1d20+9
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She looks wide eyed at the group with a smirk and a giggle like light rain "Perhaps I said too much! We seem to have stumbled on some town gossip inadvertantly." Changeing tack "What say I ask around and see if the Old gent Eilian has any information on Anmuspi?" Noticing Canas is missing from the table she looks around somewhat over cautiously, and relaxes seeing his chatting to farmers. Satisfied she looks around for older human faces, thinking It is strange how they age; like parchment or fruit. Such delecate features
Rulf takes his time finishing his second meal and listens attentively to the conversation while looking around at the occupants, ever suspicious he is sizing up the clientele, especially that halfling woman distracting impressionable little Latro.
Perception: 1d20+4
Insight: 1d20+9
Latro keeps dancing and singing. He approaches A'loran and asks,
"Hey A'loran. Can you do something cool? I told that cute little halfing girl over there that you can do cool magical things. So can you do something cool to impress her for me? C'mon...please oh please oh please?"
As Kava approaches the old man sitting at the table in the corner he takes a long pull of his ale mug, wipes his toothy mouth, and asks "Aye, and what war are you campaigning?", to the amusement of a few nearby patrons.
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"The one outside these walls, on the things that prey on travelers, farmers and good people of the Vale." she projects a little bit louder to the amused crowd "And I see you are waring against the depridations of your liver." Kava smiles back,
Pausing a while she starts again "I heard you might know much about what passes through here. I am looking for a human woodsman name Anmuspi who has traveled the Vale these many years. He is a friend and we became separated a few days ago on our way here."
The old man laughs just as loudly as the other patrons at Kava's retort and drains his mug. "You hear right, but no Anmuspi has come this way."
Merry xmas all
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!!
The next morning, you head east through the rain and fog. You march along a muddy road past farmers’ dwellings until you see an open field of tilled earth and thicker mud. In the middle of the field scream a dozen militia recruits. They attack one another with wild abandon, swinging wooden swords and shields. Watching them with dismay is a cloaked man on horseback. Near him, standing in a puddle by the road, is a dour dwarf smoking a pipe. Rain pours off his wide-brimmed hat.
"Now that doesn't look like any fun at all! Slogging around in the rain and mud is one thing. But beating on each for practice....nope, not much fun at all. Now that's one serious looking dwarf over there. I hope he isn't the one sending us on our mission!"
Latro punctuates this last comment by splashing into a particularly large puddle.
"You know, I heard that there's a bit of a bandit problem around here lately. Killed a group of militiamen, if the gossip is to be believed." Canas makes idle chatter as they head to the training field, cheerful as always. The owl on his shoulder still looks miserable.
*Whoo* "Good point, Archie. We can't tell which of them is the captain without asking." He shrugs and approaches the pair. "Excuse me, would either of you happen to be Captain Faringway?"
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The drizzle beads on Kava's canvas oilskin cloak, skidding off in little rivulets. She avoids most of the muddy puddles stepping over them with her long legs - until a timely spalshing about by Latro sends a brown tsunami into her right boot. She eye's him with half mock indignation.
To Mr Evermeet: "Well considering our recent altercations, bandits will be a happy alternative."
Peering over the feathered head of Archie she addresses the pair of militia men overseeing the ludicrous display in the field "A little *kothar* urchin brought us a summons"
The handsome man on the horse rides closer and says "I am indeed Captain Nathan Faringray." Gesturing at the dwarf he continues, "And this is Sorik Orvash, a stonemason from Hammerfast. You must be the adventurers. Welcome to Winterhaven." he says with a bitter smile.
Rulf-
"Some months ago, Lord Padraig, hired a group of six dwarf stonemasons to rebuild a ruined tower to the east. I was assigned to protect them. Myself and a retinue of six well-trained guards accompanied the dwarves to the tower. Reconstruction efforts were underway and things were moving apace until I was summoned back to Fallcrest to train new warriors for the town guard." His voice lowers, "I thought I was leaving the tower in capable hands."
There a short pause before he continues in an almost too straigthforward manner, "The day before yesterday, a group of brigands attacked the tower and overwhelmed the guards and masons. Only Sorik escaped. Some of the brigands were humans clad in leather armor, their faces painted to resemble yellow skulls. The rest were clearly undead skeletons."
"My orders are clear, and I am in charge of turning this rabble into soldiers. Therefore, I must resort to requesting your professional assistance in dealing with the brigands."
With a grin, Latro apologizes to Kava.
