Lumen blinks, surprised the man saw him hiding in the brush from his observation point. More to this one than meets the eye, he thinks to himself, stepping out of the woods.
Does this fellow seem to be running a similar scam or pose any kind of similar danger to anyone Lumen's run into on the road, in and out of towns and in the wilderness? Lumen's not a criminal but he's not unfamiliar with the underbelly of Faerun based on the insecurity of most of his career.
"We are the pie pals!" Krackle would exclaim after making up his mind that the man was no threat. "We are going to go find a tree lady thing I think... it is going to be neat!" He would say with a grin.
Kess tries to calmly breathe in and out, to not show any distress at his speaking. She didn't have it in her to be angry to Krackle; the little one was only sharing this information out of well-meant kindness, after all. But even so, she couldn't help but feel that his outburst was careless and potentially dangerous around a stranger. The Pie Pals could only pray that the man was as he said, which he thus far seemed... but it was the North, so who truly knew?
The man gives a quizzical look at Krackle's admission, his voice taking on a curious tone. "The Pie Pals...? I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean by that, little fellow, but who doesn't love a good pie! I know I do. Rubharb if I can get it. Apple next, and strawberry will do, but I do love the tartness of rhubarb. And you say you're going to find a tree lady? Like I said, you're hardly a dull bunch."
"Now, I don't know about you, but I'd like to get to Noanar's Hold by dinnertime. What say we walk together? Safety in numbers, right? And I didn't get the rest of your names. I was good enough to give you mine, what do I call the rest of you?"
Lumen
Of course, it's always hard to tell if one is running a scam. That's the nature of scams, right? However, in his experience with civilization and other people outside his own tribe, he has little knowledge of the depth of human activity and motivations, other than what he might have see and heard during his short spell of traveling alone and playing in taverns. From what he can tell, this man is obviously capable and smarter, more perceptive than most common travelers, but there are no outward recognizable indications that he's being decietful.
“You go ahead, and since we’re going in the same direction, we’ll be right behind you. And if we are to arrive at a position of trust, mind telling us what your business is in Noanar’s Hold, and beyond?” Lumen says to Antonio.
"Fair is fair, right friend? My reason for traveling this path is because I long to see the magnificent forest that lies ahead. There are few places in the world that hold a visible remnant to the days of old, when all of the land was covered with vast greenery. I'm a student of history, you see, and to stand under the canopy of old forest growth excites me to my bones. Noanar's Hold lies right at the edge of the High Forest, and so that makes it a safe place to base while I make a few short forays into the wood and take in the beauty of the trees with my own eyes."
"Is this your first trip into The Wood, or have any of you seen the trees before?"
"Oh! I have seen trees!" Krackle would reply excited. "There is one... and there..... and over there..." The kobold would say as he points to various trees nearby and in the distance. "I have always kind of liked trees.... I think it is because I like the shade they make.. the shade makes it so my eyes don't hurt." The kobold would say as he moves his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun.
Antonio laughs at Krackle's enthusiastic remarks. "Yes, small one, those are trees, but they are not TREES. My guess is that you have not seen the magnificent spender of the old forest either. You are in for quite a surprise!"
"I have not seen such trees, though I believe I have seen more types of trees than my sometimes-befuddled diminutive friend here. Might as well get a move on then, before dark. We're on a bit of a tour ourselves, and also helping out a friend, although that is not very interesting at all. Now tell me, as we walk, more about your study of history, and your travels. As you can see, I am a musician, but I am also a collector of stories, and I'm always looking for new ones. A student such as yourself must have many..." Lumen walks forward, immediately much more friendly and suave and wholly attempting to take hold of the attention of this fellow. Distracting him a bit by convincing him to talk about topics that seem to interest him.
He'll walk next to and a bit behind him, keeping the man in his peripheral vision at all times, guard staying up, but at least presenting a front of easygoing, attentive, and friendly companionship for a long walk. He engages a bit in the conversation but mostly encourages Antonio to keep talking. He's listening for anything real, for obvious BS, for things uncertain, and probing for areas of interest. While this man is in their company and on their path, the bard's going to feel him out (think constant insight checks)(and also constant persuasion checks). If he says anything about Phelannie the dryad, the Old Man Tree, or anything that he seems to know about the area where she lives(lived), then he'll take note of it but project disinterest/unrecognition.
