[4e] The Wolfcrown, Chapter 1

[yzard]

Thomas, Summoner Wizard

Thomas hurriedly joins his allies at the stairs. "Agreed. We don't need to add any other suspicions by being caught in here."

 

[DistractingFlare]

With Crag Claymore's wilted body bound up in Torath's thick rope, you may elect to carry him downstairs to the main hallway and out of the castle gate. From there, it's only a few minutes to The Fancy Drake.

[sblock=ooc]In the interest of keeping things moving, I'll assume everybody heads to the tavern. If there's something you wanted to say or do on the way, go ahead and post it.[/sblock]

On the way out of the castle gates, the guard who fought alongside you nods and thanks you all for helping him. "Good evening, all."

At this hour of night, The Fancy Drake has is still roaring with fun. A warm, amber light shines out into your weary eyes, beckoning you in. A sturdy dwarf, standing on the porch with a flask in his fist, skulks through the shadows in your direction.

"Ye must be Cap'n Scultone's agents. And I'll bet this one (indicating Crag) is the bastard they sent to clean up their mess. I'll take him around the back door if ye like, and leave 'im in the cellar at yer leisure. M'name's Shale Stoneheart, proud owner of The Fancy Drake, and even prouder vice-president of The Orphans' Guild. Cap' Scultone - he's our leader, you know - ought to be here in the morning once you've had yer rest. Nice to meet ya. Drinks and food are on the house. When you're ready to ready to retire, I've got the two upstairs rooms made up."

Shale reaches out his hand to take Claymore's limp frame and attempts to guide you inside.

[sblock=ooc]I'll wait for everybody to at least accept his invitation inside before we move on.[/sblock]

 

[Rathan]

Doren helps get Crag into the back and down into the cellar.

"I want answers before I sleep tonight" the law priest uttered in disgust in his voice, this first time he's showed any sense they all met him.

Quickly moving to help secure Crag to the wall or whatever is available he sits the broken 'machine' up and looks him is glowing eyes.

"You'll find my murderous friend that I will be the one to ask questions here. But you can take comfort that I will not be the one getting answers from you if you refuse to answer. If I have to I will 'turn my back' and one of my other companions will start taking bolts and rivets until we get what information we want. Now this can go easy, or this can turn into something I do not want it to. Who sent you, and what do you know of the person who set us up?" Dorean said softly.. calmly... his voice oozing with seriousness...

[sblock=Diplomacy Roll Lookup]1d20+6=23 (Diplomacy)[/sblock]

 

[industrygothica]

Baern Stoneheart's ears perk, and he makes his way to the front, to look the fellow dwarf in the eye. "'Tis true then," he says, giving the tavern owner a thorough looking over. Finally he reaches out his hand. "Baern is me name, from the Stonehearts at the right hand of King Nogginsplitter."

 

[DistractingFlare]

In the basement of The Fancy Drake:

As Doren begins his interrogation of Crag Claymore, the warforged's eyes flicker on, glowing brightly in the darkened cellar. Crag has been bound to the central post of the basement, and there's plenty of room to walk around him on each side. The walls are covered by stacked pallets of ales and fine alcohols. Claymore's voice comes out slightly differently now that he's been beaten so severely. His voice resonates in the dank room, dripping with a maliciousness, and laced heavily with revenge.

"You could tell just by looking at me, priest. I come from The Cloak, and sure as Munsu's blade stings, this mission was handed down from Bright-Eyed Captain Teach himself. Aye, you've heard of him, I hope. I know better than to question my station. I don't challenge Captain Teach, and he don't stick me in the eye with his saber. Who set you up? Without a doubt, you can be sure that it was the same ones who killed your precious king. I'm not inclined, though, to give in to this line of questioning. You might have to try your hand at torture. See what I can stand."

Outside of The Fancy Drake:

Shale Stoneheart takes a long look at Baern, analyzing his features, studying his style of dress, then finally smiling.

