"What do you need us to do? The three of us" Yevele says as she gestures at Rogram and Karib "We have no chance at infiltrating the dragon cult. They know us and what we look like. If you need someone to infiltrate, you'll need to find someone else. Maybe your protege here could lead a team." The monk adds as she gestures at Samir.
Karib smiles, "Long days at the smithy, perhaps? Or long days walking in the forest. All appeal more than days like my last few, but that is not the life that has been chosen for us, eh?" He glances around the room, and his eyes settle on the new addition, a slight frown creasing his forehead. I wonder if he knows what he's getting himself into?
"We forego those things so that others may have the luxury." He smiles at Samir, "Sometimes the time of choosing only become clear after the fact."
Samir laughs at the suggestion he join them, but quickly turns to incredulity. "Oh, you're serious. I'm... Well, I am just an acolyte, not even a full priest."
Karib claps the young priest on the back, "I don't think Ontharr invited you as a drinking companion. And he wouldn't have invited you if you were 'just an acolyte', now would he?"
Oh. Karib stares at Samir for a moment before leaning in and speaking quietly. "Don't sweat it, lad. Ontharr may be a full of swagger and bluster at times, but he's a fine judge of where people belong." He smiles with a distant look in his eyes. "Though he's been known to be wrong about where they don't belong, but that's a tale for another time."
Turning to Ontharr he raises his voice again, "Yevele is right -- we'd likely be quickly marked by the cultists. But the few questions their leader answered did suggest a wider conspiracy. What is it you want from us?"
Ontharr displays a knowing grin. "Samir, my friend, you may not be a priest but I've yet to see a priest manage a crossbow as well as you, nor summon flame in the way that you can...that, and they're all tied to this city and not exactly in a position to do what I'm asking you to do. Like these folks are saying, they're going to need a face that's not familiar to these rascals."
"But before I get to that, we need to know exactly what we're up against. Leosin has told me all about their little army, their raids and plunder, and what little he learned of their organization, so we have some idea of their power, but he tells me that you returned to their camp while he was recovering. Leave no stone unturned. You made it out of there alive, so surely you must have good information to share."
OOC: For the sake of expediency, I'm going to assume that the party will fill Ontharr and Leosin in on everything that has transpired between Leosin's rescue from the cult camp and now. If there is anything that you wish to leave out of the explanation just let me know and if needed I can retcon any discussion that depends on that knowledge.
Ontharr and Leosin listen diligently to the recap of your second infiltration. The notion that they fled the camp creases Ontharr's brow with something between worry and anger. "That puts us even further behind them," he murmurs. The mention of dragon's eggs piques Leosin's interest, but the focus of the conversation very quickly turns to the map discovered in Mondath's chamber. When all is said and done, Ontharr sits back and taps his fingers impatiently upon his leg, eyes glancing upward toward the ceiling as he thinks.
Leosin takes the opportunity to explain, "Friends, thank you, truly, for this information. We should back up a moment." He pauses, taking a heavy breath.
"Ontharr and I have been tracking the movement of the Cult of the Dragon for some time now. What is immediately clear is that we vastly underestimated them. Ontharr sent Karib, and I sent myself to infiltrate and follow them respectively, and both of us were taken unawares. Mondath and Cyanwrath represent a mere fraction of their power...the half-dragon Rezmir is one that we at least know sits above them in the hierarchy, and we have no idea yet the full extent of her power. On top of that, they were assisted in the Siege of Greenest by a blue dragon..."
He pauses again, considering his follow up. "We are still, Ontharr and I and a handful of other concerned leaders and scholars along the Sword Coast, in the early stages of organizing against the Cult of the Dragon. In the past, the cult was more active to the east and it was focused on creating dracoliches - deadly beings, to be certain, but their activity was more contained and focused. Its shift to the Sword Coast and its new emphasis on living dragons, along with its ties to Tiamat, are cause for concern. You now know as well as we do that the cult is on the move and it's up to something big."
