CH 1

[Mysticsage]

You've been traveling on the High Road for days from your various homes. All from varying walks of life and with different stations. As Evening approaces, you spot a wooden signpost next to a trail that heads north to the hills. Nailed to the post are three arrow- shaped signs. The two marked Waterdeep and Daggerford follow the High Road but point in opposite directions. The third, marked Nightstone, beckons you follow the trail. If memory serves, Nightstone is roughly ten miles up the trail.

A caravan hailing from Waterdeep carrying a number of patrons including a city guard and a young rail thin urchin moved slowly lazily as it came to the crossroads. It mixed and mingled with the  various other traffic including the small foot traffic that carried a traveling sorceress and druid. All this coming and going ignored the upper trail, and the wilderness beyond. Rumors of roving monsters, the encroaching dispute of elves from a nearby forest, and weather had cut off almost all travel to once had been an up and coming hunting town for those nobles who enjoyed such excursions. Even the meteor that fell in the middle of town with unknown magical origin was not enough to keep interests of the academics. However, such problems hold the promise of certain rewards for those willing to throw their hat and possible blade into the ring. So, as the traffic clears four travelers stand staring at the sign pointed towards Nightstone bound by their own hopes and dreams. With only a ten mile stretch to the future and the silence of the road.

Hi guys. So for anyone not in the know, these boxes will be largely used for out of character talking giving me a means to answer any rolls or for you guys to ask questions. These boxes will also be used for rolls so that they are well organized. feel free to push for info as you wish just label what you are aiming for and what skill you are using unless I ask for it directly.

You have a good few hours at least to follow the road do any introductions or conversations you please. So go wild and I'll chime in when its needed or to push the story along. If anyone has any questions feel free to either just ask or pm me if you want to keep it private and I'll try my best to answer you.

[pringerbeam]

     Arshae pulled at the clasps holding the bearskin draped over his form as a cloak tighter to ward off the chill of the falling darkness.  With his other hand he kept a grip upon a wooden staff tipped with a purple crystal which the wood had grown about before being hewn.  He examined the other travelers upon the otherwise empty road, curious as to why they might be headed for the town.  Humans in human lands should hardly come as a surprise to the wood elf but given his mission he could not help but wonder if they  might be headed to the town for the same reason as himself.  His thoughts were interrupted by a nagging grumble of his stomach and he opened up a pouch hanging from his belt to eat some berries he had foraged earlier in the day.  He pursed his lips at the tart berries and looking at the evening sky he wondered how close he must be to the town, checking to see if any of the other travelers had drawn out lights to illuminate the coming night.  He did not need light himself, his eyes being naturally more keen in the dark, but he did hope to discern whether the distance to the town was close enough to warrant a trek through the dark for the humans. 
     "Tell me fellow travelers, do any of you happen to know how much farther it is to the town of Nightstone?"  Asked Arshae, hoping to gain some insight from these humans.

[Oath]

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Ayumi was thinking in silence, she had seen the druid a few times along the road, though she had never spoken to him. He stood out to her because he too was a stranger to these lands, or so it seemed. She brought her waterskin to her lips slowly, and took a long, quiet sip before the druid spoke up, breaking her train of thought about her travels.

Without a word, she reached into her pack and unfolded a crude looking map. After examining it for a few moments, she turned back to the fellow traveler, with an apologetic shrug. A hood attached to a cloak obscured some of her features, but she appeared to be from another land. Long, black hair fell down past her shoulders, hidden beneath the cloak, and dark, expressive eyes seemed to convey that she was truly apologetic.

"Sorry, friend. I cannot say, my map is a little crude for these parts, but I am convinced we can arrive before the night is too old." With the last part of the statement her eyes turned to the sky, the hues of blue were being washed away by oranges, reds and purples. Reaching into her pack, she set her map back in carefully and procured a torch, unsure if she would need it.

