She shakes her head, exasperated. Why do you think, sweetie? A lot of people are interested in a certain group of travellers, no? And I'm certainly not going to have a loud discussion with you in public. For the Gods' sake, you and your friends need to keep your heads down, your eyes and ears open and your mouths shut, just for a few more days. Get it, Nate? Now leave me alone. I'll talk to you when I'm ready. Oh, and do try to work out what my name is, won't you? She winks at you, but gives you no chance to ask questions. She dodges down and under the wagon and out the other side, and is gone.
Nate will return to Edhelri as fast as he can, and then whenever the next moment he can get with Soar, Jalt and Elspeth he will tell them about this. That they are ALL made. And the gnome may or may not be on our side. Seems to be, but at this point, who knows.
"Well lookedy here! I reckon it's time to do my rounds! Yee haw!"
Nate's going to do his healing rounds. Hasn't done it since we resumed travel, so it's overdue. Edhelri would be fine with it, I'm sure. He's been doing it for months.
He will tell each of the others individually as he checks them!
When Nate mentions the woman, Elspeth's brows furrow, a part of her silently berating herself for not paying enough attention to the new arrivals to notice the strange gnome herself. "Damn." She mutters quietly, then loudly adds, "Ow - I think that wound might still be slightly infected." for the sake of anyone who might happen to be passing by, then lowers her voice again. "She knows about us and we know nothing about her - I don't like this at all. She joined the caravan with that man, and she seems to know about our targets, but she's not very friendly, is she? Maybe she's just a generally suspicious person, but I don't see why we shouldn't be suspicious right back. Keep track of who she talks to, alright?"
To Elspeth: "To be honest, she wasn't all that mean either... and she asked me about some kind of riddle... she kept asking me what her name is."
"Anyhow... I have no idea but I agree let's be careful and I will definitely keep my eyes on her. See you soon."
Then Nate moves on to his next "patient".
*Nate would've in particular told Soar about the name riddle part, to see if she knows something about that. Perhaps linked to the fairies that she was talking about earlier.
Soar, when you talk to Carlon, he whispers in reply: Use the phrase, and see what she says. She's not a Harper, as far as I know. I could be wrong. We're a secretive bunch.
The caravan continues on its way, and you have only a few days before reaching Waterdeep. Is there anything you want to do now?
Soar, you approach as people are sitting down one day for the evening meal, sitting in clusters of three or four around the large communal campfire. The gnome smiles. Weird name. But I'm one to talk. Jamna Gleamsilver, pleased to meet you Boar. I've heard so much about you. Waterdeep, yes, but who knows after that... She grins, and moves away to sit with a group of travellers.
When she says “I’ve heard so much about you,” Boar cuts in with, “all fabrications, exaggerations, libel, and slander, I’m sure. I wasn’t that bad of a musician,” without even looking up from the fire.
Boar is going to keep up semi-regular detect poison and disease checks on the meals. Otherwise she keeps a very close but casual eye for changes in people’s routines, especially the cultists and the new cultist friend but also Lasfelro, Jamna, Leda, etc.
Soar, you keep watch on the caravan and the travellers. No major changes from the usual routines. The strange man who Jalt saw in the inn spends all of his time with the cultists, and does not mix with the rest of the travellers. Jamna, on the other hand, is cheerful and seems to get to know people easily, so you will all learn her name, even if you don't interact with her directly.
In the morning, perhaps four days before you are due to arrive in Waterdeep, Elspeth and Jalt are preparing to sit down to breakfast. Albit is taking a tray of two bowls for Losvius and Eldkin, while Gethyn brings a tray with your bowls; afterwards, they will fetch bowls for the rest of the guards. You take your bowls, sit down and prepare to eat as usual.
The gnome Jamna Gleamsilver approaches silently, glances around, and puts a finger to her lips. Elspeth, she reaches over and snatches the bowl of oatmeal from your hands. After poking through your oatmeal with the blade of her dagger, the gnome lifts it out and shows you an oatmeal-smeared object resembling a tiny bead.
She glances over her shoulder toward where cultists sit at their breakfast. It’s a sliver of bone, she whispers, 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 your breakfast too, Master Jalt. Perhaps your friends' too. You should probably tell them. As she gets up and walks away, she adds, Let’s talk this evening.
"You're joking."Elspeth whispers in horror and disgust as she stares at the bone sliver, reaching for it so she could examine it herself, and so she can show it to Soar and Nate as soon as she has a moment. She quickly searches the rest of the bowl for any bone splinters, trying very hard to ignore how close she was to eating the bone sliver, and remind Jalt to search his bowl. Before Jamna has time to depart, however, Elspeth looks up for a second and eyes the gnome with suspicion. "How did you know it was there?"She demands, if there's time for her to ask Jamna a question before she leaves. Either way, straight after Jamna departs, Elspeth will excuse herself on account of a sore stomach and head out to find Soar and Nate, warning them of potential bone splinters in their food. She'd prefer to do this as discreetly as possible, but this is too dangerous to her friends' safety for her spare a thought about their covers. Either way, besides describing the circumstances around the discovery she'll also mention how convenient it was that Jamna managed to discover it just as she did.
