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"No?" Knotty casts an eye at the shut door.
If there is no response, he prompts the hunter, "any particular reason for that?"
"No, stranger. None that I would care to discuss," says Tandifor. "In a few days, we might have to fight for our lives whether we wanted to or not. Until then, my bow hangs on the wall."
He does indeed have a longbow hanging on a nearby wall. It is a work of art and deserves its place.
"C'mon 'Fred let's up and get some rest, the morrow comes early" says Hru with a slowly dawning realization creeping across his deliberately dull-eyed mug.
He goes on softly "Maybe one of those lads may be of use, what say we give one a chance to join our caravan guard, leaving the revolutionary stuff out of it for now. All he has to do is best one of us in a contest of arms?" his eyes gleam with the idea, again trying to keep his voice low enough for Manfred alone to hear.
He nods towards the one closest to the stairs as he arises from his seat and awaits Manfred's reply.
Having looked at the horses to my hearts content, I move on down the street.
Galadar reaches the corner of Dawn Lane and Mine Cart Road. On his left is a building without a sign but obviously not a private home. Iv covers most of the walls and the stained glass windows display different kinds of plants. A large black candle burns in a candleholder over the door.
To Galadar's right, Mine Cart Road branches off. Galadar can see The Lodge where Knotty and Eria went. A large boy in a bright yellow cloak peers in the door and then runs off down Mine Cart Road.
Intrigued by the signless building with the black candle, I approach it tentatively, wondering whether it is a store or a funeral home. I look around for someone to ask as to the nature of the place.
There are people on the street but they have been keeping their heads dwon and going about their business. Most look like either guilty or suspicious. Would you like to approach a guilty or suspicious one?
You pass an alchemy shop. You know it is an alchemy shop because the sign over the door says "Argith's Alchemy Shoppe". And, the sign has a picture of a bottle full of smoking green liquid. And because their is actual smoke coming out of the mouth of the bottle in the picture of a bottle full of smoking green liquid. Real smoke. All day long. How does Argith do that?
Also, you know it is an alchemy shop because as you pass you hear a small explosion and a delighted "Whoop!".
The rest of the buildings on this street are not nearly so exciting.
Hru strides purposefully across the raucous publick house taproom with Manfred.
"Oy!" says Hru with a dull grin, "You look a fit lad, p'raps you'd like to join our ranks" he continues gesturing towards his companions.
"Sittin all by yerself and drinkin' ain't good for the spleen. Come an join the likes o' me and me friends and earn a few hoops with the might o' yer sword arm. S'cake work we keep th' merchant's arses out o' the fire, and thus earn our meat...hooo hoo! What say you? Imp's got yer tongue?"
The years with the dwarves have given his try at uncultured lout a strange brogue
Eria spends most of the meal in silence trying to resist the urge to throttle knotty with his own cloak
"What?" Knotty gets the vibe from Eria. Then he turns to her and quietly whispers nice and close while pretending to nuzzle into her hair, "look you try then. I don't see us learning much here if we both eat in silence. Quit giving me the evils and chat them up or something. I reckon this Tandifor is on the up and maybe if you show a bit of leg or whatever then they will chat on some. Ask them about the yellow flower maybe."
"What's the fishing like round here? Any good rivers?"
Eria spends most of the meal in silence trying to resist the urge to throttle knotty with his own cloak"What?" Knotty gets the vibe from Eria. Then he turns to her and quietly whispers nice and close while pretending to nuzzle into her hair, "look you try then. I don't see us learning much here if we both eat in silence. Quit giving me the evils and chat them up or something. I reckon this Tandifor is on the up and maybe if you show a bit of leg or whatever then they will chat on some. Ask them about the yellow flower maybe."
"What's the fishing like round here? Any good rivers?"
Tandifor ignores Knotty.
I head back into the tavern to check on my "men".
"Alright lads!" I say cheerfully but casually, seeing them in the common room, "Its a beautiful day out there. Don't let your muscles atrophy with drink. Get out. See the town."
When I can do so quietly and unobtrusively, I let them know that I could not find the sign for our contacts and we need to do so as quickly as possible.
I head back into the tavern to check on my "men".
"Alright lads!" I say cheerfully but casually, seeing them in the common room, "Its a beautiful day out there. Don't let your muscles atrophy with drink. Get out. See the town."
When I can do so quietly and unobtrusively, I let them know that I could not find the sign for our contacts and we need to do so as quickly as possible.
Knotty goes back to his food.
There's a long period of silence. Slowly the four other hunters, who have apparently been watching the exchange, return to their conversations.
