Missed the trust the elf thing. Looks like somehow I missed your posts that day both here and discussion.
Ok, Roondar will be there, he will speak to the Astrid and Sara about reworking the +1 spear into a Scimitar, and then getting the a +1 Hide armor made as well. If he has enough Money he will get the +1 Shield. I vote for getting all the Potions the man can create.
Sara responds to the geode question, "Don't work much with rocks and stone. Looks pretty though."
Astrid answers, "Silvermane is a weird one for sure, but really this is his land. He was here before the town settled and given the way he does things, he will probably be here long after us as well. He has the ear of the Chief Defender ... err, well maybe the eye. I've fought beside him. He is handy in a tough spot, but not the communicative type. Does his own thing. He would be the most likely to know about the stone, too. But if you dont trust him, might be he doesnt trust you either. Good luck either way!" the little dwarf wizard shrugs.
Jugger starts kicking the doors with a bit more vigor.
Totiyonce groaned, and immediately wished she hadn't as the pain lanced the spot between her eyes.
The past few days had finally proven more formidable than her constitution could handle. At first, the drink had slipped back between her lips with ease. Mug after mug. Goblet after goblet.
The pain in her head flared as she sat up.
Groggy, she pulled together the final moments of the night before. With a sudden flash of memory, she dug through her bag, looking for the bottle of wine.
It was gone.
"Calistria's left tit, but I'm not going to live that one down if anyone finds out."
The night before, she'd sneaked away, hurrying out beneath the brightness of the moon. However, it wouldn't have mattered if she'd been racing along in full daylight since these damn orcs seem to be able to in the dark. So, to compensate, she kept her movements confined to traveling across the rooftops.
Flipping lithely across the slim width of the narrow alleys, she made her way, unmolested, to her target of the evening. No-one could know about her little excursion she realized as she cleared a particularly large gap. Especially not her companions.
Totiyonce's eyes narrowed as she cleared the tiled ridge and her goal slid into view -- Clamor.
The rooftop where she'd stopped, perched at the edge, had been close enough. She'd only needed to be a short bowshot away for her mission. Her desire to pay back Sara and Agrit for what they'd done burned hot inside her. Hot enough to drag her out in the middle of the night in secret.
Reaching down into her belt pouch, Totiyonce fumbled around between her new health potions and black adder venom until she finally found what she was looking for.
She pulled out the bottle of fine Drumish wine, along with the note she'd tied to it.
Totiyonce had polished off its twin bottle the first night of the celebration, and it'd been spectacular. Exactly the kind of reward the women deserved. She'd read over the note one more time, and then whispered a short incantation under her breath.
The bottle drifted down, steadily advancing on the front of the shop, until it finally rested gently in the crook of the door.
Grinning and with her mission accomplished, Totiyonce turned and raced back across the same rooftops, back to her waiting warm bed.
Sitting in her room this morning, a soft smile spread across her face as she imagined the girls opening the door and finding their gift.
The door banged repeatedly and pulled her from reverie, her head pounding in time with the hamfist on the other side.
"Get up and get pretty, lass. We have a summons from the Council. They want to meet us mid-morning."
Reaching up, she growled as she felt the lump on the top of her head. She'd gracefully soared across the city, above dozens of sleeping denizens, only to smack her crown on the thrice-cursed window sash of her own blasted room. And, she'd be damned if she was going to use a healing potion for it, so she rolled out of bed and shouted back at Jugger, "Damn you. Reasonable people don't hold meetings until at least tea time. Give me a moment, blast it."
Totiyonce glanced around the room for some pants. It was time to work.
The party gathers together in the first floor of the Ramblehouse under Jugger's incessant urgings, grabbing some food and coffee on the run.
The dutiful dwarf leads the way, stomping up to the highest point in the city, the Ivory Hall. the Ivory Hall was originally festooned with the skulls of the most ferocious orc champions and chieftains felled in Trunau’s first siege, their hollow eye sockets mute testimony to both the constant threat under which Trunau exists, and to the residents’ unwavering commitment to surviving it. Later generations of councilors found the display too grisly and similar to the orcs’ own trophy-keeping traditions, however, and discarded the bones.
