Game Thread Noble Hubris - Page 2

Corwin · #16 Jan 4th, 2023, 12:56 AM

Oguun

Oguun nodded to the tavernkeeper and followed along upstairs, leaving the question of rat utility unsettled. He recognized Rolen's voice through the door and schooled himself to full alertness; Mayuri's condition was a matter of pure speculation, but Rolen's was much more in doubt. Patience was in order. "I have fared acceptably, Rolen. Presumably you are well." No such thing could be presumed. Oguun watched the elven wizard closely, but noted no more than an implication that the root might aid in treating his chronic injury, and then another implication that nearly everyone who had been involved with obtaining the root had died, and that the sole survivor had lost possession of his wits.

He was already beginning to formulate a reply that would somehow tie the circumstances back to Mayuri's husband when Derek asked outright. Rolen's answer was of no particular value as Almavalesh's physical health was irrelevant. But Rolen was close to Almavalesh, and perhaps closer to the entity; Oguun was little surprised that Almavalesh might be involved in sending those who knew most of his condition into mortal danger. And if Rolen thought the root might be of benefit to himself, perhaps information might be extracted from Rolen in exchange for the root. "We will no doubt have questions about the alleged beast for those who were closer to the events. Can this root perhaps ameliorate your injury, Rolen? Also, what is an elephant?"

secretID · #17 Jan 5th, 2023, 09:30 PM

“Well,” Phil chimed in enthusiastically from his perch on Punxl’s shoulder, “now we see some depth to this story! Shady dealings at the marketplace over a mysterious, coveted item…a swarthy stranger…days on the trail, to confront a legendary horror! And all of it scented with a bit of some exotic spice. I see a big part here for you, Punxl,” Phil murmered to his side.

“Speaking of exotic,” Phil continued, turning to Oguun, “you’re not from around here, are you? Like, really not around here. An elephant? Well, picture a loxodon, but bigger, with no hands, on all fours. No? How about…an aardvark, bigger than a grizzly, with an even longer nose and wider ears.” Phil frowned in doubt of making progress, then sighed and said, “It’s a quadrupedal herbivore, about 9 feet at the shoulder, with big floppy ears and a long prehensile nose, often used by humanoids as a beast of burden or a mount.

“But let’s just go show you one.” Phil proposed. “Looks like they’re our next stop. If we time it right, we’ll get there just as the mahout is murdered, hear his raspy last words, and chase his killer through the bazaar!”

LeDragon · #18 Jan 6th, 2023, 04:43 AM

Namfoodle Glitterstone

Namfoodle listens to Aurora's reply with a raised eyebrow. He would have liked to say something back, but Derek had already smoothed the way and he didn't want to stab the man in the back at the first meeting, much as he found Aurora's words self-righteous and meaningless.
And there was Phil, whose eloquence was matched only by the sheer number of words, even if probably only half of his talk was to be taken seriously.
"Very well," grumbled the forest gnome. "Let's leave it at that for now and here." At that, he gives Aurora a look that makes it clear that he means an argumentative cease fire here at best.

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

The chamber of their middleman Rolen was large and spacious and would have provided enough room for a two dozen gnomes - but Namfoodle was in the company of clumsy oafs and giants and therefore it immediately became cramped. Namfoodle and Peter, however, managed to grab a spot on the nightstand and successfully defended it against elbows and oversized butts.

A couple of the adventurers seemed to already know and trust Rolen. This was a good sign for Namfoodle, who unfortunately understood only half of what was said. He had read about these alan-funds before and seen a drawing of them, but he could not imagine much about them. And a wickerman was unknown to him anyway.

"OK" Namfoodle commented on what had been said and slid to the edge of the nightstand. He was getting impatient and the air in the - now cramped - room wasn't getting any better. "Let's go to the market, then. There we can take a close look at these alan-funds and look for that ominous vendor."

Namfoodle Glitterstone wizard level 2Link to the character sheet.

BarrowB · #19 Jan 6th, 2023, 05:22 AM

Aurora the Cursed Bride

"Elephants... fun! Maybe we will see them do some tricks." Aurora smiled and thought about that one circus show that she had seen as a child. "Yeah, let's go there. We don't have many other options."

Actions Move:
Action:
Bonus Action:
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Notes/Rolls: Rolls

Character Sheet

Noquarter19 · #20 Jan 6th, 2023, 08:14 AM

Lt. Baxan Arthic

Credit to Caio Santos, https://www.artstation.com/artwork/wnLOw

The assembled group of half-strangers welcomed the newcomer Rolen in their own ways. Baxan, who felt more comfortable standing back by the wall where it was somewhat cooler, eyed the elven man curiously. His entrance had brought a touch of welcome camaraderie to those who knew him, ushering in a much more pleasant atmosphere than the one the group had been dealing with back down by the bar. He had watched Aurora's unique blend of pest control and nodded admiringly to her. "Intriguing," he'd said quietly. "I look forward to seeing what you can do against foes who are bigger than rats, assuming that your infectious abilities do not spread to your allies like pollen on a breeze."

