Fallcrest Legends

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Almost a century has passed since the Bloodspears, the fierce orc horde that overwhelmed Fallcrest's army in the battle of Gardbury Downs, came down from the north, pillaged the once-prosperous city and vanished again in the wilderness. The town is still struggling to assume its former glory but even after ninety years there are ruins in the city still standing as silent reminders of the city's fall and due to the lack of commerce and the destruction of the old settlements in the region, Fallcrest has not found prosperity yet.

Still, there are many changes in the last couple of years, not the least of which is the arrival of a wealthy noblewoman, Arana Mallary. The still young heiress of a great fortune-or so rumor says-she has bought one of the ancient ruined mansions in Hightown and in less than a year turned it into a magnificent villa now standing next to the Moonsong temple, overlooking Lowtown from a prominent position over the bluffs. She has donated generously to both the temple and Fallcrest's ruling council to promote the reconstruction of Fallcrest's roads and the rebuilding of more than one civic building including the new stone reconstruction of Five-Arch bridge. Naturally, many in the city have her in high esteem despite her refusal to leave her estate and the lack of social calls to any of the other prominent citizens. Others whisper she is strange and eccentric and that weird sounds can be heard from her manor at night.

Arana Mallary put up a call for mercenaries and wandering heroes just last week, promising a substantial reward for anyone that would work for her. No information on the nature of the task have been revealed and when asked her servants and other staff deny knowing anything about it. Prospective employees will have to attend an interview to find out what this is about but so far the few mercenaries that tried have been turned down. Rumor has it that lady Arana is looking for highly experienced people willing to work as a group, seeking to assemble a small but strong group for an important task. Whispers of the dark and unwholesome nature of the task abound but noone can say for certain whether they are true. Perhaps answers will be forthcoming-the latest meeting place for new mercenaries has been set in the copse behind the Moonsong Temple at moonrise tonight as lady Arana seeks to interview all prospective employees of the last few days at the same time...

Spoiler

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If you have read the description of Fallcrest in the DMG it should be easy to find the meeting place so you can describe how you arrive there. If you have not-or if you want your character to be a newcomer in town-you could ask for directions in-character.

[Xilehxt]

Handsome Young Man Clad in Armor

A handsome young man clad in scale armor and draped in traveler's cloak strides into town. He looks around the village, wind ruffling his full brown hair, smiling as he surveys the rural village. He courteously asks a passing citizen,

Excuse me, good sir. Where might I find a shrine to Melora, bless her name, in this fair town?

[Azerian Kelimon]

Mercutius

As night falls, Mercutius arrives to the villa. Sitting with the back against a tree, he scans the prospective companions that have attended the meeting.


I wonder what this lady wants people for. She has refused the help of quite a few sellswords already. Of course, they were not the most trustworthy people around, but they were competent enough.

In any case, it all plays to my favor. This gives me the chance to see my possible companions. Hmm...most of them are too green. That one there doesn't seem to know how to wield a sword!

[Crucival]

Rolen

Rolen had been drinking in the Nentir Inn when he heard the news about Mallary's call for potential employees. Giving himself some time to sober up, he wandered his way over to the copse, eyeing his potential comrades with a wary, piercing gaze.

Moonrise, he thinks, an odd choice, to say the least. Is our potential employer undead or just a bit ...quirky?

[Bleen]

Saelen

A raven-haired, bespectacled young man, clad in a midnight blue robe, had taken his seat at the far end of the clearing. With little more than a polite nod to the others, he pulled out the heavy-looking tome tucked under his shoulder, and began to read quietly, his nose buried in the pages.

Hmm. Only a week here, and this turns up. An eccentric old lady? People always view people of magical profession as odd; perhaps that would be the simplest explanation..

[Xilehxt]

Jacob

After paying homage to the shrine of Melora in Moonsong temple, Jacob hears of the call and decides that he wishes to help. He makes it to the woods at moonrise and looks around at the other that have appeared. He tries to make conversation with Rolen,

So have you been in Fallcrest for long?

[Crucival]

In and out over the years. I can find my way around well enough.

Rolen looks up at the young man in his scale mail, arching an eyebrow. As far as the elf was concerned, this man could be just another thug looking for a job. But his friendliness was oddly...refreshing.

You're new, I take it. Has word of Mallary's job spread all the way out of town?

[Xilehxt]

Jacob

Jacob gives a smile and says,

Yes, I have arrived this afternoon. High Priest Starlight has informed me of Lady Mallory's calling and I've decided to help out. This is a wonderfully rural town, nature and civilization meshes well; Melora would approve. My name is Jacob, cleric of Melora. Pleasure to meet you.