The rest of the party is welcome to follow far behind, or close up as they please -- he offers placating and reassuring glances back to each member as he begins walking.
Kess opts to follow gently behind, smiling politely at Antonio but mainly keeping quiet as she listens to Lumen cascade and massage the man with his silver tongue, on occasion reacting to anything said between the two, but mostly focused on being able to place a body between Lumen and imminent danger should this man prove to be more than the scholar he claimed.
Inwardly, Kess winced at this, but what choice did she have, did they have? For all they knew, Antonio was the cover for some horrendous evil wizard or hag to distress all of them, or some bandit having a lark with this potential victims as he leads them into a trap. Though personally, as they walked, she was starting to believe that he may simply indeed be a scholar, one that was likely more than he seemed but still a scholar none-the-less; he was... yes, too clean, too proper and composed to fit the part of a common bandit lord. And from what she could tell, the man had all his teeth.
Krackle would walk closely next to Lumen as the two men talked. He would bounce around excitedly as he listened to them talking. Occasionally he would bounce in front and lead the group for a bit before bouncing around back behind man and next to Lumen. As far as krackle could tell, there was nothing to fear from this man. He seemed nice and he was sure that if he turned out to be mean that his new friends could handle this one unarmed man.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
(Sorry about the delay in posting).
Chrys eases her posture slightly as the man comes clean - well, at least cleaner - about who he truly is. She still eyes him warily, but says in response "There ain't ever a dull day around the Pie Pals." Krackle proves her right in almost the next moment, and it's by force of will that she manages to keep from smacking her hand into her forehead. Still, the kobold means well, and he didn't react badly at first sight, so that's something, at least.
"Antonio, is it? Well, m'name's Chrysoberyl. And I do enjoy m'self a good pie, though I find myself preferrin' the meaty variety,"she admits. She eyes him one last time, before taking up her position at the lead again as they start to travel down the road. "Ye can walk with us, but I'm hopin' there won't be no funny business on the way to the Hold. Yer right about havin' the same interests in mind right now - gettin' there 'fore darkness hits. So let's get a move on."
She lets Lumen take over, glad to see the rest of the group - minus Krackle - has raised their guard against this mysterious traveler. To the kobold in question, she beckons him over. "Look, kid," she says quietly, not trying to hide this conversation, but lowering her voice to a tone that doesn't carry to give herself and the kobold some privacy. "Not e'ryone on the road is what they seem. That guy there, he ain't no simple scholar, an' a little pressure got him to tell us that much. I don't know why he thought he had to lie in the first place, but he's proof that ya can't let yer guard down out in the wilds here. Not e'rybody who looks like a friend is always a friend. And remember Wurzig, that bugbear, or Nox? Not e'rybody who looks like an enemy is gonna be one, either. Ya gotta be careful, and give yer trust to those who earn it, so ya don't get hurt so easily. We're yer friends, so we'll help ya look out for yerself, but it's somethin' you gotta work on too. Well, the all of us. We're learnin' this adventurin' stuff together, right?" She smiles warmly, to take the bite off of her words, and offers Krackle a ride on her shoulder if he wishes it.
Then she keeps her eye out for dangers on the road, figuring that the rest of the group has the potential danger that Antonio might represent well covered.
As you walk along the lightly forested trail that runs alongside the river, with Lumen slightly out front with Antonio, the two of them converse quite a bit. The man is quite talkative, and gladly answers Lumen's questions, and asks a few of his own. He is a rather attractive fellow, neatly groomed, with clothes that appear to be much finer quality than what many commoners would be able to afford, and he speaks and carries himself with a confident and almost charming personality, all the while, keeping his own eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.
