IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

[Shock]

Tyragorn
HP: 19 AC:18

"Vilma is favored by Merikka. I don't fear for her safety. But I'm all for leaving her out of it."

Tyragorn nodded at Zasio. "Someone must know where they enter the town. We can start there."

[stavaros_the_arcane]

Georgia Fiddler
HP: 16 AC: 15
Spell slots: 2/3 left

"No!" Cirilli yells, then lowering her voice she says, "You have to let me come with you. We have to stop them, or I'd rather die trying. I can't hide, waiting for them to come."

She hugs the mace to her chest like a younger child would cling to a doll, and rocks a little in her chair.

Tyragorn
HP: 19 AC:18
"Even then, we can't leave until we're sure this place is secure. You might all be safer with old Vilma. Cirilli, if you come with us, you would only be looking for revenge. And that's not good for your soul. It would be much better for you to stay here. Your knowledge of the enemy could be of great help defending those who need it most."

"I don't know if I agree with Tyragorn on what is or isn't good for the soul, but he has some points." Georgia says in a soothing voice. "You're a brave girl, and you've already helped us a lot. I know you want to start smashing cultist heads but we can't rush into this. We're going to stop them, but we need to find the right place to strike the head off this snake. We need to figure out where to make em hurt and in the mean time we need to keep our friends safe. Can you help me do that?"

Aldan

"Not sure if the goblin is an option, we had the stablehand turn it over to the Sheriff who is, according to our rescuee, is one of them." he says with some regret, but hindsight was eagle-eyed.

Georgia rubbed her chin. "Well if the Gobbo and the Sheriff are in cahoots, then that just means the goblin is probably still alive. We've already removed one of the cult's key leaders in the town, leaving them running around like chickens with their heads cut off. For a little while at least. We could try sneaking into the lock-up and snatch the goblin for information. Possibly put down the sheriff for good measure if it comes to that."

[Flynnarrel]

"Last time we interrogated the Goblin it showed too much madness for useful information. The idea was of turning it loose in hopes of it naturally going back to the swamp lair and tracking it from afar." Aldan clarifies.

"Mayor, can you think of anyone in this town that may likewise be suited to this task? Either of the elves you called in perhaps? No sleight to our woodsman but a second set of trained eyes might be good out there. And what of your thoughts of gathering the trusted and holding up in the Boozy Badger?"

[Arkrite]

Cirilli doesn't look happy with the way the conversation has gone, the talk of leaving her behind causing her to look quite frantic. However instead of yelling she's gone to looking quite unhappy and being very quite while she clutches her mace.

Zakarias sighs considering the situation, "I might be able to get them to come back, but there's no promise they'll be nearby. We had them searching the woods, and I'm not sure how long it would take to get back."

"And I'm not sure how secure the Boozy Badger would be."

Travers frowns and grumbles, "No worse then here. Hard to run from here, water on three sides."

Zakarias glances at his bodyguard then nods, "Fine. I'll try to gather a few people I think we can trust, but it's not going to be very many. Can you think of anybody else we can add?"

"I'm assuming at this point Grover will either retreat, or he'll gather his forces and attack. If he retreats we'll be fine, if he attacks... he'll need weapons. So will we. If we can take the weapons he'd have stored in his office we can arm our people and keep him from arming his," He looks at the adventurers, "You'd need to move quickly. Would you be able to do that?"

Karia has, meanwhile, scampered off and returns with a small basket full of bandages and ointments.

[Flynnarrel]

"We haven't met all of the residents of Orlane. Maybe the old guy in the woods?" Aldan ventures. "Look for any families or residents that still keep up their gardens. That's been an indicator so far that they are likely still in possession of their faculties but I doubt it's a guarantee."

"We..." he looks to the others he'd arrived with, "we can try to get into the law offices and abscond with their weapons. Maybe free the Goblin if we come across it. Shall we get them to the Badger if successful?"

[stavaros_the_arcane]

Georgia Fiddler
HP: 13/16 AC: 15
Spell slots: 2/3 left

Georgia gives Ciri a reassuring pat. "You'll get you chance to crack some cultist heads sooner or later."

She turns back to the Mayor. "We'll have that office looted in no time."

[Shock]

Tyragorn
HP: 19 AC:18

"I'm rested and ready to go."

[Arkrite]

Zakarias nods, "Okay. You go first, we will come as soon as we've gathered the children. Probably less likely to cause them to act rashly if they don't see us as one large group."

"We will go directly to the inn, you come after you collected or destroyed their weapons. I'd prefer collected over destroyed if at all possible, but I'm not in a position to be picky."

He stands up, "I will gather as many trustworthy people as I can. Be safe."

With that the house quickly becomes a whirlwind of activity with grownups and children rushing everywhere, your group largely forgotten.

The trip out is quiet, the streets are quiet and empty for the time of day. The small cottage near the mayor's house (Building 9) still appears empty.

The Livery Stable (Building 8) appears to have some life to it, a man working inside the pen with some horses gives you a quick glance, but seems just as happy to go back to what he's doing, giving you no real thought unless you move in his direction.

