Rogram looks visibly relieved by Jamna's and Rachael's words. "Sit! Sit!" he encourages the woman. He points at a chair before looking at Hono and doing the same. "No one's really 'in charge'," he says. "We're kind of a council, I guess, where everyone gets a vote." He shrugs while he looks around at the others. "Well, I know I'm not in charge," he concedes, chuckling self-deprecatingly.
As if she had said the words again, Rogram's head twists to give the gnome a look. "She isn't my crush," he argues. "I was trying to use her to get into the Cult." He rubs his arm, massaging an old injury. "Didn't work," he mumbles to the newcomers.
"Thanks," Rachael says as she takes the nearest open seat at the table. "The plan is infiltration then? Not just watch and observe? Is there a backup plan beyond seduction?"
Merric glares over at Jamna “I’m not so sure the oatmeal was as dangerous as it was made out to be. In any case, there is not much more to that story.”
He settles back in his chair and shares what he knows with Rachael and Hono. “The others here know enough to suspect us of being no friends to the cult, and they do not appear too interested in opening up to us. We posed as caravan guards for the trip north from Baldur’s Gate, watch and observe as you said, but we are at the end of that road. The empty wagons go back to Waterdeep soon. We suspect they are moving goods and captives through a tunnel system out of the storage room downstairs.”
He takes another drink and shrugs his shoulders. “Call it infiltration if you like, but the current plan is to sneak into the tunnels and see what we can find.”
"Thanks," Rachael says as she takes the nearest open seat at the table. "The plan is infiltration then? Not just watch and observe? Is there a backup plan beyond seduction?"
Rogram's jaw drops as he looks at Rachael. He mouths the word "seduction" as Merric speaks:
“I’m not so sure the oatmeal was as dangerous as it was made out to be. In any case, there is not much more to that story.”
The half-dwarf makes a noise with his mouth, clearly in disagreement. He starts to protest when the elf continues:
“The others here know enough to suspect us of being no friends to the cult, and they do not appear too interested in opening up to us. We posed as caravan guards for the trip north from Baldur’s Gate, watch and observe as you said, but we are at the end of that road. The empty wagons go back to Waterdeep soon. We suspect they are moving goods and captives through a tunnel system out of the storage room downstairs.”
He takes another drink and shrugs his shoulders. “Call it infiltration if you like, but the current plan is to sneak into the tunnels and see what we can find.”
Rogram looks sideways at Karib, motioning toward Rachael and Merric with a shrug of one of his own shoulders.
"I wasn't trying to seduce her," he finally says. "I'm no shapeshifting ... whatever they were." He stops and looks at the two newcomers. "That's another story," he explains. "Anyway, I was just trying to be her friend. It's not my fault her friend got killed, and I was blamed." He looks back at Karib. "At least I don't think it was my fault. Do you think the cult killed their own guy to try to get us killed? After the oatmeal didn't get us?" Not giving the blacksmith a chance to answer, and switching gears back to the current conversation, he says, "Karib's been in contact with my Pa, and while he hasn't said much, what we think is that they're using lizardfolk to move their treasure from here to the next stop. So, we're trying to figure out how to follow it. I'm hoping we'll finally find out where the end of the line is so we can find my Pa."
Karib nods in recognition at the patch then sighs and pulls a pouch from around his neck, withdrawing a small piece of copper wire.
Intoning a brief prayer to Gond he focuses his mind and silently asks his own contacts if they know or Hono or Rachael. "Are Hono or Rachael sent by you? Tell me something only they would know. 25 words or less. Think carefully before answering."
After a few moments he replaces the wire in the pouch.
@DM: IF he knows the Lords Alliance contact they mentioned, he will send to them directly, otherwise he will send to his Harper contact. I expect the latter might say "dunno, I'll get back to you"
I've also stopped saying "Karib here..." because the spell says "The creature ... recognizes you as the sender if it knows you"
As the others seem to accept the newcomers, Karib will at least play along. Still holding the pouch he takes out a small bone piece. "One of these", he says, holding it his palm. "Jamna says it will expand if swallowed and cause a nasty death." He smiles grimly, "I'll return them to them some day."
Placing the bone back in his pouch, he returns the pouch around his neck and safely under his mail. Then he nods at Hono.
"You're right tho, we've not been sufficiently discreet." He resists the urge to look at Rogram. "I think they were on to us from the first day or so, but did not want to make an overt action. If they are watching now, you too are probably marked."
"As to the next steps, Rogram is right: we suspect tunnels and would like to investigate."
To Rogram he says, "They were either trying to get you blamed or he was punished for being one of the theives." Then he frowns, "We might also want to investigate that..."
Turning to Rachael and Hono he adds, "Jamna here found some interesting items in one of the rooms..."
He waits for her to explain, assuming she is comfortable doing so.
Rachael nods to Merric when he reveals the plan to sneak into the tunnels. "Sounds like a good idea."
She had caught a bit of Rogram's reaction to her 'seduction' comment, but a grin comes to her face when he then quickly protests that it wasn't. "Well, perhaps seduction would have been the better tactic then!" She quickly moves on though. "While these folks might be devious, it seems odd they'd resort to such a convoluted plan to kill one of their own to get to you."
