"Me next! Those rats were all over us!"
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Faywen's eyes widen as Erond casts his spell. "That's a new trick! Old Deadeye's quite fond of you, it seems."
"He does. There is also a trick I read about in the scrolls for reading your allies so you don't hit them and they don't hinder your aim that I'm ready to put into practice. It was a good month of training."
"I only got bit on th' tip o' me finger, so I'm sure I'll be fine."
"No need, I'm sure I'll be fine and that we'll need yer magicks fer the menace we face tomorrow! Sorry ta bother ya unnecessarily, padre." René called to the priest. "Now, how about we all get ourselves a nice night o' rest and then we head back ta the mansion in th'morning? Sound good?"
Faywen nods, saying, "Sounds good."
"Yep. Sounds good to me too. Foxglove Manor tomorrow. Are you guys all staying here in town? Where?"
"We've each got rooms at the Rusty Dragon. Ameiko prob'ly wouldn't mind the extra business if ya wanted ta stay there as well."
Faywen laughs, shaking her head. "That's where we've been staying as well. You'd think we'd have run into each other by now, though I suppose most of us are fairly recent arrivals."
"Well now. As our green friend said, I'm surprised we haven't run into each other." A low chuckle rumbles from Druamin's chest. "We do see to be an odd looking group and I would have thought we would attract some attention. It's not every day that you see a large porcupine, an undine, and a half-orc hanging out together." He winks at Trox.
"But no matter. This makes it easy. How about we all meet for breakfast in the morning. I'll appreciate a hearty meal before we start out." Druamin pats his stomach and, while not flabby, he's quite sturdy. It's clear that he hasn't missed too many hearty meals.
"I shan't be missing a good breakfast myself."
I would love to hear some stories from you all over breakfast. Where you are from and where you have been! Cordwin says with excitement in his voice.
Reynard raises an eyebrow from behind Druamin. "Out of sight, of mind, I suppose." he comments dryly.
Druamin is about to reply to Cordwin when he hears Reynard's voice behind him. He smiles and turns around. "Ah! Yes! Here's our friendly tiefling. Yet another reason why I thought we might attract attention. Reynard, we're planning to meet for breakfast tomorrow. Or maybe you heard that already."
Then back to Cordwin. "We'd love to hear from you guys too. You have the looks of a book-learned dwarf, if I'm not mistaken. Probably you have lots of interesting things to tell us. All that stuff that Quint told us was probably quite interesting to you."
"To be fair, Reynard, you can be quite hard to spot sometimes. Other times, though, you're very hard to miss, like when you doubled in size."
"A right many dwarves here, I'm pleased to see. What's our breakfast drink of choice?"
The next morning at breakfast, Cordwin will use his knowledge skills to talk to his new companions on where they are from, who they are related to or their race/species.
When asked Trox gives a small nod to Crodwin. He thinks for a moment and talks a bit, leaving out where he is from but still giving some information. His voice is surprisingly high, almost feminine.
"Been in Sandpoint for some time, crafting dolls for the Swallowtail Festival primarily. Its enough for me to get by for the most part, I also came with a little savings from a misadventure in my youth."
He pauses deciding.
"We got into some scraps exploring some caves, came out ok and thought we were going to be heroes. It was fun at first, flashing baldes and spells from my friend Gilroy. It fell apart..... I am all that is left."
He swallows hard and itches at the bandages under his shirt that wrap his chest.
"Just tell your people to stay behind me in a fight if they can. Let me take the hits, it better for them. Keep them alive with luck."
He avoids the subjects of relations, a lot of half-orc do.
The savory smell of roasting meat and baking bread wafts through the large common. Already, nearly a dozen other guests of the inn are seated at tables and in the middle of cheerful conversation. Druamin scans the room and spots his companions from the previous day. He makes his way over to them and pulls up a chair. Kobu waddles along behind him then tucks himself in beneath Druamin's chair.
"Cordwin, right? That's your name?" Druamin's thick, black beard still glistens in a few places where it is still wet from his morning preparations. "Where'm I from, you asked?" He looks around the room to get his bearings then points in an easterly direction. "Out there. Out in the forest. That's where Kobu and I live. Not much of a city boy but I come into town from time to time."