"I do like musicians, perhaps I could entice you to play a song or two later. I don't know if I've heard many musicians of your kind. I was taught that orcs were all "thrash and bash" types. I guess not everything you hear is true. As for me, you could say that my fascination with history is rooted in the fact that so many things of old simply no longer exist. Sometimes it's hard for me to imagine that entire civilizations, kingdoms and even geographic features are no more. Can you imaging living through a grand empire and thinking to yourself that someday, this will all be gone? That everything you knew and were will eventually disappear? It's almost hard to fathom, because it makes us wonder about our own lives."
"I suppose that one could look at that and think that it's all meaningless, but I don't see it that way. To me, it's fascinating. It reminds us that we'd better take our chances while we're here, don't you agree?"
"I also like to gaza at nature or point my eyes up at the sky, and marvel at its perfection... its wonder... Even the way we move... it's all very intriguing."
Through all of his conversation, he doesn't mention Phelanie or anything that relates to your errand and travels. He does mention that he's wandered quite a bit around the North, mostly spending his time between Waterdeep and Silverymoon, and although he often travels alone, he does occasionally spend time in some of the larger towns. In addition, you don't notice any kinds of potential threats or dangers during the next couple of hours.
Lumen
Through most of the conversation, most of what he says appears to be genuine, even though some of it seems a little "out there." However, you do sense that are definitely some intriguing contradictions about this fellow. His manner, his dress and appearance, his interests and general style... It's not like he's not who he says he is, it's more like he begs the question, "who exactly is this guy?"
Lumen nods, alert to the path ahead and the side, and also to anything odd Antonio does. He's also listening to him talk. He asks questions about any long-gone civilizations around the high forest and the north. When he talks about gazing at nature, Lumen responds but explaining that this exact marvel is what prompted him to turn away from pillaging and to art and music. "I found myself drawing ephemeral mosaics on cliffsides with meltwater instead of standing guard. Trying to play music in tandem with a lonely tree clinging to a ridgeline. Building on stories visiting clans would tell. Then the world beckoned."He tells some tales he's picked up over his years of traveling, nothing personal. And steering the conversation back to Antonio to get him to talk about where he comes from, stories he knows, trying to learn more about him to be able to guess what he might do and what he might really want. Does he seem like a noble slumming it, does he seem to be taking on a different form than usual, does he seem to be running from something, do his stories about where he comes from seem like fabrications....
(Insight: 20)
If he overhears Chrys talking to Krackle, he gives them a half-grin each, meaning very different things to either of them.
"That would make a very interesting method of playing, indeed. I'm trying to picture what that might sound like in my head... how might one play music that reminds the listener of trickle of a a small stream or a blustery winter storm? I should like to hear that sometime! Tell me, how did you come across that style? Did someone teach you, or did you figure it out on your own? And how is it received in the taverns of the north? From my experience, the common tavern goer likes to drink to jigs and happy-go-lucky songs about the seas and the bonny lass who he misses."
Lumen
During your talk, Antonio mentions places that he's been, but he rarely speaks of particular instances of what he did in those places, nor does he talk about where he's from, only that he's spent a lot of time in Waterdeep. From what you see and hear, he seems to have the polished demeanor of someone who was raised in a wealthy or prominent setting, but it sounds like he has more practical and inquisitive sense and life experience than the average nobleman, and he has more charm and confidence than someone who was raised in a well-to-do environment.
After a few more hours of walking, you reach a small bend in the river that provides you with your first view of the edge of the High Forest. While standing in a small clearing, you can look forward a few hundred yards and see that the sparse cottonwoods and alders suddenly yield to a massive wall of greenery and huge, old growth trees with immense branches of full, leafy foliage. It's an incredible contrast to the landscapes that you've been traveling in during the past few weeks.
You can see that the both the river and the trail lead right up to the edge of the forest and disappear into the seemingly endless stretch of woodland through small gaps. What lies beyond, you have no idea...
Antonio stops and gazes in wonder for a few moments.
"Absolutely splendid, isn't it? Those, my friends, are trees."
Lumen blinks, surprised the man saw him hiding in the brush from his observation point. More to this one than meets the eye, he thinks to himself, stepping out of the woods.
