The question becomes: do you start traveling now, in order to be at the Camp by late afternoon, or do you wait until sunup?
The party leaves long before sunrise, wanting to make way to the Camp as quickly as possible. By noon, your destination is in sight, although what you see might want to make you turn back. Even at a distance of a mile, you can make out little more than tents, makeshift buildings, and little else. As you get closer, nothing about the place makes an improvement upon the first impressions.
As you ride to the edge of the Camp itself, you see a conglomeration of tents, 'buildings' that are little more than tar, a little thatch, and some hope, and a few, almost random, structures made from local materials like stone. From where you sit on your horse, you can easily see the common area of this place. It is marked, almost dead center, with a platform, a hangman's noose, and a man hanging from it. A placard hanging on his chest reads CHEATER! and it is almost blackened from exposure. There are dusty trails leading in several directions from this point.
From left to right, you can make out the following: a sod house with well recessed windows; a wooden structure that appears to be some kind of lodging place (); a small chapel, which appears to have been made of mud bricks; another structure, made out of mortared stone (this small, almost round building easily stands out from any others in sight); a blacksmith's house and workshop; a tavern (); and some kind of market. Where you go from here is up to you.
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"Is that a hanged man?" - Calendir inquires as he drops from the horse, just like Ruul had done a few seconds earlier.
"I'm sure this place is as inviting as can be, if their dead are displayed on the public square..." - he adds with a chuckle to his feline companion - "So much for civilization heh Lagash? Stay sharp brother"
Turning to his companions he cautions - "Anyone seen Macavity? I'd say we should keep on the lookout in this place... Lets head to the tavern then"
Macavity stealthily leads the team into the Camp. He surveys the solid looking structures on the east of the map, especially the one that looks next to a corral. As soon as an inn and stables are identified, he heads back to tell the team.
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What a dump. I'm not sure what lodgings are like here, but we might be safer, warmer, and richer sleeping outside like we did on the way here. Besides which, we have a limited number of these 'iron bits' and I'd rather not deal with the exchange rates to gold and silver, which I'm sure are usurous.
Numair stays mounted, looking around for any inhabitants.
[dice=Perception]1d20+16
[dice=Perception]1d20+16Ruul dismounts the beast that's been carrying him and begins to lead it on foot/hoof.
"I am beginning to understand why this place is called the Camp even though it's been around for some time", he comments towards the various ramshackle structures.
"Our first goal should be finding a secure place to keep our things and rest."
You see a few people about, but not many. The market is where most of the people are that you can see. Perhaps 5 or 6 plus another 8 to 10 merchants. The ramshackle nature of the market makes it hard to tell who is buying and who is selling.
[dice=Perception]1d20+13
[dice=Perception]1d20+13
Homey. I believe I can read two signs from here. the wizard comments. By all means let us hasten to our new home. Oh, and while we are here, ... nobody cheat.
We head to the tavern, Bender Brothers, unless there is an encounter.
"How... quaint," Kallistiel says, sneering slightly at the various hovels in the area.
"'The Sip o' Blood'... That just exudes an air that makes one think of wonderful food and drink. And 'Bender Brothers'... For an inn or whatever that is... Wonderful. It just screams, 'please stay here'. It's probably what one looks for in a place to stay... If one cannot find a suitable hole in the ground."
We head to the tavern, Bender Brothers, unless there is an encounter.
Calendir walks with his bow strung, senses alert and keeping an eye on every shadow - "How can it be that there is no one around...?"
Without averting his eyes from their surroundings, he whispers to the feline - "Lagash, do you smell anything?"
[dice=Lagash Perception]1d20+5
We head to the tavern, Bender Brothers, unless there is an encounter.
The 'building' that you are walking towards is a bit of a rambling mess. Made almost exclusively (at least from the outside) of wooden planks that might have come from various wagons, the place looks rundown at best. That being said, it looks sturdy enough; there are no holes that you see anyway.
You walk inside and see that the place is a bit...cozy would likely be the best word. You see immediately to your left a small counter that comes up to about chest height on most people (). In front of you area couple of weather worn couches, with hallways leading left, right, and center. The ceiling is low enough that large men will find themselves bouncing their heads off of door frames ()
From the back, you can hear what is apparently a shouting match between two females. From one you hear:
"Look, toadfeet, it wasn't my fault that you don't know how to handle a snare."
From the other one, she returns with:
"Oh, and you're the expert on catching game now, plumperpimple?"
Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that I was talking to Ms. Big Game Hunter! I guess that doe just walked into the kitchen by itself last week then, huh?"
"Well at least I don't have to practically go all the way to that stinkin' town of Gundrun to find anything of use. I can catch stuff and not even leave the camp."
Ruul cranes his head taking special care not to scrape up the ceiling with his horns.
"Hullo", the bull minotaur offers the tiny women.
"My companions and I would like lodging for ourselves and our mounts."
"Yea, you betcha. Grabbin' a goat from the merc's camp is far better than..."
Two heads duck out from the around the kitchen and through the curtain that separates that area from the rest of the main area. Both are round in face, with green eyes and blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail. You're pretty sure they are twins (it beats the alternative that one was screaming at herself), and pretty ones at that. One of them looks up at you, while the other looks at the rest of the party. With a big grin on her face, she says to you, "My you are a big, strapping lad, ain't ya? What can we do for you good people?" There's a bit of a accent to her as she speaks.