A big bowl of fresh made biscuits sits in the middle of the table along side of a platter with hunks of hard cheese. Druamin grabs some of both and takes a hearty bite, nodding a greeting to Trox.
René glanced at Trox, very quickly picking up on a few signs and coming to a conclusion or two. He kept these to himself though. Both because it was earlier in the morning than he would have liked, Hadley would likely bite him for doing otherwise, and really, it didn't matter. Yet another reason why the guy might be out adventuring, trying to get enough coin. If he were lucky -- and let's face it, with him around luck always favored his companions -- he might even live long enough to succeed. Unlike a few other people he had heard of. One day maybe he'd figure out why they always seemed to make a bigger deal of it than anybody else around them. It certainly wasn't worth losing your life over.
As he nibbled on his fresh fruit, a black rabbit with a white star on his forehead nudged Nobu, whiskers twitching.
Kobu opened one eye to gaze at the small creature that was tickling his nose. Kobu had seen things like this before back near his home. They couldn't possibly be porcupines because if they were, they were way too small and they had the flimsiest and shortest quills he had ever seen. And, their stubby little tails would be worthless for defense.
Kobu sniffed and opened the other eye.
The black and furry creature didn't even smell right either.
Faywen, having slept in a bit that morning, bounds down the stairs and into the common, before dropping herself into a seat at the table. Reaching forward to grab a biscuit, she looks around the table and takes in everyone's stories. When it comes time for her turn, she pauses for a moment before speaking.
"I'm not from around here at all, really. I've lived most of my life in Magnimar with my parents, but I have a friend who moved out to Sandpoint, and I visit her occasionally. My father is a priest of the Wind and the Waves, and my mother is an historian. Gozreh's not very popular in the big city, so I've been very happy to see how respectful Sandpoint is of her."
He avoids the subjects of relations, a lot of half-orc do.
Cordwin listens to Trox and tries to pick out any trace of accent to determine if he can figure it out where the half-orc is originally from. He thinks he might have figured it out, but he avoids mentioning it to the man in case there is a reason he left it out. When the half-orc is finished with his tale, Cordwin will say, Thank you, friend, for your tale. As an afterthought he adds,
He then takes a sip of his now cold coffee makes a face and listens to the next one with their tale.
"Cordwin, right? That's your name?"
Cordwin smiles, Why yes! I am Cordwin of the Ironbeard clan! Which clan do you hail from? Also, do you follow the Sky Father or Old DeadEye?
He then takes a bite of cold eggs. Maybe if I didn't take so much time talking, my food would still be hot! He thinks to himself.
Cordwin perks up when Erond mentions stories. Stories? I would love to read them and maybe copy some of them! Maybe you could also lend me some of that paper!
Cordwin nods at Faywen, Yes, the neutral nature of Gozreh is something most people do not understand-especially since Gozreh can appear in both male and female forms. People can understand a good or evil deity and one who is a constant gender and Gozreh confounds them! He then reaches and munches on a biscuit since a biscuit can be eaten cold just as well as it could be hot!
Hadley stood up on his hind legs so that he could introduce himself properly to the giant hedgehog. Saluations and greetings, my most fine and spiky compatriot. If you would allow me to introduce myself, I am Sir Hadley the Third, of the Remingsford Hadleys. To whom might have the honor of addressing?
Kobu's small mind is confused for a moment when the small creature stands up, just like his master. Then it starts making noises that sound a lot like his master. He reaches forward with his nose, poking Hadley right in the chest, and sniffs more. Definitely not his master. Kobu makes a few low chirping sounds. Maybe that's what the furry little creature wanted.
Cordwin nods at Faywen, Yes, the neutral nature of Gozreh is something most people do not understand-especially since Gozreh can appear in both male and female forms. People can understand a good or evil deity and one who is a constant gender and Gozreh confounds them!
Faywen nods, smiling. "Just so. It probably does not help that he has little regard for the accomplishments of so-called 'civilization.'"
"Ironbeard clan is it? I myself am from the Blackstone clan. Been away from home for a long time now. A bit of a loner, I guess."
Druamin takes another bite.
"Now don't you laugh, but let me tell you, I've found my meaning for life in the beautiful Shelyn."
