John, the clockspear district is airy and the streets are wide, with bright awnings and many inns and rest-houses lining the streets alongside museums and libraries. You hear many languages spoken, and wish that Sallrana was here with you to translate - unfortunately she disappeared somewhat abruptly after your meal at the restaurant, leaving with a slew of gossip and unanswered questions in her wake - urgent business to attend to, and hushed whispers of secrets that you were not to ken.
You can only hope that, despite the partial rift between you over her practices, she will at some point grace you with her presence again.
Miria stands from her place at the little cafe and dusts off her pants before walking in the direction of the Clock-Spear tower. Hopefully all of the party members are there so they can move on with their evening.
Jack sees John at the Clock-spear district. One advantage of his height is being able to see over so many heads.
Like a surging tide he moves towards John.
he bellows.
, you literally cannot fail to hear Jack's shout across the crowds that fill the clockspear district, crowds that part before and close behind the titanic orc like the sea around a particularly robust island.
Jack smashes towards John, reaches down and claps him on the shoulder
Roger says "What plans? We have plans now?
A few people are giving you slightly odd looks as they catch small snatches of your conversation. It might be an idea to head into one of the local inns, get a table and continue your conversation there.
Roger grins wickedly and says "Let 'em be scared. It's good for them" before turning to the people who are staring and shouting "BOO!"
Several people jump back in surprise, and the street in general gives you a slightly wider berth.
"Now you're speaking my language inkie."
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Roger turns his gaze on Roger.
Watch your mouth regarding the women of our group, Roger. They are our battle comrades, and you will be relying on them in combat. Also if you try something they'll have your sceptre and orbs off in a trice.
John looks around and says I'm certain if you want company, it's probably for sale around here somewhere.
John turns to jack and says They are taking their time. How much longer should we give them?
Jack sighs, loudly
Jack points at John's normal badge location
These parallel dimensional tricks are going to keep cropping up. John's world must be very similar to mine and Roger's.... or at least mine.
With whiskey in hand you manage to find a place to sit, benches ringing an old oak in the lengthening shadow of the clockspear. Young couples and old men sit around you, the majority of them human but with a few elves and other, less common races in evidence. The atmosphere around you is still jovial even with the appearance of the strange disturbance out past the harbour (you hear the story being discussed by more than one group that passes by), and as the streets begin to clear of day-folk and traders you can take time to appreciate the natural beauty of the place - helped by the drink, of course.
Jack cheerfully joins in the drinking
"I was talking about a drink, not getting prone with some nob chicks."
Taking a moment to drink in the atmosphere, Roger then adds "So appearantly I can blow things up with my mind, and that's why I'm so big. I just wish I could be normal sized sometimes again, you know?."
As Roger says that, he begins to....shrink. it's like watching ice melt, only his clothes were shrinking as well, until finally he reaches the size he always was (large, but not quite that large). As he starts shrinking, Roger lets out a "whaaaa?" followed by a "They lied! I'm paralalized again!" and then starts flailing his arms.
Miria spots the three men, especially Roger flailing as he shrinks. She rushes over, a look of concern and confusion crossing the visible part of her face.
[b]"What is happening to him? Do I need to take him to the Hawcroft doctors?"
'There goes my plan for getting them to the Magpie anytime soon."
People are now paying more attention to you, as Roger flails and shouts... but there's no sign of Sallrana.
Taking a deep breath, Roger can see that he is no longer paralyzed. Moving first his right, then his left arm, he starts laughing. It starts as the laughter of someone filled with mirth, but slowly begins creeping it's way into someone having a panic attack, before Roger manages to get himself under control.
After a moment of closed eyes and deep breaths, Roger opens his eyes and says "I'm okay. I almost lost it there for a minute. I wanna try something; hang on. I wanna be big again!"
At saying that, Roger begins to grow. expanding in all directions at once, until he achieves the same size that he has had recently.
"Appearantly the doctor was right. I can blow up things with my mind!"
Evening is fast shading into night, and Sallrana is still nowhere to be seen. , she told you she might be some time... whether you wait for her or not is up to you.
Miria huffs in exasperation. First, Roger makes a scene, and now Sallrana is nowhere to be found. She turns to the group, focusing on Jack.