[investigation/insight? +5 for insight on Jamna, +0 for investigation on finding more bone shards in her meal, rolling two vanilla d20s for now: 138]
She'll suggest that they don't respond too eagerly to Jamna's request for a meeting: "Let's not all go. It'll be too obvious if we move in a group all the time."
Boar, if she hadn’t already cast her usual detect poison and disease, would cast it to see if her bowl and Nate’s if possible was poisoned. Either way she would root around for anything in there. She would nod gently to Elspeth in thanks. She would also finish her meal early and mutter about a sore stomach as well, holding onto her side gingerly as she left.
She would spend the rest of the morning away from other people, gasping and holding her breath quietly from time to time. She agreed with Elspeth’s proposal that not everyone go to the meeting with Jamna, and she volunteers to be one of them. Perhaps some of the group fakes symptoms and uses a trip to the loo that night to go see the gnome.
Jalt would place the bowl of oatmeal down to his side and nods in Jamna's direction. Jalt looks to Elspeth This gnome is an interesting one. You should meet up with her tonight. I shouldn't because its already obvious that Ive been watched. So I will stay back and not bring any attention to you all.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
Elspeth, you examine the bone sliver; at the moment, it appears to be a small ball of bone.
I didn't, Jamna replies. But I saw one of the cultists almost bump into your young guard lad over there. A clumsy ruse on their part. I suspected something went into the oatmeal. She heads off, deflecting any other questions for later. With an 18 Insight you can tell that Jamna is the kind of person who gets up to sneaky, possibly dishonest things - you get a similar feel sometimes from Carlon. You don't get the sense that she's lying about this, though. You don't find any other bone slivers in your meal or Jalt's.
Boar, you had cast you usual spells, and found nothing - though you would be unlikely to find a bone sliver by that kind of magical check. As you poke through, you do find several small lumps that might be bone slivers, but they might just as easily be oat husks, sawdust, or insect eggs. Make a Deception check on your fake symptoms.
So who is meeting Jamna in the evening? Everyone except Jalt?
When Elspeth tells Nate about the bone slivers, he says "I don't trust her one bit Elspeth. I might be wrong, but at this point I don't think we should trust anyone. We are so close to Waterdeep... although she possibly just saved our lives telling us about this.sigh...I don't know. And I agree with you - how the hell did she even know they bones were there? I confronted her earlier and I am not sure it is a good idea if I meet with her tonight... I might say something I regret. I don't want to blow it for us. I'm just... so sick of travelling and I am at my wits end with the cultists. I've been having dreams too... well more like nightmares... of the long cold nights in their torture camp."
"They all need to die."
Nate's in a bit of a dark place right now. He's not going to see the gnome tonight.
Soar puts in a good performance of fake pain and discomfort. Most people are concerned, and the cultists appear indifferent.
The evening comes, and Elspeth and Soar meet with Jamna in a secluded space between two parked wagons, as the sun it setting and most of the members of the caravan have gathered around their campfires for the evening meal. She doesn't waste any time in getting down to business.
Look, 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?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Have the cultists looked at them at all? Have they made an effort to NOT look at them? Or do they really seem indifferent? Insight: 20
"I'll let you in on a secret but you have to promise not to tell anyone else here, and you have to tell us how and what you know about us, and also work with us if I tell you, okay?" She pauses, waiting for Jamna to reply. Assuming she agrees, Boar goes on.
"Not many people on the caravan know this, but those wagons are full of treasure. Gold statues, candelabras, fancy furniture, probably gold and jewels. We have it on... good authority that it's stolen from people down south. Not sure where they're headed, but we're curious too. We don't know much about the people themselves, even their names. Maybe that's something you can tell us."
[Soar is presenting the information about the contents of the wagons as if it is not common knowledge among the rest of the caravan, and attempting to use it as leverage to bring the gnome to their cause. She doesn't fully trust Jamna, but since she appears to have saved their lives, and she may have some useful skills, and we don't have many friends, and we haven't made much headway in finding anything out, and also because the information she's giving up is not super valuable, she feels fine pitching this deal. She won't tell her about Carlon, or the Harpers, or Leosin, or Untharr.]
