Triss feigns apathy and sadness, luckily still a little red in the cheeks from the earlier argument with Ozz. She follows along in a hesitant manner.
Nearing the larger room at the end of the passage, you all hear some conversation in hushed tones on your right. They cease as you near, apparently not wanting to be overheard. Six Shields are standing near a large set of double doors, barred. They seem dry and tense, standing in a small group near the door.
This room is actually more of a main passageway, the kind you would expect to see leading to the front door, probably the one blocked by these several soldiers a bit further down. The room is lined with weapon racks containing dozens of spears, and paintings of the surrounding countrysides mural the walls. Side passages split off like the one you just emerged down. The room is very well lit by many lanterns. To the left, the passage ends abruptly with another set of side-doors.
Tease Prods at his captives with the butt of his spear, muttering commands to hurry as he does so. The group of guards give a strange look to your group, but do not challenge you. As you reach the opposite passage, and notice that the staircase goes both upward and down (Assuming you are going up), their conversation resumes.
the staircase goes up to a landing, before turning the other way and returning to beside the next staircase up, making a U shape as it ascends with the next floor's staircase always above your head. The landing for the second floor includes the staircase up to the third floor, etc.
As Adrien reaches the second floor landing, he almost runs into a man absent-mindedly walking by reading from a small stack of papers. He's half-elven, wearing casual clothes, and seems young. Recovering himself from the near collision, the man notices the strange entourage. "Huh, wha? Oh... Where are you taking them?" He asks Adrien, stopping him on the top step of the second flood.
Grellik jumps onto the partially destroyed vessel. He ignores his injuries, he ignores the fact that he was got roused from near death, he ignores his almost drowning and leaps back onto the river which so nearly claimed his life moments before. He looks for Bindle, and for the receipt which took him so far from home for so long. The receipt he had not yet discovered the mysteries behind.
Grellik hits the deck of Bindle's ship, stepping over the benches to reach the hold. The door is still mostly opened, the lapping waters of the Dessarin getting inside. The ship groans a bit under his weight, and Grellik knows there isn't much time before the vessel gives and let's the river do with it what it will.
Stepping inside, Grellik finds his bag, spots no one else, but does notice a floor board removed. Beneath it and near it and several small, leather bound parcels. A couple of the discarded ones appear to have been stabbed from the bullywug's assault on the bottom of the boat, but you estimate that there is room in the hidden compartment for at least one of these parcels to be missing. Besides this, the craft is quickly filling with water, both from the open hold as well as the small holes poked through the bottom of the boat.
Grabbing your pack, you get yourself back onto Beldabar's boat, who rows near you as you emerge from the hold. Rowing back to his smuggler's docks, he answers your question, shouting over the wind.
"Bullywugs?! No! Why would BULLYWUGS be so far from home!? Don't they prefer swamps?!"
As he nears the cave, you both hear a sound and look back to see bindles ship begin to sink as it comes undone from the column, the force of the water turning it sideways and tearing it free as it descends below the Dessarin.
Pulling into his dock, River looks relieved and readies herself to catch the rope so she can tie you in. A couple of cats mewl at you from the edge of the pier. Beldabar lifts himself up, scratching the cats as he does so, and then gives you hand up.
"No additional monsters?" River beams, happy to see him safe.
"No no, looks like they have already made it off. Our friend was able to secure his things, though. Do you need anything else before I show you to your room?"
Grellik pants a bit, winded. "I've never seen them range so far as the Dessarin. There are some up toward the Evermoors, but even then--I am not exaggerating when I tell you this group we encountered was in the hundreds. And stranger still, they made no attempts to secure our obeisance or puff themselves up. They came at us with tooth and claw, so to speak.."
Grellik shakes his head, still confused about what this all means. "Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Beldabar. I certainly would not have made it back without it, and I doubt Umberlee's grip would falter a second time.."
After they return, he simply says"No, no I have had quite enough excitement. all I wish now is to rest, and appreciate dryness and warmth."
Tylers adjusts the packs, huffing a bit from climbing the stairs with them.
"I wonder the same damn thing," he jerks a thumb back at the dwarf. "Ask Lieutenant Roln." He then continues up past the half-elf, setting the packs down a moment and leans against the wall, still breathing heavily.
"ACHOO!! AAACCCCCHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Gods damn I ca-ACHOO!"
Tease breaks out into a fit of sneezing, apparently unable to control himself. He tries to recover himself, wiggles his spear a bit in a threatening manner at the backs of his two prisoners to keep them from getting any ideas, and continues sneezing for a moment before wiping the tears from his eyes and taking a moment to recover himself.
