After the death of Basil Darkbranch Sir Nikolas Stoneclaw had become suspicious of both his fellow council members and strangers that would show up in Cloudgate, so when several citizens had noticed a small group of more or less strangers enter Stoneclaw's mansion they couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Upon hearing from one of the guards stationed at the entrance that the strangers had been invited to a 'welcome dinner' the citizens couldn't help but wonder if they leader was planning something.
"I must sincerely apologize for calling you all here on such short notice, things have been rather chaotic as of late and I doubt that it'll be calming down any time soon. That being said, I hope you didn't run into to much trouble on the way here but if you did..." There was a momentary pause as Sir Stoneclaw glanced down at the glass in his right hand and took a breath, "then I will reimburse you any gold that may have been stolen or assist in replacing any items or weapons that may have been destroyed, stolen or lost along the way." As he finished speaking he placed two bottles of wine down on the table before taking a seat. After a couple seconds two servants entered the room, one had freshly baked rolls while the other was carrying a tray with bowls of soup with noodles, a few types of vegetables and what looked to be meat in it.
"I hope that the food is to your likings, it's been years since I've hosted a dinner party." Nikolas said with a soft chuckle before shifting in his seat ever so slightly. He forced a small smile to his face as he looked around the table at his guests before hesitantly reaching for his glass. As he picked it up he looked it over for a couple of seconds before pouring some wine into it. "I have something I'd like to discuss with you all but I'm sure that you'd probably like to eat first... correct?"
Bombil takes a momentary glance at the servant carrying bread rolls and a look of anticipation fills his green eyes accompanied with his pointy ears pointing up ever so slightly. Green hands gently move to place a napkin across his lap as he turns to Sir Stoneclaw. "I am a guest in your home, Sir Stoneclaw. Whichever order of business you wish to attend to first is fine by me." Candlelight bounces off his scaly green bald head to give a minor sheen to it. "That said I must say those bread rolls look positively splendid. I am looking forward to what other wonders your cooks offer us tonight." He gives a quick friendly smile.
[[OOC: Looking forward to this adventure. For me, my DnD experience would be more beginner-like I'd say and this is my first play-by-post. So if there's tips on things I should/shouldn't be doing, please do let me know.]]
"Sir If I may offer my services, rest assured anything I can do to aid you and your community, I will to the best of my ability." Kaliden visibly relaxes smiles and looks at the other guests in attendance, 'and to think I doffed the chain polished the necklace and brooch oiled the leathers combed out the beard...'
As he continues to wonder at the details and purpose of this gathering all may notice though he carries his Battleaxe (silvered and marked as a holy symbol). He is dressed in well maintained clothing and a nicely tooled many pocketed vest. A dwarven brooch adorns his chest and a remarkable necklace about his neck, he has indeed packed away his armor. He stands a bit taller than most dwarves and has a touch of swagger as he mingles. He also sports a head and beard of nearly white hair with a hint of gold color, his eyes sparkle with an emerald green color both contrasted by his brownstone complexion.
He will not eat or drink until he has had a chance to met all in attendance.
Thorin Voidshout takes the food offered and mixed them all onto his plate and proceeds to wolf down this newly created mush. Unused to being tactful, he says "What's the job and how much is the payment?" Even while asking Sir Stoneclaw the question he looks around the room assessing potential escape routes. Hanging around his neck are unique looking goggles.
A hooded figure sits at the far end of the table. The figure is that of a large man wearing a hood that casts his face in shadow. However, a pale face can be made out from beneath the hood. The face bears two tattoos that run from his mouth and down on either side of his chin. Two tattoos then run down from his eyes, across his cheeks to the bottom of his face, running perpendicular to each other. You are not sure of which race the man belongs to.
Once Sir Nikolas has finished speaking, the man pushes his hood back, and you can finally see the rest of him. You didn't notice before, but a tattoo of a 'V'-shape rests on his forehead, just above his eyebrows. Or where his eyebrows should be. As the man has no eyebrows, and no other hair can be seen. It is hard to say whether the man simply does not grow hair or clean-shaves himself in a ritualistic fashion.
The man does bear some resemblance to that of a goliath. However, there are a few characteristics that do separate him from other goliaths. His ears are far more prominent and far more pointed for one. Another is that the man would be somewhat on the small side for a goliath. Yet he is taller than a human.
"I can hazard a guess why you have summoned me," the man says as he grabs some food. "You must be aware of the fact that I am a bounty hunter and would like to enlist my services in the matter of finding someone? Would that be correct?"
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“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
A finely dressed half-elf sits at the table with the rest of the guests. He, too, has dispensed with his armor, though he wears a rapier at his hip. His fashion and manner are quite at home in the posh milieu of the mansion. With minimal gestures he indicates his preferences to one of the servants and within moments is ready to begin the meal. He waits for his host to be served and begin eating before he, too, partakes.
