(IC) Quickleaf's Rime of the Frostmaiden

[TaranTheWanderer]

Spoiler: Oskar Whisperstone - Mini-sheet

Oskar Whisperstone Race: Dwarf HP: 27/27 AC: 16/18(with shield)	Perc save: +2 Pass Inv: 9 Pass Ins: 15	Spell Slots: 1st[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 2nd [] [] Harness Divine Power 1/1
Channel Divinity: 1/1	Initiative: -1	Spell Save DC: 13/+5 to hit
Spoiler: Stats(saves) STR: 13+1 DEX: 8 -1 CON: 14+2 INT: 9-1 WIS: 16+3(+5) CHA:10 +0(+2)	Spoiler: Skills Craft:+5 History: 1 Insight: 5 Medicine: 5 Persuasion: 2 Religion: 1	Spoiler: Spells Cantrips Guidance, Mending*, Sacred Flame, Spare the dying, Memorized spells 1st Bless*, Cure wounds*, create/destroy water, healing word, Protection from Evil, Sanctuary, Guiding bolt 2nd Lesser Restoration*, Spiritual Weapon*, Aid,

---

"Well, there must be an inn. Let's go get a few rooms and, maybe some warm soup! Maybe the innkeeper might know things about any new visitors to town."

 

[Quickleaf]

"Well, there must be an inn. Let's go get a few rooms and, maybe some warm soup! Maybe the innkeeper might know things about any new visitors to town."

GM POST

Sure enough, what seems to be a jumble of separate snow-covered buildings – stables, kitchens, sculleries, storerooms – turns out to be the local inn. A tattered sign dripping icicles reads "The Eastside" at the smallest of these buildings with warm light emanating through the frosted windows.

Once you're inside, the blazing hearth immediately restores warmth to your limbs. Stairs descend toward a cellar from which you can hear boots and murmured voices struggling with something heavy. Supporting posts and beams are engraved in the likeness of winds and waves.

A young speckled teen girl with tired eyes closes out the room tab for a brooding half-orc bundled as if soon to depart. The half-orc casts a glance over his shoulder as you enter.

Two old men are engaged in a chess game moving so slowly it seems like they might freeze in place.

A half-elven woman is having a cup of tea and furrowing her brows at a journal.

A trio of children near the hearth are playing a game of jacks and scrimshaw dice, whispering of ghost stories amidst morning yawns. One of the children drops his dice and stares at your motley crew in surprise.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Spoiler: Oskar Whisperstone - Mini-sheet

Oskar Whisperstone Race: Dwarf HP: 27/27 AC: 16/18(with shield)	Perc save: +2 Pass Inv: 9 Pass Ins: 15	Spell Slots: 1st[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 2nd [] [] Harness Divine Power 1/1
Channel Divinity: 1/1	Initiative: -1	Spell Save DC: 13/+5 to hit
Spoiler: Stats(saves) STR: 13+1 DEX: 8 -1 CON: 14+2 INT: 9-1 WIS: 16+3(+5) CHA:10 +0(+2)	Spoiler: Skills Craft:+5 History: 1 Insight: 5 Medicine: 5 Persuasion: 2 Religion: 1	Spoiler: Spells Cantrips Guidance, Mending*, Sacred Flame, Spare the dying, Memorized spells 1st Bless*, Cure wounds*, create/destroy water, healing word, Protection from Evil, Sanctuary, Guiding bolt 2nd Lesser Restoration*, Spiritual Weapon*, Aid,

---

As Oskar enters the room he stomps the snow off his feet and meets the eye of the girl speaking to the half-orc. As he removes his mitts, he gives her a smile and a waive, as if to say, We're next in line, once you're done your business.

As he moved towards the counter, he leans over the railing to see what might be coming up from the cellar,

"Do you need an extra hand down there?"

 

[Quickleaf]

Spoiler: Oskar Whisperstone - Mini-sheet

Oskar Whisperstone Race: Dwarf HP: 27/27 AC: 16/18(with shield)	Perc save: +2 Pass Inv: 9 Pass Ins: 15	Spell Slots: 1st[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 2nd [] [] Harness Divine Power 1/1
Channel Divinity: 1/1	Initiative: -1	Spell Save DC: 13/+5 to hit
Spoiler: Stats(saves) STR: 13+1 DEX: 8 -1 CON: 14+2 INT: 9-1 WIS: 16+3(+5) CHA:10 +0(+2)	Spoiler: Skills Craft:+5 History: 1 Insight: 5 Medicine: 5 Persuasion: 2 Religion: 1	Spoiler: Spells Cantrips Guidance, Mending*, Sacred Flame, Spare the dying, Memorized spells 1st Bless*, Cure wounds*, create/destroy water, healing word, Protection from Evil, Sanctuary, Guiding bolt 2nd Lesser Restoration*, Spiritual Weapon*, Aid,

---

As Oskar enters the room he stomps the snow off his feet and meets the eye of the girl speaking to the half-orc. As he removes his mitts, he gives her a smile and a waive, as if to say, We're next in line, once you're done your business.

