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Initiative
Somewhat regretfully, Hrusk draws his axe, spinning and swirling it around him in a great display of weaponsmanship. "Withdraw," he growls, "you face your deaths."
Using Dazzling Display feat to make intimidate check to demoralise all foes within 30ft who can see the display.
Intimidate
Iruaka
____________________________________________________________________
The bandit leader isn't expecting Aralu's lightning fast and agile move, and before he has time to react, her scimitar is sticking through his chest. A trickle of blood runs out his mouth. "Halad...rune.. Here I come..."
Haladrune (God of Death)
Titles: Lord of the Dead, The Veiled King, The
Undying Lorekeeper, Keeper of Secrets, Revealer of
Lost Knowledge, Lord of Lost Souls, The Grim
Reminder.
Symbol: A veiled yellow skull with emerald eyes.
Alignment: Neutral.
Domains: Death, Knowledge, Occult.
Haladrune is the god of death, but he is also a god of
knowledge. Though many fear him, Haladrune isn’t an
evil god. It is said than in his mortal life he was a
powerful wizard who craved knowledge above all else,
and that Myrn asked him if wanted to be the Undying
Lorekeeper upon his death. Haladrune is worshipped
by lichs, necromancers, mourners, the dying, families
of the dying, scholars and morticians.
Iruaka attacks a bandit with his ragh nakas
Drozak, seeing Aralu has handled the bandit leader, charges one of the other bandits, but the bandit dodges him and counters the attack with his battleaxe, hitting Drozak.
A bandit with a shortbow shoots at Hrusk. , but misses.
In between their leader having been killed so quickly and Hrusk's dazzling display, the bandits get visibly shaken.
Two bandits with shortspears try to attack Hrusk.
Rhanviel, upon your prayer to Sibilune, you feel a warm and assuring sensation.
The caravan men with crossbows shoot at the bandits.
Lambrecht shoots his crossbow at one of the bandits.
A bandit with a short sword is about to attack Aralu from behind, when Niusha's arrow flies through the air and hits him right in the heart.
Three bandits attack Aralu, in an attempt to avenge their dead leader.
A bandit with shortbow shoots an arrow at Hrusk.
8 bandits left.
Everyone may act.
'Shoot, now I've done it.'
Aralu dodges the three bandits as they rush her, each one swinging fear but emboldened by their numbers. Aralu starts her riposte with the axeman and looks to move on to the other two bandits once he is dispatched.
Drozak will attack the bandit in front of him.
for damage bringing his curved blade down in a diagonal slash aiming to liberate the bandit of his innards.
Rhanviel with silent focus begins to move nearer to the crossbowmen, bending the Myst to his fingers, holding some pale blue sand in his palms.
Niusha begins singing a lullaby as she bends the myst to her will.
"Death!" Hrusk roars, leaping forward, sweeping his great axe at the closest bandit. "Death to foul betrayers!"
Attack , damage
A warm, grim smile crosses his face, as the bandit's blood sprays...
Aralu, you stab your scimitar into the unarmored chest of the axe-wielding bandit, and in one movement you pull it out and slash one of the other bandits, who is wearing leather armor, with your kukri.
Seeing that Aralu is facing multiple enemies, Iruaka moves to her aid. He flanks one of the bandits and attacks
Drozak, your aim is true. You cut up the bandit's chest with a slash from above, cutting open his chest, leaving his innards to fall out.
A bandit with a shortbow shoots at Hrusk
Hrusk, your greataxe cleaves through one of the bandits, who wears a hide armor and is armed with a shortspear, from shoulder to just under the other arm, leaving that portion of the body to fall off.
The other bandit with shortspear attacks Hrusk.
Rhanviel, you begin drawing the myst to you.
The caravan men with crossbows shoot at the bandits with shortbows.
Lambrecht shoots his crossbow at the last bandit by Aralu.
Niusha, you begin drawing the myst to you.
Aralu, the bandit in leather armor with a shortsword you wounded with your kukri, attacks you.
3 bandits left: One wielding a shortsword by Aralu, one wielding a shortspear by Hrusk, and an archer by the side of the road.
Everyone may act.
"Throw down your weapons if you want to live for more than the next few moments." Drozak says to the surviving bandits.
Diplomacy check
"Hragh!" I snarl, turning to the bandit who just stabbed me. "Die!" I snap, slashing at him in his turn...
Attack , damage
...dealing a severe wound to this bandit in his turn. "Raargh!"
Current HP15/16
Rhanviel finishes his spell, and swiftly moves towards the now sleeping foes.