Tease sniffs. "Up." he says weakly, and spear butts the group into moving again.
Tylers gets a bit nervous, putting a hand on the hilt of his sword and glaring at the prisoners in warning not to try anything while Roln is distracted. When the sneezing-dwarf finally starts moving on again, Tylers sighs and picks the packs back up.
The half-elf watches for a bemused moment, and steps aside to let the group continue up to the third floor, where the staircase goes no higher. Strange, considering the tower is much taller than just three floors.
You don't believe the half-elf was satisfied with that answer, but clearly didn't raise any alarm.
The third floor has larger hallways that branch out forward and right, both stretching several dozen feet before ending, with side passages from that, and doors set into the hallway walls. No staircase upward is immediately in sight.
"Sounds good." Beldabar says simply, as he guides you down the pier toward the cave wall, a small passage near a lantern visible. "River, his sword, he's a customer. Now... All of my lower-priced rooms have already been rented out, the storm you see, so I'm afraid the best I can do for you is one of my finer rooms. It's 2 gold, but comes with warmer furnishing, better food, several flagons of ale, and knowledge of where I keep the bug-out closet in case an enemy or the guard comes by, looking to kick your teeth in. It has a better lock, and bath service as well should you want it. Questions?"
River indeed returns Grellik his sword, but seems slightly unused to the process of returning a dangerous monster his weapon, and shows as much on her face. He keeps her eye on Grellik while Beldabar leads them out of the damp cavern.
"Oh!" he adds, coming to a lever and what is clearly the inside of a secret door (Wood and metal latch into a stone facade, the lever connected to a wedge that bars the door shut). "My little fishing spot is an open rumor, but knowledge of it's location is not. You know where it is on the outside, but just in case, I'm going to blindfold you to your room so you can't find it from the inside. I hope this isn't a problem..."
He speaks a bit low with this, clearly with a serious tone intending to convey that refusal will cause... Tension. A good-natured threat.
Tease guides the group a few steps forward, away from the staircase, and sneezes a couple more times. He looks back down the staircase, makes sure you aren't being followed and whispers
"No idea where to go now. We need to go up, at least to the fourth floor."
Tylers whispers, "I'll look around. If I bump into anyone, I'll tell them I'm new and lost, searchin' for an officer to report to. Better than all of us looking lost."
He waits for Tease's approval before heading off.
Tease nods, trying to stifle more sneezing.
Grellik holds his arms out to the side, palms up, and leans forward for Beldabar to blindfold him. "No, no, I understand the need for privacy. However, the room might be a bit more...complicated? Unfortunately, a dragon and a handful of copper is all I have to my name at the moment. Perhaps I can repay the rest in trade? I am not above manual labor, and I can demonstrate my prowess if a sentry or guard would be useful to you."
Tylers gives Trissae a once-over, then smiles and goes on ahead down the large hallway, scouting for a way up.
Trissae scowls at Tylers forgetting momentarily that it's Adrien and has to pinch herself to keep from laughing.
After Adrien moves off to check things out, Tease succumbs to a fit of silent convulsions, clearly trying to keep himself from sneezing anymore. His eyes water, his face contorts, and he does everything he can to keep from making more noise.
Beldabar shrugs, and covers your vision with a large scrap of cloth. "Works for me. Give me the dragon, and put some work in tomorrow, and we can call ourselves square."
You can hear the sound of the passage opening. Afterward, he takes you through a series of turns. Occasionally you hear the muffled sounds of conversation and laughter like a common room, other times you hear other sounds. Arguments, a brief clang of weapons, passionate moans, passionate screams, all muffled.
Eventually Beldabar stops you, and removes your blindfold. You find yourself in a well furnished cave chamber. The ceiling is low (though you're still able to stand upright), but it is cozy. A large bed is adorned with several blankets, there is a bowl of fruit on hand, torches light of walls, and most of the floor has been covered by a thick rug. There are a couple of side rooms, and a dresser and chest are available to store ones belongings.
"Here we are." Beldabar says. "Both this bedroom door bars, as does your front door. You can access your hideaway closet by..." He moves over to the fruitbowl and slides it to a different part of the table, nearer the bed. Nothing happens. He demonstrates with his hands that this is just part one. He then removes a plain red apple (the only red apple you notice) and part of the rock wall near a door slides aside revealing a small alcove.
