[center]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/center][center] [img]https://i.ibb.co/SX0ZgZHb/1768046436944.jpg[/img] [img]https://i.ibb.co/1YScmZPg/1768016586215.jpg[/img] [img]https://i.ibb.co/fGQdF6b5/1767927570388.jpg[/img] [img]https://i.ibb.co/KcYsbqDz/1767902381504.jpg[/img][/center] [center][img]https://i.ibb.co/vXD6Q0t/Update-Text.png[/img][/center][center]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/center] [center][hider=Coach House][img]https://i.ibb.co/BVvx6LH2/Coach-House.jpg[/img][/hider][/center] [center]━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━[/center] [u]Weather[/u]: It is cloudy, and it is hovering at windy. Cool colors of blue and white are at the cusp of changing into the softer colors of evening. Light snow flurries tease the earth with the possibility of more solid snowfall as the day deepens into evening, though not with the foreboding of the recent blizzard. [u]Time[/u]: Late afternoon. The abstractness of time after a physical conflict has a way of muddling its observation, which in turn begs the question: Has it been an hour? Ten minutes? Are we keeping guests until supper, and/or is this a sleepover? Whichever of these things winds up being the most accurate, there is time to accomplish things with, or before, the loss of the light. [u]Ambience[/u]: It seems quiet in the Taproom. A sense of a lull that really only happens in times in introspection, study, or the application of decent food that satisfies a need you weren't sure you had in the first place. Warming tea, a decent fire, and many, many questions which need answers take a formidable forefront. Lighting here is homey and comforting; not too bright as to make things uncomfortable, and not so dim as to make reading difficult. Lanterns of grapeseed oil and decent wax candles are available for those who want a little more personal illumination. The occasional popping sound issues from the fireplace, giving the Coach House a welcoming feel to match the warmth it provides. Herby and savory scents mix with woodfire and grapeseed oil, cut through sharply by freshly brewed tea. Even if it is getting late for a proper "Teatime," persay, one would be hard pressed to refuse a comforting offer of a cup and tiny, open-faced morsel or another. The overall feel and furnishing of the Taproom hasn't changed in the weeks of its occupation; flat, even tiles of grey stone comprise the floor, upon which are sturdy, comfortable wooden chairs and tables with nary a wobble nor creak to be detected. The same polished wood makes up a bar which runs the length of one wall and is stocked mostly with wines bottled on site, though other items may be located by the aspiring imbiber. The exception, of course, are the two casks, tapped, on one side of said bar - one containing local ale and the other a brandy of amazing quality and questionable background. [center][color=darkgray][h2]*****[/h2][/color][/center] [color=darkgray]"I'm fine,"[/color] answered Lizbeth, a look of surprise more than alarm on her face. [color=darkgray]"I didn't do... I just..."[/color] There was a struggle of words as the girl attempted to put descriptives together to answer Baronfjord's questions. It seemed simple enough. But as she wasn't sure what happened, and only partly if she was well, the task was uncertain at best. Lizbeth flexed her hand from the cut she was received earlier, a thing which, being trivial at worst, had almost completely closed up by then. Except that some of her blood had used that minor opening to defy gravity and fill the hollow of her late grandfather's crystal pendant. [color=darkgray]"I feel well. I mean, as well as I might after all that in the cellar."[/color] The pendant's pulsing color, now synchronized with her heartbeat, began to fade until it settled into a faint point of barely registered glow, which still pulsed, but so faintly that one had to really look for it to notice. As the efforts of the Mosswaters were noticed, or at least vocalized, by members of the party, Tarace and Barbal saw fit to act in manners which were shy, or noncommittal, varying quite predictably between the two of them. They were a mismatched pair, the Mosswaters, but things with them seemed to come together well enough. Despite the grumbling and occasional comments of an only marginally disparaging nature, Barbal made sure that everyone's plates were full of the various goodies he brought. In fact, his disposition was downright neutral - even interested - when the tea was brought out. [color=darkgray][b]"Can't call it Teatime, really, unless we're serving it. Right? Hmm?"[/b][/color] On the other side of the table, Urmdrus had quite made himself at home. One could see him occasionally looking from Lizbeth, who was rather involved with the events of the moment (not to mention becoming part of another arcane mystery), and then look back to his off-colored Bag O' Stuff. It looked like he was biding time for something. This was no reason to neglect packing various foodstuffs into his mouth with the practice of a seasoned professional, as well as drink basically whatever was put in front of him. Except for the brandy, as he had mentioned. Answering Kathryn's question, [color=darkgray][b]"Eh. Bad dreams. Sapper for an army. Dead people. Lot of dead. Lot of screams. Don't need more of that."