You are in Absalom, the mighty City at the Center of the World, and you’ve always longed to explore one of the countless ruins of failed conquerors that litter the plains outside the city’s walls. You’ve heard rumors that one of the sealed siege castles has been laid open by a minor earthquake. Word on the street is that no one has yet entered the tower, which folks are calling the “Fallen Fortress.” What better way to start a life of excitement and adventure than by exploring its long-abandoned, dusty halls and perhaps claiming its ancient treasures?
You all have known each other for at least a fortnight , some maybe more. The collector, Maravel Al'rishi has put you up in the Rusty Shiv inn until you leave in the morning for the tower. This night is rich with celebration because it is First Brewing, the holiday celebrating the first drinks made from the recent harvests.
Valletin
Harold
Murro
Gandel
Korganna
"One piece? Korganna not like one piece, but me understand gold, Korganna like gold." Korganna looks at her 2cp, and realizes she is hungry and her grog skin is empty. "As long as Korganna gets to crack skulls, then she can bring back silly relic in tact."
You realize Korganna isn't dumb, just her mastery of the normal tongue is plagued by improper formatting...She does look almost entirely orc-like, she even has the tusks of a full orc, but her ears are rounded like a humans. On the right side of her neck, you see what appears to be a birthmark, with eight legs and a tail...
Valletin will ask one of the barmaids for a drink, in order to partake in the celebrations. He will look across to Korganna and shake his head. “This job is for the safety of our city, we will only ‘crack skulls’ if we need to, but I wouldn’t think about it now Korganna, that is not what tonight is about”
Murro Garrickson sits back in his chair and stretches out his long legs as he carefully sips from his goblet of wine. His long brown hair cascades over his shoulders, and he smiles at his companions indulgently, his heavy lidded brown eyes betraying a sardonic humor. One pale, thin-fingered hand lightly taps the table as though in accompaniment with the beat of the crowd. He is dressed rather extravagantly in dark black trousers, a white shirt with green embroidery edged with fine lace and a dark green cloak trimmed with crushed green velvet.
"I didn't understand a word you said, friend Korganna, but if you need a refill of your cup, allow me." He lifts the restless hand that had tapped at the table and gestures to a nearby serving girl with a lazy smile and a wink.
** spoiler omitted **
Korganna
Valletin will look over at Murro, "Just don't get too carried away with the celebrations, tomorrow we will have work to do"
Korganna accepts the drink from Murro, and slaps him on the back, prolly a little too hard.
"Korganna know you understand O Kay, me let you buy drink, but no funny stuff perdy boy"
Harold regards his drinking companions with faint amusement, although he is careful not to let it show. He spends the evening slowly sipping a few tankards of Cayden Brew, as he wants to be fresh for the journey on the morrow, and attempting to gain a feel for the worth and dependability of his soon-to-be traveling companions.
He finds Korganna a little disconcerting, but muses to himself: It does take all sorts to make the world, and she seems... relatively... harmless.
He smirks inwardly.
Of course, Murro may need some protection if he's not careful!
Murro does his best to hide his wince at the half-orc's enthusiastic camaraderie, and simply nods.
In answer to Valletin's warning, he raised his wine. "And why not make merry? All things being equal, some of us may not survive our coming trials. Better to enjoy the time one has than to regret all that was left undone while bleeding to death on a cold stone floor." He tipped a wink and drank deeply at his goblet.
Valletin looks at Murro coldly, then shakes his head, "there is nothing wrong with being happy Murro, just don't let a few hours here make you into your example"
A grinning halfling saunters into the common room of the Rusty Shiv and orders an ale at the bar. Glancing around the room, he sees his old friend Murro seated with their new business associates. The halfling accepts his drink from the serving maid with a wink and a flick of a silver coin for a tip, and makes his way across the room to the group.
Evenin' Murro. Everyone," the halfling says with a grin. "Name's Gandel. I'll be joinin' you on our little expedition in the mornin'. Sorry I'm late - had a little bit of business t' see to in the red light district."
