The Fiddleplayers Son

Game Master Chewbaccawakka

A game of loss and restoration.


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Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

Sparks gives the bartender an annoyed look, takes a sip of "tea", if it can be called that, then pushes it away in distaste. She has half a mind to criticize the barkeeper, his attitude, and his "tea" but stays with the issue at hand.

"There are four of us," she says, with a quick sneer in Langlbade's direction, "and two locations where we might start our search. I would suggest we split into pairs then meet back up... here? Or maybe the job board? It is more central..."


Female Human Fighter 2

"Look Mrs Priss-pants, I understand counting might be on the difficult side for you. But five is the number of experienced adventurers here." The fighter pauses as she considers the archers garb and lack of equipment. "Actually, you're right. There ARE exactly four of us."

Langblade plants her feet solidly on the dirty wooden floor. "If you want to help us find the boy. Well and good. Otherwise, Fletcher, leave the profession to the professionals."

"I'm going to go check out the clearing James was-" She casts a quick look at Leah, "is fond of. If any of you want to follow, be my guest." She starts towards the door.

Uh oh! Looks like Langblade wants to be in the party! If you've anything to say on the matter, now would be the time! :D


The bartender looks at Umros with open distaste, but after a moment his face softens a bit and thick hands swipe up the gold pieces. "The boy, 'es a good kid. 'E wouldn't just leave Le-" He pauses a little self-consciously, " 'Is mother like that." His eyes narrow and he looks to the windows facing the Naerenth Forest. "Something took 'im, for sure." His face scrunches in anger. "Some fooken bastard, or bogey, or..." His tone quiets substantially, as if he's wary of saying the word. "monster."

His face returns more or less to it's aloof neutral and he finishes with; "A good kid. You find 'im, alright? You find James."


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

Sparks sits cowed for a long moment as Langblade moves to the door... but then she cocks her head to the side and the biggest grin breaks out on her face.

"Ma'am, we do not yet know where you live. If you would please tell us your address, which house your son's friend lives in, and where, exactly, we might find this field the four of us will get started."


Male Half-Elf Fighter 3 (AC: 20, 30/30hp) / 31g 44s 85c

Cath cracks a wry smile when Sparks points out Langblade's error. “Good point, that. Although I recommend that we don't split up. Let's go see if this Tammy knows anything, then we can go to the clearing.”

You two,” he says, looking at elf and the fighter, “are going to have to figure this out on the way.”

The half-elf finishes his coffee and stands to leave, dropping a couple coppers on the bar in the process.

“Ma'am, we'll do our best to find your son. You have my word.”


Female Human Fighter 2

Perception DC 5:
Though you can only see her from the back, the tips of the fighters ears have turned a bright red.

Langblade doesn't turn from the door but she grunts in acknowledgement to the wisdom of the suggestion.


The old gnome raises one of his overlong eyebrows at the barkeep’s stammering behavior.
Sense Motive 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23, what is his actual relation to Leah and James?

“I’ve tracked the Questing Beast for one hundred miles. I’ve found a needle in a haystack (though I was sleeping at the time). I’ll help find the boy, certainly. But it will be up to James if he wants to come home.”
Bluff 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Bluff DC 15:

Umros is joking about the Questing Beast. It is a made-up creature. Yay jokes!

Smiling, he clambers down from the chair and lugs the great load back onto his shoulders. Resuming his hunched posture, he ambles slowly toward the door. Peering up at the warrior woman, he grins. “I never ask for directions either. But then again, I never know where I’m going...” He offers up a sideways smirk, and waits just outside the door for everyone else.

The prankster in him knows fate to be a fellow joker, and coincidence has a way of following the old gnome. He scans the town from the road in front of The Hole, just in case James comes wandering into town at that exact moment. Perception 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Umros Whippoorwill idly begins to whistle the tune of his namesake.


Female Human Wizard 2

'So I'm an experienced adventurer,' Tainesh thinks. It looks like the explorer's garb is paying off. The young woman who has never so much as cast a spell at an unwilling target sips her tea to hide her smile and sizes up her... companions? It seems as if they were all going to undertake this task, so it makes sense to work together.

Cath was clearly a half-elf who had led a hard life. If only Tainesh was experienced enough to pick up the clues on his person, she could read his whole life story. But she can see that his clothes are worn and not cared for, which suggests more than habitual poverty. And as he drinks his coffee, she sees fine cuts from blades and messier lumps of scar tissue on his knuckles. He definitely knew his way around a fight.

