Asuriel was thrilled with the choice of venue. She beams with a smile approvingly as Maver guides them in. When she is in the room she takes note of the apparent bodyguard as well as the woman who looks vaguely familiar. Her smile falters at having to introduce herself. While not completely transparent about being uncomfortable in making a trip to Magnimar, Asuriel hid as much as possible for the duration of the trip here.
Instead of her normal brash and overly loud voice she speaks above a whisper, hiding behind Olivius. Poking her head out she says, "Asuriel. Pleasure my lady." before ducking back behind the group.
Nuala tries to keep track of the strange man whom she was sure she recognized, but soon loses him in the crowd, With a shrug she returns her attention to the other heroes.
"Ah, I see. I'm sorry if I brought up a bad memory," Nuala says, mainly to Noro.
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you, but I'd heard there was more to your number, and I thought I saw another man come in with you, Where did he go," she asks looking at the group as a whole.
The blonde girl next to her, Peony, clears her throat, "Nuala, I think we're getting a little off topic here."
"Oh right, sorry," the redhead replies before turning to Maver as Peony smiles, "I have your payment here. This should be enough to cover the balance of what I owe." The young noblewoman hands over a bag that Maver opens to inspect, revealing several platinum coins inside.
"I believe it is, and this is yours," he says, handing over a wooden case with a painstakingly crafted image of Shelyn's holy symbol made of several different wooden inlays. Inside rests a true work of art. A silver and platinum holy symbol, the same as on the case, with a finely made chain of silver. The feathers of the tail set with seven different kinds of gemstones, each representing a color of the rainbow.
For a moment, Nuala is speechless.
Olivius, meanwhile is coming to grips with his young sister being in Magnimar.
"I'll tell you later, Olives. You seem to have been having a much more exciting life lately," Meiling says just before Nuala opens the case that contains her new holy symbol.
A few minutes later, after Nuala puts the chain of her new mark of faith around her neck, and manages to get out a teary thank you to Maver, dinner is served. A veritable feast is brought to your table with plenty of drink for all.
"Eat up! Nuala's paying," Peony teases as Nuala chuckles.
"Oh Peony, my dear. I'm afraid that I thought it was you that was covering the meal tonight," Nuala replies as Peony sticks out her tongue. "No matter who's paying, though, the food smells far too good to waste by letting it get cold!"
You disappear so effectively that not only does Nuala lose sight of you, you lose track of yourself. When you finally take a seat, you sit next to the half-orc guard.
Who's now looking at you.
"Hy haff seen meny strange tings, bot de vay hyu act iz vun ov de strangest," he says in a heavily accented voice.
Saroune takes her hat off and sets it on the corner of the chair and helps herself to the food. This was the first true meal she'd eaten in days. Careful to avoid talking with a mouth full of food, she was around nobility after all, she eyes Mearnag's holy symbol. "That is a remarkable piece, my lady. Are you a priestess?"
Nuala shakes her head at Saroune's question.
"No, not a priestess, just a devout follower," she answers, "she blessed me with a chance to play with a very talented violinist from Korvosa, but after a performance went wrong, he left the city."
For a moment, her smile turns bittersweet. She shakes herself and the grin returns once more.
"Enough of the melancholy, I really would love to hear about your adventures. I heard that when the goblins attacked during the Swallowtail Festival, you held the northern gates against hundreds of them lead by a mad berserker named Krosk," she says excitedly before blushing a little, "sorry, I've wanted to meet you, and maybe write a song about your adventures."
Cursing his own inattention, Horatio sinks further into his seat, trying to make his tall frame smaller and less noticeable. "Just feeling a little jumpy today," he mutters, trying to avoid eye contact.
The half-orc just shakes his head.
"Nein, hyu vas actink like de Leetle Lady vas goink to rip hyur arms off," he says with a toothy grin before pushing his drink over to you. "Hyu seem like hyu need dis more den Hy do. Mehbe a leetle bit ov Cayden's Courage vill make hyu less 'jumpy', jah?"
Horatio takes the drink suspiciously, giving it a sniff, then a sip. "You're not pointing me out to her, though," he says defensively. "Why? You're clearly watching out for someone."
"Hy iz bodyguard," the half-orc says as if it should be obvious, [/b]"Hy'z not gonna point hyu out to de Leetle Lady. If hyu vants to not see her, den vhy vould Hy?"[/b]
"Krosk was certainly..." Saroune searches for a word. "Colorful." She looks to her other companions, eager for somebody else to jump in.
