Arikarka
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Post by Arikarka on Jan 20, 2019 22:41:36 GMT
"Please! Help! I don't know who to go to… not this late into the day…."Waterdeep's South Gate had just taken in its last travelers for the day, closing the gate soon as the first darkening shadows of dusk began to chase away the day. The winds were picking up off the sea, bringing with it a sort of heavy cold that signaled an oncoming storm. Snow would fall later tonight. The cold iron portcullis would be clanking shut within the hour - only opening again upon the dawn. Guards meandered from their posts, anxious for their shift to be over and return to their families. One of the caravans, in fact, the last caravan of the day, had been a collection of two different carts. All uncovered, small, and each pulled by two donkeys the belongings spread out among about two dozen people had been checked and screened before being allowed into the city. Everyone it seemed was relieved to be within the walls. Everyone, that is, except for one young woman. Straight lackluster hair. Worn patchwork cloak the only think keeping the chill out. The woman's eyes looked scared and concerned, body language quivering not just from the evening winter air. Her shoes were barely held together leather and cloth and her skirt didn't do much to keep her warm. But that was the state of most of the people entering the city in her group. Two dozen or so men, women, and a gaggle of children ranging from 5 through 12 had all funneled in under the steady eyes of Waterdeep's fine guards. "I don't know what to do …please…" She'd been going around through the streets of Waymoot and its alleys - finally now just leaving The Full Cup, a tavern nestled in between several guildhalls and businesses. But the patrons here on this darkening evening weren't adventurers. They were business men and women just looking to relax with a pint before going home. The sound of the Dock Ward was louder at night, due to many merchants calling it a day (successful or not) the strange water and gull sounds something she'd never heard before. It added a layer of unknown to all of this. Here she was, in a new city with a population unimaginable, with clattering carts nearly knocking her over as if they didn't even see her! Sidewalks, for her, was a concept not engraved in her head. The worry and fear grew on her face, grubby broken fingernailed hands pushing back her equally unkept hair behind her ears, then rubbing them ferociously in an attempt to warm her fingers. Leaving The Full Cup just reminded her how cold it was getting. The smells hit her harder again too, leaving the heat and bread smell of the tavern to re-enter into the stone, sea, and gutter smell that assaulted her nose. "Oh poor Elora…" ((Play at the same time as previous video, in loop, for full affect))
Her thoughts were running with the worse-case scenarios. Alone. In the forest. In the cold like she was? By the Gods, she wasn't even sure if the forest was where she was! But it was the only place that made sense! Paced hurried now the woman wandered, never having been in a city this vast and confounding before. The signs were no good, just pieces of wood after all (and she wasn't fancy enough to know how to read, goodness). Stumbling up to a few people walking the street, many looked at her and saw a beggar at worse and a copperless wanderer at best. She managed to gain a few sympathetic directions towards the Watch Guard post - more than likely so as to perhaps have her arrested for being a public nuisance on the street than for a pillar of aid - not that she had an inkling of that train of thought. She had but one goal. But the Watch was no help. It would be too big a drain on resources for a unit, no matter how small, to be sent down to Ardeep Forest, all for the chance a child might be there? Preposterous! And it was just a child, children ran and hid all the time, playing with others their age and never minding their elders. So had she done an accurate headcount when checking on the children? (One of the guards chuckled under their breath at the notion the woman knew how to count) The child 'Elora' was probably just off with the others playing as wild children were oft to do. It was getting even colder now that the sun was beginning to set - she'd be home soon for a hot meal. (The dubious look of some of the guard betraying their thought of there being a hot meal to come home too.)Dejected and alone - she couldn't go back to her caravan with news she'd lost one of the children - Bente Ronning was losing hope. Aimlessly now walking The Way of the Dragon street she fretted, muttered to herself, and pulled at her hair, all while looking at the sky. The cheerful pinks and oranges of sunset were a wound to her heart. There was nothing to be joyous about right now. ((Jan 22 edit reminder for Ossular , Kestrel , and Kralle this is here. I know from speaking with Kestrel they've just started classes, Ossular works, and have not heard from Kralle yet. There's still plenty of time till Sunday, but wanted to give a whistle))
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Post by Ossular on Jan 22, 2019 23:42:55 GMT
The last of the caravans of the day, a small grouping of two different carts that had come together, pulled by two donkeys for about two dozen people had been checked and screened through by the guards. In a way, he kind of missed the regularity of a normal shift, a normal schedule, a normal life. But he had chose to leave that all behind. A life that could be considered normal could also be considered boring, and a boring life wasn't really a life. It was part of the reason he had chosen to become an adventure. Aliester didn't want to be just another normality. He wanted to be something... more.
Of course, restarting your profession meant that you had to start back from the bottom, so here he was, having lead a group of people and their caravan from Nightstone back to Waterdeep. He was sure he was never going to get away from this city, though ultimately, this place, the City of Splendors, was the hub for his kind, and there was always something to do. Eventually, he hoped as he stretched, that he could get something more exciting than playing bodyguard to some two dozen common folk, but, as was stated, everyone started somewhere, right? For now, he was happy to be able to pay for his room at the Yawning Portal.
