Town of Ladydove

[Brainpiercing]

The town of Ladydove lay near the Reaching river, within a day's march of the Sunset mountains. Ladydove had a very turbulent history in the past few centuries. From being completely destroyed and ravaged by hordes of Undead from the crypt within the Skull Gorge, to being rebuilt 200 years ago and becoming a flourishing cornerstone of trade and peacekeaping at the edge of Anauroch.

Ladydove was constructed as a military outpost within mostly hostile lands initially. It sported high and thick town walls, a well-trained and equipped militia, and regularly sent patrols along the road to Lundeth as well as guarding river traffic past the Skull Gorge with a small fleet of river galleys. While tolls were high, the safety the town provided and its strategic location guaranteed that business kept rolling in. Ladydove controlled two small but important trade routes: One that transported rare ores and gems mined well within the desert near Lundeth by road to the Reaching river, where the goods were transferred to boats and ferried towards Elturel and finally Baldur's Gate. The other transporting ores from the Sunset Mountains also down the Reaching river. While not actually situated directly on the river, there was a strong outpost of Ladydove militia as well as a landing and loading facility strategically situated on the riverbank to make sure that business actually DID pass through the town.

Ladydove now had over 20000 regular inhabitants, and always housed a usually uncountable number of laborers on transit to or leave from their mines near Lundeth or within the Sunset mountains. Hence, the fortified town was surrounded by a plethora of shack-and-tent suburbs that provided cheap (and VERY basic) accomodation to travellers, and also housed the town's well established pleasures businesses. While still tightly patrolled by the militia, the suburbs were a place respectable citizens did not go at night.

In addition to its excellent economic situation the town was far enough from Anauroch to be surrounded in fertile lands, which were dotted with farmsteads that provided food for both the rabble and the town itself. The weekly market filled the town's streets with stalls and bustling buyers. Still, not everything could be grown around the town, and riverboats returning from Elturel regularly brought in foodstuffs and luxury goods.

Ethnically, Ladydove was very liberal. The consensus was that anyone was welcome who brought business and did not make trouble. In the rare case that someone did try, the militia was prepared. Ladydove was hardly large enough to produce separate quarters of different more or less humanoid ethnicities, but there was the odd street that housed an overly large number of the same race or species. Ethnical rivalries were accepted as ongoing cause for jokes and mockery, but physical struggles were kept well at bay by the militia.

Naturally, not all was good. There were goblinoid tribes always praying on the trade routes, and the Ladydove militia saw more combat than most. Anauroch itself was not a peaceful neighbour, and the occasional dust-storm carried far from the actual desert. Also, the town's position itself was naturally not uncontested. Throughout the past century several powers had sought greater influence within the town's business. Several plots had been uncovered and thwarted, but noone knew how many had succeeded. With a fluctuating population and a short tradition the town dignitaries were an unreliable source of continuity. There was no actual nobility, they were all traders or well-situated artisans. Many had personal interests in the mining business (or the pleasures). The only constant was the common desire to milk the traderoutes for what they were worth - as long as one's own business was not taxed too dearly.

Such was the town of Ladydove, which was soon to provide the backdrop for events that were to dramatically dwarf the small struggles of either laborer or dignitary, prostitute or militia-man. But as with all great events, the beginnings were well hidden. And when they were to become apparent, reactions and counter-measures were easily too little... too late.

[Brainpiercing]

Day 12

North-Eastern Gate

The road that wound through the well-tended lands around Ladydove and on into the desert saw its usual scarce midday traffic in the sweltering sun. Vendors were trickling out of town after they had sold their goods during the morning markets, their carts now empty.The miners returning from Lundeth were not due for a few hours, and the miners going to Lundeth had mostly already left early in the morning. The occasional adventurer moved out towards the desert to make his fortune. Occasionally airborne riders landed their flying beasts before the gates and trudged through - most cities didn't take kindly to people flying over their walls to land inside. Most of the traffic, however, came from Ladydove itself - from the town outside of the town.

In spite of the heat the guard post at the gate was well-manned. Four guards in polished armour and with gleaming polearms stood under the arch of the gate, four more were sitting under a sun-shade in front of the guard-house behind the gate. All  were alert, and of the eight men and women present there were at least two veterans. One man of the gate group bore a ledger, and every entering person (except those with passes, available from the town hall) was recorded with name and business before he was let through. The rear group was tasked with checking entering vehicles for taxable trade goods. Anyone without a special trading pass issued by the town council needed to pay road tax if he transported goods through the town. In turn, the roads were kept largely safe.

