"Ah that explains the eagerness for the drink early! Well its a pleasure to meet the both of you, I hope we can arrange something and I especially hope the task in particular can wait till the morning."
She laughs as she rubs out the sore spots in her shoulders from the long day of traveling.
"I am Riona Donaill, naturally I will be bringing the muscle to our impromptu party." She winks at Keg, who is clearly the actual muscle.
All: You gather 'round the table in the back of the tavern and Khubic says "Thank you all for indulging me in this, I hope we can help each other in this time of uncertainty. As I'm sure you have all heard, the city of Elturel has been cast into the nine hells. Some managed to escape the city before the transference was complete and these refugees have spread throughout the Sword Coast telling horrifying tales of their narrow escape from the jaws of hell. I am a member of an organization that intends to uncover what caused the tragedy in Elturel and hold those responsible accountable. Our reach spans the length and breadth of the Sword Coast, but at the moment we are spread thin. I've been authorized to hire willing parties as temporary mercenary agents. That's where you come in." And he looks to each of you "All my life I've had a... A feel for people. I can spend a few minutes watching someone and know whether their intentions are good, evil, or other. It's saved my life more than once. Right now I see good in all of you. A desire to help and be part of the solution. A desire to right wrongs and bring to light what evil men do in the dark. This is what we need right now. If that sounds like something you want to be a part of, I have work for you. Paying work." At this point he sighs and his face reflects the seriousness of his words "Now, this might sound all well and good, but you all should know that lines are being drawn. Either you pick a side or be trampled in the middle. Even as I work to combat the darkness, so too does the darkness plot against us. Once you choose a side, you're putting yourself in the sight of those whose power is enormous. And they will do everything they can to keep that power. They cast an entire city into hell; murdering you and your loved ones is nothing to them. I don't mean to scare you away, I want you to know that the saying no good deed goes unpunished isn't far from the truth. I've lost friends and damn near lost my life more times than I can count. As I'm sure you've already guessed, Khubic Bottlebelt isn't even my real name. So that's my offer. If you need more time, I can give you 'til morning. The urgency of the situation doesn't allow for any more than that."
Fedex nods as he listens. His anonymity and being this far south comforts him that his family is likely out of reach, though they are quite capable of defending themselves in any situation. This is exactly the kind of purpose he was looking for. He is ready to throw his hat in immediately but hesitates while he sports his best poker face and examines the others at the table. There really is no doubt that he will sign up and would do so alone, but he’s just waiting to see the spirit of the others.
Riona's eyes shoot open as the man explains the situation. She listens intently, nodding along, and her eyebrows knit together in sympathy as he mentions the loss of those he held dear. Her mouth opens and closes as she mulls over the word and considers the intensity of the proposition.
"Now I'm no powerhouse, not yet anyway, so any jobs I take may have to be of the simpler variety for now but, I'm in. These things I'm learning to do, weaving the energy around me, creating, changing, these gifts were not meant to hoard, they were meant to make the world a better place. I can just feel it. And if those nasty folk come after my family, my boys, my sister, well, they will likely regret it. We are a patient lot, but we never forget to serve what is owed"
For the first time you see her eyes look dark, the easy smile has dropped from her face and all that remains is intensity and determination as she understands the seriousness of the situation and the offer. She takes a deep breath and releases the tension she had built, a small grin returning to her lips again as she turns to the rest of the gathered party. A hopeful look in her eyes.
Riona: Khubic seems to relax as though his burden has lightened and says "Thank you. I know the enormity of what I ask of you and I don't take that lightly. I also know kindred spirits when I see them. For us... There really is no other way. Once our eyes are opened to the corruption, the injustice, and the careless destruction of lives, we can't unsee it. Once we know we have a chance to root it out and fight back, we can't sit idle. Call it destiny, or simple coincidence. All I know is that for evil to succeed, good folk need do nothing." He looks to the other three at the table and says "Well, you haven't walked away yet so that's promising. Can I count on your help as well?"
