never met my parents and who knows what influence Hell had with that, perhaps. All I've know i that i've always been this color."
DAY TWENTY NINE
I had Messa magically clean my old robe. I'm slowly making a blanket for Bell. Just a little something. Bell's staff was coming along very nicely, but I could tell she saddened a little at the mention of my old robe. I nuzzled my nose into her feathered head to let her know I still loved her just as much, no matter what. Li'riya's been engaging the people of the Unbroken. Occasionally she whispers in my ear something she learned about them, being as discrete as possible. They usually involve a weakness, or a disadvantage, or even something that spooks them. I've also noticed she disappears into the forest each night for about an hour. I'm curious about this behavior, maybe one day i'll ask her about it. She's quiet, perhaps even shy, but a valued member of our little adventuring party.
I was thinking about my hellhound today. The one I got for my 15th birthday. She'd be almost 20 today and i was lost in the memories of the times we spent together. She was a great pet - it was only later I realized that she was given to me..to protect me. I was distracted out of my reminiscing because one of the cult wagons just overturned on a difficult corner. One of the crates it was carrying tumbled free, smashed open, revealing dozens of beautiful items of jewelry wrapped in wool for protection. One of the Unbroken members saw the contraband - obviously this stuff was from Greenest - and started to get friendly with the cultists by helping them repair their wagon. I kept my distance and glanced at the others to do the same. It was just too risky. Later that day, a commoner showed interest in the cargo, asking questions about it - and one of the cultists got angry. I noticed, the next day, that commoner was nowhere to be found.
As the group travels Edward lets the kenku ride on top of his shoulder and put the flower crown on his head. When the flowers start to wilt he asks her to make him a new one. Genuanly he is happy to stay fairly hidden in the cart and keep the kenku happy and occupied with whatever she wants to do.
On Day 29, Messalina obliges to clean Camilla's robe and she also comes over into the wagon that she and Bell are riding in. "I missed the two of you." She says, wrapping the both of them in a hug. "Not that you were ever gone, but I still like being close to the both of you." She still communicates via Message to Camilla, simply because she still doesn't need every mercenary on the wagon hearing their private conversations. "I'm very sorry to hear that, but at least you're in Toril, which is safer and less prone to warfare, usually. I'd offer you a place to stay with me, but I don't have one either, unfortunately."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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Li'riya continues chatting with the various mercenaries, teaching Bell carving, and keeping a quiet eye on the cultists from a distance. She also keeps vanishing into the woods for an hour or so each evening.
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
"Well, until things change I guess we can wander together!" Camilla communicated through the message spell. "I like it here much better than Avernus, let me tell you."
DAY THIRTY TWO
After two days and nights of rain, lightning, and strange whistling sounds on the wind, I awoke to see that the surrounding countryside was blanketed with fungus. It grew everywhere, including on the road. When anyone stepped on a mushroom - it was nearly impossible not to - it emitted a puff of black spores and a moan of pain. One of the guards said that these tiny shriekers sprout from an immense mycelium that has spread beneath the area from shallow caves. The merchants of the caravan were terrified of the things and refused to drive through them, fearing that they may be poisonous or worse. Besides that, the sounds spooked the animals and make them impossible to control. The mushrooms grew so fast on the rain-soaked ground that I could almost see them getting bigger. It was amazing to watch. They were the size of champagne corks when first noticed; and within an hour, they grew six inches tall, and a foot tall an hour later. Their growth slowed down after that, but by then, most people in the caravan grew nervous and edgy.
I was chosen to be on the team to sweep and cut a path through the mushrooms with a heavy broom or a blade. The noise was distressing to say the least. After, I felt the spores in my chest and that night I was overcome with feelings of grief and remorse - mostly about leaving Avernus, my post in the War, the terrible things I did, and what Zariel and Asmodeus would think of me. Most likely having an allergic reaction to the mushrooms, Messa and Bell, along with the others, grew concerned for my health. They never left my side and I thrashed and sweat for nights on end. I had terrible, terrible nightmares for four days until I started feeling better - even with magical healing. One night I remember Edward had to hold me down so I wouldn't hurt myself from the seizures I was inflicted with. Needless to say, the bond I shared with my friends grew much stronger after that week.
That was the last time I ever ate a mushroom.