She shakes her head, exasperated. Why do you think, sweetie? A lot of people are interested in a certain group of travellers, no? And I'm certainly not going to have a loud discussion with you in public. For the Gods' sake, you and your friends need to keep your heads down, your eyes and ears open and your mouths shut, just for a few more days. Get it, Nate? Now leave me alone. I'll talk to you when I'm ready. Oh, and do try to work out what my name is, won't you? She winks at you, but gives you no chance to ask questions. She dodges down and under the wagon and out the other side, and is gone.
perfect
Nate will return to Edhelri as fast as he can, and then whenever the next moment he can get with Soar, Jalt and Elspeth he will tell them about this. That they are ALL made. And the gnome may or may not be on our side. Seems to be, but at this point, who knows.
When and how exactly will Nate try to gather Soar, Jalt and Elspeth all together?
"Well lookedy here! I reckon it's time to do my rounds! Yee haw!"
Nate's going to do his healing rounds. Hasn't done it since we resumed travel, so it's overdue. Edhelri would be fine with it, I'm sure. He's been doing it for months.
He will tell each of the others individually as he checks them!
When Nate mentions the woman, Elspeth's brows furrow, a part of her silently berating herself for not paying enough attention to the new arrivals to notice the strange gnome herself. "Damn." She mutters quietly, then loudly adds, "Ow - I think that wound might still be slightly infected." for the sake of anyone who might happen to be passing by, then lowers her voice again. "She knows about us and we know nothing about her - I don't like this at all. She joined the caravan with that man, and she seems to know about our targets, but she's not very friendly, is she? Maybe she's just a generally suspicious person, but I don't see why we shouldn't be suspicious right back. Keep track of who she talks to, alright?"
Soar will make a note to ask Caron if there is a way to tell if she is A Friend Of The Black Antlers.
To Elspeth: "To be honest, she wasn't all that mean either... and she asked me about some kind of riddle... she kept asking me what her name is."
"Anyhow... I have no idea but I agree let's be careful and I will definitely keep my eyes on her. See you soon."
Then Nate moves on to his next "patient".
*Nate would've in particular told Soar about the name riddle part, to see if she knows something about that. Perhaps linked to the fairies that she was talking about earlier.
Soar, when you talk to Carlon, he whispers in reply: Use the phrase, and see what she says. She's not a Harper, as far as I know. I could be wrong. We're a secretive bunch.
The caravan continues on its way, and you have only a few days before reaching Waterdeep. Is there anything you want to do now?
If the gnome ever gets close with others not nearby, Boar will say, “headed to Waterdeep or beyond? I’m Boar Blackantlers, who are you.”
Soar, you approach as people are sitting down one day for the evening meal, sitting in clusters of three or four around the large communal campfire. The gnome smiles. Weird name. But I'm one to talk. Jamna Gleamsilver, pleased to meet you Boar. I've heard so much about you. Waterdeep, yes, but who knows after that... She grins, and moves away to sit with a group of travellers.
When she says “I’ve heard so much about you,” Boar cuts in with, “all fabrications, exaggerations, libel, and slander, I’m sure. I wasn’t that bad of a musician,” without even looking up from the fire.
Boar is going to keep up semi-regular detect poison and disease checks on the meals. Otherwise she keeps a very close but casual eye for changes in people’s routines, especially the cultists and the new cultist friend but also Lasfelro, Jamna, Leda, etc.
Soar, you keep watch on the caravan and the travellers. No major changes from the usual routines. The strange man who Jalt saw in the inn spends all of his time with the cultists, and does not mix with the rest of the travellers. Jamna, on the other hand, is cheerful and seems to get to know people easily, so you will all learn her name, even if you don't interact with her directly.
In the morning, perhaps four days before you are due to arrive in Waterdeep, Elspeth and Jalt are preparing to sit down to breakfast. Albit is taking a tray of two bowls for Losvius and Eldkin, while Gethyn brings a tray with your bowls; afterwards, they will fetch bowls for the rest of the guards. You take your bowls, sit down and prepare to eat as usual.
The gnome Jamna Gleamsilver approaches silently, glances around, and puts a finger to her lips. Elspeth, she reaches over and snatches the bowl of oatmeal from your hands. After poking through your oatmeal with the blade of her dagger, the gnome lifts it out and shows you an oatmeal-smeared object resembling a tiny bead.
She glances over her shoulder toward where cultists sit at their breakfast. It’s a sliver of bone, she whispers, 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 your breakfast too, Master Jalt. Perhaps your friends' too. You should probably tell them. As she gets up and walks away, she adds, Let’s talk this evening.
