Suvne says nothing, but offers a penetrating stare at the newcomer and narrows her eyes. Wordlessly, she places her hand on the hilt of her sword and positions herself between Evaneth and Sarm. Even when the other party members begin to warm up a bit to Evaneth, she remains suspicious of him, keeping her distance, and if Sarm attempts to approach Evaneth, she only reluctantly acquiesces her position.
((Evaneth, if you use spoiler tags then please remember to label who is supposed to be able to read them. Thanks.
Also I just realized that having Suvne on the team gives me a chance to roleplay alongside you guys during these intra-party conversations, which is kind of neat.))
Evaneth bows slightly. He then nods to Suvne and notices her displeasure with him. He does not comment on it.
"Well, I'm sorry I could not have helped you during a battle. I hope no one you knew or cared for was seriously injured."
A look of worry is on his face as if he is thinking of someone he might care about possibly being hurt right now.
"So, my god mentioned he has a belt on this world he wants found. He also wants me to assist you on your quest. I don't know where it is, but I promise you I will help you on your quest until it is finished or I am dead. Whichever comes first."
((This is to cover Tarkus speaking too))
Evaneth laughs with Tarkus at his joke.
"Tarkus, I think you and I will get along just fine. I had a friend on the world I am from alot like you. Good in a fight and a sense of humor. I can answer you as to who dropped me here. Mighty Ao dropped me here. Ao is the God above the Gods. At least, where I come from. I do not know if that also applies here or not."
Evaneth sighs a sigh and looks at the others
"I will go ahead and speak of this because I feel it should be said. I was not always a good person. I was a good person as a child and a young man, but everything changed when the monastery I lived in was attacked and everyone slaughtered just because the magic we learned and knew was different. I became an angry man. I wanted vengeance. In my quest for that I became hard and cruel. I became that which I wanted to take vengeance on... I did things I would never have done as that young man in the monastery. I regret many of those things. Ao decided I would have a second chance here, to learn humility and to grow back into the person I should have been. I have many sins to atone for. I hope that I can atone for some of them while I am here."
"Why yes, I spent several years at the best school in the land so I could be known as the guy who 'shoots magick' ...don't suppose you could tell us what it is you do? Do you 'shoot magic'? Or just smash things with your sword? ...Before it broke anyways. Also, its nice to see what looks like a 'god' with a sense of humor."
((As for the boots, I did actually use them once against that jelly to escape its grapple, something I doubt I could have pulled off without them(and casting spells while grappled sucks, so you can see why I might like the boots...). That said, I don't get a lot of use out of them, so yeah if someone else wants them they can take 'em. And in an unrelated subject I just realized I got a discount on that stuff I bought before... that leaves me with some walking around money.))
Knowledge: Religion to see how much Sarm knows about Ao because the last time I looked at a Wiki I spoiled myself to stuff I shouldn't know - Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +9" : 8 + 9 = 17
"Quin is it? Well, prior to this I did actually use this sword at times. In all honesty it was more of an oh crap too close to me moment than anything else. As far as do I shoot magic? Yes, I use magic. I can use normal magic just like you, and I also use another form of magic as well. I do not know if this world has this type of magic users or not, but even in my world it was rare. "
Evaneth looks around for a moment
((If you speak Shadian you understand this))
Bub? Are you there? You would be very useful in demonstrating my abilities right now.
Evaneth waits a few moments
"I guess hes gone too. Ok, well, I was going to use an ability to demonstrate, but that won't work now. I guess I could show you if you wish."
Evaneth walks over to Quin
"Will you allow me to perform my ability upon you? It will not harm you at all. If not then perhaps Tarkus will allow me to do so? If it harms whichever of you I perform the casting on then the rest of the group may kill me."
((Normally I'd ask if it stacks with enchantment bonuses, but for the sake of story I'll ignore that for now(I would like to know the answer to this later on though)))
"My mind feels... sharper. Nice little trick you have there."
Quintus has only heard of Ao to the extent that he is the god who was worshiped by the monks before their monastery sank into the swamp.
Sarm recalls having heard of him during his studies, but not much is known. Ao used to be active as an extraplanar deity (along the lines of Pelor, Vecna, Heironeous, etc), but long ago he stopped exerting his influence on the multiverse at large. According to the books Sarm has read, it was not known whether Ao had died, or merely voluntarily restricted where he exerted his influence; now it seems fairly clear that Ao in fact did not die.