Baxan's response had certainly not been universal among the others who did not already know the curious nature caster, he thought as he reflected on the brief interactions they'd had back downstairs. Namfoodle the young wizard had responded with disgust and horror at Aurora's little show. Baxan had eyed the little gnome's badger and imagined there might not be too much of a stretch of the imagination from a rat to a badger, which might easily make Namfoodle upset. Or perhaps the gnome was just that sensitive. He imagined it was the latter.

"Aurora demonstrated her ability on a known pest, because why couldn't the West Marches have its own version of the Black Death?one which has been known to carry fatal diseases, and she did so without making the creature suffer overlong, unlike some of the other macabre traps made of glue or springs which I have seen before. You should save your outrage for one who actually deserves it." Or just toughen up, he'd thought to himself. Namfoodle did not seem like a bad person at all, but he could not deny thinking the gnome seemed too squeamish to be a mercenary, and he was relieved when the gnome seemed to let the matter drop. He eyed the others who had assembled downstairs and assessed them individually and as a whole.

He had traveled with mages before, and he recalled a young bard he had traveled with - a beautiful girl, but eccentric. She had insisted that she be chained up to the dragonborn so she could not be free to let loose the monster which lurked within her. Baxan hadn't known about all that, but as he looked across the table at Derek, he recognized the same haunted expression in the young man's eyes. Beyond that, he had no way to judge the young man or his abilities. Only the battlefield would work to do that.

The strange gith man Oguun had caught his eye immediately, for his was not a common race among the West Marches, nor even upon the material plane. Baxan was not a short man, but he was easily giving up three inches to the hulking gith. "Well met," he said politely to the cleric. "I cannot imagine how retrieving a simple root could be dangerous, but if I end up being wrong, I will be all the more grateful for your presence."

Aside from the more defensively-minded Oguun, Aurora was the most martial of the rest of them, he thought as he eyed the twin sabres which dangled from the scabbards on her hips. He didn't know how well she could take a hit, but then with how lithe she appeared, he imagined she could move quickly enough where it wouldn't even matter. She would have appeared human to his eyes, but the green-tinged skin was a clear giveaway that she was something more. Beyond their obvious martial connections, Baxan and Aurora were the only two of the group who did not have some sort of companion. He looked on with a mixture of amusement and indifference at the late-arriving Phil and Punxl - or Punxl and Phil; it was unclear who was the leader of the two. Phil was clearly the more verbose of the pair, while Punxl was an actual human - though he had met plenty of humans who had all the wits of an animal. He turned to his green-skinned companion. "Would that you had saved the rat, Aurora, you could have had a pet as well as all these others." His tone was light, but there was a trace of an edge just below the surface - a hint of reluctance or irritation at the idea of so many others who might need defending, depending on how dangerous their task might prove. He cleared his throat and addressed all of them now that they had fully assembled and introduced themselves.

"My name is Baxan Arthic, former officer of the Legion of the West Marches, and I am what you all see before you: a holy knight of the Lord of Battles himself, the ever-mighty Tempus." He gestured to the holy symbol - a burning sword - emblazoned in orange upon the otherwise bare steel of his shield. "I do not shie away from a fight, but do not consider me just some bloodthirsty savage. I am wise enough to recognize that sometimes words are weapons in their own right, or that communication can stop a battle before it ever need begin. Lastly," he said quietly, "while I cannot imagine how a traipse through the woods for some mysterious root could be dangerous, should any of you need medical assistance, my holy bond with Tempus has imbued me with limited healing powers - limited, meaning not for owls, or badgers, or..." He looked over at Phil and Punxl, still trying to determine which of the two of them was supposed to be in charge. "...or anyone else not being paid directly by our employer. It is not a matter of cruelty," he said in the direction of Namfoodle. "Nor is it a matter of sadism," he said as he turned a curious eye to the winged Phil. "It is simply a matter of tactics, of resource management, and, if I may be blunt, of pragmatism: our lives simply matter more." He broke off at that point as he caught sight of the tavernkeeper eyeing their group out of the corner of his eye while he busied himself with polishing a glass. Baxan cleared his throat. "In any event, while I myself felt no need to demonstrate my swordsmanship upon an unsuspecting rodent, I consider the issue of no consequence. Let us put this frivolity behind us and get a move on." He drained the last of his glass of ice water and stood up from the table. "Let us go meet this 'middleman'."

And now they were here in this much too crowded room, listening to this nervous little elf telling them what felt like half-truths about the job before him. He looked down at the elf who seemed to be rubbing his leg in obvious discomfort. "Is that a fresh wound, friend? You seem to be in some pain." The three who already knew Rolen didn't appear to be acknowledging Rolen's injured leg, aside from the strange gith man Oguun, who had inquired about the root's potential as a balm for the elf's injury. "Ah, apparently not." He could not fail to note the discomfort Rolen showed when speaking about his employer and her husband. Baxan had no previous experience in dealing with Master Almavalesh and Lady Mayuri, aside from his brief initial meeting where he had been hired. He certainly had no bonds with them beyond what he would be paid, so his perception of them was not blunted by kinship. They were clearly mysterious and quite likely dangerous, but thus far he had no reason to disengage from the Lady's services. If anything, Rolen's reticence about answering Derek's question regarding Almavalesh and Mayuri had greatly roused his curiosity. He clearly has no interest in speaking the truth amongst mixed company - an admirable quality for an employee to have. More people in this world could use a bit more discretion. "You need not concern yourself with divulging secrets about your master or the good lady, good Rolen. I am in her employ the same as you, and as long as I do not discover her to be involved in any sort of evil activities, you need not question my allegiance." He steepled his fingers in front of his face and considered the wounded elf before him. Rolen was a bad liar, but Baxan didn't have enough to go on to press the man further. He remained silent as the others spoke, thinking about the various beasts he had encountered throughout his travels. "Wickerbeast" was most assuredly a nickname, though for what he had no idea. He had heard rumors of some supernatural beast, large, dangerous, and possibly resembling an elephant. He perked up when Rolen mentioned that their contact was a local mahout.

