In the Intest of aid

Sam pokes his head into the area before moving forward and sees a short corridor that opens into a storeroom, piled high with supplies. As his eyes fully adjust, his darkvision suits him well, as the room is pitch black apart from 2 sources of light. Crispys flame and the torch of a dwarf. 

The dwarf stands behind an iron gate at the far end of the storeroom and is well appointed in dark green robes with gold trim. "Hello?", he says, "You lot weren't who we were expecting, but I hope you can help nonetheless."

it must be Friday....

Old tropes are best tropes!

Josef909 wrote:Old tropes are best tropes!

Indeed!

good one!  Let's just hope Sam isn't as whiny as Luke

Sam will move in quickly after motioning for everyone to come with.

(in a quiet tone, to the dwarf) "you lot look like you've got need for some saving"

Hawkes enters silently.

let us see how Sam represents us...

"Indeed we are" says the dwarf. "My name is Gamble Stoutfoot. I am Proctor of this city. The mediator between the three clans and the religious seat of power in these lands. And you are?"

"I'm the navigator on a commercial ship, my mates and I spotted the trouble and came to help. This is a usual stop on our voyages " (Sam is leery of authority figures)

he looks back at Hawkes to try and intervene.

Kruhl will keep watch on the party's 6 until everyone is safely inside, then he will join the group

Abigail has silently slipped inside. She keeps her eyes open (darkvision). Bow in hand and nocked.

“Well met, Proctor Gamble. I am Hawkins Studer, first mate of the Providence. We had planned to dispatch to re-supply in spite of the hostile harbor. Captain Johnson thought we might also do some good. What has befallen this fine city?”

Proctor Gamble


mind this GM, his wit is razor sharp tonight!

Thanks for that Alan, I was hoping someone would jump on the opportunity to land the joke.

The dwarf eyes the bow Abagail clutches and holds his hand in a downward posture, as if to say she is safe here. He looks towards Sam and says "Hail, navigator. We are indeed lucky that you spotted our signals. All the years on the high seas must have trained your eyes well."

"And a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Hawkins, though the conditions of our meeting could be better. I am sure you noticed there is no resupply to be had in our harbors. We have been overrun by foul creatures of the Underdark seeking to reclaim a treasure we...liberated...from their ilk. We have been under siege for days, although we have the supplies to care for our people until help arrives. Our scouts watched the battle between the interlopers and yourselves, and I think you might be capable of aiding us and striking enough of a damaging blow to the enemy forces that we may be able to take our city back. Are you trustworthy?"

Sam smiles and nods at the dwarf but leans into Hawkes, in a careful whisper - "make sure we get a little scratch for this"

Abigail half-whispers to the party (and doesn't care if the dwarf hears her), "How can we trust them? And what is this treasure they keep that the foul creatures covet?"

Crispy whispers back, probably too loudly “Umm, we can’t trust them, but uhh...we need umm loot to keep the ship going...”

Gamble speaks up. "Yes, it would only be equitable for you to be rewarded for your help, tall one. At the very least, enjoy our hospitality overnight. You all can clean up and I will share more details about our plight over a feast. I am certain we could come to an agreement."

Kruhl's eye perks up at the mention of a Dwarven Feast, "This outta be better than a kobold bbq. Let's hear what they have to say?"

"I could use some rest and fresh food. I will listen to your tale dwarf." She deactivates her bow (for now). "You may bid on our skills and expertise, but we don't work for peanuts."

“Aye, seems like we agree to further discussion.”

The dwarf steps aside and an armored guard unlocks and opens the iron gates. Proctor Gamble says to the group "welcome to Bhornalduhr Keep. I will have a grand meal prepared for you, our guests. In the meantime, Percy here will show you to your rooms where you can freshen up. We will send someone to show you to the banquet hall once dinner is ready. Percy?"

The guard who opened the gates for you scans the group. "If you please" he says, as he turns to lead you toward your quarters.

Kruhl will follow Percy, the stubborn red-haired dwarf?

Percy has flaxen blond hair and seems to be quite amicable. I'm not sure how you came about your assumptions, sir!

Crispy will enjoy a short rest in his quarters before the meal, granting him a recharge on his breath weapon.

yeah, short rest for Sam as well

short nap sounds good to Kruhl

“Short rest” does not require loss of consciousness. Hawkes chills but no sleep. he has been double crossed by too many people with dollar signs in their eyes.

Song of rest ads 1d6 up to whom ever hears him singing his bawdy tune about a dwarf and his giant lady friend.

