Normal time, Drogan is interested in Zull's report before heading to breakfast is read.
She takes her time to clean up and prepare for the day. Clean and neat clothing. She heads down to the social area of the inn.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Morning," Bellam greets you a little tiered from the nights endeavours. "Find a seat and Alicia will see to you getting some breakfast," he continues. A woman looks towards you and smiles. She is currently serving ale to a table of eleven dwarfs but manages to look at you and smile. Once done the darkblond woman makes her way to your table. "What will it be? We have porridge on the stove and boiled water for tea, perhaps a thin ale?" she inquires leaving no uncertainties that this woman in her mid-forties have been in this business a long time and though friendly isn't in the mind set for any nonsense.
Zull made his way back silently in the night and sits and waits for you in the morning "Morning Master, did you sleep well? It certainly was long enough," it comments. "I did ask you asked and this boring frontier town slept like a baby. Nothing noteworthy. Those two idiots you met walked about, I didn't see anyone else. The fortress was a different tale, I lost count of the guards but many men guard the keep at least 12 during the night."
Well done Zull. Now lets go meet the others for breakfast.
Drogan heads down to breakfast. He remembers the people here are not big on magic and keeps Zull invisible and ready to run any errancs instead of being his rat familiar.
At the table he orders the porridge and some tea, He looks toward the dwarves and raises his glass.
Good morning gentlemen. What is your fine group doing up this way. Going over the wall to slay the goblins?
Most of the dwarves ignore your gesture, the one ahead of the table properly their leader repays you gesture with a short nod before returning to his food. Alicia smiles and says: "Expect nothing more from them this morning. They are always like this, over a pint in the afternoon or evening is when they talk with you."
ah, and what sorts of things would they talk to us about? Do you know what there group is doing here miss?
Drogan leans forward and speaks softly to the miss.
"They are doing some work up at Castle Balentyne, if you buy the ale they'll talk about anything I think," she replies before moving on to serving another table.
Than you miss. We will be sure to drink with them this evening. Now if you would excuse us we must discuss our plans for the day.
Drogan tips her a gold piece as she goes.
Now, Vex(or Whatever Name you are going by) my dear would you be so kind to accompany me about the town? We can see what we can dig up about whos in charge and what all goes on here.
He looks to Randu and Erodin
You two check out the keep and see whats going on there. Are we agreed? We will meet back here an a few hours.
No help from me.
"It would be my pleasure" she smiles and offers him her arm. Two lovers walking about and whispering to each other is much more believable than just two random people
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Morning," Bellam greets you a little tiered from the nights endeavours. "Find a seat and Alicia will see to you getting some breakfast," he continues. A woman looks towards you and smiles. She is currently serving ale to a table of eleven dwarfs but manages to look at you and smile. Once done the darkblond woman makes her way to your table. "What will it be? We have porridge on the stove and boiled water for tea, perhaps a thin ale?" she inquires leaving no uncertainties that this woman in her mid-forties have been in this business a long time and though friendly isn't in the mind set for any nonsense.
"No meat eh? Porridge then and some tea," He says simply.
...........
You two check out the keep and see whats going on there. Are we agreed? We will meet back here an a few hours.
"Sounds sensible enough," He says and later when he and Erodin scout out the keep. He keeps his eyes open
And should he notice any heraldry, he tries to identify it.
"Thanks you sir," she says heading of with the tip.
While you are new to the town the residents behave as though it is not uncommon for strangers to pass through. Now that you see the town in the light of day nothing changes what initial thoughts you have it is a small town on the edge of the kingdom and the Watch Wall and Castle Baletyne overshadows the town metaphorically. Walking towards the heart of the town you soon find yourself on the market place where merchants peddle their goods. Passing by a stand with cloth the owner calls out: "Some elven silk for the lady perhaps." Making your way further on you pause by a wine tent where two soldiers loudly are discussing: "They say bugbears are massing up north. I wonder what they're up to? Well, it doesn't matter! We'll be ready for 'em. You'd think by now those shaggy walking carpets would have learned by now that the Watch Wall is unbreakable!
