Outside…
Tab lets out a cheer as Davi finds the dagger and beams at the praise. ”Oh, no need to thank me, I’m just happy I helped!” The owl hoots angrily from the rafters, and flares its wings out in an intimidating manner, but it does not attack.
Inside…
Lorkyhay’s eyes widen and he grips the sides of his bar stool firmly. ”M-magic? What ever are you talking about? I’m just a humble tinkerer! No magic here! Hehehe!” Sheriff Cage catches wind of the conversation and draws his longsword, but hangs back to see what the group does first.
At that moment, Davi bursts in, soaking wet, holding the magical dagger. Then Soroza speaks up, and Lorkyhay’s eyes widen even further. "No no no no no, ma'am! Don't know what that is! Never even seen it before!"
Sheriff Blunnde is quick to take the dagger back from Davi. "Ah! Good work, Miss! Thank you!"
At that moment, Lorkyhay's owl comes bursting in, sensing its master's fear. The owl dives right at Davi, aiming for her eyes with its fierce talons. Herral cries out, hearing the owl coming. Davi turns her head just in time so that it only scratches her face.
"Oh no! Scutter! No! Don't hurt my poor baby Scutter!" Lorkyhay jumps from the stool, and the owl flies over to land loyally on his outstretched arm. "Please! I'll tell you everything if you don't hurt my owl!" He looks anxiously from face to face.
The Sheriff walks over, longsword pointed right at Lorkyhay. The two other Diamond Regiment soldiers likewise have their shortbows out and drawn, aimed at the gnome. "Talk, gnome."
The gnome sighs, and raises his arms, palms up, defeated. "Okay. I'm a sorcerer. I stood outside the sheriff's window and cast a sleeping spell on him so he wouldn't wake. It was then a simple matter for Scutter to fly up, retrieve the dagger, and drop it down to me. I hid it in the haypile in case you searched me in the morning. I was hoping you'd arrest Mister Hammerlock here..."
"Alright, I've heard enough. Men, arrest this gnome. We're taking him back to Oregent for trial." The Diamond Regiment soldiers put away their shortbows, walk up to Lorkyhay, and put him in manacles. The owl hoots sadly, and Lorkyhay whispers something to him. The owl then flies back through the door and into the stables.
Sheriff Blunnde turns back to the group. "That was some incredible work you did back there. I'm really thankful for your help." He sounds sincerely grateful as he puts the dagger back in his belt. "Now that that is finally taken care of, there is the matter of the destroyed shroud. Doctor Krane has told me that he has come up with something you could do for him to make up for its destruction. I'd like all of you to meet us in the kitchens so that we may speak privately."
"You'll pardon me Sheriff if I go deal with the small matter of my bleeding face first." Davi says dryly. She gives Lorkyhay a withering glare. "I ought to go eat that owl. Does the gnome have money with him? Maybe, if he donates it to help us repay Doctor Krane, I'll consider skipping my owl snack"
Soroza calls after Davi, "I wouldn't worry, you probably won't miss much."
"I imagine something to the tune of:" She begins gesturing forward stiffly, while making an exaggeratedly stern expression, "Go to this place. Do a thing, likely dangerous. Probably learn a lesson about responsibility."
She kicks up from her chair. "Anyways, 'least we're meeting in the kitchen! Last one there has to peel apples!"
Anthony ushers Davi out of the room, laughing nervously, "Alright Davi, I think you've had enough excitement without eating birds. Now let's go get your face looked at over here in the washroom with Laurel." He motions for Laurel to come over and says to everyone, "Just please give us a few minutes. We can hear what the Doctor and Sheriff have to say after Laurel gets a good look at Davi."
Adrac finishes the last of his tea as the dagger was recovered and the thief caught. He clapped his hands as he smiled. "Bravo, bravo, my friends! Well done! You solved it even faster than I expected!" Watching the gnome being arrested and frowning as he sent his owl off, he waved the soldiers and their prisoner down before they left. "Hold on now." he asked, before kneeling to the gnome's level. "My little friend, I trust you have learned a valuable lesson from this, and it's clear you care greatly for your little friend. If given the chance, would you straighten up and quit the thieving game? You have too much talent for that.
As the sheriff usherrs them into the kitchen, Adrac stands up and follows, hands behind his back as he listens patiently. He nods at Anthony, his smile widening. James taught him well. he mused internally.
