Session 0 / The Meeting
Paldegora
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Session 0 – 2022-10-29
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Welcome to the Three Points Inn and Tavern!
This story begins on the continent of North Philanahn. No one has heard of nor seen a dragon in North Philanahn. There are stories handed down from long, long ago but most people pass those off as faery tales or fables. Either they existed and exist no more or, they never existed at all. What does that have to do with our adventurers. That remains to be seen. Let’s get started and find out.
Amazingly, the 5 adventurers comprising the legendary group of adventurers known as “The Company Clandestine”, arrived at the famous Three Points Inn and Tavern, separately, but all at the same time. The inn was bustling with activity. People coming and going. This was before the individuals in the group had met one another. This is before Eryn and Cal-El—Dor became good friends, sharing their Elven heritage, archery, and stealth. This is before Symon the Magnificent met his natural shield wall, and his enormous, fierce, but kindly friend, X'or. This is before the party solved Angelique’s mystery. Who killed her father, and why? The heart of the Naa’s Priestess needed answers and this group meant to help her get them. Yes…This is before. Before it all! Before the adventurers had made their names known far and wide. Before all of the songs that would later be sung about them. Or perhaps, this is just before they all died a meaningless death, and they never became famous at all. I choose to believe they did. We shall see. Oh, who am I you ask? I am Xavier Synclair. My story is unimportant. Suffice to say, I’m just writing down these stories, as they were passed down to me. I shall endeavor to do a better than adequate job of it. We shall start here, at the Inn.
The Three Points Inn and Tavern was famous as a gathering place for people looking for missions or adventures. It’s also a place where like-minded people met and formed groups with which to do them. These 5 entered separately, found each other among the teaming masses of potential adventurers, forged a group, named the group, filled out and submitted the guild application forms and proper fees, and turned it all in to a gentleman, or maybe not a gentleman, seated at a table at the far southern end of the inn’s tavern. He accepted the fees and the application form, and told them that to join the guild, it is required that they complete a test designed to determine if they were, at all, capable. He sent them around to the back of the inn to meet with Bernard. Bernard would set them on their task. If they failed to complete the task, they would be turned away and unable to try again for another 6 months. They thanked the gentleman, or not gentleman, and began making their way out of and around the inn.
When I say they, I guess it should be clarified who “they” are, and what little they knew of each other at this time. Eryn is an Elf. She was definitely not dressed for missions, but was well dressed for getting the attention of, and meeting people. She gathered a lot of looks as she entered the gathering area. She was used to that. She stopped at the bar to have a drink and size up the people gathered here. After a moment, a gentleman, or not gentleman, arrived and made his way into the main chamber. He caught her attention as he started asking questions from someone else that seemed to be there to join a group. The other man began eyeing Eryn and making some sort of comments to the young man that she couldn't hear, but she could guess what they might have been. She was used to that. The older more brash man approached her, hitting on her, but the young man didn't. That caught Eryn's attention more. She shrugged off the other man and moved over to talk to the younger man. She introduced herself to the young man. He called himself Symon. He mentioned that his skills tended toward the arcane. Eryn gave him her name and introduced herself as someone who could sneak into places where she ought not be, and acquire things, or information, that a group might need. She is also well trained in recognizing traps, picking locks, both things an adventuring group would need. Arcane and a sneaky sort, seemed like a good start to a group.
As they talked briefly, another rather large man at the bar finished a drink and put down his tankard. He stood out because of his size and obvious strength. I guess this is one of those times when you don’t really want to blend in, but instead, stand out. After all, the whole point of this place was to be seen. Being quiet or reserved wasn’t in his best interest. He was obviously not a gentleman either as he was less clean, more scarred, and was definitely not refined, as one might expect a gentleman to be. That is not to say he was impolite, that is yet to be seen. No, this man was a mass of muscle and brute strength, sitting in a chair, drinking. Eryn and Symon, recognizing that a group such as the one they wished to create, needed a strong warrior type. Where both Eryn and Symon knew they were not that, they began looking around at the crowd for possible candidates to fill that role. It was obvious that the man at the bar appeared to fit that roll perfectly.
As he finished his drink and put it down, looking around the room, his eyes fell to Eryn. Eryn, who is obviously used to getting and holding the attention of men, simply cast a glance in his direction, smiled and waited. He made his way over to her and she introduced herself. As he approached, Symon backed away, more than a little concerned for his safety, as the man was quite large and more than a little intimidating. Eryn asked his name and if he was looking for a group of people to adventure with. He told her that he was looking for a group and his name was Xor. She promptly introduced him to Symon, who was beginning to relax a little, seeing that Xor wasn’t at all mean or gruff, but seemingly quiet and nice. When asked about his potentially joining with the two of them to create a group or party, and explaining their skill sets, he accepted. This was good! They had a sneaky person to get into places and watch out for traps, a scholarly practitioner of the arcane, and now a man appearing very capable of taking care of himself and by extension, the two of them. They had three members! What other types of people do they need in a group?