You enter the building the brilliant white of its walls nearly blinding you in the morning sunlight and are nearly knocked over by a mob of children rushing through the entry hall, laughing and tackling each other. A militia member smiles indulgently and steps around them to lead you to the Meeting Room. You enter to find the Council, Kurst, Silvermane and a half-orc you don't recognize discussing and reviewing various scrolls and maps on the tables in the room.
Once you are announced by the militia man, Chief Defender Halga, a mountain of a woman, today garbed for war with her lamp-blackened chainmail and twin swords turns to note your arrival. She claps her hands together and the group finds a bunch of chairs around the room, and pushes together a couple of tables and everyone gathers around with no apparent rhyme or reason to who sits where. She indicates for you to seat and then rises to look through the massive window which covers the eastern wall of the Meeting Room and provides a commanding view of the country side.
"It smells of war unlike we've ever seen, Belkzen is an inhospitable place on the best of days, and I'm afraid that we have something ahead of us that will test our resolve like never before. We will need better information and more help than one can imagine."
She returns to the table, " We have learned much since that night a week ago from both captured orcs and from recent reports from scouts and merchants. As such, I have an ask of you, but first ... "
She looks to Kurst, "Patrol Leader Grath, your report on the interrogations, please."
The still injured militia leader, his arm in a sling, clears his throat and stands, "Ahem ... right. Ah, we have determined that this Grenseldek, a hill giant, has united the orcs of the Twisted Nail tribe with her own hill giant tribe and a family of ogres. They inhabit a ruined border fort called Redlake Fort that was once part of Harchist’s Blockade. It stands near the River Esk, north of Trunau. This new tribe had become to be known as the "Twisted Hearts" and Silvermane, here as indicated to us that long, long ago the Twisted Hearts was a combined tribe of orcs and giants that was led by the giant hero Uskroth. It appears that through her agent, Skreed, she infilitrated the town and staged the raid, all so she could recover a couple of artifacts from the Tomb of that hill giant, which apparently Trunau was built on top of."
He steels himself for a moment before continuing, "It appears Rodrik's murder was to prevent him from uncovering the conspiracy before the raid was executed and if it weren't for our heroic defenders here, they would likely have succeeded. We have since resealed the entrance to the Tomb."
Kurst sits back down and Halga resumes, "I am concerned about two things, the first is that Grenseldek may not be satisfied with failure and attack the town again. The second is that she is but the first sign of organization of the many of the tribes in Belkzen and the Mindspin mountains. We are buiilt to hold out against orcs, but giants are another matter. We can't have them trying to relive their glory years. Thus my ask, and if you agree, we have some more information for you."
She looks to the party, "Will you travel to Redlake Fort and put an end to this threat to Trunau? I have no militia to spare. We need to rebuild the city and start training for warfare against both orcs and giants. We are woefully behind. The people trust you and to tell them that you are taking care of this threat to our city would be a huge boost to their morale."
"What say you?"
Mok looks around at the gathered people and says "This is my home, you took me in when every other place I went kicked me out. You don't need to ask if I am willing to go, just assume if you need me somewhere I am already packed and ready to go."
"How soon do we need to leave? I was hoping to have Silvermane look at the hammer, Astrid and Sara were not able to give me anything else on it"
Jugger's face darkens at the mention of giants and ogres, and his demeanor grows even more sullen and sour as the subject is continued. "No need to ask twice, lass," he grumbles. "Giants are reason enough, but ogres're a poison weed that needs to be ripped out, root n' stem." He hocks and spits, regardless of the fine building. "Kneecapper and I have some unpayed debts, as well." Jugger pats the head of his hammer as if it were a pet. His voice trails off as he mutters something to himself. For those nearby, it sounds like a list of names.
After a moment, he looks back to Halga with his good eye. "What else did you have to tell us?"
Roondar says "I can only imagine the horrors that Grenseldek and her tribe could inflict on our people. I will do all I can to help stop them."
How far away is Fort Redlake?
