The Golden Tooth Tavern
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Hyde laughs, finding something funny, but you're not sure exactly what. "I mostly pour the ales, yeah. My days out lookin' for trouble ended when I got wounded," He taps his knee, then he points over to the table covered with maps and scrolls against the far wall. "You'll find what the adventurer folks share over there... though most of 'em been a bit tight lipped on actual facts. You'll see on there where the goblins used ta live - some folks found new trouble there, from what I hear. The goblins moved on to the southwest of town, some folks gone to deal with them. There's likely some closer to the road, if you ask me, for them to spy and raid or caravans. I reckon you won't get too far into the hills in any direction without them finding you." He also refers you to the Wooden Keep if you can pay the Sage for good information. He says the Chapel of Baudhwould welcome you, if you are a priest.
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Piers Garrett
"Very well then. I thank you again for your information. Once I have consumed my magnificent repast, I shall venture forth to the Chapel, and perhaps other places beyond".
Piers finishes his meal, and exits in the direction of the Chapel of Baudh.
"Very well then. I thank you again for your information. Once I have consumed my magnificent repast, I shall venture forth to the Chapel, and perhaps other places beyond".
Piers finishes his meal, and exits in the direction of the Chapel of Baudh.
Chance of being Suprised: 33%
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
07 July 2021
Word circulates that the Chapel of Baudh is sending a small group southward to find the fate of their priest, Tyrrell, and his companions Gaeron, Dorath, and Carchannoi. This group sought the watchtower of Guhra the goblin over a month ago and never returned.
Expedition - Piers: the Fate of Tyrrell - 07 July 2021
Any PCs that are in town and would like to join up with the new expedition, please post on the thread.
Word circulates that the Chapel of Baudh is sending a small group southward to find the fate of their priest, Tyrrell, and his companions Gaeron, Dorath, and Carchannoi. This group sought the watchtower of Guhra the goblin over a month ago and never returned.
Expedition - Piers: the Fate of Tyrrell - 07 July 2021
Any PCs that are in town and would like to join up with the new expedition, please post on the thread.
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Pendleton Kettleworth is in a quiet-ish corner reading and occasionally writing something into a small cloth-bound journal. He periodically sips from a cup of some pale brown hot drink. It's not an ideal study location, but he finds the general din of the tavern's common room to be preferable to the dead silence of his room.
When Piers casts around for adventurers. Pendleton raises his head from his reading. "What do you have in mind?" he asks. "Will there be anything worthy of study there? Perhaps something archeologically, anthropologically, xenozoologically, or thaumaturgically interesting?"
When Piers casts around for adventurers. Pendleton raises his head from his reading. "What do you have in mind?" he asks. "Will there be anything worthy of study there? Perhaps something archeologically, anthropologically, xenozoologically, or thaumaturgically interesting?"
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Piers Garrett
"Well sir, I cannot really speak towards the latter two of your categories", replies Piers."This will be our first mission in this direction, a reconnaissance if you will. However, I do believe one of the missing men was an elf, with some skill in magic. Perhaps if we recover his belongings you may find something of interest."
Piers pulls out a chair at Pendleton's table and sits down. "I do know that the tower the goblins now occupy was not built by them, but instead constructed by an older, previous civilization. An investigation of it may yield forgotten knowledge for further study."
"And since the men we will be searching for almost certainly had contact with the goblins at some point, we shall, by necessity be forced to deal with them too. Negotiations may be more successful than brute force here. In dealing with them, we shall learn things about their tribal structure that may satisfy your curiosity. In fact, I spent much of my time travelling north learning the goblin tongue, in preparation for coming into contact with them, after learning of the Duke's bounty."
Piers pauses for a moment to allow Pendleton to consider all this information. Then he continues, "Now sir, you seem like a man of some refinement and learning, much like myself. Could you see yourself bringing your own skills and thirst for knowledge along on our search?"
"Well sir, I cannot really speak towards the latter two of your categories", replies Piers."This will be our first mission in this direction, a reconnaissance if you will. However, I do believe one of the missing men was an elf, with some skill in magic. Perhaps if we recover his belongings you may find something of interest."
Piers pulls out a chair at Pendleton's table and sits down. "I do know that the tower the goblins now occupy was not built by them, but instead constructed by an older, previous civilization. An investigation of it may yield forgotten knowledge for further study."
"And since the men we will be searching for almost certainly had contact with the goblins at some point, we shall, by necessity be forced to deal with them too. Negotiations may be more successful than brute force here. In dealing with them, we shall learn things about their tribal structure that may satisfy your curiosity. In fact, I spent much of my time travelling north learning the goblin tongue, in preparation for coming into contact with them, after learning of the Duke's bounty."
Piers pauses for a moment to allow Pendleton to consider all this information. Then he continues, "Now sir, you seem like a man of some refinement and learning, much like myself. Could you see yourself bringing your own skills and thirst for knowledge along on our search?"
