Jack follows Artemis intrigued, he whispers to him as they move over.
5 copper says she is a he
Triel leads the party up to her room, making sure her door is closed when everyone is inside.
She turns, looking you all in the eyes. She sighs. "Now, I think I have a good idea of what you're thinking right now: 'why did she ask us into her room?'"
She walks over to her bed, stands in front of it, and turns to face you again. "The answer is simple: you all wish to know what's under my helmet. What I really look like underneath this." She rests a hand on her helmet as she speaks.
"Please, understand that I'm taking a serious risk by taking my helmet off for you all. The only reason I'm going to do this is because you'll inevitably find out anyway." She says, pacing in front of her bed. "It's likely that, eventually, I'll be grievously wounded and in no condition to stop you from taking my helmet off. Or you'll take me to Father Zantus, and a well-meaning acolyte takes my armor off to assess the wound and you all see who I am anyway."
She pauses. "I'd rather you find out who I am on *my* terms."
"But before I do this, I need to ask you to promise that you won't say anything about this to anyone." Triel pleads.
...she's pleading.
She can't believe it herself.
"Will you make such a promise?"
Artemis nods.
"Sure, you stepped in and saved my town and probably my family"
^^ "Of course! We're friends! Friends stick together."
"You saved my life, the least I can do is keep yoursecret." He says honestly.
Nope
Triel glares at Jack.
What? If i'm hanging upside-down in a dungeon somewhere after having been beaten and starved for two weeks, and they come in and threaten to cut off little Jack unless I tell them your secret, I'm probably going to tell them. Every man has a price.
Artemis ponders.
"Apparently Jack's price is ...little Jack."
"Are you seriously telling me you're that incompetent? I've seen you fight; you're a lot more terrifying than you think. I don't think you give yourself enough credit." Triel says.
"But if this is because you're still sore over Ithylia and I waking you up, then allow me to apologize for my part in it. As a bonus, I, in turn, promise to ensure that *ahem* 'little Jack' will receive the medical attention necessary to survive if he ever meets such a fate."
I'll probably need a spyglass to find it, though.
"Is that why he carries the big axe?" Cian ponders, mostly talking to himself.
It's not about size, it's about how you use it! And fine, your secret safe with me if it means so much to you.
Vanya giggles as the conversation heads for the gutter. She then remembers the reason the group is all assembled in a secret meeting. She whispers, "You can count on me." She adds with a grin, "Besides, I am not nearly so attached to my 'little Jack'"
Triel nods, satisfied with your promises.
"Very well, then."
Her hands move to the side of her helmet.
She takes a deep breath, and lifts it off, tucking it under her arm.
She shakes her head, causing her hair to flip about before settling somewhat over her left eye.
You now see that not only does she have jet black skin, but also stark white hair and red eyes lightening to a reddish-orange in the center. Her exotic appearance is overall strikingly beautiful... and also very alien.
She waits.
Waits for your reactions.
"How beautiful..." An angel of the night sky had saved his life? No magic could comare...
Ithylia didn't get why Triel had been so nervous about showing them. Really, she didn't. Well, she did and she didn't. She could tell Triel was obviously different, and she herself knew how superstitious people could get. Maybe that was it. Maybe someone had been mean to her in the past because of her appearance? There was one thing she knew Triel needed. Yes. Definitely needed.
With a flourish of motion, Ithylia gave Triel a hug. ^^
Your big secret, is that you don't bathe?
Artemis leans over to Jack, "You owe me 5 copper."
"So the secret is you have different coloring than most elves? Ok."
Vanya is taken aback. "By Desna! Your skin is the color of all the space between the stars! Your hair is the color of moonlight!" She stands, agape at Triel's colors, and how they contrast so strongly with Ithylia's and her own. "Why would this be something to hide?" Her last question is more her inside voice slipping out than a real inquiry.
The look in Triel's eyes changes; a visible look of confusion mixed with relief replaces it.
