previously... Prelude — Sandpoint

[iantruesilver]

While the culmination of events leading up to the current situation spans a much longer time in history, it is best to first lead with recent fact. This is where our tale begins, in the small, faraway Varisian town of Sandpoint.

 

 

サンドポイント
(SANDPOINT)

Sandpoint is a beautiful and diverse town, resting in a natural cove along the cliff-lined Lost Coast region approximately thirty miles northeast of Magnimar. Every year on Rova, during the autumnal equinox, the citizens of Sandpoint commemorate a legend regarding Desna (デスナ、北星の女神) with the Swallowtail Festival. Although of late, something has gone wrong…

 

[[ Mood Music ]]

 

Moonday, 16 Rova, 4707AR

The sun rises lazily over a clear sky on this mid-autumn morning, one week from the festival. Preparations are being made just about everywhere across town, mostly by the cathedral's priests and volunteers, as well as Mayor Deverin's staff, adding to the many responsibilities the town council already regularly undertakes, perhaps alluded to by the many advertisements seeking help posted on the town hall's notice board of late.

 

 

The local businesses too have been ramping up to accommodate for the festivities, as trade for foodstuffs and other goods is paving the way for the celebrations next week.

 

As though with perfect timing, Sandru Vhiski's caravan has rolled lazily into town through the North Gate this morning, bringing with them fresh fruits and many other goods from other nearby towns, just in time to park their wagon carts and join the local merchants setting up their stalls and fairly loosely delineated floor vending spaces at the Sandpoint Market.

 

 

Most of the patrons of the Rusty Dragon (ラスティドラゴン宿) are still stirring dreamily in their sleep. The Rusty Dragon is one of Sandpoint's two local inns, and a favorite eatery and watering hole for much of the town's locals and travelers alike. Its owner, Ameiko Kaino (海埜 雨慰子) is already awake and working diligently in the kitchen, from which a host of chopping, bubbling and sizzling sounds can be heard, and delicious smells are beginning to waft into the air of the neighbouring streets and alleyways.

On today's breakfast menu is a trusty Lost Coast omelette (a safe option for those who don't care for Ameiko's experimentations), and a weird soupy concoction of noodles that she calls "ramen" for those with a little bit more adventure in their taste buds. And of course, there's always plenty of ale and raspberry mead being served...

 

     

 

(( While these are just some select details about Sandpoint and some of the happenings at the moment, you are free to place your character anywhere within the town to begin with. ))

 

Map of Sandpoint

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[farothel]

Darhana, Half-Elven ranger (guide)

Medium

Perception +6; low-light vision, darkvision

Str 13, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 10

---

AC 17; Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +1

HP 12/12; Speed 40 ft.

---

Character sheet: https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2177644

 

After getting in with Sandru's caravan and getting paid, she asked for a decent inn where she could get a good meal and hopefully a bath.  She didn't mind being dirty while on the road and bathing in cold rivers didn't scare her either, but in town she preferred the luxury of a hot bath.  Sandru told her to try the Rusty Dragon, telling her that he would drop by later to try and talk her around to go on another trip with him.  She had told him no, but she realised that he would try at least once more to talk her around before he left again.

 

Moving through the streets quickly, she found the Rusty Dragon quite easily and the smells coming out were promising.  So, she headed in and looked around.

"What can I do for you," asked a halfling behind the bar.

"I would like some breakfast and a bath, please," Darhana asked, "And if I can't find a job immediately, a room for the night would also be very welcome, if you have any available."

 

[iantruesilver]

"Top'a da marnin' to yea lass," was the first greeting the halfling had hollared from behind the bar, as she was seen there busying with wiping some mugs clean and putting them away.

 

Had the barmaid been any lick into her middle age, she certainly didn't show it.  "Well dar's'a plenty ta git busy with'ere in Sandpoint if ye know where'ta look, love.  But if say I was you, I'd say let's getcha sorted out one shoe atta time, eh?"

 

"Now, we got us a nice Lost Coast omelette, or some soup n' noodles on the menu for breakfast.  Dat is, unless ye'd like'ta freshen up first."