OOC for All: Good night all, I'll be back on tomorrow throughout the day. My active hours will likely be 10am-3pm and again briefly around 8:30pm. Central standard time.
After pondering my response I just had to say it, “I have no family, I have no one else to go to. Once I die, I die. And that is fine by me, but this sounds hardly of the simple job you talked of not too long ago. You want us to find the person or persons responsible as if they would be sitting atop a throne twirling a mustache. The Nine Hells is nothing to nonchalantly pass off, my tribe had seers warn us of many planes and the Nine Hells were the most restricted of them all. I started my quest a mere 8 months ago, and judging by the looks of the people around me are of no different.”
I look around the table at their faces as I try to explain. ”If you have someone to go back to, don’t just throw away everything. World ending problem or not being there in their last moments, when they need you the most is important. Trust me, I know. But if all of you are willing to cast aside any doubt right now and fight then I will join you, as I certainly would not have done this on my own. Okay, “Khubic”, I join your party. To all who wish to know it, my name is Keragri Thunderwalker, I lost my Goliath name ages ago.”
Lander nods his head in agreement as he listens to everything Khubic and the others have just said. He thinks of his home village and imagines corrupted monstrosities destroying it. His eyes tear up a bit and he is visibly upset. "I have done much reading in my time, enough to know that the nine hells are awful. The fact that they are now manipulating our plane is very distressing. One only has to look to all the refugees that have been flooding here to see something must be done. I may be a small man, but what I lack in size I more than make up in persistence, kindness, and just wanting to do the right thing. This darkness will not reach Belkin. I will not allow it. Khubic, I would be more than proud to fight alongside you and everyone else here........... We're all in this together. From this moment on, I look at you all as my brothers and sisters. Let us do our part to beat back this evil as best we can! "
He looks at everyone around the table. Lander is definitely where he belongs. There is still a hint of sadness showing on his face but everyone can tell he means business and is here to stay.
(OOC-Belkin was just the name I chose for the halfling farming community I'm from. If this is a problem, or you have a different name you'd prefer I use, let me know. This already has me so excited, I'm hoping there's a way we can keep the group together and adventure more in the future.)
With the unanimous approval of the table, Fedex extends his hand in greetings and friendship and introduces himself to the group.
”My name is Fedex and I beg your indulgence but to protect my family and homeland, I am hesitant to divulge more than that I am from the north. I do have a military background and some proficiency with the crossbow. I am honored to serve alongside each of you.”
Lander stands up and reaches across the table, hand extended. "Fedex, it's nice to meet you. While I do lack your military expertise, I hope to make up for it with some abilities in the arcane arts." He turns his focus to the goliath. As he does, Lander casts Mage Hand. Everyone sees a ghostly, halfling sized spectral hand extended out towards Keragri as if waiting for him to shake it. "Keragri, it's nice to meet you as well." He immediately begins to chuckle. "I figured I'd lighten the mood a bit."
All: Khubic smiles and says "Thank you all. You give me hope. Cheers." and he lifts his glass to you all before taking a drink. "Alright, now that we've got the doom and gloom out of the way, let's talk business." He looks to Keragri "You're right, I did mention a simple delivery and that hasn't changed. I only wanted you all to know what you're up against. Nothing is as simple as it seems when you're waging a war. Now, to be clear, you will all be considered temporary mercenary agents and not full initiate's in our faction. We don't normally recruit agents in taverns, we're making an exception due to the circumstances I mentioned earlier. If things go well and you're still interested in helping us fight, there's potential for advancement." Khubic reaches to his waist and pulls out his coin pouch. "For now, I'm willing to pay you each five gold and another twenty five gold each once the delivery has been made. The item in question is a sealed packet of documents. I need them delivered to an agent operating North West of Hill's Edge. This should only take about a full day to complete, two at the most. Once the delivery is made, the documents will contain instructions for you all to be paid the agreed upon amount. The packet will be available to you here at the bar tomorrow morning. Just walk up to the bar and order a 'Bed Wetter'." Khubic takes another sip of his drink before continuing "As for the packet itself, do not try to open it. It has been enchanted to self-immolate if opened without first uttering a pass phrase and the immolation is not a small one. You'll also get a map to the general area of operation of the person you're looking for. Well, I think that about covers it. Any questions?" Khubic hands each of you five gold pieces as he awaits your response.
