Saniel grins as Sholti goes into depth on her interests over the Silver Star, when she adds in her own line of questioning he pauses a moment to consider his approach "Well, collectively we have decided to do what we can to ensure that the true interests of Kintargo are attended to. We were at the Silver Star to see if there were any clues we could find as to the true nature of the fires that took place during the Night of Ashes. As to our current mission, our friend Mawl heard of troubles at this establishment. Fearing a potential escalation with the dottari, or worse the Hellknights, we offered to look into the matter to try and avoid any such unpleasantness."
Upon a self-realization he chuckles before continuing "On the matter of our employer, I suppose we work for the people of Kintargo and the city itself. While not offered the position, we've taken it upon ourselves to right what wrongs that we can. As an example, you likely didn't hear about the string of murders taking place in the Devil's Nursery, correct? Well, I believe that is because we diligently worked to track down the culprits of the vile act and end the terror gripping that part of the city before it got out of hand."
Finishing his drink he sits the empty glass on the table "In any case, I have a feeling our goals may be similarly aligned. Perhaps you could assist us in our current endeavors and once we've found a resolution we could discuss the possibility of a continued friendship?" He looks to his companions that have begun to gather and discuss what they've found and gives Sholti a wink "We are good people and I believe you are as well, I hope you'll consider helping."
Mawl comes in with confusion on his face. Seeing Saniel smile at the strange new woman does nothing to remove the expression.
He appeals to Sorix and Horillo, "Surely, we must find what has Rinston charmed. It is the entire reason this place is attracting unwanted attention. Shutting this place down would be top on the list of things for House of Thrune to accomplish its' gradual and depraved destruction of a society and city."
C'mon, point me at something I can hit to strike back at Thrune
When she hears Saniel's explanation, Sholti leans in closer to him and lowers her voice. "So are you saying you're vigilantes?"
What the man is suggesting is both shocking and intriguing to Sholti. So reckless! What could they be thinking will come of it? What a beautiful smile he has to match those eyes...
"No, I've heard nothing about any murders in the Devil's Nursery. Tell me about it, what did you do there?"
Sholti no longer has any real doubts about the sincerity behind what Saniel is telling her. But without something more specific about how the little band goes about "righting what wrongs they can", it's hard for her to decide just how certainly a friendship with them would a noose around her neck or worse.
Saniel smiles and shakes his head "Well, I would rather say we are concerned citizens trying to do what we can to ensure Kintargo's interests, as a whole, are addressed. In order to do that though, we definitely need the help of more like minded people. We have already recruited others to our cause and plan to continue to do so until we can set things right."
Looking to his other friends, lingering on Nils a moment he continues "As to the nursery, perhaps I should let someone with the most vested interest into the matter explain." He claps Nils on the shoulder in an effort to get the others involved in the immediate conversation, hoping they can show more of their true colors to Sholti.
As Sorix makes her way, Horillo mutters "If we knew the magic that made Rinston fall weary of life, to give up on his passions and follow the way of lethargy. Unless there is another way to wake him from his nightmare of inactivity." Horillo turns one last time to look at Rinston, and holding the slumbering man's shoulders, the cleric shakes the man to wake him from his slumber. "Rinston, Rinston, wake, speak to me!"
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Horillo approaches the table with Sholti and Saniel talking quietly in a friendly way. He stops at the table and looks to Saniel, "So Saniel, what say you about Arrosa? You have had time to talk to talk with her?" He moves to Saniels ear, "Can we talk freely in front of her?" He stands up straight and at the table, his grey-green eyes look at the woman's face as Saniel replies.
Sorix, having already established a satisfying beginning to a rapport with Sholti back at the Silver Star, listens quietly as her companions take this opportunity to explain things a little better.
Mawl takes a place at the table as implied or suggested, not suspicious, yet obviously distracted with his friend and former host, Rinston.
Nils takes a seat between Saniel and Sorix, joining her in ordering tea but skipping the whiskey this time.
