DDEX 01-08: Tales Trees Tell [5e Adventurers League] (Inactive)

Game Master Aeshuura

Serelis looks at you all as if you are mad, She knows! I do not know how, but she knows! She, the power of the forest, the sorceress of Emerald Glade, Jeny Greenteeth!

If you are wise, you will leave as well.

If anyone else would like to make a Persuasion, especially Shoun and Raeva, who have spoken to him.

Persuasion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

"If she knows, now is the time to strike then. Let mankind no longer tremble in fear, but let us instead teach these creatures what fear truly means."

The half-elf stops packing, his back to you, You do not know the power you face... She is the stuff of nightmares.

He turns to face you, his jaw firmly set, Gods... I-I can take you in, but you have to promise to do whatever you can to protect the village. You cannot rile her up and turn her loose on them. Please...

Our actions will bring peace. This missing does not bring war with the elves, Rakish promises.

The Emerald Enclave sends their word.

"We are here now for the village's benefit. We ask about Jeny Greenteeth for the village's benefit. Be assured that we will continue acting for the villages benefit."

The ranger still looks hesitant and takes a deep breath, Are... are you ready to enter the forest?

Options:

• Missing livestock
  
• Old Man Halvin's Barn
  
• Greenleaf, half-elf ranger
  
• Quivering Forest

I think we made the call earlier to go to the barn.

Actually, let's investigate before we enter the forest
And Draco walks towards the barn at a normal pace looking back after two minutes worth of walking to see if his allies are following behind him, then continues on.

"We want to investigate a lead or two first. Perhaps we can find out what it is that has upset Jeny so we can try to fix it and apologize to her."

"Forewarned is fourarmed, as they say."

The sun is dipping low in the sky as the approach to the farmhouse leads you into a small hollow within a copse of trees right on the edge of the forest proper. The house has definitely seen better days, as evidenced by the loose boards and shingles, the peeling whitewash, and the handful of stones that have fallen from the leaning chimney. A small barn, around in the back, leans even more, and vines have grown up to cover most of it.

As you inspect the area, it seems that there is nothing remarkable about the house, outside or in. Halvin has only occupied the main kitchen/dining area and one bedroom, leaving the rest of the house dim and dusty.

In the kitchen...

You all hear the sounds of snoring coming through the open window facing the barn...

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 1

Raeva tries not to disturb anything while searching the ramshackle farm.
"There's nothing here. Nothing at all."

Investigation: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

"Unless you count this, of course." says Shoun as he opens a cupboard door, then knocks and opens a false wall inside the cupboard, from which he pulls an ornate silver box.

Rakish follows th sounds of the snores to see who it leads to.

Just checking, Rakish leaves before they even finish looking at the box?

It's all within the barn, right? Rakish generally leaves things like that to other people. They seem to care more about silver than he ever has. :)

Actually, the box is found in the small farmhouse that seems largely abandoned, and the snoring is heard through the window from the small barn in the back. If I said barn before, perhaps the townsfolk were mistaken...

Ah. I must have misread. Sure! Let's check it out!

perception: 4 + 1d20 ⇒ 4 + (15) = 19 Draco pockets the treasure in his backpack to be sold later.
Then when everyone is ready he will go over to the snoring. Given the recent attacks, he is expecting something and he will have his lightbringer ready. If the thing snoring is human(oid) or a pet he leaves it alone. It it looks like some king of a monster or plant creature he will hit it, that includes if it is a goblin. hit: 6 + 1d20 ⇒ 6 + (19) = 25 dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
stealth if needed: 1 + 1d20 ⇒ 1 + (12) = 13 disadvantage stealth: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15

@Draco, Shoun has already found the box and presented it to everyone. I will describe things shortly. We are a little short-handed here today, but my student came in so I can eat my lunch, then I will post to move the narrative along.

True he did find it, but said nothing about taking it. I was afraid his character was going to have some moral dilemma not to take the gold or the objects cause he would consider it stealing. Just making sure, and Draco will share with the party.

"What might that be? A snoring elf?" Alysha says, wondering about the source. She follows others towards the sound.

"Unless you count this, of course." says Shoun as he opens a cupboard door, then knocks and opens a false wall inside the cupboard, from which he pulls an ornate silver box.

He did say he pulled the box out. So bear in mind, that your post has you snatching it from his hands and shoving it in your bag. I am all for roleplaying, and if he wants his character to have some moral dilemma, that is HIS choice to make, not yours. That being said, from what I know about his character, I do not see that as a problem. Play nice, and it will work out, let me worry about that. Of course, if that is what your character would do, that could lead to RP as well. Now that I have addressed that...

The snoring grows louder as you round a large pile of moldering hay; neatly baled and stacked in the rear of the barn. Asleep on a pile of hay is a small, scaled creature with leathery wings and a grossly distended belly. Resting on his back, his swollen belly heaves up and down in concert with his labored snoring.

