The Barbarian wakes to find himself in a soft feathery bed! He rolls onto the floor with a loud thump and sleeps much better until the smell of food wakes him.
He sniffs himself and nearly chokes on his own stench, "Food will have to wait until I bathe..." The Barbarian heads out on a new quest, the quest for cleanliness!
A (very) brief look of consternation crosses her face, as she takes another "sip" from her wine.
"Three days is an awful long time..."She does look mildly interested however as she leans forward slightly in Justin's direction and whispers almost seductively, "but tell me more about this Spellbook you wish to study. Perhaps we can come to some kind of arrangement for me to sneak a look at it too." Again she offers the same friendly/cunning smile, this time directly to Justin.
Justin smiles back, as flirtatiously as his weary self can manage. And files away the info that this new sharp-eyed lady is also a prepared spellcaster of some sort.
"Perhaps. We'll see. I'm all for sharing knowledge, but wizards and their secrets,.,.. you know." Is all he will commit to. For now.(He is far too tired to trust anyone near his precious spellbook at the moment.)
His hunger satiated, Justin smokes a pipe and chats pleasantly with the companions, old and new, as the bard plays. Finally the siren call of the comfortable bed becomes too much to ignore. He really wants to go and check on his own home. And Skyye. But he is just too weary to make that trek solo right now.
Besides, ONE more night won't hurt. And what Skyye doesn't know won't hurt him. Unless she finds out.
Justin's next thoughts are as muffled as his snoring into the Inn's plush pillow.
Justin is, somehow, one of the earlier risers the next morning. Despite the heavy downpour outside trying to convince him to sleep in for another day or three.
He is still tired, but it is the good-tired after a job done well, and not the bone-numbing mental-exhaustion of fighting for your life that it was previously.
Justin stumbles down the hall to the bathing room, managing a coherent 'Morning' to Bess's son Darrus, before entering and taking advantage of the large tub of heated water. He Thanks Darrus, and tips him a heavy gold coin from the mummies tomb, and is reentering his provided room when he sees Hamar exit from another room. Noting the searching look on Hamar's face, Justin silently points to the bathing room door at the end of the hall.
Justin changes into a clean set of clothes, which feels like a luxury after so long away, and makes himself presentable. He magically cleans his coat and makes sure all of his assorted magical doo-dads, wands, potions, spell components, etc are in their proper places. Then heads downstairs to see what kind of a dent he can make on breakfast.
After a large mug of klaveh to finish jump-starting his brain, the answer is, a pretty good dent.
The breakfast crowd in the Copper Cauldron is a cross-section of the neighborhood’s working class. Coppersmith apprentices, chimneysweeps, masons, merchants, and others crowd the tables for a quick bite before the day begins. The Silver Roses table is reserved as usual, pitchers of drinks and condiments at the ready. Justin is first down, and his Gahveh is hot and eye-opening. A pitcher of fresh milk and Starberry juice sit near at hand. The weak breakfast ale known locally as ‘butterbeer ‘ sits near as well, and griddle cakes pile thick on a platter. Ramona begins bringing over plates of bacon and sausage, anticipating the rest of the group. A crock of stewed apples with cinnamon and brown sugar topping steams gently in the center of the table
Taking a moment or two to make sure no learing floating skulls are watching Merle goes for a bath.
Seph meanwhile is already downstairs having breakfast when Justin shows up.
Karrin, who only ever had one real bath in her life, washes up in her usual way in her room. Growing up in a monastery, raised by a bunch celibate monks, meant that as she got older that sort of thing needed to be taken care of in private. Later, as a young women, most of her time was spent on the road with her elven lover, and so it wasn't till Karrin got to Sigil that she had her real first bath. It was a nice experience but seemed kind of extravagant for someone like her. Besides, time spent in water was time wasted when there was a table of uneaten food around.
Karrin bounds down the stairs to partake in her second favorite activity, her third favorite activity being fighting, and her first was the sort of thing that required a partner, preferably elven, preferably with strong gripy arms. She starts in at pancakes, mopping up any remaining syrup with bacon or sausage, then she moves onto the apples, happily downing glasses of butterbeer as she goes, Hamar, who fell asleep with Karrin talking and eating comes back down stairs to the sight of Karrin still eating.
Having no need or desire for food, drink, or sleep, Alessia finds a quiet, dark corner of the common area, and sits with her back to the wall and her sheathed sword lain across her lap. As the rest of the small but growing party enjoys their soft beds, hot baths, and rich foods, Alessia waits, silent and motionless, observing her surroundings.
