For five years, the faithful of Sandpoint have attended church in temporary structures erected after fire destroyed the previous temple, and while their new religious leader was helpful, kind and wise, church wasn't the same. Now, the new cathedral is finally done. All that remains is for the Swallowtail Festival to renew the site's blessings from the gods and it will be as if the Sandpoint Fire had never occurred.
You arrive in Sandpoint shortly before noon. The streets are bustling with activity in anticipation for the Swallowtail Festival which will begin in just a couple of hours. This may be your best opportunity to secure some lodging or do some shopping before the crowds descend on the town.
Lilla is amazed by almost everything she sees in the town. This was much different than playing with her siblings and cousins in the woods, or standing back behind her older sisters as she watched them perform. There was no one here to tell her what to do, or where to go. Her birthday celebration having kept her up most of the night, Lilla somehow forgot her brush and combs...well...pretty much her entire grooming set while she was packing her few belongings into her backpack. Luckily, while not the most talented entertainer in her family, Lilla had managed to save up some coin. If she was careful with it, she could make it last a while.
Wandering through the streets she looks around at the various stalls and shops before going in one to see if they had some grooming items. At some point she wanted to see if she could find some earrings or some other type of simple jewelry. She didn't plan on getting anything that would really make her stand out, but as part of her culture she would do it out of respect and it would be another sign that she was an adult now and on her own when she bought her first piece of jewelry.
Coming in through the Northgate, Lilla passes the newly build cathedral on her left and notices a shop with a simple sign reading 'Jeweler' on her right. About six men mill about the jeweler's shop, clearly look for someone to start some trouble.
Deciding that it would be better to go in a store that she could recognize for what it is, she heads towards the jewelry shop, not paying the men any mind. The shop owner would probably know where she could find the store she was looking for anyways.
Going inside the store she looks around to see what type of jewelry they sell. She didn't want or need anything super fancy. Something simple and pretty would be just fine to suit her taste.
Lilla notices a couple of doors open, revealing stacks of jewelry and gems. At the counter, a woman harries a wild-haired man. "Maver, I swear, today's the Swallowtail Festival and you've left the doors open again."
"Oh, Pennae, we have the fellas around and they'll make sure we don't have any trouble," the man retorts.
"If you'd shut the damned doors, we wouldn't have to pay for some scruffy ruffians," the woman continues. "The gods blessed us when they spared our store from the fire, but don't press your luck."
Maver waves his hand and looks up at Lilla. "That's enough, Pennae. We have a customer."
Pennae looks at Lilla as well, narrowing her eyes. "I would hope so."
Maver ignores his wife and smiles at the Varisian. "What can I do for you today?"
Looking from one to the other she says, "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you...I'm new in town and I was just wondering if you would happen to have anything in the way of a pair of simple gold hoop earrings. They don't have to be anything super fancy...it's my first pair and I just wanted something simple." She says, feeling a little nervous with the woman's eyes on her in such a way.
Maver offers Lilla a comforting smile as he pulls out a drawer filled with a couple dozen gold hoop earrings. "It's no trouble at all. I have a variety of styles, so look them over and take your pick."
Pennae shakes her head slightly before closing the doors Maver left open, her suspicion of Lilla slightly assuaged.
Looking over the earrings she picks up a medium sized gold hoop earring set that looked like the gold had been twisted somehow. Holding them up for him to see she asks, "So, how much for this pair?"
"Six silver," Maver replies.
Giving him a bright smile she says, "Thank you, they're lovely." Taking a decent size coin pouch out from the inside of her cloak she hands him a gold and waits for her change.
Maver hands Lilla back four silver pieces before giving Pennae a "told you so" look. "You're welcome. I hope you enjoy the festival."
Putting the change in her coin purse she pauses for a moment, "Would you happen to have a mirror I can borrow? So...there's a festival going on right now?" She asks conversationally.
"You didn't know?!" Maver asks, incredulous. "It's the biggest news on the Varisian coast right now."
He finds a small hand mirror and hands it to Lilla. "Where've you been the last few years?"
She kind of laughs and shrugs, "Here...there...everywhere. My birthday was last night, and the caravan left almost at the same time as I did for here. I decided when I came of age....I didn't want to keep travelling with them and would strike out on my own so to speak. I guess I spent too much time playing with my younger cousins and siblings to pay much attention to what was going on around me." She says in way of explanation as she pulls back her hair to reveal a smaller pair of hoops that were apparently made from silver and had little silver flowers hanging from them. She pauses for a moment before taking them out. Letting out a little sigh she takes the new gold hoops and puts them in place of the small silver ones.
