"I ain't never gonna regret givin' a soul that's doubtin' a chance ta do the right thing,"Chrys says firmly in response to Antonio. "An eye fer an eye will leave the world blind. Mercy has ta start somewhere, an' everyone deserves a second chance. Mayhap that make me foolish, but I'd rather live an' die a fool than a cynic, then." She pats Due Process. "Though if I can help it, no-one would be doin' much dyin' lest they demanded it."
"Nay, I would not call you foolish," Antonio replies to Chrys. "Would that there were more people like you in the world. "An eye for an eye will leave the world blind," he repeats in a thoughtful tone. "Now that's a saying to remember, and one that would certainly leave us all with less blood spilled and far fewer bruises. I will admit, I am not always one to give folks a second chance when they've wronged me, and I have not always been given a second chance when I have wronged others."
"You ask about my past and who I really am, Lumen. Fair enough. You deserve to hear it, and more importantly, I feel as if I can trust your discretion.
"I like to think that I am a collector of lore. I like to know things... all sorts of things, a fact which has brought me rewards in life, and which has also brought me more than a few headaches, shall we say. I come from Waterdeep, and since I was raised by a well-to-do family, I had the privilege of being educated, which sparked my interest in history and lore. Living in the big city also sparked my penchant for other avenues of knowledge, such as the kind one gains through eavesdropping and charm."
"I truly was inspired, as I mentioned to you earlier, to come see the big trees of The High Forest, but I will admit that it's not the only reason I am here. For I am also being hunted, not by any religious cult, but rather a certain individual who I ended up causing a great deal of trouble; a prominent figure who had a few secrets that he preferred to keep to himself. Being the inquisitive lad that I was, I learned, and consequently, divulged some of his secrets, which in turned seriously compromised his reputation and cost him a hefty sum of gold."
"He was, of course, none too pleased, and he sent his goons after me. Fortunately, I received ample warning and was able to escape before being killed. I made my way to Baldur's gate, where I eventually joined up with a group of great scholars and loremasters and learned even more history... and a few other skills, as well. That little trick I pulled to help Chrys escape a far worse arrow strike was one of them. I have a few more."
"So, you see, I am a man on the run. I generally stay out of the way and keep my head down, because I know that the damage I caused that certain individual has put me in perpetual danger, should any of his bounty hunters find me. I had a close call number of days go while passing through Yartar, and so heading into the forest seemed like a good way to get myself out of sight for awhile. My plan, and I say that loosely, is to hole up in Noanar's Hold for a few days and then see what happens. I may decide to head deeper into the forest, but that remains to be seen."
"For now, I am looking forward to some food and drink, and hopefully not being assaulted by that shadow fellow again before we get there. Truth be told, that whole situation has suddenly given me cause for concern, because he surely knows where we are headed, and if what that Sap bloke said was true, he could prove to be quite a nuisance."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Huh,"Chrys says. "So that's why you were bein' so dodgy. Well, alright. As ya can see, we got somebody huntin' us too, so there's safety in numbers. I gotta ask, though... sounds like ya got yerself in a pickle o' yer own makin' there. Were you breakin' the law by doin' any o' that secret-divulgin' ? I don't approve none o' anybody bein' attacked on the road by bounty hunters, but I also don't fancy gettin' myself into a confrontation with guardsmen sent by the Grey Hands or the Lords o' Waterdeep just 'cause ya ran in public with their dirty underwear for a few bits o' coin, if ya get my drift. I ain't plannin' ta turn ya into anyone if ya are, but I gotta know - ya ain't a wanted criminal in Waterdeep for what ya pulled, are ya?"
(This insight check is for the potential answer Antonio gives Chrys to this particular line of questioning! Insight: 20 )
Lumen nods thoughtfully as Antonio finishes his story. He grunts as affirmatively as one can grunt, but he also gives Chrys a measured look, with an unspoken yes/no question about trust.
