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Post by Japic on Feb 28, 2010 11:27:58 GMT -5
{Sorry, I didn't see the post from the 23rd.}
A town devoid of activity. No children in the streets, no vendors hawking wares, not even a stray dog running about. Most odd indeed. Biggest question that came to Coppertop's mind he spoke aloud while peering about, "So are they all gone, or just in hiding?"
Not sure what to expect he readies his longspear, while moving steadily toward the marketplace. "Should we yell out to survivors, or be silent in the event of an ambush?"
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Post by yoggemothi on Feb 28, 2010 11:39:05 GMT -5
Listen: Coppertop, Curt, and Tyvek hear activity from the two-story taven/inn on their right. A window is next to the front door, but it hasn't been washed recently and is covered in grime and grit. The sounds get louder as the group approaches, becoming muffled voices in the midst of an argument. There are at least five different people in there.
(Area Maps updated.)
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Post by TheUdjat on Mar 1, 2010 13:13:39 GMT -5
Brim's first instinct is to stay quiet and investigate--his usual fallback plan. However, should his companions inform him of the noises they hear from the inn/tavern, he visibly relaxes. There could be many explanations for the entirety of the town sticking together in the tavern, from the innocuous to the necessary. "Let's pay them a visit. Non-threateningly," he adds, if perhaps it's necessary. He makes certain his weapons are out of his hands. "I suggest Coppertop and I take the lead." The cleric had the looks to make a good first impression, but his conversational skills were occasionally... insufficient. He'd have gone forward alone if it weren't for his rather off-putting horns and eyes.1.9.0.11
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Post by Japic on Mar 1, 2010 13:55:03 GMT -5
"I suggest Coppertop and I take the lead." "Yes, lets," the cleric replies simply. "The rest of you should stay back out of sight until we know what is going on. If they are aggressive, I'd prefer for them to think they have us outnumbered." Not waiting for assent, Coppertop makes toward the door. Brim was with him, that's all that mattered for now. He knew that some considered him brash, however he preferred to think of it as undaunted; when an objective was in sight, there was no need to dally about. He walks at a normal pace toward the door, trying only a little not to sound like an elephant storming through the door. If they were friendly, he did not want to spook anyone. [Approach door, listen on the way then spy what I can before entering. Not that he's lurking about, just observing before walking through.]
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Post by yoggemothi on Mar 1, 2010 14:35:21 GMT -5
Listen: The longer Brimstone and Coppertop wait, the more people they hear within the tavern. It does seem like the majority of Tempest Gorge's residents are in here. The voices are hard to make out through the thick wooden door, but two men's voices stand out among the others. In fact, when they speak, the rest of the congregation stops talking.
"Alexei and Nikolai are probably in there," Clyde comments, "The brothers Grimson are acting heads of our village." The bewitched commoner sneers at the group, "I suggest you show them more respect than you showed me ..." Clyde chuckles at his last comment, "... and MUCH more respect than they show each other."
OoC- Do you want to enter the inn now?
(Important NPCs updated.)
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Post by Japic on Mar 2, 2010 1:58:43 GMT -5
Still undaunted by the circumstances Coppertop glances back to give Clyde a withering stare. Respect needed to be earned, not given out to those who thought they needed it most. Clyde had earned indifference so far, but his attitude would continue to influence his position with the holy man; for his sake Coppertop hoped that Clyde would wise up.
Climbing the steps to the inn, Coppertop grabs the handle and opens the door; is was time to meet the community. Once open he surveys the room cooly, his golden eyes trying to take in all the details of the room.
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Post by yoggemothi on Mar 2, 2010 10:27:22 GMT -5
The door creaks as it opens, but only the villagers closest to it notice at first. A man with studded leather armor and a dark cloak is currently speaking. He has brown eyes and black hair, with a carefully groomed mustache and beard. Next to him is a slightly older man, showing a few wisps of grey in his long, unkempt hair. A particularly large wolf sits beside him.