As he moved towards the counter, he leans over the railing to see what might be coming up from the cellar,

"Do you need an extra hand down there?"

A weary cracking voice calls up to Oskar, “Levistus’ balls! Snow keeps seeping into these old passages. If storms keep getting worse, might have to seal them off for good. Not unless you have a water level or a dwarven eye for slopes.”

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Spoiler: Oskar Whisperstone - Mini-sheet

Oskar Whisperstone Race: Dwarf HP: 27/27 AC: 16/18(with shield)	Perc save: +2 Pass Inv: 9 Pass Ins: 15	Spell Slots: 1st[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 2nd [] [] Harness Divine Power 1/1
Channel Divinity: 1/1	Initiative: -1	Spell Save DC: 13/+5 to hit
Spoiler: Stats(saves) STR: 13+1 DEX: 8 -1 CON: 14+2 INT: 9-1 WIS: 16+3(+5) CHA:10 +0(+2)	Spoiler: Skills Craft:+5 History: 1 Insight: 5 Medicine: 5 Persuasion: 2 Religion: 1	Spoiler: Spells Cantrips Guidance, Mending*, Sacred Flame, Spare the dying, Memorized spells 1st Bless*, Cure wounds*, create/destroy water, healing word, Protection from Evil, Sanctuary, Guiding bolt 2nd Lesser Restoration*, Spiritual Weapon*, Aid,

---

Oskar's ears perk up. He throws his hood off and makes his way down the stairs.

"Well you're in luck, 'cause I'ma dwarf. Maybe I can help you out, ya?"

While this has nothing to do with the Arcane Brotherhood or strange murders, Oskar can't help but be useful and help a fellow in need.

 

[Neurotic]

Lumrolur slides in, just one among small folk and Alma, using Oscars talking as cover to slip aside unnoticed or at least unremarked.

 

[Quickleaf]

Oskar's ears perk up. He throws his hood off and makes his way down the stairs.

"Well you're in luck, 'cause I'ma dwarf. Maybe I can help you out, ya?"

While this has nothing to do with the Arcane Brotherhood or strange murders, Oskar can't help but be useful and help a fellow in need.

Once Oskar gets to the bottoms of the stairs, the unusual layout of the Eastside inn with separate buildings quickly makes sense – underground tunnels connect the buildings like a sprawling cellar. It's decent craftsmanship (for human construction), dug into the earth, and braced with stones up to the mid-wall and then heavy timbers on the upper half and ceilings.

Drifts of snow have crept in at part of the hall where a crack in the timbers allowed the snowstorm to seep through last night. A wiry man surveys the crack with a scowl, measuring it using his hand. A satchel of tools and several wooden planks rest nearby.

"Well, a dwarf indeed! And here I thought most your ilk were in retreat to the Dwarven Valley." The man has a salt-and-pepper mustache and grey trapper hat covering his ears, a bit of relief breaking the scowl on his face. "What do you think? I was going to put some wooden wedges in and nail planks over..."

GM: You can make a DC 10 Wisdom check (with an appropriate Craft skill / tool proficiency) to figure out what caused the damage. You can also use Stonecunning DC 10 (History, double proficiency bonus) to figure out the history of the stone-and-earth work.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Spoiler: Oskar Whisperstone - Mini-sheet

Oskar Whisperstone Race: Dwarf HP: 27/27 AC: 16/18(with shield)	Perc save: +2 Pass Inv: 9 Pass Ins: 15	Spell Slots: 1st[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 2nd [] [] Harness Divine Power 1/1
Channel Divinity: 1/1	Initiative: -1	Spell Save DC: 13/+5 to hit
Spoiler: Stats(saves) STR: 13+1 DEX: 8 -1 CON: 14+2 INT: 9-1 WIS: 16+3(+5) CHA:10 +0(+2)	Spoiler: Skills Craft:+5 History: 1 Insight: 5 Medicine: 5 Persuasion: 2 Religion: 1	Spoiler: Spells Cantrips Guidance, Mending*, Sacred Flame, Spare the dying, Memorized spells 1st Bless*, Cure wounds*, create/destroy water, healing word, Protection from Evil, Sanctuary, Guiding bolt 2nd Lesser Restoration*, Spiritual Weapon*, Aid,

---

The dwarf takes some time to look at his surroundings. He's heard a thing or two about the under-workings of this town.1

"Do these tunnels go through the whole town?"

