Arklytte

Awesome! Thanks for the info, and the welcome. Now I just need to figure out the little details...like a character concept. 😁

At The Sign Of The Prancing Pon...err...Golden Gear ************* ************* The kitten cocked it's head at Killian when he answered, giving the man a couple of slow blinks. After he finished speaking, the kitten's voice once more resonated within the half orc's mind, and, once more, it echoed softly in Valros' as well. "green man nice. talk lots, but nice. is good." The golden furred kitten then curled up contentedly in Valros' lap, yawning hugely, and accepted the tidbits of meat that the tiefling fed to it from the bowl that the server had delivered. The two appeared lost in their own world, quietly conversing in their minds, as the rest turned their attention to the gravelly voiced dwarf. ************* There was a grunt from deep within the shadows, and the Dwarf took a long pull of his drink, looking out at those at the table. After a moment, he nodded in their direction, and spoke quietly, his voice just as gravely as before. "The reason I suggested you all pass on to the Barrow, which, by the by" he looked in Trellis' direction, "is the next big town on the North spur of the Imperial Highway, and a prosperous trade town, which I thought adventurers such as yourselves might appreciate, is that Humbert's manor is, of late, a madhouse. Though..." he peered closely at Lucrezia, and smirked before continuing, "perhaps some of you enjoy that sort of thing. Regardless, what I meant was this: For the past few months, I've been a guest at the Manor, doing research in Humbert's library. Except for a few shouting matches between Humbert, and that harpy Kazin, everything was fine. Then, a few weeks ago, I noticed that there was no shouting. That was when I also noticed Kazin whistling in the hallways...right sent shivers up my spine, it did. Anyway, I figured there was something up, so, after a few days, I decided to ask her where Humbert had gotten himself to. She threw her head back and cackled like a madwoman, but all she would say was that he was 'around, and maybe a little ticked off', and then she walked away, laughing her fool head off." The dwarf leaned back and took another long pull on his Cream, then set the stoneware mug down on the table, peering intently at the group. "Couldn't find hide nor hair of the Artificer...and believe me, I looked. But that blasted house is loaded up with too many fool jokes and tricks." He flicked one thick finger at the hammer pins on his collar, which all present recognized as a Master's Mark of the Imperial Guild of Artificers, and continued. "Now, I'm a dab hand at dealing with machines, but some of Humbert's designs are beyond even me, loath though I am to admit it. But, whatever's going on up there was far beyond my skills to deal with." Before he could say any more, he was interrupted by Leider's equally deep baritone coming from behind the adventurers. "Master BrakHammer, I still think Humbert was pulling your leg. Everyone for leagues around knows that the Magister has a...unique sense of humour. I'm sure it's all just one of his pranks." The dwarf snorted incredulously and shook his head, his waist long beard flying back and forth. "Not like it was up there Leider. You weren't there, I was, and I'm telling you, I was lucky to get out of there alive!" Turning his attention back to the group at the table, the dwarf frowned thunderously, before offering one last comment. "Makes no difference to me," he said, quaffing the last of his Cream and standing up from his table. He locked eyes with all of those at the table. "Just you remember, when you're up to your necks in trouble, that I warned you. Now," he turned back to Leider, "unless anyone else wishes to question my word, I believe I'll retire for the evening. I plan to head out tomorrow...have your stablehand ready my pony cart for first light. I'll break my fast in my room before that, if it's acceptable. Gentlemen, Lady...I bid you good evening." And not another word would he speak, even if called back or questioned. A moment later he stomped up the stairs and was out of sight. Leider, too, left for the bar, though not without a sincere, despite it's brevity, apology to Lucrezia. It seemed, however, that the interruptions weren't done for the evening, as a soft, musical voice spoke up from a few feet away. "Well. That was certainly...interesting." Turning, the group saw that the musician, who had apparently finished her set, was standing near their table. Having been caught 'spying', a faint rose tint dusted her cheeks, but that was the only outward sign that she might feel even a bit guilty. Nodding to all present, she continued. "Forgive me for eavesdropping...not like I could help it, of course, BrakHammer's voice isn't exactly suited to 'quiet' conversation." She shrugged, "And it's not like he hasn't voiced his opinions to all and sundry at least once a night for the last three he's been here. Oh, but, forgive me..." Stepping forward, she gave a half bow to the table. "It seems that my manners truly have deserted me this evening. My name is Ariand StormHunter, a bard of the Royal College, and Seeker of Lost Truths." Again, she shrugged, but this time with a wry twist of her mouth. "Mostly that means that I travel all across the land, usually at the Dean's request, seeking out and reading dusty old tomes in some lightless, cheerless library, monastery, or even the occasional evil wizards lair." Glancing at Lucrezia, the bard's eyes flicked down to the hem of her own robe, and