Ramuah sleeps in her room for a couple of hours, and then makes her way back down to the common room around midnight. As much of the rest of her new companions sleep and the elven bard winds up her singing, Ramuah pulls out a notebook and pen and ink, and begins sketching. She seems absorbed and as she works. Within a few hours, she has a few pages filled with scenes from her quick walk through Sigil. The sketch lines that form some of the creatures, notably demonic and undead figures, seem especially emphatic and dark, as if she's focused on them as she works. The last page is a piece with a light, romantic air to it, of a small shrine with an artfully laid out garden on the shore of a placid lake.
"Good morning, Miss Karrin," Ramuah smiles and looks up from her latest drawing. "I hope it finds you well." She nods toward the window. "It appears to be another grey day. I hope the sun decides to make an appearance today, it's been a while since I was able to bask in its glow."
Karrin takes the time to chew and swallow her food before responding, mostly because she's not entirely sure how to break the bad news to the paladin, but Karrin is also slightly self-conscious of how speaking with her mouth full might appear to strangers. Best wait a week or so before revealing bad habits to new friends.
"Ah, the cage doesn't have a sun," Karrin says, "But we also call it the City of Doors because there's lots of portals to places that do have suns, but the best we get here is a day where it glows real bright and there's no rain . . . kind of like yesterday."
Hamar comes don the stairs geared up for a scouting mission armed as he always is with his array of weapons and items fitted.
He sits at the table and begins to eat eyeing Karrin Kind with respect, "If you fought as well as you ate there would be no foes left for the rest of us to vanquish Karrin Kind!"
He reaches into his pocket and removes the ring he wore briefly while on the dead world, the one he remove as it made him feel... funny. The Wizard will need to look at this further before he places it on his finger once more.
Sophie gladly accepts the room offered to her at the Cauldron, not entirely keen to head back to her own rooms, despite the fact that she was careful not to let anyone follow her to them.
After a fitful sleep, she heads down early the next morning to find Justin already awake and eating. She slides into the seat beside him, making sure to brush her hand along his arm as she does so. She eats heartily, although not with the same vigour as the other members of the Company seem to enjoy. She declines the other beverages on offer in favour of a simple orange juice and, unlike last night, she drinks this one easily and refills her glass many times throughout breakfast.
"So what are the plans for today," she asks. "The sooner we get to work on the tasks that need doing, the sooner we can be away from here and onto the road to... adventure."
He reaches into his pocket and removes the ring he wore briefly while on the dead world, the one he remove as it made him feel... funny. The Wizard will need to look at this further before he places it on his finger once more.
Not present on her inspection of the party the previous evening, Sophie cautiously studies the ring out of the corner of her eye as Hamar eyes it warily.
"To be fair Hamar I have many more years of mastering eating over fighting, I never even picked up a great axe till I was in my late teens, So it's hardly surprising that I'm better at one than the other. I'm still pretty good with an axe though."
Appreciating the offer of a room for the night, Blayze divests herself of her gear and settles in for the first peaceful night's sleep she's had in weeks, her dreams mercifully free of being severely outnumbered and hunted by undead.
Awakening at what she felt was probably morning, her internal clock long since given up dependence on sunlight to function, she makes her way to the bathing room, availing herself of a luxury that far exceeded the fine food and drink of the other night. Taking her time and savoring the steaming hot water and rose petals, the divine gunslinger enjoys the rare bit of pampering, her opinion of taking the job offer improving by the minute.
Once finished, she sits on the bed going through her daily ritual, part prayer, part preparation as she cleans Glory, while reciting The Gunslinger’s litany. Getting her things together, she dresses and heads down to join the others for breakfast, noting those already eating as she takes a seat. "Mornin' all"
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"Mornin' all"
Sophie nods at the striking woman who takes a seat across from her.
After I'm done with Justin, she thinks to herself, that one will be next on my list to get close to.
Justin nods to Sophie as she joins the growing group at the table, waving as his mouth is full, and doesn't want to be rude. He might have been surprised when she sits next to him, but if so it doesn't seem to bother him.
"So what are the plans for today," she asks. "The sooner we get to work on the tasks that need doing, the sooner we can be away from here and onto the road to... adventure."
Justin raises an eyebrow, seems this young woman was as eager to leave as HE was when he first arrived. But she didn't seem to be 'clueless',... so,... she had a reason for wanting to be elsewhere. (Heh, didn't they all?)
