Into the Gray

Session Summary

We go shopping! Pharèl picks up Chef's Utensils, parchment, a flask, pen and charcoal, Star trades his short bow for a light crossbow and buys traps and pitons. Twinkletoes takes a light crossbow and ammunition, along with parchment and charcoal, and finally a shawm. Elzira wants to buy books but cannot afford them. Elzira talks to Nicole, the Gendry general store clerk, and learns that scholars and magic users usually meet around 10am Saturdays at the Gendry Theater. Star learns that the mansion up the hill - where the suspected portal is - is owned by the man who founded Valdethirsk. Star begins showing distrust in Kai, which Elzara shares. Later, we visit Kokorun, the smithy named after the resident puppy who lives there, owned by the blacksmith elf Dilip Corry. I leave my staff with him for inspection. Dilip works with the man of the mansion, named Hedvika, to supply mining gear. Elzara arranges to rent the forge. Meanwhile, Arachne has been meditating with her holy symbol back at the inn.

Log

I am heading out to the general store, smithy, and restaurant. We arrive at the general store.

Arachne saw the prices and her eyes rolled and she left quickly.

I can pick up Cook’s Utensils (1gp). I also decide to pick up parchment (3 pieces, 1sp each) and a pen (2cp, no ink), I also follow Twinkletoe’s example and get a small piece of charcoal (1sp). As well as pick up a flask (2cp) for carrying wine.  #costs #shopping #items

Star haggles to trade in his short bow for a light crossbow at a discount (10gp). He then asks about traps. The woman has to check whether they carry hunting traps, which they do (5gp). He also picks up 50ft of hempen rope (1gp). He also asks about grappling hooks, but they do not carry them. Star also picks up pitons (5cp).  #costs #shopping #items

Twinkletoes says she’s looking for a kind of bow. They carry the light crossbow, as well as the bow that Star just sold them. She wants a hand crossbow but decides a light crossbow will suffice (25gp). The crossbow comes with 10 bolts, and additionally picks up a quiver (1gp) and 20 more bolts. She also picks up parchment and charcoal. #costs #shopping #items

Elzira asks for books (25gp each). There is a small shelf, with about 20 books, four titles. One looks like it is collected poetry from the continent “Collective Poetry of Kelderheim and Conqel.” One looks like it has the history of Gendry, “The History of Gendry.” Another is a bit more ambiguous, but sounds like it should be the script for a show of some kind, called “The Fall of Bernadette Nichols.” The last title appears to be a business book called “How to Run a Business.” #costs #shopping #items

Elzira realizes he needs to wait for money from his parents before he can make a purchase.

Twinkletoes inquires about instruments. They offer drums (6gp), flute (2gp), lutes (35gp), lyres (30gp), viol (30gp), and a shawm (2gp). She decides to pick up a shawm. #costs #shopping #items

Elzira asks about scholars and spell casters. Nicole the clerk says there are some in town. She says they meet around 10am on Saturday mornings in the theater. 

Star asks about the mansion up the hill. Nicole sighs and says some rich guy owns it, he moved in here, he keeps to himself, he was the one who started Valdethirsk. He has hired staff with him in the mansion. #clues

The shopping experience lasted about 2 hours including travel and talking. 

3pm on a Wednesday as we’re all trickling out.

Star asks about our opinions on Wash’s friend. Elzara says he’s shady, Star seems unsure.

We talk about what to do next, it’s suspicious that Wash and Co. were encouraging us to investigate the mansion when this mansion man is who founded Valdethirsk.

We decide to go to the Smithy first. As we enter, the first thing we notice is a small excited bark as we enter. We don’t see the dog, but we hear a voice say “Kokorun, calm down,” and a man with rippling muscles and gorgeous locks get up from what we can only assume is his dog. 

At first glance, it appears that the blacksmith is an elf. Elzara is pretty taken aback.

He opens a little door to enter the shop and a tiny floofer walks out with him. 

He clearly wasn’t expecting his dog to run out, and the dog jumps over our legs and Twinkletoes and I are excitedly engaging it.

Twinkletoes casts Speak With Animals and can hear it yelling “New people! New people!” and asks for pets. She asks it about its day. “I’ve been having a great day with my father! Look at him! There he is!” and gestures towards his father with his nose. 

The dog is almost purring, making a contented noise. 

The blacksmith, after seeing it looks like we’re fine with his dog, notices Elzira staring at him. “How can I help you today, sir?” 

Elzira says he wasn’t here for his services, just accompanying his party. 

I pull out my staff to ask whether he knows anything about my staff. I particularly ask about its history and whether he knows about any trinkets. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have much information about my staff. 

I ask for some kind of receipt or deposit to guarantee I’ll get my staff back if he keeps it overnight to investigate it for me. I explain I found it near Valdethirsk, I’ve been tracking it for a long time and I’m now trying to learn more about it. He hands me 10gp and a piece of paper as a receipt. This satisfies me. 

He says he thinks he can sort something out by the end of the next day. I offer to cook him up a meal as a thank you. He doesn’t deny this offer. #cooking #relationships

Star asks about the mansion on the hill. 

“Some rich dude lives there, he does business with me,” he pulls out paperwork. “Hedvika,” he tells us.  “He came in from out of town a while back wanting to do some mining. He goes through here to get equipment. Most people who have bigger projects come through me.” #clues

Star asks about his character. 

“I don’t know him personally, but he does good business.” 

Elzira asks if he sells daggers. Star says he has a dagger. Elzira starts asking whether the blacksmith can embellish it with designs.

The blacksmith says he could, it won’t be cheap, but it’s not his usual work. 

Star says Elzara might be good at that. 

Elzara finally speaks up. “I am a fellow blacksmith myself, is there any chance I could borrow my forge?”

“Uh, do you know how long you’d want to be using it?” 

Elzara explains that she promised to make a shield for a friend.

Meanwhile, Star admonishes Elzira for snatching up his dagger.

He says he could charge a nominal fee if she’s going to be using it for a day or two.

Elzara then asks if he needs any assistance and would be happy to help out with any extra work around the forge in exchange for cash.

 He says he’d want to see her work first, but an arrangement could definitely be made if she’s helping around the forge.

He says she should come in tomorrow morning. If he likes her work, she can help with jobs and get her paid assuming he doesn’t have to teach her. Elzara agrees and is excited to come back the following day.

Dilip Corry is the name on the receipt I got. 

Dilip turns to Elzira, having noticed the dagger argument with Star. “Is he giving you that dagger, or no? It sounds like you maybe do need to buy a dagger (2gp).”  #costs #shopping #items

Star asks how much it costs to embellish. Elzira specifies he wants it stamped with his family crest.  Dilip quotes about 20-30gp for that work. Elzira says he’ll get back to him on that.  #costs

Star is now interested in knocking on the door rather than breaking in, at the mansion.

4pm on a Wednesday.

As we leave, Dilip calls Kokorun back, who runs back and he Dilip picks him up to take him back inside. Twinkletoes casts Speak With Animals to tell Kokorun she loves him, goodbye, and will see him later. He responds very positively to this. 

They decide to make a social visit to the mansion. 

On the way out of the smithy, I ask Twinkletoes if she was talking to the dog. 

During this time, Arachne had wandered around about 10 minutes looking for a place to sit quietly. Upon finding no place to sit in nature she goes back to her room at the inn to talk to her holy symbol.

We’ll pick up with the goal of going to the mansion, first meeting Arachne at the inn.

New inventory: Cook’s utensils, 3 parchment pieces, ink pen, charcoal, flask