"You're working to bring down that Thrune. I'm not going to charge you for that. But feeding all of you will cost. You're sure you want to feed on my delicious pastries? This is much more expensive that simply buy some bread and cheese, or whatever you prefer." Laria asks. "Even if I give you a discount you'd pay 3 silver per person and day."
"Mmmm, well I do run an orchard, albeit a somewhat experimental one I can provide a fair amount of fruit with ease, but ah, are Tengus omnivores? I think bringing in staples and providing some simple cooking facilities we can all make use of might be more practical - I mean a chicken only costs 2 coppers so you could buy fifteen for the cost of a day of Laria's pastries." Salonius says, looking at Laria and registering her discontent,
"But I think we need to inquire about the circumstances of Nan's death. Was it the alligator that killed him? Or did it just comes for his corpse? I do not mean to accuse, but we would like to know the truth of the matter."
"It was Cough. She lost it when Nan told that we're stuck here and our contact to bring us out to Westcrown wouldn't come with the martial law in Kintargo." Maggie admits.
Salonius nods, "I suspected that might be the case, well she has paid the price I suppose, an unfortunate business all round. Can I ask if any of you have any special aptitudes? I imagine we could make it pretty cosy down here with a little work, a few hours of prestidigitating will make a world of difference, some tents perhaps? Maybe we could even rig up a chimney that connect to Laria's above so that the smoke would not give us away?"
"Some fresh air and some time to grab a bite would be best now. Color for the renovation is not important to us now." Maggie replies.
Worms perhaps, Jhen thinks playfully. With a smile still on his face he suggests, ”Perhaps we should retire and see to our own nourishment.
"They cannot have any of Peeko's worms! Peeko is very rich, and you cannot have ANY of his worms! You should eat gross people food, you cannot have Peekos!." Peeko screeches sounding like a sullen toddler.
"Ahhh, please forgive my familiar he is very, ummm, very Peeko? But do you have any dietary preferences or requirements? I am sure we can provide something to tide you over and then arrange a more long term solution..."
"We could buy the food ourselves if you point us to a shop where they don't care about the race of their customers." Maggie suggests. "I'll bring you the receipt."
"Which way shall we take out now." the Tengu presses.
"Kintargo is in a dangerous state right now, going out without a proper plan might get you killed. I will prestidigitate for an hour or so to make thing more pleasant here, we will get Laria to provide some food for the moment, please wait until tomorrow to go out - not worth risking heading out in a hurry when you access the possible cost. At least tomorrow we can get some heavy cloaks. Please endure for another day." Salonius says fingers drumming against his chin.
Maggie looks Salonious silently in the eyes. Then she turns, walks to her sleeping place and picks the 'blanket' up. Wrapping the cloak around her shoulders she comes back to stand in front of Salonius again. And puts on the hood. That way, only the tip of her beak looks out.
"If you think it is neccessary, we'll wait." she finally comments.
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This Maggie is a dangerous one. Quick. Sharp knife. Probably would have cut us up pretty bad had we engaged. Glad we didn't.
Saul tries to think of a good grocer to whom the Tengi could turn. Assuming he does, he will describe it to them but agrees with Salonius that they should wait one more day until disguises could be arranged.
"Feels like things are taken care of here. Shall we all meet again here tomorrow and see what adventures come our way?"
"Mrs. Maggie trust me as a halfling I am not welcome on the streets unless I under the lash or mind control. You would be attacked in seconds." Fhingle tells them truthfully
"I appreciate you were not born yesterday Maggie, and you move with the grace of someone far stealthier than me, but Kintargo is different now; I just spend four days in jail and nearly got tortured and slain because I broke a curfew I never knew existed - they have some kind of devil taking her pick of the prisoners. There are plain clothes citizens spying on the rest of us and we are under Martial Law. I am sure being cooped up is nobodies idea of a good time, but weighing risk verses reward I really do not think it worth it. Do you have any suggestions for how we might make you less conspicuous?" Salonius says, seeing through the Tengu's frustration and attempting to abate it.
"Not to be seen is usually good enough. And we don't want to parade around in the open. We'd just need to know where these sewers have an exit in an area where the guards won't check. You've got to have poor districts here, where the law looks the other way."
"With that, a rough map where is what in town, and some description of the people to avoid - to not end in jail - we'd manage."
"Beyond that only magic would help. Can you offer that?"
"Well I could help with magic, but it is not really cost effective I do not suppose any of you has talent in that regard? I could teach you to disguise yourselves? Though that is more of a long term project. The ideal solution would be to find pathways down here to safe locations. Anyway for the moment let me start cleaning..." Salonius casts prestidigitation and begins blasting the vicinity with cleansing bubbles raising his brows enquiringly to Maggie and the others for direction.
