Chapter 10 (for reals) - Alleborg Escort Service

[Marullus]

Hellebore joins Angus and the archer, folding smoothly into a sitting position next to them. "What is your wage that would be lost? Where does your family live?"

When the morning comes, she hands her worn wooden spear to the Magistrate. "I wish to speak to your druids and have no interest iin revealing your secrets. I shall weave no magics upon you, nor any upon me while here, as you say. I have no objection to your questioning if I return, but if I find objection, I understand your restriction at that time. I understand you protect yor own, but we both seek to grow in trust with time, I believe. I sign this pledge for myself; each among us has their own mind."

If admitted, she goes with Qatkir and seeks the druids to learn how they live amongst the Sambords. The eagle and raven are free to fly above as they wish.

[onlyme]

Dandelion will seek to get a message in to Tempus whether he wants to rejoin them now that a few days have passed. She will stay out with the others, so as to not get left behind if they leave suddenly.

[AleBelly]

Hellebore joins Angus and the archer, folding smoothly into a sitting position next to them. "What is your wage that would be lost? Where does your family live?"

When the morning comes, she hands her worn wooden spear to the Magistrate. "I wish to speak to your druids and have no interest iin revealing your secrets. I shall weave no magics upon you, nor any upon me while here, as you say. I have no objection to your questioning if I return, but if I find objection, I understand your restriction at that time. I understand you protect yor own, but we both seek to grow in trust with time, I believe. I sign this pledge for myself; each among us has their own mind."

If admitted, she goes with Qatkir and seeks the druids to learn how they live amongst the Sambords. The eagle and raven are free to fly above as they wish.

"You have laid the cornerstone of trust, having not sent your avian friends to scout the inside of this fortress, my small friend. I trust you'll find we may build upon that cornerstone." After Hellebore signs, she hands over her weapons, leashes Qatkir and enters the compound.

[Zorroroaster]

Arnulf steps forward and solemnly holds up a hand.

"Ad nauseum ipso facto e pluribus unum inna gadda da vida icky icky icky f-tangggg whoop!"

He pauses.

"Homina Homina Zing! Where do I sign? Was that the right pledge? Are we Junior Woodchucks yet?"

[Zhym]

Angus cools his heels. Literally. He takes off his boots and socks, exposing calloused feet. He wiggles his toes in the air. Small animals—those with olfactory senses, anyway—within 100 yards make haste in the opposite direction.

[tkrexx]

Hyde's face contorts even more horribly than it did at the smoke. By all the Gods that are and those that should be, Angus, wash those feet, hah? He squats next to the Ranger and shakes his head. You and me, we be one with this idea about the Sambords, yeahh. Them and Alleborg ought know the only way to beat back them Orcs is to unite. Maybe we ought try to get them Hobbits in on the deal too, hah? They ain't too far from the safe zone, no, and they already been set upon by them Goblins, I think maybe they be ready to make a bargain with Alleborg, hah?

[Zhym]

"I reckon them hobbits already done made a deal with Alleborg, what with them being in the safe zone and all," answers Angus, continuing to wiggle his toes in the air. "'Course, considering they got to keep up regular patrols and we had to fight gobbos there, it just shows the 'safe' zone ain't all that safe these days, don't it?"

[tkrexx]

Hope they can figga that part out in there, yeahh, the Half-Orc nods his head toward the Sambord's entrance.

[Zhym]

Angus shrugs. "No point in us frettin' about it," he says. "The high and noble sumbitches from each side will do what they're gonna do anyhow. If we're lucky, we won't have to clean anything up when they're done. Meantime, best we can do is do what we do anyway: fight what needs fighting."

[AleBelly]

Arnulf steps forward and solemnly holds up a hand.

"Ad nauseum ipso facto e pluribus unum inna gadda da vida icky icky icky f-tangggg whoop!"

He pauses.

"Homina Homina Zing! Where do I sign? Was that the right pledge? Are we Junior Woodchucks yet?"

"Are you feeling unwell?" asks the official. "All we need is your signature."

Arnulf signs and is escorted through the gate.

[onlyme]

Since the others are, dandelion will also sign and enter.

[Zhym]

"Y'all bring me back a deck of cards or something, would you?" asks Angus as folks line up to head into the fort. "Hyde'n can play gin or such."

[Nuke66]

Galan flops his head back and forth, demonstrating his utter confusion as the the events that surround him.

[AleBelly]

Dandelion joins Hellebore and Arnulf. The official looks around and seeing that nobody else is proceeding in, shuts the gate behind him.

For Hellebore, Arnulf and Dandelion:

The three have their first view into the whole of the Sambord fort. It makes Alleborg look like a gleaming city. The fort is ordered, but very muddy. Large swathes of crops (shaded in map will add later) are surrounded by wooden dwellings and shops. Muddy streets cut through them in several places. The fort is oval-shaped, but a wooden palisade wall runs down the short axis, blocking the view within.

