Kraz looks at the beer and gets a famliar shiver..
"Umm.. Yea.. Kraz will have a drink and a gamble.. My best good friend Jack loves to gambel as well. Kraz thinks drinks first sounds good though."
Also would like HP potions if we can. I have a feeling this meat shield will keep copping it
After a few queries about town, you easily get directions to Elminster's Tower, though they are given with an amused smile. The tower is located at the foot of the Old Skull on the eastern side of the large hill . You follow the flagstone path, noting the strange signs along the way, for example, No Trespassing. Violators should notify next of kin. Have a pleasant day, and Rumours of spike-filled pits along this path are almost totally false. Thank you for your caution. The path grows more and more overgrown as you continue.
The path forks as you continue, heading left towards a small pond, the right path leading to the tower before you. It looks fairly ramshackle, like an abandoned windmill that has been converted into a tower, with numerous lean-tos slapped onto the side and rear of the structure.
You begin to knock on the window beside the door, and as you make your second tap, the front door opens, and a small, slight, bespectacled man opens the door, a large woven shopping bag hanging over his left forearm. He is dressed very neatly, and he looks up at you in surprise as he begins to step out. "Oh hello. I suppose you're after Elminster. Well, he's out. Out of Shadowdale, out of the Dales, out of this plane of existence, if you really wanted to know. And I am now out too, out to run errands and visit the baker. Well met, have a lovely day, and please exit the premises." With that, he turns and begins making his way up the path towards the town proper.
The guards look up as Kraz and Beerg reach for a bottle of beer and approach the table. Though they are all human, and could almost all be cousins, if not brothers, they welcome the half-orcs easily, offering them seats in the game.
The other players bet on how many rolls the caster will take to make a "spread" (get all 1-6), and declare the number of rolls after the second roll. The individual or individuals who succeed in divining how many rolls it takes divide the other half of the pot. If the caster makes all six rolls without gaining the spread, the pot is carried over into the next roll. A new caster is chosen, and all players ante in again.
The game continues until most of the players decide they have lost enough money or other activities gain their attention. It is a favourite game with those who have a lot of time on their hands, like guards.
Jack stands back and closely watches the game progress and tries to see if any of the 'brothers' might be cheating.
Sorin refrains from gambling as per her teachings but she does find it entertaining to watch and socializes with anyone who is willing. If it quiets down and the men all get serious about playing thier game, Sorin retreats to a nearby wall and crouches down with her prayer book.
One of the guardsmen at the table seems to have busted out just as Kraz and Beerg approach the table. A tall, muscular, dark-haired man, he shakes his head with a smile as he walks over to Jack and Sorin, while Kraz and Beerg sit down behind him. "Well met, friends," he says to the rogue and the half-elf. "You're the crew who spent yesterday down in the caves, is that right?"
Sorin affirms the guards question with a nod. ”We are. Also, our condolences on the loss of your fellow guardsman. We hope that we have helped bring some peace to his troubled family“
The slight man turns back and looks at you intently, shifting his spectacles on his nose. "My dear lady, Elminster is not dead, but he is not here. I'm sure you have a good reason for disguising yourself with that illusion, but next time you come to see him, I trust you will come here looking as yourself; Elminster does not appreciate deception. I am but his scribe, and cannot help you, unfortunately. Good day, my lady." He continues on his way towards town.
After about an hour, Beerg and Kraz have taken to the game quickly. Kraz in particular gets on a great run of luck (or is it skill?), and wins over 30 silver . Beerg wins steadily, but no big pots, and comes out 9 silver ahead.
Jack notices nothing untoward about the dice game. Everyone seems to be on the level, and the guards take their losses with good humour, albeit with the occasional curse.
The guardsman nods at Sorin's words. "Yes, thanks to you and your patrol we can put poor Frandor to rest. His family will be very grateful, should you get a chance to meet them. So," he continues, changing the subject, "where are you lot from? There have been rumbles about some official from Voonlar looking for you all. Did you come from that way?"
