As the party comes together at the table Nintos brings his voice to a low whisper for only those in the group to hear. “Did you all hear that?” Nintos takes a look around; “I overheard that there is a spy somewhere in the Keep.... If its being whispered about in the inn then there could be some bits of truth about it. I wonder if this would be something that the Lord here would need aid with.” Looking around, Nintos gives polite nods to people who might be looking at him and the party.
Turning his attention back towards the party Nintos nudges Naji and continues with a whisper; “Naji, I am sure you heard that last bit. A hidden temple...” he trails off the end with a smirk and a rise of his left eyebrow.
Looking around the room as he sits back in his char; “Where is the service around this place?”
After browsing some of the good on his way to the Inn, Therion moves on. Upon reaching the establishment, he sits with his silvan companion and listens to the group and what they have discovered so far.
Akeirin breathes in the heady smell of liquor, food and adventure. He feels immediately relaxed - surrounded by the walls that enclose the space. This is the place, freedom writ large, destinies entwined, fates wrought and challenges accepted. Perhaps he needn't see the sea just yet - there seems plenty to do just here.
Still, he is slightly out of his depth, and follows Nintos to a table. He looks about, enjoying the sights.
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 6
You notice nothing out of the ordinary, except babies crying to their mothers to give suck.
Settling onto a bench, Naji tries to identify the source of the conversation about a Hidden Temple, ordering "Something hot and filling and something cold and wet."
"I don't know if I am hungrier than I was already, but I think I'll enjoy this more than I thought I might."
Noticing your Baklunish heritage, the server brings you some hot roast beef and some grape juice. Apparently, some Baklunish have been here before and was served something that didn't agree with their religion of Ali'Akbar.
Nodding in agreement; “I’d also like something hot and filling to eat, cold and wet to drink. Preferably an ale.”
Service comes promptly. The service wench brings you something nice to eat. A side of roast ham with onions and carrots and a stein filled with ale.
After browsing some of the good on his way to the Inn, Therion moves on. Upon reaching the establishment, he sits with his silvan companion and listens to the group and what they have discovered so far.
A rumor comes to Therion's ears. "There's spiders in those woods, big ones!"
"Server, is the shepard's pie prepared in the Velunian style or is it more Baklunish? I do find the warm spices of Veluna to accentuate the hominess of the dish rather well. I'll have that and a Furyondian spice ale."
Looking around the table, Jebeddo asks, "A hidden temple? That sounds promising. Although why hide in the darkness if the priests walk in the light? Or if they are a nefarious bunch, that may mean they walk within the keep as well. All the better reason to find out more, no?"
"Server, is the shepard's pie prepared in the Velunian style or is it more Baklunish? I do find the warm spices of Veluna to accentuate the hominess of the dish rather well. I'll have that and a Furyondian spice ale."
"Oh a big spender are you? We do the shepherd's pie served either Veluna style or Yeomanry style. The Velunian style shepherd's pie costs extra. Furyondian spice ale also costs extra."
their are fifty guests in all.
Akeirin declines the service, preferring to sit and listen. The inn's initial promise of freedom and adventure appears to have been in his mind as he sees nothing of interest. The atmosphere soon becomes less heady as the food and drink arrive, but even the fare and liquor are still new and interesting.
"Hidden temples might protect great riches or mighty secrets, but they are in and of themselves holy sites are they not? We have no need to disturb their meditations...?" the elf finishes, looking first to Therion and then to his other friends, ending the words framed almost as a question.
"Sometimes we hide because we do things we don't want to have seen. Sometimes we hide because we need quiet and solitude for contemplation. Many religious orders have hidden or obscure locations. Not everything involves evil intent." He shrugs. "Given the opportunity, I wouldn't mind seeing what they have and learning how they use it, but if our threads never cross, then it was not meant to be."
Looking to the server "Thank you for this meal and your consideration." He gives a quick silent prayer before beginning to eat, letting his mind wander a bit as he starts. Even here 'The One True Faith' manages to impose itself on me, forcing me to comply with their pointless rules. I thought I might have gone far enough to prevent that. Ah, well. Not bad beef, though.
Looking at the meal paced before him; “This is a feast! Thank you!” with a tap of his finger against his stein; “Lets keep this filled this evening. It has been awhile since I’ve enjoyed a good ale. Thanks again hun!”