Chance of being Suprised: 33%
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
"These things you describe might be diverting," Pendleton says with a shrug. "But it is difficult to know whether any of that would be worthy of further study without more detailed information. There are plenty of things that are old that are nonetheless well-known. And goblins—well, there are certainly those who study them, but goblins are not exactly exotic. That makes it difficult to find new scholarly ground to tread upon."
"Speaking of goblins, you mention a goblin tower and missing men. Am I to understand, then, that you intend to follow the tracks of the group that set out for a goblin tower and did not return? I may have heard something of this expedition. Their leader, I am to understand, was a charming elf. Quite literally. Had a pet goblin for a while. It must have been how he planned to enter the tower without being attacked." He sips his drink. "Considering their extended absence, we must assume that they did not meet with the success for which they'd hoped."
He gives the cleric a long look. "I have no intention of charging blindly to my death. They were more experienced than we are and had reason to believe they would not be attacked by the goblins on sight. Why do you believe we would succeed where they failed? What is your plan? And why the goblin tower? Please, give me as much detail as you can."
"Speaking of goblins, you mention a goblin tower and missing men. Am I to understand, then, that you intend to follow the tracks of the group that set out for a goblin tower and did not return? I may have heard something of this expedition. Their leader, I am to understand, was a charming elf. Quite literally. Had a pet goblin for a while. It must have been how he planned to enter the tower without being attacked." He sips his drink. "Considering their extended absence, we must assume that they did not meet with the success for which they'd hoped."
He gives the cleric a long look. "I have no intention of charging blindly to my death. They were more experienced than we are and had reason to believe they would not be attacked by the goblins on sight. Why do you believe we would succeed where they failed? What is your plan? And why the goblin tower? Please, give me as much detail as you can."
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Piers
"The reason for searching for the tower is because that is what the Bishop has charged me to do initially. Finding out what happened to Tyyrell and the others is ancillary to this. I don't expect to be able to march up to the door and be welcomed, or even that the goblins will be anything less than hostile. The location of the tower will, I'm hoping, turn out to be information valuable to both the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of Gaul".
Piers wets his lips again with a sip of his ale. "I've gathered enough information from talking to travelers and guardsmen, to give me a rough idea of where the tower is. Since the tower is west of the road, my plan is to approach the tower from the north. I'm hoping that most of the goblin activity will be directed and focused in the direction of the road and we will be able to get closer going that way. And as I mentioned previously, I'm considering this to be a reconnaissance mission, not a suicide mission. If we have to turn back and make two or three attempts, I shall be more than willing. I've no intention of following Tyyrell's path in Baudh's service".
"The reason for searching for the tower is because that is what the Bishop has charged me to do initially. Finding out what happened to Tyyrell and the others is ancillary to this. I don't expect to be able to march up to the door and be welcomed, or even that the goblins will be anything less than hostile. The location of the tower will, I'm hoping, turn out to be information valuable to both the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of Gaul".
Piers wets his lips again with a sip of his ale. "I've gathered enough information from talking to travelers and guardsmen, to give me a rough idea of where the tower is. Since the tower is west of the road, my plan is to approach the tower from the north. I'm hoping that most of the goblin activity will be directed and focused in the direction of the road and we will be able to get closer going that way. And as I mentioned previously, I'm considering this to be a reconnaissance mission, not a suicide mission. If we have to turn back and make two or three attempts, I shall be more than willing. I've no intention of following Tyyrell's path in Baudh's service".
Chance of being Suprised: 33%
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Pendleton strokes his well-trimmed beard, thinking. "A reconnaissance mission, hm? Find the tower and report back? That sounds like a reasonable level of risk, although the probability of discovering something of scholarly note is likewise minimal unless we venture into greater danger—a task for which, candidly, I believe we would need commensurately greater force."
"I think I know of this Tyrell," he says, taking another sip of his drink. "He was a religious zealot and a fool. It would not surprise me in the least if the previous expedition failed because of him. You are wise not to follow his path." Pendleton fixes Piers with a level gaze. "But—I'm sorry, there is no delicate way to put this—you and he serve the same master. How do I know that you are any less of a fool? What actions will you take or refuse to take in the field to please your god? Are you allowed to lie? Kill captives? If I am injured, will you minister to my wounds without requiring some form of payment to your god?"
"I apologize if this verges on an interrogation," he adds in a conciliatory note, "I know that my services are not worth that much! But if I am to leave my more sedate studies for a field expedition, it would be imprudent not to conduct a cost-benefit analysis beforehand. Would you not agree?"
"Oh, and you do have a horse, yes?"
"I think I know of this Tyrell," he says, taking another sip of his drink. "He was a religious zealot and a fool. It would not surprise me in the least if the previous expedition failed because of him. You are wise not to follow his path." Pendleton fixes Piers with a level gaze. "But—I'm sorry, there is no delicate way to put this—you and he serve the same master. How do I know that you are any less of a fool? What actions will you take or refuse to take in the field to please your god? Are you allowed to lie? Kill captives? If I am injured, will you minister to my wounds without requiring some form of payment to your god?"
