[IC] The Cult of Brannulv

[Xihirli]

Lana wagged her tail and stuck out her tongue happily. She licked Taara's arm before settling in for a relaxing cuddle.

[Gluteus_Maximus]

Taara just allowed herself to get absorbed in Lana's fluf and cuteness.

[Zergrinch]

Zarron stops his playing and joins Ghiso in cataloging what is left of their provisions. Not that there was any way to carry all of it now that the cart was well and truly destroyed.

== OOC ==

1. What we have left: https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...&postcount=237
2. What Ghiso just took: 100-pound stone tablet with rune of Cause Fear (lv1 spell)
3. What we have yet to plunder:

• Vial with dark grey smoky liquid/gas (conjuration)
• Vial with non-mixing brown, silver, and grey layers resembling bands of stone (transmutation)
• Vial with slimy green fluid that smells like tar (transmutation)
• Vial with glimmering yellow liquid (abjuration)
• Vial with glimmering blue liquid (evocation)
• Vials with ever-changing contents x5 (no distinct aura)

[Izzarra]

After spending some time examining the pack, Ghiso confirms that it is a handy haversack.

[Valmark]

When Ghiso was done, he handed the backpack back to...

...

Ghiso put inside the backpack what could fit, including the potions nobody had yet identified (carefully), and went to search for Lana and Taara since he hadn't followed them to the cave, and put the backpack down next to the two.
"It is a magical backpack with more space then it looks while being light as empty- it does have limitations though. Try not to go over twenty pounds for the side pouches or over eighty for the central one or it'll get destroyed" he told Taara since he wasn't sure Wolf!Lana understood him.
He then gathered what had survived the crash but couldn't be fitted into the backpack and made more disks -red and blue- to carry them.

"Since the cart was destroyed, how about we use that one scroll to go back to Qsen?" he proposed to the others "Stopping half an hour every thirty minutes to remake them seems... Inefficent. To say the least" Ghiso produced the scroll of Town Portal, waiting just a bit to make sure they agreed.

[Gluteus_Maximus]

Taara took in the information still cuddling with Lana, even though her form would run out of time soon, and even though she wanted to stand up and kiss Ghiso for thanks, she did not do so because she was not tall enough to reach his cheek anyway.

"That sounds fine," she said, face half obscured in fluff. She moved, giving Lana belly rubs while laying on top of her, to face Ghiso. "We needed to go somewhere anyway. To trade coins for supplies. And when we get a room, or two, we can have that talk I mentioned?"

[Xihirli]

Lana yipped happily at Ghiso and nuzzled Taara a bit more.

[Valmark]

Ghiso nodded "Sounds fine" he said, scribbling something down in his book then waiting for Zarron.

[Zergrinch]

Zarron sidles up to Ghiso and tries to nonchalantly sneak a quick peek at what he's writing.

Perception: (1d20+5)[9]

[Gluteus_Maximus]

Taara nuzzled Lana back, doing stretches on top of her and making sounds that could be mistaken for purrs. "I wish I could lay like this with you forever, Lana. Just like when I am riding horse-you. You are just so fuzzy!"

[Valmark]

Spoiler: Ghiso's diary

Show

Apparently, druidic shapeshifting isn't at all like Polymorph as previously theorized- the druid (the blue one, I talked about her before) seems to understand what I say...

There is also an hastily and not very good looking sketch of a wolf on a side.

[Xihirli]

Lana licked Taara's cheek happily in response, but eventually stood up and shook her fur, ready to go.

[Zergrinch]

Never really one for studying, Zarron stifles a yawn and quickly loses interest in the journal.

"Okay, let's go to Qsen!"

[Gluteus_Maximus]

Taara stood with her and stroked Lana's head. "So... How does this work? Who should cast the spell?"

[Valmark]

Ghiso pulls out the scroll, opening it.
"Unless Zarron or Lana really want to do it, I'll cast it" he gave them a moment to speak up, then started reading the scroll to cast the spell and open a portal to Qsen.

[Izzarra]

As Ghiso picks up the shifting potions they stabilize as long as they are in hand, each taking a different appearance.

---

The portal opens, going through you emerge inside a massive structure surrounded by dwarves. It does not take you long to realize that you are in fact underground in the dwarven quarter of Qsen.

The bustle and chatter dies down as the party comes through, there are many puzzled dwarves staring at you for it is rather rare for a group of non-dwarves to open a portal at this location. A minute or so later the chatter increases louder then it was before.

[Gluteus_Maximus]

After walking through and taking a few steps forward, taking in the surroundings (a breath of fresh air, while not literally, metaphorically due to seeing real living dwarves rather than the dead ones in the mines), Taara tried to grab the attention of one of the nearby bustling people.

"Hello, sir?" she asked politely, one hand on her pack and the other forward to be shaken if wanted. "We have just arrived here for our first time. We have used a scroll to come here, and er, we did not know it was to this particular part of the city. Could you please direct us to the way out?"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Persuasion if needed: (1d20+2)[19]

[Zergrinch]

Zarron goes back and forth into the portal, continuously bringing in the pile of things scavenged from the burning cart, until everything is on the other side.

