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Post by Daos on Jul 26, 2021 22:36:10 GMT -8
Giunona Scarletbark has spent the better part of the day traveling through the rolling hills and farmlands of the peaceful nation of Cormyr. She has passed through this area on several occasions in her career. The grey skies and chilling showers of late spring have been with her all day, and she is looking forward to a hot meal and a warm bed.
Currently, she is following an ancient road known as the Way of the Manticore. As darkness falls, she finds herself descending through a wooded valley towards the ford of the river Wyvernflow, and the small town of Pommeville. Her joints are sore and her teeth are chattering from the cold rain, which has soaked her through, so it’s a good time to stop.
The Wyvernflow is cold and swift, and she leads her horse (loaned to her by the church for this mission) across the ford and into the town. Pommeville is a prosperous village, and she can see stores and cottages to either side of the road. A steep, wooded hill rises above the town, hiding ivy-grown ruins on its crown.
She spies the welcome light of an inn, with the sign of a green griffon proudly displayed. Few people are out and about, but from inside the inn she can hear voices in conversation and the clink and clatter of dishes.
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It is Mirtul 23rd, 1369 DR (Year of the Gauntlet) at Twenty-First Bell (9:00 PM).
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Matt4
Paragon
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Post by Matt4 on Jul 27, 2021 4:21:40 GMT -8
Giunona ScarletbarkHP: 23/23 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: No Giunona stretches her sore muscles. Her white robes are soaked with rain and darkened by the dirt of the road. She feels happy. She rummages through her belongings. It seemed like she reached the last leg of her journey. Only few coins remained in her pouch, and just one of the jewels that her brother Efestus made for her to sell. " Finding someone interested in buying this. Paying a visit to the temple. And lastly, checking the ancient ruins that should be around here somewhere."The dwarf smiled to herself, she had enough stuff to do to keep herself busy for at least a couple days here. Even if she had been traveling for a few months now, Giunona was dreading the moment she would have to take the way home. It wasn't like she wasn't happy to see her clan again, just the fact that as usual it would have coincided with endless rants by her family about her decision to leave "after such a short time" when she eventually started her preparations for her next trip. No matter how long she waited, which admittedly wasn't usually very long, it was always "such a short time". Opening the door to the inn, she takes a look and the interior before going in. " Good evening good folks of Pommeville! Have a room and a cup of ale for a travelling priest and her sorry horse?" - she said with a boisterous voice.
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Post by Daos on Jul 27, 2021 13:58:34 GMT -8
After hitching the horse outside, Giunona steps inside. The inn's common room is comfortable, with a dozen or so villagers and travelers enjoying a roaring fire and tankards of ale. A short, broad-shouldered man approaches with a smile. "Welcome to the Green Griffon," he says. "My name is George Marsette, and I'm the ostler. Have a seat by the fire, and I'll have my nephew look after your horse."
At a glance, Giunona can see that most of the patrons are villagers--a tall man in a smith's apron, a brash young man dressed as a craftsman, a pair of weathered old farmers--but there are a couple of travelers, too. One is a handsome soldier in uniform, one is a towering young man in monk's robes, and a third appears to be a half-elven woman dressed as a merchant or trade of some kind.
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Matt4
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Post by Matt4 on Jul 27, 2021 15:04:51 GMT -8
Giunona ScarletbarkHP: 23/23 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: No " Well met George! Name's Giunona, from the Scarletbark clan. Take good care of good ol' Flegone. She's a good girl, but this weather gets to her temper." - she answers to the ostler. She motions with her finger towards the counter as she shouts: " One pint of your best ale if you please!" - before joining the young monk at his table. " Hope you don't mind, I'm Giunona. I assumed by your vestments that you're also a man of faith?"
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Post by Daos on Jul 27, 2021 20:20:57 GMT -8
George moves to speak with a teenage boy, presumably the aforementioned nephew, and sends the boy outside after he bundles up with a poncho to bring Flegone into the stable and take care of her.
A woman tending the bar about George's age, with dark brown hair in a braid, fetches a mug of ale for Giunona and brings it to the table with the monk, setting it before her. "Some weather we're having, eh? That'll be four coppers, by the way. You need anything else? Something to eat, a room for the night?" she asks.
