"This gets stranger all the time. What do you make of it?"
"I can try." Copper attempts to get to the floating wand as he leaps into the air.
It's easy to get the wand, or anything else you might want to grab, as you float right up to it when you enter the room. It appears that the entire room seems to be under a levitate effect of some kind, effecting everything equally.
Copper paddles around as if he were swimming at first and then grabs the wand to bring it back to Krojun. "I got it!"
Copper just grins at the praise as he follows the rest.
The staircase coils down, and hits blockage almost immediately. It would seem that it survived as well as the other staircase in the great cataclysm, which is to say, not at all. Oddly enough, the surface of the rubble flashes with the same strange energy as the levitation room. This time, though, the words are more thematic, focusing on topics of wrath, anger, revenge, and the like; again they fail to make up complete, coherent thoughts.
Reporting back to town, you manage to catch Shelalu before she departs, and who promptly sits down with you to share information. She frowns rather heavily when you mention the names from the journal, especially at Bruthazmus, and fills you in on the local goblin intel . Afterwards, she heads out to Thistletop to do some recon while you plan your next move.
"Speaking of work, I should check in with the captain." Rohan makes his way to the Orca to tender his resignation before after he checks on Ameiko to make sure she's okay. This goblin situation was bigger than anything he had even read about, at the very least he should see it through, whatever that entailed.
Rohan is eating his food quietly as he ponders this odd situation. He starts inquiring to Ameiko's whereabouts.
You are having a quiet dinner and conversation, almost ready to head off to bed so that you could be off early tomorrow, when one of the other local clerics, a dwarf named Morstralla, comes in asking to speak with Father Zantus; she was one of those who helped repel the goblin raid, and the fact that she comes in bearing a frown does not encourage you that the conversation is going to end well, especially when the chief priest's face gets serious instantly.
"I'm bored... Let's go do something. Ameiko's not even here and this place is dead. We could go visit Krojun!"
"No, he's working. He wouldn't want us bothering him."
Rather thirsty from the exertion of dancing. Zella decides to take break and walks over towards the bar for a drink. Taking a sip of honey mead, she'll wander over towards the big Shoanti bouncer.
"Thought I'd come over and introduce myself. My name's Zelladanyia. I'm a singer, a dancer and even an occasional fortune teller. What I'm not, is a woman who lays with men for money. I thought it best to let each bouncer know that just in case any trouble starts up while I'm dancing. Some fellas don't like to take 'no' for an answer and while I can usually handle any trouble myself, it doesn't hurt to have a little help."
A halfling with short brown hair and a small scar over his eyebrow gets up from his chair and begins looking around the Rusty Dragon. Being careful to keep his hands behind his back, he glances toward the corner of the inn from time to time, obviously interested in something over there...
After a couple of minutes, he turns abruptly and hurries over the to the table, nodding at the occupants. "Greetings, may the luck of Chaldira keep you well!" he says in a cheery voice. With wide-eyed wonder, he looks at the dragon, and in a voice full of curiosity, he asks:
Zella merely shrugs and smiles at Krojan's comment about men having a hard time accepting her refusal.
After he introduces himself, Zella will hold out her hand to shake. "It's rather nice to meet you as well Krojun. Perhaps after my next dance set we cant chat again? I'd be interested in hearing of your heroics during the goblins little raid."
Still having a job to do, Zella finished off her mug and heads back over to dance again for the patrons.
Pimpernell sits in an uncomfortable chair with Father Zantus swinging his legs 1/2 a foot off of the ground and whistling until a stern look reminds him of proper table manners. He picks at the humble meal prepared in the Temple and fidgets while the clergy discusses politics and mundane activities. His mind wanders to open fields and dirt roads...the night sky and the stars. How do they do this? And a priest of Starsong, the Lady of the open road, for goodness sake? He adjusts the white layman's robe he was provided. Oh man this thing is itchy.
As Morstalla enters, Finally a break in the monotony.
"What do you mean by is he real? And who's Chaldira?" Rohan asks genuinely confused.
"Is that what he asked? Yea, what do you mean by that?" Copper asks the halfling.
"Am I disappearing?" He asks Rohan, a look of worry on his face as he starts poking his arm to confirm that he's not fading away.