She expected grudging acceptance at best for her efforts. Hell, she at least expected more outrage from Jack. Those sorts of things were what she was always met with, if not outright hostility.
She certainly didn't expect a genuine welcome.
Did my reputation not precede me for once? Should I say more? Did I seriously get all worked up over nothing?
She's especially surprised by Ithylia giving her a hug. Jack's snarky comment actually draws some laughter from her.
"I wish." She says in response to Jack.
Vanya's question makes her pause. "Remind me to tell you later." She says to the sorceress. "Right now, I think there's a party waiting downstairs." She puts her helmet back on.
I lucked out with them. No sense pushing it with the townsfolk.
Jack will begrudgingly hand Artemis 5 copper, and head to his room to find more clothes than some pants. After gearing up, which will include his armor because Jack is slightly worried that Triel was so worried. He then heads back downstairs to the party.
I wonder why she was so worried, it's not like she is a wanted...
Jack stops in his tracks. Maybe she is wanted for something, perhaps a trip to the sheriff is in order. On the other hand she did help save to town from goblins, so she can't be that bad. On the other hand, why is there not a drink in my other hand?
Jack will continue downstairs to the "Party" to find some hopefully free ale.
Vanya nods and spins on her heel, ready to go and enjoy a hopefully goblin-free day of revelry.
As you come down the stairs into the ground floor, you hear a familiar voice call out to everyone. "Well hello there! It seems that you are going to stay from what I hear..." You instantly recognize the voice and man it's coming from, Aldern Foxglove, as he stands in the tavern area.
Artemis glances over the other's heads and says, "Hey it's that guy we saved, what's he doing here?
As Triel comes back downstairs, helmet securely on her head, she stops.
"Oh. Hello again. What is it you want now?" She asks.
Vanya's face lights up when she sees Aldern. She makes her way over to him, not too quickly, as that would be... well, childish. Her self-inflicted delay ensures that Triel can sparkle before she can say hello herself. Desna's dancing butterflies again and now Triel!
Vanya interjects herself between Aldern and Triel, "Please forgive my friend. She has a delightful roughness about her!" Vanya's grin could light an auditorium by itself.
Triel shifts from foot to foot at Vanya's remark.
Can't say I've ever been called 'delightful' before. A host of other derogatory terms, certainly, but never 'delightful'.
She walks over to stand next to Vanya as she speaks with Aldern.
Aldern chuckles at Vanya's comment about Triel and responds. "Well hello there Ms. Vanya, you're still just as beautiful as last night, although I must say, a good night's rest and being away from battle suits you much better. shifting his gaze towards Triel And don't worry Ms... Triel, correct? Not all of us can be blessed to enjoy mornings as much as Ms. Vanya here and your scarf wielding companion it would seem."
Triel cringes under her helmet.
"Eh, it could be worse."
She looks over at Jack. "I could've been hungover."
"Hello, Aldern." Cian says as he comes downstairs. His gaze goes to Triel briefly before returning to the man. "I trust you're feeling better than yesterday?"
Alanham!!, how you doing? We gonna go hunt some stuff today? For some reason i'm in the mood to kill something this morning.
"Morning, Noon or Night, it's always the right time to dance!" Vanya blushes, Oh, wow. How dumb do I sound? Trying to recover she blurts, With me! I mean, I am always ready to dance!" Her blush turns a vivid color of red. Oh, Desna, why can't I be socially adept when a man is smiling at me? Vanya grins and awaits Alderns answer. But, before the dazzling nobleman can speak, Jack turns up and offers to go killing... Wait, did he say he wants to go kill something!?
"Wait, we are dancing?"
Artemis looks questioningly at Cian.
Triel rolls her eyes under her helmet, looking back at Jack.
"Can't imagine why that is..." She mutters under her breath.
She notices Vanya's blush. She snorts.
...you're not serious, are you? He's laying it on so thick you can see the slime coming off of him.
"You still haven't told us what you stopped by for."
