D&D 5E Monster Mayhem: A Little Too Familiar (IC)

[KirayaTiDrekan]

The tiny town of Valen's Rest, named for the hero buried there two generations ago, is barely a dot on the map. With a population of only a couple hundred, the town is often overlooked by the hoards of humanoids, ravening beasts, and marauding dragons that plague the rest of the kingdom.

Which is why, when Wendel Hobstobble comes into town from the local wizard's tower, he is hard pressed to find anyone willing and able to help him with his rather delicate problem. In fact, the only people in town with nothing better to do right this moment are...

Gob Ironfoot, known to the locals as the scruffy looking kid who everyone feels sorry for and so often gets asked to run errands for a few coppers

Janus Alderan, a soldier returned home from the border on leave

Trevor Alvwethshire, a minor noble looking to prove himself

Olliver, from far off Damara, a halfling who seems to be the most wide-traveled person in Valen's Rest

Dangar Stonecypher, a dwarf and loyal member of the Church of Life

The excitable, always anxious little gnome, Wendel, is known for his weekly trips into town, running various errands for his master, and always being more tightly wound than the clockwork contraptions he sometimes sells to children. Today, he is even more frantic than usual, carrying on about escaped animals, smelly baboons, and his master's wrath should he find out.

OOC: Players, please introduce your characters in your first post with a physical description and visible equipment. Feel free to expand on setting details a bit if your character is not from Valen's Rest. Your characters likely know each other, at least in passing, due to the small population of Valen's Rest. You can establish closer relationships if you like. Finally, establish how and why you have chosen to help out Wendel.

 

[JustinCase]

The halfling known as Olliver is humming a tune under his breath as he props himself up on his elbows to look at the excited gnome. Olliver has found a nice little spot in the sun, a low wall that with his backpack under his head makes quite a comfortable spot for a nap.

The eternal smile on his face widens, and somewhat louder he starts to sing towards Wendel.

"What's this? What's this?
There's panic everywhere
What's this?
There's tension in the air
What's this?
I can't believe my eyes
I must be dreaming
Wake up, boy, this isn't fair
What's this?"

Getting up from his wall, Olliver grabs his pack and moves over to the gnome. With a reassuring smile, he places a hand on Wendel's shoulder.

"Calm down, my friend. What's going on? Can I help you?"

 

[EarlyBird]

Gob blows the light brown hair out of his eyes to get a better look at the gnome, the hair falls back into them as he starts to speak. "Wendel you sure step in the sh--," he stops as Olliver starts up his limerick.

"Har!" he huffs out a course laugh. "Got the gist of it he does." He adds with a nod to the other halfling. Gob settles down with his feet dangling over the low wall, his torn breeches looking like they could use a wash. His small pack (the only thing he owns that looks new), sits against the wall at his feet as he returns to coiling a long piece of rope, trying to make it smaller than he is tall.

"This is impossible!" Gob shouts slamming most of the rope down, but still holding the one end. He sighs and sets about trying again.

OOC: 50' feet of rope is like standing 17 Gob's on each other's shoulders.

 

[Mike291]

Looking up from the forge where he was smithing new hinges for the temple door Dangar sees the commotion caused by Wendel the gnome apprentice. Setting his work aside he stands to his full height of 5'2", which is tall for a mountain dwarf. He sqaures his broad shoulders, and shakes out his dishwater blonde hair and beard. Saying a quick prayer to the All Father, that nothing is wrong, he hurriedly makes his way to where the others are gathered. While his large frame does much to help with his smithing work, you can't help but notice his slight limp as he approaches.

 

[hbarsquared]

“That’ll be 65 silver.”

“Are you sure?” Janus asks, incredulous. “We agreed to 55 yesterday.”

“Price has gone up.”

Janus pauses counting. He returned home several weeks ago, and though family and old friends have welcomed him, not everyone appreciates the reminder of faraway wars. He wears a plain brown tunic and trousers, caked in mud and dirt. His hands are calloused and bleeding, with dirt under his fingernails, and his face still shows the sunburns from his first weeks in the field.

But his military bearing is unmistakable. He stands with a straight back, his short hair cut close, his face clean shaven.

“My family has been tilling land here for years. Would you be charging my father the same price if he was here?”

The blacksmith shrugs. “He’s not. You are.” He presents the plough iron that he promised three days ago. It’s roughly formed, pockmarked, with pitted edges. It looks no better than the rusted hunk Janus hopes to replace.

Janus looks the smith in the eye and sweeps the coins back into his pouch.

“You know what, friend, nevermind.”

It will take some time to scrub off the rust. Probably longer to smooth out the dings and to sharpen it. Run it through the ground a few times to see which way it angles and where the furrows build up. He can get it to function, at least, for this season.

“Good day,” Janus says, and turns without awaiting a response. He steps out from the stall.

Only to collide in mid-stride with Wendel.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Trevor blinked his eyes. Is this flyspeck of a town it? Valen's rest?

Putting away the map his brother Simon had given him, the tall, broad-shouldered man entered the village. His brown hair brown quite shaggy, he is dressed in fine but practical gear. Chainmail and twin longswords make his martial prowess obvious.

Overhearing the gnomes predicament, he remembered his brother Cedric once telling him that adventures start in unlikely places. He strides over, saying boisterously, "Hello friend! Sounds like you could use a little help!"

 

[JustinCase]

Olliver sighs as Janus almost knocks Wendel over as the big man steps out of the smithy. Big folk!

Helping the gnome to his feet, Olliver ignores Janus - knowing that big folk are intuitively embarrassed if they inadvertently cause harm to halflings and gnomes - and quickly brushes off some dirt on Wendel’s clothes.

Then an unfamiliar voice rings out, and Olliver looks over to see a broad-shouldered human warrior make his way over.

”Welcome to Valen’s Rest, traveller,” the halfling greets Trevor warmly.

”My friend Wendel here was just about to tell us what is bothering him. I’m sure that whatever it is, we can help him together!”

With that, Olliver makes a gesture to include all now gathered, then looks at Wendel expectantly.

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

Wendel dusts himself off, the normally nervous gnome far more scattered and anxious than usual, "Oh, its terrible. The master will surely flay me alive this time and feed my bones to his homonculus. Oh I doomed!"

Wendel takes a few deep breaths to compose himself and then continues, "That rapscallion of a baboon, I don't know why the master keeps that thing around, but that...pest of a creature...has released my menagerie! Sprung them all out of their cages! They are wreaking havoc and making a mess of things even as I speak. Please, I urgently request help in capturing them. I can only offer my life savings as reward, but I am desperate. Will you help me?"

 

[Mike291]

Dangar reached out and gently placed his hand on Wendel's shoulder. "Come friend it surely is not as bad as all that." "I am more than willing to help", and with that he returns to the temple to gather his gear and return to the wall to await everyone's return.

 

[JustinCase]

Olliver’s eyes light up as he hears the words ‘life savings’, and he wraps his arm around Wendel.

”But of course we’ll help you! That’s what friends do, right? You were right to come straight to me. We’ll fix this.”

Olliver guides the gnome to the low wall where the two halflings were lounging and sits Wendel down.

”Just relax while we take care of it. How many creatures escaped?”

OOC: I assume we know the way to his place and we can enter easily, or Olliver will ask for directions and a key.