"She did?" I exclaim in amazement, "Gashelle that is a rare honour ... may I see it?" I am at once beside myself with curiosity. "If it is a powerful enchantment one of the sickles we took would be more than appropriate ..."
Gashelle nods. "Assuming Avinar has no objections then, and with your leave, I'll make the donation."
If all of that works fine --and if Gashelle doesn't incur a third miracle at the other altar to Athena-- she'll make the donation and return to her duties with the wagons.
There are no further miracles for Gashelle, the sickle is gladly accepted by the temple as an offering.Gashelle is an object of curiosity for the priestesses though although none of them would be brash enough to question her
You pass the evening in your various pursuits...and retire to your beds knowing that no watches need be set when the vigilant troops of the keep are on watch.
In the Morning you hitch up and head off down the road towards Tarsh which you reach about midday...you pass through the gates and head for a sizable inn where Ensor pays you off.(15 gp each)
"eff y'd tak me advice..Ah wuddent go bak t' that owd skinflint Zuny...plenty of gold t' be made here by young blades lookin' fir adventure"
This is the place to buy and sell things! Our party loot is on the last page of the discussion thread.
The magic items consist of:
- A longsword +1
- A vial of silversheen
- 2 potions of cure moderate wounds (brilliant green)
- A scroll case containing three scrolls
Is there anything magical we should sell? Is there anything non-magical you would not like us to sell? (There are masterwork weapons, a healer's kit, an herbalism book that gives a bonus to healing checks, and a blank spellbook, for examples.)
For her part, Gashelle would like to set aside the items she considers "suspicious": the set of papers and seals, the locked book and its key, the golden signet ring, and a couple of representative samples of the gold and silver coins with the royal seals. These may end up being completely benign after investigation, but they might also be seeds of an interesting adventure.
She'd be curious enough to read through the diplomat's red notebook before selling it. Before beginning, she wouldn't hold out too much hope of it being interesting, but you never know. She'd probably ask Lady Eltariel about some of the "diplomat-things" in there which she wouldn't otherwise understand.
When distributing the treasure, she's also like to take her share in the matching gold necklace and bracelet and at least a share of the Skandik white and red silks. She'd like to find a tailor who can make her a nice Karakhani sari that complement both the jewelry and her own complexion. (There's more than enough square yardage there for two or three outfits, if anybody else wanted one as well.)
Tarsh (Valley of the Ancients; Small City, Pop. 14,240;
TL 8): Tarsh sits to the east of the Ruling River, northwest of the famed Valley of the Ancients, built on the ruined capitol of a once mighty kingdom that was brought to ruin during a worldwide conflict ages ago. It was ruled by long lived humans called Tenifell Lords. Appearing as flesh colored normal humans, it is said that remnants of this race still exist and roam the Wilderlands as rangers (known as the Rangers of Tarsh). The outer walls of the city were breeched long ago. Only the nobles section within the inner walls remains and makes up the new city. Rubble is piled on most streets in the old city leaving only a few paths through it. In the center of the city is a citadel with a small wood and a tree sacred to the local druids. The city’s central market has goods from Tarantis, Viridistan, Valon and the City State. It is located in a newly cleared area just outside of the inner walls. Tarsh is small in comparison to the larger city states, but its power is growing. Trade is beginning to return. Vendors ply artifacts of the old city to travelers and merchants from foreign lands. Many make a good living scavenging the old city.
Everyone but Aude can give me Knowledge checks in whatever fields they desire to gain more knowledge of the rulers and important personages of the city. However Eltariel will already be aware that the city ruler is also the High Druid for the region
Gashelle's rolls:
Kn: Arcana = 22
Kn: dungeoneering = 17
Kn: geography = 13
KN: planes = 23
I would be interested in taking some items
the three steel tankards topped with stylized wooden skulls and the spool of strong black thread.
IS there a temple to a god of death nearby ? If not , what other temples are in town ?
Gashelle
on the subject of the Tenifel lords Scholars say there is little
chance that the race will regain its former glory as the females
gave birth to twins or triplets but once in a lifetime of 350
years.
in addition your dungeoneering contacts have spoken of a strange tower in the ruins that many groups have tried to enter but failed due to a powerful force field
Aude
A few of your usual blunt questions reveals that there is no known temple of any death god here ...the main temple is one to Apollo.