There were also no restrictions visible. Man, goblin, crustacean or bhuka, all were treated alike. Behind the gate there was a large stone tablet that displayed the simplified laws of Ladydove in different languages. The main town of Ladydove was not a moral place by any means - but it was very orderly. At least, so it was made to look on the surface.

Aknak Kogalik

Agnak trudged up the road with the caravan, chatting idly with the driver, Kievlin. The sun above and behind them saturated the air with a sweltering heat, the hot, stale wind blowing out from the desert doing nothing to help. As the caravan rolled past the outlying fields that spread out around the sides of the road, Kiev turned towards Agnak with a serious look in his eye.
    'Ye know you're not gettin' in there before I pay ye, right? I'm not the kind of man who doesn't pay his caravan guard for doin' their job.'
     Agnak glanced back up at Kiev with an amused look on his face. 'I have a feeling you would be hard pressed trying to stop me,' he said with a grin.
     Kiev rolled his eyes, 'Agnak, you've been too much of a help fer me not to pay ye!'
     He turned and reached down his seat, coming back up with a bag filled with what was presumably gold. 'Here, there's yer payment, just take it with ye, don't make me   shove it down yer gods-damned throat!'
     Agnak waved away the offered gold, looking ahead at the gate that was quickly approaching. He called back to Kiev, 'And I'm not the kind of man who takes gold for doing a favor for a friend.'
     Kiev grumbled the rest of the way to the gate, but Agnak ignored him, taking in the sights of the city. As they ground to a stop going through the gates, a guard with a ledger spoke to Kiev.
     'Name and business?' the guard inquired. Kiev listed off his name, along with the other sections of the caravan, explaining the wares that they carried with them, and hoped to sell in the marketplace. The guard waved them through, and stepped on towards the group behind the caravan.
      'Well Agnak,' Kiev sighed as they entered into Ladydove, 'I'd ask ye to stick around, but I'm case tha' won't be the case, eh?'
      Agnak looked sadly down at Kiev, 'I've greatly appreciated the company you've given me, but yes, I'm afraid you're right. I have many things to attend to, but our time together has been well spent. Perhaps we shall meet again another time, but for now I must part.' [Bluff check:1d20+10=23]
     Kiev eyed him for a minute, then nodded, 'Until then my friend.' He stuck out his hand, which Agnak took gratefully.
     'Until then.'

     Agnak watched as Kiev and his companions disappeared around the street corner and sighed. He hated to lie, but he liked Kiev too much to get him involved. With that, Agnak turned towards the nearest tavern and walked in. He went up the bar and ordered a room and a meal. [1g]
     Agnak was ashamed of himself. Like the many others before Kievlin, Agnak had separated himself from him before Agnak caused him any harm. His eyes glazed over as he thought back to the others he had removed himself from. Having seemingly forgotten his meal, the bartender tapped Agnak's shoulder, and indicated to the food and ale set before him.
     'Dig in.' the bartender said as he turned to another customer who had set himself down.
     Agnak looked down into his ale as he swirled it around with his wrist. This town seems more accepting than others,he noted with a bit of optimism. But many of his friendships had started with that thought, and where were the friends now? He hefted the mug of ale in front of him and drained it in a single draft and motioned to the bartender.
     'Keep 'em coming.'

[Brainpiercing]

Day 12

Ladydove was at its usual busy best, and while the summer heat did little to improve that, it also held little power over the citizens nor over their business. A careful observer, however, would be able to take note of slight differences. For one the guards at the gates had been doubled. Also, if you could catch a glimpse of a town council-person there were an unusual number of frowns on faces that were usually rather self-satisfied.   Little leaked out, however. Whatever was bothering people was still undefined enough to not create open rumours.

*

Tynien
It was always about coin.  Lately, coin was scarce.

Tynien sighed, staring up at the vaulted ceilings of the temple as he made his way towards the exit.  Baroque flourishes in crimson marble graced the caps of the support pillars, and elegant tapestries in flowing designs of scarlet and black adorned the walls.  Wrought-iron and stained-glass torchieres cast an amber glow through the room, their dim, magical illumination giving the temple an almost nocturnal atmosphere.

A grey-and-black robed priest glanced up briefly from a pause in his solitary prayers.  The garnet and ruby adornments woven into the base of his braid clattered pleasantly as he inclined his head in a polite nod towards the departing visitor.

"Stern Lady watch you."

Tynien returned the gesture silently and continued to the far end of the chamber.  He pushed open the large double doors and paused in the antechamber, picking up his weapon from a plain-robed acolyte before stepping into the sunlit tumult of Ladydove.