The young monk is probably in his late teens to early twenties, by Giunona's reckoning. He's a big lad--nearly six feet tall with broad shoulders and thick arms and legs. He could easily pass for a young lumberjack or miner, but he seems oddly timid and meek. He sort of reminds Giunona of a socially awkward cave bear. The robes he is wearing are red and orange, and there's a pink disc made of some kind of rose quartz hanging from his neck.
"Oh, hello," he says. He seems surprised by her sudden approach, but he offers no objection to her joining him. "Fair day to you. I am Friar Nicholas. Uh, yes, I am a fellow of the cloth, as they say. I was just passing through town, administering to any who were sick or injured. Although it seems this town already has a priest for such things, so I'll probably be moving on in the morning."
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Matt4
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Post by Matt4 on Jul 28, 2021 23:23:59 GMT -8
Giunona ScarletbarkHP: 23/23 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: No Giunona smiles warmly at the woman in front of her: " Thank you, dear." she says as she takes hold of the mug, savouring the scent of the nectar while she nods along the woman's complaints about the weather. " Yes, I'll take a serving of your speciality. Surprise me." she says with a little wink. " I was thinking of stopping here for a couple of nights. Coupled with the meal and the drink how much it will be? I'll buy another pint of whatever he's drinking to the young lad here too." - she gestures with the head toward the monk. - " Always nice to share a table to a disciple of Lathander."She raises her mug towards the other travelers, the soldier and the merchant: " Could I offer the next round to the two of you as well? Us traveler gotta stick together, and this is my last stop before home, no point in saving up."
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Post by Daos on Jul 29, 2021 0:00:34 GMT -8
"We have five rooms still open," the woman says. "Each one is a gold a night, or five gold for the entire week. And a meal will cost half a gold. I'll be right back with your order."
Nicholas says, "Oh, if you like. I mean, I don't want you to burden yourself or anything. Oh, you know of Lathander? Yes, I'm from the Order of the Sun Soul. But I'm afraid I don't recognize your own vestments. Which deity do you follow, if you don't mind my asking?" He suddenly backpedals. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, of course, I'm not trying to pry; it's none of my business."
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Matt4
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Post by Matt4 on Jul 29, 2021 0:47:05 GMT -8
Giunona ScarletbarkHP: 23/23 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: No Giunona laughs loudly before giving a good pat on Nicholas' back: " Lad, you have the body of a grown man but you act like a little boy." - after looking him up and down she adds: " Well, I suppose you're a bit young after all. But never be afraid to ask a question. Inquiring minds are the ones that make the world turn." She assumes a more comfortable position on her chair, as she sips the ale: " And to answer your question, I'm a traveling priest of Marthammor Duin, the Watchful Eye." - and as she says so she raises her mug as to cheer. - " I believe the priest you spoke of before also shares my faith." While she speaks, she opens her pouch and takes out the gold necessary to pay whenever the woman comes back with her order. OOC So she pays for 2 nights, a meal, and four drinks.
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Post by Daos on Jul 29, 2021 1:22:00 GMT -8
"Ah, yes...the Dawngreeter always said I needed to be, uh, a little more assertive," Nicholas admits, scratching his cheek with one finger bashfully.
"Oh, I see, I never actually spoke to the local priest, so I didn't realize," he admits. "Does, uh, Marthammer Duin also believe in helping others in need, like Lathander?"
The woman returns with the drinks and a hot, hearty meal of beef and vegetable stew with cheese and bread on the side.
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Giunona pays 2 gold, 6 silver and 6 copper pieces.
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Matt4
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Post by Matt4 on Jul 29, 2021 8:30:52 GMT -8
Giunona ScarletbarkHP: 23/23 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: No " Yes, Marthammor..." - she corrects him with a reassuring tone to her voice. - "... Teaches us to help the ones in need, especially travelers and, well, dwarves obviously. He is a God from the Morndinsamman after all." Seeing a hint of confusion in his eyes she adds with a warm smile: " The dwarven pantheon, sweetie." " Speaking of travelers..." - Giunona turns towards the knight and the merchant. - " Won't you join us? The drinks I brought for you two will get warm!"
