Eberron - First Inn, First Out

[Randel]

Carmot

Carmot memorizes the location of the strange flower and heads back into the tavern.

He approaches the table the others are sitting at and pulls up a chair. "Greeting again, I just wished to say that this 'dream' we had seems to have been very detailed and accurate as far as the real world is considered. I say this because just before we were released you might recall I tried searching the garden and building, well I found a rose-like flower with no thorns. It was blue in the dream but it is white in reality. Could be due to the odd lighting in the dream."

He stops and lets this sink in. "I just mention this because it seems our experience was extremely detailed... and I doubt that any of us would had seen or noticed that flower before dreaming so it couldn't have been merely a product of our minds..."

Seeing the others give him odd looks he shugs, "Maybe the weasels invade peoples dreams to scare them? I suspect killing the last weasel freed us?" He looks at Father Porter.

[DungeonMaster77]

Father Porter

Looking rather sad at the prospect that he had to kill his pet, evil though it may have been, likewise not real.

"Fortunately for us all, I believe it did. I'm not certain that the weasles were the cause, so to speak, but killing the last of them surely seemed to have done the trick. Unfortunately for us all, this leaves us exactly where we began. Where to we go from here? The battle's done, and we kind of won, so what now? Sound a victory cheer?"

OOC: Sorry, saw an episode of "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer," so pardon the refrence in the last 3 sentances, despite them fitting in.

[GimliFett]

Sydian d'Kundarak

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HP: 8/8; AC: 14 (ff 12, t 12)

"If y'all'll excuse me a moment, I'm gonna check somethin'!" Syd says and without waiting for a response he gets up and heads to the bar.

"'Scuse me, 'keep? Has anyone complained of strange dreams or issues and tried to blame it on last night's meals?" he asks the barkeep as he dances a pair of silvers across his knuckles.

[Theli]

The halfling bartender looks up to you, "Nope, can't say I've heard anything like that. People usually sleep pretty soundly around here. Can I get ya another ale?"

[DungeonMaster77]

Father Porter

Knowing that this is going to be a long day, I walk up to the bar.

"It's a bit early for ale, at least for me, but I'll have a glass of wine."

I drink it in one gulp.

"And another please."

This one I sip.

"Okay, so nobody else was having these dreams. Hmmm...Uh, barkeep? Is there a sage, scholor, or other learned person in town? Maybe an oracle or wiseman or woman perhaps?"

[Theli]

"Right, coming up!"

He serves one drink, then the other.

"Oh uh, there's this Shaman that hangs around town. Sometimes some of the tribes go to see her when they're out and about. But I can't imagine why someone like you would want to talk to her...especially not as one of the 'purified'. Wait...dreams was it? What kind of dreams are we talking about exactly?"



{OOC: Minor note... Purified is a kind of slang for Silver Flame proponents I believe. That's the context it's used in. It would probably be common knowledge and anyone with any experience with people following the religion should be familiar with it.}

[DungeonMaster77]

Father Porter

Balking at the idea of talking to a 'non-purified,' he perks up.

"Yes, dreams. Myself and my companions were in a dream. None of us had met prior to the dream. In it we were attacked by shadowy weasles in this very inn. As a matter of fact, I'm willing to bet I know how to get into your cellar, and where the exit to that leads out to, without ever having knowledge of it. It was very real. At least to us."

[GimliFett]

Sydian d'Kundarak

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HP: 8/8; AC: 14 (ff 12, t 12)

The dwarf nudges the priest. "Augh. Perhaps that is best kept to a more, um, private conversation, Padre?" With a wink to the bartender, Syd grins slyly. "If you'd like, I can offer additional tips later. It was a very realistic dream, indeed."

OOC:

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DM77: YOU are the Purified.

[DungeonMaster77]

Syd

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Fixed it...oops !

[Theli]

"Hold on. Hold on! This I need to see!"

He shambles from behind the bar to meet you in front of it and then says in a quiet voice, "Ok, show me what you know. Go on..."

[GimliFett]

Sydian d'Kundarak

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HP: 8/8; AC: 14 (ff 12, t 12)

Syd leads the barkeep and Padre into the kitchen to the spot where the wall was hidden and searches for the release. "Might wanna stand back a couple steps," he comments, then stops. "Oh, how d'ya avoid the trap? Or is that just how the door works?" he asks the barkeep with a wide grin and a wink.