Does this fellow seem to be running a similar scam or pose any kind of similar danger to anyone Lumen's run into on the road, in and out of towns and in the wilderness? Lumen's not a criminal but he's not unfamiliar with the underbelly of Faerun based on the insecurity of most of his career.
"We are the pie pals!" Krackle would exclaim after making up his mind that the man was no threat. "We are going to go find a tree lady thing I think... it is going to be neat!" He would say with a grin.
Lumen covers his eyes with his hand and slowly shakes his head after Krackle shares the news.
Kess tries to calmly breathe in and out, to not show any distress at his speaking. She didn't have it in her to be angry to Krackle; the little one was only sharing this information out of well-meant kindness, after all. But even so, she couldn't help but feel that his outburst was careless and potentially dangerous around a stranger. The Pie Pals could only pray that the man was as he said, which he thus far seemed... but it was the North, so who truly knew?
Vesper is mildly frustrated that Krackle just blurted out that information.
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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The man gives a quizzical look at Krackle's admission, his voice taking on a curious tone. "The Pie Pals...? I'm afraid I have no idea what you mean by that, little fellow, but who doesn't love a good pie! I know I do. Rubharb if I can get it. Apple next, and strawberry will do, but I do love the tartness of rhubarb. And you say you're going to find a tree lady? Like I said, you're hardly a dull bunch."
"Now, I don't know about you, but I'd like to get to Noanar's Hold by dinnertime. What say we walk together? Safety in numbers, right? And I didn't get the rest of your names. I was good enough to give you mine, what do I call the rest of you?"
Lumen
Of course, it's always hard to tell if one is running a scam. That's the nature of scams, right? However, in his experience with civilization and other people outside his own tribe, he has little knowledge of the depth of human activity and motivations, other than what he might have see and heard during his short spell of traveling alone and playing in taverns. From what he can tell, this man is obviously capable and smarter, more perceptive than most common travelers, but there are no outward recognizable indications that he's being decietful.
“You go ahead, and since we’re going in the same direction, we’ll be right behind you. And if we are to arrive at a position of trust, mind telling us what your business is in Noanar’s Hold, and beyond?” Lumen says to Antonio.
"Fair is fair, right friend? My reason for traveling this path is because I long to see the magnificent forest that lies ahead. There are few places in the world that hold a visible remnant to the days of old, when all of the land was covered with vast greenery. I'm a student of history, you see, and to stand under the canopy of old forest growth excites me to my bones. Noanar's Hold lies right at the edge of the High Forest, and so that makes it a safe place to base while I make a few short forays into the wood and take in the beauty of the trees with my own eyes."
"Is this your first trip into The Wood, or have any of you seen the trees before?"
"Oh! I have seen trees!" Krackle would reply excited. "There is one... and there..... and over there..." The kobold would say as he points to various trees nearby and in the distance. "I have always kind of liked trees.... I think it is because I like the shade they make.. the shade makes it so my eyes don't hurt." The kobold would say as he moves his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun.
Antonio laughs at Krackle's enthusiastic remarks. "Yes, small one, those are trees, but they are not TREES. My guess is that you have not seen the magnificent spender of the old forest either. You are in for quite a surprise!"
"I have not seen such trees, though I believe I have seen more types of trees than my sometimes-befuddled diminutive friend here. Might as well get a move on then, before dark. We're on a bit of a tour ourselves, and also helping out a friend, although that is not very interesting at all. Now tell me, as we walk, more about your study of history, and your travels. As you can see, I am a musician, but I am also a collector of stories, and I'm always looking for new ones. A student such as yourself must have many..." Lumen walks forward, immediately much more friendly and suave and wholly attempting to take hold of the attention of this fellow. Distracting him a bit by convincing him to talk about topics that seem to interest him.
He'll walk next to and a bit behind him, keeping the man in his peripheral vision at all times, guard staying up, but at least presenting a front of easygoing, attentive, and friendly companionship for a long walk. He engages a bit in the conversation but mostly encourages Antonio to keep talking. He's listening for anything real, for obvious BS, for things uncertain, and probing for areas of interest. While this man is in their company and on their path, the bard's going to feel him out (think constant insight checks)(and also constant persuasion checks). If he says anything about Phelannie the dryad, the Old Man Tree, or anything that he seems to know about the area where she lives(lived), then he'll take note of it but project disinterest/unrecognition.