”Rest assured, I am no criminal, merely a man with conscience who refused to look past the opportunistic actions of someone who took advantage of others. I’m sure you know the type, the kind that lives on lies and hypocrisy, propping themselves up while stealing from others behind their backs. I could not let this go, because I saw the damage he was doing to my community. And I did it not for coin. I received none, although, I will admit, I did relish seeing the chaos erupt in his own reputation. That was priceless.”
”Unfortunately, even though I cost him dearly, he still holds enough power to be a persistent threat in his drive for revenge. Hence my perpetual journey, although I cannot say that it has not been without excitement, adventure and an opportunity for me to see places I never imagined.”
Listening to his story, Chrys finds no reason to doubt what he’s saying.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Chrys gives Antonio a few more appraising looks, before nodding stiffly. She glances at Lumen and raises her brows. "He seems ta have come clean with us, and like I said... I believe in second chances. So I'm willin' to let 'im travel with us as long as he's wantin'." She nods at Antonio as she begins walking. "Thanks for tellin' us the truth. An' sorry for puttin' ya through the wringer like that. But the woman we had to take that mask from... she was posin' as an officer o' the law at the time. Got burned by that once, an' it's made us all a lil' more wary, no offense to ya."
She looks out for danger as she walks: Perception 6
Of course, paying attention to the forest around her brings home just how alien it is to her, in clear focus.
With everyone's eyes looking out for potential dangers, especially any sign of the person you now know as The Shadow, you all keep moving steadily along the path that runs alongside The Dessarin, as it winds deeper into the forest. With each passing mile, it seems as if the trees are getting bigger and the rolling wooded landscapes is beaming even more dense and mysterious. With the thick canopy overhead, you can't see the sun, and so you find it difficult to discern the exact time of day. The light is a constant level of dim, but occasionally, beams of warm light flitter through small gaps in the trees and flitter down and provide a welcome sign of bright illumination. From the color and angle of the beams, you can get an idea of how low the sun is in the sky.
Fortunately, you spot nothing that causes you any alarm, during the few short hours that you've walked since the last encounter. Eventually, you come to a cleaning, where you see a number of manmade structures. You realize that you have arrived in Noanar's Hold. This very small village is comprised of a handful of small well-kept cottages and stables that are spaced out between the trees. At one end of the village, you see a large manor that looks like it might be a lodge of some sort. It's in state of slight disrepair, much more so than the cottages, and you don't see any signs of life around this large building. In the middle of the village, you see another larger building, not as big as the manor, but it's in much better shape and is obviously kept up quite well on a regular basis.
At this point, you don't see anyone outside in the cleaning, although you do see smoke rising from a few of the cottage chimneys, and also from the large well-kept building in the center of the village.
"Huh,"Chrys says as she surveys the tiny town. "I'm thinkin' we should try that big ol' building in the middle, that inn don't look too promisin'," she grumbles. Then she looks over at Vesper and Lumen. "Maybe you two should do the talkin'. This place ain't really in my comfort zone."
As you step further into the clearing, your eye catches another large structure that’s tucked into the edge of the forest at the northwestern side of the village. It’s an old stone keep that also appears to be in a state of disrepair, with one of the turrets on having collapsed and now lying as a pile of rubble.
Approaching the nicer looking building, you also see that it also has the look of a lodge, and you see the name painted on a sign: The White Hart Inn.
"No skulls along the road here, but then again, the last town was more friendly than we expected. Let's head to the White Hart Inn then."
Lumen heads to the door and briefly listens to get a sense of the crowd inside and tunes his lute for a quick few seconds, and plans on walking in behind whoever walks in first.
"I'm just glad to see that we've a prospective hearth tonight. Let's savor it; it will probably the last we enjoy of a warm bed and a fire for some time."
"I really like beds, I will have to make sure I send enough coins back home so mom and dad can buy one." He would reply as he makes his way towards the inn.