The next morning at breakfast, Cordwin will use his knowledge skills to talk to his new companions on where they are from, who they are related to or their race/species.
Reynard does not actually sigh. He's learned not to; the sulfurous odor of his tainted breath tends to bother people. He glances around, furtively. You can never be too careful. Thrune spies everywhere. Quietly, he says to Cordwin "Infernal Cheliax. I was glad to get out, and won't be going back."
Hadley blinked. Ahh, *chirp-chirrrppp* was it? I'm terribly sorry if my accent is atrocious, that is not the kind of name I am used to. In fact, mostly I've been forced to keep the company of this bumbling idiot. His ears flicked towards René. Tell me, is your pet such a handful as well? I keep trying to teach mine some civility, but I'm afraid it simply won't stick. I don't suppose a fine, upstanding fellow like yourself might have any advice?
After listening and observing Hadley for a few more minutes things start to become clear in Kobu's mind. It takes him a while but he slowly starts to decode Hadley's noises and actions. They are a part of the universal language common to all woodland creatures.
Kobu twitches his whiskers in response to Hadley and then hunches up his shoulder muscles. This strange creature seems friendly enough. Maybe even a little cuddley. It seems that the creature was referring to its master.
That is your master? This is my master. He looks up at the chair seat above him. My master is perfect. I don't know what sis-iv-ih-tee is. Is it a kind of food?
Trox nods when spoken to in orc acknowledging that he speaks the language but doesn't have much to say. A small smile to tell that it is not an unwillingness to speak the language.
Hadley puts a paw to his chest in horror. My *master*?! Goodness gracious no! If anything, *I* am *his*. Who knows what manner of troubles the big lummox would get into without me. Why, I do say he'd be hopelessly lost if I were not around to gently guide him with a warm paw. Thanks to me, he's gotten significantly less useless than when I first found him. I'm sure your dwarf would be equally up-a-creek, as it were, without you, my dear fellow. You've just got to make sure they see that from their high horses!
Kobu tilts his head from one side to the other. To anyone who is able to understand porcupine facial expressions, confusion is apparent on his face. If I understand you right, you are your master's master? How does that work. If I was my master's master then who would feed me? Suddenly it dawns on him. This rabbit creature is playing a joke on him. He smiles. Oh! I see. Yes, I'm my master's master, like you. And if it wasn't for us, our poor masters would be lost and under the water.
If porcupines could wink, Kobu would be winking several times at Hadley.
So I guess we need to stick together, right? So we can take care of the you-know-whos.
Druamin continues to eat and converse with the others. "So? We've got this place to go investigate? Is that it? Are we waiting for anyone else?"
"I don't believe so. I'm not sure where we'd put them!"
Trox nods when spoken to in orc acknowledging that he speaks the language but doesn't have much to say. A small smile to tell that it is not an unwillingness to speak the language.
Cordwin nods and as the server brings over a fresh cup of cofee, Cordwin eagerly drinks it down.
Oh, getting food really isn't that hard. All you have to do is stare longingly at a nice-looking person and make your eyes big and pleading. Here, I'll show you. Hadley hopped over to a nearby table and pawed lightly at the patron's leg, twitching his whiskers wildly as he looked up with big, pleading eyes. In a matter of moments, he had a piece of carrot to nibble on and was enjoying some affectionate head petting. Looking rather smug, Hadley hopped back and offered Kobu a piece. You see? It's all elementary my dear chirp-chirrrppp.
As the fuzzball had his fun, René sipped on his tea. "No, I believe we're all here. We can leave for the mansion anytime."
Marching back to the manor, you come to the crossroads to choose entering the front or using the hidden well entrance.
"I think there's enough of us that a stealthy approach is probably out of the question," says Faywen, appraising the manor from afar.
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Druamin looks well and ready to get going when the others start to pull away from the table. "Good. Let's get this business over." He slides his chair back. Kobu skitters out of the way. A few biscuit crumbs fall from Druamin's beard and chest and land on the floor where Kobu quickly licks them up.
As the group approaches the manor Druamin moves up right behind Trox. "You'll go first, as always, but I'll be right behind you."
"Very well, I will go third."
René took up a position somewhere in the middle.
Any time he could maximize the number of people between him and the enemy regardless of the enemy's approach was the best.