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

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Brue jumped when Greycastle's voice boomed out, stopping the fight. She'd been about to thwap one of the two remaining thugs over the head with her truncheon, but lowered her arm when Janelle strode forward from behind the bar to chide the ne'er-do-wells. When Janelle offered Brue a pint on the house, Brue nodded and said a muffled "thanks" from behind her bandana. Do I like ale? Brue looked over at the taps, wondering. I think I do. She stuck out a hand toward Janelle. "You can call me Brue. What'll this lot when they can't come to the Nymph to get food during the quarantine? Hard-up men turn to thieving. Maybe you'll need a runner to take food to them?"

Brue colored when Greycastle complimented her fighting. "I got lucky." Pleased, she nodded at Greycastle's offer to return to his home. I'd like that, she thought.[/section]

OOC: Charisma ability check to diplomatically suggest (or persuade?) that the ruffians be permitted to either return to the Nymph for daily rations of food during the quarantine, or that food be brought to them.

[roll0]

 

[Forged Fury]

GM: Charisma (Persuasion) would be appropriate. Hilariously, without knowing it, you gain a point of Inspiration for advocating on behalf of the men. You can spend your point of inspiration to gain advantage on any roll whenever you would like.

Janelle noded, "Certainly dear, we'll still feed them, but their rations will be water and bread until help from the Queen-Monarch arrives." Noticing that Greycastle was trying to lead Brue away, she finished, "That drink is available whenever you want. Come back to the Mossy Nymph when you get a chance."

Several eyes followed the pair as they made their way to the tavern's exit. "If nothing else, you've given them something to talk about," Greycastle said. Exiting into the storm, the man dashed back to his house, shutting the door after he and Brue were safely inside. Removing his soaking cloak, he hung it from a post next to the door. Returning to the table, he collapsed into the chair and sighed, "I'm getting too old for this. So, now you see what I've been spending the last two days doing. Too many desperate people in too small a space. I don't have time to really do any more. That's why I need you to help me out."

Pointing to the map on the wall, Greycastle continued, "I'm not sure how long it's going to take the Queen-Monarch to respond with help, but I don't think it's going to be in time. With how many people have already died... we've got to figure out how this disease is spreading. Our apothecary, Philbert Boddynock... everyone calls him Vials, has been trying to figure out the nature of the disease, but no luck so far. So... are you willing to help Mosstone?"

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Inside Greycastle's home, Brue nodded. "I'd hoped to go to the place where you found me, but as the quarantine will prevent leaving, I might as well be useful. I don't like to sit still for too long." Brue felt the truth of those words even as they came out of her mouth. A bit of hope buoyed up with them. If she could remember intrinsic things, there was the possibility she might recall extrinsic things like her name and station. Then she frowned, remembering her appearance. "But folk might not take too kindly to questions from the likes of me. That could make truth-hunting tricky."

Brue stood up, stretched, and padded to the map of Tethyr. She studied it a moment, looking for something, anything familiar, then pointed at Kirgard and rounded on Greycastle. "Coinmaster Cooper mentioned the 'Champions Vigilant.' What are they?"[/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

"Good point," Greycastle said in response to Brue's concern. Standing up, he walked over to the mantle and opened a small box. Pulling out a brushed steel badge in the shape of an oval boulder with turquoise set in a vine-like patterns across the face. "With the tale of the tavern brawl is probably already making the rounds, this badge of office of the Mosstone Lawkeeper should help with people being unfriendly. One reason I'm choosing you is because people don't know who you are and you don't know who they are. A new set of eyes is what's needed here."

"Cooper was talking about me, was he?" Shaking his head, Greycastle continued, "Aye, I was... am a member of the Champions Vigilant, albeit retired. We are an order of knights in service to Helm. Pretty popular around Tethyr these days, our focus during the Reclamation Wars was protecting the powerless against the fighting between the nobles and the Queen-Monarch's forces. Don't get me wrong, the Queen-Monarch took great care in not doing harm to the peasantry, but the nobles she was fighting were less careful."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]Brue took the steel badge that Greycastle flipped to her. She traced the turquoise vine patterns on the face of the badge, liking the way the stone felt under the pad of her forefinger. She pinned the badge to the outside of her cloak and looked up at Greycastle. "Cooper didn't say much about you, actually. Then again, I didn't ask. Better to hear it from the horse's mouth." Brue lowered the bandana covering her face and smiled at Greycastle. Her eyes crinkled with mirth. She made to leave. "I'll just come back in the morning, then? Is early okay?" [/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

Greycastle reached out and shook Brue's hand firmly. "That's fine. As dark as the skies are, it's only a bit past noon, so you can get started now, if you'd like. Or wait for the rain to blow over, my shoulder is telling me it shouldn't be too long. Your choice, I've told you pretty much everything I know about the plague."

