Post by Leek Nackle on Oct 4, 2019 0:47:11 GMT
Leek had never been to sea before; She's never been to anywhere before really, except for her home city of Waterdeep and the surrounding area. Being at sea for months on the journey to Kantas was exciting, and she helped however she could on board. Heavy lifting, manual labor, lifting the spirits of sailors and passengers alike. She did what she could. Finding an Inn where she could stay in Port Ffirst was easy enough, and she spend her first weekend in Kantas playing the tourist. She walked around, visited whatever sites this port town had to offer, and made friendly with the locals. Most importantly, she visited the taverns.
It was in one tavern on that she met Arkadius Hogg. Now she's always been taught to be wary of the Fiendishly inclined, but she was also taught to never judge a book by it's cover, and that most tieflings aren't actually that Fiendish at all, beyond the superficial characteristics. Always be friendly and polite, and friendly and polite she was. Their early interaction was cut short by a distracting arm wrestle--which she most definitely got involved in. They would meet again the next day: Sunday. Market Day.
Markets are one of Leek's favorite things, right after taverns, festivals, and a good story. She had been looking forward to walking around and seeing what Kantas markets have to offer, only to find her plan foiled by something as dastardly as, well, a sign. The Market? Closed. The Cause? A crime. Who would volunteer to help solve the case?!
Now Leek is on a mission of course. She doesn't know exactly why she was sent all the way to Kantas, but her mission is as every other mission has been in her short career of adventuring for her Lord Lathander: Do Good. Help People. Maybe tell them about how great Lathander is. But mostly, Help People. Off she went to the Flourished Hook Tavern to answer the call. Lathander sent her here to do good and by golly if that sign wasn't a sign she didn't know what was.
In the tavern, she met Arkadius Hogg again, as well as some more new faces (Every face was new of course, having just arrived a couple of days before): A druid elf named Juniper, and a human-seeming but later to be revealed Aasimar bard named Matthew (whom she recognized from tipping the other day in the same tavern for a great tune). There was another elf named Levion whom she made a point of inviting over to the table, and who had otherwise been doing his very best impression of a mysterious ranger hiding in the corner, and a human Monk named Maz bringing up the rear. They were all called up to the office to respond to the call: Operation solving the crime had begun!
Step 1: Question the Witnesses
A witness and possible suspect was being held, and our team of sleuths was allowed to question him. Liam, a Bearfolk fish-seller, seemed to be having a real hard time with all that questioning, as well as the being held on suspicion of harboring a monster in his fish cart and all, but Team Sleuth was able to get him nice and relaxed. Liam, Leek decided, was a nice bear who just had a real bad day. Sympathy and Empathy were the stars of the show, and Liam told Team Sleuth that he hadn't, in fact, purposefully brought the monster to the market, and had no idea how it got until his cart. Sure of his innocence, Leek promised that she believed him, and that they would fix this. She would also return to the market at some point in the future and try some of his moonfish. Promise.
( At some point during all of this, the team had somehow unanimously decided that Leek was their leader and they were were her crew. Having never had a crew before and having never been the leader of anything that wasn't a gaggle of kids, she didn't know exactly why or what to make of it, but she was grateful nonetheless. )
Questioning the witnesses continued with a trip down to the market. Matthew managed to calm the shouting, arguing marketfolk down, who had seemingly been arguing since the day began. Liam's wife seemed both as trustworthy and a frustrated as her husband, and Leek gave her five gold to help with the repairs of her cart. While Levion spoke to another shop keeper, Leek introduced herself in gnomish to a gnome seller of inventions and trinkets, and learned from him that the creature had googly eyes, massive claws, and a tentacled mouth. She also then taught Arkadius (and anyone else who was listening) the Gnomish word for googly eyes. As it turns out, gnomish has one unique word for the concept.
Step 2: Follow That Trail!