"I don't believe in coincidence as a general rule. You say the seller was, according to the herbalist, a local mahout. It's curious then that from the rumors I have heard about a creature known as a "Wickerbeast," one account described it as resembling an elephant. And now we are to go meet with a man whose literal job is to handle elephants?" He scoffed in disgust. "Pardon my reticence, but this whole tale now begins to take on the air of a setup fabricated by the mahout to gather people into the woods for some unknown purpose." His red eyes pierced into the nervous elf. "And it all seems to stem from this mystical root that no one else seems to know anything about. Lady Mayuri said you would be able to answer any further questions we might have regarding the root. I have several. What is so special about it? Why does she need more of it? And who is the herbalist who is supposed to have sold it to her?" The silver dragonborn was not expressly angry or hostile toward the elf, but there was an Intimidation check if he won't talk, or an insight check if he doesintensity in his tone that made it clear he was not about to just accept everything at face value.

Mindsiege · #21 Jan 8th, 2023, 04:20 AM

Hired Hands

After Rolen had managed to more or less dodge Derek's request to discuss the events of two months ago, he looked over at Oguun and Aurora who shared the same memories of that nightmare and were least likely to let matters rest. To his benefit however it appeared that the cursed bride showed little interest in him now after she had considered striking him down for his questionable allegiance in the past, and the githzerai cleric even appeared to be concerned with his physical well-being, earning Oguun an awkward smile when the high-elf looked up from his leg and listened as the gith posed the question whether the root was able to help with his leg as well as that Oguun knew not what an elephant was. "Ah, yes. You wouldn't know, would you?"

It appeared that Namfoodle as well had done well to avoid meeting one of the thick-skinned mammals since he had arrived in Westhaven, which certainly meant he was either fairly lucky or shared a living habit with Rolen in that the elven wizard didn't go out too much. Fortunately Phil was able to shed a bit of light into the darkness of knowledge by describing what he could about an elephant's characteristics. And although he overstated a little how often these behemoths found their way into people's services as mounts or simple beats of burdens, so did these animals at least have a small presence in Westhaven's adventuring economy, as those among the party who hadn't met an elephant yet would soon learn.

Given that it stood on the horizon that the adventurers would be getting more familiar with elephants soon, a few of them readied themselves for an eager departure before they had ever received notice of how much gold their quest would actually pay. But before Rolen had the opportunity to seal the deal as they say, it was Baxan who drew the conversation back to the wizard's leg after Rolen had yet to answer if he stood to gain from the Wickerwood root personally. Looking forth between Baxan and Oguun, Rolen quickly corrected how he had allowed himself to get distracted by the talk of elephants.

"Oh, it's quite all right. An old, badly-healed injury. I will manage." He smiled a bit bitterly. "And sorry for not answering earlier, Oguun. But truthfully, I'm not quite sure what Lady Mayuri has seen in the root per se. It wasn't really important for my task and I did not think to ask." Rolen looked over at Aurora while kneading his leg. "But you have Lady Aurora with you. Last time she seemed quite apt in herbology. I'll gladly refer to her knowledge in this."

As Rolen denied holding much knowledge about the Wickerwood root, Baxan had been studying the behavior of Amlmavalesh's shifty apprentice closely. And while it wasn't quite clear whether Rolen had ever discussed the root's properties with his master's wife, the keen dragonborn noticed not for the first time that steering their conversation in Mayuri's direction made Rolen uncomfortable and it was quite possible that the elf was in the dark about a few details for a different reason than forgetting to ask. Having gained a sliver of perspective from Derek's and Oguun's strange allusions down in the tavern room, Baxan took the opportunity to draw the lines as he accepted any secrecy that Rolen might have kept out of loyalty, though firmly with the caveat that evil-doing wouldn't be pardoned. As he listened to the dragonborn, Rolen seemed to hold a lot of interest in his aching leg.

Having gotten into the flow of things, Baxan continued to clarify both his work ethic and allegiance, and as the most experienced among the Westhaven adventurers he explained how he had heard rumors in the past which had described the Wickerbeast as akin to an elephant. With his particular past as a soldier who knew not to give his possible foes any edge, Baxan liked such a possible connection between the Wickerbeast and the mahout not one bit, and in fact he openly posed to the assembled adventurers that this constellation could possibly amount to a nefarious trap. When he pointed out as much to Rolen and further reminded him that Mayuri had set him up to answer all questions that the adventurers might have, even those about the root, the elven wizard wore a troubled expression as he looked up at the imposing silver dragonborn.

