Looking quite startled the men quickly glance over at the tiefling before one of them steps forward, "Greetings, Habber? You are safe here, My name is Zeric Helcin we are a patrol accompanying a Purple Dragon Knight of Cormyr. We were called to dispatch of this kobold problem so that merchants such as your self will be safe. What are you doing out this way?"
As you look around, you note that none of these men are trouble and mostly they look like they want to get back to the relaxation they had moments ago.
Marcus moves forward, touching Dran on the shoulder as he moves past and whispers, "Let us salvage what's left of our integrity, shall we?" Without waiting for a response, the invoker steps into the clearing and presents himself with a small flourish of his red and yellow-fringed robe.
"Our purpose, good soldier, is the same as yours," he begins addressing the mercenary group. "We have also been called upon to end the kobolds, and whatever else threatens the good people in this region. Forgive our rouse, if you please. If we had realized that you were riding with one of the famed Purple Dragons, we would not have bothered sending Habber here to test your intentions."
Sturdy steps out of the treeline behind Aglaeca, waiving Karn out as well, "If we had known you were knights of the Purple Dragon, we wouldn't have taken such precautions. Your reputation as honorable preceeds you."
The man speaking with Habber looks shocked to say the least,
"This is all of you? I am ashamed that my men did not notice you all in the treeline, we should perhaps be more careful out here. Who knows if we cleared out all of the kobold from this nest of em." He points to the waterfall "It was a whole cave of them, we came here on the orders of the purple dragon knight that rides with us and cleared all the beast out. Is that what you are doing here? If so I am sorry that we have taken your work. To be honest I'm not really sure why we're doing this type of mission"
"Where is this Purple Dragon Knight? We would like to speak with him about this kobold situation."
"I am here." a strong female voice calls out from the tent door. "Since you have shown me that my guards are not working to the best of their ability, what is it I can help you with?" she is a tall elf with red hair and kind green eyes. She stands at a height average to most humans and seemingly captivates all the guards around her.
The invoker of Tempus pauses only for a moment, but long enough to take in the presence of the captivating elven warrior. He had not expected an elf to be leading the band of humans, much less a female leading a band of males. Most female elves that he had encountered before were always somehow less commanding and more mystical... not that he had encountered so many before, but one thing remained constant: he always found them to be alluring.
Regaining his senses, Marcus realizes that the tiefling may be on the verge of creating another potentially bad impression if the invoker did not speak first.
"M'lady," Marcus says with a bow. "We apologize for intruding on your campsite and taking advantage of your men during their well-deserved respite. It is only curiosity that led us to this place where we noticed men burning the bodies of the very enemies we have been fighting in recent days. But the Lord of Winterhaven has commissioned our stalwart group to end their threat to his fair village, and we intend to fulfill our obligation. Perhaps you can share what information you have on these creatures and, together, we can end this wretched hive of filthy cretins.
"I am Marcus Armethal, by the way. Late of far away Impiltur. Devoted disciple of the Lord of Battles, Tempus. My friends may speak for themselves, for they are capable in their own right," he casts an assuring glance back at the others, inviting them to step forward.
Karn, working up his courage, steps forward and says Pleased ta meet ya all. My name's Karn, and like me friend here has said, I'm here to help with this kobold problem. But from the looks of it, ya all have it well in hand. I say we go with Marcus' idea. That is a lot of kobolds on that fire, but there are sure to be more. a bit of cooperation will go a long ways <i> May god, what is all this talk coming out of my mouth, guess Marcus is rubbing off a bit too much.</i>
with a smile and laugh at his suddenly verbose compatriots. Habber walks over to the fire pit, and if no one minds, sits down, and starts poking a stick at the fire.
Mumbling to himself a little, a tiny snatch of music may be heard by those right beside him ...twitterpation twitterpation helps aleave aliviation...
Realising these are not a threat Dran sighs quietly to himself and stays in the back of the group not really feeling up to conversing with total strangers. He instead draws his blade and begins to inspect it making sure there is no nicks in the blade or other damages. That done he returns the weapon to its sheath and leans up against a tree and crosses his arms
"My name is Aenos Mar, We are here on behalf of the Kingdom of Cormyr. This trade route has been suffering because of these beasts and we have waited long enough for Lord Padraig to handle his own territory with effieciency.. Wait, you say you work for Padraig? I have something that might be of use to you." The elf reaches into her pocket and retrieves a bloody scroll wrapped around a dragon figurine, similar to the one you found earlier. She hands it forward to Marcus.
