DDAL05-01.1 - Treasure of the Broken Hoard

"Well my good lord, to be honest, I can use the money. A treasure hoard sounds quite profitable! Mira here has wittingly figured out how to sap my purse." A young adult, or maybe an old adolescent, curtsies. It's not very impressive and her serving clothes don't do her any favors either. Tossing the girl a silver, he says "Oh Mira dear, please would you be a darling and fetch a pitcher of ale from the innkeep? I would think my new companions should celebrate."

"Thank you. I can't think of a better way to celebrate anything."

When the ale arrives, Thrune quaffs a goodly amount from his glass and adds, "Be aware that we are following clues to the treasure hoard and the path is lined with dangers, both natural and magical. Our skills have been tested to the utmost. Your bravery is commendable."

"Hunt?" the elf says with a wink "I mostly only hunt for knowledge and lore, but if you’ll have me, I will happily tag along."

"And we are happy you are joining us. The more the merrier!"

"Everyone should get a good night's rest because we'll be back on the trail tomorrow."

"Glad tidings. Many thanks for the drinks. Many treasure are for knowledge sake even though the can be quite valuable." Rizak thwaps Thrune on the shoulder "I'll see you in the morn friend."
Rizak heads off to his room in the tavern.

Yawning, Karvir shuffles to the common toilet. His fine robe just barely covers the important parts. "Afternoon, Love" he says with a wink to the young serving girl, Mira, just outside his door.

"It's early morning yet, my Lord!" She appears to have been about to knock on his room door.

"Oh good, I was afraid I might have missed something. Adventure awaits us today!" With that, Karvir sits down on the toilet and gives the girl another wink before sliding the door shut.

Sitting alone now, Karvir pulls his purse from his robe pocket and quickly counts the contents. Disappointed, he hangs his head low between his legs.

Not even two nights worth. Trolls breath! We'd better find that treasure horde soon.

Having returned to his room and gotten dressed, Karvir calls out with a cheer "Mira!" The girl steps into the room less than a second later. "Hoot girl! You sure are good at that." Mira has been working for Karvir for the better part of two months now and she's learned a few tricks that keep the young noble more than pleased with her service. The lordling is unpredictable at best for when he will wake, but he is always needing something shortly after he does. Thankfully, Karvir will always relieve himself before calling. So Mira pays the inn's servant girls a copper each from her own pay that Karvir gives her (a full silver each day!) When they see the lordling wake they quickly fetch Mira so she can present herself as soon as called for.

"Well, please clean up this mess. And hurry, that housekeeping girl will be in shortly. I don't want her to think ill of me."

"Right away, my lord!" Mira says, snapping a sharp mock salute.

After a quick breakfast in the common room, Karvir heads outside to find Mira waiting with his backpack in hand and mule fully loaded and ready. It carries a chest atop its pack saddle, with a coil of rope on one side and, curiously, a horn on the other. Karvir's own pack appears well organized and tidy, with only a lantern handing from the outside.

"Adventure awaits, my Lord," she says, handing him his pack.

Karvir takes the pack, adjusts his fine clothes, checks on a pan flute held in a deep pocket, does a short hop while pulling the pack's straps forward and declares "Right! Let's join the others."

Thrune is clear-eyed and alert in the morning, despite imbibing more than his share of ale the night before.
The group's meeting place is the corner table nearest the entrance to the inn. Thrune lays a scrawled piece of parchment on the table. "Karvir and Elaris, we are following the notes of the famed, but now deceased, treasure hunter named Veradda Stoor. We found two of the five treasure caches mentioned in her notes. Unfortunately, both treasures were stolen by others, possibly fire giants. May the gods grant us better luck with the next cache."

Thrune passes the note to his two new companions. It reads:
The Third Cache. The source I questioned about this cache said that it was carefully hidden behind a secret entrance in the wall of a green-sided mountain. There is only one according to my research. The source also said that the cultist who hid the treasure was an expert in magical curses.

"Rizak, any advice for our new friends?"

"Advice 1. Don't believe everything you read. Advice 2. try not to die. Rizak answers plainly for a man of his size. "No not really. Just be prepaired for anything."

"The treasures have been stolen already? So... you are saying you aren't any wealthier? At least not yet? Well, I've already given my word, so I'm in it with you, but don't expect too much more from me if that luck keeps up!" Karvir snaps and waggles a finger. "So, what do we know about green mountains? And then, more importantly, what do we know about the type of magic these cultists used? Might anyone around here know?"

"I am not one made to understand the goings of magic. Thrune would be your better judgement on that topic."

On the way there, Thrune tells Karvir, "I am a priest of Sharindlar. Lady of Light and Mercy. We do not deal in curses so I don't know what foul magic they use. We have been blessed so far; the curses we encountered affected our opponents before we arrived."

When they reach their destination, Thrune says, "Let me check this wall before we proceed." He prays for guidance, then looks for a evidence of stonework in the mountain wall to the left.

"Well naow it looks like we gots to get ups that side there some hows" Rizak explains in complete hillbilly. "Do any yall carry and of that climbing equipments?"

Karvir nods, "I have some rope, but I'm afraid that is all. Now we are here, I realize I could have better prepared and packed some hooks or spikes to keep the rope anchored." He gives Mira a narrow-eyed look for a moment, as if it were her fault that he didn't pack the equipment. She does the packing, of course, but he buys the equipment to pack!

"It is supposed to be some secret door on the mountain here, right? Well, lets start poking around and see what we find!"

Karvir begins visually inspecting the cliffs, alternating between above and (as best as he can) below. He'll poke and prod anything that looks promising, but would be careful not to actually push anything more than a small amount as he is worried about traps.

If the process takes more than a minute, he'll take time to cast Unseen Servant as a ritual and instruct the thing to do the poking and prodding for him. If possible, and if other inspections don't pan out, Karvir would strap a rope around the thing and dangle it from the cliff so it can poke and prod the cliff below the walkway.

Thrune stands in front of the door he found. "Tricky devils. The other door is probably trapped or cursed. This one should be safer. I will take the risk and see what's behind this door."

Thrune casts Guidance on himself, then looks for traps around the door. If he finds none, then he will open the door.

"Man, whats them doors doin in the side of this mountinlike? Wouldn't it just be simpler to put sometin at the top instead?"