Halgra's face crinkles slightly with a grim smile, "I can see why the people of Trunau love you. Your loyalty and courage are without match."
She bows her head to you slightly in respect before continuing,
"Silvermane came to me last night and expressed your interest in the artifacts of old. He brought some information which may be valuable to you on this perilous mission."
The old elf stands and comes forward with an ancient, leaf-embossed bronze lantern. Halgra speaks as he moves,
"Centuries ago, Silvermane was once a member of the druidic Council of Thorns. What they did is mostly shrouded in mystery, but they were a bastion of defense against the hordes of Belkzen for a long time before they were overrun. A long time back, a great sacrifice destroyed the Council, but stopped the horde's advance. The Council had a Meeting Place where they worked on magical plant experiments and stored weapons for their fight against the orcs. It was a demiplane called the Vault of Thorns. He says the entrance to the Vault is still located within the Ghostlight Marsh, a swamp to the northeast surrounding the confluence of the Kestrel and Esk rivers. Silvermane believes the Vault contains a cache of items that can help in our fight against the Twisted Heart menace, though he has no specific details about the items. To find the Vault of Thorns, you should look for a marker in the form of a circle of thorns carved into a stone near the banks of the River Esk. This marker will put you on the right path through the swamp to find the Vault, but the entrance to the demiplane is hidden."
Halgra pauses and indicates the lantern that the druid is holding, "According to Silvermane, if the husk of a dead will-o’-wisp is placed inside the lantern, the lamp will produce a beacon that points to the circle of standing stones that marks the Vault’s entrance. Once you reach the druidic circle, you need only wash the supernaturally fueled lantern’s light over the central standing stone to open the portal into the Vault of Thorns."
Halgra moves around the table and pulls out one of the maps and indicates the Rivers Kestrel and Esk as well as the Ghostlight Marsh and Redlake Fort.
"Overland travel to Redlake Fort would be foolhardy and dangerous trying to travel straight through the orc-infested Hold, so I have secured passage for you aboard Raag Bloodtusk's keelboat. He enjoys rights of safe passage among the tribes' chieftains."
The previously unknown half-orc indicates his recognition of his name.
"Anything to add Raag?"
The half-orc smiles and stretches looking over at you languidly almost as if he slept through the whole thing and is just now getting interested,
"Your passage is paid under the assumption ya work as part of my crew and you defend the boat from assault. Just came in from upriver and it's not a pretty sight. Picked up several travelling merchants and they hired away a quarter of my crew and all my guards. Caught sight of giants ranging out of the Mindspin Mountains attacking orc villages. Merchants here that escaped tell us the giants weren't raiding or attacking for sport. That they were intentionally leaving the warriors alive and bringing entire villages back in chains or cages. Enslaving them it appears."
He shrugs nonchalantly, "It's a sight more dangerous than normal headed up the river, but I owe Halgra a bit, and if you're half as good as the people in town say, we should be able to get there in one piece. As long as those oversized river vultures don't get us along the Kestrel. Hate them damn things."
"You should leave at first light. If you wish Silvermane to take a look at your Hammer, he will be willing to look at it overnight and tell you what he discovers in the morning." Halgra smiles at Mo
"What else can we assist with?"
Mok will hand over the Hammer to Silvermane
Roondar says "I've never traveled by boat, so I'm not sure how much help I can provide, but by Gozreh, I'll help however i can."
The merchants that came off Raag's boat have set up at the Barterstones, so all availability rolls reset if anyone wants to shop once more.
"We're going on a river cruise?" Totiyonce squeals in delight, sauntering up to Raag. "I can't wait to entertain the other passengers and crew . . . Every. Night."
She stops, mid-leer, as if remembering the other people standing around, and shuffles her feet for a moment. "Oh, and save our friends and the city from utter destruction. I can't wait to do that, too."
However, like a distracted puppy, she is soon grinning again and whispers -- loudly -- to Jugger, "By the way, did he say 'cache of items'?" Her eyes begin to glitter with the passion of undiscovered loot.
