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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
IC - Mad King's Monkey
- Thread starter doghead
- Start date
Scott DeWar
Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure
"No disrespect intended, you see by the bodies and heads we had a bit of a scuffle last night, but Just how do we know that you are Henri?"
Electric Wizard
First Post
Sukri approaches with a neutral smile that he hopes will put the man somewhat at ease.
"I am sorry to tell you," he says, "but if you are Henri, there are gnolls seeking you."
He tries to judge the man's reaction.
"I am sorry to tell you," he says, "but if you are Henri, there are gnolls seeking you."
He tries to judge the man's reaction.
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doghead
thotd
DAY TWO, AT HENRI'S HOUSE.
Henri, or perhaps more accurately at this point, the man calling himself Henri lowers his hand and leans heavily on his staff.
"Yes, a good question. I make potions which I sell. Kovic handles the sales through the tavern. You are here on behalf of the Chancellor, who was wondering where his potions were. Kovic told me he had asked you to come out here because they were worried.
"And Walter told me about the visitors. He said that you had a captive, and that you were expecting a return visit."
He glances over at the heads mounted on the fence.
"It seems that they did indeed return then."
The man calling himself Henri stares at the busted door for a moment.
"I suppose that they left the place a bit of a mess? I don't suppose that you noticed if any of the tea survived. Or the honey. It has been a bit of a long night."
"Perhaps we can talk while I fix up a bit of breakfast? I will explain what I can."
Assuming no objections, the man calling himself Henri heads towards the house. He moves slowly and relies on his staff for support, and despite his health tan, you see that his skin is drawn and pale and that some of the stains on his clothes look distinctly like dried blood.
[sblock=Eban Sense Motive]Eban doesn't get the sense that the man is lying.[/sblock]
[sblock=Sukri Sense Motive]The man genuinely doesn't seem to be surprised by the revelation that he is been sought by gnolls.[/sblock]
Henri, or perhaps more accurately at this point, the man calling himself Henri lowers his hand and leans heavily on his staff.
"Yes, a good question. I make potions which I sell. Kovic handles the sales through the tavern. You are here on behalf of the Chancellor, who was wondering where his potions were. Kovic told me he had asked you to come out here because they were worried.
"And Walter told me about the visitors. He said that you had a captive, and that you were expecting a return visit."
He glances over at the heads mounted on the fence.
"It seems that they did indeed return then."
The man calling himself Henri stares at the busted door for a moment.
"I suppose that they left the place a bit of a mess? I don't suppose that you noticed if any of the tea survived. Or the honey. It has been a bit of a long night."
"Perhaps we can talk while I fix up a bit of breakfast? I will explain what I can."
Assuming no objections, the man calling himself Henri heads towards the house. He moves slowly and relies on his staff for support, and despite his health tan, you see that his skin is drawn and pale and that some of the stains on his clothes look distinctly like dried blood.
[sblock=Eban Sense Motive]Eban doesn't get the sense that the man is lying.[/sblock]
[sblock=Sukri Sense Motive]The man genuinely doesn't seem to be surprised by the revelation that he is been sought by gnolls.[/sblock]
Scott DeWar
Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure
"I am sorry, but what we searched for was a clue as to where you went and what might have happened to you. They tore the place up, just as you see it now. Minus some defensive measures on our part.
Bayar
Bayar stood, puzzled, and watched as the new arrival wondered in. The others started badgering him with questions - Bayar stood and watched, dumping his recently collected kit back on the ground with a sigh. We be too late to return now. Problems with that wagon weal-man...
He stands aside as Henri and the others head inside, then moves to the doorway to watch for any other unexpected arrivals.
Bayar stood, puzzled, and watched as the new arrival wondered in. The others started badgering him with questions - Bayar stood and watched, dumping his recently collected kit back on the ground with a sigh. We be too late to return now. Problems with that wagon weal-man...
He stands aside as Henri and the others head inside, then moves to the doorway to watch for any other unexpected arrivals.
Scott DeWar
Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure
"We really don't have time for tea, sir. we are on a very tight schdual. If you can let us know of the disposition of the merchandise we are here for, we need to be on our way. [diplomacy: +3] [sense motive +1]
doghead
thotd
DAY THREE, AT HENRI'S HOUSE
After Henri has inspected the gnolls (he insists) and checked their wounds and their bindings, he spends a few minutes casting a spell. Returning to the kitchen he spends another quarter of hour pottering around making tea and setting straight the table and some chairs and a bench. He won't be hurried, and despite his obvious fatigue there is a quiet strength of purpose about the man. He asks lots of perceptive questions about the events since the you arrived at his house. He is particularly interested in any comments that the gnolls made. He shows little interest in what they had on them, with the exception of the scroll, which surprises him a little. By the time the water is boiling, he seems done.
"So," he begins once the tea has been served and those who want to be are seated, "First of all I should I apologise for all the trouble I have caused you. I didn't expect to be gone for nearly as long as I was. Things got a little more complicated than I expected. Had you but arrived a day later, things would have been much simpler."
You get the impression that he doesn't just mean for you.
