The War of Three Kings — IC

[Fialova]

"That will do, then," Adrian says. "It's better than the same old Tulrissian ales I've been drinking for gods know how long," he continues. "I'll take one, biggest glass you got."

[Namelessjake]

The bartender replies to Adrian with a nod and begins pouring him a large tankard of a thick dark ale with a foamy head, placing it on the bar for him once it's ful.

"Aye" he then responds to Wes, beginning to prepare a clay pitcher of ale for a soldiers. A few moments you see him take it over to the soldiers and exchange a few words before setting the pitcher down on the table the soldiers are sat around.

"Cheers Lad!" One of them shouts at Wes from across the room, raising his glass to the Arcane knight. The others follow suit raising their glasses too. "And to King Jorran! Long may he reign!" One of them toasts, the others ethusiastically repeating the toast before finishing off their drinks to start on Wes' pitcher.

[Scratcherclaw]

Wes grins at his well-received round, placing a handful of coin on the counter before making his way towards the group of soldiers. "Aye, to King Jorran!" he returns. "And to all his loyal soldiers. I thought I'd send my regards for doing right by the King. Mind if I join you?"

OOC

[SHOW]

I dunno what the pitcher cost but he never named a price so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Namelessjake]

OOC

[SHOW]

Your tab is like 2 gold. Drinks aren't exactly expensive

[ratwizard]

Brannik quietly chuckles to himself. "The brash young lad," he says to his companions at the table. "Let's keep an eye out but leave him be for now. Give him time to work his magic."

[Namelessjake]

Wes

[SHOW]

"By all means - pull up a chair," the soldier who had started the toast replies. "What Lord do you fight for? You don't look like one of ours," Another says, once you're sat down, clearly noticing your armour and sword.

[Fialova]

"Cheers," Adrian says to the bartender, raising his large drink to the man before taking a swig from it. He turns and leans against the counter, facing out towards the rest of the patrons. While his companions mingle and schmooze with the soldiers, he tries to see if anyone in the room seems uncomfortable with the soldiers' presence, or otherwise potentially subversive.

Chloë meanwhile nods along as Wes goes to mingle with the soliders. "He is certainly good at stroking their egos," she responds to Brannik. "But that is not always enough to get intel. If he starts to falter, I can always add a little charm as well," she adds with a sly grin.

OOC

[SHOW]

Adrian is just kinda gauging the room, let me know if you want a check here.

[Scratcherclaw]

Wes grins, taking the soldier's advice and pulling up a chair around the fire. He quietly sighs, not having relaxed for quite some time. "Aye, I'm from out west, in Menora. Lord Cumberland would send his regards, I'm sure." He taps the hilt on his waist. "I'm an Arc-knight, if you're familiar," he adds with a wide grin, always having been proud of the achievement.

[ratwizard]

"Charm, hm? As long as we don't give them cause for concern." Brannik rubs at a blood spatter on his knee from their prior engagement.

[Fialova]

"Who would be concerned if a lovely young woman just so happened to find their jokes hilarious and their war stories enthralling?" Chloë asks, her sly grin still streaking across her face. "Why, I'm sure they get that all the time from the townfolk in the places they pass through. It would be no different," she continues. "At least, not that they'd know."

[ratwizard]

Brannik sighs deeply. "You're right, you're right. You just know how it goes for me. I worry." He eyes the soldiers subtly, watching Wes chat with them. "Not for our safety, mind you. For theirs."

[Namelessjake]

Wes

[SHOW]

"You must be quite the warrior then M'lord," one of the men replies.

"He's a knight not a Lord you bleeding dolt - It's Ser," another soldier scolds his companion.

"You must have fought in the Battle of Parth then," the man who had first asked you the question says - ignoring his fellow soldiers' bickering. "From what I heard we were giving Torinn a right good thrashing before Fulsen's host showed up."

"Aye, it's a pity they did too. We could have knocked one pretender out of the war and then send the other skulking back to Peloth. At least now there'll hopefully waste their men fighting each other."

