"Your boss introduced himself. Can you not do the same?" Toranaga tells the dark cloaked man.
"What a jerk. Why does he not just send all of us back. We must Do Something For Him, first. Vilya does not like this. Is ...arrogant."
"But think of the opportunities, Vilya. When we get home we'll be carting off loads of battle spoils...."
"If we get home."
"Well this place isn't bad."
"I don't think so."
"Talk, talk, talk. That's all you people do. Let's do this then."
Triska turns to the dark man. "Take us to this inn your master spoke of. I cannot speak for the rest, but tonight I need food, drink, and a pleasing yet simple man, for tomorrow we might all die!"
Triska turns and heads down the stairs to wait impatiently for the rest of the group.
Dron pads along after Triska.
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As your group walks back down the hallway the dark cloak man introduces himself, My name is Andros, in my line of work I have to go by many different names but in the spirit of gaining trust I will give you my birth name. Your help is greatly appreciated and will help many people keep safe in my city.
He leads you down the stairs and into the curtained foyer. He opens the door for the group and lets everyone out into the street where a large covered carriage awaits. He bids the group to enter which justs fits the group. Andros climbs on top and the carriage takes off whisking you off to your destination. Its a short trip, as you get out of the carriage you notice that you are in an alley way. Andros jumps down and opens a door to a building where another man is standing. The man is hunched over showing his age as is the cane he is using to help keep him standing. He greet you all, Welcome to my home young ones and master dwarf, my name is Holragen and I will be your host for the evening. I have pleanty of space for all of you, hot food and drink if you need to fill your bellys and hot baths to take all your travels away. He leads each of you to your own room and shows you where to get food or bath as you see fit. He then hobbles off to the kitchen to help. Andros checks with each of you asking if you have any needs for the upcoming mission beside food and drink......
"This runestone you people want us to recover should be placed in a special container, don't you agree? A bag of holding should be most helpful."
"On second thought, I recall Kraeg was just given one."
"On second thought, I recall Kraeg was just given one."
"Nice one, smarts. Hehee..."
Triska will partake of the food, drink, and bath. Then she asks Andros, "Can you tell me where is the nearest tavern or inn?"
To the rest of the group: "Anyone else want to come along? I'm going to find myself more drink and a strapping young stablehand."
And to Kaldren: "Can you lend me a few coins, brother? I feel the need to live tonight."
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Triska will partake of the food, drink, and bath. Then she asks Andros, "Can you tell me where is the nearest tavern or inn?"
To the rest of the group: "Anyone else want to come along? I'm going to find myself more drink and a strapping young stablehand."
And to Kaldren: "Can you lend me a few coins, brother? I feel the need to live tonight."
Andros looks thoughtful for a moment with his ever present small grin at Triska and says, I understand. The nearest tavern is two streets over called the Painted Monkey, its mostly locals and students from the bard college and it has a good selection of drinks. Please leave by the back enterence and be ready in the morning by mid morning to start your mission.... He pushes over a small pouch to Triska, Here is a little coin for your needs tonight.
"Thank you." Triska takes the pouch, then steps forward and awkwardly embraces Andros.
"So, anyone else coming?"
Dron tightens his scarf as he steps up to Triska. "Food? Drink? Fight? all good."
"I'll join you."
"I'm going to get some sleep. Alcohol and gambling are for losers."
"Who said anything about gambling? You can have my stablehand when I'm done with him, Vilya."
"Who said anything about gambling? You can have my stablehand when I'm done with him, Vilya."
"After you're done with him? No thank you."
Triska leads the way to the Painted Monkey for a debauched night of revelry!
Dron wants a big fat mamma with a good appetite for food, drink and wrestling in the dark.
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The group is sitting in the kitchen having breakfast when Triska rushes in face flushed, hair a mess and a big smile on her face. Behind her Dron and Toranaga file in to round out the party.
After having breakfast Andros says its time to leave. Your group heads out the back door and into the waiting carraige. A short ride and you exit out into another alley way at the back door of what smell like another tavern. A burly man stands in the doorway, dressed as a warrior, he looks like he can take care of himself. A long sword rests easily on his hip. He quickly greets you and leads you into the tavern which he informs you is called the Yawning Portal. He takes you into the main room where you see in the center of the room a stone ring 40 feet in diameter. The outside of the well wall is studded at intervals with iron torch brakets, and a block and tackle hoist is chained to a stone lintel in the ceiling directly over the well.
