Hilael has seen the elf around Roderic's Cove. ''Nice to meet you Audrahni, my name is Hilael. I've seen you around but haven't gotten to know you before this. If I can somehow help with your or this towns problems I will do my best and I will listen to your worries.''
Mayken readily agrees. Dinner and what sounds like an interesting story to come is an impossible combination to resist.
"Hi Audrahni, I'm Mayken. I'm pleased to meet you and happy to accept your generous offer."
{Maddie perks up as the elf comes over. She clearly knows the elf at least slightly}
Maddie: (to Audrahni) "Hia, Audrahni! Good to see you! I'd love to eat, but I need to ask mom. Where can I meet you?"
{After getting a response, she nods and dashes off back home, where she drops off the groceries}
{As she runs out the door again, she calls out}
Maddie: (to her parents) "Hey mom! I'll be out! They didn't have dewleaf, but I got tomatoes! Love you!"
{The young girl runs back across town, hair trailing in the wind, and she rejoins the others, briefly breathless but quickly catching her breath.}
{We FADE IN to the inside of the Creekside Inn. We see several people seated in tables across the room, talking quietly to themselves. A server walks among them, offering drinks to her patrons. We see a bard in the far end of the room singing a song, but not so loudly that it overshadows everything else. We move towards the middle of the room, where AUDRAHNI and our four characters are seated in a table, having just finished a meal.}
[u]AUDRAHNI:[/u] Thank you again for taking the time to chat with me. You seem like capable sorts—certainly not the type who’d be content to live out lives of comfort in a small town like Roderic’s Cove. I don’t mean that as an insult—far from it. I’ve been in town for several years and I think the Cove needs people like you: heroes.
{beat}
The stink of violence is in the air. The near-confrontation you were just involved in isn’t the first we’ve had recently... surely you’ve heard of the slaughter that took place last week? Something strange is going on here in Roderic’s Cove, and someone needs to do some investigating to figure out what that is. I’m hoping you’ll be up to that challenge.
In the relative privacy of the inn, Remy lowers her hood. Though her hair is cut short in a boyish style, there's no denying that she is a woman of incredible beauty. It's just too bad she's supposed to be a man.
"What can you tell us about last week's incident?" she inquires of Audrahni.
Hilael listen to Audrahni and Remy and then joins in the conversation.
I haven't really thought about how long I would be staying here. It just has been enjoyable living here after quite a rigid training. This seems like a thing that is worth investigating but I have only heard about that incident from the rumors, so any more information would be nice. Perhaps that could give us an idea where to start? Hilael ponders.
{MADDIE listens intently, nodding along.}
Maddie: "Is that what happened? Mom said to not worry and didn't say anything. What was it? But yeah, I'll help! But bedtime is 8, and Mom gets worried."
[u]Audrahni:[/u] I wasn’t there, but I did bury the bodies. There were 6 of them. One of them had a puncture wound on her throat – from a rapier or some other thin weapon.
{beat}
[u]Audrahni:[/u] The other 5 there wasn’t a mark on them. No wounds at all. They all had this … look of complete terror frozen on their faces. I’ve lived a long time, and spent a long time in this town, but I haven’t seen anything like this.
{Audrahni shifts uncomfortably in her seat, and looks around as if someone was listening. She speaks softly now, nearly whispering, but still understandable to the main characters.}
[u]Audrahni:[/u] The port-governor and most of the folks around here think it was pirates from Riddleport, and I think that’s true, especially given what happened earlier today. The last time Sir Rodrick showed up was because of Riddleport, and he was killed by them, so it would make sense.
But the Port-Governor won’t do anything – she says she doesn’t want to anger Riddleport, and she has more important things to worry about than some – as she put it – “hooligans”.
I knew these people. Most of the Horned Frogs are just workers who like to stand together and drink. They were causing no harm to anyone. They’re not a real gang – not like the Roadkeepers from earlier today are. They didn’t deserve this.
I just think there’s more to this than a simple attack. I’ve never seen people die like those 5 seem to have, and if Riddleport did this, we need heroes more than ever here.
I’m not good with people, so I need you to find out what happened – maybe Sir Rodrick’s old house might give some secrets up – people around here call it Rodrick’s Wrack, and most stay away because they think it’s haunted. I know the first person on the scene was Ladia Kelstrop – she owns the smokehouse in town – so maybe she knows what happened.
{Maddie nods along, excited by the idea to go on more adventures.}
Maddie: "Sure! I'll look in the morning. I've always wanted to, but I coudn't without an adult."
Remy frowns at Maddie. "You are awfully young, Maddie. If the house is truly haunted, it might be dangerous to go there, even in our company."
{Maddie's eyes sparkle}
Maddie: (to Remy) "Oh, I'll be fine. I'll do far more dangerous things before."
{Hilael listens to Audrahnis story in silence and then looks at the excited Maddie}
Hilael: (to Audrahni) Checking out that building sounds like a good idea from what you've told us Audrahni.
Hilael: (to the group) I agree with Remy that Maddie is quite young for this kind of thing but she has also shown courage in front of something that scared the rest of us. I promise to do my best in protecting Maddie from possible dangers we could face there. Perhaps we should also ask Ladia if she saw something out of ordinary?
Mayken is completely captivated by Audrahni's tale. As with Remy's claim to actually be a man in a different body, Mayken is far less concerned about the likelihood it's true than having an exciting possibility to devote her attention to. After all, it could turn out to be true, so refusing the invitation to check into it is almost a form of malpractice in living one's life. For Mayken skepticism is a drab excuse to allow life to pass one by.
"Amazing! A real mystery right here in Roderic's Cove! You bet I'm ready and willing to look into all this Audrahni."
Looking around at the other faces at the table she continues. "Since Maddie has bedtime coiming up, we'll start with Ladia first thing tomorrow morning yes?"
"And Hilael is right. Maddie wasn't frightened by the apparition at the well. It will be valuable to have someone with us who can keep their wits about them if something like that happens again." Please please happen again!
"We'll just go to the house during the day. Everyone knows ghosts are mostly active at night."