Elspeth is very much bewildered by these sudden accusations, and doesn't exactly try to hide it when the attention is shifted to her from Jalt. "Are you even thinking properly before you throw unfounded accusations around?"She asks, icily. "Don't be bloody ridiculous. I don't carry a shortsword. I wouldn't even know the first thing about how to use one. A murder in the caravan is a serious business, and investigations should be properly conducted. Seriously, what do you have against Losvius and us, that you'd brazenly try to pin this on us?"Elspeth asks, trying to divert attention away from just her and Jalt to their employer, as well. "This is an incredible tragedy, and I mourn your loss, but this is no excuse."
She's carrying a sword, calls a voice from the crowd.
That's a scimitar, Albit responds. And most of us carry swords. Are you accusing me too?
The crowd erupts in furious shouts back and forth, for a minute before Losvius can calm them down.
An investigation, Losvius agrees. My guard captain Eldkin will conduct it. Eldkin steps forward. Was anything stolen from your wagons? she asks.
Wha... no, of course not! Henton replies.
Have you even checked? Everyone knows what you carry - it was seen, if you recall. A tempting target for...
Nothing was taken! Henton shouts, growing even more angry.
The newcomer to the caravan, the man Jalt and Nate observed in Daggerford, steps forward from the cultist wagons, and speaks for the first time it seems since he joined the travellers. Please, gentlefolk, there is no need for such trouble. Yes, this is a tragedy, but we are only two days from Waterdeep. Unless there are witnesses? He turns to the crowd, but no-one speaks up. Unless there are witnesses, he repeats, I'm afraid I don't believe the murderer will be found so quickly. Please, let us journey on, and keep to our own business. It may be difficult, but the sooner we can go our separate ways, the sooner we will all feel safe. He gives a pointed look at Jalt and Elspeth as he says this.
Who called out from the crowd “she’s carrying a sword”? Was it a cultist? Someone we know?
If she catches Jamna’s eye in the crowd, she will raise her eyebrow almost imperceptibly, barely a millimeter.
”We don’t know the murderer. We also don’t know the victim. Who is it? Do they have a name? It’s terrible to lose someone. Do you wish help with the body or last rites?”
She is looking at the group of cultists to see if they had been planning something and are beginning to disengage, or if they also seem like they were roused from sleep like the rest of the caravan.
That name is not for the likes of you to... Henton begins.
His name was Morl, one of the other cultist snaps, hatred in her eyes. You will pay for this. It's not clear who she aims this at, but she turns and stalks away.
We have no need of any aid that you offer, Henton continues, but he's interrupted by more voices from the crowd:
Too proud to accept help, you stupid...
... not done a damn thing, despite all the troubles we've...
Maybe look to your own, instead of making false accusations...
The other man walks up and speaks softly in Henton's ear. With a glare, the cultists' leader picks up the body of the fallen cultist guard and walks away, as the muttering of the crowd continues.
Boar heads over, after the cultists have left, and looks at the ground around where the body was, looking for dropped items or any clues that were missed. It's a visual thing with her darkvision, a not-obvious sweep on her way back to her wagon.
Investigation: 4 Perception: 22
Then she will try to walk back past wherever Fennet spent the night, looking to see where he is. She doesn't approach, but she's keeping tabs on him for when she's able to, perhaps in the coming day. She wants to tell him to stay the hell away from her and her friends, stop making things up, and if he is not immediately compliant, scare the everloving hell out of him with all the intimidating, terrifying might of what she learned in Kelemvor's dread chapterhouse. She's just setting the table to do that, not wanting to upset things just yet.
"We should hold a funeral service for Morl."Elspeth proposes softly a few minutes after the angry cultists walks away. "The dead should be mourned respectfully, discourteous friends or no."
If no eyes remain on her after the debacle, Elspeth will make her own sweep of the scene of the crime. It's unlikely that anything was left behind, but she'd like to know for herself. (I'm assuming investigation but will gladly take perception if that's the appropriate roll: 19)
She'd also murmur, likely during dinner or when Losvius and all his guards are together, "Wonder what those bastards have against us."
Nate is glad to see this altercation end and smiles at Elspeth when she suggests a funeral service. always so niceNate would've never done that.
He would say quietly to his comrades when possible "They are certainly trying to get to us... anyhow, only a few more days max until we reach the city..."
He notices Elspeth and Boar surveying the scene afterwards and since she's taking care of it, will just return to Edhelri and Sulesdeg and tell them what happened.
