IC - Mad King's Monkey

[doghead]

"Did he act strange the last time he was here or say anything disturbing? Does he have any enemies or people that don't get along well with him? Has he ever done this before? And lastly, has anything else strange or unfamiliar happened recently? These type of things, if even remotely possible, may lead us to his whereabouts."

Kovic scratches his head. "Henri can be a little odd. Most folk who live by themselves in the woods tend to be in my experience. But he is well enough liked around these parts. He helps people who need it without asking too much in return. Istevan doesn't care for him, but Istevan doesn't have a good word to say about anyone really."

Kovic shakes his head. "No one here would do him any harm."

"Last year Henri was away for a bit. Visiting some old associate or some such. But he let us know before he left. Usually he comes into the village once a week or so. Sometimes he misses a week. But never been away this long before. Nor would he just disappear like that knowing we have us an order for some potions.

"As for strange, well, strange stories are thicker than smoke in most taverns. Let me see. Some months ago a skeleton was seen walking
near the village singing hymns out loud. A party of travellers was attacked by gnolls while traveling through the pass in the forest. The Feyfolk have returned to occupy Cad nac'Mordoic, and from there intend reclaiming the rest of the land. Goblins have infested an old abandoned mine in the Lonely Forest. There is a pack of dire wolves roaming the hills, the pets of an evil giant of sorts, and they do his bidding.

"Its all rubbish of course. Or mostly rubbish. Been to Cad nac'Mordoic. Nothing but a pile of stones now.

"Most of the stories are just the result run ins with wild animals, sometimes bandits, or the occasional real monster, all blown out of proportion by people scared out of their wits, or looking to rustle up a free drink or two."

Eban then offers one more question, asking, "And what type of wares would Old Silo be able to offer us?"

"Well, travelling clothes, blankets and the like if you need such. Flint and steel. That sort of thing."

Kovic stares off across the room for a moment. "We get some hunters and trappers stopping by to resupply here sometimes. So Silo usually keeps some of the more unusual items in stock. I always liked to keep a whetstone, a signalling horn and a couple of candles handy myself. Seem to recall Silo had a candle helmet at one point, though I couldn't personally see the use in that.

"That been said, likely you will have to suffer no more than the hard floor afore Henri's fireplace, and be back the next day. With a bit o'luck."

[sblock=OOC]At Silo's the PC's can get mundane travelling goods probably, wilderness and survival type goods possibly, the more unusual adventuring goods maybe.
[MENTION=3565]Scott[/MENTION] - Yes, its now after dark. Most of the villages have gone home, only a few remain at the tavern.[/sblock]

 

[Axel]

Bayar

Bayar sits and thinks in silence for a moment. There's way too many problems he's banging on about. Its gotta be simpler than that.

"Sounds like we've got a walk tomorrow then. Keep your coins Korvic, for now." Raising his voice a little to help it carry back to the bar he asks "Laura, is it? Care to show us the way to Henri's place? I'll make it my business to keep you safe." He smiles reassuringly.

Can't say the trip'll be any the worse for having a girl along with us.

 

[Scott DeWar]

After hearing the grizzled barkeep, Jan moves off and starts playing his flute, a hauntingly soft piece at first, but if he gets any interest from the regulars he will play something more lively. All the while he searches his memory of ever hearing any thing like the goings on around town.

'singing skeleton': knowledge planes, religion
gnolls, goblins: knowledge geography
fey folk: knowledge nature

note: geography and netherworld are only two trained.
Netherworld roll is to see if anything ties in there.

 

[Electric Wizard]

Sukri dedicated himself to his supper when Kovic finished his tale. The stew wasn't bad, but it was blander than anything Sukri could find in his old city. But he preferred to travel on a tight stomach, and he made up for the last few days with gusto. He raised the bowl to his face, shoveling potato, turnips and meat into his mouth as soon as he'd swallowed a bite. He slurped the gravy from the bottom of the first bowl and let himself rest. He shot furtive glances around the room for a girl on whom Bayar hadn't stuck a claim, but gave up.

Libros sat opposite him, taking dainty pokes at his stew. Sukri removed from his pocket a sketch of the emblem on the box and passed it to the sage.

"Pardon. Do you know this picture?" he asked.

OOC: Do you allow untrained Knowledge skill checks?

 

[doghead]

"Sounds like we've got a walk tomorrow then. Keep your coins Korvic, for now." Raising his voice a little to help it carry back to the bar he asks "Laura, is it? Care to show us the way to Henri's place? I'll make it my business to keep you safe." He smiles reassuringly.

Laura stops and looks first at Bayar, and then to Kovic. So do the rest of the villagers in the tavern.

"No," growls Kovic. "I won't allow it.

"You," he adds turning to the those at the table with him, "might be the Chancellor's men, but you are still strangers to us."

Laura starts to says something but Kovic inturrupts.

"And I am pretty sure that your mother won't it either."

Kovic returns his attention to the party.

"Henri's place is a little out of the way. But you should have no difficulty finding it with some directions."

 

[ghostcat]

"So exactly how do we get there my good man" says Libros. Although he is trying to be friendly, is speach actually comes out sounding slightly condescending.

 

[doghead]

"Right, well, its easy enough if you take the road north ..."

Kovic proceeds to provide directions to the Henri's place, with a input from one or two others in the tavern as to landmarks to look out for, timings, etc. It seems straight forward enough; in essence, head north along the road until you get to the ruins of the guard tower, then follow the old track west.

[sblock=OOC]Despite the temptation to test your characters' wilderness survival skills, I am not going to have the PC's get lost along the way. I want to keep this adventure simple and short.[/sblock]

 

[Scott DeWar]

Jan stops his singing abruptly, "Would Henri have gone to the ruined tower for any thing?"

 

[doghead]

Jan stops his singing abruptly, "Would Henri have gone to the ruined tower for any thing?"

Kovic shakes his head. "I can't see why. There is nothing there but a pile of stones these days. Travellers sometimes use it as a camp site. But no one lives there. No one has for as long as I can remember.

"Wouldn't be any reason for him to go that ways either."

One of the other villagers pipes up, an old man. "Road Wardens used to use it. I remember them passing through the village as a kid. Big black horses they all seemed to have. An shiny breastplates, so as you would know who they were. That was back when they were pulling great chunks of rock out of the quarry for the city walls. Had wagons going to a fro every day, seemed like." The old man trails off for a moment, lost in thought.

"But the guard tower was near falling down then. Then the roof fell in, and they never bothered to rebuild. No real use for it suppose", he concludes.

 

[Scott DeWar]

"Oh, Ok." he picks up the lively tune in hopes of getting the small crowd in good cheer.