[/b][/color] He nodded gravely, and sipped from his drink again. Lizbeth's response to Kathryn was a little less sure, like she was trying to figure out what her opinion about mixing magic with fighting as she went along. [color=darkgray]"I don't know. Not, hmm... not yet, please? I don't know what I'm doing yet, and ah, most of this stuff has been accidental, you know? I need her,"[/color] Lizbeth motioned absently back in Victoria's direction, [color=darkgray]"to help me figure out what I can do first, right? Besides..."[/color] Her voice grew more serious, [color=darkgray]"I don't want to have to rely on this. Magic was forced on me and I don't understand it. Please, not yet."[/color] The latest arrival to the Vineyard, Daxos Irombow, made it a point to grab a fair amount of what goodies were portable, a bottle of wine or two, and his belongings. He had taken the brunt of a vicious attack downstairs, and gave the impression of a person thoroughly done with whatever was going on. [color=64520A][b]"A'v haed enouch o this. This isnae any safer than soakin ma head wi honey an sleepin wi angry badgers. 'Safe House' indeit."[/b][/color] Daxos made his way to the door and turned back to his fellow Dwarf, leaving with one final statement. [color=64520A][b]"Let me know whan the guild sends ye the okay, Master Urmdrus. Yah?"[/b][/color] Urmdrus nodded and issued a compliant grunt. This wasn't the best situation for enyone, granted, and the younger fellow seemed to have gotten the rough end of the day. He gave a quick bit of instruction in the Dwarvish tongue, and settled back to the contents of his bag. From this, he pulled out a few more pieces of armor, made to compliment a certain breastplate he had created for a young Human girl. [color=darkgray][b]"Pieces of shell. Mosswaters give, from cooking."[/b][/color] he thought for a moment, trying to rephrase, [color=darkgray][b]"Before cooking sausage. Still good after treatment. Keeps you safe. Safer."[/b][/color] There were enough parts which Lizbeth could attach to her person to give respectable coverage of armor. Not as much as a full suit of plate; but the girl might yet be able to move around unencumbered if fully donned, and the protective sections of deep green, chitinous plating were quite striking in the light. Lizbeth marveled over it all for a moment, and was about to speak words of gratitude, but was cut short. Urmdrus held up a circlet of various colors of green which resembled a laurel wreath, or arranged grape leaves, which he placed loosely upon her head. Urmdrus took it back, made a quick arrangement, and placed it back. [color=darkgray][b]"Better than no helm. Ran out of shell. Early Frostval present."[/b][/color] Lizbeth wrapped the older Dwarf in a huge hug. To his credit, Urmdrus reached one arm around to reciprocate, even if he did look a little uncomfortable. The sudden cry from Kosara, warning of the magical and/or evil nature of the brandy, gave Barbal a start.[color=darkgray][b]"Is this some trick to get me to vomit in public?"[/b][/color] he accused, pointing a rigid finger at Tarace. [color=darkgray][b]"Because 'fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...' Well, you're not going to fool me... twice."[/b][/color] His meeker partner could only hold up his hands and wordlessly insist that no, this was not some odd trick. Again. Victoria had finished the Rituals of Identification on a few of the items, and even wrote down the general effects of said items. She placed them upon the table with the notes that Baronfjord had marked for everyone to read, atop sheets of paper which explained their use: [hider=Wand of Move Earth] Wand of Move Earth Wand, uncommon This wand has 5 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to cast the Mold Earth cantrip. While you carry the wand, your clothes and gear magically repel non-magical mud, dust, and dirt. Even after a long day of digging or trekking through a swamp, you remain as clean as when you started. This effect immediate, constant, and does not require a charge to function. All expended charges are regained daily, at dawn. The wand is carved from a piece of ironwood that has petrified into dark, heavy stone; it feels weightier than it looks. Its surface is deeply ridged, resembling a twisted tree root or braided branch. Five rough-cut amber stones are embedded along its spiral, glowing with a dim, earthy light when a charge is expended. When held, you can feel a faint vibration in the handle, like a quiet tremor upon solid ground. Secondary name: "Amber Trowel" [/hider] [hider=Wand of Disturbing Smiles] Wand of Disturbing Smiles Wand, uncommon This wand has 3 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges and target a Humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be forced to smile for 1 minute. On a failed save, the target's features don't gently form into a warm smile; they are violently pulled upward