"I apologize if this verges on an interrogation," he adds in a conciliatory note, "I know that my services are not worth that much! But if I am to leave my more sedate studies for a field expedition, it would be imprudent not to conduct a cost-benefit analysis beforehand. Would you not agree?"
"Oh, and you do have a horse, yes?"
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Piers listens to Pendleton's questions, wondering if he should start to take notes on his chalkboard as the questions accumulate. When Pendleton is done, Piers takes a moment to collect his thoughts and consider his best answer to each inquiry.
“You wish to know if I am blindly wedded to all the tenets of my faith? I shall begin by telling you the story of Mulcah of Yrck, which I heard when I began my service to Baudh, and the lesson I took from it. Mulcah was a priest of Baudh who lived about 600 years ago in the city of Yrck. The people of this city were mostly followers of Gwanwen, and so Mulcah devoted his life to serving Baudh as faithfully as possible, to live as an example to those folk. One night, visiting the outhouse, poor old Mulcah slipped and fell into the cesspit below. He cried out for help, but in the middle of the night, there were none to hear him. Finally, a short while after dawn, some folk heard his cries and came to rescue him.”
“However, when he saw the daylight through the open outhouse door, Mulcah realized that it was the sabbath day, Sunday. He refused to let his would-be rescuers pull him out, saying that Baudh would not allow hard labor on his sabbath. And so the Gwanwenites left him there, floating in the cesspit, with no choice but to return the next day.”
“Unfortunately, the next day, Moonday, is the sabbath of Gwanwen. The High-priest of Yrck was angered by what he thought of as Mulcah’s stubborn refusal and arrogant display of faith. So he refused to allow the Gwanwenites to rescue Mulcah until the end of their sabbath. Of course, by the time the third day dawned, Mulcah, tired, exhausted, and probably overcome by fumes, had drowned, going on to his Reward at Baudh’s side.”
“Now, we are told this story in seminary to encourage us to be strong in our faith and devotion to Baudh. Which, of course, I am. But one could also draw the message that one can be too strong at times. Steel that does not flex, even a little, is not really strong, as any blacksmith will tell you. It is brittle and will break at the first hard test. I do not intend to break”.
“Lies in the service of corruption and evil? No. On other matters, flexibility is allowed. Especially when facing inherently evil creatures such as goblins. They place little value in the truth, so it is not a coin often worth paying them in. For captives, execution is not something that I would do generally. But prisoners brought to Justice, fairly tried and sentenced, must face their lawful punishment. And banditry is a capital offence. This would not trouble me.”
“Baudh is the God of Gold, it represents Incorruptibility. All who wish to receive to receive His blessings must provide this tribute. If I were not to require it, I would lose the ability to provide such blessings. Now, there is not a set amount required. As with all religions, you may give according to your ability or desire to do so. Such tribute may also be weighed against a person’s actions: a man injured whilst seeking treasure for his own personal gain would of course need to donate much more than, say, a man injured whilst undertaking a mission at the request of a bishop perhaps. Such a man would only need to provide a token sum to receive Baudh’s blessings”.
“I fully understand your caution. We are all placing our lives on the line. An eye for details and an inquiring mind may save all of us.”
“Whilst I do own a horse, I regret to say that he is currently about 900 miles away. I was unable to bring him with me due to the …unexpected rapidity of my relocation to Gaul. Do you have a horse?” Piers asks, happy to be asking at least one question himself.
“You wish to know if I am blindly wedded to all the tenets of my faith? I shall begin by telling you the story of Mulcah of Yrck, which I heard when I began my service to Baudh, and the lesson I took from it. Mulcah was a priest of Baudh who lived about 600 years ago in the city of Yrck. The people of this city were mostly followers of Gwanwen, and so Mulcah devoted his life to serving Baudh as faithfully as possible, to live as an example to those folk. One night, visiting the outhouse, poor old Mulcah slipped and fell into the cesspit below. He cried out for help, but in the middle of the night, there were none to hear him. Finally, a short while after dawn, some folk heard his cries and came to rescue him.”
“However, when he saw the daylight through the open outhouse door, Mulcah realized that it was the sabbath day, Sunday. He refused to let his would-be rescuers pull him out, saying that Baudh would not allow hard labor on his sabbath. And so the Gwanwenites left him there, floating in the cesspit, with no choice but to return the next day.”
“Unfortunately, the next day, Moonday, is the sabbath of Gwanwen. The High-priest of Yrck was angered by what he thought of as Mulcah’s stubborn refusal and arrogant display of faith. So he refused to allow the Gwanwenites to rescue Mulcah until the end of their sabbath. Of course, by the time the third day dawned, Mulcah, tired, exhausted, and probably overcome by fumes, had drowned, going on to his Reward at Baudh’s side.”
“Now, we are told this story in seminary to encourage us to be strong in our faith and devotion to Baudh. Which, of course, I am. But one could also draw the message that one can be too strong at times. Steel that does not flex, even a little, is not really strong, as any blacksmith will tell you. It is brittle and will break at the first hard test. I do not intend to break”.