Then Aliester heard it- her, more precisely. He recognized the woman from the cart, straight flat brown hair, patchwork clothing and... a worried tone in her voice? It had only been a couple hours at most, but it seemed that something was wrong. Thankfully, Aliester hadn't even gotten his armor or equipment off. Still carrying his pack, his shield and his greatsword, Aliester would admittedly watch the woman... Bente, was it? He couldn't remember for sure at the moment. An inhale and a steamy exhale later, Aliester would approach the dejected, panicked woman.
"Is something the matter?" Aliester would ask, knowing that his armor made him more than audible to be heard approaching her. His cloak was draped around him, and the metal plates of his splint armor dully reflected the sunset that was settling over the city. "Did you need help with something?" he'd ask calmly and stoic. He had approached this situation before, having been a City Guard himself, and sometimes, that experience paid off, despite the fact that he wasn't the most sociable creature by far.
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Kestrel
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Post by Kestrel on Jan 23, 2019 0:15:11 GMT
The Dock Ward always made Echo nervous. The tabaxi stood within the shadow of a doorway, silhouette illuminated by the warm light spilling out from the Jade Dancer, and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. From inside the tavern came the continued roar of laughter, a horribly off-key song, and what sounded like the dull thumps of a drunken dancer, even if her own performance had long since finished. But she could still hear it. Her ears (why did they have to be so good at hearing!), even above the revelry behind her and the bustle of the evening crowd along the Way of the Dragon in front of her, could still pick up the shrill cry of gulls and the gentle lapping of waves against stone and wood. Echo bit her lower lip and fidgeted with the end of her scarf. Waterdeep was a heck of a city, one of the most amazing the young treasure hunter had ever seen, and even now she did not regret deciding to stay there one bit. But honestly?
The whole water part of it could go to the Nine Hells.
Sighing, Echo pulled down her hood and fished out an apple she had grabbed from the Jade Dancer, absentmindedly taking a bite as she turned and headed up Slop Street. At least she could thank the stars that she found an inn in the Trades Ward that had the need for a performer! Munching away, the tabaxi soon slid out of an alleyway and melted into the bustle of the High Road. The bitter cold of the approaching night nipped at the tips of her ears and tail (she still stubbornly refused to listen to that little voice in her head and buy an actual coat) and, combined with the whole Dock Ward existing thing, caused Echo to shiver. She pulled her scarf up higher and took another bite. But as luck had it, the crowd of tired dockworkers and hurried merchants was moving fast, even more importantly it was moving north, and the pink blush of the sky told her that there was still plenty of time for-
“He-awk!”
Mouth still full of apple bits, Echo almost chocked when something, or rather someone, suddenly careened into her side as they dodged a rickety cart and the enthusiastically cursing man riding it. Taking a moment to swallow, the tabaxi’s eyes darted toward the figure of a young woman stumbling away from her and deeper into the Dock Ward. Before she could fire off a choice comment or two (those circular things on your face are eyes, right?) Echo’s expression softened. Something was wrong. The woman, wearing little more than rags in this kind of weather, was blatantly not a Waterdeep native, and along with clearly not paying attention to where she was going, the woman was also muttering under her breath, pulling at her hair, and overall looked about as comfortable as a Kuo-toa at a fish market. Echo stared as the mysterious dirty lady vanished down the Way of the Dragon, carefully dancing around a party of merchants trying to push past her. She was going south and not north, and south was the Dock Ward. Echo whined and stomped a couple of times in place.
Her curiosity won, again. Dock Ward or no, she had to find out what was going on.
With a (smaller bite) of her apple, Echo squeezed out of the stream of people moving to the Trades Ward and instead ventured deeper down the High Road, eventually swinging around to enter the Way of the Dragon. Keeping her eyes on a swivel, it did not take long for the tabaxi to spot the woman again. She was looking up at the sky now. Other than a few guards and, like, the shortest merchant she had ever seen in her life (wow), no one was paying the ragged lady any mind. Keeping to the side of the still busy street, Echo watched for a few moments more. This was her one chance to back out! The Trades Ward was just over there! All nice and dry and inland and safe and-
Echo walked toward the woman but, before she could get close enough to say anything, another approached her instead. In all his clinking and clanking glory. The man, covered from head to toe in strips of metal and more weapons than the entire Waterdeep armory probably, asked the lady the question that had been on the tabaxi’s mind too. Undeterred (and really missing out on another chance to be anywhere else but there) the treasure hunter took the last few steps to plant herself just a little way behind the pair and faked a cough. And just maaaaybe choked on her apple a little again in the process.
“Hrk...yeah, I couldn’t help but notice too when you raaa-“
Was it rude to point out the whole running into and nearly killing her part?
“-aandomly walked by me. You, uh, don’t seem like you’re from around here!”
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Arikarka
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Post by Arikarka on Jan 23, 2019 19:38:59 GMT
She turned her head, hands halfway through her hair from digging into her scalp. It was one of the guards Nightstone? Nightkeep? Night.. Something? had hired on to insure they had safe passing from there to Waterdeep. She had no idea his name, station, or why she hadn't thought to approach some of the guards that had traveled with them before. Problem solving wasn't her forte. "umm, eerr.." She stuttered, bringing her hands down to run down the sides of her dress before putting her hands behind her back. Momma had raised her to always be polite to guards.
