The Autumnal Equinox is beginning, and the Swallowtail Festival is starting in the town of Sandpoint. It is a few hours before noon, and the five of you are entering the town for reasons of your own devise.
Despite being surrounded by crowds of festival-goers, Raef'finan is very much alone with his thoughts.
He wanders about the brightly decorated stalls aimlessly, one hand grasping the neck of sack slung over his shoulder, while the other hand toys with the signet ring bearing the Melisteara family seal.
With his last bit of money, Raef buys a barbecued fish on a stick and starts looking for a place to sit and ponder what to do next
The sights, the sounds... they're everywhere and all around!
Tassira certainly wasn't expecting so much activity this morning--booths were being set up in the town square, boxes filled with food and trinkets of every stripe were being ferried about, and the guards had their hands full just keeping order. It's a bewildering morning for the young sorceress... but she does understand why the caravan master was so intent on getting up early.
She glances over at the Shoanti girl next to her, trying not to look too overwhelmed. She wasn't sure what Jerrica was thinking right now, but she could perhaps hazard a guess...
"Um... so, where do we go first?" Tassira asks, nervously scratching her head.
"After all that walking..." Jerrica sighs, bending over and putting her hands on her knees. "A chair and some food'll do."
She offers a smile to the sorceress. "My treat."
She walks to one of the booths, fishing in her belt pouch for coins. "Why are you nervous, Tassira? I'm the one who should be nervous."
Tassira follows Jerrica over to the booth, looking around at the crowds again before turning back to her. "Well, you know... new places, new people, new ways to accidentally throw magic into peoples' faces..." She shrugs. It's her way of coping with crowds, it seems.
"Still, I can't say 'no' to some proper food. The caravan's meals were filling, but tasted about as good as paper." She glances back at the caravan before turning back to the ranger. "Um... don't tell Euron I said that." She nervously looks back at a much older, bearded man offloading several bags of flour from the caravan.
"I would never," Jerrica says, laughing to herself. "And you're not going to throw magic at people's faces accidentally. We're going to make sure you do it on purpose, like you should have done to that grabby halfling."
The ranger pulls out two gold and lets Tassira order what she likes first. "It's always nice to meet new people though and Magnimar was wearing on my last bowstring. It's better than...out there...though."
She waves her hand half-heartedly at the wilderness beyond Sandpoint.
Tassira looks down and blushes as she recalls the halfling... she didn't think anyone would go so far as to pinch her backside on her way out of Magnimar. It was not an experience she enjoyed.
"Believe me, I would have, except he was smart enough to run where a Color Spray would end up blasting a lot more innocent people." She sits at the booth, biting her lip. Once a dish of curried salmon comes her way, along with a glass of red wine, she nods.
Jerrica asks for an ale and some grilled salmon before sitting across from Tassira. "I know...You know, thanks for humoring me on this festival. I know you weren't too wild about it."
Tassira takes a bite of the curried salmon, making a little noise of glee as she tastes it.
"Well, once you mentioned the tower here, I more or less HAD to come along." She giggles. "The Irespan gets boring after a while, and sometimes you start seeing its symbols every time you close your eyes."
"As long as you're not seeing that one symbol..." Jerrica starts, worried. "Oh, hey, he's kinda cute!"
The ranger points at the elf eating the barbecued fish. "I wonder if that's who the fortune teller meant by 'my handsome stranger'?"
Thankful for not having to talk about the symbol again, Tassira glances over to look at who Jerrica noticed. An elf with white hair enjoying some barbecued fish on a stick... he did have a certain rugged charm about him, if you were into that sort of person.
Still, Tassira takes another bite of her salmon and a sip of her wine. "You plan on finding out?" She asks, biting her lip nervously.
Jerrica pulls a fish bone from her mouth and takes a drink of her ale before answering. "I thought you told me not to make a scene while we were here."
Raef'finan got the hair-raising-on-the-back-of-your-neck feeling that he was being watched. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted a pair of young woman looking his way.
What's so interesting about me? he wondered as he took a bite of fish, but his next thought nearly made him choke. Could they have been sent by my father?
