D&D 5E [IC] Creamsteak's Princes of Elemental Evil

[Creamsteak]

Dent muttered at Romon, "I'm not generous, I just can't stand the sniveling of the weak. Throw a little money at the problem, make it go away. It's always worked in the past. And you know well enough that I favor no gods. And none favor me." Something in the set of Romon's tone worried Dent. He stopped in the dirt byway and turned to face Romon. Squinting at the Knight Commander, Dent queried, "And neither do you favor any gods. Or you used to not. Has that changed with your stay at the monastery, Sir?" The question was both honest and filled with ire.

"True Happiness stems only from Duty. Faith without deeds is worthless. Or that's what I'd have said three years ago. Before I embarked on this ruinous trek across the safe roads of the valley I received a letter. A warning. From an old friend. Someone I adventured with many years ago. He was a noble from a noble family, but the youngest brother of four. He took up the cloth... but had found it objectionable. We were a band of six, and we came together to fight banditry and explore accursed tombs. Our... cohesion cracked... not too far from here. An old dwarven ruin. The man my old friend warned me about? His name is one and the same as the person the monks called their 'prophet'. Marlos Unrayle."

"I may have failed my duty to the great city of Mirabar, and my deeds may have been insufficient, but I have seen that there may still be another duty that I must fulfill. There may be deeds worth doing."

While Dent waited for Romon's response, the pair continued on their way to the Allfaiths Shrine. Dent barged in, interrupting whatever it was that Imdarr and Lymmura were tending to. He paused in the doorway and looked between Imdarr and Lymmura, then opted for Imdarr. Women were love-addled irritants. Other than to sate his occasional needs, he had no use for them. Dent addressed Imdarr. "Father. I'd like a word in private with you. At your earliest convenience." Dent made it clear that it would be better if Imdarr's earliest convenience was now.

The priestlooks you up and down and says, "The hour is late, but I can spare a moment."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Dent blinked at Romon's words. "We have much to discuss, it would seem. Sir." The style was an afterthought. Dent churned Romon's words over and over inside his head, replaying them, marking them. He resolved to query Romon further once the pair quit the shrine.

When Imdarr said he could spare a moment, Dent nodded once. He left Romon standing in the middle of the shrine and waited for the priest to lead the way across the shrine to a more private alcove, then rumbled his request. "I'd like you to give me your healer's opinion on the health of my Captain over there. He's taken a knock to the head. I'll make it worth your while." Ever the businessman, Dent laid a single gold piece on a nearby pedestal. Dent lowered his voice. "If he's injured or...not quite right in the head...I don't want him to know. Just fix him, yeah? Or tell me where to take him to be fixed." Dent laid a second gold piece beside the first. "My thanks for your discretion, Father."

[sblock=OOC]I'm hoping Imdarr can tell Dent what's wrong with Romon. Is Romon cursed? Under a geas? Egregiously low on hit points? Dehydrated? Magically injured? If so, is there a fix. And if there is a fix, what the deuce is it? This new touchy feely Romon is seriously freaking out Dent.[/sblock]

 

[Creamsteak]

The old priest looks at you queerly and explains, "I am but a stalwart of The Lord of Battles. I can, at best, determine if a man is fit to fight."

Either way, he is swift to grab the coins and examine Romon. He mostly asks him basic questions of his health, his diet, his exercise regimen, his feelings on honor and honorable combat. He asks the knight commander if he suffers any skin conditions, diseases of the wasting, or if he has had any contact with foul smells.

When he does talk to Dent again he explains his diagnosis... "That man is a bit worse for the wear, but more physically fit than most. His mind is distracted, but after the experiences he suffered, who would not be? I do know people... people in the Order of the Broken Blade that might be able to tell you more... but the nearest Brother-Chaplain is in Waterdeep. Many warriors past fighting have joined the Broken Blade."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Dent stood by and observed Imdarr's workover of Romon. "His mind is not the same. He's more...emotional. I am worried he will attempt to return to his captors. I've heard captives sometimes try to do that. I'll keep the Order of the Broken Blade in mind." Dent grunted his thanks, privately wondering how long it would take to get to Waterdeep. He left with Romon. When the pair was outside in the byway, Dent pressed the Knight Captain for more information. "You met this prophet, this Marlos Unrayle, while you were held prisoner at the monastery? Surely, you've no intent to return to that god-forsaken place, have you?" Dent resorted to purposeful language, "prisoner," and "god-forsaken." He continued to slip in other similar terms while speaking with Romon, all of them designed to remind his superior that he'd been held against his will, and to dissuade Romon from wanting to return. "Come, let's us to the tavern. I fancy an ale. I'm sure you do, too." Dent wondered if incarceration and possible conversion had stripped Romon's legendary love for spirits.

