DM
Morning comes and those who wish to get an early start wake those who imbibed too much the night before or who spent the night in study. Lingo is hung-over and bleary eyed and Balthazar is still a bit tired, having stayed up late learning the details of his new Staff and copying spells into his spellbook. (Note: No in-game penalties, just role-playing fodder.)
Coming downstairs, you quickly consume a hot breakfast, the serving girl still refusing to take your money, and you then split up.
Ryssa heads to The Lionshield Coster to obtain additional arrows and then to Barthen's Provisions to restock her supply of Trail Rations.
Lingo heads directly to the Phandalin Miner's Exchange to retrieve the promised reward from Halia Thornton. He takes the papers you recovered from Iarno with him so hand over.
Bern and Luminmorn head back to the Alderleaf Farm to talk to Qelline and get directions to the town of Thundertree where you hope to find the Druid Reidoth, in addition to the treasure mentioned by the Woodcarver's wife. Perhaps the Druid can help you find Cragmaw Castle?
Balthazar stands on the front porch of the Stonehill Inn and watches as everyone goes in different directions. (Ken - Just let me know if he goes with one of the groups or waits behind and I'll continue the post........)
Lingo
"Stop yelling!" he says to everyone that wishes him a good morning. The halfling chews his breakfast slowly, as if each bite caused him great pain. He is unusually quiet this morning but he's on a mission. Gold always motivates him and now he wanted to get what was rightfully promised.
Once he finishes breakfast he heads over to the Miner's Exchange and greets Halia Thornton "Please whisper" he says.
Balathar
The fresh morning air was a comfort after a long night of copying and work and too little sleep. He took a deep lungful and then smiled at Ryssa as she came out.
"Mind if I join you? I could use a stretch of my legs."
<Bern>
He did his best to suppress his grin when his glance turned in Lingo's direction. Clearly the little guy had enjoyed himself too much last night. He had made that mistake more often than he liked.
He decided to follow Lingo on his trip ... he might need a bit of help ... at least until he had to split off for =his= 'chore' . He grabbed Luminmorn and headed out behind the halfling.
Ryssa
She smiled at the mage and gestured for him to join her.
"Come... and welcome, Balthazar."
After he moves alongside her, she heads for the Lionshield Coster to stock up on arrows and then to Barthan's Provisions.
[OOC: Zeim, let me know if anything interesting happens.]
DM
Bern and Luminmorn with Quelline Alderleaf
The Ranger and Dragonborn head out of the Inn and take a sharp left past the Townmaster's Hall. Heading down the winding path they reach the farm of Quellin and her son Carp. Both mother and son are already in the fields, tending to a small cabbage field.
Quelline looks up at your arrival, smiles, and nods. "Mornin' to you. Tymora's Blessings on you. T'was a wonderful thing you did yesterday, bringing us back Mirna and her kids. Is there somethin' I can do for you?"
Ryssa and Balthazar @ the Lionshield Coster w/Linene Graywind
Ryssa and Balthazar also head out of the Inn and down past the Townmaster's Hall. Stopping at the Coster and entering Liene gives them a once over with a sharp eye. "Heard about you rescuing Mirna. Many thanks. Can I help you?"
Lingo w/Halia Thornton @ the Phandalin Miner's Exchange
Lingo heads out of the Inn, head still pounding and groggy. He heads down the street, past the Townmaster's Hall and the Lionshield Coster. He grimaces as the screeches and cries of the children playing on the Town Green nearby pierce his throbbing head.
Reaching the exchange, he enters to find Mistress Thornton behind the counter. A miner is in front and she is weighing a small sack on a scale. "That looks to be 35 gold worth, Jess. Does that work for you?"
The scruffy miner shrugs. "Ye've always been fair, Mistress. It'll do."
Halia counts out some coins and hands them over and the man turns about and leaves, hardly noticing the small halfling who has gotten into the habit of hiding almost anywhere he goes.
Halia looks up and notices Lingo for the first time. "Huh. Didn't see you come in. What can I do for you?"