As Lumen listens at the door, he hears a few faint noises coming from inside. It doesn't sound like any huge tavern crowd from behind the thick door, but you can definitely tell that there's someone in there. In addition, you can see light emanating through the building's small, heavily opaque windows. Opening the door, you find yourselves standing in the entryway to an impressive, well maintained timber frame lodge that certainly offers a feeling of grandeur in contrast to the otherwise sleepy and rustic village outside.
In the middle of the huge, high ceiling room sits a central hearth and sitting area with a number of comfortable upholstered chairs and some tables and benches. A bar sits along the right side of the room. This large common room looks like it would hold 30-40 people, although you only see a small handful of people there, maybe 6 or 7 folks in two groups, quietly sipping their drinks and eating a meal.
An excited little man with dark frizzy brown hair and fair skin, appearing to be in his 40s or 50s, sees you from behind the bar and rushes forward to greet you in a someone what high-pitched crackly voice.
"Ahh!! Vistiors! Welcome, welcome!! Do come in!! Make yourselves at home, take a load off your feet! Sit, relax and let me know what I can bring you to start your evening! I've got venison stew on the menu for this evening and plenty of ale, beer, wine and other spirits to wash it all down."
“Glad to be here, my friend! Name’s Lumen, and these folks here have had a long journey to get to your establishment. We’ll take some rooms, and I’ll have some stew and an ale. When I’m done, I have this finely-crafted if nontraditional instrument that hasn’t been played all day. Happy to entertain your clientele, as I’ve done from here to Yartar and beyond, if you’ve a mind. Might get you a few more rounds’ worth of coin if they’re tapping their toes. Share the wealth, if you knew what I mean.”
Lumen will eat and then if the proprietor agrees, play some crowd pleasers. Nothing to strenuous or unaligned with the room.
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"I ain't never gonna regret givin' a soul that's doubtin' a chance ta do the right thing," Chrys says firmly in response to Antonio. "An eye fer an eye will leave the world blind. Mercy has ta start somewhere, an' everyone deserves a second chance. Mayhap that make me foolish, but I'd rather live an' die a fool than a cynic, then." She pats Due Process. "Though if I can help it, no-one would be doin' much dyin' lest they demanded it."
Persuasion: 21
"Nay, I would not call you foolish," Antonio replies to Chrys. "Would that there were more people like you in the world. "An eye for an eye will leave the world blind," he repeats in a thoughtful tone. "Now that's a saying to remember, and one that would certainly leave us all with less blood spilled and far fewer bruises. I will admit, I am not always one to give folks a second chance when they've wronged me, and I have not always been given a second chance when I have wronged others."
"You ask about my past and who I really am, Lumen. Fair enough. You deserve to hear it, and more importantly, I feel as if I can trust your discretion.
"I like to think that I am a collector of lore. I like to know things... all sorts of things, a fact which has brought me rewards in life, and which has also brought me more than a few headaches, shall we say. I come from Waterdeep, and since I was raised by a well-to-do family, I had the privilege of being educated, which sparked my interest in history and lore. Living in the big city also sparked my penchant for other avenues of knowledge, such as the kind one gains through eavesdropping and charm."
"I truly was inspired, as I mentioned to you earlier, to come see the big trees of The High Forest, but I will admit that it's not the only reason I am here. For I am also being hunted, not by any religious cult, but rather a certain individual who I ended up causing a great deal of trouble; a prominent figure who had a few secrets that he preferred to keep to himself. Being the inquisitive lad that I was, I learned, and consequently, divulged some of his secrets, which in turned seriously compromised his reputation and cost him a hefty sum of gold."
"He was, of course, none too pleased, and he sent his goons after me. Fortunately, I received ample warning and was able to escape before being killed. I made my way to Baldur's gate, where I eventually joined up with a group of great scholars and loremasters and learned even more history... and a few other skills, as well. That little trick I pulled to help Chrys escape a far worse arrow strike was one of them. I have a few more."
