(030) The Plough and Furrow

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:

How that the party have finished splitting the coin, Wolfrick will approach the party, knocking on private door and after private door if he must to sell his exquisite wares to the one group in town on blackmailed with goblins that can afford them.

Wolfrick doesn't have to look very hard to find the adventurous company. He spied them leaving the common room, then tagged along behind, just as though he was one of them. Albert and his staff didn't know any better...

And so Wolfrick finds himself in the cellar with the motley crew in the cellar as they spill the contents of their sacks and poke, and divide up a seemingly vast quantity of coin into portions.

One thing is certain. These folk can certainly afford Wolfric's services.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
When the coin counting is done, and others are beginning to speak of bedding down for the evening, Ulric rises and gathers before him upon the table the collection of objects recovered from the gatehouses. Then he begins to utter a disturbing verse in the menacing syllables of the Draconic tongue. His eyes seem bright and copper, and for a moment his face seems to have the sheen of reptilian scales in the lantern light. Everyone's skin prickles in discomfort, but at last the verse is complete, and in the gravid silence that follows the wizard handles each item in turn, carefully turning them over his is fingers, raising them to his face as though smelling them... and this bizarre practice goes on for some minutes.

Eventually, when each item has been examined, Ulric sits and takes a lengthy drink from the flask of water he had prepared earlier.

"Well?" growls Victor when it appears that nothing more is going to happen.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Josiane and Percy; The Front Porch

"Now put those marksman's eyes to good use, my friend," says Josiane quietly; "See you any sign of this building being watched? Those goblins we passed outside the Executioner's Axe worry me..."

She herself looks to see if the inn is possessed of a barn, stables or anything similar. If so, does it look as if such a building could be held against attack?

The pair survey the street outside the Plough and Furrow. Albert's establishment is half way between the town gates and where the Executioner's Axe stands overlooking the market square. With the cool dusk bleeding away into proper night time, there is hardly anybody on the street. Just a few folks hurrying to get back home to their dinner. The bulky shadow of the town's gate can be seen over the roofs of other buildings, and it appears that the night watch are just now lighting torches along the wall.

"The only Snorks I see are on the wall," remarks Percy. And Josiane sees it is true. The night watchmen are Snorks. "I dare say their night eyes are better than mine,".

Meanwhile, Josiane sees that there is a humble stable adjacent to The Plough and Furrow. It is rather a lean-to structure where visiting farm folk seem to have secured carts and animals, but it hardly looks more defensible than the inn itself.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
While we are here dividing loot;

Dorgan, Josiane, Percy and Mads have Grumolg's purse, letter opener and tobacco to divide amongst themselves.

The purse taken from Grumolg's office contains 23 sp and 11 gp (worth 89 sp, and hence 89 XP). And there are the letter opener and tobacco box, and the half dozen sheets of paper taken from the office.

Percy and Mads are NPCs, so can make do with half shares.

How do you want to divide the loot (such as it is)?

[waysoftheearth]

sulldawga wrote:
Dorgan sits in the corner, frowning, almost despondent in his demeanor.

Mumbling to himself, he says, "Well, if tonight be my last night alive, might as well not save anything for tomorrow!"

The dwarf will pull out his flask and take another precious nip.

A stray thought passes across his consciousness and it prods him to examine the contents of his pack.

He'll first pull out the tobacco box and open it, briefly examining its contents. If it appears to be naught but tobacco, he'll call out to Gustave.

"Err, Mister Gustave, is it? You appear to be a man a' fine tastes. Can ya put a value on this box and its contents for me, if ya please?"

Dorgan will then turn his attention to the sheath of the dagger they took from the warehouse. It has a small glass vial attached to it. Dorgan will examine the vial, going so far as to uncork it and take a tentative sniff of the contents. He will not touch or taste it, suspecting poison.

OOC: Might as well divide up the silver evenly, 10 silver for Percy and Mads each. Dorgan will take 20 and Josiane will have 21. The extra 28 silver went to the priests for the holy water. If those count for XP as well, then perhaps credit 4 each to the NPCs, and 10 each for Josiane and Dorgan.

If it's all the same to Josiane, Dorgan would like to keep the dagger, and it seems fair that any proceeds from selling the tobacco box should accrue to her.

[waysoftheearth]

danhem wrote:
After drinking deeply Ulric sits back and addresses the group.

"These items have enchantments on them, although I do not know their exact nature."

Ulric points to the copper flask, the curved dagger, and Highbough's old spear.

"I now wish that we had taken more of the weapons from the gatehouse."

[waysoftheearth]

tonneau wrote:
At the offer of tabacco Gustave looks up from where he crouches scanning through the array of dusty wine bottles.

"A taste test? Most certainly my good dwarf. Have you a pipe? I will just see to some....liquid refreshments first then perhaps we can share both" he comments, before returning to his search.

[waysoftheearth]

danhem wrote:
"There is some writing on the copper flask," Ulric continues. "I may be able to decipher it given some time. The writing may explain the use of the liquid inside."

"As far as what to next, I agree bedding down here out of sight for the night would be wise. In the morning we can seek out other accommodations perhaps. I will need to spend some days in study before we venture out into the wilds again; although I would prefer not to venture quite so far this time. Perhaps it is time to return to the first keep we explored? I think that we are a stronger company than we were before; we may be able to explore the deeper depths of that ruin. Our new friends may wish to go as well and get out of town for a few days."

As he speaks, Ulric gathers up a small amount of food scraps from the remaining trail food and feeds his pet rot grub.

[waysoftheearth]

doctorx wrote:

Josiane and Percy; The Front Porch

The pair survey the street outside the Plough and Furrow. Albert's establishment is half way between the town gates and where the Executioner's Axe stands overlooking the market square. With the cool dusk bleeding away into proper night time, there is hardly anybody on the street. Just a few folks hurrying to get back home to their dinner. The bulky shadow of the town's gate can be seen over the roofs of other buildings, and it appears that the night watch are just now lighting torches along the wall.

"The only Snorks I see are on the wall," remarks Percy. And Josiane sees it is true. The night watchmen are Snorks. "I dare say their night eyes are better than mine,".

Meanwhile, Josiane sees that there is a humble stable adjacent to The Plough and Furrow. It is rather a lean-to structure where visiting farm folk seem to have secured carts and animals, but it hardly looks more defensible than the inn itself.

Josiane nods at Percy's statement and casts her eyes across the ramshackle stable. "Not what I hoped," she says with a sigh; "It was my thought to secure ourselves for the night within yon stable, thus preventing the good folk within the Plough sharing our peril, but I see little chance of defending it if attack should come. It seems the shelter of the inn is our best recourse, although bringing these people into danger sits ill with me..."

She scans the darkening evening; street, sky and emergent stars, searching for - what exactly is anyone's guess...

O.O.C: Josiane is fine with the treasue split and Dorgan keeping the dagger. She's also firmly of the opinion that any proceeds from the tobacco box should be split between them as well. [img]images/smiley/smiley.png[/img]

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:

The dwarf will pull out his flask and take another precious nip.

"Err, Mister Gustave, is it? You appear to be a man a' fine tastes. Can ya put a value on this box and its contents for me, if ya please?"

Gustave helps himself to a favourable bottle form Albert's stock as Dorgan takes a nip of something stronger still from his hip flask. He gives an involuntary shiver as he downs the searing stuff then immediately feels the warmth of it glowing within him. Ahhhh, them Dwarfs do know how to put the good stuff together.

(1d6=6!)

Dorgan is mightily refreshed by the draft; he feels 10 years younger!