An evening of considered excess follows. Everyone in the tavern seems to know your names and no sooner had you arrived than the establishment seems to be getting fuller and fuller.
Complete strangers queue for a simple handshake and various people introduce themselves as local traders and suggest you stop by for either something for free or a hefty discount. Yet another patron suggests you drop by the Hagfish tavern.
Holding court over the evening is the fop - who introduces himself as Aldern Foxglove.
He waxes lyrical about how the party saved him from a certain 'goblining.'
He spends the evening giving Aylmora almost all of his time but before he retires for the evening, he gains the party's attention.
"I plan to return to my townhouse in Magnimar in a few more days, and I was hoping to go on a boar hunt in nearby Tickwood before I leave." At this point he stops and looks at Aylmora. "I would be honoured if you all would accompany me."
Aylmora smiles at Aldern's invitation. "A boar hunt sounds exciting, Master Foxglove. I would be honoured to join you, and I'm sure my brave compatriots -" she gestures toward Ashbek, Cuu, Sapere, and Old Redeye, "- would be happy to join us as well."
"Hmmm," she muses to herself. "He cowered before goblins, but is brave enough to hunt wild boar. I suppose any giorgio caught unprepared by a band of goblins would have acted similarly. It's nice to see that Aldern is braver than he first appeared."
"I will have to let my aunt know, however," the young girl adds. "What day did you have in mind?"
The dwarf looks uncomfortable. "I, um, I'm vegetarian." He says this while nibbling a piece of chicken.
"We'll be sure to take care of more goblins if they dare to show their faces!" Assured Cuu to Aldern, his speech a little slurred from the shots he had taken, "My friend Ashbek here has a killer throwing arm! He'll take care of any danger before they get close...unless I get to it first! Haha!"
The half-orc is clearly quite drunk.
The following morning, Aldern Foxglove is up bright and early and looks to rouse the group into accompanying him.
Cuu is there with his twin blades ready.
The following morning, Aldern Foxglove is up bright and early and looks to rouse the group into accompanying him.
Ashbek is already awake when Aldern comes knocking on his door. With a nod of his head he makes it clear that he will be joining him on the hunt today. When Aldern moves out to rouse the rest, Ashbek finds Cuu's room and gently knock on the door.
"You are going on the hunt today?"
"Huh?...We're hunting what now?" Asked a half-awake Cuu, falling out of bed and fumbling with the straps of his sabres, "Ah...nevermind, I'll be right out, make sure to tell the guy that we get a cut of whatever we're hunting!"
Aylmora sleepily descends the stairway to the common room of the inn, wearing a fluffy robe over her nightgown. She yawns as she focuses on the group of would-be boar hunters.
"Oh, my!" she exclaims, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "Master Foxglove! I didn't realize that you intended to mount your hunting expedition today! If you would be so kind as to wait, I'll be ready in just a moment!"
The young girl hurries back up the stairs. Nearly half an hour later, she descends the stairway again, this time dressed in form-fitting leather armor and bearing a rapier, a crossbow, a quiver of bolts, and a loaded backpack. Multiple colorful scarves adorn her neck, and her hair is pulled up into a ponytail.
"Thank you for waiting," she says to the assembled men. "I have just one more favor to ask. Before we head out into the wilderness, I need to let my great-aunt know where I will be today. Would you gentlemen mind escorting me to Aunt Niska's?"
Yo travel quickly to 'Aunt Niska's' house. She opens the dooer as soon as you knock on it.
She scans the group, before turning to Aylmora to ask, "Who's the fop with the doe eyes?"
Cuu keeps a calm exterior. On the inside, he can't wait for the hunt to start!
Aylmora takes Aldern by the hand and drags him up before Madame Mvashti. "Aunt Niska, this is Aldern Foxglove, the gentleman we saved from goblins yesterday. Master Foxglove, this is my great-great-aunt, Madame Niska Mvashti." Aylmora introduces the young gentleman under Aunt Niska's stern, appraising gaze.