Murro gestures to a nearby seat with a smile. "Ah Gandel, I've been wondering where you've been. It's been positively dull without you here to liven things up."
"Well, s'been pretty lively where I've been," Gandel replies with a wink and a grin. "Does seem a tad dead 'bout here. What'cha got in mind t' liven things up?"
"Who want arm wrasl?"Korganna says with a toothy grin.
Harold regards Gandel with no small amount of concern.
"Try not to make things too lively - I for one do not want to spend the night in the Watch's cells, and I think we should try to still be in fine form tomorrow for our little expedition..."
"Murro, you wanna wrasl?"
"Grendel"?
"I agree with Harold, lets to draw too much attention to our selves, it might bring unnecessary problems"
Murro looks meaningfully at Gandel. "See what I mean?"
At Korganna's offer, Murro shook his head. "Thank you, Korganna, but no. I fear that the crack of my bones would be too sudden for you to fully appreciate the experience."
"Murro, you wanna wrasl?"
"Grendel"?
Gandel gives Korganna a mischievous grin. "Well, luv, yer a bit taller than my usual type, but I'd be willin' t' give a bit of arm-wrestlin' a go. A silver says I take you down in less than thirty seconds."
"And the name's Gandel by the way."
"Murro, you wanna wrasl?"
"Grendel"?
Gandel gives Korganna a mischievous grin. "Well, luv, yer a bit taller than my usual type, but I'd be willin' t' give a bit of arm-wrestlin' a go. A silver says I take you down in less than thirty seconds."
"And the name's Gandel by the way."
"Oh me sorry, Gandel, Korganna thought she heard you called Grendel by some one. Me think you funny...30 seconds, it's a bet!"
Korganna kneels on the ground to get low enough to the table for arm wrestle the little spitfire halfling, She realizes that her hands being almost the size of his head makes it a bit difficult and extends two fingers for him to grip.
CMB roll sounds right
Valletin shakes his head and heads off to get some sleep
Amused, Murro pulls out a silver piece and presses it to the table. "I'm in for a silver on Gandel. Anyone else?"
Harold raises an eyebrow, and then smiles faintly.
"No thank-you. I won't take that bet. I think the outcome is a foregone conclusion... Still, best of luck to both contestants!"
Gandel gives Korganna a grin and gazes deep into her eyes as he grips her two fingers. Seconds tick by as the fierce half-orc and the diminutive halfling maintain their grip. Just before half a minute passes, Gandel gives Korganna a wink as she slams his fist into the table.
"That was fun!" Gandel exclaims with a grin as he flips a silver coin into her outstretched palm. "Two outta three, luv? Or can I buy you a drink?"
Murro sighs, shaking his head with regret as he passes his silver to the half-orc. "I'm disappointed, Gandel. I thought for sure you had a trick up your sleeve."
Murro sighs, shaking his head with regret as he passes his silver to the half-orc. "I'm disappointed, Gandel. I thought for sure you had a trick up your sleeve."
"Ah, come now, Murro me lad! Y'know I've a weakness for the fairer sex! How could I not let the lass win?" Gandel gives his sorcerous friend a wink. "An' you have t' admit, it did liven things up just a bit. Here, I'll make it up t' you - the next drink's on me."
Harold smirks slightly.
"Well, I did say it was a foregone conclusion. It is nice to know that I was correct, if only for reasons of chivalry."
Draining his mug, he stands, and comments:
"I think it is probably time to turn in for the evening. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow, and hopefully, more than a little excitement in store for us!"
"Korganna not want stay up all night, big day tomorrow, Korganna need rest, not more booze." Korganna says with a too wide grin.
Murro bids the others goodnight with a smile and then watches them depart with disgust. "They're a remarkably rigid group, wouldn't you say? Well, one more drink! I suppose we might as well get some sleep after; the others are likely to want to rise at an unGodly hour."
