Within the Guardhouse of Avim

The first of many adventures to come
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NeomerArcana
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Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by NeomerArcana » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:35 pm

Elec you are watched far too closely to even having a chance of reaching your rapier.

Hragg the guards you speak to respond. "Spiders?! Ha! You dwarves, always full of stories you lot are."

The man looks around nervously. "Truly? Spiders?" he says furtively. "You were attacked by spiders? We've heard a few different stories this last season, undead, skeletons and the like, but no one has mentioned spiders before."

The militiamen stand guard, watching Hragg, Kull and Elec against the wall of the guardhouse, while Alder and Grant climb up onto the wagon. They pass a few crates and sacks down to other men who place it down in the dirt, it seems that the constable isn't happy with just a cursory glance. After about ten minutes you hear him speak.

"By the light of Pelor!" he says. "Watch them! Don't let them move and inch!" he calls out to the guards.

The constable leaps off the back of the wagon, and points to one of the men. "Go and get Hargraves! Quickly!"

He then motions to a couple other men to get over to the wagon. "Lend a hand to Grant! Get those bodies inside! I don't think they're dead! Has someone already called the priest!"

Grant and the other militiamen unload two long crates with hinged lids. As they're handling them down off the back of the wagon, turning and twisting them as they do so, you can see a body in each. One with a woman, one with a man. They appear to be asleep, and no amount of noise and movement looks to be waking them. The crates are taken inside. The guards are now all armed and surrounding the three of you.



Inside, Arlette and Hilda hear a commotion. Men shout and the door flings open. The two guards outside are now inside, weapons drawn. "Don't move a muscle! Stay where you are!" they shout. You see behind them two long crates carried inside and further into the guardhouse. It isn't hard to see the two bodies.



Outside, after a couple of minutes, a man dressed in white robes, trimmed in yellow, strides into the yard. He carries a staff and is escorted by one of the soldiers. Alder rushes up to him with Grant, and the three quietly converse. The robed man urgently sends the solder who escorted him back the way they came. He rushes inside the guardhouse.

Alder and Grant approach the three party members. "Inside, now!" says Alder.

You three are escorted under heavy guard to enter the guardhouse. You pass by the open door where you see Arlette and Hilda by the body of Landowe. They are disarmed, taken out, and the entire group is sent further inside to a cell. There appears to be only a single cell here, but it is large enough for all of you, though a little cramped.

After a few more minutes the robed man enters the cell with two guards, more are stationed outside. "I need to know what has been done to those people," he says quite bluntly. "Tell me now." he orders as he brandishes his staff in a circular motion, muttering under his breath.

You all very clearly feel compelled to tell the truth. Hilda and Hragg you both recognise a Zone of Truth Spell. All you can all roll a Will Saving Throw to avoid the affect of the spell (the affect is you cannot lie). You're not compelled to answer, just no lies.
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Elec
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Re: Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by Elec » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:43 pm

Elec will remain silent, still stunned from seeing the bodies in the cart.
Will save:
1d20+1
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NeomerArcana
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Re: Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by NeomerArcana » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:52 pm

Elec you remain under the thrall of the spell.
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Arlette Craven
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Re: Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by Arlette Craven » Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:02 pm

Arlette begins to explain, feeling no reason to lie as she does not believe that she or the others have been involved in whatever it appears their employer has done.

"We were hired in Barlow to escort that man, Landowe, to Lavender. I thought it was a bit ambitious at first to hire so many of us, but after being chased by the undead, attacked by spiders and I mean as big as this fort spiders, he needed every one of us. The bodies though, I do not know what those are about, and I'm sure none of the others here do either." She looks around to the other members of the party.

"You best heal Landowe and ask him directly, I'm sure he will tell you what has happened."
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NeomerArcana
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Re: Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by NeomerArcana » Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:15 pm

"We will attend to Landowe," says the robed man. "All of you, did you know about these bodies in Landowe's wagon?"
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Kull
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Re: Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by Kull » Tue Apr 30, 2019 5:23 pm

Kull is confused whats going on and someone who as a certain knowledge of body language knows that he is scared. He looks frantically around looking for a possible escape route (search check 1d20+1
Will save1d20+1 .
He looks at the robed man and almost shouts in a panicked voice by gruumsh i dont know whats going on just let me go i haven't done anything. He pleading looks over to the others in the hope that someone will speak to his behalf.
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Arlette Craven
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Re: Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by Arlette Craven » Tue Apr 30, 2019 7:31 pm

"Kull, everything will be okay, relax, they will see that we are truthful, we will be okay. I'm not so sure about Landowe though..." Arlette shakes her head slightly, she thought he was a kind of nice guy, so smiley. "We all need to stay calm and answer their questions, they will see the truth."
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NeomerArcana
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Re: Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by NeomerArcana » Tue Apr 30, 2019 7:57 pm

I will assume that everyone says they had no knowledge of the bodies or what Landowe was doing.

