Carina approaches Shag Solomon's clothing stand, eying his accoutrements with interest.
"Ooh... I like this one!" She examines a particularly eye-catchingly red-and-grey ensemble with many pockets.
"A fine choice, miss!" Solomon beams. "I see you have a practical eye. That will be fifteen gold—but ten, for the lovely lady whose beauty will advertise my wares better than a savage quaggoth ever could."
"'Don't forget to laugh.' Sir . . . what's wrong?"
"I like that one", Tanith adds with a grin.
"Got anything in my size", the big man asks.
The lock clicks, and the door opens.
Astraden's godfather is wearing his mask, but it's not hard to tell that he's seen better days. He's wearing a mithral chain shirt, and nine daggers—each with a different-colored gem at the pommel—hang from his bandolier. His rapier is drawn, clutched fiercely in his left hand as his right rests on the bandolier. His hair is a matted mess.
"Good to see you, Astraden. Are you alone?"
"I like that one", Tanith adds with a grin.
"Got anything in my size", the big man asks.
Shag Solomon arches an eyebrow, expression turning neutral. "You're from Diamond Lake, aren't you? Yes, I have clothing in all sizes. What is it you're looking for?"
She steps back from his blade. "My friend's downstairs. But, how are you? What's going on? Raddle wasn't very explicit."
"How'd you know?"
Tanith ponders the question of style.
"Something light, that breathes, and isn't tight around the shoulders."
She steps back from his blade. "My friend's downstairs. But, how are you? What's going on? Raddle wasn't very explicit."
[dice=What does his room look like?]1d20+8
Astraden can't see much behind her godfather, who is keeping the door mostly shut. She sees papers stuck to the wall, and a lute in the corner. "I can't talk about it out here. Do you trust your friend?"
"How'd you know?"
Tanith ponders the question of style.
"Something light, that breathes, and isn't tight around the shoulders."
Shag Solomon shrugs. "I, too, am from that little town. I never forget a face."
"Like a brother. Be right back."
Astraden goes to the top of the stairway and beckons Eben up.
"Don't go blabbin' to anyone about what he says," she warns, just before they enter the room.
Eben folds his arms and waits at the bottom of the staircase for Astraden. Upon her return, he nods. "Complete discretion." He follows her back up to her godfather's room. "Pleased to meet you, sir. Eben MacTeague," he says with a flourished bow.
"Good evening." An odd statement, considering it's still noon. "Please, come in."
The priest of Olidammara ushers the two inside. He looks out, scanning the halls, then shuts and relocks the door.
Aside from the papers and lute, there is a large bed and a writing desk.
"It's good to see you, Astraden."
"You are? Well I'm glad to hear you got out okay. Diamond Lake is a rough place, but I hear it's making a turn for the better", he explains with a wink at Carina.
Tanith picks out two sleeveless tunics and a kilt. "I think these'll work."
"Yes, it's good to see you too, sir. I feel like . . . I feel happy, just knowing you're okay. Kind of okay. It's been nearly a decade, right? I have a lot to tell you about, if you want to listen." Astraden leans against the desk, a faint smile appearing. She'll recount her trying time with the bandits, her escape, and her adventures with the cairn party, but gloss over events since the Aspect.
Carina pays for her new clothes with a smile.
"Is there somewhere I can get changed, sir?"
"A fine choice, sir," Shag says to Tanith. He turns to Carina. "I believe the launder up there," he points, "has a place they use for changing. I'm afraid you will find little privacy in the Low Market."
Astraden's godfather listens intently as she tells her story. He looks a bit troubled when he hears about the Ebon Triad, but seems to be impressed with how Astraden and her group handled it.
"So . . why did you send Raddle?"
"A man can't look out for his favorite goddaughter?" For the first time, a hint of humor enters his voice. "I was wondering how you were doing. I...can't leave the city right now, so when Raddle came by, I called in a favor."
"Why can't you leave? Is someone after you out there?"
"I've been hunting a gang of doppelgangers for a few months now." His voice grows grim. "Only at some point I...stopped being sure who was hunting who. They've gotten smarter—and doppelgangers aren't too dumb to begin with. I can't explain it. I've had to get more careful."
Carina nods. "Thank you, sir." She bundles her new clothes up in her arms and looks over at Tanith. "I'll spot you the money for your clothes, Tanith."
"Well, Cuetzpalli, looks like you've got this covered. I'm onna head out for a bit." that said, he leaves the Emporium and starts looking around for Norebo's temple.
"Thanks Red", Tanith answers before offering the strange man a nod of gratitude.
"If we keep going through coin like this we're going to need another evil cult to take down soon."
"Maybe we'll get lucky and there'll be one here for us to beat up." Carina hands off the money Tanith needs and starts walking to the launder Shag pointed out.
"Doppelganger infestation? That could be bad news. They been around long?"
Norebo's temple in the Foreign Quarter doubles as a gambling house, it seems. One of the priests, an odd-eyed, hunched dwarf, scampers over when he sees Farrukh looking around. "Greetings! What brings you to the home of the Father of Chance?"