Ayumi stepped onto the road, and motioned back towards the other three. Come, friends. The road is very big, we have plenty of time to make talk as we travel. Who knows what night may hide here." Her small frame lent itself well to light footsteps as she set out on the road, the metal rings on her staff clattering lightly with each step.

[TheOtherGuy]

Having never left the confines of a big city, the rolling hills and empty trail ironically suffocated Roland. There were no corners to back into during a fight. No roofs to leap across for quick escapes. If he expected an edge over any thieves or monsters, he would have to befriend these travelers, or at least not piss them off. The streets taught him that those who stayed in packs the longest survived the longest. But the streets also taught him to never speak too much, if it all, to strangers in fear of revealing any weaknesses. So Roland, an urchin still in his teens, silently decided to keep a short distance from the only people who may have a know-how of these lands.

Hey guys. I'm new to this forum setting for D and D. Let me know if I'm doing something wrong or something like that.

[pwn0saurusrex]

With catching wind of what was to come, Ravic Stormfellow wanted to seize those moments as opportunities to not only surpass the current threshold of his life, but to gain favor with his god, Tyr. The man was not overtly young, but reborn as a devout paladin with strong hopes for the world to reach the potential he saw in it. As he sat quietly towards the end of the caravan, he clutched his shield and war hammer tightly in hopes to gain all the more favor during his prayers to the god of law and justice. Ravic looked down at his shield, embossed with a hammer and balanced scales, and hoped for the day when he will no longer be known as the simple city guard he started his service as. Once the prayers had ceased, he lifted his head, looked, and listened. As he overheard travelers speaking the name again, he remembered the rumors circling around Nightstone that the other city guards had spoken of. When Ravic saw the sign, he jumped from the caravan and made his way toward all possible adventures. He overheard the other travelers and motioned in the direction in he was already heading."I've been familiar with these lands for most of my years. If it's Nightstone you seek, come this way.".

Hey everyone. Just wanted to apologize for taking a while to post. I was back home visiting with family and friends for the holidays.

[Mysticsage]

The four of you continue walking generally chatting or in amenable silence. The sounds of the northern wilderness surrounding you. The first hoots of an early rising owl can be heard somewhere of in the distance, as the dense pines push ever closer to the road, casting ever longer shadows. To make matters worse the road itself after the first hour or so turns from a passable dirt road with the occasional cobble stone paver to little more then a dirt trail barely usable by wagons. Obviously whatever money had been going into the road has long since dried up along with the traffic.

Not that it much bothered those of you who were accustomed to the wilds. There was obviously beauty to be had here a picturesque chill clung to the place as with most alpine settings even if this was far enough south to really never totally freeze. Those of you used to city life however, and worse in heavy armor either are having a difficult time in this amount of uncontrolled  nature or had to disrobe enough to lighten the load. Carrying things like chain mail made traveling on foot easier but more dangerous if some beast were to stumble out looking for a meal. Since putting on heavy armor takes a few minutes even for the most trained of soldiers its sometimes best to just grit ones teeth and deal with the weight.

Otherwise its easy going as the sky began to shift to the beginnings of dark orange and light purple. Ayumi's map giving little aid while she thought about her journey and search for artifacts. The mysterious obelisk that was rumored to be at the center of Nightstone a possible good lead. The group has so far made it the better part of an hour without major trouble.

Roland
Make a perception check while you watch your other companions from a distance.

Ayumi
Go ahead an make a history check for me to see what you have picked up about Nightstone and why you want to go there

Arshea
give me a quick nature check just to see what you know about the area.