Before he disappeared, Ao was known as the God of Balance, and was a popular choice among druids and monks for his inherently neutral nature.
----
Upon hearing Evaneth explain his desire to redeem himself and his acknowledgment of his shortcomings, Suvne relaxes somewhat, and ceases to consider Evaneth an active threat; however, she still makes an effort to keep an eye on him, and is content to remain silent for the time being.
Sarm 'ahhs' silently in recognition of the god's name, feeling more comfortable with the revelations that the visitor has brought in serving the once lost Ao. It does make sense to him that a balanced god like Ao would be able to use a conflicted person to perform his duties.
He gives a glance to Suvne and is even more relieved now that she has backed down.
((If it's like multiple bonuses to Int I think only the highest one counts, but if it's an increase to different stats I think both will work. I could be wrong though since I'm trying to figure out the answer myself.))
((Right now, canonically, I think we're considered the Heroes of Alydar because the party is no longer taking orders from the Ranging Company. We should probably have Val come up with a unique name to use as a front though.))
((Oh yeah, I guess that would be his thing, wouldn't it? Might need some time to think up a cover story for that one...))
Code:
Perception check: 1d20 + 7 = 11
((Actually I think I leveled up my Perception rank, but I haven't updated my app yet. Wouldn't have mattered.))
Val listens to Evaneth's tale with interest, and the parallels to his own circumstances do not escape his notice. Who knows, had he been more martially inclined himself, he may have ventured down a similar path of vengeance as well.
"If anyone had told me this morning that I was hours away from a man falling from the sky and telling me a god had sent him on a quest to find a way to hold their pants up, I'd have thought them barking mad. But such is the world we live in.
"Tell me, Evaneth, did this Ao happen to give any more specific instructions? Is he in contact with you now, by chance? Of late, we find ourselves the agents of the gods, yet perversely they seem disinclined to offer much assistance. Well, generally... A deity who was a little more communicative in this mess might be welcome."
((Incidentally, no clue what class Evaneth is supposed to be. I'm too much of a neophyte.))
(( The Mystery itself gives me the choice to choose from INT, WIS, or CHA to boost. +4 to whichever I choose. Mike, I'm playing a Shadow Caster/Sorceror multiclass right now. It is in the Tome of Magic if you would like to look it up. I've previously played this character up to about level 40 in a friend's tabletop game before with a combination of different classes.))
Evaneth looks to Val and smiles.
"Well. I can't say I'd have believed it either. Personally, he gave me no other information other than what I already listed. I also doubt he'd be very willing to speak to me at the moment. "
Evaneth thinks hard to Ao and asks for guidance to help fulfill this groups' quest and thus help redeem himself.
((If there is no response then Evaneth will say so and things can move on))
((I googled "dnd 'thoughts of shadow' " to see if it stacked or not, and this thread was the first result. So I think Evaneth is a fairly obscure class I'll leave it up to him whether to reveal it or not.
The next result explained that the spell is just like Owl's Wisdom or Fox's Cunning. Those are Enhancement bonuses, which don't stack with item bonuses like Headband of Intellect's, etc (because they're the same type of bonus). Obviously this instance was fine for RP purposes, but yeah, for spell casting within the rules, it won't help Quintus. It could help Sarm though, if you use it to boost his Wisdom.
I also sort of forgot something for Quintus to know:
Just before/just as Evaneth fell out of the sky, you felt the Treaty of Worms in your pouch grow very, very hot, almost to the point where you had to get rid of it, until it finally cooled down and eventually returned to room temperature.
Also, there's no response from Ao. In fact, here, Evaneth feels further from his god's presence than he EVER did on his home plane, even at his most wicked.
((If you guys are continuing on the trail to Northport, I need some time to compose a proper post. So feel free to continue conversing until I have a chance to sit down and write something up))
Tarkus flashes his sharp teeth in a wide smile and claps the new guy hard on the shoulder at their shared humor.
"Good to know laughter is shared. Such is necessary in dark times."
He grows more solemn as Evaneth describes his past regrets and his purpose in coming to their world, nodding and identifying with the theme of redemption in particular.
"We all have mixed past and Val speaks true." Tarkus nods.
"We're together by godly interventions. For some great purpose we seek to gather artifacts of power. We make for Northport, settlement by the river a few days travel from here. Hope to gather infos to find new artifact."