------------ Rolls ------------

Gather Information: 12+4 = 16

*

A chance meeting

As Tynien retrieved his weapon, two other people were being shown out through another door into the antechamber. The cleric who ushered them out wore the same gray and black robe, with ornanments in ruby red. The pair consisted of a woman of sheer excruciating beauty in a black supple leather mock breastplate over a long skirt, accompanied by a man in a long crimson cloak and a shiny mithral breastplate. The man had not been required to hand in his weapon - an oversized Greatsword slung across his back. He ignored Tynien, but the woman gave him a passing glance, and hesitated with her eyes on Tynien. She then smiled at the Wood Elf, raised the first two fingers of her right hand to her eyes and then pointed them at him, as if saying "I see you". Or was it, "I see through you"? She continued to muster him for a short moment [Aura check: 19 vs. 11], then a look of disappointment passed over her face, before her smiled brightened again.
'Far from home', she said in a slightly languishing tone, but as if she didn't expect an answer. This caused her companion to give Tynien a quick look, too [Aura check: 21 vs 12]. What he saw, however, apparently did not interest him. He only produced a short dismissive grunt, shrugged, and took the woman's arm, escorting her out.

The woman gave Tynien a small wave of her hand as the couple moved off, out into the streets.

[Brainpiercing]

The Shadow of Maglu'Glath falls on Ladydove...

At a guard outpost on the edge of Ladydove

"Sure has been quiet around here lately hasn't it?" murmurs Hal.

"I'm not complaining Hal. We still get paid" replies Garret, lazily leaning against the wall, hat pulled down over his eyes.

"You know what I heard? That there's some monster out there that's been terrorizing the countryside."

"Y'see, that's how I can tell you're from the big cities" chides Garret. "You use phrases like 'terrorizing the countryside' and other nonsense."

"Well what would you call it then?"

"I call it a living. This isn't exactly a friendly place y'know."

"Oh give the kid a break" chimes in Rullo, the third guard coming in for his rotation. "Besides, I've heard some of those stories too. My wife said she heard from Baxby's (the east side blacksmith) wife who heard from the spice merchant that some monster came out of goblin country and has been mucking up the trade routes the past year or so.

"Well if that's the case" retorts Garret, "how come all of our east side caravans have come through almost without hitch in the past half year?"

Neither Hal or Rullo had an answer for that, so with a snort Garret resumed his leaning position and pulled his hat back down.

[written by Surreal]

[Brainpiercing]

- reserved for introductory post for Caerthe -

[Brainpiercing]

- reserved for introductory post for Marlette -

[Pan-Fried Hamster]

Tynien paused for a moment, frowning.  His gaze briefly followed the pair as they disappeared into the crowd [Spot = 4], but the glare of the noonday sun on the large man's breastplate caught him full in the face, and by the time it subsided the two were gone.

He shrugged his shoulders, blinking a few times as he double-checked his weapon.  Really, it wasn't terribly surprising coming across mercenaries in a place like this--though judging by their garb and freedom to bear arms within the tower, he presumed them to be temple agents.  At the very least, they were followers in good standing.

Tynien scanned the rest of the crowd briefly, then set off towards the marketplace, his polearm shouldered.  Few people payed any mind to another bodyguard or adventurer, though he did get a few dirty looks as he jostled his way through a knot of onlookers crowded around a gnomish street performer.

As he passed through the press of bodies, his hands reflexively dropped to his pockets.  Empty.  But then, they'd been that way to begin with.  He sighed.

Coin was far too scarce.

------------ Rolls ------------

Spot check for identifying insignia, specifically symbols of Wee Jas: 1d20+1 = 4

***

"Look now," Quintin argued, his patience wearing thin.  "You don't really think I'll believe that you have a buyer lined up for all this crap?  Why waste your time out here in the heat when I'm offering to take this off your hands and save you the trouble?"

He motioned towards the trays of wilted herbs and grasses.  The goblin proprietor at the stall glanced around uncertainly before replying in broken Common,

"Big man not scare Niknik!  Niknik will not be ripped off!  I sell good herbs!  Aged!  Strong!  I have buyer!  He come soon, you see!"

Quintin grinned and shook his head, sizing up the little goblin's wares.  Most of it was dried or rotting samples of scrub grass, but somehow the enterprising goblin had stumbled across clumps of Witch's Whisker and Salamander Blossoms as well.  Even so, he didn't think the merchant would have bothered setting up shop if he had a ready customer.

"Look."  Quintin leaned in, resting an arm across the battered door that the goblin had somehow acquired for use as a table.  "It's hot out here, you don't have a customer, and this back-alley location of yours isn't attracting any buyers.  Half of what you have is junk, but there's some stuff I can use.

