In KnotHome

The massive wooden gate opens for you. A few guards stand ready and wave you inside.

"Quickly! There may be more!"

As soon as the last of you is within the gate, it closes with a crunch behind you. The man you spoke with on the wall descends a stairway and approaches you.

"Glad to see you're all safe. We've had some goblin troubles for the past few months. They keep throwing themselves against our wall despite their repeated failure." He pauses for a moment. "They've never been so suicidal before but I never had much faith in their brains in the first place." He sighs. "Either way, welcome to KnotHome. Travelers such as yourselves will be most comfortable in the Knotted Inn, right off the town square. There's a few shops in town as well." He turns away to head back up the stairs but pauses and looks back. "There's also a traveling trader. He's set up a stall right near the inn. The crazy gnome is selling some expensive items, though. Far too pricey for around here. Doubt he's made any gold but maybe you can make his day." With that, he goes back to his post on the wall.

Ricker turns to you all.

"I'm thinking the inn to start. We'll stay a night and move on tomorrow. I've never been here so you'll have to explore on your own." The town square is just down the street. The inn is a large building that you can recognize easily and there is a large white tent right next door.

Fang happens to notice the small stall, raising a brow. His hand reaches to his back, grasping his scythe as if it would help him remember. But the stall was quite familiar. Curious, he wanders inside, wondering if this was merely coincidence or there was something else a foot with said stall...

"Feel free to get us rooms, Ricker. I'm going to check out the merchant." Menzo follows Fang into the stall.

Mambele arches his back, groaning feebly as a few vertebra pop back into place. "Oh, blessed towns. Gimme a ship over a cart any day. I'd sooner deal with seasickness than with shoddy stonework paving." he groans, rubbing at his sore posterior through his robe.

He could use a drink too. He starts to follow Ricker to the inn, but he throws a quick glance at his teammates, Fang in particular. He seems to be in good spirits for someone who has just pole-vaulted over his own grave, and he feels the pressing need to follow with him, but is put somewhat at ease by watching Menzo follow him. Looking over at Tiagarth instead, he grins. A perfect chance to start working on building camaraderie.

"Master Tiagarth. I know you're a rustic sort, and we would never change that, but if you would let me show you some of the joys of urban living? Let me buy ya a drink at least. I'm parched myself."

Tiagarth changes into his elven form and looks at the scratch that he got in the fight. "damn goblins" he mutters under his breath.

"Ricker, Don't bother getting me a room I'll feel more comfortable out here in the court yard under the night sky"

"A drink sounds good I hope they have some good Dwarven Ale. I haven't had any good Dwarven Ale in a lifetime." he says to Mambele

Fang and Menzo:

Entering the tent you see shelves upon shelves of merchandise. Most of it looks magical in nature and you cannot even begin to guess at their functions. As soon as you walk in the door, a gnome steps out from the behind the low counter.

"Greetings, shoppers! Is there anything I can help you-" He stops mid-sentence when he spots the two of you. "Master Fang! So good to see you again! I trust you've been putting the scythe to good use?" He winks at the shifter.

---

Ricker, Mambele and Tiagarth:

Ricker hands the cart over to a stable boy and the trunk leaps off and follows him into the inn. The innkeeper, an elderly orc, nods at his greeting.

"I need three rooms for the night."

"That'll be thirty gold."

"Bit steep..." The former innkeeper seems taken aback.

"M'last rooms." The orc smiles.

"Fine. We'll take them." Ricker drops thirty gold into the orc's hand.

"Up the stairs. Last two doors on the left and the last on the right." Ricker and the trunk go up the stairs and the innkeeper turns to Mambele. "Can I help you?"

Mambele smiles at the orc, and quickly tries to study him before speaking.

roll +4 insight

The member 'Mambele' has done the following action : Die rolls

'd20' : 18

Fang blinks in surprise as he sees the gnome in front of him, but something was off about him...

"... Weren't you a halfling before?"

OOC: Josh, if you were joking in your PM, I'll change this immediately. XD

Mambele:

The orc seems a bit rough around the edges but the inn is clean and in good condition so you can tell that he cares about his work.

---

Fang:

"I was?" He looks down at his body. "Well damn it." He looks back up with a broad grin. "Never you mind that, Master Fang! Just a minor oversight on my part. What can I do for you gentlemen?"

Fang rolls his eyes, then looks back to the gnome. "What I want to know is... how do you know about me? And what reason did you give me this scythe?", he asks, as if Menzo wasn't there or anything.