"My apologies, Lady Maernag. I'm much better at reading about stories than I am telling them. You should hear it from Horatio's mouth. He has a gift for it."
Indeed, though I admit I have no idea where he went.
Olivius looks around but doesn't let go of Meiling's hand. In fact, it looks like he may never let go again.
Once the item has been delivered and paid for, Asuriel is ready to go back to Sandpoint. She leans over and asks to no one one specific, "Shall we be departing after our meal then? Are we heading back now?"
When Krosk is brought up, Asuriel waits for the others to respond. After Saroune describes him as colorful Asuriel stifles a cough. "Indeed, well stated."
Looking antsy, she waits for word that it is time to leave.
All the talk of Krosk, Noro simply grunts and gets up to get some rum.
buying the whole bottle, I say was leave now. obviously not to thrilled with the conversation.
Nuala looks from Asuriel to Noro, the smile gone. She looks confused, and a flicker of something like anxiety flits across her face.
"D-did I say something wrong? I just-- I just wanted to hear about your adventures. I'm sorry if I caused offense," she apologizes, her eyes fixing on her hand where they lay on the table.
After a moment, she looks up to Olivius and Saroune.
"Was Horatio the one that entered with all of you?"
Now that he's not being assaulted by his sister, Olivius finally notes the guard and Horatio sitting beside him. He seems to be willing the environment to swallow him. I should totally go over there and grab him. is his first thought. Then he thinks again.
Yes, but he is a social leaf, always ready to flit about on the winds of a crowd. You didn't say anything wrong, my lady. Not all of us are fans of such large places. In his absence, I guess the tale falls to me...
"That sounds like him," Nuala says sadly, but shakes off the melancholy and gives Olivius a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Sorry! Please, Master Olives, do tell us of your exploits," she says with a glitter of mischief in her eyes as she calls Olivius "Olives."
Olivius allows a burdened sigh at being called Olives, but recounts the Reader's Digest version of their exploits, emphasizing their triumphs while avoiding their troubles, especially their embarrassing or personal revelations.
As you ask who is after you, Quinta wraps her arms around you in a fiercely protective embrace.
"I always dreaded the day you would ask me this," she says, "The night we left Westcrown, I had been given a choice. I could hand you over to your mother so she could rid herself of the 'embarrassment' of having a fiend-blooded child, or I could die alongside you. I made to leave, but they had other ideas. For the first time that night I killed in a cold-blooded rage. I slew her, her guards, and an armiger she'd brought in to bear witness. That was why we had to leave. That was why they hunted us, and still hunt us it seems."
‘It’s been my experience that the most dangerous place on Golarion that any person can find themselves is between a mother bear and her cub.’ Over the years, Tira Ronnova has made that remark several times within Pavanna’s hearing, either in lessons or in conversation. Until now, she’d always wondered if she was imagining the Chaplain’s gaze flicking her way as she said it. She finds herself blinking back tears as she returns the fierce hug for the longest time.
Eventually, she pushes back a little to look up at Quinta. “Mother, if you hold any guilt over their deaths, don’t. You only held the blade — what truly killed Gionna Dolanassi was her own stupidity and entitlement.” She pauses, then concedes with a rueful wince, “Not that the Rack or the Barony of Feducci will see it that way.”
For the Dolanassis, I remain a threat to their standing, and slaying Gionna places Mother under the formal code of vendetta so embraced by the Chelish nobility. Even if they actually despised her of coveted her title, dealing with us is a matter of their precious ‘family honour’ — more rightly called ‘wounded pride’ — by this point. Whether or not the Hellknights were falsely involved in the matter, once one of their own armigers was slain, it became a matter of duty to see ‘justice’ done upon us both.
Hopefully both institutions chose to keep this matter ‘in the family’, rather than invite damage or embarrassment to themselves by bringing the Thrune or Crown agents directly into it.
Still, ‘family is complicated’ seems to be a recurring motif in recent affairs. Olivius and his father pursuing him, those we rescued from Thistletop, even Nualia’s twisted quest to avenge herself on her father and his legacy....