Edited October 25, 2022 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[Jubilant Thunder]

Noriko Kaino

 

Noriko had begun her day before the sunrise as she often did, taking advantage of the quiet predawn to practice her forms in peace. The techniques were imperfect; she emulated the drawings as best she could but without someone who knew the actual movements it had been difficult. Jabyle's experience with martial arts had been invaluable, and between the two of them they had pieced together a functional style. Perfection lay in repetition, and so the young woman spent her morning in a small clearing behind the inn, gracefully flowing from stance to stance as the gently curved blade passed through the air. It too was imperfect; Das Korvut had made it(under grumbling protest) from the images in the Tian scrolls. It was well crafted and balanced to her hand, but she could only hope that it was in the proper style.

 

She finished her morning practice as the sun fully crested over the tops of the buildings, chasing away the chilly night air with the promise of a crisp autumn day for the festival. Turning to the east she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth on her face. "I greet the new day," Noriko spoke softly, securing her blade in it scabbard. "Mind and body now refreshed..." the smell of her sister's cooking was drifting outward from the inn, prompting her stomach to remind her that she had not yet eaten. "In time for breakfast." She laughed at the end of her impromptu poem, but inspiration could come from anywhere, and Ameiko's new noodle dish was certainly a worthy source. Heading back inside she goes to common room to see what the day holds.

[farothel]

"Freshen up first," Darhana said pondering her options, "then an omelette I think."

Soaking in a hot tub before having something warm to eat sounded very good at the moment and she would worry about the rest later.  Seeing someone else enter she nodded before heading to the bathroom.

[pdwalt]

Holding the cord and its cargo away from his body, Lars beats the lingering dust and dirt he can see from his clothing. The brace of rabbits on the cord, were skinned, gutted and dressed as Shalelu taught him.  He enters the Rusty Dragon cautiously, but seeing no threat, like usual, he walks up to Ameiko saying, "You have any use for these rabbits, Ma'am"   OOC Specifics A brace is two  - why not say two - well brace is a traditional term used in hunting. . Short Statblock|CisMale NG Half-Elf Rogue (unchained), Level 1, Init 4, HP 10/10, Speed 30 AC 18, Touch 15, Flat-footed 13, CMD 16, Fort 2, Ref 6, Will 2, CMB +1, Base Attack Bonus 0 short sword +4 (1d6+1, 19-20 x2) dagger +4 (1d4_1, 19-20 x2) javelin (3) +4 (1d6+1, 20 x2) studded leather (+3 Armor, +4 Dex) Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 Condition +1 to attack rolls to those that threaten Shalelu; +1 perception to detect traps and to disable device skill to disarm them; +2 saving throw vs enchantment spells and effects; immune to magic sleep. low light vision

 

[iantruesilver]

Inside the common room, the halfling gives a knowing smile to the half-elven lady, and proceeds to give her directions to the bath, "Ya see dem stairs behind yeh love?  Take dem up enn’a ‘ang a fast left.  Go down de ‘allway and take another left.  First ‘ole to ya left, go innit, and back down dere stairs, ennden da bath is de ‘ole on yer right.  Ya can't miss it."

 

With a wink, she moves to poke her head into the kitchen.

 

"Ameiko dear, we have an order up fer an omelette, but it's no hurry, lassie wants to freshen up with a bath afore eatin'."  Bethana beckons into into the kitchen.

 

Nodding an acknowledgement to her front staff, Ameiko then looks over to Lars with a smile that could light up the whole kitchen, "Of course I do!  And it's good to see you too...  It's Lars, isn't it?"
 

"Okay, you've got what, I'd say around, four pounds of meat on those?  Sure!  I'll take'em!  You can just hand them off to my sister over there."  Ameiko's hands positively fly as they whip up some ingredients.  Some large sweet peppers, onions, scallions, and ham get sautéed over a large round-bottomed pan, before they get transferred into another flat pan where some scrambled eggs have just begun to cook.

 

As she folds the omelette and sprinkles a spot of cheese on top, she calls out to Noriko from behind, catching her just as she moves through the kitchen into the common room, "And what do you think YOU'RE doing young lady?  Hurry up and go get our friend here his two and a half gold he's earned."