the symbols embroidered therein, before quickly meeting the dhampir's eyes. The woman's own bright blue orbs twinkled with mirth, and she gave Lucrezia the merest hint of a nod, recognizing a fellow scholar, and clearly having noted the woman's reaction to the little joke stitched into her clothing. Reaching out to the side, Ariand snagged an empty chair from a nearby table, then plunked it down between Valros and Lance. Up close, they could see that the tips of her ears, more bluntly pointed than a full elf's would be, nevertheless peeked up from her raven black hair. A faint scent of jasmine and honeysuckle hung in the air around her, along with something earthy, perhaps sandalwood. From this distance, it was clear that the bard was a woman of means...her clothes were made of silk and raime, and, while not ostentatious, the glint of well made jewelry adorned her neck, ears, wrists, and fingers. "I hope you dont mind if I join you. Bess might have mentioned that she overheard you all were planning to head over to Humbert's Manor tomorrow, and, now that I'm healed up, I was planning on making the journey there as well." She looked around the table, catching each of their eyes in turn. "I dont necessarily mind riding out on my various missions alone, but, given the...unpleasant air that the woods have had lately, some company would certainly be appreciated." Before she could continue, the little cat in Valros' lap made a happy, and deeply satisfied 'meep', instantly drawing Ariand's attention. Turning to the little creature, Ariand's eyes immediately softened, and a genuine smile graced her lips. Turning her attention fully to Valros, the woman's smile grew even more. "You are a rare one, friend. It's not many who could win the affection of a Golden Cat, especially a kitten. You should consider yourself extremely lucky...or, at least, you will be, depending on whether on not it's powers have fully developed." Her smile once more morphed back into a smirk, and she returned her attention to her tablemates. "As I said, if you're willing to let me join you, I'd like to head out to Humberts at first light. The ride itself shouldn't take us more than a few hours...we can easily reach it by high noon if there are no unforeseen complications." She glanced up as Bess moved nearby and Ariand made a tipping motion of her hand. With a grin and a nod, Bess immediately changed course and headed towards the bar. Ariand turned her attention back to the table. "So, does anyone have any questions for me? While I've never met Humbert himself, I did do some rather extensive research on him, and several other notable persons in the area, including the Sorceress Kasin, whom BrakHammer mentioned." She sat, fingers interlaced and forearms on the table, looking inquisitively at the rest of the table. OOC OOC NOTES Apologies...again, for the long delay...again. Things continue to be busier than I had planned. I hope I didn't move things along too much, but it all just sort of flowed as I was writing. Y'all feel free to interject any actions for your characters that you feel are appropriate, and we can tweak things if necessary, timing wise. Otherwise, have fun!

Dice Array

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Firefly meets Cyberpunk, in StarFinder?!? Oh I DEFINITELY aim to misbehave!! I've looked all over the character creation rules, and can't seem to find our starting level. Am I blind, or is it listed elsewhere? Also, I note that there's no 3pp allowed, but is it safe to assume that all official SF material is allowed? Should we just use aonsrd.com? I honestly don't even have a germ of a hint of a character idea, but I'd like to get my ducks in a row before I start making plans.

At The Sign Of The Prancing Pon...err...Golden Gear ************* ************* Martin smiled happily at Killian, seeming quite happy to interact with the half orc. "Why yes sir. I'm well acquainted with Artificer Humbert. He's the one who sent me to work for Master Leider. If you're heading to the Manor, I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you, and will be more than happy to assist you with whatever you need." As he finished speaking, the server noticed that the customer who had been signalling him earlier was getting rather insistent...and loud. Turning back to the table, he gave them all a half bow. "Please forgive me gentlemen, but I need to go take care of that patron before he gets upset. When your companion is ready to return to the table, or any of you need a refill, signal me and I'll top you up. I am authorized to take payment myself, or you can establish a tab with Master Leider, should you so choose." Giving another nod of his head, the man moved off into the crowd, deftly avoiding the other servers and patrons. Despite his odd, stiff gait, he appeared to be quite dexterous. After Martin had left and Killian cleaned both the kitten and it's new servant, into who's lap it was rather firmly ensconced, the little ginger feline turned it's deep green eyes on the half orc. From deep within Killian's mind, he heard a bright, childlike voice resonating through him. "nice green man...make clean and dry...is good...no like muck and wet" A faint echo of the kitten's mental voice sounded in Valros' head, as though he'd 'heard' the mental conversation from a short distance away. Just about then, Bess arrived in response to Valros' call. Looking down at the adorable kitten, her face softened and she grinned. "Well, isn't he the most adorable little thing? I'll be back in a jif with a snack, and a saucer of milk, for the little