Mkali Moto Kipande (Bright Glowing Flakes? I suppose 'Sparks' is an adequate translation, but 'Floating Embers' or 'Motes of Light' would have been closer. Both of which make for a more cumbersome given name than Sparks. Oh well.) also looked to have fallen on hard times, judging again from her clothing. Hers were the clothes of someone who worked on a shop floor. Sawdust and slivers of wood cling to the folds of her flannel shirt, betraying her current occupation as a carpenter of some stripe. But the bow in her hands was crafted by a master, and wouldn't be carried by someone who didn't know how to use it.

Umros Thousandnames Whooperwill was obviously a cleric. He was slinging around divine magic and didn't have the look of a druid, so the wooden charms on his bracelet had to be a holy symbol. That excited her. Most mages cared not a whit for how and why their spells worked- even Master Halungalom had been a bit too quick to wave his hands and declare a thing done because he had done it. But a spellcaster with access to the divine spells denied to her had to have fresh insights into the nature of magic. And hadn't he said he was an alchemist? She had heard glass vials clinking together when he dug through his pack.

That left... Langblade. Setting aside the trip, which had been fair game even if it was painful and humiliating, she was brash and arrogant and had a tongue so sharp she could cut her steak with it. Langblade's whole manner suggested that her parents really wanted a boy, and they were probably left unsure as to whether that wish had been fulfilled. But she was wearing heavier armor than Cath possessed and she knew her way around with a sword. He, er, she had to be valuable in a fight.

One thousand divided by four was two hundred and fifty. One thousand divided by five was two hundred. Cath, Sparks and Umros were all keepers. Langblade was, at the very worst, yet another warm body standing between Tainesh and whatever lurked in the forest. Wasn't that worth a mere fifty gold pieces?

"You're with us, Langblade." she says as she sneaks a look at Sparks. 'Fletcher? Not a carpenter? I've seen her before...'

While this is running through her head, the wizard is scribbling more notes on the parchment. She frowns at the bartender's statement, and adds a to-do column.
Ask Langblade for the job notice... and a first name.

She finishes her tea and says "We'll find your son. He will be returned to your house within a day."

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 15
Bluff: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 Unacceptable.

Knowledge: Local: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Knowledge: Nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Knowledge: Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Knowledge: Arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Knowledge: History: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Much better.

"I am quite certain," she says to Umros as she grabs her quarterstaff and makes for the doorway. "That there is no such thing as the Questing Beast."


Umros:
All the sudden everything seems to fall into place. The bartenders attitude towards Umros makes perfect sense now. Though you don't know their formal relationship, it's obvious that the bartender feels something towards this woman. Umros doesn't think that he's the father of James, but it's entirely possible that he's been acting like a surrogate for some time.

As the group prepares to leave, Elenath looks up once more. "Yes, my home is just down the block on the left. Red door. Here." She offers up a heavy iron key, presumably the key to her home. Cath takes it as he rises from the table. "And the clearing where James would play, it's only a couple hundred meters into the woods. East of our home." She seems much more calm now. Now that she knows people are actually investing effort into finding her lost son.

She actually stands to see the adventurers off, pressing down her homespun dress to smooth the wrinkles she says to Cath. "If you need anything, or to reach me. I will most likely be here. I... I play music, at night. Reynold has been so supportive these past weeks." She looks with no small amount of affection to the bartender still silently cleaning the same glass, for the fifth time since the group entered.

Okay, I'm pressed for time, so I'll get the next segment up later tonight. At this point if you want to describe leaving the bar to do whatever, go ahead. Promise there'll be more up later tonight.


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

Sparks gives a frown to her garments when Elenath notes that the clearing her son ventured to is actually some distance into the woods. With the key in their possession the others begin to leave and Sparks follows for a few moments before summoning the nerve to speak up.

"Um... I had a client cancel on me this morning, or rather I received word that they did, which is why I'm not..." she stops and takes a breath then says, "What I mean to say is that while a few hundred yards into the woods doesn't sound like much it is still best to be prepared, and I am not. If you could wait... I have better gear and arrows and equipment back at the room I rent but it will take me thirty minutes or more likely an hour to gather my things...

The elf looks earnestly at the other adventurers and tries to explain, "I want to be a part of this... finding the boy will help him and his mother, naturally, but the payment would help me and more importantly my family immeasurably and I would just like some assurance I won't be left behind."


If you guys have good-byes to say in the bar, go ahead and count this post in its proper timing.