OOC for Lander: I think it's awesome that you are building a backstory for Lander and I'm totally cool with you including it in this adventure. I encourage everyone to get creative with their characters and write your own lore. It helps tie your characters to the world and make it seem a little more "real". As long as it's within the parameters of the Forgotten Realms setting, go for it!
OOC for All: I wanted to share a helpful tip for creating tooltips/links within a post.
How do the tooltips/links to spells etc work?
D&D Beyond offers the ability to link certain aspects on the forum in mouse-over triggered tooltips, such as magic items, monsters or combat actions - examples being Adult Black Dragon and dash. To create tooltips in this way as these, use the appropriate [tag][/tag] around the desired subject.
Example: [ magicitem]sunblade[/ magicitem] (Without spaces within the [ ] brackets.)
"Well Fedex it is a pleasure to meet you, I am Riona Donaill, I also come from a military background but don't get your hopes up I never took well to any of the combat training. What iIlack in martial skill though I hope to make up for in the arcane!"
She also extends a slender hand for a proper greeting.
"Lander the more I see the more I'm thinking exchanging notes is going to be a lot of fun, that is quiet the trick! And Khubic, regarding questions, I'm thinking some things may be unsafe to discuss so openly but I can at least ask, do you know of any troubles we may run into? Any folk follow you here, or any beasts from the nine hells we need to look out for on the road?"
As Riona asks this she lowers her voice so that it can just be heard by Khubic over the sounds of the tavern, wary of any unwelcome listeners.
**OOC
Oh thanks for the tip. Love me some more commands!
Riona: Khubic says "Nothing specific. I'm a careful man, but even so I can't say with 100% certainty that I wasn't followed or that there aren't spies in this very room. As for hellish beasts, before Elturel I'd say that this is a simple delivery run and any threats would come in the form of enemy spies. After Elturel I'll tell you that anything is possible. In my honest opinion, I don't believe hellish beasts are a threat to you all at this time, but don't take that to the bank. I've been surprised before." He holds up a thick hand and extends a finger as he talks, punctuating his points. "Watch each other's back, have an alibi prepared in case anyone questions your business in the area, and if it comes to life or death, let them have the packet of documents. Hopefully, they'll be stupid enough to open it and give you an opportunity to save yourselves. Even if they manage to get the packet opened safely, the messages within are heavily coded." He looks to everyone seated around the table. "Any other questions? By all means ask!"
I'd like to make an insight check. I'm basically listening to his speech patterns, body language, etc., to see if I can pick up any signs of deceit or deception and whether or not I think this dwarven man is earnest or not. Insight:9
"Khubic, my good man, as it stands, I currently find myself looking for some work. I'd be happy to join you at your table. " Lander stands up from his chair and gives a slight bow. "Lander Greenleaf at your service. " Lander gives a toothy grin and follows the dwarf back to his table. He's genuinely curious to find out what Khubic has to say.
OOC for Lander: I realize I missed this post by you, I'll reply to it now. My apologies!
Lander:
Khubic is hard to read. Not surprising given his line of work, but from simple observance alone you don't note any tell-tale signs of dishonesty or subversion. Your gut tells you he is careful about what he's saying, but not dishonest.