"Keep the red apple off the spot, but make sure the bowl is here and it'll open." He tosses the red apple back into the bowl, and then walks up and manually shuts the chamber. [b]"You can see and hear out easily enough from the inside, but you should be nearly undetectable. All the same, I advise quiet. Well, that's that. Anything you need?"
After the blindfold is removed, he will eye the room appreciatively. "I see that my coin and service is well spent. And worry not about any ruckus, din, or tumult from within these walls. The only sound you are likely to hear from me is snoring. And finally, I need nothing else save some wine, if you please."
After Beldabar leaves he will strip out of his gear into a loose tunic and pants, tend to any open cuts as needed(washing, mostly, I suppose), and check the contents of the parcel.
Adrien lifts the packs pull of his comrade's gear and weapons, and moves down the large hallway on his right. When he gets about 40 feet away, and is able to see down another passage, he spies the staircase up not far from him. He also notices a serving tray laying on the floor near the staircase. It is covered in a thin blood.
Tease finally calms himself. "Sorry about that..." he says low. "And here I thought I had gotten used to horse dander, hasn't affected me of decades. City living hasn't made animal dander an easy thing to get used to..."
Down the hallway that goes forward, the three companions see something move, and hear a strange WeEeerrkk...! sound.
The wide, white face of an owl appears from around a corner passage. A BIG owl face. "WeEeerrkk!" it chirps/growls, and begins taking a few steps out into the hallway.
Following the owl face comes the well muscled, fur and feathered mass of a creature between bear and owl. Powerful limbs end in slicing claws, its body hulking behind it. The sharp beak clicks open and shut ominously a couple of times as the creature tilts its head at the three of you observing. WeEeerrkk...?
"I.. uh... Everyone remain calm." Trissae says in a quiet tone looking near the beast but not at it, afraid that eye contact might provoke it.
"Did anyone remember the part where they mentioned the Shield's favorite pet Owlbear?.. Careful, they're not aggressive by nature unless they're hunting, hungry, or their territory is threatened." Triss continues to speak in a low tone, taking on a passive stance as not to agitate the huge beast.
Trissae has run into an owl bear once before. Though they don't live in the Evermoores, one time while waiting for a raid, she had to excuse herself from the party to deal with the call of nature when an owlbear wandered into her path. Keeping calm and still, and recognizing that the beast had just eaten, it chirped warningly at her and then went on its way.
This owlbear is smaller than that one, though not by much. It looks like an adolescent of its kind. It's adult feathers are still growing in. Even still, it is a fearsome creature.
"What?! No! Consider it part of your shift to be noisy. Make noise. I'll send instructions down with your breakfast, but nothing will start until early afternoon. Sleep in."
With that, Beldabar leaves. Several minutes pass before you hear a muffled knock. Indeed, one of the two doors leads to a sitting room, with its OWN door. Apparently you have rented a suite. Answering this door, you find your wine and a glass. With your wine and first bit of solitude in months (having spent FAR too much time on ships recently), Grellik sleeps.
"I assure you, Mr Beldabar, I shall be as properly menacing as you need me to me, on the morn." And with that he will leave Beldabar to his business and sit with this wine. He would like to examine the parcel before sleeping, if possible. If there is contraband or some such in it, its better to know now, than if it gets discovered by accident. :D
After squinting at the tray of blood curiously, he heads back towards the group.
"Ahh..." Tease says, noticing the beast. "Ahh... That must be what is making me... Making me... Ah... AHHH.. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... AHHH-CHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
Cavell has just resumed his way back (40 feet from the party) when Tease lets out his explosive sneeze.
The owlbear WeeeEEeeEERKK!!s aggressively at the loud noise and begins to move toward the party, beak snapping.
The owlbear is 30 feet from the trio standing at the staircase, and it and Cavell do not have sight of each other. Cavell can hear the sounds the creature is making, and knows something is there. He can also see his allies standing near the staircase, possibly in postures of agitation.
The hallways are 10 feet wide, and except for Tease's spear, none of the trio is armed. Ozz and Triss have wrist manacles.
Unbuckling a strap on the leather bag brings Grellik to the opening of the waterproofed pouch. Opening it, he finds smaller pouches containing a kind of rose colored, salt looking substance.
Upon waking and accomplishing whatever else Grellik wished to do, he eventually opens the door to his rooms to find a tray with a note and a bell.
The note reads: "Please ring for breakfast, then wait within."
Assuming he rings the bell, River appears minutes later (After knocking in a rather rude manner on Grellik's door) with a covered plate held in one hand, and a live chicken carried by its feet in the other.