The whistling gnome, still by the door, catches the last of what the young half-elf girl has to say. He pats the rolled up tent strapped to his overbearing load. “That’s why I keep my home with me,” he smiles, adding with a nod, “I think we have some looking around town to do first before venturing into the forest. Maybe you could catch up with us before we leave Sharlstown?” Umros had doubts that it would take as long as an hour for her to get her things, but then again he never really paid close attention to the exact size of this backwater settlement. Not to mention, he knew he lacked the patience to wait in one spot for an hour. He gestures reassuringly, "I won't leave town until you get back to us."

He turns to the others as they exit the tavern, oblivious to the directions and the key given by the mother. “Shall we start at James’ house? Or Tammy’s? Friends know a different side of a person than their parents, so I’m willing to bet Tammy has at least a clue or two.”
The wandering alchemist wonders idly if he sold any tonics or reagents to the Elanath household or to a family with a child named “Tammy”.

Umros has been to Sharlstown a good number of times, done a lot of business with a lot of people. Knowledge (local) 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10, to recall the location of one of the houses, if not both.


Male Half-Elf Fighter 3 (AC: 20, 30/30hp) / 31g 44s 85c

“Aye, we'll talk to Tammy and meet you at the house with the red door in half an hour or so. But, before you go…” Cath says with an edge of sternness. “We should talk business right here and now, while we're all here. I've learned in the past that leaving these sort of arrangements up in the air only leads to trouble down the road. If we find the boy, one thousand gold pieces split five ways is two hundred for each of us. Even split, no funny business.” As he finishes, the fighter holds his right hand out in a fist at belt-level. “Sound fair?” he asks the group, making eye contact with each in turn.

Cath wants everyone to put their hands in the middle to make a pact of sorts.


Female Human Fighter 2

Not as good as the thousand. Langblade considers the others arrayed before her. But two-hundred is better than nothing. She puts her hand in and nods. "That's fair."

Hey guys, I could do a proper post still later tonight, if y'all want. But I figure I'll give you the time to get in on the go-team! bit. Might wait till tomorrow morning.


Female Human Wizard 2

Tainesh shrugs at Spark's request. "Our word of honor that we won't leave you behind is the only assurance you'll get," she says before wondering if that sounded too harsh. "We'll wait for you... actually, I think I'll walk with you. I have questions about the forest, and you sound like you would know a great deal."

She halts in her tracks when Cath demands to talk business, and assents to his conditions.

'Two hundred gold pieces is still very good money for a day or two of work... though I'll have to keep scroll expenditure to a minimum. If we get in trouble, I'll easily expend more than the reward will cover if I'm not careful.'

"Fair enough," she says as she places her fist on Cath's.

"By the way," she says as something strikes her. She turns to Langblade. "May I see the job notice?"


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

"Yes, an even split sounds fair," Sparks says. It takes her a moment to understand what the others are doing with their hands but once she realizes she forms a fist of her own and confidently, or at feigning confidence, places it among the others... then she can't help but giggle happily.

'I've always wanted to do something like this..." she says. "Like 'Knights of Valor' or, or those stories of that far off king and his knights who met at the circular table."

Once Tainesh and Sparks are back on the street:

"Thank you for standing up for me," Sparks says as she leads the way back towards the town square. "That Langblade was... imposing... and I do not always do such a good job defending myself."

"I am curious about one thing. With the way you were expertly taking down notes inside, in some language I've never seen, I am a little surprised you did not suggest we write out a contract. It might not have been completely official without the proper seals and witnesses, but it seems like it would have been better than nothing?"

The house Sparks rents a room at is back through the square and to the <picks a direction at random> right. Only about a ten minute walk but then she needs to change into her armor, and pack her pack. Then there's be the walk back to where they are going... so at least 30 minutes all told


Female Human Fighter 2

The warrior rolls her eyes, but chuckles at Clearpath's enthusiasm. At the wizards request she turns. "Eh? Oh, yeah. Here." She pulls the crumpled paper and hands it to Tainesh.

Job Posting:

Have you seen my son?

James Elenath went missing the second new moon of the season from his home in Sharlstown.

Family is willing to pay 1,000GP for his safe return.

Please see Leah Elenath at The Hole tavern in Sharlstown.

Under the text is a drawing of a young boy with close cropped dark hair. A small birthmark is on his right jawline, and he appears to have light-colored eyes.


Female Human Wizard 2

"Thank you, Tainesh says as she takes the note.
Profession: Scribe: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
As a scribe, what does Tainesh notice? Is the writing neat and clean? Is the ink blotted, perhaps from tears? Just wondering if Leah wrote it or if someone wrote it for her.

Once Tainesh and Sparks are back on the street:

'Grow up with four brothers,' Tainesh thinks. 'You get used to it.'