Lorkyhay’s eyes are as wide as his owl companion’s, as he looks at Davi, terrified. ”Ohh please miss! He’s a new father! Please don’t hurt him! Don't leave his owlet fatherless!”
Lorkyhay then looks at Adrac, his face unreadable. "Oh! Of course. Never again! Learned my lesson, mmhmm!" The Diamond Regiment soldiers haul him off, and he calls over his shoulder, screaming over the rain at Davi, "If you kill my owl, I'll find out! I swear I'll find out! And I'll come for you! I'll come for yoo~ou!"
When the gnome is gone, Ostler grins, nodding at Jobe Flint. "I knew it was that gnome! I just knew it. Never trusted those fey-touched little buggers. They're always up to no good, what with their crazy hair and weird magicks. Stuff has been going missing here for awhile now. I bet he was the cause of all of it." Jobe nods, solemnly.
"Yessir," Jobe concurs. "Never trust a gnome. Blasted fairies."
----
Laurel sighs. "I've told you, Anthony, I'm not a physician," she says wearily, but she accompanies them into the washroom, anyway.
Laurel shoves her spectacles up her nose and peers at Davi's wound closely. "Hmmm. That doesn't look so bad." She grabs a washcloth, and pulls out her healer's kit. She rubs some antiseptic on it, which stings, then bandages the wound.
"Well, off you two get." She looks at the two sternly. "I trust that you'll attend to this errand of his with utmost haste. I need to be getting back to Falcon's Hollow as soon as possible. Gozreh knows that the place has fallen apart without me."
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Meanwhile, in the kitchens, the Company of the Black Banner sits in chairs leering unpleasantly at the group that has gathered thus far while they wait on Davi and Anthony. Doctor Phineus and Sheriff Cage are there also.
Upon seeing the group, Nirashi smiles widely. "So where is that horrible incubus and his floozy? Dead in a ditch, I hope!" Aliciette and Grelm laugh heartily. The goblin is silent as ever, and Derrak is staring coldly at Tarkus, his hand on his elven curved blade.
The kitchen smells wonderful, as the kitchen staff are hard at work getting lunch ready. There is an enormous pot filled with wheat porridge. The aroma of sweet chestnut bread is wafting from the oven. One cook is boiling sausages in richly colored beer. Pudge attempts to fish out a sausage for himself, when the cook isn't looking, and gets smacked by a ladle for it.
Adrac frowned as Lorkyhay was carriedout into the rain. Turning back, he paused at Estril's side and nodded to her. "I hate to impose, milady, but would you be able to care for his owl while he is occupied? I hear you are an animal lover, and I would be willing to compensate you for your time and expenses."
******
In the kitchen, Adrac,s eyes narrow on Nirashi,before drifting to Grelm with a smile. "Ah, Grelm. I was wondering where you and your Black Bananas had gone. I was hoping the threat of arrest would've prompted a quick update to your manners. Seeing as, evidently, your companions cannot even best a chef." he mused, nodding at Pudge.
Herral shouts for Davi to duck and just barely in time, she saves her eyes. Then the whole situation is over and done in a matter of seconds. The flaming dagger back in the hands of the sheriff.
He follows Adrac into the kitchen, carrying an empty mug and listens to the byplay with a widening smile.
"Master Adrac, you be gettin' forgettable in your dotage, tis not the Black Bananas, that be the Company of the Black......Banners or is it Bankers? Maybe we should call ourselves summat special loike that? The DarkVales Dark Shadows has a silly ring to it. What do 'ee think Master Grillum? You 'av a way with words p'haps you and your kitchen maids can find a better name when you leave!"
Quietly so only the people in the kitchen can hear, Herral carefully whispers to the monk sotto voce, "you know there be some people, not many, but some, that I wouldn't trust to even 'old a donkey's tail. Know what I mean?"
"I wasn't gonna actually eat the stupid bird. Even if it did almost take my eye out" Davi grumbles under her breath as they leave the room.
Inside the washroom Davi lets Laurel poke at her wound. "Thanks for the help Laurellllaaaghh son of a gnoll that stings" She jumps slightly as the antiseptic hits her cut. Staying still and letting Laurel work on her takes concerted effort. As soon shes bandaged she thanks the alchemist again and drags Anthony out the door.