OOC for All: As you can see, I've included a spoiler in this post. This information is for Lander's eyes only, though he is welcome to share it if he so chooses. An Insight Check reveals information to a character that they picked up on intuitively and filtered through on their own experience, assumptions, judgments, prejudices, beliefs, etc. This could reveal information that the player doesn't want shared with the rest of the party. If you'd like to make an Insight Check and want your answer hidden under the spoiler tag, just let me know OOC. Also, these are things that Lander himself observed, so it wouldn't make sense that everyone else know it too unless he chooses to share it with them.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Fedex leans over the table towards Khubic and addresses him in a hushed but trusting voice that can be heard by the party but not beyond the table.
"I have a couple of questions. You mentioned a map with the "general area" of the person we are looking for. Please tell me that we will have more detail than that to locate our contact. And second, should we be waylaid and are forced give up the packet, yet we escape with our lives, should we return here, continue to the contact, or run for our lives since you will be after us, as well?"
Fedex gives a wry smile and shifts back while studying Khubic's face as he formulates his answers.
Insight: 10
Fedex considers, could this guy be setting us up?
Fedex won't reveal what he suspects/determines while Khubic is with them.
Lander takes the chance to whisper a question. "Khubic, in case somebody saw us meeting with you, is it better if we come up with our own alibii, or might you have any suggestions for something we could say that would make sense in this town? You're more familiar with the town than we are, and we will already draw more suspicion for being new here." He pauses, then speaks again. "Is there any difficult terrain we need to navigate? Any areas that could be ripe for ambush? "
Fedex: Khubic says "You won't be able to find me after our conversation here is done, so unless you have a reason to return here, it'd probably be best not to. Should things go awry like you said my advice to you would be to head for Baldur's Gate. We have a presence there and can provide you some assistance. I'll send word for agents to be on the lookout for you in The Low Lantern. You'll be approached, just like tonight. As for the location of the person you're looking for, I'm afraid a general area is all I can give you. It's all I know myself. We operate autonomously as much as possible. We have small cells and lone operatives throughout the Sword Coast. No one agent has all the keys to the castle so to speak. I'm sorry I don't have more to give you."
Insight Check
Khubic is hard to read. Not surprising given his line of work, but from simple observance alone you don't note any tell-tale signs of dishonesty or subversion. Your gut tells you he is careful about what he's saying, but you've been around enough back stabbing and ass kissing from your military experience to differentiate lying by omission and being cautious. You feel his caution is without malicious intent.
Lander: Khubic says "When it comes to alibis, don't get too focused on the details. Vague generalities are harder to fact check than specifics. With the refugee crisis in the area, you all look like refugees to the locals. As for being seen with me, well, nobody knows the face I currently wear." As if to explain, he passes his hand over his face and you see in but a hand's breadth it has changed. The haughty countenance of a high-born elven noble now looks down it's nose upon you. With another pass of his hand, the bearded Dwarf is back. "The area between here and my contact's area of operation is rather mundane according to my information. A few rural homes cling to the outskirts of the town, but beyond them it's mostly farmsteads and some of those have been abandoned for years. Stick to the roads and open areas when possible, our enemies prefer to work in secret."
"I do believe I have some means of spotting ambush as well, lets just say I can get a birds eye view of our surroundings as we travel, if you fine folk are willing to protect my body while I do so of course. As far as an alibi goes well, were just a couple of refugees like Khubic here mentioned. Traveling together for safety while we seek a new place to call home"
Riona shrugs with the implication of discretion. She then takes the final drink of her ale and yawns into her hand feeling the drowsiness of the drink and days travel settle into her bones.
"I may take my leave gentlemen, I fear I may drift off. If there are any other talking pints perhaps we can go over them on the road tomorrow when there is more sun and less unknown ears?"
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"Ah that explains the eagerness for the drink early! Well its a pleasure to meet the both of you, I hope we can arrange something and I especially hope the task in particular can wait till the morning."
She laughs as she rubs out the sore spots in her shoulders from the long day of traveling.