The rest of the party is welcome to follow far behind, or close up as they please -- he offers placating and reassuring glances back to each member as he begins walking.
Kess opts to follow gently behind, smiling politely at Antonio but mainly keeping quiet as she listens to Lumen cascade and massage the man with his silver tongue, on occasion reacting to anything said between the two, but mostly focused on being able to place a body between Lumen and imminent danger should this man prove to be more than the scholar he claimed.
Inwardly, Kess winced at this, but what choice did she have, did they have? For all they knew, Antonio was the cover for some horrendous evil wizard or hag to distress all of them, or some bandit having a lark with this potential victims as he leads them into a trap. Though personally, as they walked, she was starting to believe that he may simply indeed be a scholar, one that was likely more than he seemed but still a scholar none-the-less; he was... yes, too clean, too proper and composed to fit the part of a common bandit lord. And from what she could tell, the man had all his teeth.
TIme would tell, she supposed.
Krackle would walk closely next to Lumen as the two men talked. He would bounce around excitedly as he listened to them talking. Occasionally he would bounce in front and lead the group for a bit before bouncing around back behind man and next to Lumen. As far as krackle could tell, there was nothing to fear from this man. He seemed nice and he was sure that if he turned out to be mean that his new friends could handle this one unarmed man.
(Sorry about the delay in posting).
Chrys eases her posture slightly as the man comes clean - well, at least cleaner - about who he truly is. She still eyes him warily, but says in response "There ain't ever a dull day around the Pie Pals." Krackle proves her right in almost the next moment, and it's by force of will that she manages to keep from smacking her hand into her forehead. Still, the kobold means well, and he didn't react badly at first sight, so that's something, at least.
"Antonio, is it? Well, m'name's Chrysoberyl. And I do enjoy m'self a good pie, though I find myself preferrin' the meaty variety," she admits. She eyes him one last time, before taking up her position at the lead again as they start to travel down the road. "Ye can walk with us, but I'm hopin' there won't be no funny business on the way to the Hold. Yer right about havin' the same interests in mind right now - gettin' there 'fore darkness hits. So let's get a move on."
She lets Lumen take over, glad to see the rest of the group - minus Krackle - has raised their guard against this mysterious traveler. To the kobold in question, she beckons him over. "Look, kid," she says quietly, not trying to hide this conversation, but lowering her voice to a tone that doesn't carry to give herself and the kobold some privacy. "Not e'ryone on the road is what they seem. That guy there, he ain't no simple scholar, an' a little pressure got him to tell us that much. I don't know why he thought he had to lie in the first place, but he's proof that ya can't let yer guard down out in the wilds here. Not e'rybody who looks like a friend is always a friend. And remember Wurzig, that bugbear, or Nox? Not e'rybody who looks like an enemy is gonna be one, either. Ya gotta be careful, and give yer trust to those who earn it, so ya don't get hurt so easily. We're yer friends, so we'll help ya look out for yerself, but it's somethin' you gotta work on too. Well, the all of us. We're learnin' this adventurin' stuff together, right?" She smiles warmly, to take the bite off of her words, and offers Krackle a ride on her shoulder if he wishes it.
Then she keeps her eye out for dangers on the road, figuring that the rest of the group has the potential danger that Antonio might represent well covered.
Perception (scouting): 16
As you walk along the lightly forested trail that runs alongside the river, with Lumen slightly out front with Antonio, the two of them converse quite a bit. The man is quite talkative, and gladly answers Lumen's questions, and asks a few of his own. He is a rather attractive fellow, neatly groomed, with clothes that appear to be much finer quality than what many commoners would be able to afford, and he speaks and carries himself with a confident and almost charming personality, all the while, keeping his own eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.
