Upon entering the bar, Winter immediately scans the faces of the patrons for any signs of trouble or hint of ambush...
Once he is satisfied that there is no imminent danger, his angelic eyes peer through the darkness as though it were daylight as he looks for clues that things are not as they should be...
"I'm not overly used to taverns and inns, but I do prefer the slightly more rustic feel of this establishment, it reminds me of home"
Finding a quiet spot, Winter tries to relax and fit in as best as he can, which isn't very well given his exotic appearance. After blessing* the fare on his table, he simply sits back with some food and ale and observes.
Stepping into the building, Sweeney sniffs the aroma of pipe smoke and old ale in the air. He immediately scans the area, taking stock of the people here. In particular, he is looking for an attarctive lady of whom he wishes to garner the attention of.
Eyeing the room, he approaches the bar and asks for glass of rum. Taking his drink he will move to the table where Winter is sitting and offer to return his cloak. "Just don't let anyone see me doing this. Wouldn't want someone getting the wrong ideas about us, or anything." he says, with a wink. He will then find an empty table to scope out bar patrons from.
Bree approaches the bar and speaks quietly off to the side to a man behind the bar. She motions over her shoulder towards the group and speaks quietly some more.
Accepting his cloak back from Sweeny he gives a consipratorial nod and smile "Oh thanks for returning that, I think I must have dropped it earlier."
"What do you make of it all?"
"It is much like the Brothers told me it would be. As treacherous as the rocks around it and as unforgiving as the ocean."
He takes another bote of bread, gives it a measured chew, and then washes it down with a swig of ale from his tankard.
"At first glance, people would simply look at the folk around here and rightfully consider them black hearted and mean. It would be a fair observation and I could not argue against it."
"What I think though..." Winter fumbles around for a moment before producing a blackened coin, dirty with use, "Is that people are a lot like this coin. They have been used and traded, bought and sold, and handled with no real care."
"Yet if you treat them well, and show them another way..." He pours a spot of ale on the coin and starts gently rubbing it "The blackness on their soul can be removed, and the goodness in their hearts will shine through." - He places the coin down, now gleaming silver.
"Riddleport is just a very big coin. I just need a bigger cloth."
Sebastian chilled by the negotiations on the dock will come away from the bar with something warm and alcoholic. At a sniff, he wrinkles his nose. "Well, its warm, and doesn't smell quite as bad as that wine earlier."
As he chokes on a sip, "I stand corrected..here is your metal cleanser, Winter...this place sells it by the glass."
The Foxy Fiddler is mostly empty at this late hour. A few bar flies are nursing their ales, flirting with the scantily clad serving girl who is working at cleaning the floors.
The barkeep, a small, gaunt man peers up over his glasses, looking up from a book he's reading. "Kitchen's closed, and rooms are full up. Taps still open, a copper a draft."
After your eyes adjust, you see two men standing at the back of the common room, dressed in robes and hoods. Swathed in shadows, you can see the light of the fireplace flickering off their eyes.
They quickly turn away, and make their way to a nearby door, disappearing into the alleyway behind the building.
"Seems that this place just became distasteful for a couple of our Elven brothers" Winter mutters to his comrades as he nods towards the door the figures just sliped through.
Winter chuckles at Sebastians reaction to the 'fine vintage'.
"...anyhow reckon those Elves have their own busienss they'd be attending to, and if they were set on absenting themselves then perhaps it would suit us to let them"
Bree orders drinks for everyone in the group, including herself, before sitting down near the others. She quietly nurses her drink while staring at the table top. After a moment she looks up and scans the room again before scrutinizing the faces of her new companions.
"So, how is this going to play out?"
Joining the others at the table with a brew, Kaylen sits with her back to the fire. To Bree, "We sit and chat like old chums for a while, until dawn gets near, then we'll head off to your little rendezvous. Perhaps we'll be sneaky and hide in the shadows."
Sweeney quickly downs his glass of rum before taking to the drink purchased for him by Bree. He leans back in his chair, kicking his boots up on to the table. "I guess you're all not so bad. For a motley bunch of do-gooders who talk funny." he says, with a slight grin.
Bree tips her glass in toast with Sable but then nearly chokes on the drink when Sweeney makes his comment. She quickly regains her composure and swallows before clearing her throat and taking another sip.
To Kaylen she says with one of her uncomfortable smiles, "Well, we can try to be sneaky and hide in the shadows, but that doesn't always work out so well."
"Sneaky never was my strong point, I guess I never claimed that part of my heritage, and it's not something the Brothers worried about too much as we went logging trees and quarrying stones"
"Indeed, so far this venture has been full of new surprises to me"
Finishing her cleaning, the serving girl, hair hanging in her eyes, shirt-sleeves torn, and a bruise forming on her upper arm, takes the party's last order before disappearing into a back room.
The barkeep sends a tall, drunken man to deliver the drinks, who manages to deliver half of them...the other half soaking into the wooden floor.
When the serving girl did not return, Sebastian will excuse himself for the table and go over to the back room door and peer in.
"Miss?..Miss?..Are you all right?..you looked hurt?...Perhaps I can help?"
Bree returns to the bar and says to the barkeep, "Seems as though your server was unable to deliver the drinks I've paid for without spilling half of them on the floor. How about you pour me some new ones, and I'll just carry them over myself? Eh?"