Suddenly, his snoring becomes loud and ragged, and after a few choking coughs, the creature jerks awake and props himself up on an elbow; rubbing an eye with a fist while errant strands of hay cling to the side of his face.

What time is it?! he gasps.

As Rakish left before everyone else, he has a chance to do something before Draco comes in swinging.

Yeah, actually I forgot he had it in his hand, wouldn't snatch it from his hands. Also before I outright try to hit the creature, I'm going to identify it, I wouldn't want to hit an angel. I can't tell if that is a monster or not.

identify: 1d20 ⇒ 14 Nature is -1, religion is -1, arcana is -1. Will still try to attack if said creature is generally evil, whether or not he misses or is stopped from doing so is another story.

Raeva is momentarily confused. "I just checked that cupboard. I totally missed the secret compartment. Anyway, what's in the box?"

"What do we have here..?" Alysha says.

Identify: 1d20 ⇒ 17 please use appropriate modifier.

For those that stayed behind to look in the small, ornate silver box with the likeness of a dragon head etched onto the lid (15 gp), you find a pouch with 15 gp tucked inside, a garnet (5 gp), and a diary. The diary has a dragon head embossed onto its cover. A quick perusal reveals many cryptic notes, sketches, and maps, much of them you recognize are of the area around Phlan, Kabel's Hill, and the Quivering Forest.

--

For those that enter the barn, though Rakish sees it a good minute before everyone else. The creature matches what could only be described as an imp, but does not seem to be hostile...

Going to give Rakish a chance to respond before Draco gets to attack... Then we can move into combat if he does not stop Draco.

The sun is high, but the winds bring cold, Rakish says to the scaly creature.

What brings you here?

I've now dictated that its around noon. :)

By the way Rakish, your character would not be surprised by Draco going in to attack the imp. He does have have the lightbringer in his right hand while walking towards the imp. Not like he doesn't have it out and pulls it out at the last minute. Saying or doing nothing to Draco, he would assume Rakish is ignoring it.

No worries, Draco! Once I get a response from the imp, it'll better help me adjudicate a reaction to what Draco tries to do. Also, be careful, imps are tricky buggers. :)

Okay, Draco goes through with it. If you do say something to Draco, he will respond with.. Imps are evil and my job is to eliminate all evil even if this thing isn't hostile to us it is still evil. And he says the word evil the same way mermaid-man from Spongebob says evil. And of course if you hold him, he would try to break free. He could sacred flame if you hold him back, but he ain't gonna. Imp must die by a weapon, preferable melee weapon, but will resort to ranged if it flies up high as that is how he feels.

Shoun basically set the box out for the group to see, while making a smarta$$ comment. I'm not against taking it and I certainly don't mind it it's stowed until we finish the mission.

Shoun will step back as the box is opened and contents removed. Looking around, he will ask "Where is Rakish?"

Raeva looks up from inspecting the boxes contents. "The barn, I think." He goes back to the box and the journal.

Cast Detect Magic

Sorry a lot has happened here

Krissina will hang around the box long enough to do a relevant check if anything jumps out as relevant Arcana or History: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 -3 off that if it comes under Religion

If she has nothing to add, she will leave it in the capable hands of more professional arcanists, and go see where Rakish went.

The imp groggily rubs his eyes, and dips a cup into a milkbowl next to his straw pallet, Was just waiting for my friend...

Just then, Draco comes in, mace aglow! As the cleric charges the little fiend, the imp jumps into the air, his little wings a-flutter, Unholy s@#t!!!

The little fiend screams in terror as he tries to dodge holy flames!

Assuming, based on Draco's text that he is calling down the sacred flame.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Draco can go ahead and roll damage. As it will not outright kill him...

The imp screams, What the f&%$?!? Psycho priests!

With a snap of his fingers, he disappears!

--

@Krissina: There is nothing that strikes you as important about the journal, other than it may contain some relevant information. There are some pretty dragon iconography, and you have been seeing quite a bit of that lately, but it will take time to discover what secrets the journal holds.

Ok, I need some help here. Why are we at the barn? Are we here to slaughter everyone in sight, investigate someone, figure out if someone is missing? What's going on?

I was under the impression that we were looking for the missing people. And we went to the half-elf because he was the last known person to see them. Why are we at the barn?

Can we get a recap on all the clues we've uncovered so far?

The barn is where the old man that wandered into the forest in the first place lived. He was the reason that the townfolk entered the forest. First, they wanted to explain that they were not trying to violate the pact, and second, they wanted to try to bring him home.

My understanding is that you wanted to go to the Farmhouse to find out why he went into the forest to begin with.

Ok, I've been reading up on the entire thread to re-establish what's going on. Here's the story:

Three ten-days ago, the "crazy old man" who lives off of selling his woodcarvings went missing.

Two ten-days ago, the village sent a team into the forest to discover what happened. They met with the half-elf ranger who warned them not to go in, but helped them nonetheless.