“Lies in the service of corruption and evil? No. On other matters, flexibility is allowed. Especially when facing inherently evil creatures such as goblins. They place little value in the truth, so it is not a coin often worth paying them in. For captives, execution is not something that I would do generally. But prisoners brought to Justice, fairly tried and sentenced, must face their lawful punishment. And banditry is a capital offence. This would not trouble me.”
“Baudh is the God of Gold, it represents Incorruptibility. All who wish to receive to receive His blessings must provide this tribute. If I were not to require it, I would lose the ability to provide such blessings. Now, there is not a set amount required. As with all religions, you may give according to your ability or desire to do so. Such tribute may also be weighed against a person’s actions: a man injured whilst seeking treasure for his own personal gain would of course need to donate much more than, say, a man injured whilst undertaking a mission at the request of a bishop perhaps. Such a man would only need to provide a token sum to receive Baudh’s blessings”.
“I fully understand your caution. We are all placing our lives on the line. An eye for details and an inquiring mind may save all of us.”
“Whilst I do own a horse, I regret to say that he is currently about 900 miles away. I was unable to bring him with me due to the …unexpected rapidity of my relocation to Gaul. Do you have a horse?” Piers asks, happy to be asking at least one question himself.
Chance of being Suprised: 33%
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
"You did not bring your horse?" responds Pendleton. He waves to the bartender for another drink. "How unfortunate for you! Yes, I have a horse. A gentleman of learning never travels on foot voluntarily!"
He sighs and nods his head. "You speak wisely. But that thing you clerics of Baudh have about payment in gold makes no sense to me. When a party forms and sets out into danger, everyone else contributes according to his or her skills. Fighters fight, thieves pick locks and look for traps, elves act like everyone else works for them, and so on. None of them demand payment for using their skills on behalf of others. What if I demanded a gold coin every time I cast a spell? Should we hire an accountant to keep a tally of healing versus spell casting? What about the hired muscle—must they also pay for Baudh's grace, or will they receive free healing as part of their contracts?"
He looks to his books, then back at the cleric. "Logic tells me I should stay here. In all candor, my skills are of the academic sort even compared to other mages. Yes, I can put foes to sleep—a prudent student of the arcane dares not venture past the town walls if he cannot—but I have otherwise focused my efforts on learning to comprehend unknown languages. That is why I prefer to travel in larger groups—I am likely to need protection. The more people I am with, the less likely it is than an enemy will decide I'm worth attacking. If you had more people ready to join you, or if there were ancient writings in need of study...then perhaps. As it is...well, I just don't know." He gets a distant look in his eyes.
"I did hear of a group that encountered ancient ruins with writings they did not understand. I had hoped to join them if they returned to that place, but they chose not to. Their tales of the other things those ruins contained prevented me from going on my own—well, that and the usual danger inherent in traveling in the wilds, of course. Would four of us be strong enough? I am skeptical. But I am also, frankly, more intrigued by that than I am in finding the location of the goblin tower."
"Then again, I am starting to run rather low on spending money. Perhaps I am no longer in a position to be picky or to remain in town studying indefinitely. Besides, it would be ungentlemanly to allow you to venture into danger alone." A thoughtful look comes over Pendleton's face, but he doesn't say any more for the moment.
He sighs and nods his head. "You speak wisely. But that thing you clerics of Baudh have about payment in gold makes no sense to me. When a party forms and sets out into danger, everyone else contributes according to his or her skills. Fighters fight, thieves pick locks and look for traps, elves act like everyone else works for them, and so on. None of them demand payment for using their skills on behalf of others. What if I demanded a gold coin every time I cast a spell? Should we hire an accountant to keep a tally of healing versus spell casting? What about the hired muscle—must they also pay for Baudh's grace, or will they receive free healing as part of their contracts?"
He looks to his books, then back at the cleric. "Logic tells me I should stay here. In all candor, my skills are of the academic sort even compared to other mages. Yes, I can put foes to sleep—a prudent student of the arcane dares not venture past the town walls if he cannot—but I have otherwise focused my efforts on learning to comprehend unknown languages. That is why I prefer to travel in larger groups—I am likely to need protection. The more people I am with, the less likely it is than an enemy will decide I'm worth attacking. If you had more people ready to join you, or if there were ancient writings in need of study...then perhaps. As it is...well, I just don't know." He gets a distant look in his eyes.
"I did hear of a group that encountered ancient ruins with writings they did not understand. I had hoped to join them if they returned to that place, but they chose not to. Their tales of the other things those ruins contained prevented me from going on my own—well, that and the usual danger inherent in traveling in the wilds, of course. Would four of us be strong enough? I am skeptical. But I am also, frankly, more intrigued by that than I am in finding the location of the goblin tower."
"Then again, I am starting to run rather low on spending money. Perhaps I am no longer in a position to be picky or to remain in town studying indefinitely. Besides, it would be ungentlemanly to allow you to venture into danger alone." A thoughtful look comes over Pendleton's face, but he doesn't say any more for the moment.
