The Great Hall

The DM: In.

The DM: Welcome back Vafrandir.

Vafrandir: Good to be back! Always hate to have to leave.

The DM: So, what’s the plan?

Vafrandir: Let's get the loot so far moved to the surface. I'll ask Bjarni if the bats came out to the surface. If not, we may run into them later.

Lexent: "Well, Vafrandir, we've been exploring this upper floor, but the sappers seem somewhat interested in the area down the stairwell, and it doesn't seem to have the same dreadful feeling as some of the rest of this place. After we move the treasure, I'm somewhat more inclined to at least explore the rest of these doors up here. What do you think we should do?"

Lexent: I begin consolidating the treasure from the satchels, including collecting up to five empty flasks or bottles if I find any.

The DM: Bjarni saw no bats. The silence and air movement of the lower chambers suggest to the sappers that there’s nothing down there ... though there might be more bats or jellies, as there’s evidence of those creatures everywhere. Judging from a few quick sorties done by Helga, this seems to be where the main number of goblins lived and nothing more.

The DM: There are 37 ceramic cups and about 21 ceramic plates, 18 combs and 43 eating “forks,” with two long three-inch tines attached to a two-inch handle.

Lexent: When you say "combs" is that like a hair comb?

The DM: You can’t possibly count all the gems at this point, but for your records:

of the cairngorm gems, there are 85 cherry-sized, 635 almond-sized, 85 walnut-sized, 14 plum-sized and 1 apple-sized.

of the hematite, there are 27 cherry-sized, 475 almond-sized, 53 walnut-sized, 4 plum-sized and 3 peach-sized.

Yep, a hair comb.

The DM: Bjarni has completed the work and arrives in time to help you gather up the valuables.

Helga: This Grond fellow doesn’t care much about treasure, does he?

Lexent: I help move the consolidated valuables, including the chest full of raw metal and leather from the kennel, to the surface.

Marcule: in

Lexent: (To Helga) "No. I find his motives difficult to fathom, although he certainly seems threatening and unpleasant."

The DM: It takes about an hour to hoist all this stuff out; you are not disturbed during this time.

Vafrandir: Dishes are probably good for a few silver.

Vafrandir: Doesn't sound like there's much more here on this level. Let's try for another door out of the hall.

Lexent: The great hall or the hallway from the barracks?

Vafrandir: Barracks.

The DM: Do you wish to give a share of the treasure to the hirelings?

The DM: Let me finish managing the treasure.

Vafrandir: Yes. Let's split it later though once the day is done.

The DM: I’d like to point out that they get 1/8th share of the bonus experience ... which you can use as a touchpoint for calculating any treasure you might want to give. But you should balance your desire to be generous with the realistic fact that the more you give away, the less experience you’ll get.

Lexent: Would it be customary to provide shares to those still at camp as well?

The DM: I need to know your intentions now, or I can’t award you any experience at this time (and you might want that experience). I also need to add that the gems are all of fine quality, much more so than the first set of gems you found.

Nothing is "customary."

Lexent: We also have those two potions that were never allocated as treasure. Do we have the ability to just assign them 1/8th of a share of the treasure each, not knowing the precise value of the gems?

The DM: Items like the potions can’t be divided. X.P. is given to whomever drinks the potion.

Lexent: Huh. Good to know.

The DM: The gems, on the other hand, can be divided fairly evenly, there being so many, and the sappers have a fair understanding of how much each is worth.

Marcule: there will always be more treasure, I think it is important to share the wealth

The DM: Anybody want to suck back a potion and get some free x.p.?

Lexent: I think they can be better put to use after identifying them, or at least when we are in a situation when a hail Mary might do us some good.

Vafrandir: Here is my suggestion: we divide treasure into 26 shares as evenly as possible. Odds, as a man-at-arms, receives 2 shares. As funders of the venture, we receive 4. And all sappers receive 1 share. How does that sound?

Lexent: What about Ole?

The DM: Lexent has come out as the voice of reason. Anybody else feel differently? (Odds has no combat training and isn't a man-at-arms; the sappers are, however)

The DM: Ole is a man at arms also, as is Anders.

The DM: I’m assuming this conversation is happening apart from all the hirelings, so none of them can hear you just now.

Vafrandir: Let us assume so.

Lexent: Correct. Anders or Arvid?

Vafrandir: I agree with Lexent about the potion. Yes, I was counting all 8 of our hires in the above calculation.

Marcule: I also agree

The DM: Arvid, pardon me.

Vafrandir: Does what I'm saying make sense, to divide by shares? I'm open to flexibility on the exact distribution. Just seems the easiest way to do it.

The DM: Vafrandir, I’m pointing out that you’re giving 2 shares to Oddsdrakken BECAUSE he’s a man-at-arms, which he ISN’T, and that you’re giving 1 share to the sappers and the cook because they aren’t, when they ARE. Please respond.

Lexent: I was about to propose we allocate 1/8th of a share of the gems to each of the party's hirelings, allowing them to choose the gems they like best within those parameters. That would be more akin to 42 equal portions 1 per party hireling, 2 for Oddsdraken, and 8 for each of us. But I'm happy either way.

Vafrandir: Is Oddsdraken a follower? I understand my mistake. My thought was *if* he's at a higher "rank" then he would merit more shares. But I think I may be mistaken on that. What is his share of bonus XP?

Vafrandir: Yes, Lexent, that's more or less the shape of my thinking.

Marcule: I will quaff an potion "never to late to make myself a new colour"

Vafrandir: Oh, I'm also counting Valda and Nadia as hires. Their work makes ours possible.