OOC: Arcel, you too? I had to dust off the ol' Thinkpad T60 just to get online for a sec before I head to Parent/Teacher conferences since my main machine is trashed, atm. Yay.
Anyway, with regards to the Concentration spells, you might have to call me out once or twice until I remember. Sorry ahead of time. I actually forgot Hunter' Mark was Concentration.
(OOC: Yes, from what I've seen after I google searched the Black Screen of Death after login and other related issues, it looks like a LOT of people are having trouble with the Creator's Update, starting from late September. Anyhow, I've got things fixed and most of my data's safe, so I guess I'm good to go now. Thankfully, I keep most of my reference materials for this game in the cloud, so that was always safe. And it looks like most people don't mind modified concentration, so we'll go with that. I prefer not book-keeping unless someone gets actively controlled or critically hit anyhow, as it's easier to remember)
Morning, and then early afternoon arrives after everyone gets their rest, both in and outside of the Inn. As everyone begins to arrive at the rest stop that the vehicles are at, they can see that the merchants and drivers are already up and moving about. Elessa and Durgan are tending to a delicious smelling stew boiling in a pot hung over a campfire from a metal tripod. Occasionally, Elessa turns away to flip some thick-looking elven flatbread heating on a cast-iron pan that sits on top of a cooking grate over a separate, smaller fire.
Oria seems to be training with Kaylessa, in full armor (a chain shirt with leather armor covering everything else) and holding a shield in one hand, and one of the silver-blue shortswords Kaylessa stole from Merrok in the other. As the wood-elf watches and instructs, Oria jabs and cuts at a straw and wood training dummy that looks like it was borrowed from one of the guard's training areas. "Remember ta stick it. Put yer weight inta it if ya feel ya have a good openin'." Kaylessa says emphatically, making chopping and thrusting motions with her hand towards the dummy as she watches the Dwarven girl's progress.
Similarly, Merrok seems to be coaching Halethar on a different dummy a good (and safe) distance away, also with a live weapon. The Half-Elf has his eyes focused intently on the large dummy in front of him, holding a Dwarven-looking battleaxe in both hands. Off to the side, the cheap shield and elven handaxe that Halethar normally use lie on a flat rock, with bits of straw and wood splinters on them, looking recently used. "That's it, just get back inta th' feel o' it. We've practiced enough with th' little axe an' shield, now swing th' big one like how ya did with yer wood axe back in th' days when we had t'deal with those Orcs back in th' lumber camp. Less wild though, y'were in a right panic when they headed t'the house where yer wife was hidin' with yer little son." Merrok instructs, before pausing briefly to take a short puff from a wooden pipe. "Gods that was years ago, th' boy's a grown man now, isn't he? Good thing he was'na here fer those accursed Drow Women t'get their grubby hands on him." the Dwarf remarks.
As the party members start arriving, Durgan and Elessa raise their hands to greet them. "Well good early afternoon ta ye. If ye be hungry, Master Durgan an' I have made quite enough stew t'feed the most of ye." Elessa says warmly in greeting, giving everyone an acknowledging nod. "Th' stew is rabbit, with a bit of carrots and potatoes, alongside some celery an' a few mushroom big enough t'pick out if y'don't like 'em." Durgan adds, gesturing towards the pot. "I'll admit th' unleavened elven waybread's not th' usual thing t'go with it, but Elessa made it extra thick, so it should be hearty enough t'match the dish."
"Did everyone have a good night's rest?" Durgan asks, stirring the pot as he looks around to see who's interested in eating. "M'boy had some trouble with a frisky Drow female who he caught peepin' on him while he were gettin' cleaned up." he remarks, angling his head over at Merrok. "Strange t'see they have'na changed all that much since I first traveled here. Ohhh th' trouble they used t'give me when I was young an' still single, before even Morra was born!"
Thurgar glanced around, wondering where a shop might be, though his attentions were more concerned about getting his portion of the stew.
