NPX: Gates of the Shadowkeep

[blackfox]

Ginevra--With Callos, etc.

Ginevra makes sure to keep behind Callos while approaching the hippogriff doors. She looks from side to side while ascending the steps to the keep, taking in the surroundings and looking for any signs of life off in the distance.

"Do you think we'll be able to get into the keep if it's Fizahn's?" she says, a bit absent-mindedly. "And where's Callos's keep?"

[Koji]

Kazz

Kazz nods, looking at a rugged pair of knee boots and some simple, but warm, peasant's garb. It isn't much, but it will have to do. She disregards the woman's defensive attitude, not wanting to make things any worse.

"I'll have to pay you gentlemen out of my share of whatever the others get hold of, assuming they're still alive," she says to Retay and the elves. "Excuse my indigence, I haven't had much time to adjust to...any of this."

[Nahal]

Davek

Through the passage we just left would be my guess, says Davek, though if that's the case we obviously did something wrong in there. If the castle is specifically made for him, perhaps it has defenses that fit his personality somehow?

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan goes to the back of the cave after Grynde with a look of dissapointment. "Wondering off will get you nowhere I hope you recall... Just what on Toril are you staring at?" He takes a look down into the pool along with Grynde and scratches his head. "Now, just how did those fish get into that small pool?"

He shakes his head and points outside of the passage. "I'm going to go and search for more passages, I want you to come with me in case I run into anything."

If having collected Grynde, he heads back out and goes up a floor to the bedrooms, inspecting each one of signs of treachery.

Perception - (1d20+2)[14]
Insight - (1d20+10)[12] - If it helps at all

[kuja.girl]

Tiriel
"I don't really care who owns what, I'd just like some answers."
Like how we got here, how we're still alive, and why...
"Lets go find the others that stayed here, maybe they've found something more useful than a hallway that turns back on its self."
Tiriel starts walking up towards "Fizahn's" keep eager to get out of the cold.

[Knubs]

Kavri - Village

Kavri is frankly astonished by the sudden hustle and bustle towards equipping the group. In an instant, his opinion of the town changes, but it reverts back when Annalia delivers her closing statement. Did they just decide they wanted to get rid of us as easily as possible? What is this? "Well, I guess we didn't become as good friends as it seemed. We'll probably be on our way soon enough, but if it wouldn't be too much trouble..." He drifts off for a moment, not sure if he should press them for more after the recent hospitalities, but things like that have never stopped him before. "...could you give us a summary of what exactly some of what you mentioned earlier is. Red knight or crimson something... blue tide? What's all that about?"

[Dr._Bob]

In the mountain keep ...

Tiriel leads the way into the keep where they reunite with Elthan and the others who appear to be walking out of the large fireplace at the rear of the first floor greatroom.

In the village ...

"'What's all that about?' It's war, haven't you heard?

"The trogs overran the Stack and swept into the Seldenwold last year. We're pretty sheltered here in the Vale, but our Lord Duke conscripted our men, leaving us to fend for ourselves through the winter.

"We assumed you were bandits or deserters at first. Now, I'm not sure what to think. You don't look like fools, and liars would have come up with a better story ..."

[Tanaar]

Darros

"There comes a point in some stories where it is simply too farfetched and unlikely to be anything but the truth...this is one of those times. In all honesty, I'm still having a hard time believing our observations at times too." Counting a few coins from his belt pouch, he steps forward and offers them, five silver pieces and one of gold in his hand. "As we said before, no, we haven't heard any of this...its why we came down here to begin with. We don't know who your Duke or the trogs are, or where any of those places are located. Or even what the war is being fought over. Gold can buy a lot of supplies and comfort to last you through the winter, and I don't mind parting with it if it will help both of us."

[Nahal]

Davek

Noticing the group walking out of the fireplace, Davek can't help but wonder about the personality of the keep's owner. Good to see some at least some of us have been able to make something useful of their time, he calls out. Find anything back there?

[Rodrick_the_Red]

Patash (Dragonborn Cleric) Mountain Keep

Patash puts away the flute saying, "Must practice later."

He then follows the others out of the room and asks, "Fizahn, how should we proceed now?"

