“Yes that was our plan, Waterdeep. I think moving along within the hour would be good. Gather your things when you are able. We don’t want to overstay our welcome,”Soar says, glancing around. She introduces Gwen, a young elf girl, to the two newcomers as a foundling they encountered in the forest on the way to Altand. She was trapped in a thicket of some harmful flora and once she was freed, told the group she remembered nothing of her life, not even her name. They brought her to Altand and none of the elves there knew her, and she didn’t recognize anything. So they are taking care of her with no other option, and perhaps someone in Waterdeep can restore her memory or help her.
Soar keeps an eye on the guards from time to time and will be friendly and transparent if approached but she doesn’t want to put down roots here.
Not sure how much time has passed but if a short rest is in the offing she will take it, even if she doesn’t really need it.
If they are in a waiting period she will share some basic details about the last year (some of the things in the narrative on the campaign page) but there’s more time for that on the road. How far from here to Waterdeep?
When Tobin mentions needing to gather his things from his room, Bazavur swears and remembers the things that got left at their campsite and gets up to go gather everything they left.
”Agreed,” says Tobin, heading back to his room and packing away his things. He uses the opportunity to consult his scriptorium for history of the dragon Arauthator, write in his new journal about the recent events, then study his spellbook a bit (Arcane Recovery). If he has time left over, Tobin will enact the ritual for his Phantom Steed, manifesting it around the back of the inn outside his window just before rejoining the others.
History with Scriptorium advantage on the white dragon: 19
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Titus keeps up the facade of chatter with the group but cuts in after Soar speaks 'I suspect we have much less than an hour before those guards decide to change our plans for us. Gather what you can and meet outside in 15.'
With that, he stands up, tosses a few gold on the table to cover their tab and walks outside of the tavern. Once in the shadows outside he'll try to slip into the darkness, making his way to a rooftop with a view of the front of the tavern.
Stealth 30 and fly speed of 40 in dark or dim light to get up onto the roof.
Oh - and Perception to keep an eye on anyone coming towards them 30
Bazavur, you head out and find that everything from your camp is still where you left it. You can recover all your equipment and bring it to the tavern, if you wish.
Tobin, you go to your room and pack up. You don't have much time to get any detailed research in, though you can look again later. For the moment, you would get some basic summary info on white dragons - dangerous, fond of the hunt, savage and not the brightest of their kin.
Soar, after a while En flies in through the window and comes over to you, whispering in your ear: There are lots of humans watching the tavern; I don't know why. I don't think they are servants of the dragon, though. I can go and try to listen in, if you like.
Titus, you head outside and get a clear sense that the tavern is being watched by more guards; they are not approaching, and not seemingly preparing an assault, just keeping a very close eye on it. And on you, or at least they would if they didn't lose you the moment you step into a dark alley. I'll leave it up to you how much you're spending on dinner - probably somewhere between five and eight silvers.
Tobin, you return to the common room to find Titus absent and a small invisible creature whispering something into Soar's ear.
You have not yet completed a short rest, as Titus seems keen to get going. What will the group do?
Soar leaves the cost of food and drink on the table, and leaves what Tobin put on the table as a hefty tip. She nods at En's message, and thanks them, and agrees to their idea to go listen outside.
"Yes, I think we do need to get going. This town's been through a lot. I'd like to think we stopped it from going through a lot more,"she says to Jalt and any of the others who have returned from their rooms. But she was speaking loudly enough to be heard by the guards. She closes her eyes and pauses, gathers herself, and stands up, turns, and looks at the guards by the bar. Time to start the show. She slowly approaches the nearest guard, hands easy and away from her weapon.
"We won't be staying long, but if you'd like an introduction, I'm Soar, one of Kelemvor's knights. That dragon is a brute, and as everyone heard, doesn't like us very much. Its arrival was... a surprise. I'd have preferred to face it where it couldn't hurt anyone else, but I didn't have a choice. My hope is for few casualties. We tried to patch up anyone injured after we drove it off. I can speak to anyone of authority who wants to talk, but otherwise, we will be on our way. Okay for us to leave?"Her tone is calm and similar to a military debrief.