"As Yevele well knows, I represent the Harpers, of which Karib is also an agent. The rest of you may have heard of the older Harpers, but as our group is very secretive, allow me to lay out what it is that we stand for. We are dedicated primarily to furthering equality and justice, and to keeping power out of the hands of those who don't deserve it. We are loosely organized; our agents are allowed wide freedom of action, which is why I have been able to spend as much time as I have learning about the cult's actions."
"Ontharr represents the Order of the Gauntlet. His order shares many of the Harpers' principles, and while our orders are very different, our goals are aligned and we have been working together for some time now. Karib's ties to the Harpers and his relationship with Ontharr made him a natural fit to infiltrate the cult camp ahead of me."
Ontharr continues, "The Order of the Gauntlet emphasizes faith, vigilance, and constant struggle against threats of evil. Many of our members are paladins and clerics like Karib and Samir, but we welcome anyone who shares our ideals. Discipline is key, and we are distinctly more structured and hierarchical than the Harpers. A third organization, the Emerald Enclave, is assisting us as well, despite not being represented here."
"Each of you has proven yourselves worthy of being a part of either of our orders. What we are offering to you here is a chance to join our factions. At this early stage, there is no pay for members and there are no ranks. What we can offer, however, is help and support from other members and allies, spread from Nashkel and Candlekeep in the south to Neverwinter and Mirabar in the north. The horses that Erlanthar arranged for you to get here are just one small example of the aid that can be provided."
Rogram looks at Karib, but then back at Ontharr and Leosin. "The only faction I know is the Lords' Alliance. They have been good to Greenest, and my Pa respects the members he's met. Is someone with the Lords' Alliance here?"
Ontharr shakes his head. "The Lords' Alliance would be difficult to unify at this early stage. We would be talking about convincing a dozen powerful men and women to have consensus and belief that this is a threat worth their time when each of them also have entire cities to run," he says, "And Elturel is a power of its own now...it is no longer a member of the Lords' Alliance."
Rogram shifts his weight and scratches his beard. "Do I have to join a faction? This seems like a big decision. I'd really rather talk to my Pa first."
Samir has been having an internal struggle between his own fears, the confidence Ontharr has in him, and the real need to help the everyday folk who will suffer for the Cult's actions.
He nods along. "As always, I am at your service Ontharr. Send me where I am needed, and I'll help with whatever strength I have to muster. Each of these organizations have need for men and we need their trust and faith. As I am already a bit familiar with the Gauntlet, perhaps that is my place. Yes?"
"Wear this with pride, Samir," Ontharr tells the new and sudden addition to the strike force. He hands the cleric a holy symbol bearing the universal symbol of the Order of the Gauntlet, a gauntlet grasping a sword by the blade.
"I would say the same, Yevele, but our members prefer not to wear our symbol so openly, though some do. Typically, I wear mine as a medallion around my neck when I'm certain that I'm not heading into a potential captive situation--sometimes openly, sometimes tucked away. How you wear it is up to you," he says. The Harper's pin that he gives to Yevele bears a silver harp nestled between the horns of a crescent moon. To accentuate Leosin's point, Ontharr fishes his holy symbol out, worn on a pendant around his neck, hidden below his flowing beard.
"With Karib already a member of the Harpers, that just leaves Rogram. Of course, you don't have to join either of us, though I can't think of any drawbacks to doing so. We'll trust you with the details of this next mission either way. Since I'm not one for formalities, Leosin has...encouraged that we get this business in first," Ontharr says.
Yevele accepts the Harper's pin with a nod of her head in thanks. Looking at the pin, she ponders what to do with the pin, turning the pin over in her hand as she stares at the details of the pin.
After Ontharr mentions the next mission, Yevele looks up from the pin and asks "What is the next mission you have for us? I doubt there is much need to return to the cave, unless you want us to destroy the dragon eggs."
Karib smiles at Rogram, "It is a big decision, and I would vouch for your courage in a heartbeat. But seeking counsel it a wise course; there is not rush and I'm sure the resources of either group will be freely made available to such an ally as yourself."
OOC: If Rogram decides to join either faction, let me know. Ontharr and Leosin will give him all the time he needs to decide, the DM is just keeping us moving along.
"Right, the mission. Now that this business is settled..." Ontharr says.
