Chapter 3: The Lonely Tower

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Len

Mar 3, 2021 6:30 pm
Mar 3, 2021 6:30 pm
Chapter 3: The Lonely Tower
The party rests well at the Summerspring Inn and wake up to a piping hot breakfast. Amanda informs you the sheriff cleared the fallen log and the wagon of prospectors got through alright. They stopped over to change horses and made their way to Deepfathom well with an escort of local militia, so the sheriff is rather short-handed at the moment.

While eating breakfast, the party discusses their next plans!
OOC:
We have a few plot hooks that are dangling right now! The Night Blades are the most pressing concern but perhaps the party is interested in exploring the town a bit more. So far, you've seen the odd tunnel that goes straight below the hot springs, the strange hand statue with rumours about a door in the wrist. You might have other business.

Naeris

Astroloma

Mar 4, 2021 9:40 pm
Mar 4, 2021 9:40 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
From what I hear we have a lot to talk about but can we decide on the farmhouse first? Hilmar and Alfrey were quite keen about it when I met them last night.

Hilmar Tomenius

MikeInactive for 6 months

Mar 5, 2021 12:52 am
Mar 5, 2021 12:52 am
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
"Absolutely! It's a fine farmhouse but I'm sure you'll want to see it for yourselves. And it's very close to the town as well." He proceeds to tell them of his first impressions of it.
[ +- ] lenpelletier says re: the farmhouse
"We'd have to share it with its current occupier - it comes with a sitting tenant. A very friendly black cat."

Euphoria

JusikaInactive forever!

Mar 5, 2021 12:37 pm
Mar 5, 2021 12:37 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
Euphoria was a bit late for breakfast, she stretched and yawned. Good morning everyone! What did I miss?

Kaa

PitrioInactive forever!

Mar 5, 2021 4:02 pm
Mar 5, 2021 4:02 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
Kaa was also quite late for breakfast, and he is still rubbing his eyes a lot when he joins them.

"So yesterday I met these kids and they wanted to play with my axe, but only three of them could lift it. Anyway, one of them stalked a bandit going back to their tower, and when he got to an area of strangleroot, the guy poured some yellow liquid on his shoes to pass unhindered. He could have just looked too deep into a bottle and have bad aim, but maybe that's somekind of potion trick? Or both?" he smirks.

"I am good with picking the house if you all are. Is it as creaky as this one? Will it stand for a year? Can any of you farm? I really do not like to." he says while happily enjoying his meal.

Naeris

Astroloma

Mar 5, 2021 8:23 pm
Mar 5, 2021 8:23 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
To Euphoria: 'Nothing really, Euphoria, we were discussing the merits of the farmhouse we've been offered.'

To Kaa 'I'm no farmer either but I am grateful for their toil.' - she smiles.
OOC:
Len - what do I know of strangleroot?
Last edited March 5, 2021 8:26 pm

Len

Mar 5, 2021 10:03 pm
Mar 5, 2021 10:03 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
[ +- ] What Naeris knows about Strangleroot

Alfrey Whiteheath

callanInactive for 1 months

Mar 5, 2021 10:19 pm
Mar 5, 2021 10:19 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
Alfrey was so early for breakfast that he had already finished eating, taken a brief stroll around town, and returned just in time to hear Naeris' summary of the group's discussion.

"The farmhouse? It's a home of excellent construction, to be sure — indoor plumbing and everything. I find it quite charming."
OOC:
We've been describing the home as a "farmhouse", but is there an actual farm associated with it?

Hilmar Tomenius

MikeInactive for 6 months

Mar 5, 2021 10:35 pm
Mar 5, 2021 10:35 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
"We might be able to find out from the sheriff, how much land comes with it and if anyone's farming it at the moment," suggests Hilmar in response to Kaa's comment about not wanting to do farm work. "I've heard of this 'strangleroot'. Nasty stuff that lashes out against anything that brushes past it and poisonous. I don't know what this yellow liquid can be. Did any of these children say where this tower was?"

