Vault Near Vandalheim pt 1
The woman gave a gentle scratch at her chin, she looks to be in her 70's or 80's now. A frequent sight at the Adventurer's Guild and someone most of you know by name, if just from a story here or there over the years. Eskareen, a battle cleric of sorts they say. She still has a long gash, never healed quite right even with magic, along her left cheek and when she smiles widely (like she does when she sees you all), it turns it makes it look like a large lopsided grin.
"Ah! There we are. There we are." She nods her head and puts out a plate of cookies and yak's milk. What grandmotherly woman wouldn't offer milk and cookies after all. "You know, back when I was younger, I actually hid a bit of treasure near - well I suppose now it's Vandalheim. Back then Vandalheim wasn't quite so large you see." She nods her head.
"Please! Please! Eat up, eat up. I have more."
Krom eats as he is bid. The northman learn long ago to obey his grandmother, lest she kick his ass for being impolite to his elders.
Melora actually props her polearm up against the wall as the woman talks. She manages to eat when she's bidden as well. "So why do you want the treasure gotten? For yourself? Or something else?" A dwarf that's nice....who'da thunk it?
She waits for Krom to take that bite of fresh-baked cookies. Pick your favorite, it's that one. It always is. Somehow. If there was a sleeves of many garments for cookie baking, this woman has it and uses it liberally. She gives a smile to Melora then and pushes the yak's milk toward them both as well. "Fresh from the yak! They're a right pain to keep around here. Drink up, only way to have big strong bones. You both need them in your line of work. Be taller than a mountain by the end of it." She nods.
"Oh! Right, right." She nods toward Melora, "The curse and blessing of youth. Must go, must go now, no waiting or enjoying the niceities." She reaches out and pats Melora on the shoulder lightly. Her wrinkled hand pulling back after. "Be sure to smell the flowers sometime. You know, back when I was /your/ age -" she pauses, "-oh, you're probably a Khazahd." She starts laughing, a sort of raven-like caw to the sound as she grins widely.
"Oh my. Oh my. I was wrong, when I was probably your age I was too busy running hither and yon at the beck and call of Myrrish nobility. You know, there was once this prince that I was doing work for. Strong man, swarthy even, and he took quite-the-liking to me." She reaches out to tap the dwarf on the nose.
"Maybe you too can find a prince, hm?"
Krom mmms happily, and enjoys his yak milk. It's so hard to get here in the southlands. The warrior of Mestnoor listens closely, but doesn't interupt. If he were to interupt an elder, grandma Boadic would kick his ass.
Eskareen gives another scratch to her chin and looks between them both before nodding, "Right, I suppose I did do that again, didn't I?" She lets out another one of those laughs, and shakes her head with a smile. "Well, since you asked, it's for the museum. I seem to recall that I had a few historical items tucked away, I think a couple paintings too. It used to be a stronghold of mine until the city guards got uppity." She nods her head, and pushes more cookies toward Krom.
"It must be about twenty years ago now. They tried to hit me up for protection money, so I hit them back." She sighs, "I didn't know they were part of the guard till after the fight and two of my companions were quite hurt by then. I had to get them to safety and we never wanted to risk getting arrested." She frowns.
"Either way, I think you can get in there and bring it back, right? Oh! Oh! And the necklace, there should be a necklace there." She preens a little as she mentions it. She grins wider and says in a happier tone, "Please bring that back, if you wouldn't mind."
Krom nods. "Historic items, paintings, necklace. Where exactly would Krom find such things? Krom is sure they are hidden in clever place, or would have been found already."
Melora says, "Or, at least, guarded."
She nods her head, "Ahhh yes, yes." She reaches over and pulls out a parchment paper from her sack near by. "There's an old service entrance into this sewer system. It was an old thing that Vandalheim built over. It was about a quarter mile west of Vandalheim, now it's in the slums. About two hundred yards in from the coast." She unfolds the parchment which turns out to be a map. She points at it, drawing the distances where she can.
"If you know what you're looking for, it's not too bad. I wrote the directions down here." She taps at the bottom left corner, "That should lead you to the vault. I stashed it in there under the block five from the back walk three from the right and two from the back wall, seven from the left."
Melora smirks at Eskareen. "I'm older than you think I am, ma'am." She then looks at the map. "That'll be a bit of a hike, but I think we can manage it."
Krom nods slowly, looking over the map carefully. "Five from back, three from right. Two from back, seven from left. Krom suspect will find sewer beast, but is not too concerned. Krom is stronger than beast stink."
"Right, I wrote it all down deary." She taps at the bottom of the map again and looks between them both. "Don't worry about passage, I already bought the tickets for the boat. You just need to head over there, follow the directions, and bring it back. A milk and cookies run." She pushes both toward Krom again. "You get to take the map."
