Miya skips after Randu, smiling and playing simple hand magic tricks for the kids. A simple manded monk with out a care in the world.
Layla quietly listens and observes as they head into the town proper, noting the favorable reactions to Randu, and his apparent role in the community.
Taking note in the differing demeanors of her new companions, she begins putting together mental profiles of each, a habit that came to her without even realizing it.
"So, Fila, what brings you out this way?" she asks the pretty newcomer.
"Technically hush hush secret stuff is involved" The Halfling explains, He MIGHT be joking he might not, "But a summary? The Lumber Consortium has done bad things. That's not new, they've been doing bad things for decades. What is new, they got caught, and are now paying a price for it. We're here to make sure they, and others don't try to cheat the Town of Falcon's Hollow or the nation of Andoran. If you're a spy for the consortium Or a Cheliaxian agent it would be nice if you would tell us right now and save us the hassle of hurt feelings over a betrayal. I'm a sensitive sort who gets bristly when stabbed in the back. If you're on the up and up and what you appear, well, no rule saying we can't have a tag along."
Gods I miss Sweetpea, she used to do all the talking.
Fiila listened as Randu explained, generally, what was going on. It was interesting and made her think maybe it was a good thing she ran into these people before reaching the town. She didn't seem to react much to the outlandish suggestion she was a spy for the lumber company but when he mentioned Chelliax as well her eyes narrowed in dislike at his implying she might be a spy for them and said, "Chellaxian's are scum and my caravan would have nothing to do with them," her tone a bit sharp.
"So, Fila, what brings you out this way?" she asks the pretty newcomer.
Fiila turned her head, and focus away from Randu and focused on Layla as she replied, "Why I am going where the road takes me of course. Sometimes I work as an adventurer, sometimes as a dancer, either way it pays my way to the next town. I had been hoping to stay at this one for a time to build up my funds for my travels."
Fiila listened as Randu explained, generally, what was going on. It was interesting and made her think maybe it was a good thing she ran into these people before reaching the town. She didn't seem to react much to the outlandish suggestion she was a spy for the lumber company but when he mentioned Chelliax as well her eyes narrowed in dislike at his implying she might be a spy for them and said, "Chellaxian's are scum and my caravan would have nothing to do with them," her tone a bit sharp.
Rather than be offended by the sharp tone, he seems to approve with a nod "Then it is indeed very nice to meet you. I despise those horn kissing slavers myself."
He followed along quietly, listening to Randu and the townsfolk, listening to his interaction with the random hill person. He too had been a little suspicious of her, it seemed very coincidental. But like his smaller friend he found his fur, ears and tail relaxing as they continued along.
The main reason for his distraction of course. Was to see Nualla. He smiled like a dumb fool thinking about it. He found his feet moving that much quicker torwards The Woodwil.
Fiila turned her head, and focus away from Randu and focused on Layla as she replied, "Why I am going where the road takes me of course. Sometimes I work as an adventurer, sometimes as a dancer, either way it pays my way to the next town. I had been hoping to stay at this one for a time to build up my funds for my travels."
"Sounds like an interesting way to live, you must have quite a few entertaining stories." Layla replies with a chuckle. "Well, I for one welcome your company, for however long we all happen to travel together."
Passing through the palisade surrounding the town, you are greeted by the soft sound of sawdust underfoot. For newcomers to the logging town, the way the streets are carpeted with sawdust is quite uncanny. Of course, those who have visited Falcon's Hollow before notice that there seems to be less sawdust than before. The explanation for this comes when you see a handful of Diamond Regiment soldiers armed with brooms, likely on punishment duty, and sweeping heaps of sawdust towards the river.
You take a right-hand turn and follow the twisting streets towards the middle gate where the Woodwil sits. You find a renovated bunkhouse with a loft serving as a second story. The numerous carvings etched into the timbers of the building ensure that it very much stands out from the more austere wooden architecture of the neighboring hovels and shacks.
A woman with wild brown hair and thick, muscled arms stands out front. She wears a heavy leather apron festooned with tools and not much else, trying to keep cool as she works beneath the mid-day sun. She pauses to wipe away a thick curtain of sweat from her forehead before returning the hammer and chisel in her hands to the log perched on a low stone slab before her. Her project is still in its early stages, but you can make out the distinct shape of wings taking shape in her woodcarving.
As used to the smells of gun oil and blackpowder as she was, Layla very much enjoys the ubiquitous scent of lumber that fills the town. Taking in the artistic carvings that detail the building, she marvels at the impressive work, finding herself no less impressed by the artisan hard at work.
"There's definitely a lot to get used to." she says, mostly to Rabdu and Rrruh, as the clear members of the group familiar with things.
Walks behind the others not looking like she is taking notice
When in fact...
Then at the sight of the woodworker, she wonders over and looks close ta her work.
