D&D 5E [D&D 5E] Tattered Memories: An Adventure in Tethyr (COMPLETE)

[Forged Fury]

Captain Holt listened to Brue, giving her another appraising look as she spoke. Turning towards the crossbowmen, Holt made a discrete gesture. Raising a bandanna to his face, he said, "Approach to the red stake and hold your position."

Once Brue complied, Holt approached within 10 feet of her and said, "I'm certainly interested in seeing this business come to an end. State your case." His tone neutral, it is difficult for Brue to determine how receptive Holt will be to whatever she suggests.

OOC: Oops, disregard what I first said... I checked the Basic Rules and RAW says you spend it when you make the roll.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Brue secured her own bandana about her nose and mouth, then proceeded to the red stake, where she stopped. When Holt approached, she gave him a once-over, examining his person, armor, blade, and what she could see of his eyes. When the Captain seemed ready, Brue launched into her appeal. "Thank you for your indulgence in hearing me out, Captain. Lawkeeper Greycastle recruited me two-fold, to keep the peace, and to look into the cause of the plague. I admit the cause interests me less than a cure, sir." Brue hedged. This was the most she was about to say since waking, and the anticipation of an audience with Captain Holt had built over the course of the day. She chose her words with care, wanting to be succinct but also with an eye to persuading the Captain. "I've spoken with Greycastle, twice with Coinmaster Cooper, and met with Mistress Janelle, as well as the town's armorer, Brue touched her new chain shirt, taking pains to make sure the Captain saw the deputy's emblem pinned to her breast, ". . . and the learned apothecary, Master Boddynock, who some call 'Vials.'" Brue waited a beat to see whether Captain Holt recognized the names of several of the town's more prominent citizens.

"It's Master Boddynock who suggests he's got a cure, Captain. I've visited him at his home, seen his research. Brue had to think a moment to come up with a word better than "experiments," the nature of which she admitted privately might dissuade the Captain. She continued, undaunted, "I don't rightly understand how Master Boddynock's arrived at his conclusion, but I did gather at a minimum from speaking with him this afternoon that he believes a certain kind of mushroom that grows in the Wealdath can be distilled somehow to make a cure for the disease here in town. He showed me his work, said he was close, but that he needed more Fairy Cap mushrooms. He was down to his last one, you see." Brue forged on with her plea. "Master Boddynock knows precisely where these mushrooms grow, he's told me they're in the Wealdath, and offered to give a sketch of the fungus, along with a map to their location."

"I admit I'm no native, so you're right to wonder why I care. I couldn't say, except there's suffering in Mosstone, sir, and the people are uneasy. I think what I propose is the right and honorable thing to do, no mistake. But it's also practical. There was a fist fight over the plague just this morning at the Mossy Nymph. Greycastle and I broke up the fight handily enough, but folks is troubled, sir. Janelle mentioned the fight wasn't the first. Nor will it be the last, I wager. I overheard people at the tavern just now, concerned for their crops and harvest. Folks don't do well couped up like rats.

What's more, I'm given to understand that the plague's put a strain on relations with neighbors, if you take my meaning. I understand the reason for the quarantine, and I say you're right to impose and right to keep it. Tethyr can't afford to let the lid loose on this one. The sooner the disease is done away with, the sooner we all get put back to rights. Coinmaster Cooper said the druids in the forest can't help, they're away for the next while. Mosstone hasn't a healer. I'm sure you and your men at arms don't fancy being garrisoned in what amounts to a backwater. You're soldiers, better purposed for other things." Brue drew herself to her full stature. "I think, Captain, these Fairy Cap mushrooms might be the answer, may be a cure. And since I wasn't here when the plague started, haven't yet taken sick, and have been deputized, mayhap I'm the right one to go to fetch them. Folks're less likely to miss me than someone more important like Greycastle or the Coinmaster. And the town can't spare Janelle, no doubt about that. I'd rather thought you might permit me through the gate, mayhap give an escort to the Wealdath and back. That way, you know where I am at all times, maintain control over the venture."[/section] Brue finished. She eyed the Captain, waiting his reaction.

OOC: I need to look up inspiration, how to use it. Suffice to say I definitely want to apply it to the roll I'm about to make.

[roll0]

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[roll0]

OOC: Brue wants to study the Captain as she pleads her case. His person, armor, weapon, eyes. His bearing. What sort of fellow is he?

 

[CanadienneBacon]

OOC: So. Inspiration gives Advantage on a die roll. I wanted to use it on Brue's Persuasion roll re: her appeal to Captain Holt. But I rolled a 20 on her first roll, rendering moot the Advantage. Even so, I consider her Inspiration point to be used up. I just got lucky on the die roll, is all, and didn't need to re-roll. Thanks!

 

[Forged Fury]

[sblock=OOC]

OOC: Inspiration: We'll go ahead and play it RAW. If you want to use Inspiration, you need to declare it before the roll. Then just go ahead and roll two dice, we'll just take the higher of the two rolls. Obviously, you can't get higher than a 20, so no need to roll the other die, but as you said, your Inspiration is spent. Perception: This is probably more of a case of Insight that Perception since you're trying to determine the nature of a person through physical cues. His gear isn't hidden, so it's not challenging to observe in detail. I'll just use the roll and apply the modifiers you would have for Insight.