Following Saniel's lead in he turns to regard Sholti with is black eyes for a moment before making some inner decision and beginning, "As you may know the Nursery has never been well loved by those who run the city. My kind are a smudge on Cheliax's belief that it is in control of the foolish pacts it's entered into with the infernal powers. An embarrassing reminder that the darkness they think themselves above is tainting them in visible ways and raising the question of how much more it must be doing so in ways that can't be seen." He takes a sip of his obviously scalding tea and sneers, pointed teeth accenting the gesture.
"Regardless the Nursery, and Kintago as a whole have been the closest thing to a haven within Cheliax as my kind have ever had. When the Night of Ashes came the new Lord Mayor was keen send the message that those times were at an end. He sent men to abduct one of our leading citizens and hung the corpse of another from the gates to the Nursery." the rage and pain the tiefling feels are evident for a moment on his face before he manages to master them.
"Since that day a string of brutal, sadistic murders started occurring. When I came to know about them I, and my friends here, took it upon ourselves to put them to an end. We were fortunate and uncovered a hive of foul fey creatures that were responsible. Between our efforts and those of other like minded individuals all of the creatures were slain."
"As Saniel has said we've taken it upon ourselves to do what we can to improve the lot of the citizens of Kintago. House Thrune has finally turned it's boot heel to our fair city and it's up to those with the will to resist to do what we can to protect it."
As Mawl listens to Nils' story he is struck dumb with learning the deeper machinations behind all that goes on in his now home, Kintargo.
Oh my, I had no idea that his race was treated that way, but now that I think about it...I guess it is so. Hrumph, just another reason to hate this new Lord Mayor, House of Thrune, and Church of Asmodeus.
"Wow Nils, I had no idea the pain you have been enduring. I apologize for my part in it, through my ignorance. I assure you it was never deliberate."
Horillo nods at Nils, "We give comfort where we can, the Nursery has many in need of help, just as those in the Tenements. Race doesn't matter where the fight to survive is keenest." Horillo's voice wavers as his thoughts return to his family struggling to make ends meet, They don't know it, but this fight is for them as well. The cleric nods to Nils, a smile in his eyes.
He looks confused during the conversations as the rest of the group keep referring to the woman as Sholti, though he knows her as Arrosa, So I must accept this woman as Sholti, she already knows enough to have has taken and murdered by Thrune, Saniel and the other have put their trust in her, one of us should remain wary. The cleric watches Sholti through the conversation, and questions her, "It's one thing to try and find Shensen, your light, but to fight for the people of Kintargo, why would you do that? What would you do to fight for them?"
As she listens to Nils's story it's apparent through her facial expressions Sholti knows almost nothing about the Devil's Nursery, or tieflings for that matter. Surprise, shock, pity, and sadness are all on display.
When he finishes Sholti remains silent for a few moments, seemingly unable to to decide how to respond. Finally she says "that is so awful, and unfair. I would certainly be willing to help those in the city who are less fortunate or who are treated badly. I don't doubt Kintargo is becoming a crueler place, and the numbers of such people are growing."
"In fact I have been mulling over similar thoughts for several days now. Part of my family's heritage is Qadiran. Veneration of Sarenrae is rooted deeply in tradition if one has such a background. Sarenites are another group who are suffering persecution in Kintargo now. I have been wondering how I might help them in some way..."
"But I don't understand why you would be interested in my kind of help if you do the kinds of things you have done in the Devil's Nursery. I'm a singer and dancer. Yes, I could collect donations or distribute food to the needy. But I've never lifted my hand in violence against anyone."
Almost as an afterthought as she considers what Nils and Saniel have been saying, she corrects Horillo. "My name is Sholti, not Arrosa. Why in the world would I ever give my true name to dottari as I misdirect them?"
"It's been my experience that the most important thing is the will to help, to do something and not stand by while evil men impose their own desires. If you have this desire to act then I have no doubt you're skills will find a way to be useful. Just look at how you diffused the situation earlier. If you hadn't been there that might have gone much worse."
Leaning in a bit closer he continues, "It wasn't a whimsical choice to come to this tavern. We received word that the proprietor, Rinston, has fallen under some kind of malaise of late. This place has long had a reputation as...tolerant...of those who think more freely and I think it no coincidence that trouble has found a home here."