((This is a very Greco-Roman region religion wise))
Eltariel
The head druid is named Marlenius a man of great power and influence in the councils of the North
Gashelle mentions to everyone the information under her spoiler tag.
"Well, let us be about the selling of our goods, then. Once we have coin in hand, we can track down Kaltodar. He may have goods to keep us safe in the ruins, or he may have information that we can use to keep ourselves alive."
Gashelle , you mean to explore the ruins ?
Not a temple or shrine as such..and maybe I was a little too narrow in my answer...the priests of Hades..LN god of the dead..conduct funeral rites here but do not have a shrine of their own merely an altar near the temple of Apollo.
Now to be honest..the tankards might appeal more to rougher warrior types..there are a substantial number of Skandik mercenaries in the employ of the city
Aude will then approach a servant at the temple of Apollo
'Excuse me , your worship, I recently came in custody of items with skulls motifs on them . While I do not think they have any religious significance, I would be reassured if they were destroyed near the altar of Hades ? Who could I see for such purpose and what would be the offering to give to the altar ? '
The non-magical gear we've collected since we left Lenap -- minus the items Gashelle would like to hold back, at least temporarily-- sums to 3178 gp, 3 sp; or 635 gold, 6 silver, 6 copper apiece.
Did did the five of us want to sell the magic sword? If we get half-price for it, that would add another 1000 gp total, 200 each.
Eltariel and Avinar, did you want to see about selling the footman's mace and buying some dwoemered missile weapons?
FADE BACK: Before she leaves the temple of Eros Layjiani happily donates 20gp to the priests for such a good and well needed romp. Along the rest of the journey to Tarsh her companions notice her with a lighter step and a constant smile on her face (something normally quite rare for her)
When given the opportunity, the ranger can't help but approach Gashelle with a big smile saying "You really should have come! Boy what you missed! Why there was this one...." She will continue in detail until Gashelle either asks her to stop or appears to be getting uncomfortable to the point of being upset. If interrupted, Layjiani will smile kindly and say "Ah well, perhaps another time" then winking and continuing on her way
FADE IN: Later on in Tarsh, at the mention of exploring ruins Layjiani head snaps up, a sparkle of excitement and adventure in her eyes. It is obvious what her choice of next adventure would be.
When given the opportunity, the ranger can't help but approach Gashelle with a big smile saying "You really should have come! Boy what you missed! Why there was this one...." She will continue in detail until Gashelle either asks her to stop or appears to be getting uncomfortable to the point of being upset.
Oh no, Gashelle would have let her continue. (This was yesterday, when we were in the ton of Discam, yes?) When Layjiani finished describing various acts of depravity ("... and then we had a foursome with a dog and a branding iron, but it's okay because the branding iron wasn't really hot. But boy, did that dog do tricks!"), Gashelle smiled and replied, "I'm glad you had a good time, Layjiani. My evening in the temple of Athena was well spent, too."
Later on in Tarsh, at the mention of exploring ruins Layjiani head snaps up, a sparkle of excitement and adventure in her eyes. It is obvious what her choice of next adventure would be.
"Are you familiar with the ruins here? Is the adventure more risky or rewarding here than elsewhere?"
Gashelle and Layjiani
A few questions around the marketplace and taverns reveals that the old city is a monster infested area bringing both great rewards and great danger to those who venture into it.
Eltariel
You are welcomed at the grove and if you wish to sell the sickle there you can.The great tree is old..very old and even has a resident dryad(if Avinar goes with you the dryad flirts with him incessantly)
Aude.
No offering is necessary to destroy the tankards..you turn them over to the priests and are assured that they will be dealt with..though you do pick up some strange looks from them.(have 100 xp for religious zeal)
Holgur...
The city itself is hiring as are many of the Merchants..but the mercs tell you you'd be better trying your hand at adventuring if you want the big rewards.
Wellard , I'll begin looking for a house to let for a month or two
Holgur...
The city itself is hiring as are many of the Merchants..but the mercs tell you you'd be better trying your hand at adventuring if you want the big rewards.
Before the group goes their separate ways in this big city, Layjiani speaks up to all "So do this be the end of our wee group? If no, this one thinks it do be a good idea to arrange some place and time to meet, no?"
To Chris/Gashelle
!! :O Dude(ette) Not sure how you do things in Your neck of the woods my friend but in my stompin' grounds "a good romp" and "depravity" are not synonymous...and dogs are almost never involved! ;-)
"On the contrary, I think there is adventure to be had by all of us round here. Avinar and I are setting up in the Golden Hart, Shall we meet there a week from now, once we have re-equipped ourselves?"