Maggie shrugs. She doesn't really care about a little dirt.
Since he does care about dirt Salonius spends a good hour and a half cleaning with prestidigitation before heading home. After feeding Peeko and tending to the orchard, and nibbling on some cheese while sketching a few pictures of Tengu and Dire Corbies and making notes he heads to bed wondering where Professor Glenell has got to.
Professor Lidia Glenell intrudes on Salonius private room and kicks at his bed. "First you leave without telling me where you go. Then you don't do your work. And now that you come back late you don't think it's necessary to tell me either?"
Glenell is obviously not sober any more. She even has the bottle still in hand. "You owe me that much after disappearing into jail for half a week! And why the hell is your hair black?"
Salonius sighs heavily, "What you don't like it? I am sorry about that Professor, but it really was not planned, it was a bit terrifying, but I am back and hopefully the wiser for it. I did look for you, but you weren't here how did the seaweed teas work out by the way? No fermentation I hope?"
Getting up and running a hand through his hair he stands and throws on a robe over his night shirt.
"Let me get yoiu something proper to eat, I bet you have had nothing but pickles..."
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Saul Gibson, PI, hits the pavestones back to the office. It was a long day, and his dogs are tired. But wanting to be a good employer to the Tengi, he sketches a map of the city from memory on a large piece of parchment, and clearly marks the grocer near the Fair Fortune Livery, where they are likely to be treated well.
Tomorrow on the way back to the coffeeshop, I'll stop at a market and get three cloaks with deep hoods. That will probably be enough. Especially if we can find an alternative exit using the sewers.
The professor is pleased and takes a seat at the table. "Would you please bring me a glass?" she asks as she puts her bottle of wine on the table.
Salonius casts charm person, hoping to once again send the Professor off to bed to sleep it off, even as he picks up a pitcher of water. In the young botanists experience a few glasses of water and bed were the perfect remedy for enough alcohol to gag a bear.
"Your stupid magic won't work on me!" Glenell fumes, but while waiting for Salonius to finally bring something to eat she falls asleep at the table.
With a sigh Salonius fetches a blanket and drapes it over the Professor. Then he heads to bed, prepare detect magic, and read magic, bring some fruit for the Tengu, identify the items, visit magic shops, consider purchasing a carriage, reasearch magic item creation, maybe craft a scroll, further exploration of the underground... Busy day!
Jhen makes his way back to the surface and plants himself at one of the tables in Laria's tea shop hoping to relax for a bit and enjoy a cup of tea before going to the Temple of Abdar and depositing his coin.
"Laria what are we going to do here? They are homeless like me and they could be helpful do you not think?" Fhingle asks when the rest leave
Meliandri stops to more closely examine the Calistria statue. She stays there for a while, eventually leaving and heading back to Lucca's apartment.
Laria serves some coffee and some free cookies to Jhen.
To fingle she tells "You bring them a large plate of the leftovers from today and then you lock up the secret door and put some boxes before it. They might be homeless like you, but they might also be unscrupulous murderers. Beter be safe than sorry."
Another night passes uneventful.
This day starts more busy as it is a weekday again. And it doesn't start with new proclamations. Maybe the major ran out of them for now.
Salonius rises prepares his spells, tends the orchard, feed Peeko, makes some porridge and places a bowl before Professor Glenell. After some consideration he picks up some inks from the Academy and spends two hours scribing a scroll of True Strike. He then heads over to the Coffee House and seeks out Fhingle,
"Laria do you mind if I borrow Fhingle for ten minutes? Fhingle will you help me identify the items we found please? Should not take long."
Looking for a private spot he lays out the items and casts detect magic, taking his time reviewing each in turn with the spell allowing him to see something of their powers.
Cantrips: Detect magic, Read Magic, Prestidigitation
"How about you employ Fhingle too? As soon as he can pay his own food and room he is free all day." Laria replies. "Or do you like the job I offer you more?" she turns to Fhingle.
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Saul wakes up and stretches his long legs. Ahhh. Feels like a good day. No hangover and the promise of the something new and exciting. I was getting stuck in a rut, wasn't I? And passing on the alcohol is certainly making me feel more alive.
Then Saul catches sight of the map he made before going to sleep. Gods, that is horrible. Maybe I was drunk. He tries to fix it up. Bah, I am still worthless. Why can't I remember? Ok, maybe this day isn't going so great after all.
Saul heads out, grabbing his mediocre map. On the way, he buys three cloaks with hoods and makes his way to the coffeehouse.
"Black, like my soul, Laria dear!" calls out Saul as he enters. And then he whips out a bouquet of flowers he picked up for Laria at the market.
Fhingle does as Laria asks him to do.
Fhingle checks to make sure the door was not disturbed or the boxes, after feeling confident nothing moved Fhingle heads to the front room and sees Salonius.