[Xilehxt]

Jacob

Jacob looks at the other two who are keeping to themselves. He calls to Saelen,

Pardon me for interrupting your read, but you're going to strain your eyes if you read in the moonlight like that.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

It is not difficult for anyone to find the meeting place even in the falling darkness. Moonsong temple can be seen from anywhere in Lowtown, its windows always gleaming like silver mirrors under moonlight in both night and day and the small copse is just beside the temple grounds. A cluster of half a dozen trees around an ancient stone well with a few marble seats, it is a popular meeting place for noblemen and traders during the day and young couples during the night.

Tonight though, the thicket is empty, the silence ominous. No-one is here to observe the arrival of the mercenaries or future heroes lady Mallary invited despite the great interest the townspeople showed for her affairs. That, in and of itself, is very strange. But the total absence of passersby, the lack of voices other than your own or any sounds of the night for at least two blocks is alarming.

A hour after sunset-and who knows how long before moonrise-is when you really notice the strange atmosphere. Still, the Mallary manor is only a few dozen feet away, hidden behind a ten-foot wall and an iron gate as well as the thick vegetation within the manor grounds blocking line of sight. It can't be long before someone from the manor approaches you now. Sure enough, a tall, robed figure appears before the manor gate and comes at a brisk walk towards you. It is difficult to discern features in the dark but you can still tell the figure is at least six feet tall, slim and female.

Spoiler

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It is about an hour after sunset but still before moonrise. You don't know when moonrise is exactly (unless you're a cleric of Sehanine Moonbow or have some good knowledge of astronomy)

The sense of unease and the lack of people nearby was only apparent for about five minutes.

Everyone make an active Perception check versus DC 25 for spot and an active perception check DC 22 for listen.

[Azerian Kelimon]

((Here go the rolls.

Spot: (1d20+3)[5]

Listen: (1d20+3)[7]))

[Xilehxt]

Jacob looks around, relaxed as the figure approaches.

Maybe a test of strength, it's common for these type of people who look for competent arms.

(Spot: (1d20+7)[14] Listen:(1d20+7)[21]
If it's a roll you can make since you have our sheets, wouldn't it go faster if you just made the rolls and told the ones who made the checks what's going on?)

[Crucival]

(1d20+11)[15] for Perception: Spot
(1d20+11)[31] for Perception: Listen
(1d20+12)[25] for Stealth

Rolen draws his bow and tries to hide in the shadows of the copse, just i case the approaching figure is not their prospective employer. He keeps a keen eye on the approaching figure from the shadows, prepared to fire off a arrow at the first sign of trouble. Warning bells are sounding loudly in his head already, at the eerie nature of the meeting.

[Bleen]

Saelen
Perception (Spot):(1d20+6)[14]
Perception (Listen): [roll1d20+6[/roll]
Saelen nods his acknowledgement of Jacob, reaching into his pack to pull out a single gold coin. "Mm. Yes, you're quite right. Something to read by would do me well..." He taps the coin twice, and it emits a glow bright enough to see by ((Light)), but is interrupted by the approaching figure before he can return to his reading. "Ah," he says calmly, "The Lady Mallory, I presume?" He adjusts his glasses, holding the lit coin out in an attempt to get a better look as he gives her an appraising glance.

[Bleen]

Saelen

Spoiler

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((Whoops, I messed up the syntax there. Here's the Listen roll. Didn't want to edit since it'd remove the other roll and make me look like a cheatyface))
Perception (Listen) (1d20+6)[14]

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Rolen jumps away and hides, troubled. He fades in the darkness and foliage and if you hadn't seen where exactly he vanished you would never have guessed where he was.

Saelen's coin sheds light like a torch-not enough to banish the darkness of the glade completely but enough to reveal the newcomer's features. She is, as he suspected, a human woman taller than he-in fact, taller than mot men. Dressed in a midnight black robe of a color with her long hair that fall down to the small of her back, she would be striking if she weren't so thin. She appears to be suffering from some sort of disease-just a bit too thin, just a bit too pale, the bones of her angular face more pronounced as if her flesh is beginning to thin.

Her bearing and pose are regal though. She closes in at a brisk walk, shapphire-blue eyes untouched by her affliction as they seem to pierce you one by one like spears. Her colorless lips are pursed in an angry-or pained-frown. When she speaks, her voice is strong but colorless and dry as if it hasn't been used for a long time-and have to struggle to be sure of what you hear.
Ic eom Mallary, hit is treowe. Watt is hit to ye?
Her tone is challenging, you can tell as much despite her strange pronounciation. Perhaps she's a foreigner. She is smiling now-you get the impression you must pass some sort of challenge.

Spoiler

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Knowledge: History DC 20, Insight DC 23 please.
As for me doing the checks for you, I am only doing the passive stuff (which don't need rolling anyway). The active stuff-since you'd be looking for anyone approaching, perception is active and since you are watching her, knowledge and insight are also active.

