"Excellent! I'm not sure how many identifying characteristics are left on the bodies except the lady Adoni and boy upstairs, which wwe can use his letters to figure some out."
"Excellent! I'm not sure how many identifying characteristics are left on the bodies except the lady Adoni and boy upstairs, which wwe can use his letters to figure some out."
"Might as well check it out."
Olias packs whatever he can fit from the manor into the cart. He starts studying from the tome he picked up from the treasure room. "Hey," he tells everyone, "I think this book will really help us in future adventures. I'm learning all about ways to improve my speechcraft..."
"Can we try getting the chest onto the cart? What else needs to go on it?"
I'm learning all about ways to improve my speechcraft
"You're reading a book- about how to talk good? Do they make books about talking less? Ha!"
Thravum wanders away, clearly pleased with his cleverness.
"We can definitely pack the letters from the boy, plus wrap up the paintings in bags to protect them. I can make a box using brush and leaves as padding to transport the potions and the herb case without smashing. I don't have anything else I want to bring, besides this pendant I'm carrying."
"We may want to think a wee bit about rolling into the Cross with this chest. We're towing about a couple of hundred thousand gold coins worth of ingots if me dwarven instincts are right. Might invite a lot of questions, or worse once word gets around. And there ain't no way a town full of humans won't be gossipin and dreaming up ways to get their hands on this."
"There'll be long lost cousins and uncles popping up in every shop and tavern"
"Could we bury it? We could come back for it when we're ready to clean up and restore the manor..."
"I vote we take it, but cover it in old moldy wet rugs and carpets and drapes from the first floor. Disguising the chest. We can say we are restoring them if we are 'asked' on our journey."
"Once we get it into town where does it go? I agree with the singing elf. Bury it. Mebbe we bury most of it and bring some into town so we can see what happens"
"I am also concerned about bringing the chest with us. We could make it look like it is full of tapestries in the most convincing manner but the moment we try to unload it it will be painfully obvious something else is in there. I've never seen a burly dwarf struggle to lift a chest of linens. If we bury it near the estate it could look like another grave. Perhaps we start by showing the guild that we have the deed to the estate now. See how they react to that..."
Oleksandr will prefer to ride in the wagon if there is room and Storm Surge is able to pull the full load. He will not protest walking though and will take shifts with the others if we can't all fit.
He buries his face in his spell book whenever there is ample opportunity for studying. Each night he will cast alarm around the campsite and every morning he performs the mage armor ritual.
"I'd prefer not to bury the chest. If someone comes by this clearly abandoned manor and sees fresh graves, they might choose to go hunting around. If I'm outvoted, I'd say let's take at least a third of the gold so we can at least use it and hire a couple people at least to get the cleanup started. I'm all for feeling out the guild and making sure we don't get robbed, but I feel way more comfortable having 'some' gold with us and not leaving it all out of sight! I think we should bag up a third of the gold in sacks covered in curtains."
Florr will cast detect magic every 30 minutes to pass the time. If something comes out as magical around them, she will say so and be very interested in exploring said magic source. She will need to stop and pray at sunset, and then can take first watch. When they make stops to rest, she will make sure Storm Surge is watered, and will attach a feed bag to his mouth for dinner. When they make camp at night, she will unharness him, curry and rub him down, cover him with his blanket, and hitch him to her tent and let him graze.
"Should one or two of us stay here and guard it?"
"I'd prefer not to bury the chest. If someone comes by this clearly abandoned manor and sees fresh graves, they might choose to go hunting around. If I'm outvoted, I'd say let's take at least a third of the gold so we can at least use it and hire a couple people at least to get the cleanup started. I'm all for feeling out the guild and making sure we don't get robbed, but I feel way more comfortable having 'some' gold with us and not leaving it all out of sight!"
Oleksandr frowns.
"Yes, you are right. Grave robbers are another concern. I agree we could easily sneak some of the ingots into town with us. Perhaps burying the chest near the graves is not the best idea."
Florr nods at Oleksandr, then looks at Olias. "I don't think splitting our party is a good idea, especially with town so far away."
