Chapter 1: Arnolst

[Rex]

Bretina Quickshadow

"Looks like we are about to have some more company."

[GreyWolfVT]

Jorlin smiles and waves to the person approaching "Hello, and well met I an Jorlin cleric of Pelor. Who might you be?"

[Ythgar]

Demn (and Burt the guard dog)

As Demn approaches he calls out behind him "Burt" and tosses a heel of bread to the ground.
A brindle mastiff takes no time to scoop up the bread and then stay on his master's heels.

Looking down from his six foot stature at Jorlin, he closes his cloak and lightly crosses his arms, "Demn, good priest."

His head then moves up and down in an exaggerated fashion around at the halfling, half-elf, dwarf, and human.

Above the mastiff's eager and loud devouring of the bread, Demn asks "Are they with Pelor too?"

Demn glances down somewhat disapprovingly at the mastiff and waves his hand down to direct Burt to sit.

[Rex]

Bretina Quickshadow


Looking the mastiff over "Hello Burt your a fine looking beast."

Turning to Demn, "And what may your name be friend of Burt?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Jorlin in reply to Demn about the others being of Pelor "Not as far as I know, especially one or two of them based on our conversation prior to your arrival good Demn."

[OGRE MAGE]

Alfonzo continues to quietly assess the situation.

"Well met Demn. Tell us, do you know anything about the riff-raff amassing on the edge of this settlement?"

The ranger still looks concerned at the report they just received from the commoner.

"Perhaps I will take a trip out there myself, using stealth and what is left of nature to hide my spying. I might be able to get a better look at their numbers and strength."

[Ythgar]

Demn (and Burt the mastiff)

Demn looks at Alfonzo and shakes his head.

Then, smiling and looking closer at Bretina, a bit more slowly and a bit more loudly and with a thump on his own chest, says "DEMN."

He then looks down and praises Burt for obeying the hand command.

[Grognardsw]

Orando Magnus Gallus, legend in his own mind

Jorlin to Orando "I don't jest, I'm not a jester. I preach remember?" he says then smiles and chuckles.

Orando’s eyes shifted from the receding townsfolk to the gnome. “Was I talking to you?”

“Well, we have no skin in this game. Let’s see if we can parley our skills into gold from Arnolst’s mayor or wizard.”

Orando draws his pipe of wormwood lacquered with ungsten spleen, and packs in hobbit-weed. He sees an unkempt youth approaching. Did he detect a bit of orc in that homely face? Probably a beggar. Orando was about to brush him off with a few copper pieces when the youth spoke.

Orando held his tongue while the others introduced themselves. He lit the pipe, taking a deep inhalation and holding it. The halfling failed to hear the lad’s name (do demi-humans share linguistic impediments with second languages, Orando wondered), but Demn obligingly repeated it as if to a child.

Orando exhaled. “Greeting Demn, I am Orando Magnus Gallus, sorcerer. It seems Arnolst attracts adventurers like flies to a corpse. Perhaps that was a poor simile. What is your profession Demn?"

"A useful proposition Afonso!" the prestidigitator said to the ranger. "Perhaps the mayor would be willing to pay for such reconnaissance."

[GreyWolfVT]

Jorlin shrugs when Orando asks if he was talking to the gnome after his joke reply. "Hard to say Orando from my vantage point I don't know who any of you are directly speaking to. So I just chime in just in case."

[GregS]

Your group is beginning to attract attention from the crowd in the market. Nothing unfriendly, mostly just curiosity. A squad of guards on their way back from the wall stop as they walk past.

You folks look like you might be a little lost. Is there anything we can help you with?

[GreyWolfVT]

Jorlin "No, I quite think we were heading off for something to drink that or possibly trying to stop a group of bandits we heard about from some passerby's.:

[Rex]

Bretina Quickshadow

"I think we better get moving."

[GreyWolfVT]

Bretina Quickshadow

"I think we better get moving."

Jorlin nods his head in agreement.

[OGRE MAGE]

Alfonzo speaks up.

"Yes, there is. Could you detail out your little settlement here for us a little bit? I am having trouble picturing it all in my head."

"And if it isn't too much trouble, could you give us a little background to what is happening here? We are.......not from around here......at least I don't think we are anyway."

"Do you know anything about the.....ummmmm.....army of the buggers out there? We have heard they are about to attack. Are they orcs? Zombies? Is there anything we could do to help?"

[gurusql]

Gruz

Gruz nods in agreement and following the direction the group heads.

[Grognardsw]

Orando Magnus Gallus, warlock

Orando saw that young Demn was indeed a half-orc. He didn’t bother to answer Alfonso or Orando’s questions. How rude, but what can one expect from orcs? Funny though, the last half-orc Orando knew was quite the conversationalist.

Orando puffed on his pipe while Afonso questioned the guard.

“And we have business with the mayor and city wizard,” bluffed Orando. “Our skills may prove helpful.” He snapped up a firefinger cantrip to make his point. The little lick of flame danced on his forefinger. “Can you direct us to them?”

[Ythgar]

Demn and Burt the guard dog

Demn nods his head to Orando, "Orando? I used to help a tavern or two with crowd control. Now I'm just seeking my fortune, but the next meal for Burt might be more important."

"I know little about the riffraff, but wouldn't mind finding out."

[GregS]

The guardsman waves his squad on, but stays behind to talk to you.

Arnolst? Well, there's the docks, as you probably know. Most who are traveling through come by river. No too many brave enough to travel over land. Not too many travelers in general, really. Docks are mostly for the fishermen. Main gates to the north, where the farmers bring in their food.
We were just headed to the barracks, pretty much close to the middle of everything. Also where you would find the people in charge. They're probably a bit busy right now, considering.

He looks at Alfonzo. As for the "army" that's coming, most of what you heard is probably exaggeration. Raiders around here are mostly the goblin types. Now and then the bigger ones bully the smaller ones into attacking the city. We'll kill off a bunch of them and the rest will break and run.

So it'll be getting busy here over the next couple days. Farmers will be bringing the livestock inside the walls. Gets kind of ugly in here.

He points down a wide street heading west from the market.

City center is that way a handful of blocks. In between here and there you'll be able to find food and drink, if you're sticking around. Couple places even have rooms. Not a lot of use for them, but there's a few.

He looks at Orando.

City center is where you'll find who you're looking for.

[Rex]

Bretina Quickshadow

"The raiders must be very short of food if they are just attempting a raid they know they can't gain anything out of and are likely to die in. You would think they would take what they could from the farms and burn the rest, then retreat to wherever they came from. There is no need to even approach the city. The city wouldn't survive long with all the farms destroyed."

[gurusql]

Gruz

"Sounds like the center of town in where we want to go."