The Treasure of the Tierra Padre... [Knight Otu Judging]

[Gurdjieff]

"Ryed east along the roade that followes the Rivre Roars from Orussus tew Rivenblight. Passd the crossroades tew Lathirn, lyes an olde watremille. At the mille, cross the Rivre Roars and travle dew south through the swamplandes until a hye hille toppd bye a barren oake is seen. Therein lyes a cayve, which is the dragon's layr."
-J.M."

"Hmmm, sounds easy enough. I guess we better start preparing ourselves so we can leave as soon as possible. Are we supposed to travel by foot, or did you have another way of transportation, say, by horse, in mind? I can imagine returning the loot might be quite difficult if we have to carry it all back, don't you think Sir Rupert?"
Rogier smiles at the old man, looking over the piece of paper once more. He studies the map and the note pretty carefully, trying to remember it for possible later, if they ever might lose the map.
"By the way, do you know who wrote the note? He signed with J.M., probably the initials to his name. Not that it really matters much, but still."

 

[Kahuna Burger]

On the front is a hand-drawn map, and the back contains a note written in a rather odd dialect...

"Ryed east along the roade that followes the Rivre Roars from Orussus tew Rivenblight. Passd the crossroades tew Lathirn, lyes an olde watremille. At the mille, cross the Rivre Roars and travle dew south through the swamplandes until a hye hille toppd bye a barren oake is seen. Therein lyes a cayve, which is the dragon's layr.

Two sackes of coyn, a small chest of gems and jewlry, and several weppons and maile coates of hye quality have been salvagd. It is thought that a grayter cayche is buryd in some hidden spot within the layr. Begin gathering provisions and tools for a second expedition.

-J.M."

ooc: ok, back to skill whoring! anything in the dialect or landmarks to indicate the age of the map? Any histories of already well looted lairs with that description (a cave in a swamp seems pretty distinctive) so she doesn't get too invested in the trip if this has been pre looted (also if the map seems to have changed hands repeatedly, Katherine would be more skeptical of that second expidition never having been tried).

Regardless of all this, however, it does sound like fun, so after a detailed perusal of the map, the half elf merely says, "Well, at least the hope for baggage will give Nibbles an excuse to come along. I promised Joe he wouldn't be the permanant boarding house for my poor pony. I say we hit the herbalist quarter for some insect balm, leave the nice boots behind and head into the swamp." She grins and stows a few peices of less perishable fruit from the spread for a snack on the road.

 

[Pbartender]

"Hmmm, sounds easy enough. I guess we better start preparing ourselves so we can leave as soon as possible. Are we supposed to travel by foot, or did you have another way of transportation, say, by horse, in mind? I can imagine returning the loot might be quite difficult if we have to carry it all back, don't you think Sir Rupert?"

"Certainly," he replies. "I can supply you with mounts and mules, plus any provisions you may require... within reason, of course."

"By the way, do you know who wrote the note? He signed with J.M., probably the initials to his name. Not that it really matters much, but still."

"We tried searching through the city archives and registries, but to no avail. There are a great many possible 'J.M.'s in the records, and knowing this town, the writer may not be anywhere in the records to be found."

"The very fact that I found the map and the note gives hope that the treasure still remains. I would have thought that the recipient would have destroyed the note to prevent others from finding the treasure. Perhaps J.M. was killed before he could deliver the note. Or maybe the note was lost in transit. Who knows? At the worst, you'll only find an empty cave in the middle of the swamp, and you'll get a modest stipend for your trouble."

 

[Pbartender]

ooc: ok, back to skill whoring! anything in the dialect or landmarks to indicate the age of the map? Any histories of already well looted lairs with that description (a cave in a swamp seems pretty distinctive) so she doesn't get too invested in the trip if this has been pre looted (also if the map seems to have changed hands repeatedly, Katherine would be more skeptical of that second expidition never having been tried).

Bardic Knowledge: 19 +3 = 22.

Spoiler

There are no longer any watermills along the River Roaring, but you do recall an old crumbling stone foundation near the river along the road to rivenblight. It could be the remains of the watermill alluded to in the note.

Knowledge (history): 4 +3 = 7.

Spoiler

There are several stories of adventurers who have gone into the swamp in search of one sort of treasure or another... but there are very, very few stories of any of them returning. You can't seem to recall any details about the types of treasure they were hunting for, or where any of these treasure troves might be located.

The writing on the note

Spoiler

reminds Katherine of the faint accent most kobolds or lizardmen have, even after they've learned to speak the common language fluently.

Rupert, unfortunately, knows almost nothing of the map's history, except that the manuscript that it was found in had been locked away for decades in storage in the basement of some scholar's library. Recently, the scholar died without an hier, and his possessions were packed up and shipped to Orusses to be put up for auction. Rupert had bought the entire contents of the library, and had only begun sifting through the documents, when he ran across the map.