"... weakness. Everything has a weakness, even dragons. If we can't figure out a solution by tonight, then we don't deserve to stay here." The villagers shift uncomfortably in their chairs at this comment, but the man rebukes them harshly, "You know I'm right! A score of us have died, and even more will perish in the coming nights. Any man, including myself, who has attempted to fight this thing has failed miserably. Taking that I'm the best hunter in this village, I'd say all hope is lost."
Almost as if on cue, one of the stunned villagers near the door finally speaks up, "Alexei, we have visitors." The hunter named Alexei looks over to Coppertop with a suspicious gaze, "Welcome to Tempest Gorge, stranger. Come to throw your life to the Chernabog as well?"
The man beside him shakes his head, "Alexei, bite your tongue." He walks over to Coppertop, looks the cleric over, and extends a hand in greeting, "Hello there, stranger. Please, forgive my brother, Alexei. These are tough times for all of us and emotions are wearing thin." The villagers all nod their heads emphatically regarding the last comment. "I am Nikolai Grimson, follower of Obad-Hai. Alexei and I are the heads of this tiny village. Who might you be?"
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Post by Japic on Mar 2, 2010 11:03:52 GMT -5
Noting at once the apparent manners of this man compared to his brother, Coppertop assesses his speech patterns to determine whether he is truly a good man, or just acts like one. [sense motive +7] If Coppertop believes that he is a good man he will shake his hand, if not, he lets it linger in the air.
"They call me Coppertop, and whom I follow is not important. We ran into Clyde on the road and heard a little about your troubles. We thought that perhaps we could be of assistance. What devils plague your town Nikolai? Clyde was less forthcoming with information than I would prefer."
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Post by yoggemothi on Mar 2, 2010 12:05:00 GMT -5
Sense Motive: Coppertop cannot get a reading on Nikolai's alignment from this first, short interaction. This may mean Nikolai is neutral, [Knowledge (religion): as many Obad-Hai druids are], or Nikolai may be hiding his true nature well. Either way, Coppertop believes Nikolai to be sincere.
While Nikolai remains speechless, continuing to assay Coppertop's character in the same way, Alexei has no problem speaking up, "Clyde? Clyde Wolden? That sly dog! I thought that fool had raced up the mountain to save his dear Noladrahsa." The hunter wraps his arms around himself in mockery of Clyde's obsession, "Who would have guessed he was trying to find help for us."
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Post by Japic on Mar 2, 2010 22:56:30 GMT -5
[Did not mean to infer good vs evil, just sincere instead of false. Some folk say the nicest things while slitting your throat.]
Coppertop chooses to let the brothers draw their own conclusions about Clyde's involvement. "Yes, who would have guessed," he replies blandly, "Now, about your troubles?" The planetouched usually preferred not to ask again, but sometimes simple folk needed prodding.
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Post by yoggemothi on Mar 3, 2010 1:04:32 GMT -5
"A dragon," Nikolai responds, "or a demon. Either way, the creature has proven unstoppable and utterly evil." The druid shakes his head as he laments, "You say you've come to help, but so did a beautiful half-dragon about a week ago. She hasn't returned and I fear her dead."
"Oh, for the sake of the gods Nikolai!" Alexei shouts, "Scaring the brave souls off before the Chernabog can?" The hunter approaches the door and peers at Coppertop's companions, "As I thought, this man's smart enough to bring along a small army with him." Alexei smiles as he places a hand on Coppertop's shoulder. "One hell of a group you've assembled," he adds. He waves at the rest of the party, "Come on in. This old tavern can hold a few more." He eyes Curt quickly, "Even a few giants have been known to patron this place over the years."
"I hope you don't expect me to give them free drinks," the bartender comments from behind the counter.
"Oh please, Wes," Alexei responds, "Have I EVER offered a free drink to anyone?"
The bartender's eyes narrow as he addresses Alexei sternly, "How about my daughter, before you tried to seduce her?" The crowd is quiet as Alexei's face turns red.
