Doing What They Can (D&D 3.5 campaign)

[Spleen]

(Note: This is a temporary title in lieu of a good one I haven't though of yet. If you've got a suggestion, by all means send it to me.)

Day 1

Autumn is progressing into winter, and it's getting cold. The sun's involvement in the temperature today is nearly nil, covered as it is by a nearly solid wall of cloud cover. If it doesn't rain tonight, it'll be cold tomorrow. If it does, it'll still be cold, and might even be cold enough to spark the beginning of the famous "Gorlish winter", a depressing quirk of north Gorland's climate that results in the Gorlish noting the beginning of winter before most anyone else. This is a beautiful country in the summer, if you've been here in the summer. If you haven't, then this might be hell. Cold hell.

Dram Bergher, the man who hired you, instructed each of you to meet him at a certain tavern in Breve for dinner before the trip down to where the ransom exchange is to take place, which some of you have already visited. The tavern's name is the Gold Horn. It's located in the south part of Breve, in the "rich" area of town, just off one of the main thoroughfares of the city. It's large, it's warm, it's sturdy, and the smells from the kitchen are wonderful.

Bergher is there already, as are the porters he hired to carry the gold he will be paying the ransom with. He rented out one of the tavern's back rooms for dinner tonight, according to a little sign posted just inside the door of the tavern.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=spleeninfinity13>SpleenInfinity13</A]&nbsp; at: 5/18/06 17:33

[NamagomiMk0]

And cold it especially was to be for a specific six-foot-tall man, who practically barged in through the door. His features, needless to say, were hard to define--he wore little armor, but a large amount of heavy clothing nonetheless...heavy, loose-looking garb all over his body--plus a cloth and hood covering most of the head and face. His outline underneath the clothes looked unusually angular, and what little skin was shown--that around his eyes--had a slight metallic sheen, outlining a pair of catlike eyes. Whatever he was, he was trying to cover as much of that as possible, that was clear. From his waist hung a sheathed sword that, though was mostly unremarkable save for size, seemed to have an unusual black pommel and guard. A purple cloak on his back appeared to move in an unusual way in comparison to how he was walking...

Regardless, Adil did not particularly care for the cold. He never did--this being a truth proven for a while. The tall man looked around for a bit for his "employer", before noting the sign at the entrance. Glad to be out of this cold, he looked for the back room that was mentioned earlier, heading towards the door while deftly avoiding both collision and conversation within the chatty tavern atmosphere, compliments of the warmth and food--some odors of which he still isn't quite as to what they are yet...

The food didn't matter, though. His mind immediately shifted to thoughts about what to do for this job, and what to do afterward, even though this was a nice place...

[darkknight61189]

At the bar sat a man wrapped in a black cloak, sipping away at the tavern's speicalty ale. His eyes darted around the room as he examined the people walking in and out of the tavern, and especially took note of the people that headed into the back room. Dashe had refrained from entering the back room because he was a tiny bit parched, and he wanted to see the people that would be taking the job before they saw him.

Dashe thought about how he'd been sucked into taking the job, then felt his wallet and remembered. He'd been drinking more heavily than he should have been, and most of his monk peers in the area looked down on him about it, but he didn't mind. He took another swig and waited for more people to show up.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=darkknight61189>darkknight61189</A]&nbsp; at: 4/16/06 10:06

[Nakibe]

Meanwhile, a young lady dressed in simple robes comes into the tavern. She looks like she's not really used to being around places lke this... although she certainly does her best to put on an uninterested face and try not to stare at folks ... at least not TOO hard. Building up her resolve, she makes her way daintily towards the back door. Well, she thinks lets get this over with. With Barem's blessings this will be quickly resolved.

[Kelne]

The fourth member of the party to enter the tavern was Varlak Roxburgh. A tall man wearing a somewhat worn looking trenchcoat and slouch hat, and sporting a neatly trimmed goatee, Varlak didn't seem the least bit bothered by the cold.

A quick perusal of the room revealed the notice, which sent him towards the back room. His progress to date in locating the culprits hadn't been all he might have hoped for, even if it was early days yet. Tonight's meeting ought to provide a few more clues in that regard.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=kelne>Kelne</A]&nbsp; at: 4/16/06 22:17

[Spleen]

Dram Bergher is sitting at the head of a long wooden table in the back room. He's in his early fifties and short, little more than 5'7", with a disheveled mop of salt-and-pepper hair and what can charitably be described as a "bit of a gut". Today finds him, in preparation for the possible dangers ahead, wearing an old-looking breastplate under the long, faded blue coat he is rarely seen without and carrying a well-made longsword in a sheath at his side. He's also got a small shield strapped to his back, which looks precisely as old as his armor.