"The small silver ones I've had since I was a child. They were given to me by my mother, and someday...if I have a daughter I will give them to her." She says, not caring if they were curious or not. It felt good to acknowledge the ways of her families and the tradition that she would keep, even when away from them.
Pennae smiles at Lilla's explanation. "Well, I suppose to bring you up to speed, the old cathedral burned down five years ago. The new one has finally been finished and today's festival is when they're going to consecrate it. It'll be nice to have life go back to normal."
Maver nods in agreement. "This means a lot to Sandpoint, so we're celebrating the occasion."
She nods while putting her hair back down and kind of fixing it around her face. She didn't really feel the need to wear makeup like the other girls in their family. She wanted to be recognized for who she was, not what she looked like.
Taking the small silver hoops she wraps them in a little silk cloth and places them in a pocket of her backpack. Turning back to the couple she says, "I'm sorry you're cathedral burned down, but I'm glad that your town was able to build another. So, I guess your town is going to be pretty busy then huh? I better finish my shopping and find a place to stay before everything fills up. Could you please tell me where I can find a general store? I seem to have forgotten a few key items in my early morning packing."
"You'll want ol' Ven Vinder's shop," Maver says. "It'll probably have anything you're looking for. Go left out of my door and follow the road to Main Street, there's a sign and all so you can't miss it. Take a left there and head all the way down toward Water Street. They call it that because you can see the water from there. Ven's shop is the last building on the left before you hit Water Street. I'm sure you'll find him fretting around, especially today."
Little bastards Anazaliana thought as she made her way into town. The Goblins she'd been tracking for the past few days had given her the slip. The Ranger decided that since she was close to Sandpoint, she might as well stay in a comfortable bed for the night.
What she wasn't expecting, was the activity. Then she remembered hearing something about a new temple, and on top of that it was the Swallowtail Festival. Another memory came to her, a man named Jubrayl. He helped her family out of some trouble the last time there were there. That was six years ago however, he may not be here anymore. Still, if he is, maybe he'd let her crash at his place.
Going over the directions in her mind she nods, "Left to main street, left on main street, last building on the left before water street. Got it. Thank you so much for everything and have a nice day. I hope you enjoy your festival." She says, giving them a wave as she leaves out of his shop and follows his directions to the shop he told her about.
Anazaliana recalls that Jubrayl frequented a place near the harbor called Fatman's Feedbag. It was off Salmon Street.
Remembering where her family's contact hung out, the Half-Orc made her way to Salmon Street.
Anazaliana finds Fatman's Feedbag with little trouble. In fact, a man comes flying out of the door and lands face first in front of the half-orc, unconscious. She hears quite a bit of yelling and raucous laughter coming from the establishment.
---
Lilla arrives at the general store and can see quite a variety of goods from the outside. An older gentleman sweeps the porch, looking as if something weighed heavily on his mind.
A smile creeps in the corner of her mouth. While she wasn't one to go looking for a fight, or start one, a bit of a scuffle would go a long way to releasing her frustration. But first she had to talk to someone. Kneeling down she turned the man over to make sure it wasn't Jubrayl.
Anazaliana gives the man a good look over and is pretty sure he is a Taldan sailor.
Stopping a little ways from him she takes in his posture and expression before approaching, "Excuse me, would you be Mr. Vinder?"
"That's me," the man says, looking up at Lilla. "You can call me Ven though, everybody does."
She nods giving him a smile, "Okay Mr. Ven...well, Mr. Maver told me that if I came to you I could probably find whatever I need. I forgot a few things....like my whole grooming kit, when I was packing early this morning. Is there any way I could buy one from you?"
Leaving the man on the ground, Ana headed inside. Once there, she looks around.
Ven nods. "I think I still have a few lying around. Come on in."
The older man leads the way inside, where Lilla can see an older woman, presumably Ven's wife, setting out some pies.
---
Ana sees a hulking human sitting behind a counter, glancing at a group of six sailors playing cards. The sailors' guffawing seems to irritate the man. Another five men drunkenly bawl out some sort of song whilst they hang off the stained and battered piano that occupies the west wall. Ana sees a Varisian man lounging against the counter with a drink in one hand and his mustache in the other. He brings his fingers to the tip of his facial hair before letting it go and taking a drink.
Anazaliana made her way to the counter. Once there, she asked the man behind it, "Excuse me, is there a man named Jubrayl Vhiski here? I was told he frequents this establishment."
"That would be me," the Varisian leaning on the counter answers. "Who's asking?"
.
Coming in and noticing the pies she asks, "Are you making those for the festival ma'am?"
"My name is Anazaliana, daughter of Garzerenelli. You helped with my families problem about six years ago. I'm in need of a place to stay for the night and was hoping you could help."