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Malenor Windancer can't help but overhear the conversation between Piers and Pendelton. The pale elf with black elf starts, You both talk to much. Priest, if you're going on an expedition to find your lost brethren, I will join you. I'm sick of this tavern.
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Piers
"Perhaps it would help you to understand why Baudh requires gold as a tribute if you think of it like this: fighters, thieves, magic-users all use their own skills in the service of others. They develop these skills themselves, and the choice is theirs to use them for payment or for free. As a humble cleric of glorious Baudh, I am but a vessel for his power. The power of healing and life giving is not one I have developed myself, nor am I free to offer it on my own behalf. Baudh, in his wisdom, uses me merely as a tool to advance his will. If I do not use it according to his will, then it will be taken from me."
Piers looks around the barroom for a moment. "Do you see the young lady with the tray full of ale? If you wish to drink one, she will supply it. But not for free. If you wish to drink for free, you must take that up with our friend Hyde over there. And so it is with the will and mercy of great Baudh. I do not control the supply. I merely deliver it".
"Now, I have to admit my interest in this other place you describe, the ancient ruins. And I can understand your reluctance to venture out with such a small group as ours. Truth be told, just between us, this is not a mission I would have necessarily chosen for myself. But when you are a new arrival, still wet behind the ears, and the local Bishop makes a "suggestion", it would be very imprudent not to go along. As I said, my primary task is to find the tower. Once that is accomplished, we can return to the Bishop and report our findings. At that point I can either request additional support, or suggest that a follow-up mission should wait until I am more experienced at such explorations."
"I'll also confess that I'm grateful that you are even considering going along. Your powerful magic could be the difference between life and death out there. I realize the risks involved for you. Should you choose to come along, I'll do my best to protect you." Piers takes another swig of his ale. "I understand that this is a decision you will wish to mull over for a while. If you choose to join us, we will be leaving from the south gate early tomorrow." Piers takes a couple of minutes to finish his ale, to see if Pendleton has any further remarks to make or concerns to address.
"Perhaps it would help you to understand why Baudh requires gold as a tribute if you think of it like this: fighters, thieves, magic-users all use their own skills in the service of others. They develop these skills themselves, and the choice is theirs to use them for payment or for free. As a humble cleric of glorious Baudh, I am but a vessel for his power. The power of healing and life giving is not one I have developed myself, nor am I free to offer it on my own behalf. Baudh, in his wisdom, uses me merely as a tool to advance his will. If I do not use it according to his will, then it will be taken from me."
Piers looks around the barroom for a moment. "Do you see the young lady with the tray full of ale? If you wish to drink one, she will supply it. But not for free. If you wish to drink for free, you must take that up with our friend Hyde over there. And so it is with the will and mercy of great Baudh. I do not control the supply. I merely deliver it".
"Now, I have to admit my interest in this other place you describe, the ancient ruins. And I can understand your reluctance to venture out with such a small group as ours. Truth be told, just between us, this is not a mission I would have necessarily chosen for myself. But when you are a new arrival, still wet behind the ears, and the local Bishop makes a "suggestion", it would be very imprudent not to go along. As I said, my primary task is to find the tower. Once that is accomplished, we can return to the Bishop and report our findings. At that point I can either request additional support, or suggest that a follow-up mission should wait until I am more experienced at such explorations."
"I'll also confess that I'm grateful that you are even considering going along. Your powerful magic could be the difference between life and death out there. I realize the risks involved for you. Should you choose to come along, I'll do my best to protect you." Piers takes another swig of his ale. "I understand that this is a decision you will wish to mull over for a while. If you choose to join us, we will be leaving from the south gate early tomorrow." Piers takes a couple of minutes to finish his ale, to see if Pendleton has any further remarks to make or concerns to address.
Chance of being Suprised: 33%
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Piers
Piers is startled by the elf''s sudden out burst alongside him. He looks around. "Well, that's as good a reason as any!" he laughs. "Pardon my verbosity. It is a habit of the clergy. Our parishioners don't think they've got their money's worth unless the sermon lasts an hour".
"We will be leaving tomorrow from the south gate. I hope I will see both of you there." He nods to Malenor, and briefly touches his hand to his brow in a semi-salute to Pendleton.
Piers is startled by the elf''s sudden out burst alongside him. He looks around. "Well, that's as good a reason as any!" he laughs. "Pardon my verbosity. It is a habit of the clergy. Our parishioners don't think they've got their money's worth unless the sermon lasts an hour".
"We will be leaving tomorrow from the south gate. I hope I will see both of you there." He nods to Malenor, and briefly touches his hand to his brow in a semi-salute to Pendleton.
Chance of being Suprised: 33%
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Malendor nods with a smile I will be there Priest. I wouldn't want to keep your god waiting.
