Lizzie rubs her cheek with her indexfinger.
"That turned out surprisingly well, thankfully.
Then it leaves us to investigate this doomsday caller."
As Agrippa chastised Filbert he has the good grace to look somewhat apologetic for the question, however something within turns a bit at it I'd like to see them try
Momijii realized just how much she must have done if she was scaring the barkeep even worse than Lizzie and knew that she must make amends in anyway that she could, honor demanded it of her. She placed one fist in an open palm, far slower than normal, and bowed deeply to the barkeep, "You have my word that I will restrain myself from violence unless it is necessary to defend myself or another from harm and even then I will use the absolute minimum necessary. Honor demands that I make amends and I will do so."
The barkeep replies to Momijii, "Very well then, good luck to you."
Luxina yawns visibly and scratches her weary head. "Don't know about you guys, but I'm dying to get some proper sleep in a proper bed for once. I guess that man called...Ellard? Elgrioth... that's it, will be there come tomorrow still."
Luxina yawns yet again, it seems to the others that she has difficulty focusing her eyes as she seems to be squinting. Particularly when she's looking at all of you.
The dark-skinned elf seeks a little support along the walls, bracing herself with one hand before leaning her back against it.
"So? Sleep first?"
While she had slept some on the boat Momijii was still in need of rest and the sight of Luxina staggering was enough to make her yawn. She looked at the elf and said, "Yes. I think that might be a good idea." With that she went to follow the elf to their room.
Indeed. Some rest is warranted.
When you inquire about staying tonight the barkeep Dena Gallegos asks, "Staying the night are you then? Will that be together in the common room or would you prefer to rent one or more rooms?"
"I'd rather have a room with a proper bed, I guess Momiji and Lizzie can keep me company in there. So that's a least one room for us three if that's alright."
Luxina looks to Agrippa and Filbert.
"What do you want chaps? Proper beds or bedrolls on the floor?"
Dena nods upon hearing your wishes and calls out to a boy of perhaps fourteen summers who was working in the back room, "George can you show these guests up to rooms two and three?" The boy, gangly with staw-colored hair, seems a bit nervous of you at first but seems to get over it and leads you up a narrow staircase to the rooms. They prove to be spacious if a bit spartan, the beds are clean and reasonably comfortable. For the first time in ages you should sleep well tonight! George asks, "Would you care for a bath? It's one silver to heat the water up. I can also bring some food if you'd like. Tonight we have a choice of beef with peas, carrots and potatoes in Dena's special sauce or a poached bream in cream and new potatoes."
"Good night Mistress Dena, George is it? Lead the way"
In the room in response to the young man's offers of drawing a bath and a hot meal. "George allows the ladies the first choice of a hot bath, and while they wash away the last week's worth of troubles I would be grateful for the beef stew."
After a good meal and a long soak in the bath, knots in his back he'd forgotten were there finally turned loose and the gnome could relax.
"I'll take a bath please. And the beef sounds lovely, we've subsisted only on trail rations and hard tack this last week." Luxina says before entering the room she shares with Lizzie and Momiji.
She gives George a little tired smile.
"Please knock on the door when the bath or dinner is ready will you?"
As soon as she's inside she walks to the closest bed and falls down on it, closing her eyes and resting her weary body.
The food proves to be very good and and the bath is sheer luxury. Afterwards everyone turns in form a relatively early night, for surely the Heroes of Briarstone deserve a rest? Sadly however sleep proves to be a fickle thing, one moment you simply can't fall asleep and the next you're in the vice like grip of some awful nightmare. At some point in the night your bad dreams relent and you fall into a deep and dreamless sleep, only to rudely awakened at the crack of dawn by a commotion outside.
A blustering, and very loud male voice cries, "THE BRIARSTONE WITCH IS COMING, REPENT! THE END DAYS ARE UPON US! YOU MOCK? BEHOLD DOOM HAS FALLED ON THE URKWELL HOUSE! PRAY TO THE GODS THE WITCH DOESN'T TAKE YOU NEXT!" This is followed shortly by the sound of a door opening and a furious Dena Gallegos scolding him, "Elgrior !#@*off, you're scaring the patrons. Go frighten somebody else."
