Fargrim sits there silently with a look of surprise on his face, but only for a split second.  Fargrim stands up and gestures for Ridcully to sit down with him at his table.

"Your pronunciation is good!"  Fargrim says with a grin, "please, sit down and join me.  It's a pleasure to meet a zander who is so respectful of culture."

Shoom snaps out of his latest bout of madness with eyes bulging from thier sockets as Fargrim finally speaks directly to him.

He then returns the words with cacophanic gutterings and a half-mad stare, "I barely know you and on our first meeting, you expect me to go out on a graveyard date. Surely, I will be stewing in some necromancer's cellar before long. Nevertheless, you're forward with your words, friend, and thus I will help you... whether or not that directness however is a virtue has yet to be determined. Tell me, either of you, do you think we will run into any giant frogs?"

Ridcully hops down off his chair and scoops up his huge (to him) mug of ale and hurries over to join the dwarf. Glancing at the tall, skinny, pointy-eared fellow that talks funny he says, "I hope so, never seen a giant frog either. Are all elves as strange as you? I hope so, that would be funny. Do all elves bulge their eyes like that? What's your name? If your eye falls out can I have it?"

Stralor, seeing the dwarf's proclamation, says, "Good dwarf, the unnatural occurrences of this place bring me here as well. If you intend to investigate this evil, I would gladly add my sword arm to to yours."

"Oh! How terrible, no giant frogs! And unfortunate it is that no other elf or eladrin is like I, Shroom." The eladrin bows his head and contorts his face to something resembling a toothy yellow smile before quickly frowning again, "And my eyes are bulging, you say? Alas once again for I had tethered them back into place only minutes ago... and in the case they fall out, I suppose that you wanting to keep them would be a bright spot in that dreary event for I would have more pressing afflictions to deal with."

Fargrim gestures for both the cryptic eldarin and the young human to join him and Ridcully at their table.  After speaking to the innkeeper briefly about refreshing everyone's snacks and drinks, Fargrim addresses the newly found adventuring group.  

"Well, I'm not sure about finding giant frogs," Fargrim says with a sly grin, "however, your aid in ending this necrotic blight upon the peoples and lands that depend on the Hekat valley would be surely appreciated."

Turning to the young man, Fargrim says, "I see the trappings of the god Pelor upon your person, are you involved with the Church of Pelor?"  

"I am Fargrim of Copperpot Hold and this is Ridcully,"  Fargrim says as he motions towards Ridcully by pointing his ale mug.

"What are your names and from whence do you hail?"  Fargrim says in a conversational tone.

The eladrin croaks, "I am Shroom and... I am woefully and perpetually lost."

"I never get lost." Ridcully says. Turning his attention to the human, he says, "You follow Pelor? Where's he going? What does he look like? If you have to stop and pee, does he wait for you, or do you have to run to catch up?"

After some introductions and discussion, your group decides (via poll) to do some quick general research on the stolen lantern, and also head out to the area of the blight zone closest to the old dwarven burial grounds.

OOC: Researching the Stolen Lantern is actually a 6/3 Skill Challenge, with appropriate XP. Suggested skills include history (to know something about either the town or the lantern itself), diplomacy and/or streetwise (to gather clues), athletics (to climb the gate where the lantern used to hang), and possibly others. If you wish to do some research, for any of the above skills, post what you are attempting to use your skill for, and your roll results. Follow on skill-use opportunities may present themselves from there. If you have an idea about using another skill, feel free to use that.

OOC: I'll leave any polls like this open a full weekend or at least 24 hours during the week. My goal is so we don't have the game "never leave the tavern".. or get bogged down.

Let me know if you want to skip the skill challenge for now and go straight to the dwarven burial grounds.

Greetings dwarf, my name is Stralor, I’ve come from the west to investigate the darkness that is endangering this town. You’ve got a good eye, I am a follower of Pelor and it is his guidance that has brought me here. Well met to you, as well as to you Ridcully and Shroom.

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;287895After some introductions and discussion, your group decides (via poll) to do some quick general research on the stolen lantern, and also head out to the area of the blight zone closest to the old dwarven burial grounds.

/Willywonkaon

Strike that, reverse it.

/willywonkaoff

Hehehe... just trying to keep it in perspective- dwarven perspective that is!  Obviously, Fargrim is all about taking care of the dwarven walking dead first before some silly lantern.

In-character, Fargrim will lobby, quite passionately and forcefully, to take care of the undead first.  However, if all the other characters decide they want to take of the lantern first, then Fargrim will grudgeling agree after exactly an oath to aid him with the undead immediately upon exhausting the lantern clues.

Out-of-character, I'm cool with doing whatever.

Skill Challenge-Researching the Stolen Lantern (1d20+11=31)

Shroom is overtaken by his queer fascination with the stolen lantern as he recites in near-gibberish strange occurences that recently happened surrounding the torch. He then sees that he is troubling Fargrim and stops before long.

"Oh, if you insist, friend, that the matter about your ancestors is more pressing", the eladrin clucks, "then we will deal with that first."

Quote from: DeadUematsu;287926Skill Challenge-Researching the Stolen Lantern (1d20+11=31)

Shroom is overtaken by his queer fascination with the stolen lantern as he recites in near-gibberish strange occurences that recently happened surrounding the torch. He then sees that he is troubling Fargrim and stops before long.

"Oh, if you insist, friend, that the matter about your ancestors is more pressing", the eladrin clucks, "then we will deal with that first."

OOC: Of course, you can do stuff in any order you like

Shroom tries to recall some history about the lantern and Perreluna itself.. and suddenly remembers a tale about the lantern being a gift from a famous hag called Glunewild. According to an old legend, Glunewild the Witch had (once upon a time) come to live in the valley, and occasionally had reason to deal with powerful fiendish visitors.  After an incident during which one of her "guests" raided the town, the hag was captured and sentenced to death by a powerful order of clerics. Glunewild begged for mercy, and placed the lantern on the gates of Perreluna to mark it off limits to outsiders.

OOC: one success...

Fargrim finishes his mug of ale and places the mug on the table as he stands up and says, "well, we might as well check out any leads that we have here in the village regarding the lantern before we leave to deal with the undead.  I'll go to the village gates and see if there's any concrete evidence that a lantern actually hung there.  Maybe there's a commemorative plate, or a maker's mark, or something.  Hopefully, there'll be a special hook or pole for this lantern.  I'll be back soon, and meet you here."

(OOC- Fargrim goes and climbs the gate to verify the existance of the lantern.  Athletics check = 23.)

Looking thoughtful, Ridcully starts asking around to his new friends from town still hanging about in the tavern to see what the lantern looks like, what it's made of, how much it might be worth on the open market (strictly looking for a possible motive someone might have had to steal it... honest).

Streetwise roll for challenge.

Combined with Streetwise of 8 = 20 total.