Azmythe returns Ameiko's nod as he finds a seat. [dice]"Wine please."[/b]
"Booze! Wait...I'm sorry, was that a trick question?"
Scratching his head, Ruhk chuckles.
"Let's see, what would you recomend for drinking this guy under the table with?"
Saying so, Ruhk claps Iralynash in the back with enough force to make him stumble a step forward.
Marduzi and Malcolm carry the chest in between them, and at Ameiko's suggestion, place it on the ground between their feet and the bar as the group approaches. Malcolm smiles widely at Ameiko, as he cannot seem to draw his eyes away.
He then leans in close to Kalistria.
After getting back into town, Halvor detours quickly to remove his armor and hustles to catch up with everyone before Ameiko gets presented the items found. Once he gets there he doesn't order anything but finds a good vantage point.
Marduzi helps Malcolm with the chest, nods to Ameiko, and gives a good-natured wink to Malcolm, then joins Ruhk at the bar to see about ordering a drink and sitting down to watch Ameiko's performance...and Malcolm's.
Kelistra laughs in response to whatever Malcolm whispered to her, but regains enough composure to whisper back to him.
Kelistra then orders an ale from the barman and addresses the group. "We may not want to tell our tale publicly. At least we should tell Ameiko privately first."
"See? There she goes again, "mothering" me by stoping me from bragging. But ok, I guess I CAN see the sense of it, and I'll restrain myself...for now."
Spirits Iralynash tells Ruhk.
Its the only thing those blasted dwarfs are good for. wisper
Cant find a better drink on the relms than dwarven spirits but i will have whatever you drink mate.
"They already know that we went after goblins. I believe some ears were collected for the trouble. I would not expect that Ameiko would mind Ruhk talking about that."
"So, a goblin tale and then a suggestion to Ameiko that we have more to tell her when she has a few moments? That sounds like a good idea. A song from you Kelistra or a take from Ruhk? Surely I would fumble the words or forget what we should or shouldn't be sharing." he adds with a smile.
That sounds appropriate.
"I'll see what I can do about telling our tale up until we've dispatched Chief Gutwad," Kelistra says. "Once Ameiko's done singing. It won't be a proper song like hers, those take time. This new one of hers is pretty good. Nothing's ever lost forever. Interesting lyric for tonight's news."
"Yes, but is it prophetic or ironic? Both are proof that the gods do have a sense of humor, even if that humor is dark."
Jack whistles softly through his missing teeth as he collects glasses and bottles from behind the bar, "Hoowhee! You lot are feeling flush tonight then? Find a big pot of gold out in that swamp or what?"
Ameiko's song draws to an end, with a final refrain,
"No one's ever lost forever /
They are caught inside your heart /
If you garden them and water them /
They make you what you are."
She lets the scattering of applause die down before she heads over to your table. Her eyes are bright and she has a big smile for her friends. "Hey everyone! Back from the marsh already? I'm impressed. Did you find the goblins?"
Malcolm stands at her approach, and he bows.
Yes, Mi'Lady, and we have something that I think belongs to you. Is there somewhere private we could meet? A back room, perhaps?
Iralynash claps at the end of Ameiko's song and smile when she approuches.
Marduzi joins Iralynash and the rest of the tavern in the applause and lets Malcolm do the speaking when Ameiko approaches the table.
Kelistra rolls her eyes when Malcolm addresses Ameiko. "So much for the plan," she mutters before smiling. "Typical for this crew actually. When I compose our little saga into a proper balad, I'll have to work our habit of deviating from plans into it. Speaking of songs, I like the new one, Ameiko."
I am certain that the Ballad will be beyond reproach and not do justice to the true exploits of this group, but the delivery of what we found and a quick telling of the tale is necessary now. Can we proceed to a location of a more confidential nature, mi'lady?
"Ooooh, a tale is it? That's my bit, and nothing beats a captivated audience.
...Well, except for a tied up audience, but we can't have everything can we?"
Jordan attempts to rise as the famous bard arrives at their table.
The mage collapses to the ground, disappointed that this has happened before he even had a drink of alcohol.
"Ameiko, I didn't drink a single potion from the find, honest. We waited for the true heir. Ruhk, it looks like I need some help again."
The weakened mage manages to smile as he says: "Don't cut me off, it is the spider poison talking, not my tolerance for alcohol."
"He really should have used one of the potions." Azmythe comments. "Ameiko, he came to this condition during our adventure. With your permission, we can help him."
Ameiko's eyes widen at Malcolm's comment, "Something of mine? How intriguing!" She motions you to a quieter corner, and then muffles a laugh as Jordan tries and fails to get to his feet.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. If you are injured then you are welcome to anything I have the may help."
...
"Now, tell me everything"
"Couple drinks, a potion, and some sleep and you'll be good as new Jordan. C'mon, now that we've got a calm corner, let's have someone tell the tale or sing the song." Marduzi helps to bring Jordan, the chests and sword to the corner offered by Ameiko.
Jordan smiles at Ameiko: "Is my sister around? It may save me from having to tell the story again. And I could not do it as much justice as Kel. And I may find myself doubling the number of goblins just to impress her."
Jordan weakly nods to the novice bard.
"C'mere you, no pork pies for you until AFTER I carry you to the private area eh?"
"Well, the story itself begins when me and Marduzi together with a quartet of lovely ladies went out to see a Halfling about a goblin..."
Ruhk begins to spin a yarn that highlights all the important parts of the story, but making them seem larger than life and only just on the right side of believable at all.
As far as anyone can remember, Marduzi did not strangle a snake three times the size of his horse, nor did Iralynash blow up a goblin castle.