Result of the throw of dice "5d10 +2d6" :

5 + 2 + 6 + 7 + 7 + 5 + 6 = 38

Hawkes is back to full HP.

Very good. The party takes their rest and can roll HD if they so choose as Alan has. Stay frosty.

Eventually Percy comes to collect everyone for the feast that has been prepared. Unless there is anything anyone wants to do, you all find yourselves in a grand hall. It has incredibly well crafted stonework throughout, and the furnishings are of artisan quality and are surprisingly modest. The head table is set for 8 and an array of staff are moving about the room doing their duties.

At the head of the table sits the Proctor, with some sort of advisors or security sitting on each side of him at the table. That leaves 2 seats on each side of the table and one at the opposite end.

He and his fellows stand from their seats when he sees you. "Welcome again to our new guests!", he beams. "Please find a seat and let's get aquainted."

Crispy takes his place next to the security guy on Proctor’s right. He mumbles quietly “thank you for your ummm...hospitality.” He’ll sit quietly but warily, with a small flame dancing across his knuckles on each hand.

Hawkes wants to use the wand of enemy detection before leaving his room.

Then, Hawkes will join the others but sit last to see where people put themselves.

AC 18
Hp 74/74

Spell save 15
Passive perception 14
Passive insight 17
Spell Resistance
Cannot be surprised
Immune to stun

Spells:
1:4 x
2:3
3:2

Inspiration 3
Maneuvers 4
Adv. persuade 1
Adv. Con save 1
Wand 7 x

Let's get in the habit of posting spell and item descriptions please. Specifically the wand text for now.

Wand of Enemy Detection

Wand, rare (attuned)

This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action and expend 1 charge to speak its command word. For the next minute, you know the direction of the nearest creature hostile to you within 60 feet, but not its distance from you. The wand can sense the presence of hostile creatures that are ethereal, invisible, disguised, or hidden, as well as those in plain sight. The effect ends if you stop holding the wand.

The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.

Perfect, thanks. Upon using his wand, Hawkes cannot detect any hostile creatures nearby.

Abigail rests while she has the opportunity. At the feast, she chooses whichever seat that offers her back to the wall and eyes on the door/window. She smiles politely at her hosts.

The head table is closer to one end of the room than the other and sits on a slightly elevated dais. There are a multitude of doors being used by the various staff coming to and fro, and there are no windows. Perhaps they are too far into the belly of the keep, Abagail surmises.

Sam will take the seat next to Crispy

Kruhl will take a side seat next to Abi, leaving the the other head seat for the Captain.

As is the Elven custom, he raises a toast towards his hosts, “Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry dish. Gratitude (he bows slightly) unlocks the fullness of life. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”

Gamble let's loose a hearty chuckle.  "Small cheer is about as much as this frame can offer!  I am glad to hear that it will be sufficient."

The staff begins bringing all manner of food and drink until the table is packed with platters of meats and cheeses, bowls of fresh fruits, baskets of bread, and bottles of wine and ale.

"Let me start at the beginning...", he says.  

"The religious leader, Magister Vellum, and his acolytes have been guarding the old tunnels that wind under the city as long as he has held power in these lands. A combination of catacombs and mineshafts from as far back as the dwarves have called Bhornhaulder home. Magister Vellum, his cadre, and a contingent of our capitol’s guard identified a source of unidentifiable power beyond a caved in section of tunnel. Naturally they dug through, and came across a scouting party of mind flayers making camp nearby. A fight occurred, the battle was won, but not without one of the creatures escaping. Vellum’s guard found a chest in their posession of curious design, with strange scrawling across it’s sides. They brought it back to the temple and were studying it in an attempt to discover its origin or source of power.

The mindflayers returned in greater numbers and with allies. They made Vellum feeble minded and in the melee many of his followers were slain or enslaved with some manner of mind control. Two of them managed to grab the artifact, retreat to the keep, and warn the reserve guard of the attack. Word went out across the city to flee or retreat, and although we took losses, we were able to hold off the enemy forces long enough to secure a large portion of our citizenship. We have resources and stockpiles to last a very long siege, and we were waiting for help when we noticed your presence."

He pauses to take a long drink from the tankard in front of him, and leans forward to grab a glistening leg of some basted game bird.

"A fascinating tale! I wonder what my companions and I can do to help? Pass the cheese please."

Sam pipes up "did you figure out what the chest contains, or it's significance?"