With superior tracking from Juniper, the Team followed many legged footsteps through the market, down to the sea, and questioned a centaur named Igor and a human, both of whom had been in deep discussion before an interruption from our intrepid detectives. From these witnesses, the Team learned that the creature had tried to escape into the sea, attacking everyone in its wake, and had been fended off. Juniper tracked the trail of blood that the creature left down to a street below sea level, where they stumbled across a guard whose chest had been slashed open. Leek quickly stabilized the poor man, and while the rest of the team investigated the sewer grate where the trail of blood lead, Leek made sure that the guard was comfortable and knew that he would be just fine.
As they delved down into the sewer, a challenge arose: a fork in the path. To one side, an earthy smell and moss coverage. To the other, the stench of rotten fish and claw marks. While the Team decided to follow the continued trail of the beast, Levion snuck away from the group to check the other path.
Not yet aware that Levion had split from the party, the Team continued on. The water level rose, which was no trouble for an eight foot tall Goliath, but was a bit more difficult for a just-under-four-foot-tall human. Leek helped Maz up onto her shoulders, and a grate came closing down behind them. With attention now being drawn back behind them, it suddenly became clear that Levion was missing. Juniper could hear a struggle coming from the other path, and Leek hurried to try and pull the gate up. She couldn't seem to get a good grip on it through the water, and struggled again to pry the bars apart. With a boost from Matthew and a bit of guidance from Arkadius, Leek was able to try again. With all of her Goliath strength she pried apart the bars wide enough for everyone to slip through.
It was then, in this moment, that Leek's sense of Good and Evil went off in her head, and she knew that the creature they were hunting was actually past the bars they had just pried open. It was more important to rescue their friend first, so around the corner and down the other hall they went. They found him there, trapped by vines that had grabbed him as he tried to move forward towards a grate in the ceiling. It was a valiant team effort to free him through fight and fire, but the awareness of the beasts presence nearby never faded from Leek's mind. It grew ever closer, until it came clicking and slipping around the corner.
"Aberration Incoming!"
Step 3: Fight that Monster!
Leek had fought monsters before, but not like this one, and not in someplace so wet and so cramped. She ran over to Levion to check if he was alright before the creature began to attack, and a bottle bottle-neck formed in the entrance. Leek's spells refused to stick on the beast, and it was nearly impossible for her to get in between Maz, Arkadius and Matthew to land a blow. She kept slipping on the wet ground, failing to land blows on the armored crab-like creature with her warhammer. What mattered though, was that she was able to get close. She would have been no use at all far away with what came next. A quick healing word to keep their fast-fisted friend on her feet hadn't been enough against the creature, and Maz fell limp in it's claw. Leek was close enough now, she was able to reach out and channel the will of Lathander. The warm sunlit glow of her hands spared Maz from the grip of death, and more healing magic from Juniper brought her back to her feet.
These claws, they were the terror of the thing, and what was worse lie in its eyes and past its tentacles. Arkadius was grappled in it's grip and paralyzed, but Arkadius was abandoned in favor of a more frustrating target: Matthew. Matthew who, upon being grappled by the creature, decided to grapple the thing right back.
Leek was able to finally land a blow with her warhammer, before two arrows sped just past her head. Levion's arrows hit their target, lodging themselves in each of the beasts eyes and sending it toppling the ground. With a resounding cheer, Leek wrapped her arms around Levion and lifted him up in triumph for his killing blow.
Conclusion: A Beast Defeated, A Bear-Friend Freed
In all good adventures, the ones that warm our hearts, the innocent victims go home happy and the victorious heroes can celebrate their success. This is absolutely one of those stories, but it came very close to a less fortunate ending. In their focus on catching the beast, our adventurers forgot to consider: was Liam guilty? Or had he simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Leek believed him of course, he couldn't possibly have purposefully brought that monster to the village, but those in charge was not so easily convinced. Through some quick thinking, Matthew was able to convince him that the beast was most definitely mistakenly taken from it's home, and there was no way that Liam had carted it along with him with any awareness of it's presence. Liam was free to go, and the victorious adventurers paid for their efforts.
