Masters of the Wild IC

[SunderedWorldDM]

The Temple of Harmony. A beautiful and ancient structure, overgrown with vines and flowers but standing powerfully and tall among the ancient trees. Inside, ancient libraries, beautiful gardens, and breathtaking art consumes the space, truly a spectacle to behold.

You walk towards the Inner Sanctum, the heart of the temple, where the portals to other Master of the Wild gardens pulse slowly with green energy. Zavvix Autumnfall is summoning you for some form of mission.

As you stride into the massive atrium, you see the kindly, crinkled face of the aged Eladrin beaming at you. He stands in front of a massive cluster of vines hanging from the high ceiling. The origin and purpose of this column of growth is one of the many mysteries of the Temple- only Zavvix is allowed to enter the mass of vines, but why?

But these thoughts of grand mystery are expelled as your Warden strides towards you. He gestures, and out of the uniform stone floor rises a table, as if molded out of clay. Next to it, small mounds form, obviously your seating arrangements. "Take a seat," Zavvis chuckles as a pot of tea and 9 cups appear on the table. "We have much to discuss."

[MintyNinja]

Tek walked through the halls of the Temple with only a hint of hurry in his steps. While there may not have been many rules against flying in the Temple of Harmony before he arrived, someone quickly made a set for him. They claimed that keeping him grounded was a safety concern after one-too-many blind corner collisions, but he held the smallest suspicion it was about something more. The fact that he wasn't as fast a walker as most other people here only added to his annoyance. As he approached the Inner Sanctum he realized he was skipping every fourth step and lightly pushing off the ground with his wings in order to hurry. He stopped before the Sanctum, smoothed out a feather or two, and walked into the room.

The light of the portals and the interplay of a torch gave the room a strange sense of unreality, he noticed. This would be an ominous place in the dark. As the Warden creates the table and stools, Tek's brow contorts into a frown. "So I'm not the only one you called? And I suppose you won't tell me anything before they show up, right? That's fine, I guess." At the Warden's offer he takes a seat and begins scratching a small drawing of an eagle into the clay of the table, waiting for whoever else was supposed to show up.

[sandmote]

An elf entered, unremarkable except for the pelt of a large animal draped over his shoulders. He visibly relaxed as he passed into the more open space of the atrium.

At Zavvix's introduction, he takes a seat at the table, following the aaracokra. "I should hope we are not stretched thin enough to be sent on our own."

[Diceomancer]

A gnome walks in at a brisk, enthusiastic pace, his piercing green eyes darting all around the room. " 'Ello everyone" he says, sounding upbeat and chipper as he takes a seat, "wild looking place, isn't it? What's all this about, then?"

[Rogue227]

Faye moves along the archways of the temple, looking around in wonder at its impressive features. Here, she takes a smell at a beautiful flower. There, she pauses to trace the ornaments on a column of white stone. Suddenly in a hurry, she quickens her pace to catch up with her guide floating ahead. A few more corners, and the fey light stops, hovering in the air in front of a large portal. Faye eyes up nervously at the majestetic door, biting her lip. So, this is it. The Inner Sanctum.

Upon entering the atrium, Faye pauses again, stricken anew by the temple's beauty. Her eyes wandering over the room in awe, it takes her a moment to recollect. Still smiling, she approaches the table.

„Am I late? I'm sorry. You know, I just arrived from...“ Looking down herself and her travel-worn habit, she blushes slightly as she continues: „Pray excuse the plainness of my attire, my lord Warden. There was no time to change.“ She takes a look around the table, searching for a free spot, and her face lightens up as she recognizes the one or another familiar face. Hastily, she takes a seat next to Glim. Leaning over to the gnome, she whispers: „This is how he is to be addressed, isn't it? Nobody told me...“

[Illven]

Thank you for sending me this invitation, sir. Rebecca said humbly.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar put away the pan flute he had been practicing on as he walked when he reached the Temple of Harmony. He made a mental note to his exercises later as he found his way to the Inner Sanctum. He held himself as aloof as he usually felt, but the honor involved in being invited here was a great one, and even he recognized the opportunity that this could represent. He gives everyone present a bow before entering the room and quietly taking a seat at the table, curious as to the purpose of such a gathering.

[ninjabot]

Ariana walks through the temple slowly, seemingly lost in thought. Realizing that she may well be holding the others up she picks up her pace as she gets closer to the atrium, stopping short when she enters. She takes the nearest open seat, ignoring the tea. She doesn't say anything after entering, but nods towards Zavvix in greeting.

[SunderedWorldDM]

"I suppose you all wonder why you're here," Zavvix chuckled. "I have need of you to dispose of some... unsavory matters in these woods." His expression suddently darkens, the creases in his face once showing a jubilant love of life furrowing into a displeased and contemplative mass. "You see, there's a temple to Shub-N'varoth operating in the village of Cadmoor, at least according to our agents there."

"You job," he says passively, taking a sip of the sweet, fruity tea, "is to enter Cadmoor, find those involved in this nasty business, and shut down wherever they may be operating from. Maps and information on the village will be provided. So, little ones," he smiles. "Are you up for the challenge?"


Shub-N'varoth is a fiend from the plane of Hades (not the typical Hades, I have a different cosmology). She is the ruler of the second layer of three, and commands the masses of the dead who did not die with honor, power, or money to their name. She is worshiped as an evil god of death, pestilence, and other nasty afflictions, and it is said that one look at Shub-N'varoth's form will drive you mad. Her followers certainly are.

[Diceomancer]

"Well I'm happy to help. Did the agents give us any leads as to what these shub ... var ... err ... shrubbery-broth folks were up to?"

[SunderedWorldDM]

"There's talk of some form of... massacre," the dark face of Zavvix has returned, and the air around grows noticeably warmer. "A mass event to send Cadmoor to her domain." Zavixx scowls as the air grows even hotter, almost uncomfortably so. "But we have no substantiated claims. The presence of any form of infernal worship is danger enough," Zavvix says, returning to his typical jubilant self, the air returning to the cool, sweet quality it had before.

[sandmote]

Elmir shudders. "So the agenda is to first substantiate, then see if we can stop any such event." He draws the pelt over more of his back, "do we have any more information to start with?"

[MintyNinja]

Tek looked up every time someone new entered, and then glanced to the Warden to see if that were enough people to begin. Many times he went back to his scratch-drawn eagle on the tabletop, disappointed. When Zavvix finally began discussing their task Tek listened intently. Others asked questions and soon he began to see why they were such a large group. It sounded like a dangerous mission and he would need all the help he could get to handle actual cultists. Finally he spoke up, "I don't get it: what's so special about this village, Cadmoor, that a god of evil would want to bring it into... that place?"

[Tekrow]

Ravenor had stayed quiet for a while, his mind analyzing the group that entered temple. An interesting bunch, he thought. As Warden Zavvis explained the situation to everyone gathered, and the mention of Shub-N'varoth had lighted a fire in his chest. Time for a reckoning, time to cleanse the demons from this world.

"Shub-N'varoth and her servants are a plague to every decent and good being on this world. Her filth must not be allowed to grow and expand." He looked back at the rest of the people gathered in the temple with him.

"We have to protect those villagers from the dangers of her corruption. It won't be a pretty task."

[Illven]

It may just be that it's a out of the way town, the idea being it'll take longer to alert any serious law enforcement. Rebecca explains to Tek.

[sandmote]

"Indeed," Elmir adds. "Since when do such beings need a reason to do these things? Cadmoor is likely just the easiest town to bring over."

[WhismurWanders]

"Time will be of the essence then. If cultists have already spread their roots, it will be difficult to dislodge them." Caspar sips from his own tea as he thinks for a moment. If the group marched up and declared an inquisition, the cultists would surely go to ground and hide. Subtler tactics may be needed. "Do we have any friends in Cadmoor already? How did we hear of this alleged corruption?"

[Rogue227]

Faye listens intently to the Warden's words, worry lines showing on her brow. With the poor villagers exposed to such a malevolent threat, there's no question she will be on her way to Cadmoor at the soonest.

Will there be a chance to peacefully dissuade the cultists from their plans? She feels unsure in this regard. I will try though. If that doesn't work out... She studies the group of companions assembled around the table. For a moment, her gaze comes to rest on the birdman's quite impressive drawing of an eagle. She can't help breaking into an amused chuckle. I'm confident we will be able to outdraw them.

[MintyNinja]

"You're both saying town when I thought Cadmoor was just a village," Tek says to those addressing him. "Maybe it's a practice shot, eh? Make a village disappear, not too strange about that in the Forest. But if the cultists figure out how to do that then what's to stop them from buffeting their plans until they can take this Temple? Or Aaranumbral? I'm not saying that it's not important, I'm asking why start with this village." He directs that last at the Warden, hoping that the scenario he just thought of wouldn't come to pass.

[SunderedWorldDM]

"Tek," Zavvix chuckles, "there's nothing remarkable about evil people doing evil things in a small town. As far as we're aware, the cult arose when an unknown figure in the town, possibly a new arrival and possibly someone who was recently touched by madness, began to attract a following. As far as we're aware, nothing remarkable about Cadmoor compared to any other town."

"And Caspar," he turns his gaze as he swirls his tea in his clay mug, "We have two agents currently in Cadmoor: Alvinea and Phillip Moordam, half-elf twins who both own Moordam's Traveler's Emporium. They found out after a townsperson went insane in a square, ranting about the Mother of Goats. Later that evening, they caught a glimpse of some figures in black, bloodstained robes running through town square. We know nothing past there, but we've come to what we thing is a reasonable conclusion."

"Any more questions?" Zavvix asks. "I'd rather you know what you're walking in to..." His face darkens as he takes a swig of tea.

She is known by many names: Queen of Rot, Master of Asphodel, Mistress of Plague, and yes, Mother of Goats.

[sandmote]

Elmir sips his tea, and responds slowly. "Should we avoid drawing attention to our agents, or start our search by checking with them for anything new?"