The tavern is empty for your decent into undermountain. Andros appears and drops a bag in front of the group. Here is some help we promised you, inside you will find food water for three days, some additional light sources and some magic. I wish you the best of luck. You may return to here anytime to get hoisted back up. The fees have already been taken care of by us for use of the entry well. Durnan here is the owner and he now knows who you are so you should not have any problems. He will contact me if you come back here and I will come quickly. With that Andros leaves you standing in the tavern ready to start your mission.
The bag contents:
1) enough food for each of you for three days
2) three vials of healing
3) two sets of bracers
4) a wand
5) a ring
6) a dagger
7) a quarrel of arrows
8) five torches
9) a climbers kit
10) a master work set of rogues tools
Pick and get ready to decend!
Triska will claim the arrows for herself.
"How shall we divide the rest of this up?" she asks the group.
Toranaga takes some of the food and torches, a vial of the healing potion and the ring.
Dron picks up some food, and just to be safe after his recent diet, he picks up some more, quickly stuffing it all in his backpack.
Triska also takes a share of the food, a torch, and one of the healing potions.
The bag contents:
1) enough food for each of you for three days
2) three vials of healing
3) two sets of bracers
4) a wand
5) a ring
6) a dagger
7) a quarrel of arrows
8) five torches
9) a climbers kit
10) a master work set of rogues tools
Vilya's face lights up at the sight of all of the free supplies.
"You are most gracious hosts!"
She begins to snatch up all that could possibly be of use, including the remaining healing potion, one set of bracers, the ring, the dagger, and the rogue's tools.
After shoving most of the items into her belt pouch, she bows, still grinning.
"When do we begin?"
Toranaga takes some of the food and torches, a vial of the healing potion and the ring.
"Vilya, quit grabbing my hand. I know you're a beautiful girl and all and I am me. But I am not the marrying type."
Toranaga takes some of the food and torches, a vial of the healing potion and the ring."Vilya, quit grabbing my hand. I know you're a beautiful girl and all and I am me. But I am not the marrying type."
"Rar."
Vilya lets go of the shiny object. She can't help herself sometimes.
It appears that the climber's kit and one set of bracers are left. Triska picks them up and straps the bracers to her arms, hoping they're not cursed with magic that will turn her into a man, or worse, an elf.
She slings the quiver of arrows on her back, strings her bow, and tests its pull.
"Let's go."
"Lead on." Toranaga straps his sword across his back and lugs the rest of his gear.
"I'm not going first."
"I will. Because I am invincible. I can't be vinced."
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You all grab onto the rope and are ready to decend. Durnan wishes you all good luck. As the flickering light from the torches above fades, a chill overtakes you, and you find yourself still sinking with no end in sight. You drop slowly and steadily deeper on the rope, almost as if you were the bait on an unweighted fishing line in the placid waters, but the cold and the quiet of the well that surrounds you is anything but peaceful. The silence has more of a threatening quaility to it.
After being lowered for what seems like too long a time, you at last see the bottom. Below you stretches sand-covered ground and whatever fate awaits you in Undermountain.
Several inches of sand covers the floor of this roughly square room. Broken and dented shields hang on stone walls covered with chalk and charcoal graffiti. The ceiling looms a mere 10 feet above you--as it does in the hallway that leads out of the room to the south--but a 30 foot diameter hole in the ceiling forms a chimney that rises up over a hundred feet.
Kaldren accepts the gift of the spear with a nod, packs away his portion of the food, and decends into the depths. Once out of sight of thier host he will offer to cast detect magic on the collection of items to see what is going to be the most useful.
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You are at the bottom of the well and all that you hear is faint noises from above. The room is dark but enough light is spilling down from the tavern above allowing you to see the room unaided by another light source.
The room is 45 feet(N and S) by 55 feet. The southwest corner there is a hallway that leads out of the room. The hallway is 10 feet across and you can see about 20 feet down the hallway before it turns to darkness.
Triska unslings her bow and nocks an arrow in readiness, keeping it generally pointed in the direction of the open passage.
"I will take the rear. Brother, can you tell if any of this gear is magical?"
Dron's greatsword waves towards the entrances, as he waits for the party.
Toranaga draws his sword as well. "Anyone got a lamp?"
"Got bright stick, magic. Not got no lamp," answers the half-orc.
"Ok. Can I borrow that?"
"Say Dron, you can see in the dark, can't you?"
"What dark? Fine down here, no shadows." Dron looks puzzled.
"Didn't you pick up a torch upstairs, Yoshi?"