The goblin pressed its fingers together and glared [Appraise checks].  If the human wanted something, it wasn't going to come cheap.

"Niknik sell to you, but taking risk!  Make my buyer unhappy by selling to you!"

Quintin eyed the goblin warily.  "How much?"  He fingered a silver piece.  The goblin eyed it and spat into the dust.

"Not coin!  Coin worthless!  Fat hog!"

Quintin squinted.  "There's no need for insults..."

"Stupid human!  Fat hog!  Fat hog!  Niknik eat!"

The apprentice paused and rubbed his chin [Profession = 12].  He might be able to get livestock from one of the outlying farms.  It had been a good Spring for births, and the Goblin was offering a fairly even trade.

"I can't get you a hog.  What about a goat?"

The goblin's ears drooped and it curled its nose in distaste.  "Goat stringy."  It pondered, then rubbed its head and began gnawing at its fingernails. 

"What called.  Something.  Know name!  Know!"  Niknik began hopping up and down, tugging its ears in agitation as it babbled in Goblin.

"Sheep!  What called!  Sheep!  Sheep!"

"The word is 'sheep'," came the reply.  The inflection was marred with definite distaste, and Niknik looked up to see a slightly annoyed Wood Elf standing beside the human.  The goblin paused for a moment, taken aback by the stranger's weaponry, then turned and nodded eagerly at Quintin.

"Yes!  Sheep!  Soft sheep!  Tasty sheep!  Niknik trade for sheep!"

"It's a deal then," Quintin nodded.  "I'll have it for you within the hour."  He was certain to get a good price at the stalls on the outskirts of town.

Niknik managed an almost-convincing smile as the two walked off.  "Thankyoocomagin!"

Quintin nodded at Tynien.  "We should hurry.  He might not get a lot of customers there, but if anyone else shows up before we're back, there won't be anything to buy."

"Farmers are your crowd," the elf responded.

"Right, right.  Look, while I'm off doing that, check with Talliden Copperstop at the Wet Whistle.  I saw a cartload of casks come in earlier today, so he may be looking to unload some of his cheaper stuff.  We can always use the extra if he's letting it go."

Tynien nodded.  "Alright.  And if things go under, at least we can drown our sorrows."  He smiled dryly, then turned and headed off down the road.

------------ Rolls ------------

Quintin's Appraise: 1d20+6 = 11
Niknik's Appraise: 1d20+1 = 20
Profession (Agriculture): 1d20+1 = 12

------------ OOC ------------

This scene may not be terribly world-altering, but I had too much fun writing it to stop.  Also, never thought I'd have this much use for the Trade Goods table. 

Talliden Copperstop would be the gnomish proprietor of the Wet Whistle, a middle-end tavern within the walls of Ladydove.  Despite the stereotype, I thought it might be a convenient way to run into Agnak or any of the other players so I'm not stuck playing with myself...

[Brainpiercing]

Around Agnak

The tavern Agnak had chosen randomly was quite busy for the hour. There were a few travellers from Lundeth present, resting from the trip. Some had children with them, and these were running about making quite a bit of din. Their families were discussing something, from what could be picked up through the noise it must have been a terrible occurence. Fragments such as '...shocking...', '...a tragedy...', and '... such a nice gal, too... and her boy...', '... the poor baby without a mother....' drifted across the room.
The children had in the meantime found a target for their obsessions: Agnak. A group of them began circling his table and staring and whispering among each other. If he listened he would hear a discussion going on between them.
A small child said, 'He's really huge... look at all those musstles. And he's got wings. Do you think he can fly?' Another child replied, 'He's a go-lith. He has all them lumps... but he has a funny color.'
The oldest and strongest looking  was a girl of about 12, and she was dressed in pants and a shirt like a boy. She belonged to a streak that ran naturally in the area and seemed to occur randomly. They were known as the Strong Children. Strong Children looked very normal at birth, but they grew up to be much stronger and sometimes wiser than their siblings, and were usually weaker at the fine points of logic. Some of them became positively brutish, with huge fists and jaws that could chew iron, and they were well sought after in any fighting profession. Some argued that they had a streak of Goliath in them, but they looked nothing like Goliaths.
This girl was now seemingly seriously sizing up Agnak. [Aura Check: 2 vs 11] A younger child tugged her arm. 'Do you think you can beat him?' The girl frowned, thoughtfully. The small children continued to bug her. 'Arm-wrestle him.' 'You also beat the miner earlier...' 'If you beat him you'd be a hero...' 'You can....'
The girl grunted defiantly, as only a child can, and freed her sleaves from her smaller followers with a determined flourish. Then she sauntered up to Agnak, and prodded his arm. A fleeting look of surprise overcame her as she noticed the toughness of his skin, but she quickly put her defiant look back on.