OOC: Taking a wild guess that this will be enough time for all of us ... and that it corresponds with Wellard's plans. If not amend statement above for appropriate location and time period.
To Chris/Gashelle
** spoiler omitted **
(laughs) When you suggested that Gashelle would be scandalized by Layjiani's description, I assumed that Layjiani was describing something scandalous. If not, then, really, she's not going to shock Gashelle. The half-elf's issues have been matters of self-confidence (her father was a criminal, her training ended in complete disgrace) not prudery.
As for sticking together, "I agree with Etariel. I'd like to think we make a good team, if inexperienced. Let's see what we can find out about the ruins here, with an eye towards exploring them.
"Let's find out who else is in town, treasure-hunting, and let's see if we can track them down and trade good ale for information.
"Let's find out who disappeared into the ruins, and hasn't returned.
"Let's see if we can't sketch a map of the ruins above ground.
"And in our spare time, let's meet daily and discuss tactics against various opponents. Master Drolan, an old trainer of mine, said 'The middle of a battle against trolls is the wrong time to be discussin' with your boon companions who should have been carryin' a flask of oil.' If any of you are interested, I'd be happy to spar against you."
While I'm not adverse to continue working with you , I must state that I'm not a treasure hunter per se
If you find a worthwhile cause , count me in but frankly just going exploring for the fun of it and killing so-called monsters just to loot them is not my kind of idea of how I personally should run my life .
Helping others or defeating undeath would of course be another thing
Please , do not take this as an attack . You are free to live your lives as best as you can but for the time being , I plan to learn about my new world
"I understand your position, Aude, and I think it is an honourable one. But my reasons are neither bloodlust, nor the quest for treasure. These wild lands are dangerous for common people to live in, as you have seen there are many arcane threats that are hard to deal with, and there are many who seek to take advantage of the lawlessness of this region to establish their own reigns, such as the outlaws and slavers we saw," Eltariel explains.
"Aude, if people are to live free of fear and oppression - and free from the fear of the undead - then we must not just wait passively for them to show themselves. As a group, we have demonstrated an ability to face these threats; we can gain in experience and skill, and help to establish safer areas in which people can live. These ruins may contain treasure and riches, yes. They also contain creatures that steal into the city at night, or waylay travellers during the day. There are dangers lurking in these tombs - do you recall the skeletons we faced? What would have become of the caravan had we not been present? What would happen should there be some uncovered tomb in the ruins that some child stumbles upon?
"It is my intention to seek these things out, before they threaten others. Yes, there is chance of fame and fortune - with treasure taken we can equip ourselves more effectively, establish a centre of operations, and be more effective at our task. I would be glad of your company, you are a loyal friend and an effective priestess."
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Wellard, can Gashelle find out any of the information from her last post?
Anybody else in the party interested in practicing weaponcraft this week? Otherwise, Gashelle will seek out sparring partners among the mercenaries, city guards, and adventurers.
By the way, Wellard, is there any sort of mail delivery in the Wilderlands?
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"Let's find out who else is in town, treasure-hunting, and let's see if we can track them down and trade good ale for information.
"Let's find out who disappeared into the ruins, and hasn't returned.
"Let's see if we can't sketch a map of the ruins above ground.
"And in our spare time, let's meet daily and discuss tactics against various opponents. Master Drolan, an old trainer of mine, said 'The middle of a battle against trolls is the wrong time to be discussin' with your boon companions who should have been carryin' a flask of oil.' If any of you are interested, I'd be happy to spar against you."
Youll have to give me time to come up with a map
Basic Information is as followsThe city is expansive and most of the close by areas have been stripped by the treasure hunters..however many groups never return..I could give you a list of names but they would be meaningless to you suffice to say the roll call of the dead is long and many bodies have never been recovered..either having served as food to creatures or become undead or worse.
The daylight hours are less dangerous with only roaming groups of Hobgoblins and Bugbears to worry about in the way of intelligent foes. Night time brings out the undead. The large garrison of the city includes a goodly number of priests and even some paladins.
Sometimes the city will commisson groups of adventurers to investigate specific buildings..however the tower GFashelle heard off is not currently on this list as the council have given up trying to gain entrance
off course one of the greatest dangers in the city is from unscroupulous bands of treasure hunters somne of whom lie in wait for others to do the work for them.
