Envisioner
Explorer
|
-
Monstrous Menagerie II: Hordes & Heroes has a launch date! Mark your calendars for November 12th, 2024. 300+ more monsters for your D&D 2024, or Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition games, plus new horde rules and rules for heroic monsters who level up alongside you--whether they be allies, companions, or foes! Click here to follow on Kickstarter!
Rise of Tiamat - Intro
- Thread starter Envisioner
- Start date
jmucchiello
Hero
|
Envisioner
Explorer
Ana tags along after Shel, who ignores both her and Hartleigh completely (which, if nothing else, is a surprising reaction to a clockwork horse, something that the vast majority of Realmsfolk would gawk at in bafflement). The commandant proceeds to round up the other four individuals who have been dispersing around the area; one of them is carrying a small bag, another holds a halberd, the third is an elf, and the fourth has glowing red eyes, but otherwise they all seem pretty nondescript. The half-orc boy Nevek gets up and ambles toward the gathering, waving for Ashur, Robyn and Dumos to follow him; assuming they do, the total of 11 individuals gathers around a large rock, which the Emeralds are treating as if it was a council table.
"Report," the husky woman says without preamble to her subordinates, who begin describing their findings as if they were little more than a team of land surveyors. It's mentioned that the chimera was found, "samples" were taken, and the remains were "sanctified" and then buried; presumably all this happened well before you got within visual range of the operation. Eventually the discussion comes around to the bagman, the most ordinary-looking of the six Enclave agents by far (the halberdier is at least noticeably more muscular than the human average, though not to the same extent Shel is). He places the sack up on the rock, opens the drawstring, reaches into it, and pulls out Hartleigh's collar, which is obviously too large to have fit within the physical space of the sack itself. As veteran adventurers, you've all heard of storage devices like this, but it's likely that none of you has actually seen one yet, and the reality does not disappoint compared to the tales.
Hartleigh immediately gets off his horse (which, being a construct, stands absolutely still while waiting for him to remount it), walks up to the table, and attempts to take the collar from the bagman - who does not relinquish hold of it. The two stare at each other for a moment, but for now they don't attempt to make an issue of things, and Shel seems content to move on with the meeting. You're not sure if she plans on getting around to your questions at some point or not, although Nevek gives you a sympathetic look that might suggest she probably will get to you, once the formalities of her job are attended to.
"Report," the husky woman says without preamble to her subordinates, who begin describing their findings as if they were little more than a team of land surveyors. It's mentioned that the chimera was found, "samples" were taken, and the remains were "sanctified" and then buried; presumably all this happened well before you got within visual range of the operation. Eventually the discussion comes around to the bagman, the most ordinary-looking of the six Enclave agents by far (the halberdier is at least noticeably more muscular than the human average, though not to the same extent Shel is). He places the sack up on the rock, opens the drawstring, reaches into it, and pulls out Hartleigh's collar, which is obviously too large to have fit within the physical space of the sack itself. As veteran adventurers, you've all heard of storage devices like this, but it's likely that none of you has actually seen one yet, and the reality does not disappoint compared to the tales.
Hartleigh immediately gets off his horse (which, being a construct, stands absolutely still while waiting for him to remount it), walks up to the table, and attempts to take the collar from the bagman - who does not relinquish hold of it. The two stare at each other for a moment, but for now they don't attempt to make an issue of things, and Shel seems content to move on with the meeting. You're not sure if she plans on getting around to your questions at some point or not, although Nevek gives you a sympathetic look that might suggest she probably will get to you, once the formalities of her job are attended to.
Last edited:
jmucchiello
Hero
"Let him examine the collar. He originally made it." Ana says.
Envisioner
Explorer
Shel nods curtly, and the bagman relinquishes the item. Hartleigh begins scrutinizing the runes with a jeweler's loupe, experimentally tapping the metal with a tiny hammer, and so forth; the discussion moves on around the table, and finally comes to Nevek, who is clearly the juniormost voice on the council. "If it please the commandant, I believe these worthies would like a few of their questions answered at this point." Frowning, the dictatorial woman gestures her grudging assent.