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Search: (1d20+8)[27]

[Theli]

{OOC:
There was actually a latch which shifted the wooden wall which then revealed the stone brick wall. You weren't the one who found the latch, so I'm just gonna assume that that search check was for the first part of opening this door which now shifted the wooden part.}

As the procession reaches the kitchen, the few cooks present move out of the way when they see the barkeep. Leaving you to your own devices.

And the wooden wall shifts...

"Hmmph. That could just be a lucky guess. Now how about you open it the rest of the way?"

When the dwarf attempts to trigger the brick wall to open, a click can be heard, but the wall does not shift.

"Hah! Well? Don't tell me you don't know the password. You did get this far... I'm gonna be disappointed."

[GimliFett]

Sydian d'Kundarak

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HP: 8/8; AC: 14 (ff 12, t 12)

Syd chuckles dryly. "'Course I don't know the password. No one was around but the few of us an' the shadow-demon-weasels. Now gimme a sec. I did this before..." The dwarf trails off as he gets out his picks and proceeds to open the door the same way he did in the dream, but a little more cautiously to avoid the swinging wall. "An' be quiet or I'll blab about the escape tunnel-thing," he whispers conspiratorially.

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Open Lock?: (1d20+6)[14]

[Theli]

The little nameless bartender chortles with glee at your futile attempts to open it any further.

"You like that? I had a Kundarak pal of mine whip up some extra protection some years back. I'm afraid what you're trying just isn't gonna work.

Still, I'm impressed you got this far... An escape route you say? Eh? And where do you suppose something like that, if there was one, might lead ya?"

[DungeonMaster77]

Father Porter

"Well, if memory serves correctly, it ends up in a wooded area out in the back of the inn. I think it has clear view of the garden. Also, the exit appears to be a solid rock, and lastly, again if I'm not mistaken, it can be opened from either side, by some kind of latch. Syd, you found that, correct?" he says, looking over at Syd.

[Randel]

Carmot

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The warforged approaches enters the kitchen with the others and when the halfling asks the question he responds.

"Within the dream, I discovered a small lever on the stove there that opened up the wooden wall, that revealed a stone wall lined with bricks... I believe Syd made approximately 20 attempts to press the bricks in the proper order before it finally opened. The stone wall then rotated a bit to reveal a set of stairs leading down to the cellar."

"Inside the cellar there was one additional door that lead to a secret passageway. The passageway continued out of the building and the exit ended in an area surrounded by trees outside, the exit was disguised as an ordinary rock. Inside the cellar was also two levers which activated both the wooden sliding wall and this secret door." he points to the stone wall.

After thinking over what he said he tries to think of any details he might have missed. "Oh, and the cellar also contained lots of stored food and wine. Which I suppose is to be expected."

He looks at the stone wall and the bricks, "Now... oddly this dream was extreamly detailed mirror of this inn, even down to one flower outside in the garden... a white rose with no thorns, rather interesting with the no thorns part. I imagine one could make some money by raising thornless roses. But anyway..."

the warforged thinks again... one could almost hear a tiny series of clicking noises in his head as he tries to finish his sentence.

"Anyway... something weird happened. Might want to have the place checked for... some kind of weird dream monsters if this problem shows up again."

((OOC: since padre pretty much said the essentials of what I did then I'll spoiler my post and say it didn't happen. Innkeeper might not like patrons who neither eat or drink... and I only have 1 gp and change left so I can't afford to waste anything))

[Theli]

"Hmm, alright I'm convinced. I can't imagine why you'd lie to me about the dream, as there doesn't seem to be anything to gain from it. Come up front...", he says as he motions for you to follow, "I'll buy ya all a round, anything you want... I want you to listen to a proposition."

After waiting for the party to assemble at the bar, he will offer each one a drink of their choice. He even offers a special concoction to the forged, stating that it was created specifically for them. (Calls it "Bender's Entitlement")

After everyone, or nearly everyone, is drinking, he will proceed:

"Ok, here's the deal. I don't know nothing about no dreams, or weasels, or anything. So I can't really help ya."

"But, what you said reminds me of an old elven acquaintance. He used to perform for us from time to time...really drew a crowd. And a few months back he just snapped... Don't know how or why, maybe he even saw something like what you saw. But, he just lost it and kept on rambling on and on about monsters of all kinds and doom and gloom and what have you..."

"What I want you to do is check up on him. He hasn't been around these parts for a couple of days now. I'm getting kinda worried that he might've done something rash."