"Umm...sorry Brave Lady, but it appears I've made your socks a bit *giggle* wet!
Putting on a more serious face, Latro continues,
"I may be new to this adventuring thing, but brigands with skeletons can't bode well. Maybe the nefarious dealings up in the temple have their roots here in Winterhaven. After all, there were undead there too. I say we take this challenge on and rid the world of these foul beasts and the brigands that guide them."
On the trip to the field: Rulfs typically grumbling about the weather. Latro, lad, stop splashin about, ah've got enough water on me wi/out it bein in me too. he half heartedly cuffs at Latro when he gets too close, treating it more like a game than a serious attempt to upset the ever happy Mr Ciniri.
at the field: Rulf sidles up to Sorik, So, Sorik, Ah daen't recognize yer face but ahh know the Orvash clan pretty well. Is the family still followin our Lord Kord or have yer moved on ta more humble deities?
Ever mistrustfull he says this to guage Soriks response.
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With a grin, Latro apologizes to Kava.
"Umm...sorry Brave Lady, but it appears I've made your socks a bit *giggle* wet!
Kava laughs "you are the very shield against the misery of this inclemant weather"
"Master Ciniri speaks true Captain. With Bahamut and Kord at our side we are the bane of undeath. It would however be advantageous to know who is behind the bandits. I could guess at a usurper to the Queen of Ravens, Orcus perhaps"
stroking her chin Kava searches the depths of her religeous instruction for an answer
"Wait, they took control of ruins? Why would they do that?"
Sorik responds to Rulf politely, if curtly. "We pay proper respect to the god of strength, but our patron is and always has been the god of the forge. I don't believe I caught your name though, stranger."
The captain says, "We believe the gang found a halfway suitable place to hole up, and we intruded upon it. They must have known my men were soldiers from Winterhaven, but didn't think of the repurcussions."
Kava-
summoned demons to this place and bound them to his service by imprisoning their vital essences in gold-plated human skulls. None of these have yet been recovered from the ruins, but the story persists.
Canas -
"It was a ruin." the captain says. "In generations past, the tower was key to the town’s defense, watching over the Winterbole Forest to the north, the Guardmore Downs to the south, and the Gray Downs farther east. Thirty-odd years ago, a legion of goblins and hill giants advanced from the Winterbole Forest and attacked the tower, which had but one defender: a powerful elf wizard named Vanamere. No one knows what happened exactly, but when the battle was over, the giants were dead, the goblins were driven off, and Vanamere’s tower was destroyed."
"A destroyed and half-rebuilt wizard's tower? Now that sounds like some great fun. Maybe some gobo raiders to kill, eh Rolf? And magicks for A'loran to deal with. Sneaking up on things might be easier too, what with all the work going on there! Oh boy, that sounds like a grand idea. Much better than beating somebody's head with a dulled blade over and over again. I vote yeah!"
"It used to belong to a wizard? I didn't know that. Just another reason to head over and clear the bandits out then."
Ehh, oh wheres me manners, sorry bout that Sorik, I'm Father Rulf, Rulf Unterhein he then starts rambling on about how he'd travelled down to Fallcrest with a zealous dwarf priest of Pelor named Grundelmar. Rulf goes on about Grundelmars loud and opinionated manner and how it conflicted with his own loud and opinionated beliefs. Also about how his overly pious preaching often got on Rulfs nerves. In spite of this together they reestablished the House of the Sun, a temple dedicated to Pelor which also included shrines to both Kord and Bahamut.
As he's going on with this explanation his ears perk up at Latro's Gobos comment. Eh, what was tha Latro Lad cutting himself off mid sentence. Gobbos yer say, now that might be worth a trip fer. Can't stand about in this blasted rain all day, we'd best be movin if'n we wanta catch them little creeps nappin. He abruptly moves over to the other conversation without a backward glance to his fellow Dwarf as he says this.
Wonder if theys got onea those bird brains too, he speculates aloud. As he's already half on his way he casts a backward glance to the just remembered Dwarf. Beg'n yer pardon Sorik but I've got lot's ta do and must be off.
A'loran moans and rubs his head... "does anyone know who hit me with that bottle of mead last night... I don't remember a thing. But I did find an empty bottle beside my bed."
"hhhmmm a wizards tower... sounds like an interesting place. Lets get going. As soon as this rumbling stops in my head"
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"That is a good point" Kava remarks to Rulf "Captain, we have had some recent disturbing encounters in the south west with a goblin war band remarkably equipt" She quickly brings Captian Faringrey up to speed with their recent encounters.