Krom nods, and accepts the map carefully, giving the written directions a wary eye. He can read just fine, but illiteracy is still fashionable in barbarian culture.
The boat ride was indeed paid for, and soon you found yourselves docked in Vandalheim. It took a bit of time to really figure out where you were supposed to go. Of course, that is mostly because the map was outdated and the slums change at a more rapid pace than maps would keep up. Different roads no longer there, new smaller paths and ramshackle houses. But soon you find the entry way to the sewers.
The rusty, slime-encrusted ladder descending down into the sewers. THe tunnels stretch north, east, and south. Fungi and mold hang from the 10-foot ceiling, dim light filtering through and giving a little illumination. It reeks of decay... but it also looks fairly clean from what you might expect in a sewer.
Melora walks through the sewers using her polearm as a walking stick, at least for the moment. Of course, it's a fairly huge polearm to begin with, so if the ceiling is too low, she holds it in a ready position. "Huh. Not quite as dirty as Alexandria's...."
Krom wholely expect whoever, or whatever, lives down there did a bit of tidying up recently. The northman isn't sure if that's a good thing. pausing near the bottom of the ladder, the takes a small vial from his pouch, shakes it vigerously, uncorks the top, and clips it to his belt. A number of small motes of light begin to drift out the top, floating around for several moment before fadeing away, only to be replaced by more from the constant stream. Each mote alone is nothing, but the total cloud provides a fair bit of light around Krom.
As you all start to walk along you hear movement and the sewer ahead of you seems to nearly fill with a black mass that starts to close on you quickly. "OI!" It growls out through a maw of teeth and her toothed tetacles slap hard against the walls and ceiling as it lets out a mighty roar.
Melora whirls herself towards the new 'threat'....and stops as it speak. "Wait....is this your territory?" Melora asks rather bluntly.
GAME: Krom rolls initiative: 8 + 9 = 17
GAME: Melora rolls initiative: 20 + 5 = 25
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 25.
It is now Melora's turn! Krom is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed on Melora ended.
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 17.
It is now Krom's turn! Tig is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed on Krom ended.
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 16.
It is now Tig's turn! Melora is next!
Roars and slams its tentacles off the walls again as Melora talks to it.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 25.
It is now Melora's turn! Krom is next!
GAME: Melora rolls knowledge/nature: (4)+8: 12
GAME: Melora rolls Diplomacy: (8)+9: 17
Melora.....tilts her head as she recognizes what it is. "huh. Seems Alexandria has given other cities ideas too." She steps out into the open too. "Whoa whoa....wait a second. We don't want to hurt you. I know we're new to your territory, but we're not here to cause any harm....if we can help it. Can we pass through your territory, please?"
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 17.
It is now Krom's turn! Tig is next!
GAME: Krom rolls intimidate: (13)+7: 20
Krom plants his feet and draws his twin blades with a flourish in the dim light. "Krom offers greetings and salutations, oooor sharpened metal. Your call."
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 16.
It is now Tig's turn! Melora is next!
"WUT?!" The creature bellows looking toward the one talking to her, "Give me something good! Tig hungry! You give Tig food with good taste!" It bellow it. As Krom turns and intimidates it, Tig takes a half step back, then the larger creature puffs up bigger still and lets out a bellow back into his face. You don't think the intimidation worked.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 25.
It is now Melora's turn! Krom is next!
Melora says, "can I try more diplomacy?"
GAME: Melora rolls knowledge/nature: (6)+8: 14
Melora tilts her head. "We'll get you a bit of food if you want. Can you tell us of this place." She says softly as she takes off her pack. "I have a few rations if you'll take that. What's your name?"
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 17.
It is now Krom's turn! Tig is next!
Tig moves from one side to the other and it looks at Melora. "Wut? Me Tig! This sewer. Wut yoo mean tell place? I no want ration! I want good food. Good! Food from above 'n' tasty drinks!" It shifts from one foot to the other and seems to be looking about them.
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 16.
It is now Tig's turn! Melora is next!
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 25.
It is now Melora's turn! Krom is next!
Melora chuckles. "Rations are all I have at the moment, Tig. However, if you let us through, I'll give you these....and will even share more with you later on. Sound good?"
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 17.
It is now Krom's turn! Tig is next!
Krom considers a few moment. "Krom is not sure where to find tastey foods near here. Would take much time to search."
"Tig want food /NOW/, not after. You..." Tig shuffles back and forth again and look toward Krom, "Me wait. You find me food up there!" The tentacles point back up the way they came in through, "And me let you go passed. It really good, maybe me show you treasure."
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 16.
It is now Tig's turn! Melora is next!
