The Green Dragon Inn

[atpollard]

Igber unwrapped a smoked fish and offered some to Braya, then commented on the discussion about heading to the dungeon. "Why would anyone deliberately choose the front door?" he asked the cleric. "Aren't front doors usually the strongest door with the best locks? Wouldn't a back door be less work? A side window would be even better!" He shrugged and ate some more fish. "I always figured the tower was the back door and those Pirate caves were like the side window. Everybody was expected to try the front door, so it should have lots of locks to keep people out. Fewer people would be expected to try sneaking in through the tower, so it only has a few locks. Nobody expected the pirates to accidentally dig in, so that's like the side window, no locks at all, just the neighbor's dog to worry about."

[Paladin]

Love seeing roleplaying between players. Such good stuff. Once you sort out your target and timing, lead on and I'll reveal the world around you as you explore.

There are plenty of things not in the original here, so make yourselves at home.

[Rex]

Chad

"I don't care how we go in, all luck of the draw anyways. I just want to beat the others in, so we can lay claim to whatever we can before they show up."

[atpollard]

Igber "the Mop"
"So what does the Priestess of Islene think?" Igber directed the question to Cecily Radcliffe. "You seem like the leader of this group, so what will it be ... through the Main Entrance, Tower or Pirates?"

IMHO: Charisma is the attribute that means people naturally like you and follow you, and Cecily Radcliffe has far and away the highest Charisma at (16). By game mechanics, that makes her the person that people will naturally follow and like and listen to. ToniXX chose a high Charisma, so now he is stuck leading this rag-tag group.

Personally, I just don't want to spend a month discussing every fork in the path. We need to say our peace and have one Character that decides these small matters quickly. If in practice, ToniXX/Cecily can't or won't lead, then we should just move down the Charisma until we find someone that will lead.

[redwarrior]

Nanoc Fortune favors the bold, or so I have been told. What entrance does not matter, for soon blood will splatter. Let us be on our way, before the dawn of the day!

[redwarrior]

Rowanson speaks up The pirate's entrance is likely to be less well guarded that the mage's. We should let the others in the fancy armor deal with that.

[Valdus]

"And the swine said, no that's my grandmother," said a rare blonde dwarf. The laughter about the hearth roared like an anticipated explosion as the dwarf with the wheat-colored hair and braids clang his metal drinking horn with the other tankards. It made a sound a resonance like nothing had before. "Portown eh have not been here since I was swimming in me dad's loins, friends. He always wondered... Yes Hagalaz Hornbrewer... Yes, the one that brewed mead for the likes of Nautak the Third...Yes, the King of the Invisible Mountain... No I am Gerar Hornbrewer, the youngest of the twelve. But he always wondered if Portown was because it was a Poor town or a Port Town. I gotta admit if I go back to the Invisible Mountain, I couldna tell him which one it is. "

More laughter, with a few grunts for those few who were natives.

"And behold is that a stew on the hearth?" the horn drinking dwarf said, standing to his full height, which barely was a difference than his sitting height. An axe gleamed behind his back. "I wonder if that is Morok's perpetual stew, ye gods that thing must be bubbling for close to two hundred winters. I think my great grandmother threw in some of her leftover in it, close to eight winters ago!"

Believe what he said or not, one thing was sure, this was Gerar Hornbrewer, twelfth son of Hagalaz Hornbrewer, personal brewmaster for Nautak III, the UnderKing of the Invisible Mountain.

[ToniXX]

Igber "the Mop"
"So what does the Priestess of Islene think?" Igber directed the question to Cecily Radcliffe. "You seem like the leader of this group, so what will it be ... through the Main Entrance, Tower or Pirates?"

IMHO: Charisma is the attribute that means people naturally like you and follow you, and Cecily Radcliffe has far and away the highest Charisma at (16). By game mechanics, that makes her the person that people will naturally follow and like and listen to. ToniXX chose a high Charisma, so now he is stuck leading this rag-tag group.

Personally, I just don't want to spend a month discussing every fork in the path. We need to say our peace and have one Character that decides these small matters quickly. If in practice, ToniXX/Cecily can't or won't lead, then we should just move down the Charisma until we find someone that will lead.

I don't mind being a defacto leader given my PCs high charisma and the fact that she's a comely lady! So I'll try my best...
Cecily looks at Igber and the rest of the party and says, in a low voice I say we try the rear tower. The pirate entrance may be treacherous given that we'd have to slog through tunnels that could collapse or not reach the intended destination. But at any rate, we best leave soon and stop this yappin'!

[Rex]

Chad

"Sounds good to me."

Chad starts for the rear tower.

[atpollard]

Chad starts for the rear tower.

"Back door it is" he whispered.
Igber "the Mop" followed Cecily and Chad to the Tower.

[Ithril]

"I am Orrim, of no repute. Welcome, fellow craft. We have another of our art." It waves a hand fluidly toward Rowanson. "Please, let us find some moments to compare our knowledge. Maybe there is something I can teach you, something I can learn from you." Does Orrim get another chance at learning any spells the other mages have that it lacks?

