The rest of the voyage to Waterdeep was as uneventful as the first section of the voyage. Other ships sighted: 3 merchant vessels, 1 diplomatic convoy with 3 ships, and 2 military vessels.
The ship arrives in the Port of Waterdeep in the late morning, after 2 full days of travel. The city seems relatively peaceful, but the port has 6 ships docked when you arrive.
The ship arrives in the Port of Waterdeep in the late morning, after 2 full days of travel. The city seems relatively peaceful, but the port has 6 ships docked when you arrive.
I know that Beranhond had some things he was specifically looking to do. How about the rest of you? Darvin, are you going to be looking for more crew members? Gurkirat, are you looking for a way to make more money so you can pay off your debts? Talathel, are you looking for an audience eager to learn about the Old Ways? Nym, you seem to have a firm idea of where you are going. Is there anything that you want to look for in the city?
ReplyDeleteBeranhond is going to sweep by the temples for any new info, and after that swing by the "castle ward" to see if he can find any information there from the bureaucrats. He is looking for news of any new attacks, any word from the Druids, and the safety of the surrounding countryside.
ReplyDeleteDiplomacy:
Roll(1d20)+8:
18,+8
Total:26
Darvin wants Beranhond to hurry up so that we can go somewhere else...
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, will Darvin be accompanying Beranhond, or doing his own thing?
ReplyDeleteWell, don't worry, hopefully we will head up the river and fight some undead soon.
ReplyDeleteHow much of the crew are you taking with you, Beranhond?
ReplyDeleteAlso, since you already know the priest, you can use the diplomacy check on him, but he'll start out with the demeanor he had before, so he'll most likely help you out. He sees you as an ally.
ReplyDeleteGenerally:
Friends will give you any information you request.
Allies will give you information that is in the common interest of both you and them.
Acquaintances might give you information.
Enemies will not tell you anything that they don't have to.
The diplomacy was mainly for dealing with the bureaucrats.
ReplyDeleteI am taking Scriptus, Codex, and 2 others (Avar and Greg).
It depends on how long we'll stay here what I want to do. Also, despite my best efforts to figure out what The Old Order is, I haven't found much online other than that blurb in the pathfinders book. Do I have free reign here?
ReplyDeleteTalathel:
ReplyDeleteHere's what I could find:
Old Order:
Associated deity: None
Alignment: Lawful neutral, some lawful good but very rarely lawful evil
Multiclass as rogue, sorcerer or shadowdancer (as long as there are more monk levels than combined levels of other classes)
Monks of the Old Order do not worship any deity, but are devoted to the philosophy espoused by a deity who is either now dead or has never existed on the material plane of Toril. The monks contradict themselves on this point, but the deity's identity isn't important to them, it's the message they care about. The Old Order never has huge monasteries, but has spread widely through Faerun.
Stay within that, but other than that, yes, you may have free reign. The message needs to be lawful neutral-oriented, but other than that, yes, you have free reign. You can also find small enclaves of Old Order monks in most cities, as it is rather popular.
At the temple, you find the same priest you had met before, this time tending a small vegetable garden behind the temple. He tells you that sadly Ceilith and her group have still not returned, and that they are expected soon. The loop usually takes 10-12 days, depending on the amount of fighting that takes place, and the group has now been gone for 11 days.
ReplyDeleteIs there anything else you want to ask him?
1. About the Druids at Goldenfields
ReplyDelete2. The Earthquake spell that was cast upon the Lathander Temple
3. His ideas on the mood of the city/surrounding countryside.
4. any recent encounters with the animals/undead in the countryside
5. any encounters with people from thay.
6. any oddities that he has heard about.
7. Other people to ask that could lend more information.
Shortly after Beranhond leaves, a man walks out on the pier and shouts up in an accent that clips the beginnings of his words and makes him sound very rushed to get the words out while still talking slowly, with a grandiose bearing that says he thinks very highly of himself. "Are Talathel or Darvin aboard?"
ReplyDeleteBeranhond:
ReplyDelete1. The druids at goldenfields are still out of communication, and have not responded to any attempts to contact them in more than a month now.
2. "You say it was an earthquake spell that destroyed the city! Wow. That must have been some spell. It is a very rare priest that can call upon Faerun herself to smite their enemies, and to cast it that powerfully requires more than one such person." Give me a spellcraft check, please.
3. The city is a bit tense and frightened but still pretty confident in their leaders' (Waterdeep is a Cryptocracy, led in secret...) ability to handle the city and drive off the attacks.
4. The attacks have died down a little the past couple days. Only 2 rather paltry attacks yesterday (1 undead, 1 beasts), and 1 today (beasts), but they are still happening.
5. No encounters out of the ordinary with Thayvians. There has been a report of a small red wizard's keep set up in some small town nearby, but most large cities are wary of Thay, and won't allow them near.
6. Other than the large numbers of attacks from beasts and undead? Nothing I can think of. I've been pretty preoccupied, though.
7. The administrative head of the temple (named Abraham) could be a good person to ask for more detail on the numbers of the excursions and the exact number and strength of the forces they've encountered. The markets could be a good place to go to find out more about the general mood of the city.
Spellcraft:
ReplyDeleteRoll(1d20)+8:
16,+8
Total:24
Beranhond thanks him and then heads off to the track down the head of the temple to ask for information regarding the excursions, strengths of forces etc. Especially any concerned with anything near the Goldenfields.
You know that the Earthquake spell is a divine spell, and it would take an especially devoted group of priests to create an earthquake of the magnitude that hit Baldur's Gate. (It's a level 8 cleric or druid spell)
ReplyDeleteDan, I will post something tomorrow about the Old Order that will hopefully get me back into the game.
ReplyDeleteAbraham tells you:
ReplyDeleteThe "deep scouting loop" that the group was on involves traveling northwest up the coast until they hit the badlands, then following the edge of the badlands and the Kryptgarden Forest before cutting across to Red Larch, and following the Goldenfields down to the River Dessarin and crossing that, following it back to Waterdeep, skirting the Ardeep Forest. Small forays into the wastelands and forests are customary, and often the group will travel farther along the roads, scouting to look for any trouble.
The paladins and clerics at the temple here have been rather depleted with a plague to the east and the earthquake in Baldur's Gate, as well as some political upheaval in Luskan, so the garrison is taxed to the limit by this war against the beasts and undead. There are 64 clerics and paladins based at Waterdeep currently, but only 37 of them are true fighters. The rest are healers, administrators, and smiths, etc.
They have not really been able to pin down the numbers of the enemy. Some attacks make it seem like they should just overwhelm the city easily, and other times it seems as if they find no resistance whatsoever. The variable resistance has them currently puzzled. (That was an intentional horrible electrical engineering pun.)
The goldenfields and Kryptgarden forest are the places that they have run into the most trouble recently, most attacks coming when they are deep into the hills or trees and unable to easily retreat.