"Ye.. Yes. One of the children of our group. Elora. She.. She's gone missing. At first I thought she's just out with the other children but…." She made a keen sound then and closed her eyes - only to startle when there was a cough nearby.
"Oh!" She didn't recognize this person either - cat - person… thing… as someone she'd bumped into. They were all nameless faces to her. "Did I?" she squeaked. It was clear this tabaxi was better off than her, and she'd gone and inadvertently offended her. Oh no. "I am so so sorry." She went on, "No, I came from Night…" She stumbled over the name. "A city nearby not too far south. But I'm moar from the south than that." Her hands came from around her back to now fidget with the other hand's fingers in a very nervous gesture.
She worriedly glanced to the guard then to the tabaxi. "Would… would you be willing.. To help?" She had nothing left to lose at this point. Pride. Respect. Worry of being turned away. "I don't know where my charge is. Elora." She looked at the chin of Aliester, not having the confidence to look him in the face. "You might 'ave seen her - she's about this tall," she gestured, "Short dark brown hair. Golden eyes. Very quiet, always was hanging around the other children on the edge as if she just liked being there instead of joining in the fun."
Taking a deep breath, she could do this! For Elora! Bente continued. "I th-thought perhaps she'd managed to make better friends during the journey, but I didn't see her with the others when we were going through the gate earlier."
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Post by Kralle on Jan 23, 2019 21:33:51 GMT
It had been a quiet day for the most part. There hadn’t been much work to do or trouble to solve, so Nakan had decided to treat the day like a mini vacation. He’d wandered around the city, and stopped to have a meal at a tavern in the Dock Ward. Sure, he was given meals at the row house he was currently staying in, but he’d decided he wanted something other than potato stew for the eighth night in a row.
Stepping out of the fairly quiet and uncrowded establishment, Nakan began his walk back to his room at the boarding house. The sun had begun to set over the city, casting a pale orange and pink light through the nooks and crannies of homes and businesses. The shadows of those same buildings slowly inched along the ground, growing taller with each passing minute. The Goliath had to admit it was a bit picturesque.
He was so distracted by the setting sun that he almost didn’t spot the familiar armored silhouette of James Aliester. Nakan had me the man previously, and done a bit of work with him. In all, Nakan had thought him to be a decent sort but hadn’t really known him long enough to make a definitive decision. Deciding he had nothing better to do, Nakan changed his course and began walking towards the armored man with the intention of giving a quick hello.
But as he approached Aliester, he saw the black and orange Tabaxi approaching as well, and then Nakan spotted the young woman. She seemed such a small thing, smaller than she ought to be at least. She had the look of a traveler about, at least in regards to her clothes and overall appearance. But the way she carried herself and how she seemed to be avoiding eye contact as she spoke to the two individuals who had approached her...she certainly was no master at hiding her worries or displaying an outward air of confidence. It was obvious something troubled her to a great degree.
Nakan had missed a fair portion of the conversation but caught a few snippets from the end of it as he drew closer. A young girl seemed to be missing, lost in the wilderness outside of Waterdeep. With the sun dropping low in the sky and an ominous chill on the wind, it didn’t take an expert of survival to know the child’s chances weren’t good. Nakan had already decided that this problem was now his as well, even without the full story.
As Nakan stopped a few steps away from the young woman (he didn’t want to crowd her, nor make her any more distraught than she obviously already was) he would give a small nod of greeting to both the Tabaxi and the former guardsman.
“Aliestar.” He looked to the young woman but directed his next words to the gathered group of four in general. “Whether you two are planning on looking for the girl or not, I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t. Three sets of eyes and legs would cover more ground in less time, though.”
He lowered his voice to a near whisper and stared up at the winter sky, before murmuring an addition to himself.
“And time isn’t something that child has much of…”
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Kestrel
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Post by Kestrel on Jan 28, 2019 21:13:02 GMT
The woman’s frantic apology, failure to even properly remember the name of the city she had just come from, and resumption of her nervous finger pulling caused the Tabaxi to sheepishly grin and rub the scruff of her neck. Aw man…now she felt really bad about even bringing the whole thing up. The lady was clearly having one heck of a day already.
“It’s okay! Really! I know how bad these streets can get, especially for someone new here.”
And especially when it came to the absolute frenzy of carts and wagons that always crisscrossed the city. Echo subconsciously nursed the end of her tail at the thought. Drivers with mouths that would make a sailor blush, horses and oxen more ferocious than a dragon, and spinning wheels clad in iron that might as well have been made of stone.
Yeah…a looooot of painful memories there.
Echo’s own fidgeting stopped, however, and her smile faded as she listened to the rest of the woman’s predicament. A child lost? Alone? In the woods? At night? During winter? Hard to call that anything other than not a good thing! The woman went on to quietly, almost cautiously, ask for their help before describing her charge: a girl named Elora. The hesitation, though, spoke volumes. No doubt similar pleas had fallen on deaf ears, whether from the Watch or other citizens of Waterdeep, and that flattened the Tabaxi’s ears and caused the fur on her neck to bristle.
