Our adventure begins in the town of Rhiannon. The slow process of rebuilding is well underway after recent raids by Orcs and Gnolls. Mayor Fellstone, an older man with short cropped dark hair and a beard, has asked you to a meeting at the town hall which is still under construction in some parts.
Katrina stands still in the shadows of the tall town hall building. She takes a deep breath, pondering the mayor and his request. The town has been relatively quiet and peaceful since the raids and she has had to be very careful. Maybe it is time to move towns, her mind meanders over these thoughts for a while. Wanderlust itches at her feet and her hands, or is that bloodlust... Better the demon you know, right? Maybe Fellstone has something interesting.
Upon entering the town hall you are quickly ushered into the mayors office, it's noisy with a almost constant ratatattat of hammers and saws. Fellstone rubs his temples as he offers you a seat and then rubs his hands down his face before plonking them on the desk. He looks stressed.
" Well your probably wondering why I asked for this meeting? " He asks, but continues without waiting for an answer. " My trackers have returned from seeking the lair of the raiders. It may shock you to know that the orcs and gnolls seem to be in the employ of the Duke himself... It certainly took me by surprise. "
" I understand you have some skill at gambling Ms Ardon? Lord Kent is offering a competition at his keep. Which is the perfect cover... I'd like very much to learn why he has employed these Orc and Gnoll raiders to ransack my town. I will front the entry fee for the competition and I have some items that may serve you well. If you discover the Duke's motives behind the attack I will reward you with the sum of 200gp. Also there were some items of significant value that were taken from the town. If you manage to recover these I will reward you for each individually. "
He leans back in his chair awaiting your response.
Katrina is unable to hide her shock at the news that the Duke may be employing the gnolls and orcs. She holds a hand up to check the Mayor’s speech as she looks about to check that no one is listening in.
Confident in their confidentiality, she waves him to continue…
”A gambling competition? Indeed, this is right up my alley. Almost too good to be true…”
She sits back thoughtfully, resting her index finger against her almond-shaped eye. ”Specifics. I need to know the details. How much is the entry fee? What are the stakes? Who else will be gaming? What is the game? When, and how long will it last?
“And then, afterwards, when you have your information… what then? I am always keen for some gambling, but what am I truly playing for here?”
Is he setting me up? You can't tell, but from what you know of him you'd strongly doubt it.
You don't know, though gambling is not illegal and it would only take him asking the watch to look out for a good gambler for him to learn of your skills.
Fellstone lets the stream of questions wash over him.
"The entry fee is 100gp paid down for chips at the beginning. The game is Skulls and overall winner of the competition takes the whole pot. As to who the other players will be I am unfortunately ill informed in this matter... Lord Kent will obviously be taking part the only other certain player I can think of would be Sir Bredwir. The competition is set to run for four days."
" As for when I have my information, you will be 200 gold pieces richer and free to do as you please. Though I believe that Captain Mabon hopes you will invest the gold in property or a business in some far away town. " At this last comment the mayor cracks a weary smile.
INTERVAL BETTING A game of Skulls sometimes entails three rolls. Gaming tables often have three lined pockets on each side, and covers that keep the player’s roll secretive. Each player rolls his dice, sees his own total, and then makes a bet. One player bets first, the second matches and may raise, and the first player either matches or yields (here is where the Bluff skill comes into play). They then roll a second set of dice (in the table’s second pocket), and mentally tally that result to the first. After betting a second time, the player’s roll their third set of dice in the last pocket. They bet one last time and then show their results. The player with the highest total wins the game, and takes the pot.
"Ha! That old Mabon. He still rues that one game of Skulls we played last year. Is he still working a lot of overtime?" She chuckles to herself, reliving past glories a moment longer than she ought to.
Does Fellstone agree with Mabon, that I should leave town as well?
"Fellstone," she leans forward to look him in the eye (revealing more cleavage as she does so), "You have yourself a deal."
(What I am thinking is that the captain has been attempting to put you away for awhile but has never been able to gather enough evidence against you. If your character isn't that 'shady' kind of rogue then the captain just has it in for you for beating him at skulls.)
" Excellent. " The mayor pulls a sheet of parchment out of his desk draw and standing he hands it to you with his left while offering his right hand to shake. " Here is a list of the items that were stolen. You may wish to memorise it as it may be hard to explain it to the Duke's guards if your caught. "
Gem-studded longsword (masterwork)
Mayor Fellstone’s books, journals, and maps
Rune carved amulet
Silver statuette of an elven maiden
I want to dress up, of course. I'd like to pack some summer dresses, colourful and shapely and showing a lot of thigh, and some cardigans to keep warm. I'd pack a more formal dress or two, bright red floral print on a yellow field (something exotic) and a plain azure blue trimmed with gold, both sleeveless with a high neck, form fitting ([strike]Asian[/strike] Tian in nature). And I'd pack some work clothes, black, tough and comfortable with lots of 'pockets'. And a nice clutch or handbag or two.
You head to Xander's place, a man you've met at the dice table on more than one occasion. Nobles come from far and wide to purchase his wares when they want to advance... He always keeps some vials of antitoxin around in case he slips as he works.
