Tavern Tales and Rumours

[Audark]

"Bane's Black Blood... a public reward? Well they'll be crawling out of the woodwork now. What a mess." Berendil reads the message over again and shakes his head before wandering towards the Blade and Stars.

[gonz.0]

Comes back from a junket abroad and notices there has been not only more trouble in the elf song, but that she is closed.

"aw.. damn. There goes my card game." he says out loud, but inwardly he is frustrated at having failed to find any evidence of the trouble, though he has had theories since it began.

He scrawls on the notice, a protective symbol from elflore.

[Mick]

The Terror Spreads!!

As night fell after the second day of the Festival of Greengrass in Ruqel, the Market District was rocked by a terror most foul! Death appeared in the form of a malevolent spirit in the market just outside the Elfsong, leaving many lost in her wake.

Reports from a few fortunate survivors are conflicting, but those that seem most reliable agree that the willowy form of a young woman emerged through the Elfsong's back door. She seemed to have a brief look of sadness wash over her face, but she was soon overcome with rage. After a moment, she screamed a scream so terrible that it could be felt deep in the hearts and minds of all in the market. Many of those closest to her dropped dead from the sound. The spirit then laughed a laugh somewhere between joy and desperation. As the survivors fled, she was seen to retreat back into the Elfsong.

The city guard responded and has dispatched guards to keep folk clear of the market and the Elfsong. The city is now filled with whispers of the spirit that brings death with her wailing and the trembling of those who fear where and when she may strike next.

Soon...something must be done to stop her.

Consider that that Market area outside the Elfsong to be off-limits for now. Tomorrow the restriction will be limited to Nighttime hours and merchants that still live will be allowed to do business during the day. Spawns may reform, as I've not made the necessary changes to the mod, but please treat the scene as though merchants are only present during the day.

[kiyoti]

A pair of dwarves, one topping 5ft and the other with great horns on her helm, were reported to have set off into the Cloakwood. The two had originally taken work from the Merchant League outside the Friendly Arm Inn, to handle a troll problem. Hours after they had left the two came staggering back battered and bloody. One ML mercenary exclaimed he'd never seen dwarves in such bad shape.

They said while they didnt come across any trolls they had been set upon by strange and bizarre creatures. If the report is to be believed the beasts had the head and body of a feline, large leathery wings and tales that ended in barbs that could be hurled a great distance.

They produced several heads as well as teeth and barbs as proof that they were not crazy.

[kid]

the beasts had the head and body of a feline, large leathery wings and tales that ended in barbs that could be hurled a great distance.

!!!

[danielmn]

A shadowy figure can be seen overlooking the market square from the heights of hill upon which sits the Sorcerer's Sundries at night. Every now and then, there comes the blow of a whistle, and any newcomer or more than adventurous gawker that wanders too near the market not stopped by the Captain and his guard is approached by the figure, and quickly re-routed.

[Mick]

A hin contingent arrived in Beregost earlier tonight. They had come from Gullykin along the trail of the same name.

One of their scouts reports to the nearest Lathander man-at-arms that there is trouble brewing along the trail. He relates that their group noticed a murmuring off the trail to the south of the road just west of the trail bridge. The voices sounded orcish and so he and a fellow scout moved quietly to investigate. As they crested the hill, they saw a gathering of orcs in the hollow below. They estimate their number as high as twenty and they are certain that some seem to be chanting. The reporting scout also thinks one of the orc may have had glowing eyes, although he admits that it may have been a trick of the moonlight.

This report has found its way to Richar and he has offered a reward of 750gp to any group or individual who can put down this threat to both Beregost and Gullykin.

Encounter placed for levels 6-10. If you complete this, please PM me and I will get your reward and spoils to you.

[kid]

Word around Tempus Tears speaks of strange lights and far away chants in the night coming from the fields surrounding the old ruins.
The Tears' small garrison doubled its watches at nights, but none have been sent yet to investigate, during the day or night.
People around Baldur's might also hear that the garrison offers a bounty for specific information related to the nightly chants, even if the exact sum seems to be a matter of dispute.

// Simple encounter set, ranging around CR5-6.
Careful as she goes, there are also regular spawns in the area.
PM me if you've gathered any information. Items are in place to supply some.

[kid]

Report coming from Tempus Tears that a pair of mercenaries have dealt with a group of odd skeletons, recently raised, that was roaming not far from the ruins. One of the skeletons was said to have three heads, while another, some claimed, wielded magic that scorched the earth.

The reports also say that the clergy of Tempus Tears is not satisfied with the answers the mercenaries provided, and is willing to pay for one able to provide further information.

/// Encounter defeated, if someone wishes to follow up this will have to be done by appointment or random IG roleplay.

[kid]

A merchant is brought back to Nashkel by a few scouts. The man, a young upstart is in bad shape.

He tells he managed to survive an assault by a hunting party of frost giants. He thinks there were about ten of them. They stole his wagon, one he invested all his fortune on. Almost as an afterthought he tells ten caravan guards are likely dead as well as his four horses.

