Rogram stands by his wagon, neck craning to see what's going on as a few rush past him in response to the cry. Finally, he hears the name Losvius, and the half-dwarf can't help himself. He hurries to the wagon, wanting to see with his own eyes. As he gets a glance at the still form, he is just as disbelieving as Nyerhite. He pushes through to reach Akira. "What did he die of?" he asks the dragonborn.
Merric hears the shouts from the Verther wagon and is drawn to the gathering crowd. His face falls as he recognizes the friendly halfling from the night before. “Does anyone know what happened?” He approaches the body to try and determine the cause of death, looking for any wounds or signs of struggle or for any signs of sickness or poison. He looks over to Akira “Did he talk with anyone after he left us last night?”
Merric and Akira survey the scene. Losvius has no wounds; there are no signs of a potential assailant by the wagon, and the only recent prints that can be seen leading toward the wagon bench are the small prints of Losvius Longnose himself. Without a trail to follow, Merric examines the body of Losvius himself. The halfling has a serene look on his face, indicating that his passing occurred during his sleep and that he almost certainly was unaware of it. All would seem natural aside from one trickle of dark blood near the corner of Losvius's mouth. Merric has seen similar effects caused by certain herbs among the High Forest. Losvius's lack of obvious illness and the manner of his sudden death could only have one cause: Poison.
“I suspected as much” Merric mutters to himself and shakes his head sadly. “I believe he was poisoned, and just after he was poking around those wagons. I don’t believe in coincidences.” He looks back to the others “Look around for anything that could have caused this, an empty cup, a bowl of food, anything.” He turns to Nyerhite “Think. Did he talk with anyone after he returned last night, any late night visitors? Did he eat or drink anything?”
Nyerhite stammers a bit before finally getting out, "I don't, I don't know! He checked in before turning in for the night, and I didn't see him before or after that. He liked to drink and eat with different folks every night...he just liked meeting new people."
The other merchants and guards have assembled by the time Akira is done casting her spell. The spell reveals no magic in the area.
"I've seen him around most nights," Beyd confirms. "It was pretty common for him to buy a drink or two."
Edhelri sighs, "One thing after another." She place a hand on Nyerhite's shoulder, but the impatience in her voice does not match the gesture. "Nyerhite, do you have someone who can drive your wagon? We can afford enough time to lay him to rest, but we have suffered so many delays already."
Nyerhite nods. "I can drive the wagon myself until I can find a replacement," he answers. Pulling Merric and Akira to the side, he says, "You seem to suspect foul play. Have you been able to deduce anything?"
Rogram is shocked when Merric reveals that Losvius has been poisoned. He was so nice. But then when the elf goes on to point out the altercation the halfling had with the cult's wagon guards, the half-dwarf narrows his eyes. "You're right," he says, not really to anyone. He starts considering confronting the guards directly when Merric continues, "Look around for anything that could have caused this, an empty cup, a bowl of food, anything.” Rogram nods and begins searching the area for anything suspicious.
Losvius has a bag next to his bedroll on the wagon bench with little more than changes of clothing, but you don't find any item of suspicion in the area surrounding the wagon or in the bag itself.
Merric looks at Nyerhite and answers “I don’t know. It looks like he was poisoned and he did have a run in with those guards after that wagon overturned. I can’t prove anything, but it smells funny. I don’t like it.” He turns to Rogram and the others. “But we have no evidence to tie them to it. Maybe I am chasing shadows.”
Nyerhite frowns, "I don't like the sounds of that. Losvius was a good man, as reliable as they come. Now, we're still a long ways from Waterdeep and we don't need internal strife breaking this caravan apart halfway there, but if you find some evidence that someone poisoned him, let me know. The other merchants and I will see to it that justice is served."
Losvius Longnose is laid to rest near a small copse of trees, a few travelers pitching in with shovels to give the halfling a final resting place within the soil. An unsettled and somber mood settles over the caravan throughout the afternoon as word spreads of the sudden death of the teamster, but people are quickly provided a distraction by a pair of travelers camped along the roadside that call to the caravan as it passes by in the afternoon. The beautiful and buxom pair of twin human sisters are breaking camp and tending to their horses as the caravan rolls by, and as it seems they are traveling in the same direction. Joining the travelers between merchant wagons, their effect on many of the men (and certainly some women) is quickly apparent. Word of the new travelers reaches the ears of even the guards alongside the merchant wagons throughout the day.