Some time between now and then, the prize cows were slaughtered, and the farmer believes its the faeries who took revenge on the village for the old man and/or team entering the forest.

Last night (today?) one of the team made it back via a hanging. He survived, but his mind is practically gone.

That gives us four leads: 1) The half-elf ranger. 2) The old barn. 3) The missing cows. 4) The elven forest.

We went to talk to the ranger first, and learned that he gave them the note that read, "Don't kill us, were just looking for the crazy old man who went missing." He thinks the team going in pissed off some Jenny girl and that's why he/we were attacked by the scarecrows and walking trees.

Next we went to the barn to see what's up with the missing old man. We found a hidden compartment which may hold clues, and we found an intelligent being who obviously is comfortable being seen, and might know what's going on.

So it seems our first action here is to try and rob the old man and kill any potential witnesses and leads without question.

Rakish looks at the priest, and then looks around for the flying critter.

To Draco, he says, People say that of my kind as well. All Lizardfolk are evil savages that must be killed on sight.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

Then he says to the air, Come, bring yourself to me, and we will leave this place in safety. I bring a mission of peace for the Emerald Enclave. This priest does not represent all of us.

Diplomacy: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9

With that, Rakish leaves the barn and let's whatever happens, happen. He heads back to the house.

I figure it'll be a moment before I'm with the rest of the group, please let them roleplay out what they found in the house. All this teleporting between buildings with zero time passing is breaking my immersion into the game.

No, Draco would not sacred flame it, he hit it with his melee weapon as rolled previously, sacred flaming the imp is what he would not do. Not that it matters much, but that does change the scenery ever so slightly in that he got up close and personal to it and smacked it.
He might seem nice, but if he leads us all into a pit trap or into quicksand, or secretly alarm 30 goblins, that would be his way of doing things. Don't say I didn't warn you. As he points at were the imp use to be. Oh, and when we go to the forest, if he is found, he will be glad we brought him his things. If noone took the box as a whole, we should, not just the stuff inside, as it would be proof we know about his disappearance, and will be happy when he sees it, that is of course if he is still alive, heck he might even reward us with a magical blessing of some sort. If not, then it would be ours according to lost and found laws.

When all this is over, he goes back inside to retrieve the box if noone took the box with them, regardless if someone took the treasures inside the box or not. If someone took the box itself with them, then he says. Good job

What I am saying is that in the time that it took Draco to burst in and brandish his mace, the little imp fluttered up to the ceiling (which as a barn, even a little one, is beyond your reach.) Your only option to reach him would be to do a ranged attack, which you stated:

He could sacred flame if you hold him back, but he ain't gonna. Imp must die by a weapon, preferable melee weapon, but will resort to ranged if it flies up high as that is how he feels.

It was because of this statement, along with the fact that you are a cleric with heavy armor that would not get the drop on this imp, that I adjudicated it this way.

Ah, okay. Got it. I was thinking I had a throwing weapon on me, but I don't. So I would have to take off my shield which is an action and drop my mace then pull out my crossbow. Guess Draco will have to pick up a throwing weapon for creatures he feels aren't worthy of dying by magical spells. So yeah, he would have sacred flamed it.
dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 6 from sacred flame.

Okay, what happened, happened. Rakish is outside, while the commotion brings the rest of you to the barn. Some of you straggling notice Rakish storm out of the barn.

Shoun still has the box, and you can examine the contents if you wish, or have a bit of a conversation addressing what just happened.

Still looking at that thing Shoun, bring it with you, the box as a whole, not just what is inside, the farmer will be glad to see it if he is still alive, and it is proof that we were looking for him. And only the farmer himself will recognize the box, to everyone else, which proves it is him when we find him, to everyone else it is just a box and they will wonder what is inside.

"What happened?" Raeva is drawn out of the house by the commotion in the barn.

The barn looks to be a makeshift hovel. Next to the straw pallet that the imp was sleeping on is a small burlap satchel stained with blood. On the other side is a half-full milk can, with a cup and spilled milk laying next to it.

"I'm not sure exactly Raeva, but we should go find out."

Making his way to the barn, Shoun will put the box in his pack as he goes and say "So, what is going on here?"

Imp slept in barn. Friends with old man. Old man went to the forest. Never came back. Imp brings concern for his friend. Wants us to find the old man.

Priest tried to bring death to the imp.

Correction, Imp pretends to be concerned for the farmer who he pretends to be friends with. He gives Rakish a strange look. You must think imps can fell compassion.

"Okay, thank you for the concise synopsis, friend Rakish. I can understand that given the reputation of Imps, Draco would want to kill the one whose dwelling we are currently in, but perhaps we can set aside our differences so that we can discuss how best to return our wayward tenant to his domicile? Mister Imp whose name I have yet to learn; Master Draco, do you both mind putting away your hostilities until we have completed our mission and saved this town from the depredations of the fey?"

Shoun will give each a calm, direct look while waiting to see their reaction to his request.