"Interesting, will it be some kind of bird?"
Randu looks now more at folks he doesn't recognize. Spot the enemy agent shall be an interesting game , and not I suspect one for low stakes
He nods to Layla "Falcon's Hollow has changed under the new Mayor, for the better I hope."
However, you notice one tough-looking half-orc woman in particular who pays a little too much attention to your group - especially when it becomes clear that you're heading for the Woodwil workshop. You aren't sure if she notices your observation, but the half-orc soon trundles off, towards the docks along the riverside.
"Ahh!" the woodcarver yells when Miya asks her question.
"Sorry. You spooked me. I thought you were Cirthana, coming to lecture me about immodesty. If she wants to give herself heat stroke, puttering around in full armor in this heat, that's her business, but she needs to get off my sweaty back."
She shakes the sawdust from her tools and slips them into her apron, taking a break to get a drink of water from the wooden pitcher set down on a walnut stump across from her workspace.
"It's going to be a falcon and raven ripping apart the Consortium. I just need to figure out what would best represent the Consortium in this case. It'll be at the bottom of the piece, so I figure I'd have some time to think about it by the time I get there."
"Humm try a frog"
She says and walks off looking at other things.
Without seeming to do so she heads after the half-orc slipping onto the background. Then she is no longer there.
invisibility 6mins
this gets her away from the crowds
Then Stealth to follow her longer
Fully intrigued with the talented woodcarver and her burgeoning work of art, Layla is wholly oblivious to Miya's departure. "Perhaps something to reflect the predatory nature of the Consortium." she suggests.
"I would suggest a parasite myself" The halfling mutters
"Hmmm...choking vines might be fitting given the theme."
Your magical vanishing trick helps you slip away from the group and fade away from notice. You covertly follow the half-orc woman down to the docks, where you find her meeting with a group of men - a combination of porters and caravan guards - standing near a couple carts aboard a raft-style ferry tethered to the pier.
The men begin asking her questions, and from their tone and mannerisms it becomes clear that they work for this woman. They ask about "Gadsel," about some "investors," and about the "buildings."
She cuts them off without answering, silencing them with a sharply raised hand. She looks towards the shops and shacks lining opposite side of the road, scanning the direction that includes your hiding spot.
You strongly suspect that she has either noticed you or senses that they are being spied upon.
...
"I appreciate the input, but is there something I can help y'all with?" the woodcarver asks. "I'm assuming that I'm the right woman y'all're looking for, right? Deveera Gadsel? That's me, after all."
"In books and stories Loathsome creatures are usually depicted as a snake or viper. Something that strikes mostly unseen from the tall grass. I suggest you use the snake as your symbol."
He smiled his good smile, the one with not so much teeth. His tail swayed a bit faster and his ears flicked back and forth. He did his best to maintain eye contact but it was obvious he was looking every which direction.
"We are... agents of the mayors sent on a mission to the capitol just returned. Though to be honest I came here seeking Nualla. She is... uh well... yes you see. "
He paused his tail moving even faster as he talked.
"we me and suggested she head this way. I wanted to make sure she was okay."
She takes a note of the faces and any names, then shape shifts into a fox, her clothing becoming tattoos under her fur. Then she walks out, stops looking at the group, and then keeps going. As if just a town fox looking for food. Once out of site she shifts back again.
"Oh yeah, Nualla! I guess I should've guessed as much. Not many catfolk around these parts, yeah? I think she mentioned that she'd be expecting visitors eventually, too. I probably forgot. Too much going on these days."
Deveera cups her hands and calls out for Nualla, telling her she has visitors.
You see a flash at the loft window as she looks out for a millisecond before she bounds down the ladder and bursts out the front door of the workshop. The catfolk glassworker looks ecstatic to see that the party - especially one member in particular - has returned to Falcon's Hollow.
Randu smiles at this obvious (and proper) favoritism on Nualla's part, and nudges Rrruh gently "I believe you should be the first to say hi to her, don't you?"
Layla grins at the obviously enthusiastic reunion. "So, have things been quieter around here since the fall of the Consortium?" she asks Deveera.
Layla grins at the obviously enthusiastic reunion. "So, have things been quieter around here since the fall of the Consortium?" she asks Deveera.
"Quieter? Hah!" the woodcarver scoffs. "Instead of Payday and Kreed and their cronies swaggering around town, we got squads of soldiers patrolling everywhere. The worst part is how they've emboldened Cirthana. Now she marches around like she owns the place, barking orders and giving sermons about modesty and decency. She even started lecturing the mayor about governing with a firmer hand, whatever that means."
She also describes skirmishes between the soldiers and would-be looters around properties formerly owned by the Consortium. There have also been brawls between locals when one accuses the other of theft.