She looks at the guards, trying to gauge through body language what their affect is. Insight:
Coming downstairs just in time to see Soar’s consultation and her speech with the guards, Tobin nods and smiles, adding, “Indeed, it is fortunate that we were able to drive off the dragon with few casualties to the town…And even more fortunate for you if we leave soon that its ire will follow us and not your townsfolk…unless you have need of this heroic knight to stay and provide further protection?”
Help for Soar if she needs to make a social skill roll of some type here.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Soar, the guards seem tense as you approach, and as you speak. When you mention leaving, the one guard looks to the other, who nods. The first guard then speaks: "Good. That you're leaving. No offence, Mistress Soar, but that beast was here for you so we want you gone. Thank you for helping, but we'd encourage you to leave. In the morning is good. Now is better."
The words are delivered in a neutral, official tone. 10 is not enough insight to sense how they feel about the issue.
Tobin, the guard frowns at your words and seems about to respond, but thinks better of it and just ignores you.
(Rolled 13 on insight second roll, if the help action did anything. Assume not!)
Soar nods. "We'll be on our way then. Is there anything the town might see fit to send us along with? I've given alms to your needy, healed your sick, sold game in your markets, purchased some necessities, and patronized this establishment. We will get on the road, and draw draconic attention away from here, and we are trying to end the threat that dragons pose to all of us, as well as find safe harbor for a lost child." It's been a while since Soar had been this needy, but they were in dire straits and she was not above asking for a resupply or compensation.
Whatever the answer, she leads Gwen out of the tavern, protecting her from unwarranted attention from the guards outside. She'll make her way out of town, first to the camp to help Bazavur pack up, and then to the road toward Waterdeep, staying out of town.
To Jalt, she says, "been a while since we've been the champions and saviors of Greenest."
Soar, the answer is firmly in the negative, though the guard does seem happy that you are leaving. They're not rude, and seem grateful, but worried as well. I guess with a not-great Insight roll that's about all you can discern.
The diminutive librarian follows Soar out of town and to the campsite. He stays relatively quiet, keeping an eye out for invisible scrying sensors as long as his spell remains active (1 hour total).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
You head out of town, and pack up the camp, moving a short way from the town, perhaps an hour on the road, before night falls and you need to rest.
On the way, Tobin, you see a faint magical glimmer in the air above not Soar, but the child Gwen who accompanies her, as a sensor does begin to appear. However, it fades away having failed to establish itself. Nevertheless, you can clearly see that this was the result of a spell cast somewhere.
You make camp, and set up to keep watch, but the night passes without incident and the next day dawns. You have several days of travelling before you can reach the City of Waterdeep and whatever waits for you there. You set off, noticing once again how few travellers there are on the road and how eager those few are to give you a wide berth, avoiding contact or communication, ever distrustful of each other and of you. You spend your time watching the road, and perhaps talking amongst yourselves. This isn't a small group now - you have the five party members, but also the pixie En, the child Gwen, Soar's mount Candelabra the elk, as well as Tobin's familiar - do they speak? Is there anyone I've missed?
For the first part of the journey, can everyone give me a Perception check and also an idea of what your character will be doing on the road - looking for anything specific, talking to a particular character, being friendly or reserved?
Titus takes the time on the road to thoroughly question each member of the party, working to understand their capabilities, quirks and capacities. He's not gentle, he probes and pushes, looking for the weaknesses that brought them to this point. It's clinical, passionless, and uncomfortable. When he gets pushback or hits a wall, Titus responds with his what is clearly a stock response
'If I'm brusque, it's because time is of the essence here. We could be beset at any moment, and I need to know what we you are capable of doing - and critically what you are not capable of handling. If I offend you - well that's too bad - I'm not here for the smell of the campfire or the camaraderie - I've been hired to help. If you don't want the help than lots of luck to you'
Other than these intense sessions, he keeps to himself. He speaks when spoken to, but doesn't initiate chit-chat or idle conversation. He tends to drift towards the back of the group, checking their back trail constantly and using height to his advantage whenever possible to get out of the eye line of anyone on the road.
The first night at camp, Tobin pulls Soar aside after casting See Invisibility and checking for any scrying sensors. He says, "The young girl, Gwen, had a scrying sensor manifest on her briefly, but she appears to have resisted its influence. What do you know of her and who might have the arcane power to attempt to spy on her?"