Ravic
Go ahead and give me a history check as well

[pringerbeam]

     Arshae breathed in the air as the trees began to encroach upon the road feeling more at home on the simple dirt trail they now tread and adjusted his pace to better match the impromptu grouping.  "Ah, thank you good sir..."  Arshae looked over the man and the equipment he seemed to have on his person.  "Knight?"  He guessed, noting the heavy armor he seemed to have,  He had seen armor upon some of the elven rangers of his home forest but where the hardiest of them would wear a simple shirt of chain or scales this mountain of a man appeared to have enough to cover his entire body.  Arshae balked at the lavish amount of metal that must have been used to craft such a set of armor, far more than the amount needed to craft the ceremonial scimitar he himself carried.  "Perhaps you could tell me what a man of your standing might be headed to Nightstone for?"  Turning to the other speaker he asked: "Could I see your map."  Arshae was curious and had never seen a map before.  He knew that it was a crude implement used by those who did not understand their surroundings as the rangers and druids of his home did.  Remembering his very own surroundings, he kept an eye upon the human who had kept their distance from the others, wondering their purpose as well.

Nature Check

Rolled 1d20+3 : 2 + 3, total 5

[Oath]

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The land that seemed unscarred by mankind reminded Ayumi of home. Game trails running through the narrow path, crisp, fresh air. She was used to rough terrain and was glad to have her staff, it could be used for support in a pinch, if she needed.  The armored man's words confirmed her suspicions from the map. She gave a shallow, polite bow and remembered the words from her homeland. Always respect knightly fellows.

Thank you for your guidance, Ser. My name is Ayumi. Might I have yours?"

Ayumi turned to the other man, who seemed to be in his rightful place among all the nature. "The map is just a crude estimation from my homeland, but you can take a look if you'd like. She approached the man and unfolded the map before handing it to him.

Knowledge: History

Rolled 1d20+3 : 19 + 3, total 22

[TheOtherGuy]

Roland sat with his knees up, keeping his back against a tree not too far from the path. Its sturdy bark guaranteed no surprise attacks from behind. He missed those sparse cobble stones that eventually disappeared from the road. However, the dirt did provide at least some warmth for his soles, as opposed to the cold stone. With no buildings to block the wind, the woods were much draftier than Roland expected. He sunk his feet into the soil while searching into darkness. His hands tensed around his kneecaps with every hoot or growl between the trees.

Perception: [1d20+1] 11 + 1 = 12

[pwn0saurusrex]

Ravic smirked at hearing the word "Knight" directed towards him, and he nodded his head. "As one of my last debts to the city guard, I've come on a mission from my superiors. Lots of rumors circling around the city about this place. Even though I knew the mouth of the path, as you can see I'm still a tad out of my element in all this nature"  he said looking towards the first stranger. The need to keep his footing in the rough terrain took most of his attention, but Ravic still managed to hear the introduction. He looked to the second stranger, Hello Ayumi, the name is Ravic Stormfellow. May I ask what brings you both to these parts? 

History Check: [1d20] 17

[pringerbeam]

     "Thank you."  Arshae accepted the map and furrowed his brow as he examined it.  He could not figure out what the iconography of the map was meant to mean and instead looked to try and orient himself by the forests and mountains he had heard of.  He listened to the others and, continuing to scrutinize the map, he responded: "I have been sent by my circle to mediate a dispute between the town and its elven neighbors.  I don't suppose either of you know anything of it?  What word had come to us was scarce and vague."

[Mysticsage]

Arshae
Despite his familiarity with the natural world this area feels somehow foreign and strange. The forest is not kind like the ones back home. As a total region it seems to be sneering hiding its secrets jealously from the young druid. The slightest shift in the movement of the trees is catching his attention, and yet no animal seems to be catching your eye in response. Perhaps its just the proximity to so many strangers not to mention the young teen's glare that is stuck to the back of everyone's heads,but he is defiantly off his game. The snow and dense foliage even warping the sounds around you.

Ayumi
She knows that the town of Nightstone received its name, and was first built for the study of a Blackstone monolith that fell from the sky mysteriously. All the major universities in the area have sent scholars along with several private groups to study that stone, and From your research they did not gain any insights from their work and eventually gave up further study. The stone does from rumor radiate some kind of arcane energy. Getting to understand the nature of this material or perhaps talking to the residents who have lived in close proximity to it might lead to the next step of self discovery. Though she has doubts about that this object is directly tied to her heritage an arcane object of that size might be worth looking at.

