# Depth of Eternity



## WorkingMoogle (May 5, 2017)

_Eternity was very much a living world.  She had lived for many, many years and had gone through many changes.  The creatures that lived upon her had as well.  They grew; they built cities and nations.  They waged wars upon her surface, and from time to time they fell back into ruin before starting their cycle anew.

And over time she consumed these ruins, providing fresh places to settle and new territories to explore.  But it was not always fated that these ruins would vanish forever.  Some she kept, merely hidden, buried beneath the surface for those brave enough to venture forward.  Their secrets and knowledge held safe waiting new owners.  Once brave enough to venture into the depths of Eternity.
_
The ship ride was rough.  Those that had traveled the seas before would note that the inner seas were much choppier and a rougher voyage for all.  The crew as well seemed keenly aware, moods and tempers were short and morale seemed on the point of breaking the entire voyage.  But mood and rough waters aside the voyage was uneventful and on the morning of the third day Silverkeep came into view.

By the standards of cities it wasn't much to look it.  Barely more than a village though surrounded by a solid wooden wall.  The docks were sparse, only a handful of ships present, none looking like they were planning on staying beyond the few days needed to load and unload.

The mood improved dramatically once the ship was moored and the gangplanks were locked into position.  Once on steady ground again Master Griffith called the group together briefly.

"You're free for the rest of the day," his voice was slightly gruff and seemed weathered by more age than his face suggests.  "I've secured rooms at the Embarrassed Lute, I'd suggest you find them early because I plan to leave at dawn."

He points towards the edge of town, "'The Temple,' it is simply called, will be our first destination.  It is a tradition for new residents of Silverkeep to visit there first.  Beyond that it will be a chance to make sure we have everything we need.  I'm not here to play wet nurse to you, I expect you to be out front, sober, and ready to go at sunrise tomorrow."

Indicating a man in his mid-twenties he continued, "Josh, see to the wagons and our gear.  Make everything ready for the morning."  Without pause he turns to a young woman, barely into her teens, "Remington, make sure the animals get settled then you are free to go about your business as well."

With no further ado the man heads off towards the city, or what passes for it.

It is currently just after the noon hour.  Despite it's small size the city seems bustling as much as a much larger city would be.  At the docks, sailors rush about, merchants haggle over voyage details, and new arrivals take their first look at the city.  The air is hot and despite being at the water's edge there is a distinct dryness in the wind.  Perhaps most unusual the shadows are almost non-existant, the Sun hanging almost directly overhead.

Josh and Remington set about their assigned tasks, other passengers begin collecting their things and filtering into the city.

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 5, 2017)

Wordlessly, the half-elf adjusts her backpack, flicking her head to her dog, indicating to leave. Dark circles surround her violet eyes as her hair falls in front of and around her face, hiding her ears in her dark locks. She walks with a slouched posture, both for an intimidation factor, and a response to blend in. Her face sits at an expression of 'couldn't care less' while her happy guard dog wags happily next to her.

“Z. Lets go.” Blythe's words are rough and emotionless. Z sneezes as if paying close attention to her words, pacing her stride, chain collar jingling with each bounce.

_'You should stay with them.'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'They are not worth our time.'

'You are forced to travel with them. You should probably stay around.'

'I am going to the inn, that is it. If they speak to me, then so be it.'

'Don't make me take control of this body.'

'You would not.'

'I would, and I will.'_

Blythe grunts outwardly, almost in annoyance, rubbing her palm against her eye and brow. Z stops, sits and tilts his head at her, still wagging happily. “I am heading within, now.” She glances around, snapping for Z to follow again before striding away.


----------



## soulnova (May 5, 2017)

Elys stands slightly stiff trying to show full attention as Master Griffith gives his instructions. Old habits are hard to forget.

_'I'm not here to play wet nurse to you'_

Her hands twitch back into fists. Elys silently nods to Master Griffith and adjusts her ponytail, checks her armor and gear for the seventh time since they landed. Once he leaves and no further orders are given by him, Elys takes a deep breath and regards her surroundings, as well as the others.

She sees the half-elf striding away.

"Uh... hey... uhm, Blythe, right?" she hurries to her side with a jog. "Glad the boat trip is over, huh! You getting to the inn early? I might get a nap myself. Hard to sleep with the ship moving like that, right??"


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 5, 2017)

She shrugs, "It was a normality, the absolute least of my worries." Z bounces in his walk, tail held proudly high.  "What must _you_ bring to this pathfinding team?"  Still cold with her emotions, Blythe doesn't make eye contact with the human, keeping her vision forward toward the path.


----------



## soulnova (May 5, 2017)

"Ah, well... I guess a huge blade and my archery skill" Elys points at her greatsword and bow strapped on her back. "Your dog looks nice too, very lively. That's good. Is he combat trained?, or is he a hunting dog?"


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 5, 2017)

"Guard.  Night watch."


----------



## soulnova (May 5, 2017)

"Oh" Elys blinks at the realization. "That's... actually a great idea. We wouldn't want to go to sleep and wake up to find like, 7 ogres surrounding us!" she jokes laughing nervously, grows quiet and then clears her throat. "Ehem...Yeah... that will be very helpful"

"Sorry, just a little nervous... tomorrow will be a big day"


----------



## Vergil (May 6, 2017)

So Boring.

Kagami bounded off the ship but skidded to a halt as the Master whats-his-pus started talking in a language she didn't understand. She watched intently at his hand movements and copied them, then repeated them. She knew Trade and Gnomish and she didn't the translator person so didn't listen to him. 

They were all tall gnomes. Mostly. She'd never seen so many of the big freaks in her life. She saw pictures of them. They were tall. Everything was BiG. SO BIG!!

The old guy stopped talking and the younger girl started to look at the animals and some other guy went for everyone's stuff. She looked around to see if anyone was alarmed by this. The tall ones didn't care - maybe he was some sort of servant guy. 

"I want one!!" she yelled out in gnomish and pointed to him. She stomped over.

"You come with me and carry stuff for me!" She said in crude Trade to the one called Josh


----------



## P-X 12 (May 6, 2017)

Eren walked in a slight stupor as he slowly made his way out of the boat and into the city. "Finally." As he looked behind him towards the vast sea he had just traversed, his face filled with mirth. He truly hated sailing; the waters were always terrible, the days seemed to last twice as long as on land, and he grew a strange hatred towards the beasts of the sea he had been forced to consume (except for crab; that was fine). As many times as he had to travel due to his vocation, he had always reviled any journey that required him to cross the sea.

As his feet touched ground, he stretched his arms as his energy and perkiness finally started to return. He was far more suited to traversing land at any rate.

As the old man Griffith began barking orders, Eren looked through his things to make sure he hadn't forgot anything, hearing about the plan to go to the Temple before anything else. _"Nope. Nothing left behind this time."_

As Eren began to stroll around the streets, he looked around to see the many merchants and other citizens around him, some looking at him due to his rather giant size. _"Huh. Wonder if I have enough money to buy a little souvenir. Or maybe some good food for once. Actually, there's probably both of those at wherever this temple is." _As he walked towards the other members of this group lost in thought, he bumped into a small gnome talking to one of Griffith's men. He looked down towards the smaller woman. "Oh, er, sorry 'bout that. You okay?" He only noticed just how short she was in comparison to him once he got close. _"Huh. Forgot how short some of the others were. I'm starting to feel a bit out of place right now."_


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 6, 2017)

Vergil said:


> "I want one!!" she yelled out in gnomish and pointed to him. She stomped over.
> 
> "You come with me and carry stuff for me!" She said in crude Trade to the one called Josh



Josh looks up distracted from his work and spends a moment processing, obviously translating in his head.  He responds in a broken trade tongue, "Master Griffith is having me take things to the Inn.  You can sleep there.  We meet outside in morning."


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 6, 2017)

Zahra stepped down off the gangplank, grateful to be back on solid ground. She'd been on ships before, but never on the inner sea, and the voyage was much more turbulent than she'd expected. She looked around at the bustling docks and the buildings of Silverkeep--the near-absence of shadows made everything seem brighter. 

She watched as a very short woman--a gnome, or maybe a halfling?--pointed towards the porter and called out something in an unfamiliar tongue. _It seems like she doesn't speak Ludian_. Zahra herself had a pretty good handle on the spoken Ludian language, but hadn't yet mastered the written Fire Runes. They were so different from the graceful, flowing characters of her homeland's written language. Zahra turned to the artificial being standing next to her. "Do you know what language that is?"


----------



## Vergil (May 6, 2017)

"Ugh! Good for nothing Tall gnomes! Lack of smarts when you get up there!" Kagami huffed in Gnomish and looked at the group she had sailed with. Not one had any style to them - well maybe the blonde tally, but the others looked BORING!

She ambled off towards the town. At least that was exciting! All different things! And all so freaking high up!

"No consideration! Good Lord!"

How different is the town here from her home in Sparklewoods?
Perception

1d20-1
20-1 = 19


(seriously??)


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 6, 2017)

And off of the ship after Zahra there stepped a figure that had been ever present on the ship, but rather quiet. He was just a couple inches shy of Eren's full height, spoke with a low baritone, and was covered from head to toe in clothing. Helmet, goggles, cloak around the shoulders, a long jacket, rough trousers, gloves, and boots. He slept far fewer hours than anyone else, because he always seemed to go to sleep last, and wake up first. And, above all else, this individual shared the general interest in getting off the ship now.

​
A solid march took him down the gangplank after Zahra, his backpack and  over his back, and his belt jingling with an assortment of tools. He held his spear over his shoulders like a carrying pole, draping his arms lazily over the ends as he canted his head. "Well, no..." he remarked quietly, and then shrugged. "I'm still attempting mastery of the few I know. She seems excitable, however."


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 6, 2017)

Going deeper into the city from the docks leads people through a small warehousing district and into a marketplace.  Both areas are a bustle of activity, as the ships rush to load and unload items stored.  The items unloaded are mostly provisioning most of the items seem to be food and sundries that wouldn't typically be worth mention and certainly not burning imports.  Their places are traded with carefully padded packages, bits of stone, and various statues; presumably artifacts of some place or another.

Throughout the town the only major difference from most towns, other than the size, is the fact that most people go about their business armed.  Soldiers and guards, obviously, but merchants and others keep their weapons readily at hand.  Most seem to prefer simple clubs or staves but occasionally a crossbow or spear is strapped to someone's back in a fashion that suggests it has become habit.



Vergil said:


> How different is the town here from her home in Sparklewoods?
> Perception
> 
> 1d20-1
> 20-1 = 19



Well, 'very' would be the short answer.  Teir Grotto, the capital, is a mountain community.  Most of the structures are built into caves with careful paths and walkways webbing the outside.  The citizens there take pride in making the connections as natural as possible, working the stone as little as they can to make a comfortable path and, when absolutely necessary, bridges are built to blend into the natural surroundings.  The other mountain gnome cities are similar in nature (though typically much smaller in scale).

Briar Glen is a forest community.  It's quite spread out for the population compared to the dense mess seen here, the gnomes there preferring to build their homes into the hollow of large trees or dug in around the roots.  The denizens there are generally seen as more social, living in clustered communities of gnomes and animals.

Silverkeep is far more fortified than any of the cities of Sparklewoods, the idea of a wall surrounding the whole city is almost unfathomable (and additionally eerie as the shadow from such a wall in Briar Glen would subject a section of the city to eternal shade, an uncomfortable idea).


----------



## Kuno (May 6, 2017)

Leaning against the rail of the ship, his arms crossed, his long blonde braid being tossed about uncaring by the wind, Zeke listened quietly to Griffith speak. The smirk that never seemed to leave his face curled the corners of his mouth making the lecture seem more mirthful then it actually was.


Glancing over the others he sighed. “Haven't needed a wet nurse in years. Though one could be fun right about now.” He mumbled to himself. A bronzed hand scratched at the stubble that had grown over the last couple days. Zeke finally understood why most sailors wore beards. Shaving at sea, a sharp knife at your throat, wasn't the most ideal situation, especially on those rough seas. That was probably the only thing about the moving on the water that bothered him, that and the thins sheen of sticky salt that seemed coat every pore of his body.


Pushing away from the rail he followed the others down the gangplank. 'A hot bath first.' Zeke thought to himself as his turquoise eyes ran over the docks and along the tall wooden wall. He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the many members of his group. Between the barely held mostly one-sided conversations to the little person screaming in some strange language, the adventure was going to be interesting.


'Then an ale before finding some kind of fun companionship.' He licked his lips in anticipation, cringing slightly at the salty taste. Moving through the sailors he paused to ask someone where the Embarrassed Lute was and quickly got directions before moving on. The druid of course had armor, he knew better than to think he could go into dangerous places without it but for the moment he wore only the soft, blue silk of his loose pants and the long orange sash that he had wrapped around his waist. The long ends hanging down to his feet, covering a small pouch and the bear claws that never left his side.


----------



## Vergil (May 6, 2017)

Kagami was taken aback by the sheer number of people. All tall. She darted around, trying not to get trampled on.

"Hey! Hey!! Watch where you're going you ...you...overgrown meat...thing!" She was so frustrated that she couldn't get out a witty retort (that they wouldn't have understood.) She was not happy. She needed to be taller and yell at people accordingly so that they knew that she was not to be trifled with.

She now also wanted trifle for dessert.

She goes to the nearest merchant. She doesn't care what they are selling.

"I need to be taller and to be able to speak whatever language you are speaking. And I need someone to carry my things. And I only want to buy one thing. Sell it to me!"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 6, 2017)

they wander the way towards the Embarrassed Lute, the tall spearman's gaze scans the people passed, the way they move, and most of all the layout of the streets and walls passed, tapping on his peculiarly curved blade's shaft as he goes.

(Knowledges)
Engineering, Martial:
1D20+6 = [16]+6 = 22
1D20+6 = [7]+6 = 13


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 6, 2017)

Vergil said:


> She goes to the nearest merchant. She doesn't care what they are selling.
> 
> "I need to be taller and to be able to speak whatever language you are speaking. And I need someone to carry my things. And I only want to buy one thing. Sell it to me!"



"Oiaa iovaj feo iwvpadp?" The merchant asks in Ludian with a somewhat curious look on her face.  After a moment she speaks again, slower, in the trade tongue, "cjois cji lsosdi a?" The look of amused curiosity slowly turning to mild concern at the communications barrier.  After another moment of contemplation she gestures to a selection of dried fruit and holds up two fingers, perhaps indicating a price?  She points to some sort of hardened bread and indicates two loaves while holding up one finger on the other hand.  She smiles a slightly pained smile.




Hidden Nin said:


> they wander the way towards the Embarrassed Lute, the tall spearman's gaze scans the people passed, the way they move, and most of all the layout of the streets and walls passed, tapping on his peculiarly curved blade's shaft as he goes.
> 
> (Knowledges)
> Engineering, Martial:
> ...



The city is very much designed with defense and fortification in mind.  The outer wall was obvious but the roads and layout of the buildings are clearly designed to make for choke points and route forces.  It was clearly intended to be more of a fortress with an extended garrison than a proper city.

The people are harder to get a measure of.  Their gait suggests they are used to the weight of the weapons they carry, so they probably have at least passing familiarity in them.  He doesn't get enough of a measure to say beyond that.


----------



## Vergil (May 7, 2017)

Kagami grumbles a series of cuss words that would make a sailor blush, strains a smile and then yells out in Gnomish

"CAN ANYONE UNDERSTAND BASIC FUCKING GNOMISH??! ITS NOT HARD, YOU GODDAMNED FUCKING PEASANTS!!"

She stomps around town yelling like a madwoman until she is either arrested or someone understands her.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 7, 2017)

> _The ship ride was rough. Those that had traveled the seas before would note that the inner seas were much choppier and a rougher voyage for all. The crew as well seemed keenly aware, moods and tempers were short and morale seemed on the point of breaking the entire voyage. But mood and rough waters aside the voyage was uneventful and on the morning of the third day Silverkeep came into view.
> 
> By the standards of cities it wasn't much to look it. Barely more than a village though surrounded by a solid wooden wall. The docks were sparse, only a handful of ships present, none looking like they were planning on staying beyond the few days needed to load and unload.
> 
> ...



*Spoiler*: _Backstory_ 



Rashka was born in Stathford to commoner Elven parents who once hailed from the Dark Woods of the Idaeyiles Kingdom. Her Father is a merchant and mother a carriage driver they met in the Ludia kingdom of Stathford in their late youth and settled there to do business their professions naturally crossing over to benefit one another. The mother would always drive the carriage while the father sold things. Naturally being elves they had more time to save more money than humans in the long run and planned on Rashka's birth. Gold was saved up from her parents so she could make her own decisions when she became an adult as she showed a highly independent nature.

Rashka turned out to be quite the trouble maker growing up, but did learn both of her parents trades along with her own special set of skills that made her far more suited than either parent to be a merchant or driver. Growing up she excelled at things any thief would be good at and held an interest that many other people didn't hold of the third age and exploring places. Perhaps her blood took to life in the Darkwoods more than her parents despite not being born there, but in Ludia instead as she naturally took to the bow and light weapons.

At the age of 110 the age of adulthood for an elf she decided to head out to Silverkeep across the sea using the 280 gold her parents gave her and sailed with Master Griffith to follow her dreams of exploring and making it big. Where we start is her boarding off the ship.




---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Rashka's eyes sparkled as they came up to the docks of Silverkeep to the city some would say isn't much. "So... so much trade! So this is what the start of a country looks like."
There was one thing that she knew for sure, this was a place to make profit in.

Raska had bought quite a few things with the money given to her, though the majority of the gold went towards adventurer equipment and the cart/pony she had bought. The cart contained about 25 pounds worth of soap and 50 pounds of coffee. (also 50 torches) Coffee being something she liked quite a bit, she couldn't go without it at least 3 times a day at minimum and as a result of her cleanliness that's what she mostly smelled like, coffee beans. If anyone wanted coffee on this journey she was the girl to go to.

She leads her small cart after the  wagons Josh took off the ship; carefully guiding her pony. I'd be a disaster if everything fell off into the water after all. As she followed she spotted various interesting people coming off the ship. 

She had kept to her self on the ship for the most part as that was pretty much all she could do sailing for the first time. Using her willpower to not puke her guts out was hard on that rough and long ride on the waters. Thankfully for her Griffith has actually accommodated the group pretty well so she didn't have to spend as much money.

Before anything else she wanted to get to Embarrassed Lute to secure a room for herself and her cart so she went.


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 7, 2017)

Blythe holds her hand up toward Elys with a quick nod before wading into the crowd.  She watches the stalls around her, one finally catching her attention.  She clears her throat before speaking in ludian, "Belladonna?"

The man scowls slightly, "Yes ma'am, yes.  How much would you like?"

"Four doses."

"8 gold pieces."

She nods, feeling it was fair, giving him the gold in exchange for the medicinal yet poisonous herb.

((I'll post tomorrow more but I almost fell asleep typing.  lol))


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 7, 2017)

Zahra walked through the marketplace, following the directions Master Griffith had given towards the Embarrassed Lute. As she walked, she looked around at the merchants hawking their wares. The ship's passengers had seemed to come from all over, and she wondered whether the town's permanent population was as eclectic. She was also curious about _what_ they were selling. [OOC: What I mean by that is, are there things being sold that she wouldn't recognize because they're only found on this continent? Like fruits/vegetables, items made from "new" kinds of wood or stone, etc.]

Perception--I assume she can take 10?


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 7, 2017)

@Kuno @Unlosing Ranger @Anyone-else-headed-to-the-inn-I-may-have-missed

The Embarrassed Lute is the second largest structure in the town and easy to spot from almost anywhere.  The first floor is a large, open tavern with a long bar along one wall.  The bar and most of the furniture is sized for humans but a halfling walks behind the bar on some sort of elevated platform.  Against another wall is a small elevated stage, at the moment a pair of lute-players strum idly providing a light background music to the establishment.

The floor is slightly crowded by numerous tables.  At the moment there's a modest crowd, unusual for the time of day in most places.  The crowd seems to be a mix of off-duty guards, traveling merchants waiting for goods to load or unload, and adventurers planning for their next expedition.

A balcony overhangs about half the first floor with stairs traveling to a secondary bar above.  While there are no signs or obvious indicators this seems to be reserved for the more noble patrons.



Vergil said:


> Kagami grumbles a series of cuss words that would make a sailor blush, strains a smile and then yells out in Gnomish
> 
> "CAN ANYONE UNDERSTAND BASIC FUCKING GNOMISH??! ITS NOT HARD, YOU GODDAMNED FUCKING PEASANTS!!"
> 
> She stomps around town yelling like a madwoman until she is either arrested or someone understands her.



After a few minutes of ranting she's interrupted by an elf dressed in blackened leathers.  Unlike most the main wears a pair of rapiers on his belt, presumably signifying he's an adventurer rather than a merchant.  He speaks a passable Gnomish to her, "come now, my pet, you don't want to attract the attention of old ironhands.  We get a lot of freedom in the city but disturbances tend to get addressed promptly."  He offers her a slick smile, "now what exactly seems to be the trouble?"



Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra walked through the marketplace, following the directions Master Griffith had given towards the Embarrassed Lute. As she walked, she looked around at the merchants hawking their wares. The ship's passengers had seemed to come from all over, and she wondered whether the town's permanent population was as eclectic. She was also curious about _what_ they were selling. [OOC: What I mean by that is, are there things being sold that she wouldn't recognize because they're only found on this continent? Like fruits/vegetables, items made from "new" kinds of wood or stone, etc.]
> 
> Perception--I assume she can take 10?



By in large most of the market places goods are imported from Stathford coming in on ships.  Most of the goods are staples, grains, flours, various dried meats.  Really if anything stands out as unusual its the percentage of the goods that seem geared at exploration.  Dried provisions, ropes, lamp oil, torches are available in bulk and actively hawked on the street rather than items typically reserved limited space.  Some of the provisions are unfamiliar to her in a general sense.  Some hard breads different than the types she would be used to.  The mixes of dried fruits and jerky containing a few that she has to guess what they might be.  The fresh foods are less common commanding extra attention.  Most of the fruits come from Ludia, she'd recognize most from trade through Venosia but they are more delicacies there.

There doesn't seem to be much in the market originating from Taliga  (the continent they arrived at), it's a very arid region.  On the approach by ship most of the plant-life seemed to be limited to scattered brush and cacti.  There weren't any signs of development or agriculture outside of the city walls, so foraging would be the only source of such things.


----------



## Vergil (May 7, 2017)

Kagami breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thank you! This language you tall folk speak is barbaric. All I need is a something that will help me translate while I'm travelling, also something that will make me taller so that I can actually see what is on these blasted tables....and yeah maybe something to hold my stuff. Do you know where I can find something like that? Maybe a talking horse that knows Gnomish..oooh or a potion! A potion that makes me taller and smarter and gives me lots of deep pockets but doesn't make my pants fall down! Or maybe some sentient pants! Wait that doesn't help at all - but it would be cool. "

"Where can I find trifle?"

Kagami says jumping around in her thoughts


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 7, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> @Kuno @Unlosing Ranger @Anyone-else-headed-to-the-inn-I-may-have-missed
> 
> The Embarrassed Lute is the second largest structure in the town and easy to spot from almost anywhere.  The first floor is a large, open tavern with a long bar along one wall.  The bar and most of the furniture is sized for humans but a halfling walks behind the bar on some sort of elevated platform.  Against another wall is a small elevated stage, at the moment a pair of lute-players strum idly providing a light background music to the establishment.
> 
> ...


Rashka looks around the place cursorily before deciding to move to talk to the halfling barkeep.
"Excuse me? Aren't there rooms reserved here for a Master Griffith, more specifically his group?"
Rashka asks politely to the barkeep.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 7, 2017)

Vergil said:


> Kagami breathes a sigh of relief.
> 
> "Thank you! This language you tall folk speak is barbaric. All I need is a something that will help me translate while I'm travelling, also something that will make me taller so that I can actually see what is on these blasted tables....and yeah maybe something to hold my stuff. Do you know where I can find something like that? Maybe a talking horse that knows Gnomish..oooh or a potion! A potion that makes me taller and smarter and gives me lots of deep pockets but doesn't make my pants fall down! Or maybe some sentient pants! Wait that doesn't help at all - but it would be cool. "
> 
> ...



The man struggles to follow the stream of consciousness eventually speaking again in careful gnomish, "slower, slower, my 'barbaric' ears can barely keep up."  He parses things a bit more then continues, "well, if you need translation the obvious answer is hire a translator.  I've seen merchants hire them before, for a few hours in the city it shouldn't be that bad.  If you're looking for a dedicated one for days or weeks it might add up."

"I don't know much about magic, I know Poppy sells some things, I'm not sure I'd trust a potion to simply make you smarter though.  Seems like if that were possible we'd all know about it, right?"  He scratches his head and thinks, "only story I've ever heard of a talking horse, well, let's just say it didn't end well and leave it at that.  As to magic pants?  Well, my pappy always told me not to trust anything that talks if you can't see it's mouth, so that's good enough for me."

"If you're looking for a long term solution, you might try the stocks.  Get on old Ironhand's bad side and you'll find yourself lockd up there.  Line the right pockets, er I mean pay the right fees and you can sometimes take over the handling of someone's sentence.  Provide food, care, and oversight in exchange for some semi-voluntary service.  Not sure if you'll find any gnomes there, but could be worth a try?"




Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka looks around the place cursorily before deciding to move to talk to the halfling barkeep.
> "Excuse me? Aren't there rooms reserved here for a Master Griffith, more specifically his group?"
> Rashka asks politely to the barkeep.



"Master Griffith," the halfling thinks a moment.  "Ah, the new group, yeah," he pauses and gestures towards the stairs.  "Fourth floor, you've got two rooms, should be pallets out already, if you need more let me know."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 7, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> "Master Griffith," the halfling thinks a moment.  "Ah, the new group, yeah," he pauses and gestures towards the stairs.  "Fourth floor, you've got two rooms, should be pallets out already, if you need more let me know."


"Thank you. I'm also wondering how your coffee stock here is, I have about 25 pounds I can sell freely to your establishment. About 20 pounds of soap as well... Speaking of is there a place to bathe? I just came off a 3 day voyage after all."


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 7, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Thank you. I'm also wondering how your coffee stock here is, I have about 25 pounds I can sell freely to your establishment. About 20 pounds of soap as well... Speaking of is there a place to bathe? I just came off a 3 day voyage after all."



"Coffee?"  He pauses to think a moment before replying, "we got a Sealing ship that came through not long ago, picked up a bag from them.  I might make a pot in the morning now and again, morning's not usually our rush time though, most of your type," he pauses and quickly corrects himself.  "That is to say most 'adventurers' don't fancy themselves early risers, and they tend to be drinking stronger stuff.  Merchants and the like, well, they're waiting for the ships to get in before they get going."

"As to soap, I suppose we might need some stocking up there, twenty pounds sure sounds like a lot though, what in Ao's name are you planning?"

"Bath's included with the room, tubs are on the end of the floor.  They change out the water about an hour before dawn.  If you want fresh water or hot water, talk to one of the waitresses, she'll set you up for six copper."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 7, 2017)

> "Coffee?"  He pauses to think a moment before replying, "we got a Sealing ship that came through not long ago, picked up a bag from them.  I might make a pot in the morning now and again, morning's not usually our rush time though, most of your type," he pauses and quickly corrects himself.  "That is to say most 'adventurers' don't fancy themselves early risers, and they tend to be drinking stronger stuff.  Merchants and the like, well, they're waiting for the ships to get in before they get going."
> 
> "As to soap, I suppose we might need some stocking up there, twenty pounds sure sounds like a lot though, what in Ao's name are you planning?"
> "Bath's included with the room, tubs are on the end of the floor.  They change out the water about an hour before dawn.  If you want fresh water or hot water, talk to one of the waitresses, she'll set you up for six copper."


"Selling soap at a premium of course. You've been here a while, wouldn't you say most need a good washing? Oh one of the waitresses? Who'd you recommend in particular?"
Rashka was interested in the patron's tastes, it was possible she could have business relations with him long term.
This was a rather key place to the operations of this city after all.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 7, 2017)

The tallish figure clad in explorer's digs adjusted his grip on the spear, leaning it over his shoulder as the group arrived at the Embarrassed Lute at their own paces. For a cool few moments, he scans the area with his goggles, looks up at the balcony, then glanced down at Zahra. There's no expression behind the mask of his gear, but he rubbed his helmeted dome with a very vague confusion as he spoke to her in a flowing tongue.


*Spoiler*: _Veosian_ 



"Is this the correct place? It doesn't look like a particularly embarrassing location. In fact, mostly everyone here is rather modest, at a glance..."


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 7, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Selling soap at a premium of course. You've been here a while, wouldn't you say most need a good washing? Oh one of the waitresses? Who'd you recommend in particular?"
> Rashka was interested in the patron's tastes, it was possible she could have business relations with him long term.
> This was a rather key place to the operations of this city after all.



"Well, not sure we have much call for 'premium' soap.  You can try your chances with the other guests if you want though, as long as you're not causing problems."

"As to the baths, Daisy spends enough time hauling water she's probably the fastest at setting things up.  If you're looking for other services," he pauses to cough politely.  "Well, not my business and you didn't hear it from me but Aiden in the stables might be willing to work something out with you.  Strictly between you and him, mind.  I run a proper establishment here."


----------



## P-X 12 (May 7, 2017)

@EvilMoogle 



EvilMoogle said:


> The Embarrassed Lute is the second largest structure in the town and easy to spot from almost anywhere. The first floor is a large, open tavern with a long bar along one wall. The bar and most of the furniture is sized for humans but a halfling walks behind the bar on some sort of elevated platform. Against another wall is a small elevated stage, at the moment a pair of lute-players strum idly providing a light background music to the establishment.
> 
> The floor is slightly crowded by numerous tables. At the moment there's a modest crowd, unusual for the time of day in most places. The crowd seems to be a mix of off-duty guards, traveling merchants waiting for goods to load or unload, and adventurers planning for their next expedition.
> 
> A balcony overhangs about half the first floor with stairs traveling to a secondary bar above. While there are no signs or obvious indicators this seems to be reserved for the more noble patrons.



Eren looked around at the many patrons of the tavern before walking towards the bar and took a seat at a table. "Uh, 'scuse me, I'd like a drink. You got any ale or whiskey?" He pulled out his money pouch. "Hell, I'd settle for milk at this point. Anything to get rid of the taste of saltwater out of my mouth." As he waited, he turned to some adventurers sitting nearby. "So, any of you guys from around here?"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 7, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> The tallish figure clad in explorer's digs adjusted his grip on the spear, leaning it over his shoulder as the group arrived at the Embarrassed Lute at their own paces. For a cool few moments, he scans the area with his goggles, looks up at the balcony, then glanced down at Zahra. There's no expression behind the mask of his gear, but he rubbed his helmeted dome with a very vague confusion as he spoke to her in a flowing tongue.
> 
> 
> *Spoiler*: _Veosian_
> ...




*Spoiler*: _Veosian_ 



"It seems to be the right place. A lot of taverns and inns have figurative names like that--I stayed at a place called The Merry Ogre once."




Zahra perked up as she overheard Rashka and the bartender talking about coffee. "Excuse me, did I hear you say you serve coffee?"


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 7, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> Eren looked around at the many patrons of the tavern before walking towards the bar and took a seat at a table. "Uh, 'scuse me, I'd like a drink. You got any ale or whiskey?" He pulled out his money pouch. "Hell, I'd settle for milk at this point. Anything to get rid of the taste of saltwater out of my mouth." As he waited, he turned to some adventurers sitting nearby. "So, any of you guys from around here?"



The halfling bartender nods, "aye, I imagine.  Ain't got milk actually, but we get orders for whiskey almost as fast as it can be drunk.  Might not meet the quality standards for those upstairs but it will do the job well enough.  As to ale, brew our own out back, get grain often enough and it's sure better use here than bread."  He quotes prices using Ludian currencies equivalent to 4cp for the ale, or 1sp for the whiskey.

((Each country would have their own standards for currency, though in most large communities exchanging foreign currency isn't an issue and coming up with names and standards for them just to increase confusion sounds like a headache to me so I'll use the normal cp/sp/gp instead for simplicities sake.))

A shirtless dwarf with an axe taller than he is strapped to his back gives Eren an incredulous look, "do I _look_ like a goblin to you?"  He jumps up on the stool fuming.

A robed figure with the silver triangle of Ao hanging from his neck places a hand gently on the Dwarf's shoulder, "peace, Kaga, twas a joke.  Or maybe an insight?  After all most of us really come into our own here, the land is rich for those seeking the treasure in the ruins.  Haven't seen  you around, friend, just arrived?  What's your company?  Kaga and I are with the Blackwing Stormguard, under Duke Duffy.  I'm Dylan, humble petitioner of Ao."

The dwarf calms slightly muttering something about not worth getting thrown in the stocks again over but eyes both Dylan and Eren warily.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 7, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra perked up as she overheard Rashka and the bartender talking about coffee. "Excuse me, did I hear you say you serve coffee?"



"Aye, I got a bag in back, can brew you up a pot if you're interested."  He quotes a price of 4cp for the pot, which would be 3 cups (give or take depending on the pour).


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 7, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> "Well, not sure we have much call for 'premium' soap.  You can try your chances with the other guests if you want though, as long as you're not causing problems."
> 
> "As to the baths, Daisy spends enough time hauling water she's probably the fastest at setting things up.  If you're looking for other services," he pauses to cough politely.  "Well, not my business and you didn't hear it from me but Aiden in the stables might be willing to work something out with you.  Strictly between you and him, mind.  I run a proper establishment here."


"Daisy sounds just fine I don't have any need for that sort of..."



P-X 12 said:


> @EvilMoogle
> Eren looked around at the many patrons of the tavern before walking towards the bar and took a seat at a table. "Uh, 'scuse me, I'd like a drink. You got any ale or whiskey?" He pulled out his money pouch. "Hell, I'd settle for milk at this point. Anything to get rid of the taste of saltwater out of my mouth." As he waited, he turned to some adventurers sitting nearby. "So, any of you guys from around here?"


Suddenly a guy who looks like he can carry a horse  equipped with a two handed sword walks near Rashka and asks for some milk.
"Pfft *coughs*"
(on the other hand... Getting a good look at him he looks a bit boring. Nevermind.)


EvilMoogle said:


> A shirtless dwarf with an axe taller than he is strapped to his back gives Eren an incredulous look, "do I _look_ like a goblin to you?"  He jumps up on the stool fuming.
> 
> A robed figure with the silver triangle of Ao hanging from his neck places a hand gently on the Dwarf's shoulder, "peace, Kaga, twas a joke.  Or maybe an insight?  After all most of us really come into our own here, the land is rich for those seeking the treasure in the ruins.  Haven't seen  you around, friend, just arrived?  What's your company?  Kaga and I are with the Blackwing Stormguard, under Duke Duffy.  I'm Dylan, humble petitioner of Ao."
> 
> The dwarf calms slightly muttering something about not worth getting thrown in the stocks again over but eyes both Dylan and Eren warily.


Seems the man decided to talk to a dwarf instead of Rashka, that's fine. 
She'd probably just try use him to carry cargo anyway.
Another Company? That means competition... Sounds rather dangerous actually. 
Best to be friendly with them.


Daenerys Stormborn said:


> *Spoiler*: _Veosian_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Then another adventurer appears asking about coffee.  Another coffee enthusiast? Seems the Bar is really starting to pick up.


EvilMoogle said:


> "Aye, I got a bag in back, can brew you up a pot if you're interested."  He quotes a price of 4cp for the pot, which would be 3 cups (give or take depending on the pour).


Oh now she was talking business with the bar owner. 4cp for a pot of coffee was a rip off however.
She can't let that happen to a fellow coffee enthusiast

"I could do the same for 3 cp later."
She proceeds to undercut the bar owner in price. Rashka thought that 1 cp per cup was more than enough to pay for the initial cost of getting said coffee and as she had her own pot/cups to drink from and often brewed in it she had a pretty good idea of how much was in what the barkeep was charging.


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 8, 2017)

Blythe nods at the merchant before heading towards/into the Embarrassed Lute.  The others of the adventuring party talking about the drinks, competing with the barkeep, a fiesty dwarf, and a priest of Ao.  She lets off a sigh while clipping her walking stick like scythe to her back while standing at a stool before looking at someone waving at them to come over, "Glass of red wine?  If not, a tankard of grog." she watches the others with a blank expression as she moves over to a table.  Z sits beside her, the thumping of his tail audible whenever even a glance is pointed toward him.

_'You should formally introduce yourself.'

'How many times have we gone through this?'

'Obviously not enough.'

'One is asking for ale, whisky or a milk, another just simply asked for a coffee, then another started competing with the barkeep over the price of coffee.  Someone else is bundled up like an idiot trying too hard to look like an adventurer.  Need I say more?'

'Whatever, don't say I didn't try.'

'Oh thank you for that wonderful advice.  Now who is the one alive right now and didn't try to swim in magma?'

'Fine, I'll leave you be then.'

'Good.'_

Blythe traces patterns on the table, listening in to other conversations after blocking out the noise of her spiritual companion.  She listens specifically for anything that may give her some sort of future advantage.

Perception-
Roll(1d20)+5:
18,+5
Total:23


----------



## P-X 12 (May 8, 2017)

@Unlosing Ranger @Daenerys Stormborn 



EvilMoogle said:


> The halfling bartender nods, "aye, I imagine.  Ain't got milk actually, but we get orders for whiskey almost as fast as it can be drunk.  Might not meet the quality standards for those upstairs but it will do the job well enough.  As to ale, brew our own out back, get grain often enough and it's sure better use here than bread."  He quotes prices using Ludian currencies equivalent to 4cp for the ale, or 1sp for the whiskey.
> 
> ((Each country would have their own standards for currency, though in most large communities exchanging foreign currency isn't an issue and coming up with names and standards for them just to increase confusion sounds like a headache to me so I'll use the normal cp/sp/gp instead for simplicities sake.))



"Guess I'll go for some whiskey. Been some time since I've had something stronger than water." He took out some coin as he waited for his drink.



EvilMoogle said:


> A shirtless dwarf with an axe taller than he is strapped to his back gives Eren an incredulous look, "do I _look_ like a goblin to you?"  He jumps up on the stool fuming.
> 
> A robed figure with the silver triangle of Ao hanging from his neck places a hand gently on the Dwarf's shoulder, "peace, Kaga, twas a joke.  Or maybe an insight?  After all most of us really come into our own here, the land is rich for those seeking the treasure in the ruins.  Haven't seen  you around, friend, just arrived?  What's your company?  Kaga and I are with the Blackwing Stormguard, under Duke Duffy.  I'm Dylan, humble petitioner of Ao."
> 
> The dwarf calms slightly muttering something about not worth getting thrown in the stocks again over but eyes both Dylan and Eren warily.



"Just got off the boat. I'm a part of Master Griffiths' little adventure troupe. Some of my partners are in here, like the kind elf speaking to the barkeep." He gestures over to Rashka and Zahra's direction. "As well as the lovely lady she's selling to." He loosened his gear slightly as he laid his bastard sword onto his lap. "As for me, well, I'm just your average travelling mercenary."


----------



## Vergil (May 8, 2017)

"Very helpful...thank you sir!" Kagami beams a smile at him, then scowls, "No-one does anything for free. Why'd you help me? Is it to get into my pants - cos I'm telling you now, you won't fit, no matter how much lubrication you use!!"she giggled.

((Kagami is refering to an incident that happened to her a while ago where a child of a tall gnome paid Kagami to try and fit into her leather pants. He could not, much to her amusement and suggested flour to help smooth the legs, then suggested oil to help - it turned into an oily paste and Kagami has fond memories of the incident.))

"Anyways I think I passed it when I was yelling - I'll check it out! Thanks again!"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 8, 2017)

He tapped his chin absently, glancing upwards...in thought? He looks to Zahra again and nods, before finding a seat at the bar, probably next to Eren as it turned out. His pack clinked a bit as he leaned his polearm against the bar, and stretched his legs out nice and slow as he studied the bar and settled gloved hands over his stomach, muttering something to himself about merry ogres in musing Veosian...


----------



## soulnova (May 8, 2017)

Elys stays silent while Blythe buys her stuff and then follows her to the inn. "Belladona" she comments mostly to herself "You _*really*_ have trouble sleeping, huh".

"You sure you know how to use that? It can be dangerous. If you want, I should be able to make a sleeping aid safely... I think" she offers offhandedly looking around as they arrive at the bar.


Elys approaches the bar and orders just water, hearing from the barkeep talking with the elven girl details about their rooms. She sighs and turns back to Blythe. "Shared rooms, it seems. Fourth floor..." she seems slightly disappointed for a second and stares absentmindedly to the others, regarding them, but then turns to Blythe again. "What... what do you do? Are you a mage or something?" she asks curiously.


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 8, 2017)

"Belladonna is deadly in high doses.  There's always a use for it, not always for yourself." Blythe looks at Elys, "You sure like being nosy..." she brushes some hair out of her eye, "You could say that." She flicks a finger up, one of Elys's arrows sliding out of the quiver and falling gently to the table.  "Most say I'm 'psychic' or 'telekinetic' however." she shrugs nonchalantly.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 8, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Oh now she was talking business with the bar owner. 4cp for a pot of coffee was a rip off however.
> She can't let that happen to a fellow coffee enthusiast
> 
> "I could do the same for 3 cp later."
> She proceeds to undercut the bar owner in price. Rashka thought that 1 cp per cup was more than enough to pay for the initial cost of getting said coffee and as she had her own pot/cups to drink from and often brewed in it she had a pretty good idea of how much was in what the barkeep was charging.



The halfling bartender gives an incredulous look, "well, I suppose you can judge for yourself whether the service and atmosphere here warrants a trifling sum.  Obviously if you'd prefer to drink your coffee outside off of the back of a donkey cart that is your choice."



Captain Obvious said:


> Blythe nods at the merchant before heading towards/into the Embarrassed Lute.  The others of the adventuring party talking about the drinks, competing with the barkeep, a fiesty dwarf, and a priest of Ao.  She lets off a sigh while clipping her walking stick like scythe to her back while standing at a stool before looking at someone waving at them to come over, "Glass of red wine?  If not, a tankard of grog." she watches the others with a blank expression as she moves over to a table.  Z sits beside her, the thumping of his tail audible whenever even a glance is pointed toward him.


The bartender nods and pours a glass of red wine quoting a price of 3cp for it.



Captain Obvious said:


> Blythe traces patterns on the table, listening in to other conversations after blocking out the noise of her spiritual companion.  She listens specifically for anything that may give her some sort of future advantage.


