Private
If Balgrim is MIA, what should we do going forward? - Single Choice
Shall we seek a 6th party member? - Single Choice
Aelar listens with joy to his friend's tale, glad that one of them, at least, has found some happiness here. He says so, adding, "Maybe you'll serve as an example for the rest of us, Lazlo!" He pauses, then continues, his joy no less but his mood a little more somber. "As for Skell and bashing, well, I know you'll help, my friend. I know it well. I think it would be a good idea for us all to learn how to do some bashing."
"Now, you be careful with this young lady, that she doesn't break your heart," he says with a wink. He then proceeds to fill in the satyr on what happened with him the night before, at the pool. "So, it was...weird...learning that Raia knew my parents before the illness took them. And seeing them in that vision, well that was awesome. Um, Lazlo," he pauses here, a little uncomfortable, "I'd rather no one outside our group and the few people I've had to tell, know about my connection to Raia or my vision. I'm just not sure who we can trust in this new place. You understand, right?"
Lazlo was such a free-spirit, trust simply part of his nature. Aelar had no wish to impinge on that nature but was uncomfortable anyone outside their group knowing about this stuff.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
ooc: Cool! Where can I find some examples of exotic weapons?
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
Lazlo nods emphatically to Aelar. "I understand completely, that's a good plan. Mums the word about the you-know-what" he winks. "Well, I better go start herding the quilhogs. See you after work. Fuzzy! Where are you, you majestic beast!?" he calls as he heads toward his porcine friends.
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
Kallista grabs the bag as instructed, holding it open when he dumps the leeches in. She's a little apprehensive about going to hunt trolls, but she stay firm, "Yes sir, I'm... I'm still going to help you."
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
(Hyre has gained full proficiency in investigation. His single-minded determination to find weaknesses in the Skell's method of taking populations has given him a sharp intuition about the how's and why's behind events.)
"I hope you found what you were looking for. I noticed you looking in the old bestiaries. I hope you don't mind that I was checking in on you. While I pride myself on my intuition, I have been known to be wrong from time to time. Still, it's rare for someone so young to be so focused. I'm afraid when it comes to falconry, all of that knowledge is up here." he says, tapping his forehead.
After Hyre gets the tea on, Geoffrey treats him to a light lunch. It's modest comfort food for an old soldier. Geoffrey may be an old grouch, but he seems to appreciate the company.
"The most important thing is that you are the first person it sees when it opens its eyes. That will mark you as its parent, as long as you take good care of it. It will likely be loyal only to you. While you can train it to obey others, it will obey you first and foremost over all overs." Geoffrey explains.
"So, tell me about this friend you'll be bringing..."
((That's a third success for DEX and you are now at 15 Lazlo!))
((I'll let you know if you find weapons that can be classified as exotic, but a few examples would be really fantastical weapons like double-ended swords or axes or multi-headed flails))
Sister Daar answers Aelar's question first. "A new acquaintance. An old ranger who has a herbalist's shop. He has fair prices and has little interest in wealth, so we've relied on him in the past for simple medicines.
Barna speaks up next. "Kallista was working in his shop." she says. "When I left, it looked like they were preparing to head out." she states.
Sister Daar thanks Aelar for his help. For his assistance, she gives him 6 SP... she can't spare much but the situation was sprung on them rather suddenly.
"If you're heading out, please be careful. I don't know what's gotten into people lately but... you should probably start looking for a proper place to stay. If you get found out as homeless, I fear for what might happen to you." Sister Daar says.
Raia is unresponsive aside from a feeling of grogginess. It's taking her some time to rouse out of her slumber. Aelar gets a sense of cold and hunger, but it's far, far clearer now to him where she is. It's like her presence is a sound that he can follow. She's at least a day's ride away, but not much further than that.
Grimbuld nods, eyeing Kallista questioningly. The fact she's not more nervous about being told what they're about to do makes him wonder if she understands the seriousness of their endeavor.
"Normally I wouldn't ask anyone to accompany me on a hunt, but you are uniquely suited to what we're going to do. I'm not sure if you've ever seen or heard much about trolls, but they are not to be taken lightly. They're far stronger than any human, vicious, and cunning despite their simple minds. They also are able to regenerate from just about any wound save complete decapitation or complete corporeal immolation... which is what the leeches are for. We still have some sunlight left. If we're fortunate, we can make it to a swamp where I've harvested troll blood before. Trolls hate sunlight and typically sleep until dusk, so it's much easier to stick leeches on them, especially for you. You can just swoop by, drop the leeches on them, and fly away. They won't wake up from being fed on, the leeches have a numbing agent in their saliva. They drop off after they've drank their fill, then we squeeze the blood out of the leeches once we get back here in one piece. Best healing agent on the market." Grimbuld states.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Kallista nods, "R...right sir. If this is going to help those people... I'll do it," she reiterates. "I'm... scared, but if I can help I don't see why I should say no... You said I can help... so I'm going to."