"Folks around here were poor to begin with, but with the Consortium gone, what little wages they paid have dried up. Everyone's scraping and scrounging and stealing what they can, not just to survive but to try and save up for when everything goes on the auction block. 'Else some other merchant or fop will buy everything up, and suddenly we're all somebody's serfs again."
He could hear the woman answering the newcomers question but the words sounded like a buzz of background noise as his eyes drank in Nualla on the woodcarvers stoop. His tail stilled for a moment then began to wildly sway as he closed with her what nerves that had been buzzing around with him seemed to still for a moment as he closed with her... He reached out for her tentively for a moment before he pulled her into an awkward and gentle hug.
Before immediately stiffening and letting her go. If one could see through his dark fur it would have been obvious he was blushing. He smiled awkwardly.
"Hello Nualla I uh... you are well i hope?"
She slinks out of sight and again tracks them now as a fox.
"Hmmm...it says a lot about the grip the bastards had on this town if it feels like the only hope most people have is to grab at what we've scraps they can of what's left behind. Seems like it would be better for everyone if no one person got their hands on too much " Layla myses aloud.
Randu listens in on Layla and Deveera talk, "If the clergy of Iomedae is trying to throw weight around I hope they're at least doing something charitable." A frown "Why aren't the loggers in business for themselves? You don't have to work for the consortium to be in the timber business."
They give up and return to the docks to continue rolling their carts off the ferry. The carts are covered with tarps, but from your vantage point and low angle you can see that they contain sundry items: shoes, bolts of cloth, soap, slabs of salt, casks of ale, and so on.
One of the strong-armed men, whilst hauling one of the carts down the dock, wonders aloud about how much demand there still is at the High Market even though Kreed and his cronies are gone.
"First of all, not all the well-to-do folks around this hole of a town were directly in bed with Kreed. They ain't willing to compromise their standard of living, so they'll pay what we demand. Secondly, with Kreed and Payday gone, there's no one left to keep the riff raff outta the High Market, so we got more customers than ever."
She lifts a slab of salt up from one of the carts, hefting it up easily with one hand despite weighing at least 20lbs.
"Do you have any idea how much folks'll pay just for salt? Before they might get away with paying their coppers for a few handfuls of dirty leftovers down at the Low Market, but now they have to shell out silvers or better for our stuff at the High Market."
The woman then turns the questions back around on her men, asking how the "recruitment" has been going.
"Plenty of strongarms outta work with Kreed gone, and we'll need more muscle to keep other caravans outta town. We gotta make sure we're the only game in town for either market. Once we get folks paying whatever we want, we'll be able to start buying up some of this property ourselves. No way in the Boneyard I'll be personally running caravans my whole life."
Nualla rolls her eyes playfully. She leans in and talks more quietly to Rrruh.
"Would it make you less nervous if we talked in private? Or would that make it worse?"
...
Meanwhile, Deveera seems quite eager to ramble on about the situation in town, happy to find someone willing to listen to her vent and rant.
"Most of the loggers have gone into business for themselves. Hell, one of Payday's biggest jobs used to be intimidating anyone who tried to operate independently, keeping the Consortium's stranglehold on the timber supply.
"Now we got two types of loggers going around. One half of them are struggling 'cause they don't know how to operate on their own; hell, I get the feeling they don't know how to wipe their own bums without a foreman barking the orders at them. The other half actually know what they're doing and are pretty good at it, but they have trouble finding buyers for their timber. Them soldiers didn't bring any money with them, so while they have loggers lining up to sign bills of sale for the government and navy, they can only offer I.O.U.s as payment."
Deveera then begrudgingly concedes that Lady Cirthana has become almost a one-woman police force in her own right, patrolling for looters and keeping former members of the Redrock Guild from getting to their old stashes.
"I swear, I don't think that woman ever sleeps. With the rod up her bum, it's no surprise," she chuckles.
Miya watches while out of sight.
"how interesting, good old criminal gang, how nice to see such enterprise at work, and such a gift. I best tell the others."
And she slinks off to find the others and repost.
Miya watches while out of sight.
"how interesting, good old criminal gang, how nice to see such enterprise at work, and such a gift. I best tell the others."
And she slinks off to find the others and repost.
Randu takes a long slow breath as they're filled in, "First, good work, Miya. Second, obviously someone is trying to rig things long term and that kind of dark seed we don't want to take root. "
[spoiler\]b\"The worst part is how they've emboldened Cirthana. Now she marches around like she owns the place, barking orders and giving sermons about modesty and decency. She even started lecturing the mayor about governing with a firmer hand, whatever that means."[/b]
Fiila had been silent, making herself relatively invisible as the others spoke and she picked up what they were there for. Her silence broke though when Deveera spoke of Lady Cirthana's lecture on decency and modesty and generally having a stick up her arse. Fiila giggled and gestured to her own dancing outfit as she said, "Oh she is going to absolutely love me then."
