D&D 5E [IC] Creamsteak's Storm King's Thunder: Waterdeep

[Creamsteak]

OOC: Will update after I see any reactions from the other two party members.

 

[Yavathol]

Gul shrugged, "You might as well indulge her, we won't get any peace otherwise. Besides, there's safety in numbers, right?"

 

[Steve Gorak]

Davaros remained silent during the exchange, and nods his head in agreement. He will stay in the back of the group, to keep his eyes on the stranger.

 

[Creamsteak]

The spoony bard joins the party for the time being.

The Evermoor Way has long been a vital trade route, connecting the settlements of the Dessarin Valley with those of the Silver Marches. The section between Triboar and Yartar is an ancient road, relatively flat and composed of tight-fitting stones. East of Yartar, the road becomes a gravel and dirt wagon trail that passes a little too close to the Evermoors for most merchants’ comfort. Between Olostin’s Hold and Everlund, the trail passes through an area that used to be forest and is now full of tree stumps. Efforts to turn this long stretch into a proper road have long been thwarted by disagreements between the leaders of Yartar and Everlund, and Everlund’s exit from the Lords' Alliance has dashed all hope.

Eventually you arrive at Calling Horns.

Calling Horns was nothing more than a trailside inn until a few years ago, when Tamalin Zoar bought the establishment and retired here. Using her hard-won wealth and influence, she attracted settlers to the region, giving rise to a small village whose citizens pay monthly “tithes” for Tamalin’s protection. Still spry at sixty, Tamalin is “the law” in Calling Horns—an irony that never ceases to amuse her. Tamalin also gives free room and board to adventurers who help solve local problems. Given the village’s proximity to the Evermoors, few villagers have cause to complain about Tamalin’s protection racket. She keeps them safe from orcs, trolls, and other monsters, and that’s good enough for them.

Calling Horns stands where Jundar’s Pass meets up with the Evermoor Way. The intersection is marked by a cairn of weathered and lichen-covered orc skulls that commemorates the long-ago slaughter of a horde here. The village proper is made up of rows of small log cottages with bark-shingled rooftops. The Calling Horns Inn, a large fieldstone structure with adjoining stables, stands atop a ridge that overlooks the intersection, surrounded by tall, old trees.

 

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: So we're not going back to the cave? Make the dastard confront the evil he hath wrought? If that's the case, Bellalalalinda will not be trusting of him -- no watches, ever suspicious. To the best of her knowledge (based on the tracking; even with the extra information), this guy is cruel and untrustworthy.

 

[Yavathol]

"Ah, it may not be Waterdeep, but it is still civilization, eh?!"
After travelling for some time, trying not to show his distrust of Roco and yet keeping an eye on him, Gul was feeling uncharacteristically strained and looking forward to a hot bath.

"Shall we see if we can get an audience with this Tamalin Zoar and find if she has any commissions for adventurers?"

OOC: Gul is periodically, say, once/day, using his Rod of the Vonindod to see if there are any hits. Once we actually get into town, he will also spend some time in the taverns, not drinking but finding out if there have been any more giant raids.

 

[Creamsteak]

OOC: So we're not going back to the cave? Make the dastard confront the evil he hath wrought? If that's the case, Bellalalalinda will not be trusting of him -- no watches, ever suspicious. To the best of her knowledge (based on the tracking; even with the extra information), this guy is cruel and untrustworthy.

OOC: He seemed insistent that he keeps going the way he's going. I took it that the party accompanied him since they were going the same way.

Gul finds that the people in this small settlement are a bit friendly, but they confirm that they have been having a problem. "Trolls from the Evermoors are in a panic. Fire giants from further off have started to venture into the place, enslaving or driving out the trolls. They've become more than a bit of a problem for us since. They come into town looking for horses or other things they can eat, though Tamalin and her guards have been able to put them down so-far."

[sblock=Rod_of_the_Vonindod]It does in fact seem to point towards something in the north, which is where the swamps of the Evermoors is located.[/sblock]

 

[Creamsteak]

Roco makes his way to the inn to purchase a nights rest. He seems mostly harmless during your travels, and he is a moderately talented singer it seems. He also seems to write when given time, though he does not seem to open as to show you what he's putting together. He says he intends to leave tomorrow morning and continue on his way.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Bellalalalinda is offended by the torture of the kobold. It has affected her, and she is pleased to have a moment with her companions on the road (those not wearing red.

"Does anyone mind if I direct the local authorities to the cave?" she asks.

 

[Steve Gorak]

Bellalalalinda is offended by the torture of the kobold. It has affected her, and she is pleased to have a moment with her companions on the road (those not wearing red.

"Does anyone mind if I direct the local authorities to the cave?" she asks.

"I don't see why not, but that trail is fast becoming cold. What worries me the most is that giants here too seem to be more active. Perhaps there are greater powers at work. We should investigate what the fire giants are doing in the Evermoors"