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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9612870" data-attributes="member: 16069">Not KotSSession #001b: Kirkgate: Finding Mr. Pidgin.The Adventurers (in alphabetical order).Chromium Malifax aka C-Fax (Rob), Male Silver Dragonborn (Noble) Paladin of Bahamut Level 1Mavis Golightly aka Mave (Sandy), Female Half-Elf (Acolyte) Cleric of Chauntea Level 1Arbuthnot McGow aka McGow (Al), Male Mountain Dwarf (Soldier) Fighter Level 1The Inspector aka Spek (Kenji), Male Rock Gnome (Charlatan) Sorcerer Level 1Travis Pickle (Yui), Male Lightfoot Halfling (Criminal) Rogue Level 1To-do list/Quests-#001 Save Dicky Bird aka The Fat Pidgin, and bring him home safely to Edna Gingster, keep in mind Dicky could be travelling incognito. Reward: 2000 XP & 1000gp each.#002 Find and investigate the ancient dragon burial site Dicky was looking for, he might be there. Reward: 250 XP.It’s late, and Kirkgate is mostly tucked up for the night, the only place open is the inn- The Old Gatehouse, and so our adventurers, after saying a fond farewell to Parp- and tipping him very well, head to the pub. They need rooms for the night, meals, drinks and information.[ATTACH=full]401345[/ATTACH]That’s Dreb Webfoot on the left, we meet him first- he owns and runs The Old Gatehouse, so food and drink, and beds for the night are all swiftly secured.But then Spek gets into conversation with Dreb, the gnome has a way with words, and lots to say- he’s also a very affable chap, constantly offering compliments.Spek is trying to discern if Dicky Bird is here, or else has been here, although it takes a while for the conversation to get started, this because- as it turns out- Dicky was travelling incognito, he booked in to the Inn as Mr. Pidgin. Once this is sorted out the chatter is much more free flowing-“Oh, little halfling feller- real pudge-belly type, with them there little winders at his eyes. I remembers 'im.”“He rented a room a short while, fore leavin’- ‘e head out wun day and never came back, save to get 'is stuff.”“Tha's odd. Wun he came back for his stuff he'd made a little friend, there were two of 'em wot came back to clear ‘is room. Never a by nor leave they jus' snuck upstairs and grabbed 'is gear, He wuz paid up so... I let it be.”Interesting.Travis Pickle takes up the cause- and the conversation, the young halfling wants to know where his Uncle Dicky went off too, he told Travis that he was in search of an ancient dragon burial site hereabouts, can Dreb help with that?But Dreb gets busy, or else he has lost the thread of the chat, or more likely Travis is a little pushy, he gets ignored or else dismissed, and so soon after takes to scowling, swearing to himself, and staring daggers at the locals.The locals are likewise mostly still gawping at the new arrivals.C-Fax, being held up by McGow and Mavis, smooths the waters, and Dreb eventually has a little more to add.Regarding the ancient dragon site-“I don't rightly know abowt dat. You shud prob-blee talks to sumwun who knows more abowt dat?”“Yer can try Jefron Puddleduck, yonder sage an that.”“There's Fionulla, tha's the lady elf over der- she's a ranger type, I thinks.”“Or there's ol' Girton Crowstanley, he's farmed hereabouts fur yonks!”“Yer little feller, Dicky- he was off an’ chatterin’ to every-folk, all the time- a right blabberbox he were.”The adventurers have a few more options for their enquiries.A little later in the evening Travis Pickle returns to the bar, having calmed down- he was a little flustered earlier, and tells Dreb all about their earlier encounter with the kobold bandits.Dreb likes a good adventure story it seems, although he is not so complementary about the kobolds-“Summats needs to get done about those bluddy little bastards. Lord Crumble'll be ‘earing frum me- mark my words.”As it turns out Lord Crumble is the master of Kirkgate, he lives in the manner hereby, Dreb continues-“The Lord needs to get that Rondo to do summats about them little bar-stewards!”“Rondo is the guard captain, at the barracks- Kirkgate Irregulars we calls 'em. Farmers boys and girls armed with naught but sticks.”Travis reports this latest info to his friends.Meantime, C-Fax- accompanied by his support group, attempts to have a word with Fionulla, the ranger pointed out by Dreb at the bar.This goes less well.“I... I don't have the time for this.” Fionulla stutters and then puts down her drink and departs the inn.