Towards the mountains (5th edition adventure part 5)

Continued form here.

Following the fiasco at the bard contest, Oldbook turned towards the mountains.
He tried to remember if there is a settlement in their surroundings (medium history test, difficulty 15 with +3 modifier, roll 19). He remembered reading somewhere about a barbarian village of Goodwater, ruled by iron willed but respected chief. The village got it's  name from the fountain standing on the main square. Legend says that that the fountain springs the best cooking water in the world, and that every dish prepared with it tastes several times better then when prepared with water from any other source. (Info collected from random tables in Dungeon Master Guide book, pages 108-116).
Oldbook tried to follow the road from Deepcold to Goodwater avoiding any unpleasant encounters on the way - it is about a day travel on a safe and often used road (Nature test followed by stealth test, both successful so he makes it).

It was late evening when he entered an inn in the middle of the village, conveniently named "Fountain". He rented a room, and ordered a rabbit stew. It all costed 4gp but it was well worth it. Legends were telling the truth - it was the best meal our hero ever tasted.
The next morning, bard decided to stand at the square and listen to the people, hoping that he will be able to collect some information about the monsters from the mountains (medium perception test, successful). What did he learned?
Rory story cubes - dig a hole  + Monster shadow.

It seems that there is a "mole" in the village, someone is cooperating with the monsters. Chief is looking for someone to find the traitor (to dig him up).
Oldbook petitioned to meet the chief (easy persuasion test, successful) and was admitted.
What can he learn from the chief?
Rory story cubes - Pill + Target.  

Someone from the village tried to sell water from the fountain to the monsters from the mountain as a cure for some illness. Once the monsters realized that water have no healing properties, they blamed the whole village . Local population lives in fear from the attack. Chief wants someone to investigate, find who really is to be blamed for all this, and present the guilty party to the monsters, hoping that in this way village can be saved.
Form the way chief described monsters, Oldbook recognized kobolds (successful easy nature test).
Bard decided to set a trap for monster menacing the village. He guessed that kobolds will attack fountain so he hid himself near and waited.
Soon (successful medium insight test), a winged kobold flew over the fountain carrying a rock. He was looking for a position to bombard the structure, and he didn't bard's hiding place. Another kobold was there, this one without wings. He was staying aside, directing his flying cousin. Oldbook jumped out of his hiding pace and attacked (Bard's hiding test beats passive perception values of both kobolts).

Normally, this would be a very deadly encounter for my hero, the one I would think twice before engaging. This time I hoped that element of surprise - as both kobolts were unable to act in the first turn, and bard had advantage due to unseen attack - would tip the scale in my favor. I was right. It was difficult fight, Oldbook had to spend two out of his 3 spell slots on healing magic, and still ended the encounter wounded. But at the end both kobolts were dead, and or hero is 75xp closer to level 3.
Oldbook checked dead monsters for some traces of sickness, but both of them looked healthy (failed medium medicine test). There was also no clues pointing towards the traitor (failed medium investigation test).
Bard lined kobold bodies by the tavern wall. He hoped that his brave act will secure him at least a stew and a free in for a night. But (failed easy persuasion test) the innkeeper was not impressed. If Oldbook wants to eat and sleep he has to pay. And so, bard's pocket was another 4gp lighter.
But Oldbook found this innkeeper's behavior suspicious. What kind of man will not reward a hero who just saved a fountain?
So, instead of going to sleep, bard played with his instrument for a while (he needs long rest, but takes only short one, returning to the maximum hit points).
Once he felt that the tawern is closed for the night, Oldbook sneaked out of his room to investigate....

To be continued

Geting over with level 1 (5th edition dungeon crawl part 4)

Continued from here.

It is finally time to continue the story of the bard Oldbook.

After escorting his priest companion back to his monastery, bard returned underground. he wanted to explore what lies west of the Flumph settlement (11 on the first map).

Oldbook started from the northern door.

1. Empty circular room. There is a portcullis to the west, but it can not be opened due to the cave in. Oldbook could still see through rocks and bars, and he noticed some kind of hospital on the other side, but there was no way to reach it.
2. Another empty room. This one was partially flooded, and the door to the south was used as the dam to let limited amounts of water into next room. It seems that it was work of Flumph. Water was coming from the west. Oldbook though that if he could only breathe under water he could reach other parts of the dungeon through there, but at this moment it was out of his league.
3. One more Schreaker farm. Water was slowly coming from the north to feed the fungi. No additional exits.
4. Huge room, but with no other exits than the one Oldbook entered through. Two devils (Lemures) summoned by who knows what foul magic were calling this room their home. Lemures are not a hard hitters, and their defense is week, but their high hit points  presented a bit of a problem. Fight was longer than expected, and Oldbook used almost all his resources to win. But once the fight was over, he felt stronger then earlier, for he was finally a level two bard.

With his resources depleted, our hero returned to the surface. But as son as he stepped out of the dungeon, he was surrounded by the Deepcold city guards.

While he was escorted out of the city (and it was not gentle and pleasant experience), he was thinking if this was coincidence, or if some priests from the monastery talked... But he will have to investigate it once he will be able to return to Deepcold, and this will not be any time soon.

Oldbook was thrown out of the city with the boot in the back. When he was finally able to stand up, he noticed that a festivity is being held just outside the city walls. And where is the festivity, there is certainly a bards contest (for the contest I am using Archery contests - excellent - and free - add on by EN World)

So Oldbook entered a contest, throwing in 1gp deposit. Unfortunately, the memories of the guards throwing him out of the city must have been overwhelming, and against all odds he failed to pass qualification rounds, scoring two out of 3 required points with judges). Well, another gold peace easily lost.

With no better idea what to do, Oldbook decided to follow advice received from the Flumph, and he headed for the mountains.

To be continued.