Chapter 3.2 - Return to the Golden Grain Inn

With that sack of coins and valuables, they were properly down here to deposit some more of their loot.
Do you think we are going to find more down here, or should we return to the city?

Sep 19, 2025 6:54 pm

https://pics.craiyon.com/2023-10-26/39dd634df3c04b909381a20fe18b9e4a.webp

He says still with the thought the loot needs new ownership, "It would have taken at least two of them to think about carrying all that loot. Much better spilt among three. These tunnels here is just your loot hold for this place. Those missing two are going to be noticed rather soon I suspect."

Last edited September 19, 2025 6:55 pm

Sep 19, 2025 7:37 pm

Chase and Lyrel examine the contents of the sack, which weighs about 10 pounds: it contains a few hundred coins (mostly seals and a greenish-gray coins that Lyrel recognizes as "crowns," the base coin of the old Empire), a silver bracelet, a gold ring, two gold earrings, and a small jade statuette depicting a humanoid standing with arms akimbo. To Morton's thought, the volume of loot in the sack might fill as much as a quarter of one of the three chests the party found earlier.

OOC:

Note that there are 20 crowns to a dragon.

Aanbo examines the body in the darkness. He's relieved to see that it's not Jonel or Joseph. In the darkness (effectively dim light), he is not able to make out a lot of detail, but it is enough to confirm that the person was human, was killed recently (stabbed and clubbed; the blood is fresh), and it isn't anyone that he's met previously. The body is dressed in simple homespun clothing and has calloused hands, suggesting that the corpse was a laborer of some kind in life.

While scared and disgusted, Arya nevertheless frowns at Lyrel's question. "I don't think those are our only choices. We didn't find anything here, but that doesn't mean we should leave the village. The people here need us. What did we come here to do? Didn't we come to help people, or put a stop to the evil? We fought some monsters down here, but has that really stopped anything?" She thinks for a moment, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed and a single furrow appearing between her shapely eyebrows. "...aside from the evil people disposing of bodies as easily. Is that what they've been doing here?"

OOC:

All that said, a number of the L1 PCs have enough XP to train to level 2...something that does require taking a trip back to Hochoch. So it would make sense to return, train, and come back...if you think the value of gaining levels offsets the cost that a 6-day delay (the round trip plus training) would take...

Chase Brandstone

mathias0077

Sep 19, 2025 8:12 pm

Chase waiting for all to be gathered together again"This looks like a dead end. We should go back out at night and sneak to the temple. We still haven't found Joseph."

OOC:

What time of day would it be now?

Sep 20, 2025 11:04 am

"We had to make sure this place was not the enemy headquarters. Now we know we’ve either missed something important, or we’re not at the right place," the warrior stated crouching by the dead bodies to make sure that they are positioned properly for their trip to the afterlife.

OOC:

Closing eyelids, crossing arms over chests, setting the bodies straight and face up.

"Which is why when we have the opportunity, we should try to take these folk alive," she added, without judgment, but clearly holding in some frustration, or maybe grief. "We don’t know what’s going on here, but it does seem that these were ordinary folk whose lives were twisted into doing wrong. They might still be redeemable," she continued.

"And even if they aren’t, these two told us useful things, and might have been able to explain more, had they survived. They didn’t know of these tunnels earlier, now they’re bringing or taking loot in or out of here… they might have gone up in their organization, might’ve known more. Might have learned where they’re keeping Joseph." There was an obvious sense of regret in all she was saying.

"I don’t think we can go back yet, but if we walk into the temple, we’ll only get them unawares once."

OOC:

I think we walked into the Inn an hour or so before dawn, so it should be full day outside…

Last edited September 20, 2025 11:05 am

Sep 20, 2025 11:14 am

"You know. The more I think about it. These two weren't here to move the loot but probably here to add more which means to me that these two were a bit deep in the cult and not just your average goon. Also means the cult has more plans here too since they weren't here to move the loot which we shouldn't leave here for them to collect as no doubt they know the spot isn't safe anymore. Only question remains where to put all this loot at? "

He adds on, "At least there is enough of us to easily carry all the chests." Once again Morton implores the idea to take the chests. (He does have to pay for leveling and considering Aanbo did him good as he didn't really have the coin to even purchase rations.)

Last edited September 20, 2025 11:21 am

Sep 22, 2025 4:40 am

mathias0077 says:

What time of day would it be now?

OOC:

The party entered the Inn around midnight, and at most two hours have passed since then (each person with a torch has used two torches and has just lit a third). So say it's four hours until dawn, which is plenty of time to sneak through Orlane, either to another location or back to the Dim Forest on the way back to Hochoch for training.