"Ugh. I don't know what was worse, getting the cuts or getting them cleaned. Hey, thanks for the help there. That was sweet Davi grins at Anthony
Ester smiles warmly at Adrac. "Oh, of course, as long as you pay me a visit every now and then!" She winks at him.
In the kitchens...
Grelm smirks at Adrac. "Pudge is more of a team mascot than a member." The fat man looks miserable, but he doesn't say anything. "As for your team name, shortie, hmm... how about... 'Friendly Neighborhood Creepers'. Or, 'Order of the Nosy Nobodies'."
"The Pig Fart Brigade!" Pudge pipes up. "Heh, good one, Pudge. Sayin' somethin' smart fer once," Grelm agrees.
When Davi and Anthony show back up, Sheriff calls for silence, the magical dagger tucked in his belt. He asks the chef and kitchen staff to give them a moment of privacy, which they happily oblige, glad to get out of the boiling hot kitchen.
"I really appreciate your assistance and cooperation up to this point," Cage begins, mostly addressing your group rather than the Company of the Black Banners. "I think that both of you have a legitimate claim to the dagger. However, I also know that due to your conduct in the taproom last night you are both at least partially responsible for the destruction of some of Doctor Krane's extremely valuable property."
"That's a load of--" Grelm opens his mouth, but the Sheriff holds up a hand to silence him, and motions for the professor to speak.
Doctor Krane clears his throat and says, "The good sheriff here has agreed not to prosecute you if you can pay off the lost shroud's value-- something that you will most certainly be unable to do. I do, however, have another proposition for you. Five years ago, a druid named Willowroot located and recovered five artifacts that once belonged to a forgotten druid king named Narven. I want you to travel to his home in the forest and secure the five items on loan and bring them to me here at the Inn. With their magical auras combined I think I can create a shroud of their former master. Advise Willowroot that for the use of the panoply the items will, of course, be returned and that I will create a second shroud for him to keep, finally giving the burial honor to King Narven that has been denied to him for 200 years. I leave it to you to find a way to convince the druid of my proposal."
"The five items are: the breastplate of sacred fire, the wand of earth's ire, the codex of the firmament, the vial of pure water, and the spirit staff of Narven.. I have here a map to the druid's grove and sketches of each of the five items. Bring them back to me and you are free to go, our deal completed, and you can evade debtor's prison for the next 40 years. The choice is yours!" He says, cheerfully.
He unrolls a parchment, revealing a map that shows the druid's grove to be six miles northeast of the Inn within the Arthfell Forest, as well as drawn pictures of the panoply.
"Just to sweeten the pot," Sheriff Blunnde adds, "...and so that I don't have to post wanted notices all over the shire.." he adds, giving the Company of the Black Banner the side-eye. "The group that manages to return the panoply first will be given the magical dagger. No questions asked."
Grelm smirks. "So that's it, then? Go get five pieces of some panooply before these bozos? We'll have the dagger before sundown." The goblin tugs on Grelm's cape, who bends down so that he can whisper in his ear.
"Heh, good one, Knu. We're out of here." The Company of the Black Banner leaves quickly, eager to be the first to gather the artifacts.
"Lorrel and me waiting here fur them? Or us be travellin' on? Me, I be wantin' to help these foine zurs beat Grillm and his toadies. T'wud be fun."
Quick rewind to the washroom...
To Laurel, Anthony smiles and says, "You might not be a physician, but I can trust you as long as we're in the same room. And you're far better than anyone in the Vale at what you do."
After Davi's wound is treated, he replies to her, squirming, "Err, yes thank you, but I'm afraid I didn't actually do much. You should be thanking Laurel"
After which, he allows Davi to lead him to the kitchen where Laurel likely follows.
------
In the Kitchen ...
After the group receives their briefing, Anthony says to Herral,
"We'd appreciate your help, as you seen eager. Now that we have a map, which item might be the easiest to go after first...?"
"The druid, Willowroot, should have all five pieces. His grove is marked on the map," the professor reminds Anthony.
Bashful, Anthony replies to the professor, "Right, sorry. Let's move on then! The Black Banners are already on their way. We can discuss a strategy for meeting with Willowroot on the way."