He looks back uncertainly at the rest of the group for approval before gesturing for Evaneth to join their caravan.
"We are trailed by cults and dark magicks of many kind. Can use all help we can find."
"Even I do not fully understand why my god is silent at times," he admits, "but I still put my trust that it is for good reason."
Sarm would encourage everybody, including Evaneth to climb into the wagon (Suvne can use her special horse if she wants to travel on the outside of the wagon, I am not sure if ThLunarian wants to actually do that or not though). They are still in the city and just now moving to no longer impede the path of any nearby citizens. Sarm slows the wagon at the north gate of the city to give time for it to open and asks, "I do have one more question. Does this mean that you are unaware of recent events or our enemies? It does appear you were literally thrown into this land with great haste."
They would need to explain the cult and the party's goal of preventing them from having the relics, including what they now know is Ao's belt if Evaneth has no prior knowledge.
((I am guessing it's hard to get information on Shadow Caster abilities because the Tome of Magic is copyrighted material.))
((Kitten if you can give me an email address I can put the file on Google Docs for you to download. Its a 60 MB file. I have a PDF copy and the actual book itself. It was an impulse buy for me a while back. ))
Evaneth indicates that he has no knowledge of this land at all other than the bit he now knows about the party itself and what they plan to do. He listens to the description of the events that happened and nods.
"If they are working to take your items and prevent you from reaching others, they likely have one or more of the items themselves already."
((I'll have to pass, I highly doubt the mods will smile upon it. You can probably just PM ThLunarian with an ability description and he'll rule on it.))
He goes on to explain the situation, "There is currently a very large cult with a large backing called the 'Arm of Vecna' that has been making attacks on the people of this land. Vecna and the cult following him are known for trechary and deceit. They are well versed in hiding information about themselves even from those they hire, making them difficult to predict."
What he says now describes the beginning of the adventure, which contains some background info that Tarkus wouldn't know either.
"The adventuring guild in the city we are now leaving had hired me, Quintis, Val, and two other men that are no longer with us to collect the relics to gain an advantage over the cult. However; we have learned that there is higher purpose for the items from a Treaty signed by the gods themselves."
When mentioned that the cult might already have some of the items, Sarm clarifies, "We know they have the 'Monocle', as they have slaughtered many to obtain it, but for where we are going now we hope that the relics are more well guarded. In particular not by man but by the earth itself."
(( ThLunarian if you need me to do such let me know. I'll gladly send you descriptions and such. My offer to give you guys a copy of the PDF was just a genuine offer to help you better understand what my character will be doing. I already paid for the book and its not really sold in stores anymore except in secondhand and vintage RPG stacks now as far as I can tell. ))
Evaneth listens intently to Sarm's story.
"Hopefully so. But hopefully not too much where we cannot obtain them."
Val amends Sarm's explanation with some additional information of the situation. "Apparently these relics were left by the gods to defend the planes from some dire threat that threatens to consume all existence itself. Why one god's groupies are acting in opposition isn't entirely clear. None of this is. I promise you all that if I ever achieve apotheosis, I shall conduct myself in an entirely more helpful manner with my followers. Write an instruction manual, perhaps. Take an active managerial roll in the temple. My religion would be a bloody well-oiled machine of well-informed acolytes."
The journey to Northport takes two days by wagon at a relatively brisk pace. Nothing particularly interesting happens on the way; there is a good bit of traffic on the road (you spot more than one wagon full of goods, presumably headed for Alydar), and there is an inn/trading post conveniently about halfway through the trip (negligible cost), where the party will likely lay their heads for the night.
Northport becomes visible toward the end of the second day, and you arrive there before the sun goes down.
Northport is a smaller town than Alydar. It has no city walls, and is very much out in the open; the ground is unevenly-alternating patches of soil and solid rock, and is very flat, just barely above sea level.
The smell of fish assaults your nostrils without warning once you cross a certain threshold on your way to town. It is everywhere. Fresh fish, fried fish, grilled fish, boiled fish, old fish, new fish, red fish, blue fish, rotten fish... it is absolutely inescapable in this town. On every street is a vendor with the day's freshest catches, and you can see multiple fishing boats docked along the coast. Everyone is dressed in loose-fitting clothing, fit for sailing; the sun is shining and the sky is clear, and the weather is slightly warm. There is an almost-constant light breeze.