Justin gestures around the table at the growing group. "Well, Renkar has the right of it I think. Some of us should go and procure our passage for our next 'excursion', preferably as far away from Ranais as possible, While the rest of us gather information, if I recall we had left quite a few questions with Ollie at the library, and those of who need to can start restocking supplies, etc."
Justin looks at Karrin, seemingly serious for a change,
"Hey Karrin, I was thinking about the preparations for the funeral? I was wondering, what do you think about asking Ekuur to perform the ceremony? Considering the options in Sigil, I was thinking a cremation sounded like a good idea?"
"Myself? I need to check on my rooms, and check in with my friends. Then Memnon and I are going to get started on that alchemy lab." He salutes the crystal skull, once again sitting (mostly) unmoving on the table, with his mug of Gahveh.
"Then Memnon and I are going to get started on that alchemy lab." He salutes the crystal skull, once again sitting (mostly) unmoving on the table, with his mug of Gahveh.
"I can always help the skull out with setting up the alchemy lab. It will keep me off the streets and give me something to do while I wait for us to be on our way."
"Hold up a moment before heading out Justin," Karrin says as she pours herself a glass of beer, "I got some stuff I need to talk about."
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Hamar slides the ring to Justin, "Wizard, check this ring, something is off about it. Useful as it may be I fear it could be cursed, that's word yes? Cursed".
He turns to Karrin at her comment, "Talk then, why talk about having to talk?" Diplomacy at its finest coming from the Barbarian, perhaps he should be the leader of the group... Nah.
Sophie looks at ring and smiles at Hamar. "I could look at that for you if you'd like. Justin will be busy and I don't have much to do."
As the party begins preparations to leave, Alessia rises from her chair and slowly walks to where the rest of the group has gathered.
"Considering the options in Sigil, I was thinking a cremation sounded like a good idea?"
"I feel it to be a very good idea. Especially considering that it was my idea, and I told you to do it yesterday."
He turns to Karrin at her comment, "Talk then, why talk about having to talk?"
Alessia raises her head in the barbarian's direction, appearing to give the man an appraising look.
"The brute speaks truly. Perhaps he is wiser than he looks."
Ramuah looks saddened at Karrin's news that the sun does not shine in Sigil, and spends a little more time with her last drawing as her new companions filtered down to break their fasts.
As Karrin calls for Justin to hold back on his self directed errands for a word, she puts her sketch items away and looks up. At Hamar and Alessia's comments, she can't help but smile. "While I would never turn down the opportunity for some judicious and invigorating action, I admit that I am one who does not object to the spoken word either. I have found there are times where either one or the other is more appropriate. Yesterday I found a time where the negotiation seemed called for. Maybe soon we will find opportunity to exercise some more physical styles of argumentation."
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Hamar looks to Sophistacia, "Are you a Witch?"
"Well, see, the thing is, if I talk and say something cool and important and everyone's not here, then we have to repeat it, likely someone else telling some second hand, and then there's the possibility of not giving all the same information and stuff. Better I wait till everyone is done with their baths and here before I say anything. So telling everyone to wait so I can talk saves me having to repeat myself.
"Now, as to that ring, I suspect it's a drow ring, perhaps belonging to the vampire assassin, perhaps that knife we found as well. Perhaps we might hold onto it for the time being?"
Karrin than returns to eating, mostly to pass the time.
Justin smiles at Sophie's offer to help with the lab.
"Well, I appreciate that, but as the lab will be in the basement of my basement apartment, yes, my basement has a basement, long story, and I havent told my,... roommate, about Memnon here yet, I think this setup might be more of a personal quest. Although I'm sure that Memnon would appreciate the company just fine." Justin smiles.
"You bet! FAR easier on the eyes than you are long-johns!" Memnon pipes up from his spot on the table.
Rolling his eyes, Justin continues.
"Although I would appreciate any assistance you can give Merle and I on identifying these items. As Karrin mentioned, there were a couple of items we picked up that we haven't had time to properly catalogue."
Hamar looks to Sophistacia, "Are you a Witch?"
Justin raises that annoying eyebrow again, "Well, familiar aside, she doesn't strike me as the 'witchy' type. I am curious as well though, what are your arcane specialties?" He asks, glancing at what she carries once more, as if trying to figure it out before she can tell him.
"Hold up a moment before heading out Justin," Karrin says as she pours herself a glass of beer, "I got some stuff I need to talk about."
Justin pauses, a puzzled look crossing his face briefly.
"Sure thing."
Ramuah looks around the table, focusing for a moment on Hamar. "It would appear certain reminders of yesterday's adventures may remain with some here. If the healing blessings of Shelyn are not offensive, I would offer my services."
Hamar shakes his head at Karrin, "Doubtful Karrin Kind. The ring conferred unto me darksight an ability even half drow possess, no true drow would need such an ability through a trinket as this".
Hamar nods, "I would eagerly enjoy such a blessing. My thanks"
Noting the look from Sophistacia, Blayze assesses the exotic warrior's gaze. 'Wonder what she's thinking.'
She would have to take the time to talk with each of her new unit, getting to know them better.
As Hamar speaks, she glances over at the barbarian impressed. His assessment of the ring and the nature of its possible origin shows an astute mind.
Ramuah places her hand on Hamar's arm as she murmurs "All things that live love beauty, and I will show beauty's answer to them." Her hand glows silver for a moment, then the glow suffuses Hamar as well for a moment.
Justin smiles at Sophie's offer to help with the lab.
"Well, I appreciate that, but as the lab will be in the basement of my basement apartment, yes, my basement has a basement, long story, and I havent told my,... roommate, about Memnon here yet, I think this setup might be more of a personal quest. Although I'm sure that Memnon would appreciate the company just fine." Justin smiles.
"You bet! FAR easier on the eyes than you are long-johns!" Memnon pipes up from his spot on the table.
Rolling his eyes, Justin continues.
"Although I would appreciate any assistance you can give Merle and I on identifying these items. As Karrin mentioned, there were a couple of items we picked up that we haven't had time to properly catalogue."Hamar looks to Sophistacia, "Are you a Witch?"Justin raises that annoying eyebrow again, "Well, familiar aside, she doesn't strike me as the 'witchy' type. I am curious as well though, what are your arcane specialties?" He asks, glancing at what she carries once more, as if trying to figure it out before she can tell him.
Sophie snorts at Hamar's question.
"A Witch, no... although that would not be the first time someone has called me that."She brings out a small flask in response to their question and takes a quick drink. Slowly, she fades from their view until an empty chair is in front of them, Erebus now hanging in mid air in what appears to be a very hard to attain position.
"I dabble in alchemy," a disembodied voice comes from the seat, "one of my many and varied talents."
The ring in Hamar's hand suddenly starts to rise into the air, as a slender white hand slowly begins to materialise around it. She studies the ring carefully.
"It will take me but a short time to prepare an extract that will allow me to determine the properties of this for you, as I must admit it intrigues me."
Hamar shrugs at Sophistacia, "Go ahead then if you wish. If you find it cursed keep it, give it to an enemy but I'll not want it back.
What shall I call you if not Witch? You use magic, how would you be anything other than a Witch? Much as this one" Hamar points to Justin, "is a Wizard. In the Shaar we use different names for different things but only important things. All else that can be explained simply, is. Complications in identification of people, places and things make life more difficult than it needs to be. Life is hard enough when survival is first and foremost on the mind. Only peoples who have become lazy worry about, what is the word.... ah semantics".
Hamar grunts at Ramuah in appreciation.
Sophie shrugs.
"Apparently I am a Witch then. I have been called worse, and most probably will be again."
She turns to address the rest of the table.
"Does anyone else have anything that needs to be magically Identified? I could probably manage half a dozen items before I run out of Extracts for today."
Nari quietly slides into a seat at the table. Her hair is tied back and her sleeves were rolled up as she had been helping with heating and carrying water for baths. It made her feel useful. And she thought better when she was working. There had been an awful lot to think about, so it was a good thing that there had been so many baths to prepare.
Justin's eyes widen a bit at Sophie's disappearing trick, his lips pursed in a moue of contemplation. He raises an eyebrow.
"Dabble? Sweetheart, I 'dabble' in alchemy. And I'm not half bad, But I can't make an invisibility potion without imbuing it directly with a magic spell. THAT is impressive. And 'many and varied talents' is exactly the kind of thing that we usually need." Justin grins.
"Whattaya say Merle? You in for a magical ID session? If we all three work together we're at least three times more likely to Id everything accurately." He asks the feline sorceress with a grin.
Justin has had at least 3 mugs of gahveh, which might account for his currently unusually bright eyes and energy.
The wizard smiles a genuinely happy smile as Nari joins them. He slides over a plate of fruit that hasn't been tackled completely yet.
"Okay, now that we're all here, I think I should tell everyone that I had another dream last night, the last one led us to the negative plane, but in this dream I saw a vast underground cavern with drow, orcs, and goblins and I was warned that I had to "Choose one's steps wisely" when I was "Walking in the spiders webs", so obviously we have to be aware of duplicity. When we're looking for keys we need to be sure nobody is aware of what we're after. Therefor, before we head out, we have to pick a story and stick to it. With any luck nobody will know what we're after till we're back."
"Dreams eh? Alright then it is good that I do not know what we are after. Point the way and I shall take the lead as I have always".
"Whattaya say Merle? You in for a magical ID session? If we all three work together we're at least three times more likely to Id everything accurately." He asks the feline sorceress with a grin.
"Pffft like I need a b-" Kind of stops mid sentance at the Glare Seph gives her "Ahem I mean of course I'd be happy to."
Justin raises an eyebrow as Karrin mentions her dream. Buuut,... she does have a track record with them so far. And Justin has been known to hold conversations with himself in his own dreams, (Not that he's mentioned that to the others. Yet.) So, yeah, glass houses and rocks and all that.
"Sounds good. May I suggest picking a simple story? Easy to remember, and as it involves interplanar travel and we can claim 'client confidentiality', even a simple story will be nigh-impossible to disprove or verify. Heck, we can say our client needs us to harvest some special fruit that only blooms on certain planes once every hundred years or so." Justin says with a grin.
"Pffft like I need a b-" Kind of stops mid sentance at the Glare Seph gives her "Ahem I mean of course I'd be happy to.""Whattaya say Merle? You in for a magical ID session? If we all three work together we're at least three times more likely to Id everything accurately." He asks the feline sorceress with a grin.
Justin manages not to grin at the interchange between Seph and Merle. Barely.
"Great! Magical Item Identification Party! First rounds on Renkar!" Justin smirks.
Justin raises an eyebrow as Karrin mentions her dream. Buuut,... she does have a track record with them so far. And Justin has been known to hold conversations with himself in his own dreams, (Not that he's mentioned that to the others. Yet.) So, yeah, glass houses and rocks and all that.
"Sounds good. May I suggest picking a simple story? Easy to remember, and as it involves interplanar travel and we can claim 'client confidentiality', even a simple story will be nigh-impossible to disprove or verify. Heck, we can say our client needs us to harvest some special fruit that only blooms on certain planes once every hundred years or so." Justin says with a grin.
“The best lies are the ones that are completely true...just not all of the truth,” Nari said as she carefully peeled a spiky fruit. “So, yes, simple, but constructed on facts. Like, we’ve been charged with executing the last request of someone, very specific instructions, all we can say really. We take client confidentiality very seriously. There is nothing untrue in those statements, but putting them together that way lets people jump to all kinds of wrong conclusions.” She looked up and blushed, shrugging sheepishly. “I learned a lot from growing up with Sanna.”
Blayze smiles as Nari makes her suggestion, giving her an encouraging grin at her blush. As someone who was prohibited from outright lying due to her order's precepts, she had a great appreciation for the versatility of the truth.
Justin also smiles at Nari when she speaks.
"Simple, and essentially true. Even a Detect Lies spell wouldn't complain about that." The wizard grins.
"Truth is a powerful and beautiful thing, and doling it out in carefully measured doses is at the heart of any art or craft, in my opinion," Ramuah offers seriously to Nari's words.
Nari flashes a rare bright smile in response to this encouragement, for a moment forgetting to be afraid.
Hamar stops eating and listens, "Never good to be too full when work must be done".
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Justin snorts, somewhere between a laugh and a cough.
"At least THIS work is not, immediately, life-threatening." The wizard snarks, stuffing a roll dripping with butter into his mouth.
Justin chews thoughtfully, swallows, and adds;
"But, the day is young."
The rain outside thickens to a staccato roar while breakfast is consumed. Ramona brings the party’s attention to a row of new cloaks hung on pegs by the door
“Renkar dropped off new Cager Cloaks for the lot of you. He said you were looking a bit threadbare”
The cloaks are fine work, midnight black in color, made of a special water repellant fabric with a deep hood and a border of silver roses embroidered along the edge. Justin notes the evidence of several cunning pockets sewn into the interior of the cloaks