Background: You have been at an adventurers guild known as Rok's guild for the past three weeks. You all arrived here separately for your own reasons, but have become friends as you've spent time together in the tavern at the guild. Over the past three weeks, you have spent hours drinking and telling tall tales of your travels to reach the famed guild, but you have yet to go on any adventures. The guild sits right next to an old forest, known in these parts as the forest of sharp teeth. This forest is a prime spot for budding adventurers like yourselves because the forest is teeming with goblins, and other monsters that call the forest home.
You have been observing different adventurers coming and going, but over the past week or so, you have noticed the numbers in the guild really thinning out. In fact, when you first arrived there was twenty-six people at the guild, give or take, but now it has dwindled down to just fifteen, not including the four of you. You spoke to a few of the others, but no one seems to know anything. The boss of the guild, known only as "Rok" spends all his time in his room, no one ever sees him except a few of his more important underlings.
Rok's Guild: The guild is an old frontier fort that has been rebuilt several times over the decades. The main building has a pub, and a common room, plus several private rooms that you must get permission to access. The main common room also has a bulletin board where Rok posts different quests and bounties for adventurers to claim as well as a small lounge area where live music can often be heard. The Guild is located about 80 miles southeast from Baldur's gate, and about 80 miles northeast of the great mage library candlekeep. It's far enough off the main road that you have to want to find the guild to reach it, there are no main roads that lead here.
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Bulletin Board: The bulletin board has several small pieces of parchment tacked to a greasy wooden board. Most of the quests are gone, but there are a few left. Below are the few.
Lost Goblet - I am thus seeking the return of a family heirloom, a silver goblet with six red rubies. For the safe return of this item, i shall pay thrice its value as a reward. The goblet holds more value to me than mere money. It's last whereabouts were in my travel pack, when we were ambushed in the night by goblins inside the forest of sharp teeth. My guards slew most of the goblins and chased the rest away, but my goblet went missing. This goblets appraisal value is 300 gold pieces, so I shall pay 900 gold pieces for it's safe return. bring it to Canin Gendry in the upper city at Baldur's Gate.
Wanted Dead or Alive: Cereus Tavel: A reward of 2,000 gold pieces will be awarded to anyone who brings in Cereus Tavel to the constable of baldur's Gate, Henry Ratsford. Be he breathing or not.
Delivery of one, wooden trunk: A salary of 400 gold pieces shall be paid to any individual who will deliver a wooden trunk from baldur's gate to candlekeep. The contents of the trunk shant be asked of, and the trunk shall not be opened at any time or such salary is forfeit. Upon arrival to candlekeep, seek out Gregory Hurchell at the inner ward. Come to my house in Baldur's Gate to retrieve said trunk, The address is below: (below this part of the message, the place where the address was presumably written has been torn off.)
The Pub at Rok's Guild: The main pub is a messy tavern, with 8 round tables that can seat four to six patrons. Most of the tables remain covered in old plates of food and mugs of spirits. The barkeep is a halfling named Bucky Frostfoot (Member). He is a jolly little round halfling who comes from up north near Icewind Dale. Patrons can purchase the following:
*Ale, Beer, Mead: 1 Silver piece
*Plate of food: 2 copper pieces
*Trail Rations: 5 silver pieces
*Barrel of Mead: 2 gold pieces
Guild Fees: The leader of the guild, a human known as Rok, charges anyone a nominal 1 gold piece fee per day as a membership fee while staying at the guild. This fee covers a bed in the common room, and two meals per day. For adventurers with a little more gold, a fee of 25 gold pieces per day will rent a private room in the guild. Currently there is only one private room available.
Rok (Guildmaster): The leader of the guild is a Human Rogue who goes by the name of Rok. No one ever sees Rok, and if he is seen in the guild, he is always masked. Over your time at the guild, you have learned a few things about Rok. The first, is that he doesn't take "no" for an answer. He runs the guild with absolute authority and all those part of his guild are expected to do what he says. The Second, is that he doesn't tolerate any fighting inside the guild. Members of the guild that get into any altercation are immediately ejected from the guild without prejudice.