"Well, I cannot say what you discussed with Lady Mayuri when you had met with her about this quest, but it's the truth that I am fairly out of the loop on the specifics of this Wickerwood root." Rolen talked quite earnestly and in this, it didn't seem like he was lying. He continued speaking a bit hurriedly. "As for the herbalist, of course I could refer you to him if you believe it would aid your quest." The elven wizard made an effort of giving a sincere expression. "My role in this is really just that of a middleman. I am supposed to share what little I've learned myself and negotiate your remuneration for this quest. Nothing further or at all sinister!"

"I have never even met this mahout in question. You can do with him as you will, I don't think that anybody would care." Which was quite a careless thing to say since of course there was law in Westhaven, but Rolen quickly tried to get the adventurers back in his good graces. "How about this? I was given quite a bit of reign in this matter about what I can promise you. Given that this looks like quite the strong and reliable party, Lady Mayuri surely won't question if I offer you five-hundred gold pieces upon delivery of a healthy Wickerwood plant at the Avalladasz estate. And then any added consideration if you can report an excessive amount of danger for just such an amount. That should be fairly generous, no?"

After Rolen had finally informed the adventurers what their quest would be worth, he continued to talk with them a little more, trying to assuage any further worries as best he could. It was clear that there wasn't much joviality left in him by the end of it, and especially the presence of Baxan and Aurora was a bit of a source of stress for him, even though the young noblewoman possibly hadn't done much deserve that role. But although there had been a bit of tension during the information exchange with Mayuri's associate, there was still a general mood of eagerness as quite a few of the adventurers were glad to have an excuse to visit the elephant training camp and whatever excitement would await them there. It appeared that Mayuri had been fortunate with her selection of adventurers after all, and just as the new party was about to leave, Rolen raised his hand haltingly before he wished them farewell. "One last thing before you leave. Could I have a moment of privacy with my former comrades? Really just for a few minutes. The rest of you, I wish you great luck on this quest!" The elf gave them his best awkward smile.

If maybe the party was a bit reluctant to separate at first, Rolen waited patiently until it was only him, Derek, Oguun, and Aurora remaining in the cramped little inn room. About at the same time as the wooden door closed and the last of the new faces was out of line of sight, Rolen let out a sigh of tension before he looked back up and wore a concerned expression on his elven features. "Look, I know that I was never really the most trusted in the group, but please, heed me in this. Yes, I got close to the threat, and also Master Almavalesh, but it was not for mere self-gain!"

Although Rolen spoke to his three former companions with a cautiously dimmed voice, he was doing so with quite some insistence almost as if he was pleading with them to understand. "Think of me what you will, but we all defeated that nightmare together, didn't we? You decided to trust me then, and I need you to trust me now." The elf appeared to have forgotten about his leg and looked at each of the other three in turn. "I have heard that a few rumors have been created across the last two months." Rolen's brows were furrowed. "That was quite careless! Need I remind you that they have taken our names?!" He didn't need to elaborate that he was talking about their true names. "For all our sake, you need to be more subtle from now on. Just... for now just do this quest for Mayuri. After that, we should talk. I think that I need not remind you that this is quite the danger we're facing. So please." Again Rolen looked at the others pleadingly, hoping they would do this favor for him.

GM instructionsI changed the flow of the conversation a little to pick up all the threads without making any jumps. I hope nobody minds.

About Rolen's knowledge about the Wickerwood root, going with Baxan's previous Insight check you can discern that he indeed doesn't have more to tell you about it. He is not privy to what the plant can do, but if you will press him he'll give up the herbalist's name without any resistance.

About the latter part of the post, Rolen would wait until it's only him and his allies from the previous adventure in the room. However, he's clearly not that good at cloak-and-dagger stuff, and thus any of the PCs who leave the room may make an attempt at listening in on the conversation through the door. Each character that goes to put their ear to the door may roll a DC 10 Perception check. If even a single one of those checks succeeds, each character attempting the check is able to listen in on Rolen's part of the conversation and anything that the others say unless they move closer together and whisper. Needless to say though, any PC listening at the door will be looking pretty conspicuous for any character that walks by.

Otherwise, I would like each of you to finish up any business that you have left with Rolen, though if necessary I can extend the scene a little in parallel to moving you to your next location. But if possible, this should be your last post for this social encounter. It's good that everybody is warmed up now, because opposed to the previous NPC-impoverished adventure there'll be a few more social encounters than last time.

So as I said, my next GM update will move you either to the elephant trainers, the herbalist, or any other location that you would like to go to first. Let me know which it will be. If you want to spend a round of posts discussing IC, possibly back in the common room, that's of course fine too. I'm not in any hurry to move you along.

