Rok relaxes a bit; she's more or less used to people coming to her with problems that need fixing rather than chit chat. She shrugs, "So I hear anyway," She doesn't seem overly invested in the idea of being a Halfblood, but she does look at Elie curiously.
She nods. "Good. That one," she tilted her head towards Duval, who was busy serving out the win Saiga had donated, "Doesn't like me talking too much when I'm serving tables, and I don't feel like sleeping in the front rooms of this place. I have a break in a bit. I'll tell you what I can then."
The other half Orc chuckled. "Your mum not get on that well with him either? He was a stodgy old fart sometimes. Nice enough, but he was preachy when he wanted to be. I kept telling him he should sign up to be a Paladin. Although, truth be told, he was happy enough to break the rules when he didn't like them. I know more than one shipment of slaves mysteriously turned up as his new adopted children, know what I mean? There were a lot of us."
Elie chuckled. "Course, I probably left home before your mum was born. I'm older than I look. I got my aging from my mum. And Hell alone knows what was in dads genes. You know my grandparents used magic to half him? They reckoned it was why he was so damned big." Elie took a slurp of her drink. "Of course," she added, "If you call me 'auntie' I'll have to spank you."
Rock just laughs at that, "My mother didn't really talk about him. Says I'm just 'one of the grandkids' - probably right. There's lots of us. Kinda a surprise to hear he was keepin' me in mind for his will, really. Still, its nice to meet you. Auntie." She smirks, showing her smallish tusks.
Circe lets out a small laugh at Drake's last comment. "Not much of a violent person? I can think of a Chelish ship or two who might dispute that comment. I can also think of a few people back in Cheliax who would give me a good deal of grief for even sitting down and sharing a drink with you."
Saiga looks around.
"Anyone know where I can find the resident alchemist? Got a bit of business with them."
"Indeed, I get enough grief for my non-human heritage. I don't need to have any added."
"On to the topic of dealing with ghosts though, have you ever dealt with any? I don't know that I have any useful spells memorized for the day to deal with them."
Taking a moment to take another pull from the mug of generously donated ale and collect his thoughts, Tolias then gets right back into spinning a tale to a table full of the town locals regaling them with a gently exaggerated version of their fight against the pair of gigantic wasps earlier in the day.
Someone yelled out, "Old Gron will be at his house. His kid usually comes round soon, though, if you wanna talk to him."
"Oh sure," Elie said as she rolled her eyes, "Call my bluff why don't you? It would be weird and icky if I actually spanked you. Dad would have been keeping track of you. He keeps track of all us - even me. Or at least he tries to. So he'll think either these people need you, or you need him. Either way, I'd stick close. The old bastard was usually right."
She sighed. "I heard he died, though, from the crew of the ship that brought you in. Or at least he was dying when you all left. I always thought I'd..." Elie trailed off for a moment, and shrugged. "Such is life." Instead, she raised her mug. "To the Halfblood! May his hundred progeny spread his memory wide."
Saiga yelled back.
"Much thanks!"
He waited for kid, no point in rushing in after all. Fighting with spells and swords was not the only type of battle.
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Drake's smile fades from his face and he takes a long sip from his ale. He appears to think something over before leaning close to Circe to whisper.
He pulls away from her and leans back in his chair. "As for useful spells for ghosts, most won't work to their full extent, but holy energy will do the trick..."
As more and more of the bar gathers around Tolias and his tale of the Deadly Wasps of Death, much to the joy of the patrons, a young man comes in. Someone taps him on the shoulder and points, and he walks over to Saiga.
"I understand you have some buisness with my father?" The man is in his mid twenties or so. Although well dressed and freshely scrubbed his hands are covered in chemical burns, some quite recent, and he smells strongly of lavender.
Saiga gives a bow to the man.
"Aw yes if you would be so kind. I happen to have acquired an item that needs the skills of an alchemist. If it could be refined well, all the better. Would you like a drink while we talk?"
The young man paused, then shook his head. "I need to get my father's meal and return. Give me the details of what you want refined and he'll be ready with a price for you and the equipment set up first thing tomorrow."
Saiga sighed, seemed nothing would be done until the morrow.
"Giant Wasp Poison. In that case I bid you good night and hope to see you again soon."
He gave a little bow, letting the boy go about his business.
As the evening grew later and more people entered the bar it became obvious it was going to be hard for Azerna to get away. As the party settled in there was suddenly a loud ringing noise, the sound of a large brass bell.
The bar stops. Everyone listens. One...two...three times the deep tones ring out. The bar waits, but that seems to be it. "The land bridge," Elie calls out and heads for the door, several of the group following her. Others rush off towards there homes until the bar is virtually empty. Only Azerna and Duval remain.
Saiga looks around.
"So anyone want to let me in on the secret?"
Azerna glanced over at Saiga. "The town's under attack," she replied as she sealed the inn's shutters. [b]"Three rings means it's an attack from the land, coming across the bridge, so it's most likely Gnoll slavers. They usually don't like hitting the town - too any people to make it easy, not enough good slaves to make it worthwhile - but sometimes the dumb or the desperate give it a go."[b]
"Aw well I guess this would be a good time to let them know about the new owners. After all, stealing is the worst crime you can commit in this region. Best to make it clear that such actions will not be allowed. A good merchant protects what he has, just makes sense."
Saiga has an easy smile and manner but his eyes are bloodthirsty as he leaves towards the bridge. His small rapier twirling out of it's sheath.
Finishing off the last of his mug and placing it back down onto the table, Tolias rises up from his seat and heads off towards the inn's entrance to follow Saiga to the bridge. Pausing in the doorway just before leaving the inn he turns back to the others with a quick grin and quickly addresses them "I'll follow after him and make sure that he doesn't go getting in too much trouble. And I guess try and make sure he doesn't ending up getting us in trouble as well."
The air is full of yells, but the shouting seems to be organizing, as people rush to defend the main bridge or to there homes to take care of there family. It's obvious that this is a relatively normal series of events here. You can't sense any panic, and no one seems to be running wildly. All in all it's surprisingly well organized.
You catch a faint noise, not in front of you but behind. The bridge leading to the towers themselves is dark - unusually so, you realize, the torches there put out. But something is moving in those shadows...
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Drake finishes the rest of his drink and looks to Circe. "Looks like we will need to finish this conversation another time..." He gets up and heads outside.
Seeing the village people so well organized, he ponders and says to the group. "Seems this is a rather common thing, wonder if they will even need our help"
Hearing the smallest of noises coming from the direction behind them away from the main bridge as Arcturus finishes speaking, Tolias turns to investigate just in time to catch something moving through the shadows towards the towers on the central island. Weren't there torches put out along there....? Well this can't be good.
"That seems to be all fine and dandy then Doc, doesn't explain though why the torches on the bridge to the towers aren't lit and that somethin' seems to be skulkin' out around there under the cover of the darkness"
Saiga looks in the direction mentioned.
"Well that sounds like a distraction to me. Have everyone looking at the bridge while something is going on at the towers."
The first thing you spot is a figure hunched over a bundle of unmoving cloth that you can't quite make out but feel queasily was once a person. The figure looks up and a low snarl rumbles out, softly but loud enough to make sure you hear it.
Two more figures detach from the shadows and the Gnoll infiltrators attack you, moving silent across the stone floor. As they get closer you can see they are dressed in dark brown leather armour and carrying short sword blackened with soot. One, however, is festooned with small vials of liquid.
= 13
= 11
As you approach a fourth gnoll darts out and grapples Avendryl, wrestling the Magus to the ground before he can sound an alarm.
.
Saiga growled in turn, Gnolls had to be dealt with in certain ways.
"You dare violate the pactmaster's word. You would steal from us."
He points a finger at the gnoll with vial's a pop sounding.
Catching the sight of the further figures slipping from the darkness of the bridge taking up flanking positions as Arcturus approaches closer to them, Tolias darts off past the aasimar's left side in a burst off speed and barrels into one of the short sword wielding creatures with his own greatsword leading the way with a vicious swipe "Slavers and thieves, you will pay for your crimes here and now!"
Circe follows Drake and other out of the bar and towards the dark bridges.
At the sight of the attacking Gnolls, Circe will fling a force missile at the one grappling Avendryl.
Just as Circe's force missile sinks into the gnoll's back, Avendryl manages to squirm away, drawing and charging his blade as he gets to his feet.
The first Gnoll dies beneath Tolias' blade with a gurgling noise, but the remaining Gnolls continue to move quietly and with purpose at odds with there races usual chaotic assaults.
The second Gnoll moves in quickly, even as the first drops, and tries to gain a measure of vengeance.
Unfortunately, he misses dramatically, to eager for blood.
The third Gnoll moves in to attack Avendryl.
But the weapon catches on the sheath as he draws it, and drops to the ground by his feet.
The Alchemist, seeing his comarades failing miserably, decides to risk it all and hurl a Bomb at Saiga.
Giving the second gnoll a contemptuous glance as it's bloodlust fuelled attempted strike against him falls well short, Tolias shifts further around the creature to a more advantageous position and sends his greatsword sweeping forward in a graceful arc.
Saiga had not missed the bomb falling short or it's owner. He narrowed his eyes at the gnoll. He sends a translucent dragon it's way.
Avendryl slashes at the gnoll in front of him, but misses as he continues to try to regain his footing after being grappled.
Hideously wounded, gasping, the second Gnoll lashes out at Tolias in an attempt to avenge himself.
The third Gnoll dodges back from the slash, the singe of his fur from Circe's spell still smoldering slightly. He lashed out at Avendryl, the closest target.
The Gnoll Alchemist cackled even as Saiga's spell struck, and returned it with an other head throw of a bomb.