"I do like musicians, perhaps I could entice you to play a song or two later. I don't know if I've heard many musicians of your kind. I was taught that orcs were all "thrash and bash" types. I guess not everything you hear is true. As for me, you could say that my fascination with history is rooted in the fact that so many things of old simply no longer exist. Sometimes it's hard for me to imagine that entire civilizations, kingdoms and even geographic features are no more. Can you imaging living through a grand empire and thinking to yourself that someday, this will all be gone? That everything you knew and were will eventually disappear? It's almost hard to fathom, because it makes us wonder about our own lives."
"I suppose that one could look at that and think that it's all meaningless, but I don't see it that way. To me, it's fascinating. It reminds us that we'd better take our chances while we're here, don't you agree?"
"I also like to gaza at nature or point my eyes up at the sky, and marvel at its perfection... its wonder... Even the way we move... it's all very intriguing."
Through all of his conversation, he doesn't mention Phelanie or anything that relates to your errand and travels. He does mention that he's wandered quite a bit around the North, mostly spending his time between Waterdeep and Silverymoon, and although he often travels alone, he does occasionally spend time in some of the larger towns. In addition, you don't notice any kinds of potential threats or dangers during the next couple of hours.
Lumen
Through most of the conversation, most of what he says appears to be genuine, even though some of it seems a little "out there." However, you do sense that are definitely some intriguing contradictions about this fellow. His manner, his dress and appearance, his interests and general style... It's not like he's not who he says he is, it's more like he begs the question, "who exactly is this guy?"
Lumen nods, alert to the path ahead and the side, and also to anything odd Antonio does. He's also listening to him talk. He asks questions about any long-gone civilizations around the high forest and the north. When he talks about gazing at nature, Lumen responds but explaining that this exact marvel is what prompted him to turn away from pillaging and to art and music. "I found myself drawing ephemeral mosaics on cliffsides with meltwater instead of standing guard. Trying to play music in tandem with a lonely tree clinging to a ridgeline. Building on stories visiting clans would tell. Then the world beckoned." He tells some tales he's picked up over his years of traveling, nothing personal. And steering the conversation back to Antonio to get him to talk about where he comes from, stories he knows, trying to learn more about him to be able to guess what he might do and what he might really want. Does he seem like a noble slumming it, does he seem to be taking on a different form than usual, does he seem to be running from something, do his stories about where he comes from seem like fabrications....
(Insight: 20)
If he overhears Chrys talking to Krackle, he gives them a half-grin each, meaning very different things to either of them.
"Oh... ok Chrys...I will try to be more careful" krackle would say before scrambling up on to the dwarfs shoulders.
"That would make a very interesting method of playing, indeed. I'm trying to picture what that might sound like in my head... how might one play music that reminds the listener of trickle of a a small stream or a blustery winter storm? I should like to hear that sometime! Tell me, how did you come across that style? Did someone teach you, or did you figure it out on your own? And how is it received in the taverns of the north? From my experience, the common tavern goer likes to drink to jigs and happy-go-lucky songs about the seas and the bonny lass who he misses."
Lumen
During your talk, Antonio mentions places that he's been, but he rarely speaks of particular instances of what he did in those places, nor does he talk about where he's from, only that he's spent a lot of time in Waterdeep. From what you see and hear, he seems to have the polished demeanor of someone who was raised in a wealthy or prominent setting, but it sounds like he has more practical and inquisitive sense and life experience than the average nobleman, and he has more charm and confidence than someone who was raised in a well-to-do environment.
“Self-taught. Catching on. Slowly.” Lumen grins, and then turns his attention to the road. Is he seeing anything between here and Noanar’s Hold?
After a few more hours of walking, you reach a small bend in the river that provides you with your first view of the edge of the High Forest. While standing in a small clearing, you can look forward a few hundred yards and see that the sparse cottonwoods and alders suddenly yield to a massive wall of greenery and huge, old growth trees with immense branches of full, leafy foliage. It's an incredible contrast to the landscapes that you've been traveling in during the past few weeks.
You can see that the both the river and the trail lead right up to the edge of the forest and disappear into the seemingly endless stretch of woodland through small gaps. What lies beyond, you have no idea...
Antonio stops and gazes in wonder for a few moments.
"Absolutely splendid, isn't it? Those, my friends, are trees."