The Adventurer's Guild

[bluesfella]

Landis' wife hands Mallick a stiff drink.

Mavros leads your group to the center of town, and into a small community building. "The drakes you dispatched today were only the latest attacks in what has become a plague. Nobody knows why they arrived or from where they originate, but no pattern seems to exist." He points to a map on the wall of the village, with several sites marked. "These are the places the drakes have attacked, you can see it looks to just be random."

He turns back and faces you. "We live outside the attention of kingdoms and no longer possess the resources to fight this threat ourselves. If I can persuade you to look into this matter further, our entire village will be at your disposal."

 

[bluesfella]

"If there is anyone in there, we'd like a word with you about your drake problem and the address of the craftsman who built your doors."

OOC: By the way, Jonathan...that's hilarious!

 

[Harumph]

			The naturist's way would be to disembowel the creature in question to see what it eats and then track it that way. Unfortunately, flying creatures don't leave footprints and my human senses cannot track their smell. Offhand, I should think that they live in high places, aeries. Perhaps they have grown to outstrip their mountainous food supply and are moving to the lowlands for new prey. As far as courses of action go, I'd say we should probably consult someone who knows a lot about the history of the area, and perhaps attempt to track them via a scent hound. The only other option is to wait until they attack again and somehow follow them back to their aerie.

 

[Nicodemous]

Have you had any reason to think something is attracting them here? Anything they go after regularly (like food)? You may not see a pattern in who they attack, but perhaps what or how they attack is key.

Have you been threatened by anyone or had trouble with those that might send these creatures to harass you?

(I'm considering his answers carefully: Perception Check)

 

[bluesfella]

Have you had any reason to think something is attracting them here? Anything they go after regularly (like food)? You may not see a pattern in who they attack, but perhaps what or how they attack is key.

Have you been threatened by anyone or had trouble with those that might send these creatures to harass you?

"No, they just appeared one day, and have been attacking things at random. They attack farm animals more than anything, but it seems like they just try and eat anything smaller than them. Yesterday, they killed a young man who tried to defend his sheep! If only you were here then, you could have probably saved him...

Anyway, they don't come every day...we'll go a day or two without them sometimes, but then they might come three times the next day. They all seem pretty wild, and we have no real enemies - like I said, we are pretty far from the attention of other cities."

(I'm considering his answers carefully: Perception Check)

GM: That would be more of an Insight check. Go ahead and roll that, and I'll allow the next person to post to roll one as well.

 

[Harumph]

Making insight check

 

[Goel]

We could try to knock one out. Cripple him so he flies slow or can only walk, and try to follow it home.

 

[bennage]

Brocc dismisses his entourage as he joins he companions.

			Ah, thank you ladies. So much obliged. Yes, this will do nicely. I'll see you all shortly.

He turns to his friends.

			Now, did I overhear someone making an inquiry into the local history?

 

[Nicodemous]

Insight check


WOWWWW!! I natural one. I'm very, very insightful about ..... ooo shiny!

 

[bluesfella]

GM: Chris, you did a similar History check earlier: Brocc remembers his history well. The village of Elkridge, home to only the most essential professions, was once protected by a caretaking warlord in search of peace and quiet. Since he died, the village has been well maintained but is now vulnerable to attack. For this reason more than any other, the villagers of Elkridge find themselves completely unprepared for conflict. The fact that cottages are so widely spread throughout the region, rather than centralized in one place, only makes this problem worse.

			Offhand, I should think that they live in high places, aeries. Perhaps they have grown to outstrip their mountainous food supply and are moving to the lowlands for new prey.

The village sits at the bottom of a large mountain range, the closest peak being Morningfall Summit. Here's the map from page 2 of the thread, Elkridge is the small red X:[sblock=You are here

[/sblock]

As you are speaking with Mavros, a bell starts ringing furiously outside. Mavros darts out of the building, and you follow...it seems to be an alarm of some sort. A young boy is running towards Mavros, tears streaming down his cheeks. Between sobs and deep breaths, he says "My father...is dead...the beast is still there!". Mavros tries to calm the boy down, while directing another villager to show you where the boy lives. You all quickly run to a small cluster of cottages about a mile away.

When you arrive, you see the cottages are boarded up, like just every other building in Elkridge, but seem to be unscathed. A warwing drake, equipped with a saddle and saddlebags, idly paws at a body on the ground. The villager escorting you says that the man is the boy's father.

GM: I'm going to handle this as a skill challenge. This is my first time doing this in a play by post situation, so bear with me. One person at a time can go (in any order) and choose one action to do, and roll the associated skill to go along with it. Don't just pick your highest skill and try to make it fit the situation if it doesn't. (Dungeoneering, Streetwise, etc.) Pick something your character would do, be creative, and roll that. Don't be afraid if your skill isn't very high - if you are creative, I'll grant bonuses to the rolls. Let everyone go once before you try again. Once you go, I'll respond with the results, so please don't go until I've responded to the person that went before you. We'll start out simple - the first to go can make a Perception check.