DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Hall of Fame - Latest Top 10 completed games LMP: Lost Mines of Phandelver N-3.0 Where to next?

Kriv

Intent as he was on listening to the locals, he blanked the vagrant.

Chandan
(at Stonehill Inn)

(He thinks) he astutely reads the dragonborn's silence, himself nodding.

"Ah yes, agreed." He says, "We have Davroar though. If Thundertree a ruin, might be easy for him to sniff out another druid.

"You think we should take barter, gifts for druid? Do druids need paying for their knowledge?"

Davroar

The mention of food suddenly makes him hungry too and will walk with Jaliera back to the inn, but he will pause by the shrine of luck to leave a couple of silvers thinking that they will need some luck in finding Gundren.

When they pause just outside of the inn, he comments, "Owl's are night hunters, she'll want to hunt I think."

[ooc: I hope to have some posts tonight. I'm pretty swamped both at work and at home with stuff. Consider this an apology for my being slow.]

NP, we all have bouts of that!

DM

Kallista's asks Sister Garaele a simple question, but unfortunately, she cannot tell her where Cragmaw Castle is. That was not surprising. So Kallista turned her attention to the other objective, trying to secure potions of healing. The cleric smiles and says, "I would give you four potions of healing if you would do me a favor." My superiors want me to persuade a banshee named Agatha to answer a question about a spellbook. I sought her out, but she would not appear for me. Perhaps you can act as an intermediary. Bring her this beautiful, bejeweled, silver comb as a gift and persuade her to tell you what she knows about a spellbook that belonged to a legendary mage named Bowgentle. I believe that if you use flattery and appeal to Agatha's vanity, she might trade information for that comb. Agatha can be found in the ruins of a town called Conyberry. Triboar Trail runs right through it."

With that offer in hand, Kallista concludes her chat with the priestess and makes her way over to the inn. She arrives before Davroar and Jaliera.

The young rogue and the druid welcome the new member of the team, a hoot owl that Jaliera decided to call Whisper. After it is summoned, Jaliera lets it hunt for it's dinner and once Whisper has fed, the two adventurers get hungry and start making their way back to the inn. Whisper perches herself on Jaliera's shoulder and digs it's claws into her skin to hold on.

Inside the inn Chandan is having a conversation with Kriv but it's rather one-way. Chandan is talking, sometimes in an animated manor, but Kriv is stoic and focused on the others in the taproom. The dragonborn is trying to eavesdrop on the townsfolk but he does not hear anything helpful. Perhaps if Chandan had kept silent he might have.

The five local heroes are finally gathered for dinner before resting for the night. They need to make plans for tomorrow. With the biggest decision being where do they go to next.

Sorry about the delay and for moving things forward a bit. It's time to make that next big decision. Where to guys?

Kallista

She listens to the offer and nods. "I will take the offer back to my companions and let you know what we decide."

She then returns to the Inn to find the others already gathered.

"I just spoke with the Priestess of the Shrine across from the Town Hall. She is offering us 4 Potions of Healing is we go to a place on the trail called Conyberry and tempt a Banshee named Agatha into answering a question about some old mage's spellbook."

She shrugs. "Seems simple enough, if we're headed that way."

She looks at the others. "Anyone learn anything new, or make new friends?" She gives Jaliera and her Owl a curious look.

"Perhaps we can take a look at a map and see where we should go next? As I recall we've had several offers of employment that might help us find Gundren."

Jaliera

She and Davroar join the others. And as she sits down she motions to the barmaid to indicate they want to order, something she would not have done at the start of this adventure. Her confidence is growing.

She listens to Kallista. "Interesting.. oh the map!"

She retrieves it from her pack and spreads it on the table so everyone can see.

"Oh and this is my familiar Whisper, isn't she beautiful?"

When the barmaid arrives she will ask what food is available this evening.

Kriv

At Kallista's enquiry,

"No further information in here on the Triboar trail, and no-one seems to have been raided beyond the predations of the ones we eradicated, at least not that they've been willing to share at the present time."

Kallista

"Not here in town, probably not", she agrees. "We did get a request, and payment offer, to remove Orcs that are raiding travelers on the Trails near Wyvern Tor", she points at the map. "That's not too far from Conyberry, just past this 'Old Owl Well', and where the Priestess wanted us to question the Banshee", again she points. "Two birds and all of that."

"Thundertree, where I think the Druid was supposed to be, is pretty far in the opposite direction." She shrugs looking to others for thoughts.

Davroar

"I heard more bad things happening near this 'Old Owl Well' too, Kallista. While I was waiting with Jaliera, I got talking with this old half-elf warrior, Daran Eldermath. Very interesting guy, had lots of stories, but he said there was some prospectors digging at some ruins close to Old Owl Well and were attacked by undead. I'm wondering if these prospectors are Gundren's brothers?"

He looks over Jaliera's map too, tapping the area marked Old Owl Well with his index finger.

"Old Owl Well is north east of us, pretty much right in between Conyberry and Wyvern Tor. How about we head there first? We are still going somewhat north, though it is going more east away from Thundertree, but we could luck out and find some clues on what is going on and see if these prospectors are Gundren's brothers."

Davroar figures that depending on what information they find along the way, they can either continue north to Conyberry then west to Thundertree if there is a path through the forest, or travel further east to Wyvern Tor if it turns out Cragmaw Castle lies there.

Jaliera

"Sounds like a plan to me!" she responds happily.

