After the barrel ride, Kiliuk will roam around, maybe asking the merchants if they know of a Gilda. He might eventually find his way to the puppet show if he's unsuccessful with the merchants.
Torget will go check on the youts, amused by their game.
I've probably wasted too much of the morning at the fair already, maybe they'll have some idea who's cool enough to deal in off the wagon axes.
Torgen starts by watching them for a bit, trying to see if can can figure out any of the specifics of the game.
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You ask around, no finding anyone who knows Gilda, but you do hear a lot of variations of *shrug* "I dunna, ask Yarla. She knows everybody." When asked, these helpful souls will point toward the dwarf running the sack races.
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Tall wooden storage boxes are haphazardly arranged everywhere here except for a grouping of four, which form a diamond. Rowdy youths pump their fists and cheer on four kids who each stand atop one of these boxes. The standing youths kick a bean-filled sack back and forth. Each time a youth kicks the sack, they all shout a word of the following phrase: "The! Devil! Man! Knocks! Don' t! Let! Him! In!"
Kiliuk will make his way to the Sack Races. The search continues...
The crowd erupts in laughter as Meraina helps Carth put on a memorable show. When the story is over, Carth wipes tears of mirth from his eyes as he stands. "Thanks for the help! They'll be talking about that one for a while. Anyway, remind me: what was it you wanted to talk about?"
Meraina beams at the praise. "--oh, right, our business! Well, sir, we're told you're a jeweler, and we're looking for one. See, a while back, my aunt had a special ring made for our grandmother... do you remember the name Sivelle? Or Rhylene?" Meraina asks hopefully.
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"Why, I do remember making a ring for Rhylene!" Carth says. "I'm sure I still have the design somewhere, too; I never throw away such records, you see. But my apprentice, Richelle, keeps hold of all of that information. Alas, she's not allowed at the jubilee this year, as I mentioned. It's a long story, but she'll be around tomorrow. If you come back then, I'll let you see the designs for the ring, OK?"
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The cobblestones here are marked with four lanes drawn in chalk. Two men and two women hop like mad in separate lanes, their legs covered with heavy burlap sacks. The crowd waves scarves and paper flowers in the air as they cheer the competitors toward the finish line. The onlookers offer a respectful berth to a well dressed dwarven woman standing confidently at the finish, her hands on hips as if she's overseeing the race.
Torgen looks the kids over, looking for any with tattoos, or who look like they might be the sort of ruffians to carry knives and such.
Torgen shakes his head and moves along, looking to see where that half-orc has gotten to.
Between races, Kiliuk will make his way over to her, if that wasn't clear. Sorry :-/
"Why, I do remember making a ring for Rhylene!" Carth says. "I'm sure I still have the design somewhere, too; I never throw away such records, you see. But my apprentice, Richelle, keeps hold of all of that information. Alas, she's not allowed at the jubilee this year, as I mentioned. It's a long story, but she'll be around tomorrow. If you come back then, I'll let you see the designs for the ring, OK?"
"That would be wonderful, thank you. Now what did she do to not be allowed at the jubilee?" Meraina laughs. "That seems like a shame, this is such a lovely time."
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Torgen looks up at Kiliuk and shakes his head "No way, no, just not gonna."
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"On your mark..." Torgen looks around as Yarla raises her hand, preparing to start the race. How the heck did this happen?
"Get set...." Standing next to Torgen is Kiliuk, both feet inside his own brown burlap sack.
"GO!" As Yarla drops her hand, Torgen, Kiliuk, and the two townsfolk they're competing against all surge forward, hopping like mad down the marked track.
Gotta get this - gotta impress her. And there's no way I'm going to looooooose!
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Kiliuk is eager to win. So eager, in fact, that he gets too far out over his feet, falling flat on his face right out of the gate. He gets up quickly, and his long-legged jumps allow him to cover a lot of ground, but it's no use. Torgen jumps out to a very fast start and never looks back, winning handily!
"Well done, young dwarf! A race well run...um, well-hopped anyway" the dwarven woman overseeing the race says as she collects the sacks for the next heat. "And great perseverance from your friend here. I don't think I know you folks, which means you must not be from around here, since I know just about everyone. What're your names? I'm Yarla."
"Kiliuk, Ma'am. Your reputation for knowing everyone is actually why I was looking to speak with you. Do you happen to know of a woman named Gilda, by any chance?"
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"Gilda...There's a woman I do business with in Grayhaven who I believe goes by that name. Sews exquisite outfits. My apprentice , Tolwin, would know her name for sure. He keeps the records of all the artisans we do business with. Unfortunately, he's not at the jubilee this year- the fool boy got mixed up in some effort to rig the Bloomgivers election in his favor. You'll have to come back tomorrow, when you can bet that I'll be sending him up these buildings to take down the winter shutters!"
Torgen introduces himself "Name's Torgen, just passin' through on a trip to buy some fine axes."
Kiliuk grumbles a bit to himself about more delays and will come back tomorrow, I guess.
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"Hm, axes you say? We had a shipment of axes come through here last week, on there way somewhere or other. Real nice equipment, from the Skyforgers. If I could remember where they were headed, you might be able to get buy some at their destination. I could have Tolwin look that up tomorrow as well, if you'd like."
Torgen smiles "That would be wonderful. I'm staying at the Inn, or I'm happy to come by wherever's good for you."
