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Not wanting to be left outside alone, Tabarg merely shrugs and steps into the orphanage.
"I am sorry if some of my friends are a bit blunt with inspecting your establishment", Tabarg says to the Auntie, "but they simply take their assignment very seriously. If you could, as my friend Jomal said, give us a brief tour of the place, we could get to business faster--business being further monetary aid to the Home of Recovery, eh?"
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The girl, who appears about ten, is lying in bed and coughs occasionally. She is looking miserable, huddling under the covers, and sits up when Hoshi enters.
Seeing a child she whispers quietly, "That Auntie's a witch! What's the worst she ever done to ya'?"
She visibly gasps. "Billy! What if she hears you!" Then she suddenly bursts into giggles. "Auntie Baltwin does look like a witch, doesn't she! Heehee." She recovers from her giggling fit then thinks briefly. "Worst? Well, she is quite mean when she scolds you. Her voice screeches just like a witch!" Again, she's starts giggling again, occasionally interrupted by dry coughs. "Why do you ask though? She's really not that bad if you behave. And she tells such fantastic stories at bedtime. Oh, did something happen at work yesterday? Did you break something at the Winfred's again? If you did, then you deserve to be scolded."
Just outside the door along the wall, one of the tiles appear loose. When Hoshi studies it more carefully, she notices from how the corners are smoothed, it shows signs of having been moved quite repeatedly.
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"Ook! Even uglier at angle. Venture-Captain sent us. You behave." He slaps her hand away from his neck.
"Ouch!" the headmistress yelps. "How dare you! You invade my home and assault me! What's a Venture-Captain? I'm calling the guards!" She spins around and sees the rest of the Pathfinders have followed her in. "What are doing? Get out!"
"Please pardon my dwarf friend Auntie. He's just hungry. So am I actually. Name's Lucky. Our mutual friend Ollysta Zadrian sent us. Say, whatcha got cooking there? Ollysta's keen to know the kiddies are getting fed right, you know?"
"Zadrian? Of the Silver Crusade?" She pauses here, looking conflicted. She then turns up her nose and snorts. Looking down on Lucky, she exclaims with somewhat less hostility, "Even then, you can't just barge in like this. I have children here! What if something happens to them? How do I answer to their parents?! And my cats! This clumsy dwarf could have stepped on one of them crashing through my house like this! And none of you wiped your feet when you came in! I just swept the floor!"
Like my companions said, we're here for Zadrian. She would like us to do a quick inspection on the place before the procedures, so if you would be so kind... Maybe you could give us a tour?
"If you could, as my friend Jomal said, give us a brief tour of the place, we could get to business faster--business being further monetary aid to the Home of Recovery, eh?"
"Fine! You could have just said so earlier, instead of just wading through this place like you own it. Just because I get donations from her doesn't mean you can treat us like that. I do good work here. These poor kids and I deserve respect, too!" She juts her chin out at Aurk, as if daring him to hit an old lady.
"Oh, I spy a bottle of my good friend Miltvis' finest! A bit early in the day for that though, don't you think Auntie?"
"Hey, put that down!" she points a gnarled finger at Umbaraki. She walks over, grabs the bottle from the dwarf and places it back carefully on the counter-top. "Don't touch that with your dirty hands."
Turning to Lucky, again she snorts, "Well, what's that to you? Seems most days you need it if you want to make it through the day in this house. You ever lived in a house filled with children bouncing of walls? Drives you nutters some days. So yes, I drink quite a bit to get through each day. If your lady has a problem with that, I will cut down. But no sirree, it ain't no crime, and has not impeded my work. Look!" She gestures around the kitchen. "Dare you say you can find a better maintained kitchen among the finest inns of Absalom?" And indeed, while it is small and simple, you would be hard-pressed to find a dirt or stains on the floor, counter-top or utensils.
By this time, the girl in the kitchen has gone back to cutting the carrots, looking up at the strangers from time to time. Auntie Baldwin nods approvingly at her, before exiting the kitchen. "You want a tour? Then follow me. But make it quick! I've got work to do!" She steps into the room next door, waiting for the Pathfinders to follow her.
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"You are not to bother my children!" Hearing Aurk chatting to the girl, Aunti Baltwin stomps back. "They are my wards and I am not leaving you out of sight with them." She turns to the girl and in more neutral voice, shoos her out of the kitchen. "Go on, Tilly. Go to your room or outside to play. Stay away from these strange men. And tell the rest of them to stay away, too. You can finish up after they leave." The girl simply nods and runs out of the kitchen. She whispers to the other two children in the corridor, who also scatter.