"You can pay me to not have to work for Laria? I do like working here it is nice to help out with things and not just be told what to do or used in the ways I was." When saul enters Fhingle grabs his coffee
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"Pay you? Little Mac, you are a full partner in our new enterprise! You get one-fifth share in anything we liberated from the Thrunes! You are a rich halfling already. You are free, you are welcome to come and go as you would like, I imagine. I do appreciate someone getting me coffee, however." Saul grabs the coffee and slurps it down.
"Sure thing, darling." Laria replies on her way to the kitchen. As she comes back with the coffee she is pleasantly surprised. "Oh, thank you!"
"Wait, didn't you share coins the other day? Didn't Fhingle get a share too?"
Mels walks in as the discussion about Fhingle's employment starts. In tow, she has all her equipment; a crossbow and viola as well as what she had for the basement and Fair Fortune Livery. She looks the halfling over. "Of course, if 'e wanted to make another silver 'ere and there, I am used to being waited on."
"If not, per'aps we should address the things we found yesterday and then decide whether or not there is anything to accomplish today."
Salonius smiles in a manner he imagines is jaunty, but which probably veers closer to creepy, "He did right Saul? Good morning by the way. But, well, if Fhingle wants to return the 300gp and get paid we would not object! Well truthfully we would, but the point Laria is that it is not our place to choose how Fhingle chooses to spend his time, much as we would like him to be a full time player, in our little, ummm, enterprise?"
Beckoning for Saul he points out each magic item in turn giving a small breakdown, "So in conclusion I suggest selling the first tier magical leather armor, and some of the scrolls, maybe most of the scrolls. I do rather like the Cloak of ELvenkind, but I would be better off spending my share so I can be useful for longer in conflicts - not be a burden like yesterday in the cellar. I was planning to visit a couple of magic shops today, perhaps some of the group would care to accompany me, the first one seems a likely location to sell the scrolls."
"I haven't heard of my daughter and that so called private investigator also didn't show up." Eldonna fumes at the breakfast table as she is served by Ashana.
Jhen wakes up late as usual and quickly preformed his ablutions before heading to the tea shop. He grunts, "Good Morning. Tea please." Once he has his morning brew he begins to feel more like himself and asks with his customary lopsided grin, "Whats the plan?"
"I got coins?" Fhingle checks himself over before he eventually finds them. "Sorry I am not used to things like this, I never owned anything before so this is all a bit strange to me." Fhingle gives Laria some coins for his stay and food.
"what scrolls did you find? Maybe I could read them?"
Salonius hands over the scrolls, "I already read them, but see if there are any you want, useful to have read them in advance in case you need to use them on the fly anyway. We have Whispering Wind, Pass Without Trace, Undetectable Alignment, and Misdirection."
Salonius nods fingering the cloth approvingly as it hangs on Saul, "Hmmm, never belonged to me, I wonder if I could replicate it someday? Strikes me it would be useful for most of us in our budding venture... I wonder if they use a spell matrix within the weave to hold the power.... It might be an elven secret, but perhaps I can get around that..."
Rexus joins the group with some of the docments. "This is really interesting." he tells. "but it will take weeks to translate all of this into something readable." Rexus has dark rings under his eyes. Obviously he is more interested in the documents than in sleep. But he has no new insight to tell you about what is in the documents yet.
"You should get some place to study for this guy. I sent him out of the guest room, and now he cluttered all of the bunk room with it." Laria suggests.
"And while you're at it, you should check who in town might support your endeavour. That resurrection of the Silver Ravens will need more than six heads to change something in town."
"But it's a thin line, between getting known well enough that those interested can know and those who will stomp on that little growing plant don't. I know what I'm talking about. I try to walk that line for years."
"The Academy might be a good place to start, the magic program has always avoided Diabolism. I could try sounding out some of the Professors perhaps? We might also find fertile ground with ex Opera performers and the like, given their anger over the Opera House being commendiered." Salonius says thoughtfully, fingers drumming upon his chin.
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"Rexus could work downstairs. We could set him up with an office. I already have several things along to make that a possibility."
After a nice strong cup of coffee, Saul heads downstairs to the basement. It is already looking cleaner, thanks to the work of the Tengi and Salonious. He passes off three bedrolls to the bird-men, and the three cloaks, and an additional 5 silver to pay for their immediate food needs. He hands over his rather... mediocre map. "Sorry about that. Guess I never took a lesson in map making."
Finally, he pulls out some paint and brushes and instructs them to start on the walls, and continue to bring out the garbage, here and there, when they themselves go out. Just small bits at a time, so as to not arouse suspicion.
"Oh, before I forget, does this locket mean anything to you? The angry chump was carrying it."