The lady shakes her head. "No, I sell them everyday. The young folk can bother with setting up their tents and stalls. Right, Ven?"
"Right, Solsta," Ven replies. "I think we'll do fine just staying here."
He leads Lilla over to where the grooming kits are. "They're all the same. I just put them in different colored bags."
---
Ana hears some thumping coming from upstairs and Jubrayl smirks. "I would but it seems we're full up right now. However...I might be able to help if you do me a favor."
She picks up a set in a red bag, "I think I'll take this one. I might come back later for a pie too, once I find someplace to stay for tonight. Would you have any suggestions of where I might find a decent place?" She asks while taking out her coin pouch and handing him the money for the kit.
"There's the Rusty Dragon, just down the way, but it's pretty close to Sczarni territory," Ven says. "The White Deer, back up by the Northgate, is a little nicer and Garridan keeps his prices low. I think people go to the Rusty Dragon to admire Ameiko more than anything."
She shakes her head, "It's people like that, that give the rest of us a bad name. While some of my family might not have always been on the up and up...they were never full on criminals. Do you mind me asking who this Ameiko is?" She asks, her curiosity piqued.
"Ah, that's a yarn there," Ven answers. "Ameiko Kaijitsu used to be an adventurer, did that for about a year before coming back and buying the Rusty Dragon. She's run that place for six years now. There are rumors abound about her personal life, but I've got enough on my plate with my daughter to pay attention to that. Her and her father don't get along, but I suppose that's how it goes sometimes."
"Don't you mean daughters, Ven?" Solsta asks.
"I'm not that worried about Shayliss," Ven says. "It's Katrine that's got my gray hairs growing whiter."
She looks thoughtful for a moment, "While I'm not one for purposefully putting myself in a position of possible trouble...and while I can't stand the things the Sczarni do and don't want to get that close to them....I can't help but be curious about someone that used to be an adventurer herself. I myself was always mesmerized by stories that we would hear from wondering adventurers that would stop by our camp for a night to rest or whatever. It's kind of what made me want to do the same thing. It would be great if I could get some tips from someone who lived that life." She says a bit wistfully. Thoughts already going through her mind of the kinds of questions she would like to ask this person.
"She doesn't talk much about her adventuring days," Ven says. "But she's very hospitable to adventurers and, if you've got a good tale to tell, she might knock a bit off her rates."
She laughs, "I'm just starting out, so I don't have that many stories about myself yet. Are your daughters adventurers too? Is that why you worry so?" She thinks for a moment, "The only tale I have to tell so far is how I felt the call to leave home and my family behind to seek a life of adventure. I'm not sure she would find my story very interesting." She kind of sighs.
Ven laughs heartily. "If you hang around Sandpoint long enough, I'm sure you'll have a story or two. My daughters aren't adventurers, but, we've just met, so I'll keep my worries to myself, if you don't mind."
She holds up her hands, "That's okay, I'm not one to pry really, just been curious about everything my whole life. I guess that's why I felt the pull toward adventuring so strongly. There's more to life than just flitting from place to place, never really having anything...meaningful or lasting. The performing life just isn't for me...I don't know if they were disappointed about that or the fact that I wanted to leave to seek my own adventures...but they gave me their blessings and were very supportive of my decisions so I'm grateful to them for that." She says before it occurs to her that she doesn't know the exact location of this Inn, "So...where exactly is this place again? Is it just down the street from here you said?"
The Half-Orc narrowed her eyes slightly, "And what might that favor be per se?"
Jubrayl knocks on the counter and the massive man produces a small wooden box. "I need someone to take this down to the docks and give it to the captain of the Fearless. He, in turn, will give that someone a pouch of money for it. Once that pouch of money is in my hand, someone will have a place to stay."
---
Ven scratches his chin. "Just head out to Water Street and hang a right, go past the market and it's smack dab in the middle of Market Street. Won't take you more than five minutes to get there. If you reach River Street, you've gone too far."
She nods, "Thanks, and I promise that if it looks too rough to me, I'll head back to The White Deer. I'll probably stop by later to buy some pie, if there's any left." She says giving them a smile and a wave as she heads out of the door and follows his directions to the Rusty Dragon.
Lilla passes through the market which has several people setting up stalls while several children play in the open area. She finds Market Street easily enough and makes her way to the Rusty Dragon. A stylized sign informs the Varisian that she has arrived at her destination.
She runs her fingers along the hilt of her rapier a little nervously and takes a deep breath before walking inside to see what kind of place this was. As she walks inside she tries to look relaxed and keeps her hand off, but near her weapon.