Jalt stays at the scene a little while longer than the rest of the group. He's not investigating but more along the lines of taking the scene in. Its been a long journey thus far. With all the trials and tribulations, he is glad that they will be reaching Waterdeep soon. But he is still concerned that they haven't learned much about what the Dragon Cult is doing. So after a few moments alone, he returns back to his post.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
Boar will pause, duck down, and re-lace her boot, listening to any muttering she can hear from Fennet, and glancing at him from time to time to see if he's doing anything weird. Once she's done with her boot, she'll move along if he doesn't notice her. If he does notice her, she'll walk up to him and say, "We don't have to like each other. I have nothing against you and did not invite your gaze, your acquisitiveness, or your vitriol. Don't try to cast false aspersions on innocent people. You know a scimitar is not a shortsword. If you have a problem with me, come right out and say it and we can find a solution."
(To Elspeth's suggestion of a funeral, she will offer to say a few words. No one deserves to be treated like that by his friends, even if they're a cultist.)
A few people linger, eyes on Elspeth and the others. Jak comes over and speaks angrily to Jalt and Elspeth. Those bastards. Accusing you like that. Don't worry, I don't think anyone believes them. Everybody in this caravan owes you their lives. He looks embarrassed, and hesitates, then just turns and walks away.
Elspeth, you look at the ground, but don't find anything. It does look as though someone cleaned the location of tracks, though with Henton, Losvius and others having disturbed the ground now, it's hard to be sure. None of the cultists remain, so they don't hear your offer of a funeral. You and Soar can say some words if you wish, but only the Gods hear them.
Nate, Edhelri was part of the crowd and witnessed most of what happened. They are a strange bunch, she says. I shall be glad to be away from them.
Fennet leaves pretty much as soon as the show is over. He doesn't linger or notice Soar's interest, so the conversation above doesn't take place.
And on the caravan goes. You spend one final night together. Tomorrow, late afternoon the merchants reckon, you will reach Waterdeep. Your employers pay your final wage, and Losvius, Edhelri and Lasfelro, in their very different ways, all seem happy with the service you have given them.
Is there anything you want to accomplish tonight or on the road tomorrow?
(Also, can you let me know if there's anything in particular you're hoping to do in Waterdeep.)
(How much was the final wage payment? Assume just one more week?)
Soar is from Waterdeep, at least for the last decade or more. It's where she met Elspeth. (Had to dig back into the early OOC thread to see if that actually got established, but it did!) So she's going to be planning a few things. :)
She'll find moments to communicate her following plans to Elspeth, Jalt, and Nate.
She will seek out Fennet and say her peace to him the morning before they reach Waterdeep (the above quote).
She will touch base with Jamna and ask her what her plan is to track the cultists once they reach the city. She'll try to coordinate as best she can with Jalt, Nate, and Elspeth as they prepare for arrival, to keep several eyes on the cult wagons, floating the idea of a wildshape druid keeping on their tail, and setting a rendezvous point of a little pub she knows a few blocks from the main gate of the City of the Dead should they get separated. She wants to say hello to the people at the chapterhouse, but she's got some difficult things to accomplish first.
And as they get closer to the city over the next two days, she'll do her best to communicate to the pixie that she is going to try to free the pixie's friend, if the friend is in there.
She obviously can't explain this reasoning in sylvan, but her thinking is that she safely got her employer to Waterdeep, but her lawful good nature is rearing its head, and she sees no reason not to examine what's inside the wagon once they reach the city, contract fulfilled. If there is nothing unlawful or immoral inside, she's okay with some hard feelings from Lasfelro and the gargoyle. If there is a sentient creature in there being held against its will, the just thing to do is to free it and inform the authorities.
So if she's able to, when they arrive, she'll look for a guard she knows. Even if she does not find one, she'll accompany the wagon to the caravan's final destination, and politely ask Lasfelro, "Who is inside the wagon? I heard something. Saw some movement. It's not cargo, is it? Is it legal?"
As she collects her final wages Elspeth will say her goodbyes to Eldkin, Losvius, as well as Albit and Gethyn, although she doesn't delay her departure to stay and chat. She doesn't acknowledge Boar or Nate, and says her goodbyes to Jalt as she would any other caravan member, with no indications she's familiar with them at all. As soon as all the caravans have dispersed, however, she'll of course circle back in order to meet up with Soar, Nate, and Jalt, (and Carlon, and possibly Jamna?). Elspeth still doesn't really know any good places to stay around Waterdeep, so of course she'll agree to Soar's suggestion.