You both head straight from the Lord's Dalliance towards Castle Balentyne. On your way up the hill you notice that most making their ways up or down are soldiers, a few on horses - properly rangers, most are on foot with different armaments - infantry, archers, halberdiers. The few civilians you encounter seem to be well known by the guards and pass unchallenged. To move closer would provoke a challenge. The soldiers seem well trained and discipline although some are a little young. The castle walls seem well kept and the dwarves from your inn are working on improving the constructions. From the highest tower flies the colours of the Havelyn's - a proud pious family with many years of service to the crown and the church. The current patriarch Lord Thomas Havelyn is a shinning example of the family's virtues.
At the edge of the market place a small sign on one of the buildings captures your attention. Burned into the wood in swirling letters is the name: "Aldencross' Arcane sanctuary". While being one of the small timber framed houses near the market place it is the most promising one. Stepping through the door your nostrils are greeted by strange smells, some gentle others strong. It is a well stocked shop with shelves from floor to bottom with many arcane components. A woman in the early twenties looks up from a book on the counter. "How may I help you?" she asks stroking a lock of her dark from behind her ear in front of the left side of her face to cover a nasty burn scar.
hanging outside one of the smaller timber framed 2 storey buildings
"Hello my dear. We are new to Aldencross and we are out today shoping and taking it what it has to offer. This is an interesting shop you have. You sell arcane supplies and components. I wouldn't seem to be that profitable of a business in an area that has a distaste for such things. Have you lived her long?"
Drogan talks to the girl as he looks over her supplies.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Taking a closer look Erodin counts a couple of gaurds by the gate and two perhaps three two-man patrols on the wall. On this bank of the river Tyburn lies the Watchtower Balentyne, the entrance from the Aldencross side where you stand is merely a heavy double doored gate in the wall.
The girl smiles and replies: "Well thank you good Sir. It is as you say perhaps not the most profitable business but I make do partially with the number of adventures passing through but mostly with what I sell to the magister in the Watchtower." Contemplating her next response she continues: "I think it has been a good six years now, why do you ask?"
Randu whispers to Erodin "The Havelyns rule here, annoying pious bunch. We might be able to use that against them if we need to lure them out some time, but it will take a better liar than I"
"Curious dear, just curious. We are adventurers as well. We came in just last night. I have not tallent for the arcane myself. I had no idea there was a magister here. Does he visit here often. I am a curious one and would love to speak to such a tallented man, but fear if he is held up in the watchtower I wouldn't have the chance. I hope to go over the wall and prove myself so that I may joing the ranks here and one day be a famous knight like Sir Balin. So six years you must know something that could help me. Can you tell me anything of the man in charge or his captains? Anything that could help an aspiring knight would be appreciated. I would pay you of course for your time."
He approaches the girl so that they may better engage in conversation.
"Alas the magister visits only once a fortnight to stock up." She replies, then smiles and continues: "I am a fraight I know even less that could help you. Sir Thomas is the lord of the Watchtower, he is supposed to be very strict I am not sure his captains are much more lenient, but you might meet them in the Lord's Dalliance and see for yourself. And that is free advice."
"But we can't just leave here without repaying you in someway?" she smiles at the shop keeper
keeping her destracted might help us gain access to the scrolls
-Posted with Wayfinder
"You said you where heading north right? Just steer any arcane companions you might have or get towards me," she replies.
The Lord's Dalliance you say. We happen to be staying there. I will look for them. Thank you. We will be sure to stock up on any arcane supplies from you. Come my sweet we should be going now to meet back up with the others.
Guess we head back to the inn if there are no other points of interest.
After a day of strolling around Aldencross Vex and Drogan returns to the Lord's Dalliance. You must have visited most if not all of the local shops and craftsmen. There is a surprisingly number of smiths but it is a military and frontiers town after all. All were very eager to peddle their wares but none had that much information. You met queit a number of soldiers off duty relaxing in the town.
-Posted with Wayfinder
In the late afternoon you meet up in the in Randu and Erodin has just been served the first pint of the day when Drogan and Vex returns.
Later in the early evening of this your first day in Aldencross the dwarves return boots covers in dirt with the dust of earth and rock on the clothes. Soon after the first soldiers follow them. Locals join in and soon the common room is buzzing with conversations, laughter and music as a local girl sings accompanied by the sound of a flute play by an older man.