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
Aelar stares for a moment at the money, then hands it back. "I'm volunteering, remember? But thanks for the thought. Bye. See you, Barna." Taking his leave, Aelar changes back into this clean if plain clothing and heads off to the dwarfs to begin his research. When he arrives, he asks after Brother Geldor, and to be taken to the library, saying the Brother had given him permission to read there.
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
"Well, focusing on one thing is of the few things I'm better at. It's actually easier than focusing on nothing at all." Hyre says that, but his mind is in a weird state right now. Like it's not really sure whether it's working hard or resting, his thoughts switch from momentarily overflowing with many random subjects and then almost no thoughts at all. Slowly, they become calmer and stabilize, reaching relative quietness. After all, he did study a bit too much and he's definitely tired now. He looks down to the egg which is now resting between his thighs. "Well, I'll be sure to carry it with me wherever I go. About my friend..." Hyre tries to think, but after calming down, his mind doesn't seem to want to start thinking again. It takes time until he finds the words.
"His name is Aelar. He is an Elf. He... ah..." Hyre is not so sure what to say. What is appropriate to say in this situation? What should he leave for Aelar to reveal? "He's interested in many things. Moreover, he's good at many things. Better than me in many." This is a difficult situation. The problem is, Hyre doesn't even know what Geoffrey wants to know. It'd be easier if he'd ask a more specific question. Besides, it was hard to describe him. Aelar was... Aelar. He didn't think of him as certain qualities. "I'm not sure what else to say. Maybe if you'd ask a guiding question so I'd know what is it that you want to know, then I could try to answer it." Hyre knows that Aelar wanted to come and try to read about that mark he has gotten from the locket, but he isn't sure whether he should tell Geoffrey or not. 'If anything, Aelar would probably be able to describe me better if he was here.' thinks Hyre.
Varielky
ooc: How can I get some of these made! LOL. I'm thinking a two-headed flail...
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
Grimbuld grunts his acknowledgement.
"Fair enough, child." he states.
He then gestures to her to come closer, and holds out a short bow.
"Spread your wings and hold this bow this way, instead of the usual way you would fire a bow." he states, showing her a diagonal draw. The angle is such that it prevents Kallista's wings from hitting her elbow if she has it at full draw.
"Good." he states. "Don't get too attached to that bow, now. It's a failsafe in case things go badly, and it was a gift, so don't go dropping it." he says.
Kallista's arms feel remarkably light when she holds the short bow. It's immaculately carved out of fine wood and laquered a deep, lustrous red. Just over the draw handle is a sight, made from the carving of a unicorn's horn. The bow string too, feels impossibly soft and easy to pull despite the strength of the wood.
(Kallista now has a short bow +4 and 25 arrows of piercing +3, for now. Such a thing would normally cost a fortune. Little wonder he kept it in a safe.)
"Even a novice can use that bow to deadly effect. If you're caught, just start flying and raining arrows as fast as you can. Trolls may be strong, but the only thing they can do against a flying target is scream and throw rocks, which they're not even good at." Grimbuld says.
"Let's get moving. We're not going to be able to exit through the gates, explaining what we'd be doing would take too long."
He gives Kallista the general direction that they'll be headed in and directs her to meet him outside the city wall. Because she fan fly, it's of little consequence to her, but what might surprise her is seeing the old ranger appear over the side of the wall not long after her. It looks like he just jumped the whole 30 feet of height because he just plummets, but before he hits the ground, the huge spider legs that are part of his cape suddenly come to life and take the impact for him, allowing him to land safely. The legs continue to be animated as they help him more or less bound along the ground in short, effortless hops.
Grimbuld leads the way until about two hours later, he comes to a slow as the trees begin to thin and the grass becomes sparse. There's a statue made entirely out of various bones that looks roughly like the approximation of a troll's visage, clearly a territory marker.
There's about an hour or so left of daylight.
"Now I'll follow you, child. It should be fairly simple for you to find a troll den. They typically shelter in natural caves or under particularly thick trees. Soon as you find a den, you should be able to get close enough to just toss some leeches onto one of them. If one attaches to you, don't panic, but pulling it off before it's done feeding will probably hurt. Little bastards are hungry." he says.
(Rather than simply roll investigation, what you're going to do is roll a D20 for Kallista's perception. If you roll 1-4, roll 4D12. That's how long it takes in minutes for Kallista to just find a den. If you roll 5-10, roll 3D12. 11-15, 2D12, and 16-20, 1D12)
Aelar arrives at the Hearth with no issues encountered. Besides brother Geldor, he meets up with Balgrim working in the records office (Botting him for now until he comes back) who is able to assist Aelar in finding whatever he's looking for in the archives. It seems Balgrim is doing some research about the history of the Hawk's Nest as he too has business in there.