"Firstly the potions for the Chancellor. I don't have all of them finished just yet. But I haven't forgotten them. I will give you a letter to take to the Chancellor explaining the situation. I sure that he will be ... understanding.
"And please don't fret to much about getting back to the village on time. I can help you with that."
Henri pauses for a moment to sip his tea. It also seems like his is sorting out his thoughts for what is to come next.
"I could try and convince you that the gnolls are just a raiding party from the mountains, and that you were just unlucky enough to get in their way. But I suspect that you are sharp enough to suspect that that is not the whole story. As it is not.
"What I am going to tell you is known by only a few, myself and a few of the trappers, Kovic and a couple of others in town, and your Chancellor. I know the Chancellor knows because it was I who told him. Only, until now, he has not known who I was. He only knew me by the alias I used in our correspondence. When you speak to him, he will of course put two and two together.
"The gnolls you met are from the mountains, the western mountains to be more precise. But they are not so much a raiding party as a search party. They are here looking for a small tribe of gnolls that fled from the western mountains and now live here, in these mountains, as they have now for more than a decade. Dark things are happening in the western mountains. Things that I believe are part of a greater pattern of events. The gnolls living in exile here in the mountains fled as a result of the events in the west, and as such, may be useful allies in the future.
"I know that the idea of gnolls as allies may be strange one, given the common conception of them as savage monsters. But it has its precedents, as I believe Jan here has already started to suspect. Indeed," he adds looking directly at the bard, "you might find some time spent with the Songteller, which is what the gnolls call their bards, extremely illuminating. Several epics, I suspect, would need some revising."
"But until that time, the fewer people who know that there are gnolls in these mountains, the better. If word gets out, well, people will get hysterical. Every lost animal or bandit attack will become a gnoll raid, and soon there will be soldier and adventurers crawling through the mountains looking for fame and treasure.
"So, I am asking you, keep what you know to yourself. At least until you have had the chance to take to your Chancellor."
[sblock=Ghostcat]Libros is pretty sure that Henri is not telling the whole story, but sees nothing to indicate that the story Henri is telling is not at truthful as far as it goes.[/sblock]
After Henri has inspected the gnolls (he insists) and checked their wounds and their bindings, he spends a few minutes casting a spell. Returning to the kitchen he spends another quarter of hour pottering around making tea and setting straight the table and some chairs and a bench. He won't be hurried, and despite his obvious fatigue there is a quiet strength of purpose about the man. He asks lots of perceptive questions about the events since the you arrived at his house. He is particularly interested in any comments that the gnolls made. He shows little interest in what they had on them, with the exception of the scroll, which surprises him a little. By the time the water is boiling, he seems done.
"So," he begins once the tea has been served and those who want to be are seated, "First of all I should I apologise for all the trouble I have caused you. I didn't expect to be gone for nearly as long as I was. Things got a little more complicated than I expected. Had you but arrived a day later, things would have been much simpler."
You get the impression that he doesn't just mean for you.
"Firstly the potions for the Chancellor. I don't have all of them finished just yet. But I haven't forgotten them. I will give you a letter to take to the Chancellor explaining the situation. I sure that he will be ... understanding.
"And please don't fret to much about getting back to the village on time. I can help you with that."
Henri pauses for a moment to sip his tea. It also seems like his is sorting out his thoughts for what is to come next.
"I could try and convince you that the gnolls are just a raiding party from the mountains, and that you were just unlucky enough to get in their way. But I suspect that you are sharp enough to suspect that that is not the whole story. As it is not.
"What I am going to tell you is known by only a few, myself and a few of the trappers, Kovic and a couple of others in town, and your Chancellor. I know the Chancellor knows because it was I who told him. Only, until now, he has not known who I was. He only knew me by the alias I used in our correspondence. When you speak to him, he will of course put two and two together.
"The gnolls you met are from the mountains, the western mountains to be more precise. But they are not so much a raiding party as a search party. They are here looking for a small tribe of gnolls that fled from the western mountains and now live here, in these mountains, as they have now for more than a decade. Dark things are happening in the western mountains. Things that I believe are part of a greater pattern of events. The gnolls living in exile here in the mountains fled as a result of the events in the west, and as such, may be useful allies in the future.
"I know that the idea of gnolls as allies may be strange one, given the common conception of them as savage monsters. But it has its precedents, as I believe Jan here has already started to suspect. Indeed," he adds looking directly at the bard, "you might find some time spent with the Songteller, which is what the gnolls call their bards, extremely illuminating. Several epics, I suspect, would need some revising."
"But until that time, the fewer people who know that there are gnolls in these mountains, the better. If word gets out, well, people will get hysterical. Every lost animal or bandit attack will become a gnoll raid, and soon there will be soldier and adventurers crawling through the mountains looking for fame and treasure.
"So, I am asking you, keep what you know to yourself. At least until you have had the chance to take to your Chancellor."
[sblock=Ghostcat]Libros is pretty sure that Henri is not telling the whole story, but sees nothing to indicate that the story Henri is telling is not at truthful as far as it goes.[/sblock]
Scott DeWar
Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure
Jan bites his lip, not sure how to respond.
