05.11.2022 - Scribe-5 - Contracts and Duels

• We walk away from Glannon, back to our base. Scribe-5 complains about how people bargain
  • Mason Eahtadan Dlarraithar runs to catch us before the doors to the base close
  • He is very dishevelled by running a short distance, and proudly displays the report that he says has been finished in record time
  • It is a contract agreement instead of a report, as he was trying to impress us
  • He wants to bring one of the builders inside to get more details, but he really doesn't want to go back inside himself
  • Bucket manages to convince him that he is needed
  • Adriel hears them talking about the dragon
  • The contract offers two opportunities: Two months (38 337 gp) vs. half a year (21 922 gp). This is for 10 skilled magical workers, who will be ready to start tomorrow
  • Bucket has 27 questions:
    1. How will the time and cost vary from their findings today?
       • Depending on the material of the walls etc. it might be more expensive or a bit cheaper
       • They don't have that much experience with magic bases underground
       • He has the experience to do the research himself
    2. Bucket wants part of the contract to detail that no papers except the contracts will leave the site
       • It is added to the contract
    3. Payment plan?
       • Preferred to pay up front. If we can.
       • Overview:
         • Needed for Scribes' spells: 12 775 gp
         • Value in the treasure chest: 6900 gp (hør med Asgeir)
         • Money from valuables of Lorladon's estate: 20 000 gp
       • Bucket offers to pay 60% upfront, and then the rest within a month
       • Bucket and Coty leads him around, while he uses magic to scan the walls etc.
       • Scribe-5 prepares to write contracts
       • Sylword forges a chest we can give the payment in
       • The final analysis:
         • The structure is surprisingly sound, and there are no weaknesses to reinforce
         • This results is 10% lower cost: 19730 gp. We still pay 12 000 gp now (from Coty's fund)
         • Bucket pulls Scribe-5 aside t ocheck if there are any traps in the contract:
           • Hazard pay
           • Union might sue us if there is not regular breaks etc.
           • Harrasment will be ignored since we payed well
           • Every dwarf needs to sign secrecy contracts (we get him to add himself as well)
           • Bucket gets him to add that all materials needs to be brought in by the designated workers, not outsiders
       • We all sign the contract (the lines are Hero of the Awarth #1 etc., we write it in chronological order), there are four pages for us to sign
       • Scribe-5 tries to get him to sign her contract in blood, but rolls really bad
       • He will sign the Secrecy Contract for Base Construction, but not in blood
• • Bucket asks Adriel to send two guards to escort the representative with the money chest. Coty will come with them as well. She convinces them to give her a uniform tabard
  • Adriel informs Coty that she has a letter from Bartholomew
    • It is about how he and the boy is doing, and that they are thinking of heading to the holdings
    • He points out that it is Coty's job to find out where her adopted mother is (who was taken by the mechanical jaws)
    • He is hinting that it is diplomatically important that she is found, due to their alliances with her previous house etc.
  • As Coty is escorting the chest, she causes a lot of rumours and conspiracies, as a lot of people see her with the chest and with the path of strength
  • Coty recieves a Sending from Glannon through a butterfly while she is on guard duty asking us to look into the disturbances in the streets topside
    • She will do so herself, and not with the group
    • Another sending: "And do tell Sylword to do his job"
    • Coty says that she will fix it, and that he can trust her
    • She then proceeds to walk around showing off her outfit before coming back and telling Sylword to do his job, with no explanation
    • Sylword is very confused and uses Sending on Glannon to get more info
    • She doesn't tell anyone else about the disturbances and goes to investigate alone
      • She struggles to find the disturbances, so she finds a water trough and Communes With Nature to check for interferrence from other plains of existence or powerful undeads. She feels the presence of both
      • There is a lot of structural damage from some sort of impact
      • Standing over the rubble is a figure in tightly bound light clothing and black robes
      • They are looking at something in the rubble with distaste before vanishing
      • The powerful undead precense is from the palace. It seems to be sleeping and unmoving. She thinks she saw the most beautiful female figure she has ever seen in her life
      • A drunkard asks if Coty is gonna drink that, and passes out in the trough
        • She makes sure he doesn't drown and makes an amazing herbal hangover cure which she feeds him
        • He immediately stands up and goes looking for another drink, inviting her to come along
        • When she says no, he thanks her and invites her to come to breakfast with him and his wife (he gives her directions)
      • She then hides in an alley and conjures four minor earth elementals to go to the group and draw figures and arrows: a stickfigure -> a crow -> an eye -> a palace with a shull inside
      • She then turns into a crow to look for disturbances
        • She flies over to a crumbles building, partly on fire
        • She flies to the civilians, and casts Ice Storm to cool down the fire, and a Wall of Water so the civilians can use the water to stop the fire
        • The sudden magic frightens the people, but they eventually use the water as intended
        • Coty tries to be stealthy and just be a shadow on the roof
        • The black robed figure steps onto the roof holding a small device
          • They say: "You would be a worthy challange. The previous contender was no match. I must redeem myself and show my skill. Prepare yourself"
          • Coty tries to protest, but the figure goes into a stance
          • He attacks her, and she responds by turning into a direwolf and trying to shake him off
          • More battling happens, and Coty notices that he glances at two other robes figures on another rooftop, just standing and watching the fight. Her opponent grows more stressed as he watches them
          • Coty throws him off the building, but he catches hold of the ledge
          • While he is occupied she starts running along the rooftops to get away from the fight
          • He catches up and is holding on to her fur
          • It is now a rodeo, but Coty crit fails, but the guy proceeds to fail all his attacks
          • Eventually he lands a big hit, and slows her movement
          • He then crits her hard enough to turn her back into her normal form, but fails to throw her
          • Coty hits back with a Cone of Cold, then, after he praises her for finally fighting, she tries to run again
          • Another hit on her has her casting Heal to get back to full health
          • Coty complains to him that he hasn't answered the questions she asked while in wolf form
          • She uses her spear for the first time to blast him with wind and throw him off the roof
          • She then runs and misty Steps to get away. Once in the streets she uses Pass Without Trace to blend in to the crowd
          • When glancing back she sees the two watchers looking at their downed companion before jumping down to him. They don't seem to care about her
  • The rest of us just chills and hangs out in the forge telling Forge Tales^tm/Hearth Stories^tm while Coty is out
    • Bucket tells us how his people learn to ride crows, and stories about how they use crows to kill orcs
    • Scribe-5 talks about very academinc things, but stops when people are starting to lose focus
    • Void tells the story about when he sailed with pirates and eventually took over the pirate ship
    • Ruffles is looking for and moving acorns to better hiding spots
    • Sylword goes to answer the door and sees four small elementals drawing on the ground before standing there
      • He brings the message to the rest of the group
      • We try to interpret the message and Sylword sends a confused message to Coty asking for an explanation
      • Coty answers: "I'm on my way back. Gannondorf, I fix"
      • We understand it as she has fixed the things we wanted to do in the palace
      • Coty eventually returns, looking hurt and tired
      • After some confusion, she tells us about the messages from Glannon
      • Bucket is angry that she didn't tell us about the disturbances
      • Coty explains that Glannon only asked her, then explains what happened in the city, with a lot of fangirling detail about the undead in the castle, and very little about the fire and the fight
      • Scribe-5 and Void notice that she is captivated with the undead woman but not magically affected

Plan