As you make your way towards the Old Cassomir district, the streets become wider and the cobblestones more polished; and the simple wooden houses give way to imposing stone buildings. The inn itself is a solid establishment, with a marble staircase leading up to the massive mahogany doors attended by an impeccably groomed usher, who quickly suppresses a disproving look at your adventuring gear as he politely bows down, letting you inside.
Within, illustrious chandeliers illuminate a poshly decorated but largely empty hall. Evidently, not many guests of the city can afford to stay here. Stairs upwards are attended by two uniformed guards, while to the right a bored barman idly chats to the porter boy while polishing wine glasses, which the boy carries between the bar and the dining tables. They throw momentary quizzical glances at you before returning to their duties.
An aging man in a uniform with greying temples and immaculately trimmed sideburns quickly approaches you with a smile and a welcoming gesture.
”Please allow me to welcome you to Cassomir on behalf of the Sword Point inn! How may I be of service? Would you like to register your stay with us? Or have you perhaps come to enjoy our dining services?”
An obviously Ulfen man walks into the inn, his blonde hair a tangled mess. He wears an outfit better suited for Irrisen or the land of the Linnorm kings. As Taldor is not as cold as those places up north the top four buttons of the jacket and vest underneath are unbuttoned, showing more of his chesthair than is appropriate. In his hand he wears a spear and he has a big pack slung over his shoulders. All in all a person one would not expect to see in such a posh place.
In a gruff voice the man replies to the man in uniform
"I understood some friends of mine are staying here. Crandel and Tules are their names."
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A larger Ulfen man walks in soon after the nature lover and when asked about dining services he replies in a gruff voice "Mead first, then talk."
He sits down at the tavern and orders some mead. He has his own drinking horn for them to fill for him. He wears stylized chain hauberk armor outfitted with furs and runes denoting his lands of origin being from the north and the Lands of Linnorn Kings. His face is weather-beaten as if he spent too many days out at sea. He has a nice dwarvish axe at his side and a sturdy darkened shield over his shoulder. Other weapons include a seax at his belt, a throwing spear and a throwing axe. His backpack which he dropped on the floor at his feet, has seen better days. His mead arrives and he tips it to the other Ulfen in the room out of respect for a kindred spirit this far away from home.
At third place, a svelte elven creature enters the Inn. His clothes of the latest trend in Absalom are clean without a riddle witch contrast with his backpack who have some patch on it.
On his back, there a sort of big curved sword with only the outer edge is sharp and the back is flat. The blade is very thin with signs of oxidation even if it looks maintained. It a wonder if did not break in his construction. A weapon lock is on it.
He looks at the aging man like he is seen an equal.
"Good day. My employer have a reservation here in the name of Brenda Tules. I am here to in her behalf to tell that her and her husband will be a little late and to inform this to those who are also included..."
Goston remarks now Alomar and Vigfus.
Oh my... Probably friends of Crandel those ones.
"in the reservation."
Goston walks toward the two Ulfen.
Good evening sirs.
Alomar joins the other Ulfen at his table "Well met! I am Alomar Stormbringer."
- - -
"Good evening mister. What can I do for you" Alomar replies to the Elf.
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"What brings you here little brother? Me? Good question. I left a little stinkhole outside of Jol when my elder brother survived the red fever and stood to inherit the family farm. Being the middle son I left and joined Jarl Hjorfson as a member of his crew going out to sea. A man named Crandel once paid the Jarl for sea transport and offered anyone a steady job before he left. Now after a nasty fight with sea trolls I felt I had had enough of the sea and came here to see if it truly was steady coin he offered.
Well met master elf, please join us."
Everyone is seated at a large table and Vigfus gets his mead. It is, of course, not quite as hearty as one brewed in his homeland, but surprisingly decent for a southern city. The rest are given a menu with the selection of food named so fancily that you can hardly guess what it is made of. Every drink in the menu has its place of origin and year listed. You notice that everything is grossly overpriced compared to a regular tavern.
Some time passes as the four of you get something to drink or eat and engage in conversation. Finally, the door opens again and an elderly pair walks in, attended by the butler - Verus Crandel and Branda Tulles. They move towards you at a slow and uneven pace. Uncharacteristically, thin and pale Branda is leading her strong-armed and caramel-skinned husband, who limps along with the help of a mahogany walking stick.