"Master Foxglove has invited us to join him on a boar hunt today," Aylmora continues. "I know that I was supposed to work on closing up the third floor bedrooms for the winter today, but would it be alright if I joined the men on their expedition?" the young girl asks hopefully.
Aylmora takes Aldern by the hand and drags him up before Madame Mvashti. "Aunt Niska, this is Aldern Foxglove, the gentleman we saved from goblins yesterday. Master Foxglove, this is my great-great-aunt, Madame Niska Mvashti." Aylmora introduces the young gentleman under Aunt Niska's stern, appraising gaze.
"Master Foxglove has invited us to join him on a boar hunt today," Aylmora continues. "I know that I was supposed to work on closing up the third floor bedrooms for the winter today, but would it be alright if I joined the men on their expedition?" the young girl asks hopefully.
Madame Mvashti stares at Foxglove, but her words are directed at Aylmora. "An expedition? Hmmm...by all means. The bedrooms can certainly wait. Take care young lady. Yes...care..."
As her words drift off, she closes the door leaving the group outside.
"Well then," says Cuu, "what are we waiting for?"
Foxglove appears to be oblivious of the negative comments as he encourages you all to follow him to the Goblin Squash Stables.
En route he talks exclusively to Aylmora, his questions becoming more and more searching.
As you reach the stables, you are greeted by a sign above the door that shows a goblin being trampled underfoot by a horse.
An elderly man comes out of the stables as you approach - and his face is split by the widest smile you've seen in a while.
"If it isn't the scourge of the goblins," he says, addressing the group. He gestures to the entrance to the stables. Pinned above the doors is grisly display of goblin ears: preserved and neatly nailed. Each bears a goblin’s name burned into the leathery flesh
He waves you inside and you immediately glimpse a large glass bottle filled with a clear liquid in which is preserved a goblin's body.
As you take in the sight, the man puffs out his chest with pride. "That there's Whartus. He was chief of the Bonegrinder Tribe. And before you say you've never heard of that tribe, well you won't have. I pretty much saw to that single-handed - if you know what I mean."
He wipes a dirty hand on an even dirtier apron and offers it to you. "Now where's me manners. I'll be Daviren Hosk. I kknow who you folk be - regular heroes in these parts now. What can I be doing you for?"
Foxglove clears he thoat. "These fine gentleman - and pretty young lady - require your finest steeds. And I shall be paying."
"Done plenty of killin with ma blades, but I ain't never ridden a horse before." Says Cuu, "At least I am quick, I can jump off one of these suckers just in case it falls."
"Done plenty of killin with ma blades, but I ain't never ridden a horse before." Says Cuu, "At least I am quick, I can jump off one of these suckers just in case it falls."
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Sapere will give a proper nod of his head towards Daviren, avoiding the handshake if he can without seeming too rude. "The name is Sapere, a pleasure to meet a fellow... Hunter."
He will glance somewhat uncomfortably towards the horses. "I am afraid I am far more comfortable in a carriage then on a saddle, but I will make due."
"Done plenty of killin with ma blades, but I ain't never ridden a horse before." Says Cuu, "At least I am quick, I can jump off one of these suckers just in case it falls."
Aylmora's eyes widen at Daviren Hosk's implication of taking out an entire goblin tribe by himself. Without any hesitation she takes his hand and gives it a hearty shake. "I'm Aylmora Mvashti, Madame Mvashti's great-great-niece. You must tell me more of that story some time!"
"I'm afraid most of my time around horses was spent riding on a wagon hooked behind a team of them. But my father was a great horseman, perhaps some of his skill rubbed off on me?"
Daviren Hosk asks you all a few questions and makes lots of noise by sucking the air through his teeth.
He then disappears and returns with four of the tamest looking horses you have ever seen.
"None of these'll give you any trouble mind. They're all as docile as they come - just don't expect any of them to win any races." He chuckles heartily at his own joke.