"I am Riona Donaill, naturally I will be bringing the muscle to our impromptu party." She winks at Keg, who is clearly the actual muscle.
All: You gather 'round the table in the back of the tavern and Khubic says "Thank you all for indulging me in this, I hope we can help each other in this time of uncertainty. As I'm sure you have all heard, the city of Elturel has been cast into the nine hells. Some managed to escape the city before the transference was complete and these refugees have spread throughout the Sword Coast telling horrifying tales of their narrow escape from the jaws of hell. I am a member of an organization that intends to uncover what caused the tragedy in Elturel and hold those responsible accountable. Our reach spans the length and breadth of the Sword Coast, but at the moment we are spread thin. I've been authorized to hire willing parties as temporary mercenary agents. That's where you come in." And he looks to each of you "All my life I've had a... A feel for people. I can spend a few minutes watching someone and know whether their intentions are good, evil, or other. It's saved my life more than once. Right now I see good in all of you. A desire to help and be part of the solution. A desire to right wrongs and bring to light what evil men do in the dark. This is what we need right now. If that sounds like something you want to be a part of, I have work for you. Paying work." At this point he sighs and his face reflects the seriousness of his words "Now, this might sound all well and good, but you all should know that lines are being drawn. Either you pick a side or be trampled in the middle. Even as I work to combat the darkness, so too does the darkness plot against us. Once you choose a side, you're putting yourself in the sight of those whose power is enormous. And they will do everything they can to keep that power. They cast an entire city into hell; murdering you and your loved ones is nothing to them. I don't mean to scare you away, I want you to know that the saying no good deed goes unpunished isn't far from the truth. I've lost friends and damn near lost my life more times than I can count. As I'm sure you've already guessed, Khubic Bottlebelt isn't even my real name. So that's my offer. If you need more time, I can give you 'til morning. The urgency of the situation doesn't allow for any more than that."
Fedex nods as he listens. His anonymity and being this far south comforts him that his family is likely out of reach, though they are quite capable of defending themselves in any situation. This is exactly the kind of purpose he was looking for. He is ready to throw his hat in immediately but hesitates while he sports his best poker face and examines the others at the table. There really is no doubt that he will sign up and would do so alone, but he’s just waiting to see the spirit of the others.
Mana - Verdan Bard - Dragon Heist
”I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams
”I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” - Mark Twain
Riona's eyes shoot open as the man explains the situation. She listens intently, nodding along, and her eyebrows knit together in sympathy as he mentions the loss of those he held dear. Her mouth opens and closes as she mulls over the word and considers the intensity of the proposition.
"Now I'm no powerhouse, not yet anyway, so any jobs I take may have to be of the simpler variety for now but, I'm in. These things I'm learning to do, weaving the energy around me, creating, changing, these gifts were not meant to hoard, they were meant to make the world a better place. I can just feel it. And if those nasty folk come after my family, my boys, my sister, well, they will likely regret it. We are a patient lot, but we never forget to serve what is owed"
For the first time you see her eyes look dark, the easy smile has dropped from her face and all that remains is intensity and determination as she understands the seriousness of the situation and the offer. She takes a deep breath and releases the tension she had built, a small grin returning to her lips again as she turns to the rest of the gathered party. A hopeful look in her eyes.
Riona: Khubic seems to relax as though his burden has lightened and says "Thank you. I know the enormity of what I ask of you and I don't take that lightly. I also know kindred spirits when I see them. For us... There really is no other way. Once our eyes are opened to the corruption, the injustice, and the careless destruction of lives, we can't unsee it. Once we know we have a chance to root it out and fight back, we can't sit idle. Call it destiny, or simple coincidence. All I know is that for evil to succeed, good folk need do nothing." He looks to the other three at the table and says "Well, you haven't walked away yet so that's promising. Can I count on your help as well?"
OOC for All: Good night all, I'll be back on tomorrow throughout the day. My active hours will likely be 10am-3pm and again briefly around 8:30pm. Central standard time.