Symon suggested that another traditional party member might be a priestly type, that is not only capable with a weapon, but is also on good terms with a God. Hopefully, a God that would help the priest to help the party they are with. Looking around the room, Eryn spotted a woman, wearing the holy symbol of Naa, sitting along the northern wall beyond the bar. Not being bashful or shy, Eryn moved toward her and introduced herself. Angelique, she called herself, seemed uninterested in the goings on around here. She backed up a little though, when another man approached Eryn and bowed to her in such way as to attract her attention. It was an elven bow meant to show respect and he was, at least partially, elven. Eryn responded in kind. Seeing nothing happen, Angelique relaxed back into her seat. Eryn asked the Elf his name and he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. She could tell he could hear just fine, but apparently verbalization was something he either couldn't do or wouldn't do. She knew not which. The paper he handed her had the name Cal-El-Dor Eryindor written on it. She read the name out loud, questioningly. He responded, indicating that it was he. She handed him back his paper. Then thinking on his pointing out his swords earlier, asked if he was looking for a group. He indicated yes.
Turning back to Angelique, Eryn asked if she was a priest of Naa, to which Angelique indicated she was. She asked if she was looking for a group. Angelique stated that she was on her way to find out what happened to her father and was looking for help with that. She had just received a note from her grandfather indicating that her father had died while on the road. It was said that he fell from his horse and died but her grandfather believed it was more than that. He was found dead and missing a ring that was very special to him. The missing ring led her grandfather to believe that he may have been killed. The letter indicated that nothing else was taken. She had intended to come here and join a group to go into the world, adventuring, but now, she had need of a group that would aid her in finding the person or persons responsible for this death and recovering the stolen property. She agreed to join the group if they agreed to help her when they could. It was agreed to by all and the party swelled to 5. A sneaky elf, good with traps and locks and such. A human practitioner of the arcane. A strong human barbarian warrior. A quiet, and a little skittish half-elf ranger. And lastly, a human priest of Naa.
A little man came around and instructed them to fill out a form that he gave them and make their way back to the back table with that form. Looking at the form, it’s titled “The Adventurer’s Guild of Paldegora”. It was established long ago in Seaspire along the Emerald Coast. Their headquarters are still there. This form will establish these 5 as an adventuring party in Paldegora. It required a party name and a roster of members. Symon brought up a possible name, “The Company Clandestine”. That seemed as good a name as any, so they entered that on the form. They added the five of them to the roster and approached the man at the big table in the back.
The man in the rear of the tavern explained that they needed the form and the fees, which they presented. The fees were 5gps each. They were told they had to pass a test. They must go around to the back of the inn and meet with Bernard. He would set them on a task. This task was designed to test each members skills and the party as a whole. If they failed the test, they would be turned away and unable to try to join again for another 6 months. The group agreed and made their way out of the front door of the inn.
Upon exiting, they came upon the scene of a man being bullied and pushed around by a group of ruffians. Cal-El-Dor pulled out a sword immediately. They backed away from us saying that they didn’t want any trouble with us, but they were tired of these people. They gave the man a final spin and pushed him down into the mud. After that, they walked away. Cal-El-Dor crouched and offered a hand to the man to help him up. His spectacles were covered in mud as was his face and much of his clothing. Once he cleaned his glasses and the mud from his face, he thanked them for helping him. He blessed them in the name of the Father Ahn. He greeted Angelique as a priestess. He said they are trying to get enough followers to cry out for Father Ahn’s return to set this world back to the way it should be. Return its balance and return its peace. He said that some people misunderstand them as they do ask for coins because they are poor. Angelique gave money to him to help him in his calling. While this is going on, Eryn, while helping to brush him off, picked his pocket. There was nothing in his pocket but a little lint. He thanked Angelique and then continued on to another person.
The party moved around back and met a man there named Bernard, handing him the ticket they had been given by the gentleman, or not gentleman, inside. The party was told to enter a nearby wagon. Eryn asked, before entering, if she should armor up now or wait until they get where they are going. The consensus was that she should armor up. She did, and what everyone saw was a pristine, clean, nary a scratch on it, set of black leather armor. After that, they entered the wagon and found themselves stepping onto a grassy knoll looking out over lowlands where a line of little creeks ran through a swamp area. On the other side of the swamp area was a small rise leading up a hill, through a cliff facing, to a tower. They were told to go to the tower and fetch some gold and bring it back. As long as the gold and one person made it back, then it would be considered a successful test. Otherwise, they failed. This test is not lethal so there is no real consequence to the test accept for success and failure. Failure means you can’t try to join the guild again for 6 months.
The company made its way down to the creek and across it. X'or took the lead followed by Cal-El-Dor and the rest not far behind. Cal-El-Dor checked for tracks. He saw quite a lot of boot prints. X'or and Cal-El-Dor pulled out weapons and X'or pulled out a shield. Eryn pulled out a bow, Symon pulled out a slingshot, and Angelique pulled out her sling. Everyone searched the rocks for signs of movement. They heard a screech from nearby, and a Goblin jumped up on a rock near Cal-El-Dor. At that point, they were set upon by 7 Goblins, four from the cliffs using bows, and three on foot preparing for melee. They were spread out over the battlefield and had the party almost surrounded on three sides. The battle took some time, X'or, Cal-El-Dor took some damage, but the party was victorious. Eryn did loot the bodies and managed to scrape together 15 copper pieces and 3 gold pieces from them.
I am tired and in need of rest. I will continue the telling of their story soon.
Everyone gained 49xp's plus 10% bonus for some.