[DnD 4E] The Hunters (Game Thread)

Denada

A Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition Campaign for 5 Characters

You are the Hunters, recruited for your abilities by the Order of the Rose, an ancient and secret society whose goals are as mysterious as its origins. While you’ve all come to the Order for different reasons, you all leave from its walls with a singular mission: the destruction of evil, wherever you find it.

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The Cast

Rhokir, Dwarf Paladin (played by Delmain)
Bornir, Dwarf Cleric (played by Kuhlmeye)
Bryse, Tiefling Wizard (played by Powerpuppies)
Aurora, Shifter Ranger (played by Kistra)
Caleb, Human Sorcerer (played by Saurfang)

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The Rules

Your character sheets will be on either myth-weavers or Infidel's site. I prefer Infidel's sheets, but either one is fine. Dice rolls will be made on invisiblecastle. This is a combined IC/OOC thread, but I won’t be using spoilers to delineate OOC text. Instead, use the normal white color IC text, and “SlateGray” for OOC text. I think this will work well enough, and honestly spoilers get kind of annoying after a while. If it doesn’t work we’ll switch back to the traditional way.

I expect each of you to be able to post at least once a day. I expect you to stay on top of your combat posts and keep the game moving, as there will be a lot of combat. If you’re going to be out for a few days, designate another player to take your actions for you. If you don’t I will.

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The Game

This campaign is episodic in nature. Leveling will be fast and adventures will be short. A gritty, cinematic, action-horror vibe is what we’re going for here. That being said, there is room for humor and good will, so don’t go thinking your characters have to dip themselves in angst when they get up in the morning.

As I’ve said in other games I’ve run, my firmly held belief is that the primary purpose of D&D is for all of us to have fun. If at any time you’re not having fun, please let me know.

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Alright, enough of that stuff. Let’s roll some dice!

Denada

Reserved for additional DM type stuff.

Powerpuppies

The eight weeks in the temple had been idyllic for Bryse, as the studies were easy compared to the education she had received in Esferond. Though she learned much, she never exerted herself mentally. Physically was a different story, as she struggled with the training others seemed to take in stride. Her youth had not prepared her for hard work and pushing her body, but she enjoyed the challenge and took pride in growing better at the exercises, eventually coming to equal other members of the team.

Quick to answer questions, Bryse cultivated the company of Aurora, answering the shifter's questions and offering her own in turn. It quickly becomes clear to Bryse that the shifter has led and still leads a simple life, never looking far past her own survival. Speaking with her is a refreshing change of pace for the tiefling, whose companions to this point had been members of the noble class, often arrogant and priviliged. Bryse is determined to raise Aurora's eyes, seeing in the ranger compassion and modesty that would do credit to the most worthy of statesmen.

Caleb and the quiet dwarf seemed overly serious to Bryse, and she had difficulty connecting with them. Though Rhokir was more personable, he rarely spoke about his past, or about anything serious, unless it was to extol the virtues of Moradin. Bryse was cautious in approaching her companions, having alienated other youth in Esferond by being too 'preachy.' She looked forward to getting to know them better on the road

I work from 9AM to 5PM Monday to Friday. If my character has a combat post during these times, another player can roll and post the mechanics of the combat round. I'll fill in the flavor later. Sheet is here

Saurfang

After eight weeks with him in the Order of the Rose's hidden complex, several facts about Caleb become apparent to his fellow recruits. The first is that sleeping in any proximity to him is something that takes getting used to. In his sleep, Caleb mumbles to himself, but the words are indistinct. Sometimes the sounds he makes are more like the murmuring of a brook or the rumbling of distant thunder. Sometimes his breath comes so fast you'd think he was running a race instead of lying in bed. Always, he shifts restlessly.

The second is that the difference between the sleeping Caleb and the waking Caleb is like, well, night and day. During his waking hours, Caleb is cool (some would say cold), unfailingly polite, and unwaveringly disciplined. From his regimented schedule to his carefully maintained appearance, it's clear that Caleb takes great care to cultivate self-control.

So what's the deal with the Order? And do we have an overarching mission or a series of assignments?

