Welcome to Daggerford!

[connivingsumo]

DAK

"I have forgotten the feeling of a bed... well... the feeling of straw and hay as a bed. I have never slept on an actual mat.. uh... machess... ah... a bed with sheets. I would split the room cost."

ooc: ROFL! Hogan's Heroes!! "I see nushing! nushing!"

[badams30]

If you think Sgt Schultz was a tough man, wait till you meet the Duke's second-hand man, Col. Klink. He runs a tight camp here.

Next post coming later today... Nice work, BTW, not trashing Owenden's crib. As you can see, restraint and cool heads earns points here in Daggerford.

And speaking of points, I'm keeping track of XP. I'll hand it out periodically, and if you are ready to level up, I'll be sure to get it to you so it makes the most difference.

[badams30]

This isn't the next post, but a reply to Jayce's inspection of the inn's pillar and trophies:

As you examine the pillar more closely, it appears to be inscribed with the names or people, categorized under adventuring parties. (Note: as is common in the Realms, adventuring parties typically have colorful names to them. The listings on the pillar are by group name, and sublisted into individual names underneath their applicable group...) About half of the names have "RIP" follwing them. Some groups have notations such as "Last seen entering Dragonspear Castle" or something similar. For the most part, the adventuring party names you see are unknown to you, but one group toward the top, obviously an older entry is that of the Knights of Myth Drannor, a reknowned band of adventurers from the Dalelands, composed of men and women of considerable power and influence. While you know next to nothing about their makeup, their name and reputation precedes them.

As for the armor, weapons and trophies, most are normal to questionable quality weapons, most have been used to varying degrees. In the case of the armor, some have obvious fatal blows and holes in them, many eliciting an unconscious wince from you as you think of the terrible blow that caused it. A handful of the weapons and items have little notations on them such as "this shortsword was pried from the dead hand of Gnackthass, goblin chieftan of the Old Wood, by Herman the Mighty." Nothing really stands out, but there is a small section with newer things in it, and judging by the placards, these items were retreived from the more recent incursions from Dragonspear castle.

And as you wander gazing the walls, you come upon the odd looking stuffed rear end. Upon closer examination it has a plate that says, "Bessie, Slayer of Edgar, Knight of Neverwinter"

All of the items appear well-dusted and are obviously well-cared for....

[Atomic Ray]

Han Overfist, augur

(seeing and hearing that nothing serious is going to happen...slides to the side and takes the closest seat to downgrade the potential moment...nodding approvingly to the words of the guards)

(asks any friendly local that is willing to make eye contact)

"What temples or shrines are located within the township my fine citizen?"

[badams30]

To Han:
You strike up a conversation with Butch, a middle aged farmer who is enjoying a quiet drink and light meal. He tells you that There are basically 4 places of worship within Daggerford. They are:
The Shrine of Tymora: This shrine is frequented by many militia members (they aren't serious fighters who tend to favor Tempus) and the cleric, Bando, enjoys low/no wager games of dice in his spare time.

The Shrine of Tempus: This ramshackle shrine is the newest in town, mainly due to the influx of soliders from Waterdeep, and the increase in fighters travelling though. Baergon Bluesword is a stern, very businesslike priest, but has a good reputation. Butch doesn't know much else about this, too "Serious" for his farming background and tastes.

Lathander's Temple: This is where the Duke worships. This is the largest temple in town. The Priest's name is Liam Sunmist, and rumor has it that he can actually raise people from the dead!

Chauntea's Temple: Merovyna the priestess presides over this large stone building. Due to the agricultural community, this church is very busy, and Merovyna has several underpriests who fulfill the various needs of the temple and community. Oh, this place has the only apothecary in town, should you need it.

Butch finishes telling you the details of the places of worship, and politely excuses himself, as he must return home, "Got to get up early to tend the fields, you know..."

I have noted the temples and other locations of note on the Daggerford map.

[Atomic Ray]

Han Overfist, augur

(The Shrine of Tymora: This shrine is frequented by many militia members (they aren't serious fighters who tend to favor Tempus) and the cleric, Bando, enjoys low/no wager games of dice in his spare time)

"thank you Butch, your time and information is appreciated...have a good evening"

(waves to his new acquaintances and general populous...and leaves to pay his respects to the shrine of Tymora)

[badams30]

The evening quietly ends, and Owenden bids you all good night as he closes down the inn for the night. He shows you to your rooms, where you find hot water and towels waiting for you as promised. (make sure you deduct your room costs for the night)

The rooms are spartan, but comfortable and quiet, and you drift off to a peaceful, very restful sleep.

You awaken in the moring, to the muted sounds of activity coming through the windows, and from downstairs. You find pitchers of water and clean towels at your doors, and you can smell the aroma of food cooking below, and hear the chatter of a handful of patrons eating. As you make your way downstairs, you see a pretty red haired human woman of about 25 in a plain blue dress with a white frilly apron tending to the guests. As she sees you, she smiles and says "Ah, good morning! Owenden said to expect you all. Please, sit down and eat. He said you'd probably be heading to the barracks this morning." At your table you find a light breakfast meal of breads, some fresh cuts of lean meat, and some fruits, along with some milk, and to Han's delight - a fair sized plate of some nice looking cheeses. "Help yourself, it's included with your room rate, you know..."

The 10 or so guests of the inn appear to be boatmen and commoners, briskly eating and heading on their way. The guests are polite and nod/smile, but don't take much time to stop and say hello. Such is the bustle of a busy frontier farm town.

Assuming you finish your meals and head to the drill field and barracks, you leave the inn and enter the streets of Daggerford. While it certainly isn't the same level of busy as Waterdeep, for the size of the settelment, there is much activity going on. As you leave the inn, you see your new friend Dak waiting out front to meet you, killing time by handing some bits of carrot to a donkey tethered nearby. As he sees you leaving the inn, he hands the last bits of food to the animal, gently pats its head and starts walking towards you all.

You follow the wall to the right, and come into a large open area, where you see a formation of about 20 militiamen attired in the same studded leather armor you saw them in last night, all drilling with spears and doing some skirmish line drills. As you observe, you see a familiar face, Sgt Schultz, smiling and approaching you all from the barracks, a large two story building directly ahead. He approaches you all and says "Good morning! Glad to see you all. Have you had time to think about my offer? Here quickly summarizes the Daggerford militia duty to you all, in addition to the compulsory service of residents that you'd already heard of, he shares these facts:
- Not just city dwellers are in the militia, but outlying areas have muster as well. Often we dispatch officers to train these outlying bunches.
- All new recruits get a suit of studded leather and a spear. If you damage or lose the armor, you are responsible for replacing it. Spears are replaced free of charge at any time. Of course, if you have armor, you are welcomed to wear it, so long as it isn't lighter than studded leather (for those who wear armor)
- You must show up for training at least once a month. The militia is split into two troops, so while one troop may train, the other is on duty.
- You must stand guard three days out of the month, acting as street patrol and/or guard. Usually at least two veteran troops are on guard at any given time, to assist the newer recruits.
- Not just fighters are militia members. Daggerford takes great pride in integrating clerics and wizards into the ranks.
- The Duke's master at Arms, Sir Lord Llewellyn Longhand oversees training in more advanced weapons such as maces, swords, and the like.
- The Dukes' master of the hunt, Kelson Darktreader provides training to archers.
- You have the use of the town's medium riding horses for your duties, but the town must be repaid for the loss of a horse (within reason, of course)
- Those who die in the line of duty will be raised from the dead if possible, priority going to higher rank and nobility first.
- If you participate in hazardous missions you are entitled to split the loot you find amongst yourselves. The town is entitled to buy any magic items deemed necessary for the well-being of the town.
- If you train other militiamen, you can earn 5SP per day.
- This isn't normally a benefit or available, but at the current time, the Waterdeep troops normally stationed here are at 1/3rd strength, so the entire upper floor of the barracks is open, and you may stay here for at least the next couple of months at no charge, even when not on duty. You may share the floor with occasional militiamen on duty, but this is usually 2-5 men at most.

Sgt Schultz smiles at you and says, "Well men, if you are in, then come with me, Sherlen is anxious to meet you!"

Actions? you may ask questions about the terms, or anything you wish. In case you are wondering about the pace, we'll probably have a couple more of these longer background, set-the-stage series of posts, then we'll start things moving a bit. Also, start to think of any housekeeping or general needs you need taken care of while in the relative peace of Daggerford, as once you get settled into the duties of militia, we will probably fast-forward a couple of weeks in summary post, and then you'll see some action.

[Atomic Ray]

Han Overfist, augur

(gotcha...I will accept the offer as one accepts the rain or that the sun will rise tomorrow, it is required if one is to stay here...I will continue to visit the Tymoran shrine, fellow clerics/worshipers, etc...as I spent the night at the shrine, I will take the offer of the barracks...fine luck, luck is for the faithful...I will maintain the expected path, fairly quietly...hard to blend in when you are as large and noteworthy as I am, but that is my goal...do as I am asked and avoid unnecessary confrontations)

[Spanningtree]

Nahin - Elf

Right... what is the term of service? What happens if the term is broken?.... Any free meals in there? With a slight smirk, then in all seriousness he will ask: When might I meet Kelson Darktreader? He is an old family friend. Looking around the training field Nahin thinks this looks like a promising endeavor... maybe he could even get some training on horseback archery/fighting...


OCC: 1gp deducted for room.

[connivingsumo]

And speaking of points, I'm keeping track of XP. I'll hand it out periodically, and if you are ready to level up, I'll be sure to get it to you so it makes the most difference.

ooc: i think i'm ready to level up!