"Oh, she and that Tolwin boy--Yarla's apprentice--conspired to rig the election of this year's Bloomgivers in their favor. The mayor was livid and banned them from the festival. Even had little flyers printed up to remind people to turn them away."
"Goodness!" Meraina says with a little laugh and headshake. "What's the bloomgivers about? We're new, you see. I suppose there's no real rush, is there Brialla? We can wait til tomorrow to find Rochelle."
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Murmurs of alarm from the western end of Protectress Square soon become shrieks of shock. Two people stumble into the square-a young dark-haired man and a light-haired woman, half walking and half relying on the shoulders of friends. Winces of pain cross their bloodied faces. Somewhere, someone shouts, "The Bloomgivers have been attacked! Someone get Aurelliax!"
The crowd around the Bloomgivers hushes and parts, and a tall, authoritative woman strides purposefully toward the injured youths. A grim look on her golden-eyed face, she reaches a hand lovingly toward the Bloomgivers. Aurelliax addresses the Bloomgivers in a commanding voice that carries across the square. "Kameer. Kara. Young ones, what has happened here?" The Bloomgivers pause to catch their breath before answering. " We're so sorry, Aurelliax," Kara says. "We were picking the brightblooms when those bullies set upon us. They took us completely by surprise, and they stole the Golden Pendant right from Kameer's neck! We barely got out with our lives!” Kameer nods. "It was Richelle and Tolwin! They're up on Dendra's Slope, and they've still got your amulet!”
At this news, several individuals, including the proprietors of the jubilee's events- emerge from the crowd. Turning to Aurelliax, a white-haired woman-the town 's mayor, from the crowd's whispers-visibly bristles with anger. "I've had enough of those two! Clearly we should have punished them more harshly!" she says. "Aurelliax, would you be so kind as to retrieve these villains? We'll get your amulet back, and those two will get the justice they deserve in our stocks."
The golden-eyed woman looks at the mayor ruefully. "These bullies are two of your own, yes?" The mayor gives a regretful nod. "I'm terribly sorry," Aurelliax continues, "but I'm afraid I can't directly help. You see, I promised your forebears that I would never interfere in the town's interpersonal matters. I cannot turn my wrath against any of your town-not even if they might deserve it."
She turns to the crowd. "Are there any among you who are willing to be heroes for Highdelve? Could you retrieve these bullies and my amulet? I assure you all that I will reward those successful most generously!”
Seeing an opportunity to speak with Tolwin, Kiliuk also steps forward.
Torgen grumbles in that Dwarven way of saying yes.
Meraina blinks. "Are you sure, Brialla...? --oh, why not, maybe it'll be fun."
She goes on tippytoe and waves her arm. "We'll go! My cousin and me! It might just be some big misunderstanding!"
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”Thank you, visitors! Please, travel up Dendra’s slope, directly west of town about 3 miles," Aurelliax says, gently. "It sounds like the bullies are still there. The brightbloom patch is just past an old abandoned shack--that's where you'll want to start looking."
”Find these wayward youths, and return them along with my amulet to the people. I'll bring back the brightblooms to the square, and Kameer and Kara here can hand them out as planned. We'll commence the Brightbloom Ball and put all of this unpleasantness behind us!"
Torgen looks to Aureliax and asks an insensitive Dwarven Question "From that name and the twonsfolk II'm guessin' yer a dragon. What color?"
Kiliuk shrugs, eager to get going.
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Aurelliax laughs, then answers with a smirk. "Why, just turn around and look at the lovely statue behind you."
Torgen looks back and mumbles a bad joke "Hmm, kinda a dull Bronze..." before turning around and winking at Aurelliax
"What do our errant young people look like, please? Descriptions might be handy!" Meraina asks. Other than that she's ready to go.
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The mayor speaks up. "Their both about my height. Richelle has straight black hair, cut into bangs. Tolwin his reddish hair, styled into a sort of mohawk."
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Your journey up Dendra's Slope is uneventful. When you arrive at the described location, you find a small valley containing a dilapidated shack. Across from it, you see a campsite, and beyond the shack is a patch of small, white flowers. Further on, you can see the entrance to a cave.
Torgen grumbles a bit "Alright, hopefully seein' a few armed adventurer type'll get em surrendering in no time. Let's hope it doesn't come to blows, that never goes well."
"Hopefully, though I don't know who you're calling an adventurer," Meraina grins. "I'm just an ordinary girl... with a few tricks. Let's check the hut, shall we? I'll let one of you 'armed adventurers' go in first.
"Richelle? Tolwin? You have to know this isn't really going to work out," Meraina calls softly as she approaches the hut, though not in the lead.
Meraina picks a pebble or twig from the grass at her feet, whispers a word to bring it to a state of glow, and lightly chucks the pebble through the gaping doorway. "Yoohoo, anybody home?"
Torgen mumbles "I got a bad feelin' bout that shack..."
Torgen will pull out his light crossbow, but hesitate before loading a bolt "Maybe it's just me though..."
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Perception:
Meraina's lighted stone clatters across the ruined floorboards, illuminating the inside of the structure to reveal...not much. It seems to be empty, with the exception of a dirty bedroll in one corner. Next to the bedroll are three daggers and a small pile of trail rations of trail rations.