Kistra

Each evening Aurora slips out of the Order's compound to attend her elderly mother. At the start of training Aurora was very quiet and guarded but as she has gotten to know the rest of the group she has started to open up a little bit. Over the course of eight weeks of training, you have learned that she is still a little bit uncomfortable in civilization and enjoys having some time to herself during some of the training breaks, as in she gets far enough away that she cannot see or hear anybody else. At the same time she is very curious about villages and the ways other people grew up. She asks questions that are sometimes slightly too personal but has no compunctions about sharing information about herself. As a result anyone who was willing to answer her questions learned a lot about growing in a cave and how to find proper swales for 'personal business' and the best kind of birds to get down for mattresses from. Curiously she talks at length about her mother but avoids questions (clumsily) about her father.

One morning during a break she turns to the group and asks "Hey guys, has there been any mention of when we start going out on the 'well-paying missions' that we were promised?"

To herself she thinks, the money I made from the odd jobs before joining up is running out, we only have enough for a few more weeks of food and rent.

My guess is by episodic in nature Denada means a series of assignments.

kuhlmeye

Recruited for a noble purpose at least, Bornir thinks to himself, still somewhat ill at ease with joining the Order. At least Moradin could be comforted in knowing his servant would be destroying evil in the world.

It was the last night of what others called training. To him it was more of an orientation, fresh off his cleric training. He knelt beside his bunk, gripping the Symbol of Moradin that hung round his neck. He said a brief prayer, then released the small hammer and anvil that represented his faith. The group he was placed with seemed like a decent bunch. During his time with them, he had started to talk more, and had even laughed once or twice, especially at the more disastrous training blunders. He had answered the Shifter's questions to best of his ability, not scared to tell his story to others. The human was an odd one, but he could deal with the night-time problems. He was happy to have another dwarf on the team, at least someone else who worshiped Moradin. He didn't know much about the Tiefling, but Bornir had no problems with her.

The morning they were set to leave, Bornir was ready. Raising early to perform his morning devotion, he dons his armor and waits for the rest of the group to awake. When they do, the first thing they hear is the Dwarf. "Well lets get this show on the road, eh?"

So, whats the deal with the Order? Also, have they told us our first assignment yet?

Denada

Saurfang wrote: »

So what's the deal with the Order? And do we have an overarching mission or a series of assignments?

The Order of the Rose, or simply "The Order", has been around in one form or another for almost 2000 years. None of you had heard of it except in history books, and even then it was relegated to the sections on rumor and speculation. Those of you that didn't have access to history books hadn't heard of it at all before an unmarked letter was found on your bed one night.

The letter was addressed to you by name, and described in great detail some of your recent exploits. It explained that your abilities were in short supply in this day and age, and that your skills were in dire need. You were invited to come to the city of Atex, where you would meet with a man who had a job offer for you.

For a variety of reasons, all of you accepted. You followed the cryptic instructions in the letter and arrived at the Long Face Inn, one of many in the Free City. You met with a tiefling named Kreutz, a man who you would eventually come to know as the handler for your team. He introduced you to each other, told you what you need to know about the Order (which wasn't much), and began your training.

Over the next eight weeks, you learned to use your skills and abilities as a team. You learned more than you ever wanted to know about undead, just enough to survive about dragons, and much less than you would have liked about the Order. You became the Hunters, a team of monster slayers that the Order had not been able to put together for many years.

Your mission is to seek out the darkness between civilizations. To boldly go where others fear to tread. To find evil wherever it lurks and to destroy it.

Your overarching mission is to hunt monsters. This comes in the form of smaller assignments. Each assignment is like a mini-adventure.

Delmain

Eight weeks more training for young Rokhir has been nothing. He spends his days studying the word of Moradin and drilling with his heavy, ancient Mordenkrad. Whatever he does, though, he does it fully dressed in his fullplate armor with the holy symbol of his god hanging from it's chain around his wrist.

However, his formal, no-nonsense demeanor is only for combat. After training, he's quite a jovial guy. He never turns down an invite to a tavern or bar and commonly has more fun there than everyone else around. He has no problem being the butt of a joke either, he'll likely be laughing the hardest at whatever comment is made. Unless, of course, it's about his family or Moradin. Those are the only topics, in eight weeks, that anyone has seen get a rise out of him.