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
"Therein lies the crux of our disagreement," answers Pendleton, ignoring the elf's comment that he talks too much. "You believe that the fighters, mages, and others who join an expedition offer their services for free. We do not. We join in expectation of a share of treasure. An expedition party is therefore a partnership: a coalition of individuals joining together with the understanding that profits will be allocated, if not equally, then in some agreed-upon manner. That these shares are considered compensation is proven by the fact that retainers may require either a fixed salary or an equity stake. Clerics of Baudh are alone in demanding both fees for services rendered and equity."
"Your analogy, while amusing, is inapt," he continues in a voice that must have put hundreds of students to sleep. "Neither Hyde nor his employees have entered a partnership with me. Although I would like to count him as a friend, when he has served me and I have paid for it, our transaction is concluded and we have no further economic entanglements. A more appropriate analogy is this: I am no inept cook; Hyde's specialty is brewing. Suppose we enter into a business partnership to open a tavern serving his brew and my food. Would he still charge me for ale, and I charge him for food? Probably not. And he certainly would not charge me for ale while expecting to eat for free. Even if he purchased his ale from an outside source, as your abilities are obtained from another source at a price, our partnership would likely preclude his charging me for it."
The dapper mage grows increasingly animated as he declaims, clearly enjoying the debate. "Now, in this hypothetical, Hyde and I could charge each other, or keep track of meals eaten and ales drunk and deduct them from profit shares each month, to avoid literally eating and drinking away all the profits. I suppose an expedition party could take a similar approach. I might demand payment for each spell I cast. A thief might have an entire schedule of fees for his various services: one gold to open a lock, five gold to disarm a trap, et cetera. Those fees could be payable in cash, or the party could keep a running tally and account for them when treasure is distributed. But that, quite frankly, sounds tedious. And that's not even getting into the perverse economic disincentives that could result from such a system or the difficulties in setting prices for non-discretely accountable skills. Those issues are interesting, but alas we have not the time for full discourse on those topics."
Pendleton takes a moment to finish his drink before continuing. "Your god demands what your god demands, of course. But I submit that when a cleric of Baudh joins an expedition party, the cleric's share of treasure should be sufficient to satisfy the gold price. This is especially true when the mission is at the behest of the church. It would be churlish to ask a man to use his skills to serve Baudh's cause while simultaneously demanding that he pay—beyond the customary share of treasure—for the benefits of Baudh's powers. Do you not agree?"
"Your analogy, while amusing, is inapt," he continues in a voice that must have put hundreds of students to sleep. "Neither Hyde nor his employees have entered a partnership with me. Although I would like to count him as a friend, when he has served me and I have paid for it, our transaction is concluded and we have no further economic entanglements. A more appropriate analogy is this: I am no inept cook; Hyde's specialty is brewing. Suppose we enter into a business partnership to open a tavern serving his brew and my food. Would he still charge me for ale, and I charge him for food? Probably not. And he certainly would not charge me for ale while expecting to eat for free. Even if he purchased his ale from an outside source, as your abilities are obtained from another source at a price, our partnership would likely preclude his charging me for it."
The dapper mage grows increasingly animated as he declaims, clearly enjoying the debate. "Now, in this hypothetical, Hyde and I could charge each other, or keep track of meals eaten and ales drunk and deduct them from profit shares each month, to avoid literally eating and drinking away all the profits. I suppose an expedition party could take a similar approach. I might demand payment for each spell I cast. A thief might have an entire schedule of fees for his various services: one gold to open a lock, five gold to disarm a trap, et cetera. Those fees could be payable in cash, or the party could keep a running tally and account for them when treasure is distributed. But that, quite frankly, sounds tedious. And that's not even getting into the perverse economic disincentives that could result from such a system or the difficulties in setting prices for non-discretely accountable skills. Those issues are interesting, but alas we have not the time for full discourse on those topics."
Pendleton takes a moment to finish his drink before continuing. "Your god demands what your god demands, of course. But I submit that when a cleric of Baudh joins an expedition party, the cleric's share of treasure should be sufficient to satisfy the gold price. This is especially true when the mission is at the behest of the church. It would be churlish to ask a man to use his skills to serve Baudh's cause while simultaneously demanding that he pay—beyond the customary share of treasure—for the benefits of Baudh's powers. Do you not agree?"
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Piers
Piers looks cooly at Malendor. "Baudh," he says, "was here for countless eons before any of us. And he will still be here when all of this, is naught but dust in the wind. Your punctuality is of no concern to him. We, however, would be wise to make use of all available daylight".
Piers turns back to Pendleton. "The flaw in your analogy is that you presume an equal partnership with Baudh. This is not possible. He alone controls the "ale", and dispenses it only to His servants. You could hire the servant, but without the Masters permission, the "ale" will stay locked away. Perhaps the servant could provide it for free, but only at the risk of losing his job, or paying from his own purse. In both cases you gain the benefit at the expense of the servant".
"Now of course, you could argue that Baudh does not hold a monopoly on healing, so why is He alone in requiring payment? That is not the case. The other gods demand tribute too. Gwanwen requires that blood be shed for blood, Eruanna the public confession of sins and wrongdoings. We have been talking lightheartedly of "ale", but in truth we are discussing the power of the Gods themselves over Life and Death. A minor sacrifice for such a great blessing is a small thing, wouldn't you say?"