The crone then stalks back to the room next door. "You coming?"
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She doesn't want us to speak with the children alone. A good thing Ninura has already begun her plan. If she were truly concerned about them so much as speaking with a stranger, she wouldn't send them running around the city for hours at a time. In fact...
Umbaraki quickly works his stylus.
"Where do you send the children during the day?"
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With Auntie apparently distracted, and her view of the kitchen blocked by the massive nagaji in the doorway, Lucky nips over to the barrel in the corner.
"My, that is a tidy kitchen. I wonder if she has any cookies?"
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"Where do you send the children during the day?"
Umbaraki follows after Auntie Baltwin, scribbling furiously on his tablet. When he holds it up at her, she barely bats an eyelid and replies, "I don't send them out. The children placed here by their parents to recover from their illness sometimes miss home. Their parents come bring them back for a few hours each day."
"Is that ankle biter and dirt licker joining us? You wanted the tour. Don't waste my time!"
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The girl frowns in concern. "Billy, are you ok? How would I know what the Winfreds wanted you to do at their house yesterday? Did you hit your head? Auntie Baltwin didn't hit you, did she? I mean, I don't think she has ever hit any of us."
Hoshi beats a hasty retreat before her cover story starts unraveling. Making sure no one is watching, she quickly takes down the tile, revealing a package wrapped in leather hidden within.
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Hoshi removes the package from the wall, and hears the clinking of glass as she handles it. There seems to be some vials and bottles within, among other items.
While trying to finger out how to hide it on herself, she takes a quick loon in the next room. A large bed stands in the centre, amidst other miscellanuous furniture. They are of better quality than those in the girl's room and you suspect that this room belongs to Baltwin. Hoshi quickly digs through the dresser, cupboard and trunk but other than clothes and various personal artifacts, does not find anything particularly incriminating.
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Baltwin glares at Aurk for the insults. "You just run of your mouth like that! Expect an official complaint to your Venture-Captain for this! Just because we take your charity does mean we have to take your insults." She then slams shut her mouth and resolves to ignore the rude dwarf.
Turning to the rest, she gestures to the room. "This is my sitting room where I entertain guests." She places an emphasis on the last word, clearly not counting you as such. The furniture here, like what you see in the house so far, is simple but well-maintained. On the table stands a nearly empty bottle of whisky and half-empty mug, which she pointedly ignores.
"Now for the dining area. Follow me." She states curtly and moves across the hallway, waiting for everyone to follow her before she does so.
Pressing himself against the corner, Lucky makes sure none of the children are looking and quickly sneaks unwraps the leather cloth. That reveals a simple cloth bag with the words Absalom Children's Foundation across the front. Inside, he finds a number of bottles and vials. When he uncocks one, it gives of a strong medicinal smell. In addition, there are a few small packs which contains dried herbs, again which smell rather medicinal.
Two girls who were outside glances at the strange half-man apprehensively, then quickly runs over to join the boys, casting skittish looks his way from time to time. The three boys have also stopped their game, looking at the girls perplexedly.
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Hoshi sticks the package into her disguised backpack. Since she sees nothing of interest in Gilga's room, Hoshi walks down the hall and to the bedrooms on the other side of the upstairs. Seeing the first room she comes across a bit too crowded for her liking -- her tails would likely brush up against one of the boys -- Hoshi goes into the room at the end of the hall and looks around.
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Hoshi walks past the room with two boys inside. One is pouting in bed, pouting having to stay in on such a wonderful day, while the other is sitting on the floor playing with some wooden figurines. He waves at Hoshi as she walks past but seeing her walk on, continue playing with his toys.
Hoshi enters the last room in the corridor. This room contains three beds and looks similar to the other two rooms occupied by children. It is slightly more messy, with beds more tardily made. This dormitory is likely occupied by boys. She does a quick ransack of the but other than toys improperly put away and hidden sweetrolls, she finds nothing particular of note.
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Hmm. That's not the name of this place. A donation? Or something more sinister?
Lucky puts the herbs and vials back in their wrap, and puts the wrap back in his pack.
He approaches the group of children outside. "Hi there. I'm a donor. Well, a donor's representative at least. Nice to meet you. I say, did any of you kids come from another orphanage or hospital?"