Next to Bergher on his right are three burly and unsophisticated-looking men in dirty work clothes. They are the porters that will carry the gold. They will not be described further.

"Ah!" Bergher says as Adil, Ciele, and Varlak entered the room. "Take a seat. The food - and hopefully the other three members of our little group - should arrive soon."

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=spleeninfinity13>SpleenInfinity13</A]&nbsp; at: 4/16/06 22:42

[GC130A]

The fifth arrival is a man no larger than a child. He has black hair and blue eyes, and his face is mostly marked by a prominant nose and an eyepatch covering a long scar across his right eye. He is accompanied, of all things, by a Brass Dragon about three times his size. The dragon moves with a nearly inaudible whirring of machine parts, but is otherwise quite silent.

He inhaled deeply at the smell from the kitchen. A search of the room revealed the notice, and after finding a stool to stand on he read it with great approval. He arrived in the back rooms posthaste so as not to miss any of dinner.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=gc130a>GC130A</A] at: 4/17/06 15:53

[Zemyla]

And yet another person enters the tavern and heads toward the table. He is a dwarf, standing a little over 4 feet tall, with black hair and a fairly unremarkable beard. He is dressed in fullplate and has a large halberd on his back. He walks over to the table and sits down without a word.

[NamagomiMk0]

Adil nods upon Bergher's invitation, and steps forward, choosing to seat himself to the left of the head of this table...and still not removing that cloth that covers his face.

He looked over the two others in the room, and the newcomers quietly, before speaking in a low voice with a clear accent.

"So...what will we be talking about while we wait?"

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=namagomimk0>NamagomiMk0</A] at: 4/17/06 17:47

[darkknight61189]

"You don't need to wait," Dashe said as he walked into the room. Once he saw the brass dragon walk into the room, he knew that the meeting would probably start soon, and so had told the bartender to fill his flask with a bit more ale before paying for his drinks and leaving.

Dashe took the only available seat at the table. He leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head, relaxing as much as he could in the wooden chairs.

[Spleen]

At the very small man's arrival, Adil and Varlak are the only ones who realize independently that the dragon is a construct. Ciele already knows, from having heard about of it from Bergher. Hargen, for his part, realizes that for a brass dragon, this creature is extremely taciturn. Dashe is totally in the dark.

Bergher smiles at the arrival of the last three. "Just in time, gentlemen!"

"I believe some introductions are in order. The three men to my right are the porters that will be carrying the ransom gold I will be using to buy my daughter back from the creatures that took her from me.

"Next to them is Hargen Stonebrother, a dwarven warrior with, I understand, considerable skill at tracking, which hopefully will not be needed, but is greatly appreciated nonetheless.

"At Mr. Stonebrother's right is Varlak Roxburgh, a local detective who was absolutely instrumental in determining the exact circumstances in which my daughter was kidnapped - leaving the dressmaker's, it seems. I shouldn't send her around town without an escort." Bergher seems to age twenty years here, sighing at the memory of his missing daughter. He regains his composure a moment later, and continues.

"At the other end of the table from me is Dashe Chang, a martial artist and also some kind of arcanist, I gather. His services won't be needed if all goes well, but...well, let's say I have a gut feeling and leave it at that.

"Next to Dashe, on the other side from Mr. Roxburgh, is Mulligan Eustachian, a wizard, and his dragon companion. Magus Eustachian will be casting a spell of teleportation on Liela and myself to whisk us back to Breve if there are any problems with her captors, and of course a wizard's powers are always appreciated.

"And, of course, this lovely young woman here is Sister Ciele Strahn, a warrior-priestess of Barem, God of Earth and Time. Her prowess as a warrior - and, of course, her divine powers - should be greatly helpful in making sure this operation is a success and my daughter is returned to me.

"Last but not least, to my left is Adil, a swordsman whom I hired to make doubly sure my daughter and I are safe through this entire process. I still remember my training as an ex-officer in the militia, of course, but the rest of you seem much more in practice, as it were."

The food arrives then, nourishing beef stew, small sandwiches of a few kinds, pastries, clean water, and light but delicious wine. It's all delicious.

