Chapter Two: The Hippocampus on the Cracked Lintel

load previous
Jan 10, 2016 1:00 am
"Many thanks, friend. You honour us with your hospitality. May Fjorgyn look kindly upon you." Felor bows to the fisherman.
Jan 10, 2016 2:53 am
Zangua offers the fisher 1 gold coin for his(?) graciousness, and as compensation for the catch.
Jan 10, 2016 4:49 am
Leth also tosses the Fisher a gold piece after he packs his things and begins to leave, thanking them once more for their generosity.
Last edited January 10, 2016 4:50 am
Jan 10, 2016 7:00 pm
Vad awakens and starts to gather his things. "Many thanks!!" and seeing that others have pitched in some coin for the fisher-person's hospitality, Vad will do so as well. "Best rest and food I've had in some time." he says as he tosses a GP in the host's direction.
Jan 10, 2016 7:44 pm
The fisher seems somewhat taken aback by the offers of coin, even as they accept the payment in their small, gloved hand. "Oh...I assure you, this isn't necessary...ah...thank you."
Jan 10, 2016 7:55 pm
If we come back he's going to be sitting in a luxury yacht with a carbon-fibre fishing rod.

I'm ready to head out once we've eaten.
Jan 10, 2016 8:32 pm
Everybody ready to head out?
Jan 11, 2016 5:24 am
Zangua packs up his things and makes ready to leave.
Jan 11, 2016 1:21 pm
So, the fisher heard Mordred mention Zora Kells, which in retrospect, was unwise. Perhaps they are just a weird little fisherperson, but I do not trust them, and I am thinking that they have at least a connection to the Six-Pointed Crown. I'm afraid our little ruse to trick the men that Zangua and Shamush were supposed to meet is going to be revealed, but honestly, I don't have any ideas other than to go ahead with it as planned.
Last edited January 11, 2016 1:35 pm
Jan 11, 2016 6:18 pm
I'm not seeing a post from Shamush since 12/24; if he doesn't resurface we're going to retcon that he wandered off to make his own fortune at some point during the night.

You bid farewell to the fisher and head off southwestward toward the village. By mid-afternoon, Zangua is able to point to a cluster of buildings in the distance, near a large pond at the edge of the marsh. Your destination.

Soon after, you reach a berm that heads to the village. To your left, two skiffs move across the surface of the pond, piloted by children with fishing nets, who watch you intently as you pass by.

The village inn is a multi-story thing that looks to have been rebuilt and expanded and added-on to many times over the years, and extends out into the pond on stilts, much like the fisher's hut, with a dock to which a few rowboats and skiffs are tied. The only other building of note, back behind the inn, is an octagonal wooden building, probably a shrine or meeting-hall or most likely both, with a sagging roof. You count about a dozen houses. There are some low hills and stands of trees to the north, past the village, and beyond that is the main road.
Jan 11, 2016 7:12 pm
Zangua turns to the group. "Remind me again of the plan," he says quietly. "Which of us is meeting with the crown?"

He adds, "Mind you, we have to look for the mark. The cloaked rider didn't specify where exactly it was in this village, so if there's a bunch of us roaming around it might draw attention."
Jan 11, 2016 10:29 pm
Shamush lopes along with the party, chewing thoughtfully at a piece of grass. He echoes Zangua and exclaims, "Yes, the plan! What do I get to do? I'm feeling restless. I think my humours are in severe agitation or some shit!" He grins.

Sorry, I'm here, I came back after Xmas break and got a little confused by the fisherman scene, so I was holding off until after it completed to jump back in.
Jan 11, 2016 10:45 pm
"Vad and I are going to go through with the meeting, with Felor and Leth close by, and Shamush and Zangua further out but still watching over the scene. I'll bet my left horn the sigil we seek is on that meeting-hall behind the inn. Vad and I can scout it out, while the rest of you head into the common room of the inn for now. We will meet you there once we have confirmed the location of the meeting. Maybe you can secure a room or two for us in case we need to gather out of sight of the rest of the village."
Last edited January 11, 2016 10:45 pm
Jan 11, 2016 11:44 pm
A few wandering chickens scatter from your path as the party approaches the village. A young woman peers out from a high window in the inn, watching, then ducks back inside. Near the octagonal building, a man is attempting some sort of repairs on a cart wheel.

Zangua recalls his earlier visit here. The nearest entrance to the inn leads to a general store of sorts; from there a hallway leads left to a tavern room which opens up to the dock. A strong yeasty odor wafting on the breeze reminds him of the ales brewed in the back warrens of the inn and the name of the village: Beerpool.
Jan 12, 2016 4:17 pm
Zangua immediately heads to the general store and adjacent inn. He intends to browse the shelves idly before moving on.
Jan 12, 2016 4:31 pm
Mordred begins looking for the sigil on the octagonal building. On doorframes, windowsills, fenceposts, etc. Perhaps if there is any metalwork - a door knocker or anchor plate. He is also keeping his eyes and ears out for trouble. Someone watching him and Vad a little too closely, or a group of townspeople whispering conspiratorially. If he does not find anything at the meeting-house he will wait for Vad to have a look at it before moving on to search the Inn similarly.

Not sure if you need a Perception check (or checks), so here you go. Feel free to use the better roll.

Rolls

Perception (sigil) - (1d20)

(16) = 16

Perception (danger) - (1d20)

(9) = 9

Jan 12, 2016 5:13 pm
Zangua finds the shelves much as he did the last time he was here: lots of fishing and boating supplies, travel provisions, jars of fish sauce, bags of spent grain, and the like. Same shopkeeper as before, too: a bald man of about sixty with jowls like a tracking dog's. He nods at Zangua's entry and mutters something that was probably "good afternoon." If he recognizes him from before, he doesn't show it.

Mordred, meanwhile, searches the octagonal building. The young man with the cart stops his work to watch him. The building is simply made and very old, with visible repairs here and there. Lichen and moss creep up the sides. The entrance, a set of plain wooden double doors, faces the pond; behind the building is a large plot of land with a low fence full of plants and small fruit trees, a community garden from the looks of it. A gray goat stands with his head over the fence, chewing on the leaves of a sprawling shrub. Nearby, from one of the houses to the west, Mordred can hear the tink-tink of a metalworker at his trade.

On Mordred's second pass around the building the man with the cart touches his hat and says, "Hello, stranger." No sign of the crown can be seen on the building, as far as Mordred can tell.
Jan 12, 2016 5:35 pm
Mordred touches his hood, while attempting to keep his face mostly hidden under his hat, and responds in kind, "Good day, and well met."

Vad, have a look around before I start talking to this guy to find out what the deal is here. Does the octagonal building look like something we could just walk into - like a church or municipal building - or is it more like private property? Also, any chance we can get a rough map of the area around the Inn/Octagon/Pond for planning out our stakeout?
Last edited January 12, 2016 5:35 pm
Jan 12, 2016 5:51 pm
The octagonal building almost certainly serves a dual function as a meeting-hall and shared house of worship for whatever gods hold sway here, such buildings are common to villages in Northern Bload. As such, it would be open to the public at all times.

Here's a rough, not-100%-to-scale map of the immediate area. There are more houses past those you can see on the map.

http://i.imgur.com/sW2HaWz.jpg

That arrow indicates the direction the party came from.
load next

Thread locked