Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

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DavetheLost
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#81 Post by DavetheLost »

"The Inn is where I've been staying. Not a bad place at all," Des offers.
Playing: At the Forest's Edge: Desmond Halfling Vagabond
The Northern Marches: Hengist Cleric of Baudh
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#82 Post by Pulpatoon »

The Inn is full past capacity, and the town is feeling the pressure of too many guests and not enough lodging—hence the Mayor himself having to vacate his own premises, and in turn displace a rich merchant who was renting one of the nicer houses in town.

The air in Stoat is still decidedly cold. There is snow on the ground and icicles hanging from eaves. The sky is beginning to darken into twilight. You will want to find someplace warm for teh night, and soon.
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#83 Post by KingOfCowards »

Simon meekly asks the halfling, "Do you know anybody in town wouldn't mind a few silver pieces to share their home for one night?"
He shivers against the cold, "Or a stable even..."
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#84 Post by mb. »

Bürd stomps along beside him, "y'might be takin' me fer a fool sir, but I'm 'fraid yer mistaken in that. 'less yer yerself slow in th'ead, yer knowin' the deal were three each fer five – so fifteen all told, if'n y'kint count – an 'less I'm seein' seven gold an' five silver right now, y'kin reckon with no help from us."
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#85 Post by Pulpatoon »

Bürd:
Maximer now laughs heartily, a deep, phlegmy sound that echoes off the surrounding houses.

"My little joke! You are very shrewd, dwarf, and you have granite in your guts, hmm? Good, I feel more confident in our arrangement. You want your seven and five now? Fine. Less for me to carry over the mountain. But I don't have gold on me in a town like this. As if there is anything here worth spending it on. My men will open the lockbox in the morning, when we settle our debts and buy some of the disgusting rot they call food. You will get your coins, then, friend... ah... Burt Makeiron, was it?"
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#86 Post by MonkeyWrench »

Marcus looks around, "Um... Where's Bürd?"
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#87 Post by mb. »

Bürd shakes the merchant's hand firmly, "Bürd Makelucky it is, and y'ave a deal Mister Maximo. Th'mayor's wantin' us t'be settin' out fer 'im an' the saltboys in th'mornin', an' I were wondrin' if'n it'd be wiser fer us t'get a head start on 'em an' be off in th'night, but th'way th'weather's turnin' I reckon it'd be too cold fer soft folk." Bürd looks around, "glad we could be arrangin' summat t'our mutual benefit, an' fer now I'll be off t'find me friends. We'll be seein' us in th'mornin'." With a nod, Bürd turns and sets off back to the smithy.
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#88 Post by Pulpatoon »

As the party departs the Mayor's temporary residence, they see Bürd in conversation with another person, a ways down the shadowed road. As the conversation ends, the dwarf makes his way to Den's smithy, while the other figure disappears into a large barn-like building.
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#89 Post by mb. »

Entering the smithy, Bürd bows to the smith, "Master Den, I've got t'ask a boon of ye. It's lookin' like we'll be underway through th'pass on th'morn. I'll put 'nother seven silver in if'n y'kin 'ave me shirt ready by then m'friend."
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#90 Post by Pulpatoon »

Master Den has company when Bürd enters the smithy: an old, water-eyed man in a threadbare white robe (well, it was probably white thirty or forty years ago), whom he introduces as Father Till.

"Hear that, Father? You can have my bed for the night. I'll be at the fire, finishing up Wanderer Makelucky's shirt."
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#91 Post by mb. »

Bürd grins, "yer a good man Master Den." He bows to Father Till, "honour t'meet ye Father. Am I guessin' right that yer Stoat's man a th'gods, turfed out by them shiny saltboys?" Bürd strokes his beard, "An' shall I be assumin' that there's no chance a nowheres fer me 'n' me friends t'sleep in Stoat t'night?"
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#92 Post by Pulpatoon »

Father Till: "S-saltboys? You mean the Urizen's men?" He sneers. "I'll be apologizing to Perun for the next seven years for this affront."

Master Den: "This town is built of guests, and yet our hospitality is might strained at the moment, isn't it? Well, I'd offer you the floor of the smithy, if I weren't going to be working it. I could... well, it wouldn't be warm, but better than the street... I could offer you the root cellar. There's a load of fresh hay scattered down there, so it'll be clean enough."
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#93 Post by KingOfCowards »

Simon walks into Den's smithy, following after Bürd.
"The root cellar will serve us fine for one night." He'll hand over a couple of silver pieces for the group.
Two silver pieces deducted. Let me know if it will be more.
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#94 Post by mb. »

Bürd scratches his nose, "Y'll 'ave t'forgive me Father, I'm not all that up on yer local names an' customs. Who's this Ur'zn, an' what've y'go t'pologise fer then?"
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#95 Post by Pulpatoon »

Den refuses Simon's silver. "I can't take that for giving you the root cellar—not unless you eat all the turnips in your sleep. Keep your money, lads, and just try to rest well. Opening the Pass is an important duty to this town, and I'm happy to support you as I can."