“Flighty!” Is Dreb’s later summary of the elf Fionulla, although he adds- “… the kids round here love her, she takes them out into the woods, teaches them all about nature and the likes.” But C-Fax and Mavis are suspicious.Eventually the adventurers buy more drinks and then share a table with Girton Winstanley, it seems Dicky also spent some time chinwagging with the ancient farmer.Although, to begin with Girton is reluctant even to discuss Dicky Bird-“How do you know ee? Prove it, and then you cun ax yer questions.”An incredibly patient Mavis eventually convinces Girton that she and her colleagues are on this quest to find Dicky at the behest of his true love- Edna Gingster. Dicky has gone missing, he needs to be found.Girton is moved by the story, and thereafter keen to help.He tells Mavis everything he knows, which is-“I'll tell yer what I tol' Mr Pidgin.”Note Mr Pidgin is Dicky’s incognito travelling name remember, the adventurers worked this out earlier in conversation with Dreb Webfoot.Back to Girton-“It's a rum day when arflings come traipsing halfway across the Sword Coast on nothin' more than a wild goose chase. There ain't no dragon burial site, and no treasure besides.”“There's a gert big cave wid a ruin inside, half falling down- and a rumour as old as the 'ills, but I've been there. There's no treasure to be had. That's what I tol’ Mr Pidgin, that's what I'm tellin' yew.”Girton goes on to give Mavis directions to the ancient ruins, it's about 5-6 miles beyond the village.Then after receiving a few more pints as reward, he goes one step further and draws the adventurers a map to the site.A little later Spek asks Girton about the kobolds menacing the village, the old man’s replies are confused or else confusing-“Are you sure it wer kobolds, I 'eard it was Redcaps, slipping outta the Fey-parts and doing lor' knows what to innocent travelling folk.”“I hear they have it off with badgers!”And then two pints later-“Are you sure it were Redcaps?”“I 'eard it were them there pesky kobolds!”Then, well- a variety of folk do a variety of things, McGow- who isn’t that chatty decides on an early night.Mavis and C-Fax also retire soon after.Leaving Spek and Travis to play.Travis mostly watches Spek.Spek puts on a show, of sorts- a variety of low-level confidence games are employed, or else he does some bad close-up magic- flitting from one table to another, entertaining the folks at the inn, and keep in mind he’s a silver-tongued so-and-so.His tricks, and his cons are… okay, he makes mistakes- now and then, or else he stuffs himself up and ends up paying when he should be winning. The best that can be said is he breaks even, and… he entertains, nobody in the bar is left without a smile. Spek or else “The Inspector”, as he introduces himself, will be remembered for a good long while in the Old Gatehouse.Kirkgate proper in the morning.C-Fax, Mavis & Spek 30 XP each, Travis 20 XP & McGow 10 XP.Rise and shine, their fast broken the adventurers in pairs, or else solo- McGow, head off to explore the walled village of Kirkgate, they have things to do and questions to ask.Kirkgate, in all its glory.[ATTACH=full]401346[/ATTACH]But the thing that they really want to do, that all adventurers want to do, is to go shopping. Or at the very least to see what is available to buy.[ATTACH=full]401347[/ATTACH]C-Fax & Mavis visit the market, Spek & Travis head to see the consumables emporium that is WH Smythe’s- and meet the owner, the retailer extraordinaire, while McGow talks hammers with Gonk Hammerschlag, proprietor, and owner of Hammertime. McGow is looking for a smaller hammer- for delicate work.But here is the thing- everything is expensive here, and… the adventurers are city folk, from Baldur’s Gate, and so the shopping extravaganza is not all that.WH Smythe can supply healing potions, although they are in limited supply- he only has five, but they are 75gp each. That’s spendy.The deal is, the adventurers collectively discover, merchants are either charging extra to deliver to Kirkgate, or else some of the shipments are not getting through- it is all down to those “bloody little kobolds!”, as made clear by a number of retailers.Therefore, nobody buys anything much.And so back to the plot and the questions- where’s Dicky Bird aka Mr. Pidgin?The adventurers ask a lot of folk a variety of things- they’re mainly asking for sightings of Dicky Bird, it seems the halfling is remembered by most folks, he bought fresh food from the market, a spade and a number of other digging/adventuring type items from WH Smythe. But that’s all anybody knows, save that he was staying at the inn, and he asked a lot of questions about the geography hereabouts- “he seemed to be looking for some sort of ruin, from what I remember”, is how WH Smythe puts it.Mavis and C-Fax head to the Church of Chauntea, it gladdens Mave’s