[SunderedWorldDM]

Zavvix looks at Elmir. "I would try and secure information without risking the contact's safety and sanity, if possible. We'd prefer to keep the contacts, so if at any point they would be in danger, I would advise you make them a priority..."

[MintyNinja]

At the Warden's response Tek sits back down and crosses his arms, choosing to keep silent. It didn't make sense to him, but there wasn't any point in arguing it here. If it really was just a random happenstance then they would deal with it handily. But, if there was any reason to suspect something deeper, he would need to keep an eye out.

[Diceomancer]

"Anything noteworthy in the area around this Cadmoor place? And when do leave, then?" Glim says, still sounding upbeat.

[SunderedWorldDM]

"Nothing too remarkable 'round Cadmoor. A stream nearby, sure, but nothing too interesting otherwise." Zavvix takes another sip. "I plan on having you all pack supplies within the next two hours, and leaving before sunset. Cadmoor should be n more than three days or so away. I'll provide a map," he says as he snaps his fingers and a folded sheet of parchment appears on the table.

"Now, any final questions, or are you itching for action yet?"

[Illven]

Three days, assuming the village doesn't move? Rebecca snarked.

We should pack at least two weeks worth of food. She recommends.

[Rogue227]

So far, Faye has thoughtfully followed the conversation. Now, the petite girl stands up to make herself heard.

"Milord, you expressed your wish that we shut down the temple. Do you have any particular directions on how to deal with the cultists? Will it be enough to drive them off? Or would you have us seize them and bring them here? What about any poor townspeople corrupted by the cult?"

She pauses to brush a streak of hair out of her face.

"We're still not sure what exactly is happening at Cadmoor. Will we be able to contact you for further instructions once we have arrived there and gathered more specific information? Or are we to decide on our own how to proceed? If so, who are you appointing the leader of this venture?"

[Tekrow]

Ravenor looks at Faye as she speaks, and memories of times long past quickly flash before his eyes, of a town burning, and people screaming.

"In my experience, just merely driving out the cultist will only make them try harder and smarter next time, and that makes them become far more dangerous." He pauses for a second, deep in thought for just the briefest of moments. "As for the townsfolk, I think it depends on their level of corruption. When we get there, we can't really trust anyone but ourselves, and maybe our contacts. If we can help anyone, we should. But whoever we can't help, it would be a mercy to kill them than to leave them to the corruption."

[SunderedWorldDM]

Zavvix looks gravely at Faye and Ravenor. "Try and be as noninvasive as possible, but the highest priority is always to shut down whatever institution Shub-N'varoth has set up. I'd prefer you to keep as many cultists as unharmed as possible, but if they're beyond the point of no return, then do what you must. Please bring any surviving cultists back under the most secure conditions possible."

"Good questions!" Zavvix chuckles. "Anything else?"

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar listens to the points brought up by those who would be his companions and strokes his chin in thought. I believe we are getting ahead of ourselves... he mused silently as he finishes his cup of tea while it was still hot. "I have things to pack and organize, but I am ready to take my leave if there are no objections."

[MintyNinja]

"Yeah, I could use a moment to pack up, but otherwise I'm ready to go. Three days by foot, right?" Tek asked as he scratched a diagram into the clay of the table. "I could probably make it in two, flying." He looked to the Warden and those others gathered around the table. "But that's probably a bad idea, isn't it? Showing up a day early might alert the cultists to something, and I can't track 'em all down on my own."

[sandmote]

"Probably best to travel together." Elmir finishes his tea, and gathers himself.

[Diceomancer]

"All right then." Glim gets up to go pack.

[Rogue227]

Faye lingers a bit longer, pondering, while some of her companions are already taking their leave. The seriousness of Zavvix' words weighs heavy on her. Also, there was something disturbing in Ravenor's determination. Am I taking things too easy? One of her old master's counsels back at the monastery comes to her mind: 'Learn to listen. There are those who have seen things you are yet to see. Take heed of their words.' „I will.“ she mumbles to herself, her head bowed.

As she looks up again, adventurousness and confidence have returned to her face. „My lord Warden, at your service.“ With these words, she takes her leave from the Inner Sanctum. There's two hours to get ready for another journey.

[MintyNinja]

Once he notices that people are leaving to pack up their belongings Tek stands from his seat, inclines his head to the Warden, and heads off to do the same. All the while he sifts through the conversation to try and get an idea of the others set on this task.

I haven't anymore questions. Ready to roll.

[Tekrow]

"I'm ready when you all are." Ravenor says as he starts to head out.

[SunderedWorldDM]

You all go to your small quarters within the temple to gather your belongings, preparing for travel. You all meet in one of the many large rooms inlaid with green stone providing leave from the temple. One of you procures the map Zavvix provided as you stride out of the massive doors and into the vast and beautiful forest.

What is everyone doing on the first day of travel?

[MintyNinja]

During the first day of travel Tek volunteers to scout out above the treetops. While it's an excuse to get some wind in his wings, he really does scout out landmarks and compare their progress to the map they were provided with. Part way through the day he returns with a sack of berries and fruits that he knows to be edible and shares them out.

Using my Background Feature: Wanderer to not only keep us inline with the map, but find food for up to six persons.

[Illven]

Rebecca for her part will try striking up causal conversation and keep an eye out for anything dangerous.

[Rogue227]

Faye enjoys conversation with everone who's up to it. Usually travelling by herself, she's quite happy about having others around and getting to know her new companions better.

Also, she's still thrilled with the Vipernoss and its wonders and absorbs the impressions of the surroundings. Maybe, she'll even find some edible plants or mushrooms by looking around.


Wisdom (Survival): [roll0]

[sandmote]

Elmir walks near the center of the party, making a bit of conversation when prompted, but mostly keeping to himself.

Sorry, didn't grasp the question at first

[Diceomancer]

Glim will also stay near the center, conversing with the others. He'll also keep an eye out for food he can gather.

Using the wanderer feature from the outlander background.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar keeps among the group as well, conversing with anyone to pass the time, usually by regaling stories he had in his retinue. Most of them the sort heard in less-expensive taverns and places of similar reputation. Not the material he would perform in better company. Whenever no one speaks to him, he simply watches the landscape move by around them, and occasionally practices his pan flute. Walking while playing often made his tones uneven, a skill that he found could easily be trained while on the road.

[SunderedWorldDM]

After a day of travel as the light shines down on you, Tek notices from the top of the canopy that the skies are beginning to cloud. You decide to camp down for the day in a small grove as the rain begins to pound down.

As you set a small campfire, I would like you to decide who will take first watch and make a perception check.

[sandmote]

At the first mention of the night's watch, Elmir perks up. "I'll take whatever time is left over," is his immediate position on the matter.

[roll0]

[Illven]

I will take second watch. Rebecca offered.

[MintyNinja]

"Then I'll take first watch," Tek responds to the others. He was a little too excited to sleep just yet anyway and he had a good eye for movement.

[Rogue227]

"Fine. And I'll take last watch. I'm up early anyway."


[roll0]

[Tekrow]

"I can help with any watch needed."

[roll0]
Dunno why I did the minus 1 lol, it would actually be +2, for a total of 10. My bad.

[WhismurWanders]

"It sounds like third watch will be mine."

[SunderedWorldDM]

As you bed down amidst the pattering of the rain and darkening of the sky, you rest and settle until all but but Tek are sound asleep. Amidst the sounds of thunder, Tek keeps careful watch, keeping eagle eyes pointed towards the darkened wood.

In the deep evening, the rain intensifies a bit as Tek rouses Rebecca from an odd dream about walking through a forest hearing laughter echoing all around. She tries to stay alert, but keeps dozing and getting distracted. Despite her poor watch, nothing sniffs around the campsite.

Elmir emerges from his trance as the half-asleep Becca taps him on the shoulder before falling into her bedroll. As the rain drums on the canopy, Elmir's eyes pierce the darkness. He keeps a careful watch until the surroundings take on the indigo glow of the rising sun. He creeps over to Faye, who leaps to attention and takes the final watch until the sun's golden crest advances over the horizon and the rain slows to a drizzle. Faye wakes you up as you all prepare for today's travel.

What are you doing on this more dreary day of travel?9

[sandmote]

Elmir continues on as before. The main difference this day is that he has raised the stump of a leathery wing from under the pelt, shielding himself from the rain with it.

[Illven]

Rebecca will continue trying to keep an eye out.


Perception [roll0]

[MintyNinja]

Tek takes to the treetops once again, scouting ahead and keeping the party in line with what landmarks they find.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar keeps an eye open for anything that can be quickly foraged without slowing down the group. Every morsel could save them time and energy later.

Survival: [roll0]

[Tekrow]

Ravenor takes out his flute and starts playing it along the way.

[Diceomancer]

Glim plods along, noting anything interesting in the landscape or wildlife.

[Rogue227]

Faye walked along, her hood pulled down low over her face against the rain. She peered forth from under it, observing her surroundings. With the rain continuing, she would prefer a dry place to sleep tonight. Maybe they could find a small cave or a woodman's hut nearby.


Perception: [roll0]
Survival: [roll1]

[SunderedWorldDM]

The second day passes uneventfully, the pitter patter of soft rain against the leaves providing a pleasant backdrop to your travels. About mid-afternoon the sun emerges from the cloud cover, blanketing the world in a white glow before it begins to set.

As evening comes and the sun sets, Faye spots a small cave, warm and dry inside. It's barely enough to fit all of you, but at least you won't sleep on a wet blanket of leaves. As you light a small fire to cook your evening meal on, you discuss rests again. Will you be taking the same order of watches or different ones?

[MintyNinja]

"I'll take the fourth watch this time around, I don't see too well in the dark," Tek offers when the conversation comes up. It was the truth, but he was also more tired than he wanted to admit after only two days of travel. It had been a while since he'd left the Temple of Harmony.

Perception [roll0]

[Tekrow]

"I'll take the first watch, you all rest for a bit, I feel fine."


