Prologue: Troubles at Red Larch.

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Aug 16, 2018 5:23 pm
twotonkatrucks says:
OOC:
Ok. Really quick. To Remus in particular. The Helm of Highsun is just across the street from the Inn. Which is more of a local rowdy watering hole. More Falkas speed. I think I did a piss poor job of explaining. If you want to edit your post you can. Sorry about that. I’ll catch up later this evening EST.
OOC:
Ah. Ok. Can we just take my last description of Vardo's actions as having taken place at The Helm instead? That's the kind of place he would have sought out and where I thought I was taking him.

if you want me to rewrite it based on a description of the interior of The Helm, I can do that too. Whatever is easier.
Aug 16, 2018 5:51 pm
OOC:
Edited my post (and rewrote it in the present tense, I keep lapsing into past by accident). Thank you for that!
Aug 16, 2018 6:05 pm
OOC:
I can't seem to help myself checking the site periodically :P. Tsavo, yeah why don't you go ahead and rewrite your post. For now, I'll copy paste quick and dirty description of Helm at Highsun from the book itself (usually, I rewrite these but for now just use the description as is).

----
Right across the Long Road from the Swinging Sword Inn stands a ramshackle two-story tavern. Rusty metal grills cover its small, dirty windows. The tavern’s name is very clearly printed in large, simple letters on both sides of a jutting wooden sign. Atop the sign is a rusting, oversized adornment: a warrior’s bucket helm with two eye slits (actually an upside-down washtub).

Inside is a large, dimly lit, wood-paneled taproom. An open-tread wooden staircase climbs to the upper floor, which is just as dim and darkly paneled as the taproom. Across the back of the taproom is a long bar with three copper candle-lanterns hanging over it, and a stair leading down to the cellars.

The Helm at Highsun is where locals relax, gossip, flirt, tell jests and "war stories" of their working days, and get drunk. It’s not a place for refined dining.

The Helm gets rowdy from time to time, but the staff is ready for ordinary drunken fisticuffs. Behind the bar are three stout and well-used cudgels, and an old cloak used as an improvised stretcher to lug drunks outside (and sometimes thrown over the heads of brawlers so they can be clubbed down).

----

Assume someone waits on you gets your order etc. This place is better prepared or at least drunken patron need less attending to. I'll rewrite my responses later tonight. Rest of you ignore any part of my post that refer to Vardo being at the Inn.

Aug 16, 2018 6:52 pm
Vardo glides into the Helm and pauses. He immediately inhales a lungful of stake air tinged with a faint mixture of sweat and ale. Letting the same breath out through his mouth, he allows the briefest of smirks to play across his lips. This'll do nicely.

After a brief visit to the bar for a beer (one has to keep up appearances), he makes his way up the wooden stairs and positions himself near the edge of the balcony where he can see the goings on below. In his experience, newcomers to places like this tend to get plenty of attention within the first few minutes and then, provided they aren't too out of the ordinary, become almost forgotten. With this in mind, he makes sure to take a large sip of his ale, swipe his mouth with the back of his cuff, and settles in.

After a few moments he pulls out a small piece of paper and makes himself look intent on folding, creasing, and fiddling with it. With his eyes, ostensibly on his hobby, he first reaches out with his hearing; listening intently to those conversations taking place nearby.

After a few more minutes and another, smaller, sip of ale, he begins scanning the balcony and then the taproom floor beneath him trying to glean what he can from appearances. He not only takes in the type of people, but their clothes, mannerisms, accents, and affectations.
OOC:
Tell me how much Vardo spent on an Ale and I'll subtract it from his sheet.

Least perceptive elf ever! It doesn't help that I'm a fool and didn't make it +5 instead of +3. Next time ;)
Last edited Aug 16, 2018 9:13 pm

Rolls

Perception - (1d20+3)

(1) + 3 = 4

Aug 16, 2018 7:27 pm
Breezy stands inside the common room of the Swing Swords, looking about like a fish out of water. With a deep breath, he musters his resolve and walks slowly, carefully, through the crowd of people and up to the bar. In a soft, hoarse whisper, he addresses the alpha female there.

"Issss there a place to wassssh here? Hopefully for no metal? Or at the very leassssst a small bit?" he asks, keeping his form still and tall in an effort to appear like he had a clue what he was doing. He had seen a fellow rise up tall once, and make another back down with the merest of utterances. However, he had no clue what "Shank ya til ya mudder bleeds" meant, and so elected not to use that bit of parlance here.
Last edited Aug 16, 2018 7:29 pm
Aug 16, 2018 7:51 pm
OOC:
So Swinging Sword for lodging and Helm at Highsun for drink, Yes? Assuming so :--
Keavan enters the Sword, all business and gets a room for the night.
OOC:
Assuming one is available and not too expensive.
He then walks over the road to the Helm.
He gets a drink, preferably a sweetish mead, having picked up that habit at court. He then looks for the others, having decided to discreetly show them the poster.