Mambele continues. "My friend and I have seen a bit of traveling, and we've been rather hoping to meet a pint or two at the end of the road for our troubles. We saw some half-decent taverns on the way here, but I was thinking your inn might have the proper facilities down here somewhere. You know, to shorten the trip back to our rooms. We might not be in any condition to do any hiking by the end of the night."

Mambele's not without prejudices. His traveling merchant family has been through a fair share of orc raids, and the cost of the rooms falls not that far from highway robbery. Still, he's a decent enough guy himself when he tries to be (which is often), and his courteousness is not insincere. Whether or not the bartender gets that impression, however, is for the dice to decide.

roll +8 to diplomacy

EDIT: Whoa! I do believe he'd probably try to set me up with his daughter after that roll. Hell, I could probably sleep with his mom, and he'd still call me daddy!

The member 'Mambele' has done the following action : Die rolls

'd20' : 19

Fang and Menzo:

"Oh! Questions! I love a good riddle myself." He leans in and whispers to Menzo. "Always been a weakness of mine." And gives him a nudge. The genasi is bewildered but can't help but show his amusement. Suddenly the gnome lets out an excited yelp! "I have just the idea! A contest of riddles!" He jumps up and down excitedly, clapping his hands. "Answer my riddles correctly and I'll give you a prize! Can't beat that!"

Before you can answer, he clears his throat and begins.

"Facing forward I am backward, though I'll look you in the eyes. Turn me about and I'll stand at your back, an ally made of lies."

---

Mambele and Tiagarth:

"Oi! That's right kind of you, fine sir! First pints are on the house, gentlemen!" He places two mugs of foaming ale in front of each of you. His smile fades, though. "The rest you'll still have to pay for."

It is then that you hear the riddle whispered into your minds.

---

Tulkavoa're:

You hear the riddle whispered into your mind as well.

---

Anyone can anwer the riddle and the first one to get it right will get a special bonus prize. This excludes Menzo, of course.

Mambele chuckles and gives Tiagarth a nudge. "Guess we'll be starting with the expensive stuff first." he suggests. As he walks into the inn's tavern, he starts to undo the clasp on his.... "Cloak?" he finds himself guessing aloud in response to the unvoiced question that popped into his mind. Where the devils did that come from?

Before Fang can object, the gnome/halfling/whatever he is this week spouts out his riddle. Fang growls, clenching his fist, but plays along anyway. He DID give Fang this scythe for free...

"Fine, I'll play your damn game... backwards... look you in the eye... it sounds an awful lot like a mirror."

The gnome claps his hands excitedly once more.

"Oh how wonderful! I knew you would get it, Fang! Shall we try for a consolation prize? This one is for everyone else!"

"You make me with strings and skin stretched taught. Or the air in your lungs for those who have naught."

Again, everyone hears the riddle in their minds.

---

Fang, you are unable to answer this one.

Tulka is not phased by having a voice suddenly in her head, though it wasn't one she had heard before. The questions, though, perplexed her.

"A balloon?" She hears herself think, though not sure what a balloon was.

Mambele shakes his head, pondering where all this is coming from. "Music?" he asks, looking around, probably sounding to the world like he's requesting it.

"And the half-elf pulls through on the second round! Congratulations, Mambele!"

Menzo looks extremely confused at this display.

"But don't worry. Everyone will go home with a gift bag!" With that he snaps his fingers and everyone's purses get a little heavier. Fang's scythe starts to glow with an eerie red light and a pair of gloves appear on Mambele's hands.

The gnome grins. "Feel free to shop around."

---

Everyone gains 1000 gold.

Fang's scythe is now a +2 challenge-seeking weapon. (AV2 page 17)

Mambele now has a pair of Hedge Wizards Gloves. (AV1 page 135)

You can buy pretty much anything in the gnome's shop, by the way.

ooc Is Tulka with Fang, Mambele, Ricker or by herself?

She's by herself as far as I know.

Fang removes his scythe from upon his back examining it. The outer edge of his scythe seemed to have a reddish tint to it. Fang examined it, then a toothy grin crossed his features. "Well... suppose it didn't hurt to play after all... but now that the game's over, how about back to my questions. Unless my friend here wants to get any questions out of the way first...", he says as he glances towards Menzo.

OOC: Me likey my new scythey!

"Who the hells is this creature!?" Menzo was a bit irate and confused by all of this.

Mambele's hands fly up in surprise, and he finds himself staring at his new gloves in flabbergasted surprised. "Tell me you heard that." he whispers to Tiagarth. "Tell me you saw that!"

Throw +2 arcana to see if he recognizes the gloves for what they are.

OOC Prestidigitation and mage hand spells! I love the Hedge Wizard glove. It's so bad!