It would not be the first time Echo heard of a kid being abandoned by the authorities.
Before she could reply at all, the treasure hunter cocked her head at the sound of another man approaching. A towering, gigantic, insanely tall man. He had skin like rock and enough scars to fill a seedy pub, already knew the clanking knight next to her, and gave a courteous greeting to both of them before offering to look for the girl himself. Normally she would be all over the guy (there were so many big people in Waterdeep!), but at that moment her thoughts were about a hundred miles away. Back in Baldur’s Gate. Echo had every reason not to do this. There was really nothing super interesting about romping through some woods at night, it was getting cold and she had a warm tavern waiting for her in the Trades Ward, and she had never even bought a coat! But Elora…was a really pretty name. More than that though, she reminded Echo a lot of the kids back in the orphanage. Kids who were each left for some paltry excuse, or some unforgettable tragedy, or simply because no one cared about them. Echo sighed. She even reminded the Tabaxi of herself a little.
But Elora…Elora could be different. This lady clearly cared about her – her voice had become more and more confident as she spoke about the girl, and even though she had no ability herself to protect her, there was someone who did. And though Echo's ears only caught a portion of what the new stone man said under his breath, she had heard enough to agree: no one would last long out there in weather like this.
Screw it. Cat Lord damn her if she ever left a kid to die in the woods alone.
“Count me in! Just point us in the right direction, and you’ll get to see Elora again before you even know it.”
As far as Echo was concerned, that was a promise.
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Arikarka
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Post by Arikarka on Jan 28, 2019 21:57:47 GMT
She'd never spoken to a cat folk before, and the common woman didn't know how to talk back to it. Did she speak slowly like one would to a child (she seemed rather childish, and they'd only just met) or did she speak to it sharply like one would an unruly mouser who'd stolen a fish filet? Deciding on the course of action to say nothing at all (always the safest bet, especially when the others around you were in a much higher standing then you. And despite the oddity of a talking cat-folk? It was still clear by her clothes and the way she held herself she was an adventurer. "eh-ay-I thank you." She managed to finally spit out when it was obvious silence wouldn't be good enough here.
Anything else was cut off at the rumbles of the approaching figure. She was struck dumb by the sight of such a tall creature? Man? Someone? She'd never seen such a sight in all her life! Instinctively she took a few hurried and frantic steps back, hand coming up to cover her mouth and eyes widen in fear. But the way he talked, the way he looked to the nice helpful guard who'd been with them during their travels? He must be at least somewhat… alright? Nice enough that a guard hadn't immediately shooed him away. A decent enough citizen that him being here wasn't cause for anyone else to take alarm.
Of course after all these thoughts and more crossed her mind the more ashamed of herself she felt. Here was someone willing to go after a little lost girl, and all she could think of was denial at first? This was a city! The City of Splendors! Of course there would be oddities, unimaginable beings, and even, perhaps, gentle giants. Bente took a steadying breath as the guard reassured her that there was no harm to be had here. She could trust him, he had helped them to safety after all.
"I don't know the right direction." She admitted, looking to the ground in sullen embarrassment. "I don't know when or where she was lost. It could have been anywhere between here an' the city we traveled from." She pointed towards Aliestar. "You would remember the town, right? You met us there." It was bold of her to assume he did, but she couldn't remember the name herself. "She could be anywhere in-between." Her voice shook then as she wrapped her arms around herself to fight off the chill and the sobs. "The the children might know. They were with her at some point, would have have to have been." She managed to get that bit of information out. "The caravan is staying in with the stables near the big circle courtyard near the gate."
It occurred to her then these weren't city hired workers. These were free-folk just living in the city on their own. Adventurers even! "I… I can't pay you." She admitted in a whisper. "I don't know how I'd even repay you." Her voice was dejected, expecting them to now just walk away.
The gulls were still screaming not too far away towards the coast and the wind was picking up. Wind chills were lowering the temperature and if you weren't dressed for the night? Frostbite was more than possible, if not expected. Chatter in the streets were dwindling as people began disappearing into homes and shops to escape the chill. The sun was nearly down.
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Post by Kralle on Jan 29, 2019 11:04:12 GMT
Nakan watched as the young woman retreated a few steps. A year or so ago, he might have been a little offended by the reaction. But by now he’d spent enough time among the civilized people of Faerun to know it usually wasn’t meant to be a sign of disrespect or bigotry. It wasn’t even intentional most of the time. Of course, there were plenty of exceptions to this rule. This woman was unlikely one of those exceptions, though. And she seemed, at least for the moment, to quickly regain her composure.
Nakan was shaken from his observations by a bright, self-assured voice beside him as the tabaxi voiced her intent to aid in the search for the young girl. Too few people he had met along the Sword Coast had that kind of conviction and motivation. It was an admirable and respectable trait to have. Aliester had not spoken up yet, but from what little Nakan knew of the spellblade, he would most likely be keen to join in searching for the child as well.