"No trouble teh me," he said to Durgan as he made for the stew pot, "though methinks ah slept so sound tha' a band o' bugbears cannae have roused me from me slumber!" With a bowl of fresh rabbit stew in hand, and a hunk of the waybread tucked in the side of the bowl to soak up some of the broth, he turned back to Durgan. "Any luck on th' local shop havin' some medical supplies?" he asked, hoping that Durgan had been there, or even scouted it's location before the party woke. He wolfed down another mouthful of stew and waybread. "Wouldn't mind headin' there teh stock up, iff'n we got the spare moments. Anyone else in'erested?" As he said the last part, he turned to Umbra, Belview and Raymond.
OOC: Regarding the shop, did you have a list of items to work from, or is there a PHB table?
OOC: I haven't quite got a comprehensive list of items, but basically you'll find equipment and items suitable for residents and travelers. Basically tools, clothes, food, basic herbs and medicines, maps and navigational aids, vehicle repair parts, etc.
An incomplete list of examples:
All Simple Weapons (including Machetes / Cutlasses, which count as homebrew simple weapons in my game. Basically, they're like Scimitars that you can't finesse, but use Handaxe statistics, including cost, but they're not throwable)
Tridents, Whips, Blowguns and Nets from the Martial Table (for hunting, fishing, and driving animals)
All light armors, and hide from the medium armor table
All kinds of ammunition
Wooden Staves, Wands, and suitable as magical focuses
Holy Symbols for popular deities (Mielikki, Eilistraee, and Mystra in particular)
Most regular / travelling gear from the "Other Adventuring Gear" section of the PHB / Basic Rules, aside from obviously illegal things like poison, or specialized, generally law enforcement or military gear like portable rams or manacles. Potentially dangerous substances such as Acid and Alchemist's fire are also not available.
Dungeoneer's, Explorer's, and Scholar's Packs in terms of Equipment Packs
Most tools except for shady or illegal things like forgery, disguise and poisoner's kits, and thieves' tools.
Most gaming sets, and Drums, Horns, and Lutes from the musical instruments list.
Common dry trade goods, such as wheat, flour, salt, cloth, ginger, etc. that aren't animals, metals, or precious items such as silk.
If the General Store doesn't have something, local residents and travelers may, and could be willing to trade for it.
We can roleplay it or not as we wish, but basically people can start shopping right after breakfast, either at the store or by going around trying to find things it doesn't have.
Aldarin also welcomes the breakfast stew, nods politely, then sits nearby. He directs a comment to Durgan, "Yes, I rested well after leaving the inn to the camp. Better to sleep under the stars, than near those... drow women. So unlike the other drow I've met. So much more....foreward." Aldarin eats his stew and watches the trainees.
Raymond saunters into the caravan camp, his halberd once again balanced on his shoulder and waves to Durgan and Elessa. He is wearing a pack with a shield strapped to the back and a mace that swings from a hook at his belt. Two axe handles peek out from a sling under the pack. He calls out to the group, "Good day, all! I hope everyone was able to get some decent rest. The stew smells wonderful! I'll be there in a moment. I'd like to see how the practice fares first."
He approaches the makeshift training area and watches Oria and Halethar practice. He nods in agreement with Kaylessa and Merrok and adds, "Shifting and balancing your weight is key. Remember, your weapon should feel like an extension of your body." He watches for a couple more minutes and then makes his way over to the campfire to get some food.
As the others talk, Ray listens and adds, "I really wasn't sure what was going to happen at the inn. What I do know is that I could not let that slight to one of our own go unchallenged." He glances over at Elessa and nods slightly if she looks up.
Thurgar looks around, watching his companions. Raymond and Belview seem to be taken in by the practice session, and Umbra doesn't seem like the shopping type. Deciding that nobody heard his question, he shrugs and moves off from the group, making his way toward what he thinks is a market area. In his days with the guard, he had met a few travelers who carried a bundle of sling bullets imbued with enchantments. Rumor has it that one such traveler had used one to put a hole the size of a dwarf's fist in the skull of a wolf that had come too close to the man's camp, but he also knew to take such tales with a grain of salt. Even so, Thurgar could not see the harm in seeking these magic sling bullets out if they happened to exist. He was not one to underestimate the usefulness of the humble weapon, as it had gotten him out of many hunts gone wrong in the past, though these days, it seemed most folk favored cross bows. Of course, medical supplies would not hurt, either.