As they approach the table, both start smiling and warmly greet those they know, introducing themselves to those they don't. After the initial pleasantries are done with, they pause for a long, assessing stare before Branda speaks up again.
"We are grateful that you came. As you well know, we have had more than our share of excitement in our youth, along with a few of our friends."
She looks to her companion, who sits up to take a sip of ale, wiping his gray mustache with an embroidered cloth. He says in a weathered voice, "Each year about this time, the remaining four of us gather together in this city to remember our fallen friend, Rhoma Bissel, and to lend our experience to a cause worth fighting for. We can still face bullies and brigands and such, but my hammer gets heavier every time I lift it. I've meant for each of our last three ventures to be the end, but Branda and I still travel here every year to meet up with Dern Fosimuth and Taergan Flinn and to share a few stories with younger travelers like yourselves."
He pauses for a long second before he continues. Worry hangs heavy in the air as he clears his throat.
"This meetup was definitely going to be the last one for us - as you can see, I have a hard time recovering from a hip fracture, despite even the efforts of the expensive healers Branda finds for me. We have warned our friends that we will come to say goodbye, but strangely, they have not made their appearance yet this year. We've learned that one, Dern Fosimuth, is laid up in a place called Mother's Care Home for Invalids, in the nearby hamlet of Hope's Hollow. It seems that he has similarly suffered some sort of unfortunate accident recently. The other one is more curious - Taergan Flinn is a half-elf, so he's a bit more active and nimble than the rest of us. And he never really took to retirement, so this gathering started as his idea. It worries us that he hasn't shown, especially as we've made our share of enemies over the years. We think it's best we stay here, given my impaired mobility, and possibly he has been simply delayed by something - but we ask that you would check his home for us just in case, and bring word back of Dern, as well."
Branda Tulles takes over from here, nervously checking her neatly piled platinum hair.
"We've talked about mentoring a few younger pioneers like you, maybe even handing down a few secrets we never quite explored. We'd be willing to lend you our company and more if you'd be good enough to check on our two friends. If they need help, we'd rather someone younger and up to a challenge discover them. Once we know they're safe, we'll look in on them ourselves. When you deliver Taergan Flinn safely to us, we won't spare coin and treasures from our personal stores to reward you.
His townhouse is located in the northeastern part of Cassomir, in a quiet neighborhood of a district called Threegates. He loves the place and has spent a lot of time in there, immersed in his alchemical research.
And Hope's Hollow, where Dern Fosimuth lies in care, is about an hour's ride by the eastern road from Cassomir, through the Blackwood Swamp. You won't miss the signpost on the road."
Has you wish Master Tulles.
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"That is the guy" Vigfus says to the others as the old couple approaches their table referring to the story he told them earlier.
Listening to their take Vigfus sips his mead quietly. After it is over he says. "So we are to venture forth towards this place called Kazomir, never been there. Hollow's Hope... never been there either. I guess you want us to go to Kazomir first and then this Hollow place next. What if Taergan is to ill to ride or to travel? Or worse? What do you want us to do? And for Dern?
Another thing, should we mention your names to them at first meeting and if they are suspicious due to your many enemies, is there anything you can tell us only trusted friends would know to calm their nerves?"
Verus erupts in a sudden burst of hearty laugh. "Have you drank too much mead already, ole' Vigfus?! Cassomir is the name of the city you're in now!"
"It pains me to see you this way Verus. Is there anything I can do, other than looking in on your friends? You know I have some skill with herbs and healing, although my true strength lies with weather."
Alomar looks at Brenda "Not that I doubt your healers, but you can probably understand that I want to be certain they have not overlooked anything"
Branda nervously replies to Vigfus:
”We already know what happened to Dern, so right now we are mostly worried about Taergan. If you find him ill but safe, just bring back word about him and we will check up on him while you are visiting Dern. If Taergan is in peril, and you feel like you’re getting in over your heads, you could inform the Chief Constable Roani Cheliff, or seek help from the Blackrock Company mercenaries. The constabulary is just a few blocks away from this inn, and the Blackrock headquarters occupy a prominent and well-known building at the south end of the town.”