“Well told, Proctor Gamble. A very tidy and compelling story.” Hawkes really means it, but his eyes narrow just barely. “No-one doubts your plight, I’m sure we are compelled to render aid. You must forgive my skepticism, however. Dwarves dig holes in the ground for reasons, and usually tell much longer stories.”  

He lets that bit sink in.

“Was there something else they were looking for down there?  We will not shrink from danger, actually we saved the world just the other day, but if we’re getting involved we have a right to know. “

"I sense the Gods' hands are at work here. I am curious if you know the origin of the artifact in the chest? Nemesis might be supporting the Mindflayers if they have a just cause in retrieving their property. However, if the artifact is originally of Dwarven design, the tide may turn in our favor."

Gamble looks towards Sam and Kruhl. "Unfortunately, Magister Vellum would have the greatest ability to unlock the secrets of the artifact, but he was turned donkey-brained when the Mindflayer launched their counterattack at the temple. Nobody has seen him since then and I can only assume he is either enslaved, turned by mindmagic, or dead. However, we can say with certainty that the chest is not of Mindflayer craft or origin. I am not positive it was made by dwarves, but it is indeed powerful. Thus far, we have been unable to figure out how to open it."

He then looks across the table to Hawkes. "The old, abandoned catacomb system runs to the temple. All other entrances to our city have been collapsed to keep a threat like this from emerging. It must have been so, as the tunnels had broken through to the underworld long ago. The dwarves have not faced a threat like this in my lifetime."

Finally, he turns to Abagail. "If it were a matter of underworld creatures launching an attack to take slaves for their wicked colonies, which they are known to do, we would ask you to summon an army while we concentrate our meager forces on defense of our people and our keep. However, there is a great evil behind this. It has spoken to me in my dreams, attempting to infect my mind as well. It wants the chest more than anything else. That’s exactly why it can’t have it. This threat is serious and must be faced immediately.

He leans back and takes a hefty drink from his tankard. "Go to the temple, destroy the evil, and bring back Vellum if you can. It would be considered a grand gesture to our people and you would be handsomely rewarded. That is how you all can help us."

at the words 'handsomely rewarded' Sam stands up... "what are we waiting for?"

Josef909 wrote: However, we can say with certainty that the chest is not of Mindflayer craft or origin.  I am not positive it was made by dwarves, but it is indeed powerful.  "

However, there is a great evil behind this.  It has spoken to me in my dreams, attempting to infect my mind as well.  It wants the chest more than anything else.  That’s exactly why it can’t have it.  This threat is serious and must be faced immediately.

Kruhl mutters to himself, parsing out the potential divine aspects at play here.... "Nemesis is not against us, good, good... Despair? Queen Mab? another of the Endless.... Sandman, perhaps... no.... whispers in the dark...."

"I will go to the temple to root out this evil. Though crawling though collapsing caverns isn't my first preference...

Perhaps we could stay and protect the chest? There is a tactical advantage of letting them come to us.

However, stealthy seek and destroy missions is this crew's specialty. So whatever is needed, I say. I will fight for you.

And as for pay... 'handsomely' sounds like a lot. What amount are we talking here?"

Hawkes raises an eyebrow at Abbie as gentle rebuke for breaking cover.

Then to Gamble. “It would be a handsome reward to walk away with our lives, our liberty, and the gratitude of the Dwarven people. Perhaps even renown in stories and tokens of honor.”

“But if We don’t come back with orders for complete resupply of our ship and The proctor’s weight in gold and jewels, Captain Johnson will hang me from the yard-arm. Dwarves do not lie. It is what they do not say that I fear.” Hawkes smiles broadly, inviting clear terms.

Hawkes uses the message cantrip while he waits.

Kruhl, you are forgetting the god of getting knee deep into a commitment before you know what you’re doing, the god of second chances, plan B, and trying something new. The god of having nothing left to lose anyway. Providence.

navyik wrote:Hawkes uses the message cantrip while he waits.

Kruhl, you are forgetting the god of getting knee deep into a commitment before you know what you’re doing, the god of second chances, plan B, and trying something new. The god of having nothing left to lose anyway.  Providence.

Kruhl listens intently, brow furrowed in deep thought.... slowly a smile breaks across his face as he realizes the humor. He laughs out loud at himself. He raises his glass towards his hosts, "Let us not forget to invoke the gods of drink: Lord Bushmillis and Blushing Zinfandelia, ease our worries and counsel merriment!"


Kruhl is ready for a dungeon crawl

"I believe it's accepted that I'll be taking point on this one." Sam actually looks slightly more serious for once