De Brézé peers around the table, using the food - quite satisfactory - as an excuse simply to watch and listen. He's not sullen and silent; rather, he wears a slight half-smile and seems engaged as the his companions begin the discussion. He gives special attention, however, to one of the guests in particular.
Bombil takes a momentary glance at the servant carrying bread rolls and a look of anticipation fills his green eyes accompanied with his pointy ears pointing up ever so slightly. Green hands gently move to place a napkin across his lap as he turns to Sir Stoneclaw. "I am a guest in your home, Sir Stoneclaw. Whichever order of business you wish to attend to first is fine by me." Candlelight bounces off his scaly green bald head to give a minor sheen to it. "That said I must say those bread rolls look positively splendid. I am looking forward to what other wonders your cooks offer us tonight." He gives a quick friendly smile.
[[OOC: Looking forward to this adventure. For me, my DnD experience would be more beginner-like I'd say and this is my first play-by-post. So if there's tips on things I should/shouldn't be doing, please do let me know.]]
Sir Stoneclaw watched Bombil quietly for a couple moments before a low chuckle escaped him when he noticed the look of anticipation, before taking a sip from his wine. He leaned forwards slightly as he placed his napkin on his lap and then began to take some food."The bread rolls are rather delicious, when I was younger if I found out that they were making them I would occasionally sneak into the kitchen and take a few." As he spoke he looked down at his plate and the fake smile started to become a genuine one. "The cooks have a tendency to go all out even when it's just my wife, our son and myself. It's always a bit mystery when it comes to what will be on the menu but it's normally really good."
"Sir If I may offer my services, rest assured anything I can do to aid you and your community, I will to the best of my ability." Kaliden visibly relaxes smiles and looks at the other guests in attendance, 'and to think I doffed the chain polished the necklace and brooch oiled the leathers combed out the beard...'
As he continues to wonder at the details and purpose of this gathering all may notice though he carries his Battleaxe (silvered and marked as a holy symbol). He is dressed in well maintained clothing and a nicely tooled many pocketed vest. A dwarven brooch adorns his chest and a remarkable necklace about his neck, he has indeed packed away his armor. He stands a bit taller than most dwarves and has a touch of swagger as he mingles. He also sports a head and beard of nearly white hair with a hint of gold color, his eyes sparkle with an emerald green color both contrasted by his brownstone complexion.
He will not eat or drink until he has had a chance to met all in attendance.
Sir Stoneclaw nodded ever so slightly as he listened to Kaliden. His eyes seemed to shimmer with a small hint of gold as he heard him offer his services to aid both him and the community as well. "Your aid would be greatly appreciated, in fact everyone here's aid would be more than welcomed and greatly appreciated." He replied before glancing towards him with a curious expression on his face. "Although I haven't personally seen you use your abilities, I have a feeling that they'll be of great use in the near future."
A hooded figure sits at the far end of the table. The figure is that of a large man wearing a hood that casts his face in shadow. However, a pale face can be made out from beneath the hood. The face bears two tattoos that run from his mouth and down on either side of his chin. Two tattoos then run down from his eyes, across his cheeks to the bottom of his face, running perpendicular to each other. You are not sure of which race the man belongs to.
Once Sir Nikolas has finished speaking, the man pushes his hood back, and you can finally see the rest of him. You didn't notice before, but a tattoo of a 'V'-shape rests on his forehead, just above his eyebrows. Or where his eyebrows should be. As the man has no eyebrows, and no other hair can be seen. It is hard to say whether the man simply does not grow hair or clean-shaves himself in a ritualistic fashion.
The man does bear some resemblance to that of a goliath. However, there are a few characteristics that do separate him from other goliaths. His ears are far more prominent and far more pointed for one. Another is that the man would be somewhat on the small side for a goliath. Yet he is taller than a human.
"I can hazard a guess why you have summoned me," the man says as he grabs some food. "You must be aware of the fact that I am a bounty hunter and would like to enlist my services in the matter of finding someone? Would that be correct?"
A curious expression crossed Nikolas' face as he saw the large hooded man take a seat at the far end of the table. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he tried to make out the man's features, seeing the visible tattoos on his face he let out a barely audible hum. As soon as the man pushed back his hood a mildly confused expression began to replace the curious one. He didn't say anything at first and nodded his head slightly.
"Yes, I am quite aware of the fact that you are a bounty hunter. Indeed, I would like to enlist your services in the matter of finding someone." He responded, nervously shifting in his seat ever so slightly. "The someone in question is my son, he's been missing for about a week and my wife is starting to fear the worst."
A finely dressed half-elf sits at the table with the rest of the guests. He, too, has dispensed with his armor, though he wears a rapier at his hip. His fashion and manner are quite at home in the posh milieu of the mansion. With minimal gestures he indicates his preferences to one of the servants and within moments is ready to begin the meal. He waits for his host to be served and begin eating before he, too, partakes.
