Ash will wander into the Silver Quill and look to get some scribing supplies to copy over some spells, 80gp worth, and help out at the Market , appraising things so they go for a good price. Tonight he'll do some scribing, but for now, he enjoys the food, some wiskey, and tabacco.
Hey Victor, I learned the funniest joke. What do you think?
I cast Hideous Laughter on Victor.
Victor spends a few seconds rolling on the floor laughing, then manages to stop himself.
Curse you, Temperance. That wasn't very funny. Well it was, but it wasn't.
Hmm...that didn't work as well as I'd expected. Maybe it will work better against humans than against you demonspawn.
I'll have to find some plaything in the village.
Walking up to a soldier leaving the Lord's Dalliance:
Excuse me mister, I am doing project for my mother. She says daddy and mommy need some private time. I don't know what that means, but she gave me an important mission. I am a reporter for the Kid's News, Can you tell me about the Balentyne? I mean, there are some scary monsters out there in the forest. Would you be able to keep my mommy and daddy safe if they attacked? Are there a lot of soldiers like you? Do you live in that big tower? Can I see it? Wow, your sword looks so sharp, did you kill monsters with it? My uncle was killed by a Bugbear. I don't like Bugbears. You sure are strong.
Watchtower Balentyne is one of the three crossing points where the River Tyburn can be crossed, built with the aid of the dwarves, the Watchtower is incredibly well defended, and sits on the southern bank, with a bridge and gatehouse that connect on the northeastern land mass, its the closest crossing point, guarding the north from attacks.
To the North and west is Lake Tarik, an inland sea. To the south and east, the Tyburn cuts a deep canyon until it completes its journey to the ocean. This is the only safe crossing for fifty to a hundred miles.
120 years ago, a tribe of Ogres and their Ogre king were repulsed after the drawbridge was used to trap the king and his men on the bridge while pelting them with arrows and pouring hot sand on them. the "Bridge of Death" has been repulsing invaders succsessfully for a long time.
the one afternoon selling wares in the town market hasn't completely liquidated most of your assets, but you're along the way enough (and have enough loose coinage and trade bars) that you can spend your gold pretty easily. It will probably take 4 days or so to sell everything, longer for a good price on everything.
Although I am clearly too young and innocent to be drinking at a bar, I will continue my spunky kid reporter who's parents that are sick of her sent her out to entertain herself
I will walk up to a "friendlier" looking dwarf, perhaps a female, and speak in dwarven
Hail lady, it is so good to see a friendly face in this town. My aunty was a dwarf and my best friends. What are you doing here? Are you going to improve these buildings? They sure need it. Look like they will catch fire at any moment ()and fall down.I heard there was a stupid old tribe of Ogres and their dumb Ogre king 120 years ago that tested security of the town. What happened there? Did they almost make it?
I warm my host up with Engineering chat and dwarven history of proper buildings.
If I can warm on of the workers up I will ply them for why they are in town, what they are doing and the weaknesses of the tower/bridge. I will play up on known stereotypes/racism (I learned from mommy and daddy) on shoddy human constructions and maintenance.
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RL me is hung over, so in-character me may as well follow. I can't think too hard right now.
I will spend some more time in the bar gathering info while you all purchase what you need. Grab me a few scrolls or trinkets of curative magic while you're out if you don't mind.
(I'll note what I ask for when I can think harder).
Dipomacy Checks:
[dice=1d20+9[/dice]
I'd LIKE to check out the magic market too, possibly. Maybe someone can report back what's there?
You're not really learning anything, then someone stands up in the bar and you find out some new information:
Here's to the soldiers of Balentyne! One hundred of the finest fighting men it's ever been my privelege to serve with.
Ye Merrie Men are coming to town and the handsome William Marcus Marlow is coming with them! Can you believe it? The Bard of Barrington! Here! They are doing the "Fall of Amberlyn"! Oh, I can't wait!