into a wide, toothy, quite possibly deranged grin that looks exactly like the carvings on your wand. As they smile, you hear the faint, wet sound of a dozen tiny mouths giggling from the palm of your hand. Note that only the person using the wand can hear these maddening little giggles. The wand regains all expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand transforms into a wand of scowls (disturbing). This wand is a disturbing sight to behold. Crafted from dark, twisted wood, its length is studded with several eerily realistic human mouths that seem caught in mid-sneer. The wand's tip curves like a sickle and is made of a pale, bone-like material lined with sharp, serrated teeth. As you hold the leather-wrapped grip, the faint scent of old parchment and damp bone lingers in the air, and the mouths along the shaft seem to twitch as if waiting for a reason to laugh. [/hider] [hider=Wand of Growth and Diminution] Wand of Growth and Diminution Wand, uncommon (requires attunement by a Spellcaster) This wand has 3 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges to cast the Enlarge/Reduce spell from it. Duration remains one minute, and the caster may dismiss the spell at any time. Save DC is 15, or the spellcaster's spell save DC (whichever is higher). As a bonus action, the wand may emit bright light for five feet and dim light for an additional five feet beyond, allowing for a controlled source of subtle illumination. This use of the wand requires no charges, and the light may be dismissed at will. All expended charges are regained after a Long Rest. This is a 12-inch wand of dense, bone-white holly, featuring a tight, spiraling grain of deep crimson. The shaft tapers elegantly to a crown of organic wooden prongs that cradle a large, emerald-cut Ametrine. The gemstone displays a sharp, bicolor transition from vibrant golden-yellow to deep royal purple. When held, the wand emits a very faint, rhythmic phosphorescence, and the crystal appears to shift in size and color depth depending on the angle of the light. Secondary name: "Ilexxian Taper" [/hider] [hider=Wand of Wonder] Wand of Wonder (as per standard magic item, though random effect rolls may differ) Wand (arcane focus), rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster) This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges and choose a target within 120 feet of you. The target can be a creature, an object, or a point in space. Roll d100 and consult the following table to discover what happens. If the effect causes you to cast a spell from the wand, the spell's save DC is 15. If the spell normally has a range expressed in feet, its range becomes 120 feet if it isn't already. If an effect covers an area, you must center the spell on and include the target. If an effect has multiple possible subjects, the DM randomly determines which ones are affected. The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into dust and is destroyed. [/hider] [hider=Hidden Study Notes] - Mostly Magical related notes and things BB hasn't made a check for, but below are snippets in Common that he felt might be of interest: "...I was promised magic and wealth if I remained quiet. I had to do was turn a blind eye when strange things happened. I was promised safety..." "...The Prince whispered truths and half-truths to me. Sometimes there were dreams. They showed me terrible things. It was months later that I realized he was showing me things that actually happened upon this land..." "...spellcraft I could not understand, arcane tools I could not use, and he said this fulfilled his promise to gift me magic. He promised me riches and plentiful harvests, but I strongly suspect that the bounty yielded from the earth is due to our knowledge and the hard work of decent men. I know now I have been used..." "...the sharp eyes and tawny skin of only the eldest persons of the villages always left me with questions, when most others were fair of hair and face. Now I see those eyes in my dreams, wielding the curved swords of the Southern Deserts..." "...they don't seem to hurt me, so I must learn everything I can about them and the magic of their people. May the gods of goodly folk forgive me for my work. I fear for my soul as I experiment with what remains..." "...sometimes I find myself smiling. I am beginning to truly enjoy many of the things I met originally with horror and revulsion. I fear for my soul, but I cannot just stop..." "...my granddaughter has been gifted by the land. Or by the Prince. They might be one and the same now; I do not know. She was born here, drew breath from the land, ate of its fruits from her beginning. I found myself wishing to put my experiments to her, but sanity found me in time..." "...no one is to touch her. She cannot leave the grounds. To disobey is to invite wrath. I am not strong enough to stop him..." "WHY IS SHE GIVEN THE GIFT AND I AM LEFT WITH NOTHING?" "...I can barely hold on. I know the Prince has plans for Lizbeth. I only hope he doesn't realize I have my own. She won't be helpless, even if I am..." "...don't let the dead lie on this land overnight..." - [/hider]