"It's not another language at all; it's shorthand. It's just a form of writing that has been streamlined so that you can write as fast as a person can talk. As for contracts... Both Cath and Langblade seem like the kind to distrust them. In the work I've done for Master Halungalom, I've met traders who become very cagey and reserved when there is talk of putting a deal to paper."

The wizard pauses in thought. "My first instinct was that those traders were trying to cheat me, but then I realized that they were afraid of being cheated themselves. They feared that something in writing would have some obscure rule or clause that would force them to abide by an agreement they didn't understand."

"So, about the forest. There is, of course, dangerous occupants like bear and panthers and wovles, but I am given to understand that there are also fey?"


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

Knowledge, Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Knowledge, Geography: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Knowledge, Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Profession, Hunter: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Rolling EVERYTHING in hopes of getting something else intelligent to say. In the meantime I've got this:

"Some of the fey-est thing I ever knowingly interacted with was a family of Gnomes. When I was a child. Um... I suppose it would have been forty years ago... We played. We explored. They taught me to write and speak their language. I taught them mine. Children of the forest, or something like that I suppose."

"As for dangers..." Sparks hesitates a bit but then explains why. "I have never told anybody this, not even my parents," she says slowly. "They had always told me not to explore too far to the north, but never why. I'm not sure they even knew for sure... just that it was dangerous." The elf pauses again and a slight shiver passes through her body as she recalls the memory.

"Some twenty years ago I had ventured further north than I ever had before. Three days and miles and miles. Not the furthest I'd been from home, but close, and far enough that I was going to run myself out of food and would need to forage a little on the way back. Up ahead of me, maybe thirty or forty yards away, I spotted the most beautiful wolf I had ever seen. It was fit, and healthy, and had the most beautiful coat. I wanted it. So I stalked behind it as carefully as I knew how for more than an hour, slowly drawing closer. Then, after it lead me into a steep walled clearing it turned... and so did the five, six, seven, eight, nine other members of its pack following ahead of it. The ones I hadn't known were there. But they'd known I was. They'd been hunting me.

Sparks stops to take a shaky breath and continues. "I knew I was dead," she says simply. "Wolves can be very smart, and these had been smarter than me. Against two or three... maybe even four... I might have had a chance. Against ten? With nowhere to run?" She just closes her eyes and shakes her head. "But then something changed. I don't know what they saw, or heard, or smelled, but the entire pack's attention shifted to something behind them... and then they ran right at me, not to attack, but to escape. They were terrified! The one I'd been tracking even stopped at my feet and looked up at me as if asking for help before it scrambled up the hill behind me. Of course, I ran too! I'd never seen or not seen anything so frightening before in all my years so I ran for my life as fast and as far as I could run. I didn't even know if anything was chasing me but I ran until I couldn't run anymore and then I hid until well after nightfall."

"After that I headed home, looking over my shoulder the whole time. I told my parents and my little sister the slimmest partial truth and have tried my best not to think of it again." Sparks concludes.


The old gnome nods. “Sounds fair to me!”

He straightens from under his pack, and reaches up to add his fist to the circle. He recalls an infamous line from a tale he was told in his youth, about a brotherhood of loyal warriors. “All for one, and one…” He trails off, his eyes growing wide as the weight of his pack pulls him backwards.
Acrobatics for keeping balance 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Thudding onto his bottom, he snickers, ...and one for all…” and gets back up, though more carefully this time. I need to buy me one of them magical packs. Make this stuff SO much lighter!

Dusting off his trousers, Umros trundles down the road after the others, drumming his fingertips on the buckler strapped to the other arm. “Hmm… Tammy…” He wonders idly how the name could be put to song. Passing the townsfolk, he asks where the girl might be found. Diplomacy (gather info) 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22


Tainesh:
The ink looks fresh, but the paper looks old. Other than that, the wizard doesn't notice anything telling about the document.

Sparks:
The ranger had once heard of a cave system in the Naerenth Forest to the East. This system, though extensive and intricate, isn't marked for much but people of the earth know about a lichen that only grows in this particular system. In of itself the moss is nothing special, but if harvested with a silver blade and exposed to the light of a full moon the lichen glows with a dull green hue. When in this state the plant/fungus can then be used as a magical accelerant for spells and potions. When chewed by the caster the magic acts much faster than without. Sparks has never seen this moss, but she's heard of it from alchemists who she's dealt with in the past.

Umros:
After talking to a few folks in the street, Umros is able to find out that the majority of children tend to play in the side alleys on the Eastern side of town. Fortunately this is also where the Elenath residence is. Umros thinks that as long as he keeps his head about him, he should be able to find the girl Tammy without too much difficulty.