After a brief conversation, Tobin takes out his pocket handkerchief and tosses it on the ground. It expands into a large circle, revealing an extradimensional space below! Moving to the rolling staircase installed with the sure steps of long practice, Tobin descends into his library, a continuous shelving unit covering the entire vertical wall space. Humming a wordless tune, he looks along the shelves until he finds the book he is searching for. "Arauthator...should be towards the front of the tome if the author used the the standard alphabetization. Let's see what we can find..." he speaks in Draconic, unconsciously mirroring the language of the tome his is referencing.
Walking out of town, Soar calls Candelabra, her elk mount (that she can summon with [Tooltip Not Found]), a large elk with impressive antlers who seems to be able to communicate directly with the paladin. He will often carry Gwen and some packs, though he'll often bound off, flanking the group on one side or the other, occupied with a mixture of grazing and scouting for notable things off the road.
Perception: 12
She tries to reconnect with Bazavur and Jalt. Bazavur has been in such a dark place recently, and she spends time sitting with him, ready to listen if he wants to talk. She doesn't prod like she used to, very few questions. If he wants to open up about the rough few weeks he's had, she's there.
With Jalt it's somewhat similar, though it's clear to Tobin and Titus that the cleric and the paladin have a very comfortable, worn-in discomfort with each other. Soar's the ocean, crashing against a rock. She's obviously tried, with varying degrees of success, to wear this stoic holy warrior down over the months (years?), first with sunny optimism and nosy, interfering help, and then with more persistent, frustrating (and frustrated) verbal poking and prodding. And more recently, it's lapsed into a deeper silence between the two. He has his ideals and bonds and tenets of faith that drive him, and only so many answers, while she bobs and weaves around Faerun like a faerie. She means well, that much is clear. There is an acceptance, and almost a devotion, achieved through longevity and persistence. They are on similar paths, trying to achieve similar goals, but for different reasons, and they could not look more different while doing so. There's an ease with which they go about camp duties and travel, though they barely talk. Though there's an awkwardness, as it's clear they are using borrowed possessions, some of elvish make, some of orcish.
And as was evident before, there's a memory of light in Soar that has partially gone out. That light burned joyfully, fiercely, unresignedly, and it's waned since Altand. Though there are glimmers here and there as she sees Titus and Tobin take interest and perhaps add their strength to theirs.
When Tobin pulls Soar aside, she listens, and her mouth opens, slack-jawed. She looks around to make sure they are not within earshot of Gwen. With a brief pause to take in Tobin's body language and affect (Insight: 14) to see if he is concealing anything here, or has ill intent, she plunged forward. "Scrying? Sensor? What?!?"she stage whispers. She calls Jalt and Bazavur over in a louder voice. She details for Tobin how they found her, trapped with some poisonous mushrooms, on the way to Daggerford. Which is, it seems, near to where the group is right now, so she'll try to figure out where it was they found her. How Jalt tried to find out if she was under the influence of a spell, finding nothing. How she says her memory is totally gone, and the story hasn't changed one bit. How she stayed with elves in Altand while the party fought. Played well enough with other children. Then said she wanted to stay with Soar as they finally departed. How their past companion Tangle named her Gwen, which means "girl" in Elvish. "If you have any way of finding out more, please have at it. We can make sure not to say important things around her. I have no idea who would be tracking her, or who knows who she is. I think we know she's not someone else, but maybe we should check again. We had a bad run-in with some changelings when we were posing as caravan guards... feels like years ago. Can dragons change shape? I can't imagine that would be true, and also it wouldn't explain who knows her enough to track her. Wow."She thanks Tobin again, and after the conversation resolves, and she helps Tobin or Titus do whatever they feel would be helpful, she will get Gwen settled safely and try to settle down, with a concerned expression.