Rolls: Lady Luck

Initiative

Character

AC

HP

Hands

Status

Action

Position

Character	AC	HP	PP	PI	Movement	Conditions	Resources
Derek Draven	15/12	10/10	17	20	30'	-	Arcane Recovery 1/1; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 2/2
Oguun	18/16	14/14	14	13	30'	-	Arcane Recovery 1/1; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 2/2
Aurora Turpis	17	19/19	15	11	30'	Inspiration	Eerie Token 1/1; Hex Magic DS 1/1; Hex Magic Hex 1/1; Wild Shape 2/2; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 2/2
Punxl Tawney	15	24/24	11	8	30'	-	Healing Light 4/4; Spells II. 2/2; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 3/3
Baxan Arthic	18/16	27/27	12	10	30'	-	Breath Weapon 1/1; Lay on Hands 15/15; Divine Sense 4/4; Channel Divinity 1/1; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 3/3
Namfoodle Glitterstone	15/12	17/17	12	15	25'	-	Arcane Recovery 1/1; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 2/2
Nephala	12	1/1	13	6	10' / 50' (fly)	-	-
TAFF	11	1/1	18/13	6	5' / 60' (fly)	-	-
Peter	10	3/3	16/11	6	20' / 5' (burrow)	-	-
Phillip	15	2/2	13	12	10' / 40' (fly)	-	-

Togot · #22 Jan 9th, 2023, 02:42 PM

Derek Draven

Derek considered their options and tried to think of the best place to start. The herbalist might be able to tell them more about the plant, but it seemed the mahout was the preferable choice since he could give more details about the surrounding vegetation that Derek could ask the herbalist about later if the mahout provided any such usable information. “I say we start with the mahout and see what we learn.”

When Rolan asks to speak with Aurora, Oguun and Derek alone, Derek’s curiosity and concern are both aroused. He hopes that Rolen wishes to relay some pertinent information regarding their previous exploit, but instead the other wizard mostly gives a warning to keep a low profile. “I don’t think anything poorly of you Rolan,” Derek says reassuringly. “I am simply concerned for your well being being so close to Almavalesh. I did some research into fiends and what I found was disturbing, though not very helpful unfortunately. I’ll do my utmost to complete this job in good faith, and until something changes, there is little else I can do about Almavalesh’s condition.”

Stat BlockAC:12 HP:10/10 STR:7 DEX:14 CON:11 INT:16 WILL:14 CHA:16
Passive Perception:17
Spells Prepared/Spell Slots:1st 3/3, mage armor, charm person, false life, magic missile, sleep
Character Sheet

Corwin · #23 Jan 10th, 2023, 12:03 AM

Oguun

There was no means to truly appraise the capabilities of the newcomers until a conflict occurred, but Oguun found reason to consider each of them capable until proven otherwise. Namfoodle seemed highly resolute, and considering that he was of Thrella's kind, there was no reason to believe that he could not back his resolution with abilities. Phil and Punxl were perhaps a single unit as Punxl had shown very few signs of sentience. By contrast, the warrior Baxan Arthic appeared to have an innate understanding of at least several of the Circles, willing to apply steel or conserve resources as dictated by circumstance. Oguun found no immediate grounds to be dissatisfied.

"Ah, yes. You wouldn't know, would you?" Phil jumped in before Rolen could go on and Oguun stared unblinking as the tiny person described elephants in terms of three other creatures he also hadn't heard of, expanding his awareness of his own ignorance several times over. Loxodon. Aardvark. Grizzly. "You are correct, Phil, I am not from around here. I am not aware of any unit of measure that describes the distance from Limbo to this plane. Do the elephants consent to being used?" The creatures sounded formidable based on their size alone, and deceptive in nature from what Aurora said. He chose not to form any further opinion until saw an elephant. He was less content with Rolen's very incomplete knowledge of the root. "Yes, please direct us to the herbalist as well as the mahout."

Rolen asked for the newcomers to excuse themselves while Aurora, Derek, and Oguun remained. In Oguun's experience, the walls in the less luxurious quarters of the Shield were extremely thin, no barrier whatsoever to hearing what went on in the neighboring rooms or the hall. Any expectation of privacy was aspirational at best, more a matter of custom than security, and he fully expected anything said would be heard. He also surmised that anything Rolen said could as easily be the words of the entity as the elven wizard. Anything he said himself must be assumed to fall on the ears of ally and enemy alike. "I concur that we are all endangered, Rolen. I remain uncertain as to just how suppressing knowledge of Almavalesh's possession by the entity is beneficial to anyone but the entity. If it may act against us at any time, concealing its presence in Westhaven seems only to give it time to establish itself while pointlessly delaying our inveitable demise. Please expand on your reasoning and convince us this is the course of wisdom." Oguun watched the wizard, hoping for some revelation as to what or who motivated him.

BarrowB · #24 Jan 10th, 2023, 07:11 AM

Aurora the Cursed Bride

When Rolen made half of the group leave the room, to talk about the past, Aurora for once decided to remain quiet. In her eyes, the wizard was still a traitor and a coward, worth of no trust. He made a pact with and evil entity. While the fiend got defeated within a dream... she doubted that it perished completely. She just folded her arms in front of her chest and listened to what others had to say, while giving Rolen a judging look.

