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Early 21 May
Raust gratefully concurs with Traeliorn, going with him to the smouldering ruins of the hospice.

Awesome! We can conclude the funerals here on the 21st then return to the Strumpet after on the 22nd, which is when all these other PCs returned. That will help us get on the same timeline.

sastaz wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 9:09 pm Gerdal

"Of course Sven, here, take them."

She hands Sven the coins.

"Or maybe I keep the emerald if something turns up here while you're away and you can maybe get some pearls from our share of the sales?"

She puts the emerald back if Sven does not protest.

"Did you want me to treat the tapestry once more by the way?"

“Yes, please do help with the tapestry if you would. And that is a good idea to take the price of the pearls out of the earnings.” He slides the gem back while showing Isvand the goblin head again.

“Mazzah said someone who speaks goblin might be able to sort this thing out. Wanna give it a try?”

Isvand looks at the skull, holds it this way an that, running his nimble fingertips along the surface, examining it for anything out of place, trying to remember any and all of the stories of goblin kind he heard while underfoot in his parent's store, or while training with his uncle.
Not sure if the 5d6 and 4d6 checks are needed, since I know goblin, but They're here. Int is 9, so this should be interesting. I either just made it, or I am utterly befuddled.
int check target = 9 [5d6]=19
int check target = 9 [4d6]=11
int check target = 9 [3d6]=9

Isvand will also as Sven Would you be willing to change my gold drakes as well, as long as you're heading into the big city?

The Brazen Strumpet Tavern

Also arriving back in Helix on May 21st 1066 are the expedition group that set out a day ago to excavate the remaining portions of the Mummy Mound.

Moriartus, Cadeweed, Dougal, Fydmar, Durgo, Dalin, Venwynn plus NPC's return tired and battered. They will need a few days rest and recuperation. One will need considerably more, diseased with a case of Mummy Rot caught from an exploding cryptex trap.

each character please post in the tavern thread and deduct in your post the appropriate amount of upkeep, whatever standard you prefer from your coins to cover the next full week of your stay.

Roleplay in the village threads any research, selling, buying and downtime.

Post here for tavern conversations, you may use the Expedition planning thread to suggest ooc talk and preparations.

Venwynn

Premier Upkeep for the whole week , paid 14 gp, removed from sheet

The red haired ranger pays for her room for the week, has a well needed bath then relaxes a bit in her room.

She descends later on in the day and has a meal. Looking around the tavern she attempts to see if she knows anyone

and perhaps invite them over to her table.

Gerdal

"Great! I will see to it immediately. If you have the tapestry delivered to my room, and I will just quickly grab this one" she snaps her bottle of potatoe vodka up, almost tipping it - and a chair - in the process "ooopsie. There you go. Aaaargh my back is killing me *hickup* Anyway, as I said, I'll check it right away, no problem."

Gerdal will use her mending spell on the tapestry once she has caught some sleep and sobered up, and after that walk down to the main hall again for some company. That should put her on the same timeline as Raust and she can call on her from her table as per previous post.

Great! I will see to it immediately. If you have the tapestry delivered to my room, and I will just quickly grab this one

The tapestry is in the weaver's loom but I can hand wave your attendance to cast the spell. (who pays the extra labour charge?).

I know Raust enquired regarding about rangers and one, Venwynn has arrived in the tavern.

Full house in the tavern for the next couple of days as 12 characters are in town.

I will add shortly some village patrons so you can also mix with the populace and garner latest rumours.

Dalin doesn't even step into the strumpet he heads instead straight to see someone at the chapel.

Moriartus

Moriartus steps into the Strumpet, quite haggard after the ordeals of the last expedition. His clothes still caked with dirt and dust from the collapsed tunnel that was almost his tomb. He notes the main room is certainly much busier than usual.

One patron in particular catches his attention. A young man, dressed in a dark stained coat, with flaming red hair. This must be the "necromancer" that Garrett claimed had attacked his group. The older woman with him then is the "witch"?

Obviously, he doesn't believe Garrett's story, not after his betrayal in the mummy mound. His interest is piqued, however. Perhaps there is something to be gained by an introduction? He first makes arrangements for VIP accommodations for one week (-35 gp). Partly to spoil himself, but mostly to make an impression with the other patrons.

He takes a bottle of the complimentary imported foreign wine and winds his way between tables to Sven's group. "Excuse the interruption, but you seem familiar to me." He says to Sven, pleasantly. "Perhaps we share a common acquaintance. Do you happen to know a scholar by the name of Garrett?"

Orgoth

Orgoth, sitting next to Sven, looks the new comer over and leaves the conversation to Sven for now.