[blackfox]

Ginevra

Surprised, Ginevra calls out, "Fizahn... There's a room back there, isn't there? How'd you find it?" She moves nearer to the hearth in an attempt to see past the flames into the secret room beyond.

[Erikkin]

Fizahn:

Fizahn shrugs at Ginevra. "I didn't actually open it. I was exploring upstairs at the time. Oh, and there were some packages in there. You each get one and only one. Don't even try to open a second one, trust me." Fizahn leaves the newcomers to retrieve their packages while he goes up the stairs to continue exploring the upper levels.

[Nahal]

Davek

Moving towards the fireplace to see how they entered, Davek is a little surprised by Fizahn's comment. That's generous of you, he says, what was in side the ones you all have opened so far?

Spoiler

Show

Davek will wait for an answer, then after someone responds will head inside and open one at random.

[Durendal]

Harsk

"Trust him about one and only one package, me singed beard is proof enough o'that. I found this 'ere cave, and if'n ye can't keep yer nose out of others business, I found a nice little gem in me present. Hurry it up though, I'm gettin a bit anxious just waitin around."

Even though he doesn't sound it, Harsk is glad the others returned safely from their foolish foray into the other keep. The more the merrier, or at least slightly less grumpy.

[Koji]

Kazz

Noting that money has changed hands, Kazz gathers together the makings of a simple dress, some breeches to wear under the long skirt, and the boots she'd been eyeing before.

"In the hills, we came across two large keeps and a smaller structure below them. We didn't dare approach, but we were curious as to their history. Do you know anything about them?" She asks, looking about for a place to change clothes.

[Dr._Bob]

In the mountain keep ...

The small tokens that have already been opened are reviewed:

Harsk: a finely cut and polished purple gem
Patash: an intricately carved wooden flute
Fizahn: a pattern welded kerambit
Grynde: a jade figurine (kneeling archer), small runes carved into its base
Elthan: a boar tusk

Davek picks a package and opens it carefully. He finds a small vial of clear liquid, sealed with wax.

In the village ...

Annalia blushes slightly as she accepts the additional coins from Darros. She lowers her crossbow and tucks it behind her tattered cloak, as though trying to hide it.

"I had misjudged you, sirs ... and lady. Please forgive our rude welcome. I only wish that we had more hospitality to offer, but the winter was a hard one and spring is still a moon away."

She points towards the horizon. A dirt road runs east, away from the village.

"You could follow the road to Midvale if you are looking for supplies and news. We are pretty isolated here. As I mentioned, we rarely see travelers."

Kazz's words startle Annalia as she walks her to a small shed, where she can have some privacy. Annalia turns and looks up the trail you had descended.

"Two keeps? How far away? There's never been anything at the end of the Old Road except some old ruins to the best of my knowledge.

"Nobody goes there anyway. They say the ruins are haunted ..."

[shaddy_24]

Evendur

Evendur quickly walks over to Harsk. "Are you seriously injured? I can..." he hesitates. Can I still heal? Or have I completely lost the Lady's blessing? He continues a second later. "Are you alright?"

After he has determined that Harsk is fine, he moves into the room and selects one of the packages. Opening it, he carefully examines what is inside. "Are we going to gather the rest for the others, or just leave them here?"

[Tanaar]

Darros

Waiting for Annalia to return to the group from leading Kazz away, Darros smiles and walks up beside her. "Madam, you and your people's generosity for virtual strangers is very noble, and we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. I think we will make our way toward Midvale, and see what we can do to aid the Red Duke and your men in their fight, though we must first backtrack to retrieve some additional supplies we cached in the hills. We would be able to serve the cause a bit better if we didn't appear as complete outlanders in Midvale, however. You see, most of us are from very, very far away, and what you consider common knowledge is foreign to us. We don't know what who or what we would be fighting, or the lay of the land."

[Nahal]

Davek

Davek gives the vial, and in particular the liquid within it, a cursory examination (without breaking the seal or even jostling the material about too much). Resolving to investigate it further, for the moment he uses some of the wrapping to cushion the vial before placing it in his belt pouch.

Who are we still waiting for, he asks Evendur. The five of us came this way after the minotaur doors proved problematic, and other than you all we have the group still in the village.

Spoiler

Show

Arcana check in case anything useful can be derived without exposing the contents to the air: (1d20+7)[9]
Edit: eww...