"Which brings us to my next point: the purpose of the tribute, sacrifice, call it what you will, is to demonstrate the petitioner's humility in the face of such power. If I were to sacrifice on your behalf, you would sacrifice nothing, and would learn nothing. The power simply would not work on you. Now, if you are concerned that our quest will become bogged down as we search for pocket change each time someone is injured, there is a simple way around this: if everyone in the group is willing to tithe a small amount to Baudh from whatever we recover, the issue of tribute will be covered. And I will include myself in such a tithe."
Piers stands and yawns. "Now gentlemen, neither danger nor gold will be found in this tavern. I hope I will see you tomorrow. You will both be most welcome. However, since tomorrow night we shall likely be sleeping amongst a tangle of damp tree roots, I intend to take full advantage of the hopefully comfortable bed I have paid for. Goodnight!"
Piers looks cooly at Malendor. "Baudh," he says, "was here for countless eons before any of us. And he will still be here when all of this, is naught but dust in the wind. Your punctuality is of no concern to him. We, however, would be wise to make use of all available daylight".
Piers turns back to Pendleton. "The flaw in your analogy is that you presume an equal partnership with Baudh. This is not possible. He alone controls the "ale", and dispenses it only to His servants. You could hire the servant, but without the Masters permission, the "ale" will stay locked away. Perhaps the servant could provide it for free, but only at the risk of losing his job, or paying from his own purse. In both cases you gain the benefit at the expense of the servant".
"Now of course, you could argue that Baudh does not hold a monopoly on healing, so why is He alone in requiring payment? That is not the case. The other gods demand tribute too. Gwanwen requires that blood be shed for blood, Eruanna the public confession of sins and wrongdoings. We have been talking lightheartedly of "ale", but in truth we are discussing the power of the Gods themselves over Life and Death. A minor sacrifice for such a great blessing is a small thing, wouldn't you say?"
"Which brings us to my next point: the purpose of the tribute, sacrifice, call it what you will, is to demonstrate the petitioner's humility in the face of such power. If I were to sacrifice on your behalf, you would sacrifice nothing, and would learn nothing. The power simply would not work on you. Now, if you are concerned that our quest will become bogged down as we search for pocket change each time someone is injured, there is a simple way around this: if everyone in the group is willing to tithe a small amount to Baudh from whatever we recover, the issue of tribute will be covered. And I will include myself in such a tithe."
Piers stands and yawns. "Now gentlemen, neither danger nor gold will be found in this tavern. I hope I will see you tomorrow. You will both be most welcome. However, since tomorrow night we shall likely be sleeping amongst a tangle of damp tree roots, I intend to take full advantage of the hopefully comfortable bed I have paid for. Goodnight!"
Chance of being Suprised: 33%
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Pendleton places a hand on Piers's arm as he starts to leave. "You did not answer my last question, sir. Is it not churlish to ask a man to use his skills to serve Baudh's cause while simultaneously demanding that he make additional payment to receive the benefits of Baudh's powers? For, if I join you—and despite my better judgments, I am considering joining your mission, for I have enjoyed this conversation and expect that a further association would be intellectually diverting—I would be paying Baudh in a coin far more valuable than gold: my time. Unlike gold, time cannot be replenished once spent. Hey, there's probably a good riddle in that observation, no?"
"At any rate, you also have not told me how much you would expect me to pay for healing. Please state your price, sir. Once I know that figure, I can tell you how much I will charge above and beyond a full share of my treasure for my services. Although such an arrangement would be tiresome, it seems that one must be an accountant with Baudh. It would thus be best to get our pricing structure out of the way in advance, do you not agree?"
Waving a hand absently, Pendleton says, "I see you are in a hurry to leave, so allow me to shortcut negotiations. It is likely that my fee for spellcasting services will be remarkably similar to the amount of your requested tithe. If this arrangement is satisfactory, I shall accompany you. If not, I wish you good luck in your quest."
"At any rate, you also have not told me how much you would expect me to pay for healing. Please state your price, sir. Once I know that figure, I can tell you how much I will charge above and beyond a full share of my treasure for my services. Although such an arrangement would be tiresome, it seems that one must be an accountant with Baudh. It would thus be best to get our pricing structure out of the way in advance, do you not agree?"
Waving a hand absently, Pendleton says, "I see you are in a hurry to leave, so allow me to shortcut negotiations. It is likely that my fee for spellcasting services will be remarkably similar to the amount of your requested tithe. If this arrangement is satisfactory, I shall accompany you. If not, I wish you good luck in your quest."
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
I'm going to give Piers credit for one of the best IC clerical arguments we've had.
