The Dungeon Master Intro into the city:
The
growing community at the crossroads is a strange collection of
growing farms, fallen and broken down buildings (relics of its old
glory). What is there to be found? Who will be encountered? Where
should you go? There's little to guide your first explorations and
encounters, so chance may dictate as much as intelligence. Will
outsiders be shunned? Are the reports true about the ancient evil
practices being ancient history? Does a curse lay upon those who dare
to venture into the lands which were once the Temple's? All of these
questions will soon be answered. The dusty, rutted road is lined with
closely-grown hedges of brambles and shrubs. Here and there it cuts
through a copse or crosses a rivulet. To either hand, forest and
meadow have given way to field and orchard. A small herd of kine
graze nearby, and a distant hill is dotted with the wand stone
chimneys with thin plumes of blue smoke rising from them. A road
angles west into the hill country, and to either side of the road
ahead are barns and buildings—Hommlet at last!
Most
of the homes you pass have a simple fir branch hung over the lintle,
a common sign of the Old Faith (druidical). Others, mostly the newer
buildings, have symbols like those on Gideon's vestments, signifying
their worship of Saint Cuthbert.
Having
consulted with the map beforehand, the party decided to first make
their way to the Inn of the Welcoming Wench (#7). Before actually
reaching the Inn, however, Isaac takes a detour to a building he sees
bearing a sign of 3 golden balls (#15). Within he is greeted by a
burly man in chain armor and wielding a sword and crossbow. Two large
dogs sit at his feet, attentive and intelligent. Further in, standing
behind a high counter is woman reaching the end of her middle age. If
she ever were pretty, those days were gone. A spinster through and
through.
“Don't
mind Melubb,” the woman says as Isaac stares the large man down.
“He's just here to kill those who would try and take what's not
theirs...and he's very good at it.”
The
man, Melubb, grins.
“Now
then, where are my manners? I'm Nira, the moneychanger. My signatory
notes for wealth are good from here, all the way to the City of
Calik. I'm working on building relations in the City of Lupik, but
things are a bit more difficult there. But never mind that, what can
I do for you?”
The
rest of the party continues on to the Inn of the Welcoming Wench
where they are greeted by a man, drunk by the looks of his stagger,
who calls out merrily to them as they approach.
“Welcome!”
He cries, “To the besht playsh fer a good jrink and a good wensh
and a good many other things a man could want! Alo-me ter introdush
mishelf. Am Elmo, am the brother of the guy wiv dark hair who's nevuh
been around sinsh lasht yer whan he went ter work fer that won guy
over thar-ish.” He waves his hand vaguely towards the distant
mountains, over which the City of Lupik lies. “And am the son of
the old folksh who are my ma an pa who yoush shuld
calllllllllllllllllllllllllll....”
His
voice fades away as his face turns a vibrant shade of green. The next
few moments are spent with his head in a bush with rather loud
splashing and retching sounds coming from within. Then, suddenly, he
straitens up and marches over to the nearest one of the party (Rekka,
I rolled for it), and he plants a 'wet' slobbery kiss on her cheek
and invites the whole party to his house, giving surprisingly good
detailed directions (area #2).
“Plesh
come an I'll givesh you a jrink uv the shtrong shtuff an my pa will
be happy fer me ter havesh frendsh that aren't clay bottlesh an
mead...an my ma might naht cry hershelf ter shleep over Otish an hish
leaving hommmmmmmmmmmmme....
More
retching in the bushes, and then he's off, stumbling and talking to
trees.
Without
further ado, the party pushes open the doors and enters the Inn of
the Welcoming Wench. The first floor is a large dining room, with a
few doors leading into, presumably, the kitchens and perhaps some
assembly rooms. A staircase in the corner leads up the rooms as
stated by the signage. A number of pretty young women scuttle about
the busy dining room, serving the many guests. A man and woman stand
behind the counter overseeing it all with observant but gentle eyes.