"Oh, was it Maulf? That was nice of him if it was." Both ladies come out into the main area, with Jashanah stepping up to the counter (via a footstool), while Jeblie walks up to the rest of the party. Jashanah has produced a pair of glasses, which are perched on her somewhat round nose and says "So how long do you plan to stay at this magnificent dump, called 'The Camp?'"
"Jash, don't be so rude. They're here to commence business, not be discouraged by the likes of you." Turning to look at Lavinia, Jeblie continues. "The house currently vacant, other than us, of course," nodding to her sister. "We have just enough for all of you, although your minotaur warrior there is likely to be hanging his feet off of the bed."
"As to your other question, that guy out there got caught cheatin,' and either didn't have enough brains or enough brawn to get away with it, pure and simple. If you're going to do something stupid in this place, make sure you have backup, or you'll be hangin' from the rafter after that poor sod out there."
"At least a month. Perhaps longer. It is difficult to say."
"Oh, well, that will a long time, that is." Jeblie smiles beatifically at you. "We can certainly accommodate you and your needs. It will be 5 bits per night for each person staying here. Also, we only serve supper here, which is an extra bit normally, but since you're going to be our guests for awhile, we can call that 6 bits per week, with Sunday's and tonight on the house. Will all eight of you be staying here?"
Slipping his massive hand around Lavinia's, he follows up on her question.
"And who was in charge of seeing justice done to this cheater?"
"Well, it started out that the attackers caught the man and started beating the tar our of him. The Usurer came out with his hammer and allowed both sides to speak. Then he stated, as he usually does, that might makes right and allowed the men who were cheated to mete out punishment. The man had cheated, and got caught before, but got off light. So it was decided, and there he is."
Jeblie and Jashanah look at each other for a moment. Then Jash looks back at both you and Ruul. "Well, depending on what you have, we can probably swing some kind of bargain, but iron bits are still going to be part of the trade, regardless. We don't exactly have the stuff growing out of ears, you know." Jash tries to say this as a joke but it somehow comes off...slightly off. Like a joke that you're not sure you should laugh at.
Disguised (Hat of Disguise) as a simple Tien traveler, Macavity leans against the wall in shadow.
"Ruul, Lavinia, remember you do not need to secure a place to sleep or eat for me. I'll keep out of the way." He says with a slight nod.
Picking up on what Jashanah said, Macavity continues, "Madame Bender, did you say the Usurer's law here is 'might makes right?' Who else resides in this camp would you say could distribute justice more wisely that that? Yourselves?" He treacherously and quietly asks from beneath his cowl.
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Good lady, since we do not yet know the exchange rate we can not be sure what we can afford. But surely you can offer a better discount than that for so many rooms for such a long time when you have no other customers. I do not want to have to camp out here at the camp but I am prepared to do so if need be.
Disguised (Hat of Disguise) as a simple Tien traveler, Macavity leans against the wall in shadow.
"Ruul, Lavinia, remember you do not need to secure a place to sleep or eat for me. I'll keep out of the way." He says with a slight nod.
Picking up on what Jashanah said, Macavity continues, "Madame Bender, did you say the Usurer's law here is 'might makes right?' Who else resides in this camp would you say could distribute justice more wisely that that? Yourselves?" He treacherously and quietly asks from beneath his cowl.
Jash gives you a stern look. "Look, Mr. Fancy-Pants Cloak and Dagger, it's not like we are sitting next door to one of those accursed Crusader camps so we can call for help when someone soils their doilies. There's no one else out here but us, and whatever crawls out of the Desolation. We've done well these past years and the only ones who complain are the ones who step in from civilization." She says the last word like it was a curse.
Disguised (Hat of Disguise) as a simple Tien traveler, Macavity leans against the wall in shadow.
"Ruul, Lavinia, remember you do not need to secure a place to sleep or eat for me. I'll keep out of the way." He says with a slight nod.
Picking up on what Jashanah said, Macavity continues, "Madame Bender, did you say the Usurer's law here is 'might makes right?' Who else resides in this camp would you say could distribute justice more wisely that that? Yourselves?" He treacherously and quietly asks from beneath his cowl.
Jeblie looks down her glasses at her sister. "Now is not the time to have that conversation, dear sister of mine," Jeblie says through gritted teeth. "Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and if you chase theirs away, I'll chase you away."
Turning her sour gaze back to her sister, Jash exclaims, "Kiss my shiny, white ass, sister!" With that, Jashanah storms out of the room, muttering under her breath in you can only guess is Gnomish.
Once Jashanah leaves the room, Jeblie sighs heavily. "I apologize for my sister's rude behavior. The winter months always make her a little feisty."
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"Hmmm..." Numair muses. "'Might makes right.' The Usurer's got it the wrong way round. It's 'right makes might.' The virtue of righteousness is what gives one the strength to deliver justice. There is brutality when the strongest rule through fear."
He addresses Jeblie, "I wish to meet this Usurer, that I might take the measure of the man he is. Where might I find him?"