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Post by magremore on Oct 7, 2017 1:12:12 GMT -5
The massive ogre turns at the sound of the tap and grins (a hideous sight) with his fangs on full display as it seems a good day for business. "Wot'll you have," he says. “That water sounds too good to pass up. I’ll try a mug of that.” Sliggoth turns at Wy's voice. "Why do they call you 'Why;"? He is puzzled. “Born Wyzerwicklendavious.” Wy shakes head. “Not so bad—my sister’s Gertabendawandabydia.” Herv follows Tuck into the tavern, smiles at the size of the ogre and heads to the group of adventurers to introduce himself. He says, "Pardon me for interrupting, my name is Herv and I am a Hulcanian and I am looking for a group of adventurers like yourselves to team up with." “Hail, Herv.” ”Hail, Tuck.” |
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Oct 7, 2017 10:41:54 GMT -5
Shiyazthar stops at the table where sits the lizardsnakeman. (Does the fellow have a tail? That chair can't be comfortable for him.) "Hail and well met! Is this seat taken?" He glances back, but sees Kavita is still at the bar.
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Post by Admin Pete on Oct 7, 2017 11:01:56 GMT -5
Shiyazthar stops at the table where sits the lizardsnakeman. (Does the fellow have a tail? That chair can't be comfortable for him.) "Hail and well met! Is this seat taken?" He glances back, but sees Kavita is still at the bar. |
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Post by makofan on Oct 7, 2017 12:31:22 GMT -5
"Oh I am excited!" says Sliggoth. "This is a tavern gathering where all great stories of adventure and plunder start. And to think I am in one! Aren't we supposed to pore over an old map or follow an outlandish rumor?"
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Oct 7, 2017 12:58:38 GMT -5
"Adventure?" thinks Shiyazthar. "Plunder? What sort of trouble is that crazy girl getting us into this time?" Aloud he merely says, "Huh?"
Kavita has pushed a silver coin across the bar top to the cheerful bartender, points to the aforenoted water pitcher, then holds up two fingers.
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Post by Admin Pete on Oct 7, 2017 14:55:00 GMT -5
The ogre pours for Wy and for Kavita collecting the coin as he does and making change as it applies. He ponders a few of the comments he has heard from this group.
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Post by Admin Pete on Oct 7, 2017 15:06:04 GMT -5
A small group of orcs comes in and the lead one waves his hand at the bartender who fills three large mugs with Boars Head Bitter and a waitress takes it over to them. Another waitress, perceiving that your group is all there, comes over to see if any of you would like to order food.
A little later a few fat merchants come in along with the mayor and a couple of councilmen, (all humans). They take a table in the corner and the bartender pulls out taller more slender mugs and pours a pale semi-clear liquid that you take to be Sweet Apple Ale.
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Oct 7, 2017 15:09:57 GMT -5
Kavita pushes the change back, whispering to the ogre "Don't tell my human compa-- acquaintance." She picks up her two glasses/mugs/cups and walks to the hopefully large table, setting one container before Shiyazthar.
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Post by Admin Pete on Oct 7, 2017 15:17:30 GMT -5
The ogre grins as he picks up the change and watches her carry the two large mugs to the table, thinking to himself, "That is the homeliest elf I've ever seen, that makes her unique, I wonder what the story behind that is."
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Oct 8, 2017 15:15:21 GMT -5
While he wonders where the snakeman is going with this conversation, Shiyazthar sips from the mug that Kavita brought. He begins to question Sliggoth just before he's aware of the taste. "My companion seems to recognize you, sir or madam. Have we m-- SAY, what is this drink? If you sweetened a cold spring with a little honey - - Never mind. You were saying?" he continues to Sliggoth.
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Post by makofan on Oct 8, 2017 20:20:59 GMT -5
"Aren't we all here to seek our fortune?" enthuses Sliggoth. "Strangers in a tavern participating in a watering ritual? We strike a secret pact and plan something daring?"
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Oct 8, 2017 21:27:12 GMT -5
(Shiyazthar looks at the faces of the other people at the table. Does this sound strange to any of them, and why in blazes is Kavita looking so amused? No - She wouldn't dare!)