Upon seeing the party enter, they nod to a young man standing on the
side of bar nearest you and he hurries over. His appearance would be
unextraordinary were it not for the oversized gloves and goggles he
was wearing.
“Welcome
to The Welcoming Wench!” he proclaims with a bow. “By the looks
of you all, you're quite the adventurers. We're very happy to serve
all kinds and to cater to every need. We have a number of comfortable
rooms available, and a few very
comfortable rooms, whatever your preference, and coin purse, could
want. Menu's are available on request during regular serving hours,
the rule of thumb is if myself or any other server is in the dining
room then a meal may be requested. If you're in one of our extra
comfy rooms, then you will have a server assigned to you and meals
will be available whenever you might want them. All of our wenches
are talented in song, dance, and telling tales, and their services
may be requested at any time they are present in the dining area.
Many of them are quite expert at retelling the daring deeds of heroes
past who have graced these tables...and if you have a tale to share
with them they just might reward you by sharing your fame to the next
adventuring party who passes through here.”
Rekka
then wanders off, growing bored with the conversation, and makes her
way to the weaver. Inside the store are bolts of cloth, sewing
needles, thread, and a collection of pre-made clothing ranging from
simple workers clothes to a few sets of fine clothing.
Rekka looked around and found some clothes that would suit her, A fine dress made of green, A blue corset with yellow and red embellishment, A simple top and skirt, plus a ribbon, and a 1/4 yard of White cloth, and then 1 yard of gray cloth. She pays for the items (cost 2 gp 8 sp 2 cp.) and leaves the shop.
Heading for the outskirts of town, back along the way they group came from. She made sure to pass by the wagon, so she could removes a shove and places in her bag. Traveling to where the last of the cottages were, she looks for a Tree. Finding a tree she likes, Rekka pulls out her shove, and digs a shallow grave at the base of a tree. Then tying her hair up with the ribbon tightly, Rekka removes her dagger from it's sheath and cuts off her hair in the pony tail. She then wrapped the hair with the cloth, and places it into the hole. Replacing the dirt, she set her dagger to the tree bark and craved: "Billy" and "Resolved " Once she was done with this she returns with her newly acquired items to her place of lodging, where she will make for accommodations for herself and the wagon/horses (5 sp a day per person, 3 sp per horse for stabling), have a bath and waited for the others to return from there doings. After the bath, Rekka puts on the simple clothes and decides that she might as well hang out in the dinning area and listen to stories or whatever conversation is going on.
Finding that Jessica is no longer in the bar area, rekka sits and waits. Ajara arrives shortly there after and talked about having to find a chicken that turns people to stone, in order to buy anything from the magical shop. Also she tells Rekka that she will be changing her form consently. Rekka finding this almost beyond silly. Why is it everyone want-ta be sneak thinks that they just walk into an alleyway and change forms that no one will catch on? Rekka tried to bring this to Ajara attention in the only way she knew how. which was pointing out the flaws in her plan and ways of getting around them. Ajara of course took in the tone in which it was presented and took offense to it. She made some excuse about eating and left.
Soon the group arrives one by one and Rekka follows them up the stairs and into Cortanna's room. The information everyone gather was extensive, long and drawn out. Cortanna, after talking to the local hideman, is going to go back to the dwarf mansion and retrive the dragon skin with the hidesman. Ajara is going to go after the chicken, and thinks that there is something off about the town. Issac, agrees with Ajara on the the strangeness of the town, and talks in too much length about the church and a meeting between himself and the head cleric. Gigeon also was there and talked the the head cleric. Turns out that Jessica was there as well and saw the end of head cleric. Plus that the evil temple that everyone was so worried about is already open and the main cleric lady might have turned evil. So now the group must decide on whether to combat the evil within the temple which Gigeon wants to, or go about what they had planned to do.
Rekka knowing the group too well prepares herself for another dungeon filled with who knows what and the very people the group had help save in the last dungeon. She was really starting to hate towns and their problems.
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