[roll0]

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar feels he owes it to the others to take a watch tonight, as he hadn't done so the previous night. "It would be untoward of me to not take part of the watch tonight. I will go second, unless anyone objects."

[Diceomancer]

"I'll take second watch, then."

[roll0]

[SunderedWorldDM]

As you bed down for the night, Caspar decides to take 3rd watch instead of 2nd and Glim takes the rest after Ravenor.

As all but Ravenor climb into their bedrolls, smoke flows gently out of the pleasantly warm cavern as the small fire dwindles. The warmth against your back feels so good, you eyelids are so heavy, the cool air from outside is soothing and whispering of deep and comfortable sleep- you drift off into sweet and blissful dreams.

Glim wakes up around midnight, wondering why Ravenor didn't wake him up an hour ago. But when you see his sleeping form, thumb in mouth and a look of comfort on his face, a smile comes to your face. You drape your small cloak over his form as you keep watch through the darkness, the sliver of moonlight illuminating as your keen eyes roam the darkness. Nothing but a few woodland creatures wander around the small cave, and after a couple hours, you wake up Caspar to take his watch.

Caspar sits at watch.Whismur, make your Perception roll.

[SunderedWorldDM]

As Caspar sits in the early morning, when the sun has not yet awoken, when he s alone with his thoughts and the crackle of firelight, he hears sounds of twigs snapping in the forest ahead. He snaps to attention and looks out into the darkness.

He spots what appears to be a large, rotund creature walking on all fours, a coat of feathers over its body around a decidedly avian face. This creature is smaller, as even with its bulk it stand barely up to your chin at most. The creature looks at you with deep brown eyes and coos once.

What would you like to do?

This is indeed an immature owlbear. It's not very dangerous, but there might be a mother to contend with. It's possible to train this to make it a mount, ally, pet, or beast of burden, but that would only further aggravate the mother.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar holds still as an unwelcmed visitor comes into their camp. He didn't see any reason to be violent with a beast which, despite its odd appearance, seemed to only be curious. No doubt guided here by the fire, he surmised. He stood up slowly and kept his body small and low to the ground, not wanting to startle the creature. He walked over towards the creature equally slowly, holding up his empty hands. "It's okay, I won't hurt you.
But I don't think you should be here." His voice was smooth, and the tones were flat and focused. He hoped his body language was enough to encourage it to leave, but if he could get close enough, some magic would be more than enough to get the message across for him.

Animal Handling; [roll0] to convince the creature to leave peacefully, but I still have Hypnotic Gaze in my back pocket if things go south.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Despite your intentions, the young creature's eyes widen as it comes closer to the campsite. Despite your tone and body language, this bear-owl hybrid comes closer before putting four paws on your chest and staring at your face, a small tongue emerging from the beak to lick you. It goes back to all fours as it begins to whimper, looking back out into the darkness. The whimpering begins to increase in volume. At this point, most of you can hear the whimpering as you begin to wake up.

What would you like to do?

[Diceomancer]

"What's going on?" Glim groans, then he stands up and looks at the source of the noise.He realizes what it is and sees it whimpering and glancing back into the forest. "There's something out there, either mama owlbear or something else. We need to quite this little beast down." He fishes some dried meat from his trail rations and offers it to the creature while gently shushing and trying to calm the creature.

[MintyNinja]

Tek blearily opens his eyes, expecting to take his watch only to find the others waking and a strangely feathered beast whimpering next to Caspar. As Glim says something about quieting it down, Tek reaches for his bow. He fumbles with an arrow before realizing what the smaller gnome meant and sheepishly sets his weapons aside. "Y'said there's more?" he offers as he starts to stand up out of his bedroll. "I dunno if I hear 'nything..."

Perception: Voluntary disadvantage for not only just waking up, but the whimpering of the young and the sounds of others waking up.
[roll0] or [roll1]

[SunderedWorldDM]

Tek blearily opens his eyes, expecting to take his watch only to find the others waking and a strangely feathered beast whimpering next to Caspar. As Glim says something about quieting it down, Tek reaches for his bow. He fumbles with an arrow before realizing what the smaller gnome meant and sheepishly sets his weapons aside. "Y'said there's more?" he offers as he starts to stand up out of his bedroll. "I dunno if I hear 'nything..."

Perception: Voluntary disadvantage for not only just waking up, but the whimpering of the young and the sounds of others waking up.
[roll0] or [roll1]

Very far off, you barely hear the sounds of something large trampling through the woods at a meandering pace.You have about two minutes.

Glim, make an Animal Handling check.

[MintyNinja]

"Oh, wait aaaHUAA-" Tek's interrupted by a yawn, "Ahem, right. Uh, somethin's comin'. Bit big, tramplin' through the brush. I'd say a couple minutes out at this pace, but that can change damn fast, I think." As if hearing his own words from someone else the realization of their situation dawns on him and his eyes go wide. He picks up his bow again and says, "Uh, Glim, you able to take this cub on outta here?"

[Tekrow]

Ravenor wakes up, looking at the cub near Caspar. He tries to focus on his surrounding, trying to see if he can hear or see something else. He stands up. "Look sharp people, whatever might come, we have to be ready".

Perception: [roll0]

[SunderedWorldDM]

As you extend the jerky, Glim, the cub immediately snaps it out of you hands with its beak, then stands on its hind legs and moves its front two up and down with a joyous expression on its face- a happy dance. It lets out a large coo into the dark woods as it puts its paws on your low shoulders. You hear Tek's cry of alarm right before a mournful sound echoes through the woods, one a combination of a bear's roar and a owl's cry. The cub freezes, climbs off Glim, and looks back into the dark woods before turning back to Glim with a curious expression.

Ravenor catches none of this while he wipes the sleep from his eyes and picks up his trusty blade.

It seems the owlbear cub has taken a liking to Glim, which may help or hinder you when the mother arrives (the creature who let out the second call). If you had any intentions to take the beast as a pet, Glim would be the one it looks up to the most among you until someone cares for it better or for longer.

[Rogue227]

"What is it?" Faye straightens up to an elbow and looks about the camp.

As she sees Tek and Ravenor up in alarm and armed, she jumps to her feet in a smooth movement, taking a defensive stance. Then she notices Glim and Caspar at the cave entrance, facing the source of the whimpering sound which must have roused her from her sleep. She relaxes, her face brightening. "How cute!" she exclaims in delight. "Look, Glim, it really likes you!"

The sudden alien call cutting through the night hushes her instantly.

"Whatever that was, it sounded close," she whispers after a pause. "We should wake the others." She kneels down to softly shake up everyone who is still sleeping.

[Illven]

Rebecca wakes bearily, putting a hand to her head as she steadies herself.

What.... what happened? She lets out.

[Rogue227]

"We have a visitor." She nods over her shoulder towards the pup.

"He seems quite harmless. But there's something out in the woods sounding less pleasant. And it's coming."

[sandmote]

Elmir has woken up, but has been silent so far. "Can't tell if that was a bear, or an owl, or what." He peers into the darkness toward the sound.

I'm assuming nature to recognize the sound: [roll0]
and perception to potentially spot mama: [roll1] or [roll2]

[SunderedWorldDM]

Elmir has woken up, but has been silent so far. "Can't tell if that was a bear, or an owl, or what." He peers into the darkness toward the sound.

I'm assuming nature to recognize the sound: [roll0]
and perception to potentially spot mama: [roll1] or [roll2]

The cry is unfamiliar, but you definitely hear it echo through the forest, with a sound of large feet trundling at a brisker pace. You have about a minute now at most.

[MintyNinja]

Impatient as always, Tek feels the the rush of a possible fight coming on and decides to set himself up before being ambushed. He takes his bow and quiver, as well as one of his shortswords, and flies up into the branches of a tree overlooking their cave-camp.

I'm just positioning in case this goes poorly. No readied Actions as of yet.

[SunderedWorldDM]

As you try and dart out of the way of the cub, it makes a playful swipe at you, seemingly without hostile intentions, as it lets out a coo. It looks at you with mirth in its eyes.

Meanwhile, another low and alien cry echoes though the dark woods... 50 seconds.

[roll0]
1 damage on a hit

[Illven]

Rebecca will attempt to put on her shield, as well as her armor if possible.

[Rogue227]

Faye kneels beside her sleeping place and produces several torches from her backpack. She moves over to the campfire and holds them into it in order to enkindle them. "Maybe fire will keep it off."

She passes on a burning torch to anyone willing to accept. Keeping one for herself, she goes about setting up any remaining torches in the ground in front of the cave entrance.

"Glim, can you throw a treat to lure the pup away? If it's mommy furbird approaching, she probably won't bear anyone around her baby."


Faye has ten torches and will take as many from her backpack as she can handle at once.

Hopefully, the ground in front of the cave is soft enough to set up the torches... if not, Faye will simply lay them out in a circle.

[Diceomancer]

"I'll try, but odds are it comes right back here afterward." Glim takes out another piece of dried meat, shows it to the cub, and then tosses it as far as his tiny arms will throw. He then casts mage armor on himself. "If that doesn't work, I can try cub noise illusions to lure away the mother, but I'll have to go out into the woods a good distance myself if I want it to not notice this place."

[SunderedWorldDM]

"I'll try, but odds are it comes right back here afterward." Glim takes out another piece of dried meat, shows it to the cub, and then tosses it as far as his tiny arms will throw. He then casts mage armor on himself. "If that doesn't work, I can try cub noise illusions to lure away the mother, but I'll have to go out into the woods a good distance myself if I want it to not notice this place."

As you expect, it goes out to fetch the meat, then comes right back and puts its paws on your shoulders, licking your face. Faye, the ground has been moistened by the recent rain and is most certainly supple enough to drive torches into the ground. You spend about 20 seconds to drive the torches into the ground and lighting them. The snapping of twigs grows closer, and another cry echoes through the forest.

[sandmote]

Seeing faye's work, Elmir pulls out wood from the area (presumably from anything used to tend any campfires) and casts druidcraft until it manages to stay lit. "Glim, see if you can make it really happy. At least since it won't leave."