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The Absalom Children's Foundation is a relatively well-known charity set up about a few years ago by the philantropist Maya Shanolt. She made her big break when she cornered the sand market shortly before the Great Quake of 4698. A key component for reconstruction, Maya, who was already a moderately successful businesswoman by then, became filthy rich. Never having married and having no children of her own, she set up the foundation to be the surrogate mother for countless children across the city.
The group of children looks apprehensively at the halfling. The girl who was helping out in the kitchen earlier shushes everybody. "Auntie Baltwin says we are not supposed to talk to them."
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The Absalom Children's Foundation is a relatively well-known charity set up about a few years ago by the philantropist Maya Shanolt. She made her big break when she cornered the sand market shortly before the Great Quake of 4698. A key component for reconstruction, Maya, who was already a moderately successful businesswoman by then, became filthy rich. Never having married and having no children of her own, she set up the foundation to be the surrogate mother for countless children across the city.
The group of children looks apprehensively at the halfling. The girl who was helping out in the kitchen earlier shushes everybody. "Auntie Baltwin says we are not supposed to talk to them."
"It's OK, I'm a friend. And even though those dwarves have terrible manners, they're good people too. We want to help. Our friends have money and medicine that they want to make sure is put to good use. So, how did you all get here?"
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Jomal follows around, silently, as Auntie takes them to the Waiting Room. He looks with curiosity to the room.
Wait, one moment. - he says, trying to hold her before moving to the next room - What is that over there?
Jomal isn't too intelligent at all, as already evidenced several times - the only thing he knows is they have to stall. As he notices the corner of a leather cloth sticking out, he sees it's out of place and then immediately moves on that direction.
Here... What's it? - he asks with curiosity, slowly, still trying to give the others not there time to investigate.
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The five kids glance from one to another, looking conflicted. While they do want to obey their headmistress, it is not often that they get a visitor, especially one the same size as them. Eventually, one of the boys, approximately twelve years old, steps forward. The kitchen girl tries to shush him but he sniffs loudly and ignores her.
"I'm Trenton. I've always lived here. So has Billy and Lynette," gesturing to the boy that Hoshi took the form of and the kitchen girl. Pointing at the two other two, he continues, "Quentin and Bree are staying here 'cos they are sick. Auntie Baltwin makes them better. I think they will be going home soon though." He looks downcast at this last part.
Hoshi waits silently at the upstairs landing, waiting for the party to make their way across to the kitchen. The group seem to start making their way across when suddenly, Jomal raises his voice...
Jomal moves towards the armchair and Baltwin swivels over to catch what the nagaji is referring to.
"Ah, that's where it went!" The headmistress picks up a burst of speed, overtaking Jomal. She stoops down and pull out a leather-wrapped package. Seeing Jomal staring at her directly, she pauses briefly, thinking whether to clarify or not. Finally, she unwraps the leather cloth, revealing a simple cloth bag and pulls out a few vials and bottles from it. "Various herbs and curatives I use for the poor sickly ones. I could have sworn some were missing from my cupboard. So that's where they ended up. That mischievous Billy must have hidden them here. Tsk tsk."
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"I see", the dwarf says, not entirely cynically, when Auntie Baltwin explains what the bag is all about. He does notice her trying to hide a label saying "Taldan Wives for Children", a charity fund for various children's causes. While not the incriminating evidence Tabarg expected to find, he does entertain the thought, this woman seems to already have plenty of medicine available. Exploiting the Auntie's preoccupation with his Nagaji friend, Tabarg sneaks out to rendezvous with Lucky.
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"Thank you Trenton. You are a fine lad. Ah, look, here's my friend Ironbelly. Did you know he is a cook? You know what cooks make? Huh? Cookies!" Lucky giggles at his own joke.
"They seem like good kids, Tabark" whispers Lucky into Ironbelly's ear. "But I found a medicine case marked Absalom Children's Foundation hidden in the kitchen. How many donors does this place need, d'you think?"
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Hoshi quietly slips into the dining room amidst the commotion and with the time bought from the rest of the party, is able to make a rather thorough search of the room. Like the rest of the house, the furniture is simple but well-maintained. Otherwise, she finds nothing particularly of note here.
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Baltwin bristles at Umbaraki's demands but somewhat uncharacteristically, does not argue and acquiesce. From within the bag, she hands out the bottles, vials and small packs to the Pathfinders. Uncorking the bottles and vials reveal heavy medicinal scent, while the packs contain various dried herbs.