After pondering my response I just had to say it, “I have no family, I have no one else to go to. Once I die, I die. And that is fine by me, but this sounds hardly of the simple job you talked of not too long ago. You want us to find the person or persons responsible as if they would be sitting atop a throne twirling a mustache. The Nine Hells is nothing to nonchalantly pass off, my tribe had seers warn us of many planes and the Nine Hells were the most restricted of them all. I started my quest a mere 8 months ago, and judging by the looks of the people around me are of no different.”
I look around the table at their faces as I try to explain. ”If you have someone to go back to, don’t just throw away everything. World ending problem or not being there in their last moments, when they need you the most is important. Trust me, I know. But if all of you are willing to cast aside any doubt right now and fight then I will join you, as I certainly would not have done this on my own. Okay, “Khubic”, I join your party. To all who wish to know it, my name is Keragri Thunderwalker, I lost my Goliath name ages ago.”
Lander nods his head in agreement as he listens to everything Khubic and the others have just said. He thinks of his home village and imagines corrupted monstrosities destroying it. His eyes tear up a bit and he is visibly upset. "I have done much reading in my time, enough to know that the nine hells are awful. The fact that they are now manipulating our plane is very distressing. One only has to look to all the refugees that have been flooding here to see something must be done. I may be a small man, but what I lack in size I more than make up in persistence, kindness, and just wanting to do the right thing. This darkness will not reach Belkin. I will not allow it. Khubic, I would be more than proud to fight alongside you and everyone else here........... We're all in this together. From this moment on, I look at you all as my brothers and sisters. Let us do our part to beat back this evil as best we can! "
He looks at everyone around the table. Lander is definitely where he belongs. There is still a hint of sadness showing on his face but everyone can tell he means business and is here to stay.
(OOC-Belkin was just the name I chose for the halfling farming community I'm from. If this is a problem, or you have a different name you'd prefer I use, let me know. This already has me so excited, I'm hoping there's a way we can keep the group together and adventure more in the future.)
“Yes.”
With the unanimous approval of the table, Fedex extends his hand in greetings and friendship and introduces himself to the group.
”My name is Fedex and I beg your indulgence but to protect my family and homeland, I am hesitant to divulge more than that I am from the north. I do have a military background and some proficiency with the crossbow. I am honored to serve alongside each of you.”
Mana - Verdan Bard - Dragon Heist
”I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams
”I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” - Mark Twain
Lander stands up and reaches across the table, hand extended. "Fedex, it's nice to meet you. While I do lack your military expertise, I hope to make up for it with some abilities in the arcane arts." He turns his focus to the goliath. As he does, Lander casts Mage Hand. Everyone sees a ghostly, halfling sized spectral hand extended out towards Keragri as if waiting for him to shake it. "Keragri, it's nice to meet you as well." He immediately begins to chuckle. "I figured I'd lighten the mood a bit."
All: Khubic smiles and says "Thank you all. You give me hope. Cheers." and he lifts his glass to you all before taking a drink. "Alright, now that we've got the doom and gloom out of the way, let's talk business." He looks to Keragri "You're right, I did mention a simple delivery and that hasn't changed. I only wanted you all to know what you're up against. Nothing is as simple as it seems when you're waging a war. Now, to be clear, you will all be considered temporary mercenary agents and not full initiate's in our faction. We don't normally recruit agents in taverns, we're making an exception due to the circumstances I mentioned earlier. If things go well and you're still interested in helping us fight, there's potential for advancement." Khubic reaches to his waist and pulls out his coin pouch. "For now, I'm willing to pay you each five gold and another twenty five gold each once the delivery has been made. The item in question is a sealed packet of documents. I need them delivered to an agent operating North West of Hill's Edge. This should only take about a full day to complete, two at the most. Once the delivery is made, the documents will contain instructions for you all to be paid the agreed upon amount. The packet will be available to you here at the bar tomorrow morning. Just walk up to the bar and order a 'Bed Wetter'." Khubic takes another sip of his drink before continuing "As for the packet itself, do not try to open it. It has been enchanted to self-immolate if opened without first uttering a pass phrase and the immolation is not a small one. You'll also get a map to the general area of operation of the person you're looking for. Well, I think that about covers it. Any questions?" Khubic hands each of you five gold pieces as he awaits your response.