[/sblock]

While speaking to the Captian, Brue examined him in more detail. His strong facial features gave the impression that he was likely noble born. Watching his face as she spoke, the genasi detected that he initially was going to stop her, but something changed in his demeanor. She wasn't sure if it was due to his recognition of the names she had mentioned or something else. He listened intently throughout the discourse. His armor and weapons were finely crafted and even better maintained, bringing to mind someone who was willing to work hard to maintain high standards. This also likely meant the man was an ideal officer, following the letter and spirit of his orders with precision.

At the conclusion of her speech, Holt nodded before responding. "Sir Greycastle made a wise choice in deputizing you. You make a strong case, Lawkeeper Brue. Believe me, the plight of the people of Mosstone is not beyond my care, but I have to worry about the larger threat to the rest of Tethyr. We have very specific rules regarding quarantine; chief among them is that no one exposed to a quarantined area is allowed to leave." Glancing at his subordinate as he finished unloading the supplies, he continued, "It is for that reason that I have to deny your request. At best, I can send one of my own men to gather these mushrooms if Master Boddynock can provide directions, but I won't be able to do so until my relief unit arrives in two days time. I hope they arrive with word of relief from Darromar as well."

GM: Character Sheet Update: Brue has a Wisdom of 13. Brue has a Charisma of 10. Brue has a Passive Perception of 11

 

[CanadienneBacon]

OOC: I agree Insight is the correct ability check, thanks. And I add that this statement sounds a whole lot like me when I permit a defendant to blather on during a meeting: " . . .the genasi detected that he initially was going to stop her, but something changed in his demeanor." The hope is always that the party doing the blathering will drop a plum in one's lap. People say the damndest things when allowed to prattle.

[section]Brue pursed her lips, nodded once in understanding. "Right, then. I shall leave you to the unloading, Captain. With my thanks for the audience." Brue inclined her head in respect, and moved away from the red stake. She shook her head in a minute "no" at Janelle, then took her place beside the Nymph's cart. Damn. Damn. And triple damn. Brue eyed the town's wall. She looked to see how high the fence was, what it was made of, whether it looked climbable.[/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

"Certainly," Captain Holt responded, "please see that Boddynock gets us the directions and a description of the mushrooms to us through Janelle. I'll send a man as soon as is feasible."

Brue barely registered the request. She was disappointed that her entreaty had fallen on deaf ears. Some soldiers were inflexible, Holt must have been one of them and sweet words wouldn't sway him. As she watched Holt and his subordinate finish unloading the food, she examined the walls. The stone walls, while unfinished, were set cleanly together. Not seamless by any means, they would still be something of a challenge to climb. Thinking back to her visit to Dorin's she remembered the the west end of the Main, lacking a gate, actually had a few houses built against the wall. She hadn't traveled to the eastern end closest to the Wealdath, but she wouldn't be surprised if it didn't offer something similar.

After another minute, the soldiers had the foodstuff unloaded. With the crossbowmen covering their retreat, Captain Holt called out, "Good luck to the both of you. I pray that we will have help for you soon." With that, the soldiers cleared the gate, which swung shut behind them. The sound of wooden beams sliding in place came from the opposite side.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Once Holt and his soldier vanished behind the southern gate, Brue helped Janelle load the stores on the cart. Brue tried to do most of the lifting and carrying, letting Janelle worry about sorting and organizing the rations. When the cart was loaded, Brue took over manuevering the cart back toward the Mossy Nymph. Her mind flooded with thought. I could wait til the small hours of the morning and climb over. But Captain would clap me in irons if I got caught. And I don't have a lookout...no one to help or to go with me to the Wealdath. And no blade to protect myself. Just this damn sap. Brue glared at the truncheon. Height of folly. Just lay it to rest. If opportunity presents itself, then maybe. But otherwise, it's best not to risk imprisonment.

Brue tried to marshal her wayward thoughts. She asked the first thing that popped into her mind. "Janelle? The tavern's called the 'Mossy Nymph.' And the town's called 'Mosstone.' We're close to the Wealdath, judging from Graystone's map. But is there a particular reason why or how the town got its name? Some moss-covered gem, maybe?"[/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

Giving Brue an odd look, Janelle responded, "Nothing too smart about it, just walk outside the walls... well, if you could. Thick moss and vines cover the outside walls. One of the old Kirgard commanders wanted to tear the stuff out a 100 years ago or so, saying it made us open to attack. The druids told him he was daft. Proved it too when the town was attacked by goblins a few decades ago. They climbed the walls easily enough, until the druids cast some spells and the plants tied 'em up, that is. So yeah, from the outside, the town looks like a big, mossy boulder."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Brue wheeled the cart down the byway. When they reached the Nymph, she put down the cart's handle and gestured to the main door to the tavern. "How does this work? Do we bring the stores inside? Or do they come out here and form a line?"[/section]