On this day, though, Rokhir does not head straight to the training grounds. After waking up, he checks his armor to make sure it is clean and well-polished, makes sure his beard is properly braided for battle, and says a prayer to Moradin before leaving to meet the group in the waiting chambers. Seeing Bornir, the other subject of Moradin that would be working with him, already waiting, he raises his hand in greeting.

"Hail, Bornir, it is a good day to fight in the name of Moradin," he says in Dwarven.

Character sheet is here. Also, I work overnights (EST) on the weekends, so don't expect me around those times.

kuhlmeye

"Good morn Rhokir! Ready to do battle I see," Bornir responds, always happy to talk in his native tongue. "Perhaps today we shall finally see what the Order has in store for us."

I have also put Bornir's sheet on Infidel's site. It can be found here.

Delmain

"That I am, my friend, always. And I certainly hope we will, as much as training is good for the body and soul, it isn't the same as protecting the children of Moradin from actual dangers."

He clasps his friend's shoulder, possibly harder than he meant to, and turns, "I wonder where the others are, I woke no earlier than I usually do."

Denada

A quiet excitement hangs in the air as the rest of you rise from your beds. The Order's acolytes have been furiously preparing your equipment, polishing armor, sharpening weapons, and acquiring supplies. Everyone knows that your training has been finished, and the anticipation of when you would start working has been palpable. That anticipation has come to a head this morning. Today you depart on your first mission as the Hunters.

After saying your good mornings and getting yourselves prepared, you head down the tunnel that leads to the meeting hall. The cold stone of the temple's passages echoes your footsteps as you pass through, making you sound more like a platoon of soldiers than a small group of adventurers. You step out into the dimly lit chamber that has served as your classroom, training room, and dining room for eight long weeks, and you find Kreutz waiting at the head of the long stone table at its center. After waiting for you to take your seats, he speaks.

"There's a village not far from here," Kreutz explains, "one of the farming communities that supports the City. Our agent there isn't responding to our messages. We need you to go to Colen and find out what's going on."

Delmain

"Yes, sir, not a problem. No info at all, sounds like we're in for some fun, guys," Rokhir says, turning to grin at the others.

Kistra

Aurora glances around the room very relived that the waiting is finally over. Wondering if it is common knowledge in the city, she asks "Is there anything unusual about the village of Colen that we should know about?"

Denada

"Not particularly," Kreutz replies. "Colen is home to an old graveyard, but nothing unusual has come out of there since the town's founding." He pauses, then continues. "The agent's name is Arren Sol. She's a halfling that works in the inn's kitchen. Not much for fighting, but she can hear every conversation in a room and remember all of it, to the word. She's never missed a report before, and that has us worried." He pauses again, then continues. "Get some rooms at The Owlbear, the inn where Arren was stationed. See if you can find out what happened to her."

After going over some more details, Kreutz dismisses you and wishes you luck. "And remember, the Order of the Rose is underground for a reason. Keep it that way."

Some more details:
-Mara Kres (human, female) is the town's mayor.
-The town has a population of about 150 people.
-Arren is 36 years old. She has been a member of the Order for the last 11 years.

Unless you have more questions for Kreutz, we'll head for Colen.

Delmain

"The Owlbear, eh? Can do. We'll take care of this, sir, no problems."

Rokhir shoulders his hammer and turns, heading towards the outside to begin his quest.

Saurfang

Caleb smiles faintly, smoke puffing from the pipe at the corner of his mouth. "I am glad to finally test our abilities in the field."

Caleb's neat beard and hair are uncharacteristically out of place today. Individual strands of brown are standing on end. Accidentally brushing against some of his teammates invariably produces a small static shock, which he apologizes for.

Going to Colen sounds great. Also, Infidel is awesome in terms of ease of uploading a sheet. I've put Caleb up there as well, so you can use whichever you prefer Denada.

Caleb's Wild Soul is attuned to Lightning today. 2d10=5,9 choose 5

Kistra

Aurora is mildly confused as she watches Rokhir's abrupt departure from the room. Shrugging to herself at the dwarfs odd behavior, she turns to Caleb, "I couldn't agree with you more."

She then stands and nods towards Kreutz before adjusting her cloak and checking her pack in preparation for a trip.

Going to Colen sounds good to me.

kuhlmeye

"That sounds just fine. Not too sure about an inn called The Owlbear, but we'll see," grunts Bornir. With that, he takes up his hammer, and follows after Caleb and Rhokir.