"I wouldn't count on it. No one wants to be the first to make a move against on foe and leave themselves open to the other.

[Scratcherclaw]

Wes chuckles slightly at the two men picturing over his title before turning to the man who'd mentioned Parth. "Aye, I was there. Took quite a battering but I'm still standing today so I've the gods to thank," he says with a grin, thinking back on the aftermath of the battle for the first time in awhile. How different things would be if Adrian and Brannik weren't inclined towards peace.

The arc-knight raises an eyebrow at two soldiers talking. "Have there not been any major skirmishes since then?" he asks, curious if they have any news of the war's progression. "I've been without much information as of late, between recovering and... personal assignments."

[Namelessjake]

Wes

[SHOW]

"Not that we've heard about," One of the soldiers replies.

"The odd patrol will end up in a skirmish with any enemy one but all the main armies seem to be encamped for now," another adds.

"I heard Fulsen was marching on Escham."[/color]

"Bollocks! We'd be marching to kick him in the arse if that was the case!"

Adrian

[SHOW]

You attempt to listen in on the conversations of the other townsfolk in the tavern, but overhear little of interest. Mostly just general gossip but also complaints about rising prices due to supply caravans from the capital being attacked.

[Fialova]

Not seeing much of an outlet to do his own thing, Adrian heads to the table where the others are gathering. "It seems the caravan attacks are recurring," he says as he takes a seat next to Chloë. She smiles as he does so, and moves closer to lean on him. "And each attack means higher prices. We might be best off trying to protect more of them, if we can. Save ourselves some coin by saving everyone else' too."

[ratwizard]

"Save some coin and earn some, too," Brannik adds. "Seems well-intentioned. Besides, people have got to eat, trade needs to happen. It's one way we can help out, even if we're helping get weapons and armor to some of these bastard kings in the process."

[Scratcherclaw]

"Aye, I had one of those skirmishes just today, while escorting a caravan here. I should be glad the main armies aren't on the move then," Wes says, recounting their earlier battle against the riding patrol. That they were so close to Jorran's territory. They're quite bold for lone patrols.

He raises an eyebrow as the one soldier mentions Fulsen's trips being on the move. "Truly? Hm, that's concerning if true. Where'd you hear it from, if I might ask?"

[Fialova]

"Aye," Adrian replies. "Worth the help we're giving to the kings if it means we help the peasantry still get their food, or not be priced gouged into homelessness."

"It seems like a good way to learn more about the army movements and morale as well," Chloë says. "We have already learned so much, and we've barely seen one caravan and one town. Imagine what other intel we could gather if we do this more often," she continues, getting a bit excited about the prospect of expanding their knowledge base.

"That's a good point," Adrian says. "We make some coin, earn some respect from the soldiers, and learn more about their plans. Sounds like a win all around." He gives his paramour a proud smile and slight hug, which she returns in kind.

[ratwizard]

"Good. I like it," Brannik says. "Anything to hamstring the efforts of these tyrants."

[Namelessjake]

Wes

[SHOW]

"Danar. He's posted up in the castle watching prisoners we've taken in the skirmishes," the man replies.

"What would they know about their army's movements from a cell up in Stag's Rest?"

"They would've been told before hand!"

"Yeah, like how we're told? Idiot," the men argue.

[Scratcherclaw]

Mouth beginning to curl at its corners, Wes finds it hard to avoid smirking at the bickering between the two men. Gods, imagine if they'd had more to drink before I came around. Not wanting the men to escalate their tensions, he says, "Now, now, this is hardly the time to be arguing when your mugs are going untouched! Let us celebrate, to good drinks and good friends!"

Not much information to be gleaned from them I guess, but new friends are always nice!

[Namelessjake]

Wes

[SHOW]

"Aye to good drinks and friends both!" One of the man says joining your toast. The others follow suit and after a clatter of tankards and cheering you begin drinking.

You stay and make some more small talk for the duration of the round, before excusing yourself and returning to the others - not that the group pay you leaving much attention as they are already embroiled in another argument over the best breeds of horses.