"We were on routine patrol between Ardeep and the High Forest when we got word that the Enclave's forces here in the south had engaged a hostile force and sustained heavy losses. We're not a full military detachment, and we were among the last to arrive anyway, so we never actually saw any fighting, but since then we've been helping out with the cleanup operation. Somehow the surviving hostiles have gone to ground - without their costumes, most of them just look like anyone else, and they clearly have some sort of intelligence network supporting their efforts to stash their materiel and disappear. Since then we've been scouring the areas where they had done their marauding, trying to find clues that would help us figure out who exactly they are and what they're up to."
The red-eyed person chimes in at this point. "If I may, Commander; another aspect of our current mission involves making contact with an individual who matches the description of your friend here," he finishes with a gesture toward Analiese. "I hope I do not speak out of turn, ma'am, but if you are indeed the so-called Heroine of Brasspool, then our mutual friend Mr. Harkness speaks very highly of you. I believe there is a connection between this apparent 'dragon army' and the directive we have received from Grand Elder Hachiman, indicating that there is a matter of quite literally global importance being decided in the city of Waterdeep. The directive calls for us to make contact with certain persons of reputable merit, and Mr. Harkness's tale of your deeds in Brasspool indicate that you could be just such an individual as we wish to employ." The man's references to Brasspool and Harkness are instantly recognizable to Ana, as being among the more famous of her previous exploits.
"We were on routine patrol between Ardeep and the High Forest when we got word that the Enclave's forces here in the south had engaged a hostile force and sustained heavy losses. We're not a full military detachment, and we were among the last to arrive anyway, so we never actually saw any fighting, but since then we've been helping out with the cleanup operation. Somehow the surviving hostiles have gone to ground - without their costumes, most of them just look like anyone else, and they clearly have some sort of intelligence network supporting their efforts to stash their materiel and disappear. Since then we've been scouring the areas where they had done their marauding, trying to find clues that would help us figure out who exactly they are and what they're up to."
The red-eyed person chimes in at this point. "If I may, Commander; another aspect of our current mission involves making contact with an individual who matches the description of your friend here," he finishes with a gesture toward Analiese. "I hope I do not speak out of turn, ma'am, but if you are indeed the so-called Heroine of Brasspool, then our mutual friend Mr. Harkness speaks very highly of you. I believe there is a connection between this apparent 'dragon army' and the directive we have received from Grand Elder Hachiman, indicating that there is a matter of quite literally global importance being decided in the city of Waterdeep. The directive calls for us to make contact with certain persons of reputable merit, and Mr. Harkness's tale of your deeds in Brasspool indicate that you could be just such an individual as we wish to employ." The man's references to Brasspool and Harkness are instantly recognizable to Ana, as being among the more famous of her previous exploits.
|
jmucchiello
Hero
Ana bows her head and closes her eyes in memory of Brasspool. She had not saved them all and in some ways it reminded her of her own family's demise. Heroine of Brasspool they had called her and yet all she can remember is the eyes of the dead who she had not saved.
She looks at the red-eyed man. "Yes, I am Annaliese Claymoor, the so-called Heroine of Brasspool. It was a bloodbath. I noticed the invaders in time to get some of the civilians to safety and to muster the militia on time to stop them before they entered the city streets. The fight took place in a field along the main road and we were able to contain them before they scattered inside the town.
"I also led a raid against their camp the next night. Gerrand, Mr. Harkness, made sure I received an accolade for that. I gave it to a child who lost his parents in the initial raid. As much as I did, it was not enough. It's never enough. They just keep dying.
"Excuse me," Ana gets up and disappears into some bushes. Some with high perception might notice she is crying.
Stealth: 1D20+7 = [15]+7 = 22
She looks at the red-eyed man. "Yes, I am Annaliese Claymoor, the so-called Heroine of Brasspool. It was a bloodbath. I noticed the invaders in time to get some of the civilians to safety and to muster the militia on time to stop them before they entered the city streets. The fight took place in a field along the main road and we were able to contain them before they scattered inside the town.
"I also led a raid against their camp the next night. Gerrand, Mr. Harkness, made sure I received an accolade for that. I gave it to a child who lost his parents in the initial raid. As much as I did, it was not enough. It's never enough. They just keep dying.
"Excuse me," Ana gets up and disappears into some bushes. Some with high perception might notice she is crying.
Stealth: 1D20+7 = [15]+7 = 22
Envisioner
Explorer
Nothing is said, but Nevek gives Shel a distinctly reproachful look. Mr. Red-Eyes closes them and lowers his head respectfully.
Similar Threads