“And before you ask how I learned those names,” Pavanna adds, before summarising her meeting with Lucian Gionni and his dying confession. She also recounts how one of her ‘mopping-up’ duties in the matter was enlisting several of her friends in retrieving Lucian’s body and having him buried in Sandpoint’s cemetary, under a headstone bearing only his name, date-of-death, and the simple epitaph “Loving Father”. Again wincing ruefully, she finishes, “If the Dolanassi and the Rack are truly trying to press their vendetta even here in Varisia, Lucian’s grave is a perfect landmark to guide them... but what’s done is done. He earned the right to rest with peace and honour.”
"D-did I say something wrong? I just-- I just wanted to hear about your adventures. I'm sorry if I caused offense,"
Asuriel closes her mouth and bites her upper lip. She shakes her head no emphatically, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Uh, no. Sorry, that's not what I meant. No offense. It's just, uh, we should be getting back I think. Is all. Really."
She lets Olivius fill the air with some of their more memorable moments. She is thankful that the incident when bear hunting is not brought up.
Quinta looks into her daughter's eyes, her own showing both grief and a flash of anger. Grief for her daughter who'd suffered much in her short life, and anger that fate could be so unfair.
"Pavanna, you've had to endure more in your short life than anyone else I know. If anyone deserves the right to make sure their father is given a proper burial, it is you. I only wish that i could thank the man for giving me the chance to raise a wonderful girl into the strong young woman you are now," she says softly before embracing you again. She lets go and lets out a chuckle.
"I think we've both had our fill of melancholy for now. Would you mind if I treated you to dinner tonight? There's this place on Tavern Street that I've been to recently, and the food is some of the best you'll find. The Rackers can wait in line behind my little spitfire."
"D-did I say something wrong? I just-- I just wanted to hear about your adventures. I'm sorry if I caused offense,"Asuriel closes her mouth and bites her upper lip. She shakes her head no emphatically, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Uh, no. Sorry, that's not what I meant. No offense. It's just, uh, we should be getting back I think. Is all. Really."
"Oh, I guess it was a little too much to hope that you'd want to join me in looking around town tomorrow," Nuala says with a rueful smile.
"Oh come now! Miss Asuriel, Miss Noro, surely you would like to see what Magnimar has to offer. There's the Serpent's Run, the Bazaar of Sails, and all many of things to see here," Maver says, his voice slightly chiding.
Nuala, Peony, and Meiling look at Olivius with their mouths agape. The tale was one of more improbable ones they'd heard, even with some of the more personal or embarrassing details omitted.
"You fought a beast that was part wolf and part goblin," Meiling asks incredulously.
"Well, that is certainly a tale worth retelling in song," Nuala remarks with a chuckle.
"You guys know the Ibbletings," Peony asks, somewhere between awe and incredulity.
Yes and yes. Weird things happen when one hours adventuring. And not all of them pleasant. That bear certainly wasn't nice. Olivius responds. Why was knowing the gnome sisters a big deal. They made an impression on the memory, sure, but... Wait. Do you know the gnomes as well? he asks Peony.
"Right," Horatio sighs, nodding wearily. "I suppose that makes enough sense." Taking another sip of the offered drink, he asks, "So what's your name, stranger? And how did you end up as bodyguard?"
As Olives begins the tales, Noro grabs a bottle of...something strong...anything strong, and goes outside not want to be reminded of certain things.
taking a seat on a bench near the front entrance. she has a few swigs of whatever she grabbed.
watching the people on the street as they pass by.
"Yes, Ms. Tolleni, the lady that runs the flower stall I work at, has had several dealings with them. The whole family lives in Whistledown and one of the sons is a skilled horticulturist. He's working on a strain of flowers that have all of Shelyn's colors on the petals. I had heard a rumor that the three youngest were setting up shop in Ordellia," Peony answers.
"Gkirkhan,"{/b] the half-orc says with a smile that seems to instantly morph into a fearsome glower, [b]"und Hy haff heard all de pickle jokes, so don't effen tink about et."
After holding the glare for a moment, Gkirkhan resumes his vigil as he waves for another ale.
"Hy vas in de town vhen I meet de big guy's leetle sister," he says, "she vanted a goot swordarm und Hy vas nice enuff to giff her a, uh, vas ist das vort? De-mon-stray-shun? After dot, Hy vas hired," he finishes just as his ale arrives.
"Danke Miss," he thanks the barmaid with a smile and a crown to pay for the drink and a tip.
"So, vhy are hyu vit me und not vit de more lovely company?"
Olivius nods, Such a flower would be impressive. Now, Meling, your turn. How in the hells did you end up here?
"Uh?"