As the distraught woman described the last she saw of Elora, the goliath ran the information through his head as best he was able. It sounded like a lot of ground to cover, a lot of rough terrain even without a potential snowstorm and little to no natural light to guide them. And he was also fairly sure he’d heard that some of those woodlands to the south were home to less-than-hospitable elves. Plenty of folk from Daggerford had warned him to stick to the roads on his way to Waterdeep, lest he fall prey to elven arrows and spears. If the stories proved true, Nakan could only hope that the elves wouldn’t have too many tricks for handling eight-foot tall half-giants.
When the young woman brought up her financial situation and its effect on any kind of reward, Nakan would give a small, dismissive wave of his hand.
“I won't be needing any coin for this.”
Taking money from the woman would feel wrong, even if she had any. This wasn’t a job for Nakan. He hadn’t planned a meeting with an employer in advance, there were no terms or contracts needing to be signed or agreed upon. This was about doing the right thing, the honorable thing.
“If we are able to find young Elora and bring her back, then you can repay me by keeping a closer eye on her in the future.”
As the group stood among the growing shadows of buildings and waning light of the sun, another thought struck Nakan as the frigid breeze coming off the bay swept through his clothing. He was acclimated to the cold. Even this harsh winter chill was nothing in comparison to the frozen hell of the Icerim Mountains. He would be able to march into the howling, icy darkness outside of the city as if it were no more than a moderate hike. Depending on the severity of the coming weather, he was unsure if his companions could say the same.
Waiting for a lull in the conversation, Nakan would turn to Aliester and the tabaxi and give voice to his thoughts once again. “Well, I definitely think we should speak to the other young ones. But it might also be wise to equip yourselves with some warm clothes if you have them.”
And, almost as an afterthought, he decided it was as good a time as any to introduce himself to the Tabaxi. “And before I forget, my name is Nakan. Good to meet you.”
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Post by Ossular on Jan 30, 2019 15:30:22 GMT
"Nightstone," Aliester would finish the name of the town she was trying to say. Aliester knew because Aliester had been with the caravan when it had set out from there, meeting up with several of the other mercenaries in order to escort the rest of the caravan back to Waterdeep. Nothing more than a couple of gold pieces that would at least pay his rent and little else, but it was work. The reason that Aliester didn't finish what he was saying, though, was the approach of a tabaxi that was questioning if she was around here, and then a large, familiar goliath appearing from somewhere in the woodwork that was the buildings and alleys around them.
"Nakan," the ex-City Guard would respond with a light nod of recognition. The battle-hardened goliath had agreed to look for the girl, Elora, and so had the lithe tabaxi with the olive green eyes. If he had still been a City Guard, Aliester would have been immediately suspicious just based on the appearance. But he wasn't a Guard anymore- the eldritch knight was an adventurer now, and sometimes, as proven by Nakan most recently (along with Citrine) it took all types of people to successfully get through the trials of the life of adventuring. Aliester, instead of immediately answering, would adjust the straps on his bracers as Bente started to speak, stumbling through her distraught thoughts. Moving an arm in a circle, then adjusting the pauldron across his shoulder, Aliester would inhale, center and focus himself, and speak up more on the matters at hand.
"Nightstone," the eldritch knight would exhale louder this time. "We came from Nightstone, and the girl was with you there. I remember seeing the two of you together." Honestly, he'd rather not speak to the kids of the caravan. The lot of them were shitty brats. He would watch Bente, with barely anything in the form of clothing, and exhale again, the mist of his breath sifting away in the small nips of cold air that came from the streets. She had to be cold, not to mention the child lost somewhere between Waterdeep and Nightstone? He could take care of at least one of them at the moment, and with that in mind, reached into his backpack, pulling out a spare blanket that he had paired with the bedroll he had used on the trip.
"Bente. Here," he would take the thick, hard blanket and drape it across her shoulders, not giving her a choice in the matter of accepting the extra layer of warmth against the nip of night. Under the armor was already a layer of thick clothes, and the leather and plates of his splint mail would help keep him warm, along with the heat of the torch and his shield to block some of the wind, his helmet helping narrow his eyes against the wind. Aliester would look at Nakan, knowing the suggestion was coming, but would still sigh at the recommendation. "We can speak to the children, but they're little devils and demons in their own right. Spoiled. Bratty. Undisciplined," the knight would warn the goliath and the tabaxi, though before they took off toward the caravan, Aliester would turn back toward the woman.
"I don't need payment for this. As far as I'm concerned, this is partially my fault, so I'll correct my mistake," he sounded a little down himself, a cut into a small amount of personal pride that Aliester carried himself with. This was a mistake he would correct as soon as possible, and if he couldn't... he didn't want to think about it. "What I do need, though, is any- and I do mean any- details that may help us narrow down the search." James Aliester's former life was showing a little bit. "When's the last time you personally saw her? What was she doing? What was she wearing? Do you remember seeing her with anyone else specifically? Do you remember anything weird that may have happened?"
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Kestrel
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Post by Kestrel on Feb 3, 2019 22:57:26 GMT
Okay! That made everything just a little bit harder!