Randu will listen to the local girl who is singing, while not a charmer, he imagines those who perform often keep abreast of the situation.
"Lovely voice," He says
After having finished the evening supper you begin to mingle among the crowd. Finding a free seat by one of the longer tables Drogan manages to emerge himself into the conversation of the local workers. It takes a little while for him to steer the conversation in the direction he wants, but in time he manages to get one of the men to divulge that his wife works as a servant in the watchtower, many of the citizens of Aldencross have their daily occupations inside the walls. leaning over the drunk man says: "I hear a raven arrived in the rookery last night! I bet it carried important news though I know not about what."
Another crowd more readily accepts Vex and the men eagerly lets bit of information slip. One of them winks and leads with: "Bellam Barhold is such a lush. He does enjoy his wine. He's always complaining about how he can't get any good stuff here in the borderlands." Another warns: "Those dwarves are a thieving lot! I heard one of them was caught picking a man's pocket." Trying another way one of them offers an alternative to the food served here: "have you had any of Madam Guiseppe's beef stew? Delicious! I hear she goes up to the Watchtower and cooks a big batch of it for the men every Monday! What a nice old lady."
Leaving the others to work the room Erodin finds the dwarven quarters up the stairs and he silently makes it to the door. It is locked But with a little forces he manages to pry the locked door open. This must be the room of the leader Barnabus Eisenbauch. A quick search finds a complete hand drawn map of the watchtower with all the details an engineer could want.
The girl smiles to Randu when he compliments her and when the performance allows it she joins him. "Thank you," she replies. After a quick sip of her watered down ale she excuses herself back to the performance. She keeps returning once the opportunities present themselves. During the interrupted conversation you learn that she is one of a few performers in town, they rarely if never performs in the watchtower, but she has learned that a bard and his troupe has been summoned. She is ticked by this as the priest apparently have arranged this, while he never appreciate the locals.
As we gather back in one of our rooms for the night.
"I think we can come up with a start of a plan now. It seems lots of town people work as servants at the watchtower. With a little effort we should be able to find four that would not be missed free of family that we could assume the identity of. We also need to go back to the arcane shop and see if she has poison. If not then Randu we will need you to try and gather some from nature. Zull will be able to poison the stew with ease that Madam Guiseppe serves every monday. We will need to kill off the dwarves can't have them fixing more things. We can assume the leader and a couple others and make a display about leaving for the people here at the inn once we dispose of them. Would be easies to kill them as they sleep off a good night of drinking. Tomorrow we will look for the four common people we will need to dispose of and then we will by all the ale the dwarves can drink tomorrow night. After they pass out we will sneak in and deal with them all. It will be easy with the aid of the silence spell we will see if the young miss at the arcane shop has some scrolls of the spell as well as it only last around 20 seconds at the moment. We still need information on the captains but perhaps this can be gathered while working at the fort."
He sits back in his chair pleased with himself at what they were able to find out and plan.
"Nature can be picky, a lot depends on what flora and fauna is in the area, but we'll see. As for the plan, while I'm not a fan of poison, it might work and I have no better idea," He shrugs
"Fine we move forward with it then. Tomorrow we watch the fort and find the people we will take the place of. Everyone get some sleep."
[ooc]No activity in a while I guess we didn't say what we were doing just discussing ready to move forward.[ooc]
Having finished you return to your respective rooms for the second night of sleeping in a decent bed. As you turn in you can hear the distant sound of patrons still enjoying themselves in the common room, the musicians are still playing and from outside smalltalk of the people returning home can be heard. This carefree nature of this night is what you seek to change.
Drogan
Something disturbs your sleep, at first you discard it as a figment of your imagination but as it persists you leave the world of dreams behind you. The culprit that stole your rest away from you is a returning squealing from the floorboards, it is not directly outside your door, it seems to be quite further away.
He leaves his armor but grabs his mace and holy symbol as he goes to investigate keeping up his disguise of course. The holy symbol is diguised to appear as Mitra.
"Zull with me I hear something. Could just be the wind but it sounds as if coming from the floor. We are looking for stairs."
Zull flies off invisible scouting ahead looking for a way down as his master followes searching for stairs as well.
the female too enjoys a quiet and uninterrupted night's rest