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Sable sighs as the drinks spill, "It could be worse. I hope the young sparrow is all right though..." speaking to Winter in Elven, "If Sebastian does not return momentarily, it might suit us to check upon him and the maiden, but if we all flock back there now it will surely cause upset. Be on guard."
Sable pauses, and then turns to Kaylen, whispering in Common,
There is no sign of the girl, and no other exits from the room.
The barkeep shrugs at Bree, and pours a new round of drinks. "Doesn't make much difference. After that scorcher yesterday, this is all warm piss-swallow."
He hands Bree the mugs. "Enjoy."
"Of course... thanks."
Bree takes the mugs back to the table, letting her eyes wander in the direction that Sebastian went, she bites the inside of her lip.
Please don't let there be more trouble tonight... She returns to the table and passes out the new drinks before taking her seat again.
To Kaylen she says, "There is a place that you can sell your things about a block from where we're going."
Finding the edge, Sebastian pries open the door enough to put his face to the opening and look in.
Perception-> takes a 10 resulting in 15
If it is dark, he will cast light. If it is cluttered he will cast Sift (a perception check at distance for -5 to the check..so a 10).
Elven, "If Sebastian does not return momentarily, it might suit us to check upon him and the maiden, but if we all flock back there now it will surely cause upset. Be on guard."
"Indeed. Let us be ready to gently enquire after our friend, I take it from the Elves earlier departure that some curious business has been taking place here already this evening"
Rest of party, Perception check
"Please open up, I can take away the pain those drunken louts have caused. Even get you out of here if you wish"
To Sable, Kaylen murmurs, "A kind offer, friend. I don't know your people's tongue, but perhaps learning it wouldn't be a bad idea. I'll see what I can trade you. Perhaps teach you a bit with the bow?"
When everybody begins to move for the storeroom, Kaylen is caught unawares until after Sable has drawn his sickle. "What's going on?" Standing, Kaylen rushes after the Elf, getting a hand on one end of the weights wrapped around her waist in preparation to pulling it free, but not drawing yet.
Winter hears the creak but doesn't put too much stock in it... when Sable indicates however, he stands to accompany his comrades in search of the wayward member...
Perception check to see who is reacting 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Sense Motive to see how they are reacting 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
The two barflies are sloshing ales around, singing sea shanties. They stop for a moment, then go back to their song.
She stands silently, waiting on your response.
From within, a baby cries, and a voice hushes it back to sleep.
Bree gets up from the her chair and makes her way to the door the others are headed too. She stays outside the room, leaning against the door frame. She keeps her eyes on the main room and any other doors in the area, acting as a look out. She asks the others, "What's going on? He get himself knocked over the head?"
Entering the back room, the party sees a trap door open. Peering down into the hole, you see Sebastian talking to the serving girl who was just working. She's holding his arm, standing half-naked.
Sebastian puts his hand on hers, "I'll see what I can do. Thanks for trusting me."
Hearing noises above, he sees Sable and then the others. He turns back to the serving girl. "It will be fine. Those are my friends."
Sebastian is standing at the base of a rickety ladder holding a glowing potato. "Winter, you best come down. It is as I thought and these poor girls are pretty roughed up. Mind the ladder, I cracked a rung and you are much bigger."
He allows the girl to lead him into the room. Upon seeing Aetheri laid out, "Oh poor girl! My friend is a priest, but I know some techniques. I learned this from a Xian fencing instructor."
Sebastian shakes out his hands to loosen them up, and then cups them and blows into them to warm them. He places his hands upon her neck and feels for anything out of place beyond the terrible swelling. From his anatomy classes he knew where to feel her pulse, feel the alignment of vertebrae, and checked that her wind pipe was not crushed. He spares a quick look to the girl at his side, "I just need to channel my life energy and give it to her."
From under the cuffs of Sebastian's jacket there is a soft glow that spreads down into his hands. With his hands gently stroking Aetheri's neck the light flows down onto and then into her neck.
Sebastian exhales deeply and sags a little but smiles. "He taught stage fighting..fake sword fighting, but it is surprising how often he used that technique on me..or how hurt you can get..fake sword fighting."
He then goes back to examining his patient as hopefully Winter is coming.
Seeing the sight below the trap door, Kaylen murmurs to the others, "I don't know if I want to know what he's been up to with that potato."
Inside the room, four girls dressed in night clothes hover over an elf woman. Her neck is blistered, small bumps oozing black pus.
Sebastian's spell eases the elf's moaning for a few moments. Her eyes flutter open, and she raises her head up off the pillow. She rasps out a few incoherent words, and collapses back onto the bed.
The bumps slowly start oozing once more, and the elf starts shivering in her sleep.
Heal check ->
He turns to assembled girls, "I'm sorry, it seems I can only ease the symptoms. I have never seen this before. Winter, have you ever seen this?"
When Sable turns back to guard the door, she asks him in Elven, "What's going on? Are we going to have to fight our way back out of here?"
"The boss man will have my hide for this if we cause him to loose this contact. I hope whatever is happening in there, it's worth it for you lot, because I'm sure I'll hear about it either way." Then in Elven, "My talons are always ready."