I haven't seen it mentioned, but I'm assuming the characters have brought up their names by now.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar assists with lighting the sticks, with a simple fire spell that he had long since mastered. As the noises come closer to the group, he makes sure to keep his distance to allow others towards the front.

[SunderedWorldDM]

At the edge of the clearing, Tek spots a lumbering figure, easily twice the height of the cub, charging at a quick pace through the trees, bounding over the roots and rocks of the forest below. Meanwhile, the ring of fire has just been set up between you and the mother outside. You have maybe ten seconds before it comes up to the ring, if that.

Any final actions before the mama owlbear approaches?

[MintyNinja]

Tek tries his best to stay hidden in the branches while also nocking an an arrow to his longbow.

Action: Hide. Stealth Roll [roll0]

Not going to fire or ready an action, but if things look like they're going poorly then I'll try to fire in from above, hopefully I'll be hidden enough for Advantage.

[Rogue227]

Faye is waiting behind the circle of fire, a burning torch in one hand, her quarterstaff in the other.

She looks watchful and determined.

[sandmote]

Elmir has his shield out, and the other hand ready to cast. Chunks of the pelt almost seem to float away from him in the firelight.

[Diceomancer]

Glim draws and loads his crossbow while speaking in calming tones to the cub.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The cub is looking a bit worried now, what with the raging line of fire separating it from its mother. It cowers behind you, large brown eyes looking out into the woods. The mother lets out a roar- it's nearly upon you.

[WhismurWanders]

"This doesn't have to go down violently," Caspar declares. He makes his way towards the line of fire and stands close to Faye, attempting to make himself the first thing the owlbear could attack. Let's just hope it doesn't... he thinks to himself, gulping as he focuses his magic. Calming energies, a soothing aura ... his eyes lit up in the darkness as he seemed to radiate unearthly serenity.

I'm going to Ready my Hypnotic Gaze. If Momma Owlbear comes within 5' of Caspar, she needs to succeed a DC 12 Wisdom Save, or her speed will drop to 0, and she will be charmed and incapacitated unless she takes damage.

[sandmote]

Seeing Caspar shield the party with, apparently, himself, Elmir prepares to cast Faerie Fire.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The mama owlbear approaches, letting out a terrifying roar. She seems to back off from the wall of fire, but not before Caspar slowly steps forward, keeping direct eye contact with the creature. He tilts his head slowly to the side.

[roll0]. Did it save?

Meanwhile, the child appears to grow more frantic as the time continues, letting out concerned coos and looking around in fear. It look for guidance between Glim and the raging mother, seemingly torn between the two.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Despite Caspar's arcane attempts, the owlbear seems unconvinced of his friendliness and seems very bent on mauling everyone keeping her from her son...

We're going to go in to a skill challenge to resolve this conflict.
You all will go as you would in combat. As an action, instead of taking a combat action, you can roll a skill check instead. You can't use the same skill twice, and you can't use the skill the last person used. If you succeed, you gain one success, and we all know what happens if you fail... The DC for this challenge is 15 and you need 5 successes before 3 failures to sate the owlbear. If you resolve the problem outside of the skill challenge, then kudos to you. If you have any questions, let me know.


Your party can act first. How will you sate the raging owlbear and keep her terrified son safe?

[MintyNinja]

As he watches the scene below, Tek's attention is pulled to the side as a hare bolts from cover to flee from the massive predator. A half-formed idea of baiting the creature away with a meal barely coalesces in his mind as the hunter's arrow flies after the fleeing creature.

I don't know what else I can do from my position, other than make things worse. So here's hoping I can use Survival to hunt bait / snack for the Owlbear.

If it's just Survival: [roll0]
If it's a Ranged Attack: [roll1]
If Advantage still applies for being hidden: [roll2]

[SunderedWorldDM]

You watch as from the trees an arrow flies and strikes a small creature a few paces from the owlbear. She glances over and dives at the meat, gulping it down in one heave. She looks slightly more pacified, but is still snarling at the fire line separating her from her child.

[Illven]

Rebecca will move to where some of the meal was left, sliding it towards the beast.


Cooking plus wisdom? [roll0]

[Rogue227]

While Rebecca is drawing mother owlbear's attention with the left-overs of yesterday's meal to one side of the fiery circle, Faye quickly removes one or two of the torches on the opposite side, creating a gap in the flame barrier large enough for the pup to fit through.

Stepping aside to give way, she turns to Glim: "Hurry, Glim, lure it out now!"

She casts a worried glance over her shoulder to make sure the elder owlbear is still distracted, ready to reinstall the torches in time, if need be.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Rebecca tosses some scraps of her meal, seeing that if your party can appease the mother with food, the situation will become a lot less dangerous. She tosses out some eggs and meat from the meal. The mother gobbles it up. She now looks less raging and more peeved.

Skill challenge is 2 for 2! Keep it up. Faye, I'd like you to make a Dexterity (Persuasion) check in order to get Glim's attention quickly, because that's the best way I can thing of to resolve that action.

[Rogue227]

Dexterity(Persuasion): [roll0]



Of course, Faye's plan is to quickly put the torche(s) back in place once the pup leaves the circle.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Dexterity(Persuasion): [roll0]



Of course, Faye's plan is to quickly put the torche(s) back in place once the pup leaves the circle.


Faye tries to get Glim's attention, but he's too preoccupied with the cub. Faye, are you keeping the gap open, or closing it again?

[Rogue227]

The opportunity had been there, but it had taken her too long to seize it.

Noticing the owlbear mother engulfing the food and refocusing her attention on her cub and the party once more, Faye swiftly closes the gap again. No need to take chances here.

"There's not enough time. Never mind."

Frowning, Faye tries to think of another way to safely reunite the mother with her pup.

[sandmote]

"Let's try that again." Elmir smooths the pelt, pulls out some food, and tries to get the cub's attention "Here little cub, uh, owlet, uh, whatever you are."
I'm hoping for animal handling? 1d20+5

[SunderedWorldDM]

The cub looks over at Elmir, holding out a food pellet and soothing it in soft tones. Despite this, the cub looks back at its roaring mother and cowers, not accepting the pellet.

2 failures, 2 successes! You need 3 more successes before you fail or bad things happen...

[Diceomancer]

Glim pulls out his fiddle and tries to calm things down with a soothing melody.

Performance: [roll0]

[SunderedWorldDM]

Glim pulls out his fiddle and tries to calm things down with a soothing melody.

Performance: [roll0]

In an impressive display, Glim quickly flips open his fiddle case, tightens his bow, rosins the hair, and goes into a dazzlingly playful and fast melody more beautiful and complicated than most any music you've heard before. The overtones created almost form a shifting chordal background to the glissandos and arpeggios, shifting key and meter often to keep the piece alive and vibrant. Everyone, owlbear or humanoid, stops and stares at the small fiddle player. Finally, after soaring stratospherically high on the neck of the instrument, Glim elegantly flies back down, fingers dancing intricately along the neck of the violin. After a couple more key modulations, he plays the final triumphant chord, out of breath.

There is silence for a couple moments.

Then the mother sits back up and half-heartedly plods towards the ring of fire. She looks dazed, and nearly done chasing after her progeny.

The next roll will make or break the skill challenge! If they succeed, you succeed. If not, well, we'll see...

(And yes, I counted the crit as 2 successes.)

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar carefully takes a step back from the mother. He focuses and stretches out his arms beyond the world around them. The music just now, he had a feeling there was something just barely out of reach that had made the moment so incredible. If he could just ... reach into the Weave and amplify that moment so the smaller of the owlbears could understand the emotions involved in all parties...

[roll0]

[SunderedWorldDM]

Instead of pulling out the love, Caspar closes his eyes and throws is hands forward, yelling a powerful and ancient word as a ripple of red energy cascades from his hands and slams into the mother, welling up her anger and hatrd towards those who keep her from her cub. Her placid expression becomes contorted and furious as she leaps through the circle of fire, taking a claw swipe at you.

Claw attack roll:
Damage: [roll]2d8 + 5
Damage from the fire to the owlbear:[roll1]

[MintyNinja]

Tek's grip on the branch above his head tightened with every little offering his allies offered the beast, and once it leapt through the flames he knew it was all for naught. He rolled out of the tree and caught the air with his wings before landing roughly on the ground below. Bow up, arrow nocked, and release! He fires his arrow into the hulking mass of rage outlined by bright torchlight.

Move: Fly 20 feet to the ground, preferably in a straight line from the mouth of the cave, approximately 25 ft away from the Owlbear.
Action: Longbow Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]
***********
Tek (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1733859)
Aarakocra Ranger 2 CG

AC 15 HP 17/18 Speed 25/50ft

[SunderedWorldDM]

Tek's grip on the branch above his head tightened with every little offering his allies offered the beast, and once it leapt through the flames he knew it was all for naught. He rolled out of the tree and caught the air with his wings before landing roughly on the ground below. Bow up, arrow nocked, and release! He fires his arrow into the hulking mass of rage outlined by bright torchlight.

Move: Fly 20 feet to the ground, preferably in a straight line from the mouth of the cave, approximately 25 ft away from the Owlbear.
Action: Longbow Attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]
***********
Tek (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1733859)
Aarakocra Ranger 2 CG

AC 15 HP 17/18 Speed 25/50ft

The arrow sinks into a burnt portion of feathers as the mother roars in pain. The cub lets out a squeal of terror.

Oh yeah, every time you attack the mother, I give the cub even more emotional scarring. Have fun knowing you're making an orphan of an intelligent monster in front of its young, innocent eyes!

[Diceomancer]

Glim uses minor illusion to cause a nearby section of the cave wall to appear to thicken by about five feet, except for a small section large enough for the cub to fit in with good clearance between it and the edges. He then ushers the cub into this nook to prevent it from seeing the rest of the battle.

[sandmote]

Elmir isn't watching the cub at this point. "Get the baby out of here!" His cloak is shaking wildly.