While he looks for his potential new friends Keavan also looks around more generally, gauging the crowd.
Last edited Aug 16, 2018 8:08 pm

Rolls

Perception - (1d20+3)

(5) + 3 = 8

Aug 16, 2018 9:40 pm
Falka

Falka pushes open the swinging saloon doors forcefully, making a dramatic entrance (cue Ennio Morricone). For a brief moment everyone in the tavern stops what they're doing and looks in her direction - then resumes.

She scours the place for fellow dwarves or at least a warrior type. Somewhat disappointedly, almost all patrons are laborers or farmers and human (as are the townfolks) though she does spot a half-orc, whose caught in middle of a "game" of keep away by two gruff-looking quarry workers from the looks of it (their face covered in quarry dust). "Here, Grund get your pouch." The quarry man takes his hand away as Grund reaches for his pouch - then throws it to the other man. "What you don't want your pouch buddy?" Grund grunts and says slowly and dejectedly "Grund wants. You not give to Grunt. Grunt not like game." The only other non-human Falka sees in the immediate vicinity is a sourlooking halfling playing cards with another man at a table near the bar. He is clearly drunk and clearly losing both the card game and his temper.
Aug 16, 2018 9:53 pm
OOC:

Quote:
So Swinging Sword for lodging and Helm at Highsun for drink, Yes?
Andrew, yes.
Keavan

Keavan walks past Midnight and Breezy straight to the matron of the establishment.

"Room for the night." Keavan slams down his coin pouch on the bar. The matron stops her incessant talking abruptly. Looks over at Keavan. "Straight to the point." She turns to the other barkeep and says, "I like this one."

"Okay. Well, our cheap dormatories are all booked up, but we have plenty private rooms available. It'll cost you a little more. 8 SP a night. That includes meals. Each room fits two people. Is it just you?"
OOC:
Let me know if you wanna share a room. Deduct 8sp.
After the business at the Inn is done Keavan walks over to the Helm. From across the street, he sees the dwarf woman slam open the door and walk in eagerly. He walks in the tavern shortly after her and sees the same scene as Falka.
Aug 16, 2018 10:04 pm
Breezy

After Breezy sees the half-elf soldier just walk up to the bar and conduct his business there, he follows suit.

The matron regards Breezy curiously, "What IS that accent darling? It's quite musical. Can you sing with that voice? Midsummer's only a few days away. You could make good money you know. Anyway, right you asked about what now? Place to wash. Right. Well, best place is Haeleeya’s up the street (area 15). She'll take good care of you there. If you just want a bucket of water, you can go around the back here and ask the stable hand. But, it'll literally just be a bucket of water. That's the best I can do darling."
Aug 16, 2018 10:16 pm
Yohna pushes the doors open as she is welcomed and bows her head politely to the chapel's attendant, a brief touch to her own pendant, the scales clutched in a skeletal arm, accompanying it. "Well met, friend." She greets the other cleric. "I am Yohna, acolyte of Kelemvor. I must say, I find it odd for one of your order to be settled in a quaint town such as this. Perhaps you're simply awaiting your next mission, though. There can't always be battles to fight."

Yohna takes several steps into the chapel, then fumbles about in her bag, producing the torn poster fragment from outside. "That said, however, it would seem even this place is not beyond trouble. Bandit trouble? Or..." She hums to herself a little, examining the remainder of the drawing. "Forgive me if I sound a little paranoid, but it's not undead, I hope?"
Aug 16, 2018 10:20 pm
Keavan comes up beside Falka, takes a swig of mead and slaps her on the back.
"So my new friend, do you feel like helping out a half orc?"
Last edited Aug 16, 2018 10:53 pm
Aug 16, 2018 10:27 pm
Vardo

Vardo overhears two men sitting at a table on the opposite side away from the balcony having a tense discussion in hushed tone.

"I dunno. I'm thinking about quittin'. That place is cursed I tell ya."

"What are you talking about? What are you gonna do? Where are you gonna go?"

"I'm thinking, swallowing my pride and go back to my ol' man's farm - work the land."

"But you despise your old man more than anyone! C'mon buddy you're overreacting. Think before you make a rash decision."

"No! You don't understand. I saw'em! I did I tell ya. Just thinking about it gives me the creeps. I just... I can't work another night there."

"You mean like that time you saw the wood nymph taking bath in Sumber Hills? C'mon stop being ridiculous. Anyway, why don't you ask Al for a shift change?"

"Don't you think I already did? She won't give it to me. That stubborn wench. And.. for the record I DID see that nymph and I saw those stone faced men! Ah.. forget it. You'll see. "

"C'mon man, maybe you're just overworked... tired."

They then silently and nervously drink their ale.
OOC:
4 cp for the ale.