Ghostlight Marsh is a vast tract of swampland along the shores of the River Esk. The current border between the Hold of Belkzen and Lastwall runs through the swamp. Both orcs and humans avoid the marsh due to countless tales of strange, floating lights. Lastwall’s northern border with Belkzen has been pushed back multiple times over the centuries. When the second of these borders, Harchist’s Blockade, was overrun by the orcs, some stood resolute, seeing themselves as protectors of the land. The Council of Thorns, a militant druid circle who despised the orcs’ defilement of the land the creatures conquered, attempted to stand their ground. While the druids’ fight was valiant, the Council of Thorns was eventually driven back to the swamp and defeated by the orcs.
Faced with sure defeat at the hands of conquering orcs, the druids of the Council of Thorns made a final stand in the Ghostlight Marsh, sacrificing themselves in a bloody ritual. As the druids’ dying bodies slumped into the muck, their reincarnated spirits rose from the marsh as vengeful will o’-wisps and drove the orc army out of the swamp. These cruel and capricious aberrations have guarded Ghostlight Marsh from intrusion ever since and rumor is they still remember their former lives.
Silvermane takes Agrimmosh from Mo.
Knowledge Local -
Mok has been looking at Raag like he was trying to remember something and it finally dawns on him and he snaps his fingers with recognition, "You're the famous gladiator from the fighting pits of Urgir aren't you!?" Mok moves over to shake his hand, "Big fan, I am looking even more forward to this mission now, I hope to hear some stories about your victories!"
Mok will also ask Silvermane about the Geode
Mo' shows the druid the geode, who examines it for a moment and then snorts. He heads over to a stack of massive charts on the table and then pulls one out. He tosses the geode on to the table on top of that chart and then walks away.
You glance at the chart and it appears to be an isometric view of the Mindspin Mountains.
The geode’s crystalline valleys and mounds reflect the exact topography of the Mindspin Mountains, and a carved groove along the mountains seems to indicate a trail through the mountain range, but unfortunately, it is incomplete and you cannot see where the trail would end.
Raag winces as Mo' brings up the gladiator pits, "Eh, yeah ... those days are behind me, but nice of you to recall it."
The boat captain intentionally steers the conversation back to the route planning.
Mo finds the hammer lying on a table in his room with a small string attached to what looks like some sort of nut. A small wooden nutcracker lies next to the hammer.
The party sets out for the river boat as directed. The trek is roughly 18 miles and takes a better portion of the day. The sun is low in the sky when you finally arrive at the small river dock.
Bloodtusk’s riverboat is a large, modified keelboat with a sturdy wooden hull. Assembled from the scavenged wrecks of several other vessels, the riverboat looks ungainly, with a wide forecastle and towerlike structure at the bow, and a high aftcastle at the stern. The boat is 120 feet long and 30 feet wide, with a draft of 10 feet. It has a single mast with a large sail as well as rowing banks. To assist in traveling upstream, the riverboat also carries eight horses that can be put ashore to pull the boat upstream.
As you approach along the docks, you spy a severe woman with her hair pulled tightly back wearing a tricorne and barking orders at some of the half-orc crewmen hauling crates and barrels up on the ship. You notice with shock that she is a full-blooded orc!
Totiyonce asks, "Are we there? Is this the Ghostmarch? Where is the circle of thorns that's supposed to be our marker?"
Roondar chuckles as he walks past Totiyonce. "No girly, this is the boat that will take us to the place were we start our search." He then walks towards the Orc, and says "Peace, my name is Roondar, this is Winter. What can we do to help?"
<- Please don't hate me.
Mok is a big eater, when able. He will pack 2 week of trail rations. He will also buy several pounds of Exotic Coffee for the trip, no reason to live like a savage unless absolutely needed.
He will also get several other items for the trip since we are going into an unknown area and don't know for how long.
Bear Trap x2
Fishing Kit
Fishing Net
Compass
Map of the area if available
Tent Small
Cooking Kit
Crowbar
Blanket
Grapple Hook
100' Silk Rope
Jugger snorts, "Makes a nice paperweight."
