She gives an appreciative half smile to Telsyn, then looks up at the barmaid as she asks her question.
She sighs and looks up at her, "Yeah....we'll be alright. Just need to rest a bit is all."
Giving Telsyn a nod she says, "Those little beasties were pretty nasty, but Tosom here was able to do away with that last annoyingly persistent spider." In a way she was trying to answer several people at once, but not being used to these types of situations was finding it difficult to communicate her thoughts properly.
Wow....I must sound like such a back water git to them right now...okay, concentrate.
Derika shakes her head, trying to put her thoughts into words, "He was able to help out Tosom with the poison....but, Tanna's state is a bit beyond him. I'm just hoping that some time and maybe hot soup and tea will help her feel better. Perhaps after a night of good rest she will feel better."
Looking back up at the barmaid she asks, "Could I get an ale please? I think that will make me feel better." She sighs again and puts her face in her hands.
The barmaid smiles and nods. "Would anybody else like anything?"
Something hot. Some kind of stew with some bread and fruit on the side, and a bottle of wine to share with my friends. That would be good.
Derika looks up slightly at Telsyn, a small but definite shy smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
When the wine arrives, Telsyn pours everyone a round, then orders another.
Let's hope Tanna feels better in the morning. A toast to reinforcements!
While he tries to seem cheerful, Telsyn doesn't look too comfortable. He's just trying to be amiable. If he doesn't offend anyone, he'll call it a win.
Derika takes the drink gladly. Smiling at the toast she nods at Telsyn, "I'll drink to that!" She takes a small sip of the wine as she sits there, going over in her head everything that happened, everything that might have happened and feeling very grateful that others had showed up. She looks around the table as she sips slowly on her drink, she had never had wine before and it was a much different experience from the homemade swill she used to guzzle down at home to drown out her thoughts.
Now as she sat in quiet contemplation she began to realize something. None of the ones she had met here had so much as given her a second glance. There were no whispers, aside from the few townspeople that probably found all of their presences a bit....disturbing. No one had made any comments about her looks, or even her claws for that matter. It was a puzzlement indeed.
Maybe there was some truth to what the Captain had told her. Maybe there were people out there who wouldn't automatically think that she was some kind of freak, or some evil monster bent on the destruction of all that is good. There was something different about those that she sat with here at the Gilded Axe.
Her eyes seem to glaze over somewhat as she gets lost again in her thoughts.
Orym raises his glass, smiling. "To reinforcements," he chuckles.
Telsyn doesn't fail to note that he's sitting with 2 half orcs, an aasimar, and a human, none of whom he knows at all, really, in a small, rural human tavern. He likes it.
An elf with a longsword just looks like an elf. They don't even check weapons here.
With Tosom watching Tanna in our rooms, they weren't a full force here and now. He was down to attack spells. That's a no-no.
He eats and drinks, observing.
Telsyn sees eyes from around the room settle on the group every so often, but, as soon as the barmaid heads towards the group's table, those eyes turn away. The barmaid is very practiced with her withering glare and Telsyn has seen it in action a few times already.
Thorough the trip back Vishanti had remained silent, partially because she wasn't the most social of people, and partially because she could hear the faint whispers of the spirits, both those of the ancestors of this town and those of the outer realms, yet not clearly enough to understand.
Drawin her awareness back to the present, she sees the room, looking up at the barmaid. "Some stew please "
The barmaid quickly brings Vishanti a bowl of stew.
Orym settles in, sipping calmly on his drink as his new companions seem to relax after a trying day. "So," he begins, "You're plannin' to go back first thing in the morn, yeah?"
"Yes, the taint in this place must be eradicated." Vishanti says quietly.
She smirks, "Yeah, plus there's lots of badies that need smashin'" She seems to relax after a bit of drink and beckons the barmaid over, "What type of meaty things do you have? It don't have to be anything special long as there's meat and vegetables in it....maybe some bread and fruit too?" Finally starting to relax also makes her realize how hungry she is.
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"Just bread, butter, cheese, a little meat, and some apple mead if you have it please."
Missea smiles to the barmaid and continues to listen to her companions.
Telsyn thinks about what spells to prepare. If Orym knows Color Spray, he'll prep something else, probably Burning Hands. He can change the elements with that one.
"I'm sorry, Miss," the barmaid says to Missea. "We don't have any apple mead. Is there anything else I can get for you?"
A guffaw comes from the next table. A well-tanned man sips his ale for a moment before speaking. "I ought to plant an orchard. Seems like adventurers have a taste for apples."