As for passive perception. In situations where passive perception applies, it effectively does work as a lower bound on your perception roll as the passive perception will "activate" first. But, passive perception won't always apply where perception rolls are made. For example when Yohna was sifting through the advertisement and discovered the torn bounty poster, that was an active thing and passive perception won't apply there. She wouldn't have perceived that without sifting through and seeing what's under the advertisement. Whereas in your situation, there's no way to "turn off" overhearing someone.
Aug 16, 2018 10:28 pm
OOC:
Keavan. Forgot the mead part. There indeed is excellent mead, made from honey procured from local apiculturist. 4 cp per mug.
Aug 16, 2018 10:52 pm
Yohna

"Annually, a cleric from different faith is assigned here. You could say I drew the shortest straw this year. And, young lady. There's always a battle to be fought. Battles aren't always out there in the field."

Imdarr takes the piece of paper looks at it flips it over a few times.

"I don't know what this is, but I have heard something about spate of banditry. But, I don't venture out much from here. Duty and all. I only hear news from pilgrams passing by or occasional local stopping in. So, not much I can tell you. Your best bet is asking the locals - though some tend to be on the superstitious side... The constable might know something. He's a good man. He lives with the butcher, Jalessa, an honest woman if there ever was one. They stop in occasionally to give offerings. He also works at the butchery. (area 11) Ask for Harbuck."
Aug 16, 2018 10:55 pm
OOC:
Excellent explanation re: Perception. Thank you.

Is Vardo in a position to see the half-Orc and/or Keavan and Falka?
Aug 16, 2018 10:58 pm
Tsavo says:
OOC:

Is Vardo in a position to see the half-Orc and/or Keavan and Falka?
OOC:
Yes. You are in a position to see the entire room downstairs and also upstairs. Basically, the entire establishment. Assume that your character saw everything that Falka and Keavan saw and you also saw them enter. It slipped my mind to include that info in my Vardo post.
Aug 16, 2018 11:10 pm
Falka's eyes gleam like sapphires as she lays eyes upon the burly half-orc. Now that, she fancies, is a challenge. As if in response, a hand hits her back. Like the crack of a whip, the dwarf whirls round ready to plant a fist to the gut of her would-be assailant. She stops short however, when she sees Keavan's grin. Nevertheless, she redirects her hand and gives him a dig in his armoured shoulder, as if to chide him for provoking her.
"Thought I was getting into fisticuffs a little earlier than I had expected there," she laughed heartily. She points one broad finger at his face and replies in almost mock courtesy, "Indeed I do think we should have a conversation with our orc friend. However!" She stabs the air dramatically with the same finger. "First, we drink!" She marches up to the bar astride the soldier, proceeds to wince a little as he orders a mead, then demands a mug of the barkeep's finest. Newly armed, the two approach the band of ostensible quarry workers. Falka jumps and sits on the edge of table. With the aim of interrupting their business as thoroughly and irritatingly as possible, she slams a hand down and shouts over the din, "What have we here? It's like that puppet show with the old men and the troll, isn't it Keavan?"
Aug 16, 2018 11:21 pm
"It certainly seems that way Falka. How does that one go again? If I recall correctly it doesn't end well for the old men."

Keavan smiles at the men taking another swig of mead.

"Perhaps our friends here favour a different ending." Keavan concludes, with a slightly raised eyebrow.
Last edited Aug 16, 2018 11:21 pm
Aug 16, 2018 11:36 pm
The two bullies stop their bullying turns to Falka. The taller of the bully throws the pouch across the room. The half-orc scuttles toward it and retrieves it and holds it close to his chest.

The taller bully yaps at Falka.

"Piss off this doesn't concern you. This ain't no place for a lady anyway."

The shorter one follows the taller's lead.

"Yeah. You might break a nail or somethin'. Ain't that right Mort."

"That's right Gurt. Or break something more painful." He says the word painful slowly and deliberately.

Mort turns to Keavan.

"What are you smiling at you ugly half-breed! You let your woman do all the fightin' for ya?"

Vardo observes all this happening from the balcony as he sips his ale.
OOC:
I forgot to add Falka, deduct 4 cp for the mead also. I'm assuming you bought one yourself.
Aug 16, 2018 11:50 pm
Vardo sees the scene between the bullies, Falka, and Keavan begin to escalate and sighs. Here we go...

His natural inclination is to stay put and let the scene play out, however he feels a sense of responsibility to help out his travelling companions. Certain they don't require his immediate aid with simple thugs, he remains in his seat. Instead, he scans the crowd making sure there are no surprises his friends don't see coming.
OOC:
If Vardo sees a third bully move toward the group, or if he senses any danger of any kind outside of the two drunks, he will immediately intervene. He's basically watching their backs, making sure the odds don't tip against them, and holding action.
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