"You do this for me and I'll ask around about your dreamed up weasels...alright? An old barman like me has a few favors to call in, believe me."

"So, what do ya say?"



{OOC: He'll wait for responses from the whole party before answering any more questions.

Incidentally, with Randal's spoilering, no one has actually mentioned the flower to him. Just thought I'd mention it, whether or not it might be important.}

[Randel]

Carmot

"That sounds acceptable." Carmot says, nodding. Thinking again he says. "Oh, and I'm not sure if its important... well, it is interesting at least for me and it would probably pester my thoughts if I didn't get it out... but I noticed that one of the white roses in the garden out there doesn't have thorns on it. And I mean it seems to be a unique rose plant that just grew without thorns. I actually found it so to speak while trying to find a way out of that nightmarish dream-world place, but I checked and it certainly exists outside."

"I can show it to you, if you know a botanist they might be able to tell you more about it. I suppose people who would pay for flowers might pay more for flowers that don't poke their soft non-metallic skin." He shrugs as he drinks the beverage he was given, secretly hoping to make himself mute.

[WillWolf]

Richard:

OOC: Just back tracking a little to say what he did and so forth.


Richard ate a meal consisting of bacon, eggs, toast with butter, and fresh water. He said a quick and brief blessing in thanks to the Flame for providing aid in a time of great struggle. Sighing in complacience of missing the food of the Reaches, the breadbasket, but enjoying the hospility of the day. Although water may or may not be the best choice out here so close to the desert (where the purity is not that of the reaches or of Thrane either) he had always drunk water with meals. He was also very surprised about Padre's meal-choice as well; however, he thought it only natural that those who do good work need plenty of fuel for the fire so to speak, and as the Flame is to the soul, food is to the body.

His mind naturally went back to last night, that was when everything must have began. Why were they chosen out of everyone else? While they were quite heroric in nature, to take a word that was used by Padre, he didn't think of them as being too different from anyone else? He sighed.

He came to the bar when he was beckoned, he was taking his time with his meal, mulling over his thoughts.

When asked for what to drink, he took ale. It was pretty early for it, but he never took a fancy to the fineries of dining and he almost always associated wine with that sort of uppities of soceity. He would have his ale in comparison.

"Yes," he nodded, "anything to help those in darkness." He was very sincere in his efforts. If this elf was in trouble he wanted to lend his hand to him, as any good person should do.

[DungeonMaster77]

Father Porter

"Well, since we know nothing about what we experienced, and anyone of less will-power would most certainly have gone mad where we were, I accept your proposal to check on your elven friend. Maybe he will be lucid enough to give us insight into our plight."

I gulp down the 2nd glass of wine I had ordered when told there would be another drink, for free, nonetheless, and orders a 3rd wine.

[GimliFett]

Sydian d'Kundarak

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HP: 8/8; AC: 14 (ff 12, t 12)

Nodding, Syd smirks and takes a deep pull on his dark ale. "Sure. Why not. I'm on sabbatical anyway. An' as Padre said, anyone of less willpower would certainly have gone mad. I'm in, 'keep. Sydian d'Kundarak, at your service," he offers with a semblance of a courtly bow then extends his hand in friendship.

[Suzuro]

He shunned the drink, still suspicious of the events that occurred..

Aha! He went mad! I'm sure that's what happened to me! I'll take this 'job' of yours, just so I can see if we are alike! He walked to a vacant corner, assure that he had chosen the correct idea, surely his apparitions would follow his lead...




-Suzuro

[Theli]

*nods as each person agrees, shaking hands to seal the deal when offered*

"Sure! I'll check into that flower for ya, too. No problem!"

"Now, this old boy's name is Gil. He lives in a house down south-east aways... If you head on out of town by the south road, you'll hit a bridge over some rapids after about half a day. Don't cross that bridge. Just head on down-stream to the east and after another half-day you should come up on a two-story home in the middle of the woods."

"Don't ask me exactly why he likes to live out there... All he'd ever tell me is that he likes his 'space'."

"If you do find him, and he's in danger, or even a danger to himself, just bring em back up here, alright? We can take care of him if he needs it."

"By the by, the name's Tobi. Pleased to meetcha!"

[DungeonMaster77]

Father Porter

"Well, Toby, it is absolutely a pleasure to meet you as well. I hope he is okay, but either way, we'll come back with word for you."