OOC: Thurgar is seeking any of the augmented sling bullets (+1, +2, +3) listed on the Character Sheet inventory items here. If those are not available, he just wants medical supplies that can be used in battle, ideally potions, if possible since I'd rather see our more apt casters keep their spell slots for more dire situations. If you want to have a vendor or two with these items, happy to do an RP post. I just have no idea what those would cost.
"Any luck on th' local shop havin' some medical supplies?" he asked, hoping that Durgan had been there, or even scouted it's location before the party woke. He wolfed down another mouthful of stew and waybread. "Wouldn't mind headin' there teh stock up, iff'n we got the spare moments. Anyone else in'erested?" As he said the last part, he turned to Umbra, Belview and Raymond.
Durgan nods to Thurgar as he looks up from tending to his stew. "Well, if you're lookin' for healin' herbs and bandages and such, you'll find they usually have them in stock. Sometimes a healing potion or two that some Druids might have delivered. Not th' particularly strong ones though, and they don't tend to have too many of them." he replies. "If you'd like t'go check, we've still some time before we start gettin' ready t'head out." Durgan adds.
Aldarin also welcomes the breakfast stew, nods politely, then sits nearby. He directs a comment to Durgan, "Yes, I rested well after leaving the inn to the camp. Better to sleep under the stars, than near those... drow women. So unlike the other drow I've met. So much more....foreward." Aldarin eats his stew and watches the trainees.
"Foreward?" Umbra approaches the caravan and gives Aldarin a sympathetic look. "There's no need to sugarcoat their behavior. They were harassing you."
"Aye, weren't that an unpleasant surprise? The Drow women around here are hardly the pride of Eilistraee. More the shame of her instead." Elessa responds to Aldarin and Umbra's comments with a cluck of her tongue as she shakes her head. "They can hardly keep their grubby mitts off of any men they fancy, even the ones considered too young for Elves by Elventree and Undertree laws. If you're not approachin' 30 summers, it's not proper for grown women their age ta make moves on ye." she adds, taking a moment to glance at Raymond and Aldarin, and furrowing her brows with motherly concern.
(OOC Notes: Undertree is another term for the cavern network underneath the Elventree region where the Drow Live. It's interchangeable with "Little Underdark", but the Drow prefer to use the term Undertree. Also, there are laws in many Elven societies including Elventree that declare it illegal for Adult Elves to take advantage of overly young impressionable humans in relationships. The common "age of consent" is 25 or so, but it's considered distasteful to go after a human that's not at least 28 or so. Especially if the Elf is an adult rather than a teenager.)
"Good day, all! I hope everyone was able to get some decent rest. The stew smells wonderful! I'll be there in a moment. I'd like to see how the practice fares first."
He approaches the makeshift training area and watches Oria and Halethar practice. He nods in agreement with Kaylessa and Merrok and adds, "Shifting and balancing your weight is key. Remember, your weapon should feel like an extension of your body." He watches for a couple more minutes and then makes his way over to the campfire to get some food.
In response to Raymond's advice, Halethar nods silently in acknowledgment, too breathless from practice to actually speak at the moment. Panting heavily, he seems to take the advice, and takes a few more coordinated looking swings, despite his exhaustion. Oria's face crinkles up in a confused expression, but she still nods and replies, "Sounds good Raymond, I'll watch my balance some more!"
As the others talk, Ray listens and adds, "I really wasn't sure what was going to happen at the inn. What I do know is that I could not let that slight to one of our own go unchallenged." He glances over at Elessa and nods slightly if she looks up.
Elessa looks over to Raymond when he speaks and returns his nod. "Th' thought were much appreciated, young Raymond. Believe it or no, me an' Kaylessa got inta a fistfight with th' braided one th' last time she approached me husband. Apparently, Drow women don't think too highly of th' sanctity of a man's marriage, an' some think it's selfish not ta share yer man." she says with a fierce scowl. Her face softens slightly however, as she continues to look at Raymond. "By the by, if ye don't know already, it's not legal for grown Elven women ta come after a human boy if he's not over a certain age. Th' law strictly says 25 years, so if ye aren't that old yet, ye just warn them off or let a constable know." she adds, her voice tight with a mixture of worry for Raymond (and likely Aldarin) as well as a trace of anger towards the boorish Drow women from last night.
