Rappan Athuk - The Dungeon of Graves

Game Master JoshB

As Garados simply moves off without a word, Tessai waits for the others.

That is very much like Garados, yes. On the other hand, He'll keep a bar stool open for you.

Plus, despite being a skirt-hound, he's been nothing but respectful to the paladin.

Actually, my post, yours and Malinor's all arrived at about the same time, so I didn't see them. But it's still very much in Garados's idiom to seek out wine, women and song first and worry about business later.

All good from my end Garados - Tessai is not reacting negatively to your actions.

Wyran follows along with the group to the Inn. His legs take a little time to adjust again to solid ground and he wonders if career sailors have any way around the strange feeling.

Seeing Garados leading the group, then ordering a drink for everyone he just grins. The man was likely to be popular for a short while at least. He takes a stool and glances around at the group. "Anyone hear any fun rumors? I heard that there's a green dragon deep in the woods that killed a local hero. Not sure if it would be worth any time to check it out, but evil is evil, and a green is evil...."

Malinor spends the seven days not really talking.

LOL,

Knowing that Tengu's have a reputation for being 'spell-eaters' and good luck abourd ship, Ting, though he knows nothing about boating, spends the week talking to anyone and everyone who will lend him ear.

Stepping off the gangplank he turns and waives to the friendly crew. Hefting his pack, he nods his beak, pointing a talon at the sign on the Inn. "at looks loike an Inn wroight 'air,"

Being the nosey bird that he is, he totally nibs in on Malinor's and Garados's private conversation. Seeing Garados making a b-line for the tavern side of the inn, Ting moves nearer to Malior and asks as quiet as his crow-like voice will allow. "So what's a bloody orcus an' should we's be worried?"

Hearing that Garados was buying the first round ting pushes through to the bar, raised a talon he asks. "Does you's 'ave any plumb wine?"

He turns towards Wyran looking quickly to Malinor, then back to the shaman when he divulges that he had heard there was a green dragon. When Wyran recommends they go after the dragon, Ting's beak goes slack. Standing there for a moment with his beak hanging open, he eventually regains his composure, and points out. "We's was sent ta deal wit tha other t'ing. Maybe we's should leave tha bloody dragon until's after we's is done wit what we's was sent fer, wroight."

There are other rumors going 'round. I heard that some dwarves have gone there looking to mine gold. They haven't been heard from. That doesn't mean they had any trouble, they might have just found some gold, and they're mining it. Ting has the idea. We stick to what we know, and do what we're here to do, the elf says, nodding to Ting.

"I heard that Orcus has cursed this place to turn any who venture in and start poking around into Servants of Darkness. Assuming that's the type of rumors your interested in." Malinor offers up.

As the others move ahead directly to the inn, the tiefling stops by the smithy, naturally curious about the small shop. She listens, and peers around for any signs of metalwork.

@Garados: The Inn does have a taproom. Inside you find several men dressed like merchants or travelers seated at tables. An enormous, black-bearded man is behind the bar. You assume this to Odo Bristleback, the innkeeper that runs the settlement. The small crowd welcomes your generosity and a server carries out a flagon of ale to their table. Odo asks you "Welcome, What'll you have?"

@Tessai: you hear the sounds of a hammer striking metal from inside the forge. Looking in, you see a red-haired man pounding at a heated horseshoe, bending it into shape.

"Rooms for six. Dinner for six. Several flagons of wine and your prettiest waitress. Oh, and maybe some directions. We'll need to talk to someone who knows the area and its hazards well."

Tessai looks around the shop for a while, appreciating the wares for sale, then she joins the others at the inn.

Are they good quality? A mix of weapons and utility items, or?

@Garados: The big bearded man behind the bar nods. "We've got rooms. Pick yourself a table and I'll send Tallie with some wine."

@Tessai: there's nothing fancy at the blacksmith's shop. It's decent work, but nothing you wouldn't expect from a village blacksmith.

Wyran accepts the ale and the advice from the team with a smile. "All true, we've a job to do. And, if the tale was real the dragon will keep."

@Tessai: there's nothing fancy at the blacksmith's shop. It's decent work, but nothing you wouldn't expect from a village blacksmith.