The barmaid shakes her head and smiles at the man. "If your thumbs weren't as black as night, Roddy, it wouldn't be a bad idea."
"I blame that Shadowed Keep for the soil going wrong," Roddy huffs.
"If Evelyn's potatoes and carrots weren't proof otherwise, I'd be incline to believe you," the barmaid retorts.
"Bah, Lynnie, you been a barmaid e'er since you were knee high to a toad," Roddy smirks. "I wouldn't expect ya ta understand the intricamacies o' farming."
At that statement, the barmaid gets quite cross and storms off into the kitchen.
"Well that was unnecessarily mean spirited." Vishanti says loud enough for the man to hear.
"Oh. I guess that I will have a..."
Missea trails off a bit as the Lynnie, as the man calls her, storms off before she can place a different drink order.
Orym looks a little displeased that he didn't get a chance to order, but he shrugs and returns to nursing his drink. "I don't know 'bout 'round here," the wanderer replies to Vishanti's quip, leaning back in his chair, "but back in the caravan, we generally found not bein' rude t' the people you live with tended t' make e'erybody much nicer t' be 'round." He takes another sip from his mug, continuing, "But that's not my business."
We probably can't blame everything that goes wrong on the Shadowed Keep, but it may be having a real negative effect on things.
Telsyn thinks through all the lore he's learned, trying to remember what effects might come from places steeped in evil.
Though Telsyn doesn't quite know of any occurrences of physical structures having metaphysical effects, he does recall some lore about the Shadowed Keep.
"It would not be the first time that a negative event or curse had symptomatic side effects. It is almost nature's way of warning the attentive away from the affected regions. Or like the body's way to showing pain and other symptoms around a wounded section. It is then up to the physicians to recognize both the symptoms for what they are, and then fix the underlying problem behind them."
Missea's face is contemplative as she plays idly with a ringlet of her hair, but then smiles warmly.
"In this case, we are the physicians and it is up to us to bring the healing grace of Sarenrae to these festering lands. Perhaps then orchards of apples will grow, and I can finally have mead made with apples in it at this establishment!"
At this Missea laughs softly, but it sounds like the vocal equivelent of light passing through a stained glass window, or the first rays of the sunrise... musical, melodious, rich, and full of life.
Telsyn smiles at the thought. Yes, that would be nice. It seems this place could use a little cheer.
If we succeed, I'm going to plant some apple trees around here. An apple a day, as they say.
Lynnie returns after a short while, after Roddy leaves, drying her eyes. "I'm sorry about that, Miss."
She looks at Lynn, "You have nothing to be sorry for. You don't control what others say, even when they're being stupid moronic jerks. It's okay, we don't blame you. Right guys?"
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Orym nods. "And I'd blame you e'en less if you could bring some more o' that stew," he says through a grin.
Lynnie nods. "I'll wait for the young miss to order her drink first."
"Well, would you happen to have a sweet white wine available? If it isn't too much trouble that is." Missea smiles, but looks around to see if someone is next going to start making remarks about lacks of vineyards.
Perhaps because of Missea's own, Lynnie smiles. "Yes, we do have one of those."
She departs again and brings everyone their orders.
After getting to know his companions a little, Telsyn thinks they're rather nice folks. He goes to bed anticipating an exciting adventure in the morning, making sure he'll be rested and ready to go bright and early.
After a hearty meal and more conversation, you retire for the night. Despite hearing wolves howl in the late hours of the night, your stay at the Gilded Axe is peaceful. You awaken the next morning refreshed and ready to face whatever fate may throw at you.
Missea awakes with the dawn and arises. Stepping outside, she takes a red and gold colored silk blindfold out and ties it around her eyes. Sarenrae, show me the light of the maginificent dawn... let me find its light, its warmth...
As she prays this she moves her face until it fully feels the sun's rays striking her, seeing its warmth and light through even the blindfold. Thank you... keep me and my companions safe, watch over us as we set out today.
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Derika wakes up slowly, the drink from the other night slowly wearing off. Getting up she goes through her usual ritual of getting ready for the day. She washes up a bit and puts her clothes and armor back on.
She goes downstairs and orders something hot to drink while she waits for the others.
Orym rolls out bed the next morning, groggy but well-rested. Clamps is scampering about over the half-orc's body, opening and closing his claws at his master as a morning greeting. The sorcerer places and open palm before the little creature, before lifting it to his face. The arachnid smoothly slips back into its tattoo form, and his master nods before returning to his morning routine.
Once Orym finishes dressing and gathering his belongings, he heads downstairs, soon setting himself near Derika and ordering a light breakfast meal. "Hope your friend is feelin' better," he says offhandedly, while waiting for his meal.