Slicing off a hunk of ham and being sure to get some onions and carrots with it too, Nintos starts in; “Ok, so maybe not the hidden temple? But what about the spy? I am sure that there could be some coin and prestige in it for us if we found them out.” Nintos finish it off with a big pull of ale from his stein and lets out a satisfied, “ahhh”
You see a man with two girls. "I hope sincerely you are enjoying your feast," he said. "I'm pretty sure I will be too. As soon as my girls can go get one for me."
Make perception checks one and all.
Everyone seems normal so far, although lacking a bit of refinement. Still, are there any signs of the Hidden Society?
Looking at the meal paced before him; “This is a feast! Thank you!” with a tap of his finger against his stein; “Lets keep this filled this evening. It has been awhile since I’ve enjoyed a good ale. Thanks again hun!”
Slicing off a hunk of ham and being sure to get some onions and carrots with it too, Nintos starts in; “Ok, so maybe not the hidden temple? But what about the spy? I am sure that there could be some coin and prestige in it for us if we found them out.” Nintos finish it off with a big pull of ale from his stein and lets out a satisfied, “ahhh”
"Maybe we should start with finding out what group would send a spy?"
Perception:
Therion looks about the room as he casually picks pieces of food off the others plates.
[dice=perception]1d20+4
Everyone seems normal so far, although lacking a bit of refinement. Still, are there any signs of the Hidden Society?
There are some signs of the Hidden Temple. Certain way people dress, a mark on their forehead, or a phylactery on their forehead. You can point out three worshippers of the Hidden Temple in the crowd.
Nintos and Naji don't see a thing. Thorion could tell that the two women the man has with him have been charm personed way too much.
Akeirin doesn't seem to notice much more than when he forst took a look around. There are far too many patrons for the elf to keep track of, and he has little understanding of what the man with two women is driving at.
"Get one? Get one what? A feast?" Akeirin frowns.
Therion drops his air of nonchalant boredom, and his face turns stony.
"That man over there, the one with the two women. We need to confront him. The women are under the influence of a charm spell...actually it looks like they have been repeatedly charmed. We need to stop him!"
Surprised by Therion's claim, Jebeddo casts detect magic to confirm.
Surprised by Therion's claim, Jebeddo casts detect magic to confirm.
Your detect magic does show a red (red=Enchantment) glow about the women. if they are under an enchantment spell.
The Istan shrugs. "Is there an indication they are being ill-treated? That they are being abused? There are many kinds of chains. Charms are far less harmful than most of the others. What does the local law say about these things? Interfering could make life far more difficult while improving nothing for anyone involved, depending on the local customs."
"
Akeirin turns his consideration to Therion's man. He watches the group a little while, then, still watching them asks:
"Confront him? Here? Perhaps somewhere quieter. I have heard alleys are useful for...confrontations. Then again, I have only a mere concept of what an alley is..."
"Therion appears to be right. There is definitely an enchantment woven around those women. Perhaps we should go meet them?" asks Jebeddo with a devious grin.
As the others talk about what to do or how to approach the group, Therion gets up and walks towards the man and his captives.
"You! Why have you ensnared these women in a spell of charming? What nefarious reason do you have to remove their free will? Stand and answer me, fiend."
Naji looks to the waitress and shakes his head as he shrugs lightly.
As the others talk about what to do or how to approach the group, Therion gets up and walks towards the man and his captives.
"You! Why have you ensnared these women in a spell of charming? What nefarious reason do you have to remove their free will? Stand and answer me, fiend."
"It's the best way to get a date, I mean really, it's like heaven. I just charm these women and they give me what I want."
Therion is taken aback by the man's frank remarks. He expected him to try and deny it, or make some lame excuse, but to actually confess...well that was not expected.
So you confess to charming these girls and having your way with them without their consent? This is outrageous! Call the guard! I want to see this man put in chains.:
"Get a life you stuck up elf," he said. "There's nothing you can do, there's nothing the guards will do. These women are mine. Have a pan-Flanaess gargle blaster, on me. You'll feel better."
Hearing all that is going on and this mans blatantly disrespect for the women he is taking advantage of he can no longer standby quietly. Nintos stands up and approaches the situation.
Knuckles whitening due to the grip on his longsword; “You disgusting worm. End this charm, now! You might say the guards won’t do anything, but I will. You have no honor and deserve to be put down, squished under my heel, like the worm you are.” Popping the blade loose in its scabbard to show a few inches of cold steel, but not drawing it.