Now, I'm stepping in to help wrap this up by clarifying the OOC assumptions involved. This isn't a "mission for Baudh's cause" like the other expedition was, so doesn't have the same arguments. That one is inspired by divine revelations and prophecy to recover a divine artifact lost in a heretical cult. THAT is directly in service to the Deity. In this case, the Archbishop advised that you go ascertain the goblin tower's location (which the ArchDuke is asking for, not Baudh) and while you're out there see if you can find what happened to the last cleric to go out and not come back. That's not of direct concern to Baudh the Deity such that you'd be expending time and talent for the Deity's benefit (from the Deity's perspective).
You're serving the ArchDuke, who is expected to reward you with gold. If you wish to consider this a "holy quest you are undertaking for the church" (and thus validating Pendleton's time and magic being spent for the good of the Deity and not himself) then all you need to do is donate the full amount of the ArchDuke's reward to the Church. Then you're acting directly for the church and the issue is solved.
Piers has offered instead, if everyone in the group is willing to tithe a small amount to Baudh from whatever we recover, the issue of tribute will be covered." Logistically, this means you agree to total up the rewards of the quest (including from the ArchDuke), take a donation to the church in gold off the top in an amount agreed to at that time, then splitting the rest among the party members afterwards.
I think Piers has done a good job in holding that he'll not compromise less than that (and I told him he'd face divine disfavor if he did). It is up to Pendleton to decide if either of those offers is sufficient. If Pendleton decides to come, just move to the expedition. If not, just post here with his decline.
Expedition - Piers: the Fate of Tyrrell - 07 July 2021
Now, I'm stepping in to help wrap this up by clarifying the OOC assumptions involved. This isn't a "mission for Baudh's cause" like the other expedition was, so doesn't have the same arguments. That one is inspired by divine revelations and prophecy to recover a divine artifact lost in a heretical cult. THAT is directly in service to the Deity. In this case, the Archbishop advised that you go ascertain the goblin tower's location (which the ArchDuke is asking for, not Baudh) and while you're out there see if you can find what happened to the last cleric to go out and not come back. That's not of direct concern to Baudh the Deity such that you'd be expending time and talent for the Deity's benefit (from the Deity's perspective).
You're serving the ArchDuke, who is expected to reward you with gold. If you wish to consider this a "holy quest you are undertaking for the church" (and thus validating Pendleton's time and magic being spent for the good of the Deity and not himself) then all you need to do is donate the full amount of the ArchDuke's reward to the Church. Then you're acting directly for the church and the issue is solved.
Piers has offered instead, if everyone in the group is willing to tithe a small amount to Baudh from whatever we recover, the issue of tribute will be covered." Logistically, this means you agree to total up the rewards of the quest (including from the ArchDuke), take a donation to the church in gold off the top in an amount agreed to at that time, then splitting the rest among the party members afterwards.
I think Piers has done a good job in holding that he'll not compromise less than that (and I told him he'd face divine disfavor if he did). It is up to Pendleton to decide if either of those offers is sufficient. If Pendleton decides to come, just move to the expedition. If not, just post here with his decline.
Expedition - Piers: the Fate of Tyrrell - 07 July 2021
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
Stepping in as DM in an interaction between PCs is inappropriate, IMO.
Piers formed this mission at the behest of the temple, no? That makes it a mission for Baudh. But that's beside the point: clerics demand extra payment for use of their skills. Pendleton is doing the same. Piers can take it or leave it, but I'd prefer that his player make that choice, thanks.
Also, only Piers has been role-played well?
Piers formed this mission at the behest of the temple, no? That makes it a mission for Baudh. But that's beside the point: clerics demand extra payment for use of their skills. Pendleton is doing the same. Piers can take it or leave it, but I'd prefer that his player make that choice, thanks.
Also, only Piers has been role-played well?
Re: The Golden Tooth Tavern
I already complimented you by PM. You're always awesome. I was giving the shout-out to Piers because this is his first PC and his first interaction with our game as a fairly new player on the forum. I, as the GM, gave him guidelines to follow. I'm stepping in because the arguments being made are counter to game-norms and so I'm clarifying the game-norm information. I think the IC roleplay and argument on both sides of this was stellar and that both have taken reasonable positions IC.
Piers has stated that he's not accepting Pendleton's request to have divine grace for free. Pendleton knows that the Deity is likely to punish or strip Piers of his abilities if he honored the request anyway, because that's common world knowledge. Piers' counter-offer is there for Pendleton to accept or reject. If Pendleton accepts and then likewise withholds his own abilities based on a similar framework, that's IC fun for during the expedition.
I was giving the shout-out to Piers because this is his first PC and his first interaction with our game as a fairly new player on the forum. I, as the GM, gave him guidelines to follow. I'm stepping in because the arguments being made are counter to game-norms and so I'm clarifying the game-norm information. I think the IC roleplay and argument on both sides of this was stellar and that both have taken reasonable positions IC. Piers has stated that he's not accepting Pendleton's request to have divine grace for free. Pendleton knows that the Deity is likely to punish or strip Piers of his abilities if he honored the request anyway, because that's common world knowledge. Piers' counter-offer is there for Pendleton to accept or reject. If Pendleton accepts and then likewise withholds his own abilities based on a similar framework, that's IC fun for during the expedition.