Chanting, he casts a spell, and an area near the flames becomes outlined in blue light.
He's casting Faerie Fire, requiring a DC 13 Dex save for the mama owlbear. I'm assuming he can position the cube to not affect anyone else. If not, they need to make the same save.

As review, anyone who fails the save is outlined in blue, can't turn invisible, and anyone who can see them gets advantage on attacks against them.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The owlbear tries to jump out of the way of the blue light.

[roll0]

EASILY evading the magical attack, the cloud of blue fizzles without effect.

[Illven]

Rebeca winces before pulling out a javelin and whipping it towards the owlbear.


Javelin
[roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[SunderedWorldDM]

Rebeca winces before pulling out a javelin and whipping it towards the owlbear.


Javelin
[roll0]
Damage [roll1]


The javelin sinks into the mother's side as she roars in pain. You hear a squeak of alarm from the false section of cave.

[Rogue227]

"No!"

Faye leaps over to stand next to Caspar, her staff held outstretched defensively in her left hand, trying to guard the magician against the owlbear's angry attacks. In her right hand, she's still carrying a burning torch.

There must be another way.

Yet, she can only look on helplessly as her companions' missiles strike the creature's body. Behind her, she hears the feeble cries of the cub. Tears well in her eyes. "NO!"

"Back off!" she yells at the owlbear mother, desperately brandishing the torch to drive her back. "Don't you see? You're gonna get killed!"


Faye is not trying to hit the owlbear with the torch but to drive her off. Not sure if this qualifies as a Persuasion attempt, but if so, here's the roll:

Persuasion* [roll0]

*: If Intimidation or Animal Handling is more appropriate, the modifier's the same.

If there's still an action left to take, Faye will go with Dodge.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The mother roars in anger, not hearing the meaning behind the monk girl's words. She lashes out with her claws at the woman.


Hit:[roll]1d20+7[roll]
Damage:[roll0]

She appears furious as the firelight illuminates her feathers, reflecting in her eyes, like black pools of hatred. The cub has fallen silent from his position in the fake cave wall.

[MintyNinja]

"She must be tougher than an average bear," Tek calls to the others inside the cave. "I don't know if we'll be able to just knock her out after all this!" With a deep, centering breath he speaks an arcane word and feels the compass-like pull from behind his eyes as he fires an arrow at the creature's flank.

Bonus Action: Hunter's Mark.
Action: Longbow Attack: [roll0], Damage: [roll1] +[roll2]
***********
Tek (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1733859)
Aarakocra Ranger 2 CG

AC 15 HP 17/18 Speed 25/50ft
Spell Slots Used: 1st [1/2]

[SunderedWorldDM]

The arrow barely nabs the mother in the shoulder, causing her to let out a yowl of pain. She's definitely looking under the weather, but not yet down by a long shot. You hear a whimper from the section of cave, then some shuffling. It seems the cub is preparing to move.

However, as she struck out at Faye, the ring of fire scorched her under her arm, causing her to yell out and roll backwards onto her belly- in a perfect position to land vital attacks. (She was knocked prone. All attacks before she rights herself are made with advantage.)

[Diceomancer]

Glim turns his attention to the mother owlbear, taking aim and firing with his crossbow. He then tries gently stroking the cub to try to get it to stay in place (carefully avoiding making it appear as though his hand is phasing through rock). "Anyone got a way to pacify this cub?"

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Assuming the stroking the cub can be a move action.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The arrow hits the mother's stomach as she lets out a cry. Blood begins to trickle from the corner of her beak.

The cub is shaking to the touch, although your physical contact seems to calm it a bit, and as you stroke the down and coo, it slowly relaxes, the shaking descending from a vigorous rattle to a mild vibration. You hear a few whimpers, but you try and sush them as best you can.

[sandmote]

"Not at the moment," Elmir replys. "Sorry mama," he tells her, drawing his scimitar and striking at her. In the dancing firelight, a furry beast almost seems to rise from his back.

Attack rolls: [roll0] and [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar, thankful for the distraction, dashes for the safety of 'behind people wearing armor'. He runs for the illusory rocks and as he passes Glim, says, "I'll see what I can do." He moves close to the cub and, determined to have his magic not fail at least once in this strange night, attempts to pacify the cub with the same soothing tones he had used on its mother.

Move to the cub (if possible) and use Hypnotic Gaze again. Owlbear cub must make a DC 12 WIS saving throw.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Elmir's blade slashes into the poor creature's stomach creating a large gash. The mother shudders an lets out a groan. It's the most horrendous sound you as a druid have ever heard.

Meanwhile, Caspar is attempting to pacify the cub. [roll0]

The magic seems to have no effect. It seems the pain of the mother and the bond she had to her child is overcoming any petty magic attempting to shift the cub's emotions.

[Rogue227]

In desperation Faye watches her companions closing in on the owlbear that lies prone and is already bleeding from many wounds.

She drops the torch and lunges forward, determined to end the combat in a non-lethal way.


Faye attacks the owlbear mother with her quarterstaff using Martial Arts and a Ki point for two additional unarmed attacks (Martial Arts: Flurry of Blows feature).

Quarterstaff attack (@advantage): [roll0] [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] on crit, add: [roll3]

First unarmed attack (@advantage): [roll4] [roll5]
Damage: [roll6] on crit, add: [roll7]

Second unarmed attack (@advantage): [roll8] [roll9]
Damage: [roll10] on crit, add: [roll11]

If she reduces the owlbear to 0 hit points, she would rather knock it unconscious than kill it.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Tears streaming down your face, you lash out at pressure points and non-lethal points of contact you've learned in order to knock the mother unconscious instead of killing her. You take a flying leap over the torches, slam your quarterstaff into the bleeding flank and whip your fists out to connect with both sides of the owlbear's head. They eyes lose consciousness, but you see the chest still rising and falling.

The mother has been incapacitated, and the night is silent save the crackle of the line of torches, your heavy breathing, and the soft whimpering of the cub.

[Rogue227]

Faye crouches next to the overcome creature and takes a moment to recover her breath. As she rises, she wipes the tears from her face.

"It's over. There's no need to kill it."

Her voice is still trembling between tension and relief, but her gaze is steady and intense. Deliberately, she looks her companions in the eye one by one, as if to make sure that everybody agrees. Her features soften slightly when turning to Caspar.

"Are you alright?"

[MintyNinja]

Tek eased his next arrow off his bowstring and set it back in it's quiver. "If we're going to let it live then we'll need to move camp," he said while stifling a yawn. "We can try and catch up on rest for the night and lag behind tomorrow, or we could press on through the exhaustion of the next day and sleep in warm beds in Cadmoor. I wanna get there soon, so I'm in favor of the second option."

Yes, this will give us a point of Exhaustion, but we handled that fight pretty well and Tek's a risk-taker.

[Illven]

If we switch camps we should cross a river. I think that's how you get away from wolves. Rebecca lets out.

[sandmote]

Elmir has been nervously smoothing his pelt. Done, he turns to Faye. "Thank you. I was worried we would lose someone." He then turn to the rest of the party, "I'd rather get to Cadmoor, as I somehow doubt rivers are effective against anything bear-like. But before that, are any of you or the cub injured?" Without actually waiting for a reply, he starts packing.

[MintyNinja]

"Barely a scratch from the cub, otherwise I'm fine," Tek says as he starts packing up his own gear. His own thoughts were flitting about the spell he used and how it seemed to have helped for the moment that it was needed. He'd already lost concentration on it, but he would remember to use it in the future when the need inevitably came up.

I got just the 1 point of damage and that's not worth worrying over to Tek.

[Diceomancer]

"I'm fine, and I don't believe our new pet and mascot has any physical injuries, although maybe a bit shaken up." Glim says cheerily.

[WhismurWanders]

Her voice is still trembling between tension and relief, but her gaze is steady and intense. Deliberately, she looks her companions in the eye one by one, as if to make sure that everybody agrees. Her features soften slightly when turning to Caspar.

"Are you alright?"

Caspar sighs, feeling very much defeated and useless, and now that the adrenaline was wearing off, very tired as well. He shuts his eyes to gather himself before answering, "The beast did not harm me. I was hoping for ... a different result from my own efforts, to say the least." When the others speak of breaking camp in the middle of the night and moving on, he asks, "And what of the child? Taking them with us may lead to the mother hunting us down, and I'm not sure Cadmoor will open its doors for a wild animal."

[MintyNinja]

"Leave the cub here. There is no reason to take it with us. At all. If you're worried about something finishing the mother off before she wakes, then drag her into the cave and restake the torches."

[Rogue227]

"That sounds like a good idea," Faye replies to Tek, looking at him thankfully. She had already been worrying about what would happen to the mother if they left her to her fate.

She kneels next to the elder owlbear once again and gently runs her hand over its feathery fur. "You'll be fine." Pensively, she has a closer look at the creature's wounds.


Faye checks the owlbear's wounds. How serious are they? Do they require any treatment? If she deems it advisable, Faye will spend a use of her healing kit.

If needed, here's a Medicine check: [roll0]

If we pursue the plan of keeping the flame circle up, how many torches did Faye use for it?

[SunderedWorldDM]

The wounds appear moderate, if Faye has the intentions of the mother owlbear getting a rather speedy recovery, she would be wise to try and partially patch them up and mend them.

The circle used about 10 torches.

[Rogue227]

After having examined the owlbear, Faye drags it into the cave with the help of some of her companions. There she sees after its wounds, carefully cleaning them and applying a pasty salve which will prevent infection.

"We better get going now. She might be up again in an hour."


Faye's not aiming to speed up the recovery (especially not reducing the time of unconsciousness) but just to ensure that the healing will proceed well.

[sandmote]

Seeing no one request healing and the mother tended to, Elmir is ready to go. "Anyone still need anything? My vote is for getting to Cadmoor."

[Diceomancer]

"Oh all right..." Glim says, then begins quietly muttering to himself about how this group didn't understand how great a pet owlbear would be.