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Five - Init 25.
It is now Melora's turn! Krom is next!
GAME: Melora rolls diplomacy: (7)+9: 16
Melora searches around in her pack and grins. "I forgot about this." She says as she lifts a paper wrapping from something....it's a calzone and some bread. "I've got enough for all of us if this is okay. this and some bread. I give you this....and give you more later."
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Five - Init 17.
It is now Krom's turn! Tig is next!
GAME: Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Five - Init 16.
It is now Tig's turn! Melora is next!
Tig looks down at the calzone from Stonework's Calzones and its tentacles flail about as it yells out, "THAT NOT ENOUGH FOR TIG AND ARGY! ME NEED MORE!"
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Kisaiya advances the initiative order.
Round Six - Init 25.
It is now Melora's turn! Krom is next!
Krom keeps quiet and out of the way. Though he is eyeing that calzone pretty closely.
Melora says, "wait wait...Argy? Who's argy?"
"Argy oher Otyugh! This our sewer!" The tentacles flail.
Krom consdiers a few moments, and shrugs to Melora. "Could battle, but Krom think guide would be useful."
Melora says, "yeah.....I think so too." She then ponders. "Lets go and get some food for these guys." She says as she turns back. "Don't go anywhere...okay?" She still tosses Tig the Calzone."
Tig snatches it out of the air and gobbles it down quickly.
Krom shrugs, and reaturns his blades to their sheaths, heading back the way they came.
GAME: Krom rolls perception: (1)+6: 7 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Melora rolls perception: (17)+9: 26
Krom heads back the the surface, peers around a moment, and takes a deep wiff to try and find a cooking vendor. Unfortunately, whatever the heck he stepped in is covering up any other smell in the general area.
Melora smiles to Krom. "scrape that off. I think I smell something that Tig would love." She says rounding the corner. "Wow. Jackpot." She says as she spots the curry. "How much for the whole vat of curry?"
Krom spends a bit of time cleaning his shoe, but not too much.... they're headed right back down again, after all. Following Melora, he nods. "And rice. Krom know can't have proper curry without rice."
"Whole thing? Five gold!" the man says as he clangs a spoon off the side of the pot and looks between them. Then he jerks a thumb off to the side, "Rice 's o'er there. Three gold for all of it." He nods his head.
Krom nods, and fishes three gold out of his pocket. And ten silver, because he's not cheaping out on the curry. He's not that kind of northman.
Melora says, "I'll handle the 5 gold. Can you handle the rice, Krom?"
Krom says, "Krom will carry rice, but pay four and four."
You two work out the agreement and between you both you guy a vat of curry and rice to carry down to the creatures in the sewers. A few minutes, a lot of finagling, and a bunch of careful adjustments and you get it down there. Tig is moving from foot to foot, clearly excited.
Krom has rope, which helps at least a little, but there's only so much you can do to ease lowering a pot full of food into a sewer.
Melora chuckles a bit and helps Krom fix the curry and rice for both of the Otyguhs. "This okay? I'd say share, but these are your sewers."
GAME: Melora rolls diplomacy: (3)+9: 12
GAME: Krom rolls diplomacy: (15)+1: 16
The Otyugh is joined by another soon after, it sort of slinks from the shadows down a different passage way where it was hiding. This time Krom is the one doing the talking, and - while they don't seem particularly inclined to listen - the food does wonders. "ARGY! ARGY! We have /food/! FROM SURFACE!" And they're chowing down on it. Both of them, their wicked look maws of teeth and tentacles lashing about as they eat it all in in probably the grossest way you can imagine.
Melora says, "and...I wanted to share. Now I don't. Ew." She then looks to Krom. "At least they'll let us pass."
Krom shrugs mildly. He's fed hungry scouts of the most north. These sewer monsters don't smell, or look, all that worse. "Not fighting is good."
Melora says, "better than fighting, I think." She says softly....and lets them chow down."
The creatures finish up in relatively short order, and then they starts bickering with eachother before they lead the adventurers off to the north, half way up the tunnel and then off ot the side where there's a hole they've dug out. Inside of it is a bunch of broken objects, torn cloth, and all of it looks absolutely filthy. "There you go! Our Treasure! Take wut want!"
Melora ponders. "Looks like this is the place." She says starting to look for a necklace....
Krom is thinking this is -a- place, but not -the- place. He is, however, willing to take a look before following the map. Though is a chance it would lead him here...
The further in you start to look, the deeper it gets. Till it's knee-deep and writhes with beetles. Fresher items of trash lay on the top, though its all largely untouched even by the Otyughs. After searching for a little while, and Krom's suspicions were right, the treasure is not here at all. It's all completely worthless items, though trash to you it's clearly treasure to Tig and Argy.