The air is very salty here - once you get used to the fish smell, that's the next thing your nose notices. The buildings are almost exclusively made of wood, and the wood is weathered and warped in the way that the hull of a boat would be; this is also an easy way to determine how old each building is.
Besides various residences, the town has a small barracks with a respectable police force (uniforms are dull blue and dull green - a very different shade from the Vecna cultists' outfits), a large general store, and a blacksmith; there is no magic item shop immediately apparent. There is no church here. There are a few restaurants, and a bar called The Salty Mermaid.
One thing of note, as you initially explore the town, is that one of the buildings appears to have suffered some rather severe fire damage, and looking through the broken window tells you that the inside is in ruins. Outside is a prominent sign in fancy calligraphy that says
"Pietro's Underwater Tours is currently undergoing renovations. Please return in a month, when we will be able to fulfill all your aquatic tourism needs. We apologize for any inconvenience. -Pietro"
((That's all you can determine just by walking through town and looking around. If you want to use Gather Information, describe what info you're looking for and possibly where you focus your efforts. Or if you just want to explore in more detail, that's fine too))
Sarm would prepare spells that are suited for the trip to Northport at the Inn they visit.
At Northport itself, he uses the wagon to explore the city with the intention of giving a quick tour for everyone which provides them with what they see at first glance. He also intends to look for a decent location to leave the wagon and secure it, hopefully somewhere near the town's guard. While passing by certain buildings it is obvious the damage has been done, but it isn't clear what has caused it. Pulling the wagon to a pause the sign they see softly bars progress. He speaks to the others in the wagon, "We may have to speak to the owner of this.. event.." saying it without much appreciation for what has become of the ancient monastery turned tourist attraction.
Whenever he finds a place to take the wagon, he wraps what remains of the bushel of enchanted apples that they received from the Seminary of Pelor and places it in his backpack knowing that they won't have as many securities as they did in Alydar. He decides that everything else of his in the wagon that he isn't already carrying is replaceable. "Be sure to take what you wish to keep." he says to the others.
Val takes in the sights and sounds of Northport. Having lived all his life until recently in Ruby Keep, he hadn't thought it possible for a place smaller than Alydar to exist, but clearly he lacked proper perspective. The olfactory assault of the manifold forms "smells like fish" can take reminds him of the port back home, only... cleaner, somehow. Like there's more ocean in the air and less runoff from too much humanity teeming over one area.
As the wagon makes its circuit through town, Val chimes in. "I'd like to reiterate the standard cautions about using my true name. People want me dead, all that.
"On that note, I've been thinking, and I believe we may enjoy a slight advantage here. The composition of our group has changed drastically in recent days, and the Arm's intel on us is likely no longer accurate. We all might want to consider the use if aliases for a while, if nothing else it could potentially delay any local elements of the Arm from picking up our scent."
As he finishes, the wagon passes the burned out husk of Pietro's Underwater Tours. "Hm, that's not conspicuous at all, no sir. We may want to be less concerned about throwing the Arm off our scent and more concerned about picking up theirs."
Deftly dismounting from the wagon, he nods towards the Salty Mermaid. "I say we split up, meet back at the bar in a couple hours. See if we can find out what happened to Pietro's entrepreneurial spirit and/or locate this Elim person."
Code:
Gather Information check: 1d20 + 2 = 6
((You know, for a guy who's thing was to con people, you'd think he'd be better at that...))
((so many skills, only so many skill points and class skills...))
Quintus checks out the burned down building using Detect Magic in case foul play was involved(let me know and i'll make whatever skill checks are needed for this, if any) and once done with that he asks goes around asking exactly how the tours were done, so that they may be best prepared if they have to go down there without a guide.
((If I use Local Knowledge, suddenly that modifier goes up to +6. I know we're treating ranks in Local Knowledge and Gather Information interchangably but can we interchange the entire roll?))
((If I use Local Knowledge, suddenly that modifier goes up to +6. I know we're treating ranks in Local Knowledge and Gather Information interchangably but can we interchange the entire roll?))
((No. I was going to wait to address this in the follow-up post when everyone had responded, but yeah, you're using your ranks interchangeably, but you still have to use Charisma as your ability score instead of Intelligence. So Quintus, you actually only got like a 15 or 16 on your roll there))
((Kinda distracted this morning, so gonna be brief here. I am also not sure if ThLunarian wants me to describe what Suvne does since he RPs as her so I'll just roll Sarm.))