 

[El Jefe]

Oirhandir peruses the map, trying to think of where he had seen that particular spelling before.

His brows furrow. "Not much in the way of rations left in my kit", he thinks. "I wonder how far from here that cavern is. From what I've heard, it could be a walk of 2 or 3 days just to get to that mill."

He also wonders if it will be difficult to cross the river by the old mill. He thinks to himself, "Watermills are often placed near waterfalls; if Rupert provides us with horses or ponies, will the beasts be able to cross there?"

Turning to address Rupert, he asks, "Kind Sir, do you know about how many day's journey it is to the cavern, or at least to the old mill? It would help us to better plan for what to take with us and how to bring back the fruits of our labors."

ooc: Since Oirhandir and Katherine are not telepathically linked, Oirhandir will also try Bardic Knowledge (+3) on the writing and the map. He'll also try Knowledge (Geography) (+6) to determine the feasibility of crossing the river and travelling through the swamp with the mounts.

Amateurs study tactics, professionals concern themselves with logistics.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Turning to address Rupert, he asks, "Kind Sir, do you know about how many day's journey it is to the cavern, or at least to the old mill? It would help us to better plan for what to take with us and how to bring back the fruits of our labors."

Katherine interjects politely, "I believe the mill along that road has journeyed from old to gone... Perhaps we would be best to purchase a modern map and match up enough landmarks to determine the lay of the area today? The oak is probably gone as well if it was barren then..." She taps the writing thoughtfully. "Its hard to say what accent one has on paper, but I'm almost inclined to think that J.M. might have originally spoken draconic. A kobold treasure hunter? Or a former servant of the dragon gone looting after it was gone?" She winks Oirhandir and adds jokingly in elvish, "

Spoiler

or an old trap fom a very well fed stay at home dragon

?"

 

[msd]

She winks Oirhandir and adds jokingly in elvish...

The corners of Eruin's lips curled upward in what almost appeared to be a smile as the sounds of his mother's tongue fell dancing upon his ears...long had it been since he had heard the melodies of the fairest race.

With his left arm propped upon his right and his chin resting on his left hand, Eruin looked into the distance as he pondered what lay at the end of the road depicted by the map.

Turning to Katherine, he asked solemnly:

"You are familiar with Orussus? Where might we purchase such a map?

And to the remaining group of adventurers:

"Come my good men and women...let us make haste, that we might sooner glory meet."



<OOC>
I will need to get some more supplies before we head off. Will we be allowed to do that? Sorry for the newbie question...thx!
</OOC>

 

[Pbartender]

"If the map is right, it shouldn't take more than a day on horseback to get to the watermill," Rupert answers Oirhandir. "I've never traveled through a swamp myself... Ha! The thought of it! I'd be surprised if it took more than another day to cross it, though."

Bardic Knowledge: 6 +3 = 9.

Spoiler

There are several stories of adventurers who have gone into the swamp in search of one sort of treasure or another... but there are very, very few stories of any of them returning. You can't seem to recall any details about the types of treasure they were hunting for, or where any of these treasure troves might be located.

Knowledge (geography): 10 +6 = 16.

Spoiler

You've never run across a watermill, or even the ruins of a watermill near the River Roaring, so you'd have to get a closer look of the area to determine whether or not the river is easy to cross there. If the mill is near a swamp, however, there are bound to be slower, shallow spots where fording the river would not be difficult.

As he reads through the written note, Oirhandir notices

Spoiler

the same similarity to the faint accent most kobolds or lizardmen have, even after they've learned to speak the common language fluently.

 

[El Jefe]

Oirhandir chuckles at Katherine's joke, then listens to Rupert. "A short ride, then", he thinks. However, even if it is possible to cross the river and the swamp with the mounts, if the cavern is of any size, the animals will have to be left outside. He addresses Rupert once more:

"So long as the dragon is no longer around, this doesn't seem too difficult. Still, a swamp is no safe place for an untended beast. I suggest that you send one along with us to mind the mounts if we must leave them somewhere...a stablehand, perhaps, or a simple man-at-arms if your concern merits it."

 

[DM-Rocco]

"My thanks," said Calamar the Dark,"while that will not restore all my strength it shall suffice for now." Calamar, in his usual cool and calm movements, makes his way over to the table and signs the contract.


"My good sir, it seems as if I have run low a bit low on cash, is there an advance, I would like to purchase a few alchemy bags? Also, I have questions about types of creatures that we may face on this road, we are traveling to a swampy area, can we expect undead, lizard folk, Yanti?

OOC, Nimsgod says I need to pay 100gold for my familiar, something I didn't know, so I will have to get rid of the alchemy bags that I have to pay for him. Other than that and some food suplies, or the generousity of the DM giving us rings of sustenance , I am ready. Oh, damn it, forgive the newbie spell casting question, do we need marterial components, I think most of my spells don't need them, but I should know.