The woman, who for a moment seemed almost dumbstruck toward Echo (which she found was not a super uncommon reaction – was the tabaxi, like, doing a really bad job at keeping her fur groomed or something?) and outright terrified of the new stone man (he was pretty darn big), regained her tongue, muttered a quick and barely comprehensible “thank you”, and then gave them a few more details about little lost Elora. And “few” was kind of pushing it even! She had no idea what direction they should go in, what city the caravan had just come from, or, like, anything at all that was remotely helpful. Thankfully, though, the human knight, who had apparently helped escort the group, at least piped up with the name of the place: Nightstone.
Echo exhaled slowly and hummed a little. The treasure hunter had seen a few maps of the area before (maps were cool!), and while Nightstone was not that far from Waterdeep, it was still…a lot of ground to cover. She could hardly blame the lady for not giving them much to go on, what with her shivering like a sapling in a storm with those rags on, but dang. They were in for a long night in the cold! The one lead they did have though was the other children in the caravan, the ones Echo presumed were the same Elora had shied away from, so even that was a pretty weak place to start. But it was a start nonetheless, and the only one they had. Echo frowned a little though as she watched the knight drape a blanket across the woman’s (Bente’s) shoulder. While the stone man seemed keen on speaking to the children, the human seemed reluctant to put it lightly, going so far as to call them little demons. And like, he was not wrong! The tabaxi knew firsthand how kids could be some of the worst, nastiest creatures in Faerun if given the chance, but it was still a mean thing to say. From her experience kids were only as bad as the home they lived in.
The tabaxi did join the others in refusing any notion of payment though, shaking her head and blowing out a trill of air through her lips. “Ha! I don’t even care about payment on a good day.” It was true. “Like the big guy said: once we get her back, just do your best to give Elora a good life here. She deserves it.” Not that Waterdeep was always the easiest or most forgiving of cities to live in, but Bente had heart and enough sense in her head to ask for help when she needed it. That counted for a lot in the tabaxi’s book.
Momentarily ignoring the knight’s sudden rapid-fire line of questioning (sheesh, reminded her a little of those uptight guards back at Baldur’s Gate), Echo turned toward the stone man Nakan (ha, it kind of rhymed!) at his introduction, clapped her heels together, and gave him a mock salute. “Echo in the Valley, at your service! Most just go with Echo, though. It’s nice to meet ya too!” And she meant it: that was another name she could add to her growing list of gigantic people in Waterdeep! It was really quite a collection, now. “And I think you’re right, those kids are really the only lead we got. I’ll have to stop by the ol’ Notch first to grab my stuff though.” Not that her stuff included anything particularly warmer than the fur and clothes she already had on. Maybe she should grab something else real quick?
Ehhhhh, it was probably fine.
“Should we, uh, just meet back up near the gate then? Promise I’ll be faster than a kobold in a treasure room!”
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Arikarka
Approved
Linked Characters: Citrine, Gigi, and Rhia
Posts: 316
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Post by Arikarka on Feb 6, 2019 16:01:53 GMT
Snuggling the cloak around her shoulders tight Bente huddled into herself - both from the cold and the sudden demand of questions. It was intimidating, the continual charge of questioning, and her resolve in speaking to such people who were a higher standing than her. She'd already done much more than she'd ever done in her life - asking around for help to both guards and passerby's, stumbling through unfamiliar streets, trying to fix the mistake she made.
The interrogation of sorts caused the woman to shut down, an almost fearful look to her features. Hunching inward, her foot stepped back on instinct. "Uuuhhmmmm." She stuttered, stalling. Her fingers clutching around the cloak's collar. Her eyes closed, the last speck of fortification against the scenario fading. Tears began to well in her eyes and trail down her cheeks. She shook her head, a clear sign that she didn't know, or at least, couldn't even start to answer the questions.
The only silver lining? It was a blessing none of them demanded payment, or seemed upset by the lack of funds.
As the others spoke among themselves Bente was able to calm somewhat, the tears - mostly coming from a state of emotional uncertainty, stress and overall strain of being in a new town (the emotions had to come out in some form!)
"I saw her last as we were going into the woods, to collect firewood before we set down the road to here." Was the only thing she could remember from Aliester's barrage of questioning. "M'sorry." She looked down, muttering a mournful lament for her lack of - pretty… much… everything.
DM Notes:
Alright! As a group, feel free to time skip ahead to either the travel or, if you want to talk to the kids, to the point of finding the kids in the Caravan Circle near the City of the Dead. Any passive insight of 10 will know Bente is at her limit of what she can talk about, so what you got is what you have to go off of.
Because there will be quite a bit going on once you get into the forest (#Spoiler.. but, the name Woods is in the adventure title XD) there will be no surprise encounters between the city and reaching the Ardeep forest. Feel free to time skip to that point however you three wish to do so. If there are any rolls, things you'd like to perhaps investigate or challenge, etc? I am opening up the possibility for roll requests now.
The journey there is cold, if you do not have weather gear on I will have you roll a con saving throw when you reach the forest. It is dark, but there is a road that can be taken. It's about 50 miles according to my hexmap of Faerun I have. Two days of travel if you guys hustle, shortened if you figure out a creative way to move faster. You'll arrive the early evening hours of whatever day you get there (so the adventure continues at night).