Sarm
Gather Information - Result of the throw of dice "1d20" : 10
Sarm would head to the uniformed men to ask about what incident had happened in the town, but is unable to distract them from their for real perspective or conversation on the matter.
Tarkus walks alongside the wagon, taking comfort in the humble, down to earth setting of the port town. A whimsical, chiming woodwind tune seems to drift through the air, perhaps coming from nearby or maybe a figment of Tarkus' own imagination. Walking along a salt-warped wooden pier and seeing the boats and ships present, Tarkus imagines being out on the water. His mind conjures up visions of himself with a great beard and a pirate's hat surrounded by mountains of fish, women and treasure.
"Haha!" Tarkus laughs to himself and takes in a deep breath of the salty air, relishing the wafting smell of grilled, boiled and even fresh fish. His mouth waters as he watches the well-tanned local fisherman peddle their wares.
"I love baked and breaded fish with sliced potato. And vinegar." He looks longingly at the tavern but for now follows on Val's advice and decides to follow Sarm to listen in on his discussion with the local militia. Learning about the vandalism of a local shop he ponders who this "Pietro" fellow might be and if he is okay.
Tarkus scratches his head, feeling a bit out of his depth. "Not too good at finding clues. Maybe town need labor?" He decides to ask around town if anyone is in need of an extra hand with physical labor for a day or two in return for coin or where to find a Mr. Elim.
Code:
Gather Information: 1d20 [15] - 1 = 14
After a few hours Tarkus decides to quell the rumbling of his stomach and heads to the Salty Mermaid for some grub and mead.
Evaneth would take a closer look at the burned down building to see if he could determine if anything was out of the ordinary with the fire itself or with the rubble's placement. Perhaps this was a case where the fire was deliberately set and the owner was being blackmailed somehow.
Quintus and Evaneth work together to inspect the burnt building. They determine that although the fire must have been very strong to burn through the hardened, naturally flame-resistant wood of the buildings in this city, it was not magical, and likely the result of some sort of alchemical reaction. This would suggest that there was some intent behind it.
Val tries his luck at the local bar, fishing for information, but makes the mistake of hitting up an elderly gentleman who doesn't seem to want to stop talking, and actually follows Val wherever he goes, telling stories about his younger days as an adventurer, lamenting the fact that he never gets letters from his grandchildren anymore, and complaining that all they serve around here nowadays is seafood. This prevents Val from learning anything of substance.
Quintus inquires among the local populace and fares somewhat better, finding that the tours held by the company would involve a tour guide and two armed bodyguards specially trained in underwater combat. The tour groups would be leased magical rings (included in the price of the tour) which would guarantee their comfort in any underwater environment; there were tours available under the rapids of the Great River, or in the coral reef a short distance off the coast, or deepwater diving far off the coast; there were also tours available of the underwater monastery in the Zagros Marshlands, though that was the least popular; rumors that the monastery was haunted abounded among the local populace.
Sarm and Tarkus also turn up some useful information; it turns out that the fire had destroyed the touring company's headquarters over two months ago, and although the sign had been put up almost immediately, as of yet no one had come to try and fix it. In fact, the city had begun planning to annex the building themselves, as they have so far been unable to get in touch with Pietro.
The local town guards are also helpful in locating Elim; he seems to be a tailor who moved to town six months ago (give or take), and set up shop in his own house. They even give directions, and if anyone cares to check it out, they find that there is light coming out of the window of the house, suggesting that Elim is indeed home.
By now, the sun has fallen and it's dark outside. The party reconvenes at the Salty Mermaid.
The bar is much smaller than the Golden Griffin, only consisting of one floor, and no rooms available. They do serve food, though. The local inn is a separate establishment across the street. The serving girls are pretty, but the ladies of the night appear to have seen better days. Suvne, as always, is quiet, and seems somewhat uncomfortable, though she is especially so in this sort of rowdy establishment.
((If you all decide you want to go see Elim, at your leisure you can explain that you either knock on his door, or camp outside his house and wait for him to leave, or just simply walk in, or some other plan of action that I haven't thought of; you don't need to wait for me after you decide what to do. Just specify what time of day - ie, whether you go tonight, tomorrow morning, or whatever.