"Our food supplies are sparse as well. Seems like we might have just enough to make it back to town."
"I may have another option if I can successfully translate the contents of this scroll into my spellbook. We can stuff the top of the chest with tapestries, below will be a majority of the ingots. I can perform a ritual which could help lift the chest while two of you 'lift' the chest out of the cart. It will appear to be lighter than it is. I don't know where we keep the chest once we are in town. I rented a nice room at the drunken horse, but I don't know who we can really trust..."
"I may have another option if I can successfully translate the contents of this scroll into my spellbook. We can stuff the top of the chest with tapestries, below will be a majority of the ingots. I can perform a ritual which could help lift the chest while two of you 'lift' the chest out of the cart. It will appear to be lighter than it is. I don't know where we keep the chest once we are in town. I rented a nice room at the drunken horse, but I don't know who we can really trust..."
"Olek, that is a great idea. Hiding the contents of the chest under tapestries while putting some of it in other boxes makes me feel better about having all of it with us. Just in case someone is able to get the chest or a box or two, that wouldn't be our entire haul.
I am going to set up fish net traps each night, then in the afternoon I'll go fishing for 20 minutes during my short rest each day. I am happy to share the fish with all of you to help with our food situation."
(back in Haven's cross)
"Oi! Pelts fuh sale, fine pelts. Rabbit, fox, skurrel. Make yuh-self warm gloves, make yuh-self a hat. Pelts fuh sale!"
Traveling is smooth, and a relaxing break from digging graves all day and exploring the mansion. You have lots of downtime to talk or use how you'd wish. Occasionally you pass travelers on the road, mostly merchants traveling with a few armed escorts.
The nights are pretty cold. For those of you with hardy constitution are feeling fine. Those that don't are getting sick of it. With Florr's fishing, you're feeling not quite stuffed, you're definitely getting enough food (with a few added calories from very very good dry red wine and your stash of ale).
On the 4th day, shortly after your lunch break you notice (Thravum's the first to notice). A fallen tree blocking the road ahead and no sooner than he can say something you all see a number of 9 foot tall lunkish looking fellows carrying massive clubs in one hand and boulders the size of watermelons in the other hand. They're heavily scarred, with massive jutting jaws and very poor hygiene. 3 rise up out of the swamp, another from behind you in the forest.
You all realize you might be a bit outmatched and you're not sure what your next move should be.
The furthest right lumbering brute says loudly "Welll nowa whaddawe A've here den?"
The furthest left "Ooks to me we gota cupla gnomeses tryna be fancy. We'll be needing alla your foods and ALLA da coins."
The one in the middle says "An if you beAVE yoselfs wenaonly gonna eat a phew a yas."
The one in the rear looks to be trying to push a tree down to block the road behind you.
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Olias addresses the group. "Gentlemen! How good to see you all! We are humble travelers looking to continue our journey home. As you can see, we don't have much for food or gold, but some simple tapestries. I have a bit a few pieces of silver on me, that you are welcome to if you let us pass." Olias offers the center creature 4 silver pieces.
Olias addresses the group. "Gentlemen! How good to see you all! We are humble travelers looking to continue our journey home. As you can see, we don't have much for food or gold, but some simple tapestries. I have a bit a few pieces of silver on me, that you are welcome to if you let us pass." Olias offers the center creature 4 silver pieces.
"A Dappestree? Whutzat?"
Olias addresses the group. "Gentlemen! How good to see you all! We are humble travelers lo
"A Dappestree? Whutzat?"
"Yas puttem in deir house like a pretty LADY."
Olias addresses the group. "Gentlemen! How good to see you all! We are humble travelers lo
"A Dappestree? Whutzat?"
"Yas puttem in deir house like a pretty LADY."
"Lemme eata dat HORSIE and Iletta you keepadat Dapperstreet."
"Lemme eata dat HORSIE and Iletta you keepadat Dapperstreet."
"Letsa eat ALLADEM and take the Dapestrines."
He locks eyes with Thravum and he makes the standard military sign for wait for the signal.
"So whazzit gunna be HUGHmees? Git us allada foods, coins AND Daperstrees or we start eatin'."