'Hey you... I can arm-wrestle you. If you don't agree you're a chicken', she said, frowning at him intently.


Around Tynien
Tynien would also be able to catch bits of conversation pertaining to an apparent tragedy in Lundeth. Also, some children in the tavern were finding a high degree of fascination with a huge brute of a man half-dragon,  sitting by himself eating and drinking.

[Pan-Fried Hamster]

Tynien stepped in from the dusty air of Ladydove, the wooden door creaking and announcing his arrival.  A couple of patrons close to the entry turned and glanced at him, but quickly decided that the half-dragon's impending challenge was more deserving of their attention.

The elf looked around the room, his gaze pausing on Agnak.  There were certainly a lot of haggard characters inside; many of them didn't look as though they could afford much more than a cheap drink.  Perhaps this Copperstop was the charitable type?  If so, he might be willing to pass along his extra supply--assuming the brute in the corner hadn't drunk all of it already. 

As he walked towards the bar, Tynien made no attempt to hide his curiosity at the stranger.  The man, if he could be called that, seemed to carry traces of...something [Knowledge (Nature) = 25].  Tynien stood quietly, trying to remember.  Then it dawned on him: he'd heard several stories of the occasional tribe of mountain men in the ranges nearby; huge, brutish types, good-natured despite their fearsome appearance and prodigious strength.  Goliaths.  Well, the name was definitely appropriate. 

The other half was rather obviously Draconic; copper, by the looks of it [Knowledge (Arcana) = 20].  He doubted most of the other strains would have done quite as good a job putting up with a swarm of curious children.  No sense adding to the crowd just yet...

Tynien nodded at the portly human tending bar, forcing a smile.

"Selan Kal'tora, friend.  Fair weather upon you.  Might I have a draft of ale to ease the day's heat?"  He reached into an inner pocket and produced a coin purse, sliding a few coppers towards the man, who grinned.

"I thank ya for your kindness good sir, but no need for formal'ties in this humble place.  If you've a thirst and some coin, we've a cure for both!"  He laughed heartily at his own joke, turning and filling a well-worn wooden mug from one of the many barrels on tap behind the bar.  Tynien bowed his head slightly in appreciation and took a long sip, watching the proceedings around him as he drank.

------------ Rolls ------------

Knowledge (Nature) for Monstrous Humanoid: 1d20+8 = 25
Knowledge (Arcana) for Dragons: 1d20+11 = 20

[Smudgy]

Agnak looked up from his meal set in front of him. Though he had set himself to eating his ordered food, he was very aware of his surroundings. [Spot: 21, Listen: 28] He heard the children whispering to each other around him, and had smiled inwardly at their challenges. He also keened his ears towards the outside conversations about the recent tragedy, interested in whether or not it was relevant to anything he knew about. Aware of the elf that had just entered the tavern, Agnak glanced up quickly from he meal to see the elf studying him. Agnak squinted at the elf, raising an eyebrow in inspection [Aura check: 15 vs. 9] and noticed he had the gait of someone who knew how to carry himself in battle. But for now, he had to deal with the child who had poked his arm.

Agnak turned his gaze towards the girl at his side, his turquoise eyes focusing on her tiny form. She was clearly shaken by his stature, but he realized that she wasn't one to back down from a challenge, especially with her little grouping of younger children behind her. He stood to his full height, and the girl took a few cautious steps back. He went over to an empty table and hefted a chair, bringing it back towards his own table. He set it down opposite from his seat, and gestured for the girl to sit. She did so, her group gathering around the edges of the table to watch. Agnak looked across the table at her.

'I'd like to know the name of my challenger before we compete, if you would be so kind to offer it m'am.' he said with a toothy grin, his fangs shining from the reflected light of the windows.

She stared up at him with a defiant posture. 'The name's Mara. Now are you going to arm wrestle, or will I have to go and find a more worthy opponent?' Agnak smiled, she was obviously bolstering her own prowess to deceive herself into believing she could impress her friends. He formulated a little plan in his mind, and then set his arm down on the table, his fingers curling and uncurling as he prepared himself. She grasped his hand, or rather, let it be engulfed by his massive claws, careful not to scratch herself on his talons. Then, as the children finishing counting down from five, they began.

