(G208 08/08/2014 via Roll20 - JF(GM), Mira, Al)

(G208 08/08/2014 via Roll20 - JF(GM), Mira, Al)

DAY 219 (16th Marpenoth) continued...

Cale and Mathmoss ordered elaborate suppers and plenty of booze for their dinner. Cale danced to
the singing of the local 'bard' although perhaps he was a little tired and did not put on his best
performance.

Meanwhile Mathmoss had his eyes on the serving wenches and was heavily tipping the good looking one
in order to see where it might lead.

Cale drank until he was drunk and his youthful good looks attracted the attention of Margo the
Miller's daughter but by then he was too far gone.

Mathmoss had a dance with one of the local women until the singer was dragged home by his children.
Cale woke up and asked 'Where did the music go?' but then made every one happy by buying a round of
drinks for the whole room.

They finally got round to arranging rooms. The Miller's daughter wanted to meet Cale in the morning
but he just grunted and went to bed. Mathmoss had a much better time and took the wench, whose name
was Derndie, to his room for the night.


DAY 220 (17th Marpenoth)

Today was not going to be a good day for young Cale Cresthill but he wasn't to know that yet and
came down for his breakfast as normal. Mathmoss was there also, noticing that his new girlfriend
had risen early for work. Mathmoss thought she would make a good guide for the day though and gave
the innkeeper enough money to pay another village girl so Derndie could join them.

Once they left the inn to begin their investigations they noticed that they were being followed
by a boy and girl, the children of the singer in the inn. As strangers in the village, and such
odd looking ones, they were attracting attention.

They located the house that was the home of Freddorick. Cale knocked but there was no answer.
The door was found to be locked.

When asked who knew Fred the most, Derndie replied that he had been most friendly with Jaroo the
druid. So that was their next port of call. The little boy and girl still followed them. Their names
were Francie and Neely. When he saw them arrive, Jaroo gave them some money to get some food and they
scampered off.

Anyone appearing at the Grove was expected to donate something for the poor of the village. When
Cale checked his pockets for change he found that 50 gold coins had been stolen from him! He presumed
it had been while he was drunk.

Now, Cavu had told them to keep his name out of dealings with the people of Hommlet so when they
asked Jaroo is he had a spare key to Freddorick's house he was very mistrustful.

Mathmoss then went to the local temple priest to arrange a casting of the 'Zone of Truth' spell
for 120gp. Cale wasn't so keen though and voiced the opinion that 'It won't make any difference
to his attitude.'

Next they tried to enlist the help of Humperdink who was happy to lie on their behalf but was
told to tell the truth. Unfortunately though the truth was that he didn't really know Cavu and
Mathmoss and couldn't say for sure if they were trustworthy.

While Humperdink talked to Jaroo, Cale noticed a large black hairy ball snoring in the corner of
the grove. He went over to investigate but backed off when Mathmoss warned him, 'It's a bear!'.

They gave up on Jaroo and went to talk to Elem Oats the captain of the militia. They were faced
with the same problem though. They looked foreign. The villagers were mistrustful - and after all
who could blame them? There had been a lot of strange and dangerous characters through the village
just recently and the countryside was full of orcs, half orcs and northern barbarians.

Cale asked if there was a 'Criminal Underbelly' in  Hommlet. Oats slammed the door on him.

Another route of enquiry closed to them, guided by Derndie again they went and talked to Fred's
landlord. They had no luck here either, they were too foreign and dangerous looking.

They had a bite to eat at the inn for lunch and Mathmoss went to the local general store to buy
a sai (a type of dagger). Cale thought that breaking in to the house in the night was the only
way forward. While that would have been a good idea if they'd done it straight away, Mathmoss
pointed out the awkward fact that they had been round the whole village asking about the house
and would be prime suspects if the break in was noticed!

Cale suddenly announced 'I have an idea!'. It turned out to be a very bad idea. Four children
followed him as he left the inn but he gave each of them a silver and off the scampered.

Mathmoss shrugged and gave Derndie the nod. They then went upstairs to his room and had a much
better time than Cale was about to have.

Cale put another gold on the collection plate as he arrived in the grove but for reasons that may
have seemed sensible at the time he started threatening the druid.

This had the effect of turning the placid hairy lump in the corner of the grove into a huge clawed
killing machine which charged into Cale.

Three people who were in the grove fled as the fight began. Jaroo shouted at Cale to get out but
the dancer stood his ground, whacking the bear with the blunt end of his scythe.

Cale tried to talk to the druid to calm the situation down, but Jaroo continued to tell him to get
out of the grove. When Cale stunned the bear with one final blow, Jaroo mistook this for a fatal
injury. Crying 'No! Not Bear! Prepare to die!'

Still Cale did not leave or make any attempt to flee. Jaroo summoned four crocodiles (one of my favourite
tricks!) and set them on the dancer. Cale managed to Dervish Dance around them all though and very nearly
killed the druid before he could take on the form of an eagle and flap into the sky.

Again, Cale did not flee, although badly injured he stood his ground bravely, but was quickly savaged
to death by the crocodiles.

**
Now. Just to add my own thoughts on this incident. Speaking as a druid I feel sorry for Cale. His heart
always seemed to be in the right place, but he had a habit of making bad decisions. Diplomacy not being
his strong point he had tried to intimidate the druid. Not a good idea to a senior druid with years of
experience and indeed, within his own grove.
One would not walk calmly into the Halls of Justice and start threatening Hammer Lord Hykros Allumen
for instance.
So, you may argue who was in the right at this stage, but a bear is a savage animal and seeing its master
threatened in his own home it attacked. Cale should really have left at this stage, but this time tried
diplomacy, something he was not well suited to.
When Jaroo attacked it was only going to go one way and Cale should have used his expert skills in ducking
and weaving to flee the scene. Perhaps a nice big donation to the grove would have smoothed things over
after that? But instead he stood his ground and died. It is very sad that a young man from the northern
deserts, perhaps unfamiliar in the ways of southern druids, should end this way, but ultimately it was
of his own doing. In any event, to continue...
**

Mathmoss was roused from his peaceful sleep in the inn by Jaroo and Captain Oats. They told him to leave
the village at once. When he asked why Jaroo told him of the attack.
'It sounds more like you murdered him!', decried the ninja.

The following witnesses were called:

Mrs Murfle, the leather workers wife
Mr Weaver, the weaver
Mrs Hopps, the brewers wife

Like all small villages though, everyone knew everyone else and Mathmoss was deluding himself if he thought
the witnesses would do anything other than back the druid that had lived in their midst for forty or more years.
In fact, I am lead to believe Mrs Murfle was Jaroo's sister-in-law and Mrs Hopps his second cousin.

So, the mission falling apart, Mathmoss left town. He tried to at least retain Cale's possessions, but
these were confiscated. He paid the priest to cast 'Gentle Repose' on what remained of Cale and placed
in a box (after being partially digested by four crocodiles there was no need of something so big as a
coffin) and he left the village by himself, Humperdink now wanting nothing to do with him apparently.