(OOC - when you reply please make sure to only reply to those who are in your sub-group)
Ryssa with Balthazar at the Lionshield Coster
"You are most welcome," the cleric said, smiling, left hand instinctively moving to make sure her hair hid the unsightly scar on her left cheek.
"I would like to see your supply of arrows."
Balthazar with Ryssa at the Lionshield Coster
"And I was wondering if you had any ink for sale?" he added beside her, glancing over at her movement.
Luminmorn
Bern and Luminmorn with Quelline Alderleaf
The dragonborn gave a slight bow to the woman and boy. "Your welcome," he answered. "We come inquiring about the druid you mentioned and that town he went off towards, Thundertree I believe it was called."
<Bern>
(with Quelline Alderleaf)
He smiled and waved at at the boy ... Carp if he remembered correctly. Then he offered his mother ... Quelline ... a bow and smile as well. Being quite happy to let Luminmorn do the talking, he remained silent.
Lingo
w/Halia Thornton @ the Phandalin Miner's Exchange
"Hi. We met yesterday, don't you remember? The name's Lingo. I came in with my friends and well, you made us an offer. Remember? Well, Well, I'm back with good news."
DM
Ryssa and Balthazar w/Linene
Linene nods at both requests. Turning to the shelves she points at a small cabinet in one corner. "Ink, parchment, coalsticks, vellum, quills, and other such things are there."
Turning back to Ryssa, she says, "Weapons I keep in the back. Follow me." She turns and opens the door behind her, holding it for Ryssa to follow.
Bern and Luminmorn w/Quelline
The Halfling takes a waterskin from her hip and takes a drink, wiping sweat from her brow, then nods. "Carp, check these rows for stinkbugs, I will be back in a few minutes."
Turning to the Dragonborn and Ranger she gestures. "Come with me. I will show you." She turns and heads for the small house a few dozen yards away.
Lingo w/Halia
"Yes, of course I remember you. I am not daft. Not many armed and armoured halflings stop by here you know. And I recall my offer." She pauses, hands on hips. "So. Good news you say? I presumed the Redbrands did not turn over Mirna and her brood with a smile and handshake, so I was expecting you." She waits for a reply.
Ryssa with Balthazar
She nodded to her companion mage and followed Linene to the back room.
<Bern>
He nodded and then followed.
Luminmorn
He followed the woman quietly.
Balthazar
He nodded his thanks to the shopkeeper and gave Ryssa a little smile, then addressed himself to obtaining what he needed.
Lingo
"Yeah, well, we needed to convince them to let the lady and her kids out." Halfling's eyes flare open as he says the word convince.
"And we figured out that the wizard got his orders from elsewhere. Have you heard of the black spider?"
DMRyssa and Balthazar w/LineneBalthazar looks at the shelves indicated and finds a surprising variety of writing materials for a small, backwoods village like Phandalin. Clearly Linene is thinking ahead, stocking supplies in anticipation of demand. He can see inks both man-made and natural, even some squid ink is available.
Ryssa follows Linene to the back, where she can see orderly rows of swords, bows, polearms, arrows, bolts, and other weapons. "Take your pick." She says, waiting.
Lingo w/Halia"No." She shakes her head. "I haven't." She pauses. "Did you bring the papers?"
Bern and Luminmorn w/QuellineFollowing Quelline into the house she crosses the main room to a bookshelf and after a moment's perusal she pulls out a rolled up parchment. Taking it to the table she unrolls it to reveal a map of the area. "Thundertree is here", she points at a spot on the map. "It's maybe 60 miles as the crow flies, overland. Or you can take the trail back to the High Road, go to Neverwinter, and see if you can buy or rent a boat and take the river. It's all upstream though." She pauses to think. "Probably take you 3 days overland. 4 if you go to Neverwinter and then another on the river. Road travel might be safer, but will be longer."
<Bern>
He studied the map nodding as he listened to her suggestions for the best route. That would ultimately be a group decision, but he was inclined to take the direct route cross country.
"Thank you. A very nice map, by the way."