Actions Move:
Action:
Bonus Action:
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Notes/Rolls: Rolls

Character Sheet

secretID · #25 Jan 10th, 2023, 09:03 AM

When Rolen asked for some privacy, Phil fluttered over to him and gave him a little pat. “Sure, sure,” he said. “You four must have some catching up to do. ‘How are the kids? What's really going on with your leg? Who is possessed these days?' – that kind of thing. We’ll be right here when you’re done. But hey – no side deals!” Phil pointed at Rolen, then the others, and gave them a teasing smile before waving his hands that them. “I’m kidding – you go; you go.”

When the door closed, Phil waited with the same smile on his face for a few moments, then suddenly dropped it and turned to Baxan and Namfoodle. “It’s funny,” he said. “I was a little worried about this guy at first, but I’m an excellent judge of character once I get *ahem* close to someone, and he’s alright. Upstanding, really – a mensch.” Phil cupped his chin and frowned toward the door. “He’s upset, though – a bit scared.

"I wish I had been able to get a handle on our employer earlier, but she seemed a little touchy, so I thought I wouldn’t reach out just yet.”

LeDragon · #26 Jan 11th, 2023, 11:47 AM

Namfoodle Glitterstone

When the meeting is officially finished, Namfoodle wants immediately jump down the nightstand. But he is too polite and doesn't want to mess the giants in the room. So he waits patiently - fake patience - until the big guys left the room, then follows them. At the doorframe, he turns around to Rolen and the others. "Thanks a lot! See later! We wait outside!" he grabs Peter and his backpack and leaves the room.

Outside of the room, he turns to Phil. "Phil, maybe it makes sense that you check if our new friend is treated well by our new - sometimes murderous - comrades." he whispers and winks conspiratorially with his right eye. "Just for everyone's security. Meanwhile, I talk with Baxan."

He walks along the corridor to look for other guests who may see the pixie listening at the door.
"Listen Baxan, I understand that animals and pets haven't got the same value than forest gnomes and other beings have, but, just our of interest... what do I have to pay you for healing Peter?"

Namfoodle Glitterstone wizard level 2Link to the character sheet.

Dice perception:

d20+2

(11)+2

Total = 13

Noquarter19 · #27 Jan 12th, 2023, 06:14 AM

Lt. Baxan Arthic

Credit to Caio Santos, https://www.artstation.com/artwork/wnLOw

Moments before, in the room…

”Derek, I can appreciate your viewpoint in wanting to head right to the mahout and begin our inquiries in earnest. Truly, I can. But I cannot, in good conscience, begin an investigation out of sequence – at least, not without a compelling reason to do so. Now, it certainly may well be that the herbalist ends up being as knowledgeable of the plant or the mahout who provided it as your friend Rolen here - and if he or she does prove to know nothing useful, then you will have my most sincere apology for wasting your time. But let’s think about the extent of what we know – collectively – of our quarry. We know the mahout in question is a brown-haired male with tan skin. Now perhaps he is the only mahout fitting that description; perhaps his companions are all blonde-haired, pale-skinned females. I’m willing to wager that they are not, which will make knowing any additional identifying details about the man all the more valuable. Furthermore, when we met with the good Lady Mayuri yesterday evening, what we saw was a shriveled, nearly unidentifiable hunk of plant matter, at least from what I can recall of it. I’m sure one learned of natural flora such as Aurora would have a much better grasp of what she was looking at, but in addition to details about the mahout’s appearance and general demeanor, the herbalist would have seen the plant when it was fresher and more vibrant – that is, closer to what we would seemingly find out in the wild. Also, and please do not take offense at this, dear Rolen – I get the distinct impression that the Lady Mayuri tends to keep her business close to the vest, as the saying goes. We are but hired contractors, commissioned to find a plant and retrieve it in a timely manner. Our employer was under no obligation to divulge the properties of the plant in question, nor her motives for acquiring another, more vibrant specimen. I had hoped that her chosen middleman would have more information of the plant in question, but sadly this is not the case. For starters, we have no idea if the plant is or was harmful to the touch. How did the mahout transport the plant to the herbalist? Was it kept submerged in water like a freshly-snipped rose, or tossed into a wicker basket like a potato? Were there any unique colors or scents that the herbalist noticed, but which were no longer present when we sighted it downstairs?”

Baxan took a deep breath. He had been talking for several minutes and his throat had begun to go dry. ”Excuse me, Oguun, if I could just get that pitcher of ice water there – yes, by your elbow. And a glass as well, please? Thank you kindly sir.” The silver dragonborn poured a tall glass of water and drank deeply, the cool liquid relieving his parched throat. He breathed out in a long slow breath, and the cool of his body turned the water vapor into faint ice crystals. He felt suddenly self-conscious of how much he had been speaking, and how strange he must look amongst this group of acquaintances and their assorted pets. There I go again, sounding like an officer. You’re not a soldier anymore, Arthic, and this isn’t a war council. We’re just going into the woods to get a plant. Who cares what the guy looks like, or why the lady wants it. He cleared his throat, trying to forget how much the seemingly innocuous assignment had gripped his imagination. Because I want to know, that’s why. I’m bored and I’m curious. All I’ve been doing is hanging around the inn half-heartedly exercising and hoping for a job. Well now I have one, and excuse me if I don’t just want to rush off and finish it before lunch. Besides, it’s not like we were given a hard deadline to return the thing – she just wants it brought to her intact. He cleared his throat again and a few snow flurries danced in the air in front of him.