The five individuals bring their fists together and separate as a full-fledged adventuring party. The wizard and ranger leave to retrieve the rangers gear, while the other three move into the town streets. It takes little and less time to find James's home, distinctive as it is with it's bright red door. A few more minutes of wandering brings them to the edge of town, several children can be seen running around with sticks and pine-cones yelling at one another in play.

What do you guys do?


Female Human Fighter 2

The fighter scratches at her head idly, "You think, you think one of them is Tammy?"


Female Human Wizard 2

To be honest, Spark's encounter with the wild unknown must have been terrifying for her. A pack of wolves would have been bad enough, but something that struck fear into the heart of a wolf would have been a true nightmare to the young elf. Unfortunately, the story rather lost its punch when it was told forty years later under a sunny sky in the middle of town.

"Unsettling," she says. "But I doubt we'll be encountering such a creature. You grew up in the woods, and it took you three days to travel that far north with prepared rations. I cannot see how a little child from Sharlstown could make it so far. Even if he was determined to travel far away from home, it's easy to get turned around in a forest."

Left unsaid is that the chances of finding James alive were very, very slim. Children didn't fare well in the cold autumn nights.

"I was more concerned about the fey population. The stories that they abduct children may just be rumors, but Nethussya's "Children of the Gods" cited it as a unusual practice among the Fey, and I've always thought her to be reliable."


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

"No," Sparks agrees, "a child, even one who enjoyed exploring the nearby woods, would not..." her words stop short, as do her feet a few steps later. "Two weeks. His mother said he has been missing two weeks. In truth what do we even hope to find? A discarded bag? A scrap of torn and bloody clothing? At best a small, cold body hidden away in some cave?" Sparks' looks to her walking companion with a face filled with shock and sorrow. "Have we signed up for a fools errand extended by a distraught mother?"


Intelligence 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Wisdom 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

“Only one way to find out…” the gnome answers Langblade with a grin. Setting down his pack at the feet of the two taller ones beside him, he bolts toward the children at top speed, which is surprisingly quick for one so old and short-legged.

Scooping up a pine cone along the way, he yells when he reaches the running crowd of youngsters. “I don’t know what this game is!” Umros is no taller than the children at play, save for his purple hat that bobs with his sporadic gait as he joins in their fun.
Edit: the whole reason for doing this, and I forgot: Perception 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16, for any kid called "Tammy" by the others.


Male Half-Elf Fighter 3 (AC: 20, 30/30hp) / 31g 44s 85c

Cath gives Langblade a sideways glance when Umros charges off into the fray. “Probably not what I would have done, but I suppose it can't hurt.”

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 to see if any children are called "Tammy"


Female Human Wizard 2

"If we find James alive and return him home, we shall make both mother and son joyful. If he has perished in the forest, we shall return his remains to Leah and give her closure. That's the best we can do."

'Come to think of it, am I equipped for an extended stay in the forest? What exactly goes into a week of searching? It can't be as easy as it sounds.'

They are nearly to Sparks' apartment before Tainesh speaks again. "Should we have asked about the father? Leah is likely a widower, but I wonder who James's father could have been. If he was an elf or an orc, that could explain why Leah was raising him by herself."


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

Sparks nods at Tainesh's simplified explanation but likewise says little until they reach their destination: A medium sized home with what looks to be a later addition with its own entryway off to one side.

"Or he could be a Fey," Sparks suggests with a weak smile. "Come to take back his child?"

"I was to go hunting at the end of the week so I am already farily well prepared. I should not be gone more that ten minutes or so," she says when it is apparent her attempt at a joke failed in its intent.

True to her word, Sparks emerges about ten minutes later looking much better prepared for whatever might come her way. Gone are her the simple work clothes. In their place Sparks is wearing a sturdy, pocketed outfit much like Tainesh's over which comfortably rests a set of studded leather armor that is custom fit, largely untarnished, and distinctly Elven.

On her back is a large pack which, while not as comically oversized as Umros', looks as if it is full enough to slow her movements. The impressive, uniquely shaped longbow she had been carrying with her is now fastened to the right side of the pack by way of a strap secured by an easily released metallic button. Arrayed on either side of her belt is her knife, a quiver of some twenty arrows, and a sharp if unremarkable looking throwing axe.

And in her hands are two large pieces of bread covered with some purple jam. "I doubt the others will think of food until we are already wading into the forest," Sparks says, her mood now considerably improved. "We may as well be smart and have something to eat on our way back to them," she says as she offers a slice to Tanesh.


Female Human Fighter 2

Langblade chuckles quietly, "I'm just glad he's willing to jump in there, I'm not very good with kids..." She glances up at the afternoon sky.