When the caravan comes to a stop for the night, the extroverted sisters make their way from campfire to campfire, introducing themselves and engaging in conversation, being sure to partake in the ale from Beyd's wagon throughout the evening. Eventually, they reach the fire where the party sits with some of the other guards.
"Hello there," the first sister says, "We wanted to make sure we introduced ourselves. I'm Arietta Innevar."
"Zelina Innevar," her twin quickly follows. "Thank you for letting us tag along to Waterdeep. It won't be quite as quick as traveling on our own, but it will be much less boring!"
The women are nearly identical, but Zelina's brown hair falls slightly lower than Arietta's blonde locks, and Zelina has a slight crook in her nose, indicating it must have been broken at one point. They sit together near the party, taking in any introductions.
"And we're grateful for your employer's forethought," Arietta says, toasting Karib with a mug of ale. "Are you all ending your journey in Waterdeep, or do you have a different final destination?" she asks.
Rogram watches with obvious delight as the twins join them around the fire. Their appearance is enough to lift his spirits, which have been dampened following the discovery of Losvius. The half-dwarf has always favored human females, though half-elf females are a pretty close second. If he were analyzed by someone with keep insight, there'd probably be something to note concerning his human mother, but, luckily, that's never been pointed out to the young half-breed.
"I'm Rogram," he says to the sisters with a generous smile. "It's very nice to meet you both." In response to their question about final destination, Rogram replies, "I'm not exactly sure. Waterdeep is where we're headed now. Maybe that's where the road will end for us. Perhaps there will be more. Are you two stopping in Waterdeep? Is that where you're from?"
Merric helps lay the halfling to rest in a small clearing off of the trail. After a few words were said by the few caravaneers that knew Losvious, the group begins to break up. Merric kneels by the grave site and places his hand in the overturned earth, calling forth a few blossoms of wild flowers to mark the grave.
Merric is just as taken in with the sisters as many of the others in the caravan are and he greets them warmly as they join the group by the fire. “Ah, the Innevar sisters. Welcome! My name is Merric, but you can call me Merry.” As Rogram shares his thoughts on their final destination, Merric adds “But life is about the journey, not the destination. Who knows where the wind will blow us? And how about you, how did two lovely ladies such as yourself come to travel alone on this trail?”
"Are you two stopping in Waterdeep? Is that where you're from?"
"Rogram...I like that. Such a fierce name. With a physique like yours I'll bet you were named after a warrior,"Arietta says, practically purring. "This will be our first time seeing the City of Splendors."
"So, Rogram, what brings you to journey to Waterdeep? Do you have any family there?"
"And how about you, how did two lovely ladies such as yourself come to travel alone on this trail?”
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Merry. We always travel together, and this was far from our first trip alone, but we're not ones to turn down good company. Not to mention it seems like this area presents...unexpected dangers," Zelina answers Merry. "And how about you? If you'll pardon my saying, elves aren't exactly known for their fondness of company. What brings you to travel this way?"
"Rogram...I like that. Such a fierce name. With a physique like yours I'll bet you were named after a warrior," Arietta says, practically purring. "This will be our first time seeing the City of Splendors."
"So, Rogram, what brings you to journey to Waterdeep? Do you have any family there?"
At the mention of his physique, Rogram becomes suddenly self-aware, and also happy at the compliment. He can't help but flex his blacksmith's muscles just a little. "A warrior? No," he smiles shyly. "I'm not sure where the name comes from. Probably was just a name my Mom and Pa liked." In reference to Waterdeep, he replies, "I got a job escorting Lai's wagon. I've recently begun escorting wagons. And, no, I don't know anyone in Waterdeep."
Arietta lingers a moment with Rogram while Zelina moves on, talking with Orvustia and Tyjit. When the firelight finally wanes, Arietta squeezes Rogram's shoulder, bidding those by the fire goodnight and heading back to camp with her sister.