Also, of note for Sarm: Since Suvne is your follower, she will pretty much do whatever you want her to do. If you ask her to go check with local townspeople, she will; if you ask her to try to pick a lock, she will; etc. You can even make the rolls for it. I just don't want you to roleplay two separate characters, especially considering that they can and will have conversations with each other))
Val arrives at the inn with the hood of his cloak drawn low over his face, sliding into a chair at the table and scanning the room anxiously. "I think I've finally lost him," he says after apparently deciding the coast is clear. Dropping his hood, he flags down a serving girl and orders a drink. "You would not believe the awful luck I've had this afternoon. Very first fellow I asked has apparently been starved of all human interaction for quite a while and felt the need to make up for lost time. Remind me to belt his grandchildren, should we ever encounter them, by the way, for making me go through that. Learned nothing of immediate value, but lots of flavor and color details. That may have some use later."
He eagerly chugs his drink when it arrives and unleashed a belch of considerable gastronomic fortitude. Gazing up at the ceiling, he shuts his eyes an exhales a long sigh. Returning his attention to the party, he concludes, "I certainly hope you lot had more success than me."
((I actually laughed out loud @ Val getting stalked by Deckard Cain. Too funny.))
During the meet-up that night Tarkua hears about Val's misfortune and can't help but crack a smile.
"Looks like you've made a new friend already!" he claps Val on the back and lets out a hearty laugh.
Sobering up he orders a meal and a drink himself, as well as getting another round for Val. When his food arrives he reports what he found out with Sarm from the town guards:
"Water tour guy been MIA for some time. Town gonna take over his wrecked shop soon". He describes the directions to Elim's house between mouthfulls of grilled fish.
"That about all I learned. I think I saw lights in Elim's house. I am not too tired yet either." Pausing to wash his throat with a cup of mead, he grunts contentedly.
"Before we check into inn I wanna drop by." Listening to the others input he scarfs down the rest of his meal at the bar before either going up to Elim's place or booking a room for the night and waiting until morning depending on what the rest of the group thinks.
Sarm is likely incapable of being as uncomfortable as Suvne, but there is still the awkwardness of being a cleric in a tavern even if the only intention is to wait on the others. He may have had to politely dismiss more than one woman as well.
When the others arrive he is idly looking at a small trout that has been grilled on a thin metal stick and uses it as an extension of his body language as he speaks after Tarkus does, "Apparently we have arrived a month later than the notice has stated. Hopefully the town will not mind giving us permission to access the ruins in Pietro's place." He then uses the sliced neck of the fish to point in a direction they were see when they would exit the front entrance, "Elim's home is this way, we were told."
Evaneth listens to everyone's reports on what they have gathered. He would get a small meal for himself, but not drink any ale or mead. Instead he would ask for fresh water or just drink from his waterskin.
"I agree that checking out Elim is probably a good starting point. However, since it is late it might serve us better to come back in the morning. "
Evaneth takes a bite of grilled fish before replying again
"Is anyone else worried that we might need to post a lookout in town tonight as well? I may be paranoid, but I'm worried that if our "friends" did not find what they were looking for, our asking about the events in town and Elim will make him a target. "
Upon hearing the possibility of a guard being required, Suvne rises from her seat eagerly. "I volunteer," she says. "I'll go right now, if it please you."
"Sure, you go do that. Anyways, apparently when they were still doing tours down there, people avoided the monastery because it was 'haunted'. Could just be villager superstitions, could be a sea hag or something trying to keep people out of their 'home' or maybe its true and there are actually ghosts swimming around down there. What ever the reason we should be prepared for such things, on top of the usual problems we get from our friends in the cult... assuming they aren't somehow involved in that as well."
Val arches an eyebrow in surprise to find that the shop was destroyed that long ago. "That's certainly interesting... That's before our murderous friends acquired the monocle. I suppose it's possible they may have already known the location and came calling, but it doesn't seem likely. They'd be more inclined to burn the entire town down than leave a polite note like that.
"I concur with Tarkus, we ought to visit Elim as soon as we pay up here. He's our only lead, and we need to move quickly. Even if the Arm truly has come and gone, they're liable to return as soon as one of them uses the monocle and figures out we're here."
Sarm nods at Suvne's volunteer and suggests, "We can perform shifts of guard duty so that you may get some sleep."
Sarm notes Quintis' information. He can only think that they'll only find out what is actually down there once they actually visit the monastery.
"The burnt buildings do seem odd in relation to the cult's activities. It's possible that the events might not even be related to our quest. If we visit Elim tonight, then we can see about entering the monastery in the morning. We may be less welcome this late however."