Gerdal keeps sipping her potatoe vodka but eyes the stranger from head to toe. She smiles. Her large pet chameleon drops from the ceiling and lands comfortably on the woman's back, causing her to visibly surpress the sharp pain of its claws digging into her clothes.

"We might, it depends. Are the two of you friends? Please, sit."

Fydmar
Another successful venture! (Buys drinks for his group and orders whatever meat they have as well). To more future success! He will get premier accommodations for the week. With that, food drinks & tips -25gp deducted. (quietly to the group): Anyone know much about Ironguard? Do you think we can get a better price on some of our more expensive items there?

Quonundrum wrote: ↑Sun Apr 10, 2022 4:00 am Moriartus

Moriartus steps into the Strumpet, quite haggard after the ordeals of the last expedition. His clothes still caked with dirt and dust from the collapsed tunnel that was almost his tomb. He notes the main room is certainly much busier than usual.

One patron in particular catches his attention. A young man, dressed in a dark stained coat, with flaming red hair. This must be the "necromancer" that Garrett claimed had attacked his group. The older woman with him then is the "witch"?

Obviously, he doesn't believe Garrett's story, not after his betrayal in the mummy mound. His interest is piqued, however. Perhaps there is something to be gained by an introduction? He first makes arrangements for VIP accommodations for one week (-35 gp). Partly to spoil himself, but mostly to make an impression with the other patrons.

He takes a bottle of the complimentary imported foreign wine and winds his way between tables to Sven's group. "Excuse the interruption, but you seem familiar to me." He says to Sven, pleasantly. "Perhaps we share a common acquaintance. Do you happen to know a scholar by the name of Garrett?"

Sven closes his eyes for a second and puts his hand on tipsy Gerdal’s arm, not entirely certain why. He knew this day might come of course, and before he even looks up at the newcomer his mind is already racing. He clears his throat and replies.

“Oh, hi. I thought you’d be……” The young mage seems almost relieved once he processes who this person is. “Ya, I’ve seen you hobbling around town before, right?”

He pushes an empty chair out with his foot, indicating for the man to sit. “As my friend here said, please join us, sir.” In a more hushed tone, “we have heard that name before. I hope the man is not a friend of yours?”

He introduces himself and his troupe politely.

redwarrior wrote: ↑Sat Apr 09, 2022 5:59 pm Isvand will also as Sven Would you be willing to change my gold drakes as well, as long as you're heading into the big city?

Sven gladly agrees to sell Isvands coins too. “Sure, it makes sense to do everything we need done in the same trip. You need anything else?”

Moriartus

He sits in the offered seat, nodding politely at Gerdal and sets the bottle of wine on the table. "Indeed, my name is Moriartus, formerly of the Collegiate Arcanium and now an itinerant ... barrow investigator, like yourself. I assure you though, Garrett was certainly not my friend."

He gestures to the bottle after pouring himself a glass. "Please, partake in the wine." Swishing the purple hued liquid in his glass, he regards the young mage over the rim.

"If the man was a friend of anyone, they are now deprived of such." He starts, ominously. "We found him last week, alone, apparently terrified, and had claimed the group he was working for attacked by a flame haired necromancer and his witch consort." He tilts his glass to indicate Sven and Gerdal in turn.

"Turns out the man was a budding necromancer himself, as he charmed one of my men and almost killed us all by reading an ancient inscription to animate a guardian mummy." Moriartus pauses to drink some wine, then shrugs his shoulders ruefully. "Claimed to work for the Bibliotheca in Ironguard."

He sighs and continues his tale. "In the struggle he was buried under a collapsed roof. We returned yesterday and recovered the body. It's how I learned his real name from a bracelet. Told us his name was Barrett. I assumed his other claim was false and he likely fled a similar betrayal upon your company."

Raising his glass in a toast, he says. "I thought you would like to know."

Dougal

scottjen wrote: ↑Sun Apr 10, 2022 12:37 pm Fydmar
Another successful venture! (Buys drinks for his group and orders whatever meat they have as well). To more future success! He will get premier accommodations for the week. With that, food drinks & tips -25gp deducted. (quietly to the group): Anyone know much about Ironguard? Do you think we can get a better price on some of our more expensive items there?

Dougal enters the Brazen Strumpet with his companions. He pays for deluxe accommodations and adds three plates of assorted meat for share to the food and drink provided by Fydmar . -11gp and -4sp. He starts drinking beer and eating with gusto. "Tae more future success!" He joins the dwarf in the toast.

"I daen't knae much abaut Ironguard, tae be honest. I've never been tae that place. Not a fan of the kind maeself, ye ken?