Morgath's expression shows he is weighing the offer, and it's implications very carefully... until he realizes his delay is becoming awkward, at which he makes a hasty reply Knowledge is power. It would be foolish to not share our understanding of the ancient laws for the benefit of all. He makes an open-handed gesture to impart a welcoming demeanor.
Morgath then turns to Cecily, and listens for her decision.

I say we try the rear tower. The pirate entrance may be treacherous given that we'd have to slog through tunnels that could collapse or not reach the intended destination. But at any rate, we best leave soon and stop this yappin'!

Ware be cautious lass. If the tower is occupied these many years, that door will cover either a trap, or possibly a strongman. Shall we make haste?

[Valdus]

Gerar peered deep into his horn. The kingdoms under the mountain just a few sips away at the bottom. Then as if told to move, as if a beacon had suddenly screamed in his mind, he hoisted himself up. Teetering a bit, he turned, ignoring the "Huh, where you goings?" of his makeshift hearth-gang. Stumbling with mead sloshing, though trying to keep it either in mouth or horn, he pierced the entrance to the outside, looking at those huddled outside the. Just before taking another sip, he muttered.

"I think I heard pirates AND towers?"

And the mead went down softer standing up.

OOC: Ok ok, I may have meta-gamed a bit. But he needed to join the party no?

[Paladin]

The cobblestone road winds south and west as you leave town. The densely-packed shops and houses give way to a sparse collection of cottages and barns. Most are of timber construction with wattle and daub infill and thatched roofs drooping low over small windows.

Candles glow in a few windows, but most are dark at this time of night. The area is awash in silver moonlight, fortunately for you, and your progress is unhindered. After a few hundred feet, the road curves gently North before splitting into one path leading West and another East.

From what you can make out, the eastward trail leads to more houses and other buildings. The westward curves north again after some distance and is empty save for the dim bulk of a large tower rising from the dark horizon. The air is crisp and cool, and your breath comes in puffs of steam as you confront the divergence in the road.

The sound of steps behind you attracts the notice of those with keen hearing and a narrow-eyed old man trudges past you to take the eastern path. His sparse, lank hair hangs in dark ropes over beady black eyes and his sneer reveals exactly three rotten teeth. He says nothing, only bobs his wrinkled head and shuffles down the path.

At that moment, a light flickers to life in the tall tower, glowing softly in the second story window.

[Rex]

Chad

Chad glances at the light in the tower, trying to fix its location in his mind. Then slips his sling and a bullet into his huge hands and hides them away but ready to deploy at a moments notice.

Whispering as he walks along towards the tower, "Best to be ready, who knows what lurks near the tower."

[ToniXX]

Cecily watches the old man pass and go east. She doesn't trust him.
She turns her gaze to the tower. Mace in hand, she whispers At the ready, friends. Let's proceed with caution and keep a keen eye on the window.

[Valdus]

Hornbrewer looked up to where the rest of his 'sudden' party pointed their gaze. He hooked his horn just below his belt and spoke. "Aye this looks to be a fair mission of stealth, something quite-like and made for the more roguish." He puckered his lips in deep thought, again his gaze at the location on everyone's mind.

Then let out a mighty belch that echoed deeply and smelled of fermented honey.

[ToniXX]

Then let out a mighty belch that echoed deeply and smelled of fermented honey.

Cecily, somewhat surprised at the belch, and yet somewhat not, says Well, there goes our element of surprise.
She slaps Hornbrewer on the shoulder and says with a smile you, I like. Why don't you lead us to the tower.

She looks back towards the path that led eastward to see if the old man was still there, maybe lingering in the shadows...

[atpollard]

Barely able to contain his excitement, Igber "the Mop" kept shifting his gaze back and forth between the old man and the tower. “This is so exciting. So do we get attacked on the way to the tower or only after we are inside it? I’ve never really been an adventurer before. he asked softly.

When the Dwarf belches, Igber frowns ... “I don’t remember hearing about that in any of the tales of adventure.”

[Valdus]

When the Dwarf belches, Igber frowns ... “I don’t remember hearing about that in any of the tales of adventure.”

"Aye curious friend," Hornbrewer says with a frown as the mead comes up but again (the drink that keeps on giving). "You have not heard the right tales of adventure!"

The dwarf, pulls his blonde hair back, retying the complex braids. His hand grips his axe, the other resting on his drinking horn.

"So tell me of this adventure we descend into..."

[atpollard]

"So tell me of this adventure we descend into..."

Igber instantly cheered up now that one of the adventurers was actually TALKING to him. I dunno. Head into the haunted tower of a dead mad mage. Find the secret catacombs hidden underneath. Locate a passage to the ancient city buried deep below us. The usual stuff, I guess. Igber offered the Dwarf a smoked fish and pondered for a moment. I reckon we’ll be attacked by some undead and some of those things that live in caves … you know … the slimy ones that slurp up people and the pointy ones that jump on you from above. Then there will probably be some sort of temple with a secret cult and at the end, we steal all the gold and gems we can carry from a Dragon’s hoard. Like in the stories.