Some of the children are startled at the sudden appearance of... of a white-haired kid? The timid of the group back away, or hide behind the older children, but the more boisterous ones accept the newcomer with gusto. One in particular, a scruffy red-headed little girl wielding a stick as tall as she is, stomps over and plants herself in-front of Umros. "I am the great and powerful sorcerer, TOMMY!" She swings the stick over her head. "I cast tornado blast!" She yells at the diminutive gnome.

ROLL INITIATIVE! Heh, just kidding, but serious, what you guys do?


Holding his arms straight out from his sides, Umros begins to spin as though caught in a strong whirlwind. A wide and gleeful grin takes his face, letting his imagination run free. “And I am the great skywhale Boris! Bringer of thunder! And lightning! While still spinning, he puffs out his chest to look as bloated as possible. With his last word, he tosses the pine cone at Tommy the Sorcerer so that it could be dodged and not hurt even if she didn’t. Once the pine cone leaves his tiny hand, he cringes in anticipation to the great explosion the projectile was sure to make.


Female Human Wizard 2

"So, that's an Elf, Tainesh thinks as Sparks disappears inside. She amuses herself for a while trying to guess her age and settles on the latter half of the seventh decade.

She graciously accepts the jam-covered bread when Sparks returns, though she is a little unnerved by the Elf's armor.

"Er, strictly speaking, is that going to be necessary for exploring the forest?"


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

"I don't have any other sets... Not here anyway. This set was a gift my father made me to keep me safe while I am here, but I'm sure we could find you something in town if you are feeling uneasy about the woods," Sparks replies, misunderstanding Tainesh's concern.


Female Human Wizard 2

"That wouldn't be practical," Tainesh says, twisting the ring on her right hand. "Many of the combat spells I can cast have somatic components. For reasons of efficiency and security, their activation is keyed to hand gestures. Armor impedes these gestures, which is why you never see a wizard wearing armor."


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

"So that's how you outran us all? You cheated!" Sparks says jokinly as the two proceed back across town. Then, more seriously she adds, "I know about somatic movements and how one's ability to cast is often tied to them. My mother was a healer. My younger sister too. Myself though? Nothing.

I even bought a book once, 'A Novice's Guide to Basic Magic' I think it was titled," Sparks recalls. "I spent a solid two weeks waving my hands and saying the right words and crushing or throwing or sprinkling the correct components but to no effect."

"But we all have our talents. My sister never was able to shoot with any accuracy..." Sparks says fondly.


Male Half-Elf Fighter 3 (AC: 20, 30/30hp) / 31g 44s 85c

“Yeah, me neither.” Might as well play along, though. “I think I get what he's up to… Here goes nothing!”

“Boris! You old lightning whale!” Cath calls out as he charges into the faux battle. The fighter picks up a stick and swishes it back and forth like a sword in an overly-animated fashion. “I am Cath the Destroyer! You have hunted me for eons, Boris, now it is time to fight! Tommy the Sorcerer, will you help me defeat this skywhale, or will you side against me?” he asks as he closes the distance between himself and Umros.


Female Human Wizard 2

Magic or archery? Which topic shall I...

Tainesh heroically tries to keep a straight face when Sparks tells her story, but a grin breaks out by the time the elf moves on to the topic of archery. Finally, she breaks out into peals of laughter. "I remember that book! We had plenty of copies at the bookstore and sold one or two a month, but I don't think it did anyone any good."

"The book has some great material, particularly the chapters on somatic, verbal, and focal component. But it was written by a sorcerer. He didn't know much about rituals, and that short chapter he did write on preparing spells wasn't enough to get anyone started."

She opens the scroll box at her hip and pulls out a thick tome. The cover and binding is new, but the pages are worn and dog-eared. "Arcane magic is ritual without the ritual. You have to prepare a spell by performing the ritual to fabricate and cast it, then you... er, fold and condense it into a construct of thaumaturgical energy that is ready to activate on command. Divine casters, like your mother and sister, receive spells from extraplanar beings or forces of nature, so they can skip the whole pseudo-casting step and merely spend time communing with their patrons. Without either form of preparing spells, waving your arms and chanting won't do anything... unless you're a sorcerer."


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

Sparks laughs as well. "I knew I was in trouble about the time he instructed me to '...think of preparing the spell as one would fold and crease an important letter...' followed on the next page by, '...every caster prepares spells slightly differently. You will need to explore to see what method works best for you.' And trust me, I certainly explored, much to the chagrin of my sister and mother. Eventually my father had to step in and tell me to stop... about the time I ruined Inapita's feather pillow looking for more spell components!"