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Post by Warrior Twin One on Oct 9, 2017 7:22:05 GMT -5
"Oh I am excited!" says Sliggoth. "This is a tavern gathering where all great stories of adventure and plunder start. And to think I am in one! Aren't we supposed to pore over an old map or follow an outlandish rumor?" Herv responds to Sliggoth, "I don't know about any old maps but there are lots of rumors flying about." |
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Post by Warrior Twin One on Oct 9, 2017 7:23:48 GMT -5
"Aren't we all here to seek our fortune?" enthuses Sliggoth. "Strangers in a tavern participating in a watering ritual? We strike a secret pact and plan something daring?" Herv speaks with a broad good-natured smile, "I am and I'm in!" |
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Post by Warrior Twin Two on Oct 9, 2017 7:33:46 GMT -5
Tuck takes a drink of the fiery beverage and immediately gasps, coughs and chokes as sweat pours off his forehead. The ogre laughs and laughs till tears run down his cheeks, he gasps out that, "It is wise to know what you are ordering! Take a drink of the water, it will put you aright." Tuck manages to take deep pull of the water and finds immediate relief. He frowns at the ogre, "I wanted a strong drink, not one full of hot herbs!" He shakes his head ruefully and moves to the table with with both mugs and joins the group. |
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Post by Warrior Twin Two on Oct 9, 2017 7:37:02 GMT -5
"Oh I am excited!" says Sliggoth. "This is a tavern gathering where all great stories of adventure and plunder start. And to think I am in one! Aren't we supposed to pore over an old map or follow an outlandish rumor?" Herv responds to Sliggoth, "I don't know about any old maps but there are lots of rumors flying about." Hearing Sliggoth and Herv, Tuck responds, "Which rumor should we follow?" |
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Oct 9, 2017 8:20:32 GMT -5
Kavita whispers, "I think we should let our snakefriend choose. He seems most enthusiastic - and his enthusiasm seems to have made us each...friendly towards each other." (Shiyazthar lets out a fairly quiet groan.)
"After we have made any such decision," Shiyazthar offers, while thinking (Why do I always go along with her impulsive -- Ahhh!), "I must sell and trade the pelts we've brought with us. If you wish, you might accompany me. The tradesman is an excellent haggler, an old friend who was a trapper himself in the mountains. When he lost his leg, he 'retired' and became 'civilized.' You, my excitable friend (speaking to Sliggoth) would thrill to some of his boasting. And you (looking towards Tuck) will find that 'Bear' is a practical man who keeps track of gossip and rumors. If anyone can separate fact from gossip, he can."
He takes a gulp of water. "Word! That's the most I've talked in a month! Civilization may yet spoil me!"
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Post by Admin Pete on Oct 9, 2017 12:30:39 GMT -5
By comparing notes and asking questions about some of the rumors you along with personal knowledge you have this VERY ROUGH NOT TO SCALE MAP. It shows three roads leading away from Duraham and where two of them fork. If you click on attachment below it will bring up a printable image.  Attachments:
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Post by ffilz on Oct 9, 2017 12:36:51 GMT -5
What do those of us (all of us?) who aren't from here know?
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Post by Admin Pete on Oct 9, 2017 13:54:43 GMT -5
What do those of us (all of us?) who aren't from here know? Can you be a bit more specific about what you want to know if you know so I can address the specific things you are interested in (most of you are not from very far away). |
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Post by ffilz on Oct 9, 2017 14:26:44 GMT -5
What do those of us (all of us?) who aren't from here know? Can you be a bit more specific about what you want to know if you know so I can address the specific things you are interested in (most of you are not from very far away). Oh, just fill in the map with what we know from where we are from and how we got here... Frank |
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Post by Admin Pete on Oct 9, 2017 16:44:16 GMT -5
Both Varien (of whom little is known) and Kavita hail from the Elven Territory (A large forest that humans call The Strange Dark) and Sliggoth comes from Nagitheris (a Nagitherian community) south of Forked Creek Lake. Herv comes from Hulcanis (a Hulcanian community) north of Duraham and is out to seek his fortune and earn the right to a bride. Wy is a local who has spent some time as an apprentice and that is now ending. Tuck is local cleric and the brothers have urged him to go adventuring for their peace of mind. Shiyazthar is a local trapper and he has no firm base of operation (aside from a couple or three tiny one room trapper shacks) and he has been operating locally for years in the more rugged parts of the land and has been shooed out of The Strange Dark by the elves on a couple of occasions. The most recent was when Kavita started following him.   |
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Post by ffilz on Oct 9, 2017 17:07:01 GMT -5
Cool, that helps.
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Post by magremore on Oct 10, 2017 6:42:11 GMT -5
Being from Duraham, does Wy have a sense whether his best chance at finding a mercenary or two is with the band of orcs in the bar or if there are better options elsewhere? Wy’s preference is for Lawful hirelings, but at this point he will take what he can get.
Wy drinks the water and wonders about its wonderfully refreshing taste. He sniffs, and swishes a bit about in his mouth. Does he notice anything more about this water? Would the barkeep be willing to let Wy fill his water skin up with this water?