The daylight hours are less dangerous with only roaming groups of Hobgoblins and Bugbears to worry about in the way of intelligent foes. Night time brings out the undead. The large garrison of the city includes a goodly number of priests and even some paladins.
Of course, one of the greatest dangers in the city is unscrupulous bands of treasure hunters who lie in wait for others to do the work for them.
Gashele would certainly be willing to volunteer for garrison duty with a special request to work the night shifts. And she'll keep an eye peel for suspicious adventurers around the taverns.
Gashelle...
The garrison commander will happily take you onto the payroll..but the minimum enlistment is three months(one season a fairly common way of paying mercenaries historically)
Aude...
Yu can find a house..or more likely part of a house(another common practice in our own middle ages) to rent for 10 gp a week..yes it is expensive but the local economy is inflated because of the amount of gold that passes through the city
One further point..the city is from time to time subject to minor earth tremors, not enough to tumble buildings but noticable enough to newcomers
Gashelle...
The garrison commander will happily take you onto the payroll..but the minimum enlistment is three months(one season a fairly common way of paying mercenaries historically)One further point..the city is from time to time subject to minor earth tremors, not enough to tumble buildings but noticable enough to newcomers
Gashelle accepts on the condition that she may resign, with notice, before the three months, forfeiting all pay but with no further penalty or burden.
These earth tremors are very localized! Does anybody local have any guess as to the cause?
Many theories from the mundane(underground rivers..natural faults) through the fanciful (Dragons fighting each other in an eternal battle beneath the earth..to the truely bizzare(an army of demons tunneling their way to the surface)
The more Layjiani hears about the potential of finding treasure and exploring old ruins the excited she gets. There could be all kinds of ancient secrets in there! The party has never seen her this animated, even before she visited the temple of Eros. THIS is what she Lives for.
Once we've decided on how much loot everyone's share is, Layjiani will do some shopping and info gathering...
According to Wellard, the total cash after sales is 2852 gold and change.
How about apportioning the loot:
Eltariel:
- collection of herbal healing recipes
- healer’s kit
- empty spellbook
- potion (cure moderate wounds)
- 458 gold
Aude:
- satchel with 3 steel tankards
- spool of thread
- 2 needles
- potion (cure moderate wounds)
- 487 gold
Avinar:
- coin purse closed with an intricate bronze latch
- pack of playing cards
- fine rope
- vial of silvery liquid (silversheen)
- 541 gold
Gashelle:
- journal of a diplomat
- bolt of white silk
- bolt of red silk
- matching gold bracelet and necklace
- 460 gold
Holgur:
- longsword +1
- 250 gold
Layjiani:
- leather and fur cloak
- leather gauntlets
- gem
- linen handkerchief
- 2 candles
- 617 gold
That leaves 39 gold to pay for a place to stay and meals for 2 or 3 weeks.
The week passes uneventfully apart from the random earth tremors.Gashelle goes off each night to stand guard on the walls but sees no action.At the end of the week you assemble in a tavern called the 4 Orcs Lodge so called because of the 4 orc skulls that adorn the lintle of the entrance door.It's not a huge place...4 long tables a bar with 7 seats and a stage for musicians constitute the interior furnishings. You can get a hearty meal of boiled catfish served with beans,leeksand flat bread for a measly 3 sp
Further information about the tower Gashelle heard of emerges ..It actually lies outside the city walls tothe north of the new city.In many ways it's become a standing joke amongst the adventuring populace as there is without a doubt no way in at all..however there are also stories of a spirit of some sort seen within the forcefield. The tower seems to have been part of a small fortress the ruins of which lie around the towers base You could safely make your way there around the outside of the city without risking the attention of the denizens therein.
Has anyone else any done any shopping..if so please inform me now.
Aude has passed the week trying to make a new life for herself in her new home ( buing a bed , a table and so on )
She would definitely have informed the people around she can operate as a midwife
Once at the tavern and once she'll have catch up with what the others did do meanwhile , she'll quietly speak
' I think it's my duty to assist Gashelle . I'll go with her . '
Wellard, I've gone over the posts since we arrived at Tarsh, and I wanted to clear up some minor confusions and tie up some loose ends.
