City of Orussus, The Red Dragon Inn X

Edwyd's Pie Parade Brigade! (A Short Vignette)

The door to the tavern opens and a large man with a flour covered apron enters. He is beaming widely, and Joe calls out to him as he enters, "Edwyd, good to see you! Here for your anniversary?" Edwyd's grin grows even wider. He responds, "Aye, Joe, that I am. It's the missus' and my 20th year together, and she's as feisty as ever." He gives the bartender a wink. "If you don't mind, Joe...?" Edwyd steps onto the platform reserved for performances and announcements.

"Hear ye, patrons of the Red Dragon Inn! I have a proposition for you. As you might have ascertained already, it is my anniversary, and I have baked a most delicious pie for my delectable wife. I've had trouble with the delivery in the past, and I need some brave, able bodied individuals to accompany the pie to my house in the High District. The group will receive free food at my shop for a year. As if that weren't enough," he says with another wink, "I have one shiny platinum Dragon for the whole group to split! Any takers?" The smiling man holds his Dragon up and looks expectantly at the crowd of people.


[sblock=Knowledge (geography) DC: 5]
Orussus' High District is located in the north west part of the city. Wealthy merchants and nobles live there.

[/sblock][sblock=Knowledge (local) DC: 5]
Edwyd owns Edwyd's Victuals, three doors down from the Red Dragon Inn, in the same plaza.

[sblock=Knowledge (local) DC: 10]
Edwyd is well known for his fantastic griddle cakes.

[sblock=Knowledge (local) DC: 15]
Every year, on his anniversary, Edwyd bakes a pie for his wife and a small parade of citizens, drawn by the scent of the pie, follows the delivery all the way from Edwyd's Victuals to his house in the High District.

[sblock=Knowledge (local) DC: 20]
The tradition started 20 years ago, on Edwyd's first anniversary. Edwyd sent the anniversary pie to his home with one of his regular employees, but the employee was attacked several times by seemingly normal, law-abiding citizens. The employee ran from the first few, but by the end of the trek so many people were chasing after the exceptionally delicious pie that he was forced to throw it to the crowd.

Ever since that first failed delivery, Edwyd has hired a band of adventurers from the conveniently located Red Dragon Inn to protect his oh-so-savory pie. Following the delivery route has become a bit of a tradition for some of the citizens of Orussus, and every year at least a few members of the parade are overcome with desire and make an attempt on the pie.

[sblock=Knowledge (local) DC: 25]
Edwyd is very strict on the protectors of his pie. One year a protector drew his sword on a particularly ambitious crowd member. The crowd went crazy with fear, thinking the whole thing was all in good fun, and rampaged away, almost destroying the pie in the process and later causing problems for Edwyd's business. As a result, Edwyd began mandating use of nonlethal force by his hired Pie Brigade.

[sblock=Knowledge (local) DC: 30]
A small local sect of Geoth worshipers believes that Edwyd is actually an avatar of their god. How else could he bake such an incredibly delicious treat, they ask? Their claims are unverified by Edwyd, and even their existence is possibly unknown to the cook.

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[sblock=OOC: ]This is a short vignette, meant mostly to pass the time since no adventures are coming in the near future. It is meant for level 1 characters, but even they will receive very little XP or monetary rewards (specifically only 10gp, to be split among everybody). The L5'ers in the tavern will benefit almost not at all from this, but I'm willing to fudge the rules a bit and say that they can come along for the RPing fun of it and not affect the XP granted to the other L1'ers. If Rasereit (my character) comes along for the ride, it will be as an NPC, he will receive no benefits whatsoever.

Technically, this will be an adventure, and so any characters (except Rasereit) should receive approximately one month of realtime XP, as normal.

Please use Invisible Castle and post your results for the Knowledge checks.[/sblock]

opening his eyes, the halfling mutters something "mmmrrmmrmmr.....soooo hungry...."
then feels woozy again and slumps back onto the table

Rathan frowns softly as he hears the little mans pleas for food... quickly in unholsters his backpack and rummages around a bit untill he finds a trail ration and opens it with a smile as he offers it to the little man...

That's better... at least you're awake.... the food is quiet bland.. but it will do to get you back to health.. I hope" the cleric utters as he moves to break a piece off of the rather well kept bread to either feed to.. or hand to the little halfling.... he notices the baker and then his proposal... yet refuses to leave the halflings side until he knows he will be ok.. Hyrag would not have it any other way...

Cludge Slatefist

Cludge's ears prick up at the idea of free food.
Well, now Master Edwyd, that sounds like a right fair proposition. I'm yer dwarf for a pie delivery. Would it be aright if I have a quick arm wrassle with me new friend Rasereit here? Then we kin be on our way with tha pie.

[sblock=OOC] Rae, any decisions on the rule we should use for the arm wrestling? I still lean to opposed grapple checks, a pin wins just to keep things simple. [/sblock]

Edwyd's eyes go wide at the amount of activity he has apparently interrupted in the tavern. "Right then, dwarf. You look like a sturdy fellow. Finish your contest, I love a good arm wrestle myself!" He glances at the starving halfling. "Joe, think you could get one of your ladies over here to help this poor bloke out?"

One of the tavern's barmaids comes over to Rathan with a small loaf of bread and a mug of water. "If ye need it, sir..." she says to Rathan, offering to help him treat the halfling.

Rasereit Vundinn, Dwarven Barbarian

"Ooh, a year o' free food? How could Ah say no! But as me mate Cludge 'ere says, Ah've got some business t'attend to first. Ogrin, we'll catch up in a minute, righ'? Care to place some money on yer mate's assured victory?" Rasereit winks as he turns to Cludge.

He pulls out five pieces of silver and lays them on the table. "Five Shields, ye said? Sounds fine t'me, nah let's go!" A big dwarven elbow thuds on the thick wooden surface.

[sblock=OOC: ]Personally, I don't think level should have much to do with it at all. It's really just a contest of strength, not of experience. Cludge would be at a serious disadvantage. But if that's what you want, I'm not going to argue!

First roll: #1: Grapple check (without gauntlets) for arm-wrestle (1d20+8=18)[/sblock]

Rathan smiles to the barmaid in greeting as he looked up from the little mans form to hers....

" Thank you kindly... I'm sure this bread is better than my rations... Hyrag thanks you dear one" the priest would say softly as he held the bread down for the halfling to again eat or take into his hands.....

Cludge Slatefist

An even bigger dwarven elbow thuds down across from Raseriet's. Yer on mate! GNAAAAAR! says Cludge as he throws his weight into the contest.
[sblock=OOC] At least his 18 unaltered Str gives him a bit of a boost v.s Ras's 16. But experience has to factor in, I think. Cludge arm wrestling grapple check No. 1 (1d20+5=25) [/sblock]

[sblock=OOC: ]Okay, so according to my weak understanding of the grappling rules, Cludge is successfully "holding" Rasereit, so now we have an opposed grapple check to see if Cludge pins Rasereit.

#2 Grapple check, opposing Cludge's pin attempt (1d20+8=25)

So now... Rasereit has a chance to 1) attempt to break your hold, 2) (if successful) establish his own hold, and 3) (if successful) attempt to pin. Correct?[/sblock]
Rasereit's hand moves dangerously close to the table, but then he grunts and pushes back, moving Cludge's hand higher.

Oops. Posted in wrong place.