OOC: Thurgar is seeking any of the augmented sling bullets (+1, +2, +3) listed on the Character Sheet inventory items here. If those are not available, he just wants medical supplies that can be used in battle, ideally potions, if possible since I'd rather see our more apt casters keep their spell slots for more dire situations. If you want to have a vendor or two with these items, happy to do an RP post. I just have no idea what those would cost.
(OOC: If you want to roleplay the shopping and the visit to the store, we can if no one has any objections. The shop would have +1 Sling bullets only (made by Druids) and these would cost 10 gold per set of 20, but only 2 sets are available at the moment. As for healing potions, there are common Healing potions for 25 gold that heal 2d4+2 damage, but there are only 3 available total, as most of them have been bought by everyone going to fight in Elmwood. If Thurgar asks, he can learn that local merchants that pass through might have more things for sale (and this ironically includes Durgan and Elessa) and that the Drow Quartermaster who's currently in the area (thankfully a man) sometimes has permission to sell overstock and salvage, and that some of it is high quality or magical)
Raymond speaks between mouthfuls of stew and flatbread. "M'thanks for the advice, Elessa... I just began my 24th year on my passage across the Moonsea... From what little I know about the drow, they don't seem to be bound by laws much, but I'll keep it mind."
He looks over at Umbra and says, "By the way, I wouldn't worry about Aldarin, he looks like he can handle hi'self." He glances over at the half-elf druid with a quick smile around a mouthful of food.
"Wouldn't mind headin' there teh stock up, iff'n we got the spare moments. Anyone else in'erested?" As he said the last part, he turned to Umbra, Belview and Raymond.
At Thurgar's mention of a shopping trip, he directs his attention to the dwarf, "Thanks for the offer friend, but I've got everything I need right here," and pats the pack on the ground next to him.
Thurgar (and anyone who chooses to follow him) finds the general store at Elua's Lighthouse open for business by the time everyone's up and about. The shop is a one-story fieldstone house, similar to others in the area, and is large enough to have a decent selection of goods, although most of it seems tailored more for farmers, craftsmen, sailors, and travelers rather than adventurers. Still, there are a few healing potions and anti-venom doses, as well as a handful of enchanted arrows, bullets, and crossbow bolts.
(Reference Image - Actually a Modern House, but close enough to give an idea)
As Thurgar steps in, a kindly-looking older halfling woman with grey hair turns to greet him. Based on how high she is off the floor (enough to be seen over a human-sized counter), it looks like she has some sort of bench to stand on running behind the length of the shop counter. Giving the Dwarf a smile and a wave, she says, "Top of the morning to you. How I can be of assistance to you this fine day?"
(OOC: As to not hold everyone up too much with shopping, I'll just run 2 different events going on at 2 different times. Thurgar's shopping trip is a "flashback", whereas the stuff that's happening with the Caravan moving is the "present")
After everyone finishes eating and getting ready, the caravan crew go and fetch their animals, and hitch them to the 2 carts and the wagon once all the cargo's been inspected and tied down. Off in the distance, some male Drow laborers are carrying off a few crates and barrels of goods that look like they were inside some of the vehicles, and the vehicles themselves seem to have new cargo that's held in exotic looking containers with darkly polished, angular wood frames, and purple-tinged metals with sweeping (and sometimes sharp-looking) ridged accents. Regardless of how they feel about the Eilistraee Drow, the tradesmen and women of the caravan seem to have no problem doing business with them.
Before the caravan and party set off, Elessa takes a moment to address why the number of guards has shrunken overall, despite the addition of Raymond. "As ye might have expected, little Jim is too hurt ta continue, an' I don't think he's too excited about the idea of killin' or bein' around the killin' of livin' creatures. Belview didn't say much, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had loved ones in Elmwood given how he were hangin' about the docks. At any rate, both of 'em have been paid th' agreed upon rate for a half-day's travel atop th' hazard pay, so I expect that they're content with that." she explains.
