The party exits the Tavern and heads down the cobbled streets to the Town Hall. The stifling, cold, fall air is pierced by the tolling of bells from the abbey. As they travel, they pass under the sanitorium. Amidst the cacophony of screams, the walls of the sanitorium are alive with a pulsating knocking sound. It's as if the patients are periodically rapping their knuckles against the brick walls- the only thing they can do to distract themselves from the horrors in their minds.
After Nolla joins the group, the party arrives at the town hall. It's a once gaudy marble building wore down by years of negligence. A labyrinthian garden of thick hedges and wilting flowers occupy the premises. At the entrance, the party can see an entire squadron of armed guards. Even more take positions on the rooftops, sweeping the streets with their crossbows. As the party approaches, one of the guards steps forward and gestures for the party to halt
"The town hall is off limits to the general public. If you do not have business, leave now."
Caine walks past the sanitorium, struggling not to look at the brick walls. He recites a short mantra to himself to keep focused and to keep thoughts of his parents and their condition out of his head. It almost works.
At the sight of the guards and how they are arranged, the plight of this small town becomes more apparent. If his brother passed through this way, he must accept that whatever is out there may have been too much for him.
He approaches the guard who has spoken.
"Your mayor is in need of assistance finding his deputy. We have come to provide it," Caine says with a slight bow of his head. "Please, let us pass."
Tam moves with his eyes focused down to the cold, wet cobblestones. He only glances around to make sure he is with Helena and the rest of his new companions. His eyes rise to the walls of the sanitorium but quickly fall again as he mutters quietly,
"Has to be better here. Has to be."
He slides quickly behind one of his larger companions, using them to partially block himself from sight of the guards.
Nolla tries not too look around too much as they walk through the town. She has a problem not looking up as they go under the madhouse, but manages it.
"As my companion has said, we are here to help." Nolla says to the guard who spoke, giving him a friendly smile. "Do you want to carry word for us, or shall you permit us to enter?"
Helena does the opposite of Cedar. She stands tall and braced as if prepared for a fight. She waits in front of Tam as if knowing she’ll be allowed to pass.
Jaesali raises an eyebrow as she looks from the guard to Tam and back. "We were told of a job and coin. No details, yeah." she shrugs. "But it's obvious something is wrong. Force like this for no seeable threat."
The guard at the gate nods. "I see. I'll talk with the mayor now. Please wait."
She enters the hall. As the party waits, two of the other guards talk to each other.
"How much you willing to bet that...half of those six aren't coming back."
A few silver pieces are exchanged over a laugh. Finally, the first guard returns and escorts you inside.
The interior of Town Hall is as decadent as the exterior, and similarly unkempt. The old teakwood floor, covered in mothballed rugs, creaks as you walk over it. At the end of the hallway, a singular lantern suggests that the mayor's office is the only room in use in the hall. Near the entrance, the party spots a portrait of the mayor in his younger years. A raucous yellow-bearded dwarf, the portrait depicts him and a few other dwarves happily toasting a few mugs of ale as a large ship is constructed in the background.
The guard opens the door and beckons for the party to enter. The office is surprisingly modest, with few of the lavish trappings seen outside. A large desk in the center seems to be carved entirely from a single stone slab, which is covered in paper documents. In the corner is another, smaller desk, but it's currently unoccupied. Behind the stone desk sits a gray-bearded dwarf man in disheveled, fine clothing. His head is buried in his hands, and as the party enters, he makes no move to greet them. After a few seconds pass, the mayor finally speaks.
"Whatever it is you want, I can't help you. Tanye is gone."
Nolla frowns, glancing to those with her, then gives a slight shrug of her shoulders. She moves to the dwarf's side. "Who is you say is gone?" She asks as she places a tender hand on his shoulder. "Was this person taken by the bandits? If so, then that is why we are here, to aid you in getting this person back..." Her voice is sympathetic as she tries to sooth the dwarf.
Cedar looks at the two guards betting and pulls out a few silver "I'll take you up on that bet. Even if the odds are grossly in my favour"
Cedar marvels at the sight of the messy town hall "Its like a prince lived here, and was never taught to clean his room." As the mayor speaks, Cedar looks mightily confused "I don't know about these folks, but I have never made the acquaintance of a Tanye, unless I was drunk outta my wits and can't remember"
The dwarf mayor raises his head, his weary eyes glancing over the party. However, a smile sneaks on his face when Nolla speaks.
"I can't believe it! You're the first to answer the call. Maybe Tanye will be saved."
He brushes off the paper documents, revealing a stamped bounty for the bandits.
"Yes, Tanye is my deputy, but while any old person could do my job, she is irreplaceable. Her local connections with the farmers and merchants as well as over-seas relationships with less...scrupulous organizations are what keep Trishdale afloat. Without her, there's no way Trishdale can get the resources it needs."
He signs the stamped bounty and hands it you.
"She was touring the local farmlands surrounding Trishdale when the bandits kidnapped her. It was unprecedented- those brigands have came so close to town. They demanded an exorbitant ransom of 1,000 gold- even if drained the coffers, there's no way I could pay that. But I can pay you to rescue her. How does 150 gold sound? And for good measure, I'll pay 5 gold for each bandit head you bring back."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Nolla accepts the bounty with a smile for the mayor. "That all sounds good to me, but I don't speak for everyone hre." She glances to the others with a raised eyebrow, clearly considering the amount a decent reward herself.