The note reads:
"My spy in Winterhaven suggests we keep an eye out for visitors
to the area. It probably does not matter. In a few more days,
I’ll completely open the rift. Then Winterhaven’s people will
serve as food for those Lord Shar sends to do my bidding.
-Kalarel"
"I cannot tell if there is any truth to that note, nor is it my duty to."Aenos says while looking over the rather odd looking group
Marcus takes the note and reads it out loud for the others, raising his brows as he finishes the last sentence. "Shar! I suppose the priestess was right, after all," he says with a concerning tone. "But what of this rift that is mentioned? It cannot bode well for anyone if we simply ignore it. The kobolds may simply have to wait!"
Marcus pauses for a moment as he seems to ponder in thought for a moment. His expression is both perplexed and conflicted as he looks to each of his companions, and then to the elven knight. His eyes searching for an answer though his heart somehow knows that he will not find it here. Finally, he asks his question. "Do you suppose they are somehow connected in all of this?"
"It looks that way from the note, It was found on one of their leaders, "Irontooth". Anyway, it's probably not a real threat. These kobolds were mere minions and nothing particularly troublesome. If this is your quest to investigate then so be it, but we have more pressing matters for the kingdom of Cormyr much as I'd like to lend a hand in crushing more of these beasts. Feel free to camp here for the night, we are leaving at dawn." Aenos says as she looks over her campsite "I'm sure we've more than enough room for all of you."
Habber/Aglaeca:
In the year 236 DR, the great wyrm Shadraxil began attacking Cormyr’s outposts. Among these forts was the place that was to become Shadowfell Keep.
In response, Cormyr sent a contingent of brave soldiers led by the knight Jerold Keegan. Keegan devised a plan to lure the beast into an arcane trap, where Cormyr’s War Wizards managed to bind the wyrm in a prison within the Plane of Shadow. Shadraxil has been trapped in the prison for twelve centuries, forgotten by most and assumed dead by the few who recall his name.
Habber/All:
The camp is mostly filled with small talk and stories of travel and adventure for the next few hours as the sun goes down, and one by one everyone starts to retire for the night. "We've got a tent over there if you don't want to sleep outside like your friend." Says one of the soldiers as he examines Habbers well thought out security system. "He's quite odd isn't he?" he says to the rest of you while scratching his head.
"You have no idea," Marcus remarked casually as he made his way into the tent. "But our group would not be the same if he were anything else. Good night to you all. May sleep bring us peace this night to remind us why we fight tomorrow."
The invoker spends an hour by candlelight, studying the note and meditating with his scriptures. His thoughts focus on the trials to come. What role do the kobolds serve? What of the rift being made by Shar's servants? And what part would he and his companions play in all of this?
It was in the air, a tense feeling of uneasy control permeated the camp. The soldiers knew how to live with fear and anxiety. They were trained to exude their emotions, bask in the sensations that reminded them that, for the moment, they were still alive. It was their time to relax, not out of desire for luxury, but as part of their ritual in preparing for the next possible fight. Good soldiers knew that a well-rested warrior was better prepared against a weary one. Tempus knows this. So did Marcus.
Soon after he finishing his meditation, the bearded man from Impiltur blew out the candles and went to sleep, though he did not feel tired. He needed his rest before the coming battle.
In the Morning you can see the campfire slowly coming to it's end as you look around the campsite to see the soldiers packing up their home as if it were. These men are in fact used to the life on the move, always trying to ensure that no matter what happens their own families have a home that does not have to move as often as the missions they chase do.
Aenos is looking confident as ever as she orders her men in a timely fashion.
"I am sorry that you all cannot sleep longer, but we have to report back to Cormyr. It is already a long enough ride, I will give report on what we found here and see if I can't get you some more help. May Tempus give you strength."
Aglaeca waits for the soliders to leave and get out of sight ,before moving to mount up and get everyone else to do the same.
"We got to go speak to the lord, now, We got spies and worst in town and we're gonna need directions"
"Agreed," Marcus replies as he mounts his steed. "but I'd like to speak with the priestess of Chauntea before we speak with the Lord of Winterhaven. If there is a spy in town, I suspect that he may be closer to someone in a position of power who could be swayed than a cloistered cleric with less influence in public affairs. We may gain the advantage if we are careful and do not reveal our hand before we can identify the enemy."