"Thanks to you, the Harpers now know that the cult is amassing treasure and shipping it north. The two questions we need answered next are where exactly this treasure is going and what the cult plans to do with it," Leosin begins.
"Transporting the amount of treasure that they've taken from their raids is not done quickly or easily. It will require a sizeable presence. Simply put, we'd like you to join the cult's caravan and accompany it on the journey. That may sound like a heavy task, but it's likely not as difficult as you are thinking. Merchants from different companies commonly join together to form larger trains for protection. You could easily get yourselves hired as guards -- if not by the cult's wagon masters, then by other merchants who are traveling in the same direction at the same time. I have contacts among many of the merchants in the region. I'm certain I can arrange a job," Ontharr muses.
"Timing is our biggest hurdle. The map from Mondath's chamber indicates that the wagons were heading west to pick up the Coast Way road, where they would then turn north to Beregost and Baldur's Gate. That's a journey of about 550 miles. A caravan of wagons would take twenty-five to thirty days for that trip, depending on conditions. The wagons were gone ahead of your return to the camp, and likely at least a day before since you didn't see them at all. With your days spent in the camp, returning to Greenest, resting, and then traveling to Elturel, that accounts for nearly a tenday, which gives us at least ten to fifteen days before the cult's wagons can reach Baldur's Gate," Leosin calculates.
Ontharr sits back as he listens intently to Leosin, then surmises, "The River Chionthar flows directly from Elturel to Baldur's Gate. A sailing vessel can usually make that trip in about three days if it ties up overnight for safety; in a pinch, pushing on through the night by lamplight it can make it in two. It's late, but there should be enough time that I could arrange for a boat to leave at dawn. Enough time to outfit you for the journey, and we'll cover your expenses for the trip as well."
As Ontharr bestows the holy symbol upon Samir, and Leosin hands Yevele the Harper's pin, Rogram can help but look upon the symbols with curiosity and a little regret.
"With Karib already a member of the Harpers," Ontharr says, "that just leaves Rogram. Of course, you don't have to join either of us, though I can't think of any drawbacks to doing so. We'll trust you with the details of this next mission either way. Since I'm not one for formalities, Leosin has...encouraged that we get this business in first."
Rogram scowls, his mind having a silent battle with itself, and slowly moving toward going ahead and making a choice.
"It is a big decision," Karib says to the half-dwarf, "and I would vouch for your courage in a heartbeat. But seeking counsel is a wise course; there is no rush, and I'm sure the resources of either group will be freely made available to such an ally as yourself."
Rogram looks up at the man, takes a breath through his nose, and nods. He resolves to not make a hasty decision. Perhaps he'll wait until they've rescued his father; perhaps not. In Greenest, the only faction he knew of was the Lords' Alliance. But that didn't mean there weren't members of other factions living there. He just didn't know. For all he knew, his father was a member of a faction. Perhaps even his mother. This thought caused Rogram to have a sudden surprised look flash across his features. But as the plans are laid out by Ontharr and Leosin, he forces himself to pay attention.
Rogram squares his shoulders a little when the suggestion that they join the caravan has guards is put forth. He'd already done that once; he was sure to do a good job at it.
When Ontharr suggests a sailing vessel, Rogram can't help but smile. "I've never been on a ship before," he admits aloud, sounding excited. He looks at Yevele and Karib to see what they think about this idea.
"Yes, we can do that. But, what should we do if we are able to find the cult's caravan? Try to disrupt it or simply find out where it is going?"
Looking down at the pin still in her hands, Yevele stares at it intently for a minute before holding it out toward Leosin "Perhaps you should hold onto this for a little longer. If we're going undercover, I'd prefer not to have something in my possessions that would identify me as a Harper. If we're going to be surrounded by cultists, I think we need to minimize any chance of discovery that we can."
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OOC: Ready to advance once a response is given or an action is taken.
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"What do you need us to do? The three of us" Yevele says as she gestures at Rogram and Karib "We have no chance at infiltrating the dragon cult. They know us and what we look like. If you need someone to infiltrate, you'll need to find someone else. Maybe your protege here could lead a team." The monk adds as she gestures at Samir.