Naeris

Astroloma

Mar 6, 2021 7:32 am
Mar 6, 2021 7:32 am
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
(When Kaa mentions strangleroot) I know what that yellow liquid was! She chuckles. My mother knows all about this plant. She says it grows in a place far away that she’s visited. I guess that could even be around here - I’ve never been so far from home. She says it’s a very vicious plant but that it’s rendered harmless by animal urine. Poor lad.

She taught me how to recognise the plant.

Kaa

PitrioInactive forever!

Mar 6, 2021 9:17 pm
Mar 6, 2021 9:17 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
"Huh..." Kaa muses "So I was almost right? What makes animal urine special? Is mine not good enough?" he makes a dissapointed face.

"A, I did not ask the location. Didn't we talk about the tower before, sheriff, captives, was I imaginng? I thought someone knows." he shrugs.

Len

Mar 6, 2021 9:52 pm
Mar 6, 2021 9:52 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
OOC:
Sentient people are animals too!
Amanda overhears your discussion and fills you in on the location of the Lonely Tower - an old Arkasian watchtower that's about two hours' walk from town heading northeast. The tower itself has mostly fallen over, its subterranean component is probably the location of the gang's hideout.
OOC:
Having discovered the location of the Night Blades' hideout, you may level up your characters to LEVEL 2! Congratulations everyone! You might have some questions about this, so feel free to post in the OOC or Character Building threads :)

Hilmar Tomenius

MikeInactive for 6 months

Mar 7, 2021 1:19 am
Mar 7, 2021 1:19 am
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
Impressed by Naeris' knowledge Hilmar grins, "Many a true word spoken in jest - Kaa's joke wasn't wide of the mark then!"

Hilmar also tells the party about the visit he and Alfrey made to the huge hand. He produces some parchment from one of his scroll cases and shows them his charcoal sketches of the hand and his notes about the depth of the excavation pit, taking them through his observations "Truly amazing, a prehistoric monument which might have magical properties. Amanda says the Shanka are deterred by it. I couldn't locate the legendary secret door. What's more there's what I'm sure is an excellent tavern beneath, which we haven't visited yet."
Last edited March 7, 2021 5:29 pm

Naeris

Astroloma

Mar 7, 2021 10:44 pm
Mar 7, 2021 10:44 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
Hmm. Well I do want to know more about this giant hand or statue but I don't know what to make of it as yet. I think we need to work with Sherriff Willowmane against the bandits. I'd like to learn everything I can about them from her - her experiences so far and what else she knows. And we might need the town's militia when it comes to fighting them.

Amanda - did Ruth go herself to Deepfathom well or is she in town?

Hilmar Tomenius

MikeInactive for 6 months

Mar 8, 2021 5:40 am
Mar 8, 2021 5:40 am
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
"You're right. Hopefully we can see her today and ask her this when we confirm we want to help," agrees Hilmar with Naeris. Then Amanda's words remind him of something he heard earlier.
[ +- ] lenpelletiers says
"Didn't Artur say they had been ordered to intercept the waggon coming from the mining camp and take all its gear? Why would Ralavaz want mining gear? Could it be that he needs it for the for the underground part of the Lonely Tower? Perhaps he's aware of something down there and needs to dig to get to it."

Len

Mar 8, 2021 6:13 am
Mar 8, 2021 6:13 am
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
"She'll be in town, over yonder in the Constabulary!" Amanda responds. She shrugs her shoulders when Hilmar brings up the subject of mining equipment. "Your guess is as good as mine, Hilmar."

Once you go to see Ruth, she is able to tell you the following new information about the Night Blades:

* Exact directions to Lonely Tower. She is surprised they ended up there as the place is crawling in strangleweed. In addition, there is a huge plant monster (a "shambling mound" she calls it) that prowls the strangleweed fields, so she doesn't understand how they get in and out.
* She estimates that there are 15-20 Night Blade bandits as well as Ralavaz himself.
* She finds an old drawing of the tower and presents it to you:

https://i.imgur.com/NhaVmjq.jpg

She also signs over the deed to the farmhouse while you're there. There isn't much of a farm there - just a hobby farm. It served as a quaint lodging for guests of honor visiting the town, and apparently "the farmhouse" was its nickname. It was owned by the Whitesparrow family, the noble family that once occupied the keep and abandoned the town years ago.

Kaa

PitrioInactive forever!