Everyone Else

[SHOW]

You hear a sudden cheer from across the room and see Wes toasting with the soldiers. A few minutes later he comes back rejoining the five of you.

[Scratcherclaw]

With a relaxed sigh, Wes plops back down near his companions, looking back towards the soldiers for a brief moment with a grin forming as they bicker over horses. He turns back towards the group and leans in and lowers his voice. "Well that was moderately useful. Not been much going on lately, save for skirmishes between patrols. Main armies seem to be encamped," he says, trying to relay his findings to the others. "Though one seemed to believe Fulsen is marching on Escham. I'm unsure how true that might be, given its source."

[ratwizard]

"Escham?" Brannik repeats, raising an eyebrow. "Last I heard, Oakengrove was pledged to Torinn, though Fulsen will be marching through Lorkan land if he brings his troops through the Steppe."

He shrugs. "I suppose it's not the wildest news I've encountered. We should keep our ears to the ground, though. Rising tensions between all three of the bastards could give both us and the Steppefolk even more problems."

[Scratcherclaw]

Wes shrugs at the dwarf's speculations. "It may not be true anyhow, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take it seriously," the Arcknight says, resting his face on his hand. "We can just keep our eyes and ears out, and see what we can learn from caravans as the days go on."

[Fialova]

"If they are marching that direction or not, we'd be wise to steer clear until the dust settles. If they do attack that direction, we will be sure to find more villages plundered and in need of protection from scavengers after. There is nothing we could do for them in the face of an army, though," Adrian says, quietly.

[ratwizard]

"Don't have to tell me twice to steer clear. I think we've all seen the path of misery and death that these armies leave behind."

Brannik eyes the room before turning back to his five companions. "C'mon, lads and lasses. Let's finish our drinks and get gone, hm? We've got a long way back home."

[Scratcherclaw]

"Aye, let's," Wes says to the dwarf, eager to get on the road again. "I look forward to the look on Farryn's face when we return with all he needs."

[Fialova]

Adrian nods, talking a large gulp of his drink to finish it off, before setting it down heavily onto the table. He stands and Chloë follows, the two heading to the door to leave once more.

[ratwizard]

"I'm sure he'll be ecstatic. We take care of our own," Brannik says, downing his drink and standing up from the table. He nods to the bartender as he leaves. Gemma trails behind.

[Namelessjake]

You make you way out of the town easily. The guards are much more concerned with those trying to enter the town than leave it. One of them even wishes you good luck as you pass him on your way out - likely assuming you're headed out on patrol.

It takes a couple of days but you eventually make it back to your base of operations with no further encounters. As you near the cave entrance you spot Owin up in the branches of the large oak tree above the entrance. His bow is trained on you but he lowers it when he sees the approaching figures were the six of you, giving you a nod in greeting.

Heading into the cave system, you find Farryn in the main cavern talking to Rarden and a few of the other newer recruits around the fire.

"Do I spy the tools of my trade poking out of that box?" the elf says when he spots you, his eyes lighting up as he stands to meet you halfway.

[Scratcherclaw]

Wes gives Owin a friendly wave as they finally return to their base of operations. He sighs with relief. It's good to be home. If we can truly consider this place home yet... His mind wanders a moment, spurned back by Farryn's comment. "Aye, that should be everything you asked for," the knight says, beaming at the elf's clear excitement.

[Fialova]

"And we've got some tea as well, so you won't get exclusive use of the fire," Adrian says with a smirk. "But don't worry, I'll share," he continues, making his way into the room and finding a nice cozy-looking spot to sit. Ah, good to be able to relax in a safe place.

"Anything interesting happen while we were out?" he asks the others, curious to know the goings-on of the camp. Hopefully some work got done here as well. We can't be the only ones being productive.

[ratwizard]

"Aye, some tools, some books, some other goods." Brannik sets his pack down on a nearby surface and begins unloading everything. "You never told me you're an author," the dwarf says, beaming in admiration. "The Art of the Crucible. Quite impressive. You know they had your book there, in some backwater shop in Gresham? Small world."

