A sign above wide wooden gates reads, “Welcome to the Gray Revelation Inn.” The gate leans open invitingly, and the smell of fresh flowers wafts on the cool breeze. There are windows in the Western wall. Dark oaken tables, chairs and benches fill this comfortable, L-shaped common room, and the faint odors of tobacco and ale permeate the air. Narrow windows with panes of smoked glass along the north and south walls allow some light into this welcoming space. A single old woman sits at a table and knits while whistling a rather chaotic and arrhythmic tune.
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"The 'I was wandering around because I could not sleep' gambit tends to work better when one is an acknowledged guest in the lodgings," Kageko points out softly. "If we're caught now, we'd have to field some awkward questions as to why we didn't approach in the open I'm not sure I'd have a good answer for..."
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"What Milady means is that we probably could," Kageko clarifies, "but that if we were discovered, as complete strangers would have much greater difficulty explaining our presence than we would if we were registered guests who merely couldn't sleep..."
She shrugs, then continues. "At any rate, the inn itself seems innocuous enough; not luxurious, but comfortable and welcoming. Just the kind of place a group of weary pilgrims would be thankful to find at the end of a long day of travel..."
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Kageko shakes her head at Fel's suggestion.
"That would be the sensible thing for a group of experienced and appropriately cautious adventurers to do, yes... Which is exactly why we should not do so. We are no paranoid adventuring party in hostile territory who might send one of their number out to check out the inn and see whether it is safe so that the others might mount a rescue should the answer be 'No'; we are a band of innocent pilgrims, weary after a long day's travel, huddling together to take comfort from numbers in these strange lands..."
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"...and that comes back to the problems of not knowing the Razmirian 'faith.'" Marika admits. "Have we seen them doing anything of the sort? Do we need a priest for effective prayer? Is it done silently or loudly? He's a 'living god', after all. It's probable he doesn't follow the usual rules just out of arrogance." She takes a deep breath. "I'd prefer not to make stuff up about actual practice of this faith, it badly increases the chances of being spotted in a lie."
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"Is it really that bad to just rock up and get a room?" Sigrun says with a sigh. "Then we could take a look around the place without being sneaky. 'What are you doing out here?' 'Oh I just wanted a breath of fresh air.' 'Oh I just got lost on my way to the bathroom.' You know? I'm not expecting evil cultists to jump us right off the bat..."
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"That's what I'm thinking at this point," Marika shrugs. "The sneaking up was to see if there was anything seriously wrong or a good opening we could take advantage of to slip in without being noticed at all. Neither really seems to be the case, so the best bet is to just act normally given our cover."
Act "normally" is the plan? Unless someone protests, I'll post the results of the plan once I have a chance.
The party opts to use the inn for its intended purposes. Now everyone gets a clear view of the area. The doors continue to stand open, and through them you walk. The profusion of flowers planted around this lovely courtyard fills the air with an enchanting fragrance. An oaken door to the north is the obvious entrance to the inn, while south are the broad doors of a stable. Wooden gates allow egress to west and east, and a roofed well lies at the east end of the main court.
A simple man, smelling of horses and communicating with only grunts and gestures comes out to meet you. He gives a tight-lipped smile and then waves you to the main building to the West.
Khamul, Bluff check.
I'll give you a +2 circumstance.
Following the mute's direction to the western building and main room you pass through the doorway. Dark oaken tables, chairs and benches fill this comfortable, L-shaped common room, and the faint odors of tobacco and ale permeate the air. Narrow windows with panes of smoked glass along the north and south walls allow some light into this welcoming space. An old matronly woman clad in peasant clothing and an apron sits at the centermost table of this room. Her voluminous white hair is piled atop her head and secured in a conservative bun. She wears a red scarf about her neck and a wry smile on her face. She stands to meet you, headed straight towards Fel. "Addas Grymble my name is. Tis a pleasure to meet you lot. What can I do for you?"
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Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!
Fel chats with Khamul in the lobby of the inn.
We were asked as thoroughly pious followers of Raz the Great and Powerful to escort some goblins by one Ambrus Valsin to book passage to the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, and cross over into Irrisen. We were told to head north and rendezvous with another team who have captured some…
Fel pauses for dramatic effect, Goblins, believe it or not.
Fel continues, He told us “I need you to take charge of these captives and get them out of Irrisen safely and quietly.” Which was easier said than done!
Fel went on to detail the exciting adventures and harrowing combat they faced, along with the entertaining antics of the erstwhile Goblin political refugees.
When he reached the climax of the tale, including the daring gambit the group took in order to cross the river, Fel found a couple of patrons of the inn hanging on his every word.
Fel begins weaving references to the current ostensibly pious mission and circumstances into the tale, seemingly puffing up as he continues the tale.
We were of course responsible for avoiding unexpected trouble between the handoff and Trollheim, which we didn’t necessarily accomplish, but with cunning and might we eventually saw the mission through to completion.
Fel’s details of the mission were exciting and mostly accurate, including some very clever uses of magic powers which he attributed to clerical gifts from Raz. What he omitted was the rampant use of deception and subterfuge which eventually won the day.
Tell these tales far and wide, for the glory or Raz if for nothing else!
The tale concluded, Fel waited politely for the gathered crowd’s reaction.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Marika approaches the front, shoulders slumped and hiding a little, trying to give off the air of a tired and weary teenage girl being made to do something she'd rather not in place of "adults" who should be making her life easier. "My father," she says, trying for just the right hint of sarcasm to indicate that this whole trip wasn't her idea "would like to get us rooms tonight. I think we'll be moving on to whatever we're going to see in the morning."
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Sigrun decides that it's probably best if she keeps quiet. Her strong, rural accent from a place far away from Razmiran would be the first thing to tip them off to something odd, and she wasn't good with lying either. She yawns, casually scoping the place out as she waits for the others to book them a room.
I will update the map, the situation, and the adventure ASAP (but it will be after class is finished around 3:15 EST.) Until then, feel free to add additional Perception checks to Sigrun's.
Addas nods to each of you and adds, "Please make yourselves at home. the prices are standard and you can have full run of the place. Dinner is cooking." Indeed a tasty smelling stew comes from the kitchen. As you pass buy you can see it tended to by a pair of women roughly the same age as Addas. Feel free to move about the cabin,.
It appears that your story holds. The three women, now seemingly convinced of your intentions, give you free reign of the place. They simply ask that you stay out of their bed rooms. (The three nice looking ones in the center of the northern wall.)
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As soon as the dinner is finished, Marika retires to her room. However, once there she carefully waits only a few minutes before retrieving her thieve's tools from the pouch. A quick check to make sure the special iron hasn't rusted, and she secrets the tools about her person. A glance about the hallway, and then she sneaks back out, looking to get a better picture of the house's layout...
The current rolls are good enough to cover the western building. Your Rooms are along the northern wall. Your small rooms features a comfortable feather bed suitable for a single occupant. The door can be locked from the inside if a if you desire additional security, but careful examination of the device indicates that a hidden mechanism allows this lock to be sprung from the outside. The rooms beyond are nothing of note. Countless country inns use the exact same set up.
The only thing of note is that as you approach the stable from the outside you see and hear a singular horse acting up. It may just be reacting to your presence. Otherwise you find nothing else of note.