Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

[Pulpatoon]

Spring 11, Moonday

Welcome to the village of Stoat!

Stoat's main reason for existing is that it is situated at one end of the only reliable pass through the White Mountains. The largest building, and the center of the town's economy, is the Inn.



Here is where you deliver the second sack of mail from Kirkwald. There is considerable grumbling about the lateness of the delivery, and it takes some dark looks from Bürd to coax full payment from the bartender on duty.

The Inn is filled to capacity, right now, with travelers who have collected over the winter, waiting for the Pass to be declared safe. There is considerable hubbub about this happening any day now, and many of the travelers are clearly eager to be moving on.

Den, the master metalworker, has Bürd's mail ready for inspection.



Den asks Bürd to slip it on, so that he can adjust the final fitting. The mail is light and comfortable, and has a utilitarian elegance to it. Not dwarf-make to be certain, but it won't bring shame to be seen in it, either.



Den says that it will take another day or two to make the final adjustments. He'll take the final 35 silvers for payment then.

Den is immediately taken with Gizzy, and is clearly eager to inspect the clockwork boy, but appears reluctant to ask.

[PyroArrow]

Tonkioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [Male Clockwork Child Warrior AC 12 : HP 5/ 5]:\

Gizzy says to Den,

" You appear to have a look of curiosity about you, what may it be Sir?"

[mb.]

Bürd is obviously pleased with the mail, though his compliments come out a bit backhanded, "nowt fer which a longlegs must be shamin' 'imself!" He takes to Den however, and drops by the next day with a pair of brimming tankards and tales of dwarvish metalwork, and offers to show Den a thing or two about engraving runes.

[Pulpatoon]

Gizzy says to Den," You appear to have a look of curiosity about you, what may it be Sir?"

Den: "Forgive my stare, lad. I've never seen... well, y' look to be the the result of some remarkable craftsmanship. Who made ye, lad?"

While this conversation is going on, Simon and Marcus notice a bit of excitement among the spare population of the Stoat street: Two figures in ornamental armor (filigreed silver breastplates and greaves, with lush red fabrics) and spears are surrounded by a wondering crowd. The armored men ask some questions of the crowd, and then walk purposefully away, towards one of the larger houses along the street.

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus lightly taps Simons shoulder, directing his gaze to the armored men, "Armor and weapons mean a threat, maybe a lead on whatever is happening to this land?" He lightly taps his leg and begins walking over to the crowd of people, bear cub walk/limping along.

When he gets to the crowd he crosses his arms and acts the innocent townsman, "What's up with them? Any idea who they are?"

[Pulpatoon]

The matron Marcus approaches looks him over, immediately registering him as "not from here." She shrugs. "I dunno. Showed up this morning. Mighty peculiar, ain't they? Pretty enough, though. Thas the Mayor's house, they're marchin' to."

Marcus then notices for other men in the same armor heading in the same direction as the previous two.

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus looks over at the new soldiers, keeping his tone lone for the woman next to him to hear him, "That is peculiar, armor is pretty though, looks like something a royal guard would wear..." He looks towards the woman, giving her his best smile, "Of course, they aren't as pretty as some of the people I've seen today."

Marcus Charisma Check(CHA:11): [1d20] = 10

"So, is the mayor in or are they searching for him?"

[Pulpatoon]

The matron looks at Marcus and laughs. "Boy, my goiter's older'n you! And do I look like I keep the Mayor's appointments?"

Chuckling to herself, the woman wanders off, as does the rest of the gathered crowd.

[PyroArrow]

Tonkioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [Male Clockwork Child Warrior AC 12 : HP 5/ 5]:

Gizzy relates what he knows/was told of how he came to be to Den, while the other noticed the armored soldiers showing up outside.

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus simply shrugs, pets the bear cub some more as he watches the guards, then goes back to Simon and quietly tells him what he found out. "Looks like some guards, they are heading towards the mayors house." He points to the large house down the street, "Woman I spoke to didn't know who or where they came from."

[KingOfCowards]

Ever curious, Simon simply says, "Let's go have a look." He gathers his things and heads out to the street and towards the mayor's house. He doesn't plan on stopping these guards, but he wants to figure out what's going on. I'd assume this would make a pretty scene around a small town, so he hopes to blend in with the locals somewhat.

[MonkeyWrench]

Marcus shrugs, looking inside the building as his other two friends speak to the smith, "Can't hurt to find out." before him and the bear cub follow after Simon Marcus calls into the shop, "Hey, we'll be right back, going to go check out the mayors house real quick." Marcus and the bear cub then start walking after Simon, towards the mayors house.

[Pulpatoon]

Inside the smith-shop, Den listens to Gizzy's tale with rapt attention. "When you... suffer difficulties, who does the repairs? DO you tend to them yourself? How much do you know of your own workings? And... forgive me, this is blunt of me, but... could... I have a look?"

Simon, Marcus, and Rug head up the street. The street is pretty sparsely populated, and the locals seem to all know each other, and be very used to having strangers visiting. The people are notably blasé about a bear hobbling along their main street.

The house the woman pointed at is one of only a couple two-story buildings in town, and is, perhaps, the third nicest house along the main street. It is set slightly back from the street, the a small path leading through a snow-covered garden. The door is closed, and there is o guard.

[KingOfCowards]

Simon follows the armored men towards the house up until the point where he can hear what is being said or the men challenge him.

[mb.]

Bürd has been itching curious about Gizzy's workings for years, so he listens and watches with rare silent attention.

[Pulpatoon]

Simon follows the armored men towards the house up until the point where he can hear what is being said or the men challenge him.

The men had already entered the building before Marcus had returned from his conversation with the matron in the street. Standing on the garden path before the closed door of the Mayor's residence, Simon does not hear any conversation from within.

[PyroArrow]

Tonkioso 'Gizzy' Gizmoebius [Male Clockwork Child Warrior AC 12 : HP 5/ 5]:

Inside the smith-shop, Den listens to Gizzy's tale with rapt attention. "When you... suffer difficulties, who does the repairs? DO you tend to them yourself? How much do you know of your own workings? And... forgive me, this is blunt of me, but... could... I have a look?"

Gizzy says to Den,

" I can do some repairs myself, other repairs I have had a clockmaker or blacksmith, attend to. Yes, you can look me over. Someday, I hope to track down where I came from & see how exactly did I come to be conceived."

[KingOfCowards]

Simon will wait outside, he contemplates knocking on the door but thinks better of.
"Marcus, these soldiers you saw, did they have weapons drawn?"

[mb.]

Bürd climbs up onto the anvil, to get a good view over Den's shoulder as he inspects Gizzy.

[MonkeyWrench]

Simon will wait outside, he contemplates knocking on the door but thinks better of.
"Marcus, these soldiers you saw, did they have weapons drawn?"

Marcus looks over the house from where he is standing, "Bit of both? They had spears, same kind I use but more expensive, looked like masterwork armor too, engravings on it were pretty good. The spears weren't peace bound so it's kind of an "always ready for action" weapon. Most I gathered was that the men were asking the general populace questions, by the time I got up there they were already moving on." He scratches rug behind the ears absentmindedly, his hand already knowing where the cub is subconsciously.