The outer walls of the city [of Tarsh] were breached long ago. Only the nobles section within the inner walls remains and makes up the new city. Rubble is piled on most streets in the old city leaving only a few paths through it…The city’s central market … is located in a newly cleared area just outside of the inner walls. Vendors ply artifacts of the old city to travelers and merchants from foreign lands. Many make a good living scavenging the old city.
1. Do I understand that "the old city" (alias “the ruins”) is a collection of destroyed quarters of the city, destroyed “long ago”? What destroyed the city? An invasion? How long ago? (Could we hope to still find, say, dwarves who’ve survived since then, buried in the rubble?) And it surrounds the active “new city” of Tarsh?
--+--+--
Kaltodar [the magic shop owner in town] may have goods to keep us safe in the ruins, or he may have information that we can use to keep ourselves alive.
2. Gashelle proposes that we get Kaltodar’s viewpoint on the ruins, the dangers he’s heard about, and the kinds of explorers whom he’s seen go investigating, all while we buy and sell goods there.
--+--+--+
“Let's find out who else is in town, treasure-hunting, and let's see if we can track them down and trade good ale for information.
3. Do we hear of anybody who has been particularly successful? Which might mean "…who has survived more than two trips out of the safety of the new city?"
--+--+--
Let's see if we can't sketch a map of the ruins above ground.
--+--+--
The daylight hours are less dangerous with only roaming groups of Hobgoblins and Bugbears to worry about in the way of intelligent foes. Night time brings out the undead. The large garrison of the city includes a goodly number of priests and even some paladins.
5. Hobgoblins? Could be worse; could be gnolls. What kind of undead, Gashelle asks her fellow guardsmen? Just mindless zombies and the remains of the unshriven dead? Or self-willed things like wraiths and ghouls? Or worse?
--+--+--
Sometimes the city will commisson groups of adventurers to investigate specific buildings.”
6. That may be a good place to start. What do you people think? Wellard, are there any commissions currently open?
--+--+--
[People] have spoken of a strange tower in the ruins that many groups have tried to enter but failed due to a powerful force field.
It actually lies outside the city walls to the north of the new city. In many ways it's become a standing joke amongst the adventuring populace as there is without a doubt no way in at all. There are also stories of a spirit of some sort seen within the force field. The tower seems to have been part of a small fortress the ruins of which lie around the tower’s base. You could safely make your way there around the outside of the city without risking the attention of the denizens therein.
7. That sounds like our eventual target. Do we want to try that first, or would we rather face something simpler among the old city? Gashelle is in favor of going to look at the tower, at the very least.
--+--+--
I think it's my duty to assist Gashelle . I'll go with her."Thank you, Aude. Assist me with what?"
I don't know exactly , Gashelle . But the way you have been favored by your goddess is for me an indicator you have a fate reserved for you . This kind of event is more the stuff of tales and legend home and could indicate you will be an heroine
Since Pharasma is also the goddess of fate , I would be honored to help you determine what is that fate.
Gashelle
1)Nobody knows..maybe during the war with the legendary Makrabs maybe sometime later..there are no songs or legends of the fall extant indeed all records of it seem to have been purposefully destroyed.
2)The mage is too busy scribing scrolls and brewing potions to converse with the likes of you..his apprentices who actually run the shop will gossip..you can expect the full range of races(except Warforged but including such things as Goliaths)and classes to be represented in the adventuring population.
3)The most succesful adventuring group is the Company of the Green Hart.Led by a rather intense Transmuter named Sirena they have a reputation for taking the most dangerous commissions...this leads to a high turn over of personel but the rewards are commnsurtely great.
Most adventurers here come for a season or two and then leave..if they survive.
4)(my mapping abilities are not up to this)
5)Undead..expect to meet lots of the low level stuff..Skellies, Zombies etc..Ghoul packs sometimes led by ghasts..wights...shadows and the ocassional Spectre, Ghost or Allip
"I wonder if there is a way under the field. Perhaps it does not extend below the ground and we could dig just enough to crawl under it. There could also be an undiscovered entrance to it a distance away; like a tunnel some distance from the tower. If there is no normal way inside then nothing living would be within it; just the spirits that folk speak of."
"Certainly sounds like an area for investigation, Holgur," I consider it. "We will certainly have to investigate carefully."
Thank you, Wellard, for the answers.
So, it sounds like our first foray is to examine the tower.
"If we can find a way in, does everyone agree that we should take it?
"If we can't, I would like to contact the city government and see about taking a commission to explore the Old City. Do any of us have any other suggestions?"