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Post by Admin Pete on Oct 10, 2017 11:34:06 GMT -5
Being from Duraham, does Wy have a sense whether his best chance at finding a mercenary or two is with the band of orcs in the bar or if there are better options elsewhere? Wy’s preference is for Lawful hirelings, but at this point he will take what he can get. Wy drinks the water and wonders about its wonderfully refreshing taste. He sniffs, and swishes a bit about in his mouth. Does he notice anything more about this water? Would the barkeep be willing to let Wy fill his water skin up with this water? Who you could hire and for how long depends on what you will be doing, so if you were planning on traveling and then going to a dungeon for example right now you could hire a man-at-arms for 5 days or you could pool your money and do a longer period of time. Or you could employ a porter or torch bearers for a longer time period as the pay would be a bit lower. The daily income of the average peasant ranges from 1-3 SP per day, so that is the base for payment and even for a porter or torch bearer or other similar tasks the rate starts at 5 SP and goes up based on the degree of risk. Another example is if you were hiring on to a caravan where the hireling would be doing servant type work maintaining your equipment and the like while you help guard the caravan they would likely work for lower wages closer to the 5 SP per day where the risk is lower versus going on a wilderness expedition or a dungeon crawl where the risk is much higher and the expected pay is much higher. Another thing to consider is that when you take a hireling on an adventure and you return but he or she does not, then how you treat the family of the hireling affects your reputation and your ability to hire people. Custom dictates that you pay weregild to the family which is equal to two years pay or 100 GP whichever is higher. (you can make a down payment of at least 20% and the rest to be paid periodically if the group as a whole commits to be responsibility for this even if the involved PC dies). Now as to availability, the three orcs at another table are known to you as Lawful, (about 5% of orcs are lawful, 60% neutral, and 35% Chaotic and of the total about 10% happen to also be evil), you also know another 25-30 likely individuals of Lawful or Neutral alignment that are men-at-arms. In addition, you know about 100 that would be tempted by the money to go as porters or torch-bearers. Many of the men-at-arms serve in the city watch/city militia and may not be immediately available. So you may want to decide your course of action, who you want to hire and for how long and to do what. Wy can sense that there does seem to be a bit of magic about the water and the ogre will happily sell you more (twice the cost of a mug) to fill your waterskin. |
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Post by makofan on Oct 10, 2017 13:46:54 GMT -5
Sliggoth is happy to suggest a plan. "I've heard that somewhere northwest is a massive ancient ruin that even the raiders shy away from, but a survivor made it back to tell the tale of a haunted jumbled mass of stones all are afraid to enter. That sounds like fun. And there is a wizard that would pay us to retrieve an item for him that may result in our gruesome death. That sounds funner!"
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Post by ffilz on Oct 10, 2017 14:33:31 GMT -5
Sliggoth is happy to suggest a plan. "I've heard that somewhere northwest is a massive ancient ruin that even the raiders shy away from, but a survivor made it back to tell the tale of a haunted jumbled mass of stones all are afraid to enter. That sounds like fun. And there is a wizard that would pay us to retrieve an item for him that may result in our gruesome death. That sounds funner!" Well, I'm not sure that I would use the word fun to describe our potential venture, however, that does sound like a promising place to explore and test our mettle. |
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Post by Admin Pete on Oct 10, 2017 16:14:08 GMT -5
As an aside - you can all take a look at what @ mormonyoyoman and Richard are doing in the Character Creations threads to give me a reason to let them have a follower early on and you are all welcome to do likewise, I assumed that you are were all following along with that action and then I realized that not everyone compulsively reads everything like I do.  Bitd we did stuff like that but my most recent group did not. |
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Post by mormonyoyoman on Oct 10, 2017 16:41:36 GMT -5
Shiyazthar reacts with just a little alarm and looks towards Kavita with his "Are you kidding?" look.
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Post by Richard on Oct 11, 2017 0:43:49 GMT -5
The tavern door opens and a couple of apparent fighters enter. One is a rather large human (e.g. Strength 18), the other a somewhat smaller Deveuil [an Alien race who are the spitting image of a devil: reddish skin, goat-like legs/hooves, horns, barbed tail, the works]. While smaller than his human companion, the Deveuil is not all THAT small (e.g. Strength 13). Both individuals are clad is the battered but well-maintained studded leather armor that is the hallmark of competent yet not prosperous mercenaries. The Deveuil seems to be in charge, as he leads his large companion to an empty table, then dispatches him to the bar for drinks. In a few moments, said individual returns with two foaming mugs of what is apparently beer. As the human sets down the mugs, the Deveuil removes a lumpy roll of cloth from his pack. Opened and spread out on their table, the proves to be a chess board and a set of crudely carved stone, bone and wooden pieces. Unless interrupted, the pair fall to quietly playing, with the Deveuil obviously instructing the human as play proceeds.
[OOC 1: Yes, these are my characters: the Deveuil is Sora Damocleese (would-be paladin), while his companion is Josiah Planchet (henchman).]
[OOC 2: For the GM's information, Josiah did NOT tip the barman - the two are currently conserving their funds, in hopes of affording better armor soon.]
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Bitd we did stuff like that but my most recent group did not.