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"That is interesting to hear, my friend", Tabarg whispers back. "A medicine case from the Absalom's Children's Foundation, eh? Well, one thing I'm sure of is that our friend Auntie Baltwin is not short on supplies. We've just found a stash of medicine and herbs in the sitting room, though Baltwin said it's probably some kid who hid it there. Still, something here smells, and it's not just the old hag. Why would she be keeping medicine in suspicious sacks and packages around her house, and not in cupboards or other safe places?"
The dwarf thinks deeply, watching the children outside play, before an idea crosses his mind.
"Lucky, let me see that medicine case you found, my friend."
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Examining the bag of medicine that Lucky has found, Tabarg notes that the content are completely unopened. The bottles are full, and the packs of herbs look untouched. This prompts him to think back and he does not recall seeing any leftover empty of half-empty vials nor leftover herbs in the kitchen, dining room nor really anyway in the house, whether on the counters or in the trash.
Those in the sitting room similarly notes that the bottles and packages that Baltwin hands out are completely unopened and untouched. Aurk identifies the various herbs that these are made from. They are refined to target illnesses and generally are safe to use without any side-effects unless taken in large quantities. He also knows that being of such high quality, they would not be easily available on the open market.
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Aurk decides it is time for him to talk to the kids and heads outside to where most of the kids are gathered. He smiles at them and then gives them an "Ouk!" as a greeting.
He then tries to gain their trust, "Aurk!" He points to himself then raises his club. "DOODAT!"
He smiles at them again. He then uses his beast tongue to try to talk to them.
It doesn't seem to work on them and Aurk wonders if they are some type of strange animal. So he then tries to talk to them normally.
"Ugly hag. She give you medicine while sick?"
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Jomal sticks with Auntie, still trying to stall her so the others can continue their side missions. He doesn't hand her the package, neither he "understands" anything else going on; unless something changes, he simply blindly shakes his head and speaks back to her.
So... Where do the children sleep? And what kind of ailment usually afflicts them? All the medicine looks so... Pristine, so untouched.
He scratches his head and blinks slowly.
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Outside, Lucky smiles awkwardly at Aurk's attempts at making friends with the kids.
"What my dwarvish friend is trying to say, Bree and Quentin, is what kind of medicine does Auntie give you? What kind of sickness do you have, do you know? Maybe if you're really good and help us out Ironbelly here will make you some cookies? Right, Ironbelly? Good kids deserve cookies, don't they?"
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Hidden around the corner of the house, Hoshi carefully unwraps the leather cloth. Within she finds an unlabelled cloth bag, but it looks almost identical to the bag that Zadrian had handed to you earlier to donate to this orphanage. Inside the bag, she finds unopened bottles and vials of medicine, and seemingly untouched packs of medicinal herbs.
Lucky and Aurk approach the children. They immediately shrink back at the scary looming bearded dwarf, and his rumbling thundery voice does not help matters. Lucky is lucky the second time round - perhaps his cheery child-like face is a stark contrast to that of the dwarf's and they congregate around him instead.
"Yuck! I hate medicine!" Quentin makes an exaggerated face. "Auntie is nasty but whew, she didn't give me any. My mum said I had mums? Huh? How could I have my mum? Anyway, my face was all swollen but it's ok now."
Bree giggles at Quentin's animated explanation. "Heehee. Stop it, Auntie Baltwin can be nice. I know, she forced us to stay in bed all day, and drink lots of water. And her chicken soup is amazing! I had all kinds of spots all over my body and had fever. But everything went away after a week."
Quentin then holds out his hand. "Where's my coookie?"
Baltwin looks warily at the rather intimidating snake-man towering over her. "They sleep upstairs in their rooms, of course. You didn't think I would put them in the kitchen, would you? I'm no witch!" With a loud hmmph, she then continues, "Parents bring their children here with all kinds of ailments. chickenpox, mumps, flu, croup, whatever children can catch, I've seen it. The medicine? They are untouched because they are new donations. Should have been in the cupboard store if not for that itchy-fingered Billy."
"Wait. Where's the rest of your group?" She storms back to the main doors and sees those outside speaking to the children. "Hey! I said no talking to the children! I won't have you brutes scaring them!" She yells at the children, "Go back to your rooms now!"
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Tabarg sighs when after all of this Baltwin still asks for the donations, but he can't deny that Venture-Captain Zadrian asked them to deliver the package and return to her with information, not make a decision on their own.
"Hand her the package", he asks of whomever is carrying it.
He joins the others, and before setting off, says to the Auntie "Thanks for your cooperation!"