Unbidden, a voice speaks to the group as the man it belongs to eases into an empty chair at your table. "My dear cleric, I would very much agree that the hour is quite late for visitors."
The man has pointed ears and mid-length black hair. If he were a human, he would be large; for an elf he's positively enormous, easily matching Tarkus in stature. He has sharp, piercing eyes that appear capable of seeing directly into men's souls.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the fabled - or perhaps I should say feeble, if your opinion of me is any indication - Elim Starwood. Let me assure you that I will not require your guardianship tonight. Now, what matter is so important that you saw fit to send your half-Orc to gaze upon my place of residence so recklessly as he did? I have been known to retaliate for far lesser grievances. It is to Tarkus's good fortune that he came straight to a public place following his transgression, and not to a more... secluded location."
He takes the tankard of mead that had been in front of Suvne (untouched by her) and downs a swig. "So, I repeat. What do you want of me?"
((Everyone check your pm's before responding to this. Not all of you got one, but at least one of you did. If you didn't, proceed as normal))
Tarkus raises his brow as the big stranger plants himself at the table. He is surprised at the elf's sudden appearance and size, but even more so for the fact that he is the Elim they have been seeking. As Elim delivers his speech, Tarkus sits up and appears to visibly sober, his knuckles growing white from gripping his tankard. As the elf berates his lack of tact and espionage followed by not so subtle threats his muscles tense but just as suddenly relax as he closes his eyes for a moment. He leans over and whispers to Sarm while the elf is still speaking, before offering the following, mechanically delivered through gritted teeth:
"Yes...my mistake for looking at house...Good fortune I came here, not elsewhere. But...good for who? Perhaps better not to know."
He finishes his drink and stalks off to the bar in search of another.
To Sarm:
"Anger shows my worst face. I wish not sour best lead. I will accept what group decides from Starwood elf. But I am best separate for now."
Val grins broadly at the serendipitous arrival of unexpectedly massive Elim. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Good sir, I hope you don't think our arrival is too untoward, but we are facing a fashion emergency most dire. I've been traveling on the road without regular or proper meals for some number of weeks, and what's left of my wardrobe not already in tatters now hangs upon me like sailcloth.
"I insist that I only wear the absolute latest fashion, and I hear what's going to be in this season are high-end accessories. Belts, gloves, boots, monocles, those sort of positively divine things. My dear friend Elric of Alydar said you were the man to talk to about acquiring such items here in Northport."
Taking a noisy, prolonged drink of his ale, Val stares over the rim of his tankard, eyebrows raised and eyes wide open in expectation.
Sarm nods and whispers back an 'I understand' and allows Tarkus to dismiss himself from the table. Returning his attention back to Elim, he literally has to look upward from where he sits, "My apologies for the incident. I should be partly to blame as well." considering he was with Tarkus at the time. The Cleric isn't quick enough to catch that Elim spoke Tarkus' name.
He looks to Val as Val starts to give his account as to why they are here.
((Val just reminded me of my Elven Bard from the past because that's exactly the kind of excuse he would make on a whim.))
((It's never actually come up since he's been wearing the armor the whole time, but Val really does prefer fashionable clothes. I basically watch too much White Collar... Kaff Reyneel -> Neal Caffrey.
Valfierno is the name of the guy who was allegedly masterminded the theft of the Mona Lisa so he could sell forgeries, incidentally. That was also mentioned in an episode of White Collar...))
((White collar is an awesome show man. Neal Caffrey is pretty awesome. I like Mozzie too! Also, I love the way you did that and even mentioned what we want if the guy catches on! ))
((I think I probably need to roll perception to catch him saying Tarkus's name like that))
Code:
Perception Roll(1d20)+11:
9,+11
Total:20
Evaneth tries not to stare at the largest Elf he has ever seen. As the elf mentions how they think him feeble, Evaneth cannot help but think this man could never be considered feeble with that body.
"No insult was meant to you good sir."
Evaneth watches as Tarkus gets up and leaves. He feels that there is a backstory here he is missing.
Evaneth's bladder decides that he has other, more pressing needs at the moment.
"Please excuse me."
Evaneth gets up and goes to the outhouse to relieve himself. Before returning inside, he looks for a nearby townsperson and asks what Elim looks like as he needs to speak with him in the morning.