The Village Store (Building 12) across the road is rather quiet in spite of being open, it's door literally wide open to allow the entry of customers. Though you see the curtains move as you go by. Possibly a breeze, possibly somebody peering out at you.

The Jeweler's house (Building 7) also seems to be open for business. The small building is very well maintained, if plain. The building looks to have been built with security in mind, designed to keep out any thinking of a quick payday, with the shutters and door made of heavy wood reinforced with iron bands.

The Golden Grain (Building 6) appears to have life in it, people can be heard talking and chatting inside, though the shutters are closed.


A weaver's shop (building 5) sits across the road from it. Much like the shop, it looks like it's open though there's no sign of life outside the building itself.

Finally you close in on the Constable's house. To the north of his house is a Dairy Farm (Building 4) where three little girls are playing in the yard. They stop what they're doing to gawk at you, pointing and whispering to each other. The house and barn look well maintained, and the cows kept in the field behind the house look to be well fed and in good health.

The Constable's Quarters is a very plain square building. Well built, though not quite as sturdy looking as the Jeweler's house. Apparently expecting no trouble, the door and shutters have been left wide open.

The building itself is mostly empty. Built for function over all other considerations, there is a large roughly made desk in the main room overlooking a couple small cells. There are two side rooms, one containing a small bedroom, and another that is latched shut with a simple lock.
The cells are empty except for the one on the end, which isn't just closed and locked but the door has had a chain wrapped around it and locked to help secure it.
Inside sits the massive blacksmith, and Tyragorn's brother in law, Aelric.

Open your entry the man stands, grabs the door and shakes it violently three times. The door and chain hold, after which the man's wild eyes turn from Tyragorn to stare at the empty desk with an unshaking intensity.

[Flynnarrel]

The constable's house/jail is building (1) on the map?

Aldan notes the upkeep of the dairy farm and resolves to warn them of the goings on and suggest they shelter in the Badger with the mayor - provided an initial meeting doesn't result in hostilities, that is, but for now they had a law enforcement office to toss.

"Look around for keys and the locked cabinets where they'd keep weapons." Aldan advises. "Yes we could get through locks eventually but that takes time and we're in a rush."

"Papers or a ledger or logbook might be good too. Call out if you find anything so other searching for it can retask. Sister Bright, on lookout for anyone coming if you please, I'd not like to be taken unawares."

Aldan for his part will go to the unattended desk the prisoner glanced at when they first came in.

[Something like Perception and/or investigation roll(s)?]

[Arkrite]

Jessica nods and makes her way over to the door, peering outside.

OOC: Perception for sure. If you have investigation you can roll that as well.

[Flynnarrel]

Aldan looks around.

perc then invest: 1d20+4 23 1d20+5 12

[Arkrite]

The desk itself is an ugly piece of work. Incredibly solid and remarkably heavy, it would be difficult for a single person to even move it around. It's functional but it lacks the finishing touches one might expect on such a piece of furniture. There are only a couple drawers which are so roughly placed into it that opening them is nearly impossible.
Sadly there is little of value to be found in the desk itself. A pen, some ink that'd mostly dried out, a steel brush, some weapon oil and a whetstone. There's nothing hidden under the drawers, or behind them. All of the usual hiding places are empty.

However you do notice some strange scratches on the floor. It looks like somebody's been pushing and pulling the desk back and forth in the same direction a number of times. The scratches indicate it's only been moved about three feet, which would have left it right in the way of anybody coming in or leaving.

[Flynnarrel]

"Tyragorn, I need your muscles." Aldan will call the big man over and indicate a direction he'd like the desk shifted so they can see if there's anything underneath. (Aldan really just wants to make up for missing the last trapdoor in Abramo's back room.)

[Shock]

Tyragorn
HP: 19 AC:18

Tyragorn stood well away from the cell but was looking at Aelric. "We're going to find Ailla and bring her back. But I won't leave her with you unless you're back to yourself."

At Aldan's call, he turned away. He tested the weight of the desk and groaned. "All right, I'll give it a shot." He crouched down and gave it a shove.

Strength check: 1d20+3 10

[Arkrite]

The desk is easily moved by two people, especially when one of those two people is a large muscular paladin.

With the desk out of the way it doesn't take long to discover a few loose boards and pry them out of the way. Under the boards somebody had dug out a small hole out of the earth beneath to hide a number of thing.

There are three small boxes filled with coins. A fair number of gold, but a far larger number of silver and copper coins.
A canvass sack contains a number of random items, a silver pitcher, a small statuette of a beautiful woman carved from bone, a black velvet masked embroidered with silver thread, a pair of well made soft leather boots, a golden brooch decorated with intricate carvings.
The last item hidden at the bottom is an oilskin in which a silver short sword engraved with elven runes and a black war hammer decorated with gold trim are stored.

There is no key to be found.

OOC: The hidden stash contains:
226 gp in coinage:
110 gp
1,000 sp
1,600 cp


Silver ewer
Carved bone statuette of a beautiful maiden
A silver short sword engraved with elven runes
Black velvet mask stitched with silver thread
A pair of well made soft leather boots
An intricately decorated gold brooch
Pair of engraved bone dice
A black war hammer decorated with gold trim