[sandmote]

Seeing how glum Glim is, Elmir speaks up. "Don't worry, the cub will be fine with it's mother. It's not like we should separate the two anyway."

[SunderedWorldDM]

And so, as the sun barely begins to creep over the horizon, casting a rosy glow across the trees, you pack your bags, the lack of sleep making you lethargic and sluggish as you extinguish the torches and pack them up. Glim softly calms the owlbear child, shaking and crying, as Elmir gently loops a rope around the creature, tying the other end to the unconscious mother's leg.

And at this note, you say farewell to the family and get back on the road to Cadmoor.

What would you like to do on your final day of travel?

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar travels in frustrated silence, unless someone speaks to him. He practices his simple illusions in an attempt to not think about the previous night, but every so often, he conjures the image of an angry owlbear in his hand, only to dismiss it and stop with his incessant casting for a few minutes, only for him to start again when his impatience seeps through.

[Illven]

Rebecca will keep an eye out for any dangers.

[sandmote]

Elmir is particularly quiet, his cloak hanging down, almost as if drenched with sweat.

[Rogue227]

Faye is in a good temper: things came to a peaceful end last night. For certain, there'll be a peaceful way to settle the conflict in Cadmoor, too.

Confidently, she strides towards the destination of their journey, exploring and enjoying the natural sights of the Vipernoss along the way. If the occasion presents itself, she also does some foraging.


Survival: [roll0]
In case of disadvantage due to exhaustion: [roll1]

[Diceomancer]

Glim is quite and brooding during the morning, still fantasizing about having a pet owlbear. By midday, however, he has returned to his old upbeat and chatty self.

[MintyNinja]

Tek tries to maintain his same role as the previous two days of travel, but exhaustion has him walking more often that he'd like.

Survival to keep us on track: [roll0] or [roll1]

[SunderedWorldDM]

As Tek attempts to fly above, a wave of exhaustion hits him as he coasts close to the forest floor, walking alongside you all and keeping a wary eye to the woods.

At just past noon, you come across what appears to be a small wooden bridge across a shallow but fast-moving river. Seated in front of the bridge in a rickety, mildew-coated chair is a sleeping female half-orc in what appears to be a faded and tattered guard uniform, supported by the rusty spear sitting at her side and the metal helmet sitting next to her.

Past the bridge, you can see what appears to be a township. Consulting your maps, you can see that this should be Cadmoor, unless you've made a grievous mistake...

[MintyNinja]

Rubbing the tiredness from his eyes Tek approaches the sleeping guard and gives her a shake. "Hey, wake up! The Captain's coming!" he says with feigned urgency. If the guard does wake and is not immediately hostile, Tek will step back with his arms wide and while gesturing to the entire group say, "You have the pleasure to receive the minstrels of Goldwillow, a newly formed band of musicians and performers eager to begin their ascent into fame and renown! It's just your luck that we happened to be passing by when we caught sight of the town, for this town will be known forever and always as the place where our great journey really began!" Tek tried to go grand with these proclamations, but this had never been a strength of his. "What's the name of this town, by the way?"

Disadvantage: [roll0] vs. [roll1]

[SunderedWorldDM]

As you whisper in her ear, the half-orc snaps to attention, giving a poor imitation of a salute before she looks confused at you and lowers her hand back at ease. As you talk, she grows more and more perplexed.

[roll0]

She snorts. "If you're a band, den were are you's instruments?" She grips her spear while making a shooing motion. "I've's been given instruction from da Mayor to not let anyone in, anyway. So bugger off!"

[Illven]

Rebecca slowly pulls out her flute from her bag and holds it out to show to the guard.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar reaches for his pan flute as well, but the guard not letting them pass is worrisome. He pretends to be indignant about the situation, playing off some of their previous experience. "Not let anyone in the town? So we can spend the nights fighting off owlbears and wolves and who knows what else? Surely your mayor wouldn't turn away simple performers to leave them to suffer on the roads."

[roll0]

[Rogue227]

Faye moves up to her companions, calmingly raising her hands.

"Let's not argue. The lady is only obeying orders, I guess."

She takes a look around, stretches her arms and yawns extensively.

"It has been a long day of travel. And if we can't enter town and find us an inn for the night, we might as well make camp right here."

Dropping her bundle to the ground, she looks around at her companions, flashing an amiable smile.

"What do you think? Should we start right away with our afternoon practice session? If we play loud enough, we might even attract some audience from town."

[Diceomancer]

Glim pulls out his fiddle. "Works for me."

[sandmote]

Elmir turns to the guard. "You'll want to cover your ears," he says, and snorts at his own joke.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The orc snaps to attention. "No, no, that won't be necessary," she grumbles. "I suppose you're authorized. But I will send the mayor a report about this..." She slumps back into her chair, ushering you across the bridge.

You enter the small crossroads that make up the town square of Cadmoor. It's about lunchtime, so you're probably looking for an inn to bed down at. As you scan the square, you see two buildings that look like they may suit your needs- one called the Brilliant Stag, well-cleaned and in a much more elaborate facility (looking like the pricier of the two), and the other the Goat's Head, scummy and dirt-cheap, one more friendly to the rough-and-tumble types. You also see a variety of stores and carts set up around the square, hawking basic wares to the small number of villagers wandering about. It looks almost idyllic.

Where are you going first?

[Rogue227]

Approaching the town square, Faye turns to one of the villagers:

"A good day to you, my friend. What is the name of this beautiful place?"


We're not 100% sure this actually is Cadmoor, right?

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar looks over the quaint little village they have gained entrance to. At least the corruption hadn't take a more sinister hold, but that would only make it that much more difficult to find. He wanders towards the stands and market stalls, curious to see what a small town would be selling.

[Illven]

Rebecca will enter the brilliant stag to see what they have, and how the area looks.

[Diceomancer]

Glim also heads toward the Brilliant Stag.

[sandmote]

Trying to smooth his pelt to look less ragged, Elmir also heads to the brilliant stag.

[SunderedWorldDM]

As the majority of you head towards the Brilliant Stag, you enter the gilded doors and into a lobby space. A blue, marble-like substance covers most every surface, and occasional highlights of gold in intricate designs of cherubs dancing around placid gardens interrupt the stone with their fine craftsmanship. Behind the counter sits a beautiful half-elvish woman, red hair cascading down her sides, who greets you warmly as you enter. To the left, a doorway to a set of stairs, leading up to the rooms and down to a bath service. To the right, you hear the sounds of fine dining and polite laughter- this is a well-to-do restaurant.

Meanwhile, those of you in the market square see relatively unremarkable wares. You see one selling live animals and fresh produce, another selling nothing but scented soaps, yet a third selling a variety of pots of pans of various shapes, sizes and makes.

If you wanted to make any purchases, you can buy most anything present on that one big table in the PHB. You know the one I'm talking about. You can't buy arcane foci or spellbooks, but everything else is available somewhere around the square.

[Rogue227]

Noting the others entering the Brilliant Stag, Faye decides to linger some more outside and watch the town life.

She looks around for a place to make herself comfortable, with a good view of the square.

Maybe there is a well by which she can sit and refill her waterskin, or a bench beneath a tree, or just a house wall to sit down next to and lean against.


Trying to get a general impression of the market square and the villagers around. Maybe there are any eye-catching/odd events to observe.

Perception: [roll0] [roll1] (disadvantage due to exhaustion)

[sandmote]

Recoiling slightly from the Brilliant Stag's doorway, Elmir decides to instead wait directly outside the building. "I'll, uh, I'll keep watch." He leans on the wall outside, eyeing passerby.

[roll0] or [roll1], whichever is lower.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Recoiling slightly from the Brilliant Stag's doorway, Elmir decides to instead wait directly outside the building. "I'll, uh, I'll keep watch." He leans on the wall outside, eyeing passerby.

[roll0] or [roll1], whichever is lower.

Jeez, those rolls! :smallredface:

You don't see anything too out of the ordinary going on right now. Passerby mulling about, raucous activity from the Goat's Head, shopkeeps and merchants trying to sell their wares. No sign of a dangerous cult as far as you can see...

[Diceomancer]

Glim walks up the the counter. "'ello there. I was wondering how many rooms you had available. Also my friends and I are to this town. Anything special we should see or do while we're here."

[SunderedWorldDM]

The woman smiles at you. "We have many rooms available. How many are among you, and how many would you like in a room?"

[Illven]

Seven, maybe four to a room? Rebecca offered.

And would it at all be possible to get a little discount? She asked batting her tired eyelids flirtatiously.


Persuasion [roll0]
Disadvantage [roll1]

[Diceomancer]

"That'll work for me, but you might want to check with the ones that need a bit more room," the gnome says.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Seven, maybe four to a room? Rebecca offered.

And would it at all be possible to get a little discount? She asked batting her tired eyelids flirtatiously.


Persuasion [roll0]
Disadvantage [roll1]


The half-elf looks at you politely, but firmly. "I'm sorry, but our rates are set. 7 gold per night per room." She chuckles. "You'd be a lot more persuasive if you clean up. Maybe a bath?" She gestures to the starwell.

[Illven]

Rebecca blushes at the chargin, and wanders off.

[Diceomancer]

"Be back after I speak to the rest of my group." Glim says, then goes and tries to gather the rest of the party somewhere away from prying eyes and ears where they can plan strategy.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar mills around before deciding that the wares being sold were unlikely to help in their venture. However, he approaches someone who seems to have a spare moment, and inquires about a local temple or shrine. "I like to pay my respects as soon as I have come to a new place, you understand."

[SunderedWorldDM]

You approach a woman, holding the hand of a small golden-haired boy. She looks up at you, then goes "oh! A newcomer. How wonderful! Yes, you'll want to visit the Temple of Fortune. Just down that street there, take a left, you won't miss it," she says as she is pulled forward by the small boy. "Welcome to Cadmoor!" she calls as the boy pulls her towards a gnomish merchant selling small toys.