Just as Drozak has offered the remaining bandits to throw down their weapons, Hrusk lops the head off the bandit who has just stabbed him with his shortspear, and the archer by the side of the road falls asleep. The last bandit throws down his weapon and puts his arms in the air. "I surrender!"
The bandits are defeated.
Loot:
Fine Hatchet (Masterwork Battleaxe, 310 gp)
Round Feather-Adorned Shield (Masterwork Heavy Wooden Shield, 157 gp)
Chain shirt (100 gp)
3 Battleaxes (30 gp)
3 Shortbows (90 gp)
2 Shortspears (2 gp)
3 Short swords (30 gp)
3 Leather Armor (30 gp)
2 Hide (30 gp)
3 Daggers (6 gp)
3 Bucklers (15 gp)
Total worth 800 derims (gp)
+ derims (gp)
Drozak wants a set of hide armour, a short sword and a short spear.
What do you want to do with the captured bandits?
Drozak will tie their hands and feet with his rope.
"Are their more in your band? Where is your camp?"
"There are no more of us. Our camp lies roughly two miles north of here, through the woods. Will you let us go, if we take you there?"
Lambrecht interrupts. "We need to be on our way if we want to reach Palanost today. We can bring the bandits with us and turn them in to the authorities in Aegir's Bridge. There'll definitely be a reward. And you can take the loot and the derims. You've earned it. I know someone you can sell the equipment to for a good price in Palanost."
"There are no more of us. Our camp lies roughly two miles north of here, through the woods. Will you let us go, if we take you there?"
"Is there anything of value in the camp?"
"Yes. Yes! We have pelts, pottery, linen, four barrels of ale, food, and other stuff. You can have it all, if you'll let us go."
"We might have room for the bandits' equipment, but we have no more room for goods in our wagons. And we don't have time for you to go into the woods. We need to be on our way." Lambrecht insists adamantly.
Aralu collects the head from the leader she killed a few moments ago, hacking his head free from his neck with her kukri, she laughs at the initial wet chop and when she finished she places the head in one of the bandits confiscated sacks.
"This one's head will bring the most coin if there is coin to be had."
Aralu joins the interrogation of the last few bandits, "The victims of these bandits deserve justice... or vengeance. I say we bring them with us or hang them from the trees by their necks to serve as an example to others."
"The wares are supposed to be in Palanost by tonight! You can't just leave the caravan unguarded and go wandering into the woods on a whim. Who knows if the thug's even telling the truth. There might as well be waiting twice as many bandits in the camp, and what'll happen then," Lambrecht says, obviously losing patience. "You wandering off to scavenge bandit camps was never a part of the agreement. You can do that on your own time. Right now you are working for me as caravan guards. As such, you are supposed to stay with the caravan, and as Caravan Master, I say the caravan is moving on... Now!" Lambrecht walks away from Drozak resolutely and goes to cut the rope that is streched across the road. He then hops on the front wagon, stands up on the driver's bench and looks back to the wagons behind him. "We're moving on! Get them horses moving!" He looks at Drozak. "Do you want to keep to your contract and stay with the caravan, or do you want to go into the woods? Your choice."
A few hours later you reach the end of the Brinwood, and a few miles after that you reach the andaran town Aedgir's Bridge, where you turn in the captured bandits to the authorities who pays you 40 derim for them. The bandit leader's head fetch you 200 derims . You then cross the wide stone bridge over the Palanar River, which is fortified with a gatehouse and guarded by Andaran Lions. The Andaran Lions look over Lambrecht's papers and you are allowed to cross.
During the afternoon you pass through several farming villages, and you pass Laman's Fork, the town where the road to Brost and the road between Palanost and Olscar join.
Palanost
It is evening when the tall walls of Palanost comes into sight. You pass by several other wagons and a contigent of Andaran Lions on horseback who rides by you with haste. There is farmland on each side of the road, and several houses along the road, a couple of them inns.
When you reach the barbican of Palanost's South Gate, guards in chainmail and red and dark green uniforms overseen by a knight wearing a full plate, a winged full helm and a dark green cloak, look over Lambrecht's papers, and begin inspecting the goods in the wagons, while snarling lions carved out of the same dark stone of the wall they are adorning, watch you menacingly from each side of the gate. A large banner hangs over the gate displaying Palanost's coat of arms - a golden galleon beneath a bright sun on a red and dark green background.
When the guards are done inspecting the wagons, Lambrecht is lead into an office to pay tariff. The whole process takes about an hour, before you are waved through the barbican.
On the other side of the barbican, Market Street, which is the main street through the Market District, begins. The wide cobbled street is lined with two-story and three-story houses, shops and taverns. The shimmering golden spires of what must be a huge building can be seen far away.