Let the hunt begin!

Denada

We'll just assume Bryse is following along. Powerpuppies can chime in when he gets off work.

You emerge from the Temple of the Rose into the basement of the Long Face Tavern, an unassuming building in an unassuming part of the city. From there you emerge into the city's streets, where you're greeted by thick, dark clouds in the sky and the distinct smell of coming rain.

---

Colen is two days away by foot, a fact that doesn't sit well given the weather. Sure enough, on your second day of walking the rain sets in. Lightly at first, but more or less a torrential downpour by the time you reach the town. The town proper is surrounded by a low stone wall. The roads are dirt, the buildings are few, and the area seems all but empty. A few townspeople peer at you from under the eaves of their homes or businesses, but most are likely inside, escaping the weather.

Going inside seems like a grand idea right now, and you do so when you see a large building with the image of an owlbear painted on the side.

The common room of the Owlbear contains a dozen people, half of them at the bar. The other half are at the wooden tables, most of them eating some kind of stew. All of them turn to look at you when you walk in, and were this a saloon you suspect the music would have stopped. As it is, some of the people whisper to each other while looking at you, and an older gentleman approaches you. His apron is remarkably clean for an innkeeper.

"Welcome to the O'bear," he says, wiping his hands with a towel. The people return to their conversations, and you can almost feel yourselves being ignored. "Board, bread, or both?"

Saurfang

"Both, thank you," Caleb says with a smile. "It is good to be out of the rain."

He extends a hand to the innkeep. "Caleb Cartwright."

Kistra

Aurora spends a moment to wring her cloak out slightly before following Caleb's lead "Aurora", she says with a nod of her head.

With a grin and a glance towards outside she adds, "a place to hang up our traveling cloaks would be appreciated so that we can stop dripping all over your floor."

Denada

"Gordon," the innkeeper says, shaking Caleb's hand firmly. "Oh!" he says sharply, jumping from the spark. "Must be stormy out there, huh?" He smiles to the rest of you as you introduce yourselves, then motions to the common room. "Hang up your cloaks and pull up some fireplace. Adel will bring out some stew to help you get warmed up."

Delmain

Rokhir removes his cloak under the eave of the inn, using it to get the larger pools of water out of his armor before stepping into the inn. He removes his helm as well, before nodding to the barkeep.

"Aye, both for me as well, though if you could point me to a room first, I'd like to lay out my gear to dry as much as it can. This weather is terrible to walk in," he says with a chuckle, lifting his arms to emphasize his still-soaked plate. "If you've got anything hot, I'd love nothing more than a plate of it as soon as I can get back down here."

Kistra

Aurora decides that she is more hungry than wet and follows the innkeepers gesture to hang up her cloak by the fire and sit down. Once seated in front of the fire she scans the crowd for any interesting looking people.

Perception: 1d20+9=27
To Aurora interesting simply means interesting, not necessarily related to the case.

Denada

Aurora (Perception): The townsfolk are by and large just average humans. You've seen many in your time since leaving the cave. Something catches your eye though, in a dimly lit corner of the kitchen. Two people are standing near the back door and they appear to be arguing. You can't hear what they're saying.

kuhlmeye

Bornir takes off his cloak, smiling at Gordon. "Thank you much," he says, going to hang it by the fireplace. "I could use a hot meal after a walk like that!" A laugh almost escapes his mouth, but he restrains himself. Looking around, he finds a seat near the fireplace, and whispers to his companions, "Perhaps the innkeeper would know something about Arren. Though I don't think I'll worry about it much til my stomach is full!"

Denada

Rhokir: Gordon shows you upstairs, where a large hallway is flanked on either side by several rooms. "All we have left are doubles," he says, walking towards the end of the hall. "All the traders are shacking up in here until the rain stops."

He opens a door near the end of the hall, one with a large "14" painted on it. "You've got this one, twelve, and sixteen," Gordon says, pointing to the other rooms. "I'll be down in the kitchen if you need me."

Everyone else: After a few minutes Gordon comes back downstairs and brings you some bowls of stew and a large plate of bread. "I'll put it on your tab," he says as he sets your food down. He says a few words to some of the other patrons as he makes his way back to the kitchen. No one seems to be paying much attention to you.