Most of the conversation of other adventurers is of the typical banter sort.  Occasionally there's a story here or there about the latest escapades.  From the sound of things near the city things are typically pretty calm but once you get a few miles out it becomes a sort of no-mans land.  

Goblins frequently claim ruins and range from annoyance to serious threat depending on how long they've had to establish a hold.  Roving packs of wild dogs are problems from time to time, game is apparently scarce and hunger has made them more aggressive.  The general opinion is other wild creatures are more common here than in other lands, but most of them lair up.  Stumble into a dire wolf's den or a giant scorpion's nest and you'll have a bad day but they're rare to encounter when traveling.




P-X 12 said:


> [COLOR=#4da6ff]"Guess I'll go for some whiskey. Been some time since I've had something stronger than water."[/COLOR] He took out some coin as he waited for his drink.
> 
> [COLOR=#4da6ff]"Just got off the boat. I'm a part of Master Griffiths' little adventure troupe. Some of my partners are in here, like the kind elf speaking to the barkeep."[/COLOR] He gestures over to Rashka and Zahra's direction. [COLOR=#4da6ff]"As well as the lovely lady she's selling to."[/COLOR] He loosened his gear slightly as he laid his bastard sword onto his lap. [COLOR=#4da6ff]"As for me, well, I'm just your average travelling mercenary."[/COLOR]




The dwarf mumbles something in deep dwarven that sounds obscene.  The cleric smiles and smoothly interjects, "what my friend here says is 'welcome to the continent, may you have great luck in your endeavors and may our fortunes rise together.'  A sentiment I wholeheartedly echo."

"Since you're new here I'll offer  you some friendly advice.  Go slow, take care of you and your own first.  Ancient relics can be wondrous, but if they've laid in the dirt for a thousand years they can wait a few days to be brought home.  And the wrong step in some of the ruins will quickly leave you with troubles you can't easily fix."  The dwarf makes a complicated gesture in response suggesting feats anatomically improbable.  The cleric shoots him a glare and continues, "oh yes, what he means is bring extra rope, you can never have too much oil, and make sure to keep your exit path clear in case you leave in a hurry."


[QUOTE="Vergil, post: 56892257, member: 11126"]"Very helpful...thank you sir!" Kagami beams a smile at him, then scowls, "No-one does anything for free. Why'd you help me? Is it to get into my pants - cos I'm telling you now, you won't fit, no matter how much lubrication you use!!"she giggled.

((Kagami is refering to an incident that happened to her a while ago where a child of a tall gnome paid Kagami to try and fit into her leather pants. He could not, much to her amusement and suggested flour to help smooth the legs, then suggested oil to help - it turned into an oily paste and Kagami has fond memories of the incident.))

"Anyways I think I passed it when I was yelling - I'll check it out! Thanks again!"[/QUOTE]

The man gives a sly smile, "suffice it to say every time something gets out of hand here old Ironhands gets his britches wedged up and decides the best way to respond is to crack down on everyone.  I'd prefer to keep a measure of freedom, so it's in my best interest to cut things off early."

[QUOTE="Hidden Nin, post: 56892956, member: 129702"]He tapped his chin absently, glancing upwards...in thought? He looks to Zahra again and nods, before finding a seat at the bar, probably next to Eren as it turned out. His pack clinked a bit as he leaned his polearm against the bar, and stretched his legs out nice and slow as he studied the bar and settled gloved hands over his stomach, muttering something to himself about merry ogres in musing Veosian...[/QUOTE]

The halfling bartender smiles at the newcomer, "welcome, busy day today.  What can I get you?"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 8, 2017)

He blinked once and then scratched his head a bit, grinning (probably) behind that scarf. "Oh...uh. Nothing? I'm not very thirsty at the moment." He leans in closer, however, a faint glow shimmering behind those dim goggles. "Who is in command of this garrison, though? If you don't mind my asking..."


----------



## soulnova (May 8, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> "Belladonna is deadly in high doses.  There's always a use for it, not always for yourself." Blythe looks at Elys, "You sure like being nosy..." she brushes some hair out of her eye, "You could say that." She flicks a finger up, one of Elys's arrows sliding out of the quiver and falling gently to the table. "Most say I'm 'psychic' or 'telekinetic' however." she shrugs nonchalantly.




"Oh... heh, yeah, sorry... I talk too much sometimes" she places her hand in the back of her head and shrugs a little embarrassed.



Elys watches as Blythe does her magic and smiles "Nice... You could reach for stuff we can't get close too. That should come in handy" she nods. "You know how to fight-?" she stops for a second "_[sigh]_ Sorry, I'm doing it again, heh... you don't have to answer"


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 8, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> He blinked once and then scratched his head a bit, grinning (probably) behind that scarf. "Oh...uh. Nothing? I'm not very thirsty at the moment." He leans in closer, however, a faint glow shimmering behind those dim goggles. "Who is in command of this garrison, though? If you don't mind my asking..."



The halfling nods at the dismissal as if this were not unusual.  "The fort?  The honorable Duke Ellis Hall.  His Grace was charged with establishing a foothold here."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 8, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> "Just got off the boat. I'm a part of Master Griffiths' little adventure troupe. Some of my partners are in here, like the kind elf speaking to the barkeep." He gestures over to Rashka and Zahra's direction. "As well as the lovely lady she's selling to." He loosened his gear slightly as he laid his bastard sword onto his lap. "As for me, well, I'm just your average travelling mercenary."


Rashka decided she wanted to be clean before talking to anyone. However knowing that these were the same people on the ship was useful information.


WorkingMoogle said:


> The halfling bartender gives an incredulous look, "well, I suppose you can judge for yourself whether the service and atmosphere here warrants a trifling sum.  Obviously if you'd prefer to drink your coffee outside off of the back of a donkey cart that is your choice."


"It's a Pony cart thank you very much and that trifling sum is worth more than people think." Rashka nods to her self. 
Yes, once she expands her transportation she'll turn it into a moving coffee shop and run everyone out of the coffee business.
"But that aside, thank you for your services. A Ms.Daisy wasn't it?"
Rashka walks to meet Daisy the waitress. (what does she look like?)
"I hear you are quick at setting up baths, can you set up a hot one for me? I'll give 2 more copper than asked as a tip."


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 8, 2017)

She pays the 3cp, taking the glass of wine and running her finger around the rim.  The spiritualist sighs, "You are a better fighter than I alone.  However I await my partner's arrival."  She takes a sip, "What I lack in brute force, I make up in intelligence." seeming to take a jab at Elys


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 8, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "It's a Pony cart thank you very much and that trifling sum is worth more than people think." Rashka nods to her self.
> Yes, once she expands her transportation she'll turn it into a moving coffee shop and run everyone out of the coffee business.
> "But that aside, thank you for your services. A Ms.Daisy wasn't it?"
> Rashka walks to meet Daisy the waitress. (what does she look like?)
> "I hear you are quick at setting up baths, can you set up a hot one for me? I'll give 2 more copper than asked as a tip."



The bartender offers a slight shrug, "who am I to tell anyone the value of their coin?  I paid my dues getting established here, and I'd put this tavern against any in Ludia.  But I won't begrudge anyone that wants to try to find one better."

The bartender points Daisy out.  The woman is on the larger side, though she has muscle showing beneath the softness.  Her features show a mix of Chapis and Heaburg, unfortunately picking up some of the worse traits of each.  She wears a broad smile on her face and nods enthusiastically at Rashka's request.  "Bath, good bath, hot bath, you wait, me get ready."  The words are clear enough, though something about the accent suggests that she probably doesn't understand more than a few words of Ludian.

She rushes off to get to work, hauling buckets for the bath.  After about 15 minutes she beckons Daisy upstairs to where a steaming tub awaits.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 8, 2017)

He pulled a useless...calibrator? Sprocket? Some sort of tiny little bauble that he proceeded to shift and adjust absently as he listened to and spoke to the halfing in crisp, unaccented Ludian. "Huh. I see. Do you know of any of the famous battles he's led or participated in within the past...say, 16,000 years?"


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 8, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> He pulled a useless...calibrator? Sprocket? Some sort of tiny little bauble that he proceeded to shift and adjust absently as he listened to and spoke to the halfing in crisp, unaccented Ludian. "Huh. I see. Do you know of any of the famous battles he's led or participated in within the past...say, 16,000 years?"



The bartender gives a hearty laugh.  "Well, I don't know about that long ago.  He was the marshal general of the last invasion of Ka, and that kerfuffle with Chapis a few years ago.  I think the most famous was when he led the route at the battle of Gorman Hill out near the Dark Hills.  Should have chased the Wood Elves all the way back to their trees if you ask me, probably smarter not to though, fighting elves amongst the trees probably not the smartest thing to do.  Er, no offense," he pauses to consider the shrouded man trying to discern if maybe he was an elf.


----------



## Vergil (May 8, 2017)

"Ah thanks again. Err...would you mind coming with me to help translate? There's 1GP in it for you."

Kagami makes her way over to Ironhands and approaches the most in charge looking person she sees. She'll speak Gnomish because that's who she is as a person. 

"'Ello!" she starts, "I'm after someone that can help me translate and make me taller and stuff. What have you got? I hear that I can take someone off your hands."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 8, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> The bartender offers a slight shrug, "who am I to tell anyone the value of their coin?  I paid my dues getting established here, and I'd put this tavern against any in Ludia.  But I won't begrudge anyone that wants to try to find one better."
> 
> The bartender points Daisy out.  The woman is on the larger side, though she has muscle showing beneath the softness.  Her features show a mix of Chapis and Heaburg, unfortunately picking up some of the worse traits of each.  She wears a broad smile on her face and nods enthusiastically at Rashka's request.  "Bath, good bath, hot bath, you wait, me get ready."  The words are clear enough, though something about the accent suggests that she probably doesn't understand more than a few words of Ludian.
> 
> She rushes off to get to work, hauling buckets for the bath.  After about 15 minutes she beckons Rashka upstairs to where a steaming tub awaits.


"Oh my, thank you." Rashka pays the woman 8 copper.
"Please make sure no one interrupts my bath. I like my privacy."

Rashka makes her way to the bath and starts undressing once the room is clear. She takes a single bar of soap out and leaves her clothes and such near the tub making sure to keep one dagger behind the tub out of view from the door just in case. She lets her hair stay as is, tying it back takes a while and she didn't feel like doing it again.

Slowly she drifts down into the bath relaxing her muscles and breathing out.
"Hoooo. Finally some time to myself."


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 8, 2017)

Vergil said:


> "Ah thanks again. Err...would you mind coming with me to help translate? There's 1GP in it for you."
> 
> Kagami makes her way over to Ironhands and approaches the most in charge looking person she sees. She'll speak Gnomish because that's who she is as a person.
> 
> "'Ello!" she starts, "I'm after someone that can help me translate and make me taller and stuff. What have you got? I hear that I can take someone off your hands."



The stockyard is within the keep itself, it's a lock up where troublemakers are kept to keep them out of the way.  Generally the people there aren't terribly hardened criminals (as Silverkeep takes a more authoritative method of dealing with them) but more miscreants.

It's also where the guard (and others) spend a lot of their time training.  When the pair approach there's a handful of guards working out in the courtyard.  Most are working in standard forms (spears are the most common, though swords and maces get a fair amount of use as well) in small groups however at one edge of the field a man spars with a wooden spear against five others.

He immediately stands out from the green spear strapped to his back.  The man moves at a blur, parrying attacks from all directions and countering with quick cuts.  Where the practice spears meet there's a resounding crack (where his spear meets flesh there's a more muffled, but painful sounding crack as well).  His match lasts only a few moments, though more partners are lined up for new rounds.

One man stands out as mostly watching the proceedings, Kagami approaches him with the request since if he has time to just stand around he's probably management.  He spares her only half a glance at her request obviously not following a word of it but her companion helpfully translates (probably).  The two "tall gnomes" talk back and forth for a few moments, apparently discussing details.

After a few moments her translator turns back to say, "okay, he might have someone that will work."  After a few moments the man escorts out an elven woman in chains.  She looks slightly on the slender side, even by elven standards, and she's very plain looking for an elf, but she's in good health.  The two men exchange words for a few minutes again, the woman keeps her gaze down while they discuss, then the translator speaks again, "okay, apparently she has an inclination towards gambling, and made some bets that she couldn't cover.  [50gp] will cover her debt but he wants to make sure you understand that you're responsible for her.  She can work for you to work off her debt but you're responsible for keeping her out of trouble.  It's also not a death sentence so make sure she's treated appropriately as well.  You understand?"

The woman bites her tongue while he talks, clearly able to follow along in the gnomish conversation.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 8, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> The bartender gives a hearty laugh.  "Well, I don't know about that long ago.  He was the marshal general of the last invasion of Ka, and that kerfuffle with Chapis a few years ago.  I think the most famous was when he led the route at the battle of Gorman Hill out near the Dark Hills.  Should have chased the Wood Elves all the way back to their trees if you ask me, probably smarter not to though, fighting elves amongst the trees probably not the smartest thing to do.  Er, no offense," he pauses to consider the shrouded man trying to discern if maybe he was an elf.



He laughs a somewhat hollow sounding, grinding chortle, raising a hand in peace. "Offense? Oh, not to worry, I take no offense to this! I was taught from my first moments by Mother the basics of tactics and strategy. You always wish to appear weak when you are in fact strong, to your enemies. The advantage is always to the defensive force. And an army is never any stronger than within its element. Clearly this Duke Ellis Hall is experienced." 

He glanced over in Zahra's general direction, then eyed the bar a bit, before turning his attention to the keep once more. His energy dies a bit, the glow dimming behind the goggles as he leans closer. "What can you tell me about the different mercenary companies and adventuring networks located here?"


----------



## Vergil (May 8, 2017)

Kagami watches everything like a kid at an amusement park

"Wow! Did you see that guy?!! 5 guys! So cool! I gonna do that one day but with a weapon 5 times bigger than me!"

As the elf girl comes out and Kagami looks at her, she frowns. "Was hoping for a rugged, handsome manhunk, but she seems nice. Hiya!" Kagami waves enthusiastically. "Ok! 50g it is!"

The gnome knew nothing of bartering and avvepted the price. "I'll take good care of her! We'll be the bestest of friends! My name is Kagami, pleased to meet you. Hope you like adventure!"


----------



## soulnova (May 8, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> She pays the 3cp, taking the glass of wine and running her finger around the rim.  The spiritualist sighs, "You are a better fighter than I alone.  However I await my partner's arrival."  She takes a sip, "What I lack in brute force, I make up in intelligence." seeming to take a jab at Elys





Elys doesn't seem phased by the jab, as if she's either oblivious to it or maybe used to these types of comments. "You can't go into a ruin without someone who knows her stuff; we will need to know what to take and what to leave behind, so it's good to have someone like you. Just stay clear of the front and I'll deal with the rest..." 


She changes the subject looking over the bar and stands up. "I'm going to order something to eat, wanna something else with that wine?"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 8, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> "Aye, I got a bag in back, can brew you up a pot if you're interested."  He quotes a price of 4cp for the pot, which would be 3 cups (give or take depending on the pour).



"That would be lovely, thank you." Once the coffee arrives, Zahra takes a long drink, clearly pleased with the taste. "It's been a while since I've been able to get my hands on decent coffee."



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Then another adventurer appears asking about coffee.  Another coffee enthusiast? Seems the Bar is really starting to pick up.
> 
> Oh now she was talking business with the bar owner. 4cp for a pot of coffee was a rip off however.
> She can't let that happen to a fellow coffee enthusiast
> ...



"Since I'm in this gentleman's establishment, it seems only courteous to purchase his beverages. But I'll probably take you up on your offer when we're afield."


----------



## P-X 12 (May 8, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> The dwarf mumbles something in deep dwarven that sounds obscene. The cleric smiles and smoothly interjects, "what my friend here says is 'welcome to the continent, may you have great luck in your endeavors and may our fortunes rise together.' A sentiment I wholeheartedly echo."
> 
> "Since you're new here I'll offer you some friendly advice. Go slow, take care of you and your own first. Ancient relics can be wondrous, but if they've laid in the dirt for a thousand years they can wait a few days to be brought home. And the wrong step in some of the ruins will quickly leave you with troubles you can't easily fix." The dwarf makes a complicated gesture in response suggesting feats anatomically improbable. The cleric shoots him a glare and continues, "oh yes, what he means is bring extra rope, you can never have too much oil, and make sure to keep your exit path clear in case you leave in a hurry."



Eren lets out a small chuckle at the seemingly vulgar antics kind cleric's dwarf friend. "I'll be sure to keep all of that in mind." As he waited for his drink, he looked towards the others, seeing more people coming in. "So," he said to his newly found barmates. "Seems like you guys have already gone through a few ruins of your own. Got any stories to tell?"


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 8, 2017)

Blythe shrugs, "I could go with some venison, share it with Ezekiel." She calls for some sort of red meat to share with her dog.  She stares off into the distance, plagued by her consistent headache.  "We'll probably die tomorrow.  You might as well get your night's fun." she closes her eyes, listening intently.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 8, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> He glanced over in Zahra's general direction, then eyed the bar a bit, before turning his attention to the keep once more. His energy dies a bit, the glow dimming behind the goggles as he leans closer. "What can you tell me about the different mercenary companies and adventuring networks located here?"



The bartender rubs his chin in thought a moment, "well, seems they keep growing.  More than a score at this point, I know the 'all knowing bartender' is supposed to be reliable but to be honest even I can't keep up with them all."  He offers an apologetic smile, "but I'll cover the major ones.  Blackwing Stormguard, under Duke Duffy," he pauses to indicate the pair talking to Eren, "they're the largest group, and one of the most profitable.  They have several teams working in the ruins at any given time, seems like they're always coming back with something or another."

"The Helmets of the Rain, under Lord Patrick Dawson.  A 'holy order' or so they say, not my place to correct them at least.  Whether Ao's grace or just luck they've stood out in their successes.  They don't run as often as the Blackwings but they always come back with something."  He pauses thinking.  "Raven Garde stands out as unusual, they're sponsored by the Tower of Preeminent Witchcraft out of Shoneia.  Ao only knows how they got Duke Hall's permission but here they are.  They're one of the slowest groups, but it seems like they're always coming back with exorbitant finds."

"Mossleaf Redoubt, a group of sealings.  They have some sort of trade deal with Duke Hall himself," he offers a shrug.  "They're probably the next most profitable, my kind is good at getting places others can't after all."  He stops to think another moment then shrugs again, "that's the biggest players, at least at the moment.  Of course some group out there is one lucky find away from knocking the others down a peg."



P-X 12 said:


> Eren lets out a small chuckle at the seemingly vulgar antics kind cleric's dwarf friend. "I'll be sure to keep all of that in mind." As he waited for his drink, he looked towards the others, seeing more people coming in. "So," he said to his newly found barmates. "Seems like you guys have already gone through a few ruins of your own. Got any stories to tell?"



The cleric smiles, "ah, action, adventure, exotic ruins, glory of course.  Many tales, I don't know where to begin!"

The dwarf breaks his self-imposed silence with a blurt of laughter.  "He stays with the carts, never stepped one foot in a ruin.  Healer's too important to risk the floor crumbling out from under him."

"Now that's just untrue, I helped carry Sven out once!"

The dwarf waves dismissively, "yeah, after the dire bear was dead.  Nasty surprise that.  Truth to what he says, don't walk into a lair if you can help it, or at least without a plan.  Sven got himself a peg leg out of the deal, and a trip back to the mainland."


----------



## Vergil (May 9, 2017)

*Spoiler*: __ 



"Miss Kagami. I am grateful to be under your care. From what the two gentlemen were telling me, you need a translator. I am at your service and indebted to you. I shall work off my debt and do anything you ask me to. I will..."

"Yeah yeah. Look first we're getting some food in you. No-one should be that thin! Like...you're kinda making me look fat - plus you look like a stiff wind will carry you over the edge of the world and I also don't want you to die. Cos...that would make me some sort of monster and I'm not down with that.

"Second - we need to get you clothes. Like nice ones. Brown rags were so 10 years ago." Kagami takes a breath

"Finally, you shall address me however you like. If you want to call me sexy, awesome, stupid, because between the two of us ....I kinda am - then feel free. I'll treat you as a friend as long as you earn my trust. Right now I'm trusting you 100%"

The elven girl blinked a few times and before she could respond Kagami started up again.

"Pretty awesome amn't I? Like I'm a freaking saint! And a genius! Like now, people can understand when I yell obscenities at them. What's your knowledge on Gnomish swear words? Does the phrase Raging gravy tunnel mean anything to you?"

The elven girl blushed and Kagami beamed.

"Perfect!"

"I...I don't think I can say that..." she said meekly, "My mother told me not to swear."

"Yeah well my mom told me not to go on a strange ship with a bunch of tall folk, but here we are. We have to grow as people. Find our own voice and not be confined with what our parents tell us, right?"

"Um...I suppose." the elf said fidgeting.

"So say it!" Kagami looked at her with starry eyes.

"Uh..."

"Go on!

"R...raginggravytunnel!" The elven girl blushed furiously and hid in her brown rags.




((TL;DR - Kagami bought a slave and is making sure she knows how to swear, while also treating her as though they are best friends.))

"Haha! Perfect! And at least you have some color to your complexion now!" Kagami beamed "Now lets go! We have to head to the Embarrassed Lute and get you food! Oh by the way, what's your name?"

"Maria...." she said still red faced.

"Well lovely to be your buddy Maria. Off we go!"


----------



## soulnova (May 9, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> Blythe shrugs, "I could go with some venison, share it with Ezekiel." She calls for some sort of red meat to share with her dog.  She stares off into the distance, plagued by her consistent headache.  "We'll probably die tomorrow.  You might as well get your night's fun." she closes her eyes, listening intently.




Elys laughs but then stops cold "-Wait, you serious?"  she gives a last nervous chuckle before clearing her throat and heading to the bartender.  


She waits until he's finished talking with the covered fellow. "Uh.... excuse me, do you have chicken pot pie, and perhaps some venison?" she asks looking at her pouch of coins, hoping she has enough.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 9, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys laughs but then stops cold "-Wait, you serious?"  she gives a last nervous chuckle before clearing her throat and heading to the bartender.
> 
> She waits until he's finished talking with the covered fellow. "Uh.... excuse me, do you have chicken pot pie, and perhaps some venison?" she asks looking at her pouch of coins, hoping she has enough.



The bartender gives her a slightly appraising look at the request but shrugs, "aye, we can do a pot pie.  I'll let the chef know, shouldn't be too long.  Don't have any venison at the moment, could do a salted beef or pork if you want.  Or if you're looking for something gamier we've still got some bear meat one of the groups brought in.  Tastes great in stew, should work well enough for a steak though."  He quotes a price of 5sp for the meal, and 3sp for the meat (either option).


----------



## soulnova (May 9, 2017)

"A pot pie and salted beef, thank you... that should do" Elys nods and pays 8sp.

"Speaking of game... what can I expect around here? Besides bears, obviously"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 9, 2017)

He's silent throughout the explanation by the bartender, chortling at certain points for whatever reason, but nodding along as he takes stock of the answers and then rolls his shoulders. "Great information, thank you kindly!" comes the bright reply. He glanced over his shoulder again then, looking over the bar proper, and then peered up at the fancier looking balcony for a few moments.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 9, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "A pot pie and salted beef, thank you... that should do" Elys nods and pays 8sp.
> 
> "Speaking of game... what can I expect around here? Besides bears, obviously"



The bartender pauses to think, "well, not a lot of people come here to go hunting obviously.  Bear aren't exactly common, just big enough to provide a lot of meat.  I know there's a sort of deer like creature, smaller and faster but size isn't everything right?"  The halfling winks.  "There's some ugly looking thing that's kind of a cross between a deer and a cow, bigger head than either of them though.  Slow, move in herds.  From what I've heard they taste alright, nobody's brought one back to sample though."

"They sometimes hang out with groups of striped horses," he shakes his head, "some mage went off the wall and started those let me tell you.  I'll bet the first was a custom request for some noble or another and it just got out of hand.  But let me tell you now, pretty soon they'll be the next 'thing' and everyone who's anyone's going to be riding them.  Nobody's broken one yet though, they're more flighty than horses, probably because it's been a few hundred years since they've been ridden?"  He quiets his voice a little and says, "just between you and me, the only skins I've seen so far have been black and white, but if you see one in blue and black bring it back for me, we'll make a deal, would make one snazzy suit."


----------



## soulnova (May 9, 2017)

Elys blinks with a smile on her face. "Sure! I'll keep an eye open for them. I can do that. A cow/deer like big thingy, black and white stripped horses, and specially one with black and blue. Gotcha. If I find anything that might be interesting to sample, I'll bring it too"

She offers her hand "Elys Karavel, you?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 9, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Oh my, thank you." Rashka pays the woman 8 copper.
> "Please make sure no one interrupts my bath. I like my privacy."
> 
> Rashka makes her way to the bath and starts undressing once the room is clear. She takes a single bar of soap out and leaves her clothes and such near the tub making sure to keep one dagger behind the tub out of view from the door just in case. She lets her hair stay as is, tying it back takes a while and she didn't feel like doing it again.
> ...


After washing herself down and enjoying herself for a few minutes Rashka starts to feel the water go cold.
"I think that's long enough, I'll turn into a raisin soon if I stay any longer... At least I won't taste and smell like a bag of salt now."
Rashka looks around for a towel and finds one on a rack nearby.
"Was afraid they wouldn't have any, that would have been awkward."
After drying herself she dresses and equips herself. Then she goes back downstairs to the main pub where the group is.

She walks towards Eren then sits next to him, the man who called her kind earlier. Though she isn't sure how true that is. 
"You seem like the sort that is used to lifting things. I'm sure you'll find plenty of work here. Would you mind if I paid for your dinner later?"
@P-X 12


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 9, 2017)

As the day goes on and the sun begins to dim the tavern becomes more crowded.  The main floor keeps its general mix of guards-merchants-adventurers, most generally keeping to their own.  The lute players are eventually joined by a flutist and a singer and their music picks up in both tempo and vigor though at least today nobody seems to be paying them too much attention.

The adventurers are a varied mix, some have the clear aura of regulars in the bar, some look like they haven't been here any longer than the party has.  Some carry dirt and dust from the road when they enter, though many of these seem to prefer the idea of a solid nights sleep to carousing.

Master Griffith slips in late in the day immediately heading up to the balcony area.  Of the others of their group Josh is no where to be found, presumably still seeing to their gear, but Remington and the older Colton find their way in shortly before dinner.



soulnova said:


> Elys blinks with a smile on her face. "Sure! I'll keep an eye open for them. I can do that. A cow/deer like big thingy, black and white stripped horses, and specially one with black and blue. Gotcha. If I find anything that might be interesting to sample, I'll bring it too"
> 
> She offers her hand "Elys Karavel, you?"



The halfling leans over the bar to take the hand, "Conrad Finnagund, most everyone works there way through here eventually so if you're looking for someone or something here's as good a place as any to start."


----------



## P-X 12 (May 10, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The cleric smiles, "ah, action, adventure, exotic ruins, glory of course. Many tales, I don't know where to begin!"
> 
> The dwarf breaks his self-imposed silence with a blurt of laughter. "He stays with the carts, never stepped one foot in a ruin. Healer's too important to risk the floor crumbling out from under him."
> 
> ...



Eren let out a small whistle. "Damn. Sounds pretty damn rough down there. Worst I've had to deal with are a few dire beasts and goblins. And even most of those were when I was with a group." He took a swig of his whiskey as he continued. "Heh, speaking of, I wonder if those guys got themselves involved in this line of work like me. They were always the kind to join this kind of job."



Unlosing Ranger said:


> After washing herself down and enjoying herself for a few minutes Rashka starts to feel the water go cold.
> "I think that's long enough, I'll turn into a raisin soon if I stay any longer... At least I won't taste and smell like a bag of salt now."
> Rashka looks around for a towel and finds one on a rack nearby.
> "Was afraid they wouldn't have any, that would have been awkward."
> ...



Eren looked over to Rashka and simply nodded. "No need; I'm pretty sure I'm gonna run up a decent bill here. Besides, I'm pretty sure we're gonna be working together." He then started swilling the rest of his drink. "I think, anyways. Just get me some coffee for tomorrow morning, and that'll be fine." He turned his head to the barkeep. "Hey, what food's on the menu? Cause if there's meat and bread, I'll take at least three orders each."

As Eren waited for his food, he removed his armor and laid it in between his legs. "Well, I guess I can get share one of my stories. And I got just the right one . . . "

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



EvilMoogle said:


> As the day goes on and the sun begins to dim the tavern becomes more crowded. The main floor keeps its general mix of guards-merchants-adventurers, most generally keeping to their own. The lute players are eventually joined by a flutist and a singer and their music picks up in both tempo and vigor though at least today nobody seems to be paying them too much attention.
> 
> The adventurers are a varied mix, some have the clear aura of regulars in the bar, some look like they haven't been here any longer than the party has. Some carry dirt and dust from the road when they enter, though many of these seem to prefer the idea of a solid nights sleep to carousing.
> 
> Master Griffith slips in late in the day immediately heading up to the balcony area. Of the others of their group Josh is nowhere to be found, presumably still seeing to their gear, but Remington and the older Colton find their way in shortly before dinner.



" . . . And so," Eren continued, stripping another hunk of meat clean to the bone. At that point, he had gone through his fifth meal and appeared to be ready for a sixth one. "While a few are circling me, I see a bear barreling through the group, tearing through the pack. So, now it looks like I'm gonna go from a few half blind goblins to a giant ball of claws and fur. That is until I look at his body." He pointed to his own eye. "Now, why would a wild beast like that have an arrow sticking from it's eye? And one that was still bleeding from said arrow, no less? Because it was someone else's prey. And no sooner than the thought went into my head that six individuals came from out of nowhere to attack that giant. You shoulda seen it; every time the thing went in for a swing, they'd get a dozen in. An arrow to the eyes, dagger to the legs, hammer to the snout, you name it. By the time they were done, the poor thing barely looked like it could even be the same beast I nearly pissed myself over." He took a long breath before ending. "And that is the first time I met Karth and his band of sellswords."

Eren looked over to the barkeep. "Hey! Can I get some more meat and bread? Oh, and a few more drinks for me and my friends here." He looked over to the others, drawing a blank at Rashka. "Actually, I don't know what you'd want. Are you a drinker?"


----------



## Vergil (May 10, 2017)

"I'm so hungry!" Kagami exclaims as she stumbles into the Inn. "Feed me!"

She collapses on a table holding up her hand to the ceiling and flopping it down as if she were dead. 

"Um....would you like me to order you some food, Miss?" Maria says hovering over her, "Miss?"

Kagami opens one eye. "Don't call me Miss. I'm Kagami...the fantastic!"

"So....Miss Fantastic...would you like me to order you food?" Maria says with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure." the gnome says not aware of the slight bite in Maria reply.

Maria tries to catch the attention of a waitress while Kagami writhes in hunger.

"Wonder where the rest of my party is. Can you yell for them?" Kagami asks

"This probably isn't my place to say..." Maria starts

"Don't be ridiculous! We're friends. Tell me what you like."

"OK...so you probably shouldn't just shout randomly. From what our friend told me, you may well have got yourself in trouble from the very same person that locked me up; for excessive loutish behaviour."

"Loutish? Haha! HEY! DID ANYONE TRAVEL WITH ME??!!" she yells in Gnomish and then smiles at Maria, who knew that she would get attention and then have to translate for her. "Yeah your Miss is an asshole."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 10, 2017)

> As the day goes on and the sun begins to dim the tavern becomes more crowded. The main floor keeps its general mix of guards-merchants-adventurers, most generally keeping to their own. The lute players are eventually joined by a flutist and a singer and their music picks up in both tempo and vigor though at least today nobody seems to be paying them too much attention.
> 
> The adventurers are a varied mix, some have the clear aura of regulars in the bar, some look like they haven't been here any longer than the party has. Some carry dirt and dust from the road when they enter, though many of these seem to prefer the idea of a solid nights sleep to carousing.
> 
> Master Griffith slips in late in the day immediately heading up to the balcony area. Of the others of their group Josh is no where to be found, presumably still seeing to their gear, but Remington and the older Colton find their way in shortly before dinner.


Rashka wondered if she should ask Master Griffith about Josh. Maybe she can help him finish up so he can turn in at the same time as them. They all have to leave at the same time after all.


P-X 12 said:


> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A sweat mark goes down Rashka's face as he eats, seems she dodged a bullet not feeding him.
As for herself she stuck to vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Meat didn't really agree with her and she didn't generally eat a lot.
"Just give me an entire coffee pot of the strongest coffee here and I should be fine."

Coffee was all she ever really drank aside from the odd water or milk coffee.
"I don't really have any stories like that. I mean there was this one time I saw a giant rat running through some alleys when I was a kid, but I stayed away from it. I'm not really into fighting things. I'm pretty sure a strong breeze could defeat me haha. I could tell you about my parents working as merchants."


----------



## soulnova (May 10, 2017)

Elys brings back the food to her table with Blythe. "Here, they didn't have venison, but they had beef" she places the plate in front of her. "I might helping out getting some meat when we go out. No point on wasting good meat if we have to clear some area" she seems excited. @Captain Obvious


While eating, she sees Master Griffith arriving and she quickly stands up in respect. "Master Griffith, good evening" she says almost as a reflex as he passes on his way to the balcony, but says nothing else... slowly sitting back down once he's out of view.

She hears Rashka and Eren talking and eventually feels the urge to chime in "Hey, if you are squishy, don't worry. That's why we are here... What do you do? Are you a merchant? Will you keep track of our findings? "

She glances to the gnome girl yelling. "Uh... anyone know what she saying?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 10, 2017)

soulnova said:


> She hears Rashka and Eren talking and eventually feels the urge to chime in "Hey, if you are squishy, don't worry. That's why we are here... What do you do? Are you a merchant? Will you keep track of our findings? "
> 
> She glances to the gnome girl yelling. "Uh... anyone know what she saying?"


She looks like the type to be able to fight upfront all right, but not cleave people in half like Eren. Rashka gives a small reply back to the woman. "Don't worry, I can outrun you types with all that armor on and uhhh no. It's all gibberish. Are most gnomes like that?"


----------



## soulnova (May 10, 2017)

> Don't worry, I can outrun you types with all that armor



Elys gives a nervous chuckle, unsure if she's joking or not. 


"I don't know... Not many gnomes at home. She doesn't look sick tho. So I guess she's ok?" she looks at Maria "Is she with you? You understand her?"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 10, 2017)

As the day wore on, the man covered in traveling garb continued to tinker with his tiny little bauble as he sat between the coffee drinking Zahra and meat and bread eating Eren. As Lord Griffith arrived he stayed seated but watched the man as he made his way up to the balcony. As Kagami arrived, he again peered up at the table she'd collapsed on, chortling quietly to himself. Was this custom here? He glanced sidelong at Zahra, and then Eren, to see what the appropriate response was in this situation, before speaking. Though, he did look over at Raksha suddenly, maybe squinting behind those goggles as a dull glow lights up. "...Elves _are _pretty good at retreating."


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 10, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys brings back the food to her table with Blythe. "Here, they didn't have venison, but they had beef" she places the plate in front of her. "I might helping out getting some meat when we go out. No point on wasting good meat if we have to clear some area" she seems excited.


She nods in agreement, "Waste not." she slices the chunk of meat in half, handing one half to the happy dog next to her.  As the day went on, she continued listening to conversations, only speaking when spoken to.  She sits there in a seemingly meditative state otherwise.



> She glances to the gnome girl yelling. "Uh... anyone know what she saying?"


Blythe shrugs, simply reaching down and petting Ezekiel.



Hidden Nin said:


> "...Elves _are _pretty good at retreating."


She lets off a sharp exhale through her nose, "Exactly.  Cowards."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 10, 2017)

> Elys gives a nervous chuckle, unsure if she's joking or not.





Hidden Nin said:


> As the day wore on, the man covered in traveling garb continued to tinker with his tiny little bauble as he sat between the coffee drinking Zahra and meat and bread eating Eren. As Lord Griffith arrived he stayed seated but watched the man as he made his way up to the balcony. As Kagami arrived, he again peered up at the table she'd collapsed on, chortling quietly to himself. Was this custom here? He glanced sidelong at Zahra, and then Eren, to see what the appropriate response was in this situation, before speaking. Though, he did look over at Raksha suddenly, maybe squinting behind those goggles as a dull glow lights up. "...Elves _are _pretty good at retreating."





Captain Obvious said:


> She lets off a sharp exhale through her nose, "Exactly.  Cowards."



Rashka smirks at their responses. They wouldn't be wrong about her not being courageous at all and it isn't unheard of as a stereotype. Though most don't put thought into the long lifespan of a elf and why they would run as opposed to a human or half-elf that wouldn't even have their grandfathers be an unborn sperm in the amount of time it takes an elf to reach mid adulthood. Human's and such already live short lives, why wouldn't they stay and fight?
"Yep, Elves, really good at running away."
However she does take note of the half-elf in her mind and the odd person's eyes glowing a bit before turning to Elys
"I'll support you from the back however I can, but no promises about not running away. My role isn't to fight, it's for my particular skills and knowledge."


----------



## Vergil (May 10, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys gives a nervous chuckle, unsure if she's joking or not.
> 
> 
> "I don't know... Not many gnomes at home. She doesn't look sick tho. So I guess she's ok?" she looks at Maria "Is she with you? You understand her?"



Maria looked flustered. She was still in her rags and being in mixed company dressed in such a manner was a little embrrassing for her, but when Kagami had spoken about real food, her stomach growled so loudly that it was obvious that shopping was off the table until they had eaten.

She meekly looked up at who was talking at her. She seemed like she had an honest smile.

"Um yes. Miss Kagami freed me from prison after paying off my debt and though I now owe her, it seems to be a much better arrangement than the one I was in. Though I am a tad apprehensive about adventuring."

Kagami looks up at Elys "You're pretty!"

Maria laughs "Um..she says that you're pretty."


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 10, 2017)

"As long as you bring something useful to the table." Blythe has the arrow rise up again, having it spinning carefully yet vacantly.



Vergil said:


> Maria laughs "Um..she says that you're pretty."


Blythe lets off a sharp snort, listening to Maria, "Hope you don't translate things correct, she sounds like an annoying idiot." She was back with her emotionless yet taunting voice.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 10, 2017)

He looked between Maria and Kagami in silence, the movements of a smirk displacing his scarf a bit. "You have an interesting child for a master," he notes with interest, before looking to Raksha. "What are your particular skills or forms of knowledge?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 10, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> He looked between Maria and Kagami in silence, the movements of a smirk displacing his scarf a bit. "You have an interesting child for a master," he notes with interest, before looking to Raksha. "What are your particular skills or forms of knowledge?"


"Some Knowledge of the 3rd age, merchantry, driving animals, the ability to use magic items, operate and disable them and knowledge of Ludia. Just a few of my skills, you probably don't want to know the other ones."


----------



## soulnova (May 10, 2017)

"Oh, well, thank you! You look cute too!" Elys chuckles and nods in return. She looks up to Maria "Wait... you were some kind of prisoner? You have some kind of life debt to her? Well, she... she's not that bad, right?"

Elys glances at the strange covered man. "Uh, that's a gnome, not a child" she tries to explain.


Elys hears about all the skills Rashka has and blinks "...woah, that sounds really useful. I- I do have wilderness knowledge, hunting skills too. I know how to mend common injuries. I can handle animals and how to prepare their skins... and got some instruction on ruins and caves" she adds.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 10, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "Oh, well, thank you! You look cute too!" Elys chuckles and nods in return. She looks up to Maria "Wait... you were some kind of prisoner? You have some kind of life debt to her? Well, she... she's not that bad, right?"
> 
> Elys glances at the strange covered man. "Uh, that's a gnome, not a child" she tries to explain.
> 
> ...


"Ah, I know about ruins and caves as well. It'll be good to have someone mend injuries, it'll help me as well."
Rashka looks at Eren
"Well what can you do big guy?"
@P-X 12


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 10, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Some Knowledge of the 3rd age, merchantry, driving animals, the ability to use magic items, operate and disable them and knowledge of Ludia. Just a few of my skills, you probably don't want to know the other ones."


He gives a strange cant of his head, adjusting his spear to rest on his opposite shoulder. He yanks something on the bauble he's messing with and it makes a nasty sounding cranking noise before sputtering a bit with smoke... "It's illogical to think that more information about you would disadvantage me! If anything you would probably want to keep those skills quiet."


soulnova said:


> "Oh, well, thank you! You look cute too!" Elys chuckles and nods in return. She looks up to Maria "Wait... you were some kind of prisoner? You have some kind of life debt to her? Well, she... she's not that bad, right?"
> 
> Elys glances at the strange covered man. "Uh, that's a gnome, not a child" she tries to explain.
> 
> ...


"Being a gnome and a child aren't mutually exclusive descriptors...however it does appear that I misjudged her size at a glance..."


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 10, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> " . . . And so," Eren continued, stripping another hunk of meat clean to the bone. At that point, he had gone through his fifth meal and appeared to be ready for a sixth one. "While a few are circling me, I see a bear barreling through the group, tearing through the pack. So, now it looks like I'm gonna go from a few half blind goblins to a giant ball of claws and fur. That is until I look at his body." He pointed to his own eye. "Now, why would a wild beast like that have an arrow sticking from it's eye? And one that was still bleeding from said arrow, no less? Because it was someone else's prey. And no sooner than the thought went into my head that six individuals came from out of nowhere to attack that giant. You shoulda seen it; every time the thing went in for a swing, they'd get a dozen in. An arrow to the eyes, dagger to the legs, hammer to the snout, you name it. By the time they were done, the poor thing barely looked like it could even be the same beast I nearly pissed myself over." He took a long breath before ending. "And that is the first time I met Karth and his band of sellswords."
> 
> Eren looked over to the barkeep. "Hey! Can I get some more meat and bread? Oh, and a few more drinks for me and my friends here." He looked over to the others, drawing a blank at Rashka. "Actually, I don't know what you'd want. Are you a drinker?"



Zahra listens to Eren's story with interest. "Sounds like you dodged an arrow there. Did you ever run into Karth again?"

Watching Eren eat, Zahra found her own stomach starting to rumble, and she flagged down the bartender. "I'll have some of that meat and bread too, but just one serving of each, please."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 10, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> He gives a strange cant of his head, adjusting his spear to rest on his opposite shoulder. He yanks something on the bauble he's messing with and it makes a nasty sounding cranking noise before sputtering a bit with smoke... "It's illogical to think that more information about you would disadvantage me! If anything you would probably want to keep those skills quiet."