"Even with a fewer amount of armed escorts, th' guard have assured me that th' roads will be safe. Why, take a look for yourselves as to th' reason for it!" Durgan adds, sweeping his right arm out to gesture at the road directly ahead. The wide path to the west towards Hillsfar is filled to the brim with groups of Guards, Drow, and Rangers and Druids, and each of these groups have Clerics and Mages tactically interspersed between them. There are some even some specialized mixed groups with a combination of ALL of these types of individuals, similar in setup to adventuring parties. Even so, this sheer amount of "Force Reconnaissance" is nothing in size compared to the small army crammed around the docks, waiting to get onto boats to sail to reinforce Elmwood.
(Alright, once again, I'll plot out the formation for travel. If you want to say where you're at in the travel order and/or change where you're at, feel free to do so. Once we've decided on who's where, I'll post an update. This is either based on what people said they wanted before, or just plain guessing.)
Giving the Dwarf a smile and a wave, she says, "Top of the morning to you. How I can be of assistance to you this fine day?"
Thurgar does a quick pass over the wares available, and quickly locates the ammunition. "Well met, miss! Ah be seekin' a stronger bullet for me sling, a surer shot, iff'n ya will. Have yeh got anything on hand o' that nature? Also, me companions an' me migh' be needin' some extra healing given the scrapes n' scraps I 'spect teh be facin'. Iff'n th' prices be fair, me gold is ready teh be spent!"
While awaiting for Thurgar's return, Raymond tracks down Oria. "Miss Oria, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to sit up front with you." Ray unstraps the shield from his pack and adds, "and I'd like put my pack in the wagon behind me. I'll be bringing this," he says while thumping the shield,"to help protect us in case someone tries to loose arrows our way."
"Even with a fewer amount of armed escorts, th' guard have assured me that th' roads will be safe. Why, take a look for yourselves as to th' reason for it!" Durgan adds, sweeping his right arm out to gesture at the road directly ahead.
After Durgan's gesture, Ray looks down at the ground and shakes his head slightly. Raising his head and looking squarely at the dwarf he says in a measured response, "While that is true Durgan, we must still remain vigilant at all times."
(OOC: Sorry to have to do this, but my life's gotten too busy, and I have to end this game. Thank you all for playing and participating, whether it was from the beginning or after joining more recently. I hope you find more fun RPG games to play in the future. Running a game "from scratch" rather than using a pre-written module was a lot more work than I thought, and it took more time than I anticipated. Nontheless, it was an interesting and rewarding experience and I learned a lot from it. So again, thanks for playing with me this long. I know that I was rusty at DM-ing, and that things were rough around the edges, so I'm grateful that everyone stuck with me and tried their best. May your travels be full of good weather and cheer, and free from grabby overzealous Drow females.)
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(OOC: Modified rules it is then. And curse Windows 10 :P)
(OOC: Yes, from what I've seen after I google searched the Black Screen of Death after login and other related issues, it looks like a LOT of people are having trouble with the Creator's Update, starting from late September. Anyhow, I've got things fixed and most of my data's safe, so I guess I'm good to go now. Thankfully, I keep most of my reference materials for this game in the cloud, so that was always safe. And it looks like most people don't mind modified concentration, so we'll go with that. I prefer not book-keeping unless someone gets actively controlled or critically hit anyhow, as it's easier to remember)
The Next Day
Morning, and then early afternoon arrives after everyone gets their rest, both in and outside of the Inn. As everyone begins to arrive at the rest stop that the vehicles are at, they can see that the merchants and drivers are already up and moving about. Elessa and Durgan are tending to a delicious smelling stew boiling in a pot hung over a campfire from a metal tripod. Occasionally, Elessa turns away to flip some thick-looking elven flatbread heating on a cast-iron pan that sits on top of a cooking grate over a separate, smaller fire.
Oria seems to be training with Kaylessa, in full armor (a chain shirt with leather armor covering everything else) and holding a shield in one hand, and one of the silver-blue shortswords Kaylessa stole from Merrok in the other. As the wood-elf watches and instructs, Oria jabs and cuts at a straw and wood training dummy that looks like it was borrowed from one of the guard's training areas. "Remember ta stick it. Put yer weight inta it if ya feel ya have a good openin'." Kaylessa says emphatically, making chopping and thrusting motions with her hand towards the dummy as she watches the Dwarven girl's progress.