"So, you see, I am a man on the run. I generally stay out of the way and keep my head down, because I know that the damage I caused that certain individual has put me in perpetual danger, should any of his bounty hunters find me. I had a close call number of days go while passing through Yartar, and so heading into the forest seemed like a good way to get myself out of sight for awhile. My plan, and I say that loosely, is to hole up in Noanar's Hold for a few days and then see what happens. I may decide to head deeper into the forest, but that remains to be seen."
"For now, I am looking forward to some food and drink, and hopefully not being assaulted by that shadow fellow again before we get there. Truth be told, that whole situation has suddenly given me cause for concern, because he surely knows where we are headed, and if what that Sap bloke said was true, he could prove to be quite a nuisance."
"Huh," Chrys says. "So that's why you were bein' so dodgy. Well, alright. As ya can see, we got somebody huntin' us too, so there's safety in numbers. I gotta ask, though... sounds like ya got yerself in a pickle o' yer own makin' there. Were you breakin' the law by doin' any o' that secret-divulgin' ? I don't approve none o' anybody bein' attacked on the road by bounty hunters, but I also don't fancy gettin' myself into a confrontation with guardsmen sent by the Grey Hands or the Lords o' Waterdeep just 'cause ya ran in public with their dirty underwear for a few bits o' coin, if ya get my drift. I ain't plannin' ta turn ya into anyone if ya are, but I gotta know - ya ain't a wanted criminal in Waterdeep for what ya pulled, are ya?"
(This insight check is for the potential answer Antonio gives Chrys to this particular line of questioning!
Insight: 20 )
Lumen nods thoughtfully as Antonio finishes his story. He grunts as affirmatively as one can grunt, but he also gives Chrys a measured look, with an unspoken yes/no question about trust.
”Rest assured, I am no criminal, merely a man with conscience who refused to look past the opportunistic actions of someone who took advantage of others. I’m sure you know the type, the kind that lives on lies and hypocrisy, propping themselves up while stealing from others behind their backs. I could not let this go, because I saw the damage he was doing to my community. And I did it not for coin. I received none, although, I will admit, I did relish seeing the chaos erupt in his own reputation. That was priceless.”
”Unfortunately, even though I cost him dearly, he still holds enough power to be a persistent threat in his drive for revenge. Hence my perpetual journey, although I cannot say that it has not been without excitement, adventure and an opportunity for me to see places I never imagined.”
Listening to his story, Chrys finds no reason to doubt what he’s saying.
"Let's walk. We should have someone looking in each direction, alert for signs of this shadow man. Onward to Noanar's Hold."
Chrys gives Antonio a few more appraising looks, before nodding stiffly. She glances at Lumen and raises her brows. "He seems ta have come clean with us, and like I said... I believe in second chances. So I'm willin' to let 'im travel with us as long as he's wantin'." She nods at Antonio as she begins walking. "Thanks for tellin' us the truth. An' sorry for puttin' ya through the wringer like that. But the woman we had to take that mask from... she was posin' as an officer o' the law at the time. Got burned by that once, an' it's made us all a lil' more wary, no offense to ya."
She looks out for danger as she walks: Perception 6
Of course, paying attention to the forest around her brings home just how alien it is to her, in clear focus.
Kess is lost in thought, looking a bit troubled as the group presses forward, and as such is only half-way paying attention as the party goes forward.
Krackle would also keep am eye open for threats as they make their way through the forest
With everyone's eyes looking out for potential dangers, especially any sign of the person you now know as The Shadow, you all keep moving steadily along the path that runs alongside The Dessarin, as it winds deeper into the forest. With each passing mile, it seems as if the trees are getting bigger and the rolling wooded landscapes is beaming even more dense and mysterious. With the thick canopy overhead, you can't see the sun, and so you find it difficult to discern the exact time of day. The light is a constant level of dim, but occasionally, beams of warm light flitter through small gaps in the trees and flitter down and provide a welcome sign of bright illumination. From the color and angle of the beams, you can get an idea of how low the sun is in the sky.