Elspeth is on board with the idea of wildshaping and tagging along with the cultist, or she would be, but there's something nerve-wracking about shifting into a small creature in the centre of the bustling city. She'd support Nate if he wants to do so, but she won't press him, or volunteer herself.
Although Elspeth still isn't very sure what she thinks about large cities, she sure is glad that she's back somewhere she's familiar with. Nevertheless, their quest beckons them, and the as soon as they find a safe inn to rest at, she goes up to her room to cast heavy doses of locate object to ensure there's something she can latch onto in order to find both the cultists' caravan first, and then Lasfelro's caravan. If she does manage to find the cultists, she'll offer to scout the tavern or inn out (in tiefling form, if you please), quickly before nightfall.
She'll accompany Nate on his search for magical items - actually, she'll propose they expand the search to powerful spellcasters as well, since she hasn't forgotten about the promise she made to the cursed elf they ran into on the way to Waterdeep, and even if their current mission is more important for now, she'd rather they didn't cast the stag's request by the wayside.
"We will only have a short timeframe when we get to Waterdeep to meet our guy. Perhaps two of us should meet them, and two of us should remain close to the cultists... I still think they have no idea that I am a part of all of this. I'd be happy to stay on them if you want to go meet the contact?"
"Sure thing Elspeth that sounds great... am sure we will both find something useful and a spellcaster seems like a great idea also."
Nate would've said all of that to the others before we arrive. He would've also spend some time with Edhelri and Sulesdeg, reminiscing about the last months travels.
"So Edhelri, you said you were planning on spending some time in the city once we arrive? To visit friends?"
Nate thinks he might tell her who he really is... but not now.
(Good work. Remain with target. Avoid attracting attention. Meet contact in Waterdeep: Corner Tinker's Road and Corley Street at sundown. Look for the Black Antlers.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Elspeth is very much bewildered by these sudden accusations, and doesn't exactly try to hide it when the attention is shifted to her from Jalt. "Are you even thinking properly before you throw unfounded accusations around?" She asks, icily. "Don't be bloody ridiculous. I don't carry a shortsword. I wouldn't even know the first thing about how to use one. A murder in the caravan is a serious business, and investigations should be properly conducted. Seriously, what do you have against Losvius and us, that you'd brazenly try to pin this on us?" Elspeth asks, trying to divert attention away from just her and Jalt to their employer, as well. "This is an incredible tragedy, and I mourn your loss, but this is no excuse."
She's carrying a sword, calls a voice from the crowd.
That's a scimitar, Albit responds. And most of us carry swords. Are you accusing me too?
The crowd erupts in furious shouts back and forth, for a minute before Losvius can calm them down.
An investigation, Losvius agrees. My guard captain Eldkin will conduct it. Eldkin steps forward. Was anything stolen from your wagons? she asks.
Wha... no, of course not! Henton replies.
Have you even checked? Everyone knows what you carry - it was seen, if you recall. A tempting target for...
Nothing was taken! Henton shouts, growing even more angry.
The newcomer to the caravan, the man Jalt and Nate observed in Daggerford, steps forward from the cultist wagons, and speaks for the first time it seems since he joined the travellers. Please, gentlefolk, there is no need for such trouble. Yes, this is a tragedy, but we are only two days from Waterdeep. Unless there are witnesses? He turns to the crowd, but no-one speaks up. Unless there are witnesses, he repeats, I'm afraid I don't believe the murderer will be found so quickly. Please, let us journey on, and keep to our own business. It may be difficult, but the sooner we can go our separate ways, the sooner we will all feel safe. He gives a pointed look at Jalt and Elspeth as he says this.
Boar’s eyes flash dully with divine sense, purely out of habit.
She also looks around for Jamna to see what she has been doing. Does she carry a shortsword?
Jamna is at the back of the crowd, watching with a neutral expression. You have seen that she carries a shortsword and daggers, yes.
Divine Sense does not reveal any celestials, undead or fiends nearby.
Who called out from the crowd “she’s carrying a sword”? Was it a cultist? Someone we know?
If she catches Jamna’s eye in the crowd, she will raise her eyebrow almost imperceptibly, barely a millimeter.
”We don’t know the murderer. We also don’t know the victim. Who is it? Do they have a name? It’s terrible to lose someone. Do you wish help with the body or last rites?”
She is looking at the group of cultists to see if they had been planning something and are beginning to disengage, or if they also seem like they were roused from sleep like the rest of the caravan.
Make a Perception check.
Perception: 20
It was Soar's old friend, Fennet Burr.