Rashka wasn't sure if that was a threat or if the man was REALLY bad at socializing. Whatever the case he was a weirdo messing with something unusual. She decides to finally pay a bit more attention to it after it sputtered smoke. This thing is clearly something like of or of the 3rd age. The man's  eyes glowing dimly didn't help ease her suspicions.
Perception: 17
Knowledge 3rd age: 14


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 10, 2017)

((Digging the interactions, feel free to assume that one of the bar wenches or the bartender will see to food/drink orders normally, not going to interrupt the flow by replying to each))

((Tentatively I'm going to plan on moving on to the morning / the first adventure this weekend.))



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka wasn't sure if that was a threat or if the man was REALLY bad at socializing. Whatever the case he was a weirdo messing with something unusual. She decides to finally pay a bit more attention to it after it sputtered smoke. This thing is clearly something like of or of the 3rd age. The man's  eyes glowing dimly didn't help ease her suspicions.
> Perception: 17
> Knowledge 3rd age: 14



You'd have to have the bauble to examine it closely to say anything for certain but at a glance it doesn't look familiar to you.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 10, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> You'd have to have the bauble to examine it closely to say anything for certain but at a glance it doesn't look familiar to you.


Rashka frowns. This is the sort of thing you have to get hands on with and is probably why the man is messing with it or at least she hopes. "Is it alright if I had a firsthand look at that for a moment when you are done with it? Mr...?"
@Hidden Nin


----------



## Vergil (May 10, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> "As long as you bring something useful to the table." Blythe has the arrow rise up again, having it spinning carefully yet vacantly.
> 
> 
> Blythe lets off a sharp snort, listening to Maria, "Hope you don't translate things correct, she sounds like an annoying idiot." She was back with her emotionless yet taunting voice.





Hidden Nin said:


> He looked between Maria and Kagami in silence, the movements of a smirk displacing his scarf a bit. "You have an interesting child for a master," he notes with interest, before looking to Raksha. "What are your particular skills or forms of knowledge?"





soulnova said:


> "Oh, well, thank you! You look cute too!" Elys chuckles and nods in return. She looks up to Maria "Wait... you were some kind of prisoner? You have some kind of life debt to her? Well, she... she's not that bad, right?"
> 
> Elys glances at the strange covered man. "Uh, that's a gnome, not a child" she tries to explain.





Hidden Nin said:


> He gives a strange cant of his head, adjusting his spear to rest on his opposite shoulder. He yanks something on the bauble he's messing with and it makes a nasty sounding cranking noise before sputtering a bit with smoke... "It's illogical to think that more information about you would disadvantage me! If anything you would probably want to keep those skills quiet."
> 
> "Being a gnome and a child aren't mutually exclusive descriptors...however it does appear that I misjudged her size at a glance..."



Maria tries to keep up with the conversations and then points at the various people that said what. Kagami's eyes widened and it was apparent that she was not best pleased,

"WHAT? I'm no child. Gnome! I'm a gnome! Just cos these guys are all abnormally tall. Lack of oxygen up there those freakishly lanky giant folk - small brain moron folk. You tell them that they can all die in a fire. Except that one," she points at Elys, "she's nice. I'm supposed to adventure with them?! Adventures are meant to be awesome - but look at them! No sense of style. That one over there has no personality - she's a moron! That one there is so hideous he needs to cover himself up! Ugh! Where's the awesome cool one - you know, besides me!" Kagami rants.

Maria nods and looks back at the others. "She says that she will be happy to tell you all about Gnomish culture to better help you understand about how our cultures differ. She is eager to work with all of you and get to know you better." Maria says with an awkward smile, as Kagami nods in agreement as Maria speaks.


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 10, 2017)

"Why do I feel that is not what she said."


----------



## soulnova (May 10, 2017)

@Hidden Nin 

"By the way... I seem to have missed your name back in the ship" she raises an eyebrow. "Mine is Elys Karavel. You?"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 10, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka wasn't sure if that was a threat or if the man was REALLY bad at socializing. Whatever the case he was a weirdo messing with something unusual. She decides to finally pay a bit more attention to it after it sputtered smoke. This thing is clearly something like of or of the 3rd age. The man's  eyes glowing dimly didn't help ease her suspicions.
> Perception: 17
> Knowledge 3rd age: 14


He stares at Raksha as she...stares at his tiny bauble, glancing sidelong at Zahra, speaking in a smooth, flowing tongue, scratching his temple a bit.


*Spoiler*: _Veosian_ 



"She seems cross...did I say something untoward? And...how is it pronounced, again? My-tra? Mitra? Right."





Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka frowns. This is the sort of thing you have to get hands on with and is probably why the man is messing with it or at least she hopes. "Is it alright if I had a firsthand look at that for a moment when you are done with it? Mr...?"


And then glanced back at Rashka. "Mitra. Ah, this? It's just a piece of junk." He stuffs it into one of the myriad pockets on his backpack. "So what are your other skills?"

He peers over Rashka's shoulder at the animated gnome and stares at Maria. "Why did she point at Elys.."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 10, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> And then glanced back at Rashka. "Mitra. Ah, this? It's just a piece of junk." He stuffs it into one of the myriad pockets on his backpack. "So what are your other skills?"
> 
> He peers over Rashka's shoulder at the animated gnome and stares at Maria. "Why did she point at the young woman.."


(This man is too overly awkward for me to hold a long conversation with, he makes me uneasy for some reason.)
Rashka thinks to herself before deciding it's best to just end the conversation with him now.
"Mitra. I see... I am Rashka. Perhaps I mistook your way as a slight instead of a curiosity. Forgive me."
Rashka gets up and bows slightly before going to the balcony area where Griffith resides.


> Master Griffith slips in late in the day immediately heading up to the balcony area. Of the others of their group Josh is no where to be found, presumably still seeing to their gear, but Remington and the older Colton find their way in shortly before dinner.


"Master Griffith can I have a moment of your time?"
@EvilMoogle


----------



## P-X 12 (May 10, 2017)

@Hidden Nin @soulnova @WorkingMoogle @Captain Obvious 



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka wondered if she should ask Master Griffith about Josh. Maybe she can help him finish up so he can turn in at the same time as them. They all have to leave at the same time after all.
> 
> A sweat mark goes down Rashka's face as he eats, seems she dodged a bullet not feeding him.
> As for herself she stuck to vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Meat didn't really agree with her and she didn't generally eat a lot.
> ...



Eren nodded. "I'd like to hear that sometime. Well, later anyways. A tavern story's usually for some great exploit or tall tales, at least in my experience."



Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Ah, I know about ruins and caves as well. It'll be good to have someone mend injuries, it'll help me as well."
> Rashka looks at Eren
> "Well what can you do big guy?"
> @P-X 12



"Er, I'm pretty strong and I can hit things really damn hard." Eren takes a slightly nervous sip. "Outside of fighting, I'm told I can be quite persuasive if I want to be. That and I'm actually very good at spotting lies, or when someone's holding out information. An invaluable skill in my line of work."



Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra listens to Eren's story with interest. "Sounds like you dodged an arrow there. Did you ever run into Karth again?"
> 
> Watching Eren eat, Zahra found her own stomach starting to rumble, and she flagged down the bartender. "I'll have some of that meat and bread too, but just one serving of each, please."



Eren got up from his seat as he called his order. "Oi, barkeep, make that two orders of meat and bread, one for me and my lovely friend here!" He sported a small grin on his face, obviously starting to really enjoy himself. "Oh, and bring a pot of coffee, too! Strongest stuff ya got!" He sat back down in his seat. "Now, as for Karth and his merry band, I actually travelled with them for a while. The farthest I've ever travelled was with those insane eight. I've gone from Gloucester to Lundy and quite a few places in between."


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 10, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Master Griffith can I have a moment of your time?"



The upper balcony area is far less crowded, with perhaps a score total seated in pairs and trios at scattered tables.  A smaller bar is tended by a human man, who seems much more rigid than the halfling below.  A scattering of people look up at Rashka's arrival, some with disapproving looks.

Master Griffith is at a table with two other men, one with Ludian features, the other darker of complexion looking like he hails from somewhere in Naeditopia.  He motions the others to pause as Rahska approaches.  "Yes Rashka?  What is it you need?"  His tone is slightly cool but also mixed with touches of curiosity.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 10, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The upper balcony area is far less crowded, with perhaps a score total seated in pairs and trios at scattered tables.  A smaller bar is tended by a human man, who seems much more rigid than the halfling below.  A scattering of people look up at Rashka's arrival, some with disapproving looks.
> 
> Master Griffith is at a table with two other men, one with Ludian features, the other darker of complexion looking like he hails from somewhere in Naeditopia.  He motions the others to pause as Rahska approaches.  "Yes Rashka?  What is it you need?"  His tone is slightly cool but also mixed with touches of curiosity.


Rahska speaks with concern ignoring the obvious scorn from the people around Griffith.
"Before I was caught in conversation I noticed that Josh hadn't come in with you upon your arrival and even now still he isn't here. Perhaps I thought he needs some help finishing his duties and that you'd know where he should be at the moment. There is also always the chance he could have been caught up in trouble considering what this city is, so I want to check up on him."


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 10, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> He stares at Raksha as she...stares at his tiny bauble, glancing sidelong at Zahra, speaking in a smooth, flowing tongue, scratching his temple a bit.
> 
> 
> *Spoiler*: _Veosian_
> ...



Zahra watches Raksha climb the stairs to the balcony, then turns back to the bundled-up man and replies in the same flowing language:


*Spoiler*: _Veosian_ 



"I think she wasn't sure how to take your comment about her not wanting to tell you everything she's good at. Also, I think she's curious about that gadget you're fiddling with--she said she has some knowledge about the Age of Machines. What does that bit do, anyway? Does it switch your speech back and forth between Ludian and Veosian? Oh, and it's Mit-ra."







P-X 12 said:


> @Hidden Nin @soulnova @WorkingMoogle @Captain Obvious
> 
> Eren got up from his seat as he called his order. "Oi, barkeep, make that two orders of meat and bread, one for me and my lovely friend here!" He sported a small grin on his face, obviously starting to really enjoy himself. "Oh, and bring a pot of coffee, too! Strongest stuff ya got!" He sat back down in his seat. "Now, as for Karth and his merry band, I actually travelled with them for a while. The farthest I've ever travelled was with those insane eight. I've gone from Gloucester to Lundy and quite a few places in between."



Zahra sits up a little straighter when he mentions Lundy. "Oh, you've been to Veosia? I've passed through Lundy a couple of times, but I grew up north of there, nearer to Merton."

She tries to remember if she's heard anything of Karth and Eren before. Mercenaries (maybe fighting in the war with Heaburg)? Freelancers? Something else?
Knowledge Local (Veosia): 1d20+5=11+5=16
@EvilMoogle @WorkingMoogle


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 11, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rahska speaks with concern ignoring the obvious scorn from the people around Griffith.
> "Before I was caught in conversation I noticed that Josh hadn't come in with you upon your arrival and even now still he isn't here. Perhaps I thought he needs some help finishing his duties and that you'd know where he should be at the moment. There is also always the chance he could have been caught up in trouble considering what this city is, so I want to check up on him."



The older man considers this a moment, looking almost disappointed, before speaking, "I imagine he is still set to his tasks.  There are a lot of logistical items to put in place before an expedition.  I've entrusted a lot of responsibility in the lad to make sure we are ready," his somewhat harsh demeanor seems slightly softer, perhaps fatherly.  "Every member of our group bears responsibilities, I trust each of you to do your best in every aspect of your duties, nothing more, nothing less."

"Josh is taking his duties very seriously in getting things ready for tomorrow, while it should be a test to make sure we have everything ready I appreciate him taking it seriously.  If you have nothing better to do I'm sure he would appreciate some help"



Daenerys Stormborn said:


> She tries to remember if she's heard anything of Karth and Eren before. Mercenaries (maybe fighting in the war with Heaburg)? Freelancers? Something else?
> Knowledge Local (Veosia): 1d20+5=11+5=16
> @EvilMoogle @WorkingMoogle



((It's my opinion that it's not reasonable that 1st level characters would distinguish themselves enough to have been heard of.  Mercenaries having a few missions under their belt would make sense, but it would essentially be a question of luck more than knowledge at this point and barring coincidences of background (eg, the mercenary troupe went through an area where you had been and thus had an opportunity to know more about them specifically) it would be unlikely to have heard of them specifically))

((That said I don't have a problem with people having met before in their backgrounds, but I'll leave that up to the players in question, if you guys want to have been involved in this I have no problem with Zahra recognizing them))


----------



## soulnova (May 11, 2017)

Elys grows quiet as she hears the others talk about their previous missions and experience. She fidgets nervously with her fingers as she looks down to the floor for a moment before seemingly getting the courage to speak up.

"Errh...Hey, guys! uh... Has anyone already checked what's up with *'The Temple'* we are going to explore tomorrow? I only heard the newcomers go there, but beyond that... any idea?" she asks out loud to the members of her expedition.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 11, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> The older man considers this a moment, looking almost disappointed, before speaking, "I imagine he is still set to his tasks.  There are a lot of logistical items to put in place before an expedition.  I've entrusted a lot of responsibility in the lad to make sure we are ready," his somewhat harsh demeanor seems slightly softer, perhaps fatherly.  "Every member of our group bears responsibilities, I trust each of you to do your best in every aspect of your duties, nothing more, nothing less."
> 
> "Josh is taking his duties very seriously in getting things ready for tomorrow, while it should be a test to make sure we have everything ready I appreciate him taking it seriously.  If you have nothing better to do I'm sure he would appreciate some help"


Rashka couldn't shake the feeling that Griffith wanted her here to discuss with them after that sort of reply.
"I see, so he'll be fine. Since you want us to do our best in the aspects of our duties..."
Rashka moves near an empty seat within the group and briefly looks at the other people seated to get a good idea of who he's talking to. She's likely overstepping her bounds in their eyes, but considering her skills and her long lifespan, her role of being an observer alone would help Griffith's family in the future if he accepted her.
"You wouldn't mind if I joined the current discussion would you Master Griffith?"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 11, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra watches Raksha climb the stairs to the balcony, then turns back to the bundled-up man and replies in the same flowing language:
> 
> 
> *Spoiler*: _Veosian_
> ...


Mitra laughs quietly, shaking his head, and returning to crisp Ludian. "Switch speech? No, nothing as complicated as that! I learn and remember languages the same as you..." He glances up at the balcony. "Still...someone that knows about this so called Age of Machines could be very informative. I'll remember to be more mindful of my manners."


soulnova said:


> Elys grows quiet as she hears the others talk about their previous missions and experience. She fidgets nervously with her fingers as she looks down to the floor for a moment before seemingly getting the courage to speak up.
> 
> "Errh...Hey, guys! uh... Has anyone already checked what's up with *'The Temple'* we are going to explore tomorrow? I only heard the newcomers go there, but beyond that... any idea?" she asks out loud to the members of her expedition.


"Nope, I don't know anything about the Temple!" A beat pause as he cants his head. "Do you have any stories of your own, Elys?"


----------



## soulnova (May 11, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> "Nope, I don't know anything about the Temple!" A beat pause as he cants his head. "Do you have any stories of your own, Elys?"




"I- I'm sorry... I don't have any interesting stories like the others. Just the usual hunting trips... nothing out of the ordinary. Life was pretty slow and quiet back home. The region between Kingcardine and Coaville is fairly well traveled and arguably safe. Nothing more than the sporadic golbin trouble, but who doesn't have those?" she chuckles nervously and looks down. "I'm actually hoping I can make my own stories now, that's all" there is a hint of melancholy on her voice. 


"Never mind that..." Elys shakes her head changing subject "Shouldn't we ask around to learn more about The Temple? Maybe there's already a map..."

Elys will ask Conrad is he has (or knows who has) the information regarding what people have found out of The Temple already.


----------



## Vergil (May 11, 2017)

"What's this about a temple?" Kagami asks/says through Maria, "I didn't really catch what the Captain was saying when we got off the ship. We're exploring a Temple? Is it a Temple of Doom? Does it have a giant boulder? OMG that'd be so rad!"

"C'mon lets go and find out! Where is it?! Wait, our food is here. Maria let's eat and then go!"

Kagami tucks in to her food while Maria savors the flavor of it, almost being brought to tears at the simple warmth of it.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 11, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka couldn't shake the feeling that Griffith wanted her here to discuss with them after that sort of reply.
> "I see, so he'll be fine. Since you want us to do our best in the aspects of our duties..."
> Rashka moves near an empty seat within the group and briefly looks at the other people seated to get a good idea of who he's talking to. She's likely overstepping her bounds in their eyes, but considering her skills and her long lifespan, her role of being an observer alone would help Griffith's family in the future if he accepted her.
> "You wouldn't mind if I joined the current discussion would you Master Griffith?"



Master Griffith seems amused at the prospect.  He gives a quick glace to his two table companions, who shrug slightly, then he gestures to the empty seat, "have a seat if you like."  He pauses and gestures at the Ludian man, "Sir Caleb Sutton, of Bent Hill.  He organizes the Green Legion."  He gestures to the man with Naeditopian features, "Zafar Manveer Sandi, of Windermere, he's one of the sponsors of the Raven Garde, in town for a few days to check on their progress."

"We were just discussing the situation in Heaburg.  The Veosian advance seems to be heating up, what do you think, will the Malik fall?"  His tone is still slightly amused, though it's not clear about what exactly.  The Zafar frowns slightly at the topic but keeps silent for now.



soulnova said:


> "Never mind that..." Elys shakes her head changing subject "Shouldn't we ask around to learn more about The Temple? Maybe there's already a map..."
> 
> Elys will ask Conrad is he has (or knows who has) the information regarding what people have found out of The Temple already.



Conrad's more busy with the bar getting more crowded but when he has a moment he nods understanding, "ah, yeah, you're new arrivals, that makes sense.  It's tradition, new groups go there shortly after they arrive.  In part it's just ritual, when the Keep was first founded that was one of the places that needed to be cleared out to establish ourselves here.  Some groups also use it as a sort of test to make sure they've got everything ready."  

"Hate to be a full day away from the city and realize you forgot lamp oil or rope, no?"  He chuckles politely before continuing, "if you're asking what to find there, well, I wouldn't get your hopes up for fame and fortune this early, place has been picked clean long ago I would imagine.  But if you want to know more about it ask around, most all of the adventurers have been there."  He gestures to the area of the bar that is teeming with different adventuring groups.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 11, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "I- I'm sorry... I don't have any interesting stories like the others. Just the usual hunting trips... nothing out of the ordinary. Life was pretty slow and quiet back home. The region between Kingcardine and Coaville is fairly well traveled and arguably safe. Nothing more than the sporadic golbin trouble, but who doesn't have those?" she chuckles nervously and looks down. "I'm actually hoping I can make my own stories now, that's all" there is a hint of melancholy on her voice.



Zahra nods. "That's why I came here too. Telling stories of great deeds from the Fourth Age is all well and good, but when I leave here, I hope to have stories of things _I_--or we---did. And they'll be stories that no one in the world has heard before, of things they didn't even know existed!" She raises her coffee mug. "Here's to making our own stories!"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 11, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Master Griffith seems amused at the prospect.  He gives a quick glace to his two table companions, who shrug slightly, then he gestures to the empty seat, "have a seat if you like."  He pauses and gestures at the Ludian man, "Sir Caleb Sutton, of Bent Hill.  He organizes the Green Legion."  He gestures to the man with Naeditopian features, "Zafar Manveer Sandi, of Windermere, he's one of the sponsors of the Raven Garde, in town for a few days to check on their progress."
> 
> "We were just discussing the situation in Heaburg.  The Veosian advance seems to be heating up, what do you think, will the Malik fall?"  His tone is still slightly amused, though it's not clear about what exactly.  The Zafar frowns slightly at the topic but keeps silent for now.


"Veosian?"
Rashka thinks to herself then looks up a moment
"And Windemere of Heaburg?"
 and looks down to think  yet again before fully speaking towards them.
"I hear that Heaburg is highly unstable and that Veosia is a place with a great deal of resources and trading power. While Ludia is more than able to defend itself it'd be overextending itself to get a large amount of forces there and Veosia would always succeed at a siege. At the same time Heaburg is in a key location that helps defend where we are currently... at least the last I remember looking at a map. The only way Heaburg could possibly stand is if Ludia helps or... or... you take out or turn them against the bridge. Treopis. That or we find something here. I couldn't exactly tell you any war strategies to help fight them if that's what you're looking for. *As is* Heaburg would always fall, that's what I think."
At least Rashka thought that sounded about right, I mean these are things you'd pick up on over time and listening.


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 12, 2017)

*Spoiler*: __ 



"See? was that so hard?"

"Must you ask that?"

"Of course."



Blythe grunts, placing the arrow back into Elys's quiver.  She stands up, giving a short, sharp whistle to alert her dog to follow.  She requests a bath, grabbing her supplies and keeping Ezekiel to the room.  
The spiritualist eases into the bath, drawing the heat of the water into her being, she focuses on her senses, hoping to materialize her phantom into it's incorporal form.  She sits in the water, motionless and in a state of vulnerability for a full minute, before a dark haze surrounds her.  The dark haze seems to cut through the air, stretching into the form of a person, splicing away from Blythe to look at her.  Blythe's eyes turn a lighter violet as blue-green orbs form in the dark green haze.

"Aaah, finally!" the mass stretches, a crack splits the face with the same blue-green color, grinning widely.

"Yes, yes.  The only reason is because I need you to keep me alive tomorrow."

"Kekeke...Of course it isn't because you love me or anything." Caitlyn teases, looking at the half elf.

"I would sell you to satan for one corn chip." Blythe begins to wash, watching the spirit in front of her.  Once all is said and done, Blythe gets dressed again, Caitlyn bugging and following close behind, giving a shadow around her that seems to peek around periodically with the three blue-green shapes in view.

"I will have to clean up your messy discharge.  I would rather not deal with that tonight."

"C'mooooon, just for a little bit?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"What's a little aftercare for a fun time."

Blythe groans outwardly in slight frustration while fixing her sleeping space, "No, you are not going to be allowed to become ectoplasmic, just to 'prank some assholes' as you said.  That mess would be mine to clean up, and I would rather not, Caitlyn.  I will not stop you from doing what you like, but I will not expend more energy than needed."

"Fiiiiiine." The spirit whines, seeming to begin sinking into the floor.

"Now good night Caitlyn." Blythe curls up in her blanket, Zeke cuddling next to her while Caitlyn decides to run around 'haunting' the small area around.


----------



## P-X 12 (May 12, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra watches Raksha climb the stairs to the balcony, then turns back to the bundled-up man and replies in the same flowing language:
> 
> 
> *Spoiler*: _Veosian_
> ...



Eren nodded before grabbing another drink. "We stayed there for a little while during a job. Had to track down a group of bandits stealing pretty much everything they could take: money, weapons, hell, they took a couple of horses fore while 'till they got chased away from 'em." Eren took a swig before continuing. "We were able to outrace them to a small village nearby. Apparently, they thought attacking a small place near a significant city was a great idea. 'Course, the moment they were spotted, we wiped the floor with the lot of 'em via an ambush. Poor bastards never saw it comin'." Eren chuckled. "Still, kinda wish I picked up the language while I was there. Really liked that place; wonderful people, great food, and there were plenty of jobs to take on."



Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra nods. "That's why I came here too. Telling stories of great deeds from the Fourth Age is all well and good, but when I leave here, I hope to have stories of things _I_--or we---did. And they'll be stories that no one in the world has heard before, of things they didn't even know existed!" She raises her coffee mug. "Here's to making our own stories!"



Eren raised his own glass as well. "I'll toast to that! To our stories in making!"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 12, 2017)

Mitra sits and listens for a spell longer, stirring a bit at the toast and then looking to Eren. "Who taught you how to fight?"


----------



## Kuno (May 12, 2017)

Walking into the inn the druid stayed quiet, preferring for the moment to just listen to what was going on.  He heard haggling, questions, answers, and good humored conversations.  It was things he understood, things he liked, he hated strife and arguing, those things he could happily live without.  Catching parts of a conversation he watched for Daisy.  When things were quiet with her he approached her to prepare a bath.

After cleaning the salt from his pores and hair he soaked for a while.  His mind wandered thinking about the people he left.  The people he would be traveling with and what possible adventures waiting ahead for him.  Eventually his musings slowed and he discovered the once hot bath was now room temperature.  Shaking the thoughts from his head he quickly dried himself off before donning his clothes and heading back to the tavern for some food.

Coming down the stairs he notices most of his group had converged into a general vicinity of each other, though he passes the quiet girl and gives her a nod and wink before continuing on.  With a shrug he catches a waitress, orders food, and ale before walking to the group.  Turquoise eyes flicker over the faces and sits were Blythe had recently vacated.  Crossing his arms he leans back in the chair until his food arrives.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 12, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Veosian?"
> Rashka thinks to herself then looks up a moment
> "And Windemere of Heaburg?"
> and looks down to think  yet again before fully speaking towards them.
> ...



Zafar Sandi slams his hand on the table and glares at Master Griffith, "what is this, some sort of joke to you?  Did you summon her up here just to mock me?"  His Ludian is heavily accented but the anger is clear.

Master Griffith waves a hand dismissively, "come now Manveer, it's hardly an uncommon opinion.  Ask a dozen downstairs, I'll bet you a full ten think Heaburg is Ludian's by right."  His tone seems to be calming, though there's a fair amount of amusement in it.

The other man, Sir Sutton, laughs openly, "oh, ask those up here while you're at it."  His tone is slightly mocking and directed at the Zafar.  "Really there's something to it, I'll bet if you ask King Walker politely he'll be happy to put some pressure on the Veosian's.  Give them something to think about."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 12, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Zafar Sandi slams his hand on the table and glares at Master Griffith, "what is this, some sort of joke to you?  Did you summon her up here just to mock me?"  His Ludian is heavily accented but the anger is clear.
> 
> Master Griffith waves a hand dismissively, "come now Manveer, it's hardly an uncommon opinion.  Ask a dozen downstairs, I'll bet you a full ten think Heaburg is Ludian's by right."  His tone seems to be calming, though there's a fair amount of amusement in it.
> 
> The other man, Sir Sutton, laughs openly, "oh, ask those up here while you're at it."  His tone is slightly mocking and directed at the Zafar.  "Really there's something to it, I'll bet if you ask King Walker politely he'll be happy to put some pressure on the Veosian's.  Give them something to think about."


Rashka covers her mouth as the Zafar reacts so. She seems to be stifling her smile as she speaks, she never meant to openly mock him.
"I-I'm sorry, perhaps I was too forward. Should we talk about something else? How fairs the Raven Garde and the Green Legion? I hardly know much about them. The Raven Garde is successful isn't it?"
She's clearly trying to change the subject for the Zafar's sake or at least to keep herself from outright laughing by changing said subject.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 12, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka covers her mouth as the Zafar reacts so. She seems to be stifling her smile as she speaks, she never meant to openly mock him.
> "I-I'm sorry, perhaps I was too forward. Should we talk about something else? How fairs the Raven Garde and the Green Legion? I hardly know much about them. The Raven Garde is successful isn't it?"
> She's clearly trying to change the subject for the Zafar's sake or at least to keep herself from outright laughing by changing said subject.



The Zafar glares suspiciously, "Raven Garde is the best of the guilds, everyone knows that.  But they stay the best by keeping to elite numbers, I'm afraid I won't sponsor amateurs to join."

Sir Sutton sighs and sits back in his chair, his expression darkening.  "we had a set back most foul.  The base camp group was overrun by goblins while the team was inside.  Goblins were still looting when the team came back, caught off guard.  I'm afraid we'll be rebuilding for a while."  He seems displeased by the news, though in a detached sense.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 12, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The Zafar glares suspiciously, "Raven Garde is the best of the guilds, everyone knows that.  But they stay the best by keeping to elite numbers, I'm afraid I won't sponsor amateurs to join."
> 
> Sir Sutton sighs and sits back in his chair, his expression darkening.  "we had a set back most foul.  The base camp group was overrun by goblins while the team was inside.  Goblins were still looting when the team came back, caught off guard.  I'm afraid we'll be rebuilding for a while."  He seems displeased by the news, though in a detached sense.


The muffled noise changes to a slight frown as Rashka ceases to cover her mouth and folds her hands into a ball of worry.
"How horrible! Has no one has tried to root the Goblins out of their homes with a small professional team?"
She tilts her head slightly then recognizes something about the story as her head shoots back up in surprise and her eyebrows raise up to turn to Griffith.
"Is that one of the things Jason is preparing for right now Master Griffith?"


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 12, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> The muffled noise changes to a slight frown as Rashka ceases to cover her mouth and folds her hands into a ball of worry.
> "How horrible! Has no one has tried to root the Goblins out of their homes with a small professional team?"
> She tilts her head slightly then recognizes something about the story as her head shoots back up in surprise and her eyebrows raise up to turn to Griffith.
> "Is that one of the things Jason is preparing for right now Master Griffith?"


"Yes," Master Griffith says simply.  "While I doubt we will encounter goblins tomorrow the team outside will frequently be more exposed than those of you going in.  Though our threat is typically more mundane."  He shrugs slightly.  "As far as exterminating goblins, you might as well try to exterminate rats.  It can be done in an area, with enough effort, but on a large scale?  I'm not sure it's possible, certainly not without full fledged war efforts."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 12, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> "Yes," Master Griffith says simply.  "While I doubt we will encounter goblins tomorrow the team outside will frequently be more exposed than those of you going in.  Though our threat is typically more mundane."  He shrugs slightly.  "As far as exterminating goblins, you might as well try to exterminate rats.  It can be done in an area, with enough effort, but on a large scale?  I'm not sure it's possible, certainly not without full fledged war efforts."


"I suppose that's true..."
Rashka slowly stands up
"You'll have to excuse me Master Griffith, if I hear anymore I might lose sleep from worry."
Then bows politely towards Master Griffith before *heading towards* her room for bed.


----------



## P-X 12 (May 13, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra sits and listens for a spell longer, stirring a bit at the toast and then looking to Eren. "Who taught you how to fight?"



Eren put his hand on his chin, trying to remember a specific idea. "Huh, that question takes me back. Well, I learned from family at first, then from Karth's group. From my uncle I learned the basics of swordplay and spear fighting, though I was always better with a blade than anything else. Once I was old enough, I moved on to the mercenary business. And there, I learned I had a lot more to learn. After nearly dying several times on the job for a few years, I bumped into Karth and his band. There, I spent years working with them, and learning quite a bit on how to fight from them. Namely, how to fight smart and fight dirty."


----------



## Vergil (May 13, 2017)

Kagami and Maria finish their meal.

"Right! Which way to the temple?!" Kagami asks through Maria. "I gotta go now! I just gotta!"


----------



## soulnova (May 13, 2017)

Elys finishes her meal while listening to the others. "I think I'm going to call it. Seems like we are going to set out early so I want to get a good night sleep and have everything prepared for the morning... Is anyone going to bring mounts?"


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 13, 2017)

One way or another eventually everyone moves on to sleep.  The rooms are sparse, straw mats on the floor provide meager comfort, and night is far warmer than anyone is used to.  Still whether by design or etiquette the rooms are quiet and a reasonable nights sleep is had by all.

Morning comes early, the tavern is already up and moving before first light.  For those interested they offer a meager breakfast of dried fruits and a dense sort of bread suitable to eat on the road (3cp).  And by dawn Master Griffith and the others are already assembled with the wagons outside.

With little preamble they get moving.  Master Griffith is quiet during the journey but doesn't seem to object to others talking.  The trip is short, only about an hour outside the gates with the walls of the city still in view they come across the ruins.



The structure, if you can even call it that, is clearly in shambles.  Some of the walls have collapsed and rubble blocks some parts of the area.  The wagons approach close and Master Griffith addresses the group, "this is 'the temple.'  We'll be using it as a test run to make sure we have everything in order and that we're adequately prepared."

"Before you rush in I want to make sure everyone is clear on our protocols.  The four of us," he gestures to himself, Josh, Remington, and Colton.  "Will maintain the base camp here while the rest of you go in.  Since we're within site of the city I don't expect we'll encounter resistance hence why we are positioned right outside the ruins, this might not always be the case.  We don't have any way of knowing what is happening inside the ruins so instead we'll work on timing.  Since this should take at most a few hours we will wait at most one day, if you're gone longer than that we will assume something tragic has happened, we don't have manpower to go in after you so we will have to head back.  If you strike it rich and need more time _come and tell us_."

"As to the temple itself, you probably know this but tradition dictates that new groups head here first.  That likely means we won't be making our fortunes here, that doesn't mean you should let your guard down.  The building itself obviously is near falling apart, I don't want anyone crushed under rubble.  It's not impossible something's snuck by the guards and decided to lair up in there.  Maybe rats, maybe a pack of dire wolves, I'd suggest you treat this like it's just as serious as exploring the Great Emperor's castle on the other end of the continent."

He pauses and points at a pile of rubble, "the door used to be there, entering into what we assume is the sanctuary.  Fortunately for us when Ao closes a door he also knocks a wall over."  He gestures over to another area, where a partially collapsed wall makes a ramp up.  "There's a courtyard area through there, that gives us a back door of sorts in.  Seems the most direct entrance, though it's up to you if you want to search around more outside."

While he speaks Josh, Remington, and Colton listen respectfully.  As soon as he finishes they move to ready defenses.  Colton circles the wagons while Remington cares for the animals, detaching them from the wagons and bringing them inside the circle.  Josh sets out a number of crossbows and spears in strategic points around the wagons and begins loading bolts and drawing them back to fire more quickly.


----------



## Eternity (May 14, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> While he speaks Josh, Remington, and Colton listen respectfully. As soon as he finishes they move to ready defenses. Colton circles the wagons while Remington cares for the animals, detaching them from the wagons and bringing them inside the circle. Josh sets out a number of crossbows and spears in strategic points around the wagons and begins loading bolts and drawing them back to fire more quickly.



Ufue has been silent throughout the first part of being around this new band of adventurers, choosing to take an observing position for once. He knew the dangers of adventuring. The scar on his chest and the loss of his two best friends only a year earlier might have been the end of his escapades, but the desire for knowledge and new experiences once again forced him out of the life of a street-bard.  

"Master Griffith, I leave Prötr in Remington's care once again. I apologize for my silence as of late, my mind has been dwelling on past grievances," he said, giving his neck a stroke before continuing. "It is unbefitting, and I will leave such grievances where it belongs. In the past." 

Without lingering too long, he turned to pat Prötr before walking over to the group he had held at a distance until now. A nervous sigh escaped him as he reached them.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 14, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> One way or another eventually everyone moves on to sleep.  The rooms are sparse, straw mats on the floor provide meager comfort, and night is far warmer than anyone is used to.  Still whether by design or etiquette the rooms are quiet and a reasonable nights sleep is had by all.
> 
> Morning comes early, the tavern is already up and moving before first light.  For those interested they offer a meager breakfast of dried fruits and a dense sort of bread suitable to eat on the road (3cp).  And by dawn Master Griffith and the others are already assembled with the wagons outside.
> 
> ...


Rashka wakes up from bed early and eats the meager breakfast with some coffee of her own. Then after that goes along with the group to the temple. While Griffith talks about the procedure she looks at temple from the top down. Then to the pile of rubble he points out. "Master Griffith has anyone explored the upper area of the temple well?"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 14, 2017)

Once again, Mitra was the last to sleep and early to rise, taking his breakfast alone prior to the others getting up for the morning. He was tending his armor and gear in the common room alone in a corner, sharpening his spear's blade as he peered at it from behind his goggles. His equipment was primed and ready; impeccably polished boots that clinked quietly as he stepped, a light, mechanized crossbow, the many-lensed goggles, his worn down but tidy shield, the assortment of technical looking tinker's tools on his belt, and his carefully adorned and cared for polearm. A series of harnesses, straps, pockets, and hooks kept it all balanced and within reach on his person, his spear in hand. When fully outfitted he looked like a logistic miracle to have the full array settled neatly.

He canted his helmeted head habitually as he heard out their headmaster's help, nodding slowly along with the explanation before adjusting his goggles with a gloved hand. Idly, he peers over Josh's preparations with a slow nod to himself, and grinned. He silently took up a spot by Zahra and prepared for their first trial run.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 14, 2017)

Eternity said:


> "Master Griffith, I leave Prötr in Remington's care once again. I apologize for my silence as of late, my mind has been dwelling on past grievances," he said, giving his neck a stroke before continuing. "It is unbefitting, and I will leave such grievances where it belongs. In the past."



"I have heard it said," Master Griffith says not unkindly, "that often returning to bad feelings of the past only prolongs the pain of them.  This is a new start for everyone, let's make it a good one."



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka wakes up from bed early and eats the meager breakfast with some coffee of her own. Then after that goes along with the group to the temple. While Griffith talks about the procedure she looks at temple from the top down. Then to the pile of rubble he points out. "Master Griffith has anyone explored the upper area of the temple well?"



Master Griffith shrugs slightly, "one might assume that everywhere has been explored.  But assumptions are also traps of the mind, it's probably safer to treat this like a ruin that hasn't been tread in years."  He pauses to consider this then amends, "or perhaps one that you know nothing about?"


----------



## Eternity (May 14, 2017)

"My dear co-adventurers. Apologies for the lack of bardic merriment. Any requests for epic entry tunes?" Ufue exclaims, smiling slightly.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 14, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Master Griffith shrugs slightly, "one might assume that everywhere has been explored.  But assumptions are also traps of the mind, it's probably safer to treat this like a ruin that hasn't been tread in years."  He pauses to consider this then amends, "or perhaps one that you know nothing about?"


"I see, then I'll have to lead then. I'll fall to the back if we start fighting anything."
Rashka stops at the ramp waiting for everyone.
"If everyone would follow behind me."


Eternity said:


> "My dear co-adventurers. Apologies for the lack of bardic merriment. Any requests for epic entry tunes?" Ufue exclaims, smiling slightly.


"Something soft?"


----------



## soulnova (May 14, 2017)

Elys took her breakfast quickly and was already waiting with Josh and others in the wagon at dawn. She looked tense for most of the way until they arrived at the ruins and her eyes widen with curiosity and awe.


"Yeah, something soft." Elys says to the bard, but she's still looking around. "Just make sure we are quiet when we go inside... if there are animals there, it would give us away" she blinks "Though... maybe we *should* try to clear the place down anyway so..."

Elys checks the immediate area to see if there could be another possible entrance to the inner ruins

Perception
1d20+5
12+5 = 17

K. Dungeoneering
1d20+4
8+4 = 12


----------



## Eternity (May 14, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "I see, then I'll have to lead then. I'll fall to the back if we start fighting anything."
> Rashka stops at the ramp waiting for everyone.
> "If everyone would follow behind me."
> 
> "Something soft?"



Ufue confidently steps up to the ramp, taking a place beside Rashka. "Something soft? I have just the song." he answers, closing his eyes and slightly lifting his arms in fluid movements. 

_"In the ruins of an old forgotten age_
_destroyed, decomposed, dead and gone_
_the silence of stone, an eerie reminder _
_of a long forgotten time gone by_

_Hidden treasures, dire wolves_
_trapped with dust and death_

_Oh adventure, sweet adventure_
_no rest for the wicked and wild_
_no sleep for the heroic and mild_

_Let this be a day blessed with riches of gold"_
​_
_


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 14, 2017)

After a simple breakfast, Zahra went over her gear, checking one last time to make sure that everything was well-organized and in good repair. She set out with the rest of the group, the last of her sleepiness evaporating as they came within sight of what had clearly once been an imposing building.

She listened appreciatively as Ufue began to sing. It seemed like there was more than one member of their group who made his living by telling stories, if in a different form. 



Unlosing Ranger said:


> "I see, then I'll have to lead then. I'll fall to the back if we start fighting anything."
> Rashka stops at the ramp waiting for everyone.
> "If everyone would follow behind me."



"Should we do a quick walk around the perimeter first? If something has moved in, we might find tracks that will tell us what it is."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 14, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> "Should we do a quick walk around the perimeter first? If something has moved in, we might find tracks that will tell us what it is."


"If you wish to do so, though I doubt there would be anything we can't handle just going in."


----------



## Eternity (May 14, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "If you wish to do so, though I doubt there would be anything we can't handle just going in."



"We shouldn't take any chances. Let's be safe rather than sorry."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 14, 2017)

Eternity said:


> "We shouldn't take any chances. Let's be safe rather than sorry."


"Very well... I'll search the area for traps and tracks then."
Rashka carefully searches all of the outside of the building and its surrounding area.
Perception: 27


----------



## Eternity (May 14, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Very well... I'll search the area for traps and tracks then."
> Perception: 27



After a small break, Ufue responded "Thank you..", breathing a sigh of relief.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 14, 2017)

"If we're supposed to do this like a normal job, we should probably be scanning the area, yea. Master Griffith did say to act as if we know nothing about this place..."

Rather than look over the area for traps, Mitra inspects the architecture of the Temple for likely breach points or spots of collapse or hazard in silence.

Knowledge Engineer: 10+6 = 16


----------



## Eternity (May 14, 2017)

"Might as well make myself useful then. Magoi Seno Deteck!"

_Casting Detect Magic_


----------



## Vergil (May 14, 2017)

After having breakfast and following the group, Kagami looks at the temple and its crumbling state, then looks at Maria, while she translates what everyone is saying

"Well, I'm going to leave this one up to you. I'm not gonna push you into a ruin that may collapse on you. You can either stay here or come with. I'm cool either way." Kagami says

"Um....I'll come with you. I think it's rather exciting." Maria says bashfully.

"OK. Yeesh I should have bought you some armor. If fighting starts you stay back or run back to the last safe spot OK? I'll protect you with all I got - cos I'm a hero! OK Lets go through the back entrance!"

"Um....Miss Fantastic, the others are looking for other spots to enter."

"Fuck 'em! That's boring. Let's go go go!" Kagami skips along towards the back entrance.

Maria alerts the others "Excuse me all, but Miss Kagami is venturing towards the back entrance."

The gnome looks around as much as her attention span allows her 

9 Perception.


----------



## soulnova (May 14, 2017)

"What??" Elys looks back slighty alarmed, "we need to check the area first. Hey! Its dangerous!" She tries to warn but she will keep scouting the area.

She will also warn Maria "We cant ensure your or her safety if you go ahead like that".


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 14, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys checks the immediate area to see if there could be another possible entrance to the inner ruins
> 
> Perception
> 1d20+5
> ...



In the immediate area there is no sign of another entrance.  Looking at the archetectural design it's likely there was a smaller door in the part that is now a pile of rubble but it is unlikely that it survived the collapse.

In the sanctuary area there are some windows higher up that would serve as entrances if you want to climb up there.



Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Very well... I'll search the area for traps and tracks then."
> Rashka carefully searches all of the outside of the building and its surrounding area.
> Perception: 27



Just to be clear if you're taking-20 on perception?  That will slow your travel speed to 15' _per minute_ while you circuit the temple.  Rough numbers means this will take about an hour to accomplish.



Hidden Nin said:


> "If we're supposed to do this like a normal job, we should probably be scanning the area, yea. Master Griffith did say to act as if we know nothing about this place..."
> 
> Rather than look over the area for traps, Mitra inspects the architecture of the Temple for likely breach points or spots of collapse or hazard in silence.
> 
> Knowledge Engineer: 10+6 = 16



The damage to the structure is already pretty extensive.  You can't say for sure without a higher vantage but the roof is probably collapsed in many places.  The outer walls look like they're pretty robust though, they don't look like they're going to fall any time soon.




Eternity said:


> "Might as well make myself useful then. Magoi Seno Deteck!"
> 
> _Casting Detect Magic_



At the moment you detect no sources of magic, you can keep concentrating on this as long as nothing else is taking your attention (like say fighting), I'll let you know if you detect any magic.



Vergil said:


> Maria alerts the others "Excuse me all, but Miss Kagami is venturing towards the back entrance."
> 
> The gnome looks around as much as her attention span allows her
> 
> 9 Perception.



The rubble ramp is easy enough to travel, though it does slow you down a bit (it's "rough terrain").  Across it leads to what was once some sort of courtyard area.  A covered walkway covers the three other edges of the yard (we'll call them "West" "North" and "East," you're arriving from the "South.")  

The courtyard is arid and dry and devoid of any sort of vegetation, if it had ever been different there's no sign of it at the moment.  A circle of stones that looks like it might have been a well is in the Northeast corner of the courtyard.  

There's a door leading to (presumably) the sanctuary area on the North side of the West wall.  Another door is in the center of the North wall.  The interior walls on the East have collapsed.

There's no sign of movement or life in the courtyard area.


----------



## P-X 12 (May 14, 2017)

After waking up with a slight hangover, Eren took a hearty breakfast along with some coffee before preparing for his excursion. After checking his supplies and armaments, he set off with the others towards their next destination.

After listening to the plans of Griffins and his entourage, Eren kept his hand on his sword at all times; he wasn't at all familiar with this sort of area, and he wasn't about to drop his guard around here.



Vergil said:


> After having breakfast and following the group, Kagami looks at the temple and its crumbling state, then looks at Maria, while she translates what everyone is saying
> 
> "Well, I'm going to leave this one up to you. I'm not gonna push you into a ruin that may collapse on you. You can either stay here or come with. I'm cool either way." Kagami says
> 
> ...



Eren spotted the little gnome wander off away from the group. "_Oh, goddamn it._ I'll go after her." Eren walked over towards the back entrance to the ruins.



EvilMoogle said:


> The rubble ramp is easy enough to travel, though it does slow you down a bit (it's "rough terrain"). Across it leads to what was once some sort of courtyard area. A covered walkway covers the three other edges of the yard (we'll call them "West" "North" and "East," you're arriving from the "South.")
> 
> The courtyard is arid and dry and devoid of any sort of vegetation, if it had ever been different there's no sign of it at the moment. A circle of stones that looks like it might have been a well is in the Northeast corner of the courtyard.
> 
> ...



_"Well, that's interesting. Bet you at least one of those doors is trapped."_ Once he reached the back entrance, he looked around the area for both the small gnome and anything else that's important in the area.

Perception: 17

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Eternity (May 14, 2017)

"No apparent magical traps or residue nearby. We are good to go on that front." 

The scar on his chest prickles slightly, and he massages it with his left hand. The sight of a female elf being decapitated flashes before him in his mind before he manages to regain his focus on his spell. 

Slightly uncomfortable, he walks alone into the broken part of the temple wall, not really thinking of what might be inside. After a few feet inside, he looks around.

_Perception check: 
1d20+7
5+7 = 12_


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 14, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> _"Well, that's interesting. Bet you at least one of those doors is trapped."_ Once he reached the back entrance, he looked around the area for both the small gnome and anything else that's important in the area.
> 
> Perception: 17



Catching up to the gnome is easy, your long legs easily outpace her short ones.

If you're wanting to search one (or both) of the doors you'll have to approach them (or rather there are no traps on the doors so obvious that you can see them from across the courtyard).  What exactly are you doing first?


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 14, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Catching up to the gnome is easy, your long legs easily outpace her short ones.
> 
> If you're wanting to search one (or both) of the doors you'll have to approach them (or rather there are no traps on the doors so obvious that you can see them from across the courtyard).  What exactly are you doing first?





EvilMoogle said:


> Just to be clear if you're taking-20 on perception?  That will slow your travel speed to 15' _per minute_ while you circuit the temple.  Rough numbers means this will take about an hour to accomplish.


After about 15 feet of staring at a wall Rashka realizes how stupid it is and goes to the courtyard walking behind Eren.
"Seems like you have a few ideas. So which one to start with?"
@P-X 12


----------



## P-X 12 (May 14, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Catching up to the gnome is easy, your long legs easily outpace her short ones.
> 
> If you're wanting to search one (or both) of the doors you'll have to approach them (or rather there are no traps on the doors so obvious that you can see them from across the courtyard). What exactly are you doing first?





Unlosing Ranger said:


> After about 15 feet of staring at a wall Rashka realizes how stupid it is and goes to the courtyard walking behind Eren.
> "Seems like you have a few ideas. So which one to start with?"



"Hmm? Oh, right. Well, I'd say there's a 50/50 chance one of those doors is trapped or at least leads to a dead end. I can't find anything sketchy from here. Then again, I'm not good with finding traps." Eren, still looking at the doors, took out a coin from his pocket belt. "Honestly, I may as well try to open one now. The real question is North or West." He flicked the coin in the air and caught it as it fell before looking at what side it was on. "North it is then." 

Eren walked towards the door on the North wall. Keeping a hand on his sword, he opened it, keeping an eye on what was on the other side.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 14, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> "Hmm? Oh, right. Well, I'd say there's a 50/50 chance one of those doors is trapped or at least leads to a dead end. I can't find anything sketchy from here. Then again, I'm not good with finding traps." Eren, still looking at the doors, took out a coin from his pocket belt. "Honestly, I may as well try to open one now. The real question is North or West." He flicked the coin in the air and caught it as it fell before looking at what side it was on. "North it is then."
> 
> Eren walked towards the door on the North wall. Keeping a hand on his sword, he opened it, keeping an eye on what was on the other side.



"Hmm, you know what I'll decide on west myself."



> There's a door leading to (presumably) the sanctuary area on the North side of the West wall. Another door is in the center of the North wall.


And she moves to the door leading to the sanctuary area(west) and checks it for traps and the like afterwards checking if it is locked (if it isn't trapped) by turning the door handle. If it's locked or/and trapped she'll disable or unlock them.
She takes 10 for her perception check. (trying to speed things up by rolling ahead of time)
Perception : 17
Disable device(trap): 22
Disable device (lock):8, (fails), tries again 22


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 14, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> "Hmm? Oh, right. Well, I'd say there's a 50/50 chance one of those doors is trapped or at least leads to a dead end. I can't find anything sketchy from here. Then again, I'm not good with finding traps." Eren, still looking at the doors, took out a coin from his pocket belt. "Honestly, I may as well try to open one now. The real question is North or West." He flicked the coin in the air and caught it as it fell before looking at what side it was on. "North it is then."
> 
> Eren walked towards the door on the North wall. Keeping a hand on his sword, he opened it, keeping an eye on what was on the other side.



The door going North opens without resistance, but with an unusual "click."  Too late Eren realizes his instincts were quite right, a crossbow bolt flies from the darkness within the room.  The two-foot bolt strikes him in the side, a solid hit though his armor takes some of the brunt of it (Eren -3hp=7-4 ).

The room inside is fairly small but dark other than the limited light coming in from the doorway.  There doesn't _appear_  to be any movement within.



Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Hmm, you know what I'll decide on west myself."
> 
> And she moves to the door leading to the sanctuary area(west) and checks it for traps and the like afterwards checking if it is locked (if it isn't trapped) by turning the door handle. If it's locked or/and trapped she'll disable or unlock them.
> She takes 10 for her perception check. (trying to speed things up by rolling ahead of time)
> ...



As soon as Rashka gets about 20' from the door the air is suddenly filled with a *loud* magical clanging like dozens of bells going off at once.  A few moments later the sound of dogs barking is added to the noise coming from the other side of the door to the West.  The door shudders as something heavy slams into it, though it holds initially at least.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 14, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> Eren spotted the little gnome wander off away from the group. "_Oh, goddamn it._ I'll go after her." Eren walked over towards the back entrance to the ruins.



"I'll go with you. I've got a little healing magic, and it might come in handy if she runs into trouble." Zahra follows Eren into the courtyard.



EvilMoogle said:


> The door going North opens without resistance, but with an unusual "click."  Too late Eren realizes his instincts were quite right, a crossbow bolt flies from the darkness within the room.  The two-foot bolt strikes him in the side, a solid hit though his armor takes some of the brunt of it (Eren -3hp=7-4 ).
> 
> The room inside is fairly small but dark other than the limited light coming in from the doorway.  There doesn't _appear_  to be any movement within.
> 
> ...



Zahra turns toward Eren as the bolt strikes him, then her head whips back around as the clanging start going off. She draws her sword and shield and calls out, "Mitra! Everyone else! We're gonna need some help in here in a minute!"

@Hidden Nin


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 14, 2017)

Mitra wandered along shadowing Zahra as they go, watching in silence as Eren and then Raksha move their way inside...and the problems begin to pop up one by one. His arm snaps up his shield and he pulls his polearm into a tight one armed grip.

(Dark Vision 60')

"Two things. I was going to suggest Mr. Eren be the 'field lead' rather than Ms. Raksha, due to the reason illustrated by the arrow in his side currently. And, what's more, I believe trouble will be arriving far sooner than a minute..."


----------



## P-X 12 (May 14, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The door going North opens without resistance, but with an unusual "click."  Too late Eren realizes his instincts were quite right, a crossbow bolt flies from the darkness within the room.  The two-foot bolt strikes him in the side, a solid hit though his armor takes some of the brunt of it (Eren -3hp=7-4 ).
> 
> The room inside is fairly small but dark other than the limited light coming in from the doorway.  There doesn't _appear_ to be any movement within.



Eren was knocked back by the bolt striking his side, falling onto his back. _"Ugh . . . Yep. Definitely trapped. Really wish I chose the west door right now."_ After slowly picking himself off the ground, he dusted himself off before taking out his earthbreaker and scanning the room. He wasn't about to trust an empty room in this place.

Perception: 14



EvilMoogle said:


> As soon as Rashka gets about 20' from the door the air is suddenly filled with a *loud* magical clanging like dozens of bells going off at once.  A few moments later the sound of dogs barking is added to the noise coming from the other side of the door to the West.  The door shudders as something heavy slams into it, though it holds initially at least.



Eren heard the sounds of the clanging emanating from the door Rashka traveled through. *"Dammit!"* Eren yelled out to the others. "We got a problem over here! Gonna need some backup for this!"

@Vergil @soulnova @Everyone else


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 14, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> As soon as Rashka gets about 20' from the door the air is suddenly filled with a *loud* magical clanging like dozens of bells going off at once.  A few moments later the sound of dogs barking is added to the noise coming from the other side of the door to the West.  The door shudders as something heavy slams into it, though it holds initially at least.


Rashka flinches a bit at the alarms and barking.
"Like I'm supposed to believe a goblin did something like that!"
Rashka moves back about 60 feet away(the way she came from) when the alarm went off and pulls out her bow.
Drawing it at the ready. (readied action shoot dog(s) where the alarm went off 60 feet away)
Attack roll: 16
Damage: 5


----------



## soulnova (May 14, 2017)

Elys looks at the various members going off to different directions and she frowns.

Then she hears the bells.

"You gotta be kidding me" she rushes to where Rashka is.


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 14, 2017)

Blythe's morning was simple, with a simple breakfast, she followed wordlessly, Caitlyn following her, framing the half elf's body with the haze.    The alarms went off, Blythe stayed within 30 feet of the door the thudding came from.

"Caitlyn." Blythe snaps sharply, having the phantom run forward to pass through the door and see what is actually behind it.  

Caitlyn Perception-
Roll(1d20)+1:
17,+1
Total:18


----------



## soulnova (May 14, 2017)

((Can we actually see Caitlyn?))

"Stay back" Elys will motion Rashka and Blythe behind her at 30ft from the door, as she takes out her greatsword. "Eren? Zahra?" she suggests with her sword to form a line of defense, side by side.

@P-X 12 @Daenerys Stormborn


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 15, 2017)

((Yeah, she's a hazy greenish shadow in vaguely humanoid form.  xP))


----------



## Vergil (May 15, 2017)

Kagami watches things unfold as the tall ones rush ahead of her and make a mess.

"Hey!" Maria says translating for Kagami, "If anyone causes a ruckus, it's me! But Hey cool a fight soon!"

"Maria, stay back OK?"

Kagami pushes forward and readies her own Earth breaker (noting that someone else had that weapon and making a note to point out that hers was more awesome)

"OMG Look, a ghost!!" Maria translates as she runs, pointing out Caitlyn


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 15, 2017)

soulnova said:


> ((Can we actually see Caitlyn?))
> 
> "Stay back" Elys will motion Rashka and Blythe behind her at 30ft from the door, as she takes out her greatsword. "Eren? Zahra?" she suggests with her sword to form a line of defense, side by side.
> 
> @P-X 12 @Daenerys Stormborn



Zahra readies her sword and shield, and joins the line of defense, trying to position herself near Mitra.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 15, 2017)

Eternity said:


> "No apparent magical traps or residue nearby. We are good to go on that front."
> 
> The scar on his chest prickles slightly, and he massages it with his left hand. The sight of a female elf being decapitated flashes before him in his mind before he manages to regain his focus on his spell.
> 
> ...



The rubble along the "East" side is from the weaker interior walls, in this case it's a mix of stone with some wood bracing and in some places parts of the ceiling.

Towards the North end of the rubble the collapse was incomplete, some of the building materials have fallen in such a way that a small hole is present.  It'd be a tight squeeze for a human or elf though.




Captain Obvious said:


> Blythe's morning was simple, with a simple breakfast, she followed wordlessly, Caitlyn following her, framing the half elf's body with the haze.    The alarms went off, Blythe stayed within 30 feet of the door the thudding came from.
> 
> "Caitlyn." Blythe snaps sharply, having the phantom run forward to pass through the door and see what is actually behind it.
> 
> ...



Caitlyn floats through the door into the large room on the other side.  The walls go higher here to what used to be a vaulted roof that has now mostly collapsed.  The floor is largely covered in rubble but any furniture (assuming there ever was) was either crushed or has been removed.  Pairs of stone pillars run down the long end of the room, and a larger stone block that might generously be called an alter sits at the North end of the room.

Three dogs are in the room.  They're not a breed that is recognized from the main land but are a kind of stunted larger dog.  They all show signs of mostly-healed wounds, likely from establishing dominance with one another.

Their aggressive assault on the door pauses for a moment when the spirit floats through it.  They back off slightly eyeing Caitlyn cautiously, low growls in their throats.


----------



## soulnova (May 15, 2017)

"What was that?" she glances at Blythe without loosing her focus on the door. "Was that thing yours?" 

@Captain Obvious


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 15, 2017)

Mitra joins the line, peering over into the darkened west room silently as he sets his stance.

Dark Vision: 1D20+6 = [16]+6 = 22


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 15, 2017)

((The door to the West is still closed, though it's actually light in there.  To the North it's dark, Mitra can investigate there but that would put him somewhat out of position for combat.))

((I'll give people a little more time to respond then we'll move on))


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 15, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "What was that?" she glances at Blythe without loosing her focus on the door. "Was that thing yours?"
> 
> @Captain Obvious


"She is my partner I spoke about, if you recall."


WorkingMoogle said:


> Caitlyn floats through the door into the large room on the other side.  The walls go higher here to what used to be a vaulted roof that has now mostly collapsed.  The floor is largely covered in rubble but any furniture (assuming there ever was) was either crushed or has been removed.  Pairs of stone pillars run down the long end of the room, and a larger stone block that might generously be called an alter sits at the North end of the room.
> 
> Three dogs are in the room.  They're not a breed that is recognized from the main land but are a kind of stunted larger dog.  They all show signs of mostly-healed wounds, likely from establishing dominance with one another.
> 
> Their aggressive assault on the door pauses for a moment when the spirit floats through it.  They back off slightly eyeing Caitlyn cautiously, low growls in their throats.


Caitlyn relays the information in the room, deciding to try and intimidate the best she can. 
Intimidate-
Roll(1d20)+5:
17,+5
Total:22

"Three large dogs are in the room.  Fearful of Caitlyn, they seem to have had a lot of agression towards eachother.  Ceiling, as well as anything else is largely destroyed." She glances at Elys, "Your move."


----------



## Eternity (May 15, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> The rubble along the "East" side is from the weaker interior walls, in this case it's a mix of stone with some wood bracing and in some places parts of the ceiling.
> 
> Towards the North end of the rubble the collapse was incomplete, some of the building materials have fallen in such a way that a small hole is present.  It'd be a tight squeeze for a human or elf though.



A quick glance at the rubble makes Ufue notice a possible entry, albeit not really fit for someone his size. Maybe the gnome could... 

The sound of shouting interrupts his thoughts, and it doesn't take much time to turn around and bolt back where he came from. Running towards the area the heard the shouting, he arrives at the back of the ruins, and looks around to see what's going on.

_A_

His concentration wagers, working on keeping detect magic up while looking around at what's happening. 

((Can you do this check @EvilMoogle? At work and not sure if I have any modifiers))

He then bellows as loud as he can: 

"Friends! Come back! We got to stick together!"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 15, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> Blythe's morning was simple, with a simple breakfast, she followed wordlessly, Caitlyn following her, framing the half elf's body with the haze.    The alarms went off, Blythe stayed within 30 feet of the door the thudding came from.
> 
> "Caitlyn." Blythe snaps sharply, having the phantom run forward to pass through the door and see what is actually behind it.
> 
> ...





Vergil said:


> "OMG Look, a ghost!!" Maria translates as she runs, pointing out Caitlyn





soulnova said:


> "What was that?" she glances at Blythe without loosing her focus on the door. "Was that thing yours?"
> 
> @Captain Obvious





Captain Obvious said:


> "Three large dogs are in the room.  Fearful of Caitlyn, they seem to have had a lot of agression towards eachother.  Ceiling, as well as anything else is largely destroyed." She glances at Elys, "Your move."


Rashka goes pale upon seeing the phantom come out of Blythe. It's a ghost. As it slowly sets in she decides to try to speak to say something, ask questions. "Ahhhh." To only come out as a nearly silent scream. 
She wasn't comfortable with this, she wasn't comfortable with this at all.


----------



## P-X 12 (May 15, 2017)

soulnova said:


> ((Can we actually see Caitlyn?))
> 
> "Stay back" Elys will motion Rashka and Blythe behind her at 30ft from the door, as she takes out her greatsword. "Eren? Zahra?" she suggests with her sword to form a line of defense, side by side.
> 
> @P-X 12 @Daenerys Stormborn



Eren, upon ceasing his scanning of the area, moved in position with Elys and Zahra. Putting away his Earth Breaker and taking out his bastard sword instead, he stood as a defense against the rather mundane foes they were fighting.



Captain Obvious said:


> Blythe's morning was simple, with a simple breakfast, she followed wordlessly, Caitlyn following her, framing the half elf's body with the haze.    The alarms went off, Blythe stayed within 30 feet of the door the thudding came from.
> 
> "Caitlyn." Blythe snaps sharply, having the phantom run forward to pass through the door and see what is actually behind it.
> 
> ...



What was significantly less mundane was the appearance of a spectre enimating from Blythe. Becoming slightly pale, Eren wordlessly mouth a few obscenity ladened questions automatically. _"What the shit is that? You tellin' me those things are *real*?!"_


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 15, 2017)

Mitra maintains his position on the line, peering over at Blythe's friend from behind his goggles. "...is this not normal?"

He doesn't break to investigate the other room for now.


----------



## soulnova (May 15, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra maintains his position on the line, peering over at Blythe's friend from behind his goggles. "...is this not normal?"



"At least not where I come from, no. I just thought she could do 'magic things', but I was not expecting *that*" Elys nods to him nervously. "Blythe, can your ghost touch anything? Open the door from there? So we don't have to get as close to it"


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 15, 2017)

Blythe nods, taking a moment ((full round if that matters)) to change Caitlyn to ectoplasmic so she can open the door, especially if the dogs attack.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 15, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> "Caitlyn." Blythe snaps sharply, having the phantom run forward to pass through the door and see what is actually behind it.
> 
> Caitlyn Perception-
> Roll(1d20)+1:
> ...



Zahra maintains her readied stance, but her eyes widen as she sees Caitlyn pass through the door. "You know, I was half-expecting to discover that at least some of the beings from the old tales are or were real, but I was *not* expecting it to happen this soon."


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 15, 2017)

The dogs are pretty well intimidated by Caitlyn without effort, giving her a comfortable distance.  They immediately back off when she directs her concentration at them.  This gives her an easy chance to become corporeal and open the door.

Seeing freedom the dogs take the chance and sprint by her towards the open door (she can take an AoO on round 1 if she wants).  The dogs look wild and pretty panicked, but the party is between them and freedom so they're probably going with the "through them" option.

Initiatives and actions please!


*Spoiler*: _Example combat_ 




((Since this is everyone's first time posting with the new rules, I'll give an example from my test character I haven't bothered to roll up yet.  Test Character is a quarterstaff wielding human fighter, the quarterstaff gives him some flexibility, he took 'two weapon fighting' and 'power attack' to further give him options.))

((Before anything else a quick statement about your character's approach to the combat, failing anything else I'll do my best to interpret this, that way I don't have to break up the flow for a dozen questions unless something bizarre happens.))

Seeing the dogs burst out Test Character grips his quarterstaff tensely, he'll charge forward and try to form tight ranks with the other melee characters, if the dogs get past them they might catch the base camp unaware!  The dogs probably won't take too much to put down so he'll fight with the staff as a double-sided weapon to try to overcome them with a flurry of strikes rather than raw power.

((Next is the rounds.  On occasion I might say if I only need 1 round but by default please do 5.  I _doubt_  this will go 5 rounds but you never know.  You can spoiler each round if you want, or just identify them.  Each round needs initiative and actions, and most will have attacks and damage.  I'll try to keep to them as best as possible but from time to time I might need to alter things (for movement or other things.))

Round 1:
Initiative: 15  ((d20 + Dex + any other mods you might get))
Action 14: (move to engage)
Action 2: Standard Attack: 11, Damage 4  ((I'll handle interpreting if it's a hit/miss and any DR or other modifiers to damage))

Round 2:
Initiative: 17
Action 20: (skip to take a full action next)
Action 2: Full Attack: 16, 19, Damage 2, 3 (two weapons, two attacks)

Round 3:
Initiative: 22
Action 14: (skip to take a full action next)
Action 13: Full Attack: 22*, 19, Damage 6 (x2), 5  ((Don't multiply the damage, just list the multiplier please))
Action 2: Standard Attack: 7, Damage 6 ((Yes, 7 probably misses, probably shouldn't assume unless it's a natural 1 though)).

Round 4:
Initiative: 4
Action 12: Full Attack: 3*, 21, Damage 4, 2

Round 5:
initiative: 13
Action 18: (skip to take a full action next)
Action 3: Full Attack: 4, 3, Damage 4, 4

((Feel free to list contingencies as you feel the need, I don't think this will be a very complicated battle, so I'm not too worried but likely will eventually be fights where you'll need to prioritize what you're going after.  If things take a turn for the worse or if I do anything surprising I'll pause and let people adjust tactics.))






Eternity said:


> The sound of shouting interrupts his thoughts, and it doesn't take much time to turn around and bolt back where he came from. Running towards the area the heard the shouting, he arrives at the back of the ruins, and looks around to see what's going on.
> 
> ...
> 
> ((Can you do this check @EvilMoogle? At work and not sure if I have any modifiers))



Just to give some clarification on this, when you are maintaining concentration on a spell you're generally limited to low-exertion activities.  You can walk and talk and examine items and that sort of thing fine, but running and combat automatically end concentration (you can walk at your normal movement rate, which represents a normal walking speed as opposed to "hustling" or "running," for unencumbered humans this is 30'/round, 60'/round, or 120'/round).

So in this case to run over to the others you'd have to drop concentration, which in this case probably doesn't matter much since you can just cast detect magic again when you want to (0th level spells you can cast as much as you want).

The only times you would need to roll anything would be if you take damage while casting or maintaining concentration on a spell, or similar things like that.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 15, 2017)

> *Rashka the Merchant*
> _Elf Unchained  Rogue N_
> *HP* 9 / 9 *Speed* ft *Init* 4
> *AC* 12 *Fort* 0 *Ref* 4 *Will* 1
> ...



Round 1
Ini pool: 5 (1d20)

1d20+0
14+0 = 14

*Spoiler*: _R1_ 




(14)
(readied standard)
Raskha is already 80' away from the door, she has an action readied to shoot the first dog that goes 20' past the door.
Attack roll: 16
Damage: 5




Round 2:
Ini pool: 16 (2d20)
2d20+0
19,4+0 = 23

*Spoiler*: _R2_ 





(19)
(standard)
She fires another arrow at the same dog or if dead the next closest.
Attack: 10
DMG: 6

(4)
(standard)
Then another arrow with the same mindset.
Attack: 9
Dmg: 6




Round 3:
Ini pool: 16 (2d20)
2d20+0
11,9+0 = 20


*Spoiler*: _R3_ 




(11)
(move action)
She drops the bow as a free action and draws her shortsword to swing at a dog if it's in front of her and attacking her.

(9)
(standard action)
Then she takes a swing at the dog if there.
Attack: 22 (crit! x3 dmg)
Dmg: 1+ (5 sneak attack since it is probably flanked)




*Spoiler*: _Backup plan all rounds._ 



If Raskha is swarmed and not properly helped by her teammates she will go on a full defense gaining + 4 AC for every round waiting for them to defeat the dogs as well as taking 5 feet steps back.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 16, 2017)

((I've only got time to do 1 round now, I'll do the others after work.))

Round 1
Intiative: 5
Action 14: Zahra begins to tell a story of a proud warrior who defended a hamlet from ravening wargs. *Activate Inspired Rage*

((Each player can decide at the beginning of each round whether or not to be affected by Inspired Rage. Affected characters get +2 Str and Con and +1 Will saves, but get a -1 penalty to AC. They cannot use Cha/Int-based skills or abilites that require patience and concentration. Zahra will choose to be affected by the IR unless she needs to cast CLW on someone. In subsequent rounds, she'll attack the nearest dog unless an obviously better course of action presents itself or someone is in dire need of healing.))
@P-X 12 @Unlosing Ranger @Vergil @Captain Obvious @Eternity @Kuno @Hidden Nin


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 16, 2017)

Mitra's eyes begin to give a softly humming glow again as he accepts the nature of Zahra's song. With a hoarse shout to rally them in the wake of her story, he sets his stance and waits for the rowdy dogs to come to them, readying himself to receive and reply with spear and shield.

Round 1
Initiative 11
Action 9
Free Action: Interlock shields with Zahra, per *Phalanx Lancer Stance *(Piercing Thunder, +1 bonus to Shield AC DR for each participant, per participant...so +2 DR)
Swift Action: Activate *Encouraging Roar* -- Golden Lion, Allies within 30 ft. gain a +2 moral bonus to attack and damage rolls for this Round.
Standard Action: Attack using the *Piercing Strike,* if applicable. (Piercing Thunder, Attack two adjacent targets and compares AC against both; hit damages either)
Attack;Damage: 
1D20+9 = [15]+9 = 24
1D10+6+1D6 = [10]+6+[3] = 19

Action 1
Full Round: *Defensive Focus *to _recover _*Piercing Strike* and *Encouraging Roar*. Threat range increase by 5, reaching 15. May move to AoO anyone within this threat range. Can move up to normal speed to reach them.


----------



## soulnova (May 16, 2017)

*



			HP11/AC9
DR 4
Initiative +1
Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
Greatsword +3 [2d6+4]x3 (two handed)
Longbow +2 [1d8]x3

Climb +5, Handle Animal +4, Heal +5, K.Dungeon +4, K+Geography +4, K.Nature +4, Perception +5, Profession (trapper) +5, Ride +4, Stealth +4, Survival +5
		
Click to expand...






Round 1*
Init 1d20+1
20+1 = 21
Action 13 - Taunts the closest animal with Handle Animal to focus on her instead of heading for the squishy member of the party.
1d20+5
16+5 = 21


Action 7 - Greatsword Attack 1d20+3
13+3 = 16


Damage 2d6+4
5,5+4 = 14

Action 1 - Move to the next closest dog. // Otherwise attacks again




*Round 2*
Init 1d20+1
19+1 = 20


Action 19 - Greatsword Attack 1d20+3
11+3 = 14

Damage 2d6+4
2,4+4 = 10

Action 18 - Greatsword Attack 1d20+3
18+3 = 21

Damage 2d6+4
5,3+4 = 12





(( Elys will keep this pattern of actions: ))


If HP drops to <30% - Disengages to a safe position/full defense
Blocks Enemies from reaching non-melee PC
Engages Enemy attacking non-melee PC
Engages Closest Enemy


----------



## P-X 12 (May 16, 2017)

Inspired by both the take from Zahra and the roar from Mitre, Eren tightens the grip on his blade as he prepares for the assault.

Round 1
Ini: 19
Eren keeps in formation with the others and reels back as he sends a downward swing on one of the advancing dogs.
Action 19:
Attack - 1d20+5 = 20
Crit: 1d20+5 = 16
DMG - 1d10+6 = 11
Crit DMG (if it lands) - (1d10+6)+(1d10+6) = 31

Action 9: Eren goes for another attack on one of the dogs.
Attack - 1d20+5 = 18
DMG - 1d20+6 = 12

Round 2
Ini: 14
Action 14: Eren swings once again towards the dog nearest to him.
Attack: 1d20+5 = 18
DMG: 1d10+6 = 10

Action 4: Eren reels back for a *Power Attack.*
Attack: 1d20+4= 16
DMG: 1d10+6+4 = 17


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 16, 2017)

*Round 2*
Initiative: 15
Free Actions: Interlocks shield with Mitra as described in @Hidden Nin 's post, maintains Inspired Rage.
Action 9: Attacks nearest dog with scimitar. 
Attack=1d20+5=19+5=24. (Attack bonus is +2 from natural Str, +1 from Inspired Rage's Str bonus, +2 from Mitra's Encouraging Roar, I think.)
Damage=1d6+5=5+5=10. (Again, dmg bonus is +2 Str, +1 from IR's bonus Str, +2 from Mitra.)

Action 4: Attacks the same dog if it's still alive.
Attack=1d20+5=4+5=9.
Damage=1d6+5=3+5=8

*Round 3*
Initiative: 20 (Oh sure, I roll a nat 20 for the thing where an 11 would have been just as good.)
Free actions: Maintains Inspired Rage and shield interlock with Mitra (if we haven't moved apart).
Action 19: Attacks a dog that is within reach, with preference to an already-injured one if there's a choice.
Attack: 8+5=13
Damage=5+5=10

Action 9: Attacks a dog that is within reach, with preference to an already-injured one if there's a choice. (If she needs to move because there are no dogs within reach, she'll try to stay next to Mitra if possible to maintain the shield interlock.)
Attack: 3+5=8
Damage=3+5=8


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 16, 2017)

The dogs howl as they rush past Caitlyn and through the open door.  The spirit takes the chance to slam a semi-solid fist into the head of one of the dogs as it passes, it's a heavy hit and the dog staggers a bit but runs on as the others slip by.  As soon as they appear in the door Rashka fires her readied arrow, striking a second unfortunate dog.  Blythe telekenetically picks up a bit of rubble and hurls it at the last dog breaking up its charge.

Eren acts first, swinging his hand-and-a-half cleaving the fastest of the dogs near in half.  Kagami energetically follows suit swinging her overly large hammer at the next, squishing the skull of the second dog.  Elys calls for the third dog's attention but before the dog has a chance to act Zeke descends on it swiping heavily with his claw dropping the last of the dogs.

It takes only a few seconds and the echos of the dogs barking fade away leaving the area quiet (the alarm faded before combat began).

When Ufue approaches and casts detect magic he can pick up the dim aura of a dissipating spell.  *dice clatter* but he's not able to identify the school or spell.  That is the only aura he can detect in this area.

I'll also invite anyone with ranks in "Knowledge: Dungoneering" to give me a knowledge check and a perception check.


*Spoiler*: _Initiative plan for anyone interested_ 




(AoO Caitlyn)   20*/6
(Rahska Readied) 16/5
20   Blythe   19/2
19   Eren   20/11 (crit?)
16   Rei   22/14
13   Elys   Taunt
10   Zeke   14/8
9   Eren   18/12
5   Zahara   Begins Storytelling
9   Mitra   Phalynx/Roar/Piercing Strike 25/19
9   Dog1
7   Elys   16/14
7   Dog1
6   Caitlyn
6   Dog3
4   Ufue
4   Dog2
3   Dog2
3   Dog3
2   Caitlyn
1   Mitra   Defends/recovers
1   Elys   Moves (if needed)


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 16, 2017)

Dungoneering: 8
Perception: 11

It didn't turn out that badly turns out the people here are far more capable in combat than she is.
"W-what's up with that shadow-wy thing? Is she possessed?"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 16, 2017)

"Taelin met the warg in mid-leap..." Zahra trailed off as Zeke brought down the last of the dogs. Her breathing slowed as the effects of her skald-magic dissipated. She glanced around at her companions--the dogs didn't appear to have bitten anyone.

Those bells that had gone off, though...Wasn't there a spell that could do something like that? She tried to remember the way it worked, and how powerful one needed to be to cast it. Certainly it was beyond her current abilities.
Spellcraft: 1d20+4=17+4=21.
(If it's relevant, Alarm is on the skald/bard spell list.)


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 16, 2017)

The ectoplasmic spirit seems to look pleadingly at the half-elf, "You may." Blythe nods slightly, ready to watch the situation unfold.

"Name's Caitlyn.  I decided that I was needed here, and I picked Blythe to be my tether."

"She does not state that it was against my will however."

"Of course!  Then they would think it's bad, but it isn't!  I help her, and I get to see the material plane again!"

"Whether good or bad, that is why I am capable in combat." 

"That was fun!  Let's find something else to maim!"

"No Caitlyn.  Caution is best to be used." Blythe turns Caitlyn back into her incorporal form, leaving a puddle of ectoplasmic goo where she had been standing.  "Now.  Get back at the task at hand, you can ask your questions when we arrive to camp again."


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 17, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> "Taelin met the warg in mid-leap..." Zahra trailed off as Zeke brought down the last of the dogs. Her breathing slowed as the effects of her skald-magic dissipated. She glanced around at her companions--the dogs didn't appear to have bitten anyone.
> 
> Those bells that had gone off, though...Wasn't there a spell that could do something like that? She tried to remember the way it worked, and how powerful one needed to be to cast it. Certainly it was beyond her current abilities.
> Spellcraft: 1d20+4=17+4=21.
> (If it's relevant, Alarm is on the skald/bard spell list.)


Zahra can easily identify the spell effect as from an alarm spell.  It's a spell that is in the domain of a fully trained wizard (or bard or whatever, but as opposed to an apprentice/cantrip level spell), but not one that is terribly complicated.

The alarm spell doesn't scale by the power of the caster, except in duration, so there's not much to go on as to whether this is the work of a fresh journeyman wizard or a powerful archmage.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 17, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> The ectoplasmic spirit seems to look pleadingly at the half-elf, "You may." Blythe nods slightly, ready to watch the situation unfold.
> 
> "Name's Caitlyn.  I decided that I was needed here, and I picked Blythe to be my tether."
> 
> ...


"Material plane? What? What is that?"
Rashka's fear turned into confusion and bewilderment, if one could see her thoughts in physical form they'd be in the form of giant question marks.


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 17, 2017)

Blythe shrugs nonchalantly, "Sometimes when she speaks, I lack the relevant knowledge to understand."


----------



## P-X 12 (May 17, 2017)

Eren stretched as he put away his sword. "Well, that wasn't too tough. I've had to deal with worse."



Captain Obvious said:


> The ectoplasmic spirit seems to look pleadingly at the half-elf, "You may." Blythe nods slightly, ready to watch the situation unfold.
> 
> "Name's Caitlyn.  I decided that I was needed here, and I picked Blythe to be my tether."
> 
> ...



Eren's mind attempted to wrap itself around what the strange spirit told him, but inevitably came to nearly nothing. "So, what the hell's a Material Plane? Is she talking about here?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 17, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> Eren's mind attempted to wrap itself around what the strange spirit told him, but inevitably came to nearly nothing. "So, what the hell's a Material Plane? Is she talking about here?"


"It's a weird thing to call a temple. Think the... whatever it is, is probably crazy."


----------



## soulnova (May 17, 2017)

@EvilMoogle @WorkingMoogle 

Perception 1d20+5
7+5 = 12

K. Dungeoneering 1d20+4
16+4 = 20


Elys looks around to make sure the danger has passed, but glances at Blythe for some questions.

"Ok, I don't think I get all this plane thing... but...  she took you against your will? Does that hurt you? Can she do the same to us? Can she jump to one of us?"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 17, 2017)

Mitra gradually relaxes his stance and then rolls his shoulders, the sound of clinking joints muffled by the din of more voices. "What excitable creatures..." he murmurs to himself, and then wanders his way over to the north door, peering into the dark again.

(Can I use my previous roll here?)


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 17, 2017)

"Yes it's the temple, but it's you too!  It's everything you can touch!  It's like gods...who is it here...Ao and Oa are on another plane of existence than us.  They can manipulate here, but can't truely exist on our's.  I am on a different plane as well in this form.  Well, that was what it was before I think..." Caitlyn looks overwhelmed and confused, looking at the ectoplasmic discharge on the ground below her.  "Don't mind me, I'm just nostalgic I guess..."  She looks up at Elys, "Nope!  Once I'm tethered, I can't beak loose."


----------



## soulnova (May 17, 2017)

"But... why would you...? Don't you wan't to move on?" Elys is not scared, but certainly confused. She then sighs and shakes her head.

"...Look, as long as you don't hurt us... you are like a friendly ghost? right? so.... thanks for the help with the dogs, I guess..." she sheathes her sword and realizes Mitra is going north "Master Mitra, don't wander off alone... _-oh crap, that too-_... OK! We need to make sure we do not go in different directions and end up scattered and taken by surprise and hurt by traps... again. Miss Rashka, if no one else can check for traps, please do so first, I'll should be right behind you" 

"Should be head to the door from where the dogs came from?" she asks the others.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 17, 2017)

"Mitra's fine, I'm not the master of anything..." He moves to the door that had released a bolt into Eren's side. "I'm just looking! I won't run off on my own...just looking." His shield arm (well...hand) fiddles with a loose lens on his layered goggles absently.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 17, 2017)

soulnova said:


> @EvilMoogle @WorkingMoogle
> 
> Perception 1d20+5
> 7+5 = 12
> ...



Something about when the door first broke open and the barking dogs charged out stands out to you.  You can't place what but something seems out of sorts about it.




Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra gradually relaxes his stance and then rolls his shoulders, the sound of clinking joints muffled by the din of more voices. "What excitable creatures..." he murmurs to himself, and then wanders his way over to the north door, peering into the dark again.
> 
> (Can I use my previous roll here?)



The dark room to the north is a moderate sized stone room.  It has a higher than usual ceiling, though not as high as the vaulted ceiling in the sanctuary.  The stone walls are moderately worn from age, but look like they will remain solid for quite a while yet.

About 15' from the doorway is a heavy crossbow propped in a makeshift wooden stand, it's attached to the door and the wall with some twine in a crude (but clearly effective) firing mechanism.  Now empty the crossbow seems harmless and certainly isn't possessed by a malevolent spirit, or it's out of ammo at least.

Higher up near the ceiling (maybe 15' from the ground) are a series of alcoves.  Most are empty however in three (the third from the South on the West wall, the Second and Fifth from the South on the East wall) it looks like something might be in them, from the floor you can't make sufficient detail to say.


----------



## soulnova (May 17, 2017)

"There is... something about this..." Elys frowns narrowing her eyes at the door and the dogs. "I can't quite place it... Maybe.... maybe the dogs were trapped there for some time now?" 

Elys crouches besides the corpses of the dogs to check for any other clues...

K.Nature 1d20+4
10+4 = 14

"Anything else over there, Mitra?"


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 17, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "There is... something about this..." Elys frowns narrowing her eyes at the door and the dogs. "I can't quite place it... Maybe.... maybe the dogs were trapped there for some time now?"
> 
> Elys crouches besides the corpses of the dogs to check for any other clues...
> 
> ...



The dogs seem normal enough (save the most recent wounds).  They are all on the lean side, though for wild dogs this isn't exactly unusual.  They have some marks of recent animal injury, the sort that they might sustain fighting with other dogs in a turf war or pack realignment.

Nothing that seems to sate the "something unusual" feeling in the back of her mind though.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 17, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> "Yes it's the temple, but it's you too!  It's everything you can touch!  It's like gods...who is it here...Ao and Oa are on another plane of existence than us.  They can manipulate here, but can't truely exist on our's.  I am on a different plane as well in this form.  Well, that was what it was before I think..." Caitlyn looks overwhelmed and confused, looking at the ectoplasmic discharge on the ground below her.  "Don't mind me, I'm just nostalgic I guess..."  She looks up at Elys, "Nope!  Once I'm tethered, I can't beak loose."


Rashka mushes her cheeks against her hands and rubs them. She still doesn't quite know what the ghost is on about. "Whatever just don't talk about that sort of thing or appear in towns, she'd be burned at the stake. Doesn't help that she is..."
Rashka stops herself and shakes her head.



soulnova said:


> " Miss Rashka, if no one else can check for traps, please do so first, I'll should be right behind you"





soulnova said:


> "Should be head to the door from where the dogs came from?" she asks the others.


Someone might have saved her from the conversation she may have just started.
"You want me to check around right? Well... I'm going to take my time on this if you don't mind. Sure would sure be nice if I could see magic."
Rashka goes to where the alarm went off and starts slowly checking up to the door's entrance making sure there isn't any trap wires or such on the way to the door. Then she pulls out a torch and lights it before checking inside from the entrance of the door way.
Perception: 27


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 17, 2017)

Blythe lets off a sharp nod to have Caitlyn become the shadowy aura around her again.  The spiritualist gives an exhausted expression, walking closer to the door the dogs came from, casting Detect Magic.  Not entering, and not separating far from the pack.