Friends made: 9
Bears freed: 1
Creatures defeated: 1.5 if you include those pesky plants
Celebratory drinks imbibed: Many
It was in one tavern on that she met Arkadius Hogg. Now she's always been taught to be wary of the Fiendishly inclined, but she was also taught to never judge a book by it's cover, and that most tieflings aren't actually that Fiendish at all, beyond the superficial characteristics. Always be friendly and polite, and friendly and polite she was. Their early interaction was cut short by a distracting arm wrestle--which she most definitely got involved in. They would meet again the next day: Sunday. Market Day.
Markets are one of Leek's favorite things, right after taverns, festivals, and a good story. She had been looking forward to walking around and seeing what Kantas markets have to offer, only to find her plan foiled by something as dastardly as, well, a sign. The Market? Closed. The Cause? A crime. Who would volunteer to help solve the case?!
Now Leek is on a mission of course. She doesn't know exactly why she was sent all the way to Kantas, but her mission is as every other mission has been in her short career of adventuring for her Lord Lathander: Do Good. Help People. Maybe tell them about how great Lathander is. But mostly, Help People. Off she went to the Flourished Hook Tavern to answer the call. Lathander sent her here to do good and by golly if that sign wasn't a sign she didn't know what was.
In the tavern, she met Arkadius Hogg again, as well as some more new faces (Every face was new of course, having just arrived a couple of days before): A druid elf named Juniper, and a human-seeming but later to be revealed Aasimar bard named Matthew (whom she recognized from tipping the other day in the same tavern for a great tune). There was another elf named Levion whom she made a point of inviting over to the table, and who had otherwise been doing his very best impression of a mysterious ranger hiding in the corner, and a human Monk named Maz bringing up the rear. They were all called up to the office to respond to the call: Operation solving the crime had begun!
Step 1: Question the Witnesses
A witness and possible suspect was being held, and our team of sleuths was allowed to question him. Liam, a Bearfolk fish-seller, seemed to be having a real hard time with all that questioning, as well as the being held on suspicion of harboring a monster in his fish cart and all, but Team Sleuth was able to get him nice and relaxed. Liam, Leek decided, was a nice bear who just had a real bad day. Sympathy and Empathy were the stars of the show, and Liam told Team Sleuth that he hadn't, in fact, purposefully brought the monster to the market, and had no idea how it got until his cart. Sure of his innocence, Leek promised that she believed him, and that they would fix this. She would also return to the market at some point in the future and try some of his moonfish. Promise.
( At some point during all of this, the team had somehow unanimously decided that Leek was their leader and they were were her crew. Having never had a crew before and having never been the leader of anything that wasn't a gaggle of kids, she didn't know exactly why or what to make of it, but she was grateful nonetheless. )
Questioning the witnesses continued with a trip down to the market. Matthew managed to calm the shouting, arguing marketfolk down, who had seemingly been arguing since the day began. Liam's wife seemed both as trustworthy and a frustrated as her husband, and Leek gave her five gold to help with the repairs of her cart. While Levion spoke to another shop keeper, Leek introduced herself in gnomish to a gnome seller of inventions and trinkets, and learned from him that the creature had googly eyes, massive claws, and a tentacled mouth. She also then taught Arkadius (and anyone else who was listening) the Gnomish word for googly eyes. As it turns out, gnomish has one unique word for the concept.
Step 2: Follow That Trail!
With superior tracking from Juniper, the Team followed many legged footsteps through the market, down to the sea, and questioned a centaur named Igor and a human, both of whom had been in deep discussion before an interruption from our intrepid detectives. From these witnesses, the Team learned that the creature had tried to escape into the sea, attacking everyone in its wake, and had been fended off. Juniper tracked the trail of blood that the creature left down to a street below sea level, where they stumbled across a guard whose chest had been slashed open. Leek quickly stabilized the poor man, and while the rest of the team investigated the sewer grate where the trail of blood lead, Leek made sure that the guard was comfortable and knew that he would be just fine.