Otherwise, she is, for good and for bad, a relatively open book. (Insight on Titus: 16 -- she's assuming he's not an agent for the cult, or a spy, or a liar) Titus' inquiries are openly, and perhaps naively, met with honest answers. Her capabilities, martial and arcane, and the way she tends to fight along with Bazavur and Jalt (character sheet open to you). Her path getting here (the campaign page summary, plus most things in this thread). It's like going to confession. The group has a lot of assets, but they do not work well together strategically. They've talked about trying to do this better before, with mixed results. "If you have ideas, I'm all ears. We have won some major successes against the cult. We have grown and learned a lot. We won a lot of tools to use against the cult. We have not given up. We have learned a lot. But. There is too much we haven't learned. We know very little about what they're doing. We don't work together very well at times. We have... struggles to be civil with the council. Jalt in particular does not trust them. We came into possession of the Black Dragon Mask early on, and decided to keep it from the council, and use it against the cult. Now it, like the rest of our possessions, is with the cult, and will no doubt be used against us. Which brings us to our largest failure, against Chult."She will reluctantly give a play by play of that disaster. More of the light goes out of her eyes. She doesn't have much to say after that.
Otherwise, Soar does her best to keep watch en route to Waterdeep. (Do we have the horses we'd ridden to Altand?)
Bazavur answers Titus questions without hesitation, pushback, or emotion. His tone is about as flat as it can be. Answering everything as succinctly as he can. (I’m thinking he doesn’t pick up on Titus intentions, but he’s too in his own head to care really why he’s being asked)
Bazavur sidles over near Tobin when the diminutive gnomish librarian starts speaking in draconic. Mainly just to see what he is doing. Curiously, and easily, reading the tome over his shoulder.
When Soar comes over and spends time with Bazavur at camp, he acts rather gruffly at first trying to give off an air of not needing/wanting company. Though (I think with a 7 deception), it’s clear he’s glad of the company. Even just sitting in silence. It has been a rough few weeks and having somewhere near is a comfort.
During the conversation about Gwen he corroborates the story but otherwise doesn’t add much. He’s hopeful that they’ll be able to find where she belongs and that she isn’t some sort of spy
Overall though, he doesn’t initate conversation with anyone but will communicate if addressed or asked a question. He keep his focus mainly on the path ahead of the group and practices with his new (to him at least) glaive as the situation allows, though he does miss the axe he had before.
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“Yes that was our plan, Waterdeep. I think moving along within the hour would be good. Gather your things when you are able. We don’t want to overstay our welcome,” Soar says, glancing around. She introduces Gwen, a young elf girl, to the two newcomers as a foundling they encountered in the forest on the way to Altand. She was trapped in a thicket of some harmful flora and once she was freed, told the group she remembered nothing of her life, not even her name. They brought her to Altand and none of the elves there knew her, and she didn’t recognize anything. So they are taking care of her with no other option, and perhaps someone in Waterdeep can restore her memory or help her.
Soar keeps an eye on the guards from time to time and will be friendly and transparent if approached but she doesn’t want to put down roots here.
Not sure how much time has passed but if a short rest is in the offing she will take it, even if she doesn’t really need it.
If they are in a waiting period she will share some basic details about the last year (some of the things in the narrative on the campaign page) but there’s more time for that on the road. How far from here to Waterdeep?
When Tobin mentions needing to gather his things from his room, Bazavur swears and remembers the things that got left at their campsite and gets up to go gather everything they left.
Tobin:
”Agreed,” says Tobin, heading back to his room and packing away his things. He uses the opportunity to consult his scriptorium for history of the dragon Arauthator, write in his new journal about the recent events, then study his spellbook a bit (Arcane Recovery). If he has time left over, Tobin will enact the ritual for his Phantom Steed, manifesting it around the back of the inn outside his window just before rejoining the others.
History with Scriptorium advantage on the white dragon: 19
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Titus keeps up the facade of chatter with the group but cuts in after Soar speaks 'I suspect we have much less than an hour before those guards decide to change our plans for us. Gather what you can and meet outside in 15.'
With that, he stands up, tosses a few gold on the table to cover their tab and walks outside of the tavern. Once in the shadows outside he'll try to slip into the darkness, making his way to a rooftop with a view of the front of the tavern.
Stealth 30 and fly speed of 40 in dark or dim light to get up onto the roof.
Oh - and Perception to keep an eye on anyone coming towards them 30
Bazavur, you head out and find that everything from your camp is still where you left it. You can recover all your equipment and bring it to the tavern, if you wish.
Tobin, you go to your room and pack up. You don't have much time to get any detailed research in, though you can look again later. For the moment, you would get some basic summary info on white dragons - dangerous, fond of the hunt, savage and not the brightest of their kin.