[Diceomancer]

Seeing that the rest of the group seems to be out investigating separately, Glim heads off to look for a bar or other gathering place where gossip might flow freely.

[sandmote]

Not wanting the party to become completely split, Elmir follows Glim.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar thanks the woman for her time and turns to search for Faye, who he was certain he had seen resting nearby. "Would you care to accompany me to the local temple? I would like to pay a small tithe, but must admit that I do not know the proper ... protocol for such things."

[Rogue227]

Faye brushes off the crumbs of a simple meal of her cowl and rises to her feet. "Sure, let's pay a visit. Many temples receive travellers kindly, especially those willing to donate a small offering."

She lets her eyes wander across the town square and calls out to Rebecca who just exited the Brilliant Stag:
"Becca! We're heading to the temple. Would you like to join us?"

[SunderedWorldDM]

Elmir and Glim, looking around the square, seem to find that the rowdiest and most rambunctious place in town would be the Goat's Head. You head towards the grungy building, ready to listen in on any rumors that might be flowing. As you enter, you make your way around the crowded tables and sea of bodies crammed into the space to small to make your way to the dark, wooden bar, slick and sticky with spilled alcohol. An old halfling man dressed in a ratty apron sits behind the bar, polishing a dented metal mug. "What'll it be?"

Faye and Caspar follow the woman's instructions and make their way to a small, stone temple. It contains many small shrines to various gods and pantheons scattered about the main hall, and the smell of incense is thick in the air. A few blue-robed priests tend to the shrines around, not seeming to acknowledge you.

Becca can choose to follow either group.

[Diceomancer]

"I'll have an ale." Glim says. Once the bartender brings it: "Thanks. My friend and I are new to town. Any interesting places or happenings around this place?"

[sandmote]

"Some ale as well, please." Elmir continues to keep an eye out.

Not sure I need to reroll, but just in case:
[roll0] or [roll1], whichever is lower. Goodbye sweet rolls.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Two dented mugs are set in front of you and promptly filled with cheap ale. The halfling turns to Glim: "Nothin' ever happens in Cadmoor. Just a dot on da map, really. Best be out of here-" he gives you a stern glare- "at first opportunity. Go to Aaranumbral- those damned elves will have some use for you up there, unlike this little hamlet." He goes back to cleaning the mugs.

Behind you, Elmir hears the sounds of a small table of gruff, older human men gruffawing about his ears. They are whispering jokes and insults to each other, each one with the elvish race at the butt of the joke, trying to stealthily point at you and failing miserably on the subtlety.

[Illven]

Rebecca will follow the shrine goer's group.

[Rogue227]

Entering the temple, Faye takes a moment to let her eyes adjust to the dimmed light inside. She then looks around the hall, searching for a shrine dedicated to the goddess of wanderers to who she occasionally pays her respects on her travels through the Vipernoss.

She shares her observations with her companions in a hushed tone in order not to disturb the temple's peace.


Rolling a religion check if needed to get along and act adequately in the temple:
[roll0] [roll1] (disadvantage due to exhaustion)

[Diceomancer]

"Aaranumbral, hey? Never been myself, what's it like? The elves a friendly lot?" Glim asks.

[sandmote]

Bending over to Glim, "I'm guessing we aren't very well liked here," Elmir whispers.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar follows Faye closely as to not arouse any suspicion. His eyes wander over the various shrines laid out around them, and quietly asks Faye for help finding a patron of music somewhere amongst the collection. In the meantime, he watches the priests as they go about their duties, examining their behavior for anything that might be out of the ordinary.

Insight; [roll0]

[SunderedWorldDM]

In the Goat's Head, a halfling man stares down Glim and Elmir. He turns to Glim first. "No, we don't gen'rally think the elves think too highly of us, seein' as they won't let us intae their fancy city. We don't even want inn, anyway," he mutters to himself, tossing a sour look at Elmir. "And no, newcomers get unsavory attention 'round here, so us villiage folk don't take a shine to adventurers."

In the temple, you look around and find the gods you were looking for. Odin, god of travels and wisdom, among other domains, draws Faye, not to mention Sol, god of the sun. She performs the proper religious ceremonies at the small, cluttered shrines without making a complete fool of herself.

Meanwhile, as Caspar looks for the god of music, he also keeps an eye out for the blue-robed acolytes. They don't seem to be doing anything outwardly evil or sinister. Some of them appear to have taken some oath of silence, and a form of sign language seems to be taking place between a few of the priests. However, you're unable to ascertain what it means. After a few minutes of looking, you're unable to find a god of music.

[Illven]

Rebecca will look for anyone in the shrine to talk to.

[Diceomancer]

"Best be on our way, then." Glim says, standing up from the bar. "Unsavory attention though. Who from?" He pays for his drink while talking, and his best to make his questions seem like innocent afterthoughts.

[sandmote]

Elmir apologetically shrugs toward the Halfling, and puts down a bit more than it would take to cover the drink. He glances back at the laughing men.

[SunderedWorldDM]

Rebecca looks around and finds a scrawny, younger human male with unkempt brown hair and wide eyes. His robes appear to be slightly more rumpled than the robes of those around, and he looks to be thy type of person to constantly be flustered by every development, if you had a guess. He speaks in a raspy whisper. "Salutations, and welcome to the Temple of Fortune. Please try to remain quiet and respectful while you're here, as we have some individuals who have taken a vow of silence, and we'd like you to try and respect that. Are you looking for any god or goddess in particular?"

As Elmir and Glim shoot glances back at the rowdy table, they quickly grow more quiet, muttering among st themselves. You see a half-orc among them dressed in the robes of a laborer crack their knuckles and reach for a dented and well-used pickaxe below the table.

[Diceomancer]

"Asked and answered. Let's be on our way." Glim says, and starts for the door.

[Rogue227]

Faye spends some minutes kneeling in silent prayer at the shrine of Sol, then rises and joins Caspar again. "I'm afraid, I didn't see any shrine dedicated to a god of music around," she whispers while smoothing out the folds of her habit.

After making sure that nobody is overhearing them, she adds in an even lower voice: "But none dedicated to some infernal entity either."

[Illven]

Rebecca looks around and finds a scrawny, younger human male with unkempt brown hair and wide eyes. His robes appear to be slightly more rumpled than the robes of those around, and he looks to be thy type of person to constantly be flustered by every development, if you had a guess. He speaks in a raspy whisper. "Salutations, and welcome to the Temple of Fortune. Please try to remain quiet and respectful while you're here, as we have some individuals who have taken a vow of silence, and we'd like you to try and respect that. Are you looking for any god or goddess in particular?

We just wanted to take a look at the shrines. Are vows of silence common on the priesthood?

[SunderedWorldDM]

"Relatively so, yes. It's a bit of a Cadmoorian tradition. Personally, I came from Zinterwald, another city not 3 days from here, so I didn't feel comfortable taking the vow, as I don't know how long I'm staying." He catches himself talking about himself, and shakes his head. Humility is apparently one of his virtues. "If you have any questions about the vows, I'd be happy to be a vessel of communication between you and one of the acolytes."

[Illven]

"Relatively so, yes. It's a bit of a Cadmoorian tradition. Personally, I came from Zinterwald, another city not 3 days from here, so I didn't feel comfortable taking the vow, as I don't know how long I'm staying." He catches himself talking about himself, and shakes his head. Humility is apparently one of his virtues. "If you have any questions about the vows, I'd be happy to be a vessel of communication between you and one of the acolytes."

Sure, um, what other vows are common? Rebecca asked.

[sandmote]

Elmir puts a hand on his scimitar, and follows closely behind Glim. He keeps an eye on the half-orc. "Watch the one with the pick," he says quietly.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The acolyte speaks to Rebecca. "Well, I take an oath of humility. There's also those who try and consume as little as possible, spend as much time as possible unconscious or on select drugs, but they're the minority by far. The most common is a vow of silence, and that's about half of us."

Meanwhile, as Elmir and Glim make a motion to exit the Goat's Head, the half-orc growls and hefts the pick, but as you motion to leave, all he does is stand menacingly, eyes following you out the dented and warped doors. You are back in the sunlit square.

[Illven]

The acolyte speaks to Rebecca. "Well, I take an oath of humility. There's also those who try and consume as little as possible, spend as much time as possible unconscious or on select drugs, but they're the minority by far. The most common is a vow of silence, and that's about half of us."


Wait, wait, as much time, don't you mean as little time? Rebecca clarifies.

[SunderedWorldDM]

"Well, it depends on the oath. Some claim that certain herbs and drugs allow for enlightenment." He looks uncomfortable for a second, like he's holding in an opinion, then says "of course, I believe this to be dumbfou-" He claps a hand over his mouth, a bug-eyed expression on his face. "I'm sorry," he whispers, "sometimes it's hard to contain one's opinion..."

[Illven]

"Well, it depends on the oath. Some claim that certain herbs and drugs allow for enlightenment." He looks uncomfortable for a second, like he's holding in an opinion, then says "of course, I believe this to be dumbfou-" He claps a hand over his mouth, a bug-eyed expression on his face. "I'm sorry," he whispers, "sometimes it's hard to contain one's opinion..."

I'm not judging. Rebecca assures the boy.

[Diceomancer]

"Well, that was informative. Lot of grievance in this bunch." Glim says quietly once they are out of earshot of anyone else. "Got a bit dicey back there, but sometimes the only way to see if there's a swarm of hornets in a nest is to keep shooting sparks at it until something comes out or it catches on fire. Let's go see how the rest are doing."

[sandmote]

"You don't need to tell me about these people. I was one," Elmir smiles wryly. "But yes, let's find the others."

[Diceomancer]

Glim and Elmir go looking for the rest of the part.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar decides that an offering to the god of travel would be fitting for, well, a traveler, and leaves a few coins at the shrine. He sits down on the floor and offers a silent prayer for a few minutes. Satisfied that he had found everything he was searching for, he leaves the temple and waits for the other two to finish their business within.

