Things had gone so well on the last job. Clearing out some bandits and even bringing done a rabid wererat gave you some minor fame in town and earned the attention of caravan owner, Silas Grib, about working for him as caravan guards. After fighting for your life it seemed like an easy job and you'd get to travel by caravan instead of on foot!
As the town of Belhaim comes into view, however, you get the feeling the easy job might be over quickly and your payment not coming. Greeting you just outside the city is a rather imposing man and a few others.
"Silas Grib, you're under arrest for smuggling! Come peacefully and you might get out of jail quicker!" The man calls out loudly, causing your employer to jump from his caravan and run back towards the treeline. He's caught by the guards rather quickly and manacled before he can get far. The leader then turns to you, looking you up and down. "Are you in league with Grib? Don't try to lie now or things will only get worse!"
Ruarc comes to a slowing stop, his large axe over his shoulder, standing tall in his near-golden breastplate, "I, Ruarc, am no smuggler. My mule and I have traveled with this caravan to protect it from bandits and if you're not bandits, then I have no quarrel with you." Tugging his stubborn, dull grey mule forward, he gestured to it with a meaty hand, "Check my mule if you wish. I, Ruarc, am an innocent man."
"I'm a healer not a smuggler. I was hired by this man to be a guard for his caravan. I don't know what's in it."
"Neither am I a smuggler, lawman. " Krish punctuates his words with a soft staccato rhythm on his drum.
The frankly garish colored, but oddly beautiful scaled creature raises his hands to his sides amicably in show of having no weapons in them. "Well, I do say I never would have assisted this caravan had I known we were moving anything illegal. And as much as I like to give the benefit of the doubt, our employer's attempt to flee doesn't exactly do much to deincriminate him. But as for us, we were simply hired to prevent him from being robbed. And... Now that I think about it, our verbal contract was "take him and the caravan to the city unharmed," and we are at the city." He glances to his manacled ex-employer "and for the moment he is unharmed, but I suppose getting our pay before you jail him would be a bit of an imposition."
He shrugs and sighs. "Well, what a waste of a trip. I thought he was trading fabrics."
"I'm to take him and all his property to the next town to check everything and anything he has to see if it's smuggled goods, has a hidden compartment, or the like. If it's any consolation, there's rumor he works in counterfeit coins too." The Sheriff explain as his men drag Silas Grib back and begin readying the caravan to leave. "Tell you what though, the Wise Piper Inn is a good place for the price if you need a place to stay. Just don't cause trouble and folks around here will treat you kindly enough."
"Well, I suppose there are worse fates. If we head into town, we can split up and see what opportunities there are to be had for a group of adventurers, should you all wish to keep working together."
Ruarc lifted his axe towards their ex-employer, "If you think you could have fooled me, Ruarc, then you would have known my fist, puny man! Ah!" Ruarc flexed his free arm, showing off his muscle.
Shaking his head, he looked to his fellows, "I, Ruarc, will be in the Wise Piper by sundown. Have to check on the farmlands and make sure they're fed. Then, we can drink, and move, like jaguars!" Giving a hearty laugh, he waved his hand and he was off to the farms of the town.
Krish watches the men take his former employer away, then shrugs and turns toward town, tapping an irritated staccato in counterpoint to his stride, "I will be at the Wise Piper."
"I guess I'll meet you all there then." Fenthis heads into town and stops a guard to ask them where they post jobs at in this city.
The dragon man shrugs and runs his hands over his oddly right angled horns. "Well, I suppose that was a bust, then. But at least we're in a new town. I'll see you all at the Inn tonight. We'll get some drinks, meet some people... It'll be fun."
He saunters off into the town, talking around and meeting people. Maybe even putting on a performance for some folks if it comes up. He'll learn what he can about the city and be first to the inn, and first to start drinking.
Ruarc lifted his axe towards their ex-employer, "If you think you could have fooled me, Ruarc, then you would have known my fist, puny man! Ah!" Ruarc flexed his free arm, showing off his muscle.
Shaking his head, he looked to his fellows, "I, Ruarc, will be in the Wise Piper by sundown. Have to check on the farmlands and make sure they're fed. Then, we can drink, and move, like jaguars!" Giving a hearty laugh, he waved his hand and he was off to the farms of the town.
The farms seem split down the middle between those that raise animals and those that harvest vegetation. More than one is pretty glad for any help Ruarc can give though, and most give the same response if asked about why.
“Our local druid and his wife were due back by here over two months ago, but no one's seen them. I think they took a wrong turn or came upon something nasty—though what could be scary enough to give them trouble I'd rather not think about!”