Sitting back up he finishes, "So, perhaps it's best to start things one step at a time. Would you be willing to help us put a good man right again? After that we can see how entwined our paths might be."
Mawl turns his full attention to the newcomer, now, with Nils asking her a direct question.
We need all the allies we can get, especially those that may have special qualities. This could be a good alliance
Sorix’s expression morphs from calm to steely as Nils tells his tale to Sholti. They will all pay. Oh yes… ”Worshippers of the Dawnflower are indeed being unfairly persecuted, as are those of the Starsong. In fact, I came to Kintargo from Nidal where my family and our fellow Desnans have been actively working against the tyranny of the Umbral Court, so I am not a stranger to actively fighting for what’s right, decent, and good.”
At Nils’ mention of Rinston, Sorix’s thoughts return to the present moment and the current problem. ”Yes, Rinston’s been somehow enchanted. I don’t know any of the specifics, but we should see what we can figure out. Have we asked Jillian all she knows about his condition? How long ago it started? Any details she might remember about when it began?”
"I will go ask Jillian these questions...or should I just ask her to come in and talk with you while I cover for her in the bar? If I were to ask her these questions what should I tell her about what we know...an enchantment? Is that all we got?"
Sholti can't help but smile a little a Nils's pitch. She finds herself liking the Teifling, even if his appearance takes some getting used to. He's engaging and quick witted. No doubt he's a natural salesman.
She shrugs slightly. "Alright Nils, I'll help you out with this. I like how you think. A little bit of getting to know each other courtship is a very fine idea."
Sholti looks around at the tavern, her eyes flicking from one patron to another. "What do you know at this point? How do we go about this?"
Mawl approaches Jillian and asks about Rinston's condition. "Hey Jill', when did he first start checking out instead of his normal revving up? Was there any change in clientele, anyone specifically suspicious that might have been involved in charm? My friends think he is enchanted...charmed somehow, this is making him sleepy and allowing the ruffians from the badger to get all rowdy."
When Mawl calls Jillian over and barrages her with questions she shrugs "I don't know, started happening shortly after the Night of Ashes. Obviously, there was a change of clientele then, since the Badger had burnt and we were the next closest tavern." She looks around at the crowd and shakes her head to the next question "No one has stood out as particularly suspicious, but then again I've also had my hands pretty full." When Mawl mentions someone may have charmed Rinston she quirks a brow "Why would someone go and do something like that?"
"Ha, I have no idea, that's for all these smart people to figure out, Thanks for the info, I think everyone else is scared to talk to you with you so busy."
Mawl returns to the group with the answers. "I know it has something to do with them burning the Badger and the rowdies are coming here now. Rinston never put up with any of that stuff, maybe whoever charmed him knew that and they knew that's the only way they wouldn't get the boot."
Nils smiles to Sholti, "Good. I'm afraid what Sorix and Jillian have related is as much as we know so far."
To the general group he asks, "Can we discover what kind of enchantment this is? If we knew more about it perhaps it would help us find the source. I searched his quarters and didn't find anything of obvious interest there. Should we search his person as well?"
”I am only certain that it’s an enchantment; beyond that I don’t have the ability to determine any other specifics. I suppose we could search his person. I’d be more inclined to think we’d find something linked with a divination effect, some kind of scrying sensor or something. But you never know. It wouldn’t hurt to check.”
Sholti thinks out loud, saying everything that comes to mind given what they know.
"So, do I understand correctly he is not like this all the time? Sometimes behaves normally, and others like now? From what I know of enchantments they last for a few hours. More than that, or a permanent enchantment would only be possible for an extraordinarily powerful caster. If this is happening every day, I would think the person doing it would have to be here. If the time of his change in behavior is the same every day, it would be best to come before that and watch carefully."
"I don't think an object could be responsible for the enchantment at least. If it were an object, the effect should be constant, not variable, or cyclical, every day."
Nils nods. "Let's hope that's the case then. Jillian is there a time when he's back to himself, or at least recovered for a bit? When does this malaise start to come on?"