Lord Kent’s keep stands poised atop a jutting island of sheer stone, towering high above the forested road that seems to be the only route to this place. The road winds up to an adjacent cliff, and there a stone bridge crosses the chasm to the keep’s front entrance: a set of large double- doors. The doors are closed, and two guards, each wearing chainmail and helmets with lowered visors, cross their halberds before the doors as you approach. “Who goes there?” One of the guards asks in a gruff voice.
Katrina places a hand on her hip, looks him up and down, and smoothly says, "Mizz Ardon. I'm here to collect some Skulls. Lord Kent is expecting me, and I've had enough of the outdoors for today, thank you."
She is frankly surprised the orc can speak Common, let alone that Kent expects it to do so. I wonder if he bleeds as easily as humans or elves or dwarves.
The orcs nod and grunt " You can pass. " says one opening the doors. You step through into the keeps courtyard, a large clock tower stands beside you. It towers high above the castle’s walls and is capped by a pointed tiled roof. Also towering above the castle’s walls are the north and southwest wings. Elaborate stained glass windows decorate the upper level of the southwest wing, while those in the north wing are more subdued in design. The ground of the courtyard is laid with colored bricks, set to portray spiraling, knotted designs. The courtyard also contains a stone well near the gate, and many doors.
A woman of slight stature and long black hair moves to greet you. She walks with her shoulders hunched and moves warily, as if she expected you to attack her. “Welcome to Castle Blackstone, Lord Kent’s home! I am Kara, Lord Kent’s servant, and contest moderator. The tournament begins shortly. Follow me and I will show you to your room.” She turns and walks through the courtyard, beckoning you to follow.
”Thank you, Kara. I am most pleased to meet you. The architecture here is amazing. Is the stone local, do you know?”
Katrina is more interested having Kara on-side , and in Kara’s attitude to the place in general, so she tries to engage in small talk, asking about Castle Blackstone’s history, how long she has been here, the weather in these parts, the supply of goods, etc.
In the courtyard she tries to assess the tactical situation of the walls in the courtyard without being noticed as doing so – are there good spots to climb, is there a possible escape route, how many guards are on duty and where are they.
On the way to her rooms she will continue with the small talk, inquiring about the origins of this or that piece of art or furniture, using her skills in assessing the value of items to keep the conversation flowing. More importantly, she has the list of items from Fellstone in her mind and her eyes are open for them.
Once in her rooms she will search it thoroughly, first looking for peep-holes or other means of surveillance.
" The stone is local yes taken from a quarry a few miles from here. It's some three centuries old though and the quarry no longer operates. "
Kara leads you to a large oaken door which groans as she pushes it open. Beyond is a dim hallway lined with ornate tapestries depicting strange creatures and ancient battles. Kara removes a torch from its sconce and beckons you to follow her into the depths of the keep. She seems happy to chat and you find out that she has lived in the castle all her life having been born here. She answers as many questions about the tapestries and art as she can but it's clear she doesn't know much.
By the time the hallway turns eastward and continues past several doors before coming to a spiraling stone stairway she seems quite friendly. “ Now I'd better tell you what you need to know about the competition. You are expected to compete twice a day, once at noon and again at eight in the grand hall, which lies east of the courtyard.” She says, looking back as she leads you up the stairs. “The clocktower in the courtyard chimes on each hour, and can be heard throughout the entire keep, so you should have no trouble keeping track of time. If you are not at the tournament at the scheduled time, I shall fetch you. But it would be better if your there on time...” The stairwell opens to another tapestry-lined hallway, and Kara leads you past several more doors before stopping at one. She opens the door and hands you the key. “This shall be your chamber during your stay at the castle. You are free to wander the grounds, although there are some areas that are off limits. Such areas are locked, and if you have any questions as to where you are allowed, feel free to ask the guards. Don't go anywhere your not supposed to. Lord Kent is not generally a patient man, and it is rare and quite generous of him to open his home to strangers.” Kara curtsies and turns to take her leave. " Bye Katrina "
You step through the door. A large four-poster bed draped with red silk curtains dominates this chamber. Besides the bed, the room boasts a fireplace, an armoire, and a small oaken table, atop which is a tray of food and carafe of wine. Beside the fireplace in the south wall is a window that looks out upon the courtyard, decorated with red curtains. A cool draft from the window adds to the chill of the stone room.
You make the search of the room and find a long forgotten panel in the stone above the fireplace. It conceals an ancient silver and moonstone pendant, a potion of cure light wounds, and a stack of passionate love letters from days of old addressed to “Aloria of the Emerald Eyes.” Additionally, there is a silver poker near the fireplace.
There don't seem to be any peep holes or traps.
Katrina prepares her dress for the first game: the Asian Tian style dress with a bright red floral print on a yellow field, with a matching yellow leather clutch. She sprawls out on to the bed with a generous glass of wine. She savours the wine as she looks carefully over the moonstone pendant and reads through the love letters.
Katrina gathers up her valuables that she doesn’t want to be known for carrying – her potions, scroll, thieves’ tools, and the pendant and letters – and places them into the long forgotten panel in the stone above the fireplace.
She pulls one of her long hairs from her hairbrush and carefully places it across her bag and one across the panel above the fireplace, hopefully an inconspicuous way to tell if someone has looked through her belongings.
Figuring she still has some time before the first game of Skulls begins, Katrina decides to casually wander about the building and the grounds, with her eyes peeled. She is scoping out for a target for later; something like a locked door in an out of the way corner, or an open window that she can climb through (or climb to) with little risk of being caught.