Meiling looks at Olivius for a moment as if she were a startled deer before giving him a puppy-dog-eyed look and pouting just a bit.
"Promise you won't get mad," she asks in that sweet voice that every little sister has to get their big brothers to agree to anything.
Olivius sighs and crosses his arms in that way that tells little sisters that, yes, he'll always love you, but no promises.
"Well, Mom and Dad sent me to the Acadamae in Korvosa with some money to hire servants and buy stuff for my classes. I used it to come find you instead," she says sheepishly.
Olivius stares at his sister. His left eyebrow slowly creeps up. And Father hasn't found out... How?
Running off is one thing. Running off with family asserts is quite another. It's one of the reasons he is hunted, though not the primary one. Not only was he a stain on the family's name, his training was an Investment in the family's capabilities. An investment that was best returned to the family our removed from play.
"Why would he care about The Embarrassment," Meiling asks bitterly, her eyes going dark as she looked away. "they wanted me out of the way and out of sight while they tried to get to the top of the charnel heap they call society. If I managed to get myself lost or stranded, so much the better."
Olivius sighs in relief. Ok. That's good. I was worried he'd come after you like he did me. And congratulations on succeeding where he has failed. Olivius smiles then and reaches out to take her hand once more.
"I just got lucky. I was getting ready to move on to Sandpoint or Kaer Maga with Gkirkhan soon," Meiling says as she squeezes Olivius' hand.
"We did," Saroune replies to Meiling. "And we sent that monster crawling back into the darkness that spawned it."
"I don't know about a shop in Ordellia, but I can tell you that the sisters Ibbleting are loitering in Sandpoint."
She turns back to Meiling. "You're a student at the Acadamae?"
Noro sat outside with her bottle of rum. watching the people wander the street.
this place was much bigger than Sandpoint, probably lots of trouble could be had while here, she ponders.
listening at the door, somewhat waiting for the conversation to change before re-entering.
Once she returns, Ok, so rich people don't come asking for people like us unless they want something, so lets not beat around the bush. out with it, what is it that you want. she asks addressing those that asked to meet the "Hero's of Sandpoint"
"Sisters? Were they triplets," Peony asks.
"Not really," Meiling answers Saroune, "money can get you almost anything, even an admission to the Acadamae. I never went to a class, though. I left Korvosa as soon as I could. It reminds me too much of Cheliax."
Nuala looks confused by what Noro says, and can't quite bring herself to say anything.
Peony, however, has no such inhibitions.
"She just wanted to meet all of you," she answers, "she wanted to make some new friends."
The redheaded young woman snaps out of the stupor she had briefly fallen into and puts a hand on her friend's shoulder stemming the budding tirade.
"Noro, yes? I don't know what your experiences may have been with other nobles, but I had no other designs for our meeting than to get to know you. I'm sorry if I have somehow insulted you in asking for your time," Nuala replies, her voice flat.
After parting from her mother, Pavanna goes through the rest of her day’s lessons and routine... well, not with a lighter heart, but she at least has the certainty of knowledge, and that settles her nerves to a degree.
That evening, she changes into a semi-flashy civilian ensemble and straps on her sword-belt, hanging a buckler next to the scabbard. (On one hand, she isn’t actively expecting trouble, so she foregoes her armour and heavy shield. On the other hand, there are people out to get her, so she’s not about to go about unarmed.) She tops the outfit with her new holy symbol, an ankle-length cloak, and her slightly battered slouch-hat.
On the way down to the Angel’s Share, feeling a little closer to her old self, Pavanna chats with her mother about this and that, recalling some of the more surreal moments of her recent excursion to Sandpoint in the kind of vivid (and absurd) detail that simply doesn’t make it into official reports.
She breaks off the tale of the Tower of Goblin Friendship for a moment as they enter... then something draws her eye. Saroune!? I’d know that floppy purple witch-hat anywhere! “Mother, that’s them!” she blurts, slipping through the crowd and basically tackle-hugging the first of the band she reaches.
“妹妹!” she cries happily, her impact staggering the Tien woman for a moment. “I know I said I’d see you all again ‘soon’, but I’d never hoped it would be here!” Still hugging Noro, she pushes back half an arm’s length so she can get a better look at them all again. Her delighted expression lights up her face, returning her to the over-animated chatterbox they first met just before the Swallowtail Festival. “How are you all? Where’s Horatio? Have you heard from Ping and Thirzin? What brings you here? Who are these new friends you’ve met?” Then she remembers her manners, blushes a little, and steps back to make introductions as Quinta reaches them. “Um. I mean, Mother, these are four of my comrades from Sandpoint. Olivius, Noro Kasuri, Saroune Anzoletta, Asuriel Arktaros, please, meet Quinta Alazario, my mother. But where is Horatio? It’s not like him to miss out on festivities!”