OOC

[SHOW]

Adding to the inventory of our Cave Base:

Household Supplies

2 x Wolf Pelt
2 x Fox Pelt
1 x Boar Pelt
Assorted Carpenter's Tools
Chain 10 ft
Hempen Rope 50ft
2 x Lantern
6 x Pint of Oil
12 x Candles
2 x Soap
1 x Razor
Tackle Box
Teapot
6 x Cups

Alchemy Gear
Boduik Khegrotir's Alchemical Codex
A Study of the Flora and Fauna of Voreld And Their Properties by Arel Araran
The Alchemist's Handbook by Nils Harwhent
Alchemist Supplies:
— Calcinator
— Alembic
— Vials
— Mortar & Pestle
— Stirring Rods
— Tongs

[Namelessjake]

"I'm a man of many talents my Dwarven friend. That is interesting though," Farryn says as Brannik mentions his book. "I've only ever sold copies in Menora. I wonder how it got there," he continues, taking the box of supplies and begining to unpack it.

"Not too much happened while you were gone I'm afraid. I took a few of the lads out to a couple of villages but there weren't enough of us to scare off more than common thieves," Ser Rarden replies to Adrian. "It's still some good at least," he adds.

As you finish unpacking the other supplies. Farryn is already at work with a mortar and pestle and soon has several concoctions bubbling away on the fire. A while later he hands you each a small vial containing a dark and rich red coloured liquid. "The first of many hopefully - as long as I can keep my inventory of reagents stocked," he says with a smile.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Quest Complete! Alchemy for Beginners
Gain 1 Potion of Healing each

You can now buy the following potions from Farryn, up to a limit of 3 per turn. You can pay for them with your own money or with Fausta's Shield's group funds.

Potion of Cure Light Wounds 80 gp
Potion of Resistance 160 gp
Potion of Water Walking 160 gp
Potion of Clarity 200 gp
Potion of Elven Fleetness 200 gp
Potion of Friendship 200 gp
Potion of Healing 200 gp
Potion of Spectral Form 200 gp
Potion of Spirit 200 gp

You will be able to reduce Farryn's prices, increase the numbers of potions he can supply each turn, and expand his range of potions by completing further quests for him.

[ratwizard]

"Common thieves can be good training, if anything. Speaking of," Brannik says to Ser Rarden. "With the latest supplies and funds we picked up, I think it might be time to look for some new recruits. We're never going to get anywhere if it's just the dozen of us here, fighting against thousands."

The dwarf shrugs. "Course, there's always that raiding party that we need to track down." He sighs. I only just returned and I'm already planning for the next trip out.

[Fialova]

"Training is good, nice work Ser Rarden," Adrian replies to the man, with a smile and a slight nod. "No amount of good is too small. We are still building a reputation, and once strong enough just our presence should be enough to scare away many ne'er-do-wells."

As Brannik brings up recruitment, he turns his attention to the dwarf. "Aye, that would be wise. If you don't mind, I will leave that to you. I would like to continue to focus on aiding Chloë in building our spy network, however. The more knowledge we can glean about the surrounding areas with our spies, the more we will be able to help prevent attacks before they occur rather than react to them after."

[Scratcherclaw]

"We might want to get to work sprucing up our base of operations if we're to get new recruits," Wes says, glancing around their cave that's still lacking the touches of home. "It would be good for morale, I should think." Living in a desolate cave hardly inspires me with confidence, after all.

[ratwizard]

"The pelts and home goods I brought back should help some," Brannik adds. "Though I imagine I'm one of the few here that don't mind living under topsoil for a change. We'll need some sort of longer-term solution, but I'm at a loss for ideas there."

He turns to Adrian. "A better spy network may trump all, now that you mention it. No use in recruiting or sprucing up our base of operation if we're taken off-guard by an errant patrol of soldiers."