 

 

[[ Map: The Rusty Dragon ]]

(( Lars, please add 2gp 5sp to your inventory.  We shall consider this amount part of the result of a Profession check to earn weekly income, should you wish to make that check at any point. ))

Edited October 25, 2022 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[pdwalt]

.Lars blushes a little, "I wasn't expecting no payment, Ma'am, I was kind of hoping I could watch you cook them. Maybe surprise Shalelu next time we are outside overnight and its my turn to cook." He pauses a beat, before adding, "Maybe cut that in half and I can watch them prepared?"   OOC Specifics nothing here - but I am afraid to mess with the code to take this block out. . Short Statblock|CisMale NG Half-Elf Rogue (unchained), Level 1, Init 4, HP 10/10, Speed 30 AC 18, Touch 15, Flat-footed 13, CMD 16, Fort 2, Ref 6, Will 2, CMB +1, Base Attack Bonus 0 short sword +4 (1d6+1, 19-20 x2) dagger +4 (1d4_1, 19-20 x2) javelin (3) +4 (1d6+1, 20 x2) studded leather (+3 Armor, +4 Dex) Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 Condition +1 to attack rolls to those that threaten Shalelu; +1 perception to detect traps and to disable device skill to disarm them; +2 saving throw vs enchantment spells and effects; immune to magic sleep. low light vision GM NoteI wasn't expecting any money for it, just a device to get him in the Inn.

 

[Jubilant Thunder]

Noriko Kaino

 

Noriko was approaching the door from the kitchen to the common room, torn chunk of bread in hand when the door suddenly swung inward. She pivoted and slid to the side, nimbly avoiding Bethana and...Lars? She had seen the young half-elf around a few times but had never had the opportunity to speak with him, he tended to keep to himself. Very broody and mysterious...

 

She's caught staring as her sister directs Lars and she suddenly has a pair of rabbits handed to her. "Oh! Yes, thank you." Handling them carefully(and keeping them away from her bread) she moves to the far side of the kitchen, setting them out on a table far from the stove to be cleaned and prepared. "An impressive catch, did you..." She's cut off by Ameiko, and her eye twitches at the maternal authority in her sister's voice. She was only two years older...but it was her tavern. "Of course," she replies evenly before moving to the drawer where they kept the coin, pausing in mid count as Lars speaks up.

 

"Oh, do you cook?"

[pdwalt]

"Yes," Lars stammers, "I mostly campfire cook - spits, coals, occasionally a stew pot. Wrapping things in leaves and clay and baking in the fire for the next morning." He pauses a few heartbeats and adds, "but I want to know more, about spicing, salting or anything new."   OOC Specifics .=Nothing here - move along. . Short Statblock|CisMale NG Half-Elf Rogue (unchained), Level 1, Init 4, HP 10/10, Speed 30 AC 18, Touch 15, Flat-footed 13, CMD 16, Fort 2, Ref 6, Will 2, CMB +1, Base Attack Bonus 0 short sword +4 (1d6+1, 19-20 x2) dagger +4 (1d4_1, 19-20 x2) javelin (3) +4 (1d6+1, 20 x2) studded leather (+3 Armor, +4 Dex) Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 Condition +1 to attack rolls to those that threaten Shalelu; +1 perception to detect traps and to disable device skill to disarm them; +2 saving throw vs enchantment spells and effects; immune to magic sleep. low light vision

 

[iantruesilver]

“Well you can do quite a bit with rabbit really. You could kind of almost look at it like… a more gamey version of chicken I suppose. Yes I know it sounds weird, like, they’re not even the same animal, right?” Ameiko began to explain, recalling most of the cooking from memory as she pans the omelette up onto a plate, placing it in front of her sister on the counter, “Keep your pants on Noriko. If you think you can just hook up with some guy and that’ll save you from learning how to cook, you got another thing comin’. I’ll send you to the cathedral with a set of nun’s robes myself.”

 

“No offence Lars. But really though, the only other real difference when it comes to the meat is that rabbit a bit tougher, especially the leaner parts. So you gotta be careful not to give it too much fast heat.” After thoroughly scolding her sister, Ameiko proceeds back to the stove and starts cranking out another breakfast, repeating the same motion as before. “So you can really do almost anything with it. Roast it, bake it in a pie, braising it for a stew or casserole is always nice, keeps all that moisture in. Make a ragout with it with some tomato…”

 

“Garlic, sage, rosemary… if you have prunes and whatnot that can also be nice, help tame down the gaminess a little.” Though it seems she might just be prattling on, the tone is actually quite pleasant, as though the girl actually is enjoying the topic of interest…

 

And then the eureka moment occurred right in front of you, with her stopping mid-stir and the thoughts spilling out of her out loud. “Hey now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen rabbit in some kind of pâté or terrine, what’s stopping me from mincing the meat and frying it in a patty? I could serve it on a thick slice of day old bread to soak up the juices!”