"I see no reason to speak with the priestess, but you are correct about being watched. Perhaps we should go back, and as a clever rouse, pretend we found nothing at all. "
"Then we can send the drow or a skulk to the lord at night, to relay our message. After we can be sure the message is through, we can start watching for the spy. However decent and/or nice the priest lady is , our employ is with the lord. "
"I can write a message for the lord if you like, otherwise the Lord and I need to talk about whether this is actually a shar cult. I have some knowledge of the relics we found that the rest of you probably dont."
Marcus furrows his brow at the tiefling's words. "And why have you not shared this information with your companions, Habber?" His expression is a mixture of curiosity and annoyance as he rubs the flame-embroidered etchings of his staff with his thumb. He seems to be on the verge of saying more, but simply waits quietly for Aglaeca's response.
"Because it is of little importance to our immediate activities, and the less people know the less they can inadvertently blab to spies and cultist"
"Blab?" Marcus echoed the tiefling's word of choice. His face appeared to flush momentarily as he clenched his jaw a little tighter. Looking around at the others, he wondered if anyone else was considering clubbing the infernal creature with whatever they happen to be holding in their hands at that moment. The soldiers were already away. The prospect was becoming tempting.
"If I recall," the invoker began, forcing his thoughts to focus on more diplomatic methods, "Lord Padraig was reluctant to acknowledge such a threat even existed. He insisted on finding proof before acting, and now we have something to show him. But if this spy is working through him and influencing his judgment, as one of Shar's minions is likely to do, then there is a small chance that a simple note may not be enough on its own."
Marcus continues without giving anyone a chance to interrupt."The priestess was first to suspect any Sharran involvement in any of this. You would know this if you had bothered to accompany the rest of us rather than continuing to work alone according to the demands of your scheming little mind. If anyone is prepared to move against the Lady of the Night, it would be her. She is the least likely person to have any connections with this deceiver, which makes her a valuable asset to us. We would gain the advantage if we could add greater credibility to our claims and deter any attempts by this infiltrator to somehow intervene or subvert our efforts."
"Our employer hired us on behalf of the people of Winterhaven, tiefling," he added as he spurred his horse forward. "Try to maintain some perspective before involving us in another clever rouse."
"Aglaeca, I wasn't going to blab. I think we should talk to Lord Padraig and the priestess as neither one seemed to be followers of Shar to me."
What perspective is that, your perspective, tempus's perspective, the priests perspective? Why are you making such a large fuss over such a simple, polite matter. For one who talks of battles and how tempus cares not for big pointy objects or little pointy objects, you certainly seem to have some prejudices against someone who is willing and able to get the job, nay the battle, against evil done.
All you know about this old witch, is that she sent some boy to get help, an incompetent boy, not exactly the level of resources and above reproach behaviour I would want to trust not to be compromised in someway. The Spy is in town, its not the lord and that's about all we can even be reasonably certain about. Why would the lord hire us to deal with the kobolds, who are connected to the cult, if he was influenced by the cult? He wouldn't.
Turning to face sturdy aglaeca smiles, " I have no doubts that you would not blab intentionally, but everyone makes mistakes, its a rule of life. My secrecy reflects not my trust in you, but rather my distrust of myself, everything I do must be weighed against what may happen. You may not blab but what if these dread agents of darkness got to you with pliers, and hot irons, whips, and succubus, and needles, and cheese. What about then sturdy. "
But really its a null issue, I will divulge the information to our employer, you know that man who has promised to pay us and gives us support in our quest
"What arrogance!" Marcus exclaimed as he reigned his horse to a stop now. "Tempus deliver me, but this has gone on quite enough! You speak as if you are the only one here willing or capable to do anything, and you won't even so much as listen or consider anyone else's ideas but your own. It is your lack of faith in anything that I find disturbing, and it makes me uncomfortable to think where it may lead us if we continue to follow your lead."
Jerking hard on the reigns of his mount, the invoker forces his steed to turn quickly and moves away from the group, stopping only a few yards away before facing them as a group. "I think it is time to let the rest of the group be heard, for once," he addresses them with a bit more control in his voice. "Sturdy, I do not believe the Lord of Winterhaven is either a threat or a traitor to his people, but I would prefer to err on the side of caution. Speaking with the priestess first will offer us an advantage that we cannot otherwise gain if we wait to visit her afterwards, but we can gain nothing if we do not and we betray no one if we do."