Abalor (God of the Sun)
Titles: Lord of the Sun, The Vigilant, The Eye in the
Sky, The Brilliant, The Judge.
Symbol: Stern orange face in yellow sun.
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Domains: Judgment, Leadership, Sun.
Abalor is the God of the Sun. He watches the world of
mortals during the day, and sustains life on Myrndur
with the light and warmth that it requires. He has seen
a lot since Myrndur’s creation and he is the judge of
all. Abalor believes strongly in justice, honor, order,
and righteousness, and his clerics strive to uphold such
principles. Many of his devoted followers are people in
positions of leadership, but not only rulers venerate the
God of the Sun. His clerics typically wear white
vestments with the symbol of Abalor on the chest.
A mile down Market Street you reach the marketplace, a large plaza filled with people and booths. A great limestone temple towers over the marketplace.
Girantir (God of Trade)
Titles: The Coin Doubler, The Lord of Commerce,
The Accumulator, The Lucky Merchant.
Symbol: Purse of coins.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
Domains: Trade, Travel, Knowledge, Luck,
Protection, Resolve.
Girantir is the god of merchants, wealth and luck. He
is worshipped by bankers, traders, merchants, and
people who want to become wealthy. A common
blessing in Myrndur is “Girantir’s fortune upon you.”
Girantir (God of Trade)
Titles: The Coin Doubler, The Lord of Commerce,
The Accumulator, The Lucky Merchant.
Symbol: Purse of coins.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
Domains: Trade, Travel, Knowledge, Luck,
Protection, Resolve.
Girantir is the god of merchants, wealth and luck. He
is worshipped by bankers, traders, merchants, and
people who want to become wealthy. A common
blessing in Myrndur is “Girantir’s fortune upon you.”
"You see that large green building over there?" Lambrecht says and points to a green three-story building with a dark green slate roof. "That's the Yawning Wyrm. Meet me there in an hour, and I'll have the payment ready for you. I need to see Master Adler before I can pay you. In the meantime, you might want to sell the loot you've obtained over at Uradin's Armaments. That's the building over there with the large chimney." Lambrecht points to a building with a large chimney, from where thick black smoke slowly rise toward the evening sky. A big sign with a shield, a sword and an axe on it hangs over the door. "Uradin 'Firebeard' Tarsak is a renowned smith. He trades in weapons and armor, and his prices are fair. The shop should still be open. Tell him I sent you. And good work fellows, the way you took care of the shamblers and the bandits in the Brinwood."
Forty derim for live bandits? I would have gladly paid twice that to see them hang.
Aralu regards Lambrecht with a quiet nod as he heads off to retrieve his payment. Removing her hood and face guard she regards the others still remaining.
I'll help haul our spoils to Uradin's Armaments for trade." Aralu says with an emotionless stare fixed someplace distant. "Many of my people would say you honored them with this journey. I hope this is not the time to state as such, because I hope this is not the end."
"I'll follow along as well."
Rhanviel was thankful for many things this day. Every derim helped push him towards unlocking the key to killing the demon in his wood, and the fact that none of the Lions noticed him was also a blessing from Sibilune. Perhaps if he could figure out a way to help the trade about to go down, he could collect a slight few more derim for his cause...
Uradin's Armaments
A bell rings as you enter through the door. The shop if full of weapon racks and armor stands. You can hear the bellows and hammering from the forge in the backroom of the shop. A dhouvarr with orange hair and beard in a once green apron, now darkened with soot, stands behind the counter in the shop, examining a beautiful ornate longsword with a lion's head pommel.
"A Lion's Fang. A beauty isn't she? I make them especially for the Knights of the Lion."
He looks at you, smiles and puts the sword on the counter.
"Welcome to Uradin's Armaments. Finest weapons and armors this side of the Raluvin. I am Uradin Tarsak. How may I be of service?"
Aralu stares back at Uradin at what seems like an eternity before speaking, "We have just arrived in town completing our escort of Lambrecht and his goods. Lambrecht said you'd offer us fair trade and prices on some items we commandeered from some bandits. Is our employer correct?" She asks as she adjusts the bundle of weapons she has slung over her shoulder.
"Aye. Let me see what you've got and I'll give you an offer."
The dhouvarr puts on a pair of spectacles and carefully inspects the weapons and armor.
"The axe and the shield is fine craftmanship. The rest of the stuff is not in the best condition. But I'll take it off your hands. I'll give you 300 derims. What'a you say?"