If the party is going to take the treasure, they don't have to take the chests. There are 330 pounds of loot, which could easily be split among the party members for carrying out in packs and pouches just as Morton has suggested. Split evenly, it's just over 41 pounds for each character (mostly coins), which is heavy but not impossible for any of the PCs. Even Lyrel and Theran, the least strong characters, can manage to tote 135 pounds each, and neither of them are carrying much more than 35 pounds at the moment.

Lyrel

runekyndig

Sep 22, 2025 7:02 am

I have read about a old spell name something like Tensors floating disk. Exactly designed for this purpose. It was in an old spellbook in fary, and the notation was so antiquated that I didn't waist time on it
Lyrel opens her backpack and load as much loot as she can carry
Heavy... any more and I would not be able to keep up with you guys

Last edited September 22, 2025 7:03 am

Sep 22, 2025 7:55 am

The warrior scratched her mail-coiffed head.

"So..."

What do we do? Public

Spread the loot around and exit the Inn

Leave the loot behind and exit the Inn

Hunker down in the Inn or it's tunnels

Last edited September 22, 2025 7:55 am

Sep 22, 2025 7:55 am

"And also..."

Where do we go from here? Public

Return to Hochoch for training

Head straight to the temple of Merikka

Regroup at Ramne's and try to figure out our next steps

Other (explain your proposal)

Sep 22, 2025 3:02 pm

Other (explain your proposal): Goes along whatever is decided.

Sep 23, 2025 2:06 pm

"Sounds like we're filling our packs and heading to the Temple. We can at least have eyes on the place, identify entrances and exits, determine if they have sentries..."

Myrtha is ready to lead the group back to the secret treasure room, and start spreading out the valuables.

Sep 23, 2025 5:39 pm

The group returns to the three hidden chests, drags them out, opens them again, and considers how to divvy up the spoils. Everything in the pile is valuable.

Including what the party took from Lhari's sack, the loot includes:
- 2 eagles (50 coins = 1 pound)
- 204 crowns (50 coins = 1 pound)
- 5675 seals (50 coins = 1 pound)
- 8320 cubs (50 coins = 1 pound)
- Jewelry (weighing 4 pounds in total): a necklace, 10 rings, 2 bracelets, 2 pairs of earrings
- 5 amulets dedicated to Merikka (weighing 1 pound each)
- 2 emblems of Merikka (weighing 1 pound each)
- a crystal reliquary containing hair and a bit of bone (uncertain provenance, weighs 7 pounds)
- 2 bottles of perfume (less than a pound)
- 1 component pouch (2 pounds)
- 1 vial of antitoxin (less than a pound)
- 1 herbalism kit (3 lbs)
- 1 well-used but fancy lute (2 lbs)
- 4 sets of tools: cobbler's (5 lbs), cook's (8 lbs), leatherworker's (5 lbs), woodcarver's (5 lbs)
- 1 jade statuette (2 pounds)

OOC:

Note that, regardless of who carries, uses, or ends up selling what, the experience points for this treasure will be divided equally among all the party members.

Sep 24, 2025 3:15 am

OOC:

Also, if it doesn't matter to you who has what, we can just abstract it, and say that you each are carrying ~42 pounds of loot.

I would normally assume that, except some of the items might be more than just valuable - that is, actually useful - to some of the characters. If so, it could be important to know who is carrying what.

mathias0077

Sep 24, 2025 9:47 am

CancerMan Inactive for 13 days

OOC:

I am fine with saying we are carrying 42 lbs. Do we really want to take the tool sets?

Aanbo Earthshaker

Sep 24, 2025 3:54 pm

Aanbo rearranges his pack to carry his portion of the party's desired loot. In particular, he will take the vial of antitoxin to add to his healer's kit.

Sep 24, 2025 5:44 pm

Myrtha packs her backpack dutifully with the coins and other loot.

"Maybe the amulets and emblems, as well as the reliquary should be worn or used, we might use them to disguise ourselves. Also, this suggests that the spiral-folk have been killing followers of Merikka, which is important to know…"

OOC:

Could Arya perhaps opine on the significance of the reliquary and suggest what cult or faith it is linked to?

Last edited September 24, 2025 5:44 pm

Sep 24, 2025 8:06 pm

Easy going Morton isn't fussy at all about what he carries. He is good size man and 42# of loot is no problem. Especially since he is in just studded leather with large club strapped to his backpack. And lucky him has an extra empty sack just made for goodies. He is just happy to haul out the loot. Nothing off hand caught his eye other than how much it is worth.

Last edited September 24, 2025 8:07 pm

Ember Heatherton

WhtKnt

Sep 26, 2025 2:12 am

Ember is prepared to carry her share.

Chase Brandstone

mathias0077

Sep 26, 2025 9:55 am