The rooms have two small beds each, big enough for one medium-sized creature to sleep comfortably. There are three rooms, meaning four of you will have to share and one will be able to sleep alone.

Saurfang

Caleb smiles wryly. "I think I will take the single." He lowers his voice slightly. "I'll ask the innkeeper if he knows anything."

He finds Gordon by the kitchens. "Pardon me," Caleb asks. "An old, ah, business associate of ours lives around here, one we have not seen in some time, and we thought perhaps we might.... visit her while we are in town. Could you tell us where to find her? Arren is her name."

I figured this'd be a bluff check since it's stretching the truth a little bit... but it turns out Caleb isn't terribly believable. 1d20+9=11

Powerpuppies

Bryse slides onto the chair next to Aurora. 'Can't wait to taste some proper food,' she comments, digging in. Seeing the shifter look around, she gently elbows her friend. 'See anything worth looking at?'

Delmain

"Thank you, sir," Rokhir says, nodding again to the bartender before he goes back downstairs.

Walking into the center room, drops his bag on the floor beside one of the beds and removes his armor, shaking it a little to get off whatever water he can before resting it on the bed to dry. Getting dressed in the driest cloths he has in his sack, he heads back downstairs to find the others, minus the mage, sitting at a table near the fire. He walks over and sits down heavily next to Bornir.

While walking across the room: Perception (1d20+7=10) Fail and a half.

"Hello, friends. Looks like we've got 3 double rooms upstairs, singles are all full. I'd assumed our two beautiful female friends would like to share," he says, making a grandiose gesture to the other side of the table, "so it looks like us men have an extra bed. Conveniently, it's also us men that need to dry off our steel suits, so it'll work out. Bornir, if you want, my gear is laid out in room 14, there's more than enough space for you to lay yours out up there too."

Patting Bornir on the shoulder, he leans in to the table and whispers, hoping his previous level of speech will keep this somewhat unnoticed. "Is Caleb looking for our contact, then?"

Denada

Caleb: Gordon looks at you for a moment, then shrugs slightly. "Arren works here actually," he says, then shakes his head. "That is, she did work here. She won't be working here anymore, if she decides to show up again."

Aurora/Others: The pair of women arguing near the back door have finished their conversation. The taller of the two left through the back door. The shorter of the two returned to the kitchen, her eyes and face red from crying. Those of you without low-light vision or better can't see this.

For all of you, Insight or Diplomacy checks can help you in your conversations (or the conversations you were watching). Streetwise and Perception can also help with overhearing other conversations.

kuhlmeye

"He sure is Rohkir," Bornir says through a mouthful of bread. He has been passing the time finishing off his stew. "Ahhh... always good to have a nice meal after a long journey. He takes a brief moment to listen in on any interesting conversations near him, then says, "Perhaps we would be served well by seeing what the locals have to say. Always a good source of information, they are."

Bornir rises from his seat, and looks around for a moment, trying to find the most receptive looking of the patrons. He walks up to the table and greets them. "Hail. My companions and I in town for a couple days, and wondering if there was any news of interest here in Colen. Anything you could tell us would be appreciated."

1d20+4=15, 1d20+4=6, 1d20+8=27
15 Perception to listen.
6 Perception to look for a good table.
27 Diplomacy to talk to unassuming villagers. I am so good at being polite.

Kistra

Aurora nods in the direction of the kitchen and tells Bryse "there were two women arguing over there in the corner. One left through the back door and the other went back in the kitchen."

She pauses and furrows her brow "I bet the one that went into the kitchen works here.... wonder what they were arguing about?"

Insight to see if she noticed anything about the argument: 1d20+2=6
Good thing Aurora has low light vision. Too bad she was apparently distracted by the sheer number of people.

Delmain

"Seems like a good guess. I'd go check on her, but I think a woman's touch would be better in this situation," Rokhir says with a smirk. "I'll sit here and finish my meal and keep an eye on things here, if you two want to follow up on some leads."

Perception (1d20+7=17) again, to listen for any conversations about Arren.

Powerpuppies

"Only one way to find out." Bryse goes looking for the upset woman in the kitchen. Finding her, she tries to gather a little information.