But it's probably that well faind more people willing tae pay for the trehsuir we got at the barrae. Anyweh, I'm more worried about puir Dalin. Apparently his sickness can kill him slaely... We've got tae help him get well, and mibbe Ironguard is the place, or the druid Mr. Moriartus and me met at... Crooked Yew... What is the name of that thorp?"

"Quite so, Mr. Dougal." Says Moriartus as he joins the table after concluding his earlier introduction and conversation with Sven's group. "Perhaps Mr. Dalin would be willing to accompany our shipment there? Brother Clive certainly possesses the ability to cure diseases. We could offer a bonsai tank as payment?"

When the topic of Ironguard Motte is discussed again, he offers some input. "Before arriving here, Ironguard is where I lived and worked. Nigh on twenty years in fact, at the Collegiate Arcanium. It's not quite a city, not like what you would find farther east, but as a border town and the largest settlement for many miles, it offers similar services, if only by necessity."

He begins digging into the buffet of food, suddenly realizing how little he ate the last couple days. "We should get better prices there. Much more demand than this small village for high value items. The Set statue's acoutrements certainly. A museum curator, amateur antiquary, or rich collector would be the ideal customer. Problem is finding the right buyer and making the sale. We could offer them up for auction, but risk diluting the historic value due to the quick format."

Having spent the previous day triaging the dead at the hospice and then performing funerary rites at the Herne statue west of town with Traeliorn, Orgoth, and Isvand, the druid Raust dissappears into the forest to slumber with her wolf companions.

22 May, 1066
The morning bustle has already begun when Raust appears at the door, flanked by two wolves, covered in ash and soot. After bursting in with the canines yesterday morning, the staff is more prepared and a serving girl heads the druid off at the door. Firm but kind, the serving girl addresses the druid's growing confusion. The tavern is far too full to allow wolves in safely, but they will receive ham bones if they wait in the courtyard. Even if the druid prefers to sleep in the forest, the tavern strongly recommends partaking of a warm bath and laundry, as standards of hygiene... and are those fleas? Raust holds tight to their own bag of smoked venison jerky, shaking their head at the offer of stew of dubious provenance. Finally, Namma and Carca accept the hambones and lie down outside the door, though the sharp cracking sounds as their powerful jaws split the pig femurs is disconcerting to some. With them cared for, Raust accepts the offer of hygiene and is hustled upstairs for a bath before her smell is encountered by others.
-2gp subtracted for half of premier upkeep (hot bubbly bath and laundry, but no food or room), plus two courtyard-and-hambone dog options, and she doesn't know to haggle to not be overcharged for it.

A few hours later, Raust descends the stairs slowly, uncertain and alone, looking across the now-crowded tavern common room. The druid's hair is plaited in small braids, the antlers reasserted atop their head, both skin and clothes now scrubbed clean and proper. The enveloping bear fur still hangs around their body, like protection in this strange environment.

The druid's expression softens as they see the helpful Orgoth and Isvand, now seated with Sven and Gerdal near the warm fire in the hearth. Orgoth has proven himself kind and helpful and Raust shows no sign of discomfort at his half-orc appearance. The druid is rather slight and not very tall, and has also taken an affection to the slightly smaller Isvand. Raust decides Sven is rather unassuming, but has a notable discomfort toward the more self-possessed Moriartus.

sastaz wrote: ↑Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:23 pm Gerdal looks at Raust, if she's still present.

"Hey you! Yes, you! Come over and have a drink, won't you? It's so nice to see another woman who's up to things. And an animal lover as well."

Gerdal pets Harkazz (which is her pet chameleon lizard)

Bidden to join the group, Raust approaches. Their movements are tentative, demonstrating a lack of offensive intention while approaching the first meeting, much like the playbow of a fox or hound. Their bow is stowed and their flaked-obsidian spear held as a walking stick, their eyes go first to the lizard before the people. "The lizard approves of you," says the druid while still looking curiously at Harkazz the chameleon. The druid then dips their head politely to acknowledge Orgoth and Isvand, then makes eye contact and waits for approval form Sven and Gerdal before sitting in a chair.

After sitting a moment, the druid blurts out awkwardly, "There is a mystery of the slip-skins, the snakemen who infect the people of the lumbercamp and the Herne encampment, causing them to molt into being snakemen, too. Herne commands the hunt upon those who have done this to his people. They say the Friar Marcel is to come, after he reads his books. Traeliorn is a ranger who shall come." The druid looks about for other likely rangers, giving a nod to Venwynn to ensure she knows she's welcome to the invitation as well. "Others, too, who wish to hunt this."

Orgoth

"Greetings Raust. This is Sven and Gerdal, they are good friends of mine. Sven is the oldest friend I have actually."