Lingo
w/Halia Thornton @ the Phandalin Miner's Exchange
"Absolutely! I wouldn't come empty handed. And we turned over the wizard to Sildar, who you've probably heard has stepped in for Harbin. I took special pleasure in doing this work. It was more fun than work. So, back to business. Here you go."
He hands her the paperwork that they found and expects the bounty she promised.
"So what have you heard about this Black Spider person? It seems that he or she is our next step to finding the missing dwarf."
Luminmorn
He studied the map with a careful eye. They would have to recognize the landmarks as they came across them.
He nodded agreeing with his companion's assessment.
DM
Bern and Luminmorn w/Quelline
"Keep it", she says, rolling it up and handing it to Bern. "I have little use for it. Bring it back to me when you're done with it."
Lingo w/Halia
She takes the papers and peers through them, then hands a sack of coins to Lingo. "100gp, as promised."
She shrugs at the halfling's question. "Nothing, as I said. But if this Glasstaff had dealing with him he must have some sort of involvement. It could involve the dwarves."
She pauses a moment, then lowers her voice. "You seem to be a halfling with a purpose." She says. "Someone who wants to become both rich and powerful. Do I judge you rightly?"
<Bern>
He accepted the offered map with a bow. "Thank you. I will be sure to return it when we have completed out mission."
He turned to Luminmorn. "I'm ready. How about you?"
Lingo
w/Halia Thornton @ the Phandalin Miner's Exchange
He takes the bag of coins and weighs it in his hands and for a moment, judging it to be the right weight before slipping it into his backpack.
"Isn't that what everyone wants? It doesn't take a mind reader to figure that out. But yeah. I wanna be as rich as can be and maybe richer. Power is nice because it helps you get richer. So yeah. That's what I'm all about. Why do you ask?"
Ryssa with Balthazar
Ryssa carefully examined the fletching and the balance of the arrows and, after a few minutes evaluation, selected a dozen and put the rest back. Then she looked at the display of daggers, finally selecting one.
"How much will that be, Linene?"
DM
Ryssa w/Linene
She looks across at what Ryssa has selected. "A quiver of 20 arrows and the dagger would cost 3 gold." She replies.
Lingo w/Halia
She pauses again, peering intently at Lingo, then nods imperceptibly. "I belong to a group who has similar aims. They strive to gain wealth thru power and will do whatever it takes to get it. If that means helping old ladies cross the street in order to gain approval from a local community, then that is what they will do. If it means kicking the old lady to the curb because she is standing on a bag of gold, that works too. They are willing to support those who support them. Are you interested?"
Luminmorn
He nodded to Bern and said "thank you," to the woman.
Lingo
w/Halia Thornton @ the Phandalin Miner's Exchange
"Ummm, yeah. Of course. The ends justify the means and as long as I profit, I'll do what it takes. I've got lofty ambitions. I ain't never kicked an old lady. I like to look at things in a positive light. For example, if I saw an old lady that was burdened with a very heavy purse, I would help her out by removing the weight from her belt. Does that make sense? If she resisted such important help I know that she simply does not understand what's good for her and I feel it's my responsibility to take action."
He winks at the end because he was obviously telling some half-truths but the truth was evident. He had few scruples and was willing to do whatever it took to get rich and become powerful.
"So, tell me about this organization. I'm intrigued!"
DMLingo w/Halia"Good." She replies, with a small quirk of the lip at Lingo's description. "The group is called The Zhentarim. Here is a sign we go by." She hands Lingo a pin with a symbol that looks like some sort of winged snake, or maybe a dragon or wyvern. "If you run into one and he asks you about rank, you would be called a
Fang."
Ryssa with Linene
The cleric frowned for a moment, but then nodded and paid the woman what she had requested. Her price was dear, but her weapons were of a high quality and probably worth the price.
Lingo
He takes the pin and looks at it. "I've heard of you guys...I mean us."
With that he affixes the pin to the underside of his shirt collar and then extends his hand once more to shake Halia's hand.
"We're still on a mission to find the dwarves. I suppose you want any more info I can find about this Black Spider operation?"