Darin Rold (Officer): Rok has an underling named Darin Rold that can often be seen staggering to and from his room, and he will sometimes bring messages from Rok to the guild. Guild members treat Darin with respect, even though he rarely deserves any. IT is well known among guild members that crossing Darin, is the same as crossing Rok.
Guild Rankings: When you first join Rok's Guild, you are a new recruit, Rok grants new ranks depending on your performance with the guild. The following are the ranks that you can earn:
New Recruit: A new member of the guild, those with this title have not earned any notoriety and have no special privilege within the guild.
Member: Once you have earned this title, you are considered a full member of the guild and gain the protection of the guild. Any attack on a member of the guild is an attack on the guild itself. Rok regularly posts bounties on individuals or rival guilds that attack any of his members.
Elder: To achieve the rank of Elder, you must have been with the guild for a while and completed several quests. Once promoted to Elder, you have extensive privilege in the guild, including free use of the private rooms, as well as access to the weapons cache.
Officer: This is the rank right under the Guildmaster. Officers have the authority to issue orders to other guildmembers. Disobeying an officer is grounds for expulsion from the guild.
Guildmaster: Rok is the guildmaster. There is only one, and to achieve this rank, you must either inherit it by the previous guildmaster, or you must take it by force. So far, no one has been a guildmaster except for Rok.
The Errand: Today started out as any other day. You complete several required chores that all new recruits must do (wash dishes, take out garbage, clean common areas, etc), and then you all meet up in the pub for a bit of food before deciding what to accomplish. It is around eleven o'clock in the morning when Darin comes out of his room and slowly walks into the pub. Normally he goes to the bar and orders a drink, but this time he comes straight to your table. He stops right by the edge of the table and slides a chair over from a nearby table. It screeches loudly as it scrapes the floor. He then plops down into the chair and stares at you for a moment.
"You four have a job to do." (he waves to Bucky to come over to the table)
"You've all been here too long, and too idle the boss says. He wants you to find out what's going on in Baldur's Gate.... The boss has sent a few members up there but no one's come back. Go to Baldur's gate, and see what is happening. I wish I could give you more, but that's all I have. Oh, and be careful"
(Darin orders some food)
The Errand continued (part II)
(updated 2/15/22 @ 10:54 pm)
Jules/Jack (looks at Bruno, looks to darin) “We’ll do it. Answer his questions.”
(stands and walks to the board; pulls the three bounties off the board, walks to the bar, lays 1 sp and 2 gp on the bar)
(You hear Bartok loudly say something toward your direction, but you didn't really listen to what he said, you only heard him say something about "Cereus" and something about a deal... which reminds you to ask Bucky what Cerus looks like)
“ale, Bucky. What was the address for the chest? And what does Cerus Tavel look like?”