Soar, after a while En flies in through the window and comes over to you, whispering in your ear: There are lots of humans watching the tavern; I don't know why. I don't think they are servants of the dragon, though. I can go and try to listen in, if you like.
Titus, you head outside and get a clear sense that the tavern is being watched by more guards; they are not approaching, and not seemingly preparing an assault, just keeping a very close eye on it. And on you, or at least they would if they didn't lose you the moment you step into a dark alley. I'll leave it up to you how much you're spending on dinner - probably somewhere between five and eight silvers.
Tobin, you return to the common room to find Titus absent and a small invisible creature whispering something into Soar's ear.
You have not yet completed a short rest, as Titus seems keen to get going. What will the group do?
Soar leaves the cost of food and drink on the table, and leaves what Tobin put on the table as a hefty tip. She nods at En's message, and thanks them, and agrees to their idea to go listen outside.
"Yes, I think we do need to get going. This town's been through a lot. I'd like to think we stopped it from going through a lot more," she says to Jalt and any of the others who have returned from their rooms. But she was speaking loudly enough to be heard by the guards. She closes her eyes and pauses, gathers herself, and stands up, turns, and looks at the guards by the bar. Time to start the show. She slowly approaches the nearest guard, hands easy and away from her weapon.
"We won't be staying long, but if you'd like an introduction, I'm Soar, one of Kelemvor's knights. That dragon is a brute, and as everyone heard, doesn't like us very much. Its arrival was... a surprise. I'd have preferred to face it where it couldn't hurt anyone else, but I didn't have a choice. My hope is for few casualties. We tried to patch up anyone injured after we drove it off. I can speak to anyone of authority who wants to talk, but otherwise, we will be on our way. Okay for us to leave?" Her tone is calm and similar to a military debrief.
She looks at the guards, trying to gauge through body language what their affect is. Insight:
Tobin:
Coming downstairs just in time to see Soar’s consultation and her speech with the guards, Tobin nods and smiles, adding, “Indeed, it is fortunate that we were able to drive off the dragon with few casualties to the town…And even more fortunate for you if we leave soon that its ire will follow us and not your townsfolk…unless you have need of this heroic knight to stay and provide further protection?”
Help for Soar if she needs to make a social skill roll of some type here.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
(Forgot to add straight insight roll was 10 from avrae)
Titus sends a Message to Tobin from his perch outside 'More guards outside, we need to get moving'
Soar, the guards seem tense as you approach, and as you speak. When you mention leaving, the one guard looks to the other, who nods. The first guard then speaks: "Good. That you're leaving. No offence, Mistress Soar, but that beast was here for you so we want you gone. Thank you for helping, but we'd encourage you to leave. In the morning is good. Now is better."
The words are delivered in a neutral, official tone. 10 is not enough insight to sense how they feel about the issue.
Tobin, the guard frowns at your words and seems about to respond, but thinks better of it and just ignores you.
(Rolled 13 on insight second roll, if the help action did anything. Assume not!)
Soar nods. "We'll be on our way then. Is there anything the town might see fit to send us along with? I've given alms to your needy, healed your sick, sold game in your markets, purchased some necessities, and patronized this establishment. We will get on the road, and draw draconic attention away from here, and we are trying to end the threat that dragons pose to all of us, as well as find safe harbor for a lost child." It's been a while since Soar had been this needy, but they were in dire straits and she was not above asking for a resupply or compensation.
Whatever the answer, she leads Gwen out of the tavern, protecting her from unwarranted attention from the guards outside. She'll make her way out of town, first to the camp to help Bazavur pack up, and then to the road toward Waterdeep, staying out of town.
To Jalt, she says, "been a while since we've been the champions and saviors of Greenest."
Soar, the answer is firmly in the negative, though the guard does seem happy that you are leaving. They're not rude, and seem grateful, but worried as well. I guess with a not-great Insight roll that's about all you can discern.
Tobin:
The diminutive librarian follows Soar out of town and to the campsite. He stays relatively quiet, keeping an eye out for invisible scrying sensors as long as his spell remains active (1 hour total).
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
As the adventurers exit, Titus leaps off his perch on a nearby building, gliding his way into a dark corner before falling in at the rear.
He drifts back from time to time to check the party's backtrail, hiding in the shadows and making use of height wherever he can.