Nico peers around the table, using the food - quite satisfactory - as an excuse simply to watch and listen. He's not sullen and silent; rather, he wears a slight half-smile and seems engaged as the his companions begin the discussion. He gives special attention, however, to one of the guests in particular.
Nikolas looked at the half-elf and examined him with a curious expression, he leaned back in his seat a little making sure not to lean too far back. He quietly began to eat although he couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be paying attention towards one of the other guests. His interest was peaked but he wasn't entirely sure why. He took a couple sips from his wine and shifted his attention towards the food on the table. 'Curious, have those two meet each other before? Maybe it's just a case of mistaken identity.'
Thorin Voidshout takes the food offered and mixed them all onto his plate and proceeds to wolf down this newly created mush. Unused to being tactful, he says "What's the job and how much is the payment?" Even while asking Sir Stoneclaw the question he looks around the room assessing potential escape routes. Hanging around his neck are unique looking goggles.
Nikolas initially winced when he saw Thorin mixing the food on his plate, although after a couple seconds he couldn't help but wonder if mixed up food would taste better than it did with each part on it's own. He almost didn't hear the question that had been posed but raised a brow ever so slightly. "Straight to the point, huh? Well it can't hurt to tell you now I guess. The job in question is to locate my son, he's been missing for a week and my wife fears that he's been kidnapped by a small group of bandits that turns out to have been working for the former captain of the guards... when it comes to payment how does 15 gold each sound?"
The slightest half-smile crosses Nico's lips for a moment as the payment is mentioned. He's clearly not in it for the money. He leans forward, though, and finally breaks his silence. "Missing a week, and your wife is only now starting to worry, my lord?"he repeats with a raised eyebrow. "Did you recruit another group to search before appealing to us? A week is a long time to wait for a kidnapping, and longer still in the heart of a mother."
"It's not unusual for him to leave the house for three days so for the first couple days we thought that he'd just slipped away to meet up with one of his friends but he would have been back by now. My wife doesn't tend to openly worry about things but I think not hearing news about or from him was likely what caused her to 'break'." He replied, understanding that the situation did seem rather far-fetched. When Nicolas asked if he had recruited another group before them he nodded his head before emptying his glass. "First I sent a small group of city guards but when they couldn't find him I did recruit another group. They haven't come back either but there is a possibility that the other group decided to give up looking after a couple hours. I know that it's a long time, I had hoped that there would be some information from the other group but that never happened either they didn't want to give us false hope or they were actually behind the whole thing."
"A week is... well it is imperative we gather a list of names, places he visits, any who could verify his whereabouts prior to his disappearance." Kaliden takes several deep breathes thinking of his own father's death and how this young man was taken from his family. He stands up from the table not having eaten. Looking at each of the guests in attendance once more 'Silverbeard give us resolve this is going to be a challenge''
He faces Nicolas "I may not be a bounty hunter, or as you humans account nobility, but as a dwarf of my word I will track down those responsible and help you to get your son back." Kaliden stands feeling the strength of resolve settle into his mind.
The half-elf's eyes tighten for a moment as he mentally kicks himself. "Of course, my lord," he says with a nod. "He was only missing then. But now you know it's a kidnapping... which means you've received demands," he reasons. "Demands that have you fearing for your own life," de Brézé adds, gesturing slightly to his host's wineglass, "...so it's more than just a ransom." He pauses for a moment. "Once we have your son safe, my lord, will you be wanting us to find out which of your enemies is behind this?"
(OOC Or I just read waaaaay to much into this. Maybe my character has proficiency in Overthinking.)
Bombil raises an eyebrow for a moment, intrigued by the half-elf's thoughts on the matter. He then lowers the bread roll in his hand onto the plate, turns to Sir Stoneclaw and says, "I concur with the dwarf. Any points of interest from which to launch an investigation into your son's whereabouts would be most helpful. And may I assume, from his habits of going off for days at a time, that we would be looking for a man and not a boy?"
The bald man sits back in his chair for a moment, chewing on some food. "This other group that you hired before us. Can you tell us more about them? It is interesting that they for some reason have not been in contact with you. Perhaps it is not the case they simply just gave up? Perhaps some ill fate befell them."
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“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Thorin nods "That'll do. What's this boy's appearance, who is the former captain of the guards, what tipped you off that the bandits may be working for the former captain, and do you know where I can find him?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Kaliden-
"I can think of a few people that might have seen Xavword before he went missing. The first one would be Seirilyvia Bloodswallow,a young Half-Elf that happens to be the daughter of the current captain of the guards. Then there's Garnyl Battletale, a wandering Mountain Dwarf bard that formerly called the town of Westgrove... he's a rather close friend of my son, he had been visiting the city when he went missing." Nikolas replied before straightening up a little bit as he attempted to recall the locations that his son would frequent when he left usually. He gently drummed his fingers against the table. "He had a tendency to visit Sandcliff a lot but during his recent trips he'd been talking about having met someone in Wintercall..."
