"What will you do once we leave? Go about your business as normal? Wait for the castle to explode? I doubt we could manage that, but I am curious what you will do to check on our progress. Is there a way to communicate with you?"
You are curious? I am also curious about you, who guides you in this matter, and what other secrets of my organisation you have learned? Shall we trade? A question for a question? Or shall we agree to limit our interaction to this agreement?
"A trade works for me. I can honestly say we have received little to no guidance, certainly not in a while, and we do not know much about your 'organization.'"
Nub is about to volunteer to trade information, before realising that he was likely mis-reading the room and instead asks "Are there any dangers we should be aware of on the way to Parnast? Should we head off shortly and if so, can we grab the banner so we can make haste?"
You are escorted downstairs and out of the lodge. A servant arrives carrying a banner, rolled up. Two servants unfurl it so that you can see it in full - it has five stripes colored black, blue, green, red, and white, respectively. Talis explains that you should fly it, preferably from a lance or spear, as you approach the castle. The servants then roll the banner up again and pass it to Jalt. (Jalt, please add the banner to your inventory, it weighs 10 pounds).
You stand on the porch of the lodge. Talis and her three armed guards are with you, as are two servants, one who is from the kitchen and one other you have not seen before.
The sun is high in the sky, though the air remains chilly and the wind is never far from your minds. The path curving down around the mountain towards Parnast is clear, though you cannot see the village from where you are now.
I wish you well, but I advise you not to return. If there is an attack on Skyreach Castle, it is likely that other outposts, including this one, will be reinforced in order to preserve what remains of our transportation networks. If you do kill Rezmir, please tell her that I helped you before she dies. Or not, as you prefer.
Soar nods at Talis as the deal is presented in its final form. "Makes sense to me. This was actually fun. See, violence isn't always they answer!"She puts her palm up for a high five. She leaves with a smile no matter if Talis reciprocates or not.
A few minutes after the group walks away the lodge toward Parnast, Soar turns to Nate. "Oh, by the way, what happened with that cook you showed outside?"
(Soar is fine with going a bit and then doing a short rest if needed, before hitting town.)
As they walk towards Parnast Nub says "I am pleased we did not have to fight Talis today and 100% agree that violence isn't always the answer. That said, unless we can stop whatever plan the cultists have for good, we may need to return to the lodge at a later time against her advice. Talis seemed to have the same goals as those we are chasing, just wanting them to play out over a different timeline. Hopefully we can neutralise the threat the lodge and she poses without violence then as well."
Talis does not reciprocate. She stands on the porch of the lodge and watches, expression hard to read, as you walk off down the path through the forest, tall evergreen trees on either side giving you partial shelter from the cold wind.
Can I ask two or more people to give me Perception checks for the journey?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Nate seems happy with this plan given they are basically heading towards potentially the cultists main headquarters. Even if it does fly. He also breathes an internal sign of relief once they leave seeing that nobody from the lodge seemed to inquire about the missing servant.
Nate would respond to Soar "Soar... I took him out. I had too... I thought that's what you wanted me to do when you made up the lie about the game. He was going to check on "it", and I didn't want him seeing the mess we made of the troll and drake."
Nate would then look at Jalt. "Honestly. I thought I was doing the right thing." Nate looks back to Soar and Nub "anyways... he didn't hurt me, and I hid his body."
Nate would then change the subject: "So... this castle of theirs... it, um, flies?" Nate would be on the lookout at all times throughout the journey...
You can stop and take a short rest during the journey if you wish. You left the lodge already so it's too late to retcon that.
You pause about an hour from the lodge, and find a place to sit a little way back from the road itself. From your resting place there's not much to see - the trees are thick here and block views of the world around you. You are not sure how far away from home you are, but you do not recognise much of what you see.
After the rest, you continue on, on the muddy path, through creeks and small rises and falls as you descend round the mountain. Eventually, the trees start to thin and you see more signs of civilisation; sheep and goats grazing in herds, and the occasional farmhouse. The sun is hanging low in the sky as the last thick patch of trees gives way to a view, at last, of a small village lying ahead, no more than two dozen houses. And next to it, a very strange sight; perhaps a mile from the houses, on the far side from you, stands a mighty ice castle half hidden in a fog-shrouded ravine: walls stand forty feet high, huge narrow towers loom upward — one of blue ice, one crumbling — and all of it is built to a scale for giants. Wisps of fog hide much of the castle’s detail and there's little you can see from this distance. You judge that you will reach Parnast as the sun is setting.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
HD for short rest: 8
"So, do we just walk in and go right to the castle? Or maybe learn a bit more from the village? I'm not sure if we should pretend to be with the cult in the town or not. Maybe we feel them out and see if they're fans first."
Nate just needs the rest time to use his natural recovery. He would recover one 2'nd level spell and one 1'st level spell.
Nate is in awe of the huge castle they can see from the distance. And that it is ice.
Nate responds to Soar "Hmmmm... well, if we go anywhere near the castle, we need to remember to fly that disgusting banner that Jalt has. We can likely use one of your javelins to hold it up high, yes? Also I didn't think it'd be a castle of ice. I thought dragons liked fire. I bet my ice magic that I've been using lately will be terrible in there." Nate smiles at Nub "Your fire should work perfect!"
"I'm not sure we should even venture into Parnast at this point, but if you think it will help us or present us with perhaps another option for entry then I guess it's worth a try."
"How often does this castle... reach into the sky?" Soar says, puzzled.
When needed, Talis says. Sometimes it will make stops for a few days, or a few hours. Usually a few days in Parnast, though.
"And it has been here a few days? Or just arrived?"
A day. It is scheduled to leave tomorrow after noon. It might leave later, but not earlier.