The next post you have from me 'IC' wise will be the intro description of the forest. I will ask for active perception, tracking, investigation if you want to have your character doing anything like that where you enter in the forest. Feel free to add that roll in an individual posts at any point in time.
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Post by Kralle on Feb 13, 2019 1:14:41 GMT
((OOC To Follow))
Nakan auto-succeeds (i.e., is considered “acclimated” in DMG terms) on checks against cold weather due to his Mountain Born racial trait, so he won't be needing any winter gear. No particular requests for skill rolls yet, but I'll definitely want to do some survival/perception checks once we get near the woods.
I’m going ahead and progressing Nakan to Caravan Court to speak with the children. As far as I know, we all decided to go talk to the kids anyhow. I’ll try not to puppeteer either Echo or James too much during the “fast travel” there. This post will mostly be a stream of consciousness/exposition. Nakan is definitely not a Face. So unless the kids are very forthcoming with info, one of you guys will be better suited for any possible persuasion.
((OOC End))
With the sun still setting over the city’s skyline, the decision seemed to have been made. The trio would head out as soon as they could make themselves ready, and after a brief detour to speak with the other children of the newly arrived caravan. Aside from Bente, it seemed they were the only other possible source of information on what might have happened to young Elora. And a brief glance at the shaken woman provided proof that the child's caretaker had clearly given all the help she could.
The reasonably short walk to the Caravan Court was a quick one, aided by the lack of people on the streets. The only people outside now were those forced into the elements by their poverty or occupation. City guards huddled together around wrought-iron braziers, urchins tucked away in side streets and alcoves. The only people brave enough - or perhaps dumb enough - to voluntarily be outside in this weather were adventurers.
Upon arriving at the wide open courtyard, the caravaneers were easy enough to spot. Many of their wagons still sat on the cobbled streets. The adult members of the group were scattered about the square, either chatting amongst themselves in small groups or helping unload their belongings and supplies from the carts for the night. All of them certainly looked the part of folk who had been on the road for days, weathered clothes and all.
But despite the adults’ apparent weariness and fatigue, the children once again proved that youth came with seemingly boundless energy. A group of them seemed to be in the midst of some kind of game, the goal of which escaped Nakan. Bursts of laughter and the occasional excited yell punctuated the sounds of small feet striking the cobblestones as the children chased one another around the square, whirling about like some kind of living tornado.
Nakan watched from across the square for a moment longer as the disorganized little mass of kids continued to engage in their game, before speaking to his companions.
“So, there they are. Easy enough to find, at least.” He idly began to scratch at his chin, his stone grey skin vaguely lending him the appearance of some sculpture of a man lost deep in thought. “Now...I saw how Bente reacted when she saw me. Aye, she might have just been a bit on edge with all that’s happened, but it was a pretty obvious reaction all the same. I think I might give one of the younglings a heart attack if I just wander over and start talking to them.”
He paused a moment, looking back and forth between Echo and James. “Any volunteers?”
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Kestrel
Approved
Icon by @ArtByRue on Twitter!
Posts: 319
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Post by Kestrel on Feb 20, 2019 7:52:04 GMT
Echo gasped for air. She was doubled over, one hand clutching at the wall of a nearby building while from the other limply hung her thrown together pack, as little beads of tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Oh, sweet Cat Lord, why did everything hurt.
The tabaxi straightened her back and winced. Her sides ached something fierce, she was almost certain there were bits of glass embedded in the pads of her feet, and every ragged breath brought an influx of frigid air into her throat and lungs. Echo knew she was pretty fast and nimble…but sprinting the entire way from the Dock Ward to Maelstrom’s Notch, back to the Dock Ward (“oh, yeah, they left already”), and then all the way to the edge of the Southern Ward and the Caravan Court was maaaybe a little much, even for her. Accidentally kicking the lamp in her room while packing and then slipping on the shards on her way out probably did not help either. But she did make a promise!
“I-gasp-told you-heave-I would be faster-pant-than a kobold-cough-stuck in a room, or whatever…”
Hearing the rattle of Aliestar’s armor first and then spotting the hulking form of Nakan, Echo detached herself from the wall and half-ran, half-limped toward the pair to join them in the courtyard proper. In front of them was a ragged collection of muddy wagons. Between haphazard stacks of firewood and boxes of supplies, unrolled bundles of fur and cloth fluttering in the evening wind, and a grunting huddle of wary-eyed pack animals was a decent sized group of people. Some were passing the time while others unloaded and prepared their camp. Most were human. All of them were pretty dirty and looked cold. Like Bente! They must have been the caravan they were looking for. What struck Echo the most, however, were the horde of children darting in, out, and around them all.
They were adorable!