About then, the owner starts wrapping up things. You see the dwarf crew come in in the evening for dinner, and then begin drinking a lot of alcohol. A LOT of alcohol. You count 11, their leader Barnabus, and the rest of his crew of dwarven craftsmen and engineers.
you retire to your rooms. Ladies in one? Men in the other? Neji will be Keeping Watch in the ladies room, and the men's room will just sleep? or will one of Ash, Leo, Victor, Loran stay awake or take watches?
I (wand)cast Mage Armor and Shield, and ready my potion of invisibility. I walk over to Temperance, wake her up softly and tell her I heard something and we Message each-other/Forsythe. Then I attempt to stealth out of the room towards the noise down stairs.
You creep out the door and start moving down the hallway.
Whispers
::It is likely nothing more than a racoon my dear, but better safe than sorry::
I only have it readied. I haven't been presented with anything more than a noise in a tavern/Inn. That could mean anything when not metagaming and this potion was a large portion of my allowance.
you peek down the stairs , and see the Innkeeper puttering about, apparently making a sandwitch. He must have good ears, as he perks up as he pours himself some wine to go with it.
You're up late! Can I help you?
I take my hand with the vial and place it behind my back, take my other hand and rub my eyes
Oh Mr. Innkeep man, you scared me. I had a bad dream and heard a noise. My mommy said I shouldn't have played reporter all day. May I have some warm milk?
Are you worried about monsters too?
go back to bed little one! there's no monsters here! Mitra will keep you safe.
he pours some milk! and brings it over to you.
Don't read into that,... Autocorrect added undue emphasis to milk.
he steps back! brushes his hands and returns to the counter to get his sandwich plate and wine. now get ye off to bed!
and you wonder if his eyes linger on you a bit too long! or if he knows something he shouldn't.
I'll take my time drinking the milk with exaggerated gasps for air when I take a not-so-big gulp and watch him. If he is willing to talk I'll try to chat him up about his Inn and the town in general, nothing too probing
Mr Innkeep man, what is a Bard of Barringtons and why did it fall in Amberlyn?
its late for questions dear! you can ask all ye want in the morning! now off to bed, so I can get to bed.
he doesn't come shoo you back to your room, but you get the sense he's not feeling chatty as he sips his wine and eats some of his sandwich
OK, thank you for the milk and I will trot off to bed, making certain my vial hand is in my pocket. Once out of sight I will whisper to Temp or For to open and close the bedroom door like I had gone in...maybe even have "mom" comment on me being out of bed, but will continue to listen just out of sight.
you hear him listen for the door. and then not so quietly shuffle off back to his room with his snack and wine.
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If I'm close enough to hear, I'll try a Sense Motive if it's possible.
If Neji relays this encounter, including the innkeeper's unease, then I say:
I have serious concerns. It sounds to me like he could have pierced your disguise when he handed you your milk -- an interaction could have allowed him a chance to see your true form.
I'm not sure what we should do to determine what he knows. I could pray for a Zone of Truth tomorrow, but that will surely blow our cover if it hasn't been already
I give Temp and For the "all clear" and quietly head back to the room so they can finish sleeping. In the morning with the group we work out a simple series of soft signals we can use over Message to relay statuses while someone else is in the room. I nominate commenting on the temperature of things. :)
I'm not certain if it is paranoia, but I think the Innskeep may be suspicious. Something about how he looked at me. May have been nothing. I think I'll play it cool today. I did not let him touch me, and I certainly did not see a reaction to him seeing me for who I am, or he has more between his ears and legs than I give him credit for. No, I think I pressed my interviews too far. I will assist you "mother and father" in your trades and keep my mouth shut till eyes on me are no longer interested.
I think I would also like to test the town's responses to an emergency, such as an unfortunate fire in the middle of the night. Nothing extravagant, something that naturally happens in sleepy little town with too many drinks in their bellies. Perhaps we could arrange it that one of you was a hero to gain their trusts. If nothing else it will fatigue the guard should we want to probe their defenses.