[SunderedWorldDM]

As you all reconvene just outside of the temple, you realize just how long you've gone without sleep and quality food. The sun is slowly falling towards the horizon, casting a red glow about the thin, wispy clouds above. You think it would probably be a good idea to get some food in your belly and a good night's sleep.

[Diceomancer]

"The Brilliant Stag was 7 gold per room. We might want to check out the Goat's Head. We can discuss what to do next in one of our rooms after dinner."

[Illven]

Yeah, let's check out the other inn. Rebecca lets out.

[sandmote]

"Wonderful. Lets get rooms and then see our contacts. I'm not seeing anything unusual."

[Diceomancer]

The group heads to the Goat's Head Inn.

[WhismurWanders]

On the way, Caspar offers the question, "Do you suppose we can pay for our stay with a song or two?"

[SunderedWorldDM]

As you head towards the grubby building, you hear the sounds of fisticuffs from inside. As you approach, the doors to the bar are flung open and a large-half orc man who Elmir and Glim recognize is thrown from the interior of the Goat's Head. The halfling barkeep stands furiously in the doorframe. "AN' STAY OUT!" he roars, slamming the doors shut as the half orc slowly and painfully stands up, picking up his pick (now in the dirt alongside him) and shoves past you without a word. Sounds of a barfight continue to echo from the squat building.

[Diceomancer]

"I think we may have drawn bit too much attention already. Paying with song might make that worse." Glim pauses. "On the other hand we are a group of traveling musicians. Not playing any songs might be even more conspicuous. I say we give it a go."

[Rogue227]

As the half orc passes her by, Faye gives him an encouring nod and a sympathetic smile. She then turns to Glim:

"I agree. Let's offer our trade for shelter there."

[Illven]

Rebecca moves to intercede with the bar fight she can clearly hear.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar follows Rebecca, more out of curiousity than out of a desire to intervene. The thoughts of the last time he stepped into a fight were still on his tired mind. Should she decide to enter the fray herself, he would stay back and attempt to support her any way he can.

[sandmote]

As the party heads inside, Elmir brings up the rear. He turns to keep an eye on the half orc.

I'm assuming the half orc is walking off. If that's incorrect, I'm hoping Elmir sees what he's doing?

[Diceomancer]

Glim goes inside with the rest, subtly glancing around and hoping to avoid attracting undue attention.

[SunderedWorldDM]

You all enter amidst a raging brawl. Everyone is in fierce and unflinching combat with each other, faces contorted in hatred and red with effort. A metal mug clashes against the far wall. As you enter, you manage to slip between the flying limbs and make your way to the bar, standing upon which is the same grizzled halfling, keeping a human woman away from the cash reserves with the help of a beaten stool. He looks slightly preoccupied, not noticing your presence.

[sandmote]

Once Elmir enters behind the party, he takes a look around. Eventually, he strides up to the halfling, and tries between the human woman and the cash reserves.
He turns to the halfling, "hello. A moment of your time?"

[Diceomancer]

Glim follows Elmir, doing his best to stay out of the way of any brawlers.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The halfling glares at you. "You again. Whaddya want?" he says, not breaking focus from the woman so desperately trying to grab the cash reserves.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar attempts to distract the woman at least for a few moments by conjuring the sound of coins clattering to the floor behind her.

Casting Minor Illusion

[SunderedWorldDM]

The woman makes a mad dive behind her, being swept into the fray. The halfling looks at you and offers a slight nod. Something tells you that's all the thanks you'll get.

[sandmote]

Elmir nods at Glim, before turning back to the halfling. "We were wondering about getting a few rooms. Are you the one to speak to about that?"

[Rogue227]

Inside the tavern, Faye is still standing close to the entrance and observes the brawl with some concern. Probably not everyone is in this melee by choice, and some might be looking for help to escape it. Faye watches out for anyone in trouble.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The halfling looks at Elmir. "Yeah, I be the one, but I can't help ya 'till this mess gets cleaned up!" He gesticulates wildly at the crowd brawling ahead.

As Faye looks, she has a hard time looking through all of the people gleefully throwing punches and kicks at each other. Make a Perception check.

[Rogue227]

As she looks around, Faye stiffles a yawn. Definitely time to take a rest soon.


[roll0] [roll1] (disadvantage due to exhaustion)

[Illven]

Oy! Stop this immediately! Rebecca shouted out to the warring room.

[sandmote]

"Thank you for letting us know." Elmir then turns away, and glances around the room, looking for any areas with particularly many people fighting, and areas with few people going at it.

[roll0] and [roll1], whichever is lower

[WhismurWanders]

Unsure how to help calm the fight for now, Caspar asks, "What happened that exploded into this situation? I assume this isn't normal for your clientele."

[SunderedWorldDM]

The halfling looks to Caspar. "Unfortunately, it is. Fights just sort of start sometimes, ya know? I think this time, Ulrich," he makes a head nod at a dwarf wildly swinging a barstool at a mob of enraged tavern-goers, "got in a tizzy wit' Jameson," as he gestures to a human out cold, slumped against a wall, coated in a thin layer of mead.

Rebecca shouts, but doesn't manage to capture the ears of the crowd. You're going to have to try something more creative than that!

As Faye looks around, she can't see anybody caught in the fray who doesn't appear to be willingly trading blows. they seem to have evacuated promptly after the scuffle started.

[Illven]

Rebecca will start banging her cooking pot on the table, to try and produce more noise.

[sandmote]

Elmir holds his hand out to half Rebecca, but then decides to let her continue. "Sorry about any damage" he says, and casts.

Elmir casts Entangle around Ulrich and whoever he's fighting now. DC 13 strength save. I've no idea how many targets this is.

[SunderedWorldDM]

A few people begin to take notice as Rebecca bangs her cooking pot, stopping their fisticuffs, but it's not quite enough to stop the brawl altogether for more than a brief moment. However, you think it's going to get significantly harder to stop the brawl when a massive tangle of greenery explodes from under the floorboards, sending splinters of wood around the room. These squirming masses of vines entwine around Ulrich and the three people he's in the process of giving a deep-tissue face massage to.

[roll0] Ulrich
[roll1] Goon Alpha
[roll2] Goon 2
[roll3] Goon C

Two of the four are wrapped up, but Ulrich and one of the brawlers evade with speed. Ulrich grins and uses the opportunity to take a blow at the restrained goons. A tooth flies out of one of their mouths.

[WhismurWanders]

Caspar frowns as this 'Ulrich' character seems determined to keep swinging even though the fight was being brought to a close. He approaches the dwarven man with a fiery look in his eyes. He concentrated his magic, and his voice takes on a commanding, otherworldly tone. "I think it's about time you stopped this nonsense."

Using Hypnotic Gaze on Ulrich; He must make a DC 12 Wisdom save or be incapacitated, charmed, and have his speed drop to 0.

[SunderedWorldDM]

[roll0]

As you approach Ulrich and extend your hand, a small wave of purple energy washes over his stout and red face. He immediately slumps to your motion, falling into a stupor. The goons not entrapped in vines grumble about how the magic wasn't fair and robbed them of a victory. The fight has quieted down a bit since your efforts began, but there's still some brawling going on.

[Diceomancer]

Glim casts sleep on the remaining brawlers.

[roll0] HP worth of sleepytime.

[Rogue227]

As the fighting abates, Faye climbs the bar next to the halfling. She turns to face the brawl and starts to speak, keeping out a watchful eye for any tankards or shoes hurled at her from below.

"Sorry to interrupt the merry threshing!"

She brushes a streak of hair out of her face.

"See, we've just arrived in your homey town. A perilous journey and a night without sleep lie behind us. So, we would love to lodge here and get some hours of well-deserved rest. Unfortunately, this kindly sir" - she points to the innkeeper - "feels incapable of accomodating us as long as his place is razed to the ground. Please, relocate any unresolved disagreements outside. Thank you!"

She gives the audience an innocent look and her brightest smile as she awaits their reactions.

[SunderedWorldDM]

As Faye and Rebecca appeal to the crowd, now more open to hearing the two ladies, the small mage wiggles his fingers as 5 of the brawlers slump to the floor. The remaining look about at the mess, then up at you, then quickly rush to leave the tavern with haste, leaving you with unconscious and slumbering brawlers all around and two massive holes in the aged darkwood floor, from which spring massive tangles of vines.

The halfling grumbles. "Now I have to clean up this mess," he grouses, holding out a gnarled hand. You see on a chalkboard above that a night's stay is 7 silver. "Ye'll need 4 rooms, looks like."

[sandmote]

Seeing the fight is winding down, Elmir drops his concentration, causing the plants to wilt away.

"Again, sorry about that." He shows 7 silver, "Paying per day alright?"

[Illven]

Rebecca sighs in relief.

[Diceomancer]

Glim pays for his room. "Let's have some dinner, then chat in one of our rooms." Glim suggests.

[SunderedWorldDM]

The halfing snatches up your money and unceremoniously tosses keys to everyone that paid. "One room c'n house two, if needed."

[Rogue227]

Faye hops down from the counter and looks after the folks who exited the tavern in a hurry. "Left me no time to announce our show..."

Shrugging her shoulders, she turns to Rebecca: "We could share a room if you like." As she then puts out some coin to pay for the night, she waves at the tap room turned upside down: "Need a hand with this?"

[SunderedWorldDM]

"I'll give ya a free mug o' ale if ya help me," grunts the halfling to Faye.

[WhismurWanders]

With the fight over, Caspar turns to Ulrich, still dazed, and gives him instructions to follow. "I believe you've had plenty of physical amusement for one evening. Why don't you find your way home and sleep it off?" He then releases the magical hold, his voice returning to normal as he fishes out two gold coins for the unfortunate halfling. "For my room, and for some of your troubles, Mister Innkeeper." He awaits a response to Faye's question, not wanting to make themselves perhaps more unwelcome than they just had.

Persuasion to convince Ulrich to go home; [roll0] or [roll1]
Ending Hypnotic Gaze