"One more question, human, and then I will depart your temple. Explain why there are posters warning citizens of this...place about odd markings?"
"Because, missy," he replies as though speaking to a backward child, "there have been a series of horrible attacks on our citizens made by people with strange marks on them."
"The temple priests believe that some of them are disguising themselves as normal people during the day. A bit like werewolves. Maybe you don't have those where you come from, missy, but they're nasty humans who can turn into fierce animals and rip your throat out. The only way you can tell what they really are is by a mark. So they think it's something like that."
He takes the money and ostentatiously puts it in the missionary box dedicated to providing help to needy foreigners.
Arrika grins. "And, I can be the bait for eyes, too, right? Get them looking at me and you slip in quietly." The tiefling doesn't mind being a distraction and she strides in, taking her time to move to the bar, her tail flicking back and forth as she struts inside.
Rev, Kel, and Kelgan
Marketplace/temple team
The bright mid-morning sun and the happy bustle of a busy centre of commerce makes the marketplace an inviting spot to explore.
Urlag/Arrika
Urlag hulks unobtrusively outside the Jewel, while Arrika struts confidently inside and looks around. At this time of day, the place is quiet. Empty, in fact, apart from the half-orc absently cleaning and recleaning the bar counter. He looks up and nods as Arrika enters.
"Morning. Help you?"
"I love fortune tellers it's like getting a sneak peak at life. Let’s go."
Kel's roving eye takes in several prospects for petty thievery, as well as enough strolling Watch members to make him cautious. Around the traveling jugglers, storytellers, fortune teller and fire eaters are plenty of distracted citizens.
"A drink." Arrika replies as she slips onto a barstool. "The best you have" Her tail curls around the stool and she leans back. When he brings the drink and tells her how much it is, she overpays by a gold or so. "Keep the change."
The innkeeper nods briefly and provides a foaming concoction liberally laced with something that looks potent from a dusty bottle he pulls out from under the counter.
"You want sulphur with that?"
Ava walks through the marketplace, an air of obvious disdain on her face as she moves through the crowd, making every effort not to touch any of the filthy humans. Noticing the apothecary shop, she enters and looks over the wares, keeping an eye out of anyone getting too close to her.
Potions line the walls of the small shop. Without getting closer than she may like to the slightly dishevelled girl minding the counter, Ava can't make out any details. She could probably assume that most of the components of healing can be purchased here, however.
Ava gives the girl a long look and then approaches her. "I would like to purchase any ointments or concoctions of healing, if you have any, human. What selections do you have?"
The girl doesn't bother to raise her eyes as she recites the shop contents from memory.
"Potion of resistance, all flavours 40gp
Elixir of Aptitude, 50gp
Gravespawn, Clarity, Spirit and Healing 50gp each
Fire Beetle, 75gp
Dragonbreath, Lifeshield, Mimicry and Lesser Invisibility 100gp each.
Anything else is a special order payable in advance and it takes two days. And don't call me "human" in that rude way, eladrin."
Ava smiles sweetly, much like a crocodile eyeing its prey and says "I'll take 4 of your healing potions, human", says Ava as she drops 4 platinum pieces into the girls hand.
"Don't ever let anyone talk to you like that, human" she says with a fire in her golden eyes and the subtlest hint of what passes for a smile on her stern face.
"My mother told me nice manners cost nothing. What did yours tell you?"
She plonks the potions on the counter and hands back two of the platinum pieces.
"Doesn't look like she taught you to add up, whatever she may have told you about being polite. Don't do that again. Someone will cheat you and I can see that might get messy."
"My mother told me nice manners cost nothing. What did yours tell you?"
She plonks the potions on the counter and hands back two of the platinum pieces.
"Doesn't look like she taught you to add up, whatever she may have told you about being polite. Don't do that again. Someone will cheat you and I can see that might get messy."
Ava maintains her stern demeanor, even in the face of the embarrassing miscount. "All of your human currency looks alike to me, girl. Where I come from, we do not use such clumsy, foul-smelling things. My mother taught me to kill and respect those worthy of respect. It is earned with blood. Care to be respected? Keep your fire, but learn how to fight. It is the only way to keep the respect you earn, lest others take it from you."
With that Ava takes her potions and walks out of the apothecary.