"No, you're not." Rohan looks to the halfling. "My name's Rohan and this very real little guy is Copperscale. Who are you?"
"My apologies, I am Elton, of the Thistledown family. The branch in Kaer Maga, not the group out of Korvosa or Turtleback Ferry. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
He continues staring in wonder at the small dragon. "I've just never seen a dragon before. I thought I saw one, but it was just a shadow. But before that, the dragon was a man. That I knew. Sort of."
The halfling looks at the man, "And what do you mean by who is Chaldira? Chaldira Zuzaristan? The Calamitous Turn? She of The Three-Notched Sword?" The goddess of surviving dire circumstances and luck... for halflings... er... and luck for those deemed worthy of being lucky. If they're not halflings."
He pauses and wrings his hands for a moment, "She is friends with Desna!" he blurts out a bit too loudly, as if that should explain everything.
"It's alright, the question was just a little confusing. Good to meet you."
"Well, you see he may look like a dragon.." Rohan decides to be honest and tells him about Copper's true nature. It wasn't in him to withhold the truth.
"But if it helps, the glorious leader of where I'm from is an ancient Gold Dragon. And I'm related to him, so that's close right?"
"I still haven't heard of this Chaldira, but thank you anyway."
At the mention of Lamashtu, Pimpernell frowns. The B+++$ Queen herself. He listens and then stands. If a follower of Lamashtu is involved, then a priest of Starsong should definitely travel with this group.
Pimpernell bows quickly to the clergy in the room. He pulls the white, borrowed priestly robes off and drops them on the floor revealing his bare halfling body garbed in only a loin cloth. He takes off jogging out of the room until he realizes he has been rude. He jogs back to the robe, picks it up, folds it, and lays it over the chair. With a blushed face, he bows again and then runs out.
It takes only a few minutes to don his traveling garb and his armor. He sets out for the Rusty Dragon.
"It's those stirring performances that earn me my money without having to lay on back. Any chance you could walk me on over to the Rusty Dragon when you have time? It's rather late out and I'd rather not walk over there by myself. Not that I'm afraid of a fight or anything. It's just that having a big fella like you walking beside would likely discourage anyone from even thinking of starting trouble."
Rohan will stay in the common room for a while. He was too high strung from the days events to sleep now. And besides, this halfling was apparently interested in Copper's existence. "So what brings you to Sandpoint?" He asks after getting a nudge from Copper.
Elton looks at the dragon through narrowed eyes. Pursing his lips, he things for a long minute before speaking, "Well, even if he isn't a dragon, he is a very handsome fellow. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Copperscale."
Elton takes a seat the table facing the man, "Your homeland and heritage are very interesting, moreso than you know. See, we have dragon blood in our family too. Not gold though, brass. Those brass dragons can talk your ear off, and believe me, coming from a halfling, that's quite a feat!"
Elton begins speaking in a rapid staccato voice, looking around the entire time, but obviously aware of his conversation. "As for what I'm doing here... Well, I like history, the really old stuff, the kind that's hard to find in libraries. The city where I was raised, Kaer Maga, it was built by some empire thousands of years ago. I found a manuscript a few months ago indicating the lighthouse near here might be related to that same empire, so I came to take a look... and here I am. I'm really disappointed I missed the festival though - did you two go?!" The last is spoken with earnest regret - who wants to miss a party!
The conversation at the Rusty Dragon continues as others appear from other venues. At this point, only Talon, who is still out shopping somehow, Morstralla, who went to report to Father Zantus, and Magnhlidr, who is elsewhere helping the locals guards, are present. Most of the staff have gone to bed, but they left a few logs in the fireplace so there is still a steady light just in front of it.
"I like this guy. He's obviously very smart and observant. We see eye to eye on the important things. Yea we went, despite someone's best efforts." Copper not so subtlely nods to Rohan who just rolls his eyes. "It was awesome, you should have seen it! There was food, games, food, and decorations everywhere. The only bummer was the goblins attacking. But we got them good! I was like rawr and they were like aah! Then Miss Ameiko got kidnapped and we got to rescue her like real heroes! Then we searched through the remains of some ancient empire. Oh, maybe it was built by the same empire that you were talking about! That would be so cool!" He excitedly exclaims before taking a break to quench his thirst.