Agnak gasped sharply as his strength was pulled through him. His arm started to lower, stunned as he was by the sudden loss of his power. But he quickly pulled himself together. Even with the tremendous loss, Agnak still overpowered the girl greatly, and he stopped her advance in its tracks [Strength Check: 26! I love rolling 20s.] Agnak immediately gaged her strength, hardly even using any of his own. She was about as strong as a goliath child, or at least in that area. At the same time, she in turn gaged his remaining strength. Her eyes widened momentarily, amazed how Agnak was still even resisting, nonetheless in a position to win effortlessly. She quickly focused again, knowing she had to do something to preserve her reputation. But Agnak was already working on that.

He slowly let his arm be pushed down by Mara, faking a face of extreme exertion. Mara, confused, quickly looked up at Agnak, her face scrunched, portraying the obvious question. Agnak, quickly winked through his visage, and continued to relent to Mara's pushing. At last, Agnak thudded his hand against the table, hoping it sounded realistic enough. The children around the table jumped up in the air, eyes wide in amazement, cheering.

Agnak let out a loud sigh, and turned to face Mara. 'You've got some great potential there kid,' Agnak said as the kids continued to crowd around her. 'Maybe I'm just getting too old for this stuff. You youngsters seem like you can fill my position easily enough someday,' he said with a grin on his face. [Bluff check: 27] Of course, few of the kid were paying any attention, but those who did, looked up at Agnak, admiration gleaming in their eyes. Noticing that the group was leaving them behind, they quickly turned and scampered back to the group, cheering Mara's name in an offbeat tune. As they exited the tavern and turned down the street, they had already starting up a fantastic game of tag.

Mara glanced back towards Agnak, and mouthed the words 'Thank you.' Agnak winked and smirked back, happy to know that she was old enough to see through the ridiculousness of his act there. The parents of the children glanced over and smiled slightly at Agnak, knowing he had let her win. He looked out into space for a moment, then turned back towards his meal and continued to eat, much happier than he had been before.

OOC:

I'm hoping with that amazing listen check I rolled, I get to hear more closely about this tragedy story that going around.

Rolls:

Spot: 21
Listen: 28
Bluff: 27
Strength Check: 26

[Brainpiercing]

[ooc: No offence, but can we cut that off after "Then, as soon as the children.... they began." I must admit I had slightly other plans... But you might be able to use some of it, anyways.]

With the way the people were talking, Agnak couldn't really figure out more about the tragedy other than that a young couple had died in Lundeth, leaving behind a baby. How they had died was a mystery.

Mara

With her tiny hand in Agnak's huge grip Mara put on a look of serious concentration. And then, something hit Agnak like lightning through his arm. Waves of weakness washed through him. And Mara pushed with all her might - little as it was, in spite of her heritage. Strangely enough it seemed she knew exactly what she was doing.

[You take a -10 penalty to Str, no save, for one round. Mara's Str check: 1D20 + 1 = 9]

[Brainpiercing]

[ooc: I'm having to upgrade my hooks ]

With the arm-wrestle over the bar quickly went back to its usual bustle. Until the next interuption. The door opened, and a Ladydove Militia Sergeant entered, in full armor (but minus a polearm), and a stern look on his face. Behind him were ten guards, equally armored, but also lacking their usual polearms. Instead, they bore wooden batons. Their faces showed apprehension.
The Sergeant walked over to the barkeep and began talking quietly with him.

[Pan-Fried Hamster]

Tynien cast a sidelong glance at the militia sergeant, his ears perking up in an attempt to discern the conversation [listen = 3].  Unfortunately, a sudden argument on the far side of the tavern quickly drowned out the exchange.

He briefly entertained the thought of moving through the crowd to see what all the talk was regarding Lundeth, but with the guards there he doubted anyone would feel particularly talkative.  He took another look at them [Aura = 7 vs ??].  They were clustered around the door, nervously waiting for the sergeant to finish having his say.  Tynien glanced at the man [Aura = 11 vs ??], then returned quietly to his drinking.

------------ Rolls ------------

Listen check on conversation: 1d20+1 = 3
Aura check vs guards: 1d6+6 = 7
Aura check vs sergeant: 1d6+6 = 11

[Smudgy]

Standing up from his finished meal, Agnak glanced over at the man at the counter. He judged the severity of the situation [Aura Check vs. Sergeant: 15 vs. his], wondering if it was anything he should be worried about. Even if it wasn't, his tendency to be curious, which he had gained from his mother, often came to the fore in times of trouble.  He tried to listen in on the conversation, but from the distance he was at, he couldn't catch much at all. [ Listen Check: 9, natural one ] He would have to move closer.