Looking at the group,

"Did anybody write those directions down? I don't want to forget, and end up crossing the bridge, or going the wrong way when we get there...Trust me...getting lost isn't fun. It happened to my unit back in the war..." he shudders at the thought.

[Randel]

Carmot

The warforged reaches into his spell component pouch and pulls out an emptied out egg shell and a set of paints.

"I cast, Record Directions."

He then paints the directions onto the eggshell and hands the painted egg to Father Porter.

"There we go, we should have no trouble getting lost as long as we follow this."

Carmot takes another sip of "Bender's Entitlement", his eyes momentarily glowing bright blue before returning to their normal red.

[Theli]

Tobi

"Haw, that's a good one! Be careful that you don't accidentally sit on it! Bahahahaha!"

[WillWolf]

Richard:

He wondered how such an honorable man was involved in the ways of war, but he didn't really want to think about the war. Some wounds never really healed and in joining the church, he found a way to channel his energy through the church. Seeing Father Padre speak about it seemed to strike too close to home. Richard thanks the barkeep and pays his debt with a tip. Chuckling a little at both the artificer's ingenious methods and at Tobi's joke, almost a little too much.

As everyone had agreed to come and he really didn't see a reason to be here, he got up and leaves the bar waiting for his friends outside mumbling something about "fresh air."

[DungeonMaster77]

Father Porter

Assuming the group was ready to leave, Padre hoists his pack and begins trekking down the road, hopefully with his newfound compatriots. Along the road, he strikes up conversation to remove the silence. After all, they only met "once upon a dream," and didn't know much about one another that didn't pertain to combat training or skills.

"So, we don't know a lot about one another...I'll go first. Long ago, when I was still able to call myself a Cyrian, my whole family was in the military. We joined out of some noble cause or another, I don't remember, I was young, and excited to be a part of it. I was 13. The only thing I could do was join as a banner boy. My father held some kind of rank, I guess, and got me assigned to a particularly well-decorated, high ranking officer. That was supposed to keep me safe. We were fighting Breland, though I don't remember where, as it was long ago, when they out maneuvered us, and I was caught up in the battle. We fought for our lives. I saw pain, suffering, and things no child should ever have seen. But then again, it was a different day, back then. Anyways, I suffered a mortal wound and awoke some time later in a temple of the sacred Silver Flame. My mentor, Father Magnum, found me on the battlefield, and was able to save my life. He brought me back to the temple, that I may recover, and eventually felt a calling to the clergy of the Flame. Now that I seem to have told my life story, anybody else care to share something of themselves?"

[Randel]

Carmot

The warforged follows the group out of the tavern, swaying just a bit as he walks.

"I... I... I eye... I was made by House Cannith." He finally says. "Trained by master alchemist Alan d'Cannith in the ways of artifice. I was sent to fight alongside the other warforged against the goblins to the south. We did pretty good there... we knew what we were up against."

"But then Cyre blew up... my mentor died of old age and well... I've been studying alchemy ever since then. Probably should look into joining a guild or something, but for now I think I'll just do some traveling... see the world and find out what everybody else is talking about."

The warforged straightens a bit, shaking off the last bits of intoxication. "I suppose I'm different than most warforged... my mentor said my tendency to talk so much is a result of my studying magical items. Having to think about magic often involves thinking about oneself... which I suppose makes double sense in my case."

[Suzuro]

Well, considering I'm already going crazy probably, I guess there's no harm in talking to myself a little bit...although I'm surprised I can come up with all these stories!

He walked quickly, getting slightly ahead of the others, leading them and constantly keeping an eye out for any more 'tricks' his mind might play.

I was the son of a horse trainer...but I couldn't handle the monotony. Day-in and Day-out, all we would do is ride the horse, to the woods, out of the woods..around the corner....then put it away for the next day. I began to resent horses.
After I became of age, I decided that I couldn't deal with that kind of life anymore, so I signed on to get some military Training.

As he spoke he seemed to completely lose track of everything, and just somewhat phased out, not really paying attention to where he was going. Because of this he wandered off track occasionally, but usually got back on.

After awhile training, I realized that my entire life really had been leading up to this...no one could best me on a horse, and I became better than my peers with weapons. After I had received training, I became more of a 'guard' than anything...and, that seemed to have turned out bad on this last job...... At this point he trailed off and realized that he had wandered off again. He had to walk back and find the trail before moving forward again to catch up.




-Suzuro