OOC for Lander: I think it's awesome that you are building a backstory for Lander and I'm totally cool with you including it in this adventure. I encourage everyone to get creative with their characters and write your own lore. It helps tie your characters to the world and make it seem a little more "real". As long as it's within the parameters of the Forgotten Realms setting, go for it!
OOC for All: I wanted to share a helpful tip for creating tooltips/links within a post.
How do the tooltips/links to spells etc work?
D&D Beyond offers the ability to link certain aspects on the forum in mouse-over triggered tooltips, such as magic items, monsters or combat actions - examples being Adult Black Dragon and dash. To create tooltips in this way as these, use the appropriate [tag][/tag] around the desired subject.
Example: [ magicitem]sunblade[/ magicitem] (Without spaces within the [ ] brackets.)
Use the following within the [ ][/ ] bracket system:
action - an action taken in combat - e.g. dodge, search and ready
condition - a condition afflicted upon a creature - e.g. restrained, poisoned and prone
item - a mundane item - e.g. torch, trident and backpack
magicItem - a magical item - e.g. Bag of Holding, Dust of Disappearance and Demon Armor
monster - a creature you can encounter - e.g. Banshee, Bandit and Unicorn
sense - a type of extra sense, whether magical or natural - e.g. darkvision, tremorsense and truesight
skill - this is used for professions - e.g. Persuasion, Stealth
spell - a magical spell - e.g. Mage Hand, Magic Missile and Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting
wprop - a property of a weapon - e.g. finesse, versatile and heavy
"Well Fedex it is a pleasure to meet you, I am Riona Donaill, I also come from a military background but don't get your hopes up I never took well to any of the combat training. What iIlack in martial skill though I hope to make up for in the arcane!"
She also extends a slender hand for a proper greeting.
"Lander the more I see the more I'm thinking exchanging notes is going to be a lot of fun, that is quiet the trick! And Khubic, regarding questions, I'm thinking some things may be unsafe to discuss so openly but I can at least ask, do you know of any troubles we may run into? Any folk follow you here, or any beasts from the nine hells we need to look out for on the road?"
As Riona asks this she lowers her voice so that it can just be heard by Khubic over the sounds of the tavern, wary of any unwelcome listeners.
**OOC
Oh thanks for the tip. Love me some more commands!
**
Riona: Khubic says "Nothing specific. I'm a careful man, but even so I can't say with 100% certainty that I wasn't followed or that there aren't spies in this very room. As for hellish beasts, before Elturel I'd say that this is a simple delivery run and any threats would come in the form of enemy spies. After Elturel I'll tell you that anything is possible. In my honest opinion, I don't believe hellish beasts are a threat to you all at this time, but don't take that to the bank. I've been surprised before." He holds up a thick hand and extends a finger as he talks, punctuating his points. "Watch each other's back, have an alibi prepared in case anyone questions your business in the area, and if it comes to life or death, let them have the packet of documents. Hopefully, they'll be stupid enough to open it and give you an opportunity to save yourselves. Even if they manage to get the packet opened safely, the messages within are heavily coded." He looks to everyone seated around the table. "Any other questions? By all means ask!"
OOC for Lander: I realize I missed this post by you, I'll reply to it now. My apologies!
Lander:
Khubic is hard to read. Not surprising given his line of work, but from simple observance alone you don't note any tell-tale signs of dishonesty or subversion. Your gut tells you he is careful about what he's saying, but not dishonest.
