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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Azure Trance" data-source="post: 484659" data-attributes="member: 372">NoteI’m still playing Night Below, although there have been some changes since the first session. Out of the original six we started with, only four remain. However, an additional four characters have been added at various intervals. In story I’m not sure how I’ll execute their entrance, and the other players departures, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I suppose the same goes for when an obscure point comes up in the story which I can’t remember quite exactly because it happened three weeks ago …Oh yeah <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":P" title="Stick out tongue    :P"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":P" /> I apologize for the lack of updates. I really, really do (clvrmonkey, Naull). I didn’t expect anyone to reply, and updating this dropped on my priority list during midterms. I’m still somewhat (i.e., very) horribly awkward at typing out after-action reports in third person with the right amount of brevity and detail, and can still waste an enormous amount of time typing a relatively short post, so I’ll have to get used to this … or die trying. Book One - Session 1.2xThe party found Milbourne shortly after midday, arriving  with two prisoners. While Piers stabled Aasimov, Dmitri asked the locals who the local authority was. They were directed to Garyld, the local town constable who also doubled as the towns carpenter. He retained a youthful look on him even though he appeared to be in his 50’s. The party explained their situation and that they hadn’t had any success in getting them to reveal any information. Although both looked unfamiliar, the lanky one was surprisingly dim-witted. His responses were limited to ‘outsiders’ bringing in ‘bad stuff’ which would ‘be bad’ for the region. The larger man, however, remained silent the entire time throughout even as he and his compatriot were hanged the next day for the crimes of attempted murder and banditry.After deposing of the criminals the party headed to the Baron of Mutton Inn on Garyld’s recommendation seeking decent room and board for the first time in days. What they received was much different. As soon as they opened the door they were greeted with people in hysterics and looking worried. The barkeep Bartholomew (1) saw their reactions and explained that the night before a guest had disappeared. Her name is Jelenneth and she’s the daughter Haldelar, the town elder (He runs the mill by the river). Apparently she went to bed last night, but simply wasn’t here in the morning. Even her box of spell components was still there. The group offered their assistance but couldn’t find anything amiss in her room. They later met Haldelar himself and Bart’s twin brother Andren, who was courting Jelenneth. Both were grief-stricken and the PC’s agreed to help search for her. Haldelar’s wife, Parella, suggested that she may have gone to see Tauster for a late night excursion. Seeing as how they were already supposed to meet him they would find out if she was with him.With the dour task ahead of them they asked for the rooms and rates (2). and eventually decided on getting the best room offered, along with warm water in the morning for a gold coin a day. Dmitri was still badly wounded from the previous days battle and visited the local temple for clerical help. Semheis was the town priest who was appointed to Milbourne only a few months ago. He was young, with a zealous type streak which didn’t make him extraordinarily popular with the locals. For the price of a dozen gold coins to the coffers though, Semheis tended to Dimitri each day until he had healed fully. Semheis did lecture about religion, but Dimitri would hear little it.During that period the rest of the party wandered throughout town, meeting the locals and finding things to do. Lorg came upon the Churnett river and saw a stout, well built, half-completed bridge on the bank. He went up to a peasant and introduced himself with his queer accent(3), and asked “What is this? A half-completed bridge? What’s wrong with it?”“That? Oh, that’s the folly. Some fifty years ago or so a merchant was building that only until he realized the water was shallow enough to be treaded by horses anyway.”“My god, that’s the stupidest thing ever. A merchant that incompetent! What was his name?”“Nobody knows, he was shamed out of here a long time ago. Now it’s just mostly used to fish.”“Fish? What’s a fish?”The peasant took great surprise in that comment. Lorg was from such a distant place and culture he didn’t know most of the things that he took for granted … and so Thomas, the peasant, invited Lorg over for dinner to try some fish and tell stories about where he came from.Raven stopped by the general store near the center of town. It’s sign said, “Rastifer’s General Assortment of Curios and Random Paraphernalia,” with two guard dogs tied up in the front of the store. Raven first noticed when entering the sheer clutter that filled the room. Boxes were stacked to the ceiling, where a row of meat hooks hung. In the middle of the store stood Rastifer, who greeted him warmly. He was an old man with well-worn creases on hi face and an exuberant personality. With a touch of randomness, even. Raven asked to see if any spells were sold here, on which Rastifer frowned. “Spells … spells … hold on, let me see-“ He opened up a small wooden chest which suddenly spewed white powder on his face before it was shut. Wiping his face off with his shirt, he mumbled, “Nope, no spells today. Check the next time the caravan stops by, though. I thi-” Rastifer sneezed. And then sneezed again. And again. And again. Raven quickly left the store.Tharan visited the temple in the morning and in the evening for it’s large, thorned rose bush. Stripping down naked, he closed his eyes and meditated as he passed through the rosebush. To the rest of the party he replied it kept him in top mental shape.Piers and Adrian had a subtle rivalry since they met, but once in town it flared into full force. Adrian casually went into the Baron of Mutton and started to get the locals into a jolly mood. He began playing his lute skillfully and offered free drinks on his tab. People quickly started to get drunk and sing with him. Piers in return went to the other bar in town, the Silver Crown Inn. It was a lower class establishment then he was used to but still a place to show off his skills. He started to sing commoner songs with flair. People began leaving for the free drinks Adrian offered though, so Piers matched him as well with his own patron bar tab. Eventually, in the wee hours of the morning where nearly everyone was already drunk or sleeping, they both stopped and, sure of themself as the victor, went to bed. (4)The group left Milbourne and made their way east to Thurmaster (5) The trek took only from morning to midday and they approached Thurmaster with the sun at it’s apex. Thurmaster was a very shoddy looking village with a primitive wooden stockade surrounding the border with two bored militiamen sitting in front of the main gate. Destroyed buildings littered the nearby outside area. The party passed through, though they were curious enough to garner stares from the guards, and headed straight to Tauster’s tower for their reward.Dimitri walks into his yard and knocks on the door. A minute later the door opens a crack and an elderly man pops his head out. “Yeah? What do you want?”In a heavy accent Dimitri asks, “You are Tauster, no?”“Why, who are you?”“We come here to deliver this package to you. It’s from a man – Gordon.”“Oh, yes, splendid. It’s here. Let me see it.”Dimitri takes his sleeping roll out of his backpack and unbundles the chest. He hands it to Tauster, without letting go. “Well, are you going to let go?”“We see money first, yah?”“Not until I make sure that this is my box and that it hasn’t been tampered with.”“It is your box, and it’s still good. We just want to see money first.”Tauster pulls impatiently on the box, but Dimitri’s grip is firm.“Bah! Fine, you keep it and not get paid then!” Tauster slams the door shut.The group immediately begins to argue among each other. Lorg asks, “Maybe we should open the box and see what’s inside of it.” Dimitri agrees. A window opens up from the tower and Tauster yells out, “If you’re going to open that blasted thing, do it off my property! I don’t want anything damaged!” after which he shuts the window again. Raven and co hide behind a large tree.Dimitri sighs, and knocks on the door again yelling, “Okay, we give you your box.” The door promptly opens up and Tauster grabs the box, slamming the door shut. A few minutes pass by after which Tauster reappears. Scowling at Dimitri, he countersigns the letter of credit and tells them to redeem it at Squire Marlens residence, which is the biggest house in the village.Before Tauster shuts the door again, Dimitri asks him if he’s seen Jelenneth as she’s been missing back at Milbourne. He paused, and Dimitri told him all he knew. Tausters face melted as he said he hasn’t seen her in the past two weeks, but was expecting to see her again next week so she could continue her studies and hasn’t a clue as to where she might be now. Tauster asks the characters if they’d be interested in finding her for a commission. He offered 10 gold each for delivering a message to Kuiper, a man who has a farm near Hogsbrook – roughly halfway between Thurmaster and Milbourne and another 50 gold each if they actually find her. Everyone agreed. Tauster said, “Since you’re here, you might as well stay at the Hound & The Tails (tavern) on me. But a word of advice – don’t try their mutton pie.”(1) His book name would be Barthelew, but Bartholomew made more sense. In any event, Raven commented OOC that he –must- kill the NPC for having that name. More name to changes to come for the obtusely named characters.(2) I printed out the list of prices and room descriptions. Each question was mostly answered with, “ … but it’s a little dirty.” Maybe it was the enticement of bacon and sweetloaves in the morning which got their attention?(3) Mikey, the person who plays Lorg, speaks in some sort of accent. He claims it’s south Slavic, but I’d never know. Coincidentally, Don (who plays Dimitri) and Mikey occasionally meld their accents into Scottish every once in a while.(4) They both rolled their performance skill, with Adrian getting the first win and Piers the second. Jay, Adrian’s player, was having a lot of fun in light of the fact that his rogue could do a better job then the bard.(5) I think this town name has the worst track record on being miscalled by the players. Let’s head back to Thumeister- “Thurmaster.” Okay, okay, so we’re going from Thighmaster… </blockquote>

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