As they delved down into the sewer, a challenge arose: a fork in the path. To one side, an earthy smell and moss coverage. To the other, the stench of rotten fish and claw marks. While the Team decided to follow the continued trail of the beast, Levion snuck away from the group to check the other path.
Not yet aware that Levion had split from the party, the Team continued on. The water level rose, which was no trouble for an eight foot tall Goliath, but was a bit more difficult for a just-under-four-foot-tall human. Leek helped Maz up onto her shoulders, and a grate came closing down behind them. With attention now being drawn back behind them, it suddenly became clear that Levion was missing. Juniper could hear a struggle coming from the other path, and Leek hurried to try and pull the gate up. She couldn't seem to get a good grip on it through the water, and struggled again to pry the bars apart. With a boost from Matthew and a bit of guidance from Arkadius, Leek was able to try again. With all of her Goliath strength she pried apart the bars wide enough for everyone to slip through.
It was then, in this moment, that Leek's sense of Good and Evil went off in her head, and she knew that the creature they were hunting was actually past the bars they had just pried open. It was more important to rescue their friend first, so around the corner and down the other hall they went. They found him there, trapped by vines that had grabbed him as he tried to move forward towards a grate in the ceiling. It was a valiant team effort to free him through fight and fire, but the awareness of the beasts presence nearby never faded from Leek's mind. It grew ever closer, until it came clicking and slipping around the corner.
"Aberration Incoming!"
Step 3: Fight that Monster!
Leek had fought monsters before, but not like this one, and not in someplace so wet and so cramped. She ran over to Levion to check if he was alright before the creature began to attack, and a bottle bottle-neck formed in the entrance. Leek's spells refused to stick on the beast, and it was nearly impossible for her to get in between Maz, Arkadius and Matthew to land a blow. She kept slipping on the wet ground, failing to land blows on the armored crab-like creature with her warhammer. What mattered though, was that she was able to get close. She would have been no use at all far away with what came next. A quick healing word to keep their fast-fisted friend on her feet hadn't been enough against the creature, and Maz fell limp in it's claw. Leek was close enough now, she was able to reach out and channel the will of Lathander. The warm sunlit glow of her hands spared Maz from the grip of death, and more healing magic from Juniper brought her back to her feet.
These claws, they were the terror of the thing, and what was worse lie in its eyes and past its tentacles. Arkadius was grappled in it's grip and paralyzed, but Arkadius was abandoned in favor of a more frustrating target: Matthew. Matthew who, upon being grappled by the creature, decided to grapple the thing right back.
Leek was able to finally land a blow with her warhammer, before two arrows sped just past her head. Levion's arrows hit their target, lodging themselves in each of the beasts eyes and sending it toppling the ground. With a resounding cheer, Leek wrapped her arms around Levion and lifted him up in triumph for his killing blow.
Conclusion: A Beast Defeated, A Bear-Friend Freed
In all good adventures, the ones that warm our hearts, the innocent victims go home happy and the victorious heroes can celebrate their success. This is absolutely one of those stories, but it came very close to a less fortunate ending. In their focus on catching the beast, our adventurers forgot to consider: was Liam guilty? Or had he simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Leek believed him of course, he couldn't possibly have purposefully brought that monster to the village, but those in charge was not so easily convinced. Through some quick thinking, Matthew was able to convince him that the beast was most definitely mistakenly taken from it's home, and there was no way that Liam had carted it along with him with any awareness of it's presence. Liam was free to go, and the victorious adventurers paid for their efforts.
Friends made: 9
Bears freed: 1
Creatures defeated: 1.5 if you include those pesky plants
Celebratory drinks imbibed: Many
Leek will have an inspiration point for her next game!