He looked over at Kaliden when he saw him stand up. "I've always thought that actions have more weight to them than a simple title. So even though you might not be seen as noble by human account, you all will be seen as nobles in my eyes."
Nicolas-
Sir Stoneclaw shifted his gaze over towards the Half-Elf when he mentioned receiving demands. He takes a deep breath and places his hands in his lap as he tried to keep calm. "That would be correct, whoever was behind the kidnapping sent a message stating their demands..." he trailed off slightly and glanced down at the table quietly for a moment. "I don't have it on me at the moment but it's contents do have me fearing for my life as well as the lives of my family and what few allies I still have." A faint sigh escaped his lips as he looked at the empty wineglass for a moment. Although he was tempted to pour himself another glass he refrained from doing it, shaking his head slightly and muttering something under his breath in what sounded to be draconic. 'Come on Nikolas, get ahold of yourself.'
Deception: 9
"After he has been safely returned... if you would like to assist with that matter as well then I welcome the help."
Bombil-
Nikolas nodded slightly as he turned his attention towards Bombil. "If talking with Seirilyvia or Garnyl doesn't yield any useful information you could always talk to Estelle Cloudfall, she's the owner of The Horse and the Hellhound inn, it was one of his usual hangouts when he wasn't traveling. Although it's possible that he was kidnapped while on the way back from Wintercall. If that's the case then you might want to speak with... Phyrala Niirn or Vonrak Darkslayer, although there is a possibility that Xavword had been trying to mend ties with Balbrek Giantblade so you could also try speaking with him." As the words left his mouth he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach but he tried to ignore it. "Your assumption is correct, he is a man... a young man but not a boy."
Tagreth-
He shut his eyes for a moment as he thought tried to recall the members of the other group that he had hired previously. He couldn't recall everything about the other group but he was sure that the things that he could recall might be a little helpful to them. "The other group consisted of a Aarakocra, a Gold Dragonborn, two Tieflings and a human. The Aarakocra had green and yellow feathers, wore what looked to be robes and was carrying a rather intricate looking staff. The Dragonborn was wearing chain male armor and had two warhammers. One of the Tieflings had lightish red skin, horns that curled like that of a ram, was carrying a lute and I think she was wearing leather armor. The other Tiefling had ruddy tan skin, horns that spiral upwards although one looked as if it was broken and wore a hooded cloak. And the human... well he had short reddish brown hair, wasn't wearing any armor but he did have a bow and a quiver full of arrows." As he told the bald man what he knew he couldn't help but wonder if they had been dispatched by the person behind the kidnapping.
Thorin-
"Xavword is about 5' 10", has green eyes, short black hair, has the beginning of a beard starting to grow and a couple scar that he received while training with the house guards." He replied before slowly rising to his feet. "The former captain of the guards is a man by the name of Victor Lowclaw and he was a down right nasty piece of work. At the time I had no knowledge of their connection until one evening myself and the new captain of the guards caught him helping them enter the city through the underground 'emergency' tunnels. If I had to wager a guess I'd say that he was either hiding with the rest of the bandits or dead... but I could be wrong."
Thorin takes a moment to catalog the new information. He checks his armors straps and is about to leave before looking to the others in attendance "I guess we are working together. We should focus on 1 task at a time. Now I say we should investigate the former guard captain. He was last seen in the emergency tunnels. That sounds like a place to start."
Kaliden says, “Thorin I’m with you, but let’s be sure we are all in agreement. If anyone disagrees with pursuing the former guard captain speak yer mind or let’s get to it.” Unable to deny his curiosity he impulsively swirls smells and downs his wine, and so we begin.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
[[ OOC: I'll grant that RAW isn't mechanically special for an ability check, but first nat 20 of the game? Nice, Nicolas! ]]
Bombil leans back in his chair for a moment to think. He says to Sir Stoneclaw, "Thank you for those leads. I am hopeful they will be most helpful." He takes a quick sip of soup and continues. "However I must admit my memory fails me for the moment. While I'm aware Balbrek Giantblade leads Wintercall, where do Phyrala Niirn and Vonrak Darkslayer hail from? And while I understand you don't have the ransom letter with you at the moment, what about it lead to you feeling a fear for your own life? Perhaps there are details that could aid us in finding your son."
{ With a 24 Nicolas can infer that Sir Stoneclaw is definitely hiding something about the location of the demand message from the party but other than he is being completely honest. He is genuinely concerned about getting to the bottom of Lord Darkbranch's killer and although he is still a bit weary of the group he is slowly beginning to trust them}
Sir Stoneclaw tugged at his collar ever so slightly as he looked at him with a hesitant smile. After a couple seconds he placed his hands behind his back and took a couple steps away from the table. He couldn't help but feel bad for lying about not having the message on him and for a couple moments he debated on taking it out and sharing it with them. He slowly reached his right hand into his jacket and he glanced at the others with a hesitant smile before pulling out what looked to be a folded piece of paper.
