"Very well."
Talwyn dismisses the swarm.
"Oh, thank you!"
Sprinting over to the hole and leaning over the edge (just beyond the sloped bit so as not to fall in), she calls out with an almost magical intensity "Jeremiah! Please calm down!"
The thrashing in the hole dies down quickly. "Sylvia? What's going on?"
"That," Talwyn mutters, "was too close."
He directs his attention into the pit.
"Good sir, you flew off the handle, so to speak."
He turns to Aethon, "We should be on our way."
Then to the Tiefling, "If you ever get yourself under control, see us some time. We could always use your strength. Sir, madam, good day."
With that, he spins on his heel and is out the door.
Aethon gets up and follows Talwyn. Just before leaving, he turns towards Jeremiah and the Aasimar. "Sorry to be leaving so soon, but when my friend Talwyn makes up his mind, there's no changing it. If you wish to contact us, do it here." He briefly tells them where he's staying, bows, and heads outside. He faces Talwyn. "Are you alright, Talwyn? You seemed...angered."
You go out the door, and feel a general air of fear and apprehension. You can see smoke over some parts of the city.
A bearded, robed man comes running up to you. The parts of his face that are not hidden in shadow or behind his wiry salt-and-pepper hair are heavily marred with acid.
"Message from Mosker ul Daniel an Macarana for Master Talwyn Sabrauska. He wishes for you to return post haste, and for you to be informed that there are now time constraints on the job."
His voice seems oddly familiar.
Neither of you can tell where his voice seems familiar from.
"Sir, you seem familiar. Have we met?"
Talwyn's eyes narrow slightly. His hunches are rarely wrong.
"Possibly, but I doubt it."
He begins to walk away.
"Sir, please wait. Who are you? I am not one for faces, but your voice sounds too familiar for coincidence."
Turning back, the man says "Look, it's a big city. Maybe we sat at the same table in a bar once or something. I don't remember everyone I meet."
Talwyn tries to remember...
Talwyn notices that his accent and cadence very similar to Mosker's.
"Is that you, Mo-" Talwyn stops himself.
"Very well, we shall meet him there. Thank you for your time."
Aethon waits for the man to leave before speaking. "You seemed like you noticed something Talwyn. What is it?"
"I think Mosker just approached us to tell us Mosker wanted to see us... Or a close relative, perhaps? Something about that man is suspicious. Be wary of him." Talwyn glances toward Aethon.
"Well, regardless, let us be off!"
We make our way to Mosker's with all due haste.
You arrive back at the office.
Inside, you see Mosker and the messenger he sent working away, going through various tomes, letters, and maps.
"Ah, you're back. Excellent." He looks up from his map, and says "The circumstances have changed. The contract is still on, but I want your answer now."
"Before you give it, let me make sure you understand what happened: tieflings and bound outsiders from the lower planes experienced a spurt of murderous rage. You two are, believe it or not, some of the few combat-trained wizards of your caliber that are not already in organizations such as the Ravenguard or the Ironwatch."
"Your services will be desired, and the sooner you can offer the more you can make."
"What say you, Aethon?"
"Well, I had hoped to gather more information first, but if we are needed now, then so be it! I see no reason to refuse. So long as Talwyn agrees, I would be honored to offer you my services, Mosker ul Daniel an Macarana."
Talwyn sighs.
"I agree. What would you have us do?"
"Go. Deal with the bandits while they remain in the area. Return quickly."
"Very well. Aethon, it is yet early. If you wish, we may depart now. First, however, we need to acquire a mercenary."
"Agreed. I think it would be in our best interest to gather some allies as soon as possible. We shall see then when would be best to leave, I think."
"Well said."
You arrive, and the bartender grins at you with a wave.
"Welcome back! What'll it be?"
"Show us who you've got. We're looking to deal with the group of bandits threatening the roads near here, if any are interested."
"Hmm. What's your budget?"
"Between us, a few hundred Crowns, I believe. Talwyn? How much do you have?"
Talwyn sighs.
"More than three hundred gold. That, I hope, will be sufficient?"
"Uh, of course. You can hire... anyone here for at least a week. How long are you expecting the job to be?"
You hire a grizzled man with salt-and-pepper hair, carrying a shield and a sword strapped to his back, and clad in splint mail. The other is a plain-looking woman, clad in leather armor with a repeating crossbow, a steel terbutje, and a wooden shield strapped to her back.
The man charges 5 gold pieces a day and the woman charges 3 gold pieces a day plus 4 up front. Both expect healing to be covered in the deal.
Aethon hands the woman her four gold. "Healing will be covered by me. Do you have your own supplies for travel, or will we be providing those as well?"
"Nah, we've got our own supplies."
The man cracks his neck, and says "Let me grab my stuff, and then tell us about the job."
"Go then. We shall await you here."
Talwyn waits for the man to return to explain the situation.
A minute later, he returns with a pack slung under each arm. He passes one to the female mercenary and slings the other over his shoulder.
"Alright, give us the lowdown."
"So, a group of well-organized bandits have been hitting local merchants pretty hard. So far, we know there's a summoning specialist and a Dwarf decked out in some kind of stone armor. There's someone else as well, but it escapes me for the moment. Talwyn, could you remind me?"
"...A stealthy goblin, on whom we have little information. Possibly a rogue or ranger, or someone with similar stealthy inclinations."
"Hmm. We'll be sure to keep an eye out for him."
At this point, he shakes his head. "Pardon my manners. I'm Ebenezer, and this young lady-"
At this point the woman steps forward slightly while giving Aethon a quick, nervous glance. "Hi! Umm, my name's Emily."
Talwyn steps forward.
"A pleasure, ma'am. I am Talwyn Sabrauska, and this is my friend Aethon Thekitos. We have little time to waste, so let's save pleasantries for after the fighting." He glances about. "Do any of you have any final queries before we set off?"
Aethon looks at the two mercenaries. "If I may ask, what are your skills and specialties in combat? The more I know before we enter danger, the better I can support you."
Talwyn smiles approvingly at his friend, but remains silent.
Emily says "I'm a good shot, but I can handle myself in a melee if I have to."
Nodding, Ebenezer says "I try and keep a single foe occupied - one-on-one combat is my specialty."
"Well Aethon, does that satisfy you?"
Talwyn arches an eyebrow.
Aethon nods. "That should be plenty. Ebenezer, you will be fighting alongside Chrysos, my Eidolon. Are you comfortable with that?"
Emily immediately nods, followed by a slower, more calculating, "Yes," from Ebenezer.
Talwyn notes this, but says nothing of it.
"Then let us be off."