Rollohi-ep28-script

 Basic premise 

There is an Ironwright  Guild member who sympathizes with Wully and his halfling village, and is also adventurous enough to try something quite different. In some manner yet to be determined he and the party link up. The prospective deal is that the wright sends Wully's village iron billets and in return the party goes back west and fetches the beetle carapaces so that this wright can make a side-deal with an armorer 

 

I worked this out with some d6 oracles. 

 

Let's find out who this smith is. 

Azure Pukeley, a woman of mature years. 

  

The halfling Wully has the line to Azure, but they need to meet her discreetly. Cied is the natural liaison since her being seen with Wully should not attract any notice. 

 

Is Azure prepared to sweeten the deal at all? Yes but the speed of the transaction then becomes an issue. In return for both speed and discretion she will issue a note of hand for purchases in Lake Town. She will extend the reward to 44 gold coin. Ie 11 gold per bug carcass. 

 

Eryn: yes as long as it's safe to leave the warhorse here, I'd prefer to just ride my palfrey quickly 

Ingle: no, this is not important enough. 

Jack no but if the reward was more... 

Umbert No but if the reward was more... 

Cied: Yes 

Pod: Yes 

Kylie: No but if there is a reward from the halflings village then it’s a different matter 

Xantu: No and I have to point out some of us are voting the opposite to what we did back when we voted to abandon the carcasses. 

Ingle: in light of the halflings seeking to aid their kind I have changed my mind. A halfling village may be a good contact in future 

Eryn: that is an incredibly good point. That, and what Kylie has raised. Jack, I think the halflings might be prevailed on to reward us.  

Jack: I think I mentioned 300. 

Wully: Sure, we are good for halfling style gear, including leather and flax. Maybe worth the 300. 

Kylie: [nods] 

Xantu: huh, don't say I didn't warn ya 

 

Eryn: I'll let the innkeeper know that we will reserve the stables and that he is to feed my warhorse for two days.  

Ingle: I suppose we'll need both pack mules... 

Eryn: they are both feisty and eager for the trail last I looked. 

 

Chance of getting lost: nil 

Encounter in the downs No 

Forage: no they are moving at pace 

Weather: chill but exactly in line with expected 

They make good time back to the bugs. 

Encounter at the bugs: No. Scavengers have generally avoided the corpses since tiger beetles are not tasty. 

 

Ingle: right scouts, let's have a drive around and see what we can round up in hot rocks and firewood. 

The area contains a perfect assortment of light and heavier brush and rocks that will hold heat without exploding. 

Do they build the process in one watch? Yes 

Do they finish the task in one more watch? No but just a half-watch over 

Night falls. The mounts are pastured nearby. Light is poor – stars only – it is a clear night and the crescent (2st night) is below the downs. 

 

Travelers during the three watches they are there:  

0 border patrol 

0 knights of a local banneret 

0 merchants 

7_12 otherwise: three tarantellas creep out from their hunting lairs and upon the working adventurers 

One person on watch spots movement! Range 200yds 

Round one: Spiders advance to 160 yds 

"We're done here!" - Pod 

"Are we not monster hunters?!" - Kylie 

"Those are each the size of a pony – they must be worth a fortune!" - Xantu 

"My Wand of Paralysis ought to stop one" - Umbert 

"Greed is awesome but we're done here!" - Cied 

(Kylie looks as though she is going to ambush them, she advances into cover) 

"We ride away – then come back – we might lure one alone, or catch one later" - Eryn 

"I think Eryn – who can use a lance – has the right idea" - Ingle 

"Kylie and me can wait in ambush nearby" - Jack 

"YOU CANT SEE IN THIS LIGHT!!" - Pod 

"Oh, right. Once we're away from the fire... I'll join you later Kylie!" - Jack 

"Alone, I am no longer staying!" - Kylie, heading to the packs with the beetle carapaces 

"And I'm not staying with ye!" - Xantu 

The halflings are already helping one another saddle their ponies.  

Round 2. Spiders advance to 120 yds 

Umbert and Eryn help the two halflings while Ingle and Xantu work on saddling Xantu's pony. Jack begins saddling. Kylie slings pack saddles – with the beetle carapaces -  onto the pack mules. 

Round three: Spiders advance to 80 yds 

Kylies' mount and the 2 pack mules are tethered  on their hobble lines to the other horses by the three now mounted, and pack saddles made secure. Kylie, Umbert Ingle Jack and Eryn saddle up their own mounts. This is getting very very close! I require Eryn to make a WIS check to cope with her mount, as her palfrey is not so familiar with her. 17! She is going to have to ride unsaddled! 

Round four: Spiders advance to 40yds. All characters are now mounted. Last-second checks of harness! 

"May the Divine Eye favor us!" - Ingle, riding away trusting to his horse's night vision. The others follow. This time Eryn makes 11 on her DEX (ride) check. Sitting side-on, she can still ride about 40' 

Round 5: spiders advance into the campsite and check the buried remains. The riders are well over 40' from them. 

Bickering about whether, had they all stayed, they would have been safe, the heroes ride off into the growing dawn. 

 

 

It is the next day. They have not got lost, forage has afforded them some water and late-season wild grass, but the land is as bare as winter would suggest. It is chill and clear, the 3nd day of waxing crescent. Their next direction is dead-reckoning navigation to the halfling village. At a mid-point between it and irontown, Azure should be waiting. 

 

What they do not know is that Azure has been followed.... 

 

Jack does not spot him, but even with disadvantage, Xantu does. The riders surround the fellow and Ingle grimly challenges him. He introduces himself with his name, Korinn, and a half challenge: 

 

"Bit strange, adventurers heading this way... " he flashes his guild token so they know he is protected. "Are those beetle parts?" 

  

Ingle does not lose his cool. "That’s really our business" 

 

"Sure, but if your business is doing business with guild member Azure, the older lady I noticed heading out this way, that would be Guild business too" 

 

(At this point, testing Eryn, I get a "No and" reaction and that to me means she is signaling Ingle that they should just abandon the whole thing.) 

 

Ingle is pretty heavily invested by this time and in essence, uses Intimidation:  

"We are not on irontown precincts and I suggest you take up any issue you have with Azure, with Azure – if you'll pardon the expression. Be on your way!" 

 

And a CHA:CHA test resolves 06 for Ingle 19 for Korrin! Who has 13 CHA but now backs down. 

"I'll be watching! Irontown doesn't forget!" He says sternly. 

I check if he will follow them... no. 

 

The meeting with Azure and Wully can now proceed and the party can offload the bugs. 

 

(I had thought about whether Ingle's plan to hire retainers would cut any ice with Korrin but I felt not, and didn't bother trying that ploy. Some others among the party also have this plan in mind.)