Going down the main street and crossing the bridge into the palace plaza you see an inn called the Green Table, a brewery/tavern called the Drunk Crusader, an Aspis Consortuim lodge, A general store called Sythrul's shop, a pathfinder lodge, a blacksmith called Osgood's excellent arms and armors and finally a large stage in the middle of the plaza were two men are fighting with knives. Several have stopped to watch but most go about their business like it's no big deal.
"Well given what's here, Looks like we have only one Inn, and a Pathfinder Lodge for sleeping."
"Aren't those lodges to the pathfinders only? They might not want non-members in there."
"It is an option to those that are pathfinders."
Raskir pauses to watch the knife fight, trying to gauge the strength of the combatants, and to see how serious it is. He was used to challenges of prowess between young warriors.
"An inn would be nice, I'm still feeling drained. Let's see what this Green Table is like." Raskir would probably feel out of place in an elite establishment but he's wary enough of crowds and suspicious strangers to avoid a total dive.
"It is wise to shop the Inns and compare what they offer to the cost for a nights stay.
I try and get the best service and room for my coin.”
”Exactly what I was going to suggest,” Alvoise says with a slight bow. ”At least examine the rooms first before deciding where to stay.”
As it turns out, one inn called the Green Table appeared to be their only choice. ”Are any of us pathfinders? You did a great job negotiating with Silas, I’ll keep my mouth shut and let you do the talking for us.” Alvoise says to Valeria and holds the door open for the others to enter the Green Table.
Jayla softly mutters something.....
"I recall some of my occasional targets wearing a ring or necklace with that lodge's emblem. Good thing it was during the night."
Given the response to the Question on if anyone is a pathfinder
"Looks like none of us are Pathfinders, so it looks like it's the Green Table Inn for us."
Valeria approaches the service desk (attentant)?
"Hi, We are looking for a room(s) for a night or two and are wondering what you got?"
"Of course we have plenty of rooms available! You can call me Gil m'lady, I have both nightly and weekly rates depending on your needs. If your just looking for a bunk for the night it's just 2 silver if your looking for a proper room it's 2 gold. I provide a basic meal for of cheese and bread with either but if your looking for more we have roast pheasant or lamb stew tonight for 5 silver more.
To not appear as Intimidating, Valeria leans forward some so her head is at about the same height off the ground as Gil's Head.
and politely asks
"Now Gil, Does this inn offer any other services or facilities for their customers?
Like a bathhouse/bathtub for customer use?"
"I can have a bath prepared if you take a room at no additional charge" replies gil
"If your bath can fit an Ulfen Man just fine, I'll take a proper Room, and add a Silver piece."
"Are the rooms single or double?", Jayla asks.
Henric pats his coat, finding the folded sketch in one of his pockets. "Perhaps we can ask around at the inn. And yes, assistance would be appreciated." He smiles gratefully, showing Alvoise where to hold the case to best share the weight. "Just be careful; there are some volatile reagents in there."
At the inn, he weighs the options in his head. The thought of a proper meal is appealing - perhaps heartier fare than bread and cheese would help him recover... or feel better, at least.
"My more expansive rooms each only have a single bed while the cheaper rooms have 4 beds each and depending how full we are they are sometimes shared among strangers. You don't have to worry about that right now since I still have several empty rooms."
"I for one will take the pheasant. I'm starved. What do you think friends, one shared room?"
"Two rooms, One for the Ladies and one for the Gentleman"
"A shared room sounds a fine choice to me.
I'll have what the majority is eating, it doesn't really matter to me."
"Two rooms it is. By the way, does the blacksmith here deal in armor? I'd like to look at his wares after we are rested."
”The prices sound fair,” Alvoise says, counting out his share. ”We’re looking for possibly the next of kin for a man who was murdered in Caliphas. You might recognize the man since your inn must get many strangers.”
"Give me a description and I will do my best, pretty much every stranger that comes to town stops here."
Fumbling in his pockets again, Henric produces his drawing. "This is the victim<' he explains, handing Gil the parchment. "Do you recognize him?"