Mar 8, 2021 8:52 am
Mar 8, 2021 8:52 am
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
Quote:
Why would Ralavaz want mining gear?
"Maybe a wizard turned them into diligent dwarves, that would be a sight, hah."
Quote:
What's more there's what I'm sure is an excellent tavern beneath, which we haven't visited yet.
Kaa nods along to the idea of visiting a tavern. "That would be good for our next evening. Especially if we work on them bandits."

After hearing about the monster prowling around the tower, he comments to Naeris: "Do you think the milita would fight that with us? Is it not better to sneak again? Maybe stalk them as they come or go and then ... " he is grinning and plays out a scene with his fingers as people: they spot bandit, follow it, and then jump it. For him sneaky tactics work, so he seldom thinks about other approaches.

Then he is looking at the map while the others are talking about the house, when he needs to sign he just scribbles his name there.
"Or maybe some ghost dwarves did possess the bandits. There are so many tunnels here I would not be surprised." he chuckles and starts counting on his fingers. "There is the one under the hot springs, the secret stuff in the statue, and now the tower also has some and a well and another spring or something." he then gets lost in his imagination of ghost dwarves.
OOC:
My hunch is that these will be all connected. I guess the bandits started digging for that, and that might have caused the dry up at the springs too. If so it is also unwise to leave that and the town undefended. Also, the mask of Ralavaz could be an artifact from the statue? Would explain how he came to such an item, and why he is coming back here once he got out of prison.
Last edited March 8, 2021 8:53 am

Euphoria

JusikaInactive forever!

Mar 8, 2021 9:08 am
Mar 8, 2021 9:08 am
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
Wow you people are smart! It didn't occur to me Ralavaz might want the mining equipment to dig for something. I assumed his goal was to make the town go poor without working mines,- Euphoria spoke, munching on an apple. Maybe there are some magic artifacts there, or better yet, some gold,- one could see her infernal eyes lit up when she mentioned the precious metal, she put the apple back on the table. When we deal with him, we might want to borrow the equipment and try to dig under that giant hand, what do you people think? What if there is a full body down there, maybe it is some sort of an ancient god? That sure would have been a cool story to tell in a tavern!,- the tiefling giggled and bit an apple again and proceeded to speak with a full mouth: Speaking of the tavern, we should go have a drink some time. I hope there are a lot of people there, I love the atmosphere of a tavern!
Last edited March 8, 2021 11:18 am

Naeris

Astroloma

Mar 8, 2021 11:24 am
Mar 8, 2021 11:24 am
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
Pitrio says:

After hearing about the monster prowling around the tower, he comments to Naeris: "Do you think the milita would fight that with us? Is it not better to sneak again? Maybe stalk them as they come or go and then ... " he is grinning and plays out a scene with his fingers as people: they spot bandit, follow it, and then jump it. For him sneaky tactics work, so he seldom thinks about other approaches.
I was wondering how we could get some information by snooping around the tower. The place isn't wooded but there are other ways to hide. I thought we could see how they got past the monster and what sort of a thing it is. I was wondering how many of us should go on the scouting mission and how often the bandits come and go. Maybe we're waiting all day and night outside and see no-one, though.
Last edited March 8, 2021 11:32 am

Alfrey Whiteheath

callanInactive for 1 months

Mar 8, 2021 6:22 pm
Mar 8, 2021 6:22 pm
Re: Chapter 3: Working Title
Pitrio says:

"Do you think the milita would fight that with us? Is it not better to sneak again? Maybe stalk them as they come or go and then ... "
I would agree that a stealthy approach is better than a head-on one. Fifteen to twenty bandits is a lot to take on, and who knows what sort of magic Ralavaz has access to. And think — what if a lot of the bandits are under his spell, like Artur’s group was? We may have trouble taking them in unharmed if we start a huge fight. Catching them a few at a time should be the goal.
Astroloma says:

I was wondering how many of us should go on the scouting mission and how often the bandits come and go. Maybe we're waiting all day and night outside and see no-one, though.
Well, I’m not much for stealth, as you know. If I were to go without armor, that would help a bit, but then perhaps a smaller group is better when the goal is to not be seen.
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