The male voice replies, "IS MONEY ALL THAT MATTERS TO YOU? SURELY YOU CAN SEE DOOM IS COMING? SEE YOUR INN HAS BEEN MARKED WITH HER BRAND!"
Clearly put out, Dena replies, "Hmph! Probably just that flippin' artist." and you hear the sound of the inn's door slamming shut.
When you peer out of the window you see a wild hared man, clad in shoddy clothes and wearing a signboard across his shoulders, saying: The second vanishing is nigh!
Lizzie wakes up from a sleep better than any night previously.
However what she saw in her dreams had definitely left an impression on her, as she briefly just lays on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Wow..an angel...and it seems i've got quite a task ahead of me and my friends.
For a gnome, this was certainly something exciting too, how often can people say they were visited by an angel in their dreams?
She hops from her bed, when the commotion about gloom and doom comes from outside. Shoving a chair near the window, she gets up and looks out of the window...
Well. We needn't go very far to find our man now. Agrippa snarks as he begins dressing himself
Come. he says to the others as he gathers his party before venturing forth into the dawn's early light
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Filbert grumbles as he follows the sound of the man crying his doomsday prophecy below. Opening the window, standing in his nightshirt, he listens a moment, while the water bowl from the dresser floats outward above his head, suddenly upending above the oaf
Quickly returning the pan to his hands, "Hey! haven't you got anything better to do than stand below my window yelling nonsense. Begone for I decide to douse you with the chamber pot instead."
He quails slightly at the filthy looks filbert cast upon him before recovering and turning beet red. "Nonsense?", the man rages, "BUT THE SIGN OF DAMNATION IS UNDER YOUR VERY WINDOW! THE BRIARSTONE WITCH IS ABROAD AND YOU SIR ARE LIKLEY TO BE HER NEXT VICTIM!"
He takes a few steps away from the open window and hands on his hips roars, "SEE HOW THE AGENTS OF THE CRAVEN COUNT DISMISS THE SIGNS AND PORTENTS UNDER THEIR VERY NOSES! THIS TOWN IS DOOMED. DOOMED I SAY! THE AUTHORITIES ARE ASLEEP AND THE SECOND COMING IS NIGH AND THE BRIARSTONE WITCH WILL DRAG US ALL TO OUR WATERY GRAVES!"
With that he wanders off down the street incorporating various vicious epitaphs about gnomes and the counts agents into his demagoguery.
"Good riddance!" Filbert says to no one in particular as he yawns and heads back towards his bed. No sooner than his head settles against the pillow than the rooster next door began to crow. "Dang it now the rooster's awake, I'll never get back to sleep now."
Grumbling loudly, Filbert gets dressed and heads downstairs. Finding a corner without a sleeping drunk in it. He orderssome cheese, bread and fruit to break his fast, inquiring as to wetter I. Hot drinks were to be had that morning.
"Apologies Mistress Dena for yelling inside the inn this morning"
"What a strange person...ah well, maybe we can get some final shut eye before the figurative rooster starts yapping."
Denna sighs heavily and replies, "Aye it's nae problem on your account Master Springbit. Elgrior has been doing this for weeks now. I'm afraid he'll be back frightening my customers unless somebody can talk some sense into that thick noggin of his."
A little later on once everyone has had a hearty breakfast, Winter told you, "I'm not sure what you're plans are for the day. I was intending to visit the Sleepless Detective Building and find out if Accuser Omari left word for me, hopefully enough to justify visiting magistrate Padgett. By the way if you wish to redeem that promissory note I wrote, the Sleepless Detectives are your best bet. Afterwards I need to run a few errands for the church, and find out why they've stopped answering letters. What do you plan to do today?"