You head out of town, and pack up the camp, moving a short way from the town, perhaps an hour on the road, before night falls and you need to rest.
On the way, Tobin, you see a faint magical glimmer in the air above not Soar, but the child Gwen who accompanies her, as a sensor does begin to appear. However, it fades away having failed to establish itself. Nevertheless, you can clearly see that this was the result of a spell cast somewhere.
You make camp, and set up to keep watch, but the night passes without incident and the next day dawns. You have several days of travelling before you can reach the City of Waterdeep and whatever waits for you there. You set off, noticing once again how few travellers there are on the road and how eager those few are to give you a wide berth, avoiding contact or communication, ever distrustful of each other and of you. You spend your time watching the road, and perhaps talking amongst yourselves. This isn't a small group now - you have the five party members, but also the pixie En, the child Gwen, Soar's mount Candelabra the elk, as well as Tobin's familiar - do they speak? Is there anyone I've missed?
For the first part of the journey, can everyone give me a Perception check and also an idea of what your character will be doing on the road - looking for anything specific, talking to a particular character, being friendly or reserved?
Titus takes the time on the road to thoroughly question each member of the party, working to understand their capabilities, quirks and capacities. He's not gentle, he probes and pushes, looking for the weaknesses that brought them to this point. It's clinical, passionless, and uncomfortable. When he gets pushback or hits a wall, Titus responds with his what is clearly a stock response
'If I'm brusque, it's because time is of the essence here. We could be beset at any moment, and I need to know what we you are capable of doing - and critically what you are not capable of handling. If I offend you - well that's too bad - I'm not here for the smell of the campfire or the camaraderie - I've been hired to help. If you don't want the help than lots of luck to you'
Other than these intense sessions, he keeps to himself. He speaks when spoken to, but doesn't initiate chit-chat or idle conversation. He tends to drift towards the back of the group, checking their back trail constantly and using height to his advantage whenever possible to get out of the eye line of anyone on the road.
Tobin:
The first night at camp, Tobin pulls Soar aside after casting See Invisibility and checking for any scrying sensors. He says, "The young girl, Gwen, had a scrying sensor manifest on her briefly, but she appears to have resisted its influence. What do you know of her and who might have the arcane power to attempt to spy on her?"
After a brief conversation, Tobin takes out his pocket handkerchief and tosses it on the ground. It expands into a large circle, revealing an extradimensional space below! Moving to the rolling staircase installed with the sure steps of long practice, Tobin descends into his library, a continuous shelving unit covering the entire vertical wall space. Humming a wordless tune, he looks along the shelves until he finds the book he is searching for. "Arauthator...should be towards the front of the tome if the author used the the standard alphabetization. Let's see what we can find..." he speaks in Draconic, unconsciously mirroring the language of the tome his is referencing.
History with Scriptorium advantage: 20
Perception Check: 20
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Walking out of town, Soar calls Candelabra, her elk mount (that she can summon with [Tooltip Not Found]), a large elk with impressive antlers who seems to be able to communicate directly with the paladin. He will often carry Gwen and some packs, though he'll often bound off, flanking the group on one side or the other, occupied with a mixture of grazing and scouting for notable things off the road.
Perception: 12
She tries to reconnect with Bazavur and Jalt. Bazavur has been in such a dark place recently, and she spends time sitting with him, ready to listen if he wants to talk. She doesn't prod like she used to, very few questions. If he wants to open up about the rough few weeks he's had, she's there.
With Jalt it's somewhat similar, though it's clear to Tobin and Titus that the cleric and the paladin have a very comfortable, worn-in discomfort with each other. Soar's the ocean, crashing against a rock. She's obviously tried, with varying degrees of success, to wear this stoic holy warrior down over the months (years?), first with sunny optimism and nosy, interfering help, and then with more persistent, frustrating (and frustrated) verbal poking and prodding. And more recently, it's lapsed into a deeper silence between the two. He has his ideals and bonds and tenets of faith that drive him, and only so many answers, while she bobs and weaves around Faerun like a faerie. She means well, that much is clear. There is an acceptance, and almost a devotion, achieved through longevity and persistence. They are on similar paths, trying to achieve similar goals, but for different reasons, and they could not look more different while doing so. There's an ease with which they go about camp duties and travel, though they barely talk. Though there's an awkwardness, as it's clear they are using borrowed possessions, some of elvish make, some of orcish.