***
Before leaving Trunau, Jugger buys 2 weeks of hard tack for emergency rations. He also picks up 4 waterskins and a small keg of the best whiskey available, dwarven if possible.
Arriving at the boat, Jugger eyes the horses warily. He steps forward with Roondar. "Horses make decent jerky, but I didn't think the trip was so long as to need eight's worth o' meat."
The orc woman looks at Roondar with suspicion, "More land-dwelling useless sacks of goat dung, most likely. Get on board and one of these real sailors will show you where to stow your kit. Urul! Give them the copper piece tour."
She turns back to barking orders at the other half-orcs on the dock as a bandana-wearing half-orc, apparently named Urul, approaches you with a grin.
"Dem horses'll be important once we turn upriver on the Esk. Course, ya don't look scrawny, so mebbe you can survive a couple rotations under Coxswain's Halrex's row crew. Iffun you're stronger'n eight horses, we could save the weight!"
He chuckles good naturedly at Jugger's appraisal of the horses.
"Here, com'aboard n say hey to Cap'n and then I'll show you about."
"More meat for the meat eaters," Jugger shrugs, "Lead on."
I can't find any rules for actually bringing something like meat or other types of typically perishable foods, is that just not a thing?
Mok would look to purchase some decent meat and prep for a meal; lamb, decent cut of beef, something like that to bring on the ship to be able to offer something to the crew for a decent start off the adventure meal if possible
I think precooked meals are are in the equipment list somewhere.
Otherwise it's a survival check. Go hunt for some fresh meat to bring with. There isnt really a grocery store or a butcher in town. And Toti bought them out of all the non perishables for the ridiculously low price of 100 gold.
Did you read about the siegestone? Its brutal. Trunauns are some hard folk.
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Roondar looks at Mokroka, then walks up and says "Hello, I guess we haven't met, my name is Roondar, and I'm a f$@!ing Druid! We'll be fine.
He will also walk around town and collects as many berries as he can find (Will use Goodberry on them while on the trip)
Not sure how many he can find while in town, or on the road.
You finish the day's work and find a spot to anchor up. Gashnahk found some particularly vibrant berries and was able to trap some rabbits the night before, so your regular fish dish is augmented with a rabbit stew as an appetizer and a berry jam with hard biscuits for dessert.
Taug spends the majority of the meal moving away from Toti as she leers at him.
Raag asks you to recount the drake fight several times, slapping his leg and toasting you all over and over again. He is radiant with glee about getting one over on the river drakes.
Even Coxswain Halrex begrudgingly offers a small compliment with a , "Good job." thrown in for good measure.
After Jugger rests through the afternoon, he works on cleaning his armor and weapons before starting his lookout shift.
Mok will also work on cleaning out his armor from the goo, rest and move back to fishing for the morning
Survival Check - DC 18 -
When no one is watching, Totiyonce pulls Kagrak's drum from her bag of holding, and hoists it up on top of a stack of barrels.
Back out on the main deck, she coos, "Oh, Taug! Would you be so kind as to help me with my drum. It's far too high and far too heavy for me to get down by myself."
She leers at him, awkwardly.
"Would you use those enormous muscles of yours to help a lady out?"
Taug, who is about 6 inches shorter than Toti, glares at her and stalks off.
Nearby, Sharg saunters over, towering well over 6 and a half feet, his fat rough green-skinned build is topped with long, wavy, brown hair and gray eyes. He stands 6'3" tall and has a fat build. He has a diamond-shaped, ordinary face with a piercing on his right ear.
"I'll help you, pretty girl. Wanna go down to the pump room and do some pumping of our own afterwards?", he asks with a matter of fact shrug and a direct eye lock.
Totiyonce's eyes blow wide, and she squeaks, "Um. Thank you for retrieving my drum, kind sir, but I really must go practice if I'm to help the Coxswain someday."
She grabs the drum and flees for her hammock where she curls up in a tight ball, terrified, and endures a short but fitful nap.
. . . Until dinner time. By then, she's mostly forgotten the incident altogether and is back to laughing and "flirting" with Taug.