Tandifor comes over later and says, "I apologise if I seemed brusk. As fellow hunters you are welcome to use the lodge as your own. I began the talk of politics but I will leave that conversation at the door in the future. For the sake of our lodge, I ask you to do the same."
"No, caravan guard, what keeps all these places in supplies an trinkets" says Hru. "Travel, ale, adventure" he says with a wink.The out-of-uniform soldier understands Hru a bit better this time. "Not interested. Get out of my way."
"We could use a strong laddie like you, hoo-hoo!....erp!"
Hru attempts to get an arm around the fellow with a jovial laugh and accidentally pokes him in the eye
I head back into the tavern to check on my "men".
"Alright lads!" I say cheerfully but casually, seeing them in the common room, "Its a beautiful day out there. Don't let your muscles atrophy with drink. Get out. See the town."
When I can do so quietly and unobtrusively, I let them know that I could not find the sign for our contacts and we need to do so as quickly as possible.
Galadar re-enters The Dead Well just in time to see a man almost as large as Hru stand up angrily, covering his eye with one hand and clenching the other one into a fist which he shakes at Hru. Hru looks genuinely surprised and apologetic.
Ben Willhuff is storming over, twisting a rag in his hands as he comes, "I knew you lot were trouble the moment you walked in!"
"You won't be buying anyone's drinks!" says an angry Ben Willhuff."Now, gentlemen," I say hurriedly, not quite sure of what is happening, "I am sure this is all some sort of misunderstanding. Hru, what have you been doing? Can we be paying for these gentlemen's drinks?"
Diplomacy: 1d20+9
"The drinks are on the house then?" I ask, pretending to be pleasantly surprised. "Why thank you!"
"The drinks are on the house then?" I ask, pretending to be pleasantly surprised. "Why thank you!""You won't be buying anyone's drinks!" says an angry Ben Willhuff."Now, gentlemen," I say hurriedly, not quite sure of what is happening, "I am sure this is all some sort of misunderstanding. Hru, what have you been doing? Can we be paying for these gentlemen's drinks?"
Diplomacy: 1d20+9
"For this lot they are, but not by my choice," says Ben Willhuff interposing himself between Hru and the guard. He turns to the guard, "I knew you lot were trouble as soon as you walked in. Don't start any fights and I won't have to report you to Captain Blacklock."
"And you," he says turning to Galadar and lowering his voice, "What kind of grifter are you that you can't spot an out-of-uniform guard? The matching boots, sitting alone, nursing a drink? If he was out of coin, he'd be making friends. If he was out of sorts, he'd be drinking heavy. If you're what the trade has come to, it's a sad day for the art of the con."
He looks down at his hands and finds the rag is twisted tight as a garotte. He lets it unravel and goes back to the bar.
"I...He....I wuz just trying to get some more muscle boss....yeah, air, fresh air." Hru stutters out trying to downplay the events. He stumbles a little as he moves towards the door. He looks back at the guard, "Sorry lad, don't means no trouble". It becomes hard for him to keep the dull look to his face and so he looks down as he makes his way out, eyes bright and hard as iron straight from the forge.
"Water off a duck's back, I understand. Politics is off limits. Now what about payment. How much for this great food?" Knotty pulls out a purse.Knotty goes back to his food.There's a long period of silence......
...the future. For the sake of our lodge, I ask you to do the same."
Tandifor, on the verge of being appeased, looks at Knotty's coin purse with disgust. "This isn't a tavern," he grumbles. "It's a lodge. A place for those who come in from the out-of-doors but rarely. You may come and go, rest or work, without payment as long as you need. You may contribute to the meals when you hunt or fish. There is always work to be done if your hands are idle."
He nods to Eria and walks away.
Knotty looks down at his purse like its a scorpion or something. Then he shrugs again and gets up.
"Thanks for nothing, Eria. I'm taking a walk. See you back at the Inn."
The halfling stomps off, muttering about brainless conversations.
Eria waits until Knotty is gone before speaking "Oh sorry about him he's very much a city type of person if you know what I mean."
"I was trying to isolate one of those guards, and once alone, and surrounded by us, I was going to subject him to the Truth of the Sword, an ancient test of the Iron Lord from which only the most strong of mind can prevent themselves from telling the truth. I figured we could glean some inside information, I unfortunately provoked the man, whom I knew to be a guard" Hru blurts out in a low voice almost apologetically.
"I seemed to have missed something, we're looking for a plant?" he suddenly shifts gears.