"Doppelganger infestation? That could be bad news. They been around long?"
[dice=Knowledge:Local] 1d20+9
"Yes. I was hired by the owner of Cold Forge—that's an armor shop—to investigate a break-in. They've been established for a while, but they've been getting a lot bolder lately."
"Maybe we'll get lucky and there'll be one here for us to beat up." Carina hands off the money Tanith needs and starts walking to the launder Shag pointed out.
So how much GP do I need to give you?
Carina and Tanith arrive at the launder—a family-run operation—and Carina is able to find a space to change while the family begins washing her old clothes.
Tanith takes off his shiny breastplate, changes into his new clothes, and sits with Carina while they wait for her clothes to be laundered.
"We should have asked the tailor where a good place to get a bite to eat is around here", he muses.
Norebo's temple in the Foreign Quarter doubles as a gambling house, it seems. One of the priests, an odd-eyed, hunched dwarf, scampers over when he sees Farrukh looking around. "Greetings! What brings you to the home of the Father of Chance?"
"I've been a bit, well, unlucky lately. Falling off things, being blinded by wizards, that sort of thing. Figured it'd be a good idea to pay my respects to the guy, see if he can help me out a bit, since it seems like SOMEONE up there has it out for me."
"Plus, I have some cash to burn and I like games of chance, you know?" he smiles.
Carina sits next to Tanith, snug and comfortable in her new clothes.
"Think I should ask them where a good restaurant is?"
Tanith nods. "I wonder if they've got a place like the Dog up here."
"I've been a bit, well, unlucky lately. Falling off things, being blinded by wizards, that sort of thing. Figured it'd be a good idea to pay my respects to the guy, see if he can help me out a bit, since it seems like SOMEONE up there has it out for me."
"Plus, I have some cash to burn and I like games of chance, you know?" he smiles.
The dwarf smiles. "I understand completely. I myself used to be an adventurer, just like you."
He limps over to one of the tables. "How about a game of Spellbones? Or would you rather first consult with the Dice of Fortune and see how you've managed to irritate him?"
"Really, what happened?" he notes the limp.
"Did you take an arrow in the leg or something?"
"And uh, Dice of Fortune? Sorry, I don't know a whole lot about Norebo worship." he says sheepishly. "Just what I learned as a kid, and that mostly amounted to 'He likes dice, and you better stay away from those things young man, You'll gamble your life savings away.'"
The dwarf smiles wanly. "Our task was to drug a dragon's food. Only problem was, the only way in was a tiny hole in the wall. I didn't quite fit.
"And I'm sorry—'The Dice of Fortune' is just one of Norebo's many titles." He holds up what is strung around his neck: A pair of eight-sided dice.
Astraden's brows furrow. "Why not leave them to it? It's uh, sad that those smiths lost some gold, but, it's not worth your life to catch a thief, sir."
When the launderers have a free moment, Carina stands up and approaches them.
"Excuse me, but do you know of any good places to eat around here?"
"You don't just piss off a gang of shapechangers and run, girl. I'd never be able to trust anyone ever again. Besides, I don't plan on losing." He laughs. "It's just a longer-term venture than I expected. Don't worry about me."
When the launderers have a free moment, Carina stands up and approaches them.
"Excuse me, but do you know of any good places to eat around here?"
One of the launderers, a young boy, raises his hand. "Oh! I do! There's Murdo's Pantry, and Marik's, and the Two-Necked Swan—" His mother shoots him a glare. "—but I'm not allowed there," he adds sheepishly.
The family finishes, apologizing profusely for the bloodstains they weren't able to wash out. They charge five coppers for the service.
Carina takes her clothes back, putting her regular travelling clothes in the haversack and putting her chain shirt back on.
"Oh, don't worry about it. It's no trouble." She tells the family with a smile. Sure, the bloodstains were likely to turn heads, but Eben had a spell for that.
She counts out five gold pieces and leaves them on the counter.
"For such good service." She smiles and turns to Tanith. "Ready to go?"
Grinning ear to ear, Tanith wraps an arm around Carina. "More ready than ever."
"Did you hear about any good places?"
"Well, from what I was able to gather, there's a few places we might like to visit. There's someplace called Murdo's Pantry: dwarven fellow who makes pastries and cakes and stuff like that. There's another place called Marik's Buns--a family-run bakery. Mobber's Tasty Vegetables is a place that offers exactly what their name says, and finally, there's the Two-Necked Swan."
Carina cringes at the mention of the last place on the list. "From what I've heard, the Two-Necked Swan isn't a child-friendly sort of establishment..."
]
The father looks at the five gold coins, blinks, and stutters a "Thanks."
Carina's smile never leaves her face.
"You're quite welcome, sir."
Tanith's eyes light up with excitement at the description of the Swan but he tries to hide it - Red needs something nice.
"Marik's Buns sounds good. I've always been a fan of nice buns", he says with a smirk.
"Can I at least help you somehow?"
"I noticed." Carina deadpans. "Do you prefer them soft and fluffy?"