DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy SKT: The Storm King's Thunder 2b - Triboar Attack Aftermath

Kriv

He nodded in the human fashion in particular at the Open Lord of Waterdeep, affirming,

“Then my speculation was indeed correct, and I will definitely be able to provide appropriate directions for the Waterdhavian missive. The necessary discretion will be exercised by all involved.”

Entry into Blackstaff Tower itself would be another matter, but knowing the preferred point of ingress should attract the attention of those within.

Arus (at the Lion's Share)

"Thou art a good man, Narth. Another year or so on the shopfront, find a stand-in and then take up adventuring. The Lionshield might sponsor thee, if thou maketh a name for thyself."

He shakes the man's hand. They'd fought closely together during the battle. Like any adventurer, Narth would need a party to round out his skills, but in Arus's opinion the man has what it takes.

Having thus made arrangements, the triton leaves the Lion's Share for his afternoon rendeszvous with the rest of his party.

Sindar

He nodded in understanding and agreement with the Lord Protector. When the discussion had progressed far enough and they were given their leave, he went out to help where he could. He was not above offering a helping hand where it might be needed.

As the evening came on his stomach reminded him of another obligation, to feed it. Giving his leave to those who he was assisting, he headed to the inn.

The tiefling caught his eye, and Sindar gave a corresponding nod. Though he did note what the man was wearing, and any other distinguishing features. It paid to be observant.

Once inside he moved to meet the rest of his traveling companions. He also tried to secure some grub and a tankard. He had a thirst that needed quashing.

(OOC - I must have missed it. There's a Tiefling?)

Arus (at the Triboar Arms)

Arus prefers not to dine in armour but Triboar might still be a battleground with a temporary lull in the fighting. If not the fire giants, perhaps a local orc band, taking advantage of the chaos might try its luck. He'd heard there were orcs laired at Wyvern Tor to the west.

So the triton is still harnessed for battle. Not very comfortable attire for a sit down meal, so he orders a hot tea and a slice of their sweetest, heaviest cake to eat at the bar.

Once the party are all assembled and after any small talk has died down, he gets to business.

"It's late in the day for setting out but it's the difference between the giants having a three hour lead or an eighteen hour lead if we wait the night.

"I've agreed to escort a delivery from the Lion's Shield to Aldis in Yartar, so we'll have legitimate business with him when we arrive.

"How soon can the rest of you leave?"

Zhu

She is one of the last to arrive, having had a long conversations with Othovir while helping him clean up a tremendous mess in his shop. Nodding to the others she finds a place and orders wine and any fresh fruit, cheese, or vegetables that are available.

She listens to Arus, making a mental note that as far as she can tell the length of the lead the giants may have is meaningless. They are gone and won't be caught. They might be found, but that is a different thing with less implications of speed.

"I can be ready at any time. For myself, though, I have to make a short stop in Silverymoon. We seem to be going to Yartar now, to see what we can find out, but from there should we pass by Silverymoon, or should we be able to make a short diversion there, I won't be long."

She pulls out a map and spreads it across the table to show the relative positions of Yartar and Silverymoon.

"Here is Yartar, just to the east of Triboar. Silverymoon is further East then a Northward turn at Everlund." She points as she mentions the places.

Arus

He doesn't know Faerûn very well so he checks the scale on the map as he listens to Zhu.

He doesn't know Zhu very well either but that might change, especially since Silverymoon looks to be a long journey.

"Silverymoon is about 400 miles from Yartar by road. That's still a three week journey just to get there, assuming we clear 20 miles a day. We might not."

Arus considers the river network.

"From Yartar we could buy passage on a sail-barge. We'd row upriver as far North as Rivermoot, then turn south onto the Rauvin. After that it's plain-sailing downstream to Silverymoon."

<Bern>

He listened to the planning, checked the map. None of it was all that important to him personally. He shrugged. "What ever those with a mission work out is fine by me", he said with a grin.

Sindar

"I too have an errand to run which will fall after Yartar." [OOC GM Insert memory here, PC not so much. ]

He wondered about Silverymoon. There wasn't much there, at least when he visited. Maybe there was a way to get some other part of the city that lay in a different realm. He had been young and naive when he went there the rifst time.

Zhu

"Closer to 300 than 400. I just came that way from there to Phandalin so I know it well. Still, a fortnight's travel most likely were we to go directly and we are burdened by wagons. Perhaps a third to half less if we can travel without burden. Only 200 as the bird flies, but that means crossing the moors and I'd not do that unless it was an emergency."

She glances to Sindar at his mention of a mission of his own, and wonders if the others too have discovered individual tasks while they were wandering around Triboar today.

