The Hunt

[LostSoul]

The Wildlands are unforgiving. Gnoll huntbands have been dogging your journey. The sun pounds down on you, and the only place to find shade is in the barrow mounds among the dead. Your horses are gone - killed by the same bastard shapechanger that betrayed you and murdered your friends.

You are deep into the hunt now. On the evening of the tenth day of your pursuit, when the sun dips in the sky and the day's heat is replaced by bone-chilling cold, you see a small village on the horizon. It is a typical Wildlands settlement - small, walled, built on Bael Turath ruins. Here you can get a good night's sleep, some decent food, and maybe even some fast horses. Fast horses to ride Shalminisar into the ground and avenge Riardon and Corrin.

At the main gate in the village's ancient Bael Turathian walls, a grizzled man waves you down. "Hail, travelers," he says, his eyes lingering on your well-worn weapons. "I am Borden, warden of Bel Tungin. What business do you have here?"

You can sense that something is troubling him. He looks suspicious - prepared for violence.

Borden doesn't want to start a fight - his suspicion is just a link for you guys to pick up on and find out that Shalmanisar, the shapechanger, is here. You won't need any rolls for that; he'll give you the information, I just wanted to role-play it out.

 

[Saishu_Heiki]

Skamos gives the man a careful, measured glance.

"Are events so bad here that travelers are beset by town wardens before they can set foot inside the gates? As for our business, it is for the dead but must deal with the living."

Yay for getting started!

 

[LostSoul]

"When have things been good? Not since the Bael Turath built the 'old city', I'll wager," he says, nodding his head towards the hill the village is built on.

"Your business is with the dead? Come to 'visit' the tomb of one of your ancestors? We don't truck with treasure hunters or grave robbers. They bring too much trouble. Though not many make it out of the old city alive."

Skamos, your masterful knowledge of History clues you in to what he's talking about. This must be an old Bael Turath burial ground. The "old city" he talks about is the necropolis the town's been built on.

(That wasn't a roll or anything, by the way.)

 

[Storminator]

Erias uses the old Amaunator greeting: "Sunrise, warden. My companions and I have had enough of the road, and I would pray Sun's Departure from within your walls. Will you have us?"

PS

 

[jelmore]

Kathra grimaces and looks over the immediate surroundings, unconsciously evaluating the defensive capabilities of the town's outer perimeter and noting possible threats.


I'm using WotC's dice roller at : http://www.wizards.com/dnd/dice/dice.htm since I left my physical dice at home.

Active perception check? I rolled a ... crap, 6 + 2 equals a whopping 8.

 

[LostSoul]

Erias uses the old Amaunator greeting: "Sunrise, warden. My companions and I have had enough of the road, and I would pray Sun's Departure from within your walls. Will you have us?"

"Ah, a follower of the blinding eye," he blurts out. A look of regret comes over him. "Sorry, brother. I mean no offense. It's just that Amaunator hasn't been kind on us lately - too much of him, not enough rain."

He pauses. "It's more than that. I'm not myself today. You look like fine people, and I've always been a good judge of character. Or I thought I was.

"A stranger came to the gates yesterday. An eladrin, tired and hungry. There was a strangeness about him, but - the fey are a queer folk. And never let it be said that we in Bel Tungin turn away those in need!

"But today we can find no trace of him. Grave robbers we can deal with. Not murderers. He killed the innkeeper's daughter last night. Wounds like I've never seen before.

"I don't know what I've let into our town." He sighs. "But I trust to my gut - maybe I should have yesterday, and Connie would still be alive - and it'll be a dark day when you can't trust a priest of Amaunator.

"Enter my town. But be warned - if you wish us ill, I will draw your blood myself."

 

[LostSoul]

Kathra grimaces and looks over the immediate surroundings, unconsciously evaluating the defensive capabilities of the town's outer perimeter and noting possible threats.

Normally I wouldn't have asked for a skill check for that action, but I'll run with it!

Kathra sees the evidence of dwarven handiwork in the walls and some of the older buildings in town. There should be a secret passage into the "old city", built so that only a dwarf could notice it.

[sblock=The following is some OOC knowledge. You can read it if you don't mind separating player knowledge from PC knowledge. It has to do with the consequences of Kathra's failed check.]Because of the failure, I've decided that the only way to enter the "old city" is through the dwarven passage that Kathra will find (if she looks for it). And this old dwarven passage is trapped - and the traps are primed. Probably by Shalmanisar, but I haven't decided for sure yet.[/sblock]

 

[jelmore]

Normally I wouldn't have asked for a skill check for that action, but I'll run with it!

I'm not one of those "I have to Search, Spot and Listen in every single room I enter" people, but it seems like a habit a martial defender-y type might pick up.

IMO, if a player says they're looking/listening for trouble, I'd make them roll; otherwise I'll go with the Passive scores (I do this in 3.5E already). And as anyone who finds their keys sitting next to their wallet or purse after 10 minutes of searching (or their dice bag after turning their bookbag inside out!) can attest, an otherwise perceptive person can miss easy things from time to time.

 

[Graf]

Tira, sour and hostile, hangs back as her companions engage the guard.

But today we can find no trace of him. Grave robbers we can deal with. Not murderers. He killed the innkeeper's daughter last night. Wounds like I've never seen before.

The half-elf abruptly drops her typical facade of hostile reserve, as soon as the guard grants them entrance, she slips forward and she latches onto his arm.

What... sort of wounds?

Glancing at her companions meaningfully she follows up with You've searched the entire town I presume, and found no-one no trace of this eladrin?

 

[Storminator]

Erais narrows his eyes at Borden, about to riposte his blasphemy, but thinks better of it when Tira begins her questioning. Better to bring light than heat this day. Erais thinks of his own questions, then suddenly realizes the warden would make a perfect mark for the shapeshifter. Erais concentrates on any minute details of the warden, hoping to sort out a prepared lie from an honest response.

Insight check to see if the warden seems trustworthy (as he answers Tira's rather charged questions). 3(roll) + 9(modifier) = 12.

Nothing gets by me!

PS