Hrusk isn't the wisest of warriors, but he's smart enough to know when others are best-able to handle delicate negotiations... and tough enough to know they won't try and short him of his share. That said, he'll lay claim to a shortsword "This will cut my meat most finely," he smiles, "most finely indeed."
Aralu looks to the others as she raises an agreeable brow, "Seems more than fair, no?" she asks, seeking agreement from the others before agreeing to Uradin directly. "At these prices, maybe we can take today or tomorrow to go looking for the remains of the Brinwood Brethren campsite.
"Hrusk will accompany his comrades, whichever battle you wish to lead us into..." He half-sighs, in a way that makes you think, perhaps, he'd rather his powerful hands were kneading dough rather than cracking skulls.
Uradin takes the equipment and pays you 300 derims.
"A pleasure doing business with you. Come back again next time you have equipment to sell, if you need to have your weapons and armor repaired, or if you want to buy some quality weapons and armor. Oh, and give Lambrecht my regards."
Aralu silently regards the smith with a nod, and pauses a long moment to stare at the lion blade Uradin was so proud of. It made her despise her ill crafted weapons, hated them for how she treated them, how others made her treat them.
After some time of thought Aralu will leave for the place across the way to meet Lambrecht for payment.
The Yawning Wyrm
Inside the Yawning Wyrm there is a large cauldron over a fireplace in the middle of the main room. The smell of the stew that cooks in the cauldron mixes with the smell of tobacco smoke, as many of the patrons smoke their pipes. The walls on the inside are the same green as on the outside and on the wall above the bar there hangs a sculpture of a dragon with a gaping mouth made of bronze. Several framed paintings hang on the walls. They display such scenes as Palanost, the palanaran countryside and a group of adventurers fighting a dragon.
A man with grey hair and a thick grey moustache and an eyepatch over his right eye stands behind the bar. He wears a a white shirt, a purple waistcoat, a red cravat and brown trousers. One of the paintings bear a striking resemblance to the innkeeper, albeit in banded mail and with a sword and shield. A tall and muscular humanoid covered with rust-red fur, a mane of long braided hair, the face of a lion and the antlers of a deer, wearing a shimmering scale mail and with a two-handed sword on his back, stands by the bar, drinking from a large tankard.
A group of men, all wearing bright orange and red uniforms, sit at one of the tables playing cards.
Another table is occupied by an aratheël man in a reb robe with long silvery hair, a krimir in a leather tunic with a scar across his face smoking pipe, and a man in a chainmail with skin white as snow which almost seems to glow and bright emerald eyes.
The rest of the patrons are commoners, merchants, and a few nobles.
A minstrel with a brown and gold feathered floppy hat in a red outfit sits by the fireplace and plays his lute and sings a song that goes like this:
Reginald was a hunter,
a hunter in the Vale of Brynsheir,
Reginald was a hunter,
he hunted both rabbit and deer,
Until a day, he went astray,
in the woods of the Vale of Brynsheir,
And came upon a monster,
a monster that filled him with fear
Reginald was a hunter,
a hunter in the Vale of Brynsheir,
Reginald was a hunter,
he hunted both rabbit and deer,
The beast he met was ferocious,
scaly and big as a bear
Reginald was killed and dragged
to the cave that was its lair
Reginald was a hunter,
a hunter in the Vale of Brynsheir,
Reginald was a hunter,
he hunted both rabbit and deer,
Now Reginald is dead and gone,
slain in the Vale of Brynsheir,
The widow of his, lies in her bed,
and soaks the sheets with tears,
Seen one tavern, you've seen them all. Good a time as any to start planning, can't put it off forever.
Always feeling out of place, Aralu remains by the door, moving only after she realizes she's obstructing another's path. She stands by the entrance for a long while, waiting for Lambrecht to arrive. Aralu instinctly pulls her hood back up over her head.
Should the other members of the recent mission move someplace in the room, she gravitates towards wherever the majority gathers.
Drozak will get a drink from the bar, then find a place with several seats to sit.
Drozak As you approach the bar, the big red-furred bhakiri takes a big swig from his tankard, wipes his mouth and studies you with his yellow feline eyes.
"You adventurer like Kajala?" The bhakiri sounds a bit drunk.
Drozak will take two and pay with a silver.
"I know not who you speak of."
"I am Kajala!" The bhakiri points to himself. "I am bhakiri. Free. I no listen to Dru'uth. Dru'ithi cast me out. I make own way!" Kajala takes another big swig from his tankard, staggers for a bit and places a hand on the bar counter to better hold his balance. "Kajala travel looong way from Chiath. See many things. Kill many monsters. Adventurer, Kajala is. Great adventurer!"