one." Reaching down, she gave the kitten a quick scratch behind the ears before turning away to head back to the bar and place the tiefling's additional order. The kitten, having received it's just due of attention settled down in the tiefling's lap, purring contentedly. "nice lady...bring food...thank warm horn man" ************* A few minutes later, as Lucrezia was on her way back to the table, Martin returned as well. Once again, he nodded to everyone present and set an empty stoneware mug on the table, before he reached out a hand, the finger flipping back, and the brass nozzle once more sent out a steady stream of warm Korova Cream into the empty mug. A moment later, it was full nearly to the brim, and his finger once more returned to normal. Placing the mug at the appropriate spot, Martin then moved to one side, drawing out Lucrezia's chair and then tucking it back in as she moved to sit. "There you are, madam. Please enjoy your Korova Cream. Be sure to sip, and carefully. It's very hot...KRRZZZZXXXT!!" Just as he uttered the word 'Hot', a strange, static filled HISS emanated from Martin, and his whole body twitched violently. A split second later, there was a soft WHOOSH, followed by a brief, but intense pain on the outside of Lucrezia's right shin. The server's face morphed from pleasant to horrified in a flash. In a voice barely above a whisper he stammered out an apology, his formerly cheerful voice taking on a somber, mournful tone. Oddly, the tone of the apology carried the most emotion that any of the companions had observed from the server. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Please forgive me...it's a sickness I have." Before any of the group could stop him, Martin spun away, quickly striding to a dark corner near the half orc bouncer. As he jerkily moved across the room, the five of them could hear the man muttering something unintelligible, but clearly distressed, under his breath. Bess, who'd just arrived with two small saucers for Valros' new companion, gave them all a soft, sad smile. Reaching into a pocket in her apron, she pulled out a small glass phial filled with a pearlescent liquid and offered it to Lucrezia. "Please accept my apology as well on behalf of poor Martin. That potion will fix up any damage done to your person." She huffed in irritation before continuing. "I dont know what that Humbert was thinking...giving that poor thing such a sickness. You'd think a 'Grand High Artificer' would know his trade better than to give a clockwork creation emotions, then force it to do something that so clearly upsets it!" Setting the dishes down in front of Valros with more force than necessary, though still with enough professionalism to avoid spilling any, she looked over at the corner where Martin had gone and bit her lip. With a soft sigh, the server turned to Lucrezia. "Once again, ma'am, I'm terribly sorry. Master Leider has standing orders that any patron who is affected by Martin's...'tics', gets a full refund for the price of their stay, and a drink on the house. He'll also pay for any necessary repairs to your outfit." She looked down at the dress, a small frown on her face. "Anya" she pointed at a slim, willowy, blonde half-elf on the far side of the Inn, "is a fine seamstress and should be able to repair that for you tonight while you sleep. Just call for her when you're ready to head up for the night and she'll have it back to you, right as rain, in the morning." Bess hesitated a moment, lingering to answer any additional questions, or, if necessary, soothe tempers, before once again being called away. As the companions were reacting to all these developments, a gruff voice, sounding like two boulders grinding together, spoke from the shadows of a nearby booth. "If I were you, I'd go on to the Barrow in the morning, and forget about the Clockwork Mage." The comment was followed by a loud slurp as the cloaked, shrouded figure took a large swig from a stoneware Cream mug, before setting it carefully down on the table. OOC OOC NOTES Apologies for the long delay. It's been an...interesting few days. 😬 We'll be back on track now, and I'll make every effort to keep the pace at something more reasonable. Regarding Martin's 'Tics' Lucrezia takes 1 point of Fire damage to the outside of her right shin (adjusted by any ER). In addition, unless it's resistant/immune to Fire damage, her dress now has a perfect circle, the size of a quarter, with definite char marks around the edge, burnt in the same location. If anyone tries to stop Martin from leaving, one of the servers (not Bess, who's on her way at that moment, though not actually there yet) will intervene, stepping between them and the automaton. They will repeat his words about it being a sickness, as well as sincerely apologize. They will then refer all further questions/concerns to the approaching Bess. If anyone tries to follow, or escalate the situation, the half orc will take a single step out of his alcove and give the follower/escalator a very definite 'I wouldn't do that if you want to keep all your limbs attached to your torso' glare. That said, you can, of course, react to any and all of the above however you like. That's just what happens in the first seconds after Martin giving Lucrezia a 'hotfoot...err...shin'. The Phial A DC 15 Craft Alchemy check (or knowing the formulae for Salve) will reveal that the liquid is an ingestible version of the formulae. It is quite diluted and will only heal 1d2HP worth of damage. It is a standard Alchemy Formulae, and will degrade in the usual manner, in roughly 12 hours.