Karib smiles, "Long days at the smithy, perhaps? Or long days walking in the forest. All appeal more than days like my last few, but that is not the life that has been chosen for us, eh?" He glances around the room, and his eyes settle on the new addition, a slight frown creasing his forehead. I wonder if he knows what he's getting himself into?
"We forego those things so that others may have the luxury." He smiles at Samir, "Sometimes the time of choosing only become clear after the fact."
Samir laughs at the suggestion he join them, but quickly turns to incredulity. "Oh, you're serious. I'm... Well, I am just an acolyte, not even a full priest."
Paladin - warforged - orange
Karib claps the young priest on the back, "I don't think Ontharr invited you as a drinking companion. And he wouldn't have invited you if you were 'just an acolyte', now would he?"
Samir gives Ontharr a "deer in the headlights" look, and starts taking some calming breaths.
Paladin - warforged - orange
Oh. Karib stares at Samir for a moment before leaning in and speaking quietly. "Don't sweat it, lad. Ontharr may be a full of swagger and bluster at times, but he's a fine judge of where people belong." He smiles with a distant look in his eyes. "Though he's been known to be wrong about where they don't belong, but that's a tale for another time."
Turning to Ontharr he raises his voice again, "Yevele is right -- we'd likely be quickly marked by the cultists. But the few questions their leader answered did suggest a wider conspiracy. What is it you want from us?"
Ontharr displays a knowing grin. "Samir, my friend, you may not be a priest but I've yet to see a priest manage a crossbow as well as you, nor summon flame in the way that you can...that, and they're all tied to this city and not exactly in a position to do what I'm asking you to do. Like these folks are saying, they're going to need a face that's not familiar to these rascals."
"But before I get to that, we need to know exactly what we're up against. Leosin has told me all about their little army, their raids and plunder, and what little he learned of their organization, so we have some idea of their power, but he tells me that you returned to their camp while he was recovering. Leave no stone unturned. You made it out of there alive, so surely you must have good information to share."
OOC: For the sake of expediency, I'm going to assume that the party will fill Ontharr and Leosin in on everything that has transpired between Leosin's rescue from the cult camp and now. If there is anything that you wish to leave out of the explanation just let me know and if needed I can retcon any discussion that depends on that knowledge.
Ontharr and Leosin listen diligently to the recap of your second infiltration. The notion that they fled the camp creases Ontharr's brow with something between worry and anger. "That puts us even further behind them," he murmurs. The mention of dragon's eggs piques Leosin's interest, but the focus of the conversation very quickly turns to the map discovered in Mondath's chamber. When all is said and done, Ontharr sits back and taps his fingers impatiently upon his leg, eyes glancing upward toward the ceiling as he thinks.
Leosin takes the opportunity to explain, "Friends, thank you, truly, for this information. We should back up a moment." He pauses, taking a heavy breath.
"Ontharr and I have been tracking the movement of the Cult of the Dragon for some time now. What is immediately clear is that we vastly underestimated them. Ontharr sent Karib, and I sent myself to infiltrate and follow them respectively, and both of us were taken unawares. Mondath and Cyanwrath represent a mere fraction of their power...the half-dragon Rezmir is one that we at least know sits above them in the hierarchy, and we have no idea yet the full extent of her power. On top of that, they were assisted in the Siege of Greenest by a blue dragon..."
He pauses again, considering his follow up. "We are still, Ontharr and I and a handful of other concerned leaders and scholars along the Sword Coast, in the early stages of organizing against the Cult of the Dragon. In the past, the cult was more active to the east and it was focused on creating dracoliches - deadly beings, to be certain, but their activity was more contained and focused. Its shift to the Sword Coast and its new emphasis on living dragons, along with its ties to Tiamat, are cause for concern. You now know as well as we do that the cult is on the move and it's up to something big."
"As Yevele well knows, I represent the Harpers, of which Karib is also an agent. The rest of you may have heard of the older Harpers, but as our group is very secretive, allow me to lay out what it is that we stand for. We are dedicated primarily to furthering equality and justice, and to keeping power out of the hands of those who don't deserve it. We are loosely organized; our agents are allowed wide freedom of action, which is why I have been able to spend as much time as I have learning about the cult's actions."