"You know what?" Alexei corrects, "Give these fine folks a round Wesley. I DEMAND IT." Nikolai shakes his head at the bartender for speaking against his brother, but does nothing to circumvent the order for free drinks.
OoC- Yeah, Alexei's a scumbag. It doesn't even take a Sense Motive check to figure that one out.
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Post by at on Mar 3, 2010 9:27:26 GMT -5
Not yet advancing towards the inn Tyvek speaks to his companions, "We should find a building more defensible", and not packed with thieves and the unwashed masses. "Slate roof, clear exits. If a dragon comes we would waste valuable time pushing our way out of this place"
The inn did at least provide tempting bait for the lizard. Tyvek glanced around, looking for a place the creature would most likely hover or land in order to assault the building and it's fleeing occupants.
As he turns his gaze he notes Clyde's presence and turns back towards the inn, seeking out any sign of sorcery.
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Post by menatkhufu on Mar 3, 2010 19:41:40 GMT -5
Eresh refuses the ale offered to him. He would enjoy the offer if it had been given willingly, but the barkeep has been forced to it. He would mess with this Alexei guy, out-of-charity, in a moodier day, but this was not such a time.
"Thanks a bunch." he said, raising a hand to the barkeep. "We folks follow a strict no alcohol diet."
He turned to adress the leafhugger. "Well, it is the certain fate of this Chernabog that someone sooner or later install a blade down his skull. And it might just as well be us."
Narrowing his eyes, he asked. "The question is, what is that the dragon wishes from a village so... humble? Your place does not have anything out of ordinary, does it?"
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Post by yoggemothi on Mar 3, 2010 20:06:28 GMT -5
The bartender nods his head approvingly, relieved the party was more decent than Alexei. The hunter rolls his eyes. It's obvious he didn't care whether or not the party accepted the round; he just wanted to punish Wesley for his impudence.
"Fifteen-feet tall on its hind legs, a forty-foot wing span, and immunity to mundane weapons. Yeah," Alexei adds with a grunt, "I'd say the Chernabog has little to fear from us."
"As for what he wants," Nikolai interjects, "Bald Mountain has little life on it due to its unique elemental nature. The Chernabog likely slaughtered the stone giants who used to protect us, feasted upon them, and then turned its hunger at our village." He looks around at the frightened villagers, "We're food to it, nothing more. Once its done with us, it'll likely extend its domain away from the mountain in order to feed."
Knowledge (arcana): A dragon of this size is a serious threat, not only to Tempest Gorge, but the surrounding countryside once it's done decimating this area. Capable of reproduction, resistant to mundane weapons, and likely possessing limited spellcasting ability, an adult dragon has reached its full potential as a top predator.
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Post by Rojito on Mar 3, 2010 21:10:19 GMT -5
[15 feet? seems a little small to me ] Curt moves inside and hears the gasps and whispers when people see him, the occasional giant or not a half-giant is simply... impressive. Passing on the ale he will scan the patrons for any characters that look suspicious, besides Alexei. When he finds nothing more than scared villagers he will keep an eye on Alexei and the other out the door to watch what whomever stayed outside is doing. Wouldn't be hard to get word if there were trouble. Curt doesn't say anything he is rather earily quiet for a guy so big, no jingle of armor, no clearing of the throat, no words, nor hardly even a squeak when he steps... if not for his size he could be easily missed. He is interested to hear that the humans and Stone Giants were on friendly terms, as that is normally a rather rare event, and saddened to hear of their probable demise. Alas it is probably too late to save them, albeit if the chance provides itself he will investigate to find if any live. Decended from a Titan himself he doesn't always get along so well with the 'lesser giants' but not for trying on his part. Its as if their own insecurities of Titans make them have to take out their frustration on the half-human.
