Chapter 0: The Gathering

[Quonundrum]

Androgost

Androgost redeems the receipt to collect his items.

[cybersavant]

Nah Olos "Twenty pitons." He follows them to the inn and rubs his stomach as they enter.

[gurusql]

Clean Castle Inn
Early Afternoon Waterday, 5th day of Planting, 597

With the last order in (20 pitons) the free store is closed, Tosi makes sure the party get their weapons back and then takes them to the Clean Castle Inn. It is just the next street over in the government area. The Inn only has 12 rooms so with your group take up 7 of the rooms there is only four other people with rooms at this time. Each of the rooms has all the amenities including a mattress of some kind, feather stuffed pillow, a blanket and some oval rug on the floor. There is a washbasin and your own private chamber pot. Tosi tells the group "I will be bringing a cart over sometime between 4-5 pm this afternoon with the requested items. The horses will be in stabled by that time as well."

Everyone please record your items on your character sheet, including the mining equipment, the tents, etc. We will need to give at least a glance in the direction of encumbrance.

Please let me know if you want to do anything with your afternoon and what you plan for tomorrow is.

[shaidar]

Garrant enquires if the Inn has the facilities for a hot bath, or if there is an establishment nearby that could accommodate his needs.

He also asks about the menu for the evening meal and what local specialties are in season.

[gurusql]

The Inn does have two baths (both are in the same room)

The special tonight is river trout with root vegetables and a white gravy. But they do have a stew as well as a very spicy chili as options as well. This of course is paid for.

[shaidar]

Garrant

Garrant puts his order for the trout in early. Then knowing that they will be back on the trail soon, he takes the opportunity for a relaxing bath, changes clothes and asks if it's possible to have his old clothes washed and ready for when they leave in the morning.

He then decides to visit the local markets to see if he can find anything to help make the iron rations palatable at least for the first part of the journey (the 6 day trip to the dwarven village), asking the others if anyone wants to join him.

I'm happy to hand-wave the visit to the market if you want to move things along. Maybe I'm taking his cooking NWP too seriously."

[Spearmint]

Siouxsie

Fills the hot tub with plenty of hot water, bubbles (scented of course), scrubbing salts and rubber Ducky.

She strips off and climbs in. "Anyone want to join in?" she asks.

"Sorry, can't do mermaid but I can do crocodile." she says, ducking under the bubbles and after several thrashing moments, emerging as a scaly, long tailed (but still feminine) crocodile. "Shit, too short arms, should have gone octopus. Can someone scratch my back?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Boff eats chili. Lots and lots of chill. Much to the chagrin of Franny, who has to ride behind the senior dwarf in the morning.

Besides talking up anyone in the tavern who looks like they might know more rumors about the earthquakes they are about to investigate, Boff and Franny visit the outside area around the inn. They look for other dwarves or miner types they can ask about the Jotens, quakes, or any other oddities they care to share.

Similarly, I am fine if we hand wave this stuff to get on with the adventure.

[Quonundrum]

Androgost

He spends the rest of the afternoon and early evening in martial exercises to prepare himself for their long journey ahead into the Jotens. In the morning, Androgost secures his gear on the warhorse and urges an early departure as the deadline looms on the horizon.

[gurusql]

Tosi

Tosi arrives in the late afternoon (4:05 PM) according the now functioning clock tower. All of the items for Androgost, Nah Olos and Qleceec are quickly picked up(in other words already on the character sheet) and Boff does take the 10' pole. Still in the cart are:

• 200 feet a rope and two grappling hooks
• A shovel, pick, sledgehammer, and prybar
• Grain for 20 days total
• 3 flasks of Holy water
• 4 2-person tents

Once those items are clamed, Tosi says "Best of luck."

[gurusql]

Boff does look for additional dwarves in the area and finds that while there are a few hundred that live in the city they mostly work in the smithy trades and hence do not live or work in this part of the city.