Krish watches the men take his former employer away, then shrugs and turns toward town, tapping an irritated staccato in counterpoint to his stride, "I will be at the Wise Piper."
While no one seems to mind the strangely dressed and decorated half-orc too much, there are plenty that stare when they think you won't notice. At least one of the younger children out with their parents that see Krish attempt, to their paretns' chagrin, to use dirt or mud to draw markings on themselves to copy his.
"I guess I'll meet you all there then." Fenthis heads into town and stops a guard to ask them where they post jobs at in this city.
While jobs seem rather sparse, there is a reward posted by one Isadora Malak for the return of her daughter, Bophre Malak, who seems to have gone missing.
The dragon man shrugs and runs his hands over his oddly right angled horns. "Well, I suppose that was a bust, then. But at least we're in a new town. I'll see you all at the Inn tonight. We'll get some drinks, meet some people... It'll be fun."
He saunters off into the town, talking around and meeting people. Maybe even putting on a performance for some folks if it comes up. He'll learn what he can about the city and be first to the inn, and first to start drinking.
While the likes of Krish may get a few glances and stares, people seem strangely uncomfortable talking or even being near to Aqran. Many make excuses to leave, but one gnomish woman(hair pink save for a few lines of dark green) seems unperturbed and readily greets him back.
“Name's Bassy, young dragonkin. What brings the likes of you to this ol' town of all places? Dont'cha know how the town got it's name?”
Fenthis will ask around a bit to see if he can find Isadora and then approach her location.
Ruarc walked down the dirt pathways and between the fields, stopping and chatting to the farmers. Agreeing to bring a little rain to the vegetable farms, he started his rain dance, stomping in the ground and chanting in his deep voice. After a few minutes, he lifted his axe high in the air and a light rain started in a puffy cloud above the rows of corn and other vegetables.
Slamming the hilt of his large axe into the ground, he listened to the farmers. Giving a rub of his chin, "Seems troubling." Lifting a fist and pounding it into his own chest, he booms out, "I, Ruarc, shall find and return your druid. And the rains will favor you once more! Any beast that dare stand in my way will know my fist!"
The rain cloud crackled lightly with thunder, but continued to rain, and Ruarc left in a hurry for the tavern where he would abruptly enter it.
He shakes hands ammicably on meeting the gnome.
"Well, what brings me is more of a who and who brings me seems to have turned out to be on the foul side of law, unbeknownst to myself and my comrades, so I suppose we'll call it misfortune aside from a free ride and the food on the way."
He shakes his head and puts his hands to his hips.
"I'm afraid the mark of the name is lost on a simple being like m'self. Perhaps y'd enlighten me? I'd also be want to know any sort of gainful employment for those that call themselves adventurers, if by chance ya know."
He raises one crest-like brow in question of the name and straightens his clothes, needing something to fidget on.
Krish pauses outside the Wise Piper, simply standing a few steps outside the door. After a few moments, and with no signal anyone watching can see, he raises his left forearm to the side and at shoulder height. There is a shrill scream and a dark shape darts out of the sky, flaring its wings at the last second and landing lightly upon Krish's upraised arm. After the rush of motion, a small winged lizard sits there, its head making small darting motions not unlike those of a bird. It climbs up to his shoulder and perches there while Krish steps into the Wise Piper, pausing for a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness inside.
The first of his group to enter the Wise Piper, Krish seeks an empty table and beckons for the innkeeper or one of the serving girls to come over.
Ruarc busts into the inn all of a sudden, his green armor shining off of the sunlight behind him. He eyed those present, passing the gnome and the servants. Stopping by the dragon man, he gave a deep frown, his booming voice not even trying to be subtle, "I, Ruarc, have heard such dire news! These peoples' druid has gone missing. We must find them and return the rain to this land!" His face held no nonsense and it was quite chiseled. His eyes, they burned like righteous lightning!
Fenthis will ask around a bit to see if he can find Isadora and then approach her location.
The inquiry leads him to getting an address and some directions, but as he turns on to the street a loud sound, like thunder, can be heard.
"I'm afraid the mark of the name is lost on a simple being like m'self. Perhaps y'd enlighten me? I'd also be want to know any sort of gainful employment for those that call themselves adventurers, if by chance ya know." He raises one crest-like brow in question of the name and straightens his clothes, needing something to fidget on.
"I don't know about any employment opportunities for the folks that go about getting in trouble and fixing it anymore myself, but who knows, maybe it'll find you. At least that's how it worked when I was a lass. As for the name... Well, Belhaim is the family name of this region's most famous dragon slayer..." Bassy trails off as thunder echoes through town despite the clear skies. "Well, hatchling, looks like opportunity came a'calling."
The first of his group to enter the Wise Piper, Krish seeks an empty table and beckons for the innkeeper or one of the serving girls to come over.
Though she is a bit wary of the lizard and tribal wear, a serving girl does take Krish's order and comes back in a short amount of time. There's even a bit of scraps for the strange, winged lizard. Not long after that, Ruarc shows up with an announcement the whole tavern hears.
Ruarc busts into the inn all of a sudden, his green armor shining off of the sunlight behind him. He eyed those present, passing the gnome and the servants. Stopping by the dragon man, he gave a deep frown, his booming voice not even trying to be subtle, "I, Ruarc, have heard such dire news! These peoples' druid has gone missing. We must find them and return the rain to this land!" His face held no nonsense and it was quite chiseled. His eyes, they burned like righteous lightning!
Only a mere few seconds after Ruarc's loud news, the sound of thunder rolls through town, earning a brief chuckle or two from the other patron's of the Wise Piper.
Krish sits up straight in his chair, head cocked to the sounds of thunder as he absently feeds another scrap to the lizard. When he speaks, his voice is conversational and just loud enough to be heard over the other noises in the common room, "That be no thunder, that be the sound of an avalanche."
The dragon-man nods as she explains the status of the town. "Well, I'll be sure to listen for the name lest I be sl-" He looks up as thunder echos through the town despite it being of clear skies.
They both look back down at each other as the thunder ends, gaze meeting over the grins of kindred spirits.
"Thank ya for the help, mum. I best be on my way." He nods to the gnomish woman as he starts to go. "Love and light w' ye." He offers a quick Shellynite good bye, a shortening of "Love and Light be with you."
As they part ways, he rushes to the inn, finding his fellows as quickly as he can.
Thinking that it might be preparing to rain, Fenthis will quickly follow the directions and hope to get to the woman's home before it starts.
Ruarc lifts a bushy eyebrow, his frown settling on his face in deep lines. Then his realization hit and he looked about at those in the inn, "Take heed! I, Ruarc, have brought rain and thunder and that!" He points to the door that opens and the dragon man enters, "That isn't thunder! That is the sound that snow makes when it wants to crush you underneath!" Ruarc makes a fist and smashes it into his other hand for emphasis, "Quickly, you must flee for higher ground!"
Krish shakes his head in mild irritation, "That is what I said, Ruarc. Thank you for repeating what I said in such a way as to incite a panic. That is very helpful." His sarcastic words are punctuated by a small roll on his drum. Krish calmly continues to eat and to feed his pet small scraps of meat.
While many of the patrons share Krish's view on this mater, the ones that run into the tavern, breathless and panting, back him up, just not about the snow part.
"The Witch Tower has fallen! There's dozens of dead kobolds all around it too!"
The patrons in the tavern do one of two things: run towards the Witch Tower or run away from it. News spreads through town fast and in just mere minutes it seems like everyone and their mother are spreading rumors and exaggerations about what has happened even as a cloud of dust rises from a hilltop just outside of town.
Fenthis makes his way towards the center of the commotion, as people there probably need help.
Krish feeds the last of the scraps to his companion, wipes the last of the stew from his bowl, pops the last bit of bread into his mouth, then rises from his chair. As he walks toward the door, his voice is at least interested in the words of the villagers, "Well, we shall have to take a look at this fallen tower, then, no?"
Ruarc looks to Krish, big smile on his face, "Ah, you are welcome my friend!" To the villagers, "What? You mean, someone has stricken down your mystic tower? I, Ruarc, will see that this is remedied!" He takes a step outside the tavern and brings a hand over his eyebrows, eyeing the tower in the distant. Following the villagers that were going after it, "Do not worry, we will see to this wrong...and right it!"
"Aw, poor little things... Kobolds are so misguided. Have to feel bad for them, really..." The larger dragon man sighs at the news and nods to his companions. "I suppose we should head towards this... Tower, was it? Time to investigate." He smiles to the others in the group as they finally get some excitement.
As Krish steps out of the Wise Piper, the winged lizard on his shoulder stirs, stretching out its wings. Krish glances at it, and murmurs to it, "Go take a look, Aster, but don't get too close." The lizard hops down from his shoulder to his forearm and Krish tosses it into the air where it swiftly gains altitude and heads for the plume of dust.