Jillian shrugs "I mean, he seems to pass out pretty much every night at around 5. As I noted before, it's a bit strange as it used to be he would be up all night with me to manage things. At first I thought maybe it was just the stress of all the new customers was weighing on him, but some sort of curse would make a lot more sense. Usually, he ends up being out for the night, until the next morning. I've tried waking him before and he wakes up, but not too long after he always seems to pass out again, so I've just been doing my best to manage."
"Well perhaps we should all meet here for an early dinner tomorrow then?"
"Jillian any idea what started the fight earlier? Just the usual rough housing? If Rinston was only recently affected the enchanter may still be here."
Nils will spend some time taking note of the faces in the crowd.
"I agree with Nils on the early dinner tomorrow. We should make note of who is here tonight as well as who is here tomorrow when they open. I will stay for awhile and give Jill' a hand, with Rinston out it wouldn't hurt for her to have a little extra muscle around. I will also try and see if anyone seems suspicious, like not ordering anything."
"Right, I'll take a look around as well." Sholti circulates around the common room for a little while, making note of faces and conversations to compare against tomorrow evening.
When she's satisfied she's taken as much in as she can, she asks her fellow sleuths "Tomorrow at four or so then? An hour should give us time to watch comings and goings before five."
Taking your time Nils and Sholti examine the crowd, making note of the various patrons to use as a comparison for tomorrow. With little else to do, you decide to meet up again tomorrow afternoon, an hour before the time Jillian indicated things begin to go awry.
After tending to your own affairs during the day, the group gathers at Clenchjaw's again to keep an eye on things. You keep a close eye on the crowd as it gathers for the evening rush.
You see a few familiar faces and several new people. Focusing on the familiar faces you all watch to see any sign of foul intent, though no one you are watching appears to do anything outside the ordinary. However, just like Jillian said, around five, Rinston suddenly get's extremely tired and passes out in one of the corners of the tavern. Spending some time to detect magic you find he is similarly enchanted once again.
Disappointed to see Rinston slip back into his malaise again with no sign as to the cause Nils looks back to the group, "We were observing the bars patrons but perhaps the source is elsewhere. In the Nursery the issue was was fey creatures, what if that's the case here. Do we have any way of detecting such creatures?"
Taking his own idea Nils spends some time scanning the building for anything small hiding in the area.
"Does anyone know of a creature, fey or otherwise, that might have such an ability?"
"Damnable fey, like we don't have enough to deal with, with the Thrune. I will get a bunch of flour from the storeroom and we can scatter it about it should stick to the invisible little rascals."
Nils looks at the crowd around them.
"While that might be comical, it may be best not to cover the patrons in a cloud of flour." Nils says with a chuckle as he pictures the scene.
Sholti returns home until the next afternoon. She tells her parents she has reconnected with an old friend and is going to her place to help her redecorate.
After all the watching and waiting at Clenchjaw's, Sholti is very disappointed when they come up empty for any new clues, and the owner Rinston is affected again just as before.
"I don't have any better ideas" she tells the others dispiritedly. But she continues to watch the place. She's come all this way after all.
Jillian comes over after a bit when there is a short lull in people needing something. Seeing you sitting their a bit disgruntled in your lack of finding anything she notes "So I'm guessing you haven't figured anything out yet. You know, I've been so busy I haven't really had the opportunity, but maybe if you talk to some of the other patrons you could gather some bit of information that may be helpful."
Mawl jumps up from his chair. "That's a great idea Jill, there are a bunch of the ol' regulars in here with whom I have become very familiar. They should talk to me, I'm sure they are disturbed too."
Mawl examines the crowd to recognize some regulars with whom he may be on good terms.
Not particularly familiar with the locals Nils keeps his seat while his compatriots work the crowd. Sipping at his tea he carefully tracks each of them in case of trouble.
Mawl spends some time chatting with the locals, some of which he knows, while the rest of the group keeps an eye out for anything suspicious. After an hour another bar fight breaks out. With your assistance, Jillian manages to put a stop to it pretty quickly. Just as Mawl is about to get back to things he sees something in one of the rafters in the corner of the tavern. The creature is doing a pretty good job of hiding, as only Mawl spots it. It looks like a tiny blue dragon, about the size of a cat, with vibrant orange butterfly wings. It seems to be snickering to itself as it watches the fight being broken up, seemingly too busy in it's own amusement to notice that it has been spotted.