Martin

I have a bad habit of making pretty much all my characters good at pretty much all Knowledge skills. I dont even do it consciously anymore. I just hate not being able to know stuff. Apparently I spend too much time around my cats. 😸 What you have is great. I like having that sort of info at my fingertips, because trying to look it all up on a half dozen character sheets whenever I need to do Stealth vs Perception or Deception vs Sense Motive or whatever is a major PITA. Appreciate it. :)

At The Sign Of The Prancing Pon...err...Golden Gear ************* (Back at the bar) The barman, Leider, nods along to each of the adventurer's requests in turn and collects their various fees. His response was, essentially, the same to each of them. "Take whatever table suits you," he gestured towards the room at large, "and one of my girls will fetch your supper. Martin will be by with your Cream in a minute. In the meantime, if there's anything else I can do for you, just come back up, or call for your server." He waited politely to see if anyone had any more questions, then when they departed for their table, he turned back to the casks behind the bar, refilling mugs and sending them to various thirsty patrons. ************* ************* (At the table) The conversation flowed between the companions. Several nearby patrons glanced their way, especially amused at the antics of their various familiars. Most quickly turned back to their conversations, though a few continued to occasionally glance their way, hoping for further entertainment. At one point, a waitress arrived, bringing a pitcher of ale and several mugs. The server smiled pleasantly, but didn't stay long enough to answer any questions, being immediately called away to deliver another round of drinks to a table on the far side of the dining room. The conversation continued, and they quartet were joined by the still sopping Tiefling. Almost immediately a second waitress arrived, dropped off an empty mug in front of Valros, and just as quickly scampered away, a tray over her shoulder brimming with more mugs and pitchers. A couple of minutes after Lucrezia rose to head towards the stage and more closely observe the bard, the other four, caught up in their conversation, were interrupted by a... *THUMP* The companions were caught by surprise by the arrival of another of the serving wenches, this one bearing their supper. With a cheerful grin the woman moved the small cauldron of stew that she'd set down into the center of the table. Beside it she set a basket with several small, dark loaves of bread and a crock of what appeared to be fresh butter. Bowls, utensils, and a pitcher of cold water quickly joined them. "Sorry my lords, didn't mean to startle ye." she grinned apologetically. "Tis just so busy tonight, we ain't got time ta breathe, much less slow down." The woman glanced towards the stage before turning her attention back to her customers. "A course, that's liable ta change, come the morrow, what with Mistress Ariand taking her leave to head on to the Artificer's manor." She tucked her tray under her arm and smiled brightly. "Martin will be by in a few minutes with your Cream. He had to refill his reservoir, so you'll be getting it fresh from the hob. In the meantime, you need anything, you just call out for Bess, and I'll be here in a trice, yeah?" She waited a beat to see if any of them had any further requests for her, but, before anyone could speak, her name was bellowed from across the room. With a wry grin, she gave a small dip of her head and quickly moved into the crowd. Delicious scents were coming from the stewpot, and the steam still rising from the bread indicated that it had just come from the oven. There was even a small, covered bowl that, when opened, revealed small chunks of raw venison, just the right size for a cat...or ferret. Beside the bowl was a small shot glass, filled with water A moment later, as the four were just beginning their meal, a tall, strange-looking man approached. His limbs were slender almost to the point of looking half starved, but, strangely, he had a large, almost barrel chest. He had close cropped, dark hair, brown eyes and lightly tanned skin, and in most all other ways looked so completely 'average' that he could have probably blended in with any random crowd of locals. His movements were slow and careful, almost as if his limbs were somehow heavier than they should be. He smiled stiffly at the patrons at the table as he approached, bearing a tray of small earthenware mugs in one hand and a spotless white towel draped over his opposite arm. Reaching the table, he set down five of the mugs. Each was roughly the size of a balled fist and the sides were fairly thick, most likely for insulation. As he moved, all present caught the dull glint of metal under the man's sleeve, however, before they could react to that, Martin lowered his right hand, pointing his index finger directly at the first mug. With a slight hiss of released steam, the tip of his finger flipped back, exposing a metal spigot, out of which poured a slightly viscous, steaming hot white liquid. The scent of cinnamon, cardamon, and citrus, along with the sharp tang of quality alcohol immediately hit everyone's nose as the mugs were quickly and efficiently filled. When all were finished, the tip of Martin's finger flipped back into place and the man stepped back slightly. "There you are gentlemen. Please enjoy your Korova Cream. Be sure to sip, and carefully. It's very hot, and very strong. Please let me know what you think. Leider always appreciates feedback from new patrons to the Inn." While the man's voice was pleasant and even, it was just the slightest bit...off. The inflections were occasionally odd, and the emotional undercurrent was curiously flat, though not monotone. And there seemed to be just the barest hint of reverberation to it, as though he were speaking through a very short tube. Martin waited patiently, giving the four a chance to sample their drinks, even as he waved at a customer who'd called his name. Just about the same time that Martin finished pouring the four's steaming drinks, Valros felt a sudden pressure on his leg, as though something had bumped against it. Looking down, the tiefling's gaze was instantly captured by a pair of bright green eyes, their pupils huge and dark. The feral kitten that he'd helped out of the rain appeared to have followed him to the inn. Now that it was out of the drizzle, and seemed to be, at least somewhat, free of the grey mud that had adorned it earlier, he could see that it's medium length coat was a bright golden orange...at least, it would be, once it was clean. When the two locked eyes, the small feline, apparently taking acknowledgement as permission, swarmed up Valros' leg, swiftly climbing to his thigh, and thence into the tiefling's lap. The still somewhat bedraggled kitten glanced up at Valros once more then, turning its head to the side, began to give itself a bath, swiping it's rough tongue on one foreleg and rubbing said foreleg against it's mud speckled ear. With