”Forgive me, Derek, I did not mean to ramble. This is not the military, and I am not your commanding officer. If the group feels that proceeding to the mahout in question immediately is the most effective use of our time, then I shall not balk. I was merely offering what, in my mind, felt like the most tactical and efficient use of our time. Truth be told, I know as much about mahouts and elephants as I do about plants – which is to say, not a great deal. If the plant in question is safe and the mahout who provided it is a stand-up citizen, then my apprehensions would certainly prove to be misguided. But I’ve learned that rarely, if ever, are things as they seem. I mean, you yourself said that the woman’s husband was possessed at one point. What sort of dealings can his wife be involved with? After all, it’s not like we’re being sent to fetch a turnip.”

At that point, it was becoming painfully clear that Rolen was growing more and more uncomfortable with the silver dragonborn’s tone and line of inquiry. Baxan nodded his head to the wounded man. ”Forgive me, sir, I take no pleasure in questioning the lady’s motives. I apologize for offending or causing discomfort.” He placed the empty glass back on the table, and it was at that point that Rolen requested to speak with his three former colleagues. ”Certainly, sir. I wish you good day, and look forward to returning to you and the good lady with a happy, healthy, er… Wickerroot.” The knight nodded to the other two mercenaries who were not included in the elf’s impromptu discussion and marched through the door and into the cooler air of the hall beyond.

The door, he noted, was as thin as the walls; it would not take much to listen in and hear what was being discussed. Baxan had no intentions of doing this; he was no voyeur. Instead, he stood at the side of the stairs and extended his arms to grab hold of the thin wooden railing. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. It was not cold in the hallway, but it was a far sight cooler than the close, uncomfortable heat of the small room he had just vacated. He looked down and to his right as he heard a small voice speaking to him.

”Listen, Baxan, I understand that animals and pets haven’t got the same value that forest gnomes and other beings have, but, just out of interest… what do I have to pay you for healing Peter?”

Baxan stared at the young, concerned little gnome who stood before him. There was no jest in the gnome’s voice, merely the concern anyone might have for his animal companion. In a rare show of sensitivity, Baxan bent to one knee so that he was no longer as towering a figure to the earnest little gnome. ”My dear Namfoodle. Though I cannot imagine under what circumstance we might come to harm in retrieving a simple root… Namfoodle, as devout a follower of Tempus as I am, my divine healing is limited. The simple answer is this: should we be in a situation where our very lives were in danger, where the risk of death was not a mere notion but an inevitability, I could not, and would not, ever, use my divine healing on a pet. You ask what you would have to pay for me to heal your Peter? You would be paying with your very life, for that same divine energy which you would have save Peter would no longer be there to save you yourself.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Remain calm; he does not realize how foolish his request is. ”As long as I still draw breath, I shall do what I can to keep you all safe – yes, even the badger. Just stay behind the big dragon man and you both should be alright.”

Mindsiege · #28 Jan 13th, 2023, 06:52 PM

Start of an Adventure

While three of the adventurers left the room together with Phil and began to more or less occupy the inn's hallway, Namfoodle had no difficulty scouting for the sprite to possibly follow the gnome's advice as there really wasn't too much traffic in this wing of the inn around this time. In the meanwhile under Aurora's judging gaze, Rolen was still sitting placidly on his bed as the moon elf wizard listened to Derek profess that he wasn't held as low in esteem as he might have worried. Rolen still wore a somewhat disconcerted expression even as the human necromancer spoke of his own concerns and research, and then Oguun joined his voice, though instead of giving further reassurances the gith questioned the sense of keeping a lowered profile. At this, the elven mage visibly frowned.

"I understand what you need of me, Oguun. And I do certainly have those reasonings to give. Really, I do. But not now, not here." The elf's gaze flicked over to the door for a moment before it returned to the gith. "I'll convince you another time, as I did intend to do so already, but for now, just be careful. Whatever you believe you can affect with rashness, just consider that we're quite outclassed and that you won't be unopposed if you make yourself a target. I think we were very fortunate to ever awake from that nightmare." Rolen trailed off as he looked into the distance for a moment, before a pained smile formed on his face while he massaged his leg and looked his former comrades in the eyes one after another. "Live to fight another day, is that as they say? Good luck on your quest. I will make sure to arrange for our next conversation to be more in-depth."

After everybody had said their farewells, the second half of the party left the room and noticed that their new comrades hadn't made too much of a headstart so far, having waited at a respectable distance away from the door to Rolen's room. Through meeting Mayuri's middleman the party had learned where to find the particular herbalist that had sold their employer her root, and the elephant camp at Westhaven's northern wall wasn't much of a secret for those who had heard of the town's elephant presence before. The party still wasn't unanimous on their next course of action, and so for now they meant to return to the On Your Shield's tavern room to discuss and plan their day. Just as they all turned to leave Rolen's room behind, letting the door fall closed behind them, Derek was the only one who noticed a skittering in the corner of his eye. When he turned his head at the last moment and looked, he saw a spider the size of at least Baxan's fist crawling through the doorway at its ceiling just before the door fell shut. Of course the necromancer recognized Ara from two months ago, and she must have used the opportunity of the adventurers' leave to return to her master. Without wanting to remain in the hallway any further, the adventurers returned to the tavern below.