"If anyone else would like to give their thoughts on the matter, please feel free to share them now. Or," he points to the tiefling, "you can continue to put more trust into someone who thinks of you as little more than his 'meat shield', or whatever he says. The decision is yours to make, but I will go no further with him lest Tempus strikes me down."
"I do enjoy a good aged goat cheese, thinly spread over a hard cracker," Sturdy interjects trying to change the subject as he's obviously feeling awkward.
With a slight look of disdain etched on his face Dran urges his mount ahead and with a sneer " We waste enough time sitting here. Habber what such knowledge would you have and not shared with us" as the drow speaks you can hear a faint bit of sarcasm " your dear friends. Would you believe the people you travel with to be that weak?" He seems about to say more but instead closes his eyes and breathes deep. Dran thinks to himself "I must relax. I am more like my kin than I would like." As he breathes deep Dran fingers the hilt to his sword, the metal seeming to take the rage away and storing it.
Resignation finally fills the invoker's face as he shakes his head and slumps his shoulders. "Very well," he sighs. With one hand holding his staff, Marcus reaches into his pouch with the other and pulls out the rolled up parchment, holding it up for the others to see. Then he tosses it lightly so that it lands only a few feet from the tiefling.
"You will need this if you're going to convince anyone," he tells them. "For the sake of the people in Winterhaven, I wish you luck. And may you someday find victory and honor."
His eyes look over the group with consideration. Then, with a heavy sigh, Marcus turns his horse around and heads in the direction of the elven knight and her group of soldiers from Cormyr. Tempus willing, the invoker would be allowed to join their campaign and help them in their battles. Perhaps it was no accident that he had met them when he did. Was this a new path meant for him to follow? Curious how things work out. Tempus only knows.
Thanks, Nix. If you're interested in keeping touch, you can find me at Myth-weavers under the same username. It is definitely worth checking out for future PbP gaming. The features are worth consideration. Take care.
The small fields around the walled heart of Winterhaven seem
strangely empty. Inside the walls, the few villagers you see walking
around appear nervous, pausing to give furtive glances
before darting away.
Aglaeca, after returning to the Inn, goes and seeks out the Merchant, where he begs, borrows, or steals, some writing materials and returns to the Inn. (should I perhaps mark off my sling and ammo for trade/sell to purchase a writing kit?)
Aglaeca then writes out a note, outlining the situation, and describing the statuate and amulet. Sealing it with wax and impressing with wax with the amulet. Aglaeca hands off the note to Dran or whoever is tasked with finding the lord... without being found.
The Note, In Elvish
My Lord,
In the course of our investigating the kobolds, I have found some ... unusual objects of worship. An Amulet and a Statuate which I believe both depict an ancient threat. 12 centuries ago the Great Dragon Shadraxil was defeated in these very lands (236 DR). Finding relics of Shadraxil today, in multible places seem beyond comprehension.
I do not know if or how Shar cultist would be involved, but regardless. Someone seems intent on doing something with the Dragon Shadraxil a wurm that took ancient warmages of legend to capture/kill in the first place.
We have also uncovered evidence of spies in town. I am going to begin sniffing them out, I presume with your permission.
We must investigate this keep. Perhaps this is overreaction, and if so we should find the keep abandoned. Please tell my messenger the location of Shadowfell Keep, any other requests and if possible, the name of someone who may know how to get their quickly/efficiency.
Otherwise act normally, and know that we shall soon have the spy, the kobolds, and the cult in hand.
Sincerely in Service
Aglaeca
Also I am going to be out of town this weekend, See you all monday.
Sturdy will head back to the inn to see if he can talk to a few locals and find out what's going on in town that has everyone spooked.
Dran looks down at the note and sneers at both the note and Aglaeca "Why would I want to go out of my way to deliver that?" Again looking at the note sighs more to himself "fine. I shall be back before long" With that Dran grabs the note and tucks in into his belt and heads for the door of the inn and makes his way to find the lord
Stealth (1d20+5=18)
Streetwise (1d20+1=15)
Perception (1d20+2=10)
Sturdy/Anyone who accompanies him:
At Wrafton's Inn, Sturdy and the others mostly come across a similar tone set from the very entrance of the town, Uneasiness.