a contented sounding grunt, the little creature quickly made itself to home, grooming itself to the exclusion of all else. A moment later, a high pitched, rumbling purr began to sound in the kittens chest...and somehow, the warrior heard the sound echo in his mind! The kitten suddenly stopped it's grooming and looked back up at Valros. Cocking it's head to the side, it stared deeply into the man's eyes, and, once again, deep in his mind, Valros heard a sound. A high pitched, childlike voice resounded through his thoughts. "horn man warm...smell good...have food?" ************* (At the stage) Lucrezia, from her new vantage standing much closer to the alluring...and rather fetching...bard, was able to get a better look at the symbols that adorned the cuffs and seams of the woman's garb. The characters formed a definite pattern and appeared to repeat several times as they wound around Ariand's body. Even as she studied the markings, Lucrezia let loose her powers, sensing many things about the area around her. Given her intense focus on the bard, she noticed the faintest of twitches in the woman's face and neck muscles when the spell was cast. Though her eyes remained closed, Ariand swiveled her head until her closed eyes were locked on Lucrezia's own, and after that, never wavered. It took Lucrezia several minutes to parse the language out...it turned out to be an extremely archaic dialect of Draconic. Combined with needing to split her mental focus to deal with the deluge of information her magical senses were bringing her, it took all the wizardess' formidable mental might to manage it all at once. But manage it she did. Lucrezia was able to parse out the words, though matching them up wasn't quite straightforward, because they would abruptly cut off as they wound around the woman's arm, her trim waist, even her full bust. But the dhampir persevered...it's not like she wasn't already staring, after all, and with a final mental splice, she was able to put the words in order. 'If you can read this, you spend far too much time with your nose buried in dusty old tomes. Go outside once in awhile, and touch grass.' OOC OOC NOTES And we're back. 😁 A couple bits of housekeeping. I'd like everyone to either create a 'Mechanics' spoiler at the end of their IC posts going forward (if you haven't already). In that spoiler, I'd like everyone to list their bonuses for Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth. Include your total bonus, including any long term buffs, but if there's anything affecting the skills, please break it down for me, including situational modifiers. While there's very little in 5E I like, Passive Perception is one of the things I find useful. I use it for all of the above skills as a sort of guideline for NPC reactions to various situations, rather than having to constantly ask for rolls, since those three skills are used all the time. Thanks! Martin If anyone wishes to try and garner any additional information about your server Martin, you can do so by making either a Knowledge: Arcana or Knowledge: Engineering check. Depending on your skill roll, open the appropriate nested spoilers below for the additional info you learn. Obviously, you're welcome to look at the rest of the spoilers, but, just as obviously, only allow your character to react to those things they actually know. Arcana 15 or Engineering 10 Martin appears to be some kind of technological construct, a highly advanced clockwork creation. While purely technological clockwork creations have been long known to exist, one in the form and function of a human being, fully interactable as Martin is, was always thought to be impossible. It is well known that Artificer Humbert, in addition to being an extremely powerful mage, is one of the most talented clockwork makers in the Empire, so it's highly likely that he created Martin. Arcana 25 or Engineering 20 It was rumoured that Humbert was working on humanlike clockwork creations with the capability to act and interact independently, rather than via simple programming. It is further speculated that Humbert was experimenting with somehow giving his clockwork creations the ability to interact emotionally. Lucrezia's Divination Results Going forward, please put mechanics based OOC comments in either an Inline OOC or (preferably) an OOC Spoiler at the end of your post. Thanks! 😀 Now, onto the crunchy stuff. 😁 Magical auras: Several. Ariand, Leider and the half orc bouncer all have a Moderate magical aura. Ariand's is the strongest of the three. There are a half dozen or so patrons, randomly scattered about the crowd, that have Faint magical auras, and there are a few Faint magical items scattered around. The half orc's weapon, and a torc around his neck have Moderate magical auras. He also has several other magic items with Faint auras. Leider has a belt, a ring, and an earring with Moderate auras. There's also a greataxe hidden under the bar with a Strong aura. Ariand's clothes, the two daggers at her belt, and her earrings have Moderate auras. She has several items with Faint auras as well. Her Dulcimer has a Strong aura. Aberrations, outsiders: None of either Wounds, hurts, bleeding: Ariand has healing wounds in her back/hip, and a few patrons have minor wounds...probably due to their various manual labor jobs. Incorporeals: None Who is phyically the most hale and hearty: The half orc bouncer. And the least: The androgynous stablehand, currently curled up near the stove in the stable. Who is the best armoured: The half orc bouncer Least armoured: An elderly patron, seated at the bar, wearing homespun clothing...probably a farmer. He's quite drunk, so his incapacitation makes him 'least armoured'. The presence of extreme desires (in particular those whose interest is focussed on her and those at her table): Lucrezia's various displays, both walking in as well as walking towards the stage, combined with her physical beauty and the fact that she's new in town, have drawn the attention of a number of patrons, both male and female. From Ariand specifically, Lucrezia senses interest (intellectual mostly, though there is a hint of cheerful lust as well), as well as more than a bit of amusement. From the half orc, she senses an INTENSE sense of protectiveness toward the staff of the inn, as well as a deep, almost fanatic loyalty to Leider. A generalized idea of the movement through the Tavern in the last 5 hours, not forgetting the presence of portals and signs that anyone has teleported in our out: There are no patterns to the movement within the inn. It's the typical chaos of an extremely busy night. There's constant traffic between the staff and the kitchen, as well as the bar. There are no signs of teleportation or portal effects, other than the portal that Lance summoned earlier. There are a few extradimensional spaces among the patrons, probably pouches/bags of holding and the like. There is a large extradimensional space somewhere behind the bar, probably in the kitchen. Leider, the half orc, and Ariand all have personal extradimensional spaces. Ariand's is strongest.