That name is not for the likes of you to... Henton begins.
His name was Morl, one of the other cultist snaps, hatred in her eyes. You will pay for this. It's not clear who she aims this at, but she turns and stalks away.
We have no need of any aid that you offer, Henton continues, but he's interrupted by more voices from the crowd:
Too proud to accept help, you stupid...
... not done a damn thing, despite all the troubles we've...
Maybe look to your own, instead of making false accusations...
The other man walks up and speaks softly in Henton's ear. With a glare, the cultists' leader picks up the body of the fallen cultist guard and walks away, as the muttering of the crowd continues.
Boar heads over, after the cultists have left, and looks at the ground around where the body was, looking for dropped items or any clues that were missed. It's a visual thing with her darkvision, a not-obvious sweep on her way back to her wagon.
Investigation: 4
Perception: 22
Then she will try to walk back past wherever Fennet spent the night, looking to see where he is. She doesn't approach, but she's keeping tabs on him for when she's able to, perhaps in the coming day. She wants to tell him to stay the hell away from her and her friends, stop making things up, and if he is not immediately compliant, scare the everloving hell out of him with all the intimidating, terrifying might of what she learned in Kelemvor's dread chapterhouse. She's just setting the table to do that, not wanting to upset things just yet.
(OOC: I will take the first roll, if that's okay. I don't think it's both investigation and perception.)
Soar doesn't notice anything of interest about the ground, and certainly no dropped items.
Fennet sleeps in a tent where the other travellers also camp. He's packing up his tent: 1 and doesn't notice you observing him.
"We should hold a funeral service for Morl." Elspeth proposes softly a few minutes after the angry cultists walks away. "The dead should be mourned respectfully, discourteous friends or no."
If no eyes remain on her after the debacle, Elspeth will make her own sweep of the scene of the crime. It's unlikely that anything was left behind, but she'd like to know for herself. (I'm assuming investigation but will gladly take perception if that's the appropriate roll: 19)
She'd also murmur, likely during dinner or when Losvius and all his guards are together, "Wonder what those bastards have against us."
Nate is glad to see this altercation end and smiles at Elspeth when she suggests a funeral service. always so nice Nate would've never done that.
He would say quietly to his comrades when possible "They are certainly trying to get to us... anyhow, only a few more days max until we reach the city..."
He notices Elspeth and Boar surveying the scene afterwards and since she's taking care of it, will just return to Edhelri and Sulesdeg and tell them what happened.
Jalt stays at the scene a little while longer than the rest of the group. He's not investigating but more along the lines of taking the scene in. Its been a long journey thus far. With all the trials and tribulations, he is glad that they will be reaching Waterdeep soon. But he is still concerned that they haven't learned much about what the Dragon Cult is doing. So after a few moments alone, he returns back to his post.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Boar will pause, duck down, and re-lace her boot, listening to any muttering she can hear from Fennet, and glancing at him from time to time to see if he's doing anything weird. Once she's done with her boot, she'll move along if he doesn't notice her. If he does notice her, she'll walk up to him and say, "We don't have to like each other. I have nothing against you and did not invite your gaze, your acquisitiveness, or your vitriol. Don't try to cast false aspersions on innocent people. You know a scimitar is not a shortsword. If you have a problem with me, come right out and say it and we can find a solution."
(To Elspeth's suggestion of a funeral, she will offer to say a few words. No one deserves to be treated like that by his friends, even if they're a cultist.)
A few people linger, eyes on Elspeth and the others. Jak comes over and speaks angrily to Jalt and Elspeth. Those bastards. Accusing you like that. Don't worry, I don't think anyone believes them. Everybody in this caravan owes you their lives. He looks embarrassed, and hesitates, then just turns and walks away.
Elspeth, you look at the ground, but don't find anything. It does look as though someone cleaned the location of tracks, though with Henton, Losvius and others having disturbed the ground now, it's hard to be sure. None of the cultists remain, so they don't hear your offer of a funeral. You and Soar can say some words if you wish, but only the Gods hear them.
Nate, Edhelri was part of the crowd and witnessed most of what happened. They are a strange bunch, she says. I shall be glad to be away from them.
Fennet leaves pretty much as soon as the show is over. He doesn't linger or notice Soar's interest, so the conversation above doesn't take place.
And on the caravan goes. You spend one final night together. Tomorrow, late afternoon the merchants reckon, you will reach Waterdeep. Your employers pay your final wage, and Losvius, Edhelri and Lasfelro, in their very different ways, all seem happy with the service you have given them.