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"Suppose I should dress," Sroza mused to herself. "Don't worry, everyone, I'll be quick. With druids and forests involved, we might be lucky and see Grelm get eaten by a tree! Wouldn't miss that for the world!".
Her tone isn't quite frivolous enough for the statement to have been a joke...
Davi barks out a laugh. "Ha! That would be a sight wouldn't it? Even money odds that they treat this Willowroot like they did Adrac; lots of demands and underestimating. Anyone that can hold on to five powerful artifacts is not someone to piss off. Good thing we're such a likeable group" Davi grins at the party as she heads to the kitchen door.
"I'll grab my bags and meet you guys outside!" Davi calls over her shoulder. As the kitchen door swings closed you can hear her muttering "Damn owl better not attack me when I go get Flower.."
Outside, the storm has slowed down to a steady rain. It is noon. The Company of the Black Banner has already disappeared into the trees. The Arthfell forest lays ahead, dark and foreboding.
Soroza steps outside to meet up with the others. She's dressed in the same clothing and armor as the day before, and while the red leathers are still the most prominent aspect of her outfit, she's done a bit more with the touches of yellow silk. Most notably, she's taken two of the yellow silk armbands from the clothing underneath her armor and used them to tie her hair back into a simple ponytail.
"Beautiful day." She states without a trace of sarcasm or irony.
Once the other members of the ad-hoc questing party have assembled outside, she says: "I've got some experience mucking about through nature, but I'm not exactly an expert. If anyone else has a knack for getting themselves from one place to another with all of their bits intact, perhaps we can work together at reaching our destination?"
Anthony comes out to the front where Davi is and asks, "Davi, Can you wait up a moment? I've got some things that are weighing my pack down. Can I leave a few with your donkey?"
As the group disbands to prepare, Tarkus heads up and as quickly as possible dons his armor. While he knows the metallic armor will not help him blend with the environment, he also did not want the only thing between a wolf's jaw and his arm to be his exposed skin.
Grabbing his pack and shield, Tarkus rushed down to meet the others, his axe thumping against his leg as he hurried.
"Give me a cave and I could be of some use, but in a forest, I am as clueless as could be."
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"All right kids, let's get this circus going. Grelm and his goons have a head start, so we're going to have to hustle."
Soroza sets out in the direction indicated on the map, leading the rest of the group.
You've been traveling for 20 minutes at a brisk pace, with Soroza in the lead. The rain slows to sporadic bursts of rain that comes down in sheets. The forest is still and quiet. Nests fill the trees here; they range in size from nests for small songbirds to nests for giant eagles. Only the smaller nests contain birds; a few contain broken eggs.
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Trying to keep up with the others, a feat not made easier with the rain turning the ground to mud, Tarkus knew they were trading speed for silence, but he was ok with that. It was not often that magical blades were offered as incentives and again Tarkus found himself not approving with the Sheriff's methods totally, but he also could not deny their effectiveness either.
As they paused to catch their bearings for a moment, Tarkus called up to Soroza.
"Still got their trail lass?"
Herral points out the tracks to the rest. First the small footprints and then the five larger bootprints.
The halfling shakes his head at the broken trail, damaged plants and poor woodsmen skills.
"Tis loike the Black Banners don't have a care for this land. Oi be wanting to win that there magic dagger more than a trout in summer. Ar we to follow them orcut along a different trail. Followin' be easy, catching not too much, they probably causin' a fearful mess in thar haste."
As Herral pointed out the tracks to the group, Tarkus tried to follow their pattern as best he could, but wasn't sure that his logic of their patterns was the truth.
"Do the tracks remain together further down, or do they split up? Either way, I say we press forward towards them as a group, as I have no desire to be lost circling the same tree thinking I am going in the right direction. Plus I don't trust they would refrain from jumping us if we splintered."
"Roight, us'll do what you wish Tarkis, they be headed right and they be stickin' together. Taint no better way, 'sept if'n you cun fly loike a crow."
Herral is confident that the Company of the Black Banner is not so stupid that they are headed in the wrong direction, and so your group goes on, following their tracks, but also being careful to make sure that they are not being lead astray. You press on briskly for another ten minutes. Soroza is leading when...
Soroza fails to notice a loop left on the ground, half-covered in mud and leaves. The snare latches onto her leg and she is swept off her feet and suspended upside down five feet from the ground.