Martin: roll

At The Sign Of The Prancing Pon...err...Golden Gear ************* Twilight languidly shifted into night as the four adventurers slowly made their way toward the lights of the nearby town. All were tired, as well as footsore, since, for the entirety of the last two days, they'd had to walk their mounts through the surrounding forest to get here. All of the beasts seemed to have sensed something dangerous in the woods. And it wasn't only the four footed amongst the group that were uncomfortable. The sensation of being watched...and judged...permeated the very air around the companions, and spurred their feet along the well marked road through the greenwood. All attempts to draw out the had watcher failed, nor could they be spotted, no matter how keen the eye of the observer. Any time the matter was pursued, the sense of being watched would quickly recede, only to return almost immediately as soon as attention was turned back to the trail ahead, the unseen eyes making themselves felt within moments. As they wearily trod the last few miles before reaching the shelter of the town walls, the thoughts of the four strayed backwards over their journey so far. A few days prior, they'd been in the border town of Arghelt, sampling the local cuisine, meeting people, and just generally enjoying themselves. With the letter of introduction to Humbert the Artificer, the local mayor had been happy to have the wandering troupe in town, spending their coin as they partook of the local businesses. That night, 'his lordship' had even graced the inn with his munificent presence, asking about news of the wider world, and dispensing with tidbits of local gossip in return. Much of the conversation dwelt on the town of Canismini and their upcoming journey through the forest. There were rumours of 'dark forces' moving about the SchwarzewaldBlack Woods. Still, the rotund, florid man assured them, so long as they stuck to the Schwarzewald Forest road, they 'should have no real trouble'. His assurances weren't exactly comforting. Still, in addition to his ghost stories, the mayor did prove to be quite a font of other 'local color'. While extolling the virtue of their local ale, a traveling merchant shouted the man down, loudly bemoaning the 'lack of good spirits' to be had in town...'not like the fine Cream they serve at the Golden Gear'. Without a bit of encouragement, the merchant, who clearly liked to listen to himself talk as much as the mayor did, spoke at length about his various trips around the countryside, selling his wares, dealing with fractious customers, and thieving tax collectors, but, eventually, he'd been shouted down by the mayor when he disparaged Arghelt's charms one too many times. Happy that he'd managed to quiet the 'boorish fellow' the mayor continued extolling the virtues of the region to the foursome. At their urging, he spoke at length of their destination, the small logging town of Canismini. Canismini, despite it's relatively small size, was quite a boon to the regional economy. It sat at a major crossroads along the Great Schwarzewald Way, where it met the King's Highway. The town sat in the midst of thousands of hectares of ancient forest. Woods that had many a dark tale attached to them. Tales of goblin tribes, wandering bands of orcs, feral forest elves who killed any who trespassed on their holy sites, and even tales of the odd demon or powerful wizard who'd taken up residence. Canismini itself was founded by a mixed group of elves and humans refugees, fleeing from one of the frequent wars that swept the land. The small group of elves provided the know how to survive in the dark woods, and the humans provided the numbers and strong backs to build a working community. Over the years, the two groups intermingled freely, to the point where a large percentage of the town were of mixed race. And, amazingly, the town thrived. It's position at the crossroads, as well as the foresight of it's founders in making it a strong, walled, fortified village, afforded it a tactically...and, when the land wasn't torn by strife, economically, advantageous position. Now the town had grown to house a few thousand souls, had temples, schools, and did a thriving business harvesting (responsibly, and with the cooperation of many of their wilder neighbors) the fruits of the forest. One of those fruits, aptly named the Korova Nut, was the source of the famous 'Cream' that the merchant had mentioned. Apparently it was a drink like none other, with the Korova Nut only growing in the forest's specific climate and soil. Through secret processes, it was harvested, rendered, and fermented into the wildly popular liqueur, then shipped all over the region, and beyond, for exorbitant prices. It was with these tales resonating in their mind that the quartet had set out on the final leg of their journey. The bright sunshine, crisp fall air, and high, sparse clouds had them all in high spirits, and they were determined to make good time on their journey. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had...different plans. About halfway to their destination, a storm had blown up out of seemingly nowhere. Tall black thunderheads piled up in the sky, wind shrieked through the air, driving the torrential rain that fell from the clouds almost horizontally. All of it conspired to make their travel miserable. Even the powerful nature magic of their Wyrwood druid didn't seem able to calm the raging storm. The massive deluge dogged their footsteps the entire last day of their journey, and by the time they finally spotted the gates...closed, of course...of Canismini, they found themselves drooping with weariness. Reaching the gates, they pounded on them until the got the attention of a guard. A surly half-orc, clad in a voluminous oiled cloak so all encompassing they couldn't tell what he was wearing under it, peered at the four, and, after a full minute, grunted and swung open a postern door, just large enough for them to proceed inside, single file. Entering