"Dancing!" Ithylia gave a happy spin. "This means we need music!" Easily encouraged into anything involving dancing and music, she rushed over to her fiddle, pulling it and tuning it before heading towards the stage. If there is a bard currently performing, she'll go discuss the matter of possibly doing something together. If there isn't anyone, she'll start up a nice happy jig.
As Ithylia starts playing her fiddle, Triel cringes.
First the party noise, now her fiddle. Well, there's no way I'm going to get back to sleep now. Might as well make the most of it.
She shrugs her shoulders (*clink*) and starts moving to the music.
Even though she's clad in full armor & helm, she still manages to move gracefully across the floor.
Ithylia: Your performance is well enough for others to start dancing as well.
Aldern laughs at Jack's comment. "Why certainly yes, you must have read my mind somehow. I did come to discuss if any of you wanted to attend a hunt with me this afternoon. However that conversation will have to wait. It would be very rude for a gentleman such as myself to ignore a request to dance from a woman who's beauty is incomparable." Aldern takes Vanya's hand and leads her out to the open space where people are dancing and begins to dance with her.
"Wait, we are dancing?"
Artemis looks questioningly at Cian.
The mage shrugs.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Artemis. She dances wonderfully though, don't you think?"
Artemis nods.
Triel continues to dance for a bit, her eyes occasionally wandering over to Cian & Artemis.
Who are they looking at? Me or Vanya?
Stepping out onto the dance floor with Aldern, Vanya summons her courage and blocks out everything except the music and the man that is holding her around her narrow waist. Step-step-step...oh my... the butterflies are going away! As she dances, she becomes ever more comfortable, her silly grin becomes a beaming smile as she finds her groove, swaying and dancing with Mr Foxglove.
Artemis watches as a dance breaks out in the common room. Nudging Cain and Jack who are just standing there, he heads for the group's table. Grabbing a cup of coffee he sits down and waits for anyone else to join him.
What the heck happened after I left to find my family.
Triel can't help but smirk as she watches Vanya & Aldern dance together.
Well, it appears she's a much better dancer when someone's leading her.
Triel looks around, wondering if anyone else is watching her.
Here's hoping I'm making a good impression here...
Jack follows Artemis to the table with his drink, not much interested in dancing himself, though the few right now isn't bad. I wonder if Amekio likes to dance? If yes, then crap I have to learn to dance, if no, well then there's no show. Jack looks around for her to try and find out.
In the mean time.
So Artemis tell me about this family of yours. You travelers, merchants, laborers? You going to stay here with us for a while or carry on with them?
Artemis takes a sip of coffee before answering.
"My family are woodsmen. Have been for a while. For my dad, it means felling timber and selling wood to the folks in town for cash. For my uncle, by the way, he was named Jack too. He was a ranger. He was killed by a giant in a raid. My mother and sister were killed by a goblin raid on our house. I am not sure, but I think it was just a target as they were fleeing a raid here in Sandpoint. Uncle Jack and I and some folks from town killed those who didn't die in the attack on our house."
Artemis pauses for a moment while his face gets sad.
"So dad, my brother and I were in town to see the festival and we sold a wagon of wood. My brother is getting old enough to help out, so dad and I did talk about it. I'd rather follow in the footsteps of my uncle and be a ranger. We hadn't discussed an immediate plan, but seems to me the sheriff wants us around here. Right now, I am enjoying the hospitality and thanks of the town. But I suppose it comes with a price, you think? I suspect we'll be tasked to something soon. Seems odd that someone other than a goblin was involved. My family is staying in town for a few days, wagon needs some repair, we need supplies for the house, stocking up for late fall and winter and all. We don't come to town often, when we do, we usually make a few days of it. Get things done that are easier done in town and all. What about you, other than spoiling for a fight or something to drink, what brings you to Sandpoint?"
With a final flourish, Triel brings her dancing session to an end. She returns to Artemis' table.
"Good exercise. What are you all chatting about?" She asks, taking a seat. She's panting slightly.
"Well, I just told Jack about my family and what brought me to Sandpoint and my plans for the future. I've just asked Jack what brought him here."