One villager said it well when they said:
“I don’t know . . . I just feel out of sorts, is all. Like someone walked over my grave, you know?"
You come across some of the familiar faces in town alongside Salvana, The elf Ninaran is hanging around, as is Thair Coalstriker a local merchant you had previous experience with. There are plenty of people around to talk with and ask questions, but the atmosphere tonight is much different then the past night you spent here.
Dran:
You are able to quickly locate Lord Padraig at his home and as he looks over the note you witness his face turn from confidence to looking quite shocked to be wrong. With a flick of his hand the guard that stands by moves out of the room, with the appearance of a farmer he seems to be relieved to get the break.
Once the guard is out of the room he begins to speak,
"I'll admit that the town has been overridden with a grim demeanor but I did not believe it to be anything of worry. I can't believe someone in our town would be a part of this."
He walks over to his window and points to the large tower in the center of town.
"You should speak with Valthrun the Prescient, he is a scholar in our town and will have lots of information on the keep as well as this wyrm. I will continue on with my day like nothing has happened. I will even give you the pay I promised, after all it has to look like nothing is going on. You should tell your friends to fake a reason to stay in town. Suspicions might arrive otherwise."
He grabs a small box off the table nearest him and hands it to you, inside is 150gp.
"There is more where that came from, two hundred and fifty more. If there is something going on in the Keep, you can have anything you find inside of it. Please return to your friends and tell them what I offer."
Many meals of venison are being had on this night and you've found yourself a few locals to sit and talk with over your drinks. Everything in the Inn seems pretty bleak compared to last time and You do not notice much of anyone who is obviously missing, but at some point during your conversation amongst locals. The elf Ninaran who frequently sits in the corner takes her leave without you noticing exactly when.
Aglaeca taps sturdy on the shoulder, "Common, I want to get some air,"
Once outside, and away from ears, Aglaeca saunters towards the stables. Did you notice that elf, Ninaran, disappeared Sturdy? .
Is the stable busy/ Have signs of being recently used? (walled town is barricaded at night right?)
If it is in use I (and hopefully sturdy) investigate
If it has been recently used I (and hopefully sturdy )will make our way to the gate to see if it has been opened/used recently.
If neither, we return to the Inn, I excuse myself, return to my room. Baricade it. Exit onto the roof from my window, and carefully attempt to find ninaran's room.
I then observe the window, looking for dropped packages/messages/light signs/and the like.
Here's a stealth and a perception check?
Stealth 10
Perception 2, Passive 10
Aglaeca keeps up the survilence until either its clear ninaran is going to bed. After Ninaran does, Aglaeca turns his attention to Bairwin's general store, what can I see Gm
The town gates are sealed for the night and it does not appear that anything has gone on at the stables. Inside the old stalls, you can see the horses that you borrowed and a few others just standing around.
After sneaking around the ledges and such you believe that Ninaran does not have a room at the Inn. You recall Eilian the Old talking about her sitting alone all the time which makes you think that maybe she is a local, something that another local may know about.
The town is all quiet for a while after you sneak out the window, but interestingly enough you can see the flicker of candlelight inside of Bairwin's Grand Shop.
Aglaeca, letting himself down out of sight, sets foot onto the ground and attempts to stealthily move over to Bairwins
If Aglaeca makes it to bairwins without being called out, he takes a moment to look for anyone who might have seen him, or be watching the from door.
If Aglaeca does not see anyone, he will break into the Bairwin General Store.
If Aglaeca gets inside, aglaeca looks for whoever is hanging arround the store so late at night, hopefully without being seen.
IF no one is still in the store, Aglaeca will search for any signs of cultic activity. To make it look like a robbery, Aglaeca will quietly toss the place about and take any valuables (Coins/Gems/Magic Items) that he can get a hold on in his quest for incriminating evidence.
If someone is in the store, Aglaeca will attempt to observe them a bit before deciding what to do.
[ooc - I'm not sure how many more rolls you want, so here is a extra perception/stealth/theivery check if you need them.]
3 Perception
17 Stealth
18 Thievery
From inside Wrafton's Inn the party members of the Tiefling can clearly see him walking past the doorway outside.
A few patrons look over at him but continue on with their drinking. "Wonder what he's up to" one of them mumbles to his drinking buddy.
Sturdy casually leans against a building up the street from Agaleca. He chews on a apple core waiting to see the outcome of this investigation.