"Jack, would you mind translating? It will be quicker and more understandable than me speaking myself."
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John frowns as the hour grows late. Finally he says I wonder where she got to? Still she's a big girl. Lets head to this night magic market thing. Oh and be on your guard. Some of these people make roger look like a law abiding citizen
John leads the others to where he was told the market was. If it is too early, then dinner first.
"My dear lady of course I would be delighted to act as your translator. I only hope I can do your words justice."
, you lead the group to a slightly rougher part of town - away from the usual crowds, into the more subdued sidestreets and back alleys. The smell of good honest woodsmoke fast overtakes the potentially cloying scents of incense and sea-salt, and the people here look a little less frivolous than those you spied at the market.
You're slightly too early for your meeting, but are sure you've found the right sort of place for it. A nearby inn serves a decent small-portioned meat-and-gravy soup, if you wish to partake over a round of beers (or more whiskey, of course).
As the group moves into the "seedier" side of town, Roger returns to his larger size and adopts his "I'm a badass, mess with me if you wanna lose limbs" stance and doesn't say much, but will keep his head on a swivel looking for pickpockets and alleymen. As they stop at the inn for dinner, Roger will ask "So, I learnt something I feel I should tell yous: seams like the implants ain't all the time. They need fixin every once in a while or the stabbed ooze shell will actionate....basically, they made us slaves. I thought you'd all wanna have a talk with them about that. After we get the little guy back, that is."
Miria waves her hand in a "you'll do just fine" motion and smiles at Jack. She likes him, and he can translate Hunter's Cant. Now she doesn't have to sound like an invalid to tell everyone what is going on. Her hands flutter in movement once more.
"Who told you about the night market? I don't mind us going, but I would have preferred to show everyone the inn before we came, just in case we get split up. As it stands right now, I'm the only one that knows how to get there." Jack translated.
Her eyes roam the crowd as they travel, and she adjusts her mask slightly, in what seems to be a nervous gesture.
Jack shrugs
Then, to Roger Jack's simple language easily stretches around the terms Indentured Employees
He claps a hand on Roger
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A market of magical items. Not just potions but other things. Worth having a look, I feel.
john looks at the party and says things like that can mean life and death for us.
When he hears about the the doctor he says not a bad idea. I'd like a second opinion on these items we have gained john ways towards his eyes.
, you could purchase a set of city maps from a local vendor if you wanted to, to mark down the location of potential meeting places if you're worried about the party getting separated - it would only cost 1d6 gold.
As you walk and talk the streets around you get dirtier still - those of you trained to begin to see that people are watching you as you pass, paying more and more attention to a group of obvious foreigners with expensive-looking gear.
Jack orders a round of beers for himself, then hesitates and offers them first.
Roger, without hesitation, says "I'll take one more", thinks for a moment, then adds "pitcher."
on the topic of the doctor he talked to, Roger says "He seemed alright. He wants to let some colleges look at my implants. He don't want money, though, just to examine the implants."
As the topic of conversation drifts towards Hawcroft, Roger just says "I don't like them. They done took a buncha people who were desperate to be fixed, fixed em, and then made it so that it don't last so they could make us do what they want us to. That's how the pesh dealers work."
Miria raises her had in a "one moment" gesture and moves over to a vendor selling papers and maps. She finds a set of city maps and holds it up to the vendor and end up buying it for two gold. She hurried back to the group and lays the map out on the table, avoiding drinks, and marks three places on the map.
As she points to each one she signs what they are. "This is The Magpie Inn, where we'll be staying. This is the Physicians' Annex, and this is the Laughing Monkey Tavern. If we do happen to get separated in the night market, go to one of these places, preferably one that isn't the Inn. We don't want these lowlifes to follow us home." Jack translated. She gave Roger a sly look. "No offense, of course. And Hawcroft Logging hasn't forced you do do anything. And if you wanted to know about the longevity of your implants, you could have asked me; I've been through several different versions. They saved my way of life, and they could have thrown me away after the accident, but they didn't."
She handed one of the maps to each of them before sitting down and taking one of Jacks's beers with smiling eyes.