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Post by Daos on Jul 29, 2021 13:29:50 GMT -8
The soldier and the merchant both look up in surprise and confusion at Giunona. After a moment's hesitation, they both get up and start to approach. This causes Nicholas to stand up suddenly, jostling the table in his haste. He quickly grabs it to steady it again. "Oh, uh, sorry, it's getting late, and I should probably get to bed," he apologizes. It's clear that while he can handle one person, adding two more into the mix seems a bit too much for him.
The soldier, a large and muscular man in his thirties, is resplendent in his plate mail armor with a great sword on his hip. He's clearly military, not only in the way he walks and carries himself, but in the precision of his haircut, even. "What's this about, citizen?" he inquires.
The merchant is a half-elven woman with fiery red curly hair. She's quite beautiful, although her age is difficult to guess due to her elven blood. A nice looking short sword is on her hip, and she wears some kind of leather armor. "Do I know you?" she asks.
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Matt4
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Post by Matt4 on Jul 29, 2021 17:30:45 GMT -8
Giunona ScarletbarkHP: 23/23 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: No Giunona smiles warmly at both of them: " I'm sorry I have startled you. I'm Giunona, priest of Marthammor Duin. It's my holy duty to help travellers and I just wanted to ask you if you need any help in your journeys." She gestures with her head towards the mugs and the chairs in front of her: " I'd also like to talk about this village. I've just arrived and wanted to get a feel of this place, and in all my travels I learnt that it's usually the outsiders that have a clearer look on how things work in one place. Especially if they are a captain of the honorable Purple Dragon Army and a keen-eyed... Merchant, I presume?" - she says with a wondering tone addressing the woman.
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Post by Daos on Jul 29, 2021 18:24:31 GMT -8
While Nicholas scrambles upstairs before he has an anxiety attack, the other two arrive at her table and listen to what she has to say.
"Well met, citizen," the soldier says, standing at full attention. "I am Captain Miles of the 82nd regiment of the Purple Dragon Army. I am only passing through Pommeville on my way to my next assignment, but my tactical analysis of this town is that its defenses could use improvement. There are no palisades or walls. In the event of an enemy invasion, the town would likely fall swiftly. I may need to speak to my commanding officer on this matter."
The woman rolls her eyes at the captain, and gracefully slips into the offered chair. "Well, if there's a free drink involved," she says. After taking a sip, she says, "I am Shanna Whitelock. I'm just passing through, too. Looking to sell off a few things on the way, but to be honest, this town is pretty boring. Most small towns are. Hoping I'll have better luck up north in Arabel."
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Matt4
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Post by Matt4 on Jul 30, 2021 1:39:11 GMT -8
Giunona ScarletbarkHP: 23/23 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: No Giunona laughs as she sees Nicholas' back getting smaller while he runs towards the stairs. " Oi, lad, don't leave tomorrow without saying goodbye at least!" - she shouts at him. She listens to both people presentations, looking intensely at both of them. The priestess had met other members of the Purple Dragon Army, but Miles managed to outclass them in sterness and the aura of order he emanates. Still, she also knew how important for them was to mantain that particular image. She nodded at him solemny: " I see, Captain. Thank you. I have to say I'll sleep peacefully knowing you're here to protect us, at least for tonight." Then she turns around facing Shanna: " You'll be in for a treat then! Nice lively town Arabel is, and well fortified too." - she adds in the end winking at the Captain. Giunona keeps chatting with them for a bit as she eats, then when she's done she cleans herself and begins to stand up: " Well, it was lovely meeting you two. Shanna if you need any help to plan your travel to Arabel let me know. Captain..." - she says as she starts to walk away from the table. - " Would you escort me to my room? There is something I'd like to ask you privately. If you'll excuse me, Shanna..." OOC Has the woman from before already given me the key to my room? If yes I'll go directly upstairs, otherwise I'll collect them before going.
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Post by Daos on Jul 30, 2021 17:13:01 GMT -8
At Giunona's request, Miles snaps his heels together and says, "Of course, citizen!" Then he patiently waits for her to get her room key before taking the lead upstairs.
As for Shanna, she finishes off the drink and slinks away. Giunona is not sure, but something about her story doesn't add up. She may well be a merchant, but the dwarf feels like there's more to it than that. She's not entirely sure what, though.
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