Got it.

With a nod of appreciation at the simple, but well built pieces, Tessai meets up with the others. She joins them at the table as they wait for their drinks.

"A dragon?" - she raises her eyebrows - "In the region?"

ninja'd by Tessai, will edit
Nodding his beak towards 'Lefty' Ting watches as the black-bearded man answers Garados. Following the others, Ting turns to Garados, "I's really do's 'ope 'e has plumb wine, it's me favorite, wroight."

Grabbing a chair at the table, he nods his beak at Tesai's questio, "'At's what Wyran, 'eard." he rambles on "So's we's got's a dragon's 'oard ta find once we's done, an' some dwarves, who's may er may not's found a goldy mine." He looks towards Malinor and asks, "Who's 'is Orcus bloke, an' would he's be bloody well interested in raisin' tha dead?"

"Even if half those rumours are false, there seems to be a lot going on in these lands, that's for sure" - she nods at Ting - "And Orcus is known as the demon lord of undead. His followers are constantly found dealing with undeath in all its horrid forms"

"Never really understood why anyone living would be interested in the stinking undead.... Crazy folk!"

Malinor shrugs and looks at Wyran before responding, "People like power and control. If they cannot get the power and control they desire from the living they will look elsewhere. Undead, demons, devils, or the depths of the Abyss. It is sadly amazing what people will do to get what they desire."

Ting: A human server named Tallie brings you a glass of some sort of fruit wine, probably not plumb. "Here you go mister .... stork." she stammers. Meanwhile, your keen eyes and appreciation for weapons notice what looks like a finely crafted great-axe hanging behind the bar.

While Tallie is delivering Ting's wine, she overhears you talking about the dragon. "The great beastie lives down to tha' south. Folk have seen him a flyin' high the skies."

While the wine is being delivered a sandy-haired wearing a leather jerkin enters the taproom and makes for the bar. He takes a seat at the bar, settling the shortsword that rides at his hip. From Odo and the staff's reaction, he must be a regular.

He and Odo trade some words, both of them glancing over in the direction of your table.

"Some people want to live forever, and they see undeath as a means of doing it. Not much of a life, if you ask me."

Seeing the newcomer, Garados waves him over, telling the team "I asked about a guide. Maybe this is our guy."

kn. planes: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Lefty tells Ting (and whoever else wants to know) a little about Orcus.

He's not someone you want to tangle with, but he usually has minions to do the work for him. Like undead minions.

"Live forever as an undead monster? That's like throwing your money away in an attempt to get rich! I think I had it right, Crazy!"

Turning to Lefty Wyran listens to the details. "Hmm.... And maybe one of his commanders has come to check in here? That sounds like the trouble we're supposed to figure out. Hope it's just a commander and not a general!"

"I was told eternal life is achieved through deed and memory" - Tessai chuckles bitterly - "Clearly not all think the same"

Nodding in agreement with Tessai's observation about a lot going on. Ting tries to follow the explenation about Orcus and the the continuing conversaton about death, living and undeath.Looking from the tiefling to the shaman then to the plumekith. He chuckles at the serving girl callin him 'Mister Stork, He dips his beak in the wine catching a small bit and slurping it down. "No needs fer fermalities, you's can bloody well call's me ting, wroight." as he looks past the girl he notes the well made great-axe hanging over the bar. He asks the girl. "Pardon me's missy, tha axe behind's tha bar, who's 'at chopper blong ta?"

Catching movement out of the corner of his eye he watches as lightly armored fellow sit's a the bar and speaks with Odo. He nods his beak when they looks his way.

Nodding his head as 'Lefty' explain in great detail about the being known as Orcus, ting nods, "Sound's loike we's'l need ta be bloody carefull taken his blokes gems, wroight." As the conversation continues about living forever, ting sticks his beak back in the fruity wine, slurping down a small amount. Finally, he croaks in his crow like voice. "Who's wants ta live fer ever?"

@Ting: Tallie, the barmaid, tells you: "That's Mister Odo's axe hangin' up there. He only takes it down when there's trouble."