Half-chewed fish caught in his throat caused a coughing fit and as he struggled to recover, Raef dropped the rest of his meal.
Jerrica gives Tassira a quick glance before rushing to the elf's side. "It wasn't me, I swear."
She looks over the elf as he coughs, standing him up and wrapping her arms around his midsection. Remembering what to do when a person is choking, she gives a couple quick thrusts of her balled fists into his midsection. Once he spits out the half-eaten fish and is breathing again, she moves around to face him.
"Are you alright?" Jerrica asks. "You got to remember to chew your food before swallowing, sir."
She gives his fallen meal a glance and fishes out a gold piece. The ranger puts it in the elf's hand. "Here, go buy yourself another meal, sir."
Satisfied that she made amends for something she wasn't sure she had done, Jerrica returns to Tassira. "No, I doubt that's him."
Tassira sighs. "...at least it didn't end badly." She resumes eating her salmon, but with more caution than the elf did for his own meal.
"I suppose we ought to look into a place to stay while we're here, but I've only got nine gold left...While I may be fine with rooftops, I know you aren't," Jerrica says, finishing her fish and ale. "That was good."
Altus let the sounds of the festival lead him into town. He had barely made it in time. Truly divine luck there. He thought briefly of finding the nearest inn and collapsing into a bed, but what was the fun in that? And if he were to let himself lie down he would probably end up sleeping for a week and missing the very festival he had come to see. As he neared the brightly colored booths, he began to pick up the aroma of cooking food. Real food, not trail rations. All thought of rest was banished. The cleric weighed a few of his coins. He wasn't doing too bad in terms of funds. And it probably wouldn't be too hard to find work as a healer around here. He had been living rough for weeks. Time to splurge!
"Ooh! Barbecued fish on a stick," Altus said as he came to a stop at one vendor. "That shall do for my first course."
"I don't have that much money either..." Tassira looks in her coin pouch--two gold pieces and a silver piece.
"Maybe rooms here will be discounted for the festival?"
Jerrica laughs. "I sure hope so...or maybe someone will need some odd jobs done. As busy as this festival looks, I'm sure someone will need a hand."
Raef'finan's eyes bug out as one of the women he spotted approached.
This is it, he thought as she grabbed him around the midsection. My adventure is over before it began...
"Gackkk!" The morsel of fish is propelled out Raef's mouth by the woman's deft application of force underneath his ribs.
Before he can catch his breath to thank her, she's gone, but not before she presses something into his hand. Look down, he sees a gold coin glinting in his palms - enough to pay for an armful of fishes-on-sticks. Raef'finan didn't know much about bounty hunters, but he doubted they paid for their quarries' lunches.
"H-hey," he says as he trots after her and her companion. "Wait up."
Jerrica looks up from her plate to the approaching elf. "Is something wrong?"
Tassira finishes off her meal as the elf approaches. She runs a hand through her hair, letting Jerrica speak first.
As Eleazar enters Sandpoint, he is greeted by sounds of the festival.
Perfect, I do not believe any one followed me, but if they did with this festival going on it would too easy to get lost in the crowds.
Eleazar smells the various meals the vendors have for sales, and is reminded that he has not had a proper meal in quite some time. Eleazar orders a fish kabob.
Overhearing the Shoanti woman mention something about finding work eleazar begins to think. "I should probably visit the local tavern, hopefully there I can find some leads for a job. I hope I can earn a better reputation here than in Magnimar, little point in dwelling on the past at this point.
Jerrica looks up from her plate to the approaching elf. "Is something wrong?"
Raef'finan stops short; "Huh? Wrong? N-no, nothing's wrong - you probably saved my life. I should be giving you money." He holds out the coin Jerrica had given him. "But, then... I guess I'd be giving you your own money back... To you."
He grins sheepishly.
"How about you keep the coin and give us your company instead? My name's Jerrica," the ranger says with a smile. "This is Tassira."
She makes a polite gesture to the sorceress. "Have a seat."
Tassira blushes and waves hello.
Raef'finan's grin becomes a little less sheepish.
"Okay," he says with a laugh. "Okay, yeah. I'm Raef'finan."