"Aye, it must be. A kinsman - a fellow Stoneheart, fresh from Fomor!* My cousin, please tell me about yer family. My great-grandfather was one of the first to venture out of the mountains after the ogres arrived. His name was Tommanite Stoneheart, founder of this here tavern. It's grown a bit over the years, as ye can see, though. But enough of me. Brethren, come inside and tell me yer story!"

[sblock=Fomor]The ancestral home of dwarves, mostly abandoned since the fall of The Evil One.[/sblock]

Shale turns and tries to usher you again in to The Fancy Drake.

[sblock=Homework Assignment]Please check the OOC thread for your optional homework.[/sblock]

 

[Phaezen]

Squeal accepts the invitation, moving into the Drake and assists Doren in moving Crag down to the cellar. Squeal watches as Doren tries to persuade the warforged to give them some information.

Squeal watches Crags responces trying to see how he will react to more violent threats

[sblock=OOC]
Insight = 16
[/sblock]

 

[DistractingFlare]

Squeal watches Claymore intently, and in a moment, he notices a slight facial tic in Claymore's face whenever he mentions Captain Teach or The Cloak.

Squeal's insight suggests that Claymore is telling the truth about his mission. Additionally, it seems that the reason he's still uncooperative is a dormant fear of the aforementioned "Captain Teach."

 

[HolyMan]

Standing in a dark shadowed corner of the cellar his arms crossed, Torath listens hard to the assassin warforge. But do to his closeted upbring around the Isles the young man doesn't know anything about The Cloak or a Captain Teach, maybe this is what the monks meant when they said he should travel the world to "learn more". So quietly and menacingly he stands in the corner hoping the creature would talk before they had to use more Munsuian methods.

[sblock=Skill Challenge?]
If this is a skill challenege let me know what to roll I started with this:

Bluff = 17

In hopes he could bluff at the torture before having to do it for real. [/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

Thorn stayed back as the others plucked and tweaked at the warforged. Though the face of Corporal Hodge betrayed none of it, her heart skipped a beat when he mentioned he was sent by Teach.

Not for me though, she thought. I'm not important enough for this kind of response. The dwarf had it right...a cleanup crew. But cleaning up after what, I wonder..

She decided to wait just a bit longer before speaking up. Sooner or later the others would exhaust what was within their capacity, and then they'd either want to kill him, or stretch the limits of their morality.

That would be her moment.

 

[DistractingFlare]

BASEMENT:

Crag Claymore's eyes scan each of you in turn. He turns with a belabored squeak to face Torath.

"You - knight. Are you the one that's gonna have to carve the information out of me? Don't waste yer time. I don't know much worth knowing. Anyways, I've seen what Bright-Eyed Teach can do, and I've seen what you can do. Let me tell ye, I'm more afraid of his blade than yours. But I do know a little something - something I been hearing around Port September. Word is, somethin' big is brewing - a power shift of some kind. I don't know what, cause by Ayur's teeth, ain't no one talkin' about details. You might be better off just killin' me. Failed agents of The Cloak don't get second chances. If ye send me away, I'm as good as dead."

[sblock=Interrogation]This isn't so much a skill challenge as it is a free-form mode of gathering information. Feel free to talk to Claymore at will, and if you make skill checks with them, yo may be more likely to get more information.[/sblock]

INSIDE THE TAVERN:

The Fancy Drake is bustling, and full to the brim with characters from all walks of life.

Sitting at the bar are a couple of Elves in merchants' garb, sipping a dark wine.

In the center of the main room, a handful of off-duty soldiers are carousing and playing an elaborate, confusing card game.

The stairs that lead down to the cellar are in the back, next to a table surrounded by elderly human and tiefling men, discussing scholarly literature.

There are two side-rooms:

The one on the left seems empty, and could perhaps be used for more private conversation.

The one on the right is occupied solely by a darkly-dressed Eladrin priest of Ayur, who drinks deliberately from a bottle of rum.

[sblock=If you're hanging out in The Drake]Let me know where you'd like to sit.[/sblock]