"You're joking." Elspeth whispers in horror and disgust as she stares at the bone sliver, reaching for it so she could examine it herself, and so she can show it to Soar and Nate as soon as she has a moment. She quickly searches the rest of the bowl for any bone splinters, trying very hard to ignore how close she was to eating the bone sliver, and remind Jalt to search his bowl. Before Jamna has time to depart, however, Elspeth looks up for a second and eyes the gnome with suspicion. "How did you know it was there?" She demands, if there's time for her to ask Jamna a question before she leaves. Either way, straight after Jamna departs, Elspeth will excuse herself on account of a sore stomach and head out to find Soar and Nate, warning them of potential bone splinters in their food. She'd prefer to do this as discreetly as possible, but this is too dangerous to her friends' safety for her spare a thought about their covers. Either way, besides describing the circumstances around the discovery she'll also mention how convenient it was that Jamna managed to discover it just as she did.
[investigation/insight? +5 for insight on Jamna, +0 for investigation on finding more bone shards in her meal, rolling two vanilla d20s for now: 13 8]
She'll suggest that they don't respond too eagerly to Jamna's request for a meeting: "Let's not all go. It'll be too obvious if we move in a group all the time."
Boar, if she hadn’t already cast her usual detect poison and disease, would cast it to see if her bowl and Nate’s if possible was poisoned. Either way she would root around for anything in there. She would nod gently to Elspeth in thanks. She would also finish her meal early and mutter about a sore stomach as well, holding onto her side gingerly as she left.
She would spend the rest of the morning away from other people, gasping and holding her breath quietly from time to time. She agreed with Elspeth’s proposal that not everyone go to the meeting with Jamna, and she volunteers to be one of them. Perhaps some of the group fakes symptoms and uses a trip to the loo that night to go see the gnome.
Jalt would place the bowl of oatmeal down to his side and nods in Jamna's direction. Jalt looks to Elspeth This gnome is an interesting one. You should meet up with her tonight. I shouldn't because its already obvious that Ive been watched. So I will stay back and not bring any attention to you all.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - Jalt Rhogar - Dragonborn Cleric (9)
"Ive heard it both ways."
Elspeth, you examine the bone sliver; at the moment, it appears to be a small ball of bone.
I didn't, Jamna replies. But I saw one of the cultists almost bump into your young guard lad over there. A clumsy ruse on their part. I suspected something went into the oatmeal. She heads off, deflecting any other questions for later. With an 18 Insight you can tell that Jamna is the kind of person who gets up to sneaky, possibly dishonest things - you get a similar feel sometimes from Carlon. You don't get the sense that she's lying about this, though. You don't find any other bone slivers in your meal or Jalt's.
Boar, you had cast you usual spells, and found nothing - though you would be unlikely to find a bone sliver by that kind of magical check. As you poke through, you do find several small lumps that might be bone slivers, but they might just as easily be oat husks, sawdust, or insect eggs. Make a Deception check on your fake symptoms.
So who is meeting Jamna in the evening? Everyone except Jalt?
When Elspeth tells Nate about the bone slivers, he says "I don't trust her one bit Elspeth. I might be wrong, but at this point I don't think we should trust anyone. We are so close to Waterdeep... although she possibly just saved our lives telling us about this. sigh... I don't know. And I agree with you - how the hell did she even know they bones were there? I confronted her earlier and I am not sure it is a good idea if I meet with her tonight... I might say something I regret. I don't want to blow it for us. I'm just... so sick of travelling and I am at my wits end with the cultists. I've been having dreams too... well more like nightmares... of the long cold nights in their torture camp."
"They all need to die."
Nate's in a bit of a dark place right now. He's not going to see the gnome tonight.
Deception 18
Soar puts in a good performance of fake pain and discomfort. Most people are concerned, and the cultists appear indifferent.
The evening comes, and Elspeth and Soar meet with Jamna in a secluded space between two parked wagons, as the sun it setting and most of the members of the caravan have gathered around their campfires for the evening meal. She doesn't waste any time in getting down to business.
Look, 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?
Have the cultists looked at them at all? Have they made an effort to NOT look at them? Or do they really seem indifferent? Insight: 20
"I'll let you in on a secret but you have to promise not to tell anyone else here, and you have to tell us how and what you know about us, and also work with us if I tell you, okay?" She pauses, waiting for Jamna to reply. Assuming she agrees, Boar goes on.
"Not many people on the caravan know this, but those wagons are full of treasure. Gold statues, candelabras, fancy furniture, probably gold and jewels. We have it on... good authority that it's stolen from people down south. Not sure where they're headed, but we're curious too. We don't know much about the people themselves, even their names. Maybe that's something you can tell us."
[Soar is presenting the information about the contents of the wagons as if it is not common knowledge among the rest of the caravan, and attempting to use it as leverage to bring the gnome to their cause. She doesn't fully trust Jamna, but since she appears to have saved their lives, and she may have some useful skills, and we don't have many friends, and we haven't made much headway in finding anything out, and also because the information she's giving up is not super valuable, she feels fine pitching this deal. She won't tell her about Carlon, or the Harpers, or Leosin, or Untharr.]