"That area is prohibited to newcomers" says the administrator. "But you'll find everything you need within the rest of our settlement. Shops, an inn, guilds, and a mage runs a shop that buys and sells enchanted items. The inn is that way, where you'll want to stay for the night. We'll send someone by this evening to discuss your assignment. Enjoy exploring our settlement...and I now must take my leave of you"

Our adventurers notice that virtually all of the citizens wear a green sash over their shoulder, crossing their chest.

There is an inn, and many of the same amenities present at Alleborg, though with less of a gilded touch. Some supplies seem to be in short supply too. After asking around, they discover that Chet is healing from some serious injuries, and Tempus recently spent a week with the druids after returning from a scouting trip with Chet.

Intriguied by the ability to buy and sell magical items in compliance with the law, the trio proceeds to the shop. There, they meet Burtt. An older man with a belly and a peg leg. But he moves like he knows how to fight.



He seems reluctant to share too much information with the party, but looks them up and down. "I think I have something for the each of ya" he says.

"I got some extra-protective leather armor, would fit you, my halfling friend, and do much better than the leather you have on ya now. I got some protective cloaks. And wands and scrolls. Potions, too. I'll show 'em if you got enough to spend. So how much you got to spend?" he asks gruffly.

[Zhym]

Angus kicks at the dirt. "You know how to play tic-tac-toe?" he asks Hyde.

[Zorroroaster]

Not sure how spoilered you want the next few things, but here you go:

Arnulf goes positively bobble-headed at the possibility of purchasing premium potions and other prestidigitatory provisions.

"Enough..."breathes Arnulf. "I have enough. Show me!"

[Marullus]

Hellebore responds to Burtt:

"I don't carry coin, but if that is what is desired, I can bring the sum from Allborg," responds Hellebore." Allow me to see what you offer and let us discuss the price. If it is possible to barter services, and my own spells might be of use to you?"
(Does Charisma 16 help her barter?)

[AleBelly]

Yes, charisma can affect NPC interactions.

"Well, I'll show you somethin'. I'll just describe the more valuable stuff."He goes into a door in the back and returns a few minutes later with a few items. The first is a suit of finely crafted leather armor, in which are engraved a series of geometric patterns. It would fit a halfling or a gnome. "This'll help a bit more that what you're sportin'. 44 pounds 'a gold (2200 gp)." He holds up a ceramic vial and shakes it. There is liquid inside. "This tincture here'll letcha control reptiles for a might. More useful when it ain't winter" he chuckles. "8 pounds of gold for that."

He turns to Dandelion. "Well, you, Goldilocks. Look at those arms. And those weapons. Impressive. I got here a drink that'll make you immune to weapons that ain't magic." He shows her a glass vessel full of ink-black liquid. "You can mow through a lot of those half-brothers of yours" he says, spitting. "Just 10 pounds of gold fer it. Looks like you got a bow too. Well, I got some arrows that burn flesh when they hit...and they seek it better too. 40 pounds of gold for a half dozen. I got a real fancy javelin too that's enchanted."

He turns to Arnulf. He playfully pokes his belly with his cane. The cane feels very solid. "Feed you well in Alleborg, huh? Well, I got a few things for you. One of them scrolls you all get excited about. My man tells me it got two spells. One that'll help your lungs pull oxygen out of the water and breathe the damn stuff. The other is one of them fireball spells you all get so excited about. 2000 pieces of gold for it."

"And a couple of other things. Another drink that makes fire not burn too bad. And some items worth more than small towns back in the day. Ever heard of the Cloak of Gylriddion? Made by an elf over a thousand years ago. Rumor is she's still livin.' Anyway, protects against magic and weapons. But that's a few hundred pounds of gold. Just like a wand that'll tell you if somethin's magic or not. If you know the word. Which I do."

To Hellebore's offer. "I don't have much use for spells. But you can make me an offer. Don't hurt, I guess. If you can't afford nothing, I prefer a different way of settling things." He takes the potions and armor back where they came from, and returns with a mat, divided into a grid with 20 equal spaces. He also has a peculiar 20-sided orb, with numbers 1-20 painted on each face. "For the armor, each spot on the mat will cost you 140 gold. You pick the numbers. If the roll equals your spot, you win the item. If not, you lose. Either way, I get the gold. Course, the price on the grid is different for different items. Interested?"

[onlyme]

Dandelion smiles but shakes her head.
While those things you mention would be incredibly fun to have, I simply haven't the coins. Maybe next time...

She browses a bit and will shuffle on outside.

[Zorroroaster]

Arnulf tries not to look as crestfallen as he feels. He's not sure he's successful, and he looks away for a time. He suddenly feels like a boy again, a boy who's chosen a fantastic new hobby and invested every penny in it only to discover that this hobby isn't for boys. It's for men. Men with jobs. And mortgages. And lines of credit. He's suddenly ashamed somehow, that even though he has more money in Sucks' saddlebags than he's ever had before, he's still impoverished in comparison with the wares so casually being offered him. It makes the man's offered of dicing for things odious, somehow.

He tries to speak casually, but his adolescent voice betrays him at the last. "Cool, thanks. Some nice looking gear you've got but I don't think I need anything right now. Maybe some other time."

He turns to Hellebore and whispers. "We should go."