With the sudden noise outside Momijii awoke with a grumph and rose, quickly pulling her clothing on and glad that she had a nap on the boat ride. She looked out the window at the man and listened with a slight smile as Filbert argued with him. The very end of the conversation prompted her to want to know more and she was rather aggravated that the man had left like he did without the chance to speak with him. Already dressed Momijii pulled her boots on and looked to her roommates, "Ladies, I'm going to go outside and look fora mark, then maybe follow him to see where he goes. Besides, I want to ask him a couple of questions."
With that the monk took the short cut and simply went out the window and landing lithely on the ground non the worse for wear. She went to the base of Filbert's window and gave the wall there a quick look for any marks before turning to try and follow the crazy man. She wasn't planning on going very far but she wanted to try and catch up to him quickly.
Momijii jumps out of the window and lands a little heavily but wow that sure was the fastest way outside!
With Denna
"After breakfast we shall see if we can't talk him out of this. How long has it been going on? Agrippa is a more socially adept fellow I'm sure he can talk Elgrior out of his habits. Speaking of which I want to see what mark this witch has left under my window. Need to know what I'm discussing if he and the witch should take me up on my after breakfast offer to meet." After they talk a bit Filbert will go out to inspect the wall.
With Winter
"Good morning Miss Winter, /if I was to check my appointment book I believe it is clear, unless Elgrior and the witch intend to come back and collect me this morning." Filbert replies with a smile. "I would be interested in meeting your employers, especially if that is the best way to deal with the promissory note."
Momijii nodded in agreement and said, "I would be interested in meeting your employer as well."
Elgior stiffens upon seeing you but stand there in the drizzle, sign board draped over his shoulders. He plants his feet and asks, "Eh what do you want? You recognized the doom that awaits us all? That witch will be the death of everyone! She'll drag us into a watery grave at the bottom of the bay."
Winter smiles sweetly and replies, "Oh you misunderstand Filbert, I am a field agent, my employers are back in Caliphas. Omari is my boss although I doubt he'll still be here, it'll be for me to pick up the pieces of the investigation into the county's financial affairs. You see the Sleepless building is a detective agency, they have an agreement with the government and they'll honor promissory notes up to a certain limit. Anyway I think it would be useful for you to meet them."
is done so they can have full run of Thrushmoor and take all the spoils left behind!" Elgrior tears up momentarily and sniffs, "They're gonna take my mates, Bo, curly-mo, jack and big Jake. Best Beatles I ever had, bless-em. The authorities know everything even where I had them in me shack. It's just... Barbaric what they plan to do here! But I knows. I saw what they planned in a dream I did! I saw the witch rising up from Avalon Bay and plucking townsfolk from their homes with her wicked, long nails and that disgusting black tongue. I wasn't the only one neither, that Toli Remsatter's had em dreams too. He knows what were in for and he saw that witch light day before this all started!"
Agrippa replies to Winter Indeed. The Sleepless Agency.
Agrippa is ready to leave.
Winter leads you south east down the main road to one of the largest buildings in town. The sleepless detective's building is dark and quiet, and it takes more than one knock upon the door to receive an answer. After waiting for while you hear the sound of a latch being pulled and a window in the door opens. Inside a severe looking brunette woman who asks, "Good morning, do you have an appointment?"
Winter replies, "No, but I believe Cesadia would like to see us. Tell her Winter Klaczka would like to speak to her." The woman replies, "I see, wait here."
A short while later the door opens and the severe looking woman directs you, "Please come in and follow me." You are lead through several spacious rooms to a large drawing room with a big fireplace whose cheery glow helps dispel the cold from the drizzle outside. There are a good number of deep leather sofas and cold water available from a large glass urn. The severe looking woman tells you, "If you'll wait here, Miss Wreentz will be along momentarily."
Moments later a bubbly woman in formal attire with an aura of gravitas enters. She warmly greets Winter saying, "Winter good to see you again! We were worried when Omari vanished and you didn't check in." She clocks you lot and adds icily, "Oh."