She nods, "I do too. I haven't checked on her yet. I thought....maybe if I gave her time to wake up on her own she'd feel better." She sips the tea slowly, allowing her mind to wake up a little.
Telsyn pores over his spell book, selecting spells he hopes will be useful, and memorizes them. He then does a few stretches to wake up, gets cleaned up, and goes and listens quietly at Tenna's door.
Hearing nothing, he presumes she's still asleep, and goes to find what may be his last warm meal.
Seeing Derika, Orym and Missea already seated, he takes a moment to admire them. They seemed like good folks, and, all cleaned up and rested from yesterday's travails, they looked like real adventurers.
He felt a little pride at the thought that he was joining them.
You all look ready for the day, he says, smiling as he takes a seat. Do they have any fruit here at all? I know there aren't any apples.
Smelling the tea and porridge, he says, It's fine if they don't.
Tapping the side of her cup absently she looks down, "I....I don't know about fruit. I just wanted something hot to drink....really. I think I might have overdone it last night just a bit, between the wine and the ale. It's stronger than what I'm used to."
Derika shut up.....why are you babbling so much? Just be quiet and wait for the others....there's nothing to be nervous about.......is there? What if they don't get better? It would be my fault....I should have done something more, been more careful....I don't know.
Shaking her head slightly she looks up a little from her cup, "So...did you all rest well?"
I feel great. I drank a bit more than I'm used to, too, Derika. Let's get a big old pot o' tea and drink it up. Gotta flush the booze out.
I listened at Tanna's door, and it was quiet. We can take our time and let the "Ts" rest. Gods know they need it.
She smiles ever so slightly and nods, she feels heat come to her cheeks for some reason that she doesn't understand and only hopes that it doesn't show through the coloring of her skin.
"Yeah...the keep will keep. It's not like it's going anywhere and I don't want to rush either of them considering what they went through. I should have been more careful....." She stops herself before she says more.
Orym nods. "Don't want t' burn too much daylight waitin', though. Sounds like there's quite a bit o' work t' be done, still."
Lynnie makes her rounds, bringing a couple pots of tea along with porridge and fresh strawberries. "It's nice that you want to keep us in business, but you don't need to drink so much."
Of course you were careful. They wouldn't be alive if you weren't, he says to Derika.
Strawberries! Good. This will be a fruitful day.
Telsyn grabs a handful and starts eating.
Awakening a few hours before dawn, in that hour where the veil between worlds is thinnest, Vishanti rises, drawing the blinds to allow the wan starlight into her room. Sitting crosslegged on the bed skyclad, she closes her eyes, opening her awareness and her spirit to those that inhabited the celeatial bodies and well as those on the other side. The symbols and sigils etched across the canvas of her body begin to glow softly, sparkling like starlight as she reaches out to the spirit world, her daily ritual, part meditation, part communion with a world with which she possesses a unique bond.
After an hour, feeling her spiritual power replenished she sleeps again, awakening bit after sunrise she dresses and heads downstairs to meet her new companions.
Looking at Orym she nods, "Yes....I understand. Lots of evil to squash, and the Sage had asked us to find a couple maps for him as well hidden somewhere in the keep. They're to some lost dwarven hold or somethin like that. I'll give them some time to wake up on their own, but if they aren't down soon, I'll go check on em'."
She looks up at Lynn, "Sorry....hope we didn't make too much of a racket last night. Things were just a little stressful with everything that happened is all. You're tea is really good too though. Thanks for the porridge and strawberries."
She takes just a small amount of porridge and puts a couple strawberries in it. She eats slowly while sipping on the tea, not really knowing how to respond to Telsyns reassuring words. Finally she just looks up at him after swallowing a bite, "Thanks.....I just....I don't know. Like you said, they're alive and that's what matters."
Telsyn nods at Derika. Exactly. The spiders got lucky, but they're dead and your friends aren't. You took care. Show me someone in this village who could have handled that much.
Missea pipes up for the first time since coming in and sitting.
"The poisoned one had no poison left in his system by the time he got here... though I could tell it has left its toll on his body. He should recover his strength again, but it will take time to do so. He might not be well enough to adventure out today. I think I helped a bit with the woman's disease, but I could not cure it outright and Sarenrae has not granted me the ability to burn it away with her divine power yet. With any luck though she should be feeling a bit better today. I will check on her before we leave regardless though."
Missea's smile is bright, but a bit clouded by worry for Tanna. A moment later she sips her water and munches on a scone.
Do what you think is best.