She calls over the innkeeper and asks him for a map of Cassomir, which he promptly brings. Branda marks Taergan’s townhouse, Constabulary and Blackrock company on the map and hands it to you, when frowning Verus suddenly interrupts the silence with a slam of his fist on the table.
”Anyone who dares to harm the Golden Watch members should be on the receiving end of my hammer! If there is any foul play afoot and you learn who is behind it, I trust you will not hide behind constables and mercenaries! Come back here and I’ll gift my flaming hammer to you on the condition that you use it to smite the villains to pieces!”
Branda gently takes his reddish-hued muscular hand in hers and tries to calm him down.
”Let’s not jump to conclusions, darling! Surely, Taergan is simply delayed or preoccupied. You know how single-minded he can be with his research, always out looking for some strange components in exotic places! I am sure our friends will bring some good news to us before even the sun sets down!”
Verus calms down at his wife’s touch as quickly as he got agitated, and smiles awkwardly.
”You are right, as always, my flower. Please excuse me, friends, you know they don’t call me Igneous for nothing. Thank you for caring about my leg, Alomar. In fact, your skill with the weather might be more helpful to me currently - if you could drive away the rainclouds that make my old joints ache every time they gather, I would feel much better!”
Brenda takes over again with a sad smile:
”You have every right to cast your doubt. Unfortunately, money can’t always buy skill and good care. The first healer we found botched his spell and the bone fragments got reassembled in the wrong order. Since then, we have been told that it’s easier to break the leg again than to fix what he’s done. Once this reunion ordeal is over, we’ll be sailing to Absalom, where purportedly the best healers in the realm can be found. If they can’t help my poor Verus, I doubt anyone will.
In the meantime, when you see Taergan and Dern, tell them that Igneous is unwinding the Golden Watch. We used this turn of phrase in our last letter to them, so it should be enough to convince them of your loyalty to us.”
"It sounds like you have your strategy to deal with this injury set out Brenda, and it seems a sound strategy at that."
Alomar grins "My ancestors would turn in their graves if they would hear someone ask a Stormcaller to drive away the rainclouds. Nevertheless, just give me a moment"
He stand ups and goes outside, you hear the wind picking up. After a moment Alomar comes in again "That should drive away the clouds for now, but I won't let them stay away. Rain is needed"
He takes another drink of his mug of ale. "What say you, shall we depart for Taergan?"
i hate when they do that.thinks Goston.
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"A good looking one? Where is she then? I only see two ugly Ulfen and a half-elf. But I digress, let's go!"
Alomar stands up and nods to Verus and Brenda "We will go and see what is holding up Taergan, then we will come back to you"
Located on the northeast side of Cassomir, Taergan Flinn’s townhouse appears worthy of a lifelong adventurer. Large, clear windows overlook manicured bushes, presenting a posh face to the front drive. A small building holding servants’ quarters sits on the north side of the property.
The townhouse’s second floor is constructed of wood, and has many windows. The building’s southern wing appears to house a laboratory of some kind. The house is as quiet as the neighborhood surrounding it.
The foyer is visible from the front windows. The expensive furniture and painted wooden doors of this room are undisturbed.
"So, should I look around to see, if there no danger?"
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As Goston carefully sneaks around the house, he finds the grounds to be quiet and empty. He cannot see anyone through the house windows either.
In the neighbouring house, an old lady notices Goston prowling about, gives him a stern look and drapes down her window.
In the outbuilding, two plainly dressed elderly figures sit in rocking chairs. They seem oblivious to Goston's snooping.
The rest of you notice a figure in the distance, hustling towards you from the same way you just came.
"We are not in enemy territory my friend. Wait and see, wait and see."
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A tall dark haired woman steps into the Sword Point inn and approaches the bar. She wears simple traveling clothes and carries a glaive and bow strapped to her heavy pack on her back. She's quite good looking and wears her hair tied back to keep it from getting in her eyes.
Vashara hastily looks around the room looking a little flustered before catching sight of Branda and Verus as they're standing up to leave their table.
"Hey there, Branda! I know i'm a little later than planned but there's no need to give up on me just yet! she says as she gives a playful laugh.
She briefly catches up with the couple and finds out what they wanted to see her for. When she hears that the others have already left she excuses herself and dashes back out the way she came.