"We have surplus wares!" he calls out to the dwarves around them.

Zarron's Wares:

WEAPONS
Dagger	3
Scimitar	1
ARMOR
Leather Armor	1
Cultist Clothes	2
Cultist Robe	2
ADVENTURING GEAR
Ax (gear)	1
Candle	1
Cauldron with Tripod	1
Cook's Utensils	1
Empty Chest	1
Flask of Lamp Oil	1
Hooded Lantern	1
Cultist medallion	3
Mess Kit	5
Sausages, flour, cheese, carrots, potatoes, onions	1
Scroll case	1
Splitting maul (gear)	1

[Valmark]

Ghiso chuckled when the dwarf buzz piped back up "What a lively bunch. I bet some of them are gossiping about us" he commented, then went to Taara and the person she addressed.

"If I may, we'd also like to know about somebody that would buy a magical rune if you know" he asked pointing at the slab of wall following him "And also to know where we can find someone of the clan Bluehammer. We bring... Important news"

Then he spotted something and hurriedly went to separate the medallions from the rest of the wares so that nobody could buy them.
"Please, don't sell curs- mh. Just don't sell these" Ghiso told Zarron "You probably should also keep one of each of the other item- I mean the adventuring gear. Could be useful"

[Zergrinch]

Zarron nods in understanding. The medallion has brought him so much comfort and security, so it's but natural for Ghiso to want the same.

"You're right, we should never sell something so precious. You should try it on, Mr. Ghiso," Zarron says as he puts a medallion around the half-elf's neck.

Gesturing back to the pile of stuff, Zarron adds, "Why don't we put the stuff we want to keep in Lana's magic backpack?"

[Valmark]

Ghiso stepped well away from Zarron when he took a medallion.
"I strongly doubt that will happen. But putting the stuff we don't wish to sell in Lana's backpack sounds good" now he was genuinely scared the bard would curse them all in their sleep, opening it -Lana was still in wolf form so he was holding on it- to stuff some stuff in.

Spoiler: Ooc

Show

If nobody minds I'd put:
- Ax
- candle
- oil
- cook's utensils
- hooded lantern
- 1 mess kit
- 2 medallions, 3 if Zarron let's go of the one he tried to make Ghiso wear
- scroll case
- splitting maul
- the still unknown potions

Remove what wouldn't fit I guess.

He went back to the person Taara was talking to adding "We would also like to see a cleric"
He didn't let Zarron out of sight.

[Zergrinch]

Zarron looks a bit disappointed and his ears droop some when Ghiso declines the warm safety of the medallion. But he didn't offer any resistance to giving it up.

[Xihirli]

Lana, still a wolf, follows at Taara’s heel, wagging her tail mostly because she had one. Wolves are fun! Everyone should be a wolf!

[Gluteus_Maximus]

Noticing Lana at her side, Taara pet her so the dwarf she got the attention of would not be scared off by what totally appears to be a wild ravenous beast.

[Xihirli]

Lana licked Taara's hand and smiled like a dog, yipping.

[Izzarra]

The dwarven quarter is an underground "T" shaped complex. Taara learns the entrance is around the corner not too far away.

---

Several dwarves take a look at the gear, but as a people that appreciate fine craftsmanship none are interested in the second, third, or perhaps even fourth hand equipment.

---

Honest Yuri's Magic Emporium, outside the dwarven quarter, is recommended as a place that would likely be willing to purchase the magical trap.

---

One spectator pipes up "Aye, I know a Bluehammer." He points to a store front across the way. "Works over there."

---

When asked about a cleric several dwarves point behind you to the other side of the portal, you arrived directly in front of a small temple dedicated to Grohtgeit.

[Zergrinch]

Zarron goes off towards the Bluehammer store. He doesn't really know what he'll say or do, but it seems like a fitting first stop.

[Gluteus_Maximus]

"Th-thank you very much!" Taara bowed, then turned to Ghiso. I am going to leave this place. There is an inn here called the old stag- it should be easy to find. I will be going there first to find a roo- I mean. 2 rooms. You and Zarron need space too. You would just be coming in to a room for us to talk, anyway. Wherever I go after that, we can meet up there."

[Xihirli]

Lana licked Ghiso’s hand and followed Taara, sniffing everything. The world was filled with such amazing smells she’d never noticed before.

[Valmark]

Ghiso nodded and waved them off with a "See you later, then" and scratched wolf!Lana's chin before remembering that was actually a druid and not a real wolf. He shrugged and brought the medallions to the temple.
"Hello- I've got a problem with these medallions" he asked the first cleric-looking person he found "Namely, a friend of mine seems to have attuned to them and developed a morbose affection to them- I'd like to know what they do before I try removing them. And if it is possible do it without the aid of magic. If it isn't... What magic should we use?"