"What beautiful horses!" Aylmora compliments Master Hosk.
She walks over to the bay, offering her hand for the mare to sniff, and then rubs the horse's face and neck. "I think I'll call you 'Pretty Girl.'"
Cuu approaches the black horse and runs his hands down the animal's neck. "I'll take this one, 'Sting.'"
Sapere will consider and go up the grey horse. "I will call you Twilight, your shadow is the same as the city of my home. Your name should match."
Alymora climbs into Pretty Girl's saddle as nimbly as she can. Seeing the men still standing on the ground, she laughs and says, "Are you going to just stand there and admire your new horses all morning? Or are we going to go hunt some boar before they die of old age? Let's be off!"
Not going to lose to a girl, Cuu climbs on top of Sting, "Let's do this!"
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Slowly and cautiously slipping up into the saddle, Sapere will pat Twilight carefully. He may not always get along with people but he at least tends to understand them, the horse is a whole different thing though. Clearing his throat he'll glance around at the others. "Lets get this over with, shall we?"
Having mounted, Foxglove leads the party west, over Tanner’s Bridge, and along the southern banks of the Turandarok River.
It’s a two mile ride to the Tickwood Ford, just north of the upthrust limestone escarpment known as the Devil’s Platter.
Despite its ominous name, you are aware that Tickwood is actually a relatively safe woodland, one well known to be the home of wild boars, deer, and perhaps one or two firepelt cougars.
The ride to Tickwood takes about a half hour, and Aldern’s turns out to be a charming conversationalist - albeit his focus is on one member of the party only.
As the journey progresses, he provides a seemingly endless cache of stories about the high life in Magnimar.
His questioning seems gentle enough, but the subject is relentless.
Who are you? Where are you from? How long have you been fighting goblins? Do you have any harrowing tales of your adventures?
He does include the wider group in this questioning - but his focus always returns to Aylmora.
Aylmora seems flattered by Aldern’s attentions, and happily answers his questions while asking him nearly as many questions as he asks her. “My family is part of a clan that travels around Varisia. We’ve traveled all across the land, although I was never allowed to enter any cities. Sandpoint is the largest settlement I’ve ever lived in. I’ve been here for a few weeks, helping to take care of my great-great-aunt, Madame Niska Mvashti. As for the goblins, my clan has encountered them a time or two, and my grandmother insisted that I learn their language, but yesterday was the first time that I have ever fought them myself. Actually, up until yesterday, my most harrowing adventure has been cleaning out the basement at Aunt Niska’s!”
“But what about you, Aldern? What brings a gentleman of Magnimar to the small town of Sandpoint? Do you have family here? Or is this a business trip? What is life like in the city? I’ve always wanted to visit, but like I said, I was never allowed to enter when my clan traveled there.”
Cuu keeps silent during the conversation, content with listening. He's never been on a horse before, so riding the animal has most of his attention.
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Sapere mutters quietly to himself for much of the ride. It doesn't take long before the saddle is particularly uncomfortable, he never has enjoyed the rougher aspects of life and this is about far from posh as you get.
He does listen carefully to anything Foxglove says about himself though, hoping to learn what he can as points he can agree upon to perhaps make the noble warm to him when the time is right to speak of financing.
Merry christmas everybody.
As you talk about Aldern Foxglove, you discover a lot of data but little information. You know by now he's well-read, has endless stories about the high life in Magnimar but precious little about his personal life.
Despite his standing, you think it's most likely because he doesn't really have much to tell. He appears a harmless noble from the big city.
As you reach the point where the boars are most likely to be located, a rustling from a clump of bushes next to the path you are riding along catches everybody's attention. Running from the thicket come two boars.
They stop when they see so many horses - and stand approximately six feet in front of you.
Init roll:
Cuu dismounts Sting and closes in on the boars, drawing his sawtooth sabres as he goes.