Gil examines the picture and grimaces "The technic league mage, aye I remember him. Came here with his apprentice about a week ago, left a few days ago."
"This individual was part of the Technic League?"
Well, no big loss then.
"Has he said anything about his intentions, that might have led to his Fortunate, death?"
"Well former member anyway. I overheard a few things and figured out he was running from the league cause they were cross with him for stealing something. Not sure what but seems he didn't run fast enough."
This is interesting.
"So it seems. It must have been something of significance, to hunt a renegade that far."
"And odds are as he was running he hid what they want back."
"I might be able to tell you more but first tell me why you really want to know. You're not with the league I can tell that much so what are you after?"
"We were witnesses to his death. The local elders authorized us to investigate. What is this Technic League?"
"I've shared that, but i'l recap.
They're alchemists/mages/magisters, bent on seizing and controlling technology. They hold much power in Numeria, unofficially, they are said to be the ruling power in Numeria."
"Basically you're stumbling blindly into something you shouldn't be sticking your nose into. The less you know the better I think, walk away while you can."
"So your basically saying; we are Fools who are going where angels fear to tread,
I take it."
"Thanks for the warning, but just in case, what did the apprentice look like?"
"Cant really say she wore a cloak to hide her appearance."
"If its a woman we are talking about, there are places where a woman can hide and not be found so easily.
And it'll vary pending on her pesonality and beliefs."
When they chose to see what was available at the Green Table, she softly spoke, "I don't mind sharing. I fine with anyone. I used to sharing large sleeping rooms and bathing areas, with both genders, as that is the way of the Strix. Strix never bothered about having special rules for female and male members. I definitely prefer cheaper sleeping options, and spend little more on proper meat meal."
"A cloak, hmmm, did you ever hear her speak? Notice her accent? How tall was she?" Raskir continues to ask questions trying to find out more information.
After hearing Xaikon's words, Valeria thinks
"Oh boy, you don't get the reason for it."
and replies to Xaikon trying to keep it clean as she blushes a bit wording it
"Let's just say there are a number of reasons behind it in almost all humanoid societies.
In most cases in most humanoid societies. Only male and female partnerships that are really intimate / in love with each other are socially accepted to share a room together."
Xaikon squints at Valeria's answer as she spots her blushing slightly as she speaks. Placing her one hand onto the Valeria's shoulder, she speaks extra softly, "Well, when Strix want intimate fun, we would fly to some nice spot, else if not find a small room.", ending off with a smile.
She decides not to become involved in the conversation about the murdered man, not to crowd the man with numbers.
Valeria adds
"Well, almost all humanoids can't fly to to nice spot for the fun.
And pending on the where they are, a Room might be the only option."
"Didn't hear her talk, she was pretty short...Still young I think about the same age as my youngest daughter...Twelve winters maybe. Well either that or she's one of the shorter folk."
"So she could be a Halfling or Gnome,
If you did not hear her talk, and she hid her appearance within a cloak. How do you know the appentice was female?
Unless of course she wore something only a woman would wear."
"Perhaps she was very curvy.", Jayla replies.
"Easy way to tell...."
"Not, if she was 12 years old as a human.
At that age you don't have much curve, it'd be very rare to have noticable curves at that age that can be seen under a cloak."
"It depends on the cloak...."
"True, a small cloak would be revealing.
But that would go against the hiding themself that they want."
Alvoise hears the innkeeper’s warning and thinks about it while his companions discuss the identity of the girl, possibly gnome or halfling. The height difference between a human girl of twelve and one of the shorter-statured races seems fairly distinct to him based upon his interactions with people in markets. But he’s not sure. He expects Henric to offer an opinion. If anybody knew how tall different races and sexes were, he seems to be the most likely candidate in the group.
The Technic League again. We could go back to Caliphas and look for the Technic League there. Or go deeper into Numeria to find them. ”Yeah, thanks again for the warning. Have they’ve caused you some trouble?” he asks the innkeeper.