Then as Karib pulls out the copper wire, her attention turns to him. She realizes it must be some sort of magic. Not that she understands, but she watches to see what might happen. And listens to what he has to say. When he finishes, she nods. "It would be good to be more discreet. I assume this is not likely a good place to talk. But is there somewhere? When do intend to conduct your investigation?"
With Karib's reference to Jamna, she turns to her to see what she has to say.
Rogram looks visibly relieved by Jamna's and Rachael's words. "Sit! Sit!" he encourages the woman. He points at a chair before looking at Hono and doing the same. "No one's really 'in charge'," he says. "We're kind of a council, I guess, where everyone gets a vote." He shrugs while he looks around at the others. "Well, I know I'm not in charge," he concedes, chuckling self-deprecatingly.
As if she had said the words again, Rogram's head twists to give the gnome a look. "She isn't my crush," he argues. "I was trying to use her to get into the Cult." He rubs his arm, massaging an old injury. "Didn't work," he mumbles to the newcomers.
"Thanks," Rachael says as she takes the nearest open seat at the table. "The plan is infiltration then? Not just watch and observe? Is there a backup plan beyond seduction?"
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard || Iromae Quinaea, Cleric
Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric
Merric glares over at Jamna “I’m not so sure the oatmeal was as dangerous as it was made out to be. In any case, there is not much more to that story.”
He settles back in his chair and shares what he knows with Rachael and Hono. “The others here know enough to suspect us of being no friends to the cult, and they do not appear too interested in opening up to us. We posed as caravan guards for the trip north from Baldur’s Gate, watch and observe as you said, but we are at the end of that road. The empty wagons go back to Waterdeep soon. We suspect they are moving goods and captives through a tunnel system out of the storage room downstairs.”
He takes another drink and shrugs his shoulders. “Call it infiltration if you like, but the current plan is to sneak into the tunnels and see what we can find.”
Rogram's jaw drops as he looks at Rachael. He mouths the word "seduction" as Merric speaks:
The half-dwarf makes a noise with his mouth, clearly in disagreement. He starts to protest when the elf continues:
Rogram looks sideways at Karib, motioning toward Rachael and Merric with a shrug of one of his own shoulders.
"I wasn't trying to seduce her," he finally says. "I'm no shapeshifting ... whatever they were." He stops and looks at the two newcomers. "That's another story," he explains. "Anyway, I was just trying to be her friend. It's not my fault her friend got killed, and I was blamed." He looks back at Karib. "At least I don't think it was my fault. Do you think the cult killed their own guy to try to get us killed? After the oatmeal didn't get us?" Not giving the blacksmith a chance to answer, and switching gears back to the current conversation, he says, "Karib's been in contact with my Pa, and while he hasn't said much, what we think is that they're using lizardfolk to move their treasure from here to the next stop. So, we're trying to figure out how to follow it. I'm hoping we'll finally find out where the end of the line is so we can find my Pa."
Karib nods in recognition at the patch then sighs and pulls a pouch from around his neck, withdrawing a small piece of copper wire.
Intoning a brief prayer to Gond he focuses his mind and silently asks his own contacts if they know or Hono or Rachael. "Are Hono or Rachael sent by you? Tell me something only they would know. 25 words or less. Think carefully before answering."
After a few moments he replaces the wire in the pouch.
@DM: IF he knows the Lords Alliance contact they mentioned, he will send to them directly, otherwise he will send to his Harper contact. I expect the latter might say "dunno, I'll get back to you"
I've also stopped saying "Karib here..." because the spell says "The creature ... recognizes you as the sender if it knows you"
As the others seem to accept the newcomers, Karib will at least play along. Still holding the pouch he takes out a small bone piece. "One of these", he says, holding it his palm. "Jamna says it will expand if swallowed and cause a nasty death." He smiles grimly, "I'll return them to them some day."
Placing the bone back in his pouch, he returns the pouch around his neck and safely under his mail. Then he nods at Hono.
"You're right tho, we've not been sufficiently discreet." He resists the urge to look at Rogram. "I think they were on to us from the first day or so, but did not want to make an overt action. If they are watching now, you too are probably marked."
"As to the next steps, Rogram is right: we suspect tunnels and would like to investigate."
To Rogram he says, "They were either trying to get you blamed or he was punished for being one of the theives." Then he frowns, "We might also want to investigate that..."
Turning to Rachael and Hono he adds, "Jamna here found some interesting items in one of the rooms..."
He waits for her to explain, assuming she is comfortable doing so.
Rachael nods to Merric when he reveals the plan to sneak into the tunnels. "Sounds like a good idea."
She had caught a bit of Rogram's reaction to her 'seduction' comment, but a grin comes to her face when he then quickly protests that it wasn't. "Well, perhaps seduction would have been the better tactic then!" She quickly moves on though. "While these folks might be devious, it seems odd they'd resort to such a convoluted plan to kill one of their own to get to you."
Then as Karib pulls out the copper wire, her attention turns to him. She realizes it must be some sort of magic. Not that she understands, but she watches to see what might happen. And listens to what he has to say. When he finishes, she nods. "It would be good to be more discreet. I assume this is not likely a good place to talk. But is there somewhere? When do intend to conduct your investigation?"
With Karib's reference to Jamna, she turns to her to see what she has to say.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard || Iromae Quinaea, Cleric
Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer || Bronnryn Hethgar, Cleric