Sparks sights and says, 'It was still a good book. The illustrations were wonderful and the cover was marvelous! It really made me think, 'here is someone who understands magic.' I wish I still had it..."

Changing subjects slightly she asks, "So, in addition to adventuring you own a book shop in town? I thought I was familiar with most of the shops here but things can certainly change over the course of three years. I have been so busy these last months since I came to live here that I haven't explored the town as much as I would have liked. If you still have any copies I would love to buy... or more correctly trade for one. Money is not something I am really all that free to spend. But a day hunting for the perfect rabbit to stew would be well worth hearing my sister's laughter again."


The timid ones back off even further, but a big grin spreads across the collective faces of the bold and brash. Tommy the Sorcerer recoils from the powerful lightening blast clutching at her chest. "Oooooh! Aaaaah! Eeeeee!" She staggers and rights herself and points her 'staff' at Umros and after a moments hesitation at Cath as well. "Fiendish... fiends! I'll never join you! I fight for freedom, and myself, and myselfs freedom!" She spins her stick around and shouts; "Blazing inferno of skillful sorcery!"

So, this is your life now, the rest of the campaign is your epic battle against the children.

_________________________________________________________________________

The two women walk through the city streets seeking out the home of the Elenaths. Turning a corner the Ranger Clearpath spots three men of medium build. Two of them carry bows and the third, leading the small group, has a dagger strapped to his side. Her recognition is near instant as she realizes that these three are fellow hunters in the community. More importantly all are members of the local 458th hunter and gatherers union. The men are walking towards the two companions, but they don't appear to have seen them yet...

What do you two do?


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

Sparks is sure she has seen these men before, maybe even interacted with them, and tries to recall their names.

Knowledge Local: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9 (Untrained)


“My hat!” the playful gnome cries, lifting it off his head and patting out the flames. Pulling it back over his head, he turns a desperate look to Cath the Destroyer, an apparent ally in this epic conflict. “We are no match for Tommy the Sorcerer! Run! Make haste! We must find the legendary James the Bold! Only he can hope to best Tommy!”
Sense Motive 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
As Umros says this, he pays close attention to the expressions and body language of Tammy, all the while pantomiming a panicked skywhale flailing his fins in flight.


Sparks:
You're not sure who the two bow-toting fellows are, but you think the guy with the dagger is named McCowl or McKell or something like that.

Umros:
You see a flash or recognition at the name in Tommy's eyes, followed by an uncertain sadness.

Turning and yelling happily, Tommy whoops and is about to take a swing at Cath when Umros mentions James the Bold. Stopping short the fiery little girl says; "James is gone." Her face has lost most of it's vim and vigor and looks contemplative in the way only a child's can.


Knowing that most children are more often instructed than listened to, Umros keeps his question concise. He hopes the absence of words will invite more from the spirited girl, and he asks gently, “Gone?”


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

"Just a word of warning, you may want to walk on ahead," Sparks tells Tainesh. "Those three men are fellow hunters and part of the local hunting guild. I am not. The guild and I are at odds about a number of things including how they pressure clients of mine to find other suppliers of bows and game... like they did this morning. I would hate for you to get caught in such tactics just for walking along with me..."

Sparks then takes in a breath and puts on a friendly face before waving to the hunters. "Good morning!" she says with far more cheer than she actually feels. "The three of you would not happen to know of a clearing a few hundred yards to the east of town? I am on my way to search for a child who may be lost near there and wonder if there might be predator burrows or caves I should check... or watch out for."

Diplomacy, Untrained: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21 (Or 26 if Profession: Hunter might be substituted in as Sparks is talking to fellow hunters...)


Female Human Wizard 2

Tainesh can't help but grin at the mental image of young Sparks gathering spell components from around the house. This fades into a thoughtful look as the Elf describes her book.

'That sounds like the... that edition illustrated by that one artist. Kirby? Kiddy? That edition is decades old! It's the sort of thing people bring in to sell when their grandmothers pass away.'

Tainesh's elaboration of the family business is put on hold when she turns the corner and the union workers show up. She acknowledges Sparks' advice with a curt nod, walks five paces past the men and stops where she can hear the conversation.

Knowledge: Local: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 What has Tainesh heard about the union? Does she know if their tactics are legal?


Female Human Fighter 2

The fighter shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other. But she pauses and focuses on the conversation when the playing settles down.


The little girl 'Tommy' lowers her stick and nods at Umros, "He followed her." She looks like she's about to say something further, but at that moment one of the bigger boys in the group sneers and speaks up.