[Scratcherclaw]

"Rugs, banners, and some proper furnishings may go a long way in time," Wes says as the dwarf is at a loss over sprucing up their base of operations. "Proper beds, eventually. Perhaps we might recruit a carpenter at some point," he says, his mind calculating for a moment.

The knight nods along to Adrian and Brannik. "Aye, reliable intel never hurts. We can't rely on a handful of drunk soldiers for information."

[Fialova]

"We've already made some headway in the last few weeks," Adrian responds to the others. "I won't say no to more help in expanding, though there is also no reason we couldn't divide our efforts as well. A better living space will definitely help in keeping recruits satisfied, I agree, and I'd be happy for some nice decor as well. The rock walls are not quite my favorite, though it is far better than sleeping in the open sky with no protection from the elements or predators."

[Namelessjake]

Turn 3

"This place will be our very own castle in no time in that case," Rarden laughs, taking a seat by the fire.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Choose a focus and discuss any quests you want to follow up on this turn

Available Foci

[SHOW]

Recruitment
Train Foot
Train Ranged
Train Mounted
Gather Information
Build Spy Network
Visit City

[ratwizard]

OOC

[SHOW]

Brannik will be recruiting this turn.

[Fialova]

"Ha! I wouldn't go that far," Adrian says, before a thought pops into his head. "Though if we were able to find some masons and a source of stone, we could always make one. Very slowly, but in time," he says, his tone suggesting he is speaking mostly in jest.

Turning to his companions, he continues. "So I suppose we should investigate that raiding party we heard about, yeah? I can't think of much else that needs our immediate attention."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Adrian will be working on building the spy network further.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Aye, it'd hardly do to let them continue pillaging the lands and plaguing the people," Wes says to Adrian, knowing it's time to deal with the raiding party.

OOC

[SHOW]

Wes will gather information

[Namelessjake]

"We don't have the strength or the numbers yet to face them in the field, but there'll definitely be ways we can help," Rarden says as the Ostwald raiding party is mentioned. "You're skilled fighters, but maybe not that skilled."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Brannik's Turn Focus: Recruitment - Make two of the following skill checks of your choice Diplomacy/Streetwise/History.

Adrian's Turn Focus: Build Spy Network in Fausta's Steppe - Make two of the following skill checks of your choice Streetwise/Diplomacy/Insight.

Wes' Turn Focus: Gather Information - Make two of the following skill checks of your choice Perception/Bluff/Intimidation.

[Fialova]

"Perhaps," Adrian responds to Rarden. "But boots on the ground will help gather more intel than asking around small villages. Doesn't hurt to check it out. Not like we have any other leads at the moment."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Streetwise: 6

Insight: 23

[ratwizard]

"Not that skilled," Brannik echoes, grinning from ear to ear. "You're right though, Ser Rarden. Let's hope to gather as many men or leads as we can before going to toe-to-toe with those bastards."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Streetwise: 3(1d20) +11 = 14

History: 3(1d20) +3 = 6

[Scratcherclaw]

"Aye," Wes says, nodding with the others as they discuss taking on the raiding party and recruiting further. "Skilled as we may be, ending up with an injury, or worse, would be detrimental to all of our plans." He sighs. "We can hardly afford to be bed-bound again."

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception & Bluff: 17(1d20) +10 = 27; 14(1d20) +2 = 16

[Namelessjake]

"Last we heard they were raiding and burning the villages North of Red Bridge. So not too far from here," Rarden says. "It shouldn't take long to track them down and see what we an do," he adds. "Will it just be the six of you? Or should we take more men?"

End of Turn Mechanics

[SHOW]

Upkeep deducted from supplies.

Adrian: You successfully develop contacts with some merchants sympathetic
to your cause, upgrading you spy network in the Steppe from level 1 to level 2.

Brannik: You find a village recently victim to a soldiers' raid and convince 6 of the angry peasants to join you.

Wes: You hear more about the Fulsen host marching on Escham, however as you continue to investigate you learn that Fulsen has been deploying his network of spies to sow confusion and spread misinformation in the ranks of the other armies.