He says this as he pushes in closer to the damaged beam, assessing it with an expert eye. He puts his own tools on the ground and pulls out the water level they had previously been asking for. After much evaluation and a quick prayer*, he thinks he can see the problem. 2

"Well, it could be a few things: that moisture got in the beam and the cold winter caused it to splinter is one thing....

He pauses to get their attention,

"I should be able to fix it.

"I tell you what, If we get a support up to push the splintered part together, I can repair it.3 "

---

Spoiler: OOC

1. I got a 14 History check.

2. Oskar has Craft Stonemasonry so he can have a look at how the beams tie into the stonework but, sadly, I rolled a 9.
History then Craft stonemasonry:
1D20+3 = [11]+3 = 14
1D20+5 = [4]+5 = 9

*EDIT: I forgot I have guidance so, if I can go back in time, I could cast guidance on myself.
Guidance: 1D4 = [3] = 3
For a total of 12.
(it's what happens when you make all your rolls while coaching soccer instead of waiting until you get home)

3. Oskar has mending. Is the break more than a foot? If not, he should be able to mend it up.

 

[Quickleaf]

GM POST

The dwarf takes some time to look at his surroundings. He's heard a thing or two about the under-workings of this town.1

"Do these tunnels go through the whole town?"

He says this as he pushes in closer to the damaged beam, assessing it with an expert eye. He puts his own tools on the ground and pulls out the water level they had previously been asking for. After much evaluation and a quick prayer*, he thinks he can see the problem. 2

"Well, it could be a few things: that moisture got in the beam and the cold winter caused it to splinter is one thing....

He pauses to get their attention,

"I should be able to fix it.

"I tell you what, If we get a support up to push the splintered part together, I can repair it.3 "

GM: Yes! Mending will fix the break in the wooden beams.

The man in the trapper hat rapidly shakes his head, "No, just beneath the Eastside, connecting the inn's buildings. Tunnels have been here since I was a boy." He appraises the cracked rafter and nods slowly, as if he were seeing the same thing that Oskar sees, when he's clearly guessing.

Based on the weathering of the stones and their nearly seamless interlocking placement without mortar, driven like precise stone chisels into the wooden posts, Oskar is certain a dwarven mason oversaw the construction. Goblins once raided Termalaine some 150 years ago, which matches how long you'd guess the stones have been here – perhaps dwarves of Clan Battlehammer lent the townsfolk aid back then in the form of creating hideaway tunnels.

As the man grunts and pushes the beams together, Oskar can tell that the damage was caused by more than the weight of snow. Someone with a tool - maybe a rock bar - pried open the rafters from the outside surface. This likely was an act of sabotage capitalizing on last night's snowstorm.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Spoiler: Oskar Whisperstone - Mini-sheet

Oskar Whisperstone Race: Dwarf HP: 27/27 AC: 16/18(with shield)	Perc save: +2 Pass Inv: 9 Pass Ins: 15	Spell Slots: 1st[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 2nd [] [] Harness Divine Power 1/1
Channel Divinity: 1/1	Initiative: -1	Spell Save DC: 13/+5 to hit
Spoiler: Stats(saves) STR: 13+1 DEX: 8 -1 CON: 14+2 INT: 9-1 WIS: 16+3(+5) CHA:10 +0(+2)	Spoiler: Skills Craft:+5 History: 1 Insight: 5 Medicine: 5 Persuasion: 2 Religion: 1	Spoiler: Spells Cantrips Guidance, Mending*, Sacred Flame, Spare the dying, Memorized spells 1st Bless*, Cure wounds*, create/destroy water, healing word, Protection from Evil, Sanctuary, Guiding bolt 2nd Lesser Restoration*, Spiritual Weapon*, Aid,

---

"All right, you hold it right there while I fix it...just a minute."

As Oskar chants over the beam, the cracks reseal as if nothing had ever been wrong.

"Blessed by Shalindlar. I'm Oskar Whisperstone of the Whisperstone Clan. You don't have to fret now because, I tell you what, this will last another one hundred and fifty years.

Now then, you don't worry about all this snow. I'll clean it all up quick in a bit - no need to shovel. A Whisperstone always cleans up on the job sight. I just wanna get my bags in a cozy warm room. You give me ten minutes? Go have a drink by the fire and, by the time you are done, it will all be clean."*

The dwarf didn't want to mention sabotage just yet. He knew the others were looking for a murderer and this might be connected. Besides, there still might be footprints outside.

He collects his things and rejoins the rest of the group and quietly fills them in on what just happened.

"....So, yes, someone smashed things on purpose."

---

Spoiler: OOC

I'm assuming create/destroy water works on snow since it's just cold water?? If so, I can just vaporize or whatever all the snow. But I don't want to do it until we investigate.

I share to everyone.