The sandy-haired man walks over from speaking with Odo carrying his drink.

As he approaches he raises his hand in greeting and says:

"Welcome travelers. Good to see new faces here in Zelkor's Ferry."

"I'm Skorma. I work for Odo helping keep the peace here in the settlement."

"What brings such an interesting group of folk to our corner of Mendev?"

He casts a glance across all of you, pausing for a second on the Tiefling and the Bird.

"Well met Skorma" - the tiefling nodded - "I am Tessai" - looking around the table, she continued - "A few weeks ago a craft carrying contraband across the Lake of Mists and Veils was intercepted. A chart of their course was found, and it was uncovered they were headed straight to the west coast of the lake. Apparently towards the mouth of one of the rivers that empties into the lake along this stretch of the coast" - the paladin explained.

"We have been sent from Egede to investigate further, and understand where and to whom the cargo was to be delivered"

"Interesting....." he says.

"I've never heard of anyone outside showing any concern about what happens in this corner of the world. Do you mind saying what sort of contraband they were shipping here?"

While you are speaking with Skorma, you see a grey-haired, stooped old dwarf enter and walk slowly to a table by the fire. He walks with a cane and wears spectacles. He doesn't seem to pay any attention to anything in the room besides the chair he is headed for as he crosses the room.

"Not sure that contraband is the right word. But the boat refused to stop when politely asked, and fought when they couldn't out run the Peregrine. The cargo that brought concern was supplies that might interest a powerful necromancer. Would you know of one in the area?"

Wyran quietly watches around the room for any reaction possibly indicating that anybody else is listening.

Malinor drinks from his cup and just watches to see if anyone reacts to what his companions are saying.

Nodding to Tallie, ting chuckles, "Only when 'airs trouble, Well's fer what it's worth tell's 'im I said its a bloody fine lookin' weapons. Poirsonally I prefers a swords, but each 'is own, wroight."

Watching as the lightly armored man walks over to the table, ting dips his beak in the wine catching a small bit and slurping it down. As the man introduces himself and starts a conversation, he's pleased that his companions didn't mention the chest full of gems. Ting would rather no one else is wiser to the possibility of thousands of shiny gems being ripe for the picking. When Wyran explains their might be a powerful necromancer about, ting trying to be sensitive to Wyran's intentions. "So's if'n you's knows o' anybody's messin' about wit dead stuff we's would loike ta know's about it, wroight."

"A necromancer? Not a real one. Folks around here joke and call Ulman, the local healer, a necromancer because he supposedly brought someone back from the dead once!"

"There's lots of legends about the old tombs and the undead, but I've never seen any dead people walking around here."

”Do you think mayhaps this healer Ulman could know more? Does he live nearby? “ - Tessai asks.

"Are these tombs near here?" Malinor jumps in to ask after Tessai.

"Ulman lives right here in Zelkor's Ferry. His nickname is just a joke, but I'm sure you can ask him."

"The old graveyard is southeast of here. About 10 miles. Folks around here avoid it because of all of the legends. Groups of adventurers, like yourselves, come through every so often to explore it."

"Sometimes they come back, sometimes they don't."

His ears perking up at the report of the old graveyard so close, Ting tries to calculate how many gems there were in the chest to compare to the size of the graveyard. Setting his wine down he asks. "So's about's how many tombs in 'is floggin' grave yard an' what would tha bloody t'ing be called?"

"I've never been there myself, it's not a happy place." Skorma.

"Legend says it's all the dead from the armies that fought back here in the old days. That would be a lot of tombs."

"All of the dead? I'd think most of them would be in a mass grave, not individual tombs.... Of course doing that could increase the chances of restless dead."

"Like I said, I've never been there. I don't know how they buried their dead back then."

"But I do know that wars make lots of dead and they've got to be buried somewhere...."

"That is true, but many are also left behind, never really buried..." - Tessai adds grimly - "In any case, and even though a graveyard seems a bit too evident for someone interested in dealing with ill-purposed goods, it is worth looking into" - she ponders, turning to Skorma again - "Apart from us, do you remember any recent outsiders coming through Zelkor's Ferry recently?"

"And please, sit with us" - she added.