Thorin and Kaliden-
Nikolas nodded slightly and turned his back towards the party. "If you'd like I can have one of the house guards escort you to the tunnels when you are ready to head out. I would do it myself but the citizens might think that I'm up to something. Here's an interesting tid bit about the tunnels, years ago one of the tunnels use to lead to a dragon's den but I was almost certain that it was sealed off a couple months after Basil took control. Nobody knows what happened to the dragon but there has been speculation that it's still roaming the area, if memory serves me right it was a gold dragon."
Bombil-
"... You're welcome, there are probably more possible leads that I don't know about but it's the best I could do." He takes a deep breath before rubbing his chin slightly as he thought about what he had asked. "Vonrak Darkslayer is an old family associate that is from Wintercall as well. I do believe Phyrala Niirn originally hailed from Cliffgrave but other than that I don't know. The ransom letter mentioned some rather in-depth threats and mentioning that they had no qualms about killing me and my family since I didn't take their earlier threats seriously... the sender must have known about my son's involvement in the investigation because whoever it is wants the information that he had collected... which in all honesty wasn't all that much." He paused for a moment took another step forwards before turning back to face the group again. "There was a mention of the old dragon den... but it doesn't make much sense."
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After the death of Basil Darkbranch Sir Nikolas Stoneclaw had become suspicious of both his fellow council members and strangers that would show up in Cloudgate, so when several citizens had noticed a small group of more or less strangers enter Stoneclaw's mansion they couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Upon hearing from one of the guards stationed at the entrance that the strangers had been invited to a 'welcome dinner' the citizens couldn't help but wonder if they leader was planning something.
"I must sincerely apologize for calling you all here on such short notice, things have been rather chaotic as of late and I doubt that it'll be calming down any time soon. That being said, I hope you didn't run into to much trouble on the way here but if you did..." There was a momentary pause as Sir Stoneclaw glanced down at the glass in his right hand and took a breath, "then I will reimburse you any gold that may have been stolen or assist in replacing any items or weapons that may have been destroyed, stolen or lost along the way." As he finished speaking he placed two bottles of wine down on the table before taking a seat. After a couple seconds two servants entered the room, one had freshly baked rolls while the other was carrying a tray with bowls of soup with noodles, a few types of vegetables and what looked to be meat in it.
"I hope that the food is to your likings, it's been years since I've hosted a dinner party." Nikolas said with a soft chuckle before shifting in his seat ever so slightly. He forced a small smile to his face as he looked around the table at his guests before hesitantly reaching for his glass. As he picked it up he looked it over for a couple of seconds before pouring some wine into it. "I have something I'd like to discuss with you all but I'm sure that you'd probably like to eat first... correct?"
{Please, introduce and describe your characters}
Bombil takes a momentary glance at the servant carrying bread rolls and a look of anticipation fills his green eyes accompanied with his pointy ears pointing up ever so slightly. Green hands gently move to place a napkin across his lap as he turns to Sir Stoneclaw. "I am a guest in your home, Sir Stoneclaw. Whichever order of business you wish to attend to first is fine by me." Candlelight bounces off his scaly green bald head to give a minor sheen to it. "That said I must say those bread rolls look positively splendid. I am looking forward to what other wonders your cooks offer us tonight." He gives a quick friendly smile.
[[OOC: Looking forward to this adventure. For me, my DnD experience would be more beginner-like I'd say and this is my first play-by-post. So if there's tips on things I should/shouldn't be doing, please do let me know.]]
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"Sir If I may offer my services, rest assured anything I can do to aid you and your community, I will to the best of my ability." Kaliden visibly relaxes smiles and looks at the other guests in attendance, 'and to think I doffed the chain polished the necklace and brooch oiled the leathers combed out the beard...'
As he continues to wonder at the details and purpose of this gathering all may notice though he carries his Battleaxe (silvered and marked as a holy symbol). He is dressed in well maintained clothing and a nicely tooled many pocketed vest. A dwarven brooch adorns his chest and a remarkable necklace about his neck, he has indeed packed away his armor. He stands a bit taller than most dwarves and has a touch of swagger as he mingles. He also sports a head and beard of nearly white hair with a hint of gold color, his eyes sparkle with an emerald green color both contrasted by his brownstone complexion.
He will not eat or drink until he has had a chance to met all in attendance.
Thorin Voidshout takes the food offered and mixed them all onto his plate and proceeds to wolf down this newly created mush. Unused to being tactful, he says "What's the job and how much is the payment?" Even while asking Sir Stoneclaw the question he looks around the room assessing potential escape routes. Hanging around his neck are unique looking goggles.