[darkknight61189]

Dashe perked up at the sight of food and waited for others to eat before he began to help himself. He did not over indulge, and definitely didn't engorge himself. Rather, he took his time and picked at the food slowly and tastefully so as not to give off the air of being a brute. It was unbecoming of a member of the monastic order to act like a savage barbarian. As he ate he thought about the things that would come. Hopefully he woudln't have to put too much effort into the job and get paid quickly, but the fact that he was here at all made it seem that the man at the end of the table was expecting the worst. And it probably would wind down to a fight. Dashe shrugged and heped himself to more stew. And it was most definitely delicious. Not the type of food he preferred (needed more rice) but it was appetizing nonetheless.

[Kelne]

Varlak made a polite nod to the group at his own introduction. As he got stuck in to his meal, he gave the group a thoughtful perusal. All in all, they seemed a competent group. Of course, with a mechanical dragon along, they wouldn't be doing any sneaking, but then, a show of force certainly wasn't going to go amiss.

He'd been momentarily worried by Bergher's appearance in what was clearly an old and seldom used set of equipment, but the man was clearly no fool. He was aware of his own limitations, and no doubt had the sense to get himself out of harm's way if everything went pear-shaped.

[NamagomiMk0]

Adil glanced over at each of the people noted in Bergher's introduction, excluding himself, of course. It was clear to him that that dragon was a fake. A convincing fake, but still a fake--but at least it could be used to potentially scare the kidnappers if such tactics are necessary. Bergher himself looked like he said--very out of date on his own training, and his armor and shield reflected that, needless to say...

He then reached amongst the choices of food only to pull out a glass of water, and pulled up the bottom of the cloth covering his face ever so slightly. Those actually looking could see more brass-tinged skin, in addition to some small spikes on the bottom of his chin, as he begin to drink.

Finishing his first gulp, he then turned toward Dashe, and replied to what was said before the introduction, "Not waiting for everyone to be here. Waiting for the actual job to be started." He then turned back to his water, and took another drink of it.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=namagomimk0>NamagomiMk0</A] at: 4/19/06 8:27

[GC130A]

Mulligan gave the slightest of bows when he was introduced, and proceeded straight to the food. He paused, recalled something, and muttered a spell over his plate after he had been served. While the chances were miniscule at best, there was no harm in being sure.

(Detect Poison, the area effect version)

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=gc130a>GC130A</A] at: 4/19/06 13:06

[Spleen]

Mulligan's just paranoid. The food's fine.

[GC130A]

Looking satisfied with the results, the little wizard proceeded to wolf down as much and as fast as proper manners would allow.

Maybe magic made men minimally meticulous?

[Nakibe]

Ciele looked up from her plate full of food and smiled. "Master Bergher, this is a most excellent meal. My complements to the chef." Considering how many plates she had already put away, she was definitely enjoying the cuisine at the present. Althought the company... not so sure. I mean, all sorts of strange people were here already and they hadn't even actually gotten acquainted yet. And who the hell carts around a man-sized dragon.... clockwork... THING anyway?

"Well, this is certainly an interesting group you've gathered here today, sir."

[Spleen]

Bergher was looking far into the distance and didn't really hear what Ciele said. He looked at her and blinked. "What did you say, dear? Oh, right. Yes, I tend to keep interesting company in whatever I do." He looked at the clock over on the wall. "Nearly time to leave. Is everyone almost ready?"

[NamagomiMk0]

In the meantime, Adil finished a single sandwich and a glass of water, before replacing the cloth back over his face and chin. The swordsman nodded once toward Bergher at the question of his readiness, not saying a word.

[Zemyla]

Hargen looked up from his second plate of food, and said "I am ready as well."

[darkknight61189]

Dashe had helped himself to everything at the table, and enjoyed it all immensely. After the meal he wiped his mouth, then covered his face and nose back up again.

"I am quite ready as well."

[Spleen]

Bergher looks to Mulligan, Ciele, and Karzak in turn. "And the three of you? Ready to leave?"

[Nakibe]

"By your leave, master Bergher." said Ciele as she gave a demure nod.

[GC130A]

The miniature magician Mulligan hopped down from his chair. "Sure thing, boss," he said and motioned his dragon to follow.

[Kelne]

Varlak nodded, "I am," he said simply, tidying his plate and getting up himself.

[Spleen]

Bergher collects his things, checks his sword, shield, and armor, and motions for everyone to follow him out.

As he passes the bartender, he drops a gold coin on the bar and smiles at the man. "Time to get my girl back, Kras. Put the meal on my tab."