heart to see the place, and to meet the lovely Sister Margaritta there, the two get on like a house on fire, the subject of their conversation- mostly- the incompetence of C-Fax, as expounded upon by Mavis. But mysteries in Kirkgate there are none- if it was not for the depredations of the kobolds… well, Kirkgate would be a paradise, or at least a safe place in which good folk can lead good healthy lives, according to Margaritta.Something must be done about the kobolds is Margaritta’s final word on the matter, she also directs the pair to Rondo a La Turk, the Guard Captain in Kirkgate.The pair arrive at the guard barracks just in time to meet up with the rest of their colleagues, who have likewise been directed to the spot.[ATTACH=full]401348[/ATTACH]The conversation within is short and to the point, Rondo knows that the kobolds are laired hereabouts but just where… that is yet to be discovered.From her interviews with the survivors of their predations- the kobolds, it seems, have not been content with waylaying carts and wagons, they have also raided several outlaying farms. The little scaly fiends are also better co-ordinated, or else- well, kobolds are not known for their military prowess, and yet, as Rondo states- “the little buggers seem to know what they’re doing, they’re co-ordinated, or else… trained!”Spek brings up the name ‘Chopper’, Rondo alas has nothing to add, it seems not a lot of folks around here speak draconic, and certainly none that have witnessed the kobold brigands in action.Rondo however has a plan, and the PCs can help it along, if they can convince enough people in Kirkgate to go and bother Lord Crumble about the issue, as she puts it-“If there was some sort of reward? Would you be interested in taking the job?”Rondo’s resources are minimal, she has enough bodies to “man the walls, should the need arise- but traipsing off into the wilds, that’s better left to experienced folk like you.”A deal is done, and the adventurers are straight onto it, they have already canvassed most folk they have spoken to today about the kobolds- and no one is enamored.In short order Dreb Webfoot, WH Smythe, Gonk Hammerschlag and the good Sister Margaritta all take a stroll to Kirkgate Manor, there to express their dissatisfaction with the ongoing kobold situation. This after the adventurers persuade them of this course of action.The PCs, while the various good folk above are complaining to Lord Crumble, visit briefly with Jefron Puddleduck, a learned Sage. There they secure directions to the ancient dragon burial site (again) and another hand drawn map to the place- that makes two. They also learn that Dicky was here to ask the same questions.The PCs are now very enthused about visiting the dragon burial site, although Jefron- like Garton, warns them that the legend of the wealth to be found there is simply untrue, it is just a ruin in a cavern. Still, a visit to this place is imminent, but first…[ATTACH=full]401349[/ATTACH]An audience with Lord Gethwyn Crumble, Rondo’s plan worked a treat- thanks to the PCs urgings, and it is the Guard Captain herself that comes to find the adventurers and escort them to the meeting.In short order Lord Crumble, a doddering but capable old fellow, agrees to sponsor the adventurer’s pursuit, scratch that- destruction- of the kobolds. Whoever it is that is leading them must either be captured, or else made to pay for “their villainous predations.”The reward offered is fifty gold coins, although the PCs work hard to bargain this up to seventy-five gold coins, with the addition of one gold crown payable for every kobold tail they turn in as proof of their success. A full report is also expected, C-Fax promises to deliver.As it turns out the PCs have already had a little success- they hand over the eight kobold tails they have already collected and get paid.They are hired, see Quest #003.Suitably enthused the PCs decide to make the most of now, and after gathering their adventuring gear from the inn (and paying for another night’s stay there- they will be back) they head off into the wilds.Although ‘wilds’ does not quite capture it- the ancient dragon burial site, according to both maps- and their authors, is only five or so miles out of Kirkgate, it’s farmer’s fields- mostly- and orchards and coppices they’re walking through- hardly the ‘wilds’ then.Excellent work.Next time- the ancient dragon burial site revealed.Mavis 50 XP, Travis 40 XP, C-Fax & McGow 30 XP, and just 20 XP for Spek who was trying extremely hard with the chatter, but his dice were broken.Cheers the Tokyo Five & Goonalan.</blockquote>

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