"That is why I said should our path head in that direction. We don't know yet where we will head from Yartar; East, West, North, South? If everyone else chooses to head away from there I will decide whether to go on my own and catch up with you or not."

Davroar

He joins the group at Triboar Arms after helping where he could, finds Jaliera already there, and sits down beside her to enjoy a drink and a meal.

When Zhu brings out her map, he sits up straighter to take a look at it and says, "Zhu, me and Bern wouldn't mind heading eastward after Yartar."

He taps a finger just inside High Forest and adds, "Reidoth had asked us to visit Shadowtop Cathedral to talk to a guy there."

Jaliera

She smiles as Davroar joins her and they enjoy a meal together as others arrive and join them. She too stands to see the map.

"Actually I favour travelling by day as I can then track. I learned that our doppleganger is heading for Evermoors and the Dessarin Hills."

She points them out.

"A lot of giant activity has been seen around there and one of the caravan folk pointed out that our 'friend' had been seen leaving here with a wagon of swords, intending to sell them to the giants as magical weapons. There is a caravan leaving early in the morning. Travel by day is safer and we have less chance of missing anything."

Zhu

"How convenient", she murmurs as the places named almost draw a line between Triboar and Silverymoon.

She turns once Kriv arrives and says, "We are sort of planning a route. A few of us have missions, errands? In any case it seems like Yartar is the immediate destination, both to protect a caravan and to see more about the Doppelganger. After that", she points to Shadowtop Cathedral, the Dessarin Hill, the Evermoors, and Silverymoon, then looks curiously at Kriv.

<Bern>

"I agree that day time travel makes sense", he said with a nod of his head.

DM

"If you were asked by Reidoth to go to Shadowtop Cathedral to talk to someone, I don't think it was a guy."

The speaker was a young half elf woman that approached the table where everyone was talking. She had a beer in her hand, a quiver with arrows was strapped to her back and a long sword to her side.

At that moment, the tiefling that seemed to be the proprietor of the place walked past her on his way to the back room. "You best listen to Zindra Winterbow, she usually knows what she's talking about."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Nemyth," the half elf responded, teasing him back.

"I suppose my name's no longer a secret," she said with a sigh to the group.

Kriv

Heading over to the map, one carefully manicured talon came to rest briefly on Everlund, to the east of the Evermoors and south of Silverymoon.

"One more vote for East from Yartar, given our quarry seems headed that way."

Arus

Like the pulsing lights of a deep sea kraken, their map shows a sequence of activity heading in one direction. Eastwards.

Although travel by river might be easier, Arus already has plenty of experience with that route from his work with the Lionshield Coster.

He came to Triboar to get inland connections. It seems like he's got them.

If everyone else is OK with the mileage, so is he.

Then the tiefling speaks up, and the triton appraises her top to bottom, as is his way.

"Well met, Miss Winterbow. My name's Ahlorsath, Arus Ahlorsath.

"You have some interest in Reidoth's mission?"

Sindar

He was curious about the answer and remained quiet while watching with a smile. Best to not interrupt the flow of the conversation, or so he imagined.

<Bern>

And =there= it was again ... that damned doppelganger. He =really= wanted to 'catch up' to that SOB and 'settle scores'! But he didn't want to 'queer the game', so let those better able to 'talk reasonably' to do what they could do that he could not.

Davroar

He looks up from the map to the half-elf woman that has decided to join them at their table and realizes that he had misspoke earlier. Somewhat to his defense Reidoth did refer to Turlang as a 'him', but whether they are male and female treants he has no idea. He flashes a crooked smile at the woman and corrects himself. "Ah, right. Reidoth said to find the caretaker, a treant named Turlang", and adding another question of his own after Arus question, "Are you a friend of Reidoth's, Zindra?"

Zindra
"Yes. I have known Reidoth for a long time. He sponsored my entry to the Emerald Enclave."

Arus

He knows very little about the Emerald Enclave, other than their historical base on an island in the Sea of Fallen Stars. Their aim is to safeguard the prosperity and health of the natural world, so they have dealings with the undersea realms and coastal settlements, all of whom exploit the sea to some extent.

An organisation of wilderness observers and pundits?

"If thou art Emerald Enclave, know thee aught of the giant activity in this area?" He asks.

Zindra

She downs her beer, raises it to show the server, puts it down on the table and takes a seat. Apparently, she took the simple question as an invitation to join. Even before she starts to talk, the server brings over a new mug. She takes another hearty swig and wipes the foam from her upper lip.

"Being a member of the Emerald Enclave does not mean I keep track of giants," she says, smiling. "There have always been hill giants, ogres and the like in the hills surrounding Triboar. Why do you ask?"

<Bern>

He sat back, had a hearty swig from his glass, happy to let the others 'take the lead' in the recounting.