Nilelane attempts to stay unobtrusive as she heads back into town to head to the temple of Tymora . As she enters the main street, still in disguise, she sees to her left, back towards the centre of the township, the Voonlar guards that Thurbal spoke of, surrounding a tall, bearded, dark-haired man in rich-looking clothes. The sight of him freezes Nilelane's heart. It is Corrick, the Zhentarim agent that was responsible for ensnaring Nilelane in the tentacles of the Black Network in the first place.
Fortunately, neither Corrick nor the 'Voonlar guardsmen' seem to notice Nilelane, but instead head into the smithy, four doors up. Once they are out of sight, Nilelane begins to breathe again, and hurries in the opposite direction towards Tymora's temple, the House of the Lady.
Nilelane crosses the river, arriving at the temple shortly thereafter. Dominated by the large golden dome of its main temple, the premises are surrounded by a low wall, broken by a sturdy-looking gate, which is open. She enters the temple, and instantly feels a sense of calm wash over her.
The main temple is large and open, with pews arranged for worshippers on the near side to the front entrance, circled around the centre, at which is situated a raised dais and altar. The rear half of the temple is largely free of furniture, and a number of acolytes are seated on the ground there, apparently at prayer. As Nilelane stands near the entrance, taking her your surroundings, a beautiful priestess, somewhere in her late thirties, approaches the disguised wizard. "Welcome to the House of the Lady, good man. May Tymora's luck shine on you," she smiles.
Kraz is elated at his success..
You boys are alright! Maybe Kraz can play agiain when he gets out the dungeon..
The priestess looks at Nilelane with concern. "Are you alright, sir?" she enquires, stepping closer in order to see the 'man' clearly.
There is a bit of good-natured grumbling about Kraz leaving with all those winnings, but the guards continue playing, deciding to downgrade to a five copper ante so as to keep some of the bigger losers in the game. Over the course of the game, Kraz and Beerg have got to know a few of the men, and they share their stories of trying to locate the mysterious cattle-rustlers and dealing with the damage done by their herds. The guardsmen are not having much luck, it seems, and some of the details they share are baffling, to say the least. The origins and destinations of the trails of destruction are hard to find, and they don't lead in straight lines; they even run in circles sometimes. And though the trackers can't be sure, the tracks don't seem to be made by hoofed animals.
Beergs ear tingle as the guardsmen talk of the cattle rustlers.
He leans to Kraz when he has a chance, "Perhaps this cattle rustling, the dungeons and also the Drow attacking Tilver's Gove are somehow connected. These guards are talking of things that don't make sense?" Beerg looks at Kraz to sanity check his thoughts...
Jack will listen in on the conversation of the guardsmen and try to make sense of what they are saying, or at least get a better picture of this cattle rustling.
"Kraz thinks that might be something good to look at after the dungeon is done."
To the guard asking. ”I’m coming from the Temple of the Radiant Triad in the mountains west of here. I was visiting my grandfather when I heard about a band of Zhents who had captured pilgrims of Illmater on thier way to the temple. I was able to sneak in and free them in the night but one of the Zhents spotted me so I had to knock him unconscious. So from what Nilelane has told me, they were sent to find me for freeing the pilgrims. My only hope is that they did not find the pilgrims as we parted ways.”
The guard looks impressed at Sorin's tale. "That was dangerous work! Well, we're no lovers of Zhentil Keep here, and Voonlar's not much more than a vassal to Cyric's city. My name's Tabril. Well met!" He offers you his hand with a smile.
Jack watches the other guardsmen playing dice, listening to their chatter, and they pay him no mind, seemingly quite happy to discuss matters in front of the young rogue. It seems there is a level of respect already for the party, and word of their scouting so far has spread through the men in the few hours since you all emerged from the tunnels. A couple of the men divert talk to their own encounters with beasts and monsters, but they generally get laughed down for "blowing their own horn". Eventually, one of the men points out that the oldest man at the table, Porlin, is the only one at the table that has faced drow before.
"Aye," Porlin grunts. "They felled half of us with their damned poison before we even knew they were there, and most of the rest of us fell soon after. Only me and an archer by the name of Sirralee got away, and she retired soon after - weren't never quite the same. No heroes that day, except dead ones."