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Post by Japic on Mar 4, 2010 16:15:47 GMT -5
Human lives were at risk, and for nothing more than the hunger of a dragon. If it had found some cattle farther out he would likely not have received so much attention. The slaughter of a village though cannot go uncontested.
Speaking into the silence Coppertop tries to ease the tension "I think, Nicolai, that we should focus more on the facts known rather than conjure up a list to scare the people. Tell us of his patterns. When does the dragon come? From whence does it fly? Tell us all you can and it may just save your village."
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Post by yoggemothi on Mar 5, 2010 4:50:07 GMT -5
Nikolai scratches his beard. "It comes at night, but not every night. It changes its strategy with each attack, which tells me it's rather intelligent." He looks around at the crowd, "Everyone, let's go ahead and prepare for tonight while I speak with these folks." Everyone begins filing out of the tavern, patting the party members on the shoulder and thanking them for helping. Alexei starts making his way out as well, but Nikolai interrupts, "Brother, don't you wish to stay and speak about this?"
Alexei glares at his older brother, "As much as I'd just LOVE to chit-chat, need I remind you I lost both of my apprentices in the last attack? Now I'm the only one in this helpless village who knows how to set proper traps. So, if you excuse me ..." With that, Alexei storms off.
Nikolai shakes his head, "Please forgive my brother. I wish I could say his behavior's changed due to the attacks, but it's only amplified his usual tendencies." The druid takes a seat next to his wolf, who seems quite unconcerned with the party. "Continuing about the Chernabog; he tends to attack on the ground, slashing with his forelimbs. He's quite adept at avoiding our torches, so we've never gotten a good look at him. However, the tracks the next morning always lead back to Bald Mountain by way of the cave system."
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Post by at on Mar 5, 2010 5:40:36 GMT -5
Tyvek continues to watch the villagers as they disperse, looking for any sign of enchantment or magical power among them. Glyphe stands silent and unmoving behind Clyde lest he seeks to depart himself.
The creature did not favour the air. Fear of the lightning above no doubt, but it seemed curious that such a powerful being would choose such a home. Perhaps the creature was usurped; certainly there was evidence of changes in the mountains above.
Still, the dragon's loss was their gain.
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Post by TheUdjat on Mar 5, 2010 9:34:31 GMT -5
Looming near the conversation, Brim stands by and does a lot of watching and listening. He enjoys that. Coppertop addresses everything that appears to need addressing, allowing the paladin to sit back and examine people with more scrutiny. The brothers interest him as de facto leaders of the village, but he's curious about how the rest of the people perceive them. [Sense Motive +9, just looking for general impressions.] Brim also has a finely-honed sense of where an evil person might lurk, having grown up among so many--he does not fail to keep an eye out for them, including a spiritual one. [Assume a general Detect Evil on the populace, but particularly Nikolai and Alexei; never can be too sure.]
When the villagers begin to file out and leave them to discussing the details of the dragon, Brim pushes off from the wall. "I trust another pair of hands won't hurt, then," he says to Alexei, following the man out. This would be a stupid time to traipse off on one's lonesome. Besides which, for all the man's bluster, he might know something useful and be willing to share it away from the public. The Tiefling shares a parting glance with Coppertop to assure him that he'll return and exchange notes. "Try not to blow anything up," he says to Ereshkigal with a small smirk.
Outside, in passing, Brim will address Tyvek's notion of a more defensible location. "If you can find or build one, we should use it." Simple enough. The tavern is, indeed, a terrible fortification. Though apparently they don't plan to use it as such. He wonders what they do plan on doing.1.9.0.11
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Post by yoggemothi on Mar 6, 2010 4:14:03 GMT -5
Detect Evil: Alexei, along with two other villagers, register evil. Alexei sighs at Brim, "Fine, tag along if you must. Just make yourself useful, will you?" Detect Evil: Honestly, not a big surprise with Alexei. Arcane Sight: Nikolai and Alexei are the only casters in the village. Nikolai can cast 4th level spells; Alexei, 1st. (Important NPCs Updated)
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