"Ontharr represents the Order of the Gauntlet. His order shares many of the Harpers' principles, and while our orders are very different, our goals are aligned and we have been working together for some time now. Karib's ties to the Harpers and his relationship with Ontharr made him a natural fit to infiltrate the cult camp ahead of me."
Ontharr continues, "The Order of the Gauntlet emphasizes faith, vigilance, and constant struggle against threats of evil. Many of our members are paladins and clerics like Karib and Samir, but we welcome anyone who shares our ideals. Discipline is key, and we are distinctly more structured and hierarchical than the Harpers. A third organization, the Emerald Enclave, is assisting us as well, despite not being represented here."
"Each of you has proven yourselves worthy of being a part of either of our orders. What we are offering to you here is a chance to join our factions. At this early stage, there is no pay for members and there are no ranks. What we can offer, however, is help and support from other members and allies, spread from Nashkel and Candlekeep in the south to Neverwinter and Mirabar in the north. The horses that Erlanthar arranged for you to get here are just one small example of the aid that can be provided."
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Rogram looks at Karib, but then back at Ontharr and Leosin. "The only faction I know is the Lords' Alliance. They have been good to Greenest, and my Pa respects the members he's met. Is someone with the Lords' Alliance here?"
Ontharr shakes his head. "The Lords' Alliance would be difficult to unify at this early stage. We would be talking about convincing a dozen powerful men and women to have consensus and belief that this is a threat worth their time when each of them also have entire cities to run," he says, "And Elturel is a power of its own now...it is no longer a member of the Lords' Alliance."
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Rogram shifts his weight and scratches his beard. "Do I have to join a faction? This seems like a big decision. I'd really rather talk to my Pa first."
"I would be willing to join the Harpers." Yevele said. "We definitely need to do something to stop the Dragon Cult."
Samir has been having an internal struggle between his own fears, the confidence Ontharr has in him, and the real need to help the everyday folk who will suffer for the Cult's actions.
He nods along. "As always, I am at your service Ontharr. Send me where I am needed, and I'll help with whatever strength I have to muster. Each of these organizations have need for men and we need their trust and faith. As I am already a bit familiar with the Gauntlet, perhaps that is my place. Yes?"
Paladin - warforged - orange
"Wear this with pride, Samir," Ontharr tells the new and sudden addition to the strike force. He hands the cleric a holy symbol bearing the universal symbol of the Order of the Gauntlet, a gauntlet grasping a sword by the blade.
"I would say the same, Yevele, but our members prefer not to wear our symbol so openly, though some do. Typically, I wear mine as a medallion around my neck when I'm certain that I'm not heading into a potential captive situation--sometimes openly, sometimes tucked away. How you wear it is up to you," he says. The Harper's pin that he gives to Yevele bears a silver harp nestled between the horns of a crescent moon. To accentuate Leosin's point, Ontharr fishes his holy symbol out, worn on a pendant around his neck, hidden below his flowing beard.
"With Karib already a member of the Harpers, that just leaves Rogram. Of course, you don't have to join either of us, though I can't think of any drawbacks to doing so. We'll trust you with the details of this next mission either way. Since I'm not one for formalities, Leosin has...encouraged that we get this business in first," Ontharr says.
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Yevele accepts the Harper's pin with a nod of her head in thanks. Looking at the pin, she ponders what to do with the pin, turning the pin over in her hand as she stares at the details of the pin.
After Ontharr mentions the next mission, Yevele looks up from the pin and asks "What is the next mission you have for us? I doubt there is much need to return to the cave, unless you want us to destroy the dragon eggs."
Karib smiles at Rogram, "It is a big decision, and I would vouch for your courage in a heartbeat. But seeking counsel it a wise course; there is not rush and I'm sure the resources of either group will be freely made available to such an ally as yourself."
OOC: If Rogram decides to join either faction, let me know. Ontharr and Leosin will give him all the time he needs to decide, the DM is just keeping us moving along.