The next day is warm, dry and uneventful. When the caravan rolls to a stop in the evening, it marks one full tenday since its departure from Baldur's Gate. As the festive atmosphere that the caravan had in the first couple evenings finally returns, the merchants meet with their guards to divvy out payments.
Tyjit returns from Beyd's ale wagon with an armful of mead, handing the mugs to Orvustia and Akira. "Boss, Orvustia, here's to more tendays! Time to celebrate!" she guffaws.
Zelina Innevar lingers near the ale wagon. "How'd you land such a cushy gig?" she asks Karib. "And aren't you worried you'll run out before we get to Waterdeep?"
Her sister returns to the fire with Rogram. "Hey soldier," she winks. "Got room for a friendly face tonight?"
OOC: Added the tenday's payments to each character's inventory. 5 gp for Rogram and Merric as guards, 8 gp for Akira as guard sergeant, and 10 gp for Karib as Beyd's bodyguard.
Rogram smiles at Arietta. "For you, I'd make room," he says with a chuckle in his voice. He quickly looks around for Zelina, but when he notices her over by Karib, he happily turns his full attention to the blonde. He had hoped he'd see them again tonight. The sisters had been on his mind for most of the uneventful day. To prepare, he had come up with several questions to show his interest. He starts out by asking Arietta where she and her sister hail from. He remembers them saying something about knowing the traveling would be slower in a caravan, so they must travel quite a bit, and he's curious about that. That leads into asking why they're traveling to Waterdeep. And, as the roads are dangerous, he wants to ask if they have special skills to keep themselves safe while traveling. They might even be monster hunters or treasure seekers, though he doesn't ask this directly.
Rogram doesn't at all feel possessive of Arietta, and if others are around, he welcomes their questions and feels no jealousy if she showers more attention on someone else. He is very happy for the company and is happy to be their focus, but has no illusions of romance or even real feelings.
Rogram stands by his wagon, neck craning to see what's going on as a few rush past him in response to the cry. Finally, he hears the name Losvius, and the half-dwarf can't help himself. He hurries to the wagon, wanting to see with his own eyes. As he gets a glance at the still form, he is just as disbelieving as Nyerhite. He pushes through to reach Akira. "What did he die of?" he asks the dragonborn.
Merric hears the shouts from the Verther wagon and is drawn to the gathering crowd. His face falls as he recognizes the friendly halfling from the night before. “Does anyone know what happened?” He approaches the body to try and determine the cause of death, looking for any wounds or signs of struggle or for any signs of sickness or poison. He looks over to Akira “Did he talk with anyone after he left us last night?”
Medicine: 17.
Passive Perception: 14.
.
Akira looks over the scene, tears rolling down her cheeks. Confused to what became of her curious companion, she investigates the scene thoroughly.
Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A)
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5)
Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)
Merric and Akira survey the scene. Losvius has no wounds; there are no signs of a potential assailant by the wagon, and the only recent prints that can be seen leading toward the wagon bench are the small prints of Losvius Longnose himself. Without a trail to follow, Merric examines the body of Losvius himself. The halfling has a serene look on his face, indicating that his passing occurred during his sleep and that he almost certainly was unaware of it. All would seem natural aside from one trickle of dark blood near the corner of Losvius's mouth. Merric has seen similar effects caused by certain herbs among the High Forest. Losvius's lack of obvious illness and the manner of his sudden death could only have one cause: Poison.
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As Merric and Akira inspect the scene, Rogram stands by impatiently.
“I suspected as much” Merric mutters to himself and shakes his head sadly. “I believe he was poisoned, and just after he was poking around those wagons. I don’t believe in coincidences.” He looks back to the others “Look around for anything that could have caused this, an empty cup, a bowl of food, anything.” He turns to Nyerhite “Think. Did he talk with anyone after he returned last night, any late night visitors? Did he eat or drink anything?”
Akira speaks aloud the rites to cast Detect Magic as a ritual in the space around his body to determine if his death was a result of spell craft.
Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A)
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5)
Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)
Nyerhite stammers a bit before finally getting out, "I don't, I don't know! He checked in before turning in for the night, and I didn't see him before or after that. He liked to drink and eat with different folks every night...he just liked meeting new people."
The other merchants and guards have assembled by the time Akira is done casting her spell. The spell reveals no magic in the area.