Similarly, Merrok seems to be coaching Halethar on a different dummy a good (and safe) distance away, also with a live weapon. The Half-Elf has his eyes focused intently on the large dummy in front of him, holding a Dwarven-looking battleaxe in both hands. Off to the side, the cheap shield and elven handaxe that Halethar normally use lie on a flat rock, with bits of straw and wood splinters on them, looking recently used. "That's it, just get back inta th' feel o' it. We've practiced enough with th' little axe an' shield, now swing th' big one like how ya did with yer wood axe back in th' days when we had t'deal with those Orcs back in th' lumber camp. Less wild though, y'were in a right panic when they headed t'the house where yer wife was hidin' with yer little son." Merrok instructs, before pausing briefly to take a short puff from a wooden pipe. "Gods that was years ago, th' boy's a grown man now, isn't he? Good thing he was'na here fer those accursed Drow Women t'get their grubby hands on him." the Dwarf remarks.
As the party members start arriving, Durgan and Elessa raise their hands to greet them. "Well good early afternoon ta ye. If ye be hungry, Master Durgan an' I have made quite enough stew t'feed the most of ye." Elessa says warmly in greeting, giving everyone an acknowledging nod. "Th' stew is rabbit, with a bit of carrots and potatoes, alongside some celery an' a few mushroom big enough t'pick out if y'don't like 'em." Durgan adds, gesturing towards the pot. "I'll admit th' unleavened elven waybread's not th' usual thing t'go with it, but Elessa made it extra thick, so it should be hearty enough t'match the dish."
"Did everyone have a good night's rest?" Durgan asks, stirring the pot as he looks around to see who's interested in eating. "M'boy had some trouble with a frisky Drow female who he caught peepin' on him while he were gettin' cleaned up." he remarks, angling his head over at Merrok. "Strange t'see they have'na changed all that much since I first traveled here. Ohhh th' trouble they used t'give me when I was young an' still single, before even Morra was born!"
Thurgar glanced around, wondering where a shop might be, though his attentions were more concerned about getting his portion of the stew.
"No trouble teh me," he said to Durgan as he made for the stew pot, "though methinks ah slept so sound tha' a band o' bugbears cannae have roused me from me slumber!" With a bowl of fresh rabbit stew in hand, and a hunk of the waybread tucked in the side of the bowl to soak up some of the broth, he turned back to Durgan. "Any luck on th' local shop havin' some medical supplies?" he asked, hoping that Durgan had been there, or even scouted it's location before the party woke. He wolfed down another mouthful of stew and waybread. "Wouldn't mind headin' there teh stock up, iff'n we got the spare moments. Anyone else in'erested?" As he said the last part, he turned to Umbra, Belview and Raymond.
Aldarin also welcomes the breakfast stew, nods politely, then sits nearby. He directs a comment to Durgan, "Yes, I rested well after leaving the inn to the camp. Better to sleep under the stars, than near those... drow women. So unlike the other drow I've met. So much more....foreward." Aldarin eats his stew and watches the trainees.
"Foreward?" Umbra approaches the caravan and gives Aldarin a sympathetic look. "There's no need to sugarcoat their behavior. They were harassing you."
Raymond saunters into the caravan camp, his halberd once again balanced on his shoulder and waves to Durgan and Elessa. He is wearing a pack with a shield strapped to the back and a mace that swings from a hook at his belt. Two axe handles peek out from a sling under the pack. He calls out to the group, "Good day, all! I hope everyone was able to get some decent rest. The stew smells wonderful! I'll be there in a moment. I'd like to see how the practice fares first."
He approaches the makeshift training area and watches Oria and Halethar practice. He nods in agreement with Kaylessa and Merrok and adds, "Shifting and balancing your weight is key. Remember, your weapon should feel like an extension of your body." He watches for a couple more minutes and then makes his way over to the campfire to get some food.
As the others talk, Ray listens and adds, "I really wasn't sure what was going to happen at the inn. What I do know is that I could not let that slight to one of our own go unchallenged." He glances over at Elessa and nods slightly if she looks up.