The girl shrugs, but as Ava leaves, mutters under her breath. It doesn't sound like something her mother would approve of.
"Sulfur tastes horrible. I tried it once." Arrika replies with a smile as she takes her drink. "I guess I'm here too early for anything exciting to be happening." She takes her time looking around the tavern.
Urlag waits patiently, noticing nothing untoward bar the absence of custom entering or leaving the Jewel.
Inside, the innkeeper shrugs. "It's morning. This time of day, I'm just cleaning up and making sure all my staff check in. Nothing special really. Not that kind of establishment."
He looks a little furtive.
"Let's see if this one is as good as Lady Sybil." Hobbes says as he leads Kelgan and Kel to the fortune teller's tent. As he passes by Kel, he says under his breath, "Don't do anything stupid, Kel. If it's not there, don't risk it. Be smart." Hobbes knows better than to deny him his "fun".
Then Hobbes stands at the door of the tent and asks aloud, "May I come in?"
Arrika
Incense hits you like a brick as you enter the tent and the usual paraphenalia of the mystic arts distracts the eye from the rather ordinary figure of the fortune teller.
"Cards, hands or crystal ball? All's the same price. 2sp for a quick reading, more if you want the veil pulled back for longer."
Urlag:
After giving Arrika a few minutes to get settled, Urlag walks up to The Jewel, shifts his posture subtly, then swaggers in, taking in whatever might be there to be seen.
"Urlag."
The innkeepers's tone is non-committal.
"When did you get back? Rumour had it you'd left for Waterdeep."
"Hands, please." Hobbes says with a smile. "It's more... interactive." And then he places a gold coin on the table. "There's another one for you if you don't mind answering a couple of questions for me... afterward, of course." He then sits in the chair, puts on his "cheaters", and presents his right hand formally. "Shall we begin?"
"Pritchov," Urlag answers with equal lack of commitment. He surveys the common room, attempting to pass over Arrika without reaction.
"Good to hear I'm not back yet. Makes my job easier. I have business with the dwarf -- I reckon he'll know within the hour, since I walked in your door.
"The Jewel still one of his favorites? You're not in this, 'sfar as I know, and we can keep it that way -- but I need a time and place."
Hobbes
The fortune teller is a rather dumpy middle-aged woman who doesn't exude any kind of mystical aura. She looks, if anything, rather bored as she takes Hobbes's hand.
"Well now, my charmer, let's see what the future holds for you. Not fat grandchildren crowding around your deathbed, that's for sure."
Her fingers traces the lines on Hobbes's palm and she opens and closes his hand experimentally.
"Too hasty by half and none too careful with your tongue, my lad. That mound there says "impulsive" and the length of this finger says you're loyal."
Urlag
"Don't know which dwarf you're talking about Urlag. No idea at all." Pritchov doesn't sound entirely convincing.
"Oh? My mistake.
"I'll just stay here, and you keep the ale coming. I'm sure the dwarf I'm looking for will show up sooner or later, and we'll work things out in your common room."
"I'm really pretty sure you're wrong about that, Urlag."
Pritchov reluctantly pours a jug of ale and goes back to cleaning the counter, refusing to meet Urlag's eyes.
Urlag tries to interpret what meaning he can from Pritchov's tone in that last remark.
One scared half-orc is cleaning that counter.
Urlag's good at tactical combat, but he's neither intelligent nor wise. We'll see what happens!
Hobbes reaches up and takes off his glasses with his left hand and sets them on the table and looks the fortune teller right in the eyes. "What else does my hand tell you, Ma'am?"
Hobbes
"It tells me that you do more work than you'll admit to, that you've a nose for trouble and you're too clever by half. I've seen goggles like them before and I thank you for taking them off. Now, I can tell you all about yourself, if that's what you want to know, but I don't think it is."
She smiles at him and gives him back his hand. "One more thing I know for sure, and I don't need cards or crystals or your hand to tell me. If you're planning to stay in Oreme, you'll give the old place a good shake up. I can do real divination magic too, but right now I don't need more than my own eyes and experience to tell me that."
Urlag
Pritchov continues to shuffle uncomfortably. "You planning to stay here long, Urlag? Since you're not here, if you take my meaning?"
Arrika is focused on her drink. She's seemingly not paying attention to the conversation between the two.
