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Post by The Innkeeper on Jun 28, 2017 19:19:16 GMT
After following the trail for ten miles, you hear the incessant ringing of a bell. The sound grows louder as Nightstone comes into view. A river flows around the settlement, forming a moat. The village itself is contained within a wooden palisade, beyond which you see a windmill, a tall steeple, and the high-pitched rooftops of several other buildings. Apart from the ringing of the bell, you detect no other activity in the village or in its surroundings. The trail ends before a lowered drawbridge that spans the moat. Beyond the drawbridge, two stone watchtowers flank an open gap in the palisade.
South of the village and surrounded by the river moat is a cone-shaped, flat-topped hill on which stands a stone keep enclosed by a wooden wall. The keep, which overlooks the village, has partially collapsed. A wooden bridge that once connected the keep to the village has also partially collapsed. ((You people could have already caught up on the road or not, you decide the group's dynamics.))
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Post by Baron Aestrovico Ludocristo on Jun 28, 2017 20:26:17 GMT
"Nightstone... More like sinking stone..." Aestro looked like Faerun's most miserable tourist, garbed in his expensive but dirty clothes. He carried almost everything he owned in a satchel across his shoulder and had a whip for a horse he could not afford. His shoes were unrecognizable as the finest quality traveling shoes to be found in the merchant quarter of Baldur's Gate. His pale and delicate face, while exceedingly handsome, was unrecognizable from any particular ethnicity or aristocracy. His mixed ancestry of human and elven blood would mark him as an outcast in most circles if not for his refined accent and clothes.
"And by every idiot god in the cosmos... That incessant bellringing..." He sighed, then turned to his companion. "Sir Eredin, what say you to some discount revelry at the nearest tavern playing loud music? I've heard tell of a lovely inn with a very friendly innkeeper."
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Post by Sir Eredin Caranthir on Jun 28, 2017 20:49:00 GMT
In Sir Eredin's experience, bells typically tolled for three reasons: the gods, celebration, or to warn of attack. Judging by the partially collapsed keep overlooking the village and damaged drawbridge connecting the two, he was alert for the latter. He wondered to himself what had caused such damage, seeing no sign of siege weapons outside the walls.
"Stay behind me," he ordered the warlock, taking a step forward and taking the scythe from his back, feeling it was better to be overcautious than dead. The weapon was of his own design, a halberd fitted with a long curved blade where the axehead would normally reside. When his king had exiled him, he had said the knight was only fit to be a farmer now, toiling the fields with hoe and harvesting grain with scythe. The weapon felt fitting now and he felt in his bones a harvest was coming.
He made his way towards the gate, eyeing the stone watchtowers warily.
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Post by The Innkeeper on Jun 28, 2017 20:56:59 GMT
The bridge is 20feet long and 10 feet wide, made out of what can be easily identified as very sturdy planks of oak. Two large iron chains bolted to the drawbridge connect to the interior of the two guard towers.
Sir Eredin's eyes fail to catch anything on the towers. They stand as empty as everything else. As he approaches, to his left and past the gate, he can easily spot the Temple from which the incessant ringing bells are coming. A slender steeple rises from the back of the building.
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Post by Baron Aestrovico Ludocristo on Jun 28, 2017 20:58:31 GMT
Aestro was many sordid and unlikable things, but he was not an idiot. He stood behind his guardian and produced the whip. The horse had been a gift from his father, but he had sold it for extra coin, which had soon after gone into Sir Eredin's pocket.
Aestro was used to strange towns though. Perhaps the populace were in their underground sanctuary worshipping their secret god. Presumably, Malebolge wasn't the only locale that went in for that sort of thing. But somehow, that didn't seem the case...
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Post by Sir Eredin Caranthir on Jun 28, 2017 21:21:19 GMT
Eredin searched for an entrance to one of the watch towers, hoping to ascend it and get a better vantage point to see what was going on in the village without venturing too far inside of it.
1-20NbeuDEYh
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Post by The Innkeeper on Jun 28, 2017 21:28:58 GMT
The both tower's entrances are located on the walls facing towards the interior of the village. They are accessible, their doors are swung ajar and the interior can be easily seen. Inside, Eredin spots a level mechanism connected to the drawbridge's chains and a wooden ladder leading to a trapdoor on the roof.
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Post by Sir Eredin Caranthir on Jun 28, 2017 21:30:41 GMT
"Stay here," he told Aestro as he began climbing the ladder. "If anyone less friendly looking than myself approaches, slam the door and bar it."
1-20YHspS5Vq
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Post by Orirdrik Grimsunder on Jun 28, 2017 21:35:46 GMT
Orirdrik clanged loudly up the trail looking at the village in front of them. He saw the two figures ahead on the road and freed his shield. His right hand rested on his battleaxe but he did not draw it. Not yet anyway.
The dwarf took a look around and grunted. He took a deep breath in with his nose and said to Alain. "Smells like trouble. Bandits maybe." A single hard laugh escaped his mouth. "They aren't with you, are they?"
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Post by Baron Aestrovico Ludocristo on Jun 28, 2017 21:37:40 GMT
"So I take it rabid ogres are perfectly acceptable."
Being at the mercy of time, he concentrated his not inconsiderable memory and tried to recall everything he had ever learned about Nightstone, either from rumours or records.
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Post by Alain on Jun 28, 2017 21:40:53 GMT
"No," said Alain simply, looking at the two figures. "They don't look much like bandits," she added, though slung her lute over her back in case she needed to draw her sword.
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Post by Orirdrik Grimsunder on Jun 28, 2017 21:49:20 GMT
Grim laughed. "Which is exactly why a bandit would dress like that." He shrugged and started walking forward. He pounded his shield against his chainmail as he advanced so everyone could hear him. "Let's go found out."
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Post by Alain on Jun 28, 2017 21:54:42 GMT
"You'd think that, but they're generally not that clever," she replied, starting towards the others with the dwarf, though let him walk somewhat ahead.
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Post by Baron Aestrovico Ludocristo on Jun 28, 2017 22:06:00 GMT
Grim laughed. "Which is exactly why a bandit would dress like that." He shrugged and started walking forward. He pounded his shield against his chainmail as he advanced so everyone could hear him. "Let's go found out." The Baron poked his head out the doorway of the watchtower to see what had made the racket. His eyes widened slightly before ducking back inside and slamming the door shut and looking for something to bar it with. He could introduce himself just fine by shouting through the door.
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Post by Alain on Jun 28, 2017 22:10:06 GMT
Alain looked over her shoulder to see if there was a silent horde or something approaching, or had the two men really just fled at the sight of Grim and her. "If they truly are bandits, they're not very good ones," she commented.
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Last Edit: 15 by 15: 15