Raymond Xarrut (pic)
Thurgar looks around, watching his companions. Raymond and Belview seem to be taken in by the practice session, and Umbra doesn't seem like the shopping type. Deciding that nobody heard his question, he shrugs and moves off from the group, making his way toward what he thinks is a market area. In his days with the guard, he had met a few travelers who carried a bundle of sling bullets imbued with enchantments. Rumor has it that one such traveler had used one to put a hole the size of a dwarf's fist in the skull of a wolf that had come too close to the man's camp, but he also knew to take such tales with a grain of salt. Even so, Thurgar could not see the harm in seeking these magic sling bullets out if they happened to exist. He was not one to underestimate the usefulness of the humble weapon, as it had gotten him out of many hunts gone wrong in the past, though these days, it seemed most folk favored cross bows. Of course, medical supplies would not hurt, either.
Durgan nods to Thurgar as he looks up from tending to his stew. "Well, if you're lookin' for healin' herbs and bandages and such, you'll find they usually have them in stock. Sometimes a healing potion or two that some Druids might have delivered. Not th' particularly strong ones though, and they don't tend to have too many of them." he replies. "If you'd like t'go check, we've still some time before we start gettin' ready t'head out." Durgan adds.
"Aye, weren't that an unpleasant surprise? The Drow women around here are hardly the pride of Eilistraee. More the shame of her instead." Elessa responds to Aldarin and Umbra's comments with a cluck of her tongue as she shakes her head. "They can hardly keep their grubby mitts off of any men they fancy, even the ones considered too young for Elves by Elventree and Undertree laws. If you're not approachin' 30 summers, it's not proper for grown women their age ta make moves on ye." she adds, taking a moment to glance at Raymond and Aldarin, and furrowing her brows with motherly concern.
(OOC Notes: Undertree is another term for the cavern network underneath the Elventree region where the Drow Live. It's interchangeable with "Little Underdark", but the Drow prefer to use the term Undertree. Also, there are laws in many Elven societies including Elventree that declare it illegal for Adult Elves to take advantage of overly young impressionable humans in relationships. The common "age of consent" is 25 or so, but it's considered distasteful to go after a human that's not at least 28 or so. Especially if the Elf is an adult rather than a teenager.)
In response to Raymond's advice, Halethar nods silently in acknowledgment, too breathless from practice to actually speak at the moment. Panting heavily, he seems to take the advice, and takes a few more coordinated looking swings, despite his exhaustion. Oria's face crinkles up in a confused expression, but she still nods and replies, "Sounds good Raymond, I'll watch my balance some more!"
Elessa looks over to Raymond when he speaks and returns his nod. "Th' thought were much appreciated, young Raymond. Believe it or no, me an' Kaylessa got inta a fistfight with th' braided one th' last time she approached me husband. Apparently, Drow women don't think too highly of th' sanctity of a man's marriage, an' some think it's selfish not ta share yer man." she says with a fierce scowl. Her face softens slightly however, as she continues to look at Raymond. "By the by, if ye don't know already, it's not legal for grown Elven women ta come after a human boy if he's not over a certain age. Th' law strictly says 25 years, so if ye aren't that old yet, ye just warn them off or let a constable know." she adds, her voice tight with a mixture of worry for Raymond (and likely Aldarin) as well as a trace of anger towards the boorish Drow women from last night.
Raymond speaks between mouthfuls of stew and flatbread. "M'thanks for the advice, Elessa... I just began my 24th year on my passage across the Moonsea... From what little I know about the drow, they don't seem to be bound by laws much, but I'll keep it mind."
He looks over at Umbra and says, "By the way, I wouldn't worry about Aldarin, he looks like he can handle hi'self." He glances over at the half-elf druid with a quick smile around a mouthful of food.
At Thurgar's mention of a shopping trip, he directs his attention to the dwarf, "Thanks for the offer friend, but I've got everything I need right here," and pats the pack on the ground next to him.
Raymond Xarrut (pic)
Thurgar (and anyone who chooses to follow him) finds the general store at Elua's Lighthouse open for business by the time everyone's up and about. The shop is a one-story fieldstone house, similar to others in the area, and is large enough to have a decent selection of goods, although most of it seems tailored more for farmers, craftsmen, sailors, and travelers rather than adventurers. Still, there are a few healing potions and anti-venom doses, as well as a handful of enchanted arrows, bullets, and crossbow bolts.