After taking his time in downing one large mug, Urlag relents. "No, I'm not here, Pritchov. But I might be before long."
He pays for his drink and leaves the inn.
"Well, I'm convinced you're the real deal." Hobbes says with a smile as he puts his glasses back in his magic cloak and sits back in his chair, relaxed. "I might like to pay for a divination. That is, if your wits and wisdom are not sufficent to answer my questions."
He pulls out his coin purse and lays 5 gold coins out. He waves his hand in front of the coins as if to display them for the lady. "Just so you know I'm good for it."
Then he begins. "I was hoping you were as shrewd as you looked. Most fortune tellers are. Even the fakes." Hobbes says with a smile. "You are in a position to know things, even without the use of your magic. If everyone in town comes through here and talks to you about their futures and what they hope and dream those futures will bring, that gives you a lot of knowledge, knowledge I am willing to pay for."
He dramatically pauses.
"First off, what's your name? How long exactly have you been selling fortunes?" "Are you here year round or is this more of a summer job?" "Do most of the townfolk come to you or are you here mostly for the travelers, like me?" "And lastly, do you know of the dwarf Barstow and his gang of thieves? And what do you know about them?"
Hobbes
"Just call me Fortuna. You get that one for free."
She ignores the coins in front of her.
"I don't sell information about people. Ever." Fortuna looks stern for a moment then smiles slightly. "That's why folk trust me."
"I've been coming to Oreme for years, like my mother did before me and maybe my daughter will when I'm gone. We're traveling folk, but even we have our routines. We'll be moving on once Vehsas arrives. Another month or two traveling and then we'll seek winter shelter somewhere."
Touching one of the coins, she adds quietly, "If I was going to say anything about the dwarf you're looking for, I'd say he has a fondness for a Jewel."
Urlag
The warlord may not have much of a grasp of social tactics, but his hiding skills are impeccable. To all intents and purposes, he simply fades into the wall and waits.
Kel
Kel puts his talents to good, if misguided use as he moves among the shoppers. With an expression of wide-eyed awe on his face, he appears to be drinking in the sights of Oreme. If he occasionally makes a slight gesture of appreciation, certainly nobody notices that his clever fingers are not empty when he returns them to his pockets.
The bulky merchant haggling for a discount on a length of silk will find himself short a few gold pieces when he next checks his purse.
Hobbes throws up his arms in exaggerated manner.
"Oh, now I've done it! I've insulted you. I'm sorry, Madam Fortuna, I was just hoping to rid this town of that scourge and his boys, but I understand your reluctance to devulge any secrets. You wouldn't be you if you were a rat fink."
"So what else do you have? You're right in that I don't care to know more about myself. It may not surprise you, but I don't think about it much. I am who I am. But I wouldn't mind getting a sneak peak at what's in store for me in the future. Love? Success? Tragedy? Forewarned IS forearmed."
"Who said I was insulted? I'm explaining the realities. Look for the Jewel if you want to find that dwarf."
Fortuna looks hard at Hobbes. "I hope I don't have to spell everything out for you, but please remember that a Jewel can take many forms and this one will be found in the backstreets. It's quite large, normally fairly well guarded and contains a nice dark cellar. I won't take payment for that."
She pats his hand.
"Sit down and be still. I'll take your hard-earned money and see what the future holds for you."
Pulling her cards towards her, she hands them to Hobbes. "Shuffle these and lay down the first seven face up. Then we'll review the situation and see what we see."
With the extra coin in Kel's pocket he will begin looking for street kids and beggers that stand out as being too alert or too clean to homeless.
perception =
If I find one I'll saunter over to them casualy and brop a gold into their bowl if they're a begger or drop the coin in front of them if a street urchin to start up a conversation.
Kel's quick eyes take in a cluster of urchins waiting hopefully around the toy stall. They seem to be listening hardest to a wiry girl of about 10 years old, but Kel's attention is drawn more to the quiet boy lurking at the back with a knowing smile on his face. As the coin lands, he puts a deft foot over it, palms it and grins up at Kel.
"What yer want Mister?"
"Hoping to find someone who knows about the comings and goings of a certain group of people.” "You know anyone like that?"
Hobbes shuffles the deck a few times and then cuts it once in the middle. He draws the top seven cards and lays them face down in between them. "Like this?" He asks the older lady.