Is there anything you want to accomplish tonight or on the road tomorrow?
(Also, can you let me know if there's anything in particular you're hoping to do in Waterdeep.)
(How much was the final wage payment? Assume just one more week?)
Soar is from Waterdeep, at least for the last decade or more. It's where she met Elspeth. (Had to dig back into the early OOC thread to see if that actually got established, but it did!) So she's going to be planning a few things. :)
She'll find moments to communicate her following plans to Elspeth, Jalt, and Nate.
She will seek out Fennet and say her peace to him the morning before they reach Waterdeep (the above quote).
She will touch base with Jamna and ask her what her plan is to track the cultists once they reach the city. She'll try to coordinate as best she can with Jalt, Nate, and Elspeth as they prepare for arrival, to keep several eyes on the cult wagons, floating the idea of a wildshape druid keeping on their tail, and setting a rendezvous point of a little pub she knows a few blocks from the main gate of the City of the Dead should they get separated. She wants to say hello to the people at the chapterhouse, but she's got some difficult things to accomplish first.
And as they get closer to the city over the next two days, she'll do her best to communicate to the pixie that she is going to try to free the pixie's friend, if the friend is in there.
She obviously can't explain this reasoning in sylvan, but her thinking is that she safely got her employer to Waterdeep, but her lawful good nature is rearing its head, and she sees no reason not to examine what's inside the wagon once they reach the city, contract fulfilled. If there is nothing unlawful or immoral inside, she's okay with some hard feelings from Lasfelro and the gargoyle. If there is a sentient creature in there being held against its will, the just thing to do is to free it and inform the authorities.
So if she's able to, when they arrive, she'll look for a guard she knows. Even if she does not find one, she'll accompany the wagon to the caravan's final destination, and politely ask Lasfelro, "Who is inside the wagon? I heard something. Saw some movement. It's not cargo, is it? Is it legal?"
Nate is still itching to find a half decent magic shop and/or an interesting items/trinkets shop!
Otherwise Nate would want to regroup with Jalt, Soar and Elspeth so we can plan to meet the contact ASAP.
As she collects her final wages Elspeth will say her goodbyes to Eldkin, Losvius, as well as Albit and Gethyn, although she doesn't delay her departure to stay and chat. She doesn't acknowledge Boar or Nate, and says her goodbyes to Jalt as she would any other caravan member, with no indications she's familiar with them at all. As soon as all the caravans have dispersed, however, she'll of course circle back in order to meet up with Soar, Nate, and Jalt, (and Carlon, and possibly Jamna?). Elspeth still doesn't really know any good places to stay around Waterdeep, so of course she'll agree to Soar's suggestion.
Elspeth is on board with the idea of wildshaping and tagging along with the cultist, or she would be, but there's something nerve-wracking about shifting into a small creature in the centre of the bustling city. She'd support Nate if he wants to do so, but she won't press him, or volunteer herself.
Although Elspeth still isn't very sure what she thinks about large cities, she sure is glad that she's back somewhere she's familiar with. Nevertheless, their quest beckons them, and the as soon as they find a safe inn to rest at, she goes up to her room to cast heavy doses of locate object to ensure there's something she can latch onto in order to find both the cultists' caravan first, and then Lasfelro's caravan. If she does manage to find the cultists, she'll offer to scout the tavern or inn out (in tiefling form, if you please), quickly before nightfall.
She'll accompany Nate on his search for magical items - actually, she'll propose they expand the search to powerful spellcasters as well, since she hasn't forgotten about the promise she made to the cursed elf they ran into on the way to Waterdeep, and even if their current mission is more important for now, she'd rather they didn't cast the stag's request by the wayside.
"We will only have a short timeframe when we get to Waterdeep to meet our guy. Perhaps two of us should meet them, and two of us should remain close to the cultists... I still think they have no idea that I am a part of all of this. I'd be happy to stay on them if you want to go meet the contact?"
"Sure thing Elspeth that sounds great... am sure we will both find something useful and a spellcaster seems like a great idea also."
Nate would've said all of that to the others before we arrive. He would've also spend some time with Edhelri and Sulesdeg, reminiscing about the last months travels.
"So Edhelri, you said you were planning on spending some time in the city once we arrive? To visit friends?"
Nate thinks he might tell her who he really is... but not now.
(Good work. Remain with target. Avoid attracting attention. Meet contact in Waterdeep: Corner Tinker's Road and Corley Street at sundown. Look for the Black Antlers.)