Winter replies earnestly, "Look I can explain. You know I went to investigate the Asylum like you suggested. Anyway it was far worse than we feared. A book of forbidden lore, The Chain Of Nights was given to Administrator Losandro by Lowls. She used a ritual within to try and cure her star patient, the one you suspected Lowls of visiting. Lets juts say that ended badly, with her death and that of perhaps half of the population as the dreamlands invaded the area and cut us off. The initial earthquake killed scores, then those transformed into ghouls or doppelgangers did for scores more. To add insult to injury a cult of the yellow sign sprung up overnight, preying on the survivors. If it wasn't for these heroes starvation surely would have done the rest of us in, for there was no escaping those awful yellow mists!"
Cesadia folds her arms and replies, "I see. You'll pardon me Winter but these lot have a long an storied history in Lowls' service largely as his enforcers. You'll forgive me if I'm not overwhelmed with joy to hear of their involvement."
Winter interjects, "But here's the thing. They don't remember any of that... They woke up in the asylum, with amnesia, the last ten to fifteen years simply gone. Look don't just take my word for it, I've got Dr Losandro's notes on them." She hands Cesadia a folder full of notes which she starts paging through.
After perusing the documents for a few moments Cesadia puts the folders down, "That's interesting but you see the thing is he there." She points at Filbert, "Last year he was caught snooping around in here and he nearly took Nell's head off. Fortunately blood wasn't drawn but it was a close run thing. Maybe he's forgotten all that but why should I believe that's changed his fundamental character?
I don't trust them Winter and neither should you."
Indeed. It is as Mistress Klaczka says, we simply have no memory of our previous interactions with the Count. However, perhaps our actions in Briarstone might allay some of your fears? Agrippa says.
But. If they are not assuaged, perhaps we might be of some small service to you. You see, we wish to know more about our condition, and you might have knowledge of said condition. We could...trade...information. Perhaps?
"Ma'dame, an apology for something I do not remember doing, would be a weak apology indeed, but I can see that my actions have made you uncomfortable and for that I am truly sorry. If you wish to speak with Miss Winter here without my presence, I would be glad to step back outside and wait.
If however as Agrippa says, there is some way to change your perception of us as we are now, and not how we once were; I would offer my services in that effort as well."
Filbert waits quietly for Casedia to judge whether he should stay or not.
As he continued on about Toli Remsatter she made a mental note of the name, intending to mention him to her friends later on.
As they were introduced to Cesadia Momijii performed her normal bow to the woman, not as low as she did for most people, but she did bow slightly. As the woman spoke and expressed disbelief about their sincerity Momijii responded, [b]"They are correct, we awoke and remembered nothing more than our names. We remember more now but it seems like it is only a little bit. I too have found that I have done some terrible things but I am trying to do better, to not repeat the same mistakes I made. I am striving to make ammends and stay on a good path this time, even if I am having problems doing so at times.
Cesadia's eyebrows raise at Agrippa's suggestion, "I never thought I'd see the day when you of all people come to me for help. Well. There are some things you could do actually. There's that Elgrior for one thing, he's been making quite a nuisance of himself and in turn Dena Gallegos and Emman Gulston have been making nuisance of themselves asking me to intervene. The thing is we're a detective agency not the law, really this should be up to the local authorities to deal with but they're nowhere to be seen. It's most peculiar, I've visited Fort Hailcourse every day for the past week, trying to get an appointment with Magistrate Padgett and they simply won't let me or anyone else in."
"We have told Denna Gallegos, we would work on the Elgrior issue for her, and it seems this Emman Gulston as well by default. " Pausing a moment Filbert considers her other comment...
"You're a detective agency, visiting the local authorities seems to be a normal thing; from what you have said and Denna as well for that matter. We may visit only to not leave again. But we can check to see if the magistrate is available."
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Momijii had expected her efforts to calm the man to be a struggle as the original urge to quiet his rantings by force left her. It seemed that the man's fear for his pet beetles and the deaths of others "in the know" had touched a part of the humanity within her that she started losing when interrogating the cultist with torture. She knew this didn't redeem the act but she hoped that maybe it was a step in the right direction.