"Very well," says the robed man. "I believe you. Please, understand, we had to be sure. The trails these days are dangerous, or so we're told."

You're all let out of the room. You stand now inside the guardhouse, a sort of common-room with doors and a hallway. A staircase goes up and down against the wall, likely to rooftop battlements and store-room or dungeon below-ground. Alder and Grant wait here, and seem relieved when the robed man leads you out of the cell.

The robed man speaks quickly to Alder and Grant before departing. "I need to see to your employer now," he says as he walks away back down the hall.

Alder straightens his armour out to address the party. "I've summoned Lord Hargraves, he's the local lord of our small town. We're not sure what's happening out on the Trails, but too many groups have reported trouble lately... and in any case, it appears that your employer was up to something. We've tried waking those two people, but they must be under a spell of some kind. Hopefully Father Cedril there can do something for them, wake them."

As he speaks, another man enters the room. He is well dressed in clean tunic and trousers, hemmed well with brocaded edges. Everything held together with an ornamental belt, sheathing a rapier with very intricate work on the hilt. He lifts his chin as he speaks, so as to talk down to those he addresses, though he isn't over 5'5".

"I see. Trouble. Trouble is what you bring to my town... what of your employer? No matter, it appears you are all innocent in this after all. Come then. Let us leave Father Cedril to his work. You must be hungry, I insist you dine at my abode. Unless there are objections?"

All you've been invited, quite politely, by the local aristocrat. You're under no obligation to attend and it is quite clear that it is nothing but a simple invitation. You're all free to either go with him to his house, where he promises a hot meal, a hot bath, and a warm bed; or you can decline and move about town as you wish.
Avim.PNG
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  1. The Sleeping Giant - tavern/inn
  2. The Blue Elf - tavern/inn (this is where you entered town)
  3. Church of Pelor - local church
  4. Guardhouse - where you are now
  5. Lord Hargraves house
In this town you can purchase any mundane items up to 100gp in value. I'd suggest that those of you who didn't think much about food buy some trail rations (unless you're happy to rely on Elec or Kull to hunt).
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Arlette Craven
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Re: Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by Arlette Craven » Tue Apr 30, 2019 8:40 pm

Arlette looks over the man who has so graciously invited them to dinner. With her seamstress background she notices the intricate detail of his cuffs, the fine lines of a well sewn tunic, "perhaps there are more beautiful pieces at his house" she thinks to herself, "such a wealthy man may not even notice if a delicate handkerchief were to go missing..."

Sense motive check
1d20+7

She walks up to the man, bows slightly, introduces herself and says she would love to join him for the evening. She looks to the other members of her party, hoping at least one other would join to take some of the brunt of what she expects to be quite dull conversation.

At dinner she will ask him about the trouble that he speaks of, ask who he is and what he does there, for some history of the town, what he knows of the king in kalindar. If the moment arises, she may try to lift some beautiful delicate pieces.

Sleight of hand checks for precious items she may come across
1
1d20+8
2
1d20+8
3
1d20+8

The next morning she will go around town to gather information and reconnect with the other members of her party to see what they may have learnt on their nights. She'd ask similar questions around town about the local trouble, town gossip, about Lord Hargreaves, etc.

Gather information check
1d20+6
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Elec
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Re: Within the Guardhouse of Avim

Post by Elec » Tue Apr 30, 2019 10:55 pm

Elec accept the dinner invitation with slight reluctance, but the prospect of a hot bath after the journey was too good for him to pass over.
During the dinner, he would mostly keep to himself and let Arlette do most of the talking, occasionally making small talk about hunting with the host to keep him occupied while Arlette needed to "leave the table". For the most of the night he would enjoy the food available to his hearts content

The next morning he would head to a store to buy 3 days of trail rations and some caltrops. After that he would meet up with the rest of the party to discuss yesterday events
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