"I've seen him around most nights," Beyd confirms. "It was pretty common for him to buy a drink or two."
Edhelri sighs, "One thing after another." She place a hand on Nyerhite's shoulder, but the impatience in her voice does not match the gesture. "Nyerhite, do you have someone who can drive your wagon? We can afford enough time to lay him to rest, but we have suffered so many delays already."
Nyerhite nods. "I can drive the wagon myself until I can find a replacement," he answers. Pulling Merric and Akira to the side, he says, "You seem to suspect foul play. Have you been able to deduce anything?"
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Rogram is shocked when Merric reveals that Losvius has been poisoned. He was so nice. But then when the elf goes on to point out the altercation the halfling had with the cult's wagon guards, the half-dwarf narrows his eyes. "You're right," he says, not really to anyone. He starts considering confronting the guards directly when Merric continues, "Look around for anything that could have caused this, an empty cup, a bowl of food, anything.” Rogram nods and begins searching the area for anything suspicious.
For Rogram:
Losvius has a bag next to his bedroll on the wagon bench with little more than changes of clothing, but you don't find any item of suspicion in the area surrounding the wagon or in the bag itself.
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"There's only this bag of clothes," Rogram tells Merric.
Merric looks at Nyerhite and answers “I don’t know. It looks like he was poisoned and he did have a run in with those guards after that wagon overturned. I can’t prove anything, but it smells funny. I don’t like it.” He turns to Rogram and the others. “But we have no evidence to tie them to it. Maybe I am chasing shadows.”
Nyerhite frowns, "I don't like the sounds of that. Losvius was a good man, as reliable as they come. Now, we're still a long ways from Waterdeep and we don't need internal strife breaking this caravan apart halfway there, but if you find some evidence that someone poisoned him, let me know. The other merchants and I will see to it that justice is served."
Losvius Longnose is laid to rest near a small copse of trees, a few travelers pitching in with shovels to give the halfling a final resting place within the soil. An unsettled and somber mood settles over the caravan throughout the afternoon as word spreads of the sudden death of the teamster, but people are quickly provided a distraction by a pair of travelers camped along the roadside that call to the caravan as it passes by in the afternoon. The beautiful and buxom pair of twin human sisters are breaking camp and tending to their horses as the caravan rolls by, and as it seems they are traveling in the same direction. Joining the travelers between merchant wagons, their effect on many of the men (and certainly some women) is quickly apparent. Word of the new travelers reaches the ears of even the guards alongside the merchant wagons throughout the day.
When the caravan comes to a stop for the night, the extroverted sisters make their way from campfire to campfire, introducing themselves and engaging in conversation, being sure to partake in the ale from Beyd's wagon throughout the evening. Eventually, they reach the fire where the party sits with some of the other guards.
"Hello there," the first sister says, "We wanted to make sure we introduced ourselves. I'm Arietta Innevar."
"Zelina Innevar," her twin quickly follows. "Thank you for letting us tag along to Waterdeep. It won't be quite as quick as traveling on our own, but it will be much less boring!"
The women are nearly identical, but Zelina's brown hair falls slightly lower than Arietta's blonde locks, and Zelina has a slight crook in her nose, indicating it must have been broken at one point. They sit together near the party, taking in any introductions.
"And we're grateful for your employer's forethought," Arietta says, toasting Karib with a mug of ale. "Are you all ending your journey in Waterdeep, or do you have a different final destination?" she asks.
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Rogram watches with obvious delight as the twins join them around the fire. Their appearance is enough to lift his spirits, which have been dampened following the discovery of Losvius. The half-dwarf has always favored human females, though half-elf females are a pretty close second. If he were analyzed by someone with keep insight, there'd probably be something to note concerning his human mother, but, luckily, that's never been pointed out to the young half-breed.
"I'm Rogram," he says to the sisters with a generous smile. "It's very nice to meet you both." In response to their question about final destination, Rogram replies, "I'm not exactly sure. Waterdeep is where we're headed now. Maybe that's where the road will end for us. Perhaps there will be more. Are you two stopping in Waterdeep? Is that where you're from?"