Porlin takes a pull on his beer and says no more. The silence lasts for only a second or two, then a guardsman chirps in with a story about another guard who got chased off Harper's Hill by a determined squirrel who was particularly skilled at hurling acorns. The target of this story interrupts halfway through, advancing a theory that the squirrel was in fact a Harper druid in animal form, and the table erupts into laughter.
”Well met indeed Tabril. I am Sorin” she meets the guard’s offered hand. As she does, she is reminded of being helped up off of the training ground by one of her fellow students at the monastary. Fadore and Sorin had been sparring when he had gotten the best of her, tripping her to the ground. Something about this guards aura and the grip of his hand reminded her of Fadore. Shaking away the remembrance, she smiles and says ”I’ve been reading my prayers to the Radiant Triad. Would you be interested in hearing the words Tabril?”
If the guard is interested, Sorin will take time to read some of her favorite prayers and discuss the meanings with guard. If he is not interested Sorin continues the small talk until th Tabril excuses himself and the she goes back to reading.
If Nilelane takes too long, Sorin will become concerned and want to go looking for her. Hopefully that doesn’t happen.
Tabril scratches his head with a sheepish grin. "Who are the Radiant Triad again? I didn't pay much attention in the temple as a kid. To be honest, when I was a kid, the gods were walking Faerun - we didn't bother much with reading about them, we were more concerned with staying out of their way! I guess things were different where you come from, huh?"
The priestess nods slowly at Nilelane's words, then motions for her to follow. "Come, our stores are this way." She leads Nilelane slowly out of the main temple dome to a small but handsome building behind it, where she assembles the potions required.
The priestess sees you on your way once you have purchased what you needed. The shrine to Mystra is located on the hill just to the north of Tymora's temple, and you climb the path, trying to process seeing Corrick, here in Shadowdale, looking for you.
The shrine consists of a pyramid of three wide steps, 20 feet square at the base, and 10 feet square at the top step. As you walk up the steps, you see the symbol of Mystra inscribed in silver in the centre of the top step. There appears to be nobody around.
Sorin smiles as she looks at the uncomfortable guard. ”The Triad is the coupling of three faiths. The god of Justice, Tyr; the god of suffering and compassion, Illmater; and, my patron, the god of duty, Torm. Together they represent a united force for good and what is just. Surely you hav heard of these gods individually.”
[ooc]Im fine fast forwarding through this as we are ready to continue. This is an interesting time for the Triad though since Torm is only recently ressurrected from the Time of Troubles.
Nilelane returns to the Twisted Tower, having collected some healing potions, and is escorted to the dungeon level. She finds the rest of the party lounging, drinking, and gaming with the guards there. Sorin is standing talking to a good-looking young guard about the Radiant Triad. The guard seems to be genuinely attempting to listen and absorb her talk of religon, but is obviously distracted and disarmed by Sorin.
Thurbal, Warden of Shadowdale, comes down shortly to brief you before you leave. "You've done well so far, and again, you have Shadowdale's thanks for retrieving Guardsman Apseed's body and possessions. Your task now is to discover the extent of drow activity, or that of any other creatures, in the tunnels below, and if possible, put an end to it. Tymora's blessing upon you." With that, he leads you back to the entrance to the tunnels. The other guards wish you well as you leave the area. Tabril waves to Sorin, a concerned look in his eyes.
”I think we should follow the rope up through the holes. Find out where they are going and we may better understand where they have been. “
Kraz seems bummed out at the thought of his leasure activities coming to an end.. Standing from the table.
"Kraz wants to thanks you gents for the coins. Hopefully Kraz returns so that he can lose them back to you.."
He gives firm handshakes around before departing.
Jack nods in agreement to return to the room with the holes.
6pm, 7th of Eleint, 1367 DR
You find yourselves standing beneath the three shafts in the ceiling of the cavern that was once shrouded in illusion. The tunnels up to this point seem to have remained empty since you cleared them out a day or so ago.
Sorin searches the ground to see if any fresh tracks can be found.
"Kraz thinks thats a good idea.. Let's go explore the unexplored.."
"I'm happy to be first up...
Beerg grabs the rope and starts to climb up.