[The game is officially started! In this thread, feel free to send your party here and there around town. To make life easy for me, if you could include your party's location in brackets at the top of any posts in town, I'd appreciate it.

Most activity in town is public knowledge. It's not a large town, and word gets around quickly. If you have some business to attend to that you don't want others to know about, use private lines to me to conduct it. Your party location, however, should remain public unless you have some means of sneaking everyone around.

For issues of my sanity, let's not split the parties in town, unless there's a character off doing down-time stuff in one location while the rest of the party conducts business.]

[The Oak and Eagle]

The Common Room is crowded tonight. Lots of prospective adventuring parties are present, and the local crowd is also high due to the novelty factor. Torches flare along the walls, and the staff is busy taking and delivering orders. A trio of minstrels sit in the far corner, playing music that can barely be heard above the chatter of conversation.

Tacked to the wall just inside of the door is a notice:
The Lord Mayor announces that the Towne Ransomme is DUE in one month. If any brave souls can donate 250 coins of gold to the town treasury, the normal TAX upon recovered loot shall be waived for that party for one month from date of donation.

Under that official notice is a note scrawled on a greasy, torn piece of parchment:
Bounty on Kobold heads. Inquire at Granite Cup.

[The Oak and Eagle]
The Shire group are sat at one of the tables in the crowded Oak and Eagle. They're all enjoying themselves drinking ales and telling stories. Drogo, on the other hand was roving about getting as much info on their delving expadition and checking up on the competition.

[Sorry, DM. Backed up a step.]

[The Granite Cup]
A quintet of people mill around near the entrance to the Granite Cup. Standing is their best option, as they lack the proportions to sit properly at any of the tables. While the three humans just look around curiously, the fourth -- an elf -- is visibly uncomfortable, while the last just hangs back, relying on their hooded cloak to avoid notice.

The sixth member of the group strides across the taproom. Being a dwarf, he finds the decor rather homey and comfortable. He waits on the barkeep, then inquires about the posted bounty on kobolds.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:40, Thu 02 Nov 2017.

[The Granite Cup]

A ragtag group of adventure-seekers sits as comfortably as possibly in chairs that are too small for most of them, squeezing in so as not to be impolite to the others here. A thin halfling with bushy blond hair, stands and speaks to the others.

"Well, boys... we all saw the notices at the Oak and Eagle. We need to get into that dungeon and make a big score. Ask about the kobolds, Gordon." He points to the barkeep, and the party's dwarf gets up and clangs his way over to the bar in his brand new plate mail.

"Ronny, find us a porter." The party gnome nods, rises, and looks around searching for someone specific.

As the party finishes their cheap drinks, the dwarf Gordon buys an ale at the bar, asking, "What's this word about a kobold bounty? My group might like the sound of that."

Meanwhile, Ronny the gnome stops here and there with an ale in hand, asking, "Who's up for a one-day job into the dungeon today?" (He's hoping for a gnome porter, but he'll hire anyone with any infravision over a human.)

The rest of the party waits while the halfling mutters to himself. Folks can see a pair of human clerics, both unkempt, but wearing clean little pins depicting The Raven. The elf and the dragonborn both admire the dragonborn's new sword, and the half-orc looks like he just wants to kill someone. They sit with their empty cups, waiting for news from the others.

[The Oak and Eagle]

Drogo and the other halflings of The Shire party live it up, and enjoy a few drinks bought for them by patrons for good luck. Asking around about the ruins, you hear a few unlikely stories of a ghost that steals souls in the ruins of the keep.

Relf Bluetooth, the half-orc who runs the local outfitters' shop, gives you a bit of advice. "The main dungeon entrance is in the center of the castle ruins. You can't miss it. But it's not the only way to enter. If you poke around the ruins a bit, you'll find other ways down. Oh, and watch out for slimes and molds. They can be deadly! Haha!"

[The Granite Cup]

A wizened old dwarf with an eye patch, Ivanus the Slow, tends bar. He owns the joint, and makes a mean mushroom souffle to serve up with his famous bedrock ale. He grins as both the adventuring dwarves ask about the kobold bounty. "You vant to know about kobolds, yes? Zey are a nuisance, yes? Zat man, a King's Knight, offers bounty."

Looking where Ivanus indicates, you see a well-dressed dwarf, young, with a jaunty feather in his peaked cap, sitting by the fire. He ushers both dwarves over to him an offers both a drink. He speaks in the cultured human accent of the capital, rather than the local dwarven dialect. "The king has sent me to Silverwood after receiving a petition. Kobolds, I'm told, have been leaving the ruins of Yeffal's castle and raiding the surrounding farmsteads. The king has charged me to offer a bounty of one platinum coin per kobold head returned to me here at this inn. If some means of dissuading the kobolds from raiding the locals can be reached and peace held for one month, the king offers a reward of 100 gold to each member of the party that successfully manages this feat."

When Ronny the Gnome makes his offer, a dwarf and a gnome both approach him. The dwarf looks tough as nails, and introduces himself as Garthmond. The gnome, who introduces himself as Airk von Rumple, seems young and eager. "Vat sort of job do you have?" Garthmond asks.

One of the two dwarves to first hear the offer simply nods and offers a muttered thanks as he leaves. He rejoins the overly-tall group waiting at the entrance, and they all leave together.

The dwarf quickly explains the bounty to them. Shouldering their packs, they make their way to the town gates.

Ronny says, "We need a porter, and one who can see in the dark will do better than one who can't, obviously." He looks at the two prospects. "What makes one of you better than the other?"

[Granite Cup]

Airk grins and says, "I can see well in the dark, as all gnomes can. And can carry a load as well as anyone...I'll need a backpack or bags though, as I currently have none."

Garthmond flexes his muscles. "Ja, I'm strong. I can carry vat you vant me to. Und I can see in ze dark as vell. I have a pack, but vould need an axe or short sword for protection."

Either one will work for the standard 2gp per day if you provide the gear they're asking for. Take your pick.

[The Granite Cup]

Ronny thinks for a second, and says, "We'll take you both. But you won't need to fight... leave that to us."

The gnome leads the pair over to the party and introduces Airk and Garthmond. Leon rolls his eyes a bit when he sees two people instead of one, but says nothing.

Ronny adds, "Leon here's in charge of the finances. He'll take care of you."

The halfling shakes four gold out of a pouch and hands two to each porter. He looks around the table and says, "Everybody set?"

"Err.... they asked for a backpack and an axe."

Leon glares at Ronny and says, "Well, we'll have to stop for those on the way out of town. We don't have spares on us. But then no more expenses until we hit the dungeon.... we're running too low on funds."

The halfling raises his cup and says, loudly, "For the Whores?" The group raises their cups in return and shouts, "For the Whores!" The group, however, has nothing left in the cups to drink, so the gesture falls flat. They sheepishly set the cups down on the table and make their way to the exit.

[Silverwood Trading]

The Whores wait outside as Leon enters, looking to purchase a backpack, large sack, and hand axe.

"What news of the dungeon today, good shopkeep, sir?"

[The Oak and Eagle]
  Drogo thanks Relf for the advice and heads back to the table where his group is sat. "Right, got a bit of information on the dungeon. I think we should hit the sack early and wake up proper early and make our way just as the sun comes up. This way we'll be fresh and alert and also cuts down on our torch use." Mungo agrees profusely. While he does so Cottar mimics him the same way but silly. everyone has a laugh. Garret agrees only so he could get a lay in. They get themselves together and head for their rooms and prepare the their early morning journey.

[The Oak and Eagle]

Several patrons wish the jolly halfling party luck in their adventures as they retire to their rooms.

OOC: I'll get your thread started shortly.

[Silverwood Trading]

Relf Bluetooth is out at the Oak and Eagle, but his cleaning boy Charles, is sweeping the floor when the Adventure Whores arrive. The gawky human teenager is more than willing to sell a few items before closing.

OOC: Go ahead and make any last minute purchases. Charles doesn't have any useful information for adventurers.

[Silverwood Trading]

With the last few purchases, the Whores are ready to leave town and head for the dungeon.

Mr. DM, sir, if this is too many steps at once, I'll back up.

[Temple of the Sun]

Arriving back in town out of Cure Light Wounds spells, and still wounded, the Whores stop by the temple to get healed. Overall the Whores need to spend 13 gold pieces on Gordon, Kog, and Greg. And they need to replace some lantern oil. Then it's back to the Oak and Eagle.

As the group walks through town, they tell Airk and Garthmond that they'd like to hire them for the week, and if they say yes, Garthmond can keep the hand axe, and they'll buy Airk one to match.

[Silverwood Trading]

The Whores purchase an oil and a hand axe for Airk, if he agrees to stay on for the week.

Leon doles out a gold piece to everyone so they can enjoy food and drink before they all crash in the common room for the evening.


[The Oak and Eagle]

The Adventure Whores don't look as wide-eyed as they did before they encountered the Dungeon. Keen observers will note there are only seven of them, where there were eight yesterday. But they will enjoy the inn's ambience until it's time to go to sleep.

OOC: No problem skipping through the clerical details, unless you want to try to RP and ask around for information at any of the stops along the way.

Sister Clarion tends to the wounds of the warriors, praying to The Sun, with libations of the Waters of Aquarius and a song to Taurus for strength.

Airk and Garthmond both agree to stay on for one week. Seeing what they saw, the seem relatively untroubled, even by the horrific demise of Vir. Airk gladly accepts an axe to use if needed, and Garthmond thanks you for the gift.

At the Oak and Eagle, the party laments their loss and when Gretta, the proprietor, hears of the loss, she provides dinner to the survivors for free. An older human man with an odd, wide-brimmed hat and handlebar mustache gives them some advice. "Sometimes you eat the b'ar, sometimes the b'ar eats you."