Chandan

Hiccup! The old monk listens and studies the party assembled around the table, as he slurps another cup of mulled cider.

Smiling warmly, for no reason -- and indeed why should one need a reason for warm smiles, they hurt no-one -- he clears his throat before speaking a little slurred.

"Thundertree. We should head their directly! It is a race against time to save Gundren and the most certain way to find him, is to ask the druid at Thundertree.

"Everything else can wait, I think."

Kriv

"Perhaps it may be best to divide our forces to cover more opportunities. Chandan, go to Thundertree and make enquiries of the druid there, then meet back with us as we proceed along the path aggreed upon by the rest of us."

Davroar

"If we're going to split up, would it be better if I went looking for the Druid? Chandan's is a better fighter than me going up against undead and orcs."

Davroar does not want to sound like a coward, but is thinking more strategic in getting the right people at the right places.

Jaliera

She looks up, not liking what she is hearing.

"We are already less in number than when we started this job.. and we struggled to survive then. If we are going to effect a rescue.. a successful rescue.. then we need to work together and stay together. I have concerns about behaviour in this group and it is obvious there is bad feeling between Kriv and Chandan. This needs to be sorted before we go any further forward."

She takes a gulping breath, saying more than she usually does but her worries push her on.

"I think we need to talk about what we don't like and try to devise a way forward that we all promise to stick to."

She looks from Kriv to Chandan and back to Kriv again.

Chandan

He ponders Davroar's suggestion, nodding. It makes sense for Davroar to speak to Reidoth, druid to druid. If Thundertree is Reidoth's home, the danger should be minimal, intervening wilderness notwithstanding.

The bigger problem is co-ordinating the rendezvous with the rest of the party, after he and Davroar have obtained the location of Cragmaw.

However, obtaining the location of Cragmaw is critical....

Appearing to doze off, lost in his own thoughts, the old monk jerks back to awakedness when his head lolls.

Hearing Jaliera, he looks at Kriv to see if the warrior knows what the girl is talking about.

Whether Chandan understands or not, he cannot dismiss the fears of any of his companions, to whom his loyalty is assured by more than common purpose. They've saved his life many times in their brief acquaintance. He trusts in each of their unique natures.

"Yes, staying together is wise. Scattering stones you cover more ground, but take longer to gather them back up.

"Kriv is a solid companion. Many different birds can share the same branch." He says to reassure the girl, and gestures to the bar, "We were just enjoying a drink together even."

He looks down at his own cup. Did he spill it? Why is it empty!? A small matter. He shrugs and smiles amiably.

Kriv

He met Jaleira's gaze coldly, and replied,

"If you insist. He's a murderous, volatile drunkard who needs to be held accountable for his actions. The slaughter of those who have surrendered in cold blood is unconscionable, and I have no tolerance for it, nor any way of trusting that similar excesses will not occur in future."

Davroar

He sits back in his chair not liking where the conversation can lead with Chandan and Kriv. Acts can not be undone, but he thought they could at least move on.

He lets out a resigned sigh, and quietly says, "Excuse me... I'll attempt to send a message to Reidoth instead."

Chandan's mention of birds has given him an idea on how to send a message to the druid.

Davroar gets up and finds some bread scraps at a nearby table to use for food. He hopes to find a migratory bird, perhaps a long neck goose or a duck nearby. Using his spells of animal friendship and talk with animals he will send the bird on its way to Thundertree to find the druid Reidoth.

His plans will be to keep his written message simple as possible, wrapping the torn parchment around the birds leg and sealing it with some melted wax.

The message he writes in the secret language of the druids is: "Gundren, a dwarf friend, knows Wave Echo Cave, captured by goblins and The Spider. Need help finding Gundren mayhaps at Cragmaw Castle . I am travelling to Old Owl Well from Phandalin."

(OOC - I have been staying out as I don't want to influence the party's direction here. However, from a meta-gaming perspective I think it could be interesting if this group goes to Old Owl Well/Wyvern Tor/Conyberry as we will have the two parties diverging for really the first time and have Neptune and I able to run different sections of the module.)

[I think that's as good a reason as any, Zeim. Old Owl Well it is. I've never encountered a D&D banshee before. Hags, yes, but not banshees. So should be fun!]

Chandan

He nods sagely in agreement with Kriv until he realises what's being said.

"Hey, I am not a drunkard! That would take at least four more cups!" He says.

Kriv does make a good point though. In his relaxation after his bath, Chandan has been going a little slow, dawdling even, so he summons the maid to order more drinks.

That done, he shares his own thoughts on their moral predicament.

"It seems certain that we will take more lives on this quest to save one. It is the high and terrible cost of fighting evil.

"In the wild places we must be prepared that we may be the only authority and it will fall on us to make grim decisions."

Chandan twizzles his hair, remembering dark events.

"I cannot say that killing pleases me, but I would rather kill an evil-doer and be called 'murderer', than let the evil-doer murder another innocent and myself be called 'hero'."

Kriv

He wordlessly watches Chandan order more drinks and double down on his stance on murder, then looks pointedly at Jaleira, raising a brow ridge.

[A fascinating question really. A lot of it boils down to how aware wild animals are of their environment and 'community', as it were.

Like the rabbits in Watership Down, for example, they're self-aware and know the local figures, know the farm, the dog, speak to other species, etc.

Would wild animals know of local druids, local ruins, even local castles in the D&D-verse? If druids can speak to them, it suggests they're somewhat self-aware and have something to say.]