Walking Brue to the door, the paladin said, "Oh, you're welcome to keep the truncheon for now. If you think you may need something that fits a bit better than the armor you're wearing, head over to Dorin Fellhammer, he's the smith on the west end of Main. He has equipment for Lawkeeper use. Just show him the badge. I don't expect you'll need to use any of it, but I guess you should probably dress the part."

OOC: Since not knowing your hit point total may make decision making somewhat challenging, I'll tell you that you feel totally fine, despite the one HP loss.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section]"Thanks." Somewhat taken aback at the handshake, Brue blinked. At the last, however, she remembered her manners and returned the shake. Had someone told me to shake firmly? Can't recall. She smirked at her private joke, shook Greycastle's hand, then turned for the door.

Outside, it was still raining. Brue kept her bandana down. The wind and rain felt good. I'll pull it up if I see anyone. Though, it seems unlikely many will be out in this weather. She headed for the town well at the center of the hamlet, then went west on Main, looking for the smithy.[/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

Brue made her way westward along the Main, the rain having started to die out. As she reached the town center, she noticed a few discarded pieces of broken pottery and a chair that had been broken during the melee resting next to the door. Other than that, there was little change and no one on the Main, although she could see a few figures north along the Trade Way. The winch on the well squealed slightly as the wind caught it and started to turn before falling back in place.

Continuing to make her way west along the Main, Brue passed a few intersections before arriving at the blacksmith's shop. The purpose of the building was fairly obvious, with half of it open to the outdoors but covered and containing an anvil, forge, and a variety of tools. Working at the forge was a sweat-covered dwarf, his long brown hair gathered into a knot to keep it out of his face. His beard was atypically short, possibly as a result of working so close to a forge. Swinging a large blacksmith's hammer, the man worked to beat a sword into shape.

Spotting Brue, he gave the iron one more tap before dropping it into a nearby barrel filled with water. Noticeably, he retained a grip on his hammer. Nodding, he said, "Well met. Who are you, mysterious stranger? Not many about today."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[section] Brue shook her head at the pieces of broken furniture and pottery lying discarded outside the Nymph. The squealing winch on the well was creepy. Brue shivered, telling herself the ominous sound wasn't an ill harbinger.

When she came to the smithy, Brue stopped to watch the dwarf at work. Everything about him was orderly and spoke of purpose, right down to his cropped beard. I wouldn't want my beard to get singed off or caught in a tool. If I had a beard. Which I don't. Brue smirked, putting a hand to her cheeks, then went back to observing the smith. When the dwarf dropped the sword he was working into the water barrel and looked up, Brue pushed off the section of wall she'd been leaning against and cautiously approached. "Well met to you as well, Master Dwarf. I'm Brue." She tapped at the steel badge adorning her cloak, and continued. "Are you Dorin Fellhammer? The lawkeeper sent me your way, said you might have armor that would suit me." Brue scrunched the right corner of her mouth and frowned just a little. "Though what I'd really like to know is whether you have anything other than this," she held up her truncheon, "that I might use. Greycastle deputized me this morning. I'm to help keep the peace, and look into the source of the plague." This was the most Brue had said since waking, and it winded her.[/section]

 

[Forged Fury]

The dwarf considered the woman for a long second. Glancing briefly at the badge, he muttered, "Aye, that's my work." Resting the hammer on his shoulder, he held out a hand and said, "Dorin Fellhammer, at your service, Deputy Lawkeeper Brue. So Randal's got himself some new blood, huh? We need it, Mosstone can only get worse as time drags on and help from the Queen-Monarch remains only a promise."

Eyeing the armor, the dwarf tried to stifle a guffaw, but failed miserably. "The pup down at the temple offer you that frippery? Hah! Tell me you haven't actually fought in it. You must not have, otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me now." Shaking his head, Dorin continued, "What you need is some good quality metal covering your skin. Something that will turn a blade, rather than just slow it down. Come on, let's see what I've got in the back."

Making his way inside, the dwarf ambled over to a rack holding a few suits of armor: a suit of leather armor, a chain shirt, and a suit of ring mail armor. "I don't have much to offer, but my craft typically involves farming tools. Feel free to try them on. I can alter them as needed, but it may take a few hours."

Crossing his arms, Dorin concluded, "As far as weapons, the Lawkeepers only used those truncheons. Unless you have some coin or Greycastle made an exception, I don't have any weapons available."