Perception-
Roll(1d20)+2:
16,+2
Total:18


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 17, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "There is... something about this..." Elys frowns narrowing her eyes at the door and the dogs. "I can't quite place it... Maybe.... maybe the dogs were trapped there for some time now?"
> 
> Elys crouches besides the corpses of the dogs to check for any other clues...
> 
> ...



Mitra cranes his neck to get a good look from the doorway, his gaze lingering a moment or two longer before he glances towards Elys. "Moderate sized room, crossbow seems to have a single shot mechanism, and it looks like there's something in some of the hanging alcoves though! Probably worth analysis..."


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 17, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "There is... something about this..." Elys frowns narrowing her eyes at the door and the dogs. "I can't quite place it... Maybe.... maybe the dogs were trapped there for some time now?"
> 
> Elys crouches besides the corpses of the dogs to check for any other clues...
> "



Zahra taps a finger against her cheek thoughtfully. "I guess it's a little surprising that the dogs charged at us even though Caitlyn had attacked them? In the ghost stories I've heard told around campfires, animals usually shy away from spirits." She looks over at Zeke. "You know more about nature than the rest of us. Is it strange that these dogs didn't flee from Caitlyn?" @Kuno 



Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra cranes his neck to get a good look from the doorway, his gaze lingering a moment or two longer before he glances towards Elys. "Moderate sized room, crossbow seems to have a single shot mechanism, and it looks like there's something in some of the hanging alcoves though! Probably worth analysis..."



Zahra looks back and forth between Mitra and the others. "Bats, maybe? Anyway, we should probably choose one route to explore, rather than dividing our attention between two."


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 17, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Someone might have saved her from the conversation she may have just started.
> "You want me to check around right? Well... I'm going to take my time on this if you don't mind. Sure would sure be nice if I could see magic."
> Rashka goes to where the alarm went off and starts slowly checking up to the door's entrance making sure there isn't any trap wires or such on the way to the door. Then she pulls out a torch and lights it before checking inside from the entrance of the door way.
> Perception: 27


There's no sign of traps or mechanism on or around the door.  The door itself is rather old and worn (before the dogs started clawing at it), after the beating it probably won't last much longer.



Captain Obvious said:


> Blythe lets off a sharp nod to have Caitlyn become the shadowy aura around her again.  The spiritualist gives an exhausted expression, walking closer to the door the dogs came from, casting Detect Magic.  Not entering, and not separating far from the pack.
> 
> Perception-
> Roll(1d20)+2:
> ...



Other than the quickly fading residual magic from the triggered alarm there's no sign of magic in the area.

The inside of the sanctuary is just like Caitlyn described it.  Even with the mostly missing roof there's a sort of quiet serenity to the area.  It's easy to see how it could have once been a temple.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 17, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> There's no sign of traps or mechanism on or around the door.  The door itself is rather old and worn (before the dogs started clawing at it), after the beating it probably won't last much longer.


At the west door where the dogs came from Rashka voices her opinion.
"I think we should go this way, I think it'll be rather fun for all of us."
Fun? On a life or death adventure? Who was she kidding herself.


----------



## P-X 12 (May 17, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> "Yes it's the temple, but it's you too!  It's everything you can touch!  It's like gods...who is it here...Ao and Oa are on another plane of existence than us.  They can manipulate here, but can't truely exist on our's.  I am on a different plane as well in this form.  Well, that was what it was before I think..." Caitlyn looks overwhelmed and confused, looking at the ectoplasmic discharge on the ground below her.  "Don't mind me, I'm just nostalgic I guess..."  She looks up at Elys, "Nope!  Once I'm tethered, I can't beak loose."



Eren nodded in agreement, still not sure as to what his incorporeal ally truly was. "So, what you're sayin' is, you're not from this world? Well, then where are you from?"



Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra cranes his neck to get a good look from the doorway, his gaze lingering a moment or two longer before he glances towards Elys. "Moderate sized room, crossbow seems to have a single shot mechanism, and it looks like there's something in some of the hanging alcoves though! Probably worth analysis..."



"Might be a trap. Best leave it be unless we prepare." Eren sighed; it was always the times in between battles that tended to make him on edge. And considering the wound on his side, it was even worse than usual.



Unlosing Ranger said:


> At the west door where the dogs came from Rashka voices her opinion.
> "I think we should go this way, I think it'll be rather fun for all of us."
> Fun? On a life or death adventure? Who was she kidding herself.



"I feel like if we go down that path, we're gonna hit something magical that can actually hit back." Eren turned to the others. "Anyone got a clue how long that alarm crap has been there?"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 17, 2017)

"But if it were a true dungeon, it might be a trap, or it might be _treasure_..." Mitra came back in short order, regrouping with the remainder of the outfit as he shifted his grip on his polearm. He stops just beside Zahra, peering into the new roofless room. "Seems like either way we go is going to be dangerous."


----------



## Vergil (May 18, 2017)

Kagami had got distracted by an odd shaped rock while the others were battling the dogs. 

"Heh it looks like a man's ding-ding." she said pointing to a phallic looking rock. Maria hesitantly translates.

She looks at the dogs "Aww poor doggies, they were just hungry. What fuckwit would trap them in a room? And why trap this place anyways? What needs protecting? I reckon we might be on the right track! Let's find more traps!!"



WorkingMoogle said:


> Higher up near the ceiling (maybe 15' from the ground) are a series of alcoves.  Most are empty however in three (the third from the South on the West wall, the Second and Fifth from the South on the East wall) it looks like something might be in them, from the floor you can't make sufficient detail to say.



"Oooh I wanna climb that!" She looks for any purchases and attempts to climb to the third from the South on the West wall. Maria stays on the ground, looking worried.

Climb
Roll(1d20)+4:
9,+4
Total:13


----------



## soulnova (May 18, 2017)

Elys nods to Rashka. "I agree... the west door where the dogs came from seems like a good option. There's still something..." she shakes her head.

"If there are mages placing traps around we should ask them why. A regular trap can be a common thing for bandits to place, but... _mages?_ They might want to keep something important from people. Might be worth something. Besides, with Caitlyn (that's her name, right?)... with her and Blythe's magic I think we will not be defenseless, yes? Who else has magic?"  Elys explains her reasons and asks around. "So,any way... who else is coming?" she  waves to Maria/Kagami so they are aware they are moving to the west.

From now on Elys will stay 25ft behind Rashka and waits for her to check for traps before advancing.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 18, 2017)

As he rejoins the group, Mitra summarily ignores Kagami as she moves off past him, and then shakes his head to Elys. "Magic? Well, not really...no...though, I don't think it's a _mage_ doing this...it could have always been an _artificer_...if you think about it, how would this place stay threatening or hostile without _something_ being reset now and again? I think there's some kind of lingering magic inside the *Temple* itself to keep its defenses fresh..."


----------



## soulnova (May 18, 2017)

Elys clears her throat trying not to sound too embarrassed "Ehem, yeah, A mage, an artificer... _potato, potahto_" she shrugs trying to not giving it much importance "Whatever or whoever it is seems worth investigating further"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 18, 2017)

He taps his chin lightly with his shield hand. "But what if the artificer doesn't need magic at all? Probably not -here- but I'm sure Mother could have -- well, I'm sure than an..._inventor_ from the Age of Machines could make something like that, too!" Mitra seems oblivious to Elys' slight embarrassment at any rate.


----------



## P-X 12 (May 18, 2017)

Eren scratched his head, not sure how to go forward. "I guess we could go down Mitra's path and mess with that thing. At least there doesn't seem to be anything suspicious there right now. But we should probably get ready for a fight if we do."



Vergil said:


> Kagami had got distracted by an odd shaped rock while the others were battling the dogs.
> 
> "Heh it looks like a man's ding-ding." she said pointing to a phallic looking rock. Maria hesitantly translates.
> 
> ...



"Hey, careful up there! We don't need anyone going off alone and messin' with things!" Eren ran after Kagami, starting his own trek up the same alcove as her.

Climb - 1d20(17)+5 = 22


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 18, 2017)

Vergil said:


> "Oooh I wanna climb that!" She looks for any purchases and attempts to climb to the third from the South on the West wall. Maria stays on the ground, looking worried.
> 
> Climb
> Roll(1d20)+4:
> ...





P-X 12 said:


> Eren scratched his head, not sure how to go forward. "I guess we could go down Mitra's path and mess with that thing. At least there doesn't seem to be anything suspicious there right now. But we should probably get ready for a fight if we do."
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Neither Kagami nor Eren can see well enough in the dark room to make a real attempt at climbing.  As amusing as it might be for them to feel around in the alcoves to see what might be in there they probably wouldn't make the attempt to climb to alcoves they can't see.

(The room to the North is dark, unless I missed something the only light source at the moment is in the room to the West)


----------



## Vergil (May 19, 2017)

"Ugh I can't see!" She lights a torch .


----------



## P-X 12 (May 19, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Neither Kagami nor Eren can see well enough in the dark room to make a real attempt at climbing.  As amusing as it might be for them to feel around in the alcoves to see what might be in there they probably wouldn't make the attempt to climb to alcoves they can't see.
> 
> (The room to the North is dark, unless I missed something the only light source at the moment is in the room to the West)



" . . . Well, dammit." Eren began to walk over to Rashka in hopes that she would have a spare torch or two before noticing Kagami pulling something out of her supply bag.



Vergil said:


> "Ugh I can't see!" She lights a torch .



"Actually, that might work. Com'ere." Eren slowly picked up the small gnome to bring her overhead. "See anythin' from up there?" He himself looked all over the area in order to spot any obvious signs of traps.

Perception - 1d20(13)+1 = 14


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 19, 2017)

With light and a higher perspective Kagami can see into the alcoves well enough.  The one on the West wall and one of the ones on the East wall actually only have some largish pieces of rubble in the back but the other Eastern alcove has a small statue in the back.  It's fallen over so it's hard to see for sure.

That's still too high for the gnome to reach however.


----------



## Vergil (May 19, 2017)

Because Eren seemed nice about it, she allowed him to pick her up. "Just remember that not everyone gets to touch this fabulous body!" 

At the prospect of the statue, Kagami's eyes light up and she puts the torch on the ledge and climbs up. She approaches the statue and picks it up.

"I found a thing!"


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 19, 2017)

Vergil said:


> Because Eren seemed nice about it, she allowed him to pick her up. "Just remember that not everyone gets to touch this fabulous body!"
> 
> At the prospect of the statue, Kagami's eyes light up and she puts the torch on the ledge and climbs up. She approaches the statue and picks it up.
> 
> "I found a thing!"



*dice clatter* Kagami has no problem climbing up to the alcove and finds the statue.

It's a small statue, probably why it toppled in the alcove, of a robed woman.  It's in surprisingly good shape considering the state of everything else in the Temple so far.


----------



## Vergil (May 19, 2017)

"Oooh wonder who it is." She throws her torch down, climbs down and rejoins the party. 

"So where we go now?" she asks, "I wanna find more cool things!"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 19, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys nods to Rashka. "I agree... the west door where the dogs came from seems like a good option. There's still something..." she shakes her head.
> 
> "If there are mages placing traps around we should ask them why. A regular trap can be a common thing for bandits to place, but... _mages?_ They might want to keep something important from people. Might be worth something. Besides, with Caitlyn (that's her name, right?)... with her and Blythe's magic I think we will not be defenseless, yes? Who else has magic?"  Elys explains her reasons and asks around. "So,any way... who else is coming?" she  waves to Maria/Kagami so they are aware they are moving to the west.
> 
> From now on Elys will stay 25ft behind Rashka and waits for her to check for traps before advancing.


Raskha stretches.
"I need someone who can spot magic about 15 feet behind me while I search ahead. I'm going to be slow so bare with me."
Raskha constantly takes 20 while constantly searching from the middle of the hall where the dogs came from while heading to the north end of the room where the altar is.
Perception 27.
@EvilMoogle @WorkingMoogle


----------



## soulnova (May 19, 2017)

"Maybe I'm not as good as you to look for traps, but maybe I can help you out" Elys will stay closer to Rashka to help her search for traps. "Anyone else has good eyes?"





*Spoiler*: _10 rounds of Aid Another Rolls (+2)_ 




1d20+5
10+5 = 15

1d20+5
8+5 = 13

1d20+5
19+5 = 24

1d20+5
4+5 = 9

1d20+5
14+5 = 19

1d20+5
19+5 = 24

1d20+5
10+5 = 15

1d20+5
6+5 = 11

1d20+5
17+5 = 22

1d20+5
6+5 = 11


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 19, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "Maybe I'm not as good as you to look for traps, but maybe I can help you out" Elys will stay closer to Rashka to help her search for traps. "Anyone else has good eyes?"
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"Oh? Well maybe I can take it a bit easier if you're going to help then."
Rashka takes 10 instead hoping the party can help her enough despite her being less careful
Perception: 17
@EvilMoogle @WorkingMoogle


----------



## Eternity (May 19, 2017)

Ufue could only look as the adventure troop he had joined skilfully dealt with the wild dogs like target practice. It was over before he could really get a good look at the battle and act approximately.

"What was I afraid of?" he says to himself, walking over to the others.



soulnova said:


> "Maybe I'm not as good as you to look for traps, but maybe I can help you out" Elys will stay closer to Rashka to help her search for traps. "Anyone else has good eyes?"
> 
> 
> 
> ...



"I might be able to do something. I wasn't called the eagle bard for nothing." Ufue responds.

10 Perception rolls:


*Spoiler*: __ 




Roll(1d20)+7:
17,+7
Total: 24

Roll(1d20)+7:
4,+7
Total: 11

Roll(1d20)+7:
10,+7
Total: 17

Roll(1d20)+7:
10,+7
Total: 17

Roll(1d20)+7:
10,+7
Total: 17

Roll(1d20)+7:
11,+7
Total: 18

Roll(1d20)+7:
5,+7
Total: 12

Roll(1d20)+7:
13,+7
Total: 20

Roll(1d20)+7:
20,+7
Total: 27

Roll(1d20)+7:
8,+7
Total: 15


----------



## P-X 12 (May 19, 2017)

Vergil said:


> "Oooh wonder who it is." She throws her torch down, climbs down and rejoins the party.
> 
> "So where we go now?" she asks, "I wanna find more cool things!"



Eren catching the fallen torch, followed Kagami back to the party. _"Looks like some of the others already started going down the west route."_ Eren took out his sword. "Hey, Mitra, how's the north side going?"

@Hidden Nin


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 20, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Raskha stretches.
> "I need someone who can spot magic about 15 feet behind me while I search ahead. I'm going to be slow so bare with me."



"I can help with that," Zahra says, and falls into step behind Rashka and Ufue.
*Casts Detect Magic*


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 21, 2017)

Rashka searches through the Western room, the Sanctuary, with the help of some of the others.  It's fairly spartan, rubble from the roof is caved in in areas.  Small bits of what might have been furniture is mixed in with the rubble in a few places, but anything of serious size has apparently already been removed.  There's no sign of traps anywhere.  There's tracks and signs of movement from the dogs, but nothing else recently.

The alter, if indeed that is what it is, is rather featureless.  It's a large single piece of gray stone.  It's a bit above waist height, about five feet wide, and maybe three feet thick.  There's no engraving or other working in the stone, though it has a few mars from the actions of time.  If it was ever adorned with alter cloth or other trappings they've long since been taken.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 21, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Rashka searches through the Western room, the Sanctuary, with the help of some of the others.  It's fairly spartan, rubble from the roof is caved in in areas.  Small bits of what might have been furniture is mixed in with the rubble in a few places, but anything of serious size has apparently already been removed.  There's no sign of traps anywhere.  There's tracks and signs of movement from the dogs, but nothing else recently.
> 
> The alter, if indeed that is what it is, is rather featureless.  It's a large single piece of gray stone.  It's a bit above waist height, about five feet wide, and maybe three feet thick.  There's no engraving or other working in the stone, though it has a few mars from the actions of time.  If it was ever adorned with alter cloth or other trappings they've long since been taken.


Rashka taps her foot.
"The size of this thing... Can you guys give me a few minutes to examine this thing?"
Rashka checks the base of the altar, around and behind it. She's searching for marks left from moving it constantly *anything* that'd indicate it had more of a purpose than shown.
Take 20.
Perception: 27
Dungeoneering: 21


----------



## soulnova (May 22, 2017)

Elys will also look about to see if there are any other hints of secret doors on the walls.

Perception
1d20+5
15+5 = 20


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 22, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka taps her foot.
> "The size of this thing... Can you guys give me a few minutes to examine this thing?"
> Rashka checks the base of the altar, around and behind it. She's searching for marks left from moving it constantly *anything* that'd indicate it had more of a purpose than shown.
> Take 20.
> ...



Tapping it it feels just as solid and heavy as you might imagine such a large stone construction being.  Presumably it was installed at some point (though it sounds like a great story to say the temple was built around it) but if it's been moved in the last hundred years there's no sign of it.

If anything is unusual it's the stonework around the alter.  The cobblestone floor of most of the room is largely the random pattern that is typical of such a flooring but around the alter the stones were clearly carefully chosen.  There generally larger and flatter and formed into triangular patterns out to about 15' from the alter (equilateral, point towards the North).


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 22, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Tapping it it feels just as solid and heavy as you might imagine such a large stone construction being.  Presumably it was installed at some point (though it sounds like a great story to say the temple was built around it) but if it's been moved in the last hundred years there's no sign of it.
> 
> If anything is unusual it's the stonework around the alter.  The cobblestone floor of most of the room is largely the random pattern that is typical of such a flooring but around the alter the stones were clearly carefully chosen.  There generally larger and flatter and formed into triangular patterns out to about 15' from the alter (equilateral, point towards the North).


"I think we are missing something... " Rashka stares at the wall that the pattern is pointing to and examines it closely.
"There might be a way further through this wall, breaking it down might bring the building down on us. I'm checking it for wear or possible gaps, pushable bricks. It's possible we have to weigh the alter down as well, can someone heavy stand on it while I check?"
Perception: 17


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 22, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys will also look about to see if there are any other hints of secret doors on the walls.
> 
> Perception
> 1d20+5
> 15+5 = 20





Unlosing Ranger said:


> "I think we are missing something... " Rashka stares at the wall that the pattern is pointing to and examines it closely.
> "There might be a way further through this wall, breaking it down might bring the building down on us. I'm checking it for wear or possible gaps, pushable bricks. It's possible we have to weigh the alter down as well, can someone heavy stand on it while I check?"
> Perception: 17



((I posted the map so far in the OOC thread a while ago if you missed it))

There's no sign of secret doors on the walls.  For that matter to the North, West, and South appear to go outside of the temple if there were.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 22, 2017)

Raska frowns and looks at the Altar.
"Nothing on the wall, just remembered it'd just lead outside anyway. Maybe it's nothing..."
Raskha starts looking at the ceiling while waiting for someone to stand on the altar.
Take 10
Perception: 17


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 22, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Raska frowns and looks at the Altar.
> "Nothing on the wall, just remembered it'd just lead outside anyway. Maybe it's nothing..."
> Raskha starts looking at the ceiling while waiting for someone to stand on the altar.
> Take 10
> Perception: 17



The ceiling is by in large missing.  Some of the framework remains and occasional patches are covered.  There doesn't appear to be any particular pattern to the destruction, other than whatever the ravages of time have wrought.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 22, 2017)

Zahra recasts Detect Magic (or maintains the previous casting if it's still active) and scrutinizes both the unusual stones and the wall they're pointing to.


*Spoiler*: _A couple of skill checks if needed_ 



*Knowledge Arcana*
1d20+5=5+5=10
2+5=7

*Spellcraft*
1d20+4=14+4=18
7+4=11


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 23, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra recasts Detect Magic (or maintains the previous casting if it's still active) and scrutinizes both the unusual stones and the wall they're pointing to.
> 
> 
> *Spoiler*: _A couple of skill checks if needed_
> ...



With the alarm spell having faded away there's no other magic in the area.


----------



## soulnova (May 23, 2017)

"Uhm-... I don't see anything else here. Wanna check the other way then?" Elys stands in the middle of the room looking about.


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 23, 2017)

"I can go through things if ya need!" Caitlyn shouts from her shadowy form.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 23, 2017)

Captain Obvious said:


> "I can go through things if ya need!" Caitlyn shouts from her shadowy form.


"!" Rashka had forgotten about the ghost... Who could blame her, you'd put that as far from your mind as possible.
"R-Right can you check underneath us and around under the alter? Maybe check inside the alter itself?"


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 23, 2017)

Caitlyn gets excited, eyes glowing brighter for a second.  

Blythe sets the ghost to search the areas. 

((Mog, can you roll for me?))


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 23, 2017)

((Um, sure, as soon as I figure out what to roll exactly  ))

Caitlyn floats through the alter.  The alter itself is solid stone, with the exception of the very base.  It has hinges set inside the stone, cleverly positioned to be invisible while the alter is closed.

Beneath the alter is a crude hole, for a few feet it's obviously an amateur work carving but after that it turns to rocky natural chasm, both places it's a tight 3' to 3.5' diameter.  It descends for about 30' before it widens to a small (maybe 10'x10') landing, one of the walls is manufactured stone blocks.  A doorway, complete with shattered remnants of a door, adorns the wall.  Through the doorway is a long hallway, Caitlyn's range and vision ends without any meaningful change in the hallway.

The whole lower chamber has a different feel for the construction than the Temple, and there's no sign apparent to Caitlyn that this has been trafficked in a long, long time.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 24, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> ((Um, sure, as soon as I figure out what to roll exactly  ))
> 
> Caitlyn floats through the alter.  The alter itself is solid stone, with the exception of the very base.  It has hinges set inside the stone, cleverly positioned to be invisible while the alter is closed.
> 
> ...


((I'm assuming this is being told to us to help move things along))
"T-Thanks uh... Caitlyn? You're... useful." She's talking to a ghost, her, here.
@Captain Obvious


soulnova said:


> "Uhm-... I don't see anything else here. Wanna check the other way then?" Elys stands in the middle of the room looking about.


"I agree, we'll have to come back here later after searching the area. I think the camp can help us with this if we don't find anything to help with it."

"Lets head to the door that fired a crossbow bolt, that seems like the only other way really."


----------



## soulnova (May 24, 2017)

((Assuming Blythe is relying this information... ))

She pats Rashka and Blythe in the shoulder.

"Wait, wait, there's another area below? One that hasn't been traveled? Maybe we can actually discover something there" 

Elys will try to look for the hinges and move/pull/push the statue.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 24, 2017)

soulnova said:


> ((Assuming Blythe is relying this information... ))
> 
> She pats Rashka and Blythe in the shoulder.
> 
> ...



*dice clatter*

The alter doesn't budge to Elys' efforts.  It is immensely heavy, were she not aware that it was a separate piece she would assume it was attached to the floor.

((Suffice it to say that it will be a strength check to move the alter, one that will almost certainly take more than one person working on it))


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 24, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> *dice clatter*
> 
> The alter doesn't budge to Elys' efforts.  It is immensely heavy, were she not aware that it was a separate piece she would assume it was attached to the floor.
> 
> ((Suffice it to say that it will be a strength check to move the alter, one that will almost certainly take more than one person working on it))


Rashka starts some muffled laughter, what is she trying to do? It's an altar made of solid stone.
"No one could move that alone. Some rope, animals, and everyone here might though, and I happen to have 150 feet of rope in my cart. Master Griffith likely has even more rope as well. Though scoping the place out completely before we do that is safer as well as reporting what we found. Someone REALLY didn't want anyone getting into that tunnel after all."

Rashka looks back the way they came.
"Unless anyone objects I can report back right now, it's about time for my next coffee anyway."


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 24, 2017)

Mitra follows along dutifully as they search and inspect, and then laughs quietly. "Oh! Shouldn't we check that hallway first before going back to the alcoves...?" He nods to Elys, slings his spear over his back, and pushes his shield up his forearm as he settles in next to her to push the statue. "It's only about thirty feet, right? That's not so bad. But if you need the coffee, Master Griffith would probably appreciate the update."

He starts to push with the Ranger.

Strength: 1D20+2 = [15]+2 = 17


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 24, 2017)

"Are you sure our meatbags can't push it together?" Blythe questions, "That's what they're here for."

Caitlyn comes back, changing to ectoplasmic form.  "I can help!"  She helps push as well.  

Roll(1d20)+1:
10,+1
Total:11


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 24, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra follows along dutifully as they search and inspect, and then laughs quietly. "Oh! Shouldn't we check that hallway first before going back to the alcoves...?" He nods to Elys, slings his spear over his back, and pushes his shield up his forearm as he settles in next to her to push the statue. "It's only about thirty feet, right? That's not so bad. But if you need the coffee, Master Griffith would probably appreciate the update."
> 
> He starts to push with the Ranger.
> 
> Strength: 1D20+2 = [15]+2 = 17


Rashka nods
"See you in a bit. Try not to push yourselves too hard."
She goes back to the camp to meet Master Griffith and report on what has happened so far and to also get some coffee.
@WorkingMoogle


----------



## P-X 12 (May 24, 2017)

Eren, upon following and finding the others attempting to move the heavy obstacle in their way, let out a small grin as he stretched his arms. "Now, _this_ I can definitely work with." He joined the party in pushing the colossally heavy altar.

Strength: 1d20(20)+3 = 23

Reactions: Winner 1


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 24, 2017)

The four of them push on the edge of the alter, for a long moment it feels immobile but with supreme effort it begins to shift.  Their efforts redoubled by the sign of success they lift the alter along the edge, slowly transferring weight.  Quickly they reach the toppling point and it pulls from their grasp slamming into the floor with an earth-shaking thud.

Now toppled they can see the concealed hinges and the narrow portal leading below.



Unlosing Ranger said:


> She goes back to the camp to meet Master Griffith and report on what has happened so far and to also get some coffee.
> @WorkingMoogle



Master Griffith seems generally pleased that the group is making progress but refrains from any comments about the specific situation.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 24, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> The four of them push on the edge of the alter, for a long moment it feels immobile but with supreme effort it begins to shift.  Their efforts redoubled by the sign of success they lift the alter along the edge, slowly transferring weight.  Quickly they reach the toppling point and it pulls from their grasp slamming into the floor with an earth-shaking thud.
> 
> Now toppled they can see the concealed hinges and the narrow portal leading below.


Rashka bends over and fills her mug from the already prepped coffee pot in the camp after reheating it slightly.
"Didn't seem like something usually found she said, no telling how long it goes on."
She blows on the coffee to cool it

"Wonder if they can actually move it..."
Rashka moves to her cart and withdraws 150 feet of rope, before leisurely walking back to where the party last was with a mug of coffee in hand and rope over her shoulder.


----------



## soulnova (May 24, 2017)

"Well, that was heavy! Good job!" she dries the sweat off her temple. 

She would wait for Rashka to go back. Elys whistles looking down at the hole in the floor. "Anyone with light, care to come close?"

Perception 
1d20+5
12+5 = 17


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 24, 2017)

Mitra gets his polearm and shield ready again before ambling over, coming to a squat, and peering into the darkness of the hole.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 24, 2017)

Inside the hole is dark (obviously), those with darkvision (or anyone once light arrives) can confirm the spirit's estimate that it's about a 30' drop.   Most of that is a fairly narrow crevice that would be easy to climb (though it would be slightly harder at the bottom where you wouldn't be able to easily reach behind).


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 24, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "Well, that was heavy! Good job!" she dries the sweat off her temple.
> 
> She would wait for Rashka to go back. Elys whistles looking down at the hole in the floor. "Anyone with light, care to come close?"
> 
> ...


Rashka slowly walks behind the group. She walks over to Eren slipping the rope off her shoulder and gives him the 150 foot rope that weighs 30 pounds. She's not entirely comfortable carrying that much weight.
"I'm guessing this big lug here is why it moved at all. Not bad, though I was afraid you'd crush the gnome somehow."
@P-X 12
She then proceeds to creep up with her torch in hand behind Elys while sipping coffee casually.
"Doesn't look too deep could practically jump it."
She takes another sip and hands Elys her Torch and pats her on the back.
"Lead on. You said you knew caves pretty well right?"
She winks at her
@soulnova

Reactions: Useful 1


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 24, 2017)

Zahra walks up beside Mitra and peers down into the hole. "I wonder whether this goes under the main part of the temple, or away from it? Maybe it was meant as some sort of secret entrance--or an escape route." She casts Light on her shield.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 25, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra walks up beside Mitra and peers down into the hole. "I wonder whether this goes under the main part of the temple, or away from it? Maybe it was meant as some sort of secret entrance--or an escape route." She casts Light on her shield.



The tunnel does appear, at least the part they can see, to go under the main temple.


----------



## soulnova (May 25, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Lead on. You said you knew caves pretty well right?"
> She winks at her



Her lips make a thin line and takes a second to answer. "Yes, of course. I'll go first" she will take her own rope, knot it and tie it to the statue ((assuming it can withstand the weight of a medium person)). "Better to save your rope for a higher drop"

She will climb down carefully. 

((Taking 10 = Climb 15, Going down a knotted rope should be DC5.))

"Try not to fall" she jokes to the others above. "Rashka, try dropping that torch. I'll get it down here"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 25, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Her lips make a thin line and takes a second to answer. "Yes, of course. I'll go first" she will take her own rope, knot it and tie it to the statue ((assuming it can withstand the weight of a medium person)). "Better to save your rope for a higher drop"
> 
> She will climb down carefully.
> 
> ...


"Sure." Rashka casually drops the torch down.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 25, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Her lips make a thin line and takes a second to answer. "Yes, of course. I'll go first" she will take her own rope, knot it and tie it to the statue ((assuming it can withstand the weight of a medium person)). "Better to save your rope for a higher drop"
> 
> She will climb down carefully.
> 
> ...


((Technically it would be DC 0 for "knotted rope with wall to brace against"  There's no statue in the room that I remember, there are pillars or the alter itself that would both be more than adequate for holding the party though.))

Once down she sees it is pretty much as described before, with nothing she can make out within the range of the light of the torch.  The air is slightly stale, and it's almost eerily quiet but there's no sign of any problems.  The walls down here are cut brick, rather than the stone-and-mortar above, they're solid craftsmanship but otherwise not really notable.


----------



## soulnova (May 25, 2017)

"Seems safe enough" Elys explains to the others above. "Wanna come down?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 25, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "Seems safe enough" Elys explains to the others above. "Wanna come down?"


Raskha climbs down with the Coffee in one hand while going down slowly.
She stands next to Elys and takes another sip.
"Not too bad in here, nice and quite, sound goes everywhere... Something could be down here. No probably will be."
She makes sure to move for anyone climbing down.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 25, 2017)

Mitra stows his polearm over his shoulder again before getting a grip on the rope. "Coming down!" he calls to Elys, looking to Zahra. "Come down next, yes?" he says without waiting for a reply, and then drops his way down at a methodical pace.

(Taking 10, Climb is +6, so 16.)


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 25, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra stows his polearm over his shoulder again before getting a grip on the rope. "Coming down!" he calls to Elys, looking to Zahra. "Come down next, yes?" he says without waiting for a reply, and then drops his way down at a methodical pace.
> 
> (Taking 10, Climb is +6, so 16.)



Zahra follows Mitra down into the tunnel.

(Also taking 10, which is only an 8, but with a DC of 0 that's enough.)


----------



## P-X 12 (May 25, 2017)

Eren dusted himself off before looking through the newly revealed hole in the ground.



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka slowly walks behind the group. She walks over to Eren slipping the rope off her shoulder and gives him the 150 foot rope that weighs 30 pounds. She's not entirely comfortable carrying that much weight.
> "I'm guessing this big lug here is why it moved at all. Not bad, though I was afraid you'd crush the gnome somehow."



"Eh, wouldn't go that far." Eren kept his sword at the ready as he got himself ready for spelunking. "Here goes." During his turn, he took a tight grip on the rope before descending down to the dark floor.

Climb - 1d20(7)+5 = 12


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 25, 2017)

In this case, since there's ample time and the climb is so straight forward I don't really need rolls from everyone (or take-10's from everyone).

This is probably a good place to establish a walking order though, in case there are traps.  The hallway here is "standard dungeon hallway" which is roughly 10' wide and 10' tall.  "Medium" sized creatures (everyone in the party but Kagami) require 5'x5' to fight comfortably, which means your walking order should probably be two-wide.

Technically the trap spotter doesn't _have_ to be in front but be aware the farther back they are the bigger penalty they'll take for distance (I mean, assuming you _have_ at trap spotter, right?).  If you're searching for traps I'll just quietly roll when needed.  For reference "searching for traps" halves your speed (so 15' for an unencumbered medium sized creature).  If you're taking-20 on the search this goes from per-round to per-minute.

At the moment you're not exactly in a rush, but I'll leave it up to you what pace you want to set.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 26, 2017)

Raskha takes the front next to Elys.
"I wouldn't mind help like last time. Some really old traps could be down here."
*Take 10 every 15 feet*
Perception: 17
((the more people that decide to aid another with perception rolls the better.))


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 26, 2017)

Blythe sends Caitlyn back into her mind, taking to the back of the party.

Aid another perception
Roll(1d20)+5:
18,+5
Total:23


----------



## Vergil (May 26, 2017)

Kagami will take up the middle, because why not.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 26, 2017)

Mitra moves to be the first in the marching order. "I'll be fine against any traps, I think! Maybe. Or at least it won't hurt as much..." He gets his shield up, spear pointed, and takes spotting directions from the trapfinders in the back.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 26, 2017)

Zahra falls into step behind Mitra.

(Her perception skill isn't great, but she can at least try. Aid another Perception, 1d20=13.)


----------



## soulnova (May 27, 2017)

"I guess we are going like this, right?"


```
1) Rashka - Mitra
2) Elys - Zahra
3) Kagami - Maria??
4) ? - ?
5) Blythe - ?
```



Elys will pass the torch to Rashka so she can have better light with her in the front. Elys will have her sword out. "If anything comes up, we will change places, ok?" she pats Rashka in the shoulder. 


*Spoiler*: _10 Perception Checks AID ANOTHER_ 




1d20+5
11+5 = 16

1d20+5
14+5 = 19

1d20+5
13+5 = 18

1d20+5
1+5 = 6

1d20+5
14+5 = 19

1d20+5
5+5 = 10

1d20+5
8+5 = 13

1d20+5
2+5 = 7

1d20+5
4+5 = 9

1d20+5
20+5 = 25


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 27, 2017)

"Got it!" She gives a thumbs up and a smile.


----------



## Kuno (May 27, 2017)

"Sorry.  Daydreaming..."  Zeke mutters at his lack of speaking for a while.  "I keep an eye on the back.  Don't want anything to sneak up on us."  He smirks falling beside Blythe.

((Forgot to do my damn spells.  How could you have not caught that Moogle?  ))


----------



## P-X 12 (May 27, 2017)

_"Not sure I like this; it's pretty damn cramped here. Gonna be hard to fight if we need to."_ Eren took a place next to Kagami ((assuming Maria isn't already there; if she is, then behind.)), staying as close to the front as he could whilst also taking out his sword.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 27, 2017)

The group moves forward, torches and light spells providing meager illumination in the dark hallway, the darkness seeming to eat at the edge of the torchlight.  Moving slowly keeping eyes pealed for anything unusual seems pragmatic but it is also painfully slow, and with the blanket of silence every slight sound the party makes seems to carry much farther than it would normally.

The tunnel goes for a while without anything of major interest.  A few times the floor and walls become briefly uneven, as if some great force tried unsuccessfully to break it in half, but not enough to call a true obstacle.  Finally after about 100' it changes.

The hallway ends in what appears to be a pile of brick rubble, like part of the wall collapsed.  It opens into a small room, about 10'x15'.  The corridor attaches at the South part of the West wall.  On the center of the South wall there's a set of double doors, however they're torn off their hinges and only dirt is beyond this passage, whatever once was there lost to time.

On the center of both the East and West walls there are doorways.  The one to the East is shattered and leads to a hallway headed North.  The one on the West is intact and closed.



Kuno said:


> ((Forgot to do my damn spells. How could you have not caught that Moogle? ))


((Technically it's not a "mistake" on a character sheet for a Druid not to have spells prepared.  It's unusual and probably not the wisest tactic but they aren't _required_ to prepare spells (and in fact could in some cases be prevented from doing so).  So technically that's not something for me to look for.))

((Of course, it was probably 50/50 for me finding the half-orc on someone's sheet so it could also just be the "EvilMoogle doesn't look that closely" thing.))

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 28, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The group moves forward, torches and light spells providing meager illumination in the dark hallway, the tinges of light seeming to eat at the edge of the darkness.  Moving slowly keeping eyes peeled for anything unusual seems pragmatic but it is also painfully slow, and with the blanket of silence every slight sound the party makes seems to carry much farther than it would normally.
> 
> The tunnel goes for a while without anything of major interest.  A few times the floor and walls become briefly uneven, as if some great force tried unsuccessfully to break it in half, but not enough to call a true obstacle.  Finally after about 100' it changes.
> 
> ...


"Wait here."
Rashka takes 20 on perception to search the entire small room for traps including the two doors.
Perception: 27


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 28, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Wait here."
> Rashka takes 20 on perception to search the entire small room for traps including the two doors.
> Perception:27



There's no sign of traps or anything concealed in the room.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 28, 2017)

Raskha walks back to the party after several minutes
"It's clean no traps or anything, not a bad place to make camp either if we had to or to retreat to."



> It opens into a small room, about 10'x15'. The corridor attaches at the South part of the West wall. On the center of the South wall there's a set of double doors, however they're torn off their hinges and only dirt is beyond this passage, whatever once was there lost to time.
> 
> On the center of both the East and West walls there are doorways. The one to the East is shattered and leads to a hallway headed North. The one on the West is intact and closed.


Rashka looks to the broken down door.
"Shame about that, probably lead to something good."
Then to the East door.
"Someone else has been here before, when? I couldn't say. "
Then to the West door.
"Should we go where it appears no one has been?"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 28, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Should we go where it appears no one has been?"



"That seems like the best way to find something interesting," Zahra agrees.


----------



## Captain Obvious (May 28, 2017)

"If you truely want to find something, typically that's the way to do it." Blythe remarks in a cold yet sarcasitc manner.


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 28, 2017)

Mitra glances around, nodding to the others, and then moves to push open the doors to the West. "Sounds logical!"


----------



## P-X 12 (May 28, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The group moves forward, torches and light spells providing meager illumination in the dark hallway, the darkness seeming to eat at the edge of the darkness.  Moving slowly keeping eyes pealed for anything unusual seems pragmatic but it is also painfully slow, and with the blanket of silence every slight sound the party makes seems to carry much farther than it would normally.
> 
> The tunnel goes for a while without anything of major interest.  A few times the floor and walls become briefly uneven, as if some great force tried unsuccessfully to break it in half, but not enough to call a true obstacle.  Finally after about 100' it changes.
> 
> ...



Eren puts away his sword as he looks at the caved in portion of the room. _"Hopefully we don't have to deal with anything like that."_



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Raskha walks back to the party after several minutes
> "It's clean no traps or anything, not a bad place to make camp either if we had to or to retreat to."
> 
> Rashka looks to the broken down door.
> ...





Daenerys Stormborn said:


> "That seems like the best way to find something interesting," Zahra agrees.



Eren breathes in before moving to the door. "I'd better not get shot by a crossbow again. Also, ya might wanna get outta dodge in case of more traps." He walked up near to Mitra before placing his hands on the doors to the West. "We start on three."


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 28, 2017)

The door to the West opens into another small room, and they are greeted by the musty scent of old parchment.  The room is some sort of study, office, or perhaps small library.  A writing desk with chair sits on the North wall and several shelves line the other walls.  The shelves are rather unorganized, haphazard scroll cases and bits of parchment and paper are stacked on the shelves with no apparent order to them.  There are a few leather-bound books on the shelves as well, the covers long since dried out and brittle.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 29, 2017)

Rashka's eyes go wide
"What! WOW! So much, this is so much! Jackpot!"
Rashka looks back and forth at the books from afar 
"We need to be careful with these."


----------



## soulnova (May 29, 2017)

"Daaamn look at all this!" Elys takes a look inside from the door. "I shouldnt bring the torch inside. Im afraid it will burn something. You guys had a light magic? Would that  be safer?"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 29, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "Daaamn look at all this!" Elys takes a look inside from the door. "I shouldnt bring the torch inside. Im afraid it will burn something. You guys had a light magic? Would that would be safer?"



Zahra's eyes go wide at the sight of all the books and scrolls. "Well, I'd say we've definitely met the 'find something interesting' threshold." She nods at Elys's comment. "Yeah, light spells would probably be safer. It might be worth doing a sweep with Detect Magic as well, in case any of these are spellbooks or magical scrolls."
*recasts Light if needed*
*casts Detect Magic and scans the room*


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 29, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra's eyes go wide at the sight of all the books and scrolls. "Well, I'd say we've definitely met the 'find something interesting' threshold." She nods at Elys's comment. "Yeah, light spells would probably be safer. It might be worth doing a sweep with Detect Magic as well, in case any of these are spellbooks or magical scrolls."
> *recasts Light if needed*
> *casts Detect Magic and scans the room*


"I'll check for any possible traps as we go along!~"
Take 20
Perception: 27


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 29, 2017)

"Hmmm...I think I'll stay out of the way..."

He turns to keep guard of the door as the more spatially attuned folks work out the odds and ends of what's been found.


----------



## soulnova (May 29, 2017)

Elys nods to Zahra and Rashka. She will also stay outside the room with the torch and let the other more knowledgeable party members work on the room. "Yell if you need anything" she jokes.

Elys leans her back against the wall beside the door to wait for them to be done. She turns to Mitra. "I just hope there's something salvageable from all that. Parchment and paper do not do well after such a long time" she glances inside, "So many stories and tales lost..._ dang._ I guess writing in stone would do better, if protected against the weather"


----------



## Hidden Nin (May 29, 2017)

Mitra rests his polearm slanted against his shoulder, glancing sidelong at Elys. "You think so? Metal erodes far slowler than stone, actually. But I can't help but think that...there's. Some sort of reset mechanism. There've been a lot of groups coming through here, no? It seems strange that none of them found this. Perhaps they weren't as thorough, or didn't take things as seriously. Still, I have a strange feeling..."


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 29, 2017)

((I'll do a separate post for what's found in the room))



Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra's eyes go wide at the sight of all the books and scrolls. "Well, I'd say we've definitely met the 'find something interesting' threshold." She nods at Elys's comment. "Yeah, light spells would probably be safer. It might be worth doing a sweep with Detect Magic as well, in case any of these are spellbooks or magical scrolls."
> *recasts Light if needed*
> *casts Detect Magic and scans the room*



There's no sign of magic in the room (though I'm not sure if a spellbook, unwarded, would have a magical aura).