"Now I know of an evil shrine in these hills (am I correct in assuming that these are the Orgefists?). Legend tells that a rakshasa prince summoned demons to this place and bound them to his service by imprisoning their vital essences in gold-plated human skulls. Now I hope that these miscreants are not adding this to their next collection."
Now I know of an evil shrine in these hills (am I correct in assuming that these are the Orgefists?).
The captain confirms your report of goblins, "We've had rumor of a great swarm of them in the area. They've been a nuisance, but not a major threat, yet. They do play a role in inspiring the Lord to rebuild the tower though."
Sorik speaks up as Rolf shouts farewell, "Hold up there, Unterhein! You'll need to follow me, if you want to get to that tower."
Faringray adds, "Sorik does indeed know the fastest way to the tower." The captain poses his next question to Sorik, "Well, will they do?"
Sorik grunts, "Let's see what doom the Storm Lord can bring. Come on." And without another word Sorik leads his horse away into the rain.
oh, err, right yer be Sorik. Ah'll jes follow yer lead then, Rulf says as he abruptly changes direction and starts following the other Dwarfs lead.
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"Well consider me updated. These are the Cainigorm Peaks then? I must confess that geography was never my best subject, and with all this cloud cover I could not find an orc with a pie in a room with one door." Kava smiles benignly "Speaking of which Captain, if you do come across a ranger by the name of Anmuspi let him know of us. We became separated a few days ago whilst traveling to Winterhaven."
Kava waits for Sorik to lead on.
The rain and fog make it hard to discern your surroundings. After several hours of travel, broken only by a single cheerless stop to eat, Sorik looks at you wearily. “We’re almost there,” he says, leading you up a gentle hill dotted with head-sized chunks of gray stone half embedded in the ground. You also see bones lying amid the grass and weeds. Noting your attention to the bones Sorik explains, "All that remains of the goblins and giants that attacked the tower."
Fog obscures your view of the hilltop, but as you ascend, you see a tower that has been reduced to a broken ring of mortared stone, punched through with gaping holes. It rises to a height of only 20 feet, its top resembling a jagged crown. The upper levels are gone, their remains scattered upon the hillside. Some large shrubs grow near the tower, and you also see a pair of drab tents and a smoldering campfire threatened by the rain.
"Such a lovely view. Archibald, be a dear and go take a look at the campfire for me, would you?"
"I'll sneak up and see what I can see. With Archie in the air and me on the ground, we shouldn't be surprised."
With that Latro douses his light and quietly moves behind a tree.
Canas
Latro
Returning to his comrades and shaking some of the rain off his cloak, Latro reports on the lack of fruit born through his clandestine foray. His demeanor has changed from the carefree, puddle-splashing lad to one of determination and concentration.
"I can't see nothing but the rain. Maybe they are holed up in the tents. If I sneak up on the tents, opposite from the fire side, I shouldn't cast a silouette. But I'm all for waiting for Archie to return and hear what he saw."
His wry smile returns as he continues to speak, "Man is it cold and wet. How I wish I had a nice warm fire and some hot beef stew to warm me up. How's your head feel now A'loran?"
"all this rain drubbing down on my head has made a most miserable trip.... But I see there are a couple of tents ahead and a small cookfire. Lets hope some friendly travelers are ahead to share a nice rabbit stew... mmmmm Come to think of it... I'm very hungry. And a dry tent does sound really good right now.
"Ye must have a headcold." Sorik replies to A'loran, "because ye seem to have forgot that these tents likely belong to the bandits!"
As the owl returns to his shoulder, Canas speaks again. "There's two bandits behind the tents pointing crossbows this way. Two more inside the tower with a dwarven hostage. Oh, and there's a large hole in the middle of the tower, if that matters for anything. Probably a few more below, actually."
Sorik's face visibly brightens. "Excellent! If one of my brethren lives, they all might. You've got to save hime."
Latro whispers to Kava, "They seem to know we are coming. Give me a second to move to a position to attack, and I'll give them something to think about while you get ready to move in to attack?"
Latro waits for an answer.
"Ye must have a headcold." Sorik replies to A'loran, "because ye seem to have forgot that these tents likely belong to the bandits!"
A'loran smirks "Heh, That was my attempt to use Halfling Optimism to improve my mood. Because in all likelihood we’ll have a terrible battle where some nasty creatures will be trying to kill us. Hopefully we'll safely rescue all the hostages."