"Hello monster. Beldabar has given me your directions for the day, whenever you've finished eating." She says, sardonically polite, placing the plate on a table in your sitting room. "First, he'd like you to make somewhat of a racket, to add to his Rest's atmosphere. I'd avoid causing any actual damage. Also, whenever you feel like you need to stretch your legs, you are encouraged to LOOM around. Skulk the passages, turn away from other guests and stick to the shadows. Try not to let anyone get a good look at you. Maybe even lurk near the common room, staying just out of sight until the guests notice you. Really ham it up, you understand."
She waits to see your response. The chicken clucks resignedly. River looks much the same as she did yesterday, except now she is wearing a helmet.
Ozz looks over to Adrien, slightly panicked. "Stairs?!" he yells.
Tylers hears the odd noises, and sees the group staring alarmed down a hallway he can't see. He realizes he has all their gear and curses, breaking into jog (30') then tossing the bag the other 10'.
"Not far! What the hell is that noise?"
Grellik ponders briefly "Hmm, I suppose I never introduced myself. You can call me Grellik. And, though I had thought he might have used me for a guard or porter--never did this tak cross my mind as something worth paying for--I will none the less be sure to 'ham' it up immensely. Thank you for the breakfast, Miss River.
But I so have to ask...why did you bring a chicken?"
"Travel rations! Jerky! Trissae says out of the corner of her mouth as she steps forward toward the beast with her hands out.
Asserting that since the beast didn't outright charge, this is possibly posturing by the Owlbear. Trissae begins makes light Cooing noises and holds out her arms, as best she can, in a non-threatening pose in an attempt to soothe the beast. She however remains firm, keeping her feet planted in a wide stance, figuring that if she were to run it would provoke the animal to chase.
It could have been several different things responsible. Maybe Trissae wasn't convincing enough with her animal handling attempt. Maybe the food she presented wasn't the right kind, or the owlbear was well trained. Maybe it was the weapon-laden packs sliding noisily across the floor behind her, or the erratic movements of all but Trissae. Whatever the reason, the owlbear charges.
The adolescent owlbear closes in on Trissae, and then stands up on its hind legs. It attacks with both claws and beak. Defending herself from the snapping beak, the claws manage to score shallow wounds across her shoulders.
With this, Tease bolts. He tosses Ozz his spear and scoops up one of the packs as he moves down the hallway past Adrien (leaving one behind).
"Run!" Tease shouts as he goes past Adrien. "Owlbear!"
Ozz approaches the owlbear with the spear, attacking it.
Just barely making contact and wounding the creature, he turns to his unarmored companion. "Run, I'll be right behind you!" he says, and prepares to buy time.
The small, rose-colored crystals are, Grellik is certain, Traveler's Dust. It appeared not long after the spellplague occurred, and people use it by dissolving a crystal in the eye. People that take it are said to be "walking the crimson road". Symptoms of it are trembling hands, slurred speech, and red colored eyes. It is a deadly, addictive drug, and all who use it habitually (which is most people because of its addictiveness) eventually die. It is illegal in most civilized lands, and Grellik now has a couple of pounds of the stuff.
-----------
"Well, Monster." River says after you introduce yourself. "You already know my name. You'd be surprised at the business Beldabar gets because of the dangerous atmosphere his place cultivates. You'll probably create a sensation."
She looks down at the chicken, who clucks once more. "Oh right. Yes. We're going to be cooking this in a moment."
River uncovers your plate (revealing a cooled breakfast of sausage, bacon, fried potatoes, bread, grapes, and a small pile of scrambled and spiced eggs), and removes it from the tray. She then draws a dagger, and slaughters the chicken on top of the tray.
"Uuuhhh.. THERE. Okay..." She says, grimacing at the blood slightly and allows the chicken to bleed on her helmet and armor some. For extra measure, she plucks some feathers from it and sticks them to the blood on her. She then covers the dead chicken on the tray. "Now the guests will have fun considering what happened in here."
She starts to head toward the door and turns back, saying "If you need anything else, just ring the bell again. I'll have someone bring you down a mug of water or ale in a moment."
River then lets out a piercing scream, clangs her bloodied dagger against the metal tray a few times for effect, and rushes, weeping out of the room, slamming the door and yelling behind her.
He will take the day easy, making to to make a racket in his room whenever possible, and roaming the halls with hood up, but allowing fur to show here and there. He will turn away from guests as instructed, making sure to flash some fang as he does so. He will continue until Beldabar comes and tells him he can stop, or until nightfall, in which case he will approach Beldabar about cessation of his duties.
"Like hell..." he hisses between clenched teeth.