Glancing down at the empty beer stein next to him, and idea started froming in his head. He had drunken a good deal of alcohol, but in moderation, and had kept himself in check. Though that's not what he wanted the sergeant to believe. Agnak stood from his table, grabbed the wooden spoon he was so kindly supplied with by the friendly tavern maidens, and sauntered towards the bar. He grunted as he planted himself down on a barstool, seven seats away from the two. He waved his hand at Selan, the bartender's name he had heard from eating his meal.

'Eshcuse me. Bartender? Can I get n' ale down here, eh? I ashked fer n' ale wi'the food, not summin' sorta water'red down apple juish!' His eyes widened in surprise, as if he had just noticed the sergeant staring balefully at him the whole time.

'Oh ho ho! Eshcuse me occifer! Inneruptin' yer busyness n' all. I kin wait n'till yer all done speakin'. My apolergies.' Agnak turned back towards the wall behind the bar, looking down at the spoon he had brought with him. He started to spin and twirl it dumbly in his hands, all the while humming an obnoxious little tune, a little too loudly for anyone nearby to be comfortable with. [ Bluff check: 27 vs. Sense Motive ]

Satisfied that his ruse had worked, he continued to twirl his spoon as he focused in on and listened to the muttered conversation. [ Listen Check: 18 ]

[Rolls]

Aura Check vs Sergeant (15 vs. ?)
Bluff Check: 27
Listen Checks: 9, 18

[Brainpiercing]

The sergeant gave Agnak a cold stare [Aura check 10 vs. Agnak's 15], which turned wary somewhere in the middle, but ignored him further. With a wave of a hand the Barkeep sent a bar maid to take care of Agnak's request, while he went on listening to the Sergeant. Unfortunately, the sergeant was whispering, so Tynien was too far away to hear him properly.

'It's a precaution, thass all. We're not doing anything to them. But the council said to be serious about this. They have two frickin' wights running around Lundeth because of this, and they can't find them. All because of that drunkard priest, who didn't manage to consecrate his own graveyard...'
The barkeep Selan, a large man who had probably been quite strong, once, but had now surrounded his muscles with considerable amounts of flab, grunted with little understanding. His reply was a very poorly contained whisper, quite a bit louder than the Sergeant's. Some fragments naturally drifted to where Tynien was sitting, and Agnak had no trouble at all understanding.
'What's it got to do with me? You want to me ROUND UP me customers? PEACEFUL customers, mind you. CHILDREN. Look, Holden, we go a quite a way back. I patted your head when you were about THIS HIGH. You 'n' your matees always came when I called, when there was trouble afoot. But... seriously. DETAINMENT of peaceful customers... I don't buy it. When they make trouble I'll buy it... Until then, you're on your own.'
Holden's face was pained, and his agitation showed in the rising volume of his whisper.
'It's BECAUSE they're not making trouble that I need you. NOONE ever heard about such a thing around here. But these CHILLUN, they can KILL PEOPLE. Just like that. And if they kill people they'll not STAY DEAD. If we don't find'em the frickin' UN-DEAD will walk the streets again.'
Big Jim's resolve seemed to weaken.
'How do you KNOW it's the children. And where will you be taking them?'
Holden shrugged. 'It's that priest. When he woke up from his drunken stupor he communed, or summat. We'll take 'em to the HOLDING CELLS. We don't HAVE any other place.'

At that moment there was a high-pitched shriek from a door behind the bar, and then a little boy of about four came running out, bawling his eyes out. His mother sprang up and immediately ran over to comfort her child. After a short moment the little boy burst out, 'It's Dold..... it's Dold.... we snuck in the cellar... playing dungeon adventure... then we were fighting... and now... and now... he's not waking up...'

Holden's built up agitation released itself in a loud CRACK of baton on barstool. His finger was in Selan's face. 'I TOLD YOU SO, I TOLD YOU...' he swung around and shouted at his troop. 'ROUND'EM UP. No more dawdling. GET TO IT.' The guards, shocked by the sudden change of atmosphere, but still with a great deal of uncertainty, set themselves in motion towards the families, who in turn, equally shocked, began backing up behind tables and chairs. Holden himself rushed over towards the crying little boy....

Guard Auras:
6, 9, 10, 11, 9, 10, 8, 9, 6, 5

[Pan-Fried Hamster]

Tynien watched intently as guardsmen began approaching the families.  As best as he could tell from the snatches of conversation he'd caught, they were rounding up children for...killing people?  Something about undead, as well.  He briefly wondered if it had anything to do with the heavily-armed pair that he'd run into at the temple.  This might call for looking into, especially if it would help his standing with the church...