"Looks like Ayda Vorshin just got our personal attention. We need evidence.... and to make sure other merchants can get in without being harrased. If anyone sees another merchant we may need to talk to them." Randu scratches his chin. He's not one for rules and regulations because the law has been in his past, an unjust thing. Now, he is representing the law, and that makes him itch. Time to be better than those that came before him, he supposes.
Under the Consortium's reign, Ayda Vorshin's weekly caravans from Olfden were the sole source of goods for the High Market. The Low Market, at the foot of the hill and in front of the Tribunal building, sold the castoffs from the High Market (damaged goods, food about to spoil, and so forth) and the crude and simple goods produced by cottage industries in and around town. Even at the general store, the Goose 'n' Gander, the supply of goods was largely controlled by Vorshin.
Despite the fall of the Consortium, it would seem that Vorshin is unwilling to give up her own little monopoly upon Falcon's Hollow.
If you wish to surveil the caravaneer and her men, the two best sites would be the High Market where they distribute and sell their goods, and the Sitting Duck tavern where they carouse before leaving town.
Even with Mayor Callahan currently away on business, you have a number of allies in Falcon's Hollow that you can turn to. These include Sheriff Deldrin Baleson, Deputy Tabrik Splint, innkeeper Jak Crimmy, and herbalist Laurel Gelbre. Magistrate Vamros Harg may have turned over a new leaf now that he is no longer under Kreed's thumb. Lady Cirthana may be a good ally, despite Deveera's misgivings about the Iomedaean priestess and knight. Lastly, there are the soldiers and officers of the Diamond Regiment detachment, as well.
Layla laughs at Deveera's assessment of this Lady Cirthana, ginning a Fila considers her likely reaction. "I've found the stick problem to be pretty common with some leadership types, even the truly well meaning ones" she says with a conspiratorial wink.
Turning to Randu as he lays out thier likely objective she nods. "So what resources are available to observe them and see if we need to act?"
"I suppose we should talk to the Sheriff about this and try the legitimate channels." Randu looks about "Other options include innkeeper Jak Crimmy, and herbalist Laurel Gelbre. The Magistrate might have come around, used to be in Kreed's grasp so it's a gamble. And we do have soldiers. I'm up for suggestions. Never was the leader type. More like the one who grumbled about leaders when they didn't do their jobs."
"I suppose the Sheriff and any Deputies might be a good place to start." Layla reasons.
"Good enough for me," A nod to Layla and if no one else chimes in, he says "Rrruh, you want to a.. remain here a bit while we go off to the sheriff? Keep your eyes on the locals?" Not wanting to intrude on the Catfolks chance for a bit of private time per se.
Randu blinks as it looks like the two catfolk have..well, lost focus for anyone but each other. So he looks to the others, "Well, should we leave Rrruh here while the rest of us go to the Sheriff?"
If his dark fur didnt hide it well, it would have been obvious the dark furred catfolk was blushing . . . a lot. He merely nodded glad to be drug away by Nualla if she so chose. They had so much to do, he had so much to tell her. he barely heard Randru speak but the words did break through his twitterpation about the Sheriff.
"I would like to take you to dinner tonight."
He asked the gorgeous catfolk holding her hand far too familiarly. His tail stilled as his ears flicked in nervousnous.
"We are on a mission for the council from the capital."
Trying to make it sound both like not a big deal He didnt want to brag... But also to make it sound really important He did want to impress her
Miya shakes her head.
"I think it best I keep in the background. I can still do a little looking around and meet you once you have finished with the Sheriff"
Randu sees Rrruh may or may not be arranging a date and might or mnight not follow them to the sheriff, hard to say. So he focuses on Miya "You know your gifts best, Miya. And you got us good intel. Just be cautious and keep us posted eh?"
She bows and is then gone.
A groan from the halfling and a sour mutter "I really hate the bowing"
"Looks to be a cultural thing, respect rather than subservience, I'd wager." Layla chimes in as she overhears Randu muttering to himself. "I sincerely doubt she's subservient to anyone."
Realizing he's been heard, Randu snorts "Fair point. Still bugs me."
Miya gets out her arlms Bowl and takes up a position in the market. Head bowed down she holds one hand in front of her holding her bowl, the other hand flat in front as well showing the sign of prayer. she stands then and listens to the gossip being said around her.
The others will be back soon and she hopped to have some of the local feel of what was going on.
For lack of something better to do Fiila said, "I'll go with you to see the sheriff Randu. I'm curious to learn more about your assignment."
For lack of something better to do Fiila said, "I'll go with you to see the sheriff Randu. I'm curious to learn more about your assignment."
"So, Fiila, am I." And he leads whoever wants to come along to the Sheriff
Layla joins in on the trip to the Sheriff's office.