Marduzi sits captivated, trying in vain to recall certain parts of the tale and being thankful for companions with a better way with words than he.
Marduzi sits captivated, trying in vain to recall certain parts of the tale and being thankful for companions who have a better way with words than he.
Malcolm simply smiles, and blushes noticeably when Ruhk describes his one on one combat with the undead guardian. At the end of his tale, Malcolm hefts the chest onto the table for Ameiko's inspection.
Azmythe seems to be lost in reverie as they all listen to Ruhk's telling of their adventure.
Kelistra quietly practices the tune of Ameiko's song on her mandolin. She plays softly so as not to interfere with Ruhk's story telling. Not interfering with Ruhk's story telling is the reason Kelistra is playing in the first place. If Kelistra didn't have a distraction, she'd have to put a stop to his embellishments.
"So, uh, Ameiko," Kelistra asks after Malcolm hoists the chest on the table. "Is the Tsutami name one of the flowers in your family's memory garden? He's the one who told us this belongs to the Kaijitsu heir."
As Ruhk tells his tale Iralynash sits around with his drink sipping it and nodding at the words as someone who says "yes, it happened exactly like that..."
He then looks at Ameiko, waiting for her answer.
"This is astonishing. If I did not know you I would suspect some ruse or practical joke, but..." Ameiko shakes her head. "I have not heard the name 'Tsutami' before; but then I know very little of my family history before my father settled here in Sandpoint. There, those decorations on the chest," she points at a carving of a cherry tree with a leering demon perched on the highest branch, "that is identical to a painting that my father brought from... from before."
...
...
Another shake of her head, "I had given up on finding out more about my families origins. I don't know what this means or what further investigation will reveal, but I owe you all a debt of thanks."
...
"Did you find anything beyond the chest? May I look?"
"As much as we could, we have determined the chest to be safe. If you would like some privacy, we would, understand." Azmythe looks over the human with concern in his eyes.
Yes, My Lady, please do...it is afterall, yours.
Ruhk chuckles and waves a hand in surrender at Ameikos not so subtle hint that she may not fully believe his account of events.
"Ok ok, maaaaaaybe I spiced up things a touch, but that is called creative licencing, important for every good storyteller."
Marduzi presents the sword to Ameiko. "Tsutami bore this sword. He said he used it to protect the Kaijitsu family and that he had protected the family under another name before that. The hilt is broken, but I am sure it can be repaired. And, there is the other chest that we recovered from the goblins as well."
Yea, the chest is packed with stuff. By all means Mei, check it out. It looks like some kind of family heritage. Tsutami's armor is inside also.
Ameiko looks over the contents of the chest. Her expression grows a little distant, perhaps a little melancholy, as she reflects on the fact that she may never know her family history. That this mute unspeaking treasure still tells her more than her own father ever revealed.
Then she reaches for Tsutami's sword, placing her hand on the broken hilt. As she touches it, the pommel separates from the rest of the hilt and a small silver cylinder slides smoothly out. It is obvious that the hilt was designed this way, to hold a secret compartment.
---
---
Ameiko pales slightly, and with trembling hand unscrews the cylindrical silver scroll case, for such it proves to be. Inside is a tightly furled sheet of parchment, covered in foreign-looking characters.
"Oh," says the bard. "Oh my." She stands, ashen faced, and rushes from the inn. You have not seen her lose composure like this since ... no, you have never seen her lose composure like this. She mouths a 'Thank you' as she leaves.
What is it, Mi'Lady?
Marduzi looks on with surprise as what was hoped to be a welcome discovery suddenly turns. "That didn't go well at all. What could it say that would be so terrible? Or do you think we missed some sort of magic?"
Malcolm's reassuring presence seems to calm her headlong flight. Still standing, she says, "I need to go and check, of all things, a dictionary. This letter appears to be written by my grandfather, to my father. This could change everything."
She takes a deep breath and turns to the group, "Thank you, all. I need to go and translate this letter. It speaks of secrets, and a fortress - Brinewall Castle - and of regrets. But I do not fully understand it yet and need to be sure... I feel most deeply in your debt, and I will not forget."
"Please, let us speak again in the morning. The chest will be safe enough here, with Jak, until he closes up for the night. Please, dear friends, till the morning."
---
***
Night falls. You stay up late drinking and talking, or you seek the comforts of home and sleep, each according to your nature and preference.
***
The sheriff's voice emerges gruffly from beneath a fine mustache, "Huh. Well done, the lot of you. Buggered if I'm counting a sack full of dismembered gobbo bits, so take this note to Varrick's Moneychanger, and the mayor's beancounters can figure it out later."
***
"Very interesting, these crystals," the head of the glassmaker's guild is a white-haired, weasel-faced woman with a habitual squint from years of close delicate artisanry. "Was this all of it, or was there more?" You almost think her nose twitches in sudden financial interest.
***
The urchin approaches grubby feet, hand held out for a coin, "Found you! Ameiko said you'd gimme a copper if I told you to meet her at the Rusty Dragon, but I wanna silver. Gissa silver!"
His equally grubby sister elbows him, "Nah, a gold, Ameiko said a gold piece, innit?"
***
Jordan invites his sister to the Rusty Dragon--anxious to tell her about his first adventure. Especially the showdown with the goblin king.
Jordan can't help but embellish the injuries that spider venom causes. Nonetheless, the weak mage is quite incapable of carrying his pack. He always seems to convince Malcolm to help with it. "Aren't good deeds a part of your job description." he is heard to utter.
Indeed, but I do it because you are my friend, and you need the help.