DM
Halia nods her head to Lingo. "Yes. When your goal is to become a monopoly, competition is bad, unless it can be turned to your advantage. Information would be welcome, and naturally we will offer recompense for your time and effort."
The conversation, having reached it's end, Halia turns to speak to another miner who has just entered the shop and Lingo is free to return to meet his companions, bag of 100gp in hand.
...............................
The party re-gathers in front of the inn. Lingo has a bag of coins in one hand, Ryssa a quiver with newly purchased arrows. Balthazar has some ink and parchment (since you didn't post, Ken, I am assuming you purchased some ink, parchment, and a scroll tube for 12gp), and Luminmorn and Bern hold a nice artistic map of the area.
It is time to discuss travel, and then to leave.
(OOC - So I am presuming no one is purchasing better armor? At the moment it appears that Ryssa, Luminmorn, and Bern can all have better armor than what they are wearing. In fact if you trade amongst yourselves you can probably get by without having to all purchase new sets. You might want to discuss in the OOC thread......as I estimate things, you have gained a total of 1250gp so far. Balthazar needed 300gp to scribe his new spells and the new purchases by Ryssa and Balthazar cost another 15gp. Take off 35gp for room and board and that leaves you with 900gp as a party to spend.)
Well for Luminmorn to upgrade to Half plate it would take 1500gp. Way more than his share if the party has a total of 1250. It would only gain him a +1 to AC. So not a big deal given the situation.
I am fine with rhings as they are.
Lingo
He understood that business with Halia was complete and he didn't think twice about her not bidding him a farewell or deciding to just chit-chat. And he appreciated that.
Once outside he met up with the others and wondered if any of them had been recruited like he had. He had heard of the Zhentarim and the only thing he didn't like about them was that he was not running them...yet. That seemed like a decent long-term goal. There was a certain thrill he felt about being a part of something else like that.
"So, Halia gave us the gold she promised for the paperwork we found. What about you? Did you get paid? And what's our next opportunity."
<Bern>
"We have a decent map that will get is to our next destination", he told the group.
Luminmorn
He just gave a very human like nod of agreement to Bern's comments.
Luminmorn
"I am going to purchase some splint mail, which would make my chain mail available to any of you if it is needed."
Ryssa
The cleric looked at Luminmorn for a long moment and then shrugged.
"I had thought of purchasing a set of scale mail since we have acquired extra funds. I'm afraid chain mail would be a little to heavy for me."
<Bern>
He thanked those that offered him a free 'trade up'. "But I think I prefer to stay with lighter armor. I am going for studded leather. It will give me better protection without loading me down quite so much. Perhaps we can sell the old to recover some of the expense of the new."
DM(OOC - I cleaned up the thread a bit.)
And so, having upgraded some armour, purchased some miscellaneous equipment, collected a reward, and received a map and directions to the next goal, the abandoned town of Thundertree, the group is back together, packed for the road and ready to leave. The initial question is what route to take.
Bern and Luminmorn have the map.................
Luminmorn
He shows the map and says "I am ready to head out," His new armor is still shinny.
Lingo
"So, where're we going? This place?"
He points a finger at Thundertree.
"Seems like a long walk. Let's get started."
<Bern>
"Shorter if we take the route less traveled", he said tracing the route on the map. "But you are correct that we have to start if we want to get there", he said with a grin.
Lingo
"So you're saying that when we get to the Triboar Trail that we cross it and go straight north? We could just stay east, outside Neverwinter Wood."
<Bern>
"We can scout the wood when we get there. If it looks like it would be slower going, we can", he said with a nod, "stay west of the wood. That wouldn't add much to the distance and if the woods would be slower, might even be faster. The appeal of the wood is that we are not as visible to others."
Ryssa
After her night's rest, the cleric felt much better and she leaned against a post alongside the wall of the inn as she waited for the tacticians to make up their mind.
Balthazar
He had little experience with the best routes of travel so he left the decision up to those who know.
Lingo
"Makes sense," he says to Bern. "You lead the way."
<Bern>
Satisfied that the decision had been reached, he headed down the road.