"Good luck, Mr. Bergher," the bartender answers.

The sun is getting a little low in the sky, and it feels even colder than it did before (though that could just be due to the dinner you all just ate and the considerable warmth in the Gold Horn). As Bergher leads you out the south gate of Breve and onto the slightly raised road of packed dirt leading from the city, the rain that the sky promised begins, though in an annoying, misting drizzle rather than anything substantial.

The quarter-mile walk seems a little tough for the pudgy old merchant, but he looks determined enough to endure it. The rest of you probably don't care, being fit and young.

You reach the edge of the copse as the sun begins to touch the horizon. The drizzle is letting up, but now there's a light breeze that's making it feel even cooler (there's not enough wind to have any effect on combat, however).

Bergher stops at the edge of the copse. "Anything else before we go in?" he asks.

[NamagomiMk0]

"Yes, actually", Adil started, "I wonder if we will be able to get there before dark. Though I am not bothered by it myself, I do not know how everyone else will do."

[darkknight61189]

"I don't know of anyone who is as seasoned as us, or at least as seasoned as we are led on to believe about each other, who is bothered by a bit of darkness," Dashe said, "Though it is true that awful things lurk in the dark, I don't think they'll be bothering this group. Surely that brass dragon will be a good enough scarecrow to keep anything of evil origins at bay."

((By the way, wouldn't Dashe notice that the brass dragon hasn't talked at all? May I do a general knowledge check?))

[Spleen]

(OOC: You did a general knowledge check. It was DM-rolled, and you failed. You didn't take any ranks of Knowledge (arcana), so you weren't able to take the proper applied knowledge check. You can't retry a Knowledge or Intelligence check.)

"The exchange is to take place at sundown anyway," Bergher reminds Adil. "Getting there before it's dark just means we have to wait longer. Fortunately, I came prepared." He produces a small bundle of sunrods from the pocket of his jacket and displays them to Adil.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=spleeninfinity13>SpleenInfinity13</A]&nbsp; at: 4/24/06 0:07

[darkknight61189]

((Ooh, so that was a knowledge check before? I was under the impression it was a Listen check. Anyhow, doesn't matter.))

[Spleen]

(OOC: Spot, actually. Followed by either Knowledge (arcana) or Intelligence.)

[GC130A]

"I have one," Mulligan volunteered. "Of your daughter's extraction, your own, the removal of any magics from your daughter and any actions against these kidnappers, which takes precedence over which?"

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=gc130a>GC130A</A] at: 4/24/06 19:42

[Spleen]

"Me I don't care about," Bergher says. "Make sure my girl's safe any way you have to. If she's safe, do what you have to about me and about those bastards."

(OOC: Hey, could you all switch to present tense? I like it more than past tense for D&D.)

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=spleeninfinity13>SpleenInfinity13</A]&nbsp; at: 4/24/06 20:38

[darkknight61189]

Dashe eys the dragon curiously. He never came across a fragon before in his travels, but he always thought that dragons were more talkative than this one.

Maybe it's mute dragon... he thinks. He then shrugs and continues walking along behind Bergher.

[Zemyla]

Hargen, for his part, starts scouting the surrounding area. The primary things he looks for are places to gain cover, obvious escape routes, and other matters of tactical importance.

[Kelne]

Varlak is likewise taking a bit of time to scout out the area. He'd already taken a look around earlier in the week, but another look won't hurt. He's paying particular attention to likely hiding places, both for himself and for potential enemies.

[Spleen]

(OOC: You're not in the copse yet. The meeting place itself is pretty far in. Anything you see here will be of little help.)

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=spleeninfinity13>SpleenInfinity13</A]&nbsp; at: 4/25/06 21:23

[NamagomiMk0]

"Well, though I am stating the obvious, I believe we should actually go to the meeting place if we want to be there on time," Adil starts, unsheathing his sword at that moment before starting to head into the forest. The sword's blade appears out-of-the-ordinary for a typical sword--larger than a longsword, but smaller than your typical greatsword. Adding to that, the weapon has a tint of not the typical dull gray of iron, but instead an unusual uniform black color; the only break in this blackness being the white cloth wrapped around it as a grip. He then grasps the blade in both hands before starting to head into the forest.

[Spleen]

In preparation for going on, Bergher pulls out one of the sunrods and strikes it against his breastplate, setting off the alchemical reaction. Thus illuminated, he follows Adil into the woods. "It's in about the center," he says.