Roland   
As he stares at his current traveling companion a scarf tucked into his armor and around Ravic's neck catches his attention as the statement about him working for the city guard carries to him. The scarf was bright orange with imagery of the city seal, a cresent moon reflected on the ocean depicted on it. The Color orange and the addition of a morning dove told you that Ravic was part of 38th regimine, The 38th regimen as any good pickpocket would know was responsible for patrolling the nothern wall district under a rather strict captain which is both good and a bad thing. This particular captain is a bit of a hardass and takes the edicts of the city a bit to seriously and often comes down hard on even simple crimes like pickpockets when he can get their hands on them. On the other hand, the captain is equally strict to his men as he is to the public. Meaning that they rarely took moon from the various crime factions nor turned a blind eye when people were in trouble, So while some of your friends ended up with bruises and perhaps a few broken bones due to the 38th they almost never ended up dead unless it was their fault. Roland knows enough to know that each guard is unique in terms of how far they are willing to go and how 

Ravic
Ravic before heading out to Nightstone your captain gave you some details about the town and what he needs to do to clear his debts.   Lady Velrosa Nandar who lives in the keep in Nightstone is to be your contact and the person you report to for any jobs. She is from a noble family of Waterdeep and is the women who is really trying single handedly to put Nightstone on the map in any way possible. From marketing the hunting in the region to other nobles to working with a number of academics with a supposed magic stone that feel in the middle of town,
Ravic's former captain one Vasc Hammerfell was either familiar with the family or had some kind of connection, because he gave you a letter with his personal seal of the guard. He said before you left the service that giving that letter to her would help pave your way and get you started once the task was done. Ravic never knew Vasc to get emotional besides loud and forceful, but as he handed the letter over he softened in that moment and almost got misty. The letter is tucked somewhere with the rest of Ravic's things dep in the folds of fabric and metal.

[Oath]

Ravic spoke of his duty as a guard, it was a noble calling. Defending those who could not defend themselves was something that Ayumi had always admired. However it was clear that he was not used to the unspoiled land and would take a while to get moving. But company is always welcome on this type of journey, especially when it is unfamiliar territory. Ayumi let out a small giggle before speaking.

"It is hard to move around in such heavy armor, but it is a noble undertaking to protect those who cannot protect themselves. As for myself I have traveled for a while searching for arcane artifacts. They are interesting to look at and study, and I desire to learn a thing or two about each unusual item I encounter. Some might not be so unusual to the people that live in this land, but for a stranger, so much of what these lands have to offer are unusual and exciting.

Ayumi looked at Arshae as he explained his reason for venturing out this far, and slowly shook her head. "I do not know why the Elves and the towns people would be at odds, but I hope that it is a problem that has a good resolution."

[pwn0saurusrex]

"Thank you. As someone who can protect those around him, I always felt it my duty to do so. It is in fact what led me to this very moment, and Nightstone itself". As it was foreign to his own reality, Ravic was interested to know all he could about the artifacts. "Arcane artifacts, you say? The guards never spoke of such wonders to one another. Please, show me all you can when you come across one".  

[TheOtherGuy]

Ravic the guard's scarf dragged Roland to years long gone. The same orange hue was adorned by the guard who broke his bother's jaw for pocketing two apples. The same guard snagged the fruit from him, but that didn't matter. His brother couldn't manage to eat for the rest of his shortened life. Ravic's own scarf both boiled and cooled Roland's blood. Physically, Roland stood no match. Another rule for urchins came to mind: run in packs. Ravic, one of the 38th, could never be part of Roland's own pack. The other two seemed cordial enough, but nice lies have deceived Roland before. He would need to observe the two more to see who he could trust, if any.