Tarkus' immediately drew his axe and shield when Soroza was snatched off the ground and left dangling above the ground. Scanning the clearing, but not seeing any immediate threat, he called up to her.
"Are you alright lass?"
<if no enemy presents itself>
Dropping his shield and and sliding his axe back in place, Tarkus rolled his shoulders and said simply. "Who wants a boost to help get her down?"
Anthony comes out to the front where Davi is and asks, "Davi, Can you wait up a moment? I've got some things that are weighing my pack down. Can I leave a few with your donkey?"
"Sure, no problem. Just put them in an empty bag; I don't want them to get lost in all the booze and trashy novels I carry around." Davi teases.
-------------------------------------------
"Someone left a dead rabbit-" Davi's interrupted by Soroza being yanked off the ground. She yelps. "S$#$! Are you alright? Those pricks, they must have guessed we'd follow them. Look, they left us a message" Davi stalks over to the scroll case and pops it open. She starts reading the message out loud to the rest of the group
After Soroza gets snapped up by the snare, Anthony slides a dagger out from its belt holster and says to Tarkus, "I wouldn't worry about it. I can reach the rope from here. I appreciate the offer, though." After cutting her down, he asks Davi if he can see the scroll, first attempting to read it from his own memory of arcane scripts and then from a cantrip he learned from his father.
After identifying the scroll. He chuckles a little and asks Davi, "Do you mind if I keep this? It's got a spell I can use to understand foreign languages. Could come in handy."
A long string of loud, creative, and distinctly explicit curses echo through the forest as Soroza dangles from the snare.
"Am I alright? Oh, I'm wonderful. Just needed to get a fresh perspective on things", she responds to Tarkus and Davi with a dark sarcasm.
"DO NOT cut me down!" She shouts as Anthony begins to boost himself onto Tarkus' shoulders. She reaches up to the snare around her ankle...
...with absolute futility. She resigns herself with a long sigh, "Okay. Fine. Someone cut me down. But we do not speak of this again, are we all clear?"
Soroza attempts to free herself, but fails. Anthony stands on Tarkus' shoulders and cuts her down with his dagger. Soroza falls with a thump.
There are two wolves stalking you in the shadows. Only Davi notices their approach.
Initiative Order
1.Herral
2. Wolf #2
3. Soroza
4. Adrac
5. Davi
6. Herral
7. Tarkus
8. Wolf #1
Surprise Round!
A wolf suddenly charges out from the shadows, straight at Adrac, sinking its teeth into his leg.
"Watch it! There's another one out there!" Davi snarls. She draws her rapier and rushes up to help Adrac
The other wolf comes bounding out of the forest, straight after Elsie. Elsie rears up, evading the wolf's snapping jaws.
Round 1 Start
Round 1
Herral defends the donkey from the wolf with a smash of the morningstar aimed at the creature's muzzle.
But the lupus dodges nimbly, so the halfling stays close but moves around it slightly to open up the fight.
Actually, the wolf was still overextended from its charge, and so Herral whirls his morningstar unexpectedly right into its face.
The other wolf lunges at Adrac once more, but he sidesteps it, despite his bleeding leg.
Soroza rises from the ground, rubbing her shoulder and brushing dirt and leaves from here hair.
"Whoever set that trap is going to get punched. Many, many times."
Seeing the wolves attacking the party and their pack animals, she gives a resigned sigh and draws her whip.
Adrac assumes a defensive stance and slowly backs away from the wolf. Once he is a safe distance away, he rummages around his backpack to pull out a potion of cure light wounds that he got from Laurel, and drinks it. The wounds on his legs close up and he feels good as new!
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Davi thrusts forward with her rapier, aiming for a weak spot on the attacking wolf.
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Davi thrusts her rapier upward through the wolf's jaw and through its tongue, leaving a devastating wound.
Anthony changes the knife grip in his hands and rushes the wolf, lowering his head at the last moment to gore it with his horns rather than actually using the small blade.
Anthony's well aimed attack smashes into the wolf, sending shockwaves crashing through his skull.
Moving to the right side of Herral, drawing his axe again as he did so, Tarkus felt exposed without his shield in his free hand.
~Best to end this quickly then.~
Striking quickly, hoping to keep the wolf from getting settled after Herral's strike, Tarkus brought the axe down with a solid strike.