And as was evident before, there's a memory of light in Soar that has partially gone out. That light burned joyfully, fiercely, unresignedly, and it's waned since Altand. Though there are glimmers here and there as she sees Titus and Tobin take interest and perhaps add their strength to theirs.
When Tobin pulls Soar aside, she listens, and her mouth opens, slack-jawed. She looks around to make sure they are not within earshot of Gwen. With a brief pause to take in Tobin's body language and affect (Insight: 14) to see if he is concealing anything here, or has ill intent, she plunged forward. "Scrying? Sensor? What?!?" she stage whispers. She calls Jalt and Bazavur over in a louder voice. She details for Tobin how they found her, trapped with some poisonous mushrooms, on the way to Daggerford. Which is, it seems, near to where the group is right now, so she'll try to figure out where it was they found her. How Jalt tried to find out if she was under the influence of a spell, finding nothing. How she says her memory is totally gone, and the story hasn't changed one bit. How she stayed with elves in Altand while the party fought. Played well enough with other children. Then said she wanted to stay with Soar as they finally departed. How their past companion Tangle named her Gwen, which means "girl" in Elvish. "If you have any way of finding out more, please have at it. We can make sure not to say important things around her. I have no idea who would be tracking her, or who knows who she is. I think we know she's not someone else, but maybe we should check again. We had a bad run-in with some changelings when we were posing as caravan guards... feels like years ago. Can dragons change shape? I can't imagine that would be true, and also it wouldn't explain who knows her enough to track her. Wow." She thanks Tobin again, and after the conversation resolves, and she helps Tobin or Titus do whatever they feel would be helpful, she will get Gwen settled safely and try to settle down, with a concerned expression.
Otherwise, she is, for good and for bad, a relatively open book. (Insight on Titus: 16 -- she's assuming he's not an agent for the cult, or a spy, or a liar) Titus' inquiries are openly, and perhaps naively, met with honest answers. Her capabilities, martial and arcane, and the way she tends to fight along with Bazavur and Jalt (character sheet open to you). Her path getting here (the campaign page summary, plus most things in this thread). It's like going to confession. The group has a lot of assets, but they do not work well together strategically. They've talked about trying to do this better before, with mixed results. "If you have ideas, I'm all ears. We have won some major successes against the cult. We have grown and learned a lot. We won a lot of tools to use against the cult. We have not given up. We have learned a lot. But. There is too much we haven't learned. We know very little about what they're doing. We don't work together very well at times. We have... struggles to be civil with the council. Jalt in particular does not trust them. We came into possession of the Black Dragon Mask early on, and decided to keep it from the council, and use it against the cult. Now it, like the rest of our possessions, is with the cult, and will no doubt be used against us. Which brings us to our largest failure, against Chult." She will reluctantly give a play by play of that disaster. More of the light goes out of her eyes. She doesn't have much to say after that.
Otherwise, Soar does her best to keep watch en route to Waterdeep. (Do we have the horses we'd ridden to Altand?)
Bazavur answers Titus questions without hesitation, pushback, or emotion. His tone is about as flat as it can be. Answering everything as succinctly as he can. (I’m thinking he doesn’t pick up on Titus intentions, but he’s too in his own head to care really why he’s being asked)
Bazavur sidles over near Tobin when the diminutive gnomish librarian starts speaking in draconic. Mainly just to see what he is doing. Curiously, and easily, reading the tome over his shoulder.
When Soar comes over and spends time with Bazavur at camp, he acts rather gruffly at first trying to give off an air of not needing/wanting company. Though (I think with a 7 deception), it’s clear he’s glad of the company. Even just sitting in silence. It has been a rough few weeks and having somewhere near is a comfort.
During the conversation about Gwen he corroborates the story but otherwise doesn’t add much. He’s hopeful that they’ll be able to find where she belongs and that she isn’t some sort of spy
Overall though, he doesn’t initate conversation with anyone but will communicate if addressed or asked a question. He keep his focus mainly on the path ahead of the group and practices with his new (to him at least) glaive as the situation allows, though he does miss the axe he had before.