A hooded figure sits at the far end of the table. The figure is that of a large man wearing a hood that casts his face in shadow. However, a pale face can be made out from beneath the hood. The face bears two tattoos that run from his mouth and down on either side of his chin. Two tattoos then run down from his eyes, across his cheeks to the bottom of his face, running perpendicular to each other. You are not sure of which race the man belongs to.
Once Sir Nikolas has finished speaking, the man pushes his hood back, and you can finally see the rest of him. You didn't notice before, but a tattoo of a 'V'-shape rests on his forehead, just above his eyebrows. Or where his eyebrows should be. As the man has no eyebrows, and no other hair can be seen. It is hard to say whether the man simply does not grow hair or clean-shaves himself in a ritualistic fashion.
The man does bear some resemblance to that of a goliath. However, there are a few characteristics that do separate him from other goliaths. His ears are far more prominent and far more pointed for one. Another is that the man would be somewhat on the small side for a goliath. Yet he is taller than a human.
"I can hazard a guess why you have summoned me," the man says as he grabs some food. "You must be aware of the fact that I am a bounty hunter and would like to enlist my services in the matter of finding someone? Would that be correct?"
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Nicolas de Brézé
A finely dressed half-elf sits at the table with the rest of the guests. He, too, has dispensed with his armor, though he wears a rapier at his hip. His fashion and manner are quite at home in the posh milieu of the mansion. With minimal gestures he indicates his preferences to one of the servants and within moments is ready to begin the meal. He waits for his host to be served and begin eating before he, too, partakes.
De Brézé peers around the table, using the food - quite satisfactory - as an excuse simply to watch and listen. He's not sullen and silent; rather, he wears a slight half-smile and seems engaged as the his companions begin the discussion. He gives special attention, however, to one of the guests in particular.
Sir Stoneclaw watched Bombil quietly for a couple moments before a low chuckle escaped him when he noticed the look of anticipation, before taking a sip from his wine. He leaned forwards slightly as he placed his napkin on his lap and then began to take some food."The bread rolls are rather delicious, when I was younger if I found out that they were making them I would occasionally sneak into the kitchen and take a few." As he spoke he looked down at his plate and the fake smile started to become a genuine one. "The cooks have a tendency to go all out even when it's just my wife, our son and myself. It's always a bit mystery when it comes to what will be on the menu but it's normally really good."
Sir Stoneclaw nodded ever so slightly as he listened to Kaliden. His eyes seemed to shimmer with a small hint of gold as he heard him offer his services to aid both him and the community as well. "Your aid would be greatly appreciated, in fact everyone here's aid would be more than welcomed and greatly appreciated." He replied before glancing towards him with a curious expression on his face. "Although I haven't personally seen you use your abilities, I have a feeling that they'll be of great use in the near future."
A curious expression crossed Nikolas' face as he saw the large hooded man take a seat at the far end of the table. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he tried to make out the man's features, seeing the visible tattoos on his face he let out a barely audible hum. As soon as the man pushed back his hood a mildly confused expression began to replace the curious one. He didn't say anything at first and nodded his head slightly.
"Yes, I am quite aware of the fact that you are a bounty hunter. Indeed, I would like to enlist your services in the matter of finding someone." He responded, nervously shifting in his seat ever so slightly. "The someone in question is my son, he's been missing for about a week and my wife is starting to fear the worst."
Nikolas looked at the half-elf and examined him with a curious expression, he leaned back in his seat a little making sure not to lean too far back. He quietly began to eat although he couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be paying attention towards one of the other guests. His interest was peaked but he wasn't entirely sure why. He took a couple sips from his wine and shifted his attention towards the food on the table. 'Curious, have those two meet each other before? Maybe it's just a case of mistaken identity.'
Nikolas initially winced when he saw Thorin mixing the food on his plate, although after a couple seconds he couldn't help but wonder if mixed up food would taste better than it did with each part on it's own. He almost didn't hear the question that had been posed but raised a brow ever so slightly. "Straight to the point, huh? Well it can't hurt to tell you now I guess. The job in question is to locate my son, he's been missing for a week and my wife fears that he's been kidnapped by a small group of bandits that turns out to have been working for the former captain of the guards... when it comes to payment how does 15 gold each sound?"
Nicolas de Brézé
The slightest half-smile crosses Nico's lips for a moment as the payment is mentioned. He's clearly not in it for the money. He leans forward, though, and finally breaks his silence. "Missing a week, and your wife is only now starting to worry, my lord?" he repeats with a raised eyebrow. "Did you recruit another group to search before appealing to us? A week is a long time to wait for a kidnapping, and longer still in the heart of a mother."
