Zidan and Lawrence can take it. They sit down like professionals and listen as Lucille lays out their objectives like a pre-combat briefing. Jordan can't really handle it, smiling and occasionally giggling as Lucille speaks. This earns him a few glares, but nothing more serious.. yet.
To summarize, they need to do three things before leaving town. Stock up on supplies. There's a grocer in town who can sort them out. This will include picking up the jerky from the Hedge Bear meat. Second, they need to hit the stables, to inform the stablemaster of the location of their abandoned cart, so it can be recovered. Hopefully, they'll be able to rent another cart with their expense money, otherwise they'll have to walk to the next town. Thirdly, they need to hit the blacksmith for some repairs. Zidan's sword needs some work done. Lucille then lays out the ordinary town, how they've all got to watch out for the black bird, and how they'll be checking everywhere for traps. Then they break up, and being their assault on the peaceful mountain town.
First up, checking the inn door by opening it at a distance. Stand behind the wall, open the door from out of line of sight. It creaks open, and nothing happens. The group then runs out the doorway, one at a time, after checking if it's clear. Nothing happens. Nothing on top of the door. Nothing on the roof ready to fall on them. And no sign of any black bird. This process is continued, as the party crosses the street, (checking both ways for traffic, and staying well away from any suspicious objects. Carts. Barrels. Bins. Troughs. Everything is carefully checked on the three-street trip to the grocers.
Sitting out front are a couple of old men playing dominos, who give steady commentary on the progress of the party. The biting sarcasm only serves to make Jordan smile more.
Eventually, they arrive at the grocer, who greets them, and asks their names. Lucille provides them, and is informed that their order is ready, and their magical servant has already paid for it.
"Magical servant?"
"Yes, that very polite black flying creature. Came by first thing and let me know what you would need. I marked it on your credit note, and you're all good. He points to a few small sacks of oats, dried fruit, dried meat, hard bread, soft bread, butter.. all the stuff they'll need for the next week or so, along with some lamp oil, sewing equipment, spare buckles, pegs.. This includes stuff to repair the armour. Dammit. Although there's also lamp oil. Did the bird want them to burn something? That would go with the coal dust..
"Ahh. Credit note?"
"Yes, it had a credit note for one gold, from the province. I marked off seventeen silvers. Your creature even talked me down from twenty! Very impressive beast."
"Check your purses, everyone."
Lucille did check her purse already, and it was full of credit notes, like usual, but she didn't take it out and examine each one. There are supposed to be twenty-two one-gold credit notes in there, in her name. Half the pay for escorting Jordan, plus expenses. Now, there are twenty-one. And of course the shopkeeper took a credit note in the name of an adventuring party to order adventuring goods for that same adventuring party. And of course he thought the black bird, which notified the guards of their predicament, and half the town saw talking with her, belonged to her.
"I didn't give it any of the jerky, although it asked for it."
Having Raucous order for them saved a lot of time in the grocer getting everything ready before their visit. Lucille then wastes all this time, opening all the bags and checking the contents. But they're all fine. Nothing is wrong with the food or any of the other supplies.
Things go slightly differently at the next two places. The stablemaster doesn't have another cart, both his carts being currently missing. He was, of course, already informed as to the abandoned cart and will send someone out tomorrow to retrieve it, when a couple of people with levels can be spared to guard it. And the stablemaster is slightly annoyed at being asked about it again, wondering why their bird didn't pass on the message already.
The blacksmith was waiting for them, too. Although this time, the bird simply asked questions about the operation of the forge and made sure everything was in fine working order, and made an appointment for them to visit. The town's children have also found the party, and at this point were following them everywhere watching the party carefully examine everything on the road and checking all the doorways for traps. Lucille is at this point beginning to think that Raucous's trap was simply smoothing the way for them today, and allowing their own paranoia to do the work of pranking them.
Unfortunately for her, this would not be the case.
Zidan and Lawrence can take it. They sit down like professionals and listen as Lucille lays out their objectives like a pre-combat briefing. Jordan can't really handle it, smiling and occasionally giggling as Lucille speaks. This earns him a few glares, but nothing more serious.. yet.
To summarize, they need to do three things before leaving town. Stock up on supplies. There's a grocer in town who can sort them out. This will include picking up the jerky from the Hedge Bear meat. Second, they need to hit the stables, to inform the stablemaster of the location of their abandoned cart, so it can be recovered. Hopefully, they'll be able to rent another cart with their expense money, otherwise they'll have to walk to the next town. Thirdly, they need to hit the blacksmith for some repairs. Zidan's sword needs some work done. Lucille then lays out the ordinary town, how they've all got to watch out for the black bird, and how they'll be checking everywhere for traps. Then they break up, and being their assault on the peaceful mountain town.
First up, checking the inn door by opening it at a distance. Stand behind the wall, open the door from out of line of sight. It creaks open, and nothing happens. The group then runs out the doorway, one at a time, after checking if it's clear. Nothing happens. Nothing on top of the door. Nothing on the roof ready to fall on them. And no sign of any black bird. This process is continued, as the party crosses the street, (checking both ways for traffic, and staying well away from any suspicious objects. Carts. Barrels. Bins. Troughs. Everything is carefully checked on the three-street trip to the grocers.
Sitting out front are a couple of old men playing dominos, who give steady commentary on the progress of the party. The biting sarcasm only serves to make Jordan smile more.
Eventually, they arrive at the grocer, who greets them, and asks their names. Lucille provides them, and is informed that their order is ready, and their magical servant has already paid for it.
"Magical servant?"
"Yes, that very polite black flying creature. Came by first thing and let me know what you would need. I marked it on your credit note, and you're all good. He points to a few small sacks of oats, dried fruit, dried meat, hard bread, soft bread, butter.. all the stuff they'll need for the next week or so, along with some lamp oil, sewing equipment, spare buckles, pegs.. This includes stuff to repair the armour. Dammit. Although there's also lamp oil. Did the bird want them to burn something? That would go with the coal dust..
"Ahh. Credit note?"
"Yes, it had a credit note for one gold, from the province. I marked off seventeen silvers. Your creature even talked me down from twenty! Very impressive beast."
"Check your purses, everyone."
Lucille did check her purse already, and it was full of credit notes, like usual, but she didn't take it out and examine each one. There are supposed to be twenty-two one-gold credit notes in there, in her name. Half the pay for escorting Jordan, plus expenses. Now, there are twenty-one. And of course the shopkeeper took a credit note in the name of an adventuring party to order adventuring goods for that same adventuring party. And of course he thought the black bird, which notified the guards of their predicament, and half the town saw talking with her, belonged to her.
"I didn't give it any of the jerky, although it asked for it."
Having Raucous order for them saved a lot of time in the grocer getting everything ready before their visit. Lucille then wastes all this time, opening all the bags and checking the contents. But they're all fine. Nothing is wrong with the food or any of the other supplies.
Things go slightly differently at the next two places. The stablemaster doesn't have another cart, both his carts being currently missing. He was, of course, already informed as to the abandoned cart and will send someone out tomorrow to retrieve it, when a couple of people with levels can be spared to guard it. And the stablemaster is slightly annoyed at being asked about it again, wondering why their bird didn't pass on the message already.
The blacksmith was waiting for them, too. Although this time, the bird simply asked questions about the operation of the forge and made sure everything was in fine working order, and made an appointment for them to visit. The town's children have also found the party, and at this point were following them everywhere watching the party carefully examine everything on the road and checking all the doorways for traps. Lucille is at this point beginning to think that Raucous's trap was simply smoothing the way for them today, and allowing their own paranoia to do the work of pranking them.
Unfortunately for her, this would not be the case.