Fortunately, you spot nothing that causes you any alarm, during the few short hours that you've walked since the last encounter. Eventually, you come to a cleaning, where you see a number of manmade structures. You realize that you have arrived in Noanar's Hold. This very small village is comprised of a handful of small well-kept cottages and stables that are spaced out between the trees. At one end of the village, you see a large manor that looks like it might be a lodge of some sort. It's in state of slight disrepair, much more so than the cottages, and you don't see any signs of life around this large building. In the middle of the village, you see another larger building, not as big as the manor, but it's in much better shape and is obviously kept up quite well on a regular basis.
At this point, you don't see anyone outside in the cleaning, although you do see smoke rising from a few of the cottage chimneys, and also from the large well-kept building in the center of the village.
"Huh," Chrys says as she surveys the tiny town. "I'm thinkin' we should try that big ol' building in the middle, that inn don't look too promisin'," she grumbles. Then she looks over at Vesper and Lumen. "Maybe you two should do the talkin'. This place ain't really in my comfort zone."
Lumen nods and steps forward to that building. "Just looking for some meals and some rooms, right? Nothing too hard."
As you step further into the clearing, your eye catches another large structure that’s tucked into the edge of the forest at the northwestern side of the village. It’s an old stone keep that also appears to be in a state of disrepair, with one of the turrets on having collapsed and now lying as a pile of rubble.
Approaching the nicer looking building, you also see that it also has the look of a lodge, and you see the name painted on a sign: The White Hart Inn.
"I hope they like kobolds..." Krackle would say as they head towards the building.
"No skulls along the road here, but then again, the last town was more friendly than we expected. Let's head to the White Hart Inn then."
Lumen heads to the door and briefly listens to get a sense of the crowd inside and tunes his lute for a quick few seconds, and plans on walking in behind whoever walks in first.
"I'm just glad to see that we've a prospective hearth tonight. Let's savor it; it will probably the last we enjoy of a warm bed and a fire for some time."
"I really like beds, I will have to make sure I send enough coins back home so mom and dad can buy one." He would reply as he makes his way towards the inn.
As Lumen listens at the door, he hears a few faint noises coming from inside. It doesn't sound like any huge tavern crowd from behind the thick door, but you can definitely tell that there's someone in there. In addition, you can see light emanating through the building's small, heavily opaque windows. Opening the door, you find yourselves standing in the entryway to an impressive, well maintained timber frame lodge that certainly offers a feeling of grandeur in contrast to the otherwise sleepy and rustic village outside.
In the middle of the huge, high ceiling room sits a central hearth and sitting area with a number of comfortable upholstered chairs and some tables and benches. A bar sits along the right side of the room. This large common room looks like it would hold 30-40 people, although you only see a small handful of people there, maybe 6 or 7 folks in two groups, quietly sipping their drinks and eating a meal.
An excited little man with dark frizzy brown hair and fair skin, appearing to be in his 40s or 50s, sees you from behind the bar and rushes forward to greet you in a someone what high-pitched crackly voice.
"Ahh!! Vistiors! Welcome, welcome!! Do come in!! Make yourselves at home, take a load off your feet! Sit, relax and let me know what I can bring you to start your evening! I've got venison stew on the menu for this evening and plenty of ale, beer, wine and other spirits to wash it all down."
“Glad to be here, my friend! Name’s Lumen, and these folks here have had a long journey to get to your establishment. We’ll take some rooms, and I’ll have some stew and an ale. When I’m done, I have this finely-crafted if nontraditional instrument that hasn’t been played all day. Happy to entertain your clientele, as I’ve done from here to Yartar and beyond, if you’ve a mind. Might get you a few more rounds’ worth of coin if they’re tapping their toes. Share the wealth, if you knew what I mean.”
Lumen will eat and then if the proprietor agrees, play some crowd pleasers. Nothing to strenuous or unaligned with the room.