"It's not unusual for him to leave the house for three days so for the first couple days we thought that he'd just slipped away to meet up with one of his friends but he would have been back by now. My wife doesn't tend to openly worry about things but I think not hearing news about or from him was likely what caused her to 'break'." He replied, understanding that the situation did seem rather far-fetched. When Nicolas asked if he had recruited another group before them he nodded his head before emptying his glass. "First I sent a small group of city guards but when they couldn't find him I did recruit another group. They haven't come back either but there is a possibility that the other group decided to give up looking after a couple hours. I know that it's a long time, I had hoped that there would be some information from the other group but that never happened either they didn't want to give us false hope or they were actually behind the whole thing."
"A week is... well it is imperative we gather a list of names, places he visits, any who could verify his whereabouts prior to his disappearance." Kaliden takes several deep breathes thinking of his own father's death and how this young man was taken from his family. He stands up from the table not having eaten. Looking at each of the guests in attendance once more 'Silverbeard give us resolve this is going to be a challenge''
He faces Nicolas "I may not be a bounty hunter, or as you humans account nobility, but as a dwarf of my word I will track down those responsible and help you to get your son back." Kaliden stands feeling the strength of resolve settle into his mind.
Nicolas de Brézé
The half-elf's eyes tighten for a moment as he mentally kicks himself. "Of course, my lord," he says with a nod. "He was only missing then. But now you know it's a kidnapping... which means you've received demands," he reasons. "Demands that have you fearing for your own life," de Brézé adds, gesturing slightly to his host's wineglass, "...so it's more than just a ransom." He pauses for a moment. "Once we have your son safe, my lord, will you be wanting us to find out which of your enemies is behind this?"
(OOC Or I just read waaaaay to much into this. Maybe my character has proficiency in Overthinking.)
Bombil raises an eyebrow for a moment, intrigued by the half-elf's thoughts on the matter. He then lowers the bread roll in his hand onto the plate, turns to Sir Stoneclaw and says, "I concur with the dwarf. Any points of interest from which to launch an investigation into your son's whereabouts would be most helpful. And may I assume, from his habits of going off for days at a time, that we would be looking for a man and not a boy?"
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Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
The bald man sits back in his chair for a moment, chewing on some food. "This other group that you hired before us. Can you tell us more about them? It is interesting that they for some reason have not been in contact with you. Perhaps it is not the case they simply just gave up? Perhaps some ill fate befell them."
“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” ― Gary Gygax
Thorin nods "That'll do. What's this boy's appearance, who is the former captain of the guards, what tipped you off that the bandits may be working for the former captain, and do you know where I can find him?"
Kaliden-
"I can think of a few people that might have seen Xavword before he went missing. The first one would be Seirilyvia Bloodswallow,a young Half-Elf that happens to be the daughter of the current captain of the guards. Then there's Garnyl Battletale, a wandering Mountain Dwarf bard that formerly called the town of Westgrove... he's a rather close friend of my son, he had been visiting the city when he went missing." Nikolas replied before straightening up a little bit as he attempted to recall the locations that his son would frequent when he left usually. He gently drummed his fingers against the table. "He had a tendency to visit Sandcliff a lot but during his recent trips he'd been talking about having met someone in Wintercall..."
He looked over at Kaliden when he saw him stand up. "I've always thought that actions have more weight to them than a simple title. So even though you might not be seen as noble by human account, you all will be seen as nobles in my eyes."
Nicolas-
Sir Stoneclaw shifted his gaze over towards the Half-Elf when he mentioned receiving demands. He takes a deep breath and places his hands in his lap as he tried to keep calm. "That would be correct, whoever was behind the kidnapping sent a message stating their demands..." he trailed off slightly and glanced down at the table quietly for a moment. "I don't have it on me at the moment but it's contents do have me fearing for my life as well as the lives of my family and what few allies I still have." A faint sigh escaped his lips as he looked at the empty wineglass for a moment. Although he was tempted to pour himself another glass he refrained from doing it, shaking his head slightly and muttering something under his breath in what sounded to be draconic. 'Come on Nikolas, get ahold of yourself.'
Deception: 9
"After he has been safely returned... if you would like to assist with that matter as well then I welcome the help."
Bombil-
Nikolas nodded slightly as he turned his attention towards Bombil. "If talking with Seirilyvia or Garnyl doesn't yield any useful information you could always talk to Estelle Cloudfall, she's the owner of The Horse and the Hellhound inn, it was one of his usual hangouts when he wasn't traveling. Although it's possible that he was kidnapped while on the way back from Wintercall. If that's the case then you might want to speak with... Phyrala Niirn or Vonrak Darkslayer, although there is a possibility that Xavword had been trying to mend ties with Balbrek Giantblade so you could also try speaking with him." As the words left his mouth he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach but he tried to ignore it. "Your assumption is correct, he is a man... a young man but not a boy."