As Tarkus excuses himself, Elim's lips form a smile, but his eyes do not cease in their tendency to drill directly to the bone. He tilts his head forward wordlessly in mock deference and watches the half-orc move to the bar.
Turning to Sarm, his expression not changing, he says "You must understand, my dear cleric, that a mild-mannered preacher such as yourself eyeing one's household is not near so threatening as a half-orc who appears to possess more weapons than wits. All the same, your apology is accepted."
As Val launches into his impromptu spiel, Elim looks on with possible interest (his facial expression is still an infuriating lip-smile combined with that fearsome stare). He takes another sip of mead, but when Val mentions the name "Elric", he abruptly puts the tankard down and ever-so-slightly raises one eyebrow.
"Elric, you say? Why, this changes everything. You see, Elric is a very dear friend of mine, and if he sent you here, then of course I would be remiss to offer you anything but the warmest hospitality." He leans in to Val and speaks slightly quieter, but still loud enough for the rest of the table to hear, "And I wasn't going to say anything, but now that you've brought it up, that is indeed quite the dreadful ensemble you've found yourself in, ah... Mister...?" ((Assuming here that Val gives the name Kaff Reyneel))
------
Meanwhile, as Evaneth takes an opportunity to relieve himself, he stops a man on the street and inquires about Elim. "Aye, I know the man well," says the passerby, "Hard to miss 'em, truth be told. Biggest damned elf I ever sawed. Best tailor in the kingdom, but a right creepy fellow. He's got the crazy eyes," he says, his voice lowering ominously on the last two words. At that, the man moves on without waiting for a reply.
--------
Elim sits up straight again and reaches into his pocket. "Come, I shan't allow you to suffer this drivel they like to call 'food' here. Allow me to take care of the tab, and we shall reconvene in my humble abode where I can serve you something that isn't likely to make you sick, so that we may talk business. I'm afraid it's not terribly roomy, but certainly more welcoming than this hovel full of seamen and ne'er-do-wells. Tarkus, you are of course invited as well." At about this point, Evaneth re-enters the bar, just in time to catch wind of the invitation.
Elim deposits a few gold coins on the bar (far more than the actual bill) and leads those in the party who wish to follow along toward his house. ((and if anyone declines, they are free to stay in the bar))
((Pause to allow for reactions. I'll continue the scene sometime tomorrow afternoon (which is Saturday). ))
This is only for the persons who received the PM I mentioned earlier:
During the course of the conversation, Valance uses your secret language to ask you two specific questions: "Do these people know who you really are?" and "Do you trust them with your true identity?" ((I am going to assume that you answer "Yes" to both questions, so that you don't necessarily have to give yourself away by using spoiler tags, but if you want to use spoiler tags or PM to answer some other way then go for it))
Val has slipped into the cultured and refined mannerisms and elocution of his alter ego as easily as slipping into a supple glove. Extending his hand toward Elim in greeting, he says, "I'm sorry, how terribly rude of me! I'm know to all as Kaff Reyneel, authenticator of art, artifacts, and antiquities. Also something of a connoisseur of haute couture, and it pains me to be seen in public in this. The 'green' look is something of a fad back in Alydar, and this was all that was available. Honestly, if you only knew the number of people we've seen in this very outfit, you'd want to retire your sewing kit to protest the world's apparent complete loss of taste."
Standing when the colossal elf does as well, he continues, "We of course will gladly partake of your generosity. I can't thank you enough for agreeing to treat with us on such abrupt notice at this unusual hour."
Val-as-Kaff accompanies Elim back to his home, speaking with great rapidity and enthusiasm about a great number of incredibly superficial and trivial matters.
Sarm doesn't respond to the explanation. He inwardly doesn't agree with the judgement but feels he wouldn't make a strong argument anyway. He sets his plate aside as a gesture of acceptance and stands up, "Your invitation is welcome." He expects Suvne will be eager to leave the tavern.
Evaneth returns as everyone is invited to Elim's home. Looking at Elim's eyes, this would definitely be him. Sometimes paranoia is just that. Perhaps all his time expecting betrayal and double crosses has left a mark on him afterall. However, he notices that Tarkus is still unhappy and at the bar, and now Sarm looks unhappy as well. Val is fast talking about many things with Elric. Suvne looks ready to bolt.
Perhaps I am paranoid, or perhaps something is not right here. While this is obviously Elim, I don't trust him. Something about him bothers me, and its not his unusual eyes. Evaneth thinks to himself.
))