Unlosing Ranger said:


> "I'll check for any possible traps as we go along!~"
> Take 20
> Perception: 27



There's no sign of traps in the room.


----------



## EvilMoogle (May 29, 2017)

A careful inventory of the room is a slow process ((I'm assuming for now you're just sorting what is salvageable out from what isn't.  You're welcome to take time to appraise or translate if you want, I'll leave that up to the group)).  While the underground chamber is slightly more humid than above Taliga is by in large a very arid continent which has probably helped preserve things.

Still the loose papers have succumbed to the test of time, they are both brittle and decaying, what appears to be loose piles of paper have congealed into a solid mass that disintegrates at the touch.  Parchments hold up considerably better, as do books and items held in scroll cases.

Everything here is written in Empyral, in Fire Runes:

A leather-bound book that appears to be some sort of journal, diary, or log filled with dated entries.
A leather-bound book that appears to be some sort of inventory or ledger, filled with lists of something.
A series of (*dice clatter*)  11 scrolls that appear to be letters in several different handwritings, dates indicate near the end of the 6th Age.
Several (6) loose scrolls that appear to have some sort of family tree or genealogies on them.
A few (5) additional scrolls that don't seem immediately obvious by format what they are.
7 wooden scroll cases, rather severely weathered by age.
3 ivory scroll cases, plain but in much better condition than the wooden ones.
The remnants of a writing set, a silver pen knife being really the only salvageable item.

All of the parchment is fairly brittle, with careful handling it is okay but it won't tolerate any violent handling.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 29, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> A careful inventory of the room is a slow process ((I'm assuming for now you're just sorting what is salvageable out from what isn't.  You're welcome to take time to appraise or translate if you want, I'll leave that up to the group)).  While the underground chamber is slightly more humid than above Taliga is by in large a very arid continent which has probably helped preserve things.
> 
> Still the loose papers have succumbed to the test of time, they are both brittle and decaying, what appears to be loose piles of paper have congealed into a solid mass that disintegrates at the touch.  Parchments hold up considerably better, as do books and items held in scroll cases.
> 
> ...


"Does anyone have a spell to help mend this other stuff?"


----------



## soulnova (May 30, 2017)

"Not me, sorry" Elys shakes her head as she curiously peeks inside. "Anything interesting?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 30, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "Not me, sorry" Elys shakes her head as she curiously peeks inside. "Anything interesting?"


"I dunno, maybe. I think this should say everything really."


> A leather-bound book that appears to be some sort of journal, diary, or log filled with dated entries.


Rashka picks up the diary and carefully reads it aloud from the start.
(if she can)
@WorkingMoogle @EvilMoogle


----------



## WorkingMoogle (May 30, 2017)

Does Rashka speak Empyral?  I don't believe anyone in the party does.

I which case I guess Rashka recites "Semel indicavit Mater mea, quae in me, cum ipsum loqui Latine et canetis altum videtur. Sic ego semper amavi illam Latina uti potest, ut hoc quasi quodam modo. Quid docto homine et maybe? Quod enim operor non intellego mihi uti verbis. Est pendens, et frigus!"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 30, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> I which case I guess Rashka recites "Semel indicavit Mater mea, quae in me, cum ipsum loqui Latine et canetis altum videtur. Sic ego semper amavi illam Latina uti potest, ut hoc quasi quodam modo. Quid docto homine et maybe? Quod enim operor non intellego mihi uti verbis. Est pendens, et frigus!"


Rashka frowns.
"... Whatever that means. If the rest of the texts are like this it'll take ages to figure out what it says. Any solutions?"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (May 30, 2017)

Zahra scratches her head. "Bards and skalds who master magic can learn the Comprehend Languages spell, but I haven't picked it up yet. Ufue, can you cast it?"

@Eternity


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (May 31, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra scratches her head. "Bards and skalds who master magic can learn the Comprehend Languages spell, but I haven't picked it up yet. Ufue, can you cast it?"
> 
> @Eternity


Raskha looks at the papers and such noting the bard from before seems to be missing.
"Lets just take all of this and gently put as much as we can in my pack here or with anything else we got then and take it to camp for now. We can't run around and fight or get hit by traps with this stuff and we know there aren't any traps on the way back."


----------



## soulnova (Jun 1, 2017)

"Yeah, you are right. Should we all go back? Or should a few stay behind to stand guard? I'm up for either one" Elys looks back at the way they came from.


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 2, 2017)

The group splits up, half escorting their newfound treasure back, half making sure the situation in the hidden area stays stable.  Some might question the strategy of sending half the members back to potentially walk into an ambush while the other half potentially is surprised by ancient creatures sealed away, but in this case both groups have a quiet trip.

Master Griffith is both surprised and estatic at the recovered item, almost immediately he starts diving into the texts before stopping himself and carefully storing them away in his wagon to go back to joining the others at the watch.  He's eager to hear about what the group has found, perhaps suspiciously so but without know who went back I can't roll sense motives, but he tempers himself and suggests that the group reunites and gets continues a careful search.


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 2, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The group splits up, half escorting their newfound treasure back, half making sure the situation in the hidden area stays stable.  Some might question the strategy of sending half the members back to potentially walk into an ambush while the other half potentially is surprised by ancient creatures sealed away, but in this case both groups have a quiet trip.
> 
> Master Griffith is both surprised and ecstatic at the recovered item, almost immediately he starts diving into the texts before stopping himself and carefully storing them away in his wagon to go back to joining the others at the watch.  He's eager to hear about what the group has found, perhaps suspiciously so but without know who went back I can't roll sense motives, but he tempers himself and suggests that the group reunites and gets continues a careful search.



((Since it wasn't agreed on, I'll just go with Eren leaving with others; he's basically the _de facto_ pack mule anyways))

Eren stood with the others as he watched Master Griffith, helping to unload the books out of Rashka's pack. _"Well, at least it looks like someone knows what's written on those things."_ As he looked on to his employers' near frenzied reading, he started to question just what was on those papers. Upon seeing the sudden shift in Griffith's tone, Eren decided to press on just what was written in those scrolls.

Sense Motive - 1d20 (13)+6=19


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 2, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The group splits up, half escorting their newfound treasure back, half making sure the situation in the hidden area stays stable.  Some might question the strategy of sending half the members back to potentially walk into an ambush while the other half potentially is surprised by ancient creatures sealed away, but in this case both groups have a quiet trip.
> 
> Master Griffith is both surprised and estatic at the recovered item, almost immediately he starts diving into the texts before stopping himself and carefully storing them away in his wagon to go back to joining the others at the watch.  He's eager to hear about what the group has found, perhaps suspiciously so but without know who went back I can't roll sense motives, but he tempers himself and suggests that the group reunites and gets continues a careful search.


"That's just what we found relevant and what we could carry without ruining it. There is even more in there, we'll scour the rest of the place before getting back there for the rest."
Rashka dusts herself off some before taking a deep breath and turning.


P-X 12 said:


> ((Since it wasn't agreed on, I'll just go with Eren leaving with others; he's basically the _de facto_ pack mule anyways))
> 
> Eren stood with the others as he watched Master Griffith, helping to unload the books out of Rashka's pack. _"Well, at least it looks like someone knows what's written on those things."_ As he looked on to his employers' near frenzied reading, he started to question just what was on those papers. Upon seeing the sudden shift in Griffith's tone, Eren decided to press on just what was written in those scrolls.
> 
> Sense Motive - 1d20 (13)+6=19


"Oh?"


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 2, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> Eren stood with the others as he watched Master Griffith, helping to unload the books out of Rashka's pack. _"Well, at least it looks like someone knows what's written on those things."_ As he looked on to his employers' near frenzied reading, he started to question just what was on those papers. Upon seeing the sudden shift in Griffith's tone, Eren decided to press on just what was written in those scrolls.
> 
> Sense Motive - 1d20 (13)+6=19



Master Griffith seems enthused about the discovery, almost giddy.  It probably isn't too surprising that he would be but it's a stark contrast from the somewhat detached sense he's had so far.

"The writting?  Oh yes," he pauses and smiles slightly.  "My father thought that it was important to study Empyreal, though it was distinguished, or gave an air of extra snootiness or something probably."  He chuckles slightly, "but it probably was one of the first spark of interest for this sort of life for me.  My tutor was a bit of a storyteller, used to liven up lessons by injecting bits of stories from the Great Empire.  Not always true, in fact more often not, but it was interesting, and led me on to other studies."


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 3, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The group splits up, half escorting their newfound treasure back, half making sure the situation in the hidden area stays stable.  Some might question the strategy of sending half the members back to potentially walk into an ambush while the other half potentially is surprised by ancient creatures sealed away, but in this case both groups have a quiet trip.



Zahra decides to remain with the group that's staying in the hidden study. As much as she'd like to know what those papers might say, she doesn't want to leave the others alone in this area that obviously hasn't been cleared by previous adventuring groups.


----------



## soulnova (Jun 3, 2017)

Elys also follows Rashka and Eren to provide protection on the way to the camp and back. 

She stays quiet looking at Master Griffith checking the papers and then guarding them. 

Sense Motive 
1d20+1
20+1 = 21


If she notices anything, she will comment on it on the way back to Eren and Rashka.  

"How long would it take for someone to learn Empyreal? At least on a basic level. I have never studied other languages so I wouldn't know..."


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 3, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra decides to remain with the group that's staying in the hidden study. As much as she'd like to know what those papers might say, she doesn't want to leave the others alone in this area that obviously hasn't been cleared by previous adventuring groups.


For those staying back it's very quiet,.  The silence is actually almost eerie and vaguely unnatural.  But other than the strangeness of it there's no sign of danger, at least nothing looking for the party.



soulnova said:


> If she notices anything, she will comment on it on the way back to Eren and Rashka.


She gets the same sense that Master Griffith is genuinely excited for the first time, at least the first time since they started out from the temple.



soulnova said:


> "How long would it take for someone to learn Empyreal? At least on a basic level. I have never studied other languages so I wouldn't know..."



((Empyreal is actually the ancestor language to Ludian and Chapis, kind of like Empyreal is to Ludian/Chapis as Latin is to Spanish and Italian.  There's probably a lot of words that are shared or _nearly_ shared, though the grammar and pronunciation would make erase a lot of that.  So really if you speak Ludian learning Empyreal would probably be easier than learning Low Elven or Veosian.  Game mechanic wise there's no difference obviously.))

"Well, I suppose that depends on the individual," Master Griffith extends diplomatically.  "A surprising amount is shared already with Ludian, when it's written down it's not so hard to pick out a word here or there.  I've known people that study texts without being able to speak a word of it, just by gleaning meaning from what they do recognize."


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 4, 2017)

Mitra hangs back with Zahra, his eyes scanning the already open corridor to the East from the hub room they'd stopped in as he leans his spear against his shoulder. "Hmmmm..."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 4, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Master Griffith seems enthused about the discovery, almost giddy.  It probably isn't too surprising that he would be but it's a stark contrast from the somewhat detached sense he's had so far.
> 
> "The writting?  Oh yes," he pauses and smiles slightly.  "My father thought that it was important to study Empyreal, though it was distinguished, or gave an air of extra snootiness or something probably."  He chuckles slightly, "but it probably was one of the first spark of interest for this sort of life for me.  My tutor was a bit of a storyteller, used to liven up lessons by injecting bits of stories from the Great Empire.  Not always true, in fact more often not, but it was interesting, and led me on to other studies."





EvilMoogle said:


> "Well, I suppose that depends on the individual," Master Griffith extends diplomatically.  "A surprising amount is shared already with Ludian, when it's written down it's not so hard to pick out a word here or there.  I've known people that study texts without being able to speak a word of it, just by gleaning meaning from what they do recognize."


Raskha finishes off her coffee mug and sets it back in her cart while grabbing an extra torch.
"Alright lets get back there, every second we spend chatting is one we could be beaten to the punch by something."
Rashka moves to make her way back to where they discovered the texts with the rest of the party.


----------



## soulnova (Jun 4, 2017)

Elys returns with Rashka into the ruins.


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 4, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Master Griffith seems enthused about the discovery, almost giddy.  It probably isn't too surprising that he would be but it's a stark contrast from the somewhat detached sense he's had so far.
> 
> "The writting?  Oh yes," he pauses and smiles slightly.  "My father thought that it was important to study Empyreal, though it was distinguished, or gave an air of extra snootiness or something probably."  He chuckles slightly, "but it probably was one of the first spark of interest for this sort of life for me.  My tutor was a bit of a storyteller, used to liven up lessons by injecting bits of stories from the Great Empire.  Not always true, in fact more often not, but it was interesting, and led me on to other studies."



Eren looked quizzically at Griffith for a moment before shrugging it off. "At least carrying all this around ain't a waste."



Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra decides to remain with the group that's staying in the hidden study. As much as she'd like to know what those papers might say, she doesn't want to leave the others alone in this area that obviously hasn't been cleared by previous adventuring groups.





EvilMoogle said:


> "Well, I suppose that depends on the individual," Master Griffith extends diplomatically. "A surprising amount is shared already with Ludian, when it's written down it's not so hard to pick out a word here or there. I've known people that study texts without being able to speak a word of it, just by gleaning meaning from what they do recognize."



_"Huh. Wonder how long it'd take to actually translate any of those scrolls." _



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Raskha finishes off her coffee mug and sets it back in her cart while grabbing an extra torch.
> "Alright lets get back there, every second we spend chatting is one we could be beaten to the punch by something."
> Rashka moves to make her way back to where they discovered the texts with the rest of the party.



Eren took a drink from his water skin before returning to the others still in the ruins.


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 4, 2017)

The group reunites without issue.



P-X 12 said:


> "Huh. Wonder how long it'd take to actually translate any of those scrolls."



"Depends, if it's fairly straightforward a few minutes a page.  If it's highly technical or full of unusual language it might take longer."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 4, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The group reunites without issue.


Rashka looks at the group, newly reunited with them and nods.
"Master Griffith is pretty happy about what we found. Frankly I am as well, I was afraid we'd leave empty handed. Thankfully we have our ghostly friend here to help find things."
Raskha looks to the broken down door across the way, licking her lips a bit.
"Now there is just that. Whenever you guys are ready, personally looking forward to making a killing off this place."


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 4, 2017)

"I'm glad to hear you didn't have any trouble; things have been quiet here too."



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Raskha looks to the broken down door across the way, licking her lips a bit.
> "Now there is just that. Whenever you guys are ready, personally looking forward to making a killing off this place."



Zahra nods. "If this area really was overlooked by everyone else, who knows what else we might find. I'm ready when you are."


----------



## soulnova (Jun 5, 2017)

"Alright then!" Elys claps once excited and is much more energetic. "Guess we do the same? Rashka ahead and we help out with looking for traps"


*Spoiler*: _Perception Checks Aid Another_ 




1d20+5
16+5 = 21

1d20+5
4+5 = 9

1d20+5
15+5 = 20

1d20+5
5+5 = 10

1d20+5
20+5 = 25

1d20+5
7+5 = 12


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 5, 2017)

Mitra gets his weapon braced and shield up and moves to the front. "Ready," he remarks evenly, edging into the passage way with care.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 5, 2017)

Zahra takes up the same position as before (which I think was in the second row, behind Mitra).


*Spoiler*: _Aid Another Perception_ 



1d20=18
1d20=9
1d20=11
1d20=10


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 5, 2017)

Same as always take 10 on perception. Perception 17.


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 5, 2017)

@Captain Obvious @Unlosing Ranger @Vergil @soulnova @P-X 12 @Kuno @Daenerys Stormborn @Hidden Nin @Eternity @Nicodemus 

The group heads through the broken door on the East wall, it leads to a short hallway running North and South.  To the South it runs only about 5' before ending in a door on the South wall.  The door's built heavier than the other doors in the ruin so far.

To the north the hallway runs about 20' before ending.  A door hangs ajar on the West wall all the way at the end.  At the end of the hallway a pile of bones and scraps of metal and cloth lay silent on the floor.  Above it on the East wall the bricks are warped, bulging out into the Earth beyond the hallway in a loose crater about 3' wide centered about 5' above the ground.


----------



## soulnova (Jun 6, 2017)

Elys moves the torch from one side to the other. 

"_Tsk, tsk_... Seems like someone had trouble over there. Wanna check this door first?" 


So far, can Elys tell if the doors so far have been forced from the inside?  (opposite of us)

Perception 
1d20+5
16+5 = 21


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 6, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys moves the torch from one side to the other.
> 
> "_Tsk, tsk_... Seems like someone had trouble over there. Wanna check this door first?"
> 
> ...


The broken doors' debris have been on the inside suggesting that an outside force has pushed through them (that is to say they appear to have been forced open in the direction the party is traveling).

The ajar door opens to the inside and is only barely open.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 6, 2017)

"Well going against the flow worked last time. I think I'll have to be careful however, there has to be a reason this way was avoided right?"
Raskha slowly checks for traps leading to the sturdy door 
take 10 for hallway
Perception: 17
and looks through the small ajar opening checking the door and what she can see inside for traps.
Take 20
Perception: 27


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 6, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Well going against the flow worked last time. I think I'll have to be careful however, there has to be a reason this way was avoided right?"
> Raskha slowly checks for traps leading to the sturdy door
> take 10 for hallway
> Perception: 17
> ...



There's no sign of traps in either direction.

As you approach the sturdy door to the South you catch a particularly foul and acrid scent.  The door is fitted tight into the wall but even so when close a stench permeates it.  To say you've never smelled anything like it is an understatement, your nose burns slightly in revulsion.

Through the crack in the door to the North you can only make out a small part of the room.  The room is apparently small, or at least it doesn't go very far towards the Southwest in the direction you can see.  The wall to the South is decorated with some cloth hangings, they've mostly blackened with age and look as if they'll disintegrate with a stiff breeze.  In the Southeast corner of the room is another skeletal form, this one wearing a steel breastplate that is mostly intact.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 6, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> There's no sign of traps in either direction.
> 
> As you approach the sturdy door to the South you catch a particularly foul and acrid scent.  The door is fitted tight into the wall but even so when close a stench permeates it.  To say you've never smelled anything like it is an understatement, your nose burns slightly in revulsion.


"UGNH! That's terrible how can anything have a smell at this point of age?"
Rashka moves then looks towards the half elf of the group.
"I need your ghost friend(?) again. There is no way I'm opening that door without knowing what is in there. If that door opens we'd probably die or never be able to come down here again."
@Captain Obvious


> Through the crack in the door to the North you can only make out a small part of the room.  The room is apparently small, or at least it doesn't go very far towards the Southwest in the direction you can see.  The wall to the South is decorated with some cloth hangings, they've mostly blackened with age and look as if they'll disintegrate with a stiff breeze.  In the Southeast corner of the room is another skeletal form, this one wearing a steel breastplate that is mostly intact.


"Oh there is a few nice things in here, though I can't see everything. I see a bony someone with some nice breastplate on. I'm sure he won't mind if we take it ourselves if we respect his body. I don't think that room is all that trapped, but if someone with magical vision could make sure..."


----------



## soulnova (Jun 6, 2017)

_"Ugh, what the hell...!!"_ Elys covers her mouth and nose as she takes her time to examine the closed door to the south.

Take 20 = 25 perception

"...yeah, whatever that is, I don't think we should open it... ack"

Survival
1d20+5
5+5 = 10

K. Nature
1d20+4
14+4 = 18


"A dead animal, perhaps?"
She will wait until Caitlyn checks the area.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 6, 2017)

soulnova said:


> _"Ugh, what the hell...!!"_ Elys covers her mouth and nose as she takes her time to examine the closed door to the south.
> 
> Take 20 = 25 perception
> 
> ...



It truly smells worse than anything Elys is familiar with.  It's not decay or waste, , if anything she might compare it to some of the tonics used when curing hides, though the burning stench is a thousand times stronger even through the sealed door.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 6, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> I don't think that room is all that trapped, but if someone with magical vision could make sure..."



Zahra casts Detect Magic and scans the room.


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 6, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> @Captain Obvious @Unlosing Ranger @Vergil @soulnova @P-X 12 @Kuno @Daenerys Stormborn @Hidden Nin @Eternity @Nicodemus
> 
> The group heads through the broken door on the East wall, it leads to a short hallway running North and South.  To the South it runs only about 5' before ending in a door on the South wall.  The door's built heavier than the other doors in the ruin so far.
> 
> To the north the hallway runs about 20' before ending.  A door hangs ajar on the West wall all the way at the end.  At the end of the hallway a pile of bones and scraps of metal and cloth lay silent on the floor.  Above it on the East wall the bricks are warped, bulging out into the Earth beyond the hallway in a loose crater about 3' wide centered about 5' above the ground.



Eren kept his sword out as he followed behind Raskha. As he looked at the larger door he was becoming more and more wary of the possibility that it could be a trap. 



Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Well going against the flow worked last time. I think I'll have to be careful however, there has to be a reason this way was avoided right?"
> Raskha slowly checks for traps leading to the sturdy door
> take 10 for hallway
> Perception: 17
> ...





WorkingMoogle said:


> There's no sign of traps in either direction.
> 
> As you approach the sturdy door to the South you catch a particularly foul and acrid scent.  The door is fitted tight into the wall but even so when close a stench permeates it.  To say you've never smelled anything like it is an understatement, your nose burns slightly in revulsion.
> 
> Through the crack in the door to the North you can only make out a small part of the room.  The room is apparently small, or at least it doesn't go very far towards the Southwest in the direction you can see.  The wall to the South is decorated with some cloth hangings, they've mostly blackened with age and look as if they'll disintegrate with a stiff breeze.  In the Southeast corner of the room is another skeletal form, this one wearing a steel breastplate that is mostly intact.



Eren was able to choke back the disgust he had the rancid odor coming from the door. He wasn't very familiar with the rancid scent, thinking at first that it was the smell of a corpse. "If that smell comes a corpse, it's a corpse of somethin' I've never dealt with." 

He shook off the stench as he turned to Raskha. "So, which way d'ya think we should go first? North or South?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 6, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> Eren kept his sword out as he followed behind Raskha. As he looked at the larger door he was becoming more and more wary of the possibility that it could be a trap.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 "North, though personally I want to know what is south first, we should wait for Cait to check it."


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 7, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra casts Detect Magic and scans the room.


There's no sign of magic from behind either door.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 7, 2017)

@Captain Obvious @Unlosing Ranger @Vergil @soulnova @P-X 12 @Kuno @Daenerys Stormborn @Hidden Nin @Eternity @Nicodemus 

((In the interest of keeping things moving I'll assume CO consents to the scouting, it's probably fair to assume the following information is relayed as well.))

Caitlyn floats through the ajar door to the North being just as reluctant as the living members of the party to enter the room to the South.  Inside she finds a macabre scene.  A number of bodies are in the room, or what once were bodys at least.  In the Southeast corner, as mentioned previously, a skeleton in a steel breastplate is crumpled in the corner.  In the Northeast a desiccated corpse is crumpled, its skull caved in by some blunt force.  A small skeleton sits upon a wooden table along the North wall, and a final corpse is pinned to the West wall by a spear.

The room itself is fairly small, about 10'x10', and is rather richly decorated compared to the previous rooms (or was some long time ago at least).  The walls are covered in cloth hangings that, while now have rotted away, probably once were colorful tapestries.  The table to the north has a pair of gold candlesticks, a golden goblet, and a heavy leather book with a thick bronze clasp locking it.


----------



## soulnova (Jun 7, 2017)

((Wait, so not even Caitlyn entered the southern door?  )) 


Elys waits for Caitlyn to come back and tell them what she saw. 

"Damn, whoever killed those people must have been crazy strong" 

She will follow behind right Rashka if she decides to enter to investigate.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 7, 2017)

((I actually forgot to post that, but yeah, let's go with that for now  ))

((I mean, the spirit has a sense of smell too, so....)


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 7, 2017)

For his part, Mitra doesn't even react to the strange smell. "Uh...what's the matter?" he asks at first, before he comes to understand it's an olfactory issue. "Oh! Huh." He might be smiling beneath the scarf. "I can uhm, hold my breath for a while, so if you'd like, I can check things out for a bit?"


----------



## soulnova (Jun 7, 2017)

"Uh?" Elys turns to Mithra in surprise. "Oh,  _please nonononono_, oh god no, don't open that door... it would only make the smell worse than already is. I don't think Master Griffith would be that desperate to get whatever is on the other side... just thinking about it makes my stomach churn, _uuugh_"

She does seem a little confused that anyone would be willing to get close to the nauseating smell.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 7, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> For his part, Mitra doesn't even react to the strange smell. "Uh...what's the matter?" he asks at first, before he comes to understand it's an olfactory issue. "Oh! Huh." He might be smiling beneath the scarf. "I can uhm, hold my breath for a while, so if you'd like, I can check things out for a bit?"


"Erm, maybe after we clear the North room. Personally something is wrong if they are still rotting. Reeks of a trap so to speak and not the kind I'm keen to deal with. if you really can hold your breath that long... Try cracking the door open quickly, going through it and closing it behind you there are too many other things down here to deal with that smell."


> Through the crack in the door to the North you can only make out a small part of the room. The room is apparently small, or at least it doesn't go very far towards the Southwest in the direction you can see. The wall to the South is decorated with some cloth hangings, they've mostly blackened with age and look as if they'll disintegrate with a stiff breeze. In the Southeast corner of the room is another skeletal form, this one wearing a steel breastplate that is mostly intact.


Rashka goes into the North room and starts checking it for traps. Take 10
Perception: 17


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 7, 2017)

"Yeah, as much as I don't want to get any closer to that smell, Raksha has a point. We might want Mitra or Caitlyn to check it out just to make sure there's nothing dangerous in there. But let's check the room that doesn't smell like a cross between a midden heap and an open grave first."


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 7, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka goes into the North room and starts checking it for traps. Take 10
> Perception: 17


Rashka finds no sign of traps in the North room.


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 7, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "North, though personally I want to know what is south first, we should wait for Cait to check it."



Eren nodded before looking at the Southern Door. "Hopefully there's nothin' living on the other side of there."



WorkingMoogle said:


> @Captain Obvious @Unlosing Ranger @Vergil @soulnova @P-X 12 @Kuno @Daenerys Stormborn @Hidden Nin @Eternity @Nicodemus
> 
> ((In the interest of keeping things moving I'll assume CO consents to the scouting, it's probably fair to assume the following information is relayed as well.))
> 
> ...





Hidden Nin said:


> For his part, Mitra doesn't even react to the strange smell. "Uh...what's the matter?" he asks at first, before he comes to understand it's an olfactory issue. "Oh! Huh." He might be smiling beneath the scarf. "I can uhm, hold my breath for a while, so if you'd like, I can check things out for a bit?"



"I don't know 'bout you, but whatever's behind that door isn't old. We should find whatever the hell killed the poor guys before we go in." 



Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Erm, maybe after we clear the North room. Personally something is wrong if they are still rotting. Reeks of a trap so to speak and not the kind I'm keen to deal with. if you really can hold your breath that long... Try cracking the door open quickly, going through it and closing it behind you there are too many other things down here to deal with that smell."



"Well if Mithra's goin' in there, he's not goin' alone. I'll join him. I've had experience dealin' with the smell of corpses." Eren covered his mouth and nose with a portion of his cloak as he walked up to the South door. "You ready?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 7, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Rashka finds no sign of traps in the North room.


"North room appears to be clean!"
Rashka searches for anything else of interest besides the plate in the room.
Take 10
Pecerption: 17


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 7, 2017)

The goggled and cloaked warrior is probably grinning, seeming pleased that Eren would offer to help him. He nods to Raksha before he moves for the door. "Yes, I can hold my breath for...a very long time," he says with a few quick nods, glancing to Zahra. "Just yell a bit if there's trouble," he tells her serious. "I'll be right back." Then he he grins (probably) at Eren from behind his scarves. "Ready." 

And then pushes inside the stinky room.


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 7, 2017)

@Captain Obvious @Unlosing Ranger @Vergil @soulnova @P-X 12 @Kuno @Daenerys Stormborn @Hidden Nin @Eternity @Nicodemus 



Unlosing Ranger said:


> "North room appears to be clean!"
> Rashka searches for anything else of interest besides the plate in the room.
> Take 10
> Pecerption: 17


The skeleton in the Southeast is wearing a breastplate, the leather strappings and padding have long since rotted away but the metal is in surprisingly good condition and it would probably be serviceable with a little work.  Beside the skeleton is a broken and rusted sabre and somewhat hidden under the bones is a serpentine knife.  Tucked away in some of the rotting cloth of what might have been a belt purse at one point is a small number of silver and copper coins, they (unsurprisingly) don't have the mint markings of any of the current countries (appraise and/or knowledge: history, 6th age to identify, by size/weight it's about 2gp worth of coins).

The desiccated body in the Northeast was wearing what might have been robes and padded armor at one point in time, it's rotted away to uselessness at this point however.  A silver triangle hangs on the neck (holy symbol of Ao).

The body on the West wall by far in the best shape, spear thrust through its chest aside.  It too appears to have been wearing robes at one point in time, though they also have long since worn away to uselessness.  A gold signet ring adorns one of the fingers of the corpse.

The skeleton on top of the table is much smaller (the others are all human or perhaps elf bodies, this is either a child or maybe a gnome or halfling).  There's no sign of anything of value in the bones.

There's no sign of other valuables in the room other than the mentioned book, cup, and candlesticks.



Hidden Nin said:


> The goggled and cloaked warrior is probably grinning, seeming pleased that Eren would offer to help him. He nods to Raksha before he moves for the door. "Yes, I can hold my breath for...a very long time," he says with a few quick nods, glancing to Zahra. "Just yell a bit if there's trouble," he tells her serious. "I'll be right back." Then he he grins (probably) at Eren from behind his scarves. "Ready."
> 
> And then pushes inside the stinky room.



As soon as the door is opened a veritable wall of stench floods out of the room and into the rest of the area.

Blythe, Eren, Zeke, Ufue, and Kiera immediately begins vomiting and gasping for breath, overcome by the nausea!  ((Nauseated))

Rashka, Kagami, Elys, Zahra, and the elf-woman-I-totally-remembered-to-write-the-name-down-of-but-choose-not-to-use-at-this-time are also overcome by the scent but manage to force through the worst of it ((Sickened))

Caitlyn is unaffected by the scent, other than probably not liking it very much.

On the other side of the room Mitra quickly closes the door behind himself.  Even holding his breath the air is clearly dangerously polluted.  For his efforts he finds the room to be a small privy.  A bench runs along one wall, holes cut into it for the necessary actions.  Opposite this is a counter with a ceramic pitcher and wash bin.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 7, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> @Captain Obvious @Unlosing Ranger @Vergil @soulnova @P-X 12 @Kuno @Daenerys Stormborn @Hidden Nin @Eternity @Nicodemus
> 
> 
> The skeleton in the Southeast is wearing a breastplate, the leather strappings and padding have long since rotted away but the metal is in surprisingly good condition and it would probably be serviceable with a little work.  Beside the skeleton is a broken and rusted sabre and somewhat hidden under the bones is a serpentine knife.  Tucked away in some of the rotting cloth of what might have been a belt purse at one point is a small number of silver and copper coins, they (unsurprisingly) don't have the mint markings of any of the current countries (appraise and/or knowledge: history, 6th age to identify, by size/weight it's about 2gp worth of coins).
> ...


"URP. OH GODS!"


----------



## Captain Obvious (Jun 8, 2017)

Blythe's face twists as the scent hits her.  She coughs once, twice, drool starts escaping her mouth as her eyes widen in slight panic, three times, gets started on a fourth before the vomit splatters onto Zeke's leg.  She doubles over, heaving a couple more times.

"What?  it isn't that bad."

"Not bad?" Blythe growls, "NOT BAD!?  IT SMELLS LIKE MOTHER'S SICKNESS SALVE." She shouts at the ghost, breaking her cool demeanor, spinning around, slipping on her own expulsed meal.  Her face turns vibrant pink in embarrassment, she pushes herself off the ground, shaking her clothes off some before getting into her bag to hide her body with her cloak.  

Out of curiosity, Caitlyn follows Mitra through the door.  "Hiya!  Hope you don't mind the company, don't slip!"


----------



## soulnova (Jun 8, 2017)

*"OH SWEET AO HAVE MERCY" *Elys stumbles back covering her face in disgust and horror, managing not to vomit out of impulse. Her eyes sting and tear up slightly.

"_Whyyyyy!_ _Why would you do that!? URGHK-" _she stops and closes her eyes, thinking back to a happy (and innocuous) place in her mind. _"There better be a spell to get rid of this stench, please, please, please"_

If the scent has subsided she will attempt to get close to assist the others.

Heal checks for each one.
1d20+5
9+5 = 14

1d20+5
8+5 = 13

1d20+5
5+5 = 10

1d20+5
8+5 = 13

1d20+5
18+5 = 23


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 8, 2017)

He glances over his shoulder then lifts a hand towards Caitlyn in greeting. "Yo," he greets, then lowers his hand to peer around the area in the dark. "What are all those wet sounds...?" he asks no one in particular, and then moves over to the ceramic jar, and then frowns. "...oh. Bother..." He looks to Caitlyn. "Well, I'll keep looking, but I think this is a wash. Can you make sure everyone gets behind a sealed door before I open this one again?"

Perception: 1D20+4 = [3]+4 = 7


(I actually don't think that Mitra _could_ smell if he wanted to, after consulting a few sources...)


----------



## Captain Obvious (Jun 8, 2017)

"Wet sounds?  Maybe zombies!  They make wet sounds and then growling then they eat your face!" She says before heading out.

"Seal yourselves away if you value your stomach, Mitra is coming back out." Caitlyn warns, nodding at the others.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 8, 2017)

Rashka closes the door in the room she's in


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 8, 2017)

soulnova said:


> *"OH SWEET AO HAVE MERCY" *Elys stumbles back covering her face in disgust and horror, managing not to vomit out of impulse. Her eyes sting and tear up slightly.
> 
> "_Whyyyyy!_ _Why would you do that!? URGHK-" _she stops and closes her eyes, thinking back to a happy (and innocuous) place in her mind. _"There better be a spell to get rid of this stench, please, please, please"_
> 
> ...



The scent doesn't seem to be getting any better, if it is it's too slow for her to notice.  Her efforts are able to help Kiera to a degree (she improves to sickened) but the others are apparently too far gone.  They'll need fresh air to recover (hopefully  ).




Hidden Nin said:


> He glances over his shoulder then lifts a hand towards Caitlyn in greeting. "Yo," he greets, then lowers his hand to peer around the area in the dark. "What are all those wet sounds...?" he asks no one in particular, and then moves over to the ceramic jar, and then frowns. "...oh. Bother..." He looks to Caitlyn. "Well, I'll keep looking, but I think this is a wash. Can you make sure everyone gets behind a sealed door before I open this one again?"
> 
> Perception: 1D20+4 = [3]+4 = 7
> 
> ...


((Based on a quick search opinions are split.  I don't have an objection if you want to go that way but personally I would say that anosmia isn't listed in the senses so you would have normal senses (save darkvision).)

The pitcher and bin are in good condition, but fairly unremarkable.  While they probably date back to the 6th age (if not earlier) they wouldn't be out of place in a typical home or inn today.


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 8, 2017)

Eren fell to the floor as the scent hit him, becoming too sick to properly stand. "Wha - " He said in between coughs and choking back heaves. "What the hell was that?!" His attempts to pick himself off the ground are met with limited success. "Ugh. . . "



Captain Obvious said:


> "Wet sounds?  Maybe zombies!  They make wet sounds and then growling then they eat your face!" She says before heading out.
> 
> "Seal yourselves away if you value your stomach, Mitra is coming back out." Caitlyn warns, nodding at the others.



"Oh, goddammit!" Eren tried his best to get away from the door before he had to endure the smell again, going near the North Room.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 8, 2017)

Zahra claps a hand over her mouth as the miasma washes over her. She swallows convulsively a couple of times, and in the end manages to prevent herself from throwing up. 



Captain Obvious said:


> "Seal yourselves away if you value your stomach, Mitra is coming back out." Caitlyn warns, nodding at the others.



Zahra backs up into the other room (and perhaps tries to support Eren as he stumbles in, if he allows it). While waiting for the stench to clear or be sealed away again, she examines the book to see if she can tell what language it's written in or anything else interesting about it.

@P-X 12


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 9, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra backs up into the other room (and perhaps tries to support Eren as he stumbles in, if he allows it). While waiting for the stench to clear or be sealed away again, she examines the book to see if she can tell what language it's written in or anything else interesting about it.



The book has a thick bronze clasp holding it shut, the clasp has a simple lock keeping it sealed for now.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 9, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka closes the door in the room she's in


And she makes sure it stays closed after anyone enters.


soulnova said:


> *"OH SWEET AO HAVE MERCY" *Elys stumbles back covering her face in disgust and horror, managing not to vomit out of impulse. Her eyes sting and tear up slightly.
> 
> "_Whyyyyy!_ _Why would you do that!? URGHK-" _she stops and closes her eyes, thinking back to a happy (and innocuous) place in her mind. _"There better be a spell to get rid of this stench, please, please, please"_
> 
> ...


"T-thanks for trying Elys. Urk."
Rashka still feels queasy.


WorkingMoogle said:


> Caitlyn floats through the ajar door to the North being just as reluctant as the living members of the party to enter the room to the South.  Inside she finds a macabre scene.  A number of bodies are in the room, or what once were bodys at least.  In the Southeast corner, as mentioned previously, a skeleton in a steel breastplate is crumpled in the corner.  In the Northeast a desiccated corpse is crumpled, its skull caved in by some blunt force.  A small skeleton sits upon a wooden table along the North wall, and a final corpse is pinned to the West wall by a spear.
> 
> The room itself is fairly small, about 10'x10', and is rather richly decorated compared to the previous rooms (or was some long time ago at least).  The walls are covered in cloth hangings that, while now have rotted away, probably once were colorful tapestries.  The table to the north has a pair of gold candlesticks, a golden goblet, and a heavy leather book with a thick bronze clasp locking it.


After nearly vomiting Rashka hopes dealing with dead bodies won't set her off, then again they don't smell nearly as bad. She takes note of the candle sticks, Golden goblet and leather book and sets them aside closer to the group then gets to work. She first takes the breastplate off the skeleton in a corner carefully spotting some other things as a result.


> The skeleton in the Southeast is wearing a breastplate, the leather strappings and padding have long since rotted away but the metal is in surprisingly good condition and it would probably be serviceable with a little work.  Beside the skeleton is a broken and rusted sabre and somewhat hidden under the bones is a serpentine knife.  Tucked away in some of the rotting cloth of what might have been a belt purse at one point is a small number of silver and copper coins, they (unsurprisingly) don't have the mint markings of any of the current countries (appraise and/or knowledge: history, 6th age to identify, by size/weight it's about 2gp worth of coins).


She takes the rusted sabre and serpentine knife and pockets the silver and copper coins in a small separate pocket in her backpack. "If anyone wants to identify what these coins are and what they'd be worth I'd be nice. Though by those texts earlier and what Sir Griffith said it's not to hard to guess"




> The desiccated body in the Northeast was wearing what might have been robes and padded armor at one point in time, it's rotted away to uselessness at this point however.  A silver triangle hangs on the neck (holy symbol of Ao).


Rashka grabs the robes in a solid spot by the bottom and slowly and gently drags the skeleton next to the skeleton that had breastplate. She leaves the symbol on the skeleton.



EvilMoogle said:


> The body on the West wall by far in the best shape, spear thrust through its chest aside.  It too appears to have been wearing robes at one point in time, though they also have long since worn away to uselessness.  A gold signet ring adorns one of the fingers of the corpse.
> 
> The skeleton on top of the table is much smaller (the others are all human or perhaps elf bodies, this is either a child or maybe a gnome or halfling).  There's no sign of anything of value in the bones.


Raskha eyes the ring on the speared man and even the spear itself. "Something rather impressive did that... I'll need help removing that spear so I can get to that ring."
Rashka moves the small skeletal body next to the possible priest of Ao and once breast plated skeleton with care. Almost all of them are together now.


P-X 12 said:


> Eren fell to the floor as the scent hit him, becoming too sick to properly stand. "Wha - " He said in between coughs and choking back heaves. "What the hell was that?!" His attempts to pick himself off the ground are met with limited success. "Ugh. . . "
> 
> 
> 
> "Oh, goddammit!" Eren tried his best to get away from the door before he had to endure the smell again, going near the North Room.


"Not a corpse like you thought was it. Here." 
Rashka gives Eren the decayed breastplate to carry.
"Help me with that spear by taking it out."
@P-X 12 


EvilMoogle said:


> The book has a thick bronze clasp holding it shut, the clasp has a simple lock keeping it sealed for now.


Finally she moves towards the book.
"A moment."
Rashka gets a water skin out ,  washes her hands, gargles some water spitting it out, and then rinses her face.

"Alright."
She starts to get to work on unlocking the book.
1d20+4
4+4 = 8

"Nope."
1d20+4
10+4 = 14

"Really wish he waited to open that door..."
1d20+4
11+4 = 15

"Because it makes it harder to concentrate while trying not to puke."
1d20+4
2+4 = 6

Finally Rashka realizes something
"... I don't have the proper tools to open this haha. Well I'll just keep a hold of it for now I doubt any of us could read it anyway."
Rashka puts the book away as well as the gold candle sticks and Golden goblet.

@EvilMoogle


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 9, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Not a corpse like you thought was it. Here."
> Rashka gives Eren the decayed breastplate to carry.
> "Help me with that spear by taking it out."
> @P-X 12



"Mhm . . . Yeah, just give me a second . . . " Eren made his way to the spear, still green around the gills, as he took a swig of water and sprayed his face. He gripped the spear attempted to yank it from the skeleton. "Hrk!" His body started to strain due to the pressure; he was having trouble keeping himself standing.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 9, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> "Mhm . . . Yeah, just give me a second . . . " Eren made his way to the spear, still green around the gills, as he took a swig of water and sprayed his face. He gripped the spear attempted to yank it from the skeleton. "Hrk!" His body started to strain due to the pressure; he was having trouble keeping himself standing.


"You seem to be struggling, do you need help?"


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 9, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "You seem to be struggling, do you need help?"



Eren let out a cough. "Honestly, I could use a hand."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 9, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> Eren let out a cough. "Honestly, I could use a hand."