Tagreth-
He shut his eyes for a moment as he thought tried to recall the members of the other group that he had hired previously. He couldn't recall everything about the other group but he was sure that the things that he could recall might be a little helpful to them. "The other group consisted of a Aarakocra, a Gold Dragonborn, two Tieflings and a human. The Aarakocra had green and yellow feathers, wore what looked to be robes and was carrying a rather intricate looking staff. The Dragonborn was wearing chain male armor and had two warhammers. One of the Tieflings had lightish red skin, horns that curled like that of a ram, was carrying a lute and I think she was wearing leather armor. The other Tiefling had ruddy tan skin, horns that spiral upwards although one looked as if it was broken and wore a hooded cloak. And the human... well he had short reddish brown hair, wasn't wearing any armor but he did have a bow and a quiver full of arrows." As he told the bald man what he knew he couldn't help but wonder if they had been dispatched by the person behind the kidnapping.
Thorin-
"Xavword is about 5' 10", has green eyes, short black hair, has the beginning of a beard starting to grow and a couple scar that he received while training with the house guards." He replied before slowly rising to his feet. "The former captain of the guards is a man by the name of Victor Lowclaw and he was a down right nasty piece of work. At the time I had no knowledge of their connection until one evening myself and the new captain of the guards caught him helping them enter the city through the underground 'emergency' tunnels. If I had to wager a guess I'd say that he was either hiding with the rest of the bandits or dead... but I could be wrong."
Nicolas de Brézé
The half-elf peers at Sir Nikolas as he considers the council member's response.
Insight: 14
Having had to deal with political intrigue far too often in Cliffgrave, he's weighing the older man's words very carefully.
Thorin takes a moment to catalog the new information. He checks his armors straps and is about to leave before looking to the others in attendance "I guess we are working together. We should focus on 1 task at a time. Now I say we should investigate the former guard captain. He was last seen in the emergency tunnels. That sounds like a place to start."
Kaliden says, “Thorin I’m with you, but let’s be sure we are all in agreement. If anyone disagrees with pursuing the former guard captain speak yer mind or let’s get to it.”
Unable to deny his curiosity he impulsively swirls smells and downs his wine, and so we begin.
[[ OOC: I'll grant that RAW isn't mechanically special for an ability check, but first nat 20 of the game? Nice, Nicolas! ]]
Bombil leans back in his chair for a moment to think. He says to Sir Stoneclaw, "Thank you for those leads. I am hopeful they will be most helpful." He takes a quick sip of soup and continues. "However I must admit my memory fails me for the moment. While I'm aware Balbrek Giantblade leads Wintercall, where do Phyrala Niirn and Vonrak Darkslayer hail from? And while I understand you don't have the ransom letter with you at the moment, what about it lead to you feeling a fear for your own life? Perhaps there are details that could aid us in finding your son."
Persuasion
26
He turns to Thorin and Kaliden, "I agree with going to seek out this Victor Lowclaw. May we be blessed with answers."
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Belolonandalogalo, Sunny | Draíocht, Kholias | Eggo Lass, 100 Dungeons
Talorin Tebedi, Vecna: Eve | Cherry, Stormwreck | Chipper, Strahd
We Are Modron
Get rickrolled here. Awesome music here. Track 48, 5/23/25, Immaculate Mary
Nicolas-
{ With a 24 Nicolas can infer that Sir Stoneclaw is definitely hiding something about the location of the demand message from the party but other than he is being completely honest. He is genuinely concerned about getting to the bottom of Lord Darkbranch's killer and although he is still a bit weary of the group he is slowly beginning to trust them}
Sir Stoneclaw tugged at his collar ever so slightly as he looked at him with a hesitant smile. After a couple seconds he placed his hands behind his back and took a couple steps away from the table. He couldn't help but feel bad for lying about not having the message on him and for a couple moments he debated on taking it out and sharing it with them. He slowly reached his right hand into his jacket and he glanced at the others with a hesitant smile before pulling out what looked to be a folded piece of paper.
Thorin and Kaliden-
Nikolas nodded slightly and turned his back towards the party. "If you'd like I can have one of the house guards escort you to the tunnels when you are ready to head out. I would do it myself but the citizens might think that I'm up to something. Here's an interesting tid bit about the tunnels, years ago one of the tunnels use to lead to a dragon's den but I was almost certain that it was sealed off a couple months after Basil took control. Nobody knows what happened to the dragon but there has been speculation that it's still roaming the area, if memory serves me right it was a gold dragon."
Bombil-
"... You're welcome, there are probably more possible leads that I don't know about but it's the best I could do." He takes a deep breath before rubbing his chin slightly as he thought about what he had asked. "Vonrak Darkslayer is an old family associate that is from Wintercall as well. I do believe Phyrala Niirn originally hailed from Cliffgrave but other than that I don't know. The ransom letter mentioned some rather in-depth threats and mentioning that they had no qualms about killing me and my family since I didn't take their earlier threats seriously... the sender must have known about my son's involvement in the investigation because whoever it is wants the information that he had collected... which in all honesty wasn't all that much." He paused for a moment took another step forwards before turning back to face the group again. "There was a mention of the old dragon den... but it doesn't make much sense."