"Hello." He nods at Tassira. "So. Um. What brings you here?"
"Oh, adventure, excitement, treasure...the usual," Jerrica says solemnly, before biting her lip trying to hide a grin. "We're just here for the festival. We needed to get away from Magnimar for a while."
"Well, SHE is." Tassira speaks up, glancing at Jerrica. "I'm just here for the old monument everyone's going on about." She crosses her legs in her chair.
Jerrica rests her chin in her hands and sighs. "What's wrong with relaxing?"
She turns her eyes to Raef. "I'm also looking into a fortuneteller's advice, though Tassira is likewise uninterested in that."
"Nothing." Tassira shrugs.
"As to fortunetelling... well, I'd rather make my own than have someone spell it out for me." She looks down, her eyes getting a faraway look in them.
I've had enough of dreams and portents for a long time...
"Well, it might be malarkey, but I think it's a romantic sentiment..." Jerrica muses. Then she realizes that she's talking to a stranger and blushes furiously. "Er...never mind that, what brings you to Sandpoint, Mister Raef'finan?"
Altus was on his fourth stick-fish before he felt revived enough to actually look at his surroundings. It felt odd to be surrounded by so many people after being alone for weeks. It looked like he wasn't the only traveler though. Sure, some of these folks perusing the booths were probably local commoners, but many had the looks of foreigners. Why, the three people at the next table over probably came from elsewhere. Particularly the elf. With so many people about, Altus wondered briefly why he had his table all to himself. Probably because he had dumped his pack across the table top...and all the discarded sticks...and bits of fish. And he had taken off his boots and was using one of the other chairs as a foot stool.
"Come now Altus, we are among civilized folk again," the cleric muttered to himself. "Let's act proper now."
With a tired groan he took to tidying up his table.
The ranger glances at the strange man at the next table. She gives him a smile and shakes her head.
See? People were noticing. Altus laughed to hide his embarrassment but smiled back.
"Oh, don't mind me. I just haven't had any real food in two weeks."
Jerrica looks to Tassira. "And you were worried about me."
She turns to the embarrassed man. "No worries."
Altus grunted as he pulled his boots back on.
"But surely I'm not the only traveler having to adjust from life on the road. If I had to guess, I would bet you three aren't natives either. Here for the consecration of the new cathedral? The festival perhaps? Maybe both?"
"I'm here mostly for the festival, sir," Jerrica answers, trying to be polite. "I'm not quite...native..."
Altus stood up and stretched.
"Well, neither am I. This is my first time in Sandpoint. Lovely town though."
He grinned and stuck out a hand.
"I'm Altus. Traveling healer and cleric of Sarenrae."
"Tassira. Resident ruins enthusiast." Tassira finally speaks up, shaking the priest's hand.
Jerrica likewise takes Altus' hand despite not knowing how to introduce herself. "Jerrica. Ummm...goblin hunter."
"My name's Raef'finan, but you can call me Raef. Elven names can be troublesome to pronounce - which is not to say that I think any of you would have trouble saying Raef'finan."
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you two gentlemen," Jerrica says sincerely, standing up.. "I guess we ought to see about lodging, money or both, Tassira."
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Eleazar stands up after he finishes his first proper meal in whats seems liked ages.
I need to find an Inn, hopefully all the rooms have not been taken yet.
Eleazar decides to inquire on directions to the nearest inn, and spots a Shoanti female with short brown hair.
Excuse me miss, do you by any chance know where I can find an inn?
"Sorry, sir, I've just arrived myself," Jerrica answers. "We were about to look for one."
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"Likewise." Tassira nods at the newcomer.
"Same answer here," Altus said with a laugh. "We're all travelers like yourself I think."
He gestured around at the assembled crowds around the booths and pavilions. "But, we are in common company I believe. I wonder though. Will there be any rooms left at the inns?"
As the group meanders around the festival, and gets a set of directions from a slightly elderly, though apple cheeked woman, They eventually arrive at the Rusty Dragon, a large tavern/inn which atop it is the metal creation which had bestowed the name of the establishment.
Jerrica marvels at the dragon for a moment before entering the establishment. She quickly looks around for the proprietor.
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