Messalina was not pleased at all about the two days of non-stop rain. Not just for the obvious reason, but because her white dress threatened to betray her in this rainy climate. She was sure that Camilla would've enjoyed the view, but she didn't want Bell or any of the other children to see her like that, nor did she want the mercenaries on board to. So she was forced to wear her jacket for the next two days and once the rain let up, she finally cast Prestidigitation to let herself dry off. When Camilla left to go cut mushrooms, she hoped that she would be careful. Initially, she didn't notice that Camilla was ill, as her already pale skin betrayed no signs of sickness. But when she started seizing in the night and couldn't even find solace in her sleep, that's when she knew that something was wrong. She tried to take care of Camilla to the best of her ability, but she wasn't trained in medicine, which made it all the worse that Camilla was sick, since she'd probably know what to do in this situation. Messalina quickly learned that Camilla wasn't going to be able to hold down solid food, so she just focused on keeping her hydrated, cleaning up after her when she vomited, and making sure that her temperature didn't get too hot. During the night, she and Bell stayed with Camilla, just trying to comfort her while she tossed and turned through constant nightmares.
The one thing she took solace in was that none of the mercenaries wanted to be on the wagon anymore while Camilla was sick. After she recovered, Messalina smiled and gave her a quick peck on the nose. "I'm happy to see that you're well again. You aren't cute when you're barfing your guts out."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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"I guess we can say mushrooms are off the table. Forever." she whispered as she sat up, smiling at Messa and Bell. "Thanks for watching over me, you guys." she said to everyone. She took the soonest opportunity to wash in a river, and was finally able to eat again. The fact that she lost about 5 pounds didn't help, and she was very hungry to say the least, which was a good sign.
DAY THIRTY EIGHT
Today it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon. A herd of deer was spotted grazing on a nearby hill. The hunters of the caravan took the opportunity to hunt fresh meat for the larder. The herd, however, included a magnificent stag that shimmered in the light as if its coat was spun from gold and its antlers plated with platinum. Nearly everyone in the caravan who could handle a bow wanted to bring down the beast. Its pelt would have been worth a fortune, even if it was not real gold. A few of the more cautious types, including Li'riya, warned that the creature is clearly a blessed being and that killing it would bring bad luck on the caravan, but no more than two or three people were persuaded. In minutes, the hunt was on, and the deer herd scattered into the nearby forest and through farmer fields.
About four hours past, and not everyone from the hunting group returned. When asked what happened, one of the hunters explained that the stag greeted the hunting party in broken Common. It assured them that they are "on the right track, and they must continue following the river of gold until they reach the castle in the sky." Their path will be "filled with hardship and blood." To aid them, it offered the hunting party a beautiful magical longbow. The bow appeared on the ground before them, and then the stag faded from view saying, “Not all will survive . . .”
Li'riya merely gives the hunters a look when they return with their depleted numbers, although she seems a little sad she was unable to meet the stag.
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
Messalina stayed on the caravan when almost everyone else went off to kill the deer. Li'riya's warning was good enough for her, but she also wanted to be with her friends and didn't want to dirty herself with hunting. When the hunters came back speaking of a golden river and a sky castle, Messalina was questioning whether the hunters had lost their sanity. "Camilla, did those hunters eat the same mushrooms you did?" She messaged.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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"No." she said, "They didn't. Not that i'm aware. I saw no one actually try to eat those horrible things, and trust me, I didn't either. The danger was that the spores they released got into one's lungs." She shivered in recollection of the days she was sick. "I'm no hunter, but I bet that was one very interesting encounter. Wouldn't you say?"
"I'm sure it was. But you're interesting too and you won't make me chase you down through the woods."
Perception: 11
Messalina was far less interested in whatever everyone else was looking at than she was in Camilla.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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"I might!" she said, but you couldn't tell if she was serious or not, her attention was now drawn to Bell. Bell had perked her head up and cocked it at short various angels periodically looking at a man from one the one of the cult wagons. Bell stared at the man for a little bit longer, then waddled over to Messa, tugging on her clothing.
"PsSwsSwswsSwT" she whispered in Messa's ear. Messa looked at Bell with a humorous look and said, "Yes, that's what a whisper SOUNDS like, but what are you really trying to say?"