"I could end the charm, but they'd still be loyal to me. But lets not get hasty. Pan-Flanaess Gargle Blasters for all," the man said. He didn't want to be run through. His women would have no one to turn to.
Therion looks around the room to see what the other patrons are doing in the face of this confrontation.
Jebeddo discreetly casts prestidigitation to make it look like the man soils himself, with audible sound and all, after Nintos' intimidation attempt.
Stepping forward and raising an eyebrow, "By Garl, man, get a hold of yourself! No need to soil yourself in disgrace for your lack of backbone. No wonder you have to resort to such cheap chicanery to lure women to your side. But after such a public display like this, I doubt they or anyone would flock to your side. If I were you, I'd leave them be before the stories of the Soiled Man in Yellow reach every man, woman, and child at the keep."
Naji grins despite himself, managing not to audibly chuckle.
Jebeddo discreetly casts prestidigitation to make it look like the man soils himself, with audible sound and all, after Nintos' intimidation attempt.
Stepping forward and raising an eyebrow, "By Garl, man, get a hold of yourself! No need to soil yourself in disgrace for your lack of backbone. No wonder you have to resort to such cheap chicanery to lure women to your side. But after such a public display like this, I doubt they or anyone would flock to your side. If I were you, I'd leave them be before the stories of the Soiled Man in Yellow reach every man, woman, and child at the keep."
The man leaves discreetly in order to change. Much to the laughing of everyone around him.
Akeirin watches as Therion boldly challenges the lothario, and Nintos calls for satisfaction. The valley elf smiles gleefully at the mystic chicanery, then watches the women.
"What becomes of them now? Are they still ensorcelled?" he wonders aloud.
The girls run to follow their master. So they can help him change. "Wait for us, Tydarius-kins!"
"Evidently they are. So...?" Akeirin finishes, unsure of the various legal, moral or social forms of etiquette or breaches of same have manifested in this brief vignette.
"Why did the man feel that he had the right to control those girls? Are the human laws in this place different from those elsewhere? I thought all good people despised slavery!"
As he speaks his voice grows louder as he searches the crowd for some sort of answer.
"Slavery is not universally seen as a problem. It is quite common as both punishment and right of war pillage at home. Followers of 'The One True Faith' would be angered by your expectation that those who are good would disapprove."
A few moments later, someone goes on stage. A man, and he starts playing a ballad about the Caves of Chaos having been cleared out by Adventurers twenty years earlier.
Therion looks down at the priest with a sad look upon his face.
"Your lives are truly nasty, brutish and short, are they not! I would hope that such simple enlightenment would have reached a man of the gods, such as yourself, but I suppose I am expecting too much."
He sits again, lost in his personal thoughts.
Naji openly laughs at the Olf. "The web doesn't care about your morality. It is made up of the strands of our lives, as they meet, intertwine, and separate again. Rarely do two strands meet evenly. One is almost always dominant. Sometimes the other is a slave. It matters not. The thread's length doesn't change whether you are slave, owner, or confused."
Akeirin follows the discussion avidly.
"In the spider's web, is the spider not a slave to its silk or to its desires? Do we see truly or what we want to see?"
The valley elf places a companionable hand on Therion's shoulder.
"Cousin, parables and musings notwithstanding, I agree with you. Nor from my understanding does Naji disagree tacitly - he merely presents to us the fact that the prism of your morality may not be shared by the people of this city, and we must tread carefully lest we break its laws enforcing our morality."
The song interrupts Akeirin's attempt at mediation.
"That barking there - it mentions the Caves of Chaos? Was that not where the Hidden but well known Temple is located?"
Therion nods slowly as Akeirin speaks.
"Your words are sound cousin. I do apologize Master Caedmon. The idea of slavery is so distasteful to my people, that I sometimes forget myself."
The olf gives a deep bow to the priest.
"Apologize? For being entertaining? If you wish. I don't think there was anything to apologize for." He shrugs. "I have no idea if the Caves of Chaos is where the hidden temple lies. It might be. Could make for some interesting experiences, though, if they were named well."
[dice=Knowledge History]1d20+6
[dice=Knowledge Local]1d20+2
I sent you a pm regarding the Caves of Chaos knowledge check.
Everyone else, make a perception check regarding new rumors of the Caves of Chaos.
"Either way, twenty years is a long time. I'm sure local fauna or worse would have moved back in since then. We should go check it out... and follow our charming friend on our way there to help clear the minds of his companions."
Perception: