Tara looks strangely at the verbose newcomer. Her clan was known for their diplomacy and dealing with others, but wasn't one for putting things out of the table all at once. "I am Taravel of the Shundar Quah. I guess you could say, I'm searching for some things right now. I'm not much for city-fied religion, to be honest. I prefer to follow however my spirit guide leads..."
The waitress sets down a pair of ale pitchers and 6 mugs. "Would ya be wantin' any food as well?" she asks. "Oh, an' the innkeep wants to know if'n ya want more rooms, afore they sell out."
"Yes, please! I'm quite famished after that climb up from Redgorge. A room would be wonderful as well," Emyralda replies to the waitress. "Taravel, would you like to share a room?" Emyralda asks the Shoanti.
The young Varisian woman studies the three new acquaintances carefully, noting the elf woman's - Terra's - reserved nature and the knight's - Soth-Loren's - chivalric manner.
Looking at each of the three newer adventures in the eye, What is it that thou seekest in life? Dust tou hold to any faith strongly? Who art thou, truely? We all, every man holdest thy own secrets, and I am not asking thee to impart such personal a discussion, just that I would like to know thee more.
Emyralda listens quietly as Felix and Taravel answer Soth-Loren's questions before introducing herself.
"My name is Emyralda Zarranovich, and I am from southern Varisia," the young Varisian woman introduces herself as she removes a deck of ancient yet beautifully illustrated cards from a pocket in her scarf and begins shuffling them. "For the past couple of months my family and I traveled north from our normal trade routes at the direction of my great-grandmother, our clan's raunie - our Seer. I have a touch of the Sight myself, and I've been troubled by strange dreams of late. My great-grandmother believed that my dreams are a sign from Desna, the Great Dreamer, and that She guided us to Cauldron."
The young woman continues to shuffle the cards as she speaks. "According to my great-grandmother's reading of the Harrow, I am to meet five companions, and together we're supposed to stand against a darkness that threatens the land. This morning outside Redgorge I met Taravel and Felix." Emyralda stops shuffling and draws two cards from the top of the deck - The Uprising and The Paladin - which Taravel and Felix both recognize as the cards they selected to represent themselves in Iylamora's reading earlier in the day.
"My great-grandmother told me that I would meet the other three companions here in Cauldron," Emyralda continues, drawing three more cards and - without looking at them - laying them face down on the table next to the other two. "She said I would know the first as the Weary Knight, his soul broken but still struggling to protect the innocent," she says, looking at Soth-Loren as she turns over the first card to reveal The Survivor. "The second - the Philosophical Sellsword. A worldly warrior interested in the words of thinkers and idealists," she says, glancing at Darian with an eyebrow arched quizzically as she turns over the second card to reveal The Wanderer. "The third is one of the Forlorn, a conjuror trained in human lands who has lost nearly all those she held dear; she appears timid, but her shyness hides a fiercely loyal heart," she concludes, revealing the third card - The Empty Throne - as she gives Terra a look of sympathy.
"So tell me... Do these descriptions fit you three?" Emyralda asks Soth-Loren, Darian, and Terra.
Darian blinks and sighs, then takes a long steady pull of his beer.
"Yeah. Yeah they do. Damn it."
Something about what Emyralda had said had definitely put a damper on the big man's spirits.
"Y-yeah, a desk would be good." She replies to Soth.
Terra listens as everyone talks, taking everything in, even adding into the conversation at points.
When Emralda speaks of her, she seems to clam up and deflate, looking down at the table in silence.
"Which is the problem. That's twice now. Means this is bigger than we think it is. Any time fate or prophesy get involved in anything it means it's important, and in our line of work that equals dangerous. No one ever gets a prophetic reading about doing a good job, getting paid and going home. This is going to turn into a mess."
"..." Terra just remains silent. Remembering things she would rather not.
"Who are you two," Tara asks Terra and Darian, as they hadn't done the proper introductions yet.
We also recieved such a reading in our journey.
"Which is the problem. That's twice now. Means this is bigger than we think it is. Any time fate or prophesy get involved in anything it means it's important, and in our line of work that equals dangerous. No one ever gets a prophetic reading about doing a good job, getting paid and going home. This is going to turn into a mess."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Emyralda says with a small compassionate smile. "However, if it's any consolation, my great-grandmother performed a reading for us this morning that indicated that much good could be achieved if we all work together. Plus, even the bad things we encounter can be avoided or overcome as long as we're together," she offers hopefully.
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"Shuffling the cards with a skill that you might have though not possible for one of her age, she lays out three columns of three cards each. "The first column is the past, the second is the near present, and the last is the future. The cards will show things both good and bad, although some will not give a meaning that can be read."
Gran turns over the first column, revealing the Peacock, the Desert, and the Lair. "The first two cards are unclear, but the last warns of a love at its most treacherous. Some love in the past, either yours or another's, will work mischief upon you."
Her gnarled hand hovers over the center column of cards, and then slowly turns them face up. "Ah!" she gasps. "All cards here are portents! This first card, the Tangled Briar, is misaligned! It reveals that old evils endanger the present!"
"This center card, the Twin, is yours, Rogar. It shows a duality of purpose and nature. This is a strong fate for you, that you may have two paths to tread. It also affects your companions, perhaps in ways they are unaware of yet."
"This last card is also misaligned. The Cricket is a card of smooth journeying, but misaligned it shows that the journey goes poorly."
"This last set shows glimpses of the future." Again her nimble fingers turn the cards, showing their faces. She peers at the revealed cards, her face shadowed.
"This central card, the Winged Serpent, is unclear in that position. But the other two cards are warning about your future."
"This top card, the Cyclone, is also misaligned. It indicates a renewal after a blustery trial. There is hope in this card."
She points at the last card. "This card though, the Avalanche is an indication of unrelenting, unthinking disaster. It is an ill omen, although not as strong as it could be."
"While these fates are not set in stone, they will occur if steps are not taken to prevent them. Though the future seems dark," she says tapping the Avalanche card, "Not all is blackness." her finger moves to the Cyclone card. "This is what I have read for you, but as to the true meanings, only you can say." With a sigh, she leans back in her chair. "Could you call the boy for a cup of tea for me. Readings always leave me a bit tired."
"So..." Emyralda begins, attempting to change the subject and lighten the mood. "What brings you three to Cauldron?" she asks Darian, Terra, and Soth-Loren.
"Who are you two," Tara asks Terra and Darian, as they hadn't done the proper introductions yet.
"O-Oh, Uhm... I-I'm Terra..." Terra says awkwardly, shrinking back a bit, as if she were being scolded.
"So..." Emyralda begins, attempting to change the subject and lighten the mood. "What brings you three to Cauldron?" she asks Darian, Terra, and Soth-Loren.
"We, We came here...uhh...to... Terra's quiet voice drops off in a mumble.
"Let my buy you and your friends a drink and we can talk business."
Finding a large table toward the back, the big man poured mugs as soon as the serving girl brought them. "I'm Darian, and this is Soth and Terra."
"Hmm? Oh, guess you must have missed it earlier. Sorry. I'm Darian. We're here because of the goblin problem, among other things. They've been attacking caravans and stirring up trouble. We wanted to hire a tracker to help us find their main camp."
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"Well I am always looking for work, if you need a tracker, we can set off first thing tommorow if you like. Would you also be interested in being joined by my friends here? Taravel is an excellent warrior, and Emyralda is a skilled caster, and that is just a small portion of her skills." Felix still wants to get to know these travelers he met, but always enjoys getting paid
"If they want to join us, that's fine, but we're only paying for a tracker. It's up to you if you want to split it with them."
"Thank you Felix, but that won't be necessary. It is my destiny to aid the five of you - I don't require payment for that. Besides, I would be only too happy to help you all against the goblins. They're a threat to my people and any other travelers making the journey through the Lurkwood," Emyralda offers.
"I will, of course, expect an equal share of any bounty and treasure recovered, though," she adds with a smile.
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"May the dangers be few, and the rewards many, though I doubteth that shall be the case. In our last enounter, they rode wolfish creatures, and had many warriors amongst them, though they faught wthout honor, nor with any sense of nobility or tactic. They seem to desire weak opponents over true battle."
"I'm happy to help knock out any threat of goblins in the area. They mean trouble for all our people. As with the lady Emyralda, I expect a fair share of spoils in return for my assistance with tracking and my skills."
"You say someone or something is directing the goblins? Did you see any sign of who or what it could be? Did the goblins bear any kind of distinctive markings or... I don't know... heraldry, for lack of a better word?" Emyralda asks Soth-Loren, Darian, and Terra, all the while wracking her brain to remember any rumors or legends she may have heard about the goblins of the Lurkwood.
"...Umm... Mr. Felix...I-if it isn't too much trouble, would you be able to take me somewhere I can research some magic? I'd like to become more useful to the group. ...If y-you doint mind, that is..." Terra asks timidly.
"Oh, no...uhm... W-when ever is convenient for you... I don't mind..."
"Researching magic you say? Would you two mind a third tagging along? I'd love to look around that place. Is it a library, or something else?"
"Ah, that sounds great. I'd love to go with the two of you. What are you looking for, Terra," Tara inquires, clearly interested in the topic of magic and its study.
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"You say someone or something is directing the goblins? Did you see any sign of who or what it could be? Did the goblins bear any kind of distinctive markings or... I don't know... heraldry, for lack of a better word?"
"No heraldic markings nor blasphemous symbols that I can recall, milady. It was more akin to the facts that they seems both organized and unorganized at the same time, if that maketh any sense. Whilst their overall methods of attack where undiscplined, and I might even say more barbaric than a goblinoid aught to be, they held an ambush with great precision, and awaited our advancement with boulder, primal magic, and archer at the ready. T'is almost if it it where coordinated with such mastery as to only appeare as savage. Thanfully, Heaven's wrath was with us and cultured might was there to save Ze,. . . the caravan's peoples."
"We'll head to town hall and look into that goblin bounty. After that we'll be here if you need us." Darian says to Terra before looking to Taravel and Felix, with some of his earlier good humor back. "Don't let her start any fights, eh? Seems like everywhere she goes I end up having to take a few lumps to get her out."
"Sounds fine."
"Yeah, I know, I have bad luck..." Terra says sadly.
"Tomorrow at midday then." Terra agrees.
[ooc]sounds fine. We've split the party though. How do you want us to handle the scenes?[ooc]
"Why Terra, you don't seem like a troublemaker to me. What starts the fights? I bet it's alcohol, isn't it," the barbarian asks with a bit of a knowing, we've all been there smirk.
"I believe I'll accompany you two gentlemen, if you don't mind," Emyralda says to Darian and Soth-Loren. "I'd like to see more of this city and the people who govern it," she explains.
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"Milady, thou art of course welcome, and I'm certain we shalt enjoy thine company. Perhaps, later, Darian might help to train us at a bit of swordplay?", with a nod toards the man.
"T'is was a pleasure to meet thee, but I feel the time to retire for the evening has come. If thou wouldst excuse me, I am going to head to my room. Till the morn."
"Nah, I think it's just bad luck..." Terra replies to Taravel.
"I'm going to head up as well. Good night everyone." Terra says to everyone and then makes her way up to her own room to study and go to sleep.
"Very well. It has been a long day, and I'm rather exhausted after that long hike up the mountain. I believe I'll turn in as well," Emyralda says, taking her leave from her new companions.
Tara finishes up her drink, then follows the others to her room, and passes directly out, tired from her long journey.