Garrant gets some flat breads and various spring vegetables to share with the group to add to his pack and spends about 5 gp in the process.

Garrant and Siouxsie share some bath time along with a Inn stable boy that is the runner for the hot water from the kitchen (no indoor plumbing here). The young lad becomes very agitated over Siouxsie's parlor trick, but recovers when the druid continues to speak in her own voice, but does not volunteer to clean her back.

The group agrees to leave at first light as tomorrow will be very hard ride the group agrees to eat some biscuits and fruit prepared by the cook before he closes the kitchen since they are planning to lead as he is arriving in the morning. There is conversation that it will be nice to meet up with Hex Sunstone again their fellow adventurer that they have not seen in the last few weeks.

I would like to request the marching order, the roads will allow two horses abreast, but that would require adjusting for passing traffic - especially wagons (going either direction). Since you will be attempting a 70 mile trek in one day (fresh horses on this road can make about 60 miles/day) will have you riding into the darkness.

[Rex]

Qleceec

"I think it best that at least outdoors I take point. In some circumstance perhaps Siouxsie would be better but that will be as needed I think."

[Quonundrum]

Androgost

"My place is at the vanguard." He states in an unequivocal manner that suggests it's not up for debate.

[shaidar]

Garrant suggests his usual position in the centre "...So I can be available to use my abilities in whichever direction we need."

[cybersavant]

Nah Olos eats stew in the evening and avoids the bath room. In the morning, he secures the climbing equipment to his horse's saddle and mounts up; taking his usual 2nd or 3rd position.

"So, ride hard all day? Can horses take that?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Boff gathers everyone in close once out of earshot from anyone besides their party.

“If these quakes is caused by someone doin questionable minin practices, they might not be too keen on us hurrying up there to have a snoop around. Minin’s BIG business round these parts, and so’s the money what goes with it.”

“Since quite a few people already know about this here trip, I’d suggest we leave a few hours before sunup. The roads will be easiest fer the first couple hours through the dark, and it could throw off the plans of anyone tryin ta foil us.”

The dwarves can bring up the rear, with Boff taking the penultimate spot in a single file order. He packs the extra gear on their horses and hands Franny one of the holy water vials.

[Rex]

Qleceec

"A good plan Boff, I agree. It seems to me mining is known to cause small shakes near the mine but big ones a long ways off I have never heard of. Not ruling it out but seems we would have heard of something in a mine big enough to have caused so many and such large shakes."

[shaidar]

Garrant

"Logical thinking, Boff. Better ride in the dark when we are all rested, rather than us and the horses tired at the days end."

[Quonundrum]

Androgost

"Any who oppose us would soon regret that decision."

[gurusql]

I am hearing an order of something like this with lots of great words like penultimate & vanguard (Horrible joke omitted). I welcome changes.

Androgost
Qleceec
Nah Olos
Siouxsie
Garrant
Boff
Franny

With the sunrise set for about 6:30 AM, the group is trying to leave about 4:30 AM in secret which has them getting up about 3:30 AM and moving about the Inn. It turns out that Qleceec likes the comfortable pillow a little too much and has to get woken up by Garrant when he notices she is not around. The employees of the Inn start to act confused when everyone is moving about 2 hours before they had food or the horses ready - and not the staff in place to handle it. Androgost not really liking the job that anyone else saddles his horse is happy for the lack of a stable boy and quickly takes control of that area and Garrant finds the breakfast that had been set aside for the group.

The party is ready to go about 4:45 AM. In the stable are a few items that where not picked up from the shopping trip and will be assumed to be left in the stable unless someone claims them here.

• 200 feet a rope and two grappling hooks (Boff)
• A shovel, pick, and sledgehammer (Boff)
• Grain for 20 days total (Boff)
• 4 2-person tents (Siouxsie)

I would request whomever is guiding the group state the plan for the first day, I will let you know of any random encounters on the road. The (hopefully) six day journey will begin!

Rolls

[_1d7]=(2)=2
[_1d7]=(5)=5