the town, the adventurers took in it's appearance with a glance. Canismini was best described as 'Gray'. Gray houses made of local wood and clay. Gray slabs of slate lined the roadbed, covered in a thin skin of gray mud. Gray skies dribbled down a cold, soaking rain, though it has, fortunately, lost most of it's driving force...when they'd gotten within a couple miles of the town, the wild weather had finally slacked off, along with the constant, sinister, watching presence. Now, there was just enough moisture in the air to make it's way in in cold rivulets through every opening in their outerwear, but not enough to wash the cobblestones clean. There was even a light gray haze in the air from all of the chimneys putting out clouds of smoke as homeowners and shopkeepers tried to ward off the late fall chill in the air. Most of the houses are dark, in others, lanterns were dimmed, candles blown out, and shutters tightly shut. Not even a stray dog barked as they passed by, though a small feral kitten hissed, hackles raised on the off chance that one of them...or, more likely, their many familiars, might be interested in the bird that the tiny feline had caught for her supper. However, there was one building, set back from and dominating an entire side of the moderate town square, that was brightly painted, with lively music coming from within. This, they realized as a flare of lightning illuminated the signboard over the entrance, was the famous Korova Inn, also known at The Golden Gear, home of the renowned and refreshing pale liquid known as Korova Cream, a drink that was reputed to go down easy and smooth, but made it tough for you to get back up again. Off to one side of the inn was a small stable, filled nearly to capacity with horses covered in warm blankets and stamping about, trying to get comfortable on the drizzly night. As the four glanced in, a non-de script stable hand, of indeterminate sex and age in their shapeless brown homespon tunic and trews, scrambled up from a pile of straw near the door when they got near. Inquiries about the cost of stabling lead to a jerk of the child's head in the direction of the inn and a grunt of "Leider." The voice does nothing to make identifying the child's gender easier, and any further questions were met with a roll of the eyes and another jerk of the head in the direction of the inn. The stablehand seems to know their business though, expertly stripping the tack from the tired beasts, and gentling and currying them with obvious skill and delight. Glancing around it was easy to spot the bins of oats and hay as well as the large tun of fresh water. A pile of horse blankets, kept warm beside a small kettle stove, completed the picture of potential equine delight. ************* ************* Leaving the child to get on with their work, the four headed inside. The Korova Inn was a clean, well lighted place, but with enough dark corners to facilitate a private conversation or a solitary drink, as the glitter of eyes and lifted mugs could attest. The room was filled with the sounds of light conversation and the low crackling sound of a fireplace. The heady aroma of fresh bread and cooked meat permeated the air. Their entrance went largely unremarked, except by a short, rotund man behind the bar, which was located to their left as they entered the taproom. The man's head was bald and shiny as an egg, covered in intricate tattoos, but the man seemingly made up for the loss with a full and heavily styled mustache and full, pomaded and shaped beard, both the same bright, ginger red as his bushy eyebrows and the thick hair on his forearms. He spotted the weary travelers and waved them over, even as he expertly drew a half dozen dark, foamy beers, loaded them onto a tray, and deftly handed all and sundry to one of the half dozen servers making their way around the room. Without exception, the women were all attractive examples of their races, and all were wearing clothing that offered a view of more than a bit of exposed flesh. They laughed and joked with the patrons, fending off advances with a deft shift of the hips or a playful slap, and for those few customers who seem inclined to not be put off, a single pointed finger in the direction of a shadowed alcove by the door, wherein stood probably the largest half orc any of the adventurers had ever seen, caused quiet gulps and much more polite hands. Arms crossed over the handle of a massive warhammer, the head of which rested at his wide-spread feet, the half orc's eyes never rest as he scanned the room for the merest hint of trouble. Trouble, unsurprisingly, was conspicuously absent... ************* As the four stood near the doorway, taking all this in, the innkeeper finished sending out a tray laden with a basket of fresh bread, a bubbling cauldron of some heavenly smelling stew, and another tray of dark, foamy beers, and he turned to attend to them. His voice was like gravel over silk as he welcomed you. "Greeting and salutations, weary travelers, and welcome to the Korova Inn, the best tavern between the Fire Sands and the Narrow Sea. I am Leider, your host. How can I be assisting you this fine evening?" He made a sweeping gesture around the taproom, indicating that there were still a few tables unoccupied, as well as a few spots at the bar. As the man gave his enthusiastic greeting, but before any could respond, the room suddenly stilled and they could hear a hauntingly beautiful melody begin to play. It quivered in the air, the notes ethereal and lovely, and the four found their gazes drawn to a slender, dark haired woman tucked into a small stage in the corner of the taproom closest to the massive fireplace. She was seated on a simple wooden stool and cradled in her lap was a beautiful and well cared for dulcimer. The woman's hands were poetry in motion as she struck each of the metal 'strings' with a pair of small, padded hammers, and the sweet notes thus produced seem to fill the room completely. She was dressed in finely made tunic and