Little boys and girls with tousled hair, ruddy cheeks, and squeaking laughter bounded across the whole of the courtyard, lost in their own, undecipherable game, but a welcome contrast for the tabaxi from the dour gloom of the weather. Her pain momentarily forgotten, Echo wore a big, toothy grin on her face as she watched. Had she been younger she would have jumped right in with them. Heck, even now she wanted to! Made up games like this, though often few and far between, had provided rare moments for her and the other kids in the orphanage to have some genuine fun. Those were…actually some pretty good memories, surprisingly enough. Some of the few. But she had a job to do now, and thoughts of those days only strengthened Echo’s resolve at finding little missing Elora; she should be right here laughing and playing with all them too!
Tiling an ear toward him while keeping her eyes on the kids, Echo snapped her concentration back to Waterdeep and listened to the end half of Nakan’s comments. Ha! Some of the children would be frightened of him, maybe, but the tabaxi could almost guarantee others would be allll over the giant. Kids could be pretty dang brave. She was more than happy to take the lead on this one, though.
“Aww, don’t wanna become the big, scary monster for their game, big guy? I’m sure they would love that!”
The treasure hunter dropped her pack on the cobblestone and gave her sides one last stretch.
“But sure, I can handle this! Maybe the two of you can talk to the grownups in the meantime? One of them might know something, too! Also so they don’t think I’m, like, trying to steal one of their kids or something. That would also be good.”
Skipping toward the nearest bunch of children, Echo dropped down to a squat, eye level and near enough to get their attention, but not close enough to encroach on their space. Still wearing her grin, the tabaxi gave a little wave.
“Hiya, kiddos! What kind of game you playing? It looks like a lot of fun!”
Pausing just long enough to make sure she had their attention (and to make sure they were not about to run screaming back to their parents…hopefully not), Echo crossed her arms and leaned a little farther down.
“Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be friends of Elora’s, would you? I’m looking for her and I could reeeeally use some help.”
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Arikarka
Approved
Linked Characters: Citrine, Gigi, and Rhia
Posts: 316
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Post by Arikarka on Feb 21, 2019 15:14:08 GMT
((I'm re-figuring out how to adjust the story for 2 people, so I ask for a bit of time to figure it out. I'll have it figured out by the weekend))
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Post by moralhazard on Feb 24, 2019 23:04:20 GMT
“We’re not like to go past Scornubel, this trip,” The heavyset human stood with her legs apart, thumbs hitched into her belt. “So I can’t promise as to deliver the letter myself. But I can bring it there, and like as not there’ll be a few caravans headed to Cormyr, and from there it’s easy enough to get the letter to Urmlaspyr. Might take a little while, though, no promises on speed.”
“That’s all right,” Thea smiled. “I’m glad I caught you at all. I’d have thought you’d be out of the city already tonight.”
“Looks to be cold,” the woman half-shrugged. “Decided we’d rather set out at first light. It’s a good night to be snug inside, with a nice fire.”
“Understood.” Thea looked down at the thick packet of paper in her hands, then extended it with a smile. “Well, thank you, Larian. I’m happy to have seen you again before you leave. Darius is keeping well?”
Larian’s broad, weather-beaten face cracked in a smile, and she took the packet. “He is indeed. He misses you at the campfire, the little rascal.”
Thea laughed. “Give him a treat for me, please! Or better yet, I’ll give him one myself. Where is he?”
“The little rascal’s mixed in with a group of kids what just arrived,” Larian gestured towards the door of the inn with her chin, hands busy pulling out a waterproof satchet and tucking the paper inside. “You go find him. I’m sure he’ll be glad for a scratch.”
Thea smiled at Larian. “The gods bless you on your way, Larian.”
“And you on yours,” The woman’s face was serious again, still and set.
Thea was well-wrapped, in a cloak and heavy clothing beneath, warm enough that she was sweating a little inside the inn. She’d dressed for a search, not sure where Larian was staying – or even if she’d find the caravan leader at all. She’d realized too late that this was the deadline Larian had given her to send a letter back to Urmlaspyr, and had mostly expected that she wouldn’t even find the woman.
Thea made her way out to the courtyard. The group of kids were easy enough to spot; a few of the younger ones were playing with the dog, and there was a tabaxi who seemed to be approaching the group as well.
One of the older kids, Thea noticed, gave one of the kids playing with the dog a push, and aimed a little foot towards the dog.
“Darius!” Thea called out the dog’s name, whistling him over. One crooked ear perked up, and the dog turned and lunged for the air genasi, out of the way of the hastily-retracted foot. Thea laughed, crouching, and scratched the dog behind the ear, glancing up at the older child who’d nearly kicked him. Two other children drifted over behind the dog, younger sucking her thumb and the older reaching for the dog’s tail, sneakily, when Darius wasn’t looking.
Thea glanced up from rubbing Darius’s neck to Echo, hearing her ask about a little girl. She smiled at the two kids, raising an eyebrow. The boy hastily pulled his hand back.
“Darius likes being petted,” Thea said, cheerfully. “Go on.” The boy ignored her, scuffing one foot against the ground. After a moment, though, the girl sucking her thumb inched closer, her other hand rubbing over the dog’s fur. Darius turned and licked the girl’s hand, and she shrieked with laughter.
“Do you two know her friend?” Thea smiled at the two kids, gesturing towards the tabaxi. “Elora?” She wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but it was late, and cold, and Thea hated the thought of any kid being outside tonight.
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