(Charisma Check: 20+2 = 22)
(snatches the 2 gold pieces quickly off the table)
(scratching his head) "Oh.. the address, yeah about that. I saw someone tear it off a few days ago. I think it was one of the guys that went up to Baldur's Gate for the boss. Neg..Hedge...Reg... Reggie. Yeah Reggie took it, right before he left for Baldur's Gate for the boss (Nervously keeps eye contact with Jules/Jack) "But you didn't hear that from me....As for Cerus Tavel, All I've heard he is a warlock or something. One of those demon spellcasters. Haven't heard anything about where to find him though... But he is a human, so he's tall.... and he has a beard and moustache... black ...no wait, probably grey hair by now. Honestly, I don't know if he even had hair come to think of it. " (sheepishly) "sorry I can't be of better help"
(Back at the table with Darin) ** Jules/Jack does not hear this part of the conversation **
(looking toward Darin, but with eyes reluctant to make eye contact, keeps glancing at Jules as he walks off to the bar, and then looks at Bartok and Dartan, then back to Darin)
"We accept the mission...we will leave immediately!" (looks at the rest of the group as if for approval, then back at Darin)
"I heard the boss sent another team up there about a week ago. How do we know they aren't on their way back here now? Do you need us to find out what happened to them? Do you know what the safest route...er I mean, do you know what route they may have taken? " (Charisma Check: 6+0 = 6)
"I'd be interested to hear what happened as well? How long have they been missing? And do we have time to eat before we go? Can't start a journey on an empty stomach! (looks over at Jules/Jack, noticing he grabbed all of the bounties off the bulletin board, raises his voice to make sure Jules/Jack hears him) "Oh, we could keep an eye out for that Cereus fellow on the quest you grabbed Jules!, Maybe we could get a 2 for 1 deal! " (Charisma Check: 14+2 = 16)
(Darin's scowls, apparently annoyed for whatever reason)
"It's been over a week since the last group was sent up there... unless they are goddamn brainless they would have gone northeast, and taken a direct path to Baldur's Gate. I have no fucking clue if they are on their way back, and frankly, I don't give a damn. Now, The boss wants to know why there are refugees flowing to Baldur's Gate and he wants to find out where our other members went. Don't overthink this. It's likely that if whatever is going on could have delayed their return, or maybe they are dead. Just make yourself useful and find out what happened (takes a gulp of ale) send word back to the guild If you don't want to make the 3 day trip back. Hire a messenger or something. But don't leave the boss hanging. IF you want to be members of this guild, you better get moving."
(to Darin)
"Yes, we accept the assignment. You can count on us."
(turning toward Bruno and Dartan)
"We should leave at first light, it would be safer to travel after we've all rested, unless anyone objects?"
(Bruno and Dartan both nod in agreement)
Last Minute Preparations: Your party spends the remainder of the day at Rok's Guild prepping for the three day journey to Baldur's Gate. If there is anything you wish to do or purchase before leaving, please post intentions in the discussion board.
Next Scene: The road to Baldur's Gate: The party leaves early the next morning, just before dawn and begins their journey to Baldur's Gate.
Before the next scene is posted please decide among yourselves the following:
Marching Order, night watch sleeping arrangement.
Path you are taking to Baldur's Gate, you have three path options.
The first option is Due East to the "Coast Way" then north to Baldur's Gate (4 days).
The second option is Due Northeast through the wilderness (3 days).
The third option is north through the forest of sharp teeth, to the river, then east to baldur's gate (5 days).
Once you all have posted in the discussion board about these topics, I'll be posting the next scene.
Please use the discussion board to discuss things among the party, you can click this link here to reach the discussion board tied to this scene. Only post on this scene when you are ready to post your characters actions. You can use the discussion board to ask questions to the DM, or formulate a plan with the other players. This board is for in character posting only.
I'd be interested to hear what happened as well? How long have they been missing? And do we have time to eat before we go? Can't start a journey on an empty stomach! Oh, we could keep an eye out for that Cereus fellow on the quest you grabbed Jules! Maybe we could get a 2 for 1 deal!
*looks at Bruno;looks to darin* “We’ll do it. Answer his questions.” *stands and walks to the board; pulls the three bountlies off the board;walks to the bar; lays 1 sp and 2 gp on the bar* “ale, Bucky. What was the address for the chest? And what does Cerus Tavel look like?”
Bruno hesitantly finishes chewing and swallowing the mouthful of food he was struggling to enjoy before Darin sat down. He glances at everyone else at the table (avoiding Darin's gaze) to try and gauge their reactions to the assignment while wordlessly pulling out a small deck of cards. While Darin's attention is elsewhere ordering his food, he pulls two cards from the deck and glances at them quickly before putting them back in the deck and returning it to his pocket.
Bruno forces himself to look Darin's way. "I heard the boss sent another team up there about a week ago. How do we know they aren't on their way back here now? Do you need us to find out…