“Since there are six of you, that would mean 25 gold each. A good price for risking your life. Now, you must leave immediately. This happened last night- the bandits are surely on the move right now. If you linger too long, they’ll likely return to their territory where they can’t be found. Before you leave, do you have any questions?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Caine nods slowly to the the mayor. The ease with which coins seem to change hands among the guards, and the ease with which everyone in town appears willing to sell their services makes him wonder if there might be more going on than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Was Tanye traveling alone or were there others with her? Did anyone know where she was going?"
The head bounty makes Caine uneasy. There is no good in that. And that makes him wonder further if they are being asked to silence certain voices. His master had said that one should always strive to return good with good and return evil with justice.
Helena speaks up. “And how many bandits are there? I don’t want to track these people down to discover there’s twenty or thirty of them. Any estimates?”
“Tanye usually travels alone- she’s a cunning halfling, with certain...skills. She’s avoided danger thus far; I wonder how the bandits caught her. And no, she keeps her travels to herself. I trust her when she says she needs to go into the field to get something done.”
To Helena, he says,
“No idea. Not too many, as otherwise the local farmers would have caught sight of them. And for being bandits, they were remarkably subtle; none of the local farmhouses have been attacked.
Here is a link to the Player Map. You can add locations when you find them. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13qtDZwZLymDUqe-YL51pPvYpDDltHk3uVrkutwTrkD0/edit?usp=sharing
The members of this expedition:
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Caine walks past the sanitorium, struggling not to look at the brick walls. He recites a short mantra to himself to keep focused and to keep thoughts of his parents and their condition out of his head. It almost works.
At the sight of the guards and how they are arranged, the plight of this small town becomes more apparent. If his brother passed through this way, he must accept that whatever is out there may have been too much for him.
He approaches the guard who has spoken.
"Your mayor is in need of assistance finding his deputy. We have come to provide it," Caine says with a slight bow of his head. "Please, let us pass."
Tam moves with his eyes focused down to the cold, wet cobblestones. He only glances around to make sure he is with Helena and the rest of his new companions. His eyes rise to the walls of the sanitorium but quickly fall again as he mutters quietly,
"Has to be better here. Has to be."
He slides quickly behind one of his larger companions, using them to partially block himself from sight of the guards.
Nolla tries not too look around too much as they walk through the town. She has a problem not looking up as they go under the madhouse, but manages it.
"As my companion has said, we are here to help." Nolla says to the guard who spoke, giving him a friendly smile. "Do you want to carry word for us, or shall you permit us to enter?"
Cedar stays quiet, knowing that nothing he says will help. He does however put his hands behind his back in the least threatening pose he can.
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
Helena does the opposite of Cedar. She stands tall and braced as if prepared for a fight. She waits in front of Tam as if knowing she’ll be allowed to pass.
Jaesali raises an eyebrow as she looks from the guard to Tam and back. "We were told of a job and coin. No details, yeah." she shrugs. "But it's obvious something is wrong. Force like this for no seeable threat."
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Tam shuffles uncomfortably but stays silent.
Nolla frowns, glancing to those with her, then gives a slight shrug of her shoulders. She moves to the dwarf's side. "Who is you say is gone?" She asks as she places a tender hand on his shoulder. "Was this person taken by the bandits? If so, then that is why we are here, to aid you in getting this person back..." Her voice is sympathetic as she tries to sooth the dwarf.
Caine surveys the room for a moment. He walks to the smaller desk and looks at it, careful not to touch anything.
"Is Tanye your deputy?" he asks.
Cedar looks at the two guards betting and pulls out a few silver "I'll take you up on that bet. Even if the odds are grossly in my favour"
Cedar marvels at the sight of the messy town hall "Its like a prince lived here, and was never taught to clean his room." As the mayor speaks, Cedar looks mightily confused "I don't know about these folks, but I have never made the acquaintance of a Tanye, unless I was drunk outta my wits and can't remember"
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Nolla accepts the bounty with a smile for the mayor. "That all sounds good to me, but I don't speak for everyone hre." She glances to the others with a raised eyebrow, clearly considering the amount a decent reward herself.
Tam nods from the back.
The mayor glances around.
“Since there are six of you, that would mean 25 gold each. A good price for risking your life. Now, you must leave immediately. This happened last night- the bandits are surely on the move right now. If you linger too long, they’ll likely return to their territory where they can’t be found. Before you leave, do you have any questions?
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Caine nods slowly to the the mayor. The ease with which coins seem to change hands among the guards, and the ease with which everyone in town appears willing to sell their services makes him wonder if there might be more going on than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Was Tanye traveling alone or were there others with her? Did anyone know where she was going?"
The head bounty makes Caine uneasy. There is no good in that. And that makes him wonder further if they are being asked to silence certain voices. His master had said that one should always strive to return good with good and return evil with justice.
Helena speaks up. “And how many bandits are there? I don’t want to track these people down to discover there’s twenty or thirty of them. Any estimates?”
The mayor looks suddenly concerned.
“Tanye usually travels alone- she’s a cunning halfling, with certain...skills. She’s avoided danger thus far; I wonder how the bandits caught her. And no, she keeps her travels to herself. I trust her when she says she needs to go into the field to get something done.”
To Helena, he says,
“No idea. Not too many, as otherwise the local farmers would have caught sight of them. And for being bandits, they were remarkably subtle; none of the local farmhouses have been attacked.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd