By mid-morning a small impromptu caravan had formed on the outskirts of town. The Heroes of Ashford, as the locals began calling them, were not the only people looking to travel to Spire Keep. Morren the chef, and Angel the elf were also looking to travel to the big city along with a couple local merchants and farmers. Despite all the chaos and troubles the town had faced families still needed to sell their goods and pick up food and supplies and Spire Keep was the trading hub for the entire region.

In the end in addition to the adventurers a half dozen townsfolk and travelers set off with them. The route to Spire Keep was well known and traveled. At first the trail was small but as they passed through the region and went by other towns the trail slowly widened and became more traveled and better maintained. Low points on the trail would have rocks or even planks set to keep the carts from catching in the mud after the rains and around mid-afternoon the group reached the first resting area. A clearing had been well trampled with fire pit and someone had even sunk a few hooks in the trees to allow for easy hitching of reigns and bridles.

The travelers chatted among one another. A pair of young boys barely into their teens helping their father carry grain to Spire Keep peppered the adventurers with more questions about their fight with the dragon and one of the boys, Tomas, even asked to wield Talia's polearm for a few chops against a tree. Their father just rolled his eyes and maintained an air of aloof indifference but he always seemed to be around when the adventurers retold their tale for the fifth time that day.

With their mid-day break past the caravan set out again and just as the skies began to darken and the tip of the moon began to crest the group caught sight of Sweetwater Tavern. After several weeks of travel and adventure, Yry was finally coming home.

Traveling with the people from the village had Talia in high spirits. She felt like things were moving forward, that she was protecting them, and normal. IT felt normal to be making a communal trip to Spire Keep. It wouldn't be her first trip, but it was her first trip as protector and hero.

She walked at the head of the column with her halberd across her back and felt the weight of her new mace swinging at her belt. There was a bounce in her step and a song on her lips. At the rest stop, rather than let Tomas just chop at the tree, she showed him how to stand and how to draw power up through your feet from the earth to make your blow powerful. She laughed and corrected his tries happily. She laughed almost as hard at the father desperately pretending he was not interested.

She left recounting the story to Yry though. The sorcerer was better at those things.

When the inn finally came into view, Talia was sweating and felt soreness in her muscles from the long trek. It would be good to stretch by the fire to ease the road out of her feet and down a tankard or two of Alyssa's family brew to warm her innards. "Come now, lasses and lads, let's find ourselves a bit of rest. I am certain a certain pair of women's families will be dieing to hear certain stories as well." She grinned at her friends and broke into a jog to cover the last distance.

Alyssa was excited to be part of the Heros of Ashford leading the small caravan and to continue to bond with her new community. She was also excited to see her family. The halfling moved about from group to group as they made there way out of town and onto the wider ways that all lead to Spire Keep. She caught sight of a game track here or a fresh pile of droppings there but with such a large group Alyssa knew the leaver was long gone before she noted it.

At the afternoon break Alyssa sat on a log, kicking her legs, near Talia's impromptu martial lesson. While she laughed Alyssa still maintained a good view of the clearing's edge. She took her role as a protector seriously and while they were in little danger here now it felt right to keep at least one eye watching.

As the Inn came into view and all the thoughts and memories of home came flooding back Talia called out breaking Alyssa's moment. Att he sight of her friend running off though the brewers' daughter gave a hoot and took off down the road to the Sweetwater Tavern. "No fair! Your legs are too long you aurochs!"

Angel kept mostly to herself as the group travelled, content to observe the others with whom she travelled -- most especially the Heroes. Their mannerisms, their ways of speaking, how they interacted with everyone else, who was close to who -- everything was filed away for later use. Angel wasn't even really conscious she was doing so though, it seemed more something she'd learned to do long ago and now had become a habit. If pressed on the issue she'd have just explained it away as being a 'people watcher', but she couldn't for the life of her remember where she'd first learned to do such a thing... or why.

When the group stopped for a rest, she sat off to the side and watched Talia's impromptu weapons lesson, idly rolling a gold coin through her fingers. Without even looking at it, her attention on the lesson, the coin flashed through her fingers at an almost dizzying pace and never once faltered. She really was quite adept with those nimble fingers of hers.

Angel smiled in spite of herself at the sight of the inn, relishing the thought of a nice meal, a soft bed, and perhaps even a hot bath too!

OOC: How much for a room, a meal, and a bath, dear DM?

The Sweetwater inn, as a major crossroad to a major hub, offers a full array of services.

OOC: Instead of pricing out each individual thing I'm just going to bundle services into an "experience" cost

The Inn offers a budget option for the thrifty traveler. A simple meal of bread, stew broth and a space on the floor of the common room for a single silver piece.

The "typical" traveler gets a shared room (2 people to a small room) and a basic meal of beer and stew, (that includes the actual vegetables and meat, not just broth), and a bucket of cold water that you can wash yourself with is eight silvers.

For three gold pieces you get the upper class experience. This includes a drawn heated bath, a private room, a bottle of nice wine or spirits and a custom meal like mashed potatoes and good cut of venison or pork.

Finally for six gold you get the noble experience. An extra large room with high quality linens, private bath, a servant dedicated to helping you get ready and several course meal and desert.


If you want to quibble and barter over prices a drawn bath is 2sp otherwise meals are per here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sour...s/equipment#Expenses

Angel entered the tavern with the others, making the connection between the inn's name and the surname Yry had offered yesterday. Looking around she took note of who was already inside and then where all the exits were -- something she found herself doing without even realizing it. Then she approached the person behind the bar and inquired about accommodations. She didn't even haggle on the price but handed over the three gold named for a private room and a drawn bath, and then asked the barkeep for some information, favoring them with her best winning smile.

"So being new to Spire Keep where would be a good place to see about buying some equipment -- a good knife, maybe a bow for hunting, and some general wilderness trekking gear?"

"Say, there wouldn't by chance be any card games running this evening, would there?"

The evening passes uneventfully. Alyssa's family (all dozen of them) come by with a barrel in celebration of her achievements and she instantly becomes the most popular patron of the Sweetwater as the haflling brew starts flowing. It is a light, sweet beer full of fruity flavor and while it isn't very potent, free beer is free beer and it is tasty if not intoxicating.

Meanwhile Yry's parents likewise are doting on their daughter and her recent success and slip the party a bottle of wine, leaning in and letting them know their stay is on the house. Because Morren and Angel arrived with the Ashford girls they quickly are swept up in the same celebrations and complimentary drinks.

Angel is able to drum up a poker game with a merchant and his two guards and after several close hands the crowd watches as the pot in the middle of table gets bigger and bigger. Everyone is holding their breath expecting some epic showdown but the merchant and one of the guards lose their nerve at the last minute leaving Angel going head-to-head with a heavily inebriated drunk. Angel wins handidly and with her massive coin advantage quickly bullies out the rest for a respectable amount of silver in the end.

The celebrations start to die down and the fire starts to lower. The main room empties considerably as the locals go back to their homes and a few patrons turn in early. The adventurers, along with their two new temporary companions, enjoy each other's company and have a lovely evening. Eventually even Alyssa's family decide to turn in and for a brief moment it is just the six of them remaining, drinking the last of their beer and enjoying the last of their food when there is a thunderous knock on the front door.

Yry's mother frowns and crosses over, opens up the door and nearly collapses in fear...

Standing in the doorway is a dashing looking knight with a charming smile on his face. A light rain had begun to fall and the drops on his armor make it sparkle in the torchlight.

"May we come in?"

His voice and tone were friendly but he didn't wait for Yry's mother to respond before pushing past her. Behind him are two more knights as well as a full contingent of men-at-arms, about a dozen and a half in total. They all bear white livery dotted with a large black star which explains the innkeeper's fears.

It had been a warm, pleasant night. Talia even found herself not hating Angel; not liking her exactly, but not hating was progress. Tasty beer, good food, and the prospect of a bed all had her in good cheer. And as the night wound down, she felt sated and secure. A warmth that she had come to cherish that reminded her of nights curled up beside her mother under heavy blankets. Smiling, she was just standing to excuse herself for the night when the door tried to rattle itself off the hinges.

Turning to see what the goings on were as Yry's mother went to the door, she sucked her teeth sharply at the sight of the knights. She had to fight her instincts to grab her mace and instead forced herself to sit down heavily in her chair. That company was far too much for their group. Worse, it was a fraction of the band's strength and it would bring down hell and ruin on the Sweetwater.

She watched with careful eyes even as she turned back to her tankard and filled it with a bit more wine.

The three knights grabbed a table with Lady Lyra and Sir Arcturus talking to one another loudly while Lady Cass sits quietly to the side.

Meanwhile the other men-at-arms square away at other tables. They are quickly loud, rude, and demanding. While Arcturus and Lyra look away the guards make insulting comments about the tavern ("it's a shithole") about the beer ("tastes like donkey piss") and Yry's family ("looks like they've been breeding with ogres. Ugly ogres.")

Their conduct would be unpleasant at even the seediest tavern by the docks of a big city let alone a nice quiet countryside inn. It quickly seems like the guards have even made it a game as to who can make Yry's mother cry or get her father to outburst in anger.

Meanwhile Arcturus and Lyra quickly fall into deep discussion about their upcoming mission, oblivious to the fact that not everyone in earshot is part of their party.

"So what is this, the third town that is back on their taxes?"

"The fourth I think. At least of those assigned to us."

"You know when we accepted Lord Saxton's offer I was expecting more...you know...fancy dinners and fair maidens and less..."

"...tromping through the countryside shaking down farmers for their last turnips?"

"Exactly. If I wanted to stay knee deep in pigshit I would have accepted that contract up in Amn. Now there's a place that knows how to deal with sellswords."

"Oh it cannot possibly be that bad, Sir Arcturus. Even without Lord Saxton's sponsorship you're a landed nobleman now thanks to that pretty little bride of yours."

"Little is right. On our wedding night I thought I was bedding a boy. Thank the gods for brothels. The second she is seeded I can leave that unpleasantness behind me."

Lady Lyra gives Sir Arcturus a wry smile.

"You might want to consider having more than one heir. Just in case..."

Arcturus lets out a laugh and stomps his mug on the table demanding more ale which Yry's mother quickly comes by and refills.

"You know what, to the nine hells with Lord Saxton. Why don't we turn around and just go back to Spire? With the taxes from this town we can skim a little off the top and rut through an entire brothel before the morn. Come on Lyra, my treat..."

He winks at her suggestively and she laughs in response. Her laughter is light and soft, like a noblewoman having a social gathering over tea instead of being part of a rude and vulgar conversation such that they're having now.

"A very tempting offer. You can take half, I'll take half and we'll meet in the middle. But what will Lord Saxton say when we show up empty handed?"

"We're not going to spend that much...oh you mean about this last town. Right. What was it called?"

"Ashford. It says the last tax collector sent there never returned."

Sir Arcturus gave an exaggerated sigh and slumped down in his chair.

"Right. Can't let that go, can we. I suppose we'll have to make an example of them. What do you think we should do this time?"

"I like the one where you round up all the men and toss them some knives and tell them you'll spare the winners."

Sir Arcuturs smiles wistfully at that memory.

"Yeah that was fun. And their faces when Cygnatius began casting that fireball on them anyway...that was good. What about when we made them drag out all their belongings and we set them on fire in front of them. That was good too."

"Yes but we need Cygnatius for that one as well."

"Oh right. Hmmm...what do you think Lady Cass?"

The death monk didn't respond, just quietly eating the soup she ordered and Lyra and Arcturus laughed as if asking her opinion was some great inside joke.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:28, Tue 20 Oct 2020.

Angel was having a good evening. She'd managed to convince a merchant and his guards to engage in a card game, and it was obvious to anyone who observed the elf that she was well in her element playing a game that depended on clever deception. She expertly played her three fellow players, losing some to bait them in, and then winning the large pot at the end with a professional gambler's skill... all told she managed to win more than a week's worth of wages in a single night!

She was just raking her winnings toward herself when the knock on the door boomed through the inn and she paused only momentarily to look toward the door. When she saw the knights push their way past, she immediately understood what was going on and quickly hid her winnings. Then grabbing her mug and nursing it slowly, she kept her eyes downcast and tried her best to be as inconspicuous as possible. This wasn't her fight and she intended to stay out of it as much as possible...

The two knights fell quiet, focusing on their drink and laughing with their soldiers as they made the Sweetwater's lives miserable. Finally Sir Arcturus grew impatient and flung his mug of ale across the tavern nearly pegging Yry's father in the temple

"No! I refuse to have my week ruined marching to some shithole on the ass end of the Wealdath. We don't all have to be there to punish this town, right? Cass, you don't mind taking this on, right?"

The silent death monk just shook her head. Arcturus laughed and tugged on Lyra's arm.

"There, see? Problem solved. Now then, there isn't a moment to waste."

Sir Arcuturus stood up, pounding his armored gauntlet on the table to quiet down his men.

"Men, there has been a change of plans. Lady Lyra and I are needed for an important strategy meeting back at Spire Keep."

Most of the bar had been listening in to their conversation and Arcturus' announcement is punctuated by laughter and a few crude comments involving sheathing swords into scabbards or polishing polearms.

"Lady Cass will continue on to...what was it?"

"Ashford."

"Right. Ashford. Lady Cass will proceed on and deal with the missing tax collector. We leave immediately so saddle up."

The two knights and their portion of the retinue finished off their food and drinks and Sir Arcturus threw a handful of coppers on the floor in front of the Sweetwaters. It wasn't nearly enough to cover their food and drink, let alone the damage his men had done but Lady Lyra circled back and put a single gold coin on the counter that would cover everything.

After a few minutes of commotion the common room quieted down considerably as it was just the silent death monk and her half dozen soldier continuing to eat and drink. From the window the group could hear the raucous of the knights and their men saddling up horses and departing swiftly in the direct of Spire Keep.

The further the conversation went, the more and more Talia felt something howling in the pit of her stomach. The powerlessness of having to sit and listen to men discuss the violation of her town, her friends, and her family. She stared into her mug imagining various townsfolk fighting back and paying with lives. A distant, unseen part of her mind wondered what happened to her mother after she was defeated or even if the soldiers just wanted to have some fun.

Her lips were pressed together so hard they shone pale white as the other two left.

It was a mistake. It was the mistake that Talia was waiting for. A coil of tension released in the pit of her stomach as the odds changed. For now. If they did this; if they stopped this thing here then they set their town against the prime minister. She longed for the days of the Baron. Sighing, she lifted her mug to her mouth and looked a question at her friends across the rim. She even looked it at the cook.

With worry, she looked around at the tavern as well. The decision could not be solely hers, cold it? It implicated too many people.

From across the room Angel looked up at the exact moment that Talia looked around the tavern. For just a moment the elf held the human's gaze and then the corner of Angel's mouth pulled up in a crooked smile and she winked at Talia. The gesture was playful, irreverent... and also knowing. It wasn't clear if Angel would stand with the others if they chose to act, but it did seem the clever elf knew something of what Talia was considering.