Aelar gets advantage for any investigation he wants to do in the archives to find what he's looking for faster.
Leon finishes his day's labour with a full day's pay plus bonus for his efforts at work. He's tired, but definitely feels the work strengthening him up. The only thing Duncan didn't do is give him a meal however. He's famished at this point and in the middle of the Warren with some time to kill.
Lazlo manages to herd up and keep ahead of the quillhogs remarkably well. It seems that the practice with the satyr trio really paid off! He feels quite light on his hooves. For his efforts, Edna and Thomas pay him 8 SP and give him a good meal.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, lad, but much as we love yer company, we need th' stable tomorrow. Yew and yer friends can stay one more night, but we just don' have th' footspace for six guests. If'n yew still need work, though, we're always glad t'have ye an' feed ye. We're just too small 'o farmstead." Thomas says. "An' cheap lodgin', I reckon, could be in abundance in th' Warren.... long as ye don't mind goin' without a bed."
Geoffrey pauses when Hyre tries to describe his friend, and then laughs briefly.
"I meant, do you know him well and trust him, is all. Barna, I've seen come and go in my collection and hasn't done anything wrong in my home, so I trust her, and given the way she looks at you, boy, I can tell she trusts YOU. I just don't want trouble coming to my doorstep, is all." he states.
After another pause, he gestures.
"And, maybe, to help me repair a couple of things around here. I may be an impeccable host, but the one thing I'm lacking... it's being .... handy." he says, wiggling the fingers he has on his one arm.
Yep, he's been on his own too long if he's making dad jokes like that.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Aelar greets his friend and fills him in one what's happened to him, his special experiences. "Any idea where I can find a two-headed flail?" After they spend some time catching up, the elf heads to the library and begins looking for books or scrolls relating to magic or the last dwarven warlock. Failing that, he will look for histories on the time period and then settle for general histories or other information about dragons and magic.
Investigation: 17
INT: 10
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
Kallista takes in everything Grimbuld tells her, and follows him until he says she's to lead. Seeing the territory marker had turned the butterflies in her stomach to rocks. "Yes Sir," she says, looking around before starting to hunt for one of those Troll dens, tracing the lines on the bow the still her nerves.
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
(I think we should each write a small paragraph that would give information about what the others know about their past. We didn't really do that before the campaign and I don't know how much of what I know Hyre would know as well. I just don't want to say anything that doesn't fit with everyone else's characters... It's especially relevant to the characters who weren't always in Hon or that were hidden away. I know I'm probably the worst case for that, having created no backstory at all at the beginning and throwing some new details I've created along the way.)
"Oh." He totally failed. He overthought a simple question, like always. Meanwhile, just from watching Barna, Geoffrey was sure that Hyre himself won't be trouble. From watching another person! He couldn't even imagine how that kind of connection could be made. "I've known him for a long time and we've been through a... rather traumatic experience together not too long ago. Also, and I think I said it when I came in today; if something does happen, though I do not expect that something should happen, I will take full responsibility. I know it probably doesn't mean much but that's all I can say."
Hyre doesn't get the joke. More accurate to say would be that he doesn't understand it's a joke. It looks like a pretty obvious statement to him. "I might be able to help you. I said that I might not come here for a while, but I don't actually have a plan for something else to do. I thought about trying to get to the actual library, but you said that walking in that area with the egg is not such a bright idea and I want to keep it with me at all times. Then I thought about trying to earn some coin. All I have is eight silver pieces. I doubt it'll be enough to support me for long, especially if I'd need to get food for the hawk as well. I guess I could help you for a bit before that though. Maybe I'll also read the last of your books too..." So much planning, after everything he had done today, he feels like he can't think of anything beyond tomorrow, at most.
Varielky
ooc: Hyre just earned another 6 SP...did you account for that?
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
(OOC: Did he? I wasn't sure about the previous gains, so I just considered it as if everything went for the clothes. Then, Aelar and Hyre got 16 together, which I assumed they split to eight and eight. We didn't really discuss it so... Other than that, I don't think he earned anything. Anyway, what do you think about my idea for writing a small paragraph to help other players? I could go first, but I want to know that everyone is with me on that matter, so I don't end up the only one doing it.)
Varielky
ooc: sure- if we have a shared past it may make things easier moving forward. Maybe a set of questions/guidelines would help? I'm game if you all are- it's easy to lose details in the narrative.
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
('Kay then, I'll start.)
For those who knew Hyre's parents - they were completely normal people. His father was working as a scribe or some other, similar occupation that might fit a scholar or at least a well-educated man. His mother as... I'm not sure how the system works in this world but assume something that has to do with children, like a kindergarten teacher or maybe just the appointed mother who watches over all the youngest children and babies so that the other women can attend to other things. So, if you were raised in Hon since birth, you may have been in her care for some time.