Olias notices the dwarves and decides to keep the creatures talking. "Friends! Let me think about what kinds of foods we have available. Let's see. We have a can of rations --very appetizing, though you wouldn't think so -- some fish that's been drying out, and... oh, I think we have some apples, but they might be a little bit... Rotten. What kind of food do you like?"
Florr can tell the tattooed dwarf she sees is eager for a fight ("and he sure seems like he can handle those two sharp hammer axes!" she thinks). She immediately nods to him so he can know that she sees him. She thinks with his help they could keep these big, ugly, dumb, and stinky looking thugs at bay.
She then walks slowly to the other side of Storm Surge, placing herself between the closest thug and the horse. "No one will be hurting my horse," she thinks.
Florr listens and constantly scans the area as Olias keeps talking. She's not keen on giving the large thugs anything, though she's glad he is talking and giving them time to assess the situation. She places her left hand on her amulet, poised and ready to strike any large thug that she sees moving with an electric bolt of Valkur.
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Oleksandr is taken aback at first with Olias conversing with the brutes, but after seeing the dwarves he catches on. Gotta keep them distracted. Maybe I can keep them from spotting the new arrivals.
As Olias is going over the dinner menu a noise is heard from within the swamp (located on map).
"Bahhhh Bahhhhh"
"Olias! The goats are back! I thought we had lost them for sure."
<Slightly different goat noise>
"Oh that's Farley for sure, I'd recognize his bleeting anywhere."
<another goat noise>
"How did they get on that side of the road? Those creatures are always more trouble than they are worth until they are on your supper plate. Olias, tell these gentlemen about how fat and tasty these goats are. Surely once you've had a few of them some bony stringy humans would be no good to eat."
Olias winks at Olek, catching his drift. "I thought they were gone! Man, to think, I was all set to eat dried fish and those rations for days. Now that the goats are back, we can have ourselves a fine feast tonight. I'm just picturing the smell of the grease as they roast on an open flame, the tenderness of their succulent flesh -- gods, man! We need to catch them.... Dah, that is," Olias turns towards the creatures, "if that's okay with you, friends."
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"Goats? There's mutton!? Mmmmm...." Thravum is not particularly clever or subtle. He reaches into his pack and produces the small cask, which was formerly full of ale.
"If you leave the horsey alone, you can have this ale. Dwarven, the best. If you try to eat the Horsey I'll pour it on the ground."
Anyone particularly perceptive might notice that his grip on the cask looks fairly odd, while anyone with dwarven military training might recognize that he is "ready".
"Wuh in the HELLS is happnen ERE!"
"Deez folken be tryna comfoose us. But itsaworkin.
"Fooockas. Paye attendshun."
Rurik winks at Florr, most charmingly. and lifts himself from his knee and strolls with his chest puffed, across the road in front of the Adventurers.
"You grotesque abominations of knuckle dragging slobbery are under arrest by order of The Deepflagon Clan of the Gleaming Tower of Doriast. Surrender or be eviscerated with the terrible blows of justice."
He mumbles under his breath into the inside of his shield, and it pulses and hums with a gentle blue sheen.
You see (Picture: Rising from the Mud) behind the dumbest Ogre.
He slowly draws back on his massive giantbone bow, it gently creaks under the stored tension. He aims upwards towards the base of the behemoth's skull.
He then dips himself back into the swamp.
and Rolls for Initiative
"NOW!"
Aengus explodes to his feet, downing the rest of his tankard and reaches down to pick up his wicked hammer.
"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
He leaps from the tree towards the Big Un'.
"ENUFFFFFFFF! KILLEM AND EAT EM ALL, THE ORSIE TOO."
He winds up to throw his boulder.
Florr sees the dwarf with a giant bow seemingly appear out of the swamp but quickly moves her eyes away so as not to spoil his sneakiness. She admires the shining armor and strong, proud stance of the dwarf next to her.
As the dwarves begun their coordinated attack, she draws her bow with a jolt if excited energy.
Olias pricks his finger with his dagger in anticipation of a spell.