"So? One more swig before you'll hit the roads?" The burly tavernkeeper gave a bit of a disinterested expression as he was still scrubbing tankards when the newly formed party returned from upstairs, though for those who knew him he just always looked that way. He had been in the employ of Lady Emily for quite some time, and as many colorful adventurers as Westhaven possessed, the man had seen too many of them who started inexperienced and eager but soon never returned to the inn. It was the bitter truth of the West Marches, for each adventurer who returned to tell tales of their exploits and success, there were at least three or four who had made their way to an early grave. For the man behind the bar, there was no way to tell the difference on who would make it just from their face. All he could do was wish them well. "You know what? Sit down a moment longer and take your table for another round. I'll let you open a tab. You can take it as my best wishes for your safe return." The tavernkeeper looked away as he already began to fill a jug of mead for whomever he remembered would enjoy it well. He'd be here when they returned, at least every other day. That was if they made it. At least Westhaven's streets were known to be safe during the day...

GM instructionsI think that's the end of the scene with Rolen for now. As with the previous post, I'll need the party to reach a conclusion on where to head next. You have the same options as before. Herbalist, elephant trainers, anywhere else.

About Oguun's insight check, he hasn't learned anything about Rolen that wasn't known before. It's not fully clear for whose sake Rolen is arguing. The only thing Oguun could tell is that Rolen's concern for himself and the other adventurers is quite genuine.

Also, Derek wasn't actually the only one who noticed Ara, TAFF did too. I just didn't see any reason why the owl would mention anything. Ara shouldn't have been too alarming and outside any pre-established orders, TAFF might not have the intelligence to deem it relevant. But in this case, I'll let you make the decision on that, so now you know.

Rolls: Lady Luck

Initiative

Character

AC

HP

Hands

Status

Action

Position

Character	AC	HP	PP	PI	Movement	Conditions	Resources
Derek Draven	15/12	10/10	17	20	30'	-	Arcane Recovery 1/1; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 2/2
Oguun	18/16	14/14	14	13	30'	-	Arcane Recovery 1/1; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 2/2
Aurora Turpis	17	19/19	15	11	30'	Inspiration	Eerie Token 1/1; Hex Magic DS 1/1; Hex Magic Hex 1/1; Wild Shape 2/2; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 2/2
Punxl Tawney	15	24/24	11	8	30'	-	Healing Light 4/4; Spells II. 2/2; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 3/3
Baxan Arthic	18/16	27/27	12	10	30'	-	Breath Weapon 1/1; Lay on Hands 15/15; Divine Sense 4/4; Channel Divinity 1/1; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 3/3
Namfoodle Glitterstone	15/12	17/17	12	15	25'	-	Arcane Recovery 1/1; Spells I. 3/3; Healer Feat 1/1; Short rests 2/2; HD 2/2
Nephala	12	1/1	13	6	10' / 50' (fly)	-	-
TAFF	11	1/1	18/13	6	5' / 60' (fly)	-	-
Peter	10	3/3	16/11	6	20' / 5' (burrow)	-	-
Phillip	15	2/2	13	12	10' / 40' (fly)	-	-

LeDragon · #29 Jan 14th, 2023, 01:50 PM

Namfoodle Glitterstone

"Baxan" Namfoodle looks at the former sergeant. "Thanks a lot for your ... clear explanation and your offer to protect us... all. I'm fine with this." He pads Peter. "I know that you mean it in a good way."
he adds and smiles friendly at the giant. Although Namfoodle understands that comrades are more important than pets, his personal help would exclude at least one woman. However. any further discussion would be futile and include the severe risk to annoy the cleric. Then, he may withdraw his offer to save Peter.

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

In the taproom, Namfoodle looks at the others. "Let's see the elephants, first. The herbalist will be there later, too." he claims although the same it true for the elephant.

Namfoodle Glitterstone wizard level 2Link to the character sheet.

secretID · #30 Jan 15th, 2023, 11:17 AM

Phil’s tiny features showed some surprise at Namfoodle’s suggestion of eavesdropping. Actually, the little fairy tended to exaggerate his expressions and to supplement them with plenty of body language. He may have been doing this to help communication, like stage actor, but it seemed just as likely that this was another aspect of his general enthusiasm and excitability. “Gosh, I don’t know…” he began to respond, but before he come to a conclusion the door opened, sparing him this difficult decision.
--------------
Back in the Inn greatroom, Phil joined the planning of the party’s next steps – such as it was – while watching that Punxl didn’t absent-mindedly drink too much. “You’ve got some good points, Lieutenant,” he complimented the dragonborn, "though I wouldn’t worry too much about finding our mahout. There aren’t that many of them; I guess most people are happy with a horse. Most people aren’t your size,” he added. “So we should be good either way,” Phil said.

“I like animals,” Punxl reiterated.

“Yes you do,” acknowledged Phil, “just like our buddy Namfoodle here. So we're good to start with the mahout, if no one has a problem with that.”

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