That's... pretty much it. Hyre has been Hyre with his weirdness, but not a lot of other things happened to him. I could describe how his parents reacted to him but that's not important for the reason I'm writing this. I'll just say Hyre was often with his father, where he'd learn most of what he knows, including reading and writing. As for the things he had to learn to "become normal", that was his mother's teaching.
Lastly, weirdly enough for the time, he is the only child in his family.
So, as far as your characters are concerned, you'd know him since any point you'd like to. Whether you grew up together since birth or you just met last fall, either way, you've seen his weird reactions to things a few times already and, to an extent that fits the time you know him, you can probably figure out about what will cause these and what won't.
So yeah, Hyre didn't really have a very eventful life, so there's not much to tell. Most of what there is to know are of his personality which I hope you can infer from the story so far.
Varielky
Brother Geldor blinks a couple of times when Aelar asks about a double-headed flail.
"A serpent's tongue? Well, THAT takes me back, lad. Back when the Order marched with the Watch to secure Guiston's borders, there was a small group of twelve crusaders who specialized in chain weapons. The art of the serpent's tongue flail died off a long, long time ago, but a few relics may still exist." he says.
Aelar finds a great amount of information on Relnar, the previous dwarven warlock. He was very much revered by the Order, a trusted friend of the city council, and ... apparently quite the thorn in the side of some people who only recently came into power.
Aelar finds some information about the history of the Hawk's Nest that may aid him in the coming days. While Relnar was a champion of the common people, it was through his influence that a great amount of materials needed to maintain the city's more basic infrastructure was secured away from a powerful family that attempted to divert supplies and materials to their own ambitions. Guiston was built in such a way that should any one section of the city fall, the population could fall back to secondary walls with sufficient fortifications to stave off an invasion, whether it be by beast or man, but the Galesworth family wanted the section of Guiston they called home to be the MOST secure, demanding reinforced walls with extra guards and also lacking any sufficient means for a fleeing population to get through the walls quickly. Relnar spearheaded a movement that saw the dwarves of the Hearth simply refuse to build or maintain the Galesworth walls. The majority of the rich and powerful in Guiston are humans and elves, and if they wanted walls, they'd have to have their own people build them. At the same time, Relnar organized the Hearth into a tightly-knit union that refused to give up trade secrets or 'scab' labour. Not only was Relnar one of the Order's most prominent figures, but the Galesworth family feared his power as well as a warlock. Any strong-arm tactics were met with swift retribution.
It wasn't until after Relnar's death that the Galesworth finally began to gain momentum to become the bastion of wealth and prestige it is now. It seems a feigned prejudice against dwarves and flattering words about the Galesworth family could win him favor.
The clerk who recorded the history also made a note that the new gates surrounding the Hawk's Nest are indeed too secure as they are now. Should an attack happen, those inside the gates will have no place to go should they fall, or the attack happen from within or even above.
It's fortunate that Kallista managed to find a troll den while they still have light. She catches sight of two trolls huddled together and taking shelter in the mouth of a hastily dug shelter. It's little more than an adobe lean-to but it's enough to keep the sun off of them. The trees surrounding it are tall and thick. It makes maneuvering a little tricky. Because they're in a shelter, she can't just drop the leeches on them by dumping the bag over them. She'll need just a little bit of sideways momentum to get them to land on the pair. How does Kallista want to do this?
Geoffrey nods at Hyre's words.
"Well, that's at least appropriate for your age. Far as I understand it, you and Barna are homeless. I'm sure you've already seen how that simply won't do right now in Guiston. You'd best come up with some sort of plan for the future. Finding work is all well and good, but finding work that will keep your bellies full and allowing you to do more than survive day to day, that's a fair bit more challenging. I'd say it might be time for you to think of a trade, boy. I'm just an old knight and can't pay you much, and what I'd have you do around my home is simple menial labour." he states.
He looks Hyre over again and rubs his chin.
"With how furiously you study, I'm wondering if you shouldn't be considering something more... academic. You seem very keen to learn about spellcraft, as well." he says, drumming his fingers on the table and idly fiddling with a biscuit left over from their lunch.
"Have you given the art of magic more thought than just learning OF it?" he asks, point blank.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
((so is it sort of like this?))
Elra Skylash - Human Cleric | Vanzaren Tanidoni - Half Elf Wizard
Mindartis Liadon - Eladrin Barbarian | Naivara Siannodel - Half Elf Ranger
Arrila Evenwood - Half Elf Paladin | Callaphe of Setessa - Human Rogue
Katernin Nemetsk - Aasimar Cleric | Melody - Tiefling Bard
((Yes, just made of hardened mud and sized for trolls))
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.