Till to Bürd: "Urizen's their Southron god. A harsh creature who measures the world and counts that an act of creation. A-an' mad enough to claim to be the only god in all the Wide World, an' th-that all the others are, uhm... emanations of it. That is, I can't trust 'em t-to respect the altar and the shrine of Perun and Veles or any of th' rest.

"It's bad enough that so few remember th' old ways. But to have the Mayor h-himself make a bed for defilers upon th' consecrated hearth... m-maybe I lived too long t' see such a day."
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#96 Post by bislab »

Arranging a pile of turnip bags and other root vegetables, just so - Mournath creates a 'cozy' bed for the evening.
I'd already mentioned this before everyone gathered in town, but it bears noting to all. The armor these mean wear, I have memories of it's like from stories of old. Of faerie kingdoms far to the south ruled by the Sea Elves. The armor looks Tallinmarian but these are no Elves.
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#97 Post by MonkeyWrench »

Marcus looks at Father Till curiously, "yes, the old ways." He doesn't say anything more, instead walking to master Den and thanking him for his hospitality, "When we come back through here after our mission is done I will make sure to bring you a suitable souvenir." He then makes his way to the cellar with the bear cub on tow and they both huddle up together.
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#98 Post by Pulpatoon »

Desmond:
As you sleep in your bed of turnips, you are disturbed by dreams of flying and falling. You remember the great talons of the eagle that bore you aloft, the screaming wind, the horrible distance between you and the ground, brown feathers beating against your face hard enough to bruise. In your dream, you hear the eagle cry out in a voice like a cruel woman, and look down on you with a face very nearly human. The gleam in her eye is so feral, so brimming with red-hot anger, that you wake up with a start, sweat-soaked and suddenly very cold in the chill cellar air. You suddenly remember that, unlike the strangers, you still have a bed at the Inn. You must be quite taken with these strange folks from down-valley to have thrown yourself in with their lot so thoroughly.

Your memories of the event that inspired your nightmare are jumbled and confused. Were you really carried away by a great eagle, or by something even stranger? You never saw the entirety of the bird—everything happened so quickly. And the dream felt more less like the phantasia of the sleeping mind, and more like remembering something you'd wanted to forget.
Everyone:
The next morning, tired and sore from your improvised beds, the party limps out of the root cellar and prepares for travel. Den has heavy ceramic mugs of some thin, bitter tea, served so hot it burns your mouth, and some thin slices of oat bread. "It's not much, lads. I expect you'll find better fare at the Inn. But it'll get y'started. Ah, and Wanderer Makelucky, your shirt is complete. I hope you aren't too embarrassed to be seen in it, and that you have little cause to need it."

Assembling in the main street, the Mayor and a few villagers are ready to see you off. They have put together a collection of equipment:
4 shovels
4 picks
4 rolls of 50' or rope
6 fur-lined coats, with gloves and wool scarves (sized for adult humans. a little awkward for Des and Bürd)
6 sets of crampons
1 weeks worth of Iron Rations for 6
2 tinder boxes
6 wool blankets
1 tent

The Mayor greets you all with an air of distraction. "Desmond, Mournath, are you familiar with the Pass, or shall I have one of my men scribble down a map?"

Just then, a creaking is heard down the street, and a colorful wagon pulled by four horses pulls up. At the seat is a large man with an elaborate black moustache. Next to him is a young woman, dressed in heavy furs, eyes bright with some strong emotion—excitement? fear? Walking beside the wagon are four strong men in practical clothes.

The Mayor stares at the, aghast. "What?! What? What is the meaning of this? Merchantman Maximer, you can't possibly think you will be allowed through the pass before it is even cleared? And certainly not with the unmarried daughter of one of our citizens!"
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#99 Post by mb. »

Before leaving the smithy with his bedroll over his shoulder, Bürd stacks seven silver coins on the anvil, and slides his new chain shirt on. "Master Den, I could only be more pleased were th'shirt forged by me father's own smith, me uncle Dräg Strongarm. An' p'raps late t'be thinkin' of it, but 'ave y'got a suitable 'elm that'd be fittin' me 'ead?"

Note: AC increased by 2 on character sheet and in my sig. And for the purposes of moving things along, I'm happy to assume Bürd buys a helm as well for a few silver and we can get on with it outside....
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Re: Adventure 2, Chapter 2: Stoat and the Pass

#100 Post by KingOfCowards »

Simon is in the process of thanking the mayor, when the wagon pulls up. He will stand by to overhear how the conversation between Maximer and the mayor plays out.

With four strong men he may be trying to clear the pass hisself. Although, I wonder who this young woman is and why she is accompanying him.
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