OOC for All: As you can see, I've included a spoiler in this post. This information is for Lander's eyes only, though he is welcome to share it if he so chooses. An Insight Check reveals information to a character that they picked up on intuitively and filtered through on their own experience, assumptions, judgments, prejudices, beliefs, etc. This could reveal information that the player doesn't want shared with the rest of the party. If you'd like to make an Insight Check and want your answer hidden under the spoiler tag, just let me know OOC. Also, these are things that Lander himself observed, so it wouldn't make sense that everyone else know it too unless he chooses to share it with them.
Fedex leans over the table towards Khubic and addresses him in a hushed but trusting voice that can be heard by the party but not beyond the table.
"I have a couple of questions. You mentioned a map with the "general area" of the person we are looking for. Please tell me that we will have more detail than that to locate our contact. And second, should we be waylaid and are forced give up the packet, yet we escape with our lives, should we return here, continue to the contact, or run for our lives since you will be after us, as well?"
Fedex gives a wry smile and shifts back while studying Khubic's face as he formulates his answers.
Insight: 10
Fedex considers, could this guy be setting us up?
Fedex won't reveal what he suspects/determines while Khubic is with them.
Mana - Verdan Bard - Dragon Heist
”I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams
”I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” - Mark Twain
Lander takes the chance to whisper a question. "Khubic, in case somebody saw us meeting with you, is it better if we come up with our own alibii, or might you have any suggestions for something we could say that would make sense in this town? You're more familiar with the town than we are, and we will already draw more suspicion for being new here." He pauses, then speaks again. "Is there any difficult terrain we need to navigate? Any areas that could be ripe for ambush? "
Fedex: Khubic says "You won't be able to find me after our conversation here is done, so unless you have a reason to return here, it'd probably be best not to. Should things go awry like you said my advice to you would be to head for Baldur's Gate. We have a presence there and can provide you some assistance. I'll send word for agents to be on the lookout for you in The Low Lantern. You'll be approached, just like tonight. As for the location of the person you're looking for, I'm afraid a general area is all I can give you. It's all I know myself. We operate autonomously as much as possible. We have small cells and lone operatives throughout the Sword Coast. No one agent has all the keys to the castle so to speak. I'm sorry I don't have more to give you."
Insight Check
Khubic is hard to read. Not surprising given his line of work, but from simple observance alone you don't note any tell-tale signs of dishonesty or subversion. Your gut tells you he is careful about what he's saying, but you've been around enough back stabbing and ass kissing from your military experience to differentiate lying by omission and being cautious. You feel his caution is without malicious intent.
Lander: Khubic says "When it comes to alibis, don't get too focused on the details. Vague generalities are harder to fact check than specifics. With the refugee crisis in the area, you all look like refugees to the locals. As for being seen with me, well, nobody knows the face I currently wear." As if to explain, he passes his hand over his face and you see in but a hand's breadth it has changed. The haughty countenance of a high-born elven noble now looks down it's nose upon you. With another pass of his hand, the bearded Dwarf is back. "The area between here and my contact's area of operation is rather mundane according to my information. A few rural homes cling to the outskirts of the town, but beyond them it's mostly farmsteads and some of those have been abandoned for years. Stick to the roads and open areas when possible, our enemies prefer to work in secret."
"I do believe I have some means of spotting ambush as well, lets just say I can get a birds eye view of our surroundings as we travel, if you fine folk are willing to protect my body while I do so of course. As far as an alibi goes well, were just a couple of refugees like Khubic here mentioned. Traveling together for safety while we seek a new place to call home"
Riona shrugs with the implication of discretion. She then takes the final drink of her ale and yawns into her hand feeling the drowsiness of the drink and days travel settle into her bones.
"I may take my leave gentlemen, I fear I may drift off. If there are any other talking pints perhaps we can go over them on the road tomorrow when there is more sun and less unknown ears?"