Mawl quietly gets the attention of the others individually and points out the location of the dragon, discretely thinking that the dragon hasn't noticed he's has been noticed.
"I can't really reach it to get a good surprise attack on it and does anyone know anything about these things...I'm not sure about taking on a dragon. Any suggestions?"
At Mawl's direction, Nils casually glances towards where the creature is. Not being familiar with such things he studies it discreetly.
"Give me a couple of minutes. I have an idea."
The creature seems to be having some fun at the patrons' expense, a prankster. Hardly a situation that immediately required a violent or angry reaction. People could get hurt over nothing. There are other ways of handling troublemakers to try first.
Sholti makes her way, very slowly and casually, to where the little dragon is hiding. When she's worked her way close enough to use a low voice, she begins talking to the little dragon without looking directly at it.
"Pssst. I know where you're at up there. Don't worry, I'm not going to give you away. I just want to know why you're stirring up the people here. I've got three very shiny gold coins that are all yours if you will tell me your story."
Mawl carefully watches the new team member, his Bec in it's sheath with only a brief second to slide it out and have it ready. Straining against his will to not show any overt signs of aggression.
I sure hope this new one knows what she is doing, It is everything I can do not to try and help her
As you watch Sholti approach the dragon, it definitely takes note of her movement and seems a bit apprehensive. When she stops just below the dragon's hiding spot and begins to talk up toward the rafters the dragon suddenly disappears from sight.
You listen a moment as the dragon recounts his tale. He used to live in the Thrashing Badger before it burnt to ash. Luckily he managed to save most of his hoard and found shelter at Clenchjaw's. Though pleased to see several surviving regulars from the Thrashing Badger take up patronage here, the dragon quickly grew bored with his new haunt’s quiet and subdued nature. Remaining in hiding, he has been doing what he can to keep things lively and entertaining over the past few days. He notes that he has lived in secret in Kintargo for years, and thinks of the city as his home. Finally he adds "You and your friends seem so much more interesting than anyone else I've seen in the tavern. Maybe Vendalfek can come have fun with you?"
Since she wasn't looking at Vendalfek Sholti doesn't see the invisibility part of his reaction. But when he lands on her head she certainly notices. Her eyes saucer, this wasn't a response she had anticipated. She stays very still, not wanting to test how well he can grip with his claws for balance.
When Vendaleck has finished telling her about himself, Sholti responds.
"You sound very interesting yourself Vendalfeck. My name is Sholti and I'm very glad to meet you. I think we could think we could think of some fun to have together, but maybe you'd like to meet my friends? That would make things easier."
Nils eyes narrow when the creature disappears and his gaze scans the other nearby rafters. Not seeing the creature he turns his attention back to Sholti who has a rather surprised look on her face. She doesn't seem to be in distress however so he maintains his seat and observes.
"So Mawl, what brought you to Kintago?" he says by way of conversation.
Mawl looks about before answering Nils, quietly so as not to be overheard. "My sister and I fled our home in because of the Church of Asmodeus and House Thrune. They came in to town and turned things all around; made it an unbearable place and for reasons unknown my family and I were being hounded and persecuted. My sister is a talented singer/entertainer and she had heard of the Opera house here in Kintargo and thought it a good opportunity for her. I was bound to lose my temper and end up in prison or dead if I stayed so I agreed to take care of my sister and see to her safety. She is on her feet now and doesn't need me as much so I started working for Rinston in exchange for a place to sleep. It burns me up to see the same thing beginning to happen in Kintargo that happened at home.
Mawl also notices the expression on Sholti's face, but it was one of surprise not fear and she seems to be alright, but involved in conversation.
Nils nods, "You're parents stayed behind then? How is your sister finding the city?" He continues to look at Sholti as he speaks and notes with some curiosity that she seems to be talking to her hair.
With that you feel the weight lift from your head as a nearby window opens mysteriously.
As you watch Sholti she stands there a moment longer, then a nearby window flies open without anyone being near it.