 

[Creamsteak]

"What? No. I have not seen Marlos in fifteen years. We were young then. What has gotten into your mind? If I were to go there, it would be with a blade in my hand..."

He seems genuinely confused by your statements.

When plied with just a bit of ale, he seems eager to retire and sleep off his misadventures.

 

[Creamsteak]

The next day arrives and the town is just starting to wake up.

OOC: Is everyone leveled? Does Shayuri have a replacement lined up? Is everyone still around?

 

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: Leveled; took Inspiring leader as bonus feat.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

[sblock=OOC]

"True Happiness stems only from Duty. Faith without deeds is worthless. Or that's what I'd have said three years ago. Before I embarked on this ruinous trek across the safe roads of the valley I received a letter. A warning. From an old friend. Someone I adventured with many years ago. He was a noble from a noble family, but the youngest brother of four. He took up the cloth... but had found it objectionable. We were a band of six, and we came together to fight banditry and explore accursed tombs. Our... cohesion cracked... not too far from here. An old dwarven ruin. The man my old friend warned me about? His name is one and the same as the person the monks called their 'prophet'. Marlos Unrayle."

Help me out. It seems I'm missing something. The phrasing here makes me think Romon's got an old friend who wrote to him and warned him about Marlos Unrayle, and that Marlos Unrayle is the monks' prophet. What's Romon's friend's name, or is that irrelevant? I'm confused because I thought Marlos Unrayle is the name of the man the friend warned Romon about, but down below, Romon says he's not seen Marlos for 15 years. Either way, Romon seems uninclined to return to the monastery without a sword in his hand, so that worry at least is put to rest.[/sblock]

 

[Creamsteak]

[sblock=Dent]Romon knows Marlos. Romon got a letter from an entirely different un-named person warning him about something involving Marlos. Romon has not been particularly clear.[/sblock]

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Dent sent Romon off to bed with a clap to the shoulder, discretely channeling 5 hp of healing into his superior. Because they were in the inn's common room, and because he respected Romon, he put conscious effort into trying to make sure his healing didn't hurt or burn. When Romon winced in pain anyway, Dent realized he'd only partially succeeded. He'd never mastered the graceful ways of the art of healing that seemed to come naturally to others in his unit; rather, Dent's healing was like its caster: curt, gruff, and mean-spirited. Still, healing was healing, and Romon seemed as if he needed some.

When Dent went up a while later to the room he shared with Romon, the Knight Captain was already asleep. Dent stayed up til the witching hour, resting, then mentally went over the magicks he knew in his head. After thinking a bit, he settled on a bit of magic he thought might prove useful come the morning and resolved to channel it into Romon. Discretely, if he could. By brute force, if necessary.

OOC: Long rest during the evening and night, then preparing a spell list for the day's stay in town. I'll want Dent to cast lesser restoration on Romon over breakfast. Something's off with the Knight Captain. Paying the cleric to diagnosis Romon didn't seem to reveal much. Dent gave Romon a bit of healing last night from lay on hands. And in the morning over rashers of bacon and coffee, Dent will attempt to discretely cast lesser restoration on Romon with the hope that doing so will "fix" the KC. I know, I know, probably there's actually nothing wrong with the KC and it's Dent who's "off." But my entire character concept is predicated on Dent orbiting the KC like the moon does a planet. If Romon's about to part ways with Dent, that'll trigger a major moral conundrum in Dent. Fun! Metagaming, I don't really want to game with NPCs in tow, and I also dunno how long you plan to have Romon stick around, [MENTION=552]Creamsteak[/MENTION].