Mo adjusts his schedule again and spends part of the night cooking, and cooking well as it seems, since breakfast is easily put together and all the crew looks pleased. A couple cuff him on the shoulder on the way to 1st shift stations.
The crew quickly starts giving Gashnakh a hard time, referring to Mo as the "new cookie" as they prep the keelboat for launch. Mo moves to fishing for his next rotation as he cycles through various roles on the boat.
And this it what finds Jugger getting berated by Coswain's Halrex downnstairs for being a rower short as they get ready for launch.
Halfway through her haranguing, though, there is a massive roar and the sound of swinging metal from the stern of the boat. She cuts off and Jugger turns to follow her widening eyes as they track to the locked doors in the back.
She whispers "No ... it can't be." moments before the doors explode open with splinters flying precariously in every direction.
Bursting through the hole is a wall of enraged white fur, long sharp teeth and rippling muscle.
Juggers gains his senses just as a hulking creature, not unlike a gorilla, attempts to stand to its full height and slams its head into the ceiling. It puts two arms up to place flat against the wooden planks and heaves, the wood bending and creaking.
A small whimper to its right, pulls its attention as Oorug tries to slink further into the row bench. This is when Jugger realizes that the creature has another set of arms. Because, it is at this moment, that the albino four-armed gorilla, reaches down and picks Oorug up and rips him in half.
<- Did the noise make it to the stables?
If it did...
Roondar and Winter will move down to the rowing deck.
Mok Init -
Still stunned from its sudden appearance, the party and crew are slow to react. The enraged creature is not. Angered at the cramped quarters it lumbers forward grabbing at Jugger along the way, but the dwarf resists with pure stubborness.
; fail
"I row, cox'n. And well. Stick your ire up someone else's rear," Jugger retorts, just before the gorilla appears and positively ends the exchange.
Jugger instinctively ducks the things grabbing hands, and immediately responds with a roar of his own. He readies his warhammer and shield, shouts a rude oath about Uskroth's piss-for-blood, and attacks.
;
Mok not knowing what is happening but realizing it sounds bad and with how this trip has already gone, assumes the worst runs to his bunk to get his gear
Whipping her head around, Totiyonce listens intently for signs of danger. Her eyes go wide, "Taug! Isn't he below deck?"
She charges, hair flipping with the wind, and storms down the steps to the rowing deck, the start of a ballad pining for unrequited love already on her lips.
The Coxswain gets her bearings first, uncoiling her whip with one hand and banging on her drum with the other in an attempt to get the creature's attention. Her harsh rhythmic beating from rowing changes to a rolling, soothing tone that causes the gorilla's expression to soften and it looks softly at her, uttering only a couple soft grunts.
It lasts only a moment as the gorilla suddenly shakes its head and slaps its face. Then ounding its chest, the albino beast leans over into an open mouthed roar, strings of spittle vibrating between its teeth.
The crew flee. Taug stumbles across the benches to the port side of the creature, while Urul and Sharg clamber up to the door fumbling with the latch. The latter two get the door open just as Toti comes rushing down the stairs singing.
Raag bellows at the crew above decks to come take the tiller as he draws his blades and heads toward the stairs.
Roondar follows Toti and gets caught up in the log jam.
As everyone else runs to the decks, Mo is spotted making a break for the bunks.
Jugger casts righteous might and grows immensely in size, slamming his head into the ceiling and feeling as cramped as the creature.
The creatures seems surprised at Jugger's ferocity, but the beast is made of raw strength and power and it redoubles its assault with a pummeling four armed pounding and a vicious bite.
However, the tight quarters prevent it from getting a truly solid blow through the dwarf's steel hide.
Coxswain Halrex flips her whip at the creature's leg grabbing hold of it and pulling mightily, but the gorilla doesn't even flinch.
Crammed into the hold, Jugger fights defensively to try and hold the gorillas attention.
;
Roondar lands on the Rowing deck, and stares at the creature for a second.
<- What the hell is that thing?
He then looks at the body torn in two, then instructs Winter to Flank with Jugger. Then he moves to attack.
Roondar
Winter