He pleads before the Amnian guards to help him retrieve his good, but obviously the captain denied the request.

However, sense the trade with Amn is one that is highly important to Nashkel, the captain offers a reward of 5,000 gold for anyone willing to defeat the giants and retrieve something of the merchant goods, to ensure this new band does not grow too bold and block the trade entirely.

// Encounter set, calculator says EL16, though it might be a bit lower.
Placeables in place to provide some rp. PM me if completed.

[kid]

The trade between Nashkel and Amn has all but stopped:
A few expected shipments are a few days late and rumors tell the same giants are still roaming the peaks and hunt down all who try to pass through. Quiet a few speculative rumors start spreading in Nashkel about why those giants seem to linger, none seem to have any factual bases behind them though.

This 'embargo', planned or unplanned, is starting to take its tole on the people of the southern town.
With trade south over the peaks stopped, Nashkel's merchants turn north to renew their supplies, mainly to Beregost.
Quite a few merchants in Begegost responded to the increase in demand by raising prices of any and all goods, local and exported.

In Beregost, Baldur's gate and Ruqel, at various inns and regular places where adventurers gathers a few posters have been posted:

• Giants Slayers and Heroes of the coast,
  the people of Nashkel need your aid and are willing to offer
  10,000 gold and their gratitude
  to any who are able to reopen the trade south once more.
  
  -The road from Nashkel to Amn is closed as a hunting party of cruel and highly aggressive frost giants have been attacking any and all who try to pass, By reports their numbers are between half a dozen to a dozen, with a few white hunting wolves.
  Those willing and able should speak with the captain upon arrival at Nashkel-
  -The seal of the Nashkel captain-

[Zelknolf]

Giants are dead.

Narrative of what Nashkel saw.


And the speech sucked, but Teresa is persuasive. This is not news, but it's more pronounced than usual this time:

nashkel_speech_checks.jpg (29.7 KiB) Viewed 11233 times

[kid]

The Nashkel captain while phrasing his words carefully, declares Nashkels gratitude to Lady Ruqel and bids her to turn to the town in any trading or other needs she may have.

Opening the path south, as well as the selfless act of returning the stolen goods, and forfeiting the reward has earned her the love of many of the common folk.

However other voices are heard as well, even if minor, that retain that this was a clear political play to try and sway the town away from Amn's control, and that lady seemed to be thinking herself better than the people of Nashkel.

In Other News:

The Orcs encampment south of Ruqel has been suffering many casualties in recent moons.
As the orc try to rebuild and regroup after each defeat, a few of them seem to have separated from the main tribe and were seen wondering the mountains north of Ruqel.
Said group has proven to be violent, attacking a merchant group heading to Candlekeep, even if none died.
The Holy Lizardman is offering pay for the removal of this groups encampment, which is rumored to be just at the peak of the mountain north of Ruqel.

/// EL 4-6 (so 4 people level 4-6) please bring as many as possible, i'll reward more XP the more people you bring with you. /// Try and avoid bringing you level 7+ over... unless you really want to, in which case... go for it

[ImStrokerAce]

For the most part; Orcs are not the most difficult creatures in the Realms to track... They enjoy stomping and crushing local flora and fauna; they tend to wear heavy armor and the stink... oh by the Gods.. the stink that they produce would make a rotting corpse feel envy.
That being what it is;the pair were not surprised to come across the splintered group in a fairly timely manner. The smaller and lighter armored one flashed a quick signal and a grin to his large and spikey friend indictating the numbers of Orc before them. They unleashed a quick barrage of arrows and axes upon the lax humanoids; pelting a few before tossing insults and ducking behind the hilltop.
Did I mention Orcs are not known for their intellect either? If one has the gaul and moxy to enrage an Orc;they tend to charge onward,spitting insults and promises of gruesome death to everyone and everything in sight.
And onward they charged; the shaman staying behind to cloak himself in magic fields of protection from his one-eyed god. The rest of the bunch picked up their weapons and charged over the hill and into the hasty ambush of the pair. In all fairness; the one brutish one fought rather well; whirling his greatsword before him with practiced ease, opening a large gash on the spikey fellow in the process. A stab in the back of the leg had him whirl about only to grow a foot of steel from his chest.The rest of the group fell quickly after that intial barrage; the shaman being last; choosing to put his faith in the power of his God rather than the speed of his feet.
After searching the area for others Orcs of ill-intent the pair went to carving up the spoils of the morning and onward to the Selunites to collect the bounty and onwards to the Inn...

[Ithildur]

In the wee hours of a rare rainless day, a number of odd looking disturbances in the soil near various farms in the Sword Coast have turned up, along with the discovery of what appear to be tracks of a large, strange bipedal creature, mixed in with very faint bootprints of a medium sized humanoid.

Oddly enough there is no sign of any violence or combat.