I think their weaknesses are the following:
Late night drinking by the soldiers and excessive drinking by the dwarves. We can take advantage of this, perhaps rile a disagreement fueled by booze between the Soldiers and Dwarves.
Ash, do you know how to spike the alcohol to make this more likely?
Temperance, you seem gifted in manipulations, perhaps this would be a decent test for you as well? Would you be able to become and assume the life of a dwarf or towns-person should that person disappear?
Manipulating them to chest beating, anger and racism shouldn't be hard.
Drunks make mistakes and the Soldiers clearly like the ladies, perhaps Temperance and I can take advantage of this?
Although there are 100 soldiers here, they are fat and lazy on their laurels that nothing would dare attack them. Are they barracked here all at the tower? Who are their commanders, what do we know about them?
There is some sort of festival coming with this William Marcus Marlow who may be our perfect distraction. More food, booze and a lengthy bard warbling some heroic story will sure distract many high and low in this town.
The next morning at first light, the dwarves all get up, take their breakfast at the inn, and thank the innkeeper as they trudge off to work in what you guess is the direction of the Keep. They wave to a patrol with some specialized livery that you're not sure the meaning of, seven men on horseback with packs and bedrolls and supplies, as they pass through town early in the morning.
I will gather information, via overhearing conversations only today. I assume it takes me the full four hours, and I will leave the quality of information up to you. . (<--)
Other than that, I assist others in selling materials and aid in any gathers they do. I'm waiting till responses to my comments and plans above
Bellam Barhold is such a lush. He does enjoy his wine, He's always complaining about how he can't get any of the good stuff here in the borderlands.
I hear Captain Varning is leading another patrol out today. I wonder how long they'll be gone this time? The last time they were gone for five days! If you ask me, these patrols are a waste of time. They're just an excuse for Varing to get out of the tower and gallivant around the countryside instead of doing his fair share of guard duty.
Since I am hanging out with Forsythe (AKA "Mother") I will try to aid. Diplo isn't a stong point for me (+1), but if they are knowledge I can help better there (+8)
I'll spend 1 gp buying drinks.
- Balentyne's magister, that creepy Tacitus, has been spending a lot of time working on something in his tower! I don't know what it is, but it's said that something unnatural was recovered from the north.
- Those dwarves are a thieving lot! I heard one of them was caught picking a man's pocket.
- Mad Martin is a strange one! He tends the rookery in the Watchtower. They say he never leaves except for necessities. He talks to the birds like people and has named every one!
- I've heard that Father Donnagin was sent here after the church demoted him from bishop. He got into some sort of trouble - serious trouble i'd wager to be banished to the Watch Wall.
- Have you seen Kaitlyn Mott? She's the most beautiful woman in town! How did an ugly lump of a man like Captain Franz Mott bag a looker like her? And how does he keep her, that's what I want to know!
- Have you had any of Mama Guisseppe'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.
- Have you ever been to the choir hall of Balentyne? Amazing! The priests are such beautiful singers and sometimes the stone saints that adorn the place join in the chorus. Such a miracle!
- Lord Thomas Havelyn is the most honorable and capable commander that Balentyne has ever had. If he can't keep the Watch Wall working, then no one can!
- Lord Havelyn is a good soul but so grim and gloomy. For so great a lord to be unhappy, he must be guilty about something!
- That Captain Zack Eddarly is a handsome one, isn't he? Such a gallant! And still unmarried at his age. He'll make some lady of proper breeding quite a catch won't he?
- They say the 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 those shaggy walking carpets would have learned by now that the Watch Wall is unbreakable!
- Soldier's today! A worthless, shiftless lot! Balentyne is in total disarray. Soldiers today are too lazy, - not like in my day.
- Did you hear about prisoners escaping from Branderscar? Were they ever caught?
- Do you know how the Lord's Dalliance got its name? It was once a brothel! I hear there used to be a secret passage to the basement that allowed the Lord of the Watchtower to sneak in here and have a good time. Of course it must have been sealed up years ago.