[Xilehxt]

Jacob

Jacob strains to understand the garbled speech, but he gets the gist. He replies,

Lady Mallory, I have come to your call of aid, and I believe these gentlemen are here for the same reason as well. What would you have us do?

(History: (1d20+3)[12] Insight: (1d20+12)[24])

[Crucival]

History: (1d20+3)[20]
Insight: (1d20+6)[19]

Rolen already has a feeling there's something dreadfully wrong here. The woman seems to have appeared, rather than emerged by any mundane, mortal means, and so her diseased look struck him as even more fundamentally...wrong.

He waits until Mallary is past him, and emerges from the shadows behind her, lowering his bow in a sign of threats at least momentarily subdued. His blue eyes stare warily at her, almost luminescent in the dimming light.

"You called," he says, as he exits the shadows. "We came."

[Xilehxt]

As he waits for his reply, Jacob gets a nagging feeling. He thinks to himself,

Something isn't right...but I can't quite pin my finger on it. Is this the real Lady Mallory that called us out?

[Azerian Kelimon]

History: (1d20+3)[7]

Insight: (1d20+3)[6]

Standing up and approaching the pale woman, Mercutius speaks.

Greetings, milady. We have answered your call. Now, would you be so kind as to inform us about the reason you need our help?

[Bleen]

Saelen
History: (1d20+13)[17]
Insight: (1d20+11)[18]

Saelen nods in agreement with the others. "Indeed, there was notice that you were in need of mercenaries, or...'heroes', as some might put it. And thus," He raises his arms out as if presenting himself and the others, "There are four heavily-armed total strangers who, in their infinite wisdom, decided to come into a pitch-dark glade in the middle of night." His remark carries an obviously sarcastic tone.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

The dark-haired woman stops at the edge of the clearing, half in light, half in shadow. At your mentioning the call for mercenaries, she nods.
Treowe. A heard duty Ic haebbe for ye. Giet Ic mote cnaw gif ye suffice. What are yer talents ond strengths?

Spoiler

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Either insight DC 20 or perception DC 24 to know what's going on. 4 successes vs 3 failures for the group.

[Xilehxt]

Jacob

Jacob answers earnestly, still rather confused about the whole ordeal.

As a cleric of Melora, I am proficient in the divine arts, capable of channeling her will into this world to smite foes and aid allies. Also, I have trained with basic weaponries, able to hold my own in combat.

Insight (1d20+12)[28]

[Azerian Kelimon]

Insight: (1d20+3)[7]

I am but a simple sellsword, who can keep his allies safe, and the enemies dead and defeated. It is a strange day when a foe manages to slip past me.

[Crucival]

Perception: (I forgot my elven racial +2 bonus before) (1d20+13)[22]

"I can spit a bandit's head on an arrow from fifty paces, and see him well enough to do so before he notices I'm there." Rolen then shifts, looking uncomfortable at the moral ambiguity of his past work. "It tends to save lives."

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Her eyebrows raised questioningly at Saelen now, Lady Melora gives you a disarming smile despite her infirmity and points out the several stone seats forming a loose circle around the clearing and the old well.
Interesting talents eall. Wille ye no beseech me to sit wip ye?
You get the impression that she is sizing you up not for qualifications for a task but for something... else. Something strange is going on.

Spoiler

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you can still give insight or perception at the same DC. But Religion at DC 20 or arcana at DC 23 can be used in addition to those skills now.

[Xilehxt]

Jacob

Gesturing to the trees, Jacob offers,

Please, by all means, have a seat, only if there were any. So, may we hear the details of your request then?

Insight (1d20+12)[26] Religion (1d20+8)[24]

[Xilehxt]

Jacob

Suddenly, a strange expression overcomes Jacob as realization hits him. He puts his hand into his cloak to produce a silver seashell with a crescent moon engraved inside it: the symbol of Melora. He speaks to Lady Mallory in a somewhat disturbed voice,

Wait, why don't you just tell us the details right here? We can all hear and there is no reason to have a seat.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

The black-robed woman slowly moves to one of the stone seats and relaxes, almost falling down on it as if her legs can no longer lift her. Now sitting sideways, she places a hand at the stone seat's front as if to steady herself.
Ye'd deny a lady her rest, wille ye? As thou will. Nae rest for seo wicce.
And the dainty, pale hand crushes the old stone underneath as easily a grown man would crush dry, uncooked clay. Just as this happens a searing light bursts from Jacob's symbol and slams into her and another, silvery radiance like moonlight glows from the circle of stone seats then dies away.

Spoiler

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Please roll attack/damage for turn undead. Everyone also roll initiative and perception.

[Crucival]

Perception: (1d20+13)[17]
Initiative: (1d20+7)[11]

Rolen is suddenly thankful he had his bow drawn already leaving him free to fire off arrows when his turn comes.