trews of a silky looking material, and a cloak of similar, though heavier, material lay neatly folded and draped over a goldenoak case near her feet. Well made soft leather boots encased the feet that were tucked up under the stool. The entire outfit was in varying shades of blue and all of them were a perfect foil for her clear, dark blue eyes. Odd, intricately looped and swirled characters were embroidered in several places on her clothing and seem to bear some resemblance to linguistic characters. Lucrezia, with her near encyclopedic knowledge of cultures and lore, thought she might recognize some of the individual characters, but between the distance, the light haze of smoke in the room, and the motions of the singer, she couldn't quite make them out. From behind them, a gravelly chuckle rolled forth. "I see that good mistress Ariand has captured your attention as well. Tis a pity that she'll be leaving us in the morning. She's been here for nearly two weeks. She hurt her hip and back in a bad fall...her horse bolted in the Eld Woods a few miles outside of town. Luckily a local forester found her and brought her to the local temple of Ilmater. The priest fixed his scrapes right up, but there was some deep damage that needed time, so she's been here, entertaining the locals while she recovers." As they turned to look at him he smiled and rolled his eyes. "But here's me, nattering on when you're probably chilled and hungry. What can I be doing for you? The bread is fresh, the beer is cold, and my wife's venison stew is to die for. Or, if you've a hankering for something a bit more interesting to warm up your innards, our famous Cream is available by the mugful. Would you like a table and supper? And a room after, perhaps? Rooms are five silver a head, and it includes dinner and breaking your fast in the morning. Drinks'll cost extra, of course." He winked, his eyes bright and cheery as he awaited the newcomers answer. OOC Aaaand, We're OFF! Well folks, here we go!! I hope you enjoy yourselves on this little adventure. 😀 Feel free to post actions/reactions to when you enter the town, the stables, and/or the inn. I tried to keep it open enough that you could react, but also get things to the point where you could start roleplaying without hopefully bogging things down in minutiae. If you have any questions, dont hesitate to ask! I'll do my best to make myself available in the Discord. Also, I set up an IC Chat channel in the Discord. I know that waiting for everyone in PbP can get kind of tedious, and, rather than let things bog down during static scenes like this, please feel free to use the IC Chat channel to have IC conversations between your characters as you get settled in. All I ask is that you try to not move the scene too far forward. Obviously, feel free to get yourselves a table, order a meal and/or a drink, etc, and chat to your hearts content. Anything that happens in the Chat channel, I'll copy into a spoiler at the top of the next post, so that it's easy to keep track of. Also Also, I've set up a for anytime you need to make a roll/see the results of said roll BEFORE you make your posts, and can then post your character's reaction accordingly. Finally, while I know rules are boring, I do have a few that I'd like everyone to take a look at before they post. Thanks! 😀 I'm SUPER EXCITED to finally be kicking things off! I love this module and I've been wanting to fully run this it for years. I'm looking forward to experiencing it with all of you. ENJOY!!

While I'm aware that the site allows some fairly robust dice usage in posts, this thread is for when you need to see the results of a dice roll BEFORE you actually post. Please use it to help you keep track of of such things.

POSTING RULES I dont have many hard and fast rules when it comes to posting. I like to allow the players as much free rein as possible to express themselves and their characters. However, there are a few basic bits of posting etiquette that I do request you adhere to. When posting, please pick a color with which to express your character's 'Voice'. I use Blue for NPC's. Vocal conversation should "Be in BOLD" Telepathic conversation should "Be in ITALICS and BOLD" Inner monologue should "Be in ITALICS" A note on languages: Please DONT use the Language tags. They're...annoying. If you want to have your character say something in a specific language, please use OOC tags. Something to the effect of 'Bob shouted in DwarvishWhat Bob shouted goes here.', and place what he actually said in the OOC part. Thanks! 😄 All posts should be in 3rd Person, Past Tense format. If your personal style is normally Present Tense, that's fine too. 1st Person is right out. Just please dont. Posting in 2nd person will get you pelted with rotten fruit. 😁 I am perfectly fine with you creating, as well as taking control of existing, MINOR NPC's and interacting with them. Please try to not abuse this. ie 'creating' Janna the Elf Barmaid, flirting with her, and having her reciprocate is fine; seducing her is not, unless you run it by me, and we either roleplay it, or at least make skill checks. NAMED NPC's are off limits without prior permission, other than for extremely minor actions, that would normally be in character for them. ie Ordering a drink from Bob the Bartender and having a general 'how's the weather been hereabouts' type conversation...totally fine. Getting him to tell you his life story, including lore drops and private info, obviously not so much. OOC Comments should be placed in an Spoiler at the end of your post. If you want to post any OOC remarks inline, please use OOC tags. Other than that, please stick to standard PbP etiquette, as well as all MW rules. THANKS IN ADVANCE

This is a placeholder, mostly to remind me to not forget to actually write up/post information on important locations that the party might be aware of.

This is a placeholder, mostly to remind me to not forget to actually write up/post information on major NPC's that the party might be aware of.