"Well met my friend, I am Drozak. There is nothing better than a good drink after a good fight is there."
"Kajala fight gooood! Other day, Kajala in ruins. Kajala with Talaath. Kajala and Talaath fight shamblers and skeletons. Kajala and Talaath look for big ruby. Kajala and Talaath find room with ruby and big statue. Statue attack! Talaath die. Kajala barely make it out alive... Now Kajala alone again..." The bhakiri looks down with a sad expression.
"Did you get the ruby at least?"
"No. Ruby still in ruins. Ruby stuck in stone. Statue come alive. Kajala and Talaath fight statue. Statue kill Talaath. Kajala take big punch from statue. Kajala leave. Kajala no other choice."
"If Kajala share profit equally with all, Drozak may have some friends to help recover the ruby and avenge your friend."
The bhakiri seems to lighten up a bit. "Kajala share. Kajala take Drozaak and friends to ruins tomorrow, yes?"
"If my friends agree yes, I will go and speak with them now."
A while later, Lambrecht enters the tavern with three other men. One of them is a bald man with a thin grey beard and goldrings in his ears wearing a dark blue noble's outfit and a black cloak. The other two look like guards. One of them carries a wooden box.
"May I present to you, Pedrovus Adler. Your employer."
"So you are the men who saved my goods. Lambrecht have told me about your bravery and how well you fought. I wanted to thank you personally."
He motions to the guard holding the wooden box, and he places the box on the table in front of you and opens it. In it there are six leather pouches.
"Six hundred derims. A hundred derims in each pouch. And I have a proposition to make. In a week I've got another caravan planned. This time for Kaelad's Creek. It's a significantly shorter trip, and only three wagons, so the pay will be less. Fifty derims each. What say you?"
Niusha orders mead and will applaud the minstrel.
Nothing like a drink after a hard day. Now whr are the strapping lads and buxom lasses?
After a few rounds Niusha will break into song praising her favorite drink.
We're merry men of Andara
So sturdy and so stout
When the day is done
When it's time for fun
We'll drink and sing and shout!
You weak livered milk drinkers
Can let your throats run dry
Cause there's just one drink
That we will sink
Until the day we die
Drinking mead,
The maidens and the men!
We swig our brew
Until we spew
Then we fill our mugs again!
You can keep your filthy Absinthe
It makes our bellies bleed
Cause when we raise our flagon
To another dead dragon
There is just one drink we need...
MORE MEAD!
Chug a mug of mead
And another mug of mead
Chug another mug of mead
Till you fall down
Chug a mug of mead
And another mug mead
Chug another mug of mead!
After the long hard days
Of hunting and of war
Our throats are tired and thirsty
And our bodies drenched in gore
But we won't spend our evenings
Feeling tired and feeling spent
We perk right up when we breathe in
That wholesome honey scent
That Applejack
Too fruity for these tongues
You can keep your fancy alto wine
It tastes like horse dung!
But here we like it plain
Just fill my mug
With the mighty jug
Of honey, heart and grain
Drinking mead,
The maidens and the men!
We swig our brew
Until we spew
Then we fill our mugs again!
You can keep your filthy Absinthe
It makes our bellies bleed
Cause when we raise our flagon
To another dead dragon
There is just one drink we need...
MORE MEAD!
Chug a mug of mead
And another mug of mead
Chug another mug of mead
Till you fall down
Chug a mug of mead
And another mug mead
Chug another mug of mead!
"If we are to agree to your contract Lambrecht, it requires our remaining here for a weeks time." Aralu interjects as she joins the gathered party and makes account of her coins."You need assurances that we will guard you, and we need assurances that you will honor your end of the deal as well."
She looks Lambrecht in the eyes, haggling, "Cover the costs of room and board at a standard inn, or up the rate. We like working for you, and you know we're worth it."
There is a glimmer of sincerity in her cold tone; probably an accident.
Lambrecht looks at Pedrovus, who considers your terms for a moment, before he nods and says:
"I agree to your terms. I will pay for your accomodations and two meals each day. You'll be staying here at the Yawning Wyrm. I will make the arrangements with Yanis right away. Enjoy your stay in Palanost, and be prepared to move out next Vodensday. Lambrecht will be staying here as well. So if you have any questions, you ask him."
Pedrovus and his men goes to speak with the innkeeper, before they leave. Lambrecht stays.
"A week's room and board. Good on you fellas. And I can tell you the beds are comfy, the food is good and the evenings are lively here at the Yawning Wyrm. Next round's on me." he says with a grin, and goes to order a round.