Korganna awakes and prepares for the day, carefuly packing her gear, making sure her shovel and crowbar are secured in her large sack, she purchases a few more days of rations, has a nice morning mug of warm stout with a spicy Jalmeray sausage with some scrambled eggs topped with Vudran spices, after breakfast she "accidentally" knocks the clay mug off the table. She could get used to this kind of life. Better than the last town where she "accidentally" lit the drapes on fire.
Valletin wakes up refreshed and ready, he ritualistically prepares himself, bathing, clothing, praying then eating, ready to start a day of trails.
Rising quickly just after 6th Bell, he refreshes himself with the jug and basin on his bed-side table, before carefully packing-up his possessions, and heading down to the common-room, where he enjoys a leisurely morning repast whilst he waits for the rest of his erstwhile colleagues to surface.
The morning departure went relatively smoothly, taking into consideration each of your morning rituals. As you're about to step out of the inn, the innkeeper comes up to the group. "The tower is northwest of the gate you will be leaving from. Don't worry, you won't miss it."
A few hours into the hike the ruined siege castle now being called the Fallen Fortress rises out of the churned earth of the Cairnlands. No doors or windows mar the otherwise smooth expanse of the tower’s walls. The tower is quatrefoil in plan; its eastern wing has largely collapsed, exposing the interior floors to the open air. Only the topmost level seems whole, though its eastern portion hangs precariously over the mountain of rubble left by the collapse. At ground level, the rubble frames a gaping hole in the side of the building that provides access to the tower’s darkened interior.
Standing on the rubble, Valletin will look at the tower intensely trying to make out any detail and trying to memorise what he sees
"Oh Kay, Korganna go first."
Korganna casts detect magic
Harold stares thoughtfully at the ruined tower.
I wounder what secrets inside are hidden...
"Hopefully the collapsed section of the tower did not contain the access points to the upper levels, but if necessary, I have rope enough to allow us to climb between levels; but first, of course, we should investigate the ground floor..."
So saying, he will draw his sword, and boldly move forward towards the right-hand doorway.
Sounds like a plan Valletin draws his scythe, and moves behind Harold in case he needs support of some kind by something unexpected happening
But we should stay alert, who knows what has been there all this time
Murro eyes the ruined hulk with distaste. "How disappointing," he said dryly. "I'd hoped it be more intact."
He rubbed idly at his smooth-shaven chin, frowning. "Well, I suppose we should be on with it. Lead the way, muscles. Try not to bring the ceiling down upon our heads."
Murro eyes the ruined hulk with distaste. "How disappointing," he said dryly. "I'd hoped it be more intact."
He rubbed idly at his smooth-shaven chin, frowning. "Well, I suppose we should be on with it. Lead the way, muscles. Try not to bring the ceiling down upon our heads."
"Korganna not bring down on heads, Korganna bring down after we leave, OK?"
"Well, at least I don't have t' pick the lock t' get us inside," Gandel comments as he studies the structure.
"Wonder if I could climb up t' them upper floors..." the halfling rogue muses, examining the crumbled walls from his vantage point.
"Korganna, luv, I'll join you," Gandel says, loaded crossbow ready as he moves up to join the half-orc.
Korganna
Harold
Murro
Gandel
Dogs
Dogs Attack:
Dog O-14 Bite Korganna Damage
Dog Q-13 Bite Murro Damage
Dog Q-12 Bite Murro Damage
As you approach the door, you hear growling behind you. It appears that three wild dogs had been resting behind some of the large rubble and have come to investigate the noises they heard. One of the dogs bites at Korganna, but she pulls her leg away safely. The other two rush Murro clamping their jaws down in the meat of his thigh and calf.
Initiatives:
Dogs 21
Murro 18
Korganna 14
Valletin 13
Gandel 7 (+6)
Harold 7 (+2)
Korganna will crush the offending dog!
"D'sheal tu'vaas blayaquell"She shouts as she enters the fray, swinging her Heavy flail at the dog.
atk
dmg
Crit confirmed?
atk
dmg