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan shrugs to Evandur, "We might as well bring them along if we have a sack to throw them in. Otherwise, I don't see what would prevent us from coming back later." Elthan fingers his boar tusk, eyeing it a bit more before shoving it back into his pocket after showing it off.

He looks around at the now collected group in the Foyer, he asks, "So, what did all of you find?"

[blackfox]

Ginevra

Ginevra looks curiously at the small tokens and figures."One and only one package... why is that? I hope it doesn't have anything to do with your burns..." she says, gesturing at Harsk and Patash. "I wish I could do something to help with that, but I don't know much about healing."

She skirts around the fire into the hidden room and picks the package closest to the back of the secret room.

[Knubs]

Kavri - Village

Kavri waits around unsure of what to do at this point idly fiddling with a strand of hair freed from his pony tail. When Annalia returns, and Darros offers to join her army, the fiddling stops. I am not joining some random army. I hope to hell that he's just working her for some more information. "Right. It's hard to be a competent soldier when you look like the village idiot wherever you go," Kavri adds, turning his head back towards the direction of the keeps.

[Matticus]

Grynde

"This little figurine here, it has some writing on the bottom..." he says to everyone. "Maybe one of the more learned of you can understand what the words mean...". He presents it in the direction of Elthan.

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan sighs and takes the figure from Grynde, investigating the writing at it's base. "I'll ask not what consumes you to believe I know any sort of alien script, though I suppose you could do no wrong asking."

Spoiler

Show

Identify Strange Writing check
Arcana - (1d20+8)[27]

[Koji]

Kazz

In the relative solitude of the shed, Kazz sets aside Elthan's robe and pulls on her newly acquired clothing. Something inside her recoils at the drab earth tones, but looking like an errant milkmaid is better than resembling something one might find doodled in the margins of a student's spellbook. She bundles the robe and tucks it under one arm, and steps out into the sunlight to rejoin her friends, wondering just what sort of place Midland might be.

[Rodrick_the_Red]

Patash (Dragonborn, Cleric) Mountain Keep

Patsah follows Fizahn up to the second level to continue the exploration.

[Dr._Bob]

In the mountain keep ...

The small runes appear to be alien, unlike any language Elthan is familar with.

Ginevra finds a gleaming ovoid piece of brass, polished to a mirror sheen. The piece of metal is roughly the size of a chicken egg. It fits smoothly into the small of her palm.

Elthan looks over the brass egg as well as the other objects. Each object seems to radiate a faint aura of magic, but whether the magic is intrinsic to the objects or somehow related to their unexpected appearance here is not clear.

As Elthan looks around, he notes that the entire keep appears to be faintly magical ...

The rest of the keep is explored as well. The four rooms on the second floor are checked. The third level is another great room. Arrow slits line the four walls, providing a view in all directions.

The second keep that rises above the temple complex appears to clearly sit just above the hidden chambers you had spent the night in.

In the village ...

Annalia bids you farewell and promises a more hospitable greeting when you return to the village.

You hike back up the "Old Road" toward the temple complex and keeps. The uphill climb is tougher than the descent, and it is almost dusk by the time you arrive, sweating and breathing heavily, at the basilisk doors.

You enter the hall and pass through the hall of shrines and the fountain courtyard.

Lights from the mountain keep beckon you and you find most of the others gathered in the greatroom of the first floor of the mountain keep.

You share the day's events with each other, then discuss what to do next ...

[Nahal]

Davek

Fizahn's keep seems relatively safe and explored, Davek says to the group, so our next bet may be to give Callos' keep another shot. I don't know if we'll find any way in from those hidden chamber earlier, but it may be worth checking while some of us give the minotaur doors another try. Does that make sense?

[blackfox]

Ginevra

Ginevra flips the brass oval over and over in her hand to reflect the light, finally pocketing the metal egg when it shines in her eyes. "Ow."

She looks up, blinking. "I'd be willing to give the minotaur doors another try... but only after we find food. With our luck we'll be stuck in there for days next time."

[kuja.girl]

Tiriel

Tiriel shivers as the group that visited the village tells their story. "They said there was nothing up here? That's strange and kind of creepy. I don't want to go back into the minotaur hallway but I'd be glad to help explore the other keep or go to the town myself."