(Reference Image - Actually a Modern House, but close enough to give an idea)
As Thurgar steps in, a kindly-looking older halfling woman with grey hair turns to greet him. Based on how high she is off the floor (enough to be seen over a human-sized counter), it looks like she has some sort of bench to stand on running behind the length of the shop counter. Giving the Dwarf a smile and a wave, she says, "Top of the morning to you. How I can be of assistance to you this fine day?"
(OOC: As to not hold everyone up too much with shopping, I'll just run 2 different events going on at 2 different times. Thurgar's shopping trip is a "flashback", whereas the stuff that's happening with the Caravan moving is the "present")
After everyone finishes eating and getting ready, the caravan crew go and fetch their animals, and hitch them to the 2 carts and the wagon once all the cargo's been inspected and tied down. Off in the distance, some male Drow laborers are carrying off a few crates and barrels of goods that look like they were inside some of the vehicles, and the vehicles themselves seem to have new cargo that's held in exotic looking containers with darkly polished, angular wood frames, and purple-tinged metals with sweeping (and sometimes sharp-looking) ridged accents. Regardless of how they feel about the Eilistraee Drow, the tradesmen and women of the caravan seem to have no problem doing business with them.
Before the caravan and party set off, Elessa takes a moment to address why the number of guards has shrunken overall, despite the addition of Raymond. "As ye might have expected, little Jim is too hurt ta continue, an' I don't think he's too excited about the idea of killin' or bein' around the killin' of livin' creatures. Belview didn't say much, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had loved ones in Elmwood given how he were hangin' about the docks. At any rate, both of 'em have been paid th' agreed upon rate for a half-day's travel atop th' hazard pay, so I expect that they're content with that." she explains.
"Even with a fewer amount of armed escorts, th' guard have assured me that th' roads will be safe. Why, take a look for yourselves as to th' reason for it!" Durgan adds, sweeping his right arm out to gesture at the road directly ahead. The wide path to the west towards Hillsfar is filled to the brim with groups of Guards, Drow, and Rangers and Druids, and each of these groups have Clerics and Mages tactically interspersed between them. There are some even some specialized mixed groups with a combination of ALL of these types of individuals, similar in setup to adventuring parties. Even so, this sheer amount of "Force Reconnaissance" is nothing in size compared to the small army crammed around the docks, waiting to get onto boats to sail to reinforce Elmwood.
(Alright, once again, I'll plot out the formation for travel. If you want to say where you're at in the travel order and/or change where you're at, feel free to do so. Once we've decided on who's where, I'll post an update. This is either based on what people said they wanted before, or just plain guessing.)
<FRONT> Merrok Umbra [Durgan] Raymond [Oria] Thurgar [Elessa&Halethar] Aldarin Kaylessa <REAR>
Raymond Xarrut (pic)
While awaiting for Thurgar's return, Raymond tracks down Oria. "Miss Oria, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to sit up front with you." Ray unstraps the shield from his pack and adds, "and I'd like put my pack in the wagon behind me. I'll be bringing this," he says while thumping the shield, "to help protect us in case someone tries to loose arrows our way."
After Durgan's gesture, Ray looks down at the ground and shakes his head slightly. Raising his head and looking squarely at the dwarf he says in a measured response, "While that is true Durgan, we must still remain vigilant at all times."
Raymond Xarrut (pic)
(OOC: Sorry to have to do this, but my life's gotten too busy, and I have to end this game. Thank you all for playing and participating, whether it was from the beginning or after joining more recently. I hope you find more fun RPG games to play in the future. Running a game "from scratch" rather than using a pre-written module was a lot more work than I thought, and it took more time than I anticipated. Nontheless, it was an interesting and rewarding experience and I learned a lot from it. So again, thanks for playing with me this long. I know that I was rusty at DM-ing, and that things were rough around the edges, so I'm grateful that everyone stuck with me and tried their best. May your travels be full of good weather and cheer, and free from grabby overzealous Drow females.)