Rashka smiles a wry smile
"Fine Fine, no promises. I'm about as strong as a twig."
She starts pulling the spear while behind Eren.
Str roll:
1d20-2
5-2 = 3


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 9, 2017)

Working at it the spear is actually wedged into the mortar between two bricks, it would be fairly easy to pull out once the body's weight is removed from the equation.  If you could focus enough to get good leverage on it that is.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 9, 2017)

Mitra does a once over on the privy for a bit. (Taking 10 on Perception for a 14) but doubting there's anything worth finding, he eventually confirms the other door is sealed and makes his way back out, waiting things out to see if the smell had lingered on him as well. "Gosh...I guess that's it." 

He moves towards the North door, waiting some minutes for the any lingering smell to diffuse before he tries to enter after the others.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 9, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra does a once over on the privy for a bit. (Taking 10 on Perception for a 14) but doubting there's anything worth finding, he eventually confirms the other door is sealed and makes his way back out, waiting things out to see if the smell had lingered on him as well. "Gosh...I guess that's it."



The privy drops about 20 feet into what might generously be described as a large cistern.  It's difficult to make out much with dark vision as the surface of the liquid is much the same as smooth stone might be but Mitra can tell the surface of the fluid is broken up, with a little care he can make out what appears to be bones sticking up from the mixture.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 9, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> Working at it the spear is actually wedged into the mortar between two bricks, it would be fairly easy to pull out once the body's weight is removed from the equation.  If you could focus enough to get good leverage on it that is.


Rashka puffs her cheeks out.
"Stupid spear!"
She jumps up and down while holding the spear making it go back and forth with her weight building up energy.


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 9, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> Working at it the spear is actually wedged into the mortar between two bricks, it would be fairly easy to pull out once the body's weight is removed from the equation.  If you could focus enough to get good leverage on it that is.





Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka puffs her cheeks out.
> "Stupid spear!"
> She jumps up and down while holding the spear making it go back and forth with her weight building up energy.



Eren moved himself to get better angle on the spear. "Alright then," he said to himself as he began moving it back and forth with Raskha to build up energy before pulling with everything he had when he believed they had enough.


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 10, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka puffs her cheeks out.
> "Stupid spear!"
> She jumps up and down while holding the spear making it go back and forth with her weight building up energy.





P-X 12 said:


> Eren moved himself to get better angle on the spear. "Alright then," he said to himself as he began moving it back and forth with Raskha to build up energy before pulling with everything he had when he believed they had enough.



I think you both kind of overestimate how much focus you can put on a task while vomiting up your intestines.  

But sure, with some wiggling you work the spear free and the body and spear collapse in a pile on the ground.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 10, 2017)

Rashka searches the body for more than the ring on it's hand.


----------



## soulnova (Jun 10, 2017)

((How long will they stay sickened??))


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 10, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka searches the body for more than the ring on it's hand.


There's nothing else of value to be found.



soulnova said:


> ((How long will they stay sickened??))


((Safe bet would be until they can get some fresh, clean air.))


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 10, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> There's nothing else of value to be found.


Rashka gives the spear to Eren
@P-X 12
And pockets the gold signet ring.
"I need some air. Lets go back to Master Griffith."


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 10, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> I think you both kind of overestimate how much focus you can put on a task while vomiting up your intestines.
> 
> But sure, with some wiggling you work the spear free and the body and spear collapse in a pile on the ground.



Eren fell over as he tried to stop himself from running out of fluid before he got back up. "Hate this place. Hate it . . . "



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka gives the spear to Eren
> @P-X 12
> And pockets the gold signet ring.
> "I need some air. Lets go back to Master Griffith."



Eren nodded, at this point too sick of this place (and in general) to disagree as he picked up the spear and walked out of the hall. "Guys, we should probably get some air."


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 10, 2017)

Mitra stares into the trough with the suspicious looking liquid. He eyes the pitcher and bin for a moment...wary of any strange contents, but ultimately doesn't bring them back with him. "There was a pitcher and bin but I figured the smell of them would make selling them difficult...so I left them." He shrugs his shoulders.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 11, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> The book has a thick bronze clasp holding it shut, the clasp has a simple lock keeping it sealed for now.



Is there any writing on the cover or spine (title/author)?



Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra stares into the trough with the suspicious looking liquid. He eyes the pitcher and bin for a moment...wary of any strange contents, but ultimately doesn't bring them back with him. "There was a pitcher and bin but I figured the smell of them would make selling them difficult...so I left them." He shrugs his shoulders.



"Probably a good call."


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 11, 2017)

Those that are heading out find the way unblocked and once they've climbed out the air is fresh (or at least mostly) and they recover from their conditions in short order.



Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Is there any writing on the cover or spine (title/author)?


*dice clatter*

No, there's no writing out the outside of the book.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 12, 2017)

"I'll be going back to camp for a break."
Rashka heads back to give master Griffith the items they gathered while also getting some coffee for a break.
"I believe we picked the place clean underground."


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 12, 2017)

Mitra of all people looks to Raksha as they make their way out, offering a hand for the book. "If you give me a bit of time with the clasp I maybe be able to get the book unlocked!"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 12, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra of all people looks to Raksha as they make their way out, offering a hand for the book. "If you give me a bit of time with the clasp I maybe be able to get the book unlocked!"


"Hmm..."
This person has been odd throughout and to unlock this without thief tools would take overwhelming skill she knew that much.
"Alright, give it a shot."
She hands him the book on the way back to camp.
"Do you mind if I watch as you do it however?"


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 12, 2017)

"Not at all, ask all the questions you want too. Or write them down, and I'll answer after I'm done. It's really not that difficult if you have the right tools, nothing overwhelming..."

He inspects the lock and clasp all the way back to camp with care, at which point he finds a seat and space to set the book down neatly, probably in a tent or on the end of a wagon. He adjusts his goggles carefully as he squints behind the smokey glass, then begins pulling tools and smaller lenses from his belt to try and disassemble the lock, rather than pick it.

(Rolled Aid Self: Knowledge (Engineering): 1D20+6 = [20]+6 = 26. Then, taking 20 on a Crafts (Mechanics) check to dismantle if possible. 20 + 6 + 2 + 2 = 30)


----------



## soulnova (Jun 12, 2017)

"Hey guys, I'm going to check the-" she stops for a second watching Mitra working on the clasp. She's interested on the work, but has no clue of what is he doing. "Uh... I'm... I'm going to check on the small tunnel we passed back there. Are you guys going to stay here? There still could be something left to find"



She retraces her steps and will analyse the entrance of the tunnel. 


Take 20 Perception = 25

((can't roll but if needed: Survival +5,  K.Dungeneering +4, K. Nature +4))


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 12, 2017)

Mitra examines the lock and finds the seams where the faceplate is installed.  From there it's a fairly simple operation to remove the plate and gain access to the locking mechanism itself.  He's able to align the tumblers and "unlock" the lock manually allowing access to the book.

Carefully flipping through a few pages Mitra finds the book to be written in a language he (and anyone else who looks) is unfamiliar with.  The writing isn't any of the runic alphabets commonly in use in the world, nor even the Toritian Characters occasionally used in the Cusan Dynasty.  From time to time there are scrawlings in the margins or blank spaces written in Empyreal.  Most of the book is text, though from time to time sketches of various plants along with the occasional diagram are scattered throughout the writings.

Upon getting it open Master Griffith examines the book.  "Curious," he beings.  "I'm not familiar with the main language, and at a glance neither was the previous owner.  The Empyreal appears to be translator's notes, shorthand commentary on what a particular item is saying."  He stops short, and is quiet for a time.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 12, 2017)

soulnova said:


> She retraces her steps and will analyse the entrance of the tunnel.
> 
> 
> Take 20 Perception = 25
> ...



The tunnel is fairly small by human standards.  It's big enough you're pretty sure you could climb through but it would be awkward (I'm calling it a DC 15 escape artist check to pass through for anyone "medium" sized, the gnome can crawl through at her normal movement rate without check).

While the tunnel looks like it was originally created by natural luck in the collapsing rubble it's been dug out and expanded by small claws.  Most likely bets in this area would be more dogs or giant rats, though anything else of similar size could potentially be to blame.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 12, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> "Not at all, ask all the questions you want too. Or write them down, and I'll answer after I'm done. It's really not that difficult if you have the right tools, nothing overwhelming..."
> 
> He inspects the lock and clasp all the way back to camp with care, at which point he finds a seat and space to set the book down neatly, probably in a tent or on the end of a wagon. He adjusts his goggles carefully as he squints behind the smokey glass, then begins pulling tools and smaller lenses from his belt to try and disassemble the lock, rather than pick it.
> 
> (Rolled Aid Self: Knowledge (Engineering): 1D20+6 = [20]+6 = 26. Then, taking 20 on a Crafts (Mechanics) check to dismantle if possible. 20 + 6 + 2 + 2 = 30)


"!"
Rashka watches as Mitra takes it apart.
"I never thought of taking it apart like that. Where did you learn your craft?"


WorkingMoogle said:


> Mitra examines the lock and finds the seams where the faceplate is installed.  From there it's a fairly simple operation to remove the plate and gain access to the locking mechanism itself.  He's able to align the tumblers and "unlock" the lock manually allowing access to the book.
> 
> Carefully flipping through a few pages Mitra finds the book to be written in a language he (and anyone else who looks) is unfamiliar with.  The writing isn't any of the runic alphabets commonly in use in the world, nor even the Toritian Characters occasionally used in the Cusan Dynasty.  From time to time there are scrawlings in the margins or blank spaces written in Empyreal.  Most of the book is text, though from time to time sketches of various plants along with the occasional diagram are scattered throughout the writings.
> 
> Upon getting it open Master Griffith examines the book.  "Curious," he beings.  "I'm not familiar with the main language, and at a glance neither was the previous owner.  The Empyreal appears to be translator's notes, shorthand commentary on what a particular item is saying."  He stops short, and is quiet for a time.


"Wouldn't some magic be able to read this? What does it say in Empyreal?"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 12, 2017)

Zahra watches as Mitra disassembles the lock on the book. The expression on her face turns from excitement to see what the book might say, to disappointment when she realizes she can't read it, to confusion when she realizes no one else can read it either. "Between all of us, we know Water Runes, Fire Runes, Empyreal, Elven, and Gnomish, right? So if it's not any of those...could it be Dwarven, maybe?" She thinks for a minute, then adds, "Most of the pictures seem to be of plants, so maybe it's a botanical text?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 12, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra watches as Mitra disassembles the lock on the book. The expression on her face turns from excitement to see what the book might say, to disappointment when she realizes she can't read it, to confusion when she realizes no one else can read it either. "Between all of us, we know Water Runes, Fire Runes, Empyreal, Elven, and Gnomish, right? So if it's not any of those...could it be Dwarven, maybe?" She thinks for a minute, then adds, "Most of the pictures seem to be of plants, so maybe it's a botanical text?"


"Wait plants.... Perhaps we should ask a druid if can can't figure this out no matter what? But they are rare aren't they?*"*


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 12, 2017)

He brushes his hands off, quickly losing interest with the text after he realizes he can't read it, and what's more, even if he could, it was about _plants_. The man hops to his feet just as quickly, brushing himself off as he works his gloves back on. He peers over at Raksha, then taps his chin. "...ah, well, Mother taught me, I suppose. Mostly practice with simple locks and clasps, on books, gates, small tinker metals, basic mechanical traps, a ballista or deadeye pitfall. Sometimes self repai...er...reparations. Like fixing things for people I've wronged."

He brushes his pants off, and looks over between the others, and then in the direction Elys had gone. "Should we be helping her? The book won't be going anywhere..."


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 12, 2017)

((The book is not written using any of the normal runes.  I'm running under the assumption that anyone literate in Earth/Fire/Water/Metal/Wood runes would recognize the other types even if they can't read them.  I should also elaborate that each of these are phonetic alphabets so there's a degree of interchangeability to them.  This is something different that one might (correctly) assume to predate the current writing systems.  Or at least predate when these writing systems took over as the standard systems))

Master Griffith nods, "yes, you should continue your search.  While I must admit I am greatly tempted to dive in and see what we've found that's the test for me.  In a more wild setting it can be a fatal mistake for us to get absorbed in a project, there will be time to translate and review when we get back to town.  Don't worry, I have no intention of selling a book without at least some idea of what the contents are.  Can't exactly get a fair price that way."


----------



## soulnova (Jun 13, 2017)

((Did we take the rest of the stuff to Griffith to examine too?))


Things from the North room area: 

- Breastplate (masterwork?)
- Rusty Sabre
- Serpent Knife
- Silver and Copper Coins
- Holy Symbol of Ao
- Cup 
- Gold Signet ring
- Book (plants?)



Elys steps back and stares at the tunnel a little conflicted. 

"Ok... the tunnel is mostly natural but it has been used by an animal. Someone nimble could get in... or the gnome, *but* I don't think it would be entirely safe. You could get stuck and... well, I wouldn't want to be there if the animal is in his way out and wants a piece of your face for a snack" 


Could it be possible to enlarge the tunnel? How long does the tunnel looks like? Elys places a lit torch at the entrance of the tunnel to see if there's any draft coming from there.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 13, 2017)

soulnova said:


> ((Did we take the rest of the stuff to Griffith to examine too?))


((I don't know, did you?   UR mentioned leaving the holy symbol with the body, I'll leave it up to you guys if you wanted to bring it with you or not.  I'd assume someone brought the rest of the stuff.))



soulnova said:


> Elys steps back and stares at the tunnel a little conflicted.
> 
> "Ok... the tunnel is mostly natural but it has been used by an animal. Someone nimble could get in... or the gnome, *but* I don't think it would be entirely safe. You could get stuck and... well, I wouldn't want to be there if the animal is in his way out and wants a piece of your face for a snack"
> 
> ...




The bottom of the tunnel is dirt so with the right tools it should be possible to enlarge the tunnel.  Since the tunnel is also partially made from an incomplete collapse of the wall/ceiling in this area _safely_ enlarging it might be a consideration.

The tunnel bends in a kind of shallow "U" shape so it's tough to say for sure how long it is, but _probably_ not much longer than a few feet to get under the collapsed wall.  There's no particular draft coming through the tunnel.


----------



## soulnova (Jun 13, 2017)

"Anyone has a shovel? ... and does somebody know how to reinforce the tunnel? We might be able to get to the other side with some digging" 

She will ask Rashka for a shovel... either her or Griffith outside might have one.

(( Anyone with *K.Engineering?*))


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 13, 2017)

Eren took deep breaths of fresh air as his nausea started to subside. "Thank the maker that's over." He drank from his waterskin until it was empty and brandished the spear and the holy symbol of Ao with him as he walked over to Master Griffith.



WorkingMoogle said:


> Mitra examines the lock and finds the seams where the faceplate is installed.  From there it's a fairly simple operation to remove the plate and gain access to the locking mechanism itself.  He's able to align the tumblers and "unlock" the lock manually allowing access to the book.
> 
> Carefully flipping through a few pages Mitra finds the book to be written in a language he (and anyone else who looks) is unfamiliar with.  The writing isn't any of the runic alphabets commonly in use in the world, nor even the Toritian Characters occasionally used in the Cusan Dynasty.  From time to time there are scrawlings in the margins or blank spaces written in Empyreal.  Most of the book is text, though from time to time sketches of various plants along with the occasional diagram are scattered throughout the writings.
> 
> Upon getting it open Master Griffith examines the book.  "Curious," he beings.  "I'm not familiar with the main language, and at a glance neither was the previous owner.  The Empyreal appears to be translator's notes, shorthand commentary on what a particular item is saying."  He stops short, and is quiet for a time.



Eren sighed. "Well, I guess we hafta find a translator somewhere down the road."



EvilMoogle said:


> ((The book is not written using any of the normal runes.  I'm running under the assumption that anyone literate in Earth/Fire/Water/Metal/Wood runes would recognize the other types even if they can't read them.  I should also elaborate that each of these are phonetic alphabets so there's a degree of interchangeability to them.  This is something different that one might (correctly) assume to predate the current writing systems.  Or at least predate when these writing systems took over as the standard systems))
> 
> Master Griffith nods, "yes, you should continue your search.  While I must admit I am greatly tempted to dive in and see what we've found that's the test for me.  In a more wild setting it can be a fatal mistake for us to get absorbed in a project, there will be time to translate and review when we get back to town.  Don't worry, I have no intention of selling a book without at least some idea of what the contents are.  Can't exactly get a fair price that way."





WorkingMoogle said:


> ((I don't know, did you?   UR mentioned leaving the holy symbol with the body, I'll leave it up to you guys if you wanted to bring it with you or not.  I'd assume someone brought the rest of the stuff.))
> 
> 
> 
> ...



"Oh, right! Forgot to give ya these." Eren passed the spear and holy symbol he took as he left the ruins. "Anything special 'bout those?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 13, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> He brushes his hands off, quickly losing interest with the text after he realizes he can't read it, and what's more, even if he could, it was about _plants_. The man hops to his feet just as quickly, brushing himself off as he works his gloves back on. He peers over at Raksha, then taps his chin. "...ah, well, Mother taught me, I suppose. Mostly practice with simple locks and clasps, on books, gates, small tinker metals, basic mechanical traps, a ballista or deadeye pitfall. Sometimes self repai...er...reparations. Like fixing things for people I've wronged."
> 
> He brushes his pants off, and looks over between the others, and then in the direction Elys had gone. "Should we be helping her? The book won't be going anywhere..."


"Oh you broke some things in the past? What did you break?"
Rashka looks in the same direction.
"I suppose you are right, but I'm not all that confident about tunneling. We aren't moles or anything."


P-X 12 said:


> Eren took deep breaths of fresh air as his nausea started to subside. "Thank the maker that's over." He drank from his waterskin until it was empty and brandished the spear and the holy symbol of Ao with him as he walked over to Master Griffith.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"Wait you took the holy symbol from that corpse? Is that really proper?" Rashka frowns.


soulnova said:


> "Anyone has a shovel? ... and does somebody know how to reinforce the tunnel? We might be able to get to the other side with some digging"
> 
> She will ask Rashka for a shovel... either her or Griffith outside might have one.
> 
> (( Anyone with *K.Engineering?*))


"A shovel for that tunnel? Hmm, I should go buy one, though I don't think a shovel would work that well for a small tunnel like that anyway. Wouldn't you want to go around the tunnel and check in the same direction?  I mean we wouldn't know how long we could be digging either. Hang on..."
Rashka looks over to Blythe.
"Wouldn't your special bond help search here as well?"
@Captain Obvious


----------



## Captain Obvious (Jun 13, 2017)

She snaps, fading Caitlyn into her ectoplasmic form.  "She can be as far as 100feet away from myself in this form, as long as there is space for her to come to form on the other side." Blythe flicks her wrist nonchalantly, "Do as you will."

"I'll go do that guys!"


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 13, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "Anyone has a shovel? ... and does somebody know how to reinforce the tunnel? We might be able to get to the other side with some digging"
> 
> She will ask Rashka for a shovel... either her or Griffith outside might have one.
> 
> (( Anyone with *K.Engineering?*))



He actually doesn't have shovels with the wagons, though that really should be on their list ((I _always_ forget shovels)).  He promises to pick some up when they're back in town, but that's just the sort of thing they're trying to sort out here.



P-X 12 said:


> Eren sighed. "Well, I guess we hafta find a translator somewhere down the road."


"I'll make my best effort to translate everything when I have some more dedicated time.  The more we know about things before selling them the better price they'll fetch.  If I can't manage it I'll see about finding a sage."



P-X 12 said:


> "Oh, right! Forgot to give ya these." Eren passed the spear and holy symbol he took as he left the ruins. "Anything special 'bout those?"


"I'll wait until we get back to town to do a formal appraisal but at a glance," he pauses to inspect the items.  "The holy symbol looks fairly typical, I was never much one for temple but I don't suppose Ao would want to waste too much on artistic design.  Without a way to prove it's age it probably won't sell for anything more than a normal vendor would."

"The spear is an interesting design, I'm not an expert in craftsmanship but it might be valuable to a collector, I'll check in with a few people when we get back to town."




Captain Obvious said:


> She snaps, fading Caitlyn into her ectoplasmic form.  "She can be as far as 100feet away from myself in this form, as long as there is space for her to come to form on the other side." Blythe flicks her wrist nonchalantly, "Do as you will."
> 
> "I'll go do that guys!"



Caitlyn follows the tunnel leaving behind a trail of ectoplasm.  The tunnel itself is short, but narrow the whole way.  only about 5' in total length ((a move action for anyone to attempt to move through it with the above mentioned escape artist check, or normal, crawling, movement for anyone small sized)).  Faint light trickles in through holes in the roof making the entire area dimly lit.

Inside is a long rectangular room (about 20' North-to-south, 80' East-to-West, the tunnel enters on the Southwest corner).  Ruins of beds line the walls giving the room the appearance of a barracks or dormitory of some sort.  Most of the beds are in pretty poor condition, time and weather having wrought their effects on them.  Some, though not most, of the beds have footlockers, others have debris that might have been footlockers at one point in time or another.

Caitlyn's entrance is greeted by the scurrying of many small claws on the floor, she catches flashes of movement when she first arrives but it's too quick to make out details.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 14, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "Anyone has a shovel? ... and does somebody know how to reinforce the tunnel? We might be able to get to the other side with some digging"
> 
> She will ask Rashka for a shovel... either her or Griffith outside might have one.
> 
> (( Anyone with *K.Engineering?*))


"Oh, I've a folding shovel, though that might be the hard way to excavate this..."


Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Oh you broke some things in the past? What did you break?"
> Rashka looks in the same direction.
> "I suppose you are right, but I'm not all that confident about tunneling. We aren't moles or anything."
> 
> ...


"Just random, fragile things...nothing _too_ important."


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 14, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Wait you took the holy symbol from that corpse? Is that really proper?" Rashka frowns.



Eren shrugged. "Probably not, but hey, it's not like he needs it at this point. Pretty sure Ao's not gonna mind if the man's skeleton doesn't have it anymore." He rolled a pebble in his hand with a slight tension. "I hope."



EvilMoogle said:


> "I'll wait until we get back to town to do a formal appraisal but at a glance," he pauses to inspect the items. "The holy symbol looks fairly typical, I was never much one for temple but I don't suppose Ao would want to waste too much on artistic design. Without a way to prove it's age it probably won't sell for anything more than a normal vendor would."
> 
> "The spear is an interesting design, I'm not an expert in craftsmanship but it might be valuable to a collector, I'll check in with a few people when we get back to town."





Hidden Nin said:


> "Just random, fragile things...nothing _too_ important."



Eren nodded. "Alight then. Hopefully we already found everything worth snatching down there."


----------



## soulnova (Jun 14, 2017)

*


AT THE TUNNEL ENTRANCE *
((I'm going to try to establish where Elys is so we don't get confused. She isn't outside with Griffith))


"Oh, that's handy" Elys nods  to Mitra. "I need get my own shovel tho. It's still better than no shovel"

If Caitlyn comes back from the other side, she will proceed to try to carefully enlarge the tunnel. "If that thing is hungry, you really don't want to get stuck mid way. Even small animals can be dangerous if they are desperate"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 14, 2017)

Zahra is at the entrance to the tunnel as well. She doesn't have a shovel, so she can't offer to help with the digging, but she will offer to take over for a while if Elys seems to be getting tired. If she does so, she'll also ask Mitra for advice on where/how to dig without risk of the tunnel wall or ceiling collapsing.
@soulnova @Hidden Nin


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 14, 2017)

Mitra steps up and unloads his shovel, eyeing the tunnel in silence before taking stock of Elys' plan to get to the other side.

((Personally having some trouble visualizing what it is Elys proposed/the dimensions of the tunnel, but Mitra will try his best to facilitate and dig through a solution.))

Engineering: 1D20+6 = [16]+6 = 22


----------



## soulnova (Jun 15, 2017)

(( The tunnel is 5ft long to the other side, I wish to enlarge the entrance to allow us to cross without squeezing. We must be careful not to collapse it and block it, I guess))


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 15, 2017)

Widing the hole is an awkward task, but it isn't particularly hard.  Mitra's expertise can quickly see that the weight distribution on the rubble is pretty solid where it is, as long as the foundations of it aren't threatened they should be safe.  He directs digging mostly down, in a kind of inverse wedge.  It isn't exactly pretty but it clears things up enough to get through easier.

Everyone will still need to crawl through, but it's not so tight as to make it a struggle for people.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 15, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> Eren shrugged. "Probably not, but hey, it's not like he needs it at this point. Pretty sure Ao's not gonna mind if the man's skeleton doesn't have it anymore." He rolled a pebble in his hand with a slight tension. "I hope."
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Rashka raises her hand
"I vote Eren goes through the hole first."


----------



## soulnova (Jun 15, 2017)

"Tsk, tsk, who will check fro traps then?" she jokes with Rashka. "I'll go with him too, but I'm sure we will need you too... sooo..."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 15, 2017)

soulnova said:


> "Tsk, tsk, who will check fro traps then?" she jokes with Rashka. "I'll go with him too, but I'm sure we will need you too... sooo..."


Rashka mumbles some complaints while following Elys through the hole.


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 15, 2017)

After collapsing down his shovel to put back into his pack, Mitra stows his shield and spear on his back to crawl on through at the back of the progression.


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 15, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka raises her hand
> "I vote Eren goes through the hole first."



Eren sighed. "Dammit. Fine, whatever. Let's just hope we don't take a step anywhere near that gas crap." He stored his weapons on his waist as he walked behind Mitra.


----------



## soulnova (Jun 16, 2017)

((Ok, so I guess walking order so far would be Elys-Rashka-Mitra-Eren + whoever else comes behind us))


Elys raises her torch to see better into the room. "There should be a critter around here. Be careful, we don't know what it is yet"

She will have a look around and aid Rashka and try not to touch anything.



Perception Checks for aid another +2
1d20+5
10+5 = 15

1d20+5
18+5 = 23

1d20+5
18+5 = 23

1d20+5
19+5 = 24

1d20+5
5+5 = 10


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 16, 2017)

soulnova said:


> ((Ok, so I guess walking order so far would be Elys-Rashka-Mitra-Eren + whoever else comes behind us))
> 
> 
> Elys raises her torch to see better into the room. "There should be a critter around here. Be careful, we don't know what it is yet"
> ...


Raska takes ten on Perception 
Perception: 17
She also has her dagger and shortsword out already


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 16, 2017)

As soon as Eren emerges from the hole he's met with a hissing noise from deeper into the room.  About a half dozen rats the size of large dogs emerge from nests in the beds.  Cautiously at first but the prospect of fresh meat invading seems a tempting one as they start to advance!


----------



## soulnova (Jun 16, 2017)

HP11/AC9
DR 4
Initiative +1
Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
Greatsword +3 [2d6+4]x3 (two handed)
Longbow +2 [1d8]x3

Climb +5, Handle Animal +4, Heal +5, K.Dungeon +4, K+Geography +4, K.Nature +4, Perception +5, Profession (Trapper) +5, Ride +4, Stealth +4, Survival +5



"uh-oh" Elys takes our her greatsword.

"Rashka, stay behind us" she will close ranks with Mitra and Eren, against the wall. "Let them come to us or you might get surrounded" 




She will stand her ground and use *power attack/cleave* as they come.



*Spoiler*: _3 Rounds of Actions_ 





Round 1
Initiative
1d20+1
14+1 = 15


1d20+0
14+0 = 14 Power Attack + Cleave

1d20+0
18+0 = 18 Power Attack + Cleave



Round 2
1d20+1
13+1 = 14


1d20+0
19+0 = 19 Power Attack + Cleave

1d20+0
17+0 = 17 Power Attack + Cleave


Round 3

1d20+1
9+1 = 10

1d20+0
12+0 = 12 Power Attack + Cleave




Power Attacks

1d20+2
17+3 = 19

1d20+2
11+3 = 13

1d20+2
10+2 = 12

1d20+2
17+2 = 19

1d20+2
2+2 = 4


Power Attacks Damage
2d6+7
2,4+7 = 13

2d6+7
4,6+7 = 17

2d6+7
4,3+7 = 14

2d6+7
1,2+7 = 10

2d6+7
4,3+7 = 14



Cleave Attacks

1d20+2
9+2 = 11

1d20+2
14+2 = 16

1d20+2
5+2 = 7

1d20+2
14+2 = 16

1d20+2
4+2 = 6


cleave damage
2d6+7
4,3+7 = 14

2d6+7
4,5+7 = 16

2d6+7
1,1+7 = 9

2d6+7
6,5+7 = 18

2d6+7
6,3+7 = 16


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 16, 2017)

*Rashka the Merchant*
_Elf Unchained  Rogue N_
*HP* 9 / 9 *Speed* ft *Init* 4
*AC* 12 *Fort* 0 *Ref* 4 *Will* 1
*CMB* +0 *BAB*
*Dagger* +2 (1d4, x3)
*Sword, short* +2 (1d6, x3)
*Dagger* +2 (1d4, x3)
*Shortbow* +2 (1d6, x3)
*Str* 10 (0) *Dex* 15 (2) *Con* 10 (0) *Wis* 12 (1) *Int* 13 (1) *Cha* 12 (1)

Ini: 6


"G-Giant Rats..."
Rashka takes a total defense stance while behind the others letting them deal with the threats +4 AC.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 16, 2017)

Zahra follows the others into the room, then draws her sword and shield as she sees the advancing rats. "You know, I've heard all the jokes about young adventurers clearing rats out of people's basements, but usually the rats aren't this big." She moves up next to Mitra. (Or behind him? I'm not clear on how big the room is or how it's laid out.) "That reminds me of a story about a princess and a pirate fighting Rodents of Unusual Size..."


*Spoiler*: _3 rounds of actions_ 




*Round 1*
Initiative=1d20=12
Action on 20: Activate Inspired Rage (standard action).
Action on 19: Attack a rat that has come into melee range. Attack=1d20+3=12+3=15, Damage=1d6+3=5+3=8

*Round 2*
Maintains Inspired Rage (free action).
Initiative=7
Action on 1: Attack a rat. Attack=3+3=6, Damage=4+3=7

*Round 3*
Maintains Inspired Rage (free action).
Initiative=5
Action on 1: Attack a rat. Attack=5+3=8, Damage=2+3=5

Round 2 and 3 actions can be switched out for casting Cure Light Wounds if someone's badly injured, though this will require Zahra to stop her Inspired Rage.





((Since it's been a while since we last had combat, a quick reminder on what Inspired Rage does: When Zahra activates the ability, and at the beginning of each of your turns thereafter, you can choose whether to be affected by it. The Inspired Rage grants you +2 on Str, Con, and +1 to Will saves. But you take a -1 penalty to AC, and you can't use Dex/Cha/Int-based skills or any abilities that require patience or concentration.))


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 16, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> (Or behind him? I'm not clear on how big the room is or how it's laid out.)



It's a pretty huge room really, 



EvilMoogle said:


> Inside is a long rectangular room (about 20' North-to-south, 80' East-to-West, the tunnel enters on the Southwest corner). Ruins of beds line the walls giving the room the appearance of a barracks or dormitory of some sort. Most of the beds are in pretty poor condition, time and weather having wrought their effects on them. Some, though not most, of the beds have footlockers, others have debris that might have been footlockers at one point in time or another.



The rats are somewhat randomly through the room so they probably won't all hit at once, unless the DM gets lazy or decides it needs to be more challenging


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 16, 2017)

There's a startled chirp of surprise from the cloaked and scarved spearman as their beset by giant _rats_. Mitra moves more aggressively than the others as the rats make their hostile presence known; with a rapid economy of motion, he rises to his feet without his spear, bounces it up with the heel of his boot into his hand, and grabs his shield from his shoulder with a passionate war cry. In moment's he closes on one of the nearest clusters of rats, striking fluidly.

*"HYAH!"*

MITRA
HP 16/16
AC 10
DR 7

Round 1
Initiative 1d20+3 = 14
Action 18
Swift Action: Take *Phalanx Lancer Stance*. (Piercing Thunder, +1 bonus to Shield DR for each participant, per participant.)
Free Action: Grab unattended weapon (per Phalanx Lancer Stance).
Move Action: Close to nearest two rats and draw shield as part of movement.

Action 5
Standard Action: *Piercing Strike* on two adjacent rats, or a Full Attack on just one.
Swift Action: *Encouraging Roar*. (Golden Lion, Allies within 30 ft. gain a +2 moral bonus to attack and damage rolls for this Round.)

Attack;Damage: 
1D20+9 = [15]+7 = 22
1D10+6+1D6 = [10]+5+[3] = 18

Round 2
Initiative 1d20+3 = 18
Action 10
Full Round: *Defensive Focus *to _recover _*Piercing Strike* and *Encouraging Roar*. Threat range increase by 5, reaching 15. May move to AoO anyone within this threat range. Can move up to normal speed to reach them.

Action 10
Swift Action: *Encouraging Roar*.
Full Round: *Full Attack *on nearest rat, or *Piercing Strike* as appropriate.
Attack; Damage: 
1D20+7 = [16]+7 = 23
1D10+5+1D6 = [3]+5+[2] = 10


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 17, 2017)

Eren upon seeing the series of giant rats, immediately thought "First dogs, now rat dogs. We've basically been pest control for this damn place." He got up off his  took out his bastard sword as he met the attacking charge with an offense of his own, wrapped up in Zahra and Mitra's own roars and tales.





*Round 1*
Init: 24

Action 11
Attack: 1d20(10)+5 = 15
Damage: 1d10 (10)+6 = 16

Action 8
Attack: 1d20 (18)+5 = 23
Damage: 1d10 (8)+6 = 14

Action 5 (Cleave)
Attack: 1d20 (18)+5 = 23
Damage: 1d10 (7)+6 = 13

Attack: 1d20 (12)+5 = 17
Damage: 1d10 (5)+6 = 11



*Round 2 *
Init: 21

Action 15
Attack: 1d20 (3)+5 = 8
Damage: 1d10 (4)+6 = 10

Action 6
Attack: 1d20 (8)+5 = 13
Damage 1d10 (5)+6 = 11



*Round 3 *
Ini: 19

Action 10 (Power Attack)
Attack: 1d20 (20-1 = 19)+5 = 24
Damage: 1d10 (9) +6+3 = 18

Action 9
Attack: 1d20 (6)+5 = 11
Damage: 1d10 (6)+6 = 12


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 18, 2017)

Extermination!Combat!

At Eren's alert Zahara clambers through the tunnel and immediately begins recanting an exciting tale of a princess and a pirate doing battle with rats of unusual size in a time long past.  Elys scrambles in a moment behind her further backing up the young man.

Mitra charges through the tunnel and moves forward to engage the closest of the rats.  It immediately leaps at the man with surprising speed.  It sinks its teeth into Mitra's sleeve but mere rat teeth, however large, can't pierce the metal armor beneath.  With a strong shake he throws off the rat and skewers it as it lands.

Elys prepares for the charging rats as the first of the pack charges at her, she catches it as it approaches with a powerful swing cleaving the creature into the ground.  A second follows behind charging at Zahara a moment later, though the reckless charge is easily sidestepped.  

A third charges Eren filling out the pack this rat strikes more truly, though Eren's fine armor manages to resist the bite.  Eren coutners with a crushing hammer, slaming the creature with a sickening crunch.  The last two rats charge forward towards the back trio, Zahara bats one's charge aside with her shield while the other jumps up on Eren attempting to climb up for his throat.  The man takes careful composure, shrugs off the rat and swings a wide arc, slaming one rat into the other and dropping both still beneath the large mallet.

With the battle dying down the sounds of the rats fade, smaller sounds still echo a bit here and there, likely common smaller rats, whatever they are they seem to be giving the party a wide berth after the brief battle.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 19, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Inside is a long rectangular room (about 20' North-to-south, 80' East-to-West, the tunnel enters on the Southwest corner).  Ruins of beds line the walls giving the room the appearance of a barracks or dormitory of some sort.  Most of the beds are in pretty poor condition, time and weather having wrought their effects on them.  Some, though not most, of the beds have footlockers, others have debris that might have been footlockers at one point in time or another.
> 
> Caitlyn's entrance is greeted by the scurrying of many small claws on the floor, she catches flashes of movement when she first arrives but it's too quick to make out details.


Rashka looks back and forth making sure there are no more alive giant rats.
"That was scary, I don't think I could handle that... I doubt there are traps around the room. Lets take a look at these foot lockers."
Take 20 for each one including the smashed ones. She makes sure the footlockers themselves aren't trapped and checks to see which ones are locked or rusted shut.
Perception: 27


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 19, 2017)

Mitra swings his spear once to throw off the muck or gore on the blade before planting it firmly again, glancing at his sleeve. "Oh bother." He glances up at the others, looking to Zahra. "Are you all alright?" With a few winding steps he gives Raksha a wide berth in her inspections, though is close enough to move in if she needs help lifting or anything else.


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 19, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra swings his spear once to throw off the muck or gore on the blade before planting it firmly again, glancing at his sleeve. "Oh bother." He glances up at the others, looking to Zahra. "Are you all alright?"



"Yes, I think so." Zahra cleans off her shield, then keeps an eye on the room to make sure no more giant rats emerge while Raksha's busy with the footlockers.


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 19, 2017)

Eren dusted himself off before grinding the head of his earth breaker, smearing off the gore from his large hammer and onto the walls. He considered putting it away, but he decided to keep the hammer out just in case another rat came out of hiding. "Here's hoping anything else we bump into is as easy as those lil' bastards, eh?" He moved around near the others whilst Mitra and Rashka looked through the footlockers, checking for any more giant vermin in the room.


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 19, 2017)

Most of the intact lockers are empty or only have debris from objects long since worn to nothing.  The broken apart lockers typically contain what you might guess to be rat's nests, the wood chewed apart.

One locker however is still in good shape, is closed, and has a simple lock holding it shut.  There's no sign of any traps or devices on the locker or lock.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 19, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Most of the intact lockers are empty or only have debris from objects long since worn to nothing.  The broken apart lockers typically contain what you might guess to be rat's nests, the wood chewed apart.
> 
> One locker however is still in good shape, is closed, and has a simple lock holding it shut.  There's no sign of any traps or devices on the locker or lock.


"Can someone lever this open?"


----------



## soulnova (Jun 20, 2017)

((can't Rashka use Disable Device?))

"Ok, I think I can do that. Stand back"  Elys raises her greatsword but stops when she brings it over her head "Oh wait... Uhm... Maybe Mitra can open it like he did with the book?" 


If Mitra can't open it will attempt a power attack at the lock.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 20, 2017)

soulnova said:


> ((can't Rashka use Disable Device?))


((Rashka forgot to buy thieves tools which makes the DC of even crappy locks impossibly high  ))


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 20, 2017)

Mitra raises his chin as Elyse raises her greatsword and then groans quietly as she rethinks her position.. "Awh...well, yes, I suppose I can try it that way." He shuffles forward and then squats in front of the foot locker to peer at it with care. Patiently he tries to sabotage and dismantle it piece by piece.

Aid Self: Knowledge (Engineering), Crafts (Mechanics): 
1D20+6 = [13]+6 = 19 
1D20+8 = [4]+8 = 12

(Belatedly realized I can't take 10 or 20 on Aid Self but *can* on the Crafts  Guessing that roll won't cut it so he'll try taking 10/20 after an initial rushed failure.)


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 21, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra raises his chin as Elyse raises her greatsword and then groans quietly as she rethinks her position.. "Awh...well, yes, I suppose I can try it that way." He shuffles forward and then squats in front of the foot locker to peer at it with care. Patiently he tries to sabotage and dismantle it piece by piece.
> 
> Aid Self: Knowledge (Engineering), Crafts (Mechanics):
> 1D20+6 = [13]+6 = 19
> ...



The lock here is similar to common mass produced locks of today.  The mechanism is sealed inside after it's initially set.  Disassembling the lock would require cracking open the case and working the tumblers by hand.

In this particular case it's easier to detach the latch from the footlocker, the mechanism here is fairly simple and it takes minimal effort (with appropriate tools) to simply disassemble the latch.

Inside the locker is a small collection of clothing, nondescript robes in surprisingly good condition, and a small book.  The book is soft-bound in cloth and in far better shape than any of the books found below.  It's in Empyreal, the formatting doesn't give any particular indication of what the text is.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 21, 2017)

"That appears to be the only thing worth getting in here."
Rashka searches the surrounding walls for any old collapsed entrances or looseness in a wall that might lead to a room next to the barracks to make sure. Take 10
Perception: 17


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 21, 2017)

"There we go." Mitra takes a step back to give Raksha room to look through. "What do you think all that is? Doesn't seem like anything I recognize..." He looks to Zahra suddenly, and his tone shifts. "Say, what was that story? The name of it."


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 21, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "That appears to be the only thing worth getting in here."
> Rashka searches the surrounding walls for any old collapsed entrances or looseness in a wall that might lead to a room next to the barracks to make sure. Take 10
> Perception: 17



There is/was a door on the East end of the Southern wall, it looks like it's blocked by a total collapse though.  The walls themselves seem in good enough shape.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 21, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> "There we go." Mitra takes a step back to give Raksha room to look through. "What do you think all that is? Doesn't seem like anything I recognize..." He looks to Zahra suddenly, and his tone shifts. "Say, what was that story? The name of it."


"Looks like some clothes and a book to me from a glance, it'll likely be the same thing as before."
Rashka goes into the chest taking the book and clothes carefully. She checks the book real quick before storing it as well.
@EvilMoogle 


EvilMoogle said:


> There is/was a door on the East end of the Southern wall, it looks like it's blocked by a total collapse though.  The walls themselves seem in good enough shape.


"It's possible that we could get through that Eastern door with a lot of work and the walls appear to be holding fine, but I'm no expert on that."


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 22, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Looks like some clothes and a book to me from a glance, it'll likely be the same thing as before."
> Rashka goes into the chest taking the book and clothes carefully. She checks the book real quick before storing it as well.


The clothes are rather nondescript wool robes.  The sort that clergy might wear, though there are no markings of any particular order on them.  They're common enough, in quite good condition, and really wouldn't seem out of place in the world today.

The book is a cheaper sort of soft binding than the ones found below.  It's generally in better shape than those were, the cover and pages are in pretty good condition though it seems well read.  There are no pictures or diagrams or anything to give the text context so it isn't clear what type of writing it might contain.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 22, 2017)

Rashka shrugs.
"That appears to be everything. Think I'll nab that crossbow from earlier once we get back out."


----------



## soulnova (Jun 22, 2017)

Elys looks curiously over Rashka's shoulder, she's very interested on what the new book has to offer. "Too bad this one doesn't have any pictures to get an idea of what it is about" she says with a hint of disappointment "I'm still surprised these clothes are so well preserved though. Should we take them to Master Griffith? I guess they could be displayed on a museum somewhere, right?"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 22, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> He looks to Zahra suddenly, and his tone shifts. "Say, what was that story? The name of it."



"It's part of a larger epic called _The Princess Bride._"

((Hey, at least we weren't in a fire swamp.))