Vashara jogs down the street, her pack bouncing lightly on her back.
It’s a good job I secure that glaive properly or I’d be forever tripping myself up.
As she approaches Taergan Flinn's house she spots the three people that the couple described to her.
"Good day gentelemen. I believe you three are just the fellows i'm looking for! Branda and Verus sent me to round out this little group and help tracking down their allies."
No one... hum. Let's see if the front door is trapped and if not, we can go[/b]
+2 if trap.
Not only does Goston not find any traps, he even finds the door unlocked, and it quietly opens inward on well-oiled hinges.
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"Hi there, I am Alomar Stormbringer, this one is Vigfus Wildmane and the one with elven blood is Goston."
Alomar enters after the others and closes the door behind him
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"Well met sir. In my haste i forgot to introduce myself didn't I! Being late certainly has muddled my mind it seems. I am Vashara Bainbridge, nice to meet you all.
As the others head inside the house Vashara follows behind them.
"It's never a good sign to find an unlocked door. Let's look around and see if this fellow is at home. I hope he hasn't had an accident."
The sturdy door and double windows easily block out the outside noise. It is very quiet, you can almost hear your own heartbeat.
Except for Vigfus, who probably still has mead pumping in his ears, everyone else picks up a faint but rhythmic thumping sound coming from the top floor.
"Sounds like a couple is having some fun upstairs, if you know what I mean..." Alomar smirks.
In a thunderous voice he shouts
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"Wow! You're rather skilled at projecting your voice there! I think they heard that all the way off in the frozen north!" says Vashara with a chuckle.
"We should be cautious here. Branda and Verus did mention that the Golden Watch had made enemies. I will just cast a minor protection spell to be on the safe side"
With that Vashara briefly concentrates as she makes some magic gestures and speaks some arcane words. There is a brief flash as an arcane shell encases her form and then quickly fades from view.
Goston draws his sap while he walks to the origin of the noise.
mistress wouldn't like if i hurt someone inside her friend's house.
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Goston opens the door in front of him.
Where are those stairs?
Alomar follows Goston "That direction is as good as anyone"
Goston has a hard time picking out the origin of the noise, except it seems to come from somewhere above and from the southern portion of the building.
The room in front of him has no stairs. Instead it has a round table and five chairs around it. With a large bay window facing east, it is ideal for eating breakfast or reading in the sun during cold weather.
A door leads to a patio outside, where a small table sits, decorated with several rare, colorful flowers. The northern wall has another door. The south wall has no doors but is different from the other walls you've seen so far - it is made of distinct wooden panels.
The south wall is actually more like a hard curtain and can be folded into a nook in the west wall.
amateur, it must been the first time in their life ,they enter a house of quality. Goston folds the curtain.
"Be ready, for a body to fall."he says, half-joking.
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Alomar moves to the south wall and tries to fold the wall back into the nook that was made for it.
The folding wall and the south door both open into the same room. Paintings and memorabilia fill the perimeter, and a large glass display case with a prominent lock on its front lies in the room’s center. A narrow staircase leads to the second floor.
However, you don't get a chance to explore the room just yet, because the northern door bursts open, and two elderly figures in servants' garbs rush to attack you! Goston reconizes the same couple he saw sitting in the small outbuilding.
The maid runs up to Vigfus with an uncanny alacrity for her apparent age, and slams him with a heavy frying pan!
The pan falls out of her dry-looking hands but she doesn't seem fazed in the slightest.
The man quickly clambers up the table, threatening everyone around with a shovel. In a hoarse and rasping voice he whizzes: "Get out or die, thieves!"
The strange servants have sallow dried skin and limbs clenched as if by rigor mortis. They also don't seem to be panting or even breathing. In fact, they appear quite dead!
This particular undead version is called a juju zombie. It is common in the Mwangi Expanse where the sinister Wendifa (juju oracles) know the secrets of manipulating the spirit world. The creatures don't have the usual zombie weaknesses and retain the skills they had in life, though they lose free will.
Goston snirks.
"My, My, we are no thieves we were send by Brenda tules to know the state of her friends.
But because you seem dead, i don't think it matter anymore."
Goston drops his sap and drow his big curve. In a heartbeat, he strikes.
-2 ac
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