As Tessai invites the local peace officer to join them, ting leans and reaching out grabs a chair from a nearby table, pulling it over to theirs. "'ear's takes a load off, whilst ya tell us about any floggin' strangers."

Skorma sits down and takes a drink from his flagon.

"We see travelers and merchants pass through pretty regularly." he begins.

"Anyone up to no good avoids us here because they don't want to tangle with me and my guards ...."

He drinks again.

"and Odo, of course, nobody messes with Odo twice."

"Most folks in the region keep to themselves. We're off the beaten path here and some people settled here because that's how they like it."

"If you do find a hint of trouble, I'd appreciate a heads' up. We like to be ready if there's trouble."

"The last few years, trouble hasn't been any worse than bandits, or a pack of kobolds, or trolls we have to see off with some flaming pitch."

"If any of the adventurers who came back talked about their experiences, I'd like to know who they talked to," Garados says to Skorma. "Forewarned is forearmed."

"About a year ago a fellow came back from Rappan Athuk and was telling tales of a powerful illusionist living near the surface. Don't believe
everything you see. He is supposedly cannibalistic and possesses great
powers. Apparently, this illusionist did for all of this fellows companions." Skorma says.

"Always hearing tales like that."

There's a commotion over at the door and what looks like a peasant woman comes in. Her clothes are muddy and she is pretty ragged, like she's run a long way in the wilderness.

She heads straight for Odo and commences talking hysterically.

Odo frowns, looks over to Skorma, and motions him over.

The guardsman stands up and says: "Looks like the boss is calling me."

Malinor rises and follows after the guardsmen to try and hear what has the woman so frantic.

Lefty follows them.

She looks distressed. Better see what the matter is.

Skorma heads over to see what the commotion is where the peasant is talking to Odo, and you follow behind.

The woman is visibly upset. Her clothes are torn, ragged, muddy, and once you get closer you think maybe bloody.

”Mister Bristleback, you and your people have got to help me get my daughter Ella back!” she exclaims.

”That no-good husband of mine went and traded her away in exchange for some of those blue crystals the monks make.”

”It ain’t right! She weren’t no mule or goat to just be traded away! I’ve got to get some help to get her back.”

Bristleback seems perturbed. ”Leslie, I’ve warned you and Jake that no good comes of smoking those crystals. It makes people work hard to begin with, but it ruins them over time.”

He then asks the woman: ”Why aren’t you sendin’ Jake to get the girl back?”

She woman looks down at the ground and shuffles her feet. ”When Jake done told me what he done, I took his spear and stabbed him with it. I thinks he’s dead.”

”Don’t seem right. I done stabbed him plenty o’ times before and he never went and died….”

Odo looks at the ceiling in exasperation.

Blue crystals the monks make?

At the sound of a girl in distress, Garados had perked up his ears. But at the sound of the husband who wouldn't die despite multiple spear wounds, the wizard downs his ale and grabs his pack. "They're playing our song," he tells Malinor, knowing the metaphor will cause his friend to roll his eyes. "So let's dance."

He heads over to Odo and Leslie. "Where's the girl?" he asks without introductions. "And where's Jake? There's no time to lose."

Listening intently to the story about the powerful illusionist, ting doesn't notice the commotion until Skorma stands to leave. Looking from the guard to the bartender and the distraught woman Seeing Malinor and 'Lefty' getting up from the table he jumps to his feet, turning dipping his beak in the fruity wine one last time. Not really sure what blue crystals were or why monks would make them, he chuckles slightly at Garados' metaphor and nods his beak in agreement. "If'n you's blokes want's ta fetch 'is girl, I's'l bloody well's go wit ya."

”Don’t seem right. I done stabbed him plenty o’ times before and he never went and died….”

Aaaaaah, how I miss Bill Paxton :)

Blue crystals the monks make?

One of the best TV Series I have seen in a long time!

Tessai frowned deeply at the whole situation - "Wait a moment" - she approached the woman - "Your husband traded your child for... Whatever it is..?" - her voice raised a little - "And these monks... They accept barter with human lives?" - she looked back at Odo and Skorma inquisitively - "How so?"