----------



## soulnova (Jun 23, 2017)

Had Elys ever heard of rats growing to this size before?


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 23, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Had Elys ever heard of rats growing to this size before?


In general "dire" animals are natural and "normal" in the world.  They're usually larger, more aggressive, and much more territorial versions of "normal" animals.  It's not related to any magical phenomenon.

Whether Elys has specifically encountered/heard of them would be a knowledge: nature check I guess, though dire rats are pretty common.


----------



## soulnova (Jun 23, 2017)

K. Nature +4
1d20+4
11+4 = 15

If she doesn't notices anything else out of the ordinary, Elys would be ready to follow the others and return with Master Griffith as they all seem to have finished here. "Maybe we could return later with some more shovels...gotta put that on the to-buy list anyway. mmmh... what else?" she asks to no one in particular.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 27, 2017)

((Moving on, since things seem stalled here))

The group moves back to the base camp with their final book and clothes in tow.  Upon the news that the group had finished their exploration, the base camp packs up carefully and the group heads back to town.  They head through the city back to the warehouse district near the docks and stop outside of one of the smaller buildings.

"I've rented this for our use for now," Master Griffith explains.  "I'll go over what we've found, at least a preliminary appraisal.  If you have other things to attend to feel free to, let's plan on meeting back here at sunset to go over things."

Sunset is a few hours off, if you have anything that you'd like to do yet today feel free to post.

((If someone can gather up a master list of stuff that was found that would help me.))

((I probably won't go into a lot of detail for the downtime this time as we'll probably be moving on quickly.  I'll post for treasure and exp in a bit))


----------



## soulnova (Jun 27, 2017)

Found during this exploration trip.:


(Everything here is written in Empyral, in Fire Runes)
- A leather-bound book that appears to be some sort of journal, diary, or log filled with dated entries.
- A leather-bound book that appears to be some sort of inventory or ledger, filled with lists of something.
- A series of  11 scrolls that appear to be letters in several different handwritings, dates indicate near the end of the 6th Age.
- Several (6) loose scrolls that appear to have some sort of family tree or genealogies on them.
- A few (5) additional scrolls that don't seem immediately obvious by format what they are.
- 7 wooden scroll cases, rather severely weathered by age.
- 3 ivory scroll cases, plain but in much better condition than the wooden ones.
- The remnants of a writing set, a silver pen knife being really the only salvageable item.
- Breastplate 
- Rusty Sabre
- Serpent Knife
- Silver and Copper Coins
- Holy Symbol of Ao
- Cup 
- Gold Signet ring
- Book (plants?)
- Crossbow (from trap)
- Small soft-bound Journal (empyreal, no images)
- Well preserved clothes

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 27, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> ((Moving on, since things seem stalled here))
> 
> The group moves back to the base camp with their final book and clothes in tow.  Upon the news that the group had finished their exploration, the base camp packs up carefully and the group heads back to town.  They head through the city back to the warehouse district near the docks and stop outside of one of the smaller buildings.
> 
> ...


Rashka looks to Master Griffith
"So now what? Do we get paid or... Personally I just want to know what is in those writings."


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 27, 2017)

((Thanks Soul, I'll do prices and stuff tonight along with XP, going to do a quick turn around on the next mission, you guys will get a chance to train to level 2 after that))



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka looks to Master Griffith
> "So now what? Do we get paid or... Personally I just want to know what is in those writings."



Master Griffith looks down at the various scrolls and books then back up, "I'll see what I can do in translating.  The ones in Empyreal should be easy enough to get the basics of.  A full translation might take more time on the other, we'll have to see where we are on that."

"Once I have initial appraisals we can work out the shares.  If there are any exceptional items it might take some time to get the full value from them, but most things I can work with a number of contacts to turn around quickly."


----------



## soulnova (Jun 27, 2017)

While some people might be looking for money and knowledge, Elys seems to be quite happy with 'discovery', a sense of accomplishment. She has a huge grin all the way back to the town.  

"Well, I hope there's something interesting in there. Would love to hear what it says" she nods at Rashka and Master Griffith.


Once back, she will go out shopping looking for the following:
- A shovel 2gp
- 10ft pole

x1 Oil                           .01 gp         1  lb
Bell                             1    gp   --  lb
Chalk                            0.01 gp   --  lb
Charcoal                         0.5  gp   --  lb
Flint and Steel                  1    gp   --  lb
Parchment(x1)                    0.2  gp   --  lb
Sewing Needle                    0.5  gp   --  lb
Tinder-twig                      1    gp   --  lb
Firework, Paper candle(x2)       2    gp   --  lb
7gp

That would be all she can buy at the moment. When she gets paid she will buy Vermin Repellent:
Vermin Repellent                 5    gp   --  lb


The rest of the day she will map the area they explored with her mapmaking kit (+2) at the best of her ability. 
Take 10 K. Geography 14 (+2?)
Take 10 Survival 15 (+2?)


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jun 27, 2017)

After making sure everyone in the group was set up and settled, Mitra heads off to the training compound that the city garrison was supposedly doing maneuvers at to inspect them for a bit.


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 28, 2017)

When the group returns the items have been moved around a bit, separated onto different tables.  Master Griffith sits at one table with most of the written materials paging through book written in unidentified language.  He pauses when people arrive, sets the book down and rises to go over the items.

"Let's start with the straight forward items shall we?  First the things found on the surface."  He walks to a table that has the first items on it.  He picks up the statue that Eren and Kagami found, "this is the famous 'Angel of Lamontier.'  Or rather a reproduction of it, still I paid a reasonable amount for it.  We can probably sell it for [15gp].   The crossbow is in good shape, the used weapons market is very good in the city, I'm sure we can get [25gp] for it."  

He pauses to pick up the soft-bound book, "poetry, mine actually.  Would probably sell for around [2sp] in an honest market.  The clothing is actually probably worth more, we might get [7gp] for them."  He pauses and chuckles slightly, "if it were just this I'd be pretty disappointed, I paid for a quite nice dagger that I don't see among the findings.  I hope no one's holding out on us?"  There's a hint of a threat to the last statement but he continues without giving it more attention.

"But we have bigger findings, actual new findings from the Temple, in a few days we might be legends from that alone.  I can't tell you how to take it but I'm going to take it as a portent of wonderful things in our future.  On to the actual finds."  He walks to the next table.  "The wooden scroll cases seem worthless to me, no particular artistic or cultural value.  The ivory ones are better, though fairly common.  I'd hope for [40gp] for them."

"The silver pen, a nice enough piece but not really worth much.  Maybe [1gp] for it.  The breastplate's in surprisingly good shape, unfortunately I don't see anything about it to prove it's age, which means it won't likely go for much.  We can probably sell it for [100gp] in a secondary market."

"The sword ((sabre)) is a little more interesting.  Obviously not of any martial use anymore but the craftsman ship is interesting.  I'd probably ask [15gp] for it.  The knife is in better shape, probably disturbing connotations when combined with some other thing but we don't have to mention those.  I'll say [20gp] for now, if we find the right buyer maybe we can make a macabre set deal."

"Coins are always good for collectors, but not generally much markup.  I'd probably say [15gp] for them.  The holy symbol, well, Ao isn't exactly one for elaborate decoration.  After a little polishing I don't know that you can tell the difference between that and one for sale in the market.  Probably [12gp] for it."

"The cup is a pretty plain style.  It might be part of a package deal as well, but for now we'll say [10gp] for it.  The ring is a nicer find, I don't recognize the heraldry but someone else might.  I'll ask around a bit, maybe we'll get lucky, call it [30gp] for sure though."

He walks over to the table with most of the written works.  "Things get a little more complicated here.  Written works are valuable, you did very well to bring them back.  Value can vary a lot with them though, depending on the buyer.  You don't want to just walk to the market with them."

He gestures to a few of the scrolls, "letters, correspondence of some sort.  Best I can make out the priest of the temple was trying to recruit families to come and move in."  He pauses slightly, hesitating, "not entirely unusual in a smaller community.  This sort of thing probably will be of value to a collector.  I'm fine with saying [150gp] for them.  If I manage to get lucky I'll be sure to let you know."  He pauses and points to the next set of loose papers, "of similar value, genealogy writings can quickly get very valuable.  I don't recognize any of the family names, sadly it's not the Great Emperor's bloodline, but we'll certainly find a buyer for them.  I'll call it [300gp] for it, it could be ten times that if they happen to be related to anyone with relations to the families described."

"The last scrolls are writings on arcane topics, that's rather far outside of my area of expertise.  I'll have to consult with some others to get a better feel on the value.  I'll say [450gp] for now, though it may end up being more or less than that."  He shrugs slightly.

"That leaves the books," he pauses gesturing at them.  "I'm not ready to give a value for them, and I don't want to suggest selling them until we know for sure, but I'll tell you what I've found out."  He picks up the first book, the journal.  "This is the writings of, well, I'm not exactly sure.  The priest of the temple?  A mad cultist?  Both?  He was clearly up to some dark affairs, this text is vague on details but reading between the lines it's pretty clear he's responsible for a number of deaths."

He sets the first down and picks up the second, "this is mostly a listing of names, dates.  Some of the names are the same as those in the letters and the genealogies, birthdates, maybe heraldry?  It will take some more study to make any sense of it."  He sets this book down and picks up the last book, the one in the unknown tongue.

"This last one is the strangest.  Being an unknown language is bad enough, but from what the translation notes say and what I can confirm it's written in especially flowery terms which slows efforts to translate it.  Whomever worked with it before doesn't think much of it, his take on it is more pragmatic."  He pauses considering a moment then continues, "his take, at the very least, is rituals of blood.  Combined with the other items he clearly had fascination of family bloodlines based on this writing.  I'd like to take more time to study it before I suggest selling it, if we're going to get the best price we need to find the right audience."

((Total take of identified items: 1190gp, 2sp.  50% off the top to Griffith, then parted out 10 ways is 59gp, 5sp, 1cp each))

((XP reward for this adventure is 250xp each))

((Next adventure will be richer for both    I'll post more for setting this up tomorrow.))


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 28, 2017)

Rashka only asks for 35 GP for equipment for future excursions.


----------



## soulnova (Jun 28, 2017)

Elys will end up buying a couple of things more.... 


- Flask Alchemist fire 20gp
- Flask of Acid 10gp
- Vermin Repellent 5gp


Total 35gp

Left 24.51 gp

"You should take the rest of the money. Here I was thinking you were all for a sound business practice" Elys chuckles while nudging Rashka. "It's just fair and right you get your share. Save the rest... or give yourself a treat. You've earned it"


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jun 28, 2017)

((You guys can purchase whatever you need to normally, I was somewhat unclear in the post but Master Griffith will front the 59gp, 5sp, 1cp shares while he sells stuff.  Hypothetically items will sell for more or less than appraised, which might result in more or less money gathered later but he's aware that immediate expenses are somewhat of a concern.  The books he's going to hold on to for a few days to sort out more specifically what's in them and probably get a feel for the appropriate market price.  Remind him in case the DM forgets to bring it up later.))

With the immediate concern of the treasure addressed Master Griffith moves on to new concerns.  "Our next item of business is new prospects.  There is good and less good news here.  An old friend gave me a lead on a manor house that was spotted by some scouts just yesterday.  I was able to secure the rights for us to go there and salvage what we can."

"The good news is it is, as best we know, untouched by other adventuring groups.  So potentially it could be quite a haul for us.  There are two considerations though," he pauses for a moment to make sure he has everyone's attention.  "First, and most seriously, goblins were spotted in the ruins.  The pests tend to infest any area they stumble across so there's a good chance it will be a more active defense than the temple was."

"The other concern was timing.  The rights to salvage from the ruins were dependent on speed, so we will need to leave tomorrow.  I generally would not prefer as aggressive a timeline, but if we pass here we might not get as good a chance for a while.  Still I'm only one voice, if you all would prefer to wait we can find something else."


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 28, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys will end up buying a couple of things more....
> 
> 
> - Flask Alchemist fire 20gp
> ...


Rashka raises an eyebrow and takes the left over money.
"Interesting, I've never seen someone refuse to take money left on the table. Very well, I'll take my full share."
Rashka smirks (Rashka now has 76GP and 4 SP.)

Rashka turns to Master Griffith.
"Master Griffith before I leave can I know the list of your current resources? I need to make considerations towards that."


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 28, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Master Griffith before I leave can I know the list of your current resources? I need to make considerations towards that."



Master Griffith goes over what "public" supplies are available with the base camp.

((This information is in the first post, under the spoiler "the adventuring troupe."  They also have some weapons and other gear for the individuals to defend the base camp that aren't listed, this is primarily items intended to be brought as needed on the adventure (minus the wagons really).  However if you guys take stuff anything that doesn't come back will be re-purchased before shares are figured.))

Supplies currently on hand:
Master Griffith's Wagon (a wooden covered wagon that acts as his home/office on the road).
2 supply wagons (for gear or travel as needed).
4 large tents
4x 50' Hemp Rope lengths
4x Grapnels
6x Lantern, hooded
20x Torches
A barrel (440 pints) of lamp oil.
2 hammers (tools)
50 iron pitons
2 healer's kits (10/10 charges each)
4 Shovels


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jun 28, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> "That leaves the books," he pauses gesturing at them.  "I'm not ready to give a value for them, and I don't want to suggest selling them until we know for sure, but I'll tell you what I've found out."  He picks up the first book, the journal.  "This is the writings of, well, I'm not exactly sure.  The priest of the temple?  A mad cultist?  Both?  He was clearly up to some dark affairs, this text is vague on details but reading between the lines it's pretty clear he's responsible for a number of deaths."



"That's more than a little disturbing, but it fits with what we found. One of the skeletons was pinned to the wall with a spear." ((I think? I don't remember for sure if it was a spear.)) "Maybe someone found out what he was up to and...strongly disapproved. Maybe even other clergy of the temple, if he'd gone rogue."

Zahra glares at the unknown book in frustration. "A language so obscure that none of us even recognizes the _alphabet_ it's written in? But whoever wrote those translation notes obviously knew what it was..." She shakes her head. "I don't suppose you have any way of determining how old it is?"



WorkingMoogle said:


> With the immediate concern of the treasure addressed Master Griffith moves on to new concerns.  "Our next item of business is new prospects.  There is good and less good news here.  An old friend gave me a lead on a manor house that was spotted by some scouts just yesterday.  I was able to secure the rights for us to go there and salvage what we can."
> 
> "The good news is it is, as best we know, untouched by other adventuring groups.  So potentially it could be quite a haul for us.  There are two considerations though," he pauses for a moment to make sure he has everyone's attention.  "First, and most seriously, goblins were spotted in the ruins.  The pests tend to infest any area they stumble across so there's a good chance it will be a more active defense than the temple was."
> 
> "The other concern was timing.  The rights to salvage from the ruins were dependent on speed, so we will need to leave tomorrow.  I generally would not prefer as aggressive a timeline, but if we pass here we might not get as good a chance for a while.  Still I'm only one voice, if you all would prefer to wait we can find something else."



Zahra shrugs. "I don't mind heading out tomorrow if everyone else is okay with it. Seems worth it for the chance to explore a place no one's investigated yet. How far away is it?"


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jun 28, 2017)

Daenerys Stormborn said:


> "That's more than a little disturbing, but it fits with what we found. One of the skeletons was pinned to the wall with a spear." ((I think? I don't remember for sure if it was a spear.)) "Maybe someone found out what he was up to and...strongly disapproved. Maybe even other clergy of the temple, if he'd gone rogue."


Master Griffith nods, "that sounds as reasonable as anything."



Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra glares at the unknown book in frustration. "A language so obscure that none of us even recognizes the _alphabet_ it's written in? But whoever wrote those translation notes obviously knew what it was..." She shakes her head. "I don't suppose you have any way of determining how old it is?"


"The alphabets we use today come from the Great Empire, mostly.  That and the four great nations that came before," he offers cautiously.  "But those nations grew out of quite a number of other nations even at the start of the sixth age.  There are other alphabets that have died out, though I don't have much experience with them personally."

"I would _hesitantly_ suggest it's a language from the fifth age.  I might be able to confirm that in a few days of study, with luck at least."



Daenerys Stormborn said:


> Zahra shrugs. "I don't mind heading out tomorrow if everyone else is okay with it. Seems worth it for the chance to explore a place no one's investigated yet. How far away is it?"



"Two, maybe three days travel.  With the threat of attack we'll have to set the base camp up some distance away, we don't have the fortifications to hold out against a serious attack.  In fact I'll probably look to hire a few more hands for the base camp now that we're getting serious."


----------



## P-X 12 (Jun 28, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> When the group returns the items have been moved around a bit, separated onto different tables.  Master Griffith sits at one table with most of the written materials paging through book written in unidentified language.  He pauses when people arrive, sets the book down and rises to go over the items.
> 
> "Let's start with the straight forward items shall we?  First the things found on the surface."  He walks to a table that has the first items on it.  He picks up the statue that Eren and Kagami found, "this is the famous 'Angel of Lamontier.'  Or rather a reproduction of it, still I paid a reasonable amount for it.  We can probably sell it for [15gp].   The crossbow is in good shape, the used weapons market is very good in the city, I'm sure we can get [25gp] for it."
> 
> ...


nodded at the mention of his payment as he rubbed his stomach. _"On a light stomach for a little while and I'm already starving. I might as well get something from the tavern before night falls."_



WorkingMoogle said:


> ((You guys can purchase whatever you need to normally, I was somewhat unclear in the post but Master Griffith will front the 59gp, 5sp, 1cp shares while he sells stuff.  Hypothetically items will sell for more or less than appraised, which might result in more or less money gathered later but he's aware that immediate expenses are somewhat of a concern.  The books he's going to hold on to for a few days to sort out more specifically what's in them and probably get a feel for the appropriate market price.  Remind him in case the DM forgets to bring it up later.))
> 
> With the immediate concern of the treasure addressed Master Griffith moves on to new concerns.  "Our next item of business is new prospects.  There is good and less good news here.  An old friend gave me a lead on a manor house that was spotted by some scouts just yesterday.  I was able to secure the rights for us to go there and salvage what we can."
> 
> ...



Eren visibly scowled at the mention of goblins. "Goblins. Of course. Green skinned little shits. They're like vermin; you find one, you just know there's a hundred of 'em just around the corner." His face showed that he spoke from experience. Eren sighed. "Well, if we go up against those tiny bastards, we gotta keep the exit as clear as we can and keep our eyes out to make sure we aren't walking into a trap. Ambushes are the default way these pricks start a fight. And don't ever think there's just one of 'em; there's never just one of 'em. Learned that the hard way once."


----------



## soulnova (Jun 29, 2017)

Elys turns serious. "Goblins. Yeah, I guess we can handle the little suckers" she nods to Eren agreeing with his comments. "As long as they don't flank us, we should do alright. We should take care to clear the place of them as best as possible... the bastards breed like rabbits, maybe... ugh." 


((Do Goblins in this world hate horses and dogs?))


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jun 29, 2017)

EvilMoogle said:


> Master Griffith goes over what "public" supplies are available with the base camp.
> 
> ((This information is in the first post, under the spoiler "the adventuring troupe."  They also have some weapons and other gear for the individuals to defend the base camp that aren't listed, this is primarily items intended to be brought as needed on the adventure (minus the wagons really).  However if you guys take stuff anything that doesn't come back will be re-purchased before shares are figured.))
> 
> ...


Rashka goes out to buy thieves tools and puts them on her person. (30 GP)
A shovel (8 GP)
Hook, grappling, common(2) (4gp)
Trap, bear (5) (10gp)
Ladder, folding (2 GP)

Raskha has 22 GP and 4 SP left.


P-X 12 said:


> nodded at the mention of his payment as he rubbed his stomach. _"On a light stomach for a little while and I'm already starving. I might as well get something from the tavern before night falls."_
> 
> 
> 
> Eren visibly scowled at the mention of goblins. "Goblins. Of course. Green skinned little shits. They're like vermin; you find one, you just know there's a hundred of 'em just around the corner." His face showed that he spoke from experience. Eren sighed. "Well, if we go up against those tiny bastards, we gotta keep the exit as clear as we can and keep our eyes out to make sure we aren't walking into a trap. Ambushes are the default way these pricks start a fight. And don't ever think there's just one of 'em; there's never just one of 'em. Learned that the hard way once."


Rashka moves into camp with her cart behind her with the stuff in tow. "Eren, I need you to help me unload some of this stuff."
Trap, bear (5) (10gp) (50 pounds total)
@P-X 12 

She turns to Mr.Griffith
"Listening to the list of things you told me Master Griffith I found that we were lacking in traps. So I decided on something cheap, yet reusable and effective. We just need a little bit of work to hide these. I hope you don't mind accepting them."
@EvilMoogle


----------



## P-X 12 (Jul 1, 2017)

Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka moves into camp with her cart behind her with the stuff in tow. "Eren, I need you to help me unload some of this stuff."
> Trap, bear (5) (10gp) (50 pounds total)
> @P-X 12
> 
> ...



Eren rolled his shoulders as he unloaded the bear traps Rashka bought. "Yep, these should stop at least a few pests. Good find." He placed the five down as he began to walk off. "Well, I guess I should get something to eat." He took a whiff of his current outfit and nearly got sick again, his clothing reeking of the odor of the ruin depths. ". . . And a bath. Definitely a bath." He took his leave of the others as he went on towards the tavern to relax before he began to prepare. "It's gonna be a long day tomorrow."

Eren ordered:
6 bowls of stew
6 pieces of bread (12 cp)
4 cups of whiskey (4 sp)
Beer for his waterskin (?)
A hot bath
Cloth washing


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jul 3, 2017)

((Sorry about my delay here, it'll get better about a week after the Steam Summer Sale ends  ))

((I'll post to move on today as soon as my schedule allows))


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jul 3, 2017)

((Sudden speed shift detected, brace for rapid acceleration!  If you still had purchases to do you can.))

The rest of the day passes without major event.  The guards' training at the fort is routine, *dice clatter* the Jade spear wielder is not present this afternoon however.  Master Griffith is hesitant to load the carts up with too much but he'll buy the traps this time to see how well they work.  The tavern is crowded in the evening but restful at night, some murmurs of the party's find have started to spread through the other adventurers but at the moment it's pretty quiet.

In the morning the group meets up outside the tavern again.  There are three new men with the group, introduced as Tom, Dick, and Harry Cooper, additional hands to help with a more prolonged defense.  The group loads up in the wagons (everyone without a mount at least) and heads out.

They quickly move on and the fort drops out of view.  Initially there's a tension in the air as the group is truly on their own for the first time but as the day moves on it fades and the atmosphere becomes slightly more jovial giving time to chat or simply enjoy the view.  The pace is tempered, giving the animals sufficient time to rest in the heat and graze when the terrain supports it.  The group occasionally spots various wild animals but nothing seems aggressive enough to approach the large group.

As the day grows long they find a spot to make camp, carefully setting the tents and wagons up to maximize defense.  Master Griffith hands out shifts for the watch and everyone goes about their normal evening routines.  The night is surprisingly cool given the heat of the day but otherwise is uneventful.

The second day of travel is much like the first, though as the afternoon sets in they slow down noticeably.  The terrain is more hilly as they near the distant mountains and the group sets up an early camp in the valley between several hills.

Once the defenses are secure Master Griffith calls the party together.  He points at one of the hills as he speaks, "we're nearly at the manor house, assuming the map is correct.  It's about half a day's travel past the hill, you should be able to spot it from the top, though it will still be a bit of a hike.  I'm hoping we're far enough here that the goblins won't stumble across the wagons, we're not really equipped for a prolonged battle, though it may mean more hauling for you all."

"I'll leave the tactics up to you, if you want to push on you could get there by the middle of the night.  Goblins tend to be most active at night so this would probably provoke them, but if you'd rather deal with the majority of them straight-up that's probably the best way.  If you want to rest now and head out in the middle of the night you can probably arrive there around morning, I wouldn't count on no activity but if they have any sort of formal guard shifts that would be when they rotate so everyone might be tired.  Otherwise you can leave in the morning and get there by mid day, that might be the best option for a quiet approach if you think you can sneak around them."

"I'm not entirely sure what to expect once you get there, so I'll leave the judgement up to you.  If it's too dangerous by all means pull back, dying doesn't do anyone any good."  He seems sincere in this point.  "If you think the best approach is to sneak in, grab what you can, and sneak out we can deal with that as well.  Try to take in as much information as you can if we go this route, selling the information to the next group will be worth something as well."

"If you can clear out all the pests and have too much loot to carry let us know and we'll happily bring the wagons to you, obviously I won't object to that outcome either."

"We'll make the check-in point three days here, we'll hold position as best we can for that time.  If you're there longer than two nights try and at least send a runner back to let us know you weren't all killed by goblins, yes?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jul 3, 2017)

P-X 12 said:


> Eren rolled his shoulders as he unloaded the bear traps Rashka bought. "Yep, these should stop at least a few pests. Good find." He placed the five down as he began to walk off. "Well, I guess I should get something to eat." He took a whiff of his current outfit and nearly got sick again, his clothing reeking of the odor of the ruin depths. ". . . And a bath. Definitely a bath." He took his leave of the others as he went on towards the tavern to relax before he began to prepare. "It's gonna be a long day tomorrow."
> 
> Eren ordered:
> 6 bowls of stew
> ...


Rashka also goes to eat, but a much lighter meal than Erens.


WorkingMoogle said:


> ((Sudden speed shift detected, brace for rapid acceleration!  If you still had purchases to do you can.))
> 
> The rest of the day passes without major event.  The guards' training at the fort is routine, *dice clatter* the Jade spear wielder is not present this afternoon however.  Master Griffith is hesitant to load the carts up with too much but he'll buy the traps this time to see how well they work.  The tavern is crowded in the evening but restful at night, some murmurs of the party's find have started to spread through the other adventurers but at the moment it's pretty quiet.
> 
> ...


The smell of coffee permeates through the camp as Rashka gets out of her cart and sips some coffee.
"I vote we go for the quite and the direct approach. Get in and murder them in their sleep. Goblins would do the same."
She takes another sip and looks over the group in whole.
"Anyone have experience with goblin traps here?"


----------



## soulnova (Jul 3, 2017)

After buying her stuff, Elys also orders herself a nice meal after getting a good long relaxing bath. Seeing no one was *badly* injured or died, she seems in high spirits and much more confident for when they leave the next day.


She hears Master Griffith's explanation and nods at Rashka. "I would also vote to go for the sneaky way. Most of us should be able to go quietly... Anyone has trouble with their armor? Not good at hiding?" She asks at *ALL THE PARTY.* ((Can we get how much everyone has in stealth? See if the silent approach is the best option. Elys has Stealth +4))


"I'm familiar with goblins, but I don't think I ever encounter this many in one place. Traps should be pretty similar...In  any case, we should stay close... they can surround you quickly and you don't really want that. Avoid getting flanked" she explains.


----------



## EvilMoogle (Jul 3, 2017)

soulnova said:


> She asks at *ALL THE PARTY.* ((Can we get how much everyone has in stealth? See if the silent approach is the best option. Elys has Stealth +4))


That would be good to have on my cheat sheet 

Here's what I can find:
Blythe (Inactive): +1
Rashka: +6
Kagami (Inactive?): -2
Elys: +4
Eren: -1
Zeke (Inactive?): +1
Zahra: +0
Mitra :+1
Ufue (Inactive?): +2
Kiera (Inactive?): +6

Granted a "stealth" approach doesn't have to mean completely avoiding detection, at long ranges stealth score is pretty meaningless since you get a huge bonus for distance.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jul 3, 2017)

soulnova said:


> After buying her stuff, Elys also orders herself a nice meal after getting a good long relaxing bath. Seeing no one was *badly* injured or died, she seems in high spirits and much more confident for when they leave the next day.
> 
> 
> She hears Master Griffith's explanation and nods at Rashka. "I would also vote to go for the sneaky way. Most of us should be able to go quietly... Anyone has trouble with their armor? Not good at hiding?" She asks at *ALL THE PARTY.* ((Can we get how much everyone has in stealth? See if the silent approach is the best option. Elys has Stealth +4))
> ...


((Yeah everyone. @EvilMoogle ))
"Yeah, you're right. I think we should stay in cover and close together."
She purses her lip while thinking and has sort of an idea.
"You know... If Goblin's aren't that bright do you think we could get some bushes and just... well pretend to be them until we get in?"


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jul 3, 2017)

Zahra orders dinner, and also a bath to wash off the last traces of the smell from those underground chambers.



soulnova said:


> She hears Master Griffith's explanation and nods at Rashka. "I would also vote to go for the sneaky way. Most of us should be able to go quietly... Anyone has trouble with their armor? Not good at hiding?" She asks at *ALL THE PARTY.* ((Can we get how much everyone has in stealth? See if the silent approach is the best option. Elys has Stealth +4))



"I'm not all that good at stealth, honestly." ((Stealth +0))


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jul 3, 2017)

Mitra doesn't order or buy much of anything, and is late to sleep and early to rise per usual. He also is kind of quiet on the ride over.

"Not so good at skulking around, honestly. Would say the best bet would be going during the afternoon or night? Also, what's the difference between normal traps and goblin traps? And...also also, do goblins look like bushes?"


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jul 3, 2017)

Hidden Nin said:


> Mitra doesn't order or buy much of anything, and is late to sleep and early to rise per usual. He also is kind of quiet on the ride over.
> 
> "Not so good at skulking around, honestly. Would say the best bet would be going during the afternoon or night? Also, what's the difference between normal traps and goblin traps? And...also also, do goblins look like bushes?"


Rashka spits out her coffee a bit mid sip and chokes.
"*cough* *cough* *cough* Trying to kill me?!"


----------



## P-X 12 (Jul 4, 2017)

@Captain Obvious @Vergil

Eren picked himself out of bed, taking a swig from his waterskin to wash his mouth out before going on his merry way.



WorkingMoogle said:


> ((Sudden speed shift detected, brace for rapid acceleration!  If you still had purchases to do you can.))
> 
> The rest of the day passes without major event.  The guards' training at the fort is routine, *dice clatter* the Jade spear wielder is not present this afternoon however.  Master Griffith is hesitant to load the carts up with too much but he'll buy the traps this time to see how well they work.  The tavern is crowded in the evening but restful at night, some murmurs of the party's find have started to spread through the other adventurers but at the moment it's pretty quiet.
> 
> ...





Unlosing Ranger said:


> The smell of coffee permeates through the camp as Rashka gets out of her cart and sips some coffee.
> "I vote we go for the quite and the direct approach. Get in and murder them in their sleep. Goblins would do the same."
> She takes another sip and looks over the group in whole.
> "Anyone have experience with goblin traps here?"



"The little bastards are obsessed with gold. I'm honestly convinced they care more about coin then they do their own lives. You put out enough shiny crap out in the open and wait to ambush them, they'll run outta bodies to throw at it before you run outta gold." Eren took out a gold coin. "I remember when I was with Karth, we had to clean out some goblins out of a nearby cave they were using to hide in when they weren't stealing food and killing cattle. Our plan was to place a buncha shiny crap in the middle of an open field and then immediately surround 'em. They fell like flies." He put back his coin.

"There's also another option . . . Which is why I suggest  we bring this big guy over here." Eren moved over, pointing to the large dog near Blythe. "See, goblins fear two things; horses and dogs. Don't have a clue why, they just are. Hell, when we ambushed that goblin group, they went into panic when they saw a mare barreling towards them. We could use him to scare 'em off if we need to." 



soulnova said:


> After buying her stuff, Elys also orders herself a nice meal after getting a good long relaxing bath. Seeing no one was *badly* injured or died, she seems in high spirits and much more confident for when they leave the next day.
> 
> 
> She hears Master Griffith's explanation and nods at Rashka. "I would also vote to go for the sneaky way. Most of us should be able to go quietly... Anyone has trouble with their armor? Not good at hiding?" She asks at *ALL THE PARTY.* ((Can we get how much everyone has in stealth? See if the silent approach is the best option. Elys has Stealth +4))



"Yeah, stealth ain't my sorta thing. Kinda big for it, anyways."



soulnova said:


> "I'm familiar with goblins, but I don't think I ever encounter this many in one place. Traps should be pretty similar...In  any case, we should stay close... they can surround you quickly and you don't really want that. Avoid getting flanked" she explains.



"We could probably stand to keep a few of our frontline fighters watching our flank. I'll go out front. I'd say either Zahra or Mitra goes in the back." 



Unlosing Ranger said:


> "Yeah, you're right. I think we should stay in cover and close together."
> She purses her lip while thinking and has sort of an idea.
> "You know... If Goblin's aren't that bright do you think we could get some bushes and just... well pretend to be them until we get in?"



"Goblins may be dumb, but I doubt they're that dumb. Especially considering the size difference from some of us." Eren waved over himself to make the point. "I mean, we might be able to pass our gnome friend over here off as one of 'em. That is, if she's willing to do the job."


----------



## Hidden Nin (Jul 4, 2017)

His body language startles in Raksha's direction. "Kill you?! I didn't even draw my spear..." Mitra listens intently to Eren's explanation, nodding along periodically. "Alright, that sounds best. I can cover our tracks to bring up the rear." He glances towards the hill. "Do we head out now, to arrive in the night? Rest a bit to arrive by morning? Or leave to show up midday? Personally I think trying to catch them off guard around dawn is best..."


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jul 4, 2017)

"Trying to catch them around dawn seems like a good idea to me. Fighting them at night could be troublesome, since most of us probably can't see that well in the dark. We'd have to carry a light source with us, and that would allow the goblins to target us accurately while they hide in the darkness."



Hidden Nin said:


> And...also also, do goblins look like bushes?"



Zahra looks like she's trying to contain laughter. "Well, they are green. But other than that, not really."


----------



## soulnova (Jul 5, 2017)

"I would say midday but at dawn works too” Elys agrees to wait and make camp until then.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jul 10, 2017)

The party rests as best they can during the afternoon and the early evening.  The rest of the base camp is hard at work digging some basic fortifications, setting traps, and generally trying to make themselves as ready as they can in the case of a major assault.  There's some tension in the air still, and the rest that is to be had isn't the best, but at least it is uneventful.

At about midnight the party is roused to make their approach.  After a few hours they reach the crest of the hill and have a view of the next valley.  A handful of small fires immediately jump out at a point about halfway up the next hill.  It's too dark to make out many details though it seems to correspond with their destination.

The cover of darkness gives the party ample excuse to move on and as they get closer eventually the shadowy outline of a structure can be made out from the firelight and the distant sounds of goblin chatter can be made out.  The group is still about an hour away, at a cautious approach, as is dawn.


*Spoiler*: _Best image I could find_ 






Notes:
- No landscaping or really any plantlife of note.
- It's actually 3 stories, not 2 (this is probably too @#@$ing huge, oh well). 
- Windows would be simple portals not glass.  Some might have had glass at one point but broken/lost long ago.
- Generally it's intact but not nearly as "pretty" as this.  Imagine something that looks less like a flyer and more like a condemned building.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jul 10, 2017)

> The cover of darkness gives the party ample excuse to move on and as they get closer eventually the shadowy outline of a structure can be made out from the firelight and the distant sounds of goblin chatter can be made out. The group is still about an hour away, at a cautious approach, as is dawn.


Rashka speaks to the party quietly
"Those fires are concerning, but what's our plan of attack? Should I try to scout? I'm not to sure about being able to hide from goblins."


----------



## soulnova (Jul 11, 2017)

Elys nods to Rashka. "You and I can scout ahead... I don't think the others would be able to hide as well. In any case, the others could follow but at a distance behind... some 30 ft back or so" she suggests, "Not so close that the goblins see them if they spot us, but close enough to enter the fight if needed"


(( Elys has "favored enemy: goblins" which should give her a +2 on stealth, for a total of +6, same as Rashka))

Perception +6

Are there any bushes or cover in the way towards the house grounds, between the fires? Can she tell about how many goblins are outside guarding the immediate area?


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jul 11, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys nods to Rashka. "You and I can scout ahead... I don't think the others would be able to hide as well. In any case, the others could follow but at a distance behind... some 30 ft back or so" she suggests, "Not so close that the goblins see them if they spot us, but close enough to enter the fight if needed"
> 
> 
> (( Elys has "favored enemy: goblins" which should give her a +2 on stealth, for a total of +6, same as Rashka))
> ...



There's some sparse growth in the area that should be sufficient for cover to get closer.  Without getting closer (you're still a healthy distance away renenber) it's not possible to get a count of them.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jul 11, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys nods to Rashka. "You and I can scout ahead... I don't think the others would be able to hide as well. In any case, the others could follow but at a distance behind... some 30 ft back or so" she suggests, "Not so close that the goblins see them if they spot us, but close enough to enter the fight if needed"
> 
> 
> (( Elys has "favored enemy: goblins" which should give her a +2 on stealth, for a total of +6, same as Rashka))
> ...


(stealth +6)
(perception +7)
Rashka nods her head in agreement with Elys.
"We should all take it quietly once we get halfway, once close I will scout with you."
Rashka frowns however.
"At this distance as we move in they may have set up an alarm system of some sort somewhere. I'm not sure about goblins."
Rashka is wary about the encounter and unsure.
"Elys can you help keep an eye out for traps as we move along?


----------



## Daenerys Stormborn (Jul 11, 2017)

Zahra takes Elys's suggestion and follows about 30 ft behind Raksha, trying to be as quiet as she can.

Stealth=1d20=5

(("Try" being the operative word, apparently.))


----------



## soulnova (Jul 12, 2017)

Elys prepares and gets her greatsword ready as she moves with Rashka, looking out for any traps and goblins in the way to the mansion. "If things get heated, we will have to get back to back to minimize getting flanked until the others catch up with us, ok?" she reminds rogue. 

(Favored enemy goblins +2)
Perception +5 (+7 vs goblins)
Survival +5 (+7 vs  goblins) 
Stealth +4  (well seems like +2 doesn't apply to stealth after all  )


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jul 12, 2017)

soulnova said:


> Elys prepares and gets her greatsword ready as she moves with Rashka, looking out for any traps and goblins in the way to the mansion. "If things get heated, we will have to get back to back to minimize getting flanked until the others catch up with us, ok?" she reminds rogue.
> 
> (Favored enemy goblins +2)
> Perception +5 (+7 vs goblins)
> ...


Rashka hides and moves looking out for traps along the way.


----------



## WorkingMoogle (Jul 18, 2017)

((Insert standard EvilMoogle apology for being a lazy slacker here.))

The group approaches cautiously using the scrubland as cover.  As they get closer the building becomes more clear, while it's still clearly a "fixer upper" the building itself is in surprisingly good shape for it's age.  None of the walls appear to be collapsed so presumably the internal structure should be reasonable.

Outside is a trio of fires, closer they're clearly cookfires.  Two have some sort of largish lizards that have been largely picked clean at this point, the third has a large cauldron set to simmer.  A dozen goblins are in the general area of the three fires, all of them giving the impression of the tail end of a party.  About half of them look like they're at least considering sleep, the other half might be continuing their revelry for a while yet.

None of them seem to be "on guard" in a traditional sense, though they all have weapons in reach.


----------



## Unlosing Ranger (Jul 19, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> ((Insert standard EvilMoogle apology for being a lazy slacker here.))
> 
> The group approaches cautiously using the scrubland as cover.  As they get closer the building becomes more clear, while it's still clearly a "fixer upper" the building itself is in surprisingly good shape for it's age.  None of the walls appear to be collapsed so presumably the internal structure should be reasonable.
> 
> ...


Rashka looks back at the party behind her and smiles, whispering "I'm going for the biggest group awake, everyone else go for the ones asleep at my signal, a big boom. I don't think they'd notice anything as they are right now. Hit them hard and fast." She pulls a grenade from her bag and proceeds to hide until she is 100' away and looks around for the biggest ground of goblins that are awake.


Hide:1d20+6
10+6 = 16
Perception:1d20+7
14+7 = 21

and then throws it into the square that'd hit the biggest clump of goblins
this article
Ini:
1d20+4
7+4 = 11

BAB:
1d20+2
11+2 = 13


----------



## P-X 12 (Jul 23, 2017)

WorkingMoogle said:


> ((Insert standard EvilMoogle apology for being a lazy slacker here.))
> 
> The group approaches cautiously using the scrubland as cover.  As they get closer the building becomes more clear, while it's still clearly a "fixer upper" the building itself is in surprisingly good shape for it's age.  None of the walls appear to be collapsed so presumably the internal structure should be reasonable.
> 
> ...



Eren silently scoffed at the small party the goblins were currently in. _"Some party. Don't even see a bottle of whiskey."_



Unlosing Ranger said:


> Rashka looks back at the party behind her and smiles, whispering "I'm going for the biggest group awake, everyone else go for the ones asleep at my signal, a big boom. I don't think they'd notice anything as they are right now. Hit them hard and fast." She pulls a grenade from her bag and proceeds to hide until she is 100' away and looks around for the biggest ground of goblins that are awake.
> 
> 
> Hide:1d20+6
> ...



"On it." Eren slowly sneaked his way towards the now slumbering goblins, trying to keep out of the general sight of the awakened group before taking out his sword and waiting for Rashka's signal. After hearing the gigantic boom, he swung his blade down on the nearest sleeping victims.

Stealth: Roll(1d20)-1:
12 - 1
Total:11

*Battle: Round 1*

Ini: 1d20(20)+5 = 25

Action 13
Attack: 1d20(13)+4 = 17
Damage: 1d10(6)+4 = 10

Action 12
Attack: 1d20(15)+4 = 19
Damage: 1d10(8)+4 = 12​

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## soulnova (Jul 26, 2017)

HP11/AC9
DR 4
Initiative +1
Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
Greatsword +3 [2d6+4]x3 (two handed)
Longbow +2 [1d8]x3

Climb +5, Handle Animal +4, Heal +5, K.Dungeon +4, K+Geography +4, K.Nature +4, Perception +5, Profession () +5, Ride +4, Stealth +4, Survival +5



Elys will be attacking and trying to stay close to Eren to avoid getting flanked.  

((shit, forgot to add Favored Enemy at all the attacks and damage... +2)) 

*Round 1 *

Init 
1d20+1
9+1 = 10 (1 Action)


1d20+0
5+0 = 5


Greatsword attack
1d20+3
18+3 = 21

2d6+4
3,6+4 = 13



*Round 2*
Init 
1d20+1
17+1 = 18 (2 actions)



1d20+0
19+0 = 19 
Moves to engage closer goblins


1d20+0
3+0 = 3

Greatsword Attack


1d20+3
19+3 = 22

2d6+4
6,1+4 = 11




Cleaves

attacks
1d20+3
8+3 = 11

1d20+3
16+3 = 19



Damage
2d6+4
5,4+4 = 13

2d6+4
1,6+4 = 11


----------