"Excuse me... I happened to see your conversation with the woman who just left. Is everything alright? Do you need any help?"

Diplomacy with the woman in the kitchen, Perception on my way there (1d20+9, 1d20+1=[15, 9], [17, 1])

Diplomacy 24 Perception 18

Denada

Overheard conversations (Perception):
"Johan, the graveyard is just a graveyard."
"I know that, but it still gives me the creeps."
---
"If Mara Kres had half the brains of her father, she would have gotten this town some help weeks ago."
---
"Have you seen Arren lately? I always liked the way she did the potatoes."
"I heard she went missing."
"Really? Where to?"
---
"Tuke's just not a farmer, Arwen. He has too much of his father in him."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
---
"I swear to you, I saw it. Plain as day."
"You said it was midnight."
"I know what I said. Something was walking around in there. I'm telling you."


Bornir (Diplomacy): After a bit of "stretching your legs", you find a man and a woman you would assume to be his wife. They smile to you as you walk past, and invite you to sit down for a drink. You oblige, and eventually end up in a conversation about the latest events in Colen. After some time you come to find that some of the citizens are concerned about hooligans of some type or another harassing people at night. The townspeople have implored their mayor, Mara Kres, to do something about it, but so far she's done nothing, claiming that there's no evidence that anything uncouth has been happening at all.


Bryse (Diplomacy): Your tone and manner seem to put her at ease, and she opens up to you almost instantly. "You saw that?" she says, shaking her head, "I'm sorry. It's just ... I'm worried. The other girl that works here, she's gone missing. The mayor thinks she just left, got some of that 'halfling wanderlust', but I don't buy it. Arren loved it here. It isn't right. I've been trying to talk to Mara about it but she just won't listen to me."

Powerpuppies

I can't tell her why we're really here... a little white lie won't hurt.

"Arren's gone missing? She wouldn't have left... she was intending to be here for at least another month. Could something have happened to her? And who's Mara?"

kuhlmeye

Bornir takes his time to listen to the couple's story, hoping to hear something relating to Arren. Well, these hooligans could be related, I suppose. The mayor could also pose a problem, letting risks like this go unchecked. I wonder if they have any more info.

"Hmm... hooligans you say. That does sound bad. One more question. I was wondering if you knew where Arren Sol is? You see, we are supposed to be meeting her here, but we cant seem to find her."

If my Diplomacy check from last time doesn't roll over, I'll roll a new one.

Saurfang

"That's curious," Caleb mused to Gordon. "We had sent word ahead that we were intending to visit... in what circumstances did she leave? Could she be in trouble?"

Diplomacy 1d20+9=19

Denada

Bryse: "That's what I'm saying! Something must have happened to her. She wouldn't have left without telling me," she sighs, looking at the back door where she was having an argument just a few moments ago. "Mara just left. She's the mayor. She thinks this is a 'personal matter' and that the town shouldn't get involved in 'one halfling's life choices'." The girl's voice and posture do nothing to hide her disdain for Mara's opinion.

Bornir: The couple looks at each other before answering your question, the way married couples always do. "Erin?" the husband asks his wife.

"Oh, I think she's the girl in the kitchen. You know, dear, the small one."

"Oh Arren. You know now that you mention it I haven't seen her today. Have you asked Gordon? He's the innkeeper."

Caleb: "Well," Gordon says, sighing, "you know how halflings are. But no, I don't think she'd be in trouble. But it was strange the way she left. She went home one night, then never showed up to work the next day. Haven't seen her since. Poor Elysa, she's worried sick about her though. Those girls are so close. Like sisters."

He's quiet for a moment, then looks at you with sudden concern on his face. "You don't think she's in trouble, do you? You said you know her. Has she ever done anything like this before?"

Powerpuppies

Building a reputation may as well start here... as long as we don't involve the Order nothing should go wrong.

"I'm not sure we need Mara's help with this." Bryse waves a hand, and a bright light shines from her face as two tiny bolts of lightning earth themselves in her shoulders and a quiet thunderclap punctuates her words. "But perhaps when this business is over you folks might consider finding yourselves a new mayor. I have some traveling companions with me. Do you know where we might start looking for your friend and mine?"

Light and 3 prestidigitation cantrips to dazzle the kitchen girl.