Edited October 21, 2022 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[pdwalt]

"I have not cooked chicken yet, but Shalelu says that Hen of the Woods tastes like chicken. It is how the mushroom got its name," Lars says.   He watches with wide eyes as she listed things to do or use with rabbit, but after the third strange word, he adds, "Ragu, Patay, Tireen. Those halfling words? " And then rattling off before she could reply, he adds, "if you are going to make a patty, I would think grilling might be better than frying. Smoke can cut across strong flavors."   OOC Specifics I am killing time until our last players chime in - apologies for the cooking lesson - only a little bit.  At least we are not talking beer, cider and mead making - I could really go off the deep end then. . Short Statblock|CisMale NG Half-Elf Rogue (unchained), Level 1, Init 4, HP 10/10, Speed 30 AC 18, Touch 15, Flat-footed 13, CMD 16, Fort 2, Ref 6, Will 2, CMB +1, Base Attack Bonus 0 short sword +4 (1d6+1, 19-20 x2) dagger +4 (1d4_1, 19-20 x2) javelin (3) +4 (1d6+1, 20 x2) studded leather (+3 Armor, +4 Dex) Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 Condition +1 to attack rolls to those that threaten Shalelu; +1 perception to detect traps and to disable device skill to disarm them; +2 saving throw vs enchantment spells and effects; immune to magic sleep. low light vision

 

[Jubilant Thunder]

Noriko Kaino

 

The girl squeaks and turns a bright shade of red at her sister's chiding, momentarily at a loss for words. Really Ameiko?! RIGHT in front of him? She tries to clamp down on the sudden surge of emotions, focusing on the techniques Jabyl had taught her; a void within her where she funneled her chaos and turmoil, leaving her empty and calm. It mostly worked.

 

If Lars had even noticed the exchange he didn't acknowledge it, Sheyln be praised. He seemed quite happy to continue talking about cooking with the elder Kaino sister, and so Noriko took advantage of the opportunity to focus on her breakfast.

[iantruesilver]

Darhana Only

Not long after Darhana has entered the bath, the halfling’s familiar voice beckons from outside the bathroom door, “Ah brought yeh some hot water dere missey, darn right emptied da ol’ slut too.”

 

“Ah’ll just leave it in dis here bucket, but ya best be gittin’ on yer wincy if ya dun want it to get cold now.”

 

Lars & Noriko Only

“よYo妹ちゃんLil’ sis, you listening? You could probably actually learn something useful from this one you know.” The sisterly love is sometimes tough and rough around the edges, but at the end of the day Ameiko absolutely means well.

 

”Oh no no, those are things from Galtan cuisine. I have a book here I picked up some time ago if you ever want to try some of the recipes.” Ameiko flashes a grin at Lars as she places another omelette onto a plate, “You know, you make a good point. I might try grilling instead.“

 

Making a demure head tilt in Noriko’s direction, she offers the plate over to Lars, “Care for breakfast?”

Edited October 25, 2022 by iantruesilver (see edit history)

[Naimless]

Kaichar

 

Not one to often enjoy coming into Sandpoint proper, mostly because the villagers couldn't stop looking at him, at least the large tiefling could get a decent meal at the Rusty Dragon. Even with his normally hunched stance, he still has to duck low to step inside, the long curve of his horns adding almost another foot to his already imposing height. He finds a spare table deep in the corner. For a long time he'd always sat as near as possible to the door, but it never truly mattered. Being away from the door helped to draw less attention - a fact Kaichar found pleasing. He forces himself to take up even less space as he stalks across the room, his long limbs giving him an odd gait as he finds a seat in the corner. He couldn't be considered a regular in the inn, but he always managed at least one visit when he did come to town. He hunches over his table, looking horribly mismatched to the normal running of the day's trade.