Bell waved her in closer again, and this time, spoke common. She explained quietly that there was a cultist in the distance watching us suspiciously, noting who we talk to, when we eat, and where we sleep. Messa looked at Camilla, and both of them squinted their eyes. This was a problem we had to take care of fast before it spread like a wildfire. We were just two days from Waterdeep. We couldn't risk the mission after this long a journey.
One night, the cultist tried to murder one of the women of our group. Thinking ahead, that night we slept in Edwards wagon. As the cultist quietly climbed into the wagon, he didn't expect to see a minotaur in the cabin.
The only sound from the wagon that night was the loud snapping of a cultist neck.
Messalina was thankful that they were traveling with someone that could break necks as easily as Edward could. Meanwhile, she starts eagerly whispering to Bell and Camilla. "We're almost at Waterdeep. Have either of you ever been to Waterdeep before? It's one of the biggest cities in the world, there are so many things that I want to show you. Wonderful restaurants, stores that sell the most beautiful and exotic clothing the world has ever seen, and an excellent public bathhouse." And then she spots Li'riya heading off to the woods again and quickly sends a Message her way. "Hey, you've been going off to the woods every night since this journey began. Are you doing anything specific in there, or are you just enjoying being in the great outdoors?"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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When Messalina sends her message, there's a moment of silence, then Li'riya mentally answers hesitantly.
Doing a loop of camp to make sure nobody tries to sneak in or out. And then...training for a bit.
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
Edward answers, "I have not been there before. I am hoping to uhhh visit an adult place. I realized when I was with the orc woman how long it has actualy been."
Messalina messages back. "Well it certainly makes us all feel safer to have you on patrol, Li'riya. But it must be terribly lonely, why don't you hang out with us once you're done?"
And then when Edward chimes in about Waterdeep: "There are plenty of those institutions in Waterdeep."
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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"Being new to this land, having only heard about it, no, i've never been!" Camilla admitted. "I'm exciting to see, live, and try many different things. While using my talents for something positive. Helpful."
DAY FORTY TWO
About three days from Waterdeep, a female gnome approached us just as we were sitting down to the morning meal. After glancing around to make sure none of the cultists were watching, she put her finger to her lips, then took the bowl of oatmeal from Li'riya that she was about to eat. After poking through the oatmeal with the blade of her dagger, the gnome lifted it out and showed us an oatmeal-smeared object resembling a tiny bead. She glanced over her shoulder towards where cultists sat at their breakfast. “It’s a sliver of bone,” she whispered, “curled into a circle so you can swallow it in a mouthful of gruel without noticing. Once eaten, it slowly uncurls inside you, exposing needle points that pierce your guts and kill you slowly. I suspect they’re in all your breakfasts.” As she got up and walked away, she added, “Let’s talk this evening.”
I didn't eat breakfast that morning.
Bell noticed that two of the cultists kept looking in our direction but appeared to be trying to hide their interest. After being so long along in the journey, my patience was running out with this filthy cult, and my urge to burn alive all of them right there and then was rising. That evening, after most of the travelers have bedded down, the gnome approached us again.
“We don’t work for the same people, but we’re all on the same side — we share a belief that the Cult of the Dragon must be stopped. I need to know what they’re carrying in those wagons and where they’re taking it. Will you help me find out? We can do it tonight.”
Earlier:
Thank you for the invitation, Messalina. I'll join you all in an hour.
At breakfast:
Li'riya goes a little pale upon learning of the assassin's weapon in her breakfast. She sticks to her rations that morning-and afternoon, and evening.
Now:
When the gnome approached the group, Li'riya nods. "As long as we can stay quiet about it."
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!
Messalina was thankful that the gnome had warned them about their breakfast being tampered with and that she had brought along corn chips for the trip. She had a few for breakfast and offered some to Camilla and Bell. "No danger in these." She Messaged "Except perhaps the carbs." When the gnome came back that night, she was slightly suspicious and made it a point to voice those suspicions. "Who are you? Who do you work for? And how do I know that this isn't a trap?"
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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At the mention of carbs, Camilla's stomach growled. She looked down at her stomach and pulled her pants bottom out, noticing she had indeed lost weight on this journey. While not bony, she was very hungry, and she pat her stomach with the promise of something delicious in a few days.
"I can't answer those questions, unfortunately. Again, just know we're on the same side. I just saved this young ladies life, I wouldn't do that if we weren't. I've seen how you guys act, i'm just here for information. Do you know what's in those wagons?"