"Oh come now! Miss Asuriel, Miss Noro, surely you would like to see what Magnimar has to offer.
Offering a half-hearted smile the oracle says, "Oh, that's ok. I'm actually quite tired from our journey. Perhaps some other time?"
"... Asuriel Arktaros, please, meet Quinta Alazario, my mother."
Asuriel is actually quite shocked to see Pavanna enter the room, but extremely pleased with the interruption. While she had known about the tiefling's trip south, her mind had been so preoccupied with leaving she completely forgot she was here.
Asuriel stands with a smile and tries to think of something nice to say. "It is a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Alazario. Your daughter is an amazing woman, you must be so proud of her. Her valuable insight and leadership have helped save the lives of hundreds of people. I don't know where we would be without her."
Olivius smiles when Pavanna makes her exited entrance. The only person who could enter a place better would probably be Horatio. He glances over at the cloaked lump next to the guard. What are you waiting for, Limp-wrist?
Echoing Asuriel, he says, Horatio is around here somewhere. He should show up in a bit. Nice to meet you, Quinta Alazario. Pavanna mentioned you several times during our adventures.
Hearing Pavanna enter, Horatio sinks a little further into his seat, adjusting his hat. "Let's just say it would be better for both her and I if she didn't see me," he sighs.
Finishing his drink, he cracks his knuckles, points at Pavanna from under one arm, and whispers a few words.
"One table behind and two to the right. I'll explain later; please don't point me out to them!" The voice is instantly recognizable as Horatio's through a message spell, and his whispered tone seems desperate.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Pavanna's mother replies, "Pavanna has told me a lot about all of you, and please, just Quinta will do."
Maver stands up and gives a bow to both Pavanna and her mother, one that is well practiced for someone from a small town like Sandpoint.
"Ms. Quinta Alazario," he says in greeting, "My name is Maver Kesk and I am most delighted to meet the woman who raised such a fine young lady." He straightens up and turns to Pavanna, a twinkle in his eyes as he spots the holy symbol around her neck.
"Miss Pavanna, it truly is good to see you again. I trust you are doing well," the jeweler asks.
There are three young women sitting at the table that you don't know. One is a red-haired young woman with blue eyes and a dazzling holy symbol that could have only come from one set of hands that you know of. Sitting beside her is a slightly shorter, blonde woman who appears to be the same age. The two of them are looking at you in surprise, pleasant surprise as a matter of fact. The third woman is remarkably similar in appearance to Olivius. The resemblance is too uncanny for them not to be related somehow.
Rosaline is there too, but she appears to be a bit put out at the moment, and isn't paying too much attention.
"Oh really? Und vhy iz dot? Luffer's spat," the half-orc says with a mischievous grin. After a moment, his expression becomes more sober. "De redhead, Nuala, seemed to be upset dot hyu didn't vant to seet vit her. Hyu may need some ov de brewed courage, bot ve's don't haff all night. Hyu can borrow mein," Gkirkhan says as he starts to stand.
Olivius watches the exchanges and niceties. It was good to have done a job without having to kill anything.
He turns to Meling, You should come with us back to Sandpoint. There's a certain Tien innkeep you'd love.
Saroune hears a familiar voice and looks around. Finding the source, she gasps. "Pavanna? Pavanna!" The wizard rushes to embrace her friend. After a fierce hug, she holds the tiefling at arms length. "What are you doing here?"
Quinta bows her head at the assembled heroes after being introduced to them.
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I've heard so many good things from Pavanna, I'd hoped that I might be able to before too much time had passed," the woman who'd raised the genki-tiefling says with a wide smile, "So you mind if I join you?"
Meanwhile, Meiling is busy catching up with Olivius.
"Really? What are they like," she asks.
Ameiko I'd fire in a bottle if you get her at the wrong time or make her mad, but she's a good soul and kind. She's been especially good to us. I've practically lived at the Rusty Dragon for months. Olivius continues describing the rest the people he's meet in broad strokes in an attempt at giving his sister an impression of the town.