29 March 2019
Refreshed from the good night's sleep under Caius magical dome our adventurers head out to the de Dwarven city of Gracklestugh. Nearing midday they encounter a great wall that appears to be seamless. As they approach the wall out of nowhere small openings appear, openings that are suspicously arrowslit shaped. Caius our always merry bard shouts out a greeting that lands on nothing but blank wall. When the adventures get close a new opening appears, this one at eyelevel.
With no one in the group that speaks Dwarfish Caius tries to communicate anyway, trying the universal language of gold. Depositing a few coppers in the hand of the guarding dwarves the bard proves that he has a terrible accent in the universal language. The dwarf isn't impressed and ignores the bribe, letting it slip between his fingers, the coins falling to the dirt. Whilst Caius recovers his riches from the ground Bree performs a ritual of universal understanding. Enabling the group to communicate with the city guard.
After a while our adventures manage to convince the guard to be granted acces to to the city. Small cracks appear in what was smooth stone just seconds ago and a huge set of doors swing open. In the little courtyard beyond the gate 6 members of the Gracklestugh stoneguard surround the adventurers. The commander of the unit starts reading a long list of rules and laws of the city. He drones on and on and on on all the things our adventures shouldn't do. After what appears to be about half an hour, he gives the group some directions. They are to be guided to the only district of the city non-dwarves are allowed to wander and stay over night. There they are to find the one inn they can stay and they might be able to trade with the merchants in the market. The 'guides' are made up of the 6 Stoneguards that form up in formation around the group en start a forced march towards the harbour district, making short time of the trip.
After arriving to a lesser wall dividing off the different parts of the city our adventurers are directed through a second set of gates, the doors slamming shut just behind them. The group finds themselves on the edge of a busy marketplace with merchants trading a great variety of goods from the underdark and some items that seem to be from the surface. Making a way through the busy market Kaius spends a few coppers getting some food here and there. Being thankful for finally eating something else than rations, dried fish and bland foods that had been magically given some (but not all that convincing) flavours.
Some elements to include in narrative:
- after long march, approach solid wall
- window slides open, talk with guard
- Caius tries to bribe out way in, the guarding dwarf isn't impressed by the measly bunch of coppers he receives and ignores the bribe.
- eventually get passed inside, long list of rules (mostly "don't"s)
- go shopping - mostly rations, some misc: arrows, rope
- find Inn
- Try to talk down the price of our room and board in exchange for some chores. Autun is send to the brewery on the other side of town to fetch kegs of ale. Caius proposes to sing. Bree and Kaius get offered the kitchens to scrub plates and pots Ezri volunteers to repair broken furniture and what not not realising dwarves are the most exquisite craftspeople themselves and stuff doesn't need fixing.
- find bar
- fight breaks out in bar, brawlers don't recall why
- meet someone looking to have us take bag of gems to gnomes
- Caius plays at the Inn, and total crowd pleaser, bar sells out
Prior: 15 March 2019, All: Play_Sessions, Next: 5 April 2019