Regardless, he wasn't sure he liked where things were going.  The guards certainly seemed quite capable, but he doubted any of the mothers were about to let their children go to a bunch of baton-wielding militia, especially with the way the soldiers were looking at the kids.  Fear and superstition did dangerous things to people, and humans seemed particularly susceptible.  It wouldn't take much for a warning strike to turn into a deadly blow, followed by a one-sided massacre.  Adding the half-dragon to the mix just added more unpredictability.

This definitely wasn't a good place to be.

He briefly contemplated heading for the door, but one of the guards was standing fast, glancing around uncertainly to make sure none of the families tried running for it.

Tynien scanned the room.  There were some stairs leading to the upstairs lodgings, they might be an option.  Then he noticed the cellar the little boy had just fled from.  He took another quick look to see if the barkeep or any of the guards were thinking the same thing...

[Smudgy]

Agnak sensed things were getting out of hand. This sergeant was too suspicious for his own good, not to mention for the people around him.  He glanced over at the exit. A guard stood there, looking rather unsure of himself. Agnak could have easily bowled his way through him, but he wasn't looking to escape.  He had to learn more before he took any serious actions. Undead children? Escaped wights? Dead kid in the basement? There seemed to be a lot more that needed looking into. He looked around at all of the children. None of them looked undead, but it was hard to tell, considering they were all clutching their faces into their mother's dresses. [Spot Check: 10]

Agnak stood from his stool, and walked through the chaos towards Sergeant Holden. The man was crouched down, talking quietly, but rather harshly, to the crying child. He seemed to be trying to get as much information as he could out of the child. He was hardly in the mood to do anything except be held by his mother, who stooped next to him, whispering and cooing into his ear, trying desperately to calm him down. Standing a good deal off to the side, Agnak keened his ears towards the child speaking, wanting to know more before he decided to help. [listen Check: 26]

Rolls

Spot: 10
Listen:26

[Pan-Fried Hamster]

Most of the guards were watching Agnak warily as he approached their sergeant.  Taking the opportunity, Tynien moved quietly from his spot at the bar, picking up his weapon from where it had been leaning against a support post [Move Silently = 12].  With a slight nod at the bartender, he stepped through the cellar door.  He allowed his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light, then glanced down the stairs, looking for Dold's body [Spot = 3].

------------ Rolls ------------

Move Silently: 1d20+3 = 12
Spot: 1d20+1 = 3

------------ OOC ------------

What's down there?  I should be able to see just fine in the dark...though am I ever having the worst luck on my Spot/Listen rolls.  Doesn't help that they're untrained.  =P

[Brainpiercing]

The children all seemed quite alive, with the possible exception of Dold, who was also not present. The barkeep payed no attention whatsoever to Tynien walking behind his bar and towards the cellar door - he was busy trying to defuse the standoff between guards and customers. The trouble for Tynien was that he had reckonned without Dold's mother, who, after a moments confusion came charging through the cellar doors behind him, with little regard to her own OR to Tynien's safety. Her mind must have just ignored the fact that someone else had entered the cellar in front of her, because she just barged into the hapless woodelf from behind. If Tynien was not careful both of them would take a nosedive down the steps.

There were few things Agnak could learn from the little boy. He was bawling, his mother was trying at the same time to soothe him and to fend off Holden, who kept asking the both of them to come along with him without raising a ruckus. The ruckus was of course already in full swing, with families protesting vehemently to their offspring being towed off by the guards. The guards themselves were NOT happy to even have to do such a task. None of the guards were known for squeamishness, but Ladydove had specific laws. Basically they never had to oppose peaceful citizens, and the citizens generally respected the militia. The militia in turn cherished this respect, since it meant friendly greetings and perhaps a free drink now and then in one of the town taverns. So far it hadn't come to blows, but there hadn't been any progress, either.

Holden was in a dilemma, too. He could have just grabbed the boy, but if he was honest with himself he just didn't dare. If the boy had really just killed his playmate, then chances were pretty high he could kill Holden, too. And Holden liked his life. But he also knew his duty. There was not much to be done except try to convince people to come with him peacefully...

Tynien: make a Balance check DC 10 to stay on your feet. If you fail you fall down the stairs with Dold's mother.

Agnak: You can hear everything just fine. There's just not much information to be had.

[Pan-Fried Hamster]

Tynien had barely caught a glimpse of the darkness below when he felt someone barrel into him from behind.  He spun his arms for a moment, tilting the haft of his ranseur abruptly to re-center himself [Balance: 18].

"Let me through!  Let me through!"

He barely managed to sidestep the shoves of Dold's mother as she fought frantically to get by him, then he watched as she charged down the stairs to the basement.  Inwardly chiding himself for his short-sightedness, he hurried down after her.

------------ Rolls ------------

Balance: 1d20+3 = 18