"Right, the mission. Now that this business is settled..." Ontharr says.
"Thanks to you, the Harpers now know that the cult is amassing treasure and shipping it north. The two questions we need answered next are where exactly this treasure is going and what the cult plans to do with it," Leosin begins.
"Transporting the amount of treasure that they've taken from their raids is not done quickly or easily. It will require a sizeable presence. Simply put, we'd like you to join the cult's caravan and accompany it on the journey. That may sound like a heavy task, but it's likely not as difficult as you are thinking. Merchants from different companies commonly join together to form larger trains for protection. You could easily get yourselves hired as guards -- if not by the cult's wagon masters, then by other merchants who are traveling in the same direction at the same time. I have contacts among many of the merchants in the region. I'm certain I can arrange a job," Ontharr muses.
"Timing is our biggest hurdle. The map from Mondath's chamber indicates that the wagons were heading west to pick up the Coast Way road, where they would then turn north to Beregost and Baldur's Gate. That's a journey of about 550 miles. A caravan of wagons would take twenty-five to thirty days for that trip, depending on conditions. The wagons were gone ahead of your return to the camp, and likely at least a day before since you didn't see them at all. With your days spent in the camp, returning to Greenest, resting, and then traveling to Elturel, that accounts for nearly a tenday, which gives us at least ten to fifteen days before the cult's wagons can reach Baldur's Gate," Leosin calculates.
Ontharr sits back as he listens intently to Leosin, then surmises, "The River Chionthar flows directly from Elturel to Baldur's Gate. A sailing vessel can usually make that trip in about three days if it ties up overnight for safety; in a pinch, pushing on through the night by lamplight it can make it in two. It's late, but there should be enough time that I could arrange for a boat to leave at dawn. Enough time to outfit you for the journey, and we'll cover your expenses for the trip as well."
"What say you?" Leosin asks.
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Samir shakes his arm, flexing his hand in nervousness.
"I suppose we'll do what needs doing. What other choic is there?"
Paladin - warforged - orange
As Ontharr bestows the holy symbol upon Samir, and Leosin hands Yevele the Harper's pin, Rogram can help but look upon the symbols with curiosity and a little regret.
"With Karib already a member of the Harpers," Ontharr says, "that just leaves Rogram. Of course, you don't have to join either of us, though I can't think of any drawbacks to doing so. We'll trust you with the details of this next mission either way. Since I'm not one for formalities, Leosin has...encouraged that we get this business in first."
Rogram scowls, his mind having a silent battle with itself, and slowly moving toward going ahead and making a choice.
"It is a big decision," Karib says to the half-dwarf, "and I would vouch for your courage in a heartbeat. But seeking counsel is a wise course; there is no rush, and I'm sure the resources of either group will be freely made available to such an ally as yourself."
Rogram looks up at the man, takes a breath through his nose, and nods. He resolves to not make a hasty decision. Perhaps he'll wait until they've rescued his father; perhaps not. In Greenest, the only faction he knew of was the Lords' Alliance. But that didn't mean there weren't members of other factions living there. He just didn't know. For all he knew, his father was a member of a faction. Perhaps even his mother. This thought caused Rogram to have a sudden surprised look flash across his features. But as the plans are laid out by Ontharr and Leosin, he forces himself to pay attention.
Rogram squares his shoulders a little when the suggestion that they join the caravan has guards is put forth. He'd already done that once; he was sure to do a good job at it.
When Ontharr suggests a sailing vessel, Rogram can't help but smile. "I've never been on a ship before," he admits aloud, sounding excited. He looks at Yevele and Karib to see what they think about this idea.
"Yes, we can do that. But, what should we do if we are able to find the cult's caravan? Try to disrupt it or simply find out where it is going?"
Looking down at the pin still in her hands, Yevele stares at it intently for a minute before holding it out toward Leosin "Perhaps you should hold onto this for a little longer. If we're going undercover, I'd prefer not to have something in my possessions that would identify me as a Harper. If we're going to be surrounded by cultists, I think we need to minimize any chance of discovery that we can."