(The time now is getting close to noon.)
"What will you do once we leave? Go about your business as normal? Wait for the castle to explode? I doubt we could manage that, but I am curious what you will do to check on our progress. Is there a way to communicate with you?"
You are curious? I am also curious about you, who guides you in this matter, and what other secrets of my organisation you have learned? Shall we trade? A question for a question? Or shall we agree to limit our interaction to this agreement?
"A trade works for me. I can honestly say we have received little to no guidance, certainly not in a while, and we do not know much about your 'organization.'"
I will go about my business as usual, and I have no magical means to communicate with you, no.
Nub is about to volunteer to trade information, before realising that he was likely mis-reading the room and instead asks "Are there any dangers we should be aware of on the way to Parnast? Should we head off shortly and if so, can we grab the banner so we can make haste?"
None that I can think of, Talis replies. You are skilled in arms and magic, no?
Now, if there are no more questions, let us be about this.
You are escorted downstairs and out of the lodge. A servant arrives carrying a banner, rolled up. Two servants unfurl it so that you can see it in full - it has five stripes colored black, blue, green, red, and white, respectively. Talis explains that you should fly it, preferably from a lance or spear, as you approach the castle. The servants then roll the banner up again and pass it to Jalt. (Jalt, please add the banner to your inventory, it weighs 10 pounds).
You stand on the porch of the lodge. Talis and her three armed guards are with you, as are two servants, one who is from the kitchen and one other you have not seen before.
The sun is high in the sky, though the air remains chilly and the wind is never far from your minds. The path curving down around the mountain towards Parnast is clear, though you cannot see the village from where you are now.
I wish you well, but I advise you not to return. If there is an attack on Skyreach Castle, it is likely that other outposts, including this one, will be reinforced in order to preserve what remains of our transportation networks. If you do kill Rezmir, please tell her that I helped you before she dies. Or not, as you prefer.
Soar nods at Talis as the deal is presented in its final form. "Makes sense to me. This was actually fun. See, violence isn't always they answer!" She puts her palm up for a high five. She leaves with a smile no matter if Talis reciprocates or not.
A few minutes after the group walks away the lodge toward Parnast, Soar turns to Nate. "Oh, by the way, what happened with that cook you showed outside?"
(Soar is fine with going a bit and then doing a short rest if needed, before hitting town.)
As they walk towards Parnast Nub says "I am pleased we did not have to fight Talis today and 100% agree that violence isn't always the answer. That said, unless we can stop whatever plan the cultists have for good, we may need to return to the lodge at a later time against her advice. Talis seemed to have the same goals as those we are chasing, just wanting them to play out over a different timeline. Hopefully we can neutralise the threat the lodge and she poses without violence then as well."
Talis does not reciprocate. She stands on the porch of the lodge and watches, expression hard to read, as you walk off down the path through the forest, tall evergreen trees on either side giving you partial shelter from the cold wind.
Can I ask two or more people to give me Perception checks for the journey?
Nub perception:22
Nate seems happy with this plan given they are basically heading towards potentially the cultists main headquarters. Even if it does fly. He also breathes an internal sign of relief once they leave seeing that nobody from the lodge seemed to inquire about the missing servant.
Nate would respond to Soar "Soar... I took him out. I had too... I thought that's what you wanted me to do when you made up the lie about the game. He was going to check on "it", and I didn't want him seeing the mess we made of the troll and drake."
Nate would then look at Jalt. "Honestly. I thought I was doing the right thing." Nate looks back to Soar and Nub "anyways... he didn't hurt me, and I hid his body."
Nate would then change the subject: "So... this castle of theirs... it, um, flies?" Nate would be on the lookout at all times throughout the journey...
Perception if still needed: 18
(Would Nate have been able to grab a short hour's rest before or during the journey?)
You can stop and take a short rest during the journey if you wish. You left the lodge already so it's too late to retcon that.
You pause about an hour from the lodge, and find a place to sit a little way back from the road itself. From your resting place there's not much to see - the trees are thick here and block views of the world around you. You are not sure how far away from home you are, but you do not recognise much of what you see.
After the rest, you continue on, on the muddy path, through creeks and small rises and falls as you descend round the mountain. Eventually, the trees start to thin and you see more signs of civilisation; sheep and goats grazing in herds, and the occasional farmhouse. The sun is hanging low in the sky as the last thick patch of trees gives way to a view, at last, of a small village lying ahead, no more than two dozen houses. And next to it, a very strange sight; perhaps a mile from the houses, on the far side from you, stands a mighty ice castle half hidden in a fog-shrouded ravine: walls stand forty feet high, huge narrow towers loom upward — one of blue ice, one crumbling — and all of it is built to a scale for giants. Wisps of fog hide much of the castle’s detail and there's little you can see from this distance. You judge that you will reach Parnast as the sun is setting.
HD for short rest: 8
"So, do we just walk in and go right to the castle? Or maybe learn a bit more from the village? I'm not sure if we should pretend to be with the cult in the town or not. Maybe we feel them out and see if they're fans first."
Nate just needs the rest time to use his natural recovery. He would recover one 2'nd level spell and one 1'st level spell.
Nate is in awe of the huge castle they can see from the distance. And that it is ice.
Nate responds to Soar "Hmmmm... well, if we go anywhere near the castle, we need to remember to fly that disgusting banner that Jalt has. We can likely use one of your javelins to hold it up high, yes? Also I didn't think it'd be a castle of ice. I thought dragons liked fire. I bet my ice magic that I've been using lately will be terrible in there." Nate smiles at Nub "Your fire should work perfect!"
"I'm not sure we should even venture into Parnast at this point, but if you think it will help us or present us with perhaps another option for entry then I guess it's worth a try."