"Tammy is sad because she looooooves Jim! She wants to marry him!" He makes a face and starts to prance around the sad little girl as her face turns from remorse to fury.

"My name is Tommy and I'm not in love with him!" The 'sorcerer' hurls her stick at the boy. The heavy wooden branch clocks him upside the head and drops him to the ground. For a moment it looks like Tommy might press the advantage, but she stops herself. Little fists press into her eyes to stem the flow of tears as she turns back towards the Gnome and Half-Elf. "James was my best friend. What do you want with him?" Defiance shines in her young eyes, but also a wary hope.

________________________________________________________________________

Let's use Profession Hunter, be a shame to let that 20 go to waste.

Tainesh:
Tainesh remembers recently reading a reference about the local Hunter/Gatherers Unions. They cover a large number of local small time woodsmen and women as a blanket organization meant to provide support and render assistance in times of need. In times of need, to those who pay dues. The Local 458th isn't known for being overly aggressive in their recruiting methods, but they do extend offers to join regularly and to anybody who might be infringing on their territory.

Tainesh doesn't think the Union employs strong-arm tactics, but... Well, there's always a few bad apples in every bunch as they say.

The group of three stop and seem to notice the Elven hunter for the first time. The leader with the dagger on his hip frowns slightly at the sight of the Ranger, but the man to his left smiles broadly. Stepping forward he speaks up. "Clearing eh? East of town, out by the Evans place? No, I don't think there's anything out there what would want to take a child." The three close the distance and stop in front of Sparks. "But a little further out there's a cave. We've been talking about checking on the bear that lives there. Worried it might be roving a little to close to some of the local area homes."

Dagger-man speaks up for the first time. "Of course, you'd know that already if you were a part of the 458th..." His look of irritation gives way to a placating expression. "Come on, Ms Clearpath. Won't you please reconsider?"


Female NG Elf 1 | HP: 16/16 | AC: 17 (16 Tch, 13 Fl) | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Perc: +6 | Speed 30ft | Active conditions: None.

"As I have said, every piece of coper, silver, and gold I earn must be put to the wellbeing of my family. I would join as soon as I have raised the funds I need, but messages like this," she says as she pulls an opened letter out of one of her pockets, "informing me that one of my clients will no longer work with me unless I join the 458th makes my task ever harder and harder. All I wish to do is operate fairly, without undue hinderance. I appreciate much of what the 458th does," Sparks says honestly, but then her tone shifts to frustration as she asks: "but how can I join if the dues set me back another two or three years? And how can I join if I know I might be subjecting the next non-member to the same treatment I have received?"


Male Half-Elf Fighter 3 (AC: 20, 30/30hp) / 31g 44s 85c

Cath is rolling on the ground, putting out imaginary flames when 'Tommy' says that James "followed her," and he sits up abruptly at the curious statement, but is annoyed at the little brat who interrupted the story. I should let Umros handle this, he seems to have a better way with kids.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14


“We wanted to see where he went. Do you know why he followed her?” Umros asks. He blinks, and adds dubiously, “Who is her, anyway?”


The dagger-man nods in the way that people nod when they don't agree with someone. "Yes yes, I know you've debts to pay. But wouldn't it be easier if you had help?" He opens his hands beseechingly. "Three or four hunters can bring down game that one would be hard-pressed to hunt. Everyone does their part. And we all work together." His face scrunches in confusion at Sparks allegations. "Treatment? You mean our polite and honest attempts at assisting a fellow hunter, down on her luck?"

_________________________________________________________________________

Cath:
The fighters sharp eyes notice that one of the children visibly stiffens at the mention of 'her' their back goes rigid and their eyes stare straight ahead. It's easy for Cath to see that his young boy is absolutely terrified at whatever this 'her' is.

I used that Sense Motive in conjunction with the Perception check because it made sense for what Cath would be seeing. If you were looking for something specific about what Tommy has been saying, let me know and I can give you a little info on that as well.

Tommy's face scrunches as if to say Umros was dumber than a bag of bags. "Why'd he follow? Because she called him." The girl shrugs with a jadedness beyond her years. "Almost everyone she calls goes to her." At Umros second question Tommy pauses. Lowering her voice she looks around the street, checking to make sure there were no unexpected listeners. "Nobody knows her name. I don't think she has one." She points at herself and the kids around her. "We call her the Shining Lady. Cause they say she's brighter than the sun." Again the shrug. "Course, no one has ever seen her. Up close, that is. I thought I saw her once, at the edge of the woods. But I don't know." She snickers and glances at a frightened-looking boy staring into space. "Well, almost nobody has seen her up close."

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