Merric helps lay the halfling to rest in a small clearing off of the trail. After a few words were said by the few caravaneers that knew Losvious, the group begins to break up. Merric kneels by the grave site and places his hand in the overturned earth, calling forth a few blossoms of wild flowers to mark the grave.
Merric is just as taken in with the sisters as many of the others in the caravan are and he greets them warmly as they join the group by the fire. “Ah, the Innevar sisters. Welcome! My name is Merric, but you can call me Merry.” As Rogram shares his thoughts on their final destination, Merric adds “But life is about the journey, not the destination. Who knows where the wind will blow us? And how about you, how did two lovely ladies such as yourself come to travel alone on this trail?”
"Rogram...I like that. Such a fierce name. With a physique like yours I'll bet you were named after a warrior," Arietta says, practically purring. "This will be our first time seeing the City of Splendors."
"So, Rogram, what brings you to journey to Waterdeep? Do you have any family there?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Merry. We always travel together, and this was far from our first trip alone, but we're not ones to turn down good company. Not to mention it seems like this area presents...unexpected dangers," Zelina answers Merry. "And how about you? If you'll pardon my saying, elves aren't exactly known for their fondness of company. What brings you to travel this way?"
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At the mention of his physique, Rogram becomes suddenly self-aware, and also happy at the compliment. He can't help but flex his blacksmith's muscles just a little. "A warrior? No," he smiles shyly. "I'm not sure where the name comes from. Probably was just a name my Mom and Pa liked." In reference to Waterdeep, he replies, "I got a job escorting Lai's wagon. I've recently begun escorting wagons. And, no, I don't know anyone in Waterdeep."
Arietta lingers a moment with Rogram while Zelina moves on, talking with Orvustia and Tyjit. When the firelight finally wanes, Arietta squeezes Rogram's shoulder, bidding those by the fire goodnight and heading back to camp with her sister.
The next day is warm, dry and uneventful. When the caravan rolls to a stop in the evening, it marks one full tenday since its departure from Baldur's Gate. As the festive atmosphere that the caravan had in the first couple evenings finally returns, the merchants meet with their guards to divvy out payments.
Tyjit returns from Beyd's ale wagon with an armful of mead, handing the mugs to Orvustia and Akira. "Boss, Orvustia, here's to more tendays! Time to celebrate!" she guffaws.
Zelina Innevar lingers near the ale wagon. "How'd you land such a cushy gig?" she asks Karib. "And aren't you worried you'll run out before we get to Waterdeep?"
Her sister returns to the fire with Rogram. "Hey soldier," she winks. "Got room for a friendly face tonight?"
OOC: Added the tenday's payments to each character's inventory. 5 gp for Rogram and Merric as guards, 8 gp for Akira as guard sergeant, and 10 gp for Karib as Beyd's bodyguard.
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Rogram smiles at Arietta. "For you, I'd make room," he says with a chuckle in his voice. He quickly looks around for Zelina, but when he notices her over by Karib, he happily turns his full attention to the blonde. He had hoped he'd see them again tonight. The sisters had been on his mind for most of the uneventful day. To prepare, he had come up with several questions to show his interest. He starts out by asking Arietta where she and her sister hail from. He remembers them saying something about knowing the traveling would be slower in a caravan, so they must travel quite a bit, and he's curious about that. That leads into asking why they're traveling to Waterdeep. And, as the roads are dangerous, he wants to ask if they have special skills to keep themselves safe while traveling. They might even be monster hunters or treasure seekers, though he doesn't ask this directly.
Rogram doesn't at all feel possessive of Arietta, and if others are around, he welcomes their questions and feels no jealousy if she showers more attention on someone else. He is very happy for the company and is happy to be their focus, but has no illusions of romance or even real feelings.
Akira accepts the mug and engages Tyjit and Orvustia. "Cheers to a better day of travel! Is there anything you've observed that I should be aware of?"
Halsen - Human Monk - Winter Splendor
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's Blade Bizarre
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Betrayal at Devilsfall
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Hidden War" (Doom Portals Part 4A)
Aradurk - Half-Orc Fighter - Barty's "The Whispered Word (Doom Portals Part 5)
Garu - Tabaxi Paladin - Barty's "Beyond Twilight" (Rikirta Part 3)