Seeing the beast hit Trissae, and Ozz next in danger, he charges it it, drawing both sabres. Yelling a battlecry he slashes diagonally in a great sweeping X across the monster's ribs.
"Disengage! it's a baby, there maybe more!" Trissae shouts as she recovers herself from the beasts blow and reels back with finesse to disengage the beast, moving as far away from it as she can.
The owlbear screeches angrily as Adrien harries it with his flashing blades.
It lunges forward, and tears into Cavell with a bestial fury. The sharp beak grabs hold of one of his sword arms, rending flesh. As the claws come in, Adrien is just barely unable to defend himself. Shallow wounds these are not.
Triss is 30 feet away from the owlbear now, and Tease runs to the corner and looks back (40 feet away from the owlbear).
The owlbear is in the intersection of the hallway, but not completely. Though it is blocking the way straight ahead (where it came from), Ozz could still circle around it since it isn't entirely blocking the intersection.
"Baby my ass!" Ozz says, but begins to circle around to Adrien's side all the same, grabbing his bag as he goes.
"Get out of here!" He hollers at Cavell, attacking the owlbear to try and get its attention.
The owlbear is looking rather injured, many wounds bleed as it fights with the bogsharks in the tower.
"Ozz! you save Adrien then get up here! I mean it!" Trissae yells before making her way further in, looking for a useful escape or place to pinch off the beast's persuit.
Having approached Beldabar about his shift, he finds the man grinning. "I tell ya, despite the turmoil in the city, it has done wonders for my little business! With you on top of it, lurking around to a nearly full house, rumors will spread and business will get even better, I'm sure of it!"
Indeed, as Grellik had lurked around for several hours, he caught pieces of conversations. It was always disjointed as he was unable to participate in them. There was talk of a spreading illness in town, and it and the storm had sent everyone indoors. Grellik also caught bits of people wishing the weather would clear enough for the show tomorrow, but he hadn't heard what this was about.
"Yeah, consider us square." He says happily, patting you on the arm. "I can show you a side tunnel up if you wanted to leave discretely. If you wanted to march out through the common room though, I certainly wouldn't mind."
Cavell yells in pain as the beak sinks deep into his arm, punching the owlbear's beak with his sabre's guard to get free. He nearly ducks the claws in time, but takes a massive gash across the side of his face, knocking him to all fours, smacking a thick spray of blood onto the floor. He seems about to collapse and die right there, but clenches his fists white-knuckle-hard around his sabres, face dripping with blood. As the owlbear looms over him, he pivots suddenly and slams both sabres up under the owlbear's ribs, screaming into its face with desperate fury.
Main Action:
Action Surge:
Bonus Action:
With both Adrien and Ozz savaging it, the owlbear hesitates for just a moment before biting into Cavell.
Its foe still up, the owlbear attacks hesitatingly with its claws, but is unable to finish off Adrien. Demoralized by injury and its strongest enemy still screaming in its face instead of being dead, the owlbear turns feathers and tries to get away.
He smiles. "Well, far be it from me to deny my benefactor a last favor! Hah!" he face grows slightly more serious. "What is this commotion I have been hearing about? The disadvantage of skulking is that one only hears half of the rumors on people's lips. I suppose it is related to the sickness people have been worried about?"
Cavell takes a weak swipe at it before collapsing, breathing heavily and clutching at his bleeding wounds.
Following Cavell's lead, Ozz also attacks the retreating beast.
The beast retreating, the two Sharks take a final swing, doing minimum damage and ensuring the creature feels enough fear to keep running. It whimpers a trail of blood as it flees away from the warriors.
Ozz helps lift Cavell to his feet, supporting him as he tries to catch up with Trissae.
He groans as Ozz helps him up. "Can't be dead, wouldn't be such ugly wenches at the Great Wheel," he forces a smirk to the tusky half-orc.
"Some kind of sickness, yeah. A quarter of Yartar has been quarantined by the Shields. The Happy Hall and the Tower are both inaccessible to anyone not within that area." He smirks a bit as he continues. "Even the Cointoss has been wrapped up in it all. Don't get me wrong, I wish no ill on any of them, but the more competition busy with all this, the better for me."
"There's also an execution planned to take place tomorrow morning that people are talking about. I think some are going to be disappointed if they have to trudge out into the storm to see it. Well, anyway. Take care of yourself. I don't know what your plans are, but the Shields might give you trouble if they see a bugbear walking around. I'd make your way out of town quick while you have the chance. If the sickness spreads anymore, they might seal all gates and not let anyone leave."